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#╰ (✪∀<) ~ *:・゚✧ We’re as lonely as we come to see; that the truth is always seen ◜☆◞ RANPO / SLEEPLESSWORK.
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╰ ★ █║ ⁞ — ˗ˏˋ MAINS TAGS part 2 ! ft. @diverse-hearts / @diverse-hearts-ocs, @mckiingbiird, @withsorrowandregret, @heartsealed, @sleeplesswork, @lovelyxhorrors
╰  (✪∀<) ~ *:・゚✧  Poison the children; no peace of mind.  ◜☆◞  ELISE / DIVERSE — HEARTS.
╰  (✪∀<) ~ *:・゚✧  It’s written in our DNA; are we just born this way ?  ◜☆◞  GARTH / DIVERSE — HEARTS — OCS.
╰  (✪∀<) ~ *:・゚✧  We weren't put on this earth to suffer and cry.  ◜☆◞  RAI / DIVERSE — HEARTS — OCS.
╰  (✪∀<) ~ *:・゚✧  A bird awaits your embrace with folded wings.  ◜☆◞  HARPER / MCKIINGBIIRD.
╰  (✪∀<) ~ *:・゚✧  I'm messed up to some degree but I'm thinking you're just like me.  ◜☆◞  CHUUYA / WITHSORROWANDREGRET.
╰  (✪∀<) ~ *:・゚✧  I could embrace you and you would whisper back with that voice  ◜☆◞  SHIZUKA / HEARTSEALED.
╰  (✪∀<) ~ *:・゚✧  With utmost care‚ you were loved.  ◜☆◞  KANNA / HEARTSEALED.
╰  (✪∀<) ~ *:・゚✧  We’re as lonely as we come to see; that the truth is always seen  ◜☆◞  RANPO / SLEEPLESSWORK.
╰  (✪∀<) ~ *:・゚✧  In the everlasting night‚ we bloom.  ◜☆◞  KYŌKA / SLEEPLESSWORK.
╰  (✪∀<) ~ *:・゚✧  Everyone around us is a casualty.  ◜☆◞  TERUKO / SLEEPLESSWORK.
╰  (✪∀<) ~ *:・゚✧  To the unopened forest where cicadas cry‚ we can’t turn back anymore.  ◜☆◞  PETE / LOVELYXHORRORS.
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fkinavocado · 5 months
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in which your husband and Harry’s wife dragged you both into a situation you didn’t want to be in, but as it turns out, everything happens for a reason
Loved, heard, seen- Masterlist, Author’s Notes & Warnings 
Part One/ alternatively, read on wattpad
Part Two (word count: 3.4k)
“Hello?” Harry brought his phone to his line of vision, making sure he’d actually picked up the call, “Uhm,... hello?”
“Hi. Is this a bad time?”
Harry racked his brain to place the person’s voice, the fact that he didn’t have the number saved in his contacts made it even more difficult. It sounded awfully familiar, though… “Oh! It’s you!”
She never did give him her name. And neither did he, come to think of it. He only gave her his number before she got out of his car after he drove her home. Just in case.
“You remember?”
Harry sighed heavily. “I wish I could forget everything about that night,” he chuckled nervously. “No offence.”
“... I can't forget, either. You were right.”
“Oh?”
“Listen… would it be too… upsetting, if we met up? You’re the only person that’s been in my shoes that I feel I could open up to about this. It’s been… very lonely, eating at me… Maybe talking would help make better sense of it…”
Harry didn’t have to ponder. He’d wanted the same thing all along. He was glad she reached out to him, since he couldn’t contact her. “Name the place.”
*
Harry wondered if he looked as broken as she did but had just gotten used to seeing his miserable face stare back at him in the mirror every day. It’d been close to a month since the… circumstance that had brought the two of them together. Admittedly, he hadn’t paid close attention to her appearance back then, but, seeing her now, he definitely recognized some changes, albeit subtle. She appeared more frail, her under eyes darker, the polish on her nails chipped off, her lips chapped and bitten, her clothes wrinkled. He observed her over the cup of coffee he was sipping on on that rainy afternoon as she talked about how it’d been like trying to move on from that night.
“You were right. I did know, even then, that this was going to ruin us. But I kept lying to myself, thinking I could just pretend it never happened. Hoping that he’d gotten it out of his system and that things would go back to normal. You know I even dared to believe things would get better? I thought maybe this would put things into perspective for him and make him realize what a good thing he’s got going at home… Was I naive or what?”
Harry furrowed his brows compassionately, “You and I both. Believe it or not, I also hoped for the same. But, assuming things went for you guys the same way they did for us… it wasn’t quite the case, was it?”
She shook her head solemnly, staring into her cup of coffee. “He never asked me how things went on my side. He doesn’t even know I never went through with it. The following morning, he called me at around 11am. That’s… extremely late for him. He’s an early bird, chronically so. He’d been clearly… distracted. So when I told him I’d already taken an uber home he didn’t question it. He then came home and acted like everything was normal. He didn’t talk about it, I never asked him any questions. He didn’t care to ask me any, either… I wouldn’t say we’re pretending like nothing ever happened, because that’s not it at all. This… unspoken, huge thing that happened is always looming over us. Now whenever he’s late from work, he doesn’t even tell me why he’s late. It’s like… I know why. I don’t have to ask. He doesn’t have to tell me.”
“Jesus…”
The woman nodded, fidgeting with the corner of her paper napkin. “Things are better at your end, then?”
Harry almost laughed at her assumption, “To tell you the truth, I don’t even know which of us has it worse. When I got home after I dropped you off, I called her again and it went straight to voicemail for the hundredth time, so I texted her letting her know I went home and to call me to go get her if she didn’t feel like ubering. She never called for me to get her, thank god, but when she walked through the door and I asked her how her ride was she told me the guy had driven her. I was speechless, she’d actually disclosed where she lived, what else did she share with him? Aside from the obvious… Like, was this gonna be a thing now, between the two of them? I had so many questions, but then I couldn’t really say anything, could I? Since I offered to drive you, too. I’m fairly certain their report in that regard was much different to ours though… but even still, I couldn’t get myself to tell her off for it. I mean… he fucked her. Did the fact that he knew where she lived really make it worse?...”
Harry sat back in his chair, forcing himself to take a breather and calm down a bit. He was getting worked up. But when she encouraged him to keep going, and his restless leg wouldn’t stop bouncing beneath the table he gave in. “She was fucking beaming! She wouldn’t stop talking about what a good thing this is for us, how finally she feels like she can breathe, how she can’t believe we waited so long to try this… confirmed that she’d already made plans with this guy for the following weekend. I just froze. I couldn’t believe she was really saying all that. She never really asked me how things went for me, either. She just kept putting words in my mouth. See? Wasn’t it fun? You’re such a lucky bastard, men can only dream they could be in your shoes with their wives giving them this much freedom! Hell, even pushing them to do it! Can you imagine? You’re living the dream, baby.”
“Oh, God…”
“Then… one night soon after that she wanted to play and, brokenhearted fool that I am, I went along with it even though what I really wanted was for us to sit down and really talk about it. But I just couldn’t get myself to open up the subject, mainly because I already knew what her stance on it was and what it would lead to, and I wasn’t ready for that… kept thinking I could try doing this to save our marriage. I’d agreed to it, even though she’d coerced me into it if i’m being honest… but I did agree. I couldn’t blame her for the repercussions, I knew what I was getting into. So I felt like I had to see it through, had to try and make it work… 
“So when she came to me all loving, and I missed her so much, I gave in, I needed to feel like us again… Make her forget about anyone else. Make her only want me. And then… in the midst of what I thought was one of my best sexual performances… she tells me she wants to try something this guy had asked her to do to him and I–... fucking lost it. I jumped out of that bed as if it were on fire. I’m sure I could’ve handled it more maturely but I locked myself in the bathroom before I said something I would regret. She kept pleading from the other side to open up and talk to her, tell her what was the matter. I realized all I had to say to her were hurtful things. I chickened out when I opened the door and saw how genuinely worried she was. She literally has no clue what I’ve been going through since that night… in her head, we’re heading in the right direction and this is only going to bring us closer. 
“So, I asked her not to tell me about any of it, going further, and promised I’d do the same. That I couldn’t handle talking about it. At least not for a while… She agreed, said she totally gets it. And then we went back to bed and I never got to see what that son of a bitch asked her to do to him because ever since, I’ve avoided all her advances. She keeps making little quips such as uh-oh, running out of stamina huh? Save some for me next time. Then she giggles and asks me to just spoon her instead and I just sit there for hours on end mulling everything over while she’s sleeping soundly in my arms.”
The woman sat silent for a long while, visibly saddened. “Jack never initiates sex anymore. Like… at all. I don’t know If I’m glad for it or if I should feel even more hurt. I’m not sure I feel anything at all anymore. I feel… numb.”
“... Me too.”
After a long pause Harry added, muttering, “Fitting name, though.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. Since he’s such a jackass.”
The woman laughed, which made Harry smile in return. He wondered whether this was the first time the two of them had done so since that night. 
“You must have a really nice name, then.”
Harry’s smile lingered. “In that case, I’m sure the same goes for you.”
“You first.”
“It’s Harry.”
“Y/N.”
“Yeah. See? Nice names for nice folk. Wouldn’t hear of people with such names going around causing so much heartache, would you?”
“Absolutely not. Felicity is also… fitting in a way. Only cares about her own happiness.”
Harry gave her a look. “You actually remember my wife’s name?”
“Yeah, it’s a rare name, stuck with me.”
“True. And you’re right about her. I’ve always known it… But nobody’s perfect. Thought I could compromise on some stuff. Didn’t realize it would compromise our marriage in the end.”
“That’s… pretty huge, Harry. I know it sounds awful, but hearing you say so valides my own feelings. Like, I worried I was overreacting, thinking my marriage is over because of this. But that’s just how I feel. I can’t see us ever recovering from this mess.”
“Neither can I. It’s killing me on the inside the longer I go along with it. And even if I do speak up about it… I know it’ll never go back to how things were, which admittedly, weren’t great to begin with. This whole thing kinda helped put everything into perspective. She was right, we did need something else, be both did… I was willing to do whatever to please her, but that’s not exactly feasible in the long run. It was just a matter of time before we faced some hurdles. We’re just not on the same page sexually. I was just fooling myself thinking I could deny my own needs and that she could suppress hers.”
“So… what now?”
They both sat in silence for a long while, the coffee had gone cold and the rain outside was pouring even stronger than before.
“It’s inevitable. We have to talk to them.”
“...End it?”
Harry nodded solemnly and when her eyes immediately glazed over and she stifled a sob, he reached his hand out to cover hers reassuringly. He moved to sit on the chair next to hers and eventually wrapped his other arm around her shoulders, bringing her in to rest her head on his own. She tried to keep quiet, not to disturb the cafe’s patrons, and he gently shushed her reassuringly, telling her everything was going to be alright. Willing himself to believe it, too.
*
Almost two weeks had passed when Harry finally decided to text Y/N. He’d been apprehensive about it, knowing she must’ve been hurting, but also, he felt guilty for not going through with what he himself had suggested was inevitable. He hadn’t broken things off with his wife. Worse, he’d actually had sex with her, in an effort to still try and save their marriage. He couldn’t finish though, and he’d never reached full mast. Which prompted her to not get off either. It’d been a mess and it ended in Harry crying in the bathroom afterwards while she probably thought he was finishing himself off in the shower. He’d never felt more miserable in his entire life.
Felicity was away for the weekend with her new boy-toy and Harry was feeling seriously on edge. He contemplated just packing his bags and leaving. It was cowardly of him, to be sure, but he felt like he’d never go through with it and actually leave her otherwise. He couldn’t bring himself to talk to her and end things properly, like a man. 
He felt emasculated in every way possible.
H: Hey. It’s Harry. Been meaning to reach out, hope it’s not a bad time… How did things go?
He was in their walk-in closet staring at his clothes and trying to work up his courage to just grab them off the hangers and toss them into the biggest suitcase he could find when she replied.
Y/N: Hey, Harry. I’m the worst… I couldn’t bring myself to do it : ( I don’t know what to do. I can’t do this anymore…
H: Don’t feel bad. I couldn’t go through with it either. But I can’t go on like this…
Y/N: What do we do : (
H: She’s with him right now. 
Y/N: He’s not been home most nights. It’s over without having to even talk about it. I bet if he came back home and I was gone he’d be relieved at this point.
Harry read Y/N’s last text message before deciding to call her since they were both alone anyway. “That’s exactly what I wanna do. Just pack my stuff and be gone before she comes back. Is that… too cowardly, do you think?”
“It’s not. They don’t deserve an explanation. It’s impossible they don’t see we’re hurting. They just choose to ignore it.”
“Let’s just leave.”
“Harry… if you say that again, I just might do it. Like, right now.”
“Let’s rip the band-aid. Let’s do it. I mean it, Y/N. We can do it. We could do it together. Just… I dunno. Go somewhere and turn our phones off and be there for one another, make sure neither of us caves in and goes back… What do you say?” Harry was pumped. He could feel adrenaline surging through him. The thought of actually doing it made him giddy beyond belief. 
Y/N was silent for a long while, all he could hear was his own laboured breathing. But eventually she replied, sounding resolute. “Give me half an hour. We’re doing this, Harry.”
*
Harry had never felt more alive. It was odd, but it was true. He finally felt like he was doing something for himself, in a long, long time. He’d packed his shit in record time, leaving him just enough to drive to Y/N’s. When she didn’t pick up her phone immediately, he felt his heart sink to his stomach. Had she changed her mind? He felt he couldn’t do this without her. But when she eventually picked up with laboured breath, she informed him she was dragging her suitcases to the elevator and couldn’t find her phone in all that rushed chaos. 
Harry wouldn’t take no for an answer, and insisted he’d help her. When she buzzed him in and he reached her floor, he was mildly shocked at the amount of suitcases she’d lined up near the elevator door. He’d only packed his essentials, but Y/N meant business. It looked like she’d packed up her whole life in those bags.
“Oh wow. Ok, alright. Gotta give it to you, you’re a fast packer, considering.”
Y/N smiled at his amused tone, despite her nerves. “I dunno when he’s coming back. Had to be quick. And I knew your SUV could handle all of these.”
“How do you know it’s not already filled up to the brim with my own shit?”
She rolled her eyes when he started loading them up in the elevator, urging her inside to keep the doors open. “Please. You’re a man. I’ll be surprised if you filled two suitcases.”
Harry feigned offence. “It’s three suitcases, alright? Well, two suitcases and a backpack. And I didn’t pack everything. It’s my house, after all.”
Y/N was silent, her smile fading somewhat. “Well, this apartment is his. So…”
Harry kicked himself for opening up that can of worms but the haste in which they loaded her stuff into his truck kept them busy and hopefully took her mind off things for a bit.
When they drove off, for a long time they didn’t even talk about where they’d be going. Harry just drove aimlessly, only making sure they left town on the nearest exit. They couldn’t even use Google Maps as they’d shut their phones off and threw them into the glove compartment in complicity.
They eventually discussed some options. It couldn’t be any of the places they’d been with with their spouses. Not that either of them thought they’d be coming looking for them, but regardless.
Eventually, after driving for a few hours while keeping themselves busy singing along with whatever came on the radio to keep themselves distracted, they decided to just crash at the first decent motel they’d find on their way. It was getting too late to drive safely any further.
They were both giddy at the prospect of crashing at some random motel like some sort of Bonnie and Clyde, still high on the adrenaline rush.
Soon they found themselves in a shabby motel room under a false mr and mrs name. They’d already slept in the same bed before and so the options of getting separate rooms or twin beds weren’t even brought up. They trusted eachother beyond formalities, and besides, the pact was that they would go through this together.
They took turns showering and Y/N called for him from the bathroom when she was finished with hers. “Harry? Ugh, I brought the wrong bag with us…”
“Want me to go get it for you?”
“I mean… I just need something to change into. Do you have some extra pyjamas?”
“Uhm…” Harry didn’t have to check, he knew he’d not packed any extra in his backpack he took with him to the room. “I can give you mine but I’ll have to sleep in a t-shirt. And boxers, of course.”
“Would you mind terribly?”
“Not at all. Just… you know. Don’t wanna make you uncomfortable, that’s why I clarified…”
“Oh, shush. Can I have them?” She cracked the door open and stuck her hand out. “Oh, also, no knickers. I’ll be sure to wash them for you afterwards.”
Harry faltered mid-undressing, but then rushed to hand her his discarded pyjamas. “Don’t be silly.”
He threw a t-shirt on and got under the covers. Surely she’d seen men in boxers before, he was acting a bit childish. But he really meant it when he told her he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable in any way.
She emerged from the bathroom, all swaddled up in the too-large pyjamas and smiled sheepishly at him, then turned the lights off and joined him on the other side of the bed.
Harry flinched when he thought he’d heard her say something. Had he already drifted off to sleep? That was… definitely surprising. He’d had trouble sleeping ever since– “Did you say something?” He whispered, just in case he’d been mistaken.
“Sorry,” she whispered back, “did I wake you? I didn’t realize you’d fallen asleep. Do you always sleep on your back?”
“... Was I snoring?”
Y/N giggled. He smiled into the darkness at the sound. Everything felt so lighthearted and easy with her around, no wonder he’d fallen asleep. “No. But are you a snorer? Because if so, I might have to reconsider this whole arrangement…”
“Oh, shush.” He playfully kicked her leg under the covers, noticing she was closer than he’d gauged. “I think all that driving got to me, plus the adrenaline crush. What did you wanna say?”
“I just wanted to thank you… I don’t think I would’ve gone through with this without you, Harry.”
Harry smiled into the darkness again. He couldn’t see her, but her words really warmed him up. “Same here. Just don’t wake me up at 4am telling me you wanna uber back home, ok?”
She giggled again. “Hell no. You’re stuck with me.”
“...Good.”
Part Three
A/N: soooo. it's gonna be 3 parts, after all 😅😅 thanks to the lovely @freedomfireflies for beta-ing ❤️
💕 like & reblog if you enjoyed this, lovelies, and most importantly, please come share your thoughts on it here 💌
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saturnville · 16 days
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bite, l. hamilton
pairing: he (lewis hamilton) x black best friend oc (anvika dawson) content: in which two friends cross a line people have been waiting for them to cross. warning: 18+ content song: bite by njzoma an: y'all know I don't write smut fr, so ntm. but I hope y'all enjoy it. wc: 2,498 tags: the girlies who were hyping me up to post this @boujiestpoet @mauvecherie-writes @saintslewis @greedyjudge2 @vile-harlot @emjayewrites
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“Just because we’re attracted to one another doesn’t mean we need to sleep together. I’m off that. Plus, we’re friends.”
Anvika prided herself on being a woman of self-control and discipline. Though it did not come easy, years of abstinence grew dreary and at times, very lonely, her hard work was not something she was willing to risk. Her decision to step into abstinence wasn’t one she took lightly, nor was it one that she planned, but once Anvika began the journey of healing from a heartbreak, intimacy with another man wasn’t the priority. Though that had been over four years ago and she was well over the situation, she could admit that while it was difficult to maintain her self-control, not having to worry about anyone’s snot-nosed son brought more peace than she could ever imagine. 
“Even more of a reason to let it happen. Everything happens better when you have a solid foundation first. Everybody thinks you two are together anyways. He truly cares for you, in more ways than one.” 
Anvika hummed and rolled her eyes as she brought the slender champagne fluke to her full lips. The liquid went smooth down her throat. She shrugged. “Then let them think that. Lewis is a good man, a good and attractive man, but…”
Her friend, Onyx, sighed and downed her drink with a wave of her hand. “I don’t know how you do it! I would’ve lost my mind by now. I commend you.” Onyx bowed playfully which pulled a light laugh from Anvika. Though she was joking, she couldn’t help but sense the truth behind her words. 
Though swearing off men and intimacy had become a more common practice among women, many people found it taboo and unrealistic. She soon began to ponder--what if she’d never find anyone that could give her what she wanted because of how she chose to navigate her dating life? She shook it off internally. That would be a problem, but none that would be hers. 
Before she got the chance to respond, her phone rang against the glass table that held their expensive lunch on it’s back. LH flashed across the screen. She smiled softly which caught the attention of Onyx, who gave a teasing smirk. For someone who was insistant on keeping a strong boundary between herself and her closest friend, she surely smiled like a fool whenever he called. 
“I told you I have a lunch date with Onyx today,” she reminded the racer lowly, using her index finger to draw doodles in the condensation her water glass sweat off on the table. “Everything alright?” 
“Everything’s fine, angel,” he spoke smoothly. “Just wanted to make sure you were still wanting to join me for the event on Friday.” Anvika hummed and nodded as though he could see her. He was attending a gala in London and of course, offered his plus-one to Anvika, as he had done since their friendship had begun years prior. What was his, was hers, including access to rooms and events that would grant her opportunities to further her career as a branding and marketing consultant. 
“Yes,” she replied excitedly. “I still haven’t found a dress. What color are you wearing?”
There was shuffling in the background before he spoke again. “Blue. Don’t worry about it,  I’ll handle it.” Her heart fluttered. “Enjoy your lunch. Tell Onyx I said hello and call me later, alright?” 
Anvika’s teeth trapped her bottom lip. “Alright. Talk soon.” 
“Bye, love.” 
Anvika turned her phone on its face and looked up, catching Onyx’s playful eyes. Her thick eyebrow touched her forehead. “Friends, right?” Anvika gave her a look. Onyx raised her hands in defense, “My bad, my bad.” 
-
Lewis Hamilton was a gentleman. Sure, this was universal knowledge, but something about him being gentlemanly with her made her heart flutter and her stomach clench with desire. And it almost made her question Onyx’s point, “he truly cares for you; in more ways than one.” It’d typically be something she’d deny, but as she stood in front of the mirror with her hair done by a hairstylist he arranged to come, her nails done by a nail technician he’d flown out, and a dress he arranged to be custom-made to suit her body, how could she deny it any longer? 
“Don’t think too deeply into it,” she scolded herself, slipping out of her robe. She walked toward her dress, pulled it off the hanger, and carefully slipped into it. “You’re friends. Close friends who care for one another. That’s it, that’s all.” 
They met at the paddock six years prior. She was invited to her first Formula One race through her consultant agency, which took her team on an all-expense paid trip for their hard work. She wasn’t aware of Formula One, just of familiar names. Then, at the end of the match, she had the chance to put a face to the infamous name of Lewis Hamilton. 
“You raced well,” Anvika noted, taking in the slightly disheveled appearance of the raceman. “I’ve never been to a Formula One race; good job on giving me a reason to come back one day.” 
The man’s eyebrow raised in interest. He crossed his arms over his chest, his muscular build on display. “Is that so?”
Anvika nodded. 
“We can make that happen whenever you want.” 
It was Anvika’s turn to raise an eyebrow. A smirk played on her lips. “Is that so? Tryna be my friend, Lewis?” 
He shrugged his shoulders. Friends wasn’t too bad. Anything to get to know her. “Any man would be a fool to refuse that opportunity, Anvika.”
That marked the beginning of an inseparable union.
Anvika continued to mumble and grumble, doing whatever she could to keep her mind eased. Her self-conversations were halted by a knock on her door. Lewis. “Coming!” Holding her dress to her chest. She turned the doorknob, and the familiar scent of his cologne filled her nose. “Are you…oh. Oh.”
Closing the door behind him, Lewis’ eyes were trained on her, the most beautiful woman he’d laid eyes on. The dress, complementary to his suit, was perfectly designed and tailored to her. She was a fan of long-sleeved dresses, so that’s what she got. It was constructed with a heavy, luxurious velvet material and it hugged every riff, edge, and curve on her body. The neckline showed the swell of her breasts and her beautiful collarbone. The mermaid-like tail further accentuated her shape. 
Her hair was parted to the side and curled to perfection. The makeup complimented her features--thick eyebrows, full lips, and a round nose. And her scent, goodness, it suffocated him. The jasmine and almond notes filled his nostrils and he wanted to nuzzle his face in her neck and inhale like she was the air he needed to breathe. 
“You look beautiful,” Lewis managed to speak. His voice was so low that she almost didn’t hear his compliment. With a bashful smile, she thanked him and led him to her room where she wandered toward the bathroom, which had a series of jewels across the counter. “Help me pick a necklace?” 
Anvika turned to face the jewelry and fought hard to ignore the heat that radiated from Lewis’ body as he moved to stand behind her. From over her shoulder, his eyes followed the line of jewels the stylists brought. His eyes landed on a silver necklace; a thin chain with a multi-carat teardrop diamond. “This one.” 
Lewis took the necklace in his hands and placed it around her neck. Anvika lifted her hair to grant him easy access and shivered as his cool fingertips brushed against her skin. She inhaled deeply. “Stunning.” His breath was warm against her neck. They locked eyes in the mirror ahead of them. The tension was thick. Suffocating. His brown eyes, usually so full of love and warmth, were filled with something she couldn’t quite identify, but it made her body heat like wildfire. 
“I’m ready,” she announced, careful not to let her voice waver. She turned, purposefully ignoring the groan he released when she brushed against him. Her lips quivered as she tried to give a steady smile. What the hell was happening between them? Anvika placed her hands on his chest and soothed the non-existent wrinkles on his suit jacket. He was so handsome. “You look great, darling.” 
“Thank you…” his words came out as a whisper. He was too distracted by her. Six years of friendship and what he felt from the time he met her at the paddock all those years ago had reached a breaking point. He’d boiled over. 
Anvika tried to smile as she pressed a kiss against his cheek, but with how he reacted, her lips landed at the corner of his lips. She took a step back. “Let’s get ready to go, yeah?” 
Lewis swallowed thickly. He held his arm out for her, which she grabbed instinctively, and together, they were out the door with a million and one thoughts swimming between them. 
-
“And that beauty you’ve brought?” an older man questioned Lewis, who had his eyes on Anvika as she danced through the siloes of people in the room. The gala was nothing short of a popularity function, a random event on a random weekend for the host to flaunt their money and connections, Truthfully, his desire to attend dwindled once he saw her in that dress. She was the only thing on his mind. 
“Anvika Dawson,” Lewis said, nodding in her direction. “One of the best branding and marketing consultants in the industry. She’s amazing at everything she does. You’ve got a business, don’t you?” And that’s why he was a good friend, Anvika noted as she began to walk over, hearing him advocate for her in front of the man. 
“You flatter me,” she said with a smile as she took a position under Lewis’ arm, which slid around her waist. “Anvika Dawson, nice to meet you.” 
The older man, who had went by the nam Eli, shook her hand firmly and nodded in interest. “Well, pardon me, but the two of you would make a wonderful couple.” The young adult chuckled lightly; the comment was nothing new to them, but it seemed to bring them both discomfort given the fact that they had a very intimate moment just an hour before their arrival. Before Lewis could speak up, Anvika thanked the man sweetly then they were whisked in another direction. 
They were joined together at the hip for the remainder of the evening. And, on the rare occasion that they were apart, they stole glances from across the room like teenagers in a romantic sitcom. Soon, the event wrapped up and they were in the backseat of the car, sitting in a thick silence. 
Anvika sat at the right of the car, her knees turned inward and her legs crossed. With every bump in the road and swerve of the car, the tip of her heel brushed against Lewis’ leg. His breath hitched. She said nothing. 
The car came to an abrupt stop and the doors were opened for them. Before her foot could touch the ground, Lewis’ hand was awaiting. “Thank you,” Anvika said softly, and allowed him to guide her into the hotel. 
He still hadn’t said much. The walk to the elevator was quiet, yet, he hadn’t let go of her hand. What was he thinking about? If it was the sudden shift in their interactions, it didn’t go unnoticed by her either. 
The elevator doors peeled open and Lewis guided her in. He pressed the button, 10, that would send them to the floor their rooms were on. The elevator ride seemed slow as each ding indicated they’d entered another floor. 
Anvika cleared her throat and decided to speak up, “I enjoyed tonight. And again, you looked great. I love blue on you.” 
He couldn’t remember what happened between her compliment, her back against the elevator wall, and his lips on hers.  The only thing that forced him to key in was her hands pressing against his abdomen and his name falling from her lips. “Lewis…” What he’d heard time and time again in his dreams had finally become a reality. His stomach churned; could he get her to say it again? “What are you…” She cut herself off when she fell victim to the wonderful feeling of his lips against her jaw. 
“I just…” Lewis settled his face in her neck. “One night, Vi. Let me have one night with you…” Her heart pounded in her ears. What the hell was happening? 
“Lewis…” Her hand slipped and fell just above his belt. She extended her arm just slightly. “We can’t do this. I-I don’t want to mess up our friendship and you know I’m not going all the way with anyone--” 
Lewis hummed. His eyes sat low as he looked at her. She looked completely worn out as if he’d done to her what he truly wanted. Her forehead glistened with sweat, her lipstick was smeared, and her chest heaved. “Nothing will change for the worse, angel. And I don’t want to go there with you, just want to make you feel good…always have.” His left arm circled around her waist and his large hand palmed her backside. She whimpered. “Can I?” 
“Someone might see...” 
He ignored her. “Can I make you feel good?” His tone was stern as he repeated his question. Suddenly, the gala was out of her mind and the only thing that clouded her thoughts was him. Him and him only. Lewis Hamilton had infiltrated her mind and she finally stopped fighting it. 
The elevator dinged. “Yes…” 
-
“Should I…?” her hands reached for the necklace that shone beneath the dim lights of the hotel suite. Lewis shook his head and peeled his jacket off his shoulders, revealing a crisp white wife beater. He shed that too. Anvika’s breath hitched. “Keep it on. Lay back for me, angel.” 
Anvika looked like an angel surrounded by the comforter. Her undergarments were long discarded, save for her underwear which he kept in the pocket of his pants. The pure white of the sheets were a stark contrast to the richness of her complexion. Her hair was sprawled against the pillow with a few strands covering her face lazily. The look on her face was one of comfort, relief in one way or another. 
She welcomed Lewis’ body between her legs as he crawled on the bed and his lips against hers as he hovered above her. For the first time that night, Anvika’s hands didn’t tremble when she touched him. She welcomed the feeling of every ridge of muscle, every raised scar, and every mature tattoo. 
Their hands moved frantically over each other’s body, and it felt amazing. She hadn’t realized how touch deprived she was until she heard his chuckle in her ear. Her face warmed. She felt like a teenager. “It’s okay…” his lips ghosted against the shell of her ear. “Make all the noise you want.” 
Anvika didn’t respond--her mouth wouldn’t allow her to. As Lewis moved down her body, she sat on her elbows, watching and waiting. God, he was so handsome like this. His head was dipped between her thighs and his tattooed glistened under the dim lights. Slowly, he lips created an intentional trail from her belly down to the treasure just centimeters away from his mouth. 
Her fingers clawed at the bedsheets as the anticipation rose. She was becoming impatient. He was giving attention to every other place except where he wanted her. She huffed. “Lewis…” 
He hummed, clearly unbothered by her frustration. He glanced at her, “Yes?” She whimpered. “Talk to me.” He was amused, very amused. She was desperate for him. It was evident by the way her arousal seeped onto the bed. He gathered some on his fingers, using it as a lubricant as he finally began to touch her. 
Anvika gasped. His movements were slow and meticulated but they were enough to set her over the edge. He brought his lips to hers again, which she accepted sloppily. Her jaw fell slack as he continued to work her to her first release of the night. It came quickly, quicker than she would have liked. When his fingers hit that spot within her, her hips jerked and she squeaked his name. 
Lewis chuckled, “That’s it?” He prodded that spot again. “Right there?” Anvika nodded. He removed his fingers. She groaned in frustration, “Lewis, please!”
“Please what?” He brought his fingers to his lips and moaned at the taste of her on his tongue. If this was just the beginning, he couldn’t imagine how mad he’d go in the coming moments. “Tell me what you want.”
She clocked it. He wanted her to beg. Anvika wasn’t the begging type. She may have been far removed from having sex, but she always got her way, especially with Lewis. Her hands trailed down the muscular planes of his stomach. Her fingers hooked in his belt and pulled him forward. Her fingers curled around his neck and her nails toyed with the faded hair there. She brought her smeared lips to his ear, her tongue dancing against the shell of it. He shudder. “I want you to make my legs shake and rock my world. Can you do that, Lewis?” 
Her voice. The way her voice dropped in octave but increased in seduction had his head spinning. There were a few moments of silence as he fought hard to gather himself and the more she spurred him on, the most difficult it became. But then, she heard it, “Yes…”
-
“Right there, right there! Oh my…” He was a lover of music. Being in a studio, creating melodies to go with lyrics, was his favorite pastime. But this took the cake. She created her a song better than he could have ever imagined, and was it addicting. 
Her moans, cries, and screams were melodic and his name was the only lyric she knew. He hated repetition in music, but loved hearing hers. So addicting. So well created. So beautiful. 
Her legs trembled around his head and her hands were buried in his braids. He fought the urge to bend her over when she whispered out the faintest, “Baby, please…” She’d used terms of endearment before, but in this context, it was different. “I’m close!”
Her body, damp with sweat and covered in bruises created by his mouth, jumped and jolted as she grew closer to her peak. Lewis sat up, replacing his tongue with his highly skilled fingers. He used his arm to stabilize his body as he hovered over her. What a sight.
Her hair was completely sweated out, pooped and frizzy at the roots. Her makeup stained the pillows and her lips were swollen from her biting and his intense kisses. Her neck was dark with love bites. Her eyelids were hooded but he could see the fire behind her eyes. If only he could capture her and keep the picture in his pocket forever. 
“Doing so well for me,” he whispered, kissing against her cheek and jaw. His fingers made quick work of the huddle of nerves between her legs. “Taking it like a good girl.” Her moans grew louder, higher in pitch, and full of air. It was becoming too much—her hands pushed against his arm, trying to run. “Don’t run now. Isn’t this what you wanted?” 
“Lewis, I’m—“ she cut herself off with a high pitched scream that seemed to ring on forever. Lewis chuckled lightly and worked her through her orgasm. “That’s it, baby.” Her body shook as she tried to come down calmly.
He spent a few minutes between her legs, caressing her gently as an act of comfort. Her loud noises had diminished to soft whimpers as she came down from cloud nine. When she finally opened her eyes again, he asked, “You okay?” 
She was better than okay. Though they didn’t cross all the lines, Anvika had gotten the best orgasm she’d received in her life from a man’s mouth and hands. She’d deal with the consequences later, but in that moment, she felt amazing. 
She nodded and smiled lazily. “I’m okay. Are you…do you want me to…?” Her eyes fell to the evident bulge that strained against his pants. He shook his head.
“I’m okay. Let’s get you cleaned up…”
-
What was supposed to be a shower to clean her up resulted in her on her knees giving him the most intense release he’d experienced in months. It left him panting, shaking, and whimpering like it was his first time all over again. 
Once again, she looked angelic with her now curly hair flat against her back and big brown eyes staring at him as she worked him like the expert she was. He came in her with with a groan, his fingers in her hair. She stood to her feet, smiling innocently as she showed him there was no remnant of him left in her mouth. 
“You’re nasty,” he announced, grabbing her jaw to place a sloppy kids on her lips. 
“Mhmmm, just the way I like it.” 
They migrated to her bed shortly after, laying together in a comfortable silence. Anvika’s head was against his bare chest and herfingers traced the tattoos on his body. Lewis’ arm was around her waist and his hand massaged her plump bottom. 
They were tired, exhausted even. But, they fought sleep like children, internally afraid of what the morning would bring. All actions had consequences whether good or bad. It was a mutual hope that what they’d done wouldn’t bring on the latter. 
“Lewis?” Anvika called after some time. 
“Yes, angel?” 
“Are we gonna be okay?” Her voice trembled slightly. They’d crossed a line--a big one. She had wobbled on her boundaries. There was a lot to discuss and a lot to consider. It was an amazing experience, she couldn’t lie, but her biggest fear was that she’d lose him as an important person in her life if reality didn’t set in the way they intended. 
Lewis gave her a squeeze and brought his lips to her forehead. Sensing her worry, he reassured, “We’ll always be okay.” And she believed it.
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petrapalerno · 2 months
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Submitting to the Alien Barbarian #8
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Alien x fem reader, a dom/sub erotic short.
TW/CW: rough consensual sex, primal play, knotting, breeding, aliens, dominance/submission, blood play, spanking, pregnancy, overstimulation, anal play, gagging and violence.
MASTER POST
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PREVIOUS
His chest heaves as you step toward him, the blade still raised at some unknown foe.
“Drohako, it’s okay, I’m still here,” you whisper, trying to diffuse this situation.
When the alien barbarian tilts his massive jaw down to you, his eyes are black with fury.
“I’ll go, just for now. I will convince them to let me come back to you.” You try to comfort the alien, who refuses to feel anything other than rage.
“They will not let you come back to me,” he says through gritted teeth.
“Drohako, they will—they must,” grabbing his hand, you press it to your lips, kissing his scarred knuckles. You’re taken aback when he rips his hand from your grip, grunting with disgust.
“Just listen,” you beg him, tugging his palm back. “Listen to your mate.”
He looks at you with a weary expression, as if the word ‘mate’ breaks him. His defensives seem to fall, and Drohako collapses to his knees. It’s as if his body cannot bear its weight. The thought of losing you is physically crushing him. His face is no longer taut with anger, his fists are still balled at his sides.
You take a deep breath, ready to talk some sense into him.
“It will be okay, I will go—“
“Udders,” he says, cutting you off.
You jolt, surprised at his response.
“Udders? What does our safe word have to do with this?” you ask, thinking he must be confused.
“If anything becomes too intense...or too painful, we use our safe word,” he whispers.
Oh.
A fat tear slides over his purple cheek, a shocking burst of emotion for the barbarian. He seems just as uncomfortable at the display as he swipes away the wetness and quickly steels his expression.
Oh no.
“Drohako, I have to go,” you say the words, even though you know it’s not what you want to do. The image of the lone tear on his cheek will be permanently burned into your memory.
“We promised this to each other...you say udders and I stop. Now when I finally use this word, you choose to betray me like this?” He stares into your soul, knowing that he’s right. “I don’t want a stranger to raise our child, not when you’re my true mate. Don’t leave me,” he pauses, placing a hand on the small of my belly. “Don’t leave us.”
His plea hangs in the air, and your heart thumps in your chest.
“I want to stay,” you whisper, knowing it’s the truth. “I want to stay here with you.”
You can see Drohako’s body relax as he lets out a sigh of relief.
“But, how would we even do that? They’re tracking me, aren’t they?” You run a finger over the still blinking ear cuff.
“Do you trust me?” He asks, his eyes shining with a calculating glint.
You almost laugh with absurdness of the question. How could the answer be anything but yes? Do you trust the alien in front of you that holds your face is his huge hands?
“With my life,” you tell him.
He reaches behind him, grabbing a scrap of leather. Holding it to your lips, he orders you, “Open your mouth and bite down on this.”
You do it, and flinch only slightly as he brings the sharp steel tip of the blade to the shell of your ear.
“I will cut only what I have to,” he tells you matter-of-factly. “Then we set out to the wilderness. I have a hunting ground with supplies to hold us over until we can establish a new home cave.”
You spit out the leather, anxiety suddenly welling in your stomach.
“Do you think I’m cut out to be a space pioneer?” You ask, scared of what this new life he has planned for you might be like.
“We’re made to be together, mate.”
The last word hangs in the air. It feels so different from when he says ‘human’.
You nod, trusting him, letting your chest burn with fondness for him—your mate.
Those sparkly warm feelings are cut incredibly short as the tip of his knife curves under the ear cuff. He angles it into your skin and starts prying the connection points out from under your skin.
Even though you bite down on the strap, you can’t stop your hand from shooting up reflexively. Drohako quickly pins it against your body.
“Be still. It’s almost free.” His purple tongue darts out from his lips in a show of concentration.
“Ugh, fuck Drohako,” you yelp spitting out the strap. You feel the last bit of resistance give way and the cuff thuds dully against the floor.
He nearly knocks you over when he starts to stomp the shit out of the tracking device.
You stare, in awe, as he keeps slamming his foot into the device, tiny metal shards flying free as he works. The orange light flashes again once before it’s smashed from existence. He keeps going until you’re not even sure there are pieces of the cuff left.
“Drohako,” you say to his unhearing ears."Drohako!” you yell even louder.
Finally, you grab his biceps, and he turns. The vein in his forehead throbs, and he tries to catch his breath.
“Let’s go,” you command, “tell me what you need me to do.” You know he needs you to focus on him, to funnel his rage about the situation into action.
You need to ground your mate.
He takes a deep breath, and you can see his whole demeanor change as he becomes an alien of action. He tosses you a bag.
“Fill this with as much dried meat as it’ll hold, I’ll ready Graysi
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NEXT
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greenboyfriend · 3 months
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choose something cold... (tarot card reading)
"what do you need to know?"
image 1: it's cold. I mean, really cold. but your blood is warm, even if your fingers are blue. where's your soul? image 2: a framed painting depicting a wintry landscape, complete with a log cabin, whose blue smoke trickles from its chimney and blends in with the world around it. image 3: three ornate glasses, made of ice. are those cracks intentional? or just by virtue of its design? image source not everything may resonate with you, and that's ok! take what does & leave the rest. don't force it.
1.・。.・゜✭
there’s an opportunity being presented to you. it may be a celebration of some kind, or just something that has a lot of excitement surrounding it. what i’m getting most of all is that this may be a chance to find freedom. with the seven of swords reversed, maybe you’re the type of person to handle your problems on your own, “lone wolf” style. there’s a million reasons why someone might do this, but for you, you’re afraid or distrusting in others. when you opened up in the past, maybe it didn’t end up so well for you, and this has made you keep things mostly to yourself.  however, the four of wands reversed tells us that this lone wolf energy is blocking you from fully enjoying yourself. “freedom”, in this sense, is the freedom from yourself, or rather, your fear. in the original Rider-Waite-Smith deck, the seven of swords shows us a man with his arms full of swords, shirking off to his own devices. for you, these swords represent an unnecessary burden, being wary or even afraid of others to see your true colors/problems/ect. opening yourself back up again is a task much easier said than done, i know. but the 6 of cups shows us what this looks like, once fully realized. when we talk about our problems and emotions, we’re able to release and/or deal with them more easily. i’ve definitely been in the position of worrying endlessly about something, just to finally open up to someone, and realize that the answer was sitting in front of me all along. the six of cups represents this as having a “clean conscience.” being, you’ve released yourself from carrying a burden all alone, and have found freedom– the four of wands. finally, the king of cups reversed reminds you to have patience, and to be tolerant of others. not just one person can supply you with all the information or support you need.
(6 of cups, 7 of swords reversed, 4 of wands reversed, king of cups reversed)
2.・。.・゜✭
you’re in a period of transition, be that between attitudes or people. this change has you feeling down. maybe not emotionally destitute, but not in the best spot, either. as you wade through these waters, know that the queen of swords is by your side, and will lead you to better times. the queen of swords is someone with a good head on her shoulders, and will always tell the truth. she is very forthright, and doesn’t do any under-the-table dealings. she holds herself to these standards because of her past experiences, and knows that an honest, open approach will best suit her motives. you may embody the queen of swords already, and if you do, great! if you don’t, that’s ok, too. but it’s time to start really leaning into that kind of energy. don’t conceal the truth– both to yourself and others–, and let yourself have a laugh every once in a while! the thing about being experienced is that you know not to take everything so seriously. the queen of swords can see the big picture, and knows that, even if right now is tough, later will be much better. the place/person/vibe you’re coming from is represented by the knight of wands. i’m getting, cockiness– to the point where you/they were being presumptuous. this might also have had to do with someone being hot tempered, and restless, where they couldn’t handle being bored, so they’d decide to pick a fight. this energy is still here, but not necessarily causing harm just yet. what’s really impeding your path towards healing is the knight of cups. the knight of cups reversed is in direct opposition with the queen of swords, in the sense that he allows his emotions to take control of him, rather than accurately assessing the truth of his situation. he may let his imagination become overactive, and begin believing things that aren’t true. where the queen of swords faces all her dealings head on, the knight of cups may shade the truth, dance around the issue, or simply hope someone else will deal with it. he may also tend to isolate himself from others, which only worsens his imagination into spurring up unrealistic scenarios and focusing too much on his own “failings.” i’m thinking… you’re going to need to temper the knight of cups with the knight of wands. use that fiery, self confident energy to seek out the truth, rather than make assumptions. and, in turn, the knight of cups can help to deplete those feelings of restlessness through introspection. most importantly, keep your head level, and honor the truth above all.
(queen of swords, 6 of swords, knight of wands, knight of cups reversed)
3.・。.・゜✭
so… there’s a lot to unpack here, image 3! i’ll start with this, the energy of the queens of wands and of pentacles are important right now. the queen of wands seems to be especially important, urging you to work hard to maintain her optimism, confidence, and enthusiasm. this situation will require you to be a sort of “soft” leader for others, where you can be looked to for inspiration. if you’re able to serve as a role model through keeping your head up even when the going gets tough, and to do so with strength and vigor, it will not only help you and your purposes, but will also inspire those around you to do the same. the opportunity to embody this energy is not fully here yet, but once you hear the call, you’ll know it’s for you. strike the iron while it’s hot and give it your all! no time for dilly dallying. in being a leader (even if you’re not completely cognizant of it) you will have to temper your generosity with what you know to be true. so, for example, if someone is late to a meeting one time, you may give them the benefit of the doubt. but if they’re continuously late, some changes need to be made. this can also apply to other situations, where you will need to decide between your loyalties and what’s true & just. you may have already experienced scenarios like this in the past, so it will help you to call back to those times for foresight. doing what is fair may be difficult in the moment, but will lead to the best outcome. the queens come together here to guide you on your way. keep trying! you know that you’re resourceful, so don’t be afraid to try your hand at solving problems. it may also benefit you to remain down to earth during this time, and not to try to control what others think or say. at the end of the day, you are your own person, and what a wonderful person you are!  finally, we arrive at the page of cups. i’m getting a very loving, forgiving energy from this card. it may benefit you to invite that energy into your life, both towards yourself and others. when a challenge faces you, or someone is less than nice, decide to turn away that anger with love. consider, what may compel them to act this way? maybe they’re going through something you don’t know about. it’s not that you need to nurture them back to good health, but realize that maybe, they’re just not worth your time, and a simple nod & turning of the cheek will do you both some good. most of all, listen to your intuition to tell you whether or not this argument/situation is really worth getting into.
(queen of wands, 8 of pentacles reversed, 8 of wands reversed, queen of pentacles, ace of swords, 3 of wands reversed, page of cups)
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ariesmoontarot · 3 months
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Important Message From Spirit🦋
The Piles:
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Book A Personal Reading Here
The collective is in this very emotional energy. It’s like feeling so imaginative, passionate, in love (even if you don’t have a lover), & so sad and lonely at the same time. We’ve been feeling everything so deeply and our intuition is extremely heightened during this time. We’re very sensitive to energies and other peoples feelings, even our own feelings. This reading is timeless so whenever you come across this, it’ll be meant for you.
♡Pile One♡:
Based off the picture you chose I feel like you might’ve found love in the city, out of town (or they were out of town), you could be from a city or the other way around, but overall there’s this energy of looking for spiritual love. You want a deep connection that connects you to deeper parts of yourself. For some of you it could be that maybe you are finding love within yourself and learning to live in your truth. I see you expressing yourself authentically and being open and honest about how you feel and what you’re thinking. I also see some of you having a conversation with someone who will be expressing how they truly feel for you.
Channeled Song: We Found Love -Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris ( when she says “we found love in a hopeless place”) Hey There Lonely Girl -Eddie Holman (when he says “hey there lonely girl, lonely girl, don’t you know this lonely boy loves you”.) , Confidence -Ocean Alley (when he says “It’s all about confidence, babyyy”.)
I’m seeing you in this soft, nurturing energy. You’re loving yourself more, taking care of those around you, for some of you taking care of your kid(s), family, & the things you cherish most. You’re feeling really appreciative or you will be. I also see that someone has really nice eyes. Could be blue, light brown, or greenish hazel. Spirit is saying that you’ve been really patient, dedicated, & efficient. You’re putting in efficient effort into your priorities, goals, & connections. For some of you I’m hearing you’re focusing on nature or connecting with animals, taking care of animals/pets. Take that how it resonates. You’re reaping some type of reward for your hard work and discipline and it’s related to a relationship or important connection in your life. I’m hearing you’ve healed something that was hurting you and you’ve learned to love yourself and the things around you more deeply. You’ve connected to your roots and strengthened your faith and in doing this, you’ve removed illusions and feelings of confusion because you’re more grounded within your energy. You were feeling stuck in a temporary situation and it could’ve been in a connection for some of you. It was causing anxiety, stress, fear, & imbalance in your life. It definitely took up a lot of your thoughts and I’m seeing a change happening where you’re taking back your power and gaining control over your mind. Now isn’t the time for you to do anything impulsive or risky. Like diving into some kind of situation that you know isn’t good for you, that will resonate for some of you. It’s like someone left you out in the cold, kicked you while you were down, wasn’t there for you when you needed them most and everytime you’re thriving, looking good, healthy etc. they want to come back in and try to trick you into focusing on them or what you could’ve had with them. Don’t let this person in your energy for those that resonate with this. For my feminines I feel like you’re finally tapping back into your loving, compassionate, and nurturing energy. You’ve manifested communication with someone that you share a deep connection with and I’m sensing you really trust this person or you will. It can be a friend, lover, family, whatever. There’s distance between you and I feel like you’ve both been alone for some time. You’ve spent time in solitude, self reflecting, and so has this person. Trust your intuition and how you feel. I feel like this is a connection that is meant to heal you and it will bring you so much joy and happiness. it is the type of connection that will heal your inner child and bring back out your creativity. I feel like whenever you met or got closer to each other you both were in a period of your life where there was a lack of faith and hope. It’s like where hard times meet and end for the both of you. Not necessarily end, but they get so much easier to deal with when you’re with this person or have each other in your lives. Both of you could’ve grew up in families, or in an urban city/ place that was of low income. This connection is divinely guided. For those of you where this is a romantic situation, I see them hiding how they truly feel about you behind this cold demeanor because they’re still learning how they feel so they can better understand it. However, they are very honest and blunt with you. I feel like they could be a little distant at times or when you communicate with them it’s very quick and doesn’t necessarily last for that long. The conversations are short between you. They’re very patient and kind towards you. I feel like they really value this connection with you. Romantically speaking, they want to take their time with you and I see them wanting a very long-term commitment with you. For others there is some type of investment that you and this person are working towards together and it will be successful spirit is saying. Things might feel stagnant like they are moving slow or not exactly going at the pace that you want but I feel like this is the pace that you need.
This person feels a little bit stuck right now because they are gaining clarity about how they feel and trying to figure out a way to offer you something. it’s like they’re trying to figure out a way to communicate with you that they want a relationship with you, and they want to be able to invest in a future with you but they need a little bit of time to come forward, but they will. For others I feel like there are some type of ideas or plans that are being made and this person involved needs time to be able to think about what they wanna do and how they wanna go about these plans. Romantically they don’t wanna lose you. They are already sad as it is because I feel like they know that you’re holding back a deeper part of yourself, and they want to see and experience that deeper part of you. They want you to express your love for them and they want you to be nurturing and I’m seeing that they think that you are their person and they are hiding how they feel because of fear. They’re also letting go of bad habits and their pride. What’s next for you guys in romantic situations, I see this person coming in fast and they’re ready to tell you how they feel because I feel like they can’t see life without you in it you make them so happy and having you in their life feels like a blessing. It might not be today. It might not be tomorrow but it’s coming really really soon. For those of you in other situations that aren’t romantic I see this person getting really inspired by something and that specific idea or feeling that they have, they’re going to tell you about it and it’s going to be something that is really smart and it will make the both of you very happy. For those of you who have kids and it’s not with this person, I see you getting in a relationship with them and they’re being very loving and supportive with you and your child or children. They want to take care of you.
♡━━━♡━━━♡
♡Pile Two♡:
Based off the picture you chose I feel like you’ve been very emotional and tapping into a deep part of yourself. You could be spending time alone, meditating, & learning more about who you are and what you believe in. Spirit is helping you learn to be more honest with yourself and others about how you feel and developing healthy ways of expressing it. Life could be flowing easily and I’m getting this energy of peace and serenity.
Channeled Song: No Air - Jordin Sparks ft. Chris Brown (the part where she says “if I should die before I wake, it’s cause you took my breath away. Losing you is like living in a world with no air.”)
There’s a connection in your life that you’ve been really patient about and I feel like things haven’t progressed the way you wanted. I’m hearing you put so much energy into it, but this person involved hasn’t shown up and offered you anything. You’ve put your focus and intention on loving yourself and those you cherish. You’re also focused on your responsibilities. 1111 can be significant. Communication, understanding, and honesty has been so hard with this person because when you try to talk to them it’s like they come off so cold and turn everything into a disagreement. They give you the cold shoulder and try to undermine you. I’m seeing that they always make it seem like things are harder for them and don’t consider your feelings, what you’re thinking, or even what you’re saying. It’s like talking to them is a losing game. However you’ve been independent, determined, confident, loving, & nurturing. You haven’t let this situation affect you. Or at least you aren’t anymore. You’re standing your ground. I’m seeing you manifesting clarity & you’re learning a very important lesson here. This person hurt you and has no intention of showing up the way you need them to. This could be a past person for a lot of you. They were blocking your blessings because you’ve held on and waited for them meanwhile they didn’t acknowledge it. You felt stuck and didn’t want to free yourself because you loved them. However it caused a lot of anxiety, confusion, indecision, & fear for you. It imbalanced your spiritual and emotional side. For a lot of you it’s that there’s a past person you’re holding onto that must be let go of in order for your blessing to be revealed. There are illusions and deceit in your life. Maybe it’s you just deceiving yourself because you know this person isn’t good for you. You’re self sabotaging yourself by allowing someone who’s only holding you back stick around. You don’t need this person, you want them. They don’t benefit you. You were drowning in emotion trying to save this person and just simply love them, but I’m hearing it’s time to let go. If you love something let it go, if it comes back to you then it’s for you, but if it doesn’t then you’ll know. Sometimes people will come back just for unhealthy reasons tho but when I say come back I mean come back and show up. Im hearing you take no chances of missing out. You’ll love someone for as long as you possibly can. You’ve been tossed to the side, left behind, lied to, and pushed away, but you still love endlessly. It’s time for that chapter of your life to end. You’re stepping into a new phase of your life and all that being breadcrumbed, confused, misled, lied to, and manipulated is in the past. You’re setting boundaries and you no longer tolerate it. I’m seeing you have the upper hand in a situation and you’re abundant. With energy, resources, whatever it is you may be abundant in you are able to share this with people who need it. I’m hearing you’re generous with your time and energy and you don’t mind spending quality time with those who need a light in their life. There is multiple energies around you. Multiple people who want your attention. I’m seeing you have your eyes set on what you want and you know exactly what that is. You want a deep connection with someone you can trust and commit to. I’m hearing you’ve checked out. You’ve put your emotions aside and now you’re giving off more of this intellectual energy. More aware, understanding, honest, smart, strategic, & blunt. You have very good discernment. Especially when it comes to other people’s energies and what is good for you and what isn’t. Trust what you know. Right now I’m having a hard time getting your messages out and I feel like spirit is saying the focus is you. You are the main highlight right now and you’re stepping into this divine feminine energy. If you don’t have feminine energy you’re stepping into a more intuitive, empathetic, nurturing energy. You are a healer whether you know it or not but you attract people who need you and your energy.
Just be careful not to let others drain you. Whatever blessings are coming for you spirit isn’t revealing too much. You’re diving deep into self reflection and spiritual awareness and I’m seeing you aren’t focused on love or relationships. Those come when you aren’t expecting it. Right now spirit is teaching you important lessons.
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♡Pile Three♡:
Based off the picture you chose I’m getting this energy of you feeling a bit melancholic and nostalgic in a bittersweet way. You’re spending time alone and focusing on tapping in with yourself because you’ve been feeling detached and disconnected from your feelings, maybe even your surroundings.
Channeled Song: Lose Control -Teddy Swims (specifically heard the part when he says “problematic, problem is I want your body like a fiend, like a bad habit. Bad habits hard to break when I’m with you. Yeah I know I can do it on my own, but I want that real full moon black magic, and it takes two.”)
I’m seeing that there are outside factors disrupting your life. It’s like situations that happen may feel like nothing ever goes your way. You’re holding back so much love and emotion and in this energy of hiding your love, hiding how you feel, being closed off emotionally, & feeling like you’re having a hard time letting go of emotions from your past. Maybe you’re having a hard time letting go of the way someone has made you feel. It’s like the feeling of rejection is weighing on you and maybe because of that hurt you’re isolating yourself and feeling lonely. You’re keeping yourself from being able to open up emotionally in connections. You know how you feel and why it is you feel the way you do but you’re still holding onto that hurt due to fear and anxiety. There is someone that God has for you and I’m seeing they will help you see through the illusions of your own emotions. Maybe even your pride is in the way. However this person is very emotionally intelligent and understanding they can just come off as very private at times. They know when to speak and they’re both logical and Intuitive when it comes to expressing themselves. They can be very passionate and flirty at times and sometimes be very rash about what they say or do. There’s a feeling either you’re feeling like you aren’t being appreciated enough or they are but I feel like spirit is telling you to step it up. Don’t hold back. Be open and free spirited. Allow yourself to feel and enjoy the feeling of love. Maybe you overthink too much at times and don’t allow yourself to feel. Some of you take your person for granted by not being emotionally there and making sure their needs are being met too. You’re very guarded about letting them in because of your boundaries. Spirit wants you to do what brings you joy. Don’t keep the sun out of your life because you’ve been hurt. I’m also hearing that no matter how other people act or what they say, never stop being you. You can come off with this very rigid and vain energy at times and I’m hearing it’s your ego. Listen to your intuitive side and give the love you want to give. Don’t listen to your fear. You are holding yourself back from receiving the love spirit wants you to receive. You’re hurting yourself because you won’t open up about how you feel to someone. I feel like you avoid conflicts and have a fear that you opening up about how you feel will start an argument. Know that hiding how you feel and refusing to communicate will only make things worse for you. It’s okay to feel passionate and excited. It’s okay to want someone and it’s okay to express how you feel to that person. I also feel like you don’t open up when you’re sad and you try to hide everything. Not everyone can read your mind. If you feel really overwhelmed take some time for yourself and then open up when you feel ready. Try to balance yourself out so your love life can be balanced as well. The more you’re in harmony with yourself and in tune with your emotions the more your love life improves. You miss opportunities when you refuse to make a choice and stay in a period of inaction. If you know what you want then act on it instead of letting the world make decisions for you. You will feel so much better when you allow yourself to do what you feel guided to do. Treat your partner with lovingly and morally. I feel like you want marriage and there is someone you deeply love in your life. This connection has the potential to lead to marriage. All you have to do is be honest. Even if this relationship doesn’t work out with the person you have in your life right now, you being honest and open will help you evolve and learn new lessons you need in order to move forward. I am seeing a positive result coming from your honesty though. Be sure that you know what you want before you act on it and plan your approach before taking action. All you need is confidence, courage, and drive. I feel like you’re picky about your lovers and so is this person. You both need independence and your own alone time.
Spirit is saying to be patient when it comes to this person. You both feel the same about each other honestly. I feel like if you say I love you to each other it’s genuine. If you haven’t said it yet you both love each other unconditionally. You’re ready to move forward and come towards your person. You might be scared because financially maybe you don’t feel stable and that creates insecurity within you but know that it’s okay. You don’t have to feel insecure about it with this person. Or with anyone for that matter. You may not be where you want to be financially but you don’t have to let that stop you. They think you are very intelligent and it’s a turn on for them. They are so attracted to the way you think and I feel like they admire the way you see life. They feel like you are their person and the relationship with you is very strong. It’s best to treat each other with gentleness and empathy because this relationship is very passionate so sometimes if not treated the right way anger or frustration can be an issue. You both want the traditional structured relationship and I’m seeing very high potential for this to happen. Be positive and do what you feel guided to do!! Pile one might resonate with some of you.
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♡Pile Four♡:
Based off the picture you chose I feel like you’re gaining clarity on a situation you didn’t see clearly before. Spirit is showing you the truth about something you’ve been feeling and it might be a truth that hurts, but it also lifts a weight that was holding you back or stagnant. It doesn’t have to be a truth that hurts though, that’s only for some!
Channeled Song: Counting Stars -OneRepublic (it’s crazy to me because in this song he says “in my face is flashing signs, seek it out and ye shall find.” And obviously lightning flashes)
You’re feeling a bit sad and disappointed because of a situation that happened in the recent past. I feel like you’re focused on the hurt rather than the positive side of things. Spirit is saying there are opportunities that are for you right now but you aren’t seeing them because you’re focused on negative feelings. However there is a wish fulfillment or something happening for you that will inspire you and give you hope. It’s like a divine revelation. You must get out of your own way. There are negative thoughts and fears circling your mind and this leads to self sabotage and constant hopelessness. There is abundance, love, happiness, and so much more waiting for you but you must let go of your worries. It’s easier said than done but when you tell yourself there is better you will eventually start to believe it. I see a romantic connection in store for a lot of you. For others I feel like a truth about a connection in your life has been revealed and it’s made you sad but it was for your own good. Things haven’t progressed the way you want them to but it’s because you aren’t focused on watering whatever it is you want to grow. I feel like some of you got clarity about how you feel towards someone and because you’re focused on how disappointed you are from other situations you’re not focused on this person. However they are abundant, nurturing, empathetic, intuitive, supportive, and understanding. They have love for you and I feel like they will understand how you feel if you open up to them. For others you’re not watering yourself enough. You aren’t loving yourself or realizing how much of an inspiring, kind, intelligent, divine being you are. Spirit wants you to devote more time and energy to yourself. I feel like communication with someone is happening very soon and there will be clarity and understanding in this conversation. Things will be balancing themselves out pretty quickly but there is a need for honesty. Take that however it resonates. I feel like some of you feel pessimistic about love and moving forward in life but spirit wants you to open up and enjoy the beauty of it. There are better times ahead and I feel like you are going to be receiving some type of good karma for all the hard work you’ve done in the past. You’ve been through so much and God is blessing you with something that will bring you so much peace. Just try to open yourself up to it and let go of the unnecessary burdens you’ve been carrying. Whatever hardships you’ve been facing I see you overcoming them and coming out stronger, more confident, & resilient. I also see you letting go of bad habits and making commitments to a very important job, person, or investment in your life. There will be plenty of opportunities coming your way.
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steddieasitgoes · 5 months
Text
@steddiemas Day 16 Prompt: Angst Themed Sentence Starters
3. I don’t know what you want from me. and 5. I don’t want to fight with you. Not tonight.
Tags: Established Relationship, Steve Harrington Has Bad Parents, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Mentions of Past Child Neglect, Protective Eddie Munson
wc: 1184 | Rating: T
Read on ao3 | ao3 collection
“I don’t know what you want from me!” Steve shouts, arms thrown in the air.
He’s glued to the floor in their living room watching as Eddie stalks up and down the length of the room in the dim glow of their Christmas tree. Steve’s hands are clutched around the cordless phone, double-checking that he properly hung it up.
The last thing he needs is for his mother to overhear the argument currently going on.
The same argument that happens every year, without fail.
An unofficial tradition that Steve fucking hates.
“I want you to stand up for yourself!” Eddie shouts back.
Their voices may be raised, but they’re not screaming at each other. At least, not in the ways they were raised too. Their voices may be loud, but they don’t hurl insults at each other. Nor do they shout directly at each other, shouting their concerns into the void of the room instead.
“I do stand up for myself!” Steve defends, crossing his arms.
“Not when it comes to them!” Eddie growls, flippantly waving his hand in the air. “I thought we decided after last year's disaster that we weren’t going to put up with it anymore. If your parents wanted to be in our lives, they’d be there for us every day and not just on the choice fucking holiday so you’re mom can take her family picture that conveniently always makes me look terrible.”
“I know. Okay? I know we said that!” Steve uncrosses his arms, one hand coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose. The other hangs limply by his thighs, opening and closing into a fist, tethering him to the moment. “But they’re still my parents!”
Eddie scoffs, shaking his head. “Just because a piece of paper says they’re your parents doesn’t make it true.”
“I know, but—“
“No! No buts! They’re shitty people, Steve! I’m not going to apologize for saying that because it’s the truth! They only want you around when it's convenient for them and then they leave. You might not see it, but every time they walk out that door you turn into that lonely, abandoned teenager you’ve worked so hard to grow from! I’m not going to let them keep doing that to you!”
“Eddie,” Steve huffs. He’s not wrong, not in the slightest. But it still stings hearing it. Knowing that even though he tries to hide how he feels when his parents walk out the door every year, Eddie sees. That he hurts just as much as Steve does.
“What if it was my dad who called and said, “Clear you’re scheduled for the 20th, we’re having Christmas dinner since I’m going out on Christmas but still need to show face with my friends and see you?” What if he did it every fucking year for seven years, only to bitch and moan about every little thing? Questioning my life choices, talking shit about the man I’ve become because I didn’t live up to his expectations. Making snide comments about you when he thinks you’re not listening. Would you let him keep coming?”
“Of course not!”
“Then you understand where I’m coming from!” Eddie says, slowly making his way over to Steve. “I wish things were different. I wish your parents saw you for the amazing man you are. Saw us for all the work we’ve done to better ourselves. But they don’t. They never will. And I’m tired of pretending for a few hours every year to be okay with their bullshit. You deserve better than that.”
“I—“ Steve breaks, the first tear racing down his cheek before he can even register what’s happening.
He’s wrapped in Eddie’s arms in an instant, pushed and flushed with his warm chest. His shirt is soft, soothing the prickly feeling spreading across his own cheeks as he lets the tears fall. Eddie holds him, strong and firm. Rocks him slowly in his arms, and runs a hand soothingly up and down his back. Whispers encouragement into the wild tufts of hair on the top of his head.
“Sweetheart,” Eddie coos. “It’s okay. S’gonna be okay.”
“I don’t want to fight with you,” Steve hiccups, pulling away from Eddie’s embrace. “Not tonight. Not ever.”
“I don’t want to fight with you either.” With a gentle hand, Eddie swipes the tears from Steve’s eyes before cradling his face in his hands. “Especially not about your parents. Maybe about your questionable taste in movies—“
“Hey!” Steve laughs, swatting at Steve’s chest. “You’re the one with the questionable taste.”
Eddie hums, shaking his head. “Keep telling yourself that, big boy.”
They stay like that for a few moments, wrapped in each other's embrace. Letting the tension ease from their bodies and minds. The air in the room already feels lighter, the lights on the trees twinkling brighter.
But there’s still a weight pressing on Steve’s chest. One he knows isn’t going to go away until he figures this out. Once and for all.
“What should I tell them?” he mumbles, words nearly lost amongst the quiet hum of their space heater.
“You could tell them we’re going on vacation? Or that we already made plans.”
“I don’t want to lie to them,” Steve sighs, feeling the pressure building behind his eyes again. “If I tell her that she’ll want to see pictures or hear stories and then it's one lie after another.”
“You could tell them the truth?” Eddie suggests, arms wrapping around Steve again. “Tell them that they don’t deserve to spend Christmas with you because of the way they’ve treated you. That we don’t need their negative energy in our lives.”
Steve grimaces. He wishes he could have a conversation with his mom. Wishes they had the type of relationship that allowed him the grace, to be honest with her. To give her space to listen and hopefully learn. But they don’t. They never have. All that will get Steve is an earful of guilt and yelling, followed by a call from his father about he broke his mother.
Still, what other choice does he have?
If he doesn’t want to lie, the truth is the only other option.
“Will you stay by me while I make the call?”
“Of course, sweetheart. M’not going anywhere.”
“Okay,” Steve says, letting the plan take shape in his head. “Okay. I’m going to tell her the truth.”
“I’ll be the whole time,” Eddie says, squeezing Steve’s hand. “But if she starts yelling, I will grab that phone and hang up on her. You understand that, right?”
“I think you hanging up on my mom is the kindest thing you could do to her.”
“Damn right, it is!” Eddie laughs. “Now come on, let’s rip this bandaid off so we can start planning what we’re actually going to do now that we have the 20th free.”
“I’m sure you already have ideas.” Steve laughs, watching as Eddie’s eyes light up as they drink him from head to toe.
“Yeah,” he says, dragging his tongue across his bottom lip. “I’ve got a few ideas up my sleeve.”
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teecupangel · 6 months
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If Desmond ever ended up in the Persona 5 universe, I wonder what he would think of the Phantom Thieves? Would he be a confidant for Akira/Ren/Joker, be a neutral party? Become a Phantom Thief himself? I can't help but think that because of his Bleeds, he'd end up having his ancestors show up as Personas to help him fight in the Metaverse.
Ngl, I wanna make Desmond the Sun because of my penchant of giving Desmond something related to the very thing that killed him but based on his ‘situation’, these are the Arcanas that Desmond can be part of in my opinion:
Aeon (many of the Aeon Personas have an affinity to light and a common theme for Aeon representatives are that they are unfamiliar with the world they are in and are struggling to find their place in this world which describes Desmond’s current predicament and also… there’s no Aeon confidant in P5 so Desmond won’t be sharing this spot with anyone or, worse, won’t be removing an existing confidant)
Sun (A character in a lonely and most of the time terribly situation, signifying the hopelessness of them succeeding with the end results being them having to reflect on their situation and coming to peace with themselves and what is happening to them)
Moon (being attuned subconsciously to the world around someone, gaining the ability to sense things without being told about them, or without anyone else knowing, this arcana is also sometimes called the Arcana of Lies and Deceit which Desmond would be doing anyway because there’s no way he’ll tell the truth)
Death (metamorphosis and deep change, regeneration and cycles… which can also hint on Desmond’s origin as someone not from this world)
Personally, I do see Desmond as a Phantom Thief and acting like the cool older brother type to these teenagers. But being a neutral party seems more like his style, considering… everything.
So I would suggest we make Desmond a neutral party the Phantom Thieves meet up with in the Metaverse from time to time, mostly in Mementos because, in his own words ‘something calls to me here’.
The Phantom Thieves don’t know he’s the same bartender that works at Crossroads who would always give Joker a Shirley Temple whenever he’s on break. Lala told Joker that Desmond looked ‘lost’ so she helped him out (in more ways than one, Lala actually thinks Desmond is undocumented and helped him be an ‘upstanding citizen’…)
Desmond, for his part, is just happy that, for some reason, he knows Japanese? He has a feeling it’s one of his Bleed and many people tell him he speaks like he’s from a period drama so yeah, there’s that (it’s one of his Ibn-La'Ahad ancestors who knew Japanese because they chased the Mongols to Japan)
As for Desmond’s Persona…
It would be funny to give him Minerva or Juno as a Persona but we’re not that evil. Another idea would be to give him Dionysus for our usual ‘Desmond could totally be Dionysus’ Sage’ idea that pops in and out XD
Although…
So we’re going to make Desmond special because he’s our blorbo and we’ll use the Persona 1 and 2 plot of how the characters get their Persona.
He does the Persona game because he was bored one day XD
And that’s how he starts to hear Mementos’ call.
And while he journeys in Mementos by himself, that’s when he encounters the Shadows… of his Bleeds.
Confronting them (which always ends in a boss fight) ends with him receiving their Arcana and his Bleeds become his Personas.
His Bleeds’ Arcanas:
Altaïr: Hermit (wisdom, introspection, solitude, retreat and philosophical searches)
Ezio: Judgment (associated with realizing one's calling, gaining a deep understanding of life and a feeling of acceptance and absolution)
Ratonhnhaké:ton: Hanged Man (sometimes self-sacrificial or self-loathing, but are more often notable for being caught between two different extremes, parties or stages in life of which they have little to no control – always in the middle of two opposing forces and he’s doing his best to protect his people given what’s happening) or Strength (associated with the morality about the stronger power of self-control, gentleness, courage and virtue over brute force)
Haytham: Emperor (desire to control one's surroundings, and its appearance could suggest that one is trying too hard to achieve this, possibly causing trouble for others; some elements in life are just not controllable)
Desmond’s real Arcana and his own Persona (which may or may not be some biblically accurate angel-like figure with all of his Bleeds around a small orb similar to the Apple of Eden in the same veins of the Norns design) will only awaken after Joker reaches max level with him.
Also, the Phantom Thieves don’t know it’s him because his form in the Metaverse is always hooded with the robes changing depending on which Persona he uses (at the start, they thought it was different dudes until Desmond changed Personas in midbattle)… and yes, that includes Haytham. Desmond gets a hood too even when he’s using Haytham but he also has Haytham’s tacohat. Them’s the rules.
Arcana symbolism from megamitensei.fandom.com
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It's You
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Summary: You and Benny go waaay back.
A/N: Another one. (just came back and realized I left some sentences hanging I'm so sorry😢.)
Warnings: minor DNI 18+, smut, dry humping, p in v, adorable origin story.
Word Count: 3.5k
Looking out at the endless stretches of land you're reminded of bits of your childhood, spent with your mother’s parents. You remember a massive backyard with no fence like the one at home and a tire swing that never caught a break. The stink of outside caused your grandmother to tell you to shower before you sat at her dining table. From those early memories, it was your favorite place. But the summer you turned 9 the cracks in your family were too big to ignore, unbeknownst to you.
When your parents' divorce was finalized all you thought was that you’d get two of everything but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Your mom got remarried first promising a new beginning, except eventually, that meant without you. Her husband, Liam, was lovely enough but after you refused to call him ‘dad’ the exclusion began there. You spent more and more weeks with your dad under the guise of them needing time together. 
The announcement of your mother's pregnancy shocked you but you were happy to be a big sibling. Even though you spent more time with your dad it was explained to you they needed to set up for the baby. The tension between your mother and father was thick. He hated the way she was allowing her new husband to treat you like yesterday’s trash, seeing you cry after your mother denied you for the umpteenth time left your father feeling defeated. 
He knew how much you loved going to your grandparents, despite the divorce they maintained a good relationship. So he sucked it up and called his former mother-in-law to have a heart-to-heart. His hushed whispers didn’t stop you from eavesdropping.
“I just don’t know what to do, I can’t fill in for Monica and she can’t be bothered to care,” Your dad sighs. “I need her to have some normalcy and more than me to fall back on. I just don’t think I’m enough anymore.” Your father’s hidden grieves finally aired. 
“Baby you are doing the best you can, I’m sorry it’s been this bad. I don’t know what’s gotten into Monica but she's always welcome to stay with us, you too if you ever need to.” 
“She does love it up there.” Although you only hear your father’s side excitement thrums throughout you, and only one place makes you that happy.
“Mhmm can’t keep her overactive behind in the house.” Grandma's quip summons your father's deep chuckle thinking of the time spent at his former in-laws. “So it’s settled then bring her behind up here and she’ll be alright.” 
“Thank you.” In only two words anyone could feel genuine gratitude from your father. 
……….
Your heart beats a mile a minute as you pull up to your grandparent's house, It’s been longer than usual and you weren’t sure if they still wanted you around. Noticing your hesitance your dad gives you space and goes to get the bags out of the trunk. By the time he drags the last of them to the steps he sees you standing at the door. 
“You gonna let em’ know we’re here sweet pea?” He gently urges you with raised brows.
You raise your hand to ring the doorbell, listening to the wind chimes on the porch. Then you hear a flurry of steps come to the door, and both of your grandparents answer suspiciously. Once you’re in the house you can tell they are huddled together to hide something for you.
“Me and Nana talked and we know it can get a little lonely when you’re here with us geriatrics,” your grandmother swats him with a side glance. “This is someone we found to help with that.” 
A black kitten with doll-like eyes stares back at you, gently you approach the pet and feel their fur. You get an instant response as a smile slowly blossoms across your face. “What’s their name?” 
“We thought you could take care of naming him.” Your grandmother looks fondly upon you enjoying the kitten. 
“Ok, but I need to get to know him better first.” You decide before running up the stairs to your room yelling a “Thank you,” to everyone involved. 
Hours pass as you get to know your kitten. He’s not fond of outside but he’ll stay on the porch and watch you. He prefers to roam around in the same room as you rather than cuddle, not that you mind. Even though you don’t see him all the time you know he’s there, which was oddly comforting to you. 
After spending enough time holed in your room you come downstairs to bother your grandpa while he watches sports. Except you find two teenage-looking boys sitting in the living room with him. The older one, you assume, has longer hair like the men in your grandma's ‘special’ books. He’s got blue eyes that are glued to the screen like he’s getting paid. The younger one though, is already looking at you causing heat to flood your cheeks. You back up the way you came and head to where your grandmother is. 
“Nana who are those people on the couch with Grandpa?”
“Oh those are our new neighbor’s kids, They moved in the house a mile from here and they help out in exchange for dinner.” Your Nan lets out before adding, “Where’s your kitten sweet pea?”
“Sebastien’s taking a nap” you proudly tell her.
You saddle up next to her watching as she cooks and helping cut, albeit rather slowly, but she doesn’t seem to mind. The kitchen smells better than ever which attracts the three people dedicated to watching sports in the other room. The two boys enter the room and you busy yourself stirring the pot. 
“Do you want me and Benny to set the table ma’am?” The older one addresses your Nan.
“That would be great, thank you, William. Before I forget this is my granddaughter,” she gives your name before turning back to you. “This is William Miller,” she gestures toward the older one. “And this is his younger brother Benjamin Miller.” 
You manage to look at both of them with a small smile before going back to the pot. Once the dinner table is set the five of you sit down silently to eat, just the way you like it. Though you feel the stare of one particular person, you cast a glance at Benjamin who doesn’t bother looking away. You break first finishing your food and bringing it to the kitchen, Benny is right behind you with his plate. 
“You know it’s rude to stare.” You attempt to chastise him.
“Weren’t you staring at me and my brother earlier?” He grins knowing he caught you.
“No.” You decide to lie.
“If you say so, what do you do for fun here?” Benny's been bored since Will, him, and mom moved next door.
“I have a tire swing out back and there’s a creek not too far from here.” You hope he picks the tire swing, it’s more fun if someone pushes you.
“The creek sounds fun.” He muses.
“So does the tire swing.” You counter.
“We can do the tire swing when we get back.” He assures you.
“You promise?” Your eyes narrow in suspicion.
“Pinky.” He holds up his to solidify his word.
On your way out you tell your grandmother you’re showing Benny the creek, she warns you to be careful. Throughout the walk you come to find out Benjamin isn’t as quiet as you thought. He’s very talkative rattling over so many topics it’s almost hard to keep up. You don’t mind though it’s nice being around him. 
Benny follows your lead, so much so that when you stop abruptly he doesn’t have time to stop himself before barreling through you. The muffled grunt underneath him has Benjamin moving faster than usual. As Benny helps you emerge from the ground, he helps pick out leaves stuck in your hair. The death glare you send him has him primarily focusing on the back of your hair.
“Sorry, I should’ve been watching where I was going.” You roll your eyes but accept his apology no less. Luckily your clothes didn’t get mud on them.
“It’s fine.”
You begin moving to the edge to dip your feet in. Benjamin follows your lead, this time careful of your movements. “You know there’s a bunch of pretty pebbles at the bottom?” Benny cranes his neck to try and spot what you’re talking about. You inch towards him motioning straight down past the edge. “See all the green and blue ones?” You back up to let him get a better look. 
Benjamin’s hands are planted on the edge as he peers over, what he doesn’t expect is you hip-checking him into the water. The loud and humid air that once surrounded him turned into cool still water. Once he resurfaced and found you peering down at him with a cheeky grin, he couldn’t even be mad. 
“Now can we go back to swing?” Benny heaved himself out of the water, wringing his shirt out before trudging behind you. You practically skip the whole way to the backyard, surprised to find Will sitting on the porch. Upon seeing the both of you worse for wear he muffles a laugh. To make matters worse you look like you’re the one bossing him around on the swing.
When the Miller brothers walk home that night the squelching of Benny’s clothes has Will laughing the entire way home. 
………..
At present, you and Benny are celebrating his return from deployment. Even now over a decade later Benjamin and you were glued at the hip. You watch as he pours another shot out for you, this will be the 6th one. Just like the good old days, you two are getting shit-faced by the creek.
Throughout the years of you coming to stay with your grandparents, Benny would arrive before you did. The pair of you got close enough that he told you about his parent's divorce and how he hadn’t seen his dad as much. You hugged him and reiterated the words your dad told you ‘their loss’. After you told him about your mom he was ready to storm her house and demand an answer to her absence in your life. 
Sebastien and he got along well enough, Benny was always a little too excitable for him to be around. Benny had always had good looks but as the two of you got older, you couldn’t deny your growing attraction to him. His shoulders got broader, almost always stretching whatever shirt he was wearing. But his face chiseled out with facial hair, he had no idea what an ugly phase was. His hair was gorgeous and when he told you he was gonna have to chop it off for training you thought that was it. But no, his buzzcut enhances his face and makes you look into his eyes. 
“What are you gonna do?” You peer down at him lying on his back while you sit up gazing at the water.
“You remember when I told you I wanted to do MMA?” 
“So you wanna get the shit beat out of you for a living?” You were mostly jesting but a small part of you is worried. 
“Don’t worry, I’m a real professional,” He sits up and playfully punches the air in front of him. “C’mon I bet you can’t take me.” He stands up rousing you to play fight with him. 
“How many times do I have to push you in that water before I finally shut you up?” You finally take the shot that’s been sitting in front of you, standing with a little wobble to match his stance.
Benny stands nearly a foot above you, hunching his shoulders to somewhat meet your height. He rocks back and forth trying to figure out your next move.  You keep a distance in an effort to defend against his long arms, which he tries and fails to swat at you. You charge at him full speed to knock him over into the leaves. 
His arms circle your waist trapping you with him as he falls. When his big body hits the ground with a thud you laugh and try pushing off of him. But his arms don’t loosen, instead they slide down your waist and squeeze. Your breath momentarily stalls and you look into Benny’s eyes, his pupils blown with a thin blue outer layer. The smell of his Irish Spring soap encases you. 
“Benny?” You say his name like a question hoping he’ll clue you in.
“Sugar.” He responds lowering his pupils to your lips, the sudden transition causing you to lick your lips.
Benny groans low and you feel it through your hands on his chest. Your faces almost touch but neither of you make the first move. He nudges your nose before turning his head to press his lips to yours. Despite this being your first kiss with him you wanted more. Your body pressed into his, closing what little distance you had between you. His left-hand glides up your body to grab the back of your neck, keeping you there. 
You lick his bottom lip wanting to feel everything from him. Thinking you’re dominating the kiss, you eagerly lick into his mouth. Letting out all of your unabashed moans, Benny presses your hips to his groin needing to feel friction. You decide to pull back and sit up much to Benny’s dismay, the string of spit connecting you two brings a hazy look to his eye. You bring your knees up to either side of his hips, and before he can ask why you’re back on him.
Benny doesn’t give you the upper hand this time, his warm tongue sliding back into your mouth like it’s supposed to be there. You feel a pulse in your core that only gets more incessant with Benny exploring your mouth. You begin rocking your hips against his in an attempt to relieve the thrumming, but all it does is make you more needy. The kiss deteriorates since you can’t keep up with Benny’s mouth, not when your clit is rubbing against his zipper so deliciously.
“M’sorry it feels so good.” You let out before biting your lip to quiet the sounds. 
“Show me.” Benny raises his thumb to your lip to release it. “Lemme hear you.” 
Your eyes must be pitch black looking down at Benny while you hump him like a possessive dog. Benny’s hands find their way to your hips again, squeezing and pressing his bulge against your clit. He groans as you rub yourself against him faster, he loves the look of your scrunched-up face and pouty lips. 
“You feel what you do to me?” He asks you while staring at you intensely. 
“Fuck,” His mouth is hung open, letting out the prettiest moans just for you.
Another jolt of arousal heads straight down to your core, your panties are dripping. The wet spot on Benny’s pants from you grows, you would be embarrassed but your dignity left the moment his tongue went in your mouth. With your hands on his chest, you can feel the string within you about to snap. When you feel it snap your hips stutter and your hands find purchase on his biceps. Although your mouth is open you have no idea if you’re screaming or not, your hearing temporarily goes out. 
You both stare at each other with blown pupils and puffy lips. Unsure of how to proceed both of you remain unmoved, the surrounding nature seems to follow suit. Benny sits up placing his palms behind him to nudge your nose again. 
“I love you,” He pauses slightly “And not in a platonic way, I wanna marry you. I had a lot of time to think and all I thought about was you. I was counting the days to see you cause I missed you so bad. I mean we’re already halfway there.” 
Benny’s confession leaves your heart beating so rapidly that you think he hears it too. You suppose you two are more than halfway there. The friendship you share is something intimate, not in a friendly way either more like a married couple that’s been together decades and knows the other inside out.
“Is this your way of asking me on a date?” You stare at him, waiting for an answer. 
“Only if you say yes.” His eyes never leave yours, you can feel the warmth in his gaze. 
“Okay but only if you come back and spend the night with me.” You bargain, though you know he’ll say yes.
“I’m getting too old to shimmy up that tree?” He laughs at the memories of staying up all night talking. 
“We’ll go through the front if you promise to stay fucking quiet.” You pointedly tell him before pulling back from the intimate position you were in.
Standing up you adjust your pants trying to make sure there are no visible wet spots on you. Even though there are none Benny takes off his hoodie, handing it to you without a word. The walk back is surprisingly quiet but it’s not awkward, not when Benny’s eyes keep finding their way to you. The full moon illuminates the back porch of your Grandparents' place. With all the lights off you and Benny go around to the front quietly making your way up the creaky porch steps. 
Benny’s hands slide down your sides, hooking his fingers in your belt loops. You take it one step at a time so as to not chance waking anyone up. Your shadow follows your every step with his warm breath bearing down your neck. If you weren’t as professional as you were he would’ve tripped you up. Once safely in your room the breath you were holding releases itself. Sebastien’s head pops up from where he lays on your bed, more specifically your side of the bed. 
“I’m taking a shower you coming?” Without giving him a chance to answer you begin taking off your clothes on the way to the bathroom. 
Benny wastes no time pulling off his clothes and placing them in one pile before joining you. He gets in before the water’s scorching, the feeling of your hand gripping his bicep before you slip in has him making room for you. 
“Benny it’s freezing,” You shiver while gripping his biceps harder.
“Sugar it’s 90 degrees outside why do you even want hot water.” He’s just as confused as you.
“Because it isn’t 1800 we have air conditioning now.” You gently move Benny to the side, and he lets you get closer to the now steaming water. 
With you in front, you take advantage of the hot water beating against your skin. When you turn around to face Benny again he rushes you into a heated kiss, his soft lips melting against yours. His hands cup your ass sending your hips straight into his. Benny backs you against the tile before lifting you. 
“This what you want?” You don’t answer Benny with words instead grabbing the back of his neck to bring his lips to yours. 
He lines himself up with your entrance before slowly sinking himself inside you. The groan he lets out vibrates against your chest. Benny’s cock stretches you in the most delicious way, you can no longer focus on the kiss and throw your head back against the tile. Benny takes the time to focus on your neck, licking and sucking on your sensitive spots to loosen you up for him. 
“You’re perfect,” His sudden declaration has you clenching down on him. Benny’s hips begin to speed up, frantically humping into your own. The sound of your pussy keeping up with Benny was drowned out by the water. “Look at me,” Benny demands of you while his hips drive into you. 
When your eyes meet his, he tells you, “I love you.”
With your mouth hanging open you return the sentiment, your hips driving into his on pure instinct. Benny’s hands grip your hips in a way that will bruise tomorrow but right now he can’t bring himself to care. He places his focus on the way your tits bounce every time he connects his hips to yours. Before he can warn you, ropes of cum shoot out deep inside your pussy. The rocking of his hips slows until you're both panting against one another.
Benny releases you to the ground but keeps his hands on you knowing you’ll need some assistance. He takes your washcloth and douses it in whatever scented body soap you have on your shelf. He rubs it thoroughly throughout your body creating suds that make your body even more inviting. He’s gentle while cleaning up the mess he made. Once you’re finished he quickly washes himself before dragging the both of you out.
Your eyes are barely open while he puts one of his shirts on you. He travels over to the drawer dedicated to him, pulling out a pair of boxers to sleep in. As he slides in bed behind you he kisses your neck before wrapping an arm around you. 
taglist: @emilianamason
261 notes · View notes
s1ater · 2 years
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now or never.
pairings. conrad fisher x fem!reader
about. conrad likes things simple, but you want more—turning things complicated.
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warnings. foul language, underage drinking
ricky rocks. i kinda have a friend that looks like conrad AND has the same nickname, W.
“save me some, connie.”
your soft teasing voice fills his ears before your finger tip pokes him in the cheek from where you stood behind him. it causes him to dip his head backwards to look at you, his soft brown curls falling back from his face as he smirks to you.
“thought you weren’t coming.”
“changed my mind,” you took a seat next to him from where he sat in a low beach chair. you could tell it was probably a good thing that you did come due to the beer bottles and heavy liquor stacking up by his side. it probably would have been a real lonely night without you, one he’d most likely regret in the morning.
“well i’m glad,” his hand reached to you, touching the bare skin exposed beneath the cropped top you wore. his finger tips were cold making you shiver slightly as they grazed your hip bone to all the way up your shirt. “you’re so far.”
his head leaned against the back of his chair, focused so closely on you that it made you so nervous for no particular reason. the flames from the fire that you were both sat around gave a soft glow to his face that made your stomach twist in a jittery feeling.
he looked so pretty. and so calm.
“c’mere, baby,” his finger hooks within your waistband, tugging you lightly to get you up from your seat and come closer. you feel your body strike up in heat as you were now sitting on his lap and his arms were tightly pulled around you. “now i can see you better.”
“you’re a big goof, connie,” you push his hair from his eyes, shaking your head with a smile. “sometimes i actually think you like me.”
he laughs quietly, “why wouldn’t i like you?”
“you tell me,” you press your nose against his, closing your eyes, regretting the fact that you even said anything. you knew if the conversation exceeded those two sentences, it could ruin the balance.
what you and conrad had, was something you weren’t going to take for granted. everyone knew he was very picky with girls, so the fact that he chose you was something you took honor in. the only thing, this relationship, was hanging on by threads and could be easily rocked into the sea with lack of caution. there was no label, that’s what it was. no label to tie you two together, making it easy for prying eyes to capsize the relationship if they tried so hard.
“no,” he shifts slightly underneath you, pulling his face a bit from yours so he can look at you, to see your eyes and what was flooding through them. “what do you mean?”
conrad was more unbalanced when drunk, not unbalanced but empathetic. you should have known he would question. he surprisingly thought more deeper on things, didn’t let it go as easily; opposed to when he was sober and wanted no problems. he wanted to know why, when, who, details, whatever. he wanted to clarify, otherwise while in clear mind, he didn’t care for fogginess and vague statements.
“talk to me.”
“i didn’t mean it,” you tried to smile, leaning closer to him in hopes he’d just let it go. “i’m joking, kiss me.”
he scoffed, “you mistake me for a fool,” his voice is highly amused but you can tell he’s not joking, and he wants to hear your truth. “you don’t think i like you?”
you pursed your lips, carefully conveying his face, trying to decide how you’re going to go about this because you can’t lie; he’ll know, he always knows, he can read you like the back of his hand.
“conrad,” your tone is hard and he can hear
the hesitation, he knows you don’t want to talk about it, don’t want to disturb the peace.
“be honest,” his fingers press against your cheek, almost pinching it teasingly before speaking again, “why do you think that?”
“you’re drunk,” you say, “maybe we should talk about this later.”
“if we don’t talk about it now, we’re never going to talk about it.”
right, exactly.
“i think… i really like you, connie, but you don’t really like me—like the way i like you,” you have your arms looped around his neck now as if holding him so he won’t get away. making the moment last. “i mean i should know better, but i can’t help but…” you stop pressing your lips against his.
“i think you think too much, y/n,” he taps your chin lightly, teasing, “i like you. i think you’re great, why are you so worried?”
“connie… i don’t know how to say this without seeming like a bitch, but everyone knows you don’t have the best track record.”
“and you’re everyone?”
“no,” you say fast. “no, but-“
“but what?”
“but why does it seem like we’re nothing? like we sleep in the same bed, but we’re still nothing to everyone.”
“why does it matter who we are to these people, y/n?” his eyes crinkle in the corners as he asks you this, his head tipping back in motion to the rest of the people on the beach. “you are so much better than that.”
“because maybe i want you all to myself and i want everyone to know that,” you mumble, almost feeling shameful, but he grins at the clinging nature that has suddenly came over you.
“then show them,” he chews on his bottom lip, looking up at you with smug look. “show them i’m yours.”
navigation.
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ireneaesthetic · 1 year
Text
Pointing out some other little moments and details from the episodes that need to be remembered • part 2/2
here's part 1/2
episode 4
in my top 5 best scenes of them.
it’s pure angst and such a powerful moment, there’s the need to be understood by the other. simon starts the argument - he actively searches for a confrontation - and both of them end up speaking their mind, like they never did before but had to sooner or later.
it’s the reason of wille’s defeated expression in front of simon’s astonished one: he admitted that the crown prince role is the obstacle he's not willing to accept and overcome for the first time, not only to wilhelm - confirming his biggest fear - but also himself.
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edvin once wrote : "that’s wille realizing he’s transformed into the traditional image of a prince. he is lonely, he’s accepted he has to allow simon to love someone else. the worst part for him is that it’s himself who does the makeup".
i couldn't have phrased it better.
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i read a lot about simon’s recurrent behaviour in the locker room, waiting for all the boys to shower before getting in and the "i thought everyone had left" to get out. but he doesn’t make it a problem if wilhelm is the only one left in the room.
or him turning away to not be watched by marcus when he gets dressed, but not if it’s wilhelm the one who’s watching him, cos he feels comfortable and safe enough to do it - and let wille undress him too !!
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the “i get it, you’re not in love with me anymore” is what gets simon to lift his head up in zero time, not lower the gaze again but focus entirely on wille’s words.
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episode 5
wilhelm waving his pencil in the air to catch simon’s attention. they smile at each other right after, it’s a very simple thing but exactly the one they need the most in this moment: to share a look of understanding and reassurance - ‘it’s okay, we’re on the same page’.
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simon’s concerned expression.
it’s the first time he gets to face wille's anxiety for what it truly is, seeing how bad it can mentally and physically affects him.
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for unknown reasons i find comfort knowing both wille and simon happen to touch the frog in the same episode.
+ it’s the closest interaction between simon and erik we can ever get.
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episode 6
when omar said this is the most heartbreaking moment for simon he’s so right.
it is sara, it’s family we’re talking about and there’s no betrayal hurting more than one coming from a person you're supposed to fully trust, unconditionally. he looks at her not recognizing who he thought he knew so well anymore.
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it may be the same 'manifesto' from s1 shown again like a heavy reminder, but there is a very different and grown up wilhelm standing in front of it now.
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him being the only one not looking into the camera but rather down. it really sets the tone for what’s coming.
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throwback to s1 wille, when he folded the written paper of the speech in erik’s memory to continue on his own terms instead.
this is also it: the head shaking, the “nej”, the sudden choice of stopping to speak for others - not what his truth is -, throwing all away and let his heart speak. it’s such a power move.
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he looks back at simon to give him a reassuring smile. it’s the first thing he does when he stops talking and what simon also needed to turn his fear and worry into relief.
simon “i want to be with you and if we have to keep it a secret, then so be it” eriksson and prince “it was me in the video” wilhelm. they love and respect each other this much.
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interpreting this as a ‘i hope you’re proud of me’ look to the sky aka erik? why not.
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+ bonus
boris is proud of him fr. he needs to be praised and s/o to one of the best quotes ever that was the turning point of it all: “we can’t choose who we’re born as, but we can choose how we want to live”.
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stayarmytinyzenmoa-l · 9 months
Text
And That's Okay
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University AU TW: Language, University Struggles, Sexual Orientation Struggles, Strained Parental Relationships, Slight Implications of Body Dysmorphia, Angst (No Comfort), Reader implied to have anxiety, Codependent relationship, Implications of a toxic relationship, Smoking, Hookup culture Smut Warnings: F/F Sex, Oral (giving and receiving), fingering, first-time receiving anything and everything, loss of virginity, mentions of penetrative sex, mentions of dildo and various other usage of sex toys, F/M Sex, blowjobs, drunk sex, protected sex, penetrative sex, sloppy makeouts Genre: Romance, Drama, Angst, Smut Pairing: Jeon Somi x Reader ft. Na Jaemin Y/N Pronouns: Female (She/Her) Word Count: 27.3K Summary: University is when you find out things about yourself. You will find out things you'd already known and you will find out things that you didn't want to know, and oftentimes that is through the help of others who you grow close to and learn to love. But nothing lasts forever, and that's okay.
[Other Groups Masterlist] Notes: HAHA I GOT IT DONE IN TIME FOR HER COMEBACK! So, yeah, full disclosure this is heavily based off of my own experiences coming to terms with myself but obviously it's also super fucking exaggerated because it is fanfic lmao I gotta make it entertaining somehow. But, without further ado, enjoy! Disclaimer: Please remember that this is an AU and a work of fiction, obviously the idols mentioned/written about in this story would never partake in these actions. The idols mentioned in this work are meant to be seen more as face claims rather than the actual idols themselves.
Feedback is greatly appreciated!! Thank you for reading!
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“Yeah, we’re together.”
“Oh, I’m happy for you,” you smiled. Your friend had been seeing this guy for a while now, and you were the fortunate one who had listened to her the entire time. Sweet as it may be, you were glad that she’d finally mustered the courage to say yes to his constant probings. You were happy for her, truly, you were in love with the way she smiled now and the way she spoke about him, you could see it in everything that she did, she really was in love with him. The way her hair bounced when she nodded her head, the way her lips would turn up so slightly, and the way that smile still reached her eyes. You were happy for her, really, you were.
“Thank you, (Y/N)! I only have you to thank, really, you’ve been helping me out with this since day one and… ahh,” she rubs the back of her neck bashfully. Her hair parted slightly under her hands, revealing the soft skin beneath it while she did so and the light tinge of her cheeks sent your heart racing. “(Y/N)? Everything alright? I mean, I know, it must be annoying to hear me gush about him all the time,” she asks with a small laugh.
“Yeah, fine, no, that’s okay. You like him, right?”
“I do! But, I mean, we haven’t really labeled our relationship yet because, I mean, I’m still getting to know him,” she continued on. Her voice, though melodious to you always, drowned out in the sea of your thoughts. “Oh, shoot, (Y/N), I lost track of time, I have to head out,” she glances at her phone, the lone notification on it telling you everything you needed to know. “Same time next week?” She asks.
“Yeah, I’m always free,” you nodded. 
“Do you want me to walk you to your car? I know you don’t like to be alone,” she says it with a painful jab. But it was the truth. You hated walking alone as much as you hated being alone but, still, you shook your head.
“I think I’ll stay here for a bit longer.”
“Sounds good, get home safe, (Y/N)!” She packs her things.
“You too. Bye,” you waved and watched her go, leaving you sitting in the café. Goodbye.
That’s how you said goodbye to your first love.
The time was 2:30 pm in the afternoon. In a quiet café, seated at the counter near the very back, and with no more patrons than fingers on one of your hands. You could hear coffee brewing behind you, and the playlist of the day was soft jazz. The cup just a finger away had long gotten cold, forgotten as you listened to your friend’s love story, and your tablet just minutes from dying. You looked down at your notes and read through a few lines, but you didn’t know what to do, you didn’t know what to think. You were heartbroken, sure, you had to be. Your first love, the person you had fallen in love with years before and the person who you continued to love, had found someone else. Someone else who made her smile wider than before, someone else who she found herself thinking of at random points of the day, and someone else who made her feel happier than before. And that someone wasn’t you. It was your fault, really. How could she ever come to love you if you’ve never in mustered the courage to even come out to her? You couldn’t breeze through love with another woman the same way you could with another man.
You were so happy for her, she deserved this so much. But, god, when will it be your turn?
You turned your tablet off and started to pack your things. Might as well go home, then. You only agreed to go out today because she was the one who asked.
“Thank you,” you nodded your head toward the barista before heading out. It was only six in the evening, but still the sun had long set. People moved around you, couples, families, and friends alike. You pulled your hood over your backpack and started to move toward your car. Once you got there, you sat at the driver’s seat and locked your doors. Your keys remained in your hand, however, and instead of starting the car, you relaxed against your seat and sighed.
That was truly the end, wasn’t it? You checked your phone and saw the message from her. She arrived home safely. You smiled, but quickly caught yourself as you liked her message and tossed your phone on the passenger’s seat.
You said goodbye to your first love, and now you can focus on her friendship instead. Good for you, and good for her.
~
“I thought you said that dating apps weren’t your thing, (Y/N),” your classmate chimes.
“Eh, figured I’d give it a shot,” you continued to mindlessly swipe. It was true, you were more into meeting people “organically” but, well with today’s day and age, this seemed to be the more sufficient way to do things. Your classmate peered over your shoulder and you turned the screen away from him, but not before he could see who you’d hesitated over.
“Whoa, (Y/N), I didn’t know you swung for that team,” he says, disappointment in his voice.
“I mean… yeah, I like girls and guys, so what?” You shrugged, turning your phone off instead. The confession felt weird. Had you ever said it before? No, not really, you were just annoyed that the first person you technically came out to was a boy you’d just met a few minutes earlier.
“Then, why don’t we go out on a date then?” He teases.
“I’m not really into dating right now,” you said.
“Then why are you on Tinder?” He asks.
“Just cuz,” you shrugged. You just didn’t want to date him. Before he could respond, the sounds of rustling backpacks signaled the end of class. “See you next week,” you chucked your things into your bag before rushing off. You didn’t want to delve into a conversation you didn’t have time for, much less with someone who gave you massive icks with everything he said. While you made your way to your next lecture, you opened your phone again, looking at the profile you’d just hovered over.
Somi Douma, 21. She had a few pictures you could tap through. She’s really pretty, you had to admit that much. Pisces, in college, looking for something short but open to long, love language is touch, not into smoking, not into drugs. Her profile was so much like the others you’d swiped left on before, but something really stood out to you on it. You swiped right on it.
It's a match! You felt your heart stop. You? She swiped right on you before? No way. Not with the random, half a year old selfies you chose to populate your profile with. You didn’t even look all that good in them what with no makeup or fancy hairdos. You put your phone away and rushed to lecture. You couldn’t understand the cold feet you suddenly got, shouldn’t you feel some sort of validation? Some kind of joy from getting a match? You swallowed harshly. Had you ever gone on a date with another woman before? Had you ever gone on a date before? You squeezed your hands together and entered your next lecture, taking the first seat you found open.
“Hey, (Y/N),” your study group finds you easily and your first friend, Keeho, was the one to call out to you. Then three others took their seats around you. “Everything alright?” He asks you.
“Uh, yeah,” you answered vaguely. You chewed on the inside of your cheek. “Just worried about how I’m going to study for this class,” you mumbled. Keeho eyed you wearily, but decided to leave the subject. Maybe it was you being full of yourself, but you could swear you saw the admiration in his eyes. It was the same way you’d look at your first love but you knew for a fact that you didn’t even want to try anything with him. It was hard enough to make friends in college, you could only imagine how hard it would be to lose them. Your phone buzzed in your pocket and you stole a quick glance. Big mistake on your part, the ‘Tinder’ tag line and the simple ‘New Message from Somi’ nearly sent you into cardiac arrest. You put your phone away and covered the lower half of your face with your hand, but this didn’t go unnoticed to your other friend.
“(Y/N)?” Yeji places a hand on your shoulder. “All good?” She asks.
“Just fine,” you told her with a heated face and a racing heart. You didn’t expect either of you to make the first move, granted, and you definitely didn’t expect to see a message just minutes after you matched together, it was too sudden. Making that account was supposed to be a joke, a spur of the moment thing you did with your friend, the same one you’d crushed on before and the one you’re one sidedly getting over too. You never expected to use this app seriously, and you definitely didn’t expect to find someone at all.
“Earth to (Y/N),” Jaemin leaned down and waved his hand, pulling you back into reality. “Your shit’s in the way,” he eyes your backpack.
“Oh, shit, sorry, Jaem,” you pulled your bag into your lap and, ahh there it went, your phone landed on the floor and the screen lit up, the Tinder notification taunting you, but you were fast to pick it up while everyone was preoccupied talking to Jaemin about the content in today’s lecture.
Close call, you shook your head and joined in with them.
But why did you even feel shame about it in the first place?
~
You looked at the lone notification on your phone sent now six hours ago. You didn’t know what to do with it. You didn’t think that anyone would swipe on your profile, much less someone as attractive as her. But you steeled yourself, laying down in your bedroom, you tapped on the notif and Tinder opened right up.
‘Hi, I’m Somi! I see we matched :) Why don’t we get to know each other better? 20 questions?’
You typed out a response.
‘Hi! I’m (Y/N). I’d love to get to know you better, I’m down. Should I ask the first question?’
‘Yeah, shoot!’ Her response was immediate and you thought for a second.
‘Are you bisexual too?’  It was missing from her profile, her sexuality you mean. But, to be fair, so was yours.
‘Lesbian, actually. How about you?’
‘That counts as a question! I’m bi… I think.’
‘You think? You just asked if I was.’
‘I’m not sure yet.’ There was a pause before her response.
‘Do you want to find out?’
‘I mean… yeah.’
‘Haha, you’re cute! Okay, I think I see why you joined this app now lol. After this game, wanna meet up?’
You looked around your bedroom. You were a commuter student, and one who, of course, couldn’t fucking drive. 
“(Y/N)!” Your mom’s voice was sudden. “Dinner’s downstairs!”
“I’ll be there, mom!” You answered back. You looked at your phone.
‘Sure, maybe not today, though, I’m already at home.’
‘? Do you commute?’
‘Yeah, I’m like twenty ish miles away from my campus.’
‘Ohhh, where do you go to school?’
‘BLU! You?’
‘No wayyyyy same!’
You paused. She was closer than you thought.
‘What major?’
‘Mathematics. You?’
‘Biochemistry.’
‘Whoaaaa I’ve matched with a genius, huh?’
‘Math’s cool, though, I could never, I lose my mind over trig alone!’
‘Same, lol! But still, it’s crazy to think that we’re so close.’
‘I know! What year? If you don’t mind me asking.’
‘It’s one of your 20, so why not lol? I’m a third year. You?’
‘Aha… first year…’
‘Whoaaaaaa so you’re fresh into the college scheme, huh?’
‘A little, yeah.’
‘Aww, I remember when I first started out too! Hey, if you’re comfortable with it then we should meet up!’
Again, you stopped typing. Was this how dating was supposed to go about? Then again, she was looking for something casual, so you had to take that into account, and you wanted to know if your loveless life was due to you pursuing the wrong gender this whole time. All of grade school you’d gone without once being liked romantically, and to those flitting crushes you did garner the courage for they all laughed at your confessions, was this really your only chance at feeling wanted? You placed your phone on your chest and sighed, but then you felt it vibrate once more.
‘If it’s too soon don’t worry about it! We’re basically strangers, is all, and I’d like to get to know you better. Your profile says that you’re looking for something short and casual, right?’
‘Uh… yeah. To be honest I wasn’t 100% sure what it meant.’
‘Aww! A freshman indeed! Do you want the full graphic answer?’
You felt your face start to burn up. She sent you another message before you could type anything more.
‘I mean, it doesn’t have to be sexual. We can do cuddle buddies instead.’ You didn’t even think it had anything to do with sex. Short and casual? You had no idea what that would have entailed at all. Even with some thought into it you couldn’t piece it together.
‘Cuddle buddies?’
‘Yeah. It’s like FWB except without the sex lol.’ Never mind, you knew exactly what ‘short and casual’ meant now.
‘Well…’
‘You’re an adult, right? Your profile says so but I just want to be sure.’
‘I am!’
‘Okay! Just checking! But it’s up to you. Then again, you can just delete this convo and pretend that nothing happened.’
‘I don’t want to do that…’
‘Okay then! Just let me know, don’t leave me hanging, (Y/N)! Plus, you seem so chill compared to others on this app so I’d like to at least be friends!’
‘Yeah, ofc! I’ll have to text you later tho, to finish the game, I mean!’
‘Yeah, no prob! I’ll text you later <;3’
And the conversation ended. You placed your phone on the nightstand next to you and rolled over in your blankets. Something casual? Friendship? Something… sexual? You shuddered. You didn’t even think about it that way. You were still a virgin, no experience, no thoughts, you’d never really paid too much mind to doing anything like that. Well, you’d done some masturbation here and there, who hasn’t by this age? But nothing with another person. Your face was burning up now, something you tried to cool down by turning your pillow over and laying face down on it.
“(Y/N)?” Your mom calls you down again. “Dinner!”
“I’ll be there!” You answered.
There’s the other problem. You’re not out to anyone, well, except for that stranger who wouldn’t leave you alone earlier. What would your parents think of you? They worked so hard to help you get to where you are today, they are working so hard to help you achieve your dreams, what would they think of you if you told them this? As much as you loved your parents, and truly you did, you knew their thoughts and opinions on homosexuality and how its representation is being handled in today’s age. The words of your mother rang clear.
‘Honey, it’s okay if you are, but I’d prefer you not to be.’ And you stood by those words all your life. Such a small statement that she said to you when your best friend came out, and one that you hardly talk to anymore. She said that to you when you were in middle school and now here you were, in college, and probably, most likely, very gay. Who the hell says that to a thirteen year old anyway?
Well, actually, your mom apparently. You couldn’t blame her, though, considering the state of politics at that time. She was a mother who was afraid of what would happen to her daughter for being who she was, and you couldn’t fault her for that intention, you could only fault her for the execution.
Then, rapid knocks at your door lead you to shove your phone under your pillow just in time for it to swing open.
“Hey! Mom’s calling us! Let’s go before she comes up here,” your younger sibling urges you to follow.
“Yeah, I’ll be there,” you scrambled off your bed and ran downstairs, leaving your phone behind.
~
“Okay, just something casual, cuddle buddies, yup, just something casual, cuddle buddies, mmhmm,” you recited to yourself.
The time was 12:00 pm in the afternoon. The sun was high in the sky and the air was heavy with a dry heat. And here you were, standing in front of an apartment unit. You started having second thoughts, was it really a good idea to play into dating app culture? Was it a good idea to agree to meet up with Somi in person? What if you’d just been catphished? What if she’s a crazy axe murderer looking for her next victim? What if you just didn’t vibe with her in person versus through text? Was it too late to turn around and say that you couldn’t find her apartment? Well, yes, you did ring the doorbell already so there was no way you could turn back now.
Then, as soon as the door in front of you opened, you felt your mind blank.
“Hi! Uh…” The woman who opened the door looked you up and down before snapping her fingers, “(Y/N), right?”
“Yup, that’s me,” you answered in a higher tone.
‘Kill me now,’ your internal thoughts shouted at you.
“Wow, I knew you were cuter in person,” Somi laughs. “Come in, come in, but leave your shoes by the door in here too,” she points to the shoe rack absently while walking in. You followed her close behind, pausing only to slip your converse off, and continuing on. “I know, it’s a small place, but at least I have it to myself,” she speaks up. “How was the drive here?”
“Oh, uh, I walked actually.”
“You walked?!” She turned to you briefly with a shocked look on her face. “It’s, like, a hundred degrees outside!”
“Yeah, but, uh, I was on campus so it was just easier,” you shrugged.
“Hold on, hon, let me get you some water! You can sit wherever,” she gestured broadly and walked into the kitchen. You took the liberty of sitting down on the couch while you watched her move about from the other side of the counter, from pulling a glass from the upper cabinet to pouring a bottle of water from next to the fridge. You heard the cubes of ice clink against the glass as she walked back to you and placed it on the coffee table in front of you, just inches away from some fashion magazine she had. “So… tell me about yourself,” she says with a light tone.
“Oh, um…” This felt a little strange. Normally, weren’t first dates in cafes or bookstores? Come to think of it, you vaguely remembered a PSA saying something about not going to stranger’s houses for first dates. Was this a good idea? Did you make a good choice? What were you doing here again? Why? Huh? You felt like you’d enclosed yourself and built up another wall. You were afraid of opening up to this woman, this person you’d just met. Why did you think it was a good idea to come into her home? Dense. It’s like you forgot all the Crime Watch Dailys and 20/20 episodes your mom made you watch with her.
“(Y/N)?”
“Oh, um,” you repeated yourself and shook your head. “Sorry,” you shook your head.
“No, no, it’s okay!” She waved her hand in front of her. “You’re new to this kind of thing, huh?” She asks.
“Yeah… very,” you admitted. “I’m sorry, I know you were probably expecting something else but…”
“No, it’s fine!” She reassures you. “To be honest, I’m not too experienced either. I actually recently moved here! I transferred to BLU this year,” she says.
“Oh? From where?”
“I was raised in Korea, actually,” she nods.
“Korea? Wow!” You commented. “So why did you transfer here then? That States are so far away,” you shook your head slightly.
“Aw, you know, the usual! I wanted to get out and be independent from my parents for a bit, go on an adventure, and, hell why not, get my degree while doing it,” she says. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love them a lot! And they were really supportive of me coming out here so I have to be grateful, but, you know how it goes.”
“I do, I do, I wish I tried harder to convince my parents to let me move out for at least a year,” you shook your head.
“Oh! You’re commuting?”
“Yup, and, of course, I don’t have my license so that’s probably why they encouraged me to stay home too,” you sighed with a slight eye roll.
“Awh, but that’s so sweet that your parents care like that,” she says.
“Yeah, I guess,” you nodded slightly and you rubbed your arms up and down. “So, uh, why math?” You changed the subject.
“Oh, I’m terrible at it, like, really really bad at math,” she laughs, “but I love a challenge! And math is such a challenge, my god, I have fun with it so I decided to major in it,” she says. “And you? Biochemistry is a toughie.”
“God, you don’t even know,” you held your head with one hand before letting it fall to your lap again. Somehow, you found yourself relaxing into this conversation, any awkwardness you felt earlier started to fall away. “I’m on the premed route, actually, and biochem was just that fastest way to complete my pre-reqs,” you explained.
“Oo, premed? That’s cool!” She whistles. “You always wanted to be a doctor?”
“I mean, I guess, I had a phase where I wanted to be an astronaut, actually.”
“Didn’t we all?” She laughs. “Well, I wanted to be a stewardess for a while, but then I realized I hate flying,” she shakes her head.
“I found out I had motion sickness so I tossed that idea out really quickly,” you laughed along with her while holding your glass of water. The ice had long melted already and all that was left was the cool condensation surrounding the glass.
“You know what, (Y/N), you’re really cool,” she says softly. “I’m glad we matched.”
“Me too, it’s been kind of rough meeting new people since I started here a couple weeks ago,” you nodded.
“Yeah, that’s right, I haven’t really found my crowd either. I have groups here and there, but no one I’d definitely call a ‘good’ friend,” she says. Did you even have one? Well, the closest would be that study group you had now, the bonds from orientation apparently are very strong. “But, I dunno, you seem sweet so I’m sure people will gravitate toward you,” she smiles.
“Yeah?”
“Oh, yeah!” She says with a wide smile. “Say, why don’t we finish up that game? We still have a couple questions left.”
“Sounds good, you can go first,” you invited her.
“Nice,” she thinks for a moment, “when was your first kiss?” She asks. You drank some of your water.
“You can’t laugh.”
“I won’t!”
“Two months ago,” you said after taking a deep breath.
“Two?!” She gasps. You nodded curtly. “Whoa…”
“And you?”
“Middle school, on accident, I slipped on the wet floor and fell on top of this guy,” she laughed.
“Holy shit, that sounds like it’d hurt! For me it was in orientation. My roommate was a lesbian and she asked if me or out third liked girls too and I told her I wasn’t sure so she asked if I wanted to find out and I said yeah and… well, here I am,” you explained.
“Wow… and you’ll never know if she was a good kisser.”
“I didn’t hate it!”
“But you have no one to go on,” Somi reasons. She wasn’t wrong. You weren’t 100% sure how you were supposed to go about a kiss anyway, you just let your roommate at the time take control and you went with it. “Okay, okay, let’s settle it down a little. Coffee or tea?”
“Coffee, definitely.”
“Right, biochem.”
“You?”
“I’ve really been into tea lately!”
“Right, math,” you laughed.
“Hey! It’s good for you,” she fires back. “Okay, hm, what do you think of me so far?”
“I think you’re very nice,” you answered. “But, I’ll be honest, I was a little worried when you asked me to meet you at your apartment,” you admitted. “Respectfully, I barely know you.”
“No, you’re right! As soon as I sent that text I was like ‘God! What was I thinking?’ and here you are!” She gestures toward you. “I’m glad you agreed, though, I hope I’m not too awkward.”
“You? Awkward?” You were in disbelief. She’d only been sweet and, if anything, she’s carrying the conversation. “I’m sorry for being awkward,” you corrected.
“Oh, please, I just thought you were being polite,” she says. “Say, I don’t want to ruin the mood or anything, but were you serious about cuddle buddies?”
Whoops, you forgot about that.
“I mean… I’m down to try it,” and suddenly you felt your walls building again. “But could you run by me what we’d be doing again?” You asked, diverting your eyes only slightly before looking at her again.
“Sure, we’d just be cuddling,” she explains. “No strings attached, we’d just call or text one another when we need some affection and then voila, we cuddle,” she continues.
“That’s it?”
“Yup. I mean, unless you want something more out of it, but I’m perfectly fine with just keeping it as friendly cuddling.”
Friendly? Were you even looking for something romantic? Was she? Were you? Did you even know how to notice those cues?
“Did you want something romantic?” You asked. She thought for a moment.
“To be honest… not right now,” she shook her head. “I’m still getting into the swing of things in this new university, but at the same time, I, uh…” she trails off while she squeezes her arms. “I don’t know. Haven’t you had times where you just wanted to be held?”
Of course.
“Yeah, I get it, we can do that then, cuddle buddies,” you answered.
“Okay then! The deal is set,” she nods.
“I might be awkward at first, though, I have to admit I’ve never really cuddled anyone before.”
“Really? Oh, (Y/N), you’re missing out!” She says. “I mean, we don’t have to try it today, but I’m just saying, it’s a really nice experience.”
“I’ll hold you to that, then,” you glanced at your watch, something she easily caught onto.
“I didn’t mean to keep you if you had anything,” she mumbled.
“Oh, no, it’s nothing. I just um… can’t drive, so my parents pick me up,” you explained. “So I should probably start heading back to campus,” you cleared your throat.
“Yeah, I get it! Have a safe walk back and thanks again for agreeing to meet with me! I’ll walk you to the door,” she says before following you up. “We’ll text later?”
“Of course,” you nodded and she opened the door for you.
“Bye, now!”
“See you.” She waved at you one last time before closing the door. Afterwards, you pivoted on your heel and walked off toward the apartment’s staircase, a strange warm feeling enveloping in your chest and a small smile on your face.
Okay, so maybe that wasn’t the train wreck you were afraid it’d be, actually, you’d say it went really well. Then, as you reached the bottom of the stairs and stepped out of the complex, your phone buzzed in your pocket. You shot a quick glance at it.
‘Heyyy! Look up behind you!’ You did so and Somi waved at you from her balcony. You waved back with a smile and she pointed to her phone again before shooting you another message. This time it was a picture of her schedule, something which you responded with a picture of your own as you walked off, chancing another look back to see her waiting for you to go. Again, you waved, and she waved back. Then, with you back turned to her, you continued down the sidewalk back to campus.
In no time at all, you were at the pickup area, spotting your dad’s car waiting for you. As soon as he saw you approaching, he moved out of the driver’s seat and into the passenger side and you felt your shoulders slump. It’s not that you dreaded these mini driving lessons, it’s more like it was too hot for you to even think about them.
Then again, if you got your license sooner, maybe you’d be able to meet up with Somi more? That’d be nice, you really enjoyed your time with her earlier.
“How was you day?” Your dad asked as soon as you slid into the car. Amazing.
“Good and… hot,” you answered while putting your seatbelt on. “Why’d you ask?”
“You just look like something good happened,” he answered. You pulled the car out of park and into drive. “Check your mirrors.”
“Oh, right,” you adjusted them.
“Always put the car on ‘park’ before you do that. Your car might roll forward.”
“Right, right.”
“And always step on the brake pedal too.”
“Got it, dad.”
“Look over your shoulder before you go.”
“I know.”
The extent of all your conversations with him have just been this. Driving. You were grateful he was teaching you but sometimes it felt so hard to talk to him about anything else.
~ You both continued to text back and forth after that. But you hadn’t met up, no, the extent of your friendship had been exchanged via Tinder. More and more questions back and forth, the occasional TikTok, and every now and then the late night texts asking each other seemingly pointless questions, and it was like that for almost two weeks. Your schedules actually lined up really well, given the two year difference, and a lot of gaps between your classes lined up with hers. So it wasn’t like you couldn’t meet up, more like neither of you had the opportunity or maybe either of you were too shy to make the first move after that initial meeting.
“Holy shit that lecture was so boring,” Yeji yawned next to you.
“Don’t even get me started,” Keeho rubbed his tired face.
“God, it’s only week four,” you muttered into your hands. “Is Jaemin still with us?” You looked over at the fourth member of the study group, but he walked along silently with his eyes glued forward.
“Nope,” Keeho laughs. “Let’s go get some coffee. (Y/N) you’re down to study with us after English, right?” He asks.
“Uh… let me ask,” you pulled your phone out, sending a quick text to your mom asking to stay longer to study with them. Her response was near immediate, green lighting it for you. “Yeah, I’m good to go. Where are we studying at?”
“Probably the Sciences Library,” Yeji answers.
“Sounds like a plan,” you nodded. “You guys grabbing lunch?”
“I’m down,” Keeho shrugs.
“I’m hungry,” Jaemin adds.
“Darn, I have econ, I’ll meet you guys after if you’re still together!” Yeji says.
“Yeah, okay,” you waved at her while she bounded off toward her next lecture hall.
“Let’s eat, I have meal swipes if you guys want to go to the dorms,” Keeho pulls his ID out.
“Sure, I’ll follow you there,” Jaemin nods. “(Y/N)?”
“Um…” You’d seen enough Crime Watch Daily to know this was probably a bad idea. Not that you didn’t trust them, but they were two guys significantly more built than you taking you to a dorm room.
“We could always just eat on campus if the walk’s too far,” Keeho, seemingly sensing your unease, came up with the alternative.
“Yeah, let’s do that,” you agreed.
“Nice, I’ve been wanting to try that pizza place anyway,” he leads the way and the two of you follow behind. “We have five hours until English, god,” he slumps his shoulders. “Talk about a waste of time.”
“I usually spend these gaps napping in my dorm, but I always end up sleeping in,” Jaemin yawns. “I bet you have it harder though, (Y/N), you commute.”
“Yeah, I can’t even go home because by the time I get there I’ll have to go back to campus. I usually just spend these gaps in the library,” you walked faster to keep pace with them.
“Shoot, I should be doing that too,” Keeho whines.
“What have you been doing, Keeho?”
“Spacing out,” he cries. “How are you two studying?”
“Good faith,” Jaemin answers.
“Notes revisions,” you sighed.
“Oh, good, I thought I was too far behind,” Keeho holds the door open for the both of you now as you enter the food hub. He checks his phone as he closes the door, skimming over the flurry of texts that filled his screen. “Damn, there’s a meeting for dance club soon, I completely forgot,” he shakes his head.
“How soon? Are you still studying with us later?” You ask.
“Uh… yeah, I should be able to study with you all for like… an hour,” his eyes move up in thought.
“Hell, we need you, Keeho! You’re the only one who knows what’s going on!” You exclaimed.
“Not even, I’m as average as everyone else,” he retaliates. Jaemin says something next, but whatever it was you weren’t paying attention. No, you were more preoccupied with the girl who was waiting next to the Chinese food station. Somi’s eyes were glued to her phone, and every so now and then when she scrolled the charm attached to it would hit her bracelet. She looked up at her phone briefly and made eye contact with you and you smiled, and she waved, and you waved back. “Earth to (Y/N), we need to come up with a study plan,” Keeho pulls you out of your thoughts and follows your gaze, seeing nothing, he refocuses back on the trio.
“Study plan, right,” you glanced at Somi, who was one again focused on her phone. “Why don’t we go old school and start with unit one?”
“I will kill myself if I have to read one more passage about the cell’s organelles,” Jaemin deadpans.
“How about we stick to the study questions then?” Keeho offers. The conversation continues, but instead you look to your side again, watching Somi pick up her food, wave at you once, then leave before you could wave back.
God, was that it? Was that the only in-person experience you’d had with her over these past weeks? That’s kind of pathetic. You started drawing scribbles with your finger against the table while resting your chin on your other hand. You’d spent all day today, yesterday, and probably will again tomorrow just thinking about her. Through your exchanged texts you started associating her with everything. Even reading the word ‘Hazelnut’ under the Lattes section of the campus café made you think about her. What was she doing now? On her schedule it said she was in some advanced mathematics lab in an hour, so there’s that.
You barely even noticed the day pass by until English lecture had ended, leaving the four of you in the library to study for your bio quiz tomorrow together.
“Oh, shoot,” Yeji silences her phone as soon as it blared.
“What’s up?” You asked.
“I gotta run to the apartment, my hell roommate is stirring the pot again,” she rolls her eyes. “Sorry, guys, I have to run and make sure she doesn’t break shit again,” Yeji grabs her scooter leaning against the bookshelf. “I’ll definitely study with you all tomorrow, though!” Yeji waves goodbye before she rushes off.
“Shit… I would hate to have a roommate like that,” Keeho shudders.
“The fact that she had to take off like that must mean that it’s serious,” Jaemin shakes his head.
“It’s okay, she’s got a good grasp on the content, I guess,” you skimmed through the textbook again. You, on the other hand, do not have a good grasp on the content.
“Actually, I gotta run too,” Keeho starts packing his things. “Dance club.”
“Ah, right! Good luck, Keeho!” You said.
“Thanks, I’ll catch you guys later!” Then he was off too. Jaemin sighed and readjusted his glasses before looking down at his iPad.
‘And then there were two,’ you wanted to joke, but to be honest you didn’t really know Jaemin all that well. You, Yeji, and Keeho went back to orientation, but Jaemin had joined the group rather recently at Keeho’s recommendation. Sure, he was the newest addition, and you had to admit that you didn’t hate spending time with him, he knew his stuff and you didn’t. He was quiet when you first met him, but now he had this teasing edge to him that you didn’t think you’d see. Still, though, that’s all you knew about him. You didn’t want to say it was awkward but…
“Is there something wrong?” He asks.
“Oh, no, nothing,” you shook your head. You didn’t even know you were staring.
Aw, hell, this is awkward.
“(Y/N)?” His voice was low to not disturb the other patrons.
“Yeah?”
“Real quick, what did you get on the respiration question? I just want to double check my math.”
“Oh, uh… 132,” you answered.
“Okay, I got the same,” you heard him scribble something on his iPad. Your phone buzzed on the table next to your textbook and you flipped it over, spotting the text from Somi.
‘Hey, are you busy rn?’ You answered right away.
‘Just studying, why?’
‘R u on campus?’
‘Yeah’
‘Think you can come over? If not, though, that’s okay!’ You read the text over again. She wants you to come over? Well, you did tell your parents that you were studying today but you didn’t want to leave Jaemin on his own, that felt a little rude. Then again, he does live on campus so he could easily go home after this.
‘Everything alright?’ You glanced over at Jaemin, who was engrossed in whatever he was doing.
‘Yeah’ was all she sent, but she was quick to send another. ‘No’ You looked at the time again, you had until 9 when your parents came to pick you up.
“Hey.”
“Jaemin?” You both spoke at the same time, both of your expressions surprised. His glasses slid down the bridge of his nose and he pushed them back up while clearing his throat.
“You first,” he insists.
“Sure, um, I just got a text from my parents, turns out I have to leave earlier than I thought,” you lied. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want to leave you alone and all, but you know how it goes.”
“Yeah, I get it, we’ll probably figure something out in the group chat,” he shrugs. “See you tomorrow.”
“Wait, what were you going to say?”
“Nothing important,” he shakes his head. “Get home safe.”
“You too,” you grabbed your things and walked off in the direction toward Somi’s apartment. This marked the second time you’d been there, and although it was straight shot from campus you still had to double check Maps to be sure you were going the right way. Your feet moved quickly, whether that was because you wanted to see her again or because you were worried, and maybe it was both, you moved with purpose. Wait, never mind, it was the anxiety. You looked every which way while you walked and you occasionally looked over your shoulder, something which would send you into momentary embarrassment when you made eye contact with some random passerby that you knew for a fact wasn’t stalking you. And before you knew it you were scrolling through contacts on your phone, but then a new anxiety hit.
You didn’t know who to call. Or, rather, you had no one to call. Yeji was a no, the worst case scenario is that you call her while her and her roommate were caught up in some intense screaming match, which has happened to you before. Keeho was a no too, he was at dance club and you didn’t want to bother him. All of your high school friends were off limits too, you knew that none of them would answer, you’re not a priority anymore after somehow becoming the low maintenance friend. It probably wasn’t a good idea to call Somi right now, plus, you’d see her in a few minutes anyway. So that left one person.
Jaemin.
But were you even close enough to do that? Close enough to call him and ask him something as simple as just staying on the line? You’d laugh if you were him. So, instead, you toughed it out. You tried to control your breathing, you tried to stay focused in front of you, and you tried to keep yourself calm. But at all times your hands clutched onto your pepper spray, your knuckles whitening from the pressure and your palms aching from it too.
Her apartment couldn’t have been any closer. You knew the walk was only ten minutes at the most but it felt like hours for you and, as soon as you’d knocked on her door, she opened it after your first knock and you felt your heart drop. There were tears in her eyes and down her face, her hair had been pulled at and tugged every which way, and her hands shook when they clasped against each other. She looked at you for only a moment longer before she shook her head and brought her hands up to either side of her head, them shaking more than before, and she shook her head again. You locked the door behind you and stepped forward, doing what you thought was right, and wrapped your arms around her shoulders to bring her head against your neck. Quietly, she sobbed. Her body shook against yours and you held her tighter while you rubbed her back gently. She held you even tighter, just like you were the only person grounding her.
But you really didn’t know what to say. You didn’t know if you should be doing anything else other than holding her like this, or if you should even be holding her a certain way. But one thing you did know, however, was that she definitely needed someone right now. And the way she started to wobble in her stance you knew it’d be better for her to sit down. So, you led her to the couch and told her that you’d be back, then you traced her steps when you first came to her apartment. You pulled out a glass from the top cabinet, some ice from the freezer, and you poured water from the water bottle next to the fridge before placing it in front of her and sitting by her side. Slowly, her head falls on your shoulder, and you readjust yourself on the couch so that you could pull her close to you while she cried.
Was this the time for you to ask her what was wrong? Should you even pry?
“I’m sorry,” she says between muted sobs.
“Don’t apologize,” you told her. “Did you want to talk about it?” She shook her head and you nodded.
“Just… stay like this for a while,” she says. You nodded again and you felt her shift so that she was more comfortable under you. “You can put something on too, if you want,” she says.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I like the white noise,” she responds while she hands you the remote. You flipped through Netflix looking for really anything to watch, then you noticed the series of half watched nature documentaries on her Recently Watched. Without more thought to it, you selected Our Planet and started it from the beginning.
The time was 5:00 pm in the evening. You had four hours to be with her and to make sure she was alright, and you had no idea how fast time would go while you were sitting on this couch with her watching some generic nature documentary. But, slowly, as the documentary continued she began to comment more on the animals and their narrator, and just as slowly you relaxed into your position and your arms felt more natural around her almost like they’d always meant to be there.
~
It was like a domino effect after that. She called you over more often now, sometimes just to talk and sometimes to not talk at all, then there was the routine of watching whatever nature documentary either of you could find for the remainder of your time together. Your parents applauded you and very near bragged about you to their family members about how “studious” you were staying behind at school to work with your study group and, hey, as long as you kept your grades up you could keep this charade going. Besides, it’s not like your parents knew who you really were anyway, and it’s not like you’d ever tell them either.
Leading to now, while you laid your head down on Somi’s chest, usually it’s the other way around but you figured you’d try it this way once and, good god she was right. One of her hands was on your arm and the other held the remote. Today was the first day you initiated, you asked her first if you could come over to her apartment and she said yes, thank god. You didn’t want to impose but today you felt like you just had to see her. Today you felt like you wanted to be the one held rather than being the one who did the holding.
“Oh, what do you think of this one, (Y/N)?” She asks. The cursor was hovered over a documentary about the oceans.
“Sure, honestly, I’m a little tired anyway…” you mumbled.
“Ah, so good white noise then, huh?” She nuzzles her head against yours and presses play before tossing the remote to the side. “How was your day?” You relaxed into her chest.
“Good… good…”
“Doesn’t sound good,” she comments.
“I mean…” you thought back to your argument with your mom. Then you thought about how you lied to her, and how you’d been lying to her. She just told you that you were staying out too late, that you’d been “studying” enough, and you lied to her and said that you needed to study more, but the truth was that you’d been coming here. You’d been coming here during your gaps between lectures, you’d been coming here when you weren’t studying with your friends, and you’d even been coming here in your dreams. Always here, and always with her. Your heart raced whenever you saw her name on your phone and your heart pounded whenever you saw something that reminded you of her. But you wanted to keep a good thing good. Besides, it’s not like you were expecting anything from her. She never told you about her troubles so why would you tell her about yours? “I don’t really want to talk about it right now,” you squeezed her gently and you heard her sigh.
“Okay, if that’s what you want,” she conceded. The narrator of the documentary drowned out to you while you took your time to just be in the moment. The sun had long set and you’d been here for a while now, having come straight here right after your study session. Your dad told you much earlier to text him when you wanted him to come pick you up but you didn’t want to go home.
And that’s what you texted him a few hours ago.
‘Dad, I’m staying over at a friend’s apartment to study. You remember her, right? We studied together all the time in high school.’ You felt bad for using your longtime crush for this.
‘You should come home.’
‘I have an important exam tomorrow.’
‘Ask your mom.’
You ended up not doing that. Besides, she has your location anyway, yet another reason why you had that argument with her.
You took a deep breath to calm yourself and just above you Somi started to hum a small tune. Your breath stilled for a brief moment, feeling like the tune was more delicate than a thin pane of glass and that your thoughts were a large speaker waiting to be turned on. Quietly, you listened to the rest of the song as if it was the only thing you could hear and you felt yourself relax. You always loved being here, it was like a world away from the one you come from. A place where you know you are heard and listened to, a place where you could be yourself without fear of judging eyes and whispering lips.
“What song is that?” You asked her.
“Just a tune I used to hear a lot when I was younger,” Somi says. “I used to have this music box back at home, it was a small one made of wood and when you opened it there was the white flower that would spin around in front of a mirror that was on the lid. Technically, it was my mom’s, but I would always wind it up when I saw it. I just thought it was so pretty,” she says. “Then she would tell me this story about how my dad got it for her and what it all meant and all that romantic crap,” she added with a laugh.
“Don’t leave me hanging now,” you made a move to slip away from her but there was that slight tug back from her and you stayed in your position, “what’s the story?”
“It’s a classic. Back when they were just dating, my mom and dad had met in one of those love at first sight meet-cutes. But my mom had to come back to Korea while my dad stayed behind in Canada so he bought her that music box and a matching one for himself. They made a promise to play it at the same time every day. For my dad, it was the first thing he did in the morning. For my mom, it was the last thing she did before she slept.”
“That is so romantic,” you sighed. Imagine a kind of love like that, one that transcended distance and grew stronger because of it, and even the commitment to incorporate something as simple as winding up a music box into one’s daily routine was already a movie-worthy act of love in your book.
“I mean… yeah, my parents were the hopeless romantic types,” she says.
“Hey, um… you’re sure I can stay over, right?” You asked her.
“Yeah, of course,” she nods. “You can take the bed, I’ll sleep here.”
“Wait, but are you sure? I can sleep on this couch, not like I haven’t before,” you insisted.
“Well, yeah, but those were just because of your fucked sleep schedule, (Y/N), but since you’re actually staying over I want to treat you like a proper guest,” she says. “Actually, let me get you a change of clothes real quick,” she separates from you and disappears into her room. You, meanwhile, turned to the TV, but you couldn’t stay focused on whatever was playing, being too preoccupied with the realization of wow. You’re staying the night at Somi’s apartment and she was totally cool with it. Part of you wondered if she’d say yes if you’d ask her to sleep in bed with you and part of you wondered what it would be like to be in her arms for a whole night, but was that too much to ask? Was that a boundary that you shouldn’t cross? You felt yourself start to press down on your fingernails, a habit you’d developed instead once you realized how destructive biting your nails was.
You wondered if she was as anxious as you right now.
Was it just you or was she taking a while to come out?
You looked around the apartment and you just realized it now. There were traces of you all over. Small keepsakes of things in your favorite color, small things that you owned, and small things that you’ve gifted her. You were surprised to see them all adorning various spaces and you wondered why she chose to display them. Even the blanket that was between you and the couch was something you’d picked out for her when she sent you a picture of five different colors and asked which would’ve suited her style better.
And it was true for you as well. You’d been picking up and buying things that reminded you of her constantly. Things in her favorite color, things that she owned, and things she’s gifted you. If you just took a step back and looked at the both of you from an outside perspective you’d probably think that you were in love… and maybe you were.
“Sorry for the hold up, (Y/N),” Somi returned, changed into pajamas, and with an oversized tee and a pair of shorts and handed them to you. “You know where the bathroom is.”
“Yup, I’ll be back,” you walked off and closed the door behind you, catching yourself in the mirror. You rubbed the smudged makeup under your eye and shook your head. “God… but how could she be in love with a wreck like me?” You mumbled. You pulled your shirt over your head and paused for a moment longer, taking in your reflection once more. After a moment passed, you turned your back to the mirror and continued changing, and once you’d finished you folded your clothes neatly and walked back out to shove them into your backpack.
“Ooh, you look cozy,” she opens her arms and, once more, you found yourself nestled between them.
“And you feel cozy,” you responded.
“Oh, I definitely do now,” she grins. “Now, where were we in this show? God, I love manatees, they’re just so sweet.”
“I know! So friendshaped.”
“Absolutely friendshaped!” Somi gushed.
“I used to have this three-foot manatee plush that I’d sleep with when I was younger and when I tell you I brought that thing everywhere I mean it,” you recounted.
“Now that I can see you doing,” she shifts to be more comfortable. “You seem like a huge stuffed animal gal.”
“I need to show you my collection some time.”
“A collection?”
“Yes. I’ve never thrown out a stuffed toy since I was born.”
“Oh my god, you’re a hoarder.”
“Hey, not true! I just took Toy Story a little too seriously,” you defended.
“Okay, okay, that’s fair, I love Toy Story,” she concedes. “Actually… did you want to watch it?”
“Actually? Yeah, I’m down.”
“Nice, okay,” she stands up. “I have it on DVD, but the player is in my room, you cool with moving over there?”
“Yeah, yeah,” you nodded and followed her into her bedroom.
This was the first time you’d been in here. Unsurprisingly, her bedroom really screamed ‘Somi.’ The bedroom itself was similar to the rest of the apartment with it’s neutral tones and wooden furniture, off in the corner of the room was a full sized bed with a few select stuffed animals on it and off to another was a relatively simple PC set up with the TV mounted on the wall above it such that it faced the bed. There was a dresser and a clothes rack off in the other corner of the room and in the center was a round rug to fill in the space.
“Hey, you can come join me here now,” Somi pats the bed next to her and you sit down carefully. “What, I change up the scenery and you get all shy again?” She teases and you felt your face heat up.
“I mean… well,” you swallowed nervously. “No…” you finally pushed out and you moved closer to her. She turns the TV on and skips through the trailers before starting the movie. Were you getting shy again? True, you felt this lingering sense of awkwardness around you, but that was normal. Maybe being in her bedroom did change the mood a little, but you didn’t want to say anything and risk it all. The only thing you really cared about, though, was that this was so much more comfortable than the couch, and you were living for it. Every now and then you’d hear a small chuckle from her or a muted coo and it just sent your heart into a flurry. Secretly you hoped that she felt the same, but you knew better than to be selfish.
You didn’t even realize you’d fallen asleep until the sunlight danced over you the next morning. The space next to you was empty but there were signs of someone sleeping there earlier, and you could smell the faint aroma of pancakes.
Pancakes? Oh, she’s really spoiling you here.
You pushed yourself off of the bed and wandered back out of the room and spotted Somi at the stove, a stack of pancakes slowly growing on the counter next to her, and you quietly sat yourself at the counter while you watched her ministrations. You didn’t realize it until now, but she was very clean when it came to these things. Spilled pancake batter was wiped up immediately, her hands were kept washed the entire time, and the pancake stack was near pristine. The coffee machine next to you beeped and signaled that it was done.
“(Y/N), be a dear and pour some coffee for us,” she says without turning around.
“Yeah, sure,” you took the two mugs in front of it and prepared both of them. “Two sugars and cream, right?”
“That’s right,” she slides another pancake onto the stack while you added creamer into her mug. “I wasn’t sure which kind you liked, so I made blueberry pancakes and cinnamon ones too,” she says.
“Whoa, talk about boujee pancakes,” you teased.
“I just like to add a little bit of flair,” she takes the plate and turns around to place it between you both. “So, give it a taste,” she hands you a fork.
“They smell amazing,” you cut a piece and tried your first bite, “and they taste amazing too,” you were quick to go in for another.
“Thank you, thank you,” she holds down the pancake with her fork while you pull a piece off with yours. “Did you sleep well?”
“One of the best one’s I had in a while,” you covered your mouth with your hand as you spoke, mainly out of habit than anything. “How about you?”
“Ditto,” she nods. “I ended up falling asleep partway through the movie.”
“Same, I don’t even remember what the last scene I saw was.”
“Oh, hon, you fell asleep as soon as they got to Sid’s house.”
“Really? So you fell asleep after me then!”
“Pretty sure, yeah, you are so quiet when you’re asleep that I didn’t even realize I was the only one watching the movie.”
“Oh, dammit, we’re going to have to watch it again some time for sure then!”
“Next time you sleepover then,” she says.
“Definitely,” you answered without another thought.
The time was 9 in the morning. You knew that both of you had classes in two hours, but at that time it didn’t seem like either of you cared. Instead you were both more preoccupied with the person in front of them and how their eyes seemed to have a different shine in them than before, and there was also that new and slight upturn of one another’s lips that signaled a soft and sweet enjoyment that can only be found in the mornings when you are just barely awake, the first of what you hoped would be many.
~
And many it was. At this rate it was like you were living together with how often you stayed over. What was once only a few of your items became many. In the medicine cabinet next to the bathroom sink there were now two toothbrushes, the shelves were overflowing with various skincare products, the number of towels doubled, and suddenly the shampoo and conditioner bottles ran out faster. More food stocked the fridge and pantries, and the dishes piled faster than before. There was a slight and subtle change to the aesthetics of the apartment what with your own creative additions on top of Somi’s. Yours and her clothing mixed together, your styles adapting to one another, and soon you both realized that you were wearing the same outfits.
From an outsider’s perspective, anyone would have put a label on what the two of you had. But you’d never know, because this world existed only in the confines of this apartment. Even if the two of you ran into each other on campus, a very rare occurrence, your interactions were limited to small smiles and short waves. Your group of friends and her group of friends remained separate and oblivious to your growing situationship, and you were both careful in how you worded your experiences with each other to them.
In truth, you had to admit it, you’d fallen hopelessly in love with this woman, and you prayed that she felt the same. Never had either of you two dare utter a single word that could have alluded to something more than your casual relationship, for you it was because you didn’t want to lose her, and for her, you think, it’s because she didn’t see you that way at all. Oh, how you want to ask, how you want to pick apart her thoughts and find out just what she really thinks of you and whether or not you have a chance. You think you love her, if love is the word that describes the way your heart beats when you see her face, if love is the word that describes the way you daydream and fantasize of a life together, and if love is the word that describes the way you yearn for her touch every day, then yes, you love her.
“Wait, repeat that?” You asked her. You had agreed to help her get ready for a night out between your classes, anything just to be around her.
“It's easy, (Y/N),” she says while holding the rollers in her hands. “Start at the bottom, roll up.”
“Okay…" you took the roller.
“You've never used a roller?”
“I only use curling irons.”
“Oh, honey, those are so bad for your hair!” Your heart fluttered.
“I know, I know!” You took a small bunch of her hair, flattened it out, and rolled it around the roller. “Too tight?”
“Just right,” she hands you a clip and you secured it in place before picking up the next roller.
“So, what's the occasion tonight?” You asked her while getting started on the other roller.
“Blind date,” she shrugs. You swallowed harshly. It was instances like this, at 2:54 in the afternoon, that held you back from asking for the truth. If you had brought up to her that you’d fallen in love, would she cut this off forever? Short and casual, that was what she had written on her profile. She told you from the get go that she wasn’t expecting romance, just comfort, and you had willingly agreed, not knowing or thinking how it would come back to bite you.
“Oh yeah?” You finally answered.
“Yeah, my friends set me up with him,” she mutters. That didn’t sound right.
“Him?” You asked. Her expression falters for a moment and she hesitates before answering.
“Yeah, him,” she confirms.
Looks like you both had the same secret, then. You wanted to probe more, though, but you knew better than to pry, and who were you to talk anyway? You’d only ever come out to that creep in your class to get him to leave you alone. Your family doesn’t know, your friends don’t know, and you barely found out recently. Then, it all made sense, the fact that you both had your own world within these walls and you didn’t dare let it slip out into the world beyond. It was that certain fear that held you both back and, hell, maybe it was that same fear that held you back from confessing your true feelings to her too. You didn't even realize you paused your actions until her eyes slid up to look at yours through your reflections. 
“Okay,” you continued rolling her hair. “Have fun.” You didn’t mean for the responses to sound so curt.
“Thanks, (Y/N),” she smiles. Maybe you were imagining it, but there seemed to be some disappointment in it. Should you have said something? Should you have told her not to go? Held her back in some way? You were never good at reading people.
“All done,” you secured the last roller and leaned back.
“Whoa, you’re a natural, (Y/N),” she turns her head to either side to make sure all her hair had been tightly wrapped around the rollers. “Thanks, hon, sorry to eat up your gap time like this,” she turns to you.
“It’s fine! If I had something important I would’ve told you,” you reassured her. Truth be told, you probably should have stayed on campus. Your study group was cramming for your bio test as you spoke right now.
“I think I got it from here though, I won’t keep you if you have to study,” she says and you felt yourself pressing down on your fingernails again. Were you overthinking it? Did she want you to leave? Why would she bring that up if she wanted you to stay? You swallowed harshly yet again.
“I do have a midterm in a couple of hours…”
“Oh, shoot! Why didn’t you say so sooner?” Somi gasps. “I’m so sorry, (Y/N)!”
“No, no! Don’t apologize! It’s fine,” you waved your hand in front of you. “But, I think I’ll catch my study group, then, they should still be in the science library,” you checked the time.
“Yeah, yeah! No worries!”
“Let me know how your date goes,” you teased her.
“God, I can already feel that it’s going to be a whole train wreck,” Somi groans while she shakes her head. “I’ll see you soon, (Y/N),” she says.
“See you soon,” you grabbed your things and waved goodbye to her before leaving her apartment. You shot a quick text to your group chat, telling the rest of the study group that you were on your way.
‘Thank god, (Y/N)! You’re the only one who knows anything for this class’ You could almost hear Yeji’s voice.
‘Jaem keeps saying he knows but then we double check and he’s WRONG’ Keeho’s was as easy to hear as ever.
‘at least i’m trying’ Jaemin types the way he talks. Luckily for you, campus was only a ten minute walk away, not bad but not good either, and it took another five to get to the science library from where you were now, which left you a good three hours before your midterm.
And, in no time at all, you were seated with your study group in a room that Keeho had miraculously reserved for the whole semester. Good on him for thinking ahead, because this room had been witness to your development as a friend group. From the actual study sessions at the beginning, to the now prolonged breaks filled with trauma dumps from everyone, the third floor room 346 is a study room that will remain in your memories.
“So I told him ‘no and fuck off’ before storming out of that party,” Yeji rolls her eyes.
“(Y/N),” Jaemin said your name quietly so as not to disturb Yeji’s and Keeho’s pep talk with each other. You lean closer to him and he circles one of the practice questions with his stylus. You nod your head and look back at your worksheet.
“Oh, okay, so what you want to do first is determine the common trait those two have, then you can determine the common ancestor from that,” you explained to him.
“Got it, okay,” he returns to his world of studying while you did the same. Though seated next to each other, you each had your own bubble you stayed within, he was just so ‘in the zone’ when he studied and you were so ‘what the fuck am I doing?’ when you study that just thinking of intruding on each other would be catastrophic. But, before you could realize it, you were drawing scribbles on your notes and wondering how Somi’s date was going. You glanced at your phone, wondering if she’d send you an SOS text or start live texting the date to you, but your lock screen remained silent, with the only notifs coming in being from your classes. You focused on another question and immediately drew a blank.
“Hey, Jaem?” You glanced at the other two, who were now having a conversation about what the next best anime would be this season, before turning to Jaemin, who’s head had turned toward you while waiting for you to continue. “For number 34, does this have to do with mitochondrial genetics?”
“Uh…” he glances at his notes and flips through a few pages. “Yes?” He didn’t sound too sure. “Let me double check that, I thought it was just X-Linked genetics.”
“Wait, no, I can see that,” you looked at your notes again. “Sorry, can we compare notes really quick? I know it’s on this slide but I think I might have fallen asleep during this part of the lecture,” you slid your tablet toward him and he did the same with his and you both looked between your notes slides.
“Oh, here’s what you’re missing,” Jaemin highlighted the section that you didn’t write down.
“Thanks,” you both turned to each other and your breath caught in your throat.
Now, when did you two get so close to each other? Just inches apart and one wrong move could lead to some kind of physical contact. Jaemin’s glasses slide down the roof of his nose and, without thinking about it, you gently grabbed the junction of the arm and the frame to push it back up for him.
“Thank you too,” Jaemin was the first to pull back and, with one glance toward the other two, it became clear that they didn’t witness any of what had just happened. You turned to your notes, your body somewhat twisting away from his direction while you busied yourself with… cell anatomy. Dammit, (Y/N), if you were going to choose one slide to pretend to study at least make it something confusing like Hardy Weinberg.
But what was this feeling that creeped up on you? The way your heart skipped a beat when you turned toward him and saw just how close he was, it left your face heated and your breath unsteady. The last time you felt this way was with Somi, when you woke up from an impromptu nap and caught a small glimpse of her face while she read what had to be an engaging book of some sort. This was probably nothing, you think. It’s completely different than what you felt with Somi. You think so, at least. You shook your head, holding your hand to it to feign a headache.
“Oh, fuck, T minus one hour until that midterm,” Keeho panics.
“God, what kind of class has three midterms?! It’s called midterm for a reason!” Yeji finally opens her textbook.
“Numbers don’t define us,” Keeho mutters.
“For fucking real,” Yeji downs her coffee and focuses on the page in front of her.
Needless to say, that midterm was fucking horrible. Every single thing you had decided to ghost over because it was ‘common sense’ was worth a hefty twenty points in an exam you didn’t think would be free response. You swear you could hear the gears in your head moving on overdrive when you would have to reread another unfortunate question.
“I’m dropping out,” Yeji said as soon as you left the lecture hall.
“Numbers don’t define us,” Keeho repeated under his breath. You pulled your phone out and unsilenced it, and near instantly your phone flurried with notifications from whatever, but only two stood out to you.
‘Are you coming home today?’ Your sister.
‘Can you come over?’ Somi.
“Christ… I’m just gonna go home,” Yeji yawns. “I can’t, guys, like, I know we planned for ‘Hot Girl’ dinner but I am not feeling too hot after that,” she shakes her head.
“Wait, seriously? No way,” Keeho’s shoulders slump.
“Let’s just do it tomorrow, Keeho, I want to pass out,” Yeji argues.
“Yeah, I might go home too, that all nighter we pulled was intense,” Jaemin says.
“Damn… okay, fine, Yeji, I’ll walk with you back, my dorm’s on the way too.”
“Yeah, sure, I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” Yeji waved and walked off with Keeho running close behind her.
“How about you, then?” Jaemin looks to you. You chanced a glance up at him.
“Uh…” you hesitated. “Don’t know yet,” you shrugged.
“I’ll walk you over to the pickup area,” Jaemin offers, “only if you want though,” he quickly added.
“Uh… yeah, yeah, I’d appreciate that,” you nodded your head and you both were on your way, neither text on your phone answered just yet. Jaemin’s hands were in his pocket, a miracle considering his messenger bag was somehow balanced on one shoulder. You didn’t know what it exactly was, but something about the way the sunset hit him framed him perfectly. His eyes slant over toward you.
“What are you looking at?”
“Nothing, just wondering what your skin care routine is,” you covered.
“Cleanser then moisturizer,” he shrugged.
“It’s always the boys who don’t care who have the best genes,” you sighed. You both came to a stop at the drop off, him waiting for you and you waiting to make a decision. 
“(Y/N), actually, could I—” he is cut off by a loud brring startling both you and him. Somi’s name appeared on your phone and you scrambled to answer it.
“Sorry, Jaem, give me a second,” you apologized quickly and held it to your ear.
“(Y/N)?” Somi’s voice was different. “Sorry, I’m sorry if you’re busy, but could you come over? Please?”
“I, uh,” you looked over to Jaemin, who wasn’t listening to you intentionally. He rose an eyebrow toward you as if to ask if something was wrong. “Yeah, I’ll be right there,” you said.
“Thank you, thank you, just… take your time, it’s okay.” Name a more obvious way to tell you to get there as soon as possible.
“Sorry, Jaemin, that was a…” you trailed off, trying to find the right word to use, “friend of mine.” It didn’t feel right to call her that. “She really needs some help right now, I think I’ll head over to her apartment,” you pointed in its general direction. “What were you trying to tell me again?” You looked at him and he shook his head.
“Nothing important,” he says. “I was just going to ask when you were going to get your license,” he smiles at the end and you pushed him lightly.
“Jerk.”
“I’m just asking,” he raises his hands up.
“Soon, okay? I’m working on it!” You rolled your eyes. “But, still, thanks… I appreciate you waiting with me.”
“Any time, did you want me to walk you over to your friend too?”
“No, no, it’s okay,” you waved your hand. “But, uh… if I call you, just pick up, you don’t have to say anything,” you added. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Yeah, see you tomorrow,” he waited for you to leave first, and that you did. Your phone was in your hand, having typed out an apology to your sister and a confirmation to Somi. You chanced a look back at your friend, ready to wave goodbye, but, instead, he was sitting down on the bench, his elbows on his knees and his hands covering his face. You looked down at your phone again, a recent text from Somi telling you to take your time, but you knew better, you knew her better. But Jaemin was also your friend too. But Somi… You turned away from him and continued on your way.
When was the last time she called you when she was like this? A while ago, actually. You really didn’t have time to think about it, as soon as you got to her apartment and you saw that it was unlocked, you knew that there was something very wrong. You locked the door on your way in and looked around. The apartment was silent, clean, and untouched.
“Somi?” You called out to her. No answer. You walked further into the apartment, checking her usual spots. The couch was empty, the kitchen unused, and the bathroom was wide open too, and that left one place. The walk to her bedroom seemed much longer than usual, but when you finally got to it, your hand hovered in front of the door, ready to knock but not knowing what exactly to say. Carefully, gently, you knocked on it.
“It’s open,” Somi’s voice was quiet. You opened the door as slowly as you’d knocked on it and you saw her wrapped up in her comforter in bed. You approached her and she turned away so that her back was facing you. Your heart ached for her, there was this inexplicable draw that dragged you toward her and you wanted nothing more than to comfort her and to find out just what happened for her to near seclude herself like this.
“Hey, it’s cool if I sit on your bed in jeans, right?” You tried to joke with her. No response. You sat down with your back to her now. You twisted so that you could see the outline of herself hidden under that huge blanket. “What happened?” You chanced a dangerous question. You never asked what’s wrong, she never asked what’s wrong, you just called or texted one another and you showed up here. This was a barrier, one of many that you both agreed to put up, if she answered you now then what would that mean for the both of you? She didn’t answer, and you thought that that was it, you turned away and shook your head, you didn’t know why you even asked.
“It was bad… really bad,” she answered. You turned to her and she was looking at you.
“Oh, Somi,” you leaned down and brushed the hair out of her face and tucked the loose strands behind her ear. Her lips slipped into a frown for a moment before it flattened again. “Did you want to talk about it?”
“I…” she hesitated and averted her eyes for a moment. “I’m not out to my friends.”
“Neither am I,” you shook your head.
“They keep setting up these dates with these guys they think I’d like, and I keep going to them thinking maybe something will be different,” she shakes her head. “But… no, they always end up the same. I hate it, I hate those men they’re all the same in the end they’re all…” she trails off and shakes her head again. “He was a real asshole, (Y/N), I wish you were there to see it.”
“The money I’d pay to see you talk some sense into him,” you agreed.
“Homophobic asshole…” she grimaced. “I, uh… I told him at the end of the date that I had fun, but I didn’t want to give him false hope. So… I told him I didn’t think we should have a second date,” Somi’s voice started to wobble.
“And?” This was it, the meat of the story.
“He called me a dyke.”
“Oh that asshole,” you gasped.
“I know! I know, and you know me, usually I’d fight back but…” she stops. “I couldn’t. I couldn’t say anything because if I did then I’d be coming out to some ugly, no life jerk who throws a hissy fit when he doesn’t get what he wants,” she sits up, but keeps the blanket tightly wrapped around her. “That’s the thing with this country… people don’t get what they want so instead they find other ways to degrade others even if they don’t know the meaning of their words,” she says quietly. “Nearly every man I’ve tried to go on a date with has been so… so horrible, I…” she struggled to get her words out.
“It’s okay, Somi, it’s okay,” your hands tangled in her hair and you did your best to comfort her. “But… he didn’t do anything to you, right?”
“No, I got out before he had the chance,” she says. “It’s just that… I don’t know, he was so aggressive and I was just so scared,” she shuts her eyes as if to shut the memory out. “But it got me thinking, of course every date I’ve had with men was horrible, I’m not attracted to them. Yet on the other side every woman I’ve dated hasn’t ended well either. I think I have something good and then they’re gone. Faster than I could ask what happened,” she covers her face in her hands and drags it down her face. Then, silently, she reaches into the drawer next to her and pulls out a small box and a lighter. “I…” she stops talking, holding the cigarette between her lips. She looks at the lighter in her hands and, after some hesitation, she hands it to you. “Keep this away from me.” You nodded and placed it on a further shelf. She rolls the cigarette from one side of her mouth to another.
“You smoke?”
“Used to.”
“Used to?”
“Sophomore year was hard.”
“Is that a warning?”
“Sure.”
“I can barely make it through my freshman courses,” you chuckled. She pulled the cigarette out of her mouth and chucked both back into the drawer. “If you used to smoke, then why do you keep those?”
“I don’t really know,” she shrugs, “you saw me just now, if I didn’t stop to think about it, I probably would have rebounded,” she places a hand on her forehead and brushes her hair back. “God, (Y/N), I’m a wreck, aren’t I?” She looks at you sadly and you freeze. What should you say?
“Yeah, you are,” you nodded your head. You probably could have worded that better. “But that makes you you, right? You wouldn’t be Somi if you didn’t fuck up here and there.”
“Even if those fuck ups are, like, really bad?”
“Even if they’re really bad, yeah,” you nodded again.
“(Y/N), I’ve done so many things that I’ve regretted,” she says.
“I’m sure we both have.”
“Oh, (Y/N), you don’t even know,” she hit her head against the wall. “With all the shit I’ve done to my previous partners… it’s no wonder I’ll never be loved like that again,” she closes her eyes gently now.
“Hey, don’t say that,” you answered too quickly. She opened her eyes and they landed on you. It was offensive, almost, for her to say that. You loved her, you think you do. Even now, just being here, your heart beat towards her and your thoughts were filled of her at almost every waking hour. You loved her, and she didn’t see that, or she didn’t want to. “There’s plenty to love about you,” you added quietly.
“Like what?”
“Like how you look out for everyone, even if you don’t like them,” you thought about more, “like how you modify your recipes when you know someone doesn’t like a certain ingredient, or like how you wake up early whenever people stay over to make them breakfast…” you catch yourself, pausing for a moment, and never once did she look away from you. She knew it as much as you did and she probably caught onto it before you did too. “Somi, I…” you looked at her and, without saying anything more, she leaned toward you, her hand resting on your cheek and then she stopped, just centimeters away from your lips. Your eyes widened and both of your breaths stilled.
Another barrier.
Skinship only, no kissing. No feelings, no strings, and no expectations for something more. That was the deal.
But you didn’t like that deal anyway.
You closed the gap. Your lips pressed against her’s softly, and it felt wonderful. This surge of ecstasy shot through you and left you wanting more, and when she pressed forward against you it was like pure bliss. It was her who pushed away first, and before you could say anything, she beat you to the punch.
“Better than orientation?”
“Way better,” you nodded slightly. A small smile rose on her lips and she looked away for a moment before looking to you again.
“Can I kiss you again?”
“Yes,” you both leaned into each other and held onto the other, with every kiss growing in intensity and every touch being softer and still more passionate than before and as this barrier fell and crumbled, another threatened to fall. Her hand rested on your bare hip and yours wandered around her body, was this alright? Was this safe? Was this something you should do? You felt this desire in you that you’d never felt before, but you were afraid that it was going to fast, you were afraid that you’d mess up in your motions and that you’d never see her again, but you couldn’t stop, you didn’t want to stop.
There’s no going back.
You gripped onto the hem of your shirt and her hand wraps around your wrist.
“Are you sure?” She asks you. She’s never had a more serious look before.
“Yes, I’m sure,” you nodded and she let your hand go. You pulled your shirt over your head and she did the same with hers, then she wrapped her hands around you and snapped your bra open before pulling it off, and again the two of you connected. Your hands, unsure, moved to her breasts, and you fondled them the same way you did your own those sparing times you’d found the chance to explore yourself, and as you did so her lips trailed along your face. You moved until you were straddling her now and her hands hooked under your waistband.
“I hate jeans in bed,” she says against your skin.
“I know, I’m sorry,” you answered.
“God, they’re just so damn hard to pull off,” she says with an airy laugh. You laughed too, pressing your forehead against her shoulder, you helped her pull your jeans off and soon you were left in nothing but your panties. And all the while you avoided your own gaze in the mirror. Of all the times to think of this, your first time would be marked by your own fear. Somi moved to the other side of you, crawling off the bed and turning you with her and away from the mirror, she kneels on her carpeted floor nestled between your legs. She tugs at the elastic now and you nod your head, watching her slowly pull your panties off until they dropped to the floor.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” She looks up at you, both of her hands were resting on your thighs. She massaged slow circles into them. 
“I’ve never done this before,” you told her. “But, I trust you,” you added.
“We can stop, it’s okay if you’re not comfortable.”
“No, no, it’s okay, we can keep going,” despite your words, you couldn’t look at her, your face was too hot with embarrassment. She presses small kisses to your thighs now, and the air against your now exposed pussy was cold. You let out small whimpers as she moved up the inside of your thighs and stopped just before your pussy. “It’s okay, I trust you,” you told her. She blew onto your clit softly.
“I’ll go slow,” she says before lightly licking up your pussy. Your whole body shuddered around her, and you did your best to keep your legs opened. She pushes forward and you felt her tongue start to move around inside of you, pulling out strained sounds you didn’t even know you could make. “Just relax, (Y/N), I’ll take care of you,” she says against you, only eliciting another moan.
“Mm, Somi, I…” you swallowed your words down when she gently sucked at your clit. “It feels, ah, it feels good…” your voice trailed off and you felt yourself start to relax, though your hands squeezed at the bedding under you. Her tongue starts to move deeper into you and you sighed. Then you felt her push a finger into your pussy and your whole body tensed again. She paused for a moment. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” you pushed her forward and she continued. You could feel your wetness start to pool under you and the embarrassment grew. But you couldn’t think about it for long, no, not when she added another finger and started to make slight scissoring motions with them. Your hands slid against the comforter as you moaned more.
“You’re doing well, (Y/N),” Somi praises you.
“I…” your words are swallowed up by your pleasure again. “I feel tight,” you muttered.
“That’s okay, baby, just let it out,” she guides you.
“Mm,” you grasped at the couch cushions and you felt your hips buck forward, your pussy clamped down on her fingers and you let out a loud groan before relaxing again.
“Oh, honey, don’t tell me that’s the first time you cummed,” she props her head up on one elbow. First time someone’s made you cum, that’s for sure, but not the first time you’ve cummed at all. “So quickly too…” she clicks her tongue.
“I…” your face was hot with… something. You’d never felt this way before, but, again, you’d never experienced this before, you’d never experienced this level of passion. Then, with both hands on either side of your thighs, she rose up and pressed her lips to yours in a searing yet soft kiss. You could taste the bitterness of yourself on her, it mixed with that lingering taste of strawberry ice cream you’d both shared earlier, and, in whatever hot fervor you had, you opened your lips slightly and pushed against her, allowing for her to deepen the already sensual kiss. “I want to do that again,” you told her when you finally pulled away.
“Are you sure?” She asked this question, yet her hand rested on the inside of your thigh, ready to move at a moment’s notice. Her thumb ran circles over the sensitive skin in a teasingly slow motion that still somehow had you reeling. You could only nod your head shakily, wanting— no— needing more. You’d never felt this way before and you wanted so much more. She began to press kisses down your jawline, now, as she lowered you to your back and slid her hand up your legs and over your pussy. She presses two fingers in now and you let out a quick gasp before pressing your head against the mattress. She lowered her face to your clit once more, being precise in her movements, and her tongue swirled around your clit, flicking it up every so now and then and leaving you a moaning mess against her. She pressed sloppy kisses against your pussy now, making obscene noises all along the way while swallowing your wetness whenever she found the opportunity to do so. Your hand pressed down on the top of her head, this newfound pleasure becoming more and more addicting, and in your search to find something— anything to touch, you ended up lightly squeezing your own breast, playing with the nipple that had grown much more sensitive.
Then you felt that tightness growing in your abdomen again, the tell tale sign of pleasure, but right before you felt it reach its climax you stopped, nudging her head for her to look at you.
“Yes?” There was a small smile on her lips.
“Could I…” you swallowed harshly, still panting from your moans before. “Could I try it?” You asked her. She rests her head against your thigh.
“You’ll have to be more specific than that, baby,” she cooed. You turned away for a moment, your face hot with pleasure and embarrassment.
“Oral, let me try it,” you were able to push out. Again, she grins, a Cheshire like smile like she’d heard what she wanted, and she stood up slowly, sensually, and pulled her shorts down before sitting next to you with a small bouncing motion.
“Okay,” she says. “Give it a shot, I’m already worked up anyway,” she says. You chanced a quick look over of her, the wet patch on her underwear out in plain sight. “Or… did you need some help with that?” She brought one leg up while leaving the other hanging off the bed.
“No, I can do it,” you leaned down, pulling her panties off with some confidence before immediately losing it.
“Just take it slowly,” she says. You nodded slightly, trying to do as she did with you albeit sloppier with your inexperience. Then, steeling yourself with whatever, you licked your tongue up one of her lips that dripped with wetness. “Whoa, baby, relax,” despite the levelness of her words, you felt her legs tighten slightly around your head, “slower, take your time,” she says while gently running her thumb along your collarbone.
Slowly, okay, you can do that. You tried to replicate what she did earlier, though it was obviously affected by your inexperience, when you heard her quieted sighs you felt this entirely different rush than before, just as if something had sparked within you.
“Mm, okay, let’s, ah, let’s take it up now,” Somi rubs the top of your head slightly, then she moves her hand to her pussy, spreading it open for you. “Know what I mean?” She was barely out of breath while she traced them with her index finger, hinting to you what she wanted you to do. Again, your nod was unsure, but you leaned forward and pressed an experimental finger into her, eliciting a sharp gasp from her.
“Sorry, I’m sorry,” you apologized quickly.
“No, no, don’t apologize, it feels good,” she nodded against the pillows. “Deeper, (Y/N),” she nods firmer. You obliged and, as you did so, she pulled you up to her so that you straddled her waist and she pushed your head down against hers, locking your lips into yet another open kiss. Your tongues moved against each other, probing and swirling all around while you boldly added another finger to prompt Somi to kiss you harder with both arms wrapped around your neck. She separated from you only once, just enough to lean against your ear to whisper praises while you finger fucked her for the first time. “Good, girl, just like— haa,” her head hit the cushion hard while her body tensed under you. “Are you sure you’ve never done this before?” She asks.
“Not on anyone, no, just on myself,” you answered. You felt the walls of her pussy clamp around your fingers and you leaned forward so that your head was next to hers. Your heads turn to each other and, before you could say anything more, she presses her lips against yours. 
“Did you know that you’re dripping all over my bed?” She grins before moving you so that you were beneath her, “tell me if you want me to stop,” she says before bending down to your pussy and attaching her lips to it, eating you out with a new fervor you’d thought you’d only ever see in porn. Every now and then she’d look up at you with wide eyes that’d relax into more sultry ones as each lick was followed with a line of slick from your vag. 
It was all so… erotic. The way she held your legs open, the way she swirled her tongue inside of you, and— god— the way she looked at you. You felt like cumming from that alone.
It was a long night. You didn’t have a chance to check the time, you didn’t really care much for it right now. All you could think about was her, Somi, and the way she drove you into bliss. You’re pretty sure you loved her, you trusted her at least, you trusted her with your first time, and you were enjoying every second of it.
~
Again it was like a domino effect. That first time with her was certainly not the last. Every now and then she would bring up some strange thing she found in her “research” and she’d ask if you’d want to try it, and near every time you’d said yes. You were open to exploring your sexuality and so was she. You’d tried a lot now together, actually, role play, ice play, sensory deprivation, and even some shibari, which the two of you would likely never do again. You should’ve been more wary when she came back with a Home Depot bag in hand and a devilish glint in her eyes.
So this is what it felt like, friends with benefits. Just sex, sex, and more sex, and if you were lucky there was the cuddle session somewhere in between too, but you didn’t hate it. You rather enjoyed it, spending time with her and trying new things, and always after it ended the same way regardless of whether or not you or her were tired. Before you knew it, you and Somi had been together in this strange relationship for near four months now, a track that you were sure that only you were keeping track of, celebrating milestones in silence and maybe overthinking the days she seemed a little more affectionate that overlapped with those milestones. Some days you wondered if this was how things usually went, was this the normal pacing of a relationship? You wished you had someone to ask, someone to talk to about this, but, amazingly, these four months stayed within these walls, unknown to the outside world.
“They always make those cakes look so good,” Somi says with a slight twinge of disbelief. Her arms were wrapped around your nude body and you nodded against her chest.
“I always crave cake, too,” you sighed. This was the usual aftercare.
The Great British Baking Show. Or better known as the show that turned you and Somi into backseat bakers.
“Ugh, the green and blue did not mix well together,” you commented.
“Honestly! She should’ve gone for the blue and purple, or at least a different shade of green,” she adds on.
“We should try baking sometime,” you wondered aloud.
“Oh we definitely should,” she nods while her hands wander further down.
“Somi,” your voice had a warning tone. It’s not that you didn’t want to have sex, it’s more that you wanted to finish this episode.
“Come on, I’ll pause the show.”
“No, it’s not the same,” you shook your head.
“Fine, fine,” her hands nestle on your hips once more, but her lips still moved about, biting softly on the shell of your ear. “You look like you want to ask me something,” she said quietly.
“Uh… yeah, do you think I can stay over tonight?” You asked. Tonight was one of those rare nights both of your parents would be out of the house and your younger sibling was staying over at a friend’s. The house was empty, and having Somi over was a bad idea considering the Ring cameras all outside your house, and so the next best thing was to stay over. Plus, you finally did the right thing and got your parents’ blessing to stay the night at a “friend’s” house.
“Not tonight, I’m sorry, (Y/N). I have plans later tonight,” she says.
“No, no, all good, I’ll ask another friend of mine,” you nodded.
“Are you sure?” Before you could answer her, her doorbell rang, and while you made a move to get more comfortable in her covers, she stood up straight. “Shit.”
“What? What’s wrong?” You sat up now, the comforter that previously covered you fell onto your lap. She looks at you before looking at her bedroom door.
“Oh, fuck, I completely forgot,” she rubs her hair harshly and tumbles out of bed, falling harshly on the floor.
“Somi! Oh my god, be careful!” You followed her and helped her up, and as soon as she was on her two legs, she shoved a set of clothes in her hands.
“Get dressed, (Y/N), my parents are here.”
“Your parents are what?!” You scrambled to put your bra on.
“Here! They’re here! I forgot, my mom flew in recently and of course she’d want to visit me, I… fuck!” She fell back on her bed in a rushed attempt to pull on a pair of shorts.
“Parents, oh hell…” your hand covered your mouth. Parents, you’re about to meet her parents. Now this isn’t something you’d predicted at all, but then again you and Somi had been doing this, whatever this was, for almost two months now. But parents? Her parents? Oh hell, you’re so fucked. You don’t even know what to say to them, how would you introduce yourself to them? How would you even explain why you were in Somi’s apartment wearing her clothes? Your mind was tossed into a spiral that you hadn’t felt in a very long time, and you felt this strange sense of dread forming in your abdomen.
“Okay, okay, this is fine, just act natural, (Y/N),” you both rush out into the main room and you took a seat on the couch while Somi opened the door.
“Mom, dad!” Somi grinned ear to ear and you swear you saw a halo of light form around her head. “Come in, come in! How was the flight?” She’s almost too good at hiding.
“It was good, enjoyable even,” her mother says. She then notices you. “Oh! Did you have a friend over?” You waved shyly.
“I did, yes, mom, dad, this is my best friend (Y/N),” she gestures toward you. But you stopped listening after she called you her best friend. What the hell was that? You literally had your entire tongue all up in her pussy less than an hour ago and now you’re just best friends? You held it in, took a deep breath, and smiled.
“Hello Mr. and Mrs. Douma,” you greeted them.
“Oh! Hi there,” her mother grins. “I didn’t know Ennik had such pretty friends.”
“Ennik?” You glanced over at her.
“Right, right, you like to go by Somi,” her father laughs.
“I don’t want to intrude, so I think I’ll head out now,” you made a move to head toward the front door, but her mom stops you.
“No, no! You should stay, (Y/N). Come on, I’ll make food for all of us,” she insists. And who were you to say no? You thought that at one point they would be your in-laws, but now you were starting to feel like that was a delusion.
And now that you were all seated at a table together, you felt like you’d learned so much about Somi, Ennik, all together. But, of all the cute things that her parents shared, there was one glaring truth that pierced your heart. Somi hadn’t come out to them. To her parents, she was still straight.
“How was that boy I set you up with, Ennik?” Her mother asks. A boy? You didn’t hear about her meeting anyone, not since that incident weeks ago.
“He was fine,” Somi responded as if she’d been practicing.
“I heard you went on more than three dates this time,” she chuckles. “Usually you give up after the first one, I guess this one was special, right? See, hon? I told you! No one knows our Ennik better than I do,” she nudges her husband.
“That’s right, mom!” Somi matched her energy. But all you could do was play with your food. Occasionally you’d eat a bite here and there so that they didn’t suspect, but there was just this heavy pit in your heart that threatened to swallow you whole, and for some reason it made you nauseous. Was it just you or was it hard to breathe in here? “Well, (Y/N)?” Somi’s mother turned to you.
“Sorry?” You shook your head.
“Oh, I was just wondering if you had a nice boy in your life too! You’re very pretty, I’m sure the boys are lining up to meet you,” she chuckles. The first person you thought of was Jaemin. Would he even be open to being in a relationship with you? He struck you as the kind of guy who was focusing on his education more than looking for something to commit to. But you wouldn’t say that you couldn’t see a future with him. Though you had to admit, while you saw yourself having something short with Jaemin, you could see your whole life with the woman to your right side.
“Yeah, there’s someone I’m interested in,” you finally answered, whether you were thinking of Somi or Jaemin you didn’t have time to figure out.
“See! Maybe since Ennik is with someone like you she’d find someone to settle down with,” her mother grins. “You should introduce Ennik to some of your friends.”
“Mom!” Ennik’s face reddens with embarrassment.
“I’m just saying, honey, your father and I want to take care of our grandchildren soon! You’re not getting any younger,” she says.
“Honey, maybe we shouldn’t talk about this with a stranger at the table,” Somi’s dad cuts in.
“Oh, it’s fine, they’re friends, right?” Somi’s mother looks to Somi, and you looked to her as well.
“Yeah, mom, (Y/N) and I are just friends!” She didn’t have an ounce of remorse on her features. You of all people should understand, you weren’t out to your parents either, but to lie to her parents with no consideration toward you? It didn’t even look like she regretted it one bit, and you knew Somi to wear her emotions on her sleeve. You turned away and drank some of your water. How ridiculous this all was, maybe it was always one sided from the start and everything these past few weeks was some delusion you fed yourself. How stupid of you to trust that you could give her your heart, how stupid of you. It was both of your agreed boundaries from the start to never expect anything deeper. There was a whole other conversation going on in front of you, one you weren’t a part of, and suddenly you felt this cold isolation building around you. Your skin was chilled but your heart was racing, and not in the good way. You felt all of your nerves tense up and you could feel the cold sweat at the back of your neck.
You had to get out of here.
You turned your phone over under the table and, keeping the screen hidden from Somi, you set a timer to go off after two minutes. Two minutes, that’s all you needed to pretend like everything was fine, and you’d pretend that someone was on the phone.
Brring!
Someone beat you to the punch. You canceled the timer and answered it without looking at the caller ID, you didn’t have the thought to. You just needed an excuse to leave.
“I’m sorry, I need to take this,” you apologized to her parents, who were staring right at you. “Hello?” You spoke while you stood up. You pushed your chair in and walked off into the bathroom.
“Hey, (Y/N).” It was Jaemin. You looked at yourself in the mirror, but then you quickly averted your eyes and leaned against the bathroom sink.
“Hey, Jaem, what’s up?” You asked him. He’s not the kind to call you.
“Are you busy?” You looked at the locked door.
“Not really, why?” You answered after some hesitation.
“Are you still on campus? If you’re free, I was wondering if we could study together at Starbucks.”
“Oh, right, for the precalc quiz, right?”
“Yeah.” Strange, Jaemin’s best subject was precalc right now. If you strained enough, you could hear the conversation behind you. Something about you.
“Sure, I’ll be there, I’ll head over right now.”
“Right now? Yeah, sure, I’m already here.”
“Okay, sounds like a plan, I’ll see you in a bit,” you caught your reflection on the medicine cabinet’s mirror and you wiped away the tears from your eyes.
“See you.” You hung up first, turning around fully and fixing your face before you walked back out.
“I’m sorry about that,” you apologized quickly.
“Who was that?” Somi asks, her voice noticeably different from before, but you couldn’t quite distinguish why.
“Uh… Jaemin,” you couldn’t, shouldn’t, come up with a lie.
“Who’s that?” Somi asks. No, you knew what that was. Your jaw tensed up and you took a second to calm down.
“Just someone I’m interested in,” you answered. Somi’s expression remained flat, though, but you could see some hint of shock in her eyes.
“And that’s how you do it, Ennik, if there’s someone you’re interested in, you pursue after them. This is why you keep complaining about being alone here!” Her mother shouts. You looked between them.
“Christ, mom! You’re doing this now?!” Somi finally lost her patience.
“Stop it, both of you!” Her father shouts. “You should go, (Y/N), I’m sorry about them.” You nodded your head slowly.
“I’m sorry for intruding, Somi didn’t tell me she was expecting people over, if I knew I wouldn’t have come,” you apologized to her father. You grabbed your things from the couch. “Bye, Somi. Thank you for lunch, Mr. and Mrs. Douma,” you nodded your head toward them and saw yourself out.
Then you were alone again. But you didn’t have time to worry, you didn’t have time to be afraid. Instead, your mind filled with a toxin you didn’t see coming, how could you?
“(Y/N)!” And she made it so much worse. “Let me walk you back!”
“No, it’s fine,” you said.
“You hate walking alone, let me walk you,” she says.
“Leave me alone,” you picked up the pace.
“Hold on, please!” She catches up with you easily, stopping in front of you. “What’s wrong?” She says between breaths. You scoffed and walked around her. The nerve. She knows what she did.
“Don’t worry about it, just talk with your parents,” you said back at her, but she didn’t stop there, she kept her pace with you.
“No, come on, I know you. I know my parents are a lot but I had to say what I said back there,” Somi defended while she stopped you in your tracks again.
“I know, and I understand that,” you said to her. “But that doesn’t mean that it still doesn’t hurt,” you shook your head.
“(Y/N)…” she reached out to you but you took a step back.
“Tonight… your plans are with that guy, huh?” You asked her. Somi stilled.
“I have to, my parents set us up.”
“Yeah, yeah,” you waved your hand and walked away from her again.
“(Y/N)! Come on, don’t be like that!”
“Don’t be like what, Somi?!” You whipped your head back. “Huh?!”
“Don’t—” She paused and took a deep breath. “You should understand where I’m coming from. It’s not like you’re out to your parents either!”
“Yeah, I know that, Somi, that’s why I said that I did understand. But it still fucking sucks and you can’t be upset at me for feeling bad for lying to your parents! They’re your parents for fucks sake!”
“Lying about what?” She asks you. She shakes her head. Your shoulders slumped.
“Ha,” you scoffed again. You were right. This was all one sided from the start. “Whatever.” You tried to ignore her.
“I don’t understand why this is such a big deal! You don’t even know what your sexuality is!” She shouts. Now you’re pissed. You marched back to her.
“Don’t you fucking dare assume you know me,” your voice was firm. “Don’t you dare say that when we’ve been seeing each other sexually for the past two months, Christ, Somi, we were just having sex a few hours ago and you think you can tell me I’m not sure of my sexuality? I’ve never been more sure. If anyone here has to check then it’s you. You say you’re a lesbian but all I hear from you are failed dates with men, what do you expect, Somi? What do you want me to say?” She’s silent, and you don’t know why. Does she really have nothing more to say for herself? She takes a deep breath. “Just go back home, Somi.”
“I’ll cancel tonight.”
“No, no, don’t do that,” you shook your head. “I already found another place to stay.” You were lying.
“No, (Y/N), come on,” she says.
“No, Somi. You said it yourself, you have to do this for your parents, and I get that. I’d do the same if my parents did that too,” you tried to calm yourself down. That’s how the both of you were, you had your arguments with your parents, but you still loved them, you couldn’t just break their hearts and Somi was the same. Countless times you’d heard her praise her parents, you’d heard the way she spoke of them so highly with so much tenderness in her voice, so you really truly understood where she was coming from. “I have to go now.”
“Are you really going to see someone else?” She asks.
“Yeah, I am,” you didn’t know why she was so pressed about that. She’s been seeing others too.
“Are you actually interested in him or did you say that because of my mom?”
“Why do you care so much?” She couldn’t answer. But you wanted her to, you wanted her to tell you not to see him so fucking bad. But she didn’t. There was a tense silence between you both, disturbed only by the cars driving past you. “You said it yourself, Somi, you didn’t lie about anything,” you said quietly, “I’m leaving now,” you cut the conversation. 
“If you leave, then it’s over between us,” Somi says suddenly.
“And what was between us, Somi?” You asked. She didn’t answer. So you left. And, this time, she didn’t try to stop you.
You were on autopilot after that, walking all the way to the Starbucks on campus without paying attention to much else, you were too angry to even worry about anything else. And you really thought your walk calmed you down, but it was just a small question that made you feel like sobbing.
“Hey, (Y/N)—” Jaemin stopped before he said anything more. “What happened?” He asked it so sweetly and, instead of answering him, you buried your face in your hands.
And that’s how your second heartbreak happened. You felt like shutting the world out, and so you did. The voices of people around you fell muted, the sound of passing cars too, and finally the sound of Jaemin packing his things in front of you. You heard him knock on the table in front of you and you slid your hands down your face just enough to see him.
“Wanna head out?” He asks. You nodded and followed him. The walk was silent, but you didn’t hate it. You followed him to his dorm, something you thought you’d never do, but here you were. You’re just not making any good decisions today, aren’t you? Your phone kept going off with texts from Somi, all of which you didn’t pay attention to, and you were left asking the same question you asked her to yourself. Why did you care so much?
“Sorry, Jaemin, I know you wanted to study,” you sighed. He unlocked the door and let you inside first.
“Don’t worry about it, (Y/N),” he closed it behind you both. “We all have our days.”
“Yeah, but you weren’t supposed to see mine,” you looked around. It came as no surprise that it was neat, it was more surprising that both sides of the dorm were clean, but it was so easy to guess which side was Jaemin’s, what with the various cameras and pictures taped to the wall. Huh, funny, when did you find out that Jaemin was into that? Probably around the same time you started posing for the pictures he thought he was taking when you all didn’t notice.
“You can sit anywhere, my roommate went home for the week,” he starts picking up loose items before stacking them on his roommate’s desk while you took a seat at his. Jaemin reaches over you and hands you a photo album.
“You’re… you’re not going to ask?” You felt like you were starting to cry now.
“I don’t know about you, but I always hated it when people make me talk about why I’m sad when it’s obvious, it always made me more frustrated,” he leans against his roommate’s desk while turned toward you. “Did you want to talk about it?”
“No.”
“That’s what I figured,” he pulls his phone out and gestures for you to open the photo album. So you did. And it was probably one of the nicest things you’d ever seen. On the first page was the year with the caption ‘Freshman Year’ under it, and in the pages following were various pictures taken at various events. The first couple you could tell was orientation since they depicted a lot of the games and events you remembered from yours too. The next few were events you recognized, since you were there too, they were pictures of the study group back when it was just a study group, what with the pictures of you standing in front of a whiteboard with senseless equations on it and with other pictures of Keeho struggling flipping through his textbooks. Then there were pictures of when that study group became a friend group, pictures of the outings you went to, the impromptu food runs, and the late night roadtrips. And, slowly, you started to notice a trend where you became the subtle subject of the photos, moving from the sidelines to the forefront, and you didn’t hate it. You, who could barely look in the mirror, loved seeing these pictures of you, what are the odds?
“Hey, you’re really good,” you complimented him. “I don’t even remember you taking half of these.”
“That’s probably because I was trying to be subtle about it, I was going for candid photos but, I gotta ask, when did you start noticing?”
“Around that time we went to get ramen, you accidentally turned your flash on so I started paying more attention,” you said it with a teasing voice.
“Dammit, I really thought I played that one off too,” he laughs.
“Right, right, you said you accidentally turned your flashlight on, like I’d fall for that one,” you rolled your eyes, but maintained a small smile. No wonder you started becoming the subject, you thought. You’re the one who noticed he was taking these small pictures in the first place.
“I was going to show you all once the year ended, actually,” he notices you flipping through the empty pages. “Or probably when we all graduate, I think that would’ve been more nostalgic.”
“So why show me now?”
“Why not?”
“Good question,” you turned back to the last couple. You had a hunch, but you felt like it would be ridiculous to say it out loud. “But I asked you first,” you couldn’t deny that you were curious.
“Well… nothing lasts forever, right?” He asks. You look at him. “I know it’s bad to think like this, but sometimes I wonder if our group will stick together for our whole four years. Then Yeji does something outrageous that makes me realize ‘oh fuck I’m stuck with these people for four years’ and that anxiety leaves, but, then it comes back,” he’s never really talked this much with you before. Maybe it was because you were in a space he was comfortable in, or maybe it was because he was with you, you didn’t know. “I guess I showed it to you because…” he trails off and adjusts his position on the desk. You couldn’t ignore the twinge of pink on his face and at the tips of his ears. But you stayed silent, because you didn’t know what to say to what you thought he was going to say. He takes a deep breath. “I want us to…” he trails off again, as if picking the right words in his head right now. “I want to spend my four years with you, at the very least.” Why did you feel some relief when he said that? It wasn’t a confession, it was a wish.
“I think we will,” you said.
“Yeah?”
“I don’t know, I don’t plan on leaving you or the group, at least,” you crossed your legs on the chair. “Do you?”
“Nope, I enjoy spending time with you all, even if we don’t get any work done,” he chuckles.
“What counts is that we do get work done when we have to,” you place the photo album back where it came from and rubbed your eyes. “I still can’t believe we spent a whole semester together, and that we’re still hanging out now that a new one started,” you mumbled.
“I know, our schedules are a little different now.”
“Like they weren’t before,” you remembered the struggles of planning anything with all of you. “It feels like I’ve known you all for ages.”
“Right? You all already know too much about me,” he shakes his head.
“God, this is why drinking together is dangerous,” you laughed, remembering the time you all drank together in Keeho’s dorm, and how you all knocked out on his floor too. Jaemin looks at the clock off to the side.
“Hey, want me to walk you back to the drop off? You usually get picked up around this time, right?” He asks.
“Uh… no, it’s fine,” you shook your head. Right, you needed a place to stay tonight, and going home wasn’t an option since you didn’t have a ride. 
“You sure? I noticed you don’t like being alone,” he says. Would it be too much for you to ask if you could stay over? Were you close enough to ask that? You could chance Yeji, but you know that her nightmare roommate hates it when the other girls have people over and you didn’t want to make Yeji deal with that. There wasn’t anything wrong with staying with Keeho either, other than his creepy roommate which now that you thought about it was a very valid reason not to ask him. 
“Yeah, I’m sure. I, uh, I don’t have a ride home today,” you finally told him.
“Oh yeah? Who are you staying with tonight?”
“I’m figuring that out right now, the person I had in mind,” you hesitated, “the person I had in mind had other people over today.”
“I get it. You could stay over here if you can’t find anywhere else, like I said, my roommate left for the week,” Jaemin says.
“Are you sure? You won’t get in trouble?”
“Yeah, my RA really doesn’t care,” he says.
“Really? Can’t he get in trouble for that?” Jaemin leans over and opens the mini fridge next to him, the small thing filled to the brim with alcohol.
“Probably, but he’s the one who gave us these so,” Jaemin shrugs.
“Are those Trulys?” You spotted the seltzers just as he closed it.
“What’s your favorite flavor?”
“Strawberry.” He reaches into the fridge again and pulls out two cans and hands one to you. “Thanks.”
“Yeah,” you both open your cans at the same time and you swallow a good majority of it down. “Ah, this is nice after ending midterms,” you felt yourself relaxing already. Jaemin nodded silently. “Wait, we are done, right?”
“Yup, our finals are in a week though, so there’s no rest for the wicked,” he says.
“Aw, hell,” you cried. You chugged the rest of the drink down and placed it next to you. “Can I have another one of those?” Jaemin hands you his, which still had a considerable amount, before grabbing another one from the fridge. “And… if you’re okay with it, could I ask a few questions?”
“Shoot.” You chugged more of the can in your hands before starting.
“I have this friend,” you started. You still weren’t sure if you should even ask him, you would be telling a secret that you’d kept from everyone since the year started, and for some reason you didn’t want to end the fantasy, but at the same time you knew that you shouldn’t keep it to yourself too. “She’s seeing someone right now, someone she really likes and that she thought liked her back, but then she said something really hurtful, after doing so many things that couples usually do, the girl she liked told her parents that they were just friends and nothing more. So, now she’s really upset about that. But she knows she shouldn’t be, she understands her, but she’s still really really upset,” you could feel your eyes tearing up again. This whole time, Jaemin listened very carefully. “So now my friend feels cheated, in a way. She knows she shouldn’t because from the get go she agreed to not expect anything more out of the relationship, but then it became something more and the girl she likes outright denied it in front of her, and then she expected for everything to be okay after when it obviously can’t. Is my friend wrong for feeling that way?” You felt bad for word vomiting him, but you just couldn’t stop talking. Your thoughts were a mile a minute and your mouth was struggling to catch up.
“No, I don’t think your friend is in the wrong,” he says. “I’d be upset too. If I was hanging out with someone a lot doing things that couples usually do, and then she told me that we were just friends, I think I’d be pretty mad, actually,” he says. “It never feels good to be led on.”
“Thank you, I thought I was going crazy.”
“I thought we were talking about your friend,” he said this in a light tone. You knew he wouldn’t have bought the friend excuse from the start.
“Yeah, well, I’m starting to feel tipsy so it’s not like I can keep up a lie anyway,” you finished your drink and put it to the side.
“You’re feeling tipsy on Trulys?”
“I also haven’t slept in the last 24 hours, so there’s that,” you admitted.
“That’ll do it,” he chuckles.
“Can I have another one?”
“Is that a good idea?”
“Probably not.”
“Okay then,” he hands you another can and you opened it quickly.
“So… who is she?”
“You wouldn’t know her,” you shook your head. “I barely know her.” You thought back to your conversation with her parents earlier, they were saying so many things about her that you didn’t expect to hear or expect her to be like at all, and suddenly you felt like you didn’t know her at all.
“I mean, yeah, but it still sucks to be in your position,” he says before drinking.
“Yeah, it really does…” you muttered.
“Drink slower, (Y/N).”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” you kept your pace.
“Do you like her a lot?”
“Yeah. But I don’t think she likes me that way,” you shook your head. “I thought she did, but today kinda proved to me that she didn’t. How could she say such hurtful things and look like it didn’t bother her at all?” You looked at your phone and silenced her incoming call.
“Looks like she wants to talk about it.”
“I don’t,” you flipped your phone over. “God, Jaem, if I told you the things we were up to you wouldn’t believe it.”
“Knowing you, I probably would,” he tips his can to you and you tapped yours against it in a lonely toast, and you both drank more. “Try me.”
“We fucked, like, a lot.”
“I believe it.”
“Why?”
“(Y/N), you seriously don’t think we wonder why you run off right after class? Yeji joked that you were seeing someone but Keeho and I didn’t buy it. I figured you just needed some time off after spending too much time with us, but the more Yeji joked about it the more I realized it could be true,” he says.
“And true it was.”
“So all of that led you to think she liked you too?”
“Well, we started out as cuddle buddies.”
“That’ll do it,” he repeats and drinks more.
“Then we became friends with benefits, I kinda sorta confessed to her and I thought she accepted it.”
“You can’t kinda sorta confess to someone, (Y/N), you have to be clear about your intentions,” he says.
“I was clear!”
“Were you?” You thought back.
“Maybe I wasn’t super clear… I just started saying things that we did together and then we fucked so I just assumed…”
“Christ…” he shakes his head.
“I wouldn’t know how to confess anyway, I thought I was being obvious,” your face was starting to heat up from both the embarrassment and the alcohol.
“How did you confess anyway?”
“She said that she thought no one could ever love her. So, I wanted to prove her wrong, and I just started saying things we did together and how it was impossible for anyone not to fall in love with that because I fell in love with that, and, like…”
“You fucked?”
“We fucked!” You shouted and Jaemin laughed. “It was my first time too, and I told her that. I told her I trusted her because I thought she liked me back and… oh god, Jaemin you have to promise not to tell anyone about this. What I confess to you here stays in here.”
“Yeah, my lips are sealed,” he says.
“Clear, clear, it’s hard to be clear about that stuff,” you say. “How am I supposed to say it? ‘I love you’?”
“Just like that, yeah.”
“I couldn’t do it like that.”
“Sure you could, you just did.”
“Yeah, well, she’s not here, is she? Do you know how hard it is to confess face to face someone you want to date?”
“No,” he shakes his head. “I could try though,” he shrugs.
“Unfortunate woman,” you laughed. He chugs the rest of his drink down, put it aside, and walked toward you, resting his hands on either side of you now. Your breath caught in your throat.
“Huh, you’re right, it is pretty hard,” he was very close to you now. His face was reddening more now, his eyes half lidded in a mix of tiredness and drunkness, and you wondered how you looked to him right now.
“Unfortunate man.”
“I know,” he pushes off of the desk, but you hold onto his wrist.
“Jaem…” you hesitated. It was so selfish of you to ask him this. “Do you want to hook up?” He raises an eyebrow now.
“I think we’re both too drunk to make a good decision.”
“Shouldn’t that cancel things out?”
“I told you I don’t like being led on.”
“What if I’m not leading you on though?”
“Aren’t you?” You were silent at this.
“No.”
“You just told me five minutes ago about a woman you really like.”
“And she doesn’t like me back.”
“So you go to me instead.”
“… Yeah.”
“Sure, let’s do it.”
“You sure?”
“Either I’m being led on and you just want to confirm something, or I have a real chance here,” he says. “Which is it?”
“Would it be weird if I said both?”
“Yeah, actually.”
“Well…” you thought for a moment, and a horrible thought struck you. If you had a boyfriend, then you’d never have to come out to your parents, you’d never have to experience that heart break and you’d never have to put them through that heart break. “I’d say you have a real chance.” 
“(Y/N), I really like you,” he confesses. “I’m serious, I do, I want to be something with you,” he continues. “So, please, don’t lead me on.”
“I won’t,” you said this, but there was still that lingering doubt at the back of your head. “I won’t lead you on.” And without another word he pressed forward, lips locking with yours, and you reciprocated. You could taste the hints of watermelon on him and even more so when you deepened it. Your hands squeezed his wrists now, and his hands interlocked with yours. You know you shouldn’t compare, but this feeling was just different from whenever you and Somi made out. You’d never pictured a future with him, but the more you thought about it the clearer it became, but that future was so different than the one you wanted with Somi. This one… this one was more realistic, you think.
But it felt like you were going through the motions. Taking your clothes off, taking his off, and somehow making it to his bed, even rolling the condom on was something you were surprisingly good with considering you’d only had sex with Somi before this. Sex with Jaemin wasn’t what you’d expected at all, and part of you felt bad that you were just using him to prove a point to yourself. And maybe it was a bad idea to do this when you were both drunk, then again you always preached that drunk actions were sober thoughts. Speaking of, you wondered if he could read them now. It felt like he was staring into your very mind while your mouth sank down on his cock. It was such a different feel than with Somi, despite the obvious, and now you wondered which you really preferred. Did you like the sweet and tender touches that Somi dragged out or did you prefer the way Jaemin went down on you with firm and sharp grasps? Did you prefer the soft kisses from her or the rough ones from him? Maybe you liked the stimulation from how your pussy slid over hers versus how Jaemin pounded into yours.
Or maybe you just didn’t give a fuck.
Jaemin pressed his lips against yours again, holding your jaw in such a way that your lips parted enough for him to deepen the kiss and you let him do so, you even encouraged it as you pressed against him and let a subdued moan out while he worked his cock into you, stretching your walls in a way you’d never experienced before. Your head tilted back, feeling an intense pleasure that was so different from the one you’d known from before. You felt his bed rocking beneath you, and you really hoped that no one could hear it.
“Oh fuck, oh god,” your moans were breathy and you could hear his silenced whimpers and loud groans.
“Fuck, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this,” he said quietly. You swallowed harshly. What did he mean by that? You didn’t want to know, and instead you pulled him down onto your lips again, something he reciprocated quickly while quickening his pace. You felt yourself building to your orgasm, and your fingers naturally settled over your clit while you chased after it.
“Keep going like that,” you said into his ear. “Ah, oh hell, I’m almost there,” you grinded against his waist and he kept his pace, pounding into you as if to prove a point and, though it scared you to admit it, you didn’t hate it.
Truly bisexual, you didn’t know if you should be proud or afraid of that fact. Your fingernails dug into Jaemin’s back, no doubt leaving some kind of mark behind when you released him shortly during your moments of bliss. Then, right as you reached your orgasm, you felt him start to speed up, no doubt looking for his own release and, finally, he stilled in your pussy, the condom filling up with cum before he pulled out of you. He leans over you now, both hands on either side of your head and face inches away from yours.
Now this isn’t fair, how could he still look handsome after all that? You’re half sure you look like an exhausted rat under him. And when he pushed the hair out of his face you swear you felt your heart jump out but then realization hit.
You felt a pang of guilt, having asked to hook up with Jaemin. You knew that Somi didn’t take your relationship seriously, she was still seeing people on the side other than you, hell, the two of you weren’t even properly dating, so what was so wrong about this? What’s so wrong about getting dicked down by one of your friends in his dorm after having a fight with her?
Many things, actually. You didn’t really think of any repercussions, you were just angry, and very drunk. You felt played, almost, like Somi had taken your heart out and tossed it around before giving it back. And your intentions weren’t exactly clear either. Sure, you’d had some attraction toward him, jokingly calling him the ‘Cute Boy in all our classes’ to Yeji and her teasing you relentlessly when he joined the study group, but your vision was clouded with the rose colored sunglasses that Somi had put on you. And now that you took those off, you didn’t know anymore.
Again, he kissed you, and again you kissed back. You didn’t know what your intentions were, but you did know one thing.
In your life, it was easier to love him than it was to love her.
~
It was a long time before you saw her again, Somi. After that night with Jaemin, after waking up in his arms and feeling like something was right with him, you started to be together more. There wasn’t exactly a title on this relationship though, both of you had agreed to get to know each other better romantically first before pursuing it altogether, but this time there was a clear end goal, you both liked each other and you both hoped for something more and, this time, that sentiment existed outside of the confined space of his dorm. You even told your parents about him, they’ve even met him and they thought he was a nice young man, and right after that you screwed in his car.
Everything you had hoped to do with Somi, you did with him, and somehow they felt so much better. You thought you were fully moving on from her, that you had something good going on with Jaemin.
But tonight, with his arms wrapped around you while you watched some A24 film on his laptop, you got a text from her, something she hadn’t done in two months now.
‘Come over, please.’ You stared at the text, and so did Jaemin. You turned your phone over and his head falls on your shoulder.
“You should go over there,” he says. You twist to look at him, surprised at his comment. After that first night with him neither of you brought her up.
“Why?”
“I think you deserve that closure, and so does she,” he says.
“I don’t know, if I should, Jaem, what if I…” you didn’t finish your sentence. It would break his heart.
“What if you fall for her again?” He took the words right out of your mouth.
“I don’t think that will happen,” you shook your head.
“I’m pretty sure she fell for you, I think she fell hard. But I don’t think she realized it until after you left,” he says. “A lot of people don’t think about that. They don’t realize what they lost until it’s gone, you know?”
“Right, yeah,” you nodded. You didn’t really mourn what you’d lost with her, now that you thought about it. And the way it ended so abruptly, maybe that’s why.
Plus, you were afraid of the way your heart ached when you saw that text. A part of you must have still loved her, and Jaemin must have seen that.
“Are you sure?” You asked him.
“Why are you asking for my permission? She’s your first love.”
“I know but…” you shook your head.
“Go ahead, and call me if you need me to come get you,” he lets you go and you slid off his bed. “Go, (Y/N), go talk to her.”
“Do you think I’m ready?”
“Are we ever?” He closes his laptop.
“You’re not going to ask to walk with me?”
“I figured you’d want to do this alone.” It was cruel that he knew you so well and you barely knew him at all. He had always paid attention to you, and you were too busy looking at her to realize that.
“Thanks, Jaemin.”
“Yeah, of course, go ahead,” he watches you go.
You remembered the way so clearly, how to get to her apartment and which routes were the fastest. But standing at her door, you didn’t know what to expect. You always had this vague idea but now you weren’t so sure. It’d been a good amount of time, a lot can happen in two months, and here you were. You knocked on her door, and she opened it.
“Hi, you’re just in time,” she pulls you in and seats you on the couch. “I gotcha something,” she disappears into her room and comes back out with a present.
“Oh, uh… thanks, Somi,” you took it in her hands. “What’s the occasion?”
“Six months, right?” She tucks her hair behind her ears and you paused. So she was keeping count.
“Of what?” You asked her.
“Our relationship, right?” She says with a tightlipped smile. You pushed the present back into her hands.
“Don’t do this, Somi.”
“Don’t do what?”
“You know what,” you said.
“What? We took a break.”
“From what?” You asked her. You just wanted her to do one thing. You wanted her to tell you that you had something together, you wanted her to acknowledge that you loved her and she lead you on. How hard was it for her to say that you were in a relationship? No, no, you take it back. You don’t want her to just do that, you want her to apologize for what she said two months ago. That shit was horrible, all of it. But why did you feel yourself caving into her again? Why did you feel your heart beating toward her again? You were nothing more than a friend to her, she made that very clear, but here you were with that small hope of salvaging what was lost.
Really, would it kill her to just say those two words? I’m sorry. That’s all you ever wanted to hear from her, at least once. All those texts you got from her all asking you to come over and all of them you ignored, but you never had the heart to block her. You wanted to hear her acknowledge that what she did was wrong, you wanted her to know that what she did was so horrible to you, and you wanted her to know that what she did was fucked up. But, at the same time, you would be beside yourself to see her so upset, you hated to see the way she got too in her head about it and you couldn’t do anything to help her besides sitting next to her and lending a comforting ear.
But this?
You needed an apology for this.
No, you needed so much more than just an apology for this.
You sat in front of her dumbfounded. No words were exchanged between you and her, just intense silence. What she had just told you… it broke you. How could she even think that what she said back then was remotely alright?
“I don’t know why you’re so angry.”
“Are you serious? You don’t know why I’m mad?” You asked her. Somi nodded her head.
“I don’t…” her voice was so quiet.
“Somi I’m going to ask you this one more time… what are we?” You kept your gaze steady. “What am I to you, Somi?” She broke her already weakened eye contact with you and stared at her hands, before finally burying her face in them. “Somi, I need to hear it from you. What are we?” You repeated your question and her hands reached out to hold your face ever so softly, the same way she always did when she wanted you to listen to her.
“I love you, (Y/N), I love you,” she said instead, but you shook your head.
“No, I don’t think you do,” you reached up to pull her hands away from you, but she instead wraps her arms around you.
“I do, I do, I love you,” she held onto you like if she’d let go you’d leave forever. And after everything, maybe you would.
“Somi, let go,” you couldn’t hold her back. You couldn’t find it in you to.
“I can’t, I won’t,” she says.
“Let your best friend go,” you said with a more stern voice, and that stopped her movements. She released you slowly, keeping at least some contact with you. “I don’t get you, Somi. You said that there was nothing between us but here you are! The first time you tell me you loved me was right now after you ended things. God, I feel like I was never really important to you until after I left. I don’t think you ever took what we had seriously, and when you told me you did I don’t think you meant it. I love you, Somi. But I don’t think our definitions of love are the same,” you shook your head.
“I do love you,” she repeats.
“And you couldn’t have told me that two months ago?”
“No, I didn’t know then!”
“But you knew I loved you. You knew I did and still you said those things.”
“I take them back, all of them!”
“You can’t just do that, Somi!” You raised your voice. “You can’t just pretend that everything’s okay, it’s not! Answer my question, what were we?” You pressed her more and she shook her head.
“I don’t know what we were.”
“You don’t know?”
“I don’t! When I met you I just wanted something casual, but when I got to know you I wanted something more and I was afraid of that! I was afraid of loving you,” she says. “You know how my family is, what my culture is, it wouldn’t have been easy.”
“So you took the easy way out.”
“I… yeah. I did.”
“I can’t even blame you, I did the same thing,” you said quietly. “But… we could’ve worked something out. I really thought we could’ve. I was so ready to come out to my parents for you, but you weren’t. Somi, our whatever never left these walls. Whenever I saw you on campus you pretended that you didn’t see me, whenever I asked to go out with you you’d say you were busy, our whatever wasn’t good for either of us,” you shook your head. “I don’t blame you for taking the easy way, Somi, I just blame you for fucking with my feelings.”
“(Y/N)…” she reaches for you again, but you move away from her. You couldn’t look at her, either, because Jaemin was right, you were so sure that you’d fall for her again. She slides the present to you again and you clenched your jaw. “(Y/N), I’m sorry.” Fucking finally. Tears started to fall down your face, they landed on the wrapping paper beneath you and smudged the ink on the tag.
“You couldn’t have said that before?”
“I didn’t know how to.”
“And you expect us to be okay?”
“I do.”
“Then lower your expectations,” you said to her.
“No, (Y/N), let’s work this out.”
“Have you come out to your parents?”
“Have you?”
“I take that as a no,” you wiped the tears off your face quickly.
“It’s not that easy, (Y/N)! At least you’re still attracted to men! You coming out wouldn’t be as bad as me!” She shouts and you swallowed your gasp.
“Excuse me?!” You stood up, the present dropping onto the couch.
“No, no, I… I didn’t mean it like that!” She stands up too, grabbing your hands and holding them between you and her. You shook your head and took a deep breath.
“What did you want from me today?” You asked quietly.
“I… I wanted to be with you,” she said in a similar tone. “I wanted to tell you that I wanted to be with you, I want to take it a step further.”
“No, I can’t do that with you,” you shook your head.
“Why not?”
“God, Somi, have you not been listening to our conversation?” You exasperated. “Somi… we can’t be together, not right now, not ever,” you told her. “Somi what we had… it’s not healthy. We only saw each other in here, we only saw each other when we needed to see each other, and we never saw each other just because we wanted to. Somi that’s not a relationship, that’s toxic!”
“We can make it healthy!”
“No, we can’t! Listen to yourself! You’re just invalidating everything I’m telling you,” you pulled your hands from her grasp.
“(Y/N), please, I want to make this right!” She says.
“You already did, you apologized for it already, there’s nothing more that we need to do.”
“(Y/N), please,” she insists. “I’m moving back home, I’m going back to South Korea.”
“And? You want me to be in a relationship with you for however much time before you leave? That’s so fucked up,” you shook your head. “I shouldn’t have come today.”
“No, no, I’m so happy you came, (Y/N)!” She says. “Please don’t go.”
“I should leave, Somi, I really should,” you told her.
“I know, I know, I fucked up! I just wanted to spend one more night with you, (Y/N),” she says.
“No, that’s not a good idea, Somi.”
“Please—”
“Don’t you see that this is hard for me too? Somi I loved you so much that I sacrificed nearly as much just to see you! I lied to so many people because I wanted to be with you, but then you told me that that was nothing? And now you want something, I… I can’t,” you wiped your tears again. Somi takes a step back.
“You moved on quickly.”
“You said it yourself, there was nothing to move on from.”
“But there was.”
“And you didn’t know it until I left.”
“Yeah, I didn’t,” she says. She picks up the gift again and hands it to you. “At least take this.”
“Why?”
“Call it a goodbye gift.”
“Fine then.”
“(Y/N), you are my first love.”
“And so are you.” She was the first one you were actually serious about, the first one you wanted to work out, and the first one you thought you really loved.
“I want this to work out, but…” she takes a deep breath, “but you’re right. It’s bad for both of us.”
“Yeah,” you played with the ribbon on the gift. “When do you fly out?”
“Next week.”
“Have a safe flight,” you told her.
“Thank you,” she says. You stood up again, and this time she just followed you.
“I’ll head out now,” you looked at her with your hand on the doorknob.
“Wait…” she says. “You didn’t get me anything…” you sighed.
“What do you want, then?”
“Can… can I kiss you one more time?” She asks. You hesitated.
“Okay,” you turned to her fully and she wrapped her hands around your face before pressing her lips softly to yours. You had almost forgotten what they felt like, how soft they were and how they moved against yours, and if you didn’t come tonight maybe you would have entirely. You let her take her time, this was more for her than it was for you. And when she finally pulled away from you that’s when you felt your sadness catch up with you.
You did want something more with her. But you knew it wouldn’t work out. There would be thousands of miles between you both in a week and there was no feasible way for you both to be together, not with all that baggage from before.
“Goodbye, Somi,” you opened the door.
“Goodbye, (Y/N).”
And that’s how you said goodbye to your first love, the real one. Not some silly crush, not someone you knew you didn’t have a chance with, but someone who really impacted you, someone who changed you for the better. You finally mourned what you lost with her. And when you returned to Jaemin’s dorm, you moved back into his arms, and you held him close to you and he to him.
“She got you a gift?”
“She’s moving to Korea.”
“A goodbye gift, then.”
“Yeah,” you reached for it now, holding the gift in your hand. The tag just said her name and yours and nothing more. “Should I open it?”
“Gifts were meant to be open.” You pulled on the ribbon and tore the wrapping paper carefully, and inside was a small wooden box with Korean lettering across the top.
“What does it say?” You held it so that he could read it.
“Hamoni Moggong,” he recites. “I’m pretty sure it’s the company name, Harmony Carpentry,” he says.
“Huh,” you slid the top off and you pulled out the music box concealed within. When you opened it, a familiar tune played with a flower slowly spinning in the middle atop a small mirror. Inside of it was a slip of paper. You held it up, the whole thing was written in hangul, and you handed it to Jaemin. He read through it carefully before turning it around in his hands.
“Love from afar, these music boxes come in pairs, one for me and one for you,” he translates. And again you found yourself crying, and Jaemin couldn’t do anything more but to hold you close to him.
~
Then the years went by. And before you knew it, you had graduated with the same four people you’d started with. You and Jaemin were still together, now entering your third year of officially dating, while Yeji and Keeho constantly teased you both about it. But every now and then you caught yourself thinking of Somi, the first person to have made you feel loved and the first person you thought you’d be with forever, and it made you sadder.
A week after you saw her, you’d noticed she’d removed you on Tinder. You couldn’t see her instagram anymore, and you were blocked on her snapchat. And you didn’t know why, there was no way you could’ve reached out to her either, it was like she’d cut all contact, and that hurt you. She was the one who wanted to make things right but then she did that? And, to make matters worse, the summer of your senior year you got into yet another huge argument with your parents, one that near left you disowned, and when you’d run away from home, you knew that as soon as you’d come back, you were finished. You knew your parents too well, you knew what their discipline was like and, so, when you’d finally returned home, you deleted all traces of Somi from your photos, all your texts and all your memories, they were gone. And true to your predictions, your parents took all your devices away and reduced you to the child they saw you as.
And when you got your things back, when you’d all apologized to each other, you cried. Everything you had of Somi, of the girl you owed so much to, was gone, because you’d rather be completely disowned for deleting things from your phone than disowned for loving another woman. Even that beautiful music box she gave you, to your parents and everyone else, it was a gift from Jaemin. But to you and Jaemin it was proof of what you had before.
You never did come out to your parents. Being with Jaemin, loving him and him loving you, provided enough cover and a large enough shield for you to avoid it. And so your story with Somi ended that way. With a small music box collecting dust in your closet.
“Oh we gotta go on Space Mountain,” Keeho points at the map and Yeji checks her phone.
“The wait is three hours!” She shouts.
“Okay and? Genie pass,” he says.
“Oh, right… it’s redeemable for nine at night,” she says.
“What?!” Keeho looks at his phone too. The four of you had agreed to have a graduation trip to Disneyland of all the places, after Yeji had told you all that she’d never gone, it was a must.
“Ooh, we should do Small World too, we gotta hit the main attractions for Yeji,” you said.
“Got it, got it,” Keeho writes it down on his phone.
“You are surprisingly very good at planning things,” Jaemin teases.
“Hey! I’m an older brother, I have to be good at these things,” he says.
“(Y/N)?!” You swear you could hear your voice being called somewhere, and you stopped in your tracks, your friends looking confusingly behind you.
“Did you say my name, Jaem?” He was the only person behind you.
“No,” he shakes his head. “What’s up?” Jaemin asks.
“Did any of you guys call me?” You looked around.
“No, we’re just trying to get to the ferris wheel,” Keeho points at the large attraction.
“Well, no shit, but… hmm…” you looked back one last time and you felt your heart stop. The passerbys around you seemed to slow into blurs as you made eye contact with her and, again, you saw your name form on her lips, then you realized you were walking towards her with the voices of your friends drowning into the muted chatter of the crowd, then you realized she was walking towards you too, and now you’re both running.
“Somi?!” You called her name out just in case and you saw her nod, you saw her press her lips in a tight line and you saw her smile despite the sadness in her eyes and, just as you noticed the ringing in your ears, you both melted into each other’s embrace, and you felt that beautiful and wonderful feeling of being loved yet again. But at this moment, though you still held her tight, you realized something. If there was one thing you’d learned from university despite the obvious, it was that, for the better, nothing lasts forever.
And that’s okay.
~
Epilogue
“Hey, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sleep in,” you rushed into the kitchen with your things practically spilling from your arms and your glasses refusing to stay on your face, you looked like a complete mess, you knew that, but when you looked up to greet her she instead cupped your face and pulled you into a gentle kiss. Your shoulders relaxed, backpack and all else clattering on the floor forgotten and hands instead brushing the hair from her face. The kiss was sweet and full of a yearning you couldn’t quite describe, it was as if it were something you had missed for a whole lifetime or something that you had only expected to experience in dreams. She’s perfect in every meaning of the word and at the same time she is imperfect in everything else.
But you love her. You love her so much.
When you separate you are filled with this strange desire that left you chasing after her. It was like your hearts were magnets, opposite charges that pull each other together, and that it did. Your arms were locked around her torso, your bodies fitted so perfectly against each other that it would have been criminal to separate you two. And, just like that, you felt like you were where you belonged.
“(Y/N),” her voice was so soft. It grew and blossomed in your chest and you could feel your smile widen. “(Y/N),” she repeats your name again and you looked up at her. There, her eyes, you could look at them forever and you could see your entire life with her.
A life where you would be with the one you loved and the one who loved you back. You could see the sleepy mornings that followed the passionate nights, you could see the way she would hold you so tenderly, the way she would frame your face in her hands and the way you’d do the same. You could feel her love radiating from her smile alone.
“Ennik…" her name was like a sacred thing to you. Her name was meant to represent strength, you learned that recently, yet to you it was the most gentlest word in your dictionary. A name so strong belonged to a woman so tender that it held a knew meaning. Then, as a sweet smile rose on her face, her nose brushed yours so slightly before she rose enough to kiss the tip. “I love you,” your words were lighter than the sun that surrounded you.
Somi beamed slightly, the closed-lip smile perfectly setting on her features.
Then, as if shaken into reality, a booming voice behind you.
“Somi!” The voice was so cold. You both turned and, like that, the fantasy had ended.
Somi pushed away from you and took a step back. The look in her eyes was one of solitary melancholy. She gave you one last hug and you held her tightly, as if you knew this was as much closure as you’d ever receive.
“I love you,” her voice broke you.
“I forgive you.” And yours broke her.
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miabrown007 · 9 months
Text
Felonies and Other Love Languages
Adrien Agreste: rich, lonely, freshly aware of the fact that he's expected to take over not a fashion, but a drug empire. Marinette Dupain-Cheng: broke, angry, freshly aware of the fact that bringing down drug empires is a blast. But where would she be without her team, Alya and Nino, and her very good friend, Luka? Not to mention the team’s newest addition, the kind, the funny, the ultra charming Chat Noir. If Marinette likes him, that’s alright, though. It isn’t like she’s dating Adrien Agreste for real. It’s all just part of her ten-step plan to make the Agrestes meet their demise.
Chapter 3 - Pandora’s Box (12,708 words, 3/32 chapters)
Adrien would like to walk along the edge of the curb with his arms outstretched. Like he used to when his mother was there, her palm hovering a breath away from his, ready to catch him anytime.
Instead, he scurries between patches of light on the crushed stone path of Place des Vosges. He doesn't understand why being late fazes him.
He shouldn’t even be here.
He should be up at the office, checking the CCTV footage with Kim to notify the police about the break-in. Or he should be at dinner, informing his father about today’s mishap. He shouldn’t be sneaking out under the disguise of meeting Chloé for drinks. And he definitely shouldn’t, under any circumstances, be searching for Carapace’s hooded figure in the shadows of the park.
In his head, Adrien knows that. But he follows his heart. And his heart rounds a corner with a leap, only to come to a halt in front of a well-lit fountain.
“I thought you wouldn’t come,” Carapace says, his eyes shining brightly over his green facemask. He has his arms crossed over his chest in what seems to be a futile attempt at keeping himself warm in the spring chill, dressed in nothing but a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles T-shirt.
Adrien doesn’t hold back his grin. With his own mask in place, it’s not like Carapace can see it. “You know what they say about curiosity and the cat.”
It’s a stupid joke, but if he made up a cat-themed persona for himself, he intends to commit to the bit. Plagg would surely be proud of him. (Even if, realistically speaking, Adrien knows that house cats, much like fathers, are never actually proud. Still, he likes to pretend that what they share is special and goes beyond owning a Blue Ribbon pedigree.)
“You expect you’re walking into your doom and still show up? Admirable,” Carapace chuckles, unaware of the truth those words actually hold. “Now come on, the others are waiting for us. I promise we don’t bite.” He starts on one of the paths leading out of the park, muttering under his nose, “Well, most of us.”
Adrien decides he doesn't actually want to know what Carapace means by that. In his hurry to catch up, the gravel almost slips out from under Adrien’s sneakers, but by some miracle—or years and years of athletic training—he keeps himself upright. “What did you say, who are these people we are meeting?”
The light of a street lamp glinting in Carapace’s glasses as he spares Adrien a glance. “I didn’t.”
It’s more than fair to receive the same non-answer to his question as Adrien had given earlier that day. Still, his chuckle is nervous. He fights the fidgety feeling that urges him to double check that the GPS on his phone is switched on.
“Don’t stress about it, they are friends,” Carapace adds in a softer tone as they exit the park on the northern side and stop in the shadow of the arcades. “We’re almost there, so I’ll have to ask you to put this on,” he says, handing Adrien a baby blue knitted scarf.
“There’s a dress code? This place must be really fancy,” Adrien laughs as he takes the piece of fabric and wraps it around his neck.
Carapace blinks at him, twice, before a chuckle leaves him too. “No, it’s— It’s for your eyes, actually. Just a precaution until we know we can trust you.”
Thank god it’s pitch dark and he can’t see the way Adrien flushes.
“Yeah, I— I knew that. Obviously!”
With much more reluctant motions, he re-ties the scarf around his eyes. He had considered swapping his contacts for glasses—for the sake of an even less Adrien Agreste™-looking disguise—but now he’s glad he’d dropped the idea. Blindfolding himself with them on would be a pain. Actually, merely existing with glasses and a facemask on is a pain, as Adrien was forced to discover this afternoon after much experimenting with the concept.
So, contacts, and anxiety over being only fashionably late it was.
“Sorry, it’s part of the protocol. Let me spin you right round here for a second,” Carapace says, his voice lighthearted. He grabs Adrien by the shoulders and turns him around a few times, until he has no idea what is up and what is down. “Thank you for choosing the Rena Rouge entertainment park, we hope you had a good time,” he says, in the worst imitation of a carnival pitchman.
Still, it somewhat eases the knot in Adrien’s stomach that’s as tight as Nathalie’s hairdo on any given day.
“And now, this way. We’re almost there,” Carapace says, grabbing his upper arm and guiding him forward.
The irony of their first meeting going almost exactly like this—only with their roles reversed—isn’t lost on Adrien, but at this point, he just follows the instructions. He's pretty good at that.
Losing his sight serves to draw his attention to his other senses. He’s acutely aware of the silence stretching between them, the noises of cars and buzzing electric advertisements on shops’ façades.
The pavement under his feet takes a sharp turn, and the city’s noises melt into the background, signalling their approaching arrival. Adrien can’t decide if that or his still spinning head is the reason he feels like he’s going to throw up his supper.
“Who is Rena Rouge?” he asks, despite his nausea.
The beam is evident in Carapace’s voice, even over the sound of a door opening and closing behind them. “Oh, Rena Rouge? Just the most amazing, passionate, talented girl in the whole wide world, who, coincidentally, also makes the best colombo.”
"Your girlfriend?" Adrien guesses.
"For the time being," a cheeky voice slices through the vanilla and pastry-flavoured air.
Carapace comes to a sudden halt. "Hey, what‘s that supposed to mean?"
"Well,” presumably-Rena Rouge says, “we are getting married sometime in the future, aren't we?"
"That's like, the worst way to put that, babe," he argues but laughs along nevertheless.
There’s another giggle, one that eases the trembling of Adrien’s stomach. "Um, guys. The plan."
"Right, the plan!" Rena Rouge confirms, as if she has completely forgotten they are, indeed, in the middle of something that is starting to feel suspiciously like a hostage situation.
Adrien, who at this point would really like to see his surroundings, shifts on his feet. "So, what's the plan?"
Suddenly, someone removes his scarf, two bluebell eyes staring into his soul. "You are the plan, Chat Noir!"
[read the whole chapter on AO3]
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onthelowrise · 1 year
Text
Matchless
pairing: xavier thorpe x f!reader
quick a/n: this is the first thing i’ve written in a while, so keep that in mind. im open for feedback and requests! any kind of interaction is appreciated! also the lowercase is intentional.
summary: reader is jealous of xavier thorpe’s newfound interest in nevermore’s new edition, wednesday adams.
GIF by: sleepingpillsworld
word count: 700+ words
warnings: language, very suggestive but not nsfw
masterlist: coming soon
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wednesday addams. she was interesting for more than just one thing. perhaps that’s why you’d grown so envious of her relations to xavier thorpe. y/n only heard as much as he told her, which ,surprisingly, wasn’t much. regardless, the big painting of her was the only reminder of being the second option you needed. the way he talked about her made you more unreasonably hostile than usual.
you thought about bringing up his unjustified — and just plain thirsty — infatuation. you didn’t know whether to feel pity for him or yourself when he spoke of their vague relationship. it was almost as sad as you waiting in your dorm room every night for a single message.
xavier: tonight?
almost. there wasn’t a question of what he meant or whether or not you were going. he wanted something and ,needless to say, you didn’t have a problem giving him what he wanted.
“when are we gonna get to why your really here?” he twirled the end of a paintbrush in his fingers, growing impatient from staring at you.
you rolled your eyes from being interrupted while clearly being in deep thought. y/n knew deep down knowing there was some validity to that question. you two were far from friends. just two single people with sex as a common interest.
“you act like we’re both not here for the same exact reason. you’re lonely and horny. maybe that’s why you’ve been chasing after something who clearly isn’t interested in you all week.” y/n half-mumbled, the usual attitude present in your tone.
y/n had been wanting to say that since wednesday came to nevermore. the consistent pining and rejection was enough alone to make you despise seeing them together. y/n had a little bit of a grudge built up against her, reasons more than apparent. to be truthful, you didn’t pay her much attention when she wasn’t with xavier.
“someone?” he noticed the way you didn’t use her name. knowing you, he was sure that was on purpose.
your eyes finally met his, trying to replicate your usual confident gaze. he stood in front of you with his palms and finger tips planted on your thighs. he towered over you with his beanstalk height. you sat stubbornly with your arms folded, awaiting his response.
“first of all, i’m horny and you’re lonely.” he corrected you, half-joking, half-serious. “you came all the way here to talk about wednesday?” he added flatly.
“no.” you replied quickly, not wanting to go back to your dorm without having your way with him first.
“so you’re jealous that I’ve been spending time with a girl other than you?” he made direct eye contact with you, lips perking up into an arrogant smile. you swore you could feel the humidity of steam coming out of your ears.
“that’s what you call following behind someone like a lost puppy? ‘spending time’ with them? ” y/n questioned his logic. you began to feel silly, fighting for a spot that was never yours in the first place.
it felt unnatural for the both of you to spend this much time talking. you didn’t jump straight into it, but it was way past five minute grace period. as soon as he sent a text giving you the green-light, you were ready to jump his bones once again. and who was he to deny his most loyal, talented hook up? upon your arrival, you especially didn’t waste time.
the last real conversation they had was a distant memory. and, well , the curtesy pillow talk didn’t really count.
“never pegged you for the relationship type of girl.” he said failing to imagine that. he couldn’t imagine another girl doing anything to him in your place either. he cursed the day that you finally came to your senses and replaced him with someone willing to show you off.
you’d grown accustomed to holding in the way you really felt. that way, your spot in his life — and his bed —was always secure. the mask never slipped and your relationship stayed the same. y/n was starting to think that wasn’t such a good thing after all.
y/n stayed quiet, assuming he was just thinking about loud.
“I know you want me to say I won’t forget about you. as long as you keep giving me something to remember, I won’t. it’s gonna be hard to top last time though.” he laughed, referencing y/n’s matchless performance lately. xavier admired how talented you’d become in the field of pleasure.
he wasn’t the romantic, relationship type either so wednesday was likely just a temporary infatuation. he barely knew her. he would realize that and you would be the somewhat main priority again.
he could tell you felt like you had to compete for a spot in his life. you didn’t , but it was cute, nonetheless. y/n became less effortless and more skilled. your eagerness showed, everything you did becoming intentional. you left a perfect image of yourself in his head every time. it was clear to him you felt like you had something you didn’t want to lose. he didn’t see fit to make y/n think otherwise.
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casanovawrites · 19 days
Text
random sentence prompts  ━ from various tv shows, part 8
it’s hard to figure out where you fit in. 
it’s not so easy for me to make friends. i’m not cool like you.
you’re making it really hard for me to be mad at you right now.
it was my fault. i made a mess of it.
something dreadful is about to happen.
high school is the best your life was ever going to get.
you’re gonna leave here thinking that you need to worry about me, but you’re wrong.
we did so much fucked up shit out there. and yeah, maybe it was to survive. maybe. but i don’t think we deserved to.
if you’re done crying, i can tell you some stories.
you sound like you’re about to snap someone in half with that tongue of yours. 
what are you saying, i’m not innocent?
i don’t want to be something you have to learn to live with.
you know me. i don’t always listen.
you are my ghost story.
i know you don’t think you’re strong enough, but that’s not true.
it’s family. there’s always an explosion. 
someone like you, you seem serious. i’m not sure i’m ready for serious.
understand that i love you, but i will not be waiting up for you.
i spent a long time feeling like i wasn’t enough, and i don’t want to do that anymore.
what about you and me against the world? you and me in the world.
you think i’m lonely?
your job is cooler than mine.
stop smiling, i’m kicking your ass.
i’m chasing ghosts. long story.
you’re itching for a fight.
your neck, it’s bleeding.
there’s “packing away” and there’s “throwing away.”
this is what i get for disobeying your orders.
do you wanna die? answer me. do you wanna die?
you can’t put all your feelings in a box.
we’re actually back on the same side.
if what matters to you most is how other people see you, then you haven’t learned a damn thing.
you think pain is weakness?
why are you worried about a lack of trauma?
we're finally hot, at least according to me.
with them, it’s always two steps forward, then get stabbed in the back.
i crack myself open for 50 minutes, walk out feeling like i was hit by a bus.
i kissed someone. or, they kissed me.
i don’t want to keep on making the same mistakes.
you’re family. it’s what we do. we look out for each other.
are you going to come back?
i don’t have anywhere else to go. you made sure of that.
you were worth the wait.
i guess now i know all your secrets. 
don’t make it weird. i love you.
i’d hate for things to get messy again.
talk about your dumb luck.
it doesn’t matter. you always come first.
why is it your job to take those risks?
i’m saying, i love you. and i want you to quit. 
it was a big deal to me. you saved my life.
the truth is worth everything.
don’t settle for being half of anything. go out there and do something that allows you to be 100% you.
people go away. i don’t want to miss anyone else.
people go away. and it’s sad and it hurts. but you know, not everyone goes away forever. sometimes they come back.
i know what it’s like to be stuck inside the worst part of your life.
no offense, but you’re never the one getting left behind. you’re the one who leaves.
now it’s time for me to figure out who i am without you.
you are like, out of control. 
you know i’m really in love with you, right?
if today can be a good day, maybe tomorrow can, too. 
i already feel like a fool. i don’t need the rest of the world to know the joke.
everyone wants to save the world, they just disagree on how.
i wonder if anyone survived.
i’m not usually the “take it easy” type.
do you ever want something good to happen? a really good thing?
there are no answers here.
your type is losers.
one nightmare isn’t necessarily a reason for concern.
that’s not why i came. i’m only here for you, in case you needed me.
i have walked through fire every single day of my life because of you.
you're so hot when you talk shit like that.
it’s all a goddamn prison anyway.
you want a natural disaster? look no further than my life.
i haven’t felt it in years, and it feels wonderful. but it also feels fucking terrifying.
if i’m repressing things i don’t know about, i’m very okay with never figuring it out.
you should be ashamed.
i love you. and as long as i know you feel the same, i can say it enough for the both of us.
i feel a lot of things when i’m with you. happy, safe, a million other things that i can’t explain right now. but i do feel all of that for you.
i’m not pushing anyone away. i’m taking steps back.
home isn’t a place, it’s a people.
all you’ve got out there is your instincts.
love me anyway.
i don’t think good things are gonna happen to me anymore.
sometimes the hardest part is going home by yourself, being alone with all that quiet.
if it’s meant to be, they’ll find their way home.
no one gets under their daughter’s skin like a mom.
i’m not ashamed. i’m glad i’m alive, just like you are.
you’re a good person. you really don’t belong in this place.
life isn’t a science experiment. you can’t control your world forever.
do you ever get tired of winning? or being the fucking worst?
you two together, you are unstoppable.
so who’s gonna die today? you? or me?
hey, you’re back. are you back…?
i know you’re afraid of people leaving you.
i’m afraid that i’m never going to feel normal again.
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A murderous game of cat and mouse
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Prologue
Part 1
Summary: The Scarlet witch just couldn't stay away from you, this cat and mouse game was getting annoying, you couldn't blame her though, you missed her too.
Nat loves interrupting you two and pissing Wanda off so it's a win win for her too
Warnings: 18 + Minors DNI, small amount of smut, like R giving Wanda some oral that’s it (first time writing smut in a while, and even longer since I’ve had any so no judging 😂) little knife play of course, Nat being the most annoying woman in the room but also relatable
Tag list: @xxxtwilightaxelxxx
Words: 2,500
"Y/n! Are you listening?" The piercing voice of one of your men Clint barton made you jump dropping the picture you were holding "fuck me Clint why don't you just slap me next time to get my attention"
The man laughed patting you on the back and trying to look at the picture you dropped "what do you have there?"
You didn't let him instead picking the picture up and stuffing it in your bra "you want it, you have to go fishing for it"
"You're gross you know that?" He laughed sitting on the chair opposite you and getting serious for a minute “so, is your stalker still giving you the runaround?”
You shook your head “no, I cockblocked myself by telling her I like the chase and I want to keep going-
“Woah woah woah! You’re telling me you had this woman in the palm of your hand and you let her go?! I thought you were smart?” You rolled your eyes Nat had already through this with you including a few head slaps then a face slap when you mentioned wanting an orgasm from her to make up for the head slaps
"Yeah yeah I know, anyway do we have anything to do today?"
The man shook his head "no everything's sorted for today, you could go and get your hot stalker" he sent you a cheesy smile and you wanted to smack the smirk off of his face "go home barton" you said blankly and he gave you a thumbs up "see ya tomorrow boss!" He left you alone and you sighed relaxing in your seat leaning your head back and pulling the picture out of your bra looking it over once again, the look on her face while licking the knife would be engraved in your mind forever.
There was a sharp knock on the door suddenly and you whipped out your gun aiming it at the door, how dare someone interrupt your quiet time "state your name or as soon as you open that door I'll blow your brains out"
There was a small chuckle from behind the door and you raised an eyebrow "not much of a cat and mouse game if you come to my office is it?"
The door opened revealing the scarlet witch and you lowered your gun "I'll be truthful my love I hate staying away from you, fuck the game I want you now" she walked to your desk sitting on it facing you "you sound desperate" you say smiling but she just shrugged "you haven't been trying to find me either baby, I was getting lonely"
You pulled your chair close to the desk, she spread her legs so you could be closer to her and you placed your hands on her thighs stroking them "I'm sorry, we've just been really busy here"
She nodded along, placing her hands atop of yours "I understand princess but when we’re you gonna make time for me?”
You dipped your head down sadly “sorry”
The woman remained stoic “where’s your knife?”
"In the drawer" you replied and you opened it pulling the object out, Scarlet took it from you admiring the shininess "I'm glad you kept her clean" she ran the knife along your cheek pressing the tip into your cheek just enough the keep you still "maybe I should punish you for ignoring me, were you with Romanoff?"
Your eyes widened slightly and she clicked her tongue "I see, do you want her dead? Do you want to see the blood pool around her shaking body as the light leaves her eyes?" In a quick second the knife sliced down your cheek cutting you but you didn't flinch being used to the pain knives brought
"Do you want to hurt me?" She asked sadly bringing the knife up to her lips licking the small amount of blood from it making you swallow hard "no, no I don't want to hurt you"
The woman jumped off the desk coming round to behind your chair where you were still sat unsure of what to do "when was the last time you fucked her?" Her arms found the bottom of the shirt you were wearing and lifted it above you head throwing it to the floor then spinning the chair around smiling at the lacy bra you had on
"Tell me" she asked again cutting the straps of your bra carelessly nipping your skin with it
"last night" you finally said and the cutting on your bra stopped and she sliced your other cheek, okay you'd had enough of being cut, she's hot but come on
"Scarlet-"
"It’s Wanda" she corrected you, her real name? At least you were getting somewhere
"Wanda, how about you calm down, okay?" You took ahold of the knife putting it down on the desk behind you "I want you-"
"Prove it" Wanda said and you chuckled "okay sit on the desk then" you stood and the remains of your bra fell from your body "well, it's a good thing I have more" you looked at Wanda looking at your chest "want a taste?" Her fingers reached your breast holding them in her hands "you're not getting any satisfaction from me today, you're gonna pleasure me" she pinched your nipples and you jerked away "shit there's sensitive"
Wanda smiled "I know, I can't wait to have my fun with them"
You didn't question her instead letting her get up on the desk again and spreading her legs "want a taste?" She mocked you laughing at your rolled eyes
Instead of responding you knelt down pulling her pants down her long legs tossing them away and kissing up her thighs leaving deep purple marks in your wake "don't tease me detka"
You kissed her over her panties revealing just how wet she was, you didn't even take her panties off just moved them to the side moaning at the sight of her wet cunt "shit you're so wet"
"Stop talking and just fuck me" you smiled and licked through her folds seeking out her clit and when you found it you sucked hard feeling Wanda buck into you urging you on
"God you're so good with your tongue" Wanda gripped your hair tight keeping you in place, it didn't matter if you couldn't breathe, not that you minded, if you died like this it would be the greatest death ever
You felt Wanda clench around your tongue knowing she was close you kept going through her orgasm bringing her close to another one prying her legs open when she tried to close them "Y/n...Y/n so sensitive..." she tried but you ignored her licking and swallowing everything she gave you and she was delicious, you could definitely die right now.
"Y/n!" The door slammed open and you had a slight moment of dejavu when Nat's voice echoed through the room, trying to reluctantly remove yourself from between Wanda's thighs but she gripped your hair keeping you in place
"We're in the middle of something Natalia" you heard her hoarse voice say as she tried to regain some control and Nat scoffed "I can see that psychopath, am I allowed to speak to my boss or isn't she finished yet?" you didn't even have to look at her to know she was smirking
Wanda was smirking too, pulling something from her chest pocket pointing it at Nat "how about you talk to her later when she's finished?"
"ooohhh a gun I'm so scared"
You tapped Wanda's thigh and she glanced down at your eyes that pleaded to be let up which she allowed letting go of your hair and pushing you from her with her legs
You stood up facing Nat trying to put on a professional face "Nat, how about we-"
Nat held up her hand stopping you from continuing "before you start, please wipe your face, and put a shirt on I can't take you seriously with cum on your face and your breasts out in the open"
You blushed reaching for your shirt quickly putting it over your head and the looking for something to use to wipe your face when Wanda handed you a tissue "there you go medovyy, I think you look perfect the way you are though" she winked putting her pants back on, you didn't know your face could blush harder and yet you felt like it did
"Anyway Nat what do you need?" You cleaned your face throwing the wipe in the trash looking back at your friend "actually I don't need anything but I heard moaning when I walked past so obviously I had to barge in to make sure my boss was safe"
You went to speak but Wanda was already in front of you with the gun firm against Nat's head "give me one good reason why I shouldn't put a bullet through your skull"
"I could give you hundreds of reasons but I know that's not what you want to hear" Nat was always calm in stressful situations and this was no different "so Y/n we have that dinner meeting with Agatha in an hour so we should probably get ready"
She glanced at the angry redhead "you could come too if you want, having a psychopathic guard dog there would probably be a good thing" she laughed to herself "you won't be laughing when I put a bullet through your head"
Nat sighed "you know I'd blame your anger on being sexually frustrated but I walked in on you being eaten out and from previous experience I know that you've probably had about 3 orgasms so far...she's great with her tongue right?"
You flinched when the handle of Wanda's gun smacked Nat across the face, cutting her lip, which Wanda smiled at before frowning when Nat just chuckled "well, you definitely have a swing on you, that'll prove useful at the meeting, now come on you two the car's waiting"
She left giving you a wink and Wanda turned back to you "she's more of a boss than you are princess, I like her"
You rolled your eyes, jealousy creeping into your body "you like her? You've threatened her and just slapped her across the face with the back of your gun, if that means you like someone I'm a little jealous"
Moving behind your desk to clean some things up and collect your gun Wanda watched you carefully "how do you deal with jealously?"
You finished behind the desk and moved around to Wanda wrapping your arm around her waist pulling her flush against you "I deal with it as well as you deal with it"
Wanda's eyes widened "oh milaya devushka I really want to see that, I'll get you so rilled up with jealously that the red mist takes over your mind and you kill everyone who looks at me" she kissed you hard moaning at the still lingering taste of herself on your tongue "fucking delicious" she said breathlessly and you chuckled
"It's your own taste"
"And I taste delicious-
"Come on you horndogs! We can't keep Agatha waiting!"
Wanda closed her eyes and grumbled "I don't like her anymore"
"Do you actually want to come?" You asked and Wanda nodded "our game of cat and mouse can be on hold for now, I'll be the best guard dog you've ever had instead”
"Will you sit at my feet and let me scratch your head? You joked but Wanda didn't instead she did said something that surprised you "I'll wear a pretty collar with a leash that you keep a hold of...and if for any reason you feel like you need it, I'll get under the desk and lick you like the good puppy I can be"
"Shit" you couldn't say anything else, it was just hazy, the thought of this big bad serial killer on her knees pleasing you while you were in a meeting was all you could think about
"Princess? We shouldn't keep the Russian whore waiting, come on" she dragged you out the room still in your hazy gaze imagining her on the floor with her head on your thigh as you softly stroked her hair and when you asked it she’d be between your legs making the dinner/meeting go so much better
"You'd look so cute with a dog collar" you managed and Wanda smirked "who said I don't have one already?"
"You're going to fucking kill me" you approached the car seeing Nat with a cigarette in her mouth tapping her foot impatiently "I'm glad you could pry yourselves away from each other long enough to come outside, get in the car" she threw away her cigarette and got into the drivers side while you two got into the back
The car was started up and Nat turned to the two of you "I swear to god if you two start doing anything in the back of this car I'll slit both your throats, it's a rental and I don't want to explain to the owners what the stains in the back are"
Wanda flipped her off "we'll do whatever we want Natasha"
The woman sighed before saying "fine, but if she gets action I want some too"
"Y/n won't touch you anymore Nat she belongs to me" Wanda threatened but Nat just looked at her in the rearview mirror "who said I want anything from her anymore? I think our hate hate relationship could leave to some hot sex, plus we're both redheads so it'll be fiery"
Throughout this interaction Wanda's hand flexed on your shoulder gripping it tightly whenever she spoke "and what makes you think I'd touch that dirty body of yours?"
Nat shrugged turning a corner into an alleyway and stopping the car "Maybe one day you're psychotic ass might change its mind, if the woman I normally fuck is now a pet for a serial killer then I want a taste of what she's having"
She got out of the car coming to the back and opening the door for you to get out, you thanked Nat and when Wanda stepped out Nat didn't get time to say anything before Wanda grabbed the back of her neck bringing her into a heavy kiss and slipping her tongue inside her mouth groaning at her taste
"Hmm I'll definitely think about it shlyukha" Wanda licked her lips giving Nat a pat on the cheek
"Takes one to know one psychopath"
You rolled your eyes "if you two are quite done, let's go" Wanda could tell you were obviously grumpy and grabbed ahold of you kissing your neck "are you jealous? Are you going to go into a blind rage?" Her voice was ragged against your neck, you know what you said about being jealous but you'd never hurt Nat, sexually you would sure but you'd never want to kill her.
"No Scarlet witch I won't be killing my friend" a stern tone evident in your voice making Wanda smile "using my stalker name are we? I love it when you're rilled up, can we go killing later? Seeing you up close and personal covered in blood will be the hottest thing I've seen in weeks"
You pushed her away slightly surprising the woman looking to Nat to open the door "let's get this over with" you we’re pissed, you couldn’t touch Nat or anyone else because you’d get punished, fucking hypocrite psychopath.
you went through the open door slamming it leaving the two redheads stood there "what the fuck happened?" Wanda exclaimed and Nat laughed "you thought making her jealous would be a good thing? You silly little psychopath"
"But she said she dealt with jealously like me, I don't complain and be whiny about it"
Nat rolled her eyes "you're in for it later, now come on idiot, she's scary when she's mad"
"That's what I wanted but I didn't think shed be mad at me"
Nat pushed Wanda through the door "make it up to her then"
Wanda groaned "all I wanted was to kill people for her and then fuck her while I was covered in blood"
“Too bad, you’re in a relationship now”
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