#(and get an dramatic outfit upgrade while doing it)

[arcxnumvitae]

When is Aur going to have his F.rozen™ music video L.et It G.o™ moment?

#:outofcash #I was taking a break from studying while I ate when I thought #'Yeah Aur rebuilding his palace kind of reminds me of E.lsa building up the walls to her ice one' #that led to #'Seelie had been getting colder when he first took the crown as a result of his stress and I had the possibility open of it turning into a #full on eternal winter' #to #'when is Aur going say 'yeah f all of this' and shirk his responsibilities and run off leaving Seelie in perpetual snow? #(and get an dramatic outfit upgrade while doing it) #I'm sure it won't /actually/ happen but it's fun imagining muses throwing all of their responsibilities to the wind you know? #I don't know how I'd top his current look though since Kirei already said once that he looks pretty magnificent in his true form

[sluttyten]

You In My Arms

Chapter 6: Truths Tonight

full masterlist || haechan masterlist || YIMA chapter index

summary: for so long you and Haechan have each held onto your secrets -- your crush, your exhibitionism, his voyeuristic habits -- but the time finally comes to bring it all out into the open

length: 16,208 words

tags: voyeurism, exhibitionism, slowburn, friends to lovers, masturbation, general perversion, smut

previous chapter || next chapter

Despite Haechan’s promise that night at the bus stop, days and weeks go by without an exchange of secrets occurring between the two of you. Things get very busy at work, and all of your friends are busy as well, so there’s just no time to get together and hang out. 

There’s no time for much of anything. 

You wake in the mornings, grab an on-the-go breakfast on your way into work, maybe spare some time for lunch, and you work until long after dinner. You stare at your computer screen until your eyes are dry and tired. There are big things happening for the Moon Corporation, keeping everyone late, sending some people on business trips, which means their responsibilities have to be divvied up among those of you that remain. 

So things are far too busy for you and Haechan to have Secret Sharing Time. You understand, but sometimes you’ll look away from your computer in need of a break, and your eyes will fall on Haechan sitting at his desk nearby. He’ll be on his phone or entering something into his computer or doing both while also taking notes and drinking an caffeine-heavy drink. But sometimes your eyes will meet for a moment, his lips turn up in a smile, his left eye dropping in a wink. 

It makes you blush every time, but he’s already looked away so he never sees. 

“You need to take a break,” your roommate tells you one night when you come in late. She’s snuggled up on the sofa with her partner while they share Thai takeout and watch a movie. She sits up to watch you as you sleepily peel a banana to eat for dinner. “You’re gonna run yourself ragged if you keep up this pace. Take an early night tomorrow, and let’s go out. You’ve been so tense lately, you need to relax. And that banana,” she says, gesturing at the one in your hand, before continuing, “Isn’t the sort of banana you need to be choking on.” She mimes a blowjob. 

Her partner laughs from inside the cocoon of blankets, and you launch your banana peel at her. 

But she’s right, and you know it. As you walk away to your bedroom, finishing off the banana, you know that you need to get laid. It’s been a while since you did anything like that, and you still have needs, but lately you’ve been putting your personal needs off to focus on work instead. 

When you re-emerge from your room twenty minutes later, you’ve transformed yourself. Not a totally dramatic transformation, but you put on a going out outfit, did your hair, and upgraded the makeup you’d slapped on this morning before work — meaning that now you’re wearing eyeshadow and lipstick in addition to the swipe of mascara you’d worn this morning. 

“Where are you going?” Your roommate asks as she takes a peek and notices how you look. “Don’t you have work in the morning?”

You understand her concern. It’s already nearly eleven o’clock tonight, so why would you be going out on a Thursday night? You wave her off. “I’m going to visit YangYang’s club.” Even if it means risking a hangover on a Friday morning, your friend is right and you deserve a night to be a little care-free. “Don’t worry about me.”

She’s obviously still concerned as she sits up to watch you slip your shoes on and grab your keys from the hook beside the door. But she doesn’t say anything, just watches you go. 

For a Thursday night, the club is crowded. You sweet talk the guy at the door to let you in since you know YangYang, and he recognized you anyway because of how many times you’ve been here because of YangYang. You head right for the bar, already scanning for an open spot, scanning for YangYang’s recently bleached silver-blond hair. You spot him, but more importantly, you spot who he’s standing across from and talking with. 

Haechan. 

You squeeze smoothly into the spot between Haechan and the stranger sitting on his other side. Your hand slides over Haechan’s shoulder, and he and YangYang both turn to stare at you in surprise and confusion before the moment of realization sits in. 

“What are you doing here?” Haechan asks. 

“I could ask the same of you.” You look over at YangYang, and ask, “Can you make me something sweet but strong?”

He turns away to go make you your requested drink. Haechan just stares at you, not saying anything, not even attempting to shake off the hand you’ve still got on his shoulder. After a few moments, right after YangYang slides a luminescent blue drink garnished with an orange slice across the bar to you, Haechan finally speaks. “So why are you here? It’s a Thursday night, we have work tomorrow.” 

You raise your eyebrows in question back at him as you silently take a sip of your drink. YangYang knows your tastes well enough that he nailed it with this one. You sit the drink back down and then say, “My roommate pointed out that I’m too tense and I need to let loose a little, get laid, get drunk, do something other than just work.” 

Haechan’s eyebrows draw together slightly.

“And you’re here for what?” You ask. “Keeping YangYang company?”

“Yeah, sorta.” Haechan picks the glass up in front of him and drains it in one go. As soon as the glass hits the bar top, he says, “You look nice tonight.”

The compliment goes right to your head, filling you with warmth. 

Haechan looks away, scanning the room as he says, “I don’t know the last time I saw you dressed like this. Thailand, maybe?” He just barely looks your way, gaze flicking from your face, to the revealing neckline of the dress, to the short hem that flutters against the tops of your thighs. 

You nod. “Probably Thailand. That night YangYang begged us to go with him to that club, all to chase down that European tourist.” 

YangYang rolls his eyes. “As I recall, which isn’t a whole lot from that night, you weren’t wearing much at all.”

That’s true. You’d basically been wearing your bikini still with just a loosely crocheted coverup dress on over it. 

Haechan clears his throat, shifts in his seat, and looks back over at you. “Anyway, you look nice.”

Again, the compliment starts a nice, slow heat in your belly. “Thanks, Haechan. If I’m gonna find someone to fuck tonight, I need to look nice.” 

Your heart thunders in your chest as you say that to Haechan. He has no real claim over your heart or what you do with your body, but you still feel very bold, very audacious to be so open with him right then about your desires. He’s always thought you innocent, and by his own admission he’s never heard any stories about your sex life, so for him to hear your desire to get fucked directly from your mouth, there’s something kind of exhilarating about it. 

Haechan’s gaze lingers as he opens his mouth, closes it again, then waves YangYang over for a new drink. 

Then he levels you with a look that can only be disapproval. “We have work in the morning, you should just go home.”

“Why?” You laugh, taking another sip at your drink. “I already said I’m taking this one night and listening to my roommate’s advice. She told me to loosen up, that I’ve been so tightly wound these past couple weeks from work.”

A muscle twitches in Haechan’s jaw. “But it has to be tonight? It’s a Thursday, and there’s… not a lot of great guys here tonight.” He looks back around at the crowd. 

You watch him, unable to help thinking that the one great guy that you want is this one sitting inches away from you. 

“I just think you’d have better luck maybe on a different night. But if you just want to drink, then just sit here and let’s drink.”

YangYang makes a sound that sounds like a mix between a laugh and a snort. When you look at him standing behind the bar, he just shakes his head and walks away to help someone else. 

On any other night, maybe the invitation to just get drunk here at the bar with Haechan might work, but tonight it’s not nearly as effective as he might have hoped. 

Maybe Haechan wants to keep you right here beside him so he doesn’t have to see you flirting and dancing with other guys, so he doesn’t have to imagine you going home with anyone and thereby ruining his mental image of you as an angel… well, he’s going to have to work harder. Because you want to get laid, and as much as you would love for it to be him, it’s been years and there have been many chances and it just simply hasn’t happened between you and him. 

“Have fun warming a seat at the bar tonight, Haechan.” You pat his shoulder, dump the rest of your drink down your throat, and you walk away. 

As you walk away, your imagination provides you with the phantom sensation of his hand stopping your wrist, of his voice in your ears telling you to wait, the whole fabricated scenario where he joins you out on the dance floor or maybe says the magical words that he’ll give you what you want. But it’s just your imagination crafting a fantasy, and in reality, he just watches you walk away. 

It takes you a little while to notice that Haechan actually is watching you from his spot at the bar. He’s watching the various men that you interact with. He watches each time that you approach the bar to get another sweet & strong drink from YangYang or shots to share with whoever you’re mingling with at the moment. And once you’ve noticed Haechan, he’s all you seem to be able to notice and think about. Even when the very, very handsome guy you’re dancing with is trying to feel you up, you’re busy wondering why Haechan is really here tonight. As you’re both aware of, you both have work in the morning. And also, he’s not even doing anything fun, just sitting up there at the bar to sip at his drink and talk with YangYang. If he was out here dancing it would be one thing, but he just sits and watches and drinks his drink so slowly. 

Eventually the guy you’re dancing with gets bored of your disinterest in him since you’re only staring at the bar and not responding to how he’s touching you. So he leaves you. Finally you decide you don’t care, and you forget about getting dick tonight and instead decide you’ll just get drunk, like Haechan had suggested earlier. You plop into the seat beside Haechan again, calling over YangYang for a new drink, then another, another, and another, and….

“I’m cutting you off,” Haechan says, laying his hand over yours as you try to wave to get YangYang’s attention again. 

In the murky depths of your alcohol sodden brain, you remember a scene like this from before. A night at a campfire, Haechan’s hand warm on yours as he cut you off then too. It’s almost an opposite situation now, and you laugh aloud just thinking about it. That night you’d been drinking to avoid thinking about and potentially having to see one of your coworkers seducing Haechan. Tonight you’re the one who has made the (failed) attempts at seduction. 

Haechan’s hand in the present moment is warm and gentle as he pries your fingers away from your empty glass. “You’ve already had quite a bit to drink, and we do still have work in the morning.”

You pout at him. “I’m letting loose, Haechan-ah. Just let me.”

He rolls his eyes. “You’re drunk already, angel. I saw you out there. Letting loose. And I let you do that, but it’s late and you’re drunk, and you’re going to wake up with a helluva hangover in the morning. You still have to get home.”

“You can take me home.” You rest your chin on your hand, that soft heat inside you causing the words to slide right off your tongue, “Take me home with you, Hyuckie.” 

Your eyes are heavy, and you feel like you’re blinking in slow motion. But Haechan is looking at you, his hand still covering yours on the bar to keep you from calling YangYang over. You want to go home with him. You want to end tonight in Haechan’s bed, naked and finally satisfied. You want that hand on yours to mean something. 

“Take me home,” you repeat. 

Haechan’s throat bobs as he swallows. His hand on yours twitches, squeezing before he pushes away from the bar and says, “It’s getting late. Let’s go.”

You barely remember the journey from the bar. You only know that it’s very late, you’re definitely drunk, and as Haechan brings you up to your front door, you fight a little bit of disappointment that he’d truly brought you to your home instead of taking you home with him. 

“Keys?” Haechan pats you down lightly when you reach the door. His hand slips into your jacket pocket, and you lose your balance a bit, leaning against Haechan’s side as he picks your apartment keys out of your pocket. He chuckles, and pushes the door open.“You’re really gonna be hungover in the morning, aren’t you?”

You just him noncommittally, watching his hands as he sits your keys down on the table just inside the door. 

You half expect him to disappear then, to wish you goodnight, and step back out the door. 

But Haechan helps you inside. He trails behind you to your bedroom, picking up your shoes, your jacket, your jewelry as you peel it off along the way. The apartment is quiet and dark, your roommate is long asleep, and you just tumble into your bed without a sound. Haechan follows you inside your room, depositing your things on your desk, picking your phone up from where it fell out of your jacket, and he plugs it in, sitting it on the mattress right beside your head. 

Haechan crouches down beside your bed so he’s level with your face. For a moment the two of you just look at each other. 

You don’t want that moment to end. You don’t want him to stop looking at you, not when he’s watching you with this tender look in his dark eyes, one that makes you want to curl up and fall asleep, one that makes you feel safe and cared for. 

You don’t remember closing your eyes, but you must have because everything is dark behind your eyelids when Haechan next speaks. 

“Are you gonna wake up when your alarm goes off?” He asks quietly, and you can feel his fingers brush lightly over your cheek. “Or are you gonna oversleep? Coming into work late because you’re hungover and slept through your alarm isn’t gonna be a good look, angel.”

“Stay then.” You sigh and squirm around to get more comfortable, peering at him for a moment to make sure he’s still there. “You be my alarm in the morning. Make sure I’m not late to work.”

Haechan laughs and stands up. “What I’m gonna do is get you some water and some aspirin, make sure your alarm is set, and then I’m going home.”

You whine, “Just stay,” and reach for him, but he’s already walked too far away. You close your eyes again, pouting as he keeps going. 

“Water. Aspirin.” Haechan’s footsteps pass out of the room, and you find it in you to sit up and pull your dress off over your head. You drop it to the floor, leaving you in just your panties as you burrow beneath the blankets on your bed. You lay your head back down on the pillow and close your eyes, so it’s only by the sound of Haechan’s quiet footsteps returning that you know he didn’t leave altogether. 

You take a quick peek at him as Haechan settles on the edge of your bed. His touch is gentle when he reaches out to shake your shoulder. 

“If you don’t take this now, you’re probably gonna regret it in the morning.” He rattles the bottle of aspirin he dug out of the bathroom cabinet. “Can you sit up for me, baby?”

Again, you take a peek at him, but this time Haechan catches you looking. He holds the pill bottle out to you, holding the water glass in the other hand. You sit up, uncaring as the sheets pool in your lap, leaving your bare breasts exposed. You take the bottle, shaking out the medicine into your palm, you toss it into your mouth and wash it down with a mouthful of water. 

Haechan stares at you, and when you look at him he’s clearly trying very hard not to just stare down at your tits. His gaze is focused very intently on your chin even as he holds his hand out to accept the glass and the aspirin bottle from you. 

“I better get going now.” He starts to stand up but you let a hand fall to his thigh. And even though you’re barely putting any weight into that hand on his thigh, Haechan doesn’t budge, as if your hand has him pinned down.��

“Just stay. It’s not like we haven’t shared beds before, Lee Donghyuck.” You sink back down into the sheets, but you leave your hand on his thigh. “Besides, I need you here to be my alarm clock in the morning.”

He makes a low noise, like he’s annoyed or frustrated, and a moment later, he stands up. 

Damn, you think, you’ve done it now.  

Haechan sits the glass of water and the aspirin bottle down on your desk. You hear your bedroom door shut quietly. There’s the quiet shuffle of his footsteps growing closer instead of farther away, and then he groans softly as he lowers himself down to lie on the other half of your bed. On top of the covers. 

Success. 

You smile briefly to yourself. 

You roll over onto your side, clutching your bedsheets around you as you turn your smile towards him. Haechan moves like he’s going to pat your head, but he lets his hand fall back to the sheets after a moment. He turns his head to look up at the ceiling, and digs his hand into the pocket of his pants to pull his phone out. 

You watch him tap on it for a few seconds, setting an alarm for in the morning. He sits it aside on your bedside table, and then he shifts around to get comfortable. 

“Goodnight,” you whisper, still facing him

“Mn, g’night.” Haechan rolls onto his other side, his back to you, and that’s the end of it. 

In the morning your alarm clock refuses to snooze. Even when you smack him in the chest and whine for Haechan to shut up. He just keeps pestering you until you roll off the other side of your bed and slam onto the floor with a cry. 

“We have to be at work in an hour. So you’d better hurry.” Haechan is already standing there completely unrumpled in the clothes he’d worn last night. 

It’s only once you’re in the shower moments later that you have time to feel a little bit embarrassed about begging him to take you home, begging him to stay, and flashing your tits at him when you stripped naked to sleep. That embarrassment is also layered with disappointment because you’d gone out to get laid last night, and while you had brought a boy home (and it was the one that you definitely had wanted to bring home), nothing at all had come of it. 

Although, the look on your roommate’s face when you walk out of your bedroom with Haechan trailing behind you is totally priceless. 

Her eyes go incredibly wide, and she chokes on her morning coffee. “Well, shit,” she laughs after a moment, “You solved that problem, didn’t you?”

You ignore her, though Haechan does exchange a few words with her while you rummage through your fridge for a tiny bit of something to take with you, and you take your water bottle with you so you can chug it in the hopes of helping with the dull throbbing remnants of your hangover that the aspirin last night had not helped with. Haechan is still whispering with your roommate when you grab him by the arm and drag him to the door so you can leave. 

The moment you step foot in the street outside of your apartment building, you ask him, “What were the two of you whispering about?”

“Just about you.” Haechan grins cheekily. “I asked what she meant about you solving a problem. I thought you were being funny when you said you were trying to get laid, but if I’d known how serious you were... Maybe I could have helped.”

The sharp glare you send his way says a lot without you having to say anything at all. 

He laughs. “I know some guys I think would be good for you. Or girls, if you were looking for something different.”

Again, you glare at him. 

He’s the only guy you want. And if he doesn’t want you, then you’re fucked. And not in a good way. 

You’re fucked because it’s so difficult for you to find a guy that you do want to have sex with when you don’t already have that emotional connection; even when you’d had your fuckbuddy relationships with Xiaojun and with Renjun, that had worked out so well for you because you already had reached a certain level of friendship and familiarity with them. But you’ve always struggled with random hookups, though you’ve tried it a few times — like last night, for example. You’re just not into it; you require there to be a deeper level of familiarity for it to be truly enjoyable for you. None of your friends from university are around to fuck anymore. It’s become weird to hook-up with your coworkers. 

And then there’s Haechan. 

The one and only. 

But this morning he just teases you and chats with you as you both walk the few blocks from your apartment to the Moon Corporation. He buys your coffee when you stop in your favorite coffee shop together. You like how it feels to walk down the sunny, bustling sidewalk of the city beside him, bathing in the sunlight that radiates from Haechan, as if he is the sun itself. 

You part ways as soon as you reach work. Haechan gets swept away by Johnny, who wants to ask his opinion about something, and you have to go settle in at your desk. 

It’s a Friday, which means most of your coworkers are going to take off early to start their weekends. It’s a Friday, which means that Taeil and his secretary are probably both leaving at lunch and won’t return until Monday morning. It’s the third Friday of the month, and that means that it’s officially been too many Fridays since you last had sex or even had the time to get yourself off. But, unlike your coworkers, you’re not able to take off early today. 

You plow through your work, only pausing around lunchtime when Haechan and Ten come over to your desk. Haechan sits a large bottle of water down on your desk while Ten slides to you a variety of healthy snacks from the vending machine Taeil had installed in the break room. Ten perches himself on the edge of your desk, and Haechan rolls his chair over from his desk to sit beside you. As you finally tear your eyes away from your computer monitor, you realize the rest of the office is empty. Everyone else is gone. 

“Drink.” Haechan’s words are a command, and you obey. You haven’t taken a break at all since you got here, and you never even finished the coffee he bought for you this morning on the way in. You probably need the hydration. 

Ten watches closely as you pop the cap off the bottle, as you gulp the water down. He uses his fingertips to nudge the snacks closer to you as well. 

“So what you’re gonna do,” Haechan says, “is drink this water, finish these snacks, and then sign off for the day.” 

You’re in the middle of tearing open a pack of baked potato chips when he says that, and for an instant your heart pauses in your chest. “Why?” Have you done something wrong that they’re both telling you that you have to leave?

Ten says, “Because it’s a beautiful day, it’s a Friday, and Haechan and I want you to come hang out with us. But he said you haven’t eaten or taken a break to drink anything all day, and we need you hydrated to come have fun. So drink up, eat, and let’s go.”

The weather is unseasonably nice. Perfectly mild temperature, sunny. Of course everyone is out there taking advantage of it. It’s just one early Friday. Why should you all miss out on it if you don’t have to?

But you do. 

“I just have to finish this. Mr. Moon is expecting me to have it finished so he and I can discuss it together Monday morning, first thing.” You halfway turn your attention back to the screen, but Ten snorts a laugh. You stare at him. “What?”

“Did Taeil tell you that? Or have you made that assumption?” He gestures at the empty desks in the office as he says, “Look around you. Everyone else is already gone for the weekend. Taeil’s gone too.” He reaches for your computer monitor, turning it so he can get a clear look at it, scanning quickly the work you have pulled up. “It looks like you’re nearly finished anyway. You have all the key bits done. At your meeting Monday morning with Taeil, just present him with everything you’ve got done now, and then summarize what you have left. He’ll just want to see the big picture and the progress you’ve made. So head out early, come have fun. You’ve been working yourself too hard, you’re too tense, and Haechan told me about your dilemma.”

Now you glare at the man right beside you. Haechan just grins, holding his hands up. “Hey, he asked about you. I was just telling the truth.”

The truth. That sparks something inside you. The reminder that you and Haechan still need to have your exchange of truths. And you can see from the way that his eyes light up and catch on yours, that he’s just remembered that too. 

Ten slaps his hand down against your desk, then he pushes himself off of it and onto his feet. “Well, I’m leaving even if you aren’t. I’m supposed to meet Johnny and some of our friends later for drinks and, like, frisbee and stuff in the park, if you want to join.”

You do want to, but you also really want to finish this project up. 

“I just want to finish this,” you repeat with a slight whine of reluctance in your voice. You can’t just leave early for the day knowing that you have time to finish this project and have it completely done for Monday morning. 

Ten sighs and waves, sending Haechan a look. 

You and Haechan both watch Ten leave, and then Haechan turns to you. He glances at your computer screen, to the windows showing the bright weather outside, and then back at you. “Just don’t stay here all day and night, okay? Promise me that you’ll give yourself the chance to finally relax.” And then he grins a little mischievously as he stands, and says, “Just like your roommate wants for you. You need an orgasm or something.”

Your face feels fiery hot. “Lee Donghyuck!” You shove at Haechan as he laughs.

He continues laughing as he returns to his desk to gather his things, and as he walks away. Before he steps into the elevator, he calls out one last time, “Eat your snacks and drink your water!” And then he’s gone. 

You’re perfectly alone in the office. The lights and the aircon buzz quietly. You can hear traffic outside the windows down on the street below. The beverage cooler and the fridge in the break room occasionally make a bubbling noise or a whirring sound. But for the most part, it’s silent. You finish the snacks and the bottle of water. You return to your work, and as the hours tick by no one returns, which you shouldn’t be too surprised by that, though occasionally you do look up to scan the office, to see if anyone is around. 

But no. It’s still only you. 

All the desks are empty, Mr. Moon’s office door is shut tight. There’s no sign of anyone coming back at all, because the secretary’s desk just a few feet from yours has everything completely cleared off of it for the weekend. All you can see is the large potted plant sitting opposite her desk beside Mr. Moon’s door. Its shiny green leaves wave slightly in the breeze coming from the air vent overhead. 

You turn back to your work, turning your focus back on, and the next time you look up — eyes dry and blurry, back and wrists aching from sitting in one position for so long — you realize that the bright sunny day has faded into dusk outside. 

You’re so close to being finished, you can’t leave yet, but also you desperately need a break. A little relaxation break. And relaxation… You’re reminded of Haechan’s teasing words earlier, telling you that you need an orgasm to properly relax.

It’s been a while since you had one. With all the stress of work, keeping you so busy that you just collapse into bed as soon as you’re home, you haven’t even touched yourself lately. You definitely haven’t had a taste of your beloved exhibition kink. 

But right now… No one is around. 

As far as you’re aware, there aren’t any security cameras in the office. Only in the stairwell and on the elevators. 

Your body thrills, a wave of heat rushing down to your core as you consider the option of taking a break from your work to masturbate right here at your desk. The exhibitionism of it ignites you, and you don’t waste another moment before reaching down and shuffling around in your seat to wiggle your pants down your legs. 

It’s been too long now since you’ve last done something like this, and the excitement courses through you. 

Your pants pool around your ankles, leaving you exposed beneath the bright fluorescent lights. 

You close your eyes, lean back in your seat, and slide a hand down to cup the warmth between your thighs. From there, your body just takes over, driven on towards the sole destination of pleasure. A fantasy paints itself across the backs of your eyelids — sitting here on a normal day, the desks around you are occupied, and you’re wearing a skirt with no panties on, touching yourself beneath the desk. Your present reality is fun and exciting, but the scenario your mind conjures is all the more arousing. If you could cum at your desk during work hours without anyone noticing….

As you think that, fantasy-Haechan turns to look at you, his lips tilted in a smirk. He starts a conversation with you, and your fingers are tracing circles on your clit, your breath coming out only ever-so-slightly unsteady. Not enough that anyone would be able to notice. He turns back around, and you sink in your chair just a little more, lower your fingers down to your wet entrance — and you do the same in reality, slipping your fingers down through the slick that clings to your pussy, and you plunge a finger inside yourself, spreading your thighs wider in your seat. You moan aloud and bite your bottom lip, feeling heat flush through you, rising up your chest. 

In your fantasy, you stay quiet. You fuck yourself on your fingers beneath the desk, your inner thighs and the back of your skirt grow damp with your leaking arousal. 

The fantasy changes. Now Haechan stands right beside your desk, one hand on the back of your chair while the other clicks on your computer mouse. You’re pressed fully against your desk, two of your fingers thrusting inside yourself, thumb at your clit, and Haechan is perfectly oblivious even as his scent wraps around you. And then his lips brush your cheek, his voice low and meant just for you, his breath tickling your skin as he says, “Naughty girl. At work? And what if someone else caught you?” His hand on the back of your chair slides around to fondle your chest.

In reality, you moan again, arching your chest into the hand you’ve just placed over your right tit, palming yourself over your shirt. The two fingers inside you stroke at your inner walls, thumb making fast circles on your clit. And you just keep your imagination moving you forward — imagining as Haechan pinches and rolls your nipple between his fingers, as his other hand leaves the computer mouse to vanish beneath your desk, beneath your skirt, brushing your hand aside to fill you with his fingers instead. 

God, you’ve dreamt of his hands many times before. You’ve spent years now studying his hands while he performs a variety of tasks, and many, many, many times you’ve wished to feel his fingers touching you just like this, two fingers curling inside you to stroke right over the spot that makes your belly swoop and your hips jolt to take him deeper to have him give you more. 

Your fingers move just like that as you squirm in your desk chair, glad there’s no one actually around to witness how you slump in your seat and spread your legs over the arm, turned fully out from beneath your desk to enable you to fuck yourself deeper with your fingers. 

Again, the fantasy shifts repeatedly as your imagination tries to settle on just one scenario. Haechan having you spread out on the table in the breakroom. Yuta tempting you into Taeil’s office to fuck you on his desk, while Haechan lurks outside the door to watch like the pervert you know he is. Haechan standing outside a different doorway, watching as you ride your own fingers to orgasm in a bed that belongs to neither of you. 

And then a flash of last night, extended and greatly embellished: Haechan sitting aside a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin to instead put his hands on your tits, to push you back in your bed, to kiss you breathless as he smoothly fits his body against yours. You can imagine it as clearly right now as if it had actually happened — his body pressing your thighs apart, your legs hitched over his shoulders as he drives himself against you, his lips warm and teeth sharp as your mouths meet in a clash of passion, bodies colliding in your bed. 

This is the fantasy that sticks with you, the one that carries you. Your palm grinds against your clit, three fingers thrusting inside with your legs draped over the arms of your chair making it so much easier for your fingers to hit deeper and more acutely against the spot that makes your belly grow warmer and tighter and your extremities tingle in the most delightful way. 

You’re moaning and gasping, not quiet in the slightest as your orgasm approaches and crests — your thighs quiver and your chest arches away from the back of your seat — and the wave of sweet, sweet relaxing pleasure crashes against you, washing through you. The aftershocks of your orgasm as you keep moving your fingers make you feel like the ground is being swept out from under you, like you’re being sucked back out into the sea of arousal, like you could go yet another round. 

Your phone buzzes on the desk. 

Still catching your breath, your skin tingling with pleasure, you reach over to check the message notification. 

From Haechan, asking, “Are you still at work?”

You freeze, staring at your phone in one hand while your other hand is still buried three fingers deep in your pussy. 

Another message from him: “Just go home.”

You tell yourself that there’s no way that he could actually know you’re still here. He’s probably just guessing since he knows that you stay late way too often. 

Your thighs ache slightly as you let your feet fall back to the floor, as you reach down and shimmy your pants back up. You clean your fingers off with a tissue, tossing the dirty tissue in the small trash bin beside your desk. You have to wake your computer up since it slipped into sleep mode while you were taking your relaxation break, and as you stare at the screen with your project pulled up on it, you realize that it’s finished. Well, a couple tiny more touches that take less than ten minutes, and it’s done. 

You hit save. Email a copy of the work to yourself, and save it additionally on a flashdrive. 

Haechan’s last message is still displayed on your phone’s lockscreen when you pick up your phone to leave. 

“Just go home,” it says. 

You carefully type out your reply to him as you leave the office, shutting the lights off on your way to the elevator. “I told you I wanted to finish up before going home.”

You’re in the elevator on your way down to the ground floor when his reply comes in: “Did you finish?”

Your body echoes with the pulse of your orgasm. Your pussy is still damp against your panties. You did more than just simply finish the project, you think to yourself with a small smirk. You finished yourself off and the project as well. “I did,” you send back to him. 

A moment later, Haechan’s message bubble appears with, “Good girl.” 

It’s a wonderful, temperate Friday night. For the first time in weeks, you don’t have a reason to go into the office tomorrow on Saturday. You could go out again tonight, get drunk again, do your best to forget your hang-ups about having sex without the emotional connection. You could go get properly fucked and heighten the high feeling that’s still carrying you from your orgasm less than twenty minutes ago. You could do anything tonight other than just go home. 

So you won’t go home; you know exactly where you’re going instead. 

You’re already halfway to Haechan and YangYang’s apartment when you decide to make sure Haechan is even at home. But he doesn’t answer your call or text before you’re already there, standing outside the door, tapping your knuckles against it with the hope that you’re not knocking on the door to an empty apartment. 

“Yeah! Just a second!” A muffled voice from behind the apartment door. You lean against the wall opposite the door and wait. There’s a crash, muffled cursing. What could possibly be happening in there?

You hear the sound of the lock being undone, and then the door to the apartment is thrown open.

Haechan stands there. His hair is ruffled. He’s wearing an oversized shirt, the neckline of the shirt is stretched to the side to expose most of his left shoulder and collarbone. A pair of cutoff sweatpants hug his thighs, his feet are bare, and his toes curl a little against the cool floor. 

“Hey.” He smiles crookedly as he leans in the doorway.

“Am I interrupting something?” You ask, because taking in his whole appearance makes you wonder if maybe he’s got someone over. The ruffled hair and rumpled look of his outfit, the way he’d not answered your message and made you wait for him to come open the door. And the way that he now nervously glances back over his shoulder. “I can leave.”

Haechan swallows, and you watch his Adam’s apple bob. He shakes his head, stepping aside, and he holds the door open wide. “No, I’m not doing anything. Come in. What, um, what brings you by? I thought you would go home.”

You walk into the apartment. The lights are all off out here in the main area of the apartment, but the lights in his bedroom are dimly shining through the door left ajar. You can just barely see the screen of his computer sitting on the desk in there – the screen illuminated, although you can’t make out exactly what is playing on the desktop.

Haechan shuts the apartment door behind him. He walks around you, messing with his hair as he does.

You look at him. He looks away to his bedroom, taking a step back towards the doorway. 

“Why’d you come by?” He asks again.

“I remembered something earlier,” you tell him. 

Haechan cocks his head slightly, studying you while you study him. As much as you’re trying to look him in the face, your gaze keeps dropping to the golden tone of his exposed collarbone and his shoulder, the bare curve of his bicep beneath the edge of his sleeve – your mind struggles to stay on task instead of straying to thoughts of tracing the line of his collarbone with your tongue, pressing your lips right there to the curve where his shoulder meets his neck, biting his biceps or his thighs just to hear him moan, staining his skin with hickeys.

Haechan clears his throat.

“You promised me we would trade truths and secrets. I’m here to cash in on that.” You fold your arms across your chest. “You mentioned something about truth earlier today, and it just made me remember.”

Again, Haechan studies you. His bottom lip curls beneath his front teeth, and he nibbles almost absentmindedly. His fingers twitch at his side, playing a nervous pattern against his thigh. And then: “Okay. But give me a minute. Sit down,” he says, waving over at the sofa. “I’ll be right back.”

He disappears back into his bedroom, closing the door behind him. 

The first thing you do is toe off your shoes, drop your bag beside the door. You shrug out of your jacket, leaving that draped over your bag. You help yourself to a drink from the fridge, just one of the dozen energy drinks that he and YangYang keep stocked, and then you go take a seat on the sofa. 

You bring your feet up, curling them beneath you. You consider turning on the light or maybe the TV, but you decide that if you’re about to share secrets, maybe it will be a lot more comfortable to do it in the dark. 

When Haechan re-emerges from his bedroom, he leaves the door cracked open again. The dim glow of his light spills out slightly into the rest of the apartment. 

His hair looks a little less messy. His shirt is pulled back into place on his shoulders. He’s put on a pair of glasses which make him look softer somehow. He walks barefooted into the kitchen, grabs two beers, and as he walks back over to join you on the sofa he freezes, looking at the can already in your hand.

“Sorry,” you apologize with a little smile. 

He shakes his head. “It’s fine. An extra drink to share.” He sits the spare beer down on the coffee table in what little free space is left as the rest of the table is covered in the typical clutter of a male twenty-something’s apartment. He sinks comfortably down onto the sofa with you, bringing one knee up against his chest, he crosses one ankle over the other when he brings his other knee up to bend on the cushion, just barely touching his knee against yours.

“How is this gonna work?” He asks. “I tell a truth, then you? Back and forth, one question at a time?”

“How about we just start with you telling me how you know so certainly that our boss and his secretary are fucking?” You press your knee a little harder against his. 

The light in the room is dim, and the heaviness of the shadows allows for some small bit of secrecy to remain even as you begin to share these secrets. 

Haechan sighs. “I caught them.”

Silence. 

You hear the sounds of footsteps upstairs. Sounds of traffic on the street below. The slow sound of carbonation bubbles popping in the can in your hand. 

Again, you nudge his knee with yours. “Care to elaborate?”

You’re facing each other on the sofa, and when Haechan props an arm up on the back of the sofa, hiding his face behind his hand, you laugh and reach for his arm. You wrap your fingers around his wrist, dragging his hand down, sliding both of your hands up to clasp his. “Tell me.”

Haechan sighs. 

“Everyone’s been saying it since we started, y’know. Like, I think that one of the first conversations I had with Yuta was about how Mr. Moon was probably secretly fucking his secretary. But no one had any proof except that they spend a lot of time together. But so do we and it’s not like…” He trails off and then switches what he was going to say, “At the company retreat thing, when we were camping. The night that we were all drinking, I woke up when it was so late that it was early morning, and I was gonna go just take a piss then go back to sleep, but instead I caught Mr. Moon and his secretary kissing and feeling each other up at one of the tables in the guesthouse.”

Again, silence falls. 

“And?” You squeeze his hand. He’s so close to saying what you want him to say.

“And that’s it.” His hand suddenly twists in yours so that now he’s the one squeezing your hand. “Your turn. Tell me something that will surprise me.”

You frown. No part of what he just said is enough to compensate you for your secrets. You keep your lips sealed, and your eyes remain locked on Haechan’s in a staring contest to see which of you will break first.

You win.

Haechan sighs, releasing your hand as he drops his head against his arm resting on the back of the sofa. “Fine. There is more. There was one day after that that I had a meeting with Mr. Moon in his office, and I’m almost completely positive that she was beneath his desk.”

Now that. That piques your interest.

“What?” You lean a little closer. “Why do you think that?”

Haechan looks you over quickly, noting the excitement in your body language. His lips start to form a smile, and then he dives into the story. “For one thing, she wasn’t at her desk. He was acting a little weird the entire meeting, like blushing a bit and there was just something off about him. He wasn’t nearly as collected and relaxed as he normally is. And there was a point where he claimed that knee pain caused him to kick beneath the desk.” Haechan rolls his eyes at that, his lips definitely curling into a smile now at the memory. “But a minute after that I definitely saw a woman’s fingers peeking out from beneath the desk. She was down there. I’m almost certain.”

Your heart flutters in your chest just to think of it. Kneeling beneath the desk to give a secret blowjob during a meeting. It speaks exactly to your desires. 

“So, yeah, that’s why I’m so certain about their secret relationship being real.” Haechan turns his head to take a drink of his beer. “Your turn?”

“Do you remember the night we agreed to trade secrets?” You take a sip of your drink. “You said your secrets would make me look at you differently. What part of that secret should make me look at you differently?”

Haechan holds your gaze for a moment before he looks down at his hands around the beer can now resting on his thigh. “You’re really digging, you know that? I think you should owe me two secrets now.”

You smile, your lips curving against the edge of your can. “I’m only digging because I haven’t found what I’m looking for yet.”

That lights something in Haechan’s eyes. “And what are you looking for?”

“I don’t know,” you shrug, “Something dirty.”

Haechan laughs, his head tilted back, the sound loud and thrown up to the ceiling. You’re still watching him when he brings his face around to look at you. “You want a dirty secret? Okay, but you definitely owe me one in return. Something to tarnish your little angel image. Okay?” You nod, knowing that you have plenty to supply him with. “Mm’kay, so something dirty if you dig just a little deeper into what I just told you, right? Well, you know Taeil’s secretary is, like, really hot?”

You nod. She’s gorgeous, and there’s no denying it.

Haechan nods as well. “Well, after that meeting where I figured out that she was beneath his desk, I snuck off to the bathroom and jerked off on the toilet thinking about her beneath his desk. That dirty enough for you?”

Warmth flutters down to your belly. You wonder why he didn’t mention the time at the guesthouse, jerking off in the bushes as he peeped in through the window at the couple making out inside. Maybe he’s worried that would make him seem too much of a creep. 

“Your turn now. No more stalling.” Now he nudges your knee with his. “Tell me a dirty secret, angel.”

Fine. He gave you a dirty little secret, though it was barely an admission of his voyeurism, which is what you’re really looking for. He kept up his end, so you’ll give him a little taste of a secret too. You pause to riffle through your memories. What should you tell him about? What can you tell him about yourself that will get him to tell you what you really want to hear?

And then you get it.

You’ll go back to the beginning, to the night when you first noticed him being a watcher.

“I caught someone once,” you announce. 

Haechan’s eyebrows lift in surprise. 

“A little over a year ago, I think it’s been.” You tap your fingers on the side of the can in your hands. “When we all went camping together the semester before we graduated, remember?”

That light in Haechan’s eyes glows a little brighter. Of course he remembers. He probably knows exactly what moment you’re about to tell him about, though he doesn’t know that you know he was witness to it as well.

“Well, when I went up to bed, Shotaro and his girlfriend were still down in the hot tub.” You pause, drawing the story out so you can watch the shift in Haechan’s veiled expression. “The window in that room overlooked the hot tub, and this was a while before you came up, but when I looked outside the window, I saw them. Right there in the hot tub we’d all been in just minutes before, she was all tangled up with him.”

“Did you watch?” Haechan asks, the words racing off his tongue excitedly.

The instant the words are out, he looks like he wishes he could suck them back in.

You take this as your chance. Without really giving him an answer, you instead pose the question, “Would you have watched?”

He bites his tongue and doesn’t answer you, but even if you hadn’t already known the truth, you can read it in the soft darkness of his eyes as they touch on yours. There is an admission in those eyes, though he doesn’t form it into words. You won’t make him say it, not right now. 

You shrug. “I didn’t really watch. Just for a moment. But seeing them did get me thinking about it, and I maybe had a similar reaction to you figuring out that Taeil’s secretary was beneath his desk.” Heat rises into your cheeks as you admit your first real truth of the night, telling him, “I got myself off thinking about what was going on down there while I lay in that bed, just imagining….”

His hand jerks, the aluminum of the can in his hand crunches a tiny bit. “What?”

You duck your head to look down at your lap for a second before flicking your gaze up to look at him demurely through your eyelashes, playing innocent. “I couldn’t help myself.” You don’t explain what you’d been imagining because he doesn’t need to know that you’d been thinking of him; you’d been breathing in that scent that was so distinctly Haechan clinging to the pillow you’d laid your head on. He doesn’t need to know that.

He shifts around, rearranging his legs until he’s got his back against the arm of the sofa, both of his knees drawn up to his chest, and his arms are wrapped around his legs while he stares at you, waiting to hear more.

You lower your gaze again, fiddling with the metal tab on the top of the can you hold. “I’d pretty much just finished when you came into the room. Scared me half to death.”

You can hear the sharp intake of his breath. You wonder if he remembers that part of the night. 

“That was my bed,” Haechan says aloud, more to himself than to you. “My side of the bed. My actual pillow I brought with me.”

That makes your heart do a tumble in your chest. No wonder it had smelled so much like him. But then you’d gone and cleaned your pussy-slick fingers off on the pillowcase. Had he smelled you there the next night when he fell into bed. Had his nose found the spot that smelled just like you? 

“Is it my turn?” Haechan’s voice takes on a slightly hoarse tone. 

You lift your gaze to his, and you nod.

He starts out confidently, a bold look on his face as he shares, “I caught a couple at the restaurant where I worked during school. One of the private booths in the back. The guy’s like a celebrity, and his girlfriend or whatever was beautiful, and they were just back there with the curtains on their private booth pretty much closed. I heard him mention me, about how would it make her feel if I caught them.”

Heat sparks between your legs. 

“They didn’t know I saw, that I heard.” Haechan fiddles with the tab on his can until it pops free in his fingers. He drops it into the can, the metal pinging against the inside of the empty can. He sits it aside on the coffee table. “Just like YangYang didn’t know that I caught him and the girl he was seeing when we moved in here together. Multiple times. They weren’t sneaky or quiet about it.” Now, left with nothing in his hands, Haechan twists his fingers together in front of his knees, which he stares at and so do you. “And, uh, just for the sake of clarity, when I say I caught them, I mean I watched.”

Ah. 

There it is.

The heat grows inside you.

“You watched?” You lean forward a little. “On purpose?”

Haechan nods, flicking a quick look up at your face. Whatever he sees there must invite him to not look away again, because he holds your gaze. And then he breathes out the quiet admission, “I like to watch.”

And I like to be watched, you almost tell him. The words are right there on the tip of your tongue. But you hold yourself back.

“My turn?” You sink back a little. “Do you remember when you started calling me angel?”

“Halloween,” Haechan answers, his voice tight. You think there might still be a hint of embarrassment evident on his face, like he’s still worried what you might think of him after his admission of liking to watch. But you’re still here. He’s not scaring you away with that. Besides, in the dim light of the apartment, you can’t even tell if you’re properly reading his face. “You were dressed like an angel, and I told you that it’s perfect for you.”

“Because I’m so innocent,” you fill in the rest for him, then ask, “I’ve told you I could tell you some things that might change your mind about that, right? You told me back then that you’d never heard a wild story about me, nothing out of the ordinary, but just minutes before you found me, I was trying to convince Xiaojun to have sex right there beside the building. Out there in the open, but he wouldn’t do it, so I had to take care of it myself. You almost caught me then too, but instead you teased me about being a perfectly innocent angel, as if perfectly good girls spend their Halloween nights fingering themselves against a school building’s wall when anyone could come around the corner at any moment.”

Now, as you watch, Haechan’s throat bobs. His fingers tighten. “I was too busy that night hoping to find that friend of Mark’s. She was off trying to fuck a professor in his office, and I wanted to see.” 

She was? Good for her. 

“I went commando for about half of our last semester, trying to see what I could get away with,” you confess without waiting for confirmation that it’s your turn for a secret. 

“Fuck,” Haechan curses quietly, and his gaze dips down to your lap now although you’re wearing pants and not a dress. “I do remember you wearing a lot of skirts and dresses that spring. I remember Renjun being really interested in how much thigh you were showing.”

Another wave of heat courses through you. You remember Renjun enjoying the dresses and skirts too, but before him had been a few random strangers. At the time, you’d not been able to pinpoint why you didn’t enjoy those experiences as much, but that had been before you really realized your need for emotional attachment. 

“I don’t think it was my thighs that had him so captivated.” You laugh. “But I used the no-panties and short skirt combo to get a guy to eat me out in the library one afternoon. It was a little before midterms, probably. A sleepy kind of afternoon, and I was…” You glance over at Haechan, and for the first time you feel genuinely shy about what you’re about to tell him. Should you give him details? Is that too much?

Judging by the look he’s giving you, he wants to hear all about it. You wonder if hearing about it is second best to having witnessed it himself. Voyeurism in the second-hand. 

You clear your throat and try again. “I was sitting at that table in the back corner on the second floor, the one where we all used to study. This guy was sitting at the table opposite mine, facing me. The sun was pouring through the windows beside us, and it was so warm that day even though I was just wearing a sundress.” You squeeze your legs together at the memory. 

It had been so hot. The air conditioner in the library couldn’t combat the heat of the direct sunlight, but you weren’t about to give up your seat. It was in the perfect private corner of the library, quiet and peaceful and comfortable. But you were sweating. You could feel the sweat gathering beneath your thighs and the plastic surface of the chair. A couple beads of sweat dampened your chest, and you’d brushed your fingers down between your tits in an effort to wipe the sweat away.

When you’d looked up, the guy across from you had been staring. And when he was staring, your nipples had instantly drawn into peaks, called forward under his attention. Of course, you weren’t wearing a bra, and your dress was thin, so it felt obvious as they pressed against the fabric. You’d moved your legs beneath the table, and the motion drew his attention, and your exhibitionist side took over as you spread your legs, fingers dipping down to hike the hem of your dress up a little higher to give him a better look.

“And soon he was beneath the table, on his knees, eating me out like we weren’t in broad daylight in the library.” You sigh at the memory, forgetting for an instant where you are. For once, you forget about Haechan, just remembering the guy’s soft hair between your fingers, his soft lips and callused fingers. You remember his hand sneaking up from beneath the table to tug down the neckline of your dress until he could get his hand on your boobs. 

“A librarian rolled through while he was down there,” you confess to Haechan. “She didn’t even glance our way, but if she had, she’d have gotten an eyeful.”

Haechan has got his bottom lip caught beneath his front teeth again, nibbling at it while he looks at you. You don’t think he’s really looking at you, more that he’s zoned out while looking in your direction. What is he thinking about?

You stretch out a foot, pressing your toes against his shin. “Lee Donghyuck, are you even listening?”

He blinks, releasing his bottom lip. “I’m listening. I’m… comprehending.”

“I told you I could tell you some secrets about me that would change the way you see me. Have I succeeded?” You ask, and Haechan nods in confirmation. 

You stand up, planning to just go throw your empty can and his away. Haechan lurches forward, grabbing your wrist as if to tell you not to leave, but you just laugh and shake his hand off. “I’m going to throw these away. I’m not leaving.”

You pick up his empty beer, and as you walk away, you feel his attention following you. But when you turn around to walk back, Haechan is on his phone, sitting now with his legs folded criss-cross in front of him. He doesn’t look up again until you’re sitting right in front of him again. 

He blinks, placing his phone down on the seat cushion. “My turn?”

You nod.

Haechan sighs before he speaks next, and you can hear there are many emotions contained in that long breath he releases. “I was worried you were going to be disgusted by me,” he says, “Hearing about me watching people and finding… sexual gratification from it. But from what you’re saying, you wouldn’t mind the idea of being looked at. So can I tell you something kinda big?”

The nod you give him isn’t enough. Haechan waits to hear you say, “You can tell me.”

“I tried for so long to deny that I’m into this.” He stares down at his folded legs. “I tried to think of myself as not a creep because I only watched people when I stumbled upon them. But then I bought a four-pack of cameras.” He darts a look at you, but you keep your face neutral, wanting to hear what he has to say. “I felt gross when I bought the cameras, when I snuck them into their hiding spots. I know it’s wrong, but I was just going to watch. Not share it with anyone. Not do anything maliciously.”

The way he’s avoiding your eyes right now is a curious thing. Almost like he’s ashamed. Where did he put them? 

“Where did you put them, Haechan?” You ask, leaning forward. And when he still won’t look at you, when he still doesn’t provide an answer, you put a hand beneath his chin. “Just tell me.”

His eyes cut to yours quickly, his chin lifting so he’s staring you fully in the face as he says, “Two at the office because, like I said earlier, Mr. Moon’s secretary is hot, and although I didn’t have any idea that there was anything going on between them then, it has since paid off.” 

You want him to elaborate on that, but it can wait. 

In a quieter tone, Haechan admits, “I put one in YangYang’s room. Giving me a visual to all the times I could hear him and whoever he brought home through the wall.” 

God, you like the mental image that gives you. Haechan with one hand fisting his cock while the other holds his phone so he can watch what he’s hearing. 

If your count is correct, that leaves one camera that he’d placed somewhere.

“And the last one?” A wave of goosebumps rolls over you, prickling your skin. Some part of you is hoping for him to say that he somehow snuck it into your apartment. You want to hear him say that he somehow placed it in secret in your bedroom, so he’s seen your body fresh from the shower, the nights that you touched yourself, the nights that you moaned his name while you came on your fingers or on a toy. Your body tenses in anticipation of his answer.

“The last one is in Renjun’s room.”

Your heart sinks. Renjun’s room? Why the hell would he put it in Renjun’s bedroom?

Haechan licks his lips nervously. “I didn’t get much on there except him and Jaehyun snuggling together, some clips of them having sex, which were honestly kinda hot.” There’s a tickle of jealousy in your chest; all the times Jaehyun got to watch you with Renjun, but you’ve never gotten to see the two of them together. Haechan continues, “I knew about them before he introduced us all to him a few weeks ago, but that’s also because I found the pictures and videos of them in Renjun’s phone while we were in Thailand.”

Your heart stutters. It possibly stops beating for a second.

“You went through Renjun’s phone?”

You’d known that, but it’s different actually hearing it from Haechan. Some part of you had believed all this time that Renjun had been exaggerating, just dramatic about Haechan possibly having gone through his photos that day. 

An erratic laugh escapes from Haechan. “Of all the things I’ve told you tonight, that’s the first thing I’ve said that makes you sound… surprised, or just the first big reaction.”

He laughs again, but your heart is racing in your chest. You don’t really care that he went through Renjun’s phone. It’s not the fact that he went through it that bothers you. It’s what he might have seen. Sure, he saw the pictures and videos of Renjun and Jaehyun. But if he saw those….

“What else did you see in his phone?” You ask, and you find yourself drawing even closer to Haechan until your legs are folded criss-cross in front of you, knees and feet touching his. 

Haechan’s lips are still curved into a smile as he lightheartedly says, “Our Renjunnie keeps quite the collection in his phone. I always figured he was a more vanilla type too, but he had all these pictures and videos of him and Jaehyun doing all sorts of sexy stuff. And there were clips of Renjun and a girl too, so I thought for a little while, since they were mixed in with him and Jaehyun, that maybe they were in a thrupple type of situation, but I never saw any of Jaehyun and the girl.” He shrugs. “I didn’t know Jaehyun at the time, and although I’ve been sexually attracted to some of our friends, it was never really Renjun,” he babbles, seemingly unaware of the way you’re staring at him in a daze. “But I found his phone by the pool while we were in Thailand, and he doesn’t have any password protection. I swear, I didn’t mean to look through his phone really, but when I found the pictures… something took me over. And they were pretty hot, so I may have sent a few of them to myself.”

Again, your heart ceases to beat for a moment.

Haechan continues on, obliviously saying, “There was this video of him riding a dildo, one of him giving a blowjob to a man that I assume was Jaehyun. Like, I don’t know if you’ve noticed over the years, but I don’t necessarily discriminate between genders when it comes to sex. So I enjoyed quite a few of Renjun’s sexy videos with Jaehyun. But there was this one video in particular. Damn, like this one was of Renjun and a girl riding him in a car.” He whistles. “That one is one of my favorites.”

You’re going to die. 

You might actually fucking pass out.

He’s talking about you. You’re the girl in the videos. You’re the girl in all of those videos, and you know that there’s no chance of it being any other girl because Renjun had specifically told you at one point that he’d never filmed a sextape of any sort before he was with Jaehyun, and you were the only girl he’d been with between the start of his relationship with Jaehyun and the time in Thailand when Haechan obtained the videos. And you know exactly the video of you and Renjun in the car that he’s talking about.

You’re going to throw up.

Haechan has seen you naked. He’s seen you fucking Renjun. He’s seen your ass, your pussy, and you know for a fact he’s seen your tits because you just showed them to him last night in your intoxicated state. 

Haechan has watched you having sex with Renjun, and he’s just told you that that video is one of his favorites.

You flop backwards on the sofa, shoulders hitting the cushion, your head smacking painfully against the TV remote you hadn’t realized was behind you.

“Shit,” Haechan leans over you, reaching to cradle your head as you reach for it too. “Are you okay?”

“Fine. I’m fine.” You brush his hands away. “I just wanted to lie down.”

Haechan sits back into his previous position. “It’s your turn, by the way.”

You stare up at the ceiling. What else can you say?

When you stay silent, Haechan leans forward again, tipping onto his knees and placing his hands on either side of you as he leans up to check on you. “Are you sure you’re not concussed or something? Talk to me.”

Okay. This is a night of secret-sharing and truth-telling, right? You’ll give him something big.

“I knew about Renjun and Jaehyun too.” You tell Haechan, “He told me about Jaehyun after the night I gave Renjun a handjob under the blanket while we watched a movie at the house with everyone there. You were there.” You tentatively meet Haechan’s curious gaze. “You were studying in the kitchen with Jeno, I remember, and I was cumming on Renjun’s fingers.”

Haechan shivers or twitches. “What?”

You take a breath, then say, “We were watching a movie, I was horny, and Renjun just wanted me to stop moving around so much. Like I said earlier, I skipped panties a lot during our last semester, so it was really easy for him to just…. No one even noticed. Not even YangYang where he was sitting right beside me. And I decided, since Renjun was helping me out, I would reciprocate. I really don’t know how no one noticed.”

Haechan’s eyes look a little hazy as he looks down at you. “That’s dirty. In front of all of our friends? Is that when…?”

You’re not exactly sure what question he was trying to ask because he never finishes. Haechan just lets his words trail off, so you pick your story back up. “A little while later, like a couple weeks later, Renjun told me that that night was a mistake, a lapse in judgment because he was in a non-exclusive but hoping to soon be exclusive thing with Jaehyun. I think I was one of the first ones of our friends that he came out to as bi.” 

Haechan laughs a little, his face still hovering above yours as he says, “I didn’t even know Renjun was into guys until I found the pictures and videos. Which, really, do you know how many of our friends kept it a secret that they were not straight? Too many.”

Yeah. Renjun, Winter and Karina which shouldn’t have been as surprising as it was when they finally made it official through Instagram a couple months ago. Jeno and Jaemin, which you’d had a feeling about them for years, and although to this day they still haven’t actually put a label on it, everyone knows now that they’re in some sort of a relationship that is both romantic and sexual in nature.

“Jeno and Jaemin,” Haechan heaves out a low breath. “That surprised me. Not for too long, though, because like right after I found out about them I watched them have sex, but in that first sixty seconds, I was very surprised that I’d been so blind.” 

You stare up at him. “How many of our friends have you watched have sex?”

Haechan shrinks away, returning to his spot sitting with his back against the arm of the couch, knees folded up against his chest. You lift yourself onto your elbows to look at him as he rubs his chin in thought, looking very retrospective. 

“Do you want, like, a total number? Or just ballpark?” 

You kick your foot out lightly. “Haechan?!”

He grabs your ankle. “Uh, so, Jeno and Jaemin knew I was watching. Jeno asked me to film them, and they made fun of me for taking too long to cum while I was jerking off watching them. Mark and his girlfriend, while we were in Thailand, I walked into the kitchen while he was eating her out, and she wouldn’t let him stop. Shotaro and his girlfriend, uh, that night in the hot tub.” 

He looks nervously at you, as if he’s expecting you to display some shock at discovering that he also was watching them that night. You don’t put on a look of surprise because you’re not surprised, but Haechan still goes on to explain himself.

“I was down there on the deck, like I was gonna go get in the hot tub again. I didn’t know they were still in there until I popped around the corner and they were just… there. I shouldn’t have stayed to watch, but I did.” He ruffles a hand through his hair and then pushes his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. “At some point, I’m not sure when, they noticed I was there. I honestly think they put on a little bit of a show for me just to prove a point since I was, uh, clearly a jealous prick that night.”

“Yeah, you were. Like, we all knew that you had a crush on her, but you took it a bit too far that night when you were making fun of Shotaro.” 

Haechan ducks his head. “Yeah, I know. Renjun lectured me about it, and I know I was a dick.” He sighs, “And, for the record, I didn’t have a crush on her. There weren’t romantic feelings involved.”

“Oh, so you just wanted to fuck her? Y’know, you were kinda a slut, Haechan,” you tease him, “I remember hearing all of these stories about you sleeping around with like half of the girls in our dorm building.”

He doesn’t disagree, just nodding. “Well, what can I say? I was growing into being the pervert I am today. And I didn’t even have sex with all of those girls that told stories about me. Some of them I just hung out with; some I didn’t go further than a bit of making out. I… Sometimes I felt kinda empty and overwhelmed, and sex was a good outlet for that. Then, later, it turned out that I just enjoyed watching.”

You shift around, rotating yourself on the sofa until you’re laying on your belly, facing Haechan now. You prop your chin up on your hands, you turn the conversation back to Shotaro and his girlfriend in the hot tub. “So, if you were watching them that night – and knowing that you have a penchant for touching yourself while you practice your voyeurism – did you do it that night? Jerk off while watching them?”

Haechan peers at you from over his knees. “Yeah. Why?”

You wobble your head from side to side, making a noncommittal sound. “No reason.”

The two of you were masturbating at the same time that night, so close to each other, due to the same reason. Your fantasies of that night hadn’t been too far off. 

“And who else?” You ask. “Jeno, Jaemin, Mark, Shotaro, their girlfriends. Who else have you watched?”

Haechan parts his knees so he can see you better, and you look up at his face framed between the V of his legs. He has the slightest furrow between his eyebrows, an intense look in his eyes as if he’s trying to decide what to tell you next.

“Our Thailand trip was… very enjoyable in terms of me wanting to watch people,” Haechan admits. “Like I said, that was when I saw the videos in Renjun’s phone. That’s when I saw Mark and his girlfriend in the kitchen. I stumbled upon Shotaro and his girlfriend. Jeno and Jaemin canoodling. Saw Xiaojun on the beach with a local girl. YangYang kept jerking off in the other bed in our room or bringing people back from the beach or from in town.” His voice trails off, and his gaze rises to the ceiling, staring up there for a moment.

He pretty much saw everyone on the trip fucking around. You’re not too surprised. Something about that trip had made everyone very horny; the tension had been incredible, and if you hadn’t had Renjun to blow steam off with, you would’ve been a wreck.

Haechan lets out a breath, and he drops his chin, his eyes find yours again. 

“I saw Renjun,” his voice is a whisper. “In the outdoor shower, getting a blowjob from a girl.”

You, again. Your heart begins to race a little. 

That had been you. 

“And that last day.” Haechan’s voice drops even lower. He licks his lips, eyes locked on yours. “Everyone was fucking like bunnies. You’d have thought that time was running out. I didn’t mean to walk in on it, alright? Half the time, these moments just happened, and I was there at the right time.” His voice slows, the pauses between his words dramatic as you’re hanging onto each syllable that leaves Haechan’s lips. “The right time to watch. Or to listen. I was there to… silently observe. Like when I noticed that the braided bracelet you were wearing was exactly the same as the one the girl blowing Renjun in the outdoor shower had been wearing.”

Your heart thuds in your chest. He knew it was you? When?

“I should’ve noticed earlier, really. But I didn’t realize until, like, the last minute of the trip. It was too damn hot in that house, y’know. Hard to sleep at night,” he says.

Your heart thuds again. Heat rising in your cheeks, sinking to your core. You remember. The heat had been thick, laying over your skin and suffocating you in your sleep. You’d stripped down to basically nothing, kicked off the thin blanket. The night had only grown hotter once Renjun had put his hands on you, once he teased an orgasm from you in the dark.

“You get what I mean, right?” Haechan says. “It’s not like you slept too easily that last night, but I mean, how could you have when Renjun was making you feel so good with his fingers?”

Your heart is rapid in your chest. Your face is on fire, your pussy tingling with the urge to be touched. The reality of that night sweeps over you. Haechan hadn’t been asleep that night; he’d been paying attention to you just like you’d fantasized about.

“Haechan –”

“I was trying to sleep, I swear. But then you started making noise, and you were right there. I couldn’t help hearing. Actually, before I opened my eyes and looked at you, I thought you were just touching yourself.” His gaze dips to your lips. 

You can’t help yourself but to look at his lips too. Your breath holds in your throat. 

And then Haechan says: “I was hoping you were thinking about me.”

And right there, there it is. Words you’d been hoping to hear, dying to hear for years now. 

Your heart squeezes in your chest, beating harder, faster.

Haechan wanted you to want him.

You push up on your elbows, pulling yourself fully upright. Your heart is pounding, body flushing with this high feeling. Haechan had wanted you to want him that night that he watched you from inches away. And right now you’re sitting inches away again, both of you watching each other, gazes honed in on lips. 

You desperately want to kiss him. 

The door of the apartment flies open. YangYang tumbles inside, laughing with three other guys.

You slump back down, dropping your face against the sofa cushion as the overhead light is flicked on, flooding the room with bright white light.

“Oh, shit!” YangYang laughs. “I’m sorry. Dude, I thought you’d be playing video games in your room.”

Haechan moves. You hear him moving, and you feel the shift of weight as he lifts himself off the sofa. “Didn’t you see my text?”

“He killed his phone tonight.” One of his companions laughs.

You don’t lift your head, halfway hoping you suffocate yourself against the sofa cushion. 

“What’s up with her?” YangYang asks.

“Long, rough day at work,” Haechan explains. And then you feel his fingers in your hair, gentle but then a  ring that he’s always worn catches a few strands, tugging on your hair, and you press a muffled moan against the sofa cushion. “She just needed to come over to vent with me. But our projects are done now, so we get a little reprieve. Right?” His hand leaves your hair to instead nudge against your shoulder, and you finally lift your head.

YangYang is already not paying attention anymore. Neither are the three others that he brought home with him. But Haechan is still looking right at you. Heat surges through you. 

“I should leave,” you say softly, not breaking your gaze.

Haechan’s bottom lip disappears into his mouth for a moment, and he hums quietly. “I can walk you out. Did you drive over or take the bus tonight?”

“Bus. Remember that we walked to work together this morning.” You lift yourself up. “You don’t have to walk me out, Haechan. I didn’t mean to interrupt your video games.”

His jaw twitches, his hand slides across the sofa cushion towards your hand before his fingers curl under and he just presses his knuckles into the fabric instead of taking your hand like you want him to. “I wasn’t playing video games. Can I tell you one more truth?”

“As long as you’re fine giving me a freebie. I don’t think I have any more truths to give you right now.” You start to stand up, but now Haechan’s hand shoots out, pinching the edge of your sleeve to keep you right there beside him. 

On the other side of the room, YangYang and the others are squeezing into the kitchen area, their loud voices filling the apartment. Even if Haechan wasn’t whispering, they wouldn’t possibly have been able to hear him over their own volume.

“I wasn’t playing video games,” he repeats. “I have the cameras, y’know? Sometimes I just look through them when I’m bored.” He falls silent for a heartbeat, and then for another, and then his fingers flick out just ever-so-lightly brushing your wrist before withdrawing entirely. Haechan sighs and ducks his head, then speaks his final truth of the night aloud: “I saw you. At the office. That’s how I knew you were still there.”

Wait.

The cameras he’d mentioned. The one focused on Taeil’s secretary.

“I didn’t mean to sit there and watch, okay? I was totally going to respect your privacy, but you’re just so…” Haechan looks away from you, floundering, searching for a word on the other side of the room, but he doesn’t seem able to find it hidden on the blank wall opposite you. He seems lost for words until he finally turns his eyes on you. His features soften, eyes brightening, mouth lifting with a subtle happiness, and he sighs a little before speaking aloud the word he finds written on your face. “You’re captivating.”

“You’re a pervert,” you accuse, but you lighten the insult with a teasing tone. Haechan’s throat bobs nervously, his smile faltering as he scans your face to check if you’re actually joking or not. “I wondered how you could possibly know that I was still there. Did you at least enjoy the show, Donghyuck?”

Haechan nods, not looking away from your face. “I did. But I closed out of the video feed before the end. That’s why I asked if you finished.”

“You weren’t asking about my project?” Your skin is buzzing. You want so badly to reach out and cup his face in your hands, to dig your fingers into his hair, to bring Haechan’s mouth crashing against yours, to draw him in between your thighs right here on the sofa even with YangYang & Co. just right there in the kitchen. 

“No. I mean, yeah, a little bit. I knew you weren’t going to know what I was asking, but I figured I’d be able to tell by your tone what the answer to my real question was.” 

“Hm.” You stand up then, and Haechan’s attention follows you like he’s attached by a thread. You look down at him seated on the edge of the sofa, then complain, “It seems I’m at a bit of a disadvantage here. Your little habit of voyeurism means that you’ve seen quite a bit of me, Lee Donghyuck.”

His eyes shine. “Or maybe it’s your little habit of exhibitionism, angel, that’s brought my advantage into being.”

You flick your fingers in dismissal. “I don’t think so. I’m leaving.” You make it to the door before you look back at him. Haechan is still sitting there, watching you. You look back down to your feet as you slide your shoes on once more, and you ask, “I thought you said you were going to walk me down?”

Haechan makes a sound of amused disbelief, and then he’s on his feet, walking quickly over towards you, but not without casting a glance towards the kitchen. None of the guys in there are paying the least amount of attention. You don’t know if they even notice as you slip your jacket back on, as Haechan shoves his feet into a pair of sandals and grabs a long puffy coat from where it’s draped over the back of the armchair.

He follows you out the door, and the moment it closes behind him, he opens his mouth to say something. 

You start walking away before he can get a word out, picking up speed as Haechan follows, and soon you’re jogging ahead of him, calling over your shoulder, “Last one down owes the winner snacks!”

You take the stairs, racing down them, and Haechan tries to keep up while you laugh. Your heart thunders in your ears, in your throat, filling every inch of you with your pulse. Haechan’s laugh melds with yours, echoing back at you both. 

You spin around the curves in the stairwell ahead of Haechan, trying to keep him in the corner of your eyesight, trying to let him keep just close enough that he feels like he can catch up without actually giving him that pleasure. 

His fingers snatch at the back of your jacket, but you slip away, jumping down a couple stairs and taking the turn, hands gripping the railing. Haechan curses your name with a laugh, and you glance back to see the wide grin of amusement on his lips. 

There’s a convenience store right by the bus stop closest to his apartment, and you swear they carry the best snacks. So when you win this race, Haechan can buy you whatever you want from there. 

And you’re going to win. 

There’s no doubt. 

Your feet hit the ground floor. Your heart thunders in your chest, excitement and adrenaline surging through you as you spin around to proclaim your victory to Haechan’s face.

Haechan is moving too fast to slam his brakes on.

Haechan collides with you. Chest to chest. His arms stretch out behind you. His feet tangle with yours. Momentum carries you both backwards. 

Your shoulders slam against the wall. 

Haechan slams against you.

He is breathless, staring at you with his lips parted as he tries to catch his breath. His cheeks are pink. He looks so flustered, so warm, so soft and wild-haired right then. His glasses are slipping down his nose. You want to touch him and feel him and taste him, to bury your nose against that bare section of skin that’s reappeared where the neck of his shirt has dragged away from his throat and collarbone.

When you close your eyes, all you can hear is him panting. You can feel the puffs of his breathing, the rise and fall of his chest pressing against yours. You can smell that particular combination of citrus and sunshine that can only ever be equated with Haechan in your mind. 

He says your name then. So quietly, like a prayer. 

You open your eyes, trailing your gaze slowly up from his chest, over his full lips, to his eyes. 

His right arm buckles a little bit so his forearm rests against your shoulder, and Haechan sinks just that little bit closer to you. 

You tilt your chin up, waiting. 

He doesn’t make a move. Just looks at you, totally captivated. Unable to stop watching you. 

He’s always just watching you.

“Earlier,” you say, keeping your voice just as quiet as his had been a moment ago. “Earlier, did you touch yourself while you watched me in the office? Did you wonder, Haechan-ah, what it would be like if you were there, kneeling on the floor beside my desk with your fingers or your tongue taking the place of my fingers?”

Haechan inhales sharply. 

“Is that what you were still doing when I showed up at your door?” You lift your hips slightly away from the wall, pressing them forward against Haechan. “Thinking of me?”

“And if I was?” His eyes flare, daring you to answer. 

“An eye for an eye, Lee Donghyuck.” You lift one of your hands to pat at his chest. “A truth for a truth. I want some equality.”

His lips tilt, crookedly amused. “You want to watch me?”

You jerk your head in a nod yes, holding his amused gaze. 

“Right now?” He asks. “Here in this stairwell?”

You roll your eyes. “No. Not right here. You owe me snacks, remember? I won. Pay up.” Your heart is racing still as Haechan leans a little more of his weight against you. “I require something sweet.”

Again, Haechan grins. 

You’re already considering what you’re going to ask him to buy. Candy? Ice cream? Those sweet caramel-flavored chips your roommate had recently gotten you hooked on. 

Or something citrusy, something honey sweet. Something you've been craving for years. 

Haechan’s lips are soft when he kisses you. His kiss is gentle, brief. Only enough for you to crave more. 

You’re wrapped up in the smell of him like honey, vanilla, and tangerine. His lips turn up in a smile before he leans back. 

All thoughts of snacks and desserts from the convenience store are gone from your mind. 

Haechan. 

He’s sweet. 

His lips taste like sugar, and when you lick your lips afterwards, they taste sugary sweet too. 

“Come on.” Haechan takes your hand, lacing his fingers through yours as he pulls you out through the exit door of the stairwell, leading you through the vacant entryway/mailroom of the apartment building, and out into the cold night. 

The air bites and stings against your warm cheeks, but you don’t care. You just curl closer to Haechan, using him somewhat as a wind shield. 

He leads you down the block to the convenience store and the bus stop’s bench is right in front of it. According to the schedule scrolling on the screen beside the bench, your bus should be here in a few minutes. 

Haechan tugs lightly on your hand, pulling you towards the convenience store’s entrance to buy you the snacks, as promised. 

“Lee Donghyuck.” You pull on his hand. 

When he turns, he’s frowning. “You keep calling me that.”

“It’s your name.” You pull on his hand again. “Can’t I call you that?”

“Haechan. Haechannie. Haechan-ah.” He lists off. “Anyone only ever calls me Donghyuck when I’m in trouble or when it’s something serious.”

“Renjun calls you Donghyuck.” You take a step closer to him. “And maybe I’m using it because it is serious. Maybe I’m being serious right now.”

He eyes you suspiciously. “Serious about what?”

You don’t give him time to react. Your cold hands press to his neck, your toes bump against his, and then you draw his mouth to yours again. 

You melt into each other. Haechan’s body softens against yours, fitting against you as his hands move to your hip and around your lower back. You kiss him, and he kisses you back. And this time it’s not just a brief kiss. Not just a brushing of lips with barely more than that. 

You open yourselves up to this kiss, drawing yourself impossibly closer to Haechan as he tilts his head to kiss you deeper. Heat builds in the sliver of space between you.

Someone passing by on the sidewalk whistles at the two of you. 

You would gladly just ignore them and keep going regardless of how many people are watching. 

Haechan’s not used to having people watch. 

He breaks the kiss, but rests his forehead against yours. 

“I like you,” Haechan blurts almost immediately. 

Your lips tingle from the kiss. You lean into him, reveling in the sound of his confession, relaxing into it. 

Haechan’s arms wrap around you in a hug. His voice low, just for you, as he says, “And knowing now how you feel about…. my hobbies, I’m relieved.” 

You tilt your head, lips brushing his again. “I still think you’re a gross pervert, Lee Haechan. But maybe I am too.”

“You’re definitely gross, too,” he teases. “Masturbating in the office.” He shakes his head and makes a light sound of disapproval, squeezing his arms a little tighter around you. 

Your arms loop around the back of his neck. “Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?”

Haechan hums, nodding and smiling, dipping his face down towards yours again. 

You kiss him right there in the street, half-tempted to drag him into the narrow alleyway between the convenience store and the building next to it. Instead you stand there, caught in a love spell as Haechan kisses you, as his hands tighten on your waist, as one hand drifts down to your ass and the other rises to your shoulder so his fingertips brush against your pulse pounding at the base of your throat.

The loud squeaking of the bus brakes cut through the night after a while, shrill enough to break you and Haechan apart. You should go board your bus, go home alone tonight, but you badly want to bring him with you. He’s also reluctant to let you go; Haechan presses another kiss to your lips, his hands clinging to you, but you laugh and push lightly at his chest. 

“Goodnight, Lee Haechan.” You walk away, heart feeling swollen in your chest, unable to wipe the smile off your lips. 

Haechan waves, making sure to tell you to let him know when you’ve safely made it home. 

You think of him the entire bus ride. You feel giddy, like a teenager in love after a first date. You can’t stop touching your lips with your fingers, smiling at your reflection in the dark windows. You play back your conversation with Haechan, play back how it had felt to be pinned against the wall by him in that stairwell, replay the feeling of finally getting to kiss him after so many years of wanting exactly that.

previous chapter || next chapter

a/n: It's happened, everyone! Finally! This chapter was almost 10,000 words longer, but I decided to cut it in half, and the next chapter is also going to be Y/N's POV instead of Haechan's. I was really hoping to stick with the alternating one after the other POVs, but I just really think this was a good spot to break it, give you all a little time to enjoy this!

As I always say, let me know what you thought! Likes and reblogs are forever and always appreciated! Thank you for reading!

#haechan #nct haechan #haechan smut #nct smut #nct dream smut #nct 127 smut #nct dream #nct #nct 127 #lee donghyuck #lee haechan #nct 2023

[automatayaoi]

HI CAN I GET UMMM 👋👬😘&💇 FOR ARLEQUINO PLEASE

will that be for here or to go 📝

👋 - Do you like to hold hands? What are their hands like?

YES!!! YES YES YES I LUV HOLDING HANDS SO MUCH 💕 constant need to be holding onto him like some kind of weird tick. arle's hands are sooo long and pretty and delicate, ofc since he's a musician hes gotta have long fingers hehe. ive always imagined him to have porcelain-like skin, mostly bc of the way his face fractures during that fight with brighella reminds me of how cracks form in porcelain or ceramic. dont ask me how solid porcelain can move and bend we're talking abt living dolls infused with will thru alchemy ok AJSDKLHASK. anyway!!! i also think unlike most automata, bc of the combustion device in his chest he has his own body heat hehe :3 so hes nice n warm, perfect for holding. augh his hands r so much bigger than mine probably...longer but not a lot wider since his hands are probably on the thin side. again perfect 4 holding.

👬 - What kind of hugs do they give? (Do they lift you off your feet? Bear hug you? Softly cuddle you?)

uwa,, i think at first arle would be v gentle and tentative abt hugs at first, both bc he is completely unused to any kind of physical affection, and bc he's afraid of hurting me: squishy fragile human. he's spent a very long time only hurting maiming and murdering so he's nervous abt it u know. What If He Squishes Me To Death. after a while tho he gets more comfortable (and has a better understanding of how much force the average human can withstand) n he hugs me more often :) hes so fockin tall so a lot of times he'll pick me up for a hug so he doesnt have to bed down ajskdlja Picks me up like a naughty cat. abovely mentioned combustion and fire canister in his chest make him soooo warm n great for cuddles hehe

😘 - Do they kiss your hands, cheeks, forehead etc? What kind of not-on-the-lips kisses do they give most?

CAN I GET A MF HAND KISS ⁉ pleaseeeeeeee hes so fucking dramatic and like stereotypically chivalrous in a way that you know he learned it all from theatre performances n columbine's romance novels so of COURSE hes into hand kisses. constantly kissing the back of my hands, my palms, my fingers, etc etc. ALSO he does the french thing of cheek kisses for greetings hehe. excuse to kees me more

💇 - Do either of you play with the other’s hair?

ABSOLUTELY BABY!!!!!!! oughh his hair is one my favorite things abt himmm 💕💕 its so long n pretty n silky i love running my hands thru it brushing it for him braiding ALL OF IT!!! hes my everythang 🥰 im not good at braiding but i get a lot of practice in. when he was being rebuilt by the a.r.c. kero was helping to make new clothes for the pionniors and i maaaay have designed him an outfit that shows off his pretty hair more >:3 i saw that reveal during the brighella fight and lost my shit. i think he plays with my hair pretty often too hehe he likes how soft n fluffy it is, and he's new to actually being able to Feel Things (we gave him and the others an upgrade so they have the same simulated nerve endings as dernier) so he's like, a little fascinated by the sensation

#swamp wisdom #sequids #AAAA THANK UUUU #SRRY I TOOK SO LONG TO ANSWER. A #rolling and yelling and screming #hubusband #ship; smiling with you #mut; kay #ask games

[phantomguild]

Cherry had vanished into one of the other rooms of the structure a week ago, lit only by the emergency power that kept only the essentials functioning. She and Plasma were in quite the pickle, needing to get the power back on to even get up and out of the base.

But to do that, she needed to jump down the elevator shaft, survive, and after connecting the backup generators, go through a dungeon full of strong Pokémon. No easy task, to be sure...

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the doors to the rest of the building began to slide open.

“Hmm?” Echo would be jolted out of his thoughts by the sound, turning to look at the Rockruff, before flashing one of it’s rare smiles. “You’re wearing that? Really takes me back.”

Cherry, decked out in an outfit clearly based on Porygon, finally stepped out of the shadows. The seams dividing the blue, red, and white from each other had glowing light blue lines running through it. She always had to have a dramatic entrance. “Oh trust me... It’s not exactly the way you remember.” Holding up her wrist, bits of circuitry within the white bit of armor lit up.

“I added quite a few upgrades. It has been a while.”

[ Cherry’s ask hints have been updated! ]

#arc: gemini #cherry / rockruff #plasma / rotom #daybreak scribbles #Story Post #( sᴛɪʟʟ ᴛʀʏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ᴜsᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴅʀᴀᴡɪɴɢ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ )

[kristenbrady]

Do Not Let Age Hold You Back From Dressing Stylishly

One day I was walking by a mirror and happened to catch a glimpse at what I looked like. I was completely embarrassed by how I had let myself go. I had been working so many hours, and also working from home, that I just stopped wearing make-up, stopped ironing my shirts, and was wearing overly baggy pants that were completely unflattering. My hair was pulled back in a ponytail and I had a lot of gray hair. I wasn’t wearing any jewelry, not even my wedding ring. What happened to me?

I had let myself go. When we look good, we feel good, and other people are instantly attracted to us. If we look unkempt and unfriendly, no one is going to want to approach us. In this post, I talk about 4 wardrobe swaps that can make you look younger. So if you’re 50 and up and have let yourself go, try these elevated fashion tips.

I Just Turned 50. Now What?

A few thoughts to share…

medium.com

4 Clothing Swaps That Can Make You Appear Younger

You use moisturizer on your hands, serum underneath the eyes, and a retinol cream on your facial area. You occasionally whiten your teeth, and color your hair on a consistent basis. However, if your outfit selections are not keeping up with the current times, you can try the following four simple wardrobe swaps that’ll keep you appearing current and take years off of your appearance — a lot quicker than any anti-wrinkle cream!

Over 50? Try These Side Hustles.

Life begins at 50. So, let’s learn some new skills.

medium.com

1. Brighten That Black

Image courtesy: Miik

All-black outfits may appear chic when you’re in your thirties. And, at any age, that “Little Black Dress” might be dramatic. However, be cautious of dressing in all black all of the time, especially at those times when you are wearing less makeup.

Blue tops can accentuate blue eyes. Well, did you know that dressing in black will do the same thing to dark shadows and wrinkles?

Instead of black, try wearing earthy neutrals such as olive, camel, or gray. Or keep that black, but dress in a more vibrant shade close to your facial area. A pretty scarf or colorful top won’t just brighten your face, but make you come across as more fun and open.

Over 50 and Looking For a Career Change? Try These Ideas.

11 career ideas to try as you turn 50

medium.com

2. Purchase Those Jeans

Image courtesy: My Chic Obesession

Quit scrolling through articles saying you should not dress in jeans past a certain point! Jeans are available in so many fits, sizes, washes, and colors that anyone can find some jeans that flatter and fit.

Looking for a dressy, sophisticated look? Dress in dark wash jeans, either boot-cut jeans along with a low heel or ankle length jeans along with some cute booties.

Looking to minimize your buttocks? Avoid any back pockets that are too small or too high.

Looking for more of a summery look? Pick white jeans or cropped jeans that are in a lighter wash.

If you’re really looking to break the age barrier, look for some flattering jeans that have a bit of destruction. You do not need gaping slashes or holes, just a somewhat distressed look.

Over 50 and Looking for Remote Work? Try These!

Tired of looking for a job and getting turned down? Check out these sites!

medium.com

3. Upgrade Leisure Looks

Right now, athleisure wear is all the rave! Here’s the good news. It’s a comfy fashion. Use the exact same style principles that work for all casual outfits: wear looser joggers along with a fitted top or jacket, or wear skinny leggings with longer tops that complement the body shape. And wear trendier shoes instead of those old school gym sneakers.

4. Try Current Trends

Image courtesy: Who What Wear

Image courtesy: Pantone

Do you like 2024’s Pantone color? Invest in a top in Lemon Drop or Mint to pair with a black jacket. Or you can find a fun scarf or necklace in one of those colors, wear it this season, and then move on.

Some trends only last one or two seasons, while other trends have a longer lifespan. Fashion is always undergoing a change in silhouettes away from tunic tops/skinny bottoms toward wider, longer pants paired with shorter tops.

Dress Stylishly As You Age Gracefully

🟣Kristen is a contributor on Medium. Sign up here to catch every story when she publishes.

🏁Grab Kristen’s audiobook on Audible: How to Productize Your Services: How to Make Money While You’re Sleeping or on paperback through Amazon here or free eBook through Gumroad here.

♣️Join Kristen’s online ministry on Substack: https://substack.com/@kristenb

Originally posted on Medium

[anatomieblogs]

6 Fall Fashion Trends to Keep on Your Travel Wardrobe Radar

Summer is over, and it's time to refresh your luxury travel wardrobe for fall. Autumn's crisp temperatures call for cozy accessories (think boots and scarves), rich colors and textures, and layering! Oh, what a difference a good safari jacket makes for an already amazing outfit! Draw inspiration from these six fall fashion trends below to upgrade your travel clothing collection and get ready to wander the world in style.

Prep Is Back In the age of stealth wealth and quiet luxury, it's only natural that prep and its classic stylings would come back into fashion. Some argue it never left. Sportswear and the accompanying activities are especially popular, as are tailored tweeds, classic cable knit sweaters, and timeless pieces like loafers. Now is the perfect time to stock up on a tailored skinny cargo pant and white button-up shirts. Look for classic details that provide a structured, form-fitting silhouette. Prep is about finding classic, seasonless pieces that fit like a glove, giving you a polished, put-together look. Dark and Dramatic Moody fashion is in for autumn, so don't be afraid to tap into the dark side of your closet. Opt for high-contrast palettes like rich black travel pants and a crisp white button-up shirt with feminine Mary Janes. Try a pair of black skinny cargo pants in a snake print, a black puffer jacket, and combat boots for an edgier look. Radiant Red One trend that took over the spring and summer was Barbiecore. Bright pink made a big comeback, and while it's not on the way out, it will likely shift to red for fall. Deep red, burgundy, and maroon shades have always held a place in fall fashion, but you may opt for a lighter and brighter red this year. This doesn't mean you must dress in all red, but incorporate pops of color into your wardrobe, like a red safari jacket or travel pants. Nice and Neutral For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, which applies to fashion, too. While Barbiecore brought us hot pink for summer and red is in for fall, so are neutrals. Embrace the latest wearable neutrals for fall, including chocolates and creams, greys, dark greens, and classic black and white. The best part about neutrals is they go with everything and provide endless mixing and matching for countless outfit combinations. Investing in neutral pants for travel in navy, beige, and black will ensure you never run out of things to wear, whether you're traveling, working, or running errands. Flourishing Fashion While florals for spring are common, they also work perfectly for fall. While there may not be any blooming flowers for a few months, your wardrobe can blossom into something special. Artistic florals include floral embroidery in a subdued color palette and bright floral prints and patterns. Much like the red-hot trend, this doesn't mean you have to grow your entire wardrobe from the garden, but incorporating a couple of petal pieces, like a vest or blouse, is a fun way to spruce up your daily look. Office Space Even if you don't have an office job, you might like to dress like you do. This fall's mood is workplace wardrobe staples like blazers, button-up shirts, and crisply tailored travel pants. Keep your style even sharper by adding pinstriped pencil skirts and tailored pieces that nip at the waist and elongate your silhouette. This borrowed-from-the-boardroom style is a bonus if you work in an office and need some business wardrobe inspiration. About Anatomie Anatamie knows travel clothing. Established by Kate and Shawn Boyer in 2006, this luxury travel clothing brand fuses stylish European sensibility with impeccable tailoring, performance, and comfort. All of Anatomie’s apparel is perfect for travel work and daily life, from their skinny cargo pants to safari jackets. Anatomie pieces are crafted from their signature lightweight performance material that won’t fade, shrink, or wrinkle—and best yet, no ironing or dry cleaning is required! Each piece is backed by a lifetime guarantee, so you can confidently wear Anatomie on any and every adventure. Step off the jet looking polished and put together with stylish, luxury travel apparel designed for adventure seekers and savvy travelers who expect the best from their travel wardrobe. Refresh your travel wardrobe with the latest fall fashions from Anatomie, available at https://anatomie.com/ Original Source: https://bit.ly/45cnjvc

#safari jackets for women

[evobedevo]

The captives all looked around the cage, confused muttering heard from them all as they tried to piece together who was next based on that rather...vague comment. "A history with Twila?" That could be a number of people. One of them, however, met Bianca's gaze directly. She knew somehow that Bianca meant her. 

Bianca, glaring back, confirmed this with a simple head nod and a smirk. Without a word from either of them, the girl in the cage, who was wearing a rather feminine version of a Redcoat uniform, stepped forward to the front. Her long ponytail swaying behind her, and her cool gaze flashing from behind her glasses. Resting a hand on her hip as she made it to the front of the cage, she shrugged, as if to say "Well? Get on with it."

"Oh good, I didn't even have to call your name. Everyone, this is Jasmine Skye." 

Jasmine let out a sigh. "They know who I am, Bianca. I've been talking to them all while we've been stuck in this box."

With a bit of a laugh, Bianca prepped the empty fusion chamber next to Dusk yet again. 

"I know that, I'm just doing this introduction for the sake of dramatic irony. Because you're gonna see someone real familiar soon."

From the cage, Reenillia spoke up. "Ehh...you mean Twila? You already kind of spoiled this if it was meant to be a surprise."

With that comment, Bianca's face turned red. It was about that time that she realized, she'd messed up her own script. "Well..I, uh..." A few moments of awkward silence, and Bianca pressed the button to summon another Twila in the empty chamber. 

"Ow! Watch the outfit, you cheap...floozy!" As usual, Twila's insult skills were at the top of their game. As she pat her clothes down and fixed her beret, her eyes met with Jasmine's across the room , still in the cage. Now it was Twila's turn to go red, as she blushed nervously. "O-oh! Jasmine! I-uh...didn't notice you here the first time around." Dorothy began twirling a strand of her hair with her fingers. "It's nice to see you again though..."

Jasmine looked at Dorothy with a slightly confused expression...although that didn't last long, as she began blushing too. The difference was that Jazz had a smirk on her face, as she knew exactly what it was that was making Dorothy so flustered. 

Meanwhile, Bianca pressed the button to summon the transport box around Jasmine. Wasting no time moving her towards the empty chamber, Bianca pushed the button to fuse them together with joyful glee. She couldn't wait to see how they came out.

And she soon got her wish, as the figure stepped out from the center chamber. Dark blue hair in peek-a-boo bangs, although with Jasmine's messier hair style coiffed and framed her face. A combination of Jasmine's uniform and Twila's sweater meant that their top exposed both their midriff and their shoulder's. Speaking of which, Twila and Jasmine managed to have a bit of a chest upgrade along with the fusion, probably a result of which. A tight pencil skirt with a slit emphasized Jazmila's curves, helped along by the high-heeled boots they were know also wearing. 

As their minds synched, they looked into the mirror off to the side...and almost immediately, they became entranced in their own figure.

"Wow...I'm so...beautiful." With hearts in her eyes, Jazmila touched the mirror in a desperate attempt to romance herself in the mirror. Realizing the futility of this, she instead decide to focus on her actual body, caressing it up and down and letting out little squeals of pleasure from doing so. She hugged herself tightly, face flush and red.

Bianca just stood there quizzically. "...Huh. Not the outcome I thought would happen."

From the cage, Twizen spoke up. "It appears that, being a fusion of Twila, who is both obsessed with her looks and also has a crush on the other half of the fusion, Jasmine, has resulted in this one having a bit of a narcissistic personality."

Scratching her head, Bianca shrugged, summoning the transport box to take Jazmila back to the cage.  "No harm no foul, I guess." As she said that, Jazmila created a mirror from ice, seeing as she still had Twila's ice powers. After which, she began to stare at her reflection, all lovey-dovey. 

"Although, I'll admit that parts a bit weird. ANYWAYS, onto the next person." Bianca scratched off Jazz's name, going down the list. "Let's see, let's see....oooooh, another kemonomimi fusion! This is gonna turn out adorable!"

#beret #blushing #boots #fusion #lust #midriff #oc #soldier

[malmbergmalmberg56]

What auto bulbs have the lengthiest lifespan

Every vehicle driver knows the significance of great lights to drive at evening or in stormy, snowy, or unclear problems. As a result, outfitting the fronts lights with the very best light bulbs on the marketplace is of paramount value for safe, peaceful, and also comfortable driving. Incidentally, going to https://www.catherinefergusonacademy.org/how-to-replace-projector-headlights-on-5th-gen-chevrolet-camaro.php, you will get more Information and facts about car light. Led haze lights operate to enhance the visibility for chauffeurs in poor clouded or hazy conditions. Having led haze lights on your lorry is an excellent method to break through the haze and be able to see.

When it concerns efficiency, the LED fog lights are much brighter when compared to the halogens, with most of the LED haze lights producing a much cooler color temperature. Unlike HID bulbs, they do not give off much heat and they last approximately 25,000 hours which is 5 times longer than HID light bulbs. A vital truth about LED lights from Diode Dynamics is that they can be used continuously for as much as 5 years. If you use an LED light for just a couple of hours daily, it will certainly last for years. Haze lights must produce the lights to pass through the haze and also darkness and also mark the edges of the roadway, as well as it does not blind the lorry driver approaching. 3000K led fog light can penetrate numerous meters on a clouded day, it deserves upgrading the initial haze light to 9005 led bulb, and also it works better. Changing your incandescent brake lights with LED tail light bulbs indicates your lights will switch on quicker, radiate brighter, and better inform the car behind you that you are reducing. Brighter brake lights can save you and your cars and truck from an unpleasant rear-ending or a bumper-destroying fender bender. It has a rectangular 20Wx8H degree pattern that is far more helpful for guiding light downrange at high speeds. Integrated with the lengthy lifespan of the LEDs, and also these light bars were built to last as well as are backed by an 8-year service warranty. We have actually designed our SL1 light bulbs to last for over 40,000 hrs. Contrasted to the 400 to 1000 ordinary lifespan of a halogen bulb, this is a pretty dramatic upgrade. Unlike the 1000 hr life-span you can anticipate from halogens, our LEDs are designed to last a minimum of 40,000 hrs.

LED fronts lights to have an average life-span of 25,000 hours C which is the longest amongst all front lights systems on the marketplace today. While they are much more expensive than older incandescent bulbs, they are usually seen as worth it for car proprietors because of their long life. Such lamps might last for longer than 50,000 complete hours of operation. Furthermore, the easy technology behind LED does not radiate a lot of heat energy. The suitable shade for a general best bulb would be around 4300k. This is due to the fact that a minor shade of yellow aids cut through rainfall better, along with snow, sleet, and so on. There will certainly constantly be a watt equivalent, but you will certainly make a much better selection by considering the lumens. They will also have a score for the maximum watts they can take care of safely. The next point that you need to consider when looking for the ideal LED supplier is whether or not they will have the ability to set up the lights for you.

#replacement

[sheacastro88]

What cars and truck bulbs have the lengthiest lifespan

Every vehicle driver recognizes the importance of excellent illumination to drive at night or in rainy, snowy, or foggy conditions. Outfitting the headlights with the ideal light bulbs on the market is of extremely important relevance for risk-free, quiet, and also comfortable driving. Led fog lights work to improve the visibility for motorists in poor clouded or hazy problems. Having led haze lights on your car is a great method to appear the fog and also be able to see.

When it involves efficiency, the LED haze lights are much brighter when compared to the halogens, with a lot of the LED fog lights creating a much cooler color temperature level. Unlike HID bulbs, they do not emit much warmth and they last approximately 25,000 hours which is 5 times longer than HID bulbs. A key truth about LED lights from Diode Dynamics is that they can be utilized nonstop for up to 5 years. If you use an LED light for just a couple of hrs daily, it will certainly last for years. You can find more 9006 led headlight photos here. Haze lights should generate the lights to penetrate the fog as well as darkness and also mark the edges of the roadway, as well as it does not blind the automobile motorist oncoming. 3000K led haze light can permeate hundreds of meters on a foggy day, it deserves upgrading the initial fog light to 9005 led light bulb, and also it functions better. Changing your incandescent brake lights with LED tail light bulbs indicates your lights will switch on quicker, radiate brighter, and more effectively notify the cars and truck behind you that you are slowing down. Brighter brake lights can save you as well as your car from a nasty rear-ending or a bumper-destroying minor car accident. It has a rectangle-shaped 20Wx8H degree pattern that is even more useful for routing light downrange at high speeds. Incorporated with the long life-span of the LEDs, as well as these light bars were constructed to last and are backed by an 8-year guarantee. We have developed our SL1 bulbs to last for over 40,000 hours. Contrasted to the 400 to 1000 ordinary life-span of a halogen bulb, this is a pretty dramatic upgrade. Unlike the 1000 hr life-span you can get out of halogens, our LEDs are made to last a minimum of 40,000 hours.

LED headlights to have a typical lifespan of 25,000 hours C which is the lengthiest amongst all headlight systems on the market today. While they are more costly than older incandescent light bulbs, they are normally viewed as worth it for automobile owners as a result of their long life. Such lights might last for longer than 50,000 total hours of operation. In addition, the simple technology behind LED does not emit a great deal of heat. The perfect color for an overall best bulb would certainly be around 4300k. This is due to the fact that a mild tone of yellow assists cut through rain better, in addition to snow, sleet, etc. There will always be a watt equivalent, but you will make a far better choice by considering the lumens. They will certainly additionally have a rating for the optimum watts they can manage safely. The following thing that you require to take a look at when looking for the appropriate LED supplier is whether or not they will have the ability to install the lights for you.

#Dodge Ram high low beam led headlight

[c-nstantine]

The Difference

My request is Bruce Wayne x reader - Meeting at the opera but she was in the cheaper seats than he was - social backgrounds dramatically different but there is something that pulls them together like a benefit for the arts buts she is working the event and he is there as usual with a beautiful model - she things about him often - but feels hopeless - he is bored with being a playboy but does not know how to break the cycle they do end up together with her never knowing he is the dark knight…. Sorry for the long request - cut if up and do what you think is best - Thanks for taking requests!

@christianbalefanatic

I think I wrote what you meant and I really liked writing it. Let me know if you want me to change it though.Happy New Year!

Word Count: 0.8k

Warnings: Fluff, 

There are two different ways that people dress for the opera. The first of which are those who attend in the floor seats. These people are your typical millionaires and billionaires who happen to appreciate the arts. Their outfits consist of materials and crystals that cost more than half of the common population. The second group of people were those who got tickets because they had been saving up for a long time. Their outfits consisted of old prom suits and clothes from the formal section of Macy's. Their seats were the nose bleeds where they sat on the edge of the seat. Of course, the rich people chose the best of the box seats. These two groups of people weren't meant to mingle. However, accidents happen.

"There was an error processing your ticket. So you've been upgraded to a box seat," The ticketer said. It was some teenager who was just trying to get a check. 

"I can't afford that, "Y/N expressed. If Y/N wasn't able to see this show tonight, she might've cried in a Gotham alley.

"It's free of charge," Those four words led Y/N to be sitting in one of the most expensive seats in the opera house. 

The night couldn't have gotten more perfect. Y/N had the whole box to herself from what she could tell. Rummaging through her purse, Y/N found a stick of gum. 

"Could I trouble you for a piece of gum?" A smooth voice spoke as a tall man sat next to Y/N. A familiar face sat next to her. She couldn't place him exactly. 

"Of course. I have watermelon or peppermint," Y/N said offering the two packs of gum to Mr. Suave.

"Thanks, Miss," He lead on the last word as if he was searching for her name. 

"Y/N. Y/N L/N." 

"Bruce," He smiled before handing the pack of gum back to Y/N. The lights dimmed as Y/N realized that she was sitting next to playboy billionaire Bruce Wayne. 

-

Working for a catering company was easily the best way to see the landmarks of Gotham without the added danger of being robbed. Tonight Y/N would be serving dinner to Gotham's elite while at an art museum. Part of Y/N hoped that Bruce Wayne would show up and sweep her off her feet, the other half was more realistic and acknowledged the fact he wouldn't recognize her.

Y/N hadn't given Bruce Wayne a second thought until he walked in with a model. She noticed the stark contrasts between how she and the model were dressed. Y/N wearing the traditional black and white waiter's attire with her box braids pulled into a high ponytail and the model wore the most recent Armani dress. However, Y/N didn't notice how Bruce's eyes were locked onto her. The model however did and quickly tried to bring the attention of the wealthy man back to her. 

Finally, towards the end of the event, Y/N slipped away to look at various portraits that were on loan in the museum. She took in each of the various paintings that were different. She felt like she had all the time in the world. 

"I was hoping to see you again." Bruce Wayne said loosening the bow tie of his tuxedo.

"Are you sure about that Mr. Wayne? After all, I'm just a caterer. Imagine what the gossips would say," Y/N teased as she continue to observe the various paintings that hung on the walls. 

"Wouldn't be the first time I've had gossip spread about me." Bruce chuckled as he followed her deeper into the museum. He had disabled the security beforehand, just in case something happened. 

"I've seen the magazines," Y/N joked. 

"If you're interested in art, I happen to have a large collection," Y/N turned to face the billionaire playboy and she raised an eyebrow. 

"I bet your collection is quite large but I won't be taking you up on this offer. See you around, Mr. Wayne,"  Y/N returned to her job and left Bruce in a random hallway of the museum.

"You always do pick the hard ones, Master Bruce," Alfred spoke into Bruce's comm. Fortunately, Bruce didn't know that five of his kids were also listening to this exchange.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Alfred," Bruce sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. 

"Glad I could be of service." Alfred joked.

-

Bruce Wayne would describe falling in love as buying a new car. At first, it's nice and great but then the bills come. He was waiting and wondering what the bills would be with Y/N. So far none had come and he wanted it to stay that way. He'd avoided her being exposed to the dark and gritty underbelly of Gotham. He knew the day would come eventually. 

For now, he'd enjoy the small things. The hand holding and coffee dates would suffice. She never questioned when he had to leave at odd times. She never questioned the odd amount of kids he'd acquired over the years. She never questioned when Selena Kyle, Vicki Vale, or Talia Al Ghul would randomly appear at Wayne Manor. He knew all good things would come to an end, especially as Batman but for now he'd focus on her. 

#bruce wayne #bruce x reader #bruce wayne x reader #bruce wayne x black!reader #bruce wayne imagines #bruce wayne fluff #batman x reader #batman x black!reader #c-nstantine

[lunar-wandering]

“one does not simply go clothes shopping”

so like, a week ago, @smallpwbbles drew this art of Wukong in a bathrobe and idk, something something ‘comedy brain activated’ or something like that, so here’s this fic-

-

It was a normal morning on the ship.

"Uh, where did you get that bathrobe?" Tang asked, and Wukong paused.

It had been a normal morning on the ship.

"...A closet." He eventually replied.

"Which closet?" Tang asked.

"...Would you believe me if I said it was my own?"

"No I don't think I would." Tang said, crossing his arms as Wukong continued to look more nervous by the second. "Let me change my question, why are you wearing my bathrobe?"

"Uh....."

-

An hour later, and somehow everyone was gathered in Wukong's room of the ship. Wukong himself, was currently trying to keep the others from opening the door to his closet, by physically leaning against it, arms spread out as though he was trying to hide the door with his body (very ineffectively, one might add).

He was still wearing Tang's bathrobe.

"C'mon guys, we don't have to do this." He said, a nervous smile tugging at his lips. "I assure you, there's nothing to see here- wh- HEY-"

He cut himself off with a yelp, as Sandy easily lifted him off the ground, pinning his arms to his torso so that he couldn't claw his way out of the other's grip. MK stepped around him, grabbing hold of the closet door's handle.

"Sorry, Monkey King." He said, "But the amount of protesting you've done this past hour- which, by the way, woke me up- means I kinda have to do this."

"My own successor, betraying me, I can't believe it-" Wukong dramatically wailed, kicking his legs as he tried to get out of Sandy's grip. This did nothing to stop MK, who rolled his eyes at his mentor's dramatics and swung the closet door open.

The first thing everyone noticed was Wukong's usual outfit, hung from a clothing hanger and horribly torn, damaged in a way that made it practically unwearable. (And honestly, why was he still even keeping it?)

The second thing everyone noticed was their own clothes.

"...When did you take this?" Mei asked, taking one of her jackets and holding it out to inspect it. "I don't think I ever saw you even get close to my room....."

Wukong didn't answer, whistling innocently.

Pigsy threw a spoon at him.

"Ow!" Wukong yelped as the spoon bounced off the back of his head, bouncing off and hitting the wall beside him, before ricocheting and hitting him in the forehead as well. He hissed in pain, for a moment, cringing.

"Answer the question, Monkey King." Pigsy said, crossing his arms with absolutely no guilt in his eyes, promising that spoon would not be the last should Wukong keep refusing to answer.

"I took it during the night okay?!" Wukong admitted, refusing to look the others in the eyes. "You guys should really get better locks on your doors, it was far too easy to sneak in-"

"Wait, so you rummaging through my closet in the middle of the night wasn't a dream?" MK asked.

"You saw him do this and you didn't say anything?" Tang said, incredulous.

"To be fair, I did knock him back out." Wukong said, quietly, under his breath.

"Like I said, I assumed it was a dre- wait you what?!" Clearly, Wukong had not said that as quietly as he hoped he had, as MK spun around to stare at him. "You knocked me out??"

"I admit it was not my best move." Wukong said, shrugging the best he could while still trapped in Sandy's grip. "But it was like, 3 AM and I panicked okay? You were fine anyways so-"

"Is that why you were so overly nice to me the other day? You were trying to make up for knocking me out??" MK asked, Wukong growing more sheepish with every word that left his successor's mouth.

"...Maybe?"

"Okay that's it." Mei said, making the others jump as she slammed the closet door shut. "We're going to take you clothes shopping."

"What?! No-" Wukong started-

"You don't get a say in this, Mr. Clothes Thief." Mei deadpanned.

-

Wukong stood in front of the clothing store, wearing a hoodie that was about two sizes too big for him.

(He wasn't entirely sure who he had stole it from, at some point the pile of clothes had started blending together until he couldn't tell what was from who, which would've eventually been a problem when he'd return all the stuff he'd stolen without the others noticing.

Well. That is, it would've been a problem if he had planned to give it back...).

Mei and MK stood beside him, glancing between him and the store.

"...Well?" MK asked, "Aren't you going to go in?"

"...No, actually, I think maybe I'll just keep wearing my torn up clothes-" Wukong started, moving to turn around, only for Mei and MK to loop their arms around his, preventing him from leaving.

"C'mon Monkey King, what's the big deal?" Mei asked, "It's just shopping for some new clothes, it isn't like, torture or something."

"But it's- it's just-" Wukong started, before groaning in frustration and making a series of noises that were distinctly...monkey-like. Mei looked over to MK with an expression of confusion, to which MK responded with a shrug and a gesture that clearly meant 'IDK, he just does this sometimes'.

"Look, Monkey King, you don't exactly have much of a choice here." MK said, "You can't just keep stealing our clothes, and you are definitely not going to keep wearing your torn up outfit."

"....Fine." Wukong said, slouching a little. "One hour, but after that I'm leaving, whether or not we've paid for anything."

"Monkey King you can't upgrade from casual thievery to actual thievery-"

-

"Hey, what do you think of this shirt?" Mei asked, holding up a loose fitting shirt for Wukong to inspect. Wukong looked it over, reaching out and feeling the edge of the shirt, before looking away with a non-committal shrug.

"...Fabric's nice, I guess." He mumbled, and Mei looked between him and the shirt, before placing it into the basket along with a few other shirts and pairs of pants. Most of it was soft clothing, hoodies and sweatpants, which Mei had honestly found kinda surprising, she'd thought the Monkey King would've wanted something more formal.

But then again, when she'd felt his torn up outfit, the fabric had been soft, and most of the things he'd stolen from her and the others had been soft as well, so maybe there was more of a texture thing going on here than she realized.

"I'm back!" MK said, appearing from around a rack of clothes, holding a pair of peach-patterned pyjama's. "It took forever to find a pair of these in your size, but I finally did it!"

"Great! Can we go now?" Wukong asked, perking up a little at the prospect of leaving. Mei and MK both glanced at the fairly small pile of clothes they'd gathered, and then back at Wukong's face. He looked antsy, like if he spent another minute in this store he'd start loosing it.

Neither of them particularly wanted to deal with a boredom-crazed Monkey King.

"Sure." Mei agreed, and Wukong almost immediately twirled around, picking up the basket they'd been setting clothes in and moving to go to the checkout-

And bumping into a rack of clothes, sending it crashing to the ground.

-

An hour later found the three of them leaping onto the ship, ignoring the others confusion as they ran inside and into Wukong's room, slamming the door shut behind them. Mei threw the clothes basket onto the bed, and the three of them stood there for a moment, hunched over, breathing heavily.

"...Okay." Wukong started, once he'd caught his breath. "Just to make sure we're all on the same page here. We're never going back to that store again, right?"

"Agreed." MK and Mei said, in sync, before sliding down and onto the floor, tired. Wukong, after a moment of hesitation, slid down to lay on the floor with them.

It was official, Wukong hated going clothes shopping.

#Monkie Kid #Fanfic #my writing

[lenskij]

The costumes in the apple Onegin

Mariinsky-2, June 2015, costume designer: Irina Cherednikova

What I love about this recording, in addition to the fantastic voices, is the stage design. It’s tastefully sparse, with a dramatic dark backdrop, which sets the characters into focus. Since the first time I watched it, I was impressed by the costumes, so I though to write a little something about them.

Disclaimer: I know nothing about costuming! In fact, literally everything I know about clothes and fashion comes from Karolina Żebrowska’s videos. In all fairness though, what matters is what I feel when I see the costumes, and ether way, a regular opera-goer doesn’t have a historical database to reference in order to understand the “accurate” story told by the costume designer. Therefore, this will be an entirely personal observation, told with love for the opera and absolutely no research. The pictures in this post are screencaps from the recording, and they don’t necessarily show the costumes that well - but instead of apologizing for the low quality, I’ll urge you to go watch the entire thing :)

And so, without further ado, a little and non-comprehensive ramble about the costumes in this Onegin:

Act 1

The design tells us what the text doesn’t. What we need to know about the Larin family is that they’re living in the countryside: it’s an idyllic, simple and domestic life, far from the glamour and excitement of the big city. They’re in harmony. The peasants we see in the background are dressed in a mix of styles heavily inspired by Russian folk clothing. 

Here’s a shot of the Larin girls’ dresses - simple, for the country life. In the background, you can see their neighbor Lensky’s sharp riding costume.

Here’s a better look. Note the stripes, they show that Lensky is in love. Look out for when you see a striped scarf again...

[The apples! They are telling us a story! But we’re not talking about the apples now...]

At first glance we see Onegin is a dandy from St Petersburg. Sharply dressed, hat and gloves, buttoned up - unlike his friend Lensky, who’s already opened his heart to the Larins and has his coat unbuttoned. Under this first visit, Onegin doesn’t unbutton his coat, and he carries his riding rod with him - closed off, in control. Meanwhile, Tatiana is shaken...

During the letter scene, Tatiana wears her white nightdress, which we’re used to see in almost all productions. I have nothing new to say about this scene’s costume, but the rejection scene....!

Look at Tatiana! She’s dressed up - her dress is much more fancy, and although you can’t see it here, she’s also changed into nicer shoes than the boots she wore until now.

And. Look. At. The. Scarf! She’s wearing it, but when Onegin starts speaking, she takes it off and fiddles with it. It’s her heart she wears on her sleeves, and holds in her hands - but Onegin doesn’t reciprocate.

Onegin wasn’t rattled at all by this all. He’s wearing the same outfit as before, but he did unbutton his coat. He opened up by his own confession, yet he remained sharp and collected.

Act 2

I love the design for Tatiana’s party! The Larin home looks so, well, homely, and I love the rural feel of the partygoers’ dresses - they’ve dressed up their best, but haven’t upgraded the clothes according to the latest fashions. The nuggets of fashion history I know give me the feeling that Tatiana and Olga have new dresses for the party - they seem the most modern - while everyone else have a mix of older fashions. The servants were dressed in simple but nice clothes, and my favourite detail was the sofa where everyone’s coats are piled up - they don’t have any proper wardrobe, it all goes on the Chair!

I love how Triquet looks like he’s been tucked away in an attic somewhere since the 1700s, only being taken out for parties once a year. 

The most important - and my favourite - clothing choice of this party is how Onegin’s dressed:

Here he is greeting Larina - dressed in a black tail coat. You immediately notice he’s overdressed for the party - certainly very suitable for a ball in St Petersburg, but no-one else has a black tail coat in the village! I adore how it immediately marks him as the outsider. Everyone in chorus noticed him too, and started gossiping about this dandy.

Painnnn..... Another important detail: Lensky is wearing the same clothes he wore the night before - he’s been up all night, sleepless. Meanwhile, Onegin has been at home, getting a change of clothes, presumably a little sleep as well.

Act 3

After his years of travel, Onegin is back in St Petersburg. He’s yet again in a tail coat, but I notice it’s a slightly different cut: he’s upgraded to the latest fashions. This ball he’s ended up on is completely different from Tatiana’s party: here, it’s high society. There are many officers in uniform, and those uniforms are so decorated, his black-and-white formal wear seems almost underdressed. The ladies don’t have uniforms, but they are uniform: the dresses are of a similar cut, and it appears blue is the colour currently en vogue. The servants, of course, are wearing fine livery.

Here’s a snap of the ball, and in the background - could that be... Tatiana? That same girl Onegin met in the village, so regal, so beautiful?

Tatiana’s dress is a nice black velvet piece (and, notably, she’s wearing a малиновый берет, a crimson beret, which is always sung in the text but rarely seen on stage). It’s starkly different from all the other dresses. That simple yet very fine design sets her apart from the crowd, what prince Gremin appreciates in his aria about her. She’s a part of this high society, and yet a bit of an outsider. Her scarf is white: she has the utmost respect for her husband, even if it’s not romantic love.

After seeing Onegin again, Tatiana is shaken. And when we see her again, she is dressed in white. Just like in act 1, back in the village - she’s turned into the girl she was!

And. Look. At. The. Scarf!!!!!!! IT’S THE SAME ONE AS BEFORE - but now she’s wearing it inside out, the bright part outside, the dark part inside - their situation has inverted! Now it’s Onegin asking for her love, and Tatiana is doing the rejecting!

I love this production so much... The artists are amazing, from Goncharova’s Tatiana, to Bondarenko’s Onegin, to the maestro Gergiev at the conductor’s podium. It’s visually sharp, too, I loved the backdrop. I can wax lyrical about this production until the end of time, but for now, I’ll stick to the costumes. There’s probably a lot more they tell! Maybe I’ll notice it on my next rewatch...

#this is seriously contending for the position as my favourite onegin recording #the voices are amazing... #anyway it was the first time in all to many months i saw onegin and i was yet again reminded of why this is my favourite #the reason is one word: tchaikovsky #that dude put EVERYTHING in that music holy hell how can music be so emotional?? #thank you for reading yet another evil little essay about onegin <3 #i know next to nothing but i do know that i love this opera so so much #liz rambles #eugene onegin #opera #opera tag #mariinsky theatre #tchaikovsky

[destielhasmedead]

this is the first part to a story i started - thoughts?

It had been two hours in the Impala for Cas to suddenly crack, he cleared his throat,

“Uh, Sam.”

“Yeah?” Sam turned around to see the angel. Cas made a head-nodding motion towards Dean and pointed to his ears.

“What y’all playing charades now? What is it Cas?” Dean laughed and took his eyes off the road for a minute to look at the two passengers,

“What…..”

“Dude, we’ve been listening to the same song for the past hour, and the same album for the past two, even Metallica isn’t that good,” Sam said.

“You watch your mouth Sammy, I'm the one driving here!” 

“Dean, I do too thoroughly enjoy the melody, but perhaps we could hear something else?” Cas piped in from the backseat nervously. Dean moved his attention to the rearview mirror, took a good look at Castiel, then back to his brother, and with a deep sigh begrudgingly agreed. Sam grabbed something from his feet,

“An aux cord? You have to be kidding me”.

“Dean, unlike you I enjoy living in the 21st century. You should try it, upgrade from your cassette tapes.” Sam scoffed, but let out a soft chuckle. 

“Fine let’s see what garbage you listen to.” Said Dean annoyed and skeptical. Cas moved eagerly towards the space between the two front seats to get a good look at all the commotion. Sam plugged the wire into his cell and proceeded to scroll through till he found the playlist he was looking for.

Sam had always been a soft rock, jazz, and even pop kind of guy. Though, he was sure to always have a playlist that wouldn’t get him kicked out onto the side of the road. Soon, Lodi by Creedence Clearwater Revival came on through the speakers. Dean's face fell flat but remained silent. They were on their way to the beach, so Sam knew he had some leeway and extra room to play with, and Dean was fully aware of the opportunities Sam had. It had been years, decades even since they had a proper visit to the beach. The only times they’ve been there was on a case. Sure, when the boys were younger John had let them stay a couple of days afterward from time to time, but even then it was stress-filled and tense. 

A few songs in, Cas reached, sitting up higher, and pointed out the sign that read of the hotel they had booked. Cas had all the windows of the Impala opened, his hair flopped about as the salty air flowed around him. The hotel was located on a quiet street, just a short walk from the shore. It was nicer than the places they typically stayed at. 

Sam helped his brother find a parking spot, and closed the doors almost simultaneously. Sam stayed back for a minute grabbing their bags, while Dean and Cas ventured inside. It was quaint, a typical beach hotel. Whiffs of sunblock, the squeaking of damp flip flops, bright lights, and inspirational signs filled their senses. 

“Hi, we have three rooms booked.” Dean leaned on the counter and put down a credit card that wasn’t his.

“I see only two on the reservation list..” the clerk said clicking on his computer. Dean looked at Cas nervously, searching for a response to give to the man. Sam strolled in with their bags.

“What’s going on?” Sam butted in on the conversation.

“You only booked two rooms,” Dean said, glaring at his brother. Sam shrugged and turned back to the desk for answers.

“I’m sorry there’s nothing I can do, there aren’t any extra rooms” 

“We could stay somewhere else..” Sam started to say but was interrupted.

“No! The reviews said this joint has great water pressure in the shower and I’m not giving that up!” Dean exclaimed passionately. Suddenly Cas cleared his throat,

“Well, I could um share a room with Dean. I don’t sleep anyway.” Cas’s face grew flushed and he shifted his weight on his feet. 

“Ok, that works for me. I’m sick of sharing with you anyway, you snore real loudly.” Sam commented about Dean. Though Dean didn’t respond. His eyes had glazed over, staring at the wall deep in thought. He felt his heart in his throat as if he had been chasing a vamp. He gulped it down and felt a soft palm on his shoulder that pulled him away from his thoughts. 

“Are you ok?” Cas looked him in the eyes.

“Huh? Yeah, I’m fine just thinking” Dean gave him a smile, and Cas’s head straightened once again out of its tilt. Both of the men were visibly flustered from the string of events that just occurred. Sam cleared his throat,

“Ok, wanna find our rooms and get some rest, I for one would appreciate getting more than four hours of sleep for once in my life.” The guys nodded, now aware of the time. Dean bunched up his sleeves till they reached his elbows, and looked at his watch. It was eleven pm, which in hindsight made sense since they had arrived when the sky was darkening. 

They started towards the elevator and to the 4th floor. Dean had been iffy about not getting their usual spot in the corner on the base level. But Sam just poked fun at him saying,

“Dude quit overreacting, we aren’t on a hunt, and we’ve saved the world like 12 times. We can survive two nights in a room that doesn’t look at a parking lot.” But Dean had just rolled his eyes. Soon, he found himself following Cas into their room, and Sam walked down the other end of the hallway to his.

“Have fun you two!” Sam teased. The new roommates' faces reddened. Cas swiped the key card over the black square and pushed the door open.

“You have to be kidding me,” Dean said under his breath, yet still audible for Cas to hear. He tossed his duffel bag a few feet away from him and rubbed his hands through his hair until his nails dug into his neck. Before them, they saw a couch, a TV, other typical Hotel amenities (bathroom, mini-fridge), and one queen-sized bed. But, looking back on it, the man at the front desk hadn’t said there would be a second bed in that room. 

“Dean, I don’t sleep much anyway, you have the bed and I can hang out on the couch.”

“You sure Cas?”, Cas nodded. Dean felt his eyes getting heavy, he tugged at his duffel and got out his Men Of Letters robe, Led Zeppelin T-Shirt, and his hotdog pajama pants. Meanwhile, Cas had found the TV remote and started channel surfing. He paused it on a show called Lucifer, which he had found very amusing. Dean walked back in to find Cas hunched over in front of the screen pointing at the different characters and saying how inaccurate they are.

“You having fun over there?” Dean said through a smirk as he drew the blanket toward him.

“Though it’s ridiculous, it’s also very comical!” Cas nodded to himself with a smile, maintaining his focus. 

“Alright, well you two have fun, just turn the volume down a bit so I can sleep? We’ll come up with a plan for tomorrow in the morning.” Dean kindly shook his head.

“Alright goodnight, Dean.”

“Night, Buddy.”

--------

chapt 2 (not completed?)

It’s 9 am and Dean awakes to Castiel pulling the curtains open, letting the effulgent sunlight bounce around the room, filling Dean’s face with the brightness. He cups his hands by his eyebrows, grabbing at the covers while doing so. Once Dean’s eyes stopped ping-ponging and the static washed over, he grumbled “good mornin.'' and tossed around the clothes in his bag till he found what he called his “summer flannel” and shorts. Cas moved out from by the windows and shuffled over to Dean’s ill-made bed and began to meticulously tidy it up. 

“Alright, you ready? Sam’s meeting us downstairs for bacon. Well, he’ll probably have some fancy-schmancy healthy smoothie, but I’m having bacon.” Cas turned towards the bathroom doorway where Dean was still a few feet away from, nodded to Dean in agreement, and walked towards their room’s door.

“Wow wow wow there champ, you’re wearing that?” Dean held out his hand in a stop motion, running over to block the door from him.

“Y- Yes?” Cas replied, unsure of the question.

“Okay, I know it’s your outfit and stuff, but it's the beach! it’s hot outside!”

“But, you’re wearing your summer flannel, and this is all I have.” Cas gestured to Dean’s extra layer and then proceeded to look down at his overcoat.

“Well, that’s different.” Dean said, slightly defensive, and followed up with “We’ll ask Sam downstairs, but I for one am starving”. Dean swiveled, now facing the door holding onto the round silver knob, letting Cas walk through first.

Once the two arrive in the food court, they find Sam already set up with, as his brother had predicted, a bottled smoothie and eggs.

“Hey! Bacon’s over there, Dean.” Sam’s head tilted in the direction of the food. There were lifted metal container-looking platters lined up each with lids to keep what was inside warm. Excitedly, he grabbed a plate and piled on his food.

Castiel joined Sam at the circular table.

“So, how was last night?” Sam asked, showing genuine curiosity.

“It was fine. I did what Dean refers to as channel surfing, and I read all of the brochures on the table.”

“Oh yeah? Find anything interesting?”

“Not particularly, I saw a couple of different restaurants, there is an ice cream place down the street though.” Yes, Cas didn’t need to eat, but recently Rowena cast a spell for him so that he could at least taste it without feeling every single molecule. He hadn’t gotten around to trying Ice Cream yet though, he was still getting used to the sensations.

“What’d I miss? Oh, Sam! Cas refuses to change his clothes. The son of a bitch wouldn’t listen to me.” He had put emphasis on the word “refuses” to get his point across. Cas rolled his eyes at him, recalling the interaction and being fully aware that there hadn’t been anything he would refer to as a refusal.

“Cas only ever wears that trench coat though. And you on the other hand,” Sam turned to Dean,

“Are wearing your summer flannel which by the way does not exist.” Sam lightly laughed as Dean bites dramatically into his bacon.

“Well, this is a vacation, remember? So, if I even see your asses walking to the beach without wearing bathing suits, or at least not long sleeves, I swear I will shoot you.” He waved his fork in the air as he spoke. The men in question, who had been sitting next to each other, locked eyes. The two, without talking seemed to come to the consensus that Sam would in fact shoot them in the leg. Sam himself had been wearing dark purple swim trunks and a T-shirt. Having spent part of the night reading about the town, Cas mentioned a nearby store for him and Dean to walk down to. 

#original writing #deancas fic #mine #spn #work in progress so please don't hate me #deancas #destiel

[leia-imogen]

aaron & the family he's found all by himself; vol. 2 // vol. 1

( ft. short jokes, a belated birthday shopping trip, & an ultra-chaotic winter break )

( for @criswisstuff & anyone who enjoyed the first one <3 )

savannah, who is 5'9, is constantly teasing aaron and cleo for being short. katelyn's good at 5'6, and also a bit impossible to tease bcs she's the actual best, so she gets to escape this

cleo ( 5'2 ) is perfectly delighted to have someone shorter than her for once in her life, even by only 2 inches

aaron: guys, just try and see this from my point of view

sav: [ collapses ]

katelyn: [ crouches down ]

cleo: [ sits cross-legged on floor ]

aaron: dude you're literally 2 inches taller than me

cleo: 2 and a quarter

sav is so smug about this but in a good-natured way, in that she and cleo call aaron "kid" or "kiddo" or "pipsqueak" and he doesn't mind bcs they always say it w such a huge smile and he likes to respond to sav with "how's the weather up there, tall-ass?"

and katelyn thinks it's ridiculously adorable how tiny aaron is and obviously she uses him as an armrest all the time

katelyn, petting aaron's hair: guys guys omg he's like an angsty mini blond kitten and i would kill for him <3

sav, popping up between them: mini-yard :))

before i get super distracted, i just wanna mention that aaron met sav and cleo towards the end of november, so they missed the twin's birthday

but sav still insists that she must take him shopping bcs sure his fashion sense is fine but there's always room for improvement, isn't there, aaron??

he relents, so long as she and cleo and katelyn ( who already gave him a birthday present?? why's she doing this??? ) don't spend too much money

sav drags him all around south carolina to the best thrift stores she can find and cleo and katelyn are amazed that she can get such fantastic deals on the supermodel clothes she wears

fr she's literally a fashion design major ( + minoring in business management ) and she shows up to class in skilfully done drugstore makeup and an absolutely killer outfit for like 15 bucks

she grew up poor, and she's still poor now, even if she ( thankfully ) managed to scrape a cheerleading scholarship

sav, flicking through a rack of dresses labelled $4 apiece: RIP to little miss rich bitch reynolds but i'm different ;)

no hate to allison she's awesome but she grew up in the lap of luxury surrounded by designer brands so she knows NOTHING about thrifting and rationing money in general

oh and sav and allison have kind of a frenemies thing going on bcs they're both fighting for the top spot of their fashion design course

they spend the whole day shopping and aaron ends up with a highly upgraded wardrobe that contains a lot of cute pastel stuff and sav's promise to do his makeup

aaron insists on paying for dinner at the really nice pizza place a short drive from campus even tho they all protest

and andrew knows he's found new friends, but has no idea that it's the vixens and he's dating one of them. nicky does tho, but he's sworn to secrecy

nicky thinks his new clothes are adorable and is stunned when aaron tells him the total cost

"oh my GOD that girl sounds like a genius."

"yeah, her name's sav. you guys,, would get along, i think."

okay now for the winter break part!!

i think that you can get permission to stay at dorms if you're an international student or something??

anyways since sav's super upset bcs her father straight-up told her not to come home bcs he has a new girlfriend ( god i hate sav's father )

katelyn would stay with her, but her dad can finally have her home in new york for christmas and she really doesn't want to miss it

cleo, the only one with a properly functional family, is going back to her big family house and loving parents and grandma and aunt and siblings and cousins. love that for her.

so aaron and sav are stuck at psu for 2 weeks and aaron's surprisingly cool with this. and sav's excited bcs for the first time since her mom died, she can spend her christmas with someone she actually wants around instead of her shitty-ass father and his constant stream of bitchy girlfriends

they spend a lot of time together, stealing food from the athlete's dining hall to make their own weird combos, which usually ends with aaron making something Cool and Interesting and sav gagging and spitting out whatever strange concoction she had previously insisted would taste good

i literally can't bring myself to give a shit about the twinyards' deal bcs andrew literally became best friends with renee?? and hooks up with guys at eden’s??? idk what's going on there but it's like andrew is trying to control aaron's life while he can do whatever he wants??? and honestly wtf????

also let me just make it clear that i ADORE andrew so so much he's one of my favourite comfort characters ever but i'm not gonna make excuses for his shitty behaviour. i fully believe he heals and puts away his pride to apologise to aaron, nicky, and kevin for his treatment of them

that's definitely not to say that aaron's internalised homophobia isn't eww, but with so many important people in his life gay, he makes a huge effort to get over it

so andrew just thinks that aaron is spending a lot of time in the library or out with nicky or something

and when aaron tells sav about this deal, she's kinda horrified, but it's pretty clear to her that aaron so desperately wants to fix his relationship with his brother, and she's not in any place to discourage him, is she?

the only thing she can do is hope that he won't come out all the worse for it

and stare at the boy curled up on the other end of the pale pink sofa cleo's parents had gotten, wonder just how much shit he'd been put through, and decide she was going to be his best friend

aaron's face has gone entirely impassive. sav nudges his fluffy-socked foot with her own, then reaches out to smooth the crease between his eyebrows. "careful, you'll wrinkle your pretty little face."

aaron is very caught off guard by this, and very promptly flushes bright red, which contrasts with the pale teal hoodie he stole from katelyn

"okay, enough talk about depressing crap. wanna go make christmas cookies now?"

"yeah."

so they make christmas cookies. well, it was supposed to be christmas cookies, but it turns into double chocolate fudge cookies somewhere along the line. neither of them knows how

them baking together is the definition of chaos. they're still blasting songs, and sav is singing along terribly

"yOu'Re A mEaN oNe, Mr. GrInCh," while poking aaron's cheek as he tries to mix something. he throws a handful of flour at her. "yOu ReAlLy ArE A hEel."

anyways obviously sav retaliates and that ends in a flour fight. it only stops when aaron deadass cracks an egg on sav's head and she smears chocolate into his hair

she also tries to make him sing along to baby, it's cold outside

"i'Ve GoT tO Go `wAAyyy~" she holds a spatula up to his face

"go away."

they video call katelyn, who takes one look at the mess in the cramped dorm kitchen and sighs so loudly and dramatically that her dad pops in and asks if everything's okay

aaron freezes up at the sight of him and sav quickly turns off the camera, bcs they both want to make good impressions on him, and being covered in various cookie ingredients just won't cut it, ya know?

the cookies turn out delicious and sav sends all their group chat various photos of the process, most of which consist of selfies with her making goofy faces while aaron is simultaneously baking and flipping off the camera

plus a several videos of sav enthusiastically dancing and mouthing the lyrics of, as follows, all i want for christmas is you, let it snow, and santa claus is coming to town and aggressively pointing a spatula at aaron

"c'mon aari, just sing! please??? please???? please you can do it i believe in you!!"

finally he just. gives up. "okay, you know what? fine, i'll sing to ONE and then you will STOP bothering me you insolent dumbass."

sav beams. santa baby starts playing. aaron is very clearly going through five stages of grief in 0.5 seconds

"go on," sav says sweetly as she slides in next to a pouting aaron, "i'll sing with you."

sav slings an arm around his shoulder and sways with him, so it's just her doing that and him grumpily mumbling the lyrics

and when the cookies are cooling down, they start cleaning the kitchen up. aaron rubs some spilled egg yolk into sav's hair but it goes pretty okay otherwise, since they're just listening to more christmas songs and chatting about light stuff, like aaron's biochem course, sav's fashion course, and their dumb classmates

aaron mostly listens tho, and learns that sav kind of hates allison reynolds for giving up her inheritance when she would do ANYTHING for even the tiniest fraction of that money

but she still thinks allison's gorgeous bcs c'mon

and that sav's dream is to one day open her own boutique!!

aaron spends most of the actual christmas day with the monsters at eden's bcs nicky and andrew wanted to

he spent a lot of the time texting on their group chat

doessavvyisgay: so u just go to a nightclub every week??

unaliveme: i mean yeah, i literally worked here for a while. we needed money and nicky was already working 2 jobs night and day

actualblessing: babe ur backstory is so tragic

unaliveme: i'm a fox for a reason ig

cleo.magda: Yes but-

doessavvyisgay renamed this conversation "aaron miniyard support group"

unaliveme: oh ffs

unaliveme: sav subject change go

doessavvyisgay: i'm at the clothes store what should i get?

actualblessing: something pretty :)

doessavvyisgay: sorry, i can't buy the cashier

cleo.magda: Wow.

doessavvyisgay: I DID GET HER NUMBER THO

unaliveme: lmaooo what's her name?

doessavvyisgay: uh

unaliveme: savannah istg u don't even know her name??

actualblessing: s a v

actualblessing: damn u really do be turning on the Charm tho

actualblessing: respect i didn't even talk to aaron till i asked him for notes bcs he has rly pretty notes and also a rly pretty face

actualblessing: and even then i was like :0

unaliveme: IT WAS CUTE I PROMISE

doessavvyisgay: u 2 = the only valid heterosexual couple

actualblessing: rt

unaliveme: oh shit i'm getting super drunk

cleo.magda: Aaron, you drink? That's not legal, get out of there right now. Kids these days-

unaliveme: cleo u have literally seen me get drunk af,, the first time we met,,, and anyways this is how my family bonds ✌🏻

doessavvyisgay: that's. so damn weird kiddo but go off ig

actualblessing: no go find better things to bond about other than alcohol and weird sweaty dancing

cleo.magda: Yeah, go watch some Christmas movies!

unaliveme: nicky makes us watch die hard every year

doessavvyisgay: see u in hell, kiddo ;)

cleo.magda: I meant things like The Polar Express and Home Alone.

actualblessing: merry christmas ya filthy animals!!

doessavvyisgay: merry xmas y'all i'm gonna go to that christmas party bcs i'm super bored

unaliveme: merry christmas mothers and fuckers

cleo.magda: Merry Christmas, you guys!

#aaron & the family he's found all by himself #okay this was most aaron and sav centric #but i love them so. #aftg headcanons #aftg #all for the game #the foxhole court #aaron minyard headcanons #the vixens #aaron minyard #andrew minyard #twinyards #nicky hemmick #katelyn aftg #katelyn finley #sav jameson #cleo magdalene

[deezeeashfrost]

some time into the reception, on the outskirts of the party ( @alderapitleaf​​. )

A break from the center of the party to scope out the place from the sidelines, a pleasant buzz helped by free flowing champagne, which he has a glass of in his hand as he finds a spot just to the side. Time to assess the mood, plan the right next moves and with who. There’s as much strategy in a party as anything else, when it’s the Capitol. DeeZee takes a second to try to figure out pulling off the overly dramatic mask, while holding the flute and not letting his hat fall off his head, his hand never quite as coordinated with the other as it should be, despite the Capitol’s insistence every upgrade is top of the line. He only gets so far before he feels someone at his shoulder, and he abandons the endeavor.

There’s Aldera, silently appearing by his side like she seems to do at events like this. It’s something he never quite knows how to handle, the elephant in the room of why she started doing that in the first place being the sort of elephant that he’s not really ever planning on acknowledging. A moment of vulnerability, admiration that came with an admission of his own shortcomings, obvious as they are to anyone who’s ever looked at him. “Oh, hey, Aldera,” he says, a little awkwardly. He resists the urge to down the whole glass of champagne he’s gripping, and instead looks over her outfit, searching for something to latch onto. Easy. “Nice boots. We match.”

#( aldera. ) #( aldera 001. ) #( the wedding. ) #FWENDS #whether deezee wants 2 see that or not

[kristenbrady]

Do Not Let Age Hold You Back From Dressing Stylishly

One day I was walking by a mirror and happened to catch a glimpse at what I looked like. I was completely embarrassed by how I had let myself go. I had been working so many hours, and also working from home, that I just stopped wearing make-up, stopped ironing my shirts, and was wearing overly baggy pants that were completely unflattering. My hair was pulled back in a ponytail and I had a lot of gray hair. I wasn’t wearing any jewelry, not even my wedding ring. What happened to me?

I had let myself go. When we look good, we feel good, and other people are instantly attracted to us. If we look unkempt and unfriendly, no one is going to want to approach us. In this post, I talk about 4 wardrobe swaps that can make you look younger. So if you’re 50 and up and have let yourself go, try these elevated fashion tips.

I Just Turned 50. Now What?

A few thoughts to share…

medium.com

4 Clothing Swaps That Can Make You Appear Younger

You use moisturizer on your hands, serum underneath the eyes, and a retinol cream on your facial area. You occasionally whiten your teeth, and color your hair on a consistent basis. However, if your outfit selections are not keeping up with the current times, you can try the following four simple wardrobe swaps that’ll keep you appearing current and take years off of your appearance — a lot quicker than any anti-wrinkle cream!

Over 50? Try These Side Hustles.

Life begins at 50. So, let’s learn some new skills.

medium.com

1. Brighten That Black

Image courtesy: Miik

All-black outfits may appear chic when you’re in your thirties. And, at any age, that “Little Black Dress” might be dramatic. However, be cautious of dressing in all black all of the time, especially at those times when you are wearing less makeup.

Blue tops can accentuate blue eyes. Well, did you know that dressing in black will do the same thing to dark shadows and wrinkles?

Instead of black, try wearing earthy neutrals such as olive, camel, or gray. Or keep that black, but dress in a more vibrant shade close to your facial area. A pretty scarf or colorful top won’t just brighten your face, but make you come across as more fun and open.

Over 50 and Looking For a Career Change? Try These Ideas.

11 career ideas to try as you turn 50

medium.com

2. Purchase Those Jeans

Image courtesy: My Chic Obesession

Quit scrolling through articles saying you should not dress in jeans past a certain point! Jeans are available in so many fits, sizes, washes, and colors that anyone can find some jeans that flatter and fit.

Looking for a dressy, sophisticated look? Dress in dark wash jeans, either boot-cut jeans along with a low heel or ankle length jeans along with some cute booties.

Looking to minimize your buttocks? Avoid any back pockets that are too small or too high.

Looking for more of a summery look? Pick white jeans or cropped jeans that are in a lighter wash.

If you’re really looking to break the age barrier, look for some flattering jeans that have a bit of destruction. You do not need gaping slashes or holes, just a somewhat distressed look.

Over 50 and Looking for Remote Work? Try These!

Tired of looking for a job and getting turned down? Check out these sites!

medium.com

3. Upgrade Leisure Looks

Right now, athleisure wear is all the rave! Here’s the good news. It’s a comfy fashion. Use the exact same style principles that work for all casual outfits: wear looser joggers along with a fitted top or jacket, or wear skinny leggings with longer tops that complement the body shape. And wear trendier shoes instead of those old school gym sneakers.

4. Try Current Trends

Image courtesy: Who What Wear

Image courtesy: Pantone

Do you like 2024’s Pantone color? Invest in a top in Lemon Drop or Mint to pair with a black jacket. Or you can find a fun scarf or necklace in one of those colors, wear it this season, and then move on.

Some trends only last one or two seasons, while other trends have a longer lifespan. Fashion is always undergoing a change in silhouettes away from tunic tops/skinny bottoms toward wider, longer pants paired with shorter tops.

Dress Stylishly As You Age Gracefully

🟣Kristen is a contributor on Medium. Sign up here to catch every story when she publishes.

🏁Grab Kristen’s audiobook on Audible: How to Productize Your Services: How to Make Money While You’re Sleeping or on paperback through Amazon here or free eBook through Gumroad here.

♣️Join Kristen’s online ministry on Substack: https://substack.com/@kristenb

Originally posted on Medium