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emmy-writes-sometimes · 4 years

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Roomies

You and Tom accidentally get paired as roommates, but it quickly becomes something more.

You didn’t know what you expected when you signed up to have a random roommate because you didn’t know anyone else at the school. You were hoping you’d be friends, but you’d also heard stories of people having to change halfway through the semester because they hated each other. You hoped that wouldn’t be the case, but you were getting a bit worried when you were starting your drive up and still didn’t know who your roommate was.

You were essentially on your own – your parents were helping your other sibling move into another college a few hours away and you weren’t all that attached to things you had at home, so you packed your clothes and toiletries and saved up money to buy everything the day you got there. Was it kind of ridiculous? Yeah. But would it save you a ton of time and pain moving in? Definitely.

You noticed you were in one of the co-ed dorms when they gave you the key and the packet that had codes and information in it, but you didn’t know who your roommate was. You knew the last name was Holland, and that they were an international student, but other than that your packet didn’t help you. You got into the room and picked a side without much thought into it. You moved your furniture around a little, moving the bed up so that your dresser could fit underneath it and you had a little more space for your clothes that you’d brought.

You were almost done unpacking when you heard the lock open and a guy carrying two bags walked in. You were confused for a second, and so was he.

“Hi, I’m Tom, your last name’s Y/L/N, right?” He asked. He had a British accent, you noticed, so he was an international student after all. “I didn’t realize the rooms were co-ed.”

“Yeah,” you responded. You shook his hand, giving him a smile. “I didn’t either. I can go to housing if…”

“It’s fine with me if it’s fine with you. I have three brothers, so living with a girl would be different.” You smiled at him.

“I have two sisters, so living with a guy might be nice.”

“Is that all of your stuff?” He asked as he put his things on the bed.

“Yeah, I tried to come with as little as possible. I figured I’d run to the Target up the street later if you want to join. I hope that’s not all of yours.” He laughed.

“Actually, it is. I didn’t want to pay a fortune for airfare, so…”

“If that’s everything, we could just go now. Unless you want to go to those orientation things.” He shook his head and the two of you headed down to your car. He explained that he’d just wanted to come here for college so he could move to California after, which made sense because he was going to be an acting major. Your major was similar, so you were kind of glad for the pairing. Neither of you had expected to get a roommate of the opposite sex, but you seemed like similar people so maybe it could work.

“Okay, so if you get the fridge,” you started as you looked at the list the two of you had made in the car. “If you get the fridge, I’ll get the A/C unit. I smuggled in a TV and an Xbox, so we have those, and then we can just split the snacks if you want?”

“Sounds good to me,” he replied. You both grabbed carts and got to work, buying everything you needed, and struggled to get it all up to your room later. By that night you were both unpacked, had set up everything, and you were putting the comforter you’d bought on your bed. It was your favorite color, and it was his, too, so he got a similar one. At least your room somewhat coordinated. You were getting pictures developed to put up on the wall, which he said he didn’t mind, and that was that. You were excited that Tom was so chill. The only inconvenience was having to change in the shower stall, but it didn’t matter that much.

Every time you made friends, it turned out the both of you were involved, so you considered yourself lucky that Tom quickly became your best friend. You would go pretty much everywhere together, and since you had many of the same intro classes, you had a lot of classes together, too. You’d be lying if the thought of dating him hadn’t crossed your mind, but he was your roommate. He probably didn’t want to date you, and what would happen if you broke up? Nothing good, probably, so you let it go. You holed up during fall break and snacked on junk food and played games most of the time, you studied together, and whenever you went somewhere at night he would walk you there and back so nobody would mess with you.

You were studying in the library a couple of months later when he did the first weird-ish thing. You were absolutely freezing, but it was still hot outside, so you were wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Your leg was shaking up and down and you debated walking all the way across campus for some hot chocolate. Tom looked up from his textbook and saw you were shivering.

“I have a sweatshirt,” he said with a smile on his face. “You didn’t have to suffer.”

“I wasn’t going to ask just in case you were cold!” You said. He handed it to you anyway and you put it on over your t-shirt. It was warm and it smelled like him, which was incredibly comforting considering you were worried you would fail the exam on the material in front of you. You muttered a thank you and he just gave you a smile, starting to type on his computer again.

You decided to retire first and of course he walked you back, exchanged textbooks, and went down to the dorm’s common area to finish doing his homework. You were almost asleep by the time he came in and muttered a good night, earning a small laugh as he told you to go to sleep. It was little things like the sweater that started to add up. If you fell asleep he’d put a blanket on you. If he knew you were walking back to your car when it was dark he’d make you call him, or he’d volunteer to go get gas for you so you wouldn’t be out there alone. He would often bring you back food or drinks without you even asking, just because he’d gotten to know you so well that he knew you would never pass up an opportunity for a chicken sandwich and waffle fries.

The next time things got weird was October. It was the week before Halloween and there was a party at one of the houses off campus. Tom didn’t feel like going, so he didn’t, but he told you to keep him on standby in case you needed him. You dressed up in your slutty outfit and tried to pretend you didn’t see him checking you out, and then you left. You met up with your friends, but they soon ditched you for boys they were both seeing, so you were alone.

You started talking to this one guy, whose name you had no idea of, when Tom texted you to check in for the first time. You looked down at your phone just long enough to text him back and then grabbed your PBR, chugging the rest of it in hopes that someone had gone on another run and was back with some beer that wasn’t essentially water. It tasted weird, but you didn’t pay attention. You just kept talking to the guy.

Your vision started going slightly blurry and you tried to walk straight on the back lawn, but you couldn’t. You noticed the guy was watching you and was never too far away, and you realized when your stomach started hurting. He’d roofied you. Shit, you thought. You took out your phone, crossing your arms against your chest to hide some cleavage, and called your trusty roommate.

“Hey, how’s it going?” He asked, putting his phone on one ear while he continued playing with the Xbox.

“I think some guy just roofied me,” you said, “when you texted me I looked away and he must’ve put something in it.”

“Shit. Where are you? I’ll come get you.”

“Take my car, it’s out in the parking lot,” you said as you started getting dizzy.

“Don’t hang up on me, Y/N. Talk to me.” You did – he asked you about how your night had been other than that and before you knew it he was pulling up to the front of the party house. You got in and immediately reached across the console to hug him. He concluded that you’d definitely been roofied because you were drooling by the time he walked you back to the room. He herded you into the shower and then into bed after you were dressed. You woke up the next morning and he had gotten Starbucks for you, probably having borrowed your car again (and filled it back up, because that was who he was).

“Oh, you’re a lifesaver. Literally,” you said as he presented you with the venti cold brew with sweet cream. You sat up and reached toward it and he handed it to you. You drank it like a baby drank a bottle, which just made him laugh.

“No problem. You mind if I play Xbox?”

“Only if I can too.” He handed you one of the controllers and sat down at his desk chair that was pointed toward the TV in between your two beds. “Come sit up here, you don’t have to sit there,” you said, referring to the wooden chair that was obviously uncomfortable. Tom always almost fell out of it, too, every time he used it.

“Fine,” he sighed. He walked over and climbed on your bed with you, sitting down beside you, and you wasted most of the morning playing games. You both had class in the afternoon, so you bucked up the courage to go. You sat down and lo and behold, there was the guy that had roofied you. You elbowed Tom.

“Tom, that’s the guy,” you muttered through gritted teeth, trying not to draw attention to yourself. Tom turned his head toward the guy, who looked straight at you. Tom’s arm flew around your back, pulling you to him uncomfortably.

“Anyway,” Tom cleared his throat so the guy would look away. You elbowed him again.

“What was that?” You asked.

“He was looking straight at you. If he thinks the guy who picked you up was your boyfriend, maybe he’ll let you go.” You knew he was right. You tried not to let the guy get to you and eventually class let out. You were one of the last out of the hundreds of people in the gigantic lecture hall, waiting for Tom to ask the professor about an extension on a paper. You finally went back to the room and sighed.

“There’s no need to panic, darling, you have one class with him!” Tom said as he typed away at his paper. You were pacing back and forth, shivering because the A/C unit was on full blast and you just didn’t want to walk over there to turn it off.

“Yeah, but he definitely knew you were just pretending! What if he tries to, like, stalk me or something?” Tom scoffed.

“Anyone that tries to stalk you will have to stalk me too because I live here. You’ll be fine. One of us’ll be with you all the time in classes and on campus. You really don’t have to worry. I promise.” You sat down in your bungee cord chair, pulling up the hood to the sweatshirt you were wearing. It was Tom’s, actually, you noticed. You didn’t notice when you’d pulled it out of your clean laundry, but you’d done some of his the night before since he didn’t have a full load, so it was definitely his.

“I guess.”

“Come on. Let’s go get some dinner,” he insisted, “and then we’ll go camp out in the library.” You got up and let him drag you halfway across campus to the only dining hall that was open.

You ended up going to the semi-formal with him, because neither of you had another date, and the way he treated you was strange. He opened your door for you, he paid for the dinner beforehand, and he took about a million pictures of you for your Instagram without complaining one bit. He took care of drunk you and held back your hair, got you Gatorade, and took you to get a milkshake at 2 AM because you wanted one so badly that you were crying. You drunkenly told him you loved him and he laughed, just saying he loved you too.

That phrase became familiar, too. I love you. You told him that when you were leaving him, when you were drunk, when he got you food without asking. He smiled every single time, responding that he loved you too. You always told your friends that, though, it was just who you were. It didn’t mean anything other than you valued the friendship you had together. He came with you for Thanksgiving, since he’d never been to one before, and your parents even made him sleep on the couch because they were convinced you two were together. And then there was the night of your friend’s birthday party, and all hell broke loose.

You were sitting in a circle in your friend Sadie’s room, playing spin the bottle with a bottle of Malibu that you’d all emptied together not long ago. You still had a cup of half Malibu and half sprite in front of you. Sadie had to kiss her roommate, Allie, and a couple other roommates had done the same thing. It was just a peck, so it was whatever. You’d spun it, though, and of course it landed on Tom. His face got red, immediately, but he playfully patted his lap and you giggled, walking over to him, and his legs were crossed as you got on your knees to match his level. You cringed a little as he reached out for you and finally kissed you. It was just a peck, like most of them were, but you could tell that he didn’t want to pull away. He didn’t want to pull away.

You lasted through most of the party and decided to leave once you were sobering up. Of course he came with you, and when he put his hand on your back to lead you out of the dorm you couldn’t help but look back at him.

“Sorry the bottle landed on you,” you apologized. “We’re the only co-ed roommates on our hall and of course it ended up on us.” He shrugged.

“It’s spin the bottle. Doesn’t mean anything unless you want it to.”

“Unless I want it to?” You stopped on an empty sidewalk underneath a lamp-post, turning around to look at him. In the low, yellowed light you could see that his face was changing colors, and suddenly the heat rose to your cheeks and you were burning up in the sweatshirt you were swearing. Tom’s sweatshirt. Again.

“I mean…”

“Be honest with me for just five fucking seconds,” you said. “Would you have done that if we were both sober?”

“I am sober, Y/N,” he insisted. “I am. And if you won’t lie to me I won’t lie to you, alright? Have you noticed how I always say I love you too? Or I bring you coffee and I know your order, have you ever considered why? Or did you consider at all why I came and got you at two in the morning at that party?” He walked a few feet in front of you when there was another set of people walking down the sidewalk. He paused to let them through and then looked over at you again. You were freezing in the sweatshirt. It was December, what were you thinking?

“I thought…” You took a deep breath. “I thought. But I wasn’t sure, so I didn’t say anything. And now you’re telling me you’re doing all of this for a reason and I want to believe that you like me, but it’s so complicated, and…” Before you knew what was happening, he was closing the gap between you. His hand went behind your head and his other one splayed across your stomach, pressing you up against the lamp-post in front of you, and he kissed you. This time, it wasn’t a peck. This time, he didn’t pull away. He kissed you for a few minutes and you kissed back, and you only parted when you heard another set of people about to walk by.

“Are you sure now?” You nodded, panting a little. He’d left you out of breath and the air outside was so cold that you could see it.

“Yeah,” you said quietly, reaching out to take one of his hands.

“I like you, Y/N. Roommate or not, I do, and I can guarantee I still would even if I didn’t live with you.” You smiled at him a little.

“What is this, The Prince & Me?” You asked out loud. He looked slightly confused. “It’s a movie, where this guy comes to college in America and…”

“I know the movie.” You felt heat rise to your cheeks again. “So…” You started walking again and so did he.

“So?” You looked at him. “Tom, are you sure? Are you sure you want this? And it isn’t too complicated? Because we live together, what if we fight?”

“Then we talk it out. Come on, Y/N. We can make a King sized bed with our beds put together.” You laughed.

“Is that the only reason why?” He grabbed your waist and squeezed it, making you laugh a little.

“No. I love hearing you laugh, is one of them.” You reached the dorm, finally, and rode the elevator up to your room.

You went back to the room and immediately started moving your furniture together. You talked about going into the city to get brunch as your first official date as you tucked in a set of sheets. This time when he went to change his shirt you didn’t turn away, and he didn’t get mad when you reached for one of his shirts to sleep in. You smiled to yourself as you settled in beside him, assuming the position of the little spoon, as he picked a movie to pretend to watch.

“Good night, girlfriend,” he said in your ear.

“Good night boyfriend,” you replied with a smile on your face. He squeezed your waist again and you smiled, thanking your lucky stars that you’d gotten the co-ed dorm that year.

A/N: I loved this request so much! Thank you for sending it in!

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#tom holland x reader #tom holland fluff #tom holland imagine #tom holland

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verus-veritas · 5 years

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Collan's Caption This Catch Up

I was obsessed with Cullen McCathers. Coming to live in a college dorm after years of a hermit-like high school existence was culture shock. Back home I was the weird, skinny nerd, the token gay social outcast who did his best to avoid the rest of the small-minded, small town denizens who were all too willing torment the obvious outsider given the slightest opportunity, never mind that I had been born there just like the rest of them. So I had made sure the opportunities they got were few and far between, and I had assumed I would continue staying out of the way in college. Keeping my head down was a winning strategy. Why mess with success? What I hadn't counted on was the reality of being forced to live cheek-by-jowl with a seeming unending parade of ideal male bodies. Within the first hour I was overwhelmed by them. On the paths of the campus they walked, in the lounges of the dorm they casually relaxed, in the halls they fist bumped with their bros, and one in particular even invaded my room. I had requested a single room and had thought it had gotten approved, but in typical bureaucratic fashion I showed up on the first day of Freshman orientation to find someone already occupying an obvious double room. I had a roommate. Cullen McCathers. From that very first day, I discovered that even though he spoke to me in a friendly enough fashion and I apparently responded appropriately to the conversation, none of it really registered. He remained a remote and unattainable object despite our sharing a living space, because my thoughts, my gaze, the core of my very being seemed to be pulled into his orbit on a visceral level. He was muscled and toned like a fitness model, and he had a strong face that lit up when he smiled. His voice was sexy, his eyes were sexy, his walk was sexy. His scent, whenever I managed to get a whiff of it, drove me wild with desire, and after watching him unself-consciously change in our room to go take a shower, I knew he was hung so big that I wondered how he dealt with all of that meat in his crotch on a daily basis.

Within a day my universe shifted, and he became its center. He filled my waking fantasies and starred in my nightly dreams.

I was obsessed with Cullen McCathers. ***********

I guess my capability for intense mental concentration and focus, coupled with the depth of my obsession helped trigger the beginning of it. Each night I would think of Cullen as I drifted off to sleep, going over in detail the fragments of him I had collected in my mind that day, cherishing the nape of his neck, the swell of his bicep, the revelation of his tongue darting out to moisten dry lips. I yearned for him and cast myself towards him with wild abandon in my head. And then one night a couple of weeks into the semester, I felt myself drift off to sleep as usual with thoughts of Cullen filling my head, like the proverbial visions of sugarplums, but instead of my consciousness slipping away until morning, it slipped sideways instead and I found myself hovering just off the floor next to Cullen's sleeping body. I looked across the room towards my bed, if what I did can be called looking, seeing as I was a bodiless consciousness, and I saw my own body just where I would have expected to see it, lying and breathing gently in slumber. I was surprisingly unconcerned with what was undoubtedly a highly unusual occurrence. Instead, I was fascinated by what was happening and started to examine my disembodied self. I seemed to perceive some sort of silvery cord leading back to my body, and a scrap of information surfaced from my endless eclectic reading over the years. Astral projection. This is what this was. I had written it off as new age crap, but here was proof to me that not only was it not crap, but I had somehow managed to achieve it. I turned back to look at Cullen and saw the same silvery cord stretching out of his body and out through the wall, anchoring his dream self to his physical self as he journeyed through the night. The instant I realized this, my thoughts became action, and I flew out of the room through the wall, following Cullen's silvery cord.

The world blurred by dissolving into formless colors, before brightening and resolving into a daytime city street. Cullen was there, arguing with a police officer, a clown, and a talking cartoon goldfish in a bowl hovering in mid-air. Cullen was dreaming, and I was in his dream. I sensed some sort of change in myself and looked down to see that I had a body again. I walked towards the arguing quartet, but as I did the police officer flew up into the air, the clown popped like a balloon, and the goldfish in the bowl turned into a demonic cheerleader who began to chase a suddenly terrified Cullen down the sidewalk towards me. I was enraged that anything would dare to try and hurt Cullen, so I grabbed a parking meter out of the sidewalk and stabbed the cheerleader through the chest with it. She dropped to the ground instantly and vanished. "Oh, man! I thought I was dead for sure! You saved my life! Thank you!" said Cullen and hugged me tight. I went rigid in shock. Cullen had spoken to me, and for the first time it had actually registered as words instead of meaningless gibberish. Cullen had touched me. Cullen had hugged me! For the briefest of moments Cullen's dream world had become real to me, and the combination of his speaking to me, touching me, and hugging me threw me into such turmoil that between one instant and the next I was suddenly waking up in my bed in my darkened dorm room, gasping for air and shaking in reaction. I was obsessed with Cullen McCathers. ***********

To say that my obsession with Cullen deepened from that point on would be a gross understatement. Now that I knew I could spend all of my sleeping time with Cullen, I began to do so on a regular basis. He had starred in my dreams and now I began to star in his, sleep-stalking him every night. In his dreams, I found I could actually talk with him in a way that I was completely unable to in the waking world. Admittedly, most of the conversations were variations of his thanking me for one rescue or another since I became his dream protector and hero, saving him from countless monsters, demons, witches, aliens, and bad guys who were gunning for him because someone had framed him for a murder he didn't commit. After that first dream hug, I did everything I could to initiate physical contact between us during our nightly escapades, an arm casually draped over his shoulder, a hand gently tousling his hair, countless little touches, smiles, looks into his eyes. In the waking world, he grew more open and friendly towards me, looking at me more, smiling at me more, continuing to try and engage me in conversation despite the fact that I continued to blank it all out and watch our interactions as an observer, rather than as the active participant I was when we dreamed together.

It also dawned on me that there was a sexual tension between us that hadn't existed before. I was still jacking off to mental images of him every chance I got, but I realized he was spending more and more time wearing less and less when we were alone together in our room. He had never been shy about displaying his body, but as the days went by he went from t-shirts to muscle shirts to tank tops to bare torso, and from sweats to shorts to briefs to nothing at all. I exerted every ounce of my self control to not stare at the obvious things and be as casual and nonchalant about it as he seemed to be. The weeks passed, and the days grew shorter as fall progressed towards winter. I welcomed the turning of the seasons, because longer nights meant more time to sleep and dream with Cullen. Things might have continued on this way, but one evening in early November I went to sleep and slid sideways out of my body to find I wasn't alone in the room. There was another presence like myself, hovering just off the floor next to my bed as I was hovering next to Cullen's. It was another waking dreamer, I knew, and as I looked more closely I realized its silvery cord led straight to Cullen's sleeping body!

"Now it all makes sense," came Cullen's voice in my mind. "This is what you do. This is how you're always in my dreams." "Yes," I replied. "It happened first spontaneously, but it quickly became directed. I'm sorry. I can't seem to help myself where you're concerned." "You love me, don't you?" he asked. "Yes," I admitted sadly, thinking that this was probably going to be some sort of ending. "I've been obsessed with you from the first day. Love followed quickly once I started to get to know you through your dreams. I can't seem to talk to you when I'm awake. I think the reality of you is too much for me to take after a lifetime of isolation, but all I want is to be with you, in all ways, always and forever, to love and protect you, to be one with you. I'm sorry." "Why are you sorry? Can't you tell I feel the same way? Ever since you invaded my dreams and started saving me, I've become obsessed with you too. I go to sleep each night, knowing that you'll be there to keep me safe, even though you can't say so during the day. I could tell the feeling was there somehow, that we were connected on a deeper level. I've been longing to meet you on that deeper level, and now, suddenly, here we are." "You love me too?" I asked incredulously. "Yes," he said simply, and even though he had no body at the moment to express it, I felt the warmth of his smile on me anyway. I moved towards his warmth, and he moved towards me. We met in the center of our dorm room, still hovering just off the floor, and with no transition our bodiless bodies merged into a single being with two silvery tethers anchored at opposite sides of the room. There are no words to describe the unity we experienced in that moment. Pile every description imaginable of physical and emotional intimacy on top of each other, squeeze them all together, multiply all of that by any impossibly large number you can think of, then magnify it all again by an equally impossibly large number and you still won't approach it. Neither of us were prepared for it, and like the first time Cullen had hugged me, I found myself suddenly abruptly awake in my body in my bed. The only difference was that this time, Cullen was awake too. He launched himself, naked and erect, out of his bed and across the room to mine. I had thrown my blanket off, and his beautiful bare body landed on top of me, his mouth seeking mine to devour me. His gigantic cock leaked onto my stomach as he ground his crotch into mine, only my briefs separating us. He moaned his frustration into my mouth as we kissed, then he sat up and back, reached down, grabbed the opening in the front of my briefs, and with a grunt, ripped them open and yanked the remains out from under me, leaving me as naked as he was.

He laid himself fully down on top of me again and our legs intertwined. He kissed me again, and we were touching all along the length of our bodies, from feet to crotch to mouth. His cock ground down into me and my hips pushed myself in turn up into him, trying to somehow physically force our bodies to merge as our essences had in the moment before we awoke. Given our frenzy, we didn't last very long, and we shot together allowing at least part of our physical selves to merge into one as we mixed our cum together between our heaving bodies. As amazing as the orgasm had been, as amazing as it was that I now knew this beautiful body on top of me held a soul that loved me in a way that I had never felt before, my eyes started to fill and tears began to drip down my cheeks with sadness, because I knew that I would never be able to experience in the waking world the unity we had shared as we slept. I looked up at Cullen, and saw tears to mirror my own. I was with Cullen McCathers. ***********

I'm not entirely sure how we got through the next few weeks. We somehow got through classes and kept up some semblance of normalcy during the day, but it all seemed remote and unreal, because at night we left our bodies behind and merged together until dawn. After a while, it became harder to determine where I ended and he began. Our body language, speech patterns, and ways of thinking became similar to the point that at times it felt like we were one person living in two bodies. Thanksgiving approached, and with it the inevitable family obligations. We had become so detached from life outside school and each other that it was almost a surprise when it was time to part and we realized we should have made plans to avoid the separation. There was no help for it, though, so off we both dutifully went, to our individual destinations. Wednesday night was misery. I was back in the place I had grown up, that I hated and that hated me. I went to bed early, eager to experience the all-consuming love that I had discovered with Cullen, only to discover that I was unable to reach him fully. We had a vague sense of each other across the distance, but we couldn't seem to connect. I spent the night lonely and aching in my heart. Thursday was just as bad, spending Thanksgiving Day with my perpetually distant parents. It made no sense to me that they would want me here today after years of not really caring whether I was around or not. I had someone now who wanted me and I wasn't with him. The night was another one of yearning and a futile struggle to connect with Cullen in our dreams. Friday the separation became actual pain. My head hurt, my heart hurt, my body and soul ached to be with Cullen. I begged off the Black Friday shopping trip, knowing I would not be able to bear the long drive to the nearest town that was large enough to have decent places to pointlessly spend money on meaningless gifts. My parents drove off and I went back to my old room and flopped on the bed. After the last two frustrating nights I was feeling defeated and depressed, and I began to resign myself to not being with Cullen again until Sunday. I eventually felt myself drifting off to sleep, only this time, for the first time in months, I actually slept and dreamed. Except it wasn't a dream, it was a horrific nightmare, the details of which I didn't remember upon my panicked awakening except for the sensations of terror and profound loss. I curled up on my side, hugged my pillow, and sobbed uncontrollably at the feeling that if I didn't do something drastic, I would somehow lose the connection Cullen and I had found. I couldn't let it slip away, to become just me again instead of the unity of us. I had slept longer than I had expected to and it was already late afternoon. Knowing my mom, my parents wouldn't be back from the shopping frenzy until late so I had hours left to be undisturbed. Dropping off to sleep had almost become second nature to me, so it was easy for me to roll over and take back control of my unconsciousness. One thought was uppermost in my mind. I had to reach Cullen, no matter what. My eyes closed, my breathing deepened, and unlike earlier in the day, I slipped sideways out of my body as I fell asleep. This time I had a new determination and started to fly across the miles to my obvious starting point in my search for Cullen – the room that we shared. I felt pulled tight across the distance from my body, but I held on to where I was through the familiarity of the location. Uncertain what to do next, I hovered once again in the place that was ours, where I could feel him all around me even without his being there. I knew my sense of time was distorted when I noticed it was dark outside. I had been here simply contemplating Cullen, and hours had drifted by without my realizing. I began to notice, too, that my sense of him was growing stronger rapidly. My excitement and longing for him grew with each passing moment until the door opened, and there he was. I could tell he was as angry and frustrated as I had been. I moved to surround him and comfort him, but he couldn't feel me there. He sat on his bed for a little, but his tension didn't seem to be allowing him to relax. He turned to his travel bag and pulled out a bottle of wine, opened it, and drank some straight from the bottle, then went and sat on *my* bed and put his face into my pillow, breathing in deeply through his nose. He hugged the pillow to his chest and a tear dripped down his cheek. After a bit, he got up, tossed my pillow back on my bed, grabbed the bottle and headed out the door. I followed wondering where he was going. His goal turned out to be the top floor lounge at the back of the dorm, where very few people bothered to go. It was deserted, since it was the Friday evening after Thanksgiving. Cullen drank some more wine and gradually seemed to relax. By the time the bottle was empty, he had propped himself up across a couple of chairs and was staring blankly at the wall. Bit by bit his eyes closed, and then there he was, slipping sideways out of his body to join me. "You're here!" he said with surprise. "I've been waiting for you. I pushed and pushed to get here across the distance. I wasn't sure where I was going to go from here. The distance is difficult, but you came back, and you're here, and now we can be together again." And just like that we were. We were one again and our joy was endless. The unity of ourselves into a single being was a miracle, and all the sweeter for having been denied it the last two days. The only things that marred our joining were the silvery cords heading off to different places, Cullen's to his body in the chairs just next to us, and mine to my far away self. We were one. We needed to be one. All other parts of us were one. The cords needed to be one too. We were tugging on my silvery cord in an attempt to push it into his, when suddenly there was a sensation of severing, and an unattached tendril reeled in from a distance, flailed around as if seeking purchase, then laid itself down over Cullen's cord and into his body. ***********

We awoke with a start, disoriented from being in an unaccustomed place, uncomfortable from having fallen asleep on the chairs, and still drunk from the wine. We felt such an overwhelming feeling of happiness and well-being that we wished we could tell someone, but we knew no one would ever really understand. As I stumbled back to my room, I knew that the other bed would be remaining empty, but that was ok. I was with my love and I was within my love. We were one person forever. I was one person with no further need for two bodies. I undressed for bed and looked down at my body as usual and for the first time, happy with what I saw. I was masculine and strong in my body. I was loved and protected in my soul. I was Cullen McCathers.

Source: “Collan's Caption This Catch Up (10th May)”

#possession #astral projection #soul #roommates #love #permanent #maletransformationblog

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bangtanfancamp · 5 years

Text

S.U.G.A

-yoongi x reader

-10k pieces of fluff

-your flaky best friend forgets you,yet again, leaving you to spend the day with the oddest boy you’ve ever met. But maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

College had been the best experience so far. After growing up so sheltered and in such a small town, this new world of experiences was such an exhilarating adventure. There were so many people, so many new stories. You loved it.

You had never been in the center of things like this before. Always observed but never joined in. But you felt alive here. One of your favorite things you’d found so far was the theater department. People there had so much life, so much wild exuberance and this abundance of passion- it was infectious. Every second you were there you felt yourself coming alive, and you were beyond enamored with it.

It was also how you’d met one of your best friends here, Taehyung. Goofy, handsome, extraordinary Kim Taehyung. Every day he’d be a different character- different hairstyles, hair colors, piercings, clothes. He was constantly reinventing himself. You never knew what to expect, but the thing that never changed was his gigantic heart and his contagious laughter.

Taehyung made everything bright and impossibly joyful. He was hilarious and could turn the mood of an entire group when he walked into a room. He was kind to everyone and loyal to a fault to the people he loved, especially his best friend Jimin. He was incredibly talented in so many ways. You were constantly in awe of him. To be honest, you were battling a massive crush on him that was quickly going nowhere, but you couldn’t help it. He was … him. He was so effortlessly himself and absolutely wonderful. He was Taehyung…But, truth be told, in spite of all these wonderful things, that boy was flaky as heck.

Which is exactly how you wound up here- standing on the threshold of his house for the past fifteen minutes with no answer. The two of you were supposed to rehearse a scene for one of your classes. It had been Taehyung’s idea for you to come over to his house in the first place. But 15 minutes, 5 texts and 3 calls later, he was nowhere to be found while you froze your legs off in the chilly spring air. You were not dressed for this… this outfit had been chosen for aesthetics, not practicality.

Finally, something began to buzz in your pocket. You snatched out your phone to be greeted with the contact photo he’d been so proud of- his handsome face smashed behind glass like he was trapped in your phone. Normally, it made you smile, but right now the best you could muster was snorting in annoyance as you answered the call, bringing it to your ear without bothering to say hello. You didn’t really have to. Taehyung started in immediately with-

“OH MY GOSH, ______, I am SO SORRY!!! I totally, completely forgot we had plans today! I am so sorry. I’m the worst!! the absolute worst! Do you hate me? I’d hate me. I’m so sorry,____. Ugh. I met for breakfast with Jimin and Mina and inspiration struck and well, we’re in the middle of dying Jimin’s hair.”

Huh. That was a new one. You certainly hadn’t gotten that excuse from anyone before.

“I’m so sorry,_____. I’ll make it up to you! I will. I promise I will. You know I’m good for it. Food later? On me? We can get your favorite- chipotle? Extra chips and everything.”

“And guac?” You added softly after a moment’s hesitation.

“YES! Oh my god YES! She still loves me guys!” He yelled back to the room.

“Yes! You can have all the guac in the world. You can have an entire swimming pool full of avocados if you forgive me!”

You rolled your eyes at him. Why did he have to be so cute all the time. How were you supposed to stay mad at that?

“Calm down,” you laughed. “You’re so Stupid. But what do I do now? While you’re still busy dying jimin’s hair…?”

“Silver! We’re dying it silver. It’s gonna look so good, ____, my piece de resistance. And maybe once he looks like a Greek god, he’ll finally have the nerve to ask that girl from economics out so we can STOP HEARING ABOUT IT EVERY- ow! Hey! that hurt! Show some respect. I hold your good looks in my hands!!” Tae shouted. Jimin must have smacked him for his comment. You couldn’t help but laugh.

“Tae,” you interrupted, attempting to grab his attention. “Tae!”

“Sorry, love. That heathen almost bruised me. What is it?”

A soft blush illuminated your cheeks at his casual endearment. You made a mental note to process the glory of his lips calling you “love” at another time- you know, when it wasn’t his fault that you were freezing your extremities off.

“I live across campus, Tae. I biked all the way over here to see you, and I really am in no mood or that kind of shape to just turn around and go back already. Plus, I’m freezing. It’s like the second coming of Jack Frost out here. I thought it was supposed to be warming up.”

“You’re totally right. The jacket I had to throw on completely ruined my look this morning. Tragic rockstar chic will have to wait for better weather,” he lamented. “Hey, why don’t you just crash at my place until I get back there? I don’t think any of my roommates are home. There’s free tv and you know where all the good snacks are. There’s a key in the mailbox.”

“Your mailbox? Isn’t that incredibly unsafe?” you scrutinized.

“Someone’s always losing one so we stuffed an extra in there. I will not be dragged out of bed at 2am to let someone and their hookup in when I have an audition the next day just because they can’t be bothered to keep up with their keys in the throes of passion,” he said disgustedly. Clearly this hypothetical had actually happened. Probably pretty recently gauging the fleeting irritation in his usually chipper tone. “Anyway, I’ll be home in two hours- tops! Promise! In the meantime, my home is your home.”

“Fine. But if you’re not here in two hours, you owe me ice cream after chipotle, and I intend to collect, good sir.”

“MUAH!” Tae blew kisses at you through the phone. “Of course, princess! Muah! love you! You’re the best!”

“Yes, I am,” you sassed, attempting to cover the spike in your heartbeat. “Now go, before you fry jimin’s hair off. He won’t know what to do with himself if there’s nothing to run his fingers through.”

“Yah! Could that happen?” Jimin’s clear voice piped up in the background. “You said this was foolproof!”

“It is! Don’t worry! I got this. I’m basically a pro” Tae hushed him. “___, bye my love! Don’t burn anything down cuz you’re mad at me.”

“No promises,” you smiled into the phone as Tae rushed to quip back before you ended the call with a click. “Well all right then, this isn’t weird at all.”

You fumbled around the mailbox until you found the key they’d taped on the inside. You debated whether you should bring the massive stack of mail in it inside with you. Clearly no one had checked it in a while but wasn’t it a crime to tamper with someone else’s mail? Did this count? Whatever. It needed to be done, and you knew Tae certainly wasn’t gonna do it so you gathered up the armful and let yourself inside.

This felt so strange, walking into someone else’s home. You’d been here before for parties and to watch movies- epic marathons of whatever Tae was currently immersing himself in or terrible foreign films you had to dissect and critique for class- and for Tae’s award show watch parties (the oscars were his film critic super bowl), but this was different. This was another animal entirely. Being in the silence of someone else’s home when they weren’t there felt vaguely like trespassing even though you had permission to be there. Tae was alright with it, but you weren’t sure if you were.

You dropped your massive canvas bag by the front door and made your way to the kitchen. He was right- at least you knew where the good food was. You’d been responsible for helping refill enough snack bowls at Tae’s parties.

Tae split the massive house with four other guys, but you’d only met a couple of them. Everyone’s schedule was so all over the place that you’d only met Namjoon and Jungkook- the first double majoring in philosophy and business so you hardly ever saw him but he seemed cool, and the latter was busy giving Jimin a run for his money in the dance department. The other two you had yet to meet.

Helping yourself to a bag of barbecue potato chips and a cold can of root beer, you made your way toward the living room when you suddenly realized how stupidly wrong Tae had been- You weren’t alone at all. There was a boy on the couch. An incredibly cute boy at that.

He was fully dressed in an over the top black and white outfit. Sleeves cut off the too long shirt, black shorts, striped socks and black high tops. He had on way too much chunky jewelry and a backwards black and white snapback. Hardly the sort of things someone wore to bum around in at home. He had a thick shock of maroon hair, and it looked like- was he wearing eyeliner? Yes…yes, he was. A thick band of it too. He was stretched across the sofa, eye closed, with a chunky set of headphones over his ears, and you could hear the bass in the music from here. That must be why he hadn’t heard you banging on the door half the morning.

You froze in the doorway, unsure of what to do with yourself. No one was supposed to be here. This was weird enough when you thought you were alone. Now this poor guy was gonna think someone had broken into his house, and he wouldn’t be entirely wrong. “God dang it, Taehyung. How do you always get me into crap like this when you’re not even here?” You groaned under your breath, about to turn around and slip out as quietly as you’d come in, when your company finally noticed you.

“Um, hello?” A low voice croaked out. It wasn’t as deep as Taehyung’s, but it had a certain kind of authority to it that made you still immediately.

“Oh…. h-hi there,” you waved meekly.

“Are you- did Namjoon- are you a guest of his?” The boy queried, squinting his inscrutable eyes at you and pushing one ear of his headphones back to hear your answer. God, he was even cuter than you’d thought.

“What? No, i’m…oh! You mean??? No! Dear god, no, I’m not one of Namjoon’s booty calls.” You balked.

He seemed to realize that he’d alarmed you and immediately sat up. “Hey, it’s okay if you were. We’re all adults here. I didn’t mean anything by it.” He puts his hands out, palms toward you- God they were pretty hands though- like he was trying not to startle an animal. You probably did look pretty jumpy at this point. What was in the water at this place that all the boys looked so unreal?

“There’s just… not usually pretty girls just wandering around the house in the middle of the day when I think I’m here alone. Just… trying to figure it out.” He explained.

“Oh,” you sighed. “That’s fair. I’m sorry there’s a…uh, stranger … in your house. I’m a friend of Taehyung’s. We were supposed to rehearse for a project today, and he totally forgot and bailed on me. I live over in the Hillman dorm so he said I could crash inside until he got here. I’m sorry. He said no one was home.”

Quietly, he nodded, taking your explanation in.

“I-I can go,” you began to drift backwards. “It’s not that big a deal. I can wait for Tae somewhere else.”

“Hey. No, it’s okay. Hillman’s clear across campus. That’s too far if you’re trying to get a hold of him. You can stay. On one condition.”

Quirking your eyebrow, you stilled at this. “Okayyy….what is it?

“You have to share those chips with me.” Simple enough. He leaned forward, elbows to knees, to whisper the next part conspiratorially,

“And you can’t tell anyone I let you steal one of my sodas and survive. It’ll ruin my credibility around here.” For the first time, he smiled. And boy, what a smile. The intensity of his demeanor dissolved instantly, replaced by this sweet, innocent smile that warmed his entire face. Something about it clutched at your chest in a way you hadn’t expected.

“Oh God, I stole your soda?” You groaned. “I’m really battin a thousand today, huh?”

Sighing, you trudged toward the couch as he pulled his feet back to make room for you. You flopped down on the far end of it and kicked your head back to look at the ceiling. “I’m really sorry about that…?” You rolled your neck over to look at him, voice lilting up at the end in a question.

“Yoongi,” he smirked.

“______,” you huffed back, annoyed with yourself for how this entire day had gone so far. You extended your hand toward his. “Nice to officially meet you.”

He hesitated, only for a second, his feline features sizing you up. Nobody had ever looked at you with this kind of scrutiny before. You couldn’t quite describe it. He wasn’t objectifying you. Honestly, it looked like he was just trying to figure you out. Like you might be the only person who knew the answer to a puzzle he’d been trying to solve for decades, and he’d gotten bored waiting for you to show up. You didn’t know what to do with that.

Slowly, he took your hand in his to shake it back. His hands were larger than you expected, strong with intricate veins running across the back of his palm. They were impossibly warm. You wondered what you’d gotten yourself in to.

“Likewise. I’m guessing I’m the last one to meet you?” He asked.

“Not quite.There’s still one other roommate I don’t think I’ve met yet. Tae told me his name. I think it was….is his name José..?”

“Hoseok.” Yoongi grunted, rolling his eyes absurdly far back in his head. “And no, you must not have. Trust me. You’d remember him.”

“Do you guys not get along? Sensing some tension here.” You also noticed Yoongi hadn’t seemed to let go of your hand yet. You cleared your throat, only to be met with a questioning look. You darted your eyes to where your hands were still joined as yoongi’s eyebrows shot up to hide beneath his shaggy bangs. He dropped your hand immediately like it was cursed. Geeze, He didn’t have to throw it like that. His contact had been kind of…nice.

“Sorry.. on a major sleep deficit over here. Must have spaced out.” He buried a hand in the hair at the nape of his neck .You wondered in passing if his hair felt soft.

“S’fine. So, what’s the deal with hoseok? What’s the hostility there?”

“There’s not. He’s my best friend. He just drives me nuts sometimes. He’s also the reason I’ve been up since 5am today.” He shook his head disgustedly.

“Good grief, why?” You were intrigued.

He pulled his headphones down to settle around his neck and straightened the backwards cap he had on.

“Isn’t that awful? I was having such a good night’s sleep too…Hobi is in the dance department. He has this assignment to create a visual project with students from another complimentary major so he pulled me and Namjoon in on it. Something about learning how to network…”

“I thought Joonie was a philosophy major?” your brow crinkled in confusion.

“He is. But little known fact- he’s also one of the best rappers on campus.”

You felt your eyes go wide before you could stop them. “Seriously?! I mean, I guess he’s got the voice for it.”

“Does the name RM mean anything to you?l

“Half the girls in my dorm want to throw their panties at him. They talk about him all the time- they never shut up about him actually. But I’ve never made it to one of his shows. Why?”

Yoongi’s eye sparkled, chuckling to himself. “That’s Namjoon.”

“SHUT. UP!” Stunned, you clapped your hand over your mouth. “you’ve GOT to be kidding!”

“No, he is. Scouts honor. So now that you know, are you gonna be one of those girls throwing your panties at him too?” Yoongi’s dark eyes glowed with mischief.

“I’ve known you 20 whole minutes and that’s already the second time you’ve insinuated that I want to be in Joon’s bed. Should I be offended by that?” You pressed your hand to your chest in mock disgrace, a challenge in your eyes.

Laughing, Yoongi ducked his head sheepishly.

“Dang,you’re right, aren’t you? My bad. I guess I’m just kind of used to that sort of traffic around here. But you seem like a nice girl. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Hmm, it’s fine.” You smiled. And it was…You had much bigger concerns- like did Tae ever bring other girls around? You weren’t sure why the thought of that bothered you so much. A boy as flirty and outgoing as him must take girls home all the time, but you couldn’t help the sharp pang of whatever this was that stung your chest. Strangely, you then wondered if yoongi ever did, a thought you quickly brushed aside as your stomach twisted. You didn’t much like that idea either.

“Honestly, I’m just waiting to find out if there’s an explanation for this get up of yours.” You gestured toward his body.

“Hey! This is a look.” His brows crumpled in defiance.

“Oh it’s quite a look all right. Very 2013.” You teased.

He huffed at you and readjusted his hat as he soundlessly mimicked you. You couldn’t help but laugh.

“Anyway! Namjoon, hobi and I are all rappers actually. We’ve messed around with some song writing, played a few gigs. They’ve gone pretty well so hobi took this project as an excuse to make a music video for us. Jungkook’s been thinking about switching to the film department so he roped him into being our cameraman.”

“Is that why you were up before God and the sun?”

“Yeah, hobi showed up banging on the door at the butt crack of dawn and brought these God awful outfits. He insisted that we wear them and smeared this ridiculous makeup all over us. Told us to stop complaining- that he always has to wear stage makeup for performances and to stop acting like we were above it,” he gestured annoyed at his face.

“I kinda like it….” you offered softly. You caught him curiously dart his eyes at you. “What? I think it looks good …on you. Makes your eyes look-intense. I certainly wouldn’t mess with you.”

He playfully snarled, baring his teeth at you.

“Well, at least that makes one of us. I think it looks ridiculous. I just don’t know how to take it off. Every time I try to, I just spread it around. Makes it worse”

“I see that,” You giggled. “ I can help you, if you want. After I find out the rest of the story.”

“Deal.” He arched a sinister eyebrow at you.

“So. Where was I ? Oh. 5am call time, ridiculous outfits, stupid makeup. He drags me, Namjoon and jungkook to the middle of a rooftop downtown and then hoseok decides he wants us all to learn this stupid choreography he’s come up with. For him that’s fine, it’s what he does. But I hate it- I can do it, don’t get me wrong - but I hate it. I just wanted to do what I came there for- rap- But he wouldn’t back down, he insisted on it since it was for his grade and his vision, whatever that means.

“So we spent the next 5 hours going over and over it all. I got it down too. At least I thought I did, until we started shooting and hobi became the worst director ever. I finally gave up and told him he could film my scenes tomorrow but I was done for the day. So I bounced. And here we are.” He spread his arms and crashed back against the couch, drawing a laugh from you.

“So hoseok is a dance nazi?” You asked, leaning forward to assess how to get all this makeup off Yoongi.

“Yep… i was too tired to change so I just crashed on the couch, ready to finally get some peace and quiet without him squawking at me every five seconds.” He scrunched his face in annoyance, shaking his head like he was reliving it again. He actually looked pretty adorable when he was frustrated.

“Sounds like you barely made it out alive,” you teased.

“You have no idea. I had to leave my dignity behind as a distraction.”

“Well, let’s see if we can help get you some of it back. I think I have some of those wipe thingies that get makeup off in my bag. Let me grab it.” You hopped off the sofa, sundress swinging around your hips, and bounded toward the door. You returned moments later with your giant canvas tote.

“Dang.. You sure taehyung stood you up? I think you lost him somewhere in that bag. I can hear him crying for help,” Yoongi snickered, shoving a chip in his mouth.

Blushing, you clutched it closer to your body.

“Ha ha. I just never know what I’m gonna need- so I bring everything.”

“I can see that,” he teased.

“And if I didn’t, then you wouldn’t be one step closer to not looking like the joker anymore, so hush will you?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Yoongi smirked, raising his hands in surrender. It made your pulse quicken for some reason. Taking a calming breath, you sat back down beside him, much closer this time.

“May I ?” You asked, reaching for his hat.

“Sure.” He smiled warmly at you.

You gently moved the cap back and his thick hair flopped forward into his eyes. He attempted to blow his fringe out of his eyes, trying to sit still for you, but with no luck. You gingerly reached out to push his hair back for him and couldn’t help but notice how his chest stilled at your touch.

Gosh, you barely knew this guy. What were you doing? You’d help put on and take off makeup a million times for shows and parties. Why did this feel so different?

“Don’t let this be weird. This is gonna have to come off somehow right? So just um, close your eyes for me okay?”

“You got it, boss.” He mumbled, lashes fluttering shut over his cheeks.

“Do you- are those fake eyelashes Yoongi?” You tried to stifle your laughter.

“Did he -are you serious ? God I don’t know what he was doing. I was half asleep when he did this to me.”

“And foundation?”

“Yeahhhhh, that I know. Again, not my idea.”

“You poor thing,” a giggle spilling from your lips that you tried to pull back. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Just relax for me okay?.”

“This is as relaxed as I get.” He quipped, but you couldn’t help but notice the smile tugging on the ends of his lips.

Lifting his chin with your forefinger and thumb,

You went to work carefully removing the terribly applied lash strip clinging desperately to one eye. His eyeliner had been so thick you hadn’t caught it all this time. His eyelids fluttered with relief after the sticky thing was removed, his face twisting and stretching like he was trying to feel if he was himself again.

Once free of it, you carefully followed the curves of face to help him get the rest of the eye makeup off. It wasn’t until you were this close that you could take in just how beautiful he was. With his eyes closed, you took a moment to really savor his features. They were so delicate but so perfect. The ridge of his jaw was so smooth, his skin beneath the makeup perfectly polished marble.

He noticed your stillness and smiled.

“Everything all right out there?”

Startled out of your day dream, you scrambled back to work. “Of course. Just assessing the damage.”

“Whatever you say,” he smirked. He seemed to be warming up around you. He so was easy to talk to despite his pensive aura. You liked talking to him.

“What’s yours by the way?”

“My what?”

“Your major. What’s your story?”

“Nothing particularly interesting I’m afraid. I’m undeclared right now. Every person I meet here seems so incredibly talented. Even if you just look at the people who live in this house- painters, philosophers, actors, filmmakers, dancers, poets….rappers. I had no idea a person could be so many things. Every time I think I know what I want to pursue, I find out five more options and I’m back to square one.” You dabbed at a particularly stubborn spot along the corner of his eye.

“i guess I’m still trying to find where I fit. Growing up I thought you had to find one thing, stick to it, perfect it and that became your future. Became who you were. But… I don’t think it’s that simple anymore.”

“People are more complex than we give them credit for. They evolve so much over time. It’s hard to ever really know someone.” Yoongi mused.

“What about you?” You asked softly.

“Oh, uh-Music production,” he responds quietly, almost a whisper.

Impressive. That was one of the hardest programs to get into here.

“That’s… dang. You any good?” You nudged his ribs with your elbow. Despite his thin frame, he actually felt quite solid.

“Who knows” he shrugged. “ but I love it.” He mumbled the last part almost as an afterthought. Like he wasn’t sure he wanted to share it. You tucked your feet beneath you as you got comfortable on the couch, increasingly intrigued by the boy before you.

“That’s really cool. But I meant does anybody really know you?” it felt like a strange question, but you were so intrigued by him- you were honestly just trying to figure out if there was anyone he’d let close enough to crack his algorithm.

“people know as much as I let them know.” He said thoughtfully.

“But..doesn’t that get lonely?” You brushed along his cheekbone, noting how quickly the conversation had veered in a heavy direction.

Yoongi was quiet for a beat. Slowly, he exhaled before simply answering “yes.”

Softly, your hands fell away from his face and folded in your lap. Yoongi cleared his throat, but you remained silent. You hadn’t expected him to share something like that with you so easily. What could you possibly say now?

He reached up run his fingers over his face as his eyes fluttered open.

“Are we finished? Am I myself again?”

You nodded gently. “All clear,” a smile ghosting across your lips.

“Ya! Finally!!” He stretched his arms out wide, shaking his head dramatically. “I can breathe again! Aaagh!! I could kiss you.” Yoongi didn’t seem to notice the impact of his words on you, too busy enjoying his freedom.

“comments like that and you’re busy worried about girls wandering out from Namjoon’s bed….” you mumbled to yourself.

“What was that?” He asked, neck twisting over his shoulder to look back at you. You blushed and dropped your eyes.

“Oh! Nothing. Don’t worry about it.” You tried to cover for yourself, how well you didn’t know. He shrugged, unbothered and lifted himself from the couch.

“Hey, i’m gonna change out of the rest of this.” He slipped his thumb beneath one of his chunky gold chains. “Finally got some momentum now that my face is back in order.” His smile was a bit lopsided and it made you want to kiss the corner of it.

“Glad to have inspired you. Maybe I should head out…”

“Why?” He grunted. “You just got here. Sit tight. We can watch a movie.” With that, he left. Off and down the hallway, he disappeared with a click.

Welp, this was an interesting turn of events. You crossed your legs, feet tucked beneath you as you spread the skirt of your dress over them. You felt strangely nervous now, despite his invitation. You barely knew him so why were so glad he had asked you to stay? You took a sip of your soda and glanced around the room, fidgety and restless, eventually pulling out your phone hoping that scrolling through it would distract you from waiting for your unexpected company.

Soon enough, yoongi returned, plopping on the sofa, albeit much closer than he’d been before. You were still wedged against the left arm of it but he’d planted himself mid sofa this time, not on the other end. There was still distance but not enough to calm your pulse. He’d changed into a long black sweater. The sleeves were too long and spilled over his knuckles, while his legs were adorned in fitted black jeans with a rip in the knee that stretched as he shifted to find a comfortable position. You could tell he felt more like himself this way, his demeanor had shifted. It was easier, lighter, more open. It suited him.

“So,” he broke the silence,” what kind of movies do you like to watch? And Please don’t tell me you’re as much of a snob as taehyung.” He turned his face to look at you.

“No,” you laughed. “I’m not. He is a bit hard to please in that department, isn’t he?”

“You have no idea. Last week, jungkook was watching transformers in here and Tae practically gave him an entire dissertation on how much he hated Michael Bay’s cinematography.” Yoongi shook his head, disgruntledly.

“Yeah, that sounds like him. Though transformers is hardly a masterpiece. Is that your kind of film?”

His face scrunched,” I don’t think it’s anyone’s kind of film. That movie is mindless- just bombs, butts and boobs. It’s just something to have on in the background. I’m not invested enough to care that much.”

“So, what do you like then?”

His crooked smile was back. “Ah, ah, you never answered my question,” he tutted at you. “I have seniority here and I asked you first. So spill.” There was a challenge in his eyes, but a whimsy in them too. Like if you answered, correctly he might have a prize for you.

“Honestly?”

“Honestly.”

“Okay, you’re gonna think this is silly but….” you drew in a breath.

“Ilikemusicals” you blurted out all at once and Yoongi laughed- truly deeply big belly laughed. Shocked at his reaction, you fought back the urge to pop him in the shoulder.

“What’s so bad about that!? Gosh you said it like you were confessing your had leprosy..or herpes. Everybody likes musicals.” He said flippantly.

“Hardly. Nobody in my town growing up liked musicals. The theater kids were weirdos.” You frowned, arms wrapped protectively to your body. eyes suddenly occupying themselves with a particularly fascinating stain on the carpet as you avoided yoongi’s gaze.

“Well, that sucks. But it just means you grew up around narrow minded people. Anyone worth their fine arts credit loves La La Land around here.” He leaned over to bump his elbow to your arm, face dipping to find your eyes. “Now will you look at me again?”

You felt yourself unfurl a little bit as you reached to tuck your hair behind your ear and found that lopsided grin you felt yourself yet again reacting to. “Fine. I accept my punishment.” You attempt to sneer but it comes out far too soft, all the ferocity of a fluffy little herbivore.

“We both know looking at me isn’t a punishment.” His eyes drift sideways at you, a high eyebrow arched as he extends his neck and lifts his chin to display his profile for you, elegant hands tracing the crook of his jawline and the length of his throat. Oh god……was it normal for your pulse to hitch like that? Time to get this back under control.

“Confident boy.” You tipped your head to the side, and Yoongi’s smile grew so wide you could see all of his teeth.

“That I am- when I wanna be, I guess. I can see why Tae likes having you around,_____. You’re a fun girl.” He stated it plainly like it was the most obvious fact in the world. Tae. You were supposed to be waiting for him.You’d gotten so wrapped up in yoongi that you’d stopped watching the clock ages ago. How strange. Tae normally occupied so much of your brain space but right now the only thing on your mind was Yoongi. Shocking how quickly your attention had been usurped by this new boy.

“Thanks. You’re bad not at all, Yoongs. That eyeliner led me astray.”

He snorted with deep throaty chuckle. “Yoongs? Is that what you just called me?”

“What if it is?” You teased. Uh oh, did he not like that?

“Then I take back my previous compliments.”

“Wow. Is that really all it takes to fall out of your good graces?” You feigned offense.

“Apparently yes. Cuz that was god awful. Never call me that again. You really think that was gonna be the winner?” He deadpanned as he looked sideways at you, hand poised on his knee flicking through the TV guide.

“I was just testing it out. I’ve already seen you barefaced, I thought maybe we were close enough for nicknames.” You attempted to shrug nonchalantly.

His feline eyes squinted over at you again. God, he was hard to read when he wanted to be. But then that whisper of a smile was back creeping up the side of his lips and you felt yourself finally exhale.

“Fair enough,” he nodded with a soft laugh. “Just not that one. There are much better names you could be calling me.” He bit his bottom lip playfully, eyebrows wiggling and disappearing behind his scarlet fringe.

“Gross. Hard pass.” You tried to make your face a mask of disinterest, but behind the veil you felt your chest collapsing. This boy. He erupted into bright laughter, almost cackling at you.

“God you’re cute when you’re uncomfortable. I can see right through you.” He reached over to pinch at your cheek. For a few dazed seconds, you let him. You were so caught off guard by his touch you didn’t know if you should stop it. Eventually you wriggled your face away, huffing at his long fingers. Was cute a good thing ? In your experience attractive boys tended to friend zone “cute” girls. It was usually a glorified step above being called their sister. But yoongi didn’t say it like that… you wondered.

“So hotshot, since my ideas out of contention, what’s yours then? What do they call you on stage?” You recrossed your arms beneath your cleavage and stared defiantly at him. His eyes flicked down just for a second before they fell away, tongue peeking out to the edges of his smile.

“What do you mean?” He asked.

“You know, what name do you rap under?” Your eyes went a little round, hoping you’d asked that right.

“Ah. It’s kind of.. I don’t know. Say what you will, I guess.” He ruffled the hair at the back of his head. “Suga. I go by Suga.”

A snort flew out of you before you could stop it. “Seriously? And you gave me crap about Yoongs?”

“I know. I know. It’s a long story. But I’m kind of attached to it now.” His smile was soft, like he truly was terribly fond of the moniker.

“I don’t know. You’re gonna have to convince me on that one.” You lifted a quizzical brow at him. His eyes glistened at your challenge and suddenly you didn’t fee quite as in charge anymore.

“It makes for a great intro on my verses when I’m working with the guys.”

“Oh really? Show me.” You weren’t sure where that came from.

“Feisty. Okay.” He reached in his pocket to pull out his phone. He thumbed around looking for something on it until he smirked triumphantly. His intense gaze returned you and his lips snaked into a smile. Why was he looking at you like that? Like he was going to devour you and have fun while he did it.

“I have one condition.”

“Again with the conditions. What is it this time?” This was all a game to him. It made you feel like a rubiks cube- you weren’t if he was trying to solve you or you were trying to solve him- but he was so god dang intriguing that you were willing to play along either way.

With his gaze locked on you, he breathed, “You have to close your eyes.”

“What?” You felt your brows pinch together.

“I’m serious. Close them. You’ll thank me later.” He winked, his grin all teeth.

“Uh huh. Sure… fine.” You pivoted toward him with a bounce, settling into your new position. You tucked your hair behind both ears. “Whatever you’ve got- impress me.” You waved your fingers in the air mystically.

He chuckled. “Calm down, Scarlet witch. Just enjoy.”

In the silence, you heard him shuffle and felt the couch dip. He was right in front of you now. Carefully, you stretched your fingers out only to retract them immediately when they brushed the denim on his shin. “Oof, Sorry.”

“Can’t keep your hands to yourself all ready. I didn’t even start the verse yet.” The smile in his voice was so endearing despite his cocky words. You twisted your face into a mocking smile and stuck your tongue out at him. He could be such a smug little- Wait. Oh… was he gonna? Suddenly, a digital beat started to play from his phone. It was intricate and layered-the bass in it was addictive and rhythmic. The production was impeccable. You wondered if he’d made it.

The couch shifted again and yoongi leaned in toward your ear. You could feel his breath tickling your skin and it made you shiver. After a few seconds of an intro, you heard him inhale to begin and as promised, his verse began with a velvet smooth “Suga”- a breathy whisper that tumbled out of his lips and fell tingling down your spine. Oh god.

He began to rap fluidly over the beat in a mixture of Korean and english, his voice gravelly and deep as he played with melodies and timing. You’d never heard anyone sound like that. He played with the textures of the noises he made, sometimes sounding so aggressive it almost came across as a snarl but other times sounding so smooth and gentle that his throaty voice felt altogether too intimate. He got to a point in the flow of it where the melody was delivered like a spoken word- not quite singing but not quite talking- his voice dipping into an octave that rivaled taehyung’s. It was potent and sticky like dark honey. His voice was delicious .

At one point, he was so close to you that you felt the tip of his nose drag against your cheekbone, his breath ghosting in puffs over your neck between his lyrics. And His voice then- God, it was the sexiest thing you’d ever heard. The intensity of it, even at a whisper was overwhelming.

Two verses later, you could tell from the waning dynamics in the music that the song was coming to a close. Just before it ended, he held on until the very last beat before whispering a final “Suga” against your skin to close it out, the music dropping out completely. You felt him trying to catch his breath as he pulled back from your ear. You weren’t sure if you were ready to look at him again just yet.

You swallowed thickly, hands crumpling the skirt fabric in your lap. Slowly, your eyes fluttered open to see the tip of yoongi’s nose dangerously close to yours. His smile was positively wicked but there was laughter in his eyes. He was exhilarated to see how you were going to respond to him. There was a dazzling light radiating off of him as he took in your dazed reaction.

“That was… um, wow.” was all you could manage to get out. “Are all your shows like that?”

“Oh absolutely. I just weave through an entire crowd of strangers whispering in their ears for the entire night. Real abstract. Only one person hears me at a time.” He squinted dubiously at you, his smile never wavering.

“I mean you never know, it’s an odd school. Lots of artistic weirdos around here.” You felt the dissonance between your words and your own face. Your eyes were probably soft and dreamy right now- and you could feel your mouth parting open without your permission. You were trying to keep up the witty repartee but your body felt a little like it was short circuiting.

“You’re not wrong. There’s this one weirdo who’s been hanging around my house the whole day. She even ransacked my kitchen and took all the good snacks-But between you and me, she’s kind of adorable. I’d kinda like to see more of her.” His eyes sparkled with a sincerity that caught you off guard.

“Oh? Maybe if she knew why a grumpy boy calls himself Suga, she’d be inclined to stop by more often.” What were you doing? What were you even saying? It was hard to get any oxygen to your brain when he was looking at you like that.

His laugh was soft, his cheeks pinching the edges of his beautiful eyes as he smiled. “I used to love to play basketball in high school.”

“Aren’t you a little um, short for that?” You giggled at the mental picture.

“Not too short to love it. Jerk.” He scrunched his nose at you in defiance, but his crooked smile never wavered. “I was actually a really good shooter. One of the best in my school. I had just started messing around with music back then and Namjoon was pressing me to come up with a name for myself. Basketball was what I knew best so I thought it should come from there. He made a joke about the position I played, shooting guard, but mumbled it in Korean. The first part of it sounded like Sugar and he gave me crap about how ironic it was that someone as sarcastic as me should be called that. And It just kind of stuck. Over time it dropped to just Suga, and it was stupid but i kind of liked it. It was different from everyone else, that was for sure.” His smile was a little goofy- you liked it. He was proud of his names story even if he acted like he wasn’t.

“So,….Suga. I get it now. I like it.” You looked at him sweetly.

“Yeah?” That playful spark was back.

“Yeah. Suga… suga… Suga…” You tried it out in different ways, letting it tumble out of your mouth honeyed and soft. His bottom lip snagged under his teeth, something a little darker rolling over his eyes.

“Careful, Princess. I’m not beetlejuice.” Oh. You liked it when he called you that. He was moving closer somehow. Not that he had much further to go anyway, you already felt like you were practically in his lap at this point. Your reflection was clear in his dark eyes until his gaze flicked down to your lips.

“You were when I found you on the couch.” You countered, feeling unsteady. His laugh in response was so sweet. His teeth lit up his grin as he shook his head at you.

“Touché. But I told you- not my choice.” Something in his gaze shifted, his voice getting deeper, more coarse, like he didn’t want to say the next words too loud.

“Hey…. I know.. we just met but, you- I like this. A lot. You really should come around more often. But… for me this time.” He was smiling, but there was no part of him that made this feel like a joke. There was a solidness to his words, a pleasant gravity to his expression. He was looking at you like he wanted to give you the whole world. His eyes were on your lips again, and you wet them as best you could considering how dry your mouth had suddenly become. This wasn’t a game anymore.

“And… why should I do that?” The question came out more breathy than you planned.

“So we can do this again,” and just like that Yoongi’s head dipped down, his lips pressed soft as a cloud against yours. You felt yourself gasp at his boldness, before completely dissolving into the sweetness of his kiss. It was slow and gentle, like he was in no hurry at all. His breath was sweet, his lips languid as he took his time with you. He kept his hands to himself, as if that was too much to do all at once and he could only handle so much of you. The kiss became still, crawling to a smooth stop, his lips tender as you both caught your breath with each other.

When he pulled away, his smile was impossibly wide, his nose nuzzling against yours as if he needed to find a way to prolong touching you even with the kiss ended. If this was another game of his, he was incredibly proud of the play he’d just made. He searched your doe eyes with wonder,

waiting for your counter move. The excitement was killing him and he loved it.

Something like this had never happened to you before. You’d shared awkward first kisses before with boys you’d grown up with. Clunky, nervous things exchanged on your front porch or the front seat of their car when it seemed like the logical thing to do at the end of the night that swiftly went nowhere. They’d been strange and inorganic and nothing had ever come of them.

But this- this was entirely different. Yoongi’s kiss was magnificent. Falling into his touch felt like watching a flower unfurl it’s petals in the brightness of the sun- warm and fantastic and the way it was always supposed to be. You felt your fingertips reach up to brush over where his lips had been. A crackle of electricity tingled as you replayed it in your mind. How was any of this possible? How did this happen?

“Yoongi….”

“Yes, Princess?”’ he licked his lips, happily awaiting your response.

“I barely know you. I- I don’t do this.” Your wide eyes searched his.

“That’s okay. No rush. I can tell.” He smirked.

“What ? How? Oh- god, was it bad?” A panicked line creased between your brows.

“Oh god no. That was fantastic.” He brushed his nose against yours. Laughter spilling from his lips. “Ten out of ten first kiss. I’m ready to find out how the second one goes whenever you are.” He winked. “No, I can tell because you have been the cutest shade of pink ever since I let you go. You look like a strawberry.”

Embarrassed, You quickly reached up to cover the blush on your cheeks that had given you away as Yoongi’s kind laughter floated around you.

“Hey, it’s okay. Don’t hide it. Its sweet.” He softly pulled your hands back and leaned in to plant a kiss to the apple of each of your glowing cheeks. He playfully pretended to bite one of them. “You are so cute. Not gonna lie, this is the first time I’ve ever been glad Tae can’t be on time to save his life. Something good finally came out of it.”

You felt your cheeks get warmer. You actually felt a tingle of heat brush across them under Yoongi’s impossibly happy eyes. “Hey yoongi?”

“Yeah, ___?” He answered, his smile a riot of stars and sunlight.

“I think I’m ready for that second kiss now.” Your breathing was a tangled mess but you managed to get your sentence out before Yoongi’s broad hands cradled your cheeks and pulled you in again.

“Don’t have to tell me twice.”

This kiss was brighter than the first. Yoongi held back just a little less, thumbs caressing your face, fingers slipping into your hair. You swore you could feel him smiling as he kissed you, his teeth coming to nip at your bottom lip every now and then. It caused a flurry of giggles to spill out of you that only encouraged him.

“God, you have the best laugh.” Yoongi whispered into your mouth. You felt the weight of him begin to press against your chest as you leaned back against the arm of the couch. He slipped between you and the couch to lay beside you, his hand caught on your waist, thumb brushing into your stomach. His warm tongue found its way into your mouth, causing a soft sigh to melt out of you. Your arms came to wrap around his neck, hands buried in his luscious crimson hair. You both became so tangled with each other that you didn’t hear the lock on the front door until-

“_____ ? and yoongi?” It was Jimin’s crystal clear voice floating through the house. And that meant- Taehyung was finally home.

“Shut up, you’re kidding!” Came Tae’s booming baritone. Startled, you sat bolt upright on the couch, pulling away from Yoongi. You snatched a pillow into your lap as you fussed with your disheveled hair. Yoongi couldn’t stop laughing as Tae rounded the corner, wide eyed and a bit stunned.

“What is this? How did this happen?” He pressed his palm flat to his chest in shock

“You left her alone all day! Someone had to keep her company.” Yoongi’s eyes never left you. His gaze was a little wild then, triumphant as he took in the state of you- beautiful and rattled. Once again, he found your wide eyed innocence enchantingly adorable. He looked a mess-his hair was sticking up in crazy directions, his lips puffy from where you tugged on them- and he didn’t mind one bit. He loved it.

“Tae, why didn’t you text me that you were on your way?” You couldn’t bring yourself to look at him, a fact that only made Yoongi giggle.

“I did! But you didn’t respond. I thought you were mad at me so I tried to get here sooner. But it seems I could have taken my time.” He wiggled his eyebrows playfully. “I can leave again, let you get back to what I interrupted.” He offered teasingly.

“Would you? We were having the best time before you ruined it.” Yoongi muttered, completely straight faced up at Taehyung. You were mortified as Taehyung cane behind you to scoop you up into a hug. He placed a smacking kiss into the top of your hair.

“Stop it. I don’t want to hear a single word about this, Tae.” You buried your face in your hands.

“Why? I love this! You two are so cute together! I honestly have no idea why I didn’t set you guys up sooner!” He rolled his eyes at himself.

“What?” You twisted to look up at him.

“Oh, I’ve wanted to find you a nice guy for ages. I thought about trying to play matchmaker with you and Jimin but then he got stuck on that girl in economics. Who he WILL ASK OUT NOW THAT WE SPENT AN ENTIRE DAY MAKING HIM LOOK LIKE A DISNEY PRINCE!!!” Taehyung shouted toward the kitchen.

“Ya! I will ask her out when I’m good and ready! Back off!!!” Jimin shot back. He sounded like his mouth was full. He was probably depleting the stash of Oreo cookies.

“You better! I’ll kill you myself if you let my hard work go to waste!… anyway. Yeah, I could tell you had a little thing for me. But I’m married to my career right now. I needed to find you a sweet boy to take care of you. But maybe I was looking at this wrong. Perhaps, you’re the sunshine our Oscar the Grouch needs around here.” Taehyung prattled off, reaching a long arm to muss with Yoongi’s wild hair. Your eyes went wide at his casual profession about the feelings you’d had for him. He knew? That brat knew? God, how embarrassing.

“Hey!” Yoongi swatted at him, pulling you back from Tae’s embrace. “Are you crazy? You can’t just say things like that, you idiot. You’re gonna hurt her feelings.” Yoongi scowled at his friend as he held you protectively.

“Woah, woah woah, wait- you knew too?” You pressed yourself away from Yoongi to look in his eyes, trying to decide how you felt about all of this.

“Not explicitly. No. I’d heard that Tae had a really cute friend he brought around all the time and it seemed like he was too clueless to do anything about it. I didn’t know he was enough of an idiot to friend zone you.” He defended.

“Then why did you keep asking me about Namjoon?” Your brows furrowed.

“ Because at first, I genuinely had no clue who were. Once I figured it out, i didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. Plus, I kept trying to figure out why Tae was being such an idiot by not pursuing you.” He answered honestly.

“Hey! I’m literally right here.” Taehyung pouted.

“And that’s where you’ll stay if you ever realize how stupid you were for missing out on her.” Yoongi stated matter of factly.

“I am aware of what a catch she is, Yoongi. She is my best friend. Which is why I’ll dump all your recording equipment in the bathtub if you ever hurt her.” Taehyung crossed his arms, sticking his tongue out petulantly at Yoongi.

At some point, Jimin had silently entered the room, cheeks sure enough stuffed full with cookies as he watched the drama unfold. As promised, his hair really was a delicately coiffed silver now. The icy locks were side parted and swept off his face, making him look impossibly regal even with his mouth full of sweets. Perhaps Taehyung was in the wrong line of work altogether.

“Don’t you dare. Do you have any idea how much that equipment cost?” Yoongi’s scowl was a bit terrifying.

“It isn’t worth near as much as my best friend’s heart.” Taehyung insisted nobly.

“I thought I was your best friend?” Jimin piped up from across the room, his cheeks a bit pouty at the realization that he may have been one upped.

“And will be again once you grow a pair and talk to Sandy.” Taehyung quipped.

“Sasha.” Jimin deepened his pout.

“Whatever. Maybe I’ll remember once ive actually met her and she’s finally your girlfriend instead of just figment that you whine about all the time. Chop, chop, kid. You’ll graduate before you even take her to coffee at this point. Besides, I can have two best friends, Jiminie. There are no rules against it. But anyway! The point is that ____ and Yoongi are a great match and I ship it even if I didn’t start it.” He lifted his chin proudly.

“Thank you? I think?” You were still a bit baffled st the way this whole day had panned out. You glanced over at Yoongi again who at some point had taken your hand in his, busily brushing circles over your knuckles. His touch was grounding, and strangely pleasant on this bizarre day.

“Of course, darling. You have my blessing. Both of you.” Tae kissed you both on the forehead, an action that had Yoongi swinging at him again which only made Tae hug him tighter against his will. “You know you love it! We’ll spend even more time around each other now that you’re dating the best person I know.”

“You know me.” Jimin muttered defeatedly, popping an entire cookie in his mouth.

“It’s not the same thing, Jiminie! You know this. Insecurity is a very unattractive trait. Stella won’t give you the time of day if you keep this up,you know.” Taehyung said exasperatedly.

“Sasha. Her name is Sasha. And she likes me just fine. She said she likes sweet quiet guys.” Jimin smiled bashfully to himself. It was absolutely adorable.

“Well hey! We can work with that! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Taehyung practically leapt off the couch to congratulate his friend. “Come on, lets go regroup then. Figure out where to take it from here. ______, we still on for chipotle and rehearsal later?” He called back over his shoulder as he herded Jimin back to the kitchen, snatching the pack of cookies away from him, claiming they’d only make Jimin’s baby face more puffy.

“Of course! 4 o clock sharp this time?” You answered.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, darling.” Tae beamed back.

“Oh, but don’t worry about ice cream. Yoongi’s gonna take me to get that.” You smiled over at the boy beside you, who seemed pleasantly surprised at your words.

“Oh am I now? That’s news to me.” Yoongi’s eyes sparkled with mischief again.

“Absolutely. You owe me for saving you from that clown makeup. And for letting you survive after embarrassing me like that.” You smacked his shoulder, and he pretended to crumple into the sofa.

“God dang, woman. That upper body strength. Chill out.” He laughed warmly at you. “Fine. I’ll comply. One one condition.”

“This again?” You arched an eyebrow at him.

“Yes, this again.” He mimicked, a little too accurately. It had you biting down on your lip to keep from completely cutting him off with your laughter.

“I will take you on a proper ice cream date today- unlimited toppings, whipped cream, extra cherries, the whole nine yards- if you promise to to come to my show this Friday night.” He was poised on the couch like a cat ready to pounce, eyes meticulous as they studied your reaction.

“I don’t know if you’re prepared for how hard I go on ice cream toppings, sir. Your whole chunk of the rent is gone -pfft- that fast.” You poked him in the chest lightly.

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take….as long as you leave the show with me and not Namjoon.” His eyebrows wiggled suggestively and you smacked him again.

“OH MY GOSH! Are you serious?” You fell into a fit of giggles as a bright, smiling Yoongi pulled you close again.

“Yeah, Im absolutely serious. I’m playing from behind. Everyone else here knows you better.” The edges of his eyes crinkled as he smiled so wide they almost disappeared. He kissed the tip of your nose, leaning his forehead against yours. “Hey. Honestly though, I have a really good feeling about this.” He whispered, that sincerity flashing brilliant in his eyes again.

“You know what’s crazy?”

“What?”

“ I do too.”

This time it was you to initiate the kiss. It was little, just something quick and sweet, but Yoongi loved it.

“Aaaaawwww! SO CUTE! I could die!” Taehyung shouted from around the corner.

“Oh my god, not again.” You pulled away from Yoongi’s embrace.

“Wanna go get that ice cream now?” Yoongi stood, offering his hand to you.

“Abso-freaking-lutely.” Your eyes were wide with annoyance at Taehyung as Yoongi pulled you up from the sofa and you both headed toward the door.

“Don’t do anything too crazy, Kids!” Taehyung shouted.

“I’m going to kill you!” Yoongi deadpanned.

“But not until after you bring ____ back for rehearsal. 4 o clock sharp! Remember!” Tae tutted at him.

Smiling warmly at the two boys, you hopped over to Tae to kiss him on the cheek. “Yes, mom. We’ll be back in little while.”

“You better. I don’t know how I feel about you liking another boy better than me.I’m not used to having to share you.” He muttered, but there was a smile in his eyes.

“Hey, you’re my best friend. That’s not changing. You know that.” You bumped his hip with yours.

“I know. ____, I meant what I said about the bathtub. If he gets too handsy or becomes a total bore and ruins all your fun, just let me know and I’ve got you. Splash, splash- just like that, okay? Gotta take care of my best girl.” He whispered, winking at you.

“I know, Tae. Thank you. I’ll see you later, okay?” You squeezed his arm lovingly as he nodded kindly at you before you bounced back to Yoongi’s side, slipping your fingers between his. His entire face lit up at the contact.

“What was that about?” Yoongi asked as you both made your way through the front door.

“Nothing. Just getting Tae’s proper blessing.” You beamed at him.

“Well in that case,” Yoongi bent down and picked you up. You squealed wildly as he carried you down the sidewalk to his car, joggers and pedestrians giving you both the most unbearable side eye as they passed by.

“Yoongi! Put me down!” You giggled.

“On one condition….”

Oh dating him was going to be fun.

~fin~

#min yoongi #bangtanfancampfics #bts writing #bts scenarios #bts imagines #bts fanfics #min yoongi fanfic #suga fanfic #suga x reader #yoongi x reader #bts kim taehyung #kim taehyung x reader #jimin x reader #namjoon x reader #rapper!yoongi

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forallyourikemensengokuneeds · 5 years

Text

Lessons learned ch 9

Mitsuhide was sitting in his office knowing she was in her morning class. It had been an eventful weekend, in fact, he couldn't think of any other time in his life so much happened. He was sitting back with a grin on his face knowing he not only had the best weekend of his life but he also knew it was only going to get better. He looked at the picture of the ultrasound that he had scanned and made a copy of and it had a small frame around it. He began to think of names and had a small list he would bring up to her. Though he knew the final choice would be hers he also knew that she was at a loss when it came to names as she didn't want to think of to much before the last weekend still not sure if she was making the best decision for the child. Now she had things at her hands she didn't have before, namely him.

"You look happy for once." The culinary arts professor walked in with a bowl of food that he placed on the desk for the man. He looked down at the picture on the desk. "What's that?"

"My son." Mitsuhide said as he stretched back into his hair.

"Your what?" the younger man asked as he was surprised.

"My son." Mitsuhide said chuckling.

"How come you never said anything before this?" Masamune said as he flopped into his chair.

"I had my reasons." Mitsuhide he looked at the food. "Thanks for the food but I already ate this morning."

"You ate this morning?" Masamune asked.

"She cooked for me before we left." Mitsuhide said as he smiled in a way that none of the other professor had seen before.

"She?' Masamune asked.

"Not sure the word I would use to describe her. She isn't just my girlfriend since she is also the mother of my child." Mitsuhide said, "Significant other doesn't work to much either. She is simply everything important to me."

"So who is she?" Masamune asked.

"That my friend will have to remain a mystery for a while." Mitsuhide said as he straightened his tie and stood. "Now I have a class to go teach."

"I'll see you later then." Masamune said as he also stood and they walked out of the office and Mitsuhide turned and locked his office door. He pocketed the keys and went to the lecture hall and opened the doors as he walked down to the small stage and he smiled at his class and began the lesson.

Noelle was meeting with her counseler after her class and she was on point for graduation in a month. There was no way she could fail her classes and she was down. She smiled and headed to Mitsuhide's office. She was on cloud nine as she made her way across campus. She saw a group of her old friends and she wasn't going to let the sight of them get her down.

"Noelle?" one called out as she ran over. "Holy crap you are getting huge."

"Thanks." Noelle said as she laughed. She was wearing one of the outfits that Mitsuhide had got her a few days prior. She did have to admit that they did fit better than her old clothes.

"So how is it going?" shelia asked.

"Well." Noelle said.

"Really? I thought you were cut off from your family." Shelia asked.

"I was. I found something better." Noelle said. "Right now though I have to get to work."

"Yeah I heard you got the job working as professor Akechi's TA. That has to be hard. He is such a dickhead." Sheila said.

"I don't find him to be." Noelle said. "But I do have to go or I will be late."

"Well good luck I guess." Sheila said as Noelle walked away.

Noelle muttered to herself that she didn't need luck anymore.she made her way to the office building that Mitsuhide's office was in and she went up the two flights of stairs and went to his office which the door was closed. She knocked and was called in. she opened the door and saw him standing behind his desk stretching. He looked at her and smiled.

"Well hello Miss Hanson. Shut the door please we have some work to do." Mitsuhide said as he looked at her.

"Yes, professor Akechi." She said as she shut the door.

"Lock it." He said as she shut the door.

"You have office hours." She said.

"I canceled them for today." He said as he walked over to her and pressed her back into the door.

"Mitsuhide." She whispered.

"Oh my love." He said as he bent down and kissed her hard. "I have been waiting to see you. Do you know how hard it was not to go and find you after your class?"

"I went to the counselor to make sure I would be getting my diapolma next month." She said.

"And?" he asked as he kissed her neck.

"I'm scheduled to get it." She smiled.

"Good girl. We will have to celebrate." He said with a grin. "Now you must be tired. Come sit."

"Professor what happened to things being different at work?" she asked with a smile.

"Professor huh?" Mitsuhide said as he sat down next to her. "I thought we left that behind a few months ago." He reached over and rubbed her belly, "How is my boy doing?"

"He has been quiet today." She said with a smile. She snuggled into Mitsuhide. "Did you really cancel office hours?"

"I wish I could but they don't open for another hour." He said with a grin.

"How was your class?" she asked.

"It went as expected. I often wonder if any of them are really listening." He chuckled.

"Well you know some of them had to take an extra course." She said.

"I did also make a few phone calls. Noelle everyone I talked too is interested in my idea. They all want in on it. I think I found something we can do together and you can run it." Mitsuhide said with a broad smile.

"What do we have to do?" she asked.

"Not much. Now that I have an idea of how many people are interested I think we could run this out of the house. With your business skills and your leadership in running it I think we could completely get this up and running with in a year." He said as he rubbed her stomach even more.

"We will talk about it more when we get home." She said with a laugh. "I assume I have some papers to grade sir."

"Noelle you are going to drive me insane you know that?" he asked as he smiled as he looked at her.

"one of us needs to professional." She said as she went to his desk and saw the new frame on it. She looked at it and then at him.

"You once said I have nothing in her that is personal. Now I have everything that makes me human in this room." He said with a grin.

"Mitsuhide." She said as he came up behind her and kissed her shoulder as he looked at the picture as well.

"What my sweet?" he asked with a chuckle. When she looked at him and then finally smiled. "Now that's much better. I have some papers for you to grade and I will unlock the door. I doubt any students will come in today. You know no one comes in on Monday's."

"Fine." She said with a sigh.

"Don't worry I will take care of you when we get home." He said softly.

She thought about what he just said and had to laugh. She settled into to her part of the desk that she had claimed to do her work. He unlocked the door and propped it open. He looked out into the hallway and saw Hideyoshi coming his way. Mitsuhide had an overwhelming feeling t shut and lock the door again but instead he just stood his ground.

"Good you're getting ready for your hours. I wanted to catch you before they began." Hideyoshi said.

"Oh and why is that?" Mitsuhide asked.

"I ran into Masamune this morning. Why did you tell him you were having a kid?" hideyoshi asked.

"Probably because I am having a kid." Mitsuhide replied. "A son to be exact."

"Since when?" Hideyoshi asked.

"Well I could describe the whole mechnatics of it all but honestly if you don't know that by now we have bigger issues." Mitsuhide replied.

"I am being serious Akechi." Hideyoshi said.

"So am I." Mitsuhide responded. "Look I know it is rather sudden but things change. I found someone who makes me happy and content and we are having a son in a few months. Life happens."

"But you never told any of us about this woman." Hideyoshi said as he looked over the other man.

"And I don't have to tell you all anything that happens in my personal life." Mitsuhide replied.

"What about your TA. I know you liked her for a bit how is she handling it?" Hideyoshi's voice dropped to a whisper.

"She is handling it." Mitsuhide chuckled.

"Why does that amuse you so much?" Hideyoshi's eyes darted to the other man.

"Everything amuses me at the moment." Mitsuhide said as he turned back into his office. "You hear that?"

"I heard." She said without looking up.

"Noelle?" he asked at her lack of interest in the conversation.

"Mitsuhide." She said as she looked up. The look in her eyes was breathtakingly happy.

"Damnit." He said as he walked over to her.

"What?" she asked.

"Now I really wished I had canceled hours today so I could take you home." He said as he kissed her head leaning over.

A few hours later and three students coming in to ask for extra credit otherwise they may fail the class he was ready to go. He still had a half an hour to go and Noelle was waiting for him. They had come in together this morning. When a female student walked in with a short skirt and and half shirt on. He immedienty knew who the student was and wished anyone but this one walked in.

"Professor Akechi. I have a question about your class." She purred as she sat down in the chair opposite his desk.

"okay." Mitsuhide replied as he waited for her to get on with it.

"Could you send your TA outside while I ask it since it is somewhat personal?" she asked.

"No." Mitsuhide said as he looked up at the student. "My TA is here for my protection as well as yours."

"What would a man like you need protection from?" the student asked.

"Any acusaions of improperty." Mitsuhide said.

"But sir I wouldn't do that." She stated.

"That's fine. My TA still stays." Mitsuhdie said.

"Well she may be into that type of stuff. I really need to pass this class and I don't think I am at the moment. Is there anything we can do to change that?" the student asked as she leaned over and showed her clevage.

"Sorry but no." Mitsuhide said with a grin. "Maybe if you had applied yourself to the course you would be faring better with your grade but I do not trade favors for grades."

"But." The student said as she looked down and saw the picture of the ultrasound.

"I didn't know you were married." The student said. "Maybe I should go and tell your wife about this conversation a bit."

"I'm not married, yet." Mitsuhide said , "I don't take lightly to someone trying to blackmail me either. My better half already knows the outcome of this conversation. I suggest you go and study for the final, you may scrape by a decent enough grade to pass the class that way."

"Fine." She huffed as she pouted out the door as she stomped out.

"Does that happen often?" Noelle asked.

"About five times a year." Mitsuhide said with a grin. "I have never taken one of them up on that offer just so you know."

"I figured that already." She said.

"I wouldn't either." He said as he kissed her neck gently. "Come on. It is time to go home."

#ikemen sengoku inspired #akechi mitsuhide #yes professor #lessons learned

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diinofayce · 6 years

Text

Finger Painting 101

This is for @green-eyeddragonfanfiction ‘s 3k Follower Writing Challenge! Congratulations on the followers and thank you for all the amazing stories. I’m going to make this a series, I’m not sure how long yet. I’m just gonna go for the ride and see where it takes us.

Pairing: College!Steve Rogers x Reader | College A/U, Non-canonical | Word Count: 2,100 | Warnings: Mentions of drinking, swearing probably | A/N: This is my first A/U fic, so I hope you guys like it!

You sat in your creative writing class, tapping your fingers rhythmically on your blank notebook and staring blankly at Professor Laufeyson as he droned on about the project he was assigning for your final. He had a stack of outlines in his hands and finals weren’t for another two months so you let your brain succumb to the mush that was your Monday morning hangover. You knew better than to go with Wanda and Natasha to that party that Wilson was throwing, but Wanda had talked you into it arguing that it was your job as Natasha’s friend to help Wanda get Natasha over the crush she had on her volleyball coach; Clint Barton. Of course, if Nat was going to get herself a boyfriend in college it would be with a faculty member, she was always the flirting with danger type of girl, but you couldn’t risk one of your best friends getting kicked out of school so you went. You had come to the realization last year when you turned 21 that you didn’t have a drinking problem, you had a stopping problem. Once you got that first drink in your system it was all or nothing and it usually left you waking up the next morning in someone’s bathtub.

You stretched out the kink in your neck from sleeping with your face pressed against a bathtub tap and tried to focus in on what the professor was saying. Laufeyson waved the stack of papers above his head as he tucked a long black curl back behind his ear with his other hand.

“Now, I’ve written the names of a student on the top of an outline which will be handed out at random. They will be your partners in this assignment, as your grades will both equally reflect your final score I suggest you do your best work in tandem with them,” Professor Laufeyson stated coolly and started walking along the rows, grabbing random papers and setting them down on desktops in front of your classmates.

In front of you, you saw Wanda pick up the paper that was set in front of her and groan silently, dropping her head in her hands and tangling her fingers in her long brown hair. When your outline is dropped in front of you, you look in confusion at the name at the top: STEVEN ROGERS. You look over your shoulders behind you, frowning. You knew Steve, he was roommates with Sam Wilson - party thrower extraordinaire - you also knew that Steve was in no way an English major. He was Fine Art if you remembered Wilson’s drunk boasting, he had a weird way of showing his pride with each of his friends. With Steve it was drunk boasting, like a proud suburban mom, with their other roommate, Bucky, it was brotherly teasing. You couldn’t help but feel that you zoned out something very important with this project. You looked up suddenly as your classmates around you were collecting their things and heading to their next destination, in front of you Wanda still sat with her head in her hands.

You slung your backpack over your shoulder and headed up the row to your friend. “Hey, friendo, who’d you get?” Your voice was still dull and pained, the hangover pounding in your temples, you were trying to sound sunny and chipper and failing miserably. Wanda looked up at you, pushing her curtain of hair to the side and chuckling up at you.

“Still hurting from last night?” You nodded and waved your paper at her.

“I missed the details with the partners. Who’d you get partnered with?” You ask reaching for her paper. VISION was written on the top of her paper, another Fine Arts student and one that Wanda had a major crush on. Wanda was also thoroughly convinced that he hated her.

“We have to write a short story, partnered with one of Professor Odinson’s illustrations students to illustrate our story. I can’t believe I got partnered with Vision. Every time I try to talk to him he just stares at me like I’m an idiot or something,” Wanda moaned, raking her fingers through her long sandy locks again. “Who did you get?”

“Wilson’s roommate, Steve,” you answered as Wanda grabbed her backpack and got up, swinging it over her shoulder.

“See, that’s so much better, he’s so sweet,” Wanda grumbled staring at her project outline. “Wanna trade? If we trade Vision won't figure out I’m a complete suckass until after we get married and have kids.”

You laugh and shake your head. “You’re not a suckass, Wands, and I don’t think he thinks you’re an idiot. I think he likes you just as much and doesn’t know how to act around you either.”

Wanda made a scoffing noise and shook her head. “Preposterous.”

The walk back to your shared apartment was quick, the leftover snow of winter lining the edges of the sidewalk mixed in with mud and gravel. You and Wanda avoided cutting across the university lawn as it was basically a mud pit but paused as you noticed a bunch of guys out in the middle of it tossing a football to each other. The two of you stopped your trek when you noticed the four boys were soaking wet and covered in the mud, their game of football obviously leaning more towards tackle than touch.

“Oh, that’s Wilson and his roommates…and isn’t that your brother?” you commented suddenly, seeing the familiar streak of Pietro’s bleached hair dive under Sam’s outstretched arm.

Wanda clicked her tongue against her teeth and shook her head. “That boy is going to catch a cold playing in the mud like that. It’s supposed to rain too,” Wanda chastised, sounding more like Pietro’s mother than his twin sister. Wanda immediately started stomping across the field, mud flicking up onto her jeans. You grimace and follow suit, knowing that your Converses are going to need to take a round in the wash after this.

Wilson noticed the two of you approaching first, having just caught a stellar pass from Steve. “Hello, beautiful ladies,” he called and immediately ate dirt as Pietro rammed into his side and bulldozed him to the ground.

“Do not call my sister a beautiful lady,” he demanded, causing Wanda to gasp with indignation, splashing water from a dirty puddle at Sam before getting up and brushing grass off the front of his green long sleeved shirt.

Bucky and Steve jogged up to the rest of you, Bucky smiled lazily and Steve looked down at Sam in concern - helping his friend out of the mud before focusing on your and Wanda’s arrival.

“Pietro Django Maximoff,” Wanda scolded. “Your track season is about to start and you are going to get your death of cold out here.” Wanda grabbed onto her twin’s ear and started dragging him back towards the apartment building the bunch of them all lived in. You pressed your knuckles to your mouth to stifle your laughter as you watched them walk away from you, Pietro swearing angrily and causing other passing students to stop and stare. “Meet you back at home!” Wanda called back over her shoulder at you. You waved your hand in the air in acknowledgment before turning to raise an eyebrow at Sam.

“He wrecked you, Wilson,” you laughed in his face, smiling at Bucky and Steve. Bucky laughed and punched Sam square on the shoulder, Sam pushed him back in response.

“That’s because you came up all pretty and distracted me,” Sam accused, winking at you. You laughed and wiped a streak of mud off his cheek with his thumb.

“Hey, Bucky, Steve.” You greeted biting the corner of your lip as the two a once over.

Bucky’s long hair was slicked back with water and mud, his red Henley stuck to his chest and wet jeans stretched across his thick thighs. You knew plenty of girls in your classes (and more than a few guys) that swooned over the star quarterback of your university’s varsity football team. Bucky was here on an athletic scholarship and was taking classes in kinesiology. He gave a small wave his chest still rising and falling heavy from running around in the muck. But it was Steve’s perfect dazzling smile that made you feel like you got punched in the gut. His blue, v-neck t-shirt that was already a size too small from him clung to his torso leaving nothing about his toned physic to the imagination. He wore khaki cargo shorts that fell just below his knees that were streaked with mud and he had a small cut under his right eye that had stopped bleeding but was obviously fresh.

“Hey, Y/N,” Steve said jovially, laughter dancing in his blue eyes. “Good to see you up and out of our bathtub.”

“Ah, yes. Well, thanks for waking me up in time for class,” you feel yourself blush. “You’re going to get dirt in that cut, Rogers. Can’t have you getting an infection and dying before our finals project,” you teased. You were suddenly aware that you were just wearing an over-sized university hoodie, a pair of yoga pants and you hadn’t even bothered to brush your hair before throwing it up in a tie.

“Our finals project?” Steve asked, resting his hands on his hips and cocking his head to the side.

“Oh! Have you not had your Illustrations class yet? Fuck, here,” you handed him the outline that was still sitting on top of the binder in your arms. Bucky and Sam looked over Steve’s shoulders, it was pretty early in the semester to be handed the details of a classes finals project, you still had two months left in the school year most classes wouldn’t be starting projects for another month.

Steve smiled and handed the paper back to you, the white sheet now smudged with his muddy fingerprints. “This looks like it will actually be fun!” He said lightheartedly. “And at least I know I have a good partner. I have my illustrations class in two hours, do you want to get dinner in the caf and talk details?”

You nod, trying not to look too eager. “Yeah, sounds good. I’ll be around that part of campus around four after a class if that works for you?”

“Sounds like a date,” Steve said, looking behind him and chuckling softly as Barnes and Wilson already took back off across the field throwing the ball at each other.

“Yeah, see you then,” you wave meekly as he ran off after them after giving you a wink. Turning on your heels you finish the trudge back to your apartment.

~*~

Back at your apartment, you sat on your couch with Wanda and Pietro, Natasha was petering around in the kitchen making coffee for everyone. Pietro had changed into an over-sized long sleeve shirt and basketball shorts that he kept in one of Wanda’s drawers for when he got drunk and passed out on your couch.

“It’s not actually a date, Wands, you’re taking it at face value,” you argued with Wanda who was being insistent that Steve’s words had a deeper meaning. “We’ve only talked a handful of times at the parties at their place and it wasn’t about anything interesting.”

“He said, it’s a date,” Wanda insisted further.

“It’s a figure of speech, Wanda,” Natasha agreed, coming into the living room with four cups of coffee in her hands. She set them down on the coffee table and curled up in their battered armchair with hers. You reach forward to pick up yours and sip it with a hum of gratitude. Natasha made the best coffee and after slopping across the cold university grounds had given her a chill that only the red head’s coffee could cure.

“Besides, Rogers has a girlfriend,” Pietro said over the chipped rim of his mug. “Some girl named Peggy from his high school, she’s at a school out East in New Jersey or something.”

You don’t know why your heart sank or you felt an overwhelming sense of disappointment. Sure, Steve was a gorgeous piece of man, but maybe he had some really off-putting mannerisms. You had no idea because you literally had one sober interaction with him and that was the one out on the university lawn earlier. Your friends changed the topic of conversation easily enough, moving onto Wanda’s predicament of finals partner, Pietro getting ready for the start of track season, and Natasha’s tryst with Coach Barton. You nodded along and laughed on cue, but your mind was on four o’clock and your date/not-date with Steve Rogers.

NEXT CHAPTER

#dragon's3k3c #steve rogers #steve rogers x reader #college au #college steve rogers #avengers fanfiction #marvel fanfiction #steve rogers fandom #steve rogers fanfiction

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all-about-wannaone · 6 years

Text

5/100 Ways To Say I Love You

Pairing: Daniel x OC (Yoo Seonha)

Genre: Fluff, Light Comedy

Prompt: “I’ll walk you home.”

Words: 3523

A/N: So I was supposed to start on some form of Medical Student AU featuring Daniel and my very own OCs, but for some strange reason, the plot bunnies are just not coming to me when I really need them to. :( And besides, I still have quite a number of fanfictions that I have yet to complete, and I do intend to complete those first, especially when I have had a clear idea on how I wish to get around those ideas. However, I will probably be writing oneshots like these for the story so you guys could still have something to look forward to. :) Also, I am a mere 8 followers away from a 1000 and I cannot express how grateful I am for all of you. :) I hope all of you would have a great day ahead and happy reading! ^^

“Oh my goodness, are you going to wear that on a date with all that makeup on your face? Really?” Yoojung’s eyes widened as she tousled her hair with a towel, “Nobody goes on a date dressed in a campus t-shirt, denim shorts and Superstars. He even told you to ‘dress nicely’.”

“B-but… I like it though? And besides, it’s comfortable.” I responded, only to be greeted with an expression of shock and horror from my social blogger of a roommate.

“Well, I don’t.” She deadpanned back.

Without even sparing a second glance, she began to pack her small and black leather haversack, before speaking once again, “Open the drawers below my bed. I’m positive you’ll find something you like. You’re going on a date, Seonha-yah, not a sleepover with Netflix.”

She sounded serious and so I did, opening them only to see an entire collection of clothing that could probably be used at any season at any time. As expected from a blogger who probably had tons of stuff sponsored for her, she had an entire range, ranging from clothes that could be sweet and girly, to those for a tomboy and to bring out a girl’s inner rocker chic.

“Tell me if you can’t match them well, I’ll help you out.” She said, leaning against the ladder of her bed with her arms folded, and I was truly clueless, hence she only shook her head and chuckled at the blank expression that I wore.

She was quick in her choice of clothing, and I was soon handed a white t-shirt and what looked like a pair of dungarees in denim material, except that this had a skirt as its bottom, and with a cute wide chest pocket. Luckily, she knew my tastes well enough to know that I did not like clothes which were too flattering, and I was relieved that she had handed me one with the look of a skater skirt instead.

“Here, try this. I think it’ll suit you.” She paused for a moment as I took her clothes and thought for a bit, before saying in a more confident and blunt tone, “No, anything’s better than your sleepwear now.”

I could only laugh at how straightforward she was, and there was no way one could take offence to her statements. She never bothered to sugarcoat her statements, preferring to be as real and genuine as possible, and that was probably what everyone liked about her. Sure, she was popular and probably had a mini fanclub in each faculty, but if one did not know that, she could be easily mistaken as your typical girl-next-door too (except that she was way more outspoken than the ordinary).

After struggling to find out how her outfit worked for a solid 10 minutes, I had finally stepped out of the bathroom, hands adjusting the hem of my skirt and pulling it down with the fear that it was way too short for me.

“Finally!!” Yoojung looked up, wearing her shoes and tying up the laces of her Rockports, “Stop doing that and be ladylike and confident for once. Here’s some accessories I found; a simple gold plated necklace, gold plated minimalistic and geometric earrings as well as a red leather wrist band to add a pop of colour.”

“T-thanks Yoojung,” I replied, and she smiled similarly to Daniel, a boxy smile with their eyes turning into little crescent moons, “By the way, you look nice.”

“Same to you!” She winked and was all ready to head out the door, before leaving with a sing-song voice, “Be safe, use protection when necessary and don’t keep your boyfriend waiting!”

“Finally,” my boyfriend said in between huffs and puffs, “training’s over and we can finally go have a good meal and enjoy the rest of the night while it’s still young. Thanks for waiting up babe.”

“I-it’s no problem at all. Yoojung’s out anyway so I figured that since we were going out tonight, I might as well wait for you to be done with training so that it’ll be easier for you too.” I replied and he only flashed me his signature boxy smile with eyes that turned into crescent moons and showing me his 2 bunny teeth in the front.

“Anyway, I need to get changed and washed up so would you mind looking after my things for a while while I’m at it?” And I waved him off, nodding, only for him to shoot back a heart with his hands as he ran off in a jiffy to the male’s changing room closest to the rugby field.

Even when we had been together for slightly more than 4 months now, he still managed to get me with his romantic antics through all these small, yet meaningful, gestures. In retrospect, he only needed to smile and I would soon feel my heart palpitating against my chest, unknowingly holding my breath in the process as I remained lovestruck.

The feeling was a little strange when I first felt something for the soon-to-be Korea University’s School of Medicine Valedictorian and Rugby captain. It got me stuck in a state of sleepless nights, a whole load of distractions and simply just questions on why I would feel such a way. When he spoke to other girls, my chest ached a little at their exchange and I could only watch from afar. Indeed, it was probably a given that he was going to be extremely popular among the female population with his intelligent and charismatic demeanour. Me? I guess you could just call me your typical girl-next-door and Busan High’s signature Wallflower.

“Seonha-yah, what’s keeping you up so late? You keep shifting around in your sleep. What’s bothering you?”

“Uh… Nothing much really, just another one of those sleepless nights, I guess…”

“Sure sure, keep saying that and I can promise you that you’ll fall asleep in Mr Park’s class tomorrow. So why not just let it go? You can trust me. I might be a social blogger, but that does not mean I go around being THE gossip girl.”

“Yoojung-ah, do I look stressed, sick or am I close to dying from a heart attack soon? Can you give me a diagnosis? My heart’s beating way too fast for it’s own good and I’m neither in pain, or feel like I’m going to pass out. In fact, it’s as if I have butterflies in my stomach too, with their wings brushing against the walls —“

“That’s love, Seonha. You’re in love.”

“And how would you possibly… know that?”

“Please, nobody comes back so happy after a study session, even if you have learnt plenty of things. And besides, I’ve definitely noticed Daniel and you in the library, at least twice a week, and after that, head off to the convenience store nearby. It gets even better when I see the both of you hanging out in Hongdae and sharing a take-away bingsoo together. Honey, if that ain’t love, only God would know what it was then.”

“Are you stalking me? How would you know all these anyway?”

“Why would I even want to intrude onto someone’s date? And besides, I wasn’t stalking, I’m just incredibly and phenomenally observant. Ask Daniel, he’ll tell you the truth.”

And true enough, Yoojung was probably right when Daniel confessed his feelings another 4 months after that conversation on one fateful night under a sky full of stars. He was extremely sweet when it happened, assuring me that he sought no help from Jisung this time around, and instead went by his own research and some tips from Yoojung. Indeed, it was truly a night to remember with Daniel’s written confession letter, handmade desserts and good music, coupled with the clear weather which allowed for stargazing.

I felt my lips curl up at the thought, until I was snapped back to reality by a familiar voice, which turned out to be Bae Jinyoung; the boy who nearly threw a set of succulents at me and also the one who had the cutest crush on Yoojung, my best friend.

“Uh… Hi, I just wanted to ask… Is Yoojung still on campus?” He asked meekly, and I shook my head, explaining that she was already out and about catching up with a friend in the streets of Dongdaemun.

“O-oh… It’s okay then. I’ll… see you around.”

With a small smile and a sigh, he arranged the things in his monochrome coloured duffle bag and left the stadium without sparing me a second glance. Sadly, I could not help but feel a sense of hopelessness for him. Yoojung was extremely popular among the student body, among both genders alike, and she held a reputation for rejecting love letters and confessions politely back in high school. Daniel said that there was no particular reason why she did so, but he later added that Yoojung was a strong and independent woman. She was capable of anything, and hence probably saw no need to get into a relationship so quickly.

Strange… She was able to decipher all the signs of love though.

“Earth to Seonha?” And I snapped out of my reverie once again, only to be faced with a smiley faced Daniel, dressed in a white tank top, a denim shirt as the to, acid washed jeans and ending it off with a pair of white Converse.

“What were you thinking about anyway? You seemed a little… lost.” He said, curiosity laced in his voice as he shoved all his dirty clothes into his bag.

“No, I was just thinking of the good ol’ days. Nevertheless, great training today. You did well.” I replied and shot him a thumbs-up in the process. With that, he only slung his bag across his shoulders and placed an arm around my shoulder, pulling me close and kissed me softly on the forehead.

“Thanks for coming babe. Come on, let’s go for the date that you rightfully deserve after working so hard for the past few months.”

And with that, we took the bus to Garosu-gil, also known as one of Daniel’s favourite places in the city of Seoul.

Despite the limited amount of time that we had with one another, it was definitely time well spent in the high-end street of Garosu-gil. Indeed, it was still located in the bustling area of Gangnam, but this street was surprisingly peaceful and quiet. Furthermore, with the beautiful fairy lights that dangled from the trees for aesthetic’s sake alone, it was not surprising for this place to have an aura of magic and fantasy.

I was not one to step out very much, and this was especially so for the areas meant for the affluent and privileged, hence, this area was a breath of fresh air as I took in the sights of luxury boutiques, decent looking bars and quaint cafes that seemed to line the street endlessly. As we held hands and made our way down the street to the eating place that Daniel had recommended, he began to tell me of all the places he used to either hang out or study in.

“Dunkin Donuts was my favourite place to study. Not only do they have fantastic donuts, but a great selection of drinks and the ambience is extremely conducive.” He explained, and as we walked down a little more, he continued, “This was Yoojung’s favourite, Coffee Chu. I can safely say that they are the best churros to ever exist in Korea and they also have the best hot chocolate too!”

“Does she get sponsored for those though?” I asked, plainly out of curiosity and I meant no harm or spite.

“Of course! In fact, if you brought her here with us, she’s the walking celebrity around. Even the young baristas at Coffee Chu are willing to give her free coffee for her to write about, and I suppose it’s self-explanatory for one to talk about how the place did after her ONE SNS post.”

I laughed at his tone of light sarcasm, and he could not help but laugh too, before we realised that we had already reached the restaurant that Daniel had recommended. Surprisingly, after taking a quick glance at their menu, many of the things were pretty affordable, with stews costing 10,000 won to 13,000 won. In addition, there was also the hot stone bibimbap which, at most, went up to 18,000 won. In such an area meant for the high society, this place was truly a steal.

“Are you gawking at all the prices?” Daniel asked, eyes not leaving the menu as he flipped it to see what their specials were, “I was like that too when I came here, but thanks to certain insiders, if you know this place well, there’s a high chance you’ll have access too to all these secret hiding places that no one ever talks about.”

“Good evening sir! Welcome to Mr Kim’s Korean Cuisine! Would you like to get seated to a table for 2?” An enthusiastic waiter asked, all ready to escort us into the hanok-inspired restaurant.

“Yes please.” Daniel replied with a small smile and the waiter nodded, “Follow me please. Menus will be ready at the tables so no worries. I assure you that all the dishes we serve are of top notch quality and excellence. All of the ingredients, from the vegetables to the beef, are all made in Korea. I’ll be back when you are ready to order!”

After a scrumptious meal of jjajjangmyeon and Daniel’s warm spicy tofu stew, we headed out again into the cool night. We had no plan in mind, only making sure that we had full use of the limited time we had. Hence, we decided to walk the other direction on the other side of the road to admire the buildings and street lights which illuminated the night.

It was relatively breezy, and it was just comforting to take in a deep breath of the cool air. The moon was nestled comfortably among the stars and its light was probably bright to filter through the leaves of the trees, giving the ground an ethereal glow too. If I had a camera (and an eye for photography like Yoojung), there was a likely chance that I would have spent the next few moments capturing the perfect shot.

“Aigoo… You have sauce all over your lips. Here, stop moving and let me wipe them off for you.”

And with that, he stopped me in my tracks, using a napkin that he had in his pocket to wipe the corners of my lips gently and threw the tissue paper away, before taking my hand and interlocking our fingers together.

“You know, I would have kissed your lips, but then again, jjajjangmyeon is not exactly date food, is it?”

I only seethed at him the moment he said that, and he responded with a playful grin, and that was also the time when we had finally reached the outsides of the Hangang Park. It was relatively quiet, with the occasional few joggers and cyclists, who passed us every few minutes or so; not too frequently.

However, Daniel’s attention was soon caught up by bright lights just a stone’s throw away. There were warm fairy lights hanging from the trees, like the ones that lined Garosu-gil, as well as little tents which had red and white striped roofs. Furthermore, there was also the faint sound of music and its rhythm; in fact, it was all the current top hits as of now.

At this, Daniel soon broke out into a playful and happy smile, like a child receiving his first ever present for Christmas and wasted no time in dragging me along to see what this carnival had to offer.

After a long and tiring 3 hours spent at the carnival, it was time for us to be heading back to our respective dormitories of Korea University. The night sky was still clear and the stars shined even brighter than before, with the moon still looking as huge as ever.

“Hey… Thanks for the day out tonight.” I said, turning around only to chuckle at Daniel struggling with a huge pink teddy bear that was larger than life. He had won it for me through 3 games of darts, either hitting the board in a bulls-eye or a solid 8-9 points. Perhaps it was because the games master had swooned over the way Daniel carried himself; charismatic and cool, so that was probably the reason why he got the teddy bear so easily.

“Y-yeah, t-thanks for the company too. I hope you enjoyed it. It’s just like the good old days huh? Sometimes, I wished that we had more time with one another; not just in terms of studying but in terms of simply chilling and hanging out like this.”

I nodded in response, because there was no way that I could not agree with his statement. In fact, for a whole list of pragmatic reasons, getting a boyfriend in the second year of university was almost as good as getting a boyfriend in the final year of high school; they were never known to last. Even when Yoojung had found out about our eventual relationship, I could tell that she was worried, but whatever the case, she assured me that Daniel would make it work.

He was inexperienced, sure, but he was someone who viewed love and commitment as the priorities in a relationship. Until now, she was not wrong (and she would not be, especially when she has known him since they were in diapers). Despite his busy schedule with the A-star fast track programme together with his demanding rugby trainings for the upcoming competitions, he never failed to meet me at night just to study in each other’s company. We did not speak much, but that was our way of keeping in touch.

“Is Yoojung home yet?” He asked clearly now, finally strategizing a better way to carry the huge bear.

I whipped out my phone from my pocket to check, only to receive a message from her that she’ll be late.

“Don’t wait up for me! And don’t worry too much, I’m perfectly fine. It’s just that I’ve not seen Youngmin in a while and we just really needed some time to catch up. Hope you’re still safe and I shall not be expecting a baby in 9 months! Love you!”

I could not help but to laugh and shake my head at how blunt she could be, before sending her a quick reply that I was already on my way home and added that there was none of those involved; whatever she was thinking of.

Then a shrill ringtone broke the peaceful silence and I felt my heart jump, turning around just to see Daniel fumble in his pocket for the phone since he got a shock as well.

“Hey Jisung…. Uh… I’m on a date with Seonha now actually…. Yes, yes I get it… I’m on the way back to the dorm and I’ll be there in 10. Relax, I’ve not forgotten… Okay. Okay. Sure, I’ll see you there. Bye.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked, making a turn towards the dormitories.

“Jisung called and I forgot to tell you but I have a Daewon reunion with the guys today. I told him I’ll be there in 10, since I need to send you home and stuff —“

“Nah,” I replied, walking towards him and getting the bear out of his hands, “I can go on my own from here. You’ve done quite a bit for me, so it’s only right for you to get your breaks too.”

“But… It’s dark here though and you can’t go defending yourself with this huge teddy bear in your hands?” And he was clearly baffled by my suggestion of walking home on my own.

“Nah, too dangerous. I’ll walk you home.”

“C’mon,” I said, preventing him from walking any further, “If you keep me company for the whole way, you will be late for your gathering and I know how important it is to you. Run along, I’ll be seeing you tomorrow anyway.” And I ended my statement with a smile, hoping to give him some reassurance that I will be okay.

“A-aren’t you going to be lonely though? I mean, Yoojung’s coming home late so what are you going to do till then?”

“Read some notes I guess?” I joked, “And besides, I have cake in the fridge too, a laptop and my phone. Come on, the possibilities are endless so don’t worry too much and believe what I say; I’ll be okay.”

With that, he embraced me in a tight hug with his robust arms, “Thanks babe. I owe you one.” and proceeded to give me a long and comforting kiss on the forehead.

“Okay so… Send me a message when you’ve reached your dorm room so I know that you are safe. Remember, I’m #2 on your speed dial and if you need anything, just give me a call. Good night and see you tomorrow!”

Request a scenario here!

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wyntersriddle · 4 years

Text

Characters: Barry Allen, Leonard Snart, Iris West, Cisco Ramon, Eobard Thawne | Harrison Wells, Lisa Snart, Wally West, Mick Rory, Hartley Rathaway, Mark Mardon, Shawna Baez, Ray Palmer, Felicity Smoak, Oliver Queen, Joe West, (more characters to be added as more chapters are added)

Additional Tags: Inspired by Miraculous LadybugAlternate Universe - College/UniversityAlternate Universe - Different PowersBarry Allen is a cinnamon rollBarry Allen & Leonard Snart are the Same AgeThief Leonard SnartCisco Ramon is so DoneLeonard Snart is chat noirBarry allen is ladybugNew Ladybug Miraculous HolderI Will Go Down With This ShipFluff and SmutEventual SmutEventual Happy EndingPre-RelationshipOther Additional Tags to Be Added

Language: English

Summary:

When Barry Allen finds a small black box he ends up getting superpowers of creation from a little red bug called a kwami. Similarly, Leonard Snart steals another box and gets his own superpowers of destruction. Together, they must fight through evil monsters, awkward lunch dates, and save Central City while still trying to graduate college.

Inspired by the show Miraculous Ladybug

Barry huffed out a breath when he finally collapsed in his seat for first period a few minutes past 10am.

He was already late as it was and lugging around his thick textbooks and laptop did nothing but hurt his lower back. The class was a good size, not too cramped or empty, the lecture was interesting enough, and all Barry could do was squirm in his chair the whole hour and a half. College life was sure could be exhausting.

Central City Academy housed the greatest legends to date and Barry wanted to meet them all. Teachers like Martin Stein, head of the criminology department, David Singh, head of the detective agency, and Sara Lance, the Dean for almost 15 years, were all on his list to attend their seminars. The creme of the crop though was Doctor Harrison Wells, the lead field expert in all technology and science. If Barry could somehow meet him, he would be on the top of the world and could die happily. Even if nothing else came from today, at least he could say he walked on the same sidewalk Dr. Wells drove past every morning.

Barry’s first class was taught by Martin Stein, an older gentleman with white hair he could see a mile away. He took notes diligently, asked questions, and before walking out introduced himself. Professor Stein was elated to find out Barry’s major was in Forensic Science, the “modern prosperity of the future” as the professor put it, and even went so far as to invite Barry back for coffee in the next coming weeks to discuss participating in some experiments of his own.

Barry basically skipped out of his class, not bothering to look forward until it was too late and he collided head first into someone wearing huge glasses hiding half their face. Something hot spilled all over Barry’s jacket and he shrieked, dropping his textbooks and messenger bag in a heap on the floor.

“Ow! Omg I’m so sorry—“

The person reached forward to prevent the hot drink from spilling any further, instead knocking the sunglasses off her face. She dove into her bag and brought out a napkin.

“Here, let me help you with that. I’m such an idiot for forgetting the lids.”

“That’s alright,” Barry said, already peeling his hoodie away from his body before his t-shirt could get wet. The smell of coffee hit him head on. “I didn’t like this jacket anyways.”

Truth be told it was his favorite jacket, the only memento Barry had of his dad in prison and his mom before she had passed away from cancer in the beginning of the year. By that time, Barry had already graduated high school, done his first two years of college, and moved to Central City to start his Bachelors that fall, wanting to put his past behind him and start from scratch somewhere new.

“Hey, wait.” The lady put her hand on Barry’s sleeve when he bent to get his stuff. “Do I know you from somewhere?”

The young woman could have come out of a fashion magazine with her dark skin, long black hair, and dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. Now that Barry looked at her, like actually looked at her, she was familiar too, even if he couldn’t place her from where.

“I don’t think so?” Barry said instead, reaching for his bag and wincing where he heard something shift. “I’m sorry but I really gotta get to class.”

“Right.”

She helped stack up the remaining books into his arms, watching out of the corner of her eye so Barry didn’t topple and fall from the added weight.

“Wait a second.”

Barry was pushed forward and then he almost did land on his ass. The books held up in their pile and he shot the woman a look of exasperation.

“Barry Allen? Like as in the Barry Allen? It’s me, Iris.”

“Iris?”

Barry was finally able to cram the textbooks next to his laptop in his bag and watch as Iris grinned back at him.

Oh...that’s why he had thought she was a model.

“Hey, it’s you, Iris.” Barry rubbed his neck, fighting a blush. “Long time no see.”

“It’s been forever,” Iris chatted. Barry could now smell the sweetness of her perfume. “How are you? Last time I saw you you were pushing the swing behind me and making those really weird experiments in middle school. Damn it’s been forever.”

“Yeah...It really has.”

Iris West, Barry’s childhood crush was staring at him and only remembered those lame volcano projects he had done. How convenient she didn’t remember all the valentine letters or the chocolate bars for Secret Santa he would leave at her desk, not to mention all the time he had spent staring at her yearbook photo before he had given up his freshmen year when she had transferred schools.

“You look good,” Barry continued, his heart in his throat. “You go here?”

Iris did that cute hair flip she had perfected at the end of 8th grade where her hair had only gone up to her shoulders. Long hair really worked for her.

“Yeah, I’m majoring in journalism so I can finally run my own news stand in the future. Still haven’t given up just yet.”

Ah yes, Iris had always been obsessed with journalism and creative writing, even making her own club in middle school. Barry had wanted to join but never had the guts to ask.

He really had to go before he fell further into the rabbit hole that was Iris’s big brown eyes.

“I...Uh,” Barry stuttered, motioning with his hands. “I gotta—Class.”

Iris must have gotten the message because she moved back to give him space. “Right.”

Barry nodded.

They said their goodbyes and Barry retreated out of there faster than a cheetah on steroids. Iris had promised coffee one of these—something he would have to psyche himself up for later—and he had said yes, like an idiot.

Although it had been good to see her...

Barry snapped his brain back to the real world. Iris was unattainable. She was attractive, bold, smart, the total package. Never, in a million years, would she want to go out with someone like him, neighborhood geek whose ideal date was staying home marathoning Stranger Things on Netflix and taking a nap.

A breeze swept leaves up into the late September air, carrying the scent of fall. The tree colors were changing from their typical green to golden brown and burgundy, Barry’s favorite time of year. It was automatically calming, even without the thin protection of his jacket the autumn sunshine turned his hair light brown.

The next class was short, a lecture on the introductions to the psychology of the human brain. It wasn’t as interesting as Barry would have thought with a lot more PowerPoint explications then talking, but he would make do. He also made sure his laptop wasn’t cracked or broken before placing it carefully back in his bag and jogging to the food court to find something to eat.

Barry had the all in one meal plan since he lived on campus. Having the ability to eat anything he wanted without gaining too much weight always had its perks, especially when he ordered the juiciest burger he could find and munched on it in one hand while holding a large vanilla shake in the other.

It was around 2pm and the food court was a bustle of activity. People gathered to sign up for clubs or talk to their peers about their assignments. Jazz music filtered from a sit down Italian restaurant, while across from it a huge crowd waited their turn for homemade pizza slices. There were vending machines, snack stands, and even an ice cream parlor tucked in the corner. At the center of it all the library stood proudly, the only place where food wasn’t allowed past a certain point. There was even a system to rent entire rooms for the day for people to sleep, study, or scream because of finals.

Barry moved onward, trading the shouts and loud noises for the quiet outdoors where again another breeze caught his attention. A blue bird twittered down at him from its nest, a squirrel chittered, and lizards liked the lips from across the treetops.

Barry had to seriously watch where he was going because for the second time that day he collided head on with another person, this time a young dude heading the same direction.

“Whoa, I’m so sorry. Wasn’t payin’ attention.”

“That’s okay, man. It’s cool.”

The stranger regarded Barry with a smile. He had long, wavy hair all the way to his shoulders, and a pair goofy 3D glasses balanced on the tip of his nose. The vintage Revenge of Sith t-shit and paint splattered jeans made Barry feel at ease.

“Is that real?” Barry asked when his gaze fell to a NASA pin on the corner of the stranger’s collar.

“Limited edition, baby,” the guy said. “Got it at San Diego Comic Con last year. 25th Anniversary Apollo 11 pin in the flesh. Had to trade my complete Star Trek playing card set just to even be considered bidding for it.”

“They make Star Trek playing cards? For real?”

“They make playing cards out of everything.” The stranger held out his hand and Barry shook it. “I’m Cisco by the way. You catch my vibe?”

Barry grinned. “Bartholomew Henry Allen. My friends call me Barry since it’s shorter and a lot faster.”

“Like Barry Sonnenfeld,” Cisco exclaimed, and then persisted to sing and snap the Addams Family theme. Barry snapped with him in the last chorus. “Far out, man. That’s wicked cool.”

Cisco’s good mood was infectious, Barry couldn’t help grinning and walking in step with him.

“Where you headed?” Cisco asked. “I got one class left and wouldn’t mind talking to someone with good tastes.”

Barry laughed. “Same here, then I get to unpack. I’m in G66, at the Northside.”

“Awesome-sauce, I’m there too! Is this a match made in heaven or what?”

They continued to walk and talk under the trees, Cisco describing his schedule in details even Barry could barely wrap his head around, but they still laughed and talked about stupid stuff like they hadn’t just accidentally head butted each other.

Barry’s phone chimed, signaling he had only 10 minutes to get to his next class before he would be considered late, and he blanched.

“I’m gonna be so late,” he groaned into the sky.

“No you’re not.” Cisco’s cheeky grin lit up his face. “I know a shortcut. This way.”

They cut through the grass to the other side of campus toward the statue garden Barry had been meaning to check out. Crossing two things at the same time always had its perks.

The statues of past teachers and deans stood proudly among the foliage. Their perfect white skin was like marble and so lifelike Barry had to breathe out a sound of wonder. He recognized Professor Stein among them, a younger version of himself, and Dean Lance with her stern expression. At the center stood Doctor Harrison Wells in all his glory, a perfect replica. It was hard not to stare.

“He’s a legend, ain’t he.” It was Cisco standing next to Barry.

“Beyond a legend.”

They grinned, going in through the back of the building where the auditorium was already packed with people. There were only two seats left in the front row facing the doors and Barry made a beeline straight towards him, Cisco on his heels. They sat down just as the clock stuck 2:45 and the lecture started.

The place felt like a can of sardines, and Barry had to fight to put his laptop on the table in front of him. The auditorium easily housed over 200 people and everyone held their breath at the same time waiting for Professor Rip Hunter to walk through the doors.

Barry looked around for a few seconds, catching the faces of others doing the same. The place even had a dark corner where the more reserved students sat. Barry could feel one of their eyes on him now, hidden enough so when he turned his head he slightly could only make out a navy blue jacket.

People exclaimed when the doors opened and instead of the walking Professor Rip Hunter, Professor Harrison Wells rode in on his wheelchair. People gasped and some clapped. A girl even fainted, falling out of her chair with a heavy THUMP on the floor.

Doctor Wells was here, in the flesh, in front of Barry!

Barry almost squealed from his seat, only stealing his breathing when Wells clapped his hands to have everyone’s attention.

“Good morning, students.”

There was more cheering and snippets of disbelief.

Professor Wells chuckled. “I’m sure you all know who I am. I will be subbing in for Professor Hunter for today. Rest assured this is a treat for all of you as well as me, in fact I’m a little rusty with my teaching so forgive me.”

Wells cleaned his glasses on his sleeve. Even the gesture made Barry’s eyes go wide. He could practically see the individual stitches from where he was sitting, the slight wear and tear of the professor’s shoes, and even the individual hairs on Well’s perfect head.

“I will be here if you all have any questions, but for now let us begin.”

XXXXX

College life sucked ass.

College classes sucked even more.

College professors, now they were the real dicks.

Leonard Snart rolled his eyes for the fifth time that hour. If he rolled them any further back he could probably find not only his brain, but the professor’s too.

The class was beyond drab, History of the Assembly Line, and the poor bloke who had to teach it was even older than the source material. Rest assured, Len would be skipping this class and probably the next one, and if he had a third he would skip that one too.

Math and science had been his forte since diapers, that was why he’d ended up in this stupid college in the first place. ‘The home where lawyers and DND geeks could party like the days of yore.’ Leonard had to laugh. Whoever thought college was fun clearly hadn’t seen the bill at the end of the semester.

At least the campus wasn’t all that bad. With its slick rooftops, starch white walls, and peaceful serenity that seemed to envelope whole environment, Leonard could see himself staying there until the late hours of the day, ducking into the library or one of the swinging tables littered across the greenery. There was also a garden in the middle of campus where all the famous crack heads and hippies could mingle and smoke until they passed out for the week. It was a paradise for some, a prison of books for others.

The nerds were lively this year. Leonard had passed at least 7 clubs all asking for his vote to sign this or end that. He had given his favorite finger to most of the people that passed him, saving his breath for whoever tried to chase him down when he speed walked away. A piece of paper wasn’t going to abolish world hunger anytime soon, even with Len’s signature mixed in the middle.

His next class was halfway across campus so he took the long way, making sure to breathe in the chilling air and watching the leaves dance as they fell from the trees. People didn’t appreciate nature as much as they should’ve, but this campus showed the importance of clean air. The grass was green from the constant sprinklers, the smell of dirt intoxicating in its own way.

Leonard arrived at class too early for his liking, deciding to stick around for a little while longer as a few people passed him by. He had missed lunch, wasn’t hungry, but a girl holding a sandwich made him stomach churn so he looked away and headed inside to hide his appetite.

There was still 32 minutes and 15 seconds left for class to start so he surveyed the area, stopping to tie his shoe to look under the tables too. No one paid him no mind as he made his way to the back, swiping pens and pencils and the occasional phone he would misplace later so the person could find it. Leonard never kept what wasn’t valuable, even now in a college setting when most of these students could afford the best of the best.

A shiny black jewelry box caught his eye from another student sitting next to him, next to an expensive looking leather wallet. The blond boy smiled, all hearts and roses, but when he bent to take out his laptop for the lecture, Len swiped the box and wallet off the table and pocketed it without anyone noticing. Jewelry was always worth a pretty penny and the extra cash would certainly help pay for dinner.

The professor walked in through the double doors, or rather rolled in. He practically screamed pretentious asshole in Len’s direction with beady eyes behind his designer glasses, his Prada suit pressed without a wrinkle, his wheelchair spotless. The lecture started like all the other classes, boring and dull while Leonard tried not to drool in his sleep.

For being such a random topic like quantum physics, the class was beyond packed with some students standing on the sidelines and others pausing by the door while they mixed up their schedules. Whoever this professor was, he was clearly a big shot. In fact, if Len squinted he could see all the nerds in the front row hanging onto his every word, writing things down so fast their hands would fall off.

Leonard tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling. He got what he paid for, all for a degree in engineering that would be obsolete in a few years when tablets or smartphones would take over mankind or their jobs would be taken over by machines.

Time ticked at a snails pace and he caught himself glancing at his watch more than once every minute. It really sucked that he could barely afford lunch, much less a laptop. Maybe if he played his cards right he could get a loan or steal some other sucker’s when they weren’t looking. Writing on his hands would have to do for now.

The professor asked question after question only the people in the front row understood. The whiteboard was wiped clean by another student and soon Leonard’s head rolled to the side.

Class ended and he woke up with a jolt. People were already heading out and half the auditorium was empty when he decided to get up and stretch. A few stragglers had stayed behind to fan over the professor, each more wide eyed and excited than the last. Len didn’t need to stick around for that snooze fest, he quietly saw himself out, dumping the wallet in the trash when he saw how many credit cards were in there. There was over $200 in cash.

It was past 6 when he kicked off his motorcycle and rode home, past the slums and the trailer homes to his little modest house on the outskirts of Central City. It was a good 40 minute drive but Len didn’t mind, not when he had the open dirt road all to himself and the wind drowned anything from reaching his ears.

His house wasn’t anything special, just a roof over their heads until Len could move out and take his sister Lisa with him. He had left once in his lifetime and the look of betrayal on her face told him she would never get over it, and he would never let himself forget it.

Lisa had two moods: absolute flirtation or extreme anger. With the first one she could charm even the moodiest king cobra, seduce them into marrying her, and then promptly have them cut off their own head off with the bat of her eyes. The second mood was so bad the devil himself could come down and Lisa would smite him with her glare.

There was one final secret mood only Len knew about and once he entered the house he immediately tried to beeline to the door, knowing the onslaught of questions would want to make him donate his ears to charity.

“Lenny,” Lisa called in a sing-song voice. “I know you’re here, big brother. How was your day?”

Rather than answer, Leonard stuffed his collar in his mouth and bolted up the stairs. He didn’t get far however, because Lisa smacked the door to his room wide open before he could lock it.

“Come on now, don’t be like that.”

“My day was fine. Classes are fine. Everything is peachy.”

Lisa hid her grimace with a tight smile. “Make any new friends? Got a hot date and that’s why you won’t tell me? Come on, Lenny, I’ve been cooped up all day slaving away to rich pricks and exchanging fake numbers I’ll have to burn in my memory. How was your first day?”

Lisa worked at the Saints and Sinners Dinner, an appropriate name considering it was in the sleaziest part of town where their father did most of his gambling. The customers were asshats, but at least the tips were good, letting Lisa finish her last year of her GED so she could hopefully follow away from Len’s footsteps and make a name for herself one day.

Her super short skirt covered little to the imagination and her makeup was always as pristine and flawless as her hair. Today she wore a modest coverup over her work uniform, the last birthday present Len had gifted her when she had turned 18.

“Where’s the old man?” Leonard asked instead of answering. “If you behave I’ll tell you all about it over dinner.”

It was a rhetorical question, they both knew where he was. Leonard also knew his father, Lewis Snart, wouldn’t be back until the early hours of the morning, long after Lisa had gone to work and he would make himself scarce.

“What’s for dinner?” His sister asked, smoothing down Len’s leather jacket with her fingertips.

“Pizza. My treat.”

“Pizza?” Lisa wrinkled her nose. “I can’t pay tonight. All of my tips went to the electric bill this month.”

Of course they did.

“My treat,” Leonard repeated. “I said I’d pay last time. Now, do you want to go get it or have it delivered?”

Lisa didn’t hide the way she stared hopefully at the door. That told Len everything he needed to know.

He took the jacket from her fingers. “Come on then.”

Even through all of Lisa’s pestering, she was silent most of the ride to The Tower of Pizza diner, a locally owned business that knew both siblings by name. They could also get a discount on the best garlic bread in Central City.

The diner was practically empty when they arrived, only a few customers milling around the checkered red and white booths. They said their order to the cashier and piled into a single booth, Lisa going first and Len facing her.

“So,” Lisa started. “Now are you going to tell me how your day went?”

“If you want, fine.”

Leonard told it like it was, he didn’t sugarcoat anything anymore for Lisa. She was a big girl, wiser than most people in their 30s, and she knew the law of the land better than anyone. Len described the open campus and the even more open people with their clubs and their acronyms and their frat parties. Her eyes went wide with every description, picturing it all in her mind’s eye. Before long there pizza arrived, half Hawaiian half veggie lovers, and Lisa stuffed her face while Len continued.

“The library is bigger than anything I’ve ever seen, a whole 9 stories of books and computers. You can find anything you want in there.”

“Are there any sororities? What were they like?”

Len shrugged. “How should I know? You want me to join one and tell you about their slumber parties?”

Lisa sighed into her pizza even though she did chuckle at the joke. “I wish I could join a sorority. Do you think it would be fun, Lenny?”

“Matching clothes and banging the school mascot. What’s more fun than that?”

Lisa shoved her crust into his mouth before he could say anymore. The pizza almost choked him but Leonard swallowed it whole, coughing it down.

“You’re a jerk you know,” Lisa snapped. “You didn’t even want to go to college and yet here you are, taking it for granted.”

“Jesus, Lize.” Leonard drowned his watery soda. “If you’re so hurt about it why don’t you go in my place? The classes are fine, I just...”

His voice trailed off and Lisa said nothing. The garlic bread was starting to taste bitter.

“Are you going to leave me too, Lenny? Is that it?”

Leonard almost choked again. “What are you talking about?”

“You can’t stand your little sister anymore because I hold you back. Come on, we both know you didn’t want to stay in Central. You only stayed because of me!”

“That’s not—“

Lisa waved the last slice of her Hawaiian in his face. “Don’t you lie to me, Leonard Snart. I’ve been getting lies all my life.”

Len said nothing, couldn’t say anything to that statement. Lisa was right in a lot of things, but he didn’t want to believe her.

“Let’s just go home.”

He left a hefty tip because he could and they were off, this time the ride less comfortable. Lisa only held on when she had to and Len purposely turned harder in order to feel the contact. They got to the house and before he could even put his helmet away he heard the sharp closing of the door to Lisa’s bedroom.

Leonard didn’t bother, letting his sister cool down was the best option, even if it took a week for her to talk to him.

He threw his jacket against the wall, punched the dresser, and watched as an angry gash formed on his knuckles. He punched the wood again and again until the pain was so bad it was no longer grounding.

Leonard fell to the floor, head in his hands. He would have to clean up the blood from his clothes before his dad made it home, but for now he just sat there, wallowing in his self pity. It wouldn’t help anything and yet he still did it.

Something nudged his foot and Len opened his eyes slowly to spy the little black box he had swiped in his last class. It was barely the size of his fist now that he looked at it, hardly special.

Yet something was calling him to open it. He needed to open it. BADLY.

He took it in his hands and the wood was polished against his fingers. The blood had stopped flowing from his cracked knuckles, but Len still managed not to get a spec on the black box.

Opening it was...normal. Actually it made him feel worse. A single sterling silver ring blinked up at him and he almost, almost threw it aside to continue to sulk.

Except a small voice that was not in his head spoke next to his ear and almost half scared him to death.

“If you get blood on the ring I’ll kill you.”

XXXXX

Barry was high as a kite when he left Well’s class. Cisco had excused himself to go to the bathroom, claiming he almost peed himself when the professor had rode in like a knight in shining wheelchair parts, and if Barry was honest with himself he had probably peed himself from excitement too.

The walk to his dorm room was shorter than he could have imagined, but then again he had skipped the whole way.

Barry’s dorm room was a modern, quaint apartment complex that had a basketball court on one side and a pool on the other. It was the kind of place frat parties would be thrown on one night, and then the other would be the annual board meeting where all the professors would gather over coffee on the bottom floor. There was complimentary breakfast, rose shaped soap, and even towels that looked like swans when Barry wheeled his luggage in and dropped it at the foot of the bed.

The room was a good size, single bedroom like he had requested with another person across the hall where he would share a kitchenette and bathroom. The window overlooked the campus, all the trees changing colors right before his eyes. There were clean sheets in the closet, simple and white, and the walls were burnt orange to contrast the dark furniture.

Barry threw his hands up and whooped loudly. Today had been amazing, even if his jacket was stained with coffee and his classes gave him more homework than he could imagine, he had met with his idol, his world.

Barry unpacked his photographs and camera equipment first, taking the time to organize them on the shelf overlooking his bed. Then he hung the few science posters on the wall he had managed to stuff into his bag and left his high school soccer trophy on his desk next to his laptop and books.

There wasn’t much else to put away besides clothing and enmities so Barry let them be, instead fishing for his phone in his messenger bag. He came up empty so he turned the whole thing upside down on his bed and watched as a bunch of pens, papers, and a notepad flew out. Still no phone? What was wrong with this bag!

Barry dug his hand until he felt a hidden pocket where his phone had been lodged in between two zippers. He also felt something else in there, foreign to his fingers, but it felt small enough that he pulled both objects out at the same time.

The thing turned out to be a small black box that when it caught the light had swirling designs on the sides. Barry started at it and opened it without a second thought. A set of simple black earrings stared up at him, two little dots against the cushioning.

Where had these come from? Barry had never worn earrings in his life besides the one time he had dressed as a pirate in grade school.

He was about to toss them aside to take them to lost and found, but a bright light exploded from inside the box and Barry helped, taking cover under a pillow.

“Hello there, master of creation. My name is Tikki and—“

Barry screamed and fell face first onto his bed, slamming his head on the wood. It hurt like hell but it didn’t matter, he lay still.

He must have passed out because a knock on his door almost caused a Barry to knock his head a second time on the floor.

“Yo, dude!” There was more knocking and Barry half stumbled half crawled to the door to open it. “Everything okay?”

It was a boy younger than him, dark skinned with curly hair, wearing only a towel around his waste. Water was still trailing down his face.

“Yeah, sorry about that.” Barry averted his gaze politely.

“I heard screaming.”

“I...slipped.” It was such a lame excuse. “I didn’t mean to bother you.”

The boy looked him up and down, clearly not buying it, but didn’t press.

“Alright sure. If you need anything I’m Wally by the way.”

Barry nodded. “Thanks, man. I really appreciate it.”

Barry shut the door without another word, then he groaned. He hadn’t given his name!

Barry opened the door quickly just as Wally was closing the door to the bathroom, probably going to change.

“I’m sorry, that was rude. I’m Barry.”

Wally cracked a small smile and they went their separate ways.

The door being shut made Barry’s skin crawl. He looked around the room and everything seemed normal enough. His books and laptop were still on his desk so there hadn’t been a break in. His clothes were still unpacked, the bed was messy where he had fallen.

He could have sworn he had heard a voice. Barry checked under the bed, in the dresser, but found nothing.

“That was quite a scare,” a frilly voice said. “You should be more careful.”

Barry yelped, grabbing the nearest object to defend himself. It happened to be the desk lamp and he yanked it out of its socket, plunging half the room into darkness.

Just great.

“Whoa whoa. Please don’t hurt yourself.”

Barry could barely see but from what he could make out there was a tiny bug-like creature floating close to his face. An alien. Oh he was so screwed.

“I’m Tikki,” the floating thing said—hadn’t it already said that? “And you’re the new master of the miraculous.”

Barry could faint, or wait maybe he did faint again. The Tikki bug thing was talking to him. It was a real alien!

“You’re...YOU’RE—“

“Tikki. And you are?”

“Barry Allen?”

“Barry Allen.” Tikki nodded their head—her head? Its head?

“What are you exactly?”

“I’m a guardian of the miraculous of creation, a kwami,” Tikki supplied, zipping over to and on the desk. “You were chosen to wield my powers and become a superhero.”

“Superhero?”

Tikki nodded. From the looks of the little antenna poking out of her reddish, almost pink head, and her trill voice Barry could guess she was a girl. She almost resembled a little ladybug.

“Are you ready to transform and see what I’m talking about?”

Transform...?

HOLD THE PHONE.

Barry stumbled to Tikki, dropping himself in his rolling chair.

“Wait wait, start from the beginning. You’re a miraculous. What even is that?”

“Miraculous are beings of pure energy sent to guard the hope and virtue of humanity. We have existed for centuries in secret with only a few people in the history of time that have ever documented us. Those are called guardians, and there is one right here in Central City. I was sent to find you so you could help him save the world.”

“Save the world.”

Apparently Barry was a dumb idiot because all he could do was repeat whatever Tikki was saying. He was probably getting pranked, yeah that was it! Pranked by Wally across the hall to usher him into his new year at the university.

“Thanks,” Barry said slowly. “But I’m good. I’m no hero. Cue the cameras, this prank is over.”

Tikki’s gaze darkened, her blue eyes turning bluer. “This is no joke, Barry. I really am a miraculous. And you’re my new master. We should start your training immediately.”

“No. What you are is a figment of my imagination!” Barry threw his hands in the air and whirled around. Maybe if he closed his eyes he’s wake up from this dream.

He ended up finding Tikki poking his nose when he opened them.

“Come on, come on,” she rushed. “Your partner must be waiting for you.”

“Partner?”

Tikki nodded like it was obvious. “You wield creation, your partner wields destruction. Together you are ying and yang.”

“Right...”

Barry chewed his bottom lip. On the one hand he could turn in this little bug creature over to the authorities and be done with it, maybe put it to good use. The lab always needed to resources to find cures for cancer or the common cold, maybe this was it. On the other hand, he could see where this was going, stick it out for as long as he wanted. Hell, he could be a superhero according to this thing.

“Okay.” Barry nodded slowly, then more firmly, deciding his mind. “Okay, I’ll do it. What do I have to do exactly?”

“I have to pierce your ears. Please hold still. I’ll explain everything once you have the earrings on.”

If Wally heard a Barry scream again he didn’t knock on the door a second time.

If you want more let me know!

#coldflash #legends of tomorrow #wip #dc comics #dctv #leonard snart #barry allen #coldflashforever #the flash #alternate universe #fanfic

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emeraldwaves · 7 years

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Title: Dance With Me (It Won’t Kill Ya) Pairing: Kacchako Dance/College AU Rating: M Word Count: 5,260 Read on Ao3 Read from the beginning here Summary: When Bakugou damages university property, he’s forced to take dance lessons with the best dance student at the school, Uraraka. There’s no way he’ll actually enjoy learning to dance though… right?

Absolutely not…

Thanks to @its-love-u-asshole and Brit to reading this over

Full fic under the cut!

"That's what you're wearing?" Kirishima commented, folding his arms as his red eyes trailed up and down Bakugou's body. A t-shirt, and a pair of baggy jeans were what the blond had chosen to dress himself in, nothing out of the ordinary. His shoes were the same boots he always wore—large, thick combat-style boots.

"Do you have a fucking problem with what I'm wearing?" Bakugou snarled, moving his face towards Kirishima, noses practically touching.

"Back up man," Kirishima muttered with an awkward chuckle, placing his hands up to his own chest, as though they would actually protect him from Bakugou's wrath. "I'm just sayin'," he coughed. "Don't you have those dance lessons today? How are you going to dance in boots?"

"Are you some kind of fucking dance expert?" Bakugou hissed. The words 'dance expert' were spit from his mouth like a snake attempting to lash out at its prey. These dance lessons hadn't even started and already Bakugou was done. Hell, he hadn't even made it out of his dorm room yet.

Kirishima stepped back, sitting down at his desk. He straddled his chair and slouched behind it, as if the chair would be enough of a block from Bakugou's rage. "N-No..." he stammered, scratching at the side of his cheek. "I assumed you weren't supposed to wear combat boots though..." he commented, though his voice grew quieter and quieter the longer he stared at Bakugou's face.

Bakugou’s brow was furrowed, veins in his forehead throbbing with anger. His red eyes trembled, as though they were about to jump out his eye sockets, and his knuckles were white. Kirishima was a bit worried Bakugou was going to break his own damn hand.

"Then this chick can deal. I'm not buying new fucking shoes for stupid lessons I won't ever use!" he snapped.

Grabbing his bag off of the bed, he whipped it around, slinging it over his shoulder. He slammed the door behind him, not bothering to say goodbye to Kirishima, especially since all the red-haired boy could seem to do was offer snarky comments Bakugou would never be in the mood to hear.

Just walking to the dance building felt like a waste of his time. It was all the way on the other side of campus, past the main classroom buildings, and past the art and theater buildings. Hell, it was across from the sports fields and gym building, which really was a cruel twist of fate. Bakugou would get to walk by Kirishima, Kaminari, and the others all practicing, when he would be walking to some pansy-ass dance lesson with some bitch he'd never heard of. Aizawa-sensei had claimed she was the best dancer in the department, and she'd apparently been more than willing to teach him. Seemed like a mistake, Bakugou was going to be sure she regretted it in the end.

In Bakugou's eyes, all of this was the ultimate punishment. Not only did he have to walk by his teammates practicing, but he also had stupid dance lessons, and on top of that, he had tutoring sessions with Deku. Tutoring sessions he didn't need. He only hoped that little shit would recognize the last thing Bakugou needed were math lessons. Bakugou was incredibly intelligent, but horrible at controlling his temper, which is why he normally ended up in situations like this.

In high school, he had been at the top of his class every year, but he had also clocked the most detentions and after-school punishments for being far too antagonistic to his classmates. It wasn't his fault they were all idiots who pissed him off to no end.

At first, Bakugou had thought being a university student would work out better for him. However, that had been a thought which had barely flown through his mind, as he found he was yelling at Kirishima on Day 1 as roommates. People were idiots, no matter how old they were, and they never seemed to stop pissing Bakugou off.

Unfortunately, this was exactly why he'd gotten into this problem in the first place. Setting the sports shed on fire really had been an accident, but it also had most likely been one of the more stupid accidents Bakugou had been a part of in awhile.

Especially since it had landed him in such a shitty ass situation.

He trudged across the field, his boots stomping into the ground, leaving indented prints on the muddy walkway. It had rained earlier today, and he growled, thinking about how he'd miss out on practicing on the mud-ridden field. While most of his teammates dreaded playing in the mud, Bakugou loved getting completely dirty, tackling others into the ground. He was the best member of the team, partially because he never held back, no matter the circumstance.

But today he would be stuck inside a disgusting, and way too clean for it's own good, dance studio.

Slamming the door to the dance building open, he glanced around. He had no idea where he was going, like hell he'd ever set foot in this building before.

"What the fuck is this maze?" he yelled, ignoring the obnoxious, classical sounding music coming from one of the studios directly to his right. Peering in through the glass on the door, he felt relieved when it was a group of students practicing some frilly looking dance. Not that his lessons were going to be any better, and it took all his resolve to not thrust his fist directly through the glass.

He stormed down the hallway, looking for the room written on the sheet Aizawa-sensei had given him. It was supposedly one of the smaller studios, but that information meant fuck-all to him since he wasn't familiar with the building at all.

Glancing at his watch, he was thankful he had left earlier than he needed to. Not that he wanted to be stuck at the stupid dance studio for longer than needed, but he didn't want to fuck up anymore than he already had. Aizawa-sensei had made it clear—as long as Bakugou put some effort in, according to his teachers, he'd be fine, and he could go back to his normal college life, leaving this whole incident behind.

The room he was looking for was at the end of the hall, and he kicked the door open, the large wooden door swinging forward, slamming against the wall. The sole person in the room jumped, a small squeak escaping her lips as she turned around.

She was shorter than Bakugou expected, her short brown hair bouncing with the turn of her head. Her brown eyes were wide at first, her cheeks a rosy pink color. He expected her to flinch at his frustrated look, since his scowl hadn't gone anywhere. Instead she smiled, the longer pieces of her hair framing her face as she clapped her hands together gently.

"You must be Bakugou-kun."

The door opened and bounced off the padded wall, making a loud slamming noise which caused Uraraka to jump. She had been expecting Bakugou of course, but she hadn't expected him to make such a loud entrance. Though, she supposed it made sense, what with his reputation and all.

He now stood in her doorway, his shoulder's hunched over. His lip was quirked up in what seemed to be disgust, and his red eyes were glaring at her, but she didn't look away from his angry gaze. His blond hair was messy, sticking up all over the place, and he was more attractive than she'd imagined, though the angry face didn't help his case much. He was simultaneously everything she had expected, and yet, the complete opposite.

"You must be Bakugou," she smiled, clapping her hands together. It was something she did when she felt nervous, the noise helping her to focus on the task at hand.

A growl rumbled in his throat, but she didn't flinch. After the loud way he had entered, Uraraka felt she was prepared for anything.

"Who the fuck else didya think I would be?!" he snarled. She could see how white his knuckles were, as though all the anger in his body was trying to escape, and the only thing holding him back was his trembling fists.

"It was more a statement, not a question," she chuckled, her small hand covering her mouth as she laughed.

"I don't find that fucking funny," he snapped, shoving his hands into his pockets. He turned away from her, his face fixated on the wall next to him. She saw his lip curl even more, and if she hadn't known any better, Uraraka might've thought Bakugou was pouting.

Snorting, she covered her mouth. "S-Sorry," she said. She knew she probably wasn't supposed to laugh when he got like this. If he really was as violent as Iida and Midoriya had warned, Uraraka really wasn't in the mood to test her luck.

"Hah?!" he exclaimed loudly, his deep voice echoing in the dance studio. "Do you think this is funny?" he asked. With each word he spoke, he stomped towards her, until his face was inches away, glaring at her. His red eyes were narrow and angry, and Uraraka was wondering if he was about to breathe fire from how hard he was huffing. Her face felt a bit flush, since he had no sense of her personal space. She wasn't used to being so close to someone, let alone a boy.

Slowly, she raised up her hands, taking a small step back, her hands hovering above his chest. "I...wasn't expecting such an animated entrance," she mumbled.

Bakugou didn't answer this time, instead, he simply grumbled, folding his arms.

"Uhm..." she began, not sure of where to start. Bakugou obviously wasn't interested in these lessons, and she knew he was only doing it to be able to maintain his scholarship. Uraraka had been told he was a rugby player...rough, dirty, intense. The last thing he wanted was to be here she presumed.

"Get on with it!" Bakugou said, waving his hand towards her.

"What?" she asked.

"Get on with your stupid lessons," he continued. "I just wanna get this shit over with."

She raised her eyebrow, staring at him. Iida and Midoriya had warned her, so she'd expected him to be slightly hostile, and maybe even a little rude, but he couldn't even look at her, let alone ask her to start teaching more politely. "You know," she began, knowing there was no way this conversation was heading in a positive direction. "It's up to me to report in about how you're performing." Uraraka folded her arms, and turned away from him.

"What the hell are you trying to say, shitty girl?" he hissed, and she didn't need to turn around to know what his expression looked like. Teeth bared, as though he were a wolf, eyes narrowed, if looks could kill.

"I'm saying if you don't want to fail you'll listen to me and not be so rude!" she said, stomping her foot against the floor, she turned to look at him.

He looked a little surprised. His stance was still hostile, his shoulders hunched over, but his eyes were wider, and his mouth seemed less tense. Perhaps he was shocked by how quickly she had talked back to him. She doubted many people did. Bakugou was intimidating, that was for sure, but she was supposed to be his teacher, and she wasn't going to back down from it.

Their eyes locked, both of them glaring. Uraraka tried not to blink, scared breaking his gaze would make her the loser of their now unspoken competition.

"...whatever," Bakugou growled, finally. He'd conceded it seemed, and Uraraka clapped her hands together once more, a smile appearing on her lips.

"Good," she nodded, and walked slowly over to him. "First things first, if you actually want to dance you have to take off these giant boots. Really you should have dance shoes, but since you're going to be here for such a short time...I won't push that," she said.

"You want me to take off my fucking boots?" he growled.

"Yup," she said, not moving from her position. "I actually should've made you take them off sooner. You tracked mud in here and the professors are going to kill me if I ruin this studio."

She could see from the way his eye twitched he was considering storming around the room to make more of a mess, but instead he puffed out his chest and held the large breath of air in, letting it escape his lungs in a huff.

"Fuck." He flung his bag against the wall, and kicked off his shoes, tossing them next to his bag. Uraraka thought it was easy to see why he was being asked to take a dance class to calm his nerves. He had far too many, and Uraraka was waiting for him to explode, like he was some sort of ticking time bomb.

"Good enough," she sighed.

"Good enough? GOOD ENOUGH?" he roared. "What more do you want from me, Angel face?" he hissed. Angel face? Was that supposed to be an insult? Glancing at herself in the mirror, she noted that she did have a somewhat round face, and a sweet one at that. She had large eyes, and round rosy cheeks...though she wasn't sure if she was supposed to be insulted by what he had said.

"Like I said," she continued, deciding to ignore the strange insult, "I don't really like people dancing in their socks but-" As she spoke he groaned, leaning down to yank off his socks. "Oh, you don't have to...what I mean is you could...well...okay..." she said, but trailed off when she saw his feet now bare against the floor.

"Is this good enough for you?"

"You really didn't have to take your socks off, but alright," she shrugged. Glancing at the clock she noted they had wasted almost 15 minutes of their hour long class. "Okay, let's get started. I...am going to assume you have no dance experience."

"Fuck off," he growled, shoving his hands back into his pockets.

"I'm not sure what you mean by that," she chuckled awkwardly.

"I don't fucking dance," he said.

Nodding, Uraraka shrugged, "Exactly, just as I suspected." His eyebrow twitched again at that, and Uraraka reveled in being right. "We'll start with something simple, well-known, a waltz?"

He rolled his eyes at her, indicating he knew what she was talking about, but had no desire to learn anymore than what he already knew.

"Start by giving me your hands," she said, holding her own out.

"What? No way!" he said, pushing them further down into his pockets. "Can't you just teach me some dumb moves?!"

"Well, I was thinking a really slow waltz would be good for calming you. It's really rhythmic, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3," Uraraka said, standing on her toes as she twirled around herself, keeping her arms out in front of her, poised in the proper position, as though she had an invisible partner. Her hair and skirt swayed with the movement of her body.

"Can't you just teach me how to twirl or some shit?" he snapped.

Lowering her hands with a sigh, she frowned. "I...I do know ballet and modern, but ballroom is what I enjoy the most. It's my job to teach you a style of dance that will calm you, and I think this is your best bet, the rhythms will help. I'm supposed to be teaching you, can't you just...listen?" she said, exasperation clear. The strength in her voice was disappearing. She had been trying to get him to cooperate for almost 20 minutes now, and it was insanely tiring. "I don't want to keep threatening you with a bad report," she mumbled.

Bakugou grunted, and tapped his bare foot against the ground. "Fine whatever," he grumbled yet again, holding his hands out lazily.

"Okay," Uraraka said, stepping back towards him. This was a start she supposed. She took his hands in her own, and blushed for a moment realizing how rough his hands were. It felt as though he'd been rubbing sandpaper against them for days. "Normally, you'd place one hand on my upper back, and then we'd hold the other's out, but..." she paused, seeing him glare at her again. "We'll, uh just do this for now..." she said.

It had taken almost 30 minutes for them to start, but finally they were dancing, if you could call it that. Uraraka was mostly pushing Bakugou in the direction she wanted to go, and he grumbled, taking lazy steps back, as though moving his body was such a chore. If he would've just put a little effort in, he would've probably been a decent dancer. His body was in good shape from playing rugby, and Uraraka could tell his rhythm wasn't terrible. He moved in time with her, even if it seemed as though he didn't care about moving at all.

She counted out the steps, and slowly helped him move across the floor, her palms and feet guiding them through many slow turns. The movement was slow, and Uraraka wished she could push him to go faster, but it was on the first lesson, maybe speed would come later, if he actually started trying more. Though now they were finally dancing, it seemed perhaps he didn't hate it? His eyes looked complacent, as though he'd resigned himself finally to his dancing fate, but he was still moving his legs, and as far as Uraraka was concerned, that was a win.

"See," she smiled, giving his palms a squeeze. "It's not so bad!"

He yanked his hands back then, wrinkling his nose up. "Are you kidding me? We're just sort of drifting around the room! It's boring as all hell! I can't believe you actually want to do this for your career," he scoffed.

She frowned, biting down on her lip. Midoriya had been right, and in all fairness, Uraraka wasn't sure if he could've prepared her for just how truly awful Bakugou could be. She had wanted to be optimistic. Even after he'd slammed the door, and yelled at her, she wanted to believe he was good, and would take her seriously. "Well if you would actually put some effort into what we are working on, you might find it more interesting or challenging!" she yelled back.

"Whatever, I'm never going to use this again. I just wanna get these 8 shitty lessons over with!" he growled.

She glanced at the clock. Ten minutes left. She couldn't do this, not if he was going to keep pulling away from her and insulting her. She, unlike some people, had tried. He was terrible. Terrible at dance, terrible to her. She couldn't believe he and Midoriya had been childhood friends, they were polar opposites.

"Fine," she swallowed, turning away from him, her lower lip trembling. This was her teaching debut, and she was already failing? Maybe these 8 weeks were going to be a waste of both of their time. "Just get out of here then. We've done enough for today."

He didn't respond, but she did hear him scoff, a soft "tch," before he stormed away to the door. There was some rustling as he picked up his shoes and bags, and she flinched, her shoulders jerking to her ears when he slammed the studio door behind him.

Uraraka wasn't quite sure how she had expected the first lesson to go, but deep down, she hadn't expected it to be that bad. If only she had anticipated just how much of an asshole Bakugou Katsuki was.

Stupid, stupid, stupid—was the sound Bakugou heard with every step he took in his muddy boots. The whole thing had been a complete waste of his time, and waste of her time. She had looked pretty upset at the end. She wasn't a teacher either, so it wasn't like she was used to dealing with giant shitheads like him. Bakugou almost felt an inkling of guilt. Almost. But it disappeared as soon as it had arrived when he remembered having to meet with Deku tomorrow.

These lessons were dumb. Nothing about them were useful, and he wasn't going to get better at walking around the floor in a weird rhythm. Mostly it had been her leading him around, pushing him with the weight of her smooth hands. Didn't she realizing how humiliating it was? He was the fucking guy, didn't guys normally lead? He didn't have much dance knowledge but he did know it was usually a man's job to lead. Who the hell did this girl think she was?!

The sun had long since set, and Bakugou probably should've eaten something, but he was feeling so damn drained, so instead he made his way back to his dorm, ignoring the angry pangs of hunger in his stomach.

He stormed back past the field and headed up towards the dorms, trying to ignore the footprints in the mud from where practice had been held. He didn't want to think of all the potential things he might've missed, no that was far too distressing for him, and he was one bad thought away from punching out the next person he saw. He had to restrain himself, this was the whole damn reason he got into this mess in the first place.

Slamming the door open to his dorm room, he was surprised to see Kirishima sitting at his desk, working on his homework. His gaze was focused downward, his fingers clacking away on the keyboard in front of him. Bakugou was a bit surprised the other hadn't moved when the blond had entered, but he supposed it was because Kirishima was used to Bakugou's outlandish behavior.

"You're back," he said casually. "I figured you'd go and grab food after."

"Not fuckin' hungry," he growled. He kicked off his boots, flinging them at the wall before flopping down onto his bed. He had a bit of homework to do, but he figured he could finish it all tomorrow during his designated study with fucking Deku. He wasn't pleased about it, not one bit, but at least he could use it as a good excuse to slack off for now.

"Really? All that dancing didn't get you hungry?" Kirishima snorted, and Bakugou could practically feel the vein popping out of his forehead. When was Kirishima going to learn to keep his fucking mouth shut.

"It was a waste of my fucking time, just as I expected," he snapped, rolling over so he could stare at the wall. It was difficult not to focus on Kirishima's loud typing, and Bakugou tried desperately to think of anything else. He wanted to yank the laptop from under Kirishima's fingers and toss it out the window.

"Too bad," Kirishima hummed. "I heard that Uraraka girl is cute!"

"Cute?! What the hell does that have to do with anything?!" Bakugou said. "She could be the cutest damn girl alive and her lessons would still be a waste of my damn time!" he yelled.

Kirishima shrugged, and snorted. He leaned his head back, his eyes closing as he let out a long breath. "I mean, depends on how you look at it. Lessons with a cute girl could be fun, you know," he said, the sing-song tone grating on Bakugou's ears.

"I don't fucking care about that!" he said, about to admit all Uraraka had really done was push him around the dance floor. Everything about it was terrible. Her soft, small hands, guiding his rough ones, the way she had smiled saying it wasn't so bad. It was all so damn disgusting.

Pulling himself up, he glared at Kirishima. "You know what I care about?" Bakugou asked. "I care about doing well at practice. At staying so on top of my shit I'm still the goddamn number one player! That's what I care about! Not this dance bullshit. I'm never going to fucking use this again, and if I never talk to that shitty girl again, I wouldn't care! I want to go to fucking practice, and I want..." His hand rubbed against his head and he snarled out a loud yell, punching his fist against the wall.

"Fuck it," he snapped. "I am going for a goddamn run!" He had so much pent up energy. The damn dance lessons were supposed to make him calm down, but all it had done was build up energy. "I can't fucking stay in this tiny ass room!"

"But you just got back!" Kirishima said, watching as Bakugou yanked off his shirt to pull a tank top over his head. He grabbed his sneakers and shoved his feet into the shoes, not caring that his heel had pressed down part of the back.

"Yeah and I wanna leave," he snapped. "I didn't get to do anything today, I can't look at you and wonder what the fuck I missed at practice, and I really can't sit here and listen to you fucking type."

He slammed the door behind him before Kirishima could say anything else to him. Quite frankly, Bakugou didn't care if he ran all damn night.

Placing her tray on the table, Uraraka plopped down with a heavy sigh. Her and Bakugou hadn't done much, but she hadn't felt so physically exhausted in such a long time. Sighing, she played with the vegetables she had grabbed from the salad bar. She had expected Bakugou to be abrasive and difficult to work with, but she hadn't expected him to be as rude as he was. Which had been stupid, based on what Midoriya had warned her of, she really should've known.

Still it was a bit discouraging. It was her first time teaching, and she wanted to do a good job, if only for herself, since Bakugou didn't seem the least bit interested in actually learning anything about dance.

"Uraraka-san!" Midoriya was all smiles as he approached her table, sitting down with his own meal. "How did it go?" he asked, scooting further into the booth.

She sighed again. "It was...well, based on what you told me it was exactly what I should've expected."

"A-Ah...I had a feeling Kacchan wasn't exactly going to be...nice..." Midoriya chuckled nervously, scratching the side of his cheek. "I hope it wasn't too bad?"

Before she could answer, Iida took the seat next to her. "Evening," he nodded. "Based on the way your face looks, I'm coming to the conclusion your lesson with Bakugou didn't go very well."

A sad smile appeared on her face. "Am...am I really that easy to read?" Of course, she had been friends with Iida and Midoriya since their first year at university together. The three of them had been accidentally paired up during an orientation team building exercise, and though they weren't really anything alike, they had somehow bonded, and had been inseparable ever since.

"You didn't look very happy," Midoriya hummed softly.

"It's a little disheartening," she admitted. "I mean, I knew what you both told me but I wanted..." Uraraka stared at her food a little longer, trying to find the right words to convey the emotions. "I wanted to convince him dance was fun, or...maybe see him have a good time. I want to be a good teacher..."

"O-Oh! Uraraka-san! I'm sure your teaching is fantastic!" Midoriya exclaimed, wildly waving his arms back and forth. "Kacchan is not the best subject base your teaching off of!" he urged. "If you taught anyone else I'm sure they'd be excited and happy to learn from you!"

"You can’t come to a conclusion based on the results from one test subject," Iida nodded, quickly agreeing with Midoriya.

Uraraka couldn't help but laugh. "You guys are so silly," she giggled. "I appreciate the confidence you both have in me though."

"I don't...want you to be discouraged because of Kacchan," Midoriya said. "Are you sure you don't want me to come and help you?"

She smiled, shaking her head. "No, don't worry, I might be a little discouraged, but I certainly won't be giving up," she said, her determination growing the more she thought about it. "He has seven classes left, and I'm the one evaluating him, so he has to listen to me sometime," she grinned looking rather proud of herself.

"Okay..." Midoriya said. "Kacchan can be...very stubborn."

That was definitely true, she had witnessed his stubbornness first hand. "I know," she nodded. "But like I said, I'm not about to give up!"

"Good, that's the Uraraka we know," Iida smiled, taking a large gulp of water. "So what happened tonight?"

"Well, let's see," she sighed, immediately remembering how frustrated she had felt cleaning up the dance studio. Bakugou had tracked mud in, and she had spent an extra thirty minutes making sure everything looked spotless before she locked up. She was being trusted with this task, and she didn't want to let anyone down, especially not her dance professors. "He definitely wasn't interested in dance. He almost broke the door when he walked in, tracking in mud. He wore boots, which were impossible to dance in. I spent the first 20 minutes convincing him to even do anything, including take his shoes off. Everything I asked for from him was like I was asking him to do the most strenuous work." She took a large breath. "And finally, when I did convince him to do something, he barely put any effort in. I had to threaten him with a bad evaluation at least two or three times," she said, feeling exasperated all over again.

"Wow, that bad, huh?" Midoriya nodded, not looking surprised in the slightest.

"Actually, I let him leave a bit early. Once we started dancing, I tried to get him to admit it wasn't that bad, but he got angry, and pulled his hands away from me," she said. "It's not going to be an easy few weeks, but I guess that's the fun of the challenge," she murmured. "I'm sorry you have to deal with him tomorrow," she finished, a sympathetic look on her face.

Midoriya shrugged. "I'm used to Kacchan. I-I'm sure he'll be angry with me, and yell at me, but it's really nothing new."

Uraraka frowned. "You shouldn't let him get away with yelling at you! I yelled back!"

"You did?!" Midoriya and Iida both looked surprised.

"Yeah, I mean I had to, or else he would never have listened to me!" All three of them laughed, the sound echoing around their small booth.

"I'm sorry it didn't go well," Midoriya said finally, after they all calmed down.

"It's alright," she said softly. "I'm sure it'll be okay, and hey, only seven more classes left."

She put on a smile, but admittedly she was a bit worried. She didn't want to spend every class yelling at Bakugou, trying to convince him to dance. She didn't want to threaten him, she just wanted him to listen. Though she was realizing she probably would have to take a different approach if she wanted it to work. Bakugou wasn't like anyone she had ever dealt with before, but she was determined. Maybe he wouldn't like dance by the end, but she was going to be certain he learned at least something by the time he was done.

#kacchako #uraraka ochako #katsuki bakugou #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #bhna fanfiction #BHNA #dance au #chaptered #dance with me #au #finally finished this XD

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flickerfic · 7 years

Text

Skateboard Sally: PART 1 - AU SMUT (Kaylor Fic)

Taylor Swift’s knees roughly graze against the asphalt as she falls. Her textbooks scatter about her across the ground, the pages fluttering in the wind. Her long blonde hair tidal waves over her face, momentarily blocking her plain of sight. The cause of her injury? A dirt covered skateboarder girl with a scowl and a stare that could take down a hundred men. Taylor is confused at the girl’s disgruntled expression. She really shouldn’t be the one that looks annoyed in this situation, right?

“Watch where you’re going, dumb fuck!” spits the terrifyingly tall girl, a fresh scuff on her cheek. But the scuff is no comparison to the bloody wounds on Taylor’s knees.

“Karlie, you completely tomahawked her!” laughs an obnoxiously loud voice from up ahead.

Taylor is still dazed when she’s yanked back to her feet, hissing in pain as her knees straighten and stretch out her fresh cuts. Despite all this, her cause of the accident continues to taunt her. The green in her gaze is snake like. Venomous. She’s got her dirty blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. Her tongue is blue from some sort of candy she’s been eating. She’s wearing a red and white t-shirt and black denim shorts. As she begrudgingly helps Taylor up she narrows that devilish stare.

“This is the half pipe not the good girls tennis club,” she leers and picks up her board before skating off to join her other rowdy friends.

Taylor has hardly any time to react to her crude comments and winces again as her knees sting. She hears people come jogging up behind her and she fears it’s another pair of skaters. But she’s relieved to find Selena and Abigail, her two best friends by her side.

“We saw everything, oh my god. Are you all right?” Selena pants, kneeling down to inspect Taylor’s legs. Abigail is picking up her books and sliding them back into her bag.

“You poor thing. What was she saying to you? What a creep, she looked so angry,” the red haired girl rambles. She hands Taylor her bag and joins Selena at her skirt hem to take a look.

“She bumped into me by accident but said I was too close to the pipe thing they skate on,” Taylor says as she holds back tears. She’s not phased by anything that was said to her but her knees sure do hurt.

“What? You’re like ten feet away from that thing! I don’t know what she’s talking about,” Abigail says in an offended tone. “What a child.”

“Let’s take you to the nurse,” Selena suggests eagerly.

Taylor readily agrees and let’s her friends help her limp to the nurses office. She’s met with wide eyes and immediately set down on the bed whilst her friends sit in front of her and wait patiently. The nurse begins to clean the wound with disinfectant while Taylor hisses in agony.

“How exactly did this happen?” the middle aged woman asks. She takes a moment to straighten her John Lennon glasses before dabbing at Taylor’s injury again.

“I was pushed by accident and my knees hit the asphalt,” Taylor explains plainly. That’s really all that happened. Sure she was given some very rude insults afterwards but it was still an accident. Nothing to report in her mind. This wasn’t the mindset of her friends however.

“Taylor, she skated over your textbooks! Bet she didn’t even say sorry,” Abigail explains in disbelief.

“Yeah Taylor, it looked like she was annoyed with you. You need an apology and soon,” Selena adds with her arms folded and legs crossed.

“I don't–” Taylor begins but is interrupted but the nurse.

“Ladies, please. I think this is something you should take to the principal or a guidance counsellor. This person that pushed into you obviously wasn’t very apologetic, correct?” she asks raising a sparse eyebrow at Taylor.

“Well, no. No she wasn’t. But I hate starting things–”

“If you don’t go to someone about it then we are,” Selena says sternly. Now she’s the one that looks deranged and angry.

“Sel, no. I’m begging you,” Taylor groans. Her knees are bandaged up and the nurse let’s them go with a mini first aid kid and a warning to “get that apology”.

“You guys are making a big deal out of this,” Taylor sighs.

“We’re not, we’re helping a best friend,” Abigail insists stubbornly.

They begin to make their way home in the evening sunset. Soon they come to a stop at a lamppost, a landmark for when they part ways for home. Selena is the first to speak about the incident once again.

“Tomorrow me and Abigail are going to a guidance councillor about what happened. Do you remember that girl’s name?”

Taylor sighs and runs her fingers through her short blonde hair. “I think it was Carrie or Carly? Something like that, I’m not sure. I only got her name when her friends called her.”

“It’ll do. We’ll probably be able to pick her out from the group anyway,” Abigail assures with a hand to Taylor’s shoulder.

“You guys really don’t have to do this,” Taylor protests again. She knows her arguments will not be taken to heart. But she gives it every shot she has nonetheless.

“Oh but we are,” Selena says firmly. Saw that coming.

~*~

Taylor is dreading the next day with a fiery passion. She wakes up in a mood and can’t eat. What if her friends went to school early and her aggressive book pusher was waiting to punch her face in? She holds onto her pink schoolbag straps tightly and pays attention to her surroundings. Everyone is just walking on campus to class or sitting on a park bench with breakfast bars and friends. Taylor’s knees are still sore so she’s still wearing a skirt. Anything else just rubs against the bandages when she walks. She feels so on edge and jumps when her phone pings with a new text message. Blushing at her paranoia and avoiding anyones gaze she hurries into the building and checks her iPhone. It’s a message from Selena.

Hey me nd Abi are just coming out of the GC’s office. Ur wanted in room 29!! ❤️

Taylor sighs tiredly. Her anxiety is eating her alive and she just wants to go home. Trudging to her locker she fills it with her books and takes out the ones she needs. Then she reluctantly slinks her way to the guidance councillor to the dreaded room twenty nine.

She stands outside the door and just stares at it for a long time. She even gives herself time to pace a little as she dares herself to knock and step inside. But before she can give herself a running start the door flies open anyway. The thirty year old man with scruffy brown hair greets her with an overly enthusiastic smile.

“Hey, Tay Tay!” he grins.

Taylor restrains herself from rolling her eyes. “Hello, Mr Tweed,” she greets in almost a groan. He grins and beckons her inside.

“And call me Thomas!” he insists as he hops onto his desk and swings his legs off the edge.

Taylor just smiles briefly and then looks around the room. The tall skateboarder is nowhere in sight. Taylor gives Mr Tweed a confused look as she places her bag on her lap, slowly sitting herself down on a couch. “Um, where is–”

“Karlie? She’ll be here in a moment. Your friends have set off with a teacher to find her,” he says with an annoyingly bright smile. He clasps his hands together and points his forward gaze to Taylor. “Now, I understand that you and this girl have had some communication issues?” he asks.

“Something like that. But it’s really not that serious. She accidentally knocked me over and got annoyed. That’s it,” Taylor explains with her arms raised in defence. “I really don’t have to be here at all, I just–”

Her explanations are interrupted by the office door swinging open and nearly crashing into a nearby potted fern. At the door is a seething tower of a girl, red at the cheeks and huffing like a wild animal. She’s dressed in skinny jeans, her same Cardinals shirt, and a ruby red varsity jacket. She storms into the room, slamming the door behind her.

“What the hell do you want!” she yells at Mr Tweed who’s bright smile suddenly vanishes. He straightens up and gives a nervous chuckle. Hopping down from his perch he shoots Karlie some finger guns and smiles awkwardly.

“Karlarino! Racekar! The old Skateboard Sally–”

“Oh for fucks sake, why am I here? Does the little A-line angel want her apology?” Karlie spits furiously.

“Um, first of all, that profanity is not hip, hop, or down with me kiddo,” Mr Tweed says daintily. “And second of all, she’s sitting right behind you.”

Taylor can feel herself shrinking and shrinking. Once that cat like gaze spins around to face her she gulps. “H-Hello, Karlie,” Taylor manages to stammer out.

Karlie laughs in a sort of pitiful mewl. Taylor wishes she wasn’t able to hold a stare so well. “What sort of apology do you want, hon? A kiss on your bare feet? A hand written letter proclaiming how foolish I was and how superior you are to receive an apology?”

Taylor is taken aback by the sheer amount of hate in the girl’s voice. She gulps again, trying to keep her throat in shape to speak. “Karlie, I…” Taylor begins. She briefly looks to Mr Tweed who smiles at her goofily and she sighs before continuing.

“I am aware that what happened was an accident. But…I feel as though your reaction to the incident was…inappropriate. I apologise for getting in your way but I would also like an apology for…for they way you acted.”

Karlie is deathly silent and unblinking. She stares right into Taylor’s soul. Her eyes then catch sight of the girls bandaged knees. They flit up again the meet her. Just when Taylor thinks she’s about to make some form apology, the girl starts to giggle softly. And then chuckle a little harder until finally she’s full on laughing in her face. Karlie holds herself as she comes down from her giggling and even brushes away a tear.

“I’m not apologising for a shitty little accident,” she sneers. Taylor is immediately disgusted. It’s the first time she’s felt a hint of distaste for the girl.

“And why is that?” she dares herself to ask.

“Because it wasn’t my fault. You shouldn’t have been walking around the half pipe. You were in my way and just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. You got your pretty little knees fucked up?” She slips off her varsity jacket. A long bruise accompanied by a few scattered band aids are revealed along her left arm. “I got this puppy right here. And it bites too.” She tugs the jacket back on. “This whole thing has been a waste of my time and I’d like to leave,” Karlie demands as she faces Mr Tweed assertively.

“Not so fast, Skateboard Sally–”

“Please stop fucking calling me that sir,” Karlie mumbles.

“Ahem, Karlie, because of this lack of an apology or mutual understanding I’m forced to give you two a bonding exercise to sort out your differences!” Mr Tweed says with a loud clasp of his hands.

“Fucking what?” Karlie says.

“May I intrude?” Taylor asks but is not given permission.

Mr Tweed continues. “The two of you will help the photography club with their year book project. You’ll be given a camera to take pictures of what you both think captures the essence of Earths natural beauties. And you’ll be starting Monday of next week. You will report back to me once you’ve learned a lesson. And we will be looking for updates weekly!” he says with that same goofy grin.

“I don’t see how that’s gonna help us resolve anything. It sounds fucking gay,” Karlie sneers deliberately directing the last word of her sentence down Taylor’s way.

“Please explain to me how taking nature photographs is gay,” Taylor says sternly. It’s the first time she’s spoken authoritatively to the girl and so she feels it is an improvement. Of some sort. Taylor has many gay friends, for with her theatre group comes an ensemble of flamboyant characters. And so she feels protective of them and the words taken from them.

Karlie seems amused by her offended tone and grins an evil grin. “Have I triggered you?” she giggles in a low tone. “Are you going to start shaking and screaming at me? Have I inflicted an act of pure violence upon you?” Karlie asks with a dramatic hand over her face mocking distress.

“Violence is physical. What you’ve just done is a childish, careless misuse of an important word. By calling something gay you mock and strip a person of–”

“Oh my god, shut up!” Karlie groans and turns to the guidance councillor again. “Look, I know I’ll get fucking expelled or some shit of I don’t comply to this bull crap. So give me the camera, I’ll take a picture of my left tit, and I’ll shove that in the year book okay?”

Mr Tweed sighs heavily and takes a camera out from behind his desk. He’s about to hand it over but pauses. “If the two of you don’t have at least three decent pictures each within the next month I have no choice but to suspend you both for disorderly conduct.” He says the last part with a very serious expression and Taylor is uncomfortable all of a sudden.

The girls leave the office with an even bigger distaste for one another when they arrived. Karlie scowls in Taylor’s direction and shoves the Nikon camera into her hands. “Take ten dumb photos and send ‘em into Mr Twat when you’re done,” she grumbles.

“Yeah, that’s not happening,” Taylor says calmly shaking her head. “I’m taking my three and keeping my place here. "You’re taking your three pictures and that’s how it’s gonna work.”

“Listen up, tennis skirt,” Karlie leers with a pointer finger to Taylor’s chest. “I didn’t ask for this to happen. I don’t have time to look for shitty little pansies or worms in the dirt.”

“Really? Because you sure look like someone that plays in the dirt all the time,” Taylor bites, knowing it’s a bad move but also knowing that Karlie isn’t anything to be afraid of anymore. She’s just a big mood in an even bigger vessel. Dangerous? Yes. Lethal? Not in the slightest.

Karlie scoffs at Taylor’s insult. “What’s that supposed to mean, I’m some sort of dyke? Is that what you’re poking at?”

“You said that not me,” Taylor replies with a raised eyebrow. “And I didn’t ask for this either. So let’s just make a little time to take these silly pictures and then we never have to see each other again. Okay?”

“Do you think I’m some sort of retarded dumb fuck that listens to the likes of you?” Karlie spits.

“I think you’re an exceedingly rude individual that shouldn’t be using the word retarded in that context,” Taylor shoots back cooly.

Karlie sighs and angrily punches a locker beside her causing Taylor to jump. She glares in her direction once more. “Meet me tomorrow in the park at eight. Maybe we’ll find some dead birds or something,” Karlie murmurs.

“Do you want my number? Just so we can contact each other for this,” Taylor asks causally.

“Well I wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to get the number of a pretty girl,” Karlie leers. And it turns Taylor’s stomach as she’s reminded of her high school days. Pretty little girl was the usual nickname for her. She writes her number on a slip of paper and hands it to Karlie. The taller girl beams her evil grin and then scowls immediately after as she adjusts the straps of her school bag and storms off.

What an angry human being, she thinks to herself. She sighs and makes her way to her first class. These next few weeks were going to be no easy feat.

~*~

Selena swings her legs back and forth as she lies on her tummy on Taylor’s bed painting her nails. Abigail is shaving her legs in the en suite bathroom with the door open. Taylor has her head against the wall and typing away on her laptop. A turned down speaker plays Beyoncé’s Lemonade. A girly Friday night in at Taylor’s apartment is a fan favourite amongst her trio of friends.

Selena attempts licking up a few kernels of popcorn from the bowl beside her so as not to ruin her nails. “Sorry we got you kind of the opposite of what you wanted today,” she says. “Now you’re stuck with that beast of a thing.”

“I didn’t really want anything today but it’s all right. And she’s not a beast she just has an attitude,” Taylor replies simply, not looking up from her laptop.

“I don’t know why you’re defending her,” Abigail says from the bathroom. She wipes down her clean shaven legs. “It’s not like she deserves to be stood up for.”

“I think Taylor has a crush on the girl,” Selena teases.

“Very funny,” Taylor replies. “You get all protective of me when I’m pushed to the ground and then joke about me liking her? Kind of messed up,” Taylor murmurs.

Selena winks over at Abigail who rolls her eyes. “Lay off, Sel.”

“Oh come on, take a joke!” the brunette giggles. “Hey, maybe you can turn her good or something. Use your innocent good girl charm to convert her.”

“To what? A slightly even more constantly annoyed version of herself? She’s not a movie villain, Selena,” Taylor says but a light chuckle shines through. “Listen, I don’t think she’s as big a deal as you guys might have thought. I’ll be fine.”

“Whatcha looking up?” Selena asks referring to Taylor’s laptop.

“…Nothing,” Taylor murmurs.

“It’s Karlie’s Facebook. I can see it from here,” Abigail calls from the bathroom as she layers moisturiser on her legs.

“Taylor!” Selena laughs.

“I was just curious!” Taylor exclaims, trying to close the laptop slightly when Selena crawls over.

“Her profile pictures? Ooh, you’ve got it bad,” Selena giggles.

“I was just looking,” Taylor says trying her best to sound nonchalant. Of course she doesn’t have a crush. She doesn’t even like the girl. But she is rather pretty…in a dirty, tomboy sort of way. Her Facebook profilers consist of pictures of her holding lighters or smoking with friends as the full moon glows behind her. Leant against graffitied walls or in mid air with her skateboard clutched skilfully underneath her. Taylor almost giggles softly at the one of her with a Playboy magazine in a busy cafe as a joke. There’s a cheeky smirk on her face and the whole thing is blurred slightly, the person holding the camera obviously trying to take the picture hastily.

“Taylor you’re fucking blushing,” Abigail laughs. Taylor hadn’t noticed her peer over her shoulder.

“Am not,” Taylor mumbles bashfully.

“Her interests are heavy metal, Satan, and Die Antwoord,” Selena reads out in an unimpressed tone. “What a wannabe.”

“Okay I’m just gonna close this,” Taylor says as she promptly shuts her laptop.

“Sorry! Sorry, didn’t mean to pry,” Selena says with her arms raised in defeat.

“Yeah we did,” Abigail says deadpan.

“Yeah, we kinda did,” Selena admits and then giggles at herself. “Come on, let’s put on The Aristocats and tell spooky stories after.”

Karlie is swiftly forgotten about for the rest of the night.

~*~

Taylor waits in the park the next morning for Karlie at the time specified. She’s dressed in a cream lace skirt that just comes around her bandaged knees. She’s wearing a light blue blouse with a ribbon collar. Her freshly washed hair is kept back with a baby pink headband and it falls neatly around her shoulders. As she waits for Karlie on a park bench she reads a book and swings her legs idly. She’s not worried about today. She refuses to make herself worried.

“Well hello there Alice in Wonderland,” greets an approaching voice. Karlie rolls up to her with her hands stuffed in that same varsity jacket, her long hair flowing behind her. She ollies and lands on her feet, the skateboard clung to her side. She’s dressed in the same clothes as yesterday bar the shirt which is now a plain smoky grey one. She stuffs one hand in her skinny jeans and sighs heavily. “We gonna take some shots of a dogs asshole or what,” she murmurs.

Taylor closes her book and puts in her satchel. “We’re supposed to take pictures of beautiful things in nature. Is that your idea of beauty?” She feels confident in her backfire. Maybe she’ll have fun today.

Karlie spits. Not at Taylor but to the side very close to her feet. Taylor glares at her but Karlie winks back and snaps her backpack straps. “Why take pictures of boring shit like plants when you can get a nice detailed close up of a poodles anus?”

Taylor almost snorts at the comment but manages to keep her collected demeanour. She wants to remain the control in this project. She’s not letting Karlie’s slacker attitude get in the way of that. "Plants can be interesting. Maybe we’ll find some ladybirds on them.“

"Maybe we’ll find some ladybirds on them,” Karlie repeats in a high pitched mockery of Taylor’s voice. “I know a place where we can find something real cool. Come on, it’s not far,” she says and hops on her board.

“Where is it?” Taylor asks, wary about if Karlie is actually wanting to take pictures and contribute to the project.

“You’ll see,” Karlie replies with a dark smile.

Taylor brushes off the uneasy feeling in her stomach and follows behind Karlie as she glides along the path. They walk and skate for about fifteen minutes and Taylor begins to grow unfamiliar with her surroundings. Her city is large and there’s plenty of places she hasn’t been to before. Karlie is quickly introducing her to one. Taylor’s gut is twisting into knots once she sees that Karlie is leading her to some sort of public walking trail at the edge of a forest. Are they going to take pictures of trees?… Or is Karlie going to tie her to a tree and leave her for the foxes.

“So we are taking nature photos. You’ve surprised me I must say,” Taylor says.

“Oh I’m full of surprises,” Karlie says without looking behind her. There’s something off about her voice. She’s hiding something in it but Taylor can’t figure out what. The taller girl hops off her skateboard and hooks it to special straps on her backpack. Taylor walks cautiously behind her as Karlie chooses a trail and leads the way.

“Sh-Should I get the camera out or–”

“Oh, you can give that to me actually,” Karlie says over her shoulder.

“Uh, okay,” Taylor mumbles and roots around her satchel to fish it out. She hands it to Karlie and they keep walking in silence. Taylor grows nervous and squeezes at the cat shaped stress ball in her bag. She suddenly doesn’t feel as confident as she did half an hour ago. “Where are we–”

“Shhh, we’re here,” Karlie interrupts. Taylor halts in her tracks and takes in their surroundings. They’ve come to a stop in the middle of a trail. Up ahead is a decrepit tool shed the size of a small room with a sign on the rusty that warns hikers to keep out. Karlie turns to Taylor with that evil grin on her face. “Why don’t we take a look inside?” she leers.

In Taylor’s heart something clicks. She’s in danger right now and there’s no one around to help her get out of it. She thinks about texting someone but Karlie’s eyes are locked on Taylor’s. She’s well and truly trapped under the girl’s cat like gaze. Taylor’s eyes flit to the shed. The only way in is the rusty red door. There are no windows. Karlie leads Taylor to the creepy looking building and knocks on the metal entrance.

“Anyone home?” Karlie asks pretending to be waiting for an answer. Taylor is standing a few feet away from her. She’s ready to bolt off in the other direction should she have to. She’s telling herself there’s nothing in the shed and that Karlie is just playing a joke, but her heart is pounding so hard against her chest it’s hard to focus.

“Why don’t we take a look inside?” Karlie says and opens the shed with a loud metallic creak. She gestures for Taylor to step in.

Taylor bites her lip. “We’re not allowed in there. Can we move on?” she asks in a quiet voice.

“Aw you’re not scared are ya? Go on, what could possibly be in here?” Karlie says. Her voice is so condescending now and it’s totally putting Taylor on edge.

Taylor quickly shakes her head, “No, I don’t want to.”

Karlie suddenly lurches forward and takes her wrist, tugging her forward slightly. “Please, I insist there’s something really interesting in here.” Her tone is gruffer now. She’s forgetting to put on her dumb character.

“Let go!” Taylor demands but her voice is so shaky.

Karlie is strong and pulls Taylor into the dark tool shed. The door is abruptly slammed shut behind her and Taylor is separated from the outside. Karlie managed to stay outside too, leaving the girl all alone in the darkness. She screams and spins around to pound on the metal. “Hey, let me out! What’s going on!” Taylor whimpers. She can feel tears pricking at her eyes but she blinks them back. This was the joke. This is as far as Karlie is going. This is nothing to cry about.

Karlie is laughing from outside. It’s muffled due to the concrete walls, which make it sound even more ominous. Taylor places a hand on her chest to steady her breathing. She knows a panic attack is about to ensue and tries to choke it down. But there’s nothing that can stop the weakness that is suddenly present in her knees. Her injuries aren’t helping the shakiness either. Taylor leans against the cold metal of the door, her hands pressed to it for dear life. She stares off into the shed. It’s pitch black. Taylor is chewing so hard on her lip she tastes copper as a thin trail of blood rolls down her chin. Karlie isn’t laughing outside anymore. In fact Taylor can’t hear anything anymore. She tries to yell Karlie’s name but her voice box has shrivelled up to nothing. When she speaks it’s a dry airy rasp. Suddenly something falls on the floor inside the shed. It’s a metallic clinking sound as if someone has dropped a penny. This noise is followed by a hushed giggle. No, giggles. There are people in here and who knows how many. It goes quiet again.

Now Taylor is sweating. What are they going to do to her? Has Karlie asked her delinquent skateboarder friends to beat her up for getting her into this situation? Is Karlie more than Taylor suspected? She’s suddenly hating herself for trying to give the girl a second chance. The deathly silence that surrounds Taylor is deafening. She knows she heard those giggles a few minutes ago. How long has she even been in here? It feels like hours. Finally she gets the courage to try and open the door again. It’s too heavy.

In a split second a loud screaming comes from inside the shed. Taylor screams too, placing her hands around her chest protectively. She feels hot tears trickle down her cheeks and she tries desperately to pull or push opens the door. To make things even more horrifying, hands roughly grab at her ankles and a chorus of screaming and malicious laughter emanate from the shadows. Taylor screams back, terrified for her life until suddenly the door swings open and she tumbles to the dirt. The shrieking from inside suddenly turns to plain unadulterated laughter. A trio of darkly dressed figures spring from the shed, two boys and one girl. They tower around Taylor still shaking on the ground. Perfect, now her elbows are scratched up too.

“Look at her dumb little mouth wobbling,” scoffs one of the boys, a blue haired character with too many piercings. “Looks like a goldfish.”

“You scared we were gonna slit your throat and harvest your organs, huh?” sneers the girl, a beanie wearing young lady with a brown leather choker.

The third man, who’s straight up wearing a skunk onesie with the hood raised, turns to Karlie. “Take the picture, Karls,” he smirks.

Taylor slowly but shakily turns her head to face Karlie. She’s holding the camera they’re supposed to be using for the project in her hands close to her chest. Taylor tries to read Karlie’s face and finds that she looks…concerned? Her mouth is slightly agape as if she’s been gasping. Her brow is furrowed and her eyes are flitting about the scene, unsure of what to make of it. Taylor is breathing like a rabbit under the watchful gaze of the three dark figures, who she’s now aware are indeed Karlie’s skateboarder friends.

“Come on, Kar! Take the fucking picture and let’s ditch like you said,” demands the piercing boy.

Karlie lifts the camera higher but doesn’t take her eyes of of Taylor’s tearful face. She stares ahead solemnly and then raises the view finder to her eye. Taylor gulps and prepares herself for humiliation. Mere seconds pass before Karlie shakes her head and abruptly brings the camera back down.

“No, I’m not gonna do that.” she mumbles quietly.

All three of her friends look baffled by her change of heart. Skunk boy puffs his cheeks out in disbelief. “Very funny, come on and hurry this up. We gotta go buy new wheels, remember?”

“I am not taking the picture,” Karlie says slowly and firmly. “Step away from her,” she adds as she walks towards them. They do as told, looks of complete confusion on their faces. Karlie reaches out a hand for Taylor to take. She looks at it, still shaken from everything that is happening all at once. Fortunately Taylor trusts Karlie and is carefully helped to her feet. Karlie helps her sling her book bag over her shoulder again.

“Go get wheels without me,” she tells her trio.

“But Kar–”

“Go.”

Her friends back off and see no point in questioning any further. They awkwardly turn and begin to Tom away from the two. “You’re being a cunt today!” yells piercing boy over his shoulder. Karlie stares him off and watches as they disappear down the path. She then turns to find Taylor speedily heading the opposite direction.

“Hey, where are you going?” Karlie calls as she runs after her.

“Leave me alone,” Taylor mutters as she grips her satchel to her side. She keeps her eyes straight ahead, avoiding Karlie’s gaze. She wipes a few leftover tears away with the back of her dirtied hand.

“Hey listen, I didn’t know the guys would scare you that bad. Usually people just get freaked out or pissed at us when we do shit like that. I didn’t think you’d cry, honest. Are you listening?” Karlie rambles.

“They broke my hairband!” Taylor exclaims, her voice breaking at the end of her sentence. She waves the plastic hairpiece in Karlie’s face for a brief moment and continues to walk on.

“I’ll buy you a new one! Just please listen to me,” Karlie begs.

“No, I don’t want to listen to you any further!” Taylor yells. “All you’re doing is trying to defend yourself and your stupid bully friends and it’s pathetic! You haven’t even said sorry, I can’t believe you.”

Karlie is dumbfounded by Taylor’s croaky but passionate outburst. She continues to follow the girl and beg her to listen to the fact that “It was a joke” and that she “Didn’t think it was that bad.”

“Karlie, just leave me alone!” Taylor finally utters. Fresh tears are beginning to spill down her reddening cheeks and she sprints off ahead of her.

“Taylor, wait!…Taylor?” Karlie calls but comes to a slow and watches as the blonde runs out of sight. Her broken hairband is lying on the ground in front of her. She picks it up and sighs as she inspects the dusty decoration. It’s a hard plastic thing with pink ribbon wrapped around it. And it is most definitely snapped in two.

#kaylor fanfiction

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thebibliophagist · 7 years

Photo

⭐ Goodreads ⭐ Amazon ⭐

When womanizer Jude Sinclair meets sexy dancer Claire Anderson, sparks immediately fly. It might seem like these two were meant for each other, but Claire’s keeping a secret and Jude’s rocky family life makes things difficult. Although Claire and Jude love each other fiercely, is love enough to make their romance last?

Okay, that’s about as much PR-style writing as I can possibly muster up for this absolute mess of a book. I don’t think that there was one thing that I liked about it. Let me give a more honest summary:

Our hero is the “campus manwhore” who “gets more ass than a toilet seat.” Claire is “not like other girls” and has some serious intimacy issues. She’s also never felt a single emotion for a man. Their eyes meet across campus and they have a heartwarming conversation about how Claire’s friend has crabs -- yes, the STD. Somehow, this conversation is incredibly arousing to Claire and Jude, and they immediately fall into the most cringy, cheesy instalove I’ve ever read.

Please be aware that, while I’m not going to give away any of the major plot points, there will be some minor spoilers below.

My initial impression, from about the first 3% or so, was that Jude is a cocky jerk. I didn’t understand what Claire saw in him, and honestly, having finished, I still have no idea. I’m not sure whether Jude is supposed to seem immature, but he does. He is incredibly immature. At one point, he says, verbatim:

I love riding my bike, though. It’s probably my third favorite thing to do after hockey and sex.

Because that screams twenty-year-old womanizer, right? Certainly not twelve-year-old-trying-to-sound-cool. And let’s talk about this womanizer thing for a second, okay? I don’t have a problem with the fact that Jude has slept with the entire campus. What I do have a problem with is

His attitude about it, and

Everybody else’s attitude about it.

Because Jude can’t understand that he was a jerk. He went around telling girls it was just a one night stand, but if he ever decided to start dating, that he’d call them. Apparently, he said this to every girl. And now he can’t understand why these girls are upset that he’s dating somebody else. He says, and excuse me, but I almost threw the book across the room at this point:

“I said if I started dating I’d call, but I never promised it.”

I’m sorry, are you eight years old? Like someone got upset with you on the playground and you said, “IT’S NOT LIKE I EVER PROMISED I'D PLAY WITH YOU!” The worst part of this is that it seems like we’re supposed to take Jude’s side in this confrontation. The girl he’s talking to makes absolutely valid points. You don’t lure somebody into bed with the possibility of a future relationship if that’s not something you’re actually interested in. Jude is an entitled, sexist jerk. If you don’t believe me yet, just wait. There’s more coming. But for now, let’s move on to the next point: everybody else.

I’m not sure what kind of college Bellevue is supposed to be, but apparently, everybody knows everybody else’s business. Jude actually has to change his phone number to stop getting texts from every girl he’s ever slept with. People come up to Claire at all hours of the day to discuss her boyfriend’s sexual history. How everybody knows that Jude is her boyfriend, and, on top of that, how everybody knows about his sex life is beyond me. I mean, I went to a huge university. There were over 40,000 students, so to think that I might know about some random girl’s boyfriend is insane. Maybe this would make sense if Bellevue were a tiny college -- but they can’t be too tiny if they have such great athletics.

But even setting the suspension of disbelief aside, the idea that random people would come up to you in class or while you’re at work or while you’re walking down the street just to tell you that your boyfriend has had a lot of sex? That’s weird. Is that a thing that people really do? Do you, personally, see a girl walking down the street and think to yourself, “Oh. My. God. I think she’s that girl from Jude’s Facebook picture. I should tell her about his sexual history!” No, you don’t, because you’re not insane. It’s just this weird, unnecessary drama that adds nothing to their relationship other than a minuscule bit of tension -- because Claire legitimately doesn’t care.

Anyway, let’s talk about Claire. Claire is, I suppose, an infinitely better character than Jude. She’s strong. She’s independent. She’s not afraid to put herself first or to go after what she wants. But Claire is a huge hypocrite. She absolutely derides her deceased mother for her life choices while living a life that’s not much different. Her mother was a stripper, a drug addict, and slept around a lot. It’s understandable that a kid might have a complex from growing up with that. I get it. But Claire works as a burlesque dancer, and while she doesn’t take her clothes off for money, she does perform sensual dances for horny men while wearing only underwear. She used to sleep around with older men and do drugs but changed her life a couple years back. So what I’m getting at here is that Claire got help, something her mom didn’t have. She got clean and she stopped putting herself in dangerous situations. But, given that she experienced all of that, shouldn’t she have some compassion for her mother? Or, even if she doesn’t have compassion, maybe she could hate her mother for treating her poorly or for constantly putting her at risk. Not for her occupation.

Claire’s major characteristic, aside from her “banging body,” is the fact that she’s “not like other girls.” Now, what makes her “not like other girls,” you might wonder. Well, you see, it’s the fact that when Jude watches her dance team practices, she’s in shorts and a t-shirt. Maybe he thinks that girls do their athletic practices in ball gowns and high heels, I don’t know.

This book was so bad. Just so, so bad. I’m sorry that I have to subject you to that in this review. Please feel free to stop. I know I wanted to DNF this book so many times, so I can’t expect you to read a review about that is bound to be about as long as a full-length college essay.

Can we move on to the plot for a second? Now, in general, I have no problem with the premise. I actually really enjoy sports romances when they’re done right. I don’t mind reading about bad boys being tamed by the right girl, and I think by now everybody knows that romance is kind of my thing. But the plot is so disappointing. I saw all of the major twists coming, so even the climax of the book felt boring. When I was about 10% in, I made a note in my Kindle that “I bet this book ends with an engagement or a baby,” because I would expect nothing else from this type of book.

The writing here is a little off as well, which surprised me since most of the reviews I’ve seen have praised it for being so well-written. Well, I’m here to tell you that if you have opinions about grammar and sentence structure and the use of super as an adjective, you should probably think twice about reading this book.

So, there are weird chunks of the book where the word “ya” is substituted for “you.” Like, just randomly. I’m originally from Wisconsin, so this makes me read the book in a midwestern accent, and I know that’s not what the author intended.

• “I’ll text ya when I’m done” • “I guess you can say I missed ya” • “Yeah, whatever, don’t tell him I told you that or I’ll push ya next time” • “Wonderful to meet ya”

I just… no. And then the supers. I wish I’d been counting the supers from the beginning because there are just so many of them.

• “I’m supertired since I didn’t get in till late” • “That was superlow, Rach” • “I’m going to make love to you. Probably superfast.” • “That was supercorny” • “Mrs. Sinclair, Lucy, Angie, and Jace were amazing, good people and superfun” • “You are a superconfident man.” • “They are superhot. You should wear them to bed one time.” • “He’s a supercool dude. He can’t hate me – I’m a cool dude!” • “Lol! U dork! Say hi, he’s supernice.” • “He is great! Superawesome!” • “Each guy is looking at me like I’m trying to steal her virtue, and all the women are looking at me like I’m a piece of cake. It’s superweird.” • “You’re actually super-romantic.” • “He’s fast, though. Superfast.” • “Okay, well, Reese is supertired, so we’re going to go.”

Um, so, adjectives other than super do exist. There are words like really and very and extremely and so and quite and overly and utterly and excessively and should I go on? I think you get the point.

There are also weird anachronisms that don’t make much sense. For example, there’s this scene where Claire texts Jude to ask him if he knows “Don’t Matter” by Akon. I’m not sure if there’s an American millennial in existence that doesn’t know that song, but Jude’s all like, “LOL no! I’ll download it!” It’s hard to tell whether Jude is supposed to be too young to know it (in which case I’ll cry at my old age) or if this book was written a while ago and just took some time to be published. Regardless, “Don’t Matter” becomes their anthem -- the first of many.

A few more points on the writing and then I’ll move on to something else I hated.

I think I’d like to talk about euphemisms now. This is a difficult thing in romance writing, because the very clinical “then I got an erection and put my penis in her vagina” is not sexy, and on the flip side, something like, “then I got excited and put my love rod in her woman cave” is just cringy. It’s a fine line that can make or break a book. Well, when Jude’s narrating, he has this habit of saying things like, “Everything inside me is hard.” We all know what you’re talking about, Jude. You’re not fooling anybody. It’s not like your intestines have calcified. Your dick is hard. I was rolling my eyes so much at the sex scenes because they’re just so over-the-top.

And jumping over now to the responsibility side of things, I want to talk about safe sex. Now, both Claire and Jude have had a lot of sex. There is nothing wrong with that. I want to reiterate this -- there is nothing wrong with couples who have extensive sexual histories. But when these characters have known each other for mere days, when they know about each other’s past and decide to become intimate, I expect them to use a condom. That’s the bare minimum that you can do while still being responsible. So, sure, Claire and Jude use a condom the first time. And then never again, because they “trust each other.” You can trust somebody and still use a condom. Heck, you can be married to somebody and still use a condom. It has nothing to do with trust and everything to do with being a responsible adult.

What kind of message does this kind of writing send? The message that if you’re really horny, nothing bad will happen if you forgo the condom, provided you really, really trust the person you’re having sex with. NEWSFLASH: Anybody can say, “Don’t worry, I got tested last week and I’m clean.” Anybody can say, “Don’t worry, I’m on the pill.” Anybody can say, “You’re the only person I’ve ever done this with.” It doesn’t make it true. Especially when it’s someone you’ve only known for a few days. I absolutely despise this trend, which seems to happen primarily in new adult romances. This attitude is so damaging and I really hope that it’s not seeping into real life.

Alright, remember how I said, like 1500 words ago, that I’d get back to Jude’s sexism? Buckle up, because here we go.

“I’m the man -- I drive.”

Jude actually says this to Claire about her own car. Like, he won’t even let her drive the car that she owns. It’s not like he’s being possessive of his vehicle, or even saying that he’d prefer to drive her around in his car. Nope, he’s literally telling her that, as the woman, she should get in the passenger seat of her own vehicle. I’m sorry, I thought we were in the 21st century. I must have forgotten that we went back to the 1950s.

“Taking a step toward her, I expect her to take a step back or even run from me, but I forget that Claire isn’t like other girls.”

Okay, setting aside the once again problematic “not like other girls” trope, let’s focus on the other part of this. The fact that a very angry Jude takes a menacing step toward Claire and expects her to run from him. The fact that he wants her to be afraid of him. This is not loving behavior. This is not sexy behavior. This is unhealthy. This is wrong. And I’m glad that Claire stands up to him and doesn’t run, but then I’m also not because three seconds later, they’re in a full-on makeout session, which just reinforces Jude’s awful behavior.

“You’re basically your mother. Better pick up the crack pipe since you have the stripper part down.”

This is our hero… talking to our heroine. Somehow this is supposed to be okay since his feelings are hurt. Since he’s just lashing out in pain. But he doesn’t even apologize -- Claire has to apologize to him! I cannot believe that, in the 21st century, this is the kind of behavior that I have to be subjected to.

I’m just so done. I’m not going to read the other books in this series. I’m not going to read anything else by this author. I am so, so disappointed in this book, which somehow has a higher average rating than some of my absolute favorites. There are people that think this book is cute. There are people that think the relationship between Claire and Jude is sweet. That it’s #goals. I can’t help but feel like those people read an entirely different book.

I honestly could keep going -- my review was originally eleven pages (single spaced) of quotes, rambles, and inappropriate GIFs -- but I’ll stop here.

If you’re looking for a good hockey romance, try Elle Kennedy’s The Deal. If you’re looking for a good instalove story, try Ruthie Knox’s Madly. If you’re looking for a good college romance, try Tiffany Truitt’s Seven Ways to Lose Your Heart.

A lot of people have loved Boarded By Love, but I’m not one of them.

Final rating: ★☆☆☆☆

#book review #one star #genre: romance #genre: new adult #booklr

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flickerfic · 7 years

Text

Skateboard Sally - Kaylor Fic (AU/SMUT)

Plot: Karlie is a raunchy member of a group of mischief making skateboarders. Taylor is a good girl who crosses her path, getting herself into some serious trouble... -

Taylor Swift's knees roughly graze against the asphalt as she falls. Her textbooks scatter about her across the ground, the pages fluttering in the wind. Her long blonde hair tidal waves over her face, momentarily blocking her plain of sight. The cause of her injury? A dirt covered skateboarder girl with a scowl and a stare that could take down a hundred men. Taylor is confused at the girl's disgruntled expression. She really shouldn't be the one that looks annoyed in this situation, right?

"Watch where you're going, dumb fuck!" spits the terrifyingly tall girl, a fresh scuff on her cheek. But the scuff is no comparison to the bloody wounds on Taylor's knees.

"Karlie, you completely tomahawked her!" laughs an obnoxiously loud voice from up ahead.

Taylor is still dazed when she's yanked back to her feet, hissing in pain as her knees straighten and stretch out her fresh cuts. Despite all this, her cause of the accident continues to taunt her. The green in her gaze is snake like. Venomous. She's got her dirty blonde hair tied up in a ponytail. Her tongue is blue from some sort of candy she's been eating. She's wearing a red and white t-shirt and black denim shorts. As she begrudgingly helps Taylor up she narrows that devilish stare.

"This is the half pipe not the good girls tennis club," she leers and picks up her board before skating off to join her other rowdy friends.

Taylor has hardly any time to react to her crude comments and winces again as her knees sting. She hears people come jogging up behind her and she fears it's another pair of skaters. But she's relieved to find Selena and Abigail, her two best friends by her side.

"We saw everything, oh my god. Are you all right?" Selena pants, kneeling down to inspect Taylor's legs. Abigail is picking up her books and sliding them back into her bag.

"You poor thing. What was she saying to you? What a creep, she looked so angry," the red haired girl rambles. She hands Taylor her bag and joins Selena at her skirt hem to take a look.

"She bumped into me by accident but said I was too close to the pipe thing they skate on," Taylor says as she holds back tears. She's not phased by anything that was said to her but her knees sure do hurt.

"What? You're like ten feet away from that thing! I don't know what she's talking about," Abigail says in an offended tone. "What a child."

"Let's take you to the nurse," Selena suggests eagerly.

Taylor readily agrees and let's her friends help her limp to the nurses office. She's met with wide eyes and immediately set down on the bed whilst her friends sit in front of her and wait patiently. The nurse begins to clean the wound with disinfectant while Taylor hisses in agony.

"How exactly did this happen?" the middle aged woman asks. She takes a moment to straighten her John Lennon glasses before dabbing at Taylor's injury again.

"I was pushed by accident and my knees hit the asphalt," Taylor explains plainly. That's really all that happened. Sure she was given some very rude insults afterwards but it was still an accident. Nothing to report in her mind. This wasn't the mindset of her friends however.

"Taylor, she skated over your textbooks! Bet she didn't even say sorry," Abigail explains in disbelief.

"Yeah Taylor, it looked like she was annoyed with you. You need an apology and soon," Selena adds with her arms folded and legs crossed.

"I don't–" Taylor begins but is interrupted but the nurse.

"Ladies, please. I think this is something you should take to the principal or a guidance counsellor. This person that pushed into you obviously wasn't very apologetic, correct?" she asks raising a sparse eyebrow at Taylor.

"Well, no. No she wasn't. But I hate starting things–"

"If you don't go to someone about it then we are," Selena says sternly. Now she's the one that looks deranged and angry.

"Sel, no. I'm begging you," Taylor groans. Her knees are bandaged up and the nurse let's them go with a mini first aid kid and a warning to "get that apology".

"You guys are making a big deal out of this," Taylor sighs.

"We're not, we're helping a best friend," Abigail insists stubbornly.

"Tomorrow me and Abigail are going to a guidance councillor about what happened. Do you remember that girl's name?"

Taylor sighs and runs her fingers through her short blonde hair. "I think it was Carrie or Carly? Something like that, I'm not sure. I only got her name when her friends called her."

"It'll do. We'll probably be able to pick her out from the group anyway," Abigail assures with a hand to Taylor's shoulder.

"You guys really don't have to do this," Taylor protests again. She knows her arguments will not be taken to heart. But she gives it every shot she has nonetheless.

"Oh but we are," Selena says firmly. Saw that coming.

~*~

Taylor is dreading the next day with a fiery passion. She wakes up in a mood and can't eat. What if her friends went to school early and her aggressive book pusher was waiting to punch her face in? She holds onto her pink schoolbag straps tightly and pays attention to her surroundings. Everyone is just walking on campus to class or sitting on a park bench with breakfast bars and friends. Taylor's knees are still sore so she's still wearing a skirt. Anything else just rubs against the bandages when she walks. She feels so on edge and jumps when her phone pings with a new text message. Blushing at her paranoia and avoiding anyones gaze she hurries into the building and checks her iPhone. It's a message from Selena.

Hey me nd Abi are just coming out of the GC's office. Ur wanted in room 29!! ❤️

"Hey, Tay Tay!" he grins.

Taylor restrains herself from rolling her eyes. "Hello, Mr Tweed," she greets in almost a groan. He grins and beckons her inside.

"And call me Thomas!" he insists as he hops onto his desk and swings his legs off the edge.

"Karlie? She'll be here in a moment. Your friends have set off with a teacher to find her," he says with an annoyingly bright smile. He clasps his hands together and points his forward gaze to Taylor. "Now, I understand that you and this girl have had some communication issues?" he asks.

"Something like that. But it's really not that serious. She accidentally knocked me over and got annoyed. That's it," Taylor explains with her arms raised in defence. "I really don't have to be here at all, I just–"

Her explanations are interrupted by the office door swinging open and nearly crashing into a nearby potted fern. At the door is a seething tower of a girl, red at the cheeks and huffing like a wild animal. She's dressed in skinny jeans, her same Cardinals shirt, and a ruby red varsity jacket. She storms into the room, slamming the door behind her.

"What the hell do you want!" she yells at Mr Tweed who's bright smile suddenly vanishes. He straightens up and gives a nervous chuckle. Hopping down from his perch he shoots Karlie some finger guns and smiles awkwardly.

"Karlarino! Racekar! The old Skateboard Sally–"

"Oh for fucks sake, why am I here? Does the little A-line angel want her apology?" Karlie spits furiously.

"Um, first of all, that profanity is not hip, hop, or down with me kiddo," Mr Tweed says daintily. "And second of all, she's sitting right behind you."

Taylor can feel herself shrinking and shrinking. Once that cat like gaze spins around to face her she gulps. "H-Hello, Karlie," Taylor manages to stammer out.

Karlie laughs in a sort of pitiful mewl. Taylor wishes she wasn't able to hold a stare so well. "What sort of apology do you want, hon? A kiss on your bare feet? A hand written letter proclaiming how foolish I was and how superior you are to receive an apology?"

Taylor is taken aback by the sheer amount of hate in the girl's voice. She gulps again, trying to keep her throat in shape to speak. "Karlie, I..." Taylor begins. She briefly looks to Mr Tweed who smiles at her goofily and she sighs before continuing.

"I am aware that what happened was an accident. But...I feel as though your reaction to the incident was...inappropriate. I apologise for getting in your way but I would also like an apology for...for they way you acted."

Karlie is deathly silent and unblinking. She stares right into Taylor's soul. Her eyes then catch sight of the girls bandaged knees. They flit up again the meet her. Just when Taylor thinks she's about to make some form apology, the girl starts to giggle softly. And then chuckle a little harder until finally she's full on laughing in her face. Karlie holds herself as she comes down from her giggling and even brushes away a tear.

"I'm not apologising for a shitty little accident," she sneers. Taylor is immediately disgusted. It's the first time she's felt a hint of distaste for the girl.

"And why is that?" she dares herself to ask.

"Because it wasn't my fault. You shouldn't have been walking around the half pipe. You were in my way and just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. You got your pretty little knees fucked up?" She slips off her varsity jacket. A long bruise accompanied by a few scattered band aids are revealed along her left arm. "I got this puppy right here. And it bites too." She tugs the jacket back on. "This whole thing has been a waste of my time and I'd like to leave," Karlie demands as she faces Mr Tweed assertively.

"Not so fast, Skateboard Sally–"

"Please stop fucking calling me that sir," Karlie mumbles.

"Ahem, Karlie, because of this lack of an apology or mutual understanding I'm forced to give you two a bonding exercise to sort out your differences!" Mr Tweed says with a loud clasp of his hands.

"Fucking what?" Karlie says.

"May I intrude?" Taylor asks but is not given permission.

Mr Tweed continues. "The two of you will help the photography club with their year book project. You'll be given a camera to take pictures of what you both think captures the essence of Earths natural beauties. And you'll be starting Monday of next week. You will report back to me once you've learned a lesson. And we will be looking for updates weekly!" he says with that same goofy grin.

"I don't see how that's gonna help us resolve anything. It sounds fucking gay," Karlie sneers deliberately directing the last word of her sentence down Taylor's way.

"Please explain to me how taking nature photographs is gay," Taylor says sternly. It's the first time she's spoken authoritatively to the girl and so she feels it is an improvement. Of some sort. Taylor has many gay friends, for with her theatre group comes an ensemble of flamboyant characters. And so she feels protective of them and the words taken from them.

Karlie seems amused by her offended tone and grins an evil grin. "Have I triggered you?" she giggles in a low tone. "Are you going to start shaking and screaming at me? Have I inflicted an act of pure violence upon you?" Karlie asks with a dramatic hand over her face mocking distress.

"Violence is physical. What you've just done is a childish, careless misuse of an important word. By calling something gay you mock and strip a person of–"

"Oh my god, shut up!" Karlie groans and turns to the guidance councillor again. "Look, I know I'll get fucking expelled or some shit of I don't comply to this bull crap. So give me the camera, I'll take a picture of my left tit, and I'll shove that in the year book okay?"

Mr Tweed sighs heavily and takes a camera out from behind his desk. He's about to hand it over but pauses. "If the two of you don't have at least three decent pictures each within the next month I have no choice but to suspend you both for disorderly conduct." He says the last part with a very serious expression and Taylor is uncomfortable all of a sudden.

The girls leave the office with an even bigger distaste for one another when they arrived. Karlie scowls in Taylor's direction and shoves the Nikon camera into her hands. "Take ten dumb photos and send 'em into Mr Twat when you're done," she grumbles.

"Yeah, that's not happening," Taylor says calmly shaking her head. "I'm taking my three and keeping my place here. "You're taking your three pictures and that's how it's gonna work."

"Listen up, tennis skirt," Karlie leers with a pointer finger to Taylor's chest. "I didn't ask for this to happen. I don't have time to look for shitty little pansies or worms in the dirt."

"Really? Because you sure look like someone that plays in the dirt all the time," Taylor bites, knowing it's a bad move but also knowing that Karlie isn't anything to be afraid of anymore. She's just a big mood in an even bigger vessel. Dangerous? Yes. Lethal? Not in the slightest.

Karlie scoffs at Taylor's insult. "What's that supposed to mean, I'm some sort of dyke? Is that what you're poking at?"

"You said that not me," Taylor replies with a raised eyebrow. "And I didn't ask for this either. So let's just make a little time to take these silly pictures and then we never have to see each other again. Okay?"

"Do you think I'm some sort of retarded dumb fuck that listens to the likes of you?" Karlie spits.

"I think you're an exceedingly rude individual that shouldn't be using the word retarded in that context," Taylor shoots back cooly.

Karlie sighs and angrily punches a locker beside her causing Taylor to jump. She glares in her direction once more. "Meet me tomorrow in the park at eight. Maybe we'll find some dead birds or something," Karlie murmurs.

"Do you want my number? Just so we can contact each other for this," Taylor asks causally.

"Well I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to get the number of a pretty girl," Karlie leers. And it turns Taylor's stomach as she's reminded of her high school days. Pretty little girl was the usual nickname for her. She writes her number on a slip of paper and hands it to Karlie. The taller girl beams her evil grin and then scowls immediately after as she adjusts the straps of her school bag and storms off.

What an angry human being, she thinks to herself. She sighs and makes her way to her first class. These next few weeks were going to be no easy feat.

~*~

Selena swings her legs back and forth as she lies on her tummy on Taylor's bed painting her nails. Abigail is shaving her legs in the en suite bathroom with the door open. Taylor has her head against the wall and typing away on her laptop. A turned down speaker plays Beyoncé's Lemonade. A girly Friday night in at Taylor's apartment is a fan favourite amongst her trio of friends.

Selena attempts licking up a few kernels of popcorn from the bowl beside her so as not to ruin her nails. "Sorry we got you kind of the opposite of what you wanted today," she says. "Now you're stuck with that beast of a thing."

"I didn't really want anything today but it's all right. And she's not a beast she just has an attitude," Taylor replies simply, not looking up from her laptop.

"I don't know why you're defending her," Abigail says from the bathroom. She wipes down her clean shaven legs. "It's not like she deserves to be stood up for."

"I think Taylor has a crush on the girl," Selena teases.

"Very funny," Taylor replies. "You get all protective of me when I'm pushed to the ground and then joke about me liking her? Kind of messed up," Taylor murmurs.

Selena winks over at Abigail who rolls her eyes. "Lay off, Sel."

"Oh come on, take a joke!" the brunette giggles. "Hey, maybe you can turn her good or something. Use your innocent good girl charm to convert her."

"To what? A slightly even more constantly annoyed version of herself? She's not a movie villain, Selena," Taylor says but a light chuckle shines through. "Listen, I don't think she's as big a deal as you guys might have thought. I'll be fine."

"Whatcha looking up?" Selena asks referring to Taylor's laptop.

"...Nothing," Taylor murmurs.

"It's Karlie's Facebook. I can see it from here," Abigail calls from the bathroom as she layers moisturiser on her legs.

"Taylor!" Selena laughs.

"I was just curious!" Taylor exclaims, trying to close the laptop slightly when Selena crawls over.

"Her profile pictures? Ooh, you've got it bad," Selena giggles.

"I was just looking," Taylor says trying her best to sound nonchalant. Of course she doesn't have a crush. She doesn't even like the girl. But she is rather pretty...in a dirty, tomboy sort of way. Her Facebook profilers consist of pictures of her holding lighters or smoking with friends as the full moon glows behind her. Leant against graffitied walls or in mid air with her skateboard clutched skilfully underneath her. Taylor almost giggles softly at the one of her with a Playboy magazine in a busy cafe as a joke. There's a cheeky smirk on her face and the whole thing is blurred slightly, the person holding the camera obviously trying to take the picture hastily.

"Taylor you're fucking blushing," Abigail laughs. Taylor hadn't noticed her peer over her shoulder.

"Am not," Taylor mumbles bashfully.

"Her interests are heavy metal, Satan, and Die Antwoord," Selena reads out in an unimpressed tone. "What a wannabe."

"Okay I'm just gonna close this," Taylor says as she promptly shuts her laptop.

"Sorry! Sorry, didn't mean to pry," Selena says with her arms raised in defeat.

"Yeah we did," Abigail says deadpan.

"Yeah, we kinda did," Selena admits and then giggles at herself. "Come on, let's put on The Aristocats and tell spooky stories after."

Karlie is swiftly forgotten about for the rest of the night.

~*~

Taylor waits in the park the next morning for Karlie at the time specified. She's dressed in a cream lace skirt that just comes around her bandaged knees. She's wearing a light blue blouse with a ribbon collar. Her freshly washed hair is kept back with a baby pink headband and it falls neatly around her shoulders. As she waits for Karlie on a park bench she reads a book and swings her legs idly. She's not worried about today. She refuses to make herself worried.

"Well hello there Alice in Wonderland," greets an approaching voice. Karlie rolls up to her with her hands stuffed in that same varsity jacket, her long hair flowing behind her. She ollies and lands on her feet, the skateboard clung to her side. She's dressed in the same clothes as yesterday bar the shirt which is now a plain smoky grey one. She stuffs one hand in her skinny jeans and sighs heavily. "We gonna take some shots of a dogs asshole or what," she murmurs.

Taylor closes her book and puts in her satchel. "We're supposed to take pictures of beautiful things in nature. Is that your idea of beauty?" She feels confident in her backfire. Maybe she'll have fun today.

Karlie spits. Not at Taylor but to the side very close to her feet. Taylor glares at her but Karlie winks back and snaps her backpack straps. "Why take pictures of boring shit like plants when you can get a nice detailed close up of a poodles anus?"

Taylor almost snorts at the comment but manages to keep her collected demeanour. She wants to remain the control in this project. She's not letting Karlie's slacker attitude get in the way of that. "Plants can be interesting. Maybe we'll find some ladybirds on them."

"Maybe we'll find some ladybirds on them," Karlie repeats in a high pitched mockery of Taylor's voice. "I know a place where we can find something real cool. Come on, it's not far," she says and hops on her board.

"Where is it?" Taylor asks, wary about if Karlie is actually wanting to take pictures and contribute to the project.

"You'll see," Karlie replies with a dark smile.

Taylor brushes off the uneasy feeling in her stomach and follows behind Karlie as she glides along the path. They walk and skate for about fifteen minutes and Taylor begins to grow unfamiliar with her surroundings. Her city is large and there's plenty of places she hasn't been to before. Karlie is quickly introducing her to one. Taylor's gut is twisting into knots once she sees that Karlie is leading her to some sort of public walking trail at the edge of a forest. Are they going to take pictures of trees?... Or is Karlie going to tie her to a tree and leave her for the foxes.

"So we are taking nature photos. You've surprised me I must say," Taylor says.

"Oh I'm full of surprises," Karlie says without looking behind her. There's something off about her voice. She's hiding something in it but Taylor can't figure out what. The taller girl hops off her skateboard and hooks it to special straps on her backpack. Taylor walks cautiously behind her as Karlie chooses a trail and leads the way.

"Sh-Should I get the camera out or–"

"Oh, you can give that to me actually," Karlie says over her shoulder.

"Uh, okay," Taylor mumbles and roots around her satchel to fish it out. She hands it to Karlie and they keep walking in silence. Taylor grows nervous and squeezes at the cat shaped stress ball in her bag. She suddenly doesn't feel as confident as she did half an hour ago. "Where are we–"

"Shhh, we're here," Karlie interrupts. Taylor halts in her tracks and takes in their surroundings. They've come to a stop in the middle of a trail. Up ahead is a decrepit tool shed the size of a small room with a sign on the rusty that warns hikers to keep out. Karlie turns to Taylor with that evil grin on her face. "Why don't we take a look inside?" she leers.

In Taylor's heart something clicks. She's in danger right now and there's no one around to help her get out of it. She thinks about texting someone but Karlie's eyes are locked on Taylor's. She's well and truly trapped under the girl's cat like gaze. Taylor's eyes flit to the shed. The only way in is the rusty red door. There are no windows. Karlie leads Taylor to the creepy looking building and knocks on the metal entrance.

"Anyone home?" Karlie asks pretending to be waiting for an answer. Taylor is standing a few feet away from her. She's ready to bolt off in the other direction should she have to. She's telling herself there's nothing in the shed and that Karlie is just playing a joke, but her heart is pounding so hard against her chest it's hard to focus.

"Why don't we take a look inside?" Karlie says and opens the shed with a loud metallic creak. She gestures for Taylor to step in.

Taylor bites her lip. "We're not allowed in there. Can we move on?" she asks in a quiet voice.

"Aw you're not scared are ya? Go on, what could possibly be in here?" Karlie says. Her voice is so condescending now and it's totally putting Taylor on edge.

Taylor quickly shakes her head, "No, I don't want to."

Karlie suddenly lurches forward and takes her wrist, tugging her forward slightly. "Please, I insist there's something really interesting in here." Her tone is gruffer now. She's forgetting to put on her dumb character.

"Let go!" Taylor demands but her voice is so shaky.

Karlie is strong and pulls Taylor into the dark tool shed. The door is abruptly slammed shut behind her and Taylor is separated from the outside. Karlie managed to stay outside too, leaving the girl all alone in the darkness. She screams and spins around to pound on the metal. "Hey, let me out! What's going on!" Taylor whimpers. She can feel tears pricking at her eyes but she blinks them back. This was the joke. This is as far as Karlie is going. This is nothing to cry about.

Karlie is laughing from outside. It's muffled due to the concrete walls, which make it sound even more ominous. Taylor places a hand on her chest to steady her breathing. She knows a panic attack is about to ensue and tries to choke it down. But there's nothing that can stop the weakness that is suddenly present in her knees. Her injuries aren't helping the shakiness either. Taylor leans against the cold metal of the door, her hands pressed to it for dear life. She stares off into the shed. It's pitch black. Taylor is chewing so hard on her lip she tastes copper as a thin trail of blood rolls down her chin. Karlie isn't laughing outside anymore. In fact Taylor can't hear anything anymore. She tries to yell Karlie's name but her voice box has shrivelled up to nothing. When she speaks it's a dry airy rasp. Suddenly something falls on the floor inside the shed. It's a metallic clinking sound as if someone has dropped a penny. This noise is followed by a hushed giggle. No, giggles. There are people in here and who knows how many. It goes quiet again.

Now Taylor is sweating. What are they going to do to her? Has Karlie asked her delinquent skateboarder friends to beat her up for getting her into this situation? Is Karlie more than Taylor suspected? She's suddenly hating herself for trying to give the girl a second chance. The deathly silence that surrounds Taylor is deafening. She knows she heard those giggles a few minutes ago. How long has she even been in here? It feels like hours. Finally she gets the courage to try and open the door again. It's too heavy.

"Look at her dumb little mouth wobbling," scoffs one of the boys, a blue haired character with too many piercings. "Looks like a goldfish."

"You scared we were gonna slit your throat and harvest your organs, huh?" sneers the girl, a beanie wearing young lady with a brown leather choker.

The third man, who's straight up wearing a skunk onesie with the hood raised, turns to Karlie. "Take the picture, Karls," he smirks.

Taylor slowly but shakily turns her head to face Karlie. She's holding the camera they're supposed to be using for the project in her hands close to her chest. Taylor tries to read Karlie's face and finds that she looks...concerned? Her mouth is slightly agape as if she's been gasping. Her brow is furrowed and her eyes are flitting about the scene, unsure of what to make of it. Taylor is breathing like a rabbit under the watchful gaze of the three dark figures, who she's now aware are indeed Karlie's skateboarder friends.

"Come on, Kar! Take the fucking picture and let's ditch like you said," demands the piercing boy.

Karlie lifts the camera higher but doesn't take her eyes of of Taylor's tearful face. She stares ahead solemnly and then raises the view finder to her eye. Taylor gulps and prepares herself for humiliation. Mere seconds pass before Karlie shakes her head and abruptly brings the camera back down.

"No, I'm not gonna do that." she mumbles quietly.

All three of her friends look baffled by her change of heart. Skunk boy puffs his cheeks out in disbelief. "Very funny, come on and hurry this up. We gotta go buy new wheels, remember?"

"I am not taking the picture," Karlie says slowly and firmly. "Step away from her," she adds as she walks towards them. They do as told, looks of complete confusion on their faces. Karlie reaches out a hand for Taylor to take. She looks at it, still shaken from everything that is happening all at once. Fortunately Taylor trusts Karlie and is carefully helped to her feet. Karlie helps her sling her book bag over her shoulder again.

"Go get wheels without me," she tells her trio.

"But Kar–"

"Go."

Her friends back off and see no point in questioning any further. They awkwardly turn and begin to Tom away from the two. "You're being a cunt today!" yells piercing boy over his shoulder. Karlie stares him off and watches as they disappear down the path. She then turns to find Taylor speedily heading the opposite direction.

"Hey, where are you going?" Karlie calls as she runs after her.

"Leave me alone," Taylor mutters as she grips her satchel to her side. She keeps her eyes straight ahead, avoiding Karlie's gaze. She wipes a few leftover tears away with the back of her dirtied hand.

"Hey listen, I didn't know the guys would scare you that bad. Usually people just get freaked out or pissed at us when we do shit like that. I didn't think you'd cry, honest. Are you listening?" Karlie rambles.

"They broke my hairband!" Taylor exclaims, her voice breaking at the end of her sentence. She waves the plastic hairpiece in Karlie's face for a brief moment and continues to walk on.

"I'll buy you a new one! Just please listen to me," Karlie begs.

"No, I don't want to listen to you any further!" Taylor yells. "All you're doing is trying to defend yourself and your stupid bully friends and it's pathetic! You haven't even said sorry, I can't believe you."

Karlie is dumbfounded by Taylor's croaky but passionate outburst. She continues to follow the girl and beg her to listen to the fact that "It was a joke" and that she "Didn't think it was that bad."

"Karlie, just leave me alone!" Taylor finally utters. Fresh tears are beginning to spill down her reddening cheeks and she sprints off ahead of her.

"Taylor, wait!...Taylor?" Karlie calls but comes to a slow and watches as the blonde runs out of sight. Her broken hairband is lying on the ground in front of her. She picks it up and sighs as she inspects the dusty decoration. It's a hard plastic thing with pink ribbon wrapped around it. And it is most definitely snapped in two.

~*~

Taylor scrubs at her newly skinned elbows with disinfectant and hisses in pain. Her cats slink around her bathtub, curious as to why their owner is making so many cat noises. Taylor has dressed herself in sleep shorts and a pink plaid shirt. She sits on the edge of her bath tending to the many injuries all caused by the new devil in her life.

"Mrrow?" mewls Meredith, a fat salt and pepper thing of beauty with eyes too big for her face.

"Just my arms are a little scuffed up," Taylor replies to the pet.

Her other cat Olivia, a snowy feline resembling that of a polar bear cub, hops onto the edge of the bath and slinks against Taylor's side. Taylor takes a moment from dressing her wounds to scratch her ears. Suddenly her phone pings with a new text message. She reaches over to the wash basket and picks it up. It's a text from an unknown number. Taylor hesitates before jumping to the conclusion. Could it be? When she opens the text she's left surprised.

Hi, it's Karlie...um.. Today didn't go so well. Uhh maybe we could try something tomorrow? And u could pick the location? Haha...💀..kay.

It is singlehandedly the most awkward text Taylor has ever received from anyone ever. She even blushes a little at the clumsiness of the poorly worded message. But there's still hate in her heart for this girl. She decides to let the text sit for at least ten minutes before answering. Her doorbell buzzes and she goes to answer it.

"What's up?" she speaks into the mic.

"It's me, let me up," says a male voice. Taylor invited her friend Ed to talk about the days events. He's got a raw wisdom she can always count on. She unlocks the main doors downstairs and waits for him.

In seconds Ed is knocking on Taylor's apartment door. "Hey, I brought a cake," he says and presents a chocolate sponge boxed up in a plastic container.

"You're a lifesaver," Taylor giggles and she goes to prepare some coffee in the kitchen. Ed sits himself down at the table and starts cutting the cake for them. Taylor's curtains are open in the living area letting the city lights sparkle outside her impressive bay window. She had managed to rent herself a rather aesthetically pleasing apartment, one that many of her friends considered luxurious or designer. But she simply humbled herself in her decorating skills.

"So, what's the story with Skateboard Sally?" Ed chuckles. "Still can't believe your GC got away with calling her that. Mad man."

Taylor slides his cup of coffee towards him and sighs heavily. Her cats come prancing in at the familiar sound of Ed's voice. For some reason they really enjoy his company and slink around his legs whenever he's near. Olivia pounces into his lap and Meredith lies under his feet at his stool.

"She and her friends pulled a prank on me today. A really lousy one too," Taylor begins as she sips her coffee.

Ed slides her a plate of cake and then leans forward with his arms folded, ready to listen to her story. Taylor likes that about her friend. He was always good at physically communicating with someone. She continues to tell Ed all about the photography project and the shed and the skunk onesie boy. He furrows his brow and nods, never once smiling or laughing at her misfortune - not even when she giggles whilst describing how she felt like peeing out of fright.

"That's horrible, Taylor. I'm sorry you had to experience that," he says solemnly.

"Well, get this. She sent a text to me before you came here."

Ed raises his eyebrows in anticipation. "Is that so?"

Taylor shows him her phone with the text and his chews on his lip in thought. "It's like she's trying to sound apologetic but doesn't really know how."

"Something changed in her when I was on the ground all dirty and crying," Taylor says. "She looked at me like she'd realised how dumb of a move it was."

"Are you going to text her back?" Ed asks as he hands back the phone.

"She wants to meet again tomorrow. If I do respond where would I take us?"

"Somewhere with lots of people so she can't cause trouble," Ed says firmly.

"Trouble is it's a nature photography project. So like, the city streets aren't gonna cut it."

"Take her to the beach then. Lots of people still around but you'll still be able to get nature pictures. Rock pools, the waves, cliffs, birds... Lots of choice!" Ed suggests.

"That could be a good idea," Taylor hums. "What should I text back?"

The two of them discuss how to word a reply for the next tweety minutes. Taylor even goes so far as to writing it down on paper first to see what sounds good. After a second cup of coffee each they come to an agreement.

Hey, thank you for your message. Tomorrow I'll be at the pier at 9am. Wear something beach appropriate. Please do not bring your skateboard - T

Taylor prides herself in how she didn't acknowledge Karlie's reference to how poorly their first day went. It'll leave the girl on edge and maybe encourage her to give an actual apology. At least that's what she hopes becomes of this. Ed pats her on the back teasingly and nods.

"I think that'll suffice. Wonder when she'll–"

Taylor's phone pings with a new message. It's from Karlie.

kk c u then.

"C U then," Ed mocks and Taylor giggles. "Listen, bring some sort of weapon okay? I'm talking pepper spray or a pocket knife."

"I have a feeling it'll go a little smoother this time round," Taylor says surely.

"Just bring something?" Ed sighs impatiently. "Even your keys in hand."

"Fine, I'll keep my keys close," Taylor assures him. "Now, how about a game of Scrabble!"

"I suddenly have to go," Ed says with cheeky grin.

"Ed!'

"All right, all right. Pour me another cuppa."

~*~

Taylor, still slightly shaken from yesterday, feels confident after Ed's words. She's surrounded by people out in the open. Everyone can see her. If Karlie tries anything today she'll make a scene and Taylor will most likely be saved. But she doubts that she's in any danger today. Today she's dressed in a dandelion yellow sundress with a sweetheart neckline. Now that her elbows are scratched up she can't wear sleeves either. She wonders if there's any other wounds Karlie could possibly inflict on her. Soon enough Karlie strolls up to her, hands stuffed into the pockets of her deep red hoodie. She is wearing her black shorts again and what looks like suitable hiking shoes. She's got a somewhat somber look on her face, one that says she's slightly embarrassed to be here. But it gives Taylor confidence.

"Good morning, Karlie," Taylor says clearly.

"Hey," Karlie replies, mumbled and not half as certain. "What's, uh...the plan for today?"

Taylor smiles politely. "We're going to the rock pools. I've brought nets so we're gonna catch some sea creatures," Taylor replies cheerfully and hands Karlie a small butterfly net. She looks at it warily and takes it. Judging by her side eyeing she's probably intimidated by Taylor's cheerful demeanour.

They head down the pier to the rocky wonderland that is the rock pools. Taylor takes a moment to unpack a mason jar and to scoop some water into it in case they come across anything that can't live out of the pools. There's a large blue sign that encourages people to look and capture for inspection but not take, and then an image of a net with a check mark beside it. There is also a chart of what creatures to avoid touching such as sea urchin and jellyfish. Taylor has been here plenty of times before and is an expert at where to find things. It becomes clear to her that Karlie has not as she hesitates to step onto the slippery rocks.

"Be careful," Taylor calls over her shoulder. "Stay close to me in case you fall. And keep an eye out for anything interesting. Most of these guys are small."

"These guys? What exactly are we looking for?" Karlie asks quietly.

"Well there are small fish, clams, sea slugs– and starfish!" Taylor gasps as she skilfully hops over a rocky ledge to inspect a large pool. She sets down her jar and crouches down, beckoning for Karlie to copy her. Karlie does and peers into the sandy water. Taylor doesn't use her net and instead reaches in with her bare hands to pick up the starfish. This freaks Karlie out.

"Wait, what the fuck! You just pick these things up?" she exclaims, bouncing back to her old self for a moment.

"Starfish can't hurt ya," Taylor smiles. She lays it flat on her hand and inspects it. It's a brilliant bright red colour and it's flesh is making very gradual pulsing movements. "How about you be the camera girl since you're too afraid to touch these guys?"

"I'm not afraid, I just– GET THAT ABOMINATION AWAY FROM ME," Karlie yells as Taylor brings the starfish to her face.

Taylor starts to genuinely laugh at Karlie's over the top reaction. Karlie even looks like she's about to smirk but she tries to pout it away. She takes the camera out of her purse and snaps a picture of the starfish in Taylor's hands. "He's a cool colour I guess," she mumbles.

"Starfish actually don't have genders would you believe," Taylor says. "Isn't that awesome?"

"Uh, I suppose?" Karlie replies.

Taylor shakes off her unimpressed tone and they search on. Not a few minutes later and Taylor spots something wriggling in the water. Karlie shies away behind her not wanting to be anywhere near the thing. "What is it? A worm or some shit?"

Taylor uses her net this time to fish out the tiniest octopus Karlie has ever seen. It's a dull earthy brown and she's baffled by how Taylor spotted it. Taylor plops it in their jar of water and it glides about inside. Karlie isn't as afraid of this one since it can't touch them and she gapes in awe at the little creature.

"Isn't it pretty?" Taylor asks, a smile beginning to form on her face whilst she watches Karlie's intrigue.

"Pretty cool," Karlie replies. She slides a finger down the jar and the octopus wriggles up to it. She nearly cowers back but keeps her balance.

"What's got ya jumping today?" Taylor grins.

"Nothing," Karlie says, almost defensively. But once she sees the look of regret on Taylor's face she softens her tone. "Nothing, I just don't really do this sort of stuff."

"Take a picture!" Taylor says cheerfully. Karlie does and it turns out looking pretty impressive. They release the octopus back into the rock pools and it speedily wriggles out of sight

"We're getting good at this, huh?" Karlie says, still not smiling but sounding more at ease.

"We sure are! We're making good progress," Taylor replies reassuringly. Karlie makes a sort of half smirk at this as they venture on.

They stay at the rock pools for a whole hour. Taylor finds a number of colourful starfish and even a few crabs. Karlie is proud of herself when she spots a hermit crab skittering along a mountain of scallops. Taylor smiles at her as she eagerly takes a few pictures, seemingly lost in the activity and not noticing her watchful eyes.

"Those little things are fucking legit," Karlie utters as she looks back on the pictures.

"Well I'm glad you think that," Taylor says. "We've taken a lot of pictures. Do you wanna go get something to eat?"

"Uh, what like the two of us?" Karlie asks looking up from the camera.

"There's no one else doing this with us so yes," Taylor says amusedly.

"Like a..." Karlie trails off.

"A what?" Taylor asks. She's genuinely confused about why Karlie is tiptoeing around getting food together.

"...Nothing. Uh, I don't have a lot of money on me."

"That's all right, I'll pay."

Karlie's eyes widen. "You fucking will your ass," she huffs. "You're not my boyfriend."

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Taylor asks.

"No?"

"Then I'll be the perfect substitute. Grow up and let's get some sushi," Taylor says as she empties her mason jar and puts it in her beach bag. Karlie protests further but Taylor shrugs it off. They come to a touristy fish restaurant, one of Taylor's favourite eating establishments.

"Sel's Catch?" Karlie reads staring up at the welcome sign.

"I've got a friend who's family owns the place. Do you like fish?" Taylor asks.

"Yeah, sure... Is this place expensive?"

"It's reasonable," Taylor shrugs. "But we can go somewhere cheaper if you'd like. This place is just a real favourite of mine. They never disappoint. You haven't been here before?"

"No, I haven't."

"Come on then, you can't miss a chance to eat here!" Taylor grins as she opens the door for Karlie, the buzz of the diners flooding out of the building. They are seated by a sunny window and Karlie shyly skims over the menu. Taylor wasn't lying when she said the prices weren't too bad but she still doesn't have enough money for half of the things she's interested in. She wasn't expecting a lunch date today.

"I can help you choose something," Taylor suggests, knocking Karlie out of her daze.

"Uh, that's okay thanks. I don't think I have enough to–"

"We can get something to share!" Taylor insists. "There's seafood baskets for two here somewhere," Taylor says and flips the menu about until she comes to what she's looking for. "We can split the bill, they're not much," she says with a friendly smile.

Karlie then looks Taylor in the eye. Her gaze isn't angered or annoyed. It's scared.

"Why are you being nice to me?" she asks slowly.

Taylor's smile falters. She places the menu down and folds her arms. She stares Karlie back and replies quietly and clearly. "Because two wrongs do not make a right. I don't want to get even with you. I want to mend...whatever this is. I do not think that what you did yesterday was okay. But I will happily accept any apology you have so that we can forget about it and move forward."

Karlie blinks back in disbelief. She opens her mouth to say something but nothing comes out.

"Now who's the goldfish," Taylor murmurs teasingly.

A waitress interrupts their little interrogation. She takes a second to tighten her brunette ponytail and smiles warmly. "Taylor, hey! Am I glad to see you."

"Hey, Selena," Taylor smiles back. "I brought a friend to lunch today." She motions her arms towards Karlie who's sinking down I her seat slightly.

"Nice to meet ya!" Selena says and holds out a hand for her to shake awkwardly. It is no surprise to Karlie that Taylor's friends are just as cheery as she is. And for some reason it's intimidating her. "What are you guys having?" Selena beams.

"I think we'll have the medium Fisherman's Feast. And two Cokes. That okay with you, Karlie?" Taylor asks and Karlie nods dumbly.

"Awesome. We'll get that fixed right up for you. Would you like some complimentary shrimp toast to start you off?"

"That'd be lovely," Taylor smiles and hands Selena the menus. She folds her arms again and faces Karlie, a soft expression on her face. "I think you'll like this. They catch everything fresh every morning. Selena's hoping they're gonna get their five stars soon. There's gonna be a big party if the critiques let it pass. Maybe you'd like to go," Taylor says nonchalantly. She knows her casual friendliness is tearing Karlie to pieces. And to be honest, it's better than revenge.

Taylor does most of the talking the rest of their time at the restaurant. Karlie nods and hums when appropriate, rarely making a comment or contributing to the conversation at first. But Taylor is good at filling silence and keeps things interesting. Or at least, not painstakingly quiet. Eventually Karlie comes out of her shell and starts talking too.

"Do you like the food?" Taylor asks as they both chew on their calamari.

"Yeah, it's tasty but...I guess I feel kinda weird eating those little guys."

Taylor nearly spits out her bite and chuckles at Karlie. "Nothing we caught today is on our plate. Unless you wanna try the sea urchin. But I wouldn't recommend."

"You sure knew a lot about the rock pools," Karlie comments as she cuts off the crispy tail of a shrimp.

"My dad used to take me to the beach as a little girl every Friday. Sometimes the whole family would go. I used to live down on Rhode, ya know?"

"Why'd you move to Long Beach?"

"My dad has a friend that's worked at the university for a long time. I got in quickly. They still live in Rhode though. The distance is kinda hard but they call me all the time. Plus my aunt lives close and my family visits whenever they can anyway, so it's not so bad. I got friends here, it's not lonely. And I love New York! I love the simultaneous beach and city life."

Karlie nods to herself as she listens to Taylor's little life story. She seems genuinely happy with her life and it suddenly occurs to her that she has brought a darkness into it. Feeling guilty Karlie goes quiet again. When it comes time to pay she is quick to pull out her half of the bill. They exit in silence.

"That was so good," Taylor sighs contentedly.

"Yeah...uh, Yeah."

"You okay?" she giggles. "Well, I think that's enough action for today. You wanna walk me home?"

"Uh, sure," Karlie mumbles.

Taylor was kidding but she decides to let the girl follow her to her apartment block. She feels that there's a newfound trust between them. They come to the front step and Taylor turns to Karlie. "Thanks for caring about the project. I'm sure we'll have it finished in no time. You wanna set up the next date?"

Karlie seems to flinch slightly after hearing the way Taylor has worded it. But it's only minor. She forces a tiny half smirk and nods. "You sure you wanna trust me in doing that?"

"You still haven't apologised for yesterday but I do," Taylor nods. "I trust you."

Karlie looks down, ashamed. She shuffles her feet about and then looks up again. "Okay... Um, I'll have to think about where."

"That's okay, just get back to me soon," Taylor smiles and uses her security card to get inside. It beeps and the doors unlock. "See you 'round," she says as she steps inside. She's about to close the door but Karlie plunges her foot between the closing gap.

"Wait– Uh, I..." Karlie exclaims as she swings her backpack around and roots for something. Taylor opens the door and watches her intently. Karlie fishes out a small blue gift bag and holds it in front of her. "Here," she mutters.

"What's this?" Taylor smiles as she takes it.

"Just take it," Karlie mumbles hurriedly. "Bye," she says as she turns on heel and sprints down Taylor's street.

Taylor blinks in surprise at her change in character but takes the bag upstairs to her apartment. Once she's inside she places it on her kitchen table and stares for a while. What could it possibly be? Taylor turns on her coffee machine and it hums into life. She sits down and rests her elbows on the table, puffing out her cheeks and blowing a few strands of baby hair out of the way. The blue paper bag stares back at her. Taylor dares herself to slide a hand in and as it met with the feel of crepe paper. She smiles slowly and pulls out what's inside. Removing the decorative paper she finds a brand new pastel pink hairband. It almost looks just like her old one, bar a dainty red heart on both sides. Karlie has attached a small hand written note to it.

Mistakes were made –K

"Better than any spoken word," Taylor chuckles and picks up the hair piece to examine.

~*~

"I think I like her, Ed," the blonde groans as she slumps across her friends couch on another Friday evening. It's been two weeks after the rock pool adventure. Karlie reported feeling ill during their time apart. Taylor found this to be true as she wasn't seen around the half pipe or in school. She anxiously inquired if Selena's cuisine had finally failed her but Karlie assured her it was the flu. The girls had been communicating over the break from one another. Often it was a tag in a funny post on Facebook, usually something school related. Sometimes Karlie would tag Taylor in a cat video after noticing she shared them a lot. Taylor would usually tag Karlie in skateboarding failure clips, along with a somewhat teasing warning of this could be you. New profile pictures or updates were 'liked' here and there. This behaviour went on without question from either. Recently Taylor received a text saying a full recovery had come about and that Karlie would like to meet her at the park.

"I saw it coming," Ed says as he taps away on his laptop. He saves his file and then removes his glasses to look at Taylor more intently. "You've been mentioning her non stop since that photo thing you're doing together."

"I've got it that bad?" Taylor sighs with her hands over her face.

"She wants to meet at the park. Maybe start giving her a few signs and see what happens," Ed says clasping his hands together on his desk like a school principal.

"I don't even know if she likes girls, Eddie," Taylor grumbles. She crosses her arms and stares at the ceiling in despair. "I mean...she's kind of a guy and hangs with guys, but it's a dumb move to assume her sexuality based solely on that."

"Then start hinting that you like her and see what happens," Ed repeats, more firmly this time. "If she's not into girls there's nothing you can do, love. But you can't waste precious time asking yourself why or what if. You said she texted you today? See what the plan is."

Taylor digs out her phone and stares at Karlie's contact. There's a rain cloud emoji beside her name. She sighs at it and continues to stare blankly. Ed coaxes her on and she selects it. She begins a response.

Hey there! Glad you're feeling better. What would the plan for the park be?

Her response is almost instant and it nearly gives her a heart attack.

We could meet tomorrow at 10? I was thinking about the lake where all the ducks are...

Taylor notes the better use of grammar in the text. She keeps in mind that Karlie only uses abbreviations when she's feeling awkward about discussing something. Smiling she texts back.

Sounds good! I'll be ready... You can bring that skateboard of yours if you like.

Taylor hesitates to add the last part but takes a leap of faith and sends the text. Karlie replies minutes later.

Haha! Thanks. But walking is better for the park. I'll see you tomorrow then.

Taylor's heart flutters at the reaction she's received. Did Karlie imply that she made her laugh? Ed catches Taylor's blushing smiley face and rolls his eyes. "Is it good news or great news?" he asks amusedly.

"Hush," Taylor murmurs, still smiling like a goof at the screen as she begins typing. Ed throws his arms up in defeat and stands to check the roast chicken in the oven.

Taylor - Maybe you can show me how some time haha! Karlie - I don't trust you with a skateboard. At all. Taylor - Oh? And why is that? Karlie - your dumb long legs couldn't step over one without falling that's for sure

Taylor takes a moment to realise that Karlie's once seemingly crude way of speaking is simply a characteristic of hers. She uses it to make herself seem bigger. But she also uses it to make others she trusts feel comfortable. To show that she's comfortable around them.

Taylor - Your dumb long legs are LONGER than my dumb long legs? Karlie - spazz Taylor - Dumb Long Legs Karlie - touché...

Taylor bursts out laughing and Ed nearly drops her plate of roast chicken. He sighs and places it on the coffee table. "Plate's hot, be careful," he says and sets down cutlery wrapped up in a napkin. "What are you laughing like a hyena for?"

"Nothing," Taylor smiles.

"Right, I totally believe you. What, did she make a dirty joke or something?"

"No, please," Taylor says shaking her head. "We're just setting up tomorrow."

Ed shakes his head. "Your food will get cold, let's eat."

~*~

Karlie's lens is inches away from the pile of sleeping ducklings. She silently snaps a few pictures and Taylor has her hands over her mouth a few feet away. The girls had found a secluded part of the park at the edge of the lake. Karlie was the one that spotted the nest amongst the reeds and flowering rushes. She then carefully tip toes away so as not to disturb the babies. They sit at a park bench.

"Wow, check these out," Karlie says, letting out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. She slides through the six pictures she's taken and Taylor smiles in awe.

"They're so precious!" she squeals excitedly. "Their little fuzzy faces."

"One shook its head in this one so he's all blurry except for the other four. Looks like he's transforming into a ghost or something," she says with a brief chuckle.

Taylor laughs and nods at Karlie's observation. "Oh, they are all so cute," she coos. "Good job!" she grins facing Karlie. Karlie half grins back and they even hold eye contact for a few seconds. It's the first time Taylor has noticed how striking her gaze is. It's a mix of a mossy green and hazelnut brown. Karlie is the first to break it and coughs awkwardly.

"You wanna look for more stuff? I bet we'll find squirrels in the trees," she says as she stands.

"Bet we will. Let's go," Taylor grins.

Sure enough they find a trio of squirrels munching on someone's spilled McDonald's fries under a tree. Taylor takes these photos, crouching down a good five or so feet away. The squirrels take no notice of her and feast away on their treat. Karlie grins at the scene. A proper grin too. One she's not holding back.

"Maybe we can call this one Modern Day Squirrel. Make a statement about today's society. Reminiscing on the days squirrels used to eat acorns and birdseed."

Taylor giggles loudly at the comment and nearly startles the bunch. She stands and shows the results to Karlie who's highly amused by them. "These are gold."

"A real natural beauty of Earth, huh!" Taylor smirks. "You wanna get lunch?"

"I, uh, had somewhere planned for today actually," Karlie says with a shy turn away. "You like burgers?"

Karlie takes Taylor to a rustic looking burger bar and café. The sign out front reads Blood Bath. Taylor raises an eyebrow at the name and sees that their company logo is a simplistic pig head outline over a pentagram. "Looks intimidating," she murmurs.

"You scared, stupid?" Karlie grins as she opens the door for her. They're seated at a booth for two. The restaurant is a dark colour scheme but well lit. Taylor notes this as a clever interior design feature, always being one to take in the decorative choices of any establishment. Karlie helps her order. "I'd highly recommend the Red Cheddar Roost. That's a personal favourite of mine. Or if you don't like a lot of cheese I'd go for the Big Blood Classic."

"What's with the blood aspect of this place?" Taylor asks amusedly as she skims over the menu. "I'll have what you're having."

"The blood aspect is kind of just an eye catcher for tourists. But they do do a beautiful rare blue steak burger. It's their best seller or something."

Taylor is glad to see that Karlie is getting more talkative with her. She smiles warmly at the girl's enthusiastic description of the favoured restaurant. They order two Red Cheddar Roosts and Taylor is blown away by how good it is. Karlie is pleased by her reaction and smirks humbly at the sight of her devouring it. They end up spending two hours at the restaurant, ordering a shared dessert of chocolate cake and tea afterwards. Karlie charms Taylor more and more with each her wicked sense of humour, and Taylor is fast melting Karlie's ice cold heart with her innocence and sweetness.

When Karlie walks her home again they linger at the doorstep.

"Today was pretty successful. We're practically almost done!" Taylor says proudly. It then dawns on her that...they're almost done. She gives Karlie a smile and a tilt of her head that encourages her to say something.

"Yeah, I'm... I'm glad we'll be able to...finish this up soon. I should get going," she nods and turns to leave.

"Kar– Karlie!" Taylor exclaims nervously. Karlie turns back and looks up at her. "Do you...want to come inside for coffee?"

~*~

Karlie is enthralled by the sight of Taylor's cats. She muses over their funny little ears and their bushy tails. "I'm not even a cat person but these guys are cool," she says as she jingles a feathery toy mouse around Olivia's curious face.

"I'm glad you think they're cool," Taylor grins as she sets two coffee cups down in front of the couch. She sits herself beside Karlie. Olivia grabs her toy and pounces off with it, leaving Karlie to shake her head laughing at her playfulness.

"Wish I had time to look after a cat," Karlie says and takes her mug.

"They're not too hard to care for. You just gotta feed em and change their litter box. They don't do a lot," Taylor giggles.

"She's doing a lot," Karlie nods to Olivia who is scampering around the legs of the kitchen table.

"I think she likes to show off around guests. Once you leave she'll be out cold like her," Taylor says and nods towards Meredith's chubby body sprawled out on her cat bed by the window.

Karlie smiles and sips her coffee. Taylor sips hers. It's a comfortable silence, one that Taylor is glad happened. She enjoys that she can be quiet with Karlie as well as have colourful conversations with her. Karlie is the first to break the silence.

"So what are you tryna be?" she asks casually.

Taylor chuckles, "A writer. I wanna write this great American novel, ya know. Maybe a series. I wanna keep the literary world popular. And you?"

"Nice," Karlie nods. "Me? It's stupid."

"You haven't even told me," Taylor teases.

"Well... An artist, I guess."

"That's not stupid, Karlie," Taylor smiles. "I don't know why you think that's stupid." She sets her coffee cup down, showing that she's ready to listen.

"Ugh, because everyone hates an artist. Oh, could you not find a real job? How does that make money? Are you starving? Depressed? Can you draw me? I hate it sometimes."

Taylor is intrigued by now Karlie has suddenly opened up to her. She feels as if she's seeing a completely different side to the person. One that is secret and hidden.

"People like to be nosy. But all you gotta do is smile, nod, and move on doing what you love," Taylor says. She got this advice from none other than Ed, and hopes that he's going to be proud once she tells him she has shared his knowledge with someone.

"...Thanks, Taylor," Karlie murmurs. She then sets down her mug too and stares at the girl. Taylor, once again, is breath taken by the girl's eyes. And not only their colour, but the way they seem to be staring into her more so than at her.

At first Taylor Taylor thinks it's the new clock she has hung in the wall when she hears the pounding in her ears. But it soon becomes clear that it's her heart. She feels her cheeks heat up and she knows she's full on blushing at Karlie. But Karlie's expression remains calm as she continues to seamlessly hold their stare.

Am I leaning in or is she? Taylor wonders to herself internally.

Either way, lips brush against lips. And soon enough Taylor is cupping Karlie's left cheek in one hand. Taylor has not kissed many girls before. The times she has were enjoyable. But this kiss is different. This kiss is slow and thought out. Karlie's arm is resting on the back of the couch with her hand dangling between them. Taylor's arm is doing the same and their fingers brush against one another. The bliss ends too quickly.

Karlie pulls away, startled. She catches her breath and stares at Taylor. "Why...Why did we do that," she pants. The comment rubs Taylor the wrong way and she bites her lip to hold back the tears that are welling up in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean for us to..." she trails off. She's shaking her head and babbling apologies but she herself isn't too sure she understands them.

"I gotta go," Karlie murmurs and grabs her backpack.

Taylor races to the front door and stands in front of her, digging herself a deeper grave. No, Karlie I– I'm sorry! Please, I didn't mean to– I don't–"

"Shut up, idiot!" Karlie yells and moves her aside. She clambers down the stairs and doesn't look back. Not even as Taylor cries for her to come back.

~*~

Selena squeals with glee as she picks out a sea blue party dress from its hanger. She holds it in front of her for Taylor to see and she cups her face with awe.

"Sel, it's absolutely perfect," she breathes. "Oh the colour, it's stunning!"

"Is it five stars?" Selena asks with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

Taylor giggles, "A million stars. Billions! You're gonna look fantastic tomorrow night."

"All right, now let's get you sorted out," Selena says as she folds the dress over her shoulder.

"Me? I have a dress," Taylor says.

"You're prom dress from high school is pretty, Tay. But this is a bigger event. This is five stars on my fucking restaurant big!" the brunette beams.

Taylor chuckles and sighs. "I don't need a new–"

"Nope, it's final. We're finding you a hot dress. You gonna bring a cute date to this thing?" Selena asks as they walk through the store.

Taylor bites her lip. She despises that her mind has automatically gone to Karlie. She had spoken to Selena briefly about the incident last week, and Selena didn't know what to do. Taylor doesn't blame her. It's a peculiar situation.

"I guess not," she says.

"What abouuut...her?" Selena says.

"She hates me," Taylor mumbles as she brushes her fingers over some hangers with cream coloured dresses.

"She's probably just freaked out that you like her back. Most people who are bullies get like that around crushes."

"So you're still pretty certain she's bad for me and yet you encourage me to get to know her better?" Taylor asks. "Twisted, Selena."

"Do you wanna bring her to the party or not," Selena chuckles as she scoops out a dress for Taylor to judge.

"I don't know," Taylor sighs.

"Well make up your mind soon. We gotta know how much food to make and tables to set out."

That evening Taylor finds herself pacing her living room floor. She has her phone turned on and set down on her coffee table. Karlie's contact is open. Their last conversation was about when to meet at the park last week. Karlie hadn't bothered to reply when Taylor sent an apology and asked to talk about things. Taylor feels the tears beginning to brim over her cheeks again. She places her head in her hands and Olivia slinks over to lovingly rub against her legs as if she knows what's wrong. Taylor cries softly to herself, muffling her gentle sobs with sweater sleeves. She sinks down into an armchair and let's her shoulders shake with each breathy cry.

"Do I like her?... Or do I just want her to like me?" she whispers to herself. Taylor usually found herself talking to herself in desperate times. Often it helped. She hopes this time it helps too.

"I like her... I definitely like her and I'm scared of that. But if I keep waiting around like this...asking myself what if...I'll get nowhere." Taylor takes a deep shaky breath. She stares longingly at her phone and then slowly reaches for it. She's not going to text Karlie. She'll call her.

The phone rings five times before Karlie answers it. Taylor's about to hang up on the sixth ring but the sound of shuffling on the other end makes her heart stop.

"Hey," murmurs a voice. Karlie sounds moody. She sounds like Taylor is the last person she wants to speak to right now. With a heavy heart Taylor feels like hanging up. But Karlie surprises her and speaks again. "You gonna say something?"

Taylor tries to bite back the impending sob in her throat but it comes out in her next sentence. "I like you..."

A silence falls over the conversation. It's ear shattering to Taylor and she fears she'll break down completely if Karlie doesn't say anything. Thankfully her wish is granted.

"Is that so?" Karlie asks. Her tone is different now. It's soft. Almost motherly.

"Yeah," Taylor says dumbly. She sounds like a whimpering puppy.

"How much?" Karlie asks, whispered.

"I don't know. A lot I guess," Taylor sniffs. The conversation sounds like a cliché high school confession. Taylor winces at how raspy her voice is.

"Hmm," Karlie says, followed by another silence. She continues, "And what are you gonna do about it?"

Taylor isn't sure if Karlie is being rude or genuinely asking how she's going to deal with the situation. She assumes the latter. "Selena's restaurant got its five stars... There's a party, and..."

"And you want me to come with you?" Karlie finishes.

"Yeah," Taylor says. "It's at eight, tomorrow."

Another silence. There's the sound of Karlie puffing out air and Taylor wonders if she's smoking. She hopes she isn't smoking.

"Okay," Karlie finally says.

Taylor wonders if she's heard her right. She coughs and speaks. "Uh, okay... I will see you there."

"You will," Karlie murmurs. Her tone has been the same through mostly the whole conversation. Taylor wishes she could keep her cool like that.

"Okay... Bye," Taylor says shyly.

"Bye, loser," Karlie murmurs. Taylor can hear a smirk in her voice and it just about blows her lungs up.

~*~

Selena's five star party is a loud, colourful, music filled celebration. Neon lights grace the ceiling. Silvery balloons float at every corner. People chat happily and eat the finest of food. Taylor stands in a corner with Ed and a few of his friends. They greet Taylor and she hits it off with the group. Despite having people to talk to she still feels isolated. Her stomach has been in knots the entire night and she hasn't been able to enjoy the food. She continuously smoothes down the deep red cocktail dress Selena helped her choose out. Occasionally she scratches at her arm, a nervous habit. Ed notices her tense behaviour.

"She said she was coming?" he asks her quietly.

"Y-Yeah," Taylor stammers, taken aback by the question.

"She's nearly an hour late," Ed says as he shows her his watch.

"Well, people are still coming in! Not everyone is here yet I'm sure," Taylor rambles.

Ed gives her a pitiful look. "Tay...I think she stood–"

"Taylor?" calls a husky voice within the crowd.

Taylor's head spins around to scan the sea of people. Sure enough Karlie is craning her long neck to try and find Taylor. The blonde excuses herself and hurries towards her. The crowd departs for her as she tries to get to Karlie. She grabs her arm and turns her to face her.

Karlie is dressed in a black dress pants and blazer. A crisp white shirt with the top two buttons casually undone rest underneath. The girl wears beige heels, making her even more tantalisingly tall. A smokey brown eye and nude lip grace her sharp features. Her dirty blonde hair has been straightened and tied into a high ponytail, a golden leaf hairpiece decorating the back. She's stunning.

"Hey there, dork," Karlie greets.

Taylor wants to cry tears of happiness. "I was worried you weren't coming."

"Yeah, sorry about that. I had to drop a friend to hospital. Skateboard accident. Happens a lot," Karlie smirks. "Just a broken arm."

Taylor laughs, "You look... You look wonderful."

"You don't sound too sure about that," Karlie says with a playful side eye. A man stops by them and offers a glass of champagne, which they both take gratefully.

"I just haven't seen you like this before. You brush up well," Taylor teases as she sips from her glass.

"That's an honour coming from you. That little red number really suits you," Karlie says with somewhat of a dark undertone in her cool voice. She brings a finger out to bounce one of Taylor's soft curls. "Your hair is nice this way."

Taylor blushes like a shy kid and has to sip her champagne to stop herself from giggling like an idiot. "I like your hair too. It's nice tied back like that."

"I just didn't have time to do anything fancy," Karlie smiles. "They got anything to eat around here? This being a restaurant party and all?"

"The meal should be starting soon. There's finger food going around though," Taylor says.

"I'll be a good girl and wait," Karlie smirks.

Eventually they are seated at their tables. Taylor asked for Karlie to be seated at hers and Selena happily allowed the request. Karlie sits across from Taylor and they chat away the night. Karlie is surprisingly very good at talking to strangers at a dinner table. She catches the eye of many the male guests. But she seems to only have eyes for Taylor. By the time desert comes it's safe to say that everyone is either drunk or tipsy. Taylor falls more on the barely tipsy side but Karlie is laughing loudly at even the unfunniest of dad jokes pulled up by the guys at her table. It isn't all that noticeable however. Many people are letting their drunk selves be known. After things begin to die down, Taylor suggests she and Karlie get some fresh air on the outdoor balcony. Karlie is sipping water now and sobering herself up. Taylor has her arms wrapped around her as they stare out at the full moon and the still ocean.

"I had fun tonight," Taylor whispers, the alcohol making her cheeks heat up faster than usual. She's getting shy again.

"Me too, I had fun," Karlie grins. "Here's to the first night of spring break, huh" she says as she raises her glass of lemon water and sips.

Taylor stares up at her adoringly. She's in love. And she knows she's in for a whole load of trouble with this woman because of that.

"Karlie?" Taylor whispers.

"Yes, Taylor?"

"Can I kiss you?"

Karlie finishes her water and sets the glass aside. She stares down at Taylor, the moonlight making her eyes seem to glow. Her expression is gentle. She licks her lips and nods slowly. Taylor almost gasps softly before closing the space between them with a kiss. A kiss that is accepted and eagerly returned.

~*~

Taylor discovers that Karlie's house is only twenty minutes away from her apartment. The estate is a tidy area with small Victorian style houses kept area, grey lampposts at every stop. Karlie was trusting in Taylor to drive them while she directed. They come to house number twenty two and Karlie leads Taylor inside once the car is safely in the garage. Taylor is pushed against the front door with rough kiss as Karlie removes her blazer and tosses it aside. She's breathing heavily and getting her fingers lost in Karlie's hair, her ponytail long undone. Taylor is moaning softly with each hard kiss. Karlie suddenly hoists her up and carries her bridal style upstairs. Taylor is sucking on her neck as she does this. She turns the light on with her shoulder and lands Taylor on her bed so she can undress herself. Taylor takes a moment to catch her breath. She sits up on her elbows and looks around.

Karlie's room is noisy. Her walls are white but there are posters of various bands and icons pinned to it. Her bedsheets are black. The print is a white demon eyed goat head surrounded by a satanic pentagram. Shelves of strange items such as animal skulls and taxidermy butterflies decorate the walls. Taylor is startled by the sudden volume of Karlie's stereo. She apologises and turns the music down. It's a heavy metal or rock band playing. Taylor is thankful she has turned it down. When she lays eyes on Karlie again she fears she'll melt. Karlie's underwear is matching. She's in a black lace bra and satin panties. Taylor's eyes widen on seeing Karlie has abs. Not too prominent. But just enough to make her eyebrows raise with impressment. Karlie kneels down on the bed and helps Taylor out of her dress, before both girls press themselves to one another again. Karlie pulls away suddenly.

"Wait just a sec," she pants and hops up from the bed to the en suite bathroom. She cones out with a handful of black candles and lights them around the room. Taylor's heart races as the lights are turned out so that they are left in flickering candle glow. Karlie appears mysterious now, shadowed by the orangey candle light. A small bedside lamp is still on, so she's clear to see. But the atmosphere is still...romantic. That is apart from the muffled heavy metal music. But Taylor doesn't mind it.

"I always imagined you as a white lace girl," Karlie breathes as she snaps one of Taylor's bra straps, causing Taylor to gulp with excitement.

"Oh, Kar," is all Taylor can whisper.

Karlie smirks evilly and trails kisses down along Taylor's neck. Taylor moans softly at Karlie's hot touch. Karlie moves aside one of Taylor's bra cups so that she can suck at the nipple. Taylor moans louder now and covers her mouth for fear of stirring the neighbours. Karlie removes her bra completely and tenderly massages at her breasts whilst kissing them passionately. Taylor gets wetter and wetter. She gyrates her hips underneath Karlie, silently asking her to move south. Karlie giggles deeply and begins sliding down Taylor's body to her panties. She teasingly kisses and sucks her trembling inner thighs, all the while massaging her breasts. Taylor closes her eyes, her mouth hanging open as Karlie does this. Soon enough her panties are tugged down her hips and flutter to the floor.

Karlie licks once over Taylor's slit and she gasps with excitement. Karlie's tongue gently teases her outer lips, slowly licking up and down the brief length of her wet core. Soon she flattens her tongue and dips into Taylor's centre, licking upwards and eventually over her throbbing clit. Taylor shoves her knuckles into her mouth and bites down. She pushes her hips towards Karlie's face and whimpers her name. Karlie is loving the attention and begins to swirl her tongue around Taylor's clit. She hums and makes kissing sounds against Taylor's dripping entrance.

"I wanna try something with you," Karlie murmurs.

Taylor is starry eyed and panting. She stares down at Karlie, a curious expression on her sweet face. Karlie leans over the bedside and pulls out something. It's in a paper bag by the sounds of it. And encased in plastic packaging. A few metallic clinking sounds follow. Karlie is then stepping into something. When she positions herself at Taylor's entrance again, Taylor is surprised to find a sizeable strap-on between the girl's legs. Her eyes widen with lust as Karlie removes her own bra. Taylor bites her lip, gazing up at her perky breasts.

"I'll be gentle. I think you'll like this," Karlie grins. There's complete and utter sex in her stare and it's melting Taylor to a puddle. She helps Karlie guide herself into entrance folds. Once Karlie slides herself in Taylor's on cloud nine.

"Oh baby, that's good," she breathes.

"Mm, I knew you'd like it," Karlie smirks as she confidently starts to thrust in and out of Taylor's pussy.

The combined candles, heavy metal, and strap-on together is the closest thing to a sensory overload Taylor has ever experienced. She wants more and more with each of Karlie's thrusts. Karlie hooks Taylor's legs over her shoulders, kissing her calves as she pounds her. Taylor is in constant O face mode and nearing her climax. The girth of the strap-ons shaft is perfect. It generously stretches Taylor's walls, hitting her G-spot seamlessly each time. Karlie is a master of seduction and display.

"Still think I'm an extremely rude individual?" Karlie grins.

Taylor let's her pound a few more times before fluttering her eyes open. She dazedly blinks up at the woman, darkly shadowed by the candles that make her tan body glow like fire.

"I think you're the Devil incarnate."

Her comment was supposed to come off as teasing but it comes out breathy and tender. Karlie's eyes flash for a split second, seemingly aroused by Taylor's choked comeback.

"Karlie, I...I'm gonna... Oh gosh, I'm going to..." Taylor babbles feverishly.

"So polite, even on the brink of coming all over me," Karlie purrs. She speeds up her thrusts and pounds Taylor hard.

Taylor let's out one final cry and orgasms hard on Karlie's toy. Karlie coaxes her on whilst continuing to slide in and out of her. "Good girl, come for me. That's it, Tay."

"That was...amazing," Taylor pants, shakily recollecting herself. Karlie removes the strap on and crawls over to her. She rolls Taylor on top of her, kissing her passionately. Taylor drags her hands down the length of Karlie's lithe body. She finds the girls panties and slips her hand underneath them. Karlie smirks at her and flutters her eyes closed. She moans softly as Taylor slips two fingers into her wet core. Taylor curls her digits against Karlie's tight walls, pumping slowly. Karlie squeezes Taylor's hips as she does this. Taylor's eyes never leave Karlie's face as she fingers her.

"Baby, that's so fucking good," Karlie whispers. She bites her lip and makes approving grunts and moans with each of Taylor's curls or pumps. "Little faster, babe," she says.

Taylor obliges and pumps faster, causing Karlie to jolt slightly. She chuckles at her own reflexes and brings her hands to Taylor's face, pulling her in for a deep kiss. Taylor moans into the kiss and Karlie's back begins to arch. She tangles her slender fingers into Taylor's hair and tugs it. "That's it, Tay. I'm gonna come, keep doing that. Oh I'm gonna fucking come. You're making me fucking come, Taylor," Karlie chants breathily. Taylor adores how vocal she is and presses a thumb to her clit, which does the trick.

"Fuck, Taylor! Oh, fuck me!" Karlie moans as she buries her head back into her pillows. Taylor wants to cry at how beautiful she looks in ecstasy. She rubs circles around her clit and a splash of wetness coats her hand. She looks down and smiles wide. Bringing her hand back up she inspects the clear, stringy stickiness between her fingers.

"Look," Taylor grins, showing Karlie her hand.

"Woah," Karlie giggles. She blushes hard, "Sorry about that."

Taylor chuckles and wipes it against the sheets, but not before sucking on her pointer finger and staring straight ahead at Karlie as she does so. Before long Karlie has blown out her candles and opened a window to let cool air in. Taylor is nestled under her sheets. Karlie soon joins her.

"Karlie?" Taylor murmurs sleepily.

"Yes, princess?"

"Are we... What are we?"

Karlie brings her arms out to pull Taylor close to her bare chest. She rests her chin atop her head. Taylor's arms wrap around Karlie's waist.

"I'm not so sure," Karlie whispers. "Is that okay for now?"

Taylor can't help but feel a tad disappointed. But Karlie's question strikes a glint of hope in her chest and she smiles warmly. "Yes, that's okay...for now."

"Good," Karlie nods.

Soon they fall asleep in each other's arms.

~*~

"You guys aren't even a part of the photography team and you outdid the entire photography team," chuckles the freckled, red headed art student in disbelief. She congratulates and thanks Taylor and Karlie for their contributions to the yearbook and Mr Tweed let's them off the hook, warning them to behave from now on.

"I'm kinda sad the project is finished. I had fun taking pictures with you," Taylor says as she walks alongside Karlie to lunch.

"We can still take pictures together, stupid," Karlie says with a grin. "That's sweet though."

"You're sweet," Taylor smiles. Karlie stops to kiss her gently.

"Can you guys get a fucking room," Selena comments as she passes by.

Taylor rolls her eyes and then stares lovingly up at Karlie. "We should move in together. Unless that's, like, totally too far too soon. I don't want you to think I'm some crazy obsessed girlfriend that wants to tie you down and–"

"Hey, zip it," Karlie chuckles. "I dunno. Maybe one day," she grins.

Taylor blushes and smiles back. "Yeah, maybe one day."

"Let's go eat. I'm starving."

"Are your friends joining us?" Taylor asks.

"Theeey may or may not be taking their punishments for what I made them do to you in the park."

Taylor raises an eyebrow. "What kind of punishment?"

Karlie smirks and then gazes ahead. The group of rowdy skateboarders are painting a mural under the guidance of Mr Tweed. "I told him they were bored of skating."

Taylor laughs out loud. "You made them do that for me? And what's your punishment?" she grins.

"Getting stuck with you!" Karlie teases. Taylor playfully throws a punch to her arm and she laughs gleefully. "They'll be busy for a week at least. We've got the half pipe clear for me to teach you a few things. That is if you're willing to wear pads for those accident prone knees and elbows of yours."

"Just put me in a full body cast right now," Taylor sighs. Karlie chuckles and kisses her cheek.

"So you're not game?"

"Oh, I'm game... Skateboard Sally."

"I said don't call me that!" Karlie exclaims and proceeds to chase Taylor along the green of the campus. She catches her and Taylor giggles as Karlie presses kisses over her face.

"I'm glad you skinned my knees, Karlie," Taylor smiles, a fresh blush heating up her cheeks. Karlie laughs softly at the confession. She takes Taylor's hand and intertwines their fingers.

"Me too."

#Kaylor #kaylor fanfiction #wattpad #flickerfic #taylor swift #Karlie Kloss

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