#and tom shouts from the next room 'That was the easiest part!'

[atwas-creations]

Game design is hard, especially if you're just starting out, especially if you're expecting to have to do it all by yourself, especially if... the list goes on and on. So I'm making this post for myself.

From about 4:28 to 6:40, Tom Happ gives some insight into his creative process. Transcript as follows:

"I'd say to myself, like, 'This is just gonna be so much work.' Like, I envisioned the mountain of work that it takes to continue with this for another 4 years or however long it might have taken.

"So, I think, like, I made this mental adjustment where, like, I figured out, if I can make sure that whatever I'm currently working at is enjoyable and gives me good feedback from day to day, and then I could just keep that on repeat until I'm done, it would be a lot more doable. So I would be like, I planned it out, and that's kind of how I came up with this process of, where I would do the environments first and then do the animations, and then do another thing and not go back and forth, because you know exactly what you're gonna do next, and you can be thinking like, 'I have more of these ideas for what I'm gonna do tomorrow,' and you get better at it as you go, as you do that one thing.

"That kept me from ever getting into a point where I'm like, 'Ah, man, I'm slogging through, uh, you know, collision physics, and I still have to do all the art for, like, eight more areas of the game that are huge.' Whereas this was more like, 'Okay, I'm done with all the environment art, now I have the monsters.' If I ever felt like, 'Ah, man, there's too many monsters in this,' I could be like, 'but all the environment art is done, I can just slap that right in there and it's ready to go.' It kind of, like, built on itself, you know what I mean? The further you went, the more pieces you had and the more easier [sic] it was gonna get when you get to the final stage and you're doing the level design.

"The game is almost its own thing, you know, its own entity, outside of me, as opposed to, like, something I designed, even though I did design it. It started to feel less and less like something I was just putting together in a way that happened to make sense, and more to be like something that, it was kind of happening and I was just reporting on what I saw or thought, you know?"

#tom happ #axiom verge #video #making of #transcript #partial transcript #game design #Youtube #i also like the part later on where the PR guy is talking about how nobody believes that tom did the music #and tom shouts from the next room 'That was the easiest part!'

[just-come-baek]

bet on it

Pairing: Na Jaemin x female!reader

Themes: smut | fluff | kidna cracky | light angst | fake dating!au | college!au | idiots to lovers!au | love letters

Word count: 21.2k 

Summary: One day, Jaemin stops by with a strange request. Any other person would just laugh in his face and refuse in a second. Unfortunately, I, being the dumbass I am, agree to it. Soon enough, everything gets out of hand, causing much more drama than we could ever predict.

Or in other words, Jaemin shouldn’t bet on things he knows he can’t win.

Warnings: all characters share like 3 brain cells, and somehow they all belong to Ten??? | self-indulgent type 3 diabetes fluff | cursing | mutual pining | college duties negligence | scheming and plotting | double-crossing | hookup culture condoning | corny and cringy stuff | alcohol consumption | smoking | extreme winter sports | amateur matchmaking | professional wooing | manipulative behaviour | steamy smut | oral female!receiving | thigh riding | spanking | marking | overstimulation | protected sex | lots of teasing | made up warnings | I don’t remember more

A/N it’s an instalment for love letters event hosted by neosmutcollective, I hope you enjoy my jaemin entry as well as other entries written by my friends from the network, check out the event tags too, and yeah, happy valentine's day!  😏  💖

***

“What?” I yelled, almost spitting my tea. No, I must’ve heard him wrong. Jaemin wouldn’t be stupid enough to do that. It had to be a joke. Or I must’ve imagined him say that. “You don’t mean that,” I added, still in shock, trying to comprehend what just happened.

“Come on, Noona,” Jaemin whined, staring right into my eyes, wishing for me to say yes to his ridiculous proposal. “I wouldn’t suggest that if I knew we couldn’t pull through.”

With a sigh, I shook my head. Jaemin’s proposition was absurd, and I couldn’t believe I was about to ask him again to walk me through it.

Damn me and my curiosity.

“Before I make my mind about this… tell me what the fuck led you guys to make that stupid bet. Then, and only then, I will still say no, but in good faith,” I demanded, smiling at Jaemin, knowing I wouldn’t make it easy for him to convince me. The odds weren’t in his favor, and he really had to put in lots of effort if he really wanted me on board.

“So we were chilling after practice, and then Haechan started to tease me that I have no game anymore,” Jaemin started, and I rolled my eyes. Of course, I should’ve figured it out. A man in his age apparently is a failure unless he has a different girl in his bed at least 3 nights a week, moaning his name at the top of her voice. Even though Jaemin doesn’t have a competitive nature, it still provoked him into agreeing to this absurd bet.

Life must be though with an ego so fragile…

Jaemin isn’t a fuckboy, yet he still has a fair share of love conquests. Though I had no idea whether it was true or not, he must have fallen a little behind the others – otherwise, they wouldn’t tease him about it.

“And then I said his mother must’ve dropped him on the head if he really thinks that,” Jaemin carried on. I nodded my head, trying to wrap my head around this preposterous situation. “Then, I said I could seduce any girl I want,” he added proudly, making me want to flicker his forehead, hoping it would knock some sense into that empty skull at the top of his neck.

“Okay, but how the hell did you end up with having to seduce me? This is the part I have the most trouble understanding,” I pointed out, cocking my eyebrow.

“Then, Chenle suggested we bet on it, and I agreed to it,” Jaemin whispered, looking away, sounding both regretful and shy. “I urged them to pick any girl, so Haechan looked around to choose my next conquest. It was the time when you and Ten were walking to the dance studio, and that bastard suggested you.”

So it was Haechan’s doing – I should’ve figured this one out. He was the only one wicked enough to possibly ruin somebody’s friendship because of a stupid bet.

Or, it was quite genius of him – maybe he figured Jaemin would not cross this line, choosing our friendship over winning this imbecilic bet.

“And you were confident you can woo me? What about our friendship? Does it mean anything to you?” I inquired, curious of what was going inside his head when he agreed to this half-witted bet. Did he seriously think we could have sex and then forget all about it?

“It’s not like that! I don’t want to woo you. I mean… I could, and you would be very much aware if I tried to hit on you, and you would fall for me. No doubts on that,” Jaemin spoke confidently, grinning like an idiot with ego blown way out of proportion. “But–“

Jaemin was about to say something dense, so before more bullshit managed to leave his mouth, I hit him with a cutting board. Jaemin whined, but I was sure he was exaggerating for comedy purposes. My hit was calculated and balanced – it was powerful enough for him to understand it wasn’t a good idea, but at the same, it was not going to cause any permanent damage to his brain. I’d never purposefully do that to him.

“We’re not having sex. Get that shit inside your head,” I interjected, pouring my herbal tea down my throat, already thinking about making another cup. This conversation was making me uncomfortable, and I wanted to put an end to it. Perhaps another lemon balm tea would calm my nerves.

Ignoring his penetrating gaze, I shuffled around the kitchen, setting the kettle on the stove. In the meantime, Jaemin walked around the kitchen island and grabbed me by my shoulders, looking straight into my eyes.

“Come on, Noona, I am not asking you to sleep with me,” Jaemin defended his case, quite determined to pull me on his side.

“Well… it looks exactly like you’re asking me to sleep with you,” I cut in, walking around him to the cabinet to get a fresh tea bag. I’ve really had enough of this bullshit.

“We could just make it look like like we did,” he carried on, and I heaved a deep sigh, regretting even letting him in today. I had this extremely boring essay to write, and at this point, I’d rather begin my research on whatever topic my professor assigned.

“It’s still a no from me, sorry,” I replied harshly, crashing Jaemin’s expectations. Judging by the look on his face, it wasn’t the outcome he anticipated when he decided to knock on my doors. “What happens when you lose that bet? Well… except for your pride, of course.”

“500 dollars.”

“Ouch, sowwy, I hope you can afford that,” I added with a fake smile, patting him on the shoulder, being well aware this amount of money was a game-changer to Jaemin’s budget. If he won, he would have the time of his life, spoiling himself. However, if he lost, he’d have to eat instant ramen on every meal for the entire month. “Either way, I hope it will teach you a lesson to not bet on things you know you can’t win.”

“Ugh, fine,” Jaemin groaned in disappointment, reaching for my hands, holding them carefully as if they were made of china. “If you help me, I’ll give you half of the money,” he proposed, and I looked at our hands linked together, then quickly shifted my gaze to his eyes. “If you help me win, you’ll get 250 dollars, and you’ll be finally able to buy those fancy shoes you wanted so bad. What do you say?”

When did he get so persuasive?

It was a low blow.

Jaemin knew that these shoes were tempting me ever since I had seen them. Multiple times, my thumb hovered over the add-to-cart button. Every time, I resisted the temptation last minute upon seeing the price tag, though. This purchase was way out of my budget.  However, now, when the new income opportunity presented itself, it made me wonder.

Suddenly, the kettle began to whistle, bringing me down to Earth from that ridiculous train of thought. Shaking my head, I tore my hands out of Jaemin’s gentle grasp, fidgeting back to the stove, pouring boiling water into the cup.

“Okay, fine, but I have a few questions first,” I gave up after a short pause for intense pondering, and Jaemin smiled brightly in instant gratitude and relief. Without my help, he would be doomed. “And then, if I like the answers, I have a few conditions.”

“Anything.”

“Okay, so first of all, how much time do we have to do the deed,” I inquired as I blew some air before taking a cautious sip.

“About two weeks,” Jaemin mentioned after a while as he had counted on his fingers how many days we have to team up and win five hundred dollars for us. “Officially, we have to do it before Jaehyun’s birthday party,” he specified, and I hummed, realizing it is very little time.

“You seriously think I am that easy? Outrageous,” I gasped, throwing a fake tantrum as I made my way around him to sit down on the barstool on the other side of the kitchen island.

“No, of course not,” Jaemin quickly realized what I was getting on, so he smiled sheepishly, already trying to figure out the best wording to calm me down. “I am just that good,” he added, and I leaned over to smack his shoulder. “Kidding,” he defended himself, stepping out of my reach. “Renjun proposed this party, I mean, it’s the easiest way they can verify we did it,” Jaemin carried on, and I cursed under my breath.

How convenient.

“But we’re not going to do the fucking,” I stated, as a matter of fact, repeating myself in order to make sure we were both on the same page. As much as it would be pleasant to actually do it with him, never under these circumstances.

“No, we’re not, but I guess we can sneak out upstairs to one of the unoccupied rooms, and once we make sure they’re listening, you can just shout how good I’m fucking you,” Jaemin reasoned, and I sighed as regret once again washed through me.

“That’s creepy,” I commented as my mind conjured an image of a group of peeping Toms, eavesdropping on our sex session. Once again, I felt the temptation to drop out of this deal, but then, another thought crossed my mind. “Ugh, fine, I’ll do it. All I have to do is shout for two minutes, and then, these cute shoes will be mine.”

“Two minutes? Are you insane?” Jaemin hollered, offended by my comment. “It happened once, and it was ages ago. I’ve learned plenty of tricks since then,” he blabbered, acting way too defensive for his past mishap. “Just let me live in peace, please.”

“Okay, so we have established the deadline, and although it’s not enough time for anyone to woo me, let’s go with it.”

“Thank you! I knew I could count on you,” Jaemin replied with gleeful enthusiasm as he sat down on the barstool beside me and pressed a chaste kiss against my knuckles.

“But you have to go overboard with the courting,” I added, making Jaemin groan. Hard work wasn’t his best suit, but this time, he really had to try his best, or I’d have to turn him down at Jaehyun’s party. “You really have to make it believable and super romantic. Otherwise, I’m out,” I clarified, and Jaemin nodded, though unwillingly.

“Fine, any other wishes in mind?”

“Once we win the bet, we have to end this whole fake-dating fiasco immediately,” I announced, already planning ahead. It was easy to win the bet, but the most difficult part was getting back to normal. If we planned to fake-date in order to fake-fuck, then it was reasonable to figure out how we’re going to fake-break up.

“We should agree on admitting it was the best sex of our lives, but despite that, we value our friendship even more, so we decided to remain friends. How does it sound?” Jaemin suggested, and I had to once again resist the temptation to roll my eyes.

“I agree with the overall message, but later, we have to work on proper delivery.”

 ***

On the very next day, Jaemin and I decided to implement our secret plan.

Since I specifically asked to be courted in an over-the-top manner, Jaemin suggested going to the cinema. There were no attention-grabbing titles screened, yet ultimately, we agreed on watching the very last projection of the sequel to Wonder Woman.

“Go get the snacks, I’ll buy the tickets,” I ordered once we stepped into the cinema area of the nearest shopping mall. It was two o’clock in the afternoon, so the establishment wasn’t crowded. Except for us, there was only a family of three slowly making their way to the exit.

“See you in five minutes,” Jaemin murmured before he walked off to the bar to get us some salty popcorn and soda drinks. Though we both considered them way overpriced, it was a perfect way to celebrate the beginning of our fake relationship.

“We still have some time until the movie starts,” Jaemin shyly whispered as he cleared his throat. “Let’s take some selfies to make it public,” he added, and I nodded, sending him a timid smile, knowing this protocol had to be done in order to properly keep up appearances.

These days, everything had to be posted on social media, or it didn’t exist. If we didn’t leave a single digital mark, people might’ve grown a little bit suspicious of our alleged rendezvous. It would probably shock our friends, but it had to be done if we wanted to really sell it to them.

The circumstances were perfect for an impromptu first-date photo shoot. We were able to snap a few pictures without any annoying looks of prying eyes, choose the best angles, and finally post it with an ambiguous description confusing the shit out our friends.

Though Jaemin took about fifty photos, ultimately, I allowed him to upload three.

One picture showed me standing back to the camera as I looked at the cinema schedule, trying to pick a movie. I was wearing an A-line crimson red dress and a pair of warm black tights – the outfit really made my figure look pretty slim.

“What do you think about this one?” Jaemin inquired, showing me the photo of our interlaced hands. With a hum, I inspected the picture, giving him the green light. It was appropriate for our first date – it would signify we weren’t at the cinema as friends.

“This one looks good enough,” I commented as I reached to swipe across the screen of his smartphone. “I look cute here,” I added, showing Jaemin a picture of us. We were smiling, staring at the camera, almost stuffing our faces into the bucket of popcorn.

“What kind of description should I write?”

“Something vague, I guess,” I answered with a shrug, having no clue what kind of comment would be fitting for this Instagram post. “Maybe stick to emojis,” I suggested, and Jaemin went back to work, adjusting filters and typing the description.

With a chuckle, Jaemin handed me his phone, letting me approve his commentary.

“Are you out of your mind?” I hollered, quickly deleting the emojis. Having smacked his shoulder, I turned around, blocking him from seeing the screen. Three blushed emojis suited our fake-date better than a popcorn bucket, a wine glass, and an eggplant.

“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself,” Jaemin apologized, still laughing at his incredibly funny joke.

“Here, I posted it,” I said with an eye roll, throwing his phone at his lap. “The commercials must’ve started; let’s go,” I rose from my seat and extended my arm, wanting Jaemin to hand me the cup of coke. Jaemin, however, completely misunderstood my intentions, putting his hand into mine, holding it gently. “Give me my drink, Jaemin.”

“Sorry,” Jaemin sheepishly smiled before he yanked back his hand and turned his head around, too embarrassed to look at me. I, on the other hand, laughed hysterically. That should’ve served him right after that emoji faux pas.

“I was kidding,” I admitted when my laughter died down. “Come on, Jaemin. Let’s go; I want to see the trailers,” I added before grabbing his hand, hauling him inside the screening room.

At the last row, we plopped down onto our double seat, getting comfortable for the movie. With our belongings thrown onto the neighboring seat, we stretched our limbs before the lights went out, providing us with the best viewing experience.

“Do you think they’ve seen it?” Jaemin whispered into my ear as he placed his head on my shoulders. “I want to check it, but at the same time, I don’t.”

“Mood,” I replied, feeling just as anxious.

The movie began, and we quickly forgot about our bold social media statement, focusing much more on the screening. Residing to our typical behavior, Jaemin placed his head on my shoulder, snuggling closer, taking full advantage of the bucket of popcorn, which rested on my thighs.

It was peaceful and comfortable – just as things were before Jaemin had come up with his brilliant idea to fake-date each other for the sake of that ludicrous bet. Though we acted the way we used to with each other, it felt somewhat different with that supposed romantic connotations haunting us. Not necessarily bad kind of different, though.

Just as we expected, two hours was more than enough for our friends to spam our individual inboxes. We both had dozens of messages from group chats, as well as private ones. All of them were asking and/or speculating what happened and why.

“I don’t feel like answering any of these,” I muttered, dreading to read what Ten and Jiwoo wrote on our roomies’ group chat. “I don’t feel like coming home, either. They’re gonna eat me alive with questions. I am not ready to face them yet. Wanna hang out some more?”

“Fuck, even my mom has seen them,” Jaemin cursed under his breath, completely forgetting about his mother being a mad keen Instagram user. Now, when he looked at our arrangement from a slightly different angle, Jaemin realized it brought way more consequences than he was planning on facing.

It was bad.

Really bad.

With shaky hands, I unlocked my phone, checking the Instagram post Jaemin had tagged me in. Not only our friends flooded the group chats, but also, they didn’t forget to embarrass us even further in the comment section.

lucas_xx444: what the heck??? 😧 is this for real???

yuu_taa_1026: finally!!1 maybe they stop simping for each other now 🤡

_jeongjaehyun: another man down, shame 😔

choi.jiwoo21: 🙄🙄 some men actually grow up, jeong…

mama_nana: Why am I only finding about this now?

“Well… fuck,” I murmured under my breath, still unable to process the fact that Jaemin’s mom knew about it. It was supposed to be a harmless charade; however, with each passing minute, it was getting out of hand. “What is the damage control procedure?” I asked in concern, biting the bottom lip nervously. Lying to our friends was pretty bad, but keeping this relationship thingy up in front of his mother was despicable.

“You know how she is,” Jaemin started, and I sighed, wishing I had no clue of what she was capable of. Unfortunately, I did, and it scared the hell out of me. “Either we go and visit her, or she’s coming to visit us,” he wondered, unable to choose which option was worse. “Fuck, she’s calling me. What do I do?”

With panic flashed in his eyes, Jaemin handed me his phone, expecting me to handle the conversation with his gossip-girl type of a mother. As if that would ever happen…

“Pick up and tell her we’re awfully busy or something,” I ordered him, gliding my finger across the screen, pressing the device against Jaemin’s ear.

“Hi, mom,” he spoke through gritted teeth, staring at me in absolute fury. Quickly, his hand cupped mine before he grabbed the phone, adjusting it.

By Jaemin’s mom’s standards, the conversation was brief. Or rather, her monologue was because Jaemin didn’t speak a single word through the entirety of it. Except for a couple of mmm’s thrown here and there, he didn’t engage at all.

Ideally, Jaemin would schedule the visit after we will have broken up. He’d go there by himself and tell her a story of us coming back to our senses and deciding to remain just friends. Unfortunately, that would require at least one functional brain cell and a pinch of assertiveness – both of which Jaemin seemed to lack.

“And?” I inquired, praying to hear some good news.

With a sheepish smile, Jaemin cautiously looked up at me. “We’re visiting her for dinner on Friday,” he announced, and I gripped my hands, trying to refrain myself from beating the shit out of him.

I didn’t sign up for any of this!

I just wanted some shoes.

“I hate you, Na Jaemin,” I angrily declared, storming out of the cinema, ready to indulge myself with plenty of greasy food. It wasn’t the best coping mechanism, but I needed to consume a ridiculous amount of calories in order to forget I was stupid enough to agree to participate in this travesty. “Are you coming or not?!”

 ***

The last thing I wanted was to face my roommates. They must’ve had dozens of questions about this out-of-the-blue date, and I was dreadful because I couldn’t provide them with genuine answers. Perhaps, I could try to confabulate my way out of this, but it was, nonetheless, risky.

Having eaten at least two servings of a delicious greasy meal Jaemin and I went for a stroll under the pretense of taking some more photos for future references.

Around 8 o’clock, I unwillingly made my way home. Even with that romantic aura lurking around us, it was still fun to hang out with Jaemin.

Walking up the stairs to the fourth floor, I wondered about possible solutions to my problem. In a perfect scenario, I’d sneak into my room without anyone noticing, so I wouldn’t have to deal with any prying questions until, at least, early morning.

Unfortunately, the moment I pulled out my keys, the doors swung wide open.

“Well, well, well…” Ten tsked with a mischievous smirk dancing across his gorgeous face. Asshole. How dare he tsk me? “Had fun on your date?” He asked, and I tried my best to ignore him. It wasn’t that easy, though. With Jiwoo backing up his teasing, I was outnumbered.

“So… you and Jaemin, huh?” Jiwoo mused, cocking up her eyebrow in curiosity. “Spill the tea. I didn’t spam your inbox to not hear all the details,” she added, and I rolled my eyes, regretting all of my poor life choices that led me to this moment.

“I’ll bring wine,” Ten hollered before he disappeared in the kitchen, also keen on knowing everything that had happened between us. “Don’t say anything until I get there!”

They wanted to hear a romantic story of how two friends realized they had hots for each other, and that’s exactly what I did. Unwillingly, I provided them with an incredible piece of fiction of how we felt the spark when Jaemin stopped by the other day.

Admittedly, it was easy to go with the flow once the wine molecules were coursing through my veins. With some liquid inspiration in my bloodstream, I narrated how adorable Jaemin had been when he had gathered enough courage to ask me out on a date.

“So I assume you’re bringing Jaemin to the cabin on the weekend,” Jiwoo inquired in a teasing manner, and I blinked in confusion. What cabin was she talking about? “You forgot, didn’t you?”

“Forgot about what?” I asked, still clueless about the whole ordeal. With a confused frown, I wondered what this cabin trip was about. Positively, I didn’t forget about it. It’s impossible to forget about plans you weren’t even invited to.

So, Jiwoo explained everything in great detail.

Apparently, Jaehyun and Johnny planned a weekend getaway to the cabin by the sea. They invited plenty of people, but since it’s the middle of a hectic period of exams, only a small percentage of invitees would be able to make it.

Jaehyun, Johnny, and Lucas gave up trying to get the best grades two semesters ago, so their schedule was pretty much open. Renjun, Chenle, and Yeri were nerds with every necessary book memorized by heart, so they didn’t have to cram the weekend before the tests. Jiwoo, being heads over heels in love with Jaehyun, would even cancel her manicure appointment to make it to that trip. She was that serious about this fratboy for some reason…

And now, two individuals needed a perfect excuse to ditch an uncomfortable family dinner. When a chance presented itself in front of me, I just couldn’t say no.

“I’m going. I don’t know about Jaemin, though. He’s meeting his mom on Friday, but maybe he can make it work.”

“Fantastic,” Jiwoo shouted in excitement before finishing her glass of wine.

“Now, when I think about it, I am glad I’ve taken an extra shift at the gym,” Ten chimed in with a playful smirk as he sipped his wine. “You two simping for each other was painful to watch, but now, when you’re hitting it off, it’s gonna be unbearable.”

“What do you mean simping?” I yelled in a threatening manner, ready to fight him for spitting nonsense so carelessly. I might’ve had a tiny crush on Jaemin, but I wouldn’t call it simping. Also, suggesting the simping was mutual? He must’ve lost his freaking mind. Ridiculous!

“Shit, I didn’t think this through,” Jiwoo mentioned, now probably re-considering if the trip is worthwhile. She would love to hang out with Jaehyun and finally make a move, but on the other hand, she would have to deal with my and Jaemin’s romantic shenanigans.

“Why are you such drama queens? We’ve been on one date, for crying out loud! Stop acting like we’re some kind of overly touchy couple because we’re not,” I barked, having no more energy to argue with them. “We’ll keep PDA to a minimum, don’t worry.”

“No need to get so defensive,” Ten added, enjoying my misery a bit too much.

“I am not getting defensive,” I argued, though facing real trouble, unable to actually back up my perspective. “Anyway, I am going to sleep. Unlike the two of you, some people have real jobs,” I added before storming to my room, plopping onto my bed with a tired groan.

Having changed into my pajamas and sneaked under the covers, I finally dared to connect my phone to the Internet. My inbox was full of texts, so I read them all. I didn’t feel like replying to any of them, though. Instead, I opened my chat with Jaemin.

my love 💖 | 20:41 | I figured it out

my love 💖 | 20:41 | You don’t have to thank me

my love  💖 | 20:41 | Also

my love 💖 | 20:41 | Wtf Jaemin?

my love 💖 | 20:41 | What kind of name is that???

my love 💖 | 20:42 | Change it back

baNANA 🍓 |  20:43 | No. 😘

baNANA 🍓 | 20:43 | The name stays

baNANA 🍓 | 20:43 | You can’t make me 😝😝

baNANA 🍓 | 20:44 | And what don’t I have to thank you for?

my love 💖 | 20:44 | I might’ve found alternative plans for friday

baNANA 🍓 | 20:44 | Oh???

my love 💖 | 20:45 | Jiwoo invited us to the cabin for the weekend

my love 💖 | 20:45 | We’re gonna get so drunk!

my love 💖 | 20:45 | It’s okay if you can’t make it, tho

baNANA 🍓 | 20:45 | Wow

baNANA 🍓 | 20:45 | I have an exam on Monday…

baNANA 🍓 | 20:45 | But I can make Haechan give me his notes

baNANA 🍓 | 20:46 | I wouldn’t miss it

my love 💖 | 20:46 | Good, then it’s a date

baNANA 🍓 | 20:46 | Date??? 🥰🥰

my love 💖 | 20:46 | Stop being so cringy!

baNANA 🍓 | 20:46 | Good night, love~~ 😘

baNANA 🍓 | 20:46 | Dream of me 😇😇😇

my love 💖 | 20:46 | Ugh.

my love 💖 | 20:46 | Disgusting 🤢🤮

baNANA 🍓 | 20:46 | I love you, too

***

As brilliant as my plan was, it fell through. Only partially, though. The little getaway was still a thing, but unfortunately, regardless of how much we tried, we couldn’t reschedule the dinner at Jaemin’s family home.

We still had to pay his parents a visit, but, at least, there was a silver lining.

Thanks to our hectic schedule, Jaemin’s mom wouldn’t have a chance to force us to stay longer. Whether she wanted to feed us dessert or stay the night, it was out of the question.

Since Jiwoo had one more exam to pass on Friday, half of the guests would have to show up later in the evening. Johnny, Jaehyun, Lucas, and Renjun were about to take off around noon while Jiwoo, Yeri, Chenle, Jaemin, and I had to carpool later in the evening.

I didn’t complain, though.

“It’ll be fine. It’s just my mom,” Jaemin reassured me, slipping his hand into mine, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I bet it’s gonna be like any other time you stopped by,” he added, and I cocked up my eyebrow suspiciously.

“You better be right,” I spoke, though still unconvinced. I knew Jaemin’s mother. She had a tendency to be, hmm…, a little bit extra. Who knew how she would behave now when she found out we were dating?

Since Jaemin was carrying our suitcases, I knocked on the front doors. Jaemin’s mom rushed to let us in, but not before she gave us bone-crushing hugs.

“I think you’ve misunderstood. I invited you for dinner. I didn’t ask you to move in with me,” Mrs. Na jested upon seeing the suitcases in Jaemin’s hands, misinterpreting the situation in the funniest way possible. “It must be shocking, but I enjoy living alone with your father.”

“We’re going to the beach with some friends after the dinner,” Jaemin clarified, and his mother hummed in understanding, acting a bit too cool about it. It’s been a while since Jaemin paid them a proper visit, and she was a little too nonchalant for my liking. “They’re going to pick us up around seven.”

She must’ve done something or was about to do something.

“Here’s some wine,” I spoke up, handing her the bottle as a small thank you gift for inviting us over for a delicious home-made meal.

“Thank you, dear. You’re so thoughtful,” Mrs. Na accepted the beverage, guiding us to the dining area. “I didn’t feel like cooking today, so I ordered some Chinese takeout. I hope you don’t mind,” she added, and I chuckled at her typical antics.

She was an amazing mother to Jaemin, raising him well, but she really was a terrible housewife. She didn’t change one bit, and I loved her for it. She had so much love for her husband, her son, and her son’s friends, and that’s what really mattered.

“Your father will be home in thirty,” she announced before she made a beeline to the kitchen to get a bottle opener. “And the takeout was supposed to arrive twenty minutes ago. If it weren’t for that slow delivery guy, I would’ve got away with my little secret,” she blabbered, laughing awkwardly.

“It’s okay, really,” I reassured her, sending her a genuine smile. “I am craving Chinese food, anyway,” I added before I elbowed Jaemin, so he would say something, too. For a blabbermouth he was, right now, he seemed awfully quiet.

Before Jaemin managed to provide his mother with a proper response, someone knocked on the doors. Since we had already arrived, it must’ve been the delivery guy with food.

“I’ll go get it,” Jaemin excused himself, leaving me alone with his mother.

“So…,” Mrs. Na cleared her throat as he began pouring wine into fancy glasses. “You guys are finally dating. And if you want me to be completely honest, I am a little bit disappointed,” she made a pause to look at me in the eye. What? She didn’t approve of me? That’s surprising; I used to think she adored me. “I am a little bit disappointed either of you didn’t make a move sooner. I was slowly losing hope,” she added, and I sighed in relief.

For a while, I was seriously concerned she didn’t like me.

“Are you expecting any guests? There’s no way we can finish it all by the four of us,” Jaemin commented as he walked into the dining room, setting two plastic bags of takeout. It smelled heavenly, and I couldn’t wait to taste whatever dish Mrs. Na had ordered.

“I can always invite your friends inside when they pull up,” she spoke matter-of-factly, but as soon as Jaemin looked at her sternly, she seconded that idea. “Or, I can pack it up, so you can share it with your friends later.”

“Should we wait for dad?” Jaemin asked when his stomach growled, demanding food. In the morning, he was quite anxious about going to his parents’ house, so he didn’t even bother to eat. Now, Jaemin was starving. He couldn’t wait any longer.

“I’ll get the plates,” his mom spoke, not really answering his question. Within two minutes, she came back with a special set of tableware. In their household, it was used only for holidays and other rare occasions. “Dig in,” she urged us, waiting for us to fill our plates before doing the same herself.

Whatever restaurant provided today’s dinner, it was remarkable. It wasn’t too salty, nor too spicy. Even when I was full, I still stuffed my mouth some more, unable to stop myself.

“You have sauce on your chin,” Jaemin remarked, pointing at his own chin, helping me locate the stray drop of soy sauce. “Here,” he added with a tired shake of his head, wiping it clean with his napkin.

“You two are too adorable,” Mrs. Na cooed, smiling at us widely. “It was worth the wait,” she added, and I creased my forehead in confusion. “Oh, did you hear that? It must be your dad,” Mrs. Na said upon hearing noise from the garage. “You keep eating, I’ll go greet his workaholic ass,” she excused herself with a playful smile before walking away from the table to welcome her husband as any loving wife would.

With a deep sigh, Jaemin leaned toward me, resting his arm on my chair.

“It’s not that bad, actually. I was excepting to go through some kind of FBI-level of interrogation, but she seems kind of chill about this whole thing,” Jaemin whispered into my ear, and I giggled, agreeing with him. It was kind of suspicious, but I couldn’t complain.

“It’s kinda creepy when she’s talking like she’s been rooting for us to end up together, but this one thing aside, it’s bearable,” I replied, and Jaemin nodded his head.

“I am gone for a minute, and you’re all over each other,” Mrs. Na snickered when she returned to the dining room, seeing Jaemin leaned in, only inches apart from my face. “Jaemin, mama’s so proud,” she added before she walked around the room to set the plate for Mr. Na.

“Stop embarrassing me,” Jaemin whined, playing with the food on his plate, pouting. Though his mother pretty much ignored his childish tantrum, I chuckled, finding it absolutely adorable. Maybe she was a teaser, but little Jaemin knew, he inherited it from her. It was time he experienced the taste of his own medicine.

The apple doesn’t fall that far from the tree…

The rest of the afternoon went peaceful. Though Mrs. Na threw in some cheesy remarks here and there, we could handle it. We were slightly buzzed, after all.

“It’s time for us,” Jaemin announced as he heard a car parked in front of the house. “It was nice. We should totally do it again,” he sarcastically added when he reached for my coat and helped me put it on.

“Don’t have too much fun,” she added with a playful smirk upon her face, earning a judging look from her more conservative husband. “No, wait, I second that. Have as much fun as you want. I am a cool parent,” she spoke, changing her mind in a matter of seconds. “And I plan on becoming a cool grandparent.”

At first, I wanted to remind her that we’re too young for children. Besides, technically, we only went on one date. It was definitely too soon to even think about these things, let alone talk about them out loud.

Thankfully, before I managed to say something I’d regret, Jiwoo honked, urging us to get going. If it wasn’t for her impatience, I might’ve ruined the image I had built for myself in Jaemin’s parents’ eyes.

“Your mother was joking! Always use protection,” Mr. Na hollered before he closed the doors after us.

***

Except for a few playful comments shot toward Jaemin and me, the ride was peaceful. As soon as we threw our suitcases into the trunk and squeezed in on the backseat, we hit the road. Jamming to Jiwoo’s playlist, we chatted in excitement, all of us in desperate need of a little vacation. It was a stressful time of a year, but maybe this short trip would actually help us recharge the batteries and calm down after busting our asses off.

“How was the dinner?” Jiwoo asked, staring at us in the rearview mirror. Since there was a limited amount of space, I was almost sitting on Jaemin’s laps. Jiwoo didn’t miss it with her eagle eyes. The way Jaemin played with my fingers didn’t go unnoticed, either.

“Bearable,” I muttered under my breath, not really wanting to recollect these memories now. I’d probably tell Jiwoo everything later, and she understood the subliminal message in a heartbeat. “How was your test?”

“I probably failed, but, at least, now I know what to expect,” Jiwoo answered as she turned to the left as the navigation system instructed her to.

In about two hours, we arrived at our destination.

Having stepped into the cabin with our heavy luggage in our hands, we encountered the middle of the party. A handful of beer bottles were scattered around the living area, the boys fervently discussing some matter.

“You’re finally here,” Jaehyun spoke matter-of-factly, as he noticed us in the threshold. “Go upstairs and leave your stuff in your rooms. We’ve already assigned them; just read the post-it notes stuck to the doors,” he explained before he turned away.

Huh, apparently, they were pros at planning.

The guys rented a cabin that consisted of six tiny bedrooms. Generally, we wouldn’t have a problem assigning them; however, since Jaehyun, Lucas, and Johnny didn’t want to room with anyone, we were facing a dilemma. They guys wanted to have some privacy if they managed to pick someone up at the hotel in the neighborhood. In this case, the six of us had to share rooms. Jiwoo and Yeri could room together. Renjun and Chenle could occupy another one, so it looked like they put Jaemin and me in the last one.

Thankfully, it wouldn’t be the first time when I had to share a bed with Jaemin. He had stayed the night plenty of times before when he dozed off during our Netflix marathons. However, it still was to be a little bit awkward since everybody thought we began dating. We were going to pull through, though.

As soon as possible, we came back downstairs, ready to even the score of consumed alcohol. All of us needed it. Everybody had a different reason for it, but none of our troubles were to be discussed tonight.

In the fridge, there was a whole palette of different types of alcohol. Quickly, I grabbed two tequila-flavored beers, handing one to Jaemin, allowing others to choose their poison.

My plan for tonight was to test every kind of alcohol, gradually going up with the percentages. It was a bad idea, but that’s what college was about – having fun like there’re no consequences.

We partied like there’s no tomorrow.

At first, we kept it simple. Fervent conversations led us to shout at one another, trying to force one perspective over the others. We were going through so many subjects that any sober bystander might’ve had real trouble comprehending how we managed to switch among them.

Then, someone suggested playing a drinking game. Of course, it had to be never have I ever. Everybody had so much fun, especially when the participants yelled at Jaemin and me because we didn’t even bother to abide by the rules. We were sipping our drinks whenever we felt like it, even between rounds, and it didn’t sit right with the rest. Eventually, they kicked us out of their little circle, giving us the crucial task of bringing some snacks from the kitchen.

Sometime past midnight, Jiwoo proposed going outside. It was beautifully snowing, but at the same time, it was freezing. Though I was opposed to this idea, everybody seemed to love it. The guys were throwing snowballs at each other, bringing out their inner child.

As if this wasn’t enough, they decided to take a stroll to the seaside. Though our cabin was maybe a mile away from the seashore, I didn’t particularly fancy the saunter. Jaemin was by my side, offering to warm my hand in his pocket, but I still was on the verge of freezing my ass off. I’d much rather sit by the fireplace under a few blankets with a mug of the mulled wine in my grasp. Apparently, everybody besides me was really intrigued by an ice bath and other winter extreme sports.

Though it was dangerous as fuck, Jiwoo took off her shoes and rolled up her jeans before she walked into the ice water of the sea. Being the dumbass he was, Lucas instantly followed suit.

“They seem to hit it off tonight,” I nonchalantly whispered as I elbowed Jaehyun. Jiwoo and Jaehyun might have a thing going on, but neither of them acted on it. Jiwoo was too whipped to make a move, too afraid of rejection. Jaehyun, on the other hand, was just a fuckboy, not really looking for a relationship. “Look at them. Don’t they look cute?” I carried on, cautiously watching Jaehyun’s expression. They weren’t together, but he seemed slightly jealous and frustrated watching her have lots of fun with Lucas.

In my opinion, he didn’t deserve her, but I didn’t really have a say in that matter. Jaehyun was the person Jiwoo’s heart longed for, and I, being her best friend, had to support that. Or, in this case, I had to give him a little push to get things in motion.

Jaehyun had some feelings for Jiwoo, but he needed some time and character development to fully comprehend them. Until then, it was my duty to remind him what he’s missing out on by not being serious enough to ask her out.

“Nah, I wouldn’t call them cute,” Jaehyun murmured through gritted teeth, positively jealous. “What they’re doing is dangerous; somebody has to stop them,” he added before he kicked off his own shoes, running toward Jiwoo to pick her up and bring her back to the shore.

“What was that?” Jaemin asked, being shook as to what he had witnessed.

“What was what? What do you mean?” I smirked, winking at him, hoping he wouldn’t tell anyone about it. “I didn’t do anything.”

“You played him,” Jaemin spoke, still impressed by how easily I manipulated Jaehyun into stepping into the scene, pulling Jiwoo away from Lucas. “Is this even legal? You’ve never done this one me, have you?”

“No, of course, not! Don’t be ridiculous,” I answered, though my tone suggested a completely different message. “You would’ve known, wouldn’t you?” I teased, chuckling at Jaemin’s funny expression. He was mortified. “I think you’re overreacting. I just pointed out some facts, and Jaehyun reacted to them according to his emotional opinion. I really didn’t do anything,” I added, defending my case.

“Don’t you ever try pulling a trick like that on me, okay?” Jaemin stated, and I nodded, giving him a promise. “I mean… I wouldn’t fall for it, but still, don’t.”

“We should head back to the cabin,” Johnny shouted, gathering the gang. Surprisingly, he seemed the most sober amongst us, so it didn’t come as a shock to me that he tried to look after his hammered friends.

In my opinion, it was a perfect call. I was slowly sobering up, and I definitely needed a refill. With my schedule packed, I had no idea when I would have a chance for another getaway, so I had to make the most out of this one.

As we returned to the cabin, Jaehyun’s eyes didn’t leave Jiwoo.

Jaemin, on the other hand, went upstairs to grab his camera, deciding it was the best time to snap photos. Of course, he had to take pictures of us when we were drunk out of our minds. Why didn’t he take any when we looked decent without smudged make-up?

“Sexy,” Jaemin commented as he pointed his camera at me. “Ahh, sexy,” he kept calling me that, and I stuck my tongue at him, wanting him to go away pester someone else. My hair was a mess, and my lipstick smudged off my lips a long time ago. “So sexy,” he carried on, making me roll my eyes at him. At some point, I tried kicking him, but that bastard was beyond my reach.

Around 2 o’clock, one by one, we began feeling tired.

Lucas was the first one to go. Considering how much alcohol he had drunk, I was surprised he lasted that long. Better yet, it was a shock he could even stand straight. Jaemin and Renjun had to escort him upstairs, but nonetheless, his alcohol tolerance was impressive.

I didn’t even realize when, but Yeri and Chenle managed to fall asleep on the couch. Firmly, Renjun shook them away, ordering them to go to their respective rooms. With tired yawns, they made their way upstairs, falling on their beds face-first.

“Let’s go to sleep,” Jaemin pouted as he sat on the side of the armchair, resting his head on my shoulder. Entwining his hand in mine, he stood up, pulling me up.

“Have fun, guys. We’re calling it a night,” I announced, refraining from yawning.

“No, you have fun,” Jiwoo replied, sending us a wink. Shaking my head, I sighed before we disappeared upstairs. I don’t know what she was thinking; however, I didn’t have the energy to keep my eyes open, let alone other nighttime activities. Besides, Jaemin was just as spent. Even if we were in a real relationship, we wouldn’t engage in half-conscious unsatisfactory messy sex.

“Come here,” Jaemin whispered as he smiled. His eyes were already closed as he patted the mattress beside him, waiting for me to join. “Good job. I think we really sold it to everybody,” he added as he snuggled closer, wrapping his limbs around my body.

“That’s good,” I purred, slowly drifting into dreamland. It was a long day, and it was finally over. Though it had a rough beginning, I ended it in Jaemin’s arms. “Good night.”

“Good night, my love,” Jaemin muttered, resting his head on my pillow right beside my face.

“You were supposed to change that name,” I replied, too drunk or/and too tired to realize it was his spoken words and not a text message.

 ***

During the second week of our relationship, we grew to be less tense around each other. Better yet, we seemed awfully comfortable, almost as if that’s how everything was meant to be. It was a little bit alarming, but I decided not to point that out. Even if it was just an act, I enjoyed it much more than I’d ever dare to admit. As long as it lasted, I was to savor it.

Ever since we came back from the weekend trip, Jaemin would pop up out of nowhere at least once a day with a surprise for me, proving how over the top he could be in courting a woman.

On Monday, he spammed his social media feed with my pictures from the trip. Of course, he didn’t forget to put a corny description under it, making me flustered. Even though I wouldn’t consider myself photogenic, Jaemin managed to bring out my best features with his photography talent and editing skills.

On Tuesday, Jaemin was waiting outside the auditorium with a cute bouquet of my favorite flowers – white roses. He was there to congratulate me on passing my last exam of the semester. The professor would send us results by the end of the week, but according to Jaemin, there was no chance I’d fail it.

“I still don’t get it how you do it,” Jaemin mused, scratching his temple, trying to put two and two together. “I hardly ever see you study, but then, you panic before an exam only to nail it later on. What kind of black magic is this?” He wondered, and I giggled, unable to explain my poor studying technique. I just winged it last minute every single time in my academic career.

“You better be right about this one,” I replied, still anxious about my grade. I didn’t manage to answer all of the questions, so a passing grade would be a relief. “I’m craving pasta. Do you want t go on a celebratory date?”

“You’re reading my mind,” Jaemin said, grabbing my hand, leading me to our favorite restaurant.

On Wednesday, Jaemin invited me to a bowling alley. Every month he would visit the establishment with his friends. Only on rare occasions, their significant others were invited. None of them could really commit to a serious relationship, so it never became a repetitive custom of their group.

“You guys are disgusting,” Haechan whined after our turn. Jaemin and I were losing by an enormous margin, but we didn’t mind. We were having fun despite a low score. “But at least, we’re winning,” Haechan added, pointing at Chenle and himself.

“I am the winner here,” Jaemin boldly announced, giving my hand a light squeeze, making me almost spit my soda.

Everybody cringed at Jaemin’s bold corny statement.

“I second that,” Haechan mused, looking away from Jaemin. “She’s bearable, and you are just absolutely repulsive,” he corrected himself, and I chuckled. Never in my entire life, I thought I would agree on something with Haechan, but this moment occurred right then.

On Thursday, although my schedule was packed with work, Jaemin insisted on hanging out. Tired out of my mind, I let Jaemin inside the apartment. He was carrying Mexican takeout; I couldn’t send him back home. Not when he had goodies.

“What do you want to watch?” I asked as I handed him the remote, allowing him to choose the movie. I was going to pass out anyway, so he might’ve as well picked something he liked.

“Anything is good,” he answered as he unwrapped his quesadilla, taking a bite off of it.

“The Notebook it is then,” I teased, but since Jaemin didn’t stop me, I put it on.

Having eaten my portion of a delicious meal, I lay down on the couch, resting my head on Jaemin’s thighs. I didn’t even realize when I fell asleep. Only when the credits were rolling down on the screen, Jaemin shook me awake.

“When did you fall asleep?” Jaemin inquired, a little bit mad that I forced him to watch the ultimate romantic movie of the twenty-first century. It was toxic as hell, and the way their behavior got romanticized didn’t sit right with me.

“As soon as I lay down,” I answered honestly, as I rolled around, staring at Jaemin’s handsome face. “How did you like the movie?” I asked innocently, swiftly changing the topic. It was for the better if Jaemin didn’t find out I paid no attention to the film. Instead of a great viewing experience, it was just a mere background noise that lulled me to sleep.

“I didn’t,” Jaemin whined, tapping his foot against the floor, making me sit up instantly. “It was toxic and sad at the same time. Noah was a manipulative jerk, and Allie was moody as fuck. The only bright side of their relationship is that they ended up with each other, not ruining other people’s lives,” Jaemin spoke the truth, and I couldn’t agree more. “In conclusion, give me my 2 hours back,” he added, and I hit him with a cushion.

Unable to comprehend what I just did, Jaemin blinked in confusion. Then, a few seconds later, he smirked and grabbed another cushion, ready to fight back.

Unfortunately, our childish antics were interrupted by Jiwoo. She was hanging out with Yuta, studying for the exam they had to retake the next day. To be completely honest, she couldn’t have any worse timing. While watching a movie was explainable, it wasn’t the case when it came to an impromptu pillow fight.

“Should I come back later, or something?” Jiwoo asked, pointing at the doors, willing to leave if it meant for me to get laid.

“Nah, Jaemin’s leaving. I am trying to kick him out, actually,” I announced, sticking my tongue out.

On Friday, Jaemin and I planned on going to the arcade. Unfortunately, we had to raincheck that. One of Jaemin’s coworkers fell sick, and Jaemin had to take a double shift at the coffee shop in his neighborhood.

I already had canceled my other plans to hang out with Jaemin, so I didn’t really want to stay at home all by myself. It was a Friday night, after all. Surprising him at work seemed like a better idea. His friends liked hanging out there; therefore, it must’ve been an excellent excuse for a little bit of acting in order to keep up appearances.

Quickly, I assembled a cute outfit and put on light make-up.

About an hour before the closing, I entered the coffee shop. Except for a few students with their noses in their computers, the establishment was empty.

“Welcome to–,” Jaemin hollered, ready to welcome the customers. “Oh, it’s you. What are you doing here?” He asked as a wide smile spread across his face, enjoying my surprise.

“I just came to surprise you,” I confessed, though none of us paid enough attention to the gravity of my words. I genuinely wanted to hang out Jaemin him as his girlfriend. “And I also wanted to get some discounted goodies. What do you have left?” I asked, looking over his shoulder, trying to see what food didn’t sell yet. An hour before the closing, everything on the menu was discounted by seventy percent, and I just couldn’t walk past that kind of deal.

“You’re not the only one who came for cheap stuff,” Jaemin commented as he saw Haechan and Renjun on the other side of the doors. “Take a seat, I’ll bring you your favorite,” he added, and I smiled at him, walking to the booth by the window.

Having finished my Greek sandwich, I focused on my cup of tea. I was scrolling through social media feed, giggling whenever I stumbled upon a funny meme. It was a perfect evening; complete relaxation in the rhythm of soft foreign jazz music playing through speakers, Jaemin checking up on me once every a couple of minutes.

“Oh, hi, there,” Haechan hollered as soon as he noticed me. He must’ve been returning to his table from a restroom. “I didn’t realize you’re here. What’s up?” We weren’t close, so his question was more like a polite generic statement rather than genuine curiosity.

“I’m waiting for Jaemin to finish, so we can hang out at my place,” I answered, hoping Haechan would get the suggestive tone.

“Actually, there’s something you should know,” he said quietly, looking around, probably checking if Jaemin was within earshot. “I am so ashamed it happened, but I really have to tell you something,” Haechan added, and I couldn’t wait for him to reveal the secret.

Haechan was playing dirty. He wanted to tell me about the bet, ruining Jaemin’s chance at getting me to sleep with him. It was some top-tier double-crossing, and I found it impressive. I had no clue Haechan had it in him.

“We shouldn’t have done it. I don’t know why we even agreed to this,” Haechan added, scratching the back of his head, trying to sound genuinely regretful. “I think Jaemin’s not genuine about the thing you have going on. You see, we made a bet. He has to have sex with you, or else he owes Chenle 500 bucks.”

“What?!” I exclaimed, hoping my consternation was believable. At first, I felt the temptation to say something along, yeah, I know, what’s new, but then I decided to play along. It was actually a good idea to make it seem like Jaemin’s about to lose the bet. Knowing them, they wouldn’t call it off. If anything, Jaemin could double the stakes. “No, it can’t be true. Jaemin would never –“

Now, it was my cue to make a scene. Hopefully, it would play out exactly like in my impromptu prediction.

Reaching the stage of fake hysteria, I rose from my seat and stormed to Jaemin. He was energetically wiping off the tables, wanting to leave shortly after the last customer.

“Is that true? Did you really make a bet you can have sex with me?” I yelled at him through gritted teeth. Jaemin, on the other hand, was confused as fuck. “Did you really think you could get away with it? You disgust me!” I shouted, slapping his cheek. “Don’t ever call me again,” I added before I turned on my heel, storming out of the coffee shop.

Being the only employee at work, Jaemin couldn’t run after me.

Jaemin deserved an explanation. I had to fill him in on my wonderful plan before he would blow it in front of Renjun and Haechan.

my love 💖 | 20:46 | play along

my love 💖 | 20:46 | trust me

my love 💖 | 20:47 | kick them out pls

baNANA  🍓  | 20:47 | wtf???

baNANA 🍓  | 20:48 | that hurt

baNANA 🍓  | 20:48 | I didn’t have to kick them out

baNANA  🍓 | 20:49 | they ran out a few seconds after you

my love 💖 | 20:49 | good

baNANA 🍓  | 20:49 | what the hell is going on???

baNANA  🍓  | 20:50 | I am confused

my love 💖 | 20:50 | Haechan ‘told’ me about the bet

my love 💖 | 20:50 | he wanted to double cross you

baNANA  🍓  | 20:51 | what???

my love 💖 | 20:51 | so the plan is

my love 💖 | 20:51 | they know you don’t stand a chance

my love 💖 | 20:51 | so you double the stakes

my love 💖 | 20:52 | and then bam! we win double the money

baNANA  🍓  | 20:52 | wow

baNANA  🍓  | 20:52 | you’re a genius

my love 💖 | 20:53 | I know

my love 💖 | 20:53 | and since I’m acting like I’m not talking to you

my love 💖 | 20:53 | bye 

my love 💖 | 20:54 | see you @ the party!

 ***

Everything went according to my plan. The guys thought I was pissed with Jaemin, while Jaemin still tried to convince them he stands a chance to court me. It was kind of ironic, they wanted to play me, but it was them getting played.

Together with Jiwoo and Ten, we came extra early to Jaehyun’s party. Still being stuck in friendzone, Jiwoo went out of her way to help him out. Today it meant setting up all types of decorations all over the fraternity house and preparing different kinds of snacks.

Around seven, an Uber pulled up in front of our building. Not to brag, but despite the limited amount of time, we managed to dress up to the nines.

I decided to keep it simple. My outfit consisted of a pair of skinny high-waisted black jeans, a long-sleeved sequin embellished crop top, and a pair of ankle-high boots.

Jiwoo, on the other hand, was wearing a two-piece baby pink dress and a pair of massive mid-thigh black leather platform combat boots. She looked fierce, like a weird baby of 90’s Britney Spears and Marilyn Mason.

Though Ten’s outfit looked the most effortless, it took him longer than us to put it together. Having thrown every single thing from his closet on the bed, Ten experienced a mild crisis. Even though he looked gorgeous in everything, he didn’t seem to believe us. Only after the off-hand intervention, he agreed to play it cool with a pair of ripped jeans, a black shirt with three top buttons left untouched, and an oversized leather jacket.

Once we arrived at Jaehyun’s fraternity, nothing was ready. Thankfully, it wasn’t my problem. Jiwoo was the one who volunteered to help out. Ten and I were about to vibe in the corner, letting other people arrange the place according to Jaehyun’s vision.

Trying our best not to disturb others, Ten and I watched the way the smelly fraternity sex mansion turned into a festive valentine’s manor.

“I hope she’s gonna get laid today,” I whispered into Ten’s ear, looking at Jiwoo working like a busy bee around the house.

“She better; that’s really painful to look at,” Ten agreed, looking a little bit disappointed. Jiwoo was at Jaehyun’s beck and call, and it was about time he acknowledged her feelings.

Around nine o’clock, it was getting a little bit crowded.

Music was blasting through the speakers. Some of the fratboys were already looking for their next conquest. Girls were dancing on a makeshift dance floor in the middle of the living area, suggestively swaying their hips, teasing whoever was watching with their sexy moves.

Later on, when I was in the middle of my fourth drink of the night, Jaemin finally showed up. Together with Haechan, Jeno, Renjun, and Chenle, they walked through the threshold. They all looked great, but Jaemin stood out in the crowd. After all, he was the only one to put on a suit jacket over his white T-shirt. While the rest rocked the comfortable outfits, Jaemin opted for a more elegant look.

Almost as if he wanted to impress someone. Or at least, apologize properly, trying every sly trick to make me forgive him.

Upon entrance, his eyes searched me in the crowd, and when he met my gaze, a smile stretched across his face. Shyly, he raised his hand, wanting to wave at me, but since I stubbornly turned my head around, playing my role of offended woman, he lowered it.

“I’ve seen an ATM on our way here,” Renjun commented, knowing Jaemin didn’t stand a chance of winning the bet.

“It won’t be necessary,” Jaemin replied, following me with his gaze. “I didn’t lose it yet,” he added, and the guys laughed at him. There was no way he still thought he could woo me. “I still have a few hours left; I am not going to give up.”

“You’re such a loser,” Jeno interjected as regret washed through him. Although he didn’t actively participate when the bet was placed, he didn’t oppose it. He was an idle bystander, allowing other people to ruin our friendship. It didn’t sit right with him, but it was too late. The damage was already done, and Jaemin was going to embarrass himself even further. “She doesn’t deserve any of this.”

“It’s not like that,” Jaemin started, but he refused to explain how exactly it was like.

“You’re still gonna fail,” Haechan added with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. Back at the coffee shop, he ruined Jaemin’s chance for success. “Hey there, beautiful,” Haechan spoke when his attention was snatched by one of the girls who walked past them.

Once the boys divided to greet other friends, Jaemin strolled to the kitchen. I was there, and he needed to initiate the first step of our plan.

Sincere apology.

“Can we talk?” Jaemin whispered as he reached out to grab my hand, interrupting my conversation with Ten and Yeri. “Let me explain. You don’t have to say anything. I just want you to listen to me,” he asked, and I unwillingly complied, letting him lead me toward an abandoned corner in the living area. No one could hear us talk, but at the same time, everybody could see us.

“What do you want, Jaemin,” I barked, folding my arms across my chest, startling myself with how good I managed to behave like an angry ex-girlfriend. Though it was my last semester, maybe I should change my major to professional acting.

“Wow. You’re too good at this,” Jaemin commented before he proceeded with his part. “Anyway, I made this card for you. I hope it finds you well,” he announced before he pulled an envelope out of the inner pocket of his suit jacket.

Cautiously, I took the valentine’s card out of the envelope. Once I saw the front page, I couldn’t help but laugh. Jaemin must’ve done it himself, or he stole it from Jeno’s four-year-old niece. It was all covered in hearty stickers and glitter.

Jaemin definitely wasn’t a poet. He had never stood next to one, either.

Instead of a heartfelt apology and love confession, there was a short corny message which simultaneously made me cringe and chuckle.

Are you a ba-NANA? Cause I find you a-peeling.

From Your Love

P.S. it’s from me, your Jaemin

“You’ve really outdone yourself,” I spoke, shaking my head, trying my best not to grin. I was supposed to hate him, but it was too difficult. “I am gonna walk away now. Approach me once you raise the stakes.”

Although I didn’t want to party without Jaemin by my side, it was what I had to do. Having sent him a faint smile, I turned around and walked away, giving Jaemin some time to initiate part two of our plan.

Having drunk a few fancy shots Ten had made for me, we hit the dance floor. At first, we just jumped in the rhythm. However, when the DJ played the song we had practiced at the dance studio, everybody stepped to the side, making enough room to let us perform the choreography.

With alcohol coursing in my system, my moves weren’t as precise as usual – they still earned a round of applause.

“Hey, hey, hey, are you having fun?” Drunk as a skunk, Jaehyun shouted through the microphone connected to the DJ’s console. “How about we slow up the tempo?” Jaehyun yelled, and everybody cheered, making a lot of noise. “Tonight’s the love festival, and I, the valentine’s boy, specifically request every find a person to slow dance with.”

Having set the microphone aside, Jaehyun pushed DJ away from the console, putting on his Cigarettes After Sex playlist. The first song which graced our ears was Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You.

“Can I have this dance?” Jaemin appeared out of nowhere by my side, extending his hand for me to take. “Please?” He looked into my eyes, waiting for my response, looking hopeful.

As soon as I nodded, Jaemin grabbed my hand and gently pulled me against his firm body, resting his left hand on my back, holding me still, making sure I’d not run away. With my head resting against his chest, we swayed slowly, getting lost in our little world.

“They think I am a terrible person,” Jaemin whispered into my ear, his breath tickling my skin. “They seriously think I’d try to ruin our friendship with this bet,” he carried on, and I hummed, taking an inhale, getting hit with Jaemin’s musky cologne.

The boys truly underestimated the power of our friendship. Jaemin and I told each other almost everything. It was bold of them to assume I had no idea about the bet.

“Don’t worry about it,” I replied as I had closed my eyes, getting lost in the moment. “Everything will come back to normal soon enough,” I added, trying to ignore the bittersweet taste of my statement. Our fake relationship had an expiration date, and it was near.

“You’re right. Everything will come back to normal,” Jaemin repeated my words as he rested his chin on top of my head, pulling me even closer. “You’re the best fake girlfriend I’ve ever had,” he added, pressing an innocent peck against my hairline.

“How many fake girlfriends have you had?” I asked, chuckling, sounding a bit jealous.

“Anyway,” Jaemin started, trying to change the subject. “The guys took the bait. And now, judging by the stupid looks on their faces, they’re shitting their pants.”

“Once the song is over, we should initiate the third phase of our plan,” I commented, wanting to be over with this. In about a minute, I was about to pull Jaemin out of the dance floor and lead him to the bathroom upstairs, where we would do the deed.

When another song from Jaehyun’s playlist echoed in the room, all the other couples kept dancing. Jaemin and I, on the other hand, were about to not so discreetly sneak upstairs.

Unfortunately, we met an obstacle on our path.

It was Jaehyun, pointing his phone at our faces.

“It’s a kiss cam. Do what you gotta do,” he spoke, and I creased my forehead in utter confusion. What the hell was he doing? What the hell was a kiss cam? It was a frat party, not a baseball match. Didn’t he have a beer pong championship to win or something?

“What?”

“Do I really have to explain this to everyone? Jesus,” Jaehyun complained, taking a deep sigh, trying to ease his irritation. “It’s Valentine’s day! I am Valentine’s boy! And this is a kiss cam. You kiss, and I take pictures,” he explained, but I wasn’t convinced. “Hurry up! I have to take like 50 more of them.”

At first, I didn’t want to do it. But then, a thought crossed my mind. Who would believe Jaemin and I had sex if I refused to give him a kiss. It was just one kiss; it wouldn’t hurt.

Having licked my lips, I smiled at Jaemin before I wrapped my hands around his neck, giving him a chaste smooch. It lasted maybe a few seconds, but it still made me uneasy. Even if it was just a brief peck, it was too much for my poor heart.

“What the fuck was that?” Jaehyun groaned in disappointment. “One more time, guys. That’s how you kiss your mother, not your girlfriend. You can do better.”

“Show him how it’s done, Jaemin,” I encouraged him, giving him permission to assault my lips, hoping it would happen to be one hell of a performance.

Having smirked, Jaemin leaned forward, pressing his lips gently against mine. Cautiously, he deepened the kiss, knocking the air out of my lungs, making my legs shake under my weight. His hands held my chin in place as his tongue slipped through my lips.

Out of a sudden, nothing else mattered. Jaemin and I were in our bubble, and despite it being a one-time thing, I wished it lasted forever. Whatever expectations I had about this moment, it wasn’t even close to reality.

Jaehyun cleared his throat, wanting to pull us out of our trance. In vain, though. I moved my lips against Jaemin’s in slow sync, letting the sweet sensation strip me of the last remains of dignity. I was to savor every second of it, basking in bliss.

“Ekhem,” Jaehyun grunted, starting to feel a little bit flustered. “You guys done?”

Once we broke apart to take a breath, Jaehyun spoke again.

“Have you seen Jiwoo, by the way?”

“Yeah, I think she went for a smoke with Lucas,” I answered casually, watching panic display on Jaehyun’s face. It was evident he didn’t fancy the newfound information. “She went outside like half an hour ago, though. I wonder what it takes them so long,” I added, planting another grain of doubt in his subconscious.

As soon as anxiety downed on him, Jaehyun bolted outside. He better, though. If Jaehyun wasn’t going to make a move on Jiwoo tonight, I was about to find another guy to ship her with.

“You did it again,” Jaemin pointed out, and I just shrugged, dismissing his comment. So what? One push in the right direction wasn’t enough for Jaehyun to grow up, so I decided to be generous enough to give him a second chance.

“Are you ready for phase three?” I asked Jaemin, but before he managed to reply, I grabbed his hand, pulling him across the dance floor. Giggling, I ran through the sea of people, not so accidentally bumping into Chenle, almost spilling his beer.

“Oh my god, I am so sorry,” I hollered, giggling. Now, when I had Chenle’s attention, we could sneak upstairs to proceed with the final step of our plan. “Come on, Jaemin, let’s go. I am horny,” I added, probably overdoing my part. Unfortunately, the words were already spoken. I couldn’t take them back.

Having locked the bathroom doors behind us, I jumped onto the countertop. “Don’t you think it’s a bit creepy they’re gonna eavesdrop on us bang? It’s kinda off-putting, you know…”

When Jaemin wanted to speak, somebody knocked on the doors. It must’ve been one of Jaemin’s friends, checking if we were indeed fucking. “It’s occupied,” Jaemin hollered, mentioning for me to start my performance.

“Fuck, Jaemin! Eat me out, already,” I yelled, pressing my hands against my mouth, trying to stifle my laugher. This situation was ridiculous, and I couldn’t help myself but giggle. I had only a few drinks, yet I felt like I was high as a kite. “Yes, like that! Ahhh…”

“Can’t wait to fuck that tight hole,” Jaemin played along, almost dying of alcohol-induced tittering. We were definitely having too much fun.

“Right there, Jaemin!” I screamed, holding my stomach as it began aching due to excessive cackling. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, right there,” I moaned loudly, kicking my head back. “Don’t tease me, please!”

“I gotta get you ready for my cock, love,” Jaemin growled, and I gasped, my mind conjuring the forbidden image®.

“Just fuck me! I need your cock inside of me now!” I groaned, hoping whoever was on the other side of the doors heard enough of what was going inside. “Mmmm… you stretch me out so well…” I purred, almost falling off the counter when another round of uncontrollable laughter tried to erupt from my throat.

“Fuck, you’re still so tight.”

“Jaemin! Fuck, I am close. Keep going,” I yelled, mentally preparing for the big finale. This whole act was a vocal performance, and it was time I finished. “I’m coming! Come with me!”

“It was spectacular,” Jaemin whispered so only I could hear him. “I have one more favor, though,” he added, shying away. Oh no, he was about to ask about something stupid.

“What is it?”

“It could’ve been some random dude,” he admitted, scratching the back of his head, unsure how to voice his supplication. “Give me your panties. It’ll be the definite proof.”

“You’re joking,” I deadpanned, staring into his eyes, waiting for him to say it was just a harmless prank. “You’re serious,” I added as soon as I realized Jaemin meant it.

“Come on, I won’t be sniffing them,” Jaemin nagged, and I rolled my eyes. I didn’t even think about it, but now that he mentioned it, I had another reason not to comply with his weird-ass request. “I’ll give them back, I promise.”

“I can’t believe I am considering this,” I cursed under my breath. If any other person would like such a favor from me, I’d deny it in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, I had a soft spot for Jaemin, so denying him didn’t come easy to me.

Hell, I wouldn’t be here if I was able to say no to him.

“You owe me big time,” I caved in, jumping off the countertop, stepping behind the shower curtain, providing myself with some privacy. “Don’t peek. Even if I slip, you gotta stay on the other side. Got it?” I added as I stuck my head through the curtain.

“Scout’s honor,” Jaemin pledged, and I rolled my eyes. He was a scout for maybe a week. His honor didn’t mean shit.

Clumsily, I took off my shoes and jeans. “Here,” I warned before I threw my panties over the curtain. “I am too sober for this,” I nagged, trying to put my skinny jeans back on.

“Let’s do celebratory shots!” Jaemin suggested, balling up my undergarments, hiding them in his pocket. “We deserve it,” he added, landing me a helping hand when I was stepping out of the shower.

“Let’s go.”

***

Needless to say, Jaemin won the bet.

Unfortunately, it meant the inevitable end of our fake relationship. It was fun when it lasted, and though I’d miss these times, it was time to set the record straight.

As we had discussed, we had to arrange our break up.

Sometime next week, Jaemin stopped by to give me half of the prize. Since the boys had been stupid enough to fall for our little charade, I received a large sum of money. It was Chenle who sponsored the prize. Because of that, I didn’t feel particularly sorry about deceiving them. After all, Chenle was so loaded; he wouldn’t notice if he lost that kind of money on the street. I could finally buy these shoes which I had been dreaming of for so long! Better yet, I'd still have some money left to spoil myself some more.

“How should we do it?” Jaemin asked quietly. Ever since he came, he avoided my gaze, staring at the floor.

“I don’t know,” I unwillingly answered. This conversation was the last thing I wanted to do right now, but it had to be done. Better sooner or later, before I’d catch some real feelings for Jaemin. I had no idea how I would pick up the pieces of my broken heart if we kept this act any longer. “Let’s just delete all posts we published. Someone will figure out something’s wrong, and when they spread the word, we’ll explain we decided to remain friends.”

Maybe I wasn’t in tears, but I felt regret wash through me. Though our relationship had never been a real thing, it felt like it.

And it hurt.

“Alright then,” Jaemin complied, rubbing his hands against his thighs before he pulled out his phone to erase any digital footprint of our brief romance. His thumb hovered over the delete button for a while. After a few moments of hesitation, when he didn’t hear any sign of protest from my side, he pressed it, sending our memories to a bottomless void. “And it’s gone.”

“Are we cool?” I asked, hoping that nothing would change between us. I had a hunch it would take me some time to get used to how things had been before the relationship fiasco. Nonetheless, I still had hope we could remain best friends without any awkwardness.

“Of course,” Jaemin answered with a faint smile, but I didn’t fully believe him. Something was off, and it bothered us. Shame that none of us dared to begin this topic.

After he left that day, we saw each other very seldom. We barely even spoke to one another. If it wasn’t for the group chats we were both in, we wouldn’t talk at all.

Jaemin had said we were cool, but it was evident we weren’t.

It was eating me from the inside out, but whenever somebody asked me about the break-up, I’d always shrug it off, confirming everything’s great. I would tell our friends nothing changed between us. There was nothing wrong; our schedules are just incompatible these days.

When I had pretended I was in a relationship with Jaemin, it was easy. It came naturally, and everyone ate it up without any second thoughts. Unfortunately, now, when I was trying to play it cool, no one seemed to buy it. Thankfully, they didn’t confront me about it. Instead, they offered me their support if I ever needed anything.

In my head, I had a few wild scenarios in which I tell Jaemin we should date for real. However, at the same time, a little devil on my shoulder was telling me it should never leave the realm of fantasy. It’s ridiculous to think Jaemin would reciprocate my feelings.

I felt as if sadness took over my body. Though I was smiling on the outside, I was filled with regret. Barely anything sparked joy these gloomy days. Even this pair of shoes, which I wanted so badly, didn’t stir any positive emotion. I bought them, but I never took them out of the box.

Jiwoo had taken me out on a few girls’ nights to make me feel better. Men are trash – she would always say when Jaehyun ignored her yet another text. Even though they had fucked each other at Jaehyun’s birthday party and agreed to become exclusive, Jaehyun still had lots of problems committing to a monogamous relationship. They hadn’t officially labeled it, but everyone knew Jaehyun was slowly caving in.

Fratboys’ habits die hard, but Jaehyun was finally shaping himself into boyfriend material. He no longer slept around, as far to my knowledge at least, but he still lacked in some departments. For instance, it would take him way too much to text back.

“You were so adorable together,” Jiwoo began after she gulped down another rum and coke. Despite her high alcohol tolerance, she was already drunk, speaking with no filter. “I mean… you were simping for him for so long, and you finally managed to jump that dick.”

“Your point being…” I inquired, finishing my drink. Though Jaemin and I had never had sex, I didn’t want to admit that. What would Jiwoo thought if I told her it was all-pretend?

“I shipped you guys so hard,” Jiwoo confessed. “Ten shipped you too, but he will never admit that,” she added, and I giggled. Now, that was an interesting take. Ten was so random at many aspects of life; it came to me as a surprise he even had an opinion on my relationship with Jaemin. “Can I just take some duck tape and put my ship back together?”

“I am not sure Jaemin would like that,” I answered with a sigh, my mood instantly decreasing.

“Nonsense,” Jiwoo replied in a heartbeat. “This guy is even worse than you,” she revealed, and I rolled my eyes, not buying this. At least a few times a week, at my lowest moments, I happened to check Jaemin’s social media updates. He didn’t seem to mope around at all.

“I find it hard to believe,” I muttered, trying not to get too emotional.

“I mean it,” Jiwoo confirmed her previous statement, eager to explain her thesis. “Jaehyun and I went on a little date to the coffee shop where Jaemin works,” she started, and I nodded, not really sure what she was getting at. Nonetheless, I let her continue. I was curious what Jaemin had been up to. And since he didn’t seem to want to tell me anything himself, I’d accept any type of second-hand information from Jiwoo. “Jaemin misses you. You have no idea how many times I caught him daydreaming. He still has your photo set on his lock screen, and he stares at it a lot.”

Now, that’s interesting.

I had no recollection of Jaemin ever setting my photo as his background picture. Even if Jiwoo was right, it meant he set after we had broken up. It made no sense at all, and I was too drunk to try to comprehend the meaning of this.

Instead, I ordered another round, trying to stifle all the brooding emotions within me.

***

February was the month of parties. Too many birthdays fell during this hectic period, and I had trouble keeping up with them. Fortunately, Ten’s party was the last one of the month. After a small get together at our place, I’d have some time off to relax by myself, most preferably, without alcohol.

Being the semi-hosts with Jiwoo, it was our duty to help Ten organize everything regarding his party. Though our trio was a little bit disorganized, somehow, we managed to get everything ready before anyone arrived.

Maybe it wasn’t comparable to birthday parties at fraternity houses; it still had its charm. It wasn’t as wild, but guests still were having a great time in the company of their closest friends. However, what was the most important, Ten had a blast.

It was his day; he deserved everything he wanted.

Trying my best not to embarrass Ten, I decided to socialize with his friends.

It was time I move on. It took me way too long to mourn a relationship that wasn’t even real. I couldn’t let my brooding mood ruin the party.

“Hmm… Ten has never mentioned you before,” I confessed, not finding it particularly odd. Ten didn’t have secretive nature; he just wasn’t the type of person to over-share. And he often forgot to even mention stuff about his personal life.

“I can’t say I am surprised,” Hendery replied, making me giggle. It was fun chatting with him. Hendery was hilarious, and he knew many secrets regarding Ten. It was my mission to get as much information from him as it was possible. I would need it for blackmailing purposes, of course.

Hiding out in the kitchen, we sipped beer and exchanged rumors as if we were two gossip girls. It was too entertaining to stop. I was incredibly immersed in the conversation; I didn’t even realize when someone tapped my shoulder.

“Can we talk?” I heard the question, recognizing the voice in an instant. It belonged to Jaemin, and it seemed to be laced with both jealousy and irritation. The way he phased his plea gave me flashbacks of the conversation we had at Jaehyun’s party.

I really wanted to continue my discussion with Hendery, but I couldn’t say no to Jaemin. It wasn’t how my brain was programmed. Besides, I missed him a lot.

“Excuse me, I’ll be right back,” I told Hendery before I grabbed Jaemin’s hand, leading him to my room, locking the doors behind us.

“Nothing was supposed to change,” Jaemin started as he sat at the edge of my bed, leaning forward with his upper body propped on his elbows. His gaze was trained on the floor, too frustrated to look up at me.

“I know,” I whispered as I sat down in my chair on the other side of the room. My first instinct was to kneel in front of Jaemin, kiss his forehead, and assure him that everything’s going to be alright.

Unfortunately, it didn’t seem like a good idea, so I refrained from doing so. “I am sorry, it’s my fault.”

“Don’t,” Jaemin interjected before I embarrassed myself even further. “We’re both at fault.”

Despite the loud party noises coming from the other side of the doors, my bedroom was filled with deafening silence. It was awfully uncomfortable, and it was probably a good thing. One of us would get annoyed eventually and cave in, letting out all the bottled up emotions.

“I missed you,” I admitted, staring at my hands. I was all fidgety, and although I was too embarrassed to reveal my inner feelings, Jaemin deserved to know this much.

“I missed you, too,” he genuinely confessed, showing me a shy smile. “Actually, I missed you more than I thought it was possible to miss a person,” Jaemin carried on, and I held my breath, not ready to hear whatever he had to say. “You have no idea how much I wanted to text you or call you, but ultimately decided not to because I was sure you don’t want me to.”

“Jaemin,” I spoke, not really sure what I should say next. I had too many things I wanted to tell him about. However, now when he was here, I couldn’t properly voice my thoughts.

“Are you dating this guy you were talking to in the kitchen?” Jaemin asked out of the blue, catching me off guard with this random accusation. “Or do you want to date him? You two looked like you’re having a great time together,” he added, and I rolled my eyes. At first, Jaemin acted on his jealously, but then, insecurity crept in.

“I don’t know. I met Hendery today, but he seems like a great guy,” I answered honestly, thinking of possibilities of me trying to pursing something of romantic nature with Hendery. After our brief encounter, I could tell he’s fun to be around. And honestly speaking, I might’ve considered dating him if I hadn’t already had feelings for someone else.

Unfortunately, right now, I wasn’t in the right state of mind to date. Not when I was still hung up on my best friend.

“I probably won’t, though. I like somebody else,” I confessed, gaining Jaemin’s interest. Instantly, he sat up, staring into my eyes, patiently waiting for the reveal. “I am stupid, but I like this one guy. He’s such a jerk, I can’t even… he’s been ghosting me for weeks now,” I carried on, hoping Jaemin would get the hint.

Two weeks ago, we promised each other nothing would change. Despite our good intentions, it did. Even though I hadn’t told Jaemin how I really felt, I still lost my best friend.

My silence didn’t save this friendship. I tried to bottle up my emotions to secure our unbreakable bond. It didn’t work, so I figured confessing my feelings wouldn’t do any more harm. Surely, Jaemin was going to reject me, but at least, I’d clear the air between us.

Hopefully, my confession, followed by a harsh rejection, would help me move on.

Instantly, Jaemin ran up to my chair and knelt in front of me, trying to look into my eyes. “Please tell me this jerk is me,” Jaemin urgently spoke, unable to handle any more suspense. Jaemin’s gaze was hopeful, and it was too much for me to comprehend.

“What?” I asked, still being overwhelmed by confusion. What was going on? Why was Jaemin on his knees in front of me? Nothing made sense. How was I supposed to wrap my head around it? “I mean… yeah, it’s you. Who else could it be?”

“You have no idea how sorry I am,” Jaemin confessed as he grabbed my hand and yanked me against his chest, wrapping his arms around me, giving me a tight hug. “You could’ve said something… anything,” he added as he pulled back his head, placing a chase kiss against my forehead.

“I didn’t want to scare you away,” I admitted quietly, unable to break free from Jaemin’s cone-crashing embrace. I couldn’t believe he was so close. Na Jaemin was holding me in his arms, letting me listen to his rapid heartbeat.

“The worst two weeks of my life,” Jaemin spoke, once again breaking the silence. “It felt at least like two centuries,” he added, making me chuckle. Of course, it was an exaggeration, but it’s how I felt, too.

“How about we start over?” I proposed, taking a step backward to have a proper look at him. “Will you go on a date with me? This time around for real, no pretending,” I carried on, trying not to grin like an idiot.

“No.”

“What?”

What the fuck was that?

Did I misunderstand Jaemin’s words? I thought he felt the same, but apparently, he didn’t? Everything suggested he followed my flow only to crush my expectations, later on, leaving a big ass scar and more trust issues.

“I mean yes, but I should be me asking you out. Definitely not the other way around,” Jaemin clarified, making me relax. Thankfully, my mini panic attack was uncalled for. It was just my brain over-analyzing everything, conjuring the worst possible scenario.

“Then you better do your best to woo me,” I teased, wondering if he was willing enough to take the bait. It was just a mere joke, reminding me how it all began. He had wooed me once, and I wasn’t going to oppose to a second attempt. “Fun dates, romantic messages, silly gifts. I want it all,” I added, going a little bit overboard with my request list.

“Everything can be arranged,” Jaemin replied with a lopsided smile before he tightened his grip, almost crashing my bones in the process.

***

Jaemin and I began dating. This time around, it was real; no more pretending, no more stupid bets. Just two people who had discovered friendship could never be enough.

Even though I had told Jaemin I was just joking about this whole wooing thing, he refused to accept it, going to extreme lengths to make my heart flutter. I was already stupidly in love with him, yet he kept trying to make me swoon even more.

Despite our busy schedules, we made sure to see each other every day. It could’ve been a date at the arcade or just a quick coffee or a video call. In all honestly, I gladly accepted any form of contact from Jaemin.

I hated the prospect of going through a day without any message from him.

Except for many mini and maxi dates, Jaemin would also spoil me with plenty of encouraging notes of many kinds. Each massage from Jaemin was even sillier from the previous one. He never ceased to amaze me.

At first, Jaemin would stick post-it notes in different places in my room. Whenever I paid no attention, he would quickly write one for me to find it later. Whenever I saw sleep tight message stuck to my bedpost or you looked extra sexy today attached to the mirror, I smiled like an idiot, imaging Jaemin writing it.

If Jaemin forgot about post-it notes, he would always make it up to me by sending me corny direct messages. We would always text each other before sleep, and Jaemin never failed to make me smile with words such as:

If you happen to have wet dreams of me, you gotta tell me everything that happened. We can recreate it later.

I saw some sexy lingerie on my way home. Your ass would look amazing in it. I’m gonna buy it for you when I get my paycheck.

You’re the reason I wake up in the morning. Just kidding, I have to pee.

Whenever we went out, Jaemin would also scribble something either on a napkin or on a receipt. One time, Jaemin even gave a crumbled piece of paper that he was carrying in his pocket for some reason.

You know I’d give you my kidney, right? And a piece of the liver if you ask nicely. I hope you would do the same for me.

When we have kids, I’ll let you name the first one. Don’t fuck it up.

You’re my favorite pain in the ass.

You are stuck with me. You better get used to it.

Messy notes weren’t sufficient for Jaemin. Although I was more than content with the attention and affection he was giving me, it wasn’t enough for Jaemin. With each massage, he had to out-do himself.

Jaemin even wrote me a song! Or at least, he tried to write me a song.  It was really bold of him to assume I didn’t know the lyrics to Jonas Brothers’ Sucker. I loved this song, and even though I perfectly knew it wasn’t Jaemin’s piece of work, I still appreciated the gesture.

Later on, his love letters reached another level of ridiculousness. Jaemin sent me a love e-mail, and if that doesn’t prove how extra he can get, I don’t know what can.

Jaemin didn’t stop there. No, it was just a warm-up.

When I was checking the mailbox, I found a paper plane stuck in between bills. Jaemin must’ve put it there, probably after one of his frequent visits to my apartment. Though the paper plane was a little bit crumbled, I found it incredibly adorable. On its wing, it had “open me” written with Jaemin’s messy handwriting. Inside there was a corny message that turned my insides in absolute cringe.

Your wings already exist. All you have to do is fly.

A few days later, Jaemin gave me a CD with the love playlist he had made for me. Carefully, he had chosen our favorite songs and burned them on a disc. I had no means to actually play it, but I adored the gesture.

Jaemin’s creativity did not disappoint. At this point, he might send me a love letter via a fax machine, and I wouldn’t be surprised. There were no limitations to his imagination, and it was one of the many things I loved about him.

Neither of us dropped the L-bomb yet, but we really didn’t need to. Though that dreaded word has yet to be spoken, we perfectly knew how we felt about each other. We would do anything for one another; no doubt in that.

Having exceeded my expectations, Jaemin proved himself worthy of being my boyfriend. Or rather, he showed me he was way out of my league. When he was bending over backward, I was passively basking in the glory of Jaemin’s confessions. Relationships were about giving and taking, and it seemed our balance was off.

It was time we switched roles. It was only fair if I tried to creep my way into his heart the way he had been wooing mine.

As soon as I cleaned up the apartment and pampered myself a little bit, I pulled out my phone, quickly texting Jaemin. Hopefully, he wasn’t that busy.

my love 💖 | 18:12 | U want to come over?

baNANA 🍓 | 18:16 | 😏

baNANA 🍓 | 18:16 | You miss me???

my love 💖 | 18:17 |  🤡 🤡 🤡 🤡 🤡

my love 💖 | 18:17 | nvm forget I asked

baNANA 🍓 | 18:17 | 😧 😧 😧

baNANA 🍓 | 18:18 | I’ll be in an hour

baNANA 🍓 | 18:18 | want me to bring anything?

my love 💖 | 18:19 | nah, just get your cute butt over here

baNANA 🍓 | 18:19 | ?????

baNANA 🍓 | 18:19 | are you high??

baNANA 🍓 | 18:19 | should I be concerned?

Okay, I had an hour to prepare something for our impromptu date. It was fine; it was more than enough than I needed. The apartment was already clean, so I just had to whip something to eat and cool the bubbles.

For some reason, I felt in a celebratory mood. Whatever tempo Jaemin and I had, it worked in two week periods. We had fake-dated for fourteen days before we called it quits. Then, we didn’t talk to each other for two weeks. Tonight another period came by, and I wanted to celebrate it, hoping to break the unfortunate chain of bad luck.

The alcohol was already in the refrigerator. Having put on an apron, I opened all the cabinets around the kitchen, quickly analyzing the ingredients and what I can make out of them. It wasn’t much, but pasta would have to be enough.

It wasn’t a fancy dish, but I was made it with love, so Jaemin shouldn’t have any complaints. Pouring my emotions into the pasta was to make it extra flavorful.

When the sauce was slowly cooking on the stove, I decorated the table. I wanted to provide Jaemin with some high-end restaurant experience despite being in my cramped apartment. It was the best thing out of two words; we had all privacy in the world offered by a homely atmosphere, but at the same time, we would eat some beautifully garnished food.

Just when I was about to drain the pasta, someone knocked on the doors.

“Coming,” I hollered before I put the pot in the sink, wiping my hands on the apron before making my way to answer the doors. “Hey there, beautiful,” I greeted Jaemin with a playful remark, standing on my toes to press a brief smooch on his adorable lips. It took him off guard, but in some sense, he liked it.

“Hey, it’s my line,” Jaemin nagged when his hands found purchase on my hips, bringing me closer for another kiss since one was never enough. “What do you have there? It smells delicious,” Jaemin turned his head, trying to peek inside to see what surprise I had prepared for him.

“You know, just some carbs,” I answered vaguely, sending him a playful smirk, not wanting to ruin the surprise. I wanted him to sit down at the table and wait for me to bring the whole dish and pour us some cheap champagne.

Jaemin took off his shoes, kicking them to the side. A second later, he handed me his coat, and I put it on the hanger. Jaemin was wearing a pair of gray jeans and a mint oversized hoodie, and I drooled over this comfortable look. He didn’t have to try hard to impress me.

“Just wait here. I’ll be back in a sec,” I spoke when I guided Jaemin to the table, forcing him to sit down in the chair. Jaemin wanted to help me out in the kitchen, but I firmly refused. Tonight I wished to impress Jaemin; he didn’t have to move a finger.

“I know it’s not much, but I hope you’ll still like it,” I whispered when I put a plate in front of him. “Dig in,” I added as I sat on the other side of the table, carefully trying to pop the champagne bottle open. Though I hated doing it, too afraid of breaking something or hurting someone, tonight I wanted to try it.

“What’s the occasion,” Jaemin wondered as he fondly watched me fight with the bottle. “Do you need some help? You’re gonna hurt yourself,” Jaemin offered, genuinely concerned about my safety. However, I just turned around, wanting to finish it by myself.

It took me good five minutes to pop it. And when I finally did it, Jaemin gave me a round of pitiful applause, officially declaring it’s his job from now on.

“It was just painful to watch,” Jaemin playfully commented, and I kicked his shin under the table, showing him how much appreciated his remark was. “So… what’s the occasion?”

“Do I really need to have a reason to spoil my boyfriend?” I innocently asked, batting my eyelashes, and Jaemin smiled at the word boyfriend. We had never discussed labels, but it was self-explanatory we were in a loving relationship. “I figured it’d be nice to give you some more attention,” I absentmindedly added as I reached for my phone to play some soft EDM music through the Bluetooth speaker.

“Is that it?” Jaemin wondered, gazing into my eyes, searching for any ulterior motive I might have. “Are you sure you’re not trying to butter me up before you say something I may not like? What did you do?” Jaemin inquired, and I chuckled loudly.

“Calm down, Na,” I spoke, making Jaemin look up at me once again. I only called him by his surname when I was extra affectionate, so he was curious what I was going to say. “I just wanted to hang out with you. That’s all,” I confessed, but Jaemin scrutinized his eyes, not really buying my innocent talk. “Okay, fine. There’s one more thing.”

“What is it?” Jaemin inquired, grinning at me.

“Can’t you already tell? I am trying to woo my way into your pants, duh,” I confessed, and Jaemin choked on his champagne as he did not expect this wording. “Your heart! I meant to say into your heart,” I corrected when I realized my little Freudian slip. “Wait, no, screw it. I second that. I want to get into both.”

“You’ve already got into one,” Jaemin declared with a lopsided smirk pinned to his face. “But... if you don’t suspect it already, you’re welcome in both,” he added mischievously, taking a sip of his alcohol. I, on the other hand, looked away, feeling the heat in my cheeks.

“Good to know.”

“Where are Jiwoo and Ten by the way?” Jaemin wondered as he looked around the apartment, finding it suspicious they didn’t crash our date yet. Under typical circumstances, Jiwoo or Ten would haul another chair to the table and steal the food, third-wheeling our date.

“Ten is at the dance studio. He’s having a dance competition next week, so he goes there every time he has some free time to practice. And Jiwoo is with Jaehyun. He came here to pick her up a few hours ago. I don’t think either of them is coming home anytime soon,” I explained, smirking. We had the place to ourselves.

Finally, we could bask in each other’s company without any intrusive guests.

“I’d like to cheers to that,” Jaemin raised his glass, clinking it gently against mine.

Having eaten the food, we moved to the couch.

“What now?” Jaemin asked as he stretched his arm, resting it on the back of the couch right over my shoulders.

“I have one more surprise,” I announced before I jumped to my feet. “Wait a second,” I added before bolting to my bedroom.

“What is it?” Jaemin inquired, having no clue what else I could surprise him with. “What do you have there?” He pressed, tilting his head to the side, trying to see what I was hiding behind my back.

“Let’s take some pictures,” I announced in excitement, showing him my Polaroid camera. “I finally bought some film, and I really want our photo in my wallet,” I added as I plopped down onto the couch, resting my head against Jaemin’s chest. “You take it,” I ordered, handing him the camera. After all, he was the prodigy of photography. Besides, his hands were longer than mine.

“I think that’s more than enough,” Jaemin spoke after snapping the twelfth picture.

Having put the camera on the coffee table, he wrapped his arms around me. Jaemin pulled me on his laps, embracing me tightly, placing a round of pecks against my temple.

“Wait! One more thing,” I hollered, leaning forward to reach for the envelope which was lying on the coffee table next to our photos.

“You can’t say it’s the last thing and then bring another one. That’s not how it works,” Jaemin nagged, a little flustered that I managed to find another excuse when he wanted to cuddle. “Who are you? A fitness instructor? When you say it’s the last one, it should be the last one. You can’t come up with new ones every three minutes.”

“I promise it’s the last one,” I sat cross-legged on the couch beside him, handing him the envelope. Cautiously, he pulled the card out of it, and I looked at him, studying his expression in excitement.

“Annoyingly, I like you way more than I’d originally planned,” Jaemin read the cover of the card, smiling widely at the passive-aggressive message. “It’s already good, and I didn’t even read what you wrote inside,” he commented before he leaned forward to kiss my forehead. “I don’t get it,” he added in confusion as he saw the blank page inside the card.

“It’s my love letter for you,” I clarified, but Jaemin was still clueless.

“It’s a blank page. You really have that little to say?” Jaemin asked, trying to make sense out of my card.

“That’s not how you were supposed to interpret that!” I yelled, climbing on his laps, wanting to tear the card out of his ungrateful hands. Unfortunately, Jaemin’s hands were longer than mine, so even when I was hovering over his thighs, I couldn’t reach it.

“How was I supposed to interpret that then?” Jaemin challenged, holding my hips, forcing them down on his laps.

“I wanted to write something meaningful, but I just couldn’t decide what. I have so many things I want to tell you, it wouldn’t even fit on the card,” I started, trying to find the best way to form a coherent sentence. “One way to interpret it is that you have to imagine it’s written in a very tiny font. Because I have so much to tell you, I wrote everything down, but you just can’t read it.”

“I like it,” Jaemin whispered, pressing a gentle kiss against my knuckles.

“Or you can say it’s blank because whenever I’m with you, my head is completely empty,” I added, chuckling at the corny confession. “Or you can assume there are no words to describe my feelings for you.”

“How is it possible that without writing anything, you managed to top all of my love letters?” Jaemin wondered, smiling at me. “What kind of sorcery is this?”

“No, Jaemin. You’re not giving yourself enough credit. I loved your love letters. They were silly, but at the same time, I could feel you really meant everything,” I reasoned, looking down at Jaemin’s lips, slowly leaning in for a delicate kiss.

“Okay, I have an idea,” Jaemin suddenly spoke as he grabbed my butt and threw me off his laps. “I need a pen,” he added, looking around the living room, finding the pen on the coffee table. In a hurry, he scribbled down something on the blank page of the card, making sure I couldn’t peek. “Here, I found my way to interpret it.”

“Oh?”

“Yes,” Jaemin answered confidently, handing me the card. “Read it out loud for me.”

“Okay, I guess,” I cleared my throat before I opened the card. “My beloved Jaemin,” I read, looking at Jaemin’s face with a raised eyebrow. This was going to be good.

“Carry on,” he urged, and I shook my head, unable to believe I was going to do it.

“You’re the most handsome man I have ever seen. You’re also the smartest and the funniest. Not to mention, you’re the best kisser in the world. What the fuck is this?” I interjected, having doubts, knowing it was a bad idea.

“Just keep reading, babe,” Jaemin ordered, wanting me to carry on with his antics. “Though you’re no poet, it’s, by a huge margin, the best love letter I have ever received,” he added, blowing his ego way out of proportion, and I rolled my eyes.

“Now, when I look at you, I understand there’s not a chance I wouldn’t fall for you. So, since there’s not much space left, I just wanna tell you that I love you. I really love you, Jaemin.”

Before I managed to complain that he forced me to say the L-word first, Jaemin interjected.

“Finally, took you long enough,” he teased, and I sighed, wondering where to hit him first. “As if you haven’t figured it out yet, I love you, too.”

“You’re impossible,” I commented, still not quite sure if we just confessed to each other.

“I’m impossible not to fall in love with,” Jaemin corrected, once again hauling me back on his laps, taking my breath away with a fervent kiss. “How about you show me how you want to get into my pants, babe?”

Having had enough of Jaemin’s teasing, I decided not to comply with his request.

“I think you should go.”

“You’re right,” Jaemin agreed too quickly, and it made me alert. “Let’s go to your room because once I start pounding into you, I will not stop even if a group of nuns was about to break in and steal all of your shit,” he added as he picked me up, carrying me to my bedroom.

“You’re impossible,” I repeated my words when Jaemin threw me onto my bed before he landed on it right beside me.

“I think we’ve already discussed this,” he remarked, reminding me of the remark he had given me earlier. “So… where were we?” Jaemin asked as he put his hand on my side, pulling me closer. Soon enough, his palm slipped under the hem of my shirt, caressing my skin.

“Is it weird that the only thing I can think about is you eating me out?” I wondered out loud, stripped of all remains of dignity. Jaemin was in my bed, and I was planning on taking full advantage of it.

“Not at all, love,” Jaemin replied, showing me his eager smile. Quickly, he sat on his calves between my legs, taking his time to take off my jeans. “I thought about eating you out way too often ever since that thing in the bathroom,” Jaemin confessed as he threw my jeans across the room.

Though my panties were still on, Jaemin began his teasing. His soft lips trailed across my thighs, driving me crazy. His lips touched every inch of my skin except for the area I wanted the most. At this point, my panties were dripping wet, yet he didn’t even think of pulling them to the side, giving attention to my much-ignored core.

“You’re killing me,” I whispered, slowly losing patience. If Jaemin kept up with his antics, I’d combust out of sexual frustration. “Bold of you to assume I won’t let you taste your own medicine,” I warned Jaemin. It worked because as soon as I voiced my mischievous threat, Jaemin’s finger hooked under the hem of my panties, quickly pulling them down my legs.

“You’re no fun at all,” Jaemin clarified before his lips finally landed on my clit, making me buckle my hips in an instant. Slowly, his mouth moved against my sweet spot, and I arched my back with each swirl of his tongue.

Though he barely started, I could feel the electricity coursing through my body. In my state of permanent frustration, it wouldn’t be difficult for Jaemin to make me come against his mouth.

Getting into it, Jaemin squeezed my hips, trying to keep me still when he ate me out. His jaw was dripping in my juices as he made his way down to lick my folds.

“Fuck,” I moaned loudly when Jaemin’s nose rubbed my clit when he was running his tongue all over my entrance. “I think I am gonna come,” I admitted what made Jaemin smirk through the kiss. Jaemin barely touched me, but I was already close.

“Come for me,” Jaemin urged, releasing my hips from his firm grip. Now when I could buckle my hips against his face, my orgasm was just seconds away. With my hand in his hair, I rocked my hips, basking in pleasure.

“I need your fingers,” I begged, and Jaemin quickly obeyed my shameful plea. I expected him to tease me further, denying me his long fingers, but he was kind enough to do anything to make me come.

Thanks to my juices and Jaemin’s saliva, his two fingers slid right in.

“Fuck,” I shouted at the top of my voice when the wave of pleasure shot right through me. Jaemin’s jaw still played with my clit as he continued his actions throughout the orgasm.

“You blew my mind, Jaemin,” I muttered after I regained my focus after he had made me come on his face. “I came so hard,” I confessed, smiling like an idiot. It was way too long ever since someone made me feel this good.

“You better get used to it because I am planning this to be a frequent occurrence,” Jaemin whispered, looking at my face as if it was an art piece. “Do you have condoms?” he casually asked as he pulled down his jeans. His erected cock was restrained in the denim fabric, and Jaemin needed to get rid of it.

“As a matter of fact, I do,” I replied as I opened the bedside table and threw a brand new package of condoms at Jaemin’s chest. “Jiwoo got me those after she walked on our pillow fight the other day. Apparently, she doesn’t want any cum stains on the couch.”

For a while, we were lying on the bed, staring at each other. Jaemin gave me some time to recover from my orgasm. According to him, I needed to take breaks because he didn’t want to over-stimulate me too soon.

“I really love you,” Jaemin confessed genuinely, and I quickly rolled closer to him, giving him another chase smooch. His confession was music to my ears, and I could listen to it on repeat without getting tired of it.

“I love you, too,” I quickly replied, leaning in for another kiss. With his hand on my cheek, he deepened the kiss, giving us another chance to get lost in the love trance.

Having thrown my leg over his hipbone, I hovered over his erection.

“Let me take care of you,” I said as I pulled away from the kiss. With a playful smirk upon my face, I grabbed the hem of my shirt and pulled it over my head. Slowly after, my bra followed suit, and Jaemin grunted upon seeing me completely naked in front of him.

“Sexy,” he purred before he eagerly took off his hoodie, throwing it onto the floor. “On a second thought, maybe you should put something on. You’re too sexy, and I’d like to last longer,” Jaemin explained, handing me his hoodie so I could cover myself up. “No, it’s even worse. Take it off,” he changed his mind after seeing me in his clothes.

Carefully, I pulled Jaemin’s boxers down his legs, letting his rock hard cock spring free. Biting on my lips, I grabbed his erection, giving it a few gentle strokes.

“Fuck it, I am ready,” Jaemin yelled, placing his hand over mine, making me stop. “You have all the time in the world to blow me. Right now, I want to feel you,” he added, quickly pulling out a condom from its packaging.

“Let me at least roll it down for you,” I offered, and Jaemin sighed, weighing his options.

“Nah, I am not willing to take that risk,” Jaemin answered, proceeding to wrap his cock by himself. “Now, come here, sit down on it,” he urged, and I shook my head. Smiling like an idiot, I guided his cock towards my entrance, slowly sinking down on his length.

“You’re good?” I asked, trying to guess what was going on inside his brain. Judging by his sour expression, he must’ve been thinking about something terrible in order to stop himself from coming too soon.

“Yes, everything’s cool,” he reassured, and I took it as permission to gently rock my hips back and forth. Whenever I moved, Jaemin kept grunting quietly. Apparently, he also suffered from sexual frustration.

My hands were wandering all over his muscular chest, admiring his athletic built. My hips were moving at a steady rhythm, but whenever I happened to increase the tempo, Jaemin would slow me down with a firm grip on my hips.

“If you keep doing that, I might spank you,” Jaemin warned me, but it only made me want to disobey more. “Why did I even expect you to be a good girl?” Jaemin asked, rolling his eyes.

“Spank me,” I ordered, trying my best not to chuckle. “I dare you,” I added, pushing the right buttons. “Like that,” I moaned when Jaemin’s hand collided against my butt, shaking me with newfound excitement.

“You’re impossible,” Jaemin comment, still in shock after discovering how much into spanking I happened to be.

“I’m impossible not to fall in love with,” I remarked, using Jaemin’s own words against him.

Unable to handle my teasing, Jaemin sat up. “I love you so much,” Jaemin stated once again before he looked at my lips, kissing them. Now, when I was distracted by his tongue, it was easier for him to control my movement.

In our upgraded position, I significantly slowed down. Carefully, I moved up and down Jaemin’s cock, while he sneaked his hand between our entangled bodies, rubbing my clit. I was close, and I was about to come again.

I didn’t know what he was so self-conscious about. No doubt I would come first.

“Jaemin, I am coming,” I breathed out, messing up my rhythm. It was difficult to maintain the same tempo when Jaemin was playing with my clit. Jaemin’s lips moved down my neck, finding a perfect spot on my collarbone to leave a hickey.

“Me, too,” Jaemin whispered as he began thrusting from underneath me, now desperate to push the both of us off the edge. “You’re so tight, fuck,” he cursed as my walls started to swell around his throbbing cock.

Jaemin moaned against my skin, muffling his sinful sounds. I, on the other hand, screamed Jaemin’s name at the top of my voice, telling everybody in the world he was the person, making me feel this good.

Having fallen onto the sheets, we looked into each other’s eyes. We were panting as if we just ran a marathon. Not that I had any doubts, but Jaemin turned out to be a passionate lover, and it made me love him even more.

“You’re beautiful,” Jaemin complimented me, staring at my face in utter admiration. “I am so lucky,” he added, and I moved closer, snuggling up to him. It was still early, but I was so fucked out, I could fall asleep right there in his arms.

Having pulled me closer to his chest, Jaemin threw a duvet over our sweaty bodies. His fingers were tracing shapes on my shoulder when he pressed yet another peck against my temple.

“Are you down for another round?” Jaemin asked as he discarded the full condom. His cock was still semi-hard. In a few minutes, Jaemin would be ready for some more. “It’s cool if you’re not,” he added, trying not to put any pressure on me.

“I want you to do me all night,” I confessed, looking over my shoulder at the clock. It’s only 8 pm, and I could stay up till daylight with Jaemin.

“Do you want to go bowling tomorrow?” Jaemin asked, and I eagerly nodded. It was fun the last time I had joined the boys on their monthly trip to the bowling alley. Besides, I would be the first woman to break the unfortunate one-time-only curse. I couldn’t wait to show up two months in a row.

“I’d love that,” I answered, snuggling closer to Jaemin’s side.

In content, we basked in happiness until Jaemin regained enough energy to go for the third time. However, this time around, it was slow and steamy. Under the covers, Jaemin crawled on top of me, kissing every inch of my body.

“Do you want to roll it down on me? I think I can handle that,” Jaemin asked, and I reached for the condom, carefully rolling it down his length. “I wish I could fuck you without one, though,” he added, and I flicked his forehead, making him whine. “I’ll pull out.”

“I trust you, but it’s still a no from me,” I replied, guiding his cock into my entrance. Inch by inch, Jaemin pushed himself all the way in. “You fill me up so well,” I praised, purring into his ear. “I love your cock.”

Distance between our bodies was practically nonexistent. Jaemin was slowly snapping his hips, rubbing his pelvic bone against my clit, turning me into a moaning mess. I wouldn’t be surprised if my neighbors called the police because of all the noise coming from my bedroom.

“One day, you’ll let me fuck you raw. I’ll make sure you do,” Jaemin carried on, and I hissed, feeling the approaching orgasm. I didn’t even bother to comment on Jaemin’s statement. I was whipped for him. I knew I wasn’t able to maintain my assertive stance for long. Eventually, I’d cave in, letting him fuck me without a condom. It wasn’t today, though.

“In your dreams, lover boy,” I answered, but Jaemin just giggled, knowing I wasn’t serious.

“You have no idea how many times we’ve done it raw in my dreams,” Jaemin confessed as he picked up his pace, pounding into my pussy, making me moan at the sudden speed. “One day, I’ll tell you all about my fantasies, but right now, I really want this pussy to cream around my cock,” he added, his filthy words making my walls squeeze around his length.

“You wait until I tell you mine,” I challenged with a smirk. If Jaemin thought he was the only one with a dirty mind, he was seriously mistaken. While most of my fantasies were PG-13, there was still a large portion of naughty scenarios. Now, when Jaemin and I were finally together, it would be fun to try to recreate at least some of them.

“You better come because I can’t go much longer,” Jaemin warned me, pounding in and out, chasing his own release. “Fuck,” he yelled, falling on top of me as he shot his load into the condom. His cock twitched inside of me as he moved slowly, riding out his orgasm.

“Jaemin,” I hollered, coming undone underneath him. Despite the other peaks, this orgasm hit me the hardest. For a brief second, my vision turned black as I gave in to the pleasure.

Breathlessly, I lay in the sheets, slowly descending from my high.

“I think all I can do tonight is cuddle,” I commented, feeling too fucked out to engage in any other form of affection. “I don’t think I can walk.”

“It’s okay. I can carry you around the house,” Jaemin answered, finding a solution for my problem. Having pulled his limp cock out of me, Jaemin rolled down another condom, putting it aside.

“What is it?” Jaemin asked as he heard a noise from the living room.

“It sounded as if someone was knocking on the doors,” I spoke, trying to identify the sound. “It must be a courier for Jiwoo. She keeps ordering stuff online. It’s probably the late evening delivery she forgot about. Can you get it?”

“No problem, babe,” Jaemin answered as he put on his jeans, walking around the bed to answer the door.

At first, I wanted to wait for Jaemin in bed. However, it’s been like three minutes, and he didn’t come back, so I found it weird.

Having put on Jaemin’s hoodie and a pair of leggings, I made my way out of the room.

Jaemin was standing by the doors, looking inside a plastic bag. Whatever it was, it smelled like Thai food. Unfortunately, it didn’t explain anything. We were here alone, and we didn’t order anything.

Just when I was about to open my mouth and ask Jaemin what the hell was going on, Ten walked out of his room. It was strange, but I saw him leave, and I didn’t hear him come back.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I asked angrily, trying to hide my embarrassment. If he was here the whole time, he must’ve heard us having sex.

“I live here, duh,” Ten answered matter-of-factly, choosing not to give me the explanation which I desperately needed. “I think it’s mine,” Ten spoke as he walked up to Jaemin to take his Thai takeout.

Although Jaemin and I were standing in the living room in complete consternation, Ten didn’t seem to pay any attention to it. In front of his bedroom, Ten stopped in his tracks, turning his head to face me.

“Congratulations, by the way,” Ten spoke, making me even more embarrassed. “Three times, wow. It’s impressive. Don’t fuck this up, dear. He’s a keeper,” Ten added, sending me a playful wink before he disappeared inside his room.

#jaemin smut #neosmutcollective #neosmutletters #nct smut #nct dream smut #nct u smut #jaemin fluff #nct fluff #nct dream fluff #jaemin #na jaemin #nct fake dating #fake dating au #collage au #love letters au #idiots to lovers #friends to lovers #jaemin angst #nct angst #nct dream angst

[arvinsescape]

Rebecca... or was it always Y/N?

A/N: Feels like a lifetime since i posted anything, sorry for the silence over the last few days! I’ve been back at work so i will be slowly emptying my inbox, if anyone still has a request in there i’m not ignoring it, i just have less time so it’s taking longer! I hope you enjoy this one! It’s angsty but has a good ending! Decided to post a day early seeing as it's ready to go!

Summary: Tom is in love with a woman who doesn’t love him back. Y/N is in love with Tom and he doesn’t think he loves her back.

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of smut (but nothing major at all).

W/C: 4.6K (My one shots will now be longer as i’ll only be posting one a week and i hope the W/C doesn’t put anyone off).

Y/N was watching it unfold before her eyes and felt nothing but helpless, Tom was falling in love and there was nothing she could do. It wasn’t because she was in love with him that she was sad, no, it was because Rebecca was going to rip his heart out and not give him a second thought. Y/N cursed herself daily for letting them meet, Rebecca was attractive anyone could see that, she was beautiful, but she wasn’t a good person and Y/N knew this.

Rebecca worked with Y/N and they got along but Y/N knew about her tendencies and her commitment issues. Rebecca was never any bodies girlfriend, she always told Y/N she “preferred to be the woman on the side, it’s more interesting.” Tom had taken an instant liking to her when she approached their table in the bar to say hi and she wished to god she’d have dragged Tom home as soon as she saw him chatting her up.

They were sleeping together, everyone knew that but it wasn’t anything beyond that, Rebecca was clever, she enjoyed the attention Tom gave her and mostly enjoyed the amount of money he was willing to spend on her. So Rebecca kept him happy, she kept him completely at arms-length, she would occasionally allow him to cuddle her, kiss her and every now and again she’d stay the night. Y/N remembers the first time she brought it up to Tom.

“Tom, you really need to be careful.” She said as she watched Rebecca leave and Tom sat next to her on the sofa.

“How’d you mean?” He asked with furrowed brows.

“I told you months ago that she doesn’t commit Tom.” She sighed and Tom huffed.

“Y/N, she stays the night.” Tom said matter of factly and she smiled sadly at him.

“Tom, she stops once a week and I think you know why she does that.”

“Fucking hell Y/N, can you just let me be happy?” Tom snapped.

“Tom, it’s not that I don’t want you to be happy, you’re my best friend but she isn’t good for you.” She sighed and Tom huffed again, so she continued. “She doesn’t commit, she told me that herself, she keeps you at arms-length because she knows if she lets you kiss her every now and again outside the bedroom you won’t catch on to what she’s doing.” Y/N sighed as she ran a hand through her hair.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Tom folded his arms over his chest and Y/N looked at him carefully before she asked her next question, dreading the answer.

“Tom, are you in love with her?”

“Yes.”

Y/N was heartbroken for him, she really was and she didn’t want to interfere; it wasn’t something she enjoyed being done to her but she knew this wasn’t going to end well. When Tom loved, he loved with everything he had in him, he gave his everything and Y/N knew it wouldn’t be long before he was crying into her chest as she tried to console him. She’d brought it up to Rebecca and it was then that Y/N and Rebecca stopped speaking completely, Y/N hated her now for what she was doing to her best friend.

“Rebecca, do you love Tom?” She asked casually over their lunch break.

“No.” Rebecca snorted and Y/N’s heart broke in two as she thought about what this was going to do to him.

“He loves you.” She sighed.

“Oh, I know.” Rebecca smirked. “He’s the easiest guy I’ve ever had to string along.” She laughed again and Y/N felt her blood boil. She knew Rebecca wasn’t nice when it came to men but she had no idea just how cruel she was.

“Do you think that’s fair though? Doing this to him?” She tried to reason and Rebecca laughed.

“Look, Y/N. I like you.” Y/N fucking hated her. “But it’s none of your business.”

“Just, please. Whatever you do, don’t sleep with anyone else whilst you’re sleeping with him. I can’t watch him fall apart like that again, I just can’t.” Y/N sighed as she felt tears brim her eyes at the thought of her best friend being used like this.

“We aren’t together you know. I’m not his girlfriend.” She snapped.

“Just, please. Don’t do that too him.” Y/N almost begged.

Y/N hoped that she wasn’t sleeping with other people, no they weren’t together but Tom was in love with her and she knew that, she fucking knew and it made Y/N’s blood boil, she’d tried to bring it up to Tom but he wouldn’t have it and now they weren’t on speaking terms.

“Tom, I really need to talk to you.” She said as she came in from work.

“What’s wrong princess?” He asked, he was concerned she’d had a bad day.

“It’s about Rebecca.” She said and Tom sighed, anger rising in his chest.

“Not this again. Y/N, what the fuck is your problem?” He snapped and she was taken aback at how quickly he’d gotten mad at her.

“She doesn’t love you Tom, she told me herself.” She said desperately, she needed him to understand so he wouldn’t fall any deeper but Rebecca had her claws well and truly dug into his heart, ready to squeeze everything from it as she ripped it in half. “Why do you think she won’t be your girlfriend?” She asked desperately.

“Because of who I am and the attention that would bring. You have no idea what you’re talking about. You’re just jealous.” Tom shouted and she felt some of her own anger rise but she tried to swallow it down, he was just love blind.

“No, Tom, that’s not it and I think you know it.” She said as she ignored the jealousy comment as best she could.

“All I know is that you can’t be happy for me, you’re trying to ruin this for me and why? I’ll tell you why, you’re jealous that I have someone and you don’t. Or is it because you’re in love with me and still haven’t gotten over it.” Ouch, Y/N felt utterly betrayed by her best friend.

She’d let slip that she was in love with him a few months before he met Rebecca, he didn’t feel the same and she was okay with that. It surprisingly didn’t change their friendship, she was heartbroken for a while but she learned to accept it. There was always a part of her that would love him, she knew that but she’d learned to live with it. Right now though, she was regretting him ever knowing.

“You know what Tom. Fuck you. No, I’m not doing this because of any other reason than the fact that you are my best friend. I’m not going to stand here and let you berate me for caring. She’s gonna break your heart.”

“Bullshit, you’re doing it because you’re bitter that I don’t love you. You’re jealous that someone else has my attention and it’s not all on you.” He spat and she felt the tears fall. She couldn’t stop them falling as she realised she couldn’t do anything to make him see sense, but he’d also just stabbed at her own heart.

“Okay, well if that’s how you want to be, then I’ll stop trying to help you. For the love of god Tom, please be careful. But think twice before running to me when she breaks your heart.” Y/N said as her tears fell faster and Tom noticed the crack in her voice and how vulnerable she looked and his anger instantly washed away and he watched her sniffle and make her way up to her room. He felt awful, he shouldn’t have said that.

Tom had tried to speak to Y/N, tried to apologise, but she wouldn’t have it, she was angry with him and rightfully so. Harrison had given him an earful for being a dick and he took it.

“That’s not really fair Tom.” Harrison had said when Tom had told him why they weren’t speaking.

“I know.” Tom ran a hand through his hair.

“Look, I love you both and I’m not picking sides but it’s a bit fucked up that you would do that. She’s been your best friend over her own feelings for you for years. Do you have any idea how hard it was for her to comfort you when you were crying over other women? It broke her heart as much as it did yours. She’s not a bitter person Tom and you know that, she was happy for you when you had other girlfriends.” Harrison reasoned and Tom felt his heart ache as he thought about what he’d put his best friend through.

“She was never angry that you don’t love her the way she loves you. Never. Have you considered that maybe she really is just trying to help you? I agree with Y/N, Rebecca is no good for you and you need to wake up and smell the fucking coffee Tom and decide if losing your best friend was worth it.” Harrison sighed and Tom felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach.

“What do you mean? Y/N will come round, she’s my best friend Haz, she won’t fall out with me permanently will she?” Tom was panicking now, she’d been his best friend for a long time, a very long time.

“Tom.” Harrison sighed. “You’ve given her a lot to think about. Throwing the fact that she’s in love with you in her face made her realise there’s a power dynamic to your relationship now, one that was never there before.” Harrison said carefully as Tom furrowed his brows.

“What do you mean a power dynamic?”

“Tom, she’s in love with you. She puts your feelings before her own all the time and you proved that you don’t when you threw that in her face. She’s always going to care more about you than you do her.” Harrison sighed and Tom felt his heart break.

“I don’t wanna lose her Haz, she’s my best friend. Can you help me fix it?” Tom asked his friend and Harrison shook his head.

“Mate, I wouldn’t know where to start. She’s really fucking hurt, I think you should just leave her be for a while and figure your own shit out.”

Tom took what Harrison had said and really thought about it. He missed Y/N, he really did, it was torture watching her interact with the rest of the boys and she couldn’t even meet his eyes. He wanted his best friend back but that seemed like a long shot at this point. Rebecca was supposed to be coming round today and whilst he was excited to see her, his mind was currently on his best friend, they’d not spoken for weeks.

“Hi.” Rebecca said as she made her way into his room, pulling him from his thoughts. He smiled when he heard her voice.

“Hi.” He said as she joined his place on the bed sitting against the headboard, she instantly straddled him and his hands found her waist. She kissed him and his heart fluttered, Y/N was still itching to the front of his thoughts but he pushed them back, Rebecca was here.

One thing led to another and they both had their shirts off, Tom saw it and his heart dropped. A love bite on her breast that he knew he’d not left there. He pulled back as she ran her fingers through his hair.

“What’s that?” He asked as he gestured towards the mark and she huffed.

“We’re not exclusive Tom.” She reminded him and he felt his heart shatter.

“I thought, you said you didn’t wanna sleep with anyone else?” He rambled and she rolled her eyes.

“I didn’t and then I did. It’s not a big deal Tom, I’m not your girlfriend.” She snapped and Tom’s heart was broken as he swallowed his tears down.

“But I love you.” Tom tried to reason and she moved off him completely.

“I never said I loved you.” She snapped back and Tom wondered if she’d always been so cruel.

“But-“ Tom went to say before she interrupted him.

“Look, Tom. We aren’t exclusive and I don’t love you.” She said matter of factly. “I enjoy your company don’t get me wrong, but I thought you knew I don’t do the whole girlfriend thing.” She said and Tom felt his tears fall.

“But you stayed with me, you did things that you don’t normally do.” Tom reasoned and she huffed again.

“Were you really so blind Tom? I thought you knew what I was doing and was okay with it? I’ve been sleeping with Michael for a while.” Rebecca said and his heart felt numb. Y/N was right. “Look, it was fun, it was but we should stop this.” Rebecca said and Tom felt his anger rise.

“You knew I was in love with you and you strung me along, making me think we had a shot. Fantastic.” Tom snapped and she laughed.

“Like you’re any different.” She said and he was confused by that.

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Tom gritted out.

“Oh please. As if people don’t know Y/N is in love with you and you continued to be close to her didn’t you? Still cuddled her when she’d had a bad day, made everything better. Do you not think that was hard for her? Or is it only a problem when someone does it to you?” She shouted and Tom’s face fell, there was a part of what she said that was true.

“I didn’t do it on purpose though.” Tom snapped and it was true, he would never string Y/N along on purpose. Rebecca laughed as she put her shirt back on, it wasn’t a nice laugh, more mocking in nature.

“Look, you did this to yourself, I know she tried to warn you and you didn’t listen did you? Thought you could be the one to change me, but you can’t, I don’t love you and I never will.” Tom felt like he had nothing left in him as his tears fell down his face, he felt like an idiot.

“Get out.” He snapped and she huffed as she grabbed her bag.

“Gladly.” She fired back as Tom let his tears fall hard down his face. He was heartbroken, he really did love her and it felt like she’d cheated on him. Maybe she was right, they weren’t exclusive but it still hurt and he pulled his knees to his chest as he cried.

Y/N came home as Rebecca angrily made her way out of the door and Y/N knew he must have found out. Y/N had been told that day that Rebecca was sleeping with Michael as well as Tom and her heart broke for him. Michael gave her the one thing Tom couldn’t, the excitement of being a woman on the side. She heard his cries and it took everything in her to not comfort him, she was still hurt, so she swallowed down her own tears as she made her way into her bedroom, right next to Tom’s.

She listened to him cry for an hour and didn’t move, just silently cried, the guilt consumed her but she couldn’t cave. She knew he was heartbroken but she just couldn’t bring herself to forget what he said. This went on for three days, she’d listen to him cry as the other boys tried to comfort him but it didn’t work.

“Y/N?” Tuwaine asked as he opened her bedroom door, pulling her from her thoughts.

“Yeah?” She asked weakly.

“Can you please tell me what to do? I don’t know how to make him stop.” He asked and Y/N sighed.

“Cup of tea, cuddles, reassure him that he’s going to be okay. He likes it when you play with his hair, comforts him.” She said and Tuwaine gave her a small smile as he disappeared.

Ten minutes later she heard Tom shout for Tuwaine to leave him alone and seconds later Tuwaine was back at her door.

“I don’t think he wants me.” Tuwaine said sadly as she sighed. “I know it’s a lot to ask and don’t feel like you have to but maybe you should go and talk to him.” Tuwaine said quietly and she sighed as she nodded. It was torture for her to listen to him cry on and off and she made her way off her bed and into his bedroom.

Her heart broke as she took him in, he looked like he’d hardly slept and his eyes were red and puffy. She sat next to him on the bed and before she had a chance to do or say anything she was pulled tightly against his chest as he cried into her hair.

Tom inhaled the scent of her shampoo and realised how much he’d missed her. He knew he missed her just not this depth, it was like having her back in his arms was everything he’d needed in the last few weeks, it felt right to have her there. He cried into her hair as she hugged him tightly and he realised after a few minutes that he was no longer crying over Rebecca, he was crying over how much he’d missed her.

She moved them so she was sat against the headboard and his head was stuffed into her chest as he cried, she ran her fingers through his hair as she felt him calm slightly.

“You’re gonna be okay Tom.” She whispered and Tom felt guilty, which brought a fresh wave of tears, here she was comforting him and it was all because he didn’t listen to her. He’d upset her and here she was comforting him, he realised Harrison was right. She would always put his feelings first. He cried over his guilt, thoughts of Rebecca completely leaving him as he was crying over his best friend. She always knew what to do, she always knew what he needed and he realised that he missed her for an entirely different reason, it was like a slap to the face.

He always thought he didn’t love her the way she loved him and now he was wondering if he was right. She was the first person he went to when he was upset or had news to share, she was the only person who could ever comfort him when things were wrong, she was the person who made him crack a smile when he’d had a shit day. He thought about it as he cried, as she ran her fingers through his hair and told him that he was going to be okay. He thought about how blind he truly had been, it’d always been her, she was always the one he ran to, sought comfort in.

He couldn’t stop himself as he pulled his head from her chest and placed his lips against hers. She was stunned for a second before she kissed him back, he moved his hands to her hair as he went to deepen the kiss.

Y/N was stunned for a second before she melted into the kiss and it wasn’t until he licked her bottom lip to ask for entrance that she realised what was happening.

“Tom.” She said into his lips as she pushed at his chest, eyes wide. “Tom.” She said again as she pushed more forcefully. He pulled back after a second, looking at her confused. She couldn’t help the anger rising in her chest, had he just kissed her whilst crying over someone else?

“Y/N-“ Tom started and she cut him off.

“You can’t do that Tom. That’s not fair, I’m not some rebound.” She said as she got off his bed.

“Y/N, that’s not-“ He went to say and she interrupted him again, her anger getting the better of her.

“I am in love with you and you know that. Why would you fucking do that? I know you don’t love me back. That’s fucking, I can’t.” She ranted as she tried to process what was going on.

“Y/N, I’m an idiot.” Tom said and she sarcastically laughed.

“Yeah Tom, you really fucking are.” She shouted as she slammed his bedroom door and made her way into her room. Tom felt awful, he realised what it looked like but he was in love her, he should have just told her. He was stunned for a second before he collected himself and ran out of his bedroom, instantly finding himself outside her door as he knocked, he heard her crying and his heart broke, why couldn’t he just get things right with her?

She was angry with him as tears made their way down her cheeks and when she heard him knock she opened the door again, about to give him both barrels, she was so angry with him.

“What?” She shouted as she ripped her bedroom door open.

“I’m in love with you.” He said and she felt her anger boil over again.

“Tom, this isn’t fucking funny. You-“ She shouted but was instantly cut off when he stepped closer to her and shut her bedroom door, his hands finding her cheeks as he pressed his lips to hers. She pushed at his chest again in protest and he disconnected their lips.

“I’m in love with you and I’m a fucking idiot for not seeing it sooner.” He said and she laughed.

“You have just spent the last three days crying over another woman Tom.” She stated as she moved away from him.

“I know. But I wasn’t crying just then because of her.” He said and she scoffed before she went to make her way out of the room, Tom grasped at her hands as he spun her around and pinned her against the door. “I was crying because I missed you.” He said and she felt her heart hammering in her chest. He had his arms caged around her head and she was instantly aware of their close proximity as he continued.

“I was crying because I felt guilty for not seeing it sooner. It’s always you I run to when I need something. It’s always you that makes me feel better and I couldn’t pin down why until Tuwaine tried. You know what to do, you know what I need, you care for me in a way I didn’t think was possible. You make me feel safe, wanted, like I’m good enough.” He whispered as he inched his face closer to hers and she felt her breath hitch in her throat.

“I realised so much, it was like a slap in the face, it was overwhelming. I love that when you’re sad, you steal my hoodies and curl up in them, I love how fucking big they are on you. I love when you wear my clothes and I couldn’t pinpoint why for so long, but now I get it. I love the way you ramble about the things you love and don’t give a shit if anyone else is actually listening, but I always do. I always listen because you talk so passionately about things you love, your eyes light up and you smile and it’s contagious, you could talk about fucking bread and I’d listen.” He laughed lightly as she stared at him, heart still hammering in her chest.

“I love how clumsy you are, it’s fucking adorable. I love how intelligent you are. I love how you have to have your feet tucked into the duvet so you can sleep, even if it’s too hot. I love it when you wear your hair up in a bun more than I should, I never thought anything of it until I realised why I love it so much. I love it because I get a better look at your beautiful face, I love it because it exposes your neck and collarbones better.” He said, his lips were almost touching her as she breathed hard.

“I know it’s long overdue and that I had to hurt you before I realised, I could go on for hours about everything I love about you, because I do. I love you, Y/N.” He whispered again and she was crying, she hadn’t realised that she was until he wiped them away with his thumb. She was yet to say anything. “You’re not a rebound Y/N, I think deep down all those other girls were.” He said and she couldn’t stop herself as she connected their lips, salty tears mixing together as he pulled her impossibly closer to him.

Her hands found his hair as she tangled her fingers through his curls. One of his hands found her waist, whilst the other cupped her neck. The kiss grew more passionate as they let their love for each other pour into it, he licked her bottom lip asking for entrance and this time she granted it. He pushed her further into the door as they continued to kiss. After a while they both pulled away for air and he placed his forehead against hers.

“I mean it Y/N, I love you.”

“Tom, if this is some sort of joke, I can’t take it. It would break me.” She whimpered and he realised how vulnerable she was as she wouldn’t meet his eyes, the hand that was cupping her neck moved her head to look at him.

“This isn’t a joke princess. I’m in love with you and I mean that. I know the timing is off but I do and I mean it. It’s always been you, I was just too much of a fucking idiot to realise it and I’m sorry.” He said and it was so honest, the look in his eyes was so honest that she smiled, he meant it.

“I love you Tom, I really do.” She said and he smiled. “But you need time to get over her and make sure it is how you really feel. I’d love to be so selfish and have you now but I can’t, you loved her and you need to get over her.” She said and Tom’s heart broke again at her words.

“But I really do love you Y/N/N. Baby, I need you.” Tom said as he let his tears fall again.

“You have me Tom, you always will whether that be as your best friend or your girlfriend but you need to take some time to get Rebecca out of your system, okay?” He knew what she was saying and as much as he wanted her right now, he couldn’t she was right, up until twenty minutes ago he thought he was in love with someone else. He needed time to get over Rebecca properly and then he could fully give himself to Y/N.

It was going to take time but it was okay she’d wait for him and be his best friend, like she always had been and he returned to her bedroom door six months later, she opened it and he kissed her again, his feelings for her never changed, he loved her with all he had, only this time his love was reciprocated properly.

#tom holland #tom holland imagine #tom holland one shot #tom holland x reader #tom holland angst #tom holland fluff #tom holland x y/n

[kalimagik]

Trouble in Paradise 

(Pt. 3)

Tom Holland x Reader x Harrison Osterfield

Word Count: ~3,500

Warnings: some language 

A/N: Here is the last part of Trouble in Paradise for my 100 followers celebration weekend! And the last fic of the weekend! I hope y’all enjoy reading it! I did rewrite it at 1 AM this morning...oops! The other parts are linked below if you are behind at all, so it’s super easy to catch up! I plan on getting some other works out in the next week, most likely Harry Potter related, so who do you guys want to see? and are we feeling fluff, angst, pining? what are we thinking, please let me know! Happy Reading <3<3

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Nearly two days passed since Jamie had exploded and left the house. That meant that it had been two days since Y/N learned that both Tom and Harrison were both in love with her. Not to mention, both boys knew that she had all the information and she still hadn’t made a choice.

The tension sat like fog and was so, so heavy, but no one dared to say a word. The three tried to act as normal as possible and pretend that no one had said anything. Nevertheless, any bystander could look at the trio and know that something was going on. Tom stood rigidly anytime Harrison’s arm brushed Y/N’s body. He could also see the blush rise in her cheeks whenever it happened. 

Y/N had never rambled so much in her life. She felt as though she had to keep saying words in order to mask the deafening silences that would fall over them. The glances that Tom and Harrison would dare to take in her direction burned into the side of her head as she refused to look at either of them for too long if she could help it. 

Harrison tried to back off as much as he could. He never went anywhere with just Y/N, as much as he really wanted too. He missed having her all to himself during those days when Jamie was around. She was being herself with him. She was relaxed and laughing, now she was anxious and Harrison could feel it.  

Two days had passed and Y/N had never missed “normalcy” so much in her entire life. She had said goodnight to the boys, letting them go into a room together while she retreated to her own sanctuary. She had every intention of going to sleep, but now she tossed and turned. 

 Harrison wound up back in Tom’s room with Jamie gone. No reason for him to share with Y/N when his old bed was available again. Unfortunately for Y/N, she had gotten used to sharing the room with Harrison. He’d slept on the floor, but having someone in there to talk to deep into the night had been a nice addition to the trip. It made Y/N feel like she was at university in England again when they were all still getting to know each other. 

 The numbers on the clock next to her bed changed from 1:29 to 1:30 and sleep didn’t feel any closer. Maybe she should just go wander the house or the beach so she didn’t wake anyone up. Deciding that the second option was the best, Y/N pushed back her covers and grabbed a sweatshirt. 

 She tiptoed to her door, trying not to make any noise as the door’s hinges opened slowly. Earlier in the week, she realized that the door squeaked when she snuck down for a midnight snack and woke Harrison up. 

 “Woah!” Y/N jumped. Speak of the devil. She came face to face the blond himself. Harrison stood outside her door with a pillow under his arm. 

 “What are you doing here?” she whispered, trying her best not to wake the entire house up. 

 “Tom.” Harrison said with almost no explanation.

 Y/N just raised her eyebrow at him, hoping that he would continue. When he didn’t, she was forced to ask. “What is he doing? Snoring or something?” 

 “Actually, he’s been on the phone with Jamie for the last hour.” 

 “Jamie?” Y/N felt her heart begin to race. No, she hadn’t told Tom that she wanted to be with him or anything, but that didn’t mean she could come back into the picture. 

 “She called him nearly two hours ago and I haven’t been able to fall asleep. I tried watching Netflix, but it didn’t drown out his groans and his eye rolls were extremely evident over the top of my screen,” Harrison chuckled. “Soooo, would you mind if I crashed on the floor?” he finally got out. 

 Y/N paused. She was going to go for a walk, but maybe having Harrison in the room would help her sleep. She’d slept like a baby before he moved back in with Tom.

 “I can go to the couch…” Haz started.

 “No!” Y/N said a little to loudly. “I mean, of course you can stay in here.” She whispered again. She opened the door wider so that he could slip inside. He started to place blankets and a pillow on the floor and laid down on top of his makeshift bed. 

 “You can have the bed if you want,” Y/N offered. The poor boy had already slept on an air mattress for most of the week. 

 “No, I’m totally fine down here!” Harrison assured her. Y/N inhaled deeply as she slid back under the covers that she had pushed back just moments ago. So much for that walk. 

 15 minutes had passed and Y/N still couldn’t fall asleep. There was a thickness in the air that she couldn’t get past. Harrison was also adjusting every other minute. Letting out a deep breath, Y/N sat up in her bed. “Haz, you should really just sleep up here. It’s fine, really.” 

 Harrison’s head popped off of his pillow. “Are you sure?” he questioned. Y/N couldn’t see his face well in the darkness, but she could feel the look he was giving her. It was so unsure, but hopeful. She knew his icy eyes were checking over and over to make sure that she was positive that she wanted him up there. 

 “Yes. I’m not going to be able to sleep if you can’t. It’s a curse.” 

 At that moment, the two heard a shout come from the direction of Tom and Harrison’s room. Y/N couldn’t keep herself from looking in that direction. “From the sounds of it, you won’t get any sleep if you go back there either. So, common.”

 Harrison silently got off the floor as Y/N slid over in the bed to make room for him. They took a moment adjusting to get ‘comfortable.’ Y/N knew she wouldn’t be able to though if they laid there trying not to remotely touch each other. There was this line in the middle of the bed that neither one could cross. Y/N could hear every one of Harrison’s shallow breaths. He had to be just as uncomfortable as she was, right? 

 Harrison on the other hand couldn’t stop glancing at the stiff figure that was lying next to him. He tried his best not to move his head, but in order to see her properly, he had too. He knew that line existed. Tom was his best friend. But, the girl next to him was something amazing. Damn the line, he had to talk to her. 

 Y/N heard him rustle and turned to meet those deep blue eyes that bore into her soul. “What are you looking at?” she managed to whisper. 

 “You can relax, you know. I’m not going to try anything. You can trust me.” 

 She felt him turn on his side, so his body was completely facing hers. The sudden closeness made her breath hitch. Y/N bit her lip, not sure what was coming next, but feeling his body next to hers felt right. It felt like home in some way. 

 “Y/N?” Harrison’s hand slid to touch her fingers. There was definitely a spark. 

 “Haz?” 

 “I do love you…” His words seemed to hang in the air as she processed. “You don’t have to say anything,” he quickly added. “I know you haven’t made a decision yet, but I want you to know that I’ll be here no matter what you choose.” 

 “Thank you, Harrison,” was all she could muster-up. Her words sounded calm, but her heart was racing faster than it ever had. Between the closeness, the silence, and the confusing feelings, Y/N was at a loss for words. 

 With the knowledge that Harrison would always be there, Y/N finally let herself relax. Harrison’s hand slid up her arm and it was such a calming presence. Y/N felt herself leaning into him and finally allowed sleep to take over. 

_________________________________________________________________

The sun shined through the curtains, the waves crashed against the shore, and Y/N hadn’t woken up feeling so rested in such a long time. She attempted to stretch her arms out, but found herself restricted. Opening her eyes, Y/N saw the peaceful face of a sleeping Harrison. He was beautiful. She, however, was restricted because Harrison had pulled her closer to him during the night. 

Now she was in a difficult position. Does she lay there and wait for him to wake up or sneak out of the room. He’d see her downstairs right? Knowing that the second option, once again, was the easiest, Y/N slowly moved out of Harrison’s grip. When she was free, she felt cold immediately. Had he really been keeping her that warm? 

She peaked at his slumbering form in the bed once more before slipping out the door and heading downstairs. She could hear dishes clinking and soft conversations. 

“Good morning,” she rubbed her eyes as she greeted the Hollands that were in the kitchen. 

“Morning, Y/N!” Nikki smiled. “Would you like some tea?” 

“Yes, please! I can help you,” she offered. 

No need!” 

Y/N sat at the island, sipped her tea, and made casual conversation as Nikki prepared some breakfast for her. That was until her voice caught in her throat the moment Tom entered. The boy’s white t-shirt stuck to his glistening skin. He must just be getting back from a run. His abs were outlined by the fabric. Y/N would have choked on her tea if she had been drinking it at that moment. 

“Hey, Y/N/N,” the boy grinned. He had to know how he looked. “You slept in today.” 

“Yeah, took me a while to get to sleep.” she explained. Before Tom could come up with some sort of witty response, a tired looking Harrison walked into the kitchen. 

“Where did you go last night?” Tom asked immediately. Y/N felt her eyes widen uncontrollably. She loved having Harrison in the room with her last night, but she didn’t know if she wanted the whole Holland family to know that. 

“Couldn’t sleep while you were on the phone with Jamie,” Harrison spit back quickly. 

“You talked to Jamie last night?” Sam’s voice popped into the conversation, but was quickly ignored by Tom. 

“Where did you sleep though? I was up at 7 and the couch down here was empty.” 

Y/N watched the conversation unfold and saw as Harrison’s eyes shifted to her quickly and then back to Tom. What she didn’t notice was how Tom saw the look too. He knew where Harrison went and it made him jealous. He felt the envy boiling up inside of him, but he refused to let it show. But, based on the way that Y/N looked down quickly, he could tell that nothing too serious had happened between them. He still had a chance. 

“What are you all going to do in our last few days?” Dom’s voice interrupted the questioning. 

“Sam and I were going to learn how to surf,” Harry spoke up, taking the attention from what seemed to be a staring- glaring contest between Haz and Tom. 

“We wanted to see if these two divs would join us,” Sam added as he pointed to the two best friends. 

“Sure, I’ll go.” Harrison decided quickly, not breaking eye contact with Tom. 

“Tom?” Harry pushed. 

Tom was the one to look away when he shifted his attention to Y/N. “I think I’ll stay back. I want to enjoy the beach a bit.” 

“Okay, whatever,” Harry shrugged as he stood up from the table. “Haz, we’re leaving in 15 minutes, so hurry up.” 

Harrison looked between Tom and Y/N, now regretting the fact that he agreed to go to this lesson. “We’ll be here when you’re done,” Y/N smiled encouragingly at him. “You should go have some fun. This is something you said you wanted to do before we even got here.” 

Tight lipped, Harrison nodded curtly as he took a cup of coffee and a banana with him and left the room. The moment he was out of the room, Tom turned to Y/N. 

“What do you want to do today?” he asked politely. 

Harrison was still in the back of her mind, but she hadn’t had a chance to spend much time with just Tom at all during the trip, so a little activity couldn’t be bad, right? 

“Well, I saw somewhere that there is snorkeling in the small reef near the house. We could do that, if you want?” 

“Sounds excellent,” Tom grinned as he downed water and turned to leave so he could shower. “See you in 20 minutes?” 

Y/N nodded and made sure to finish her breakfast before going to get ready herself. 

Snorkeling was fun. Tom paid for the underwater photographs which meant that there was plenty of evidence that the two of them had actually had fun together. But, snorkeling only lasted so long. Soon enough Tom and Y/N were walking on the beach towards the house. Neither one had spoken about the whole love triangle situation, but Tom couldn’t hold his tongue much longer. He didn’t want to press, but he was curious. 

“So, how are you doing?” 

“I’m good?” Y/N elongated her words. What was he going on about? “How are you?” 

“Fine. Tired today…” 

“Oh yeah, Harrison said that you talk to Jamie-” Y/N quickly shut her mouth. When else would Harrison have told her about Tom’s phone call with Jamie. She’d only seen him for a few minutes this morning as far as everyone else knew. 

“That was nothing. She was trying to apologize. I didn’t really want to hear it though.” Tom had caught her slip up, but chose not to say anything. If he was going to make a move, Tom didn’t want Y/N to be thinking about Harrison. Little did he know, but the boy had been in the back of her mind all afternoon.

“That’s good,” Y/N replied nonchalantly. She wasn’t really wanting to hear the details of the phone call that resulted in Tom raising his voice. 

“Y/N?” Tom stopped in the middle of the sand. Their resort house was within sight, but Tom couldn’t go any further before he told her what he was thinking. Y/N took a few more steps before she even realized that Tom wasn’t next to her. 

“What’s up, Tom?” 

The words came tumbling out of Tom’s mouth. “I need to know what you’re thinking. It’s killing me not knowing.” 

Y/N’s jaw slackened. Her heart may or may not have skipped a beat, but was it because Tom still wanted her and she was happy or was it because she didn’t want to have this conversation with him because she didn’t want to make a hard decision. 

“You have to have some idea,” he pushed more. “I may have been an idiot before, but I’m not going to go down without fighting for you. Not this time.” 

The lump in Y/N’s throat seemed to grow. She couldn’t swallow it as the curly haired boy in front of her continued talking and walking towards her. “I love you, Y/N. I have for a while. I was just too stupid to see it.” Tom was towering over her now. She could feel his breath on her face and his cologne overwhelmed her senses. 

This was the boy that she had been pining over for years now. He was spilling his heart out to her. It was everything she imagined. Tom seemed to be moving closer slowly. A small part of her wanted to stay and entertain this possibility, but another part, a larger part, wanted to run far away and into the arms that held her so tightly the previous night. 

“Tom?! Y/N?!” Sam’s voice echoed over the crashing waves. 

Y/N ripped herself away from Tom and Tom could feel the anger rising. The anger at Sam for ruining this moment, for ruining his chance. 

“You guys- you guys have to come quickly.” Sam was panting as he came to a stop in front of the pair that now had a few feet between them. Y/N had jumped back that far. 

“What’s wrong?” Y/N asked, waiting for the boy to say what was going on. 

“It’s Haz…” Sam panted out. “He was surfing and hit his head.” 

Y/N whipped her head around to look at Tom. Her eyes grew as she heard the news. They also looked apologetic. Tom knew right then that she had made her decision. She loved Harrison. She wanted to go to him now and didn’t care if she was ruining the moment that Tom thought they were having. Her eyes told Tom everything he needed to know. 

“Go to him,” Tom told her confidently. As Tom watched her run after Sam, he felt disappointed that he hadn’t chosen him, but she did deserve to be with someone who chose her first every time. That someone was Harrison and deep down, Tom knew that. 

______________________________________________________________________________

“Where is he, Sam?” Y/N asked as they approached where the boys had been surfing. 

“On the shore near the clump of trees.” Sam pointed. Y/N left him behind. He had run to find her and Tom and running all the way back had taken it out of him. 

An ambulance was pulling up as Y/N reached Harry and Harrison. The blond was laying flat on his back with Harry leaving over him. 

“Is- is he okay?” Y/N stumbled over her words. Panic was taking over as he laid there motionless in front of her. 

“I don’t know. He’s breathing and came to before going unconscious again.” Harry explained. 

The medics approached and asked Y/N and Harry to step aside so that they could attend to Harrison. While they worked, Y/N watched nervously. Her fingernails were destroyed from chewing them as she stood to the side, not being able to do anything. 

“Excuse me?” she finally spoke as a medic walked by. “Is he going to be alright?” Her breathing was uneven, but she couldn’t manage to control it. 

“His vitals are normal and there are no serious injuries. He won’t have to go to the hospital,” the medic informed her. Y/N nodded as she looked past the medic at Harrison. Blocking out all the noise, Y/N focused her attention on Harrison. The moment he moved, she ran to him, despite the medics still attending to him. 

“Haz? Haz? You awake?” she felt the tears begin to swell in her eyes. 

“Hey, love,” he smiled as he opened his eyes to see her leaning over him. 

“Oh my god, Harrison. How do you feel?” she urged. 

“A little sore,” he admitted, “but I’ll be fine.” 

Y/N gently took his face in her hands. It was as if he were a delicate flower. The worry was etched across her face. 

“It’s good to see you too,” he chuckled. 

“You scared me,” Y/N whispered, still holding him. “I thought- I thought that I might lose you.” She spoke as if they were the only two people in the world. No one could penetrate their circle. Even the medics had stepped back after determining that Haz would be fine. 

“You don’t have to worry about me, love. I always manage to bounce back.” Harrison groaned as he attempted to sit up, rubbing his forehead. 

“I’m serious, Haz.” Y/N’s eyes watched his every movement intently. “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.” 

“What are you saying there, Y/N?” Harrison’s blue eyes sparkled. 

“I’m saying I love you! Now stop making a joke about this. It could have been worse!” Y/N’s eyes were darting as she studied every inch of Harrison’s face. 

“I love you too, Y/N,” Harrison smiled softly. Y/N’s eyes softened when she realized what had just happened. Deep inside, she always knew it was Harrison. He was her home when she was far away from her family. 

“It is you, Haz. It’s always been you. I’m sorry I ever made you wait and feel like you couldn’t tell me. I’m sorry-” 

Y/N’s apologies were cut short by Harrison’s lips connecting to her own. Every feeling he had ever felt for her was poured into this kiss. 

When they finally pulled apart, Harrison’s smile was so wide his cheeks would definitely hurt if he kept it up. “Remind me why it took so long for us to do that?” Y/N exhaled, breathlessly. 

“I was just wondering the same thing,” Harrison chuckled, placing one of his hands on the side of Y/N’s face. “Maybe we should do it again,” he winked. Y/N couldn’t help but laugh into the kiss as Harrison pulled her towards him once again, just the second of many kisses to follow for the happy, new couple.

-

-

A/N: I know that if someone had a head injury, they’d definitely have to go to the hospital. But for the purposes of the flow here, it just is all okay and dandy...alright?

Tag List:

@thesuitelifeofafangirl // @viwihere // @joyleenl

#tom holland x reader #tom holland #tom holland fan fic #harrison osterfield x reader #harrison osterfield #harrison osterfield fan fic #tom holland x reader x harrison osterfield #mini series #tom holland mini series #kalimagik #new fic #new part #let me know what you want to see next #100weekendcelebration #love triangle #epilogue included

[thepeakyfckingblinders]

Disturbing || Tommy Shelby x reader

⤠ MASTERLIST⤟

Anon requested/summary:  Can you write one about tommy and reader breaking up, then months later tommy sees her with people he doesn’t approve, of drinking ( drugs eg if your comfortable) so he try’s to get her back? Maybe with younger reader

Warnings: Younger reader (20-25 yrs old), anxiety, maybe angst, drug use, heavy drinking, swearing (but, c’mon, it’s the peaky fooking blinders we’re talking about)

Author’s notes: 

I’m sorry if the title sucks, I can’t think of anything better at the moment

This was my very first request and I was so tense while writing it, I guess I smoked a thousand cigarettes in the process! I’m praying that you’ll like it, let me know what you think and tell me if this is what you expected  ♡

I myself suffer form anxiety, in the first part I just tried to explain how my brain works in certain situations and that’s why it is so long, I hope you won’t get bored.

I’m Italian, English isn’t my first language, so I apologize for every possible mistake I made. Also please, help me improve my writing by telling me if there’s something wrong

ENJOY!

You had been trying to keep control of your mind, you truly had, but in the end that familiar sense of pure fear took over you, again. A heavy form of anxiety had been haunting you ever since you were a little girl, but, as the years went by, you had learnt to cope with it well and when you met Thomas, things only got better, the strong bond between the two of you constantly helping you handle that issue. 

Nevertheless, during the last month, things got definitely out of hand: Tommy was always caught up with business, rarely paying attention to you and your increasing fragility, he hadn’t spent a night home since ages and still, in those rare moments you were together, he was just so distant, totally lost in his own mind.

On the other hand, you never once blamed him for the way his life worked, after all you were perfectly aware of how hard it was for him to look after his whole empire, always trying to deal with countless problems without causing any harm to his loved ones, and that was surely not the easiest thing to do. But this time was different: you couldn’t prevent your brain from having obsessive thoughts about Thomas getting completely tired of having you in his way, you actually convinced yourself he was sleeping with other women in the nights he didn’t come home, and on those nights your eyes never shut, you spent hours alone in your king size bed, staring at the white ceiling with short breath and palpitations. That’s why you just couldn’t take it anymore, anxiety was once more sucking the life out of you and you absolutely needed to talk to your boyfriend about it, so, as soon as he entered the house that night, you practically run towards him, determined to calmly explain everything; too bad, your exhausted mind wasn’t working straight and your mouth immediately made it clear.

-Y-you have to tell me-  Tears already streaming down your face while the handsome man in front of you gave you a confused look, not having a clue of what was going on. You could tell he also was in a bad mood, indeed your sentence was at first totally ignored as he walked into his study and quickly lit a cigarette, before filling his glass with whisky.

-What the hell are you talking about, y/n?-

You were now facing him again, your hands shamelessly trembling against your chest while you hardly held back the crying. -If there’s another woman, i-if you want to get rid of me, you have to tell me now, ‘cause I’m l-losing my mind, Thomas-

You slightly jumped when his now empty glass was roughly shoved against the huge desk separating your figures, then you unconsciously stepped back, noticing absolute fury burning in his glacial eyes.

-Are you serious right now, eh? Have you any idea how fucking difficult it is to keep everything working these days, eh?- His voice was loud and raspy as he stood from his seat -And you fucking come and tell me about other bloody women, how idiotic of you!- Heavy sobs started coming out of your throat, Thomas instead took a deep breath in order to calm down and stop shouting in your face; once he had partially blown off steam, he sat back in his chair, looking up at you almost with disgust.

-You know what? My brothers were right for once, you’re just a silly kid unable to fit in our world. This whole thing was a mistake, I need a fucking grown woman by my side!- A disturbing silence filled the room right after he spat those bitter words and you swore you heard your heart stop along with your breathing in that very moment, your eyelids instinctively tightened for several seconds, yet, when your eyes flew back open, you realized it wasn’t only a bad dream. Tommy was still staring at you with a stern expression, probably waiting on your next move, so you just looked into his blue irises one last time, unable to speak a single syllable, before leaving.

                                                                                                       3 months later

Days went by fast after your break up with Thomas, since then you’d been trying to avoid him in every way possible, humiliation and pain being still too intense to let you face him without terrible consequences for your already vulnerable spirit. Indeed, everything around you was literally going to pieces right before your eyes and you couldn’t help it; even though you’d always been a strong girl, pretty capable of getting through life and its adversities, recent events had left you in a state of such deep sorrow, that the only thing you were able to do was seek any practicable form of anesthesia in order to escape from reality, even just for a brief moment. In fact, you’d been hanging out with a group of very low guys from East Birmingham, which led you to do drugs and bend your elbow more and more often, severely damaging your ability to think rationally, and the worst part was that you didn’t even care about what you were doing to yourself, as long as it allowed you to get along with your demons.

And then one night, your presumed new friends literally dragged you to the Garrison, despite your loud protests arising from the awareness of the fact that Thomas would’ve been there too. Luckily, long before the Shelby brothers made their usual entrance into their pub, you ended up being utterly intoxicated by alcohol and cocaine to the point that, when the moment finally came and Tommy showed up, you barely noticed him. Too bad for you, Tom’s eyes, on the other hand, never failed in spotting your silhouette among the crowd. At first, seeing you again after all those days brought pure relief to his soul, God only knew how much he had missed you, but soon after he remembered the reason why you were gone and his jaw clenched with regret and shame for the unforgivable way he had treated you.  Conscious of the fact that he had already caused you too much pain, Thomas was about to go away and leave you be, until he saw you diving in some random guy’s arms while heavy drinking directly from a bottle. It just wasn’t like you to act in such a way, therefore he immediately realized that something must have been wrong, so, before his mind had a chance to catch up with the rest of his body, Tommy found himself taking long strides in your direction, roughly elbowing anyone who was in his path. All of a sudden, you observed your friend’s face turn pale and his eyes go wide with fear for no apparently reason, Andrew kept staring at a precise point behind your shoulders and when you turned around in order to understand what was going on, Thomas Shelby was in front of you in all his glory. For a couple of seconds he just stood there, sending deadly glares at the poor boy next to you, blood boiling in his veins because of the violent rage that affected him, then his attention entirely moved to your trembling figure.

-I need a word with you- You felt your chest shrinking in pain as his calm and deep voice reached your ears, but you still tried to play it cool with a strength you didn’t know you had. -Fuck you already, Thomas- A resentful laugh erupted from your throat while, careful not to look in his mesmerizing eyes, you attempted to turn your back on him, yet a gentle grip on your forearm stopped your movements, forcing you to stay in your place.

-I’m begging you, y/n, we need to talk- This time his crystal blue gaze successfully entangled yours and your mind went totally black for a moment, preventing you to fight against him as he guided you out of the pub. Birmingham’s cold breeze immediately hit both of your bodies, but you were hardly able to sense it, due to the effects that drugs and alcohol had on your brain; once you were far enough from the chaos, Tommy stopped walking, his large hand still on your arm. -What are you doing?- His thumb made it to your beautiful face, softly wiping away from your nose the traces of that familiar white powder. -This is not you, y/n!-

His tone raised, displaying all of his concern, you simply gave him a forceful shove in attempt to push him away, but his toned chest didn’t move an inch. -Why do you even care, Tommy? After all I’m just a silly kid to you!- You started screaming, prey of your frustration, as soon as you felt hot tears forming in your eyes; the realization of how you still hopelessly loved him stabbed you right in the ribs.

-Please, just listen to me, okay?- He said while cupping your face with both his hands, probably to make sure you were looking at him, so you managed to childishly close your eyes in a last desperate demonstration of your hard feelings towards him. -I know I hurt you, I know the things I said to you were cruel and unfair, you didn’t deserve that, nothing of that was true- Thomas leaned his forehead against yours, even though you still had your eyes closed and your fists harshly pressed against his chest, his voice now sounding a lot closer. -I was going through a hard time and I was a fucking bastard for putting it all on you. But I swear to God, love, look at me- he slightly rocked you in order to get your attention -Look at me, I love you, y/n- Your eyelids flew open instantly, that being the very first time he clearly admitted his feelings for you, and suddenly you were no longer able to control all of your destructive emotions: your body was now racked with violent sobs as you finally let him hold you properly, crying out loud against his waistcoat and shirt. -Shh, shh- Tommy’s thumbs gradually wiped the tears away from your cheeks, while his lips briefly pecked yours multiple times. -It’s okay, we’ll be fine-  he mumbled in between kisses - let’s go home now-.

#peaky blinders #peaky blinders imagine #peaky blinders x reader #peaky blinders x oc #peaky blinders fic #peaky blinders one shot #peaky blinders preference #thomas shelby x reader #tommy shelby x reader #thomas shelby x oc #thomas shelby imagine #tommy shelby immagine #tommy shelby x oc #thomas shelby #tommy shelby #alfie solomons #john shelby #michael gray #arthur shelby #finn shelby #isaiah jesus #ada shelby #polly gray #thomas shelby oneshot #tommy shelby oneshot #peaky fooking blinders

[grootiez]

Rocket’s Special Space Ramen!

“Shut up, Quill! I DO NOT CARE what you have to say!” Rocket yells as he slams the front door in Peter’s face as the Guardians, except for Kraglin, who stayed back to babysit Groot, came home from shopping at the local grocery store.

Rocket stormed off towards his and Groot’s room, which was more of a nursery right now to cater towards the sapling’s needs, but Rocket still had a corner that had a small cramped workbench that was stuffed with parts for different weapons that the pyromaniac raccoon was building.

As Rocket walked by, Groot stirred in his crib and cooed, peaking out and smiling from beneath his blanket.

Rocket stopped in his tracks so that he could unhinge the pair of swinging doors on the side of the crib that made it easier for him to tuck Groot in at night and get him up in the morning or after a nap. Groot smiles and coos at his father.

“Yeah, I missed you too.” Rocket couldn’t help but return the smile his son gave him as he took the blanket off of the tiny tree who was wearing an adorable blue onesie that Mantis had sewn for him that had his idol, Bob Ross, on the front.

Rocket’s nose then smells something foul as he picked Groot up. “Did Kraglin change your diaper before your nap?”

“Ugh! Gross!” The raccoon immediately answered his own question as he repositioned Groot in his arms and placed one of his paws underneath him.

Rocket takes Groot over to the changing table and lays him down before grabbing a baby wipe and cleaning his hands. He then reaches for a rattle and gives it to Groot to distract him as Rocket changed him. Upon further inspection, Rocket discovers that the diaper Groot was wearing leaked through to his onesie and he needed to get a new one on. In the middle of all of this, there was a knock on the bedroom door.

“Hey, uh, Rat?” Kraglin cautiously opens it, having heard the raccoon struggle with changing Groot and remembering that Groot always has a fresh diaper on him before he takes his afternoon nap everyday, which he forgot to do. “Are ya busy?”

“No, Kraglin.” Rocket replies sarcastically as he finished up and getting Groot dressed in a new yellow onesie that had rockets all over it. Rocket then picks up Groot and cradles him in his arms.

“I! am! Groooot!” The seedling shouts as he squirms in Rocket’s arms, wanting to be put down. “Alright, Groot. I forgot that Bob Ross is starting soon.” Rocket concedes as he placed the tree on the ground. Groot crawls towards the staircase before climbing on top of the banister and using it as a slide to get downstairs faster. “Hehe, resourceful, ain’t he?”

“Yup.” Kraglin agrees as he scratches his head. “Whatever you say.”                                              ————————— An hour passes, and Rocket was still angry with Peter. Whenever he tried to reconcile, Rocket just gave off a warning snarl and Peter just backed off, not wanting to get bit, but the desire to apologize was not worth the risk.

Rocket continues his way down the hallway until he sees Kraglin in the kitchen. The angry Procyon didn’t acknowledge the Xandarian, just huffing as he walked by and took a seat on the counter.

“Hey Rat.” Kraglin greeted, trying to change Rocket’s mood. “How is everything?”

Rocket didn’t respond.                                           ———————— A short while later, the door swung open again and a very angry, (but still adorable) Groot came storming into the kitchen and using his arms, outstretches them so he could climb up next to Rocket before dramatically sitting down on his father’s lap.

“Hey Twig.” Kraglin waves to Groot, who ignores him. “Oh, sorry...”

Rocket knows that when the tree refuses to say hello to someone that he’s extremely angry at something. “What’s wrong, buddy?”

“I am Groot!” The child pouts.

“Whoa, language!” Rocket scolds his son. “But since it’s Star-Dump, I’ll let it slide. What’d he do now?”

Groot looks at Rocket and in all seriousness says, “I am Groot.” He explains while punching an imaginary figure that was Peter.

“He turned off Bob Ross to watch some stupid FOOTBALL GAME?!?!” Rocket couldn’t believe that Peter would snatch the remote and change the channel on the Bob Ross-obsessed toddler. “Just out of curiosity, who was playing?”

“I am Groot.” The tiny tree replied.

Rocket facepalms. “The Miami Dolphins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Ugh, those teams SUCK! And then he turned the station to watch the Dallas Cowgirls and the New England Cheatriots?!”

“I am Groot.” Groot corrected his father.

“I don’t care what the NFL calls them!” Rocket stated. “I call them by what the fanbase calls them and that’s Cowgirls and Cheatriots. NOT ‘Cowboys’ and ‘Patriots.’ Plus, Bill BeliCHEAT and Tom Brady should be banned from football! Especially after SpyGate and DeflateGate!”

Groot was upset at having his TV time cut short. “I am Groot.”

“Hey, we will make him pay.” Rocket vows to Groot.

“I am Groot?”

Rocket shook his head. “Nah. You gotta think bigger than just switching his coffee to decaf.” The raccoon then chuckled. “Although that would be hilarious...”

Kraglin was rifling through the cupboards. “Noooo! We have no soup!” He then turns back to face Rocket and Groot. “Hey, guys, I’ll be back in an hour and then we’ll continue thinking of ways to prank Cap’n.”

Groot then tugs at Rocket’s jumpsuit. “I am Groot?”

Rocket then knelt down. “I like the way you think! Of course pranking Quill with food would be hysterical! But what food would be perfect to do so?” He strokes his whiskers deep in thought.

“Well, there’s a dish on Terra that would be perfect.” Kraglin suggests. “It’s called Ramen and according to the internet you can put anything and everything in it.” Kraglin then hands over his tablet to Rocket, who looks at it and cackles. “I think this recipe would be perfect!”

Rocket smiles as he shows Groot the recipe, who joins in on the laughter. “Alright, Kraglin, you convinced us. Let’s go!”

“Wait, Rat, we have to go to Terra.” Kraglin states.

“I know.” Rocket acknowledges as he helps Groot put his coat on. He then turns back to Kraglin. “What’re we waiting for?”

“Um, Rat, we have to go to Walmart.” Kraglin began, but Rocket didn’t pay attention as he grabbed Groot’s diaper bag and threw it over his shoulder as he carried Groot. “Aren’t you and Twig banned from there after the time you guys went to get Thanksgiving dinner?” Rocket suddenly remembers himself and Groot getting arrested on Earth and brought back home. He then puts down Groot and all of his stuff. “Don’t worry, I know what to get and I’ll be back in a few hours.” He assured them as he grabbed the keys to the Milano and headed out.                                                  ——————— Two hours later, Kraglin returned from Walmart without getting arrested. He entered the kitchen where Rocket and Groot were waiting.

“I was able to get almost everything.” Kraglin announces as he placed the bags down.

Rocket searches all the bags. “Where’s the chicken?”

“Uh, about that.” Kraglin wasn’t sure how to describe his trip to Walmart. He looked like he was in a war zone with his clothes torn up and hair all raggedy. “It would turn out that the Terrans are freaking out about something that they can’t see and they went crazy in Walmart and by the time I fought my way back to where they keep the chicken, they were all out.” He then gets out a 50 pack of 2-ply toilet paper and a gallon jug of Purell. “But hey, I got the last of the toilet paper and this stuff called Purell. The checkout lady says that stuff is going for a lot of money on the internet. I figure that I can make even more money if I put the hand sanitizer into tiny little bottles and sell the toilet paper by the square.” “I like that plan!” Rocket was proud that his ways of conning people out of their hard-earned money was finally rubbing off on Kraglin. His attention then turned back to the task at hand. “But the ramen won’t look as weird without the chicken feet. You got any other ideas for what we could use?”

“Actually, I got the perfect thing!” Kraglin exclaims as he placed a rotting animal carcass on the counter. “A fresh, dead Orloni! Courtesy of me running over it five minutes ago.”

Rocket rubs his paws in excitement. “Perfect!”

As Kraglin and Rocket worked on the ramen, Groot was given the very important task of keeping everyone else, especially Peter, away from the kitchen. The toddler found that the easiest way was to brandish two steak knives that were as long as he was tall and swinging them haphazardly as the tiny tree ran after them while screaming at the top of his lungs.

Meanwhile, Rocket cut, sliced, and gutted the Orloni just like he did with the turkeys that he and Groot got from Walmart not too long ago. The raccoon cut off the legs, tail, and head as he expertly placed the meat in with the rest of the ingredients that Kraglin was preparing. (He was the Guardians’ resident expert in all things soup and soup-related.)

After the ramen was ready and poured into Peter’s favorite bowl, Groot came back after chasing Drax away.

“I am Groot?” The toddler asks as he pointed to something green that was on the counter.

“This stuff is called wasabi, Twig, and it’s very spicy.” Kraglin divulges as he opened up the pack. “I went into this specialty store after I left Walmart and the lady said that this is the authentic wasabi, as the stuff sold in the regular stores is just imitation.”

“Really?” Rocket demands as he grabbed the mysterious green paste and took a pea-sized piece and ate it. “It ain’t all that bad-. HOLY CRAP!” He screams as he spit it out and ran straight for the fridge as he got out a water bottle. He then saw Groot break off an even larger marble-sized piece and place it inside his mouth. “GROOT, NO!” But it was too late, Groot already swallowed the wasabi and instantly regretted it, screaming bloody murder. Rocket made Groot drink from his water bottle to ease the taste in his mouth.

“I was gonna warn you-.” Kraglin apologizes as Rocket put Groot down and began to rub the inside and outside of the Orloni’s carcass and legs with the wasabi. “What’re you doing?”

“Giving Star-Munch an unexpected surprise...” Rocket divulges as he finished up. “Hm... it’s still missing something...”

Groot pointed at the orloni’s head. “I am Groot!”

“Great idea, Groot!” Rocket commends the child as he opened the orloni’s mouth and placed a tiny ball bearing inside before placing it inside the bowl. The head sinks to the bottom, another surprise in store for their Fearless Leader.

“You two are weird...” Kraglin states before he left.                                                  ———————— It was dinner time, the Guardians were all gathered around the table. Rocket was able to get Groot into his high chair for the first time on his own. Kraglin went back into the kitchen to get everyone’s food, as each person wanted something different to eat tonight.

“Hey, Quill, me and Groot want to let ya know that we’re not mad at you for being an even bigger idiot than usual.” Rocket implies as Kraglin set the bowl in front of Peter. “So we made you something special. Hope you enjoy it.”

“Does the sarcasm come with the meal?” Peter asked.

“No, that’s complimentary.” Rocket answers as Peter ate the ramen.

“This is good, Rocket. A little spicy but-.” Peter then discovers the floating Orloni head in the ramen. “What the-?!”

Peter ran to the bathroom to throw up. He, Rocket and Groot were even now.

@trashpandaorigins @madness-on-the-milano @butterflyinthewell @blaketoziers @canuckscot @i-sudoku @janetgenea @lothirielswanmarvel @madcatz6277 @netbug009 @pineapple-crow @rocket-roquill-raccoon @rocket-ringtail-raccoon @rr4901 @skarabrae-stone @sesshouki @thatcrappypuppy @vic394 @woozletania @whoop-whoop-grocket

Read on Ao3.

#groot #baby groot #tree #twig #rocket #rocket raccoon #trash panda #rabbit #sweet rabbit #papa rocket #peter quill #starlord #star munch #drax #drax the destroyer #gamora #mantis #nebula #kraglin #kraglin obfonteri #marvel #guardians of the galaxy #bob ross #the joy of painting #the giving tree #ao3 #archive of our own #ao3 fanfic #ao3 fanfiction #fanfic

[elejah-wonderland]

Ever After/2

Fanfiction

Part 2

Sidney Parker x Charlotte Haywood

ft. other Sanditon characters and Esther Dehnam x Lord Babington

🌹

a/n: I introduced Helena Haywood as Charlotte's sister in part 1.

Also, Esther is now Lady Dehnam as the old Lady D died and she inherited the Sanditon Estate. And  Esther and Babington are not married yet.

I don’t know yet how many parts this story will be. One thing is sure. There will be HEA for Sidlotte.

Thanks so much for reading and all your likes.

😘💕

🌺🐚

Denham House, London

"Your brother is here your Ladyship."- the footman ssid as he walked in the salon.

"Send him away."- Esther said.

"Can you get your guard dogs away!" - Edward now barged in past the other footman that was more a bodyguard of some kind.

The footman that was outside followed Edward in, trying to get him out.

"You are worse than the old witch herself." - Edward shouted.

"You dare come here and - . Out!" - Esther said with a face blazing with fury.

"This is not over. Not by far."

"What are you going to do? What? You think that your lawyers will overthrow the Will?"

"I have witnesses that will testify that you coerced our aunt on her death bed to make you her sole heir. I have come here tonight to negotiate a peace offering, but I see that you have struck me off like I am nothing." - Edward narrowed his eyes at Esther.

"Once - you were everything to me - but now you are - you are right- you're nothing to me. So please leave. I am expecting guests -"

Esther walked past her half-brother trying to keep her composure in tact. But as soon as she was in the safe harbour of the drawing room, she sat down on the chair trembling like a leaf. Taking a deep breath, she now whispered to herself-

“I will conquer this.”

To erase the feelings she had for Edward was not as simple as she thought it would be. 

Flashback

Some time ago

London, St. James Park

“This will take time.”- Lord Babington said-”take one step at a time.”

“Time is all I got.”- Esther said.

“And friends. You’ve got good friends. And we will stand by you. You are not in this alone.”

“Thank you, Lord Babington. Sincerely.”- Esther nodded a little. 

“At your service, always, Lady Denham.”

The knock at the door and the footman now entering, broke her thoughts. 

“Is he gone?”

“Yes, your Ladyship.”

“Right. Anything else?”

“Your guest have arrived.”- the footman said referring to Charlotte and her sister. 

“Ah- good.”

Esther got up and straightening her garment a bit went to meet the Haywood siblings.

🐚

The Parker House, London

“Charlotte and Helena should be arriving tonight?”- Arthur Parker asked his brother.

“Yes. If the coach is on time, they should now be at Esther Denham’s house. She will send a message.”- Sidney said. 

“Grand. So when exactly will the wedding be?”

“A week Saturday.”- Sidney replied.

“It will not give Mary and Diana time to organize everything.”

“Charlotte and I discussed it. We do not want a big wedding. We want it to be in the family circle.”

“A small affair it is dear brother.”- Arthur said. 

Sidney now passed a glass of Port to Arthur and sat down, taking a sip of the rich drink. 

“I have not had the chance to thank you.”

“Thank me? Pray- what for?”- Arthur was baffled.

“For always being so very kind - and - for not giving up on me when I was at my lowest. All these years I have taken you for granted. In truth I was always the closest to Tom, but - I’ve always appreciated both you and Diana.”

“Well, thank you. This is so very kind of you. There is nothing we wouldn’t do for you. You are our brother and we could not leave you to your demons. Putting the money together was the easiest things to do. But to see your heart mended was not an easy task. But then there are angels walking amongst us - and Miss Haywood is one. Diana thinks so. I do, too. She brought you back to us.”

“She is - yes. She is an angel.”- Sidney said with a smile curling up at the thought of his fiancé.

“Ah- I am so sorry that it took me so long to get ready for dinner.”- Diana said as she walked in the room where her brother’s were sitting, now passing the note to Sidney.

“This has just arrived for you.”

Sidney unfolded the note and said that Charlotte and her sister were at Lady Denham’s house.

“They could have stayed here.”- Diana then said-”I would have made sure that everything is proper.”

“It is better so.”- Sidney said-”I want to do everything right. Especially after that letter - I want Charlotte’s family to be sure that I am a man of my word.”- Sidney said. 

“They will be here for luncheon tomorrow, anyway.”- Diana said.

“Yes, they will”- Sidney said and folding the letter, he turned to his siblings -”Shall we go and have supper.”

“Yes. I am famished.”- Arthur said getting up.

🐚💕

The next day 

Parker House, after luncheon

As Arthur and Diana, together with Helena left the sitting room, finally leaving Sidney and Charlotte on their own to have a moment to themselves, the two went to one another, grasping their hands as if they had not seen one another for months.

“Finally, I have you all to myself, even if it is only for a little while.”- Sidney said dearly his eyes dancing lovingly over Charlotte’s who gasped, sweet butterflies rising in her stomach.

“But soon we will be together - forever”- Charlotte said with a dreamy look.

“Yes - it can’t be soon enough”-Sidney said, brushing a streak of her hair away, lost in her glistening chocolate eyes. Leaning gently in, his lips touched hers like a whisper. Beaming up at him, they both sucked in a breath, staring deep into each other's eyes, full of wonder and love.

Charlotte shut her eyes, feeling his lips ghost over hers,tingling with anticipstion.

Unable to contain himself anymore,Sidney now drew her into a fiery and passionate kiss, causing her body to flush with heat. Just as she felt a rush of euphoric bliss envelop her, making her heart sing, he drew away. With her cheeks still blushing hotly, she glanced back up into his captivating eyes. He rested his forehead against hers.

"Charlotte- I -" - Sidney muttered, catching a bit of breath back-"I apologize for having overstepped the line- acting improper. I don't want you to think that I -"

"It's fine - we are engaged." - Charlotte said wrapping her arms around his neck and now pulled him into a kiss.

~~~~

🐚 Elsewhere

Campion House

"Can you not forget the damned Parker and just marry me. You said that I satisfy you more than he ever could."- Edward said to Eliza, who got up from the bed.

"I will help you find a wife that can pay your way. When I marry Sidney, we can still see each other. Like we did back then. One thing is true. You are an excellent lover."- Eliza said.

"Right. Whatever."- Edward got up himself pulling his trousers back on. "Are you still going to fight ypur sister over the Will?" "Maybe. I am not sure."

Edward now snaked his hands around Eliza's waist drawing her to him into a kiss.

🐚 ~to be continued~

#Sidney Parker #Charlotte Haywood #Sidney x Charlotte #theo james #rose williams #sanditon #fanfiction

[patriotsnet]

Are Republicans Allowed In The Impeachment Inquiry

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/are-republicans-allowed-in-the-impeachment-inquiry/

Are Republicans Allowed In The Impeachment Inquiry

What Does The Constitution Say About Impeachment

Under pressure to defend Trump, GOP lawmakers decry House impeachment inquiry

Not a lot. There are four sections of;the Constitution;that chiefly address impeachment:

Article I, Section 2: The House of Representatives shall chuse their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.

Article I, Section 3: The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.

Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.

Article I, Section 5: Each House may determine the Rules of its Proceedings.

Article II, Section 4: The President, Vice President and all Civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

Opinionheres The Fastest Easiest Way To Keep Trump From Ever Holding Office Again

Wednesdays opening argument exposed a president who gleefully ratcheted up his acid rhetoric to the point of violent insurrection, and a Republican Party mostly unwilling to face the terrible cost of their attempts to undermine the integrity of our recent election. The GOPs blindness isnt merely symbolic: When footage was played of rioters reading Trumps tweets through a megaphone, multiple Republicans turned away rather than accept what their party enabled. The impeachment prosecution means GOP senators can no longer feign ignorance.

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Opinionthe Unfortunate Reason Republicans Like Rand Paul Are Already Attacking Biden

The callousness of lawmakers like Hawley is now a distressing image that stands beside the shouts of rioters calling for the lynching of then-Vice President Mike Pence as testaments to how far the GOP has fallen.

Republicans like Hawley may flee to the gallery when our nation needs leadership, but they wont be able to outrun their complicity in supporting the far-right radicals who raided their workplace. If they arent held accountable by voters at the ballot box, the impeachment trial will forever serve as a testament to their dark role in American history.

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The Current House Impeachment Inquiry Began Without A Vote By The Entire House Is That Illegal

No. There is no law or rule requiring a vote to commence an impeachment investigation.

In addition, there is no court precedent to require a vote. In fact, on October 25, 2019, in an order compelling the Department of Justice to turn over grand jury materials relative to the Mueller investigation to Congress as part of its impeachment inquiry, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell;flatly rejected;the administrations assertion that the House impeachment investigation is not legitimate without an authorizing resolution.

Why Republicans Are Complaining About The Impeachment Process

And why their complaints are finding an audience

About the author: David A. Graham is a staff writer at The Atlantic.

Theres a reason Republicans have been making a great fuss about the process of the impeachment inquiry over the past few days. Unwilling, or more likely unable, to mount any substantive defenses of President Donald Trumps behavior with regard to Ukraine, members have instead assailed the way Democrats are conducting the inquiry.

You may doubt the sincerity of these complaintsmore on that in a momentbut they have grabbed attention because they are intuitively persuasive. Thus far, the inquiry has taken place behind closed doors, with only opening statements and secondhand accounts of interviews reaching the public. It would be both a miscarriage of justice and political malpractice for Democrats to vote to impeach without public proceedings. The trick is that Democrats have said all along that they intend to have a public process.

On Wednesday, GOP House members staged an odd maneuver in which they occupied the roomthe Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, or SCIF, in acronym-obsessed D.C. jargon where Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper was to be interviewed under subpoena as part of the inquiry, delaying her testimony. On Thursday, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a steadfast Trump shield, announced that he would introduce a statement criticizing the House Democratic process.

Recommended Reading: Senators Republican Vs Democrat

Heres How Little Republicans Were Allowed To Participate In The Closed

When a group of Republican legislators barged into a secure facility on Capitol Hill last month to register their opposition to impeachment inquiry depositions taking place behind closed doors, we couldnt help but register an unusual aspect of the stunt.

Of the 197 Republicans in the House, 48 had authorization to attend the hearings, either by virtue of their positions or their membership on relevant committees. Of the 41 who signed on to the protest, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz, nearly a third could have just gone in and observed the hearing itself.

Part of the point of the camera-friendly effort was to raise broader questions about the extent to which Republicans were given a role in the deposition hearings. The impeachment inquiry was a function of Democrats holding a majority in the House, and Republicans argued that they were not being given a chance to interview witnesses or generally guide the outcome.

Fox Newss Sean Hannity summarized the line of argument on his Oct. 29 show.

Another day of secret meetings, secret hearings, secret transcripts, a secret whistleblower, non-whistleblower, hearsay whistleblower, all because of a phone call between President Trump and the president of Ukraine, he said. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff was calling in witness after witness but only behind closed doors, without real Republican due process at all to speculate on the presidents intentions.

The result looked like this.

Republican Lawmakers Disrupt Democratic

By Richard Cowan, , Patricia Zengerle

6 Min Read

WASHINGTON – Republican lawmakers, encouraged by President Donald Trump to get tougher in fighting Democrats attempts to impeach him, on Wednesday disrupted the U.S. House of Representatives impeachment inquiry and prevented a Pentagon official from testifying.

The Republicans stormed into a hearing room where Laura Cooper, the U.S. defense official who oversees Ukraine and Russia matters, was due to testify behind closed doors and began yelling, lawmakers and aides said.

The impeachment inquiry focuses on Trumps request for Ukraine to investigate a domestic rival – Democrat Joe Biden – for his personal political benefit.

In a dramatic confrontation during an escalating probe that threatens Trumps presidency even as he seeks re-election next year, Capitol police were called in to clear the room and bring order, a Republican congressional aide said.

A witness inside the room said the Republicans brought cellphones into the high-security facility where electronic devices are forbidden.

Theyre freaked out. Theyre trying to stop this investigation, Democratic Representative Ted Lieu said. They dont want to hear from witness Cooper today. They know more facts are going to be delivered which are absolutely damning to the president of the United States.

Related Coverage

See more stories

NEVER ENDS

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Deadline: Jerry Nadler Gives Republicans One Week To Participate In Impeachment Inquiry

Rep. Jerry Nadler has given Republicans and President Donald Trump a deadline of December 6th to participate in the House impeachment inquiry or the inquiry will move into an impeachment vote without them even though Republicans submitted a list of witnesses and requested time for questioning but were denied.

The Daily Caller reports that Nadler has sent a letter ot House Republicans demanding they comply with the House impeachment inquiry and pressuring the White House to decide one way or the other whether President Donald Trump will testify either in person or answering interrogatories under oath.

BREAKING: House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler sends letter to Pres. Trump, reminding him he and his lawyers have a right to attend the hearing.

ABC News

The Democratic-led House Judiciary Committee, which is due to begin weighing possible articles of impeachment against Trump next week, sent a two-page letter to the president setting a deadline of 5 p.m. EDT on Dec. 6 for the presidents counsel to specify intended actions under the committees impeachment procedures, the Caller reported the letter as saying.

The first House Judiciary Committee hearings are set to take place December 4th, though the House Intelligence Committee has yet to officially conclude their own investigation. They claim a report will be circulated Monday, but on Friday, Rep. Schiff was telling staffers that he plans on calling more witnesses.

South Carolina Rep Tom Rice

Trump impeachment inquiry enters new phase l ABC News

Rices vote for impeachment stunned those familiar with the South Carolina lawmakers record as a staunch Trump defender, especially during his first impeachment.;

I have backed this President through thick and thin for four years. I campaigned for him and voted for him twice, Rice;said in a statement;Wednesday evening. But, this utter failure is inexcusable.

Rice voted for motions to object to certifying Bidens Electoral College victories in Arizona and Pennsylvania last week, votes that came after security teams cleared the building of rioters and members returned from a secure location. Rice told local media he waited until the last minute to cast those votes because he was extremely disappointed in the president after the riots and that Trump needed to concede the election. He also said last week that he did not support impeaching the president or invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him from office.;

Rice, a member of the Ways and Means Committee, has supported the Trump administrations position 94 percent of the time over the past four years. He represents a solidly Republican district in the Myrtle Beach area that Trump carried by 19 points in November. Rice, who has had little difficulty holding his seat since his first 2012 victory, won his race by 24 points in November.;

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Can Senators Ask Questions During The Impeachment Trial

Under the 1986 impeachment rules, senators do not directly question witnesses. Instead, witnesses are examined by representatives of the prosecution and defense . If senators wish to ask a question, they are instructed to put it in writing and submit it to the presiding officer. Before a witness answers a senators questions, the prosecution and defense have the opportunity to raise objections, which are ruled on by the presiding officer or by a vote of the full Senate.

Opinionwe Want To Hear What You Think Please Submit A Letter To The Editor

This band of Republicans who stormed the hearings this week seemed to be demanding that the testimony of these witnesses be made public but that is the last thing that they should want, which is probably why their efforts did more to disrupt the process than show why they should be allowed to participate. These witnesses have reportedly already presented damning evidence that President Donald Trump engaged in an effort to withhold congressionally authorized military aid to Ukraine unless the president of Ukraine publicly announced an investigation of Trumps political rival, Joe Biden.

The public testimony theyre nominally demanding will happen, though. And when these witnesses testify in televised public hearings, support for impeachment will soar.

Michael Conway was counsel for the House Judiciary Committee in the impeachment inquiry of President Richard Nixon in 1974. In that role, he assisted in drafting the committee’s final report to the House in support of the three articles of impeachment adopted by the committee. Conway is a graduate of Yale Law School, a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a retired partner of Foley & Lardner LLP in Chicago.

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Led By Cheney 10 House Republicans Back Trump Impeachment

WASHINGTON Ten Republicans including Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the No. 3 House GOP leader voted to impeach President Donald Trump Wednesday over the deadly insurrection at the Capitol. The GOP votes were in sharp contrast to the unanimous support for Trump among House Republicans when he was impeached by Democrats in December 2019.

Cheney, whose decision to buck Trump sparked an immediate backlash within the GOP, was the only member of her partys leadership to support impeachment, which was opposed by 197 Republicans.

There has never been a greater betrayal by a president of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution, said Cheney, whose father, Dick Cheney, served as vice president under George W. Bush. The younger Cheney has been more critical of Trump than other GOP leaders, but her announcement hours before Wednesdays vote nonetheless shook Congress.

Katko, a former federal prosecutor who represents the Syracuse area, said allowing Trump to incite this attack without consequence would be a direct threat to the future of our democracy.

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House Manager Uses The Words Of Republicans Against Trump

The House impeachment managers presented senators with videos of their colleagues fleeing a pro-Trump mob, which breached the US Capitol shouting stop the steal. They showed the rioters searching for then-Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and rummaging through the senators desks on the chamber floor.

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What Happens If The President Is Convicted

If the Senate votes by a two-thirds majority to convict the president, he is removed from office. But a conviction and removal from office do not automatically mean he can never again hold public officeincluding as president. Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution also provides that the Senate may vote to disqualify the impeached individual from serving in federal office in the future. Since the Constitution does not specify a vote requirement for disqualification, a simple majority vote has been used to disqualify individuals, but only on three occasions.

Heres What The Gop Believes

Cynicism comes easy in an era of maximal polarization. Different parties embrace different ideologies, agendas, and sometimes even entirely distinct constellations of facts and truths. From inside either closed world, the other one appears shot through with delusion with its leaders blamed for actively encouraging deception for the sake of political gain.

Thats what Ive accused Republicans of doing in a pair of recent columns. Ive called them cynics who manipulate voters by intentionally deceiving them with lies and sometimes even by eliding the distinction between truth and falsehood altogether for the sake of winning political advantage. But there is something more than a little cynical about this very accusation itself. Some, like President Trump and his most loyal minions in Congress , may well be comfortable spreading a miasma of epistemological confusion out of political expediency. But thats not all thats going on on the Republican side of the debate about impeachment.

There is at least one story that Republicans are telling themselves about impeachment that rises above cynicism. I find it largely unconvincing, but it is not reducible to a clamoring for power at all costs or an indifference to the distinction between truth and lies. Many on the right actually believe it to be true and defensible. And its worth making an effort to understand it from the inside, so that we can better understand our fellow citizens.

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What Have Presidents Been Impeached For

Two presidentsAndrew Johnson and Bill Clintonhave been impeached in the House, but no president has ever been removed from office.Fifteen federal judges and one cabinet official;have been impeached.

The House impeached;Andrew Johnson;in 1868 for removing the secretary of war in violation of a federal statute that prohibited the president from firing a cabinet official without the consent of Congress.

In 1974, the House Judiciary Committee approved three articles of impeachment for;Richard Nixon;for obstructing the investigation of the Watergate burglary inquiry, misusing law enforcement and intelligence services for political purposes, and refusing to comply with the Judiciary Committees subpoenas.

In 1998, the House impeached;Bill Clinton;for providing perjured testimony to a grand jury investigation and for obstruction of justice.

Whistleblowers And Their Lawyers

WATCH: After Kupperman defies House subpoena, Republicans call impeachment inquiry charade

Andrew P. Bakaj, the lead attorney representing the whistleblowers, sent a joint letter to Maguire on September 28, made public on September 29, in which they raised concerns about the language used by Trump, amongst other things. In the letter, the lawyers state “The events of the past week have heightened our concerns that our client’s identity will be disclosed publicly and that, as a result, our client will be put in harm’s way.” The letter also mentioned the $50,000 “bounty” that two conservative Trump supporters have offered as a reward for information about the whistleblower.

, co-counsel for the whistleblower, said in a statement in September 2019 that whistleblowers’ identities are protected by law and cited testimony by Maguire which drew upon the Whistleblower Protection Act. The statement was released after Trump questioned on Twitter the validity of the whistleblower’s statements. Bakaj took to Twitter to issue a warning on September 30 that the whistleblower is entitled to anonymity, is protected by laws and policies, and is not to be retaliated against; to do so would violate federal law. Bakaj argued in an October 25 Washington Post op-ed that the identity of his client is no longer pertinent after further events corroborated his client’s account of the matter.

For impeachment inquiry

Against impeachment inquiry

Senator Lindsey Graham criticized the whistleblower, calling the complaint hearsay and a sham.

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[hellaintthatbad]

Tom’s Diner: a klance fanfiction

based on the song Tom’s Diner by Suzanne Vega

link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whbabi7KA-8

I am sitting in the morning

Keith likes the mornings here. They're all quiet but also rushed, everybody either is too tired or too much of in a hurry to even start conversation.

At the diner on the corner

The Altean was a cozy diner, everything was made to be comfortable and yet functional. Due to its placement, two walls were made out of glass and let in sunlight. The window seats were the most favored, even in winter or with bad weather.

The tables were clean and the floor was wiped, stools and booths showing signs of usage and nervous customers and the entire room smelt like coffee and molten chocolate. It was a good smell. I am waiting at the counter

The counter was long and wooden and showed so many signs of usage, they outnumbered the stars. When Keith was bored, he would try to see constellations within them.

The wood polish savored all the little markings for other generations and allowed new ones to join them in the eternal fight against time.

A man on a window seat was sipping on his still steaming coffee while reading a book. Keith tried to read the title inobtrusively, but was too far away. The man looked intrigued though.

For the man to pour the coffee

Another reason why Keith likes this place so much is Shiro.

The guy is taller than him and about five years older, but he treats Keith like a brother, like an equal, and not like a child. He also makes the best coffee in town.

They've met at the diner actually, it was raining heavily and Keith was looking for his cat when he saw her in here, being fed a piece of meat by Shiro. The man had provided both of them with towels and a meal and sat with the boy until the rain stopped. Since then, Keith visited every day, and when the weather was good, Red would join him.

Today was no such day.

And he fills it only halfway

Keith needs his coffee or he becomes a zombie. Everybody who knows him for about a few hours knows that. And today, Keith hasn't had any coffee before came here. It's an emergency for him. And so, when Shiro lowers his mug, which is not even close to being full enough, the boy is enraged.

And before I even argue

Keith sucks in a breath, ready to question him, but he sees a glimmer in Shiro's eyes. That can only mean one thing.

He is looking out the window

Keith follows Shiro's eyes to the window front. As the reason for Shiro's joyful eyes lifts one hand to the doorknob of the diner, the man's whole face lightens up, a grin scrunching up that scar right across his face and making him seem like a puppy that sees a treat.

Keith hopes someone would look at him like that one day.

At somebody coming in

Shiro hurries to finish Keith's coffee (thankfully he hasn't dropped it) and quickly swipes the counter clean, putting cups and mugs in order and leans elegantly on the counter, right in time for them to close the door and turn around.

"It is always nice to see you"

"Hey. The usual?"

Before they can answer, Shiro is already picking up a mug and turns on one of the machines. He works fast and precisely and Keith starts to wonder if he practiced making that particular drink so elegantly like a dancer would practice until their muscles memorize the step.

Says the man behind the counter

Shiro seems to control the coffee machine telepathically because, just as he reaches out for the handle, the machine finishes the drink.

That man knows what he is doing.

To the woman who has come in

Shiro places the mug on the counter, along with a pink donut. "It's on me"

"Shiro, you're going poor if you continue to give me food for free!"

"Matt, for you, I'd even sell Keith to your cousin. I'm serious."

Keith would have protested if Shiro hadn't used his 'big brother in need' look on him.

She is shaking her umbrella

Matt only sighs, followed by a often repeated sentence. "You need an umbrella stand."

And so, because there is no umbrella stand, he reopens the door and shakes his umbrella outside, which is not helping much, because, well, it's raining.

Shiro chuckles and adds a small cookie to the donut.

And I look the other way

Matt gives up and leans the now even wetter umbrella against the glass next to the door.

As he frees himself of his coat, Keith already suspects what is coming and directs his eyes back to the counter, back to his coffee and back to the constellations.

As they are kissing their hellos

Matt gives Shiro not more than a quick peck on the lips before he picks up his donut and guides it towards his mouth.

Shiro however has other plans, he takes his face into his hands and indulges the other's mouth in a kiss, one that says 'I missed you', one that says 'How was your day', one that says 'You are so beautiful', but most importantly, one that says 'I love you'. It was one that would make other people blush and wish they could kiss someone this way.

I'm pretending not to see them

Keith is one of those people who blushes at that kiss.

He is one to wish that they can kiss each other like that forever.

He is one to wish that they kiss like that at their wedding.

He is one to wish that he could kiss someone like that.

He is one to wish that someone will choose him to kiss like that.

And he is not one to call "Get a room!".

And he is not one to stare at them full of jealousy.

And he is not one to destroy their happiness due to his own discomfort.

Instead I pour the milk

A droplet of milk falls on the counter as Keith makes his coffee brown instead of black. The droplet splashes and paints white dots on the wood.

 A constellation just became the Milky Way.

I open up the paper

After cleaning up the milk with a handkerchief, Keith is beginning to ask Shiro for a new as he sees that he could as well talk to wall. Shiro is completely engulfed in a conversation with Matt.

So Keith sighs and picks up one of the newspapers that lay at the end of the counter.

There's a story of an actor

Keith turns the pages around without really paying attention to what they say.

Who had died while he was drinking

Alcohol makes people weird. Some people are nicer than usual. Some are more talkative. Some cry and stop for minor things. And some become violent.

Keith's father was one of the latter, so when he wanted to drive while being drunk, Keith hadn't stopped him. Sure, it was morally quizzing for him but the sight of freedom was bigger than the guilt of a dead father who didn't even remember to come to his graduation. He hadn't even apologized.

And so Keith wondered, how had the actor been under the influence of alcohol?

It was no one I had heard of

Keith huffed and turned this page too. Why did he care? He neither has known the man nor was he part of the police of some sort of hobby detective.

But the newspaper had to do its services a bit longer, a quick glance told the boy that Shiro was currently making puppy eyes to make Matt do something Keith didn't even want to know.

And I'm turning to the horoscope

Keith believes in horoscopes as much as he believes in Santa Clause or world peace.

But they're funny to analyze. The most generic shit is thrown together, and somehow, virgo was portrayed very annoying. Whoever wrote these, the despised a certain virgo. They were probably a gemini, they had the best day out of the signs. Stupid bastards.

And looking for the funnies

The comic strip next to the horoscopes is even worse. Some generic stuff with a grimace and no pointe. Virgo's horoscope was better.

And just as Keith lays the paper back to the others, his neck's nerves begin to prickle.

When I'm feeling someone watching me

The feeling strengthens, so the boy removes the hair hanging over his neck, but that doesn't do any better. The feeling wouldn't vanish making him look around frantically, hoping to see what's causing his distress.

And so I raise my head

His inconspicuous 'yo, what's up' gaze tells him nothing, so Keith straightens his back [lmao the only straight thing here] and turns around. This gives him a better look at his surroundings and even the people on the street.

There's a woman on the outside

And as Keith gazes towards the window, he sees a boy, presumably his age.

This boy makes the prickle in Keith's neck go away.

This boy makes laughing seem like the easiest thing on earth.

This boy makes the heaviest storm seem like a slight drizzle.

This boy makes Keith's heart skip a beat.

This boy makes Shiro and Matt's kisses irrelevant.

Looking inside does she see me?

And this magnificent boy is looking right into the diner.

Keith forgets to breath.

No she does not really see me

The boy raises his hand.

Keith's hand twitches, as if it wants to respond to a gesture yet to come.

Cause she sees her own reflection

The boy's hand lands in his chocolate brown hair to fix it. A few strands have left their place and refuse to go back.

And Keith's hand feels numb.

And I'm trying not to notice

And while Shiro is rambling to him about how clever Matt is, Keith can't help but to check Window Boy out. Up and down, from the hair that is just the perfect shade to align the probably south-american skin color over the wide baseball shirt and cargos to the worn down, but still fully-functional boots.

Keith is at awe.

That she's hitching up her skirt

The boy now throws both of his arms over his head in frustration.

Which reveals his tummy, or to be precise, a slim, yet muscular form previously hidden by the wide shirt.

A blush becomes visible on Keith's cheeks.

And while she's straightening her stockings

Window Boy tries again and regains control of his hair. By pulling up his jacket's hood.

Her hair has gotten wet

Now two other kids join Window Boy, both with umbrellas and shouting at him. One his huge and just as tanned, but his hair is a warm shade of black. He could as well be an oversized teddy bear. The other figure is smaller than both of them, slim and constantly pushing their glasses up.

Most Beautiful Person In Existence smiles at them and rushes under the big guy's umbrella. Together, they continue walking down the street.

And just as Keith makes his move to turn around, Window Boy flashes him a smile.

And Keith smiles back.

Oh, this rain, it will continue

Keith couldn't stop thinking about that boy. He must be living in this town but Keith hadn't seen him before. No wonder when barely goes to new places.

Shiro becomes overwhelmed when the number of customers grows drastically thanks to the rain and asks Keith to help him. He has watched the man work long enough to know what to do and what not to do, and even more important, how to take no shit from impatient people and just do his work. And both friends are grateful for it.

Through the morning as I'm listening

Keith works next to Shiro for a few hours and even alone for about twenty minutes so Shiro can eat a sandwich Matt has brought him earlier. The mass of people is now subdued so the boy glazes through the window without much interruption.

Suddenly, Window Boy and his friends come in.

Keith stands up straight, ruffles through his hair and pulls on his shirt collar.

"Hi! What can I get for you guys?"

Teddy Bear mumbles something unintelligible and Glasses waves their hands dismissively, but Window Boy steps up and leans on the counter.

"I want, err, a big latte macchiato with extra sugar and cream, a chocolate donut, and, lemme see, oh, your number."

The smile on his lips is infecting and Keith just has to smile back.

While he's making the coffee, he retorts a simple "Is that all?"

The tan boy looks surprised.

"You are really giving me your number? You don't even know my name!"

"Hey, you asked for it! If you don't want it, not my problem."

"Whoa sorry, I'm just surprised it worked! I thought that maybe you already are with someone or something."

Keith just has to laugh at that. "It's okay, jeez, calm down. Here's your food. It's on me. And now hush, before I get fired or something!"

To the bells of the cathedral

Just after about ten minutes, Keith's phone vibrates.

He unlocks it and sees the text from an unknown number.

Hello diner guy heres lat macc with extra cream n sugar guy! actually the names lance, wanna meet up l8r? im free at 3pm+ <3

Lance. That's a nice name. A nice name for him. And before he changes his mind, Keith types a response.

Hey this is diner guy, better known as Keith. Sure, how about at 4:30, in the park near the uni? There's this ice cream shop that's supposed to be really good. xo

Sure thing fam meet me in ther, gonna find u b4 u kno <3

Keith couldn't stop smiling for hours, even as Shiro questions his sanity and complains about the younger one's humming and non-broodiness, which is very unlike Keith.

Keith doesn't care.

I am thinking of your voice...

After lunchbreak rush, Shiro gives Keith some time to eat something too, but Keith's too anxious to do so. This is his first date in a long time and something just doesn't feel right. It didn't end up good the last time he dated. Or the time before that. Or before that (even though that was in middle school and with a girl). No relationship with Keith, romantic or not, ended up good. He was just waiting for his cat to leave him for good and for Shiro to get annoyed and kick him out of the diner, though their friendship is one of the longest Keith ever had.

And so, driven by doubt and bad experiences, he does what every sane and mature human being would do, he straight up calls Lance to cancel the date.

Every beep feels like someone is kicking his ribs.

And the first sound as Lance picks up the call feels like punch in the face.

Keith hangs up.

He takes a deep breath in.

He raises his phone to smash it on the floor like it's the source of his inner struggle.

And just as he is about to smash it on the floor, the phone rings.

Keith drops it like a hot stone.

But as he sees who is calling, he fiddles it up and presses 'answer' like his life depends on it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Keith, it's me, Lance. You called me? Already missing me, eh?"

"No no no, no wait, I mean yes, no, I mean I'm... I'm sorry Lance, I can't do that. I can't meet up with you."

"What man, why? D'you have to work? I mean, another time is fine.."

"No, it's just that I, I, I'm not made for dating and stuff and you shouldn't bother with me, I mean, you could date anyone, you got the looks for it and you're nice and kind and just plain beautiful, fuck did I say that aloud? And honestly, if this was a dare or something just break it off, tell them you got a date with me, whohoo. Like, I don't want to steal your time and..."

"Keith?"

"Yeah?"

"Stop rambling. It's okay if you don't wanna date. Can we still meet up? As friends? I mean, you seemed like a cool guy, a guy I would be happy to call my friend."

"Yeah, ok. Friends. Seems cool. Thank you. I'll see you later."

"Yeah, see ya!"

Keith hangs up with a smile on his lips and tears in his eyes.

Friends.

He's friends with Lance.

That's good.

And of the midnight picnic

Keith spends the rest of his break drying his eyes and thinking about what could've been if he wouldn't have acted so selfish.

Lance seemed so pumped about it. About them.

Once upon a time before the rain began...

And Keith imagines what they could've been doing if he wouldn't be so selfish.

He imagines meeting Lance's friends.

He imagines Lance meeting his cat.

He imagines Lance and him visiting Shiro and Matt at the diner.

He imagines being as beautiful as them.

He imagines Lance finding out about his parents and not treating him like he's fragile.

He imagines what he and Lance could be doing.

And feeling like Lance deserves better than him being selfish, he calls Lance.

I finish up my coffee

"Keith?"

"Yeah, hi Lance. Look, I'm sorry about earlier, I was overthinking it and it's definitely not right to dismiss your offer without even meeting properly. I'm sorry."

"Oh thank god, I was feeling rather awkward. But Keith, can we sort out the details later, I'm in the middle of a lecture and my prof is probably getting suspicious why I need so long on the toilet. See you later, 'kay buddy?"

"Yeah, see you, have fun in your lecture!"

And before Keith hangs up, he can hear Lance snort and a door opening.

And this feels even better than when Lance asked for his number.

It's time to catch the train

At 4:15, Keith packs up his stuff, well his phone and jacket, and leaves the diner. Shiro, Matt and Allura, one of the diner's owners, who had joined not two hours ago, wish him fun on his date, hoping he would 'use protection, just as a good employee would', even though he's not really employed by a contract and gets payed with free coffee.

He arrives at sharp 4:30, and as he lifts one hand to open the shop's door, a tan, warm one slides into his other. He looks sideways to the owner of said hand and recognizes one of the best smiles in the whole wide world.

"Hi." It comes out almost inaudible, but Lance is close enough to hear what he means.

"Hello pretty boy. Just one thing first, are you from outer space? 'Cause your body is from outta this world."

"Aaand I'm gone. Sorry, but that line just destroyed any trust I had in you as a human being."

Lance just snickers.

"Would free ice cream change your mind? Or maybe a romantic picnic? Or kittens?"

"You had me at ice cream, but I'm always up for kittens."

They both laugh and enter the ice cream shop, still holding hands and feeling as content in each other's presence as if they hadn't just met, as if they were a couple for years, as if nobody could hurt them as long as they were together.

Pidge gags as the two chatter along and giggle to nonsense.

"Hunk, look at that, Lance is quiet for longer than a minute, quick, gimme the camera!"

The bushes don't give the perfect angle, but that's better than nothing.

And as Keith is distracted by a swan, Lance quickly turns around, shows Pidge and Hunk his middle finger.

And when Lance is showing his middle finger to someone, they certainly know that they should leave immediately.

#klance #keith #keith kogane #lance #lance mclain #shiro #takashi shirogane #matt #matt holt #pidge #pidge gunderson #hunk #hunk garrett #allura #klance fic #fanfic

[takadasaiko]

Demons at the Door: Chapter Fourteen

FFN II AO3

Summary: Tom, Liz, and Howard visit Ocean City to try to recover some of Tom's missing childhood memories and the Board makes their decision.                              Actions

Chapter Fourteen: Echoes from the Past

They had a twenty-four hour reprieve before the Board made their decision and Tom and Howard had elected to use that time digging into Tom's disappearance as a child. The decision to go out to Ocean City had surprised Liz, but she had made sure to wrap up the pile of paperwork involved in their deal with Halcyon before she'd left the Post Office that night so that she could get up at the break of dawn and drive out to the Maryland beach the next morning.

Clouds had been building as she drove, but they looked ready to break open by the time she pulled up to the address Tom had texted her with. She stepped out of the the car, gaze sweeping the little street. Many of the houses looked lived in, but considering these were the busier beach months it was hard to say if that was normal. An elderly woman with a dog was out on her front lawn and gave a friendly wave that Liz returned slowly.

The front porch was screened in and she found that door unlocked, but she paused when she reached the front door, unsure if she should knock or walk in. She hesitated there a moment before she heard something behind her and turned, seeing a car pull up along the curb at the street, parking behind her own. Tom unfolded out of the driver's seat and Howard out of the passenger, and Liz pushed back out through the screen door to meet them on the sidewalk. "I see Tom got to make the call on the rent car," she teased, motioning to the Mustang they had driven up in.

Her husband tried for a smile, but as she moved closer she saw all the signs that he hadn't slept at all the night before. He looked tired and stressed, physically and emotionally, and she reached out so that her fingertips brushed his. He took her hand immediately and gave it a squeeze. "Thanks for coming. Always the bad timing, right?"

She tightened her grip. "Don't worry about that. You guys are on a time crunch. What do we have?"

"We spent the better part of last night pouring over police reports and articles and information that my own investigations turned up," Howard explained. "Nothing has jogged any memories of that night."

"Trauma, especially in children, has a way of burying itself deep," Liz murmured. "This is the house? Do you think it'll spark something?"

"We're going to see," Tom answered.

"I know you guys have probably gone over it in detail, but walk me through what you know from that night, Howard."

They made their way up to the house and Liz's father-in-law pulled a key from his pocket as he spoke. "We spent every summer out here. Longer once Chris - Tom," he corrected, "- was born. It was our time away as a family. We'd been out a couple of weeks by that point and I don't remember exactly what set it off, but Scottie and I ended up in a shouting match late that night."

Liz risked a glance at Tom as they stepped into the old house and Howard reached to switch the lights on. Tom stood frozen, looking over his surroundings carefully, but she couldn't tell if he recognised anything or not.

"We'd both probably had too much to drink and I stormed out. Ended up spending the night at a motel down by the pier. I came back late the next morning and the whole house was crawling with police and Scottie…" He swallowed hard, his gaze distant as if the memories were vivid enough to see play out in front of him. "She said our boy had been taken in the night. No forced entry, no real sign of struggle. He was just gone. She blamed herself, and at the time I thought she was a grieving mother taking on more than she was responsible for."

"And now?" Tom asked.

"Now I believe it was a long game. If she was ordered or if it was her choice, I don't know yet, but I think that she set this all into motion. She took you, set herself up as a victim to be protected - especially after the car wreck - and pushed everything that's happened into motion. She's a strategist. A talented one. To try to deny that would set us up for failure from the start."

"But to predict all of this?" Liz asked, disbelief colouring her voice.

"It's the ripple effect," Tom answered with a shrug. "You go into the scenario with a catalyst to set of a chain reaction of events. You may not know the exact ramifications, but if you know the mark well enough, if you're good enough, it's possible."

"You sound like you've used it before," Liz murmured and her husband shrugged.

"I have. Plenty of times, but never on this scale. It's… if she did, she really is the best I've ever seen."

"Take a look around, son," Howard prompted. "If you can remember that night - anything about that night - it can help us piece things together."

"How close is it to the original setup?" Liz asked.

"Exactly. All the furniture is in the same place, all the same. Nothing's been moved."

"How is that possible? Did they stop renting it out?"

"I bought it after the police finished their investigation. David that rented it to us each summer was never going to get it back out there after the publicity and I wanted to conduct my own investigation, so I bought the home. It's ironic. Scottie had been trying to talk me into making an offer on it for years."

Tom started forward, his expression unreadable as he looked over the living room in detail. Liz started to follow, but Howard caught her by the arm, holding lightly. "Give him a few minutes."

She froze where he was. If it was her, if she was wandering through the house where the fire had happened and trying to recall that horrific night, she wasn't sure she would want to do it alone. Tom was focused though, and she wasn't sure that he'd notice if she was there or not.

Liz stood back, watching and waiting. If he needed her, she'd only be steps away.

There was something familiar, yet not about the house. It reminded him of his nightmares with the memories just out of his grasp. He reached for them, trying to grab on, but they slipped away.

Tom moved through the house room by room, trying to hold onto the possibility of a memory. He was vaguely aware that Liz and Howard were following at a distance, hoping for something he wasn't sure he could give.

He wound back through the hall past master bedroom, an office, and the kitchen with its door that led out towards the beach. There was one room in the back and he pushed at the door that was halfway closed.

It was a child's room. His room, he thought, and he paused at the door. It was exactly how the script that Lucy Game had been given described, not one thing out of place. The bed was pushed up against the far wall, the blue comforter showing signs of age after nearly thirty years, a couple of stuffed animals still piled on it. The bed ran parallel to the wall with double windows that, if the curtains were pulled back, would show the ocean not too far away. A rug covered part of the wood floor, starting under the bed and stretching toward the opposite wall where shelves held toys that a four-year-old little boy would have treasured.

Toy cars, dinosaurs, and a single red tug boat that caught his attention were on the lowest shelf, which would have been the easiest for him to reach at that age. He reached out, picking up the boat and turning it over in his hands, a ghost of a memory taunting him.

"Do you remember where you got that?"

Tom turned, finding Howard at the door. "It's familiar," he murmured, studying it and trying to will the memory into place. He closed his eyes, focusing on it, and he could almost see a pair of hands that held it, handing it to him and the excitement over, but he couldn't recall the face.

He loosed a frustrated breath and moved to take a seat on the bed. Soft footsteps followed him and Liz sat with him. She didn't say anything, but her presence helped. She looped her arm through his and leaned in.

"Your nightmare," she said after a long stretch of silence. "You told me that it's usually the same man trying to push you under the water. Do you ever see part of the house or anything that might be familiar?"

"It's just the beach," Tom answered reluctantly, but then sat up a little straighter. "There was a door."

"What?"

He didn't wait to explain, but stood and Howard barely shifted out of his way as he rushed out of the room. Liz was right. The nightmare was the closest thing to a memory that he had. If he could prove it true or untrue maybe it'd break the memories open like a crack in glass.

Tom barely stopped long enough to unlock the back door that led out to the beach. The sky has darkened considerably since they'd been inside and he felt rain splash down against his skin as he picked up his pace, something that he couldn't pinpoint driving him forward. It was an adrenaline rush, like the feeling of fight or flight had been kicked into overdrive. His breath was coming to him in short gasps by the time stopped on the beach, the water lapping over his boots and soaking his jeans around his ankles. He was shaking, flashes of memories mixing in with what he saw as he stood there.

He'd been asleep.

There'd been someone that came into his room. He couldn't remember the face, but he remembered not being afraid of him. The man had scooped him up, and the next thing Tom thought he remembered was taking off across the sand and being run down at the waves, his face shoved under the water and held there. He had no idea how long he'd struggled or what more there was to it, but he'd tried to get away and the man had nearly drowned him to stop him.

"Tom?"

He stiffened at the sound of his name and turned. His expression must have been something close to terrified because Liz was reaching out very slowly and very carefully, making sure not to touch him before he saw what she was doing. "Honey, are you okay?"

He wasn't sure when the scattered rain drops had turned into something more, but they were both drenched as they stood on the beach and he shook his head. "No," he answered, the word riding out on a breath.

Liz stepped forward, wrapping her arms around him and he folded in. "I tried to get away and he nearly drowned me," he whispered after a long moment.

"Who, babe?"

"I don't know."

He heard her make a soft sound. "Remind me never to tease you again about not being able to swim, okay?"

That pulled the barest of laughs from him and he made a small sound of agreement.

"Tom?"

"Yeah?"

"We should get back inside."

He nodded, not trusting his voice, and Liz shifted so that one arm was still around his back as they walked towards the house in the pouring rain.

Howard liked puzzles. He enjoyed solving them. All those little pieces that looked so disconnected coming together as a whole gave him a sense of satisfaction. The more challenging the puzzle, the more he enjoyed it once he reached the end.

The puzzle of what had happened to his son that terrible night that he had disappeared had been one that he'd worked worked over in his mind for years now, but there had been key pieces missing.

One of those pieces had been Tom. He had needed him to remember who took him. He had hoped he could remember. That could have led to Scottie's handlers. Howard was certain that there were others somewhere within his organisation and until he found them, none of them would be safe and Scottie's people would win.

It had seemed so important that he remembered until Howard had seen his son - grown now, and no longer that helpless little boy - standing in the rain, memories that had been deeply buried slamming into him with a force that looked like it could have knocked him over. Howard had known this could be painful. He knew it likely would be. He had expected that and accepted that. This, somehow, seemed to be where he was finding his line.

Maybe it was the house. Maybe it was everything they were up against. Or maybe it was that terrified look in Tom's eyes that didn't fade once Liz had gotten him in. Howard couldn't be sure. All he knew was that they were running out of time and if they arrested him, he wasn't sure how he was going to help Tom get through this alive.

They'd taken him from his father once. He wasn't going to let go again. Not if he could help it.

Howard looked up at the sound of the old wooden floors creaking under feet and Elizabeth Keen rounded the corner, still towelling her hair off from the shower that she and Tom had hopped into after getting caught in the pouring rain. Apparently his daughter-in-law was as well acquainted with a go bag with extra clothes as his son was. "How is he?" Howard ventured.

Liz sighed, taking a heavy seat in a chair across from him. "Confused, upset, frustrated. Not remembering is bad enough, but remembering the worst of it is even worse."

"Hm," Howard hummed softly, his gaze turning back to the rain. "May I ask you something, Liz?"

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "I won't promise you'll like the answer, but sure."

"Did I do him more harm than good by coming back into his life?"

Liz was quiet for long enough that Howard glanced her direction. He found her expression thoughtful. "Tom's stubborn. He knew about you before you came to him. He just… got this idea stuck in his mind that he couldn't look for answers without it somehow replacing Agnes and me. I'm not even sure where he got that one, but he held onto it pretty tight. Honestly, I think part of it was that he was scared the truth was worse than what he'd sort of just come to accept about you guys."

"What was that?"

"That you didn't care. That you abandoned him." She leaned back in the chair a little. "After Agnes was born and things settled down, he was a little more curious about you specifically. I mean, between Frank Phelps and McCready, he knew he didn't have anyone to base being a good dad off of."

"He seems to be doing a fair job without any role model needed," Howard murmured fondly, thinking of the way Tom had been with Agnes at the birthday party.

"He's great, but questions still come up. When your plane went down he started fixating on it. Absolutely obsessing. Then you popped up and…." She closed her eyes. "I told you the other day to walk away if you aren't willing to put him first, but you helped him. I think the way you came back was wrong, but not that you did."

Howard nodded after a long moment. He'd spent the last several years pushing back decades of emotion and focusing on the task at hand. There was a lot of pain involved in what Scottie had done, but dwelling on that only made him sloppy, and that was something they simply couldn't afford. He had felt the need to become more calculated and more ruthless than he'd been before to survive, and maybe - if he took a moment to be honest with himself - he'd treated his son in a similar way. He'd treated him as the operative that he was without, holding back on the affection he did feel. After this was over. That's what he'd told himself. Maybe waiting had done more damage than he'd ever thought.

"He used to wait outside my office door when we came here," he said after a long moment, the memory of his son looking up with those big blue eyes from where he had been playing with one toy or another and waiting as patiently as a toddler could coming to mind so vividly it could have been yesterday. "I thought I'd have time."

"You do," Liz told him, her voice pointed. "Now. Don't screw it up."

She was smirking just a little and Howard managed a thin smile in return, turning when a floorboard gave a loud creak. Tom stood there, looking slightly less overwhelmed than he had when Liz had guided him back inside, and he looked between them. "Don't let me interrupt."

"Your dad was just telling me a story about how adorable you were as a kid," Liz said, a little mischief in her smile and she managed to draw a hesitant smile from him.

"Not a total terror?"

"You were very well behaved," Howard answered.

Tom snorted a laugh. "Yeah. Frank and Eva would argue on that one. I never heard the end of how much trouble I was to them from the first day in." He took a seat in a chair next to Liz and his gaze shifted to the rain outside. "If everything goes the way we're hoping and the Board gives me a chance at this, I'm going to talk to Agent Lamb about having Scottie transfer to Halcyon custody."

"That's risky," Howard said, watching his son carefully.

"We need all sides if this if we're going to get to the bottom of it, and she won't talk there. It's like she's afraid of someone listening in. I know you don't think-"

"I don't, but this is your investigation. If you think you can get the truth from her, do what you need to."

Tom stared at him for a moment and he nodded slowly.

Howard's phone began to buzz in his pocket and he reached in, recognizing the number. "Albert. Has the Board reached a verdict?"

"We're close. You'll need to wrap whatever you're doing and come in."

"We're on our way." He hung up and looked to Tom. "Are you ready for this?"

"As ready as I can be."

They checked for weapons at the door, asking both Tom and Howard to empty their pockets as well. Apparently Howard's stunt weeks before when they had infiltrated the building had stuck with the Board members and the new situation had them on high alert.

They were escorted in to where the table was already full, Maggie Ellis at the head. "Howard, Tom, have a seat."

Tom shot his father a quick look, but Howard's focus was on the Board. The only armed personnel that had been outside were Halcyon employee. No cops, no feds. That seemed like a promising sign of nothing else.

"We've been over the evidence that Mr Keen left with us and have done our own DNA test," Albert McKinney said. "The results matched, which means that with both Howard and Scottie… unable to continue in a leadership position, the majority shares are legally passed down to you once the death certificate is reversed."

"Good," Howard answered, finally glancing towards Tom. "Then it's settled."

"There's some alarming information about you in here, Howard," McKinney continued. "Your methods have been…. unorthodox at times, but if this information is true, it looks like the key to putting Scottie behind bars was entirely fabricated by you."

"Not entirely," Howard argued. "Scottie is a deep cover agent and she did kidnap and hold Dr Whitehall without his consent. I'm also fully convinced that she was the one that sabotaged my jet. Two pilots were killed in that crash."

"We are well aware, Howard, but until the full evidence has been presented at the end of Mr Keen's investigation, the Board has decided to place you under house arrest."

Howard snorted. "Under what legal authority?"

"The Board has decided to try to keep this in house until we have all the facts," Ellis chimed in, "but if you refuse to comply with their demands, they will be forced to take the evidence your son presented to the authorities."

Tom looked over to see Howard's calculating expression. "Hey," he said quietly. "Let me get to the bottom of this."

Howard met his gaze and the younger man saw the struggle there. Finally he nodded. "Be careful."

"You too."

"I have a meeting set with our legal team to start the process of reversing your death certificate," Ellis told him. "We'll have Howard escorted home. Once everything has cleared the courts and you sign the paperwork you'll have full control of the case, access to all parties involved, with just one stipulation."

There it was. There was always a but. "What's that?"

"The Board wants to be kept apprised of any movements," McKinney answered. "The investigation needs to be completely transparent. Do you think you can handle that, Mr Keen?"

"But I'll have full access? My team too."

"As long as we're confident you're looking for the truth, yes."

"Seems fair enough."

"Then let's reverse a death certificate," Maggie Ellis said with a small smile and motioned towards the door.

Tom took one last look back of the Board and his father. He was all in now.

Notes: One of the things I was sad about was that we didn't get really dive into why Tom was taken as a kid. I hope we still will in S5, but until then, I'm really pleased to be able to poke at it in this story. I just wrapped up writing chapter sixteen today and it's super heavy on Scottie's backstory for this particular fic. I'm a little bouncy over it. I had some high hopes for her redemption arc here and I'm really enjoying the ride so far :D

Next time - Christopher Hargrave comes back from the dead, someone is watching Scottie's every move, and Tom faces off against a new type of danger.

#the blacklist #the blacklist redemption #the blacklist: redemption #tom keen #elizabeth keen #howard hargrave

[marianamaskell6-blog]

Easiest Way To Make Money With Online Poker

Once you purchase their products, that doesn't work without a great deal of trouble, you will be waiting months, headed down a road of waiting for your profits and trying to start your money earnings. "Think about that for just one second." While they tell you a bedtime story which goes a something like this "image yourself" Yes, the truth is Affiliate Marketing is one of the easiest ways to make money on the internet but there are a few tricks to it. Being a Maverick in this industry requires effort, patience, and skill before you start to see your affiliate profits! Just think about Dominoes Pizza when it first started growing like a weed (which is an interesting comparison since "weed" also helped Dominoes grow because of their late hours and close proximity to college dorms...) Tom Monaghan caused this growth with the best USP in his business, "Fresh, Hot Pizza Delivered In 30 Minutes Or It's Free." His USP was made possible by limiting his delivery radius of each store to make it easy for his employees to achieve. One of the most popular words of praise is halleluyah. One hears it shouted out in churches all the time by those who have no clue as to its meaning. Halleluyah is one of the most ancient words of exultation in existence and it is pure Hebrew. "Hallel" means "praise" in Hebrew, and "Yah" is the first part of the sacred Name Yahweh. Therefore halleluyah means "Praise Yah"! The most common word of praise has our Heavenly Father's very Name embedded within it - "Halle1uYah." We usually see this word in the form hallelujah, but there was no "j" in Hebrew, Greek or English until about the 15th century. The "j" is merely an "i" with a tail and given a "juh" sound relatively recently. The "j" and "i" were used interchangeably in alphabets until the 17th century. America loves football and sports; that defies overstatement. Athletes in Action, which is part of Campus Crusade for Christ, was founded on the premise of using our love of sports as a "platform given to athletes to reach the world for Jesus Christ", according to its website. I know, I know you might be a champ in your neighbourhood poker competitions or in your state play offs. But if this is your first time to play qiu qiu online, you might be in for a big surprise. Do not get this wrong, playing online is exciting and challenging, but the lack of face to face encounter severely alters a player strategy. Thinking of calling a bluff online? Well, you should think again. That other person from Hong Kong or Russia might be up to something and you will not know it because you cannot see them. His strategic play is one I always enjoy watching because it reminds of chess, which is the game I love. In fact, when Barry first got me the Black Trademark Poker Polo Shirt I asked him why there wasn't any rooks on these cool Play Poker Clothes (my favorite pieces to play with during a chess game). We both just laughed about it and that was the end of the conversation. The best news that night wasn't the shirt, but that my son would soon be graduating college with a job already lined up. Major online poker sites offer various features, but the most interesting may be the satellite tournaments. Winning one of these means a free entry to the real-life, prestigious domino qiu qiu boya, World Series of Poker (WSOP). Through one such tournament on PokerStars Chris Moneymaker made his way into the 2003 WSOP. He went on to win the main event-a big shock for the international poker community. The next WSOP, in 2004, was won by Greg Raymer who, just like Moneymaker, won his entry at the PokerStars online card room. I joined a high profile poker site because at the time, I could use my credit card to deposit money in my account, that has since stopped. To me it's a hassle to set up an account at different sites so when I start out with a site I pretty well stay with it, unless something horrible happens to induce me to move.

[beaver-time-blog]

RTBC #11

Here’s a good Reason to be Canadian

You Have The Right To Be Canadian II

                 Welcome to 2017, where feminism mean elitism (nothing new), racism means safety (an oldie but a goodie), and irony is a dear departed memory of our past (Like compassion, trust, and rationality). Now we could dwell on the socio-political nonsense the previous year had been, but that would be a bigger waste of time than the governor general pretending to not adore thick black cock. SO! Let us do our finest imitation of a 69-ing Tom Cruise and look forward… to the future… not David Miscavige’s alien-probed butthole. Today we take a trip down south to Canada’s biggest neighbor, the United States of America! Yes the land of the brave and the home of the free, or whatever, is Canada’s biggest trade partner, and very much our social sister. Take any Canadian, and simply remove everything altruistic and neighborly about them. Ta-Da! Instant American. Now I’ve had many people claim that our differences are obsolete and irrelevant, but I’ve also had Tom Mulcair look me dead and the eye and say his favorite food group wasn’t cum, so I have trust issues. Now I bring up the U.S. because of an incredible moment that was overlooked by some during the 2016 presidential election, which may well have defined the fate of both countries occupying North America. Before we bring up that subject, however, please allow a message from our sponsors…

                Quick ad read then to the laughs...

                Today’s reason to be Canadian is brought to you in part by “Shutting the fuck up!”. Are you full of rage and tears over the electoral decision of your country? Do you perhaps toss and turn every night over something somebody said that wasn’t perfectly in line with your predetermined beliefs? Are you by chance someone who identifies as a feminist? Are you Jenny McCarthy? Try “Shutting the fuck up!”!! “Shutting the fuck up” will provide you with all the time in the world to do things like; Checking the mail! Educating yourself on an issue! Appreciating how good you have it! Getting the fuck off of my twenty-dollar bill! “Shutting the fuck up” is the only service which will let you calm down and respect other peoples opinions! Try free today, or use the promo code “Hey, just because somebody disagrees with me doesn’t mean they’re evil” To receive the added benefit of no longer being a dick.  Now I hate ad reads as much as the next guy, but this is a service I truly believe in. Across the united states of America, there has emerged a group of people determined to de-throne the currently elected President, Daffy Trump. Daffy here has infuriated countless classes of clowns with his language and laughable political intent, causing many to protest and refute his right as an elected official. These guys we’ll call the Bald Eagles. Forewarning though, If you want to read in depth about the choices Daffy has made to create the Eagles, go watch John Oliver. I won’t lampoon Daffy for the same reason I won’t hunt an unarmed man. No Sport. If something is easy, it’s not worth doing. Ever jerked off? Easiest thing in the fucking world. Probably not going to share it at the dinner table. Ever fucked Justin Trudeau? No you haven’t because that shit is impressive and you would have told EVERYONE, and you wouldn’t have walked right for a week. Guys is packing heat. Seriously ask anybody, taking that dude is like playing ring toss with a hula hoop and the Eiffel tower. No way bud.

                   Everyone’s their own protagonist.

                Back on track to the Bald Eagles though, there is some comedy that wrote itself I’d like to point out. During his campaign, Daffy spoke how if the vote came out against him, he would not accept its results. Naturally this pissed off every self-respecting Bald Eagle living south of our border, as it should. A politician disregarding the very system designed to elect them is more dangerous than an armed Hillary Clinton on her period. Not that her love cave has cried red tears since 1984, but that’s irrelevant. Now the comical part of all of this is that Daffy won the election, and never needed to cast doubt on voting reliability at all! But what happens next? Bald eagles took to the streets and their Tumblr’s to repeatedly shout things like: “not my president!”, which was meant to resist and deny their new elected leader. If you haven’t noticed the irony yet, I hear buzzfeed has a new top ten list, maybe that’s more your reading level? I’ll spell it out though; Refuting the results of the election moments after you had judged a politician for doing just that is evidence enough to suggest you seek only an opponent to fight, not a cause worth fighting for. IF at this point you STILL haven’t picked up on the irony, let me then be the first to welcome you to Beaver-Time, Mike Pence. Fuck you, Mike Pence. This unfortunate trait of the Bald Eagles is not unique to them however. Look at what goes for feminism today; a bunch of glue sniffing self-identified “Victims” of the patriarchy. For fucks sake. There too, along with the “black lives matter” community (a bunch of chimpanzees that make even Martin Luther King blush) you can find hordes of people that fight careless to the cause. Don’t believe me? Go to any coffee shop within two kilometers of a university, and wait for somebody (ANYBODY) to voice an opinion, ANY opinion, and deny it for as long as you can without laughing. So that bitch thinks bunnies are cute? Take her down. Your mother was RAPED by a bunny god damnit. I mean all the bunny did was accidentally make eye contact while he was eating a carrot, but sill that is RAPE! Watch what happens. Their entire existence is now committed to how evil you are, how you are definable as negative as Hitler. Be sure to wear sunglasses and part your hair differently, because you are now the star of their blog. Oh my god aren’t you that guy form Allmenarepigs.org? Can I have an autograph?

                Onward to reality.

                I specify then rationalize the poor judgement of the bald eagles to be as fair to them as possible, because despite my jokes and jabs, they are incredibly important to me. Alex Jones knows how I feel, the guy is always having to bash the faggot community on his show, but tell me… have you ever seen him and Chaz Bono in the same room? I’m onto you Jones… Truth is, these bald eagles are going to help shape Canada in the years to come, which brings us to that fateful day in November. Once the vote began to turn toward the favor of Daffy’s republican Party, the Canadian government website dedicated to immigration crashed from over use. In that beautiful moment, bald eagles everywhere decided that their best bet was to flee the scene, and fly north for the winter. While these birds were publicly shamed across numerous sources of media, truth is, that was the right decision. If you live in a democratic state, you only have two options when a politician you don’t like is elected: deal with it, or fuck off. Canada says, for better results, fuck on. But spare a thought for the long-term ramifications of these migrants coming to Canada. Those infuriated by the election were the same people who valued equality and freedom. They may be confused about the best way to achieve these ideals, yet still they remain their central influences. So, these progressive, equality minded eagles come north, and what happens? Well, less and less of these great birds will occupy their native country, so more and more racist and sexist legislation will be allowed to exist. This will in turn provoke more eagles to come out of hiding and make the trip to Cancukville, and by now you can see the pattern. Within a decade, the divide between the progressive eagles and the regressive pigeons will no longer be a civil matter, but rather one dividing Canada, and the U.S.. Just as the lack of progressive minded people will slow the evolution of American politics, the surplus of these forward-thinking eagles will speed up Canada’s evolution. Daffy may be the final nail in the American coffin, but he alone will transform July 1st into an international holiday. But wait there’s more… The one real positive aspect Daffy provides is economic reform. He has promised to reset and kick-start the American financial system, yet this benefit is not exclusive to the states! Canada’s own market directly mirrors Americas own financial success. When they’re good, we’re good. When they’re bad, we’re still ok. So come to Canada, where you can enjoy every benefit, yet no punishment, from Daffy Duck’s administration. And don’t worry about all of this creating a country populated exclusively by people from 1945, if they get too rowdy, we’ll just build a wall on our southern border.

                But can people just come on over?

                   Oh yah, and travel will be a piece of cake. You know why? Even if for whatever reason you get turned down as an immigrant (you won’t) you can still get in as a refugee! How’s this? Well I’ll tell yah. American Government is like the strap on dildo Meryl Streep would use to butt fuck Bill O’Reilley. Looks like a dick… feels like a dick… makes him cum like a howler monkey….like a dick…but that aint no dick. I won’t go into detail, but here’s the problem: American government does not elect its leader based on the popular vote. When an American votes, they vote for who the STATE should vote for. If the majority of the state votes democratic, then the entire state is labeled as democratic, and a number of what’s called Electoral College Votes are given to the person who won that states majority. The problem here is each state has a different number of votes to give out, and the number of these votes IS NOT dependent on population. Meaning, that your vote means a lot less than somebody form a different state. Because of this system, Daffy was elected yes, but he lost the popular majority to his opponent. This means you hail from an oppressed country, and you can file for refugee immigration! Yay! If America was a true democracy, the white house would be staffed by a washed up half dead housewife that couldn’t even suck dick properly. But because of this unfairness, the leader of the country who thinks they are the leaders of the free world (they’re not), Is a sexist, racist, hypocritical liar. Please, come to Canada. You can do so much good here.

                Not that we’re perfect...

                   I throw these stones from the relative comfort of my glass house.  Canada is no more democratic than the U.S. Remember, we have the Senate. A group of cunts, who was elected by this one cunt, who in turn was elected only by this other cunt, who only has power because she was born into the right family. Now, it is legally treason for me to suggest that if anybody ever has the chance to give her the cobweb cleaning she deserves, to contract HIV first, so I won’t suggest it. Nor can I or anybody else ask that the next time she waddles out onto the taxpayer-funded palace gardens, that the closest person there do us all a favor and bounce a rock off her skull. Seriously, it’s illegal for me to ask you to do it! So please don’t hurt the queen. Besides, if you really wanted to kill her, you could just run for MP, put in a private member bill to separate from England, and at the ceremony that will be held to say goodbye, as you shake her hand, lean in and whisper, “Downtown Abbey isn’t very good”. Bitch will keel over right there.

                Welcome to the tribe!

                But enough of that dick-breathed sex-demon the union calls a queen (only queen I respect wants to ride their bicycle), and focus on the eagles immigrating. Like Kanye West’s first attempt at prostate probing, there will be some tension at first. The Bald Eagles themselves will feel intimidated, until they realize that even though they were always a symbol of America, Canada has way fucking more. Welcome home guys. There will be of course, Canadian tensions as well. We haven’t forgotten that these new additions are still the annoying as shit causeless rebels that haunt many attempts at progression, despite being progressively minded themselves. However, there is a fast and simple solution to instill some logic and empathy into our American friends. Try “Shutting the fuck up” free today.

Things to take back to the dam... 1. Utilize difference in opinion to make friends, not enemies. 2. Democratically elected officials should be respected. 3. Non-democratic elected officials should get off the twenty dollar bill. 4. Shut the fuck up a minute. 

#trump #canada #feminism #equality #rapedbybunny