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#we know from last route how good her heart is and how seriously she takes magic -
monstersqueen · 4 months
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-thinking - shinji is not a mage. this has been said over and over. he even said in one interlude during ubw that this room was never used on him (with resentment and jealousy because even though it is torture then at least he'd be something right ? RIGHT ?)
and yet this room is obviously still used. it obviously has been used this very generation of matou
i think this interlude makes it obvious who the current matou heir is. it also highlights two questions : how come she has magic circuits if the matou blood is dying and - why is rin reacting that strongly
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sunshine-jesse · 7 months
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The Incest End is Not The Bad End, Part 2: The Sane Ending Is Still A Bad Ending
In the first essay I wanted to deconstruct the idea that Ashley was the sole perpetrator of abuse. I wanted to take a look at how unhealthy their dynamic actually was and lay out clear indications that Ashley could, at the very least, fix her own problems, and wasn't a lost cause. I also wanted to show that them ending up together, be it romantically, in death, or even platonically (although I'm not convinced the Sane Burial ending can lead to that) was inevitable.
Here, however, I want to make a more difficult argument: That their relationship turning romantic is not just Not That Bad, but actually Good, at least in the context of what's best for the two of them in the long run. And to do that, I'm going to draw comparisons to the common narrative that it's the bad ending, again. I think it's the easiest way to explain my points, even though it might make me seem like I'm being contrarian or playing the Devil's Advocate.
But I'm not. I actually do think this is the only way they can heal. Why?
WELL.
My biggest driving factor for this belief is and always has been the difference in tone between the two endings. The 'correct' ending under conventional understandings of morality and relationships would be one where he breaks away from Ashley, but the only ending in which that's shown to be possible is the Decay ending. In the ending where Ashley has bullets in the gun (and therefore has control over the situation), she has to yield control over the situation to Andrew, and (going off the reading I established in the last essay) he understands and accepts just how much their dynamic means to him and how important Ashley really is to him.
In a sense, he self-actualizes in the same way he does in the Burial ending: Ashley yields control where it matters the most in both, resulting in him he fully understanding and accepting himself and what he wants, because Ashley's controlling nature no longer prevents him from seeing the truth. Ashley no longer casts a shadow that allows him to be blind to his true nature- his true desires.
In the Burial ending, he wants her either romantically and sexually (in the questionable ending) or as a friend (in the sane one). He lets go of his own need to control her, and accepts the fact that he was never better than her to begin with. In the Gun!Decay ending, he wants her dead. The damage has been done. Whatever final line was crossed made him realize that he can't control Ashley, and a world in which she cannot be controlled is one better off without her.
But in both, he can't live without her.
The tone of the Decay ending is tense. It's dismal. It's emotionally ravaging. Andrew is not acting like someone who wants to break free, he's acting like someone who has given up. He's angry and he's suicidal, but he no longer has any reservations about making intimate physical contact with Ashley.
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…and Ashley looks terrified and sad, especially in the last screenshot, which gives off some seriously dark implications about what Andrew might do to her in the Decay route.
He's given up on healing. He's given up on being normal. His heart and his mind both Decay as he's dragged along by an Ashley who's doing whatever she can to try to not allow a murder-suicide to happen and only making it worse in the process, because SHE has no foundation through which to improve or change her perspective on the world, either (more on that below).
In the NoGun!Decay ending, we don't know what he does after. He fails to self-actualize because Ashley never yields that need for control, and he follows the same pattern he always does of resorting to violence the moment he thinks he's losing control. I highly doubt that the ending would be much different- he'd probably just mirror Ashley's reaction of violently kicking the body at first, but he probably wouldn't last long after. Both, in an attempt to regain control or save their own lives, feel temporary relief at the death of the other, because they no longer feel trapped and afraid of what will happen if they leave.
But they also both fail to come into their own as people. Their dynamic- of Ashley being the morally bankrupt one willing to do anything to further their own survival, and Andrew being the one who's careful and calculating and preventing her short-sightedness from causing unintentional consequences- was the only thing that allowed them to survive in the first chapter, and more than likely the second (we don't see the consequences of them not having the trinket's power in ep2 so it's impossible to say for sure). If they don't kill themselves after losing the other and failing to self-actualize, it's almost certain that the world will eat them alive. They're outlaws, on the run, and have nobody to lean on but themselves. Without each other to lean on, it's only a matter of time until they fall.
So. The Decay ending is very obviously bad. There is no freedom to be had from them breaking away from the other; only despair and death. There's catharsis to be had in miserable people meeting a miserable end, sure, but the story goes out of its way to show us that the path to that end will be miserable and unfun and horrifying with the only joy to be derived from it coming from pure schadenfreude. But the story itself makes it clear that this is not intended to be a happy ending and thinking of it as such means you're fundamentally incompatible with what it's trying to convey. It's just a horrifying tragedy of two people who never gave each other what they needed to heal and tore down everything around them in the process.
So, how is the Burial ending better?
The lighter tone is immediately obvious. Ashley trusts Andrew to believe in her, and Andrew goes up to bat for Ashley even in the face of an arguably superficial offer to improve his life; to start it anew. The two just generally have a good time together afterwards, joking around, having fun, and ribbing on each other in a way that comes off as playful rather than hurtful. Andrew, finally, makes progress towards -healing,- because he finally stopped lying to himself about how important Ashley is to him. Why do I think it's a sign of healing, exactly?
Because Andrew, for the first time in the story, is comfortable with what he's doing.
He's comfortable with dismembering their parents. He's rarely tense, hesitates much less, and comforts Ashley instead of just seeking comfort from her. He gives more than just temporary emotional validation; a lot more. So much more, in fact, that it makes ASHLEY uncomfortable. She has difficulty processing not having their push and pull dynamic. She thinks something is off, something is wrong, because she's never seen Andrew so comfortable around her before, or at least lacking reservations in showing that comfort.
She still thinks about the idea of controlling him, of trying to get him to stay. There's internal monologue about it. But that's the difference. Before, we rarely see any internal monologue of her thought patterns- she just acts. Not thinks. But here, she's unsure. Here, she has to look inward. She has to self-reflect. She still frames it as her trying to keep Andy around, but Andrew is making it obvious in both words and actions that he will always be there for her, and he's so COMFORTABLE about it.
Regardless of what her actions in episode 3 end up being, it's still clear to me that the foundation for her to heal is there. She's safe, because she has a warm, comfortable place to return to while she figures herself out.
"So," you might be asking, "doesn't this imply that she'll heal no matter what? Doesn't that make incest technically unnecessary?"
Yes and no. Yes, in the fact that we still see a marked improvement in their dynamic in the Refusal path.
No, in that the Sane ending's tone is still much different.
After the dream sequence, Andrew reveals that he never fell asleep. He never sees that vision. He still self-actualizes to some degree, probably, but he never has his desires laid so bare for him because he doesn't dream. But you have to place sunlight on the left side to see this, so it still leads me to believe that they still grasp the importance of their relationship in that ending. It's just that…
I don't think that they ever, truly heal. I think that they just grow distant. I'll elaborate on what I think that means later down the line.
In the Sane ending, they have much less fun with each other. They don't playfully rib on each other as much- the eulogy in particular seems more spiteful than playful- and they're much less physically affectionate towards each other. It's not dismal. It's not dark or depressing. It's not tense. It's just… there. It's boring. Nothing has changed, and neither has Andrew, which Ashley views him not sleeping as a sign of.
But in the Questionable ending, he -does- sleep.
So what does sleep mean here? It means he can't sleep if he feels he's missing something. It means something is lacking in his life. Something is missing. Is it Ashley's affection? Well, yes, but also not just that. Ashley is just a representation of what he needs: Comfort. Someone to rely on. Someone he know won't leave him. I believe they have the same needs, and those needs just manifest differently. Andrew never had to worry about Ashley leaving him because Ashley was so obsessive that she managed to fill in the all-consuming void that mental illness creates.
But I think in the Sane ending, he starts to doubt that. In the Sane ending, he starts to shake his desire for Ashley. Which is great, right? It means they can finally go down a more conventional, safe path and have a relationship that's societally acceptable. The safe, boring ending that normies would enjoy.
But the fact that he doesn't sleep means that, even if he shakes that desire, he can't shake the need for what she provides.
Because he never sees the vision, he never gets that confirmation that he can pursue a more physically affectionate relationship with Ashley, and given that physical affection is a huge part of the equation for making him feel comfortable and happy (see: the couch scene, where he's the happiest he is in the whole game before the Burial route), he never truly believes he can seek it from her. He never gets it from the one person he trusts to always be around. He never gets that final affirmation that it's okay to be with the one person who has always mattered to him the most, and always will.
If we're to take the scenes at the end of episode 2 as metaphors for what will happen- or has to happen- for the siblings to get the best outcome for their well being (even at the expense of others), then the Questionable route involves Ashley loosening her grip on Andrew and having him naturally fill in the roles she wanted him to all along. But in the Sane route, Ashley bottles up every soul see shes, aside from what's commonly assumed to be Andrew's, who she is uncharacteristically cavalier about letting go.
She's still the same. She still wants to entrap people, and never let them go. She just happens to no longer want to do it to Andrew. She never fundamentally changes. And Andrew?
His soul has nothing to say. It's pitch black. It almost looks demonic, having literally the same color scheme as the Entity and Lord Unknown. If it's already demonic, then it stands to reason that a demon wouldn't want it, because it's just more of the same. Nothing special, nothing they would want, nothing that would be useful to them. In other words… just like Ashley?
He has- or will have- a tar soul.
And what does tar do?
It sticks.
It's the Sane path to take because it involves them conforming to societal expectations. It involves them fitting in, acting as they should, and doing what's expected of them without much fuss. But in the world they're in, they're expected to harm everyone around them. To kill or be killed, eat or be eaten. To never become themselves, and never be truly happy. To never ask questions.
And they'll do all of that, whether they stick together or not. The only difference is how many people they stand to hurt, and whether they're truly happy at the end of it all.
There's a reason the souls of one of the parents- commonly thought to be Mrs. Graves- was unhatched. She probably wanted to love her children. Even Ashley. She just never did, because the world never let her be herself. She never became whole, because it would've resulted in her being too dark to fit into society. But the siblings have a chance to do so. They have a chance to truly focus on each other so they can heal and become better, happier, more complete people in a world that's doing everything it can to incentivize otherwise.
It's just a bit unfortunate for some that Andrew has to fill a hole to become whole.
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freelancearsonist · 2 months
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✨ wip wednesday ✨
thank you to my love @covetyou for the tag <3 this is actually perfect bc i've been stumped on what to work on so i need y'all to decide for me
free falling love addict [dieter bravo]
this was supposed to be a porn w/o plot one-shot and is now a 5-part series full of feelings 💀 basically dieter falls hard and fast for a non-binary co-star who just so happens to be playing his daughter. there's a lot of drama and uncertainty and angst and it's a whole roller coaster ride (thank u to @beskarandblasters for the title and an absolutely STUNNING graphic that y'all will see later)
You wake up from your four hours of sleep with a little clearer mind, surprisingly. Dieter’s hot and he’d be a once-in-a-lifetime lay, but you’re playing his daughter in this show. How seriously do you want to be taken in this industry? Because banging the actor who plays your father in your first serious project is decidedly not the route to being taken seriously as a moviestar; in fact, it’s the kind of scandal that could end your career before it even starts. You shower, do your basic morning skincare routine, get dressed, and head to set. All the while, you chant your new mantra: Dieter Bravo is off limits no matter how badly you want to play right into his hands. His big hands. His big meaty hands that you want all over your–
(untitled) dad's best friend wedding joel [no outbreak joel miller]
BILL X FRANK SUPREMACY. this is bill x frank's world and we are just living in it. but anyway it's 2013, no outbreak, we're fixing the timeline, reader is frank's adopted daughter and maid of honor, joel is bill's best friend and best man. there's an age gap and a lot of trying to deny attraction until it all comes to a head and they work out their frustrations in the coat room after the wedding
You would’ve sworn, when you first met him, that an elaborate wedding would be the very last thing Bill would want. And yet this has been as much his planning as it has been your dad’s. It brings so much joy to your heart that your dad has found someone who matches him so completely. You couldn’t be happier for them; and at the same time, you couldn’t be more miserable for yourself. Because, as dedicated as you are to making this day perfect for them, Bill’s best man and long-time friend is maybe even more dedicated. He’s been turning this wedding into a friendly competition between the two of you, trying to one-up you at every opportunity he gets. It’s infuriating—especially when he wears that smug grin that’s become his signature expression around you. It’s torture, too, because all you want to do is kiss that stupid smirk right off his handsome face.
(untitled) blind date [dieter bravo]
basically dieter goes on a blind date with someone who has no clue who he is (you) and falls in love so hard
He never should’ve agreed to this—and really, it’s not even his fault that he did. His assistant should know better than to ask him questions when he’s a joint and a half in.  Maybe it’s a sense of obligation after he pushed her into the pool last week—in his defense, she really needed to loosen up—or maybe he’s just plain lonely. Whatever it is, he’s here, the champagne is good, and there’s no point backing out now. He takes another peek at his watch and lets out a slightly-too-loud groan. You aren’t supposed to be here for another ten minutes, and he’s already been seated and drinking for fifteen. How Jennifer—the aforementioned assistant—managed to get him here early, he’ll never know. But he does know it’s the first and last time he’ll ever be early for an engagement; the anxiety of anticipation is far too stressful. Plus, he’s worried it makes him look desperate—too eager to meet a complete and utter stranger.
(untitled) dieter crashing your graduation party (consensually) [dieter bravo]
this is my baby 🥹 probably the most self-insert thing i will ever write tbh. yet another series that was supposed to just be a one-shot, i haven't actually planned how many chapters this is going to be yet but i know what i'm doing with the story line lol. basically your family throws you a graduation party when you finish cosmetology school, and because you're antisocial and don't want a huge crowd you tag people that won't/can't come on your invite post--but the one person you thought for sure wouldn't come actually shows up and it sets off the craziest series of events
The crowd has lulled a bit, and you’re just about to go find that bar you’ve been so excited about when someone you do recognize walks up the brick path to the gate. And god help you, your jaw actually visibly, physically drops. You blink once, twice, and then once again for good measure. But he’s still there–not wishful thinking, not a mirage. He’s real and solid and here. Dieter Bravo stands on your garden path with all the air of a god amongst men. He’s dressed in black from head to toe–perfectly tailored black suit pants and an open suit jacket over a silk button-up shirt. If it was anyone else, he would be overdressed; but he manages to make it look like the perfect mix of messy and put together.  There’s a part of you that still thinks maybe it’s not him, that the dark sunglasses he wears hide the eyes of someone who has an uncanny resemblance to your favorite actor. But the other, larger part of you knows. You’re face to face with Dieter fucking Bravo.
(untitled) joel x hairdresser [jackson era joel miller]
i think this is going to be a 2-3 parter bc god forbid i write anything short. basically you're the resident hair stylist in jackson, and joel has hair that needs to be cut. he does you little favors in turn bc that's how jackson runs, but he ends up falling for you in the process
He starts to see traces of you everywhere, and he’d be bothered by it if thoughts of you weren’t so soothing.  He sees wildflowers while he’s out on patrol and thinks they would be perfect to replenish the vase on your counter. He finds hair gel in a nearby drugstore and wonders if it’s something you could use. He pulls anatomy textbooks from a shelf in an abandoned library because he remembers you mentioning that you’d like to expand your services to include massage. He has to remind himself that he shouldn’t be thinking so much about someone who’s half his age–that it’s borderline creepy to see so many things and want to bring them to you as offerings. But then again, that’s how Jackson operates. If he wants a service, he has to be able to give something in return. And he wants your services most of all.
(untitled) shotgunning filth [lucien flores]
the doc title pretty much says it with this one 😂 i've only just started this one but here's what i have:
You see his car in your driveway when you get home and it makes you shiver.  That stupid mint-condition hot-rod red 2003 Ford Thunderbird activates the most ridiculous Pavlovian response–your heart rate quickens, your stomach tightens with anticipation, your pussy starts preparing itself for the inevitable delicious torture you’re about to endure.
and if you want to hear more about any of these options, pls send me an ask i love talking about my stories :)
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Note
Hello again!
Okay I'm just here for a chat (if thats okay) (i think you're lovely!)
There are some stuff about the show that really bother me you know... First of all in season 4 What Happens to John Watson.. like he is simply characterized by loyalty right it is who he is, then HOW does he cheat on Mary?! (Okay granted that his heart was elsewhere... ahem. But he's just not someone who would cheat)
Also i think Mary shouldn't be a villain... i know she possibly looks like it messes up Johnlock but i think its the opposite actually. I think John is bisexual and his love for her was real but she was basically a Sherlock substitute who looked like him (John)! Plus, she was there when he was at rock bottom so. But what doesn't make sense is her shooting Sherlock in the chest?! What's up with that!
Okay but the Weirdest part is in the last episode when Sherlock has to choose between John and Mycroft and finally choses to shoot himself... BOTH John and Mycroft do Nothing?? HOW
AAAAA the Last Season was SO much angst.. i think this fandom saved me <3
In my head It was love at first sight... and then slowly falling head over heels crazy in love with your best friend and all of it culminating in the most beautiful TV Romance.
(okay im sorry i think i ranted a bit)
Hi Lovely!
Inbox is always open for a chat (even if it takes me a long time to get to it, LOL), so no worries!
Let's address each of you things one by one:
What HAPPENS to John Watson – Your guess is as good as mine, Lovely, and it's a lot of the reason a lot of us can't take S4 seriously. It feels so OOC for John to cheat on Mary with ANY other woman, other than Sherlock (hence it being part of the Alibi theory, this part of it referencing SHERLOCK as being the one John is actually texting in the night), so many of us just don't think that S4 is what it appears to be on the surface. Of course, it could all just be a coping mechanism to deal with how dirty a beloved series did it's fandom, but we take what we can get, honestly.
As for villain Mary, I have to respectfully disagree, only because I believe that I think they were setting her up in S3 to BE a kickass antagonist for S4. Amanda ALSO thought they were going that route for a bit until (my speculation) things went sour with MF, AND they built up her character as a psychopath imho. Then they made her character attempt a piss-poor redemption arc that just... really soiled S4 for me because I firmly believe that John would have NEVER forgiven Mary for trying to kill Sherlock after seeing what it did to him the first time.
But to your point: John is bisexual, yes, but I don't think he's biromantic. I think he's homoromantic, and it's VERY played up in the series that this is the case: his blasé attitude about ALL his girlfriends, but pouncing around the close men in his life like a puppy? Heck, if Lestrade was single, I have NO doubt John would have taken his chances with him too, LOL. John is horny. That's literally the gist of it. He likes sex, he doesn't care what hole it goes in, just as long as he gets it. But I do think he forms VERY strong attachments to men in his life, and in turn he gets hurt, so he pretends he's not into men because it's "just easier" (you can read more posts about my and others' thoughts on John's sexuality here). He was with Mary because he was lonely, and Mary played him like a fiddle. She knew what John liked, and played that up. I believe it's even explicitly stated she knows what John likes. They only knew each other 6 months, CONVENIENTLY just before Sherlock was on his way back? Even ANDERSON picked up on Sherlock making his way back to London. I believe she was a Moriarty plant to see if John knew Sherlock was for-real dead, and she herself enjoyed the game and stealing and keeping John for herself away from Sherlock was part of that game upon the return. So yeah, I really have a hard time believing she OR John actually loved each other. I dunno, again, personal biases and readings of the series, apologies, LOL. I spent a LOT of time analysing Mary's character arc. But I WANTED her to be the big bad for S4, and it just... fizzled and died.
And finally, on your point about the weirdness of John nor Mycroft opting to stop Sherlock, yeah, have to agree with you there. TFP was a goddamned clustereff of WTF moments and mischaracterizations of literally every character on-screen. The only character NOT in character was Eurus and that's literally because they didn't know what to fucking do with her. TFP was so dumb. I have a hard time believing any of it actually happened the way it did on-screen. But yeah, S4 was a big disappointment for everyone including the actors. I think they only people who thought it was great was Mofftiss and that's because they love the smell of their own farts. I can't believe that they GENUINELY thought TFP was going to be Emmy-worthy (for those unaware, they initially planned to nominate TFP for the Emmy, and instead chose TLD, I believe, after the poor reception of TFP, and acted like they were always going to nominate TLD lol).
Anyway, yeah, it was full of angst, though my reasons for it are probably different than everyone else's, LOL. But the fandom IS fantastic, and that's why we stay here, and why I choose now to curate fandom content. Makes me happy, and keeps me out of drama, LOL.
Thank you so much for giving ME the opportunity to chat and rant! It's been so long since I've done mini meta, and posted my thoughts about everything. I like chatting.
Hope you're having a wonderful day, and sorry again for the delay! <3
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Clean Waves
Wipeout - Chapter 6
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Pairing: Surfer!Tom Holland x Reader
A/N: I know there was a bit of a wait with this chapter, I apologize for that but I promise the rest will be coming out much quicker. I struggled a lot with the first section of this chapter, I’ve rewritten it entirely about three times but I’m very happy with it now and I hope you guys will be too! Reminder to please leave feedback and reblog, that stuff means a lot to me and I love hearing from you guys and talking with you. As always my inbox is open too if you would rather chat anonymously. Love you guys so much, thanks for reading xx
Warnings: None
Summary: Tom’s going on vacation, which means it’s time for you to work on things you’ve been avoiding all summer
Taglist
Masterlist
Series Masterlist
❀  ゜.・゜-: ✧ :-  -: ✧ :-゜・.゜❀
When you proposed a movie night, you didn’t think it’d be nearly as stressful as it was turning out to be. You wanted to do something nice for Tom and Harrison before they left, give you all a chance to spend some time together. Movie nights were chill, no cooking or major cleanup, just sitting on the couch and hanging out. Until Grace suggested making some snacks, and movie night turned into movie and charcuterie board night. Naturally you were taking it way too seriously.
The boys were making a dessert board, Grace would be in charge of savory snacks and wine, and you were doing fruit. You’d gone with what you thought was the obvious route, cutting the fruit into cute, themed shapes. You had carved the pineapples into small surfboards, the watermelons into waves, the strawberries were hearts, and currently you were attempting to cut the kiwi slices into little suns. You’d filled the blank room on the board with a mixture of blueberries and raspberries, but something was missing. The variety of shapes was good, and so was the arrangement, but there wasn’t enough color, and you didn’t have any other fruits to add to it.
“It needs something orange,” you mumbled to yourself, “I should have gotten some cantaloupe…”
“Babe the boys are gonna be here any minute, you’ve got to wrap it up,” Grace squeezed your shoulder, “It looks great how it is now.”
“It would look better with some cantaloupe,” you sighed, “Just let me finish these suns.”
“Alight, I’m gonna get the movie queued up,” she took her board into the living room with her, placing it on your coffee table before she fell onto the couch.
The boys started rapping at the door while you were arranging the last of the suns on the board. Grace ran to let them in and you took a step back from your board.
“Hey guys, come on in,” Grace smiled at the boys.
“Thanks for having us, where do you want this?” Harrison held their charcuterie board out towards her.
“You can just put it on the coffee table,” she hummed, peaking over her shoulder at you, “Hopefully (y/n) is finished with hers.”
“You’re still working on yours?” Tom flashed a cocky smile at you, “Come on love, I expected you to have yours ready hours ago.”
“Well it’s fruit, it’s better if it’s cut fresh,” you explained while he paced over to you, “Plus I need to make sure it looks pretty.”
“It looks great,” he complimented, peeking at your board while he set his hands on your hips, “Are those little waves? And surfboards?”
You nodded, “Yeah, I was trying to sort of make it vacation-ish.”
“It’s adorable,” he reached out to pick up the tray but you swatted his hands away.
“It’s not ready,” you went back to fiddling with your kiwi suns.
“Not ready?” he scoffed, “It’s like a magazine or something already. Plus we’re just going to ruin the thing when we eat it,” he grabbed the tray again, this time lifting it over your head and walking it into the living room.
“Hey!” you snapped.
“We’ve got a movie to watch, and I’ve got a flight at 6am, I can’t be here all night,” he set your tray in between the other two, “Look at that, best looking board by far.”
You were trying to stifle your smile, “Thank you.”
“Yeah, I can’t wait to dig in,” he fell back onto your couch, “You ladies already picked out a movie right?”
Grace nodded and plucked a bottle of wine from the table, “I found this cheesy old horror flick, it’s about space invaders or something,” she ripped out the cork with a large pop, “Everybody want some wine?”
“You know we do,” Harrison had settled in your large loveseat, his arms thrown back over the back of the chair.
“It’s honestly impressive how you manage to take up that whole chair on your own,” Grace commented while she started pouring everyone’s drinks.
“Thank you,” he grinned, leaning forward to take a glass from the table, “I would have shared with Tom but I guess he wanted to snuggle with (y/n) tonight instead.”
“Sorry Haz,” Tom grinned at him, “You and I will have all week together though, figured (y/n)’s gonna miss me so much you know?” he wrapped his arm around you as you sat down between him and Grace.
“If you think you’re gonna snuggle up with (y/n) you are sorely mistaken mister,” Graced passed a glass of wine out to you both, “We’re gonna snuggle just like we do every movie night.”
You nodded, “Yeah, why would I snuggle with you when I could snuggle with Grace?”
Tom rolled his eyes, “Because I eat you-”
“Tom!” you flushed, making him burst into a fit of laughter while you hit his chest, “You’re a pig.”
He winked and brought his wine glass to his lips while you scooted away from him, “Hey, where are you going?”
“To cuddle with Grace.”
He gaped while Grace stuck her tongue out at him and tossed her arm over your shoulder, “I can’t believe this,” he shook his head, “I even went out of my way to get your favorite cookies,” he motioned to the charcuterie board.
“Thanks,” you hummed and wrapped your arms around Grace’s waist, “I can’t wait to eat them.”
He shook his head and scoffed, “Fine, but I’m taking the blanket,” he ripped the blanket from the back of the couch and laid it over himself, “So when you inevitably get cold you’ll have to come crawling back to me, and I’m not gonna share.”
“That’s fine Tom, we can keep each other warm,” you hummed.
Grace nodded in agreement, “Yeah, our love burns like the sun.”
You all began pecking at the boards once the movie began. It was about ten minutes into the movie when the really cheesy effects began, causing all of you to start laughing and making fun of the film. This was around the time that you started to get cold, just like Tom predicted you would. He noticed too, smirking to himself when he noticed you starting to rub your arms. Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of being right you downed the rest of your wine and poured yourself another glass, but it hadn’t helped.
“Grace,” you whispered to her, being careful to make sure Tom couldn’t hear you.
“Hmm?” she hummed while she chewed on some pineapple.
“I’m cold,” you mumbled, glancing towards Tom out of the corner of your eye, “I want the blanket.”
“It’s our house, you can just take it.”
“Come on, you know he won’t let me, and he’s stronger than me, I need your help,” you pleaded, “You know, apes together strong.”
She bit back a laugh and rolled her eyes, “Hey Tom?”
“Grace,” he responded, not dragging his eyes from the TV.
“We’re almost out of wine, can you go grab another bottle?”
His lips tugged to a smile and he turned towards you both, “You want me to get up and leave the blanket here? Just so (y/n) can steal it? No way.”
“I just want more wine,” she said innocently.
“Sure,” he kicked his legs up so his feet were in your lap, “Well unfortunately I’m not getting up. As you can see I’m very comfortable.”
“Get your feet off me,” you ordered, trying to push him off of you.
His smile grew and he sank down onto the couch, stretching towards you so his calves were over your legs, “Oh but you’re so comfy Flower.”
You glared at him before something dawned on you, “Fine,” you fought a smirk while you spoke, “Do whatever you want.”
He smiled triumphantly and stretched his arm back back behind his head before he turned back to the film. You let him think he had won for just a second before you started to tickle his calves. He let out a startled squeal and quickly retracted his legs, curling himself into the corner of the couch.
“Knock that off,” he scowled at you.
Tom hated to be tickled, something you’d discovered during one of your early morning surf sessions.
“Aw, come on, I thought I was comfy,” you teased, reaching out a hand to try and tickle him again.
He quickly swatted your hands away, “You are never going to get your hands on this blanket now.”
“It’s my blanket,” you bit back.
“I don’t care, I’m gonna take it to Hawaii with me, might even leave it there,” he boasted.
You rolled your eyes at him, “Baby,” you commented as you pushed yourself up from the couch, “I’m gonna grab that other bottle of wine, does anyone need anything else?”
“Mind grabbing some water?” Harrison hummed, “I’ve got to drive us home, I probably shouldn’t have anymore alcohol.”
You nodded and attempted to tickle Tom’s chest as you slipped past him. He swatted you away again, demanding you keep your hands to yourself while you laughed. You grabbed the wine as well as some water for Harrison, returning with both quickly. You gave Harrison the water and set the wine down beside the nearly emptied one already sitting on your coffee table. Instead of returning to Grace’s side you sat down beside Tom’s legs and tried to pull the blanket over your own lap.
He wore a smirk again, “So you leave me to go snuggle with Grace, tickle me, and now you want me to share the blanket with you?”
“Yeah, pretty much,” you nodded.
He hummed, pretending to debate it while he pulled the blanket off himself, “Well come here then,” he spread his legs and pulled you back so you were nearly in his lap before he wrapped the blanket around you both.
You snuggled up against his chest and he wrapped his arms around your waist. You set one of your hands over his and turned your attention back to the movie. The movie only got more and more ridiculous as it went on, but it was getting harder and harder for you to pay attention. Maybe it was the wine, or how comfy you were all snuggled up with Tom, but something was making you tired. It kept growing harder and harder to keep your eyes open, and unfortunately the excitement of the alien invasion wasn’t enough to keep you awake. You argued with yourself, telling yourself first to eat some of the food to wake yourself back up, but pecking at the different foods didn’t help at all. After that failure you tried to just will your eyes to stay open, eventually giving in and vowing to only close your eyes for a few moments. Tom of course noticed your starting to drift off, the sight brought a smile to his face.
“Ah, of course,” he massaged your stomach with his thumbs, “It’s alright, wine makes me tired too. I’d be right there with you if I wasn’t so invested in the movie.”
“Falling asleep on me Flower?” he cooed.
“No,” you huffed, having already let your eyes fall closed, “I’m just closing my eyes for a minute.”
“I’m invested too,” you forced your eyes back open, “I’m not gonna fall asleep.”
“Right, obviously,” he smiled to himself.
You spent the rest of the movie in and out of sleep. At some point Tom moved one of his hands to your head and started massaging your skull, only making it harder for you to try and stay awake. Every few minutes your eyes would flutter open and he would smile, telling you to just sleep if you were tired. You weren’t able to keep up with the movie at all, every time you opened your eyes you only found yourself more confused about what was going on. You continuously told yourself that you’d only close your eyes for another minute, then you’d really force yourself to wake up again. It was a losing battle though, you just ended up falling asleep again every time. The last time you peaked your eyes open the credits were rolling and you were struck with the realization that you’d actually have to get up, something you desperately wanted to avoid. You squeezed your eyes shut again, hoping you could quickly drift back to sleep, but your friends had other ideas.
“What a stupid ending,” Harrison complained as he stood, “Guess we should probably help you clean up before we leave huh?”
Grace nodded and glanced over at Tom, “Yeah, we should probably wake up sleeping beauty too.”
“She’s already up,” Tom hummed and smoothed over your hair, “She just had her eyes open.”
Your lips instantly tugged to a frown, “No, I’m asleep,” you mumbled.
“Hey, you’re the one that’s been trying to stay up the past hour,” he laughed.
“Shut up,” you groaned.
“I told you to sleep,” he reminded, slowly tugging the blanket back, exposing your shoulders to the cold air.
“No,” you whined, reaching down to try and pull it back up.
Tom flung the blanket all the way off of you, “Come on Flower, time to get up,” you shot him a glare as you forced yourself to sit up, rubbing your cold arms. He just laughed, “Don’t look at me like that, I can’t stay here all night, I’ve got places to be.”
“Let’s just clean up fast,” you dragged yourself off the couch and started gathering wine glasses and plates, “I’m tired.”
“Yeah, we got that,” he smirked.
You rolled your eyes while you padded towards the kitchen, tossing the dishes in the sink haphazardly, “Let’s just wrap up the food, we can do dishes in the morning.”
“Fine by me,” Grace agreed.
You shoved the leftovers into the fridge after a very quick clean up and gathered in your front porch way to say goodbye. It felt bittersweet, you were excited for them, but you knew you’d miss them both while they were gone, and of course you were jealous they were about to go on such a fun vacation.
“Don’t get into any trouble while you're there please, or get hurt,” Grace pulled both boys into a quick hug as you said your goodbyes.
“We’ll be good,” Harrison assured her, patting her back before he moved to hug you, “We’ll see you when we get back.”
“You too, have fun,” you smiled affectionately back at him before turning to Tom. You weren’t sure what to do, but you decided to play it safe and just open your arms for a hug.
Tom smiled and pulled you against him, “I’m gonna miss you Flower.”
“I’ll miss you too,” you smiled, “Have fun, and text me when you leave and get in and everything.”
“I will,” he promised, “Try not to be too miserable without me.”
“I’ll make do,” you laughed lightly and pulled away from him.
He nodded and bit his cheek, his eyes flickering down to your lips for just a moment before he leaned in. He gave you a too quick peck on the lips and stepped back with a smile, “Just a little something to hold you over love,” he winked.
You fought your urge to roll your eyes, “We’ll see you guys in a week.”
“You too,” he cooed back, waving as he sauntered down the driveway.
They climbed into Harrison’s car, you waited until they were out of sight to retreat to the house.
তততততততততততত
Tom’s absence was a blessing and a curse, of course you missed hanging out with him, but him being out of town meant there was nothing to distract you from finishing your internship applications. There were only two design firms in the area, and each of them only took two interns a year, so your application had to be totally perfect if you wanted a shot. An internship would be the best way for you to get your foot in the door in the design world, so not getting one wasn’t an option for you. You’d already spent hours combing over your applications, and while you looked great on paper, your actual sample designs didn’t feel right. Neither of them lined up particularly well with the aesthetics of the companies you were applying at.
After hours of staring at your design sheets in the living room and coming up with nothing, Grace had suggested a change in scenery to get your gears moving again. Which led you to gather up your things and drive to the local coffee shop, where you curled up at a corner table to scowl at your papers a little longer. It seemed no amount of caffeine or grumbling to yourself was going to inspire you.
“Ashley?” Adrien seemed to pop up out of nowhere, a look of concern on his face as he looked down at your table you were working at, “Are you okay?”
You flushed instantly, you’d seen him a few times in passing since his birthday, but been far too mortified to talk to him. Everytime he looked at you a brick wall of embarrassment smacked you in the face and you were reminded of how you’d probably ruined his party.
“O-Oh yeah, I’m totally cool,” you laughed awkwardly, “Just trying to get a little work done.”
“Right, you just looked kind of upset,” he chuckled, “What are you working on?”
“I’m just getting some applications ready,” you explained, clasping your hands in your lap nervously, “So, uh, what are you up to?”
“Just grabbing a drink before work,” he glanced back down at your scattered papers, “Those look great by the way, I’m not normally a fan of banquettes,” he tapped on one of your samples, “But that looks really nice.”
“Yeah, they’re pretty hit or miss…” you were a bit shocked at his use of the word banquette, it was something you’d ever heard from someone outside of the design world, “I can’t believe you know what a banquette is.”
He laughed, “Well I’m in school for architecture, I’ve got to know design lingo.”
“Seriously?” your eyes widened in surprise, “That’s so cool, I’m going for interior design.”
“I know,” he smiled, “You mind if I sit for a second?”
“Of course not,” you pulled some of your papers into a pile to make room for him, “I can’t believe I didn’t know you were going for architecture.”
He shrugged, “We’ve never talked about that stuff, I just know you do design because Tom mentioned it.”
“Yeah, I guess we just don’t talk much in general,” you blushed, “Do you have a specific field you want to go into?”
He nodded, “I really like hotels and restaurants, sort of the hospitality industry in general. What about you?”
“Well homes are my favorite so I’d like to go into residentials, but I’ll probably have to do some commercial work before I can get into that,” you glanced down at the mess of papers in front of you, “Which is exactly why I need to get these internship applications done, but it’s not going very well.”
“I could help you look over them if you wanted,” he offered, “I’m not super versed in design, but it’s helpful just to get a second set of eyes sometimes.”
“You don’t have to do that,” you flushed, “Or be so nice to me.”
He frowned, “Why wouldn’t I be nice to you?”
“You know, your birthday,” you crossed your arms defensively and sank into your chair a bit, “I get it if you’re mad or something…”
He smiled back at you, “It’s not a big deal (y/n), trust me I’m not angry.”
“I feel really awful about it,” you confessed, “The last thing I wanted to do was hijack your party or make a big scene, I just got really worked up. I promise I’m not normally like that.”
“And I promise it’s really not a big deal, don’t sweat it alright?”
“Alright,” you relaxed and smiled back at him, “I’d love it if you looked over my work then.”
“Awesome, you said their internship applications right?”
You nodded, “Yeah, there’s two I’m working on. I’m just having a bit of trouble making my work match their styles,” you piled up the designs you intended to submit for the one of the company's and passed them over to him, “This is the one that’s giving me the most trouble, the firm does a lot of really rustic stuff, and that’s just not my vibe at all.”
“Yeah, I get it, I think a lot of the rustic stuff gets really tacky,” he hummed as he looked over your work, “I mean I really like these, but they don’t seem very rustic.”
“Exactly,” you groaned, “I just don’t like the rustic style very much. It’s sort of the opposite of art deco, which is where I get a lot of my influence.”
“Why don’t you apply at some firms that fit your style better then?” he frowned.
“They’re the only two firms that have internship positions anywhere near us, otherwise I would,” you hummed, “I’m pretty picky anyway, the only firm I’d really be excited about is all the way in London.”
“Well there’s no harm in just applying for it is there?”
“I guess, but I’d be bummed about not being able to go if I actually got it,” you sighed, “I just wanna focus on finishing these two for now.”
“I got ya,” he set one of your designs down between you two, “If you want to make it more rustic feeling I think you could just add more. Maybe fill in the walls a bit? I feel like rustic usually implies it’s a bit cluttered.”
“I know, I hate it,” you groaned, “That’s a good idea though, maybe I could add something about the window here,” you circled it with your fingers, “A little live laugh love sign maybe?”
“That’s one of the pillars of rustic design,” he laughed, “Didn’t they teach you that in any of your classes?”
“Of course they did, the foundation of every rustic home is a cheesy sign and Rae Dunn pottery,” you joked.
“Oh god, not Rae Dunn,” he cringed and glanced down at his watch, “I have to get going for work in a few, but if you wanted to get together or something tomorrow I’ve got the day off, so I could give helping you my full attention.”
“That would be really nice actually, I’ve got work in the morning but I could get together tomorrow night?” you suggested.
“Perfect, we could get together at my place if you wanted, honestly it’s been kind of lonely there, it’d be nice to have a little company,” he licked his lips while he waited for your reply.
“That sounds perfect Adrien, I don’t think I have your number though,” you tore off a piece of scrap paper and scribbled your number onto it, “Here, just text me so I have your number and I’ll let you know when I get off tomorrow.”
“Awesome,” he glanced down at his phone, quickly punching in your number and sending you a quick ‘hi’, “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
You nodded, “Yes, thank you so much for doing this Adrien, I really appreciate it.”
“It’s no problem,” he stood back up, stretching his arms as he rose from the table, “I mean I’m always up to help a pretty girl,” he winked at you before walking away.
Your cheeks flushed as he left, unsure how to feel about the small flirty gesture. You brushed it off as just teasing and got to work cluttering your designs.
তততততততততততত
There was something strange about going to Tom’s house without him, you knew it was Adrien’s house too, but it felt strange nevertheless. The house was more quiet than you were used to, and it held a much calmer aura without Tom and Harrison around. There was a candle lit on the coffee table, filling the living room with a subtle woodsy scent. It was nice and welcoming, and you were hopeful that Adrien’s help would give you the final push you needed to finish your applications.
“Well you don’t have to sound so surprised by it,” he chuckled.
“Do you mind the candle? I can put it out if you don’t like the smell,” he offered.
You shook your head, “No, no, it’s nice,” you sat down beside him on the couch and crossed your legs, “I took your advice about making things more cluttered on the rustic one, I actually think it looks a lot better now.”
“Sorry,” you laughed with him before passing him a few papers., “I just tried to fill up the space a little more, and I changed the color of the walls.”
“These definitely look more rustic, I liked your designs better though,” he hummed, “Good call on the walls, it flows a lot better with the yellow.”
“I know, I just love dramatic, dark walls,” you sighed, “The other firm is really minimalist, I got a lot closer to my normal style with those.”
“Can I take a look at those too?”
“Of course,” you dug them out and passed them to him, “I think minimalism can get really basic sometimes, so I tried to pick some really unique pieces, like with the chaise lounge here.”
“I can definitely see the art deco influence on this one. These look great, honestly I don’t think I would change a thing on these,” he beamed at you, “This one’s probably the one you really want huh?”
“I’d definitely prefer this one, I’m not particularly excited about either though.”
“You should go for some others then, like that London one you mentioned, you should be excited about your internship.”
“I can’t, I’d have to move and I still have to finish school.”
“London has amazing design schools, and a lot more opportunities than you’ll find here,” he shrugged, “Plus applying doesn’t mean you’ll get it, it’s just giving it a try.”
“But if I did get it I’d really want to go,” you sighed, “It’s a nice thought but I really love it here, I don’t want to move away.”
He plucked your laptop up from where you’d set it on the coffee table and set it in your lap, “Why don’t you just pull it up? We can just look at what the application requires.”
You hesitated, as lovely as it would have been to intern at a company you really loved, you really didn’t want to move away. The first image that came to mind was Tom, your heart ached at the thought of moving so far from him and your other friends. Astoria had captured your heart, and you were already enrolled in an amazing design program, it was the whole reason you’d moved there in the first place. London did offer more opportunities for your career, but it didn’t have your friends, or the sweet little town you’d fallen in love with. It was hard to believe you’d become so attached after only two years, but you had a hard time imagining yourself settling anywhere else now.
“I don’t know, I mean career wise that’s probably the right move, but I love it here, I don’t want to be anywhere else,” you blushed, “All my favorite people are here, everything I love is here now.”
“Well you could always come back, I mean an internship is only going to last a year at most right? You could go do that and come back and open your own company, it’s not like there’s much competition around here anyway,” his expression softened and he leaned back into the couch, “Sorry, I don’t want it to seem like I’m trying to get rid of you or something. It’s just that if you really like this company you should give it a try, even if you love it here, you don’t want to look back on this and regret not trying. Plus you can always just say no if you do end up getting it.”
“Yeah, that’s true…” you stared down at your laptop as you weighed your options. He had a point, you could always tell them no. Plus there was still a chance you wouldn’t get either of the internships near you. “Well let’s just check out their application, if it’s not too hard maybe I’ll go for it.”
“That’s the spirit,” he squeezed your arm in encouragement as you opened up your computer.
You pulled up the website and were immediately struck by how pretty their work was. It fit what you wanted so much more than any other company you’d ever seen, and they were very popular. An internship with them could open up all sorts of opportunities for you. The experience alone would be invaluable, and you’d be working under designers you actually looked up to, people that you could really learn from.
“Isn’t this stuff beautiful?” you sighed as you scrolled down to the career sections, “It would be so amazing just to see their process.”
“I think you’d fit right in.”
“Thanks Adrien, that’s really sweet of you,” you smiled while you read over the internship section, “This seems pretty easy actually, it looks like they want a few samples and my portfolio, pretty standard stuff.”
“Yeah, and I bet you could whip those samples up in no time. Probably wouldn’t take you more than an hour,” he encouraged.
Your excitement was growing as you read over the application details. As much as you didn’t want to leave town, imagining working there was exciting.
���I think I want to do it,” you finally settled, “Like you said, I can always just reject it, there’s no harm in trying.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” he grabbed your shoulder and gave it a gentle, encouraging squeeze, “You should pull it up right now, I can help you get started.”
“Okay,” you smiled wide and pulled up their prompts, “Pretty simple, just a living room and bedroom, their guidelines are really loose…”
“Well what are you waiting for then?” he laughed.
You pulled out a sketchpad and got right to work sketching out some simple designs.  Adrien sat beside you and watched you work, butting in every little bit to suggest something or crack a joke. It was nice working with him, and he offered a perspective you didn’t usually get from other design students. He was funny too, you were surprised by how well the two of you got along. It reminded you of his birthday party, when he’d started to open up and talk to you more, but you’d been more focused on what Tom was up to that night. It made you feel bad about all the times you hadn’t invited him along when you went out with Tom and your other friends. He’d just always seemed so shy, you’d figured he just wasn’t into parties or anything like that.
“You know I’m kind of surprised you’re so talkative tonight,” you commented, “And yesterday too. I don’t think we’ve ever talked this much.”
“Yeah, I can be kind of shy sometimes,” he rubbed the back of his neck, “I’m sorry if I made it seem like I don’t like you or something.”
“No, no, of course not,” you giggled, “I figured you were just shy. I’m glad we’re hanging out though.”
“Me too,” his caramel cheeks darkened and his eyes darted down towards the computer, “I guess I was always a little intimidated too.”
“Intimidated?” you couldn’t help but laugh a little, “I’m not scary am I?”
“No, no, I didn’t mean it like that,” he corrected, “I just think you’re really pretty (y/n), and you know, who doesn’t get a little scared when they’re talking to a pretty girl?”
Heat rose in your cheeks at the compliment, “T-Thanks,” was all you managed to stutter out before your phone started to buzz. You quickly cleared your throat, “Let me get that.”
Tom’s name flashed across your screen, he was requesting to FaceTime. It was odd for him to call at all, he always preferred to text.
“It’s Tom,” you explained, your eyes flickering up to Adrien for just a moment before you answered the call, “Hello?”
The video buffered for a second before his smiling face flashed across the screen. He was laying in bed, it was still fairly dark in his room.
“Hi,” you smiled at the screen.
“Hey,” he chimed happily, his voice was low and growly, he’d obviously just woken up, “How are you?”
“Good, just working on my internship applications. How’s Hawaii?”
“Amazing, it’s fucking early though,” he yawned, “Sorry, I just woke up.”
“Yeah I can tell,” you chuckled, “Why’d you call so early?”
“Just wanted to talk to you,” he rubbed his eyes and knit his brows suddenly, “Wait, are you in my house? Don’t tell me you missed me so bad you had to break in,” he smiled cockily.
“Actually, Adrien’s helping me with my applications,” you explained, “I can’t believe you never told me he’s an architect by the way.”
“Oh yeah, guess I never thought about it,” he shrugged, “Is he with you right now?”
You nodded and shifted so you could show Adriend to him, “Say hi.”
“Hi,” Tom greeted, “How’s the house?”
“Hasn’t burned down yet,” Adrien smiled back at him, “Hope you guys are having fun.”
Tom nodded in confirmation, “Oh yeah, time of our lives,” he hummed as you brought the screen back to yourself, “That’s sweet he’s helping you out love, hope you two are making good progress.”
“We are, it’s been really helpful actually, I think they’re coming along really great,” you boasted.
“Good, I bet everyone will want to snatch you up,” he yawned again, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt you or hold up your work or something,” he glanced over his shoulder, “Maybe we can call later when you’ve got a bit of free time…”
“We can talk now, we’re just about done anyway,” you assured him, “I promise you’re not interrupting.”
You wanted to hear all about his trip and everything he’d been doing. Sure you’d texted a bit, but it was nice to actually get to hear it from him, and to actually get to see him.
“No, no, you should finish your work,” he insisted, glancing over his shoulder quickly, “Plus we’re supposed to head out in a few, we wanna catch the sunrise on the water.”
“Okay,” you tried not to seem disappointed, not wanting to dampen his spirits in any way, “Well I’ll text you when I get home then.”
He nodded, “Great, good luck with the rest of your applications.”
“Thank you, have fun out on the water.”
“Yeah, I’ll send you some pictures,” he promised, “Bye,” he waved.
“Bye,” you waved back before the call dropped and the screen went dark.
next chapter
❀  ゜.・゜-: ✧ :-  -: ✧ :-゜・.゜❀
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hellcatinnc · 8 months
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Piofiore Fated Memories - Yang Review
Includes Spoilers....
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So I know you hear so many people all happy about Yang and love him the best. After sticking through his route which has dragged out to the point of boredom for me I'm finally done. That being said Nicola I was interested every step of the way but Yang just annoyed me. The only thing he has going for him is his looks because damn he is hot. However I wouldn't even say when he is mean that he is even one bit flirty ever and he isn't a tsundere because there really is no niceness in this man, he is very cruel. Yandere probably fits thoroughly like people say I mean I'm sure you see it in his bad ending more but I refused to be scarred by this man. Bad enough the one time I accidently chose the wrong thing got him trying to rape Lili and that was just enough for me I'm just thankful it wasn't shown it was just the writing talking about what he was doing.
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I don't understand why so many like him especially if its the darker elements they like about him. He is honestly just a freakin psycho in my book. Even Lee the guy who is trying to kill him and take over as the leader is hot but bat shit crazy. You spend most the time with kids' that guard you and their voices annoying like nails down a chalk board. God forbid you step out of line they will tell you how cute you are and then that they will kill you and its like WTF crazy ass kids.
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Lee above..... The Hot Psycho/Crazy Kids
I waited so many times to get sweet moments and even when there was a glimmer of it he would fall back to a selfish act right behind it making me dislike him all over again. I really hoped even on the good ending he would say he was in love with her or say I love you but nope never get it. I also hated watching him kill Dante, Nicola, & Gil it broke my heart. In all those ways he was a coward as well he spent every time throwing Liliana on the ground first not caring if she got hurt when he did it just to get their attention since unlike him they were all gentleman so they thought to look at her first. Well everyone but Nicola's fight his was about getting vengeance for Dante. Worst part is I can't say I hate Yang he was true all the time to Lili that he was a monster a horrible man who didn't care and even in his declaration in the end it wasn't romantic. It was just that he wanted her, she couldn't leave or he would kill her but if he gets bored she can fuck off. Like seriously how is this show love.
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Then on top of it everyone wants to know this mans name and he chooses to whisper in her ear yet leaves it on the note we still don't know. It might come around later but the point is it didn't end his story with it which irritated me. Then after killing all the mafias in the area instead of having a sweet quiet life with her its not good enough now he is off to London with her to kill and take over more. This is the only life that will come with this man. Now granted not gonna lie when he kisses her its passionate but just because he is good in bed doesn't mean he is a life soul mate. Honestly my opinion he is probably one of the worst written love interests I have seen in a game yet. He should have been chalked up to good sex life while with him then move on from there because to have fell in love with a man who she even says she can't condone what he has done and doesn't accept it yet loves him makes no sense to me.
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What made me real mad is when both Gil, and Dante tried to reach out to her to protect her and she is like I don't trust you and calls them monsters yet she is standing by the man who sells women after he kidnaps them, allows drugs to run ramped and kill people, and will rape or kill a woman if he just feels like it. I swear when she is with him she has Stockholm syndrome its the only thing that makes sense. I can't imagine anyone in this game I will dislike more than Yang but time will tell and if it changes I will make not of it as for now he is at the bottom.
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The last pictures are to prove my point on this is his romantic gesture of love to her here is my WTF moment because honestly I stick with most these men even the broke ones with the thought love can change them but not this man.
UPDATED REVIEW OF OTHER ROUTES CAN BE FOUND HERE!
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mellowquint · 1 year
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The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog Liveblog!
Part 1; the Dining Car
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OKAY WE'RE FINALLY DOING THIS READY, SET, LEGO (wait wrong fandom–)
So insert character is first time working for the train huh, okay cool cool
Oh god now i have to name them uhh (yes i will be referring to they/them, non-binary characters ftw)
… I went with Trainee (get it cuz uh train and yeah I'll see myself out)
Darling your scribbles are fine, better than mine actually
Trainee is a nervous train wreck *ba dum tss* yeah ok I'll stop making train jokes
Oh dang here comes the conductor. Apparently todays the conductor's last day after thirty two years.
OOHH THE TRAIN IS CALLED MIRAGE EXPRESS
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I like how the sonic crew didn't forget about spagonia Jejdkddlfkkdkfk thought that was a one time thing
The menu only has 3 things, Why? lmao
Wait they're ALL MICROWAVE MEALS?? Can't they afford a chef? This is someone's speaking who has not gone onto these fancy train cars yet so forgive me
Oh fun tidbit the trains actually used for event's only.
"So I'll need you to do everything in your power to make sure our paying guests are well taken care of, understood?" Sir yes sir
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AAAHHHHH AMYYYY SHE LOOKS SO ADORABLE WITH THE BIRTHDAY CAKE HEADBAND AND THE DRESS
HELP TAILS IN HIS DETECTIVE OUTFIT HE'S SO CUTEE
oh so it's Amy's birthday party!! Murder mystery theme eh? Someone's an Agatha Christie fan~~
ROUGE AND KNUCKLES YES also Rouge girl you just got on the train don't go stealing gift shop pens just yet lmao
"What cast of characters am i stuck with" OH SHOOT HE KNOWS 🤣
"Why can't i be normal for one second" you and me both Trainee
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Also Sonic immediately bolting to get chilli dogs lmao, never change blue gumball dork
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WHOOOO LOOKIT ALL OF THEM, ALSO HOLY MOLY BLAZE IS HERE TOO???? COOL COOL COOL 
EHH okay so now i collect the tickets, like a normal person, this wont be an embarrassing trip
"well the birthday discount certainly helped!" You and me both Amy
OH NEW LORE DROPPED, AMY'S A FAN OF TRUE CRIME PODCASTS!!! (I wonder if she would like the Magnus Archives…)
"Here's the key that unlocks any door in the train" hmm seems kinda sus, but oh well birthday girl gets the birthday key
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and Blaze is here to grace us with her presence and elegance, reminding why I love her. Love how she just casually tells us that she's visiting from a separate dimension like it's nothing lmao
Sooo Blaze has sweet tooth cannon? Yes.
LMAO TRAINEE NO "Why can't i win in this group"
Rouge darling please give the conductor his money back it's to early to steal anyones lunch money 
Y'know it's a bit awkward knowing that Trainee just realised he's talking t The Sonic The Hedgehog, like my dude did you not know what he looks like? Either way Sonic's pretty chill
"I brought my own sparkle gelatin. It's a jelly that can melt away even the most jaded hearts" Tails imma need you stop being so cute and wholesome for ONE SECOND OKAY I CAN'T TAKE IT ✨🥺
Awww Trainee and Tails are jelly buddies!!!
"Thank goodness someone on this train is normal" buddy wait till you see the kid fly an airplane and can fly with his two tails lmao
Espio why you holding that rose who is it for 👀
DID ESPIO SERIOUSLY READ TRAINEES MIND?? (Edit he did in fact, something about his Ninjutsu or something)
"Can you cling into walls" "i most certainly can" okay just tell the conductor that, I'll now know where to find you then. In the air vents.
"Do you sell gift bags here" ….. shadow you didn't forget to bring Amy a present her birthday party right?
"Robot arm reminding me that one AI from Wall–E, hopefully we're not going to that route 
"Actually, uh Train, the conductor wants me to have the whole plate" lmao you ain't slick Trainee
Okayyy last but not least we have Vector, who does not in fact have his ticket, aanddd now we're supposed to find it
"I wonder what cake topper Sonic picked out for me" "...shoot, i was supposed to give Amy a cake… what am i supposed to do?" Ya done goofed you blue gumball dork
"You don't need to bow everytime you see me" sure Blaze it's not like i was stress responding. definitely.(seriously tho i love her dialogues)
Okay imma take a gamble and ask shadow if he sees any tickets 
"Only three items on the menu..? You don't even have drinks listed" THAT'S WHAT I WAS SAYING!!! Also we only have like three drinks too, water, coffee, and chaos cola
"I'll have to take you up on the coffee soon. Just the beans and A spoon, though" …… shadow um what??? WHAT DO YOU MEAN BEANS AND A SPOON ONLY YOU HOT TOPIC WANNABE??? NOT EVEN WATER OR MILK???
I spent 5 minute hitting every random object where's the ticket – OH WAIT LEFT ARROW
NAPKIN IT'S IN THE NAPKIN
"Lost ticket added to you inventory" YES BUD LET'S GOO
Poor trainee has to double shift on being the microwave expert AND security guard smh, Trainee better has a good paycheck
I'm hoping up on here saying to PLEASE TELL ME WHO DID ALL THE SPRITES IN THE GAME THEY'RE ALL SO WONDERFUL AND EXPRESSIVE MY GOD 
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…. Oh. OH!!  SO THAT'S WHY THEY'RE ALL WEARING SPECIFIC CLOTHES. Amy's you nerd she even got them all lore cards i love this girl
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So Sonic's role is to be the ship captain. I do wonder why a ship captain of all roles since their in a train setting but ill take
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AJDHKJHFKJSLKJFLKJFFKJLA I LOVE THIS SCENE
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Oh shadows supposed to be a locksmith?.... I wasn't the only one who thought he was gonna be a barista stationed at the cafe right? My guy might have to dress a little bit more specific for a locksmith
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and of course we;ve got our birthday girl as the journalist!
Sweet got a map of the train baby!! Alsooo the lounge looks suspiciously close to the conductor's car…
Well with that out of the way let's get started!!!
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Oooohhhh ok cool cool cool got i
"This way there's always a neutral party" yes tails you go you smart cookie
Y'know it's very sweet of all of them to play along with the murder mystery roleplay. Everyone wish they have friends like that
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Tails you adorable smart nugget how come you keep getting cuter and adorable by the minute 🥺✨
"My lore is that I'm a nosey person turned journalist" aww c'mon birthday girl don't bring yourself down lol
SUDDEN MYSTERIOUS SHAKE 
Oh wait it's just the train moving
Why is it even shaking THAT much???
Anndd screen goes dark, welp i guess that's it for the dining car scene for now
Aanndd that's all for part 1 hope you guys enjoy and see you guys around part 2!!
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jofms · 9 months
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we need you to come in for a meeting. that wasn't good. josette hadn't worked for nearly a year and she couldn't even wrap her head around that. it was one thing after the next that ran her deeper and deeper into the ground and with her failing to help herself, she'd absolutely broken. at this point, the woman had lost most things in her life; her long-term relationship, their child, her friend - if she could just save her job so that she could start again once she was feeling better from recent events, that would be a success. however, even she herself couldn't see her ever feeling better.
sitting in the waiting area, she picked at the skin on her thumb as wide eyes frequently darted around. sleep deprived, the woman was unaware of how tense she looked and in her mind, she was keeping her cool. josette had never been the type of child to get in trouble at school but she could only assume that this was what it felt like. things would have felt a lot better physically if she'd managed to sleep the night before all this but she couldn't. her mind was up running several different situations in her mind on how this meeting would transpire and there was a very certain route she didn't want to let it take. jo would resist, she'd resist so much that she'd come off as aggressive when that was the last thing she wanted to be.
ears ringing as she stood up to walk into the partner's office, she kept her arms tucked into her body, clasping them and leaning forward to rest her forearms on her thighs before shuffling to sit back up and look a little more professional. the how are you question was standard, they didn't actually want an honest answer and josette wasn't going to give it to them. "it's not been the best year-" an understatement. "but i'm sure if i just have a little more time i can come back. i really appreciate, you know, all the space you've been given me." it was too much space for her liking as her colleagues now felt so distant, that they didn't want to be associated with her now as opposed to wanting to go for coffee with her on a lunch time. had they gradually been icing her out? "i just-" she breathed. "i really need this job." with that line there was a flicker from her boss and the member of 'hr', micro expressions that josette had managed to catch. her breathing quickened. "what was that?" sitting back further, the woman licked her lips and brought her finger tips down her nose.
"that look-" she pointed towards the other before quickly putting her hand back down, realising it would be perceived as aggressive. her heart was in her ears. "josette. we've loved having you here, you used to do really great work, helped a lot of people." fuck. they were starting out positive in past tense. "we have been alerted to some behaviours that we've found quite alarming." it felt like she'd been hit with a truck, stunned into silence as the tears were building up in her eyes. a strong shake of the head in protest quickly followed. "no, if you just let me-" as quickly as she'd cut someone else off, the other had cut her off. "please, let me finish. we take our work very seriously, ms. leighton. you, of all people, are aware of that. we protect. there have been instances where you've been somewhat violent-" everything was zoning out for her. she was wrong to have grabbed someone like that, to be running around to others accusing them of murder - there was no evidence that they had done that but there was no evidence that they hadn't. unless... the dvd. her breathing instantly got heavier, to the point before heaving because what if she'd been sat on it the whole time. her fingertips were tingling, that was never good. gripping onto her trousers, she moved herself forward slightly.
josette was no longer listening, that was apparent as soon as they had both seen her somewhat struggling for breath but the fact she was struggling didn't change anything. the woman's sudden decline in front of their eyes made an impossible situation more impossible. "i'm sat on it!" she yelled out as she gripped the bottom of the chair and cried. "i'm sat on-" she was interrupted. "we know.. you're here and it can't be easy. you've not worked for a year, josette. around a year, your licence needs to be a renewed and i just can't encourage that right now." shit. shit. shit. shit. shit. "so what are you-" she'd lost everything.
"so you're fucking firing me?" she felt sick actually sick. the lack of sleep and emotions were piling in on her and she felt nauseous. she'd been taking heejin's medication on top of what had already been given and that was also a factor. "we're so sorry." josette had denied stealing it but she needed something to take the edge off and when she still found herself awake because of that dvd in her own house, she'd try to take more. she knew better than to take someone else's medication but she didn't feel like a professional anymore - she needed to do whatever to survive. a second to think about it and she jolted towards the closest bathroom, locking herself into the closest stall as everything inside her came out violently. her ears started to ring again as she gripped the toilet seat with her fingers, hard. it sent her back to a similar situation with amelia, her birth, when that transition had hit her and she'd been in the same position, panicking, calling heejin.
she felt too ill to fight it. she was sat on it, or at least she had thought that. she was being fired, she wouldn't be able to get her licence renewed and just short of three years ago she was accepting the position of the head of department until she returned several months later after matthew instilled her with that doubt. it was over, it was all over.
josette must have stayed in there for half an hour, trying to calm her body, to make some sense of it. she no longer had a job in here, the place that was her work place, where she did the only thing she knew how to do or at least she thought she did. haerin was a massive mistake, she'd let them down so heavily and even now, she was thinking how much easier things seemed to be with matthew by her side. limited bad things happened when she was by his side - better the devil you know. he had been right about her. she wasn't made for this, for anything, a 'slut that couldn't resist opening her legs'. it made her more sick. banging on the door snapped her back into this nightmare. "josette." it was her boss and this was the exact reason why they had to let her go. josette was crying but she was so tired, her heart was still panicked but what good would it do giving these people an attitude? she'd lost. "i can't do it anymore." she cried, now sobbing into her knees. the faculty gathered in the toilets, fully aware that there was something making her act this way - this was josette. she had been a smiley, approachable, kind hearted person but it wasn't that josette. "is she on something?" one of them whispered and her eyes darted up but not enough to lay sight on those hovering by the door. please, give us a little space - pitter patter. the sound of footsteps getting further and further away.
the woman had already been up for over forty two hours, she was legally drunk, she had medications in her system, half of hers and half not - she might have taken too many. someone caught sight of her hands shaking in the air and against her knees, them running to fetch a bottle of water. josette drank it as she was told. the tears were still running at this point, a little stumble in the lobby before someone dragged her back up and put her into a cab. "you'll find something for you, josette. stay safe." the door closed and the tears started up again. she'd just been fired, that's what she could remember before things became jumbled and now she wouldn't even have a job.. she wanted to go back to matthew, she did but after everything she needed to go home and try to ice out heejin completely. josette would lock herself in the bathroom to try delay it if possible. she'd just lost the hope of going back to work and she couldn't see a way out.
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snowsheba · 2 years
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finished aveyond 3-3. i am emotional. thoughts under cut
characters
mel it is astonishing to me how consistent she is throughout these games. she's not written particularly well in the first place, so the fact that it neither improves nor gets worse is really impressive!
i thought it was very funny how quickly she and edward fell back into sniping at each other. i can't even conceive of them as friends because mel is such an asshole. if anything the only reason they get along is because they've kept each other alive during their adventures, which is a bond that only breaks when there's no more fighting to be had.
lydia her in-game motivations make absolutely no sense. i really liked her in 3-2, but in 3-3 she's a caricature of herself. disappointing to be sure!! like if in 3-2 they had had her talk about how she wants to rule i'd get it, but in 3-2 she was mostly concerned about edward dying out there. and yes you can twist that into some convoluted "it's foreshadowing!" section but come on. really guys. really.
stella stella come back i miss youuuuuuuuu
i wish she had more screentime here. i think it's pretty telling that one of the only poc characters we play (at least visibly poc) is shunted off to the side. (not to mention how they lighten her skin in her dialogue avatar. sigh.)
edward he's the king and he fucked off and let lydia do her thing. we love a colossally stupid man who does no research into how to annul a marriage. LITERALLY the stupidest prince/king alive.
i like at the end he finally decides to get going and do his job but like sir. you ran off during your coronation to help your friend? what about your WIFE. (because i had him marry stella.)
ulf he deserves a peaceful apprenticeship in animal town. you go, ulf. you had more lines in 3-3 than you did in 3-2, and you were with the party for a section that lasted less than 20 minutes. then he came back for another 10 minutes, but hey, it's something! i actually fought with him for a bit!
te'ijal (and galahad) i did not read as many letters as i should have, but every single one broke my heart into a million tiny pieces. i'm so SAD for you, te'ijal! by far her letters were the best written thing in the game because of how heart-wrenching they were in their simplicity. ARGH
june i went from 0 to 100 with june between starting and finishing this game. i think the fact she's 14 years old is WILD to me. what the fuck! get this girl into school! she literally DIED on this quest because sometimes i fucked up the fights and she's FOURTEEN!
i think there's something very cute about how she likes to keep track of how much of something you've done. she will count everything. shields. pixies. whatever. she'll count it for you. good for you, june.
yvette she is myst lite. i can see how they took yvette's base and made myst. i desperately wish yvette was more unhinged than she already was.
i do think her way of speaking, as well as the fact she often was giving explanations, was a nice touch. she's a local and she knows the area(s) better than anyone!
spook i'll admit the game got me with this one LOL. the writing in general is Not Great so i was like "oh a character without a real reason or motivation who wants to get it on with mel? sure. seems reasonable" and just rolled with it.
the primary issue was that since i had edward marry stella, edward being jealous was really fucking weird, so i didn't even think twice about it. shows what i know! they really hit it hard at the end. although why would gyendal say he's done the whole route dozens of times if he hadn't been able to get into the cave before?? that part didn't make sense to me i mean, seriously.
can we also take a moment and think about how gyendal's plan to get mel to do stuff is to... join her party and try to get it on with her? like. that is his first plan. he could've just sat and waited. like. he COULD have just not done anything. i think about this very often.
story
sincerely i don't see the point of saving your game in 3-2 if the only thing that's kept the same is whoever edward proposed to. it doesn't even really matter: the game is slanted to having mel being the scorned wife even if she wasn't the one who was supposed to get married, and it makes everything really stiff and awkward.
THAT SAID. i am grateful there were less characters for me to focus on - that made a much more compelling narrative. the side quests felt much more fleshed out in this chapter than the other two so far, and i feel like i actually remembered things about each town and its locals. it Felt Right. it Felt Good. the vibes were exquisite for each place and you could tell the effort they'd put in to give each area a personality. i genuinely love that very much.
i do think the big twist at the end is kind of lame, but like, they DID get me with it, so that's on me.
gameplay
oh my god they finally made the quests clearer and with more instructions. i screamed when i saw they put the location of the quest in parentheses next to each name or whatever. thank GOD. it made the game SO much easier to manage (and more efficient in terms of completing several quests at once).
i never was a huge fan of the aveyond 4 battle format (kind of hard to see each icon) so i'm not thrilled to see it here, but it's also really fun to see how each game slowly builds on itself to create the next.
also i didn't know this until i looked up a walkthrough, but i skipped an apparently pretty big quest in peliad where you set leopold up. i was wondering why the fuck i learned trapping the whole time i played, so i looked it up and it turns out... you set leopold up. which i never did. and yet when stormbend's tavern keeper was like "i wanna retire!" leopold was already out of business. SUPER weird. i'll try to replicate it on my next playthrough, i think.
conclusion
literally was like "meh" at the start and then INTENSELY invested by the end. this is probably my favorite chapter so far. like the other two i was like "these are good" but i finished this one and was like. man. i really feel connected and at home with this one.
i'm immediately jumping to 3-4. HOW DOES IT END!!!
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steviebears · 2 years
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Love Me Part 2
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PART 1
SUMMARY: After Eddie leaves you for someone else, he realizes he only ever loved you and wants you back.
GENRE: angst
a/n: the highly anticipated part 2 is here! I know a lot of you had all sorts of good ideas for part 2 but I decided to go on my own route with it. I hope you enjoy!
It's still taking you a lot of time to try to get over Eddie. You at least had stopped breaking down at school after seeing him in the hallway. Those days are the hardest. Even if you never really saw him with Chrissy, it didn't matter. Seeing your love without you is painful on its own. Having to suppress the urge to go up and talk to him like nothing had changed, to kiss him just one more time, was excruciating.
You found some new friends. Friends that weren't connected to Eddie. You'd started watching lots of movies at home so you routinely visited the family video store. Steve and Robin were so fun. They were lighthearted, never took anything too seriously. That is except for Steve's attitude toward Eddie.
When you explained why you were spending so much time alone at home watching movies Steve was ready to beat Eddie's ass. You and Robin calmed him down, but he still held a lot of resentment for Eddie. He couldn't believe someone could break the heart of someone as sweet as you. A catch like you.
Eddie eventually asked out Chrissy, but she said no because of her boyfriend, Jason. She became distant after that, not meeting Eddie anymore. Time away from her had Eddie getting ahold of his true feelings.
Guilt. He felt overwhelming amounts of it. He kept replaying the look on your face when he told you, the sound of your voice, the shakiness of your hands. He remembered how you didn't show up to school for a week. He thought about what you were feeling, what kind of heartbreak he inflicted on you. He started to feel bad, truly.
His attraction to Chrissy dissipated and all he was left with was his love for you. He missed skipping first period to go out to breakfast with you. He missed driving you home and he missed the kiss you'd give him at your door. He missed your enthusiasm during the D&D campaigns, and the boys missed you too. In fact, they gave Eddie an earful for losing you. He missed you at his shows especially. He missed you letting loose and head banging just to support him.
He knew he'd made a huge mistake.
He decided to go to your house and see if you were there because he couldn't handle seeing you in school and not talking to you anymore. He wanted to hear that precious voice of yours.
He knocked and nervously waited until the door opened, you instantly looking surprised to see him at your doorstep.
"Eddie?" He opens his mouth to say something but he can't find the words, so his mouth just stays slightly agape. Finally though, he gets there.
"Can I come in?" He missed seeing you up close like this.
"I guess..." You step aside to let him in.
"What's this about? And keep it brief because I'm expecting Steve." You say with your arms crossed.
"Steve? I thought you hated guys like that." You keep a straight face.
"I guess I've changed then."
"Listen, Y/n. I know when we lasted talked I was saying stuff about Chrissy and us and I just- I don't actually feel that way. Anymore." You hated hearing his honey-like voice. It hurt. You were confused. He waits for you to say something but the words never come. So he continues,
"I miss you, Y/n. A lot. I'm bad with words- you know that- but I'm just..." Your frustration bubbles and your eyes start to well at his confession.
"I'm just so sorry." A tear finally falls.
"Baby, please don't cry I hate when you do that." He says, taking a step toward and laying a hand on your shoulder. You shrug it off and step back.
"You didn't seem to hate it so much when you told me about Chrissy." You whisper and sniffle. He doesn't know what to say. He did hate it, but why didn't he say anything then?
"You hurt me, Eddie. You can't just expect me to fall back into your arms because you miss me." Your voice gets more confident and loud with each word you say.
"I love you." You make a genuine frown and look away.
"Not enough." The words seemed to hurt your mouth as you spoke. How could he tell you he loves you after having left you for someone else? It was infuriating.
"Let me show you. I'll love you harder, just give me a cha-"
"No! I am not giving you the opportunity to hurt me like that again. I cant even look at you, Eddie." You start to break, all your frustration started to come out. The doorknob starts to turn and Steve enters your house. The second he sees Eddie and your tear stained face, his anger was visible. He felt the thick tension in the room.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Steve approaches Eddie.
"I-" You bite your nail and the tears begin to rush out faster.
"Get the fuck out. Now." Steve spits, shoving Eddie toward the door. Eddie leaves and you fall into Steve's arms, he holds you tight as you sob into his shoulder. You miss Eddie, but he hurt you too bad.
tagging: @boundtomyfate @letmebeyoureuphoria @pineapplechuncks @simonsbluee @lokiswh0reeee @frogtits1
I'm sorry its not a happy ending 😭😭
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starlightxsvt · 3 years
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3 dates | c.sc
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pairing ➳ badboy!Seungcheol x female!reader
genre ➳ badboy au, romance, some fluff, angst, bad attempt at humour, gets spicy at the end.
word count ➳ 12.4k+ (i have NO idea how this became so long so strap in for a ride)
warnings ➳ cursing, mentions of killing, mentions criminal activities, slight violence(non explicit), smoking, ma man Seungcheol ain't your typical badboy, self doubt, blackmailing, reader does all sorts of risky things cuz she's a SIMP, blood(nothing explicit), kissing, marking, some breast worshipping, grinding, reader is horny lol. (Please lemme know if I forgot anything.)
synopsis ➳ after one fateful encounter with him you cannot get him out of your head. so you opt to do some crazy things to catch his attention and even snag a few dates with him. only trouble is he isn't the type to stay after the whole disposition is over.
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Swirling the third drink in your hand you heave yet another depressed sigh. You are so tired that you feel like you can just slump on the counter and pass out. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to stop for a drink, you alcohol riddled brain thinks.
The plans you had with Katelyn was cancelled last moment; she called to tell you that her thesis submission date was moved forward and so she couldn't hang out with you tonight. You're in the middle of an existential crisis quite literally, the too many part time jobs yet still lack of money and copious amounts of study getting to you. Staring hard at your drink you contemplate if it is worth giving up on college and your dream of becoming an arts major. It sure feels tempting right now, the long hours at the diner and not enough sleep at night proving to be the worst nuisance.
Sighing you put down your drink. It's still early, you should go home and try to catch up on the much needed sleep. You really had no intention of grabbing a drink tonight; you have morning classes tomorrow but you made a last moment decision to stop for a drink on your way back home. You didn't take your usual route to home today, and while trudging through the streets tiredly you came across this bar called Seventeen's. You've heard stories about this place, how it is the home to local gangs and how it's bad people's turf and what not. Your curiosity, probably too much of that made you get inside for a drink even though all the bones in your body ached. The inside is what you expected, nowhere near fancy but dingy, just decent enough. The people inside didn't look friendly and if the chains and tattoos on them gave any indication you'd say the rumours are true; this is the turf of gangs. The drinks taste decent, not the best but not the worst and from the overall look of this place you don't really have a reason to come back.
You're about to stand up from your stool when a large, clammy hand grabs your wrist out of nowhere, making you jump. "Hey sexy, sit down. Let me buy you a drink," the owner of the hand, a large, tattooed middle aged man slurs making your nose scrunch out of disgust. You're wearing nothing that can be called sexy; a plain cardigan and jeans and the way he looks you up and down makes you want to poke his eyes out.
You really shouldn't have come here. Clenching your jaw, you meet his eyes, "What makes you think I'm interested to have a drink with you?"
"Oh come on, why would you be here then, lookin' all nice? Just sit down," the man drawls, an ugly smile on his face. He still hasn't let go of your wrist and it's making you impatient. Looks like you're gonna have to kick his balls tonight. Maybe the self defense classes didn't completely go to waste.
"Get your disgusting hands off me while I'm being nice, sleazeball," you hiss at him, trying to get his hand off. The man stands up growling, "What did you say you bitch?" You're preparing to break his nose when out of nowhere a punch lands on his face that sends him tumbling to the ground. The attacker gets on top of him and twists his arm and you can literally hear a bone snap.
Shit.
"I think she said she is not interested," the man hisses, landing yet another another hit on his face before kicking his groin and getting up. When he turns around and his eyes meet yours, your heart skips a few beats and you almost The man is drop dead gorgeous, someone you would not expect to see here but probably on the cover of a high end magazine. His blond hair is long, crossing the nape of his neck as well as some covering his forehead. What takes your breath away the most is his eyes, the most beautiful pair you've ever seen. They seem to have their own galaxies in them, so deep and mesmerising and decorated with lashes long enough to make you jealous. His dress up, black jacket and jeans, immediately tells you what he is; a gang member.
"You should get home, lady," He speaks in a no nonsense tone, his face cold as ice. But you're offended. "Excuse me? Who are you calling lady? You make it sound like I'm old." You puff your cheeks and cross your arms, trying to appear intimidating. "Besides I had the situation under control, you didn't need to butt in." The man keeps looking at you with that no nonsense look, his features displaying annoyance if you are right and he's clearly not intimidated. The dude on the floor grunts and makes an effort to get up, only to be kicked by your saviour once more. "Hey Mingyu, get him out of here. What was this piece of trash doing here anyway?" The man orders to someone before turning to look at you, "Do you live far?"
"Uh- no, a ten minutes walk from here maybe," you reply unsurely, surprised at his question. The blond haired man nods before grabbing your wrist, "I'll walk you home. Hurry up, lady." You have a feeling he's purposely calling you that and though you start following him out of the bar, you make grunts of protest.
"Oh yeah, why? Trying to find out my address? So you can come later and hurt me like that guy?" You would not be this brazen if it wasn't for the alcohol in your system, after all the man next you isn't a friendly one if the rumours are true. The man raises a brow at you, "Did you do something that requires me to beat you up?" You hiccup at his serious tone. Does he not get a joke? He lets go of your hand now that you're at a safe distance from the bar but still stays close enough to you as your steps are rather stumbling and messy. You aren't fully drunk but your body is tired and feels like will shut down any second.
You really need some sleep.
"You know I'm not that drunk. You don't have to walk me home." You complain. "I'm walking you home because this isn't a nice place you should be alone at night. What happened earlier could happen again." He says not looking at you. "Mhmm," you keep on trudging behind him, "Thank you so much for your kind gesture, sir." You mock him but he doesn't reply, staring straight ahead, completely ignoring you as he walks quietly. In silence you two walk the rest of the path, before finally stopping as your apartment comes into view. At this point it feels like your bones will break and you will plop down on the concrete any second, but you manage to keep standing. "Well, thanks for walking me home." You shift your weight from one foot to another. "And for helping me back there." He shrugs coolly, a bored expression on his face. He's turning to walk away when you call, "Hey- I didn't get your name."
"What do you need it for?" He side glances at you. You shrug, "I don't know. You helped me so I thought it'd be nice to know your name." "You don't need to. Go inside, lady." He says, his tone final and starts marching away. You wait a couple moments before yelling, "Asshole!" and quickly rushing inside your building, partly afraid he's gonna come back.
You won't be surprised if you get killed tonight.
-
"So you are telling me Choi Seungcheol walked you home?" Katelyn screams in your ear, jolting up from her seat, earning glares from other people at the library in the process. "That's his name?" You whisper-yell, grabbing her hand to pull her back down. "I'm guessing from the blond hair you said," Katelyn shrugs. "Uh huh." You mean back in your chair, "He was hot though."
"Is that seriously all you have to say?" Katelyn whines exasperatedly. "No, I mean, if it wasn't for the way he dresses or talks I would have thought he's a model or something." You murmur.
"Are you sure he didn't hurt you?" Katelyn questions. "Hell no!" You frown. "He saved me from that creepy old dude. I was surprised too. I wish I didn't drink so much, I could have gotten a better look at his face," you sigh. "Seriously?" Katelyn raises a brow at you.
"Girl, you should have seen him. His aura and the way he carried himself was...so hot." You grin to yourself. Katelyn watches you like you've grown two heads. "Are you trying to tell me you have a crush on that gangster?" You smile sheepishly, "Maybe, I mean it's harmless. He was broody yet charming and I'm a girl so.... Also, it's not like he likes me too and is gonna come running whenever I ask him to bang me." You mutter.
"Oh he's gonna break your bones and bang your skull against a wall. That's what he's gonna do."
"Come on! Maybe he isn't so bad. Maybe the rumours are just rumours. Maybe he just looks intimidating and dresses up like that and people thinks he's a gangster." "Really? His name is on every bad thing that happens around here. From illegal racing to murders. Do you know that people say he has killed too?" "Like I said, rumours," you shrug being your stubborn self. Katelyn holds her hands up in surrender, "You know what? It doesn't matter. I'm glad you're alive so let's just put this behind us, shall we?" You don't reply but wiggle your brows at her, a conspirational look on your face. "Oh no, don't look at me like that," Katelyn warns. "Let's go to that bar tonight. Please?" You give her your best puppy eyes. "What are you? Fucking crazy? You wanna get killed?" She whisper-yells, scowling at you. "No. I just wanna take another look at him. Without the alcohol in my system you know. Besides, the place isn't that bad." You reply.
"Well then get killed by yourself. I'm not coming with you."
"I'll help you with your papers for the rest of the semester."
"Shit."
-
"Well, looks like your wish won't be coming true," Katelyn muses chugging down her fourth glass as you keep playing with your first one. It's nearing an hour since you've come to the bar and there has been no sign of the man you desperately seek. The place is exactly like it was the other day, filled with people who you wouldn't want to mess with.
Yet here you are.
"Let's call it a night," Katelyn sighs. "We're just wasting our time." You know that too but you don't want to leave; not just yet. You are well aware that this is just pathetic but you've this crazy urge to see that man once again. You don't know why you feel this way; you never felt like this before. Why are thinking yourself to death about a complete stranger? Has some kind of spell been casted on you?
"Yeah, let's get going," you murmur half heartedly. You help your friend stand up as she's a little wobbly on her feet and together you make your way through the door. "Should we call a cab?" You ask Katelyn. She shakes her head no and you nod, you arms wrapped around hers to support her in case she looses her balance. You start stepping away from the bar and towards the road to her place until a noise from behind makes you stop in your tracks.
"Did you hear that?" You ask, whipping your head behind. There's no one around and the street is mostly dark other than the light flashing from the name of the bar. You hear the sound once again and this time you can locate where it's coming from. There's an abandoned playground at the back of the bar and you've a feeling that's the source.
Katelyn hisses as she sees you step towards there. "What are you doing!"
"Didn't you hear that?"
"Yes I did. That's why I say we leave!" You ignore her and cautiously keep on stepping forward, mentally cursing yourself for wearing heels. Katelyn follows behind you murmuring all kinds of warnings. "You know curiosity killed the cat, right?" She whispers.
You roll your eyes, "Well I'm not a cat. Just- be quiet. It can be nothing." You both move past the bar gingerly and towards the playground at the back. There are old gallons of oil and abandoned materials just around the corner and you two quickly hide among them. It takes you a while to get adjusted to the low light after you poke your head up from the hiding spot.
You're eyes fix on him immediately. His blond hair makes him easily recognisable amid the darkness. There is a few more people around him, all kicking something in the ground. Not something, but someone. The man lying on the ground groans in pain and you realize this is what you both heard. "Shit," You hear Katelyn curse from beside you. "We need to get going." Instead of replying, you keep your eyes trained on the scene unfolding, holding your breath. You're tranced. Seungcheol lands continuous punched on the guy laying below him and after a moment his writhing frame seems to stop moving as it falls limp.
Fuck.
"You know in movies this is the part where people get caught." Katelyn whispers, her voice hoarse and her hand clutching yours in a tugging motion. "Uh-huh. But I can't seem to move. I wonder if he's... really dead." You whisper back. "Are you fucking crazy!" She hisses. "You wanna witness murder?"
Before you can reply you hear a sound that echoes through the empty field and it takes a second for you two to realise that it came from any one of you two. You don't have the time to figure out who made it as you both are crawling away from the playground without looking back, head crouched low to avoid being seen. You don't know if they heard that or if they're coming behind you, you both just keep scrambling, moving until you're past the corner. As soon as possible you both get on your feet and run like the grim reaper is chasing you, stopping only when you are far enough from the bar.
"I am never listening to you again!" Katelyn yells.
-
It's been a good few days since your near death experience and you somehow find yourself in front of that bar once again. You and Katelyn have not brought up that incident after that night. You made yourself believe that it was over and came to a conclusion that it is better to forget that man and leave all of it behind, no matter how much your heart disagreed. But it's easier said than done; you may not mention him out loud but in the back of your mind you think of him. He's like a ghost, haunting you all the time, plagueing your thoughts when you go to bed at night. It felt like he was ever existent and there was an itch in your heart that drove you insane.
Maybe that's why your subconscious brought you here, in front of Seventeen's, once again. You were on your way back home from library and you thought you took your usual route, until you realized you were standing in front of that place. But what is even terrifying is that the man haunting your mind stands in front of the entrance of the bar and you blink a few times to make sure you are not hallucinating. He's leaned against the entrance door, cigarette between his lips and from his pocket he fetches a lighter to light the poison in his mouth.
Damn, lighting up a cigarette never looked this sexy.
He hasn't seen you yet and you contemplate running the other way. That's the sensible thing to do but you, not being a sensible person, start walking towards him. Your footsteps make him look up and notice you and like the last time, there is no expression on his face. It's the same bored yet handsome face except now in daylight you can take a better look at him and this time, you notice a little mole on the left of his face, by his nose. Realising he's gonna stay silent you decide to speak, "Hi... It's me... Do you remember me?" Wow. That's such an intelligent thing to ask.
With the monotoned yet serious expression on his face, he goes, "Why won't I? I don't have Alzheimer's."
So he can joke.
You laugh, an awkward, probably exaggerated laugh. "What are you doing here? Did you not learn your lesson last time?" He cuts to the chase, his voice brassy and deep, almost threatening. You want to roll your eyes. "Who are you to say? I can be wherever I want whenever I want, thank you very much." "Well then, have fun getting in trouble like last time." He's nonchalant as he blows a smoke right past you and stands up straight, turning away. "Wait!" You almost grab his hand, desperate to stop him.
What is wrong with you? Your subconscious slaps her forehead. What are you holding him back for? To say 'hello sir, I think you're hot, can you please put your dick inside me'? Seungcheol turns his head back, his eyebrow cocked up.
Why do you find everything about him so attractive?
"Um...I know your name, Seungcheol." You speak, trying to sound intimidating, like knowing his name gives you some power over him. There's something definitely wrong with you which is why you don't want him to leave just yet and which is why you're stalling time. But it seems to have done the job as he pulls the cigarette out of his mouth and turns towards you, an annoyed look on his face. "How do you know that?" The timbre of his tone is deep and it rakes shivers down your spine. "Well, you've built quite a reputation for yourself so it isn't hard to get your name." You shrug coolly. "Well, if you know so much about my reputation, you should know what I'm capable of." His lone is low, almost threating as he starts to take slow steps towards you making you step back out of reflex.
Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Maybe you will also end up like the curious cat.
"Oh yes, I know. People have got a lot to say about you," you try to sound unfazed, not meeting his eyes that you feel are burning holes on your face. "What are you doing here, lady?" he asks slowly, pausing between each word and glaring at you as he continues to step forward. You can feel his patience thinning.
"I swear to God if you call me that-"
"What are you doing here?" This time his tone is scary, too scary. It makes you lose the ability to speak for a second as his dark gaze bores into you. He has backed you up against the wall behind you and you swallow. Right, what are you doing here? It probably has something to do with a very hot individual and his insanely attractive aura. Scratch that you are a hundred percent sure it has something to do with the blond haired, enticing man in front of you. He's driving you mad and you need to get your fill of him.
"Go out with me," you state and you are sure you've never spoken words more stupid than that. Internally, you cringe and pray that the ground below you would open and take you straight to the fiery pits.
This is the first time you see some sort of expression come across his face; surprise. He looks utterly shocked and somewhat confused. His mouth opens just a little and he squints at you, "What?"
There's no going back now.
"Go out with me. Let's go on three dates." you say once more, looking him in the eye. He seems to appear even more surprised, a dumbstruck look sitting on his face. He observes you quietly for a while and you can feel the gears in his head shifting. You wonder what he's gonna say next. Or maybe he won't say anything but bang your head on the wall and leave you to die alone. "I'm sorry I'm not following," he looks genuinely perplexed. "I want to go on three dates with you. They say after three dates you can figure out whether you like that person or not and I think I like you so..."
I think I like you.
The biggest understatement of the year.
Seungcheol tilts his head, an amused expression on his face as he studies you, those sharp eyes of his settling on yours, "What is your deal, sweetheart?" He crosses his arms, a brow raised. Sweetheart? That's new. And definitely better than lady. You can't deny how hearing him call you that makes your insides melt. "Nothing. I just want to date you," you shrug, trying to keep your wits together. His proximity is driving you wild; you can sniff a faint smell of cologne and cigarette, him being inches away from you. This time he laughs loudly, a mocking laugh you'd say. "Who sent you?"
Oh my god.
You roll your eyes. "Nobody sent me! Do I look like I'm a gang member or something?" "Then I don't see a reason why you'd want to date me," He states, throwing a challenging look at you.
"What if I said I have a thing for bad boys?"
He snorts. "You don't look the type to date bad boys," he mocks. "Who are you to say that?" You cross your arms. "I want to date you because I think you're hot, okay?" You can not believe you just said that. Looks like you don't have control over your mouth anymore. Warmth spreads throughout your face like a forest fire.
Seungcheol narrows his eyes on you, his tongue poking his cheek as he stands in front of you as if trying to read your mind. After a beat he sighs before looking at you, his eyes becoming darker than usual and his gaze unforgiving. "Hey. Does it look like I'm playing house here? Do you have any idea about the shit I do? The dirty work I do? I don't care if you have a fucking fetish or whatever but this is the last time I'm warning you. I don't want to see you around again. If I see you here once more, you're in fucking trouble," he spits and starts stomping away. His tone is serious and you know very well he is not joking, which is why you use your last resort. You're embarrassed at yourself for being so desperate but at the same time you feel shameless. It has almost turned into a game at this point, you want to make him surrender. That's right, you want him to give in. "You shouldn't be like that with me. I saw you, a few days ago. That night, when you and your friends were beating up that guy...in the playground," you casually stroll to come stand right behind him.
You can't believe you are blackmailing a gangster. Your death must be near.
Seungcheol whips his head back, his eyes glaring at you and you can almost see fire in them. Finally, you got his attention.
"My friend also saw it, we both did. You killed him, didn't you? Me and my friend witnessed a murder. What do you say? Should we go to the station?" You can see his jaw clench and you can't hold back a victorious smirk. Moments pass by as your words hang in the air and the tension between you gets thicker. Yet once more he surprises you, breaking the silence with a chuckle, "Well I killed one person, what makes you think I can't take care of another?"
You swallow.
"Well, my friend already knows so if I go missing you can be sure that the cops will come to you first." You throw back at him.
When did you get so wreckless?
Seungcheol stares at you for a few more seconds before shrugging and moving his hand dismissively, "Well then go tell the cops. I don't give a shit." He starts walking back to the bar leaving you starstruck. He stops and turns towards you before opening the door, "Also, I meant it. I hope I don't see you around. Otherwise I may just have to hurt that pretty face."
-
You don't show up after that.
Mostly because you are embarasssed.
It's been a good while after your last encounter with Seungcheol and you didn't go to the police, obviously. Because you don't have evidence and from what you've heard Seungcheol is pretty influential around here and you don't need to go to an extent to get on his bad side. You're definitely gonna end up dead if you do so, which you don't want just yet.
Classes have just finished and you and Katelyn step out of the classroom together, walking through the hallways and into the main campus. She rambles on about some bad sushi she ate yesterday while your mind remains preoccupied. Maybe you need to get laid. Maybe that'll make you forget about Seungcheol. You just need good dick that's probably why you were so desperate for him.
That's just a stupid lie.
You don't realise Katelyn is calling you until she shakes you by the shoulder and you snap back into reality. You notice her face is as pale as a ghost and following her line of sight your eyes stop on him.
Him. Seungcheol.
What?
You double take, blinking furiously to confirm your vision. He's standing there, in the parking area of your uni, leaned against a convertible Ferrari, a cigarette between his lips. He looks relaxed, like he does this regularly. Students whisper in each others ear while gawking at him curiously. "What did you do!" Katelyn yells. "Nothing!" You hiss back.
"Then why is he here!"
"I don't know!"
Your eyes meet with Seungcheol's and a smirk spreads across his face making you shiver. He stands up straight and tilts his head, an indication for you to come closer to him. "Fuck, he's here for me," you mumble. "Of course he's here for you, dumbass," Katelyn snaps. "Well, if I don't return, you know who killed me." You sigh starting to walk towards him. "Wait- you're going with him?" She asks incredulously.
"Don't worry. I'll keep my phone on. I don't think he's gonna murder me, I mean there are so many witnesses." You inhale deeply, leaving behind a lost looking Katelyn.
Seungcheol says nothing as you stand right in front of him raising an inquisitive brow but he only holds open the door for you to get in. Deciding to follow him you enter the car quietly and a wave of gasps go through the crowd.
There's gonna be talk about this tomorrow.
Seungcheol, still smirking victoriously for some reason rounds the car and gets inside and within seconds you're hitting the road. There's a thick silence for a while, which feels like ages to you. You're overwhelmed, bewildered to say anything; your poor brain still processing what is happening. You're nervous, jittery as you fiddle with you bag and look out on your side, for some reason scared to look at him.
What if he really kills you? He wouldn't, right?
"You're awfully quiet," Seungcheol says matter of factly as he spares you a glance while driving.
"I'm... processing."
"What are you, a robot?"
"Why are you doing this?" You question instead.
"Doing what?"
"Okay, you know very well what I mean. Why are you picking me up from uni all of a sudden? How do you even know I'm a student there?" "I have resources and...you didn't protest at all. You came along nicely," Seungcheol raised a brow at you, a cocky smile on his lips. You don't answer but continue to stare at him, trying to pin him down with your gaze. He finally sighs and pulls the car to a stop by the side of the road, the sudden brake making you slightly jerk in your seat. "I've decided to give you those 3 dates. That's why," He is calm, unreadable and you wonder if this is a prank. Then again, he has no reason to prank you, does he? "Really?" Your voice comes out breathy. "Yes. I thought I'd give you a taste of how it feels to be with someone like me. I can scare people without physically hurting them you know," He says in a menacing tone.
"So what? You're taking me to an underground fight or something?" You question. "Nah, we're keeping it simple today." He smirks as he starts the car again and turns on the radio, an indication that he doesn't want to converse anymore.
Shamelessly you take a good look at Seungcheol; he's dressed in another jacket today paired with a black tee underneath. Today, you notice he has upped his accessory game, his fingers full of rings and chains dangling from his neck. But what catches your attention is a tattoo, something like a dragon and words written in a language you don't understand, peeking from underneath his sleeve. You almost ask about it but decide it'll probably be too much and he wouldn't answer you anyway.
As you do so, in the back of your mind you think you should have dressed better, something cuter, more appropriate for a date rather than a plain blouse and jeans. But then again who knew Choi Seungcheol was gonna show up out of the blue. You're gnawing at your lower lip, lost in your thoughts when the car is pulled to a halt and you realize your ride is over. You're parked in front of a diner called Lacy's and from the vibe that the place is giving, you can tell that this is place where people like him hang out. You raise a questioning brow at Seungcheol who says, "I know it doesn't look fancy but trust me I has some of the best food I've ever eaten." Taking his words for now you quickly type out a text to Katelyn letting her know you're in one piece and get out of the car.
Once you're seated you look around the place which is relatively empty except some men playing pool at the far end. You watch Seungcheol who has gone to the reception booth to place your orders; his posture relaxed as he leans against the counter and talks to the girl standing there. They seem to know each other because their chat takes longer than it should and the girl has a shy, almost flirty smile on her face.
He probably fucks her.
You shake the thought off your head as the gangster comes back and sits in front of you. There's silence for a second as you wonder if you should just ask the questions that run free around your mind. "Are the rumours true?" You blurt out. He's raises a brow.
"About you. You know..."
"Do you want them to be true?" He asks back. "I don't...know," you reply. "Well, I think it depends on each person. If you want it to be true it is true, if you don't it isn't," he shrugs, leaning back in his chair. "Why don't you just give me a straight answer?" you snap. He smirks as if he's having fun but doesn't reply, watching you with his arms crossed. You roll your your eyes, blowing out an exasperated breath. "You know, I haven't seen one like you. Willingly hanging out with dangerous people, going to dangerous places. You say you saw me kill someone yet you're here. You're almost desperate to get in trouble," he observes. "I'm not desperate to get in trouble. I just...I'm just- attracted to you alright?" This is so embarrassing. You need to shut your mouth. "You've been on my mind ever since that night. I wanna see exactly how deep I'm into you." You bite your lip.
That's enough. You will boost his ego through the roof like this.
Seungcheol studies you for a bit before grinning cockily, "Well, if you didn't know, I am trouble baby. Just you being with me might end you up in a mess." Before you can reply, your food is served, that same girl from the booth setting down your plates and looking at Seungcheol for a bit too long with that same stupid smile which he returns. You don't know why but you feel jealous, jealous of whatever these two share, whatever she has with him.
You've lost your mind at this point. You're on a high that is Seungcheol. He has made you forget your morals, made you completely lose your mind. Or maybe you've been too good all your life and seeing him brought out that crazy, thrill seeking part of yourself.
Silently you dig into your food and as Seungcheol said, the food is really good. This is one of the best meatloaf you've ever had and you can't help but moan. Seungcheol watches you with an amused smile before popping a fry in his mouth.
"What's your major?" Seungcheol asks out of the blue.
"Uh- sociology."
"Mmhmm."
You're about to ask him what he studied in college but you assume he probably never went to one so you seal your lips. You wonder what his background is and who his parents are but you don't want to get too personal on the first day. So you ask something else, "How old are you?" He laughs out loud before he deadpans, "Thirty five." "What!" You almost choke.
There's no way he's-
"Why? What did you expect?"
"I... I don't know! A few years older than me? You're kidding right? You don't look thirty five." He has to be bluffing. "And how old would you be?" "You shouldn't ask a woman her age," you try to make a point. "Don't you have any manners?" He smirks,"I don't, sweetheart. To answer your question, I'm twenty eight."
Uh huh.
"Well, I'm twenty one," you mutter under your breath. You don't know if he hears it because he doesn't give any reaction, busy twirling a fry in sauce. The rest of your meal is full of silence as you wonder if your date will end like this; dry and boring. He's awfully silent and seems to be lost in thoughts as he doesn't engage in a conversation. You're about to take your last bite when the silence is broken by him.
"What did you see that night?" He leans over, his elbows resting on the table as he suddenly regards you with a sombre look, his earlier cockiness vanished. His eyes have once again gone dark and his demeanor says he's not being superficial right now. You're caught off guard as you cough loudly, reaching for your glass to take a sip of water. "What?"
"You heard me. What did you see that night? Exactly how much did you see?" He repeats. You're confused. You thought he didn't care about it. He said it didn't matter. So why is he bringing it up now? You've worked hard to push that night in the deepest part of your brain, pretending it didn't happen.
And then suddenly it clicks.
"You!" You point an accusatory finger at him as you catch on to his plan. "You've agreed to go out with me so that you can find out what I saw that night!" Seungcheol groans, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Ugh, just fucking tell me!" He snaps, annoyed that you've found out his little scheme. You scoff, "I thought you said you didn't care? Besides it's not like I'm going to tell the police." He rolls his eyes and leans back into the couch. "Just tell me and let me go."
You're baffled. His actions didn't make any sense and you actually thought he had no other intentions behind dating you but holy shit this sneaky bastard. "You sly little asshole!" You hiss at him. "Call me that once more and you'll regret it." He threatens. You roll your eyes sagging back into your seat, "Whatever." Then an idea hits you. "You know what, I'll tell you exactly how much I saw that night." You have Seungcheol's full attention now as he stares intensely at you, waiting for your next words. "On our third date. When this whole deal is over, I'll tell you. But in return you'll have to keep your promise and take me out on two more dates."
"Oh fucking hell," he groans rubbing his face in frustration. His state makes you smirk and you feel accomplished.
Choi Seungcheol is stressed because of you.
What a day to be alive.
You murmur, "Besides this isn't even a proper date. This was more like an interrogation. But I'll go easy on you and won't make you redo this date." You give him a sweet smile and he sees red. You can literally see fury blaze in his eyes. "Whatever!" He yells and abruptly stands up. "I don't have time for this. Your stupid play date is over. I'm dropping you home."
Before you can reply, he's marching towards the door. You've to admit this wasn't the best date but at least you've trapped Choi Seungcheol.
-
It has been a good week after your so called date at the diner and you haven't heard from him. You expected him to call or text you since he was gracious enough to ask for your number but he didn't. You now realize it was a mistake to not get his number; you had asked him for his when he took yours but being the prick he is he denied to hand over his number to you. You should have forced him to, you sigh. As you sit in the library the ping of your mobile distracts you from your racing thoughts as you realize you have a message. Picking the device up you tap on the notification. Even though it was from an unknown number, you have no trouble figuring out who it is from. A smile graces your lips as you read the words over again.
I'll pick you up from your house tomorrow evening at six.
That's all it says and that is good enough to send a thrum of excitement throughout your body.
-
You have not held back in dressing up today and you realize it's been a long time since you've dolled up yourself. A long before the clock strikes 6 you are ready; dressed in a cute pastel top and a matching skirt. You've also went ahead and applied makeup, not too much but just enough to maybe catch his eye. Maybe.
You wonder what he has planned for today.
A text from Seungcheol saying he's here has you flying out of your apartment as fast as your feet can carry your desperate self to see him. He stands in front of your apartment with his convertible, dressed in a white jacket that matched his pants. You take a deep breath before walking towards him, trying to calm all your nerves down.
"You know I expected to hear from you earlier. I've been waiting all week," you voice makes his head turn around to meet your eyes as you are skipping towards him with a teasing smile in your face. "I've been busy," he shrugs coolly, his eyes going over your whole body, from your legs to your face. He doesn't hide that he's taking a good look at you, in fact does it unashamedly.
You wonder if he likes what he sees.
Someone dressed up today," he comments. "Too bad we aren't going to a place where you can show off your pretty clothes." You frown, "Where are we going?" Seungcheol holds open the door, a mischievous smile on his face. "I've decided to grant your wish." With a confused face you get inside the car, the gears in your head running. What does he mean?
"I'm taking you to an underground fighting ring," he says with smirk as he reaches for something behind his seat. He pulls out a large hoodie and tosses it towards you, "Put this on. Otherwise you are going to attract a lot of attention and you don't want that." You gulp, taking the hoodie and putting it on you. You're slightly embarrassed. You were so excited to try this outfit but it's not like you knew he was taking you to a fight club. Hell you would have dressed like a guy if you knew. You shrug on the hoodie and it falls almost to your knees but it's huge and comfy and most importantly it smells like him. There's a hint of cologne, nothing too strong; a subtle, expensive scent that makes you want to take a deeper sniff. You wonder if you can keep this with you.
Stop it, pervert.
Seungcheol's voice pulls you out of your haze, "You can take it off later. Just wear it until we're out of there," he says and brings the engine to life.
Then you actually think about it. Underground fighting ring? Holy shit. You were only kidding when you mentioned it. Admittedly, you're shocked, somewhat horrified. Everyone knows it isn't the best place to be at especially for someone like you who never had such an experience. Seungcheol must have seen your expression because the smile on his face gets bigger, "Why? You not up for it?" His voice is teasing.
He's challenging you.
Oh well.
"Of course I'm up for it," you square your shoulders, keeping your voice cool. "Bring it on."
-
Seungcheol leads you into a bar and then through a door at the back that leads down to a lot of stairs, reaching a place similar to an underground parking lot. Quietly you follow Seungcheol, staying as close to him as possible, your bodies occasionally touching. He leads you to a pair of double doors and from the other side you can hear men shouting and chanting.
This is it, I guess.
Seungcheol throws one more smile at you before pushing open the doors as you scramble to follow him closely. The sight that greets you something you only see in movies. There's a boxing ring where two people are throwing punches at each other and surrounding them from all sides is a wild, loud and excited crowd. They continue to cheer loudly as the two men in the ring continue to box and you hear their grunts and groans.
Holy shit.
Swallowing your eyes meet Seungcheol's who is regarding you with curiosity. "What do you think?" He has to speak loudly for you to hear over the screaming throng. "Uh... It's loud," you say dumbly as you try to think of a reply. But it's too loud for you to even think properly as you take in your unfamiliar surroundings. You see a tall man approaching towards you and out of reflex you shuffle closer to Seungcheol until you realize it's his friend. The guy from the first night. He and Seungcheol grin at each other, patting their backs as they talk close to each others ears. You gawk at them curiously and realize they must be talking about you because his friend takes curious glances at you occasionally. His friend is tall, really tall and well built but unlike his body his face is sweet and puppy like, almost cute. When he grins his canines pop up just like a puppy and you wonder if all his friends are good looking.
After he's done chatting with his friend Seungcheol pulls you close and says, "This is my friend. Mingyu. Always stay near him, you hear me? Don't stray away unless you wanna get hurt." His eyes are stern as he pins you down with his stare but you have other thoughts running in your head.
"What do you mean? Where are you going?" You yell over the noise.
He just smirks at you and starts taking his jacket off. "About time you see how we do it around here." His tone is cocky as he hands his jacket to you, "Hold this for me. And stay close to him."
Giving a look at Mingyu Seungcheol starts walking away towards a door that you're guessing is the changing room.
He's gonna fight.
"Wait- but-" Mingyu stops you with a hand on your shoulder and offers you a kind smile. "It's fine. Just stay with me." He then ushers you towards the crowd, spotting a place where you can get a good look at the ring. "Do you guys do this often?" You look up at Mingyu. He smiles sheepishly, "Not me. I tried a few times and I always end up beaten to a pulp. But hyung does this often, he's really good."
"Uh huh, I'm sure he is," you smile dryly. "This is your first time watching a fight, no?" "Definitely." He grins, "Watch carefully then. It's really fun."
You have your doubts on how watching people beat each other up can be fun but you don't comment anything, instead chew on your lip anxiously. Seungcheol really didn't have to go this far? What if he gets hurt badly? Is he trying to impress you?
Don't flatter yourself, your subconscious rolls her eyes.
As the loud cheering that had died down ensues again, your train of thoughts are halted as you see Seungcheol in shorts and his hands covered in boxing gloves, step into the ring. You can't help but ogle at his naked torso, his finely defined and chiseled muscles. He has the perfect body, not too bulky, not too lean just the right amount that gives you a hard time taking your eyes off him. He seems to have noticed your gaze because the second your eyes meet, he throws a haughty, knowing smirk at you. Embarrassed you avert your gaze elsewhere.
His opponent is a muscular man who's growling and banging his chest with his fists, a gesture of intimidation, you suppose. You are definitely intimidated and you wonder if Seungcheol can actually win against him.
The fight starts with a whistle and in mere seconds they are on to each other, throwing punches left and right. Your eyes have a hard time keeping up with them and their fast reflexes and your hands fly to your mouth as a punch lands on Seungcheol's face, followed by repeated blows as Seungcheol falls back. There's a moment of silence as he wipes his bottom lip and you realize there's a cut.
He tilts his neck, popping the bones and glaring at the other man before launching himself on top of his opponent. The next moments are a blurry mess, Seungcheol beating the guy repeatedly until he ends up on the floor but he doesn't stop there. Seungcheol ends it with a sharp jab to his spine and you have no doubt the other man has broken bones with the ways he howls in pain. The match comes to an end like that as the people cheer wildly while Seungcheol steps down from the stage. Mingyu grins at you happily as if what you witnessed was just a regular occurrence, something you should be cheerful about. Shaking your head at the situation, you let out a deflated sigh.
Their life is really so different than yours.
-
Seungcheol seems to be in a very good mood after the fight as he buys you both some sandwiches and drinks from a deli after you both step out of the bar. You both sit down at a park nearby to eat and watch the night sky. "You know, I thought you were gonna lose," you speak after taking a few bites of the sandwich. Seungcheol scoffs, "You underestimate me, sweetheart. I've been doing this for a long time."
"Do you enjoy it?" You ask quietly, focused on peeling the wrapper from your food. You feel Seungcheol's stare on you. "Yes. Why? Are you scared already?"
"No. I was just... curious. Your definition and my definition of fun is totally different." You murmur. "Of course. What did you think? I go to the mall and shop and watch movies with my friends when I'm bored?" His tone is sarcastic. You bite your lip. "No I didn't. It's just...I feels different now that I have experienced it first hand." Seungcheol offers nothing more, taking a sip of his coke and leaning back into the bench. A silence stretches between the both of except the rustling of the wrapper of your food. "How long have you been doing this?" You blurt out. He frowns at you and you don't expect him to answer but he surprises you.
"For a long time."
He doesn't offer anymore and you don't have the heart to prod him for an actual answer. "And how long do you plan on doing this?"
"What?"
"I mean... don't you have any other plans. Like...do you wanna keep doing what you are doing for the rest of your life? Don't you wanna like... settle down maybe?" Your voice is soft as if you are talking to a child. Seungcheol looks annoyed. He doesn't speak for a while as he stares at the ground, a frown etched to his face. You're about to take back your question when he replies, "I really don't think you understand. I've been trying to tell you that my life is completely disparate to yours. So I don't think like you. I don't have plans like you but neither am I expected to follow a certain pattern like you. I can do whatever the fuck I want, ___. So don't look at me like you pity me. I'm the last person here that should be pitied. " His tone is sharp and it makes you feel bad, like a sensation of needles pricking your heart. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry," You whisper, feeling timid as you look down at your lap. He mutters, "Don't go poking your nose in other people's business. Specially people like me."
He's right. You shouldn't have asked that. You are not close enough to ask things like that. After that there is a silence, this time, an awkward one. There's palpable tension in the air and you feel jittery. Should you just ask him to take you home?
It's still early and truth be told, you don't want to leave him just yet. You only have one more date to go and judging by his reaction, he is in no way interested in a relationship. You heave out a long sigh. You knew very well what you were getting into, yet you couldn't stop yourself. Seungcheol is like a poison, the sweetest one, the one that has you addicted and unable to let go, no matter how much it hurts.
This is a fucking mess.
"Let's get going. I have plans," Seungcheol announces, standing up. You want to protest but you feel like you have ruined the mood, so you follow him mutely to his car.
The drive to your house is awfully quiet, to the point you want to scream out of frustration. Seungcheol seems to be lost in his head as he makes no move to talk. It's like you are alone, but you're not and it's worse, the air full of tension. Soon you have reached your house and he stops the car but keeps the engine rolling, indicating his rush. He keeps still and stares ahead while gripping the steering wheel as you step out of the car in silence. "Thanks for dropping me home," you say lamely, your voice meek. You turn around to walk away but his voice stops you in your tracks.
"I promised you three dates and I will keep my word. I expect you to keep yours, ___. I hope you will tell me what I want to hear when we meet next time." His tone is sharp with an edge of threat and you barely get to nod before he drives away.
It's not until you're inside your apartment that you realize you still have his hoodie on. Quickly fishing out your phone you type out a text.
I'm sorry, I forgot to return your hoodie.
After a while, his reply comes.
Keep it.
-
You watch Katelyn as she fills her lunch tray with food before walking over and taking a seat opposite to you. She looks extra radiant today, which probably has something to do with the way she's dressed; a bright colourful outfit which undoubtedly she put a lot of time into considering. She has a date, with a guy she has been talking to for the last few weeks. It reminds you of your pitiful situation and you sigh, trying to shrug off those thoughts.
It has been a good couple weeks since you last saw Seungcheol and you have not exchanged a word after that night. In the back of your mind you wonder if he is even alive. You want to message him, you really want to because you are going crazy but after how your last date ended, you can't bring yourself to. You are scared, exactly of what, you can't put your finger into.
The entire situation you have put yourself into is fucking scary. They say you become sure of your feelings after three dates but it did not take that much for you. You already are very certain about your feelings for him and how deep they run exactly and you also know that in the end you will be left scarred. He would never be yours. He has probably forgotten about you or decided that it is not worth another date to figure out what you saw that night.
You let a desperate, pitiable sigh.
"I know you are hiding things from me but I understand that you are not ready to talk yet. But I want you to know I am here for you okay?" Katelyn's voice makes you blink your way out of your thoughts. She squeezes your hand tightly and gives you a reassuring smile and you're left feeling guilty.
"I ...I will tell you. Soon. Just give me a bit more time," you whisper. She nods in understanding. A grateful smile touches your lips as her words make you emotional. Then there's a ping from your phone letting you know there's a message. Without giving it much thought you open the device and your eyes go wide.
I'll take you out for dinner tomorrow night. Wear something formal.
-
You wait outside your apartment for Seungcheol. Your day has passed by in a flurry of excitement and nerves as you carefully picked your outfit and did your hair and makeup. A soft baby pink dress that stopped just above you knees adorns you as your hair rests just above your neck in a loose bun.
You are fiddling with your fingers as you think about how this night is gonna end and wether you will ever see him again when a car screech that grabs your attention.
Seungcheol's convertible has taken a stop in front of you and you see the man getting out the vehicle and take big steps towards you.
You're mesmerized.
Perhaps there is not enough word in this world to describe his looks or perhaps you've simple lost the ability to speak; either way, you just stand and stare, drinking the godly man that stands in front of you. He looks delectable, completely flawless and agonizingly gorgeous in his sharp black suit and pants, with a silk black shirt underneath, the top couple buttons undone that reveals a beautiful porcelain skin. His hairstyle completes the look, parted to one side in a sleek way and showing his forehead and oh god is it sexy. You realize you have a forehead kink, if there is anything as such.
If you weren't in love with him before you are now.
He looks ravishing, and you wonder why it isn't illegal to look this good. It should be because you have completely lost control over yourself. Nothing exists in your world except for him and you feel paralyzed, unable to do anything but drink him in. You wonder if you are even worthy to stand beside him.
"____?" Seungcheol calls you, snapping his fingers in front of your eyes. He must have been calling you while you were eye fucking him. "Oh! Um, hi." You're flustered. "You- you look really, really nice." It isn't enough but it's what you can get past your lips. A knowing smirk kisses his lips before he teases, "Well, you look really, really nice too." Motioning you to his car he says, "Shall we? We'll be late for our reservation."
"Yeah, of course," you say, hurrying over to his car, embarasssed at your foolery. Seungcheol must have noticed you ogling him like that. But you don't really care when he looks like that. It is his fault for looking so devilishly handsome and idly you wonder if he did that on purpose. If he's deliberately teasing with, trying to make you the most miserable before letting you go with a slap of reality to your face. Pushing away those plagueing thoughts, you sit up straight and clear your throat as Seungcheol comes to sit beside you and brings the engine to life.
A decently long and quiet (except for the music from the radio) but not quite uncomfortable car ride later, Seungcheol stops in front of a really fancy and expensive looking restaurant just by the sea. You did not except him to take you to a high end restaurant, otherwise you would have put some more effort in your looks.
Feeling slightly out of place you quietly follow Seungcheol into the beautiful European styled building after he hands his keys to a valet. The interior is dripping with polished furnitures and extravagant chandeliers and marble floors as guests dressed elegantly have their dinner. As you look around the place in awe Seungcheol talks to the receptionist who then guides you towards a staircase that leads to a pair of large double doors decorated with gold which then, opens to a large balcony. In the middle of it sits a table with two chairs and an unceremonious gasp escapes your mouth as you realize this is where you will be having dinner.
The man from earlier takes his leave as Seungcheol helps you sit down before taking a seat for himself while you take in everything, overwhelmed with all your surroundings. Why did he put so much effort for a lousy and fake date?
"What do you think?" He asks with a smirk as he rests one of his elbows on the table.
"I'm overwhelmed," you reply quietly, honestly. He chuckles, "Well this place has really good food and a fantastic view so I thought it wouldn't bad for our last date."
Last date.
"It's really beautiful. I don't know why you did this but thank you, really," you murmur, eyes on the satin table cloth with intricate golden lining. Everything about this place is so pretty.
"Well, I decided it would be beneficial for me to extract words from you if you are wooed," his words have a teasing tone to it and his demeanor is completely different from last time, giving you a whiplash but you are not sure if he's fully joking. Before you can say that you are definitely wooed, a waiter appears to take your order and you leave the duty of ordering to Seungcheol since he seems to frequent this place. Prior to his leave, the waiter pours you Seungcheol's champagne of choice and then, you two are alone once more.
Reaching for the flute, you quickly gulp down the champagne to soothe your dry throat and to calm all your nerves.
Over dinner you talk about your uni and your parents back home and the farm they own. While Seungcheol mostly keeps quiet he doesn't ignore you but listens carefully, occasionally passing glances your way or commenting. He does not offer anything about him, which you expected and you don't ask any questions about him either. Instead you try your best to keep his interest in your words despite the lack of it from his side.
After a hearty meal of poached lobsters and wagyu beefs and creamy soups comes dessert; a chocolate orange mousse with spiced fruits and yogurt sorbet. You start eating your dessert in silence, the occasional crashing of waves filling the complete lack of sounds.
This location is truly magnificent and breathtaking, almost having a feel like you're in a fancy resort in a luxurious tropical island. It is undoubtedly the most beautiful place you have ever been, let alone have dinner at and you wonder if you would ever have the chance to visit some place like this had you not met Seungcheol. The man in question, continues eating quietly, seemingly lost in his thoughts. He looks lovely as always, if not more and you try to burn this image in your mind for you to look back at later. You want to ask him so many question, you want to tell him so many things but you're scared. Sacred if you do so this moment will break, scared it will annoy him and end your final date all too early. So you bite your tongue and finish your food as he does and after your plates are cleared away, you are served another expensive champagne as an end to your luxurious dinner.
Even though Seungcheol doesn't say anything, you assume it is time to spill the beans, to say what he has been wanting to hear from the beginning. You have teased him enough and it is time you give him what he deserves. Taking a deep breath, you open your mouth. "Me and Katelyn heard noises from the playground that night so we decided to check. It was pretty dark and we were tipsy but I recognized you and you were... beating someone up. We stayed there and watched until one of us accidentally made some noise. We were scared that you heard us so we ran. That's all that happened."
You have Seungcheol's full attention now as he listens cautiously, his sharp eyes trained on you. Gulping, you clench your hands together underneath the table, waiting for his reaction. There seems to be an eternity of silence as Seungcheol simply stares at you as if he's debating whether your words are true or not. It's torturous, awfully agonizing and when you can't bear it anymore you're about to speak but he beats you to it.
"I didn't kill him." His voice is quiet. You let out a breath you didn't realize you were holding. Somewhere in the back of your mind you believed it, you believed he wouldn't be cruel enough to kill someone just like that and as soon as he speaks those words you believe him, without a doubt, without a second of delay.
"I believe you." You whisper, holding his gaze. "That asshole deserved what he got. He shouldn't even be alive but I let him go. He's in a hospital now, if you are wondering." You nod quietly. It's scary how much you believe him, how much you trust him even though he is pretty much a stranger.
There's a moment of silence as you bask in his presence before he speaks, "____, men like me, we aren't the nicest people. But we are needed, the cops need us around. People like me do the dirty works for people like you so y'all don't face troubles. We do things in an unconventional way but that's just who we are. We aren't as bad as the rumours say but we definitely aren't someone you should be with." You open your mouth to protest but his sharp gaze makes you stop. "If you have not understood it yet, let me say it out loud. I am trouble. People like me is always bad news. Whatever we did until now, I hope you forget. That's the best, ____ trust me. I think we both got what we wanted so let's call it a night." Just like that, he stands up, not waiting for your reply.
You gawk at him, baffled as he pays the bill and starts walking away. Tears burn the back of your eyes and you bite your lip to hold them back. The ending that you had expected has taken place but you are having a hard time accepting it. Your subconscious reminds you that you deliberately got yourself into this even though you saw this coming. So there is no one to blame for it but you. Grabbing your purse, you stomp your way out of the restaurant and towards Seungcheol's car.
Seungcheol barely acknowledges you as you both get in the car and he presses the key to the ignition. You are fuming in your seat, his words and the way he dismissed you cutting you deep. His words come to you, I think we both got what we wanted. You want to laugh. How can he possibly think that? Is he really so stupid or is he deliberately ignoring your interest in him? You want to smack his perfect face, curse and scream at him but all you can do is sit still with your arms crossed as steam comes out of your head. Is he really not curious about your feelings? Does he possess none for you? Does these few days with you mean nothing to him? You have so many unanswered questions. Leaning back into your seat, you close your eyes and let out a frustrated sigh.
It feels like in the blink of an eye the drive to your place is over as Seungcheol halts his car in front of your apartment. He does not utter a single word, doesn't even spare a glance at you while patiently waiting for you to get out of the car.
Asshole.
You inhale deeply, trying your best to gather yourself together as you take off your seatbelt and turn towards him.
"Seungcheol?" Few seconds pass before he looks at you. Words are stuck in your throat. When your eyes meet his, you become mute, overwhelmed with emotions as your words die in your tongue. He keeps staring at you, not opening his mouth but waiting for you to speak. "Is this goodbye?" Your voice breaks.
"I believe we don't have any reason to see each other. We both got what we wanted," He says without batting an eye. You're left bemused, one step away from landing a slap on his face. How dare he say that?
"Do you really believe that?" Your words come out as an accusation. "I wanted to go out with you because I thought I have feelings for you! And I do! And my feelings have only increased since I first saw you. I want to see you again, Seungcheol. You may have gotten what you wanted but I didn't." Your fades into a whisper as tears burn the back of your eyes.
Seungcheol stays quiet, staring ahead, his brows knitted as if he's annoyed. "I promised you three dates, ____. And I gave you that. It's over. Your feelings? You'll get over them. It's better to be in pain for a while that be with someone like me."
"You can't say that! I get to decide for myself!"
"____," he sighs, rubbing his temples. "I'm a bad man. You should leave while you still have a good image of me. You'll get hurt because of me and I've caused enough pain to enough people. Just...go. Just forget me." You stare at him as frustrated tears roll down your cheeks. He doesn't meet your gaze but turns his head the other way. You are angry, infuriated and heart broken all at a time. Clenching your fists you inhale a shaky breath before reaching for him.
Before you can chicken out, you tilt his face towards you and quickly press your lips against his. Seungcheol seems to be shocked as a small gasp leaves his mouth but you don't let him push you away. Instead one of your hands come to rest on his thigh as he other cups his face to keep his mouth against yours. You kiss him with all you have left, pouring in every bit of passion and love for him as your tongues intertwine. By the time you are both breathless, Seungcheol gently pushes you back and peers into your eyes. "That's all I can give you, ____." He says, his voice the softest you have heard. You are broken into a million pieces and as much as your heart wants to cling to him, you suddenly feel tired, deflated like a popped balloon. Your emotions have drained you out and left nothing and right now, breathing almost seems too painful for you. Taciturnly, you grab your purse and step out the convertible. You hear another door shut behind you but you don't look back as your heavy steps carry you to the entrance of your building. When you are about to enter your apartment, you accumulate all your strength and courage to spare one final glance at him.
Turning around you see Seungcheol standing by his car, hands in his pockets, simply watching you. Even though your eyes are locked on each other, you don't see any emotion in them. He looks like the same expressionless, mysterious man you saw the first day. The man you fell in love with. Taking in his gorgeous features one last time, you bite your lip and turn away, forcing yourself to walk inside your apartment building.
Your chapter with Seungcheol ends here.
Epilogue
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A/N : Okay so idk why this fucking app is being like this but it says I reached the maximum of 250 blocks but I thought tum1r didn't have a word limit?? Anyway so I've decided to break it up and put the rest of the fic in another post. Please click epilogue to read that.
Taglist: @koo-18 @shiningstar-byulxx @pcisonedhaos @happyvitamin @yoongischeeksluv @haluim17 @nayam14 @horanghae-gumanhae @cottonsthings @hotcheetosnorter99 @peekabooseoksoon @acapellaanna @amixoferrthang
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hotch-stufff · 3 years
Text
Meet the Parents
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Gif is not mine
Pairing: Aaron Hotchner x f!Reader
Warnings!: angsty, mentions of neglect, bad parenting, fighting, arguing, lots of yelling, parents saying degrading things towards reader, but happy ending between reader and hotch obviously
Description: Hotch meets your parents that have never approved of you or anything you do, how will he react when they begin picking apart your life?
A/N: not rlly sure if i love this one, but I hope you guys do. Probably a bunch of spelling errors, just warning you.
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It was a bad idea.
Of course it was a bad idea.
You really didn't know why you had to go through with this.
You never wanted to have to introduce him to your parents. You had hoped this day wouldn't come. They were... not the best parents in the world, to say the least.
But you were engaged, getting married in only a few months, and your parents had of course heard of your engagement from your older sister. She had accidently let it slip on her last visit.
And now you had to introduce him. And God you were terrified. They had belittled and picked apart each and every aspect of your life.
It wasn't really your father, more so your mother. But he had never stopped her and joined in occasionally.
They had always hated your decisions. You had joined the marines straight out of highschool, and went to the FBI academy after 4 years of service. You had then quickly made your way to the FBI's behavior analysist unit, and that was where you had met your now fiance, Aaron Hotchner.
And of course your mother disapproved. She had always wanted you to go the traditional route. Be a stay at home mom, married with kids by the time you were 20.
You were now 28 and just getting engaged, so of course your mother was going to have some complaints.
But you had never expected how the night actually had turned out.
You had been wringing your hands the entire way there. Aaron had been worried about you for the entirety of the trip. Constantly sending you glances, taking your hand in his own and squeezing reassuringly.
"It will be alright, love." He would tell you. You would simply glance at him shaking your head.
He didn't know how wrong he was.
Soon enough you pulled up into the driveway of your childhood home. Your heart beat widely as you stepped out of the car, meeting Aaron on the other side.
"I'm sorry." He shot you a confused look.
"For what?" he had asked.
"Just apologizing in advance." And with that you rang the doorbell. You heard footsteps and the door was yanked open. Your mothers shrill voice rang through the air.
"Honey! They're here." She sent a smile Aaron's way, and glanced at you dissaprovingly. "Darling. What on earth are you wearing?" You looked down at your simple dress and rolled your eyes.
"Good to see you too mom." She shook her head.
"Of course of course. Good to see you as well. And you must be Aaron? We have heard nothing about you." You scoffed, quickly covering it with a cough, as Aaron responded.
"Yes, Aaron Hotchner ma'am. Its wonderful to meet you."he stuck out his hand for her to shake, but she just turned around and strutted away.
"Do come in, we wouldn't want dinner to get cold. You're already 20 minutes late." She scolded as she walked through the kitchen door.
"Mom, we are 5 minutes early." You stated simply. She laughed like you had said the most absurd thing in the world. You just rolled your eyes.
Aaron shot you a glance and you smiled softly at him.
You gathered around your table, hoping for a somewhat pleasant meal. You father walked in glancing at Aaron before doing a double take.
"Ah you must be Aaron." Your father held out his hand hesitantly. Hotch shook it respectfully introducing himself.
"Yes sir, Aaron Hotchner." He nodded politely.
You all sat around the table and began eating in silence. Small talk here and there but mostly silence, until your mother finally spoke up.
"So, you two met at work?"she asked, disdain present in her voice.
"Uh, yes we did. We work together at the BAU." You replied, catching your mothers eye roll but electing to ignore it.
"Yes, I'm the unit chief, and Y/n is one of our best agents." You couldn't stop him before he made his mistake. And you saw the realization flashed in your father's eyes.
"Unit chief? Like the boss?" He asked.
"Shit." You muttered under your breath. "Yes dad, like the boss." You said a bit louder.
"You're dating your boss!" Your mother exclaimed.
"Mom, its not that big of a deal, he isn't my direct boss, another agent is." You tried explaining.
"Ugh, this government talk us just too much at the dinner table." She sighs dramatically and you shut up, not wanted to start a fight so early in the night.
You all continued eating until your dad spoke again.
"So Aaron you must be significantly older than Y/n." Your father continued. Aaron nearly choked on his drink.
"Um, there is a small age difference yes. But we have never let it bother us." God this was painful.
"No but, why on earth would you bother with a young, disappointment like Y/n? I mean she's obviously gained some weight. She had a dishonorable job for a woman. She doesn't have a family, and jmis just now getting into a serious relationship. I mean seriously Aaron, you could do so much better than, her." You could not believe the audacity of this woman. Your mother effectively silenced the entire table. You felt tears gather in your eyes. As you tried to stop them from falling down your face, Aaron set his wine down calmly and stood up.
"Your daughter is very far from a disapointment." He stated matter of factly. "She is by far one of the Best people that I know. She is the love of my life. She is one of THE most prestigious agents in the FBI, and is apart of one of the best teams in the country. She is the most amazing partner in the world, and had become my favorite person. I dont know how you consider yourselves decent human beings when you can sit here and degrade your own daughter like this. And I feel sorry that you can't see how amazing she truly is." He was nearly breathless when he finished. You stood up beside him.
"Aaron's, right. You guys are the most indecent human bei-"
Anger had flashed in your fathers eyes as he stood angrily, slamming his hands on the table, effectively interrupting you.
"How dare you come into our house and speak such words towards us!?" He yelled at Aaron and you with a furociousness you hadn't seen since you joined the marines.
"Sit down and shut up!" Aaron yelled right back, furious that your father had just interrupted you.
You decided it was time to step in and leave.
"Me and my fiance will be leaving now. I hope you have wonderful lives. And the next time I hear from you it better be an apology otherwise you will never be meeting your grandchildren. And my my wouldn't that just be very indecent." You finished in a mocking tone, spinning around and walking away, Aaron hot on your heals.
You somehow held off your tears till you reached the car and pulled into your driveway and then you completely broke down.
Aaron held you the best he could over the console, trying his best to make you feel better
"Sshhh, sweetheart, its okay." He whispered into your hair. "That was so brave. I'm so proud of you." You smiled slowly pulling away from him.
"Thank you Aaron, for everything you said in there. I never would have had the courage to say anything to them if it wasn't for you. So thank you." He was about to protest, but you shut him up quickly by pressing your lips to his in a passionate kiss.
"I love you." He mumbled against your lips.
You just kissed him harder, getting your message across loud and clear. You pulled away, wiping away your tears.
"I think they liked you." You mumbled a few seconds later, causing him to burst into laughter.
"Especially when I told your dad to shut up." You giggled at his statement.
"Especially then." You continued laughing as you leaned in kissing him again.
Never had you been happier for having a man like Aaron Hotchner.
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Check out my Blurb Weekend!! Only accepting blurb requests for the weekend, but regular requests will be open afterwards.
Thanks for reading! Requests are still open, so ask away! If you would like an idea of what to request, here is my prompt list, and if you would like to read more of my work, here is my masterlist.
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starshipsofstarlord · 3 years
Text
Jealous
Pairing | Eric Northman x reader
Summary | bringing your partner to the bar seemed like a good idea in order to have a nice and relaxing night. However, he appears to become jealous as you speak to the owner of Merlottes.
Warnings | smut, jealousy, swearing, exhibition kink, unprotected sex, oral (f receiving), squirting, swearing
Requested ✖️
Quick link to my masterlist, if you’re interested in reading more of my crap 😬
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A hunger derived in the vampire’s chest, a blossoming swarm of contained rage that made the sheriff clench his fangs and watch with piercing eyes. The laughter that resonated from your chest made him scowl, all because he was the one that was not causing it.
Instead, it was the dog that ran around this human grill, the shifter that more often than not, tried to distance himself from trouble. He was the owner of Merlottes. Sam Merlotte was his name, he had a head full of ashy brown hair, that had ropes of grey pleated through it. He was a nice man, warm and welcoming, the complete opposite of Eric in some sense.
The Viking vampire was known, and to your knowledge to be notorious. He never allowed anything to stand in his way, and if it dared to, he would literally, rip its head off if it had one. And despite that deadly feature that he exhibited, you still claimed to have loved him. The two of you were great together, you seemingly brought out the best in him, apart from right now.
Eric grunted to no one directly as he watched you swish your head side to side, shaking it as you laughed at something the bartender said. All that you were supposed to be doing were ordering drinks, not flirting with another one of the men that had previously been head over heels for Sookie.
With one last glance at the shifter, you turned back, sitting on the opposite side of the booth that Eric had been holding. You brushed your hair over your shoulder, it was obvious that you were relaxed in this environment. It was filled with your friends and neighbours, acquaintances and strangers. But it still, despite the limitless customers, induced you with serenity.
“The drinks will be here in a couple.” Despite informing him, it appeared that he could care less about the time until the order reached the surface of the table.
“Will that animal be serving them?” In reply, you laughed, dismissing the seriousness within his tone. That was, until you maintained eye contact with the tall blonde, noticing the feral presence decreasing the size of his pupil.
“Are you speaking about Sam?” You asked uncertainty, the owner having been the only one that you had conversed with in the bar, excluding Eric, so far. “Oh my god, you are.” Your speculation had been correct, and you couldn’t help but feel a pulse of annoyance within you.
If Eric actually ever listened to you, then he would know that your friends meant the world and more to you, and that included the shapeshifter. “I don’t like the way he was looking at you.” He put it simply, and you could only scoff at his defence. It was hardly a reason for him to appear and treat you so uptight and rudely.
“What, with care? Because news flash, maybe you haven’t noticed everything that I have done for you Eric, but many times my actions have proven that you are it for me. And if you can’t see that, you may as well be human!” To support your active words, you stood, the palms of your hands planted upon the surface of the booth.
Sookie quirked a brow as her head filled with your thoughts, however she had no time to adjust to them or check how you were doing, as you stormed out of the grill, leaving Eric with a frown and a sombre glaze in his untameable eyes.
But she couldn’t help herself from taking your place looking down at the table, judgementally prying Eric with a disgruntled frown. “Did you seriously question y/n’s love with you?!” Her accent came out strong, digging into the tense atmosphere that you had strongly abandoned.
Eric rolled his eyes at her intrusion, finding it to be a familiar, yet frustrating feeling of her always bursting his bubble. “It has nothing to do with you, why don’t you talk some sense into your vampiric boyfriend instead?” He jutted back at her, standing, and brushing off any possible lint from his blazer jacket.
Reaching into his inside pocket, he grabbed a small amount of cash, placing it upon the table, and walking past the half faerie, brushing against her as he went towards the door, leaving. Eric had no worries, he could sense that even whilst he was inside, that you were there, leant up against the wall, awaiting for him to follow after you. It was inevitable that he evens would.
Your arms were crossed, and you were facing the parking lot rather than the entrance. The stature that you upheld made it rather clear that you were angry with his behaviour; and not to mention that it was also in public.
The vampire knew that you loved him, despite Sookie’s feeble accusations. Fighting was not something that the pair of you were estranged to, however it made you furious to know that he would accuse you of being interested in somebody else.
It was certain that if Pam was here she would scold her maker for his uptight, and jealous outburst. But it wasn’t as though she would have been able to prevent it anyways, considering that she was all the way across town in Fangtasia attending to the business ongoing there.
“I do know that you love me.” His voice rang out in the cold of the night, frolicking to your ears and biting your lobes as you still refused to face the tall and unfavourable vampire.
“Right now, that is debatable.” Was your retort, feeling the cold air brush against your face as you felt it pinch your nose. “To not only insult my friend, but embarrass me in front of a bar full of people, that was not how tonight was supposed to go at all!”
Your body jolted as you suddenly felt his body press against the back of your own, his large and explorative hand dragging up the skin of your exposed thigh, that was free of coverage in the casual black dress that you had opted to wear for the occasion.
“I am sorry my lovely dear, you know how I tend to be, especially when I hear other men make you evoke that wonderful and all consuming laugh that gets my dead heart to beat every time.” A hitch of a sigh caught in your throat as you tried to remain unaffected by Eric’s flattery, but it was rather impossible, more so as his hands brushed against the lace of your panties.
On reflex, you snapped his hands away from that part of you, you were in the middle of the parking lot for Christ sakes! Though that did not, nor did it ever seem to phase him, if you were to guess, you had noticed some hints leading to him having an exhibition kink. And it was not as though you had never called him out on it, though, most of the time, you happened to give into his public desires.
It was often portrayed within the context and realm of his workplace; Fangtasia. Within the club, there was a frequent case of rendezvous that the club permitted to take place inside its various walls that were filled with vampires and their lustful humans. The exchanges that took place were anything but loving, they were filled by hunger, and the curiosity that simple people, that thought themselves to be edgy and desirable to the immortal eye, all making the rooms reek of pretentious assholes taking advantage of one another.
“We are not doing that here Eric.” You scolded his efforts, despite your craving for them to take place, and ravish you no matter the surrounding that were into the background anyways. With great resilience, you swatted his north travelling hands away, making them stoic from the adequate dismissal.But Eric Northman was never one to admit defeat, he had a plaguing tendency to get what he wanted, and he was always had a route of persuasion to get it.
“Aren’t we?” He asked wispily unto your drifting head, as though he were corrupting the stubbornness that was attempting to remain untainted in the rafters that floated so correspondingly through your weightless veins. “Then why are we sneaking to the back of the grill?” His words had a frown fired upon your face as you tried to register the truth behind his words, but in time before you could ask the mysterious vampire what he had meant by his words, he had sped you away to the said part that was already close by.
“Mature move.” You muttered, and the consequences of your off handed comment had earned you the vulnerable position of being pressed right up and against the back door, that was only usable to the staff. If you tilted your head just right, you could hear the clattering of plates being stacked, and the distant voices o Arlene and Terry as they partook in a private discussion that was supposed to be inaudible to anyone else’s ears.
Beaing that close to people that you knew, and in such a compromising situation where they could easily catch you, had you clenching your thighs together, clearly frustrated by the scenario of your predicament. Clearly. And with Eric standing smugly inside of you, once trailing his fingers on the high top of your thigh, his skin tasting your flesh that was beneath the dress, did not help the matters of your hormonal state.
“I said I was sorry.” Eric reminded you, stroking your thighs with his age old touch, and at the notion, your legs quivered, responding affective to his seducing touch. “Perhaps I have to prove it, would you like that y/n?” An audible whimper fell from your stiff mouth, evicting an amused and gloating smirk out of your boyfriend. He knew what he had done, he had moulded you into a desperate mess.
“I’d rather you apologise to Sam, and whoever else you happened to insult in your time in there.” Was your response, though he tutted at it, seeing through its mask, understanding what you wanted was for him to do more than just caress your thighs, and nothing more. “Eric.” A moan slipped from your mouth, as he fondled your breasts through the bleak fabric.
At first, you thought that he was going to pull the material down to expose your womanly globes, but instead, he tore straight down the middle of the dress, leaving it hanging from you by nothing more than a thread. His action enraged you only slightly, but before you could open your mouth to tell him off for destroying your clothing, he snapped the elastic of your underwear, leaving the personal garment to drop in a discarded manner at your heeled feet.
“You are indeed a sight for sore eyes. Do you know how jealous I would be if one of those fools came out here, and saw you so exposed? There’d be no words to describe how much I would want to compel them to forget, and you thought I was angry inside. That would be nothing more than an understatement my dear.” His hands cast themselves down to grope at your ass cheeks, pulling a surprised squeal out of your mouth.
This time, you did not try and stop his feeling of your body, instead, you rather encouraged it. Wrapping your hand in his smooth blonde locks, you began to push down, which was difficult considering how high his head was, leaving your arms half up in the air as you tried to make him descend. “Do something Eric, or I will.”
“Here?” He asked with a prominent smirk, feeling your hostile glare and intoxicating pout bore harshly into him. Rolling his eyes, he sighed, giving up on his verbal teasing as he sank to his knees, looking up at you from beside your legs. He pressed a sweet kiss against your navel, trailing down, until he was nipping at the curve of your mound, his hands resting on the back of your thighs, to pull you closer as he ran his tongue along the hood of your clit, making you bang your head back against the door.
The sound made you eyes go wide, as you worried that someone on the inside must have heard, though the thought quickly subsided as Eric began to eat you alive, stuffing his tongue in your entrance, leaving you to be nothing more than a mewling victim that was in distress from the pleasure that he gave you. His nose rubbed against your clit, as he hummed delightedly against you, the vibrations causing your body to quiver.
“Stop.” You panted, though he continued, staring up at you with those light eyes, that held much darkness of his past. “Need you inside of my Ric. Please, need you to fuck me good and hard, just fuck me.” There were tears frustratedly slipping from the corners of your eyes, as you were upheld of relief as Eric moved away, undoing his bottoms, and taking his long cock out, sweeping it against your slit.
“I’ll fuck you darling; let everyone know that your mine.” His free hand held the corner of your chin, plummeting his tongue into your mouth, to have one moment of calm, before he penetrated you, leaving you in a mess that had your eyes rolling to the back of your head and deliriously spinning from the euphoria that you felt. Eric performed at a fast and unrelentingly pace, slamming you hard enough into the door for everyone to hear.
It was certain that people within Merlottes could hear the sounds that were ravaged from your lips, though you were too absorbed in your own pleasure to care at all. Eric fucked into you hard, and you appeared unfazed as someone tried to open the door from the other side, the wood splintering against your back as your boyfriend‘s strength kept it shut, pushing your floundering body back against it.
And then you felt it, the absentminded swirl in your stomach, coaxing you closer and closer to release. Eric filled you first, and then he reached down, rubbing your clit, causing a clear stream to spray out from around his cock, leaving you utterly exhausted. You were half asleep now, and so, Eric picked you up, and sped away, leaving your torn clothes upon the floor, so that anyone that found them would know that it was the pair of you that had been using the outside wall as a mattress for your engagements.
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anyoneseenadam · 3 years
Note
Hi I was wondering if you could do a Azriel x reader where they are cuddling and talking after a long day of work?
pairing: azriel x reader (acotar)
warnings: mental health/anxiety being mean, insecurity, asides from that it’s pure fluff and nice and lovey dovey
a/n: I love writing fluff omg, I went in a slightly different route that I intended with this one but I hope you like it :))))
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You pushed the heavy wooden door of your home open, dragging your legs in as you fought to keep your eyes open. You pushed the door closed with your back, leaning your head against it, and closing your eyes for a second, before sliding down, still leaning against the door, and wrestling to remove you shoes with a huff.
You heard a cough ahead of you and looked up to see Azriel fondly watching you, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He was still in his leathers, so you presumed he had just beat you home, his tired eyes sparkling with humour as he watched you struggle with your boots. You didn’t say anything as you stood and padded over to him on heavy feet, wrapping your arms around his middle and squeezing your eyes shut.
You didn’t want to think of the long week you had dealt with, you just wanted to bury yourself under a mountain of pillows and blankets and maybe wrap your limbs around Azriel like a koala bear. He wrapped his arms around you, scarred hands rubbing up and down your back as the two of you stood together in silence, simply breathing in the other and allowing your souls to be reacquainted.
When you first met Azriel he had wandered into your shop on a whim, wanting to get Feyre some flowers to congratulate her on the pregnancy and he remembered Elain had mentioned this shop being one of her favourites. He had expected to be in and out, not in the mood for a long conversation, or any conversation for that matter. But as soon as he saw your pretty face, your flowy, dress that stopped just above your dirt covered knees, all his plans were thrown out the window.
“Can I help you?” you had asked, sweet-lipped, your voice sounding the way cherries tasted, sweet but with a deeper richness. A smooth tone that he could listen to for hours.
He ended up buying as many flowers as he could without seeming insane, not wanting you to ever stop speaking, wanting you to explain the meaning behind every flower in your store if it meant he got to stay with you.
You had noticed him as well of course. Who wouldn’t, he was beautiful and carried himself with so much grace and poise that you were sure he was a fallen angel. You had lengthened your descriptions of the flowers, face heating when you realised you were rambling and fighting a grin when he asked you to continue.
You had invited him to sit with you as you were brewing tea and he had accepted, sipping tentatively at the tea you told him you grew yourself, the greenhouse in your garden perfect for the needed flowers. The two of you had spoken for hours before he left, ignoring the confused looks from his friends when he came home with six separate bouquets of flowers. Instead deciding to picture your pretty face as he lay in bed that night, finally getting rest for the first time in weeks.
Now, you were wrapped up in his arms, still not speaking. He didn’t worry too much, he knew that sometimes you weren’t ready to speak, that some days you just needed some quiet to process your day and come back to yourself. When you had first explained the way you would drift from your own mind, feeling as if you were floating above your own body Azriel had almost cried, the realisation that maybe he wasn’t the only one in the world, that maybe there was someone for him after all.
He lifted you into his arms and carried you to the kitchen, carefully avoiding the plants littered around the house, before shifting you onto one hip like a baby, knowing you wouldn’t be letting go any time soon. He set about brewing your favourite tea, smiling as he picked up the pot that you had shared the fifth time he came to visit you.
The store had been closed but you had invited him, so he pushed in, cringing at himself when he realised how early he was but all his thoughts came to a halt when he heard that sweet voice of yours coming from your apartment above your shop.
“My lovers got humour, she's the giggle at a funeral, knows everybody's disapproval, I should've worshiped her sooner. If the Heavens ever did speak, she's the last true mouthpiece, every Sunday's getting more bleak a fresh poison each week- AH!” you screamed when you saw him standing in the doorway, pressing a hand to your heart as it slowed back to its regular beat. “Fuck you, oh my.”
He genuinely laughed then, not expecting to hear you swear. The girl who had green stained fingers and who fed stray cats, the girl who always decorated for every holiday and who apologised when she bumped into inanimate objects. Your face was hot to the touch and you wouldn’t look him in the eyes, so he had stopped laughing, moving to up your face, forcing you to look in his eyes.
“You have the prettiest voice I’ve ever heard.” He said sincerely but you scoffed,
“No I really don’t,” you laughed but he saw the insecurities then, “I know it’s whiny.” He frowned; your voice having been one of your most attractive traits in his eyes. He had started to see beneath your cracks then, but now with you wrapped around him he remembered how deep they went.
“Do you want to talk about it baby?” he asked carefully, not wanting to startle you, knowing how deep you could get in your head, tiny noises startling you when you were zoned out.
“Bad brain.” Was all you muttered, and he frowned but just kissed your forehead and continued making your tea. When he was done he carried both you and the tea through to your bedroom, setting the tea down before twisting you again and carrying you to the bathroom. He sat you on the side of the bath and wet a cloth, cleaning the makeup from your face, and moisturising your skin before picking you back up and taking you back to your room. You slowly changed into one of his shirts and some loose boxers before crawling under the duvet and reaching your hands out to Azriel who had changed into his pyjama bottoms.
He crawled in next to you, pulling you into his chest, his wings wrapping around the two of you and then his shadows settling over both of you, protecting you from the outside world.
“How was your week?” he asked, one hand coming up to play with your hair knowing how much it relaxed you and feeling his heart warm when he felt you smile against his neck.
“Bit shit,”
“How so?”
“Just rude customers, and this one guy wanted like two dozen flowers which I made up but then he couldn’t pay and trashed the bouquets I had made him. Plus all the noise made my anxiety play up,” you muttered, and he frowned, not liking how put out you sounded.
“Want me to kill him?” he asked, only half-joking.
“I think that’s a bit extreme,” you laughed into his shoulder.
“Lightly maim then?”
“Maybe just a scare, make him think his house is haunted or something,”
“That I can do.” He smiled, kissing you, happy to have you partially back to him.
“What about you, how was your week, I feel like I haven’t seen you at all.”
“I know, sorry. I’ve been doing some stuff for Rhys.”
“I’m presuming I’m not allowed to hear about it,” you said, well aware of how secretive his job was.
“It’s not a mission per say, I’m just babysitting.”
“Is it fun at least?” you asked, grinning at him cheekily and he scrunched up his face, thinking back over his week of baby sitting two horny Fae’s while he dreamt of being in your little apartment.
“Not the word I would use, they’re too horny for their own good.”
“The babies?!”
“No! NO! They’re not actually children!” he backtracked as you collapsed into a fit of giggles, Azriel joining you soon after. “You know I think they suspect something,” he said once you finally calmed down, “I think they’ve worked out I’m sneaking off.”
“Hmm, guess we have to kill them then.” You mused and Azriel grinned,
“Only reasonable course of action.”
“I mean we’d be fools not to,”
“Clearly.” He laughed, before tightening his grip, “seriously though, do you want to meet them?”
“I mean, yeah. I think it’d be nice,” he noticed your mood had shifted again and nudged you, imploring you to continue, “It’s just you’re all so accomplished and amazing, powerful people and I’m just… me.”
He tried to ignore the pain that stabbed into his heart at your self-deprecating words, having thought them about himself enough times to know how they felt. “Don’t say that, you’re an incredible person. And even if you weren’t the kindest, sweetest person I had ever met, you’re still the girl I love and honestly I think Cassian is one ex-girlfriend away from selling me to the highest bidder.”
You laughed and nuzzled in farther, “Kindest person you’ve ever met?”
“Well asides from the occasional death threats,”
“ah yes, ignoring that. Of course.” He laughed and kissed your forehead, eyes closing as he heard your voice get softer and your breath slower.
“I love you.” He whispered into your hair as you felt your eyelids droop, the weight of the week lifted off of your shoulders as you buried yourself in Azriel’s arms, peaceful in his embrace.
“I love you.”
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13uswntimagines · 3 years
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Loose Lips Sink Ships (Soran X Swift!Reader)
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Request: The Next Instalment of the Swift!Reader Universe where everyone finds out that the reader is dating Emily and Lindsey. Basically, 5000 words of the reader getting caught in compromising positions, having deep conversations with her sister and teasing some too invasive fans. 
Other Parts of the Swift!Reader Universe
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
Taylor considered herself a very perceptive person, especially when it came to you. From the time you were little, she could read you like a book. She knew to look for the tilt of your head when you were curious, or how you scratched the back of your neck when you were nervous.
But this, she had never seen before. Your thumbs twiddled on your thighs, patting out an erratic pattern that didn’t match any of your favorite songs, and your feet were tapping out a completely different beat. You also kept tucking your chin, completely refusing to make eye contact with her. 
It wasn’t just tonight either. It was for the entire week you had been staying with her in her Manhattan apartment. She didn’t know if she could take another three weeks of you sneaking off to the terrace to make phone calls at midnight. 
She sighed, turning away from the stove to lean over the island, taking a long drag from her wine glass and eyeing you carefully. 
“Alright, what’s going on with you?” She asked, raising an eyebrow at you. You blinked up at her with owlish eyes. 
“You’re acting weird,” she added with a shrug, turning to whatever she was making on the stove. 
You took a large gulp of your drink and swallowed hard. You didn’t think you had been that obvious, but then again Taylor knew you better than anyone (well, there were two people who probably knew you as well as she did). Soon enough they would be just as good at getting information out of you as Taylor was. 
“I’m just tired. Pre-season and national team duty are kinda kicking my ass,” You mumbled, rubbing the back of your neck, praying to god that she would take this excuse. 
She nodded, tapping the spatula on the side of the pot before turning back to you and picking up her glass again. “I’m sure the media pressure isn’t helping that,” 
You shrugged.“Everyone just expects me to be you, and it’s a lot sometimes,” You mumbled, absentmindedly circling your fingers over the rim of your glass. 
Taylor’s eyebrows furrowed. She could tell you weren’t telling her everything, but if this was the route you wanted to take, then she wouldn’t miss a chance to reaffirm you. 
“I know, and I’m sorry for that,” She said softly, reaching across the island to gently grab your hand. 
You finally looked up at your sister, echoing her sad smile, and noting the worried crinkle by her eyes. “It’s not really your fault,” 
She nodded. “I know, but all I can do is tell you how amazing you are as many times as I can,” 
You held her gaze for a few more seconds, her seriousness giving you no reason to doubt her sincerity. 
It didn’t matter what the media, or your family, said about your career. Taylor maintained that you were just as good, simply because you were you. She was your greatest champion and most trusted confidant. 
You nodded, and she squeezed your hand before turning back to the stove. She knew pushing you to talk about what was really bothering you wouldn’t help. You would come to her when you were ready. 
You watched her thoughtfully as she put the final touches on dinner, checking on a tray in the oven and stirring the things on the stove. 
You were comforted by the familiarity of it, but the little voice in the back of your head reminded you that you also enjoyed this position when it was a different blond cooking for you (and the way Lindsey teased her while she cooked). 
The three of you had been together for nearly eight months, and recently you had all decided that maybe it was time to stop hiding. The first step was telling Taylor, but you weren’t really sure how. 
Your heart thumped in your chest at the thought of your two favorite women. Your girlfriends, you reminded yourself. They made you feel so many amazing, and terrifying things you had never felt before. Taylor always sang about those emotions, and you wondered if this was what she was talking about. 
“Can I ask you a question?” You asked softly, and Taylor paused her stirring on the stove. That was always the cue you used when you wanted to have a serious conversation. When you were nervous about whatever the answer would be. The last time you had asked that you wanted to know if she would be upset if you skipped college in favor of going pro.
Her opinion mattered to you more than anyone else’s. 
“You know you always can,” She said, avoiding looking over her shoulder (towards where she knew you were worrying your lip between your teeth). 
“How did you know you were in love?”  
Taylor paused, a pan halfway out of the oven, at the completely unexpected question. She should have seen this coming, she had seen the way those two looked at you. 
She cleared her throat, straightening and setting the hot pan on some oven mitts on the counter, before turning her full attention to you. She took in how you seemed so hunched in on yourself, your eyes still glued to your glass. 
“Well, She made me feel warm and bubbly like there was a hot spring in my chest. When anything happened, she was the first person I wanted to tell,” 
You blinked up at her, your eyebrows furrowing. “Like you were addicted to her? Like when she smiled, it finally felt like you could breathe?” You rushed out and Taylor let you, giving you to work through your emotions, before she pulled you into a tight hug.
You had a very bad habit of bottling everything up and pretending that you were fine (something she was sure her career choice - and your mother- didn’t necessarily help). 
“Did you feel scared of how much she made you feel?” You leaned into her touch, sighing when she ran her fingers through your hair. 
“In the beginning it did, but then it was freeing when I realized that she would be there to catch me,” Taylor said, kissing the crown of your head. 
You closed your eyes. You didn’t doubt that they would catch you, but the feeling of falling was terrifying. You were in deep and keeping it from your sister was difficult. 
“Dinner looks amazing and I’m starving,” You mumbled, and you felt Taylor sigh. She had gotten a little out of you, but definitely not enough to curve her curiosity. All in good time. 
“Let’s eat,” she said, kissing your hair and standing to make you two plates. She still had 2 weeks to get the rest of the story out of you.
****
You were in absolute heaven. Trapped in between the two warm bodies of your girlfriends, one set of lips moving with your own and another trailing kisses lightly down your neck.
Emily and Lindsey had spent one of their free days (between Adidas and other sponsor commitments) hanging out with you, and you couldn’t be happier. You spent the day exploring the city and checking off a massive list of stereotypical couple things the city had to offer. It had ended in a very romantic dinner at a little pub on the lower east side, and now some amazing kisses in your room at your sister’s apartment. 
Lindsey’s hands slipped under the front of your shirt, her nail scratching lightly up your tummy and ribs as she pressed herself further into your back. You sighed into Emily’s mouth, tilting your head to both give her a better angle on your mouth and give Lindsey more room in your neck. 
“Hm, we’ve gotta stop. Tay will be back soon,” You mumbled when Emily pulled back and turned you so Lindsey got her turn too. 
You felt Emily sit up behind you to get a good look at the clock. “You said we had till 12, it’s only 11:15,” you could hear the smirk in her voice, even as she kissed your ear and made her way down to the patch of skin on your neck she knew drove you wild. 
You bit your lip. It was one thing to ask your sister for relationship advice, and a complete other for her to walk in on it. 
Lindsey gently brushed a strand of hair behind your ear. “Do you wanna stop?”
Emily paused as they both waited for your answer. It was sweet and comforting how they always made sure you felt safe and that you were enthusiastically consenting to whatever you were doing. 
You shook your head and pouted. “No,” 
Lindsey sent you a very indulgent smile, her thumb gently rubbing over your cheeks. “Then less talking, more kissing,” 
You giggled into the kiss, a shiver running down your spine when Emily continued her ministrations in your neck. 
You hummed into the kiss, very much enjoying how their bodies felt pressed into yours. God, it was like you just couldn’t get enough. It was so easy to lose track of time with them. It wasn’t until a loud slam of the door and your sister calling “Y/n, you here?” That you finally pulled away from the women. 
“Shit! You two have to hide,” You squeaked, practically leaping from the bed. You threw Emily’s pants and Lindsey’s shirt towards the women on the bed, who were moving way too slow for your liking. 
“Where?” Emily asked, tripping as she tried to hastily shove her legs inside her pants, while simultaneously glancing around your room in search of a suitable hiding space. 
“I don’t know! Figure it out,” You said over your shoulder, taking a deep breath to hide your panic before you exited the room. 
You carefully closed the door behind you, she would have zero chance of getting any information out of you). 
“Hey kid, how was your day?” Taylor asked from the couch, looking over her wine glass at you. She opened her arms, and you immediately went to burrow into her.
“The best. I went out exploring,” Your entire face brightened (Taylor wondered if it was because you got to experience the city, or from the person, she was sure you experienced it with - ie the person(s?) who had left the hickey’s all down your neck). 
“Where’d you get that shirt?” She asked after a few minutes, pinching the grey sweatshirt (which conveniently had a number 9 and the USWNT logo on it). 
You blinked down at your outfit, your eyes widening, at your outfit, a pair of Emily’s Thorns shorts and Lindsey’s sweater.
“Oh, Umm,” you stuttered, racing to come up with a response when a bang echoed from your room. 
Taylor’s head snapped in the direction of the sound “What was that?”
“Nothing Tay,” You winced at another loud thump followed by several giggles. 
She raised an eyebrow at you and stood to go investigate for herself. She didn’t mind you bringing a significant other home (especially if they made you this happy) but she didn’t want them hiding from her. 
“Are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to go find them for myself?” 
You crossed your arms like a petulant child and pouted. “I also spent the day with Emily and Lindsey,” 
“And?” Taylor asked, slightly confused. She liked the women and she thought you knew she would approve. Hell, she had practically given them the shovel talk already.
You sighed, hunching your shoulders. “They’re hiding in my closet because we were making out when you came home,” 
Taylor giggled at how absolutely pitiful you sounded. She patted your shoulder “Well, I think the closet is a terrible place to hide. How about you get them out here,” 
You nodded and stood to go retrieve the girls, slightly afraid of what Taylor was going to say to them. 
“And y/n,” she said just as you got to your door. 
You paused and turned towards her “Yeah?” You asked, tilting your head to the side. 
“I’m happy that you’re so happy to be dating them,” 
You smiled so wide that your cheeks started to hurt. It felt like a weight was lifted off your chest. No matter what happened going forward, Taylor supported you (even if you were sure she was about to give them one hell of a shovel talk and set up some serious boundaries). 
You nodded and entered your room. Perhaps it was about time that you all came out of the closet. 
******
You weren’t quite sure how you always got yourself into these situations. Maybe it was that you, Em, and Linds barely got to see each other outside of camp during the season, or maybe it was because the three of you were so sickeningly in love that you couldn’t keep your hands to yourself. 
Whatever it was, you, Emily, and Lindsey couldn’t seem to keep your hands to yourself (especially after you came out to your sister). 
Even now, with the no girlfriends rule at camp, you found yourself pinned to the elevator wall by Lindsey’s hips, thoroughly enjoying the way Emily’s tongue was exploring your mouth (shivering slightly when Lindsey hit the sensitive spots on her neck) (with no idea how they thought this position was comfortable for them). 
You were so engrossed in your kissing that you didn’t hear the ding of the elevator, or the doors beginning to slide open. 
“Holy shit guys, at least let the girl breathe,” Kelley’s cackling caused all three of you to jump, and Lindsey to inadvertently knock heads with you. 
“Fuck,” Emily hissed, working her way out from between Lindsey’s arms and your chest. 
“Ow,” You mumbled, rubbing your forehead l, as Lindsey used a thumb to lift your chin so she could look at it. “You alright babe,” She asked softly. 
Kelley laughed louder at the mess that was the three of you trying to untangle yourselves from each other, ignoring Alex’s glare (teasing someone while their cheeks were as red as yours were wasn’t something she felt comfortable with). 
“Shut up Kelley,” Emily grumbled, pulling you off the wall so she could hug you from behind. You leaned back into the woman, taking whatever comfort you could. The three of you knew it was time to tell the team, but you hadn’t expected it to happen like this. 
“How long has this been going on?” Alex asked softly after a few minutes. There was no way the three of you could be so comfortable around each other if this was a new thing. 
“Almost a year,” You said, shyly looking up at Lindsey, who placed a very sweet kiss on your cheek while Emily placed the same on your other. 
“Does Taylor know?” Alex asked at the same time Kelley said “I’m gonna need an exact date,”. 
Alex slapped the back of Kelley’s head. “Not the time Kel,”
“Yeah, Taylor knows and is super cool with it,” Lindsey said softly, squeezing your hand. 
Alex tilted her head, looking to you for confirmation. You nodded. 
“Good, because I didn’t want to have to try and keep it from her,” The forward smirked, and you felt more heat in your cheeks. You all promised you would never mention that incident again. 
“She was terrifying last time we saw her mad,” Kelley grumble, rubbing the back of her head. 
“That was because you let Y/n surf in giant waves on her first time out,” Emily snorted, nuzzling her nose into the space behind your ear. Alex smiled softly at the sight of you so relaxed. 
“Are you three going to tell the team?” She asked. 
“You might have to if you are going to continue playing tonsil tennis in the hallways,” Kelley added, only for Alex to slap the back of her head again. 
“We hadn’t really talked about it yet…” You mumbled. Both of your girlfriends squeezed you (Lindsey getting your gains, while Emily tightened the arms she had wrapped around your middle). 
“Well, could you wait like 3 days? I have 20 bucks on you three taking until the middle of camp to come out,” Kelley asked, scratching the back of her neck. You rolled your eyes. Of course, they would have bets on you, but you weren’t about to bend over backward for it. 
“You knew?” Emily screeched. Kelley cackled nodding wildly. 
“You’re not exactly subtle,” Alex laughed. Anyone with eyes could see that you were head over heels for the women and that they were falling just as hard as you were. 
*****
The internet fucking sucked. You knew that and found it relatively easy to ignore the mass chatter of the online world, but then again you had never been a part of such a disgusting report by some shady internet reporter. 
All you had done was gone to lunch with Shawn Mendes, and someone had snapped a picture. The two of you had become good friends after spending so much time together on the 1989 tour. Now some random reporter was commenting on how you had confirmed your new relationship. It wouldn’t have mattered if you were anyone else, but Taylor’s fandom had blown up the small town reporter’s article. 
Now they wouldn’t leave you the fuck alone. 
“We’re not going to respond to it,” You huffed, crossing your arms adamantly in front of your chest, effectively pushing your plate of pancakes away. You squinted at the vets sitting across from you, completely baffled why they thought you would take any other route. 
Lindsey’s arm around your shoulder righted, while Emily leaned in, almost conspiratorially. “Of course not, but wouldn’t it be fun to send the fans on a little goose chase anyway?” 
Your ears perked at that. Taylor’s fans were always so fun to mess with. They made it so easy, particularly because your sister had trained them to always look for clues (that most of the time exist). 
“And we have been talking about wanting to come out,” Lindsey added softly. 
Your expression soured. You didn’t want to do this as a reaction. You wanted it to happen naturally. 
“I don’t wanna do that in response to some asshole who doesn’t understand boundaries,” You pouted. 
“But what if we did it our way?” Lindsey and Emily both asked at the same time. It was scary how in sync they were most of the time. 
“Like get the team involved, tease the fans. At least show them that you don’t play for Mr. Mendes’ team,” Emily shrugged, trying to act like she didn’t care, but you knew she did. 
You couldn’t help but smirk. You did love to mess with the fans. 
“If you do wanna mess with the fans, I have the perfect picture” Tobin chimed in, giving you that little push you needed. 
Emily raised her eyebrows at the woman, ignoring the glares the rest of the vets were sending her way. “Didn’t see you as a prankster Toby,” 
“It’s artsier than anything else…” Tobin grumbled, flipping her phone to show you the photo she was talking about. 
It was of you, Emily and Lindsey during a morning hike the team had taken. You were laughing, while both of their heads were tucked into your neck. You were the only one clearly identifiable, but it was clear you were smitten with whoever you were with. 
“Ooo, I like that one,” You said, suddenly feeling excited. It was bound to send the fans into a frenzy because you couldn’t see who was making you smile so wide. 
Tobin nodded and began typing out the post, before flipping it for you to read and ok. You giggled at the tag line “only those two knuckleheads could get you to smile this wide before your morning coffee”. 
“Good?” Tobin asked, and you nodded enthusiastically. It was perfect, and coming out this way- with the help of your team- felt amazing. 
“I have one too. You guys are too photogenic,” Christen said, pulling up her phone and begging to scroll through her photos (much like the rest of the team began to do). Were you guys really that obvious? No wonder they had bets going. 
*****
Your teammates were having way too much fun. You shouldn’t have been surprised considering how private the women normally were, it must have been nice to get some time sending the fans on a wild goose chase. You were also surprised at how many photos your teammates had taken of you and your girlfriends. And just how many of those photos were perfect for the little game you were playing with the fans. 
You could identify yourself on all of them, but Emily and Lindsey weren’t clear at all. But it was plain to see that you were very in love with whoever was sitting next to you. 
“Did you see Alex’s picture? It's amazing!” You said, wiggling excitedly between your girlfriends. The three of you had taken a break from the team and decided to cuddle while you watched the fans go insane. (It was honestly one of your favorite places to be). 
“Pshhh, no Pinos is totally the best,” Emily snorted. 
You pouted. She nudged your side and placed a very sweet kiss on your pouty lips. 
Alex’s photo of Emily and Lindsey throwing you into the ocean was totally better than the one of you shoving and chasing your girlfriends with birthday cake-covered hands. 
“No, Kelley’s is totally the top picture in the bunch,” Lindsey smirked, nudging your chin with her nose from your other side. 
You blinked up at her and looked at the photo of one of your favorite goal celebrations. You had literally leaped into Emily and Lindsey’s arms, but you were at least 3 feet higher than Lindsey’s head in that picture. 
You bit your lip. It was a very good picture, one of your favorites actually, but there was one that topped them all for you. “They’re all pretty good, but I think I’ve got the best one,” You said softly, pulling out your phone. 
It didn’t take you long to find the picture in question (it also happened to be your lock screen). You were smiling brightly at the camera, the reputation tour stage (lit for the song Dress) clearly behind you, trapped between Emily and Lindsey kissing each of your cheeks. Your girlfriends looked over your shoulders to catch a glimpse of your phone. 
“Are you sure you wanna do this?” Lindsey asked softly. There was no hiding or pretending in that photo. It was open and honest (and a great picture of a fantastic night). 
“Yeah, it’s like speak now or forever hold your peace,” Emily added, and you could practically hear her eyebrow raising. 
“No, but I don’t wanna hide you two,” You shrugged. It was the balance you sister had worked her entire career to achieve. Hiding away meant that there was no commentary about your relationship from people you had never met (loose lips sank ships after all), but it also meant avoiding the little things that you longed to do in public. 
You weren’t sure if you would ever be ready to face the media, but your desire to be with your girlfriends the way you wanted was just so powerful. 
“You know we’ll wait as long as you need us to,” Lindsey said, using her thumb to tilt your chin and look you in the eyes. 
you nodded, your eyes never leaving her concerned blue ones. “I know but, like-. I wanna be able to hold your hand or kiss you and not have to worry who's watching. I want to be able to take you on dates, and not care about if a camera can see us cuddling. I want to be able to post about how great you looked in a game, or for your birthday. I don’t want to hide,” 
During your rant, Emily had wrapped herself around you from behind, resting her chin on your shoulder and rubbing her hands flat on your belly (which never failed to calm you down). 
“We know darling, but once this is done, it can’t be undone,” She said softly. 
You threaded your fingers through hers, glancing down to avoid Lindsey’s appraising stare (you never could get anything past them). “I didn’t think you were a Shakespeare fan,” You mumbled. 
“I’m full of surprises,” Emily said, kissing her favorite spot just behind your ear. Lindsey cracked a smile too “we both are”. 
“I know,” You nodded suddenly serious, as you carefully extracted yourself from your girlfriends and began to type up the Instagram post. 
You passed them the phone when you were done, idly twiddling your fingers now that you didn’t have anything in your hands. “I’m gonna do it if you two are alright with it,” 
“We’re fine with whatever you choose, we love you and just want you to be comfortable,” Lindsey and Emily both said, rubbing your back and arm respectively in a comforting motion. 
“I know, and I love you too. Let’s do it,” you said clicking the button and closing your phone. You didn’t need to watch the comments roll in.
It wouldn’t be until the next morning that you would see your sister had also decided to chime in. And you couldn’t keep the smile off your face at her simple caption- love my sister and her girlies. For sure the best squad ever. 
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jungwonenthusiast · 3 years
Text
Friends Don't Lie Ch. 1
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Pairing: Jungwon x reader
Warnings for this chapter: underage drinking and smoking, mention of porn
Chapter word count: 2k
Based on: Stranger Things
Sunoo
“Can we play please?” Sunoo pleads, tugging at Sunghoon's sleeve.
“No, you’re not a baby.” he rolls his eyes.
“Who said d and d was for babies?” Sunoo scoffs and plops onto the couch.
“Everyone,” Jay says while trying on one of Jungwon’s jackets. “Even Niki doesn’t play anymore.”
Sunoo groans. “You guys are boring.”
“I’ll play with you.” Jake ruffles his hair.
“We need at least four people.” he whines.
“You guys play, we’re gonna go to the drive-in.” Niki says.
“And do what? Makeout with people and get gonorrhea?”
“That’s not how STDs work, dumbass.” Jay laughs.
“Whatever,” Sunoo rolls his eyes again.
“It’ll be fun man, just come with us.” Jungwon grabs at his arm. “Plus you like scary movies.”
“It’s Videorome, isn’t that movie about porn?” Sunoo frowns.
“Just come,” Jungwon begs. “I’m gonna be the only one without a chick, you have to keep me company.”
“I’m just gonna go home, Heeseung hyung will be mad if I stay out.” Sunoo stands up and slings his backpack over his shoulder.
“You gonna bike home?” Jake asks while spritzing cologne on his neck.
“Yeah, I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” Sunoo says while making his way up the basement stairs.
“See you.”
“Bye Ddeonu.” Jay teases.
Sunoo walks by Mrs. Yang who’s cleaning up the kitchen.
“Bye Mrs. Yang, thank you for dinner, it was delicious.” he smiles at her.
“Of course Sunoo-shi, are you going home now? I thought you boys were going to the drive in?”
He shrugs. “Yeah but I figured I should go home so that my hyung doesn’t worry.”
She smiles and pats his head. “Such a sweet boy, tell him I said hi alright?”
He nods and heads out the door.
It’s pitch black out and the air feels dry.
Sunoo mounts his bike and starts to peddle home, but something moving in the corner of his eye catches his attention.
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Jungwon
Jungwon feels bad. He hates feeling this way. It’s eating at his conscience.
“Why are you guys so mean to Sunoo?” Jungwon says while steering his Camaro.
“What are you talking about?” Jay lights a cigarette and Jungwon slaps it out of his hand.
“Don’t smoke in here, my mom will kill me.” he scolds.
Jay rolls his eyes and throws it out the window.
“It’s just our way of showing affection.” Sunghoon says with Niki sitting on his lap. The car doesn’t have nearly enough seats to fit all of them, but they make it work.
“You need help if you think that’s what affection is.” Jungwon grumbles.
Jake shakes his shoulder. “Loosen up Jungwon, he knows we love him.”
“I hope.” he replies.
Jungwon always wishes he could be nicer to Sunoo. Everytime he sees him he thinks, I should compliment Sunoo or tell him that I appreciate him. But he never does and he hates himself for it.
Jungwon parks in their usual spot.
“I’m gonna go try to con us some beers.” Jay says before hopping out the car.
“Don’t get arrested.” Sunghoon jokes.
Jake rolls down the window to chat with the girls next to them.
Jungwon slumps into his seat. Something feels wrong. They go to the drive in all the time, but something feels off. Everything feels, sounds, and smells the same. But there’s a tinge of pain in Jungwon’s heart. Maybe Jay’s cigs are starting to get to me, he thinks, but he knows that he’s lying to himself.
“Can you just go to her car?” Sunghoon groans. “We exist too you know?”
“Fine,” Jake opens to car door and merrily makes his way to her Ford.
Jay comes jogging up to the car with two cans of beer in each hand. “I am incredible.”
“Indeed you are.” Sunghoon reaches out for one. Niki does too but Jay pulls his hand away.
“No way man.” Jay chuckles and Niki groans.
“I’m literally taller than you.”
“And I weigh more,” Jay says. “No beer until you’re seventeen.”
Jay hands Jungwon a can and he reluctantly cracks it open. He never liked beer but he figured he needed it today.
He lets the bitter substance go down his throat. He holds his breath before swallowing so that he can’t taste it.
Jungwon watches the movie in a daze. The alcohol has gone to his head and everything feels calmer despite the gore being displayed on the screen.
“Shit, it’s eleven thirty.” Jake says. “I’ll drive us home, you’re all too drunk.”
“I can drive.” Jungwon insists.
“No you can’t.” Jake pulls him up by the arms and guides him to the backseat.
Jungwon rests his head on his hand as Jake drops everyone off.
“Alright get up Won, we’re here.” Jake parks the Camaro in the driveway.
“I’m tired.” Jungwon whines and gets up sluggishly.
“You’re such a lightweight.” Jake chuckles and helps him to the door. “Get to your room before your parents see you.”
“Roger that.” Jungwon mumbles and tries to sober up before heading through the door.
The stairs moan underneath his feet as he quietly climbs them. He can hear Jooyoung chatting on the phone as he walks to his room.
He changes into pajamas and heads to the bathroom. His cheeks are pink and his eyes are half open.
“Damn, I am a lightweight.” he says while observing his face in the mirror.
He splashes water on his face and rakes his hands through his hair.
The bathroom light flickers. He furrows his brow.
“I thought dad fixed that last week.”
He washes up quietly and knocks on Jooyoung’s door.
“What?” she calls out.
He creaks the door open. “Don’t be on the phone for too long noona, mom will get mad.”
She rolls her eyes. “She doesn’t need to know, don’t be a snitch.”
“I never am.” he sighs and closes the door.
He climbs into bed and turns to look at the photo on his nightstand. It’s him and the gang at seventh grade graduation.
Jay is smiling big and towering over the rest of them. He was always the tallest among them and Jungwon was dead jealous.
Jake’s arm is slung around Jungwon and Jungwon’s arm is around little Sunoo. Sunoo’s smile is bright and cute. His suit jacket is too big for him, he probably borrowed it from Heeseung.
Jungwon still remembers the day he and Sunoo met. It was the first day of kindergarten. Sunoo was alone on the swing set, staring at his feet. Jungwon had a few friends that he met in preschool but he wondered what the harm was to have one more. He asked Sunoo if he wanted to be friends. It was the best decision he ever made.
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“Breakfast!” Jungwon’s mom calls out as he pulls on a striped polo.
He skips down the stairs and sits down at the dining table.
“Have you seen Sunoo? Heeseung called this morning.” Mrs. Yang says while handing him a plate of waffles, bacon, and eggs.
“No, I thought he biked home.” Jungwon cocks a brow while pouring syrup over all of his food.
“That’s disgusting.” Jooyoung remarks while taking a seat next to him.
“Your face is disgusting.” he jeers.
“Well make sure he’s at school today okay? Heeseung sounded really worried.” Mrs. Yang sits down next to her husband.
“Does he think he got kidnapped or something? As if anyone would want him.” Jooyoung snickers.
“Fuck off, that’s not funny.” Jungwon says.
“Language.” Mr. Yang says sternly.
“She’s being an ass.” Jungwon rolls his eyes.
“What did you just call me?” Jooyoung’s head snaps towards him.
“Whatever.” he dismisses her.
She shoves his shoulder. “No, say it again.”
“Stop it! Both of you!” Mrs. Yang yells. “Can we not have one peaceful breakfast?”
“I can, I don’t know about her though.” Jungwon grumbles.
“I’ll kill you.” Jooyoung grits her teeth.
“Don’t threaten me with a good time.” Jungwon replies.
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Sunoo’s not at school.
“Do you think he’s sick or something?” Jake wonders.
“That doesn’t make sense though, his mom said he never came home last night.” Jungwon chews on his pencil.
“Maybe he went to someone’s house.” Jay suggests and Jungwon gives him a look.
“Who’s house would he have gone to? We’re his only friends.”
Jay shrugs. “Maybe he has a secret lover.” Sunghoon chuckles.
“Why aren’t you guys taking this seriously? Something could have happened.” Jungwon crosses his arms.
“I’m sure he’s fine. Nothing bad ever happens in this shit town anyway.” Jake says right as Mr. Jones walks into the classroom.
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Jungwons heart drops further and further into his stomach as the day goes on with no sign of Sunoo.
The boys are playing basketball during p.e when Principal Coleman and a policeman walk into the gym.
“I wonder who’s weed they found.” Jay jokes but his smile diminishes as the two men approach them.
“Gentlemen we need to speak to you,” Principal Coleman says, “outside that is.”
They all give each other nervous looks but follow suit. Jungwon can feel eyes on his back as he makes his way out of the door.
“Do you know what route Sunoo takes to get home?” the chief says. He towers over them and his biceps look the same width as Jungwon's thighs.
“Yeah, he takes Mirkwood.” Jungwon replies quickly.
“Don’t fucking call it that anymore.” Jay rolls his eyes.
“What the hell is Mirkwood?” the man says and crosses his arms. “Stop messing around, this is serious.”
“It’s where Cornwallis and Kerley meet.” Jake says.
“Why do you call it Mirkwood?” the cop says, unimpressed.
“It’s from The Hobbit.” Jungwon says and Jay shoves his shoulder.
“What? I’m just telling the truth.” Jungwon exclaims.
“So what happened to Sunoo?” Sunghoon says plainly. “Where is he?”
“We’re not sure, he’s probably at his Dad’s-”
“Why would he go there, his dad’s a cock.” Jay argues.
“His dad sucks.” Sunghoon says under his breath.
“Enough, let me do my job alright?” the cop says, exasperated.
“We can help look for him, we know all the places he likes to go.” Jungwon says with hopeful eyes and Niki nods.
“Yeah, we can help.” Jake says.
“No,” the cop shakes his head. “After school you are all to go home, and if I see any of you searching around, I’ll have you in shackles. Is that clear?”
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“We have to.”
“What if we get caught?”
“Then we run.” Jay says while packing a backpack of supplies.
“You think we can out run him?” Jungwon gets up and pulls a jacket on.
“Of course we can, that dude was huge.” Niki says while chugging down a Coke.
“Don’t drink that,” Sunghoon tsks. “You’ll have to pee.”
“I’ll just piss in the woods.” Niki rebuttals.
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The sun had set an hour ago and the stars were twinkling bright.
“Where are you boys going?” Mrs. Yang asks while watching tv on the couch.
“Party.” Jungwon says quickly.
“With backpacks?” She raises an eyebrow.
“Uhm, yeah.” Jungwon nods and she giggles.
“You’re not a good liar Jungwon-ah. Have fun, don’t be stupid out there.” she says and they happily head out the door.
Jungwon drives to Mirkwood with his headlights off. He couldn’t risk getting caught, that cop scared the shit of him.
“There’s a barricade.” Jake says quietly.
“Yeah,” Sunghoon says while getting out of the car, pulling his flashlight out of his backpack. “Shit, it’s raining.” Jay wipes a raindrop off of his cheek.
Jungwon takes his flashlight out and pulls his hood over his head.
They hop over the blockade and venture into the dense woods.
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It’s pouring at this point and their hoods are only making things worse.
They can’t even hear their footsteps over the sound of crashing rain.
“What are we supposed to be looking for?” Jake asks.
“Anything, his bike, his jacket, him.” Jay says.
Jungwon was starting to regret this decision. They’ve been walking for what seemed like hours with no clue of Sunoo.
“Maybe we should turn back,” Jungwon says. “This isn’t working.”
“No,” Jay says. “We need to keep looking, cops miss shit all the time.”
“Hold on hold on,” Jake stops in his tracks.
“What?” everyone asks.
“Shut up, do you hear that?” he says and they all try to open their ears. There’s rustling coming from ahead. Something is coming towards them.
“Fuck.” Jungwon whispers and grabs onto Jay's arm.
They all lift their flashlights to find a human in nothing but an oversized yellow shirt, breathing heavily and squinting from the lights blinding their eyes.
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