blue side of the sky (lmh) | twelve.
♡ spotify playlist | series masterlist
—summary: waking up after 3 months with no recollection of your past, your friends do what they can to help you remember. except, they omit an important piece to the puzzle - afraid you would remember the heartbreak and hurt all over again.
—pairing: lee know x f. reader
—genre: (18+) exes to lovers, bestfriends to lovers au | fluff, angst, (eventual) smut
—word count: 4.5k
—chapter content/warnings: cussing, more of a lighthearted chapter hehe but a very oc x minho centered chapter! JJ & chan share some words with minho, hanging out and spending time together, cute lil flashback, small sweet kisses, lots of thoughts about recent events lol, holding hands, feelings being aired out, quickly edited so pls excuse any errors! also pls trust that things will fall into place as they should 😩
"Dude, what the fuck are you doing? I got this. Just goooo." JJ whines and tries to shove Minho out of the back area of the café. "You're hanging out with Y/N today and the first thing you think about is coming to the café? Weirdo."
"Shut up, okay? I wanted to bake something really quickly."
"Where are you guys hanging out at now? Is it just you two this time?" Minho nods.
"Yeah. She said she's been wanting to go to the Conservatory of Flowers, but hasn't since it's kinda far. I offered to take her."
"Hm." JJ hums. "What did Jisung say about this?" Minho shrugs.
"Nothing. We haven't been talking too much. I know he's still mad, but I'm sure we'll talk about it soon."
"I mean truthfully, it's valid. Cause you fucked up." Minho glares at him before shaking his head. "But, I know you're trying to not make things weird. I just hope you both don't fuck this up."
"Yup." Minho pops the 'p' in his response, tired of people associating him and Jisung with 'fucking things up.' Him, mainly. He gets it, though.
"No, but on a serious note. Are you going to tell her?" Minho pauses.
"I will. I will eventually." He looks at JJ.
"As long as you do it and it comes from you. Nobody else." JJ looks at him worriedly. "Promise me that, please? It's the least you can do for Y/N." Minho continues to keep eye contact with his cousin, pursing his lips before letting out a sigh.
"Yeah, I know." Is all he can respond with before swallowing the lump in his throat. It has to come from him. It wouldn't make sense for Jisung to do it, and even if they were fighting about it now, he'd never let Jisung take the blame for this.
It needed to come from him.
"Alright." JJ says. "So, what are you baking exactly?"
"Nothing for you, if that's what you're asking." Minho chuckles. "Kidding. I did get a head start on these brownies for you, though." He sets the timer aside, peeking into the oven at his special for the day. "7 mins left." Minho washes his hands and sets the hand towel aside.
"Didn't you make these already?"
"Yeah." Minho purses his lips together before heading towards the back door of the café. "They're Y/N's favorite."
"This dude." JJ mutters to himself as he watches his cousin hop into his car and drive off. He has to stop by home really quickly to get a few things together [esp himself] before swinging by to pick you up.
"Where are you going?" Chan asks as Minho steps through the door and hurriedly heads up to his room.
"I need to take Y/N to the conservatory."
"For what?" Chan chuckles.
"Just cause. She wants to go." Chan hums.
"I'm assuming Jisung doesn't know about this?"
"He does."
"No, that's not what I'm saying." Minho stops in front of the bathroom to look at him.
"Then, what are you saying?"
"You. Your feelings for her."
"He's aware, I guess." Chan shakes his head and shrugs.
"We can't keep hiding this from her, you know? Especially if you're starting to have feelings again."
"Yeah, I know." Minho sighs. "But Jisung just doesn't wanna talk to me about it. He doesn't wanna talk about any of this. Wants to play things safe."
"It's not going to be safe forever. We're going to end up hurting her more." Chan looks at him worriedly. "Besides, you've called it quits with Kat, right? Officially? No more back and forth shit. You— that—" Chan pauses. "That whole thing was fucked up." Minho's eyes soften and all he can do is respond with a small, subtle nod. "When you say you're done, please mean it. For both their sakes, especially Y/N."
"I know. I.. I mean it. That's done with."
"I get it. The whole accident was hard to process but falling onto Kat shouldn't have been the first thing you thought about while Y/N was in there. But, you should know that's why we're equally scared about the outcome of this, right?"
"Yeah, I know."
"Alright then." Chan shrugs it off as if he didn't know what else to say. Of course, he couldn't continue to lecture the guy— he's aware Minho has heard it time and time again. "Well, enjoy the conservatory."
"Mm, yeah. I will." Minho rushes into the bathroom to end the conversation and finish getting ready. The topic has started to dwindle on him and it's been messing with his mood a bit. He knows JJ and his friends come from a good place, and he knows he has to tell you.
It just never feels like the right time.
Or, he's just afraid of ripping that bandaid. He tells himself it's never the right time because he wants to avoid re-opening the wound.
Inevitably, it will re-open and he has to understand that.
By the time Minho is finished getting ready, Chan is also on his way out to head to the studio. They bid their farewells and go their separate ways, Minho brushing off the talks that just happened to put himself in a better place before having you in the car.
Uncle Adrian is just about to get into his truck when Minho pulls up to the curb. He gives him a small smile and wave before hopping in. Minho waits until he pulls out of the driveway with one final goodbye before stepping out and heading to the backyard. As he approaches your cottage, he can hear the soft music playing in your living room area while you hum along.
"Y/N?" He knocks and calls your name.
"Door's open! I'm almost done." He hears you say before twisting the door knob and entering your space. A gentle, calming smell of lavender fills the room, and it fills Minho with nostalgia.
You brought home some fresh lavender. Like you used to.
He plops on the couch and manspreads, catching up to the group chat with his roommates. He chuckles to himself when he finds Seungmin and Jisung going at it over a certain video game, with Chan trying to change the subject and prevent it from going on.
seungmin: dude you're full of shit, that game is sooo bad
seungmin: i've seen better
chan: what time is everyone getting back home?
jisung: maybe you're the one who's bad at playing it?! i highly enjoyed it
jisung: the complexity, graphics, story line? chef's kiss
minho: both of you could greatly benefit from being quiet
jisung: all of a sudden
jisung: go pay attention to y/n
jisung: since you wanna be all knight and shining armor now
chan: ooooookay lets relax lmao
chan: so, what's for dinner tonight?
Minho lets out a small, dry chuckle at Jisung's continued passive aggressiveness, but he knows he also just needs a moment to talk to him more about this; to let him know that he acknowledges he was wrong first and foremost, but he truly means it when he'll do better this time around—
"Hi." You pop out of your room in a cute little sundress and your sneakers.
"Hey." He smiles at you and stands. "You look cute."
"Thank you." You giggle.
"Are you ready? Do you need anything before we go?"
"Mm, no." You grab your bag and phone before looking back at him. "Thank you for taking me. I know it's probably going to be so boring for you. I really would have been okay taking a cab and going by myself."
"No, I don't mind it. I'm happy to take you." He chuckles as he steps out and waits for you to lock your door. You walk alongside of him and scrunch your nose when you look up to meet his eyes.
"You sure?"
"Of course." Minho laughs, letting you settle into the passenger seat before he hops in. This really wasn't unusual for him, anyway. You used to drag him and Jisung to the monthly free admission days that a few museums participated in. He'd go, he loved spending time with you. With his bestfriend. It was always good times.
☁︎ FLASHBACK | JUNIOR YEAR
"Wake up!" You yell as you run into Jisung's room, letting the door hit the wall harshly.
"Cielo, what the actual fuck?" He mumbles sleepily, bed head poking out of his covers. "It's so early."
"It's literally almost 11am and time to start the day." You smack the covers. "Get ready! We're going to the science museum!"
"Have you lost your mind? On a Saturday?" Jisung tries to bring the covers over his head, but you tug on it and pull it back.
"Nope! It's free admissions day! Minho's already getting ready." Jisung groans.
"Yeah, because he's your boyfriend! Just take him!
"Nope, you're coming along too.
"I swear to god."
"I'll buy you food later." He groans even louder before tossing the sheets off of him and waddling over to his closet.
"Fine." He mumbles, shooing you out of his room so he can pick his clothes out and get ready in peace.
Once the two are finally up and ready, you take them to the science museum downtown. It takes about a good 25 minutes to get there with the daytime traffic already beginning, plus finding parking in the garage proves to be even more difficult until you hit the lower levels. The admissions line is a bit lengthy, but it moves quickly, finally allowing you, your boyfriend and your bestfriend to enjoy the museum.
"What exactly are we doing here?" Jisung's bitter ass wonders as he adjusts his hat.
"To learn new things." You face him just as you slip your hand into Minho's.
"Okay then, lead the way princess." Minho gives you a toothless smile before letting you begin the journey around the museum. Eventually, Jisung slips out of his exhaustion and begins to enjoy the visit— now also joining in and excitedly pointing at the huge dinosaur exhibit and the aquarium right past it.
As Jisung settles to watch the divers swim around the coral reef exhibit, Minho lags behind you to snap a few candid photos before slipping his arms around your waist and planting a soft kiss against your head.
"Enjoying yourself?" You giggle as he continues to hug you from behind, the both of you a few steps away from Jisung [who is nearly pressed against the front and center with the kids].
"Yeah, told you it'd be fun."
"Baby, I never even had a problem with it." He laughs a bit. "At least he's enjoying himself now." You both chuckle at Jisung joining the kids and pointing at different fish.
"I know, grumpy pants."
"Hey." He gently taps your waist. "Face me."
"Why?" You look at him slyly before turning in his hold to face him.
"Just cause." He smiles before kissing the tip of your nose, down to your lips. "Glad you're having fun."
"Are you having fun?"
"Course. Nothing beats spending time with my girlfriend and the child." You laugh. "Look." He pulls out his phone to show you the pictures he's taken of you. "Like 'em?"
"They're cute! May I have permission to post these?" You ask cutely and Minho laughs.
"Yeah, but. I need a little tip." He puckers his lips, and you give him what he asks for— slightly tiptoeing to kiss him on the lips again.
"Thank you."
"Mhm." He boops your nose.
"Yo, lovebirds! Let's go check out the insects please." Jisung pleads.
"Why? All you're gonna do is cry about it when you actually see one." Minho furrows his brows and laces his fingers with yours as he follows him to the insects section.
"Oh yeah, so funny." Jisung says sarcastically. "And what about you, funny guy? Like you're any better!"
"At least I don't scream and make a scene when they move!" They continue to bicker as you silently follow along and make your way into the insect section—
Where, as expected, Jisung flinches and nearly knocks a child out after seeing the tarantula on display.
☁︎ END
"This is for you, by the way." He hands you a small pastry bag with a brownie inside.
"My favorite!" You let out a small gasp before taking it out to begin munching on it. "You wanna share?"
"I have it too many times, Y/N." You chuckle at the small head tilt he does.
"Did you eat or have some coffee?"
"I did. I'm good, promise."
"Okay." You happily eat away at the brownie. "I hope there aren't too many people since it's still early."
"We'll be fine."
"I felt bad for leaving Mrs. Pak alone today, but she said I should go. She went recently and said they have new plants and flowers decorating the place." You look at him. "I think I'm gonna take a few pictures and try to paint some."
"That sounds like a good plan. Did you ever draw the beach from the wedding?"
"I did. Rough draft. I wasn't too happy with it. Maybe I'll work on it a bit more later."
"I'm sure it looks great."
"I'm rusty." You shrug it off. "I asked Jisung if he wanted to come but he said he's seeing his parents today."
"Yeah, he left really early this morning. But, I think he'll be back for dinner. The guys were trying to figure out what to make for tonight. Which, good for me. Gives me a break from feeding their asses." You laugh at the way he slightly huffs after the response.
Sooner or later, Minho pulls into a spot along the curb since the conservatory sits within a bigger central park. The both of you walk towards admissions to buy tickets for the day and walk in, feeling the warmth increase a teeny bit. You pause in your tracks to take in the view, admiring the colorful blends of all the exotic plants and flowers decorating the place.
Mrs. Pak was right.
Minho does the same with his hands tucked into his pockets, following closely behind you as you take the time to stop in front of all the exhibits so far. You happily read out the facts to Minho as he stands next to you and takes all of this in.
You gently place your palm under some of the flowers to admire them closely, and Minho takes this as his opportunity to start snapping photos of you— just like before. Most of the time, you don't say much to him because you're so engrossed in the plants, the flowers.
And that's okay, as long as you're enjoying yourself. He wants to see you happy.
"Minho, look!" You smile at the huge monstera leaf, holding it in your hands to show him how big it's gotten.
"Hey, that's cute." He says, holding up his phone to take a picture and showing it to you shortly afterwards. "Here." Your eyes glow at the picture, the shyest smile creeping at the corner of your lips once you meet his eyes again.
"I love it. Thank you, Minho. Did you.. take more?"
"I did. I like 'em all. But— " The two of you continue to walk alongside of each other as he scrolls through the pictures he took of you. "This is my favorite. Besides the one I just took." He chuckles a bit, showing you a picture of you tipping the Medinilla flower close to your nose with a cute smile on your face.
"You actually took photos of me?" You giggle.
"Why not? Gotta capture the moments, right?" He chuckles.
"I'm shy."
"Why? It's just me, Y/N."
"Cause. It's weird to see myself in photos. I can't really explain it." You giggle and shake your head, subconsciously holding onto his arm as you continue to walk through the conservatory.
"Hm." He hums. "You look beautiful to me." He looks at you with the softest, sweetest eyes.
"You're sweet." You look down at your feet, feeling the heat rise to your cheeks. Minho is your bestfriend, but he feels more to you. You crave for him, his comfort.
He feels special, feels like something deeper— to you.
"Did you like it? Do you wanna stay around for a little more?" Minho asks when you finally hit the end of the conservatory. He watches as you glance around before shaking your head, smiling up at him with your phone in hand.
"I did like it, but I think I'm good. I took photos of all the plants I want to attempt to paint."
"Cool." He holds his arm back for you to hold onto. "Wanna go on a walk?"
"Where to?"
"I don't know honestly, let's see where it takes us."
"Okay." You chuckle.
Minho leads the way down a random path that goes around the central park and into the residential neighborhood that has a few small shops lining the streets.
The sun is still up, and the streets are busier now that it's hitting the early afternoon. Minho gently moves you to the side and away from the street, taking the busier side to keep you safe. The both of you talk a bit about the café and JJ, which then reminds you about San.
"I hung out with Sannie the other day."
"Yeah?" Minho says, kicking the rocks beneath his feet as you continue to walk around in the surrounding area. "How was that?" He's trying his best to not give away the fact that he saw you two happily walking into the theater together. With the way it was going, it was easy to tell you had a good night. He's assuming you'll tell him he made you happy, and he asked you out. This is how the news will be broken to him. He hates thinking about it, but he needs to be here for you first and foremost. If you were happy with San, then he needs to hear it and he needs to be happy for you. He will be happy for you. You are his bestfriend before anything, and you are important.
"Good. We had dinner at that fancy unagi place. Then we ate dessert at Peace Piece before catching Spirited Away at the theater."
"Oh, for the Studio Ghibli event?" Impressive, Minho thinks. He honestly thought San was going to take you to see something else. "That sounded like fun."
"I know, I kinda missed you guys while sitting in the theater. Not that San isn't good company, but it would've been nice to see it with you guys, too." You chuckle. "Hopefully, they do it again."
"Yeah, I'd be down." He responds. "What else did you guys do?"
"Hm, nothing really. He took me to the beach and we talked about some things." Minho looks at you with a brow cocked up— definitely his way of prying for more info. "He.. kinda confessed that he liked me? Not kinda, but.. you know what I mean." You feel the heat rise to your cheeks again, and you suddenly feel shy, maybe a bit embarrassed, to be telling Minho this like it's some silly elementary school crush.
"Mm. Can't say I didn't see that coming." Minho responds with a drip of sarcasm, making you gently push him with a giggle.
"What do you mean?"
"It's obvious he likes you."
"I guess? We just clicked easily." You sigh. "To be honest, I thought I'd have some genuine feelings for him. But, I realized I felt like I was forcing myself to feel a certain way just cause he was there and we've spent time together." You pout a bit as you look back down at your feet. "Anyway, I told him I wanted to stay friends. I don't wanna ruin what we've built. We just seem.. good this way. I think that's what my mind was trying to tell me and I feel content saying that out loud."
"I'm sorry. I know that's tough, though."
"Hm, it's okay." It falls quiet for a bit before Minho's head shoots up and slows his pace a bit. You almost bump into him with the way your head hangs low, unsure of what is stopping him from moving forward.
"Ice cream?" He points towards the ice cream shop.
"Before dinner?" He laughs.
"It's the only way to do it. Plus, it's a nice little picker-upper." You giggle, letting him lead the way into the ice cream parlor. You two stand off to the side, eyeing the menu before stepping forward to order your ice cream. Minho settles for his to be in a cup, while you fully indulge in a waffle cone. He pays for your ice cream shortly after, with you savoring the flavors on your way back to the car.
As you continue the trek back, you hear sounds coming from nearby. You gently tug Minho in the direction, loosely lacing your hand with his to figure out what's happening at this time of day. To your surprise, there's an event happening in one part of the park nearby, with people laid out on their blankets. It seems to be a family friendly movie event, being that there are a ton of kids running around if not seated with their family.
Minho takes a seat at an open bench facing the screen and shaded lawn area, leaning onto his knees as he eats away at the ice cream scoops sitting in the cup. You sit as close as possible to him, with your legs brushing against his. He likes the feeling, he likes being close to you. It brings him comfort.
"Oh, look! They're playing a Disney movie."
"Toy Story." Minho responds. "Such a classic."
"Did you plan this?" You look at him slyly before he chuckles and shakes his head.
"If I say yes, does that give me more brownie points?" You giggle and shake your head, chomping onto your waffle cone.
"I can say that grabbing ice cream before dinner was the right idea."
"See." He looks at you and smirks.
"Good thing it isn't super cold."
"You're not too cold now though, are you?"
"No. I'm okay." The movie starts and the both of you actually start to watch even though this wasn't really included in the original plan. Minho finishes his cup of ice cream first, tossing it into the trash can nearby before plopping back down next to you. He sits back against the bench, lazily throwing an arm onto the ledge and behind your back. You silently giggle to yourself, assuming Minho was probably trying to be slick about his actions. You don't mind it though, and it makes you settle into your seat a little more— back pressed against the bench, bodies close enough to exchange warmth.
"You sure you're okay?" You look at Minho when he suddenly pops the question, wiping at your mouth once you've finished the cone entirely. You let it marinate for a minute, wondering what he could possibly be hinting at.
"Of course, why?" You ask him, stuck on what could possibly be bothering you.
"I don't know. The whole thing with San?" Minho hates to ask, but he wants to be sure you're okay. You make an 'o' shape with your mouth before nodding.
"Oh, yeah. I'm okay. I think." You shrug. "I just hope we can continue to be the same as friends. We've built a really good friendship in such a short amount of time, I'd hate to lose that." You look at Minho. "I'm just getting used the world again. You know? Exploring everything, making friends. It'll be terrible to lose a friend already."
"I know, but you won't, Y/N. I'm sure it'll be okay. He seems to feel the same way, and I'm sure he understands."
"I—" You look at Minho worriedly, and he slightly furrows his brows in response.
"Hm?" He hums.
"I think it's my turn to sort out my feelings." You chuckle a bit. "I'm not really sure how to explain it."
"That's okay, Y/N. Take your time." You pause, fiddling with your fingers as your feet sway over the edge.
"Minho?"
"Yes?"
"Would you find it weird if I said I feel attached to you?" He chuckles a bit. "I feel comfortable and safe with you. Like you've always taken care of me. It's nice."
"No. I wouldn't be surprised." He looks at you again with a small smirk. "I've always been the fun one compared to Jisung, anyway." You laugh and playfully push him. "Kidding."
"Seriously. It's not weird? I can't explain it."
"No." He says softly. "We've.. always been—" He pauses as if he's trying to choose his wording. "Really close." He purses his lips. "We've gone through a lot together." He sighs.
"I see." You respond because you're not sure if you should continue to ask. Perhaps, this was what he wanted to talk more about. But, he wasn't ready. It's obvious he wasn't ready. He knows he should tell you. He's just afraid. Of course, he doesn't wanna be selfish— though, at the same time, he looks at you and realizes he just can't lose you again.
This is the first time Minho has been able to look at you for long.
"I've really.. missed this." There's a slight pause in between his words, and part of you has to prevent yourself from prying more. You won't out of respect to him, but you also aren't sure what to make of this feeling when you look at him.
Like you love him, adore him— like he means much more to you than you think, than you know.
"We're here now, right?" You smile at him. Minho looks at you, really looks at you— adoration twinkling in his eyes as he softly smiles back. He doesn't say anything, even as he throws his arm around you and pulls you close, planting a sweet kiss on your temple. You lay your head on his shoulder as you two continue to sit there, admiring the surroundings, casually watching the movie.
Sadly, part of you is also overthinking. You can't help but wonder why he wasn't in photos with you. Or, why he was so distant in the beginning. It couldn't just be that he hated taking pictures, or that he was learning how to cope. You were surely missing something to the puzzle. Something that didn't end well, something that happened? Kat? Maybe two young lovebirds who didn't expect their turns in the relationship? But, you trust in Minho to tell you when he's ready.
And who knows, maybe you won't be ready to hear what he has to say. Or, maybe you won't understand what this is all about. Maybe, it'll give you the time that you need. You just hope it isn't entirely heartbreaking.
Whenever it comes.
You trust him.
That's probably what sucks the most because Minho knows you trust him, but you won't after he tells you. He doesn't wanna ruin that today, not just yet— he'll just need to find another day where he can tell you before he gets too wrapped up into this, into you.
Again.
But he will tell you, he will rip that bandaid. And when that day comes, he'll only hope that you will let him show you that he's better— that he's acknowledged his mistakes and that he is learning from them. Hopefully, you'll still be able to trust him no matter how long it takes.
Hopefully, you'll still look at him with the same love, the same twinkle in your eye.
Hopefully, you'll still smile at him the same way you smile at the blue sky— the sky that makes room for everchanging weather, like dark clouds or thunderstorms. But, the blue sky has always waited behind every dark cloud, or every thunderstorm just to shine again.
Hopefully, you'll see that what you've longed for has always been here, just like the blue sky.
Minho is your blue sky.
⇢ 12.5 [cloud days]: here
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Anon doing ratnovel reread again - it's an absolute pleasure to (re)immerse myself in this world and these characters, and I know I'm not the only one who loves these extra little insights into haw-verse! Rereading it and knowing the general shape of Leon's side (poor guy with his soft little heart that he gave to Matthew and then...) makes it so much more hurty. Which I love. And speaking of (and I promise I won't bombard you with questions for each moment, probably, but I am still immersed in the feels), what is Leon's side of things when Matthew tells him to leave after the kiss?? Obviously he is heartbroken, but does he cry about it, is he very stoic German, does McDavid take on look at him and facepalm because he KNEW Leon was too much of a softie for this...?
Leon is an idiot.
Sitting in the back of the car back to the hotel, that’s all he can think. He is an idiot. He’s so fucking stupid.
He could think about other things. Matthew’s mouth against his, finally. The hot, desperate way he kissed back. That moment, lying together afterward, when Leon thought, stupidly, idiotically, that he was getting what he wanted. But if he thinks about those things, his hands start to shake and his stomach turns and he is not paying the clean-up fee for throwing up in an Uber, so he stays focused.
He’s an idiot.
He needs another shower, and he’s an idiot.
Not an idiot for thinking Matthew was feeling something even remotely similar to what he felt. No, he’s still painfully sure about that. An idiot for thinking Matthew felt enough — cared enough — to get the fuck over whatever the fuck is wrong with him long enough to have one honest moment. To think he'd see Leon putting himself out there and meet him halfway — not even halfway, a third of the way. A quarter of the way would have been enough.
At least it’s a short ride.
The hotel lobby is mostly empty at this hour, which Leon is grateful for as he stalks to the elevator, mashes the unlock on the digital key on his phone until it takes him to his floor. If he ran into a teammate right now— he can’t fathom having a conversation. He’s still burning so hot with humiliation that he can hardly see straight. The real world feels far away. Everything is white noise and his own stubborn heart still thudding in his ears.
He needs a shower. He still has Matthew’s come on him, under his clothes, drying on his stomach, sticking to his shirt. The sensation makes him want to puke, but he’s not doing that in a hotel elevator any more than he’s doing it in an Uber.
He’s such a fucking idiot.
In his room, he goes straight to the bathroom, stripping his clothes off with such determination that he pops a button off his shirt, then another as he yanks it off in frustration. He’ll care later, maybe. More likely he’ll just trash the whole shirt. He does not wait for the water to get hot, and cringes when he steps under the cold spray, but it doesn’t deter him from scrubbing himself clean. And it doesn’t take long to warm up. Faster than the water in Matthew’s shower warms up.
He is not going to cry.
Leon’s not an easy crier. He’s emotional, yeah, and he gets choked up easier than some guys, but it’s pretty rare that actual tears fall. But he’s got this tightness in his chest, this pressure behind his eyes, like there’s a dam inside him that wants to break. He rubs his hands over his face as water pours over him, streaming down his back and shoulders, hot enough now that it’s surely turning his skin red. Better than his skin being red from Matthew’s fingers digging into it. A sob tries to push its way up and out of his throat; he bites hard on the heel of his hand, turning it into a sharp, muffled sound.
And he shouldn’t care, he shouldn’t care about what Matthew is doing right now, but, fuck, Leon hopes he feels like shit. He hopes he’s still sitting there alone on his bed, staring at the t-shirt folded on his dresser, feeling like shit.
He presses his palms to his eyes, his breaths coming too fast and too short.
“Fuck,” he yells, the word swallowed up by the steam.
He’s such a fucking idiot.
If he could, he would stand in the shower until the water ran cold. But this is a hotel, so it’s not going to get cold. So instead he stands there until he can breathe without it catching in his throat. Until the pressure behind his eyes eases just enough that the danger of crying is no longer imminent. Until it hits him how fucking exhausted he is and suddenly all he wants is to lie down.
He shuts off the water, towels off, and goes to collapse onto his bed. He nearly steps on his phone on the way, so he scoops it up to take with him, but he doesn’t look at it yet. If Matthew hasn’t texted, it’ll make him want to throw up. If Matthew has texted, that might also make him want to throw up.
At least his life will be a lot less complicated now, he thinks, and that also makes him want to throw up.
He lays there miserably for who knows how long. He’s been miserable before, after losses, after breakups. The entire time they were getting swept in the conference finals last year while his ankle throbbed so badly he could hardly stand. Could hardly think. He wishes he had some kind of real physical injury right now to explain away how much he hurts inside. He’s been miserable before, but not like this.
He’s so tired, but he can’t sleep. The idea of sleeping feels completely foreign, like it’s something he’s never done before and might never do again.
He swallows his nausea and picks up his phone.
Are u still up, he texts Connor, knowing he won’t be. Connor goes to bed at a reasonable hour unless there’s a very good reason not to. He sits and stares at his phone for a few more minutes anyway, scrolling aimlessly through his texts without looking too closely at the conversation with Matthew. The temptation to tap in and backread is there, but he’s not masochistic enough for that. Masochistic enough to get himself into this mess, but not masochistic enough for that. If Matthew texted him right now, maybe. Maybe he’d open the conversation then. Who is he kidding — if Matthew texted right now with an apology, he’d take it. He’d forgive him so fucking fast. But it would have to be tonight. Maybe tomorrow. But only if it’s a real apology. Only if it acknowledges, even a little, that they were doing something real. If Matthew can’t do that, then there’s no point to any of this.
Leon squeezes his eyes closed. He’s not going to fucking cry. He squeezes his phone, willing a text to come through. Nothing.
He can’t fucking do this. He can’t lay here all night thinking about it. He’ll drive himself crazy.
It only takes a moment to find sweatpants, a t-shirt, slides — the bare minimum for leaving the hotel room. He stalks down the hallway and raps on Connor’s door. Hopefully it wakes him up the first time. Leon will keep knocking if he needs to, but he doesn’t want anyone else to hear and come ask him what he’s doing.
There is a long, excruciating minute before the door opens just enough for Connor, tousled and grumpy, to squint into the hallway at him.
“Leo?” he says. “What are you— what’s wrong?”
“Do you want to watch a movie or something?” Leon asks.
Maybe it’s the way his voice cracks, or maybe there’s something in the look on his face, but Connor’s brow creases and the sleepiness seems to dissipate.
“Yeah, come in,” he says, stepping back so Leon can do that. He’s wearing boxers and a t-shirt so old that there’s a big hole in one armpit. The ensemble makes him look strangely teenaged, like the shy, skinny kid Leon met when they first came into the league, and that for some reason makes him feel a little better about showing up pathetically in the middle of the night because some guy broke his heart.
Connor doesn’t turn on any lights, just crawls back into bed and turns the TV on with the remote. Leon follows, settling on top of the covers instead of under them. Clicking through channels, Connor eventually stops on one showing some sort of disaster action movie that Leon doesn’t recognize.
“Good enough,” Connor mutters. His eyes flick over to Leon. “What happened? You look like shit.”
“Feel like shit,” Leon says, trying for deadpan, but a lump rises up in his throat and all of a sudden he feels like crying again.
Connor looks at him for a long moment, the light from the television distorting the shadows on his face. “Weren’t you going to see Chucky tonight?”
“Yeah,” Leon croaks. He squeezes his eyes shut and is embarrassed to feel a hot tear slide down his cheek. Fuck. He scrubs it away, sniffling and sucking in a ragged breath. “Fuck, sorry.”
“Leo,” Connor says softly. “What happened?”
“Doesn’t matter.” Leon’s voice is tight, wobbly at the edges. “I just want to watch a movie.” Onscreen, some sort of storm is wreaking havoc. People are yelling, but the volume is down pretty low.
There’s another long pause.
“Okay,” Connor finally says. Then, hesitantly, “Do you want a hug?”
Leon kind of really fucking does, but he doesn’t want to open his mouth again, because he will definitely make some sort of awful crying sound. But Connor moves anyway, scooting up and over to wrap his arms around Leon’s shoulders. Leon slumps against him and tries to breathe through it, but the dam inside him feels like it’s about to crack down the middle.
Connor squeezes him, his cheek pressed to Leon’s damp hair.
“Just tell me if you want us to hate him now,” he says. “Because if he doesn’t want you, he’s an idiot.”
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BLADE - There’s A Major Problem: II
ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ(ꜱ) *:・゚✧*:・゚
↳ you’re dragging around a dead body for like the first half or so and mentions of blade wanting to die (bc he’s blade)
ꜱᴛᴀʀʀɪɴɢ *:・゚✧*:・゚
↳ 『honkai: star rail』blade x gn!reader ft. kafka as emotional support and sam as worried sibling (SAM IS A WEIRD ROBOT TRANSFORMER LOOKING THING??? IN LOVE 😍)
ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ *:・゚✧*:・゚
↳ a continuation of my last post (read it here) since it was fun to write and i think it’d be nice to continue bc i’m so many ideas. anyway the synopsis for the last post was:
“a kinda (barely) angsty-hurty/comfort-maybe-ish-sorta (?) unpolished short-tiny-small-lazy fic where blade dies so you gotta drag him back home and wait for him to heal himself back to life or wtv” which makes complete sense
in this post, you bring blade home with the help of kafka and take care of him as he recovers.
𑁍 ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ: 1.1k
ɴᴏᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ *:・゚✧*:・゚
↳ OMG BLADE INSIDE A LITTLE HOUSE IN KAFKA’S NEW QUEST RAAAAA BLADE LOVERS STAY WINNING 🦅🦅🦅🇺🇸🇺🇸 NOW MY FANFIC IS LITERALLY CANONICAL 💯💯💯 #domesticblade #imnotdelusional #bladeisliterallyinlovewithme #weliveinahousetogether #andwehavesevenkids #real please bear with me and my tangents bc i swear i’ll write for other characters (when i come up with ideas) but there’s so many thoughts i have about blade ajdhsmaksjhshakaksjs anyway sorry for this unpolished, rushed, messy thing i just want to complete it now so i can move on to NEW IDEASSSS
“[name].” She leaned in, grabbing the phone out of your hands and scaring your spirit out of your body.
“*Xianzhou profanity*! Kafka! Oh… you scared me.” You rub your forehead. Your splitting migraine had only worsened after Kafka’s sudden appearance.
“How’d you make it here so fast? I mean, I thought you were on-“
“I thought you wanted to get him home first. You can ask as many questions as you’d like after, hm?” She always had a tendency to cut you off. You leer at her before responding.
“…Right, yeah. Yeah… we should, uh, get him home first. Okay. Let’s… let’s go.”
“Are you alright there, [name]?” She giggles, bringing her face closer to yours. “You sound… nervous.” Tension grows in your brain as if it were being pulled on.
“Sorry. Just a headache. How’ve you been?” You try to make some small talk to distract yourself. Though Kafka doesn’t reply. Your hands grapple for Blade’s forearms while Kafka reaches for his legs, the two of you easily lifting him off the ground. His body dangles so limply that it causes you to wince.
“I can carry him myself, if you’d prefer,” she offers. “Blade isn’t the easiest to bring around.”
“No.”
“No?” Kafka lets out a soft snicker, her voice soft and sultry as usual. “And why’s that?”
“Because I want to help carry him.” You walk backwards, trying to maneuver Blade through a fence.
“You’re struggling, dear. Maybe I should just-“
“I’m fine, Kafka.”
It’s been several hours now. You’re tired and thirsty and hungry and in pain. Everything is sore and you’re not sure how much longer you can walk.
“Kafka? I… I don’t think I can walk any further.” She sighs as you screech to a halt. You set Blade down as gently as you can, his arms bouncing as the collide with the ground.
“I can tell. I told you before, didn’t I? You can walk home. Bladie and I will follow. Get some rest, [name].” Despite her kind words, Kafka’s ‘I told you so’ smirk makes you internally groan.
You crash through the door, kicking off your shoes as you race to the bedroom. From the nightstand, you snatch up some first aid supplies — a roll of bandages, rubbing alcohol, and an antibiotic ointment. You’ve treated Blade’s minor injuries before but never lethal ones. Cuts and scrapes were what he came to you for, not enormous gashes.
“Kafka…? Will this be enough?” Your head turns to the doorway as she pulls Blade along, gracefully lifting him onto the bed. There was poise in every little movement of hers, even while carrying corpses.
“Sure,” she answers. Vague answers were the bane of your existence. Maybe Kafka in general was the bane of your existence. Like true in-laws, you didn’t really get along with any of the other Stellaron Hunters, either. Their line of work was… questionable, and they were an interesting bunch.
“Would you like me to stay and help, dear?” Kafka asked, staring at you intently. Her eyes always freaked you out a little. You can’t help but look towards her ear instead. From her earlobe dangles a glistening pearl earring.
“I can take care of him on my own, don’t worry.” You give her a tired, pathetic thumbs up as reassurance. “He’s in good hands.”
As Kafka leaves the room, Blade begins to stir. His eyes tightly shut as he rustles around on the bed. You’re at his side immediately.
“Blade? Don’t move, please. I’m gonna patch you up first.” You’ve never been good with your hands and you weren’t exactly a doctor, but you’d be damned if you didn’t at least try. He opens his eyes and glances up at you. Blade looks exhausted. As if he was on the cusp of achieving a goal he’s dreamt of all his life, but failed just at the finish line.
“Are you alright? You look so sad.”
“I’m fine,” he answers, his tone clipped. It’s evident that he was holding out hope; hope that perhaps this would be the last death of his.
“Sit up for me. I need to see your stomach.” His tailcoat has a long cut at the front, though it was hard to see much due to the drying blood. Blade did as you asked, dangling his legs off the edge of the bed and leaning on you for support. You hold up his upper body with one hand while the other undoes his button. It pops open without much resistance. He doesn’t seem to be looking at you as you slowly slide his sleeves off his arms. The sight is… not as gory as you’d prepared for. Blood coats most of his chest, and thankfully, it’s all you can see.
“I’ll be right back, Blade. I have to get a towel.”
After a gruelling few minutes of bandaging his wounds, you toss him one of your shirts. It’s a little small on him, tightening around every one of his curves, outlining his figure perfectly. Maybe you liked seeing him wearing your clothes.
“How do you feel? Is everything okay?” He nods in reply.
“Blade? You look… just adorable right now.” You lean in close and pinch his cheek. He doesn’t seem to have a reaction, but you swear you can see a hint of redness on his face.
Then, you hear the ding of a notification coming from your pocket. You take out the phone to be greeted with another text from a Stellaron Hunter.
“…What are you doing?” Blade stands up, leaning over to see what you’re doing on his phone. You turn it off before putting it back into your pocket.
“You got a few texts from Sam, so I thought I’d respond. They were just… checking up on you.”
“Mmh.” He sits back down onto the bed. Your hand reaches out to support him as he does so.
“Are you hungry? Thirsty? Need anything?”
“…Just you,” Blade sighs. The sudden silence of the room fills you with a quiet peace. Like, despite just seeing your lover dead, everything might turn out okay. Blade lays down and you decide to join him, right by his side. His arm wraps around your waist, limply pulling you close to himself. A feeling of warmth fills your heart as he spoons you. Then, in that moment, you’re sure that everything will turn out okay.
ask before translating, taking inspo from (not copy), reposting, etc. my work. remember to credit me and if you’re taking inspo from it, please @ me as I’d like to see what you do with my ideas!
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TSAMS Continuity AU: First Friend
Location: Sun and Moon's Old Room In The Daycare
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Dazzle: Hiii friend!
Sun: H-Hi Dazzle, buddy. Um...I have a bit of an...odd question, heheh..
[Sun is obviously still intimidated by Dazzle, but not as badly after learning Dazzle liked him and kept the plushie of him.]
Dazzle: Ooo kay~! What question, friend?
Sun: Um...do you know anyone named Teek Gator?
Dazzle: gasp Ooo yes, I know Teek, Teek was first friend but now they not friend anymore, make me sad...
Sun: Oh...aw, I'm sorry bud...why aren't they your friend anymore, do you...remember?
Dazzle: Mmhm...was lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of days and nights ago, remember being their friend when they work here.
Sun: Oh my god they're actually way older but still are very kid-like okay okay... O-Oh...
Dazzle: Didn' wanna hurt friend, friend was already all hurtie....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Location: Superstar Daycare Basement, Before Sun And Moon Were Even Completed....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dazzle: Teek, friend, you down here?
[Dazzle soon comes upon Teek, who's twitching rather violently, one of their optics glitching out violently as well.]
Dazzle: Friend...okay?
[Teek perks their tail up and slowly turns to face Dazzle, their expression one of shock.]
Teek: D-D-Da-a-a-azz-zz-zzle?
Dazzle: Voicebox hurtie?
Teek: ...E-E-E-Every-y-y-y-ythin-n-n-ng hurt-hurt-hurts, Dazzle....t-t-t-the glitch-itch-itch-itches in my system-m-m-m, the viru-u-u-u-u-u-uses, I don't feel like myself-elf-elf!
Dazzle: Wanna help friend...but can't...
Teek: ...Why...? Why c-c-can't you help me-e-e-e, Dazzy?
Dazzle: Fazbear hurt me if I no de...commission...you. Don't wanna hurtie, buh don't wan' friend hurtie anymore either!
Teek: ....W-W-What? Decommission-n-n?
Dazzle: Fazbear think you're unfixable, buh I still think friend is fixable..buh...
Teek: ...Traitor!
[Before Dazzle can even defend themself, Teek attacks them in a blind glitch and virus fueled rage. Dazzle tried to fight back, but ends up more broken, eventually shutting down from how much damage there was...]
Teek: ....Dazzy...
[Teek holds a remorseful look on their face, picking up Dazzle with some difficulty.]
Teek: I'm-m-m-m sorr-orr-orry....I j-just-ust-ust...I don't want to-o-o die-ie-ie...!
[Teek takes Dazzle away from the Superstar Daycare Basement and into a secret passage within the walls, setting them down before going into hiding themself.]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back To The Present In Sun And Moon's Old Room In The Daycare
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Dazzle: I don' think Teek wan'ed hurt me, buh they did, they were all mad.
Sun: I-I figured.....also they...h-had a nickname for you?
Dazzle: Met them when I woke up for first time, they kind then, um...nothin' like now...
Sun: Wait wait, you know what they're like now? I mean, I've heard what they're like considering they helped create the new "mean version of me", but...y-you know...
Dazzle: Hurtie got worse an' they lonely. I too scared to approach again, bugs an' viruses an' glitches an' loneliness effect them lots.
Sun: ....Thanks for telling me, Dazzle. I think...I think Moon could maybe help them or...maybe Monty. I mean, Monty is their younger sibling-
Dazzle: Ooooh! Maybe can be friend with them! Maybe they like Teek then! An' mean back before hurtie was worse.
Sun: Eeeh...
Dazzle: Hm?
Sun: Well...you'll see when you talk to them, Dazzle.
Dazzle: Yay new friend!
Sun: Heheh...yeah....
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