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jazjelspen · 11 months

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leaving on wild charted waters [pt.4]

(what if our mc got tired of Night Raven College and all it's inhabitants?)

(what if our beloved mc has...(voluntarily) been helping with decorating for the ball that will be happening in the next few days!?)

(just a “filler” chapter but it's just pure fluff and our mc having a great time with their new RSA friends + fleshing out some RSA students that I may use in future chapters/will get back to angst but as many of you know: our mc needs to be happy!

p.s Neige is actually a nice person in this series, he just doesn’t mean to come off as fake. I just wanted to write a nice version of the character for this!)

(fluff/splash of angst but it's very short)

the ball: part 1

you couldn't be more relaxed. you are currently chilling with your new friends and Rielle on the same shore you stepped your shoes in on your first day here. you all decided that after a long day of studies, activities, and fun ballroom decorating that it'd be a great idea to just relax beside the waters with everyone having each of their favorite snacks and drinks.

you and your friends were quiet since all you could all do was take in the refreshing sea air and the feeling of the breeze kissing your faces, the sound of the water sloshing and splashing also added to the calm ambience of the scene, and of course it wouldn't be complete without the screech of a seagull or the cute chirps of birds. I just can't forget to mention the same beautiful sunset that came upon your first day here also appearing in this exact moment, it really did always take your breath away. 'god, nothing could beat this view' you thought.

you noted how this time when you volunteered to help out with ballroom decorating, that no one actually ever left you on your own or ditched you. everyone did their part, some mishaps here and there, but it wasn't anything none of you could fix. you actually felt as if the work was much less with everyone actively doing their job and not slacking off or disappearing when they have the chance... these guys actually sticked by you and didn't let you down in the slightest. it was as if a splash of the freshest water just hit your face and took off a lot of stains that you had from NRC.

you all reveled in the moment until someone finally spoke up, "today was no joke." your friend, Alex Underlan, spoke in an exasperating tone as he laid with his arms and legs spread as if he's about to make a snow angel in the sand. "it felt as if this day would never end."

the next to speak was Neige Leblanc "we did take awhile to set up the decorations for the ball. thankfully we managed to finish just in time before the setting sun left!" he spoke with a smile as he looked up to see his little blue bird friends sitting comfortably on his hat. "we have to admit we did do a pretty good job on the decorating."

Chenya, an acquaintance from NRC and now very good friends with in RSA, stretched his limbs out in the sand with a loud yawn "beats me, I'm just glad that the hard part is over and we can now nap like kittens!~..."

"I agree with Neige though, we did do a pretty great job with decorating! along with the help of our fellow animal friends too it made the whole thing a bit more hectic yet fun." Rielle chirped in "I do have to admit-- Raps and _____ did an amazing job painting the ceiling and walls for the occasion! it's like those really detailed murals from waaay back then!"

Raps then replied with a bit of a sheepish smile "aww thanks Red, but obviously I wouldn't have been able to get it done in time with my favorite assistant _____ here!--" Raps shook your shoulder gently with the entire group chuckling with each other.

"hey! I'm your only assistant!" you replied with a light giggle "Raps I seriously have no idea how you're not afraid of falling from such a height-- you have immense trust in your hair." you paused " but then again i was hanging onto your hair while painting-- so I actually can tell why you have immense trust in your hair." you all just fell into a fit of laughter together in harmony at the hilarious memory of you freaking out a bit while clinging onto your friend's hair over how high you were to then feeling confident and relaxed while painting the ballroom walls and ceiling with Raps.

after you all calmed down the excitement for the ball started rising in your chest once again "honestly... i'm so excited for the ball. mostly because it's the one ball where I most likely won't have to deal with any people that have underlying personal issues that I have to deal with." you let out an almost happy sigh.

Chenya snickered, knowing well what that referenced to "nahh, no overblots here. don't remember there ever being one since I first came to this rabbit hole." he then closed his eyes as to take a light cat nap.

"me either!" chirped in Neige "but no need to fret or fear, in case an issue does come up we won't ask you to have to take care of it for us. with what you've told us you have seemed to have gone through so much already--" he spoke this next part more lowly " I should've... noticed it back when the VDC event was happening..." Neige sulked a bit but then gave you a small smile "I'm just glad you still came all this way to give RSA a chance _____!.."

"thanks Neige, that's actually... very kind of you to say." you smiled back as one of Neige's little blue birds landed on one of your knees and chirped a small song for you.. how cute and charming. "actually back then at the VDC event I honestly thought you were probably hiding under some super cute and friendly facade but turns out that it's really just you being naturally kind and well... friendly!" almost everyone either choked on their drinks or giggled, basically all collectively agreeing that everyone else thought that too in the beginning of meeting Neige at some point.

Neige paused a bit and looked at you with wide eyes and a genuinely confused smile, processing what you just said as he let out a very confused "huh?--"

"Raps Belleflowe!"

a loud interrupting and snarly voice boomed from behind the group of six, so loud it caused the little birds that rested on you and Neige to fly away! you all simultaneously turned to look at the tall and dark figure with voluminous black curls awaiting for one of you.

Raps sighed in immense disappointment as he packed up any snacks he had out back in his satchel, now looking all gloomy. "well- I'll see you guys tomorrow!.."

Chenya then turned to look his long haired friend with an almost disappointed look too "leaving so soon blondie? not staying over to grab some full grub with us?"

Raps shook his head "ahh...not today guys! maybe next time--" he was about to walk out before he quickly faced the group who all groaned in disappointment together " hey how about to make up for it I treat you all to lunch at school!" everyone still seemed disappointed yet each still gave Raps a thumbs up at his idea.

you all watched him scurry to his father who seemed to be less than pleased, almost scolding him before they both walked seemingly back to the dorms.

"I don't like Raps's dad... always gave me the heebie jeebies, keeps Raps from us outside of school-related stuff, and always gives me low scores on my biochem tests!..." Alex grumbled as he looked up at the sky.

"he is an intimidating individual.. but he seems to be very attentive to Raps and always seems to help him with all the countless hobbies he has!.." Neige tried to seem a bit positive, but he does agree with Alex on the first two things.

"a bit too attentive, I know a helicopter dad when I see one." Rielle huffed before he yawned. "well let's get a meal before we all head our separate ways and sleep like sleeping beauty."

Chenya and Alex both seemed to agree very much with this idea with how quickly they both to stood up in a weirdly comedic way.

you chuckled at this "guess we don't have to tell you two twice."

Alex laughed at your comment "you really don't!"

while the other three got up Neige gently tapped on your shoulder before you got up as well. "hey _____! if you don't mind-- could we take a photo together for my Magicam? I've posted photos with everyone except you, and I wouldn't want to leave you out!" he gave you these puppy dog eyes as he asked, you couldn't help but chuckle at this and nod.

"of course Neige, I'd love to be in your Magicam." you spoke before a bright smile grew on his face and you both set up a pose together in front of his phone's camera.

"1...2..!" and right when he was about to say three he clicked on the camera button and now he has a memory of you two! he looked over the photo "look at us! we look great!"

you nodded in agreement, genuienly impressed with how good you two looked "huh!.. we really do don't we!"

you both giggled together before a loud and sharp 'ahem!' interrupted you both. both pairs of eyes looked up to see all three of your standing friends waiting for you.

Chenya groaned "let's get going slow pokes! Im starting to mistake Alex's stomach growls to that of a lion's roar." the cat tittered before Alex gasped and punched him on the arm, not hard enough to actually hurt him.

"no they do not! fleabag.." Alex sneered.

"awwe! that hurt, blondie #2..." whined the cat.

the rest of you three lightly laughed at the scene before you as Neige and yourself got up together. once the two wrapped up their play fight you all as a group started walking to the nearest shop for a quick meal.

guess you didn't realize that with Neige posting the picture of you two later on in the day that it'd rise hell onto the campus of Night Raven College-- unbeknownst to all of you.

(really short compared to other parts but next chapter will be when the actual ball will happen and all the silly funzies stuff too. as mentioned once again this chapter and the next are basically just fluff and "filler" and to flesh out most of mc's new friends +adding sprinkles and splashes of angst here and there to at least keep it interesting!)

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petrichorca · 29 days

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Hello, I am slowly figuring out how to use tumblr effectively. I thought I'd give an update on fics I've written in 2024, but keep forgetting to talk about here in a meaningful way.

As We Go Hand in Hand (explicit, gentlebeard, 7100 words) follows Ed as he processes the past few months while living on the island with Stede, massively in love but struggling with himself. I wrote it while feeling a lot of delayed grief around the (confirmed) s2 cancellation, and while it's sad at points it's also quite romantic I think. I really love this story.

Behind Closed Eyes All I See is You (explicit, gentlebeard, 5300 words) is a smutty PWP my dear friend @chaoticturtleturtle invited me to write with her. Stede lets Ed take the lead in a scene with some sensory deprivation, pwp, and aftercare.

like sugar to my heart (mature, gentlebeard, 4200 words) is a silly fic I wrote for my Animorphs OFMD AU co-writer as a birthday gift. Our blue four-legged four-eyed mouthless alien Stedeth gets foiled by a vending machine (based on the tumblr art of the giraffe centaur), and Ed consoles him.

like a bird (teen, gentlebeard, 3700 words) with @ghostalservice gives some backstory about Stedeth's life prior to the events of our 177k fic and features some very cute art of Mary and Stede's children (as Andalites, of course) by @theogem

Stede’s Cursed Red Suit as a Metaphor for Grief and Moving On (teen, stede + izzy, 1717 words) explores the squishy time of season 2, episode 5, and the dynamic between Stede and Izzy in season 2 overall. I am also obsessed with how Stede acts in the cursed suit. I find their s2 relationship really interesting so this is me looking a bit at that via a missing scene starting with Stede yelling OH FUCK OFF.

Calypso’s Dawn (explicit, gentlebeard, 1800 words) centers around how Ed made his boyfriend blush the morning after Calypso's birthday and how Ed feels about it. I love this fic. I've been trying to challenge myself to write more self-contained, shorter stories and this one turned out really well imo.

Life as a Series of Forward Rolls (teen, gentlebeard, 9900 words) features Stede running into his teenhood crush, the gold medalist in men's gymnastics from the 1996 Olympics. This fic also centers around a Barbie doll in Ed Teach's likeness, which @swashbuckling-sweethearts made an INCREDIBLE art of (embedded at the end of the story), inspired by my own 1996 Olympics Barbie. Silly and light modern AU!

Did you mean to do that? (teen, gentlebeard, 700 words) explores Stede's grief around Ed dying, even when he knows Ed is alive. I had no idea I would be so interested in writing missing scenes, but long conversations with friends have really ignited me in exploring these. (The length - I was trying to channel @brigdh, whose ability to write devastatingly brilliant drabbles inspires me, and I'm pleased with this one!)

Perfectly Ordinary Tuesday (mature, gentlebeard, 4900 words) with @ferventrabbit follows Stede and Ed deciding to get married on a perfectly ordinary Tuesday, and drag their inn guest Dave along for the ride. We split up writing the vows, and I balled my eyes out writing mine and then reading em's. This story is fluffy and fun, and it was a great way to start 2024. :)

What's next: I'm working on or noodling a lot of projects, solo and with different collaborators. Imminently, I've got a fic with @veeagainsttheday coming for AUpril on April 1st. Hoping to get something else out in April for @ofmdjanuaury's AUpril 2024 event, which I highly encourage folks to check out - it's for all sorts of creators!

@ghostalservice and I continue to think about our blue alien Stede and his human boyfriend Ed. Wanna Fly Away was such an important project to me while we were writing, and it's become even more special as folks find it. WFA now has art embedded in most of the 15 chapters, so if you haven't seen those check it out. More to come in that space.

Where was I going with this? Well, I suppose I want to say I'm still here. OFMD changed my life, and the OFMD fandom community is deeply important to me. I still hold out hope for a third season, or a follow-up that brings us more closure, but no matter what I'm still thinking about our pirates and will for a long time. If you read this far, thanks for being part of my community. <3

#ofmd #our flag means death #gentlebeard #ofmd fanfic #my fanfic #stede bonnet #edward teach

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honeyhotteoks · 1 year

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this night together - chapter five (j.yh + s.mg)

chapter five: not so easy to ignore

chapter summary: things at the studio turn out just about as bad as expected, but wooyoung takes you under his wing and introduces you to some new friends.

warnings: references to a/b/o dynamics such as heat and knotting and designations, alcohol/drinking, angst, sad vibes, but also good vibes?, reference to work place sexual harassment but not like you think

notes: thank you all so much for your kind feedback on this fic. i'm having an absolute blast writing it, and i'm so thankful for all the people giving it a try even tho this genre isn't their thing! that means a lot. this is the last chapter i have written in full, so chapter six may take a little extra time. i'm about to hit a few insane weeks of work, so i'll do my best but please be patient with me. there's a lot more chapters to come though, i promise.....

pairings: alpha!yunho x alpha!mingi x omega!reader

genre: smut, a/b/o/omegaverse, angst, fluff, romance, polyamory

word count: 6.9K

previous chapter | next chapter | AO3

As it turns out, you can’t just go back to being friends. When you wake in the morning you still feel sick, and your first thought is to wonder if Yunho does too. Maybe Mingi feels the same, but was better at hiding it. Maybe you’ll get to the studio and they’ll take you in their arms like a movie and kiss the breath out of you and hold you close and tell you they should have never, ever driven you home. But you doubt it.

You’ve been in love before, and you’ve had crushes before that. You’re no stranger to getting tangled up in emotional webs, it’s just usually not with people you work with and it’s usually so much easier to walk away. Or run, as you’re used to doing. This body, this designation, this biology, it makes everything always feel so confusing and artificial. Do you want them or does your omega? Do you need them or is it just the after effects of heat?

It’s a lot easier when you lie to yourself.

You’ve been dealing with this biology all your life. That’s all this is, and after a little time and a little distance, your body will catch up to your mind and stop feeling this way about them.

You take those aching feelings and lock them away tightly and then you get up. You shower, you take a deep breath, and then you buy yourself the fanciest coffee you can think of despite the absolute lack of funds in your checking account. This momentary serotonin will be worth the overdraft fee if that’s where it puts you, you need this.

By the time you get to the studio, you’re pretty confident that you’re over them, convincing yourself that it was just fun, good sex. Great sex, even, but still just sex.

But the minute you see Mingi every stitch of the resolve you knit for yourself unravels, and he looks surprised to see you even though it was part of the plan that you’d return today. He leaves the room before you can even open your mouth and try to say something innocuous and you know right then and there you were right all along. It was never going to be that simple.

Yunho blushes when he sees you, his ears turning a dark shade of pink and for a second he trips over his words addressing the wider group.

Mingi avoids your touch when you cross his path at lunch, offering you just a quick hello and then he’s gone again.

Instead of searching for their eyes, you start to get really comfortable with the wood grain of the floor and do your best just to focus on yourself. You’re working on something new, and a week ago you would have stayed late to fine tune your understanding of the choreography with Mingi while he waited on Yunho to wrap up in the back office, but you know those days are gone.

When practice ends they disappear, and you’re left to pack up by yourself. You give it a few minutes, thinking maybe when the rest of the crew trickles out maybe they’ll come to you, but they don’t. So much for being adults about this. You blink back hazy tears as you pull on your jacket, focused on packing up as fast as you can now just to get the hell out of this room.

You don’t even hear him coming up behind you.

“Come on,” Wooyoung says with a roll of his eyes, “we’re going for drinks.”

“I really should get home,” You glance over at him as you finish packing up your bag.

“I’m buying,” Wooyoung counters, “so you really have no excuse.”

What you really want is to go home and bury yourself under the covers for the foreseeable future. Every awkward second glance with Yunho was making you want to curl into a ball and every moment Mingi spent pretending he barely knew you made you want to go home and cry. An entire day filled with almost sentences and troublesome glances and all you can tell yourself is that you knew it, you were right all along.

You don’t answer Wooyoung, and instead you just can’t help yourself, you look behind you towards the back office, but neither of the men you want to see are there.

“Are you really so afraid of making friends you’re turning down free drinks?” Wooyoung prods your side, “That’s really fucking lame of you,”

“Wooyoung,” You sigh, your head dropping back.

“It’s fine,” He says, his voice lilting up in a sing-song, “I thought you were cool,”

Your jaw tightens.

“And I’m not usually wrong,” He goes on, “but it’s fine, I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong, and you, y/n, are lame.”

“Fine!” You snap up and meet his eyes, “Fine, I’ll come, but just one drink.”

“Excellent,” He smiles, and you’re starting to get the sense that Wooyoung doesn’t really take no for an answer ever.

“One drink,” You repeat.

“Yeah,” He shrugs off, “come on, get your stuff, we’re meeting San at 1987.”

“Where?”

“Bar,” He brushes off your question without really answering, “let’s go,”

Wooyoung turns on his heel without a second thought, and he’s off. You have to jog to keep up with him to get out of the building, and he’s mostly quiet until you hit the evening street outside. He slows to a casual pace and turns his head to you when he says, “You like San, right?”

The question catches you off guard, “Of course,”

Wooyoung smiles, “He’s definitely all business at work, most of the time, but don’t worry.”

“Why would I worry?” Your brow furrows, every interaction you’ve had with San so far has been perfectly pleasant, albeit professional.

“I just mean he’s fun,” Wooyoung corrects himself, “he’s just really serious about the work,”

“You’re all kind of like that,” You point out, “mostly,”

“Right,” Wooyoung nods, winding his way through an alley and you divert off the main street to follow him as he leads you through the back way to their regular spot.

“He takes training really seriously,” You offer, “but I think that’s good. We could all hurt ourselves if we weren’t following his plans,”

Wooyoung grins, “Oh, he’s going to like the sound of that.”

“Yeah?”

“Mhm,” Wooyoung lays a hand softly between your shoulder blades to direct you through a small crowd, “follow that up with how handsome he is and you’ll get special treatment forever.”

You laugh sharply, “Noted.”

He points ahead, “Just up there,”

At the far end of the alley is a hanging neon sign, the ‘7’ in ‘1987’ flickering intermittently. It’s not as flashy as some of the other bars or restaurants along the street you’re walking, but that looks to be part of the charm. As you make your way up to the door and inside, Wooyoung is quick to greet a few people on the sidewalk, throw a wave to the bartender, and he throws around names and details to you faster than you can pick up on them.

San waits at a table in the far corner, two light, wheat beers already waiting on the table. When he glances up from his phone and sees you both his eyes widen but he smiles pleasantly.

“Hey!” He smiles, standing and pulling a chair out for you, “I didn’t realize you were coming, I would have ordered you something,”

“I’m not crashing plans, am I? Woo didn’t say,” You glance between them.

“Not at all,” San shakes his head, gesturing for you to sit, “you’re more than welcome. Seonghwa should be coming too at some point,”

“Oh,” Your stomach does a little nervous flip flop.

“Chill,” Wooyoung interrupts your thoughts immediately, “have a drink, make some friends.”

You smile, taking your seat and letting San push it in for you so you’re settled at the table before he returns to his own place, gesturing for the server’s attention, “What’s your drink?” he asks you.

“Whatever you’re having is good,” You make it simple.

San smiles and points to their glasses before holding up a finger and silently communicating to the server that they need one more. He’s more relaxed than you’ve ever seen him, now outside of work full of easy, confident energy.

“Well,” Wooyoung smiles and takes a long sip of his drink, “this is nice,”

“Yeah,” You’re not entirely sure what you’re doing here, but you might as well go with it, “thanks for letting me tag along,”

“Mm,” San’s eyes are trained on the serving staff but he nods, and then stands as your server approaches, meeting them halfway and taking the beer, thanking them profusely for running it out so quickly. When he returns to the table he presents your drink with ease, “There we go,”

“Thank you,” You nod, accepting the cold glass, and now that it’s in your hand you’re grateful to have the drink after the day you’ve had.

The sip is calming, cool and crisp, and you sigh as you swallow, not realizing the way you’re being watched by both men.

Wooyoung’s words nearly knock you sideways, and a tiny piece of you is grateful he waited until you finished sipping your drink, “So, how was your heat?”

You cough anyways though, just the idea that someone would say it so brazenly, and in public, “What?”

“Youngie,” San slaps him with the back of his hand, “you can’t ask her that,”

Wooyoung ignores him, leaning forwards with his elbows on the table now, “The perfume isn’t helping as much as you think,” he says and you blanch, “and I’ve never seen Yunho stare at someone for so long in my life, so,”

He barely met your eyes all day, and your head snaps up, “He was staring?”

His mouth quirks up on one side and San swivels his head towards you. Wooyoung nods, “Like a puppy,”

“Fuck,” You breathe.

Both their eyebrows raise.

“Sorry, sorry,” You lean back in your chair, hiding your face in your hands. So much for a convenient story about them having the flu.

“You can curse,” Wooyoung laughs, “I just didn’t expect you to admit it that fast, I thought I’d have to pry it out of you.”

“Oh, this is so bad,” You groan.

“Why bad?” San asks, “Yunho’s nice,”

You sigh, still hiding your face.

“He’s easily one of the best guys I know,” San continues, “and there’s nothing that says we can’t date within the company, we’re not idols,”

“Oh god,” You groan again.

“Is it so bad he has a crush on you?” San asks.

Wooyoung breaks into hysterics and your hands fall away, a blank, open expression on San’s face as he tries to pick up on the joke. You wince, shaking your head, “It’s worse than that,”

“Worse,” San repeats, still slow on the uptake.

“Woo,” You find his eyes with yours, “please don’t make me say it.”

He sobers quickly, and takes a swig of his beer, “Right,” he faces San, “Yunho had the flu, but it wasn’t really the flu. They were heat partners.”

“Oh,” San says, “oh,”

“Exactly,” You sigh.

There’s a beat and then San’s brow screws up in confusion, “Didn’t Mingi have the flu too?”

Heat tints your cheeks pink instantaneously and you look down at your glass, suddenly focused on the tiny bursting bubbles at the top of your beer. You brace yourself for their reaction.

“Holy shit,” Wooyoung breathes, “y/n, you’re a god,”

“What?” Your head snaps up.

“Both of them?” Wooyoung shakes his head, “Tell me everything,”

“You don’t have to do that,” San interrupts him again, smacking the back of his arm, “he’s needlessly curious, but you know, you don’t have to share if you don’t,”

The words flood out of you, a small piece of you thankful that you don’t have to hold this whole thing inside yourself forever, “I went into heat at the studio,”

“What?” Wooyoung’s face softens, and you know that he understands just what that means. The anxiety, the fear, all of it.

“This is embarrassing,” You sigh.

“Then you don’t have to,” San tries again, wanting badly to save you from any further humiliation or pressure.

You ignore him and hold Wooyoung’s eyes, “Friends, right?”

He nods.

You swallow hard and then take the leap, “I can’t afford my suppressants right now,” you start and his eyes soften more, “I thought I had rationed them right, but after the recording it hit me like a truck.”

“I knew you seemed off,” Wooyoung says softly, “then what?”

“Mingi found me in the locker room, and then he got Yunho, and they made sure I got out of there okay,” You lean back, crossing your arms and biting the inside of your lip.

“Sharing your heat was unplanned?” Wooyoung clarifies.

“Yes,”

“And it was,” He searches for the right words, “I mean… were they okay? Everything was okay?”

You know what he’s asking without asking, and you nod, “Completely, it was more than okay, they were…”

“They’re both good guys,” San says, “it’s good they were there.”

“Yeah,” You breathe, before snapping yourself out of own head and reaching for your beer again, “anyways, yes, so they took me back to their place and now it’s four, five days later and everything’s so fucking awkward,”

“Hmm,” Wooyoung murmurs, “and it was good?”

You nod, lips pressed tight together in a line.

“Oh, it was too good,” Wooyoung grimaces, “yikes.”

“Right,” You sigh, “and Yunho and Mingi both made it pretty clear that this was a one-time casual sex thing, which is fine, but also you know how heat goes. Everything is all jumbled up now,”

“Mm,” Wooyoung nods, and then his eyes shift to above your head and he grins, “Hwa, right here!”

Park Seonghwa appears a moment later, a warm smile on his angular face and he pushes a lock of dark black hair behind his ear as he finds an open seat and slides into the table, “Hey,” he greets, and then turns to you, “hi, y/n, nice to see you outside the studio,”

“You too,” You smile.

San once again repeats his process for getting Seonghwa a drink, and your stomach tightens as you think about what Wooyoung might say in front of this man you barely know.

“It looks like I interrupted something,” Seonghwa says a few moments later when everything is still quiet and hanging still.

Wooyoung doesn’t say it, he just holds your gaze intently and raises an eyebrow as if to say - Can I?

You sigh, catching Seonghwa off guard, and then you nod.

“y/n just got back from heat leave,” Wooyoung turns to Seonghwa to explain, “with Yunho and Mingi.”

You expect a sheepish or embarrassed reaction, someone quick to divert the conversation away from sex, but it turns out you don’t know Seonghwa as well as you thought. He merely makes a noise of acknowledgement and glances to you, “How messy are things, then? They were both being weird today,”

“I don’t know,” You answer honestly with a sigh.

“They said they wanted it to be a one-time thing,” Wooyoung says, “but is the problem that you like them? Or one of them?”

“I can see that,” Seonghwa smiles, “Yunho kind of oozes perfect boyfriend,”

“It’s not that,” You shake your head, words bubbling up as you try to make sense of it, “it probably shouldn’t have happened at all, and I’m new, I don’t want to make anything weird or uncomfortable, but we spent like four days together… it was intense, and now I just feel like I can’t not think about it when I look at them,”

“Intense, good?” Wooyoung quirks a brow, nudging you under the table.

“Woo,” You sigh, “I’ve never felt like that,”

“What do you mean?” He asks softly, the two alphas at the table going silent to watch you both.

“I don’t know what it is about them,” You confess, “but the entire time all they did was make sure I was okay, they were so tender and kind, and when I left I just wanted to go back.”

“Oh,” Wooyoung murmurs, “you’ve got it bad,”

“My hormones are just out of whack,” You shake your head, “you know what it’s like. Have an alpha tell you they want to give you pups enough times and your brain short circuits,”

Seonghwa shifts in his seat and San clears his throat, but Wooyoung just laughs.

“Anyways, yes,” You take another sip of your drink, “I spent my heat with them, had the best sex of my life, and now I’m sitting here with a stomach ache because I don’t know where they are right now. I feel like the universe is playing a trick on me,”

“Wait,” Wooyoung starts to say, but you’re on a roll now, the single beer hitting just a little harder than it should have.

“Working here, with all of you, was my dream. I just think it’s funny that I haven’t even been here for three months and I’ve already managed to fuck it up, because now everytime I look at Yunho all I can hear is me begging him to claim me, which is insanity, pure and complete insanity,”

“Wait,” Wooyoung repeats again, hands up and out trying to get you to slow down, “I thought it was casual heat sex,”

“It was,” You resurface from your own panicked rambling and realize just how shocked the table looks, “what?”

“You asked Yunho to bite you?” Wooyoung asks, and when you nod he says, “and right now, how do you feel?”

“Fine,” You knee-jerk answer, “but, a little anxious I guess?”

“I don’t know how to explain this,” He says, looking to the two alphas for help who both shake their heads.

“Why do I feel like I’m missing something?” You glance between them.

“Okay,” Wooyoung claps his hands together, “listen, I have never asked Sannie to give me pups. I have never asked him to bite me, and I have never, ever, gotten all dizzy and sick when he’s not around.”

“Hey,” San grumbles, “I think she gets it,”

“I don’t,” You manage.

“What you had is a lot more than heat sex,” Wooyoung finally settles on, and your stomach drops.

“Woo,” You shake your head again, “no,”

“I’m serious!” He insists, “How else do you explain it,”

“You’re so dramatic,” You roll your eyes and reach for your drink, but find the glass empty, “it was good, really good, but that’s all it was.”

“He’s not wrong,” Seonghwa interrupts, his deep voice still calm and easy, “sometimes connections are just stronger. Scents match better, you know, everything just clicks. It doesn’t mean Yunho’s your soulmate, but if the pull is there, then there’s something there.”

You ignore the pull and flash him a weak smile, “Not for them.”

“Them,” Seonghwa corrects, “both of them?”

“I know,” You bury your head in your hands again.

“y/n,” San’s hand lays softly on your forearm, “no matter what happened, Yunho and Mingi are both still the guys from a few days ago. They’re still good men who care about you, even if that’s just as a member of the crew or a friend.”

“Can I ask a question?” Seonghwa interrupts.

“Sure,” You sigh, lifting your eyes to his.

“How do you know they don’t want you too?”

The question makes you feel awful, and you catch Wooyoung’s sympathetic look in your peripheral vision and nearly lose your composure, but the truth of it is simple. You clear your throat softly and straighten up, “They said so,”

“Oh,” He nods.

“And I’m not even sure I want them,” You tack on, “I don’t even really know them,”

Silence stretches at the table, and San’s eyes flick from yours to Seonghwa.

“Then let’s get another drink,” Seonghwa finally says, “let’s get your mind off it, and let’s have a good night. I know things are awkward at the studio, but don’t let them be. Just focus on the work and yourself and make some friends, and this whole thing will just be a funny story,”

You nod and sigh, “Okay,”

“Yeah,” Wooyoung offers, “a month from now no one’s going to remember,”

It’s around the third bar when someone brings it up again. You’re several more drinks deep, learning so much about the group dynamics that you can’t get while inside the studio walls. Wooyoung is quick to peel back all the layers for you now that you’re actually out with them and not just pushing it off a little longer for the sake of your wallet.

Leaning across the expanse of the table Seonghwa gets your attention with a drunken tap on your arm and his eyes narrow, “What’s this about you not being able to afford your suppressants?”

“What?” For a second his words don’t compute.

“Your meds, your suppressants,” He gestures, a little beer tipping over the edge of his glass, “why aren’t you on them?”

“I will be soon,” You lean in closer to hear each other over the music, “insurance window,”

“Ah,” He nods, “so what’s your plan next time?”

“Next time?” You turn your head so that his mouth is closer to your ear.

“Next heat,” He clarifies, a little slur in his speech, “while you’re onboarding,”

Your eyebrows shoot up at his words, “I don’t really know, I guess,”

“Mm,” He nods.

“Why?” You scoot your chair closer.

“I’m assuming you don’t want to,” His voice gets swallowed up by Wooyoung shouting something over the music and you shake your head.

“What?” You squint, shifting closer, bracing your hand on the table by his glass to steady yourself.

“Go back to Yunho and Mingi!” He all but shouts, “I’m assuming you don’t want to do that,”

“Fuck no,” You groan, “I’d rather take care of it myself than deal with feeling like this,”

“What about me?” He says and you laugh, but you don’t really know why. He clears his throat and shakes his head, sobering himself just a little, “Seriously,”

“What about you, what?”

He rolls his eyes, “Help with heat, I help Woo, San and I both do,”

“Oh,”

“Only if you need a hand,” He smiles, round eyes shining and kind, “or you know, a knot in this case,”

You clap a hand over your mouth and can’t help but fall apart into giggles, “You’re serious,”

He quirks his eyebrow at you, dropping his drink back onto the table so he can draw an X over his chest with two fingers, crossing his heart.

“What are you doing over there?” Wooyoung interrupts and your head snaps to the side, “Making a blood pact? You’re both trashed,”

“I am not trashed,” You insist, even though you can feel yourself slipping off the chair you’re on inch by inch.

“You’re allowed to be,” Wooyoung pushes a shot of soju towards you, “you’re broke and in love,”

“Wooyoung!” His words strike panic through you, “Seriously, stop that,”

“Alright, alright,” He throws up his hands, “broke and and in lust, whatever,”

San’s lips curl up in a half smile at his friend’s words. His eyes are closed, and he’s swaying a little from side to side, jerking back to center every now and again when his equilibrium feels too sideways. It’s entirely possible Wooyoung is the most sober one here and that thought makes you burst into laughter. San’s eyes fly open at the sound.

“I was offering my services,” Seonghwa cuts in, like he had been thinking about what to say that entire time and finally found the words.

“Your what?” Wooyoung laughs.

“For her next heat,” He explains, waving his hand like it’s simple addition, “my services,”

“Seonghwa,” San shakes his head sharply, “stop.”

“It’s not as if I’m with someone,” Seonghwa replies, holding San’s gaze intently, and for a split second it’s obvious there’s some kind of a backstory behind them all or their friendship or just Seonghwa himself that everyone knows and you don’t, but it isn’t the time to ask.

“Yeah,” San says a little gruffly, blinking hard to shake off the alcohol, “well, this still isn’t the time.”

Wooyoung wraps it up smoothly, “We’re all too drunk for this,”

“Exactly,” You take a moment of solace in the cup of soju.

“I mean it though,” Seonghwa tears his eyes away from San and a hand drops onto your knee, “you’re pretty, I’m pretty, just keep it in mind,”

There’s almost no way he’ll remember this tomorrow, so you let him off the hook with a smile and a hand on the side of his cheek, “Thank you, Hwa,”

“That’s what f-friends are for,” He hiccups lightly, and then you watch his eyes unfocus as the dizziness floods his vision and he drops his head unceremoniously onto your shoulder, “oh, God, I’m drunk,”

“There it is,” Wooyoung grins.

You slip forward as Seonghwa’s weight drops onto you and you brace yourself on the edge of the table, but San swoops in, “Come here, hyung, stop hanging on her,”

“Hmm?” Seonghwa’s eyes look tired when San gets him off you and over his shoulder, “Sannie?”

“Yeah,” San softens, “it’s just me,”

“I think I need to lie down,” Seonghwa murmurs, his head falling onto San’s ready shoulder.

“I know, hyung, I know,” San softens, and then turns to the table, “can we go?”

“Yeah,” Wooyoung stumbles as he gets up but then straightens, tucking himself under Seonghwa’s other arm once he gets his feet under him, “y/n, you good?”

You pull yourself up too, knocking back the final shot of soju so it doesn’t go to waste and pulling on your jacket, “Good,”

In the cool night air outside the bar everything gets dizzier, more watery and hazy, and something in your gut pulls hard. For a brief passing moment you wonder what Yunho and Mingi are doing right now.

San’s saying something and you shake yourself out of your stupor, “What’s that?”

“I said, where do you live?” He lets Wooyoung take more of Seonghwa’s weight as he turns his focus to you.

You give him your address, “I can call an Uber,”

“I live kind of close,” He nods, “let me take you,”

“You really don’t have to,”

“It would make me feel better,” San brushes you off immediately, “we’ve all been drinking, you shouldn’t be alone,”

“What about him?” You nod towards Seonghwa.

“I got him,” Wooyoung assures, “we live in the same building.”

“You sure?” San checks, “We can all go together,”

“It’s the opposite direction,” Wooyoung shakes his head, “and I’m tired, this just makes more sense,”

San nods and then checks on Seonghwa once more, “Make him drink some water, okay?”

“Yep,” Wooyoung salutes, rolls Seonghwa into an Uber, and then they’re gone.

Leaving you and San alone on the sidewalk.

“Let me get a car,” He says, shaking off some of his lingering drunkenness and pulling out his phone.

Of the three men, you talked to San the least. As the night had stretched on, you found yourself sidled up with Seonghwa or talking across the table animatedly with Wooyoung, but San seemed to give you a little space. He was also the one who commented the least on your recent sexual escapades and now standing in the middle of the street with him and him alone, you have no idea what you’ll talk about.

You watch as he types into his phone, lets it search, and then his nose crinkles, “Twenty minutes,”

“Oh,” You push up on your tiptoes to see his screen, “damn,”

He thinks for a minute and then sighs, “You want to walk a bit? I need to sober up a little anyways,”

“Sure,”

“Hungry?” His brows perk up.

“Definitely,” You smile.

“There’s places in our direction,” He waves you on, and you fall into lockstep with him as you wind out of the alley and back into the city streets.

It’s quiet for a moment, and you know one of you has to break the silence, but mercifully he gets there first, “You’re a good dancer, you know,”

“So are you,” You glance up at him, and he smiles.

He’s handsome, especially like this with his cheeks tinged pink with the night of drinking and his hair falling in his eyes. He directs you forward across an intersection and then looks down to keep talking, “You pick little things up really quickly, it’s impressive,”

“I appreciate that,” The alcohol seems to be less pervasive now that you’re out of the loud club and walking some of it off and you sigh, “honestly, I was staying late with Mingi a lot of nights. He was helping me catch up,”

“Ah,” San nods, “that makes sense,”

You keep walking. Normally you can get a conversation going without any problems, but with the alcohol and the late night and the fact that you really don’t know San all that well, you’re tongue tied.

He sighs heavily and looks at you, like he had been weighing whether or not to say something and finally chose to just do it anyway. “Don’t worry about what Seonghwa said,” He manages, “he was drunk, and I’m sure he wouldn’t have wanted to make you uncomfortable.”

“Oh,” Your stomach knots up, “he didn’t,”

“Good,” San nods, looking relieved, “he’s a good man, he’s,” San searches for his words for a moment, “not the type to proposition a coworker, that’s not what,”

“Oh!” It makes sudden sense why San was being so careful, offering to walk you home and trying to keep Seonghwa in check, “No, San, that’s not at all what I thought,”

“It’s not?” His eyebrow quirks up.

“No, I mean,” Your gaze falls away from him, “it probably should be, but I know he meant well. Plus, I know you both help Wooyoung,”

“Well,” San shakes his head, “that’s a little different,”

“Because you’re all men?”

He smiles, a little sheepish, “No, I was going to say because we’re old friends, but I guess there’s that too.”

“Ah,” You turn towards him, “well, really, you shouldn’t worry about me like that. Hwa was just trying to be a good friend, and I’m sure he won’t remember it tomorrow anyways,”

He sighs, relieved this time, “Good, okay,”

“Is that what you were worried about?” You ask.

“Between that and Woo practically interrogating you,” His nose crinkles again, “that part of your life is private, he shouldn’t pry like that.”

“I would have told him to stop,” You shake your head.

“I hope so,” He says, “I wouldn’t want you to feel uncomfortable with us after everything you’re dealing with. We like you in the crew,”

“You do?”

“Definitely,” He twists to meet your eyes, “you have fire. I saw it in the audition tape,”

Blush flushes your cheeks, “Thank you,”

“I’m just being honest,” He smiles.

You smile back.

It gets easier the more and more you walk with San. The alcohol slowly dissipates in both your systems, and after a few more blocks the idea of street food seems even more appealing. He refuses to let you pay and you only protest once, albeit weakly, before he gives you a simple shake of the head and takes care of things without another word.

It’s a thirty minute walk, especially at this meandering pace, but eventually you make it back to your block, and you don’t know what possesses you to turn the conversation back to Yunho and Mingi and everything it means but you do. He’s less shy to discuss it now, especially after enough time getting to know each other and sinking into a conversational rhythm.

By the time you make it to your apartment walkway, your corn dog is half eaten and your previous anxiety about talking to San is gone entirely. You gesture up to your building, “This is me,”

“Nice,” He comments, and then he takes a seat on your stoop and looks up at you, expectant.

“What?” You ask at his expression.

“You weren’t done, come on, tell me the rest,” He leans back against the railing, stretching out his legs.

“Right,” You remember yourself, flopping down onto the step next to him and running a hand through your hair, “where was I?”

“Yunho reminding you of your ex,” San prompts you.

“Ah,” You shake your head, “I mean not really, my ex was an asshole, but… I guess I didn’t know that for a long time. I thought he was nice, I thought he was the right guy.”

“And Yunho’s nice and the right guy?” He smirks.

“No, no,” You wave your hands, “fuck, I’m not making sense with this at all.”

“Can I guess?” San turns his body towards you a little more.

You nod.

“When your heat was over,” San’s expression is almost a little apologetic as he addresses it directly, “did you all agree it was just sex?”

“Yes,”

“And that you could all be adults about it?” He adds.

You nod again.

“And today you were all awkward as hell and avoiding each other?”

“Basically,”

“Listen,” San rests his hand on your knee, “I don’t know what your ex did or didn’t do, but they’re not that guy.”

“I know,” You sigh.

“But I get it,” San interrupts, “it feels like you had this connection and everything was good and now they’re pretending you don’t exist, and how is that different from any other guy?”

He has you there. You manage a nod.

“Well, I don’t know how they feel about you,” He offers, “but I promise you they’re just as embarrassed as you. It’s easy to say you’ll stay friends and that the lines won’t get blurred, but they always, always do.”

You study him for a moment, at the way he’s speaking so genuinely and it dawns on you, “You speak from experience, I’m guessing?”

He looks down and away, nodding before he brings his eyes back up to yours, “Yeah,”

“Woo?” You guess softly.

After an entire night of watching them lean against each other, touch each other, talk amongst themselves in their little bubble, you’re shocked when his mouth turns up into a sad smile and he shakes his head, “No, Woo and I have figured out how to make this whole thing easy,”

“Oh,”

“Wooyoung loves me, but he’s not in love with me.” San clarifies.

“And you?” You ask softly.

“He’s my best friend,” San says confidently, “and I’ll never let him be in pain,”

“But?” You nudge him.

“It was a long time ago,” He shakes his head and for the first time all night you know he’s told you a lie, but you let it pass. He shakes off the momentary lapse and continues, “but I know how you’re feeling.”

“Then how do I make it right?” You ask him.

“Sometimes you can’t,” He says honestly, “sometimes one person just feels so much more than the other, and you try to make it work until you bend so much for them you break.”

“I know what Woo said,” You shake your head, “but I’m not in love with them. I’m not.”

“I trust you,” San nods, “you know yourself better than Youngie.”

“It’s just this thing inside me,” You confess, and maybe it’s the alcohol or the lateness of the hour but you feel safer here on your stoop with him than you have in a long, long time, so you keep confessing. “I wish sometimes so much that I could just be a beta, that I could forget all about this and just know for sure. I’ve… never known anything for real and how am I supposed to trust anything I feel if my body just decides for me.”

He’s quiet for a moment, but then he says, “Being an omega is a beautiful thing,”

“Don’t,” You shake your head sharply, “I’ve heard that one all my life,”

“It is,” He insists, “all of it’s beautiful. Every part and piece of us is, alpha, beta, omega, all of it.”

“San, that’s not,”

“I know what you meant,” San says softly, sliding his hand into yours and giving you a squeeze, “and it would be easier to be a beta, and to not have to wonder every time. Does the person you like feel right because you like them or because something about them is a good biological match?”

“Exactly,”

“Believe me,” He squeezes you again, “I get it.”

Tears prickle in your eyes and you swallow hard to clear them, “Then how do I make this work? How do I go back to the studio and put this behind me?”

“Is that what you want?” He checks, thumb stroking along the back of your hand.

“Yes,” You sigh, “it doesn’t even matter how I feel or don’t feel, I can’t take that risk here,”

“The work is more important,” He finishes for you.

“Yes.”

“Then don’t let them in again,” San says simply, “not like before. Be friends, but keep things professional. Get some distance from this whole thing,”

“I have a feeling this is not the advice Woo would be giving me,” You smile.

“No,” San laughs, “Wooyoung would tell you to open yourself up to the great mystery of being loved or something,”

“And you’re not a romantic,” You smirk.

“No, no,” He shakes his head, “I am, but being a romantic doesn’t mean you have to let people hurt you. I’ve seen Woo get his heart broken a dozen times now, and he keeps trying. He’s the strongest person I know, and I love him for it, but it’s not the only way.”

“So what he said at the bar,” You tuck your unfinished food into the little bag and leave it to the side, “what he said about my heat?”

“I mean,” He shrugs, “y/n, this isn’t your first time. Don’t listen to him,”

“But Seonghwa,” You remember the way Seonghwa agreed, like a scent match was the stars aligning.

“Fuck them both,” San shakes his head, “just because you had a connection with them doesn’t mean they’re the only people you can connect with.”

Your eyes fill with tears again and he shakes his head when he sees your hazy eyes, brushing your jaw softly with his fingers. You swallow hard and sigh, breath hitching in your chest, “You know what’s funny about this?”

“Hmm?” He brushes your jaw again.

“I don’t even want to date right now, I just,” You shrug lightly, “I want to work. I want to have friends. I want to go out and meet people or stay in if I feel like it. I don’t want to sit on the couch pining or walk on eggshells at the studio,”

“y/n,” San steadies you, his voice low and calm, “listen to me, okay?”

“Okay,” You murmur.

“You have work to do, so focus on it. You have friends, including me, and Woo, and Seonghwa, okay? You come out with us… or don’t,” He smiles and squeezes your hand, “and the studio will feel weird for a little while, but trust yourself, it will fade.”

“It will,” You nod, “you’re right,”

He nods, holding your gaze a little longer until he gives you one more squeeze. San shifts back to give you a little space, his hands leaving you and clasping together to hang between his legs. He smiles, “Do you feel any better?”

“Yeah,” You run your hands through your hair and let out a long, tired exhale.

“Sobered up?” He checks.

“Mostly,” You nod, checking your watch, “but it’s so late I’m still going to be feeling it tomorrow,”

“Mm,” He nods, “we aren’t starting until eleven though,”

“True,”

The night is drawing to a close, you can feel it. You don’t really want to be alone with your thoughts again, but you’re also so tired you think you might drop on the spot, so you start to pull away and hope that you’ll be able to fall asleep the minute you hit the pillows.

He pushes himself up to stand and offers you a hand to help you to your feet, “Should I walk you up?”

You shake your head, “I got it,”

“I’ll wait until you get in,” He smiles and nods.

You make it two steps up before you turn back to him, “Thank you, San,” you tell him, “for everything tonight, really,”

He smiles wider, his eyes crinkling up and he nods again, “Don’t thank me, just remember what I said.”

“I will,”

“And y/n,” He calls after you as you start back up the path, “sleep well,”

“You too, Sannie,” You give him one last look before you push open your apartment door and start up the steps. He doesn’t budge, making sure you’re in the door before he pulls out his phone and starts his short walk home.

Coming home this time doesn’t hurt the same.

You hope for more of the same tomorrow.

You hope every day that it fades away, little by little.

#ateez #honeyhotteoks fics #honeyhotteoks series #this night together fic #yungi x reader #yungi smut #yunho x reader #mingi x reader #ateez ff #ateez series #yunho series #mingi series #yunho fic #mingi fic

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vivian-pascal · 2 months

Text

Rainy days ║chapter 2 ║

skies under the stars.

dbf!joel x f!reader

summary: When Joel invites you and your dad to come on a vacation with him and Sarah to a beach house for a couple days, you thought it would be relaxing and you wouldn't see Joel that much, well, let's just say, you two get a little too close for comfort.

warnings: sexual tension, mention of period products, unspecified age gap, description of readers clothes and swimsuit, f!masturbation, use of toy, praising.

Its been two weeks. Two weeks since he had called you out on fucking yourself in his home. Two weeks since he had kissed just under your earlobe and made you stand all alone in your driveway flustered. Two weeks since you last saw him.

You sit on your bed trying to finish a collage assignment they had given you before you left but his words keep repeating over and over again in your head. It's like you can't escape him. His hands on your skin, his soft lips on your neck. "Fuck this." You slam your hands down on your keyboard and shut your laptop.

You hear a faint knock on your door and sit up straight. "Yes?" You ask quietly. The door opens and it's just your dad. "Hey hon, heard some noise in here, you alright?" He sits down on the bed next to you and pats your leg. "Yeah, sorry just this assignment I have to complete and i'm really stressed about it." You weren't.

"Well, how about we go on a little vacation? I know you seem to be a little stressed this past week and I think you could use a break." He says sweetly. You do think you could use a break, all the pent up emotions from Joel and stress about college, it could do you some good to get away for a bit.

"Sure! Where would we go?" He moves closer to you and sets the laptop further away. "Well, Joel invited us to come with him and Sarah to a beach, he rented a beach house and said it would be a lot of fun. Whatcha think?"

Your brain seems to stop. Joel? A beach? Oh god. You can't even begin to think what your feeling right now. "Honey?" your dad interrupts your thoughts with a soft pat to your hand.

"Oh, uhm, sure." You smile awkwardly and give him a nod. "Great!" Your dad says with a smile. "I'll give him a call." And with that, he leaves the room and closes the door.

"Shit." You run your hands through your hair and lay back staring up at the ceiling. The fuck am i getting myself into?

The next morning you begin to pack your things. When you look in the top drawer of your bedside table, you find something. A vibrator. You look at your bag and then to the little pink toy in your hand. You stare at it for a moment. Fuck it. You put it in your toiletries bag and zip it up.

You walk over to your closet and pick out a swimsuit, you stuff it in your bag, not realizing what kind you grabbed of course, and head into your bathroom.

You grab your toothbrush and some toothpaste along with pads and some tampons, just in case.

You walk back into your room and rummage through your clothes. You pack some leggings, a sweater, an over sized shirt and some shorts. Before heading downstairs, you make sure to grab some underwear and socks.

Once downstairs, you put your bag next to the front door and begin to make breakfast. You decide on a fresh fruit salad to begin the morning with. You chop some strawberries up along with some grapes and put them in a bowl. You also add some banana and apples.

"Morning sunshine." Your dad says as he makes his way downstairs with a backpack. "Morning." He puts his bag next to yours and heads into the kitchen. "You excited?" He asks smiling. Sure, you could use the break and it could be fun but you're not sure how cold the ocean is. The winters in Austin weren't that cold, but the ocean certainly was.

"Yep, how long's the drive?" You ask while eating another spoonful of your salad. "Oh I assume about three hours. Not too long." Your dad begins to make his morning coffee and puts it in his 'to go' mug.

Once your done eating, you walk over to the sink and put your bowl down. Then you walk to the front door and grab your bags.

"I'm just gonna put these bags in the back." You say carrying the bags out while opening the front door. "Oh, no, wait a second."Your dad comes out and checks his phone. "Joel's gonna pick us up, we're goin' with him." What.

Just as your about to reply, you hear a car begin to pull up behind you. When you turn around, you can see Joel and Sarah in the truck.

Sarah gets out of the car and begins to run straight towards you. She crashes into you with a massive hug. "Hey!! I missed you so much, this trip is going to be amazing!!" She squeals in excitement. You bring her in for another hug as you both giggle.

You see Joel from the corner of your eye but make no notice at going over to him. Sarah grabs your arm and begins to drag you to the truck. "Cmon, we can sit in the back while our boring dads sit in the front." You both chuckle and begin to get in.

Joel and your dad get the bags and throw them in the back. Your dad gets in the passenger side while Joel gets in the drivers. You both quickly make eye contact through the mirror before you go back to talking with Sarah. Joel starts the engine and begins to drive.

About an hour into the trip, Joel makes a pit stop at a corner store and all of you head in. You follow Sarah towards the bathrooms while your dad and Joel make way for the snacks and beers.

"Oh shit." You look towards what Sarah is talking about and see a big sign on the womens bathroom. "Looks like the womens are closed, we're gonna have to use the family bathroom, together." She trails off the end of her sentence with a smirk. You both burst out laughing and continue to giggle.

"Good one Sarah, i mean, i wouldn't mind but i'll wait out here f'ya." She gives you a shrug and heads in. "Suit yourself." You chuckle at her remark as you get your phone from your pocket.

You're too invested in whatever video you were watching to notice that someone had come up right next to you. As soon as you smelled that musky cologne and woody scent, you knew exactly who it was. Joel miller.

You look up at him and he gives you a sly smirk. You look back down at your phone and try not to seem so nervous. It wasn't that big of a deal that the first day you were back he caught you fucking yourself right?

"Haven't heard from ya in a while." You breath in deeply. "How've ya been darlin'." Damn that pet name. You didn't think you would miss it as much as you did. You've just got here and now your yearning for a man's touch you can't have.

"I'm okay." You say keeping your eyes glued to your phone. He chuckles then leans in closer. He's so close you can physically feel the heat radiating off of him. Just as he's about to say something, the bathroom door opens and he backs off quickly.

"Hey, it's all yours if you need to use it. Hi dad." Sarah looks at her dad and gives him a smile. "No, it's okay, I think i'm good." You give her a nod and walk with her to your dad. You look back at Joel and catch him looking at you. This is going to be a long trip.

After three hours of driving, you arrive at the beach house. When you look out the window and see the house, your mouth drops in shock. The house is absolutely gorgeous. It has a giant balcony and two sets of stairs leading to the front door and the side door.

Joel parks the truck and you all get out. He walks towards the back and just barely skims your arm, making you shiver all over.

"Alright, i'll grab your bags, you girls head in and explore." Your dad gives a reassuring smile as you and Sarah walk up the stairs and into the house. You walk around for a little bit and both squeal in excitement when you see that it has a giant pool in the back with a hot tub and a barbecue.

When you walk upstairs, you easily claim the first room. It overlooks the backyard and Sarah's room is right across from yours. When you guys walk downstairs, Joel and your dad had brought your bags in and set them in the kitchen. You walk to grab yours and head back upstairs.

You could hear your dad and Joel talking as they went and sat on the couch while you and Sarah unpacked in your rooms. You opened the zipper and pulled the first thing out. It was your swimsuit. Your mouth dropped in horror since you didn't realize you'd grabbed this suit.

It was a small bikini, a skimpy little thing. The top had two small strings attached to two tiny triangles leaving much to imagination. When you held the bottoms up, you sighed in disbelief. It had the smallest piece of fabric with no back, just strings.

"Holy fuck." You looked at it once more than threw it across the room. It's not that you didn't like the suit, it's just you had worn that on your very last day at home before college at your family cook-out, and so many men tried to hit you up because they just wanted a quick fuck, you got sick of it.

You remind yourself that you need to buy a new swimsuit whilst you're here and you go back to unpacking. You throw all your clothes in the top drawer of your dresser and put your little pink toy in the first drawer of your night stand.

You get changed into an oversized shirt and some boy shorts and head downstairs. Sarah and her dad are sat on the couch watching tv and you could see Joel staring at you. "Hey, do you wanna come watch tv with us?" Sarah looked over at you, hoping you'd join them. You assumed your dad had already gone to bed and walked into the kitchen.

"Sorry Sarah, i'm really tired and could use some sleep, it's been a long day." You gave her a frown and grabbed a glass from the cabinet and began to fill it. "Boring." Sarah rolled her eyes and slumped back down.

"I think i'm gonna head up too, maybe we all should go, c'mon Sarah." Joel turned the tv off and grabbed onto Sarah's arm. "It's only like 11, it's so early." Joel rolled his eyes and walked into the kitchen, downing the rest of his whiskey and putting the empty glass next to the sink.

"C'mon now, get to bed, i ain't gonna wrestle you t'sleep." Sarah giggled as she ran upstairs, in hopes to get away from her dad. You grabbed your glass and began to head up with him. As you turned into your room, you looked back at Joel and gave him a subtle smile. He gave you a nod and headed to his room.

You walked in and shut the door. You put the glass on top of your dresser and walked over to your bed. You got in and turned the light off. You were wide awake. You tossed and turned and listened to the crickets outside and the whistling of the trees. This all felt too familiar. Fuck this.

You reached over and opened your bedside drawer. You pulled the vibrator out and layed back. You trailed it down your body and into your shorts. You made sure to have it on the lowest setting, as to make sure it didn't make that much noise.

Once it was on, you groaned as it made contact with your clit. You reached under your shirt and began to toy with your nipples. You moaned quietly as you turned it on at a higher speed. The motion and the speed was just right as you squirmed at the feeling. You bit your lip as you reached up to hold onto the headboard as you began to grind against the toy.

You felt your orgasm begin and covered your mouth at the feeling. You close your eyes as you move the toy up and down your clit. You bite your lip as your orgasm is right there and your about to come-

"Oh fuck- shit, Joel, I-" The door opened. It was Joel. He stood in the doorway, bare chested, just in his boxers. He walked into the room and shut the door. "I'm sorry Joel i didn't think-" He walked over to you and sat on the bed.

It was quiet. The soft humming of the vibrator and the low whistles of your breaths. He shook his head and chuckled. You quickly turned the vibrator off and looked at him confused. "Well well darlin;." He looks over at you with a grin. "That's the second time, ain't it sugar?" He slowly begins to crawl over you and you lie back.

He's just mere inches from your face as he brings his hand up to your ear and tucks a hair away. "Need a little help there sweetheart?" He looked down at your hand that held the little pink toy and you nodded in desperation. What the fuck is about to happen?

"You have some goddamn manners, dontcha baby?" Those pets names are making you spiral out of control. You groan as he begins to grab the toy from your hand and move it to his face. He breaths in and moans at your smell.

He kicks the blankets from your body and moves to lie on his side. "Now i'm only here t'help ya darlin', so no touchin or kissin, ya hear me?" "Yes" You say with a shaky breath. "Good."

He moves the toy back between your legs and into your shorts. He turns it on the lowest setting and watches your reaction. You quietly moan at the feeling. "Be quiet, f'i hear any noise from ya, i'm leavin." He whispers into your ear as he drags the toy down to your weeping pussy and back to your clit.

He turns it on the second highest setting and you grab onto his arm. "Joel-" You know you shouldn't be touching him but you just can't help yourself. "There ya go darlin', doin so well." He toys one of his fingers at your entrance and pushes in. You whine as he curls his finger upwards. He then adds a second finger and you have to stop yourself from screaming.

His fingers feel so good inside of you, they're so big and they hit every angle just right. His fingers begin to move even faster and your mouth opens in a silent plea. "So fuckin tight baby." He turns the vibrator on the highest setting and moves his fingers faster.

You feel the coil in your stomach begin to tighten once more and you bury your head into his chest. He speeds up his movements and within seconds you're coming. You silently scream into his chest as your orgasm washes over you, "Good girl, good fuckin girl." He whispers against your hair as he slows his movement.

He removes his fingers and you groan at the loss. You watch as he slowly inserts his fingers into his mouth and sucks. He closes his eyes as he tastes you. He pulls his fingers out and sets his hand on the bed. "So sweet." He looks down at you and grins.

You could easily see the bulge in his boxers so you reach out to grab onto him. He closes his eyes and groans at your touch. "Now now sugar, I said no touchin." He takes your hand off of him and begins to get up. He gets to the door and grabs onto the door knob. "Hey Joel?" He looks at you. "Thanks." He looks down at the floor then to the handle. "This won't happen again, was just helpin"

He opens the door as quietly as he can then leaves.

Oh my god.

tags!!

@iamsherlocked-1998 @pinkcrystal44 @tupelomiss @simplewanderer @ursagittariusgirlfriend @amyispxnk @livingonthehems

#joel miller #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller x you #dbf!joel #joel miller smut #joel miller x reader #pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #joel miller x f!reader #joel the last of us

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louroth · 9 months

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Hello hello everybody! It is time for another months progress, and I am so excited to share with you, all the things I have gotten my grimy little gremlin hands on. First off, what we are all here for; writing. I have been on fire, to be honest! Last month I churned through the last of the first batch of erotica stories (there's 6 (!!!) of them on my patreon already) and set them up for publishing along with two more unseen ones- I'm still going over the logistics of where to publish for the best revenue (I know this sounds boring, but I have to make an income somehow, and hopefully find another audience as a smut writer on other platforms 💀 I love writing it so why not!), and I am making headway, learning the ins and outs of self publishing. On patreon, there are also two Q&A's that are written in a bit more fictional manner, in character: a more fun way than just writing answers straight up and down. I have enjoyed those so much! There's a bunch of other stuff I haven't even mentioned- honestly, I have to say, I'm really proud of my output on Patreon even though I have been really anxious about writing full time. It's going great! I have to thank my new friends and support-network on discord; you make this all worth it. I cannot express how fun it is to shoot the shit with you in vc, gaming together, or seeing your shenanigans in gen or your in depth theories (thanks for the brainworms!) or memes or staring longingly at the fanfic channel or drooling over your art (ouro related or not) or... Gah. You are just amazing people, and I will waste no opportunity in saying so. Thank you forever and ever and ever an-

When it comes to OUROBOROS, I am happy to announce that the next chapter is damn near done! I was halted because of the discovery that dashingdon is no longer supported by it's creator, and have been working on the twine version ever since, earlier than I expected- it's tough work, but I am so excited to make this an actual game made entirely by myself, and not submitting to a company that quite frankly leaves a bitter aftertaste. It is taking long to make because I want to make it mobile compatible from the start, which there isn't a lot of resources for. But I'm doing my best! The plan is that I will be posting the next chapter for Patreons in the coming month, and then treat you to a full twine release here on tumblr. I haven't made any rewrites when porting the twine build, but I would like to do that too... so we will see; this plan is not set in stone. I will just have to see how it evolves over the next month. Yes, beta-readers is still on the schedule, just holding off a little while while I wrap my head around this new coding landscape.

Other than that, I have been working on the set aesthetic for ouro, which has been really hard, a lot harder than I expected. You all know I am no wizard when it comes to graphic design, but I want to at least develop a set palette and imagery and portraits that is cohesive to the story. The work is ongoing, and I don't have much to say about it- even though it is taking a lot of my brain power. I'm hoping I can come to some kind of set and in depth conclusion that I am happy with before the twine release, because I want the game to feel like a treat to open up and play; a world to get lost in.

That's it! If you want to see weekly and more in depth dev-logs, you know where to go. I hope you have an amazing day or night, and we will see each other soon. xx

#OUROBOROS #ouroboros-if #interactive fiction #twine wip #progress report #dev log #I am SO sorry I haven't been around a lot to answer asks- there is so much work to be done and only so little of me to go around whuhuhuhu #send help lmfao. tuck me into your pocket. keep me safe!!!! I have no idea how people manage all this. But I promise and cross my heart I a #Doing My Best™#other things not mentioned: I have been going through The Stress with my doagy who injured her leg but today we finally took a full hike t #together- she really scared me with how much pain she was in but we made it through 😭 I cannot thank my patreon supporters enough because #your support is making me breathe easy about the upcoming vet bill. why are blood samples so expensive. wah #yeees yees im bursting with butterflies and rainbow emotions. but truly- I can't thank you enough #Onwards! We keep moving!I am so excited for all this-damn all the stress and the insecurities-I am Doing It!!! It is Happening! Wahoo!

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rhoorl · 6 months

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Delta Landscaping | Chapter 8: Saturdays, Am I Right?

Series Summary: In this AU, the boys of Delta Force start a new business post-Colombia.

Series Masterlist | Chapter 8 A03 Link

Rating: Explicit (18+)

Word Count: 6.8k

Chapter Summary: A Saturday around Mule Fall Court. Plus we get two cameo appearances.

Chapter Warning: Swearing. Oral (m receiving). Reminder, I don’t have a beta for this, so any mistakes are all mine.

A/N: Thank you for all of the love for Frankie in the last chapter! Although this is another Will-heavy chapter I appreciate you sticking with me. I promise the other guys will get some of the spotlight too. More notes from me at the end.

Katie’s eyes flutter open, catching the light coming through the slight crack in her curtains. She hears soft snores behind her and turns to see Will fast asleep. He looked so peaceful, beautiful really.

He starts to stir a bit so she turns around and closes her eyes pretending to be asleep. The last thing she wanted was for him to wake up to her staring at him. She feels him get up and turn to check his phone on the nightstand.

Katie could tell he was peering over to check if she was still asleep. She feels him nestle back under the covers and inch closer to her, wrapping an arm around her, making her smile. She leans back into his touch as he nuzzles his face into her neck.

"Are you awake?" He whispers.

"Mhmm," she manages, as he kisses her neck.

"How're you feelin'?" He brings his hand around to trace down her body from her waist to her hips and back.

"I have a headache, feel kinda weak…the usual," she laughs.

"I'm sorry, we'll try and keep it down so you can rest."

"Oh don't be silly Will, I can still function. I've had to do a lot more, feeling a lot worse," she chuckles, looking back to see him biting his bottom lip nervously. "Hey, it's all good. It was a very sweet thought," she kisses him. "You're good at those," she kisses him again.

"Oh yeah?" He smiles into another kiss which he deepens as he moves on top of her.

"W-Will, we c-can't…it's gonna get messy," she manages to get out between shaky breaths.

Will pulls back and looks at her, his hand tracing the side of her face. “I don’t mind. Just throw a towel down,” he smirks, before getting a bit more serious. “But if you really don’t want to, there’s still other ways we could have some fun,” he arches his eyebrows and bites his bottom lip.

“What do you have in mind, soldier?” The corner of her mouth turns up at his playfulness.

“Just lay back and relax,” he murmurs as he drops down to her waist.

He inches the bottom of her shirt up and starts leaving light kisses along her stomach, working up. Katie’s hips buck up, anticipating Will’s next move. She clenches her eyes closed, trying to breathe as he takes one of her nipples in his mouth, swirling his tongue around as his other hand lightly cups her other breast. A shudder comes over Katie as she savors the pleasure Will’s mouth is giving her. She throws her head back, whimpering as he continues.

“Is this ok? You aren’t too sensitive or sore or anything,” he stops to ask, looking up at her.

“N-no, you’re doing great…I mean, ha, it’s…yea, it’s good Will.” She giggles as he goes back to work.

She sneaks a glance down to look at him but then something catches her eye. Seeing movement she lets out a yelp.

“Fuck, what happened? Are you ok?” Will’s head snaps up, searching her face.

“Ah, n-no, um…” she points a trembling finger to where the wall meets the ceiling.

Will whips around to see what she’s pointing at. His shoulders relax when he sees what has her so scared – a small gecko perched on the wall. “You’ve never had a gecko in your house before?”

“Once…scared the shit out of me. I had to call Meg to get Connor over here to grab it.”

“These are kind of a thing here in Florida,” he smirks, trying to give her a hard time before he realizes how scared she truly is. “Well, good thing I’m here. I’ll take care of it.” He winks and gives her a quick kiss before hopping out of bed and throwing his jeans on, leaving the top button unbuttoned.

Will makes quick work of capturing the little creature and takes it outside. He's washing his hands in the kitchen as Katie comes around the corner dressed in some comfy pants and an oversized t-shirt, her hair in a messy bun.

“My hero! I’m so glad you were here” she smiles, skipping over to him and wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him. “Sorry we had to cut the fun short,” she pouts.

Will’s chest puffs out a little at her praise. “Ah, that’s okay.” He runs his hands down her sides.

“I…um…I’ll make it up to you later,” she winks.

“Oh really? Hmm…I wonder how you’re going to do that,” he smiles and kisses her before pushing her back towards the kitchen island, deepening the kiss. After a few minutes, he pulls back. “Shit, what time is it?” He looks at the clock above her oven. “Fuck, sorry. I need to go before Benny wakes up,” he laughs.

“Ok,” she sighs.

“I’ll be right back. Well, I’ll have two sidekicks with me, but I’ll be back."

Will runs back to her room to grab his shirt, making sure to give her a quick kiss before leaving and hopping into his Jeep for the short drive down to 319.

He’s thankful that it’s still early in the morning. It had been years since he’d done a walk of shame, and while there was no shame in this return, he still wasn’t too keen on running into any of his neighbors.

He just parked and got out of his Jeep when Olivia’s front door flew open. CJ and Max ran to the van as Olivia trailed balancing Diana on her hip along with various backpacks and bags.

“Boys, hey! Hold on a sec lemme open the door,” she huffed out, fishing her keys from her crossbody and hitting the button for the automatic doors on her minivan to open.

“Hi, Mr. Will! You look nice!” CJ yelled over to Will, waving.

“Hi Mr. Will, we’re going to soccer practice. Mom says it’s good for us to get our energy out! Hey, your button isn’t buttoned,” Max pointed to Will’s jeans.

“Hey boys,” Will waved, looking sheepishly over to Olivia. “Hey, Liv! Mornin'."

Olivia was oblivious to the fact that Will was dressed in a wrinkled shirt and buttoning the top button of his jeans. “Hey, Will! Boys, get in, get your iPads. I’ll be right there. Hey!” She walks to the front of her driveway, nodding for Will to join her. “I’m glad I saw you! I was meaning to reach out to you guys. So, it’s the boys’ birthday next week. I know the idea of going to a party with a bunch of eight-year-olds probably doesn’t sound too appealing, but the whole Neighborhood Wa-...um…I mean, the whoel crew is invited. And you guys are part of that! Frankie and Santiago too!” She smiles.

“Aw, thanks Liv. That’s really nice. Yeah, I’m sure the guys are down. Just..um…text me the details.”

“Ok cool. Chris has a friend who owns a skating rink so we're gonna rent it out. Should be fun!”

“Well, awesome, I’m looking forward to it, haven't skated in years!”

“Nice. Well, um, see you later!”

And with that, she turned on her heels to head back to her van and buckle Diana into her car seat.

Will breathed a sigh of relief as he made his way up the driveway, unlocking the door.

_____________________

Katie busied herself with making some coffee and picking up when she heard a knock at her door. She wasn’t expecting Will and company so soon, but she was giddy at the thought of seeing him again.

She opened the door without looking, “Back so soon, huh? Shit, you scared me!”

Megan was standing at her doorway with a basket of freshly baked muffins - double chocolate chip, Katie’s favorite. She also had a bottle of wine tucked under her arm. “I thought you could use some chocolate for now…and then some wine, for later,” she winked.

“Jesus Meg, I thought… never mind, come in. Thank you for these, I haven’t eaten yet.”

“Well, make me a cup of coffee, I need to hear about last night…and apparently this morning from the looks of you,” she snorted as Katie rolled her eyes.

_____________________

Frankie woke up, feeling a bit lighter after he shared some of his past with Lucille last night. A phone call to his sister made things even better. He booked an impromptu trip to see her in a couple of days. Although the boys did not flaunt their money, Frankie had to admit it was nice to be able to drop everything and just go and not have to worry.

He threw a shirt on and walked to the kitchen to see Santiago already busy making breakfast, listening to music, his hips swaying to the beat.

“Hey cabron, you hungry?” Santiago asks as he cracks some eggs into a bowl.

“Ah, sure, yeah. Thanks.” Frankie pours himself a cup of coffee from the pot Santiago brewed. “How was your night?”

“Good. It was nice.”

“Did you behave yourself?”

Santiago rolls his eyes, “Yes. The hell man? I was with David and Ty too, you know. We just went to a restaurant and then to a wine bar. It was actually a pretty nice place. I'd suggest you take a girl there if you ever decide to date again," Frankie rolls his eyes. "Anyway, the three of them went back together and I took an Uber home. I’m pretty sure I beat you back, actually.”

Frankie sets his coffee cup down and lifts both of his hands up, “Okay, hermano. Jeez, I didn’t mean to strike a nerve so early in the morning.”

“I just…ugh… never mind. How was your night?”

“Good. Great, actually. I uh…called Valeria. I’m going to go see her, Alyssa, and the kids this week.”

“You’re flying to Dallas? Just like that?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, why wait," Frankie scratches the back of his head, his curls wild from sleep. "And plus, it was like the only good time to go. Between both of their work schedules and stuff, I would have had to wait months.”

“Nice. Well, I’m happy for you. Shit how old is Leia now?”

“She just turned two. Damn, you reminded me that I need to go and get her a present today. Maybe after we get done at Melissa’s we can swing by someplace.”

“Yeah, sure. So when are you leaving?”

“I’m gonna leave Monday, after my meeting. Gotta see if I can move it up a bit earlier…but I’ll come back on Friday.”

“Ok cool, well I can drive you, we’ll figure it out.”

_____________________

Will walks into the house, surprised to hear SportsCenter on the TV.

Shit. He thought to himself, knowing his brother was awake and therefore going to give him a hard time. Walking further into the house, he sees Benny looking out their sliding door to the backyard eating cereal out of a large bowl. Hearing the front door close, Benny turns and lights up with the biggest smile.

“Oh shit! There he is! You like the little present I left you?” He winks, setting down his bowl and running over to his brother, slapping him on the chest. “Have a good night?”

Will just rolls his eyes and walks down the hallway to his room, pulling his shirt off.

Benny trails after him, “Oh c’mon. I know you don’t really kiss and tell anymore, but you’re not gonna give me anything?”

“Ben. If I tell you anything, you’re going to make it super fucking awkward when we go over there in a bit. I don’t want her to be embarrassed.”

“Oh ok, so you guys haven’t fucked yet, cool cool.” Benny busts out laughing as Will chases him into the bedroom.

“You’re lucky you’re so fucking tall otherwise I’d beat your ass kid.”

“Ha ok, whatever.” Benny leans against the wall in Will’s room as his brother changes. “But seriously, did you have a good night?”

Will sees the sincerity in his brother’s eyes. “Yeah, it was nice. She’s fucking awesome man. So funny and smart and creative…”

“And hot. Ow!” Will throws his jeans at Benny. “I’m just saying, for you. I mean, she’s pretty, don't get me wrong.”

“Yeah, she’s pretty fuckin’ hot,” Will smirks as Benny whoops and plops onto Will’s bed. “How was your night?”

“Good. You’ll be happy to know I executed another flawless mission. Your boy Jax really stepped up.”

“He’s a good guy.”

“Yea…Connor texted me this morning, well it was late last night but I didn’t see it til I woke up. He and Aria were up talking on the phone til real late. He’s probably gonna be a bit tired this mornin',” Benny laughs.

“Ha nice, well I’m glad it all worked out.”

Will changes into a pair of black basketball shorts and a cut-off concert tee. He grabs his socks and a pair of sneakers too. “You ready?”

“Yeah, I think Connor should be over any minute. Gotta just grab my hat and some tools and I’m all good to go.”

_____________________

Connor came over right on time, a little tired so Benny gave him a RedBull. The three of them decided to walk over to Katie’s house, the older guys lovingly teasing Connor who blushed every time he talked about Aria. Will casually used some old interrogation techniques to coax out of Connor the fact that they kissed. Connor confessed to heading to the exact place Benny told him about, the only spot in the whole park not visible from the vantage point Benny chose.

They laughed as they reached Katie’s porch. “Damn, I didn’t realize how much water damage there was here,” Benny says, observing how the porch beams bow out.

He reaches his hand out to touch one of them when Will slaps his hands away, “Don’t touch it, man. The whole fucking thing could cave in, s’far as we know. I’m gonna call Joel later when we take a break.”

“Isn’t he gonna be busy with Sarah?” Benny asked.

“Nah, he’s probably out at some job site this morning.”

“Oh on a weekend? So does Steph have Sarah then?”

“Yea. They do a bit longer of a switch during the summer, two weeks at a time. He takes advantage and runs himself ragged, pulling 12-hour days. I dunno why he does that shit to himself.”

“Who’s Joel? And Steph and Sarah?” Connor asks, looking between the two men.

“Oh, shit, sorry. Joel’s our cousin. Sarah’s his daughter. And Steph’s her mom,” Benny fills the boy in on their extended family as Will knocks on the door.

Megan answers the door, “Hey boys!”

“Mom?”

“Yeah, sorry to cramp your style C,” she winks. “Figured I’d give Katie some company, while you all worked. Nice to see you're back to no sleeves, Benny,” she laughs.

“I told ya, I don’t dress up for just anyone,” he smirks.

“Hey guys,” Katie comes from around the corner addressing all of them, but looking squarely at Will. Her eyes rake over his exposed arms, remembering how it felt when he held her this morning. “Come in, lemme show you where everything is.”

“Benny the builder reporting to duty,” he fake salutes, following Katie into the house.

__________________

Katie and Megan catch up on a reality show as the guys make quick work of assembling a series of items. She honestly thought it was going to take them all day, but as it neared lunchtime, they had almost all of it done.

“Hey,” she walks into the spare room where they set up shop. “You boys hungry? We were thinking of ordering some pizza.”

“Hell yeah!” Connor pumps his fist before looking at Katie who squints at him. “I mean, awesome, Ms. Katie. That sounds great, thank you.”

“You’re too sweet C,” she laughs. “Any requests?”

“As long as there’s pepperoni on something I’m good. Will’s pretty easy, aren’t ya Will?” Benny snorts as Will rolls his eyes.

“I’m good with whatever, just not green peppers.”

“No green peppers, huh? Hmm…”

“Red flag?” Benny offers.

“I dunno…that’s borderline,” Katie shakes her head, smiling as she walks out.

Will slaps Benny and they both start to laugh.

The pizza arrives just as the guys reach a stopping point. They only have one dresser left, the biggest piece. As they all sit around, talking and eating, Will suddenly remembers that he needs to call Joel.

“Shit, you mind if I make a quick call? My cousin’s a contractor and I wanted to get his opinion on your porch.”

“Your porch? What’s wrong with the porch?” Megan asks with her mouth full, looking at Katie.

“It’s definitely got water damage,” Benny chimed in. “Shit’s probably gonna cave in any minute-”

“Jesus Benny!” Will smacks him on the arm. “It’s not going to cave in at any minute Kat, er Katie.” He shot daggers at his brother for not having more tact. “But, it’s probably not something you’re going to want to wait on, ‘specially since it’s the summer and we get a lot of rain. But anyway, lemme call him real quick.”

“Ok, thanks Will, I appreciate you guys looking into it,” Katie smiles, trying to avoid Megan’s knowing look. Her ex was never this invested in home projects or anything that interested Katie. She didn’t need anyone to take care of her, but she had to admit it felt nice to have someone care.

Will pulls the phone in front of him, waiting for Joel to answer. When he finally does, a big smile comes across Will’s face. “Hey J, you got a minute?”

“J Moneeeyyy!” Benny yells, throwing himself into frame so Joel can see him.

“Ah, shit, both of you? Hold on, I’m gonna need to go somewhere, gimme a minute. Hey Tommy! I’ll be right back ok?”

Katie and Megan both exchange quick glances after hearing the low, Southern drawl coming from Will’s phone. They were both curious what the owner of that voice looked like, sure that he had to have some of the Miller good looks.

“Shit, Tommy’s there, tell ‘em we say hi!” Benny smiles.

Joel huffs as he walks away from the job site to his truck. Closing the door, he wipes his face with his forearm. “Ok, this about your neighbor?”

“Um, ah, yeah.” Will tries to keep his cool. He and Joel had exchanged a few texts about Katie, mostly about the porch but Joel did ask about her as well, curious about who had piqued the interest of his favorite cousin. “She’s actually here, I’m at her house now.” Will motions to Katie to come say hi.

Megan practically pushes her off the couch as Katie walks over behind the couch Will and Benny are sitting on. She sucks in a breath when she sees the man on the other side of the phone.

He looks to be a little bit older than Will, but not by much. Will mentioned he was in Texas, so Katie could only assume it was as hot there as it was in Florida. Joel looked a bit grimy, his hair matted to his forehead and his neck glistened with sweat. She caught a glimmer of what looked to be a silver chain underneath his greasy t-shirt. When Katie popped into frame, Joel immediately straightened up, running his fingers through his hair.

They both smile at each other before Joel clears his throat, “Ah hi, you’re Katie?”

“Uh, y-yea, how’d you…” Katie looked at Will who was blushing a bit.

“Oh, Will’s had nothing but good things to say about you, darlin'. Sounds like you got a lil problem with the porch?”

“Uh, yeah, apparently so.” Katie bites her lip.

“I can, uh, I can show you, Joel. Does that work?”

“Yeah, helps to see how much it’s bowin' out.”

“Ok, lemme take you over there. One sec, I’ll be right back.”

And with that, Will takes the phone away and heads outside.

“So, who’s your cousin?” Megan asks Benny.

“Oh, Joel? He’s our oldest cousin. Our dads are brothers.”

“Ah ok, and where does he live?” Katie was so thankful Megan was taking up asking the questions because she was still trying to find her words.

“Oh he and his daughter live in Austin,” Benny said between bites.

“So he’s married?”

“Why you lookin’?” Benny teases as Megan rolls her eyes. “Nah, he’s been divorced for a while. He and Steph make it work for Sarah. They aren’t like super close, but they’re not gonna slash each other’s tires either if that makes sense.”

Will walks back into the living room, “Thanks, man. Tell Sarah and Tommy we say hi.”

“When’re you gonna come visit us? I miss youuuuu!” Benny yells.

“Ha, miss you too, lil bean. I’ll try and figure somethin’ out. It’s been a while since I’ve gone on a vacation.”

“Nice! And hey we could probably use your help around the house too!”

“Ben, what the fuck? We aren’t gonna invite him out here just to work. The hell is wrong with you?” Will shakes his head.

“Nah, it’s all good. You boys know I can’t go a few days without gettin' my hands into somethin’. Let’s plan on it…gotta talk with Steph and sort it out, but we should. It’s been a while.”

“Woohoo! Hell yeah!” Benny runs over to his brother and smiles. “You’re gonna love it here J. We have a pool, we’re close to the beach. We could go to a baseball ga-”

“Ok, Ben. Calm down,” Will laughs. Benny loved Will, but he always had a soft spot for Joel.

“Hey, shit, sorry gotta go. The electrical guy just showed up and I’ve been tryna track his ass down for about a week. We’ll talk soon!” Joel nods as he disconnects the call.

“How bad’s the damage?” Katie winced, not sure she wanted to hear the bad news.

“Eh, it’s definitely something you have to get fixed, but we really can’t tell the extent of the damage until we start poking around more. Joel said it’s okay for now, but you shouldn’t let it go too much longer. So we’ll research it more and handle it, don’t worry,” Will smiles and rubs her knee before realizing there were three other sets of eyes on them. He clears his throat, “Guys, ready to get back to it? Only one more thing to go.”

“Yeah, let’s do it!” Connor gets up, collects all of their plates, and takes them to the kitchen.

Once the three guys are down the hall to the spare room, Megan looks over to Katie. “So, was he as hot as he sounded?”

“Fuck yeah, he was.” They bust out in giggles as they turn their show back on.

_____________________

“So what's she wants help with?” Frankie asks as he turns onto Mule Fall Court rolling past Benny and Will’s house and continuing down the street to Melissa’s.

“She was talking about how the backyard is so plain. She wanted to add in some stuff but wasn’t sure. Figured it would be easier if we could walk it with her and hear what she was thinking.”

“Hmm, ok.” Frankie cuts his eyes quickly over to Santiago as he parks his truck in the driveway.

Melissa must have been waiting for them because she came out of her house as the men were getting out of Frankie’s truck. “Hey guys!” She waves and walks over, giving each a kiss on the cheek and a hug. Frankie notices that she gives him a side hug and uses both arms when hugging Santiago. They make some small talk when they see a black SUV pull up to the house next door.

“Hey, isn’t that the house for sale?” Frankie asks.

“Yeah, it is. Lucille called me this morning actually to tell me that Ethan said the clients accepted the offer. They're meeting him this morning to do a walkthrough, so this must be them.”

The three of them look over as the doors to the SUV open up. The driver was a man, who looked to be in his 40’s. He was an attractive, pretty clean-cut-looking guy with a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. He wore jeans and a light blue V-neck T-shirt. His passenger was a beautiful woman, slightly younger than him, dressed in a yellow floral maxi dress. Melissa admired her gorgeous curls and the huge sparkly ring that caught the light beautifully. Tumbling out from the back door was a little boy, probably around the same age as Olivia’s boys. The woman opened the passenger door behind her and pulled out a little girl from the car seat.

“Hey there!” The man waves with a warm smile.

Melissa, Santiago, and Frankie all wave back. “Hi, I’m Melissa! You all the new neighbors?”

“We hope so! As long as everything goes smoothly these next few weeks,” the woman smiles as the family walks over.

“Oh, nice! Well, I’m Melissa. I live here,” she points to her house.

“Nice to meet you! I’m Victoria and this is my husband Marcus and our kids, Nicholas and Mariella.”

“Nice to meet you all! This is Frankie and Santiago, their friends Benny and Will live down the street. They just moved in recently too.”

“Santiago?” Victoria furrows her brows. “Hablas español?”

“Si, por supresto, él también,” Santiago responds, nodding towards Frankie with his chin.

“Que bueno. Fair warning, he understands more than he lets on," she winks, rubbing Marcus' back.

“Hey, after almost 10 years, what do you expect? Me and your abuela are practically holding full conversations at this point,” Marcus laughs, putting his arm around his wife and giving her a quick peck on the cheek, making her chuckle and their son groan. “So, uh, you like it here then, Melissa? It’s a good neighborhood?”

“Oh yeah. We have a lot of fun and always like an excuse to get together. Hey, maybe when you all get settled we can throw you a welcome party! There're some other kids here on the block too who you can play with,” she smiles, looking at Nicholas who was playing with some action figures.

“That’s awesome to hear. That’s what Ethan said too. Once we move in I’ll have to get some recommendations from you for stuff, like a landscaping company for starters because this,” she points to the front lawn of 306 Mule Fall Court, “this needs to get updated ASAP,” she laughs.

“Ha, I hear you. Well once you get settled in, I’ll be sure to give you a full rundown,” Melissa winks.

“When’re you all supposed to move in?” Frankie chimes in.

“Soon,” Marcus responds. “Trying to move in here before Nico here starts school,” he ruffles his son’s hair, getting a giggle from the boy.

"My sister is moving in with us too, so it's going to be a full house."

"She single?" Santiago asks, glancing quickly at Frankie, not seeing Melissa's scrunched-up face.

"Ha, she is," Victoria smirks. "She's act-" Victoria is cut off by the roar of Ethan's engine as he makes his way up the driveway. "Ah, well, looks like we gotta go. It was so nice to meet you all."

"Yeah, nice to know who's next door," Marcus smiles. “We’ll see you all around.”

_______________________

“Wow, I can’t thank you guys enough for this. It would have taken me several weekends to get all of this together,” Katie puts her hands on her hips, admiring the boys' work and how her house was starting to transform into the vision she had designed through her countless Pinterest boards.

Megan tosses Connor and Benny some bottles of water as Will lifts up his shirt to wipe the sweat from his brow. She didn’t miss Katie swallowing hard at the sight of Will’s abs.

“Well, this was fun. Glad you all could finally get some of this furniture together,” Megan clasps her hands, grabbing her purse. “I’m gonna head out, probably going to go see Lulu. C wanna come with?”

“Ah, I could really use a shower Mom,” Connor winces as he smells under his arm.

“You know what, you’re right. Ok, let’s get you home,” she starts to walk out, looking at Benny who was sitting on the couch.

He glances over at his brother who had a look in his eye he hadn’t seen in a while. Smirking to himself, Benny gets up and stretches, his shirt riding up a bit. “Hmm…I’m beat. Gonna go take a shower, myself. Hey, thanks for lunch, Katie. Will, I’ll uh, I’ll catch you later.”

And with that, Katie and Will found themselves alone. Will reaches his arm up, rubbing the back of his neck as his eyes graze over Katie.

“What’re you looking at,” she blushes, walking over to him.

“Hmm…nothing, just thinking.”

“About what?” She reaches up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

He returns her kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist. “How I couldn’t wait for them to leave,” he whispers into her ear as he trails kisses down her neck, sending a shiver down her spine.

“I…ah…I still owe you from this morning,” she manages to get out, despite her shaky breath.

“You don’t owe me anything,” he smiles and nips at where her neck meets her shoulder before soothing it with his tongue.

Reluctantly, Katie pulls back, looking at Will squarely in the eyes. “I know, but I…I want to. I, uh, I have an idea,” she smirks, pulling him by the arm down toward her room. Will bites his lower lip, but a nervous chuckle still escapes.

Once they get into Katie’s room, she grabs Will’s shoulders and leads him towards the end of her bed. “Ok, uh…sit down. Actually, uh…lie down. Uh, on your…stomach.”

Will furrows his brow, “Um…ok?”

“And, um, take your shirt off too,” she quickly added while she still had the nerve.

“You tryna take advantage of me, sweetheart?” Will purses his lips, before laughing.

“C’mon. Just do it.” Katie rolls her eyes.

Will grabs the bottom of his shirt with one hand and removes it in a smooth, swift move. He turns and moves up her bed, laying face down on her pillow. He hears Katie walk over to grab something off of her dresser and then feels the bed dip as she gets on, straddling his waist.

She leans over his body, her chest at his back, “You must be so sore after all of that work you did today, huh?”

He turns his head slightly to the side, catching her eye as he nods.

“Well, then let me help you out with that.” She grabs the bottle of lotion she brought with her and rubs some in her hands to warm it up. Her mouth was salivating as she looked at the man sprawled out on her bed between her legs.

She starts with his shoulders, moving down his back, feeling the cords of his muscles. He whimpers slightly as she works out some of the knots she comes across. It’s hard to know how much time passes, but once she feels Will’s muscles totally relax she swings her leg around, lying down next to him.

He looks so relaxed, cracking one eye open to look at her as he smiles. “That was fucking awesome. You have magic hands,” he laughs as he turns to his side, using one of his hands to trace down Katie’s body from her ribcage to her hip.

They stay like this for a few moments, enjoying the silence but both feel some tension building. Finally, it was Katie who broke, leaning over and pushing Will so he was lying on his back. She straddles him again, kissing and nipping, finding his sensitive spots as she works from his neck down his body.

When she reaches his stomach, he stops her, grabbing both of her arms. “Hey, let me take care of you fir-”

“Nope,” she cuts him off, emphasizing the p. “You did all of this hard work for me today, I want to show you how…uh…thankful I am,” she smirks as she moves down to the waistband of his shorts.

His breath gets shaky as she presses her mouth to the outside of his shorts, feeling a twitch as he gets harder. He takes a fistful of bedsheets in his grip as he feels her warm breath tease him.

She looks back up at him through her eyelashes and works his shorts down. Will lifts his hips up to help her as he springs free. She bites her lower lip, taking in this visual before moving her hands to lightly grip his thighs. He was trying so hard to stay still. She moves closer, down to the base, flattens her tongue against him, and works her way up, stopping to swirl her tongue around the head. Will throws his head back, bucking his hips up. Katie was caught by surprise and gagged slightly, not expecting that much so soon.

“Fuck, shit I’m sorry,” Will props himself up onto his elbows, before sitting up, reaching for the back of Katie’s head. “Are you ok?”

Katie coughs and composes herself, smiling “Y-yea, I’m fine. Just wasn’t expecting all of that,” she chuckles.

“Shit, neither was I.”

“It’s ok, you havin’ fun?” Her mouth quirks up as he nods. “Ok, good, just lay back and relax.”

She resumes, using her hand to help as she takes him in. Once she gets into a good rhythm, she relaxes her jaw, taking him all the way in until her nose is nestled into the curls at the base of his cock. His breath picks up and he whimpers as Katie takes a slow, methodical approach. It drives Will wild, in the best way, that she seems to almost be savoring this…savoring him.

“I…ah…I’m really close…” he trails off, panting. “Wh-where?”

Katie doesn’t say anything, but makes eye contact with him, giving him a wink which sends him over the edge. Within seconds she feels his spend hit the back of her throat as she works him down. His chest quickly rises and falls and his vision goes blurry for a second. As quickly as he feels pleasure he starts to feel overstimulated, pushing Katie off of him gently.

“F-fuck, sorry about that,” he chuckles, bringing both of his hands to his face, and rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands as he catches his breath.

“Was it ok?” Katie sits up and looks at him, dragging her thumb on the outside of her mouth, catching the last bit of Will, and licking it.

“Shit. Uh, y-yea. You’re…you’re fucking amazing,” he props himself up on his elbows. “C’mere,” he pulls Katie on top of him as she giggles.

____________________

"So, you guys could really do all of that?" Melissa looks between Frankie and Santiago, hopeful and giddy at the prospect of a full backyard renovation.

"Sure thing princ-, ah I mean, yea absolutely," Santiago manages a neutral smile while avoiding Frankie's eyes. "We'll definitely need Will and Benny's help, but yeah I don't see why we couldn't get this done in a few weeks."

"Eeek, that's so exciting. I gotta tell Danny. Can we wait til he gets back?"

"Absolutely," Santiago gives a tight-lipped smile.

"Awesome, thank you both. You guys hungry? D, Ty, and I were probably going to order in."

"We actually have a couple of errands to run," Frankie jumps in before Santiago can open his mouth. "Gotta get this guy here to help me get something for my niece."

"Aww, I didn't know you had a niece," Melissa smiles as she leads the guys back to the front of the house, while Frankie fills her in on his upcoming trip. "That's so nice Frankie, I'm happy for you. I'm sure this guy is gonna miss you while you're gone," she nods over to Santiago.

"Ha yea, well absence makes the heart grow fonder doesn't it Pope," he smiles and slaps Santiago on the shoulder.

"I know you're in love with me, just admit it, Fish," Santiago teases as they all start to laugh.

"Alright, well I won't keep you two. Thanks for coming over, I feel a lot better about the plan for the backyard now."

"Don't mention it," Pope leans over to give her a quick kiss on the cheek and a hug which Frankie also does.

_____________________

The Neighborhood Watch

David: Liv what's the deal with the boys' party? Food? Drinks? Decor? Theme? Trying to plan my outfit.

Megan: The kids are 8. Pretty sure it's pizza, juice boxes and a cake.

Ty: But like, no alcohol at all? C'mon…

Olivia: The theme is Star Wars. I have some stuff coming from Amazon this week. Food is pizza and wings. They're letting us bring in beer and wine, that's it.

David: Noooo

Olivia: Chris had to beg his friend to even let us do that so please don't bring your Stanley cup filled with your "juice"

David: I did that one time. I didn't realize Disney was so strict about that shit.

Olivia: You almost got us all banned for life!

David: Well, we didn't … all good! 🙃

Megan: Anyway. Are you gonna need help Liv? Let me know.

Lucille: Me too. Although I want babysitting duty with Diana.

Olivia: Oh Lulu, I would love that, yes please! And yeah I may need some help.

Melissa: Count me in too 😘

Ty: Katie? You coming?

David: Right now? Probably. Isn't Will over at her place?

Ty: LUCILLE IS ON THIS CHAT

Lucille: I'm not a nun, gordito.

David: See! Lulu is down to clown with us!!

David: But seriously, Katie I hope you are having a gooooood time. 😉

Olivia: Speaking of Will, I invited him.

David: And the rest of the guys too? Frankie will be there right?! 😍

Ty sends a gif of a woman shaking her head.

Olivia: Yes lol … I told him he and the guys were invited. Shit, I need to send him the details but it sounded like they were in.

David: Well yay! I'm excited. And then we have to plan our Fourth of July BBQ!

Melissa: I can host again! Danny gets back this week.

Ty: Sure you want us all over at your place? We can host if you want some alone time with your man 😜

Melissa: All good, we love having you all over!

Melissa: Oh I totally forgot, I met the new neighbors today!

David: 👀 tell me everything

Melissa: It's a family, a man and his wife and two kids. The little boy looks like he's about the same age as Max and CJ and they have a little girl too.

Olivia: Aw yay! So exciting!!

Melissa: yeah! They seem really nice too.

Ty: Does the guy actually look like Frankie because dear God I'm not going to be able to handle David if that happens.

David: 🥵

Melissa: He does kinda look like Frankie, but just with shorter hair.

David: So we don't have competing curls to deal with?

Melissa: lol no

Melissa: He looks like the kind of guy who wears suits for his job

David: I'm listening….👀

Ty: Christ. Calm down

Megan: Did they say when they were moving in?

Melissa: I didn't get any specifics but it sounded like they are just waiting to close at this point. So hopefully soon!

Melissa: Oh and I forgot, she said that her sister is going to be moving in with them too.

Megan: Oh, you're gonna have a full house next door!

David: We should totally plan a block party to welcome them!

Melissa: I actually mentioned that and they seemed excited.

Ty: Oh jeez. He'll have a whole mood board created by tomorrow.

David: Hater!

Ty: Love you too babe!

Katie: Damn, I have a lot to catch up on.

David: THERE'S OUR GIRL

David: Is Will still there?

Katie: He left a little while ago

David: Aaaaand?

Katie: 🤦‍♀️

Ty: Please just throw him a bone otherwise he will not let it go!

Melissa: Oooo Katie, yes spill!

Katie: Let's just say Will left very relaxed 😏

David: 🎉🎉🎉

Megan: Katie also caught a glimpse of Will's cousin today on FaceTime 🥵

David: Is he hot too?

David: Of course he is. Everyone associated with that house is hot.

Katie: 😂

Katie: But yeah he was. Kinda gave me Frankie vibes a little

David: I am going to pass out

Megan: Well start bracing yourself because it sounds like he may visit sometime

David: Ok, but like I'm going to need a visual or something. To you know, prepare.

Megan: Lis we may need your detective skills on this one.

Katie: Yeah but we only know his name and where he lives.

Megan: And what he does for work and his ex-wife's name

Melissa: Oh come on, I thought you were gonna give me a hard one. That's easy. I'll get you a full breakdown by tonight 😉

A/N: Sooo…what do we think? We got a little Joel and a little Marcus. It was fun to write both of them. Don't worry, they'll be back!

Let me know if you want to be on the tag list moving forward!! Apologies if I accidentally left you off, I added it all manually and may have missed someone … just let me know!

@goodwithcheese / @gemmahale / @trulybetty / @patti7dc / @periodtsparadox / @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin / @maggiemayhemnj / @mysterious-moonstruck-musings / @avastrasposts / @meveispunk / @chaoticfestninja / @beboldbebravethings / @casa-boiardi / @katw474 / @linzels-blog / @laughing-in-th3-purple-rain / @pimosworld / @lynnchun / @anoverwhelmingdin /@lilmizmoz / @pedrit0-pascalit0 / @titlee78 / @noisynightmarepoetry / @inept-the-magnificent / @perennialdoll247 / @for-a-longlongtime / @readingiskeepingmegoing / @harriedandharrassed / @musings-of-a-rose / @anavatazes / @sherala007 / @midnightraain / @partyofone3413 / @inthedarkestnight / @millennial-teenybopper / @csarab615 / @darkheartgatita / @southernbe

#delta landscaping #triple frontier fic #triple frontier fanfiction #triple frontier au #pedro pascal cinematic universe

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aechawrites · 1 year

Text

200mph: part three | jjk

pairing: jungkook x reader

word count: 2.1k

rating: pg13

warnings: swearing, drinking, fluff fluff flufffff, jk is shy when sober but he's so cute, they are whipped for each other

summary: you loved the nights where you could party with your friends, drinking your worries away, but you loved it even more now that you were spending it with jungkook.

series masterlist

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✏︎

Was it a surprise that Jungkook ended up winning again? Not in the slightest. People came up to him with their congratulations, alcohol was being sprayed in all directions, and of course, girls got very handsy.

Were you surprised that Jungkook was approaching you after he was done with all of the celebrations? Yes.

You had been making small talk with some guy, flirtatious compliments being thrown around loosely from the drinks you were sipping on the whole night. Those drinks were part of the reason why you had confidence radiating off of you, and why you didn’t mind Jungkook walking up to you.

“Oh hey, Jungkook! Congrats tonight man,” Youngbae smiled widely at him, shoving a drink in his hand.

“Thanks, getting easier each week.” Jungkook had been making eye contact with the other man but had been stealing glances at you. “I hate to steal her away from you, but Jimin wanted me to get her home safe tonight.”

“Yeah.. okay,” he said sarcastically, laughing at the words from the younger one. “Have fun tonight.”

Before you could even comprehend what was happening, Youngbae turned away from the two of you and started talking to another group of people. You heard a small, almost shaky voice that brought your focus back. Jungkook’s voice.

"You look new here." He smiled warmly, eyes capturing you with his strong gaze. "I'm Jungkook."

His cheeks had the lightest touch of pink to them, complimenting well with those gorgeous pearly whites. The shine of previous sweat had coated his hairline, looking like it ran down his temples and along his neck.

"I'm Y/n." His smile grew wider. "I was actually here last week with Jimin but decided to come back without him, didn't need him helicoptering me." You both laughed together at that comment, each taking sips of your drinks. "Guess he found out about my whereabouts though."

"Ah, about that.." Jungkook scratched the back of his neck, making eye contact with the concrete road. "I just made up an excuse to get you away from that guy, he's probably the biggest asshole I've ever met."

You couldn't tell if Jungkook was telling you the truth about that guy, or if he just wanted an excuse to talk to you. Honestly, you didn't even care, it was great that he came up to you because even with alcohol flowing through your body, you would have never been able to approach Jeon Jungkook.

"Uh, there's a party at my frat tonight. A lot of the people here start partying before we race, and then move it wherever when we're done here." A part of him was kind of glad you had been drinking, maybe you wouldn't be able to notice how nervous he was, his voice was a dead giveaway. "You don't have to go through! I just thought.. thought I should offer."

You had planned on going back to your dorm and eating alone while watching a movie, but the night was still young and who were you to say no? You smiled and nodded at him, almost getting lost in his dark eyes.

He walked you over to his car, the one you have now seen him win in twice. The inside was just as beautiful as the outside, sporting black leather seats with neon blue accents, as well as LED lights along the floorboards. You noticed a few of the girls from earlier in the night giving you dirty looks as you got in but you weren't bothered. You were the one who was getting in Jungkook's car anyways, not them.

It had taken a few minutes to get out of the crowd and onto the main road, but the atmosphere didn't feel awkward between the two of you. You had been holding conversation pretty well.

"How do you know Jimin?" You turned your head from looking at the city lights and onto Jungkook's side profile. Fuck he was handsome.

"He's my roommate, actually. We've been for a few semesters but the past couple of months we've gotten closer."

"Oh, maybe he'll be there tonight!" You had thought aloud, excited to see your best friend. After leaving your dorm room, he probably would have made his way back to the frat house anyways. It also wouldn't make sense if his frat threw a party and he wasn't there.

"I think he went out for the night. He was gone whenever I left to come here." In Jungkook's mind, there wasn't anything to worry about. Jimin was nowhere to be found and Jungkook didn't care that much to know where he was. Little did he know, Jimin was with you, and you had blown him off for the night to sneak out to another race.

Jimin could very well be back at the frat house, and if that were the case, Jungkook would, quite literally, be dead. One look at Jungkook escorting you inside, offering a drink and introducing you to his friends would send Jimin over the edge.

Fortunately for the two of you, Jimin hadn't gone back. After noticing his car was still gone from the street, disappointment was written on your face, but relief had been on Jungkook's. At least he was able to spend more time with you without having to hide.

You could hear the bass from the blasting music as you walked up the front lawn. Greetings were said while you passed through the front porch as he invited you inside, guiding you directly to the kitchen and grabbing drinks for the both of you.

He had no idea that you were familiar with this house, coming over at least once a week and partying, and you didn't plan on telling him. You thought it was cute as he walked you around, showing you each place the drinks were, how to get to the front and back yards, and where the bathroom was.

Walking yourselves to the backyard, you got comfortable on the cushiony furniture. You could feel yourself slowly get taken away with the alcohol, and you probably should have skipped the drink he gave you, but it helped with your confidence! You were actually able to keep conversation with Jungkook all night, and it made you feel a little better noticing that he was also not completely sober. At least you weren't the only one.

Hours had passed, but to you it felt like minutes. You felt so comfortable in Jungkook's presence that you hadn't realized how late it was. Everyone had either gone home by now, or they were crashed on the floor inside. Jungkook had offered to drive you back to your dorm, but you refused instantly. He was not in the right state of mind to be driving right now. He wanted to offer you a place to stay, but the reminder that Jimin still lived there, and would have seen you, killed that thought of his.

You ended up just walking back, cool air and wind blew against your skin. You were trudging through your room, lazily throwing your tight clothes off in exchange for your oversized pajamas. You were downright exhausted once you got your makeup off, slipping into bed and falling asleep almost instantly.

Jungkook hadn't seen tonight coming, almost in disbelief that he had the confidence to talk to you. It helped that you gave him your full attention once it was just the two of you, conversation seemed to flow so naturally. The only thing he regretted in the morning was that he was a bit too drunk to remember to get your number.

♥︎⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁⦁♥︎

The idea that Friday was a dream definitely crossed your mind. Why wouldn't it be a dream? You were drinking and hanging out with Jeon Jungkook, after said man drove you back to his place. Your memory was fuzzy, but all of those conversations did happen! What if you said something stupid, or did something embarrassing? You hoped he was drinking just as much as you, if not, more.

You had been finishing up some schoolwork in the library, paying no mind to the other students around you. It wasn't until a familiar guy sat across the table from you, showing off that beautiful smile of his.

"Hey, hope I'm not bothering you."

You smiled lightly at him, cheeks now painted in the softest hues of pink. "Not at all, I was actually almost done."

"I was gonna text you Saturday but realized that I never got your number." He was fidgeting with his thumbs, biting his lip nervously as he talked. You didn't need to say anything to him, instead just handing him your phone with the contacts app pulled up.

"I was wondering if you wanted to maybe grab lunch.. if you weren't busy? There's a new place down the street," he offered, handing you back the phone.

You had been wanting to see Jungkook again, this time sober, and it warmed your heart that it felt like he had been wanting to see you too. "Um.. yeah, I don't have any other plans."

To say the new restaurant was good was an understatement. This was some of the best food you had eaten in a long time, and it was so affordable too. You were sat across from Jungkook in a private corner so other conversation could be muffled.

"Now that we're both sober," he lightly chuckled, "I'm gonna start over. I'm Jungkook."

You couldn't stop the smile on your face from growing, "Hi, I'm Y/n."

He had initiated small talk, asking you about any activities you did and what you were majoring in, informing you that he was a business major. That was a surprise. You had also found out that he was just slightly older than you, 22 years old; you shared with him that you were freshly 20.

"It's not the most exciting thing in the world, but business will bring me somewhere in life. Can't really be a street racer forever."

"Well until you get there, at least you have a pretty successful career under your belt within the college crowd."

That brought out his perfect laugh. You hadn't noticed before, but you admired him so much. How was this possible? You barely even knew him, and vice versa. Despite that, you also felt like you had been friends for years; eating lunch and drinking coffee together. This is the behavior you had around Jimin, not someone you had just met. You were so comfortable, and there was never any awkwardness in the conversation. Jungkook radiated confidence, or at least that's what you were lead to believe.

On the inside, Jungkook was so nervous. You were both sober, alcohol not helping with the flow of conversation, but it seemed like it didn't need to. The two of you just had a connection, and he couldn't figure out how. He tried to refrain the stuttering, not trying to embarrass and humiliate himself in front of you. He wanted the opportunity to see you again after today, he just had to keep it together so you wouldn't think of him as some loser.

You were so different from the other girls he had been involved with in his life. One-night stands were his thing! As awful as it sounded, that's how he was. He an adult man, college student at that, and he was just living his young life before he had to go out into the real world. But you were just.. different; good different, though.

He was never into commitment, to him it seemed too stressful and overwhelming. It scared him with the slightest thought he had to ask you out. He understood it would be way too rushed, and he knew you would have definitely rejected him had he brought it up today. This gave him the excuse to get to know you more, hopefully conforming along the way whether you had feelings for him too.

No matter what happened between you two, one thing stayed the same; Jimin could not find out he was seeing you, platonically or romantically.

Would this be difficult to keep from him? Absolutely.

It would also be difficult for Jungkook to explain why Jimin can't know the two of you were becoming friends. But that was a conversation for another day, a day he would be dreading.

All he wanted to do now was enjoy the time he had with you while he could before the two of you parted ways. He wanted to be present, showing you his interest, and hopefully you would want to see him again soon.

///

a/n; teehee part threeeee!!! im so excited that y/n and jk got to meet hehe, things are going somewhere!!🥹 i hoped it turned out well for you all🤍 please leave me feedback and thank you for supporting this series so much🫶🏼🫶🏼

2023; © aechawrites

taglist; @braindump-of-the-braindead @itstash @thvlover7 @uwusunwoo @imnotherebye28 @tatamicc @mochilover1995x @skzthinker @icyllic @taumathegoat @withluvjm @pointofviewyugyeom @coralmusicblaze

#bts #jungkook #jungkook x reader #racing #jeon jungkook #jeongguk #college #kpop #jungkook smut #bangtan #jungkook angst #jungkook fluff

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joeys-babe · 9 months

Text

Someday We’ll Be Together

Chapter 5: Can I get your number?

———————————————————————

(y/n's pov)

when we got back to joes house after practice i grabbed my stuff that i had left there this morning.

"are you gonna come back over later?" - joe

"yeah sure, i'm gonna shower and get presentable first." - you

"i'll make us some lunch if you want." - joe

"sounds good joe, thanks. i'll see ya later." - you walked over to the front door

"yeah bye y/n!" - joe

"bye joe!" - you smiled at him as you shut the door and made your way over to your house

i knew as soon as i walked through the door my parents would be ready to berate me with questions.

i was right; as soon as i walked through the door i saw my mom standing in the kitchen.

"why are you smiling?" - your mom grinned

"nothing." - you

"mhm, so how was hanging out with joe last night and going to practice today?" - your mom

"really good. last night we were having movie night but it ended up going a different direction. lexie was at a party and joe found out she was making out with another guy." - you

"oh my gosh, bless his heart! did he finally break up with her?" - your mom

"yes, that's why i stayed the night. he was really upset and didn't want me to leave." - you

"awwww how sweet. now how did practice go?"

- your mom

"good! two girls that are dating players walked up to me since i was alone and asked if i wanted to sit with them. they were really nice and we hit it off." - you

"look at you already making friends with the WAG's!" - your mom

"mom." - you rolled your eyes

"i'm just teasing. are you going back over to joes today?" - your mom

"yup, i'm gonna shower and change then head over there for lunch." - you

"sounds good!" - your mom

after talking to my mom, i went upstairs to my room and finally got in the shower. it felt good to wash the sweat from being at the practice fields off.

when i got out i dried off and did my skincare before blow drying my hair and putting it in a ponytail.

once that was done i put a pair of jean shorts on along with a random band shirt i had.

i didnt wear much makeup, just mascara. growing up i had really bad acne and practically caked my face to cover it up, now wearing a lot of makeup just brought back bad memories of insecurity.

now that i was finally done getting ready i grabbed my keys, phone, and water bottle before heading downstairs.

"going over to joes now!" - you

"okay! have fun." - your dad winked

"dad." - you glared at him before leaving

as i was walking across the road i noticed a couple cars parked in joes driveway. who's here?

i knocked on the door and my heart stopped when i the door opened and i made eye contact with #85.

"oh you must be y/n! i'm tee, joes teammate."

- tee smiled

"yeh that's me, it's lovely to meet you." - you

"oh come in, sorry" - tee laughed when he moved to the side and let you in

tee shut the door behind me and was now standing next to me.

"joes in the kitchen making lunch, i'm assuming you're here of him?" - tee

"uh yeah, but i can chat with you for a bit." - you

"cool." - tee smiled

we moved over to the couch and sat down next to each other.

"y/n that's my spot!" - ja'marr

"oh hey marr!" - you turned to see ja'marr behind you

"hey! haven't seen you since college, you look great." - ja'marr

"you too! it's crazy you and joe got drafted by the same team, huh?" - you asked as ja'marr sat on the other side of tee

"oh for sure, and sam too you know since they played together at ohio state." - ja'marr

"i talked to his girlfriend today at practice, she seems really nice." - you

"oh she is, she told sam that you had been looking rather closely at one player." - ja'marr

"what- what are you talking about?" - you stuttered

"do you really think i'm cute?" - tee smirked

"yeah" - you returned the smile

tee opened his mouth, about to say something back but joe interrupted him.

"food's ready!" - joe yelled from the kitchen

"finally" - ja'marr jumped up from the couch and ran into the kitchen

tee and i stood up as well but he grabbed my wrist.

"how about we go out to dinner tomorrow night? you seem sweet, and you're really pretty. i'd love to get to know you." - tee

"i'd like that." - you smiled

tee let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in.

"good. can i get your number? i'll text you a time and address tomorrow." - tee

"yeh of course." - you got your phone out and exchanged numbers with tee

little did you know, joe was watching the whole exchange from the kitchen. he was left feeling lots of feelings jealous, upset, disappointed. not disappointed in you or tee, disappointed that his feelings that were coming back would have to be shoved away again.

*time skip - the next day*

right now i was currently getting ready for my dad with tee; at least i think it's a date. he said he wanted to get to me, but never fully said it was a date.

tee had texted me early today with a address to the restaurant we were going to, i looked some pictures up online to see what kind of outfit i'd have to wear. it was nice but not super upscale so i thought some jeans and a nice top would do the trick.

i had just finished up curling my hair when i heard the doorbell ring. i hurried down the stairs to get to the door first, definitely didn't want to put tee in an awkward spot with my mom or dad.

the thing is when i went downstairs it seemed like neither of my parents cared at all that tee was at the door. my dad was sitting on the couch and scrolling on his phone while my mom was making dinner in the kitchen.

"okay i'm off to my date, i'll see you guys later!"

- you

"have fun" - your dad mumbled, not even taking his eyes off of his phone

"what's up with you guys?" - you

"nothing, just go enjoy your night." - your mom

"okay.." - you opened the door

tee looked so handsome. he was wearing dressier clothes and for a second i wondered if i should go upstairs and change, but what tee said as soon as he saw me made me change my mind.

"woah y/n, you look beautiful." - tee

"thanks, you don't look too bad yourself. wanna get going?" - you

tee smiled and nodded before walking over to his car, he opened my door for me and i thanked him as i slid in.

as tee was walking over to the drivers side, i saw jimmy and robin walking up the stairs on the porch.

"oh hey tee!" - robin

"hey mrs. b!" - tee

"what are ya doing here?" - robin

"picking up y/n, we're going out to dinner." - tee smiled

"aww you guys have fun" - robin smiled warmly before walking into the house

at least someone's supportive.

jimmy and robin were definitely coming over for dinner and for a second i was wondering where joe was, but it makes sense why he wouldn't come over. i think he knows that tee and i are going on a date because ever since after lunch yesterday he won't answer my texts or calls.

"have you talked to joe at all.. since lunch yesterday?" - you

"he avoided me at practice this morning, so no. same thing with you i'm guessing?" - tee

"yup... i think he knows that we're on a date. i just don't know why it's making him this upset."

- you

"i mean i know you guys are best friends, and i'm his teammate, but you'd think he'd be happy for you." - tee

"yeah.." - you stared at the window, it was silent for a few minutes before tee broke it

"i'm not gonna lie, i knew who you were before yesterday." - tee

"how so?" - you

"joe talks about you all the time, i'm sure everyone he comes in contact with knows the name y/n." - tee

i laughed before thinking of a response. this is the third time someones told me joe talks about me all the time. what on earth could he possibly be talking about?

"you're not the first person that's told me that.. what does joe say about me?" - you

"nothing bad or anything, just says you're his best friend and how much he cares about you. it kinda got old when id try to send him tiktoks and he'd reply with y/n already sent me that." - tee

"i do send him a lot of tiktoks." - you laughed

"can i ask you something? you have to be completely honest." - tee

"of course." - you

"have you ever.. liked joe?" - tee

"back in college i had a little crush on him, but it's been over for a long time." - you

"okay, i just wanted to make sure." - tee

"make sure of what?" - you

"that you didn't still like him. i felt like there might've been something going on between you two." - tee

"what why?" - you

"i mean it's kinda ironic that just shortly after you move back down here he breaks up with his girlfriend. i mean ja'marr, sam, and i have been trying to get him to break up with her since the start." - tee

"my feelings for joe ended a long time ago, i promise. now let's not ruin our date by talking about him." - you

"okay" - tee

(joes pov)

i reluctantly walked over to the y/l/n's for dinner awhile after y/n and tee left. i didn't want to leave my house, but i didn't really have food to fix here so it looked like i had to go over there.

"joe! i didn't think you were gonna come." - robin

"me neither." - joe scoffed

"what's with the attitude?" - robin

"tired." - joe shrugged

y/n's mom could read me like a book, so i wasn't surprised when she started asking me questions when we were in the kitchen alone.

"you sure you're just tired?" - your mom

"mhm" - joe

"not because y/n and tee are on a date?" - your mom

"i don't feel like talking about it." - joe

"so that is what it's about though?" - your mom

"maybe." - you

"aww joe, honey. what part about it makes you upset?" - your mom

"it's not because she's going on a date with another guy, i dont care about that. it's just that tees my teammate you know? she's like a sister to me.. like what if he hurts her and i just have to play football with him like nothing happened."

- joe

"i understand your concern, but i think y/n's smart enough to get herself out of a situation before she gets hurt. even if it were to happen."

- your mom

"i know. now i just seen like a jealous dick."

- joe

"you're not being unreasonable joe. but can i ask you this? if it wasn't your teammate, would you still be a little upset?" - your mom

i looked up at her for a few seconds before i sighed out of defeat.

"yes." - joe

"see joe! you still have feelings for her!" - your mom

(y/n's pov)

it was after my dinner date with tee and we were sitting in his car in the dairy queen parking lot as we ate our ice cream.

"y/n, can i be honest with you?" - tee

"of course, tee" - you

"i think you're a really great girl, but i don't think we're gonna go on a second date." - tee

"what why?" - you asked out of confusion, you had thought the date went really well

"i think we'd be better off as friends.. and there's something i just don't think you're noticing." - tee

"what's that something?" - you

"the fact that you still have feelings for joe." - tee

_________________________________

authors note: me consistently updating?! whaaaaaaaaaaat?!!!??!

hope you enjoyed ❤️

#bengals #joe burrow #joe burrow imagine #joe burrow x reader

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nanaminokanojo · 9 months

Text

THAWING ICE QUEEN (part 30)

–one night of fooling around with the annoying campus king gojo satoru (he thinks so), turns into...well, something else more long term

CHARACTERS: gojo satoru x you | geto suguru | jjk characters

MASTERLIST | CHAPTER INDEX

<<prev part 30 next>>

A/N: This contains prose.

You and Satoru both dissolved into easy laughter amidst the distant chatter of their guests and the faint pink lights coming from the other side of the lake. He couldn't help the giddy feeling in his chest seeing you clutching onto the arm of his montsuki, eyes alight with mirth. The pair of you are far from the parameters of your agreement; just two friends, having fun under a fleeting canopy of rosy blooms...and maybe, just maybe, even beyond that.

Satoru glanced over his shoulder, wrenching his blue gaze from you. He took a moment to truly appreciate the view before him. He had gotten so used to it – seeing the sea of pink slowly taking over the cold white of winter. He had a private view of it, not having to go to parks like other people to witness it every year, but he never really felt anything profound about it until that moment. Sharing the view with you made all the difference.

"Do you like it?" he asked, voice quiet.

He heard your laughter, like chimes in the gently blowing wind. "That's an understatement."

Turning, he looked at you, beyond surprised to find you beaming at him. "Y-yeah?"

"Of epic proportions."

Once again, he found himself admiring the view like it was the first time he was seeing it, but not the trees this time but you. He didn't know what possessed him at that time. It was spring then, too, and he knew he messed up when he asked if he could kiss you, and Suguru almost fell onto the sidewalk from laughing too much. But he had to save face and go along with it, and maybe that was a mistake considering how you've formed this impression of him that was far from how he wanted you to perceive him.

Funny how everything goes his way on anything except when it involves you.

Go slow, he thought. This was a step forward for him. At least you weren't just seeing him through a single lens seeing as how you reacted to his little surprise. He didn't really peg you for someone who appreciated the simpler things in life. If he knew you liked these things, then he would've done more of it to win you over.

He smiled to himself. And maybe it wasn't too late to actually start doing that if it meant he'd get to see you smiling happily because of him or something he did for you.

You sighed in contentment. "I love it. Thanks for having me over."

"You can come over anytime. Just say so."

You snickered. "Don't say that, or you'll be forced to take me here every weekend."

Satoru grinned back at you. "I don't see how that's to my disadvantage, sweet cheeks." He couldn't help being cheeky with you, but that seemed to have broken the spell of enjoying a great conversation with you. "I get to spend time with you."

"You're getting clingy, Gojo."

"Satoru," he whispered, his voice being carried away by the wind.

"Huh?"

"Earlier..." He looked at you, seeing the confusion on your face, and decided against it. "Nothing."

You smirked at him. "Yes, earlier, what was your mom saying? You mentioned me to her – how did she put it? – once or twice?"

Satoru rolled his eyes at you. "In passing, probably. She's making such a big deal out of it."

"Oh..."

"I...I didn't mean to make it sound like you're inconsequential, Y/N. All I'm saying is she likes to tease me a lot 'cause all I ever talk about are Suguru and Ieiri, and I guess I didn't realize that until she brought it up. I –"

"Satoru, you're rambling."

"Satoru?"

You paused. He didn't know what that meant, but he liked how you say his name outside of the times you were in bed. Just like you did earlier.

"You're too surprised when you asked me to call you by your name."

"So, you heard me?"

You nodded. "I guess it's better to address you that way if I am to come here every weekend." You chuckled. "I don't wanna be summoning the whole clan."

He felt his cheeks heating up, thankful for the dim lighting, and like the blood that rushed into his head, he couldn't stop the involuntary step he took towards you or the way his hands seemed to have developed minds of their own to cup your face. Not even the way he leaned forward and claimed your lips with his.

Satoru pushed you against the trunk of the cherry tree, planting one hand firmly against the rough bark just beside your head, pressing his warmth into yours.

It was just the two of you, or it felt like that to him, with no one else in your little bubble and nothing to worry about. He smiled against your mouth when he felt your fingers clutching at the fabric of his robe, taking it slow, taking all the time in the world with you.

Slow is good. He liked slow. It's worth it if it's you.

You both pulled away after a few moments, your lips raw and moist from the kisses you've shared, pupils blown out despite the lack of light. You just stared at each other before Satoru leaned his forehead against your shoulder.

"You know what?"

"What?" you asked.

He snickered. "I was supposedly conceived on this very spot." Again, he couldn't help it.

You rolled your eyes, already aware of what he's gonna say, but you bit the bait just that one time. "So?"

"Wanna make babies here with me?"

~*~

TAGS LIST: @arxliana @neeneee @charlie-xo @aelynaneedsalottathing @arizzu @cloudxp @justpuddinglol @mikkies @nyfwyeonjun

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am-i-obsessed---maybe · 8 months

Text

Nightly Patrol (Shadow Of A Bluejay Mini Chapter)

Word count: 985

I'm having a lot of fun with these mini chapters. They're really useful. Also Artemis is a weird character to write at this point in the show, like she changes so much from interaction to interaction so she might feel a bit ooc in this. I think she just looks up to the reader and lets herself be a bit softer with them.

Series Masterlist

Star City August 30, 20:34 PDT

Dinah's apartment wasn't cramped but it was small. Not that you complained. It was the best home you'd ever had and with the amount of time you spent at Ollie's extravagant penthouse it didn't matter much. You enjoyed the old chairs around the dining table and the refrigerator that creaked a bit when you opened it. Besides you had your own room. That was all you could really ask for.

"Hey, how was the first day of school?" Dinah asked as she came in. She'd been out for work all day and hadn't gotten the chance to talk to you yet.

"It was good. Nothing out of the ordinary" You told her.

"Any homework?" She asked and you nodded.

"I did it during lunch" You told her and she sighed.

"Still no school friends?" She asked. She was right. You weren't the best at making friends. It didn't help that you're first time at a school was middle school. You were a smart kid but that didn't mean you knew how to get along with people in a school setting.

"Nope" You said, bringing your attention back to the book you were reading.

"When are we leaving for patrol?" You asked after moving to the next page. Normally you and Dinah met Ollie at around 10pm after patrolling on your own for a bit.

"Oh, Ollie and I had something come up, do you think you'll be okay on your own for the night?" Dinah asked, that got your attention.

"What came up?" You asked.

"Oh, well, it was a work thing. We just won't have time tonight" She said.

"Oh I know, how about you and Artemis do your first patrol together?" She suggested and you shrugged.

"Okay" You said. Artemis has been joining you all on patrols a couple nights a week since she joined the team. Ollie wanted to train her a bit more himself along with her training with the group.

"That's great, I'll tell Ollie" Dinah said, kissed your head and went to her bedroom.

"They really think they're slick" You said to yourself as you closed your book and went to change into your costume.

Half an hour later you met Artemis at the Star City zeta-tube.

"Oh, hey Bluejay" She said before looking around and noticing a distinct lack of Ollie.

"Where's GA?" She asked.

"Out on a date with Canary. They said we should go ahead with patrol" You explained.

"A date?" She asked.

"Yeah, they're a lot less slick than they think" You said and began hovering out of the alley the zeta-tube was in.

"Now come on, we've got criminals to catch" You told her.

Star City August 30, 23:56 PDT

Three hours into patrol and you've stopped a mugging, a small time electronics store robbery, and helped a lost kid find his mom.

"So do GA and Cannary go out a lot?" Artemis asked, the two of you were taking a break on the roof of an apartment building.

You shrugged.

"They never call it a date but kinda, every once in a while" You said. "That's cool, kinda like you've got two mentors huh?" She asked and you once again shrugged.

"Hey, is everything okay? You seem off" She said and you sighed.

"Roy still won't pick up my calls or answer my texts so working with you feels, weird" You admitted.

"Why?" She asked.

"Cause he thinks you're his replacement" You answered.

"I kinda am"

"No, you're not. If he thinks I'm trying to replace him too then he'll never talk to me again" You explained.

"It doesn't look like he wants too, and honestly too bad for him. He seems like a jerk" She said.

"He's— He got his GED a couple years ago but everyday on my first day of school he'd come to pick me up. Dinah came with him the first time but the next year he came alone and we went out for lunch." You said, eyes glazing over.

"And you started school today" Artemis realized. You nodded.

"I wanted to hope I'd see him in one of Ollie's stupid convertibles but he didn't show" You said.

"Blue, I'm so sorry" She said. She sat down next to you on the edge of the building.

"How long has he been doing it?" She asked.

"Today would've been the fourth year. He was always like the big brother I never had. I used to be so uptight about rules and he taught me how to let go. He used to sneak me out of school, he—"

"He was your big brother" Artemis said, finishing your sentence.

"I just wish he would talk to me again" You confessed and Artemis thought back to the night after her first mission with the team.

Gotham City August 9, 01:16 EDT

Artemis walked out of the Gotham zeta-tube warrily. Someone was here.

She looked around, knocking her bow to face her would be attacker.

"Step into the light, now." She instructed and Red Arrow stepped out of the alley shadow.

"Nice move, it almost made me believe you are Green Arrow's niece. But we both know you're not" He said, approaching.

"Still I'm sure GA and Bats have a reason for lying, so your cover's safe but I warn you... Do not hurt my sibling or my friends." He threatened and walked away.

Star City August 31, 00:02 PDT

You wiped your eyes, though actual tears hadn't formed yet.

"I don't even know why I'm telling you all this. I mean no offence, but even my closest friends on the team don't know about that" You said and she smiled.

"Guess I'm one of those closest friends now" She said.

"I guess so" You agreed.

"So does that mean I get to know you're real name?" She asked and you chuckled.

"Yeah, no." You told her.

#reader insert #dc x reader #gn reader #gender neutral reader #yj x gender neutral reader #yj x reader #young justice x reader #metahuman reader #young justice #artemis #artemis young justice #roy harper #red arrow #shadow of a bluejay

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bratshaws · 10 months

Text

through the hourglass 175. brb x oc

a/n: im posting early cause my connection is oscillating like a mf and i can't risk it! Also, no rooster...and well,I'm gonna try something new next chapter so wish me luck??? (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!! they make my nights they really do<3)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: slight angst???

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

116/117/118/119/120/121/122/123/124/125/126/127/128/129/130/131/132/133/134/135/136/137/138/139/140/141/142/143/144/145/146/147

/148/149/150/151/152/153/154/155/156/157/158/159/160/161/162/163/164/165/166/167/168/169/170/171/172/173/174

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

taglist: @mirandastuckinthe80s @roosterschanelslut @wiipes @lcahwriter @novastories @gretagerwigsmuse @frenchtoastix

@lizzie-rdj @fanboyluvr @atarmychick007 @comebacktoearthpls

@peachiicherries @mak-32 @lizziespidiepridie @roosterswifey @ollyoxenfrees @piceous21 @sqrlgrl22 @hofficoffi @lexhalstead3 @lorilane33 @legendarydreamersharkparty @luckyladycreator2

@emilybradshaw @j-6o @louisahale @leobabbyyy @booklover2sblog @winter-run @ktjmac @graciereads @bigpoppajes @taytaylala12

@caitsymichelle13 @becks-things @caatheeriinee07 @fanboyswhore9 @jesfreedark @katiemcrae @lilmonstrjedi @hobiismyhopeu @teacupsandtopgun @insominac23 @gh0stsgoodgirl @mygyn @chavivaelisheva @kmc1989

Beatrice was having fun, honestly knowing she wouldn’t be able to work for a few months this was more than welcome.

She was also enjoying the snacks, what were they? She brings one close to her eyes while she chews the very same thing, Nicole looking up at her in question, “...I think…this has pepperoni, hmmm,it’s so good.” she is sitting in the shade, right next to Evelyn’s seat but she’s busy talking to her relatives right now.

Nicole tries to reach for her mother’s hand, trying to snag a bite “Okay, here,” she shoves her finger inside before pulling out a piece of cheese, small enough for Nicole to chew on it. She’s careful while doing so, but Nicole has proven she’s a Schiavoni because she adores cheese, “Nice,right? Hold on,Shells- oh.” the blonde comes back with a cheese platter, holding it up to Beatrice’s face “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” and she shoves another snack into her mouth, ‘Hm, this is so good. Evelyn is great with party foods.” she sits down next to Beatrice and Nicole, flicking her eyes when she sees the phone resting on Beatrice’s thigh, “You talked to Rooster?’

“I sent him a message, since we know that Ev will have a boy,I thought he’d like to know about that.” she smiles, “And because Hangman wouldn’t shut up about it, so.”

“Of course.” Shells mutters as she chews “Fuckin’ weird.”

“What?”

The blonde shrugs while crossing her legs by the knee, “I don’t know, you two are with kids, married - well, Ev will get married when Jake comes back,I think…and I don’t know, it feels like a lot more time passed than just four years.” she chuckles, “I mean, the second you and Rooster met, it was like this whole spiral of new shit came along too, not that I’m complaining,after all I got Bob. But…you know, it started with the two of you.”

Beatrice smiles, nodding in agreement. "You're right, it does feel like a lot has happened in such a short amount of time. Meeting Rooster definitely brought a whirlwind of change into my life, and I never expected to end up where I am now. But I wouldn't trade it for anything."

She takes a moment to reflect on their journey, her eyes softening with fondness. "From that first encounter in the bar…everything just fell into place. It was meant to be." Shels clears her throat quiet loudly, arching her brows so the brunette continues, “...and yes, you helped, a lot.”

“Thank you.I sure did. Because if I didn’t make you move, you’d both die pining one another.” she shakes her head as she leans back on her seat, “And hey, I just gave the first push, you did everything else and hooked him in.”

Beatrice rolled her eyes but she was grateful for Shells' bluntness. "You did give us that push, and I'll always be thankful for that.” ‘you are welcome’ Shells says, dipping her head forward “Sometimes, all it takes is a little nudge to set things in motion."

Nicole, who has been quietly snacking on another piece of cheese, looks up at Shells and Beatrice with an innocent expression. "Mama dada?” she questions as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, making Beatrice smile and kiss her temple.

“Yes,mama and dada.”

“That kid is going to be a menace when she’s older.”

“Hey,’ Bea narrows her eyes playfully, “It’s my daughter, excuse me?”

“She’s already talking, she's going to learn how to get your car keys at eleven. Just you wait.”

Beatrice blinked, staring at Shells as the party continued around them, “...did you steal a car at eleven?” Shells doesn’t reply, but she does drink her non-alcoholic punch while looking away. Honestly there were things in Shells’ life that Beatrice decides it’d be better to wonder than to think about. As she was about to question her again, she saw Evelyn approaching with a glass of water in her hand, “Hey, are you done socializing?”

“For now.” she sighs, flopping in the seat that’s between the two women, leaning back and kicking her shoes off, ‘Jesus, I can’t remember who was the last person I talked to. And they are all family.”

"Well, it's a big family gathering, Ev. It's hard to keep track of everyone. But hey, at least you got a break from the relatives for a moment. I know how bad it was when they found out about Nikki.”

“Aa!”

Evelyn takes a long sip of her water and lets out a content sigh. "True, true. As much as I love them, it can be a bit overwhelming at times.” she looks over to where her uncle Tom was, currently trying to show her younger cousins - and Jake’s young relatives- how to throw a baseball over the fence, “Mom!Uncle Tom has a baseball!”

Vivian’s smile drops, “He what-THOMAS! WHERE DID YOU GET THAT!”

The three of them just watch as Evelyn’s mother walks over to her brother and yanks it out of his hand, “...where did he get that anyway?” Bea asks quietly, “Did he bring it with him?”

“Most likely.” Evelyn mutters, “His favorite story is how he almost went to the big leagues but he chose to get married instead. Which my aunt say never happened. He is a lawyer through and through. Runs in the family.” she explains, “On my mom’s side at least…anyway are you okay?”

Beatrice looks up from Nicole to meet Evelyn’s brown eyes “Me?” her friend nods while still drinking water, “I’m okay! Why are you asking?”

“Because while we are both pregnant you are the one carrying two and a baby.” she smiles down at Nicole who just babbles something in reply, “You need anything? A better chair? Something comfier?”

“Oh,no,no,I’m fine.” Beatrice smiles, “Honestly I’m okay. This party is really helping me get my mind at ease, Rooster’s deployment has been a bit hard lately but…you know,” she plays with Nicole’s hand for a few seconds as her daughter enjoys her tiny piece of cheese before she looks ahead, ‘It’s manageable. I just want him to come back safe and it’s been only a few weeks apart?” she didn’t want to explain how anxious she was feeling even before the deployment, they didn’t need to worry about her like that.

Evelyn reaches out and places a comforting hand on Beatrice's arm, patting it twice. "I understand, Bea. Deployments are always tough,and honestly I’ve been feeling kinda iffy about Jake too." she mutters, ‘Mainly because he’s not here to know that the baby pumpkin will be a boy…well, as long as they decide to be, but I wish he was here.”

“How have you been handling it?”

Evelyn’s laugh is dry and a bit humorless, “Well…you know, this really helped. I was angry about changing the dates but I think it was better if I did this.” she smiles at a few family members, especially from Jake’s side, before letting her smile drop, “I do think we’ve been going good. Even my dad is helping.” she waves at her father, who smiles and waves back, before turning his attention to his brothers-in-law, “I know he’s been trying to…be more present. He’s going to be a grandpa now…speaking of which, how did your family react when you told them about the twins?”

“Yeah!” Shells says, “You never told us!”

Beatrice inhales softly, her mouth parting as she’s violently reminded of that day. She wanted to wait until her father was out of the hospital, and her siblings were all at home with them…she did fear making her father feel worse but it wasn’t that bad.

Well…

“...my mom fainted.” she mutters, ‘Um…Sabrina fainted,Leonardo fainted.” she frowns a bit, chewing her lower lip “But e-everyone else took really nicely and um, once my mom recovered she cried. A lot. A whole lot, oh wow she cried even more than in my wedding! Hah…um…” she does think it was a lot more dramatic than what she was telling her friends, but she was too traumatized to say it outloud.

Evelyn's eyes widen in surprise as Beatrice recounts her family's reaction. "Wow, that sounds intense. I mean, I knew having twins would be a big deal, but fainting and crying? That's... quite the response."

Shells leans forward, her curiosity piqued. "What about your dad? How did he take the news?"

Beatrice's expression softens as she thinks about her father's reaction. "Well, my dad wasn’t in the hospital at the time, which made it a lot easier. When I told him about the twins, his eyes filled with tears, and he just hugged me tightly. He kept saying how happy he was. It was such a beautiful moment… and my mom cried again. She cried um…a lot."

Evelyn smiles warmly, holding her head up with a hand and propping her elbow on her knee. "I met your mom, she's just really emotional when it comes to these things. And I’m glad your dad was happy too…and your siblings?"

“Oh they are all the same. Except Michael,I think he knew from the spot.” she shrugged, leaning back on her seat and holding Nicole on her chest, being mindful of her growing bump, “It was…nice? They are checking on me too,and I forgot to tell Roos about it damn.”

“Dam!”

“W-no! Nikki that’s a bad word!” Beatrice’s panicked stare was only broken when her daughter covered her mouth to giggle, “Oh god,I can’t even imagine once she starts repeating Rooster’s words.” she sighs, looking down at her diaper “I need to change her,” she’s already standing up and stares at Evelyn because she has no idea where the bathroom is at her parents’ house, “Ev, can you um–”

“No worries.” her friend stands up with a grunt, squinting her eyes while setting her empty glass aside, “Follow me.”

Evelyn leads the way, guiding Beatrice through the bustling party towards the bathroom. It does take a while to get there since some of the party goers now paid attention to Beatrice and Nicole. Nikki, of course, loved the attention and just cooed and gurgled at everyone who smiled at her. Luckily it doesn’t take long for them to leave the commotion, with Beatrice following closely behind, cradling Nicole in her arms and grateful for Evelyn's assistance.

As they walk, Evelyn looks over her shoulder and smiles reassuringly at Beatrice. "Does she need anything?"

Beatrice returns the smile, feeling a sense of relief wash over her, shaking her head. "Thank you, Ev.But no, I got everything in here." she lifts the shoulder that holds the bag strap, “I just need a clean space to do it.”

Evelyn reaches the bathroom door and holds it open for Beatrice. "Alright,I might stay here…I kinda need a break for everyone else if that’s okay?"

Beatrice nods understandingly. "Of course, Ev. Take all the time you need.It won’t be a bother."

Evelyn smiles gratefully and steps aside, letting Beatrice enter the bathroom with Nicole in her arms. "Thanks, Bea. I'll be right outside if you need anything. Just give me a shout."

With that, Evelyn closes the door behind Beatrice, leaving her to tend to Nicole in privacy. Beatrice finds a clean, spacious area to lay down a changing mat and gently places Nicole on it. She takes a moment to take a deep breath, appreciating the quietness of the bathroom compared to the lively party outside. Not that she’s complaining, I mean, she could handle her own family, but with her mind going so fast it was better to focus.

As she carefully removes Nicole's diaper and begins the process of changing her, Beatrice reflects on the events of the day. It's been a good day so far, she talked to Rooster and now she’s enjoying a party! It could be much worse.

Nicole babbles happily, seemingly unaware of the commotion happening beyond the bathroom door. Beatrice smiles at her daughter, taking her time, ensuring that Nicole is clean and comfortable before carefully securing a fresh diaper in place. Nicole babbles some more, kicking her little legs so much Beatrice has to hold one of them, “Nikki, just let me fix your skirt at least.”

Rebellion.

Nicole just moved her legs even more,giggling and loving how her mother’s face went from calm to exasperatedly amused until she couldn’t help but laugh, “You, are terrible.” and she tickles the baby’s tummy, “You are just like your father. You two have a way to making me laugh and forget every bad thing that goes on in my brain.” she whispers, knowing Evelyn was right outside.

Beatrice’s smile drops and she sighs, the anxiety was still there, gnawing at her spine, whispering things she didn’t want to hear nor think about. “It’s fine. It’s all fine.” she whispers, closing her eyes and clenching her jaw, quickly meeting her reflection and smiling - the best she could- “It’s all good. I talked to him today so it’s fine…anyway.”

Beatrice scoops Nicole up into her arms, cradling her close, burying her nose in her daughter’s hair and closing her eyes again, “It’s fine.” she bounces on the spot a bit, trying to get rid of the nerves, “God,it’s fine. Why am I like this?”. She pulls back and takes a moment to admire her daughter's tiny features, feeling a surge of love and protectiveness wash over her. "You're such a precious little girl, Nicole.” her daughter blinks up at her, “Yes you are.” she feels the sting of tears but holds it back the best way that she can.

As Beatrice holds Nicole in her arms, she finds solace in the unconditional love that emanates from her daughter. Nicole's innocent gaze and infectious smile bring a sense of joy and peace to Beatrice's heart, even in moments of doubt and anxiety.

Like right now.

Gently swaying back and forth, Beatrice takes a deep breath, willing herself to find calm amidst the storm of emotions. She reminds herself that she has a support system in place, both with Rooster and her friends like Evelyn and Shells, who are there for her during this challenging time. “Oh boy, okay.” she turns on her heel to walk out of the bathroom, once she feels she’s okay enough and meets Evelyn there.

Her friend was leaning against the wall, this time with her arms crossed and eyes distant, “Um,Ev?” she snaps the tall woman out of her thoughts because she physically jumped, “Sorry,I uh,we’re finished.”

Evelyn blinks, momentarily caught off guard by Beatrice's voice. She quickly regains her composure and pushes herself away from the wall, offering Beatrice a warm smile. "Oh, sorry about that. Lost in my thoughts for a moment. How's everything with Nicole?"

Beatrice returns the smile, her own expression a bit confused. "She's doing great. Just a little rebel, this one." She holds Nicole up for Evelyn to see, who immediately breaks into a grin while kicking her small legs, “Look at that.”.

"She takes after her parents, I see," Evelyn chuckles. "Well, I'm glad everything went smoothly. Are you feeling alright?"

Beatrice nods, her voice steady but her eyes are still on Nicole and she takes the time to adjust the bag strap on her shoulder "Anxiety acting up, nothing more."

“...can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, sure!”

Evelyn chews the inside of her cheek, going back to crossing her arms, “...how do you feel about this deployment?” she questions quietly, “I want to ask Shells but you know how she’ll be,” and she makes a movement with her hand, something akin to ‘what the hell’ and rolling her eyes, “She won’t give me a straight answer…but you will. I am anxious as well,Bea…and I’ve handled deployment a lot.” she flicks her gaze to Cyclone’s picture on the wall, the crisp white uniform appearing even brighter under the light, “But this one…I don’t know, something feels off.”

And Beatrice hated it because it feels like it.

“Listen,ugh,’ Evelyn rubbed the bridge of her nose, “Sorry, sorry,I don’t want to add to it. I’m just…I don’t have anyone to share my worries with. My mom…she’s more used to it than I am but–” and Evelyn goes back to leaning on the wall, this time Beatrice joins her, with Nicole still babbling happily with her head on Bea’s shoulder, “...feels off doesn’t it?”

She didn’t want to admit it, “...it does.”

“They’ll be okay.”

“I know. They will.”

‘Then why,” Evelyn begins, throwing her hands up, “Why are we nervous like this?”

“Well,I don’t know about you but my anxiety never really left…I think it’s worse because of the pregnancy.” she suggests, clearly not knowing it either, “But…we are still talking to them, you know? And…and knowing more about what’s been going on, within the rules of course, so…maybe it’s the hormones.”

“...makes sense.”

“Yeah! They are good at what they do.” Was she really comforting Evelyn and not vice-versa? Is this an alternative universe??? “And I know they’ll be okay…especially now.” she inhales softly, then shakes her head, “Anyway, let’s go back to the party, yeah?I’m sure your family is worried sick about you now.” she places a hand on Evelyn’s shoulder, this time leading her back instead. “I think we’ll both need this more than we know”

She does wait for Evelyn to walk out first, taking a few minutes to breathe and close her eyes, only opening when she feels good enough. She knows they’ll be alright, but she doesn’t really mind when she pulls out her phone to write him a message.

I love you. I know you’ll do good. Stay safe Roos.

#bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x oc #top gun maverick #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw x female reader #bradley bradshaw x named reader #tgm oc #tgm fic #tgm fanfiction

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perpetualproductions · 1 month

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About my "Never Be The Same" (NBTS) Limoreau fic:

Just realized I've been mentioning it but did really go into what it's about/the basic idea of it. I've been writing this fic since January when a friend convinced me I should write it. It's the Limoreau/Gen V fic I wanted to read, and I had never really written a fic (that I planned on posting) before, which is why I've been holding on to it/working for a while now. I want it to actually be good. Or at least consumable, lol.

↓

So yeah, basically, it's a cannon divergence from the finale of the first season (no white room), basically picks up a couple of days after the events of the finale. I wanted to write a fic about what it would be like if they had a chance at a "normal" life. Or as normal as it can be. Vought still exists and they're still a bunch of bastards, but Jordan and Marie's goals are no longer aligned with wanting to be in The Seven. Emma has a chance to do things how she wants to (none of the bullshit with her mom and Vought). And Andre also has an interesting arc going on imo.

It's gonna be a long, multi chapter fic. There will be time skips. Basically working our way through their lives, with a special focus on Marie and Jordan and how their relationship unfolds as they grow up and find their places in the world, growing into their own people and all that jazz. There will be angst!!! So much that I start out with a lot of soft fluff shit, lol. But by chapter 6 / 7 angst starts coming in full force. Which is fun for me, but yeah. There will be tears, I apologize.

So yeah, we're (Jordan and Marie) will go through some shit, but don't worry, eventually things even out and we get to see how they are together as proper adults with, like, fully developed brains and maybe some therapy skills. We love that for them.

Emma's gonna be fine. Doing great actually. She deserves it.

And I don't want to give too much away about Andre quite yet. Gonna have to wait and see for that.

(Vought being a bastard is a big theme in the first saga [for lack of a better term], but we deal with that too, trust.)

(right place, wrong time, is also an overarching theme for the lovely couple.)

That's about as much as I can say to sell you on reading this fic, lol. I've just been working really hard on it and I've had a lot of support and help from a good friend ( @paperdoll201 , love you 💜) along the way. And according to them it's a good read so far, which is great to know. So yeah, like I said before I'm gonna start releasing chapters after I reach a certain checkpoint in the story (when the angst hits hard), which is basically already done with. (like a chapter or two left to write).

So I think I can say with certainty that I'll start releasing chapters sometime next month. So I hope it's worth the wait and the hype I'm giving it, lol. Even if it's not, I hope at least someone enjoys the read. This ship has me by the neck, I'm only doing what the dreams are telling me to do.

(there's also a playlist attached that I'm working on organizing so you can get those vibes . Lol.)

Keep writing. Keep reading.

Much love. 😎👍❤️

-PB

[P.s. check out my Masterlist for all the fic stuff I've made/ am currently working on]

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kimberlyannharts · 4 months

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Ranger Academy: The First Arc

So! Ranger Academy has given us four issues, and as we're getting a break next month, these four issues are clearly meant to be seen as the first arc or chapter of the story. While I didn't really expect to give this series most of my attention, apparently I do have a lot to say about it, so let's discuss these four issues and my thoughts on the series so far.

Ranger Academy's kind of in a weird place, at least from my experience. As far as I'm aware, there's really not much discussion or hype for it in the fandom? Which, in some way, makes sense - the series is completely disconnected from the main series and from the beginning was stated to be skewed more towards younger readers; almost as an introduction to Power Rangers as a whole. And it does that job well......for the most part.

Before I get to the writing though, I just want to take a minute to highlight the art, since I don't talk about it enough in my recaps/other discussions. It's great! Drawn by Jo Mi-Gyeong and colored by Fabiana Mascolo, the art for the PR comics in general continues to be a high point. Every character, even the background teachers, have a distinct memorable design with a lot of personality in their poses and gestures, and the numerous settings we've already gotten - Sage's moon home, Ranger Academy's different campuses, the planet Chromia - all look fantastic. My only nitpicks would be I wish we got more non-humanoid cadets, and sometimes the way faces are drawn in profile look a little odd - especially when they have their mouths open - but those are nitpicks.

When it comes to the writing, things get a little trickier. For the most part, I think the story is good. The basic premise to all this in case you're new: a young girl named Sage lives on a remote moon with only her adopted father Rhianth and a herd of weird goat-like creatures. One day two cadets from the titular Ranger Academy, Mathis and Tula, crash-land on the moon and tell her about the Academy. Sick of living alone under her father's rules and wanting adventure, Sage stows along with them on their return journey and becomes an official student. So now instead of herding goats, she's making new friends, discovering secrets of the Academy, how her father connects to all this, and becoming a Power Ranger.

As I said, I think this is a solid premise for Boom's first ever completely original Power Rangers book (I count Power Rangers Universe as a sort of test-run for original stories, but that was still pretty connected to the main series and using established canon concepts.) The mysteries they've introduced, such as the lost Green campus, the implication that certain Ranger colors were purposefully erased from history, Rhianth's past, and Tula's interest in these secrets, all help build on the somewhat basic premise and are slowly giving the book its own identity. Sage herself is a very likable and relatable protagonist; a kid wanting more out of her lonely, isolated life so she takes the first opportunity she can to escape, but is now realizing that it's not going to be some fun adventure. The supporting cast is a little underdeveloped, but everyone's perfectly likable and I'm interested in seeing how they grow. I think for me there are two main problems that drag the book down: the setting itself being underdeveloped and the Ranger alumni cameos.

Ranger Academy itself? Meh

A criticism that immediately came out following the book's release, that I agree with for the most part, is the book pretty much follows the structure of a "magic school" story to a T. A "normal" kid who wants more out of life gets thrust into this new world by some kind of outside force. The school has a category system where kids get put into select campuses based on personality or skills. The main character doesn't fit in with everyone else until they find some friends to take care of them. There are secrets about the school that are being kept from the students, and secrets of the main character's family being hidden from them. Also, there's a bully.

During my first read of the issues, I agreed that this was a detriment to the book, but now rereading it again, I think the problem is less that the book follows these tropes and more that it speeds through these tropes REALLY QUICKLY. You can tell they want to move things along to the good stuff where Sage morphs, and I understand why - this is a Power Rangers book, and people want to see Power Rangers. But at the same time, you really don't get much of a chance to get to know the school outside of its basic layout of its campuses and that the headmaster is literally a giant floating head. You don't learn any of the non-cameo teachers' names, outside of the librarian, and that's mostly because he was part of Rhianth's old friend group. You see some of the classes Sage has to take, but there's no discussion on if each color campus focuses on a particular subject. We establish that first years are on a rotation schedule of attending classes in a different color campus each day, but what's the difference between classes in the Blue Campus and classes in the Pink?

Now this might seem trivial, and it kind of is. It does help the reader feel Sage's overwhelming new situation by not giving her, and therefore the reader, the full picture. And there's nothing saying that these concepts won't get developed down the road. Sage has three and a half years left of school, after all, assuming the book continues long enough to cover that length of time. But when it comes to these kinds of stories, the school's operation is a huge part of the charm - what makes THIS magic school stand out against all the others on the YA shelf? You basically have to turn the school itself into a character. Hogwarts is so iconic because that series does this perfectly. Ranger Academy simply doesn't have that yet - it still just feels like a generic school, really an army training camp more than anything due to the hostage negotiation and survival classes she takes, with nothing to make it stand out except for the promise that we'll get to actual Power Rangers stuff soon.

Oh, and.....the cameos.

The Cameos

So.....yeah. This is a big one for me. I think there's time for the series to fix my issue of the school itself feeling underdeveloped, but it's already too late for the cameos

Back when Ranger Academy was first being advertised, they were quick to show off that the book could cameo any ranger at any point in the franchise - the book itself accomplishes this through the Rangers using tubes as a sort of interplanetary, interdimensional Zoom........or just kind of.....showing up, as is the case with Cruger, Yale, and Katie. (I don't really know what constitutes a cameo physically being there as opposed to a tube hologram. It's another thing the book hasn't explained the rules for yet.) And for the most part, this is a fine idea. It makes sense, and fun for the simple novelty of "look!! it's my blorbo!!!" that no one is immune to.

But they get more and more out of place as the story of Ranger Academy starts to pick up.

Like I said before, the book is starting to hint that the school only having five colors isn't COMPLETELY MMPR pandering - the school is, indeed, intentionally erasing certain Ranger colors from their students' awareness. As someone who would love for the big twist to be this school and its system is inherently corrupt, this is a good start.

HOWEVER. In order to make this work, you have to assume that a) the Ranger histories that the students learn about just don't mention ANY rangers that aren't red, blue, black, pink, or yellow and b) the Ranger alumni who teach there don't mention them either. And that's just too much for me to believe, I'm sorry. For some colors like orange and white, maybe, but gold? Silver? GREEN???????? There are too many of those guys to believe they can get covered up. And I really don't see the ranger alumni being okay with erasing their teammates from history. Green is the third-highest ranking at SPD. Hello? SPD? I think these guys would have heard of SPD? Since Cruger teaches there? (And if not at school then certainly once they're out and traveling the galaxy.)

I've mentioned before that the cameos are starting to feel more like a higher-up mandate than something the author chose to do, and that'll only be supported by a lack of explanation as to how this works with the narrative they're weaving AND if none of the cameo rangers actually.......play a real part in all this. Not that I want the canon characters to overshadow the new characters, but it would feel like kind of a letdown to have access to ALL of these characters and not give them anything to do besides generic exposition (there's really nothing specific to their characters in.....ANY of the cameos' dialogue, besides the five hundredth "uh, is that a CAT???????" joke with Yale.) or not take the chance to develop some of them by, say, assigning them a mentorship role to a specific student. I LOVE seeing Katie, after BOOM kind of ignores her in favor of Jen, but is all she going to amount to is being their bus driver? I didn't even realize it was her until people pointed out that they called her Professor Walker. Nothing about her suggested that she was Katie. So I worry about the aforementioned "it's my blorbo" novelty to wear out pretty fast if the cameos start to feel more and more like just fanservice for people to post about online.

But overall.....it's fine. I'm going to keep reading, and we'll see where this goes. I don't think everyone will like this - as seen by how I barely see anyone talking about it lol. But I'm cautiously optimistic now that we're getting into the meat of things with Sage's new, FORBIDDEN!!!!!!!!! color.

(Just don't bring in Dark Specter oh god please)

Misc Thoughts:

= For all the build-up that the First Trial would be this HORRIBLE LIFE-THREATENING OH GOD HELP ME event, it was actually pretty...lowkey. They literally had no trouble until someone broke their ankle, which....could happen anywhere, at any time. Fern did that, you ain't special. We didn't even see any of those cool monsters they kept bringing up

= So after all my confusion about when and where this series is set, going back in my reread helped me notice that there IS a clue towards setting in a scene where Sage is going through yearbooks: a shelf labeled "Class of [X]498" (the first number is obscured by one of Sage's narration boxes.) So it's.....tentatively set in the far future of the PR universe?

= I've said it before that I don't blame the author for apparently not knowing that previously the books established Xybrians like Kartyr follow a name pattern of a one-syllable word (Trip, Star, Ace, Trek, etc) but it is a little funny to imagine the possibilities. Jerk, Dick, Twerp

= I think a joke could have been done with Cruger, a dog, and Yale, a cat, being in the same room together

= I hate that the Academy was founded by Zordon. It's too low-hanging fruit for me. I'll say it again that I wish it could have just been founded by some OC team

= #Lindy4Orange2024 and FUCK the Bandorian Monks!

#mmpr comic #text #comic recap #...sort of.#RA

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