#kept sending me more videos of drenching rain

[torrentialmonsoon]

these raindrops are like gems as they kiss your skin, making my heart skip beats in this joy of spring.

#poetry #woke up to the rain today and it has been gorgeous #day even got better as #oddman the oldman #kept sending me more videos of drenching rain #just perfection

[tyonfs]

under the rain.

❝ it’s hard to believe that you want me too. ❞

PAIRING ▸ boyfriend!jaemin x fem!reader

GENRES ▸ smut, some fluff, established relationship

WARNINGS ▸ dirty talk, praise, car sex, orgasm denial, overstimulation, exhibitionism, some aftercare

WORD COUNT ▸ 1912 words

AUTHOR’S NOTE ▸ this was an impulse-write i started a few days ago but i basically wrote 75% of it after the nct end of the year party video came out. jaemin is literally sososo pretty and omg seeing the new members and xiaohenyang with the rest of nct was everything ♡ i hope you guys enjoy this !! also psa this is reposted bc tumblr tags hate me

YOU DIDN’T EXPECT TO GET CAUGHT IN THE RAIN WITH YOUR BOYFRIEND, NA JAEMIN.

The two of you were always too busy to see each other during the week. From college classes to football practice, Jaemin could barely squeeze in time for you. Rare moments like today, however, were when you could spend some quality alone time with him, away from friends and college lectures. Jaemin dedicated the entire day to you and only you, only for it to be ruined by the rainfall as you were walking back to Jaemin’s car from the movie theater.

You were drenched by the time you and Jaemin made it to the parking structure where his car was parked. Although the day had been perfect, from Jaemin taking you to your favorite coffee shop and then walking around with you downtown, you couldn’t help but feel somewhat gloomy because of the rain. You weren’t aware that you were visibly showing your exasperation until Jaemin wrapped his arms around you from behind, pulling you into his warmth.

“I’m sorry,” Jaemin murmured into your neck, “I didn’t know it was going to rain.”

You shivered a bit at his touch and put your hands over his. “It’s okay. I just wish we could be together for a little longer.”

You knew he was disappointed, too. Jaemin always complained about not having the chance to see you whenever he could, so simple things such as weekend dates were precious to him. On top of that, he absolutely hated not seeing you happy. Na Jaemin didn’t exactly have all the time in the world, but he did everything in his power to not let things end on a sour note.

The rain pattered outside of the empty parking structure, so Jaemin pulled you closer and opened the door to the backseat. You weren’t very sure where this was going to go but, regardless, you let him slide into the seat and pull you onto his lap, closing the door as soon as you were inside.

“Jaemin?” you asked, voice dropping to a whisper.

“Shh.” Jaemin silenced you and slid his long fingers over your clothed clit, rousing a surprised whimper from you. He smirked at your immediate reaction and brought his lips to your ear. “You like that?”

“Fuck,” you breathed out and looked around your surroundings, a sudden spike of anxiety rising at the thought of being seen. Yet, somehow, it got you even more excited. “What if someone sees us?”

“Then let them enjoy the show.”

Jaemin was always so shameless when it came to things like this. When you met up before classes once, he tugged you into a bathroom and took you in one of the stalls; on another occasion, you visited him during football practice and he snuck away to make out with you behind the bleachers. It wasn’t like you were opposed considering you were often just as sexually frustrated as he was.

Now, you both needed this. After barely seeing your boyfriend all week, you had kept everything pent-up, and you knew he felt the same way. Jaemin ran his free hand up and down your body, feeling what he had longed for.

“You’re so gorgeous, Y/N,” Jaemin whispered, blowing air against your ear. “Absolutely fucking beautiful.”

He slipped his hand past your waistband, tracing his fingers along the v-line of your pelvis. You shivered at the feeling of his fingers grazing your skin, traveling down to rub your clit in slow, teasing circles. You rutted back against him, craving more friction, more touch. This only encouraged Jaemin to speed up his pace, fingers rolling around your tiny ball of nerves in a way that made you go crazy.

“Jaemin, we shouldn’t—ah!”

“What was that?” he cooed sickeningly, knowing the effect he had on you.

But this time, you weren’t going to comply. No matter how horny you were, you knew it wasn’t a great idea to go at it in a parking lot. You were ready to—

Jaemin slid two fingers along your soaking slit. “Do you have something to say, Y/N?”

—completely give in.

“P-please,” you begged in a whimper, “more.”

“Such a good girl.” Jaemin slipped a finger inside of you, his free hand sliding up your shirt to feel you up. He slid his finger in and out of you, getting you more wet until he asked, “Want another one?”

You nodded quickly, breath hitching as Jaemin slid another finger in. Your walls tightened around his fingers but Jaemin didn’t slow down his pace. He pumped even faster, rousing a moan from you when his long fingers hit a certain spot that made your head go fuzzy. You felt a tingling sensation all over your body, warmth knotting in your stomach. You just wanted Jaemin to finish you off, but you knew that wasn’t his style.

You let out a moan that sounded about an octave higher, and Jaemin took it as his cue to pull his fingers out. You immediately whined, rolling your hips back against his. Your boyfriend tutted at your impatience and lifted his fingers to your lips.

“Suck,” he ordered, wanting you to taste yourself. You obeyed and held his wrist to suck on his fingers, and Jaemin bit back a groan. “Such a pretty mouth.”

He pulled his fingers away from your mouth once he was satisfied and tugged at your hips. You swiveled around so that you were straddling his lap, sitting on top of Jaemin’s painful erection. He reached up to move your hair out of your face, just admiring your features for a moment. It seemed as if he was frozen in time then, as if the world was just you and him in his car.

“It’s hard to believe,” he murmured, tracing his finger along your collarbone, “that you want me too.”

“Of course I do,” you whispered back, pouting at his statement. You wished he didn’t have to feel so insecure, but you understood that it was hard when you couldn’t see him all the time. “I love you.”

Jaemin smiled at your words, mumbling an “I love you too” as he grabbed the back of your neck to pull you down for a kiss. You kissed him back fervently, allowing him access to every part of you, letting his tongue roam your mouth and his hands roam your body. When you let out a gasp at the feeling of Jaemin’s hands gripping your ass, he seized the opportunity to kiss down to your neck.

“Jaemin, please,” you whined. “I need you.”

He pulled away for a moment, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear before unbuttoning his pants for you. You moved off of him to take off your pants, too, and when you came back to him, you were dying for his touch again.

You both were silent for a moment, just heavy breathing and chests rising and falling before he said, “Ride me.”

You hesitated because you had expected him to take charge tonight. Now, you were feeling a bit nervous, but you stepped up to the challenge. Nodding, you tugged down his boxers to let his cock spring out. He was so fucking hard and you were so wet and ready to take him.

“Easy,” he murmured, guiding your hips down on him. A gasp escaped your lips as he entered you, adjusting your position several times before you could take him in fully. “No matter how many times I fuck you, you’re always so tight and perfect for me.”

Jaemin groaned as your walls clenched and unclenched around him. Jaemin tucked his head into your shoulder, holding the small of your back as you moved your hips up and down on him. Your boyfriend greedily groped every possible place he could pleasure you, and when he got to pinching your nipples, you felt like your head was spinning.

You thought Jaemin was getting unsatisfied by your careful movements because he held your hips with a bruising grip and pulled you down. You moaned, curling your fingers into his hair as you bounced on his cock. Jaemin groaned into the crook of your neck, dragging his lips up to whisper words of praise into your ear.

He was rough sometimes, yes, but Jaemin loved to love, and he showed it during sex. Despite how rough he liked to get, it was the simple gestures that really showed how gentle he could be. He would kiss every inch of your skin that if he thought he held you too hard, stroke your hair while he was pounding into you, and hold you close to him because more than the sex, he just wanted you in his arms.

“Might cum—gonna cum, gonna cum,” you moaned out, nails digging into his shoulders as Jaemin fucked up into you.

He held your hips as he angled his hips again to hit that one spot that left you in the clouds. Your arm shot out to the side, attempting to grab anything for leverage, which was when you noticed how the windows started fogging up. Jaemin pressed his thumb against your clit, sending waves of pleasure that dared to make you spill over.

“Hold it for me, pretty girl,” Jaemin ordered in a gentle voice, rubbing your clit in circles as he grinded his hips up into you. “Don’t cum all over my cock just yet. I wanna do it with you.”

You closed your eyes shut, biting your lip and nodding. You let out a loud whimper each time Jaemin thrusted up into you, complete with you bouncing up and down on his cock. Jaemin’s voice was raspy, growling filthy words into your ear that made butterflies flutter in your stomach, edging you even more.

By the time you had tears streaming down your cheeks, Jaemin decided he had overstimulated you enough. He pressed down on your clit a touch harder as he circled the little ball of nerves. Paired with his intense thrusts, you were losing your hold over yourself.

Jaemin looked up at you, desperation over his face. “Go ahead, Y/N. Be a good girl and cum for me.”

You didn’t waste any time and unraveled right in front of him, crumbling into his hold right away. Jaemin groaned, filling you up to your brim, and relief washed over you when you remembered you were on the pill. But Jaemin continued fucking you through your highs, hips stuttering to a stop when you both had grounded yourselves again.

The only sounds in the car were the distant pattering of raindrops and the heavy panting from you and Jaemin. You bit your lip as you got off of him, his cum dripping down your thighs. You frowned slightly at the mess because you knew he had nothing to clean it off with.

Jaemin looked solemn for a moment when you got off his lap. You both knew that once you two got back to your college campus, this dream would end and you would get back to the cold reality of schoolwork and club activities.

He held your hand, rubbing his thumb over the soft skin. “Will you stay the night?” he asked gently. “I want cuddles.”

You smiled at his words. “Of course.”

It was true that you and Jaemin rarely had time to see each other recently, but right now, under the pouring rain, it didn’t matter because you had each other.

#nct dream reactions #na jaemin smut #nct dream hard hours #nct dream smut #jaemin smut #nct dream #na jaemin #nct #kpop hard hours #jaemin #nct dream drabbles #jaemin oneshots #jaemin drabbles #jaemin imagines #nct dream imagines #00 line smut #jaemin scenarios #nct dream scenarios #jaemin blurb

[casuallyimagining]

Postcards

Jeon Jungkook x Reader

Summary: Jungkook goes on tour without you, and he sends back mementos to let you know he’s thinking of you. Notes: Part of the Long Term Couples series.  Read more here

The postcards had started to appear in your mailbox in mid-August. One or two a week, sometimes three, always a few days between to space out their appearance. And while it was October and they had been appearing regularly, you had to admit that each one was a surprise.

You thought maybe eventually the novelty would wear off, or that it would become too expensive to send mail to Seoul from halfway across the planet. But their appearance never ceased.

Sometimes, you would find more than one postcard in your mailbox at a time, the handwriting on each different--sometimes sloppy, sometimes cramped, sometimes tall characters, sometimes short ones--but you looked forward to the neat, even-spaced handwriting the most.

It had been months, and even though you talked on the phone every night, you missed Jungkook more than you anticipated.

Any other tour, you’d be there with him and the rest of his members. Any other tour, you were a valuable member of the crew--working with the stagehands and the production staff to make sure every concert ran as smoothly as possible. But this wasn’t a world tour, and really, it hadn’t been planned too far in advance. So as Jungkook and the boys traipsed across Europe and Asia, you were stuck in your apartment with Kimchi, Jungkook’s Jindogae puppy.

The first few postcards were a little worse for wear. Kimchi hadn’t mastered yet to leave things alone when you commanded him, and the postcards--which were just the perfect size for a puppy to steal from your coffee table--had been punished for the pup’s poor behavior.

You worked harder on Kimchi’s training, and you went out and bought little frames to protect the postcards from any further punishment. You had agonized over which side to display at first--knowing Jungkook, he had really put thought into which postcard image to send--but in the end, you decided that the message was more important than the location. You could always flip them later when you were missing him less.

When a new one arrived, you reread the old ones. After a few weeks, you had most of them memorized. And while you loved and cherished them all, the first one was your favorite. Partly because it was the first and it was a surprise, but partly because it was so different from the others.

The front was a photo of London’s Tower Bridge at dusk, the lights on the supports twinkling in the near-darkness. On the back was an image of the Union Jack with the opacity turned way down. The message was a short and simple “London isn’t the same without you. We miss you a lot. I love you! - Kookie,” but it was how it was written that made you smile. The handwriting was the messiest you had ever seen Jungkook produce. It was almost like he was in a hurry, like it was a last-minute, rushed decision. Like he had seen it at the train station and just had to buy it.

The second had arrived with two friends. One, from Jimin, was a picture of a Scottish Terrier in green and red plaid and simply said “Wish you could have come with us! We met a friendly dog wearing a kilt. You would have loved him.” The second was from Yoongi and had a picture of the Clyde River at sunset on the front. On the back, he told you in a fairly lengthy message about their first of three concerts in Glasgow, how much fun they were having, and how much you would love Scotland. The writing was so tiny you could barely read it, and even then, Yoongi had almost run out of space.

The last one was a cute cartoon of a shaggy-haired Highland cow. On the back, Jungkook’s handwriting was neat this time and evenly spaced. No more rushing. This one was intentional. “We saw these cows in person! They reminded me of your hair in the morning!”

A few days later, a postcard from Amsterdam. The following week, ones from Berlin and Paris. By the time the European leg of the tour ended in Barcelona, you had at least one postcard from each of the six other members. You had started hanging them in the small makeshift office space you had in your living room, 12 in total so far, clustered together in what you hoped was a tasteful display.

The messages were mixed. Some, like the ones from Yoongi and Taehyung, were longer and more thoughtful. Hobi’s was just bright musings about his day and a wish for your wellbeing while they’re away. Namjoon had sent one from Amsterdam that also contained vandalism by Jimin. Jin’s from Paris was simply just a collection of jokes he had picked up along the way. Really, they were all very predictable.

Jungkook’s on the other hand… those were all wildcards. And you wouldn’t have it any other way. In addition to his cow from Glasgow, he had sent you one from Amsterdam in which he mused about clogs and windmills, one from Berlin that was just him saying “I love you” in every language he could think of, one from Paris where he just talked about some ice cream he and Jimin had gotten, and one from Barcelona where he told you how he made some sort of mistake at the concert that he knew he wouldn’t have made had you been there because, in his words, “you always have my back.”

The postcards were chaotic, and stream-of-consciousness, and oh so Jungkook that it made your heart both ache and swell every time you looked at them.

When the boys arrived back in Asia, you could tell immediately just from the postcards you received. Not just the images, either. The messages had an entirely different tone.

From Tokyo, it was a watercolor painting of one of the shrines and a simple message of how much he missed you.

From Osaka, it was a photo of the cherry blossom festival and the desire to make a point to visit to see the flowering trees the following year.

And from Fukuoka, it was from the art museum, and held a promise to take you there as soon as he could because they had works by Roy Lichtenstein and Mark Rothko he and Namjoon both thought you would love to see.

One postcard from Jungkook for every international city the mini-tour stopped in. They had one more concert in Seoul and then he would be home. Unfortunately, they landed early in the morning and then were swept away to rehearse, so you wouldn’t be able to see him until after the concert.

So you sat on your couch, curled up under a blanket, watching reactions to the band’s various music videos and fan compilations on YouTube. It had become one of your favorite pastimes in recent weeks. Currently, you were making your way through one channel’s reactions playlist. Three men sat at a table, two of whom were apparently hip-hop dancers, and they were reacting to “Daechwita.” Clearly they were into it--the two dancers kept making the guy in the middle pause the video so they could rewatch certain bits.

You and Kimchi both jumped at the knock at your door, the dog giving a warning bark, his ears trained towards the door. It was quiet, and then you heard the soft ‘fwip’ of something being slid under your door. Kimchi was up in a second to investigate, and you followed, giving the dog a sharp ‘leave it’ so he wouldn’t destroy whatever it was.

Curious, you bent down to pick it up. It was a piece of thick paper, no more than 16 centimeters in length. Immediately, your heart began to race. It was a postcard. From Seoul.

Kimchi must have sensed your feelings because he gave a confused bark, his attention turned back to the door. You flipped the postcard over. It was blank--no address, no stamp--except for one small line of neat Hangul. “I missed you.”

Without thinking, you opened the door. Kimchi was in the hall in a second, barking at a pair of black combat boots. The man attached to the boots attempted to shush the dog. You laugh as he tried to shoo Kimchi back into the house. His wide eyes met yours then, and he was laughing, too, a smile blazing like wildfire across his lips.

“Kimchi, in,” you commanded the dog sharply, and with one more bark, he retreated into your apartment. You motioned with your head for the man to enter as well. He did as he was told.

As soon as the door was shut, you pulled him to you. He smelled like Downy and vanilla, but also airplane and sweat and rain. His clothes were drenched--was it raining? You hadn’t noticed. His arms wrapped around your waist, holding you to him tightly. You had forgotten how much his hugs felt like home.

A few moments passed as you stood there in your entryway just holding each other. Your mind vacillating between getting lost in him and wandering. Why wasn’t he at the concert? It didn’t matter, because he was here. Did they get rained out? Who cares, he’s home. You felt his lips press against the side of your head.

You pulled back, your hands going to his cheeks, thumbs ghosting against his soft skin. “Jungkook,” you breathed. He smiled softly, his eyes giving away how happy he was to be there.

Silently, you stood there, hands on his face, his own on your waist, as you stared at him, trying to commit him to memory. His hair was longer, the ends turning under slightly as they dried from the rain. His face was a little flushed, though you weren’t sure whether it was from the chilly bite of the late October air or something else.

“Not that I’m not so incredibly glad you’re here,” you began, your eyes meeting his. “But why are you here?”

He laughed, letting go of your waist so he could loosen the laces of his boots. “Rained out. I guess they’ve been having problems with the retractable roof at the stadium.” He shrugged, kicking his boots off haphazardly. Kimchi barked at the noise, running to investigate the shoes. “They’re going to reschedule, I guess?”

You nodded. As soon as his shoes were off, Jungkook pulled you close again, one arm slung over your shoulders as he led you into the living room. You sat on the corner of the couch, and immediately he was leaning into you, nudging your arm up over his shoulders so that you were the one holding him. You could feel him sigh against you, his head falling and resting against yours.

“God, I missed this,” he admitted softly.

“I missed you.” He ducked his head, burying his face in your neck. You felt him smile against your skin, pressing a light kiss there.

With the excitement of him finally being home starting to wear off, you remembered the postcard still clutched in your hand. You made an excited noise and jumped to your feet, scurrying over to your desk. Jungkook protested the lack of contact with a whine, his arms trailing after you as you moved.

He watched you pick up one of the empty frames and slide the postcard into it. “Whatcha doing?”

“Saving it,” you said simply, holding it up to the wall with the others to see where it would look best.

“You framed them?”

“I like them. They’re sweet.”

He laughed, and you could hear him stand and move closer. His arms snaked around your waist, pulling you into his chest. He rested his chin on your shoulder, going silent as he inspected your handiwork. “You really liked them?”

You hummed, placing the newly framed postcard on your desk before reaching up to pat his cheek. “Of course I like them. I missed you guys.”

“Honestly, I don’t even remember sending some of them. We only spent like a day in Amsterdam and Barcelona. I had to grab some of them at the airport.” He squeezed you tighter. “Do you know how hard it is to find a postcard nowadays?”

You spun in his grasp so you were facing him, one hand on his cheek. “Thank you for making the effort.”

Jungkook smiled at you, gentle and sweet. “I will always make the effort for you.”

Read more of the series here

#jungkook x reader #jungguk x reader #jungkook #jeon jungkook #jungguk #bts #bts x reader

[acertainsomeone]

Finding us- EdSer one shot

If he had any doubts before, this incident cleared them altogether. Eda Yildiz had not only taken over his holding and life but his dog as well. He couldn't come to terms with the fact that his best friend, his dog, whom he had brought up since he was a baby, had turned his back on him. Ever since he proposed to Selin, Eda had asked Seyfi bey to get Sirius back to Bolat place. Not that she didn't love him anymore, she found it appropriate that the dog was returned to his rightful owner. She didn't wish anymore for Serkan to treat her worse, if fate planned, his memories will come back otherwise she was not going to desperately beg him to choose her over Selin. It wasn't about pride. Her love was much more than self-respect. She realized that Serkan was scared of her because she managed to strike chords of his heart that were nonexistent for him. If she pushed him further, if she hovered over his head, he would be irked and god forbid if something serious happened to his health, she won't be able to forgive herself.  

Sirius wasn't home, this was twice in the last three days that he had managed to escape. Serkan's pride was too much to call Eda and ask her to pay a visit to Sirius. Usually, he came back wagging his tail, it wasn't hard to spot him around but this time Serkan panicked. He checked the entire neighborhood and every possible place where Sirius could've gone. He had lost his memories; he couldn't afford to lose him.

"Where are you oğlum ?" He drove across the seats of Istanbul in apprehension. His heart skipped a beat thinking of a much worse possibility. Sirius wasn't among those dogs who get along with people, forget strangers.

What if somebody tried to harm him?

It wasn't hard to come across such crackheads, who would hurt animals for their pleasure.  

"Alo" Serkan answered his phone in panic upon seeing Eda's name on the screen. She was going to chide him enough for being so careless.

As if he wasn't to be blamed in her eyes already

"No need to wander around the streets, Sirius is with me. I'm sending you the location. Hadi gel." Her voice was devoid of any emotions, she didn't let him speak and hung up asap. 

 Did he make a mistake?

What was this place? And why would Sirius come here? He wondered while climbing the steps of the apartment. He entered and found a wounded Sirius lying in Eda's lap. He was asleep, and Eda was caressing his head.

"SIRIUS!" He cried in panic, and Eda glared at him for being so loud. 

"Shhhh you're gonna wake him."  

'What happened?" He asked incredulously. Sitting beside Eda, caressing his only best friend with affection.

"I think he ran from your place - to find me. He would've expected me to be at the park. Few children hit him there. Thankfully, I was there for a walk and spotted him immediately."

"What park? I checked all places where he could be."

"There are places that became Sirius's preference, if not yours." She rolled her eyes

"Anyways Serkan, tell me in all honesty, can you take care of him or not? I can't risk his life like this."

He was about to fight back with a 'he's my dog' but he knew that would've turned into a nasty conversation. He owed a thank you to Eda.

"Teşekkürler Eda."  

Eda looked at him plainly. It was hurting him to see her eyes without that love he was used to seeing ever since he came back. Why was it bothering him?  He pushed her away, that's what he wanted.

"You stay with him tonight. He needs to rest."  

"What is this place?" Serkan asked

"Home." She sighed in reverence. "I mean your home, you shifted here."

"Neden."

"I'll leave that story for your fiancé to tell after all she had been telling you everything, and you only believe her."

Eda picked her bag and stood up. "There's food in the fridge. Sirius's food is by the coffee table. And-        your room is upstairs."  She seemed in a hurry. He felt she was only telling him this to fulfill an obligation. He could feel her restless. But why? He had no idea

Serkan examined his room carefully. He was amazed Selin hadn't told him about moving out. The bedroom screamed that he was in a relationship with her Eda Yildiz.

Yok, the bed was made and broken lamps were fixed.

It had their memories. Her memories and belongings. Belongings that he would've never allowed in his premises.

Her clothes and undergarments were piled up along his. Her toothbrush and other toiletries were neatly placed in the bathroom. It didn't seem that they were placed there recently.

A weird sensation was pulling him towards those things. He ran his fingers through her belongings, having flashbacks. They were vivid.

For the first time, he heard her cackling voice too. It was blurry but even his bones could tell that they were in bed, and – he was doing things to make her laugh.

It can't be me

He shook his head in denial.

Serkan opened a drawer and found a USB. It wasn't the USB that grabbed his attention but the flower and note attached to it. That was his handwriting

"For us to remember all the good times- just in case."

***  

"Serkannn!! Would you stop? Look at my state." A sleepy yet annoyed Eda shrieked at Serkan, who was prolly filming a video. He chuckled at her words, not paying attention to whatever she said.

"Eda I know how you look like without clothes." She threw a pillow at his head, and the video disrupted. "Watch out!"

"Are you filming us naked in bed?"

"Hayır, I'm filming this for us to remember that you can't stay mad at me for long." He replied in amusement. This was one of those nights when she had been mad at him but they made out in less than a moment.

"You think too highly of yourself Serkan bolat."

"I've got the brightest star for myself. Shouldn't I?"

"Can you stop this? I have to get up Serkan!"

"How about first you record a message for an 80-year-old Eda, who might've forgotten me?"

"How are you sure that it can't be you."

"I love you way too much to forget you. More than you could. We can bet on that." He winked at her shamelessly

"Tamam." She wasn't going to fight him on this. Eda moved forward cautiously wrapping her naked self with the duvet and kissed Serkan on the tip of his nose.

"This message is for old, yet madly in love Mr. and Mrs. Bolat! No matter how hard the times are, no matter how grave misunderstandings can be, no matter how bleak the road of hope is, we will find our way back, together." 

"Always." He said with a smile and pulled her into a kiss. The video was for them so it didn't matter if it was all being recorded in that state. 

*** 

We don't choose our parents, we don't choose our family, and at times life doesn't allow us to choose our partner as well. He would've never in his right mind made an illogical choice of falling for Eda Yildiz.

Yet he did

Did he make a mistake?

Because all that he had given her in this relationship was pain, so far.

The video brought back a bunch of memories. Their first kiss, first fight, first night, and the last goodbye.

Serkan was mercilessly driving on the empty roads of Istanbul. It was raining heavily and he was drenched. This rain could've made him sick, terribly

But did he even care anymore?

He had hurt the most important person in his life. He ruined everything

How could he forget her of all people? Serkan always claimed to love Eda more than she could. His love was fragile

He sobbed mercilessly, wishing to hit the car somewhere and end this pain. Events of the past few weeks circulated in front of his eyes. The way he was indifferent towards her. The way he resisted her touch and broke her heart all over again.

I never deserved her

He smacked his head against the steering wheel. His tears blocked his vision and he had no idea that he was driving beyond the speed limit with an absolutely insane state of mind.

Suddenly it grew all dark. He couldn't see anything. It felt that the steering wheel was moving in its own direction

All he could hear was noise. Eda's cries and his broken promises.

He was sitting in the police station absentmindedly. Eda was completing the formalities. They hadn't had any eye contact so far else he would've started crying right there. She took him by his arm as if he was lifeless.

"Serkan noldu? You were absolutely fine when I left." She asked him apprehensively, careful not to touch him. "Do you want me to call someone? Selin-"

She stopped immediately. He looked at her for the first time. 

The gaze

Eda caught her breath. It was him. 

It was really him

She knew that man 

Those eyes, they weren't of a stranger. Those eyes recognized her, and she had seen love for her in them. But why was she seeing something stronger than love right now? Anguish

"Serkan!" She gasped unbelievingly. Her hands wrapped around his face possessively as if he'd leave this time if she didn't hold him tight

"I-" he was struggling with words. Should he tell her how scared he was when the pilot told them that the plane was going to crash? How he cursed himself for leaving her behind? Or how much he loves her? Where do I begin

Eda sobbed with happiness. She did not know what to say anymore. He was there, right in front of her. Her Serkan. Her robot bolat

The man who loved her

They were sitting at the shore. Looking blankly at the sea. The waves were calm but their hearts weren't. He had held her hand, and the grip was so strong that it was hurting her a bit but she didn't complain۔

"Eda" he broke the silence

"I don't even have words to ask for your forgiveness. I made another mistake, I broke your heart once again, didn't fulfill my promise, and became the reason for your tears." He was stuttering۔ words weren't leaving his mouth easily whereas Eda kept on looking at him with tears in her eyes

"What I did in the last few weeks can't be forgiven. I've hurt you. I won't beg you to return back to me. I can't make mistakes repeatedly and expect you to stand by the road waiting for me. I-" He stopped and his voice broke further

"Eda you might not want me back in your life but can you please forgive me? One last time? I won't be able to live with the fact that you hate me. Just don't hate me please"

He was begging her, his hands joined together in front of her pleading for forgiveness. His eyes were screaming in pain. He won't be able to bear that hate in this heart. If she stopped caring for him, he won't even bat an eye, but accepting the fact that she despises him? Serkan Bolat would die.

He knew he was being selfish. Yet again, he was thinking of himself. But he was selfish, he never deserved someone as selfless as Eda Yildiz. He disgraced their love, he ruined their relationship, and now if she wished to discontinue this fragile relationship, he won't subject.

"I failed our love Eda. I failed you." She could tell that he was not able to breathe properly. Eda's heart sunk the moment he adjoined his hands in front of her. With each pleading, it felt as if someone was squeezing her heart mercilessly.

"Fate failed us Serkan." She sniffed between her sobs. Her hands cupped his face immediately. She wanted to protect him, she wanted to curl his masculine self among her soft frame. She wished to provide him that comfort and safety his heart seek for the last few months.

He was asking her to forgive him. He feared that she hated him now. How could she?

Serkan had become more than a partner for her, he was a part of her. We don't detach ourselves from what lies within us.

He looked at her disbelievingly. Eda wiped his face with her palms. No more crying. They had enough, more than enough. The pain they had endured was enough for a lifetime.

"We'll leave. Somewhere far away, nobody could find us. Away from this mess, this hate, this chaos. Serkan we have each other. We are not going to let them ruin our happiness."

Was she for real?

"Tamam?" Eda pestered. He nodded in return, unable to say something.

"Seni cok seviyorum." Serkan mumbled only for her to hear as she adorned his face with delicate kisses.

"I have so much to tell you." She sighed in between.

"Where are you taking us?" He did not know why he was asking this. It didn't matter, the question came out of his mouth involuntarily.

"We are going to look for phoenixes." He did not know what that meant but he need not ask. As long as she was there, he didn't have to worry about anything. Eda embraced him protectively like a child. He was in his safe haven.

He was finally saved from the crash. 

#eda yildiz #edser #serkan bolat #sen çal kapimi #sen cal kapimi #sen çal kapımı #sen cal kapımı #turkishdizi #hande erçel #kerem bürsin #edser fic

[segafan37]

Shadamy Snippets: Pain, Pain, Go Away

[Amy's POV]

Wet. Cold. I'm wet and cold.

My teeth chattered, and my body shook from the freezing temperatures that seemed to only surround me. Despite my body's protests, I quickened my pace. The ominous sound of heel meeting tile echoed behind me, but I shook the fear away and kept moving.

I can't look back. I can't face it now. My only mission was to get to warmth... And far. Away. From her.

I slammed the door unintentionally, but I didn't care much. Leaning my back against the door, I sighed a breath of relief.

"What a day." I moaned.

I dully looked about my apartment, then eyed my reflection being displayed from the mirror at the end of the hall. My hair, clothes, face, and body were drenched. My schoolbag, which I just registered was being smothered under my grip, was just as wet. I relaxed my hand and took a peek inside it. Thankfully, its contents were dry.

I sighed, with another moan.

"I am never going to listen to the morning forecast, again!"

I slouched to the floor as the events leading up to my unfortunate state kept playing over and over in my mind.

~ FLASHBACK ~

After chatting it up with Shadow, I had decided to take the bus home. A light rain had begun to fall when I had entered the bus. I didn't think much of it though. I just took a seat next to a window and watched the rain descend.

As I sat further into my seat, a foul smell reached my nose. My face turned up, and I quickly covered it, not at all being discreet. I tried to search for the source of the stench and soon realized it was coming from the purple fabric that covered my chair!

I turned in my seat to study the fabric closer and saw a large outline of an old stain. I cringed. I had a good sniffer and accidentally got a whiff of it too.

It smelled like a mixture of rotten tuna fish and BO. EW!! I was horrified. More trauma occurred when I realized the ends of my hair had just rested on that spot.

Quickly, I collected my belongings and went to take a seat on the other side of the bus. I wrapped my hair up into a tight bun and gazed at my old seat. I shuddered in disgust.

I can't wait to get my own vehicle!

The rain turned into a heavy downpour, as I settled into my new quarters. My stop was three blocks away from my apartment. I had no umbrella or jacket, and I knew if I didn't hustle, I would be soaked to the bone. Once the bus came to my stop, I moved as fast as my legs would allow, but it wasn't enough to prevent my current state.

Since our elevator stopped working, I had to use the stairwell and walk up the many flights to my apartment floor. I shivered and grumbled all the way there, only stopping to give a gloomy "Hey" or an occasional "Hi" to passersbys.

My attitude quickly changed when I felt her presence. I kept myself at a steady pace, not daring to look down at the person a few flights behind me.

I could feel her eyes piercing into me and sending all kinds of negative emotions. I was relieved when I reached my floor and my apartment, which laid at the end of the hall. When I was just entering my home, I could hear the stairwell door opening.

~ END OF FLASHBACK ~

"Well, at least she can't hurt me in here." I resolved.

Wow. That was pathetic, but I didn't care. It was the only thing that was keeping me happy.

I clenched my teeth, trying to control my chattering. I still hadn't gotten warm yet. I wondered what would be the fastest way for me to get warm. I hugged myself and looked about my home as if the answer was hidden amongst my belongings.

Maybe I should make some tea and stand by the fireplace? On second thought, a mocha sounds better! But hot chocolate is faster... Or perhaps I should take a shower?

A faint sound of a door slamming a few apartments down came to my ears. From where I crouched, I could hear yelling. It was hard to make out, but I could just interpret some of their conversation.

"That's it! I want that woman out of this apartment!"

"Martha, what's wrong!?"

"I've had it with her, John! I'm calling Jasmine. She needs to go!"

I leaned the back of my head against my door and groaned, gazing up at the ceiling.

Seriously! Now, she's trying to get her cousin to throw me out!? How could she do this to me! Wasn't her tongue lashing enough!?

I closed my eyes, as the balls of my fists tightened. I wanted a memory wipe; to forget everything that had happened, but I couldn't stop thinking about that horrible woman!

I sighed. How could a day so good, turn so wrong!?

An unpleasant smell reached my nose, and I realized that it was coming from me.

Yeah, I'll go for the shower.

With a huff, I slipped off my boots and socks, leaving them at the entrance with my schoolbag, and headed towards my bedroom.

Water dripped off my face and clothes, as I stumbled through my bedroom door. My once tight bun was now lop-sided and unraveling, and a mixture of rain, sweat, and stinky feet fumed from my body. I was a complete mess! I moaned again.

My conscious noted that I was doing a lot of that lately, to which I replied with an eye roll and another moan.

Do you really think that doing that will help you? My conscious questioned. If anything, you should go talk to her and get some closure instead of moaning and -

"Fine! Alright, already!" I conceded, silencing my little voice, and walked away into my bathroom. "I'll talk with her. But later."

I turned on the shower, and heated vapors soon filled the room. Steam engulfed me, as warm droplets washed away my pain. I closed my eyes and inhaled the warm steam, as my mind slowly brought me back.

I could see myself standing on the stage greeted by a roaring applause. My friends' whoops and cheers above them all! The initial shock I had, when my friends told me of the live-stream video they did, and the crazy comments towards Sonic. There was also my chance encounter with Shadow and the lovely chat we had! He actually gave me a lot to think about...

I even had a peaceful moment on the bus listening to the rain, before I discovered the stench. A chuckle escaped my lips. That was kind of funny now that I think about it.

I opened my eyes, still daydreaming. The shower water reminded me of the raindrops that trailed down my passenger window. I could just hear them, beating against the roof of the bus.

I didn't mind the rain. Some people thought of it as a bad thing or a nuisance, but I liked it... if I didn't get caught in it.

These were good memories. The right ones to think about. Everything was perfect! Then the heavy downpour came and her along with it.

I thought of how she approached me. Her face showed nothing but self-righteousness and reproach, and her eyes were full of hatred towards me. But for what! I never did anything to her, except exist! She thinks I'm the villain in this story, but I'm not!

Our conversation was short, but her words pierced like a knife!

To think my husband and I thought you were a decent young lady! We trusted you, brought you into our home, fed you! Thinking that we were being hospitable to a sweet young lady. All the while, we were being tricked by your pretty little face!.. and sadly, your little plan worked. But we see you for who you are now... a cunning, deceitful, little temptress!

.

.

.

Excerpt from Shadamy fanfic “12 Years Later: A New Dawn”. YOu can read the rest of this chapter and more on Wattpad, DeviantArt, Quotev, or Webnovel.

#Shadamy #shadamy fanfic #shadamy fanfiction #fanfiction #fanfic #my fanfiction #Amy Rose #shadow the hedgehog #sonic couple #sonic the hedgehog #deviantart #webnovel #story snippet #Wattpad #quotev

[shadow-scenarios]

Omggg how you wrote out my request certainly surprised me but I totally enjoyed what you did with it!! And you said that you'd love to write a second part? Well, may I perhaps request that? 👀👀 (P.S.: I'm really relieved that you liked the idea haha, I've been sitting on it for awhile)

Hey again, simulationone!! I’m happy you like the direction I look it in. I was going to have the Reader become Akechi’s Navigator but I think that was a better direction to take it. Also, I tried a different style with this one, so I hope you like it!!

I loved the idea, it was so unique! If you have anything else that you want to request, you’re more than welcome to. By the way, this is suuuper angsty. If you don’t like that kind of thing, skip this post!!

Link to Part 1 here!!

- Nexus.

Trigger Warning: Major Character Death ;; Blood ;; Violence ;; Injuries ;; Swearing

Dance With Justice [2] | Goro Akechi

Perhaps there was a reality where she never had to hurt anyone. A world in which the Phantom Thieves never existed & justice was never an issue. Everyone could simply be happy without any concerns. However, thus was not her current fate.

This was never supposed to happen. She was going to die here, stuck in Mementos until she bled out.

{ Sat, 23 / 10 / 20XX }

Akechi had laid the plan out to her on this day: He had been given an opportunity to meet with the Phantom Thieves at the Shujin Academy. In particular, there was a panel in which a Q&A style show was being held. All they had to do was attend & imply they knew the identities of the Phantom Thieves before he ‘ inconveniently received a phone call ’. Afterwards, the group would be forcibly assembled in the Faculty Room & there they would unfurl the evidence. The photos the both of them had gathered & the video of them disappearing into the Metaverse.

As a result, they would be forced to stop committing their crimes after they took down the Palace of one individual in particular: Sae Niijima. He did admit that he was afraid for the life of his colleague because she was investigating the Phantom Thieves. If they were the perpetrators behind the metal shutdowns, she might be targeted next because she was seen as a threat.

However, there was one thing they were not to be informed about. The additional plan to arrest their leader as a warning of sorts. Additional police forces were to be sent out into the Metaverse & they would corner him when he was alone. It was quite simple but effective. All they had to do was cooperate with them.

This was all communicated to her over lunch in the school rooftop & she nodded, steeling her resolve.

{ Wed, 26 / 10 / 20XX }

Alas, the school festival came too quickly. The first day was ‘ unimportant ’, according to Akechi { although he did look rather embarrassed when she asked what happened with the Phantom Thieves... }.

It was about 20 minutes before the panel was due to start & she had already taken a seat somewhere near the centre. People were already gathered at this point because the Famous Ace Detective: Goro Akechi was going to be answering questions. Frankly, she found it quite creepy the levels most fans went to in order to see him.

Eventually the debate began. Makoto Niijima, student Council President, was hosting & essentially demanded answers related to his detective work reguarding the Phantom Theives. It was immensely impressive how he managed to dance around the answers, giving something vague yet satisfying. Was this is the life of a celebrity?

The question about the identity of the mysterious group soon came up. As her cue came, she texted him & there was the sound of Akechi’s ringtone going off. Silence spread through the auditorium in a strange mix of disappointment & comedic timing. After making a remark along the lines of not wanting to be trolled online, he quickly requested that a break be tacked on.

Quietly, she moved her way across the row & slipped out before the crowd could congest any corridors. The PE Faculty Office was easy enough to find, with many students easily offering directions. Slipping in before anyone else, there he stood.

“ Akechi. Are you ready for this? There’s no going back after we present the evidence. ”

“ Of course. The Phantom Thieves are a menace to society & by getting rid of them, people will finally feel safe in Japan. That’s what you want as well, right? ”

“ Yeah. Murderers aren’t welcome. ”

Once they had all entered, she presented the photographic evidence & introduced herself. Ryuji was in shock. Makoto seemed to be struggling to process the information. Explaining how both herself & Akechi had met, she pressed onto the point: Sae Niijima. She had to be saved from the mental shutdown culprits. An agreement of sorts was made by their rather stoic leader Akira. They would all work together to solve the cases.

{ Wed, 16 / 10 / 20XX & Thurs 17 / 11 / 20XX }

After the initial investigation into Sae’s Palace, keywords & location, these were the days of infiltration, so to speak. The Casino of Jealousy was vibrant & full of money. Coins were messily spread around on every single surface, posters containing snappy tag lines about how winning was key to survival. It was all so decadent. Cognitive shadows lined up for a chance to participate in the game known as the legal system. What a sick way to look at justice.

Despite the crimes they had committed, the Phantom Theives were very casual. They showed no symptoms of guilt nor doubt & insisted on these strangely flashy moves such as the All-Out Attack or the Showtime, in which they would defeat a bundle of enemies all at once. Although they were powerful, did they really feel the need to show off that much?

The other problem was their leader, Joker. He was tenaciously gripping onto both herself & Akechi { or Crow, was it? She never understood the need for the ridiculous code names... } to remain on the front lines to see what they could both do. Despite having bounds of energy at the beginning & regular breaks, it was quite tiring to keep having to constantly battle. Perhaps that was why she ended up being held captive by a Shadow.

It demanded Yen & safety. It was not a substantial amount of money & the Palace’s supposed ‘ Security Level ’ was not particularly high. She had seen how Akira had been picking through remains of the corpses of these beings, as they contained Yen. For some unknown reason during the negotiation, he simply refused to part. Apparently Joker, the supposed leader of the just Phantom Thieves believed some money more important than an ally.

Even as the shadow tore through skin & left almost fatal wounds, it hurt more to reaffirm her belief that the Phantom Theives were merciless.

Waking up was a surprise to be sure. To be greeted by Akechi in the nearest Safe Room asking if she was okay? It was very much a shock. He offered to patch up the wounds that were unreadable by her own hands & scolded her for being so reckless on that battlefield. It was good that both Queen & Mona were on hand, otherwise she would have died. Despite the presence of the other members of the group, this felt like a rather intimate moment.

The two of them kept having these strange moments: Delicately & intimate but as though something was missing.

A touch that lingered for longer than it needed to; Comforting words on a cool evening when she felt upset; Sitting within close proximity despite there being more space for the two of them than needed. Small signs that seemed to be hesitantly trying to convey something.

Even now as she paused to take in his appearance, it was startling. Dressed up in his princely regalia that was his Metaverse outfit, he looked rather charming. With golden tassels & a red cape, something about him seemed to just ooze noble. Though at times he could be slightly extra with the poses he pulled, Akechi was kind.

That was why she never saw it coming.

{ Thurs, 18 / 10 / 20XX }

Signaling for a meeting, Akira explained that they were going to write & send the Calling Card today. The debate about where to send it was long, strenuous & boring. After they eventually decided to be direct by mailing it to the Niijima residence, everyone disbanded for the day.

Aside for Akechi, who invited her to play Darts in Kichijoji. What a strange request.

The atmosphere was actually rather calming. At night, there were few around to disturb them. Handing over 800 Yen to play, the game began. It was nice to simply be able to talk about something unrelated to the Phantom Thieves for the both of them & although Akechi’s aim was unerring, she found it rather difficult to hit the tiny target, let alone land it in a specific place to score as many points as possible. After a while & with some expert advice, there was definitely some improvement.

By the time night struck, she had barely noticed until he had pointed it out. Everything was moving so swiftly. Offering to walk her to the train station, he was ever so polite. Until it rained.

It absolutely poured down with rain as the two of them descended the stairs of Penguin Sniper. Luckily, she had packed an umbrella into a crevice in her bag. The detective next to her? Not quite as fortunate as he sighed. Feeling bad, she offered to share & he accepted with reluctance after realising that it was better than the alternative of running home in the rain.

Being this close was both enthralling & embarrassing. Something about being forced this close to him was killing her. Akechi seemed to be doing alright, staying underneath to avoid both his hair & briefcase from becoming drenched by the cascading water. After a while that was in some respects a long time but in others not long at all, they reached the train station, parting ways when they had a difference in train line.

She knew exactly what she was feeling: There was no use in denial. Repressing such feelings would be more painful in the end. However, now was not the time to tell him. Catching the Phantom Thieves & saving Japan was more important than a high school romance. Filing the secret away for later, it was kept close to her heart.

{ Fri, 19 / 10 / 20XX }

It was almost too easy how quick everything was to fall into place. Putting on her best acting face was difficult but it was a believable lie, especially when most of the stress was based around getting Joker out alive. All their valiant efforts were for nothing. Similar to a spider spinning a web to catch prey, they had fallen victim.

After facing down the shadow of Sae Niijima herself on this strange roulette like battlefield, her desperate desire to achieve victory at all costs was her downfall & as she fell to her knees, clearly defeated, Queen went over to comfort her. Skull took Fox with him to steal the Treasure & once they discovered the numerous police forces that had made their way into the Metaverse, everything was taken up a notch.

Whilst Joker agreed to take the Treasure, thus becoming a distraction, everyone else would take the time to escape back to reality. A makeshift plan but one that would work in both her own & Akechi’s favour. Dashing along the protruding walls of the casino was thrilling as the group moved in sync, grappling along & weaving through like a natural born instinct.

Inevitably, he was captured. The leader of the Phantom Thieves, put behind bars. People would be safe from the mental shutdowns, they would no longer have to worry about having a psychotic breakdown. Without the branch that held them all together, there were no roots. As to not arouse suspicions, everyone parted ways until Akechi stopped her.

“ I... Know it’s rather late & we’ve just been to the Palace but there’s something I need to warn you about in the Metaverse. Will you join me in Mementos tomorrow morning? Preferably before school, if that’s okay with you, ” was all he requested with a ghost of a smile.

“ Sure, I don’t mind. Is there something else dangerous I should be worrying about? ”

“ It’s nothing too urgent but I thought I’d bring it to your attention since we are working on this case with the Phantom Thieves together. After all, we still need to hold the others accountable for their actions. ”

With that, she left. Akechi had always been a reliable source of information, so why would he lie?

{ Sat, 20 / 10 / 20XX }

It was the early morning. Despite the cold, she was in warm spirits as she approached the Shibuya line. Waiting there for her was the Detective Prince himself. Overnight, there was a decision made that once Akechi broke this bad news to her that she would change the mood by confessing. After all, it would be difficult to keep under lock & key.

Fading into the background as other students filtered in, they talked for a short period of time before getting down to business. Typing in ‘ Mementos ’ to the MetaNav was easy enough & there they were, standing at the dusty entrance.

Together, they fought their way down into a few floors below the surface. Although it took longer for them to traverse these levels due to not having a method of transportation such as the Mona Car, the Shadows were easy pickings for the two of them. At least, that is what she thought until two laser blasts from a ray gun burnt into her back.

Standing over her was a very different Goro Akechi to the person she had preciously known. What was once a charismatic smile that could charm anyone become a psychotic grin that looks unnaturally wide. Though she had once thought of his eyes as a storm of emotions, worries about the future & the safety of Japan, they were most definitely a typhoon, pulling victims in to tear them apart without a trace of mercy. Even as he called her a blind fool for trusting him & berated her sense of justice, the burning pain of the wounds that burnt through the Metaverse outfit were clouding her vision. She could have sworn there was the sound of someone walking away but there was too many sensations for her to clearly tell.

No one was going to find a dead body in the depths of Mementos. She found it morbidly ironic that her last thought was that she would never be able to tell Akechi how she truly felt.

Word Count: 2.3k

Publish Date: 06.10.20

#{ crow } #{ oh boy did I want to name this Dance With Justice 2: Electric Boogaloo } #goro akechi x reader #akechi x reader #goro akechi #persona 5 royal x reader #persona 5 x reader #persona 5 imagines #persona #p5r #tw: death #tw: blood #tw: injuries #tw: swearing #tw: violence #{ why is this my longest work what the heck }

[lycorogue]

Latest Story: I Need Him Back

It’s Plagg Appreciation Day again!

Well, actually, it’s now after midnight, but close enough to Plagg Appreciation Day (aka Friday 13th), right? It just kept me all day to write, edit, format for online publishing, and promote this story. It’s also the 1st thing I’ve written since LAST Friday 13th (back in March), so.. yeah. (This has been a trash year for my creativity along with just about everything else) I hope I shook off enough of the rust.

You can stay here to read my latest story, or you can find it on these other sites: on AO3, on FFN, or on DA.

I Need Him Back

**Contains Spoilers For ML NY Special**

Summary: Marinette has no clue what to do without her Chat Noir. All she wants is for her partner back. Plagg is just as distraught without his holder, but maybe he can find a way to get the ring back to Adrien. The trick is doing so without revealing who Chat Noir was to Marinette.

Rating: General Audience

Word Count: 5799

Status: Completed one-shot

**This story is an AU of the ending to the NY special. I wondered what would happen if the magic of the Miraculous transformations blocked enough of Uncanny Valley's scan (much like how she was having issues with Techclonizer) that it prevented her from deducing Ladybug's and Chat Noir's identities.**

“Please forgive me, my friend.”

It kept Plagg a second too long to realize what Adrien was doing. “No!”

“I renounce you, Plagg.”

He couldn't say anything. In a flash, Plagg was gone. Banished to his ring. He had never expected this. Never thought Adrien could ever abandon him like that. He was safe. He was home. Adrien was family.

“Plagg?” Marinette was holding his ring now. The Guardian was once more in possession of the Miraculous. Adrien truly was gone, wasn't he? “Plagg, what happened? Why? Why would he-?” She hid her face in her hands. “This is my fault! I chased him away.”

Plagg wasn't sure what to say. He was in too much shock himself. Tikki drifted over to him, grabbed his arm, and slowly drew him down into Marinette's purse with her so he could rest. At least, while the Guardian held onto his ring, he could be with Tikki. It was a small consolation, but it was all he had to hold onto at that point.

The rain drenched them the moment Marinette climbed out of the sewers. The teen didn't seem to notice, and Plagg certainly didn't care.

“This is all my fault,” he confessed with a quaking croak. “I should have stopped him from leaving.”

“He made his choice,” was Marinette's somber reply, “What were we supposed to do?”

She wandered the city aimlessly for a little while longer before realizing her classmates must be wondering where she was. Reluctantly, she made her way back towards the hotel. Out front, she met up with Adrien, but their reunion was interrupted when a car pulled up beside them.

“Adrien, get in the car at once,” Gabriel demanded through the video in the car.

“Adrien?” Plagg stirred in Marinette's purse, desperate to go to his boy. Tikki held him still.

“You can't,” Tikki whispered.

“But-”

“My owner is the one with the ring now, so you can't stay with him anyway, and you can't reveal that he was Chat Noir to her.”

“Tikki-”

“I wouldn't have minded being stuck here a little longer with a friend like you.” Adrien's voice nearly broke Plagg's heart. The kid had lost so much; gave up so much. He was broken, and it was all Plagg's fault.

“I should have never convinced him that it would be alright to leave Paris.”

Tikki's eyes widened. “You told him to come?”

“His father was sending him anyway, and you know how he has no say in his life when his father's involved. I just wanted him to have fun while he was here, so I came up with the plan to fly back to Paris when an akuma alert happened, and he'd press the communicator button to buzz for Ladybug while he was on-route. By the time Ladybug made it back to Paris she would never know he was gone. I didn't expect a supervillain here stopping him from getting back in time.”

“She knew about the akuma in Paris the same time he did. She wouldn't have been able to get away even if he had stayed at home. It's neither of your faults.”

Plagg hung his head. If only he could believe Tikki.

“Adrien!” Marinette bellowed, “Stay!”

Marinette's plea pierced through Plagg. He wanted to scream the same exact thing.

“I've already lost Chat Noir. I can't lose Adrien too.” She did lose him, though. Her mad dash in the rain ended with her wiping out into the street and softly confessing her love to the empty city.

She then wandered in the rain once more, completely lost in what to do next or where to go.

“What are you doing out here?” Uncanny Valley elegantly descended before them, her three eyes darting around to make sure everything was safe.

“I- uh-”

“Hawk Moth is in New York City. It is not safe for you to be outside right now. I will take you back to the hotel.” Uncanny scooped Marinette into a bridal carry and flew off before Marinette could refuse.

“Hawk Moth? He's here?” Marinette choked out.

“Yes. I am searching for Ladybug and Chat Noir to help. Have you seen either of them?”

“N- No. No, I'm sorry. I can't help you.”

“That's alright. I am sure I'll find them in time.” Uncanny landed on the hotel roof and put Marinette down. “Go hide inside until it is safe, okay? Don't worry, we will be victorious. I know it.” Before Marinette could say anything else, Uncanny Valley had flown away, looking for a superhero that no longer existed and one who didn't have the will to fight.

“Marinette! You have to transform! You know you're the only one who can stop Hawk Moth.”

“I- I can't. Not without him.” She opened her palm and looked longingly at the Cat Ring.

“I know this is tough, Marinette, but New York needs you. You can't repair what happened in Paris, but you can help here. Besides, if Uncanny Valley is looking for Ladybug then she's not helping to defeat the akuma. They're going to need as many heroes as they can get.”

Marinette nodded. “Tikki, spots on!”

It was a hard fight without her partner, but she was able to lean on Sparrow and Uncanny Valley for help. They managed to get the Miraculous away from the villain easily enough, but getting to the akuma was a different matter.

Plagg watched on from a distance, making sure Hawk Moth didn't spot him. It kept a little while, but he eventually saw an opening, snuck into the battle, and used his Cataclysm to help trap Techclonizer in the ground by the Statue of Liberty. It was then an easy task for Uncanny to break his handcuffs and for Ladybug to cleanse the akuma.

The rest of the class trip was uneventful. Everything more-or-less went as scheduled, and Plagg stayed cuddled in Tikki's arms. The three of them didn't have a moment alone to talk about Chat Noir or what to do next with the ring. If nothing else, Alya refused to let Marinette out of her sight for a moment.

On the plane, Marinette had debated sneaking away. It was a long flight, but she was also very tired. She ended up silently crying herself to sleep with her back towards her best friend so she'd never know. 

Plagg likewise curled around his ring, nuzzling it as he too tried to get some sleep. Both Marinette and Plagg tried to push New York into as distant a pained memory as possible as they flew home.

“Don't worry, Marinette,” Alya gave her best friend a tight hug before letting her off the chartered bus. “You'll see Adrien again in class tomorrow. You can make things right then.”

“Y-yeah,” Marinette forced a smile. “Thanks, Alya. See you tomorrow.”

“Try to get some rest, girl!”

Marinette collected her suitcase and waved Alya goodbye as the bus drove to the next student's home to drop off.

“Marinette!” Sabine burst through the bakery door and flung her arms around her daughter. Tom came sprinting out shortly behind and wrapped both women in his massive hug. “Sweetheart, we're so glad you're safe,” Sabine continued, “We saw that Ladybug had stopped a supervillain in New York City, and we were so worried.”

“But if Ladybug was there, we knew you had to be alright,” Tom interjected, slowly releasing his two favorite ladies from his grip. “Plus, we saw that sign you and your friends held up for that Adrien boy.”

“Still,” Sabine added, “it's such a relief to see for ourselves that you're okay.”

As Marinette's parents ushered her home, Plagg slumped in her purse, tail curled around him.

“Plagg?” Tikki whispered.

“What if Ladybug wasn't okay? What if me convincing my owner to go on the trip instead of finding a way for him to stay here was enough of a distraction that-?” He swallowed hard and pulled his knees in closer. “Tikki, my owner feels horrible about what he did, but it was my power that did it! What if that other superhero didn't step in the way? What if Chat Noir actually did touch Ladybug with my Cataclysm? She might have survived, like how Chat Noir did when Miraculer hit him with the Cataclysm, but what if Ladybug didn't because it was me that was powering it instead of some akuma? What if it somehow damaged your Miraculous? What if it had hurt you?”

“Plagg.” Tikki snuggled close to him, nuzzling her head against his cheek. “Plagg, that's exactly why your owner gave up the ring in the first place, because of all of those 'what ifs' he kept asking. It's not his fault though. It's not yours either. Poor decisions were made, but we've always learned from them in the past, haven't we? I know my owner has made a lot of mistakes as well, but we grow from them and make sure not to make them again.”

“Well, there won't be a chance to grow and learn with him. He gave me up, remember?”

Tikki shifted so she could meet Plagg's eyes; staring intently into them. “Do you honestly think that's what he wants?”

It didn't take long for Plagg to break contact with Tikki. He turned towards the side of Marinette's purse, keeping his back towards his fellow kwami. “Even if he wants to be Chat Noir again, he can't. Marinette doesn't know who he was, and she can't ask Master Fu anymore. I can't name my owner, and you're such a stickler for the rules that I doubt you'll tell her and reveal his identity.”

Tikki puffed and pouted at how Plagg snarled his final sentence at her. Exhaling her anger, she tried once more in a calming tone. “We can figure this out without my owner ever discovering his identity. I know we can. She's very good at solving puzzles like this, and-” Tikki rested a comforting flipper on Plagg's shoulder, “and you're pretty good at coming up with plans yourself.” Plagg shrugged her off him, but she persisted. “Yes, Chat Noir coming to New York City with us didn't work out, but, I must admit, it wasn't the worst plan in the world. I don't know if the AstroCat transformation would have been fast enough to get you back to Paris before anyone got suspicious about the delay. However, my owner also kept forgetting to carry the Horse Glasses with her, so she probably would have used the same tactic. And the plan to contact Nooroo would have worked if he wasn't powering Hawk Moth at the exact moment of hitting his cycle. You have good plans. Just-” She shrugged, “just poor luck?”

Plagg sighed a shaky breath and quickly wiped away his tears before turning back towards Tikki. “How do we fix this though?”

Tikki rested her flippers on each of Plagg's shoulders and her forehead against his. They both closed their eyes and just focused on their connection for a second. “We'll figure something out, Plagg.” She then pulled him closer into a hug.

A couple of hours later, a somber Marinette climbed to her bedroom, excusing herself from her overly doting parents by telling them how jetlagged she was. It wasn't an entirely false statement – something Marinette had grown quite skilled at – but her true exhaustion was due to the loss of her partner, and she still needed proper time to mourn that. The hours in the rain wandering New York City wasn't enough time. The long, nearly sleepless night after defeating Miraclonizer wasn't enough time. The eight-hour flight home wasn't enough time. Marinette was wondering if there would actually ever be enough time.

She pulled out the Cat Ring and rolled it around the tip of her index finger, studying every centimeter of its surface, as if that could give her some clue as to how to get her Chat Noir back.

Tikki and Plagg emerged from Marinette's purse, and exchanged a look. Plagg's eyes widened and he shrunk in on himself a little. Tikki, on the other hand, puffed herself up, squared her shoulders in determination, and gave a subtle nod in Marinette's direction. Plagg curled further into himself. His eyes darted between Marinette's inspection of his ring and Tikki's stern gaze and increasingly overt head nods towards her owner.

Exasperated with the pity-party around her, Tikki huffed before zipping down to Marinette's hand; catching her owner's attention.

“Tikki, I- I don't know what to do. Even if I have help like Uncanny Valley and Sparrow, or even if I find new bearers of the Miraculous here in Paris, it won't be the same. Even when I had Rena Rouge, Carapace, and Viperion helping me, it wasn't the same. No one- no one could ever replace Chat Noir. I can't do this without him, Tikki. I-” Marinette hid her budding tears with the heels of her hands, the Cat Ring dangling from her index finger still.

“Marinette, I think we- I think Plagg might have come up with a way to get Chat Noir back. Get your Chat Noir back.”

Both Tikki and Marinette turned to Plagg. He promptly started shaking his head and waving his arms, trying to get Tikki to abort the plan, but it was too late. The seed was planted.

“You- you do?” Marinette squeaked with a tiny voice.

Tikki gave Plagg an encouraging nod, and he settled. His eyebrows scrunched down in conviction, and then he drifted closer to Marinette.

“I-” he paused, startled a bit that his own voice was so soft and squeaky as well. Clearing his throat, he tried again in a more confident tone. “I want to go to him. I know how to get to his house from here, and he should be there at this time of night. Let me bring the ring back to him. I'll tell him how much you want him back, and how much I want to be his kwami. I'm sure he'll accept-”

“No.” Marinette walked away from the kwamis. “No, I'm sorry, but I can't chance letting the ring out of my sight. If Hawk Moth got it-”

“Then let me at least talk to him. I can still convince him to accept the ring again, and then I'll come back here to let you know where the two of you can meet up.”

“I can't know who he is!” Marinette gasped and slapped her hands over her mouth, praying her parents didn't hear her outburst. The room was silent for a long minute as all three occupants listened for Tom or Sabine. Luckily, her parents seemed to have called it an early night as well. Holding a finger to her lips, Marinette waved for the kwamis to follow her up to her balcony to make sure they weren't caught talking.

Once outside, Marinette hissed again, “How am I supposed to ever give him back his ring? We're not supposed to know who each other is. If any of the other bearers had known then any of them could have told Miracle Queen or Hawk Moth when they were under that spell. I can't chance knowing who he is or him knowing who I am.”

“You've worked together without being powered up before.” Plagg became more animated. For some reason, the more Marinette pushed against his idea the more he believed Tikki that it was actually a good one. “I'm sure he still has his Bananoir costume somewhere. Or he could wear something else to hide his identity, and you can just be Ladybug. It'll be fine.”

“What if Hawk Moth sees you going to him, or coming back to me? I can't have you leading him to either of us.”

“He can do this, Marinette,” Tikki interjected.

“Yeah. I was able to ditch Sandboy easily enough, and Hawk Moth never found out where Chat Noir was. He also never followed me when I want to Master Fu to let him know about Chat Noir losing his ring when Style Queen attacked. Or when I returned to Chat Noir. I'm a cat, remember? I can be sneaky.”

“I dunno. I can't chance it. There's no one else now. If Hawk Moth somehow finds me-”

“He won't! I promise he won't. I can do this. Please. The kid needs me. I know he does. And- Look. Not everyone can handle the power of destroying anything they touch. I've- let's just say not every Chat Noir is as good and kind as yours. He's special. Let me try to get him back. Please.”

Marinette glanced over at Tikki, who wore a proud smile and gave a simple nod.

“Alright.” Marinette flung her arms and began pacing her balcony. “Alright, you can go talk to him. I do want to get his ring back to him as soon as possible, but I also have to be careful about hiding my identity, so try to not have the meet-up when I have classes, okay? You do know when my school hours are, right? Oh, this can turn out so bad-”

“Marinette, it will be fine.” Tikki flew into her bearer's line of sight to try to calm the teen. “Kwamis can only be captured if we allow it, remember? And if Hawk Moth uses magic to try to capture Plagg like he did with Kwamibuster, you still have me and can become Ladybug to stop him. This is probably the best way if you don't want to fight without Chat Noir or have to pick a new one.”

“I can do this,” Plagg pleaded.

Marinette spun the ring around the knuckle of her finger, stopping to stare at the cat paw on the ring face. How could she see it on someone else's hand? How could she battle Hawk Moth alone? She needed him again.

“Okay. Go. Be careful.”

Plagg beamed and started off in a dash, only stopping a few feet from Marinette's balcony as he heard her call out once more.

“Plagg?” It was Marinette's turn to plead. “Bring him back to us.”

He nodded and zipped towards the Notre-Dame. He needed to throw Marinette off too if she were watching him. It was painful to meander around the city to make sure he wasn't being followed instead of racing to Adrien's room, but he promised he'd keep everyone safe. They were only in this predicament because of him. He had to make sure to get it right this time.

Bobbing underground, then popping back up, phasing through darkened buildings, and pausing long enough in trees to double check he wasn't being watched, Plagg wove his way through Paris for about ten minutes before nearing the Agreste mansion.

Home. Even after Adrien renounced him, this place felt like home. Specifically, Adrien felt like home. Checking once more that there was no one around to spot him, Plagg darted around the estate and made his way into Adrien's bathroom.

This was it. This was his chance to talk to Adrien again. This was probably his only chance to get his Chat Noir back. Plagg suddenly wished Tikki was still there to encourage him.

“Get in there, Stinky Sock,” Plagg imitated her in a high pitched voice that didn't remotely resemble Tikki's. “You're the kwami with the brilliant plans. You're our only hope of getting him back.”

“Well,” Plagg responded to himself with his own shaky voice, “When you put it that way, Sugar Cube, how could I disappoint? Right?”

“Now, don't screw this up like you usually do,” he replied in the high pitched voice before clearing his throat and awkwardly laughing.

“Yup,” Plagg said in his usual voice, “that sounds like her. Now to prove her wrong about being a screw up.”

He poked his head through the door to check that Adrien was actually there. He nearly burst into tears when he saw his former holder slumped at his desk. Pulling back into the bathroom, Plagg shifted to the far wall and again poked his head through, scanning for anyone else being in the room with Adrien.

All clear. The kid was alone. It nearly broke Plagg's heart all over again.

“Adrien?” Plagg cautiously floated into the room.

“Plagg?” Adrien jumped out of his chair, wide eyed and slack jawed. “Wh- what are you doing here? How? I gave you up!”

“I know,” Plagg mournfully replied.

“Aww, Plagg. I- I'm so sorry, my friend. I didn't- I just- I'm not the right person to be Chat Noir. I just screw so much up. You and Ladybug are so much better off with a new Chat Noir.” Adrien wouldn't look at the kwami. Instead he slumped back into his computer chair, keeping his eyes locked on his naked right ring finger.

“Don't say that!” Plagg flew closer. “I've already told you that you're the best Chat Noir I've ever had! No one could replace you. Ladybug has told you that before too.”

“There must be someone-”

“No! No one else, Adrien. We want you as Chat Noir. We need you as Chat Noir.”

“I saw the news report. After I gave you up the city was attacked again by that supervillain, and it was so much worse that time. I had abandoned Ladybug when she needed me most, and she still managed to save the day. The whole world could have been destroyed, and that was when I gave up my powers. How could I be a hero after that? How could she possibly need me when she was able to stop that from happening without me? I appreciate the thought, Plagg, but, seriously, you two don't need me. No one does.”

“Shouldn't that be my decision? Or Ladybug's? Or the Guardian's – who happens to also be Ladybug, but nevermind that.”

“Plagg-”

“You made a mistake. I did too. I was the one who told you not to warn Ladybug that you were forced to leave Paris. It was because of me that she got so mad at you. It was because of me that she lost faith in you like that. And it was because I made her lose that faith that you got so distracted with Cataclysm active. You are never that careless! That isn't you as a superhero. That was all me.”

“I don't think it works that way.”

“Either way, you didn't lose her faith permanently. She was just mad and shocked and didn't know how to feel. She does miss you. She needed you in New York, and only managed to win because she had to. She even allowed me to use Cataclysm by myself! You know how bad things have to be for me to bring that baby out!”

“Even if she did forgive me for leaving Paris, and for what I could have done with my Cataclysm if she wasn't there to fix it, how could she forgive me for abandoning her when she needed me most?”

“It was a tough fight. I'll admit that. And it was harder because you weren't there. I can't lie about that either. But that wasn't when she needed you most. Now is. Now that she's back in Paris and has time to think about everything. Now that she has to face Hawk Moth alone and fully understands how alone she is in this. She knows she's going to need a new Chat Noir, but she hates the idea of having anyone besides you. You are special to her. She's told you before that you're irreplaceable. Believe her, Adrien. You have faith in her about everything else, so why not have some faith about this?”

“Has she really forgiven me? Could she really?”

“Why not ask for your ring back and find out?”

“Plagg, I just can't.” Adrien pushed himself away from his desk. He walked over to his wall of windows and leaned against them.

“Why do you think I'm here? Ladybug wants you to ask for the ring back. She wants to meet up with you again. She told me to get you back.”

“How can I-?”

“Pick a time and place where you can sneak out. I'll go back to Ladybug and let her know when to meet up. Then all you have to do is find a way to hide your identity and show up.”

Adrien turned back to his former kwami, his eyes were glossed over with unspilt tears. His eyebrows where knitted as they begged for Plagg to be right about all of this. They stood in a stalemate for a minute or two.

Then Adrien sprinted over to Plagg, scooped him up in his awaiting hands, and pressed the little cat to his chest.

“Plagg, I've missed you so much. I'm so, so sorry for ever renouncing you,” Adrien cried.

“I know. I've kinda missed ya too.”

“Let's make this right.”

Plagg softly purred against Adrien's hands, ignoring the fact that he'd have to leave his home again in a little bit. Right now it was just him and this kid and he could milk this for a little longer, couldn't he?

He hoped the last thirty hours would be the longest he'd ever be away from Adrien. At least, for many, many, many years to come.

“There he is!” Tikki chirped out as Plagg zig-zagged through the terrace houses leading towards Marinette's balcony.

Marinette strained to catch sight of him, and any time she thought she did, he vanished again. “Huh. I guess he can be sneaky enough to lose anyone who could follow him.”

“I told you it would be alright.”

“Psst.” Plagg hissed from between Marinette's feet, startling her has his head poked through the floor boards.

“Plagg!” Marinette caught herself on her balcony railing. After a couple of breaths to try to steady her heartbeat, she waved for everyone to go back inside. Nestled on her bed, she nodded for Plagg to continue. “Did you get to talk to him?”

“He'll sneak out tonight. He can get to the school by one A.M. He figured it was a place the two of you fought akumas at enough that you'd know where it is, but there wouldn't be any lingering tourists, so you should be safe to talk. It would also be easier to single him out that way.”

Marinette glanced at her alarm clock. She had a little less than five hours to kill. She figured she should get some rest, but was terrified of oversleeping and Chat Noir thinking she had Plagg set up the meeting as a cruel joke. It was only with both Plagg and Tikki swearing to wake her up at midnight did she agree to get some sleep.

She tossed and turned nonstop the first two hours, barely getting any rest as she worried about the exchange; about the possibility of him standing her up or them getting captured. She was also nervous about what she was going to say to him. How could she ever apologize to him for being so cruel as to tell him she couldn't trust him anymore? She was upset about Paris being left undefended, but to say something so hurtful to him?

Tikki fussed over Marinette's restless sleep, but couldn't think of anything to help her holder. Plagg hated doing so, but he knew something that might help. It was something he only ever really did for Adrien. And even then, only when Adrien was his most distressed, and when the kid was asleep and couldn't know that Plagg did it at all.

Curling up in Marinette's hairline by her ear, Plagg started purring in a low, nearly inaudible hum. Marinette relaxed almost instantly. Relaxing herself, Tikki snuggled next to Plagg, and whispered, “Thank you.”

Plagg waved her off, and kept doing whatever he could to soothe Marinette. The entire time, he wondered how Adrien managed the night before without him, and if Adrien needed him that night as well.

The hours ticked by quickly, and it became time to rouse Marinette. The trio was tense as she got ready for her meet-up. When the clock neared one, Marinette transformed into Ladybug.

“You ready, Plagg?”

“Let's get my boy back.”

“Plagg. Return.” Ladybug held up the ring, and Plagg gladly allowed himself to be sucked into it; once more locked within his Miraculous until a wielder claimed him. Tucking the ring away, Ladybug jumped up onto her balcony, and scanned the streets. It didn't take long for her to see a mop of blonde hair rush silently down the empty sidewalk between her family's home and the school. She watched him turn towards the front steps, and break into a sprint as he raced towards the school's front doors. The moment he reached them, she swung down, scooped him up, and flung both of them to the roof of the Collège Françoise Dupont. As soon as their feet touched the rooftop, the boy scurried away.

“Ladybug!”

Startled at how shocked he sounded, Ladybug studied the boy. He had the same shaggy blonde hair, and he had dressed entirely in black. Even at such a late hour, he had on thick sunglasses to obscure his face. He had also made a point of heading towards the school entrance at one A.M. precisely. This had to be her Chat Noir! Right?

“Chat Noir?” she whispered, afraid that he was going to tell her no; that she had made another horrible mistake.

“You- you actually came!” The boy's legs shook, and Ladybug was afraid he was going to collapse. “I- Plagg said that-”

Before he could say a syllable more, her arms were around him.

“Is it you?” she sobbed, “Is it really you?”

He held her close, pulling her even closer with every shaky breath she took. “I'm sorry. I am so beyond sorry for everything this weekend.”

She abruptly pulled away, hurriedly wiped her eyes dry, and punched him playfully in the arm. “Yeah, you better be! Don't you ever do something as stupid as giving up your powers like that again! Do you hear me?”

He rubbed where she punched him, but smiled. “Does that mean you really have forgiven me?”

“Chat Noir,” she pulled him right back into the hug, “Of course I forgive you. You know I can't do this without you. I can't be Ladybug if you aren't by my side.”

“I'll never abandon you like that again. I promise.”

“You better.”

The two gave one last, tight squeeze, before releasing. Ladybug then took a couple of steps back and unlatched her yo-yo from her hip. Opening up the magical pocket, she pulled out the black Cat Ring, and held it in her outstretched palm for her companion.

“Chat Noir? I believe this is yours.”

Timidly, he reached out for his ring. His hand hovered above it, but he didn't take it back.

“Chat Noir?”

“I'll do better. I promise I'll do better. I'll be the partner you deserve.”

Ladybug's face fell, and she took a step closer. “Don't you realize you already are?” Her eyes drifted to the ring, then back up to him. “It's yours. It always was and always will be. I don't want anyone but you by my side. Please know that.” She snatched up his right hand before he could react, and she gave it a squeeze. “I'm sorry I told you I couldn't trust you. I was hurt, and I just wanted to hurt you back. I didn't mean it, and I never should have said it. I know I can always trust you.” Turning his hand over, she placed his ring on his palm. “This weekend showed us things we need to work on, but it doesn't have to mean our partnership is over, right?”

He stared at the ring for a long while before picking it up and sliding it back on his right ring finger. The moment he did, the ring turned silver as it camouflaged itself, and spat Plagg back out.

“Plagg! Welcome back, buddy!” Chat Noir reached up to scratch his kwami on the back of his head.

“Yeah, well, welcome back to you, too.” Plagg leaned into the scratches, his eyes closing as he enjoyed the great feeling of being pet by his holder again.

“How about we make this official then? Plagg, claws out!” Plagg was once more sucked into the ring, and the black clad boy was transformed into a proper Chat Noir.

Ladybug wiped new tears from the corners of her eyes. “It's definitely a good look for you. Don't lose it again, okay?” She held up her fist.

“Never again. I promised, didn't I?” Chat Noir bumped her fist with his own.

The two spent the next hour coming to terms with what happened over the weekend. How were they going to help repair Paris? The citizens knew why Ladybug wasn't there to protect them, but what were they going to say about Chat Noir? How were they going to keep Paris safe the next time one – or both – of them needed to leave the city again? They also swore to never again keep secrets from each other, as long as it didn't involve their identities.

Completely wiped and borderline passing out against each other's shoulders, Ladybug and Chat Noir parted ways and headed to their respective homes.

“Plagg, claws in.” Adrien grinned madly -  albeit sleepily – as the kwami drifted into his awaiting hand. “Welcome home, buddy. I'm glad I couldn't bear to get rid of any of this yet.” He walked Plagg over to the fully stocked mini-fridge of Camembert. The magical being greedily gobbled up a wheel before returning to Adrien. The teen had already changed for bed and slid under the sheets.

“Adrien?”

“Yeah, Plagg?”

“I'm glad you're my Chat Noir again.”

“Thank you for making it happen.”

Plagg curled up on Adrien's head and began lulling his friend to sleep with his purring. He didn't care that Adrien knew about it anymore.

A few blocks away, Marinette tried falling asleep as she wondered why Chat Noir's silver ring looked familiar. -------------------------------------------------------------------------

Did you enjoy this? Check out my other Plagg Appreciation Day stories.

Breaking Monotony  Summary: Plagg’s days are all starting to feel exactly the same. As he goes through yet another school day with Adrien, he wonders if he can do something to start shaking up the status quo. At the same time, though, he reflects on how great it is that his life is fairly predictable.

Forever in Darkness  Summary:  Plagg has always been in darkness. It had become all he knew. Then he got a ray of sunshine, and it helped save him. There was a reason he believes Adrien is the best Chat Noir ever.

The Truest of Friends  Summary: It's the second day of the new school year, which also means it's been a year since Stoneheart first attacked Paris. Adrien wonders how he could best celebrate the anniversary of becoming Chat Noir, and how to properly showcase how much he cares for someone very special in his life.

Alternatively, I JUST started up a series (I still don’t quite understand the collections set-up) on AO3 that will also house all of my Plagg Appreciation Day stories.

The next Friday 13th isn’t until August 2021. Here’s hoping that’s plenty of time to get a story done earlier than midnight... Anyway, who wants to join me in showing Plagg some love? Did you post any Plagg appreciation today? Please send me a tag! I’d love to see what you did. :D

@discoveringmiraculouswriters​

#ML #Miraculous Ladybug #fanfic #LycoRogue writing #LycoRogue fanfic #LycoRogue original #ML NY Special #ml ny special spoilers #AU ending #Plagg #Plagg Appreciation Day #Plagg appreciation #Happy Plagg Appreciation Day #Friday 13th is Plagg Appreciation #Friday 13ths should be Plagg Appreciation Days #ignore that I'm late #Marinette Dupain-Cheng #Ladybug #Tikki #Adrien Agreste #Adrien sugar #Chat Noir #Cat Noir #long post #full story #5799 words

[subsonicspeeds]

(Crazy For You) Not That Crazy

siege on the mind lately. i entirely planned on this being a segue into me trying out nsfw fics but uh. it ended up going domestic. i’ve got another chapter to redeem myself

pairing: smoke/mute

length: 1.6k~ words

you can also read it on AO3

Smoke never realized how hard it was to be away from the people he really cared about. Mute reluctantly agrees.

Things got lonely real easy for Smoke. He was so used to being up everyone's ass, especially the people he cared about. It was his way of showing his appreciation, despite all the protests. But he had no plans on changing how he was. If people didn't like that about him, that damn well sucked for them because he wasn't going to do anything about it.

But either way, it was painfully obvious he was getting stir crazy from this operation. They'd been gone for about a month now, just waiting out at a high target area. Apparently the White Masks made a ton of threats on the area, and of course they couldn't have that, eh? Yet so far it was just bluff after bluff, but Six wanted to guarantee the civilians and general area was safe from any threat. So it was him, Valkyrie, Clash, Kapkan, and Wamai. Not people he necessarily… meshed well with. They were professionals, sure, they could work together just fine. Socially, however? God they were leagues different from him.

The only person Smoke could find some comfort in was Wamai, and he in return would humor him. Sorta reminded him of his boyfriend, the absolute love of his life, Mute. Minus the whole… snarky and sexy part of him. Maybe they weren't too alike, but he nonetheless had a calming presence. And those two were friends, perhaps that's what got him thinking like that to begin with.

Whatever the case was, Smoke was currently sitting with his back against a corner, legs sprawled out with his shotgun just an arms reach away. Valkyrie had already yelled at him numerous times for being too relaxed, but bloody hell no one was going to come at this point and he knew it. Only near the beginning of their deployment were any shots fired. Local enforcements were worried about how the place would manage without Rainbow watching over them, so they were taking their sweet time getting soldiers trained and equipped to deal with this type of situation. Milking the five of them for all they had, essentially.

They weren't meant to leave, but with how long they'd been deployed, they would take turns going on walks every so often. Smoke, though? He was sneaking out every chance he could get. For either a cigarette break or just to get out of that dingy ass building, he was just glad to feel the fresh air on his skin again.

And honestly? Sometimes Smoke just wanted to abandon them, just for a few days. Maybe pretend something happened and create an elaborate ruse. Though that'd just get them stuck there for longer, probably. But christ, it would make something interesting happen. He just needed something to spice things up without completely saying “fuck this” to the mission.

Sighing in frustration, Smoke reached for his phone. He took off one of his gloves for easier usage, in case he needed to send a few texts out. It was possible to press the screen in his gloves, but actually typing words? Not a thing he could do. His notifications were mainly spam, scrolling through for the first time in hours. He had to give himself credit, not checking it constantly despite how fucking bored he was. Once he neared the bottom of the list, he noticed something important. The notification read:

💓💕 The Babe 💘💞

Picture Attachment

Mute… never sent pictures to him. Even during this operation, it was mainly phone calls, texts, and the occasional video chat if Smoke could pull it out of him. His heart began to race at the thought of just maybe getting a new picture of his partner, after having to just stare at old pictures in his gallery or relying on his imagination. Rushing to open the message, he was greeted by something even better. He couldn't help but audibly gasp and smiled widely underneath his mask. It was a selfie of Mute and Charlie, Smoke’s daughter. He could feel his heart bursting at the seams as he overanalyzed the picture, taking in every little detail about the two most important people in his life.

From the way that his daughter was absolutely beaming at the camera, her hair completely drenched. To Mute’s unmistakable resting bitch face, but Smoke could tell by the slight curl to his lips and the way his eyebrows were much less furrowed, that he was having a good time. His hair was soaked too… What did the two get up to?

Before he could even text the question, Mute replied with a simple:

‘Got caught in the rain. And she misses you a lot.’

This was too much for Smoke’s heart to handle, and he felt like he was going to burst. Mute was left in charge of Charlie for the time being, and since the two got along surprisingly well it worked out perfectly. There was some protesting from his daughter, saying that she was sixteen now and could handle herself, but Smoke frankly didn't care. He trusted Mute to make sure she didn't set the house on fire.

Once his hands stopped shaking (When did they start? He hadn't even noticed.) he texted his partner back.

‘god you can't even comprehend how much i love and miss you two’

Watching the “...” appear and hover on the screen was too much for him. They could have a real time conversation, and Smoke didn't plan on dropping the phone for anything. If those Masks came, they'd have to wait for him to send a text to the love of his life, because he should at least know he was about to get shot at.

‘Charlie said that's gross and cheesy, but she loves you too.’

Pursing his lips, Smoke knew Mute was avoiding sharing how he felt out of habit. It would just take some coaxing, he'd done this hundreds of times before, and Mute would feel comfortable enough to share. It was just one of his quirks, and he didn't mind it too much.

‘She wanted to call, but we needed to go to the store and as you can tell, nature said fuck us. She's hopping in the shower and finishing up her schoolwork.’

Alright, maybe there wouldn't have to be a lot of coaxing, given that he's already double texting. Smoke knew Mute inside and out, each one of his tells and habits.

‘remind her i always got my phone on me. service might be wonky but she can call/text me any time she wants’

‘I'm sure she knows, she just wants to seem more like an adult and be tough. Teenagers and all that.’

‘reminds me of a certain bloke i know’

‘...Thanks James.’

‘only muckin about. just hurts to not see my dear marky not head over heels and ready to confess his undying love for me, even over text’

‘Oh shut up.’

There was a bit of silence, and Smoke knew to let it hang there for a bit, as much as he wanted to reply again.

‘I love you, dumbass. Happy now?’

Oh yes was Smoke happy, he was smiling like an absolute oaf underneath his gas mask. He was glad he had it on for now, even if it did make the screen a little hazy. At least he didn't have to hold back his facial expressions.

‘that is the sweetest thing you've ever said to me, god just put a ring on me now babe’

'You're making me want to make sure you never go to a jeweler.’

‘cmon you know you miss my sweet ass’

A pause for a minute or so, before a short reply of:

‘A little bit.’

Smoke just snickered to himself, knowing Mute had to debate on whether to really admit it or not.

‘well i know i miss you a whole fucking lot. every little thing about you. you know how much it sucks sleeping on cots again? ALONE too? miss having my face pressed into a giant, personal space heater named mark chandar.’

Hopefully that'll make him give a bit. He was always cold through text, since he could catch any slip ups before sending. Mute didn't like having evidence of him going along with Smoke’s antics. He was very much a behind closed doors person.

‘And I miss the chemist that would kick me in the middle of the night if I didn't twist our legs together.’

Another low chuckle from himself, closing his eyes and just remembering what it felt like to be by Mute’s side again. It was tugging at him, the desire to go back home. To his family.

‘I think I miss him more than I'd like to admit.’

Smoke’s eyes stung a bit as he let his thoughts travel around, revolving around just how homesick he was. Genuinely he felt like he was going to cry, it was a strong and sudden urge. Who knew Mute’s blunt words still held weight through text, instead of coming off as bland and disinterested.

'mark i really want to go home.’

There was absolutely no hesitation in the next text from Mute.

‘I know. I want you back here, too.’

That set Smoke off, tears falling down his face, his puffy red eyes thankfully hidden. The only thing that kept him from responding to Mute with a disgustingly heartfelt message, was Valkyrie trying to get everyone's attention.

“Great news, everyone! Six left us a message and said we are set to head home tomorrow morning!” The four of them cheered, with Clash yelling a grand “Fuck yeah!” Smoke kept quiet, too busy being overcome by what all this meant. The timing was all too perfect, with him finally complaining about how he just wanted to go. And now he really did get to go.

He wasn't going to tell Mute that, though.

#i tried to wrap things up but it just kinda felt odd #so it's now a 2 chapter thing #still feels kinda odd but whatever #also i cant remember who came up with the name charlie for smoke's daughter but thank you so much i love it #smoke cares about two things: mute and his daughter #r6s #rainbow six siege #rainbow 6 siege #smoke r6s #mute r6s #smoke/mute #smoke #mute

[mozarellarellarella123-blog]

El amor esta aqui

By mozarellarellarella123

@shalilyweek

Writers Note:

Hello everyone!!! I’m fairly new to this community and I’m glad to be a part of it! By the way, the title (El amor esta aqui) translates to “love is here” from Spanish to English. (Not accurately) Anyway, before you read, I’d like to thank @indayiashow for helping and inspiring me to be a part of this community and to write fan-fics like this! Another note, this is actually my first fan fiction (So naturally it’s gonna be terrible) so please tell me what you think because even if you say something like: “This was terrible and never do this again”, I’d rather have that then a comment that lies to me about my work. So please leave criticism down below!!! 😊 Anyway, lets get to the story!

Fandom: Fairy Tail | Characters: (Human) Shagotte X Pantherlily | Word Count: 2,208 | Age: 13+ (Includes bad words and fluff)

Heavy and shining lightning strook the sky from the rain-filled heavy clouds above as rain wet the land like a cold shower and hit Lily’s umbrella, making a pitter-patter sound as hail hit Lily’s head like a hard rock being thrown at him. Lily was shivering cold and sidestepping along the wet pavement. He was wearing some green and purple nike trainers, a soaked shirt and tie, some drenched blue jeans and a smart top hat which was also wet. The street lamp illuminated Lily’s smile. He had finally arrived.

But where did lily arrive? Why was he in the rain and how did he find himself into this situation? It all started in Lily’s house. It was your regular, average day and lily was relaxing in his house.

He was watching a movie with the fire on, some marshmallows and a soft, woollen blanket. He heard a knock and paused the film to answer the door. “Hello-“ Lily was in shock. It was none other then his old friend Gajeel Redfox.

“What’s up punk?” Gajeel Laughed histerically while smiling cheekily. “Gajeel! It’s been a while hasn’t it?!” Lily exclaimed a little too loudly. “...”. An awkward silence occurred as the two stopped looking at each other and started to twiddle their thumbs or look the other way.

Finally, Gajeel broke the silence in a heartwarming and honest way. “Look lily, I’m sorry for what I did...” He softly said as he started to make eye contact with lily again. “I’m sorry too.....” Lily muttered awkwardly while looking down and fiddling with his fingers.

“To make it up to you, I want you to come to a party I’m hostin’. How does that sound huh?” Gajeel explained bravely. A smile spread across Lily’s face. “I would love to.” He replied with a bright smile and shaking Gajeel’s hand.

Lily would’ve brang a coat and a pair of boots if he knew it would rain this hard. He brought out an umbrella but the heavy drops of rain and the intense, strong and superior wind blew the umbrella away, leaving lily exposed to the lightning and hail.

This would’ve been a lot easier if he went to the party by car, so then he could avoid the rain and get there in a jiffy. Unfortunately for him, he couldn’t afford a car; he couldn’t even afford most things. He wasn’t the richest person in the world but he definitely had the looks.

He would’ve entered the party in style if his whole outfit wasn’t soaked to the core. Once he arrived, he knocked the door and rang the doorbell. He shivered intensely while waiting for someone to let him in. After 5 minutes had passed, lily knocked again and at last, Gajeel answered the door. He just opened the door and walked away, not even welcoming lily into his house. This was why they fell out in the first place, Gajeel being a dick.

Once he walked in, he was blinded by a disco ball, colourful lights and massive fog machines. He had to close his eyes and shove his way past everyone into the bathroom. Once he was in there, he used a towel to dry himself off and make sure he looked smart. He fixed his tie and did his collar until he looked fairly presentable. (Well at least, as presentable as you can look when you have been walking in the harsh rain for 20 minutes)

The lights weren’t blinding him when he walked out of the bathroom so he decided to take this chance to look around. There was a disco area, a karaoke/stage area,(Where Gajeel was) a snack area and a gaming area.

This area particularly peaked Lily’s interest as he was indeed a gamer. When he is off work, he usually games for 2-3 hours before going to bed. He absolutely loved gaming. Gaming was his soul. Gaming kept him alive. Gaming was his true passion and he wouldn’t give it up for absolutely anything.

He walked over to that area faster then a cat chasing a mouse and soon found himself in the middle of three sections. These sections were: The Video Game area, (Where people played video games) The board Game area, (Where people played board games) and finally, The card area, where you can imagine what they play there. He swiftly approached the video game area.

Lily sat down next to a person who had won matches 5 times in a row with complete perfection and accuracy. “So, you just arrived?” She asked menacingly while giving lily a dirty look through her black sunglasses.

She was an absolute badass. Lily gulped. He obviously picked a fight with someone way above his competition. But, he was prepared. He was ready. He turned around and what he saw was absolutely mind blowing.

It was a women with beautiful white hair that flowed down her body like a river, some beautiful jewellery that you could see your own reflection in and a beautiful dress that complimented her entire body. Lily had never seen someone so beautiful in his entire life. In fact, he has never actually felt love until now.

His heart rate went from 60 to a clean 120 in nothing short of a millisecond. “Ahem?!” She scowled intimidatingly. Lily had completely forgotten about her question because of this girl.

His mouth was watering and his senses were tingling. He quickly remembered what the women had asked him and answered as quickly as he could. “Y-y-yeah...” He awkwardly stumbled out.

She didn’t say a word after that and just started the match. They were playing smash bros and Lily loved to play as mewtwo. That was his favoutite character. The terrifying and mysterious women played as Mario, simple but complicated.

Lily turned around to see the girl watching him play. He must not lose. Or else that may lead to massive embarrassment. He had to win. It was the only way. His heart rate shot up again and he could literally feel his heart pounding out of his chest.

This match decided his fate.

The match had started. 3, 2, 1, GO!!! Lily immediately attacked his neural special which fired a shadow ball. She immediately parried it with a perfect shield. Lily was in shock.

Her instincts and reflexes were on a whole new level. A lever way higher than Lily’s playing level. She saw her advantage and immediately attacked back with 3 fireballs.

Lily didn’t have the reflexes to dodge or parry it in time, so he ended up taking the hit. 12% damage. Lily got annoyed and immediately used his side smash. This sent Mario flying and now all lily had to do was to stop her from getting back onto the stage.

On the edge, lily ceased his opportunity and used his down special, disable. This let her off the platform completely and she went flying into the distance. She had an agitated look on her face. A look of rivalry and revenge.

She was absolutely pissed. Lily gulped again. He just had to survive one more minute more until the time ran out. But there was a thin chance of him surviving her wrath.

When she respawned, she immediately started throwing punches, none of which lily could dodge. She kept on going until her final smash meter was charged up. This was bad news.

She was gonna finish him off with one last final sweep. It was called fireball finale. This was the attack that was gonna send lily flying off stage. Lily immediately started to jump around because if she missed then her chance of using it would be over. But she wasted absolutely no time in using it. There it was.

Fireball Finale.

The move that sent lily flying off stage. GAME!!! The match had ended. They both had one kill on each other. A tie. Which means this could only be settled in sudden death.

Sudden death was a finale move that ended everything off. Lily was so scared. More scared then he has ever been is his entire life. He looked at the mysterious women. Her face told of winning and determination. Lily’s face told of the opposite. SUDDEN DEATH!!! GO!!!!!

This was now or never. Lily immediately used disable, which stunned her and gave lily one last chance. One last chance to attack. The stage was filling with fire and he had finite time. He made his final attack and it finished her off. GAME!!!

She obviously was annoyed but you could literally see the red on her face. After all of Lily’s hard gaming and training, he had broken her winning streak. She immediately left annoyed and frustrated with herself.

The beautiful girl went over to him and happily said: “That was amazing!!! You did great!” Lily smiled joyously. He was victorious. “Thank you but it was nothing really...” He mumbled overconfidently.

“What’s your name?” She asked curiously. “Pantherlily. But you can call me lily.” Lily told her. “Shagotte is mine. But you can call me anything you want!” She explained excitedly. “Shagotte is just fine for me.” He replied.

This made her blush and put a massive smile on her face. They both shared a glance at each other. A glance that spoke to them saying: “Love has finally arrived. Love is here.”

They walked to the dance floor holding each other’s hands. Lily did the gentlemanly thing and asked: “May I have this dance?” Shagotte straight away started to dance with him. Kisses and hugs were exchanged and that night was one of Lily’s best nights in his entire life.

Lily couldn’t sleep that night. His thoughts had filled up with love and romance and dance like a whole new world had been opened up to him. He finally fell asleep and dreamed about Shagotte. Getting married, having kids and overall living a good life. When he woke up he cried and wished that dreams could be brought to life.

He wondered why he was so addicted. Why was he so drawn to Shagotte like a magnet? He pulled himself together and got out of bed. He put a vest and some underwear on, and shortly head downstairs for a nice bowl of cereal.

After that, he started to clean frantically. He wouldn’t normally clean but he knew that Shagotte was coming over to his house for the day, and he needed to clean. Sure his house wasn’t very “grand” or “stylish” but inviting her over would put him closer to bringing that dream to real life just like he wished.

Once he finished cleaning, he put some clothes on, used deodorant and brushed his teeth until they were sparkling clean like a diamond being polished with a cloth. He heard the doorbell ring and got excited. He rushed downstairs and took deep breaths, trying to hide his everlasting excitement for her, and finally opened the door.

“Hello!!! Come in and make yourself at home!” Lily welcomed kindly. She smiled at the warm opening and sat on the couch. “Would you like some tea or coffee?” He asked, trying to be as polite as possible.

“Coffee please! And can I have 2 sugars and milk in it as well?” She questioned while also trying to hide her excitement for him. “Coffee with milk and two sugars coming right up!!!” He exclaimed. Shagotte turned on the tv and enjoyed herself.

Once lily made two coffees, they both sat down and started a conversation. “So, how has life been treating you?” Lily asked, trying to start up a conversation. “It’s been okay I guess... It’s just that...” Shagotte muttered sadly. “I’ve been really lonely lately...”

“Yeah me too. I understand.” He said awkwardly. “I’ve been struggling for money and working at this job I hate.” She stuttered while taking a small sip of her coffee. “I’m also struggling with money and a job to find.” Lily replied.

“I have no friends, no job and no money.” She stated in a depressed tone. It was like they were in the same boat. Lily also didn’t have these things and was in a state of sadness. He decided to cheer her up.

“That’s a lie. You have one friend. And that friend is me.” He declared heartwarmingly. Lily could see the tears in her eyes. “Oh lily-“ She cried as she gave him a massive hug and a kiss.

Lily saw an opportunity and whispered in her ear: “I love you.” These three words made Shagotte burst into even more tears; tears of happiness and pure joy.

“I love you too... lily...” She sniffled while tightening her hug even more. “I absolutely hate my house. I live in a cramped flat that only has one room in it.” Lily started to feel bad because he thought that his house was bad.

“So please!!! PLEASE!!! Can I live here?!” She wailed loudly, letting all of her feelings out. “Yes. Of course you can.” Lily smiled rapidly. This resulted in even more tears and love.

The next day they became boyfriend and girlfriend. Lily had found his hope. His light at the end of the dark tunnel. His happiness. Happiness that he had been searching for but could never find. The happiness that led to a bright and joy-filled future.

-mozarellarellarella123

[perditaalottachocolate-blog]

Spring Fever (11)

@adrinetteapril 2019 story

Chapter: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | art | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | art | 18 | 19 | 20 |

AO3 / fanfiction.net

Chapter 11. In the rain

In which Adrien has a wet dream

Soft hum of rain lulled him to sleep that night. There had been a storm earlier in the evening, splashing his windows with rain and flooding the room with strobing light. Adrien’s head was heavy, overflowing with tentative thoughts. He felt the weight of Marinette’s gift in the pocket of his pajama shirt as he slipped into slumber.

First thing he noticed was her presence. Adrien opened his eyes only to see Marinette in an absolutely stunning bun and a waitress outfit sitting next to him, watching the Ladybug and Chat Noir film. In the dim light of the screen her profile seemed carved in stone, a fresh coat of blush blooming on her cheeks. Their elbows were touching, the pleasing warmth radiating off her hand and pouring into him. He smiled at her.

‘I love you,’ he whispered. He blinked and the scene before his eyes shifted.

Now he was walking down the runway, proudly presenting Marinette’s hat. She was there, too, in the audience, her smile radiant if a bit timid. So many eyes were trained on him at that moment, but he only cared for that pair of blue. He should have been looking ahead, but he caught her gaze and couldn’t help but to hold it for a little bit longer, turning his head and keeping the contact until he got too far. A cat-like smirk curved his lips at her attention.

‘I love you,’ he mouthed, barely opening his mouth, and his surrounding changed again.

Now there was a sabre in his hand and he was launching himself at Marinette. She parried his hit and touched his chest a split second later. He pulled his mask off his face and opened his mouth to praise her reflexes, but it was another confession that spilled from his lips.

It happened over and over again. He wanted to compliment her gaming skills when they practiced for the Ultimate Mecha Strike III tournament, yet all he could say was “I love you, Marinette”. He fidgeted nervously in front of her, waiting for her to sign her name over a fresh new Jagged Stone album. He wanted to say how much he admired her creativity and passion but those weren’t the words he spoke. Now he was running, his hand tightly gripping her small palm. Marinette pushed him into the fountain at the park and told him to keep his head low. The running footsteps that followed, passed them and faded away. The “thank you” he was about to say never made it past his lips. Neither did the knightmare pun he so desperately wanted to drop in front of Marinette after Darkblade, like a proud cat dropping a mouse in front of his owner. He was sure she’d appreciate a little show.

Adrien needed her appreciation. His heart hammered in his chest as he presented her with the bracelet he made for her birthday. Marinette’s dazed smile was the best reward he could ask for. He remembered standing there, with the bracelet she had given him, gazing at the item affectionately. The spring wind carried his soft susurration of “I love you” into the night.

But then it was another evening and he watched Marinette on her balcony, sad and thoughtful. He lifted her in his arms, feeling her hands snake around his neck. He murmured sweet nothings into her soft hair, as he carried her over the rooftops.

She was the Ladybug to his Chat Noir in Clara’s video. The memory of her hand in his brought the gentle tickling of excitement to his chest. Awkward and sweet and lovely, she gazed at him from under her long dark lashes. All he wanted to whisper into her ear at that moment was-

‘I love you, Marinette,’ he said into his microphone, hiding behind the bushes at the zoo. He waited, mortified, if Nino would repeat this line, but it never came.

Adrien thrashed between the sheets as his dreaming consciousness was dragged from one moment to another. That’s just spring fever’s doing, he thought. Marinette’s just a friend, she’s just a friend, he insisted and the dream picked up his mantra in a blink.

Now he was chasing after Marinette, leaving a nonplussed Kagami on the ice rink.

‘You’re supposed to be in love with Ladybug, and now you ditch Kagami to go after Marinette?’ Plagg frowned at him.

‘Me? Going after Marinette?’ Adrien laughed. ‘No, she’s… she’s…,’ his throat dried .

Plagg’s scowl morphed into Kagami’s amused face as she asked, ‘You like her a lot, huh?’

‘Marinette?’ he shrugged. ‘Yeah, of course! She’s a very good f-   she’s a-’

His gaze dropped to his feet and suddenly there’s the heart-shaped valentine in his hands, bearing the writing so similar to Marinette’s.

‘No,’ he shook his head. ‘Marinette couldn’t possibly be in love with me. She loves fashion. She’s just a fr- agh,‘ he launched into a coughing fit, his own tongue betraying him for an upteenth time.  

His hand clenched over the handkerchief on instinct. He brought it up to his nose, still enveloped in the dream.

A gentle touch of her hand on his face. Soft lips brushing his cheek.

‘Thank you,’ she whispered timidly, a sight so adorable he couldn’t withhold the tender smile even if he tried.

‘You’re welcome, Marinette,’ he replied. ‘Wanna dance?’

Her hand was back in his as he didn’t even wait for her reply just straight dragged her to the dance floor. A small smile adorned her lips, as he took the lead in their slow dance. She didn’t protest when his hold, by Alya’s meddling, turned more intimate and cuddly. Their dance didn’t resemble a waltz anymore, but the gentle sway with her in his arms was everything he ever wanted. He closed his eyes in a bliss and breathed in the earthly scents of flowers, of spring, of love.

When he looked at her again they weren’t in the ballroom anymore, but in class.

‘I’m not scared of that monster, Officer Jones!’ Marinette declared.

There was no fear in her eyes, but anxious anticipation. Something Adrien could relate to as his gaze dropped to her pink lips and he leaned in to seal them with a kiss. A kiss he wanted so desperately, nothing else existed in that moment.

He blinked at the clap of thunder. There was an umbrella in his outstretched hand. A spark leaped to it as Marinette’s fingers brushed over his. Her hand clasped the handle. Her eyes, her gorgeous eyes bored into him, seeing right into his soul. He was so lost in them he didn’t mind the rain pouring over him. He didn’t mind the wet shirt clinging to his chest, enchanted by that blue gaze and the timid laughter that escaped her.

‘First day of school and we already have two love birds,’ Plagg teased, flying from under his shirt.

‘Whatever,’ Adrien shrugged, smiling at mere thought of the girl, who still stood on the stairs. ‘She’s just… ‘ he frowned. He had the words at the tip of his tongue. He tossed them in his mind for a moment, before deciding that yes, they fit perfectly. ‘She’s just the love of my life.’

A thunder rolled over the street. At another flash the sky broke over his head drowning him in rain.

‘What the hell!?’ Adrien yelled waking up.

Yes, it wasn’t a dream, even if the storm kept rumbling behind his windows. He was dripping water to his sheets. His whole bed was drenched. And the god of destruction was floating over his head with a trash bin that had been recently relieved of its water cargo. Plagg’s face was a mixture of self-satisfaction and concern.

‘Text her,’ the kwami threw a phone at him, not bothering to explain the surprise shower. ‘Now. Tell her to come to the photoshoot,’ he instructed.

Adrien blinked. He scowled at the flying cat, still panting after trying to catch his breath.

‘You need that kiss,’ the sprite drawled. ‘You need it bad.’

****

Author’s Note: It's late, I'm tired, so please excuse me if I'm not coherent. But I just wanted to get this chapter up, because I have no idea when the next update might happen with how things are going in my life. Let's just say, there's enough stuff for three of me, and I haven't figured out how to clone myself yet.

But I want to thank you all so much for all the great comments, good vibes and positive thoughts you send my way. Know, that you make me very happy and help me keep going!

#adrinetteapril2019 #adrinette #adrienette #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #plagg #spring fever #in the rain #perdita writes #ml fic

[narnian-neverlander]

Hot Stuff [AceXF!Reader] [Modern!AU One-Shot]

So apparently I've caught a flu and I've been feeling like shit for days and basically running on 4 hours of sleep and I have to get back to my apprenticeship on Monday and honestly I'm just so sick of being sick. Long story short, I needed some cute fluffy fire boy to cheer me up, so if anyone else isn't feeling well, I hope this helps ^^

Hot Stuff

Fic Summary: Being sick always sucks. But when you have a walking heater as a boyfriend to take care of you, it might not even be that bad.

Word Count: 3k

Warnings: None, maybe like two swear words if you wanna be nitpicky about it

She couldn't remember the last time she'd wanted to just curl up in bed this badly. Or maybe she just needed to kill someone to make her feel better, at this point, it was hard to tell.

She'd barely managed to drag herself out of bed this morning and she was pretty sure it was because she'd felt the fingertips of a beginning flu or cold starting to grasp at her. Granted, her boyfriend reenacting Sleeping Beauty with her as the mattress and himself as the impossible to wake damsel in distress probably hadn't helped, either. Think of the devil; her phone buzzed, indicating a message from said princess. She quickly took a look at her screen and didn't know if she should surpress an eyeroll at the realization that the idiot had changed his own name in her phone again, or a groan at what the message actually said.

Hot Stuff ;): Hey darling, the cover-up tattoo for this guy is gonna take longer than expected, so I can't make it to the store, you think you could pick up the order for tonight?

Shit.

She'd completely forgotten about his brothers coming over. She let her head hit the desk with a sigh. She loved those two like her own family, but she could picture better ways to spend her evening today - and definitely less exhausting ones, too. Nonetheless, she quickly typed a reply, telling him not to worry and that she'd take care of it.

A few hours later and she wished she hadn't. Her boss had dumped another workload on her, which had resulted in her leaving her workplace last and barely making it to the butchery in time, because of course those three dorks needed a special meat from a special store that had the most ridiculous business hours she'd ever seen. To top it all off, her decision to walk this morning to try and clear her head of the sickness induced foginess came back to bite her when it started to pour. And of course her ever helpful boyfriend hadn't bothered to look at his phone and maybe pick her up.

She'd never been so glad to just be able to close her apartment door behind her and be done with the day, despite how upset she still was. She ran a hand through her drenched (h/c) locks and glanced at the watch on the wall. Good. At least she had another two hours or so until the ASL Trio would tear through her place and especially her fridge again. Enough time to freshen up, throw in some cold medicine and chew Ace out for literally leaving her out in the rain, unintentional or not. Or at least, that's what she thought.

"Luffy, spit that out, it's not done yet!"

"Bwut it's twasty alrwaedy!!"

"Luffy, for fuck's sake!"

Oh you've gotta be kidding.

She carefully peaked her head around the corner and wanted to scream at the sight of Ace and Sabo trying to pry some unidentifiable piece of food out of their brother's teeth. At any other point she probably would've laughed or even helped them, but right now it only added to her steadily increasing headache. And to the list of reasons to yell at the tattooed boy before her.

She stepped into view and chucked her bags to the ground with a loud thud, the contents noisily spilling across the floor, causing three pairs of eyes to turn towards her.

"(y/n)? Woah, what happened?" Ace asked, letting go of Luffy, who fell off and behind the counter as a result, and walked towards her. She immediately pointed an accusing finger at him, stopping him in his tracks.

"You happen to look at your phone recently, darling?" she hissed, stressing the last word.

He gave her a confused look before pulling the device out of the backpocket of his jeans. His eyes widened when he saw the multitude of missed calls and messages.

"Oh shit, babe,I'm sorry. Luffy and Sabo came over earlier and I--"

"Yeah, so I've noticed. And apparently you truly forgot how a phone works, otherwise you might've thought about giving me call to tell me." she snapped.

He furrowed his brows at her outburst. This wasn't like her at all.

"What's the big deal? Not like this is the first time they came by unannounced."

"Oh yes this is a big deal!" she yelled, stomping her foot in frustration like a child, a move she quickly regretted when it blurred her vision. "You send me on a goddamn errand you could've very well done yourself instead of goofing around wasting time! Not to mention you didn't even possess the fucking courtesy to maybe even consider picking me up so I wouldn't get drenched to the bone! But hey, no problem, after all your brothers aren't supposed to be here for another couple of hours, so I've got more than enough time to - oh wait a minute!"

"Ok I get you're mad, but I wasn't goofing off! I told you that cover-up would take longer and it did, I barely made it home ten minutes ago and they were already here! What was I supposed to do, leave 'em out in the rain?!"

"You had no trouble doing that to me!"

"That was an accident! Jesus, what the hell is wrong with you tonight?!" he questioned angrily. Sure he felt bad about not picking her up, but this was no reason to blow up at him like this.

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing! But if you think I pose a problem, do accept my apologies, I'll leave you boys to it!" she shouted, giving a mock wave to the ravenett and blond who had taken shelter behind the counter before grabbing her keys off the floor and storming to the door. "I'll just be outside for another couple of hours, after all, a little bit more rain isn't going to kill me, right?!"

With that, the door slammed shut behind her.

"What... was that?" Sabo asked carefully, coming to stand beside Ace.

"I dunno! She's never that easily upset!" he complained.

But when he thought about it for a moment longer, there actually was one situation when she got irritated quite quickly: When she was sick.

"Oh crap..." he muttered under his breath, guilt already starting to weigh down on him. He turned to his brothers. "I think I know what's wrong with her. Sorry guys, but we're gonna have to reschedule this."

The blond smiled understandingly and gave his brother a thumbs up, while Luffy started to pout.

"Naw, but we wanted to play video games later! Why don't you invite (y/n) to join, I'm sure that and some food will make her feel better!" he suggested happily. Ace sweatdropped at his little brother's optimism.

"Yeah, I'm not so sure about that, Luffy. But we'll do it some other time; I'll go after her." he said, grabbing his own keys and an umbrella.

"You sure you don't need any help searching?" Sabo asked in a concerned tone.

"Nah, if she really is sick, too many people are just gonna make her worse. You two just head home - and take the meat as an apology!" he shouted the last part, already out of the apartment and just hearing his younger brother's cries of joy before the elevator doors shut behind him.

Luckily, he knew her well enough by now to figure out that there were very few places she could and would have gone in such a short time. And just as he thought, he found her curled up on a bench under a tree in a nearby park, trying to at least partially shield herself from the rain. He jogged over to her and held the umbrella over her head. At the sudden loss of rain, she lifted her gaze, her eyes red and puffy, and a few stray tears still rolling down her cheeks. When she saw who it was, she immediately buried her face in her pulled up knees again.

"I'm sorry..." she murmured, barely audible.

He sat down and pulled her into a one-armed hug.

"Why didn't you just tell me you were sick?"

She sniffed and lifted her head to look at him again.

"I'm not."

He gave her the most exasperated Are you kidding me? look she'd ever seen.

"Ok maybe just a little. But not really, not yet anyways, and I didn't wanna ruin your night. But then everything kept piling up: the sickness, my boss being an ass, the rain... And I took it out on you. I'm sorry, you didn't deserve that."

"Well, I kinda did. But enough of all that, let's get you home and into bed, alright?" he said with a smile and stood up, offering her a hand.

She smiled back and grabbed his outstreched hand, only to wobble and almost fall right after she'd lifted herself to her feet. Whatever sickness she'd managed to catch, it sure was hitting her now.

"Woah, ok, there is no way I'm letting you walk." he stated with a sense of finality and placed the umbrella on the bench next to them before turning around and gesturing for her to get onto his back for a piggyback ride.

Even when healthy she never refused one of those, so she grabbed the discarded umbrella and hopped onto his back. Once he started the short walk back home, she rested her head against his shoulder blade and closed her eyes.

"You're warm..." she hummed happily. Her hazy mind registered what she'd said just in time. "If you make a pun about you being hot, I swear I'm locking you out of the apartment tonight."

He laughed in response and before they'd even reached their destination she was fast asleep.

When she woke up again, she was back in her own bed, tangled in the covers. She opened her blurry eyes to try and get them to adjust to the dim lighting in the room. She could make out the door, creaked open slightly to let in the light of the hallway. The next thing she noticed were the glaring red numbers of the alarm clock, telling her it was the middle of the night. Her eyes wandered over the several other things placed on the nightstand: tissues, various medicines and a thermos which she assumed to be full of tea. She slowly sat up, her head screaming at her to lay back down, and realized that she was wearing new, dry clothes, as opposed to the drenched ones she fell asleep in. That's when her ears picked up the sound of running water just down the hall. Was Ace still awake?

She decided to investigate and swung her legs off the bed, meaning to get up, but her feet had barely touched the ground when her vision was obscured by black spots and she let herself fall back down to the mattress. Ok, so standing up too fast was a no-go. Got it. She'd just heaved herself back into a sitting position and was about to try again when she heard the door creak open. Ace tiptoed inside, but when he saw she was already awake he straightened up and gave her his signature lopsided grin.

"Hey, you're up!" he stated in a quiet, yet happy voice. "How are you feeling?"

"Gross." she said through a stuffed nose. "But mostly everything's just sore; my back, my throat and my head feels like it's about to explode."

"Thought so." he said and made his way over to her. "I was just gonna wake you up, anyways, though. Come on."

Until now she hadn't realized that he was only clad in a pair of black boxers and socks. Of course.

He picked her up bridal style and walked out of the room.

"Where are we going?" she asked with a yawn and snuggled herself against his bare chest.

He didn't say anything at first, but simply kicked open the already ajar door to the bathroom. Her eyes went wide at the sight in front of her: a steamy bubble bath and candles placed around the room.

"How long was I out again...?" she asked, an awestruck expression on her face.

He snorted and pressed a kiss to her temple before carefully setting her down to sit at the edge of the tub and reaching across to switch off the faucet.

"Can you get out of your clothes yourself or are you gonna fall backwards and drown?" he asked with a small, mocking smirk.

"You're just looking for an excuse to get into my pants even though I'm sick." she quipped back, followed by a short cough.

"I've already done that once today, you know." he reminded her, gesturing at the new clothes she was still wearing, his smirk widening.

She gave him a half-hearted glare and a small punch to the shoulder, a smile spreading across her features.

"Perv..." she mumbled, but started to slip out of her clothes anyway and was submerged in the water not a minute later.

She sighed in happiness and relaxation, already feeling the pain in her head and back starting to dissipate, and let herself slip further into the tub, until only her nose remained barely above the water level.

"I actually used your favorite scented candles, but you probably can't tell, huh?" he asked jokingly and gently pinched her nose between his fore- and middlefinger for a moment before she swatted at his hand with her own.

She sniffed and scrunched up her face and he actually had the audacity to laugh.

"You're ridiculously cute."

"Well, I am glad my misery amuses you." she complained nasally.

"You're always cute. But would your misery maybe be lessened by some food? I'll make something."

She raised a sceptical brow at him. "You will make something? As in cook? Without setting the kitchen on fire?"

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly before answering: "Nope, make as in order something. Don't worry, I won't add a visit from the fire department to your list of worries - not tonight, anyways."

She genuinely laughed at that, not even regretting it when it worsened the scratch in her throat. Ace always managed to brighten up her day, no matter what.

He smiled and tucked a strand of wet hair behind her ear and placed his warm hand lovingly on her cheek. "So, what do you want, princess?"

Any other time, she probably would've grabbed the back of his neck, pulled him into a passionate kiss and said that she wanted him. But right now...

"Soup. I don't think I can get or keep anything else down."

"Gotcha." he answered and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, before getting up and snatching his phone off the counter by the sink. He turned to her again once he'd reached the door. "Will you be fine without me for a bit or are you gonna fall asleep and I'll have to fish you out before you drown?"

She smirked mischieviously.

"I think you're confusing me with yourself, Mr. Narcolepsy."

"Oh come on, that was one time!"

Not much later, they were both sipping soup out of the delivered containers, herself still in the tub while Ace was sitting on one of the rugs, his back propped up against a cabinet next to her.

"Thanks, Ace. You really didn't have to do that, you know. Especially after how I acted earlier."

"Oh come on, everybody gets cranky when they've had a bad day, even more so when they're sick. I do, too."

"Still... Remind me to say sorry to Luffy and Sabo as well. They kinda got caught in the crossfire and I really don't want 'em to think that I don't like having them over."

"Nah, don't worry, they know you better than that. Sabo even offered to help look for you and Luffy... well, Luffy tried to help in his own way. And I already gave them the meat you brought as an apology, so I think you'll be fine."

"It's a good thing all problems with you three seem to be solvable with meat." she laughed and stretched, making her back pop. 

"It's getting kinda cold in here..." she stated, looking at Ace out of the corner of her eye, hoping he'd get the hint.

"Well then, maybe it's about time for you to get out of there." he answered, placing his cup aside and standing up to help her.

"Or maybe..." she started, reaching her arms out to him. "It's about time you got in here."

He contemplated it for a moment, then shook his head.

"I dunno, I actually really like the view from up here." he said with a smirk, wiggling his eyebrows at her. She splashed him with water in return.

"I'm cold and I don't wanna get out yet, so would you just...?" she pleaded, giving him her best puppy dog eyes.

The smile slipped off his face and he groaned, running a hand trough his black hair.

"You know I can't say no to you when you look at me like that..." he complained and started to tug off his socks.

"That's the point!" she sung happily, cursing herself when it made her cough, and scooted forward to make room for him.

"You know" he began while sitting down behind her and wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. "I'm really hoping our kids won't get that look, otherwise, I'll be totally screwed."

The silence that followed stretched on longer than what was comfortable.

"Our... Our what?"

"Nothing! I didn't say anything at all! You must be in some sort of fever delirium!" he sputtered out way too quickly and when she craned her neck to look at him, his cheeks were bright red under his freckles and his gaze was on anything but her.

A small smile spread across her face and she settled back against his warm, muscular chest and closed her (e/c) eyes.

"Whatever you say, freckles. Speaking of those, I hope they get yours~"

Knowing that she'd heard him perfectly, he desperately tried to shift the focus to something else: "So, uhm... you've got absolutely no concerns about me getting sick as well?"

She snorted.

"You never get sick, matchstick. It's probably that abnormally, inhumanly high body temperature of yours. Any kind of germs or bacteria gets burned before it could even make you sneeze."

"Well, duh. Even bacteria knows to stay away from hot stuff like me."

She could practically hear the shit-eating grin in his voice.

"Dear lord, I walked straight into that one..."

#portgas d. ace x reader #portgas d. ace imagine #portgas d ace x reader #portgas d ace imagine #one piece imagine #one piece x reader #one piece fanfiction #fire fist ace x reader #fire fist ace imagine #hiken no ace x reader #hiken no ace imagine #modern au #au #alternate universe #asl #asl brothers #op imagine #op x reader #op fanfiction #ace x reader #ace imagine #one piece #op #portgas d. ace #portgas d ace #fire fist ace #hiken no ace #ace #my writing

[rksona]

★ — july evaluation, 2017 ;

🎼 btd — rainism — one more time

“i think i’m literally going to die.”

as dawon watched the videos alongside her cousin for what felt like the millionth time, she can’t help but wonder if one month would even be enough to prepare. to put it mildly, dancing was not dawon’s forte. normally, she’d feel fine—even if she were to make a few mistakes here and there, at least she’d have her vocals to fall back on; a way to show everyone that she wasn’t completely useless. but, this time? there would be no vocals; she’d have to successfully carry her weight relying on dance alone.

“a year ago? maybe. okay, definitely.” soft, lighthearted laughter spilled out of junyeong, his features making it evident that he was amused. “now, though?” he examined dawon for a moment, and it appeared as though he were trying to reach a solid conclusion. “no, no. i don’t think so. you’ve improved a lot, dawon; a lot more than you realize. i think, with a lot of practice, you might be able to pull something like this off.”

well, that was reassuring. “you really think so?” she questioned, eyes glued to the computer screen. she considered her cousin’s words for a moment, wondering if she truly could keep up with the choreography in myname’s btd. for a moment, she almost allows herself to believe it—but the illusion faded the moment she remembered the iconic scorpion dance. “i don’t know, junyeong—it’d take a lot of practice. too much, i think. maybe i could pull it off if i had, say, an entire year to prepare—but i really don’t have that kind of time.”

“come on, how hard could it be?” he asked, taking control of the computer before entering another search. he found a video that played the particular move on a loop, which he immediately opened, light chuckles bubbling up from within him. “it’s amazing what kind of videos people tend to make, isn’t it? still, i guess we’re lucky—this makes our job considerably easier, considering that we won’t have to constantly rewind the video just to watch the same dance move over again.”

watching the video only caused dawon’s doubt to increase, leaving an undesirable feeling of discomfort deep in the pit of her stomach. she was afraid she’d make a mistake—afraid that she wasn’t good enough—afraid that she’d let her teammates down. she had come so far since joining nova last august, that was undeniable, but she wasn’t sure that she had come far enough. she was afraid that all of her hard work had been for nothing. afraid that, at the end of the day, she was still the same girl with two left feet that she had been at the very beginning.

“no, i won’t be able to do it—i can’t.” she felt her heartbeat steadily increasing, her chest feeling as though it were tightening. why? why now, did she find herself feeling so afraid? she had overcome many difficulties before, so why should she assume that this would be any different? she wanted nothing more than to run away and hide, though, deep down, she knew that it wasn’t an option. no matter how much she wanted to escape it, she knows better than to assume that she could ever avoid something like this. if she didn’t force herself to go through with it, junyeong certainly would.

“you can’t?” the boy questioned in return. “oh. well, i’m not too proud to admit that i hadn’t considered that.” he stared at her for a prolonged moment, a subtle frown on his lips. “well, if you can’t do it, then i suppose there’s no need in trying. i’m sure that you also couldn’t get signed to a place like nova entertainment, right?” he paused, a momentary silence falling over them. “of course not. but you did, and look at you now. enough with that quitter attitude of yours, dawon—it doesn’t suit you, not at all.”

junyeong was right, as usual. dawon drew in a deep breath, allowing her eyes to close. “you’re right, i know that you’re right,” she replied, her tone soft and unsure. “but it just feels so scary. i’ve gone through so much as a trainee, and i’ve performed several times. but, before, i’ve always had my voice to get me through. i thought that, even if i happened to mess up with the dance, maybe things wouldn’t be so bad so long as i had sung well enough—so long as i had my voice as my saving grace. but this time, i don’t have that to fall back on. if i make a mistake, that’s it, that’s the end—i’ll have messed up my entire performance.”

the boy placed a hand on her shoulder just then, doing his best to comfort her. “personally, i’d rather mess up on a performance rather than show my teammates that i couldn’t even bother to try. that wouldn’t reflect well on you.” he paused just then, contemplating what to say next. “besides, i know you. when you’re doing something that you’re passionate about, you give it your all. no matter how difficult the situation is, even when you’re faced with impossible odds, you adapt to it. that’s something that i admire about you, dawon. and believe me when i tell you that you can adapt to this, because, yes, you’re that badass.”

dawon pondered her cousin’s words for a moment, eyes flickering open as her lips formed a faint yet warm smile. “thank you, i appreciate you saying that.” adapt or die, she thought to herself, more so for a reminder than anything else. “i’m still doubtful. but i have to try, right?” she asked, drumming her fingers on her lap as she spoke. “otherwise i’m not sure how i’d work up the courage to face the other girls again. they’re counting on me.” while she still doesn’t believe in herself, dawon knows that she can’t afford to let the nova girls down, for more than one reason. “i’ll try my best,” she promised.

“and that’s all i can ask of you.”

july 29th, in an outdoor mall in hongdae ;

despite dawon’s best wishes, the heat refused to let up. it was unrelenting—unyielding—unforgiving, a constant thorn in her side from the moment they had set foot in the outdoor mall. what had she and her fellow trainees done to deserve such punishment? once upon a time, she had fantasized what it’d be like to put on a dance performance to a song like btd; but now it was proving to be much more exciting in theory rather than practice.

it didn’t help that each moment was spent worrying about how the other trainees were handling the heat. without proper hydration and rest, it’s easy to imagine that someone could actually get hurt performing in these conditions. at the end of the day, they were all in this together; if one of them were to suffer, they all suffered. maybe it was wishful thinking to believe that they could all make it through something like this, but dawon had faith in her team.

the only thing worse than the heat was the humidity. every inch of dawon’s body to felt hot and sticky as her clothes began to stick to her skin, drenched in sweat. one of the only things that kept her going was the thought of a nice, refreshing shower that would save her at the end of the day; if she even managed to live that long. while dawon liked to believe that she had pretty decent stamina, given just how much time she devoted to her workout routines, this was certainly taking things to an entirely new level.

the sun was finally beginning to set, and, for a moment, dawon thought that things were finally going to get better. the rain certainly proved her wrong. at first, she believed the water droplets to be nothing more than her own sweat; annoying, but ultimately nothing to worry about. when they continued to fall, however, she quickly learned that they were falling from the sky. and, knowing nova, they’d still be made to perform in these new conditions.

for a while, things were fine; difficult, but ultimately fine. as she performed, however, dawon was distracted, her mind was somewhere else entirely. she couldn’t stop thinking about the trainees who had been abruptly taken to the hospital, or the fact that her heart felt as though it were going to beat out of her chest due to the constant fear that refused to subside. she wasn’t in her element, and nothing felt right.

the rain only seemed to add a thousand new challenges to something that was already exceedingly difficult. every so often, she would fall to her knees, the pain from each fall making it that much harder to carry on. she tried to find junyeong’s face in the crowd, hoping that seeing him would somehow offer her the comfort that he so often provided. he was nowhere to be seen, and dawon was scared. i’m a badass, i can do this, she thought to herself, hoping that the words would offer her the same reassurance they had several months ago during her first evaluation.

i can do this.

...

i can’t do this.

one minor misstep was all it had taken to send dawon crashing down. perhaps she could have managed to recover from it had the stage not been slick with rain, but, sadly, she would never know. her ankle took the brunt of the fall, and she was almost certain that she had twisted it in her attempts to remain steady. for a moment, the pain was unbearable, and she wanted nothing more than to remain there on the cold, wet ground until it was all over.

it was only then that she found junyeong in the crowd. his features made it evident that he was concerned, and rightfully so; dawon knew that she’d be worried, too. would he be ashamed of her? would he be disappointed that she hadn’t even bothered to try recovering from such an injury? no, he wasn’t that type of person, he would understand. but, no, dawon wouldn’t let him down—she couldn’t.

i know you. when you’re doing something that you’re passionate about, you give it your all.

dawon placed her hands on the ground in front of her, pushing herself up.

no matter how difficult the situation is, even when you’re faced with impossible odds, you adapt to it.

she fought through the pain as she put weight back on her feet, struggling to stand, desperate to carry on.

that’s something that i admire about you, dawon. and believe me when i tell you that you can adapt to this, because, yes, you’re that badass.

the pain was excruciating, burning like hot fire. she was trying not to think about, trying to make it through the performance at any cost. there was no way she justify giving up now. even if others accepted it, she knew that she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself. hell, she wasn’t even sure that she could forgive herself for making the mistake in the first place. it wasn’t the smartest thing to do, and it definitely wasn’t easy—but there was no other way, she had to do this. she had to persevere, she had to adapt or die.

the pain was too much to handle. for a moment, she closed her eyes, wincing as tears trickled down her cheeks. she was grateful for the rain, grateful that her fellow trainees couldn’t see her in her moment of weakness. she was grateful that, so long as she forced a smile, the audience might actually think that everything was okay. that maybe, so long as they didn’t focus on her occasional limping or inability to successfully carry out the choreography, they would think that nothing was wrong with her—that she wasn’t in pain.

and suddenly, it was finally over.

she had made it.

she could finally go home.

junyeong’s mother was gracious enough to let dawon stay the night, and she was grateful for it. she needed to talk to junyeong about what had happened; he was the only one who always knew just what to say. on the car ride home, she finally allowed herself to submit to the pain—finally allowed herself to suffer in peace, light sobs echoing from within her as she abandoned all hope of keeping it together.

she felt weak. she felt afraid.

but she had survived. she had endured the pain.

so dawon also felt strong.

#rkjuly17eval #solo; #nova; #ft. junyeong; #( wc: 2104 ) #tw: injury #( remember last month when dawon was happy hahA ) #( this solo was pretty darn sad!! but she got a happy solo last month so this balances things out!! i'm still proud of her!! )

[secretagentspydetectiveninja]

Heely beloved, we are gathered here today

(A NEW CHAPTER APPEARS!! Anyway here’s that silly overly fluffy rarepair fic based off this silly thing and totally counts for week 2 of Atypical April) (did anyone want ace Adrien? Ace-drien? Well you’re getting ace Adrien. And also ace Alix. EVERYONE IS ACE SHUSH)

(AO3) (chapter 1) (there are only gonna be 3 in total don’t worry)

 Chapter Two

The fifth skate date was not too different from the fourth one. They spent some of the time chatting, some of the time skating, and rather a lot of the time, well... It wasn’t that there had been a lack of physical contact before, since Adrien had kept stumbling over and Alix had to keep picking him up, but this felt different somehow. She was actually, consciously holding his hand sometimes, even though she didn’t need to. He found it comforting – he never got much physical reassurance from anyone these days, especially not from the type of person who could absolutely fearlessly beat someone up and rarely showed affection like this. The fact that she clearly thought him worth spending time with… it made his heart swell.

He still couldn’t quite figure out whether or not he had just convinced himself to like her, only because it made the prospect of marriage easier, or if he actually liked her. After all, he had never been interested in her as anything other than a friend back when they were at school. But that time he had been head over heels for Ladybug, and never really thought about anyone else.

Things were different now – and he did feel the same way about her as he had with Ladybug back then. This hadn’t happened with Chloé when he had considered marrying her, so perhaps there was actually something in it…

Halfway through the sixth skate date, it suddenly began to rain.

“I don’t think that’s going to clear up any time soon,” Adrien said, glancing up at the sky and seeing it covered in dark grey clouds.

“I guess this skate date is over early then…”

“Wait, don’t go home in the rain!” He took her arm in his to stop her skating off. “Why don’t you come inside for some time?”

Her face lit up. “Wait, really? Am I allowed?”

“I’m not sure, but my father’s not home right now anyway so he won’t know. You can stay until the rain stops if you want.”

“Thanks!”

He took her into the house, quickly popping into the office to ask Nathalie to get some towels to dry them off, since they were drenched and dripping rainwater everywhere. Once they were no longer completely soaked, the two of them went into Adrien’s room to wait out what seemed to have become a thunderstorm.

“We could play video games,” Adrien said, putting away his skates and helmet, “or we could just talk, or there’s plenty of other things in here for us to…”

He turned around to see her staring up at the rock climbing wall in a stunned, awed silence.

“…Or you could climb the wall, if you want.”

She didn’t need to be told twice. Without even saying a word, she scrambled up the wall so fast she was at the top in under a minute, where she half turned around and had a look down at the view.

“Dude. I want to marry your rock climbing wall.”

Adrien couldn’t help but burst into laughter – that was so close and yet so far from what he wanted.

“Seriously! You have an entire actual rock climbing wall inside your actual bedroom, that’s the coolest thing ever…”

“I don’t have much time to use it though,” he said. “But you’re always welcome to have a go on it whenever you want.”

“Really? Adrien, you’re the best!”

He blushed and looked at the ground, not even sure what to say to that.

In any case, the storm did not seem to be passing and was just getting heavier. After a few more turns climbing the wall, Alix suggested just going out and skating in the rain anyway, saying that it would be fun. Adrien knew perfectly well that he probably wouldn’t be allowed to if he asked about it… so he decided it would be better just not to ask in the first place.

They went back outside together and spent far too long splashing through the puddles in the courtyard like responsible adults, getting gross rainwater everywhere, laughing all the while. Adrien was sure he hadn’t done something so fun and reckless since back at school at least. He could just feel the stress of his modelling job and his father’s expectations lifting off his shoulders the longer he spent messing around and having fun. It was so freeing! Like being a kid again.

Eventually evening started to fall and he began to feel tired. Without caring how wet the ground was, he sat down to rest. “That was so much fun… it’s getting kind of cold now, though…”

He sneezed into his sleeve – whoops, hopefully he wasn’t ill. His father wouldn’t be too happy about that.

“It’s okay, I’m not cold, I’ll warm you up.”

Before he had time to react, she had snuggled up to him with her arms wrapped around him. He sat perfectly still, hardly even daring to breathe. He definitely was not cold anymore all of a sudden.

They sat huddled like penguins for what seemed like hours, though couldn’t possibly have been anywhere near that long, until finally the rain began to let up.

“It’s probably well past the normal time you go home at,” Adrien said.

“I know, but I don’t wanna let go,” Alix mumbled, clinging on tighter. “You’re comfy.”

“Wait, really?”

“Yeah, trust me. I don’t even like hugs. You seem to be the exception.”

Adrien felt like his insides were turning into gooey mush. He buried his face in her hair, trying to hide how much he was blushing. “That’s r-really sweet of you…”

“That’s another exception. Usually if someone calls me sweet, I will punch them. But you’re allowed to do it, okay? You’re adorable.”

“Me? Adorable?” He giggled into her hair, his voice sounding muffled.

“Yeah, you! You’re totally adorable!”

“You’re m-making me blush…”

“Good. Listen, not only are you adorable, I will fight anyone who says otherwise. Or if anyone says or does anything bad to you ever, I will fight them. Okay?”

That was so sweet, he could feel tears pricking at his eyes. “P-please don’t fight anyone…”

“I’m gonna fight everyone,” she whispered in his ear, sending sudden shivers down his spine. “Everyone except you, because like I said… you’re adorable.”

That was it – he wanted to just marry her on the spot. He might even have asked to right there and then, if Nathalie hadn’t opened the mansion front door at that exact moment, causing them to spring apart rather suddenly.

“Adrien, you’ve been out there for far too long, you’ll get ill! I let you have your fun and I won’t tell your father, but it’s time to have dinner now…”

He reluctantly got to his feet. “Alright, I’ll come inside, thank you Nathalie…”

“I’ll go get a towel to dry you off again.”

Nathalie went back in and shut the door. Adrien couldn’t help but wonder if she was leaving him plenty of time alone with Alix on purpose because she had figured out what he was up to… he wouldn’t put it past her.

“I should probably go home now,” Alix said. “But remember what I told you. You’re adorable, and I’m gonna fight everyone.”

He started giggling again, shivering from the cold now that he wasn’t sharing her body heat. Or perhaps that wasn’t the cold he was shivering from…

She gave him a goodbye hug, so tight that he was sure he heard his joints crack a little. He hugged her tightly in return, lifting her slightly off the ground. It took them a while to let go, and once she had gone it took him a while to stop smiling like an idiot.

He turned to see Nathalie there again, watching from the doorstep with a rare smile on her face. Yep, she knew alright.

At some point before the next skate date, Adrien had been down to visit Marinette and Alya in their flat. He was proud to see that they had adopted a little black cat who they named “Adrien”, though it did get a little confusing when both Adriens were around at the same time. Plagg constantly insisted that the cat should have been named after him instead, but Tikki reminded him that she didn’t have any actual ladybugs named after her, nor Trixx with foxes, so he shouldn’t take it too personally.

On the way back home, allowed to walk freely down the streets as a normal citizen for once without his bodyguard hulking over him, he spotted Alix. It was strange seeing her someplace other than the courtyard in front of his house, almost like he’d forgotten she actually had a life outside of their frequent meetups despite her always telling him about it.

“Oh, hey Adrien!” She waved at him from the distance and then…

Was she gliding?

Just zooming across the ground towards him, without even needing to take a step?

“W-what… how…”

“They’re just Heelys,” she chuckled as she came to a stop in front of him. “Shoes with a hidden wheel on the underside so you can skate wherever you want.”

Bending down, she took off one of them and showed him. Sure enough, there was a little wheel right there, unable to be seen from the normal angle.

“Are they hard to use?” Adrien asked her.

“Nah, they’re super easy to get the hang of. I should get you a pair too!”

“Then I could trick people as well. I thought you were flying or something, like some kind of… ethereal… angel…”

“Angel? I’m literally dressed all in black!”

“Well, I can’t tell if you looked more like an angel or a demon. But definitely some sort of ethereal being.”

“Awesome. So yeah, should I get you Heelys, then?”

He quickly shook his head. “I can buy them myself, it’s alright, you don’t have to–”

“Nope, I’m buying them for you. In fact, I’ll just tell you right now that Heelys are going to be your birthday present. So don’t buy any before then.”

“Alright then. I’ll look forward to it! And what should I get you for your birthday?”

“It doesn’t matter because you’ll never be able to outdo the hologram pocket watch. But concert tickets to see Jagged Stone would be nice.”

He knew perfectly well he would be able to get hold of those easily. “How many tickets? Is it just for you, or…”

“Two. One for you, one for me. Obviously.”

He tried to reply, but… did she just do what he thought she did? Invited him for a birthday concert date? Just the two of them? Their skate dates were one thing, but actually going elsewhere to places together, especially things like concerts, and especially on special occasions like birthdays… it just seemed kind of… romantic.

“I… yeah… I’ll… I’ll get the t-tickets…”

“And I’ll get the Heelys. Anyway I’m late for work – I’ll see you soon!” She grinned and gently punched his arm, then skated off on her Heelys.

Angel, demon… whatever she was, she was amazing.

The seventh skate date was fun, as usual. She had asked if he wanted to go and visit the museum with her afterwards, and he had wanted more than anything to accept, but unluckily his schedule was completely full that day so he had to decline. It just seemed so unfair that even as an adult, it felt like he didn’t have much control over his life. He was always at the mercy of his strict schedule, and by extension, his strict father.

Or so it seemed.

“Adrien, your schedule for this afternoon has been cancelled,” Gabriel said as soon as Adrien came inside. “You are free to do as you please for the rest of the day.”

Adrien looked up at his father, standing up there at the top of the steps, unable to believe his ears.

“Father, thank you so much! But why…?”

“Nathalie has informed me that your friend would like to show you an exhibit at the museum, and I feel that it would be an informative experience for you. You may go if you want.”

“I certainly will – thank you!”

No point wasting any time. He dropped all his skating kit on the floor and ran back out of the door, through the courtyard and onto the street where he managed to catch up with Alix.

“Adrien? Everything okay?”

He leaned over to catch his breath. “Father… cancelled schedule… I can go to the museum with you after all…”

“Nice! Why did he do that though? I thought you said he’s always really strict!”

Adrien shrugged and didn’t say anything, though he had an inkling. Since Nathalie had clearly been spying on them enough to know Alix had asked Adrien to the museum, she and Gabriel were probably setting those two up on purpose. Well, Adrien was not complaining. This was great!

Their museum date did not last too long, as the museum was closing fairly soon and since Alix was already notorious for sneakily staying behind after hours, security was keeping a very close eye on her to make sure she definitely left before the doors shut. It was fun while it lasted, though, wandering around with their arms linked up, getting to look around at everything that she had told him about during their skate dates.

“We need to hang out like this more often,” she told him at the end, once security had finally kicked them out to lock the doors. “I don’t just mean skate dates. I mean… actual… well…”

Actual dates. If only he had the time for more of those.

“I’ll try,” he promised. “If my father lets me off more, I definitely will. Speaking of my father, I should probably get home for dinner now…”

“I’ll see you soon then. Thanks for coming along.”

They shared their usual goodbye hug – which Adrien noticed had progressively been getting slightly longer each time. By now it was somewhere in the vicinity of 3 minutes, perhaps a little longer. At this rate they would practically be living in each other’s arms by Christmas…

It was quite a nice thought.

The eighth skate date was interrupted by a skype call from Kim, who insisted that Alix and Adrien should race each other while he watched through the screen with a bucket of popcorn. Alix won fairly easily, being the better skater by far, but Kim told Adrien to keep trying until he had finally beaten her. It took at least an hour, and both of them were exhausted by the time Kim finally disconnected, laughing and boasting that he could have done much better.

Adrien sat down against the courtyard wall, chugging as much water from his water bottle as he could manage without choking.

“Ignore Kim, it’s easy for him to show off when he’s just chilling at home not doing anything,” Alix said, sitting down beside Adrien and putting a comforting arm around him. “You did well.”

“Thanks.” He put the water bottle down and rested his head on her shoulder. “Though since I did manage to win at least one race against you, do I get a prize?”

“Sure, what do you want?”

“Hmm… how about a picnic tomorrow?”

She laughed and ruffled his hair. “Jeez, you’re so nice, it’s the best thing ever. Back when Kim challenged me to stuff all the time, the loser always had to do some stupid forfeit and the winner would get money or chocolate or something. But you just ask for a picnic? Dang, I should have hung out with you more often back at school.”

“Well at least you’re making up for it now, right?”

“Yeah. I’m glad I am.”

They rested together, leaning on each other, for long enough that they didn’t get back to skating that day at all. Adrien realized that he had never before had someone he was so comfortable with when it came to physical contact – even he and Ladybug tended to leave it be at fist bumps and the occasional hug, especially in the past few years. Yet now, here sitting in the sun with Alix, he could stay like this forever and never feel like moving…

It had happened so gradually he hadn’t even noticed until now just how close they had become. It hadn’t even taken very long. Evidently their years of knowing each other at school had somehow given them a head start. And the only other people who he was this close with knew his big secret, the fact that he was one of the iconic Parisian superheroes often saving the city…

Was it time to tell Alix this too?

The picnic date in the park the next day did not go on for very long before an akuma attack occurred. Though attacks were less frequent these days, they still did happen, and apparently had really annoying timing. Adrien managed to get away on some excuse and transform into Chat Noir, joining Ladybug in the fight against the villain, who seemed to be attacking mostly with books.

“Use your Cataclysm to distract him!” Ladybug said. “Then I’ll go get the bookmark – I bet that’s where the akuma is.”

“Fine…”

“Chat, you alright? You seem…”

“Grumpy,” he muttered, crossing his arms. “Yes, I’m grumpy.”

“Is everything okay?”

“This akuma just had to turn up right now, didn’t it? Not when I was in the middle of some boring photo shoot or something, but when I was on a date?”

Ladybug turned to him, her mouth hanging open in surprise. “Oh my gosh, you were on a date? With who?”

“Well it’s not really a date, just a kind of hangout, I don’t really–”

“I bet it was Alix! It was, wasn’t it?”

He wondered if he was blushing under the mask. “How did you know?”

“You keep talking about her, it’s not hard to figure out. Anyway don’t worry too much about this attack, I can handle it. You’d better get back to Alix before she figures out your identity. I made that mistake with Alya, remember? Just use your Cataclysm and get out of here, I’ll sort out the rest by myself.”

“Thanks, Ladybug.”

Leaping into action, he distracted the villain with his destructive powers. As soon as he saw Ladybug sneakily taking the bookmark, he ran straight back to the park to find Alix.

“Oh good, you’re safe!” he called, seeing her peeking out from behind a nearby building in an alleyway.

“Chat Noir?” She stepped out of the alleyway. “Hey, have you seen Adrien? He was around here somewhere, we were on a picnic date and I have no idea where he went…”

So she was calling it a date too? He ignored the warning bleeps his ring was giving him and scooped her up into his arms. “It’s not that safe here, the Bibliovile might see you. Let’s get you out of here.”

“Your ring, it’s making that noise, you’re gonna detransform–”

“Don’t worry about it.”

He took her through the alleyway until they were quite a way off from the villain, unable to hear him rampaging anymore. His ring bleeped urgently again, but he still ignored it.

“Seriously, you’re gonna detransform, you should probably hide or something,” Alix said. “Sounds like you’ve only got like a minute left.”

It was jarring how differently she was treating him now that he was Chat Noir. Her voice lacked its normal warmth and had reverted to the monotone she reserved for strangers. Despite the fact that he was still carrying her in his arms, she was barely even holding onto him, like it didn’t matter to her one way or another. It felt so unusual, so unreal, and not in a good way.

“Really, don’t worry about it,” he said to her. “Just wait. You’ll see.”

“What? Are you showing me your civilian identity or something? It’s okay, honestly, I don’t really care.”

“You will.”

“Um, okay…”

It almost physically hurt to see the indifferent, slightly unimpressed expression on her face, directed at him. He was so used to her smiling, being nice to him… Experiencing how she treated strangers was quite unnerving.

His ring gave a final few bleeps, then its magic gave way and he detransformed back into Adrien.

For several seconds she just stared at him in shock.

“Surprise, it’s me,” he said feebly, wondering what her reaction would be.

“It’s… you…”

“Yep.”

She stared for a few more seconds, completely silent. Then her expression suddenly changed to one of sheer delight.

“So you’re telling me – it was YOU this whole time! You’re – you – this whole entire time, you’ve been a superhero – an actual SUPERHERO–”

Bursting into amazed laughter, she threw her arms around him and hugged him so tightly he saw stars.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner!” he said.

“Don’t worry,” she mumbled into the side of his neck, still hugging him. “This is the coolest surprise ever. I can’t believe it… you’re the actual Chat Noir… and there I was thinking you couldn’t possibly get any cooler…”

Feeling a little giddy with relief, he leaned against the wall, still holding her in his arms. She was just so light. Even without the extra strength his Miraculous gave him when he was transformed he could pick her up easily.

“I thought it was time I should tell you,” he said. “Since we’re…”

Friends? Best friends? It seemed too limited at this point.

“…so close,” she suggested, lifting her head away from his neck and resting her forehead against his.

“Y-yeah, close…”

They really were close, quite literally, so close he could feel her breath. For the first time he wondered what would happen if he just tilted his head a bit and kissed her. The thought made his heart flutter like it was filled with purified akumas.

He leaned forwards a little, but his nose accidentally bumped against hers. Embarrassed, he leaned back and turned away.

“That was the most cat-like thing ever,” she said, starting to laugh again.

“What do you mean…?”

“Nose boops. That’s a cat thing, isn’t it?”

“I think so.”

“So you really are a cat, and more than just as a superhero!”

He started laughing too, especially when she then pulled his face towards hers and booped his nose again. And again. And again…

The ninth skate date did not even involve any skating, since it was so hot outside that neither of them wanted to do anything. They lazed about in the sun, barefoot, their skating equipment lying untouched next to them.

“So this is your Miraculous,” Alix said, leaning against his arm and fiddling with his fingers. “I remember you having this ring back in school too.”

“You really remember that?”

“Yeah, I just thought you must be a fan of Chat Noir, though. It didn’t even occur to me that it’s actually you.”

“When people asked me about it I just used to say this ring was a special present from my family. I, uh, got the idea from your watch actually.”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the watch in question, covered in protective bubble wrap.

“You haven’t seen this thing up close, have you?” she asked, carefully unwrapping it. “I mean, you have, but… not since I got akumatized… anyway, you can have a look now.” She thrust the watch into his hands.

“Are you sure?” he asked. “It’s yours… a family heirloom, and…”

“It’s okay, I trust you. Go ahead.”

He pressed the button on the lid, which sprung open to reveal a little blue hologram inside – a lady dressed in historical clothing, holding up a clock that displayed the time.

“Whoa… it’s beautiful…”

“I know, right?”

He closed the lid again and gave it back to her. “Thank you for showing me, but I should give it back quickly in case I break it… considering I have the powers of destruction…”

“You’re no more likely to break it than anyone else,” she chuckled. “But I haven’t really showed it properly to anyone else before so I don’t really know.”

“Wait, really? You haven’t showed it to anyone else at all?”

“Nope, just you. I’ve never really liked anyone so much before.” She rested her head on his arm again. “I always felt kinda like a third wheel with Kim and Max, and I never really knew anyone else very well… except you now… so, um, you’re kind of special to me.”

He gently ran his fingers through her hair. “You’re special to me too…”

“And if you keep playing with my hair like that then I’m gonna fall asleep. Which is a good thing actually, please keep going.”

He did keep going, for so long he felt like he might fall asleep too. Had he ever felt this peaceful before? Relaxing out here in the sun with someone important to him, not even needing to speak, just each other’s company being enough?

The tenth skate date was still too hot for skating, though they did try for a while. They ended up chatting about Adrien’s double life as a superhero, something that he enjoyed being able to discuss now.

“…and I don’t know where Plagg is, he always goes and hangs out with the other kwamis all the time, or just eats cheese and sleeps, but I’ll definitely introduce him at some point.”

“How do you even keep him hidden?”

“I don’t even know! I’m surprised more people haven’t figured out that I’m Chat Noir yet, to be honest.”

“It’s because you act different. When you’re Adrien you’re all sweet and polite and reserved, and when you’re Chat Noir you’re all adventurous and dorky and flirty.”

“Which do you prefer?”

He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer, but he needn’t have worried.

“Both are great. I mean, you’re the same person, right? These days you always act like a mix of the two with me anyway.”

“You’ve known me as Adrien for most of my life though, so what about if I started being extra Chat Noir?” He twirled around rather theatrically and gave a bow.

“I can’t even lie, now that I know it’s you, that’s just… adorable…”

“You’ve cat to be kitten me!”

“That one was absolutely pawful…”

“Well I think it was punderful…”

She laughed. “I can handle puns as long as you don’t start calling me ‘princess’ or ‘my lady’ or that cheesy stuff I’ve seen on the Ladyblog.”

“What should I call you then?”

“How about ‘the coolest person ever’?”

“Alright then, ‘the coolest person ever’, Chat Noir is at your service.” He knelt down and kissed her hand before he could think too hard about what he was doing.

But wait… there was some kind of fragrance…

“What hand cream do you use?” he asked, holding her hand back up to his face. Yes, the fragrance was definitely coming from there.

“Hand cream? I don’t bother with that stuff…”

“But your hand smells so nice! Is it perfume?”

“I haven’t worn perfume in like 10 years.”

“It’s like lavender… and something else, I can’t tell…”

“Oh, that! It’s just the handwash we’ve got at home. It does smell good, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah…”

She held her other hand out to him too. “You can, um, keep inhaling it if you want. I guess.”

Was it just a trick of the light, or was she actually blushing a little? In any case, he took both her hands in his and breathed in deeply, feeling his lungs fill with lavender.

Perhaps he should have stopped then. This was starting to feel so romantic and if he kept going then it would be too obvious, wouldn’t it? But more than anything he was just aching to put another little kiss on her fingers, and holding them close like this was so sweet he felt like he was going to melt…

It was a suspiciously long time indeed before he let go of her hands and stood up again. She hadn’t said anything. There seemed to be something left unspoken in the air between them.

And glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, too overwhelmed right not to do anything more than that… she was definitely blushing.

At some point before the next skate date they took a night off to go for a game of bowling together, followed by a movie at the cinema. Afterwards they trudged back towards the Agreste mansion, the dark streets somewhat lit up by the moonlight.

“I love movies like that,” Alix said, holding his hand and swinging it a little as they walked. “Ones without annoying romantic subplots.”

“To tell the truth I love romantic movies,” Adrien said, grinning. “I know they’re cheesy, but…”

“Of course you love them, you’re adorable! I’m just weird, don’t worry. Romance isn’t my thing. And it always reminds me of… well… you know, marriage and stuff.”

Adrien felt a nervous twinge. “Yeah… stressful stuff…”

“Exactly. My dad said I have to marry someone soon. He’s such a stickler for tradition. And if I don’t get married soon, he’ll cut off my inheritance and take the watch back…”

“What? That’s awful!”

“I know!”

“And I thought I was under pressure to get married…”

“You too, huh?”

Adrien nodded, squeezing her hand a little tighter for reassurance. “My father keeps insisting I marry someone from a wealthy, respectable family so that it’s good publicity for his company. Chloé and Lila are out of the question, and, well…”

He trailed off, realizing he might have given away a little too much.

“That must be so annoying,” Alix said. “I guess at least my dad doesn’t care too much who I marry as long as I’m happy with them… which is… nigh-impossible, if I’m honest…”

“Really? Why?”

“Like I said, romance isn’t my thing,” she muttered, looking at the ground. “And that seems to matter to other people so much. Like, I know I care about people! Maybe I don’t get crushes or dream about making out or settling down with someone, but I can still love people. But I don’t know if anyone would ever agree to spend their life with me if I wasn’t in love with them the way I’m supposed to be.”

He stopped and turned to face her directly, taking her other hand in his too. “Alix, I promise you could definitely find someone who would agree to that! You’re so awesome, anyone would be lucky to have someone like you!”

“Thanks,” she said, smiling a little. “I do hate the idea of having to get married just for the sake of it, but if I was close enough friends with someone and cared about them enough then I probably wouldn’t mind so much. I’d get to hang out with them more that way, right? I wouldn’t even mind doing all the cheesy, stereotypical romantic stuff if that made them happy. Well… with exceptions. Which is what no one would agree to.”

“I’m sure there are lots of people who would be fine with all of that!”

“Exceptions, Adrien, the kind that no one will be okay with. Mainly, no kids. Or at least I’m not having them, nor ever doing anything that might accidentally lead to some. If my future mystery spouse really wants kids they can go get some from the orphanage and go pay to have their fun elsewhere. I’m sorry, it just all sounds too gross to me and I’m not comprising. I’ll gladly look after a kid or two as long as I don’t have to help make them.”

“Wait… you feel that way too?” Adrien said, relief flooding through him. “I thought I was the only one!”

“You too? Oh thank god!” She jumped forwards and enveloped him in a hug, which he gladly returned.

“You’ll find someone,” he said. “You won’t have to give your watch back or settle for less. You’ll definitely find someone, I promise.”

“Yeah, you’re right… and you’ll find someone too…”

Should he say what was on his mind? He hardly dared to, and yet…

“I think I have found someone,” he said quietly. “But I’m not sure.”

She reached up onto tiptoes and breathed into his ear, “I think I’ve found someone too.”

So close, he could smell the lavender handwash, feel her hair tickling the side of his face, his hand just resting over the bare strip of skin on her waist where her t-shirt had lifted up…

He could tell. He could just tell. They were both thinking the exact same thing. The question of a marriage between them hung over their heads, unaddressed.

It must be so obvious to her that he had asked her to teach him how to skate just to get to know someone else from a rich family. And it was obvious to him that she was being overly nice because she wanted to show him she cared, even if it wasn’t exactly the passionate kind of love that was expected from relationships.

The most obvious thing, though, was that it was now apparent that they had both wanted to marry each other from the beginning.

He might even have said something about it, if he hadn’t got an annoyingly ill-timed phone call from Nino at that exact moment, putting an end to the pensive moment.

The eleventh skate date was filled with more conversation about superheroes. Adrien always loved talking about this side of himself, considering that he had gone years without having anyone to discuss it with. The topic soon turned to Ladybug.

“I do know her secret identity,” Adrien said, “but I really can’t tell you. I mean, I’m sure she wouldn’t mind you knowing, since you know I’m Chat Noir, but…”

“It’s okay, if she wants to do it she’ll tell me herself,” Alix replied.

“And for the record, I know everyone in Paris thinks Ladybug and I are a couple but we’re actually not. I swear. We were into each other for a while in our teenage years but things worked out differently and she ended up with someone else.”

“Oh yeah, I remember at school everyone could tell you had a crush on Ladybug.”

Adrien couldn’t help blushing. “Was I that obvious?”

“Yep. I’m super bad at noticing this stuff and even I can easily tell when you have a crush on someone.”

He quickly looked away when he saw that she was smirking at him. She knew, didn’t she? She knew perfectly well he liked her! He wasn’t even sure whether he wanted her to bring it up, or whether that would be too terrifying a conversation to deal with right now.

“So anyway,” she said, “should we get back to skating now?”

Adrien nodded, feeling both relieved and a little disappointed at the subject change. He knew he should probably actually do something, like tell her how he felt, or otherwise nothing would ever happen! But he had never really been any good at that before, and it was so nerve-wracking…

At the end of the skate date they shared their usual goodbye hug, now somewhere around 5 minutes. It was completely ridiculous, he knew it, but it just felt wrong to let go too soon. These overly long hugs just felt so special to him now.

Just before finally letting go, Alix hopped up and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“See you later!” she laughed, finger-gunning at him and rushing off quickly.

Adrien simply stood there for several minutes, wondering how she could have made something like that seem so natural. They were both so physically affectionate with each other these days that a kiss on the cheek was not really a big leap, but all the same…

It began raining again during the twelfth skate date. Rather than going inside, Adrien grabbed the old umbrella that Marinette had finally returned to him, and he and Alix sat underneath it together outside on the steps.

“Adrien, I have a confession to make,” she told him. “Years ago, when I was akumatized, I killed you in one timeline. You probably don’t remember it. I don’t remember it that clearly either, but I know that you were trying to protect Ladybug and I… I know it’s not my fault, but I guess I should say sorry anyway…”

“It’s okay, Ladybug’s already told me about it. It’s Hawk Moth’s fault, not yours.”

“I know, it just… still haunts me sometimes…”

The look in her eyes was so unusually vulnerable, like her normal fighting spirit had all drained away. He hadn’t realized it had affected her that much – he had always thought someone like her wouldn’t really be too bothered about what her rather impressive villain self had done. He wished he could help somehow. But how? He couldn’t change the past.

“You can always talk to me about it,” he said finally, putting an arm around her. “I’m here for you.”

She looked almost at a loss for words. “Adrien… I swear… you are the sweetest cinnamon roll in this universe…”

“You’re awesome too, you know.”

“Yeah but seriously… I would do anything for you, okay? Anything.”

The way she was gazing at him in earnest, more emotion in her voice than he had ever heard before… He didn’t even need to think. He just pulled her a little closer and planted a kiss on her nose.

“I would do anything for you too.”

The skies were clear and sunny again for the thirteenth skate date. Once more the two of them sat on the steps, not even bothering to pretend that they were skating.

“My father will be away on the weekend,” Adrien said, “but he said that after our next skate date, um, you’re allowed to stay for the night if you like. Because you love the rock climbing wall and deserve to spend more time on it.”

“Really? Awesome! I will so be doing that.”

Adrien wasn’t even sure how his father had agreed to what was essentially a sleepover, especially since Adrien wasn’t a kid anymore, but he suspected Nathalie may have had something to do with it. Glancing at the windows he tried to see if she was spying on them, but he couldn’t spot her anywhere. In that case she was probably using the security cameras to keep an eye on them.

“I haven’t had a sleepover in so long,” Alix continued. “I’ll be sensible, I swear. It’ll be nothing like… uh, that one time with Kim.”

“The one where you set fire to a tree?”

“That was his fault, okay?”

“Of course it was,” Adrien said, laughing. “He’s so reckless.”

“Yeah, even more than me. But then again, you probably can’t tell. I think I’m just somehow more sensible around you. You’ve been a good influence on me.”

“Oh, thanks!”

She gave his hair a quick ruffle. “Anyway, a sleepover will be fun. Do I need to bring anything? Hey, do you want me to bring some of that lavender handwash you love so you can use it yourself? Or… is it better like this…?”

She was holding her hand up in front of his nose.

“It’s, um… I don’t mind…” He could smell the lavender, but it wasn’t the lavender that was making his heart beat fast.

“Then I won’t bring it. You seem perfectly happy getting your lavender fix from me, so… go ahead… if you want…”

Gently taking her hand in his own, he savoured the familiar lavender scent that would always remind him of her. Just something about it seemed to make his brain fire at twice the normal speed, like he just wanted to sit here breathing in the faint fumes of lavender handwash forever, if only because it meant her hand was so close to him, so dizzyingly close…

Was she going to say something? She hadn’t yet, and he didn’t even dare look at her expression. He closed his eyes and pressed her fingers to his lips.

This was not platonic at all, oh boy, it was very unmistakeably not platonic. Most of their interactions usually fell somewhere along the line between platonic and romantic, but this was not ambiguous whatsoever. He knew if he kept going it would become so clear that she would bring it up, of course she would, and that was so daunting and yet he wanted it so much…

His courage ran out. He dropped her hand and half turned aside, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck awkwardly. “I… um… I was just…”

The next thing he knew, she had grabbed his shirt and pulled him down so he was lying on his back over her lap, staring up at her.

“You were just being adorable, that’s what.”

The sun was in his eyes so much that he could barely see a thing. It didn’t matter though – he could feel her holding his hands up to her face, just like he had been doing, faintly brushing her lips over his knuckles almost like borderline kisses.

She didn’t even have an excuse! Adrien’s handwash was nothing special, and anyway he was sure his palms had been sweaty enough that any trace of fragrance would have been long gone. No, she was doing this simply because she wanted to. Because she cared about him enough.

For what felt like hours he lay there, wondering if there was even any point saying anything. Things were pretty clear even without outright saying it. And things became even clearer when she finally put his hand down and leaned right over him, blocking out the sun enough that he could properly see her face.

Was she about to kiss him? It certainly seemed like it.

The door of the mansion opened suddenly. Adrien sat up at lightspeed to see his bodyguard standing at the door, looking surprised as if he hadn’t expected to see them there. The Gorilla quickly shuffled around them and headed towards the garage, evidently in need of the car.

The moment was ruined now anyway.

“I think I have to go now,” Alix said, clicking open her pocket watch to check the time. “But, uh, I guess I’ll see you on the weekend for that sleepover?”

Adrien nodded, unable to speak right now. They shared their overly long hug, though it seemed strangely superficial compared with the kind of intimacy they had just had going on, and then she left.

The fourteenth skate date also did not involve any skating, since they just skipped straight to the sleepover. Alix spent most of the evening going up and down the rock climbing wall, quicker and quicker every time, adamant on constantly beating her record. She had already beaten Adrien’s by far. After that they had dinner, then built a pillow fort like the responsible adults they were, and even had a bit of a pillow fight.

By the time they were actually ready for bed, they were both exhausted. Adrien had decided to let her have the bed and he could sleep on the floor or the sofa for once. His room was huge, there was plenty of space.

“Goodnight Adrien,” she said, lying on the bed in her pyjamas.

“Yeah, goodnight…”

He wandered over and picked up her hand, lifting it to his face and expecting to breathe the familiar lavender scent… but of course it wasn’t there this time. She was in his house. The scent was of his own boring handwash. Somehow, though, it didn’t deter him at all. They both knew the lavender handwash was just a pathetic excuse.

Suddenly she pulled him down into a hug, right there lying on the bed.

“You can stay here if you want,” she murmured, right into his ear. “I hate sharing beds usually, but occasionally it’s okay. Especially if it’s you.”

“Thanks, that’s really sweet,” he replied, shuffling into a slightly more comfortable position before giving her a kiss on the cheek.

He closed his eyes, ready to go to sleep in a hug for the first time… then opened them again when he felt her giving him a kiss on his own cheek in return.

It wasn’t even a quick one. It was slow, deliberate… and reminded him that this time, there was no Gorilla or Nathalie to suddenly ruin the moment by accident, no one here to interrupt what could be a relationship upgrade. But it could only be a relationship upgrade if he tried to make it one.

It was hard to see in the dark as his eyes weren’t yet accustomed to it. He put a kiss on where he guessed her nose was, and got one in return. Then her forehead, and got two in return…

He was so sleepy he wasn’t even sure what he was doing. Was this even real? Was it just a dream, and he was already asleep? He didn’t know. All he knew was that he was getting his face plastered with little kisses, and he liked it.

His eyes gradually got used to the dark enough for him to see better. He looked down at her and suddenly realized he hadn’t kissed her properly yet, on the lips, and he wondered if he even dared do it. But unless his eyes were tricking him, it seemed like she was looking at his lips too, as if she also was thinking about it…

It was late. He was too tired to think properly. Brushing a few strands of hair away from her face, he pressed his lips onto hers and kissed her softly.

He hadn’t expected it to last longer than a few seconds, but to his surprise she pulled him down even closer, clinging onto him so tightly he could barely move, curling her legs around him, her fingers intertwining with locks of his hair…

When he woke up in the morning he saw that she was already awake, laying there playing a game on her phone. Memories of last night returned to him – did he actually kiss her? Was that a dream? In any case, he felt somewhat embarrassed now that it was daylight.

“Good morning,” he mumbled, “hope you slept well… um… about last night, I just… I was tired and I guess I might have… well, it might have been a dream, but–”

She didn’t even let him finish, she just grabbed his face and kissed him again. “Good morning to you too babe. And nope, it wasn’t a dream.”

It wasn’t a dream… did that mean…

“Are we… together now?” he asked.

“Sure. Let’s be real, we’ve been ‘together’ for weeks already. But I guess you get to be officially my boyfriend now.”

He couldn’t even say anything – he just smiled into his hands, knowing he was blushing hard, and knowing that it didn’t even matter anymore if she noticed that or not.

#omg this got longer than it was going to be i'm sorry i can't write short stuff #IT'S SO FLUFFY I'M GONNA DIE #seriously i had to stop every few seconds just to like... breathe #for the record THIS IS SUCH A GOOD SHIP AND I'M GONNA MAKE Y'ALL SHIP IT #random stuff #miraculous ladybug #Atypical April #ml fanfic #miraculace #adrien agreste #alix kubdel #adrilix #heely beloved #yeah i really gotta stop making everyone ace... speaking of which #i once wrote a fic called 'too aro ace for this' and that is actually what inspired this silly story #i mean this is basically just the non-angsty version of that fic #aish writes

[abcnewsgathering-blog]

NSW FLOODS: HOW ABC NORTH COAST TEAM KEPT COMMUNITY INFORMED WHILE STRANDED IN FLOOD ZONE

(Bruce MacKenzie filming in Lismore as the water rose - Photo: Samantha Turnbull)

By Samantha Turnbull 

Teachers from the kids’ schools called on Thursday afternoon: “Come and pick them up – we’re closing for the next few days, floods are coming.” 

It wasn’t news to us. The rain had been falling in incessant glass sheets for hours. My husband, Bruce MacKenzie, and I work as reporters at ABC North Coast in Lismore, and our station had been broadcasting flood watches and warnings throughout the day. 

(ABC North Coast reporter Samantha Turnbull - Photo: supplied)

The trouble was, the schools are 45 minutes east of Lismore and we couldn’t get to them because every road there was already under water. It happened too quickly. The situation was the same for most of us in the office – our children needed collecting. Thankfully, my parents live in a place from where they could get in and so they did a mercy dash, then babysat our children around the clock for the next week as work went into full emergency broadcast mode. 

Cyclone Debbie was no ‘Queensland only’ phenomenon. Its remnants, combined with record-breaking downpours that had already pelted our region, meant northern New South Wales bore the brunt of a clichéd ‘recipe for disaster’.

Many of us were stranded that Thursday. Chief of Staff Justine Frazier, producer Pam MacIntosh, reporter Donna Harper, and Bruce and I booked the last two rooms in a Lismore motel when it became clear we couldn’t get home. Then we all had to evacuate at 3am Friday as the city’s flood levee was about to be overtopped. Our motel went under a few hours later.

(Ballina Road, Lismore – the address of the motel ABC North Coast staff were staying in before it went under water - Photo: Samantha Turnbull)

A month on, those first three days have become quite the blur. I know I didn’t change my clothes in all that time and the office air conditioner couldn’t seem to do the job when I hung my drenched socks in front of the vents to dry.  I spent a lot of those initial hours manning the station’s social media accounts, feeding an insatiable hunger for photos and ‘as-live’ videos from key locations that locals could use a basis to determine when they would need to abandon their own homes. Meanwhile, user-generated photos and videos from across the region were flowing in thick and fast showing causeways and roads washed away and tips of rooftops peeking through inland seas of brown. 

(Breakfast presenter Joanne Shoebridge broadcasting from the Murwillumbah train station, one of the flood recovery Outside Broadcast sites - Photo: Destination Tweed)

Our breakfast team Joanne Shoebridge and Pam Macintosh doubled their hours on air for the next three days keeping our audiences informed with the latest official information, in between taking calls from locals who often repeated the same frustrated line: “We didn’t expect it to be so high.” 

Our six-person team grew as reporters from as far afield as Melbourne flew to our region to assist. Many of them were called in to help specifically because of their knowledge of our area:  Sydney’s James O’Brien grew up in Lismore, reporters Margie Burin and Justin Huntsdale have both spent time working out of the ABC North Coast office,  and Fiona Wyllie was a long-serving morning presenter here before she moved to hosting Statewide Drive.

(Bruce MacKenzie interviewing a young couple at the Red Cross evacuation centre in Lismore - Photo: Samantha Turnbull)

For all of us, this was the biggest flood we had ever covered. Lismore, Murwillumbah, Billinudgel, Coraki are all flood towns. We’re used to a bit of putrid murky water. But this one, this one was different. It was faster and higher than we’d seen in decades. The only people who seemed to be ready for it were my 80-year-old grandparents who lost everything on their first floor, but had raised the second storey of their Lismore home after the 1974 floods got in. In the Tweed, the Bureau of Meteorology called it a 1 in 1000 year flood.

Part of my job as a features reporter was to trudge the littered streets in the aftermath, interviewing countless bewildered people who thought they’d prepared, but hadn’t successfully. There were people who’d woken up to water pouring through their windows, people who’d woken up on floating beds, people who had to swim for their lives though torrents that took the lives of others. 

The story that affected me most was that of the Greenhills Caravan Park in South Murwillumbah, the town’s only caravan park which was home to 50 permanent residents. I spoke to many who lost everything and are now living in tents at the local showground. But they considered themselves lucky. Their neighbour Mark Austen was found dead in his van that had been completely swallowed by water. 

As I walked the streets for the next few days, I had a basic routine: record interview, take photos, record video, edit, send back, do live cross, post to social media, repeat. A dozen interviews a day was nowhere near enough to tell the stories of everyone deeply affected by what had happened.

It will be many months, years even, before our region recovers and for our jobs of telling our community’s stories to be done. 

Read more about Cyclone Debbie coverage here.

#regional #samantha turnbull #cyclone debbie #nsw floods #lismore #disaster coverage #emergency broadcasting #radio #news coverage

[akaashirabu]

‘It all started with that Eyeliner’ - EXO BH Pt. 2

‘That Eyeliner’ was then given a sequel way back October 2013. (Originally posted in asianfanfics acnt + wattpad) Check out the first part here Pt. 1

Today, you were at the mall to buy your favorite eyeliner because he just emptied the last two you bought. You went straight to that usual shop where you always buy it.

You asked for the brand of your favorite eyeliner in the counter and the same saleslady approached you. It somehow reminded you of that day, the day you met the fabulous Byun Baekhyun.

You remembered how you two fought about who’s going to get the last available eyeliner at the store but you two ended up not buying it anyway. You didn’t even forget to be thankful that your phone ringed and EXO-K’s Mama was your ringtone, simply because it had led you to your current life now.

"So how about we go out for a movie some time?" he asked you.

"What? I don't want to be killed by you're fangirls"

"Aren't you one of them?" he teases.

"Yah!"

"Don't worry I'll protect you from them"

Who would have thought that the one time he asked you to the movies became a habit. Not only he invited you to the movies frequently but you also went on friendly dates or just even a little chilling out in a café nearby your apartment. Yes, he was famous and it’s natural for you to be nervous if media would actually see him with you, an anonymous girl. It frightened you because it could actually make a big fuss on his career.

One day in October, after their promotions for Growl, Baekhyun brought you to their dorm. He said he would like you to meet his brothers, the EXO members of course. It was actually your first time to meet them although you’ve been a fan ever since their debut. They were kind and easy to be with and each one of them never failed to make you smile or even laugh.

“So you’re the famous [your name], the girl who stole our Baekhyunnie’s heart” you remembered Suho’s words. It made you blushed as Baekhyun did too.

Sure you had feelings for Baekhyun, but you never knew if he felt the same way so you always thought that the bond between you two was plain friendship and nothing more. But that changed on a day you two went to Lotte world.

For you, it was the most precious day because Baekhyun actually found time just to spend a day in an amusement park with you.

For Baekhyun, it was the most precious day because it is the day he would confess his feelings for you.

“I’ve like you ever since that day I met you in the mall. You are the most beautiful girl for me. Will you be my girlfriend?” You remembered the exact words Baekhyun said like it was just yesterday.

Of course you said yes, you didn’t even think twice because you love him, you love Byun Baekhyun.

After your day at Lotte world he brought you to their dorm again, only to be surprised by 11 boys who were cheering in glee. You were confused but it turns out Baekhyun texted the boys that you said yes and that you were now officially together.

“My Best friend is so lucky to have a kind and pretty girlfriend like you” Chanyeol said as he smiled.

Who would’ve thought that eyeliner would lead to you being Byun Baekhyun’s girlfriend? And to think of it, it’s been a year since you two were together. You were a fan of Baekhyun, but now you were not only his fan but the most important girl for him, well besides his mother. According to him, you and his mother are the only two girls in the whole wide world he’d be willing to risk his life.

You remembered asking him one day when you two were drinking hot chocolate, sitting on your sofa at your apartment.

“Who would be the first one you’ll save if me and you’re mom were drowning?”

“Come on, not that question please” he whined.

“Hmm…just go and answer. I won’t be mad if you wouldn’t pick me” you laughed at him.

“But…” he began to pout at you.

You pinched his cheek “I can swim anyways so no need to save me. I’m one strong girl huh?”

“Did you forget I have super powers? So eventually I can save you both at the same time” He proudly said as he ran through the living room pretending that he was flying. You just laughed at how childish he was.

After a few months, Baekhyun had been very busy due to practices and preparations for their upcoming comeback and of course that meant less time to spend together. You would’ve visited him at SM Building but since your relationship is a secret only the EXO members and Baekhyun’s parents knew, you can’t do so. You did understand it and be the caring girlfriend you are. His career is what makes him happy so as long as he’s happy you were too. You’re his girlfriend right? It was your job to make him feel loved, understand him and be there for him always. Sure, you missed him a lot but enduring it wouldn’t be that hard since you love him, love him very much that you’re willing to do everything for him.

For the past few weeks, Baekhyun was always texting you or even calling you if he had more time. He would tell you how he spent his day and the things they did for the day. But as more weeks passed, those texts and calls lessened and there comes a time that he didn’t even called or texted you once. You were starting to worry of course, you’ve been wondering if he was okay or if he catches a cold, if he was eating well and sleeping well and all the possible things you could worry for. You always kept in mind that he was just busy because their comeback was nearing and he was just working hard for himself, for EXO & for the fans.

A rainy night and you were on a night shift at the Bubble tea shop you worked part time. It’s a surprise for you to see Sehun and Luhan there. Of course you knew they love bubble tea but you haven’t seen them buy there. It’s a great timing that no other customers were there.

“Hey [your name], you work here?” Luhan asked.

“Yep...” You flashed a bright smile.

“Noona! I haven’t seen you in ages” Sehun whined.

“Come on Sehun-ah, it’s been only months” You said to him.

“We missed you a lot! Oh and your cooking too!” he beamed.

“Hmm so Chocolate and Taro is it?” You asked them.

“How did you know we’re going to order those?” Luhan asked you.

“I have ways…” You smiled. “Here you go!” You handed them their order.

Luhan gave you the payment saying “Thank you”

“Oh uhmm how was Baekhyun?” you asked, biting on you lower lip.

“He’s okay noona. You haven’t talked to him?” Sehun asked.

“Oh uhh it’s just that he haven’t called me yet” you answered with a slight smile.

You bid goodbye as Luhan and Sehun left. Afterwards, your shift ended and you were now walking with an umbrella on your hand. The rain is pouring heavily and you didn’t bother to ride a taxi or even a bus since the shop is a walking distance to your house. You arrived at your apartment feeling tired as always.

You slip in to your pajamas and were ready to go to bed when someone was knocking on your door. You immediately went to open it and saw Baekhyun at your door, his body all wet.

“Baekhyun!” you said with a worried face.

“[Your name]” he called you softly, smiling.

“Why did you get yourself drenched in the rain?” you asked worryingly as you helped him walk inside and let him sit at the sofa.

“I wanted to see you…” he answered.

“But you didn’t have to be drenched in the rain…you should’ve ride a taxi or a bus or even brought an umbrella with you” you said.

“It would be a waste of time” he slightly chuckled.

“What if you’ll catch a cold because of it? Are you okay?” you asked, putting your hand on his forehead, feeling his temperature.

“I’m okay…as long as I’m with you” He said, barely a whisper.

You sighed. “Come on let’s get you dried up”

You led Baekhyun to your room; it’s good that he left some of his clothes there so he has something to change into. You went out to get a fresh towel and sat beside him on the bed. Baekhyun was topless and you used the towel and damp it to his body, helping him clean up. Baekhyun had his eyes locked on you; he examines your whole features. You looked up and you met his gaze, you fell hard on his gaze and somehow it’s like he has hypnotized you and that’s when you remember how much you love him.

“I love you [your name]” he whispered, slowly leaning in and kisses you on the lips passionately.

You close your eyes and kissed him back, it felt like you went back to that time you and Baekhyun shared your first kiss, it’s as sweet as the last time you remembered.

And that rainy night, is the night you made love with Baekhyun and had gave him your everything.

The Next day, you were in a good mood. You remembered last night and it made your heart flutter.

It was a Sunny Saturday morning and you were at your apartment surfing the net.

Something caught your attention; it was an article about Baekhyun.

Byun Baekhyun and his girlfriend

Baekhyun from the popular boy group EXO had been spotted out on a movie night date with his girlfriend. The lucky girl was said to be an actress who appeared in one of EXO’s music videos.

Your eyes widen, you checked the picture and what made your eyes widen more is that you are 100% sure that you were not the girl in the picture, you have long jet black hair and not that tall whereas the girl in the picture is way taller and has blonde hair and it’s been a month since you and Baekhyun went out for a movie. You also checked if it really was Baekhyun and to your dismay it really was him. A lot of thoughts run through your mind.

Is Baekhyun cheating? He wouldn’t right? He said he love me, he wouldn’t hurt me.

You felt a tear fell down your cheek and soon you were crying. It hurts when you love him so much that you would even do anything just for him and he just cheated on you. You gave him your everything and he just cheated on you. But no matter how much you wanted to hate him, you can’t, because you love him, you love Byun Baekhyun so much.

Afterwards, Baekhyun would send you text messages and call you but you wouldn’t even dare answer. There comes a time that even the other EXO members would call you, especially his best friend Chanyeol. He even came knocking to your house saying he wouldn’t leave until you talk to him but still you didn’t face him. You would listen to his explanations but not now. You still needed time to think.

A week after, you decided to finally go back to work. You entered the half empty Bubble tea shop, you missed the smell of tea, and it soothes you.

You were greeted by your fellow worker, Hana.

“Hey unnie you’re on YouTube!” she beamed.

“What? Me? On YouTube?” you asked.

“Yep look look!” she said as she hand you her Iphone.

Hana was half right; you were on YouTube but only your name. Your name is the title of the YouTube Video.

You gasped at how high the views and you just played the video out of curiosity.

When it played, Baekhyun was there with a slight smile.

Annyeong [your name], I know you’re still mad at me but please listen.

Baekhyun began singing ‘Don’t go’ from their XOXO album.

*Take me yeah, to the place you live, take me with you

Oh, I’ll follow you even if it’s at the end of the world

Please don’t escape my vision, don’t disappear even

when morning comes your small hand movements

puts my heart in a whirl

The song comes to an end and Baekhyun started talking.

[Your name], I’m sorry. I didn’t cheat on you. I love you and I wouldn’t even dare hurt you. Please believe me. You’re the only girl I ever loved; you’re my one and only butterfly. Remember when you asked me who will be the first one I’ll save if you and my mother were drowning? I’ll save you first because I love you so much, because I really do and I don’t even need to have a reason because all I know is I love you.

Baekhyun sighed and slightly smiled, holding up his eyeliner.

Remember this? It’s funny how this eyeliner was the reason behind everything. For me it’s like destiny, this eyeliner is the reason why I met you, why I fell in love with you and why I realized you’re the only girl I’d ever dream of. You’re the one I wanted to marry, have little kids and spend my entire life with. I love you and I would never regret meeting you [your name].

The video ended and you were out of words.

“So am I forgiven?” someone asked.

You looked up only to see Baekhyun right there in front of you, smiling. You started tearing up.

“Hey why are you crying?” He asked, rushing near you.

Baekhyun was taken aback when you slapped him right on the face.

“What was that for?” he groaned.

“That’s for making me cry…and for doing this—“ you said and didn’t even think twice when you kissed him softly on the lips.

“I love you, you eyeliner guy” you said after breaking the kiss.

“I love you too” Baekhyun whispered.

You and Baekhyun decided to go; you two were just walking side by side at the sidewalk.

“I’ve been wondering, so if you didn’t cheat on me then who was the girl in the picture with you?” You asked.

“I wanted to tell you this ever since that rumor spread. I wasn’t with an actress who appeared in our music video” Baekhyun said.

“So who was it?”

“One night we sneaked out after practice and decided to watch a movie, after the movie we played truth or dare out of boredom” he explains

“And then?”

“The dare was pretending you’re a girl and walking back home looking like a girl” he continued.

“Just tell me who is it!” you demanded.

“It was Chanyeol! I dare him to look like a girl and he wore a dress and a blonde wig! It was Chanyeol and I didn’t cheat on you!” Baekhyun said and immediately you burst into fits of laughter.

“Hey why are you laughing? I literally cried for a night for the fact that Chanyeol was mistaken to be my girlfriend..like eww I’m not gay!” Baekhyun whined.

You tried to stop laughing “So that’s why Chanyeol has been calling me for the past few days” you said.

“That’s what I’m saying! I didn’t cheat on you!” he protested.

“Okay okay I believe you” you said.

“You know I love you right?” he asked.

“Of course, and I love you too” you smiled.

For you it’s like a fairytale that’s happy but has no ending. You had loved Byun Baekhyun before, love him more now and will love him till forever.

#exo #exok #baekhyun #fanfiction #oneshot

[emkish]

Oh Happy Day.

We got married! Again, as with the engagement, I should have written about this long ago so that I could remember more of what happened. I want to write down our wedding day from my perspective so that years from now, I can look back and read it and remember all of the small things. 

The day before the wedding was stressful. I ended up running a bunch of errands in the morning, which made me super grouchy. Then, we took a bunch of stuff out to the barn and I stayed for a few moments to put some things together. I came home, showered, and went to the rehearsal.  We got pretend married a few times, and then had the rehearsal dinner. We at first thought we were going to run out of food, so we were running around whispering to everyone to only take one piece of either lasagna or shells. As it turns out, we had plenty of food and nothing to worry about. Mom, Steve, Cathy, and Ben had set up the church earlier in the day (thank you, Ben, so that I didn’t have to), and it looked really nice! I wish we had taken more pictures, but alas, we did not.  At the end of the night we spent a couple of moments alone, and Aly was there to capture our last single-people kiss at the end of the night. I felt nervous and excited all at once. I was SO TIRED. When we got home, I was trying so hard not to cry, because I didn’t want poofy eyes the next day. Aly and I danced to some music and I tried to go to bed at 11:00.  My heart was beating SO HARD that I couldn’t sleep. I think I was nervous and excited all at once, but it was out of control.  I tried watching the West Wing to fall asleep - that didn’t work. I read - that didn’t work. I finally got up around 1:00 am and wrote Ben’s card for the day of the wedding. I somehow managed to avoid sobbing, which is great! I finally fell asleep around 2:00am. I was up by 6 or 7 on my own - so hardly any sleep! 

Aly and I ran to Hilligoss Donuts to get Ben his wedding gift - his favorite donut! I went in my Lion King nightie and a guy opened the door there for me and looked me up and down several times - but he was not checking me out. It was hilarious. We got our donuts, and then came home to try to remedy my poof-tastic eyes. We started with frozen spoons, then used cool tea bags, and ice in a washcloth.  I ate a yogurt with peanut butter and honey. I was feeling full from the donut, but Aly was pretty much force-feeding the yogurt to me.  As I was laying there with my eyes closed, we noticed what looked like a huge bruise on my foot. I couldn’t feel several of my toes, and I immediately was paranoid. My mind went from parkinsons to frostbite to I’m dying (of course). Aly took pictures and called her uncle who is a doctor.  After I washed my foot, most of the dark color went away (which was good for my mental state).  I put on my “Oh Happy Day” shirt and then Jason picked Aly and I up and took us to the bank to get a bunch of cash and then to e.m. Studios to get our hair done. Mom was still there getting her hair done, and Andrea was there getting hers done as well.  They washed my hair for me, and it was glorious to sit and relax for a few minutes. Ashleigh did an AMAZING job on my hair - it was exactly what I wanted - down, curly, and it stayed!! Marissa’s veil was gorgeous and went perfectly with my dress.  When our hair was done, Jason came and picked us up from the salon. We came back to the house, loaded up our stuff, and then he dropped us off at the barn.  

When we got to the barn, Andrea was still getting her makeup done. I wandered downstairs to look at everything - Angela did an AMAZING job with our flowers. I couldn’t believe how wonderful everything looked. It was gorgeous. They were bright, beautiful, and everything I had hoped for.  I went back upstairs and ate some of the brunch that mom had brought to the barn for us.  Everyone started showing up at different times. Finally, it was my turn to get my makeup done, and I sat in that chair for probably close to an hour.  While I was getting my make-up done, Ashley and Bri brought me my gift from Ben.  When they handed it to me, I had no idea what it was. I thought it was some sort of a black box. Ash asked me if I knew what it was, and so I looked at it and realized it was a VHS tape. I started bouncing up and down and squealed because I was so excited. Ben gave me his musical as a wedding gift.  He has such a knack for making me feel loved and giving unique gifts.  I was SO EXCITED.  He also wrote me a sweet card. When my makeup was finished, we all got dressed and I got ready to go see Ben for the first time. I felt so nervous! Marissa took some videos as we were going down the stairs.  

We had our first look outside of the front of the barn. When Ben turned around, he laughed a little because I think my make-up took him by surprise - it was A LOT.  But we kissed and I got lipstick all over his mouth, so we spent some time wiping it off. After our first look, we went and got some portraits done, and then thankfully I had the foresight to take pictures with our parents outside under the arch. I am so thankful that I did, because all day the forecast was kind of sketchy. Poor Julie kept asking me if I wanted to move it inside, and I kept telling her no because I was convinced it wasn’t going to rain.  Finally, about 20 minutes before the ceremony, we ended up moving everything inside.  I’m so glad we did, because it started pouring as my bridesmaids were walking down the aisle.  

The 20 minutes before the wedding were some of the longest minutes of my life. We went back up to the bridal suite, and I peed probably 3 or 4 times. At one point, I was just sitting on the toilet dancing, because I was peeing so often! It was finally time to go. I almost started crying before I walked down the aisle. I was so nervous, but I noticed when we were walking, my dad had to slow me down because I was going so quickly.  I was so excited to marry Ben. When I got to the end of the aisle, Ben had tears in his eyes - the only other time I’ve seen him come even close to crying was when he proposed. Uncle Paul did a beautiful ceremony. I couldn’t stop wiggling my legs because I was so nervous and so excited. We exchanged our vows - before I went I said “I’m ready!” Ha! When we did the rings, I almost put the ring on the wrong finger, which gave me the giggles briefly.  Then, we planted our “love cactus” and we were husband and wife! I grabbed Ben by the neck apparently to kiss him. We walked back down the aisle and were giving hugs to everyone and I almost lost it, but Aly yelled at me and I held it together! We signed the marriage license, and then went outside to take some more family pictures.  After family pictures, we went back up to the bridal suite to try to steal a few minutes alone, but Joe was up there with Maverick. We ended up finding a quiet spot outside to just hang out for a few minutes.  We did the bridal party introductions, a very poor version of a dance, and then ate dinner. The food was AMAZING - we got so many compliments on it after the wedding. We split a bottle of Oliver Soft Red at dinner, and were actually able to sit and talk for a minute while we were eating.  We walked around and said hello to the different tables during dinner as well - we managed to say hi to almost everyone in that period of time.

When everyone had their food, Marissa and Matt gave their speeches. Both of their speeches were so great.  We were able to get them on video, and I am so excited to watch them again. Matt’s was very sweet, and Marissa’s was hilarious. After speeches, we cut the cake.  We couldn’t get the cake off of the tray, so we ended up just stabbing it with forks and feeding each other.  We did our father/daughter dance and mother/son dance, and then the real dancing started! I was sweating SO MUCH. Ben and I were both absolutely drenched. It was so. much. fun.  All of our jams were playing, we danced like crazy, and just overall had an amazing time. It rained like crazy and we ended up getting a few really cool pictures in the rain! I was so happy with how the evening went.

At 10:30ish, we got ready to leave. We did our sparkler send off, and I decided to run through twice since people’s sparklers were still working.  I was so happy it stopped raining for that! We got in the car, were driving down the driveway, and I immediately started crying from all the emotions. Then, I realized that I left my phone and we had to go back to get it. My dad brought it out to us and then we were on our way. I cried a bit on the way home and was feeling all the feels. We pulled up to the condo and saw candles in bags lining the driveway. Ben carried me over the threshold, we came inside, kissed, took our shoes off, and then walked down the path that Rachel made for us. There were candles and roses in votives and sparkly round cut outs on the floor leading to the bedroom. She had put candles in votives around the bedroom and in the living room as well. Our room had chocolate covered strawberries and bottle of champagne of the nightstand and THEN Ben took my dress off and made me his wife. WOOHOO! It was better than I expected.  The next morning, we woke up, had some happy fun time to start the day and ended up going to Kroger. We made a big breakfast, drank out of our new Mr. and Mrs. coffee mugs, and then spent the day opening gifts, playing with nerf guns, and resting. It was perfect for us. We spent Sunday running errands for the honeymoon. I tried my wedding dress back on because I love it so much, and then we had some fun with that as well. We played with our nerf guns, packed for the honeymoon, and tried to clean for my mom.  As it got later, I dropped a votive in the garage and shattered it, which caused tears. Ben helped me clean it up and then we went to bed. 

Honeymoon was great. Getting there was rough, but we spent 7 days laying on the beach, going to dinners, playing games on the beach, drinking weak adult beverages, taking daily laps around the lazy river-style pool, and going to the shows. We also played 5 crowns a few times, watched the Bachelorette, and just generally enjoyed spending time together. We were given breakfast “in bed” one morning, and I followed Ben around like a lost puppy. We took a few baths in the bathtub on our balcony, took a walk on the beach, and spent tons of time reading.  Ben took care of my puke when I was sick the night before we left, and we spent the last day of our honeymoon in bed watching the O.C. all. day. long. 

I am so thankful for him, for our marriage, and that our wedding went as well as it could have. Again, a gift I don’t deserve. My heart is so full!