#changing your name will not keep people who blocked you from knowing shit and spreading the word

[esterigermaine]

Head's up, art thief changed their name again. Let me know if I should add any other tags to get this seen by the other fandoms he steals from. (I know he steals from like 4, but am not familiar with the others enough to know what tags to use)

Edit: So they disappeared from my block list a couple of days ago and searching any of the past names (that I know about) they used brings up nothing on here. They may have deleted and remade or deleted permanently.

#danny phantom #monkey king reborn #art thief #changing your name will not keep people who blocked you from knowing shit and spreading the word #lego monkie kid #nightcrawler #x men #signal boost

[chaoskirin]

I blocked this guy for spreading misinformation, but I want to address the points they made so people don't buy into this shit.

"Have you really never heard of a denoiser?" Glaze and Nightshade cannot be defeated by denoisers. Please see the paper I link in #2. This point is amazingly easy to debunk, and I'm not sure why people are still championing it. Both programs work by changing what the software "sees." Denoising can blur these artifacts, but it does not fundamentally get rid of them.

"White knighting for amoral techbro apps." This was a very early techbro attack on Glaze to try to convince people it was another way to steal data. As I said in an earlier post, it does use a dataset to enable it to add artifacts to your work. It is essentially using AI against itself, and it is effective. There's a whole peer-reviewed paper on how it works. I've posted it before, but if you missed it, you can read it here: https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.13828 (and unlike Generative AI apps, this paper explains exactly how the technology works.)

"Wasting resources." The point is to make the machines unusable, which ultimately will reduce the stress on our infrastructure. If the datasets no longer work, the use of them decreases. Unfortunately, the inability for people to adequately protect their work has led to massive electricity-wasting farms for generative AI, just like what happened with NFTs and cryptocurrency. If enough people inject unusable data in the the systems, the systems themselves become unusable, and the use decreases.

"My artistic vanity." I'm not a good artist. But my artwork HAS been scraped and used. I don't know why I have to keep saying this to make my anger and pain valid, but a few months back, all my artwork was revenge-scraped and stuffed into Midjourney. The person who did it also stripped my name from it, so I am not even able to HOPE to have it removed. I have nothing left to lose. I want to make those motherfuckers pay.

"The google thing only defeats weak watermarks." This is true. But a "strong" watermark must be completely different on each work you post, and also must cover most of the work. This is easily researched. I don't know about you, but I don't have time to make a new watermark on each piece I post, and I also don't want it to cover most of the artwork. Just so you know, the watermark detector works by looking for the same pattern on multiple works by the same person. If you use the same watermark on each piece, it doesn't matter how strong you think it is. It's removable. If you have the time to do it, then yes, this is effective. But it needs to be complex and different on each piece.

Next, I've seen a couple posts going around today stating that you can't even have an account on Glaze because they're closed.

They're not. But to prevent techbros from making accounts, you have to message the team so they can make sure you aren't using AI in your work. The instructions are here: https://glaze.cs.uchicago.edu/webinvite.html

Nightshade is not available on the web yet, but Glaze is. Nightshade will be soon, and they are planning a combo web app that will both Glaze and Nightshade your work.

In the meantime, if you want someone to Nightshade your work for you, please let me know. I have offered this before, and I will offer it again. Email me at [email protected] with your artwork, and let me know you'd like me to Nightshade it for you. There will always be some artifacts, but I will work with you until you are happy with the result.

Lastly, I know my messages are working because I keep getting people spreading misinformation that these things don't work. Please know that I have done the research, I do have a personal stake in this (because hundreds of my pieces are part of Midjourney now) and I am only posting this because I truly believe this is the way to fight back against plagiarism machines.

I don't know why people are so angry when I post about them. I know people don't all have access, which is why I'm offering my resources to help. I know this is a new technology, which is why I read through the boring scientific paper myself so I can validate the claims.

This is the last post I'll make on the matter. If you want to ask questions, fine, but I don't really have the mental capacity to argue with everyone anymore, and I'm not going to.

[iamafanofcartoons]

i'll be real. you blazed a post onto my dash. i'm gonna block you. rules are rules. figured i'd help you out before i do.

you really want to know why the youtube algorithm is bad? positive feedback loops. not positive as in good, but positive as in they grow larger over time.

youtube's recommendation algorithm is partially based off of what it learns from users. it takes in all kinds of data on what users watch--the uploader, the title, the tags, the thumbnail, the description, anything it can glean from the audio and visuals, whatever. you name it, google's probably holding it. they dont have yottabytes upon yottabytes of data for nothing.

importantly, though, is that they also keep track of what the user watches Next. see, google (as with most social media that uses an ad revenue model) will run studies, where they try out different experimental algorithms created from viewership data on different users and see what is more likely to get users to click through. how they create these experiments is pretty complicated, and i'll save you the technogore. think of it as making tons of algorithms that each think different combinations of aforementioned viewership data at different amounts are the reason why that viewer made their choice, then projecting that onto all users to inform future suggestions. trust me, that's the easy way to think about it.

what makes it a positive feedback loop? well, recall that i said the algorithms are created on viewership data. the successful one(s) is/are then used to inform future recommendations. that data is then used to further experimentally tweak the algorithm. the choices user make influence the algorithm. what influences the choices users make? the algorithm. as time moves on, the algorithm becomes more and more biased until youtube decides to make more dramatic changes to influence things in a different direction (remember the change to favor runtime? then to favor watch-through?)

here's where i get all communist, and why i felt compelled to write all this. youtube isn't fixing shit about this system. why would they? people are clicking through recommendations at insane rates! they're watching more videos! and sure, a general societal right-wing bias might have positive feedback looped into turning the website into a facism pipeline, but google is making so much fucking money from gathering an insane amount of information from users that can be used in ad targeting the whole time. even if youtube itself struggles with profitability, even if people like. kind of say stuff about the problem but never really do anything about it at a large scale, even if people are being redpilled, why should google care when they make more money than anyone could even comprehend? until capitalism is overthrown, there will be a shit algorithm.

blocking channels is a start, but there will always be more shitty things to block (just like how there's always blazed posts for me to block the OPs of). apps that bypass youtube accounts and privacy loss (youtube vanced and newpipe) are privacy tools first, kind of hit or miss when it comes to the algorithm. never looked into the source code of them, but, if you ask me, it's either some amalgamation of everyone's recommendations who use those apps, a "default" algorithm, or one that's kind of tailored to you as youtube slowly worms its way into identifying you by your device and ip address.

point is, dont hold your breath waiting. keep looking for tools, keep spreading the word, keep finding ways to support content you like so the artist isnt reliant on ad revenue. dont keep throwing your money at tumblr, though, they really dont need it. they really never needed it. buy yourself a nice fuckin sandwich. everybody deserves a nice sandwich.

god, i'm going to look dumb if my ask gets deleted when i block you in five seconds. you have a good night.

Soo...yeah....this was based on this post

Basically I'm sick and tired of people like Manga_Kamen, Vexed Viewer, WatermelonCube, and other people raging about how they hate something that others like, and how people are supposed to hate what they hate.

I just wanted to give people the opportunity to remove those hate videos from their search results, so that they can at least find what they're looking for, using Youtube search.

#youtube #youtube search #rwby youtube #youtube algorithm

[somekndofnature]

No Other Way #25

One more to add to my domaystic2022 and hopefully not the last for the day. We’ll see.  Still trying to get as many in before the end of the year as I can, lol.

So, the end of this is kind of new for me; I’ve never written about the whole Inu family before, but squee! It’s so soft that I can’t stand it. I know I'm probably stretching the bounds of this prompt a bit. No one actually says 'doctor's orders' but it's in the same vicinity. I freaking love how it turned out, though. Oh, and if anyone is curious about the lullaby, it's called Goodnight by The Rembrandts. I normally don't like to add song lyrics directly into a piece, but I really couldn't resist with this one. 

Day 25: Doctor’s Orders

Fandom: Inuyasha; Modern MMA AU

Pairing: Inuyasha/Kagome + a little dash of Moroha

Rating: G

AO3

But At Least We Could Sleep, It's All That We Need

“Kagome! Stop!” Inuyasha called, chasing her swish of raven hair through the apartment. “You need to take it easy.” 

A rattling round of coughing answered and he cringed, wondering how much it hurt for her to even take a breath right now. He caught her at the door as she was slipping into her coat. Inuyasha grabbed her arm, pulling her back when she drew her green scarf from the hook by the door.

“I’m fine,” she dismissed with a sniffle. “What I need is to make this study group tonight. It’s important.” 

“Your health is important, too. You’re sick, Kagome. You’ve been coughing for days and it’s only getting worse.”  

“I’m not sick,” she replied, while wrapping her scarf around her neck. “I don’t have time to be sick.”

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. “Well, whether you have time for it or not doesn’t change fucking reality. You need to see a doctor.”  

“Look,” she reasoned while shaking off his grip. “I’m not running a fever; it’s just a little tickle. I’ll be fine.”   

He growled under his breath. “It’s not a little tickle; you can barely breathe without hacking up a lung.”  

“Stop exaggerating.” Kagome pulled her backpack from the floor in the entryway and slung it over her shoulder. 

She turned and stepped into her shoes but Inuyasha moved to block the door. “No. I’m not letting you go.” 

She went still, mouth tightening into a thin line. “What? You’re not letting me? Since when do you let me do anything?” 

“Since you’ve decided that your stupid classes are more important than your well-being.”

She drew her head back and he almost winced, knowing that he had just stuck his foot in his mouth. “I’m so glad to know that you think my education is stupid.” 

“That’s not what I’m saying,” he snapped. “I’m saying your life is more important.”

“My life? It’s a cold, Inuyasha,” she said in a dry tone. “I think I can handle it.”

“So, you admit it,” he replied with a smirk, crossing his arms over his chest. “You have a cold.”

Her mouth dropped open in surprise before twisting into an angry pout. “No, I’m fi–” She was cut off by a ragged cough that had her doubling over and his stomach twisting with anxiety. 

“‘Gome.” Inuyasha stepped forward and rubbed soothing circles into her back. “Please, you need to be in bed.” 

She finally drew in a fragile breath and straightened, already shaking her head as she waved him off.  “I’m not arguing about this anymore. I’m gonna be late.”  

“Dammit, Kagome. Quit being an idiot.” 

Her jaw bunched with tension. “Let’s not start with the name calling. I could think of a few choice phrases for you.” 

“Oh yeah? What?” he snarked. “Concerned loved one trying to keep an inconsiderate dummy from spreading the plague?”

She scowled. “How about, an overprotective jerk who won’t get out of my way!”

“For good fucking reason.” 

Kagome brushed the hair out of her face and dug into the pocket of her coat. “Look, I’ll wear my mask so I won’t ‘spread the plague’”

“And? What the fuck does that matter?” Inuyasha shouted, his temper starting to get the better of him. “I don’t give a shit about other people, Kagome. I give a shit about you!”

She rolled her eyes. “Well, with heartfelt sentiments like that, why would I ever leave?” 

“Shut-up,” he snapped, his face pinching in a furious glare. “You’re just being bitchy because you know I’m right.”

She released a stunned gasp and took a step back, blinking rapidly. 

Inuyasha grimaced, realizing that he had just shoved that wayward foot firmly down his throat. “‘Gome–” 

“Why do you always have to be such an asshole?!” she interjected, voice flat with cold fury as she pushed past him to grab the doorknob. “I get that this stuff doesn’t matter to you but you could at least try and pretend to care for my sake, considering you ‘give a shit’ about me.” 

“But–” 

“You know, I’ve been trying to tell myself that it’s sweet how concerned you are about me, but you communicate it in the most insulting and condescending way that it’s impossible.” She yanked the door open, inviting an icy wind into their apartment. “I’m leaving. Besides, I obviously need this review session since I’m such a dumb selfish bitch!”  

He grabbed her arm, yanking her to a stop. “Kagome–” 

“Inuyasha.” She said his name so quietly, but he knew that tone; Kagome was fed up with him for the time being. She looked down at his grip on her arm and back into his eyes. “Let. Go.”

He released her like she had shocked him, unable to cobble together any words of apology before she flew out the door, slamming it behind her. Inuyasha caught the retreating scent of her tears and cursed, leaning against the wall at his back. That had been a disaster and all because he couldn’t keep control of his fucking mouth. Now, not only was his girlfriend running through the streets of Tokyo with a serious illness…she was crying.

He banged his head against the plaster repeatedly, replaying the entire argument and flinching at each at every misstep. Had he seriously called her bitchy?

Kagome was right; he was an asshole. Somehow, his concern for her had transformed into righteous indignation, more annoyed that she wasn’t listening to him than hurting herself. She could just be so infuriating when she was being unreasonably stubborn, and damn, could that woman argue. She knew exactly what to say, exactly how to back him into a corner, exactly how to make his blood boil, and it drove him insane. However, with the heat of his anger beginning to cool and remorse taking its place, the only thing he could manage to feel was worry over her safety.

—---------------------------------------------------------- 

It was a surprisingly short time later that Inuyasha’s ear flicked towards the hushed sound of the front door opening and closing. He closed his laptop and slung his legs over the edge of the couch before placing it on the table in front of him. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, threading his fingers together and cracking his joints as he waited for her with a held breath. 

Kagome came around the corner, leaning against the wall and looking anywhere but at his face. She seemed worse than when she left. The pink patches on her cheeks had darkened to a shiny red and several damp strands of inky hair were stuck to her cheeks and forehead. 

“You’re home early,” he said, breaking the tense silence.  

She cleared her throat, scraping her nail against the paint. “They sent me home.” 

“Did they, now?” Inuyasha straightened, unable to stop a smug smile from gracing his lips. “I wonder why.” 

Kagome sniffed and immediately dissolved into a coughing fit that doubled her over for several seconds. He checked the urge to rush to her side but cringed in sympathy. When she finally straightened, her skin had lost any semblance of color. 

“I’m sure you can guess why,” she said breathlessly, sounding like her voice had been raked over gravel. 

“So, I was right.” 

“Yes,” she snapped. “You were right, Inuyasha; I’m an idiot.” Kagome looked down at her bare feet. “I’m just as stupid as you think I am.” 

Inuyasha winced and pushed onto his feet, moving to her side. “Hey, come on. I don’t think you’re stupid, ‘Gome. I know how smart you are; that’s what makes it even more frustrating when you won’t listen to me, even when I know I’m right.” He brushed some of the hair out of her face. “But I still shouldn’t have said all of those things, I’m sorry.” 

She finally looked up at him with her bottom lip trembling and fresh tears gathering in her blue eyes. “Does that mean you don’t think I’m a bitch either?” she asked, her tight voice melting into sobs. 

“Fuck.” Inuyasha’s heart clenched as he pulled her into his arms, worried to find that her body had turned into a furnace. “Baby, of course not. I was being an idiot.” 

“Are you sure?” she cried against his chest, hugging him tight. “I know I was being hard headed and I’m sorry. I just really need to do well on this next test. My first one was horrible!” 

He glanced to the side and just kept from sighing as he drew his claws through her soft hair. “I remember.” She had been so upset and disappointed in herself, it had left her depressed for days. “I get why this is so important to you, ‘Gome. It’s not that I don’t support you. It’s just…to me, nothing will ever be as important as your well-being.” 

Her continued sobs morphed into uncontrollable coughing. Kagome's hands fisted into the back of his shirt, clinging to him as she tried to take an unimpeded breath. Inuyasha rubbed the flat of his palm up and down her spine, whispering gentle reassurances until she settled. She sagged against him and rested her forehead against his chest, panting heavily. 

“You sound worse,” he said in a gentle tone. 

“I feel worse,” she replied, peeking up at him through her bangs. “Will you still take care of me, even though I was being a brat?” 

Inuyasha gazed down at her, any lingering anger evaporating at her uncertain and adorable request. “Like you have to ask.”

He leaned down and swept his hand under her knees, scooping her into his arms. Kagome didn’t even flinch. She went limp against him with a relieved sigh, as if standing on her feet had taken more energy than she had to spare.  

“Thank you.” She snuggled into his chest. 

Inuyasha frowned while carrying her into their bedroom. “Yeah well, it doesn’t come without conditions. You need to listen to me until you’re better.” 

Kagome released a delicate snort. “Or what?” 

“Or I might just lose that fancy thermometer you bought,” he replied with a dark brow raised in warning. “I think all we’ll have left after that is the glass one in the first aid kit.”

Her mouth fell open at the implication and a startled laugh escaped her. “You wouldn’t dare.” 

“Try me,” he said, bringing his face close to hers so she could see the determination in his eyes. “I want you healthy again. So unless you want me to put you over my knee, I suggest you cooperate.” 

Kagome scowled at him before scoffing and waving a hand through the air. “Fine, fine. I won’t fight you, cross my heart.” 

“Good girl.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead as he stepped through their doorway and paused, brows drawing down in concern. “You really are hot.” 

“Thank you,” she quipped with a wink. 

Inuyasha shook his head, an amused smirk turning his lips as he placed her on the bed. “You’ve been spending too much time with Miroku.” 

“Actually, I think I’m just a little delirious,” she admitted with a chuckle, bringing her hand to her head.

He crouched down in front of her, brushing his fingers through her damp hair. “We’ll take care of that, just sit here and get comfortable. I’ll make something to eat and grab you some medicine. You’ll start feeling better soon.” 

“I hope so.” 

Inuyasha cupped her face. “I’ll do my best, baby.” 

Kagome covered his hand with her smaller one. “Thank you for taking care of me.” 

“That’s all I wanted to do from the beginning; if you just woulda let me.” 

“I know,” she replied, nuzzling into his touch. “I’m sorry for making you worry.” 

“Keh, what else am I supposed to do when you’re sick?” he asked while getting back to his feet. 

“I love you.” Kagome looked up at him with those wide vulnerable blue eyes and he nearly melted into a puddle at her feet. 

Inuyasha leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss to her chapped lips. “Just relax, ‘Gome. You’re the most important thing in this world. So, focus on getting better.” 

“I will,” she said with a nod which he echoed before heading toward the door. “Wait, Inu.” 

He paused and looked back at her with a raised brow. “What’s up?” 

“I really need a hot bath,” she answered, plucking at her damp shirt with a distasteful grimace. 

He scowled. “Not until we get that fever down.” 

“But I’m all sticky and sweaty and freezing,” she argued with a shiver. “I feel disgusting.”

“Kagome,” he warned with a firm look.  

She deflated and glanced down at her feet, rubbing her arm. “Fine, I’ll listen.” 

His brows furrowed at her downtrodden tone. “Baby, I’m not saying you can’t, just not right now. Let’s make sure we take care of the important things first, yeah?”

“Okay, I’ll be good.” 

“Thank you.” Inuyasha released a relieved sigh before heading into the kitchen to heat up some soup for her.  

Hours later, he sat against the headboard of their bed with Kagome curled in his lap, her drowsy head resting on his chest. The medicine had kicked in, quieting her cough and bringing her fever down. After a meal and a bath, she had finally settled, no longer complaining about being ‘gross’. He scoffed, like that mattered when she was this sick, but at least she was comfortable. 

Inuyasha sighed; he was taking her to the doctor tomorrow if he had to drag her there, kicking and screaming. Not like he would enjoy it, but he would do what needed to be done. Her health was too important to risk. He shook his head. Why the woman had to be so damned stubborn was beyond him. Didn’t she know that she was his everything? Precious and vital. 

She coughed again, the sound wet and painful. He winced, nuzzling into her hair and breathing in her sweet soft scent. 

Kagome moaned and shifted against him. “Inuyasha?” 

“What is it, baby?” he asked, pressing a kiss against her forehead.  

“Sing to me?”

Inuyasha grumbled and rolled his eyes. “Really?” 

“Please,” she whined, curling her fist into his shirt. “It always makes me feel better.” 

“Fine.” He took a deep breath releasing the soft first notes of a well-worn lullaby, accompanied by her contented sigh. “When you need someone that you can turn to. Honey, don’t you know that you can turn to me…”

—----------------------------------------------------------

Over a decade later, Inuyasha sat in the same bed with his daughter curled in his lap, her small body radiating a deep heat that was making him sweat. Moroha released a string of coughs that rattled in her lungs, the sound tightening his face into a grimace. Her quarter-demon blood meant that she rarely suffered from the same maladies as other children her age, but when she did, it was a doozy. He shushed her and pressed a soft kiss against her forehead. 

“Should we take her to the hospital?” Kagome asked from the doorway. 

“Nah,” he replied with a confident shake of his head. “She’ll be alright until we can see the doctor tomorrow. Her fever is already starting to come down.” 

“Are you sure?” She stepped closer, a fresh cold compress held in her outstretched hand. 

Inuyasha nodded as he took it from her, slipping the wrapped cold pack beneath his daughter's shirt. 

Moroha shivered, squirmed, and tried to shake him off. “No, I don’t want it. I’m so cold, Daddy.” 

“I know,” he soothed, rubbing his hand up and down her arm. “I know, babygirl, but this will help bring that fever down.” 

She snuggled deeper into his chest, seeking out his warmth the same way she had since she was a baby. “I hate this.”

Kagome’s eyes pinched as she laid a soft hand on their child’s head. “We hate it too, sweetheart, but this will help.” 

Inuyasha patted the mattress beside him, inviting his wife to join in this comforting familial embrace. She looked as exhausted as their daughter did, and he knew that if Moroha was this sick from a little bug, Kagome would no doubt be suffering from the same in a few days. She released a soft relieved whimper and climbed onto the bed, snuggling into his side and weaving her arms around one of his. 

“I feel so helpless,” she said with a sigh as their daughter fitfully dozed, sniffling and moaning every few seconds.  

Inuyasha leaned over, pressing a kiss against her temple. “We’re doing everything we can, ‘Gome. Let that medicine have some time to work; you just gave it to her.” 

“Yeah. It just makes me feel like such a bad mom. I’m supposed to take care of her and I just can’t do anything.”

“What the fuck are you talkin’ about?’’ he chastised, disentangling his arm from her to wrap it around her body. 

Kagome frowned and poked him in the side. “Inu, language.” 

“Keh, she ain’t listening to me right now,” he said in a dismissive tone. “You’re a great mom, ‘Gome, the best she could have, but you’re not a miracle worker. We’ll take her to the doctor tomorrow, she’ll be fine.” 

“Okay,” she sighed, settling her cheek against his chest and brushing her fingers through Moroha’s damp dark hair. “I just can’t help but worry. Is this how you feel every time I’m sick?”

He snorted. “Worse. This little girl has my blood in her after all, I know she’ll be alright eventually but you? Who the hell knows how bad you can get.” 

“Well, excuse me for being just a piddly weak human.” 

“You’re excused.” 

She scoffed and gave a light admonishing smack to his chest. “You married me; you knew what you were getting into.” 

“Yep,” he affirmed, rubbing his hand along her side. “And I wouldn’t change it for the world.” 

Kagome looked up at him, her bloodshot blue eyes wide and vulnerable. “Yeah?” 

“Don’t be stupid, of course.” 

She dropped her gaze back down to Moroha, running her fingers over her cheek. “If you had settled down with a youkai or even a hanyou she wouldn’t be–” 

“Stop,” Inuyasha interrupted. “She also wouldn’t be Moroha, my baby girl.” He nuzzled into Kagome’’s hair. “A little bit of you, a little bit of me…she’s perfect, warts and all.” 

She released a breathy laugh. “She doesn’t have warts.” 

“You know what I mean.” He brushed his lips across her forehead. “It’s just a cold, ‘Gome. Don’t go having an existential crisis over it.” 

“I’m not having a crisis,” she grumbled, settling more comfortably against his side. 

Moroha squirmed in his lap, releasing a string of hacking coughs before groaning in discomfort. “Daddy?” 

“What is it, kiddo?” 

“Will you sing to me?” 

Inuyasha released an affectionate chuckle at her childlike request. “See? Just like her Mama.” 

“Please?”

“Of course, babygirl.” He started humming a familiar lullaby, the deep sound reverberating in his chest as both girls snuggled closer. 

Before long, they were asleep against him, breathing deeply. Inuyasha sighed and felt a twinge of guilt at the contentment coursing through him. The truth was, he loved moments like this–not that he loved when his kid was sick–but the peace and tranquility he found in their mutual embrace was soul-soothing. When they were both in his arms, he knew that nothing could touch them and, while he was concerned for his daughter, he had meant it when he told Kagome that he was confident of her swift recovery. She was a strong girl; his iron will coupled with her mother’s softness, an impeccable little gift of which he rarely thought himself worthy. Kagome and Moroha were everything to him and he relished the quiet moments when he was allowed to bask in their presence…his girls…his family…his home. 

He cradled his daughter’s head against his chest, parting his lips to deliver the last line of the same lullaby he had sung to her mother over the years. “Goodnight my sweet angel, I’ll see you when you rise.” 

#domaystic2022 #day 25 #sfw #inuyasha #kagome #moroha #inuyashaxkagome #inukag #inukagmor #fanfiction #inuyasha fanfiction #hurt/comfort

[topazy]

Inside, outside

Pairing: 10k x reader, Addy Carver x sister reader

Warnings: Swearing, violence

Chapter: 4.04

When 10k walks up behind you and whispers into your ear, “I've been thinking about us getting married and I've got an idea to run by you.”

“Yeah?” You raise your brows, curious as he looks back at Doc, who winks at him. “What is it?”

He opens his mouth to tell you but stops when Murphy starts loudly complaining, sounding like a child. “This place is a total dump, and I feel like we’ve been here before.”

He was right; you’d walked by the same pile of rubbish several times. Warren had led you into a very large junkyard full of abandoned vehicles and furniture that people had left behind before fleeing. Despite how large the area was, you seemed to be walking in circles.

10k rolls his eyes and looks back down at you, “so I was thinking, when we get married, you’ll take my last name.”

“Uh... yeah,” you answered. 10k had already asked you previously, so you were confused why he was asking again.

“I’m not the same person I was when the apocalypse started, and I wanted to change my last name.”

“To what? Carver?” You laughed.

“Beck.”

A warm feeling spreads in your chest. He wanted to share a name with the man who had become like a father to him. “That’s so sweet, Tommy. I’m guessing you’ve already spoken to Doc about this?”

He nodded, “Yeah, but only if you're cool with it. If not, I’ll just keep my old last name, it’s just post-apocalypse he’s been... you know, there. I still love my pa but-”

How could you ever deny such a sweet request?

Hearing the strain in his voice, you held his hand, “of course. I’d be honoured to share a name with you and DOC!” You yelled, knowing the Doc was listening in. He smiled proudly and waved over. “I think we should keep this between the three of us for now. It will be a nice surprise for Warren on the day.”

You obviously knew your big day wasn’t going to be a typical traditional wedding, but it would be a nice distraction from all the chaos and death that had been happening. Plus, it gave the others something to look forward to.

—

“Will Addy be there when you get married?” Lucy asks casually while you try to scavenge anything useful from a van that has once carried scrap metal.

“I hope so,” you say, forcing a smile.

“You’re lying.”

You frown at the young girl, “Excuse me?”

“Addy doesn’t even know. You haven’t spoken to her in nearly two years.”

You try to shrug off Lucy’s accusing tone and block out the memory of the last time you spoke to your sister.

“You left me again!”

The young girl was right about your sister not knowing about your engagement, but that’s because she disappeared on you, again.

“Lucy, that’s enough,” Murphy told his daughter. The blue-skinned girl let out a huff and stormed ahead. Murphy shrugged, “I’ve no idea where she gets the attitude from.”

“It will remain a bigger mystery than who shot JFK.”

Murphy let out a sarcastic laugh before rambling about Warren being lost, which seemed likely given you were basically stuck inside a no-man's zone. Noticing a bloody handprint on the side of a car, you stretched your arm out to stop Murphy from going any further forward. He frowned, “What is it?”

“Oh shit,” you said, pointing to the handprint. “This is fresh blood, we know what that means.”

“No, what does it mean?”

“We aren’t alone here.”

—

“How are you doing, kid?” The Doc asks, putting his arm around your shoulder. “10k told me what went down between you and your sister. I’m sorry.”

“I really thought she was dead, you know? The fact that she let me think that for so long while knowing I was hurt.”

“I’m sure she came here for reasons,” he says, trying to make you feel better. “I’m also sure as hell she’s never stopped loving you.”

“Thanks, Doc,” you say sincerely. “It means a lot—what was that?”

You spin around to search for the sound of growling. Hearing the noise getting louder, you take a step back until your back hits against a caravan.

10k walks slowly towards you with his gun aimed at the broken window that’s centimetres away from your head. “Don’t move,” he says quietly before taking a shot. “It’s a zombie rat.”

You practically leap forward to get away from, “Did you just say rat?”

Warren calls out for everyone to run before he can answer. You turn to see four zombie rats the size of cats coming in your direction.

—

When you finally manage to lose the rodent that had been snapping at your ankles, you crouch down beside a bus to catch your breath.

“Help!”

Your head snaps in the direction of yelling, your eyes falling on Lucy, who is being carried by a man dressed in all black onto the bus. Her body was covered in some kind of metal chain, preventing her from escaping. This was bad. You notice Murphy and click your fingers to get his attention. He goes to say something, but you put your fingers to your lips and then cover me as you pull your gun from its holster.

He nods, understanding the plan. You hear 10k calling your name in the distance but ignore it, knowing if you answer him, the man could possibly kill Lucy.

You slowly walk onto the bus, and push back the sheets that are hung up. When you push back the fourth one, the man greets you with a punch to the face before kneeing you in the gut, which sends you backwards. Murphy lunges for him while Lucy manages to get herself loose from the chains. When the man is on the ground, Murphy grabs hold of Lucy with one hand and pulls you up with the other.

A familiar snarling sound fills the small space; your fight has woken the dead. “Quickly, let’s go.” You say you are jumping off the bus. When you get off, you struggle to close the bus door, keeping the dead along with the man inside. “Help me close this!”

Murphy helps you lock the man in, and all three of you walk away while he screams for help. Usually you would feel guilty, but killing a man who was trying to kidnap a child didn’t make you feel bad.

—

You spot the rest of your group and make your way towards them swiftly. 10k sprints towards you, “What the hell happened? Where did you go?”

“I’ll be fine.” He swipes his thumb across your bottom lip, wiping away the blood and inspecting your nearly formed bruise, and gives you a sceptical look. You let out a sigh, “Some guy tried to kidnap Lucy.”

“Thanks for the help!” Murphy storms up behind you. “Where the hell are you guys?! Huh?”

“I didn’t hear anything. I was too busy running from Z rats,” Doc explains.

Sarge adds, “I got here as soon as I could.”

Before his eyes finally land on 10k, Murphy looks at all of you in disbelief. “What about you, huh? Where were you? Don’t you care about anyone else?”

“Them, I care about. You, not so much.”

10k pushes you out of the way when Murphy lunges for him, grabbing him by the shirt tightly. When Doc fails to separate them, you climb onto one of the cars and fire two shots into the sky to get their attention. Everyone turns and stares at you, “Murphy, let him go now.” Reluctantly, he lets go of the 10k. “There will be a time and place to settle the score between us, but this isn’t it. If we don’t work together, we will die.”

“She’s right,” Doc says. “Teamwork makes the dream work.”

—

After encountering Enders who stole most of your belongings, you find yourself sitting in a broken down caravan having an intervention for Warren.

She clears her throat, nervous about the moments to come, “an intervention?”

“Well, you are leading us deeper and deeper into the bowels of zombie hell. We're all going to die horrible, painful deaths, gnawed by zombie rats or worse, if we don’t change course immediately,” Murphy says harshly.

“For God's sake, Alvin,” you glare at him before turning your gaze to a tearful Warren and taking her hand in yours. “We believe in you. We always have and will follow you anywhere, but recently you seem to be confused about what our plan is. Which is totally okay; you just need to let us know so we can help you.”

“I've got something to say,” 10k says while swinging down from the hatch on the roof. “Yeah, and Murphy’s still acting like he’s the freaking blue messiah. It’s really pissing me off.”

“This is about Warren,” Murphy states. “This is not a free for all.”

“Oh, Warren? I've got no problem with her.”

Everyone, aside from Murphy, laughs at 10k’s response before he goes back to keeping watch. You shake your head and say, “I’m going to help him keep watch.”

Warren gives you a go ahead nod. Both of you know 10K is a quiet person and wouldn’t have said anything unless he was seriously mad. You thought it was best to keep him and Murphy separate before your group started moving again.

—

Your stomach drops, a heavy pit forming as you look down. You will admit that following Warren as she wandered off on her own seemed like a good idea, but now you were clinging onto metal bars at the top of a telecommunications tower while Z’s surrounded you below. You face Warren, who had a blank expression on her face, “Now what?”

You watch in confusion as she ignores the questions and stares at her hand intensely. Eventually she says, “How can you have deja vu for a place you’ve never been?”

“What?”

As your grip becomes weaker, the Z’s suddenly begin to run away. You take the opportunity to climb down. Warren points east before running in the opposite direction. “See if you can find a working car!”

“Warren! What the hell?”

Doing what she says, you quickly start trying to find any vehicle that works. A loud explosion rings out, and you are knocked off your feet and hit the ground with a thud.

—

“Astra, come on, wake up.”

Your eyes flutter open and you see 10k looking down at you. He helps you sit up, and you begin coughing up dirt and dust that has gotten into your lungs from the explosion. He explains that Lucy found a Z. It was strapped to a Grenada and she tried to help it.

“Is anyone hurt?” 10k rubs your back as you take a drink of water.

He shakes his head before pressing a kiss to her lips. “You need to seriously stop leaving my side.”

I choked out a laugh before standing up. You extended your hand to pull 10k up, “remember a few months ago you complained about being bored?”

“I’m definitely not bored now.” He points towards the rest of your group, who’s heading in your direction. “I think Warren has completely lost it.”

“She has. She looked like she was tripping before, but it’s something else.” You smile when they approach you, glad to see nobody was hurt. “Where to now?”

“Well, there’s still time for you guys to get to Newmerica,” Warren says. “I’m going east. It doesn’t feel like I have much of a choice, but you do.”

“Yeah, I don’t know,” Doc shrugs. “You know, I do hate it when we split up. I will go where you go.”

“Me too,” Lucy smiles.

10k slings his arm over his shoulder and chuckles, “You’ve got us for life.”

She winks at him before Murphy gives her a long-drawn out comment about following her. You watch as Sarge squints at something in the distance, and “oh shit,” you pull your knife out. “Puppies and kittens!”

Everyone starts to run before the Z’s can catch up with you, blindly following Warren to the east.

#z nation #10k x reader #10k x you #z nation 10k #z nation fanfiction #10k z nation #doc z nation #z nation warren #10k/oc #10k/you #10k/reader #z nation tommy #z nation fandom #inside outside

[icefrozendeadlyqueen]

Enforcers: Prologue

Enforcers | Prologue

Warning: None so far

Summary: Enforcers are the government dogs to be prepared when they get called at anytime. They should have read the small print.

a/n: Sorry for the late updated; I was dealing with updating block. I think I will do one update from each Enforcers then reader, so next updated will be reader insert. Hope you enjoy!. This is a reader inset story with co-writers. Gif isn’t mine.

word count: 1089

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lluthra’s POV

 People trust me with their secrets; they really shouldn’t. On the rooftop of the government headquarters. Wide open space with no ac cube, no strings and nothing that could possibly be used to escape. It’s not like she cares what they are doing. Last she saw their last member Redamancy has been in charge of looking after (y/n).

 Ava, X and Taletha had gone to do the first patrol of the morning despite being almost midnight. Stars filled the skies as far as the eyes could register. A beautiful sight not many manage to see; at least not the ones that don’t have our line of work.

 For the time being we are located in a place where there is desolation and desert for as long as the eye can see. There are cactuses here and there with the occasional straight animal. They have train hyenas in this place. If guessed, Area 51, check. Before the last Enforcer got there, we said our names. Introduce ourselves of some short? Lluthra found it stupid way to get close to a person you don’t know will survive the training.

 The key to winning people’s trust is not giving a single shit. At some point, one of your teammates will open their past like a biblical book in the Sahara Desert. They will be the water droplets the desert gets for an eternity to come.

 Once we reach area 51, they allowed us to change from the ceremonial gowns to prefer outfits we brought with us. They told us not to get attach as we would be taking on personas sooner than later. What a bunch of self-centered jackasses.

 Lluthra holds her headset setting it down on the stone in front of her stopping people from jumping off. She slides her finger through the wrap around; she lifted the small object running her fingers through her luscious and long, silver blonde hair keeping it tight in a ponytail.

 “YO! Lluthra”, shouted x from below Lluthra. She leans forward over the stone. On the grounds spread out white/black jeeps, a couple of tanks, etc. There stood X her brunette locks push back with a scrunchies. X wore a strip croptop dark as the color of the skies in the city with black skinny jeans with black converse with a blue star at the front. She holds her cellphone on the front pocket of her skinny jeans. How in the world is x pockets holding her phone is beyond her, Lluthra thinks to herself not wanting to say it out loud. X wore black trucker jacket to complete her outfit with the iconic full gold bracelet that we were to wear if we accepted being Enforcers. She had multiple smaller silver rings alongside her fingers.

 Afterall, we are the government new weapon. Brand new. We don’t know who exactly or what exactly are we chasing after; however, what the hell how do you drop 6 girls in area 51 away from everything to what? Existing. Great. Lluthra sure as hell doesn’t want to live all her life doing nothing in this check point waiting for life to take its course.

 Violet eyes locks with Taletha’s brown eyes, piercing like a medieval sword, for a moment more Lluthra broke eye contact not wanting her soul to be wrap around Taletha rings of death. Lluthra saw it a couple of hours ago when (y/n) stared into Taletha eyes brown eyes pretty common; however, it’s like a compelling secret that you will prefer listening too.

 Taletha stood on x’s right side her fingers inside a leather jacket. Taletha wore a combo of short shorts and a simple strapless white set with a custom leather jacket. It has daisies surrounding a skeleton head with soulless eyes. Taletha wore white fur combat boots to go with the aesthetic of her outfit. She had her phone on her hands staring at x with a smile on her lips to complete her outfit with the iconic full gold bracelet that we were to wear if we accepted being Enforcers.

 “What?”, Lluthra scoff cutting her violet eyes from staring at the girls below her.

 “You wanna come?” laughed Ava, gaining violet eyes to stare down towards the speaker. Ava stood on x’s left side not really looking at anything in particular just side glancing at the soldiers around.

 Ava has shoulder length, brown hair, and eyes. She wore blue jeans with a purple polo shirt with a lilac puffer jacket. She wore black sneakers with butterfly socks. Ava pushes her hands out of her pockets; her hands shaking nonstop.

 “Put your hands inside your jacket, now. Come on”. X reprimanded Ava, who did as she was told entering her hands inside her pockets without a word said.

 “You are all X’s dogs. No thanks”. Lluthra blurts, shaking her head. She swiftly turns around giving the girls her back. Taletha stares at Lluthra anger within her eyes. X places a hand up stopping Taletha from attacking further, “Go get a car with Ava. I’ll be there in a second”. X exclaims, push imaginary hair off her face. X takes a deep breath as Taletha takes Ava from her elbow walking away from X. A chuckle escapes X; she glances back to Lluthra after Taletha and Ava aren’t in hearing distance.

 “You know, it is looking like you’ll be the villain; however, you forgot something very important there can only be one villain. Is this yours?”, x swings her hands and a set of keys go off like cascabels in a carnival.

 Lluthra turns back around, her violet eyes open wide. Her eyebrow furrow down in an angry realization.

 “How the hell!”, Lluthra screams reaching out even though she knows won’t be able to catch the keys. Her momentary memento of something so treasures so important.

 “Between you and I. You will come with us, or I will make sure to delete this from the face of the earth”. X blurts taking a couple of steps back. She turns walking away playing with the keys, “Remember, better luck next time”. Laughs escape her villain Lluthra can hear her at the back of her mind. X laughs getting engraved in her subconscious. Lluthra takes her things in hand rushing for the stairs.

 Lluthra thought she had studied who everyone can amount to and x wasn’t much of a threat.

 I only ever met one person I’d truly call a pain in the ass, and this girl x is sure as hell it.

#enforcers #reader insert #fanfiction #twilight #twilight fanfiction #twilight fandom #Lost Boys #archoniluthradanar #co-writing

[pan-fried-autism]

The North Experiment Part 4: Like Prey in a Trap

Characters: Swap!Grem, Swap!Jack, Swap!M0u5e, Swap!Nikolai (@bowlerhatwearer)

Summary: It seems like Grem and Jack's game of tag has come to an end.

TRIGGER WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER: Stalking, like a boatload of horrible obsessive behaviour, attempted kidnapping, and murder + death. You have been warned.

Grementine was frozen in place. The cold gales of wind blowing from the doorway were practically heavenly compared to the current situation.

How did he find her here? She hadn't made any actual indication she was leaving. Hadn't mentioned it to him last week when he come over with that stupid pearl bracelet. Hadn't even posted about it, since she kept having to block Jack's sockpuppet accounts. The only people she had told were her coworkers.

Jack kept staring down at her, smirk still on his face, waiting for a response.

Ok, ok, what should she do? There wasn't really any way to get help. M0u5e. M0u5e, yeah, she should get him somewhere safe first.

Grem turned to the robot, who still watching the movie.

"M0u5e, go to the bedroom now." she said to him, quickly and urgently.

The tone of her voice brought M0u5e out of her trance.

"What--"

"M0u5e."

M0u5e was about to say something else, but its eyes flicked over to their visitor. Within a second, it was pausing the movie and awkwardly scurrying off to the bedroom, shutting the door behind it.

Grem breathed a sigh of relief, though it was immediately nulled once she faced Jack again.

"H... How did you find me here?" she asked him, voice shaking.

"Eh, wasn't too hard." Jack replied, looking off to the side. "All I knew was that a friend of mine wasn't able to go to the local pub tonight, seeing as she had to cover a coworkers' shift."

He turned to face Grem again, smirk deepening into a menacing smile. "Kaia thinks you're strange, you know that?"

Wha-

Oh.

... That connects some dots.

Jack shook his head a bit, and closed the door behind him. "Whatever. The important thing is, you don't have to run anymore."

The cats eyes widened, and her eyes flattened down. She started to slowly take a few steps back. Jack matched her movements, walking closer to her each time.

Shit, she thought, this is bad, REALLY bad. What do I even do???

Jack was still talking, his facade of cold indifference already slipping a bit.

"It's been a real pain dealing with ya, kitten. Always on the lookout for something I need that just keeps slipping out of my grasp! Even changing your name to something dumb. You've always tried to make it hard for me."

Fuck you, the name change was unrelated, Grem spat at him within her thoughts. She was still backing away from him, Jack still approaching.

Finally, Grem felt herself bump against the counter, a sensation that skyrocketed her heart rate. DAMN IT! She was cornered! She could see Jack's face twisting a little into something between a grimace and a wide grin.

Strings of curses and profanities whipped through her mind as she desperately thought of possible ways to escape. Her hands fumbled around the counter and brushed against the handle of one of the drawers.

An idea sprang forth-- a knife! She could stab him somehow!

Grem started speaking gibberish a little loudly, like "Ah, uh, Jack-- you-- uh..." and fumbled with the handle behind her, trying to open the drawer and search for a knife, or really anything sharp.

Unfortunately, Jack had came prepared.

Seeing the cats hands at the drawer, he quickly moved his arm and hand around Grem to the base of her neck, and in one swift motion, Grem was off the ground, held by her scruff.

Now was when she was really, truly trapped.

Panic filled Grems mind and spread throughout her being. She felt her limbs go numb, being limp and unmoving no matter how hard she tried. She begged at least an arm to move, to slash Jack's face, to do something.

Jack watched the fear and panic in Grem's face grow and grow, and chuckled with a horrible delight, muttering "silly kitty" to himself.

The hare walked away from the counter (still holding Grem), and stood in the living room, near a wall. He said nothing for a few seconds, before looking back at Grem and raising his eyebrow callously.

"You know..." he started,

"I don't know why you won't give me another chance. I always try and check up on you. And I bring you nice gifts I think you'll like. Hell, I even left you alone for a while when you 'needed it.'"

He looked away from Grem again, eyebrows now furrowing.

"... and yet, you don't appreciate or care about one god damn second of it." he hissed in her face, malice coating every word.

Grem said nothing, too scared to make a sound.

Jack continued.

"You can't bring yourself to care when someone else does. Not in high school, not five years ago, not even now when I come for a visit. You've KNOWN this is all I ever wanted, especially with YOU, and you don't give a shit. I mean, I guess I can give you a pass, considering... y'know.

"But now I got you where I want you. And I'm not letting you go this time."

His deep, angry frown was curling up into a wide, toothy grin, his eyes widening and staring deeper into Grem, whose eyes were spilling tears.

Quickly his expression changed to a more neutral one, though you could see the hidden rage if you looked at him for more than a second. He took a deep breath before speaking yet again.

"Now, Claire-bear, here's what we're going to do.

"I'm going to put you down on the couch, and I'm going to pack up your belongings. We're going to walk back to the parking lot, we're getting into my car, and I'm driving us back to the house.

"And finally--" he looked off past Grem, a wistful expression forming-- "FINALLY, we'll be able to spend our lives together.

"Got that, kitten?"

Grem said nothing, trying to form words through the cloud of tears and hatred, and the lump in her throat, though both eventually went away.

"Jack," she snapped at him, " I'm not going anywhere with y--"

Jack quickly lunged forward and slammed Grem against the wall, which caused her to yowl.

"Got that, kitten?" he repeated fiercely, not even bothering to hide the 10 years of pent up fury within in being.

Combined with the fear and newfound pain in her back and head, a new feeling came over Grem-- despair. She really couldn't get out of this, could she? No internet, no phone in the cabin, miles away from everyone else, and the only other person anywhere here was waiting for her to come over TO him. What could she do?

Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she finally whispered, "... Yeah."

Jack's expression changed to neutral once again, and he smirked, pleased with the outcome. "That's what I thought." he quipped.

Jack removed her from the wall and carefully placed her on the couch, bending down to meet her eyes.

“Stay here, and don’t move. I’ll know if you do.” He stated.

He quickly got back up straight and walked to the bedroom door, opening it and going in.

Grem sat down on the couch for a while. Maybe 15 minutes or so.

She sat down and felt the feeling return to her limbs, and she heard Jack opening and closing things, occasionally saying something unintelligible to himself. She heard M0u5e, he was evidently talking to Jacks, saying things like “What are you doing in here?” and “Why are you taking that, Jack?”

She never heard any response.

Jack also went through the kitchen and combed through the cupboards, taking anything he thought was Grems or just thought was needed. So enraptured in the task at hand that he barely noticed anything going on inside or outside the house.

Grem sat for 15 long, long minutes, and felt the life she had built for herself crumple away.

Eventually, Jack had two suitcases and a bag of odds and ends packed. He put one down before grabbing onto Grem’s hand and yanking her onto her feet. The cat stumbled a little before Jack gave her one of the suitcases.

Jack was smiling. Was one of those smiles that never quite reached your eyes. A smile so sweet, it seemed rotten.

“Excellent. This is going good so far,” he remarked to the both of them. He cleared his throat, and spoke again.

“Now, Claire-bear, I'd say it's about time we get ready and get our coats on and stuff. That way we can safely get down the mountain and the snow. You ready to go, wifey?"

She couldn't respond. There were way too many things, awful things running through her mind. One in particular stood out, however.

"... What about M0u5e?" she murmured.

The hare's expression changed to one of confusion. "Uh.. what about it?"

"What are we doing about M0u5e?" Grem implored, anxiety creeping into her tone.

Jacks brow furrowed a little, not in anger but in thought. Seems like he didn't factor the little robot into his plan. After about a minute of thinking, he simply shrugged and responded, "Tell it we'll be back in a bit. I'll be waiting here."

Oh. So we abandon her. That's fantastic. Grem brooded in her thoughts.

Defeated, she turned to go to the bedroom, but something happened that caused both her and Jack to freeze.

There was a knock at the door.

Jack eyed the door. There was no window or even a peephole to see out of. Who in Gods name was that?

Looking back at Grem with distrust in his eyes, he slowly made his way over to the kitchen counter. A drawer was opened, and Grem could hear his hands rummaging through its contents, bumping against woods and metals.

Eventually, Jack closed the door and let out a frustrated grunt, and opened the next one.

Another knock at the door.

She could see his shoulders tense for a moment, then relaxing as he went back to rummaging through the drawer a bit faster than the first. It didn't take long before he pulled out his prize--

A knife. A Chef's knife, specifically. It looked a little old, but it didn't look blunt.

Shit.

A look of triumph on his face, Jack headed back over to the front door. He turned to Grem and held a finger up to his mouth, making a shooshing noise. Hiding the knife behind his back, he opened the front door...

A figure was standing there, in ratty old winter wear.

He was recognizable to only one person in that cabin.

Jack was going to greet him, but his words stopped in their tracks as he took in the sight of... whoever this is.

"... Who the he--"

A dry, bony hand was clasped around his throat, and faster than he could percieve, he was about 15 feet in front of the house. The shock of the cold hit him before the shock of the situation.

The hand around his throat brought him down to face level with whoever (or whatever) had attacked him. The hood on his head covered most of his face, but what he could see was a pale, flaking chin and an angry frown, plus a faint blue glow from under the hood.

From that frown came the coldest voice Jack had ever heard.

"It seems you have overestimated the value of your life, Harris."

After that, all Jack could feel was an absolute, piercing freezing sensation. Until he felt nothing at all.

.......

Nikolai watched the flash frozen body of the hare plummet to the ground, fluffing up the fresh snow around it.

Good. That's one thing off his bucket list.

It only took a second or two for him to turn his attention to the cat in the cabin, though, and he quickly went over to the front entrance, getting as close as he could without being affected by the warmth within (though considering the amount of cold air blowing inside, he could get pretty close).

"Dr. Mewton, are you okay? Did he hurt you?? What on earth happened?!" he spluttered to her, worry creasing his face beneath the hood of the coat.

In the doorway standing there, a frazzled Grementine found herself unable to respond.

She stood taking deep breaths with every second, shivering but not just from the cold.

Neither said anything for a while.

#the whole thing with being immobilized by scruffing is actual cat biology btw #tw stalking #tw obsessive behavior #tw obsessive love #tw obsession #tw kidnapping #the north experiment #swap au #swap!jack #swap!m0u5e #swap!nikolai #swap!grem #grem #dr grementine mewton #nikolai #nikolai akdow #tw attempted kidnapping #tw death #jack harris #m0u5e mewton

[j-a-nuary]

Carrier

Kawan and Sayang

<< first | < backward | masterlist | forward >

Stray Kids Urban fantasy AU (feat. Ateez from time to time) | A “carrier service” exists, seemingly only to get people (usually women) home safe after the trains stop running.

Heavy on bad boys with hearts of… some kind of shiny metal, probably.

Warnings: Honestly, not much. Uh... friendly use of the word whore???

-----

His skin was so warm. Every extra touch just urged Tempawan on to find more. She playfully ran her fingers over his shirt buttons. He muttered something that she wasn't really paying attention to. She was pretty sure that she caught something about a hotel and quickly agreed.

Then Tempawan’s hand was gripped tightly by the man who’s name she had already forgotten. She was letting herself be led through the crowd, towards the exit. She was looking forward to what was about to happen, to letting the man’s touch level out her own thermoregulation issues.

It was at this point, this precise point, that something entirely unexpected happened.

“Shim Tempawan, you absolute whore!”

Automatically, a muscle memory reaction, she spun towards the voice and replied.

“You’re a real piece of shit, Han Jisung!”

The man next to her misread the situation. Probably everyone in the immediate vicinity did. He quickly dropped her hand and ducked behind the nearest person tall enough to hide him.

-----

Changbin was, to say the least, shocked. The list of things that Changbin “had not”, was as follows:

1. Known Little Turtle’s name until this moment.

2. Seen who had dared to call her that. Not until she had addressed the man.

3. Ever even considered that perhaps she would know someone that he knew.

4. Been aware that Jisung was on the premises.

The last one surprised him the most in a way. He often joked with the younger man that he could smell him from three blocks away. That grassy smell that poured off him like cheap body spray.

Speaking of smell…

Changbin noticed the way that Jisung’s nose twitched, and a second later the change hit him as well. No longer was the forest damp and mysterious. Sunlight flooded the woods, bringing a crisper tinge to the smell of Shim “Little Turtle” Tempawan.

She’s happy to see him.

The thought elicited something deep within Changbin. Something that he refused to call jealousy, but made him add another thing to his list;

5. Seen Little Turtle smile so genuinely before.

-----

Jisung was doing his best to appear angry, trying to keep the bit going. But Tempawan had already given up the ghost.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” he asked in a way that, to the casual observer, would seem that he was about to enter a heartbroken rage.

“What am I doing here?” Tempawan shot back, still grinning, still unable to force herself into the old lovers-quarrel-in-public game that she knew so well, “what are you doing here?”

Jisung finally broke, bursting out laughing. He was entirely delighted to run into his old friend here.

Tempawan barely had time to spread her arms out before he hit her like a ton of bricks. After wrapping his arms around her, he swayed back and forth slightly. Tempawan laughed, the man from earlier completely forgotten.

-----

Across the room, a chair hit the floor. The noise was enough to pull Changbin out of the haze of definitely-not-jealousy that had sent him so quickly to his feet.

“What the fuck man?” one of the patrons asked him, annoyed by being bumped by the chair.

Changbin kept his eyes on Jisung and Tempawan as they started talking. Jisung had a tendency to get animated when he was happy. Changbin knew that. He knew that.

6. Seen Little Turtle so excited.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, still keeping his eyes trained on the pair as he bent to pick up the chair.

-----

Tempawan grinned as Jisung started scolding her for not keeping in touch. It was a ridiculous complaint, of course, seeing as how the last time they had seen each other was at least ten years and several thousand kilometers ago.

"How's your sister, by the way?"

She laughed, remembering the crush on Dhia that Jisung had thought he had hidden from everyone. Right up until she herself had sat on his chest and made him admit it. She resisted the urge to tease him about how hard he had cried when he had begged her not to tell her sister.

"Married," she said, "trying to get pregnant."

Jisung’s eyes stretched wide in surprise. He didn't know why he was surprised. Dhia had always been the more family oriented of the two sisters.

"When they're not arguing anyway," she added with a shrug.

“Damn,” Jisung downed the last little bit of his drink before continuing, “that’s crazy. What about you?”

“What about me?” she shrugged, “I work, I sleep,” she waved a hand to gesture at the bar around them, “I go out when the feeling strikes me.”

“So…” Jisung waggled his head, comedically illustrating his prying tone, “not married?”

“Do I seem like the settling type, Jiji?”

He smiled, trying to ignore the way his heart had started beating faster. In a twist of synchronicity, he was also remembering the time she had threatened to beat him senseless if he didn’t tell her about his crush. Luckily, she had believed him when he said it was her sister and not, in fact, her.

Of course, he was no longer a schoolboy. No, he thought to himself, I’m at least a school man.

Do you count as a man?

Jisung cleared his throat, ignoring the second thought.

“So that wasn’t your boyfriend?”

Tempawan cringed, feeling embarrassed at the very thought. How could she be standing here having a perfectly normal catch-up, when she had been so ready to leave with a stranger not even ten minutes ago?

“No, that… he…”

“Ah,” Jisung smiled wider, raising his hands into an apologetic prayer shape, “sorry for the cockblock.”

Tempawan looked at him. She recognized that look. She had gotten very familiar with it over their time of mutual bullying.

“No you’re not,” she retorted.

“No," he didn't bother holding back his grin, "I’m not. But I have the manners to pretend that I am,” he laughed, “come on,” he grabbed her hand and started towards the bar, “let’s get you a drink and find you a new victim.”

-----

Changbin seethed. He had retreated to an empty bit of wall by the pool tables. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, he was far enough away that he couldn’t hear their conversation. But at least he could keep an eye on them.

It was one thing to watch her flirt with random strangers. It wasn’t a great situation, but it was understandable. It was what it was. But this?

Little Turtle was laughing, slapping at Jisung’s chest as Changbin's coworker clearly put on his playfully offended act.

What was worse was the way Jisung was leaning into the friendly assault. The way he couldn’t stop himself from licking his lips when she spoke. How his eyes kept tracing over her.

Changbin grit his teeth as he watched Little Turtle pull Jisung’s hand to her face. She was speaking intently, looking like she was explaining something. Jisung’s eyebrows were knitting together.

Changbin pulled out his phone.

Changbin

Who’s the other carrier on tonight?

Seungmin

Felix. Why?

Fuck. Changbin tucked his phone back into his pocket. So he couldn’t use work as an excuse to get Jisung to leave.

-----

“You two had that animal thing too. Fuck,” Jisung’s eyes widened as he tried to think, “Dhia was… it was like a bunny thing, right?”

“Oh my god, yes!” Tempawan nodded, “Big Rabbit and Little Turtle. And you!” she slapped a hand against his chest, “you got so jealous! You begged us to come up with one for you too.”

“Oh my god…” his blood went icy cold, but he quickly recovered. He fixed a convincing enough embarrassed look on his face and leaned forward slightly, “ah! Don’t remind me. That was so stupid.”

“No,” she protested, “it was cute how much you wanted to be part of everything we did.”

“I guess,” he licked his lips, hoping he could pull off a casual change of topic, “hey, I have a weird question.”

“Yeah? What’s up?” she looked up at him, tucking the straw of her drink between her tongue and her teeth.

What would it taste like?

Do not get distracted, do not get distracted. Just focus Ji, come on. He cleared his throat before asking, “is Wednesday your usual day to go out?”

“Mm-hmm,” she nodded, then shook her head. She placed her cup back onto the bar and frowned, “actually, it’s kind of weird.”

Jisung tilted his head, still trying to focus on the conversation instead of her lips.

“I’m not usually the going out type,” she continued, “but recently I’ve just felt like I need to go out on Wednesdays.”

“Why Wednesdays?” he asked, “you said you work a normal 9-5. Wouldn’t Friday work better?”

“Right?” Tempawan nodded vigorously, “but it’s like a fever or something. Literally!”

Jisung jerked his head, asking a question without words.

“Okay,” she leaned forward, grabbing his hand, “my turn for a weird question, okay?”

“Sure,” he felt like he might be shaking as she touched him.

“Does my skin feel normal?”

She pressed his hand against her cheek.

Jisung felt like he might implode. Her skin was blazing hot, and it sent a shock through him. He licked his lips again, a frown spreading across his features.

Her lips were moving. He could have just leaned down to…

Kiss her.

He blinked, clearing his throat, forcing himself to focus again.

“... -ly doing it to help Dhia, you know? But I feel like it’s a reaction to the medicine. I should honestly talk to the researchers about it.”

“Yeah,” Jisung pretended to have been present for her full explanation, “yeah, if you’re concerned.”

“Well it’s not so much of a concern. Because honestly,” she paused, mulling over her words, “it’s like… I don’t mind the side effects. I’ve been able to loosen up a bit. I always felt like I was missing out by not going out or dating before, so in a way-”

“Sorry,” Jisung interrupted her, finally pulling his hand away from her, “sorry, just explain again. It’s a research thing?”

“Medical trial,” she shrugged.

“Fuck,” he whispered it under his breath, earning a confused look from her. “Sorry,” he shook his head, “I will be right back. Do not go anywhere,” he spoke somewhat sternly now, as if he truly needed her to be there when he got back, “okay? I will be right back and you better still be here.”

Tempawan frowned, but shrugged. She couldn’t say that she hated the change in his demeanor, but she wasn’t ready to unpack that.

“Okay.”

-----

Jisung made his way into the bathroom and quickly sat down in an empty stall. He tugged out his phone.

-----

Jisung rinsed his hands and pushed past the small crowd next to the bathroom. He spotted the man next to Tempawan immediately. He was a little taller than himself, and based on his watch alone was clearly successful. Jisung set his shoulders and started back towards the bar.

“Hey, dickhead.”

Jisung felt a hand on his arm. Turning, he met Changbin’s eye.

“Hyung…”

The air between them was clearly awkward. For some reason Jisung felt momentarily ashamed. He knew how Changbin felt about Little Turtle. Everyone in the company knew. But how was he supposed to know that that Little Turtle was this Little Turtle?

My Little Turtle.

Jisung cleared his throat, watching as Changbin positioned himself with his back towards Little Turtle.

Changbin kept an eye on her through the tacky beer branded mirror behind Jisung. It would just make things worse if she happened to look over and see him. Sure, she wouldn’t recognize him, but what if she asked questions? What if she asked for an introduction? Better to just avoid all that for now.

“Keep your shit together,” Changbin was glaring, maintaining direct eye contact as he spoke, “alright?”

Anyone with two brain cells to rub together could hear the threat in his voice, and Jisung had at least three.

Thus, Jisung bit back the sarcasm threatening to spill out of his mouth. Instead, he nodded.

“You gonna stick around?” he asked.

“Should I?”

The staring match felt like it lasted for ten minutes, but in reality it was more like ten seconds. Jisung broke first.

“Hyung,” he sighed, “it’s not like I’m a danger to her.”

“Oh you’re not?” Changbin feigned surprise, “you’re no danger?”

“Bin, look…”

Changbin cut him off, jabbing a finger into his chest as he spoke.

“It’s at least partially thanks to you that I’ve got this murderous fucking voice in my head, and you’re going to tell me that you’re not a danger?”

“We do not have time to have this conversation again,” Jisung pointed out. “But you and I both know that this is not the same at all.”

Changbin bit his cheek, annoyed that Jisung was at least partially correct.

“Fine,” he spat, “but you better remember that she’s…” for once, he didn’t swallow down the voice in his head, “mine.”

-----

To say that Jisung looked spooked when he returned to the bar would be a gracious description.

“Hey,” he distractedly interrupted the conversation between Tempawan and the man next to her. Clearly still lost in thought, he slipped an arm around the back of her chair and took the space next to her.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Tempawan smiled at him, leaning into his not-quite-an-embrace.

“No problem.”

“Learn to read the room man,” the man with the expensive watch muttered.

Oh perfect, Jisung thought, an outlet.

“Excuse me?” he took a half step closer to Tempawan, curling his arm a bit more protectively about her.

“Hey, kawan,” the Malaysian word fell off her lips easily, trying to comfort him the way she did when they were younger.

Jisung softened up, just barely, as he looked down at her face. How could I have forgotten Little Turtle?

“Yes, sayang?”

She blushed, which only made him feel softer. He was melting at the way she looked at him. The surprise at the word tempered by the way she leaned even closer.

“She was obviously talking to me,” watch-man interjected.

“Hmm,” Jisung let his hand fall onto her arm, running his thumb over the cloth of her blouse. Even through the material, he could feel that ridiculous heat pouring off her skin. “And now I’m back,” he tilted his head to look at Tempawan, “so you don’t need him anymore. Right?”

“Right,” she easily agreed. She didn’t much mind losing another chance at equilibrium. Not when she had a chance to catch up with her childhood best friend.

The man with the watch made a disgusted sound, but picked up his glass and moved to leave.

“Fucking slut.”

Tempawan’s hand intercepted Jisung’s as he reached to try to grab the man’s arm.

“Jiji,” she drew his attention back to her, “let it go. He’s an NPC.”

-----

Minho stood slightly behind Chan. He didn’t like going out, but Chan had asked. He felt tense, keeping his eyes up and roaming over the people milling about the cars.

At least the work chat had proved he wasn’t the only one having a weird night.

Chan focused on the proposed driver, somewhat surprised that he was not, as he had assumed while talking to Bori, a human.

Hyunjin sat on the hood of his car. He had the sort of features that made him look either angelic or evil, depending on the angle. His hair was on the longer side, tied half up, and he had a deceptively easy confidence that Chan recognized as the kind that came in the “make it” phase after years of faking it.

Hyunjin was more curious about Minho than Chan. He always was more interested in the background characters than the head honchos. He felt they were typically more dimensional.

“Is he your…” Hyunjin paused, running his tongue over his teeth, “contributor?”

“You mean donor,” Chan deadpanned.

“I mean donor,” Hyunjin smiled and shrugged, “but I was trying to be polite.”

“I”m not a donor,” Minho didn’t bother looking at the vampire as he spoke. He had already seen him once. No need to keep doing it. “Though we have a contractor for that, if you need it.”

“I didn’t mean to offend,” Hyunjin wished that Minho would look at him. He was quite the charmer if he could just get someone’s attention on him. “But it’s good to know that your business is, hmm,” he cocked his head ingratiatingly, smiling at Chan, “willing to accomodate.”

“That leads me to my next question,” Chan refocused the conversation, “how comfortable are you with killing?”

“Hmm…” Hyunjin let his eyes wander over the crowd around them, “are you asking because you disapprove of it, or because,” he met Chan’s gaze again, “you require it?”

Chan stayed silent. Hyunjin was actually getting a little annoyed by how composed he was. He was getting nothing from this man. No cracks that he could slip through, no hints. He didn’t even know if the human had been brought as a distraction, protection, or advisor. Chan was like a stone statue.

Hyunjin tsked, shaking his head.

“I’m not a fan of it,” he shrugged, “but it’s a useful tool to keep in the box.”

“Right,” Chan nodded, once. “And when you feed?”

“I don’t force it,” a dreamy smile crossed Hyunjin’s features, “mostly because I don’t have to. Like I said, I like to be polite.”

"And your driving record?"

Hyunjin shrugged, "technically I don't exist, so neither does my record. As for my abilities on the road itself?" He patted the hood beneath him appreciatively, "we do fine."

“Alright,” Chan started to turn away, “you’ll be hearing from me.”

-----

"And here I thought we were rid of you."

Changbin hummed a non-answer to Wooyoung's comment, and settled himself onto one of the stools next to the makeshift bar.

Jisung’s appearance tonight had opened his schedule. He had considered just heading back to the hub, to his room, and… doing what, exactly? Sulking? Drinking alone? That wasn’t exactly his style, so here he was.

"We're out of gin," Yeosang started, "what do you w-"

Changbin held up an unopened handle of gin.

"I figured. Call it a donation," he set the bottle on the extremely unfinished countertop of the bar made from old pallets.

Everyone knew that everyone else at game night could easily have afforded to get a proper bar. Just like everyone knew that they didn't need to have the nights in the old warehouse anymore. But old habits die hard. Call it nostalgia, call it dedication to aesthetics. More likely, it was just convenience and habit. Yunho worked nights at the warehouse, why pass up a good enough spot?

Yeosang nodded, picking up the bottle and cracking it open.

"I knew I missed you for a reason," he joked.

"Sure," Changbin rolled his eyes, "like y'all don't secretly hate me."

"Hwa's the only one that hates you," San inserted himself into the conversation, taking a seat next to Bin, "the rest of us are just annoyed with your disappearing acts."

"Don't get all sentimental on me," Changbin joked, "you're doing just fine without me slowing you down."

"Sure, sure," Yeosang nodded, "there's always someone who needs work, and the shipping industry doesn't care who you are."

"Speaking of shipping," Hongjoong laid his arm heavily around Changbin’s shoulders, "I've heard that you might just have a contact with a good moving company."

"Why do you ask? Your girl finally kick you out?"

Hongjoong took the joke in stride, patting Changbin’s back roughly, but laughing loudly.

"Are you offering to take me in?" He lifted his hand from Changbin’s shoulder and delicately ran his fingers through the younger man's hair, "I'm sure I can make it worth your while."

Changbin was used to Hongjoong's proclivities. Where a less secure man may have shaken himself free of his friend's hands, Changbin only rolled his eyes.

"We've got limited cargo space," he redirected the conversation, "we specialize more in discretion and small loads."

He regretted his word choice as soon as he said it.

"Hmm," Hongjoong immediately ramped up his flirtatious game, lifting his free hand to toy with Changbin’s collar, "I can be discreet with my loads."

"On second thought," San interrupted, "maybe the disappearing act makes sense."

"Seriously," Changbin mumbled into his glass.

"Fine," Hongjoong dropped the act, "but that suits my needs just fine. How would I go about setting it up?"

“Well, believe it or not,” Changbin couldn’t help the cocky way that he jerked his shoulders, “you’ve already been on the receiving end of some of our deliveries.”

“Really now?” Yeosang asked.

“Yeah,” Changbin nodded, “pretty sure it was a memorable one too.”

Yeosang, San, and Wooyoung blanched. On the other hand, a spark entered Hongjoong’s eye.

“You mean that lovely boy covered in blood from last week?”

Changbin nodded again, entirely too casual for the likes of most of the others.

From his place at the card table, Seonghwa's eyes narrowed just slightly.

“Perfect,” Hongjoong clapped his hand on Changbin’s back again, “now about setting things up…?”

---------------

a/n: if anyone wants to be tagged let me know  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

#skz fic #Stray Kids Fic #atz fic #Ateez Fic #Jisung #Han Jisung #Hanji #Changbin #Seo Changbin #Chan #Bang Chan #Christopher Bang #Minho #Lee Minho #Lino #Lee Know #Yeosang #Kang Yeosang #Wooyoung #Jung Wooyoung #San #Choi San #Hongjoong #Kim Hongjoong #Seonghwa #Park Seonghwa #Urban Fantasy AU #Hyunjin #Hwang Hyunjin

[tyonfs]

i like me better (when i’m with you)

PAIRING ▸ jeong jaehyun x fem!reader 

GENRES ▸ friends to enemies to lovers, college au, sports, friends with benefits, smut, crack, fluff 

WARNINGS ▸ sexual !! tension !! lots of it, smut (public sex, fingering, hate sex, raw sex, pool sex, oral sex), mark lee cockblocking, also yes, there’s actual fluff

SUMMARY ▸ there was no one else on the planet that made your blood boil like jeong jaehyun did. you never thought your feelings toward him were anything past pure hatred, but when you were lost in the feeling of his lips on yours and his hands on your body, you couldn’t help but think that maybe a part of you didn’t completely hate his guts. 

PLAYLIST ▸ i like me better by lauv • unravel me by sabrina claudio

WORD COUNT ▸ 11896 words

TAG LIST ▸ @gotoartistprofile @chanluster​ @steamyjaehyun

AUTHOR’S NOTE ▸ big shoutout to fia for hyping me up to complete this and i hope you guys enjoy it !! thank you so much for reading ♡ part of the dunk shot! series but can be read separately!

SOMETIMES, THE AMOUNT OF HATRED YOU HAD FOR JEONG JAEHYUN AMAZED YOU.

To the average human being, Jeong Jaehyun was, in a sense, perfect. On the surface, he was everyone’s trademark Golden Boy—good grades, athletic, and a seemingly good personality. The last point, however, was a complete and utter lie. Simply put, Jaehyun was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and you, unfortunately, wound up becoming his target.

If it weren’t for your love for cheerleading, you probably would never have to see Jaehyun, but your passion came with a price. Competitors were often asked a series of questions, and these questions typically included inquiring about your hardships as an athlete. If someone were to ask you what the hardest part of being a cheerleader was, your answer would not be what they expected.

It wasn’t getting back up after bad falls that left you with bruises and a concussion. It wasn’t dealing with the basketball team’s aftermath of a devastating loss and having to cheer them on through it. It wasn’t waking up extra early for morning practices, or having to push yourself to run miles in the sweltering heat. Hell, it wasn’t even dealing with the horny basketball team members at afterparties.

It was the annual training camp.

Every winter, the team attended a week-long training session along with several other teams in the city. With state-of-the-art facilities and a massive training center, the training camp was an event that the entire team looked forward to. Although the training was brutal, the luxury of the hotel rooms and the gourmet meals had made up for all of that. Yet, despite all of that, the camp itself was still hell for you.

It wasn’t all bad, though. In fact, you indulged in the concept of a training camp, delighted with the opportunity to meet cheerleaders from different universities. A handful of your friends from high school had joined teams at different universities, so it was exciting to get to see them all again. All in all, it was the whole package deal: friends, your favorite sport, and fun times. What could possibly ruin that?

Well, a certain someone by the name of Jeong Jaehyun could, and that wonderful individual incensed your fury quite like no other.

“You again,” you spat, clutching your duffel bag strap. You had just gotten off the bus to head into the hotel, but the devil himself was blocking your way.

“Y/N,” the devil cooed, “do you need help carrying that?”

“I’m fine.”

You shrugged Jaehyun off and tried to move past him, but the bane of your existence had other plans. He tossed you a small carton of milk; it was the kind you could buy at a vending machine. Your reflexes kicked in just in time for you to catch it, giving him a questioning look.

“You should be drinking more milk, Y/N. It’s good for you,” Jaehyun said. You were sure he was going to make a snide comment so you opened your mouth to protest, but he continued, “Jaemin likes big tits, you know?”

Ouch.

You and Jaehyun went farther back than you’d like to admit. While you did currently attend different universities, you had the joyous experience of going to the same high school as him. He wasn’t too different now; he had the same dimpled smile, the same godly features, and the same cocky smirk when things were going the way he planned. What was different was that you two were once friends.

And what took the cake? You had a big crush on his friend and fellow teammate. Introducing Na Jaemin, everyone.

It wasn’t like you never got over Jaemin, but you had to admit that your heart still fluttered pitifully whenever you saw him. It didn’t help that he was so breathtakingly beautiful, so undeniably genuine, and such a sweetheart. Unfortunately, Jaehyun knew of your little secret. Being the conniving little snake he was, he used it to his advantage.

Ever since your fallout with him in your senior year of high school, you’ve hated Jeong Jaehyun, and you were sure he hated you right back. It almost felt akin to the competition at this point, and you were a pretty sore loser. Honestly, you were sad initially when he broke off your friendship in senior year and threw crude insults at you. You normally didn’t let things get to you, but it hurt to hear that your best friend didn’t want anything to do with you after you had told him you were going to a different university. You were sure the both of you had grown past that, but now he had changed from a sincere highschooler to a complete low-life piece of shit.

“You’re a douche, Jaehyun,” you sneered.

A grin spread across his face. “Yeah, I know.”

You scoffed. “God, if I could, I would smash that pretty face into—”

“Hey!” a loud voice laced with trepidation interjected. It was your best friend on your school’s basketball team, Mark Lee, coming to your rescue; or, rather, he was trying to prevent you from doing something you’d most probably regret. He shot Jaehyun a warning look and slung an arm around your shoulders. “Y/N, what’re you doing here? We have to check into our hotel rooms.”

You looked back at Jaehyun to see a smug look on his face before he turned to catch up to Taeyong and Jaemin. You looked back up at Mark, who was also keeping an eye out for the demon in disguise.

“Thanks for getting me out of that mess,” you mumbled. “That guy is so infuriating. I can’t believe he still brings up Jaemin when I’m clearly over him!”

Your words were sharp enough that Mark and the people around you flinched, even if they weren’t completely paying attention to your rant. It was common knowledge that Jaehyun’s presence left you in low spirits, and Mark had come to terms that you would always be in a bitter mood during the training camp, and that there was only one person to blame for it.

Mark shot you a sympathetic look that you knew was intended to show his helpfulness, but instead just served to make you appear all the more bitter.

“Why don’t you just ignore him?” he suggested. “He’s just looking for a reaction out of you.”

“If I let him get the last word, then he wins.”

“At least he’d stop bothering you,” Mark reasoned as you both made your way to where your team had gathered by the reception desk.

“Is this about Jaehyun again?” Zhong Chenle chimed in, a devilish grin plastered across his face. “You’re a handful, Y/N.”

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?” you snapped.

Chenle just stared at you, arching a brow as if the answer should have been obvious. “You and Jaehyun,” he said, “there’s some tension there.”

“Wow, Sherlock Holmes. Observant, aren’t you?” you spat, words dripping with sarcasm. “We’ve hated each other for years. Of course there’s tension.”

Johnny Suh snorted, averting his gaze as to not bring attention to himself. Chenle rolled his eyes, a delighted smile on his face as he watched you carefully, digging into his bag of chips in the meantime.

“Y/N, I think he means a different kind of tension,” Mark said.

“What kind of tension?” you asked, shocking the rest of them with your surprisingly innocent response. In retrospect, it was more because you couldn’t imagine the answer being anything past the realm of hatred.

While they all hesitated to respond, Johnny spoke up, “He meant the ‘I wanna beat you up and then have rough sex with you’ kind of tension.”

You immediately froze—long enough for Chenle to take a picture of your reaction—the expression on your face a cross between incredulity and visceral rage. You must have looked like a ticking time bomb because Mark had to take a cautious step back.

“Come again? Rough sex?” You were well aware of how strangled and pitched your voice sounded as soon as it escaped your lips, how guilty it sounded, but you couldn’t focus on that as the weight of Johnny’s words were sinking in. “Jaehyun and I?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” Johnny answered.

“That’s a lie.”

“Yeah? Then why do you two always look at each other so weird?”

You didn’t know how to defend yourself now so you just said, “He’s a bastard and I would never see him in any other way.”

“You say that now but we all know—”

“Alright, let’s drop it,” Mark said, trying to defuse the situation before you blew it up into an argument. “I would rather go rest in my hotel room rather than bear witness to a homicide.”

“Fine, fine,” Johnny relented.

You scoffed and jabbed at his foot with yours before letting the topic go. Your squabbles with them were all in good nature, but this one somehow put you off. It was like Johnny had planted the seeds and were waiting for them to grow. You were starting to mull over every interaction you’ve had with Jeong Jaehyun.

Johnny and Chenle had made a startlingly accurate observation. You and Jaehyun did look at each other for a little too long sometimes, nearly to the point where it seemed like you were basking in the attention of the other—

No fucking way.

You were not going down that path. There was nothing more to your relationship with Jeong Jaehyun than pure hatred and resentment. He was a douchebag who was intent on making you feel like shit. His only motive was to start shit again between you and Jaemin, who you would’ve completely forgotten by now if it weren’t for him.

No way. There was absolutely no undercurrent of desire that was creeping its way to be uncovered.

Or was there? a small, treacherous part of your mind offered.

You were lost in your thoughts as the coaches handed you your room key, as you waited for your roommate who was some girl named Eunha from the other school, as you made your way to your room on the fifth floor.

The only thing you could think about were those long stares, those mesmerizing eyes, and the implication behind them. You always attributed it to Jaehyun being a hormonal teenage boy, but you had to admit that you’ve seen him look at you with some semblance of lust. Perhaps that same feeling was buried far in the depths of your consciousness, too.

Could you possibly be attracted to the devil incarnate, Jeong Jaehyun?

No, you argued with yourself, and shit, even your frontal lobe sounded pretty unconvinced. He’s a petty bastard and that’s all he’ll ever be.

You instilled the mantra of you and Jaehyun being sworn enemies in your head, but you couldn’t help the fact that it was peppered by the memories of an irritatingly familiar smirk. You scowled, willing your head to get rid of all-things-Jeong-Jaehyun, but he was right there.

Literally.

He was standing right in front of you.

“Hey, neighbor,” he teased, all too satisfied with the horrified look on your face. “Guess you can’t get rid of me.”

You were falling when you jolted awake.

A groan tore its way past your lips. You made sure you didn’t disrupt Eunha’s sleep before you recounted your dream. It had been a while since you’ve had one, and realization was morphing into shame when you realized what kind of dream it was. You’ve never had a wet dream before but what made you want to astral project yourself into oblivion was when you realized that Jaehyun caused it.

After tossing and turning for a couple of minutes in a desperate attempt for sleep to overcome you once more, you came to terms with the fact that you were staying awake for now. Staying awake was worse, though, because there was no way you could keep the intruding thoughts at bay. Not with the way Jeong Jaehyun kept flashing behind your eyelids, at least.

You considered how to spend the rest of your night, surveying your options as you stared up at the ceiling:

Watch season three of Riverdale on Netflix so you could make fun of it.

Attempt to sleep, but with little success because there was no way you were going back to bed after that dream.

Count the slacks of the window’s blinds even though it would be pointless because what the fuck were you going to do with that information?

It was truly astounding how interesting your life was.

You couldn’t think clearly with Eunha’s soft snoring, so you grabbed your keys and pushed the door open carefully to keep it from squealing. After your delicate movements to escape your room quietly, you leaned against the wall and let out a sigh of relief. You weren’t too keen on someone scolding you in the middle of the night for being outside, but you needed to clear your head somewhere. You packed for weather that was balmy, but the air conditioner carried a bite to it that made you wish you hadn’t just worn shorts and a tank top to bed.

You could practically hear Mark mocking you if he were here: Are you in the right headspace, Y/N?

You shook your head, getting your provoking best friend out of there, but instead, you found yourself wandering into dangerous territory again.

Johnny and Chenle were parroting the same words over and over again in your head. You wished you could use your metaphysical hands in your head and squeeze the life out of them, but they always flew out of your grasp. You clicked your tongue absentmindedly, your annoyance rehashing itself as your mind gravitated back to Jeong Jaehyun with his stupid smirk and annoyingly persistent cockiness. It was almost pitiful that you hated his guts and yet you couldn’t deny the magnetism he carried, the pull that made your breath hitch when he met your eyes.

His presence was announced by the change in the air more than anything else. You didn’t have to see him to know he was there. You clenched your jaw; you couldn’t catch a break from him even during the ungodly hours of the night.

He was unavoidable.

He hummed with amusement. “Look who’s here.”

“What are you doing up this late? Go to bed.”

You didn’t even bother to look at him because there was one thing you were sure of and it was that you could not look at his sickeningly attractive face right now. Jaehyun didn’t move, blatantly ignoring your order. The tension was so thick that you wanted to storm away, but you knew he would follow you just to piss you off.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he said. “You should be the one resting up. You cheerleaders always train until you’re near death.”

“Can’t sleep,” was your curt response.

He laughed once, a short sound that was pretty much gone the moment it hit your eardrums. “What? You get nightmares or something?”

“So what if I do?” you retaliated, getting oddly defensive. It was a given that you’d lie about getting a nightmare over a wet dream. “It’s none of your business.”

He laughed again but this time it was lower, more dangerous. “It’s my business when it concerns you.”

“I have and will never be your business, Jeong Jaehyun.”

He leaned against the wall. “I beg to differ.”

“Then keep begging.”

“If you say so.”

“Jaehyun,” you interrupted your own banter. “What’s the point of this conversation? Just go back to your room so we can go back to not talking to each other.”

“I’m good, thanks.”

“That’s unfortunate,” you said. “I don’t want to talk to you, so go find someone who does.”

“We don’t have to talk.” Suddenly, his voice sounded closer, and you forced your gaze down at the strangely-patterned hotel carpet.

You swallowed thickly. “I’m here to clear my head. I don’t want you to hover around me for the rest of the night.”

“Actually, I had something else in mind.”

He closed in on you, one of his hands skimming up the soft skin of your arm. A shudder ran down your spine as you felt his fingers travel up to your shoulder, your collarbone, and then the side of your neck. With a swift movement, he caged you in his arms, biceps flexing as he did.

What was going on? You couldn’t quite keep up with the situation but the way Jaehyun was looking down at you made you feel hot. It was exactly like your dream—

“Holy fuck, Jaehyun.”

You couldn’t stop the words from escaping your lips when you felt his hot breath on your neck. Your head went fuzzy and you were pretty sure your knees were ready to buckle under you. The corner of Jaehyun’s lip lifted into a smirk as if he had been planning this. You mustered a scowl at him but one thing was clear: you screwed yourself over by getting into this situation.

Damn it. You knew you should’ve watched season three of Riverdale instead

Also, Chenle and Johnny were right. Not that you’d ever tell them that; put simply, you were a sore loser.

Lust was swimming in Jaehyun’s eyes. The way he caged you felt predatory, a show of dominance rather than passion. That smirk of his carved in deeper, and it only pissed you off. Yet, as much as it pissed you off, all you wanted him to do was just ruin you.

Your pride was too strong, though, and you concluded that you would rather stick a fork in your eye than let Jaehyun do what he wanted. This sparked a dilemma in your head: to fuck or not to fuck Jaehyun, that was the question. One sounded like a pretty uneventful night, while the other sounded appealing save for the self-loathing you’d experience afterward.

“You want me, Y/N,” he cooed. “I know you do.”

“I hate you.”

“Trust me, I know.”

“I mean it, Jaehyun,” you hissed. Your head was screaming at you to just go with it, but denying Jaehyun’s advances and provokes was just natural instinct to you. “I don’t want you. Stop lying to yourself.”

“Is that so? I think you’re the liar here,” he replied easily as you dodged his attempt to kiss you.

You pushed at his muscular arm but he didn’t budge. For a moment, you strongly considered just dropping to the ground and crawling out from under his legs, but you were done for. Seconds later, Jaehyun’s hand flew up, long fingers digging into the soft flesh of your face as he forced your chin upward to look at him directly. The lust in his eyes was so clear, so alluring, and it made you stop struggling for a second.

“I’m not going to ask you again. Let go of me.”

“Good, it’s a waste of breath.”

“Has anyone ever told you how infuriating you are?”

“You did. Many times.”

“Just fuck off already.”

Your words were like poison, but for some odd reason, Jaehyun was immune to it. Any reasonable person would at least flinch, but Jaehyun was so fixated on his one goal. Again, he didn’t budge. He gazed into your eyes with a fierce intensity that threw you off.

“Just let me fucking kiss you, Y/N.”

His smirk was gone. He wasn’t teasing you anymore. Jaehyun’s eyes darkened with his command.

He leaned in and you could feel his hot breath fanning your lips, drinking in your appearance. You were pulled into his trap and you hated yourself for it. You swallowed hard as all of your worries about being with Jaehyun and getting caught had started to fade away. All you could do was yield to him.

“Fine,” you whispered.

“Good girl,” was all he got out before basically smashing your lips together.

It was rushed, messy, and way too rough. Jaehyun grabbed the back of your neck, his other arm still locking you in place. Your hands moved from gripping at the front of his shirt to slowly wrapping around his neck. You weren’t sure how you felt, but there was something that made you want to tangle your fingers in his hair and get lost in him.

The moment Jaehyun’s tongue slid along the crease of your lips, you were conflicted. You weren’t exactly sure what to do so he took the reins. You wondered if he was expressing his pent-up hatred as well. It was clear in the way he was taking prying your mouth open with his tongue, snaking his hot muscle to dance with yours as if he had something to prove. He wanted you to see that he was the dominant one, that he had leverage over the situation.

But when he broke away, he flipped the switch. The both of you were left catching your breath, Jaehyun resting his forehead against yours in a feeling that had a weird sort of intimacy stemming from it. His hand dropped from your neck to brush messy locks of hair behind your shoulders.

Well, that explained why humans were so tempted by the devil.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Jaehyun grinned down at you.

You fought down the shyness that was creeping into your chest. Before you could respond, the both of you turned your heads at the sound of footsteps. A flashlight glimpsed by you when you saw two dark figures at the end of the hall. It didn’t sound like your coach, but you weren’t too keen on sticking around to figure out who it was.

“Son, how in the world did you get locked out of your room this late?” one of them asked.

“I’m telling you, I needed to use the bathroom so I went outside without my key, and then I remembered the bathroom was in the room.”

That voice was most definitely Mark.

“Hey!” the security guard scolded when he saw you two. “What are you kids doing? It’s late!”

“You’re on your own.” You pushed Jaehyun away from you and fumbled for your keys before Mark or the security guard could spot you. “Bye.”

You jammed your key in, not worried about waking up your roommate anymore. All you could hear was Jaehyun growling out a short string of curses before you shut the door behind him and leaned against it. Your head was still reeling in what had just happened, but that kiss had left you in the clouds. You could feel the ghost of his lips on yours. Dazed, you just fell onto your bed, into the entrancing clutches of sleep.

You were exhausted when you woke up, and you blamed Jaehyun for it.

You weren’t in the proper condition for training; you hadn’t gotten enough sleep and your head was a mess (well, you supposed you were the only one to blame for the latter). You forgot to set your alarm so you woke up to Eunha shaking you gently, coaxing you into stirring. She was already dressed, tying her hair up in a ponytail. You all but jumped out of bed when you saw her, thinking you were late.

“What time is it?” you asked groggily, rubbing the sleep from your eyes as you stood up and tried to adjust to the morning light.

“You’ve still got plenty of time,” she assured you. “I just like to get ready early so I can go for a quick run.”

“Ah, okay. Have fun,” you mumbled before she left the room, leaving you to drag yourself around the room to get ready. You heard a knock at the door and went to open it, assuming it was Eunha forgetting her keys. Your eyes narrowed when you saw who it was. “Jaehyun?”

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you.” His voice was somewhere between a pant and a rasp as if he had been working out, which he probably was judging by the sheen of sweat on his biceps.

“Were you waiting for Eunha to leave?” you asked. “You’re disgusting. Why would you think about me?”

“I was thinking about how much of a bitch you are for running away and letting me get in trouble like that.”

“Pity.” You mocked a pout for him. “Now move. I have to get ready.”

“Let me in.”

You made a face at the thought. You knew where he was going with this and you needed to stop it. “No. You’re disgusting.”

“You liked it last night.”

His eyes searched yours in the dim light, looking for something that unfortunately was there: longing. You were never the greatest at hiding your emotions, which was why you couldn’t lie to yourself and refuse Jaehyun. Screw your transparency. Jaehyun grinned at your silence and took a step in your room when you opened your door wider for him.

You closed the door. “I hated every second of it,” you said in a childish attempt to get on his nerves.

You were a terrible liar.

Your back was against the door in a second. You could only let out a soft gasp before he kissed you, hands on your waist, slowing his movements unlike the hurriedness from last night. It was foreign, the way he kissed you like you were the only girl he saw. You pulled away quickly but it just left the both of you staring at each other’s lips.

“You sure about that?” His lips curled into a smirk.

“Don’t get me wrong,” you warned in a low voice, “I still hate your guts.”

“As I’m reminded of every single time I see you,” he returned coolly.

“Fuck off.”

This time, you pulled him down to kiss him again. You fisted your hand into his hair, tugging at his dark locks as your lips moved smoothly against his. Caught off guard, Jaehyun groaned, low and deep against your lips.

The two of you separated again before Jaehyun said, “See? I know you want me. Only I can make you feel this good, Y/N.”

You scoffed. “We’ll see about that.”

Jaehyun’s eyes darkened at the challenge. To prove his point, he pushed his knee up and between your legs, pressing against your clothed cunt. A gasp escaped your lips, the fingers curled in his hair instinctively tightening. You bit your lip but to no avail; a whimper escaped your lips as soon as he started pulsing his knee against you. You grabbed onto his shoulders for leverage, burying your face into his chest while bunching up the thin fabric of his shirt.

You wanted to hold back your moans because you were adamant about not giving Jeong Jaehyun the satisfaction of hearing you moan. Instead, you shifted your hips so that the pressure of his knee became more intense. Sparks flew behind your eyelids as he bounced his knee under you.

He finally released the tight grip he had on your waist in favor of palming one of your breasts, squeezing it firmly through your shirt and bra. All the while, he continued ramming his knee against the apex of your legs. He kept his eyes on yours and you scowled at the thought of him getting off on seeing you crumble in front of him. But you couldn’t stop yourself. He wanted to completely and utterly ruin you, wanted to fuck you in and shut you up.

The worst part was that you wanted to let him.

“You’re so cute when you’re like this,” he mused, slowly rubbing his knee in circles against you. “God, you’re still wearing that fucking tank top.”

“You’re such a—ah!”

He groped your chest again, thumb pressing down on your nipple. Another whimper escaped you as Jaehyun grazed his lips down your neck, nipping at the supple skin. You only got louder as the kisses turned into bites.

He ignored you and removed his hand. Instead, he tugged the neckline of your tank top down, delighted at the loose straps sliding down your shoulders. He yanked it down to your waist so you were exposed to him, and you swore you heard his breath hitch. Jaehyun pinched your nipple with two fingers, drawing out a moan that drove him crazy. He buried his face into your neck, sucking and making you quiver under him.

“Didn’t you say I had small tits earlier?” you jeered, a teasing lilt to your tone.

“Yeah, I still stand by that,” he replied, resulting in you punching his shoulder.

“Asshole.”

“Hey, I never said it wasn’t cute.”

“You’re such a softie,” you grumbled, but your voice was gentler than before. It was almost like you were warming up to Jeong Jaehyun, and you hated the mere thought of that.

Jaehyun pulled away from your neck. “Y/N, I want you to suck me off,” he demanded.

“I refuse.”

“Be a good girl and do it for me.”

You swore you’d go crazy if he called you ‘good girl’ one more time. You were pretty revolted at the thought of sucking his dick, but the way he looked so fragile under your hold made you want to do it for the power rush. It was like some cheap porno in a way; ‘College Jock Gets Sucked Off By Cheerleader.’ You bet half the members on the team beat their meat to something similar to that.

Your shoulders sagged. “Fine. Get on the bed.”

Jaehyun groaned at your approval. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” he said, letting go of you to pull down his sweats on his way to your bed. He sat at the edge of it, tugging the elastic of his boxers down. You swallowed hard, tugging your tank top back up as you stared at his painfully hard erection springing out.

You got on your knees in front of him, lips parted in anticipation of taking in his length. Your hair fell over your face, which Jaehyun took notice of and held it back in a fist. Taking a deep breath, you wrapped your hand around his cock. It was rock solid to the touch and twitched at your grip. Glancing up at an eager Jaehyun, you pumped the length of it once, inciting a groan from him.

You wrapped your lips around the head of his cock, rousing a strangled noise from his throat. He looked down at you through half-lidded eyes, messy strands of your hair tangling in his fingers while his other hand was gripping the stiff hotel sheets. Then, you took him in fully at his encouragement (which was more of him just grabbing the back of your head and pushing it down on his cock).

“Shit,” he breathed out before slowly moving his hips in and out of your mouth. It was like iron wrapped around velvet, and he was relishing how hot your mouth felt.

He pushed your head down further and right as you gagged on his length, there was a knock at the door.

“Y/N!” Mark’s voice sounded from the other side. “Are you coming for breakfast?”

You pulled off of him with a pop, a string of saliva dripping off your lips. Your eyes were wide as you lunged for your phone, checking the texts. Meanwhile, Jaehyun just frowned down at you, looking up at the ceiling with a frustrated sigh.

“Holy fuck,” you muttered when you looked at the time. You called out to Mark, “Give me a minute!”

“Perfect,” Jaehyun said in a low voice and held the back of your head, attempting to push you down on him. “We can finish up now.”

“Are you an idiot?” you hissed, swatting at his hand. “I have to get out of here before Mark finds out you’re in here.”

Ignoring your state of panic, Jaehyun said, “You look so hot with drool on your chin.”

That was the most disgusting thing you had ever heard, and if it weren’t for Mark being on the other side of the door where you and Jaehyun were screwing around, you would have beat the living daylights out of him. Only a creep like Jeong Jaehyun could find something like drool sexy. You scowled at him and wiped it off with the back of your hand.

“Put your dick away,” you scolded. “Hide in the closet and you can leave when I’m gone.”

He rolled his eyes at you and stood up, making his way to the bathroom. “I need to get rid of the problem you caused.”

You had no time to complain about him jerking off in your bathroom. Mark was not a very patient man, so as soon as Jaehyun closed the door behind him, you stripped off your pajamas and threw on whatever was at the top of your suitcase. You brushed your teeth at the speed of light, using your other hand to brush down your hair. After you laced up your shoes, you opened the door to Mark looking at you suspiciously.

“You’re never late,” he pointed out.

“I couldn’t sleep last night,” you said. In your defense, it wasn’t a complete lie.

“Oh, by the way,” Mark started, “can I use your bathroom real quick?”

“No!” you exclaimed, pushing him away from your room and in the direction of the elevator. “My roommate, um, is… on her period—yeah, you don’t want to see that mess.”

Another reason why you hated Jeong Jaehyun was for giving you reasons to lie when you were a terrible liar.

Training was long and grueling. Your bones were mush and your muscles ached, pins and needles shooting through you every time you moved. As your teammates dragged you to get dinner with them, you couldn’t even resist because you were so drained.

The one thing you loved about training was that you could wear whatever you wanted, whereas you were confined to tight skirts and crop tops at your university. Now, you could rest in whatever position you wanted without worrying about exposing anything, so you didn’t hesitate to manspread as soon as you got to the cafeteria table.

“Did you guys hear about Jaehyun from the other school?” one of the girls gossiped. “Looks like he was fooling around with someone last night.”

You were grounded back into reality from whatever dimension you were floating about in. Your teammates were perplexed as you choked on air, hitting your chest to stop yourself from coughing. You were handed a glass of water, which you gingerly accepted and drank until your body had calmed down.

“Ah, sorry, Y/N,” your teammate apologized. “I forgot you and Jaehyun have bad blood between you.”

“You’re good,” you told her, waving it off. “I was surprised for a second, but I guess it makes sense for a guy like him to go around hooking up.” Then, silence fell. You were confused as they all looked at you with a puzzled look. “What? Am I stereotyping too harshly? My bad.”

“No, it’s not that,” another chimed in. “A lot of girls go around hitting on him, but Jaehyun never lays a hand on them. I thought it was common knowledge that he doesn’t do that sort of stuff, but I guess it makes sense that you don’t care about the details.”

That was news to you.

“Yeah,” you replied distantly. “I don’t care.”

So Jaehyun doesn’t hook up, was what you happened to hear around the grapevine, and he most definitely doesn’t hook up with his enemies.

You stood up in the middle of your dinner. “I gotta go,” you said. “I’ll see you girls tomorrow.”

You actually weren’t very sure where Jaehyun was, but you figured if you walked around enough, you’d run into him or someone from his team. You headed out of the canteen and walked to the basketball courts, expecting to see him dribbling a bar or doing reps. But the first person you saw was Na Jaemin, and he noticed you immediately, eyes sparkling with recognition.

“Y/N!” he greeted cheerfully. “It’s been so long.”

That infectious smile of his was plastered across his face, making a small one creep to your lips. If Jaehyun smiled like that more, then you could understand his charm, but he was always so moody around you. He either did something to get on your nerves or he would just flat-out ignore you. Furthermore, he always riled you up instead of offering you that warm security that Jaemin emanated—

Wait, why were you comparing him to Jaehyun?

“Sorry,” you apologized meekly. “Am I interrupting your practice time?”

“No, it’s cool. We were just messing around in here,” Jaemin replied. “Are you looking for someone?”

You looked into Jaemin’s eyes and your thoughts slowed. He made you feel safe, warm, but that was all; there was no fire, no rage, no heat. It was just a shallow attraction that fizzled out, leaving you neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. And you clawed at your brain as you wondered what you were getting at, but you knew. You knew it was all going back to Jaehyun.

And it pissed you off.

“I was looking for Jaehyun,” you said, “if he happened to be in here.”

“He told me he was going for a swim,” Jaemin said, and that was all you needed.

Before Jaemin could respond, you thanked him and turned on your heel. The pool was in a separate building, and there was no training that even required swimming, so it made no sense for Jaehyun to be there. You let out a frustrated sigh. Even when he wasn’t doing anything in particular to annoy you, it still managed to anger you.

You weren’t going to let Jaehyun do what he wanted this time. This was merely for interrogation—your own personal gain. Then, you thought it over some more, and you reasonably concluded that there was a 97.5% chance that you would not lay a finger on him, but there was a 2.5% chance you’d cave.

When you got to the facility where the pool was, you were entranced by the renovation at first. The pool was massive and the equipment was lined up so neatly along the walls. You peered through the glass to see the pool completely empty save for Jaehyun in the hot tub.

He met your eyes while you opened the door to the pool. His eyebrow arched at your entrance but a smirk settled on his lips as you neared him. You tried to push down your lust; you were not letting him get to you again. You crouched down by the side of the pool and Jaehyun moved so he was facing you, holding onto the edge of the hot tub.

“What brings you here?’ he asked, playfully flicking some water in your direction.

You flinched and scrunched up your nose at his action. “I heard you don’t do hookups.”

“You heard correctly.”

“So what am I?”

“You’re Y/N.”

You were a coward. Admittedly, you had probably always been running away from your own problems, deflecting your feelings with unbridled hate that had no direction, no meaning. Underneath your blunt and fiery front was pure cowardice. Even now, you refused to admit anything to yourself.

You didn’t want to accept that maybe you actually liked Jeong Jaehyun.

Maybe you’ve always liked him.

“Don’t be stupid, Jaehyun,” you grumbled. “You’ve always hated me.”

“I think you just want to believe I hate you. Is that how you suppress your feelings?”

“How long have you liked me for, then? Days?”

“Years.”

You paused for a moment as you recounted your interactions with Jaehyun. It was true that he never explicitly said he hated you and that you always started the arguments, but he was the one who broke off your friendship. Why would he do that if he didn’t hate you?

“You said you wanted nothing to do with me, Jaehyun,” you said in a smaller voice, fist balling at your side.

“You were going to a different university.” He ran a hand through his damp hair, and although you were angry, it was difficult not to enjoy the view. “Plus, you just kept going on and on about Jaemin, and I couldn’t even shut that mouth of yours up back then.”

“So you cut me off?”

“I felt like I was being petty, so I tried to apologize but you blocked my number and wouldn’t let me come near you,” Jaehyun deadpanned. He reached forward and grabbed your wrists, pulling you closer to him. You teetered on the balls of your feet, swallowing hard. “Forgive me?”

“No.”

Jaehyun rose up a little so he was eye-to-eye with you. He smiled at your flustered expression and cupped your cheek with his wet hand. Every muscle in your body was telling you to pull away but you couldn’t. Not when his lips were so close, when his eyes were boring into yours.

“Forgive me,” he repeated in a gentler tone, but it became more of an order than a question.

“Make me,” you whispered and Jaehyun groaned, somewhat helplessly.

“You’re going to be the death of me, I swear.”

You opened your mouth to say something more, but you couldn’t even form your words as Jaehyun yanked you forward and sealed your lips with a kiss. Before, you had the sense to try and push him away, but now you were held captive. He slid his tongue past your lips and you let out an appreciative whimper, hand sliding into his wet hair. You tugged at his hair and this time, Jaehyun was the one to react.

He pulled away for a moment to catch his breath, eyes clouding over with lust. “Get in with me,” he said, voice rumbling. You shivered as he dragged his lips down to your jaw; you could feel his voice reverberate down your spine and to your feet.

“What if someone walks in?” you asked in a daze.

“There’s no use for the swim facility, so no one’s going to walk in on us,” he persuaded. “Come in.”

Water dripped from his neck, landing on your thigh. You took in a sharp breath as his hand tugged at your waist. While the pleading look on his face was priceless, you couldn’t even ridicule him because you were at your limit, too. You let out an irritated sigh when you realized you gave into that 2.5% of you caving.

You responded by pulling off your shirt, tossing it to the side where Jaehyun had left his shoes and towel. Jaehyun watched you as you fiddled with the clamp of your bra. Meanwhile, his hands went to the waistband of your sweats, making you shudder as he tugged them down at the sides. You raised your hips to help him get them off and, after removing your bra, you were only left in your underwear to protect you from his hungry gaze.

You weren’t the type to hook up with guys. Hell, you weren’t the type to even show a guy your ankle if he asked. You thought you’d feel insecure with Jaehyun eyeing you in your full glory, but there was none of that. You wanted to know why it was so different with him but maybe it was the way he looked at you like he just wanted to kiss you. Or maybe a tiny part of your heart always belonged to Jaehyun, and you couldn’t bury it anymore.

“You’re so gorgeous.”

He mumbled the words, barely audible, but they set you on fire. He pulled you down onto his lap like you were his anchor, and you were afraid you’d get swept with the current, but you let him. You’ve only ever kissed a few guys before, so you really had no idea what the fuck you were getting into. All you were sure about was that Jaehyun could make you feel good and you were having your first time in a hot tub. You only prayed that you wouldn’t pass out from the pleasure combined with the heat of the water.

“Is this your first time?” he asked, gliding his hands down your sides. You nodded. “Then I’ll be gentle.” Truly, you did find his gesture rather sweet, but it didn’t stop you from rolling your eyes. Jaheyun saw and narrowed his brows. “I don’t hate you, but you really piss me off sometimes.”

He kissed you again. It was more passionate this time, but also harsher and messier. You let out a sound that was something between a yelp and a moan, making Jaehyun move his hands to run down your bare back. Then, he planted his thumb on your clit and pressed down in a way that made a muscle in your thigh twitch. Your grip on his shoulders tightened; you weren’t expecting that. It felt different in the water, but somehow, you couldn’t get enough of it.

“You’re wet,” he mumbled against your lips as his fingers found purchase on your slit.

“We’re in the water, you idiot.”

Jaehyun scoffed. “You know what, Y/N, you’re right, I did hate you,” he spat, rubbing small circles around your clit now. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders to steady yourself, whimpering as his movements grew more intense. “I fucking hated how you looked at Jaemin with those love-struck eyes.”

There was a shift in his usual cocky expression. He turned focused and, to a degree, angry. It was the kind of look on his face you saw when he was on the basketball court or during a game.

“You’re the one who told me to go after him.”

Wrong choice of words. Jaehyun lifted you up and placed you on the edge of the pool, pushing a finger inside you with no warning. You gasped, your mouth open to ask him why he took you out of the water, but you already knew the answer; he wanted to feel you completely.

“R-right there,” you whimpered out as he pushed his finger deeper inside of you.

He started to curl his finger whenever he passed over your g-spot, and you had to close your eyes. Jaehyun pulled his finger out to marvel at the slick wetness that coated it. Your body tingled as he slid his finger inside you again. This time, he was teasing your slit with a second digit. Jaehyun had no delicacy, though, and he all but shoved in a second finger, causing you to cry out.

He didn’t even care. You opened your mouth to call him a bastard, but all that came out was a pitched moan that seemed to float up to the stars.

“I fucking hated,” he rasped as he pumped two fingers inside of you, “how you treated Jaemin like he was the only one in the world.”

“I don’t… like Jaemin,” you got out, each labored breath of yours fighting off another moan. “I’ve stopped liking Jaemin after high school.”

Jaehyun’s free hand went to your chest, cupping one of your breasts as he rubbed circles around your nipple. You bit down on the inside of your cheek, unable to contain yourself as the fingers on your clit got almost frantic in their place, and the fingers inside of you were pushing against your walls. You felt an unfamiliar cold fire that felt so fucking good, lighting you up and threatening to spill over. Your muscles clenched and spasmed around Jaehyun, and you weren’t even in the hot tub but you felt like you were sinking.

A high-pitched moan left your lips, leaving you hot with embarrassment because you didn’t know you could make a sound like that. You fell from your peak, relaxing in Jaehyun’s hold; it felt like you were floating amongst the clouds in an almost euphoric way.

“I don’t like Jaemin,” you breathed out, still winded from your orgasm, “you fucking idiot.”

“I know.” Jaehyun pulled his fingers out of you, eyes trained on you as he licked them slowly. The look on his face was more gentle now. With his free hand, he brushed loose strands of your hair out of your face. “You like me now.”

“No, I’ve loved you for a while now.” You didn’t know what possessed you to say what was on your mind, but it surprised you more than it surprised Jaehyun. “I didn’t realize it then but… I think I did.”

Love? Love?

You thought you knew what love was. Something that you felt in your bones, that burst within you instantly. Simple glances, thoughts, and daydreams—something gentle and fluffy, but also emotionally shattering. You thought it was tender smiles, kind words, and little gestures.

But maybe that was the kind of love that led to puffy eyes, tear-stained cheeks, and hoarse voices. The kind of love that was left fruitless with an empty gap in your chest.

Maybe this was different.

It was instinctive, the way you fell for him. Like an effortless intake of breath, you were in love before you even knew it. You always thought love was a monster. Ravaging, scraping, foul monsters with jaws so immeasurably large that they would have swallowed you whole. But maybe it wasn’t the tragedy you made it out to be.

With Jaehyun it was fierce and maddening and made you want to rip your hair out. It was a violent hurricane that you tried to brave your way through. But you were blind. You were already at the eye; you had always been at the center without realizing it. And, despite all the pointless arguments and name-calling, it was the most beautiful thing you had experienced.

Yeah, you liked him. You liked how you were around him, despite how much you complained about it to Mark. Part of you refused to admit it, but sometimes the bickering was fun. You realized that you never let go of Jaehyun before because you couldn’t. You simply didn’t want to be without him because Jeong Jaehyun drove a deeper passion within you.

Your rose-tinted loving moment was ruined as soon as a shit-eating grin spread across Jaehyun’s face.

“You love me.”

“I’ll kill you.”

“You love me,” Jaehyun echoed as if he was internalizing the information. “You love me.”

“I take it back,” you said flatly. “I hate you, I hate you, and I’ve always hated you.”

Jaehyun ignored your words, his cockiness morphing into adoration. “You actually love me back.” He cupped your face in his hands, eyes turning into little crescents as he smiled. “Even though I called you a cougar for liking a guy a year younger than you?”

“Yes.”

“Even though I made fun of you wearing a push-up bra in front of him?”

You clenched your jaw. “Yes.”

“Even though I asked Johnny about you and he told me that I still live in your mind, rent-free?”

“What? Johnny said that?” you exclaimed, eyes wide. You grimaced. Johnny would be dealt with later. You placed your hands on Jaehyun’s shoulders and made direct eye contact. “Look, Jaehyun—as much as it hurts me to say this and I’d rather tear out my vocal cords—I like you. I like you so much that I don’t care about the petty shit you pulled when I liked Jaemin because frankly, I don’t care about Jaemin anymore.”

“That was the hottest thing I’ve ever heard.”

You wanted to slap him.

“Are you just constantly horny?” you snapped. “I’m pouring out my feelings to you here!”

“I’m better at expressing my love through actions, not words,” Jaehyun explained. “Can I show you?”

“Is this another ploy to get in my pants?”

“No, I’m asking you out on a date,” he said. “Sneak out with me tonight. I want to explore the city with you.”

The offer was tempting. In fact, you found no reason to be opposed to the idea. After all, you were always down for an adventure in the city. Jaehyun being with you didn’t sound too bad either, especially when Seoul was so lively at night. Part of you wanted it purely to catch up on all the time you missed when you stopped being friends.

“Fine,” you agreed. “An hour after curfew.”

“Great.” Jaehyun flashed a grin that slowly curled into a smirk. “Now let me get in your pants.”

“Are you kidding?”

“Y/N, you see,” Jaehyun started, “I don’t hate you, but you’ve really pissed me off these past two years. We have all of this pent-up rage, so it’s only fair that we let it out on each other.” His grip on your hips tightened.

You loathed yourself for wanting him, and for putting aside the fear of being walked in on for him. You internally cringed at the thought of Mark accidentally bearing witness, and you weren’t sure you were willing to explain the situation to him just yet.

It was the price you paid for carnality, you supposed.

You sighed in a forced way so that you sounded reluctant and bored. Unfortunately, your plan backfired and you ended up feeling bad when a concerned look crossed Jaehyun’s face.

“If you’re worried about getting caught, I’ll just cover you,” Jaehyun mumbled, the softness of his voice almost putting you at ease.

You rolled your eyes. “How kind of you.” You paused and looked up at him. “Are we really going to have sex for the first time here?”

Jaehyun looked around him. “Well, I guess we could go to the hotel room if—”

“Nope!” you interrupted, wrapping your arms around his neck and drawing him closer to you. “Let’s do it here. I love the pool, love having sex at the pool.”

He rose a brow at you, hands making their way down your body. Suddenly, your realization of being completely exposed had heightened, and you pressed your thighs together. Maybe it was because your vulnerability showed on your face, clear as day, but Jaehyun smirked, further flustering you by tugging down his swim shorts to reveal his hardened cock.

It was heavy and warm against your thigh, but what you were fixed on was the v-line on his pelvis. You traced along the bone, making him shiver under your touch. You were shocked when he grabbed your wrist tightly, holding it away from him.

“You’re playing a dangerous game here,” he growled. Jaehyun leaned closer and nipped at the shell of your earlobe, chuckling as you tensed up under his hold. His hot breath made you squirm under his grip.

Have you ever noticed how insanely attractive he was? Yes, of course. You weren’t an idiot.

Have you ever appreciated his beauty until now? Probably not.

“Just fuck me already, Jae,” you grumbled out as he pushed you down onto the deck of the pool.

In seconds, Jaehyun grabbed your hips and pulled them to his waist. Without any preamble, he rammed himself inside of you. The motion caught you by surprise and you cried out, half out of pleasure and half out of pain. You were definitely wet from being fingered earlier, but two fingers were nothing compared to Jaehyun’s cock.

Seeing his cock disappear in you was enough to make you whimper. Your walls clenched around him, pulsating at the foreign feeling. You were tempted to slap him upside the head for going so fast, but all you could do was tug at his hair and wrap your legs around him.

“You bastard, I’ll fucking—oh.”

Jaehyun laughed cruelly at your reaction, partly to cover up the groan caught in his throat and partly because your attempts at being mad at him were downright pathetic. When you had adjusted to his size, Jaehyun grunted and pounded in you, hitting spots that made your limbs feel like jelly. As if that wasn’t enough, Jaehyun found your clit with the hand that didn’t have a bruising grip on your waist and pressed harshly against it.

“You’re so fucking tight,” Jaehyun gritted out.

“T-then be gentle,” you bargained, drowning in a molten sea.

Jaehyun narrowed his eyes at you. “Have you ever fucking heard of gentle hate sex?” he asked, validating his point with a particularly hard thrust.

Your fingernails dug into his back, leaving hot-white trails down his skin. You were certain you had drawn blood, but knowing Jaehyun, he’d probably feel proud if he saw it. He brought his lips to your neck as you writhed under him, biting around until he found your sweet spot. This wasn’t fair; he was pleasuring you in every way possible and all you could do was cry out as he pummeled in you.

You closed your eyes, sparks flying behind your eyelids as you felt your release rushing to you.

Then, he slowed his strokes down considerably.

“Look at me,” he ordered in a rasp. Your eyes fluttered open, remaining half-lidded as you felt like you were going to spill over. “Look at me when I’m fucking you.”

He slapped his hips against yours again, the sound of skin against skin making you shudder. Jaehyun filled you up to the brim and you were oh-so-close to letting go and falling off the edge. The hardscape was cool but you were on fire, bliss overtaking all of your senses. Your toes curled as you held onto his damp skin for dear life, not sure if it was because he was in the pool or he was sweating due to the heat you both emanated.

“R-right there!”  you wailed. “Fuck, right there!”

Jaehyun angled his hips slightly to pound into you, causing you to see metaphysical stars. It was so hard to keep eye contact with him when your eyes just wanted to roll back. Jaehyun let out a groan by your ear, low and guttural. You didn’t even notice how tight the grip he has on you until he releases your hip for you to see the print he left.

You could tell he was close, but he wanted to hold on for you. Both of your breaths were labored as you stared into each other’s eyes, your body moving up and down against the hardscape as Jaehyun railed you. You tightened your grip on him, a pathetic moan falling from your lips as you were falling over the edge.

Jaehyun understood and fucked you through your orgasm, making sure you made the most of it. Warmth blossomed under your skin as you cried out in pure bliss, your vision blurring and refocusing as it flickered from normal to pure white as you rode out your high. You ground yourself back to reality after nearly sobbing out his name, the pleasure overwhelming you. Jaehyun’s eyes went hazy as he fell apart right after you did, and soon, you felt something warm spill inside of you.

Jaehyun finished inside of you and stuttered out a curse as he pulled out of you. He rolled over and laid on the deck of the pool next to you, the both of you catching your breath like you had just run a marathon.

“I have a cute date idea for tonight,” Jaehyun said after a long pause.

You looked over, watching his chest rise and fall. “Yeah?”

“We go to the store and buy Plan B.”

You couldn’t even disagree.

“Sounds good.”

Jaehyun dragged himself off the floor, muttering something along the lines of “shit, that felt good” to himself as he reached for his swim trunks to pull back on. You grabbed a towel to dry yourself off, but pins and needles shot up your legs when you tried to walk. Jaehyun noticed immediately and a smug look settled on his face again, not the least bit remorseful.

You scowled as you slipped your clothes back on. “Shut up,” you jeered. “You’re so shameless for someone who can’t pull out.”

“Oops,” he replied flatly.

“I hate you, Jaehyun.”

Jaehyun ran a hand through his damp hair, letting out a laugh as he shook his head. He picked up another towel from the chairs by the poolside and wrapped it around so it covered your head. You bit your lip as you watched him attempt to dry your hair. It was times like these when he seemed so gentle and delicate, unlike his usual irritating attitude.

“You liked it, though,” Jaehyun said. “Right?”

You faltered, looking down at your feet as he continued to dry your hair. “Yeah.”

Jaehyun smiled softly and leaned in swiftly to peck your lips, but your moment was interrupted by the sound of a door opening.

Mark was gaping at you two, eyelids fluttering rapidly as if he was trying to blink away what he had just seen.

“Y/N? Jeong Jaehyun?” Mark questioned, his voice an octave higher than usual. Realization crossed his face through a series of facial expressions that morphed far too quickly for you to process. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Mark!” You and Jaehyun pulled away from each other quickly.

Mark paused to think his words through. “Did I almost walk in on a murder?”

You let out a frustrated groan. “Jesus, Mark, if you’re not going to read the room, at least SparkNote it.”

“Wait, so you were kissing?”

“No, we didn’t kiss,” Jaehyun assured, and you felt tricked for feeling relieved for a split second. “We actually had sex.”

Jaehyun’s words ended with a splutter as you elbowed him in the gut. Mark looked between the two of you, boggled. You nudged Jaehyun again with your foot, signaling for him to leave so you could handle Mark. Thankfully, he took your cue this time and grabbed his towel, mockingly saluting the both of you. You were stupid to think you were safe, though, because Jaehyun had to get another last word in before he walked off.

“See you tonight, Y/N.”

There was a long, awkward pause while Jaehyun opened the door and left the building. You and Mark were staring at each other but neither of you knew what to say or how to approach the subject.

“I just… I just came here to find you, and Jaemin told me you went to the pool. You…” Mark started. He looked absolutely horrified, like a corpse had fallen to his feet—no, rather, he looked like a corpse himself, like someone attempted to do taxidermy on him but did a shit job. “Bitch.”

“Let me explain.”

“Bitch,” Mark enunciated, “you just fucked the hottest guy here, oh my god.”

Definitely not the reaction you were expecting, but you supposed it wasn’t a bad one. You were glad he wasn’t getting into the whole ‘why didn’t you tell me? I’m your best friend’ rant, but this was equally as overwhelming.

Mark continued, “Wait—is that why you were late this morning? Oh my god, this has been a thing. You’ve been hooking up with him in secret, haven’t you?”

“No? Well, yes, but it hasn’t been much until, um”—you gestured awkwardly around you—“you know.”

“So you were the one who was with Jaehyun last night?”

“Yes.”

“And this morning before I picked you up?”

“Yes.”

“Are you two dating now?”

“Honestly, I really don't know,” you admitted. “Mark, please don’t tell anyone about this. Especially not those little shits, Chenle and Johnny.”

Mark gulped. “About that…”

Before you could question him, there was a chorus of loud clapping echoing from the locker rooms which was then followed by a few cheers. You grimaced as the two boys you didn’t want to see walked out: Chenle and Johnny, Tweedledee and Tweedledum themselves. They both wore cocky smirks as they shook their head at you, which made Mark a touch more nervous than he was before.

“Have anything to say for yourself, Y/N?” Chenle teased.

“Go to hell.” You scoffed and turned to Mark, narrowing in on him. “Why’d you bring them along? What are you? The three stooges?”

“We were looking for you so we could invite you to the movie night we were having in Jungwoo’s room!” Mark defended. “I swear, if I knew about you and Jaehyun, I never would’ve brought them along.”

You sighed deeply as Chenle snickered to himself. “Well, I guess Y/N can’t come to movie night since she has a date with—hold on, what did you call him again? The devil?”

“Okay, I get it!” You threw your hands up in defeat, eyes closed to show you were reflecting upon your actions. “I’m a dirty hypocrite and I’ve committed a crime worse than death.” You opened your eyes again. “I’m sorry.” To your surprise, Chenle and Johnny had their right hand up. You stared at it, puzzled. “Do you want me to make an oath or something?”

“In modern society,” Johnny explained, “we call it a high-five.”

It took you a few seconds to process their words before you tentatively gave them each a firm high-five. You blinked up at them before ease washed over you. This was how it always was, anyways. At the end of the day, no matter how much you guys bickered or teased each other, you always made up. That's what friends were for, after all.

“There we go,” you said, oddly satisfied. “For now, I’ll let go of the fact that Johnny snitched on me to Jaehyun behind my back.”

“How dare you!” Johnny gasped. “Chenle was with me.”

Chenle raised his hand to confirm the statement. “Indeed. Please give credit where it's due.”

“Alright, fuck you both.”

What the fuck even was a date?

This was foreign territory to you, but even so, you decided you wouldn’t rely on your annoying friends. First of all, you were sure they wouldn’t really be of any help and just endlessly tease you about it. Secondly, they were simply going to gradually grow more stressed (Mark), lecherous (Johnny), and aggravating (Chenle). Thus, you decided to slay the monster of first dates yourself.

Your first hurdle was looking cute. You packed absolutely nothing that wasn’t for the training camp, so you had already failed. Jaehyun was going to have to deal with you in your gym shorts and a school t-shirt.

Your second hurdle was sneaking away from Eunha, your roommate. That was a piece of cake considering how she didn’t exactly care. When you headed out of the room, wallet and phone in hand, she wished you a kind farewell, which you returned.

Your third hurdle was sneaking out of the hotel. You weren’t quite sure how you and Jaehyun made it outside without being spotted, but you were certain he must have tipped off some of the staff because there was no way the both of you could have walked straight out of the lobby without being reported. When you asked him, though, he said it was probably because you looked like the cleaning lady.

Needless to say, Jaehyun was on thin ice.

You loved Seoul, loved the dirty of it. Even at night, the city was alive and full of vigor, full of young people like you who were chasing cheap thrills. Jaehyun was a dream under the glowing lights, and you almost couldn’t believe that the prince-like boy was head-over-heels for you.

He took you to a wide alley with a night market, full of life and energy. Jaehyun was walking through the crowd and you were following right behind him, like some awkward fish swimming after a cuter, more popular fish upstream. There were several times where you almost lost yourself in the crowd, and Jaehyun noticed this. He reached behind him, still shouldering his way through the crowd, and grabbed your hand. The smell of spicy rice cakes, the numerous pop-up bars lining the alley, and Jeong Jaehyun gripping your hand—it all made a pretty eventful first date.

Jaehyun didn’t kiss you. Not once. He didn’t try to touch you anywhere that would have tempted you both into doing something you definitely shouldn’t do in public. There were times where Jaehyun turned pink or looked away from you shyly, and you indulged in it because this was a side of him you didn’t see often.

Jaehyun stopped at a convenience store before you both decided to head back. You waited outside for him, kicking stones as you thought of him. He was undeniably perfect, which you somewhat despised because you had spent the last two years hating his guts and this was an abrupt change. You were worried if he was buying you something; he had already bought you lamb skewers and rice cakes at the night market. You didn’t want to be the girlfriend to empty his wallet.

Wait—

Were you his girlfriend?

“Y/N,” he called when he walked out of the store, holding something behind his back with a sneaky grin. “Close your eyes.”

You bit back a smile and closed your eyes, holding your hands out. He placed the object in your hands and it felt light, so you were sure it shouldn’t have cost much. Although, your stomach was pitted with guilt at the thought of him spending money on you. You opened your eyes when he directed you to.

Plan B One-Step.

You no longer felt bad for him.

“Very romantic,” you observed, putting the packet in your wallet, “but thank you.”

You were seething. Your face grew unconditionally hot and you had to look down at your feet. It seriously pissed you off that your feelings were so clear right now because Jaehyun had bought you fucking Plan B.

Jaehyun seemed to notice right away and tilted your chin up with two fingers, chuckling. “Is something wrong?”

Your face screwed up when you decided on what you were going to ask him. “Are we dating?” you blurted out.

Jaehyun held your face gently like it would shatter if he applied any more pressure. His fingertips grazed the hinge of your jaw while his thumbs rested on your cheekbones. You were panicking when he leaned in, but it wasn’t what you expected. Jaehyun pressed a chaste kiss to your nose, grinning at your reaction. You reached up to trace his dimple with your finger.

“Do you want to be my girlfriend, Y/N?”

“Yeah,” you admitted, flustered beyond imagination, but you had already gotten this far so you continued, “do you?”

“Do I want to be your girlfriend?”

You wanted to hit yourself. “Fuck. I mean, do you wanna date me?”

“Of course,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve been waiting for this for so long.”

He drew you into his warm embrace and you buried your face into his chest, wondering how you hated this man for so long. Of course, when those cocky smirks and impish looks came back, you were sure you’d remember again. But right now, in his arms, you just knew that you wanted to be with him. You looked up at him, arms slung around him, and got on your toes to press a gentle kiss to his lips.

You were positive you hadn’t ever seen Jeong Jaehyun blush before tonight, but it was a sight you were sure you could never get sick of.

And you never would.

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[griffintail]

Finding a Forgotten Memory

Summary: A happy ending for this post and this one. 

Pairings: Parental! Ghostbur x F! Child! Reader

Tommy x F! Child! Reader

Warnings: ANGST! But there’s a happy ending.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

         Tommy swept his gear on the floor as he paced the length of his bedroom in his hotel, warm tears rolling down his face.

         He remembered the day Ghostbur had stormed into his home, balling, his tears creating smoke, that he couldn’t find his little blue. He had assured the ghost, she was fine. Probably hiding or she wandered a little farther than she should have.

         Grabbing his sword in case the search took too long, he followed Ghostbur into his sewer he’d moved back into after Tommy’s freedom from exile. Inside, Tommy had a few doubts as he looked at the bit of wreckage around the place.

         “Did you do this looking for her Ghostbur?” Tommy asked, sitting a barrel upright.

         “N-No. I-I s-s-s-he…” The ghost couldn’t form a coherent sentence.

         “I’ll look outside. Stay here in case she comes back alright?”

         Ghostbur nodded rapidly, clutching onto an already full piece of blue. Tommy nodded before leaving the sewer calmly then booking it to Phil’s.

         “Phil!” Tommy shouted, slamming the door open, startling the man and his crows. “There’s something wrong with Ghostbur.”

         “What? What’s wrong?” Phil immediately stood up.

         Tommy explained the situation and they both gathered everyone they could, a search party formed. (Y/N)’s name was shouted into the wind as everyone separated into many corners of the Dream SMP land and the L’Manberg land. Even people like Sapnap and Punz helped them look in their more familiar areas.

         But they couldn’t find the little girl and mobs had started to come out. Tommy, Phil, Techno, Fundy, and a few of L’Manberg citizens continued their searches. Techno and Phil went into more in-depth searches or rather questionings. Yet…there was no word of her…

         That was the night Phil fabricated the lie.

         “We’ll only use it till we figure out what happened. Ghostbur will have to believe it because Fundy refuses to talk to him but he likes (Y/N).” Phil assured the younger as he fidgeted in worry.

         They’d try to figure out what happened in the next few days!

         …

         Then a few days turned into a few weeks. And a few weeks turned into two months…

         They’d lost hope and even though there was no message on the walkies, they knew the magic had a range and (Y/N) …she had to be gone…They didn’t know what happened, could only speculate.

         Time had to move on and people grieved, Tommy taking it hard as the little girl had helped him through hell without knowing. She was part of his family and she had made him smile when he needed it the most, not even knowing he had needed her little games and laughs. He wished he had those when he had gone through the final battle with Dream, yet even after his victory, he continued to grieve and now seethe as Dream dangled a fruit of revival in front of him.

         Listening to the same horse shit, day after day…

         They had told Ghostbur once or twice in the beginning but Phil told everyone to keep up the lie when the ghost would just break completely, unable to function at all. Tommy couldn’t handle it anymore that Ghostbur didn’t remember the one thing he thought the ghost would never forget. That he wasn’t grieving like him. The little girl only helped Tommy through a rough time but that same little girl was Ghostbur’s entire world! It wasn’t fair to her memory that Ghostbur simply forgot the end of it!

         He knew the ghost couldn’t help it and that the ghost would break if he actually remembered but it frustrated him to no end because Tommy didn’t forget and broke at his own memories and he couldn’t live like this anymore! He…he couldn’t let the little girl be gone any longer…

         He looked at the prison from his window, before clenching his hands. He needed to pay an “old friend” a visit.

         …

         Tommy stood on the other side of the netherite blocks as the lava behind him finished cascaded down and the barrier was gone between him and the smiley masked man.

         “Tommy! What do I owe the pleasure?” Dream asked, spreading his arms as he laughed.

         “Business. I want that revive book Dream.”

         “The revive book? You know I can’t just give that to you Tommy. I won’t revive Wil—”

         “Not…Wilbur,” Tommy muttered.

         Yes, the boy wanted his older brother back but he wanted this little girl back first.

         “Not Wilbur? Who would you want? Not Schlatt.” Dream mocked and Tommy clenched his jaw.

         “Just shut up you bastard and listen!” Tommy shouted and Dream stopped, watching. “You’re going to bring (Y/N) back or I’ll never visit you again and we both know how much you want me to visit.”

         Dream stood there before grinning wickedly behind his mask. “(Y/N)? Huh. You’re going to have to remind me who they are…”

         “YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHO SHE IS!” Tommy snapped, doing his best to keep his tears in. “She was the little girl you hated because she made me happy during exile!!”

         “Oooh, right. Ghostbur’s kid.” He chuckled, turning from him. “How’s he doing?”

         Tommy restrained himself with great difficulty.

         “Such a bad memory, his child going missing, I’m sure he’s practically been destroyed…”

         Tommy felt the warm tears in the corner of his eyes as he took deep breaths.

         “Or did he finally forget the little brat?”

         He lost it.

         He pinned Dream to the obsidian wall and barked at his smiley mask.

         “YOU’RE GOING TO BRING HER BACK RIGHT NOW YOU GREEN FUCKING PRICK!”

         Then Tommy saw his wicked grin under his mask.

         “I’d love to Tommy, but I can’t bring back what’s living.”

         “W-What?” Tommy sputtered, confused.

         Dream laughed as Tommy let him go.

         “You never saw the message because there was no message to have! It wasn’t my goal after all to kill her.”

         Tommy’s world stopped before his heart pounded. She…She was still alive?! But Dream had been in prison for three months after they finally decided she was gone. She…She wouldn’t have survived…

         “And now that you know, the clock is ticking Tommy. Will you lose her and have to deal with another ghost? Of course, I can make it simple. Let me out and I’ll give her right back.”

         Tommy shook. He had mourned for her. He had stopped…looking for her…

         Shaking his head, Tommy stepped behind the barrier, it going up, shocking Dream. No, Tommy needed to make this right.

         “I’ll find her. Suck it, green boy.” Tommy snarled, before stepping onto the bridge.

         “YOU WON’T! SHE’LL DIE BEFORE YOU FIND HER TOMMY! ONLY I KNOW WHERE SHE IS AND SHE’LL STARVE SLOWLY!”

         But Dream underestimated Tommy’s determination…

         …

         “PHIL!” Tommy shouted on the walkie as he sprinted back for his hotel for his gear.

         “Don’t talk to me, Tommy! How could—” Phil started to yell at him.

         “(Y/N) IS STILL ALIVE!”

         “W-What?” Phil stopped.

         “I went to Dream to revive her and he admitted to taking her. She’s still alive. We need to find her now!”

         Tommy slid slightly as he got to the entrance of the hotel before dashing in.

         “H-How, what?!”

         “IT’S A LONG STORY NOW WE NEED TO LOOK! We need to every fucking place Dream’s ever been!”

         They had figured she had been kidnapped. They just hadn’t known by who. Dream had been prime suspect, but even then, he had an alibi; and at the time, they couldn’t exactly search the most powerful man’s places.

         “O-Ok. Ok! I’ll get everyone!”

         Tommy grabbed his gear and went to meet with everyone else. The search was back months later but they had new information. Dream was tricky with his hiding and everyone had to be clever as they went into different corners of the world…

         Tommy didn’t sleep for two days as they searched everywhere they could as his thoughts went rampant. What if Dream was just messing with him again? Lying to get him to let him out! What if Tommy had just given everyone false hope…

         Then as the sun just breaking into light purples on a new day, Tubbo cried out on the walkie.

         “WE FOUND SOMETHING! WE FOUND SOMETHING IN DREAM’S BUNKER!”

         Fear didn’t even grip Tommy as he sprinted for the nether portal. Tubbo, Ranboo, and a small crew of others took to the task of taking the bunker physically apart in hopes to find anything.

         Tubbo justified by saying this was where Dream had held his biggest cards. He wouldn’t have kept (Y/N) too far from there.

         Tommy stumbled into the room as he saw Ranboo standing back to be there if someone got stuck as Tubbo, Foolish, and Jack carefully digging around a mechanism they had destroyed. Tommy pulled out his own pick and joined them.

         After some time, they managed to crumble away stone into a hallway.

         “I’ll go,” Tommy muttered.

         He hated the tight space of the hall but he had to know and if it was a trap, he wanted to take it. Carefully going down the hall with his axe instead, he didn’t go too far before he found a door. Opening it slowly, he found a plain room and…a little girl in a dirty blue hoodie spinning around bored in the room.

         “(Y/N)!” Tommy choked on a sob before dashing into the room and hugging her tightly.

         She yelped in surprise before grinning widely. “Uncle Tommy! I told Dream you’d visit!”

         Tommy cried as he squeezed her. She was so naïve as always. She hadn’t changed in the missing months…He missed his niece so much.

         “Your crying! I don’t have any blue.” She said, looking around the empty room.

         “I-I’m ok (Y/N).” He laughed quietly. “They’re happy tears…but there’s a ghost that would love to see you…”

         She gasped. “I missed daddy! Is he here?”

         “No…but I know he’d love to play a game of hide and seek…”

         “Ok, do you have any food? The tall man hasn’t brought me any.” She explained as he stood up.

         He frowned in confusion before his eyes went wide. The person that had been helping Dream while he was in prison.

         “(Y/N), what did she look like?” Tommy asked quickly.

         She shrugged. “He was very tall and he wore funny clothes and he wore a mask.”

         “Like Dream’s?”

         She shook her head. Tommy frowned deeply. Who the hell had been helping him?

         “I don’t have food on me but I’m sure Ghostbur will gladly give you dinner.”

         She grinned as he carried her out. The others cheered seeing the pair, sharing hugs with her as Tommy continued to hold her. Everyone over the radio celebrated as Ranboo made the announcement. Phil nearly collapsed in happiness when they got to L’Manberg, relieved he hadn’t lost another child he had helped care for.

         Reluctantly, before Tommy brought her to the sewer, Tommy told her not to tell Ghostbur about her “trip”. It was a little secret between the two of them. She promised not to tell and Tommy brought her into the sewer, seeing Ghostbur was doing his daily morning to find his little blue. He hid (Y/N) in a barrel he knew Ghostbur checked before rushing out.

         He waited by the door as he heard a cry of laughter, smiling lightly before leaving, his work done.

         “There you are little blue! It’s breakfast time, not time to play hide and seek!” Ghostbur laughed, hugging the little girl tightly, not really understanding why he had before he gasped hearing her stomach rumble. “You’re starving! Let’s have a big breakfast!”

         She giggled, agreeing with him as she snuggled into him.

         “Your hoodie is getting dirty, we’ll wash that before we go visit Phil and Tommy, ok?”

         “Ok, daddy. I love you.”

         “I love you too my little blue. I love you so much.” He muttered without thinking, nuzzling the top of her hoodie.

#mcyt x reader #mcyt imagine #mcyt fanfiction #ghostbur x reader #tommyinnit x reader #dreamsmp x reader

[dreaminginvelaris]

A Response to a Feyre Anti

I made a post recently explaining the dread of having to watch Feyre be abused by her sisters and father, in the Tv adaption. And a Feyre anti made a response, to something that should not be criticized at all considering what I said was just the truth? Feyre was abused. Not only that but they went on and completely twisted the narrative to fit their own ideas and in the process made Feyre out to be cruel and Nesta a saint. complete bull.

I will not be tagging the anti bc they have me blocked (shocker), but also I do not want anyone to go after them, if you come across the post, I don't want it to be through me. it's as much respect I can give to them.

I usually do not respond to those who have something to say with a post of mine or are blatantly talking about me on their blog, unless they're just spreading absolute lies about me or what i "said", it's usually a waste of time to do so. but this post attacked Feyre with outrageous lies and a complete backward interpretation of what actually happened in acotar, so as respectful as I can be, I will be analyzing the anti-response and what truly happened in acotar.

"the audience will only see two sisters fighting-not abuse" "it’s not Nesta you need to worry about. It’s audiences calling Feyre a big dumbass and a bitch" -from anti

if the audience has basic human compassion and empathy for humans IRL or fictional, they will see what's obvious from the start. Feyres abuse. how is it going to look, when they see Feyre walking through the woods, shaking from the cold, starving from hunger, and struggling to find food for her family? only to later see Nesta's treatment of Feyre?"

in the anti's post, they said Feyre was just as "heinous" to Nesta.

is Feyre the one calling Nesta a pig? a smelly pig? ordering her to take her clothes off?

no, it's not, it's dear Nesta. the text goes as "I took my time, swallowing the words I wanted to bark at her" oh yes... how cruel of Feyre. how heinous of Feyre to...stay quiet... at the verbal abuse.

in the same image we see Feyre ask Nesta to do something (kindly might I add) and then inquire why she didn't chop wood like she needs to.

what does Nesta do? acts like a brat and insults Feyre...once again.

considering I'm going off by the story and not the actual screenplay, and assuming they stay true to the story; will the audience not be disgusted by Nesta's behavior? I mean they just saw Feyre struggle to find food and they expect Feyre to go home to a family happy and appreciative of Feyre but instead, they get this familial abuse.

the anti said Feyre basically tells Nesta this:

"If you keep bitching at everyone like this no one will want to be around you or you can’t marry this guy because you’re a waste of space to me"

but what do we see?

"Believe me... the day you want to marry someone worthy, I'll march up to his house and hand you over. But you're not going to marry Tomas."

the word worthy, did that not catch your eye? Feyre said Nesta will have to marry someone worthy, someone, who will treat Nesta kindly and give her the life Feyre thinks her sisters deserve. bc Feyre does think that IDK why anti feyres think Feyre despised Nesta so much, Feyre loved her sisters.

what the anti fails to realize here is that Nesta marrying Tomas would have been actually pretty great for Feyre. in the sense that, Feyre would no longer carry the burden of her sister. Feyre would not have to worry about feeding one more mouth. or worrying about Nesta's constant stealing of Feyre's money. Feyre does not think Nesta is a "waste of space" to her, if she did, it would have been easy for Feyre to discard Nesta, and allow her to marry Tomas. the anti has that twisted.

but that is not even the worst part of the scene. did you see the shameless slut-shaming that came out of Nesta's mouth? how will the audience take to that? do you think most of the younger generation will take it lightly to see a sister slut-shame a sister? a woman putting down another woman? in this social climate? where the feminism movement is alive and flourishing. will they be okay with it? will they still blame Feyre and be mad at her the way the anti says they will be? I hope not otherwise I'm losing faith in humanity.

Lovely words Nesta spews at Feyre. I admit Feyre should have told her then and there that Tomas is abusive. but let's think: Feyre is 19 years old, the youngest, has never had any raising by a parental figure, has been neglected by her whole family, where would Feyre learn to calmly talk to an overgrown brat like Nesta? Feyre telling Nesta who Tomas truly is the duty of a parent, not a sister. I will not condemn Feyre for not knowing that was the perfect time to tell Nesta who Tomas is. especially when Feyre is being tormented and verbally/emotionally abused, its kinda hard to think about something else while you're being told all these horrible words. to us its easy to see where Feyre went wrong but unless you're in the exact position Feyre was in. no one has any room to talk. and even then, every person is different in situations like these.

this part was me analyzing the interactions between Feyre and Nesta since anti had reasons to believe Feyre was just as bad to Nesta and that the audience would see that and hate Feyre. I am now going to respond to the second part of the Feyre Anti's response.

"How will an audience of non-fans react to her not reaching out to her family to tell them she was okay after the reconciliation between her and Nesta? Or not inviting them to the wedding?"- from anti

moving onto acomaf now.

Idk maybe the audience will see Feyre, a depressed, lonely, individual in an abusive relationship while being manipulated by other individuals she called friends, and understand and empathize with her. all throughout the beginning and half of acomaf, Feyre is in critical depression. she wholeheartedly believes she should not be alive. that she is not worthy. she doesn't eat, all she does is sleep, self-care is not important to her or others so why would letting a family know she's okay, a family who BARELY ever cared about her, be a priority? it doesn't seem like Nesta or elain or her father was really fazed by Feyre's lack of communication. her father left on a trip, elain got engaged and Nesta, well we didn't see a tearful welcoming to Feyre on Nesta's part did we?

anti, where is the outcry of her "family" not even really caring if Feyre was safe or not, of what happened to her? it's not like they thought she had died, otherwise, where was the mourning or funeral? no, they just didn't care.

see this is where I know when anti is just full of bullshit. why, WHY, would Feyre invite her family to wedding full of fae? the creatures elain and Nesta fear and hate? for all the talk many anti's spew about Feyre being inconsiderate to Nesta, to her family, you would think Feyre maybe just knows a fae wedding would be the last thing they would want? even then, does Feyre owe them an invitation to her wedding? does she owe them an update on her life? nope. Feyre owed them nothing.

"How about her shit-talking Nesta to a bunch of strangers then having the audacity to ask her to get involved in a war. Oh! This is after she comes into her house and insults their hospitality." - from anti

I hardly think Feyre confiding in individuals who she learned to care about and laying out all the trauma Feyre endured with her family is "shit-talking" but for argument's sake, let's say it is. I still don't see what's wrong? after years of pent-up anger and hurt, would you not let go of everything you withheld inside and explain what was done to you? how you felt? Feyre telling the IC her life story, which contains Nesta's abuse and her family's neglect, was a form of therapy for Feyre. I never read a line where Feyre calls Nesta a "cold-hearted bitch" or called elain "a lazy ditz" she just said the truth. no added embellishments. Cassian was the one who shit-talked Nesta during the dinner scene, never Feyre.

I still don't understand why antis are so against Feyre asking her sisters for help? like the war didn't involve them? they're humans, and you know what the war was about? Hybern wanting to take control of the human lands like they once did and turn them into slaves. those humans included Nesta and elain.

"They could have left the continent" correct, except elain was engaged and refused to leave Grayson. which meant Nesta refused to leave elain. but even so, isn't it the duty of humans to band together and work to overthrow a race of people who want to torture and keep them as slaves? the queens certainly weren't doing their jobs. Feyre asked to use "their" house to meet the queens bc where else would they do it? the queens trust the fae less than Nesta or elain did. but even so, Feyre asking to use their house was a courtesy, that house is rightfully Feyre's. she is the one who sacrificed herself to leave with Tamlin. she did it bravely, courageously, and they got that house thanks to her. they owed Feyre everything. and the only one who acknowledged that was Elain.

that war involved elain and Nesta whether they or Feyre or the anti's liked it or not. not even considering that Nesta and elain are Feyre Archerons sisters, yeah, their family name alone puts a target on their back.

How did Feyre or the court insult Elain's and Nesta's hospitality? You mean when Feyre realized human food differed from fae food? something she did not know about bc she's barely been turned to fae and only had eaten fae dishes? Feyre's grimace towards the human food was an involuntary reaction to someone who is still learning their new body. or was it when Cassian called out Nesta for her cold treatment towards Feyre? if that's the case then fuck decency, I would call out a fake bitch in my presence from minute one. you cant call what Nesta did "hospitality" when all she did was insult Feyre when she didn't even care that Feyre had died, or lost her love bc of abuse, or that her body was changed against her will.

hospitality: the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.

did y'all read something different bc this for sure was nothing Nesta gave to her guests?

----

the rest of the anti post moves towards Rhysand and his actions UTM which I won't go into because I'm mainly just addressing the false interpretations this anti had to say about Feyre and her family.

I'm not sure how to sign off now lol, but I guess just that I hope this was enough to show how this anti's arguments were completely ludicrous and have absolutely no compassion for Feyre, and instead all the compassion for Feyre's abusers. This anti had a real spin on what the actual story was, and I hope the evidence I provided was enough to show that. Anyways yeah my brain is fried, and I'm done arguing with Feyre anti's for a while now, I need to go praise my queen Feyre so I can receive some semblance of peace.

anyways, stan Feyre for clear skin xx

#acotar #feyre acomaf #acofas #a court of thorns and roses #nesta and feyre #feyre deserves better #high lady feyre #high lady of the night court #feyre archeron #pro feyre #pro feysand #stan feyre #feyre cursebreaker #feyre darling #feyre acotar #rhys x feyre #feyre x rhysand #elain archeron #elain acotar #elain #anti nesta #anti nesta archeron #anti nesta stans #acotar tv series #acotar tv show #acotar tv adaptation #acotar series #sjm #sjm fandom #acotar fandom

[thetimelordbatgirl]

Sheesh Pee Girl, I wonder why Harriyanna- cause we know you mean her, coward, you cant even say her name since your that cowardly- would want you gone alongside others, not like you harassed her AGAIN recently on IG or something....oh wait, you did. 

“Sheesh, people can be unreasonable”....I’m sorry, but:

FROM YOU???? You’re been given over ten times now a chance to change and apologize, and what have you done??? Gone after Lady-LB to the point its been found on your wiki account, you tried to frame Lady-LB for your shit, while going after MiraculousContent, who confirmed you basically spread misinformation about her fanfic and the fanart you went after that wasn’t even by her but by someone else who loved the AU.  You basically are stalking people’s blogs still clearly, and even harassed Harriyanna on INSTAGRAM, just because your THAT obsessed with Adrien that you can’t take that someone made a video calling out his problems.  Your former friends even gave you constant chances, but you threw them all away and yet, still demanded the right to say goodbye before people blocked you in places, just so you can try and guilt trip them.  And ImmaturityOfThomasAstruc is still giving you a chance to formerly apologize to them and others and yet, you haven’t. 

So if anything, asking you to get off tumblr is pretty reasonable, because the chances of you changing at this rate is pretty fucking low if you keep doing shit like you’re been doing. 

#plaggandadrienbondingisthebest #plaggandadrienbondingisthebest get out of tumblr #paabitb salt #pee girl salt #by the way its not just harriyanna #the whole fandom would love for you to leave #people outside of the fandom would love for you to leave #because your THAT toxic #so please do that

[oitommothetease]

Invisible String (9/?)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female reader (Modern AU)

Word Count: 2k words

You weren't a morning person, hell, you weren’t even a person in the morning. Therefore, when you woke up to two kids playing with your hair and jumping on your bed, you wanted to strangle them or shove them on the floor. But again, you loved those little demons so you just groaned loudly, clearly irritated and you decided to keep your eyes closed, hoping that your ignorance will make them leave you alone. You squeezed your eyes shut and didn't open them until you heard a familiar voice chuckling.

“Carol told me you aren't a morning person, but this-” James didn't finish his sentence, his lips breaking into a cheeky grin, and as much annoyed as you were at his teasing, you kind of thought he looked gorgeous. Who looked so gorgeous this early in the morning? A smile made its way to your face and you instantly wiped it off, feigning offense.

“Carol? You're already on a first-name basis with my sister?”

“Aw, don't worry, doll. I'm just trying to be friendly with your family or should I say my future family as your mother reminded me ten minutes ago,” he pestered, moving towards you to hand you the cup of coffee in his hand. Bucky winked teasingly when you accepted it, and you mumbled a ‘thank you’.

That pet name made your stomach do some somersaults and you didn't trust yourself enough to speak. It's not like the first time he called you ‘doll’, in fact, he had been calling you that the moment you started fake dating. But it was something about the way he said it as if the word was made for you and nobody could say that word unless it wasn't voiced by him for you. He didn't notice the flush in your eyes and even if he did, he didn't mention it.

“That’s it. You’re done hanging out with my family,” you articulated, “You are officially infected.” 

“Don’t be like that, doll. Come on, breakfast’s ready.”

At the age of 18, when you were finally a college girl, you decided that breakfast was a myth created by Satan. When you lived with your parents, the breakfast consisted of extravagant food like pancakes, waffles and fruits. Once you moved away for college, your breakfast shifted to coffee and maybe a toast if you had the time before your first lecture. And the second you were independent, coffee became your boyfriend, keeping you up at night and also, your best friend, keeping you up in the morning without dozing off in classes.

So, sitting again at a dining table with your family and fake boyfriend/boss was very awkward, to say the least. But of course, your sister had the magical ability where she took an awkward silence and converted it into an uncomfortable conversation.

“We hope we didn't wake you up last night. Nick and I tend to get loud sometimes,” Carol joked and you coughed, choking on your food, and James laughed awkwardly. 

James' hand instinctively came to your back, running calming circles with his palm and you shot a deathly glare to your sister. 

“Oh, we know all about that,” James teased, bringing your chair closer to him. Your eyes widened and you whipped your head towards him so quickly that your neck hurt. What was he saying? This man, your boyfriend, fake boyfriend was a completely different person than your boss (not that you were complaining). He was funny, charming, he made you feel comfortable and something else you weren’t ready to point out just yet.

You could see yourself falling for a man like James. No, he is your boss and sort of criminal. Get your shit together, you told yourself.

After the very awkward breakfast, thanks to Carol. Your mother told you to show James around town and you would have said no but that meant you’d have to stay at home with your family, which was worse. So when James accepted your offer to go to your favorite burger place nearby, you were relieved.

“This burger is amazing, but nothing compared to Barry’s,” James stated. 

You nodded your head, chewing the remnant of food in your mouth properly before speaking, “Nothing compares to Sally and her food.”

You liked being with James, everything about him made you want this, the real thing with him, not the whole faux boyfriend play. You wanted him and you were sure that he didn’t. One look at him was sufficient for anyone to know how handsome he was, and how oblivious he was to the waitress ogling him. He didn’t spare her a glance, he was probably used to the attention that he stopped caring about it. Of course, if you weren't overthinking at the moment, you would have noticed that he didn't care about anyone else - well, except you. 

“The waitress was totally checking you out,” you informed James. You were very jealous, but you wouldn't stop your crush on your boss to stop him from living his life. He had already sacrificed a lot for you, you didn't want to cock-block him on top of that.

“No, she wasn’t,” he huffed, looking at you for any sign that this conversation displeased you the way it did him.

“I swear she was,” you said, “You should ask her out. She’s cute.”

 “No, I’m taken.”

“But you’re not taken, James. This isn’t real,” you retorted and it hurt you so much to say. Sometimes you wished you could be a selfish bitch but you couldn’t do that to James. He deserves someone who would cherish and love him, not give him a faux relationship. “You should ask her out.”

 “Do you want me to?” James asked, his voice was laced with desperation that you couldn't understand. Why would he care about your opinion?

Bucky hoped that you would say no, he needed a sign to know that you wanted him too. His tone was despondent because he was hoping that this could be more. He really wanted it to be. But when you said yes, everything came shattering down for him. You didn’t want him and God, he was so frustrated that he could cry. What sick game was the universe playing with him? He felt like a rat stuck in a cage with cheese right outside, in front of him. Even though he was so close to you, you were still out of his reach.

“You know what?,” he pondered, “Now that I think about it maybe I should ask her out?”

“Like right now?” you questioned, taken aback by his sudden and unexpected change in demeanor.

“Yeah!” he cheered enthusiastically, “No time like the present, right? You can get home by yourself?”

He didn’t wait for your answer, already walking back towards the restaurant, and you murmured a ‘yeah’ which he didn’t even notice because he was already jogging towards the burger place.

When you reached home alone, tears welled up in your eyes, and you ran up to the bathroom to avoid stumbling upon your family. Maybe you shouldn't have pushed him, maybe if you didn’t then he wouldn’t have pursued the waitress. He wouldn’t have gone if you didn’t shove him towards the cute waitress. Why were you such a good person?

Your thoughts were brought to a halt with frantic knocks on the door. Instantly, you wiped your eyes and opened up the door to be met with your sister’s kids. Izzy and Alex didn’t give you any time before getting a hold of your hand and rushing you outside to help them set up the trampoline.

Your family was already out there, and you hoped your face didn’t say, ’I've been crying in the bathroom.’ Your sister and her husband were seated on a blanket which was spread out on the grass, sipping wine, and your parents were admiring their grandchildren.

“Auntie Y/N!” Alex exclaimed and Izzy added, “Help us fix the trampoline please.”

You agreed because those two were the only people in the world that considered you their friend without asking for anything in return. Moreover, it was a good distraction, if you stayed in a room thinking about James, then you would probably lose your sanity. So, once you started setting up the trampoline for the kids, it became somewhat fun, and you almost forgot all about James, and how he must be talking to that girl and how that girl must be flirting with him. You hoped he didn’t call her doll, you knew you were being unreasonable and immature, but you couldn’t help yourself.

Izzy and Alex made their way towards their parents and whispered something about you being so in love with James that his absence made you angry.

You ignored them and the way your sister smiled, you were so focused on fitting the trampoline spring that you did not realize someone was standing behind you until two strong hands came around you, taking the spring from your hand and attaching it to the corner. 

You knew it was James, no one would touch your hand so gently, any other man would have snatched the spring from your hold and mansplained it’s process to you. But James wasn’t doing that, he wanted to be near you, to have your attention fully that is why he took the spring from you. He didn’t undermine you. No, he desired you to notice him, the guy who has been trying all weekend to get you to like him. He wanted you to see Bucky, not your boss, James.

You could feel his head looming over your shoulder, you dared to crane your neck in his direction to find him already looking at you with a smile on his face. You were so dazed in his eyes that you didn’t notice that he was wearing a white shirt instead of the one he wore in the morning. You did not notice that he didn’t leave you to get the waitress’s number, instead he got a customized shirt that read 'I heart Y/N'. You only noticed him.

Furthermore, you didn’t care about anything else at the moment, just him. Bucky eyed your lips longer than he should have and leaned a bit towards you; a question. You answered his question by closing the distance between you and crashing your lips with his. His hands engulfed around your waist, flushing your back against his chest and he kissed you feverishly. 

The kids were right.

You were in love, and that love was reciprocated by the man who was holding you like you were his archer and kissing you like you were the source of his last breath. But both of you were too unaware to realize that the other felt the same way.

Everyone could see that, your mother looked over at your father and your sister looked at her husband, smiling, reminiscing the way they fell in love just like you and Bucky. The kids looked at you both with hope, aspiring to have a love like that in their future, the kind they saw in movies and in the couples around them.

What you didn't realize was that there was one other set of eyes watching you from a car in the distance. Rumlow finally found his rival's vulnerability, and he was going to do everything in his power to exploit and eventually kill Bucky’s weakness, his love, you. 

TAGS:  @bananapipedreams​ @akkinda10​ @rivers-rambles21​ @emmabarnes​ @valsworldofcreativity​ @boofy1998​ @marvel-3407​ @mybuck​ @priii​ @coffeebooksandfandom​ @ladydmalfoy​ @shaking-a-jar-of-bees 

#bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes series #bucky barnes x female reader #bucky barnes x y/n