#I know that the new guys introduced into the game aren't talked about that much by the community

[thatonecrookedsmile]

Through 2023, I've been sketching and conceptualizing my designs for the human cast of BATDR. Giving shape to some ideas, testing new ones, you know the deal.

And December of last year, I wanted to make some slightly more elaborate drawings ("elaborate" in comparison to the previous sketches in this case), with some of these designs. To sort of solidify these ideas better.

The result turned out quite nice, despite a few things. (why are noses so complicated from a head-on perspective) Last month I decided to bring these drawings + 3 small doodles to color. To also solidify how they look in color.

Obviously, this isn't the entire DR cast. There are only 8 designs here, it's a little less than half of the entire cast, I still have to show a lot lol. These above are what I chose to draw in recent times. For the rest of the characters, it's a matter of 1. fleshing out the designs (e.g. Angus Newman, Kitty Thompson) or 2. I still have to think of a design for them (e.g. Muncie Dunn, Telly Wester). When I have a better vision for them, I'll do something similar to what I did here. Make some more elaborate drawings for them, color them digitally and post them here eventually.

I don't know if the text I put is too big or too small, so here are the characters in each image, left to right: -Jane Todd, Kay Lee. -Grace Conway -Bill Danton, Lance Derby -Sally Newt, Hudson Doyle and Carl (one could argue that Carl might not be a real in-universe person, but I still wanted to do a design for him) There are still some details that have yet to be really set in stone, but even so, what we have above is practically the main vision for these designs solidified, so to speak,which I'm happy with.

At first I was only going to color the first three images, but I liked the other 3 mini drawings that I made at the time so I decided to put them here too. Eventually I'll make some better drawings with them, so the next time I show other BATDR designs, I'll post them together. Maybe in the future, when all the designs are finalized, I will make a digital drawing with all the designs, in one place. I tried to do something similar in the past with my BATIM designs, so it would be interesting to do something like this again with the Dark Revival cast.

#bendy and the ink machine #batim #batdr #bendy and the dark revival #jane todd #kay lee #grace conway #bill danton #lance derby #sally newt #hudson doyle #carl batdr #crookedsmileart #happy with these designs #especially Bill and Hudson's #It's been interesting to work on my DR human designs #I know that the new guys introduced into the game aren't talked about that much by the community #(looking at this site specifically; saying this is an understatement) #and I understand and I think I even know why of this #but;idk;I want to give them some appreciation;yk #draw some things with them; make them interact with other characters from the franchise #you know; I want to do something for them #give them some attention; #plus;knowing me; #I would still make myself learn to remember the names of all the characters introduced via audio logs; #regardless of whether or not these new guys have the same impact as the IM cast #so it was inevitable lol #(can I offer you some fan-designs in these strange times)

[starlightxsvt]

Sentinel's Serenade | c.sc

pairing ➳ bodyguard!Scoups x heiress!reader

genre ➳ drama, angst, romance, smut.

word count ➳ 29.5k (i'm sorry)

warnings ➳ car crash, ptsd, flashbacks of war, panic attack, murder, violence, guns, blood, death, fingering, unprotected sex, edging, female oral, arguments, coups is an a-hole but he has reasons, he was also in the military, Jun is a bad guy here(im sorry), jihoon blesses us with his special appearance.

synopsis ➳ As you start digging up an accident that has been brushed under the rug, you make an enemy who is out to get you no matter what. Amidst all the chaos you develop feelings for your bodyguard who has built walls of steel around him.

"This is your new bodyguard, Seungcheol." 

Your head tilts upward, as you scan the man standing in front of you with careful eyes. He's tall and broad; exactly how you'd imagine a bodyguard to be, along with an emptiness in his eyes, so cold and robotic that would only be achievable after being through some heavy shit, you assume. Your father continues listing off his certifications and qualities but your brain doesn't capture much after hearing that he can speak sign language and is an ex navy SEAL; too busy getting distracted with his handsome features and dissecting him as much as you can just from looking.

The man isn't handsome in the typical sense, definitely not the handsome you're used to seeing in magazine covers and charity galas. No, he's ruggedly handsome, shielding himself with a tough exterior, his thick brows knotted in a frown and his full, red lips set in a grim line, blond hair brushed back neatly. 

With the way he looks in that expensive suit hugging his body, he could pass as a business tycoon but his aura is completely different; alert, strict, impenetrable.

His hand reaches out for yours to meet in a handshake after your father is done introducing him. You watch his extended hand for a while, observing little scratches and cuts that seem to still be healing on his knuckles before meeting his hand. As expected, his palms are calloused but cool. His grip is firm, just like the look in his dark eyes and for some unknown reason tingles shoot down your spine.

"Choi Seungcheol, ma'am." His voice has a deep timbre to it. It'd be perfect for audiobooks, you muse idly.  "He is to be with you whenever you are going outside till the foreseeable future." Your father states. There isn't much room for arguments here and you aren't too bothered having a shadow because this isn't the first time. 

You had a personal bodyguard six months ago and the man sustained a serious hip injury due to...circumstances involving you. Now that you are back and ready to face the world, you know that keeping a personal bodyguard is a wise decision, even if your father may have assigned him with ulterior motives. 

It's okay, the games are just beginning and you are playing for the long haul.

—

"Met your new guard on the way. Guy's a robot." Chan says as he strolls into the library with his hands in his pockets. You assume he's talking about Seungcheol, who is currently stationed outside the library room even though you told him to take a break.

A copy of Jane Eyre sits open on your lap as you look up to meet Chan's eyes. Offering him a small smile, you motion him to sit next to you. Your younger brother had been out of the country due to business for the past few weeks so it has been a while since you last saw him.

"So you are really going back to work?" He asks, a soft, concerning note to his voice as he sits down next to you on the divan. You sigh and give him an exasperated look. 

"I'm more than ready. Sitting idle hasn't done me much good." You sign. 

His eyes watch the movements of your hands before he murmurs, "It will be tough, you know... without your... voice. I don't want you to get into any trouble, especially after everything."

"I'll manage." You sign. You will. 

It has been six long months since the accident. Six months since you lost your mother. Six months since you have last uttered a word. Six months since you have been at work.

Six months since your life has completely been turned upside down. 

You have been thrown entirely off track, the reigns of your horse being snatched away by a dark force plotting far worse things.  But you will uncover them. No matter how long or what it takes. 

"Dad thinks you're not ready yet," Chan comments, breaking your train of thought. 

You huff out an annoyed breath. 

"I don't really care what he thinks you know," you sign and your brother snorts, looking at you with a fond, amused expression. "It will be hard." He says absent-mindedly. "To adjust back to everything."

You nod because you know it will be. You have already heard the board members express their dissatisfaction over you returning as the CEO. Lee publishing has been in its prime since last year and they're afraid it's gonna lose its position with a mute CEO. Funny how they forget you are the one who brought it to where it is today. Lee Publishings, your family's publishing company was handed over to you by your  grandfather. He started it from scratch and it became the first successful family business before he decided to hand it over to you when you became twenty. 

Your bond with your grandfather was always special, maybe because you both shared the same love for books and sense of humour. You grew up watching him read and collect books and naturally you picked up on that habit. As you grew up you watched him work closely, helping him wherever you could with the company which led him to hand it over to you. 

Not your father, your brother or any of your cousins but you.

He was lucky enough to watch you take on the role and make the company flourish for all three months before he passed away peacefully one night in his sleep. 

The feud began after that as your uncle, Jin Lee and your father started expressing their concerns, saying that you wouldn't be able to rule over the company well now that your grandfather wasn't here to guide you. While your uncle wanted the publishing house for himself and his useless son, Jun, your father wanted to hand the company over to Chan, believing that your brother would be a better president, and offering you the role of the vice president instead. It came to you without any surprise because your brother was always your father's favourite child.

You, however, had stood your ground and promptly refused, challenging them to try and take it from you. Thankfully, your brother was on your side, saying that it rightfully belonged to you and you were more than eligible to rule over it. Chan's disinterest may have backed off your father temporarily, you can tell, but your uncle is still desperate, now more than ever.

"You are going to move back to your place soon as well," Chan complains with a pout, breaking your train of thought. Giving him a sad smile you open your arms, inviting him for a hug which he gladly accepts. After one week of staying at the hospital and your mother's burial, you decided that you would stay at the mansion you grew up in, essentially your father's house, instead of your own apartment in the city, for the foreseeable future. This mansion held a lot of memories for you, especially with your mother. Breakfast in the garden, late night talks in the huge library and sipping on tea while watching the sunset together through the large window in the west wing.

You could never imagine a life without your mother yet here you are, living one. But it is time you slowly start going back to where you belong.

"It will be lonely here without you…and mom," Chan whispers.

You can only blink back your tears and hug him tighter.

—

Just on your fifth day back, you realise that things are not going to be anywhere near easy for you, not that you expected, but still.

The moment you get to work on Wednesday morning, there is a commotion outside the main entrance of the building which leads your driver to drop you and Seungcheol at the underground entrance. You are greeted by the bleak face of your secretary as you walk to your office, who announces that the vice president is there to see you. Once you enter your office, you indeed find vice president Jun, your dear cousin, sitting on your seat with the face of a cat who ate the canary.

Seungcheol, who is always trailing behind you like a shadow, moves— to drag him out of your seat no doubt, but you raise your hand as a gesture to tell him to stop.

"Good morning, Miss Lee. Though it doesn't look like a good morning for you," He grins, standing up and rounding the desk lazily while tilting his chin at the coffee table where the morning paper is lying. You pick it up and in bold letters on the front page, the headline greets you with: "President of Lee Publishings Accused of Employee Mistreatment."

It goes on and on about some bullshit of how you have been treating employees badly and holding their salary because you have apparently returned with a nasty temper as you can't speak anymore. You can't help but scoff, because the reality is far, far from what the paper says. 

Ever since you've been back at work, all you've ever done is stay inside your office and go through all the pending documents and close deals that were hanging. Your only human contact has been your secretary Hansol and your bodyguard, both of whom have more similarities to a wall than a human. Your previously bubbly secretary has turned awkward now, probably because you have lost your voice and holding a conversation with you proves to be hard. Seungcheol, on the other hand, is like a robot who stands by your door all day and only answers your questions as briefly as possible, most of the time with a yes or no.

Your hands form fists at your sides as you glare at Jun, who stands there, pridefully evil, watching you with a satisfied grin on his face. "Things are looking rather bleak for you," He tuts in mock sympathy as he strolls towards you, hands in his pockets. As he comes to stand right next to you, his hand reaches out for your shoulder to pat you but Seungcheol grabs his wrist and twists it, making him shriek in pain. 

"Fuck! Let go, you asshole!"

"You do not have permission to touch her," Seungcheol calmly states, still not letting go. You sigh and sign Seungcheol to kick him out, which he does immediately while your cousin screams in protest as you walk to your desk and sit down, rubbing your temples in frustration.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Seungcheol asks after closing the door behind him.

You watch him for a while, your mind running a mile a minute as you think of a thousand ways of payback. But then you remind yourself that you have to approach this calmly.  So you force a smile and sign. 

"Send my secretary in. —

A couple of days later, you are not pleasantly surprised to see your father waiting to greet you at the front of the house when you return from work.

Just as Seungcheol opens the car door for you to get out, your father marches towards you.

"What did you do, girl? I told you to stay put! Your uncle Jin is here to see you!" His tone is not friendly. In fact, you pick up heavy disappointment, which you expected. This was bound to happen after you fired your cousin Jun from his position today. 

You smile calmly at him before turning to Seungcheol and signalling to him that he is relieved of his duties. He looks at you warily and you have a feeling he wants to say no but he ultimately just nods and takes his leave, driving away the car to park.

"He's waiting for you in the backyard." Your father announces. As you start walking away he yells, "You better fix what you have done today! The company won't last if you keep on making hasty decisions like these!"

Deciding to ignore him you walk to the backyard with unfaltering steps and find your uncle standing there with arms crossed, feet tapping furiously. You approach him with a smile, not a friendly one but the subtle smile of challenge as he takes furious steps towards you when he sees you coming.

"You! What have you done, _____? You fired my son from his position!" He hollers, marching to stand in front of you, fury blazing vividly in his eyes. 

Silently, you hold eye contact with him.

"You think you can do as you please after you get into an accident and we'll just let you? Who do you think you are to fire my son?"

You smirk before producing your notepad from your bag and start scribbling.

"I'm the president of the company and based on our investigation your son was found guilty of spreading fake news about me mistreating my employees. The reporter who got paid to write it confessed himself."

You hold out the notepad for him to read.

"How dare you believe a lowly reporter over my son? Over your own cousin?" Your uncle is livid. "If you keep behaving like this then I'll retract all my assets shared with your father. You know I can take over the Lee Enterprises anytime if I want."

You roll your eyes. Yeah, do whatever you want.

You start writing down. "If you have nothing productive to say I suggest you leave now and have a chat with your precious son. I have had a long day."

As soon as he reads the words written on the paper he bats the notebook away from your hand, making you gasp. The look in his eyes is akin to a madman's as he takes a threatening step towards you and leans in to whisper in your ear. 

"If you don't want to end up like your mother I suggest you start behaving, ______." He sneers.

Your whole body freezes up like a block of ice as your breath catches in your lungs. Your uncle's eyes are cruel, threating, filled with a layer of secrets that you're desperate to uncover as he takes a step back. The look of panic on your face brings satisfaction to him as watches you for a few moments, letting his words sink in and challenging you to do something about it before he smirks and walks out of the backyard.

Your legs, which have been shaky until now finally give up and you fall on the perfectly trimmed grass, your breaths coming out in the form of pants. 

The horrible realisation sinks into you. 

Your suspicions were true. 

His words just confirmed that which means you need to up your game. Immediately.

You're surprised at how quickly, how easily you think of one person when you need someone to help you. 

Hands shaky, you type a message to Seungcheol.

— There's something different about Seungcheol the moment he arrives at your front gate in his BMW. As you watch him get out of the car and jog towards you, you realise it's his fit; he's not wearing his typical two piece suit. 

No, he's dressed in a fitted white polo and black slacks, the polo so tight that you can see the bulging outline of his chest and arms. Despite the negative thoughts brewing in your head you get distracted for a second as you ogle him unashamedly and take longer than you should to respond to his question. "Are you alright, ma'am? I wasn't expecting you to call so late."

You roll your eyes. It's only like eight in the evening. Though you can see why it was unexpected for him because he is relieved from duty as you get off work in the evening. Not replying to him, you tilt your head towards his car, indicating to him to open the passenger side door. He looks doubtful for a second before following your instructions.

"Where would you like me to take you?" Seungcheol asks once you're both inside the car and he has started the engine. You sigh and sign, "Somewhere far and quiet."

His thick brows knot into a frown as he thinks for a few seconds before simply nodding. Then, surprising you, he reaches over and pulls your seatbelt across your chest, which you just realised you forgot to put on. His being so close lets you get a really good sniff of his cologne and once again you get heavily distracted as you start wondering what he'd do if you leaned into his neck and wrapped your arms around him.

Where are these thoughts coming from? 

You have no idea. This is not the first time you've had them, though.

It is like this new disease you have caught. Your mind goes haywire whenever you look at Seungcheol for a second too long. The first time it happened was right after the rumour of employee mistreatment broke out and you were leaving from work. Even though you took the back exit through the underground parking, the press mobbed you, throwing a string of questions at you while their cameras kept flashing repeatedly.

Seungcheol, of course, managed everything very efficiently and got you away safely. The way his hand squeezed your shoulder, his face hovering near yours while he asked if you were okay was a feeling that has managed to stay with you very vividly even now. You were a bit spaced out but not for the reasons he was thinking; it was just that he looked too attractive and his touch felt too comforting, even though he was merely doing his job.

You are a tiny bit ashamed to admit that he has made your heart flutter since then, with every little thing he did. 

You don't get to dwell on your day dreams for too long because he's leaning back in his seat and pressing the accelerator, making you jerk softly.

A quiet thirty minutes of drive later you discover that Seungcheol has taken you to the beach right on the outskirts of the city. It isn't something you were expecting but you realise it is something you definitely need. 

As he parks the car on a small cliff overlooking the entire beach, you hear the soothing sounds of the wave crashing into the shore clearly. 

And it brings back vague memories of your childhood, when your mother took you to this beach because she loved the air here so much. As if in a trance, you get out of the car and stand by the cliff, letting the cool sea breeze wash over you as the salty smell in the air invades your nose. Your bodyguard stands by you silently for a while and without looking, you can tell that his eyes are on you, watching you carefully.

Sometime later, he breaks the peaceful silence, "Would like to eat something? There are a few food trucks nearby." He moves his head to motion at the food trucks parked far away, their lights blinking. Shaking your head no, you fill your lungs with the cool night air by taking one more deep breath before moving to the back of the car and leaning against the trunk. Seungcheol follows you as you pat the space next to you for him to come and stand. 

He does so and you let out a heavy breath before signing. "I need you to do something for me. Something that has to remain a secret."

Seungcheol raises his brows slightly before frowning. He doesn't reply immediately and you stand upright, holding eye contact with him. "It is very important to me, Seungcheol. I need to know if I can trust you to keep it a secret from everyone," you sign.

"Okay, ma'am." He finally responds. 

"Even from my father," you sign. "I know you're working for him but for this task, I will pay you separately so you will only answer to me about this, okay?"

"Okay ma'am."

"Good." You huff out a breath. "You are from a prominent security company, right? I need you to look into a man for me. Jin Lee."

"Your uncle?" He looks bewildered. "Yes. I need his whereabouts on 23rd March of this year. And I need to know who he contacted before this accident. Any call or bank transfer that seems remotely out of place, you look into it for me, okay?" He pauses for a breath before replying. "Okay, ma'am."

"Just call me ____, Seungcheol."

— On the weekend, you have lunch with Chan in the garden of the mansion, the place where you two had lunch with your mother, as he eagerly asks you about how you have been doing and assures you that he is here if you need anything. After lunch, you see him off for a meeting before aimlessly strolling through the hallways of your house by yourself.

The cleanup at your place has been completed so you are planning on moving back tomorrow and you realise it will be a while before you come back here. Through your walk, you come across a painting hanging on the large hallway towards your father's office that makes you stop to stare. 

It is a picture of your mother with you and Chan, taken when you were about twelve years old. It is your favourite picture in the entire house, maybe because you have a memory attached to it or maybe because it's simply magnificent, the three of your smiles shining so brightly.

It was a gift from your grandfather to your mother on her thirty seventh birthday and she had it hung here, right in front of a large set of windows that overlooks the garden. The afternoon sun falls right on the picture, casting it in an ethereal glow and it is almost like your mom is here, cheering you on with her beautiful smile.

With a soft sigh and tears withheld, you say goodbye to the picture and walk away. You are aiming to go straight to your room but the loud voices coming from your father's office makes you stop.

You realise the door is just slightly opened and you walk over to shut it but stop in your tracks when you hear your uncle's voice.

"You better get your daughter under control or it will not be good for you!" He is shouting.

"Are you threatening me?"

"I am warning you, brother."

"Jin, please, just let her be for a while. She has lost her voice. I am sure she will not be able to perform like before. Then you and the board can fire her."

You are somewhat hurt by your father's words but once again, they do not come to you as a surprise. "Exactly! Why should I let the company go to waste because of her poor performance? You tell her to fuck off or I will remove her myself!"

"Jin, please. You already got rid of Aileen. You do not have to go any further.

Your world has come to a stop.

You forget to breath, as you simply stand there, stunned, convinced that you heard wrong.

You had to have heard wrong.

"I got rid of her and I'll get rid of you too, if you don't listen to me! Don't forget I own the shares of the family hotel just as much as you do. It will not be a challenge to turn the board of directors against you. Imagine what will happen after that? Your most lucrative business will be completely mine and your dear son will become penniless."

There is no reply from your father. Or maybe there is but you do not hear it.

There is a deafening ring in yours ears as you muffle your sobs by clutching your mouth tightly and making a beeline for your room.

You cannot believe this. You absolutely can not. It is something you could not have imagined even in your wildest nightmare. Your father knows your uncle killed your mom, yet he is staying silent. Why? Why!

Granted, your parents were never happily married and growing up you have heard that your father has mistresses. It never bothered your mother because their marriage was only a business agreement in the very first place and she had all her attention focused on you and Chan. But to think that he is letting her killer walk free is unbelievable.

After all he lived with her, his wife, the mother of his children for so many goddamn years!

By the time you have entered your room, you are full on crying, ugly and loud. Tears are blurring your vision as you flail around the room, helplessly, aimlessly, devastatedly. 

And before you know it, you are throwing the thousand dollar porcelain vase by your bedside to the ground.

The piece shatters into bits and the sound oddly satisfies you, prompting you to throw another one. And for the next few minutes you throw anything you can find in your room, not caring how valuable they are, not caring that a shard of glass has ripped the skin below your left thumb, making you bleed.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck you! Fuck all of you!" You yell at the top of your lungs, not caring to keep up the facade anymore.

Once you have run out of energy, you stop to look at the mess you made, glad that the messy room and the pain from the cut on your hand makes your mind go blank for a while.

But you do not miss the small, almost inaudible creak of the door to your room. Your head whips into the direction to see none other than Seungcheol, standing right out front, his eyes wide and his lips parted in a small gasp of surprise. 

You forget to breathe as you realise he might have been standing there for a while and he witnessed everything. 

Everything.

He knows your secret.  He knows that you are not mute. Before you know it, your feet are moving as you push open the door and yank your bodyguard into your room, not before glancing left and right down the hallway to check anyone's presence.

As soon as you lock the door, you press him against it and lean on your tiptoes, inching your face closer to him as you whisper, "Keep. This. A. Secret."

You had meant for the words to come out threatening but your tear stained eyes and cracking voice doesn't help establish that image.

Seungcheol stares at you with a gaze you are quite unable to decipher. His eyes are soft, full of wonder and you think you can almost spot admiration and something more in them and for a moment, you find yourself lost in the sea of his gaze. 

"______". He calls your name softly. His hands come to your upper arms to hold you gently as he puts some distance between the two of you before ushering you towards your bed and making you sit down. "Your secret is safe with me," he confirms as he sits next to you. "But I am glad you can speak again." He murmurs, giving your shoulder a soft squeeze as he looks around the room you just trashed.

You let out half a sigh of relief, knowing that your secret is safe and you find yourself speaking before you can even think. "I got my voice back quite a while ago. Two months after the accident, actually." Seungcheol's head whips towards you, his eyes widening in surprise.

"My uncle seemed very happy when I lost my voice and he was being weirdly nice to me. I already had my suspicions that the accident was an inside job so I pretended to act mute." You whisper, eyes trained on the floor.

How right you were!

It was an inside job but it had its roots spread out much farther than you thought. Your uncle killed your mother while your father sits there in silence despite knowing that!

The thought makes you shake your head as a dry, mirthless laughter wrings out of your throat. Your head falls back as you laugh like a mad woman as Seungcheol watches you, absolutely perplexed.

He gently tries calling your name. "______—"

"My father knew!" You are yelling between laughter. "He fucking knew!"

The poor man only looks more confused.

"He knew— he… he knows my uncle killed my mom but he is staying silent! He said it himself! I heard him! Do you understand, Seungcheol, my father is turning a blind eye! He is choosing to save his fucking business over me, over his children!"

Seungcheol looks absolutely baffled upon hearing your words as he falls silent with a bleak expression. He does not have the adequate words to respond to that and he simply does not know what he can do at this point to make you feel better.  However, he takes notice of the cut below your thumb and reaches for your hand, setting it down on his thigh while he takes out a handkerchief and gently ties it around the injury. "You hurt yourself," he states quietly, almost to himself before meeting your eyes. "I know what you heard was painful but you need to take care of yourself. For your mother, at least."

And the damn breaks.

You break into a full on sob as you wrap your hands around his large shoulders, molding yourself against him as you cry unceremoniously in his chest. Seungcheol's arms wrap around your body in an effortless blanket of security as he rests his chin on top of your head and strokes your head while you try to burrow yourself deeper into his chest. 

It takes a while for the messy array of tears to subside and once you have calmed down a little, you take notice of his white shirt which is now completely wet where you rested your face. "I'm sorry," you croak weakly, trying to pull away but he holds you by the arms and makes you face him by tilting your chin with his finger.

"There is nothing to be sorry for, okay? Now tell me what I can do to make this a little better. Just so you know, my team is almost done digging up about your uncle. We should have a solid update tomorrow."

A small sob of gratitude and relief escapes your throat and Seungcheol immediately shushes you, his eyes helplessly searching for yours. "C-can you please ask them to look into my dad as well," you hiccup, saying the words you never imagined would come out of your mouth. "I need to know his whereabouts before the accident."

Seungcheol assures you with a nod while his hand strokes your back soothingly. Exhaling a loud, defeated sigh, you wipe your tears and mutter. "Please help me pack my bags, Seungcheol. I am moving back to my place. Tonight. I cannot stay here a second longer."

The man looks like he wants to protest but goes against it and simply nods, getting up to retrieve your bags from your closet.

After hastily packing your belongings you waste no time to march out of the house with Seungcheol trailing behind you. You leave a note on the kitchen, simply saying something came up and you had to leave early.

You are extremely grateful that you do not come across your father because one look at him and the ticking time bomb inside you would explode and you definitely cause a scene.

As the night grows deeper slowly, you isolate yourself in your room once you come back to your apartment. Despite Seungcheol's insistence, you tell him to call it a day and lock yourself up in your room, throwing yourself a pity party. It has been a while since you had such a restless night— the last one being after the accident, and it takes a long long time for sleep to come.

When your eyes finally fall shut, hues of orange and blue have already grazed the sky. 

—

You do not feel like your best self in the morning but the news Seungcheol brings is enough to get you back on track. 

The manila file sitting on your desk is a gold mine, it's contents spread throughout the surface as you sit in silence, hands linked together under your chin, your brain finally connecting the pieces together.

Seungcheol's friends found a shady bank transfer made by your uncle, two weeks before the accident. The tip led them to an old gang who, after applying some tactics, admitted to taking money from Jin Lee in order to commit a hit and run. After digging around some more they found papers that now lie on your table, a clear proof of your uncle's deal with the gang, which they kept as insurance. Among the documents, one particularly catches your eye.

It is the information of the driver of the truck that hit your car. 

The picture is like a jolt of electricity through your system as you are immediately taken back to the scene of the crash, the moments after where you were hovering over the brink of consciousness. You remember seeing a man peeking into your wrecked car, a man with a scar on his left cheek and all this time you could not fully believe that to be real.

But it was.  You did not imagine it. The picture on the document is that of the driver you saw that morning, the man with a scar on his left cheek, his eyes dark and blank, his lips twisted in a line of malice.

"_____?" Seungcheol's gentle voice guides you out of your head. "My friend had his confession recorded. Would you like to hear it?"

"Of course."

"I need to warn you…it is pretty detailed. About the accident, you know." He looks guilty, even though he has no reason to be.

You swallow a lump in your throat as your heart beat picks up. Are you really ready to revisit that morning? Relive all those feelings?

You have to.

Seungcheol pushes a voice recorder towards you on the table, pressing a button to turn it on.

"I was told that there would be only a girl and her bodyguard in the car! I swear I didn't know her mother would be there as well! I did not mean to kill the woman! After I hit the car, I went to check and…and the older woman was dead! The girl looked barely alive and I didn't think she would survive…."

There is a buzzing sound in your ears. It is deafening.

You are transported to a void where these words keep repeating and repeating, pulling you down, sucking you deeper into a pit of despair.  It hurts so much you are sure death would be easier.

Your head hangs low, silent tears trailing down your cheek as you stare at your lap. Seungcheol calls your name multiple times, asking if you are okay but you cannot bring yourself to form a reply.

The pain, the guilt, the shame, the anger— everything is overwhelming. These feelings consume you whole and dry you out until you are left with an unbelievable urge to scream and holler and cry. 

"______, please, can you hear me?" Seungcheol's touch on your shoulder makes you jolt. You look up to find him standing next to you, eyes glazed with concern as he peers down at you.

"I am fine," you reply after taking a shaky breath.

"Are you sure? Maybe you should call it day—"

"Seungcheol?" You interrupt him. You wipe the tears clean and sit up straight. "Can you call my lawyer? I need him here as soon as possible."

—

Bad news awaits you the next day when you return home from work. 

As usual Seungcheol walks you to the door of your apartment but you realise something is up when he abruptly stops after stepping out of the elevator and turning towards the door to your place. Following his line of sight you realise he has taken notice of the slightly open front door to your house. 

Your heart drops as a small gasp leaves your lips.

Someone broke into your place. And it does not take a genius to guess who Plus it also confirms that your uncle has found out you have been snooping around. A calm man like him does not make a move unless things are really dire and this proves that he is desperate to get that evidence out of your hands.

Seungcheol tenses up beside you and uses a hand to push you behind his body in a protective manner as he steps closer to the door. With the other hand he pulls out his revolver, holding it out and pointing it straight.

"S-Seungcheol—" You start panicking.

He shushes you before you can say much, eyes trained forward as he takes measured steps. Swallowing the bubble of fear, you hold his back as you follow him into your apartment. 

The storeroom which is right on the left after entering is the first place Seungcheol checks, and when he finds it clear he pushes you inside haphazardly.

"Don't come out until I get you." He commands, shutting the door on your face and clicking the lock before you can even process anything. Baffled, you stand still inside the dimly lit room, carefully listening for any sounds, while a thousand different thoughts run through your head.  This building is one of the most secure residential buildings in the city and breaking in here is quite literally impossible. Which means it is clear your uncle bribed someone on the inside and the realisation of how scary things are getting dawns on you, making you chew nervously on your lower lip as you start to grow restless.

Thankfully, a quick while later Seungcheol opens the door, a wary look on his face and you can immediately tell something is wrong. As soon as the door opens, you push past him and head for your bedroom, only to find the place absolutely trashed. Everything is a mess; from your bed to your closet to your dresser and it is evident that someone took their sweet time to comb through every one of your possessions and as you take in the havoc, the last of your doubts go away.

They were undoubtedly looking for the documents and the recorder. 

Your hands fist at your sides as tears of anger and frustration gather at the corners of your eyes. It only amplifies when you see one of your most precious belongings lying face down on the floor— a picture of you and your mother taken on your eighteenth birthday. 

Immediately you kneel and pick the frame up only to find it broken, making you heave out a helpless cry of anger. As you clutch it to your chest, your eyes scan the mess around you and a sense of doom settles in your gut. So this is what your life has come to now.

"Come. You're not staying here." Seungcheol's quiet command disrupts your thoughts.

"W-what? What do you mean? Where am I gonna go?" You scramble to stand up.

"At my place. This place isn't safe, _____." He pins you down with a serious look. "Pack your essentials and I mean absolute essentials. Your passport and any important papers."

"Wait, I—"

"Now." He commands. "I am gonna make some calls to find out who did this. Be ready in ten." He is walking out of the room while dialling a number, leaving you flabbergasted.

A while later you sit on the passenger's seat next to Seungcheol as he pulls the car out of your underground parking and onto the busy street, eyes focused on the road in silence. The only sound surrounding you is the sound of the bustling city and it isn't enough to ease the thick tension in the car. Seungcheol's jaw is clenched and his lips are pressed into a thin line as you observe him while he stares straight ahead. "What do we do after going to your place? I can't just hide forever." You break the silence with your words, your eyes trained out the window. It looks like it's going to rain.

"You'll stay in my place until the threat is removed. I'll soon receive the CCTV footage and from there on we can track down who ordered to invade your home." He declares.

"It was my uncle." You say without much thought.

Seungcheol turns to look at you for a beat before focusing on the road again. "You sound sure." He murmurs.

"Who else would it be then? He is after the evidence." You reply. Seungcheol remains silent for a beat before agreeing with a hum. Another silence follows after that. You take occasional, shy glances at him while he drives and when the car stops at a red light in an intersection, you call for him, making him turn his head to look at you. "Seungcheol?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you. For today."

He stares at you quietly, not blinking. "I just did my job."

"No, you are doing a lot more. You are helping me out in so many ways and I can only keep myself together thanks to you."

He only stares more at you. His gaze is intense and his eyes are hypnotic; if you stare too long it unnerves you, dissects you open. "You will be fine, _____." He replies after a long pause. "With or without me."

His words trigger you. 

With or without me?

You want to yell that he has to stick around however long you want him to but his cold demeanour makes your thoughts appear silly, even to yourself.  You are clearly looking for something more, much more than he wants to give you.  You know he would probably burn the world for you, not because he loves you but because he is a loyal person and probably because he pities you. 

Just a little bit. And you accept that. — Seungcheol's place is a canvas of grey and black and white. It is minimalistic and clean, a one bedroom apartment on the tenth floor in a quieter part of the city. As he walks you through his humble abode, he gives directions on where everything is and finally opens the door to his bedroom, leading you in before announcing. "You take the bed. I'll sleep on the sofa."

You do not protest because you know he would never listen. Instead, you almost ask him to share the bed with you but prevent going with it because you cannot trust yourself to remain professional while he sleeps so close to you with that tempting body of his.

"I'll leave you to rest. I'm going for a grocery run. Do not open the door for anyone but me. If there is any problem, call me." He uses his no nonsense tone and you fight the urge to roll your eyes. 

"Okay, okay." You watch him leave before shutting the bedroom door and sitting down on the floor, letting out a deep breath, one you've been unconsciously holding for a while.

As you watch the orange sky from the large window of Seungcheol's bedroom, the events of the last forty eight hours wash over you. You can't help but admire yourself at how calm you are. You woke up feeling numb today and you've been functioning on autopilot the whole day. Seeing your place ransacked did evoke some emotion within you but then again, deep down you were expecting something like this to happen once you had the evidence. 

You're running on pure adrenaline and you know you cannot stop until you have put your dear uncle behind bars. 

And maybe, even your father. 

He's an accomplice, no? He knows very well who killed his wife yet he decides to keep quiet, which makes him more vile to you. You find more hatred towards your father brimming within you, than towards your uncle. Yes, you expected him to play unfair but your own father knowing the culprit of your mother's death and simply burying it under the rug?  That, you absolutely cannot tolerate. 

A number of different scenarios run through your head on how you can bring them down. Despite having this irresistible urge to just run to the police with the recorder, you remember your lawyer's words.

It won't be enough. 

A few documents and a tape of confession are not enough to bring a man like Jin down. He has very strong connections with law enforcement and an even stronger set of lawyers. You need a solid witness. You need to catch him red handed. You need to create a scandal he can't recover from. You need to gather more proof. Proof so irrefutable, that his entire empire comes crashing down. 

And good for you, your uncle has already started setting up his doom. Trashing your place was his first mistake, the first piece of the domino. Now, it is a matter of time until everything collapses. You pray he will keep on making more mistakes. 

In fact, you know he will. He will do anything to get his hands on the evidence and you will stack all his actions against him at court. And when the time comes for the nail to hit the head…

You're going to be the bait. —

Somewhere in the middle of the night, you wake up from your sleep. Falling asleep came to you easily after eating the dinner Seungcheol cooked and then curling up in his bed where the sheets smelled subtly like him. It led you to have the best sleep you had in a while but now that you are awake, there is an itch in your throat, making it dry. 

So, quietly, you get up from bed and walk to the kitchen, a small light in the hallway guiding you to find a glass and pour yourself some water. 

As you sit on one of the breakfast stools and gulp it down, you watch Seungcheol sleeping on the sofa. The blanket that was probably on top of him once has fallen on the floor, the small space clearly not sufficient for his large frame as almost half of his body hangs out of the sofa. You almost feel bad for him and wonder how he can sleep in such a tiny space but it is pointless to feel guilty. He would never take the bed, no matter how much you offered.

As you take the last few sips of your water, you catch the moonlight draping over half of his face, casting it in an ethereal glow. It's stunning how beautiful he is. His usual stoic face is now relaxed, his full brows not knotted in a frown, his long eyelashes resting against his cheek, his plump full lips parted just a tiny bit. 

Unashamedly, for the nth time, you find yourself wondering how it'd be like to kiss him. You can't remember the last time a man made you feel like this, if ever. Your relationship with him should be strictly professional yet as you spend more time with him your mind keeps on entering forbidden territories.  Which is sad because you know he feels nowhere near that for you. Maybe he even has a girlfriend, or a wife— though you see no ring in his finger. Maybe a divorced wife with whom he parted ways begrudgingly, someone who still haunts his dreams. 

As you conjure up various scenarios of his relationship status, Seungcheol stirs in his sleep before a quiet groan escapes his lips.

You crane your head to take a better look at him, to see if he's awake but you soon realise he isn't as another pained groan leaves his lips, his large body shuffling in the congested space.

Is he having a nightmare?

You immediately get up and dash towards him, turning a light on the way and kneeling right beside the sofa. There's a light sheen of sweat coating his face and his eyebrows are marred in a frown as his eyes remain squeezed shut, his body writhing desperately "Seungcheol? Seungcheol!" You yell, grabbing his shoulders and trying your best to shake him out of whatever that's haunting him.

"No! No! Please, no!" The pain and helplessness in his voice halts your breath as you continue to shake him awake while his hands come to grab your arms in a tight hold, almost like an anchor. His grip only grows stronger as he yells in protest and you try your very best to wake him up once more. "Seungcheol! Please! Wake up! It's a nightmare!"

A set of blown out pupils look at you the next moment, and in a moment of silence a small shaky breath leaving his lips before they part slightly in shock. Then, before you know it, you are falling on your ass as Seungcheol shoves you away and scrambles to the farthest corner of the sofa. 

Even though your ass hurts, you know it was an unintended reaction. You whisper in a voice so soft as if you're talking to a wounded animal, "Seungcheol, it's okay. You're safe. You were having a nightmare."

The man sits still, hugging his knees as he still tries to catch his breath, a horrified look on his face. Not being able to bear it anymore, you immediately move to him and even though he flinches and tries to move away at first, he gives in when you wrap your arms around his shoulders. 

Soon he's burying his face on your neck as his large body curls around you, his hands gripping your night shirt tightly as if he's trying to mould himself into you. You feel his harsh pants on your shoulder so you try your best to soothe him, rubbing his back in repeated motions while whispering words of solace.

"It's alright, Seungcheol. I'm here. I have got you. It was just a bad dream."

You don't know how long you hold him like that but it seems to be a while, which feels too soon to you because Seungcheol pulls away from your arms before scooting away, putting a little distance between the two of you. He doesn't meet your eyes as he sighs, annoyed and dejected, while rubbing his temples.  "Are you okay? Would you like some water?" You offer. He shakes his head, looking down, his usual stoic mask settling back onto his face. 

"Why are you up?" He asks, his tone somewhat snappy. You frown. "I got out of bed to get a glass of water. You were having a nightmare, Seungcheol. Are you sure—"

"It's fine. It happens."

You are stunned at his lack of care. Is this a daily occurrence? Does he wake up every night, alone and screaming from his nightmares? Why is he allowing this to happen? Does he have someone to talk to? You want to ask all these questions but then decide against it due to the situation. Instead, you shuffle a little closer to him and start fixing his messy hair with a soft touch.

Seungcheol completely freezes at first and you expect him to bat your hand away but he doesn't. So you bite your lip to hide your smile as you finish fixing his hair before wiping the sweat off his brow. 

But you don't get to go far with that because Seungcheol grabs your wrist in a gentle hold, stopping you. His eyes scan over the length of your arms before he meets your eye. "Are you okay? I hurt you, didn't I?"

You simply shake your head and offer him a small smile which doesn't seem to convince him. His brows frown once again as you see him start overthinking so you put a stop to them. "I'm fine, Seungcheol, really. If you should be worried about anything, it is yourself. You're not on duty right now, you know. You can relax. I'm not a priority now." His eyes bore into yours and for a moment you see something foreign in his eyes. Something akin to vulnerability, longing, maybe even desperation.

"Go back to sleep, ____." His voice is gruff. "You've had a long day."

You want to protest but decided not to as huff out a breath and cast one more longing glance at him, hoping that maybe he would change his mind, before retreating to your room.

— It's ten o'clock when you wake up. 

Your first thought is that you are late for work, which makes you sit right up, ready to bolt out of bed but the next moment you realise it's a Saturday.  And you are not at home. You are at Seungcheol's place.

So you take your sweet time leaving the bed and freshening up, shuffling through Seungcheol's products in the bathroom. You also sneak in a sniff of his aftershave and cologne, smiling at yourself at your perverseness.

When you step out of your room, you find Seungcheol sitting on one of the breakfast stools, going through some documents with rapt attention. You stand by your door frame for a while, admiring his built frame from behind, his large back muscles and shoulders stretched beneath a white tee but you don't get to stare at him too long because his head turns around and catches you in the act.

"Good morning, _____." He greets.

You clear your throat, shuffling to the kitchen counter and pour yourself a glass of water, pretending as if he didn't just catch you eye fucking him. "Good morning, Seungcheol." Your voice is soft.

"Would you like to have breakfast now? I can make you some toast and omelette." He kindly offers. "There's also cereal if you want."

"I think I'll go with the cereal," You murmur, taking a seat opposite to him. You haven't had much of an appetite for the past few days which isn't really a surprise considering the situation.  Seungcheol goes back to scanning the documents in front of him while you sit in silence, sipping your water. You wonder wether you should bring up last night, maybe ask him if he's okay now but you have a suspicion it won't be received well by him. As you chew on your lip and debate the idea, Seungcheol looks up to meet your eyes, his face ever so serious.

"You have to take a break from work for a few days." He announces.

"What? Why?"

Probably for the first time, you see him hesitate which stresses you out. "What's wrong, Seungcheol? Tell me."

"You have received a few death threats, _____. I found them in your mail. For the time being, you need to lay low, appearing in public puts you at risk. In fact, we're leaving for a safe house today."

"Wait- what?" Your brain is trying hard to catch up. "Safe house? What are you talking about? I'm not safe here?"

"They know your address, _____. It won't take them long to get mine. I need to get you to an untraceable place."

You don't know what to feel or even how to react. You're at a loss as you try to figure out your next move. "What do those threats say exactly? Can I see them?"

Seungcheol's face hardens. "No. They're not pretty to look at." His voice brings shivers down your spine as a wave of nausea hits you. You had no idea your uncle could stoop so low. But then again, he's a murderer so you shouldn't have underestimated him. 

Seungcheol must have seen your face pale because he calls your name firmly, grounding your attention to him. "You are safe with me, _____. You just have to trust me, okay?" You find comfort in his eyes so you find yourself nodding immediately which satisfies him. "Get ready. We'll leave in two hours."

"Where are we going?"

"Don't worry about that."

"Does my father know?"

"About the death threats? Yes. He didn't seem too concerned about it though. Said it might be a prank."

Somehow, you're not surprised.

"But not about moving you to a safe location," Seungcheol adds. "No one needs to know about that. It's safer that way."

"Even my brother?"

"Yes. I suggest you call him and tell him you'll be out of reach for a while."

You deflate at that. Chan is going to be worried. And how on earth are you going to explain everything to him when all of this eventually unveils?

Seungcheol gets up, gathering all the papers and just as he turns to leave, he stops. "Oh, and ____? Don't come near me when I'm having a nightmare next time."

What?

"But Seungcheol—"

"For your own safety, _____. Don't. This is not a request." He doesn't wait for your reply but marches away as you silently watch his retreating form, lips pursed in annoyance.

The little appetite you had for breakfast is ruined as you go back to your room, cursing his stubbornness. As you pick up your phone to check for any important messages, a text from your dear father greets you. Your bodyguard told me you received death threats. Maybe it is better for you to stay at home and not work. For your own good, you should seriously consider giving your position to someone else. His flagrant attitude makes your blood boil as you fist your hands around your phone in a death grip before tossing it onto the bed in a fit of rage.

This day has not started off well.

— Two hours later you are well on your way to the safe house with a bag packed containing your absolute necessities. Your bodyguard has confiscated your real phone and gave you a burner instead just to be cautious.

Seungcheol, as always, drives the car in silence, the features of his face set to a grim expression. The air is thick with tension and you debate putting the radio on but even doing that feels too awkward.

"How long is the drive?" You finally ask, desperate to lessen this weird tension.

"We're taking a train from the station."

"Wait, what?"

"It is quite far. Driving there is going to take way too long." He calmly replies, eyes focused on the road. Sighing, you lean back and rest your head against the headrest. You let your eyes wander outside the window, watching the people, the view passing by while your mind runs rampant with all kinds of thoughts; anxious, restless.

A while later, you take notice of something in the rearview mirror and finally voice out the concern that has been bugging you for a while. "Seungcheol?" There's a touch of panic in your voice.

"Yes?"

"See that black Mercedes? It has been following us for a while…I think." You stare eagerly at Seungcheol waiting for his reply, waiting to be told that you are wrong but instead, a small, amused smile graces his lips.

"So you noticed, huh?"

It feels like your heart is going to drop out of your ass.

"What do we do?" You whisper, sitting up straight and craning your head back to take a proper look at the car. Sure enough, the SUV is right behind you, not even trying to be discreet anymore.

Fuck this crap, seriously.

"Trust me, I have got a plan. You just need to do as I tell you, okay?" He assures, his voice composed unlike yours.

"O-okay."

He turns to face you for a beat, giving you a reassuring look before continuing to drive in silence for a couple more minutes while the Mercedes stays on your tail. "Hold tight. I'm going to speed up. There's a parking lot about a mile from here. We're going to stop there."

"WHAT!"

You don't get your reply because the next second, the car is zooming forward as Seungcheol steps on the accelerator. You are gripping the dashboard and your seatbelt with your dear life as Seungcheol speeds through the lane like a madman, swerving every now and then. The Mercedes chasing you has a hard time keeping up with Seungcheol's viciously smooth driving because in a moment's time you are in the parking lot where Seungcheol parks the car in the corner farthest from the entry.

"Listen to me very carefully, ____." Seungcheol says as he turns the engine off and removes his seatbelt. "Crawl to the back and lay low, okay? No matter what happens, what you see, you do not make a move until I come get you, do you hear me?"

Your throat feels like sandpaper as you whisper. "Y-yes. Yes I do."

"Good." He squeezes your hand. "Now crawl into the back."

You do as you are told, moving into the backseat and crouching down as Seungcheol exits the car before locking it. You peek through the tinted window, watching with bated breath as the black SUV pulls up and two bald headed men exit the vehicle which parks right by the entry. They walk to Seungcheol, their stances predatory as they talk about something you cannot hear.

Next thing you know, one of the men is throwing an uppercut towards Seungcheol which fails to land because your bodyguard steps back, avoiding it easily.

Then, a full on fight ensues as the two men attack Seungcheol unsparingly. Seungcheol does not fail to keep up as he easily avoids them and counterattacks. Very soon, he is landing a kick on one of the men that throws him down to the ground with a harsh blow before grabbing the other guy and holding him in a chokehold. Soon, his body slumps to the ground.

Is he dead?

The other guy, meanwhile, recovers and charges for Seungcheol and you notice a bit too late that he has a knife because he manages to land a slash on Seungcheol's chest, making him stumble back. "Seungcheol!" Your hand unconsciously reaches for the door handle, tugging it to get out and help him. Alas, you can't do that. Fortunately, though, Seungcheol seems to not require any help as in the very next moment Seungcheol attacks the man, snatches the knife from him and bashes his head against the trunk of a car once, twice, thrice, making him fall into the ground, unconscious.

The breath you were holding finally escapes your lungs. Seungcheol dashes to the car the next moment, opening the back door and dragging you out by the arm before you can even say something.

"Come on. We don't have time."

"Wait, where are we going?" 

"There's a five minute shortcut to the station from here," he says, leading you by holding your hand as his legs pick up speed. "We have to run because they are expecting us to move by car. Come on!"

And so, you let him guide the way, his hand holding yours tightly, as you take the underground exit of the lot. You run for your life, your legs going sore but you manage to keep going just because of the adrenaline.  Soon enough, the station comes into view and Seungcheol picks up speed as the whistle of the train echoes through the air, informing its departure.

"Oh crap, we're not gonna make it!" You yell. "We will. Just keep running," Seungcheol hollers back as you both run parallel to the train that is slowly picking up speed. Suddenly Seungcheol lets go of your hand which throws you into a moment of panic but you keep running as you start to guess his plan.

You watch as he bolts for the entrance of the last carriage and in the blink of an eye, jumps inside.

"Holy shit." You curse. The next moment, he turns around and leans out the door, holding out one of his hands for you to grab onto while the other grips the handle by the door.  "Come on! Grab my hand!"

Your legs are so tired they feel shaky, ready to collapse any moment. Still, you run with all your might, holding out your hand, reaching for his. 

"Just a little bit! You can do it!" He encourages as the rhythm of the wheels intensifies, letting you know you do not have much time.

Oh shit.

Grunting in frustration, you put all the bridling remnants of your energy and dart forward which seems to be just enough, as your hand touches Seungcheol's. The next moment he grabs onto your hand and in the blink of an eye he is tugging your full weight and pulling you inside the carriage.

Upon entering, you collapse on the floor, panting loudly as Seungcheol lets go of your hand and cranes his neck out the door as if looking for something. Even though you are wheezing for air, you follow his line of sight and see two men running after the train as if they were chasing you. By now the train is moving at full speed, crossing the end of the platform, making them slow down and watch helplessly. "Who…are…they?" You choke between breaths.

"Your uncle's men." Seungcheol replies nonchalantly as he shuts the door and kneels next to you.

"How long have they been following us?"

"After we got to the station."

"Why didn't you say anything!"

"I didn't want to scare you." He replies, his hand wrapping around your shoulder. "Don't talk, just breathe. You did well."

You don't know if it is the intensity of the situation or the adrenaline crash or his words that make you slump in his arms, your body resting against his as you catch your breath. The feeling of his warmth against your body is something you are extremely grateful for at the moment.

"Please tell me you have tickets." You pant, resting your head against his shoulder.

"Of course. First class." _____ Five hours later, you are at your destination.

It is a cabin in a small town full of greenery and old architecture.  It is very picturesque, located in between a vast area of mountains, somewhere you'd come to spend the summer with your family maybe. Even though your situation is the farthest thing from a vacation, it doesn't stop you from admiring the beauty before your eyes.

"The place is very beautiful, Seungcheol." You admire the surroundings as well as the cabin.

It's somewhat isolated from the town, shrouded by the forest, as the nearest market from here is about ten minutes drive.

"Thank you, my grandfather made it. He left it for me." He provides as he carries your small bag from the car he borrowed from a friend here and unlocks the door with a key.

"We should do something about your cut." You mention worriedly, crossing the threshold as you see him slightly wince while moving. The bleeding seems to have stopped after he put some pressure in the wound but it still needs to be cleaned.

Hearing your words, he looks down to see the wound before shrugging, "It's fine. The bleeding has stopped."

You expected him to say something like that so you take matters in your own hands. "Is there a first aid kit here?" You ask as you pad to the bathroom, looking around carefully and sure enough, inside the cabinets under the sink, there's a first aid box.  Seungcheol murmurs grumbles of protest as you come back to the living area and ask for him to sit on the spot next to you on the couch.  Thankfully he listens to you. As he unbuttons his shirt, you disinfect your hands while trying your best not to peek at the delicious row of abs that comes into display. As his wound comes into view you cannot help but wince at the sight, which doesn't go unnoticed by your bodyguard. His hand immediately reaches to take the cotton swab from your hand, murmuring. "I can do it myself."

You tsk in disapproval, sending him your best scolding glare before resting one of your hands on his shoulder for support and gently swiping on the wound with the swab dipped in antiseptic with your dominant hand. Seungcheol sits still all through it while you hold your breath, channelling all your focus on the task at hand. 

It is scary; being this close to him and for some reason the act of cleaning up a cut is turned into something way too intimate by your brain. So, you don't dare to look in his eyes, afraid of what you'll see in them but terrified of what they will make you feel; something you can not resist or put a lid on, like the urge to cup his cheeks and kiss those irresistible lips.

You must be swiping at his wound with your face mere inches away from touching his chest for way too long because one of Seungcheol's hands comes to grab your wrist, stopping your movements.  "I think that's enough," His voice holds the aloofness that you are used to which makes you sigh.

"Does it hurt? Do you want a painkiller?" You still find yourself asking.

Seungcheol frowns. "No, ____. I'm fine. It's just a cut, I won't die."

"Still—"

"Maybe you should focus on yourself. You have had a long day—"

"Why do you always do this!" It takes a few moments for you to realise you are yelling. You stand on your feet, hands fisted at your sides as the first aid kit falls on the floor from your lap, spilling its contents all over.

"What do you mean?" He asks and you absolutely loathe how his voice never changes, laced with that touch of monotony and indifference.

"Ugh, Seungcheol! Why do you always push me away! I want to help you! I'm just trying to take care of you!" This, however, seems to evoke an emotion from him because he is immediately on his feet, glaring at you, his large body towering over you.

"It is not your job to take care of me! If anyone here is going to take care of someone, it will be me making sure you are alive, is that clear?"

"I'm just trying to help you yet you keep pushing me away—"

"I do not need your help!" His voice is a roar of thunder, making you gasp as you take a step back. You've never seen him like this nor did you imagine someone so unbothered and composed had a side like this. "Who are you, huh? Why do you keep stepping over the line? Did I ask for your fucking help? I'm the last person you should be worried about, Ms Lee, you understand that?"

By now, angry tears have gathered in your eyes. Not wanting to cry in front of him you bite your lips and push past him as you run towards your room. "Fuck you, Choi Seungcheol!" —

You spend a long time in your room, crying and cursing him out before eventually falling asleep out of exhaustion. 

When you are awake from your slumber, the clock reads 2 in the morning. Disoriented and irritated and hungry, the first thing you do after emptying your bladder is go hunt for something to eat. Even though you intended to avoid Seungcheol, it is impossible not to come across him as he sleeps on the couch in the living room, this one thankfully big enough for him to comfortably lie. 

There's a small lamp in the corner of the room and the light from there is falling on one side of his face, highlighting his cheekbones. 

You stand still for a moment to make sure that he's actually asleep, before tiptoeing to the kitchen. Pouring yourself a glass of water and you think of something easy to make that will not wake up the moody bastard in the next room. 

However, you don't get too far with that thought because a moment later, you hear an all familiar groan float through the quiet air of the night. It is Seungcheol. And he's having a nightmare. Once again. It's like deja vu.

All his commands of not helping him fly out the window as you run to the living room. Before you can reach there, however, you hear a crash and upon entering you see Seungcheol, wide awake and sitting on the floor on his hands and knees, his entire frame shaking violently as he keeps uttering something under his breath, still stuck in his nightmare. 

Your heart drops when you see the glass showpiece on the centre table shattered on the floor, along with the pillows and blanket that were previously on the couch. "Seungcheol!" You yell as you rush to him, carefully avoiding the broken shards of glass and sitting on your knees next to him as you try to get him out of his head and focus on you. His blown out pupils meet yours as his hands shake and his breath comes out in struggling pants. 

He's having a panic attack.

"Seungcheol!" you call for him, trying your best to keep your voice stable which proves to be hard as your heart breaks for the man, hating seeing him in this state. 

"Look at me. Listen to my voice. Breathe. Breathe with me. Look at me. Breathe, just breathe, you're going to be fine."

And so for the next few minutes, you try your best to calm the agitated man down, holding his body next to yours as you run your hands along his back, up and down, up and down.

You realise he's back to normal when the shuddering stops and his body remains immoblie next to you, as if he has fallen asleep.  You know otherwise because when you pull back to take a look at his face, you find his eyes open, that familiar, empty and aloof gaze replacing the panicked ones. His lips are set to a thin line and you feel his whole body stiffen next to yours and just like you know he is back to normal.

This time, you do not ask him if he's okay or if he wants anything. Instead you get up from the floor quietly and go to the kitchen where you quickly make him a warm cup of tea.

When you return, he's still on the floor, sitting with his back against the sofa, hands resting on his knees as his head hangs low. Silently, you walk over and sit next to him before extending the steaming mug towards him.

You hold your breath, waiting for him to reject it and start spewing mean words at you but you are to be amazed. 

Surprising you, he does none of those things but accepts the mug and takes a small sip. A tiny smile of victory graces your lips as you settle your gaze forward to the empty wall and sit in silence next to him. 

As the steam gradually disappears from the mug and his dejected posture becomes tense and uptight, you know he's about to tell you off.  Your guess turns out to be correct because just a moment later, he sets his mug down on the floor and turns to face you. His voice is stoic when he speaks, "I clearly told you not to—"

"Do you want to talk about it?" You interrupt him with a soft voice. He appears stunned as his mouth opens to say something but closes back to a tight line.

"I used to have nightmares as well, after the accident." You whisper, leaning back to the sofa, your unfocused gaze settled on the  walls of the cabin as your mind disappears in the depths of the memories of those gruesome nights.

"I'd wake up screaming and crying. Every damn time I'd see the crash so vividly and the moments before it, my mom's desperate eyes at mine, her fading words, telling me to hold on, telling me that she loves me..." You lose your voice with a choke as tears blind your vision. A hand comes to rest on your shoulder gently and gives you a reassuring squeeze. It takes a few moments for your brain to process that it's Seungcheol and you are pleasantly surprised. 

Your eyes search for him, and his face is solemn, his eyes showing just a reflection of kindness and sympathy. With a sad smile, you wipe the tears threatening to fall from your eyes. "It was horrible at the beginning when I couldn't speak. I'd wake up distressed and not finding my voice would make it even worse. For the first two months, Chan stayed with me every night. He'd try his best to calm me down but every night I'd be just as scared to go to bed."

"Eventually, the nightmares didn't come as often. Especially after I realised I could speak again and I was remembering bits and pieces of the accident and my suspicion was growing. I haven't had any nightmares for a while now but I remember how they made me feel. How awfully...real they felt." You sigh, shuddering at the thought.

A few moments of silence pass by as Seungcheol's hand drops from your shoulder. You don't expect him to spill his heart out but you are grateful that he didn't push you away and listened to you and comforted you. It is more than you ever thought you could get from him. Having this simple, somewhat bitter moment of intimacy is enough to soothe your love starved heart.  However, you realise it's a night full of surprises when Seungcheol starts speaking. "I was in the military, as you know. I joined when I was eighteen. I lost my parents the year before so it was just me and my grandfather." His voice is quiet as he fixes his eyes out the window, looking at the dark night sky.

You follow his gaze and make a quick observation that there are no stars tonight, just an empty, dark sky, before setting your gaze on Seungcheol's face. 

"My grandfather served in the military during the early years of his life and I wanted to follow his footsteps. The first few years were tough but good. I enjoyed them as they kept me busy and focused. During my fifth year in the military, my grandfather passed away peacefully in his sleep. I was on break at that time so I was there with him in his last moments. However, it still broke me. Sending him off was one of the hardest things I had ever done."

He pauses, making you hold your breath and anticipate his next words. His expression is unreadable, his sharp gaze focused outside when he continues.  "I returned to the military a different man. My life as a soldier became everything to me. I worked ten times harder than anyone else as the military turned into my entire life. I jumped through the ranks very quickly and went on various missions as a SEAL. All of them were dangerous but successful as I led my teams out safely each time. Until Sudan."

There is another heavy pause as you feel the air thicken with tension. You know the worst part is about to begin and as you observe his gaze become more and more unfocused, you can't help but dread whatever is coming next. "It was a humanitarian mission. Me and my team were tasked to rescue some families from a group of local terrorists. They were held inside a camp in the middle of the desert. The infiltration was successful. But, just as we were escaping, the terrorists found out and came at us with double manpower. They had a couple of high powered explosives which we were unprepared for because they were not supposed to have such weapons."

"As my team and I were exchanging fire against them, a bomb went off right next to me. It is the last thing I remember before waking up in a hospital bed a week later."

"The explosion fucked up left leg. I needed three surgeries and months of rehabilitation. But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part is that it cost three of my teammates their lives."

Oh Seungcheol. Tears are beading down your eyes as you let his words soak into you.

"It happened almost six years ago but it still haunts me. How I fucked up. How I killed them." "Seungcheol, no!" You scold, your voice not as powerful as you'd like it to be as it breaks mid way. "You did not kill them, you hear me? It was an accident. A horrible one but it was not your fault in any way. They died honourably and think of all the others you saved, all the times you led your team out of harm successfully. Think about all the lives you have saved, all the people you have helped." Your grip is strong on his forearms as you turn him to face you fully. His eyes meet you; bleak and hopeless and the urge to wipe away all his pain soars within you. It's a shame you can't do that so you do the next best thing you can think of.

You pull him in a tight hug. You wrap yourself around him, resting your chin over his shoulder as you close your eyes and hold him tight, the act a bit hard due his huge build. For several long moments he doesn't hug you back until you finally feel his warm hands creep on your back as he rests his face against your neck, cocooning your body with his.

You swallow a sob and blink furiously to drive away the tears, your hands stroking his hair in gentle motions. "It's alright, Cheol. You are going to be just fine. It is all going to be okay."

His response is to hold you tighter and you welcome his vulnerability, his pain and agony with open arms, breathing it in as if it is your own. Long moments are spent as you two remain in each other's embrace until you finally sit back to take a look at him.

"Maybe you should talk to a therapist?"

"I did," he sighs, running a hand through his soft locks. "After the accident, I saw one for almost a year. I was prescribed so many medicines and I almost got addicted to them even though they weren't doing much to help. So I decided to quit altogether and moved here, in his cabin. I stayed here for about six months, trying to pull myself together before an old friend of mine called, asking if I wanted to join his private security company. I agreed because I couldn't live in solitude any longer without killing myself and now, I'm here." You nod, watching him intently as you two sit with mere inches of space between each other's faces. In the back of your mind, you realize that this is the most intimate you have been with Seungcheol and probably you will ever get to be so you can't help but speak the next words. "You are so beautiful, Seungcheol. Inside and out. You are such an amazing person.I only wish you would know that." Your words can barely be heard because you speak so softly but it contains emotions from the deepest, rawest part of your heart. Sitting with him on the floor, in the middle of the night at a cabin in the woods, talking about your deepest traumas and secrets is something you never thought you would experience but now you realise, it is a treasure, a moment of profoundness that you will carry close to your heart for the rest of your life.

Seungcheol's eyes widen for a fraction upon hearing your words before he shifts, trying to pull away from you but your strong grip on his hands stops him. Once again, you find yourself confessing. "Ever since you've come to my life, I feel hopeful, even though we are going through so much trouble. I want to live again and I feel happy and hopeful when I look at you. And I can never thank you enough for that."

Seungcheol's Adams apple bobs as he swallows and the expression on his face is so vivid you realize you have left him speechless. A small, shy smile sets on your lips as you squeeze his hands softly, your thumb stroking over his bruised knuckles.  While your mind swoons over how tender this moment is and how beautiful he looks and how soft his lips appear, he inches his face closer to you before pressing his lips against yours.

At first, you believe it's a dream.

It is bound to be, no?

Blinking multiple times, you make sure that it in fact is not a dream but it seems to take too long because Seungcheol is pulling away from you, the apology right there at the tip of his tongue. However, you do not let him speak the words he doesn't mean. Instead, you do what you have only done in your late night fantasies, you cup his cheeks and pull his face down to yours, meeting his lips in a fierce kiss. You do not even think of holding back, pouring every bit of passion and need and admiration for him into it. 

Thankfully, he reciprocates, cupping your neck and jaw, tilting your face for better access. 

And it's wonderland. It is everything you imagined and more, everything you want and need, everything that can heal you.

In the rosy haze of desire and desperation, your hungry hands travel down to the hem of his white t-shirt, tugging on it in a futile attempt to get it off. The action gets the attention of Seungcheol as he dettaches his lips from yours, taking a look at your face.

"_____—" he makes a weak attempt to stop you but his words die on his tongue as you hastily stand up, dragging him with him. Pressing a soft finger on his lips, you shush him as you bring your face closer to him and whisper in his ear. "Don't push me away Seungcheol, please. I need you. And you need me too."

There is a battle in his gaze as he stares at your longing visage for a moment with a clenched jaw before muttering a curse underneath his breath. The next moment, you are being carried to your bedroom and in the blink of an eye, you are standing in front of your bed with his frame towering over you.

"You wanted this?" He teases but his eyes are lit with a fire that is inextinguishable as he takes off his shirt and even in the dimly lit room, you do not miss the carved perfection of his body, littered with scars here and there. In vain hope, you pray that your face isn't visible as you ogle him but you know it is because his unrelenting stare breaks your skin into goosebumps. 

As you are stuck in a trance of lust, he takes a step closer to you before his breath grazes your ear. "Lift your hands, angel."

The next moment, he pulls your nightshirt off your body, leaving you only in your sleeping shorts. He wastes no time, attacking them right next as they come off with a tug and you fall into your bed. You have no time to overthink or feel shy because Seungcheol cages your body underneath his as he crawls to you, a dark look of hunger on his face. 

"You are a fucking temptress, you know that?" He grunts, a calloused thumb reaching out to stroke your cheek. You lean into his touch, eyes falling closed at the contact as a soft sigh escapes your lips but the next moment Seungcheol is grabbing the back of your neck and pulling you in for a heated kiss. 

It's all teeth and tongue as he devours your mouth, two tongues entangled in a fierce rhythm of tango before finally letting you gasp for air.  "Crawl up," his voice is that of a quiet command which you follow instantly, letting him sit comfortably on his knees as he spreads your legs wide.

The very next moment a squeak leaves your mouth as Seungcheol pushes his index finger inside you, your wetness granting easy access. He makes a noise, something akin to an animalistic groan as his digit easily slips inside. 

"Fuck, you're so wet for me," he murmurs as he inserts another finger and then another before curling them inside you.

"Seungcheol!" You yell, grabbing the sheets as your hips lift off the mattress due to the electrifying jolt of pleasure. Your reaction makes him grunt as he fastens his face and you feel your legs tremble, making you think that you are going to come already. 

Your core tightens around his fingers as more wetness leaks from you, only amplified when he brushes his thumb against your clit. Another gasp and a shudder of your body makes Seungcheol smirk as he whispers, "Gonna come, angel?"

You nod your head aggressively, your hips chasing his fingers in their own rhythm and just as the tingles of your release soars in your body, Seungcheol removes his fingers.

"No!" Your protest is immediate but the man only gives you a cruel smile as he makes a show of licking his fingers clean. The act itself is extremely hot and you cannot help but release another groan of frustration. 

"Seungcheol! Please let me—"

"You are gonna lie back and let me eat your pussy now, hmm? After I'm satisfied, I will let you come." He announces, lips hovering over your thighs, the touch of his warm breath giving your goosebumps. The low gravel of his voice paired with the way he keeps looking at you from between your thighs makes you swallow thickly before lying your head back into the pillow, a shuddering breath leaving your lips.

"Good girl."

Good girl.

Your core clenches deliciously.  However, you do not get to soak in the warmth of his praise because the next moment he flicks your clit with his tongue and your scream pierces the night air. Your body writhes while he holds your thighs open in a strong grip, incoherent gasps and curses of pleasure falling from your lips. Seungcheol is like a man starved, as he eats you out mercilessly, his tongue going deep inside your most intimate parts. You can't remain still, tears of pleasure stinging your eyes as your body shakes and pleas fall from your lips.

"Oh f-fuck! Seungcheol! Please!" 

You yourself do not know what you are begging for. It's the sweetest torture, one you want to end but also continue forever.

Your release has wet your inner thighs and paired with Seungcheol's saliva they drip down to your asshole but Seungcheol doesn't stop. He brings his attention to your hard, swollen clit now which he flicks repeatedly with his tongue.

"Fuck! I can't! Please let me come!" You are convinced your voice can be heard from miles away. "You wanna come?" He grunts between breaths, voice muffled.

"Yes, yes! Please!"

"Then come. Come for me, my angel." The command has your toes curling as he gives a harsh suck to your clit and in an instant, you go off like a firework. The heated coil in your belly snaps as your body twitches, sending you headfirst into an orgasm so good, so deep, tears drip down your eyes. All through it, Seungcheol keeps sucking your pussy, almost making you numb before stopping with a final, sloppy kiss on your clit and sitting back.

Even in the darkness, you see his lips shine with your release.

"You are an aphrodisiac, angel." His words caress your skin as he leans forward and presses soft, tantalising kisses on your jaw and down your throat. 

"Please, fuck me now," your voice is a cry of plea as you chase his lips for a kiss. He entertains you, tangling your mouths in an embrace of passion as you taste yourself on his tongue. One of his hands moves down amidst the kiss and your foggy brain registers that he's taking off his sweatpants. 

With a soft groan he takes off his lips from yours and frees himself from your entangled limbs, standing up to kick his boxers and sweatpants down his legs. 

And oh dear lord is he a view. You admire him in his nakedness in the half lit room, drinking every inch of him. You can't stray your eyes from his cock, hard and leaking as you gulp and send a prayer to the sky, marvelling at his size.

Seungcheol crawls back into the bed, his movements akin to the grace of a panther, his eyes lit with ferocity and huger as he pins both your wrists over your head with one hand.

"I'm going to fuck you so good you will be ruined for any other man." He promises, giving you a delicious shiver on your spine. You want to scream that you don't need any other man, you never will but the thought dies in your mind when you feel his tip prodding at your core.  He slides in easily, almost embarrassingly easy as your sopping cunt welcomes him with wide open arms. A guttural groan escapes from his throat as he buries his head in the crook of your neck, spewing curses. The sound makes you clench around him which makes him curse again.

"You are so fucking tight, fuck!"

You can only respond in an incoherent hum as he starts moving inside you, making you throw your head back and let out a loud moan. He raises his head to look at you and your eyes contact and in a second, everything becomes more intense. The look in his eyes is ever captivating and ruthless while he pistons in and out of you tirelessly, hitting that sensitive spot inside you perfectly each time.

"You're going to be the death of me." He whispers, almost as if he's talking to himself. His mouth works on your jaw, moving down to your throat and sucking harshly on the soft flesh, making you shudder in pleasure. "Seungcheol!" You cry. "Harder! Please!"

"Any harder and I'll come right now."

"Do it! Come inside me!" All other thoughts and worries have left your mind and beg him for more, already cock drunk.

"Fuck, you sure?"

"I'm on pills, Cheol. I'm sure," you pant, clutching onto his back as he increases his pace, leaning back to sit on his knees as his hands move to your waist, holding you in a bruising grip.

"Gonna fill you up then, angel. Make this pussy bleed my come." He promises with a snark, his eyes trained on your face as he delivers one particular thrust that has you arching off the bed and seeing stars.

Then there is a brush of touch on your hard clit and a quiet command of coming which has fireworks exploding all throughout your body. You cry out, from pleasure and pain so addictive that white spots dance in your vision, hands twisting the fabric of the bedsheet so hard it would be no surprise if they tore.  The next moment you feel Seungcheol release inside you and the feeling of his warm cum coating your insides gives your body another round of shivers as you completely blank out. You are transported to a hazy place where you feel like you are floating through the air as you lose all sense of connection from this world.

It takes a while for you to recover and once you do, you realise Seungcheol has slumped over next to you as his breathing gradually returns to normal. You turn your head slightly to look at him and just as your eyes meet, he makes a move to get up.  Your hand immediately latches onto his arm. "Don't go." You croak.

"I need to clean you up." His voice is quiet.

"Later." You whisper, begging with your eyes. "Just lay with me for a while." He remains still for a moment, probably battling with himself before lying back next to you. He stretches one of his arms and you quickly use it as a pillow, shuffling closer to his body and resting your palm on his chest. Seungcheol tenses next to you but you don't let it get to you as your hand gently strokes an old scar right beneath his chest. Just as you are almost falling asleep, you feel his hand wrap around your waist, holding you softly and a smile graces your lips.

I love you, Choi Seungcheol.

— The next morning, Seungcheol starts avoiding you like you are the plague. As soon as you step out of your bedroom, Seungcheol, who was sitting in the living area quite literally bolts outside with his laptop and everything, throwing a curt good morning to you and not even sparing a glance.

You are hurt, to say the least. While a silly part of you expected that maybe you would wake up with him in the same bed and have breakfast together before some more lovemaking, the realistic part of you did not expect him to act like this. 

Like nothing happened.

Or worse, acting like what happened was a mistake.

Does he really think that last night was a mistake? 

It hurts to even think that he might believe that so you push that thought away with all your might. Instead, you focus on making yourself a nice breakfast before soaking in the tub for a while as you try to focus all your attention on plotting your uncles demise.

Once you are nice and clean after the soak, you find Seungcheol in the kitchen, drinking something from his mug as he talks over the phone with someone. You wait for him to finish, using the spare time to admire how good he looks— slightly messy hair, an old grey t-shirt and grey sweatpants. Once again, your mind travels to how good he railed you last night but before it can travel too far, you shake yourself back to the present.

"I need to talk to you." You announce as soon as he sets his phone down. Seungcheol's head snaps up to your voice and a grim expression settles on his face before he murmurs. 

"There's nothing to talk about. Last night was an accident. We were both vulnerable and it just... happened." It's like someone ripped your beating heart off of your chest or dumped you into a bucket of ice or better yet, did that together. Yet it still wouldn't hurt as much as his words pierce through you right now, leaving you utterly speechless as you just blink repeatedly, trying to make sure you heard that right. "It was not an accident, Seungcheol. You know it." Your voice is deathly quiet and you can feel yourself on the precipice of snapping.

"The hell it wasn't, _____." He snaps. "I am your fucking bodyguard and you are my client. I am not getting paid to take advantage of you!"

"Take advantage of me?" You seethe as an overwhelming urge to punch something, like his face, overcomes you. You have to take a deep breath in to form the next words. "I am not some helpless, pathetic girl that you can take advantage of. Whatever happened last night was real and with our consent. The man last night was the real you, the one you keep hiding, not this!" Seungcheol clenches his jaw, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "Either way, it should not have happened. We, you and me—" he points between the two of you. "It does not work. It won't."

"Seungcheol— "

"That's enough _______."

"No, tell me. Enlighten me, please," Your voice drips with sarcasm as you take a step towards him, crossing your hands in front of your chest. "Why do we not work? What delightful, eye opening information has been revealed upon you which led you to this wise conclusion?" The twitch in his jaw clearly tells you that he does not appreciate your sarcasm but you've had enough of his stubbornness, especially when it is clear that he wants you as well.

"So far, I'll I've heard is that I can't have you not, I don't want you. Quit playing games with yourself Seungcheol!"

"I am a fucking loose grenade!" His scream is abrupt, making you jolt. The veins in his neck pop out as he steps back, his frantic eyes glaring at you. "I cannot keep you safe! Not from myself. I am a man whose past haunts him. I can't fucking sleep at night without getting nightmares and smashing things! I cannot pass a day without the guilt of my past following me! I am headed towards hell and I cannot drag you down with me. I am not the man for you, _____, try to understand!"

"I think that's for me to decide, no?" You take another step towards him, trying to calm him down.

"No!" He yells, stepping back. "Enough! Just— enough. This conversation is over. I'm going out and when I return, we will pretend that none of this ever happened."

"You fucking asshole!"  You normally do not curse.  Out loud at least. Your mother had a strict rule of no bad language and you and your brother followed that rule to a t. No matter what you have encountered so far in your life, nothing gave you the urge to curse half as much as you want to right now.

"That's right. I am an asshole." He states calmly, sparing you a blank look before turning and heading for the main door.

"You fucking son of a bitch! I did not want to talk about this in the first place! When I said I need to talk with you, I meant about my uncle, you idiot!"

He stops in his tracks before slowly turning his head to look at you. "What about him?" His calmness makes you absolutely livid and even though you try your hardest to form words, the only thing your tongue seems to want to utter are curse words.

"It doesn't concern you anymore, asswipe." Seungcheol's lips form a thin line as he watches you quietly for a few moments.

"Do not do anything stupid,_____." He has the nerve to order you before marching out of the house, slamming the door loudly behind him.

"Go to hell, dickhead!" —

The rest of the day is uneventful as you two mind your own business, avidly avoiding each other. After Seungcheol leaves and blesses you with solitude you pace around the house angrily before going for a walk in the forest behind the cabin.

It is not dense or uncomfortable as a walking trek has been premade and you take a long walk which helps you clear your head just a bit. It takes your mind off of your stubborn bodyguard and back onto your uncle as you think of ways to trap him in a position he cannot easily get out of, as early as possible. With the plan you have in mind, it proves to be a bit hard, because you are staying in the middle of nowhere and your uncle has no clue where you are.

You walk home an hour later with a less obscure mind and send Chan a text through the burner phone, letting him know that you are alive and well. 

Your brother video calls you soon after and you almost forget that you are supposed to be mute at the joy of seeing your brother. It kills you that you have to lie to him but you bite your teeth and do it, telling him that work got too overwhelming and you are taking some days off and promise him of your quick return. You know your brother is not stupid and he has started doubting you but he is kind enough not to push you for more, which you are grateful for.

Seungcheol returns home a little after noon with more supplies. You act like he does not exist as you finish your lunch and retire to your room where you spend the rest of the day, lying in your bed and staring at the ceiling, thinking about everything and nothing. As the skies bleed to dark, dinner time rolls around and you two eat separately. Once again, Seungcheol makes no attempt to talk to you or acknowledge you just like you are doing but it still infuriates you, which you try to control by doing copious amounts of yoga in your room, before finally falling asleep quite late.

However, disaster strikes with the arrival of dawn, as the first rays of sun kiss the sky. 

You are snapped out of sleep as you open your eyes and find Seungcheol hovering over you, shaking you awake.

"Wake up, _____! Your uncle is here. He found us!"

Immediately you bolt upright, half thinking that all this is a vivid dream. As your panicked eyes meet his, your shaky hands clutching his biceps and you whisper. "W-what? How? I- I don't understand."

"I don't know either." Seungcheol grunts, craning his neck to look out the window. "There are two jeeps heading towards us. You need to get out."

As if on cue, you hear the loud roar of the engines as they come to a stop right in front of the cabin. Seungcheol helps your shaky form out of bed and ushers you down the stairs. 

"Take the back exit. Hide in the forest until I come for you. If I don't, call Jihoon for help. His number is here. And take this." he explains, handing his burner phone and a gun to you but your brain is stuck in a loop, not processing that there is a fucking gun in your hand.

"What do you mean if I don't? You are coming with me—"

"No. I will hold them off while you escape. Go, now." He orders, pushing you towards the back door of the kitchen. 

"_____! I know you're in there! Come out while I am being nice and maybe we can come to an agreement! You do not want to end up like your mother, do you now?" Your body freezes as you hear your uncle yell from the front door. The anger evoked from his words makes you want to stay and confront him but Seungcheol keeps pushing you, telling you to run.

And so, sparing one last longing look at Seungcheol, you tuck your weapon in your waist and run. You have not gotten even fifty feet away from the cabin when the first round of shots echo through the air. Your blood freezes as you come to a halt, turning your head around to look at the cabin as gunshots echo through the air.

You have to swallow a lump in your throat as tears gather in your eyes, the temptation to go back increasing. But you know going back is not a good idea because it will put Seungcheol's life at risk, more than it already is. So you keep moving deeper into the forest, the treks familiar because you have been here before and you make your way through very easily. When you come across a small cliff shrouded by thick bushes you decide to hide there, waiting to see if your uncle's men come around here. Confirming your guess, they do, after a while as they jog through, looking around for you. However, they fail to estimate your hiding place and continue deeper into the forest down the trek and just then, an idea forms in your head.

You have to go back.

The universe is on your side because you realise after some peeking around and shuffling through trees that there is another road that you can use to go back to the cabin. This one is definitely unused and riskier but you are determined to make this work. So, with a deep breath you jog through the narrow, muddy lane and soon enough, you find your way back.

The cabin is now quiet, eerily so.

The back door remains open, granting you access and you carefully step one foot in, holding your breath. 

It is a mess; bullet holes scattered around, a few bodies slumped on the ground, specks of blood all over the floor. The scene is bone chilling and you have to take several deep breaths to calm down. You can hear noises coming from somewhere in the house, grunts and yells, as if people are fighting, which is what is undoubtedly happening. No matter how severe your urge is to follow the sound and make sure Seungcheol is okay, you decide against it, putting faith in his capabilities instead and sending a prayer out to heaven. Careful not to step on any blood, you make your way through the mess and gingerly climb up the stairs, pausing to make sure no one is around. The coast is clear, thankfully, as no one is upstairs and you head straight for the little storeroom next to the bedroom, where you kept the very little belongings you brought with you.

You took special care to hide your prized possession, the evidence file. It stays secure inside a special compartment Seungcheol showed you that is situated under the wooden floor. Quickly removing the carpet, you open the hatch and look inside to make sure the files are there.

And they are, thankfully. Picking them up, you hold them to your chest and close the hatch, putting everything in its place while holding your breath through all of it. In the next second, the voice you dreaded echoes through the air.

"I believe I am going to need that, _____." 

You whip your head back to see your dear uncle standing at the door frame, lips twisted in a diabolic smirk like he got you just where he wanted to.  "I knew you would lead me to the evidence, niece. I just had to wait. And I knew you would contact your dear little brother no matter what so I put a little tracker on his phone and it led me here. Easy, no?" He shakes his head,  laughing cockily at his plan.

Your blood runs cold as your fingers grip the envelope tightly.

"Over my dead body." You hiss.

"Oh yeah, and my men told me you could speak?" He taunts, shaking his head some more. "Can you imagine my surprise when I heard that? Tell me, were you faking it all along? To what, get some pity points?"

"You will rot in jail, asshole. I will personally see to it." You seethe, clutching the folder tighter against your chest.  Your uncle's face loses its amusement as he stares at you for a while, cold and unblinking before reaching back and pulling out a gun. Your heart skips a beat as he points it right at you.

"The file, ______. I am not here to play games."

"Never." There is an immediate deafening noise of gunfire, making you squeeze your eyes shut and for a horrible moment, you think he has shot you. Opening your eyes, you see there's a hole in the roof where he has aimed his gun before pointing it back at you.

"Don't make me kill you like your mother. I need you alive for all the other plans I have."

"She was your sister in law!" You cry.

"She was a thorn in my way!" He seethes. "A conniving bitch trying to take the company from me and my son! Always challenging me! Always speaking against me!"

"It was never yours to begin with, you ugly old man! She knew you would steal it from us!"

"I dare you to speak one more word and the next bullet will be in your hand and the one after that will be in your leg. I won't do the mercy of killing you, _____. I will put you through hell on earth before I grant you the freedom of death." He sneers, eyes fueled with hatred. You swallow, your breath coming out in heavy pants as you decide on what to do next. 

Finally, with a defeated sigh you raise your arms in surrender and take a small, tiny step towards him, trying to appear as meek and harmless as possible. "You could have not killed her. You could have sent her away if she was a problem." You whisper, voice cracking. "Huh," he scoffs. "As if that bitch would listen. The only way was to get rid of her. For good. I knew she would be in the car with you that day and I planned to kill two birds with one stone but alas, that didn't happen" He shrugs, pouting. "It's alright, though. I know how to use it in my favour. I have so many plans for you. You're gonna come with me and sign off—"

"Drop the gun, Jin."

Seungcheol!

It is Seungcheol, pointing his Glock at the back of Jin's head as he appears behind him all of a sudden. You are flooded with gratitude so big tears come to your eyes and hope flares in your chest seeing him alive, hurt and dishevelled but alive. However, your hope is quick to die down when Jin speaks the next words.

"You sure you wanna do that, son?" Your uncle remains unaffected as he slightly turns his head, his words directed to Seungcheol. "You pull the trigger and by the time it has hit me I can pull the trigger as well and her brains will be splattered all over these walls. You don't want that, do you? Besides, I know as a matter of fact your boss here wants me alive. She has grand plans for me, is that not right, _____?"

His eyes pan back to you, the evilest of smiles on his face as you grit your teeth, trying to keep yourself from doing anything rash.

You underestimated your uncle for sure.

"Drop the gun, son. I won't say it again." He orders, taking a menacing step towards you. "You drop it and nobody gets hurt. I need this bitch alive for everything I have planned." Seungcheol's eyes meet yours and the helplessness and frustration is visible in them. You watch with bated breath as he slowly points the gun away from Jin's head and sets it down on the ground, raising his hands in surrender. A satisfied smile sets on your uncle's face and he lets his guard down for a moment, a fraction of a second, which Seungcheol takes advantage of.  In the blink of an eye, Seungcheol jumps on him, grabbing his legs and dragging him down onto the floor. His grip on the gun falters, letting it fall on the floor and as he makes a move to reach for it, Seungcheol kicks it to the farthest corner of the room.

A scuffle between them ensues and Seungcheol tries to overpower Jin and pin him down onto the floor. However, your uncle, the master of playing dirty, manages to pull a switchblade from his pocket and slashes Seungcheol on the arm, making him fall off of him. "I'm gonna fucking gut you, you son of a bitch!" He yells, charging for Seungcheol as he pins him down, aiming the blade towards his throat but Seungcheol stops him with a practised move. An intense battle of power ensues but you've had enough as you reach  for the gun Seungcheol gave you, tucked at your waistband.

Pointing it straight at Jin's head, you yell. "Drop the knife, Jin! I really don't want to kill you!"

"You don't have the balls to shoot me, bitch!" He yells back, not even glancing at you, busy subduing Seungcheol as he stabs him in the shoulder. That motherfucker!

He underestimated you greatly.

Furious, you pull the trigger and the bullet lands right where you aimed it, Jin's knee. With a howl of pain, he falls off of Seungcheol who quickly gets back up and wraps an arm around his throat in a chokehold.

"You filthy little bitch! You fucking —"

Seungcheol tightens the grip on his neck and after struggling for a few moments, Jin passes out, making you sigh in relief as you step back and lean against the wall. "You shot him." Seungcheol's voice is laced with bewilderment as he watches you with a look of surprise and admiration. "Self defence," you shrug, closing your eyes and inhaling a deep breath. "Tie him up. I'll call the police."

— Fifteen minutes later the cops arrive with blaring sirens followed by an ambulance. 

As soon as the ambulance comes to a stop, you are dragging Seungcheol towards it, yelling at the staff to get a look at his shoulder, around which you have wrapped a cloth to lessen the bleeding. As a responder attends to Seungcheol's injury, two policemen rush into the house when you tell them that the culprit is tied up inside. 

You stand out front with your arms crossed, the morning sun now high in the sky, the warm rays caressing your face as you watch your uncle being dragged out of the house and into one of the police cars. He is yelling and cursing his complaints, his eyes filled with hatred as they come in contact with yours. 

Your body goes rigid, the revelation coming upon you that he is done for and he knows it. You know he is definitely going to deny everything but he has another surprise coming his way.

An officer comes to you, talking about the next procedures and asking basic questions but you cannot quite register his words as your body finally gets off the high of adrenaline and realisation hits you like a bulldozer, it's over.

It is over. You got him. 

I got him, Mom. I will make him pay.

Seungcheol, who sits at the back of the ambulance while a nurse gives his shoulder a temporary fix, listens to the officer carefully, answering his questions in your place before thanking him as he takes his leave. 

"Are you okay?" Seungcheol's uninjured hand comes up to gently touch your arm, making you jump as you are snapped out of your reverie.

"Would you like me to look at you, ma'am? The responder offers as she takes off her gloves. "You look pale." You shake your head, swallowing as you wrap your arms around yourself. Seungcheol gives your hand a tug, making you sit next to him.  "Please take a look at her." He says to the nurse, who nods while he shrugs off the blanket sitting on his shoulder and wraps it around yours with his free hand. 

"Breathe, _____." He speaks softly, his hand holding yours. You nod, focusing on your breath for the next few minutes as the nurse does a quick check up on you. There are a lot of unshed tears within you and a lot of emotions you need to let out but you just cannot bring yourself to do that right now. There is this numb feeling all over you accompanied by an overwhelmingness.

And you know very well the war isn't over just yet. You have to make sure your uncle ends up behind bars. Even though you have some control over your emotions right now, you remember that you have to explain every hideous detail to Chan and you know will break down then. You know you will break down again when you visit your mother's grave but you know this time, you will feel less guilty of being the only one surviving, less in agony because you have avenged her.

"I have called my lawyer. He's preparing all the documents. We should head home now." You speak, eyes staring at the sun shining over the hills and the lush greenery.

This place is magical. You want to come here again, someday.

"Okay," Seungcheol agrees as his hand comes to rest over yours and he gives you a reassuring squeeze. Your eyes pan back to his face, littered with cuts before settling on his shoulder.  You open your mouth to scold him for getting hurt when he sighs. "What were you thinking, _____? I told you not to come back to the cabin. Your uncle had you just where he wanted. You could have been seriously hu—

"I had a plan, Seungcheol."

"What plan?" He looks annoyed. A soft smile graces your lips as your hand travels to the front pocket of your shirt. You pick the pen sitting there and hand it to Seungcheol with a mischievous smile. Frowning, he examines the item carefully until it dawns on him as his eyes widen. "This has a camera!"

"Yep! It can record audio and video very clearly. I had it on me for a while and as I was hiding in the forest I suddenly realised that I couldn't get better proof against my uncle than right then. So I went back to be the bait."

"Still, you don't realise how risky—"

"Trust me, I do. But I had no option. Besides, my gut told me that my uncle really didn't want to kill me unless he had to because after everything that happened, I was more valuable to him alive than dead." Seungcheol stares at you, all a loss for words before shaking his head in disbelief. 

"Wanna know something more fun?"

"What?" He is wary. "The documents I hid? They are not the real ones!" You cannot hold back a laugh as Seungcheol looks as you, more perplexed than before.

"I mean, come on! I'm not that stupid! I wouldn't carry them with me knowing my uncle is looking for them! I hid the original files in Chan's safe after I had him promise me not to touch them."

"Wow…" Seungcheol shakes his head in utter disbelief as he tries to wrap his head around everything. "Still, if I hadn't come for you on time…"

"I knew you would, Seungcheol. I believed that deep in my heart." You whisper, fingers lacing with his as your eyes meet. Seungcheol swallows and looks away, blinking. With a soft sigh, you stand up. "Are you sure you can travel this long in the car? Should I call in a helicopter for you?" Seungcheol rolls his eyes, standing up as well. "It's a fucking graze, _____. I have had way worse and I survived. I will be fine. I already feel fine." Your eyes narrow at him and you want to reprimand him but you cannot find it in your heart to do so. With a sigh, you usher him towards the car. "Let's go then. I'll drive."

— The next 48 hours pass by in the blink of an eye as you go through the most hectic time of your life. 

The first thing you do upon entering the city is sit down with your lawyer for a detailed discussion on the next steps you are going to take and hand the video recording to him. After that you ask Chan to come over to your place where you explain everything to him from a to z. It proves to be one of the worst moments of your life as you watch your brother's face pale with every word you utter and by the time you finish explaining everything he goes as still as a statue before abruptly taking his leave.

The next day you are asked to give a statement to the police along with Seungcheol which takes quite a while as you explain everything in detail. During that time the news breaks about your uncle getting arrested and charged for both murder and attempted murder leading to a flock of reporters chasing you down wherever you go. 

The stocks of the company are also affected as a side effect of the scandal and you have to spend a good amount of time in the office as you try to reassure everyone and get everything under control with your business partners.

On the third day after Jin's arrest, the police officially read out all the charges against him and announce the dates of the trials which sends the press into a second round of frenzy as they try to get your opinion on it, mobbing you whenever you step outside.

Your father is also taken in for questioning where he, thankfully, admits to his crimes and then he is also arrested with the charge of withholding information. He claims that his brother was blackmailing him so he had to keep the murder a secret. Whatever his reason was, you do not care anymore.

You refrain from engaging with the press as much as possible, other than the press conference arranged by your company that you had to attend but you do not make any comments about your uncle or father, just announcing that they will be punished accordingly and you and your brother will do your utmost best to protect the company. 

Amid all of this, Seungcheol refuses to leave your side, even with his injured shoulder. 

The wound was not deep but he was advised not to move the shoulder too much, an instruction he didn't pay any heed to when he was protecting you from the fleet of reporters. Taking it a step further than that, he called his friend over from the agency, the man called Jihoon, to be your second bodyguard because he believed that he was not functioning at his best.

Overall, it turns out to be a crazy, sleep deprived but exciting few days as you see all the pieces of the puzzle fall into its rightful place.

What is not exciting, however, is the straining relationship between you and your brother. After your confession to everything, he grows quieter and avoids talking with you unless it's absolutely necessary, which you understand and respect. He is processing the murder of his mother and his family members' participation in it and you also understand he feels betrayed because you kept so much information from him.

Still, it hurts.

This is why it is a surprise when you see him walk through the double doors to your office on a weekday morning as you were going through the legal statements of the company. "Chan!" You gasp, rising from your chair, eyes wide open in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

He gives a half hearted shrug before sitting down on the couch by the floor to ceiling windows, his gaze focused on the skyline.  "I had some things to tell you." Okay... You chew on your lip as you walk over to him and take a seat in front of him. You watch your brother stare off into the distance out the window before he finally heaves a long sigh and looks at you. The sadness and exhaustion are clear in his eyes and it breaks your heart. This whole media circus has not been easy for him either, especially because he knew nothing of what was going on and the press attacked him like a bunch of piranhas.

"The week has been crazy for you." He states, matter of factly. 

You give him a small, sad smile. "Same goes for you."

"Yes. I am feeling a lot of emotions together however..." he stops for a second before boring his gaze at your eyes. "I cannot help but feel betrayed."

"Oh Chan—"

"No, it's okay." He holds up his hand, stopping you. "I know that was not your intention and it is not your fault. It is none of our fault. I feel betrayed by this... family, this situation. I feel so angry that all of this happened right under my nose and I—" he huffs, dragging a hand through his hair as his voice fades. "I knew nothing about it."

"It is not your fault."

"It kind of is." He grunts. "I...I should have been more careful, more aware—"

"You couldn't have prevented it, Chan. It would only get you hurt in the process."

"Exactly! It would and that's how it should be. We're a team, you and I. So I should be equally responsible but only you got hurt in this process. You have been carrying all this burden with you since the accident. Not to mention the crazy stunt at the cabin. Are you insane, _____? I saw the video and he had a gun for fucks sake!"

"So did I!" You admonish. "Besides, he wasn't going to shoot me."

"You couldn't be sure!"

You drag out a sigh in surrender as you admire your brother for a silent moment as he suddenly reminds you of Seungcheol. "Whatever it was, it's in the past and I am safe now. However, I am sorry. For lying to you, for keeping you in the dark."

"Yes, I am actually quite mad at you for acting mute in front of me." He narrows his gaze at your face. 

"Well at least you learned sign language because of it!"

He snorts and you chuckle, a more comfortable silence falling between the two of you as you stare at each other for a while with melancholic smile on your faces. After a while, he announces, "I am going away for a while."

"What? Where?" You gasp.

"I don't know where, actually. Somewhere with a beach and lots of sunshine maybe. Away from…here." He smiles faintly. "I just...I need to be away for a while and process everything and simply be in my own company. I just need some time, sis." Tears shine in your eyes. "I understand." You whisper.  You really do but it still pains you because you feel responsible for breaking his heart.

"Take all the time you need. I'll handle the business while you are gone."

"Good. I know you will manage it well, maybe even better than me," he gives you a smile, a real one that reflects the shine in his eyes and you mirror it back. He stands up, buttoning his suit jacket. "Oh, by the way, what is going on between you and your hunk of a bodyguard?"

"Hm? What do you mean?" You feign innocence, avoiding his gaze, surprised at his observation. "Oh please." He gives you an it-is-very-obvious look. "The chemistry between you two has been explosive from day one. You always have that dreamy look in your eyes when you look at him."

"I do not!" You gasp. "Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night." He shakes his head in mirth. You huff out a dejected breath of surrender. "It doesn't matter anyway. He doesn't want me."

"Should I beat him up?" He asks casually, making you snort.

"You would lose, you know." You roll your eyes. That makes him laugh before he takes a step towards you. "I would deprive you of a hug but since you are already heartbroken, come here." 

You immediately get up and wrap your arms around your brother in a tight hug. You sniff, holding back tears as he pats you in the back, and you whisper. "I will miss you. Text me every now and then."

"Will do," he promises with a smile, pulling back and squeezing your shoulder. As he starts walking, he yells over his shoulder, "Do not think of getting married to that hunk while I'm not here though!"

"Yes, sir!" Rolling your eyes, you yell back and watch him walk out the double doors before plopping back on the couch, an eerie feeling of emptiness settling in your chest.

It takes a while for you to realise that tears are streaming down your face. Upon realisation, you simply hang your head low, letting them flow and stare at the floor, vision blurry as you play back the events of the last 6 months in your head. 

A soft knock at the door makes you snap your head up, breaking your trance as you quickly swipe your fingers below your eyes, head turning to see who enters. 

It's Seungcheol, composed in poise and grace as he steps inside before coming to a stand beside you. Silently, he asks for permission to sit, something you have told him multiple times not to do and when you give him a nod he takes a seat opposite to you. "You have been crying," he states quietly as he regards you with a knotted brow. You sigh and blink a couple of times before asking. "I'm fine now. What's the update? Any problems?"

He shakes his head. "Things are under good so far. You still need to give a formal statement at the fundraisers event next week, so you have to prepare for that."

"Hmm," you nod. "What brings you here, then? Are you feeling okay? I told you to take a day..." Your voice fades as you watch him produce a white rectangular envelope from his pocket and push it towards you on the table.

You have a sinking feeling in your chest that it is a resignation letter. 

"I am submitting my letter of resignation." He says, as calmly as ever, his eyes straight on yours. Your mouth opens but fails to deliver the words as you tilt your head to the side, processing this action. 

You have no problem with him resigning. In fact, you had planned to fire him after this hellish week ends so that you two could have a discussion about where your relationship stands, without all these professional restrictions limiting you. However, knowing Seungcheol, you have a sinking suspicion that he isn't quitting so that he can address his feelings for you but so that he can escape. 

Still, you decide to feign ignorance.

"Good. I was planning on firing you anyway. Not that you were bad at your job, you were the best but you need to rest, Seungcheol. And I have Jihoon now so I'll be fine." You nod as you pretend to go through his letter but inside, your hearts thuds so loudly you are afraid it will burst. 

"As of today, I am relieving you of your duties, Choi Seungcheol." You offer him a shaky smile. Seungcheol nods, his face as impassive as ever and you just cannot tell if he is heartbroken or relieved. His body language tells you that he is ready to get up and leave but you do not let that happen so easily.

"Now we can finally talk about our relationship." You speak, trying to keep your voice as stable as possible. Seungcheol visibly tenses as his face loses some of its colour and immediately you know this is not going to end well. 

But you are adamant on seeing this through.

"There is nothing to talk about." His voice is quiet, almost inaudible as he sits there looking like a petulant child lying to his parents. You have to take a deep breath to compose yourself. 

"You can do many things, Seungcheol but you cannot lie to me." You keep your voice as gentle as you can.

Your ex bodyguard seems to agree as he lets out a dejected sigh and stares at the floor very attentively. You watch him with intent for a few long moments, giving him time but ultimately when he remains as stubborn and unmoving as a mule, you break the silence. 

"I will lay all my cards on the table, Seungcheol, since you can't seem to do that. I have feelings for you, Seungcheol. Feelings that are very, very deep and real and I'm willing to act on them. Do what is necessary to make this work— make us work." 

He is quick to disagree. "Those feelings that you talk about, they are not love, ____. It is temporary. The last few weeks have been intense and it's just your body's natural reaction —"

"Do you love me, Choi Seungcheol?" You interrupt him, looking him straight in the eye.  The man looks like he swallowed a sock and you would feel bad for him, maybe even laugh at his reaction if the situation was not so dire.

"It does not matter." He looks away. You have the urge to hurl something at his head; the lamp next to you seems very tempting, but you fight it by clenching your fists a few times, trying to put yourself in his shoes.

"Seungcheol, I heard you that day in the cabin. I hear you now and I completely understand your fears. But I am here and we will work through them. It will take time but I'm ready, no matter how long it takes. I just want you, Seungcheol, and it kills me because I know you want me too yet you keep punishing yourself."

By now you have learned to read the man well and what might be easily overlooked by others comes into your notice; like how he clenches his fists and how his Adams apple bobs as he heavily swallows. The look in his eyes is that of a pure battle, one that he is fighting against himself and it's hard to watch. You are about to stand up and hold his hand when he suddenly moves onto his feet, his posture rigid as he glares down at you.

"I do not want you. What happened at the cabin was a mere moment of weakness. And you don't want me either, ______. You will soon realize it."

This gaslighting asshole!

"So you are going to lie to yourself till the very end?" You hiss, standing up and stepping closer to him, meeting his eyes with an equal glare.  "If anyone is lying to themselves here, it is you." He spits. "Our relationship was supposed to be professional from the start. I am a bodyguard and you are merely one of my protectees. Let us end it that way." He takes a step back while you watch him with a flabbergasted expression at his audacity. He uses your moment of weakness to say. "It was nice working with you. Hopefully, you won't need me again. Goodbye, Ms. Lee." The next moment he is pushing past you as his footsteps echo on the cold marble floor, the sound similar to that of your heart as it cracks.

"If you walk away now, I will never forgive you, Seungcheol!" You yell, voice cracking as tears gather in your eyes, your gaze focused outside the window, your back facing him. No reaction comes from behind you except for the footsteps which come to a halt. 

"Do you really want to end it like this?" Your whisper is followed by silence but through the eerie quietness in the room, you know the words reach him well.

His reply comes a few seconds later, in the form of footsteps that echo farther and farther away from you followed by the sound of the door opening and then closing and then utter silence. —

The fundraiser's event is going in full swing, bustling with people when you arrive. Draped in a red silk dress and diamond jewellery you look like a million bucks but in reality you feel nothing like that and you have no desire to be here whatsoever. But you know it is necessary to make an appearance as the host because it is extremely important to show up after the scandal to assure everyone that things are going well. Except they are not. While your professional life has slowly started getting back to its normal place your personal life has plummeted because all that you have done in the past week is mope around and curse your ex bodyguard and bitch about him to your current one, Jihoon.

The best way you can describe Jihoon is a grumpy cat. He talks very little but whenever he does, he's always huffing and complaining. But you see his softer side peek through from the little acts he does for you like making sure you eat your meals properly, checking up on you after your crying session and preparing all your documents and briefing you every morning. His tsundere antics and his silent company have probably been the only driving force that has kept you sane after Seungcheol dumped you.

The event is taking place in a banquet hall in the city centre and once inside, Jihoon guides you to a private resting room where you get ready for the opening speech. "I don't think I will stay till dinner. It is okay I leave after the speech, no?" You ask Jihoon as you finish revising the script. "Maybe mingle with people a little bit. Behave like a human instead of a broken hearted ghost" he offers, his tone dry as usual. You sigh and shake your head at his reply as you smooth your dress and step forward, waiting for the emcee to call you on stage.

Once on stage, you stand behind the podium, the tireless flashes from the cameras giving you a headache and you have to try your very best to plaster a smile on your face as you greet the guests and start your speech. Jihoon stands a few feet away from you on the stage, his eyes scanning the crowd carefully as he receives constant updates in his Bluetooth. However, not even two minutes into your speech, a man causes commotion as he tries to get on the stage, yelling some nonsense about how you are a fraud and a money launderer. You are baffled as you watch the security planted at the perimeter of the stage get a hold of him and drag him out while whispers and murmurs echo among the guests.

"He looks drunk," Jihoon says as he steps close to you to make sure you are alright. "Ignore him. He shouldn't have been allowed inside. I will have a talk with—" He pauses midway in his sentence as his eyes focus on something behind you, on the other side of the stage, his pupils widening. You can barely process the change in his expression before he tugs you away and shields you with his body as you two roll off the stage.

The next moment, an explosion echoes through the air. There is a ringing in your ears as Jihoon covers you, the echoes of the blast intensifying the headache you already had. You feel disoriented as Jihoon helps you to stand up and ushers you towards the resting room backstage while you hear screams echoing from the guests, their heavy footsteps scattering all over. "Wha- what is going on?" You cry, confused as Jihoon shoves you inside the room. "It is your cousin, Jun."  What!

"Lock the door. His men have blocked the exits. I need to clear them before I come get you. Do not open this door, is that clear?" He orders you and before you can form a reply, he is gone. Confused, scared and exhausted, you fall onto the ground, head in your hands as you fail to wrap your head around the situation. Of course, you knew your cousin was sour after his father's arrest but you never thought he would go this far. What is he thinking? What does he want?

You hear commotion spread outside, things crashing and even a few gunshots. As you step closer to the door to get a better listen there is a loud bang, as if someone is trying to break in.

Absolutely terrified, you step back, frantic eyes looking around the small space for a weapon.

If you knew the night would end up like this you would have brought a fucking gun with you.

Speaking of guns, a gunshot echoes through the air, making you duck your head as you scream. Another gunshot rings through the air and you realise whoever is on the other side is trying to come inside.

You can only pray it is not your fucking cousin, who is a maniac, apparently.

A broad, mean looking thug bursts through the door just as it opens and when his eyes land on you, he points his gun at your head. "Do not think of doing anything smart, woman. If you don't want me to blow your face off, you do as I fucking tell you to." Swallowing, you nod, holding your hands up in surrender.

So this is how it goes down, huh.

The man produces a handcuff from his pocket and tosses it towards you. "Put it on your hands! Now!" With shaky hands, you pick it up and just as you are about to fasten it around one of your wrists, there is a gunshot. You are sure you have been shot as you shut your eyes tight but start to think otherwise when seconds pass and you still feel your heartbeat.

Peeking open one eye you see the thug slumped over on the floor, a clean bullet hole on the back of his head. And in the doorframe, stands Seungcheol, a gun in his hand.

Choi Seungcheol.

Wait, what? How?

Your brain is struggling to catch up as you blink again and again to make sure of his presence. Indeed, he stands there, dressed in a black suit and tie, specks of red on his white shirt as he pants heavily.

What on god's green earth—

"Come on, you need to get out!" He yells, stepping inside the room, reaching for your hand and dragging you outside with him.  You cannot get a word out as you let him lead you, absolutely thunderstruck because of his sudden presence.

What the fuck is he doing here? How did he even know what was going on?

You are so baffled that you cannot speak these thoughts out, simply following him as he carefully guides you towards the exit, his gun drawn in alertness. Just as the backyard of the venue comes into view and Seungcheol is about to usher you outside, you hear a voice yelling from the other side of the hall.

It is your cousin's voice. "Let me go you fucking assholes! I am gonna blow that bitch myself! I am gonna tear her up into fucking pieces! How dare she take what is mine! That's slut! I am gonna…" 

Seungcheol almost pushes you to move as you get stuck in a trance of his mean words. "It is okay, Jihoon has him. Come on."

As if you are functioning on autopilot, you let him guide you outside into the open field and underneath a small sitting area where fresh air finally hits you, letting you breathe in a lungful. Seungcheol informs the other security about the update over his comms as you watch him in silence. When he is done, his eyes finally meet yours and in an instant everything that had gone down in the last month flashes through your head, giving you goosebumps. 

There is a moment of silence as you watch him with a blank expression while he looks around uncomfortably. Finally, he decides to break the silence with a chuckle. "I leave you for a few days and this is what happens?" 

His tone is full of amusement. The nerve of this man. You, however, find none of this amusing. It gets your blood boiling as you hear him say the words, your brain finally registering everything and you simply cannot hold yourself back anymore. The next thing you do is strike a clean, sharp slap on his cheek which catches him off guard as he stumbles a few steps back. His eyes widen in shock, his hand moving to cup the cheek which is turning bright red, like your palm.

You poured your heart and soul and all your pent up emotions into that slap so you pray it stings like a bitch.

Your hand does for sure.

"I deserved that-" Seungcheol starts to speak, holding up his hands but the moment he opens his mouth you are on him again as you grab him by the collars, triggered, "How dare you come here, you scum!" You hiss, tugging at the fabric of his collars while a bewildered Seungcheol tries to gently pry you off of him. "How dare you have the audacity to show up after everything you said?"

"_____, you are gonna hurt yourself—"

"You quit! You made it clear that you had no interest in me, Seungcheol! So what gives you the right to come here and save me, huh?" You are seething, emotions so strong you feel like choking and if you were a cartoon character, visible steam would be coming out of your ears.

"_____, please—"

"Who gave you the right to be a hero, huh? What made you come here? Tell me! Talk, you asshole!" You yell, shaking him, tugging on his collars repeatedly as a wild rage takes over you.

You are going to murder him.

"Because I am in love with you!" He yells back, making your grip falter for a second which he uses to quickly free himself, taking a few steps back as you stare wide eyed at him, panting.

When you finally get enough air in your lungs and process his words, really process them, your wry laugh echoes through the cold night air like mockery. "Fuck you, Seungcheol. I have had enough of your bullshit." You spit, pushed to your limits.

God, give me patience.

"I know," he whispers, taking a step closer while you take one back. "I understand what I have done and I do not expect you to forgive me at all. I just need you to know that I fucking love you and I am so fucking sorry. I know I am late but I am here to stay—"

"No you are not," You snap. "Get the hell away from me before I take a gun and fucking shoot you." 

"If that's what will make you happy..." Seungcheol calmly reaches for his gun as you watch him, alarmed. He takes it off of the holster and holds it out towards you. "Shoot me as many times as you want. I deserve it.

This fucking man—

"Guys, can we do this weird foreplay somewhere else," Jihoon yells from behind you as you spin to see him jogging towards you two. "You need to get out of here, _____. He's saying that there are still explosives in this compound."

"What!" You shriek but before you can get another word out, Seungcheol is grabbing your hand and dragging you with him as he starts sprinting. "Keep me updated," he addresses Jihoon who nods, talking into the comm to get a car at the rear entrance for you.

"Let go, you asshole!" You hiss, trying to pry his fingers off your wrist which proves to be a challenge while running full speed in high heels. "God damn it, Seungcheol, I will fall!" And you almost do so, as you misstep and stumble but the man is quick to catch you and before you can even think, he is throwing you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.  "Put me down, you pig!"

"As soon as we get to the car, angel."

Which is quick, thankfully, because the next moment he is putting you down and holding the passenger side door open for you and despite wanting to resist him, you know the wise idea is to leave right now.  As soon as you are inside the car, he shuts the door before running to the other side and before you can even put your seatbelt on, the car is moving.

"Jihoon will be fine, right?" You ask half mindedly as you turn your head back to look at the venue which gets smaller every passing second. "He will be fine," Seungcheol grunts. "The police have been informed as well as the bomb disposal team." "What about my cousin?" Seungcheol remains quiet for a moment, only staring ahead on the road. "Him? He's  alive, unfortunately."

"What do you mean?" You ask warily.

"I shot him. The bullet hit his abdomen. He won't die, don't worry. That depraved asshole doesn't deserve that mercy." You sigh, rubbing your temples as you lean back into your seat. "What the hell was he thinking?"

"He wanted to hurt you, humiliate you, _____. He had plans to hurt you horribly." Seungcheol huffs out a breath, shaking his head and clenching his jaw. "He has gone insane." That is all he provides, making you fall silent for a moment. "When will this stop." You whisper to yourself. "I never considered him to be a threat."

"I should have. You locked up his father and made sure he could never take over the company. He was a huge threat that I failed to notice." He murmurs.

"Don't start, Seungcheol," you snap at him, irritated. "I'm still tempted to shoot you. Your duty was over the moment you handed in the resignation letter and walked out of my life."

"My biggest mistake." He whispers to himself but you hear it. 

Tired, frustrated, scared and angry, you decide not to engage in this conversation further as you look out the window and wonder what is coming next.  Another media storm for sure.  More interrogations, more meetings with your lawyer.  At the same time, however, the edge that you have been feeling for the last week is gone. The fact that your cousin never came up to you or tried to retaliate his father's arrest in any way made you wonder but it never occurred to you that he could turn violent, insane. 

Jun was after all a puppet, who only did things after his father made the way for him his whole life.

Today was a different case, it looks like. Anyhow, it is somewhat of a win for you because you miraculously got out unscathed and the threat has been neutralised. However, you are sure many have been injured and your reputation has taken a severe hit today. The upcoming months will be very hard, harder than before…

The next coherent thought that comes upon you is that you fell asleep. You open your eyes realising that the car has stopped and the time on the dashboard says about thirty minutes have passed. Blinking, you shift in your seat and find Seungcheol, sitting next to you, watching you with a look that is foreign on his face, something close to adoration. Clearing your throat, you remove your seatbelt and sit up straight.

"How long was I asleep?"

"Not long enough. We just got here." He announces as he moves to open his door. "Come on, let's go inside."

Once you are out of the car, you realise Seungcheol has taken you to a five star hotel and seeing the confusion on your face, he explains. "It's safer here. Can't take any more risks tonight."

He casually slips his hand into yours, making you frown and drags you towards the hotel. Your tired body cannot put up much of a fight so you follow him begrudgingly and you are quickly escorted to the penthouse suite thanks to his prior booking.

Upon entering the suite you walk straight to the master bedroom where the king sized bed calls for your tired self as you sit down and take off your heels, throwing them away on the carpet over the floor with a soft thud, exhaling a loud sigh. Seungcheol follows you and remains quiet as you sit in silence at the edge of the bed, too wired, too disoriented to do anything. Normally, after everything that happened with your uncle your decision making skills have significantly sharpened but having Seungcheol near you, his stupid confession ringing in your head is fucking with your brain. And as if that goddamn man can read your mind, he kneels in front of you on the floor, one of his hands softly touching your knees as he utters. "You need to rest, ______. I will handle everything else. It is all under control now, trust me."

"Why do you do this?" You croak, pushed to the limits of exhaustion, your eyes trained somewhere in an unfocused gaze as you fidget with your hands. "Why do you push me away and then come back running at a time like this?"

He is silent for a long time while you fight to keep your tears at bay.

You will not cry in front of him.

"I am sorry." He only whispers, his fingers softly stroking your knee as his head lowers and his gaze falls down on the floor. "I was foolish and...scared. That night after we slept together you…you said out loud you loved me and I panicked. I was— I am a danger to you. But being away from you for a week was a pain unlike anything else. I went back to that cabin and I slept in your bed and the sheets had the faintest of your smell. Weirdly, your scent and everything you left behind soothed me and I didn't have any nightmares in the past week. But every morning I woke up and there was a sinking feeling in my stomach that only grew each day until I couldn't bear it. I realised that you really were an angel who saved me, brought lightness back into my life, and gave me a new purpose, a new dream. I realised what an idiot I was and I came to the city on Wednesday night. Believe me when I tell you that my intention was to just stay away and make sure you are okay. I knew what I had done and I was in no way worthy of showing up in front of you but I had to intervene tonight, _____. Your life was in danger."

The air conditioner in your room suddenly feels chillier as goosebumps prickle your skin, making you shiver. Seungcheol takes notice of it and stands up quickly to take off his jacket before draping it over your shoulders. He stands in front of you in silence, fingers hovering over your now covered shoulders while you stare at his shoes, your head going blank but also running a mile a minute. The frustration and overwhelmingness bleed together until you can't tell one emotion separate from another.

All of a sudden, Seungcheol's thumbs caress your cheeks while the rest of his fingers softly cup your jaw and it is only then that you realise you have been silently crying. He oh so gently wipes your cheek dry while uttering, "Please don't cry. I know I hurt you. I promise I will leave as soon as I make sure you are going to be okay." Instantly, a part inside your brain is flooded with panic as it screams no. You don't want him to leave when you remember how hard the past week was on you and how many times a day you would revisit that night in the cabin, the moment you two shared and how it proved to be the anchor for you throughout everything that happened after.

You were— are mad at him but you still want him near, crazy is it not?

You keep thinking of how safe you felt the moment Seungcheol found you in tonight's chaos, how just his presence made you fall asleep so easily when for the last week you could not fall asleep without the fear of nightmares.

Yes, they have returned. But you don't see the accident anymore, you see your uncle chasing you around the cabin while you call for Seungcheol but he doesn't come, no matter how much you beg.

And after tonight, you wonder what more nightmares await you. So when you utter the one, very powerful word, you tell yourself that you are doing this for yourself, to be selfish and not for him, which is not a lie entirely. 

"No."

Your left hand reaches to grab the fabric of his shirt and you fist it tightly in your hand. "Don't leave."  You don't dare to look at him, scared you will break once you do and instead focus your gaze on the patterns of the carpet while holding onto his shirt. The next moment Seungcheol is sitting next to you and in the moment after he gently wraps his arms around you, your head falling perfectly against his shoulder while your arms snake around his waist after a moment's hesitation. 

His warm touch soothes your back as his other hand cups the back of your head, softly stroking it with his thumb. A small whimper comes from your mouth as quiet sobs escape from you and you hide your face and weep, trying to stifle the sounds.

"I am so sorry, _____. I am sorry for everything." Seungcheol whispers, voice thick with emotion. "I will make everything better, I promise. I will stay as long as you need me and then… " There is a moment of heavy pause. "When you don't, I will follow you around like a lost puppy for the rest of my life." Thinking about the rest of your life and not having Seungcheol in it makes you sob harder and if you had energy you would scream at him and tell him to just shut up. Instead, you cry, cry your heart out, promising yourself that from tomorrow you won't. 

Tomorrow another battle begins. 

As the night grows deeper, Seungcheol holds you tighter and your sobs gradually fade and before you know it you fall asleep on his shoulder. Seungcheol stays still for a while longer to make sure you don't wake up before gently picking up your sleeping form and setting you down on the bed, fixing the pillow underneath your head and covering you with a blanket. Despite his desire to crawl into bed and sleep next to you, he resists it and instead takes the loveseat in front of the window, where he sits and watches your peacefully sleeping form, before falling asleep himself with a heart full of gratitude.

— You watch the steam from the mug evaporate into the air before taking a small sip. The tea is slightly bitter and hot, just as you need it.

After waking up and taking a quick shower, here you sit, by the window of your penthouse suite, sipping tea, treating yourself to a quiet peaceful moment before your hectic day, which you are frankly not prepared for, begins. 

You woke up to an empty suite, with no sign of Seungcheol and it almost made you wonder if last night was an entire elaborate dream. But then you found his tie lying on the loveseat which acted as a reassurance of his presence, weirdly bringing solace to you. 

After waking up, you realised your phone's battery is dead, which became another source of peace for you, because you know otherwise, it would have been blowing up with calls and you wouldn't have gotten the good night's sleep that you got. 

There's a sudden sound of the door opening that alerts you, making you crane your neck to see the visitor. Seungcheol walks in, dressed completely differently from last night, looking delicious in a light blue polo and white pants. On his hands are two shopping bags and behind him is a hotel staff member who pushes in a huge breakfast trolley. "Good morning, _____." Seungcheol meets your eye as he sets down the shopping bags on the edge of the bed and thanks the staff as he takes his leave.  You watch Seungcheol take off the lids covering the food while speaking, "Breakfast is here. I have asked for a bit of everything you like. And I have got new clothes and some necessities for you. They are in the bag," He points to the general direction as he starts stacking pancakes on a plate for you. You are quite surprised and flattered and you cannot come up with anything else to say but, "Thank you."

For some weird reason, you feel shy and awkward around him as if you are a newborn fawn. Maybe it is because none of you are addressing the elephant in the room; last night's conversation and instead acting like you have known each other for years. "It's my pleasure," he smiles at you, a genuine smile that shows his dimples and makes your heart gallop like a horse. Handing you the plate, he takes a comfortable seat in the chair in front of you and watches you dig in, a look you can only describe as fondness sitting on his face. Feeling shy, you cover your mouth as you chew. "Stop looking at me." 

"You look a bit tired. Did you not sleep well?" He asks suddenly.  "I had a good sleep, thank you." You inform, surprised how he noticed.  You have been feeling a little sick after you woke up despite having a very good night's rest. A headache has been creeping up on your temples but you are trying hard to ignore it because this is not the time to get sick.

You have a long day ahead of you.

Making you jerk, Seungcheol places his palm on your forehead out of the blue as he checks your temperature and an unpleasant look settles on his face. "You are getting a fever." "No, I'm not." You direct your focus on cutting your pancakes, using too much pressure. Ignoring you, the man dials a number on his phone and asks for some cold medicine to be brought to the hotel room to whoever is on the other side. "I just told you, I am fine." You frown, annoyed. He hangs up and stares at you as if you are speaking a different language. "You are not. You need to take the medicine and get some rest."

"Now is not the time for me to sleep! Do not play doctor!" You snap, setting the plate down with a loud bang as you clutch the fork and knife tightly in your hand. Seungcheol does not react to your outburst but simply changes position as he comes to sit next to you.

"Your cousin is in custody. I talked with your lawyer this morning, he is preparing everything well. There is no way he is getting off. Jihoon and his men already testified to the police so you do not have to meet with them unless you want to add something. If you do, I will arrange a phone call with the station. The legal department is working on a statement and it will be released today in a press conference. The CFO will read it out." He informs, casually. 

"You are sick, _____. And it's okay .You went through a lot. It is okay if you take a break today. No one is asking you to go out there and face the demons. You need to rest. Your body is asking for it." 

His voice softens as one of his hands comes to rest on your thigh gently. The assurance in his voice paired with the tenderness in his eyes makes you swallow a lump in your throat and blink back tears. "Still..."

"Finish your breakfast." He says as he reaches for the plate while taking the fork and knife out of your hand and cutting it into bite sized pieces. "And you should probably call your brother today, by the way. The news of last night's events will reach him sooner or later and I think it would be best if he heard it from you."

You nod, feeling sad. Chan just left for a vacation one week ago. When he hears about this, he will definitely catch the next flight home.

"If you do not want to call him, I can do it for you." Seungcheol offers as he finishes his task and hands the plate and cutlery back to you.

"No, I will do it." You murmur and silently go back to eating. Seungcheol watches you in silence for the rest of the meal and after you are done, the staff returns to clean up and drops your medicines. You take them and then sit in your bed idly, watching the city skyline through your window, trying not to overthink anything. You can hear Seungcheol talk over the phone in the other room before he steps back into the master bedroom to check up on you.

"If you feel too sick, let me know. I will take you to the hospital." 

You softly nod and turn your head to look at him. He appears worried, his eyes glazed with concern, his brows forming a knot as if he's trying to read you. After a moment, you silently motion him to come sit by you on the bed which he diligently follows. 

His hands reach out to hold yours, his thumb gently stroking your skin as he gazes into your eyes, leaning closer to you, his eyes searching for something in yours. His bangs fall forward, cupping his temples and you itch to brush them away.  "Tell me what you are thinking." He whispers.

"You have pretty hair." You reply honestly and he chuckles, shaking his head before his face becomes serious.  "I missed you." His voice is low, almost inaudible as his gaze falls down to your linked hands, as if he is ashamed to meet your eyes when saying that. "I missed you too." You reply honestly, once again. Seungcheol seems surprised to hear that and you cannot help but roll your eyes.

"Oh please, Choi Seungcheol. Don't act like you had no idea." Your head rests against the headboard as you make yourself comfortable and scowl at him. "You knew very well how much effect you had on me and you knew damn well how much I loved you."

"Loved me?"

"Okay, love you—"

"Wait, no— you...love me? Really? You didn't say it that night in the heat of the moment?" You only realise then how you just casually spat it out, again, and immediately, heat blooms on your face. You avoid his gaze, snatching your hands from his grip while he looks absolutely stunned.

"Whatever." You mutter, scooting down on the bed, reaching to grab the sheets and hide yourself in them but Seungcheol stops you as he cages you between his arms, his face hovering dangerously close to yours, his perfume and aftershave blending into an addictive scent that makes your brain hazy with need.

Control yourself, woman! "Answer me. You love me?" "Ugh, you heard me the first time," you groan, trying to twist away from him but he stops you by cupping your chin and making you face him. 

"Wanna know something?" He whispers, inching his face closer.

"What?" You are breathless.

"I love you too, ____." He replies, his lips ghosting over yours. You anticipate a kiss but he doesn't, instead tucks your hair behind your ear as he whispers in your ear. "I am so deeply, madly in love with you it is embarrassing."

The words are music to your ears and your insides swoon as you close your eyes and relish them, pressing your lips tight to prevent yourself from breaking into a maniacal grin. Seungcheol shifts his weight back and rests himself on his one palm as his other hand softly cups your face. "And I am sorry, once again, for what I did to you."

"Good but I am still mad." You try your best to appear stern.

"I know." His expression is solemn. "I plan on making it up to you until my dying breath."

When did he become so romantic?

"You may start by cuddling me," you whisper, almost shy, carefully watching his reaction. He immediately proceeds to get under the sheets with you and carefully engulfs you into his large arms, your face resting against his solid chest as his hand strokes your hair soothingly. Your arms move to snake around his waist as you feel yourself relax, his arms feeling like the safest, most comfortable place in the entire universe and you never, ever want to leave.

"I love you, Seungcheol." Your voice is muffled against his chest.

"I love you more, angel. So much more."

1 month later 

The view around the cabin is just as pretty as you remember it. The setting sun of dusk casts it in a beautiful glow which you stop and stand to admire. 

Beside you, Seungcheol finishes parking the jeep and unloads the overnight bags from the trunk. 

"What are you looking at?" He asks when he comes to stand next to you, fishing for keys from his pocket in one hand.

"It's very beautiful." You murmur, eyes glancing over the view before settling down on the man next to you. He is dressed in a grey t-shirt, his blond hair looking as gorgeous as ever, if not more in the golden hour and you know, he is undoubtedly the epitome of beauty. 

Seungcheol meets your stare with equal sincerity as he reaches to hold your hand, whispering. "Yes, it is." You know he is talking about you.

A light, gleeful laugh escapes your lips as you playfully push him with your shoulder. He grins and drags you with him inside the cabin.

It is hard to believe that this place was a crime scene about a month ago. Seungcheol did some thorough renovations and now the place looks more beautiful, cozier than ever.

As much as your heart wishes to stay in this little piece of green heaven forever, this is a small weekend getaway that Seungcheol organised and initiated by picking you up early from work today. You did not complain because the past few weeks were tough.

Getting your company back together after the fundraiser's incident and making sure you are still in the market is taking a lot of well thought plans and manpower and instructions. You have help, of course, from Chan who immediately rushed home from his vacation when he heard about Jun's attack on you. Seungcheol also has been helping you a lot, though you officially denied him the position of your bodyguard. 

He then started working as a security consultant at his friend's company and has been assisting you however he could throughout the past month. He also started therapy again and so far his progress is remarkable. He is a lot less self sabotaging and he has not had a nightmare ever since you got back together, much like you. Not to mention he has been working extra hard to make it up to you, always catering to your every little need and never asking for anything in return or initiating anything, even though you have noticed multiple times how his eyes trail you around hungrily. 

So far, you have only rewarded him with kisses because it was too much fun to watch him silently suffer.  However, you plan to change that this weekend.

"Let's watch the sunset together," you propose as Seungcheol drops your bags in the bedroom. He agrees and you two walk back outside to the patio, hands linked where you stand and gaze at the setting sun. Seungcheol's arms wrap around you protectively from behind and his chin comes to rest on your shoulder.

"We need to get groceries." He murmurs absentmindedly as he presses a soft kiss on your neck that makes you sigh in pleasure. You hum, offering that you could just order takeout. As the sun dips beneath the horizon, Seungcheol takes occasional peeks at your face, admiring the mesmerised look in your eyes. His heart beats loudly, wild in love as he imagines the rest of his life with you and how it would be to watch you watch the sunset.

Delightful. Like the delightful secret he is hiding. A huge secret that has been burning holes in his pocket for a month.  After the night of the attack, the next morning when he went to shop for your clothes at the mall, a ring caught his eye in a jewellery store and he purchased it right there, intent on putting it on your finger someday.

He has been carrying it ever since, waiting for the perfect moment to get down on one knee.  Maybe this weekend will carry that moment, maybe not.

Either way, it is fine. He is not in a rush. He knows he will get down on one knee when he deems himself worthy enough of you. Though, logically it might never happen because no one is worthy of a person as beautiful, as amazing as you. But he will work very hard to be worthy of you, now and every day that he has on this planet. Seungcheol smiles to himself, agreeing that he's a very lucky bastard. "Cheol?" You call him by his nickname, breaking his train of thought. "Hm?" "I love you." You whisper. His next words are the sweetest serenade. "I love you more, angel."

A/N: If you have made it this far, congratulations and a huge thank you for taking the time to read this mammoth of a fic! I genuinely put my blood, sweat and tears into this and believe me when I tell you that my wrists hurt like hell. Still, I am glad I could share this with the world and I'm very proud of myself for successfully putting the conjectural idea from my head to the paper. It took a lot of time to come up with the idea, finalize it and stitch the pieces together so please leave a review and reblog! Your thoughts and comments really make my day. Wishing you a happy October! As a side note, I am swearing off of writing fics over 20k words. When I tell you that this app whopped my ass while posting this! My god! I was seriously considering breaking it into two parts. If you are reading this now that means I have hopefully posted it without trouble. Anyway, toodles!

© startlightxsvt 2023 | All rights reserved. Do not copy, repost, translate, adapt, or repurpose any of my works.

#seventeen smut #scoups smut #seungcheol smut #seventeen imagines #seventeen fluff #seventeen angst #choi seungcheol #scoups imagines #seventeen #seventeen x reader #svt imagines #svt scenarios

[to-mah-to27]

Headcanon that Saiki Kusuo collects people with honest intentions.

This might be less of a headcanon and more of just a dissection of the series, but every time Saiki talks about people in general, it's always nihilistic and defeatist.

He doesn't like weddings because of hearing the guest's thoughts and how it directly opposes what they are saying.

He doesn't like Christmas because of how people are always thinking about themselves and what they want rather than about giving and being grateful, which is against the very spirit of the holiday.

Basically, people's thoughts show a darker and more egotistical side of humanity, and overexposure to this has added to the already mountainous problem of Saiki distancing himself from everyone and everything.

Almost every time a new character is introduced, Saiki treats them in this same way, expecting them to be secretly self-absorbed and immoral. But by the end of the short, they prove to be otherwise.

-That's- when Saiki goes all Tsundere and "well I guess I'd rather not owe him a favor or anything" and uses his powers to help them.

Saiki -does- hate Nendou. Until Nendou jumps in to stop him from getting mugged by two other students. Saiki knows he has been nothing but cold and dismissive to this guy, and yet while getting the shit kicked out of him for getting involved, all Nendou does and give him a thumbs up and tell him to run.

Saiki hates Kaidou, too. Sees him as another outcast trying to become friends with him on the principle that they are both alone. Until Kaidou actually jumps in front of the other student to save her from getting attacked by a snake. Kaidou is terrified, yes, and panics and thinks "Why did I do that?" but he still did it. He risked bodily harm and infection to save someone else and -that- is what heroes actually are.

Saiki doesn't necessarily hate Hairo, but he does admit they aren't the type of people who would get along. But then Hairo goes as far as to scrape his knee for Saiki, even if it was to keep him in a game he doesn't really want to play. He recognizes Hairo is someone who sticks to his morals, and he respects that.

Teruhashi took a bit longer, especially because at first she really was the type of person who says something the opposite of what they think. Their relationship is a little more complicated, I think and I've already talked about it before, but I do think that it was when she committed so hard to her appearance that she was willing to eat that "ramen" from the place Nendou showed them. Actions speak much louder than words, as Saiki as a character is a very good example of. At a certain point, is it really a facade if she is willing to go that far?

Basically, Saiki has a soft spot for people who are honest and true.

He can't force himself to really truly push them away like he could do if he really wanted to. Because that's so rare in the world to find a person like that, at least for him, and so it is very difficult to force them out of his life when he knows they are only trying to help.

At least that's how it starts.

I can do another post about the rest of the characters if y'all want

#haha another mountain of a post from tomahto yall know me #saiki k #kusuo saiki #nendou riki #shun kaidou #hairo kineshi #teruhashi kokomi #friendship

[starberry-cupcake]

I have made up from last time that was about only one chapter, this time we have 5 in a row. We finished act one, fam!

previously, in harrowbean the ninth:

this happened

I want to also thank you for all your nice comments and replies, I read every single one, I promise ♥

ch. 7 to 11 summarized terribly, here we go:

it's time to cross the river

difficult task to perform

as someone who lives literally surrounded by rivers, in every direction, I can relate

my rivers don't carry ghouls though, as far as I know

I mean, there are ghost and cryptid legends, but not ghouls that stick to the windshield of a spaceship like bugs

like these ones do

so harrow and yandere twin aren't doing fantastic

yandere twin loses it in like the first 2 seconds

harrow sees the ghosts of all the ninth kids who died for her to be alive

there's water also, but that part sounds very relaxing, actually

getting covered by water but not needing to breath

I'd be there forever tbh

but we can't, because ghoulies

mercygirl is still doing sound effects like kronk

btw we're changing her name to mercygirl because it's what I've been calling her now

I have been told by a number of you that mercygirl is your camilla so I apologize for disrespecting your blorbina

I might do it again, if the situation arises, though

mercygirl is piloting the ship and emperor the fool is just chillin' until he realizes harrow is walking about and doing theorems, which they didn't think she'd be in a state to do, so they didn't tell her not to do it

these people half-assing plans, who would have thought

mercygirl calls the emperor john

emperor johnnyboy tries telling harrow to come back from her state because she's in too deep and it's becoming dangerous

mercygirl stars talking about the death of cassiopeia (another name that's easy to remember)

says cassiopeia had a ceramics collection, which makes her worthy of all my respect

harrow was thinking "five", idk what it's about

next thing we know, we're back to our gideonless retelling of gideon

in this version, teacher explains things

he says the house was inhabited previously by "ten normal human beings of the Resurrection, though half were blessed already with necromantic gifts"

I'm tired of MATH

he says they left blueprints, he tells them about the Sleeper, he tells them how not to awaken it, he tells them about the trap door, he tells them what's under the trap door, he asks them to work together...

you know what this is like

it's like reading gideon was entering a new game and skipping every tutorial they give you

and reading this is like clicking every NPC's info and reading all that they say

ANYWAY, here is where ortus 1...

wait, this is going to be confusing

I want to call ortus from the ninth "ortus 1" and the new guy "ortus 2"

because ninth ortus was the first to show up

but new ortus is actually older and also is ortus the first

we're gonna go with ortus and lyctor!ortus, for now

so, as I was saying, this is were ortus starts becoming much more insistent in these "flashbacks" about him not being the right choice

which, he's not wrong

we know he's not wrong

and harrow is saying stuff like "unless you can summon matthias nonius" (matthias nonius is becoming a recurrent thing, let's remember harrow compared gideon to him at one point)

and ortus goes "I don't understand why you chose me" to which harrow says "there was nobody else" and ortus exasperatedly says "you never did posses an imagination"

VERY IMPORTANT THING

a skeleton turns around when they're walking and says "is this how it happens?"

we'll come back to that shortly

REMEMBER IT

(I know you all remember it, you've read this already, just act like I'm dora the explorer and play along)

next chapter starts in not!dulcinea's funeral

I'm sad I used the oliver queen grave meme already, I can't use it again to express my feelings

I'm gonna use the steel magnolias scene where they laugh at the funeral instead

so, we are introduced to the famous augustine who's name I will remember

there's some conversation about first and second generations and about not!dulcinea being chosen, and Emperor Johnny Bravo says "we were all there to meet her, all sixteen of us"

MORE MATH

I guess she was the last one of these, but maybe we knew that already, I feel we knew that already

apparently, not!dulcinea was the most reluctant to slurp her cavalier, but that didn't stop any of them, not even her, so

Emperor Johnny Quest says "for god's sake" and harrow thinks "the god who became a man and yet still invoked himself, apparently"

when she's right, she's right

that's better commentary than I could make

I have to respect augustine a little bit because he asked "which one of the kiddies did her in?" and I thought that was hilarious

he is called the saint of patience, which makes my previous comment about them being named via sarcasm very correct

it's like captain planet or the power rangers but chosen as funnily as possible

they start summoning lyctor!ortus by saying that he's interested in "you-know-what", which is both suspicious and childish and the vibes of these lyctors are all over the place

augustine thinks something's wrong, which is an understatement at this point, but ok

lyctor!ortus comes in as if summoned by the gossip and harrow calls him "the next terrible part of your life" which is saying something

lyctor!ortus comes with news of the seventh beast or whatnot that's trailing them

harrow bleeds from her ears and smashes her head on the next available surface to pass out

the mood

who could blame her

this lyctor job is terrible

it's like the end of drop dead gorgeous and harrow is kristen dunst

I'm not explaining that, in case you haven't watched a classic

we are back to the "flashbacks" and we've got a special appearance from the fifth

*studio audience claps and cheers*

they say they prefer to look into books than going downstairs, which is something one would consider if one had known what the fuck was downstairs from the start

abigail also does sound effects like mercygirl, it's catching on

abigail finds a piece of a recipe note that mentions an M and a Nigella

still no G&P

we know nigella is the cav of cassiopeia, the ceramics collector

I remember nigella's name because of the cook, which makes it funnier that it's a recipe

M could be mercygirl

abigail also gives harrow a note

abigail says that she'd like to summon the ghost of a lyctor but she's not sure how that could work or where they go when they die

ortus, magnus and abigail, in this gideonless version, are a polycule

I am convinced of that

while they're talking, magnus says "is this really how it happens?"

REMEMBER I SAID WE'D BRING THAT BACK

IT'S BACK

abigail starts telling harrow that she's got the energy of a lot of dead kids in her and harrow storms out

harrow gets angry when ortus calmly agrees about things and she doesn't want to look into why

I WONDER WHY THAT IS

harrow looks at abby's note again and now there's text on it

it's a longer version of the note she found before

it's a rant

it mentions dead eggs, implantation, some guy being sent after the OP, said guy taking pity on OP

OP is mad about all of this and doesn't use punctuation

what ortus reads isn't what harrow reads, once again

NOW THIS BIT

"ortus, I need a cavalier with a backbone" "You always did and I am glad, I think, that I never became that cavalier"

the gideon points keep adding up

harrow then goes to sleep and is like this

final thing in act I, in chapter 11, is harrowbean stabbing not!dulcinea again, which

always make sure, it's like resident evil in here

just in case, let's stab her a bunch of times

so, are these "flashbacks" happening in real time whenever harrow isn't conscious?

is it her trying to remember what actually happened?

or is it her trying to hide it?

was there actually a longer period of time between the defeat of not!dulcinea and the emperor Jon Arbuckle coming to pick them up?

a period of time in which harrow learned things that made her write those letters?

and in which something happened regarding gideon?

is the note of the implantation also related?

why was gideon born in space?

of course I'm not asking you, please don't spoil anything, I'm just asking the void of desperation and chaos right now

we'll see if any of this gets answered soon or if I just get more questions

also, guess who wasn't mentioned

see you on the next one!! I'll try to get back to the awesome replies I've been getting soon ♥

#luly reacts to tlt #harrow the ninth #harrow the ninth spoilers #tlt spoilers #the locked tomb #long post #gif cw

[klmp11s]

Hi! I’m the guy who did the cater request. I was wondering if you could do Idia with a male reader who looks like the most normal guy ever, but he’s a bigger nerd and weeb than Idia is? That’s all, hope you have a great day!

HAHA while I was writing this I read several articles to accurately write this 🤗(English is not my first language, sorry for any mistakes)

Summary An idea with a reader who, at first glance, doesn’t look at all like who he is Character: Idia Shroud Warning: bigger nerd male!reader, ooc(?), hcs, romantic

Idia Shroud

You met him after you were assigned to Ignyhide (Ortho was definitely involved)

But he couldn’t fully understand why such a normie like you was enrolled in his dorm

Like, have you seen yourself? An absolutely normal, ordinary person like everyone else. Yes, your appearance is pleasant, but then why weren’t you ahead, for example in Pomefiore?

And most likely Ortho influenced his brother and ultimately introduced you to him. Okay, so what next? He's not a fan of talking to other people, you know? Moreover, he thought that you were completely different from him and had completely ordinary tastes, what should he talk to you about if it is necessary?

Once again, after walking around campus with you, Ortho told Idia about you. At one point, the boy looks at Idia’s monitor and says something like: “Oh, you watch this anime too? He told me about this today! He even showed photos of his collection of stuff with characters!”

After that, Orto definitely started talking about you more often and even suggested that his brother also talk to you about something that you both liked.

I think at the moment if Ortho told Idia that you also madly love video games, he could have casually said that he wouldn’t mind playing with you once.

Okay, Ortho FLYED OUT to tell you about this. You're happy, aren't you? He tried so many times to make you friends with his brother and finally he succeeds!

Idia definitely didn't expect that you could beat him several rounds in a row. Okay, are you even human??? He's been playing this game since its release! How do you manage to defeat HIM?

Voice chat? Yes, VOICE CHAT

You are simply saying that you also started playing this game as soon as it came out and you could also win it in other games. Okay, do you want to argue with him?

During one of the games, you just start telling him about a new anime that came out the other day and he doesn’t notice how he’s really listening to what you’re saying. Okay, he could watch it later.

Now from now on you write to him like?? Almost every day?? Except for the time when you are in class.

Voice messages about a new game/movie/manga/anime, etc.? Oh yes, but he's definitely sure that he didn't sign up for this, but for some reason he listens to all your messages

Now you write to each other about something that caught your attention and at some point he wonders how he could think that you are a normie. ARE YOU LITERALLY WORSE THAN HIM??? He is absolutely sure that there were times when you stayed awake longer than him and he woke up from your 99+ messages about some new game that should be played as a couple.

His room is now your room with him, just like your room is now your room with him, you know? He’s really lucky that your room is close to his and the chance of meeting other people is much less, convenient, right?

He is even sure that he knows the plot of films and TV series that he has not even watched. Do you really talk that much? (he talks almost as much as you)

The two of you can just spend time in silence in one of your rooms with him when you suddenly sit down and start telling him about the new manga you read

He is literally at this moment: 🧍 You two sat for 10 hours in silence and now you just start talking about a completely random thing? Okay, he might be interested in this.

WHAT IF YOU ARE A COSPLAYER? Well he's INTERESTED Do you show off your collection of costumes and some of your looks and even invite him to cosplay as an anime couple? He died

You started dating him during one of your play dates. It's literally like, "hm? Yes, I wouldn't mind dating you." "..What?" AND HE LEAVES THE VOICE CHAT? Okay, now he will write to you soon only if you are offline. Better yet, forget it, okay?

On the one hand, he is definitely not happy to see that you have come to his room, but on the other hand, he really needs to discuss this with you. Or maybe it’s still not necessary?

You could have told him at first that you were unhappy, because he left the game at the moment and you had to fight alone against other teams, but now everything is fine. After you tell him that you also have feelings for him, he will definitely not believe you at first.

Do you think this is funny? He will now kick you out of his room and unfriend you in games.

Now you need to prove that you really like him, you know? (Five minutes and he will understand that you are serious)

Seeing you in public a couple of times, he is as surprised as possible, because you are completely different alone with him.

Now he understands why he thought of you as a completely ordinary guy

You 100% play the gacha with him over a video call and YOU ARE LITERALLY ALWAYS LUCKY?? WHY?

Now you play gacha on his account 🤗 after which he goes to brag about how lucky he is to have such a lucky boyfriend

The characters do not belong to me, they belong to their rightful owners, please do not edit, translate, repost my works on other platforms, also without my permission and @

#twst x reader #twst x male reader #idia shroud x male reader #idia shroud x reader

[shrimpys-log]

Shrimpy's Log 002: New Year Schemes

✎ Ficlet ✎ Characters: Azul, Cater, Floyd, Jade, Ruggie ✎ Gender-neutral ✎ Slight use of swear words ✎ Tagged as x reader but can be platonic, it's just a funny little scenario ✎ Based on the current New Year event on the English server, on Octavinelle's day (feat. Cater, Ruggie)

Cater and Ruggie knew that Azul, Jade and Floyd would return for another match, and the dread outweighed the celebration of their most recent victory.

Seeing you in the crowd came as a huge relief. You were even-tempered and sweet, and even if it would be hard to convince you to spend more money than necessary (managing Ramshackle meant you had to be a practical spender, after all), talking to you would undoubtedly ease the nerves. Especially since you knew the horrors of Octavinelle all too well, and could easily sympathize with their plight.

"Hi Cater, hi Ruggie! Having a pleasant shift, I hope?"

It didn't take long to figure out that they were not, in fact, having a pleasant shift--at least not with the fish mafia prowling about. You seemed to catch on to their source of anxiety a little too quickly.

"It's that game Sam's introduced this year, isn't it?" You deduce. "Three versus two... that's not very fair, especially when Floyd's practically two people on his own."

"That's not our only concern," Ruggie replies, tactfully keeping his voice out of earshot from the nearby merpeople. "Jade and Azul keep coming back with better and better strategies, and Floyd's accumulating more skill with each round, even if he isn't abiding by anything the other two have to say. We've managed to come through a few times so far, but..."

"...but Azul's relentless," You nod. "Yeah, I know. So, what about your strategy?"

"Not exactly my strong suit," Cater chimes in. "Ruggie's doing fine on that end, but there's not much to strategize. We already studied all the tips and tricks before this whole thing started."

"Of course there's plenty to strategize. Those three aren't infallible, you know," you reply, eyes sparkling. Your cheerful expression was far too innocent for the blunt analysis that followed. "Floyd's definitely the best athlete, but he's also the easiest to take down. It's not hard to put him in a bad mood--the most surefire way to do that would be to get Azul to berate him, and if you want to get Azul to berate Floyd, you just have to make Floyd so excited that he starts tuning Azul out. Not even Jade and Azul can control Floyd's mood."

...fair enough, Ruggie and Cater supposed. They weren't expecting that to be the 'strategy' you had in mind, but in all fairness, you were around the Octa-trio more than the rest of them.

"The second biggest weakness to exploit is Azul," you say. "I'm sure you remember from Beanfest, Cater--Azul's not exactly the most enthusiastic when it comes to... well... physical fitness as we experience it on land. He's crazy strong, but his speed and agility aren't there. He thinks strategy is enough to compensate for it--and ordinarily, it is--but if you target him over Jade, that's where you'll get the slip-up you need. Jade's the most composed and, like Floyd, he's pretty competent with all land games that aren't heavily reliant on flying, so to throw him off, your best bet is to convince him that it would be more fun to see Azul frustrated than it would be to receive the prize of victory. He's a sucker for all things entertaining."

Cater and Ruggie blink at you with wide eyes, but you don't seem to even notice.

"Say, do you guys have spackle for sale? Ramshackle's crumbling again, I have some walls I need to patch up," you say nonchalantly, completely moving on from your strategic tirade as if it'd never happened in the first place.

It was a fortunate outcome--once Ruggie and Cater helped you find all the things you needed to find (you'd already planned to shop in bulk, since Ramshackle had a lot of unmet needs and the New Year prices were extremely generous), you owed enough to earn yourself a few rounds of hanetsuki. Cater and Ruggie didn't seem particularly threatened by the idea of taking you on, which was kind of offensive, but you understood. You didn't seem as threatening without your usual crew (Ace, Deuce, Grim) around for backup.

Less fortunately, at least for Cater and Ruggie, was that Azul, Jade and Floyd were back to play, and the two had nowhere to hide. Floyd greeted you with a hug while Jade curiously poked at all the stuff you bought, but Azul's sharp blue eyes were focused on the prize.

"I believe we're due for another round," he remarks confidently.

"Coincidentally, I've earned myself a round as well," you chime in, turning to Ruggie and Cater. "Though I suppose three versus two is rather uneven. Can I join your side?"

Immediately your friends--on both sides--began to sputter at you.

"T-That's not the rules!" Azul accuses. Clearly, you joining Cater and Ruggie would completely wipe his strategy. Jade, however, seems greatly amused by the prospect.

"What a wonderful idea," he chuckles. "After all, you shouldn't have to fight this battle alone, you poor, unfortunate thing."

"The prefect could be on our side," Azul snaps. "Why should they join the enemy--ahem, the employees?"

"Hate to break it to ya, hon, but Zulie's right," Cater notes. "It's so totally cute you wanna be all even and all, but the game is that you challenge us."

"I'll pay double," you counter simply. "I need 50 for a round, right? Well, how about 100 lets me play with you? I'm not gonna win on my own anyway, I've seen Ruggie play spelldrive and you, Cater, were a little too competent during Beanfest. Since it's more profitable for you guys that way, I'm sure Sam wouldn't oppose."

Ruggie raises his eyebrows, but after some thinking, grins.

"We do have to win against Vil and Sebek," he reminds Cater. "And there's no rules saying we can't do that. Gotta take the opportunity when it's handed to us, right? No holding back."

"Now hold on!" Azul snaps again, before turning to you. "Why do you wanna join their side? Are you plotting against me?"

You raise your hands in mock innocence. "I'd rather play a fun game with my friends than suffer a crushing defeat by my lonesome. Besides, I know you have a strategy in mind, Azul--one that doesn't accommodate me joining your team. Do you really see me as that much of a threat?"

In the end, only Azul protests the decision, though Floyd and Jade are so enthusiastic about 'playing against Shrimpy' that Azul's protests fade to the background. He ends up agreeing, only after you put on a show of apologizing to Ruggie and Cater for having no experience in the game whatsoever, and after Cater had to thoroughly explain to you how to handle the hagoita. With that settled, the games begin.

...your strategy works like a charm of course. Floyd was so, so excited to 'play with Shrimpy' that he was entirely distracted throughout the first half of the game, causing Azul to snap at him and put Floyd in a terrible mood. Jade was so amused by the disaster that he purposefully half-assed the rest of the game, driving Azul even more up a wall, and eventually Azul slipped up, causing the Octavinelle team to lose once again.

"Bah! We could've had that!" He growls. "One more time. I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to spend another 50 thaumarks..."

He and Jade make their tactical retreat, with Jade grinning like it was the best day of his life. Floyd lingers behind, his foul mood still written over his face.

Luckily, he was just as easy to cheer up as he was to upset. You approach your friend with a peace offering and a hug, shoving a small box in his hands from the stack of items you'd purchased earlier.

"I bought that for you. You mentioned wanting to try new candy a while back, so when I saw all those weird candies on sale, I figured you'd wanna try 'em." That much was true. You'd intended to save that candy for a more special occasion, but it was a worthy sacrifice.

Floyd perks right up, returning the hug and thanking you before returning to his twin and his housewarden as if the last match hadn't happened at all. Then you turn to Cater and Ruggie, smiling innocently.

"Thanks for that," says Cater with a smile. "You really are one clever little prefect. We owe you one."

"You do, in fact," you reply in that sweet tone of yours. "One golden ticket, to be exact. I was on the winning team of hanetsuki, after all. The rules were explicitly clear that the winning team earns a ticket."

"Huh? I don't follow."

"Wait..." Ruggie trails, a horrified look appearing on his face as he starts to piece it together. "You didn't... you didn't join us to help us out against Octavinelle, did you?"

"Well, of course I did," you say, your tone as sweet and charismatic as ever. "I know those three like the back of my hand. I've found myself on the receiving end of their tireless ambition and relentless schemes too many times to count. If Azul got his hand on that ticket, he'd use it to its fullest value, you know that."

"You tricked us!" Ruggie replies, scowling. "Ugh, I should've known better than to trust that innocent act of yours."

"Hehe--awe, don't be so upset Ruggie. I learned from the best. You can thank yourself--and Leona--for teaching me how to think strategically," you wink. "Aren't you proud? I've come so far from being that unassuming prefect who signs contracts blindly, don't you think?"

Cater hands you a golden ticket, which you hold with visible awe and excitement. Ruggie shoots Cater a look, as if he might've been able to bend the rules and keep you from cashing in on your prize--but the Heartslabyul junior didn't seem too bothered about being outsmarted.

"You're a smart little freshman cookie, Prefect. I suppose you no longer need Cay-Cay to look out for you," He teases. "Here's your prize. Got anything in mind you want to spend it on? Something cammable, perhaps?"

"Hmm... I don't know..." you muse. You catch the look on Ruggie's face--a look of masked anxiety--and you decide to offer some consolation. "Awe, Rug-Bug, relax. The most expensive items in the store are magical--items I have very little use for. Of course, I could go through the trouble of selling said items and making a profit, but I won't do that to you. There are a lot of practical items I need--items to improve the quality of life at Ramshackle--so I'll stick down that lane. This ticket isn't such a major loss for you."

You pause, taking some time to read the text on the ticket.

"And besides," you add cheerfully. "As much as I love Vil and Sebek, I'm not gonna let you guys lose your little competition against them. You helped me, now I help you. I'll be sure to send a lot of people your way, people you could easily beat in hanetsuki, yeah? I do have quite the influence, after all."

With that said, you spun on your heel and disappeared into the shop, looking for something to spend your ticket on. Cater and Ruggie watched you go, still shocked by your tactical move.

You weren't the same naive freshman you were last year, that's for sure.

#cater diamond x reader #ruggie bucchi x reader #azul ashengrotto x reader #floyd leech x reader #jade leech x reader #jade leech #floyd leech #cater diamond #ruggie bucchi #azul ashengrotto #Shrimpy's Log

[kaihuntrr]

The Sea Prince: Prince Chromia and Prince Pearl.

THEY'RE HERE! The two prominent princes, the rest are a kept secret. They've been redesigned to fit their human forms. Closeups and lore under the cut. I hope you love these designs as much as I do, and I hope you enjoy the lore tucked away ;)

GOD. THESE TWO. They were so much fun to redesign and live up to their names now. If you're new, I think you can notice who these two resemble, and I'm just making it obvious hehe!

Let's talk a bit about the princes before we get started. These guys are embedded deep in the hunters' myths and stories. Gigantic, powerful beasts made by the sea gods to reign over the oceans. They say they bleed gold and silver, and they rule over the watery graves, leading hunters to their demise. Due to how much fear is built into these beings over the years, people chalk it up to stories to scare children with; making current generations of humans fear the oceans and its beasts.

In this world, rain is dangerous. Rain is a sign of the sea gods, calling upon their monsters to come on land and wreak havoc. Hunters claim they hear unknown wailing during thunderstorms, and fleets of ships disappearing in minutes with no survivors. This couldn't come from any beast, they had to be from the Sea Princes.

But they weren't real. They can't be. They can't be that good at hiding. They're massive creatures, they had to be spotted at some point, right?

Something those stories have never told the humans was the hidden ability all princes have; the ability to shift into a human form.

Who knows if there was a prince listening to those stories, even adding to them to strike more fear? What if this was all one big game to them?

It doesn't look like the princes see the humans as anything other than pests, so they could be acting out of pure boredom. No one knows for sure, as no one knows anything about the princes other than their brute force and being larger than any other sea monster there ever was.

Prince Chromia.

The second out of his generation to ascend to the throne, Chromia feels a great weight on his shoulders. He balances his duties as a prince and his identity as 'Scott Major' and is interested in the life of humans, studying them and observing them closely. When his eyes are set on a specific hunter, he starts to question everything around him. Much like other princes, he doesn't think highly of humans. They're small, fragile, and annoying. His conflicting feelings for the blonde shake his stance on things, and he must learn what comes from it.

Both his human and his true form retain his playful, sassy nature. He likes toying with his food and gets quite upset if he gets hungry.

He's currently distant from the other princes, but if anyone were to be close to him, it would be his best friend, Pearl. Though, they aren't in the most... amicable relationship as of now.

Prince Pearl.

An outgoing, boastful prince. She loves to stir chaos and wrecks any ship that passes her domain. She doesn't care for human attention, using her true name as her human one instead of picking something different. She gets odd looks as she introduces herself as 'Pearl Moone', but that's a perfectly viable name. A specific hunter group catches her attention as Chromia seems to be interested in them. What was so interesting about them? All she saw were nuisances. It would be a fun chase, she was sure of it.

Her human and true form has her energetic personality, but her human form has the ability to talk down on hunters with a smirk on her face. It was better to scare them, but it didn't hurt to talk back. It's not like they'd hurt an 'innocent human' for speaking her mind.

She sees other princes, but she's closest to Chromia. She wants to reconnect with him again. There seems to be a problem there, but she'll fix it. It shouldn't be that bad.

Aaand there they are! absolutely wonderful designs all touched up and ready for the story. I took a lot of inspiration from their skins to make it work, and I think I nailed it. Both of them have similar traits to their human designs and with each other! I wanted them to remain connected in a way as their relationship is very important for the storyline.

What do you guys think about these new designs? Are you excited to see where this all goes? I sure am!

#the sea prince au #scott smajor #dangthatsalongname #smajor1995 #smajor95 #smajor mcyt #pearlescentmoon #pearlescentmoon fanart #trafficblr #traffic series #traffic smp #life series #life smp

[munson-blurbs]

Hello! Would it be alright to request something where the reader joins Hellfire because she wants to get closer to and spend more time with Eddie and all of the guys figured that out except for Eddie who remains completely oblivious till the end?

Warnings: lil bit of language, fluffy fluffy fluff with a smidge of angst, fem reader

WC: 1.3k

A/N: this combines two of my favorite fluff tropes--clueless Eddie x clueless Reader in love + meddling friends <3 let me know what you think!

--

It was actually Robin's idea for you to join Hellfire.

You'd been working at Family Video with her and Steve for the last few months, trying to save up some money for college. It's where you'd formed a friendship with the unlikely duo.

It's also where you'd gotten to know Eddie Munson.

He'd come in a couple of times a week, mostly just to talk to Steve and Robin, though he'd occasionally rent a movie. Your heart fluttered every time he'd come in and lean against the counter, biceps flexing under his denim jacket.

"Y/N, this is Eddie Munson," Steve had introduced you the first time he came in during your shift. "Munson, this is Y/N. Be nice to her, please."

Eddie rolled his eyes. "I'm always nice, Harrington," he retorts, "especially to pretty girls."

You'd felt a heat creep up your neck. You didn't say much for the rest of the evening, but you listened intently as he talked about the Dungeons & Dragons campaigns he was planning. You were smitten.

After months of watching you make heart eyes at the gorgeous metalhead, Robin puts her hands on her hips and says, "Oh my God, just ask him out already!"

"Me?" you squeak. "Ask him out?" You shook your head. "I don't even know if he likes me."

"Well, let's ask the jury," she replies, turning to Steve. "Has Munson said anything about Y/N?"

Steve nods. "He thinks you're really cute, but quiet. Wants to get to know you better."

"How do I do that?" you ask, basically pleading for an answer.

Robin purses her lips, considering. "What about joining Hellfire?"

"I've never played DnD before, though," you protest. "Aren't they, like, experts?"

"So he can teach you! It's perfect." She claps her hands together.

~

The next time Eddie comes into Family Video, Robin doesn't waste any time.

"Hey, Munson," she calls him over, "Y/N wants to learn how to play DnD. Got any room in that devil cult of yours for a new player?"

His eyes widen. "Uh, yeah, of course. Always." He looks at you. "You've really never played?"

"No," you admit shyly, "but it sounds like fun. At least from how you describe it."

Eddie flashes a huge grin. "Well, we meet on Fridays right after school in the drama room, if you can make it."

Robin cuts in before you can respond. "Yeah, but she needs someone to teach her how to play before she just jumps right in," she bats her eyelashes at Eddie and puts her hands on your shoulders.

"Oh!" he says. "Are you free tomorrow after school? We can hang out in the library or somethin'."

"She's free," Robin says for you, smiling from ear to ear.

~

But when you show up to the library the next day, Dustin Henderson and Mike Wheeler are there in Eddie's place.

"Y/N, right?" Mike asks, continuing when you nod your head. "Eddie said you needed someone to teach you game rules."

"Oh, uh," you stammer, trying to hide your disappointment, "y-yeah. I was thinking about joining Hellfire."

"You wanna join Hellfire but you've never played DnD?" Mike questions suspiciously, eyes narrowing.

Dustin's jaw drops. "You like Eddie!" he shouts. "Oh my God, you like Eddie!"

"Shut up!" you hiss. "Y'know what? Never mind. I shouldn't have let Robin convince me this was a good idea."

"No, wait!" Dustin clears his throat. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to make fun of you. I just got excited because Eddie keeps talking about how sweet and pretty you are and..."

"We can teach you," Mike jumps in, saving Dustin from further rambles.

"Thank you," you smile gratefully. "Please don't tell Eddie that I like him." He may have complimented you to his friends, but he couldn't even be bothered to show up today, so how did he really feel about you?

Mike and Dustin nod, with zero intention of keeping that promise.

~

Eddie's sitting on his bed, strumming his guitar mindlessly, when he's startled by a pounding on his trailer door.

"Eddie! Open up!" Dustin screeches. "Open this door!"

Eddie flies out of the room, expecting the kid to be in imminent danger. Instead, Dustin is completely fine, just annoyed.

"Henderson, I thought you were dying!" Eddie exhales, putting his hands on his knees and scowling.

"No, but I'm about to kill you!" Dustin shouts.

That kid has one volume: loud, Eddie thinks. "Why? What'd I do?"

Dustin sighs. "You sent me and Mike to teach Y/N. But she likes you and you like her, you dumbass!"

"Wait, what?" Eddie can't hide his smile. "I thought she was afraid of me."

"Why would you think that?" Dustin asks, exasperated.

"Because!" Eddie sputters. "She barely talks to me when I visit her at work, which is all the time, and Robin was the one who had to set up the whole Hellfire thing. I thought I was doing her a favor by leaving her alone!"

"She's not scared," Dustin explains. "She's nervous. Because she LIKES you!" When Eddie just stares at him, shell-shocked, he orders: "Go fix it, idiot!"

Eddie nods, grabbing his jacket. "Is she still at the library?"

"Yeah, she's with Mike. I caught Steve before he drove Robin home and asked him to drop me off here. Told Y/N that I left my rulebook at home."

"Okay," Eddie says. His heart feels like it'll pound right out of his chest.

Dustin claps a hand on his back. "Let's go get you a girlfriend, big guy."

~

Mike is trying to explain the different creatures and how they interact during gameplay while Dustin runs back home to grab his book. Your head is spinning with information, but you're trying your best to follow along.

Your concentration is broken by the library doors flinging open. Dustin's back; this time, with a surprise guest.

"Eddie." You feel like the wind's been knocked out of you. "I thought you were busy."

"N-no, I..." he looks over at Dustin sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"Christ, do I have to do everything around here?" Dustin rolls his eyes. "Fine. Eddie thought you were afraid of him because you don't talk to him when he visits you at Family Video."

"Oh," you say with a giggle, because the idea is so ridiculous. "No, I'm not afraid of you, Eddie."

"I told you!" Dustin yells, immediately shushed by the librarian. He nudges Mike, and they leave you and Eddie alone.

"So if you're not scared of me," Eddie starts, biting his lower lip shyly, "why don't you talk to me?"

"I guess, you do scare me, in a way," you mumble. "But because I'm afraid of saying something stupid in front of you."

"In front of me?" He laughs. "I'm the king of saying dumb things. Just ask...well, any of my friends."

You laugh, too, feeling a bit lighter. "Yeah, but you look cute when you say dumb things." Did you really just say that?

Eddie looks just as surprised as you feel. "You think I'm cute?"

You can only nod, unable to make eye contact.

"Well," he says finally. "If you think I'm cute, and I think you're cute, then we should probably do something about that."

Your head snaps up at that. "You think I'm cute?" Sure, Steve had said that Eddie thought that, but you never believed he was telling the truth.

"Sweetheart," Eddie takes your hand, lacing his fingers with yours. "I like talking to Buckley and Harrington, but not enough to visit them that much." He clears his throat and smiles. "D'you wanna grab some pizza or somethin'?"

"Only after you teach me how to play DnD," you tell him. "You look extra cute when you talk about your campaigns."

Eddie sighs contently. Oh, he's falling fast for you.

--

#eddie munson #eddie munson fluff #eddie x reader #eddie x you #eddie stranger things #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x f!reader #eddie munson angst #fluff #angst #eddie munson fanfic #stranger things fanfic #fanfic #eddie munson stranger things #stranger things #requests

[genshinology]

LOVE ON THIN ICE. childe

anonymous said : Hi hi! Congrats on getting 800 followers!! For the event, how about "love on thin ice"?

content; ice hockey player!childe x gn!reader, modern au, sports au, fake dating au, college au, friends to lovers au and fluff, mentions of cheating and childe's real name, and kissing. wc; 1.4k

☆ — a part of my 800 followers event ✧ and happy birthday, tartaglia!!

"if you want this, us, to work—" childe furrowed his eyebrows, and you on the other hand, noted that he often did this only when under immense pressure. fake dating was a tiring thing to keep up, especially when childe's teammates started to notice how awkward you guys were when accidental physical touches occurred around you, "—kiss me everytime we won a game."

you almost choked out on the tea you were having at the cafeteria, "huh?"

"it would slowly come off natural if you can pretend to be excited for me," childe sighed. deciding to cut the chase, he put his palms underneath his gorgeous face, "i know our games aren't really your thing, but the bare minimum we can do for people around us to believe is for you to running excitedly into my arms, and me, maybe, lifting you up so that you can cup my whole face and kiss me. in front of the whole arena."

"you hate pda, and as the considerate boyfriend that i am, this would be the only one time we should prove to them," he sent you a smile, and chuckled when the red shades on your face were starting to form at the idea.

fake dating childe was a whole new experience for you, but god damn he was an amazing one at that. no one told him to be a perfect pretend boyfriend for your sake, but here he was, once brought a punch to your ex's face when you came back crying, standing up for you as if he was meant to fight anyone who talked bad about you, and casually came knocking on your door every weekend as if it was his routine to check up on you, or, to spend his time with you.

there was no way you fell for him, of course not. you wanted to make your ex felt devastated cheating on you with all these fake dates and flirting you did with childe, and childe wanted to show you to his family and teucer as his fake partner since they wanted him to find the one.

before, you weren't a fan of pda, or surprises, because you never did all of them with your ex, but fake dating childe made you craved that you did want everyone to know you were his. and the casual surprises he did on you when you were out with your friends—for an instance, he suddenly showed up out of nowhere, introduced himself as the boyfriend, giving you your favourite ice cream, all while ignoring the visible shock your friends gave and hugged you tightly, said that you should have a date with him after that since it wasn't fair for him to miss you—ended up with you looking forward to his little banters.

was it normal to feel this kind of way? even though all of it was fake to begin with? you didn't really know. but the thought of kissing childe was making you nervous for some reasons, it would turn out to be the first kiss you'd ever shared, you gulped.

after spending some time rolling on your bed yesterday, you realised that you needed to get away from him before he knew what he did to you. knowing childe, you knew it would fuel his ego even more if he ever knew how much he affected you now and this fake act.

if someone told you months ago that you would actually enjoy the weekly hockey games, you would laugh them off.

yet, here you were.

screaming your lungs off, cheering for your college team, sighing when the opponents got another point, jumping around the seats when childe's team won a point.

this time around, the match was pretty intense. whenever his team took the lead, the opposing team would catch up with their score.

"ajax!" you thought you might burst your lungs. you never ever reached the highest pitch of your own vocal range, hyping the game as it went on, "land the final blow!"

it was a miracle, despite how noisy the whole arena was, child did hear you amidst the crowd. he lost his focus when he saw you, and you panicked when someone from behind was about to hit him and get the puck from childe.

he regained his consciousness, aware of his surroundings when your eyes gave him what he needed; the spirit to continue. time was running out, and he was the team's current final hope and ace for reasons.

he should make you proud, he thought.

the ginger skated gracefully across the rink, ultimately prevented himself from getting body check by the one behind him.

then, he heard it again. ajax.

something about you made him determined to end this for good, as he charged forward, made the shot for it with all his might, whilst the goaltender seemed to be in shock at how fast childe's attack was.

maybe it was the goaltender's fault for blinking, but then the whole crowd that went silent throughout the last minutes was jumping, and the joyful sounds were coming from your college, and the final whistle went off.

childe's team had won.

he quickly removed his helmet, and his teammates ran towards him. as the scene unfolded in front of you, you clapped your hands excitedly, you were proud of him. the way he hugged his teammates back with the widest smile you had ever seen made you unknowingly jumped off from the crowd seats, instantly made a beeline, passing through the boards when childe finally stepped outside of the rink, his skates were already off of his feet.

he saw you, the sweaty beads on his forehead as he pushed the strands back to clearly see you running at him made his smile widened even more, and you were happy for him, as well as flustered at how good he looked after all of those crazy acts he put up beforehand.

"hey, look, i'm just joking around about you kissing me if we do win. and if you are uncomfortable with it, then don't force yourself—

you didn't care. you didn't care even the slightest. something inside your mind screamed for you to make it real. to kiss him for real.

and then you ignored the stares from his teammates, leaping forward as childe quickly caught on your waist, the look on his face confirmed that you did want him, although you had already reminded childe beforehand that you didn't think you could do it.

childe was caught off guard, yes, but it was insane how fast his reflexes were to not make your feet touched the ground anymore, but instead holding his jersey dearly that made him melted at the sight.

it was proven that you already had faith in him.

"no, really, if you don't want to, then it's fine—

"shut up," you surged forward without any warnings, the sudden kiss made childe widened his eyes, but smiled nonetheless at how eager you were to kiss him, "god, i am so proud of you," you breathlessly said.

you took his breath away, and this was exactly how childe envisioned it to be, but even better.

you, being lifted by him in his arms, your waist fit perfectly around them. the small hand on his neck and the other fisting his jersey for you to kiss him even more.

the soft contact of his lips brought you to an epiphany, that you wanted all of these to be real, not just another fake act to the innocent witnesses around you.

your lips brushed his. soft, delicate, like butterfly wings. just long enough that he could inhale your breath, felt the warmth of your skin, and the taste of your lips still lingered on his far after you had gone to steady yourself.

he pulled you closer again, giggling through the kiss and hummed when you didn't seem to stop sooner. it was more than he wanted. it was perfect.

so when you almost gasping for another rush of air for your lungs, childe finally put you back on your feet.

his hold still didn't loosen up, "that didn't feel half bad. you're not a bad kisser, i must say."

you almost shying away when you realised how bad you wanted to feel him against your lips, and even though childe was still drenched in sweats, you hid your face against his chest, simultaneously felt the fast beating of his heart.

"let's go on a date after this," he gave you a cheeky peck on your lips once more, and you swore that he would definitely be the death of you one day.

yes, you were an ordinary student with nothing extraordinary, but it just happened that you had the best fake boyfriend in the world.

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#🍁.800;event #☆.works #childe x reader #childe x you #childe fluff #childe imagines #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact x you #genshin impact fluff #genshin impact imagines #genshin x reader #genshin x you #genshin fluff #genshin imagines

[minevn]

(sorry for mistakes) You wrote about how the LI would react to a meeting with the MC parents, but how would the LI’s parents react to the MC?

Minato: Well, since Minato doesn't have parents, we'll settle for grandparents, this will be in game! Anyways, they absolutely adore the MC, as long as you treat Minato right. They love teasing Minato about his feelings towards you, it reminds them of their youth when they had fallen in love with each other. Very supportive and easy to talk to, after the first meeting they love inviting you over any chance they get!

Haruto: Depending on your MC's story you could meet Haruto's and Kage's mom when you were younger or not at all(grade 12 is when their mom died) Canonically though! She met the MC through your parents in grade 1, so there wasn't a super big need to make yourself formal, you were just being introduced by your parent/s and were going to play with Haruto and Kage. Mrs. Kobayashi didn't really have much of an opinion, you were her new friends child and you were the same age as her oldest. She still doted on you of course, but you two didn't interact that much at first, you were there for Haruto and Kage, not her. As you started coming over more and growing up, you two would gradually get close and she ended up being like a second mother to you.

Jun: You met Mrs. Imai after she accepted a play date with you and Aki. Mrs. Imai didn't particularly care for you, she still doesn't. She's a woman with high standards and she doesn't like you if you don't meet those standards. Just play with Aki and Jun, don't talk to her, and she doesn't mind. She still took care of you though when you'd come over, of course she'd always push Aki and Jun over to your place afterwards to make up for having to take care of you. As you've gotten older, she still doesn't care for you but that's better then if you met her when you were an teen or adult. Chances are you would not meet her standards and therefore she doesn't like you. She'd even consider you a negative influence on Jun and Aki for their "behavior" and why her kids aren't perfect like how she wats them to be. Long story short, she tolerates you if you met her when you were younger and she hates you if you met her when she was older. Their father just goes along with whatever his wife wants.

Hoshi: I'm gonna talk about their dad with Hoshi. You met their dad when you applied to the restaurant. He seemed like a really nice guy until he defended his sons behavior's. There was definitely a rough patch between you two when it came to the twins. Depending on your ending though you can build a close relationship with Mr. Kikuchi. He can become close to a second father to you. I've seen people make their Mc's not work at the restaurant though so I wanna write about that too! I think things between you and Mr. Kikuchi would actually be easier if he wasn't your boss. Mr. Kikuchi would just no bring his sons to where you work often, he KNOWS that his sons behavior is an issue but he can't bring himself to scold them, so he just wouldn't bring them near you after he witnesses them being rude to you.

Habiki: I'm gonna talk about their Mom with Habiki. You will meet Mrs. Kikuchi as well in game! Realistically, I think you'd only meet her on holidays or family events that you've been invited too, but some stuff happens canonically that she's just too excited to wait until Christmas to meet you. She's already heard so much about you and she's not really one to like formality either so she's a very easy person to be around. You two get along quickly. Whenever her children are rude to you she scolds them and then gets on Mr. Kikuchi's case about letting them talk to you like that. She kind of feels like another friend. Whenever her and Habiki have duets she likes to invite you to join. She's also like a wing woman for you and her sons, she just wants everything to go well for you, she doesn't want your relationship to end up like how hers did.

Kage: Depending on your MC's story you could meet Kage's and Haruto's mom when you were younger or not at all(grade 12 is when their mom died) Canonically though! She met the MC through your parents in grade 1, so there wasn't a super big need to make yourself formal, you were just being introduced by your parent/s and were going to play with Kage and Haruto. Mrs. Kobayashi didn't really have much of an opinion, you were her new friends child and you were the same age as her oldest. She still doted on you of course, but you two didn't interact that much at first, you were there for Kage and Haruto, not her. As you started coming over more and growing up, you two would gradually get close and she ended up being like a second mother to you.

Kei: No, he does NOT want you meeting his parents and therefore you wont. They KNOW you're the reason he abandoned his original career, they saw the pictures, they saw the camera, they saw the footage, they HATE you without even meeting you. No matter when your mc meets Kei, they hate you for ruining his career path that they had set out for him.

Yani: 0̸1̶0̵1̷0̸1̶0̸0̸ ̵0̸1̶1̶0̶1̵0̸0̴0̴ ̵0̴1̷1̵0̵0̴1̴0̶1̴ ̵0̷1̷1̷1̸1̶0̸0̴1̴ ̸0̸0̵1̷0̶0̸0̴0̷0̷ ̶0̵1̶1̵0̸0̷1̶0̵0̵ ̵0̸1̴1̸0̸1̴1̸1̷1̴ ̸0̶1̶1̶0̸1̶1̵1̴0̵ ̴0̶0̶1̴0̸0̶1̵1̵1̷ ̷0̷1̷1̶1̵0̴1̴0̵0̶ ̸0̷0̵1̵0̴0̸0̷0̷0̶ ̴0̷1̴1̴0̴0̷1̶0̵1̷ ̴0̵1̴1̸1̷1̸0̷0̴0̴ ̵0̴1̶1̴0̷1̶0̷0̵1̸ ̴0̴1̸1̶1̶0̷0̵1̷1̵ ̷0̸1̴1̸1̴0̶1̴0̶0̷ ̴0̶0̴0̵0̷1̷0̶1̸0̸ ̴0̶1̶0̶1̷1̶0̴0̸1̶ ̵0̵1̵1̷0̷0̵0̷0̵1̷ ̴0̵1̵1̷0̶1̷1̷1̴0̴ ̸0̷1̵1̴0̷1̶0̷0̷1̸ ̵0̸0̶1̶0̶0̴0̵0̴0̸ ̴0̸1̷1̶0̶0̴1̴0̴0̴ ̵0̷1̸1̸0̵1̸1̸1̷1̶ ̶0̸1̷1̸0̸0̸1̸0̷1̷ ̵0̴1̵1̶1̷0̸0̴1̷1̸ ̷0̷1̵1̴0̷1̷1̷1̶0̸ ̶0̷0̸1̶0̵0̶1̸1̶1̷ ̷0̶1̸1̴1̵0̶1̷0̵0̵ ̸0̷0̸1̶0̸0̷0̴0̶0̷ ̵0̶1̶1̷0̵0̶1̶0̶1̵ ̴0̵1̵1̸1̸1̴0̷0̶0̷ ̷0̷1̴1̶0̸1̷0̵0̵1̸ ̶0̵1̶1̶1̵0̶0̸1̴1̶ ̶0̶1̴1̷1̵0̷1̵0̶0̵ ̸0̴0̷0̴0̴1̶0̷1̴0̴ ̸0̶1̸1̴1̵0̴1̴0̷0̵ ̵0̶1̶1̶0̴1̶0̶0̸0̸ ̷0̴1̸1̵0̵1̶0̴0̷1̷ ̶0̵1̷1̴1̸0̶0̷1̸1̸ ̷0̵0̶1̸0̷0̸0̶0̵0̴ ̴0̷1̵1̶1̶0̷1̵1̵1̴ ̵0̵1̵1̴0̸1̶1̷1̵1̵ ̴0̴1̶1̷1̴0̶0̴1̸0̶ ̴0̵1̸1̸0̶1̶1̶0̶0̸ ̸0̶1̶1̷0̶0̴1̸0̷0̵ ̸0̵0̸1̶0̶0̸0̸0̴0̵ ̶0̶1̵1̸0̵0̶1̴0̵0̶ ̷0̴1̷1̶0̶1̵1̶1̴1̶ ̴0̴1̵1̶0̵0̴1̶0̴1̸ ̵0̵1̷1̷1̷0̷0̸1̴1̴ ̵0̶1̴1̵0̸1̷1̵1̸0̶ ̷0̵0̵1̸0̸0̷1̷1̶1̶ ̷0̴1̴1̶1̴0̶1̸0̵0̶ ̶0̶0̵1̵0̵0̵0̴0̸0̵ ̴0̸1̷1̷0̵0̷1̷0��1̷ ̴0̸1̷1̵1̴1̴0̵0̴0̶ ̵0̵1̴1̷0̴1̵0̶0̷1̴ ̵0̵1̶1̶1̸0̸0̶1̶1̷ ̸0̶1̷1̸1̴0̷1̸0̶0̷ ̶0̸0̷0̴0̷1̸0̶1̷0̸ ̸0̵1̸0̵0̷1̶1̷1̷0̴ ̸0̴1̷1̶0̴1̴1̸1̴1̵ ̶0̷1̷1̷0̵1̴1̸1̶0̷ ̴0̴1̷1̷0̷0̶1̵0̸1̶ ̵0̴0̶1̴0̸0̴0̶0̷0̴ ̸0̵1̶1̸0̸1̸1̶1̶1̶ ̵0̷1̷1̶0̸0̵1̵1̴0̴ ̵0̶0̴1̷0̵0̶0̵0̸0̵ ̵0̵1̶1̶1̵0̴1̵0̴0̵ ̵0̷1̴1̷0̵1̸0̷0̷0̵ ̷0̵1̸1̶0̶1̴0̵0̵1̸ ̴0̶1̴1̷1̴0̵0̶1̸1̷ ̷0̸0̷1̷0̷0̴0̷0̴0̶ ̴0̷1̴1̸0̸1̴0̷0̸1̵ ̵0̶1̸1̶1̸0̴0̸1̷1̴ ̸0̸0̴1̸0̶0̶0̶0̵0̷ ̸0̷1̵1̶1̵0̴0̷1̸0̸ ̶0̵1̴1̵0̴0̶1̷0̴1̴ ̴0̶1̵1̴0̶0̵0̴0̵1̴ ̷0̷1̸1̴0̸1̵1̵0̴0̸ ̵0̴0̶0̶0̵1̶0̷1̵0̵ ̷0̸1̶1̴0̶1̶1̶0̶0̶ ̶0̴1̴1̸0̵1̴1̶1̴1̶ ̴0̶1̴1̸0̶0̵1̵1̶1̵ ̶0̷0̷1̷0̵0̵0̴0̷0̸ ̴0̶1̶1̵0̴1̸1̶1̶1̵ ̶0̵1̴1̴0̷0̴1̸1̴0̴ ̷0̷1̸1̸0̷0̷1̸1̶0̸ ̴0̸0̸0̴0̶1̴0̸1̴0̵ ̷0̴1̴1̷0̴0̵0̸0̴1̷ ̶0̶1̴1̷0̷1̸1̴1̵0̶ ̴0̸1̵1̶0̷0̶1̷0̷0̷ ̴0̴0̶1̵0̷0̸0̶0̷0̴ ̷0̸1̷1̴0̶0̸0̶1̵1̸ ̵0̸1̵1̸0̸1̴1̶1̶1̴ ̷0̴1̵1̶0̸1̵1̷1̵0̶ ̵0̴1̷1̵1̷0̸1̵0̷0̵ ̴0̷1̵1̴0̶1̴0̷0̵1̶ ̸0̶1̷1̸0̵1̵1̶1̸0̸ ̷0̶1̸1̸1̴0̶1̷0̶1̴ ̵0̴1̷1̴0̷0̴1̵0̷1̶ ̴0̴0̴1̵0̷0̵0̵0̴0̴ ̸0̴1̴1̵1̸0̴1̵1̷1̶ ̴0̴1̵1̸0̷1̵0̴0̵1̷ ̶0̶1̵1̵1̸0̷1̸0̵0̶ ̶0̶1̸1̵0̶1̸0̸0̶0̷ ̸0̸0̷1̴0̴0̵0̷0̵0̸ ̴0̴1̷1̷1̵1̴0̴0̴1̸ ̶0̴1̸1̴0̶1̴1̶1̷1̸ ̵0̶1̷1̸1̸0̸1̸0̶1̷ ̶0̸1̶1̶1̵0̸0̴1̵0̴ ̶0̴0̶1̷0̵0̸0̴0̴0̶ ̴0̸1̵1̷1̶0̶0̴1̸0̸ ̸0̴1̷1̴0̶0̵1̶0̵1̷ ̷0̸1̸1̷0̴0̸0̷0̴1̵ ̷0̵1̵1̶0̷1̴1̵0̴0̸ ̵0̶0̸1̶0̶0̷0̶0̴0̶ ̸0̵1̵1̷0̸1̴1̴0̴0̸ ̷0̶1̶1̸0̸1̸0̶0̴1̸ ̶0̶1̵1̸0̶0̸1̴1̸0̶ ̴0̴1̴1̷0̴0̴1̶0̷1̷ ̴0̴0̵0̴0̴1̶0̷1̶0̵ ̶0̶1̸1̷0̷1̸1̵0̷0̴ ̴0̴1̴1̵0̸0̶1̸0̴1̷ ̵0̷1̶1̶0̷0̷0̷0̷1̴ ̴0̵1̵1̵1̷0̵1̴1̴0̶ ̸0̵1̷1̶0̵0̵1̴0̷1̸ ̷0̶0̷1̶0̵0̶0̴0̴0̷ ̴0̴1̴1̸0̵0̵0̴1̴0̷ ̵0̴1̷1̴0̸0̴1̵0̷1̴ ̵0̷1̵1̵0̸1̵0̸0̸0̷ ̵0̶1̶1̴0̴1̷0̷0̶1̸ ̸0̸1̷1̵0̶1̸1̷1̷0̵ ̴0̷1̶1̸0̵0̷1̸0̵0̸ ̶0̷0̴1̵0̵0̸0̶0̶0̶ ̶0̷1̵0̷1̶1̶0̵0̵1̸ ̴0̵1̴1̸0̵0̸0̷0̵1̸ ̶0̷1̸1̷0̵1̶1̴1̸0̴ ̵0̶1̷1̵0̸1̴0̶0̴1̵ ̴0̸0̴0̴0̸1̶0̵1̸0̵ ̸0̵1̷0̷0̴1̶1̴0̶0̶ ̵0̵1̵1̶0̸0̷1̶0̸1̷ ̷0̶1̸1̴0̴0̷0̸0̵1̶ ̵0̸1̷1̶1̵0̷1̴1̶0̴ ̴0̶1̶1̵0̸0̷1̶0̶1̶ ̴0̵0̶1̶0̶0̷0̶0̵0̵ ̷0̸1̵1̷0̵0̵0̴1̶0̴ ̶0̴1̸1̵0̷0̸1̸0̶1̴ ̴0̴1̷1̶0̸1̸0̴0̴0̷ ̶0̵1̴1̷0̸1̶0̶0̶1̷ ̵0̴1̵1̷0̴1̵1̵1̵0̴ ̴0̵1̴1̷0̴0̸1̷0̵0̶ ̶0̶0̴1̵0̶0̸0̴0̴0̵ ̴0̶1̴0̴0̷1̸0̸1̷1̵ ̷0̶1̷1̴0̴0̴1̷0̵1̷ ̴0̸1̷1̸0̴1̴0̸0̸1̶ ̵0̶1̷1̵0̵0̷1̶1̸0̴ ̷0̶1̴1̵0̸1̴1̷1̴1̶ ̴0̶1̶1̷1̴0̵0̵1̴0̷ ̵0̷0̷1̴0̸0̴0̵0̴0̸ ̵0̵1̸1̵1̶1̸0̸0̸1̶ ̶0̵1̴1̶0̴1̸1̶1̷1̴ ̸0̵1̴1̶1̴0̵1̷0̴1̷ ̷0̴1̸1̶1̷0̶0̸1̷0̵ ̵0̴0̵1̸0̴0̴0̵0̵0̸ ̴0̵1̶1̸1̸0̷0̴1̷1̷ ̵0̷1̷1̶0̴0̸0̶0̷1̴ ̸0̷1̷1̶0̴0̶1̴1̷0̴ ̶0̷1̴1̸0̶0̷1̷0̸1̴ ̶0̸1̶1̷1̸0̷1̸0̷0̷ ̶0̵1̷1̷1̶1̷0̶0̸1̵

Aki: You met Mrs. Imai after she accepted a play date with you and Aki. Mrs. Imai didn't particularly care for you, she still doesn't. She's a woman with high standards and she doesn't like you if you don't meet those standards. Just play with Aki and Jun, don't talk to her, and she doesn't mind. She still took care of you though when you'd come over, of course she'd always push Aki and Jun over to your place afterwards to make up for having to take care of you. As you've gotten older, she still doesn't care for you but that's better then if you met her when you were an teen or adult. Chances are you would not meet her standards and therefore she doesn't like you. She'd even consider you a negative influence on Jun and Aki for their "behavior" and why her kids aren't perfect like how she wats them to be. Long story short, she tolerates you if you met her when you were younger and she hates you if you met her when she was older. Their father just goes along with whatever his wife wants.

#💝-minevn #visual novel #yandere vn #🎤-asks #🐠-Minato #📙-Haruto #🎀-Jun #🍽️-Hoshi #🎻-Habiki #👤-Kage #💻-Kei #💕-Yani #🐍-Aki

[tinkabelle24]

To Build a Home

Chapter 8: Bad Child

A/N: The altercation between Val and her mother depicted in this chapter is loosely based on an incident I had with my own mother, at sixteen.

This incident is what prompted me to write this story, four years later, to help me cope with the lingering trauma. It's been incredibly therapeutic.

TW! Physical and emotional abuse inflicted by parent onto adult child.

Masterlist / Chapter 7

---

"Hey, you. How's it going?"

"Hey, Val," Liv answered. "Yeah, fine, I guess. School's still shit-"

"Hang on, lemme put you on speaker so I can keep going with this... There. Can you hear me?"

"Yeah... What are you doing?"

"Making dinner."

"At 8 o'clock? Bit late for you, isn't it, grandma?"

"Hardy-har. I have a friend coming over; he couldn't get here any sooner."

"He?" She could hear her sister's grin through the phone.

"Hey, don't get any ideas - he's just a friend."

"You said it, not me."

Val playfully rolled her eyes. "...Any more incidents with that boy?"

"Nope. I think bein' knocked on his ass by a girl finally did the trick."

"Hmm..."

"What?"

"Nothing. I just... I really wish you didn't need to go that far, that's all."

"Yeah, well..."

"I know, I know... I'm proud of you for sticking up for yourself, though."

"Thanks, Val."

"...Where's Noah?"

"In his room - playing his game."

"I wanna say hi."

"Yep... Hey... Hey, shithead! Don’t what me. Take your headphones off. Valerie's on the phone."

"Don't call your brother that, thank you."

"Yeah, don't call me that," Noah parroted. "Hey, short-ass. How's it goin'?"

"Don't call me that, either," Val let out an exasperated sigh. "I oughta wash both your mouths out with soap..."

"Can't do that if you aren't here," Liv retorted.

Was that a passive aggressive remark, or was she still messing around?

"...How's mom?"

"She's fine," her sister answered simply.

"Where is she?"

"In the living room, watching a movie - with Steve."

"Steeeve!" Noah exclaimed in a high-pitched voice.

A small smile pulled at the brunette's lips. "...Is he nice to you guys?"

"Yeah, he's fine," Liv replied. She was using the word 'fine' a lot... "Sleeps over almost every night..."

"Okay..." Val wasn't sure what else to say to that. Her first thought was to suggest her sister inform mom of her discomfort, but it'd likely do no good. She did this herself once, when they overheard mom doing... things, with another man she introduced them to literally that day. It did not go well...

"Hey, it's been forever since we've seen you. Are you coming home any time soon?"

Val could no longer hear her brother’s incessant mouse clicking in the background; Liv must've gone into another room.

"...No, I won't be coming back to the house... I can't. Not yet." She finally replied. "I've got my own place now, remember? But I'd love to see you guys sometime soon. Maybe we could meet up at Central Park after one of my shifts next week? The three of us? ...Or maybe you'd like to check out my new place? It isn't much to look at on the inside, but it has nice views."

"Are you ever gonna tell us what happened with you and mom? Mom still won't tell us anything..."

Mom keeping shit to herself? Must've thought it was pretty bad... Good.

"We had an argument."

"Well duh," Liv was growing impatient. "About what?"

"I'm sorry, Liv; I really can't say any more than that - it's adult stuff."

"Yeah, whatever..."

Val sighed wearily. "Don't be like that, please... You know I'd tell you if I could. But I can't."

"Yeah, you can; you just have to open your mouth and speak."

"I'm sorry, Liv," the eldest sister doubled down. "I'm not gonna do that-"

"Y-you can't just take off like that and not expect me to ask questions!" Liv snapped, voice breaking. "What could mom have done that was so bad that you won't talk to her, or even come to the house? I don't understand. I just want my sister back..."

That last part felt like a stab to the heart...

"Liv, I-I'm so sorry-"

"Whatever. Bye."

Click.

"Liv? Hey, Liv! ... Shit!"

Panicked, Val went to compose a message for her sister. It broke her heart to hear her cry... But what else could she say that hasn't already been said? She wasn't about to involve a thirteen-year-old in adult matters, no matter how much it upset Liv. She wanted to preserve what little innocence those kids had left...

A text notification popped up on her screen. Immediately assuming it was her sister, she opened it without checking the ID.

She really wished she had...

[So, you'll talk to the kids but not your own MOTHER??? I see how it is. You have NO IDEA how difficult our lives have become since you upped and ABANDONED us!!! I'm sorry that I hurt you but YOUR SELFISHNESS drove me to it. In case you forgot, family HELPS and SUPPORTS one another!!! All I needed was a packet of cigarettes because I hadn't had a SINGLE one in THREE DAYS and you couldn't even do that for your own MOTHER. I gave you life and raised you BY MYSELF with NO HELP from anyone!!! And this is how you repay me??? It's been TWO MONTHS and they haven't seen you. We don't even know where you're living!!! I WILL NOT put up with the silent treatment ANY LONGER!!! When you're ready to behave like an ADULT and have an actual conversation, let me know. You're VERY lucky they still want anything to do with you after what you've put them through, because this will be the last time you hear from ME!!!]

Val fought back tears as she read through the wall of text. She knew, as soon as she realised who it was, that she shouldn't have kept scrolling. But, as usual, curiosity got the better of her. Or was it hope? A hope that her mom may actually be offering an apology without a big fat 'BUT' attached to it...

Selfish.

Mom liked using that word. She said it a lot that night; the night Val fled...

Selfish-

"No. Stop it," the brunette chided herself, promptly silencing her phone and placing it face-down on the kitchen counter. She quickly wiped away her tears.

In...and out. That's it, Val.

It'll be okay...

She returned to slicing her cucumber.

A soft knocking drew Val's attention to the window - it was Raph, carrying a backpack. She expected to feel many things in that moment. Excitement, mostly. A bit of anxiety, for sure. But not this...

Not dread.

The urge to hide was overwhelming. If he asked, Val was certain she'd cry again. She didn't want to cry in front of him; not so soon after the first time...

It took everything in her to step away from the counter and approach the window.

It'll be okay, she repeated her mantra. It'll be okay...

In...and out. In...and out...

"Hey," Val greeted, stepping aside to let him in.

"Hey," Raph replied with a warm smile. She attempted imitating it. "Smells great in here. Curry?"

"Uh, yeah- no." She was already stumbling over her words. "It's, um... it's one-pot chicken and rice. I found the recipe on Tik Tok, of all places, heh. It's one of my favourites... I was just finishing up the salad..."

The terrapin quirked a brow ridge at her. Val recognised that look; it was the same one Molly levelled at her whenever her friend suspected she was hiding something.

Please, don't...

"You alright?" He asked, setting down his bag. "You seem... upset."

Keep it together.

"Yeah, I'm fine," the brunette reassured, nodding a little too enthusiastically. She could feel the tears threatening to fall, again...

"Val," he insisted gently.

Hoo boy...

"I-I was just, um..." Val croaked, her entire body trembling with adrenaline. "I, uh..." One tear became two, then suddenly they were streaming down her cheeks.

She could not keep it together...

Raph caught her wrists as she attempted hiding her face, bringing her into his arms. She practically melted into him. He held her firmly while she sobbed, about a minute or so, before she finally pulled away.

"S-sorry, let me get this shit off you..." Val sniffled as she wiped his shoulder with her sleeve. She felt calmer, more clear-headed. But now she was going to have to explain herself; it'd be unfair of her not to.

"My mom... She texted just before you arrived... It wasn't nice to read..."

Raph nodded, compressing his lips; he looked to be contemplating whether to enquire further. After some hesitation, he finally asked: “Wanna talk about it?”

"...Would you like some dinner first?”

---

They decided to eat on the roof. Val passed the food and blankets to Raph from the fire escape, then was helped up herself. Neither really spoke to the other during this time, though she could feel his concerned gaze on her throughout.

“I’d planned on staying home as long as I could, for my siblings,” Val began, once they were settled with a plate of food. “I’d been paying my part of the rent, utilities, whathaveyou, pretty much since I started working. I left school to go full-time, so I could help more... I felt I was doing everything I could for my family... But then...”

She paused to compose herself, before continuing. “...T-the morning I left, my mom asked for my card. I asked her: ‘what for?’ She told me: ‘does it matter?’ … She didn’t say anything else after that; she just left the room... I thought she’d dropped it. I left for work. When I arrived home that afternoon, she wouldn’t speak to me. Wouldn’t look at me. Just completely ignored my existence... I went into mine and my sister’s room, and..."

---

Val barely had the time to register what was coming before it literally hit her.

She shrieked as the large object struck her chest, causing her to topple backward. Fortunately, her bed broke her fall. Once the initial shock wore off, the brunette quickly realised she was holding a suitcase. Confused and alarmed, she looked up - oof.

Another smaller, lighter object flew into Val's face, momentarily blinding her. She swiped it away only to be immediately bombarded with several, similarly weighted items. Arms, legs, chest, face...

When she could finally see clearly, she saw her mother standing before her; red-faced with clothing spilling out of her white-knuckled grip.

Clothes were strewn all over the floor and beds. Behind her mom stood Val's narrow chest of drawers, which had been ransacked. Nearly everything she had hanging up had been pulled down - ripped down. one of her more delicate dresses dangled haphazardly from its hanger with a torn seam.

She was stunned.

The brunette flinched as her mom suddenly slammed a fistful of shirts onto the ground, before jabbing a finger in her face.

"You can get the fuck outta here if you're gonna continue being a selfish bitch!" She bellowed, trembling with anger. "Go live with your dad, wherever the fuck he is. I don't give a shit. Just get outta my sight!"

Val was sobbing by this point, cowering on her bed while her mom raged. Her mom's done some pretty scary shit in the past, but nothing like this. No matter how angry she became, not once had she intentionally caused any of her children physical harm...

"You know, all I wanted from you was some goddamn cigarettes! Do you know how long I've been without them? Three days! Three days and not a single one, Valerie! I'm going insane, here, and you don't give a shit! ..."

Val was no longer listening. Her mind had taken her somewhere else; somewhere infinitely more pleasant.

By the time she finally came to, she was alone.

Val realised then and there she had to leave. What little hope she had left for a somewhat peaceful cohabiting situation had just been obliterated.

Her own mother assaulted her, plain and simple. She no longer felt safe. This was not something she could easily forgive, if at all.

---

"So, she blew up your relationship over cigarettes?" Raph was incredulous. "Are you serious?"

The brunette averted her gaze, unsure how to respond. She didn't want to believe her mom would be this cruel over something so trivial. Surely, she wasn't that expendable...

The terrapin scoffed, shaking his head. "What a piece of-" he promptly stopped himself. Exhaling slowly to expel his anger, he eventually returned his gaze to hers. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't... She's still your mom."

"Yeah..."

"Were your siblings around durin' this?"

"No, thank God; they were still at school. I haven't told them exactly why I left, just that mom and I fell out. My sister's upset with me right now; she wants to know what's going on and I won't tell her..."

"Why's that?" Raph enquired, confused. "I mean, I'd wanna know if someone close to me was doin' that shit."

"They're kids, Raph," Val countered gently. "I get where you're coming from, I just... I can't. They already know they can't rely on their dad; I'm not about to pull the rug out from under them with their mom, as well..."

"So, you're lyin' by omission."

"I'm trying to protect them," Val shot back, levelling the terrapin with a hard stare. "The things I've seen, the things I was told, at their age... I wished for this. I prayed for someone in my corner, to say: 'hey, this isn't right. She shouldn't know these things. She's only little...'"

At that, Raph's expression softened considerably. He lowered his gaze.

"...Believe me, if something even remotely like what I experienced happens to them, the gloves come off... Until then, it's between mom and me. If that makes me the bad guy, then fine - I'll be the bad guy."

"Fair enough," the terrapin nodded with sad smile.

The pair finished eating in silence.

"So... what'd you decide on - for dessert?" Val finally enquired. She let out a soft chuckle. "I hope it didn't need to be refrigerated..."

"Nah, it didn't." Raph avoided her gaze. "It's nothin' special, just a bar'a chocolate... I tried makin' mousse with avocado in it; figured it'd be somethin' you'd like. Tasted like ass, though, so I chucked it."

Val didn't know whether to be flattered by the gesture or horrified by the fact he threw out perfectly good food. “Did you let it set?” She braced herself for the answer.

Raph stared blankly. “Was I supposed to?”

“Oh, God...” The brunette laughed incredulously, shaking her head. “You’re supposed to let it set; the avocado taste goes away once it’s set.”

“...Oh.”

“Oh, indeed... Oh well, plain old chocolate will do just fine. Chocolate's always good.”

---

Masterlist / Chapter 9

@miss-andromeda @android-cap-007 @happymoonangel

#teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt #tmnt raph #tmnt raphael #oc val scott #tmnt 2007 #tmnt raph x oc #raph x oc #to build a home #tmnt fanfic #tmnt fanfiction #tmnt oc

[secretgamergirl]

Does anyone actually like the whole "this total loser is the chosen one" thing?

You start playing some new game. Immediately, you are introduced to the protagonist. He's a total deadbeat loser idiot who has no greater ambition in life beyond playing games/becoming a cool rock star somehow without learning to play an instrument or form a band/watching some TV show. But through just the absolute sheer dumb luck of being in the right place at the right time, he gets The Thing, that lets him do main character in a video game stuff. Much to the frustration of this cool competent badass woman who's actively invested in saving the world and has a concrete plan to do it. Our accidental hero can't be bothered to care about any of that, and any time she's talking he either tunes out completely or sexually harasses her. Then once she eventually gives up trying to explain him he says something like "now here's the part where I do my thing!" and you jump into the action of doing 3 hit combos to enemies or whatever.

I hate that character. I can't stand him. His presence makes me not even want to touch a game, which is a real shame because I swear the paragraph above describes like... half of them. Also most shonen anime come to think, the bulk of superhero media, and a surprising amount of fantasy stuff.

Now, I understand why we have that guy. The thinking is, he's "relatable." We're making a not particularly challenging piece of escapist media, we're assuming most people who are going to be interested are losers who just sit on their couch all day, and we're also assuming they're at-least-mildly-creepy dudes even when demographic info suggests a given genre/medium appeals primarily to women.

Does anyone actually want that, though? I'm not some pathetic dude on a couch, so I probably wouldn't get the "he's just like me!" factor regardless, but like, I remember being a small child and having media constantly cram some annoying piece of garbage kid into everything for me to "relate to" and I was never able to stand any of them either.

Like if I'm watching Transformers the Movie as a kid, I am just rolling my eyes every time we have the dorky little kid going fishing or trying to use power armor, and for that matter as an adult I'm not too big on the pink girly one playing babysitter and being flirty. I'd be cool just giving all that screen time over to Kupp and Grimlock thanks.

And really, it always seems like a huge insult to whoever you're trying to give a relatable stand-in to. Some deadbeat loser who'd just be sitting on the couch watching TV if he didn't get a magic yo-yo or whatever isn't exactly an aspirational sort of character. Even if that's where you'd picture yourself at the start of the cool action narrative, if it were you, you'd want to get your act together and live up to the heroic role you fell into, right?

Like, recently I've been marathoning through Farscape for like the 5th time because a friend had never seen it, and there's a show where the protagonist is just a big fish out of water nerd in a crazy setting constantly making obscure pop culture references that absolutely nobody else is possibly going to have the context for, and I can sure as hell personally relate to that! But the key difference is, he doesn't suck. He does his best to adapt to situations and show compassion and actually learn how stuff he doesn't get works, so he's, you know, likeable. He's not some complete loser who only gets by because he has the spoon of destiny or whatever.

Actually come to think of it, I'm really combining two separate media trends I can't stand here. Loser protagonists get on my nerves even when they aren't the chosen one, and even when they aren't a total loser, I kinda hate chosen one narratives too.

Like... have you ever played a Bethesda game? They always want to do this whole bit where you come from the humblest of roots and go on to save the world or whatever, but they just cannot for the life of them wait until you've actually started accomplishing cool stuff before everyone starts in with the totally over the top hero worship. Just, "behold! This stranger to our lands has picked up the empty soda can and tossed it in the recycling bin! Truly such a feat of heroics means this is no mere mortal before us, but the great one foretold in legend!"

Like, can we please just have narratives where the protagonist is a decent person, who accomplishes things by virtue of actual competence and/or determination, and any respect or admiration they might receive is actually properly earned? Is that too much to ask? And if that IS too much to ask from a protagonist, can we at least stop treating members of the supporting cast who pick the slack up like total garbage?

And speaking of getting treated like garbage/the concept of supporting, I still don't know how I'm going to get through the winter with a roof over my head.

#writing #chosen ones #deadbeat protagonists #OK so mostly I saw someone streaming Hi-Fi Rush and the contrast between Chai and Peppermint just made me sick.

[that-one-weeb-buts-its-the-main]

Being Frank Castle's Daughter in Hawkins Pt 7

Gif Caption: Top Gif: Matt Murdock from Marvel's Daredevil Bottom Gif: Will Byers from Netflix's Stranger Things

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Reader: 17-18 age range | Female

Characters mentioned: Frank Castle (MCU), Matt Murdock (MCU), Karen Page (MCU), Peter Parker (MCU), Curt Hoyle (MCU) Dinah Madani (MCU), Steve Harrington (ST), Joyce Byers (ST), Will Byers (ST), Jonathan Byers (Breifly, ST) Jim Hopper (ST)

A/n: with a heavy heart I say Billy Hargrove was not talked about today :(

Warnings: none? Surprisingly. But shits about to get real next part 😈

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So you introduced Steve to the group

He was terrified to meet Matt

And stuck his hand out introducing himself

"Did he stick his hand out?" Matt asked.

"Yeah." Y/n spoke as Matt laughed, "Your hand gonna have to fine mine, Mr.Harrington. I'm blind."

Oh s h i t

Steve already feels that he fucked up as They shake hands

"You're the one Y/n writes about." Matt smiled, "nice to meet you. Though her brail could use some work."

"Haha." Y/n laugh sarcastically.

"Seems it's hard for her to swallow." Matt spoke leaning into Steve, "means it's true."

Y/n rolled her eyes as Steve laughed shortly.

You introduce him to everyone else as well

He fears Karen.

Mostly because she was talking about Pistols and calibers with Frank before Y/n introduced him.

Karen's happy to meet him, but he's still terrified.

You guys like your weapons

Gun background made sense with Frank being in the service

totally wasn't because of all the Punisher and Daredevil stuff

That I might add has been kept a secret besides Billy and Max

props to them for keeping silent too

Anyways so now you Peter and Steve are playing with Legos in the living room on the floor while you make small discussion with Matt and Madani

"Lego Steve." Y/n smiled handing Steve the little Lego man.

He chuckled, "Lego Steve indeed. Love the hair."

Y/n smiled, "I bet you do."

Not peter gagging in the background

"Oh yeah parker?"

"Yeah- Lets go!"

"Alright let's go!"

One intense game of rock paper sisscors later and him winning and you "dead on the floor"

"As a win. Im taking that last muffin"

"Oh like hell you are!"

Pushing each other for the last Muffin as you both pull each other down constantly.

"Come here Mr.Harrington." Matt spoke, "Lets speak outside?"

"Uh. Sure." Steve spoke standing up, "Do you-"

"Need help? No." Matt smiled, "I've mapped out the house by now by wall. Glad there aren't stairs inside."

Steve followed Matt who felt along the wall till they were outside.

"Matt, Don't scare the kid." Karen spoke.

"It'll just be a little." Matt explained as he walked out the door.

"If he cant survive Matts talk he's sure not surving Franks." Madani pointed out, Frank sliding her a glass of water.

"We'll think of you foundly." Curt spoke taking a drink of his own water, "and often."

Steve gulped as he walked out the door, it closing behind him.

"Mr.Murdock-"

"Matts fine." He spoke.

"R.right." Steve agreed, "Steve will be fine then."

"Very well then." Matt told, sitting down on the small patio bench, "sit. Sit."

Steve took the seat next to him, "You're very special to Y/n, do you know that?"

"I'd very much hope so sir." Steve spoke, "She means much to me."

Matt smiled in Steve's general direction.

"You've been in her room."

"What!?" Steve spoke, "No. No!-"

"Your hair product has a very...recognizable scent," Matt answered with honesty, "You and one other guy,"

"Oh. Him?" Steve asked, "Y/n said Thor was over- you know, friends with an Avenger, just common New York...stuff..."

Matt nodded, he could sense the shift in Steve's mood: "That makes you jealous."

"What!?" Steve spoke, "Pfft, no...Okay a little- Y/n said you were smart."

Matt chuckled, "lets just say the whole think about being Blind and your other senses heightening is true."

Steve smiled in response, not that Matt could see.

"Anyhow." Matt starts, "I'm not asking you to taks care of her, or provide for her. Im asking you to be there maybe you can't physically because somethings come up with family, or your locked away, what ever it be I ask you to be there for her mentally, for her worst and her best."

"I'd love to be there for her. In anyway I can." Steve spilled out, "as cliché as it sounds I'd do anything for her."

Matt smiles once again: "good. Because My Y/n's been through quiet a bit. She's a good kid, she has a big heart."

"And Im very glad I get to see that side of her." Steve told.

"Good."

Dad talk from Matt? Slightly terrifying

But it makes sense, with how close they are

So Steve's determined to impress him.

Along with everyone else who came to visit

Him and Matt make small talk on the porch, Matt wants to know this guys

He also jokes about not getting him and Y/n in trouble, for you know sneaking into Y/n's room?

Yeah lets hope Frank doesnt know about that

Sooner or later though, you're outside whining to both them to come back in

"Aw. Did I take your boyfriend away for too long?" Matt teased but Y/n was silent, a flustered expression held on her face, Steve hadnt expilcitly asked to be her boyfriend.

"Uh...just...lunch. if you want any..."

You brought them inside where everyone was having lunch.

Except Steve pulled you outside

"You okay?" He asked, "You looked nervous."

"Yeah. Yeah." Y/n spoke.

"Hey." He stopped her, "you can tell me."

Y/n was silent for a moment "...My...Boyfriend."

"Yeah." Steve smiled small, "do you like that? I..certainly don't mind it at all. Comin' from you and all... I suppose I should have asked you to be my girlfriend before I kissed you...all those times...Officially and all. So. What do you say? Me and you? You and I?"

Y/n chuckled, "Yeah. Yeah I would enjoy that. Alot..."

Steve's smile grew, "Well then. We kiss you know. Make it completely offical."

You could only laugh and kiss him.

Thank god for blinds or Frank probably would of pulled you apart

But soon you two both go back inside and you all eat lunch together

You Peter and Steve basically squared off the end of the table as a kids table.

Then the phone rings

And Frank stays on the phone

"Y/n." Matt leaned over, "listen. See who's on the phone. Call it seeing how far your skills have come."

Y/n nodded looking down at her plate in silence and closing her eyes.

"What is she-"

Matt lifted a finger to his lips the small group of boys going quiet as they watched Y/n.

"Its Joyce Byers." Y/n responded opening her eyes and eating her food again and taking a drink of water.

"Joyce Byers?" Steve asked, "Johnathan's mom?"

"Who's Joycer Byers?" Peter asked.

"Wait Johnathan? The guy I sit with at Lunch?"

"You sit with him at lunch?" Steve argued.

"Yeah whats wrong with that?" Y/n asked.

"Just uh." Steve spoke, "Rather you sit with me. Ya know?"

"Who's Joyce Byers?" Peter asked, "I litterally have no idea who Joyce Byers is."

"It's Frank's friend." Y/n spoke louder catching the others attention.

"Castle? With Friends?" Madani spoke, "Not possible."

"Yep. She stayed over and everything." Y/n added.

"Y/n I swear-"

"He was even nice enough to-"

"Im throwing you in the lake."

"Like you could catch me- OH SHIT"

So lunch is actually spent with you two running around.

He ends up catching you as they all watch from the Back porch.

"Okay! Okay Uncle!" Y/n pleaded.

"Nope."

"What!? Come on! I said I Uncle!"

So now your being thrown in the lake.

Peter goes to get you a towel

Just for you to drag him in and act like Peter got the upper hand

Steve will save you! He'll be your knight and shining armour

Just for him to be pulled into the lake.

"Alright fuck it." Madani spoke pulling off her shoes as she walks towards the lake.

"Yeah Im comin." Curt spoke pulling his coat off.

"Wait for me." Karen added.

Cue heart to heart with your two dads

Matts so happy to see you enjoying a normal life and so is Frank

But deep down Frank knows you miss New York

And Matt tells him you'll never stop missing New York its just something you'll always have in your heart

Apparently you guys were all having a water and mud fights for such a long time that Joyce even got off work to come over and say Hi as Frank had recommended.

Joyce gets to meet Matt. And her sons with her, had to pick him up from a friends

Will's a quiet one who rather much just wave silently and is more intrested in watching you pick up a "grown" man aka steve and easily toss him over your shoulder into the lake

And then wreslting to stay above Curt while Peter comes up behind you

"Dad! Dad!"

"Y/n. No- Y/N NO!l"

Now your chasing Frank around covered in mud and lake water.

You manage to jump on his back hugging him.

"Ah! Alright Alright!" He laughed Y/n smiling as she laughed as she hugged him he holding the back of her knees as he brought her back to the back.

"Means I can do this-"

"No! No! No!"

It was too late he had rushed and thrown her back into the lake.

It was a good day and you all went out for Pizza near the hotel the group was staying at.

Thats where you got to talk to Joyce and Will more.

Will was alot more open to you

He thinks your "werid" like him, in a good way of course

You just understand him more than his own friends does he feels like

And talking about how you like dressing up for Halloween

Not no witch either or black cat

Actual "nerd" coustumes

"You should go trick or treating with us." Will suggested.

"Oh. Sorry bud. Im going with the wheeler kid-"

"Mike?"

"Yeah, you know them?"

"There my friends!" He cheered.

"Really?" Y/n asked, "Thats cool! I'd love to go with you all together then."

"Have you ever played D&D?"

"No. What is it?"

"Duegons and Dragons?"

"Im up for anything if it has a good dragon in it." Y/n answered.

You're offically Will's best friend

Well Female Older Teen Best Friend

We all know you cant replace Mike

So you two talk back and forth, he's telling you about Ghost Busters and D&D and your talking about New York and Heros

You actually show him your shoes they've wore out but the faint paint of the Punisher's Skulls covers your soles.

He thinks there super cool and says hes somewhat of an artist himself

Then you guys play tik tac toe on a napkin

Joyce is glad he gets along with you

Apparently Will doesnt get along with a lot of people

He told you they call him Zombie boy

You use it as a compliment to try and make him laugh

"Oh! Dead Im dead!" Y/n spoke theratically then slumped back in her chair, "Surpise! I've come back for my sweet revenge!! Raaa!"

He laughs and you tell him you have his back, after all you tell him you were bullied as well and look how badass you are

You also tell him you've got his back if he ever needs it

You werent expecting The Sinclairs to be there

So when Lucas came running up to Will happily from the little arcade section you were introduced

He was a sweet boy and was almost unbelieving that girls could be nerds

So he was happy another nerd was joining the party

Yet he didnt know about you Joining D&D that has to be a group decision

Whatever that means

But its a small town

So here comes Cheif Hopper

"Tension..." Karen mummbled to Y/n.

"Yeah no kidding." Y/n answered eating a cheese twist.

So you watched as Hopper tried to Size Frank up

But it didnt work much as you know

Frank just stood up to shake his hand and well the tension got worse

Luckily the tension Hoppers giving off gives you the ability to just burry youself in your milkshake

Because remember you totally didnt get pulled over by him with a whole bunch of aliens in your car

"Lets get out of here and too the arcade." Y/n whispered to will, "I got a 5 we can turn into quaters."

Will nodded quickly as the two got up, Y/n kissing Steve on the cheek beforr rushing off with Will to escape the akwardness

On the few machine's they had you won him a little stuff animal, the one you clip on your bags

You didnt expect him to like it as much as he did.

He beat you in street fighter 3-1.

Your pride is in shambles but oh well, you made a kid happy

Both unfortunately and fortunately enough, everyones gotta go there seperate ways

You all say your goodbyes and you promise you'll Call Matt tommrow maybe you both can do something he can meet another on of your friends

After all you had to go see if someone followed through and that threat you made *cough* neil *cough* and see that he was in jail

Your glad things are starting to finall Mellow out for you

You have a nice boyfriend, your dad has a great girlfriend and she has a sweet kid with an old soul , you're families here, You protected your best friend and his sister

What could go wrong?

Well. Alot actually

Previous Part - Next Part

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Tag List ( IT KEEPS GROWING IM GONNA EXPLODE MY GUY) : @raelwrites @miiikkeey @beebslebobs @ah-witch @supernaturallover2002 @pearlstiare @simonsbluee @stilllivindue2spite @lvbred @dancingqueen21 @writerdream22 @i-reblog-fics-i-like @knivqs @xxlaynaxx @3-spurr

#x reader #marvel x reader #marvel x stranger things #marvel x reader headcanon #stranger things x you #stranger things x y/n #stranger things x reader #stranger thingd headcannons #x female reader #female reader #frank castle x female reader #frank castle x reader #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington #steve harrington headcanon #frank castle x daughter! reader #frank x daughter reader #daughter reader #matt murdock x reader #platonic matt murdock #matt murdock

[themonotonysyndrome]

Sorry for the length of this, but you got me thinking! I feel like I should have started keeping an eye out on Erik not planning a lot of major plot points when he introduced Xavier right before the games, gave us no time to get to know him, then killed him and had characters (even Freelancer) react in a way like they were bffs with him like what in the Star Trek redshirt was that? But Inversion was so good otherwise to me that I ignored that.

I feel like I really should have taken more notice when Milo recovered from his Inversion injury after two videos (but Erik had personal reasons for that so I went sure). Then, after all this lore talk of how much bloodlust new vampires have and how much they struggle, we didn't see any of that with Lovely, but we were still not to far off from Inversion so I ignored it again lol.

There's some personal preference stuff where I get confused at his lack of consistent framing when it comes to consent where Alexis is the bitch and is more or less a villain (with little nuance so far in canon) for ignoring Sam's consent. But Cutie (with how Erik says they and Geordi aren't broken up) is framed as being able to work towards forgiveness despite years of ignoring Geordi's consent even after he cried about it to them.

I'm on the fence about his 'I intended Imperium season 2 to be the end' because I don't think it's the worst place to stop, but I do think that there's some more story to tell and if the views were a lot better then he probably wouldn't have stopped (only guessing here)?

I think what made me finally stop and wonder 'does he plan?' was how Quinn's capture (after all that build up) happened off-screen and only had Darlin' punch him while he was tied up. I thought the Summit was fine in a very Clue way, but watching the Vega video today had me go '...oh okay' which I don't mind deaths, but that shouldn't be a reaction to that lol.

I feel like I want to give one more of his big plotlines a chance and hope he's planned that one, but idk. The guy capable of making Inversion has to be able to do something even sort of to that level again hopefully??

Don't apologise, Anon! I love reading your thoughts.

Xavier was the beginning. Yes, I was also emotionally devastated; it added stakes to the Inversion, but a part of me always wondered if killing off a character was the only way Erik could add impact to the Inversion? Because no matter how good the angst is, if you introduce a character, make them have ties with one of the main cast and later kill them just to add depth to the main cast, it feels very cheap.

Maybe this is me being salty, but making Milo unable to Shift for at least a few more videos before his Core is healed enough would've been better. The anxiety of not knowing if he became truly magicless and the trauma that would bring would be a better alternative to Xavier's death. I feel like Erik is so damn afraid to do anything bad to his cash cows nowadays. That aftermath from the Summit? The talk that David had with Angel or whatever? That was honest to go foreplay. Yes, the Shaw Pack was affected by William's plan; they saw a murder happening right in front of them, boo hoo... boo hoo. The Summit is absolutely nothing when compared to the Inversion, where hello? Actual and thousands of deaths occurred!?

That thing with Lovely, and how well and quickly did they transition into the Vampiric lifestyle? Lame. Boring. Where's the struggle? Oh right, the fandom scared Erik badly enough to scrap Bright Eyes.

Also, I get that Erik's movie is Clue, and he was trying to do the same for the Summit, but it just turned into, 'Great idea, bad execution' kind of video. Meh.

That Alexis and Cutie parallels... I never noticed that before, Anon! Huh! You have a good eye when it comes to details. Listen, I love Alexis. I love Cutie. I love deeply flawed characters, and I also love deeply flawed characters that either own up to it or revel in their shittiness. I just want Cutie and Geordi to break up already so Cutie can find someone on their level, and Geordi can find someone with enough patience to deal with him and his baggage. Though both of them need to work on their own stuff first, tbh. Cutie is not blameless, and neither is Geordi.

Will we get an Imperium Season 2, though, Anon? I already don't have faith in Erik's story writing so I'm not looking forward to he'll fucked up another series.

Ah! So Quinn's Ending was your tipping point, Anon. I hate Sam and Darling but even I believe they deserve better. Though I giggled when Darling beat up a tied-up Quinn as a way to get their revenge. Oooo, so badass! What a strong Listener! You feel empowered at that moment, Anon? I feel like I was ridiculed after everything, IMO.

Vega's death was a slap in the face to me because of the utter disrespect. You built this character up to be ancient, manipulative, powerful, only for him to moan and die? Wow! I wondered if he actually hated Vega! This might be a gambit, and Vega might be faking his death, or this is some part of his plan, but I don't care anymore. At least give him a proper end, ya know? Again, same with Quinn's situation. I FEEL RIDICULOUS FOR EVER INVESTED IN THE SERIES.

I'm not morbidly curious to see how he's gonna fuck up Project Meridian. I don't doubt that Erik can create a new series that starts off fantastically, only for it to end like a wet fart. Let's hope Inversion isn't his one-hit-wonder, eh?

#monotony's rambling #redacted asmr #redacted audio

[xenosagaepisodeone]

I have not read more than 2 lines of your bayo ending posts because I want to experience it for myself, I think I'm the last major mission from the ending but there has definitely been something... off about the writing throughout the whole game. Idk how to explain it but it feels like it was written (and made by in some parts) by someone who only watched a playthrough of bayo 1 and didnt quite Get It.

I talked with my sister a lot about this and we agreed that the overall tone and characterization in this game is intentionally sanitized in service of the new plot elements they introduce. The enemies are generic mindless goo beasts (you don't get anything close to a Joy fight in this game). The primary antagonist is Just Some Guy instead of someone Bayonetta can really butt heads with. The sci-fi elements sometimes aren't integrated well and can make some scenes feels like they're from a whole other game. Characters are rarely hammy or chuuni (even Viola, who ideally should be more chuuni given who she is). You're given very little of anything Bayonetta-esque to work with for the script, which ends up inflating the biggest issue with this game story-wise.....

There is virtually no camp. I believe this was likely the case because the game is about wearing down Bayo in order to ease in Viola as the new protagonist, but I also suspect that it was also to aid in the hamfisted Arch-Eve/Arch-Adam plot by not making her look too above or noncommittal towards Luka (they can't have that if they're going to make him charm her). Bayo makes the odd innuendo, but very little of how she acts throughout our time with her exudes much glamour or personality. She's weirdly silent through the bulk of your exploration, only speaking when she summons/hits something or opens a door. She doesn't joyfully antagonize enemies anymore; she also doesn't have a commanding presence when facing big enemies, is very easily pushed around by others, spends most of the game watching AU versions of herself, Jeanne and Rosa die (if not, being forced to kill them) and is weirdly demure where she would normally be biting and sadistic (where did her bloodlust go?? where???). After she proclaims that she will "bow to no one" she allows herself to get painfully stabbed by Luka while she coos grotesquely at him. Her personality carried a lot of the more confusing plot elements of 1 and 2, and because of how radically she's been changed here, everything else suffers as a result. I mentioned in a previous post that they rewrote Luka from the ground up to 'elevate' him as a potential love interest, but they also nerfed Bayo hard to achieve some reciprocity from her. They couldn't envision a way to shove them together that didn't involve making her weak and helpless. She's only superficially recognizable as Bayonetta by the end.

She hardly talks to Jeanne in the rare scenes they have together, and you can feel how forced the silence is (It's undeniable that the devs were at least a little aware of how popular BayoJeanne is). Their only conversation being about how Jeanne Definitely Also Likes Men was so weird.

There's also the fact that a lot of this game /is/ just reworked Scalebound. I know that Kamiya was excited to develop Scalebound and was frustrated when the plug was pulled on the project. It wouldn't be a stretch to suggest that a lot of that vision was poured into Bayo3 instead. So there's that. The Nier/MCU influence goes without saying.

#asks #anonymous #bayonetta 3

[im-yn-suckers]

cupids arrows; my high school dream galz

pairing- not exactly enemies to lovers but along those lines. idol niki x idol fem reader park y/n (jays baby sister) (debuts in gg)

warnings- i don't know how any of this works so ye. light crying and a kiss on the forehead. boy talk between teenage girls. friendly teasing. lmk what i missed

proofread again yay

synopsis- flashback as jay's younger sister in school, you and your friend decided to audition for hybe at the age of 14. when you pass and she doesn't, you get selected to join a survival show. when your unnies and the one member younger than you debut and you don't, you are announced as the 8th member of enhypen. how does getting cheated on benefit the fact that you and niki aren't very fond of each other?

chapter two; my high school dream galz

prev <;- m.list -> next

If it weren’t for the fact that you were packing for ‘My High School Dream’, it would be a normal friday you still couldn’t believe it. they told you you’d lose your phone and that you’d be able to get a new one after debut. your last facetime with jay was probably the hardest. you knew you’d have opportunities to meet up with him after debut but, what would happen if you don’t debut? no, you will debut. that’s what you told yourself. 

"don't worry kiddo. we'll see each other when you get famous, i'll get your number then!"

"yeah, but what if i don't debut, then what?"

'you will debut, don't worry. good luck! i love you and im so proud of you kiddo!"

"thanks jay. i love you too. bye, i have to catch the bus to make it to our dorms. i'll be staying there for like two months"

"ok, stay safe kiddo. I love you. bye."

"bye y/n!! have fun! cant wait" all the boys shouted, they always hyped you up. except niki, of course

little did you know, the boys were teasing niki back at the dorms. why? let's just say you're really pretty and he agreed, without you knowing.

you plopped your phone on your bed and finished packing. you started to tear up at the fact that you wouldn't be able to talk to jay as much. Hyun came over and helped you for a bit.

"i'll miss you" he wiped your tears and kissed your forehead

"me too, Hyun"

when you left for the bus, some students from your school came to show support.

"bye mom, bye dad. i love you guys so much. see you around" you hugged your parents, Hyun, and the one friend you had left. the bus ride was a little hard, but you managed.

WELCOME TRAINEES! that's what the banner read.

"hello ladies! i am Yong-hee, i will be one of the judges on 'my high school dream'. you may take a seat in the lobby and talk amongst yourselves for about an hour. we will then introduce each other all together. have fun!" she seemed really nice and was really welcoming.

you girls began talking amongst each other and you found out there were only three members younger than you. 6 of you started to talk with each other, the other six did the same.

"hello i'm Eun-sa, im 18 years old" she was so pretty.

"i'm Soo-ah, i'm 16" she had really nice hair

"i'm Cho-gyung. i'm 17" she was tall

"i'm Ro-cha, just call me Rora. i'm 15" her skin was beautiful

"i'm y/n, i'm 14" you said and smiled warmly

"what about you, whats your name?" Cho-gyung asked the girl sitting next to you.

"i-im Se-un, i'm 13" she was about your height.

"wow, you all are making me feel old." Eun-sa said.

they all seemed really nice, Se-un seemed really shy, but maybe it was because she's 13.

"i look forward to working with you guys" Rora was so kind and genuinely seemed excited to work with you guys

you introduced yourselves and played some games, you and Se-un got really close and she thought you were like a big sister.

after that, you all went to the main lobby and got assigned your rooms. there were two big rooms for the trainees.

"ha, looks like we'll be living together for the next two months" Soo-ah mentioned and it was true. all six of you were assigned to one of the two big rooms. you had dinner and got settled into your rooms

you and Se-un chose beds next to each other. she felt really comfortable around you.

"well, lights out isn't for another hour so, how about we get real"- Eun-sa

"how?"- Rora

"are any of you in a relationship?" Eun-sa asked and you felt the tips of your ears get red

"i had a boyfriend but we broke up before i left. we decide it was best" Soo-ah's comment made you feel a bit better

"y/n-ah! your ears are red!" Cho-gyung

"well, i have a boyfriend yea, we've had to be apart for long periods of time before so we'll be fine" you admitted with a pink face.

"awww, how about you Seun-ah? if you're not comfortable, thats ok too though, ok?" rora

"well, i've had a crush on this guy for a while, and some celebrity crushes too" she said and started to blush a bit.

"ooh, like who? obviously if you don't want to, you don't have to answer" Eun-sa asked and she made Se-un feel like she could talk about anything with them.

"well, i think the members of BTS are cute, but even locals agree, uhm, also the new group that debuted, enhypen, they're cute too" she told you all about her crushes

"oh! i know enhypen. jay's my brother and i kind of sound like a pick me right now but yeah." you blurted out and almost regretted it until,

"no way! you like any of them?" Soo-ah asked you while lightly nudging you with her elbow.

"well, i kind of like niki but he doesn't even talk to me. all the others are really nice though." you remembered how niki reacted to you passing your audition

"girl, that is a classic enemies-to-lovers trope!" Rora has read way too many books to know how that ends

"no, no." you blushed a little but you had to admit, the sound of enemies-to-lovers made you smile a bit

"lights out, everyone report to your rooms and go to sleep, you have a big day ahead of you!" Yong-hee's voice was heard throughout the entire building.

"goodnight guys!" Cho-gyungs voice we heard in your room and everyone responded

"goodnight unnie, thanks for making me feel welcome" Se-un tired voice was so calming

"goodnight Seun-ah. you're welcome"

you patted her head goodnight to lay down. what waits for you the next day is big. until then, goodbye

taglist- @annoyingbitch83

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