#:( he really wore yellow like this .... i feel sad

[folkookie97]

❝ twisted in bedsheets ❞ — jjk

— PAIRING: ex boyfriend!jungkook x female!reader

— SUMMARY: ❝ An affair with your ex who's your children's dad isn't a good idea. Especially when he's about to get married. ❞

— TYPE: angst | non-idol!au

— WORD COUNT: 2,617

— WARNINGS: Past/Secret relationship, Cheating, Coparenting, Husband!Taehyung, Jungkook has a fiancée, Mention of (2) Unplanned Pregnancy, Slight Toxic!relationship, Curses, Sad/Open(?) ending, Inspired by August & Illicit Affairs (Taylor Swift), Mention of brother!Namjoon, Mention of Marriage Convenience, Argument

— NOTES: i hope u like it <3 happy birthday to our bunny

— RELEASE DATE: September 01, 2023

— CROSSPOSTING: ao3

Forgiveness is inevitable for our individual evolution. It's necessary in any religion or even in psychology, which emphasizes the importance of that attitude and feeling so that we can have a better life.

Could that be the reason why things were so complicated?

Your brother used to say that you had extreme difficulty in overcoming certain situations, especially when people harmed you. It was as if you didn't care about their remorse. Even when years passed it was like you focused on the pain felt by your past self and refused to forget what they'd done.

Whenever Namjoon said that you would roll your eyes and vehemently deny it. Not only due to the discomfort of acknowledging a possible red flag but also because you didn't see yourself that way.

At least until that day.

"I'm seeing you received his wedding invitation." You felt a kiss on your face as Taehyung entered the living room accompanied by your two children, who didn't waste any time jumping onto your lap and showering you with hugs.

With your head still slightly sore, you returned the affection and watched the two kids running towards their bedrooms.

"How did you know he was engaged?"

The sigh that escaped Taehyung's lips increased your irritation. You made an effort to not rush him as you continued analyzing the expressions on his face. You noticed everything from the subtle bite he gave to his upper lip to the furrowing of his brows.

"He mentioned it to me."

You definitely didn't expect that. Anything was possible except for that.

What the hell was going on?

"Wow, amazing! You and Jungkook become fucking friends again?" You screamed and laughed sarcastically at the same time. "How'd it happen?"

Taehyung trembled at your voice's volume. He never saw you so stressed before. Yelling at him wasn't your style. Like never.

"My darling..." He attempted, sitting beside you and trying to get closer. Despite knowing the reason for your anger, Taehyung wasn't ready for the blow to his heart as he saw you move your body further into the sofa's corner. Away from him. "(Y/N), stop it…"

"Tell me that shit right now or I swear I'll sleep somewhere else tonight."

You didn't want your words to sound so offensive. You were even trying hard.

However, Taehyung knew you well. He knew you all too well. You couldn't fault him for being such an amazing husband.

You changed the question when the silence hung too long, "Why'd you keep this from me?"

“I was afraid you'd wanna be in his bride's shoes."

At that moment you knew Taehyung was correct even with such selfishness.

You really wanted to be in Jihyo's shoes.

You wanted to be Jeon Jungkook's future wife.

After so many years. You still wanted him back.

Resentment. Anger. Jealousy. Envy. Sadness.

Those were the feelings that took over your heart when Jungkook's messages showed up on your phone screen.

"Can you meet me at the snack bar near your house in half an hour? It's about my wedding. Take the twins if you can."

You rolled your eyes with an urge to send him to hell fucking strong.

So it was hard to believe that you were really fighting the intrusive thoughts and getting the twins ready for the meet.

Ivy wore a pink dress detailed with sunflowers and yellow shoes. The little hair bow was the same color as the flowers and contrasted with the dark tone of her hair strands.

Dressing Oliver was always a hard situation so you chose didn't stress yourself more than usual. You gave way to the little boy's desire to wear a simple Spider-Man costume and Iron Man flip flops.

You looked around for Jungkook when you arrived at the snack bar but couldn't find him anywhere. Rolling your eyes and biting your lip to push away the anger starting creeping into your veins, you decided to sit with the kids at a table farther away and near the large window.

The bell on the entrance door rang once again after you ordered a portion of French fries and hurried footsteps ran towards the three of you.

"Did you already order without me?"

Tears were already welling up in the corners of your eyes before you could muster efforts to contain the pain in your heart. The warmth of the liquid reminds you how pathetic you'd seem if you cried in front of him.

You couldn't show weakness.

"Hey, Jungkook. I see you're late... As usual." You commented and saw your children leave their seats to hug his waist and hug him. That damn tiny waist.

"Don't be so mean, my angel. You know I'd never be late on purpose."

His sarcastic smile caused a frown on your face. He was such an arrogant bitch.

Jungkook whispered something to Ivy and Oliver, who nodded with their little heads and hurried to the snack bar background where you knew there were some small tables with blank sheets of paper and colored pencils to draw with.

The owners of that place understood how great it was having a space to entertain customers' children. No one liked seeing kids witnessing adult arguments.

"Why'd you ask me to bring them if you just sent them to drawing?"

"I just miss my children, (Y/N). They're mine too, you forget?"

He didn't say it with a rude tone but a guilt feeling hit you instantly. Even though you knew he wasn't blaming you for those trip days, you were aware that Jungkook would miss the twins a lot and yet you refused to let them being at his house.

"How were the days in London? Business trips are usually quite tiring and I-" You cut off him when he sat across from you. Was he beating around the bush?

"What the hell, Jungkook? You call me here to talk about my work at my dad's company or talk about your fucking wedding?"

It was his turn to rolling eyes and wrinkling his nose while he noticed your impatience. You looked like a cartoon character with your flushed face, furrowed forehead and lips being bitten to avoid more shouting.

If he tried a bit harder certainly he'd glimpse flames coming out of your body. Really like a common facial expression in comics cartoons.

"Wow! Looks like you aren't happy for me."

"And how could I be?" You chuckled with a heavy dose of sarcasm. He couldn't be serious. He'd be cruel as hell. "Why are you marrying Jihyo?"

"Cuz I'm in love with her." Jungkook shrugged as if that were the most obvious answer in the whole world.

For the hundredth time since the wedding invitation papers landed in your hands, you rolled your eyes and felt the urge to grab him by the neck until he dropped dead.

"You didn't look so badly in love with her like that when you were eating me out before my trip just like a dumb needy virgin." You took the initiative to curl your lips into a mocking smile and Jungkook widened his eyes on your sharp words.

"Don't say that." He warned you with a sound coming out much rougher than you anticipated.

Instead of containing the venom dripping through your teeth, you continued the session of criticizing the character of the man in front of you.

"Actually, you didn't look to love her in any of so many nights we've fucking these last three years. But I think you loved moaning my name when I was creaming around your cock and also when you cumshot in my face. And maybe when-"

Your mind stopped processing any more humiliations when Jungkook punched the table and all the decorations placed there rattled, just like the instantaneous movement of your body.

It'd been a single punch. Very quick. But you couldn't help but feel scared in Jungkook's presence for the first time in all those years of going back and forth.

The silence between you two lasted for just three minutes although a discomfort in your chest felt like it hung there for almost an eternity. Slowly you looked at him; his trembling lips and eyebrows frowned. Almost like he was about to cry.

Anything about that sounded impossible to you. Jeon Jungkook never cried easily. Why was he so broken?

"Jihyo's pregnant…" The news came along with a few tears in the corners of his shining eyes.

You definitely weren't expecting this. He knew you weren't because whilst you were trying to come up with something to say Jungkook was faster and cut off anything you could think of.

"Taehyung found her a few days ago at the mall while he was there with Ivy and Oliver. She was buying baby clothes and he saw her briefly."

"It was the day he told me that you asked him to see the kids at your house before the agreed-upon time." You said more like thinking out loud. Jungkook nodded in agreement.

"He got really confused so he came to my house and wanted to confront me. I left the kids playing in their room and sat with him in the kitchen." Jungkook fiddled with his own hands studying the collection of tattoos on his skin with as much interest as he had when he got it. "I told him that I knew about it a few days before. Tell him about the wedding wasn't in my plans but he noticed my engagement ring."

There was so much to ask and so little courage to do it. Your mind was boiling with desperation and your heart felt shattered into pieces.

Goddamn fucking fate!

"How many weeks of pregnancy is she?" You allowed yourself to ask, not interested in more minutes of painful silence..

"Sixteen," Jungkook replied. Sixteen weeks! Four damn months! "It's a little girl. She'll be named Liz."

You clenched your teeth remembering the reason behind the choice of her name.

"Before our breakup you used to say your dream was having a daughter named Liz." You reminded him and he swallowed hard realizing that memory remained fresh in your mind even the years that passed.

"Yeah… But when you were pregnant it was you who chose the name Ivy, so I thought-" Jungkook stopped talking and widened his eyes noticing what he'd just said. "But I love our daughter's name! It's so beautiful!"

You almost wanna laugh remembering how upset he was when saw your pregnancy belly and found out that you hid the pregnancy from him. Annoyance for your secret turned to happiness after a few minutes of civil conversation. And it turned into shock when you told him it wasn't a common pregnancy but a twins pregnancy. He went back to being happy when you told him about the babies' genders and he went back to being upset when heard you say that you'd already decided the babies' names on your own.

And the little girl wasn't named Liz as he always dreamed.

“Well, you know… maybe if I'd chosen the name Liz instead of Ivy you might have changed your mind about us and our relationship."

It wasn't true. You loved your daughter's name and could never imagine it any other way. You were just hating the perks in Jihyo's life and the fake "perfect love" she swore existed between both of them.

"My angel… you know you were already engaged to Taehyung. He's… He was my best friend. I couldn't act that way. I couldn't go against your families' desire to see you two get married."

"It was just for the company's sake, Jungkook! Just for the reputation of Taehyung's family and mine!" You fumed and clenching fists before running the fingers through your head, where you tugged a few hair strands overly desperate.

"I don't give a fuck about that bullshit! It's because Taehyung loves you! HE ALWAYS LOVED YOU!"

If you and Jungkook weren't such frequent customers in that establishment, surely the owners of the place would tell you two to leave the instant Jungkook punched the table for the second time.

Though Ivy and Oliver remained quiet drawing in the other room, you knew your children well enough to know they were covering their ears when they both saw their dad so furious with you.

For that one reason you stared at Jungkook. Eye to eye. Tears to tears.

The resentment was high. However, it wasn't strong enough for your pride worthed more than your children's mental health. Jungkook looked like he shared the same thought and tried to normalize his breathing and clear his mind. He adjusted himself in the chair until his posture was more relaxed.

"Love you, my angel. I swear I love you with all my soul and I think that my love for you can never go away." Jungkook looked like he was about to break. "But it's not fair."

His voice came in trembling whispers and his eyes were teary as you've never seen it. "It's not fair to Taehyung, it's not fair to Jihyo, or our twins, or Liz. Much less to us. Me and you. We don't deserve to live like this."

Deep down, you knew it was true. And that hurt more than if you were lied to.

"So are we done again?"

You never really started over. Everything should've ended after the casual fuck when you found out your father wanted you and his business partner's son to get married.

Jungkook swore to himself that he was happy as a single man and you swore to yourself that Taehyung would be an excellent husband and dad, even if you didn't love him.

But then when Jungkook got back from his exchange in Canada everything snowballed. He found out about your pregnancy and the fact the child was the result of the drunken reunion you two had a few months after the breakup.

As if everything couldn't be more desperate, you were actually gonna marry his best friend the next quarter.

Taking on responsible fatherhood and coparenting was all he promised to you. The whole coexistence between you two should be only for the twins.

Of course it didn't go as planned. He was angry seeing you in a fake marriage with Taehyung, who still laid with you every night despite loving you with all his heart and not being reciprocated.

His self-control lasted just for three years until the desire to feel you again took over, and after Ivy and Oliver's third birthday party you two fucked for the first time since the night that reconnected your lives.

Jungkook knew you confessed the first cheating to your husband and he also knew that he could ask for a divorce. However, Taehyung loved you enough to remain a second option and only get out of your life if your true love asked you to come back.

But Jungkook never did it. Because of the fear of spoiling your life. Because of the fear of hurting Taehyung's heart. Because of the fear of being a bad example for your children.

The affair between you has never ceased during the last three years. Not even when he forced himself into a relationship with Jihyo to try getting over you.

He wasn't proud of it. Deep down, you weren't either.

And Jungkook couldn't allow himself to fail one more time.

"You were never mine to lose.“ It's the confirmation you needed. It was over. You and Jungkook were done.

On that August 31st you knew Jungkook was no longer the target of your anger. It was yourself.

And you would never forgive yourself for getting twisted in bedsheets of someone that were never yours.

#jeon jungkook x reader #jungkook x reader #jungkook x you #jungkook x female reader #jungkook x y/n #bts scenarios #bts x female reader #bts x you #bts x reader #jungkook angst #bts angst #jungkook scenarios #jungkook drabble #bts drabble #jungkook au #jungkook imagine #jungkook oneshot #jungkook fanfic #jungkook ff #jk x reader #jeon jungkook x you #jungkook bts #bts one shot #bts fanfic #bts imagines #bts au #taehyung x reader #jeon jungkook #jungkook #bts

[afairytalestray]

OK so on Saturday I got to go to Milan to see the Cats Il Sistina tour and HOLY GOD IT WAS AWESOME. I'm glad I studied the character designs in advance because a lot of the costumes are really different. I'm not typically a huge fan of nonreplicas but Il Sistina may well change that!

I've compiled my thoughts on the show here! Nb, I do not speak Italian so I'm not sure how close to the original lyrics the translation is 😅

There were no green goggles, but the Cats did come in through the audience. I had an aisle seat and Cassandra walked right past me! She was right there and so beautiful omg.

I've gotta get in right at the start that Simone Ragozzino is my new all-time favourite Mungojerrie. The most ever! A little guy. He got most of the acrobatics that Tumblebrutus usually does - apparently Simone used to be an acrobat/gymnast so that makes sense. He and Rumpleteazer were sufficiently chaotic but also clearly valued and beloved members of the tribe. Idk man Simone just got it. Tumble-jerrie ftw. 

The cathedral from "round the cathedral" was changed to a Colosseum reference which I loved 😍

I'm obsessed with Demeter’s makeup from this tour actually. I'm personally not the biggest fan of cryptid-style makeup and looks in Cats in general, but I feel like Deme was balancing just on the edge and it really worked and I loved it. Maybe it was Viviana Salvo's acting as well - she was fabulous at toeing that line between stunning and unnerving!

Tugger and Munkustrap were super close! Munk was less annoyed by Tugger’s antics than normal and they did this thing at one point where Tugger was holding onto Munk who leant fully backwards off the edge of the stage - it was like a trust exercise and I was a fan. Their rendition of Old Deuteronomy was lovely and their voices worked so good together! Tugger was definitely Munkustrap’s second in command of the tribe. I wish Tugger was a bit more Tugger in appearance, he seemed very yellow with not a lot of detail on his costume, but the personality was hundo p present and accounted for. He did the "bite is worse than your bark" line in Jellicle Songs and legit barked at the end.

Jennyanydots was fabulous! Instead of a big coat she literally wore a giant ball of wool, and one of the props was giant knitting needles and the start of what might have been a giant scarf - it took 6 of the Cats to carry it. It actually worked super well for Milan, which is known for fashion and fabrics - there's even a giant sewing needle sculpture outside Cadorna Station! It was probably a happy coincidence but I enjoyed it!

Victoria's role was changed quite a bit, her solo was totally different and the pas de deux was gone. There also kinda just... wasn't the big small first touch Vic and Grizabella moment, which I was sad about, but if Griz's big moment wasn't "TOUCH MEEEEEE" in the translation, I'm not so bothered by it. I wish Vic had a bit bigger of a role because I love her, but she was killing it whenever she was on stage.

We are all stan pink Jemima, she had such a lovely voice too. Her and Alonzo were playing with a tennis ball during the interval and it was adorable.

My beloved Coricopat and Tantomile were lying in the Mouth of Truth prop after Moments of Happiness; they had their usual role of translating Old Doots through Jemima so I thought their placement here was deliberate! They weren't always fully in sync which I kinda liked, it was like they were allowed to be their own characters rather than just "the twins". I definitely got the impression that Tantomile was the older sister which hella backs up my hcs about her!

Gus was absolutely WILD. He comes in after Jellylorum has done her whole first part of the song in this raggedy old tradiotional Sherlock Holmes-style beige plaid coat instead of being there but kinda out of it the whole time. At first he wasnt keen on replaying any of his roles, but then all the others were like please please please and he relented. I think they were calling him (or his role) Romero? Idk if that's an Italian reference I just don't get? They did Pekes and Pollicles (one of the above had been changed to chihuahuas!) and then the bold Rumpus/Romero appeared... in a red satin bath robe and holding a sabre??? I need to look up this reference! Dude didn't just intimidate the pollicles, he straight up cut a couple of them down with his sword! Grandpa woke up and chose violence 😂

There was no trash train in Skimbleshanks 😭😭 there were giant glowstick things that changed colours though. Skimble and Bustopher were played by the same actor which is a combo I haven't seen before. Skimble was definitely still everyone's favourite train dad, all the characters were totally hyped for his song. HE DID TAP LIKE IN 2019. It was really cool how they did it, all the music stopped and he started a call and response tap dance with some of the other characters. The background showed an animated video of going through a train tunnel, like from the perspective of a train driver! The tap was gradually speeding up and became the sound effects of a train setting off and moving through the tunnel. I'm not explaining this super well but it was SO cool.

The Macavity Fight was quite different. There wasn't him disguised as Old Deuteronomy and then unmasked. What happened was he showed up and caused some shenanigans and then disappeared. There were about 4 of him around, so it looked like he was teleporting around the stage and audience! Bombalurina and Demeter performed his song which was absolutely fantastic (seriously how do these actresses actually manage to dance like that and sing at the same time?? Goddesses), after that he showed up again and the full cast was involved in the fight. Munkustrap still got the good choreography, but the whole tribe was involved trying to protect Old Deuteronomy. Tugger was definitely a protector in this production, he was very involved. Jerrie got KO'd a good few times, and Macavity absolutely destroyed poor Jenny! It felt like all of them were trying to protect their family and I really liked that. Despite that, Macavity was still able to win and successfully kidnap Old Doots!

"Mungojerrie, RUMPLETEAZER, Griddlebone" they let my girl do crime again!

Mistoffelees and Quaxo were besties, and Misto was REALLY enjoying Tugger's song I'm just saying. Delighted to announce Il Sistina Misto was a fruity little guy. He didn't get the terrible bore line, sad face, that went to Quaxo, but tbh idk how they translated that so it could be totally different! At one point Alonzo was holding him back at the start of Tugger’s song! We then saw a sponge-like Misto who picked up behaviours from the others around him, like he wasn't too sure of himself. This is actually one of my favourite Misto hcs so i was so chuffed to see it so clearly. He then helped Alonzo rein George (at least I think it was George!) in from going mental fanboy at Tugger. He was originally curious about Griz but then adjusted to hissing upon seeing the others. This fully went forward into his song. They did some big choreo changes. It was significantly less dance-heavy than traditional Misto performances and had a stronger focus on him being magic. There was a levitating box that they spent a lot of time with - Magician's Assistant Cass got in, but then she didn't disappear? She just popped back out again after the box had been rotated a few times. Some of the Kittens were waving their hands under the box to prove there was nothing holding it up and looking amazed which was adorable though. There was also a bit where Misto put some cards into a hat, the hat got passed down a line of Cats and then at the end they just sort of flew out? Like idk maybe they changed the lyrics where they're describing different magic tricks and it all makes sense! I THOUGHT THE CONJURING TURNS WERE GONE, but they were just moved to the very end of the song and cut down quite a bit.

Ok BUT LISTEN, à la 2019, the poor boy tried and failed twice to bring back Old Deuteronomy and then just sort of flopped in the corner all defeated but then BOYFRIEND TUGGER HELD HIS HANDS AND GOT RIGHT UP CLOSE AND WAS LIKE I BELIEVE IN YOU BABE and omg for real those actors knew EXACTLY what they were doing Tuggoff nation RISE. I'm always a red-sheet-turned-cape stan but I can definitely get behind the sparkly tail coat and playing card bowtie. He also had this handkerchief that he threw up in the air and it became a magic wand. I have no idea how and it was very silly so obviously I loved it. Although I wasn't massively into the choreo changes (ballet dancer Misto 5eva), Pierpaolo Scida was a magnificent Misto and I adored him - he was so cute! The little background actions and looks he did were so in character with how he interpreted Misto! Also he was beautiful you can't change my mind.

Malika was such an intense Grizabella - 10/10. She was proud but so vulnerable. She walked right past me when she first came in and lads, she did the whole show in these massive stilettos - absolute queen. At one point it literally rained on her on stage! During her first Memory, Old Deut was really watching her, and at the end of it he approached her, but she ran off when she saw him. I thought it was a super cool character moment, like she knew she wanted to be accepted, but wasn't quite ready for it. Even after the big Memory and Old Deuteronomy declared her the Jellicle Choice, Victoria approached her, but she was still too scared to let her, and it was Jemima who finally was able to reach her and bring her in. At the end she just kinda disappeared off stage - there were no flying tyres or magic stairs in the circus tent!

During the bit after the bows some of the cats were out in the audience and Tugger scared the absolute crap out of this one woman by poking his head in between her and the person sitting next to her. Iconic. Also during the latter part of the interval the audience was allowed to come up to the edge of the stage where some of the actors were goofing about in character. This mf pretended to cough up a hairball and now I have it on video. I also got some close ups of Teazer and the beautiful Bomba!

The Italian Junkyard was fabulous! It was mostly roman landmarks like Piazza Navona and Bocca della Verità, but there was also Michelangelo's David (which I'm pretty sure is in Florence) above the orchestra! There was also a giant marble foot, an Italian-style water fountain, and a broken column. My favourite prop was the bench, it's elevated at the back left of the stage and the cast were using it like a slide to enter the stage! Also it seemed to be Misto’s preferred location to lounge.

In conclusion, I will never get over this.

#cats the musical #il sistina #cats il sistina #tuggoffelees #cassandra #mungojerrie #rumpleteazer #demeter #the rum tum tugger #munkustrap #old deuteronomy #jennyanydots #victoria #grizabella #jemima #alonzo #coricopat #tantomile #gus #jellylorum #skimbleshanks #macavity #bombalurina #mr mistoffelees #quaxo #george

[techytin]

🍂 Coffee shop fiasco

🔑 ONE-SHOT! (1) - Hongjoong

PAIRING: Workaholic Hongjoong x Afab! Reader

GENRE: Romance (Fluff)

WARNINGS: Cursing, Suggestive Jokes, Mention of alcohol.

WORD COUNT: 7K+

🔒 English isn’t my first language, so I apologize for any mistakes.

Autumn slowly took over Seoul as It painted the city with all sort of vibrant colours. The trees that once wore a lively green now presented a dazzling array of reds, yellows, and oranges. The newly found atmosphere truly turned the streets into a cosy wonderland. Say goodbye to your favourite summer outfits and start dressing more toasty! A soft breeze is sure to follow your every step, and what is better than a hot beverage to battle the upcoming cold?

As much as I love the beautiful scenery, the cold does always seem to bite me in the worst ways. Luckily, the winter collections were in sale during the summer, giving me the perfect excuse to go shopping for toasty and cosy new clothing items for this autumn and winter!

As I made my way towards my workplace down the street, I gently adjust the folds of my new shawl. The fabric was so soft and warm, it kept my shoulders and face just the right temperature. A tender smile graced my lips. My body and mind relaxed. I felt confident, as if today was going to be easier than usual.

A contented sigh escaped my lips as I stepped into the cosy haven of the coffee shop, a place familiar and dear to my heart—“Rise & Shine,” the finest coffee haven on this block. This shop had such a lovely ambiance to it, you just felt like you had to sit down and relax. The soft smell of coffee and pastries accompanied by the sound of vintage oldies softly playing in the background had a special place in my heart.

"Good morning, Y/N," Seonghwa's warm voice greeted me as I entered the space, his attention momentarily diverted from tidying the tables, a towel casually draped over his shoulder. Our gazes met, for just a split second. "Morning, Hwa," I replied, a soft smile gracing my lips, a silent acknowledgment of the comfort found in our shared routine.

I headed to the bar and punched in to start my shift. Grabbing my assigned apron, tying it securely behind me. I cracked my knuckles and began my usual opening tasks, getting things ready for the day ahead.

A few hours passed, and the shop was rather empty. Don’t get me wrong, I was incredibly happy It wasn’t super busy. Who would want to work that hard? I get paid minimum wage… No, thank you.

While I carefully tidied up the bar, Seonghwa came closer, his expression adorned with a mischievous yet charming smile. "Y/N~," he called out softly, his tone laced with a hint of guilt. "Table six wants a cappuccino and a pastry. Anything would do, according to him. Would you pretty please handle that for me?" His voice carried a playful whine, accompanied by an earnest gaze framed by puppy-like eyes and a pronounced pout gracing his lips.

"Seonghwa, this is the third time you've asked me to do your order. Is everything alright?" I ask sincerely as I made my way to the coffee machine to prepare the requested cappuccino for table six.

"Honestly? Not really," Seonghwa admitted, a hint of vulnerability colouring his voice. Leaning against the bar, he wore a sad smile while sharing his struggles. "I'm having a rough day. I can feel a cold coming on, that irritating scratch in the back of my throat will not leave me alone." he confessed, his expression a mix of discomfort and resignation.

"Ah, that's rough," I sympathized, offering a gentle, understanding smile as I turned towards the pastry counter. Bending down, I retrieved a delectable chocolate-filled croissant, my voice slightly muffled by the action. "If you're feeling under the weather tomorrow, do let me know, alright?" I suggested, hoping to alleviate his worries.

Seonghwa emitted a soft chuckle. "I'll keep that in mind.”

"Perfect. I'll handle table six, no need to fret," I assured him, tenderly patting his back as I straightened up. Placing the chocolate-covered croissant on a dainty plate, I carefully transferred it to a tray, positioning it beside the freshly brewed cappuccino. Each movement carried a sense of care and consideration, a gesture intended to comfort not just our customers, but also my co-worker behind the bar.

Carefully, I balance the tray in my hands as I approached table six. A young man, seemingly in his mid-twenties, sat there typing away on his laptop. His tired appearance was very clear. Beneath his eyes, slight eyebags were present. They were slightly red and puffy, as were his lips... Almost as if he had cried. But I knew better than to question strangers by their appearance. Maybe he just had a bad day?

"Here's your order, sir," I murmured softly, my voice almost a whisper, almost as if I felt the need to not disturb him further. His deep, dark brown eyes met mine as I carefully positioned the tray on his table. "Thank you," he replied. A subtle smile graced his lips, causing his glasses to shift slightly upward. My heart skipped a beat at the small gesture.

I couldn't help but get lost in his eyes, holding my gaze longer than I intended. A flush of embarrassment coloured my cheeks as I realized I might have been staring a bit too intently. Swiftly breaking the eye contact, I coughed lightly, hoping to alleviate the awkwardness that had settled in the air.

Managing a timid smile, I spoke up, "If there's anything else you need, my colleague and I will be over at the bar." I tried to sound composed, despite the lingering awkwardness from my inadvertent staring. I shifted slightly, attempting to regain my composure as I awaited his response, hoping to smooth over the momentary discomfort.

The man gave me a nod in response before going back to typing on his laptop. Quickly, I made my way back to behind the bar. Once behind the bar, a large amount of air left my lungs with a complimentary hand on my chest.

“What was that all about? You into sleep-deprived blondies?” Seonghwa laughed silently before shoving my arm playfully. "What? No," I replied with a scowl, "He just has pretty glasses.” Rolling my eyes at his teasing, I returned my focus to the task at hand, but his laughter lingered in the air, making my cheeks flush.

As more time drifted by, I found myself nearing the end of my shift. The intriguing man with the tired eyes and pretty glasses was still here, completely absorbed in his tasks. But that wasn't odd at all. It seemed like a routine—people dropping in every day to finish whatever they had to do. As a matter of fact, tonight, the mysterious glasses man wasn't even the only one typing away on his laptop.

As the final moments of my shift approached, I neatly folded my apron and set it aside. The mysterious man signalled Seonghwa for the bill. With a nod, Seonghwa called out, "Y/N! Table Six, the bill, please!" A reluctant groan slipped past my lips as I headed towards the register. I swiftly printed the bill and carried it over to his table, my steps feeling slightly heavier than usual.

"Here you are, sir," I offered, extending the bill, which he accepted with a gentle grace. "Here, keep the change as a tip," he insisted, passing me the money, a generous act that conjured a genuine smile upon my lips. "Oh, thank you. That's incredibly kind of you," I expressed my gratitude warmly. “It is no big deal. Now, I really must get going. Goodnight.” As he stood up to leave, I made my way back to the bar to finally officially end my shift.

"You know, I'm certain you did that on purpose," I accused Seonghwa, my gaze stern yet filled with playfulness. He chuckled sweetly in response. "What? You liked his glasses, didn't you?" Seonghwa teased, struggling to contain his laughter as he noticed my annoyed expression. Causing a heavy sigh to escape my lips. "You're an asshole. I'll see you tomorrow, unless you're too sick. Take care, Hwa!" I giggled as I made my way to the coffee shop's exit, our banter leaving a lingering smile on my face.

The chill of the autumn evening brushed against my cheeks, prompting me to swiftly wrap a shawl around my shoulders, seeking warmth against the cool breeze. Thankfully, my home was a mere five-minute stroll away, and the path home promised a serene and beautiful walk.

Under the morning sky, I strolled down the familiar street, heading towards the cosy café filled with the inviting scent of coffee and the soft old vintage tunes. Yet, today was different. There was something else on my mind—a lingering thought about the mysterious man from yesterday.

Would he happen to be there again today?

As I walked, I couldn't help but wonder, my mind was filled with anticipation and a hint of excitement. My routine felt a tad more thrilling, tinged with the possibility of crossing paths with the intriguing stranger once more.

I couldn't believe how much space he was taking up inside my head. I mean, seriously, I didn't even have a clue what his name was. But those gorgeous blond locks and those deep, soulful brown eyes? They managed to hijack my thoughts last night, keeping me wide awake for longer than I wanted.

I pushed the thought aside as I stepped into "Rise & Shine," immediately met by a familiar face—Seonghwa. "I'm not sick!" He blurted out before I even reached the counter. "I freaked out, thinking I'd have to blow my only sick days on a stupid cold. Morning, by the way." His grin lit up the room as he wrapped me in a swift hug. I chuckled and returned the embrace, feeling a warmth spreading through me at his contagious happiness.

"Thank goodness you're not sick. I'd hate to grind through the shift solo," I remarked, securing my apron around my waist.

"I know, I'm irreplaceable," Seonghwa said, a playful smirk on his lips. "Kidding, kidding. But let's face it, I'd miss dealing with your whiny ass." His teasing tone carried a hint of affection, sparking a playful banter between us as we readied ourselves for the day ahead.

A few hours into our shift, Seonghwa approached me, leaning against the bar. He had just finished tidying some tables. "Lost in thought, huh?" His sudden question caught me off guard. Was I that noticeably distracted? I mentally scolded myself. "No, not really." I replied, attempting to sound casual, all while scrubbing the counter with more vigor than necessary.

"Come on now," Seonghwa nudged, his eyes holding a knowing glint. "We've been best friends for three years. I can always tell when something's bothering you, Y/N." He was right. There was no need to keep this dumb thought hidden. The man wasn’t even here, so what harm could it do?

"Okay, fine. It's about that guy from yesterday," I admitted with a sigh, meeting Seonghwa's gaze. It was unusual for me to discuss customers, especially if I found them intriguing. Normally, the only time a customer came up in conversation was if they were rude or caused some sort of trouble. But this situation felt different, and it intrigued my coworker enough to prompt his attention.

"You mean the one with the ‘cute’ glasses?" Seonghwa arched an eyebrow, fully invested in what I had to say now. He had his arms prompted up on the counter as he looked at me with a slight smirk on his face.

"Yeah… It’s just his looks and the way he spoke... so gentle. Kept me up longer than I care to admit," I confessed, feeling a hint of embarrassment tingeing my cheeks.

Seonghwa's reaction was unexpected; he let out a small gasp before bursting into laughter. "I totally get it! The guy did have a certain appeal, even with that, how should I put it... sleep-deprived look. Seriously, that guy needs some shut-eye," Seonghwa chuckled, his laughter filling the air around us. I couldn't help but shake my head at his response, his light-heartedness bringing a smile to my face.

"He was cute, and surprisingly kind. Even left a tip. Hard not to think about him. I guess I sort of hoped he'd come back," I admitted, a slight shrug accompanying my words. Seonghwa nodded in understanding.

"The evening rush is coming up. Who knows, maybe he'll show up again?" Seonghwa tried to lift my spirits, offering a gentle pat on my head. His attempt to lift my mood was appreciated.

"I hope you're right," I murmured quietly, my thoughts lingering on the possibility before refocusing on the tasks at hand.

As the evening rush surged in, a wave of late-night workers, young adults, and teens flooded into the café. It was a bustling night, each order stacking upon the other, demanding my undivided attention. The atmosphere buzzed with energy, my mind was too preoccupied with the mounting orders to even ponder if the mysterious man had made a return.

"Three lattes for table twelve? Ugh, I'm beat. Why couldn't Yunho have been called in to lend a hand?" Seonghwa complained, swiftly getting to work on the lattes.

"Mingi's on shift at the other location tonight. And I tried reaching Felix, no luck," I replied with a slight pout, noticing the disappointment etching on Seonghwa's face.

"Don't stress, we've got this," I reassured him, playfully nudging his shoulder before hurrying off to attend to the order placed by table two. Working in tandem, we manoeuvred through the busy café, determined to tackle the mountain of orders with teamwork.

I returned to the bar, ready to tackle the next set of orders, when I found Seonghwa sporting a mischievous grin. "Y/N~ I've got a special request for you. And before you say anything! I’ll take care of your order. Could you do this one for Kim Hongjoong?" His smirk widened, clearly revealing in the baffled look on my face.

"Uh, okay," I replied, arching an eyebrow in curiosity as I glanced over the order slip he passed me. It was an iced Americano. Nothing too complex. Swiftly, I prepared the drink, effortlessly crafting it to perfection before making my way to the designated table. Table six, situated right by the window.

There he was, yet again. My eyes slightly widened at the sight of those blond locks and those beautiful eyes. He was focussed on his laptop, much like the day before. A rush of emotions stirred within me, causing my heart to skip a beat and a faint blush to grace my cheeks. It was confusing. Why did I feel this nervous around him? After all, he was just another customer.

Gathering my nerves, I approached his table with a deep breath. "Your order, sir," I delivered with what I hoped was a cool and collected tone. His eyes met mine, and that familiar small smile adorned his face, making my heart flutter. He was seriously good-looking.

"Thanks," he replied, his voice warm and friendly. Despite my attempt to play it cool, I couldn't help but grin back before hastily stepping away, hoping he didn't catch the small dust of pink that painted my cheeks.

"You! you, oh my god!" I exclaimed, pointing at Seonghwa before playfully hitting his arm. His laughter filled the air. "Ouch, Y/N!" he protested, catching my arms and holding my gaze. "How about a thank you? Now you know his name, at least," Seonghwa said, a hint of amusement fading as he noticed my puzzled expression.

"Take this order for Kim Hongjoong?" he repeated the words from earlier, a smirk tugging at his lips. "You're a bit slow on the uptake, Y/N," he teased, chuckling at the way my eyes widened in surprise.

"Kim Hongjoong... That's his name? Oh, Seonghwa, you're a lifesaver!" I exclaimed, brimming with excitement, and pulled him into a grateful hug. His smile beamed with pride as I thanked him.

"I know, I'm amazing," Seonghwa joked with a playful grin. "But hey, let's focus and finish up these orders before our shift ends, or we'll be stuck doing overtime." He gently disengaged from the hug, flashing one last reassuring smile before turning back to his tasks.

He was right, as always. My fleeting moment of happiness was swiftly overshadowed by the overwhelming pile of work that awaited us. "I swear, I hate this job," I groaned, feeling the weight of the tasks ahead as I grabbed hold of a coffee glass.

"Excuse me?" A drowsy voice called out from behind me, pulling my attention. I spun around to meet the source of the voice, only to find myself face to face with the man I now recognized as Kim Hongjoong. My heart skipped a beat, prompting me to hastily tidy my apron and smooth down my hair before offering him a welcoming smile. "Hi, how can I assist you?" I greeted him nervously, my smile betraying the subtle flutter in my chest as he looked at me with curiosity in his eyes.

"Um, could I get another iced Americano?" His voice sounded slightly unsure, and it echoed with a hint of nervousness. His uncertainty reflected in my own nerves. Did I have something on my face? Was my hair dishevelled? I fought off the panic rising within me, offering a kind smile in response. "Absolutely, not a problem at all. I'll bring it to your table."

"Oh, no, it's fine. I can wait here. You seem quite busy already, and I don't want to add to your workload. I'm already here anyway," he quickly replied, wanting to spare me the trouble of walking over to serve him. His consideration only added to the flurry of emotions swirling within me.

"That's really kind of you," I remarked, a genuine smile lighting up my face as I reached for a glass to prepare his iced Americano. Catching his gaze, I noticed his returning smile, soft and gentle, causing a warmth to spread through me. His simple gesture made my cheeks flush with a soft hue.

"Here's your coffee," I said, passing him the freshly prepared drink. As our fingers briefly brushed against each other, a surge of warmth ignited within me, sending a subtle yet undeniable spark. Could it be possible? Was I actually starting to feel something for this stranger?

"Thank you so much. I desperately need this caffeine to stay awake," he chuckled, his laughter so endearing it effortlessly brought a smile to my lips.

"You seem like a hard worker" he nodded towards me. "Thank you, I do my best," I replied. "Oh, by the way, I never caught your name," he said, his lips curled in a gentle, constant smile as he looked at me.

"I'm L/N Y/N, but feel free to just call me Y/N," I replied, feeling a rush of happiness. Him starting a conversation and asking about my name made me feel like I was in some sort of movie.

"A pleasure to meet you. My name is Kim Hongjoong," he introduced himself with a warm smile. Although I already knew his name, I played along.

"You can just call me Hongjoong," he added, offering his hand for a handshake. I gently accepted, feeling the softness of his touch and the carefulness in his handshake, which sent a pleasant shiver down my spine.

"I'll let you get back to work. Thanks again for the coffee," he said graciously before making his way back to his table, leaving me with a lingering sense of joy from our brief interaction.

"Okay, what was that?" Seonghwa questioned from behind me. I could almost feel the mischievous grin on his face as I turned around to face him.

"Nothing special," I nonchalantly brushed it off, trying to downplay it. However, the warm flush on my face betrayed my true feelings. Without thinking, I instinctively hid my face in my hands, attempting to shield my embarrassment.

Seonghwa chuckled softly at my attempt to hide the evident blush on my face as he leaned against the bar. "You sure about that? Looked like more than just 'nothing special' to me."

I sighed, letting my hands fall back to my sides. "It wasn’t something ‘special’ It just left me a bit flustered because he’s cute Hwa. But, it doesn’t matter, he’s just a customer."

Seonghwa raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk dancing on his lips. A look I know all too well."Just a customer? That's not what I’m seeing here. The way he looked at you and that whole handshaking thing—come on, Y/N, don’t be like that!"

Rolling my eyes, I leaned against the counter right next to him. "It's not like that. We had a little chat. That's all."

Seonghwa leaned in, his tone teasing. "Uh-huh, just a little chat that left you blushing like a schoolgirl. Classic sign of something more, if you ask me."

I nudged him playfully. "You're reading too much into it. Besides, he's probably not even interested.” I said while turning away from him to try and continue on with the last few orders.

Seonghwa grinned mischievously. "Well, there's one way to find out. Why don't you slip him your number with his next coffee? You know, just in case he needs any more 'caffeine to stay awake.'"

I hastily turned back around to give his arm a playful slap, my cheeks flared a rosy pink as an undeniable smile crept on my lips. "Seonghwa! You're unbelievable. I'm not just going to give a customer my number."

He laughed at my sudden display before shooting me a small wink. "Who said anything about giving? Slip it in with his receipt, make it a little mysterious. Trust me, it works like a charm."

“Yea right, maybe in one of those movies or K-drama’s you watch.” I laughed with a smirk on my lips. If he got to tease me, so did I. He looked at me with a small pout. “Y/N, just give it a try. How will you ever get prince charming if you don’t take your first step?”

I sighed, contemplating the idea. "I don't know about that, Hwa. It feels a bit too forward."

Seonghwa gave my hair a small ruffle before returning to his work. "Well, you'll never know if you don't try. Life's too short for missed opportunities, Y/N."

As I pondered Seonghwa's suggestion, my gaze involuntarily drifted back to Hongjoong's table. He was immersed in his work, unaware of our conversation. The thought of taking a chance and leaving a note lingered in my mind, adding an unexpected twist to an otherwise ordinary day at the coffee shop.

There was just a pang of regret in my heart. Why did I have to turn down Seonghwa’s advice? The missed opportunity to just get a little bit closer to mysterious glasses man slipped through my fingers like sand.

By now days, no weeks? Two whole months had passed, and Hongjoong had returned every single day. He became a constant presence in the coffee shop, engrossed in his laptop, as he quickly became a pleasant part of my daily routine.

Seonghwa, being my best friend of course, did some digging for me and found out about Hongjoong's workplace—a high-ranking office. It all made sense now. His perpetual dedication to work had a foundation in a position of apparent importance, a fact that intrigued me. Seonghwa insisted that Hongjoong held a significant role in his company. “I swear, He must be some high rank there if he has that much work.” Were his exact words.

Despite my missed opportunities, I still managed to have a few interactions with Hongjoong. Usually just casual exchanges. Our conversations, while enjoyable, still made me year for more than casual. I wanted to get to know him. His mysterious self just made me so… Drawn to him.

"Evening, Hongjoong!" Seonghwa's familiar voice rang out from behind the bar, drawing my attention in his direction. A gentle smile graced my lips as my eyes locked with Hongjoong's, those captivating deep pools that had captured my heart.

I greeted him with a small wave, and he gave me a smile and a wave of his own. "The usual?" I asked as he approached the bar. "Yeah, you always know just what I need, Y/N," he chuckled, a warmth lingering in his laughter as he headed toward his regular spot at table six, like clockwork, just like every other day.

The evening shifts had become my haven, and the reason why, wasn't much of a mystery. The soft music of oldies whispered through the building, creating a comforting melody that made me feel at peace as I prepared Hongjoong’s favourite iced Americano. Tonight, the coffee shop wore a quiet ambiance, with only a few scattered customers, but that didn’t bother me at all.

Completing his drink, I carried the cold cup to his usual table. As I handed it over, our eyes met, and he expressed his gratitude with a warm smile. I mirrored the sentiment with a smile of my own.

"Busy as ever, Hongjoong?" I found myself asking, an inexplicable urge to talk to him. It wasn't every day that I felt this confident, but having known him for a while now, I dared to strike a conversation.

He shook his head, a hint of weariness in his eyes. "I actually worked ahead a few days back, so I'm working on extra tasks for the future." His response caught me off guard for a brief moment, my eyes widening in surprise, before I quickly composed myself. Hongjoong, noticing the change in my expression, wore a concerned look.

"Work ahead? Seriously, do you ever take a break?" I added a teasing tone to my words, hoping to lighten the mood, but Hongjoong simply shook his head, his expression carrying a weight of solemn determination.

"I can't afford to rest. I'd rather stay ahead of the game, even if it means diving into work I haven't received yet,"

His words lingered in the air, leaving me both speechless and impressed, and I took a moment to formulate a response. "That's admirable. But really... When was the last time you had some time for yourself?"

Hongjoong paused, contemplating his answer. "Honestly, I don't exactly remember when I last took a day to myself." A small chuckle escaped my lips. "Come on, man. You're already ahead. Why not take a day off?"

He pondered on my question for a moment. "What could I even do?" His response left me slightly puzzled. Was he serious? "Well, you could go get dinner or go out, maybe catch a movie?" I suggested a few options, and he looked at me with curiosity, nodding to indicate he was listening.

"Actually, I have my day off in two days. I was planning on grabbing dinner somewhere, but I haven't found someone to accompany me yet. No worries, though; the main thing is, you should take some time for yourself. It's important," I shared, watching Hongjoong nod once again.

"Well, I suppose I can look into taking a day off," he mused, a smile forming on his lips. I returned his smile before turning my attention back to my work.

The remainder of my shift went peacefully, passing by quicker than anticipated. As the end drew near, I noticed Hongjoong rising from his seat, gathering his belongings, likely heading to the bar to settle the bill.

"Hey, Y/N. Could I get the bill and a pen, please?" His voice caught my attention. "Sure, one second," I replied, drying my hands before tearing my gaze away from the unwashed glasses. Was I going crazy or did Hongjoong look, nervous? The thought stayed in my head as I approached the register to input his bill.

I handed him the bill and a pen, and he silently thanked me. Observing as he jotted something down on a small note, I assumed it was just a reminder for a task he intended to work on later. However, my surprise grew as he handed me the money, along with the mysterious note.

Confusion painted my face, but before I could voice my confusion, he bid us goodbye and exited the building, leaving me to unravel the mysteries concealed within that note. The lingering question of what could be written on that piece of paper danced in my mind, a subtle thought that lingered even after he disappeared from view.

I could feel Seonghwa’s growing presence behind me as I unfolded the note. “I took your advice, and planned a day off. You mentioned earlier that you had your day off in two days and that you lacked someone to accompany you to dinner. I figured I would take this opportunity to ask if I could accompany you? Just in case of yes, here’s my number.”

I read out loud, a growing smile playing on my lips. "Oh my god..." I muttered, utterly speechless as I revisited the message, reading it again and again. "Did he just ask you out?" Seonghwa inquired curiously, grabbing the note from my hands to read it himself.

I spun around in an attempt to retrieve the note, but Seonghwa only laughed, holding it higher and making me grow more annoyed. "Hwa, please! Give that back."

"Fine, fine. Here you go." He handed me the note, followed by a playful pat on the head. "Don't want to keep Prince Charming waiting now, do we?" His teasing voice caused my cheeks to flare, and a small huff escaped my lips.

Yet, any lingering annoyance dissolved as I reread the note for what felt like the hundredth time. He had actually given me his number!

For the rest of my shift, a small, content smile adorned my face as the thought of going out with Hongjoong occupied the forefront of my mind. The anticipation and excitement lingered, making me feel content and happy for the remaining hours of my day.

Once nestled in the cosy embrace of my home, I sank into the sofa, the note clutched in one hand and my phone in the other. With a sense of excitement, I scanned the words again, feeling like a teenager in love with their crush. As I entered his number, I changed the contact name to his, savouring the small moment of victory.

Now, faced with the task of responding, a nervous energy settled in. Why had I suddenly become so jittery? He had asked me out; the least I could do was send the first text. Inflating my cheeks with air, I hovered my finger over the text and call buttons beneath his contact.

Should I call him? Would he even be awake at this hour? It's only eight PM; he should be, right? Thoughts and insecurities waltzed in my head, and with a deep breath, I pressed the call button before chickening out.

My phone rang, each ring feeling like an eternity until a warm voice answered, "Hello, Kim Hongjoong speaking. How can I help you?" The politeness in his tone elicited a small, involuntary chuckle from me. "Hey, Hongjoong. It's Y/N," I began, settling into the cosy position in my favourite spot on my sofa, drawing my legs to my chest. "Oh, Y/N! Good evening," he responded, and the slight sound of excitement in his voice sent a delightful shiver through my stomach.

"I called about your note." "Ah, yes. About that. I completely understand if you don't want to," he expressed, a subtle insecurity seeping into his words. "No! Wait, no, not that. I would love to go out with you." I said quickly before he could feel like I did not want to go out with him.

A sigh of relief and a soft laugh echoed on the other end of the phone, and the warmth of his response wrapped around me like a comfortable blanket. "I'm glad. What restaurant did you have in mind?" His question, laced with anticipation, stirred a slight flush in my cheeks. His genuine eagerness to make plans mirrored my own excitement, prompting a soft giggle to escape from me.

"Do you know that cute Italian place near our café?" I asked, curiosity lacing my words. "Ah, yes, I do. Yunho, one of my friends, recently went there with his girlfriend. He went hours on about how delicious the food was." As he spoke, I could hear the faint sounds of him jotting things down, our conversation taking on a more casual and comfortable tone. He shared details of his friend's experience and the amount of dishes they had ordered. Our conversation soon turned into us talking about our favourite foods and what we would love to try in the future.

After about ten delightful minutes, he coughed slightly. "My, we really got off track," he chuckled, and I joined in. "I suppose... I didn't mind, though. You're very interesting, Kim Hongjoong." He released a breathy laugh. "Thank you. You're very interesting yourself. I have a feeling going out with you will be quite an adventure." His words left me blushing. God, he knows just what to say.

"Send me your address; I'll pick you up that day around six?" I hummed in agreement before responding, "That would be lovely. I can't wait." "Me neither. I'll see you then." After bidding our farewells, the moment he hung up, I grabbed the nearest pillow and let out a joyful scream. Making a mental note to share every detail with Seonghwa once I calmed down, I couldn't help but bask in the excitement of the upcoming date.

The much-anticipated day of the date had finally arrived, and I found myself pacing around my house in a frenzy, frantically searching for the perfect outfit, experimenting with various hairstyles and makeup looks. I was practically a ball of stress. Seonghwa, who joined me on FaceTime, couldn't help but laugh at my suffering as I showcased numerous outfit choices.

"Y/N, calm down. He literally met you in your work attire. Any one of those outfits will blow him away. I'm sure of it," Seonghwa reassured me, his words acting as a soothing balm to my nerves. I nodded appreciatively. "Thanks, Hwa. But seriously now. Black or white?" Seonghwa snickered and pointed at the black dress. I hurried into my bathroom, leaving Seonghwa on FaceTime in my room.

After a few minutes, I emerged, donned in a beautiful black dress that hugged my curves just right. "Perfect! He is so going to fall to his knees for you!" Seonghwa playfully exclaimed, his words and jests working their magic to boost my confidence, making me laugh at his attempts to ease my pre-date jitters.

I settled into my desk chair, bringing my phone along to continue chatting with Seonghwa while I worked on my hair and makeup until I was satisfied. Once I completed my beauty routine, I checked the time, realizing it was only twenty minutes away from six. "Oh my god, Hwa! I'll call you after I'm back. It's almost six!"

"Yeah, yeah. If you don't end up spending the night with him, you mean," Seonghwa teased, giving me a playful smirk before laughing and hanging up. “That sneaky... teasing son of a bitch.” I sighed as I tried to shake off the thought, grabbing my handbag and stuffing it with everything I might need for the evening. The anticipation of the upcoming date filled the air, and a mix of excitement and nerves danced in my stomach as I prepared myself mentally.

A few minutes later, the sound of my doorbell echoed through the house, prompting me to hasten a final check in the mirror to ensure I looked just right. Satisfied with my appearance, I made my way to the door, anticipation fluttering in my chest, and swung it open.

There he stood, clad in beige dress trousers paired with a loosely fitted dress shirt and a stylish dark brown vest. His glasses added a touch of intellectual charm, completing the ensemble that made him look like a smart and beautiful book lover. I found myself captivated, as we just stared at each other. And for how long, I couldn't tell, caught in a moment of silent admiration.

"You look... beautiful," he chuckled, breaking the silence. "Thank you. You look very handsome yourself." I replied with a shy smile, accepting his hand as he extended it towards me. He guided me out of my home, even going the extra mile to lock the door behind us.

As we strolled towards his car, he opened the passenger door for me, allowing me to step in. "Such a gentleman," I giggled appreciatively as he closed the door and circled around to settle into the driver's seat.

"Here's my phone. I'll unlock it for you so you can play some music. GPS is already running for the restaurant," he said, handing me his phone before securing his seatbelt. I accepted the device, a bit surprised at the sudden trust vested in me with such a personal belonging. Scrolling through Spotify, I decided to press play on one of his playlists.

The drive to the restaurant unfolded with light talk about our day and other casual topics. Fortunately, the restaurant wasn't far, just a few minutes away.

As he parked, he instructed me to stay put. Retrieving his wallet, he opened the door for me once again. A flustered smile graced my cheeks as I linked my arm with his. He closed the car door and locked it before walking alongside me towards the restaurant.

Once we stepped into the restaurant, the atmosphere embraced us with undeniable romance. The soft melodies, the flicker of candlelight, and the tantalizing aroma of delectable cuisine – they weren't kidding when they said this place was perfect for lovers. Hongjoong wore a proud smirk as the server led us to a window seat, where the table was adorned with the same intimate candlelight and a breathtaking bouquet of red roses.

"Oh, Hongjoong. You shouldn't have," I awed at the flowers. Taking our seats, I delicately cradled the bouquet in my hands. The sweet fragrance of the flowers enveloped my senses as I buried my nose in one of the rose petals, closing my eyes to savour the scent. The subtle click of a camera captured the moment, prompting my eyes to shoot open.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist. You looked so beautiful," Hongjoong confessed shyly, showing me the captured image. It was undeniably beautiful. "Don't apologize. It's cute. Thank you so much for the flowers." I offered him a comforting smile, reaching across the table to gently clasp his hand.

"I figured, why not go all out? I haven't been on a date in years, and you've truly become something to look forward to in my daily routine. So, I just had to at least try and impress you," he said with newfound confidence, interlocking his fingers with mine. His words painted my cheeks with a soft, rosy hue.

"You have no clue how long I've wanted to go out with you." It was my turn to confess, causing Hongjoong's eyes to widen for a second. "Oh? Y/N… I don't bite. You should've just asked me for my number. I would have given it to you in a heartbeat." He chuckled lightly, squeezing my hand. "You have no idea…" I replied with a bright smile, the evening unfolded nicely as we shared small talk once more.

A comfortable atmosphere enveloped us as we delved into conversations spanning from childhood hobbies to our first job experiences and beyond. It felt as if I had known him for years. Eventually, the waiter arrived to take our orders, and Hongjoong, with a charming smile, inquired about my preference for wine, to which I responded with an enthusiastic "Yes, of course." So, he ordered a bottle of fine wine to complement our dinner.

As the evening unfolded, our food arrived, but our conversation continued to flow effortlessly. By the end of the night, I realized that I had reached a level of connection with Hongjoong that had taken three years to achieve with Seonghwa, in comparison to just one evening. We clicked like two perfectly matched puzzle pieces, like two peas in a pod, making this date even more enjoyable and leaving me with a sense of newfound connection and warmth.

"The stars are beautiful tonight," I smiled, leaning my head against Hongjoong's shoulder. After our dinner, we decided to take a small walk, not ready to part ways just yet. "A star can't compare to your beauty," he complimented, giving me a comfortable smile that made me laugh just slightly. "That was so cheesy!" I continued to laugh, holding onto his arm, and he looked at me with a small pout.

"I'm kidding! It was cute. Cheesy, but cute." His smile returned as he gazed into my eyes. Standing alone beneath the moonlight, we looked at each other as we had so many times before, yet this time felt different.

I noticed his eyes flicker to my lips a few times, making me mirror his actions. "Ugh, I'm sorry, but... Can I… Can I kiss you?" Hongjoong asked nervously, almost a whisper. A short silence took over us."Why didn't you ask earlier... I would have given it to you in a heartbeat," I whispered, quoting his words from just a few hours before. His smile widened as he gently brushed a few strands of my loose hair behind my ear.

His hand gently cradled my cheeks as he leaned in, bringing our foreheads together. A smile adorned his lips as our lips finally met. The kiss was a symphony of sweetness, softness, and an overwhelming sense of love. It felt as if we had poured all our emotions into that one, transformative kiss—a kiss that altered the course of our lives, forever.

From a diligent coffee enthusiast and a dedicated barista, they transformed into two souls deeply in love. A promise to love forever.

The end.

#ateez #hongjoong #ateez hongjoong #x reader #x you #ateez x reader #ateez fluff #ateez imagines #atiny #ateez fanfic #ateez fic #fluff #atee #Spotify

[melchiordommik]

Tsu'tey x Reader

Hunt Festival

Fandom: Avatar (2009)

Based on the deleted scene titled "hunt festival"

(Everyone is talking Na'vi UNLESS SPECIFIED!)

Reader gender is left ambiguous. !NO specific pronouns used!

><

Drums and whistles echoed all around the hometree, after a successful hunt, the Omaticaya clan celebrated with joy and pride of their young hunters.

Jake was talking (almost bragging) to the young na'vi, you sat next to them, not exactly joining but just listening in on their talk, until the frankly very good looking next Olo'eyktan in line appeared from the crowd of celebrating na'vi, you ended up staring a bit too long, earning a little smile and nod from him, althought his attention went to the young hunters he had trained up to this point, he of course sat with his students, and you listened in of course, watching all the young men drinking, laughing and talking about their adventure, Tsu'tey ended up doing a drinking game with Jake which you cringed a bit to, but the mighty warrior didn't lose to the dreamwalker. As the night went on, Neytiri approached the group, grabbing onto Jake and dragging him to dance with her, and with that, all the young warriors were gone, leaving a lone Tsu'tey watching his promised Tsahik dancing with a devil, he knew what was going on, he wasn't as stupid as Jake thought he was and, being close to Tsu'tey you knew he knew. You watched him for a few moments, gathering courage to talk to him in such a moment, but you did, touching his shoulder softly

- Tsu'tey..

He looked up to meet your yellow eyes that seemed to glow a bit with the light burning from the firepits

- Yes, (y/n)?

He asked, he seemed defeated, which you defnitely hated to see, after a few moments of silence holding his shoulder, you managed to proceed

- May I dance with you Tsu'tey?

You asked, earning a bit of a surprised look from him, he didn't expect to do much tonight, much less dance with someone, much less dance with YOU.

- I can't deny such a request

Tsu replied, getting up by holding your arm, he was a bit dizzy but it would pass, he would make sure to be alert. The man offered his hand to you, it's big compared to yours and you smile a bit, you playfully dragged him to the fun as he smiled, showing his cute fangs and his tail seemed almost to wag around

- Can you dance ?

You asked, your black hair and braid flew around with the movement of you two, and Tsu'tey took to time to answer

- Keep up

He joked in a teasing way with you, and he began, his moves were fast and at the same time very gracious, he defnitely knew the balance of rough and soft, he had to of course, he was the next leader in line, you watched him, slowing down on your moves so you could pay attention, your eyes couldn't not look, his jewelry and braided hair flew around following his body, he of course was also looking at you, your form, your grace, the ornaments you wore, everything was jailing his attention onto you. Before you two realized his hand was on your sholder and yours was on his, holding oneanother close while your eyes locked, you could almost see the sky on his pupils, you thought about leaning in to a kiss and.. Something, someone bumped hard into Tsu'tey, he looked behind himself, letting you go for a moment and saw a apologetic Jake with a somewhat annoyed Neytiri, his grief came back for a moment and his face contorted as he left without another word, making you worried for his safety. You followed Tsu'tey as he jumped from branch to branch, planning to go as far as possible to cool off, he stopped and looked at you, he knew you were following all along but he didn't want to shoo you away

- What is it?

He asked, his ears downed like the ones of a scared or hurt animal, Tsu'tey sounded angry but, sad too

- I was worried for you, I know you are a warrior but I can't help it.. I care for you Tsu

The man looked at you, his lip twiched and he sat down on one of the branches

- He is with Neytiri, I knew that for a while, I didn't really feel much towards her but.m I knew it was right for the people, the people are always my worry

Tsu'tey began getting everything off his chest

- Now I feel powerless, they took a.. demon into our home and as soon as I let my guard down..

He clenched his jaw, but calmed down, remembering you were there

- I feel disrespected but, it's the way of Ewya, if great mother chose him, I can't do much

You held his hand, earning another surprised look from him, he opened his mouth but closed it again, holding your hand too, tightly

- Tsu'tey.. this might not be the best time but I feel I need to tell you something since we are alone

You said, you felt like you had to tell it to him now, or you may never have a chance to, you two were vulnerable

- I love you, Tsu'tey

And you spoke, as soon as those words left your mouth he was petrified, but his lips formed a smile, his free hand touched your striped cheek, his thumb caressing your soft skin

- I felt the same way.. For some time.. You are brave, smart, your singing is beautiful.. you are the one who I wish to bond with, forever

You almost wondered if you were having a dream, or if the man you always looked up to and had a massive crush on was just declaring he liked you too

- really..? What about-

He interrupted you as if he knew all of your worries

- my duty of being with Neytiri no longer exists, I am free to choose my own mate, and that is you, I love you

Tsu'tey pulled your head gently towards his until your lips touched, a sweet first kiss, which ended up in many more, deeper kisses. Before you knew it, you were both sitting on some soft grass, you sitting on his lap, hands hugging his neck as you kissed, you two opened your eyes to face eachother, a sweet and genuine smile coming from both of you. That would be a busy night.

><

Will work on a part 2 (NSFW) if there's demand for it!

Thank you so much for reading!

#james cameron avatar #avatar #avatar movie #na'vi avatar #tsu'tey #tsu'tey x reader #avatar tsu'tey #avatar x reader #x reader #gender neutral insert

[respectthepetty]

Pit Babe Colors Ep. 6

I'm challenging myself with this show and seeing how good my color skills really are, so I'm doing my normal thing of watching it double-speed on mute, but now, the captions are off also. It's just colors and vibes here.

I found out Charlie and Way's superpowers last week from the tags on my post, so let's pray those blue gloves Babe just gave Charlie stop him from -redacted- and lying.

Wait a minute! I thought that was a flashback. Barbara is racing too?! Now, I'm confused about the plot because I thought the team needed to fill Babe's spot, but . . . they need a third racer? Is this you rethinking the plot, Barbara? Or did your special superpowers heal you already and you're thinking about letting Charlie win? But you didn't have superpowers last week. What is happening?

Dean, I know you are going to screw everyone over because you now have to race Charles AND Barbara, but you are already sitting in the red. Damn, sir. No need to spoil the plot development.

Babe won, so what was with all those *looks* from him? And I want to hate Way, but he is the only one who is feeling like me as Charlie's RED IS EXPOSED! Dean, go ruin everyone's life. You have my permission.

Alan, you have tattoos, and you are the only man I trust in life and love, so I'm gonna ignore these red gloves. Not every show can be Wandee Goodday and get color-coded boxing gloves.

Charles wore Babe's black in episode three after sleeping with Babe, then Babe got the picture of Charles getting into the red car. I want to trust Charles and this color exchange, BUT HE IS LYING!

I wish the cards could have stayed in Thai. I did not need to know Alan was apologizing to Jeffrey as he sits there in blue, with that red bag and red smoothie (it's pink, but I'm seeing red, dang it!). Don't throw out those cards, Alan. Jeffrey is gonna need them when he has to apologize for LYING all this time!

CHARLES AND THAT DAMN RED!

Barbie. Stuck between the blue and red. He deserves better.

You know what makes a sky look purple like that? Blue and red. Which is really odd, SINCE BOTH OF YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE BLUE, CHARLES!

It's turning pink! STOP HURTING MY FEELINGS!

No. Putting Barbie in glasses will not make up for the pain I just suffered.

To go from that locker room scene to Waymond looking so sad only for PETER TO BE WATCHING HIM IN THE PINK TOO! I knew they were gonna be an item, but Peter, my man, have you loved Waymond for a while?! Did you know him before you shook his hand and that's why you hesitated? Patricia, I have questions!

Yellow is my favorite color, but, Sonic, why can't you wear blue? I know you like North. You are protecting him right now. But just wear more blue beyond that small stripe on your shirt, so I can trust you!

Jeffrey is back in the red, Alan. Get out now or he'll take you "home" aka Big Red's house that he doesn't know how to get to without the GPS because it's hard for liars to keep track of all their lies.

I won't be crazy and mention the red house showing through the window behind Charles. No. Never.

What do you see, Jeffrey?! That your roommate is gonna break Barbie's heart?!

My God, this episode is laying it on thick with Charles constantly in the red. I get it! He is lying! I KNOW!

Waymond just had to remind me his ass is red too. You're lucky Peter has been in love with you for a minute apparently because I like Peter. But you, sir, are on thin ice.

Did Charles post that picture?! (Sonic, wear blue damnit!)

Barbara, you're fucked up. It's clear that Waymond loves you, and you pull stunts like this. Rude. Selfish. Let the boy brood in peace. You make me feel bad for him, and I don't want to feel bad for him because I know his superpower now, and he keeps trying to touch you.

Every now and then, the show must remind me that Barbara was originally red.

Are you conflicted, Waymond? Because this purple is telling tales that you are in-between the two. Where do you stand, Waynette? Blue or red? TELL ME RIGHT NOW!

Wait a minute!

Before he was a Slut for Christ, Barbara gave you the steering wheel necklace?!

Fuck! Waymond, no! Turn away from the red, bruv! DON'T GO FULL DARK SIDE!

PETER LOVES YOU!

But eff Charles!

Jeffrey has red on again. Someone is dead under that car, so since he is talking to Charles and there are only two drivers now (is Babe still driving or no?), I'm hoping he saw Charles dead and not Waymond. Can I get a Christmas miracle?!

KIMBERLY, MY BELOVED! Please go collect your husband, Kenta, and fuck Big Red up!

In short,

I'm conflicted about Waymond.

I want to know how long Peter has loved Waymond.

I need more of the Kardashians, Kimberly and Kenta.

I still hate Charles because the show is constantly telling me he is red.

I'm happy there was no Whiny Winifred.

I'm okay if Dean messes up everyone's day.

I need Jeffrey to grovel to Alan when his time comes.

#pit babe #pit babe the series #the colors mean things #and they will guide me the whole way through #color coded boys in love #Be blue Waymond #or be pink in love with Peter #BUT DON'T GO FULL RED! #episode 6

[shallowseeker]

Don't grieve in front of me, Dean. It makes me uncomfortable, part II...or prequel?

How'd I get here again?

Oh, yeah. I got here, because I got excited about the cars. I remembered Dean driving a brownish tan/brown car in THE SCENE from Slash Fiction? Pinto, I wondered. FORD?

Alas. It's a Pontiac Acadian. I was so hopeful. It's a VERY similar style though. But it definitely calls to mind the car when Cas n' Dean presided over Mary's loss of John in 4x03. It looks like the car on the beach in 13x01, when Dean is grieving Cas. And this...is 7x06, when Dean is ALSO grieving Cas.

It's also VERY interesting how the break light's out on the driver's side. That's because Dean is out of commission. In SPN, often the headlights or the break lights show which brother is "down for the count." At the end of season 1, ep 1, it's Sam who's down-and-out, because he lost Jess.

Here, it's Dean. He "appears" on, but the break light shows us the truth.

We cut from the "out break light" to...THE winged Pony, hanged. The pony is the light. It's yellow. It's the sunshine. Because the light is out.

It's winged. It's in the rearview. it's noosed around the neck, like how Cas said that freewill is something you hang yourself with. He cuts it off and throw it into the backseat, desperate to forget. Cause it's Caaa---

Anyway. You could argue Dean is lamenting the life he'd left behind, but the Lisa-Ben dynamic was Dean's Ford Truck phase, and this winged thing is-- it's just-- it's just 100% pointing to Cas. If you don't think so, the next bit is damning.

Sam turns on the radio to make Dean feel better. A sad song comes on, and Dean drops the act for a MILLISECOND. And Sam? He says SORRY.

Then, he gets uncomfortable.

It's the earlier match to the peanut-butter-and-jelly-strong-choice scene from season 13x06 (widow era).

Sam is afraid of this kind of grief. (And for good reason. Thanks, John!)

"What would you say if I called on you now..." is the first line. Come when you call, etc etc etc. And Dean looks just about ready to burst into tears. No, watch the scene. He looks devastated when he hears it and realizes what it is, like a little intake of breath.

Dean grieves Cas...with music.

Ah, the familiar pattern. Dean is struggling to be allowed to grieve in this season. Everyone's terrified of his grief, even Bobby, who demands he "not be a person" and "keep doing the job" in a desperate plea to keep Dean from "dying before he does." Bobby doesn't know what to say or how to grieve, so he tries to keep Dean alive the only way he can think of, with utilitarian pragmatism.

But Dean needs to feel his emotions. Even though the scene above is played for laughs, it's really about Dean's emotions leaking out despite his attempts to hide it.

Ahem. Not writing Dean-Cas till "later seasons," my ass. Dean wore his heart on his sleeve whenever he was "allowed" to. My gosh!

///

EXT. ROAD – NIGHT A small, old hatchback is driving down the road. INT. HATCHBACK – NIGHT A yellow My Little Pony is dangling from the rear-vision mirror. DEAN squeezes it and it squeaks. He takes out a knife, cuts it down and tosses it into the back seat. It squeaks again as it lands.

SAM: You okay? DEAN: You know, it's bad enough that they're ganking people, wearing our mugs, but now this? Have us driving around in this... this caboodle while Baby's on lockdown. SAM: It's temporary, Dean. DEAN: Nobody puts Baby in a corner. SAM: Y-you know that's a line from -- DEAN: Swayze movie. Swayze always gets a pass! SAM: Right. Uh, well, you want some tunes or something? Here. SAM turns on the car radio. MUSIC: Air Supply’s “All Out Of Love” ♪ And what would you say if I called on you now and said that I can't hold on ♪ SAM looks at DEAN. SAM: Sorry, man, I-I... DEAN: Just leave it. Probably gonna be the only thing on. ♪ There's no easy way, it gets harder each day ♪ Please love me or I'll be gone ♪ I'll be gone ♪ SAM looks at the map FRANK gave him and DEAN starts to lip-sync along to the music. ♪ I'm all out of love ♪ I'm so lost without you ♪ SAM looks over at DEAN. ♪ I know you were right ♪ believing for so long ♪ I'm all out of love ♪ DEAN notices that SAM is watching him and stops singing. ♪ What am I without you? ♪ DEAN looks away out the driver’s side window. ♪ I can't be too late to say that I was so wrong ♪ Oh ♪ DEAN starts to lip-sync again. ♪ What are... ♪ SAM looks at him and he stops again. ♪...you thinking of? ♪ DEAN moves his head in time with the music. ♪ What are you -- ♪ SAM: Here. SAM switches off the radio and they sit in silence. SAM studies the map. Jericho is circled.

///

Someday I'll do a thing about all the car-hopping they have to do until, you know, Dean is "Dean" again.

Dean, going through the motions, "acting like one of the dead ones." And...the Impala makes a return once Dean accepts that Cas can't help, and then Cas says he's gonna go with to try and mitigate the wreckage he left.

Cas agreed to try and "fix" things, just as Dean accepted their brokenness. (No ones cares if you're broken so long as you try.)

And the we see Baby again for the first time. Hmmmm.

#car thoughts #7x06 #spn 7x06 #spn slash fiction #ok ALSO the little disbelieving smile he throws over his shoulder #is one we see when he says AND CAS and I don't know in 13x06 #a funny little disbelieving grimace unhinged smile #it's madness man #it's a sad little...something #also the way he looks over his shoulder totally makes me think of how he glances over his shoulder in 13x01 too during the prayer #dang the middle of the night makes me #ackles even mimes BOO-HOOING in the outtakes #SIR sir? SIR! you know you knew and you played it that way

[kaigarax]

Abatina Petals

Tengen Uzui x Reader

Quote: “Fall in love with someone because you know it won’t last forever.”

Now

“Have you ever been in love, (Y/n)?” Asked Mitsuri.

Tengen looks up from his seat. You and Mitsuri sat at a table by the window, a cup of tea in front of each of you. A bouquet of yellow abatinas sits in a vase, colouring the grey room. Tegen has always perfed more traditional flowers like Wisteria or Sakura but he isn’t one to judge.

It wasn’t often that pillars met up but they did happen to bump into each other every once in a while. Tegen had just finished a mission and was taking a brief break to write letters to his wives when you and Misturi stumbled in.

The two of you must have had missions in this area too.

“Love, huh?” You speak the word as if it's a foreign word that you’ve just heard for the first time. As though it’s something you’ve never thought of before. You lean back in your seat, your eyes meeting with Tengen’s briefly, before replying, “briefly.”

Mitsuri tilts her head to the side, “briefly?”

“Yeah,” you smile fondly, “I have quite the fickle heart after all. Isn’t that right, Tengen?”

The sound pillar suddenly feels frozen to the spot as Mitsuir turns to look at him. Her eyes are large and curious. Your eyes, on the other hand, look amused. As if you’ve been expecting something like this to happen.

A fickle heart. The very words he onced used when describing you once.

Back then you hadn’t taken the words nearly as well as you did now. Tegen supposes that’s how you’ve always been. Ever the most unpredictable one in the room.

Tengen shrugs, “I guess your feelings are rather unpredictable.”

“Really?” Mitsuri beams, “I feel like (Y/n) is the total opposite. She’s always so composed and calm.”

You smile, “thanks, Mitsuri!”

There’s a strange pang in Tengen’s chest and it makes him feel abnormally childish. His clothes feel weird and they don’t fit as smoothly as what he wore before. His arms and legs are almost sluggish, as if he’s been taken out of his own body and placed into that of another’s.

It was a special skill of yours, making him feel this way.

Huh.

When was the last time you’d managed to make him feel this way?

---

Last Time

“Wow! You’ve really grown, Tengen!” you smiled brightly, approaching the Breath of Sound user, “or maybe I should say Uzui. You’re a married man now, afterall.”

How can you smile like that so easily?

Guess he was right.

You really are like Abatinas.

“How are you, (Y/n)?” Tengen asks, his voice soft.

“Me, huh?” you make a gesture of scratching your chin as if you’re debating the answer. Tengen feels a small smile begin to form on his face. He knows you already have an answer. You always do. You just happen to like making a show of things for others.

“Well, I don’t see anyone else here named (Y/n).” Tengen replied.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Positive.”

You lean in towards him, too close for strangers but not close enough to elicit a scandal but just barely close enough for someone to see that there might be something more. There’s that look in your eyes that’s always made Tengen’s treacherous heart flutter. And oh, how he hates that feeling.

Eventually, you answer, “I’m doing as well as I can. How are you doing, Uzui?”

Tengen frowns, “you know, just because I’m married doesn't mean you can’t use my name.”

“Well,” you laugh, “if you insist, Tengen.”

His heart pangs and he absolutely abhors it.

Will you always have this sort of effect on him? Will it ever fade away or disappear? He supposes he’s given away too much of himself. Little by little and piece by piece. Tengen wonders if things would be different if only he hadn’t realised it after you.

He’s always been told that rather ‘late’ than ‘never’ but ‘late’ seems to bring nothing but pain and sadness. And Tengen, being the ever kind and gentle soul that he is, would rather have that sadness only kept within himself. Afterall, there is nothing to be gained but sadness and suffering.

---

After

“What are you looking at?” Tengen asks, taking a seat beside you.

You smile, “at something I’ll never have.”

“And what is it that you don’t have?”

Your eyes twinkle and unspoken words are shared. Neither of you are willing to say them; neither of you are willing to share; but both of you know the unshared message between you. Truthfully, Tengen wonders if your feelings have changed. He had once been so certain about you. About your feelings, thoughts and opinions yet he finds himself nothing more than a stranger as he stares at you.

“Are you excited?” You ask, breaking the silence.

Tengen shrugs, “it’s what my father wants.”

“You’re a good son.”

“You and my father have differing opinions on that fact.”

“And is that a good thing?”

Tengen smiles, “definitely.”

You chuckle a little before leaving back. Tengen feels his stomach flutter. This is what he’s always loved. You always seem to know the right times of when to be soft and playful or serious and cold. Not like him.

There’s a loose strand of hair on your face and he leans in. You catch his hand mid air.

“I…” Tengen turns away, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright.” The two of you sit awkwardly. Eventually you nudge him, “here,” holding the yellow flower out to him.

Tengen tried his best to smile, “Oh, thanks. These are Abatinas, right?”

You nod, “I noticed that they always seem to catch your eye.”

“That’s because they remind me of you,” said Tengen suddenly.

“Oh,” you flush, surprised. Heck, even he’s surprised at those words. Never once did he imagine saying something as intimate like that to you. The words almost feel foreign. You’re quick to recollect yourself as your surprised expression is replaced with a well practiced smile, “even more of a reason to give them to you. Remember me when I’m not here.”

And he absolutely will.

A part of him wants to pull you close towards him. He’s going to be married soon but he so desperately wants to tell you that he’d rather be marrying you then someone he doesn't know. That he’s always thought about you, even when you’re not here. Especially when you’re not here.

But he doesn't.

It’s not his place. It’s not his right.

Instead, Tengen watches as you turn around and walk away. You back disappearing into the distance.

Oh how he wishes to chase after you. Would you smile? Would you laugh and tell him that your feelings never changed?

Tengen would never know. But how could he? Afterall, he was the one who turned you down back then.

---

Then

“Tengen!” You beam brightly as you make your way towards him.

Tengen, who had been lazing around, felt a smile form on his face. That smile though is quick to disappear as the memory of his last encounter with you comes to mind.

“What’s wrong?” you ask.

“I guess I’m just wondering.”

“About what?”

He flushes, “you.”

“Oh?” You raise a brow, your interest sparked, “what about me.”

“How you feel about me.” admits Tengen.

“Well, that’s something I can help you with.”

“Is it?”

“Of course. I like you, Tengen.” you’re smiling with that smile that he’s certain many hearts have already fallen victim to and your eyes are twinkling in the way that always makes his heart flutter.

“I like you, too.” he replies, though he isn’t certain of exactly what he said. The blood pounding into his head is too loud and he’s suddenly dizzy.

“No,” you take his hands into your own, “I like, like you.”

And he finds himself at a loss for words.

He wants to say yes. Truly. But you’re much too like Abatinas. Much too distant and ever changing for him to allow his heart to settle.

At one point in your lives, Tengen felt as though he knew you. Felt as though there was a part of you and him that were the same. The two of you had gone through similar experiences as children and become such samilair people as adults. But the image of you in his mind was but an image. Nothing but an imagined version of the person he thought you were.

He wants to smile.

He wants to take your hand in his own.

He wants to be with you.

But he can’t. He won’t ever allow himself to.

“(L/n),” Tengen turns away from you, “please don’t say things you don’t mean. Your heart is light and you shouldn’t be bound to someone like me.”

“My heart is light? I’m insincere?” you ask, your eyes staring deeply into his own.

Tengen nods, removing his hands from your own.

He can’t see your expression but he imagines its a sad one. An expression he’s all too familiar with yet has never seen on your face before.

Perhaps if this had been before, his answer might have been different.

---

Before

After just finishing a mission, Tengen found himself wanting nothing more than to fall asleep. Who would have thought that becoming a demon slayer would be just as hard as being a ninja? Certainly not him.

His father would likely laugh at him.

This was not the path Tegen had chosen for himself. A shining beacon of his rebellion and if he were to back out now he would likely never hear the end of it.

“Oh, really?” someone’s voice rumbles through the walls. It isn’t someone Tengen is familiar with.

“Of course.” another voice responds. His heart flutters at that.

It’s you.

His previous exhaustion seems to have suddenly been extinguished. His heart is now pounding and his head feels lighter than it has in ages.

“(Y/n)!” Tengen exclaims, opening the door.

“Oh, hi Tengen.” you say. Your eyes don’t meet with his own.

“Oh, who’s this, (Y/n)?” asks the man beside you.

You beam brightly at him, “he’s a friend from the demon slayer corps.”

“Really? I can tell!” the man beside you leans in close towards you and whispers into your ear, “he’s very buff.”

“What are the two of you doing?” Tengen asks, feeling a bout of embarrassment.

“Oh, we were just looking around for the kitchen. This lad over here promised me he’d teach me how to cook Takoyaki!” You explained.

Tengen feels a lump in his throat as he asks, “can I come?”

You shrug, “I suppose if you want to.”

“Of course you can come.” replies the man beside you.

You give the man a smile.

It isn’t your dismissive words that send a pang through Tengen’s chest. He’s never been overly sensitive to what people have said and their moods. It’s the way you smile at the man. It’s the same smile you had given to him back then. It’s the same smile he thought reserved strictly for himself.

“Actually, you know what, I think I’m going to try and sleep.” Tengen retreats back into the room, “I just finished a mission after all.”

“Okay.” you answer.

Tengen finds it quite suitable that you carry around Abatinas. You’re quite like them, after all.

---

Back

“Have you ever taken a leap of faith?” You ask, leaning towards Tengen, a bored expression on your face.

Tengen chuckles, “no, I can’t say I have.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“That can’t be true!”

“Why not?”

“Because you fit the persona of a rebellious teenager much too well! And every rebellious teenager has done something requiring faith.”

“Faith?”

“In other people.”

Tengen laughs, “and what does Faith have to do with rebellious teenagers?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Because rebellious teeangers are attempting to break away from their parents they suddenly find themselves in a strange position. Positions where they need to rely on other people if they hope to succeed.” You explain, “and success in a new environment isn’t possible if you don’t have other people you can rely on.”

“And I suppose you know this because you’ve relied on people before?”

“No actually. I’ve always followed the path my father laid out for me.”

“Well, aren’t you a good kid?”

“Apparently~”

“Say, why do you carry Abatinas around?” asked Tengen.

You smiled, “because I think they’re pretty.”

“Is that all?”

“Do I need another reason why?”

“No,” Tengen’s heart fluttered as his eyes met with yours, “I guess not.”

---

Now

“Have you ever been in love, Tengen?” Mitsuir asked.

“Of course.” replies Tengen.

“Really!” The love pillar’s eyes gleam with interest, “how did it end?”

“Horribly sad.”

“Why?”

“Because it wasn’t meant to last forever.”

“Would you choose to love them again if you had the choice?” You ask.

And now it’s Tengen’s turn to have a knowing smile, “of course.”

You smile back.

There isn’t the same expressive gleam that the two of you share anymore. There’s no longer a spark. But that’s okay.

Does your heart ever still flutter the same way he did? The same way he does?

He supposes he’ll never know.

Fall in love with someone because you know it won’t last forever.

#demon slayer #demon slayer x reader #Kimetsu no Yaiba #kimetsu no yaiba x reader #tengen uzui x reader #100 ways to fall in love

[yoursweetestnightmarelover]

The Dance

“Have you heard? They're having a big party, apparently it's to celebrate a new year or something like that” J asked “Yea Lizzy even invited me” V responded, “Are you going to go?” J asked “Yea I am even Tessa and N are going are you not?” V said. “No, I have work” J said, “work?” V asked with doubt, “Yes work, are your audio receptors having problems?” J asked sarcastically, V rolled her eyes, then V smirked to herself coming up with an idea. “You know If your 'work' clears up I hear a certain someone doesn't have anyone to accompany her~” V said a mischievous grin on her face, J glared at her knowing exactly who V was talking about. “Aww come on, I'm just pulling your leg” V said, her grin growing to be Cheshire like “Ugh hate when you do that” J said pushing V away, a bell flashing on her visor. “Oh all ready well I'm going out to have fun see ya~” V said before flying off J sitting on some scrap annoyed.

Uzi, sitting in her room tinkering with various machines, Uzi hearing a knock on the door “Come In” Uzi said the room being illuminated by the pale light coming from the hallway Khan coming in saying ”You know the new year's celebration is going to be starting here soon have you picked out an outfit yet?” Uzi pointing to her bed the black dress she wore on prom set there neatly,” Uzi you don't have to go if you don't want to, Khan said ”I do it's just…” khan cutting in saying you're nervous?” ”What me nervous, I've dealt with way worse, I'm not nervous at all.” Uzi said ”well if you say so” khan said in a sad tone, knowing that she was lying or not telling him the full picture. It wasn't a lie, just she wasn't nervous. It's just a reminder that she well by herself of course she has N and V But that not what she means well N loves her as a sister and V well… Her processor quickly flashed the image of J a blush appearing on her visor. She was the LAST drone she would ask but maybe-Uzi cutting herself off, NOPE she would just suck it up and go by herself… just then she heard the doorbell ring.

Was she really doing this, J thought to herself, standing in front of the door saying Doorman resident's she could just go back no one would know or even care, so why is she here? Did she just want to get back at V? Khan slowly opening the door, his eyes hollowing out staring at the drone in front of him, he never felt comfortable around them but THIS ONE especially. Uzi coming to the front door after putting on her prom dress, she saw J? She's wearing a yellow thigh dress along with a black coat with an open front and what looked to be fur along the cuff and trim Uzi staring at J her visor playing a sparkle effect and a blush. J looking at her, seeing her in a black dress It fit her perfectly it was alright Khan interrupting J staring at Uzi saying “A-Are you here for the new year's party?” Khan said his visor showing beads of sweat going down it “As a matter of fact I am, and I'm here to pick up your daughter. Isn't that right Uzi~” J said Uzi, still lost in J eyes hearing her name, she responded with a “yea” only for Uzi to snap out of it realizing what she just agreed to. Khan still in shock “O-Oh okay” Khan stuttered out slowly handing Uzi over J extending her hand out for Uzi to grab who just slapped away “let's just go” Uzi grumbled out walking off with J.

J and Uzi entering the gymnasium, feeling the beat of the music N Tessa Thad and V came over Lizzy tagging along. “Uzi, so glad you could make it hey J” Thad said doing a double take upon seeing J glaring at him “hey Uzi? What is she doing here?” Thad whispered “I can hear you AND for your consideration I'm accompanying Uzi tonight” J responded in a snarky tone. Everyone But V looked shocked, Thad speaking up “Uzi blink twice if you're being force to do this” Thad whispered “No I'm not being force to do this” Uzi said J rolling her eyes. N piping up “Well I think it's nice to see you two together and not fighting” Tessa nodding “You're taking my advice about getting out more and doing less work.” Tessa said “Yep” J responded forcing a smile then a random drone called out. “HEY THAD TESSA, WE GOT THE JERRY CANS ALL SET UP COME ON DON'T CHICKEN OUT ON US NOW” cutting the awkward silence Thad and Tessa running over. “Thad challenged her to a drinking contest and well you know her, I'm going to make sure she doesn't over do it.” N said walking off waving to J and Uzi Lizzy following him, “so I'm guessing your 'work' wasn't that big of a deal? And I also see that you took my advice about 'accompanying' someone” V said, a smug grin on her face, “Advice?” Uzi asked, “Oh just that a little birdy told me that you were going to come to this event alone, and I may have let that slip out” V answered her question, “Let me guess this little birdy happened to be Lizzy?” Uzi scoffed, “even now she still wants all the detes of drama” she added, Uzi heading over to the table severing cheap ethanol “I'm going to need a drink for tonight” Uzi grumbled to herself. J following behind her grabbing Uzi's drink “For me why thank you” J said in a smug tone, Uzi glaring at her getting herself another drink as J walked off.

Uzi and J have been avoiding each other for the most part, occasionally meeting up. Uzi, mainly been hanging out with N and V, all three of them watching Thad and Tessa drinking challenge. ”Okay Tessa, you beat me I surrender,” He said Tessa letting out a hearty laugh, ”shouldn't have challenged me little man I will always win” Tessa said having a bold stance. ”Uh wow she drank like three bottles of alcohol, is she going to be okay? Isn't alcohol poisonous to humans” Lizzy asked, ”In significantly large amounts yes, but she's just going to wake up in the morning with a killer headache and regretting this” J said, ”Hey I don't regret, nothing” Tessa said, slightly sluggish N Rushing to her side ”lets just take it easy for now” N said kindly ”maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea” Tessa said leaning in to N giggling a little. V snicking to herself, V was about to say something, but the DJ making an announcement.

”SLOW DANCE STARTING IN T MINUS ONE MINUTE” Lizzy eyes lighting up ”OH come, come on V we gotta do this” Lizzy said grabbing V's hand dragging her along, V chuckling to herself ”The romantic as ever.” Tessa looking at N a blush on her face, ”Would you like to dance with me?” she asked ”sure” N responding a warm smile on his face, his tail gently wagging. As N and Tessa walked off, leaving J and Uzi with just each other, ”Sooo…” Uzi said, not really sure how to ask her god her thoughts felt fuzzy J already knowing what she was going to ask and was going to say no but looking a Tessa N and V she felt Jealous? She was fine, she was fine, she lied to herself J's eyes glancing over to Uzi, but maybe it would be okay. ”Sure” J said offing her hand, Uzi was shocked, but she took her hand, as they both walked to the dance floor Uzi looking up at J saw that she's blushing on her visor. J looking down at Uzi, saw her eyes quickly dart away looking to her left blushing, J chuckling to herself she was so cut- J cutting off that thought as they both reached the dance floor. She realized she was boxed in she couldn't get out now, J felt her core rhythm increase J slowly starting a Tango with Uzi, but she was messing up she felt sluggish no they both are sluggish ”Wow you are not good at this” Uzi whispered a smirk on her face ”Yea because you keep messing me up what did they build you with two left feet?” J whispered back Uzi glaring at her, J was starting one of her speeches about how she should count herself lucky that she would even do this with her and blah, blah, blah. GOD COULD'NT SHE JUST SHUT UP FOR ONE NIGHT, Uzi thought to herself, J face getting closer to hers. God, she just wanted her to shut up Uzi got an idea the ethanol in her systems clouding her judgment, without thinking she shot forwards and kissed her J panicking she needed to pull away, so why wasn't she? J hands pulling her in closer and Uzi left hand grabbing her head and her right hand holding her waist Uzi and J sinking into each other embrace, Uzi felt weak. After what felt like an eternity, she never wanted to end they both pulled away both of them letting out light pant's staring at each other slightly shaking Tessa interrupting their moment with a ”AWW MY BABY'S IN LOVE” both of them snapping out of the haze both of them realized what they both had just done. Looking around, everyone was staring at them, Uzi ran and J flew off breaking the roof, both of them leaving with one thought WHY DID I ENJOY IT.

#murder drones #md uzi #murder drones uzi #uzi doorman #serial designation j #md j #j x uzi #juzi #murder drones j #fanfic #This was supposed to be a minfic but here we are

[nerves-nebula]

“What about this one?” Leo asked.

“I think they all look nice.” Donnie repeated.

“That’s why I’m here. I can be objective.”Mikey said, shoving Donnie lightly, “Leo, that dress is obnoxiously yellow. It could look so much better if you let me-”

“I’m not letting you turn any more of my clothes into art projects, Mikey!” Leo snapped. Mikey rolled their eyes exaggeratedly, and Leo turned to Raph, “What do you think?”

“They all look fine.” Raph supplied, tiredly.

“You guys are no help!” Leo groaned, pulling off her shiny, yellow dress. She began rummaging through the pile of clothes she’d laid out.

“Can we leave then.” Raph yawned. Leo glared, and he only leaned back in his seat. It had been a while since Leo had lashed out at anyone besides Donnie; he wasn’t worried.

Predictably, he huffed and returned to picking out another outfit.

Leo had accumulated a small collection of more feminine clothes by this point. Some through scavenging, others bought, and a few even made by Mikey. She’d taken to wearing them around the house but this was the first time she was going to wear something feminine outside.

And Raph was trying to be supportive, he really was. But Leo had woke them all up so damn early, and dragged them over to help him pick out a dress.

He squirmed into a new dress, bright pink, and discolored from fixes and alterations. Raph could clearly see it was something Mikey had made. It looked like something a ballerina might wear. If they had no other options, maybe.

Leo sniffed down a little at it, seeming to share the sentiment, now that it was on him.

“I- it’s a bit patchy, isn’t it?” Donnie criticized, squinting at the mess of a dress.

“Admittedly, not my best work.” Mikey shrugged, “Why’d you even put it on?”

“Well… I thought it kind of looks like the first dress I ever found back Ho- when we were living with dad.” Leo reasoned, more subdue, looking like she was remembering something.

Mikey bounced in their seat, taking the reminder of the sewer in stride. “Oh yeah! I remember that. It was so poofy. You wore that for ages until Splinter saw it.”

Donnie nodded, “I think you found it when we were all playing. I remember you were really sad when dad made you take it off.”

Raph didn’t remember that.

It was nothing new, it shouldn’t have bothered him so much.

But the thing is, he tried.

He tried so hard to remember, but it was just blank. Nothing came to mind. It made Raph feel a little insane. They were all talking about something he knew he must have been there for, so why couldn’t he-

“Yeah, I’m not wearing this outside.” Leo scoffed, beginning to wrestle the article off.

She handled the dress fondly, though, as he discarded it. It was such a strange thing to see from Leo.

And that’s just it. They were all doing so much better now, living in the hidden city.

Mikey was so much happier, more easygoing. Donnie was becoming more confident and happy for all Leo didn’t help that most days. But Leo was trying. He was making an effort to be more open, more calm. She was communicating.

Raph, on the other hand… he supposed he hadn’t had to do as many chores. His siblings were thriving, but he was the same as he’d always been, if lazier.

Donnie had been having more good days than bad, but Raph’s memory was as poked full of holes as it always was.

Mikey had become almost always present, but Raph found himself just as prone to loosing time.

Maybe it had nothing to do with how things used to be. Maybe he was just broken, and their old living situation played no part in that. His dumb brain didn’t work the way it was supposed to and there was no fixing-

Raph was snapped out of his thoughts, as Donnie pulled at his arm. “Are you… alright? You seemed distracted.” His brother asked, fretfully.

“You need the sunhat, or it won’t work!” Mikey pushed, as they tried to shove a floppy hat onto Leo’s head.

“Mikey, It’s fine!” He screeched, flailing.

“And it could be perfect!”

“I don’t need it, there’s no sun down here!” Leo lunged, trying to pull her mask off from where Mikey had tied it around the straw hat. They yanked it away, giggling as they switched to keeping the hat out of Leo grasp.

Leo laughed with a carefree smile, as she play fought with Mikey. It wasn’t something Raph thought he’d ever see.

With a small smile of his own creeping across his face, he nodded down to Donnie, who relaxed, relieved, hands still gently grasping his arm, as he too turned to their siblings.

Despite everything, Raph’s concerns fell away in the face of his brothers’ happiness.

He felt like he’d remember this.

SHUT UPPP THATS SO SWEET OH MY GODDDDD!!! FUCKIMG ADORABLEEEEEE ASASUGHFH

#nnstuff #ask #tmnt Raph #tmnt leo #tmnt mikey #tmnt donnie #fanfic #teenage mutant neglected turtles #asks are sweethearts #neglected fic

[callsign-bunnie]

Ghost stalker with the soap

Alright, you left this fairly open ended and it's Horror Night so I'm gonna go about this my way. This is a Yellow

--

It started subtle. Soap started to notice things going missing in his dorm.

A tee shirt he didn't particularly care about, but wore enough to notice it was gone, was the first thing he noticed. He'd gone to pull it on for class and realized he couldn't find it, anywhere. But, he'd just passed it off as probably having left it at the laundromat.

Then, it was a chain bracelet. This one was actually kind of dear to his heart, since it was one of the few things he'd received from his parents' estate. So it was pretty upsetting when it went missing.

From there, it was more stuff.

Then notes started. Soap got home from a date and he found a sticky note on his bathroom mirror. He doesn't deserve you. It'd made Soap's blood run cold.

Soap had glanced around and locked his windows. He'd barely slept. The next day, when he'd gotten back from classes, he'd found another note. This time it was You don't need to be frightened. Soap wasn't frightened.

Okay, maybe he was. But... he had fair reason, damn it! Someone was breaking into his fucking dorm and leaving creepy ass notes. Yeah, he was going to be at least a little fucking unnerved.

He had just shredded the note and locked his windows again. He was tempted to get a gun. He knew how to use them, so that wouldn't be a problem, though his campus didn't allow them.

Soap decided against it. It was probably some asshole trying to be funny. In a really shitty way.

Then he found the camera. He'd been searching through his stuff and he found a weird little pile of things on his dresser that he didn't remember making.

In it had been a little circle thing, which was black and plastic. Honestly, it was a testament to Soap's ADHD that he hadn't noticed it, earlier, because the wire was almost obvious.

Soap wasn't sure how he'd felt about it. He'd stomped on it a few times to smash it and then ripped it out of the wall. He was starting to lose his mind. He knew he should tell someone but he just... didn't think it would do anything.

I'm sorry. The camera was too much. Soap frowned when he saw the note.

Another was on his dresser, next to a tiny stuffed bear. Forgive me?

Soap wasn't even sure how he was supposed to answer that. No. He didn't. He took the bear and the notes and threw them away in the dumpster outside.

Luckily, no more notes came until the morning after a particularly shitty date. I told you he didn't deserve you. Soap sighed. He couldn't even feel unnerved at this one.

Before he went to class, he left his own note. Couldn't you have just like left your number or something? Or ask for mine like a normal person?

Soap wasn't even surprised at the text he'd received in the middle of class. I was nervous that would be too forward.

Soap immediately set the name as "stalker" and sighed. Oh well, he hated this class, anyway. And breaking into my dorm and leaving creepy fucking notes, wasn't?

I didn't know how else to talk to you.

You put a camera in my dorm. That's creepy as fuck.

Forgive me, please. I just wanted to be able to see you.

Soap frowned at how sad that almost was. No, no, no. No sympathy for the creepy ass stalker dude. What pronouns should I think you as?

I'm a man.

Soap shrugged. Building a face to the weirdo, now. Are you a tall man?

Taller than most.

Soap flushed a little. He liked tall men. What about your eye color?

Why do you want to know?

I just want a face to the dude who's stalking me.

There wasn't a text back for a while and Soap sighed, slumping a little. He'd asked too many questions too quickly.

However, he perked up near the end of class, hearing his phone buzz.

Blue.

Soap tried to think about it. Tall with blue eyes... What color hair?

Blond.

Soap was starting to build the image of him in his head. He kind of liked what he had made, to be honest. His stalker sounded like his type. You got a name?

You can call me Ghost, if you want.

Soap frowned. Ghost? Ghost? The fuck kind of name is that?

It's not my real one, obviously. I don't want you calling the police on me.

Soap sighed. So Ghost was rather smart. Well, he did manage to keep breaking in and he'd put a camera in his dorm. He had to be some kind of smart for that.

He didn't answer Ghost, just went back to his dorm.

And Ghost didn't text him again for a few days. Soap was honestly sure he'd forgotten about him.

If you met me, you wouldn't like me.

I haven't met you and I don't like you. You keep breaking into my dorm. Soap shook his head at the text, laying in bed.

I said I was sorry.

You're an odd person. Soap responded, snorting. How would an apology make up for that?

Don't be mad at me. I just wanted to be close to you.

You could ask me out like a normal person. Soap sighed. Even if he was a fucking creep, Ghost seemed kind of sad.

You're too good for me.

Then why are you stalking me? Soap frowned a little, confused.

I don't know.

Soap rolled his eyes and tossed his phone across the room. He needed to go to bed.

Again, Ghost didn't contact him again. Soap had decided to give the guy he was trying to date another chance. It'd been kind of nice, honestly.

He'd even walked him up to his dorm and everything.

However, Soap had walked into his dorm to another tiny stuffed animal on his dresser and a single black rose with a skull bead on a ribbon around it.

He's no good for you.

Soap frowned. And he found himself starting to believe it.

--

I will do a part 2, just this is getting kind of long. Just send me the ask if you want it.

#bunnie's horror night #yellow #Johnny Soap Mactavish #Simon Ghost Riley #Soap Cod #Ghost COD #Soapghost #Ghostsoap #Soap x Ghost #Ghost x Soap #Macriley #Call of Duty #Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2

[starsfic]

Aftermath

Summary:

The aftermath of that night leaves Mike to get involved with the Afton family even more, his father's own history with William Afton, and trying to handle harsh truths.

Notes:

Sorry if it gets a little messy, I wanted to get this finished before my birthday was over.

-_-

The moment the doors of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza swung shut, Mike barely managed to wrangle his phone out. He didn't use it often, but this was an emergency. "Abby," he gasped, feeling his bandaged wounds ache. "Abby..." He nearly stopped at those wide brown eyes.

She had been through so much. Too much since the moment their mom died.

But he was pretty sure he was about to faint, and he needed to make sure Vanessa was alright before he did that. He could feel her faintly breathe even as her yellow sweater grew red with blood. Why she pulled out the knife, he didn't know and didn't want to think about it. He needed to make sure help would come before he collapsed.

"Abby, I need you to call 911. Tell them we're-" Something screeched behind them. "Shit, shit, further into the parking lot-" Abby did as commanded, eventually helping him set Vanessa next down to her police car. He barely managed to pull his jacket off and fold it into a rough pillow shape so Vanessa’s head wasn’t lying on the cold ground. "I need you to call 911 and tell them…” Pain ripped through him and he hissed. “Tell them…that…that we need an ambulance. Tell them that we're at…Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, that there are…” How many? Him and Vanessa at least. “Two people are injured, and the attacker is inside the building." Probably dead, but hey.

"Okay... I got it." As Abby began to dial, Mike turned to Vanessa. Her hazy green eyes barely managed to meet his. For a moment, she smiled.

Was it out of relief that he and Abby were alright? Or was it out of relief that her father was finally gone? Before he could dare to ask, the smile slid off her face, and her eyes slid close.

Mike blinked.

When his eyes opened, he was staring at a white ceiling. Uncomfortable sheets pricked at his skin. He blinked again, and gold hair invaded his vision as someone leaned over the side. It wasn’t Vanessa’s blonde curls, though. 

The blonde boy stared at him. Mike stared back.

"...he won't be able to hurt anyone else again." The boy said it so firmly that Mike almost believed him. "He'll suffer just like how he made others suffer." A hand reached out and patted his hand. It was the most human that the kid ever seemed to be, his face briefly scrunching up. Once again, he wasn't sure what emotion was on the blonde's face- anger or sadness. Or maybe just relief. "Vanessa will be fine. Rest now."

Mike blinked before he could answer.

Instead of the blonde boy, Abby stared at him.

"Mike?"

"Hey," he managed out, barely managing to reach out and sweep the hair out of her face. "Are we at the hospital?" The uncomfortable sheets were the same and so was the white ceiling.

Abby nodded, and he noticed that she had changed. Instead of her pink cloud sweater, she wore a blue jumper with Bonnie's face stitched over her heart. Mike had to shake off the image of young Vanessa, wearing a similar blue jumper and holding Garrett's plane, to focus instead. "The doctors said you were okay. You just had a really bad reaction to blood loss and the sleeping pills."

"And Vanessa?" He scoffed internally the moment he realized. Abby was just a kid. They wouldn't tell her. "Where did you get those clothes?" he asked instead.

"Fazbear Entertainment. Did you know Dad worked with Mr. Afton?" Abby continued on without pause. "And Vanessa's fine, but she's in a coma. I got to say hi to her."

Mike blinked again. His dad had…what? Confusion ate at his brain, demanding that he focus on that part. He shook it off. He could handle that later. “Vanessa’s in a coma? Where’s Aunt Jane?” He expected to see her looming behind Abby, holding her shoulder possessively tight. Instead, there was nobody except an unfamiliar woman, sitting outside. She looked up, meeting his eyes, and smiled and waved.

Damn, Jane couldn’t even visit him in the hospital?

Abby nodded. “The doctor said that she was really hurt, but that she was stable.” Anger and unease filled her eyes. “When Cassie came to get me, he said she was sleeping. She wasn’t sleeping.”

Faced with that news, Mike could only lie back down. His anger at her was still there, but shock was quickly replacing that.

“Fuck.”

-_-

"Okay, sir. We just need you to go over the day."

Mike had barely been released from the hospital when the cops came. To be fair, he was probably the best first suspect for Aunt Jane's murder- they never got along and were in a custody battle. Still, he couldn't help but lean forward, staring at the officers. One was older, wearing no name tag, while the other was younger with dark hair with a name tag reading Mark. "I didn't kill my aunt."

"Your sister was very vocal about that," Officer Mark said with an eye roll. "She nearly bit me when I asked if she thought you did it."

"Mark, hush." The lead officer turned back to him. "We believe you, sir. We just need to make sure there are people who can confirm that."

Mike sighed. He was tired and achy and still very confused. He had tried to talk to the doctor about his hospital bill, but apparently, Fazbear Entertainment had covered his medical bills already. He just wanted to get home and make sure Abby was okay with the weird woman who had introduced herself as Charlie Left, but he needed to just get through this. "Okay. I asked Aunt Jane-"

"What exactly was your relation to her?" Mark spoke up, writing something on a clipboard. "I mean, are you guys blood-related, or is she a family friend?" The two others stared at him, the lead officer's seat creaking under him as he turned. Mark shrugged. "Just making sure."

Yeah, right. Family friend. Everyone knew the Schmidt sisters hated each other. As far as he knew, the only reason Jane had ever moved to Hurricane was to bother his parents. 

"She's my and Abby's aunt, our mom's older sister. And I would hardly call them friends. She once tried to sue my dad out of a thousand bucks because of a car accident that she caused and that he wasn't involved in, just because he refused to check on her car for free after a bunch of other bullshit." The chair creaked again as the lead officer stared at him. Mike raised his hands. "I'm just saying, my aunt was pretty open in private that she just wanted money, and that's all she really cared about. That was why I didn't want my sister in her custody." The officers nodded. "But I asked her to come babysit at six thirty in the morning, when I got back from my night shift and she got to my house around nine. She wanted to talk about Abby’s custody. I agreed to talk when I got back from work, and left the house at about nine…fifteen?"

From there, Mike continued. He detailed his visit to the pharmacy and strained his mind to remember the name of the guy who served him. From there, he got to the pizza place early. He didn't explain why beyond "working more hours." He didn't really want to explain the whole "ghost children" thing.

Mark looked bored. At the mention of Freddy's, Lead Officer perked up.

“I think I was attacked at midnight,” he said. “I escaped and… I think I managed to get outside. When I woke up, Van-” He shut his mouth and managed to shake his head. He needed to be formal. “Officer Shelly was patching me up at a police supply outpost, not too far from Freddy’s. I don’t remember the time.”

“Was the outpost the one on 3rd and 6th?”

“Yeah…” He couldn’t remember. He just remembered stumbling out to Vanessa’s car and driving down the road as fast as legally possible, trying to get to Abby. “Yeah, I think so. When I got there, my sister was there, and so was Mr. Afton.”

"Your sister said the same," Lead Officer said. "She said he attacked you?"

"Yeah. Officer Shelly gave me a stun gun because of the situation. I attempted to shock him, but he was wearing the Yellow Bunny suit?"

"The Spring Bonnie suit?"

It had a name? "Yeah, I guess? He attacked me after that..." He could feel those fists dig into his ribcage. But that wasn't compared to how his lungs clenched in horror as he remembered that yellow suit, one side ruined and one side whole, stalking out of the shadows. "He admitted to killing my brother, Garrett Schmidt, and said he wanted to kill me and Abby." He had acted like he wanted to complete a set, he realized now.

Hey, Vanessa! I have all three Schmidt trophies!

"That's not a surprise, he was a pretty big suspect on that case."

Once again, Mike found himself pausing. "Excuse me?"

"Please, continue." Lead Officer nodded as Mark scribbled something down. "What happened after that?"

How to explain stuff after that? Neither would believe the whole ghost stuff. "Officer Shelly showed up before he could stab me. She found and got Abby. She- Vanessa, I mean, tried to shoot Mr. Afton."

"And then?"

"And then he stabbed her." Mike's mouth was dry. The scream that wanted to come out when he saw that knife sink in clawed at his throat. He bit it back, saving it for when he got home and could scream into his pillow. "While that was happening, I tried to get the lights on to distract him. Abby...got away and managed to hide, and then, I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"What happened," Mike claimed. "He was screaming. These springlocks-" Lead Officer sighed, his brows furrowed together. "Were digging into him. Officer Shelly explained that there were some safety concerns about the springlocks when she dropped by one time, so I guessed that he did something to trigger them."

"According to your sister, a...cupcake attacked him?" Mark spoke up again. "Any explanation about that?"

Mike shrugged. "The animatronics were gathering around, and Abby was always freaked out by the cupcake." That was a lie, but he was freaked out about the cupcake.

Lead Officer nodded. "The animatronics were programmed with first aid knowledge," he said. "Makes sense. If a guy was screaming and bleeding everywhere, I would try to help." He hummed, pursing his lips as he stared at whatever papers he was looking at. "But they always did act weird around adults after the disappearances in the 80s..."

In a gesture that he felt like he was repeating over and over again, Mike shrugged. "I guess? All I know is that he was writhing in pain and the building started collapsing," Mike was scribbling furiously on the clipboard. "Me and Abby got Vanessa and got her out. I got Abby to call an ambulance while I tried to get Vanessa comfortable. And then I woke up in the hospital." After that, Fazbear Entertainment had sent him a check for a full week's pay and what seemed like a bonus. (Or Mr. Afton had given him a way lower number for pay.) Him and Abby were secured for a while. “I only heard about Aunt Jane when I woke up in the hospital.”

The silence drew again.

"Okay," Lead Officer said finally, looking up from the papers. "This matches up with what your sister said. Mostly." Mike raised a brow. "According to her, Fredbear attacked your aunt and brought her to Freddy Fazbear's in a taxi, where Chica tried to stuff her in a spring lock suit in the back room, and the animatronics attacked you." He spread his hands. "Granted, she is a child who has gone through a very unfortunate experience, so..." He sighed, clapping his hands together. "I have to be very frank with you, Mr. Schmidt-Emily." He barely bit back the retort that it was just Schmidt before the lead officer leaned back. "Mr. Afton has been a suspect for a long time."

The words sank in.

"What?"

The lead officer nodded. "Yes. I think he thought he was the smartest man alive, so he slipped up, several times, and got a few people suspicious. However, there was never solid enough evidence." A smile lit up the man's face. "Until you came along."

Mike blinked and barely managed a nod. "Okay...what happened?" He probably should've been more focused on moving the conversation to him getting out, but his curiosity tugged at him. "I mean, what evidence did you have?"

Officer Mark opened his mouth. "That's not-"

"It's okay, Mark. He's involved with the case, he has a right to know." The lead officer reached over and pulled out a file. Mike had to bite back a swear- it was thick, thick enough that there was a loud thump when it hit the table. "I'm going to have to start at the beginning for this to make sense, if that's alright."

"...yeah...Yeah. Alright."

Once again, the story started in the 80s, on the birthday of a familiar blonde boy. 

"His name was Cassidy Afton," Lead Officer explained, tapping his photo. It seemed to be taken from a family photo since a hand was on the shoulder, and he could see the shoulder of a familiar blue jumpsuit pressed against a striped shirt. "And he was murdered by his brother, Michael Afton."

Not intentionally, of course. However, Michael had a long history of bullying his younger brother at school and possibly a longer history at home. It had been chalked up to "boys will be boys" until Cassidy Afton's birthday had happened.

Mike nearly threw up at the picture. He had been warned about the gore, of course, but that didn’t compare to the shock. That blonde boy, once solemnly staring, was now trapped in the jaws of a bear-shaped animatronic, except it wasn't Freddy. The color was different. It helped keep his eyes away from that face, still stricken with tears. "Apparently, despite having an accident with spring locks, Mr. Afton still used them, including in Fredbear. Michael and his friends pushed him up to give him a big kiss, and down went the jaws."

Cassidy had died in the hospital a week later.

Mike had gotten frustrated with Abby before- when she didn't eat, when she didn't give him back the stuff she borrowed without a struggle, when she refused to get ready for school- but he could never think of doing something like that to her or Garrett. Apparently, according to the mugshots, neither did the four teenagers. Michael Afton looked especially sick in his blood-splattered clothes. "What happened to them?"

"Well, it was an accident. None of them were charged with any crime."

"Mr. Afton was pissed about it," Mark said. "He started a whole campaign to get them all arrested, and when that didn't work, he threatened their families."

Dots started to connect. "Were the missing kids...?"

The lead officer was already moving pictures into place. "Susie Franklin was the younger sister of Moses Franklin. Fritz Lorde was the cousin of Asher Cormac, and Gabriel was Asher's younger brother. Jeremy Fitzgerald was the nephew of Aaron Fitzgerald." The lead officer shrugged at Mike's questioning look. "Age gap. It didn't matter. Mr. Afton was known to make violent threats against the families and once punched Asher Cormac in the face."

Mark spoke up again. "We have a whole cabinet because of the amount of threats he made." He smiled as if this was just a regular conversation over dinner. “My favorite was when he threatened to sic a bear on them.”

Lead Officer waved him off. “Basically, he was the prime suspect when they disappeared. However, there was no evidence in the restaurant and in the house of any foul play. All we had were threats of harm.”

“They were in the suits.” The words just… came out. “He admitted to putting them in the suits.” William hadn’t, Vanessa had, but something in him just needed to protect her. “He was going to stuff Abby in a suit, one in the back room.”

Silence.

Lead Officer and Mark both stared at him, wide-eyed. Mike barely resisted a gulp. He wasn’t sure why he spoke up. They had just needed to be said. The silence was finally broken when Lead Officer swore, softly but with emotion. “The restaurant shut down after the animatronics started smelling…” he mumbled, seeming more to himself than any of the others. “Mr. Afton claimed he was fixing the issue before the restaurant closed.”

Mike nodded and chose to ignore that. "So...you also said it wasn't a surprise to hear that he might've kidnapped my brother." Abby’s words were drifting through his mind. Did you know Dad worked with Mr. Afton?

"Your father is Henry Emily, correct?" Mike nodded. "I'm surprised you don't remember. Henry Emily and William Afton created Fazbear Entertainment together and records showed you were at Cassidy Afton's birthday party."

He didn't remember.

Vanessa would've said something, right? About them growing up together? Except she hadn't said a word about Garrett even when she found out.

But why?

“Did my father help kill people?”

"No, no, believe me. Mr. Emily has reported Mr. Afton multiple times for suspicious behavior." Lead Officer said. "It started off as worries of self harm after Mrs. Afton..." Unease passed his face. "Passed away-"

"Slit her wrists!"

"Officer Mark, shut up."

"Shutting up."

"Anyway, Mr. Emily had worries about Mr. Afton's mental health and reported multiple times his concerns about attempted suicides." Lead Officer's brows furrowed. "However, he started to report concerns of strange behavior, including signs of harm on some of his children."

"Including Vanessa?" He was forgetting to put distance between them, but it didn't matter. Vanessa was important to him- not in the same way as Abby was, but she was important. He needed to know how William Afton had hurt her.

The lead officer nodded. "Yes. Michael Afton, the eldest of the family, was supposedly the worst receiver, but Vanessa Afton also received it." He took in a deep breath and let it out. The lights flickered, as though presenting a spotlight on the tragedy of the Afton family. "It got worse after the tragedy-"

"The Bite of '87!"

"Mark, it was 1983, and shut up!" Mike felt himself lean back at the yell, same as Mark. Lead Officer turned back to Mike. "From what I know, your father threatened to take custody of both Vanessa and Michael from Mr. Afton," Lead Officer stared down at the picture of Vanessa, now comatose in bed, with a sad expression. "Mainly Vanessa, since Michael was nearly an adult."

"And, again, Mr. Afton started up the threats."

"And he started up the threats, to the point where Mr. Emily was recommended to leave town for a little while until custody was hammered out."

Dots again were sliding into place.

Mike had always focused on Garrett being kidnapped, his little face as he looked out the window, holding the plane that became a serial killer's trophy. But other dots were coming into place.

His dad had jumped the trip to Nebraska on them so suddenly. One day, Mike was talking about the lack of plans for summer break, and the next day, they were talking about Nebraska. He knew his mom had family there, but there had been no real other reason. Right?

Right?

-_-

The next day was quiet.

Abby, thankfully, wasn't resistant to going to school after a day of rest. Mike wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Charlie had recommended that both of them go to therapy before she left to go do...whatever her job was when it wasn't babysitting. He probably should keep that in mind.

Thankfully, it seemed that the police didn't suspect him of murdering their aunt, but he had to go to trial anyway to figure out what happened. For now, however, he was just told to stay in town.

Which, of course, he would.

The hospital, thankfully, didn't raise a brow when he and Abby came in to see Vanessa. However, he did pause at the sight outside. For once, the space outside Vanessa’s room was crowded.

There were three people- a redhead in a purple dress and a hideous green jacket, a smaller girl in red overalls and glasses, and a blonde man in a matching hideous green jacket- and a Great Dane. He looked down at a gasp and barely bit back a chuckle at Abby’s sparkling eyes. She had always loved dogs, although the animals had recently hit fifth on the favorite animals list. The blonde looked up and stepped forward.

This revealed that, no, there were actually four people-

Blue eyes met his.

Oh no, he’s back he’s back I need to get Abby- I need to get Vanessa-

"Mikey?"

Michael Afton, because this had to be him, had stood. He was reaching forward, those blue eyes wide. "I...I can't believe this!" A smile grew across his face. "It's been so long."

He knew him. They actually knew each other.

"I don't remember you."

He probably could've said that better.

Michael's smile faded and his hand lowered. "Oh." He tucked his hand inside his pockets. “Oh. Okay. Uh, sorry. I didn’t mean- I mean, I heard Vanessa had gotten stabbed and you were involved-” He came to a stop, took in a breath, and relaxed. “Like, sorry. It’s been a while.” He held out his hand again. “Michael. I’m Michael Afton, but I go by Shaggy.”

"Uh, hi." Mike eyed the hand. "I'm Mike."

"I'm Abby!" And, much to his surprise, his sister actually took Michael's hand and shook it. "What's your dog's name?"

Michael blinked as if expecting a different answer. "Oh! Uh, like, this is Scooby-Doo!" The Great Dane plodded forward, sitting next to Michael. "He helps me with problems, you know?"

"Can I pet him?"

"Like, yeah! Scooby loves pets!"

"And Scooby snacks," the small girl said as Abby began to pet the dog. "If you don't mind, we can show her?" It took a moment to realize she was asking him. "Fred and Daphne can get food?"

The man and tall woman nodded. "Sure, Velma!" "Yeah!"

Mike nodded. "Sure." He glanced at Vanessa's room, and Michael nodded back. As the smaller woman, Velma, started instructing Abby on how to give Scooby-Doo a treat, the two Mikes walked into the hospital room.

Like every time he had visited before, Vanessa was still lying there, washed out under the hospital lights. Mike, for once, hung back. Michael walked forward to stand at her side. He could see tears beading up as he reached out, pushing some blonde curls out of her face. "Hey, Ness," he finally said. "Sorry it took so long for me to come."

Was Michael remembering Cassidy, lying in his hospital bed?

"Did...how did Cassidy react to this?" Michael didn't look at him. "I can't imagine he took this rather well. He nearly destroyed the entire Parts and Services area when Elizabeth passed away."

"You know about the ghosts?"

Michael nodded. "Cassidy started haunting Fredbear and managed to get Father's attention." He sighed, his hand moving down to squeeze Vanessa's hand. "After that, Father was obsessed with ghosts. Maybe it started as a way to make sure Cassidy wasn't alone..." His face hardened. "But he killed us. He actually killed Vanessa's twin, you know? It was an accident, but it was because a machine he created."

That must've been who Elizabeth was.

Four siblings. Two children laid dead in a grave, but alive in spirit. Two children were still alive, but dead in spirit. It was almost poetic, but it also made him sick.

"He talked to me, a few times." Mike had to admit it, just like in the interrogation room when it came to the suits. Michael looked up, quirking a brow. "Cassidy. I think he talked to Abby too, she's talked to all the kids."

Michael nodded. "He's never spoken to me." He chuckled, his shoulders hunching up. "I can't blame him. Elizabeth never saw him, but Vanessa saw him a lot. She used to take care of him a lot."

"She did?"

"Yeah. Cass used to have a lot of nightmares but was too scared to walk down the hallway alone to Father." Mike couldn't imagine that of the cold kid who so calmly asked for Abby. Maybe death changed people. "So he always asked Ness to walk him through the house."

A thought tugged at him. "Did we get along?"

Michael shook his head. "You were always hanging out with Vanessa and Elizabeth." He paused, as if thinking. "I mean, Elizabeth would make you guys hang out with her. Garrett was too little." He paused and seemed to think some more. "I remember," Michael nodded along with the thought. "We would all go to your house and your mom would babysit us until Father could come pick us up." A faint smile tugged on his lips. "She used to make these amazing cookies with these exotic butter baskets you guys would get every month."

"...it sounds nice."

Faintly, something tugged at his mind.

Cold ice cream in his face, a blonde smiling as she held her own mint cone. "C'mon, Mikey," Her voice was quiet. "Eat your ice cream before Lizzie comes back from ballet.”

Lizzie always threw a fit when they ate ice cream without her.

Mike wished he knew more.

-_-

"Doug Sullivan, if you could please take the stand?"

Neither the judge nor the prosecutor looked surprised to see Aunt Jane's sweaty lawyer take the stand, but Mike sure was. Honestly, he had expected to see Doug in court, but not as a witness. His shocked stare must've been recognized because Doug flashed him a shaky smile before sitting down.

"Doug Sullivan," his lawyer, paid for by Fazbear Entertainment, said, stepping forward. "Could you tell us what happened..." There was a shuffle of papers. "The week before Ms. Schmidt's death?"

Doug nodded, but his shaking had stopped. "I can. Ms. Schmidt wanted custody of Miss Schmidt. She had served Mr. Schmidt with the papers to sue for custody. However, she was intending to sabotage Mr. Schmidt. She first started by hiring Maxine Sterling to spy on Mr. Schmidt."

Wait. What.

Doug continued, explaining that Max had been hired to keep an eye on him and Abby and find any possible evidence that could take Abby out of his custody. Mike had to bite down the urge to throw something, allowing his hands to fist up tight instead. In retrospect, Max had been too perfect, too convenient- a babysitter looking for work and was happy enough with the meager pay?

Still, he couldn't bring himself to be angry at Max.

"The waiter, Ness I think his name was, can confirm that Mr. Sterling suggested to just kill Mr. Schmidt, but..." Doug let out a breath. "My client refused, possibly because she thought she would be the first suspect. Instead, Miss Sterling mentioned Mr. Schmidt's new job, and Mr. Sterling suggested..." Doug looked steadier now, as though he was regaining confidence with every admittance. "I believe the words he used was "mess up the place good."

Mike felt dots connect again in his mind.

Fuck, that was why Max had been there, in half, her blood staining the floor. Her eyes had been wide with surprise, even glazed over in death.

Doug soon finished and the defense brought up the footage from the pharmacy and the visitor logs of the police outpost. It was enough for the judge to bang the gavel with “Not guilty!” 

Outside had to be the most eye-searing van Mike had ever seen in light blue with green paint and neon orange flowers. On the side was MYSTERY MACHINE, but Mike's questions about that were distracted by the sight of Michael leaning against the van, the Great Dane visibly chilling in the driver's seat.

"Hey." Michael waved.

"...Hey." Mike looked around. It was just them. "Where are your friends?"

"My f...OH! Yeah, because they're definitely just my friends, yeah absolutely-" Michael's nervous chuckle soon faded. "They're getting a room in the motel. The hospital kicked us out because we'd been spending all day hovering in Vanessa's room. I heard you were on trial, so..." Michael shrugged. "Figured you wanted lunch or something."

It was...no, in fact, it was not a tempting offer. Call Mike a cynic, but he was still recovering from the lost trust he had placed in... a lot of people.

He had trusted Max to be a good babysitter. He had trusted Aunt Jane to follow the law. He had trusted Steve Raglan to find him a job. He had trusted Vanessa with... a lot of things.

"Sorry. Maybe next time. I..." Oh boy. "I'm going to call my dad and let him know what's going on."

Michael's eyes went wide, and his jaw flexed for a moment. And then he seemed to relax, nodding. "Okay. Tell him I said hello. He tried to do a lot for me and Vanessa."

Mike bit back a response that it seemed his dad had done much more for them than he had ever done for him or Abby.

They didn't deserve that, at least.

“I will.”

-_-

The phone rang. Once, twice, three times...normally, Mike would hang up by then, but he stayed there. His dad, now that he knew, had to know. He barely spoke to the man, only calling on Abby's birthday or the holidays, but there was a need biting under his skin.

Fourth ring. Fifth ring. Sixth-

"Hello? Mikey?" His dad sounded rough, like usual. Still, concern laced his voice like a good dad's voice. "What's wrong? You usually don't call me in the middle of the night-"

"William Afton's dead."

There was a pause, long enough that Mike was on the verge of assuming he hung up, before a quiet "What." broke through.

"I...Look, I lost another job, and Aunt Jane threatened to sue for custody of Abby-" His dad swore, but Mike pressed on. "He...he was my career counselor, and he got me the night guard position at Freddy's and-" A dam inside him, one that had begun to build ever since Vanessa was stabbed, since Aunt Jane gave him those dreaded papers, maybe even since he watched Garrett be driven away, broke. "Why..." His voice cracked as tears rolled down his cheeks. He would've been embarrassed, but it felt good to finally cry. "Why didn't you tell me that you knew what happened? He...he tried to kill me, Dad, he wanted to kill Abby, he stabbed Vanessa-"

"He stabbed Vanessa? Fuck...I...no, you're right, I should have..." He could hear shuffling, what sounded like a grunt, followed by a door opening and closing. "Hang on, Mikey, I'm coming." There was a pause, and Mike was allowed to let the words sink in. "I was trying to find a way to both stop him and free the children. I thought I found a lead on Garrett. But if Afton's dead, that changes things."

“...What?”

“I promise, Mike, I’ll be home soon, and then I’ll tell you everything. I promise.”

#FNAF #Five Nights at Freddy's #FNAF Movie #Five Nights at Freddy's Movie #Scooby Doo #Mike Schmidt #Abby Schmidt #Michael Afton #Shaggy Rogers #Vanessa Shelly #Vanessa Afton #my writing

[the-lavender-room]

Bucci gang headcannons because I want to keep them somewhere

Cw: gets sad

Giorno

Giorno used to find dead animals and just kinda poke at them (usually with a stick), sometimes he would leave them behind his house or buried in the yard and come back for the bones after bugs had picked the meat off (most of the time another animal would have taken it)

He stole the photo of Dio from his mom. Sometimes at night he looks and thinks what he would have been like or if he would have liked him (polnareff doesn’t have the heart to tell him that Dio was probably too much of a selfish bastard to care)

He asked requiem what they did to Diavolo, he never got an answer and is horrified from thinking about it. Sometimes he wonders if his punishment was too much.

Had his stand as a kid, though he (golden experience) was small and looked like a ladybug larva and could only make pre-existing plants grow more.

Abbacchio

Abbacchio was raised by a single mother and when he came out (trans and gay) she was fully supportive. They did lose touch when everything happened but once he met Bucciarati and started getting better; he got beck in contact with her and introduced her to Bucciarati and Fugo. Her and Bucciarati got along well, but Fugo…he wasn’t ready to get an “new grandma”

He has heterochromia (right eye gold/yellow, left eye purple)

Abbacchio and his old partner were actually childhood friends

Narancia

He was hoping to get a “study partner” when met Giorno, and maybe Fugo would have gone easier on him in front of someone new and proper looking.

He also likes the way Giorno’s hair smells (probably like strawberrys)

He didn’t know or feel when he died. He just woke at a table with Abbacchio and another guy. He jumped into his(Abbacchio) arms thinking he was alive again.

After the funeral, he wasn’t buried; instead Giorno turned his body into an orange tree in his garden, Fugo visits every day; sometimes to take or cry, and sometimes he reads out loud under the tree.

Bucciarati

He has a half-sister, he didn’t meet her until he was 19 and found her lost in a grocery store and helped her find her(their) mom.

He and Abbacchio (legally) adopted Fugo as soon as they got married (illegally)

He knows how to sew and helped make the rest of the teams outfits.

He used to experiments with Sticky Fingers to see what could unzip before breaking it.

He has licked everyone on the team at least once

Was glad he quickly lost feeling, he didn’t want to feel his body rot out of himself

Fugo

He got very attached to Bucciarati right away. To the point of getting jealous if someone else was talking to Bucciarati for too long.

He thought he was straight until he saw Giorno writhing on the ground in pain after stabbing himself with a snake (Abbacchio and Mista laughed at him of that being his awakening)

The old grannies of Naples though of him as a little ducklings following Bucciarati around.

After PH:F has been letting his stand out casually more, give him a chance to bond with it.

Mista

Likes his hat and sweater but only wore the leather tiger prints because he thought he needed to “fit in” more.

Was initially disappointed that his stand is just a bunch screaming children and not a badass humanoid or creature. But now he won’t trade them for the world.

Sometimes Giorno would make jokes about his childhood and he’d get a bit mortified and concerned by it.

He blamed himself for Bucciarati’s death, and even after learning about the zombie thing he still things he could have done more to help.

He felt really guilty about about what he did at the beginning of PH:F. He didn’t want the last thing he did to Fugo was being a jerk and threaten to kill him. When Fugo came back alive, he (Mista) spent over 30 minutes hugging and apologizing to him. He didn’t want another friend to die because of him.

Trish

carries a photo of her mom with her.

Buys stuffed animals for Giorno’s birthday every year.

Whenever she’s on tour, she calls the boys at least once a day. She likes knowing if they are ok.

She also wonders what happened to Diavolo.

Sometimes she wonders what her life would have been like if her dad was in it. And sometimes wonders if the man her mom fell in love with was Diavolo or Doppio or if her mom knew about both of them.

#not art #headcanon #jojo bizarre adventure #jjba #jjba vento auero #giorno giovanna #leone abbacchio #bruno bucciarati #guido mista #narancia ghirga #pannacotta fugo #trish una #fugio #bruabba #golden wind

[lunargrapejuice]

perhaps bright idea yellow + albedo?

(rambling side note, i saw the color name and went “aha!” albedo always makes me think of that quote by sarah ruhl, “i loved to the point of invention.”)

i haven't written in forever but today there was heavy albedo brain rot. i really hope you like it love! 💖 this got longer than i intended- oops

albedo x reader with no pronouns used

main masterlist

you couldn’t help the frown you wore as you walked into the laboratory at the knights headquarters and in the setting sun found the gleaming cans of paint your beloved purchased over a week ago still unopened. it wasn’t like albedo to leave new art supplies unused for so long, even when his alchemy kept him busy he’d still find time to sketch and paint but these had remained unbothered by the bristles of his brushes, had yet to see the sparkle in his blue eyes as the new colors sparked inspiration in his heart. 

it was impossible not to notice the lack of sketching he did lately when he finally returned home from his laboratory or from dragonspine. the nights he did spend at home were quiet and you quickly found yourself missing the faint noises of charcoal on paper or his steady brush strokes. even when you had gone to visit him while he worked you hadn’t found a single sketch pad or canvas in sight, only endless parchment strewn with alchemy notes and it worried you to no end.

you were no stranger to having a block on your artistic side, even if your own didn’t involve painting or drawing, but you had never seen albedo go through such a time, though you weren’t sure who was having a harder time about it, you or him. you loved to watch him work on his art. it was as peaceful for you as it was for him, and if you were being honest you were absolutely smitten with how often he sketched or painted you but to see him not even touch his paint or sketch pad to draw the cecilias you saw on your walk or the mountain after a fresh blanket of snow lay uptop it made you want to cry, even if you hadn’t seen that same pain in his own eyes. there was something else beyond those cerulean orbs you loved so much, something you couldn’t quite place your finger on, some form of frustration, sadness or longing, maybe a bit of all of the above or more.

heaving a deep breath at the thought of your beloved suffering in this way, with your resolve set in stone, you grab the paints and go to work. 

you honestly had no idea if this would work but you had to try and what better way to try to bring out albedos creative side than to create yourself; show him what beautiful things could be made with the different and vibrant shades of his new paint. perhaps seeing them laid out in front of him in the style of your own work, even if you aren’t very good at it, would help spark some kind of inspiration in his heart, bring back the twinkle in his eyes each time he saw his supplies.

when the sun faded and only dark night leaked through the windows you lit the candles and continued to work, humming and smiling at your creation, pouring all of your love and hopes into the canvas you dug out from his desk drawers, in hopes it could help him. you have no idea how much time passed before you heard the creaking of the door and turned away from your project on the floor. albedo stood in the doorway, unmoving, eyes blown wide, flickering between you and the mess you had made on the floor. under his gaze you smile shyly but you don’t avoid his eyes as you wipe a bead of sweat from your face, feeling the paint on your fingers coating your cheek in the process. 

taking quiet steps through the threshold of the room , the door clicking closed behind him, he smiles at the gold yellow adorning your skin, a perfect compliment to your burning cheeks and the flicker of candle light that lit his way to you. 

“i- i was just.. well, you see..” you don’t know why you were finding it so hard to speak under his loving gaze but you continue despite your rambling words. “i noticed that you hadn’t opened them,” you gestured to the paints. “or.. that you haven’t sketch at all really recently. of course thats fine!- i.. i, um.. it sounds silly now that i say it outloud but i thought maybe it could help inspire you to sketch or paint again.. i-”

your words are cut off when his gentle fingers caress your cheek, smearing the wet paint on your skin even further. your heart skips far too many beats when he pulls his fingers away from you and examines the golden yellow now staining his gloves with a bright smile. 

he hadn’t thought the world could look so vibrant in the glow of fading candle light but like many things in this world he had yet to understand when it came to you, things that couldn’t be explained by anything other than love, he was shown another way of viewing the beauty of life, the beauty of you. it sparked the fire that he had found hard to light himself over this past week and as he looked up from his hand to meet your loving gaze once more, he couldn’t wait to see what other colors and hues you would paint his world.

with a quiet breath that stole your own and his warm lips pressed to yours, he whispered, “i finally know what i’d like to paint next.”

#color drabbles #genshin impact #albedo #albedo x reader #albedo fluff #albedo kreideprinz #genshin albedo #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact fluff #💡anon

[blasphemousgoggles]

Strange Mr. Qi Part 2

A Mr. Qi x Reader, I might have to make more parts.

Warnings: Mr. Qi is the warning (Stalking)

Edit: Part 3 Added

He’s blue. Not in a sad way but in the way that he is literally blue. Now you had seen many things before, all sorts of strange monsters but you had never once seen a blue man. Other than that time Clint had to drink one of those Joja Colas for a commercial and got food poisoning but that's besides the point. You highly doubt that Mr. Qi would be drinking those liquid abominations. While strange you suppose that he was at least a very lovely shade of blue, a beautiful pale blue that you can see in the sky or maybe in an aquamarine from the mines.

He was tall enough that you had to crane your neck to look at him, his hair was a deep purple just above his shoulder and his hands were clasped behind his back. You couldn’t see his eyes due to them being covered by his amethyst lenses. He dressed very extravagantly, he wore a sleek button up and slacks, the fabric of his clothes looked like space itself. Blue, green, and yellow stars were glistening in and out of existence, a bit like a Christmas tree. To top it off he was wearing a wide brimmed hat that appeared to be made out of the same cloth of his outfit. While not traditionally, he was… really pretty Oh. Nah. Not happening. It's the weird stalker blue man, my guy. Walking red flag but blue. Why are you like this, out of all things to think about? Why. Get that thought out of your head. Better yet don’t think. Perishing the thought, you quickly avert your eyes away from him, he most definitely noticed that you hadn’t greeted him yet.

“Er- yeah, you too I guess…” you sound way too shaky man, pull yourself together then you can ask some questions. His smile widened and you can see the pearly whi- OH BOY does he have sharp teeth. You break out in a cold sweat, why are his teeth like that? It makes his grin look so much more menacing than it should, like you feel like you're gonna get eaten alive with those teeth. Please stop smiling. “Tell me do you know why I singled you out?” You frown, honestly you had no idea. You shake your head. “You've got the 'spark'… that's why I singled you out.” What. You furrow your brows “Spark? Sorry I don’t understand what that means.” Clearly he finds your confusion amusing because he starts chuckling. “What spark? The conduit of mystery, of art, of exploration… People like us have a responsibility to keep the world alive, to give folks a taste of the extraordinary. He then bent down to look at you better. “You see, kid, the world's like a bowl of rice. It's got substance, but it ain't worth nothin' without a good, zesty sauce. That's where we come in.” He gestures. Did this guy just compare you to a sauce? And you're now noting that he calls you kid a lot, why? He can’t be that much older than you. He continues to speak, “Didn't you ever wonder who put those treasure chests in the old mine shaft?” Now that catches your attention, you look at him quizzically, “Yes I have, but why would you leave them there?” he grins much more normally now, his voice deepens “I like to give people surprises. You'll understand someday. Just keep doing your best and never give up.” He straightens up and looks down at you. That was actually pretty motivating, your nerves were calming down just a bit with the added distance. “Thanks. I think. I mean I appreciate your- uh faith in me. Your quests made me feel more entertained in a way and you showed me that there's more I don’t know in the Valley.” Mr. Qi smiles softly, he looks as though he's about to say something so you quickly add “Also, I have to ask you some questions. I am a bit confused on a few aspects.” Mr. Qi doesn’t turn to look at you but he tilts his head to your direction and raises an eyebrow. “How did you get my information? Like on the club card you somehow got a photo of me and my full name. Are you keeping track of me somehow? What's the point-” He places his pointer finger on your mouth and shushes you like a child. Rude. “Dear, I can’t answer all of those questions right now, it would ruin the intrigue and excitement.” He smiles and removes his finger away from his mouth and points to a bear shaped machine. “That can answer one of your questions however.” with that he waves you off.

#mr qi #mr. qi #sdv #stardew valley #mr qi x reader #mr. qi x reader #poorly written

[spikedsoul]

maid's worst nightmare - ch 6

and we're back again! this time with a more lighthearted chapter! hope y'all enjoy <3

ch 5

The feeling of a little hand on your shin made you jerk your head up in surprise. The hand's owner, a tiny little koopa child, jumped back at your sudden movement, but soon they stepped forward again in a bold display. The kid seemed like a usual little koopa, the same color as most of the footsoldiers you saw (green shell with yellow skin) although this little one was sporting a red bandana around their neck. And, once the shock of your shock wore off, their tiny little hand rested against your shin yet again. You just blinked as you waited for any sort of words to help you figure out the gender of the tiny turtle.

"It's okay, miss," the little koopa said in a high-pitched voice. It didn't help you figure anything out since little kids often sounded similar - but it wasn't an excuse for you to be mean or dismissive. This kid was clearly trying to help you feel better given most people didn't sit in the fetal position if they were okay.

You nodded a little. "Thank you, um…?" you prompted softly.

"Dryden!" The tiny tot beamed. "What's your name, miss?"

"I, um… you can just call me missy if you want," you offered with a weak smile. No, it wasn't really your name, but as cute as this little boy was you didn't want anyone getting particularly familiar with you. You wanted to be able to leave when the time came without any attachments.

"Missy! Okay!" Dryden nodded eagerly. "Well, I'm sure you must be wondering why I came over to talk to you, right? I promise it's a good reason!"

Your weak smile became a little more genuine at that. "Why did you come talk to me?" you humored him. You already had a suspicion but you knew little kids liked to feel important.

Dryden puffed out his chest, stubby tail flicking. "Because you looked sad!" he declared confidently. "...Are you sad?"

Man, this kid was honestly too adorable already. It would be hard not to get attached.

"Yeah," you said softly, "I guess I am. Thank you for coming to talk to me - how old are you, Dryden?"

Dryden scrambled up onto the bench beside you and made himself comfortable. It seemed like he wasn't about to leave you alone, so you slowly put your legs back down to better converse.

"I'm seven." He held up his hands with seven out of eight fingers up to show you, grinning. "How old are you? Also, where did you come from? I don't remember seeing you before. So you’re probably new here, right? How do you like it so far? Lord Bowser is pretty cool! He treats my mom and dad real nice even though we’re just common koopas and only have green shells."

You blinked at Dryden’s rapidfire questions and took a second to digest everything he said to you. It was almost like he thought you’d run if he stopped to take a breath - which, if you thought too hard about it, would potentially make you sadder. In your experience, kids that did that often weren’t listened to very well and sought out any sort of positive connection they could get, even if it meant talking to total strangers. Suddenly it seemed like you might not have a choice about getting close to this kid.

He shifted a little, his grin fading slightly; you smiled at him to reassure him. “Sorry. That was just a lot at once!” you explained. You reached over and hesitantly patted his head, and he beamed. Now to try and answer his questions. “I suppose  technically I’m old enough to be a young mom to you, but I’m still not very old. Um… I am new here, yes. I’m… Lord Bowser’s new maid… I guess. But I’m glad to hear he treats you and your parents well.” Did the kid know you were kidnapped? You weren’t sure, but you didn’t want to shine a bad light on the reigning koopa if this little kid thought he was good.

It genuinely seemed like Bowser took care of his people and that was commendable. Even "common" green shell koopas were apparently treated just like any color shells.

Dryden, bless his little heart, stared up at you in awe as you did your best to answer his questions. Your gut just screamed at you that this poor kid didn’t get much adult interaction, or perhaps interaction in general.

“I like you, missy. Um, but how do you like it? And also why did you decide to come here?” he asked you in an almost reverent tone.

You chuckled softly and patted his scaly head again. “So far it isn’t terrible. And, um… I guess you could say he “borrowed” me from Princess Peach.” Hopefully that answer would suffice - although based on the little smirk he now bore, he knew something was up.

“Is that a nice way of saying he stole you?” he asked. By now, he was practically clinging to your arm.

“I suppose it is,” you admitted with a sigh. He giggled quietly and invited himself onto your lap; you had no choice but to hug him in case he fell off, given the bench wasn’t particularly wide. “Can I ask you something, Dryden?”

“Of course!” the little koopa nodded confidently. “I bet I know everything, you know!”

You grinned a little. “I bet you do. Anyway, I saw a tapestry with a bunch of other young koopas with Bowser… do you know who they are? I haven’t seen any yet.” Even though you hadn’t even been wandering around that long.

Dryden perked up as he laid his head on your chest, little tail wagging. “Oh, you must mean the Koopalings! That’s what they’re called. And Junior! Usually the Koopalings are all off doing their own thing, but sometimes they come home if they get beaten. Like… I think dad said they like to bother travelers in certain areas, and sometimes the travelers win their games, so they come home and sulk a little while. Junior is the one who’s around most often.”

“I see,” you mused softly. The Koopalings looked awfully young, but then again you wouldn’t be able to pin an age on Bowser, either, so maybe they were older than you expected? “Um, are any of them home right now? Just in case I run into any of them.”

Dryden thought for a long moment. Finally, he nodded. “Yeah,” he said, “Junior is, and um… Ludwig, and Wendy and Morton.”

You nodded slowly. “Alright. I bet I’ll know Wendy when I see her. What do the others look like?”

“Easy!” The little boy shifted and resettled himself in your lap. “Junior looks exactly like Lord Bowser! Ludwig has blue hair and a blue shell, and Morton has a black shell and grey skin.”

Before you could reply, the two of you glanced down the hallway where a female koopa - presumably Dryden’s mom - began calling for him. You helped him down onto the floor and smiled as he hugged your lower leg.

“Thank you, Dryden. It was nice talking to you, and thanks for being my source of knowledge. Also for wanting to cheer me up,” you murmured, giving his head one final little pat (more of a rub really).

Dryden beamed up at you. “Yeah, I hope you feel better now! I’ll come talk to you again when I see you, okay?”

You chuckled softly. “Of course. Now go on, kiddo, don’t keep your mom waiting, hm?”

He nodded quickly, and after one final squeeze, he let go of your legs and turned to sprint down the hallway toward his mother. You could pretty much hear him yelling something like “guess what!” as he got near her, and another chuckle escaped you. Dryden was a sweet kid - he honestly did help lift your spirits a little. Hopefully Junior, Wendy, Ludwig, and… Morton, was it? Hopefully they were all just as sweet, or at least amicable, but you sort of figured it wouldn’t be a surprise if they weren’t. They were Bowser’s kids, after all - you weren’t sure what to expect.

For now, though, it wouldn’t do you any good to speculate. You stood, stretched, cracked your knuckles and wrist, then once again began to wander the halls, although this time you were in a much lighter mood than before. Maybe not happy, exactly, but just knowing that not everyone around you was awful helped immensely. Maybe it really wouldn’t be so terrible living here as you waited for Peach.

#bowser #bowser x reader #bowser/reader #super mario bros

[ladyfromaspookyforest]

Wheeler/Byers Wardrobe Analysis

Season 1 Part 4

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5

EPISODES 6 - 8

Look how uncomfy Jonathan is in Nancy’s pink and blue room. Jonathan wears a lot of browns, some blues, some greens. But putting him in black here really emphasizes how much he does not belong by upping the contrast while Nancy completely blends into her bed.

Here they are the next day (sorry to that this Jonathan pic is so unflattering; they were all really dark). Jonathan is wearing the same outfit as the day before (because he slept at Nancy’s house). Nancy is in a new outfit. She’s wearing purple, the blend of her usual pink and blue. I've talked about the blue and pink meaning different things. They can be two separate elements (either conflicting external influences or two sides to Nancy herself), and when she wears purple, it's a sign that these are merging. I also talked pretty extensively about the blue and pink in part two of my season 1 analysis where I discussed the it's-a-boy/it's-a-girl colors being used to show societal pressures to become part of the expected nuclear family (and in the words of Nancy Wheeler, "screw that").

In the last episode, Nancy was wearing a darker outfit but in the same usual dual-natured color palette (red and blue) and she and Jonathan got in a fight caused by their expectations and perceptions of one another. Now, she's still wearing darkened clothes, but purple. This feels like an indicator that she's still feeling weighed down, guilty, sad (dark colors) but that she's truly beginning to figure herself out (purple).

I've already discussed Jonathan's outfit because he hasn't changed, but the choice to keep him in this outfit rather than having him return home and put on something else is just an added emphasis to where his priorities are. He doesn't care how he looks. He's only thinking about Will.

And you know who else is outfit repeating in this scene?

King Steve. He last wore this shirt to the party where he and Nancy slept together. I think this pretty heavily indicates where Steve’s mind is during this fight. He’s thinking about Nancy. He’s jealous of Jonathan for taking Nancy.

He’s also in his full blue palette while Tommy and Carol are in blue, red, white, and yellow. I found this curious because they’ve reflected his blue palette pretty well up until this point. You’d think that as he begins to realize how awful they are, HE is the one who would start dressing differently. But instead THEY do, despite the fact that they haven’t altered their behavior. Because Tommy and Carol are minor characters whose POVs we never explore, the way they dress can definitely be interpreted as the way Steve perceives them rather than the way they are intentionally presenting. Here their outfits visually demonstrate this new divide between Steve and his friends.

Added bonus for the fact that Steve takes his jacket off to clean the graffiti, visually reflecting the last time he felt closest to Nancy.

All three of these characters spend the remainder of the season (minus the epilogue) in these outfits.

When you look at them all together, it's actually kind of aesthetically pleasing. Nancy's outfit pairs with Jonathan's SIGNIFICANTLY more than anything she wore earlier in the season, but crop Jonathan out and she fits with Steve too. So in contrast to earlier Nancy/Steve looks...

they still match, but they have both begun to behave more authentically. This is a huge signifier that they aren't really done with one another yet. They spent the season faking their way through their relationship and now is the start of them trying it for real. As themselves. But now Jonathan is in the mix, too (and literally between them).

Karen is wearing a darker variation of her usual color palette. Her light blues and pinks are now teal and maroon. She's dressed Holly to match, as usual. Even Ted fits the darker color scheme here. This general shift for the Wheelers demonstrates that they are feeling the weight of the tragedy in Hawkins. But they are still putting up their usual polite, united front.

Mike is about to spend the remainder of the season in this look. I think the most notable thing about it is that there's no blue. This is the first time we've seen him without it. Blue is Mike's color and in this particular scene, Mike thinks Will is dead. It doesn't seem like a stretch to say that in the aftermath of this loss, Mike doesn't feel like himself. He puts on a jacket for a lot of the scenes following this (which does have blue detailing. It's also the jacket he wore to Will's funeral). This outfit is extremely green, especially when the jacket is buttoned up. He's wearing green pants and his shoes have green detailing (sorry for the lack of photo evidence).

If you look at this through the lens of the blue/yellow color theory, this could represent that Mike's being heavily influenced by his friendship with Will. But I don't know how early that went into play, so all I can say is the darkened tones show the same thing I said about the rest of his family. His bright playful colors aren't here anymore and the stakes have escalated. And the lack of blue shows an absence of self.

Last note about this look: can I just say how positively feral it makes me that Will's hospital gown matches this shirt?

Down to the ring neck. Out of curiosity, I wanted to see other characters in the hospital to see if they were all in this same hospital gown. We see Will in a hospital gown in season 2, but he’s at Hawkins lab, not the hospital. So here’s (I’m so sorry) Max.

It’s been a few years, Max and Will are different sizes. Will’s probably wearing a kid's hospital gown and Max is probably wearing an adult sized one. So them not looking the same isn’t improbable. But Max’s scene as a whole is so blue (the wardrobe, the lighting). The color coding of this scene is so, so sad. So the blue detailing on the hospital gown fits the tone. The teal/yellow/brown of Will's hospital gown is happier but it also matches nothing but Mike. Which...

The lighting, costuming, and general atmosphere of this reunion is much happier. The fact that Wil and Mike match despite there being a lot of colors here tells me that these two are closer than the others, or at the very least, that Will is closest to Mike because he is the person his costuming reflects.

This is super long, so I'm not going to tag on the Christmas outfits. I'll probably make a separate post.

PS Joyce is still wearing what she was in the last post, so I left her out.

#stranger things wardrobe analysis #stranger things s1 #byers family #nancy wheeler #jonathan byers #mike wheeler #will byers #karen wheeler #steve harrington #byler color theory #my dumbass post