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mrpenguinpants · 1 year

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Overdue Bills

— He knows your fake relationship with him was made purely for beneficial reasons. After everything was said and done, you both went your separate ways. So why does he keep coming back to you?

— Alhaitham, Ayato, and Kazuha

-> Part 1: Please go out with me for tax benefits! -> Not connected but can also be read: I refuse to fall in love out of spite [ TBA ] [Masterlist]

Does this feel rushed because it is. I assumed everyone wanted a continuation but I plan on writing another fic using the original prompt but for different characters. The titles have nothing to do with the fics but I really wanted to title this, we've been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty.

Alhaitham

There's only so much Kaveh can handle before he hits a breaking point and this might be it. A few months ago he overheard the librarian ask a stranger how their boyfriend Alhaitham was doing, to which he nearly broke his neck in how fast he turned. From the long pause and the plain answer of, "he's fine", which Alhaitham most definitely isn't given how much work the sages are dumping onto their scribe, Kaveh came to the conclusion that you're another creepy admirer or an attention-seeking leech. While Kaveh wouldn't call Alhaitham something as close as a friend, the man at least deserved to know there was another deranged person spreading lies. He assumed Alhaitham would confront you, knock some sense into you, and that would be the end of it. But because Alhaitham operates on a level that's incomprehensible to Kaveh, instead you've both entered into a fake dating relationship that he honestly believes is a horrible idea. But Alhaitham is his roommate, not his friend, and he doesn't have the time or care to facilitate a non-existent love life. But lo and behold the next time he sees you, there's a silver-haired man is hovering nearby looking at you with the closest thing to love his stoic face can make. Things are only weirder when Kaveh brings the sight up to you, saying that you're both taking this fake dating in stride and he's honestly impressed at how Alhaitham really put his all into this performance. Only for you to look at him as if he's grown two heads. You and Alhaitham stopped dating weeks ago.

Alhaitham isn't stupid. There's only so much rationalization he can turn to and so many excuses he can make but at the end of the day, he has to admit that he never works better than he does sitting beside you. At first, he reasoned that it was because people didn't bother him as much and you knew how to be quiet. Perhaps that's why you've skyrocketed in his requirements of friendship despite the fact that you both weren't really friends. But then he couldn't sit alone without getting restless. There’s an empty space beside him that constantly makes itself aware in his subconscious. One that screams at him that he wants you to be there, not just because you can scare people away.

It's a slow realization from there starting with him comparing you and Kaveh. For as much as he and his senior argue back and forth almost every time they meet, Alhaitham considers Kaveh an excellent mirror to him that can push his thoughts to go further. But you're different. That realization turns into contemplation when you actually listen and take his advice. Every scholar is egotistical to some degree, there's a lot of pride to take into your research, and having your weeks of hard work be written off by a blunt statement gets people angry. Alhaitham would be the first to know, he's been on the receiving end of that anger multiple times. Yet when he points out a section in your thesis to be incorrect, you simply tilt your head thinking before agreeing he was right. Crumbling your paper, ready to start all over again without any fuss. Still water versus the wave that Kaveh is. While some would call that boring, he finds it charming.

The nail in the coffin is when he catches himself labeling the chair next to him as yours. He can't justify that one and he's suddenly confronted that he severely underestimated how much he's grown to like you. He originally agreed to the idea to keep his comfortable routine without any interruptions and your introduction would fix his issue of suitors but you've played your part so perfectly that he fell for it. He was tempted to stop talking to you altogether, cutting the deal off entirely and never speaking to you again. But you're not a saint and just as he realized his feelings, your thesis was done and you left abruptly before he had any time to prepare. A glaring empty spot mocking him. Only to come back with your stacks of books and a nervous smile that Alhaitham refuses to acknowledge makes his heart beat just the slightest bit quicker.

He knows you can hear the whispers that you and Alhaitham have gotten back together. Yet you haven't said anything and he politely chooses to not say anything either. The rumors certainly haven't stopped you from acting differently and he doesn't know if that's a good thing. He knows your language is touch but now he wants to be the one near you this time. That way the first person you’ll speak to is him. By now he’s fully aware of his feelings and how far they’ve developed for him to actually start feeling possessive. So the next time you lean against him to show him a particular paragraph of a book, he wraps a hand around your waist, disguising it as him shifting you to the side so he can get a better angle to read. Under his hand, he can feel how tense you become at the casual touch, how your eyes jump from him to the floor, before relaxing and continuing on.

In hindsight, he knows by all rational reasoning he should just confess to you and get it over and done with. But there's something exciting in the way you look at him with calculating eyes that he stares back at unflinching. He thinks of it as payback for you strolling into his carefully planned life and making a mess. He’s simply allowing himself to indulge in it. Now every time you greet him with a wave, he offers a smile. When you want to drag him somewhere by the cape, he slips his hand into yours stating you'll stretch the fabric too much. And when you need to whisper something in his ear? He'll practically be in your lap with how close he leans in even if there's no one else in the room. He knows eventually you'll catch on to what he's trying to do, what he's trying to say. You've been practicing for months sitting beside him. It's finally when he invites you to the pavilion that he can see the realization on your face that Alhaitham clearly doesn't consider you just a friend. The look of bewilderment goes back and forth with suspicion before finally settling into an amused huff with the smallest of smiles.

It's late enough into the day that he knows the only people lingering in the Akademiya are either passed-out students or scholars too wrapped up in their work. All consideration he's taken to make sure you're both uninterrupted for this moment. And what a moment it is. The pavilion itself is beautiful with its blue and green stained glass windows that reflect the evening sun. The yellow flowers swaying gently in the breeze add just enough color to not be irritating. Kaveh might need to retract his statement that Alhaitham doesn't know a thing about romance because it's painfully obvious what's about to happen.

"Any more and people might get the wrong idea you know," you say as you lean against the white wall. The look of confusion is gone from your eyes, replaced with mirth. It does not make him shudder.

"About what? The library is cramped with people and the pavilion is quiet," he says like it's an off-handed comment before turning around, leaning his weight against his elbows on the railing as he turns to the side to look at the view this specific pavilion provides. "Although I can understand where you might have drawn that conclusion. I can assure you nothing like that will happen. You're not my type."

He can physically feel you bristle even though he isn't looking at you before your footsteps come closer and closer until your form is right in front of him. He still refuses to look at you but he can tell the moment you see his poorly hidden smile. He hears you let out an amused huff before you bring your hands up and settle them against the railing as well. Only you've decided to cage him in between your arms and it makes him turn to you, raising a brow. He's already lost the moment he turned but the cheeky grin you have is worth it. You look really cute when you're smug.

"If I had any interest, it would have died a long time ago. You're the worst fake boyfriend I've ever had so I can't imagine how insufferable you'll be as a real one," you shake your head exasperated but there's a small entertained look that tugs at his heart. That you know what he knows and he knows what you know. A similar feeling of understanding that he's gotten so used to. One that lets him act in such an irrational way.

"You've had others?" he asks as his arm comes off the railing to settle around your waist. You don't push him away, easily following along.

"For such a pretty face you have such an awful personality," you sigh disappointed yet the arms that cage him move to settle around his neck, twirling the silver hair at the base of his neck as you lean closer until there isn't space between the two of you.

"Oh? So you think I'm pretty?" He tilts his chin slightly down, his lips brushing against yours.

"You must have selective hearing." With your faces so close, he can see the excitement in your eyes. He's sure that he is the same. So he ignores the pleased look on your face and leans in.

Ayato

Ultimately, he's just a passerby. He decided on a whim to go along with some absurd act because he thought the sheer dread and embarrassment on your face was amusing and he wanted to see more. By all accounts, your temporary date wasn't too bad. It felt a bit refreshing being with someone that looked like they rather throw themselves in the nearby sea than stand next to the refined Yashiro Commissioner. But otherwise, that's the end of your relationship. With a few words here and there, he managed to spin the absurd story into his favor and reign in the disaster your little stunt might have caused. He's grateful that you so easily play along with him. Not a single complaint about how he lies through his teeth that someone was bothering you so he extended his help so this individual would leave you alone. It makes both of you, mostly him, look good. How people rush to make sure you're okay while your expression flickers between guilt and embarrassment is far more entertaining than anything he originally planned during this outing. But at the end of the day, you have nothing to do with each other and he owes you nothing. Your presence is ultimately inconsequential in the stream that is his life. That is until one day your relationship changes to stupidity and heartfelt sincerity.

It starts off as a joke. Ayato tends to latch onto small things that give him a momentary break from his busy and stressed lifestyle and duties. Plus there's something lighthearted about this situation that he doesn't want to let go of just yet. Unfortunately for you, Ayato's newfound joy is sneaking up on you and sending you into an early grave. The first time it was an accident, you just happened to be easily jumpy, but the second time though? The resounding screech of terror never fails to make a smile appear on his face and you're convinced that he's a sadist. He doesn't even have to try that hard, his steps are silent even against the crooked stone path that he can waltz up right behind you. But his absolute favourite part is bending down and whispering what exactly his fiancee is so interested in. It always leads to embarrassing talks of you politely asking him to not refer to you with that title anymore that he swiftly blocks by mentioning that, wasn't it you who called him your fiancee first? You should take responsibility.

He thinks your reactions are cute even if you're a bit vulgar in language, although to him that just adds to the warped sense of charm he finds in you. Thoma nearly chokes on his own spit when Ayato perks up at something behind him, suddenly dropping the calm facade of the Yashiro Commissioner and something more genuine before calling out to a "fiancee". Thoma whips around to see a stranger speaking with Yoimiya before their eyes lift and lock with Ayato's and their expression immediately sour. He doesn't think he's ever seen anyone show such a disgusted expression and he can't help but wonder what his lord has done this time. Before Thoma can say anything the stranger picks up a firework ball and hurls it at his Lord who easily sidesteps the attack, the resounding death threats only making the blue-haired man laugh.

It's fun. You're fun to be around. The entire situation is silly and ridiculous and it feels nice. Ayato had to grow up too fast, become an adult too fast, and shoulder the burden meant for later years. Something as small as a nickname, an inside joke, something he can bring up to spite someone just for the fun of it is nice. Perhaps that's why he refuses to let go and finds himself returning to you.

It's all a joke. There's no way Ayato can actually take your hand in marriage. Not with your differences in status. You think that's the only reason people entertain the idea, why he even entertains the idea. To get a reaction out of you that he can relentlessly tease and it's all so stupid. That is until he receives a different reaction that leaves him lost and confused.

You stumble upon him in the aftermath of another one of his assassination attempts. He was perfectly fine, not even a speck of dust on his white coat yet you were nearly in hysteria. Panicked hiccups as you sob uncontrollably into his chest, your tears doing far more damage to dirtying his clothes than an attempt on his life. He tries his best to console you but you can't seem to stop the tears and as much as he values staying dignified, he's almost at his limit. Hand already poised to yank you off until he falters in both mind and body when you suddenly turn your head up and he sees the expression that you hid away in the lapels of his coat. The feeling of the annoyance of having to wash his coat flew out of his mind at the sight of your teary eyes and downturned lips. A small, very small, part of his heart beats just a bit faster. An even smaller part that was buried under the title of Yashiro Commissioner perks its head over someone who was crying for him. Even though you've both talked multiple times, you and he aren't close enough to be considered friends, at least in his eyes. Yet you're currently looking at him as if you're the one that's been attacked because of the simple fact that he could have been hurt. It's...strange.

He doesn't say anything as you usher him into your home to fix up whatever injuries you happened to have conjured in your mind. He's never stepped foot into your residence and he's honestly glad he hasn't because your home is...disheartening, to say the least. He thinks the estate has more life than what was supposedly something you called home. It's not that your place is poor, you're not sleeping on a slab of rock, but it's empty. Like you don't have anything at all. The only thing you seem to carry is your small pile of books. Worn but well taken care of. So he doesn't say anything as you fuss over him, doesn't say anything about the horrendous first aid kit you bring, and bids you farewell at the door of your home. You smile at him widely and tell him to take care of himself. But when he turns to leave, he risks one last peek at you, just in time to see you close your door. You aren't smiling anymore. He stops walking.

It starts to escalate from there. The following months of sudden change are so abrupt that he has no choice but to follow along. He wants to see every expression you have. If that isn't enough, he'll find new ones for you to make.

Ayato's first impression of you is charming but in a pitiful sort of way. You have to be an airhead, you must be considering your shared first meeting. How you didn't realize your mistake and went along with everything is beyond Ayato. You and Itto are almost on the same level of denseness but while Itto does everything with blind confidence that the situation has changed because of him, you are the opposite. Wandering into your own mess as you ignore all the warning signs until it's too late. But you're also honest and upfront, two traits that Ayato has come to value immensely. He finds you endearing, so much that it's starting to overfill his teacup. So with a silent smile, he asks a question.

"Why don't you become my fiancee?"

The noodle slips between your chopsticks, a loud unflattering splat against the table echoing through the silence as you stare at him slack-jawed. He begins to worry that he's accidentally sent you into a stroke because one of your eyes starts twitching.

"Huh? Are you being for real?" you ask deadpanned. He can't help but chuckle under his fingers before resting his chin on the palm of his hand. It feels nice to be able to rest his elbows against the table without someone reprimanding him for his lack of manners. He finds your dry reaction far cuter than the blushes and swoons from the ladies that the elders forced him to take out.

"Be my fiancee." he pauses before continuing as an afterthought. "For real this time."

You pick up your fallen noodle, chew, swallow, and then point your chopsticks at him. Not convinced in the slightest. "Even if you haven't picked out a fiancee you shouldn't joke about that."

"Really?" he fakes surprise, "Then how come you're on a date with me right now?"

You choke. He pushes his teacup towards you, who takes it and gulps down half of its contents in one go. The glass clinks loudly on the table when you put it down yet it doesn't distract him from the sheer disbelief on your face as your ears grow red. He thinks out of all of the expressions you've given him, he likes this one the most.

"This isn't-It's not," you attempt to say, spluttering the entire time that remnants of the tea you just drank wet your lips.

"Yes, it is. Why? Is it bad? Do you know enjoy being taken out to dinner? I can easily arrange for something else instead," He reached over with a napkin to wipe your face. It only serves to make you more embarrassed that he's treating you like a child as you push his hand away lest you combust on the spot. There's no immediate answer. He can't tell whether you're actually considering his offer, or if you're refraining from throwing your chopsticks at him.

"No thanks. If I've learned anything it's that you'll only torment me until I die. I'm starting to think I like you even less," you grumble, shoving more noodles into your mouth.

Ayato is a strange man so he doesn't wait for the water to spill, just tips the cup over and starts again. This time he waits for you to swallow before saying anything, he doesn't want you to choke again.

"That's unfortunate. I adore you, you know."

Kazuha

While his feelings and words were true, he resigns himself to the fact that your relationship was a one-and-done situation. Impulsiveness isn't one of his qualities but as he reflects on his time with you, he gets a bit flustered at how hard he fell. He had just met you and yet within the span of a couple weeks, you managed to fill out the empty parts of his heart. He tries to rationalize that it was just the timing. He had been on the run for so long, his thoughts always chained around Inazuma, and upholding his promise to his friend. But then you happened to crash into his life, quite literally, and everything slowed to a stop at that moment. Originally it was just to protect you from a clingy admirer but then you started asking about him. What his hobbies were, what kind of dreams he had, and whether or not he would like to learn how to fly. Every day and night sitting beside you on the crow's nest, the gentle sway of the waters rocking the boat, and the backdrop of noise down on the deck was the most serene Kazuha has ever felt since he left Inazuma. But all things must come to an end eventually and even though Kazuha knows that this might be the end, you look so hopefully at him that he can't help but try to push the end to tomorrow. He just needs to garner the strength to move.

Beidou asks if he's sure about his decision to leave the Crux and wander on his own. It's not nice to make you wait even though she knows you and when you say you'll wait, you're going to damn wait no matter how long it takes. But he reassures her that he's still not ready. As much as he wants to run over the water back to Liyue, he doesn't want to bring along conflicted and aimless feelings. But he will hurry, he's been running for so long, he can run a little further for something and someone for himself. It's a bit selfish but Beidou gives him an exasperated soft smile that lets him know it's not a bad thing. Although with each passing day Beidou's ship ports, it gets harder and harder for her to break the news that Kazuha is still not back. Beidou does her best to reassure you that Kazuha isn't stringing you along, she would have drowned him in the ocean if he was that low of a guy, but she can tell that with each visit your expression grows more and more distant. Watching how you're the first one to rush down the wooden bridges with a hopeful expression that one-day Kazuha might be there only to leave with a sad smile. It makes her want to track her problem child down and bring him back to you. Not that she has any idea where he wandered too.

He ends up in the forests of Sumeru. His keen sense of smell aids him as he treks through the wilderness until he meets a strange forest watcher and a girl in green. Their a bit of an odd pair but so is Kazuha and they become fast friends. Apparently, his calm demeanor is a breath of fresh air and it's enough that they don't pry into his history. Although there are moments when he can feel their eyes on him. Perhaps living in the forest has led them both to be aware of subtle changes far better than Kazuha can smell. It starts when they trek towards the small lakes and waterbeds to gather niloptala lotus for Tighnari that he sees it. An anemone flower. Soft white petals with a dark blue center sway in the breeze as he stands watching it move. It's Collei who approaches him and explains white anemone flowers, also known as windflowers, symbolize sincerity due to their delicate appearance. According to mythology, the anemone flower was created when Aphrodite's mortal lover, Adonis, was killed and from the spot where her tears fell to the ground, an anemone emerged. She says that he might enjoy that last bit of information to use as inspiration for his many haiku poems because he's looking at the flower as if he's fallen in love. Although she warns him that when fresh, all parts are poisonous.

When Inazuma finally calmed down and Thoma informed him that he was no longer a wanted man, it was the second time Kazuha could take a deep breath and relax. He was free from running and could focus on the future. He won't lie and say that his thoughts didn't stray back to you every night. He's been gone for months and he wonders if you still remember what he looks like. But now he has to ask himself the hard question if he's ready to see you. Unfortunately, he doesn't get to make that choice.

He sees you at Port Ormos by chance, speaking to a silver-haired man before you cut yourself off mid-sentence as your eyes lock onto his. Even with everything Kazuha has been through, he feels scared. He knew he would eventually return to you but now that you're here, is he not ready? Or is he scared? He knew that asking for you to wait was selfish, that one day he may return with your hand in someone else's. Maybe that's why you're all the way in Sumeru rather than the high mountains of Liyue. All these emotions reflect back to you and he can see it, your fists are trembling even as you gaze back at him with conviction and determination. The sun shines right behind you, creating a gold halo over your tousled hair. But it makes the shadows of your strained expression darker, your eyes gloss over your jaw tense, and everything about your posture screams please don't disappoint me Kazuha. Then it's gone. Your attention back to the silver hair man, pretending as if nothing happened. You'll wait until he's ready but you won't acknowledge him when he's not. And Kazuha. Kazuha runs away.

"There you are."

Kazuha looks up to see Tighnari sitting at the table facing the entrance that Kazuha has stumbled through. It's late into the night and because his heart has more room to bear, he feels guilty that Tighnari stayed up to make sure he returned. Before he can apologize Tighnari raises a hand to stop him, sighing before he gestures Kazuha to sit down. Fiddling with his pouch he takes something and slides it across to Kazuha. An Inazuma charm. The same one you gave him when he left.

"You dropped it when you were running through Port Ormos like you had stolen something. I had to convince Cyno that you weren't a thief but you're going to have to apologize to Collei for scaring her like that," he huffs as he settles back into his seat, watching at how Kazuha raises a wary hand to pick up the charm like it'll break under the slightest pressure. It makes Tighnari soften around the edges, the worried lines of his face smoothing out as he rests a hand on the samurai's shoulder. "Are you okay Kazuha?"

It only serves to bring a pained smile to the man's face, shaking his head. No. No, he's not alright. He hasn't felt "alright" in months. He's lived his life thinking that as long as his blade was by his side, he could continue moving. But now it feels like he's slowly dying. Poisoned from the core. He thought he would be able to approach this like he had always been. That he thought he understood what he was doing and trusted the wind to guide him. But now he's confronted with his accountability and he doesn't know what to do but run. Back into the silence of the forest until he can't run any further. Collapsing onto the cold ground as he heaves for another breath. Every moment up until now replays in his head, becoming more vivid no matter how long it's been until he can smell your fragrance. It was a similar feeling to when he lost his friend, this lingering pain. It's why he decided he needed to leave first. He always assumed he remembered because of guilt. Guilt that he asked you to wait, guilt that he wasn't the one that was ready, and guilt that even after all this time he hasn't entered the border of Liyue. Yet no matter how long he goes, this feeling of guilt only remains for you until he doesn't know if that's the correct emotion. If what remains in his heart truly isn't guilt, what is this emotion that keeps him looking back at his memories of you? He doesn't know. It's his first time feeling this way.

"You're in love Kazuha. That's it."

---

There's a sudden ruckus on the ship deck that has Beidou draw her head up, her letter to Ningguang momentarily paused as she listens carefully to what her crew is so noisy about. Their voices are muffled through the thick wooden walls of her office but it doesn't sound like they're in any danger. Either way as the Captain she should check out what everyone is so excited about. She shoulders her fur-lined shawl back on and slams the doors open.

"What's got you all so- Kazuha?!" Beidou nearly chokes midsentence to see her sentence when he spots that familiar white and red hair. Even though it's only been a few months, he looks so much older than she remembers. When he said he wanted to do some soul searching, she didn't think it would make him look so...mature. It's not that his outward appearance is any different, he's still got that adorable baby face, but the air around him is tranquil rather than still.

"Captain, it's good to see you again," Kazuha smiles and gives a small wave. His hand is free of bandages letting her see the electro burns that scar his skin. She politely doesn't let her eyes linger on them for long, that's all in the past anyways. So she grins ear to ear and yanks the poor man into a headlock and a giant slap on the back. Her official way her welcome a trusty companion back.

"About time lover boy, let's get you home."

---

Not me throwing canon personalities and good characterization out the window to push my smitten agenda.

[taglist] <- if you want to be added, please read this first.

@genshins1mpact @creatorofstars @xoneaboveallx @timmyitsmeeee @raingoesboomboom @duhsies @thegayrubberducky @isa-solasun @afoxesgreed @yuuki4646 @angel-luv-04 @inlovewithwaffles @maddymints09 @moonssandstars

@tigerpriestess @endurablerose @ayakohana

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dnfao3tags · 10 months

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Finding Deleted Fics: A Multi-Method Guide

i feel like we are the fandom who needs this post the most any fandom has needed it ever.

all of these methods require you to know the title, author and/or link of the fic.

[disclaimer: the fic i am using as an example is not deleted, i just can't think of any other fics to use as an example right now.]

Method #1: Wayback Machine

this is my go to method that i always try first.

steps:

every fic on ao3 has a url of archiveofourown.org/[specific-numbers]. you're gonna need that url, doesn't matter if it doesn't work anymore.

eg.

2. now you're gonna go to archive.org and enter your url in the search bar.

3. something like this will come up. it probably won't be saved as many times though, just once or twice.

just click any of the links now, either the dates marked blue on the calendar or the earliest/latest date. that's it.

drawbacks:

often, a problem arises when searching for fics rated mature or explicit.

the site will have archived this page but not the actual fic. though, maybe lady luck is on your side and clicking proceed will lead you to a saved version of the actual fic. but usually not. and not all fics are saved here. in those cases, i have some more methods.

Method #2: Search Engine Cache

search engines like google and yandex often save a cached version of sites, though yandex is much more reliable than google. i'll give you a tutorial for both.

steps (yandex):

the link isn't completely necessary, just the title and author of the fic will suffice.

go to yandex.com and search for your fic by either entering the url or entering the title and author as such.

3. this will probably immediately come up.

just enter the captcha and it should let you in on the first go but there's a glitch i've encountered where you could be entering the captcha completely correct but for some reason the site still won't let you in. for that, you just have to keep trying again and again until eventually the site lets you in. might take more than 10 tries.

4. once you're in, search results will pop up. directly clicking them will only lead you to the not found page. what you're gonna do is hover over the box of the search result and you'll see 3 dots pop up on the right.

click those and a dropdown menu will appear. click the first option 'saved copy'.

and thats it! this is a much more efficient method especially for explicit or mature fics.

drawbacks:

for some reason, when i open yandex in google chrome, i can't see the 3 dots. i can in firefox though. don't really know what thats all about.

i'll show you how to do it with google too just in case yandex doesn't work.

steps (google):

in the url bar, type cache:[link of fic]. that's pretty much it. google doesn't have a lot of fics saved though so you'll probably get a 404 page.

Method #3: Reddit

there's a subreddit called r/DeletedFanfiction that can probably help you out. either search for the fic as it may have already been posted or req it and someone will probably get you a google drive link soon enough. u/throwthisaway11112 is my lord and savior.

afaik it's still up and running fine despite the reddit protest thing (which i recommend taking a minute to look into).

Method #4: Archive.org Database

okay, now you're gonna need a lot of memory on computer for this one. i'm not gonna even bother and try to explain it, i'll just link you to the original post. thank you once again to the anon who sent me this method!

Method #5: Fandom

if absolutely none of those methods work, you can still just send me an ask and maybe my followers or i will have a saved copy. same for any other fandom, i recommend asking around in popular fandom spaces, someone is bound to have it.

#deleted fics #kay talks #save #ao3 #internet archive #excuse my poor graphic designing #i wanted to add my photo thing #but this isnt a #fic rec #so i just slapped ao3 hacks on #decent imo #hope this helps someone out #ao3 hacks #how to ao3

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sixosix · 6 months

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THAWED | LYNEY X FEM!READER SERIES

THAWED (MASTERLIST) — the lyney childhood-enemies-to-frenemies-to-lovers-kinda series that no one asked for, ft. fluff, a whole lot of bickering, flirting, and everything in between

STATUS. mostly updates on sundays

OTHER INFO.

DISCLAIMER. will contain spoilers. this series will be as dark as genshin lore can be, and this won’t strictly follow genshin’s actual lore—i’ll be making up a lot of stuff for the sake of the fic so there will be inaccuracies, NOT CANON COMPLIANT!! there’s no previous director, the timeline of events will be vastly different. each chapter will have their own warnings as well, so keep an eye out for that!

NOTES. hello, everyone !!!!!!! welcome to my lyney series inspired by taylor’s reputation album. how it works is each chapter will be titled after each song off of the album as u can see below,,, hope u enjoy reading as excited i am for rep tv!! :D

tysm to naosaki and kruinka for helping me brainstorm w this fic (and also helping me when i was visibly all over the place because of this series) also kruin u owe me something remember that <3

CHAPTERS.

i — are you ready for it?

The House of the Hearth was perfect. This was where you thrived—where no one else could take this feeling away. But then Lynette became a part of the ‘family’, and with it, she dragged along Lyney.

ii — i don’t wanna hurt you (i just wanna be)

You look more like a soldier than an orphan, Lyney thinks. It’s beautiful in all the wrong ways.

iii — you gotta leave before you get left

Desperately, Lyney melts them away, but your footsteps have already gone out of earshot. It’s an answer in itself: Don’t bother. Take the hint, Lyney; you already messed it up.

iv — for you i would fall from grace

“What now? What do you want me to do? Strut back into their lives and demand all their Fatui secrets as if I never left?”

Aether nestles into his seat. “Prove to me that I can trust them just as much as you do. Who knows, you might get something out of this, too.”

v — you must like me for me

Lyney laughs. It sounds like music that has haunted you for years—and with a new one playing, it’ll torment you for years more. He loosens his grip but keeps you caged in, still. You’re twirled around to face him, and something about his expression has you swallowing thickly.

“You’re even more stunning than I remember, ma chérie.”

vi — look what you made me do

You frown at him, your face upside down in his view. “That was unfair.”

“I have to be if I want to beat you.”

vii — all eyes on you, my magician

He doesn’t take his eyes off you, even once when his fingers reached out to fish out a champagne flute. Lyney still has that stupid smile on his face, the rim of his glass against his lips. You’re hit with the startling realization that you want to kiss him.

Fuck, what?

viii — you’ve ruined my life, by not being mine

“You’re so warm,” you murmur to his skin.

Goosebumps blossom all over his body. Your face brushes against the side of his neck. “Do you hate it?”

“I like it. My hands are cold. Every part of you is warm.”

more chapter previews soon...!

FANART !!!!!!

our favorite akagi0021 has been blessing me with THAWED fanart (!!!) and i decided that i need to compile all of them for me and to make YOU see the art as well... BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL SO GOOD (with permission of course)

CH 1 | reader's new outfit reveal

CH 2 | lyney doesn’t know how he looks at reader

lyney and MC height difference before and after AAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHH IM ON MY KNEES theyre so cute

CH 4 | aether and paimon confronting reader

bonus fanart of lyney and reader after training :(( so cute

CH 5 | lyney seeing reader!!!!!! aahhh his eyes

lyney as a kid and then lyney now (grown up) THIS ONE IS INSANE. little lyney is so adorable but then look at the lyney now… 😵😵

CH 6 | LOOK AT THIS ONE!! scene of lyney saying “she’s hiding something” except akagi made him unnecessarily sexy wtf

CH 7 | drunk reader driving lyney crazy... (i went crazy)

CH 8 | "lyney's not my boyfriend" ; the ending scene with childe, aether, and reader!! they all look so good T__T

++ ADDITIONAL!!!

and look at this so so so adorable collection of doodles of chapter six by sunny @emanami !!! her artstyle is to live for its SO cute (look at the siblings!!!)

look at @lacrimae-lotos's version of mc!!!! SO CUTE look at her piercings and her eyes aahhhh

akagi's art dump from different chapters | theyre all so cutue im sobbing i love akagis mc and lyney so much T__T (LYNEY BRAIDING MC'S HAIR)

++ LOOK AT AKAGI'S VERSION OF MC! shes so lovely

design headcanons (theyre all so precious)

akagi's reader as a genshin char !!

reader's outfit for chapter seven SO PRETTY

TAGLIST.

@thenyxsky @aeferkssr @1mewo1 @lacrimae-lotos @meigalaxy @hyacinth-daze @miwafei @popochakku @svasilios @heyhazelnut101 @kruinka @waveto-earth @superstar-ethereal @mxplesyrvp @achilleas-dream @episodecete @jellifizz @auranny @motherscrustytoenailclippings @lovelyevil @iawaaaaaaa @rionah @esmetrees @cherryig @kzhwaif @mystiquemare @unknownlolol @sanluvssu @blvdmrcnry @kascar-chronicle @idontevenknow129 @tarathecogsci @lunavixia @beaniedoodz @wendolrea @avalordream @egoistars @rains-mae @magnificentfireball @poemzcheng @fiannee @ask-kurayami-akura @sc4rlett-letter @xxxion @wangshuu @deathkat657 @powchakko @beasalmeh, and many more!

just ask through my inbox!!! and make sure that people can tag you pls!!

#606: THAWED #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin x you #genshin impact x you #genshin impact #x reader #lyney x reader #lyney x you #lyney x y/n #genshin impact series

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doobea · 5 months

Text

✰⋆⁺★ WE KEEP THIS LOVE IN A PHOTOGRAPH ─ CHOSO KAMO

synopsis: you're serious about getting an A for your photography class. so serious that you end up fake dating your best friend. and, well, it gets out of hand.

contents: no curse AU, gn!reader, sfw, fluff, mr ed scares me but his songs are corny bops, friends to lovers + fake dating, choso has been secretly pinning but waits for you to make first move hehe, a satosugu kfc joke thrown in here, i always make my readers a stem major but they're an artsy major here, i feel like choso will always be some sort of chem major in my stories because it just works???, kinda PROOF'D, i finished writing this at 4am... word count: 3.8K (crazy ik) a/n: i love him, i love him, i love him sm *explodes* songs related to this fic: out of my league by fitz and the tantrums + photograph by ed sheeran

The best part about majoring in photography is that you’ve enjoyed every single project you’re given. This year, your professor explained that she wanted all of her students’ projects to always follow a specific theme — happiness, sadness, anger, etc. And, throughout the year, you’ve gotten nothing but A’s on all of them. It’s something you’re proud about, something that you didn’t hesitate to tell your best friend Choso when he had asked about it the first time around.

However, this straight A streak might soon come to a stop as the end of the semester wraps up. Your professor had just gotten engaged a few weeks ago and today's the first time she’s returning back to classes from her honeymoon, which she hasn’t stopped gloating over. She’s happy and you’re happy for her, you really are, but the themes of the projects for this class usually revolves around what she’s feeling and, unfortunately for you, the last theme just happens to be—

“Love!” your professor writes the word in big pink letters on the chalkboard and you immediately hear half of the class cheering and half of them groaning. Safe to say, you’re part of the other half.

“Oh, c’mon guys,” she frowns before pointing to her diamond engagement ring. “Love is amazing, it’s beautiful, it’s everlasting—”

“Some of us are single, you know?” one student calls out, several others joining in right after. “What if we don’t have a partner?”

It’s a valid point. This project will be a piece of cake for anyone in a relationship. Half of the class will probably submit a folder with selfies with their partners. And, given that your professor is in a particular good mood for this assignment, it’ll be an easy A. You, on the other hand, have nothing to submit because you’re not dating anyone. If somehow your professor suggests taking photos of your crushes, then that’ll be really fucking weird.

“You don’t have to be in a relationship for this project to work,” she explains with a smile. “For example, you could always submit pictures of your crushes.”

Fuck that.

“Kinda borderline stalkerish,” your thoughts slip out quite audibly.

Other students around you quickly agree while the other half of the class is arguing to keep the theme. Your professor opens her mouth to protest but only ends up shutting it again.

“Okay,” she laughs nervously before clapping her hands together in an attempt to calm everyone down. “If anyone would like a modification to this assignment, just send me an email by the end of the day and I’ll make a slight adjustment.” she says seriously.

That seems to work as some of your classmates are already typing away on their laptops. You’re tempted to join the list, not out of frustration of being single, but rather because you’re not sure if getting an A is possible this time. You’re wondering if you should even bother asking Choso to be your little guinea pig, but that would probably be asking a lot from someone who already has a lot on their plate. Plus, it would be really weird to actually ask your crush to be your pretend boyfriend.

“How was class?”

“Fine.”

Choso cocks a brow as he slides into the dining booth across from you. He has a brightly assorted platter consisting of various vegetables and a fat salmon filet. He’s been lecturing to you about healthy eating habits a week ago after catching his half-brother downing a bunch of fried foods and burgers. What a health nut. Which is why he splits his sides of vegetables and adds some on your sparse plate when he sees you have nothing but a lonely scoop of pasta and fries.

“No, seriously, tell me what’s wrong,” and he gives you that look where you know you can’t make up an excuse out of it.

You gracefully jab your fork at some of the oven roasted carrots he placed down, chewing and swallowing them in a way that made it seem like they kidnapped your entire family. And, fuck, they taste really good.

“My professor told us about the final project today,” you start, eyes focusing only on your plate and avoiding your best friend at all costs.

“Yeah?” Choso slices a piece of the salmon off and plates it on top of your pasta. “What about it?”

You briefly frown at the action, feeling your cheeks burn up shamelessly because why does he have to be so attentive and perfect?

“The theme is ‘Love’ and… well, I don’t really have anyone.” you cringe, poking at the salmon until it shreds apart.

Your friend goes silent, making a low humming sound as if deep in thought. After some pauses, Choso speaks up, “What about crushes? Or celebrities?”

Your eyes immediately flick to his face at the word ‘crush’ but you steel yourself before your emotions betray you. You begin coughing into your fist, pretending to be choking on a piece of noodle before downing your glass of water.

“That’ll be weird, dude. I can’t just take a photo of my crush and I feel like celebrities would just be a shitty cop out.” Sadly, you’re quite the model student in your major, and you’re not going to half-ass a project just because it’ll still give you a passing grade.

“So, what’s your plan?” Choso asks genuinely.

You purse your lips together, shrinking back into your seat, gaze now downcast again. “I’m not sure… I’ve been doing really well in that class and, well, it would suck seeing a C on this assignment after all the hard work I’ve done.” you answer honestly.

He’s silent again and you can feel his foot tapping against yours underneath the table. Choso doesn’t show emotion easily on his face unless provoked, but you can tell he’s really focused on finding some sort of solution because he’s chewing the insides of his cheeks, brows slightly creased under his bangs, and the tattoo on his nose is slightly scrunched up. You probably think he looks the same when he’s taking his exams and, for some reason, it makes you kinda happy that he’s putting this much effort into this silly dilemma. Though, makes you also feel slightly guilty, too.

“Hey,” you put up your hands in defeat and laugh. “It’s alright, Cho. Unless you volunteer to be my fake boyfriend and I take cheesy selfies with you, I don’t think you gotta do anything for me.”

“No, I can do that.”

You go into a coughing fit again. “I-I’m sorry?”

“Well,” this time Choso looks slightly flustered, hand rubbing the back of his neck and the other drumming away on the tabletop. “If that gets you an A, then I’ll do it for you. If, you know, you’re okay with that?” When you don’t give him an immediate answer, Choso waves his hands dismissively in the air, shaking his head, “Actually, never mind, it’s a dumb idea.”

No, it’s a genius idea. An idea that you thought only existed in your fantasies. And, now, you can’t stop thinking about actually doing it. “We can do that,” you say quietly, swallowing a heavy lump. “A few sappy photoshoots and then we call it, yeah?”

Choso nods slowly. “Anything for that A, right?”

“Right,” you echo back.

The first photo shoot occurs pretty soon after the proposal. Choso had suggested that a dinner date would be a good start and he just happened to make a quick reservation at Kentucky Fried de Chicken, or KFC for short. He’s heard good reviews from his classmate Suguru prior and texted you its details.

Business casual, ambient lighting, and live jazz music. You’re starting to wonder if he’s taking this more seriously than you are.

The fancy restaurant is way fancier than you originally anticipated. It’s the type of fancy that only the richest of the rich would go to, definitely not where a bunch of college students like yourselves would hang around in. Still, it’s impressive that Choso managed to find a spot last minute. You hope to order just a mini appetizer to split and pray that they don’t charge for a glass of water like some places do.

“Fuck,” your eyes feel like they’re about to jump out when you breeze over the menu. “How do people justify these prices?”

Choso stifles a groan of his own, probably thinking about losing a week’s worth of pay to a side he can’t even pronounce. “Nepo babies,” he answers bitterly.

“Ugh, Suguru probably made Satoru pay for everything…” you mumbled. “Not that he would mind, I guess. He’s practically the definition of old money.”

“Sorry, next time I’ll pick somewhere less… flashy,” Choso frowns, seemingly disappointed in himself.

You feel a wave of guilt hit again. Shit, you didn’t mean to make him feel bad or poor on this pretend date. Hell, you can barely afford student housing but you would probably spend the last of your money in your bank account to treat Choso out. You’re under the delusion that he’s doing that right now. But, if anything, you should probably cover for most of it because it’s your project, not his.

You lightly kick his feet, careful enough to not scuff his only pair of loafers. “No, I’m sorry. This,” you motion to the hanging chandelier above the table and towards the live band across the room. “This is perfect, Choso. I’m gonna be jealous of your future partner.” you say fondly but also exasperated.

This makes him tense up, and you’re wondering if somehow he does have someone in mind. You’re about to ask, but the waiter swings by with two glasses of lemon water and a side of complementary towels. When the waiter starts asking for your orders and you respond with ‘just the broccolini’, he gives you an eye roll and scribbles the dish down with most likely a complaint added to it.

“Budget tight, I see.” the staff comments before moving to a busier table of actual business men.

You stick out a tongue once he’s out of sight. “Budget tight?” you mock his tone and Choso laughs from across. “Dude, the broccolini costs as much as a full tank of gas in this economy and he wants to complain about the size of our wallets?”

“Half of a tank of gas,” Choso corrects and waves his wallet around. “You’re my date for tonight, I think it’s fair that I pay.”

Your cheeks flush at his words and you’re glad that it’s dark otherwise Choso would probably think you’re having a fever right now. You swallow thickly, “Let me pay, you already cover for Yuuji’s groceries.”

“How about I pay for this and you can cover for the next photo shoot?” Well, you can’t really argue with that logic, as much as you do want to.

“I, ugh, okay fine,” and to lighten up the mood, you add, “As your date, it’s your job to spoil me tonight.”

Choso laughs a little, seemingly satisfied by your answer. “Yeah, I know.”

The broccolini ends up tasting subpar. But you both knew that, afterall, you couldn’t afford any of the entrees on the menu without going into debt. You split half of the dish, which really isn’t that much to begin with — maybe like three pieces for each person. You’ve seen Choso eat before, you practically have lunch and dinner with him almost every single day, but something about this feels entirely different.

He’s more careful, using the comically gold plated silverware to cut into the dish and making sure he doesn’t make a mess. There’s a certain softness in his eyes when he looks up, asking if the food is okay, if it’s too salty and if he should order more. Obviously, you say no, because you’re not the type to take advantage of his kindness, no matter how much he persists. When you manage to get a bit of sauce on your cheeks, he subconsciously reaches over and swipes it away with his thumb, only then do you smell his rich cologne and see that he’s freshly shaven in the face. It makes your dumb heart do even dumber flips until you remind yourself that it’s just for a class project.

The rest of the 'date' goes surprisingly well. Of course it does – you’re with your best friend, and the topic of fake dating doesn’t come up again in the night. You both end up making stupid games with each other about inventing fake backstories for all the rich old people in the restaurant, and you both have to bite down on your hands from laughing too loud.

It feels like a normal hangout but, in your mind, it’s so much more.

After another futile attempt to fight for the bill, Choso wins, and you both start leaving. You’re lagging behind him, hands fiddling on your camera settings as you look through the few photos you manage to take during the meal. The dim lighting makes Choso look moodier than usual, but the images still feel stiff and doesn’t really capture the whole ‘love’ theme.

You only look up again when Choso tugs on your sleeves, dragging you gently out the revolving doors and finally into the cool, night air, and you can’t help but gasp.

Choso blinks and his hands fly to his face, rubbing around for any traces of green florets. “Is there something on my face?”

“Don’t move,” you angle your camera, getting down to one knee and making sure the moonlight is shining directly at his sides because he looks absolutely ethereal right now.

The camera releases its shutters several times, taking at least ten photos in case one of them ends up looking bad, which is practically impossible because it’s Choso — but you’re not going to tell him that. Satisfied with the outcome, you rush up to him, bumping into his shoulder, and eagerly present the finished results.

“One of these is definitely going into the project,” you huff out with pride and Choso nods besides you.

“I’m not usually the type to have photos of myself but these are good,” he agrees. “Mind sending a few over?”

“Yeah,” you give him a soft smile and laugh.

You decide to save the first one for your portfolio and leave the other nine for your memories.

The second photo shoot ends up being domestic themed. Which is way better than paying for an overpriced meal.

It’s the weekend and also your monthly movie night marathon with Choso, so both of you are currently laying on either end of the couch in nothing but an oversized t-shirt and sweats. You decide, in order to fit the theme, that the perfect movie series to put on is the After series.

“Did you know that this first started out as a One Direction fanfic?” you huddle your knees close to your chest, eyes practically glued to the screen as the introduction plays.

“Is that why the reviews are bad?” he jabs.

Your eyes widen, scooting close to his side and pinching his arm as punishment for looking up the movie prior. “Hey, you’re supposed to go into this blind.”

“You’ve already read it though,” Choso counters and nudges you back.

“Yeah, and you haven’t,” you roll your eyes and somehow neither of you comment how close your bodies are.

You understand why they have to change the names of the characters due to copyright laws but you can’t help but to cringe at the replacement names. Harry is now Hardin, Zyan is now Zed, and Liam is now Landon. And the acting? Pretty bad. Possibly even worse compared to the Sharknado marathon you both had last month.

“That’s,” you pull out your fingers to count, “like the fifth sex scene within the past hour.”

In the middle of it, when Choso is pressed up against you, you decide it’s picture time. You raise the camera to fit you both, and throw up a peace sign, because why not? It’ll make a cute photo.

Or so you think until impulsively, Choso leans down and plants a chaste kiss on your head.

The photo ends up looking comically cute, with his eyes closed and your surprised look, but you're pretty much trying to keep yourself together from exploding on the spot.

“Sorry,” he pulls back, and there’s a heavy blush running across his cheeks as he says, “I thought it would look good and fit the theme.”

“R-Right,” you sharply inhale a breath as you wordlessly lean back into his touch, continuing the film without bringing up the kiss again.

When the third film starts playing, Choso ends up falling asleep on your shoulder, and you take it upon yourself to steal yourself a kiss on his forehead, somehow convincing yourself it’s for the project without even taking a photo.

“Have you ever, I dunno, thought about the fact that he likes you back?” Nobara asks bluntly during one particular evening at the library.

“Shh!” You press a finger on her lips, ignoring her muffled whines as you try to control the rapid beating from your chest. “Not so loud!”

Nobara sighs and pulls back, pen gliding across her notebook and draws a shitty version of you and Choso in the middle of the page. “This is you, and this is him,” she points at the figures before doodling hearts above. “This is you and him from everyone’s point of view—so disgustingly in love that it makes all of us physically vomit sometimes,” she says this in the nicest way possible.

“Dude,” you frown and hide your face behind a textbook, fearing that other students would overhear. “He doesn’t like me like that. We’ve been friends since forever and I feel like if we make a move on each other then our dynamic will be fucked.”

She blinks, unfazed by your frenzied state, and sighs again. “Keep telling yourself that.” Nobara rips out the doodle and slides it across the desk to you. You begrudgingly accept it, shoving it in your bag. “When are you guys meeting up? You have one more photo shoot, right?”

“Later tonight, in his dorm,” you mumble shyly, feeling yourself growing smaller at that fact.

Nobara snorts. “A sex photo shoot?”

“No!” and you slap a hand over your mouth once several students hush you. “No.” you repeat, softer this time.

She laughs and doesn’t push the conversation any further. “Mhm, okay, okay.”

A few hours later and you're browsing around in his dorm room, trying to understand some of his organic chemistry notes but all it does is makes your brain hurt.

“I don’t get how you’re able to do this,” you plop down on his bed, staring hard at the back of Choso’s head as he pulls out an earbud, chuckling at your frustration.

“I can teach you,” he offers, to which you immediately decline. “Or not, that’s cool, too.”

It bothers you a little of how normal everything is. You’ve definitely moved on from the kiss. Definitely. Not like you replayed it every day of your life for the past week. Not at all. Completely moved on. Yeah. Maybe Choso’s doing the same thing? Or, maybe he’s completely engrossed in his studies and you’re just a sick, sick friend who’s using your best friend? Yeah, maybe that’s it.

You clear your throat after a few beats in silence. “What did you have in mind?”

Choso hums in thought before shrugging. “Maybe capture something personal in my dorm? I think that’ll work.” Then, he gets up and excuses himself to the bathroom. “If you’re hungry, I have some snacks in my drawers. Be back in a second.”

When the door shuts, you let out a deep breath that you didn’t know you were holding in. You’ve been in his room plenty of times and, after everything, it’s so hard to keep yourself composed around him. Ugh, this project wasn’t supposed to make you feel anything.

You take up his offer and start rummaging through his drawers. The top drawer consists of nothing but graphing paper and his carefully curated pens and pencils. His second drawer holds his other lab notebooks and extra scrap paper with scribbled notes. As you approach his third and final drawer, your gaze falls to an old photograph of you and Choso back in middle school on his desk.

It’s tucked away in the corner, just behind his lamp, and it’s a fond memory. Your arms are wrapped around his waist, his body slightly lifted above the ground, and your face looks absolutely constipated as you were trying your hardest to hold him. Choso, on the other hand, looks like he was about to burst into flames. Without thinking, you grab your camera and capture his desk, zooming in on the photo as the focal point. It’s slightly out of focus and a bit shaken up, like you couldn’t keep your hands still when you were taking it, but it’s perfect.

The following day you submit your portfolio, along with the rest of your classmates. Some complaining about how unfair the project was, some boasting about how it’s the easiest assignment out of the year, and some—you—are a bundle of nerves.

It’s not until the end of the week, where you’re having dinner with Choso in the dining hall, that you receive an email notification stating that grades are finally posted.

You jolt from your seat, swallowing the last bits of roasted vegetables on your platter, before checking your grades. One. Two. Three… when the site loads, you practically screech in celebration.

“I got the A!”

“Congrats,” Choso smiles softly before it fades away, replaced by a nervous laugh and then a frown. “I’m sorry about kissing you the other day.”

Wow, that’s not exactly what you were expecting.

You choke on your drink but he continues, “I can tell you’ve been acting weird since then. And I think I stepped out of the line doing it. I’m sorry.”

Fuck, what are you supposed to say to that?

You scratch the back of your neck, face now equally as warm as his. “Don’t apologize, I’m actually kinda glad you did…”

He blinks. “You are?”

“Yeah,” you nod and Choso flushes more at that.

Then, his eyebrows shoot up. “You like me?”

“A lot,” and he gets even redder. God, he has no idea how much you’re madly in love with him.

“So, I guess we can start taking photos together like an actual couple then?”

You laugh, not fully believing that this is how your confession gets to be known. “Yeah, I guess we can.”

Looking back at every photo, every longing moment to the lingering touches, kisses, and the methodical layout of his room, you wonder if there was a moment where you faked your feelings for one another. The simple answer is no, to anyone, these photographs only contain unconditional love.

#doobea writing #choso x reader #choso fluff #choso kamo fluff #jujutsu kaisen x reader #choso kamo x reader #jjk x reader #jjk fluff #jujutsu kaisen fluff #i love him so much mwah <3 #jjk choso #choso #choso kamo

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melodygatesauthor · 7 months

Text

Then I Saw You

Basil Stitt X f!Reader

Beta Read By: @xbellaxcarolinax - Using prompts by @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction, a few Nonnies, and my own ideas.

PLEASE READ TAGS/DISCLAIMERS/WARNINGS BEFORE READING THIS FIC. THERE ARE DARK THEMES!

Summary

You moved in next door to Basil Stitt two weeks after his incident. After everyone he cared about ignored his calls and acted like he didn't exist, he was starved for affection, and your pretty voice caught his attention immediately. He decided he'd do just about anything to have you all for himself...anything.

Tags/Warnings

Disclaimers: There is heavy non-con in this fic, it's not for everyone. If you're sensitive to that sort of thing in fanfiction, please keep on scrolling thanks.

NSFW, non-con, rape, sex, unprotected sex, praise kink, masturbation, obsessive behavior, possessiveness, porn with some plot, smut, creampie, breeding kink if you REALLY squint, non-consensual somnophilia, drugged sex, non-consensual drug use, minor mention of suicide but NO actual death or implied death in fic, also me making some shit up like how peepholes work, neighbor!Reader, dark fic, dark Basil Stitt. DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT (that means that what you see in the tags WILL be in the fic, don't act surprised when you get exactly what you were warned about.)

Word Count: 9.8k

Basil saw the moving truck outside when it pulled up by the curb. Two men got out, opened up the back, and started to bring someone’s belongings inside. His apartment was only one of the two on his floor. The old man across the hall went to a nursing home a couple of weeks ago…was he getting a new neighbor? Sure enough, he heard them opening the door across from his and moving things inside.

He looked around at his living space, a disgusting mess of old pizza boxes, empty alcohol bottles, and his broken belongings. No doubt he’d need to get a better handle on his outbursts. He’d already received a notice from the landlord with all the banging and shouting the person living below him had dealt with. Depending on the kind of person the new neighbor would be, he might get more than just a warning if they heard him being too rambunctious.

That’s when he heard your voice, a sweet thing that crept under the gap between his door and the hardwood floor that he was likely to lose his security deposit for after destroying it. He ran to the peephole, looking through the lens and seeing you for the first time.

His heart felt like it stopped beating. His entire body shook as he pressed his palm to the door. You were…beautiful.

“What the fuck…” he whispered to himself, as you walked into your apartment. “W-what the…” he stepped away from the door, “fuck.”

The second your door opened again he was pinned to his own, his good eye glued back at the peephole to get a glimpse of you. He whined, seeing your pretty smile as you handed the movers some money. Why were you smiling at them like that? Basil paused. Why did he care?

Maybe it was that you sounded, and looked, so nice. His calls to his girlfriend had still been unanswered, and the same could be said for his parents. You looked like someone who would care about him. Someone who could look past…

No.

Despite wanting to stare at you longer, he stepped in front of his mirror instead. There was no way you would be able to stomach looking at someone like him. He touched the reddened, rippled deformity on the left side of his face. An overwhelming dread poured into his chest, making him feel heavy with sorrow. How could anyone love him? His own mother couldn’t even be bothered to speak to him, even after all the voicemails he left.

“Yeah absolutely, I’d love that,” you giggled in the hall.

You’d love what? Basil thought, rushing to the door once again to see who had you feeling so upbeat.

You had a piece of paper in your hand. He didn’t like how one of the movers was smiling and looking at you. Was he flirting with you? Basil’s hand reached for the door handle, but he stopped. What was his plan? Was he going to walk out there, someone you’d never seen or met before in your life, and just tell the guy to fuck off?

In a perfect world…yes.

He’d step out there, no paper bag on, and tell the man off. Basil imagined you’d be so enamored with his actions that you’d kiss him, smiling at him the way you were smiling at the mover right now. You’d touch his cheek and look at him as though his face were normal, like it was just a couple of short weeks ago. Your lips looked so soft.

Basil whined, pressing his entire body against the door, cock rubbing between the wood and his abdomen. He saw you go into your apartment again, closing the door behind yourself. Over the next couple of hours he sat in front of the door, waiting…listening for your voice. All he heard was the sound of the movers going in and out, until finally there was nothing.

He stood there in the still of the silence, breathing slowly and trying to contain himself. He thought about opening his door again and knocking on yours, introducing himself as any good neighbor would. His breath hitched in his throat when he considered your reaction though. What if you saw his face…

What if you saw the monster he’d become?

“No, no, no…” he shouted, feeling emotionally overwhelmed at the thought of your rejection.

He would rather spend his life watching you through his peephole than risk your outright denial of him. At least in his mind, he could think up a million fantasies where you loved him, let him take you on a beautiful date, and where you were pinned underneath him, screaming his name while he made you come over and over again.

He was still so fucking hard. He needed you to step out of your apartment. He needed you now. Just the sound of your voice would do something for him. If he could just hear it, just a little bit, it was all he needed. He slowly opened the door and stepped into the hall, ensuring no one was there. He walked up to your door, looking through the lens to see if he could get a glimpse of you.

You walked by, and he thought he might collapse. You’d changed into something more comfortable, a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top. As you should, it was rather warm that day. You deserved to be comfortable, perhaps even naked. Basil’s thoughts consumed him as he watched you bending over to open a box, pulling some things out, and disappearing from view. How lucky he was that you put those boxes right there by the door.

His hands gripped the doorframe tightly, and he rutted his hips involuntarily against the door. His whole body shook, watching you move so freely around your new home. He wondered what would happen if he just walked in and took you while you were bent over in a box. Your pussy was right there, hiding behind such a thin layer of fabric. Surely it would be easy to just…

He bit his lip so hard he tasted iron, rolling his cock faster against the door. His breathing was labored, needy, and desperate for you. Basil knew he wasn’t good enough for you, but you might like him if you just gave him a chance. He could thrust into your wet, velvety heat and make you scream out like it was the best thing you’d ever felt. Or maybe you’d cry out in terror because no one wants to fuck a monster.

He let out a low growl, feeling his cock ache while it leaked in his pants. You’d heard the sound, stopping what you were doing to turn and face the door.

That was it.

That was all he needed to see before he lost it. His body shook against the door while a soft whimper left his lips. Hot cum spilled out through his clothes, leaving a wet streak on the wood he’d been rutting against. He sighed, finally feeling some sense of satisfying relief. Even after all the nights he’d spent palming his own release, he’d never felt so good.

You did this to him.

He had to move, looking into the peephole to see that you were coming closer. Basil darted from your door, opening his quickly and locking himself inside silently. He didn’t want you to know he was there. He couldn’t let you know he was there. He couldn’t let you see his fucking face.

----

It only took him a few days to get your schedule figured out.

In the morning when you left - he presumed for work - you were dressed so nicely. He would’ve followed you but, on account of his horrific deformity, he couldn’t. So he settled for what little bits of you he could. He loved it most when you’d come home, tired from the day and retreating to your apartment so he could sneak over to your door and peek at you.

He would only allow himself a few moments of watching before his conscience forced him back to his own place where he would fuck his fist raw, passing out on the couch. Everything was fine, and he could see himself doing things that way forever, until it wasn’t enough anymore.

He needed more.

Basil found a gift card to a coffee shop up the road that he knew only had a dollar and some change left on it, and made his way to your door late one night about a week after you’d moved in. You were already in bed, at least, he assumed you were. It was two in the morning and he couldn’t hear a sound coming from your apartment. Basil stuck the card in between the frame and the door, wiggling very slowly so as not to make a lot of noise.

Click.

When your door opened slowly, he felt his heart fluttering wildly. This was it. This was the moment that he finally would get to see you. He stepped slowly, sock-covered feet treading silently over your floor. Your apartment was laid out exactly the same as his only mirrored, making it easy for him to get to your bedroom. He stopped when he got to the doorway though. There was a mirror on the wall to his right.

Turning to see his appearance, he lost all confidence. The grotesque creature looking back grounded him. He couldn’t go in there, not like that. What if you woke up? Maybe if he was still attractive he could make you understand why he was there, standing over you and watching you sleep, but not like the way he looked now. If he tried that now, you’d scream, calling him a freak, or a monster. He couldn’t risk hearing such horrid words coming out of such a pretty mouth, so he backed away.

“Another day…I’ll see you another day then,” he whispered with a soft cry leaving his lips. “Goodbye.”

On his way out, he stopped when his foot landed on something unexpected on your living room floor. He reached down, feeling something soft in his hands. He knew immediately what he was holding, but he brought it to the dim light coming through the window from the moonlit sky to look at it anyway. They were black, made with delicate lace…your panties.

----

Basil stared at your panties on his bed for at least two hours. He hadn’t smelled them yet because he wanted to pace himself. He wanted to savor them, enjoy them as long as he could before he had to steal another pair. Deep down he hoped they would fix him; that they’d be enough to satisfy the unquenchable thirst you seemed to fill him with. At the same time, he knew deep down that this was likely only the beginning of what would become something very, very, dark.

Taking the delicate fabric in his hands, he brought them to his face, rubbing the place that touched your cunt along his nostrils and inhaling so deep he thought he might faint. He shuddered, falling back and catching himself on his desk. He moaned, feeling them against his face once more.

“Fuck, fuck baby…” he whined, breath coming out in a ragged pant.

His tongue darted out, dragging along the place where your flavor was most potent. He whimpered, squeezing the desk so hard his knuckles ached. He licked again. You tasted too good, so delicious he thought he might die if he never got his mouth on the real thing.

Basil’s elbow brushed against the handle on the knife he’d stabbed into his desk multiple times. He snatched it up, holding it and turning it in his hand, letting the moonlight shine off the metal. He could see his mattress just over the edge, and had - what he thought was - a brilliant idea. His cock ached, and it was your fault. Once again he needed to satisfy his urges because you wouldn’t.

He stormed over to the bed, knife in hand, before stabbing a hole deep into the center, making sure it was big enough to take him. He didn’t even know where the knife landed when he threw it to the other side of his apartment, and he didn’t care. Basil wrapped your panties around his pillow before hastily removing his pants, hands shaking in the process. He’d never felt so fucking desperate.

If he closed his eyes, he could almost convince himself that the stuffing in the mattress was a good substitute for your beautiful pussy. It wasn’t, nothing would ever be a good enough substitute for you, but this wasn’t too bad. He slid himself in all the way, body shaking at the sensation as the cotton moved aside for him. Basil buried his face into your panties, taking in your smell some more, and licking them to breathe in your taste.

The bed rocked against the floor, probably loud enough to piss off the occupant of the apartment below him. He didn’t fucking care, he was busy.

“Mm, that’s it, baby, you feel so fucking good,” he whispered the words he wished he could say to you. “So tight, you’ve been waiting for someone like me to come stretch you out hm? Fuck.”

He wondered if you’d like the way he sounded when he was grinding into you. Would you like listening to his hungry moans and low growls? What about when he whimpered and whined? He always thought he sounded a little pathetic, but would you judge him for it? He couldn’t help it, when the pleasure overwhelmed him he had to vocalize it.

“Honey, you’re so sweet,” he kissed your panties, imagining that you’d squirm for him when he did. “Such a pretty little pussy.”

He was good with his tongue, he knew you’d like it if you’d just let him have you. There wasn’t a man alive that would spend hours with his tongue flicking over that swollen little clit until you were nearly pissing yourself from overstimulation, not the way Basil would. No one could love you the way he would.

His drool made your panties wet, the taste and smell already mixing with his own while he fucked the hole in his mattress sloppily. He got louder, practically yelling in a loud rasp while he mouthed at his pillow.

“You’re so good, s-so g-good.” His voice became heavier, deeper, more like a low, feral growl as his climax closed in.

Basil’s body stopped with his cock buried to the hilt inside the mattress. His body trembled and shook while he pumped shot after shot of hot sticky cum into the cotton. He was practically screaming, face buried into the pillow to muffle the sounds. His mind went blank, except for your face. He felt his cock twitching, emptying every bit it could into the damn mattress.

It was just a fucking mattress.

Basil’s heavy breathing slowed and eventually turned to sobs. He held the pillow close, crying into it, soaking the fabric with his tears. What kind of loser fucks a mattress? He thought to himself, feeling his cock getting soft inside the hole he’d made.

----

Basil woke the next morning with his drool adhering your panties to his scarred cheek. His cock was dried with cum to the hole in his mattress. He groaned, feeling like he’d had the night of his life…only to quickly realize that he looked like a pathetic mess that his own mother couldn’t even bring herself to love. He’d fucked his mattress.

What kind of loser…

His thoughts trailed off before he could finish repeating the sentiment of the night before. He peeled his face off the pillow and winced in pain while pulling his dick out of the bed. He heard your voice in the hall, calling him like a siren song to his peephole. He looked out there, and you were standing in the hall laughing with your phone to your ear.

“Yeah you can pick me up at seven, that would be great,” you said as you disappeared out of view.

“The moving man…” Basil said to himself, turning away from the door and running both hands through his hair with his eyes wide, his anger building.

He saw himself in the mirror again, face dropping as he was reminded of his disgusting appearance. His hair was everywhere, cock limp and just hanging there like a sad, pathetic thing. His shirt had pizza sauce stains all over, and discoloration under the armpits. In a moment - a very short moment - of clarity, Basil realized that even if he did manage to get you to move on from the scar, he wouldn’t be able to impress you looking, and smelling, the way he did.

“Alright, you’re going on a fucking date with some fucking loser huh?” He said, feeling the pain ripping through his chest. “Let me show you what you’re missing!”

He showered, feeling clean for the first time since the incident. When he stepped out of the shower, he noticed the good side of his face for the first time in over two weeks. The way the steam covered the mirror, only the unblemished side was visible. He touched it, feeling comfort in the fact that he could pretend for a moment that he was normal, that everything was normal.

He turned the hot water in his bathroom sink on, keeping the mirror steamed up while he took his razor blade and shaving cream out of the cabinet. He had to keep wiping the mirror so he could see himself, and that was probably why he nicked his cheek a little. He cursed, finishing the shave and then holding a small bit of toilet paper to the wound. As if he needed more deformities on his face.

Once composed, Basil walked out to his living room, realizing finally what a mess it was. He couldn’t possibly bring you in there with it looking like that. And he was going to bring you in there one way or another.

It took him all day to get his apartment back to a, somewhat, normal state. Basil had to push through several mood swings in the process, fantasizing about how impressed you would be, complimenting how nice his place was, and reality creeping its way into his mind and reminding him that you were going on a date tonight…

A knock on his door forced all the thoughts to a stop. Who the fuck was knocking on his door? He hadn’t bought pizza or groceries. The new mattress he ordered wasn’t expected until next week. Basil walked up to his peephole, peering through only to nearly collapse when he saw you. He stepped away from the door as if it were made of hot coals.

“Holy shit,” he whispered. His body immediately started trembling. “Um…I can’t come to the door right now!”

“Oh!” He held his chest when you spoke. You were speaking to him. “Well that’s okay, I just wanted to leave you some cookies.” You chuckled softly. “I honestly didn’t even realize I had a neighbor until I heard you playing some cool music yesterday.”

“C-cool music?”

Basil was still so in shock that you were even speaking to him that he’d forgotten how inconsiderate he’d been yesterday afternoon. He remembered playing music so loudly it probably could be heard by you and the downstairs neighbor.

“I’m sorry if it was annoying, I’ll keep it down next–”

“No it’s alright! I actually like it!” You couldn’t be that perfect, you couldn’t be. “Well, I hope you like chocolate chip, I’ll leave them here! I’m not the best cook but I tried.”

Your little giggle would be the death of him.

“I would like anything you made for me…” He said softly as he was struggling to breathe.

“What did you say?”

He cleared his throat, “I um…thank you so much I’m sure they’re great.”

“Okay well, have a good day! Maybe I’ll see you another time.”

With that, you were gone, and Basil’s knees felt so weak he had to sit on the floor. You talked to him. You fucking talked to him. You really did like him. You must have liked him, why else would you have come to his door and left him such a nice gift?

Basil waited by his door until he was sure you were gone before opening it and pulling the cookies inside. They were still warm, you must’ve just made them and waited for them to cool off before bringing them to his door. He held one in his hand, turning it around to decide which side to bite first. He finally bit into it, feeling the sweet flavor fill his mouth, forcing a smile over his lips.

You made those for him.

Basil ate too many cookies, and with the pang of despair rushing through him periodically at the thought of you going on a date in just an hour, he found himself with his head in the toilet bowl, vomiting uncontrollably. He groaned into the bowl, beginning to cry in frustration. He couldn’t keep himself together. You deserved to go on that date with someone else, someone who wouldn’t flush the delicious gift you brought them because they didn’t know how to establish self-control.

Your door opened at 6:55pm on the dot. Basil was, of course, watching you. He felt his cock aching immediately at the sight of you in that tight black dress. Watching the way it shifted as your hips swayed down the hall made his heart rate rise quickly. He couldn’t believe that someone else would be seeing you in that, touching you in that.

He had the urge to be destructive again, feeling his breathing become rapid and labored in panic. He went to the window where he could see the street below to watch you get into the man’s car, only to see you standing there shivering. Why hadn’t you worn a coat? Basil looked over at the clock, 7:01pm. The guy was late.

While he didn’t enjoy seeing you waiting in the cold, Basil did like knowing the man was unreliable. He watched you pull out your phone, likely calling your missing date. He could tell the man didn’t answer by the way your arm dropped to your hip and head hung in disappointment. You waited though, still hoping he would show up, just standing there in the cold.

For ten more minutes Basil watched you wait, full of hope, only to end up disappointed in the end on your walk back into the building. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so happy, wanting desperately to rush out into the hall and offer to take you out. He couldn’t though…that stupid fucking scar was ruining his life.

It hit him suddenly, that you would be hungry. He couldn’t let you go hungry, not after how sweet you’d been to him, so it was time to repay the favor. Even before the incident, Basil couldn’t cook for shit, and he wasn’t about to try now. This opened the door for another opportunity though…an opportunity to see you in person…

“No, no you’re crazy,” he said, looking at himself in the mirror.

He couldn’t see you like that, not with the horrible scar. And showing up at your doorstep with food in hand and a paper bag on his head would be even weirder than the scar. But if you were asleep, well, it would be hard to be afraid of him then…wouldn’t it?

With a plan in place, he called to order a pizza. He didn’t know what you liked yet, but everyone liked pizza, right? You were nice, you’d probably eat it even if it wasn’t your favorite. Plus you’d be hungry. He was banking on you being hungry.

The food arrived at his door a little while later, and the delivery man knew to just leave it on the floor. Basil took the sleeping pills he was prescribed and crushed them, sprinkling the dust over each slice so you were sure to get some in your system. Every bit of reasonable thinking was gone. He needed more than just your damn panties and a cum filled mattress.

He needed you.

Basil put the pizza in front of your door and knocked before scrambling back into his own place. He watched through the peephole as you stepped out, dressed in a comfortable pair of sweats and a loose t-shirt. You sniffled and looked down at the pizza with a confused expression. It was obvious that you’d been crying.

That’s what you get for thinking someone else could do better for you than I can. Basil thought to himself.

You lifted the sticky note he’d adhered to the box, reading over it slowly before a smile appeared on your face.

Thought you might be hungry.

The cookies were really good, here’s some pizza.

Your neighbor, Basil

Basil’s heart nearly stopped. You were smiling because of something he did. You were smiling because of him.

“This is so nice of you,” you said softly, looking at the door. “Would you…would you want to come in and have some too?”

There’s no way this was real. There’s no way you were actually inviting him into your apartment. Basil looked down at his clothes and straightened out his shirt. His breathing became shallow at the thought. This was so unexpected, he couldn’t believe it. Basil looked over at the table next to the door and caught a glimpse of his reflection in the bowl he usually tossed his keys in.

“Um…I can’t, but you should enjoy it,” he said with a crack in his voice.

He was surprised to see the look of disappointment on your face. This must be his delusions toying with him again. You weren’t disappointed that he wouldn’t come to your apartment, that would never be the case. He stood there awkwardly, watching you through the peephole, waiting for you to leave.

“Well, you didn’t have to do this, but thank you so much, I actually am hungry.” You paused and sighed, “I’m glad you liked the cookies,” you said to him before retreating to your own apartment once again, pizza in hand.

Basil was trembling at the door for the better part of a half hour. He was stunned by your reaction, by the fact that you invited him over. It couldn’t be real. You’d fucking invited him over! If you’d known what a loser he was, would you have still invited him? If you’d known he fucked a hole in his mattress while intoxicated by the smell of your cunt would you still want him in your home?

----

He waited until it was late and he knew you’d be sound asleep. He walked into your apartment, noticing the pizza on the counter, the box still open, and three slices missing. Surely you’d consumed enough to be comatose for the time being. He stepped into your bedroom and froze.

“Wow,” he whispered, staring intently at your half-dressed form on the bed.

You hadn’t even covered up. Did you know there was a chance he might creep into your house and you wanted to be ready for him? Did you wear that tank top that barely covered anything and those lacy panties knowing he would like them? What about the way your lips parted…were you expecting him to kiss them?

Basil knelt down, reaching his shaking hand out to touch your cheek. Your skin was so soft. He felt a sob swelling in his chest. If his face was still soft, would you let him touch you while you were awake? Would you be able to actually look at him without being disgusted? He couldn’t even look at himself without being disgusted anymore.

“So pretty…”

He leaned in, brushing his nose against yours, in a small way he was testing to see if it would wake you. You stayed asleep, and so he moved forward, pressing his lips against yours. He stayed there for so long, just letting his mouth linger, feeling the way his skin felt against yours. He felt his cock growing already, aching and pressing against the zipper in his jeans. He wanted to feel your mouth in other ways, a kiss wasn’t enough.

“Someday I hope you’ll be able to enjoy this while you’re awake but…for now this is how we need to do this, okay?” he looked at you, knowing you wouldn’t answer, but hoping your subconscious would somehow hear him and understand.

Basil unbuttoned his pants, sliding the zipper down slowly and pulling the waist down with his boxer briefs as well. His fat cock bobbed out, already leaking from the head, slick strands dripping to the floor beneath him. He held the top of your head with one hand, and his length with the other, bringing the weeping tip to your pretty lips.

His body trembled immediately, feeling the way your mouth opened around his girth. He moved in further, feeling the wet heat of your tongue on the underside of his shaft. If he gagged you would you wake? He tested it, sliding forward more, watching those lips stretch around him. If you were awake you’d look up at him so pretty, eyes filling with tears as you struggled to take him all the way.

He stuffed himself all the way into your mouth, the tip of his cock resting in your throat. He could feel your body responding to the foreign object naturally, throat closing around him while you gagged, but you stayed asleep. The feeling was indescribable, causing his entire body to shake and tremble while he kept your head impaled on him.

“You’re too good baby, too good…you're gonna make me come…gonna make me come too fast! Ah!”

Basil pulled his cock out of your mouth and jerked his spend onto your cheek. He fisted himself angrily, beyond pissed that he couldn’t hold it in for more than one fucking minute. If the time ever came - which he expected it wouldn’t - that he managed to get you in bed while awake, if his face didn’t scare you off, the fact that he was a minuteman surely would.

He looked all around for something to clean you up with, but anything in your apartment would have to be taken out, or else you’d know someone was there. Basil decided to peel off his t-shirt, using that to wipe your face clean. He leaned against the wall, looking at you, still scowling and infuriated with his inability to perform, even while you were sleeping.

The longer he looked at you though, the more aroused he became all over again. Maybe getting off so quickly wouldn’t be a dealbreaker…not with you being his own personal aphrodisiac. He walked over to you again, touching your hip and squeezing your flesh. He pushed you onto your back, hooking a finger into the waist of your cute little panties. To his surprise, between your lips was sticky, warm, and wet. Did he do this to you? Did he have this effect on you?

Basil pulled your underwear down your beautiful legs slowly, staring at the slit between them hungrily. He felt some drool spilling over his bottom lip that he wiped away quickly. Tossing your panties aside, he crawled onto the bed, lowering his head between your thighs. He could smell you as he closed in, the same familiar smell he’d spent the other night drowning himself in.

Using two thick fingers, he spread your lips, watching the slick strands of your arousal stretch and break as they moved further apart. Everything was glistening and wet, and it was all for him. He leaned in, licking a stripe up and collecting what he could on his tongue, bringing it in past his lips and letting the taste settle in his mouth before swallowing.

He became immediately addicted, going in and pressing his face against your mound, moaning loudly into it. He wondered if you’d notice the feeling of his textured skin against your thighs. Would you find that disgusting? Of course you would. You’d probably yell at him and throw him out of your apartment just for looking at you with that milky broken eye in his head while he ate you out.

Not while you were asleep though. While you were sleeping he could plunge two fingers into your tight little hole and feel your cunt clenching around him. In your sleep you wanted him, you were pulling his fingers in deeper like you were starving and needed to taste him. It wasn’t enough, his fingers just weren’t going to do it for you, you needed more.

Positioning himself between your limp legs, Basil brought his cock to your entrance, gliding it between your folds to get it slick with your juices. If you were awake he imagined you might be moaning, whimpering, maybe even begging for him. He tested your threshold, seeing how well the last man in there had stretched you out. Not very well it would seem.

Slowly, he slid himself in, shuddering as he felt your walls closing down over every inch. He used two fingers to hold your puffy lips open so he could watch your cunt swallowing his cock. He needed to last, he needed to keep himself from coming too soon again. He might be a pathetic freak, but he wasn’t going to spill his load like one.

Fuck.

He wondered if this was how he would keep you. It was entirely possible he’d just pumped a baby into you without your knowledge, but that was okay. It was perfect actually. You wouldn’t want to have a baby without someone around to help you, right? He’d be able to swoop in and be there for you, to care for you.

He touched your stomach as he pulled out of you. He shuddered on the way out, looking down at the mess he made as it trickled from your pretty little hole. Basil had never been so proud of something in all his life. He may have been a hideous monster, but he made you look so beautiful just by stuffing you with everything he could. He wanted to do more. He wanted to do it again.

But he wanted you to be awake this time.

----

Another week went by of you and Basil trading food and notes throughout the day. It started the morning after he fucked your sleeping body that you came by with breakfast. He smiled and nearly cried again as he watched you put down the plate with a metal lid keeping it warm as if he’d ordered room service.

“Good morning. I don’t know if you like coffee but, you can come over and get some if you want,” you said, waiting to see if he’d respond.

He didn’t, instead he just stood there staring at you. He didn’t want to come over yet. Not while you were awake anyway. He couldn’t stand the idea of you seeing him and being afraid of what you saw. The thought of it was devastating and it hadn’t even happened yet.

“Um, no thank you. Thank you for the breakfast though I’m looking forward to it. You’re a great cook.” He said through the door.

You looked disappointed again. Were you lonely or something? Why did you care if your neighbor wanted to come over or not? You didn’t even know him, wasn’t that dangerous? He sniffed out a laugh at his own thoughts.

“It’s fine, my offer stands,” you started for your apartment again.

“I’ll cover lunch,” he said quickly before you disappeared.

When lunch came, he wanted to do something better than pizza. You deserved something good after what you’d done for him the other night, so he ordered from one of the fancy restaurants nearby and had it delivered to your door. When you retrieved your food, you furrowed your brow and smiled widely.

“Really? Gino’s? That place is pretty pricey.”

“Well, you’re really kind so… I thought I’d do something nice for you,” he felt nervous every time you spoke to him.

To his surprise, you left the bag in the hall and disappeared into your apartment. Did he do something wrong? He started panicking, thinking maybe he’d offended you somehow. Did you hate expensive food? Did you not like Gino’s? He reached for the handle, ready to pull the bag into his apartment and hope you forgot about it altogether when your door opened again and you stepped out with a folding chair in hand.

“Well, if you’re going to buy me an expensive meal, the least I can do is join you for lunch. Did you get something to eat?” You asked, sitting down and pulling out the meal he’d bought for you.

“Uh, well…” he felt his stomach grumble suddenly when he realized he hadn’t thought of his own hunger in the slightest, “I had a big breakfast.”

You chuckled, “Yeah so did I…here…”

Basil watched in awe, still shocked you were even giving him the time of day, as you sorted the containers of food and made two meals out of the one he bought. You reached for his door and then stopped, dropping your hand at your side.

“I know you like to keep to yourself, so I’ll leave this here and turn around so you can get it, okay?”

Why were you so understanding? Were you quite literally the epitome of perfection wrapped up in the most beautiful looking person he’d ever seen? Basil, at this point, was nearly certain he was having visual hallucinations. It wouldn’t be the first time since the incident that he’d thought he’d seen things…or heard things. Maybe this was just him going completely nuts. Maybe this was just an extension of his psychotic break. You put the box of food down and turned.

Slowly, Basil opened the door, not peeking his head out far enough that you’d be able to see even if you did turn around, and he pulled the food back inside. You didn’t even try to peek. You didn’t let - what he assumed to be - your morbid curiosity get the better of you. Basil pulled a chair over and sat with his half of the meal on the other side of the door.

He couldn’t see you now, but he could hear you, and that was good enough for him.

“So, you obviously saw me get ridiculously embarrassed last night,” you said from the other side of the door.

He smirked, thinking about how much he enjoyed you last night, and how much you seemed to enjoy him, despite not ever knowing he was there. You called it embarrassing, but to Basil, it was an amazing, and unwasted, opportunity to show you something better.

“Well, maybe it’s good that he’s doing this now instead of wasting your time later,” Basil said, taking a bite of his food.

He thought about Katherine and the way she’d been to him. She cheated on him for so long, and yet he stayed. Since seeing you, Basil considered that he never really loved her, he just hated the thought of admitting someone could cast him away so easily after so many years. He further hated the thought of losing the social status that came with having a girlfriend. Everyone seemed to respect you and treat you differently if you had a pretty girl on your arm. He would’ve dealt with the cheating to avoid the shame of admitting she’d cheated on him, but he never really loved her.

Not the way he loved you.

“You’re very right about that,” you agreed with a mouthful of food. “What about you? Are you seeing someone?”

Basil laughed loudly, “me? Is that a joke?”

“Hey, just because you’re a hermit doesn’t mean you don’t have some online girlfriend or something.”

“No…no, no one would be interested in me,” Basil felt the weight of his loneliness on his chest again.

“You seem like a sweet guy, and you do have great taste in music, I’m sure there’s someone out there who would love to date you,” you chuckled, “this kinda feels like a date.”

Basil put his food down, having completely lost his appetite in favor of this conversation with you. He stood, going back to the peephole. You must’ve heard him because you looked up at him with those beautiful eyes of yours and stared.

“Why?” He asked. “This is weird.”

“What’s weird? Me talking to you about my dating life when you literally live next door to me? You probably know more about what’s happening in my personal life than anyone,” you said, shaking your head and putting your food on the floor too.

You got up and walked to the door, putting your palm on the wood paneling and resting it there.

“When I came in from that date, well, lack thereof, I called my best friend and my mom, and no one answered,” you looked at the floor and then back at the peephole. “Some stranger who I hardly know, but who also seems to be going through something, was kind enough to send me a pizza. That kinda checks off a lot of boxes for me as far as someone I might be interested in getting to know better.”

“What if you find out I’m actually a horrible person? Like you said, you don’t know me,” he retorted, thinking about what he’d done to that pizza you were so grateful for.

“Are you a murderer?” You asked bluntly, keeping your eye on the peephole.

“Well no, no I’m not.”

“Okay then I don’t think–”

“What if I’m hideous?”

“I don’t give a shit about looks really,” you sighed and sat back down in your chair. “I know this is weird, that’s why I just want to talk to you, get to know you a little. Is that alright?”

You were right. There was no harm in getting to know him, except it gave him hope. The last thing he could handle was the thought of you leading him on and then turning him down once you saw his face. What if getting to know you only made his obsession grow? How would he ever recover from the crushing despair if you rejected him once you saw what he really looked like?

“Fine,” he said, sitting back down.

For days you shared meals and stories, taking turns sitting outside the other’s door while getting to know one another. Basil was falling for you. It was more than just that obsession to fuck you now, it was that need to call you his. It was the need to have you smiling and laughing with him on a lazy Sunday morning or while apple picking in the fall. Simultaneously, it was the need to have you moaning his name while you took every inch he had.

He would overcome anything for you, even his greatest fear, which was risking your potential rejection of him.

He gave himself the excuse he needed to knock on your door and come inside. You’d had a heavy package delivered, and while he was certain you could handle it, he decided to offer some help. Basil knocked on your door, heart pounding with every step he heard you took toward him. He adjusted the paper bag on his head, knowing he looked foolish, but he wasn’t ready to show you everything yet.

You opened the door, and he saw your eyes scanning him up and down. This was the first time he was seeing you in the open while awake, and you took his breath away. It was evening, so the two of you had already had your dinner date. The UPS driver came late, and you probably hadn’t planned on company, hence the short shorts and ill-fitting tank top.

“Basil?” You asked, raising an eyebrow.

You were judging him, he could tell. His palms started to sweat and he lost the ability to speak. Could he remember how to breathe?

“Oh, my package!” You exclaimed, walking over to it and trying uselessly to lift it.

“I got it,” he said, coming out of his stupor and rushing to aid you.

You thanked him as he brought the package into your apartment and placed it down on your floor by the couch with a heavy grunt. He stood up, stepping away from the package. His paper bag rustled as he did so.

“Thanks. I probably could’ve dragged that in here myself but…I appreciate the help,” you sighed, giving Basil a smile that nearly stretched ear to ear.

If you could see his face, you’d see how flushed his cheeks were at your charming expression.

“What?” He asked, keeping his eyes on you.

“I’m just happy to see you out of your apartment,” you explained sincerely. “You don’t have to keep the bag on unless you want to, but it’s going to be kinda hard to drink some wine with it on.”

You went to one of your cupboards and pulled out a bottle of Barefoot Moscato and two glasses.

“All I’ve got is white, and it’s cheap,” you said, pouring the drinks.

“Oh um…I’m not…I was going to go back…”

“Come on Basil, please just stay for one glass?”

How could he say no when you looked at him like that? So sweet and begging that it nearly brought a tear to his eye to even think about turning you down.

“Y-you really want me to s-stay? You don’t think I’m weird or–”

You laughed, “I mean, you are wearing a bag on your head, I can’t lie and say that’s not odd but…” you trailed off as you handed him the glass of wine. “We’re all a little weird right? I mean, I’m letting a guy I barely know have wine with me in my apartment with a bag on his head. Who’s weirder?”

Basil couldn’t help laughing. You made a good point, so he decided to try and relax, and the wine certainly helped. Three glasses in each and you were both feeling a bit more loose, but he was also feeling something else. While you were laughing and telling him about how annoying this girl at work was, your breasts were bouncing with every wild movement of your arms. He was mesmerized.

“-And when I tell you that’s all she ever does…are you listening?” The bag on Basil’s head shifted as he looked back at your eyes.

“Yeah, yes.”

You chuckled, looking down at your chest and back up at him, shaking your head.

“All you men are the same, just after one thing huh?” You asked, downing a fourth glass of wine.

Basil’s heart stopped in terror. No. No, you couldn’t possibly think that of him could you?

“No, no it’s the wine I’m sorry I was zoning out and I wasn’t even looking at them I…I’m so sorr–”

“I’m kidding. You think I would’ve answered the door when I saw it was you out there wearing this if I didn’t want you to look at me?”

Basil let out a half-hearted chuckle, trying to breathe again, “kidding, right…” he finished off another glass as well. It was then that he realized what you’d said. “You want me to l-look at you? Like…like you…” he gulped, “you want me to…”

You laughed, nodding and sighing at him affectionately.

“Basil, I think you’re a nice guy, I want you to look at me.”

His mind was fuzzy, and even with only one good eye, he could see clearly as you started to bring the straps of your tank top down. Either your self-esteem was so on the floor, and you’d take your top off for any man that gave you the time of day, or you were really into him. He didn’t want to get his hopes up only to have them crushed, so he took what he could get, and enjoyed the moment, watching you lower your top down, showing your beautiful chest off in a lacy bralette.

You couldn’t see the way Basil’s jaw dropped, or see the way the drool dribbled down his chin, but he couldn’t breathe again.

“I’m going to assume that you like what you see, even though I can’t tell what you’re looking at…” you raised your eyebrows.

“Yes, yes I’m sorry I’m just…wow…”

“Wanna feel ‘em?” You asked with a hiccup.

Could you get cuter? Your big, gorgeous eyes were looking at him from the other side of the couch, begging for validation. You really needed someone as pathetic as him to validate you? Someone so beautiful needed his reassurance to feel adequate? You were practically asking him to tell you just how much he loved your tits and wanted them. Who was he to deny you?

“Um…I…”

Before he could stutter any longer, you were crawling on the couch over to him, sitting on your knees, your chest perked up for him to admire. Basil’s cock had been at half mast for the better part of the hour, and now it was threatening to bust through the seam holding it back. With a shaking hand, he reached out, touching your breast underneath the thin fabric of the bralette. You bit your lip as his thumb brushed over your hard nipple.

“You have really big hands,” you said with a giggle that made Basil’s body spark with an electric shock.

“You like that? Big hands?” He asked, bringing his other hand to cup your neglected right breast.

“I do,” your tone was sultry and sweet.

A breathy moan escaped as his hands massaged your tits, taking his time to rub his thumbs over your peaks, feeling the way they got harder under the bralette. He pinched them, enjoying the way you whimpered when he did. You were so sensitive, he knew you would be, he could feel it.

He felt something else too, the unmistakable and insurmountable arousal growing inside of him and pooling in his groin. He cursed under his breath, squeezing your tits tight while he felt the heat, shooting in spurts, and wetting his lap, making a mess of himself…right in front of you. Basil froze, afraid to move, afraid that you would see how pathetic he was, blowing his load after only touching you for a second.

“Did…did you just…” you started, looking down at the dark, wet spot on his lap.

“I’m so sorry, this has never happened to me before,” he lied, trying to cover himself with his hands. “I’ll go, oh my–”

“No wait,” you say, putting a hand on his shoulder before he could leave. “Are you kidding me? That’s so fucking hot.”

That was it, the proof Basil needed to convince himself that you were all in his head. Though he usually couldn’t feel his hallucinations, not like this anyway. He would’ve kissed you right then, but he couldn’t. You still didn’t know what he looked like, and no matter how much of his odd behavior you were willing to accept, he couldn’t be certain you would accept his deformity.

“Can you bend over for me?” He asked, voice soft and pleading.

You bit your lip and nodded slowly, turning around and putting a throw pillow under your chest. Basil removed the bag from his face, letting it drop off to the side of the couch. He could see you much more clearly now, bent over so nicely for him, rear poised and ready for him to touch. He stood up and unclasped his belt, then pulled down his soiled pants and boxer briefs, discarding them on the floor.

“Can you promise me you won’t look?” He asked, holding onto your hips as he positioned himself behind you.

You giggled and nodded, “yeah, I won’t look, I promise.”

He leaned over you, “thank you,” he whispered in your ear, feeling your body shudder in response, “such a sensitive girl.”

You whined as he kissed down your shoulder, bringing his hands to your waist and holding tightly. He ran his cock between your ass cheeks, feeling the sweet friction they provided was going to set him off again so soon after he just came. You said it was hot though…

“I’m sorry, it’s coming again I can’t stop–ah!”

Basil moved his hips faster and faster until he was shooting heavy ropes of white all over your back, getting some on the couch. He felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment, despite your saying how much you liked it. You laughed again, wiggling your ass a little and rubbing it along his length.

“Such a needy boy,” you taunted, “get it in me next time.”

He furrowed his brow, running the fat tip of his cock along your slit. You still made him so fucking hard, no matter how many times he came, he could keep going as long as you were around. Basil watched your lips part, swallowing him whole until his pubic hair was brushing against your rear. He whined, feeling your walls flutter around him and hearing your satisfied sigh.

“Yes, oh wow, you’re f-fucking h-huge,” you said, gasping as though he’d been pounding you for hours, but he still hadn’t moved since he slid into you.

“You really like it? You think it’s big?” He pulled back, seeing how wet you made his cock until he slammed forward again.

You cried out, “oh god yes!”

Basil squeezed your waist tighter, finding a smooth rhythm that kept you wailing and drooling on your own couch. He watched you hold onto the arm of the couch, burying your face into the pillow and screaming into it like he was killing you. He pushed on your back, forcing you to gasp and groan, face being forced into the cushions.

He leaned forward, kissing your shoulder, “tell me how much you like it,” he whispered, “please, I need to hear you tell me how good I feel.”

“I-oh god I can’t-mm!”

“Please,” he begged pathetically, kissing your back again, “tell me it’s good, please.”

“It’s good Basil it’s…oh!”

He felt your pussy squeeze around him, and when he looked down he could see it throbbing while you gushed over his cock. You were incoherent, making high pitched whines as you continued losing yourself in the euphoria. He’d slowed his movements, trying once again to contain himself a little longer. It was clear you wanted more when you started moving on him again on your own, taking what you knew you needed.

“Basil,” you mewled.

He leaned into you again, “yeah?”

“I want to see you, please,” you said, voice pleading for the one thing he never wanted to give you.

Basil would give you his soul, his body, everything in his bank account in order to avoid letting you see his fucking face. He slammed into your hips, growing a little frustrated with your curiosity. Did you want to see it so you could mock him? So you could laugh at the man while he fucked you full? Why did you need to see him so badly?

“I want to see your face when you come,” you said as though you could read his mind.

Basil pulled out of you.

This was it.

He couldn’t keep hiding from you.

He sat back, feeling the cool leather of the couch against his rear.

“Fine,” he said coldly, feeling dread weighing on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

You turned around slowly until you finally met his gaze. Your lips parted slowly, eyes scanning over his face as though you were mapping it out, memorizing the details. As you leaned in closer, Basil turned his face away from you, shielding the deformity from your eyes as though it might make you hate it less. He could feel the tears welling, he was already anticipating your harsh words.

“Why are you hiding from me? Pretty boy,” you cooed in the softest voice, reaching out a hand and touching his scarred cheek, turning him to face you.

“W-what did you just say?” He asked, a tear spilling over and running down his cheek.

“I can’t believe you’d keep your beautiful face hidden from me like that,” you climbed over his lap, straddling his hips.

“Are you playing with me? Huh? What’s your angle? Are you going to go to work tomorrow and tell all your friends you fucked a freak?” He was getting angry, but trying to keep it from boiling over.

You giggled, “do you really think that lowly of me, Basil?” your face closed in on his and your lips brushed against the rippled skin on his cheek softly.

He choked out a moan as you lowered yourself on him, stuffing your cunt full of him once again. You liked his face? You really liked it? He threw his head back, hair falling out of his eyes as he looked up at you. He guided you as you bounced up and down on his dick, feeling it bruising the deepest parts of you. You brought your hands to the back of his head, holding onto his dark curls tight while you kissed him deeply.

“Mm, you’re so so-good-baby,” he growled lowly, “use me, use me to get off again, I want you to come on me again and again I–”

“Shh,” you whispered, pressing your lips to his, forcing your tongue past his lips, and the second he tasted you, he let out a whimpering moan.

He squeezed your hips tighter, intoxicated by the feeling of you, and the sounds of your wet pussy slapping against his lap. He started rolling his hips upward, feeling himself getting deeper and deeper with every pass. It was like your body knew he belonged in there, making room for him as it should. You let out a guttural moan, deep from inside of you, and Basil could feel your cunt starting to flutter around him again.

He latched his lips to your neck, and you immediately held onto both of his shoulders and lurched forward, hips freezing while your cunt contracted over him in waves. Basil came once again, cock throbbing while it filled your little hole with everything he had. He pulled your hips down, placing both hands on top of your thighs and holding you there while he rutted upward, sobbing as he did.

He couldn’t believe you let him take you. He couldn’t believe you called him pretty. Most of all, he couldn’t believe that when you were both finished, panting heavily on the couch as clarity set in, you didn’t call him an ugly monster and scream at him to leave your apartment.

“So you…was that…did I do alright? You liked it? You don’t think I’m hideous?”

“Basil…” you leaned in and kissed his nose, “you’re perfect.”

Miscellaneous Character Masterlist

Main Masterlist

#basil #stitt #basil stitt fanfiction #basil stitt fan fiction #basil stitt x reader #basil stitt x you #basil stitt fanfic #basil stitt fan fic #lightningface fanfiction #basil stitt oneshot #basil stitt one shot #basil stitt smut #oscar isaac #oscar isaac fanfiction #lightningface fan fiction #basil stitt x f!Reader #basil x reader #basil x you #basil stitt headcanons

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xaviers-star-tassel · 3 months

Text

⭐️ sleep, i’m here

✦ pairing: xavier / gn!reader

✦ genre: fluff

✦ warnings: hopefully, none

✦ word count: 1.6k words

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ: you’ve recently had troubles falling asleep. luckily, your sleepy neighbor and partner is there to help

⋆˙ ✦ note: this is my first ever fic that i uploaded, so it might not be perfect! i may or may not upload more in the future, depends on how well this will do. i have to thank my friend for finally giving me the kick to actually upload this, because i would probably never post this if it weren’t for them

another sleepless night. turn after turn, no matter what you did, you just couldn’t turn your mind off. it had been like this for over a week. eyes droopy, skin sickly paler than usual. you were a mess with the darkest circles under your eyes.

you couldn’t even think straight. with how tired you were, your performance during missions got sloppy. mistakes, mishaps, injuries. things that were usually rare in your case, were now a daily part of your work. your skin was covered in cuts and bruises, making each squirm against the soft mattress painful.

whenever someone asked if you were doing well, you mustered up the speckle of energy to cover up the exhaustion pulsing within every particle of your body. others seemed to brush it off, even tara asked about your well being less frequently. though, unbeknownst to you, there was one person who was keeping an eye on you, even more than before.

that someone was none other than your partner and neighbor—xavier.

since he was always making sure you were safe, you didn’t particularly found his concern strange. it was nothing out of the ordinary, at least that was how it seemed to you. perhaps it was your sleep deprived mind, because you seemed to be utterly blind to his actions.

whenever your head was close to bumping a corner of your desk when you dropped your pen, his hand was quick to cover it. when you couldn’t keep your eyes open while filing documents, he secretly left a cup of coffee on your desk. your tired mind was making you believe you were slowly losing it at the sight of freshly brewed coffee, as bitter as possible to give you the energetic kick you need. bitter like the one from xavier’s brewing machine, you always thought to yourself as you took a sip, then cringed at the taste.

as you continued to restlessly lie on your bed, not even a blink of sleep coming to you, you tossed your blanket aside to sit up. your eyelids were heavy and sight blurry as tears of frustration welled up in your eyes. you wanted to cry, but you were tired even for that.

oh, how you wanted to steal at least a little of xavier’s drowsiness at that moment. you were sure that your neighbor was now sleeping soundly, while you were suffering in the darkness of your bedroom.

when you dropped yourself back onto the mattress, a sudden ring of your phone tore you away from a total breakdown. without looking, you picked your phone up. your eyes slowly adjusted to the light upon turning it on, and you were met with a message from xavier. huh, speak of the devil.

xavier: Are U awake

you stared at the adorable bunny chat bubble for a good minute. in your astonishment, you didn’t even manage to get bothered by the capitalized ‘U’ in the middle of a sentence like you usually did. your thumbs slowly typed in a short ‘yes’ before sending it, surprising you once more at the speed he read it.

xavier: Come here. Ill leave the door open for U

was he really just inviting you to his place in the middle of the night? why was he not asleep? despite your confusion, you didn’t hesitate to take up on his offer. leaving the last text unanswered, you lazily got up from the bed. with the phone in your hand, and a pair of slippers on your feet, you made your way out of your apartment.

you walked quietly along the hallway, careful not to disturb the neighbors. since he lived on the floor above yours, you found it useless to wait for the elevator. somehow, the idea of seeing xavier fueled you with at least enough energy to walk up to his apartment on your own tired feet, and it took only a minute or two for you to stand before the door, which were in fact opened just for you.

you barged into xavier’s apartment with a quiet step, closing the door behind your back. when the lock clicked, the silver haired head poked out from behind the doorframe of his bedroom. he smiled upon seeing you, silently inviting you in.

with your eyes half closed, you waddled to him. every step you took suddenly felt heavy, as if your entire skeleton was made of steel. the short distance that was the hall of his apartment appeared to be endless to your aching body.

finally, you were standing next to him. your head dropped onto his shoulder, which was something you wouldn’t normally do without feeling flustered. but with how exhausted you were, you couldn’t care less as you closed the small gap between you.

“there you go,” he muttered into the crown of your head, lips pressed against your hair.

your only answer was a low grumble that vibrated from your chest. xavier wrapped his arm around your waist, leading you to his bed. he gently laid you on the left side of the mattress before crawling up to you.

you watched his every move. he made himself comfortable on his side to face you, one arm bent under his head and the other propped against your waist.

the dim light radiating from the lamp behind you illuminated his face, letting you see the worried expression on his face. he studied your features without uttering a word, his warm breath caressing your cheeks. reaching his arm up, he cupped your face. the pad of his thumb rubbed the deep dark circles underneath your eyes, his touch careful and gentle.

“why didn’t you tell me anything?” he suddenly asked, catching you off guard.

you let out a sigh, pressing your cheek against his calloused palm. “i didn’t want to worry you.”

silent chuckle erupted from his throat as he shook his head. his hand slid down from your face back to your waist, expression no longer as tense as it was a second ago.

“you know i’d worry no matter what, right? after all, it was me who was making sure you wouldn’t hit your head against your desk whenever you dropped your pen,” he whispered with a smile.

this revelation had left you surprised. connecting the dots in your brain, all of the images appeared in a clear vision between your eyes. from the freshly brewed bitter coffee to the neat stack of documents that you left scattered on your desk the day before. it was all him. and only now were you realizing it.

“so i wasn’t going insane. thank goodness, i thought that my mind was playing tricks with me,” you joked meekly, huffing a laugh through your nose.

his eyes softened when he heard you laugh briefly, though deep down, he was still worried. how couldn’t he be worried? not once had he saved you from your potential doom while fighting off wanderers within the last few days.

“still, you should’ve told me,” he scolded you, though not very sternly. he didn’t have the heart to be hard on you when you looked like a distressed bundle of drowsiness.

you hummed in acknowledgment. guilt suddenly washed over you that you didn’t notice it sooner, but it was too late to cry over spilled milk.

“i’m sorry,” you whispered, glancing into his eyes.

xavier took your hand in his, inspecting the scrapes and small cuts on your fingers and palm. he lifted the hand upwards, letting his lips graze over your knuckles.

“please, don’t apologize to me. you did nothing wrong,” he said softly, giving your hand a reassuring squeeze. “just… let me know in the future. i don’t want to see you like this.”

the caring tone made you feel slightly emotional, if only you realized sooner just how worried he was.

“i will, xavier. i promise,” you nodded, lips curling into a tired smile.

he extended his pinky finger toward you, smiling while doing so. “then let’s seal the deal. pinky promises shall never be broken.”

you chuckled at the silly gesture, but you complied anyway. your pinky fingers hooked together, holding them right under your chin. only then you realized how small the gap between your faces was. the tip of his nose was merely inches away from yours, his breath fanning over your skin.

your gaze flickered down to his pink lips, the sudden desire to kiss them bubbled within your chest. xavier noticed where you stared right away, making his ears turn faint red. as if he could read your mind, he slowly began to lean in. his deep blue eyes were focused on yours, closing them only after his lips touched yours.

he hummed in what seemed like relief as he melted into the kiss. the world suddenly fell completely still, the only thing that mattered was the tender moment you shared. xavier unhooked his pinky from yours to pull you closer to him, desperately wanting to feel your warmth.

the kiss only lasted a few seconds before you pulled away. thanks to the soft light of the lamp, you caught a glimpse of the reddish dust on his cheeks. you watched as he took a deep breath before relaxing his head against the fluffy pillow.

“let’s take a day off. you must catch up on sleep, even if you’ll sleep for a whole day,” he whispered, his eyes fluttering close.

“is that really okay?” you asked worriedly.

“yes, i’m sure others will understand. now sleep, i’m here for you,” he pressed a last kiss to your forehead before relaxing completely.

the comfort and the heat radiating from his body was slowly but surely lulling you to much needed sleep. letting out a small yawn, you pressed your forehead to his chest. your breathing pattern slowed down, signaling to xavier that you had fallen asleep.

“no matter what happens, i’ll always be there for you. that is my promise to you.”

#love and deepspace #xavier love and deepspace #love and deepspace fluff #love and deepspace xavier #love and deepspace x reader #xavier #lads xavier #lads x reader #love and deepspace fanfiction #l&ds x reader #l&ds xavier #l&ds #otome game #xavier fluff

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twst-rose-prisms · 8 days

Note

How do you think TWST boys (the ones below 170 cm like Riddle, Kalim, Epel etc.) would act like around s/o who's insanely tall? I keep reading fics that go like "he put your head on his shoulder" even though I'm almost a feet taller than him and I just end wondering how that's possible. (I'm 17 and is 6'5)

Hi hi~ First of all, thank you for your request anon! Sorry if you have to wait long enough cuz I was a bit busy with school 😭 Anyhow, I hope you like this because I put a lot of braincells into it hehe (also anon you're so tall, like literally a head taller than me-)

Twst boys with a partner that's a lot taller than them

Characters: Epel, Lilia, Riddle, Kalim x Reader Genre: Fluff Warnings: None!

🍎Epel

- I feel like he would be conscious of how he looks and his height but doesn't act too worked up over it, so if his partner is hella tall then he probably won't be bothered much unless they tease him about it. However if his partner is both tall and physically strong then he'll be very impressed at their strength instead! Probably asking things like what's their training methods or things like how to improve your muscles, etc. - He probably thinks it's a bit troublesome that he gotta look up to you every time you two are chatting, but as long as there's no teasing at him then he won't pay attention to that much, he won't admit he's secretly jealous of your height though... Okay, he will be, just a little bit, but afterward he just thinks about how cool you are when you always appear a head taller than most people in school and how it's so easy to spot you among the crowd. He seriously wants to be cool like you! - Don't treat him like he's a small, frail boy who needs help every time, that's the top thing on the "Absolute no" list for Epel. Even when you have an advantage in height, so what? He won't let that be a thing for you to make fun of him! In fact, it just gets him even more fired up to work himself better so he can catch up to you quickly! He has a lot of room to grow and he definitely won't give up either. - He definitely boasts about how cool his partner is or how tall they are to others with a proud look on his face. He is lucky for sure to have such an amazing partner like you, no one would ever be able to look down on you (in both ways) and that's what he loves to see! You're so strong and cool... sorry, did he already say that? Well he couldn't help it, you really are in his eyes! - He gonna insist on carrying you a lot of times even though you told him it's not necessary, but he would ask things like "Are you underestimating me?" with one of those "polite smiles" of his just to get you to give up or mess around, and he always success every time he did that. Much to your surprise, he actually might be able to lift you up! And that surprise looks on your face is exactly what he wants, just because you're a head taller doesn't mean he can't be a man around you! He would look super smug about it as he ended up teasing you a bit about this or bringing it up occasionally to see your reaction. He can be a bit of a prankster as a treat~

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🦇 Lilia

- Despite being fairly short, I think Lilia never gets bothered in the slightest mainly because he can teleport or float in the air like a bat he is. So even if his partner is insanely tall, he can just float up to their eye level with ease and even use their shoulders for leaning support. (he's just being the silly he is yknow) - But he would be fairly impressed for sure with how tall you're as you easily stand out in the crowd with your head above others or how easily it is to spot you. He thinks it's cool how humans can be so tall but also so short, it's really fascinating for a fae like him! - He can easily take books from the highest shelf or reach out for that one apple hanging on the tree, but sometimes, this guy would start acting like the tease he is and ask you to get it for him. "But you can just float?" "Hoho, but I'm feeling like walking today though~" and just land on the ground so casually like the prankster he is... as you just sigh and get the thing he requested with ease while the fae chuckles in the background. - He loves surprises, so don't question it if he suddenly floats up and kisses you out of nowhere when you expect it the least. That look of pure shock on your face is just priceless for him, peace and quiet is not an option if you're Lilia's partner no matter how tall you're. He definitely lives long enough to seen and talk to people that are as tall or even taller than you, so he knows how to handle it perfectly or even startle them back. - He also loves messing around, so he'll just appears out of nowhere, his body upside down as you got so startled you nearly froze when your eyes meet each other, and he laughs, like a lot. He just loves it when he can throw you off with such remarks and randomness, just because you're a head taller doesn't mean he can't scare you~ - You can try and surprise him back, maybe when he was being a bit too absorbed into chatting with you about something and you lean in, face inches away from his as both of you just stare at each other for a good second before you lean away and ask him to continue. Believe it or not, Lilia was thrilled at that attempt he ended up laughing like an idiot for a good minute, oh silly you, do that again next time! He'll only end up fascinated by you even more if you act like that, so surprising yet so exciting~

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🌹 Riddle

- He's very conscious of his height and could easily get angry or irritated at the slight mention of it, so I think he would feel even more conscious if his partner is a head taller than him. He always wanted to be the cool, reliable type of boyfriend in his partner's eyes, but to think now they're the taller one, a head taller even... He is not bothered at all. Not at all! - But that doesn't stop him from wanting his partner to depend on him too, considering he's still an honor student and a housewarden, he'll try to look past the height difference between you two and act like a reliable boyfriend and offer to help you out whether with your study or other things. He knows having a tall height has an advantage like be able to reach for high shelves easily, and whenever you do so, he just tries to not get flustered over it and thanks you properly... Don't worry, he's just being a bit shy~ - He hopes that his partner, being insanely tall, doesn't make fun of his height or mention it too often. He'll try to let it slide if you bring it up in a way that doesn't sound irritating to him, he might easily get upset but he always tries his best to not get unreasonably angry at you, that's the last thing he wants after all. - Whenever you two sit next to each other and when he can easily reach your face better, he will take it as a chance to appear more "boyfriend-like" to you... not that he already isn't one, but sometimes he can't help but wish he could reach your face easier so he can kiss them or cup your face better. Occasionally, he would even lend his shoulder for you to lean on too, not only does he feel like he's doing a good job being your partner but also feels taller too somewhat... That's a secret he'll never tell you though. If only he could be as tall as you... but rest assured, he still has more room to grow. (Or at least that's what he likes to believe) - You can be a bit of a tease by leaning down and randomly giving him a kiss, he'll be as red as his hair with those gray eyes looking all shocked! He probably scolds you to not do that so suddenly the next time but don't worry, he's not mad at all~

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☀️Kalim

- He's probably the one that's the most unbothered in this list since he doesn't care for things like height or appearance in general, but he'll definitely be impressed at how tall his partner is and shows it outwardly, he never holds back when it comes to compliments! - Though I think he'll love having a tall partner too as he can ask them to help him reach high shelves or just be able to spot them so easily in the crowd is enough to make him happy! Just imagine a cheery and bright Kalim running towards you from miles away while waving at you with the way your head pops up in a crowd, that would definitely bring a smile to your face for sure!! - He also isn't too conscious of his height or think too much about it, he is pretty carefree overall so it won't be at the top of his head! However, due to your height difference it would be a bit troublesome when he wants to kiss you but he can't... so he came up with a solution to jump up for that! And don't underestimate him, he's good at jumping despite his short height! (As he bounces up the air and you just so happen to lean down, both of your heads collide... Jamil questioned why both of you got a bump with a worrying look but neither of you explained it truthfully which only raised his suspicion even further... Don't tell him okay?) - Piggyback ride? Piggyback ride! Because of your insanely tall height, you definitely can lift him up and he is excited to say the least! He loves being carried around! So whenever he can wrap his arms around you as you carry him and run around the campus, he'll have a really big, happy grin on his face. Either that or you two do a jump challenge of whoever can reach that tree branch better (even though you know it's a surefire win for you) and the winner gets a free coconut juice! Kalim definitely tried his best to win every time despite his short height, and even when he lost he never appeared sad and the total opposite instead, he just has so much fun being around someone cool like you! - He also loves carrying others too, and he would also do the same to you despite your insane height. Similar to Epel, although you keep telling him it's fine but how can you say no after he give you that cute grin full of sunshine... so you just so happen to say yes, and as enthusiastic as he is, he quickly swoops you up off the ground, see, he definitely can carry you with ease! ...And it doesn't last for long as you both fall over to the ground. He felt bad for dropping you like that and quickly apologize before giving you a big grin and a cheek kiss as an apology gift, so cheeky and adorable of him~

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Fun fact: Did you know Ruggie escaped this post with a clutch? He's 171cm, just 1cm away from being in this list~

#twisted wonderland #twst #disney twst #twst wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland imagines #twisted wonderland headcanons #twisted wonderland x you #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #twst x you #twst x y/n #twst fluff #riddle rosehearts x reader #epel felmier x reader #lilia vanrouge x reader #kalim al asim x reader

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fandomobbsessedb · 2 months

Text

Alastor x F!Overlord!Reader

AN: this is the result of the first poll I posted, Alastor won so here we are!

I’ve kinda broken this into two bits in this one shot, there’s a warning farther down if you want to keep within the ideas of “headcannon” but farther below I have the start of a story, I got a bit carried away and am too far gone to delete it.

⚠️Warnings: mentions of blood, death, weapons, smoking, maybe 1 instance of cannibalism ( but its more in the sense of revenge rather than a canabalistic reader) (idk man it’s hell if your triggered don’t read 😭) this is really long already so I might just break it up or continue it to make a part 2. I have a LOOOOOOT of references in here to so many things, if you guys can pick up on them leave a comment and I’ll tag list you in my next fic if you want! Or don’t I honestly couldn’t care less it’s just for fun :p

Reader is referred to with afab terms.

Pt2-

================================

• In your life you tried to stay on “the right” path. Your parents raised you right, you tried your hardest to be nice, and where always on your best behavior, but after getting the short end of the stick for too long you kinda… loose it.

• You ended up in hell after a night out partying with some of your most valued clients, when you went to drive yourself home the heel of your stiletto got stuck under the gas pedal, as you tried to pull it out you took your eyes off the road and 💥 BAM 💥 you where hit by a large grocer truck.

•Opening your eyes to a red wasteland, the bright flash of lights and the smell of brimstone flood your senses. Looking down to try and gather your bearings you notice your whole body wasn’t (skn/tn) anymore… it was marble grey?

“Where… where am I?” I mumbled under my breath, trying to gather my surroundings, a bright flashing catches my eyes, a gigantic neon sign in the sky gives me my anwser…

“Welcome to Hell!!!”

“Hell…. I’M DEAD?!!!!” I groaned out through barred teeth and stood to my feet, looking around I saw definite signs, this was Hell alright. A blood red sky, fires everywhere, little sinners running around stabbing and shooting one another.

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME, ALL MY WORK, MY SHOPPING EMPIRE, MY CLOSET, MY AWARDS, MY EVERYTHING, RAAAAAAHHH!!!” In my anger I grabbed the nearest sinner and threw them to the ground, putting my foot between their shoulder blades and grabbing their arms.

“You’re gonna tell me right now, what the hell is going on, WHY AM I DEAD AND HERE-” I shouted in their ear, seeing blood come out… oh shit I probably burst their ear drum… oh well, I’ve done that plenty of times to my assistants.

“D-d-do you mean, like in hell, or or just this area?” They questioned nervously. To be fair they were a scrawny little thing…

“What in the-“ I paused to look around, then referred back to this little shit “actually HELL are you talking about?”

“W-w-well, you must, *gulp* you must be new here, huh?” It asked with a weary smile and a weak little laugh, probably trying to ease the tension. “Well, down… down here, we uh, we have overlords who- who rule certain areas, we’re in Ms.Leefolt’s t-t-t-territory right now, I mean, our king Lucifer, Lucifer and Lilith Morningstar rule all of hell…”

“Well, that certainly is… intresting.” I smirk and stand up, releasing his arms but not letting my foot off his back. “So these, overlords… are they appointed by your king, or born into or something?” I question with a sharp red nail in between my teeth, thinking…

“No, no ma’am just, just anyone who’s ballsy enough to, to, take over enough territory and have enough demons- sell them their souls in exchange for something. Umm- if it’s not too much of a bother, could you let me go… I- I can feel my ribs crushing under me…” it started wheezing out and trying to get a hand under its chest to place a barrier between their chest and the ground.

“Hm, well if that’s all true, I can’t let some little thing like you going around gossiping about me.” I growled looking down at this freak… pressing my heel into his spine harder.

“No! No please, I won’t say a thing I promise!! Just let me go, please… pleas-“

SPLAT-

“Whoops, my bad, I slipped.” I reasoned, pulling my now bloody leg out of his torso.

“Ohh, eeeeeew eweweweweweweeew, I’ve got bits of his, ugh, lung on my heels.” Flicking away the bits of organ from my shoes, I take a breath and another look around but this time in a planning sense. Overlords huh, well, I’ll just have to see how much this ‘miss leefolt’ likes the taste of arsenic, I wonder when the last time she had a homemade pie was….

• So of course to establish some dominance in my new living arrangement, I gutted that bitch from the inside out. I took her territory, her power, her souls, even her manor. When I went to her office to kill her I found the deed to her house and all the contracts of sinners who gave her their souls in a pretty shittily hidden safe.

• I mean, I had to work so hard to build my life up just for a stupid grocer to end it all, so this is fine… right?

• The years go by and the world changes, you became one of the most powerful and influential overlords in hell, re-establishing your power once held on earth to a business in hell. Rosie and Velvet quickly becoming your closest friends, Velvet in a more business sense and Rosie being your go to gossip gal. Both of you having elegant and refined tastes. You and Husk became friends over talking shit in a casino one night, and remained friends after his downfall. He talks to you about this, radio demon, from time to time but you haven’t heard much of him

Little do you know he knows almost everything about you~

• Your walking around Cannibal Town one day waiting for Rosie to finish a meeting, watching children run around and little carts selling all kinds of body related snacks.

I lost a bit of my sense of surrounding and almost tripped on a kid running around with his friend throwing a head back and fourth.

"Jerermy! Stop playing with your lunch and apologize to that nice lady you almost ran into."

"Sorry miss, I didn't mean too." He said looking down at the head ashamedly, then offering me a piece of the cheek. "Would you like some of this face? It's really good." He looked up at me with an excited look. "Oh thank you, but I'm waiting for lunch with my friend, I'll go to the butcher and get some though, it looks really good." I smiled my pointy teeth at him, patted his head and motioned him back to his mother, she waved to me and I nodded my head back, thinking it was time for Rosie to be done by now.

"My my, with your reputation of anger issues I would assume you would tear that poor child into bits upon realization." A staticky voice spoke behind me, tilting my head back but not my body as I don't know who it is. I look him up and down, his outfit and cane/staff thingy give off quite the powerful impression. "My, mhm, reputation?" I pester raising my eyebrow.

"Ah-hahahaha, My name's Alastor, its quite a pleasure to finally meet you in person." He introduced reaching for the back of my hand to place a kiss. Him saying his name reminded me, I too finally recognized the name. "Oh, Rosie has told me much about you." The radio demon, his names been brought up many times around cannibal town since he frequented their shops and small town locals.

"Oh yes, Rosie is one of my dearest friends" He replied linking our elbows and started walking towards the shop. "Mine as well, she is quite the darling, so let me ask you now, where you just standing there when I got to the park, or where you going to follow me in silence since I left the emporium~" He didn't stutter in his step but my revelation made the air feel a bit more, weary on his side. Reaching into my hand purse I grabbed my lipstick and hand mirror and paused my walk to apply a touch more. Looking just past my lips in the reflection I saw his eyes in the back corner snap to my down, then back up to my eyes with a tight smile. "Well, are you coming? I know Rosie hates to be kept waiting." I snapped it shut and outreached my elbow waiting for him to link his so that we could start the traverse back to Rosie's.

• After our little group luncheon with Rosie, Alastor and you didn't verbally indicate that you were closer in any sense. But physically you swayed like two tree's. Brushing branches back and fourth with the breeze, restless and apart yet labeled as "together"

• You started doing weekly business deals, him acquiring land and souls for you, and all he asked in returns is he uses that land and those souls as he pleases. Which honestly isn't a lot. When he pulls people or their shadows to come help at the hotel- their mostly your people but he always sends them back to whence they came.

• He likes to pretend he doesn't necessarily care for being around you, however he's always looking for time you two can be together, or even thinking of each other. On his radio show he'll mention new shopping, eating, entertainment locations on your turf. He knows you listen when your able to. Sometimes he uses his power to let his station be the only one playing where ever you are. In the car, in a shopping store, you could be sitting in the bathroom and it would get to the point where you can hear it from the vents. Making you roll your eyes and finish your business so you could get to your office to listen to the radio.

• Truth be told... you where falling to his whims as well. Alastor didn't necessarily have "territory" but many places in one area he had influence in and quite often frequented. When you had rips or damage to your very expensive very delicacy clothing you would walk with him to the seamstress, and afterwards you would often get tea or lunch together. Maybe he knows a good diner or two and ya’ll will sit there and eat, then get a milkshake (mostly bc you wanted one, he just indulges to make you happy though he doesn’t care for the cold sweet taste) and drink it through two straws, awwwwwwwwwwwwe!!

• When either of you knew of prestigious events happening around you invite the other to be your plus one. You go shop together to find outfits for the occasion. You started attending overlord meetings together, with yourself sat on the opposite side of Rosie, sending each other glances and touches under the table whenever Rosie wasn't looking or walked away for a brief moment. At the events you stay close together and often stand away from the crowd, whispering and gossiping together, allowing yourself a to drink silly, little do you know how well he can hold his liquor and often will be the one making sure YOU get home. Sometimes you wake up still dressed, like the gentleman he is, and sometimes you’ll wake up in some red pajama set…. Like the gentleman he is, he’s not gonna let you sleep in an uncomfortable outfit. But he’s respectful about it.

• He often send subliminal messages through your radio to help you fall asleep, to push you to coming to see him, to maybe just stay in your town if he knew something really bad was going on outside. His favorite to do is when your falling asleep he’ll play the calmest songs from his time to comfort you as you drift off.

• When he officially asked to court you he compared you to the beautiful crimson of the sky, saying your cheeks where more bright and delightful to gaze at then the morning sky, when it was particularly bright. All kinds of poetic gestures, sending crows to your windows, sending your gifts of bodies with knives in them, and the knives had small notes left for you on some quote from a book you like. Now how he knows those are your favorite books are beyond you…. you don’t talk about your books much but, maybe he’s seen you reading it at some random point in time? Who knows, not you.

• He’s all in all not a bad partner, of course when you want to go out he usually goes along with what you want to do but if there’s something he refuses to do, his claws are sinking into your arms to keep you from dragging him to do it.

• His smile is genuine around you and you adore when he lets you pet his ears~ he’s not that intimate early on in the relationship but when your just sitting on a couch or watching the sun set from somewhere and you just reach over and pet his ears, he is putty in your hands, physically he keeps his compose fairly well but inside he’s willing to do anything to keep you touching his ears, telling himself he would sell YOU his soul if it meant you wouldn’t stop, petting his ears and helping him groom his antlers, don’t even get me started on the tail… oh wait he’s already got something going on with that… well darn… hopefully you will keep accepting his caring actions rather than push them away.

——-STOP reading here if you don’t want to get into the more “story line” of this idea, if you want more of a story KEEP READING——-

• One night some sinner had gotten into your liquor stash and drank himself ditzy, you chased him into an ally way, looking to end his fucking life. Most of those where gifts from clients that most likely had aphrodisiacs and at the time where trying to get down your pants, but he drank from one of the few special bottles Alastor had gifted you and you went ballistic. You ended up catching him and killing him, and taking a tip from Rosie and ripped some of his limbs off, letting yourself indulge in the taste of warm, liquor filled blood. When you came too you realized you didn't know where you had chased him. Now covered in blood, liquor, rain, mud and whatever mess you stepped in on your way over. Seeing the iluminating lights of the sign for the Hazbin Hotel, your only thought was to try and get to Alastor.

*knock knock knock*

*creeeeeeeeeeeeeeek*

"Oh! Oh my gosh, hi! Come in Come in. " An ecstatic girl ushered you inside, making a towel appear seemingly out of nowhere and helping you dry off. "I'm Charlie, whats your name?"

"Oh, how rude of me" I respond trying to shake off my chills, my nose starts to get a bit runny. "Uhm I'm Y/N, I don't mean to sound intrusive- uh is Alastor here?" I ask hesitantly, not wanting to just barge in but after the night I've had I wasn't in too much of a mood for pleasantries.

"Oh yes! Here, why don't you sit at the bar, have some tea or water or something and I'll run up to his radio tower." She sat me down at a bar stool and walked away. The bartender was turned around already whipping me up something.

"So he's got you wrapped up here huh?" I inquired with a smirk, resting my hands under my chin and trying to keep a little composure. His wings ruffled a little bit before he reached for my favorite hell made brand of brandy, my cotten candy brandy, I'm not one for sweets but I love the zing it gives you. The kind where you loose your vision for a good 7 seconds.

"You haven't usually been one to be a stranger, what gives?" Husk asked turning around handing me my drink and a bowl of pretzels.

"Well when I saw you weren't at your usual gambling tables I didn't think to question it, thought you where maybe getting more chips... ooooor hooking up in the chip room.... ooooor selling even MORE of your soul, if that's even possible, maybe like your wings or your feathers or, like your body as a human shield in the next extermination, never thought you'd be here slinging drinks." I shrugged swirling my drinks around the glass before taking a sip.

Before he could respond he took a bit of a step back and growled really low and deep in his throat.

"Ah yes well he owed me a favor and since I took an investment in this hotel I needed a little work on it done." Alastor came up behind me with a warm towel wrapping it around my shoulders as the one Charlie gave me was wrapped around my waist keeping my legs warm... unfortunatly the sinner got caught at a bad time, I was in the middle of 'me time' before bed and was in my good silk nighty. Glad I walked to my office with my fuzzy robe and ballet slippers. I feel really warm and fuzzy, my heads all….. comfy now… is that static coming from Alast-

"Oh deerest your all wet, would you like to come up and I can help you clean up." He asked you shaking the towel on your shoulders helping you sit up. "Oh yes please" you responded looking at him with sad tired eyes.

-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-•-

I took a sip of the warm tea Alastor had made me and laid back in the bath, taking it all in. I WAS just planning a quiet evening in at home, maybe snack on some treats I got in the Gluttony ring, watch some hells soap operas. Now I’m here, in my beau’s bathroom, relaxing… maybe I can convince him to let me up to his radio tower to listen to his late night show live, oh that would be fun. I wonder what it looks like up there? I’ve only ever seen his actual town house… a little ways away from town-

*CRASH *

“What the fuck?!” I sat up so fast I almost slipped, sitting on my butt… in the tub…. Shit did he spike my tea?

“Alastor? Is everything okay?” I asked loudly. Standing up carefully keeping three points of contact with the tub and the floor. I reached for a different robe he had given me, a soft red fluffy one, with (what I hope is faux ) fur along the collar and wrists.

Walking towards the bathroom door very carefully I cautiously reached for the shiny silver handle. Telling myself it’s okay but feeling a sense of dread in the pit of my stomach, and the handle was the top of the pit…

“Alastor?” I called out again, once more not getting an answer, bringing my hands to my mouth when I heard a large thump out there, trying to keeping my composure… oh what the hell they know I’m here already. I went to turn the handle what the door got pushed in, had I been able to see what happened I would’ve seen Alastor in his demonic form and it probably would’ve scared the actual shit outta me… but NOPE

I went to open the door when it got pushed open and a bright blue flash covered all of my vision and made me feel… kinda tried… but I’m awake, almost like I’m not in my body… it’s… really hard……. To keep my….. keep my eyes …………………………….………open…….

• You collapsed to the floor slowly breathing, in a trance, feeling some sharper claws pick you up bridal style, if you weren’t so dazed out you would see Alastor frozen in time… like a paused TV… unable to get to you, or subdue your captor. You still had enough conscience to hear a muffled voice talking to a phone~

“Yeah we got her… foil chains worke—“

“Get her ba-“

“…. Longer you take the quicker……….. flasher wears-“

• Last thing you could remember hearing before completing falling out was a radio scramble in your brain, the sound going from a hollow scraggly to a tight scraggle- like turning the tv in between stations………

:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:

AN: WELLLLL WHAT DID YA THINK???? Did you skip to down here or did you read the WHOLE thing. I really hope ya’ll like this, I’m so excited to make part 2, and maybe 3 or 4 depending on how far this goes.

Thank you to anyone who reads this and interacts in any way shape or form!!! Even if it’s just reading :) HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD DAY AND REMEMBER

REALITY IS AN ILLUSION, THE UNIVERSE IS A HOLOGRAM BUY GOLD BYYYYYYEEEEEE

#headcannons #alastor x reader #hazbin hotel x reader #hazbin husk #hazbin hotel rosie #hazbin hotel #hazbin alastor #hazbin hotel angst #hazbin hotel oneshots #short story #part 2?

148 notes · View notes

yoonieper · 2 years

Text

Helping Hand | JJK

Sometimes all you need is a helping hand.

♡ Pairing: Jungkook x Reader (also a teeny bit of Jimin x Reader)

♡ Genre: Roommate AU, Best Friend AU, Best Friends to lovers, Smut, Fluff, Angst????

♡ Rated: D for Down Bad

♡ Warnings: Lotte concert 2019 Jungkook, PTD concert black swan Jimin (yes these are warnings), Y/N needs some dick, jk is also pretty down bad, mentions of past substance abuse, mentions of depression, mentions of character death, very brief and vague mentions of su*cidal thoughts, this fic is heavy and horny please beware, jk a lil bit of a dummy, masturbation, semi public sex(ish), grinding, car sex, cumming in pants, fingering, oral (m + f receiving), overstimulation, protected sex (follow they lead kiddies), gets cute towards the end I promise~

♡ Word Count: 23.4k

♡ Summary: A double blind date was your suggestion. Everything about it should make him happy, but this sinking feeling just won’t go away. All he wanted was to get it over with.

♡ Now Playing…: X by Tinashe, Backseat by Khalid, and Good Days by Sza

♡ Author’s Note: A story from the vault of the 2020 works I started but never published! This was meant to be posted on Valentine's Day, but life got in the way so I’m just posting it now instead of keeping it for another year. Let’s just pretend 🤡 Happy Valentine’s Day to all the couples out there, and for all my singles, we’ll get ‘em next year 😩✊🏽 Also a big thank you to @kth1 for the graphics and @jessikahathaway for reading over this for me!

No reposting, modifying. Translating is not allowed unless given explicit permission. Thank you so much :D

Fuck everything.

It was dismal that these were the first words that came to mind as you stepped out of your last class for today.

To put it frankly, this day has not treated you kindly.

These feelings of deep anguish were all caused by the simple fact that it was Valentine's Day. Couples everywhere were trapped in a lovestruck trance by the holiday, wanting to do anything and everything to celebrate. You had nothing against it but you were not in the right mental state to handle all of the affection. It made going anywhere unbearable, promotions for the perfect date spots all over campus, posts all over social media about your friends going out with their partners, every corner you turned you couldn’t escape it.

After your classes, you were tired of it all. It just made the journey back to your little apartment even more exhausting. Lovey-dovey couples holding hands, kissing, being together everywhere you looked had made you so riled up to the point where you were even considering calling your ex, Incheol, to help fill that void.

Why were you so hot and bothered? Sure all the PDA can get to any single person, especially on Valentine’s Day, but what got you to the point of even considering going so low as to call your ex again just to get some dick?

It’s just been a long year.

It’s not that you wanted to go this long without sex, but it just ended up that way. After your break up with Incheol you really just weren’t in the mood to look for anyone else.

When you first started college, you couldn’t really be tied down. You partied and whoever held your attention long enough was yours for the night. Unintentionally, you started a bit of a crusade with different guys around campus because of this. You didn’t want to, but you were just too busy for anything more than a one night stand. It was that way until you met Incheol. He was your first serious boyfriend and it was a nice, satisfactory relationship. You made some really great memories together, even the break up was clean.

It sounds amazing on paper, but it made it hard to jump back in and start seeing other people. By the time you were even considering going out on dates again, preparing for law school began to take up all your time.

In turn that left you with no dick for a year.

You swear if you see one more couple stuffing their tongues down each other’s throats, you might actually go insane. Lucky for you, your apartment wasn’t too far from campus, an 8 minute bus ride was all it typically took to get back home. It wasn’t too long before you were busting down the door ready to break something.

“Jungkook!!” You called, a strong sense of agitation in your voice as you kicked off your shoes, knowing you needed your best friend for support.

You two had been friends since high school. It was when you both got accepted to colleges in the same city, after talking it out a little, you decided it would just be easier to share an apartment when you moved to Seoul. Now it’s been a little over 4 years since you’ve moved in together and became the best friend and roommate dynamic duo.

You were first greeted with the sight of his shirtless back, the tattoos all along his right arm on full display, his fluffy hair was sticking up in all different directions, telling you he was likely just getting up.

Jungkook was hunched over the counter eating his cereal, nothing strange, but you were in no condition to see him like that.

“Jungkook?” You questioned seeing the peculiar state he was in. You hadn’t even seen his face yet and you could already tell he was exhausted.

“Oh Y/n you’re back…” He sounded so drained.

“Yeah classes are over for me, you didn’t go today?” You wondered, though the answer was pretty obvious.

He shook his head and laughed tiredly. “Not after the night I had.” Hearing that all you could do was roll your eyes. You knew exactly what happened last night.

“And whose fault was that Jungkook, you were the one who had to play and I quote ‘just one more round of cyber hunter,’ which judging by how you look now, wasn’t just one more round.” You recounted.

See the two of you, though you were best friends, have some things about you that are just polar opposites. Jungkook was creative, you used logic. He liked the cold while you liked it warm. He was neat, you were oftentimes a mess despite your love for cleaning. He liked to procrastinate everything to the last minute, and you always made sure you were never behind schedule. Polar opposites in some cases, but over the years you’ve learned that it can be beneficial at times.

“Do you have to lecture me? I'm still like half asleep, it’s too early for this shit.” He sighed, eating another spoonful of cereal. You were not really in the mood to fight him, you needed someone to rant to anyways.

You kept your mouth shut as you took a seat at one of your bar stools. “So did you finish?” You finally questioned.

He nodded slowly.

“2 minutes before the deadline, I've never felt so stressed in my life.” He chuckled lightly. You almost fell off your barstool.

When you had asked Jungkook about his project when he was playing cyber hunter instead of working, he would always brush you off and say “It’s not due till before class starts, I have plenty of time~” The fact that he finished 2 minutes before means that he was working until 7:58 this morning.

“Jungkook what did I tell you–“

“I know, you’re right, but I had things under control until I fell asleep color grading… it set me back like an hour and–” he rubbed his eyes “–and then you–” Jungkook’s eyes widened realizing what he was about to say and stopped himself real quick.

He must be out of his mind or more exhausted than he thought, thinking about telling you about last night. “I– I uh got distracted…” he simply put, not wanting you to know how complicated his feelings were right now.

Seeing you in front of him now already had his mind remembering the events of last night.

Jungkook put his spoon back in his bowl with a loud clunk. He only got a mere 4 hours of sleep after pulling an all-nighter, he was beyond tired. You could tell.

“And this Jungkook is why you should stick to the schedule I make.” You pointed to the board on the wall beside you.

In efforts of organizing your assignments and remembering the countless deadlines you had, you started writing everything down on this whiteboard. You found it extremely helpful and when Jungkook, after seeing you use it when he was hanging out in your room, pondered the idea of doing it for his own work. Well, you took the initiative of buying a bigger whiteboard and sticking it up in the kitchen so you both could use it.

Jungkook fell into the habit of writing everything down a lot quicker than you thought he would. He said it was helping him out but complained about still coming too close to deadlines that you decided to help him out by giving him advised deadlines in order to combat procrastination. It worked a lot better at first but despite your efforts you still found him in his room rushing to get things done last minute more often than not.

“I know you’re right, I’m sorry,” he sighed.

Your brows furrowed. “You don’t need to apologize,” you tried to laugh. You were expecting a snarky remark, not an apology.

��I’m still so out of it I’m sorry, I can’t think straight at all. Anyway, did you need something? You sounded pretty angry when you walked in,” he chuckled weakly.

You were still a bit worried. “We can talk later if you’re not up for it…”

Jungkook shook his head. “What’s up?” You eyed him suspiciously but you decided to continue.

You took a deep breath.

“I’msofuckinghornyI’msorryIknowthat’stoomuchinformationbutit’sbeensohardgettingthroughthedayandIthinkI’mthisclosetolosingmymind.” You sobbed.

Jungkook nearly choked on his cereal.

“You’re— You’re what?!” He coughed, somehow understanding your convoluted sentence.

“It’s been hell, Jungkook. It’s Valentine’s Day and all the couples on campus have been all over each other and—” you laid your head on the counter. “I’m so lonely.” You whined.

Oh, did he know.

Jungkook’s been trying his best to tell himself that last night was just a delusion, so tired and out of it that he imagined everything that happened in the wee hours of the morning.

His eyes had been heavy, the lights in his room all off besides his computer screen sitting righting in front of him, sharply illuminating his features. He was barely awake at that point, his eyes glassy, and probably had a concerning red tint to them, but he was determined to work hard to make sure every scene was colored the way he wanted it to be.

It had been faint at first. His noise canceling headphones drowned out most of the sound, but he swore he could hear the faint buzzing sound coming from the wall in front of his desk. It wasn’t until the moans started that he finally took them off and understood what was happening.

His face had flushed realizing what he was hearing. You were…

Oh.

He told himself it was just out of pure human curiosity that his ears tuned into the sounds next door. Even without the headphones it was faint, but it was just enough that he could hear the little groans, moans, even the way you whined, fuck. It was enough that something scary started to stir inside of him so he quickly put back on his headphones to drown it out.

Jungkook tried to get back to work, pretending that everything was normal, but even with his headphones on he could hear you. His fingers typed away on his keyboard, his leg bounced restlessly, because the more time passed the tighter his pants seemed to get.

He tried not to think about it but with your moans growing louder, the longer he couldn’t pretend.

You sounded so pretty.

It was awful, you were his fucking best friend. He could have easily turned on some music, or actually listened to the contents of the project he was working on, but he never did. The more he listened the harder it was to ignore the quickly developing problem in his pants. He was so fucking hard and you sounded so sexy.

At some point, lust took control, completely forgoing the morality of the situation, he found himself throwing off his headphones, forgetting about his project, and slipping his hands in his pants. Any sense of self control out the window.

At first he tried to reason with himself and say he was just trying to ease the ache but as soon as his hand wrapped around the shaft, he was a goner.

With a hand over his mouth, Jungkook pumped himself hard and fast, your pretty moans on the other side of the wall made it way too hard to try and control himself.

So many thoughts were bouncing around his head. He imagined how you might look on the other side, a toy between your legs, as you tried your best to get yourself to cum. He imagined going over to your room, helping you, fuck would you want that? He knew he could make you feel so good if you just let him. Thoughts of getting the chance, oh he knew you would feel so good around him.

It was disgusting, you were his friend, but the tabooness of the situation turned him on even more. He should have been ashamed.

He was, but in the moment he didn’t feel it at all. As the sounds of your moans grew relentless, he couldn’t take it anymore. It wasn’t long before his orgasm was hitting him like a freight train, he spilled all over his hand, shirt, and pants. He had never come that hard before and all it took was the sounds of his best friend behind a wall.

As his breathing slowed, the regret was quick to creep in.

What the fuck did he do?

What was the worst though was that little voice that told him it was real, and how much he truthfully enjoyed hearing you.

He must be down bad too because he crossed some serious boundaries last night…

Jungkook felt his face heat up at the thought.

“—and so now I’m like, what should I do?” Jungkook suddenly fazed back into your rambling.

“Huh?”

“I was saying what should I do? Here I am single on Valentine’s Day, hornier than I should be admitting… Like Jungkook, it's seriously been a year!” You cried and you didn’t miss when he mumbled “You’re not alone” as he was sipping up the last of the milk in the bowl.

You looked at him wide eyed. “You too? I thought for sure that...”

Jungkook shook his head. “I’ve been trying so hard to get back on track that I… I didn’t want to get distracted.” You slowly nodded, understanding.

Jungkook had been through a lot this past year to put it lightly.

It started back in your first year. While you were going around enjoying the party scene, hooking up with pretty much anyone you could, Jungkook had managed to get himself a girlfriend soon into the year.

You remember they were pretty much together all the time. He was hardly at your shared apartment and anytime he was, she was right there with him. Yoona was her name. You were honestly convinced that they would get married someday, the couple seeming to be the perfect pair. They lasted for nearly two years. It was up until one day you came home later than you normally would, to hear the two of them arguing inside.

You were nosy and a little tipsy, so you began eavesdropping behind the door. You were shocked at the words thrown at each other, and you’re almost sure you heard your name come up in the mix (though you chalk that up to the alcohol). Whatever happened Yoona stormed out leaving you to deal with an upset Jungkook who was on the brink of tears.

You still blame yourself for convincing him to go over to her place a few weeks later to talk to her. You remembered being surprised by Jungkook being back so soon, but what you remember even more was the slam of his room door only seconds after. It took a good week to get Jungkook out of his room and tell you that he found her with another guy, who was a close classmate and mutual friend apparently.

Things just kept getting worse.

It really was the day right after he told you that he got a call from his parents letting him know his uncle, someone who he had been so close to all his life, who had inspired him to pursue a career in the film industry, had been in an accident. You can’t say much from there because that’s pretty much all he told you before he was on the next train back to Busan. He called you a week later after you began blowing up his phone (you were worried) that his uncle had passed and that he needed his space.

He was gone for about a little over two months.

It was also around this same time that you started to get involved with Incheol. He was there when the apartment felt so empty and honestly he was the one who really helped ground you and get your priorities straight. It was a match made in heaven.

You were cuddling up with Incheol one day when you heard the knock at the door. You still can’t forget the shock that you felt on the day that Jungkook came back.

He was back, yes, but the moment he seemingly brushed right past you, paying really no notice to you or Incheol who was looking confused on the couch, was when you realized he still was elsewhere and hurting.

You tried to be there for him, you really did, but any attempts you had of getting close and talking about any issues failed every time.

He was distant.

You blame yourself though for not trying harder and letting Incheol sweep you off your feet the way he did, but it’s like you started seeing less and less of each as the days passed.

You had no idea about what he was getting up to, where he was most of the time. It really didn’t feel like he came back from Busan.

Any remnants of your friendship seemed few and far between until nearly halfway through your 2nd semester in your 3rd year. You had been getting ready for a date with Incheol later that day when you heard him come back, he was clearly disheveled and honestly looked so stressed. You decided to try once again asking him to talk to you and it was then that all the hardships of the last few months came rushing out.

He told you everything.

He told you how hard it was dealing with Yoona and his uncle’s passing at the same time. He told you the only reason he came back was because he missed you so much and that he had missing assignments starting to pile up. Apparently though, even after coming back to Seoul he just couldn’t seem to pull himself back together.

Jungkook started doing shit he wasn’t proud of. He was partying, carelessly sleeping around, hanging out with people he knew he shouldn’t have, and he said he did things that he wasn’t even comfortable telling you (and he’s normally fine telling you everything). He let you know that he was also so behind in assignments that he had a meeting that day about them suggesting he drop the semester and that he risked getting kicked out of programs he worked his ass off to get into. He even said they were considering to expel him because of his sudden disappearance even after he explained the situation.

It was that day when things began to take a turn. You assisted Jungkook in talking with his administrators to create a plan and helped him catch up on his assignments to finally get back on track.

You were there with him through the dark days, trying your best to be by his side. You knew he wasn’t telling you everything that happened while you two were distant, at times he would completely isolate himself and shut you out.

It was obvious there was more going on. Jungkook would sometimes lock himself in his room and you could just hear the torment that was happening behind that door. Sometimes all you could do was knock occasionally to make sure he was ok. You made him food and would stay by his door to try to let him know you were here for him. Other times he would tell you openly about the depression he was battling and would just want an ear to vent to. He was always vague, but you made sure you were a shoulder he could lean on. You even helped pay for him to get professional help, sensing he needed it, and the fact he wasn’t working at the time.

It was a rocky road, but after some time Jungkook started to convalesce. You started to see the life in Jungkook’s eyes that you didn’t realize you missed so much until one day when you randomly started crying when you both decided to take a break and watch a movie together.

He was just critiquing the movie as he usually would, but it just made you realize that he was back.

This whole thing did have some consequences for you though. As you were busy helping Jungkook, you started having less and less time to balance Jungkook, work, school, and a boyfriend. After a while it was decided that you and Incheol were drifting apart and it was best to just end things.

As much as you knew it was the right decision, it still hurt because you really did care for him. You found yourself in Jungkook’s arms more than once as you cried your eyes out, binge watching your favorite series over and over again.

Since then though, it really has just been you and Jungkook. You both would sometimes hang out with your other friends, but after everything that happened you just seemed to not be apart too often.

“Well I guess that means we’re both desperate, am I right?” You chuckled lightly.

“Too right,” he sighed.

Silence seemed to come in between you two, but your mind was busy trying to come up with some sort of solution.

“Wait… I have an idea.” You enthusiastically got up from your bar stool, a habit of needing to stand whenever you were working things out in your brain. Jungkook smiled when he noticed.

“What if we set each other up?” You looked at him but you could tell he was still very much so confused.

“Listen listen listen. So what if we set each other up with some of our friends, like maybe you have a friend who would be interested in me, and I know I definitely have a friend who likes you. We pick a day to meet up and…” You voice got all sultry, trying to hint at the result of your glorious plan.

Jungkook didn’t miss the way his heart tightened at your proposition.

“Like a double date would be perfect. We could have fun and go out together which I think we desperately need. I could meet with one of your friends and you mine. We could hang out together, separate later in the night and, if things go well, we both get laid. Jungkook, I think I really might be a genius.” You bounced around, your eyes trained on him to see what he thought.

Jungkook was just waiting for that sense of enthusiasm to hit. It was a great idea, but the more he thought about it, the more that tightness in his chest seemed to get worse. Why wasn’t he excited? He should be as happy as you were.

Maybe it’s just because it’s been awhile?

Jungkook forced a smile. “I’m down.”

You smiled.

“Ok so let's surprise each other. I already have the perfect girl in mind. She’s your type personality wise, she’s really pretty, and I know for a fact she likes you so you can have full confidence in me that you’ll have a great time, ok!” You reassured him.

“That sounds nice.” Jungkook didn’t mean it, and he didn’t do a good job of hiding it.

“Do you have anyone in mind for me?” You questioned, honestly a little curious.

There’s that weird feeling again…

“Ummmm I think so, I’ll have to check with him though…” Jungkook shyly rubbed the back of his neck.

He did for a fact have someone in mind. He had no doubt that he’d make time to come and he knows that you’re his type.

Jungkook shouldn’t be feeling like this at all. He’s helping out his friend and you’re helping him out. And it’s not like he isn’t horny, because if last night proves anything, he definitely needs to get laid.

He couldn’t seem to pinpoint why he would rather spend an evening with you watching another season of the Great British Baking Show than out at a club for an easy hookup.

He was never the type to hate parties. Sure he was definitely an introvert and you’re the opposite, but he’s always had a great time going to them secretly whenever you would drag him along. Especially with the circumstances, he should actually be excited for this…

Definitely something was wrong with him.

Maybe it’s the lack of sleep?

“Ok! Let me know as soon as you can so I can start planning~” He couldn’t stop smiling this time at how enthusiastic you get about planning. The look on your face had him feeling all warm inside.

“Anyway, I have work to do so let me go ahead and get a head start!” You smiled, grabbing your bags.

“Go get some sleep, I’ll fix dinner later so you don’t have to worry.” Jungkook felt his heart warm, a fluttery feeling spread throughout his body.

He was undoubtedly the better cook between the two of you. He usually took it upon himself to fix dinner and sometimes even lunch if you were around. It’s not like you were horrible, it’s just the difference was that Jungkook liked to cook, and you did it because you had to. He would know certain spices, recipes, and would always add that ‘love’ to your dishes that had your eyes watering with how good they were. It was because of this that Jungkook took up cooking for the both of you pretty much every night. You would never hesitate though in taking up that duty whenever you were needed.

“Thank you~” He meant it. He really couldn’t ask for a better roommate.

And with that you were off to your room.

Jungkook quickly put his bowl in the sink before scurrying off to his room.

Only a little bit of light was shining in from the crack he put in his blackout curtains. The dim mood had him both sleepy and confused as hell.

His mind was busy playing the events of last light over and over again. Your moans were still echoing in his head clear as day.

This and the discussion he had with you had him realize just how horny he really was.

It really has been a little over a year since he’s even been touched in that way.

Maybe that’s why he was thinking about you so much, why last night he wanted to watch you, would have liked even better to help you. He needed someone badly because his best friend should not ever get mixed up in his sexual fantasies no matter how desperate he is.

This thought had Jungkook quickly shooting a text to Jimin about them hanging out tomorrow. He’s got to make this happen if he’s ever going to get you out of his head.

That’ll solve everything. He’s sure of it.

❛ ━━━━━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━━━━━ ❜

“That’s your roommate?!” The loud exclamation seemed to reverberate throughout the spacious apartment.

Jungkook tried to shush him.

“And best friend, yes, yes she is.”

They had paused the game they were playing together when Jungkook finally brought up the question he came to ask. His hyung was quick to ask for a picture and Jungkook pulled up your latest post on your Insta.

Jimin looked at the phone and back at Jungkook, absolutely baffled. “Are you sure?”

Jungkook rolled his eyes.

He sighed, a little confused why that was so hard to believe, and switched to a picture of you two together. It was the day you went out to celebrate finals being over last year.

Jimin brought the phone way too close to his face tryna see if he saw any signs of editing. “Either this is the greatest prank ever or Jungkook your best friend is…” Jimin did that thing where he rubs his thumb over his nose and a giddy smirk couldn’t seem to leave his face.

“Double, triple yes to that double date thing.” He quickly agreed.

Jungkook noticed the way his heart seemed to do a tug of war. That weird feeling he’s been having ever since you suggested this plan was back, but he was happy this means that he is closer to the end of this madness.

While Jungkook was out of it, Jimin already had managed to get your Insta and switched to his phone so he could shamelessly stalk.

“You guys hang out a lot?” He questioned.

“Huh?” Jungkook snapped out of it.

“You’re in most of the pictures she posts.”

Jungkook smiled at that thought for some reason. “I mean yeah, we live together and we’re best friends.”

Jimin nodded.

He managed to scroll all the way down to a photo session you had when you and a friend went back to Busan for a beach trip. Jungkook felt his face warm at the sight of you in your simple black bikini, but his attention went more to Jimin who was enjoying the sight a little too much.

Jungkook snatched his phone.

“I’m right here.” Jungkook scoffed.

“I was just trying to find pictures where you weren’t in them.”

“But do you have to look at her like that?!” Jungkook didn’t even realize the words that came out of his mouth until Jimin’s face started to morph into something unreadable.

“Jungkook… Nothing ever happened between you two?” He finally questioned, sensing something suspicious was going on.

Jungkook shook his head, almost appalled that he even thought that.

That seemed to connect the dots in Jimin’s mind. “You sure you don’t like her or something?”

Jungkook felt his face heat up. “N-No-No, why would you even say that?” The accusation made him more flustered than it should.

“Jungkook I’m not an idiot, you guys spend so much time together so I’m sure you guys get along well, she’s very very pretty, I don’t see a reason why you wouldn’t like her…” To Jimin it honestly seemed more strange if he didn’t like you.

Jungkook turned toward the window, the city shining bright down below as the sun continued to go down. “We’re just friends.” His voice was static, but the words still affected him for some reason.

Jimin looked at him questionably “Right... so you’ve never liked her?”

Jungkook turned back to his hyung “No-Well, I mean…”

He leaned in intrigued. “That’s a yes, now tell me.”

Jungkook sighed. “I mean… Back in highschool—“

“HIGHSCHOOL?” Jimin nearly screamed.

Jungkook tried to shush him again. “I told you about how I moved right before my second year?”

Jimin nodded.

“Well it was when we were just getting to know each other. I’m pretty quiet so it was a little hard for me to make friends, but she was there and we got close and—“

“You caught feelings?” Jimin finished.

Jungkook nodded hesitantly

“And how long was this for?”

“When we moved in together. We had our separate lives so we weren’t as close as we used to be, plus I started dating Yoona around that time so–“

“Wait wait wait wait… so you liked her for 2 years?”

“More like a year and a few mont–“

“Jungkook I don’t care about specifics, that wasn’t just like a little crush that went away, you liked her for a long time.”

“It was highschool.”

“Highschool my ass, feelings are feelings. Now are you sure you don’t like her, or better yet, those feelings ever even went away in the first place?”

“Yes I’m sure.” Jungkook noticed the way his voice wavered. He didn’t expect that to come out like that…. it made him seem so unsure of himself.

“Ok then give me back my phone, I’m Insta stalking your cute friend or should I say my cute date~”

Jungkook hesitantly handed his hyung’s phone back.

A weird feeling buried deep somewhere spread throughout his body as he watched his friend oogle you.

He must be going insane…

❛ ━━━━━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━━━━━ ❜

“Wait wait wait, you’re kidding?!” Eun Ae nearly screamed in the middle of the cafe.

You gave her an ugly stare telling her to be quiet.

“Sorry, but I never thought I had a chance with your “roommate.”” She sat back in her chair, amazed.

“What do you mean? You’re totally his type.” You said remembering the girls you’d see Jk hang around when you used to party together. “And what’s with the quotations? You know he’s my best friend.”

Eun Ae burst out laughing “I thought you guys were together or something if I’m being honest.”

Your heart did a flip. “Why’d you think that?”

Eun Ae put down her latte. “I see you guys leave together sometimes and I thought you were dating!” She rolled her eyes at your confused look “I see the way you look at him, I seriously thought you were in love.”

“I mean of course I like him, he’s my best friend, but nothing more ok.” You chuckled nervously.

“Hmmmmm, if you say so.” She looked like she didn’t believe you but decided not to push the subject anymore.

“Anyway we should go out and get some things for this weekend.” You smiled liking the idea of that, it really has been a while since you’ve been out.

“Yeah, I’m free tomorrow if that’s good with you.” You mentioned.

“Yeah that works for me.” She responded by taking a sip of her latte. “By the way, where did you get your necklace? It’s pretty.”

You looked down at the small heart shaped diamond and smiled. “Jungkook gave me it yesterday so I have no idea, I can ask for you though.” You saw your friend’s eyes widen.

“He gave that to you? On Valentine's Day?” She looked at you a little funny and it had your cheeks warming up.

“Yeah…”

You thought back to it. Jungkook had finally come out of his room later that evening after you told him dinner was ready. You were shocked to find him coming out with a velvet box in hand.

“It’s nothing too special, just wanted to give you something after all you’ve done for me.” He opened the box to reveal the little Diamond. You had to admit, your heart fluttered at the gesture.

Eun Ae just laughed. “And you’re sure there’s nothing going on between you two?”

“Yes.” Looking at it now, it did look pretty romantic. But no, this was Jungkook who gave this to you, he would never see you that way.

“And you’re sure Jungkook doesn’t like you?” Eun Ae asked, putting her hands on the table.

“Jungkook?” You just laughed. “No, I don’t think he’d ever be into me.”

“You don’t think? Maybe you’re just an idiot and can’t realize that her best friend is seriously crushing on her?!” Eun Ae practically yelled.

“Yah!” You tried shushing her, realizing people were starting to look over in your direction.

“I don’t know Y/n this is pretty suspicious if you ask me. But whatever, I’m still down for the double date. This still just seems like a bad idea but…” She raised her cup.

“To hoping we get lucky~” She smiled and you held your cup as well and clinked it together.

❛ ━━━━━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━━━━━ ❜

The weekend came quicker than expected. It was weird, but Jungkook tried to get as excited as you were. He would see you happily bouncing around the apartment, counting down the days, but he wasn’t feeling the same way whatsoever. As the big day finally approached, the more that weird feeling seemed to get worse. He just wasn’t into it as much as you were, part of him wanted to tell you to cancel but he couldn’t ask that seeing how happy you were.

Instead he just tried to keep his eyes on the prize. Make it through the date, maybe get laid, it’s Sunday. He had no doubt in your pick, he knew this date wouldn’t be an absolute dumpster fire and hard to get through. You wouldn’t do that to him.

Why did he feel so weird? Maybe it’s just nerves about getting back out there? That became his next excuse he latched on to. It really had been a while. He wasn’t the most social guy so things like this can be a bit nerve racking.

That had been his mantra. You’re just nervous, you’ll have fun once you get there. Over and over again, he would try to tell himself, but that didn’t make it go away.

The day still came and he couldn’t escape the sinking feeling he felt as he drove over to Jimin’s apartment. You had decided it would be better if you would arrive separately, making the meeting an even bigger surprise once you all would make it to the club.

When his hyung made it downstairs, as he was getting in, Jungkook felt the strangest mix of emotions. He was nervous, extremely nervous, and that sinking feeling was there. Why couldn’t he be excited? At the very least this was still the first time he was getting out in a year. The only thing he could think about was you.

“Ooooo Jeon Jungkook. You clean up nice~” Jimin awed after he got settled into the car. This was also going to be the first time he was going out with Jimin. Jungkook would come over sometimes to mostly hang out at his place, but they never have gone anywhere together.

Jungkook looked down at his outfit. He was wearing a suit accented with thin sparkly stripes and a simple black button up tucked into his pants. He permed his long hair a few days ago and now it was filled with these loose curls. It was a look for sure.

Jungkook just laughed. “Y/n did most of this actually…” He cheesed remembering you pretty much took control the minute he questioned what he was going to wear.

His attention turned back to his hyung who was looking at him strangely.

“What?” Jungkook questioned.

“You got that look on your face…” Jimin pointed out.

“What look?”

“When you said her name, your face got all funny.”

Jungkook looked appalled by the statement. “What are you talking about?!”

“You were like, Y/n did this for me~~~” Jimin said in a mocking tone, exaggerating the smile he noticed. “What’s up with that?”

“Nothing! You’re the one making it a thing… I don’t even sound like that.” Jungkook mumbled, turning away.

Jimin just looked at him, and then turned away. “I still think this is a bad idea. You obviously like her.”

“…”

“Don’t even try and deny it, I’m not dumb.”

“I don’t.” Jungkook said calmly, but he sure didn’t feel that way. His palms were sweaty and all he could focus on was the way his body reacted when his hyung put so plainly that he liked her. He made it seem so easy, but that couldn’t be it.

You were his best friend. Any and all feelings were left far back in the past. He couldn’t like you. It was out of the question—

“Alright I’m not fighting you on this anymore. If you don’t want to see it then whatever, I’m enjoying tonight.” Jimin sighed.

That would be impossible. You were best friends, roommates, nothing more. Yes, he liked you in the past but that was then. You both have gone through life and over time he just didn’t feel the same way for you anymore. You were his best friend—

“Jungkook, are we gonna go? We’re already late…” Jimin finally asked, seeing the way he was just sitting there staring off into space. This finally got his attention and he started the car back up.

That feeling was just getting worse and worse the closer they got to the club. At this point he really was only going because of you. Everything in his body was telling him to drive back to the apartment and sleep away whatever’s got him feeling this way. Was he sick? Maybe that was it…

It wasn’t too far away from Jimin’s apartment and so they were pulling into the parking garage before he knew it. Too fast in his opinion.

It took them a little while to find a parking space, the garage filled to the brim with cars on each level. Jungkook could already tell the club was probably going to be packed today, but it was to be expected a week after the infamous holiday of love. So many new couples, new romances, new flings all celebrating the start of a brand new journey. Love was still in the air here in Itaewon.

As soon as Jungkook pulled in he noticed the giddy smile on his hyung’s face. In this moment he decided what he was feeling was envy. He wished he had the same excitement.

“You ready?” Jimin playfully slapped his arm. He was beaming.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Jungkook’s voice was shallow and monotone. The difference in energy was uncanny. You wouldn’t think they were going to the same place.

“Where are the girls?” Jimin questioned reaching in his back pocket.

“Y/n texted me and she said they were at the front waiting for us…” Jungkook’s attention turned to his hyung who had taken out his wallet, looking through its contents.

“ID… card… cash…” Jimin mumbled to himself, checking that he had everything. Jungkook was hardly paying any mind, too focused on trying to pep himself up for this date, until his eyes spotted the condom in one of the pockets.

Jungkook’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. That sinking feeling seemingly exploding to new heights.

“What’s up with you?” Jimin noticed the way Jungkook sighed and the way he wasn’t even looking at him anymore.

“Nothing… just hurry up please.”

“Ooo, is Jungkookie excited for his date?” Jimin tried to tease, but there was no laugh, not even a chuckle from the younger one. This was just getting depressing at this point.

“Jungkook. Are you sure you’re ok?” Jimin’s tone turned to concern.

“Yes, I told you I’m fine.”

“It doesn't take rocket science to see that you’re obviously not.”

“…”

“What’s wrong?”

“…”

“Is it Y/n?”

“I told you it’s not about her!” Jungkook’s voice was a little too high saying that.

“Then what is it then? You’ve been all mopey since you picked me up.”

“…”

“Jungkook…”

“I don’t know why I feel this way.” It was annoying, he was annoyed at himself. He was already ruining the fun and they haven’t even left the car yet.

“Hey.” Jungkook felt Jimin put his hand on his shoulder. He was surprised to see him look so serious.

“I know you’ve been through some rough times and this is the first time you’re going out in a while. Do you think it may be that?” Jimin was truly concerned at this point.

Jungkook sighed and looked out the window.

“I know I’ve been making jokes about you and Y/n but if this is really about you being out again…” Jimin’s eyes were full of worry as he started rubbing small circles across his back. “Is that what it is?”

“Maybe,” He was definitely nervous about doing this again, there was no doubt about that. “But don’t worry about me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I just need to get used to being back. I’m pretty sure it’ll go away as soon as we get inside. You just focus on your date with Y/n. She’s been excited to meet you.” He tried to force a smile.

He noticed his hyung’s giddy smile at the thought. “She has?”

“Yes, now don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I’m sure I’ll have a good time.” He was trying to convince himself more than Jimin.

“Alright, but let us know if it gets to be too much.”

“Hyung…”

“Ok ok ok ok, let’s go! Didn’t you say we were late?” Jimin asked as he opened the car door. Jungkook took a deep breath before doing the same.

“Yeah we are. We should probably run or Y/n’s never going to forgive me.” And with that the two friends made their way out the garage building and across the street.

It only took his eyes a second of searching before he spotted you and your friend already in line to get in. Jungkook grabbed Jimin’s hand and pulled him to catch up with the both of you.

“Y/n!” Jungkook called out and your eyes immediately met with his. You smiled and waved them both over. By the time they made it to you, they were noticeably out of breath.

“You finally made it…” You sighed in relief. Your eyes trained on Jungkook checking over his outfit, noticing he put on what you picked out. He looked good, well good would be an understatement, but he wasn’t your date tonight.

Your eyes traveled over to the slightly shorter man who was standing right beside him. You smiled eagerly, silently thanking Jungkook, he knew your taste exactly.

His black hair was parted right down the middle, his long bangs cascading down his face and framing it perfect. Despite the cool chill of the February air, he wore black pants with a matching blazer held together only by a single button, a shirt underneath nowhere in sight. You even noticed the chain around his neck that continued down his body. If you didn’t know any better you would have sworn Jungkook’s friend was a Greek god or something.

While you were gawking at Jimin, Jungkook’s eyes were glued to your form. He hadn’t seen you get dressed before you left. You were wearing a simple, tight-fitted, red dress that showed off your curves perfectly. Jungkook could hardly remember the last time he had ever seen you this dressed up. He didn’t try to show it but he was shocked. You looked really good…

He certainly wasn’t the only one who thought so.

His eyes went to his hyung to see he was shamelessly checking you out, before happily smiling at you. He was already putting on that natrious Jimin charm. His gaze then went to yours who had that same giddy expression that for some reason made him want to punch a wall.

“Hi, nice to meet you~ I’m Y/n!” You extended your hand to the handsome stranger and he eagerly grabbed it.

“I’ve been excited to meet you beautiful~ I’m Jimin~” Jungkook felt his blood run cold at the nickname and the giggle you let out as a result. That wasn’t even funny, why were you laughing so hard?

Too caught up with his own thoughts, he was a bit shocked when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and in that moment Jungkook remembered why exactly they were here in the first place. This was a double date.

“Jungkook!” You came over and put your hand on your friend's shoulders. “Sorry I almost forgot, but this is Eun Ae and she’ll be your beautiful date tonight~” You smiled before returning back to Jimin’s side.

Just as he knew your taste you also certainly knew what he liked as well. She was absolutely beautiful. Her face was round, the curve of her nose accenting her features, the red tint to her lips lured him in. Her skin was like porcelain, contrasting perfectly with her long black hair and dark eyes that held a sultry gaze that made him shiver. Her body was decorated with a gorgeous short, silver dress wrapped around her curves, the back low hanging down her body, making his simple brain lose it at the slightest piece of exposed skin. She really was just stunning.

Maybe this really was exactly what he needed.

He never doubted you when it came to picking his date, but just seeing how on the nose you managed to get it had him feeling all funny inside. You both really knew each other so well.

“It’s nice to finally meet you. Y/n talks about you a lot.” Her voice was sweet and he liked it. Maybe this won’t be so bad, he could at least try and enjoy himself. But his growing hope dwindled when eyes traveled back over to you and Jimin who had his arm already wrapped around your waist. The two of you were already smiling, laughing, and the more he looked the more he wanted to leave and never come back.

It wasn’t too long after that the four of you made it inside of the club. As he predicted the place was indeed packed, wall to wall was just a sea of people drinking, dancing, having fun with each other. It brought back a lot of memories.

The times you would bring him out and you would party together. It feels like so long ago at this point. It was just yesterday you went to your first party as college students. He remembered how he watched you go crazy on the dance floor from the corner of the room. You had pestered him to dance with you, but he was shy and cared way too much what the sunbaes all around thought of him. That didn’t stop you though and he couldn’t stop the smile enveloping his face as he watched you and you watched him, still trying to get him to join you.

Jungkook shook himself out of the memory when he realized he had fallen behind the rest of the group.

All of you talked and quickly came up with a game plan for the night. You all would eat dinner together real quick, hit the dance floor later, and sometime after that you would split up your double date for some alone time.

With a little more waiting you all found yourselves in a circular booth, Jimin and Eun Ae got in first with you and Jungkook sitting next to them on the ends. You all ordered soon after.

“You didn’t want a drink?” Eun Ae asked after the waiter left. Jungkook just shook his head.

“This idiot thought it’d be a great idea to drive here.” You playfully teased.

“Yeah I meant to ask you why didn’t we just take an Uber or something?” Jimin questioned.

“What’s wrong with wanting to drive here?” Jungkook pouted and you instantly realized the reason.

“Ah I got it. You just wanted to show off your new car, didn’t you?!” You pointed your finger at him and knew the way he started getting all shy that you got it right on the nose. Everyone at the table started to laugh.

“I worked hard for it…” He tried to interject but everyone was too busy laughing to pay attention. He didn’t fight it though because as always you were right. After working many different part time jobs over the years, doing odd jobs for friends, and saving everything he ever earned, Jungkook was finally able to buy himself a pretty nice car a few weeks ago. A sleek black higher end Hyundai was what he got for the fruits of his labor.

What’s so bad about wanting to show off a little?

It wasn't the only reason though. Driving his car gave him an easy excuse to not have to drink. With a history as recent as his, he didn’t want to chance going back into that dark depressive hole that encompassed him for a few months. It’s not like he hasn’t had one since that time, but especially with how odd he’s been feeling these days, it was better not to chance it.

The last thing he needed anyway was to drink himself into a hole. He didn’t want to do anything stupid in front of everyone.

The waiter arrived soon with a plate full of brightly colored drinks and Jungkook’s club soda.

“So Jimin… I guess an easy first question… How do you and Jungkook know each other?” You were honestly curious.

“College. We were in the same psychology class his first year and we’ve been friends ever since.” Jimin smiled thinking back to the shy kid that came up to him all those years ago.

“Jungkook, you need to tell me about your friends more often.” You reached across the table and hit his hand. How dare he keep this beautiful man from you for almost 4 years?

“Look what happens…” Jungkook mumbled but there wasn’t any way anyone would be able to hear him with the loud music playing.

“Tell me about yourself then~” You turned back over to Jimin with doting eyes. Even in the dim light Jungkook could tell his hyung was already flustered.

Oh no.

“Uhhh well, I’m Park Jimin. I grew up in Busan just like you both. Um, I went to the same college as Jungkook. I was in the dance department though and—“

Jungkook felt a tap to his shoulder. “What about you Jungkook, what do you study?” Eun Ae asked which made his own cheeks flush. It wasn’t for the same reason as his hyung though.

“Film Production.” He answered back shyly.

“It was one of my last shows I did before I graduated that I was scouted for the show I’m currently doing.” He watched as you gleamed with excitement. That look on your face was exactly why he was embarrassed. Jimin was accomplished.

Not even 2 years since he graduated yet and the man’s already made a name for himself in the modern dance world. Jimin landed himself a great gig as soon as he was free from college. It was a big production that was directed by someone Jungkook remembers was enough to get his hyung to squeal when he found out that they wanted him to play the lead role.

There are billboards around Seoul with him and his dance partner, it was a really big show and he’s seen many of his classmates and many other people on various social medias talk about it. You could even say that it’s gone a little viral— a young, hot, talented lead dancer in this production. People were definitely going to tune in. The one show alone managed to get him enough attention that he doesn’t even need to worry about what happens when production ends. Jimin told him how he already had a long list of coordinators who were wanting to have him in their next show. He was definitely still up and coming but he’s captured the eyes of the people, experts in the field, and best of all, a variety of directors.

Jimin was accomplished, the most probably out of everyone graduating in his class. A few months ago he was even able to move into this really nice apartment, no roommate needed whatsoever.

Jimin ended up explaining this to you all and Jungkook felt that sinking feeling continued to grow more and more. He hated seeing that look in your eye or the way you subtly would move a little closer as he kept adding more and more impressive stuff to his list. Jungkook grabbed his cup a little tighter, taking a long swig.

Maybe he really shouldn’t have driven today, this wasn’t strong enough.

“Ahhh! I knew you looked familiar!” Eun Ae smiled. “It took me a minute to place your face but a few of my friends have seen your show! I wanna go see it now.” Now even his own date was getting swooned by the amazing Park Jimin.

How could he compete with that?

All he had to his name was his Hyundai and student loan debt. He suddenly regretted bringing him here.

Everyone’s eyes for the most part remained on Jimin even after their food got here. He continued to talk about his life, typical first date topics but Jimin was charming you and he knew that. You had that same stupid look that he remembers you had on your face whenever your ex was at the apartment.

Jungkook was hardly there to see it but there were moments he remembers coming home to the two of you in the living room, your eyes gleaming as he talked, that weird laugh you would do whenever he’d make a horrible joke, or the way your hands had a habit of resting on his thighs. All he’s come to realize were telltale signs that you were in fact down bad.

Jimin also had that same dopey look with you. You made sure to engage in any of the stories he would tell, adding your own anecdotes here and there before the conversation changed to be about you. You talked about your journey preparing for law school and Jimin had that same sparkle that you did in his eyes.

This was a match, Jungkook really nailed it with this one.

…

Sometimes Eun Ae would try and spark up a conversation with him, but usually they were all relatively short lived. It wasn’t like it was hard to talk to her, in fact it was quite the opposite. She would try and ask him general first date questions and a nice back and forth would get going. She would laugh and that would make him happy, he would as well sometimes. It was nice.

But somewhere in the middle his attention would always drift back over to you and Jimin. Eun Ae would notice and the conversation would die out before it hardly began. He hated it.

By the time everyone finished eating Jungkook wished for nothing more than to go home. The whole time that sinking feeling he’d hoped would go away only seemed to escalate further and further, this double date harder to get through than he could have imagined. He was too sober for this.

It was you who suggested that you take your party over to the dance floor. Popular songs everyone knew were playing as the four of you made your way to the rainbow colored floor. Couples, friends, and singles all were having a blast moving their bodies to the sounds of the music.

Your party made it through the thick crowd and managed to wedge yourselves in between everyone. You danced all together for a while, jumping around screaming the lyrics for any of the songs you guys knew. It was the first time Jungkook was fully able to enjoy himself, hoping this was finally the turn around he needed.

It was that same feeling he used to have whenever you dragged him to parties when you both were in your first year. He missed it so much. Spending time with you and actually enjoying himself at places like this.

That was until the DJ decided to switch it up. Instead of the fun, hype songs for everyone, the DJ announced that the next set was for all the new couples from Valentines Day. The songs transitioned perfectly, they were a little slower with very clear and obvious sexual undertones.

Oh no.

Jungkook watched as you smiled at him and Eun Ae before you decided to wrap your arms around Jimin’s neck. He wasn’t bothered by this at all and placed his hands on your hips. Even in the dim light he could see the flirty exchanges, the longing glances, and subtly touches.

Taking him out of his dazed stare was Eun Ae grabbing his hand asking to dance with him. He tried to smile and pulled her close, but his mind was elsewhere.

No… no he wasn’t gonna do this anymore.

Jungkook turned them around so he couldn’t face you and Jimin and turned his full attention to the beautiful lady who was his date tonight. This seemed to be just what he needed to focus.

The two of them talked, finally having an ongoing conversation. It was nice, very nice actually. Jungkook liked her, she was funny, pretty, so pretty actually. When the songs changed to slow dance he couldn’t help but pull her even closer. His arms were wrapped tightly her waist, his head buried in her shoulder. Jungkook was already planning the next time they might be able to meet each other. This is really all he needed, alone time, away from the others. He was happy.

But that didn’t last long.

All it took was one glance over to realize they had turned around. In Jungkook’s peripheral he saw you two… You were just inches away from each other, your faces so close he had to look twice to see if you were… your arms were wrapped tightly around his neck, your fingers gently running through his hair, and Jimin’s grip on your waist had lowered even further to grab at your ass. He saw red.

Jungkook felt sick.

He quickly apologized before running to the bathroom. His heart was practically jumping out his chest, his skin burned with fire. As soon as the door closed he headed straight to the sink to splash some cold water on his face, hoping to soothe whatever this horrible feeling was.

Jungkook looked at himself in the mirror. He couldn’t even recognize himself anymore. What was wrong with him? Was he actually sick?

Jungkook thought back to you and Jimin and it took everything in him to not throw something. It was obvious at this point he was upset at the sight but why? He couldn’t even explain it, he should be happy for you?! You were his best friend and you were clearly having a great time. Fuck he hated it. Why him? Why was it Jimin? He couldn’t stand seeing the two of you together. Just the thought of it had him balling up his fist.

Why was he so angry? Jungkook let out a loud sigh, not even caring who was in here with him. It hurt so much, that sinking feeling making him scrunch up his face tightly hoping he could just stop it.

How far was tonight going to go for you? Would you smile at him the same way that Jungkook knows lights up a whole room? Would you laugh at all his jokes, no matter if they’re not funny or not? Would you let him make your heart flutter, that feeling of excitement that always comes from a new romance? Jimin was a great guy, of course you probably fell into that trap. Would you let him kiss you? Your hands pulling him close to feel your sweet lips, a heated desire that you couldn’t allow to continue any longer.

He remembered the condom in his hyung’s wallet.

Would you let him touch you? Your fervent hands grappling, touching, pulling, needing to feel each other closer than ever. Would you let him make you cum tonight? Your desperate pleas on the verge of release, ready for him to relieve all that pent up tension from the past year.

Jungkook’s back hit the wall, the thoughts becoming overwhelming. This was his fault. All of this was his fault. If he wasn’t so pitiful last year you wouldn’t even be in this situation, you would probably still be happy with your boyfriend. You wouldn’t need to crave the touch of Jimin.

But he didn’t want that either.

Jungkook just wanted to go back to the way things were before. Just you and him.

At this point he considered leaving right now. How could he go back out there and see you out there with him? He couldn’t. But that wasn’t fair to you and it certainly wasn’t fair to Eun Ae.

Jungkook sluggishly made it back to the main area of the club, instead of going back to the dance floor he just took a seat at the bar, resting his head at the counter. It was probably a second before he felt a tap on his shoulder. It was Eun Ae.

She smiled at the shocked look on his face and went ahead and took a seat right next to him. It wasn’t long before you and Jimin were making their way over too. Jungkook hardly realized though, too focused on the way your hands were intertwined.

“I guess this would be a great time to split up?” You smiled at them and Jungkook felt sick all over again.

Eun Ae nodded. “You guys have fun~ We’ll just be over here.”

“Ok then…” Your gaze turned toward Jungkook. “Treat Eun Ae nice ok~”

Jungkook tried to smile and he nodded. He really should have just left.

“We’ll be at the other end of the bar, bye guys!” Jimin beamed pointed to the opposite end. Everyone said quick goodbyes before Jimin was leading you off for some alone time.

He hated this.

“Sooooo…” Eun Ae started, but Jungkook was hardly listening, his mind swirling with too many thoughts.

He didn’t even notice when she ordered herself a drink or when she tried having a conversation with him. Jungkook would try his best to focus but his eyes would drift over to you and Jimin at the end of the bar.

He felt a tape on his shoulder. It was Eun Ae again.

“Jungkook.” She sounded annoyed, her arms crossed. She had every right to be mad at him. “Is there something going on?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’ve been looking at Y/n all night.” Eun Ae sounded less annoyed this time, in fact her grimmer turned into a smile. “It really isn’t hard to see that you like her.”

Jungkook felt his blood run cold.

“Ahhh I should have seen it coming, you guys are so close and a guy like you is never just single.” She sighed, taking a swig of her drink.

“I don’t like her.” Jungkook tried to say as dryly as he could. His words said one thing but his actions said another as his attention focused on the way Jimin took your hand and started leading you back into the sea of people.

Eun Ae laughed, it was a hardy laugh like it was the best joke she ever heard. “You’re joking right?” She was wiping her eyes, trying to calm herself down. But Jungkook looked like he was dead serious.

Her face fell.

“Do you think I’m dumb?” She playfully hit his arm. “Jungkook, you've been looking at her all night. I don’t mean to brag but…” she gestured over herself “I look amazing tonight yet you haven’t been able to take your eyes off her! I can’t blame you though…”

“We’re just friends, I’m serious.” Jungkook sounded so dejected. He surely felt that way.

“Oookkkk, well go over there and confess, change that right now!” She pointed in the direction you left with Jimin.

“But I can’t! I don’t like her like that, I can’t like her like that! She’s my best friend, that’s it.” Jungkook was a little too emotional in his words. Eun Ae just stared at him, accessing what the issue might be, but she finally realized the problem here.

“Alright. Ok. Jungkook, you know it’s ok to have feelings for your best friend right? It’s Y/n too, she’s beautiful, funny, smart, you guys are best friends for a reason. Why are you treating it like it’s the worst thing in the world…”

“I can’t lose her. Feelings make things complicated and the last thing I want to do is make things complicated with her.” Jungkook had no idea why he was spilling his guts right now. “But I really don’t like her like that so that doesn’t even matter…” He tried to save himself but Eun Ae was seeing right through it.

“I understand these things can be scary. I know you guys have been friends for years now, taking that leap can be difficult. But Jungkook, you can’t keep doing this to yourself. It’s hurting you… at some point there will be a ‘too late.’”

Too late…

Jungkook couldn’t resist at this point and ordered himself a shot of whiskey. It wasn’t enough whatsoever to get him drunk but he enjoyed the warmth as it went down his throat. He held his face in his hands as the reality of her words was starting to make things obvious.

Just imagining you and Jimin together made his heart ache so much it made it hard to breathe. As much as he tried to convince himself this was all a product of just being a little too close over the last year, he would actually have to be stupid to realize it wasn’t that.

But admitting it was a different challenge. Making it an issue he needed to address was terrifying.

He didn’t say anything. Eun Ae didn’t either but rubbed his back gently.

The revelation was horrifying. He was jealous, so so fucking jealous. Jimin had everything, but the one thing that was his Jimin had to come and take that too.

“I don’t… I can’t like her…”

“I don’t mean to be that person, but Jungkook… turn around.” Eun Ae pointed out. Jungkook turned around and it felt like his whole world ended.

You and Jimin were in the far distance, even in the dim light he could see your back against one of the pillars in the club, your arms wrapped around Jimin as he kissed you passionately.

In an instant he felt his heart shatter into two. It was like the end of his perfect world, the lie had come crumbling down and he was facing the consequences. You weren’t his, nothing about this scene was wrong, but the longer he looked the more his heart pounded in his chest. He wanted to scream, he wanted to cry, it was too much.

Without thinking Jungkook got up to his feet and looked at Eun Ae.

“I’m sorry—“

“Go! I’m rooting for you!” She cheered and Jungkook was pushing himself through the crowd.

He couldn’t think whatsoever, his heart being the one that carried his feet over to the two of you. Furry, anger, sadness, it hurt so bad. He could hardly breathe. Fuck, fuck, fuck, he can’t be too late?!

As he got closer the more he got sick. He could see the way Jimin eagerly ran his hands down your sides, grabbing anything you could, he could see the way your tongues danced around, the more detail the harder it was to look. If he didn’t get there soon he knew his hyung would be dragging you out of a club, inviting you back to his fancy apartment a few blocks away.

The thought had him speeding up as he made it up the stairs and behind the two of you. He pulled Jimin off of you as quickly as he could, an obvious agitation and roughness to his actions. Immediately Jimin turned around, a little shocked to find Jungkook there, but he could hardly process it before Jungkook was grabbing your wrist.

“What the–”

“Sorry, I need to talk to Y/n.” He didn’t elaborate at all and, maybe a little too roughly, started pulling you toward the exit in the back.

“Jungkook what the hell?” You were clearly mad at him and honestly you have every right to be, but Jungkook didn’t pay any attention and quickly led you to the doors at the back of the building.

He forced them open, the doors parting violently, as he led you down the ramp. Outside was an alleyway, a dim light over the door that would flicker occasionally, it being the only thing lighting up the area. The sounds of the loud music from the club faded as the doors shut behind you, but the violent booms of the bass in the music continued to bleed through the brick walls. No one was out here but the two of you.

“Jungkook?! Hello?!” You called out and he abruptly let go of your wrist. He started pacing back and forth, seemingly very distressed. “I don’t know if you noticed but I was clearly in the middle of something!” You said even more annoyed that he wasn’t saying anything.

Silence.

“Did something happen?” You asked a tad bit of concern in your voice this time, but all you got was more silence.

“Jungkook, talk to me please!” You begged, getting even more frustrated. He just dragged you away from Jimin for seemingly no reason and all you got was silence. You were pissed, you wanted him to say something… anything.

You didn’t know how the silence seemed to grow even louder.

You had enough of his games.

“Ok… If that’s how you wanna be then…” You were mad and you made sure he knew that.

You started heading for the ramp but a hand on your wrist pulled you back, suddenly your back was against the brick wall and Jungkook was closer than you remembered. A lot closer. His grip on your wrist was still tight and you both just stared at each other, your breathing heavy.

Your heart skipped a beat.

Jungkook didn’t give you much time to think about it because before you could process anything his lips were suddenly on yours. He didn’t know what he was doing, he didn’t know why he had brought you out here. You were with Jimin, but he didn’t want to think about that right now. Your lips were so soft and his entire body lit up with a fire he had never experienced in his life.

This was it, everyone was right.

The kiss didn’t last very long, he finally came to his senses to realize what he had done.

Jungkook pulled away slowly, waiting for you to push him away, waiting for you to scream, waiting for that look on your face that told him you’d be moving out the next day, but none of that happened. Jungkook saw the look of surprise on your face for a split second. He searched your eyes for any indication of what you were thinking, but you didn’t give him much time to look because you used your hands to pull his face to yours again.

Jungkook was shocked but was easily able to melt into it, him bringing a hand up to tilt your head so he could kiss you better. He had never felt like this before, the adrenaline was pumping through his veins making everything even more heightened. Your body, your lips, your hands, oh fuck your hands. They had moved to pull at the long strands that covered his head.

Jungkook knew at that moment he couldn’t be your friend ever again. He liked this way too much for that to be possible.

You were so good, so beautiful, how had he not seen that before? Why hadn’t he done this before?

Jungkook used his other hand to rest on your waist and pull your body closer. It just wasn’t enough, nothing was enough at this point, he wanted you so much closer.

Jungkook sent you further into the wall, needing a better angle. You both got more antsy, fevorant touches all over, your lips hastily moving together, the tension that’s been building for years finally… he’s finally…

Jungkook pushed you even further, the hand on your hip going to your thigh and traveling up your soft skin, pushing your dress further up your leg. He needed you now, the desperation becoming too much at this point.

Jungkook broke away from your lips to dive straight for your neck, planting hurried kisses along your burning skin. You gasped at the feeling and Jungkook ground into you at the sound. He wanted you to keep making pretty sounds for him.

He decided to suck a little harder this time and the moan you made had him hurriedly chasing his hips into yours as he moved back to quiet you and himself.

He could have cried at how much his body was screaming at him to have you.

Jungkook had zero regard for the fact they were still in this alleyway, he didn’t care whatsoever. All he wondered was how soon he could get inside you.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. Jungkook’s mind was hazy and the thing he could focus on was how nice your lips felt and how good it felt to rub himself along your thigh like this. You wouldn’t mind right? If he takes you right here and now…

Fuck, your lips, your skin, your body, so good, you were so good, so amazing. Everything happening and he just had to–

Before things progressed any further, both of your attentions turned back to the door that led to the club. A couple, smiling, laughing together, who were likely heading home walked out. You saw the way their smiles dropped when they quickly noticed they were interrupting something. They both tried not to make eye contact as they came down the ramp and headed down the alley. As they passed it was obvious they were talking about the two of you, them hushingly complaining about PDA these days.

Jungkook couldn’t even look at them, knowing what might have happened if they hadn’t interrupted. The awkward encounter didn’t sway him whatsoever though and as the couple made it out the alley, Jungkook turned to face you to see a pained expression on your face. The both of you knew what you wanted.

“Car?” Jungkook rushed out hurriedly and you nodded. You were about to make your dash for the car but you felt his hand pull you back and you looked at him confused. One glance behind you was all you needed to see to notice the very obvious problem that you had made.

Jungkook looked around, his face flushed, a sense of embarrassment clouding over him as he pulled you close. If you didn’t feel it before you certainly could now. It made you even more excited. “Don’t walk too far ahead…” He whispered and you got the picture.

As quickly as you could you made the dash across the street and up all the stairs to the parking garage. Somewhere in the back of his mind he silently thanked himself for bringing his car with him and laughing at anyone who decided to make fun of him for doing so. There wasn’t any way he was making it back to the apartment like this.

When you finally made it to the car he couldn’t resist and pushed you into the door. He kissed you hard, not being able to stand being away from you any longer. The little bit of extra privacy and desire to feel you made him bolder, quickly snaking his hand up your thigh and grabbing a handful of your ass.

“Jungkook—“ You whined way too loudly considering where, instantly having him chase his hips into you. He hurriedly picked you up, you wrapped your legs around his waist, as he leaned you against the door. The new angle allowed him to practically fuck you with your clothes on. Jungkook kissed you desperately, touching and grabbing everything he could, as he rutted into you.

Fuck, he needed you now.

“Jungkook— I need you so bad please—“ You whispered right in his ear. Your words triggered something primal inside of him. If he didn’t get you both inside soon, he wouldn’t give two shits anymore. He was fucking you on his car.

He felt like a fucking teenager all over again, you were literally right in front of the door.

Jungkook racked his cloudy brain trying to remember where he put his keys. At the same time, your lips started trailing down his neck. You quickly found a spot that instantly had him moaning for you, a particularly hard thrust assuring you that this was the spot. As soon as you figured it out, you kept going, kissing and sucking, getting such pretty whines to fall from his lips.

“If you keep doing that shit we’re not gonna make it into the car.” He groaned, so fucking tempted to just take you right now, like this.

Where the fuck did he put his keys?!

He haphazardly searched through his memories, trying to pinpoint when he had them last when it suddenly came to him. They were in his suit pocket. It couldn’t come soon enough that he reached his hand into it and just like he remembered, he managed to find the fob.

He hastily pulled it out and unlocked his car.

He sat you down and hurriedly opened the door. Jungkook climbed in the back seat and you went right in after, climbing straight onto his lap, and slamming the door behind you.

Jungkook just stared at you for a second, his mind unable to process the beauty that was in front of him. Oh fuck…

You didn’t give him too much time to admire and pulled him back into a kiss, this angle making it so you could easily grind yourself against him. The friction made the both of you moan out, your bodies brushing against each other in a rush to feel. He wanted so much more.

You broke away from the kiss and focused your attention on kissing his neck right on that spot, enjoying the soft sighs of pleasure he would let out as his grip on your waist tightened.

Jungkook was going to lose his mind. He tried to come back enough to pull your dress up back over your ass. His hands were quick to feel, making you groan softly.

That’s it. Foreplay was nice but it’s been so long and he needed to feel you now, his whole body screaming at him to take it up a notch. He wanted to feel you around him, make you his and his alone.

Jungkook hurriedly tugged at the thin strings of your thong. It took him a moment to remember the fact they were in his car, with how cramped it was back here, it would take you way too long to try and get them down your legs. Instead, he moved his hand and used his finger to gently massage your clothed bud, instantly earning him a gratifying moan from you as a reward.

You were already so wet for him, the lacy fabric soaked and he could have just died right there. You were enjoying this, you were enjoying his touch… Did you want him as much as he wanted you? Has your body been longing for him, waiting for this day to happen? His mind was fuzzy so he didn’t think about it too hard, but it just made him that much more eager to finally be inside you.

He got a little braver as he pushed your thong to the side, letting his fingers finally slide through the slickness of your folds.

“Jung–Jungkook, fuck please…” You begged, throwing your head back in pleasure. Maybe in other instances he would have been more inclined to tease you a little but he couldn’t be bothered with you begging for him like that. All he wanted was to please you.

Jungkook watched your face intently as he curled a finger into you, the both of you moaning out in the process. His whole body reacted, you were so warm, tight around him, so fucking good. If you felt this good around his finger just imagining you around his…

Jungkook couldn’t help rutting into you at the thought. Just wait till he fucks you…

He eagerly got to work, a finger in your hole while he used his thumb to rub circles around your clit. It wasn’t his best work since he didn’t have too much room to work with, but that didn’t matter whatsoever.

He marveled at the pretty sounds you would make, he could even feel your arms shaking as you held onto his shoulder. At this point he added another finger, hoping you could take him soo—

Oh my fucking gosh… In an instant he remembered a very important item he left in his drawer in his room.

He didn’t bring condoms.

They weren’t at all a top priority in his mind since he really didn’t think he was going to have sex tonight. He was so disheveled about the date there wasn’t any ounce of him that considered he could very well be having sex at any point, but fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. This was the worst possible time he could have forgotten to bring a condom.

Jungkook took out all his sexual frustration of the situation on you, turning it up the notch in making sure he can at least make you cum. He added another finger and his attention focused on your neck till he managed to find the sweet spot that got you to whimper for him.

You quickly used your hand to cover your month, the only one the tiniest bit aware of the fact that you were getting fingered in a public parking lot. But your efforts to keep quiet didn’t last for too long, Jungkook’s fingers brushing past the spot that made you practically a mess on top of him.

“There there please!” You tried to whisper but it was no use. Jungkook already knew he found it and you buried yourself in his suit jacket. You were going to scream at this point, your body on fire for a touch you’ve longed for for over a year.

“I wanna hear you…” He said it so softly you barely caught it with the way your mind was spinning.

“Fuck— but we’re in public,” you ended up moaning out. You were gonna cum soon at this rate.

Jungkook quickened up the pace of his fingers sliding in and out of your soaking pussy, this angle making it so he hit that spot over and over and— Your back arched instinctively and a moan you just couldn’t contain escaped your lips. He wasn’t going to let you be quiet.

A fire seemed to burn brighter and brighter inside you, your whole body tingling and ready. You were so close.

“Fuck fuck fuck, Jungkook please I’m so close!” You cried, throwing your head back. You didn’t care at all who heard you anymore, all you wanted was that sweet release.

Jungkook’s breathing became heavier as he watched you fall apart on his fingers. The feeling of your warm walls soaking his fingers and the beautiful moans you would let out had him spiraling out of control quicker and quicker. He wanted to fuck you so bad.

“Please—“ Your moans got louder. You were close and he knew that. Fuck, fuck, fuck, you were so close. His grip on your hips tightened and his hips hastily came up to meet nothing. Why did he have to forget condoms? He was moaning along with you. Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck, fuc—

It will forever be ingrained into his memory, the time you came all over his fingers in the parking garage in front of the club. Every single detail. The way you looked him right in his eyes, that look as he saw you reached that sweet release, your moans stopping, the moment so overwhelming you couldn’t even scream. The feeling of the way your walls tightened around his fingers, soaked beyond belief at this point. The way his heart swelled because you were so fucking pretty like this. What made this even more memorable was the result.

Right in that moment he felt it too, hitting him like a freight train, his whole body shook as he felt that sweet release right along with you.

You both stared at each other, trying your best to come down from that high feeling. Your breathing was heavy but your body buzzed with excitement, you wanted to feel him, no, needed to feel him at this point.

You were about to reach down to grab at his belt but your attention focused on the way he hurriedly looked down between the two and back up at you with panicked eyes.

Confused, you looked down and you saw the issue. The only lights in the car were the little ones bleeding in from the neon signs outside, but the angle was just right for you to see the wet stain that painted his pants.

“I’m sorry! Fuck, I’m so sorry.” It was clear he was embarrassed, you were almost sure in the darkness you could see his cheeks turning a brighter shade of red by the second.

You couldn’t help but giggle.

“Don’t laugh!” He cried, getting more and more flustered.

“You’re so cute! No need to be embarrassed~” You tried to reassure, but you weren’t really helping.

“I don’t even know what happened…” Jungkook was in disbelief. This has never happened before and of course of all times it did it had to be with you, the girl he wanted to impress the most.

“Don’t worry about it, I’m serious Jungkook…”

“I know we couldn’t go all the way but fuck I just had to—“ He was ranting but you quickly interrupted, wondering what he meant by that.

“I forgot condoms…” He sighed, hating to admit the fact but was still shocked when he felt the light slap on his shoulder.

“How could you forget condoms? We literally went on dates today, it’s a date Jungkook, you always bring condoms on dates.” You were flabbergasted by this fact. You knew you should have helped him pack for the date as well.

The mention of the fact that you both were in fact still on dates with other people had an awkward tension arising and words that needed to be said became even more obvious.

You were about to say something but Jungkook shushed you.

“Not here, while I’m like this…” You knew what he was referring to so you just shut yourself up and moved off top of him. Jungkook’s eyes hung onto your form, a worried expression on your face, before he was pushing out the car door and getting out.

Jungkook tried to hurry and get to the door in front, as it was extremely obvious the minute he stepped out what the two of you were doing in his car. The stain on his dark gray suit was a dead giveaway, but your lipstick was smeared all over his face and neck, and you could even see faint marks of hickeys.

You resisted the urge to laugh as he struggled to get the door open. You were quick to follow him and got in on the passengers side.

“Uh— we should probably text Jimin and Eun Ae letting them know we’re leaving.” Jungkook pointed out and you felt horrible realizing you already forgot about them. You were actually terrible.

You and Jungkook sent quick texts to the friends you brought along and Jungkook was pulling out of the parking garage on the way back to your apartment.

Not a word was said to each other on the way over, the silence loud enough to leave your mind spiraling. What the actual fuck did you just do?

When you both made it back, you both still didn’t talk then, Jungkook immediately headed to the shower before you could even attempt to bring it up. Your mind was flooded and you ended up turning to what takes your mind off stress best and that’s cleaning, more specifically you decided now would be the perfect time to do laundry.

You just had sex with your best friend. You had sex with Jungkook?! Jeon motherfucking Jungkook. Your best friend.

You just crossed a line you knew you were never going to be able to come back from. That platonic barrier you tried your best to hide behind was gone and there was nothing you could do about it.

The fact you both haven’t even talked about what happened made you even more worried. Did he like you? Were you a desperate attempt at a quick fuck? Were you about to lose your best friend? Your mind was so clouded as you loaded clothes into the dryer, you didn’t notice when Jungkook came up right behind you.

“Hello?” Jungkook asked and you nearly screamed. Your body reacted on its own and you turned around to start swinging, or rather more so waving your arms around hoping it’d do something.

“Hey wait—“ He tried to say but you didn’t even process the fact it was just Jungkook until one of your swings actually did a little damage, a firm slap right across his chest was enough for him to cry out and you finally opened your eyes to see your friend right behind you.

“Oops” You mumbled already feeling that guilt start to creep up. But Jungkook didn’t look mad whatsoever, if anything he looked amused. He thought you were absolutely adorable.

Instead of saying anything about it though, he wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you into a hug, resting his head on your shoulder. “It’s me stupid…” He mumbled into your skin.

You couldn’t help but melt into his embrace, that fluttery feeling spreading all throughout your body. He was so warm and you enjoyed the sweet scents of his body wash. “You should have said something sooner..” You pointed out.

“I did, I kept calling your name but you didn’t hear me.” He retorted and it just made you feel worse.

Silence passed for a little while before you finally muttered “I’m sorry…” Jungkook didn’t say anything but pulled you tighter against him.

“What are you doing by the way?” He finally asked and let you go. You got back to working on getting the clothes in the dryer.

“Laundry, you know when I get stressed I start doing chores…” You muttered.

“I know that, but why are you so stressed?” He chuckled and you quickly turned around to face him again.

“Because you’re my best friend and you know what we just did in the back of your car! We just crossed a whole lot of lines and I’m confused—“ You were stern but your eyes couldn’t help but take in his appearance. His long hair was damp and still curly, a white shirt hung loosely around his frame and he had on those strange, bright blue shorts underneath.

He was absolutely breathtaking.

Jungkook sighed but leaned forward so his hands were back on the washer, caging you in. He was so close.

“I’m an idiot, I'm sorry…” He sighed as his eyes focused right on yours. You were intrigued, waiting for him to continue.

“This whole week I’ve just felt off, you know? Ever since you brought up you wanted to go on a double date… I tried to convince myself that it was all because of the fact that we were going out again after all this time. I knew deep down and apparently others did as well, that it was because I liked you…” His words made your heart do a backflip.

“I couldn’t accept it for a while because feelings are complicated and the last thing I wanted to do was make the relationship with the person who’s been by my side even during my worst times complicated. Losing you…” You noticed it, his eyes were a little glossy.

“I couldn’t lose you.” You could have just melted into the floor right there, trying to fight the tears that were threatening to spill over.

“But when I saw you and hyung together…” His eyes turned away. “I knew I couldn’t pretend anymore… I had to do something before it was too late.” He tried to smile but you could hear the pain in his voice.

“I’m sorry if I was too forward, I just had to do something before you walked away… I didn’t even ask how you feel…” He finally met your eyes once again and he was shocked to see your eyes filled with tears.

“How do I feel? You really are an idiot Jungkook…” You tried to laugh but you were getting choked up. He looked utterly confused.

“I’ve liked you since highschool! I spent all this time thinking you didn’t like me back. You never made a move back then, but then we came here and you got a girlfriend pretty quickly. I thought it must have been one-sided, you know? I started dating Incheol but when you came back… I had a little hope over the past year, but when you agreed to go on a double date, I thought it was finally time to give up.”

If Jungkook wasn’t so consumed in questioning his own feelings for you he would have noticed the signs. The way you meticulously analyzed his face when you suggested a double date, hoping he would hate the idea, or at the very least show some disdain to it. He would have noticed the way you slammed the door after he agreed to it and cried silently to yourself in your room at your silly feelings for your best friend. He would have noticed long before the event of Valentines weekend the look in your eyes whenever you spent time together. He would have guessed maybe he had something to do with you and Incheol breaking up. You tried to put on a brave face, at this point thinking Jungkook really didn’t see you that way.

“What…” His voice was small and he was just staring at you in shock.

“I think we’re both dumb—“ Jungkook hardly let you finish your sentence before he was pushing you against the washer and finally closing the distance.

The kiss was soft and nothing like what happened at the club. It was just pure passion that had years of negligence behind it. It was a little scary taking this step with Jungkook, you couldn’t lose him either, but you were glad that you were. Your heart was full and you wanted nothing more than to have him closer.

He lifted you on top of the washer, the angle allowing him to pull you closer.

Jungkook pulled away slowly, the pull of your lips way too enticing but he had something to say. His hand came up to caress your cheek softly before 3 words you’ll never forget left his mouth. “I love you.” His voice barely above a whisper but you heard it loud and clear.

“It’s probably too soon to say that but I just needed you to—“ You didn’t give him time to finish before you were pulling him back, kissing him hard.

“I love you too…” You probably could have cried in the moment but the words lit a fire in you and you needed him closer.

Your words sent Jungkook to a new level of insane, he needed to be inside you. You certainly felt it too, the nudging against your thigh made it obvious.

Jungkook broke the kiss, your breaths were heavy and he was eagerly playing with the hem of your dress. ”Y/n do you wanna—“ He didn't need to finish, you were already nodding your head.

You were suddenly lifted off the washer, laughing as Jungkook practically sped his way over to your room, kicking in the door and throwing you onto the bed.

You both giggled but the moment was not lost, Jungkook quickly climbing on top of you and finding your lips once again. You wrapped your arms around his neck pulling him closer, you needed him closer. Your body was on fire and all you wanted was to feel him.

Jungkook pulled away slowly, hand trailing down your body, and his eyes staring right into yours.

“You’re so beautiful…” His words were soft and had you melting on the inside.

“Jungkook…”

His eyes scanned over you once more. “We should have done this sooner…” He chuckled lightly, but he was serious. This whole evening wouldn’t have been necessary if he was just honest with himself sooner.

Jungkook started kissing you lightly down the neck making you gasp.

“We’re dumb, aren’t we?” You replied breathlessly as he started to suck a little harder. You moaned lightly, knowing this was likely gonna leave a mark.

“Extremely…” He was hardly paying attention anymore, his full attention now on making you feel good. He wanted to devour you, make you his and his alone.

Jungkook’s attention focused on your eyes as he started pulling your dress up. “Just think about it… instead of all this sexual frustration we could have been— oh.” You couldn’t even finish at the way he rutted into you.

“We’re so fucking stupid… I feel like I’m gonna explode…” He said bashfully.

“You did earlier...” You playfully teased and could stop yourself laughing at the way his mouth dropped.

“I hate you so much.” He mumbled, trying to feign being upset but you could see the smile on his face.

“Says the man who just confessed he loves me~” You giggled and at this he couldn’t help but laugh along with you. Jungkook sighed knowing it’s true.

You didn’t miss the way he started moving down your body, in between the commotion your body lighting up at what you knew he had in mind next.

He eventually got to the point he was staring right at your long ruined thong and took a shaky breath. He wanted to taste you so fucking bad.

Jungkook looked up at you. “Please?” He asked hurriedly and you nodded. With your permission he quickly pushed up your dress even further and tugged your panties down your legs.

“You’re so pretty.” He said absentmindedly, like you weren’t supposed to hear. You chuckled at his words making him look back up at you.

He flushed realizing he said that outloud but smiled because you did. His shy demeanor quickly shifted as you saw the mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Who were you imagining the other night?” Jungkook asked suddenly as he moved a finger through your slick folds.

“What are you talking about?” You questioned, but his finger now circling your clit had your mind elsewhere.

“That day I was working on my project. Valentine's Day.”

Silence passed for a little while until you suddenly sat up realizing what he was talking about. Jungkook laughed at the look on your face.

“You put too much faith in the walls, my desk is right on the other side.” Jungkook had a slight teasing tone to his voice, an adorable bunny expression on his face like he wasn't fingering you right now as he admitted to hearing you play with yourself.

You laid back down, embarrassment creeping up making your face hot.

“No need to be embarrassed.” Jungkook recounted back to the words you told him earlier. You just groaned, somehow that made it worse. Jungkook chuckled, but his attention turned toward what he was doing between your legs.

“I’m serious though. It was hot… really hot.” He smiled.

“Stopppp…” You cried, both in the way you still couldn’t even look at him, but also his finger started picking up the pace.

“You were the reason I was up all night trying to work on it.” He chuckled darkly. At this you finally peered down at him.

“You sounded so pretty, I wanted to come over and help you. I thought you would never be down for that but after tonight, I can’t help but wonder who it was you were thinking of to make you sound like that?” His face was just as innocent as it normally was, but his words were dangerous.

Your embarrassment in the situation faded immediately and instead a cocky grin spread across your face.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.” You laughed.

“Tell me.”

“Make me.” You retorted back quickly. You were playing with fire at this point but you wanted to see what he would do.

Your words were a challenge, a fire alighting inside.

His sweet smile disappeared as he turned back to your soaking pussy. He smirked and with that challenged head tilt he always did, he said nothing more as he dove straight between your legs. You hardly had any time to react before he was spreading your legs and taking one long lick between your folds.

Your body reacted on its own, a fire spreading throughout your body and a soft moan escaped your lips. You looked down at him a little shocked but you were a little surprised to find him looking up at you. You saw him smirk quickly before diving straight back then, this time with full intent on making you scream.

You never really knew what you pictured Jungkook to be like during sex. You never saw anything weird when he was dating Yoona and when you were still dating Incheol you and Jungkook hardly ever ran into each other. You were over at his place mainly, but you would occasionally come back to your shared apartment to hang out. You can still remember all the times you would be lying in bed awake to the sounds of girls moaning their hearts out in the room next door. It wasn’t the quiet guy who had been your friend since high school, but you knew whatever was happening next door was good.

You finally found out today what all the fuss was about.

Jungkook was skilled as he swirled his tongue around your clit. Your hands quickly found their place in his dark locks, your body being set ablaze at the pleasure.

“Oh fuck–” You whinned.

His movements got faster and the more you wanted. “Jungkook, please…” You pleaded.

He pulled back at your words and smiled. “Tell me then, who were you thinking of that night?” His fingers got back to work teasing your clit.

“Just forget that and make me– ohhh gosh.” You cried as he moved them to finger your clenching hole. With experience in the car he was quickly able to find the spot that had made you a mess so quickly for him.

You whined. “Jungkook, fuck, please.” You were practically begged, needing more.

“I said tell me.” His voice was calm as he looked at you already a mess for so little. The work of his one finger alone was enough to have you brushing against the edge. If anything it made it worse, you could almost taste the release.

He made sure to speed up the pace pushing over that same spot, maybe it was the drought that made you so sensitive, but you moaned, your back arching at the feeling.

“Tell me Y/N–” Jungkook said again.

“It was you!” You cried, you couldn’t play the game anymore. “It was you Jungkook!” You made sure to say it again so he heard. Suddenly he stopped. Confused and a little annoyed you looked down to see a stupid smile on his face, both in the fact that he won and you had thought of him like that.

It was just like this almost, him between your legs as he ate you out for hours, was the fantasy your brain had chosen to go with to try and soothe the ache between your legs.

“I can promise you I’m better in person.” Jungkook suddenly said and you just playfully rolled your eyes. He already proved that to be true.

“I’m sure you are, now get back to work, we’ve been deprived way too long for you to try and edge.” You giggled and he laughed at that.

“What’s wrong with taking our time a little? I like seeing you a mess for me.” He cheesed and your heart swelled. You loved him so much.

“Jungkook…” You warned and at this he finally took the hint and got back to work.

He eagerly went to add a second finger inside and his tongue was back to suck on your clit. The combination had that flame quickly returning. His fingers curled inside you and he made quick work of his tongue, not having any shame in making it messy. He groaned against you, an added pleasure he quickly could tell had an effect.

Jungkook thought you were absolutely beautiful, so pretty and all for him. The sight had him quickly reminded of the fact he didn’t get to finish the way he wanted to in the car and how much he wanted to fuck you. His hips unconsciously collided with your mattress trying to chase some sort of pleasure. It hurt at this point but his attention remained on you.

He saw you hastily pull down the straps of your dress to play with your tits, and one hand coming back to tangle in his hair. He felt the gentle tugs whenever it just felt so good and he could have died happy right there in that moment. Right between your thighs.

“Fuck, I’m so close–” You hastily cried out. Jungkook took the hint and took it up just a little more and it was more than enough to have you quickly spiraling toward the edge, your orgasm hitting you like a wave. Your body shook and your thighs clamped around his head. As you slowly came down from the experience he continued to devour you until you pushed him away slightly from overstimulation.

He finally sat up, his face wet from your juices and a big smile on his face. You smiled back at him. Your eyes though quickly went from his face to the obvious tent in his shorts. Jungkook didn’t give you much time to think about it before he was back on top of you and hastily kissing your lips.

If you didn’t see it before you definitely could feel it now, the tip nudging right where you wanted him making you even more eager to finally feel him against you. But you had other plans first…

You made quick work of flipping you both over, leaving you on top and in control. He looked at you a little confused before you kissed him on his cheek, making him smile.

“What are you doing?” He chuckled lightly as your kisses trailed back up to his lips. You kissed him with a heated passion, wanting him to know how much you loved him. Jungkook was quick to get in the groove, his hand coming up to cup your cheek and pull you closer while his other hand trailed down your back.

You finally felt him reach the hem of your dress and attempted to try and pull it back up but you pulled away and looked him right in the eye. If he wasn’t confused before he definitely was now.

You smiled at him and leaned so you were right next to his ear.

“Not yet, let me repay the favor first.” You whispered and gently took his ear between your teeth before moving to his neck and sucking on it lightly.

Jungkook was speechless for a little while, the pleasure your mouth was bringing made it hard to think, wanting to just get lost in the pleasure.

“I don’t know…” He eventually chuckled, the grip on your waist tightening. You finally moved to look at him again.

“What’s wrong?” You asked a little confused.

“Wanna fuck you so bad, plus… you looked too good while I was eating you out. I don’t know if I could make it.” His face was flushed, clearly embarrassed by the confession.

At this you smirked. Oh you were definitely going to repay him, not only for the orgasm but for teasing you earlier.

You let your hand travel down his body till it rested on the waistband of his shorts. “You sure you wanna say no?” You questioned playfully as you slipped your hand underneath grabbing a fistful of his length. Your antics got an immediate reaction from him, a moan quickly escaping his lips.

You made quick work and slowly pumped your hand slowly over his length, watching his face scrunch up in bliss. He was so fucking pretty.

“I–” He couldn’t even finish his sentence as your thumb traced circles over the tip, you could already feel the precum leaking from the tip.

“Y/n please…” he eventually cried out, making you smile.

“Do you want me to stop?” You asked teasingly.

“No, fuck– please.” He finally peered over at you and saw that teasing look, knowing this was probably because of earlier.

With the go ahead you moved down the bed, helping him pull his shorts down and tossing them somewhere around your room. The both of you giggled before you found a comfortable place right in front of his cock.

You stared marveling at what was in front you. His dick was already making your mouth water, the length, the girth, the slight curve, the tip was a flaming red, and precum sliding down the sides. Of course, what more should you have expected from him.

You wrapped a hand around him, right at the base. You wrapped your mouth around the tip, sucking it lightly, enjoying the delicious moan Jungkook let out as a result. You popped off quickly though, earning a groan of annoyance.

“What happened to no teasing?” He questioned breathlessly.

You just smiled at him before diving back again. You had every full intention of teasing him just a little longer, but you felt Jungkook’s hand on the back of your head, clearly intended to keep you in place.

Oh so he wants to play like that?

At this you finally started to take more of him, getting about halfway before you let your hand do the rest of the work at quickly pumping him. You felt him grab your hair tightly and you’ll never forget the way he whimpered, clearly not expecting you to do that.

It wasn’t long before he let go and you popped off with a smile. You won this time.

“Y/n please.” No playfulness to his voice anymore, he was begging you.

You couldn’t resist and you got back to work. You grabbed him again and pumped him quickly and got to work gently massaging his balls. At this you instantly had his arm coming over his eyes, a long groan falling from his lips.

“Y/n oh fuck, fuck fu–” He was so fucking sensitive.

He hadn’t been touched in a year, plus your little rendezvous in the car, and now here you were going down on him. Every little flick of your tongue or jerk from your hand had him speeding toward the edge, but he still wanted to take you.

Your mouth came around him length once more, doing your best to make him feel good. Jungkook couldn’t resist looking, he finally glanced down at you and moaned instantly. You were taking him so well– fuck fuck.

“Y/n…” He finally moaned. You could already sense what he was about to say. At this you sped up your pace.

“Oh fuck, you feel so good– but– ohhhh” He cried, his hand coming up to grab at your hair again.

“If you keep doing that I’m gonna–” He could have cried. The image of just cumming down your throat made him want to let you continue.

He was so close.

“Y/n I’m gonna cum…” He sighed, honestly a little embarrassed at how sensitive he was but you were just too good.

His words didn’t sway you and if anything you upped it a little more.

“Shit wait wait!” For a second he thought he wouldn’t even be able to tell you to stop, his orgasm so fucking close for a spilt second he wanted it to happen, but right along that edge you popped off and took your hands away.

His body cried out at the lack of contact and he had to take a second to get himself to calm down. When his attention finally went to you, smiling up at him.

He couldn’t even joke around at that moment and sat up to pull you up so you were hovering over his cock.

“Please…” He was breathless and his desperation was starting to affect you. You pulled down the zipper on your dress and pulled it over your form, you also saw Jungkook hastily ripping off his white shirt and throwing it across the room.

He grabbed your hips and attempted to try and guide you down but you stopped him. He looked at you confused

“Condoms, remember?” You laughed and he did as well realizing his mistake.

“Please hurry…” He whined playfully, watching you reach over to your nightstand, shuffle through its contents, before pulling your hand out empty handed. He was once again confused.

You stared at him in horror and it had him instantly wanting to commit a crime. “You don’t have any?” He asked in disbelief. You just stared at him.

He tugged on his hair in frustration. “Do you think that the convenience store down the street is still open?” He was trying to come up with some sort of solution. “I don’t even know if there are any in my room, do you think we can find some at this time of night, fuck fuck, why does this keep–” As he was trying to find a way at of this predicament you went back in your drawer and pulled out what he’s needed this entire evening.

“Just kidding~” You cheesed, watching the look on his face. If he wasn’t so horny right now he might have tackled you, but instead he laughed at your antics and he playfully rolled his eyes as gestured for you to put it on.

You ripped open the packaging with your teeth and hurriedly slid it down his length. He was so sensitive from earlier he made it difficult trying to put it on, bucking himself into your hand in search of any type of friction.

Once you managed to get it on, you wasted no time and lined yourself up before sinking slowly down his dick, enjoying the way he filled you up.

You both moaned at the feeling. Jungkook hurriedly grabbed your hips at the pleasure. You were so warm, wet, and tight around him, you felt so good and looked so pretty on top of him like this. Oh this isn’t gonna last long.

You sat there for a second, allowing your body to get adjusted but you could tell Jungkook was antsy at the way he subtly ground himself into you for some sort of friction.

“Y/n– fuck, you’re so–” He cried and you chuckled at his reaction.

“Does it feel good?” You asked.

Jungkook just smiled at first, wondering how that was even a question at first. “So go– engghhh fuck…” He sighed as you slowly started to move your hips. You watched him intently as his face scrunched up and you felt the way his grip on your waist tightened.

With new motivation you finally allowed yourself to get lost in the pleasure and just enjoyed the way he felt inside of you, steadily speeding up your pace.

Jungkook just stared up at you. Ever since he met you he never would have imagined himself in this position, you on top while you worked to please him so well. Yesterday he was so adamant he felt nothing but platonic feelings for you and today… He had spent so much time trying to lie to himself, if only he had been honest with himself from the get go you could have done this so much sooner.

His heart swelled at the thought. He was so stupid. How could he have tried to tell himself he didn’t want this? You bouncing yourself happily on his cock, looking so pretty while you took him so well. Fuck, he was so happy.

With the way you teased him earlier it didn’t take very much for him to feel that ache once again. Jungkook grabbed your hips and took control, he watched your face turn to one of shock before you melted into the new pace he was setting.

You moaned and he could have sworn he’s never heard such a beautiful sound. He wanted to please you, make you feel good, and in a weird way, repay you for all you’ve done for him.

“Jungkook, shit, hghhh–” You cried.

Fuck he was close.

Before you even knew what was happening, suddenly you were on your back, staring Jungkook right in the eye.

He was quick to set a punishing pace, you could have screamed at the sudden pleasure. Jungkook buried himself in your neck and you could hear all the little grunts and moans he would let out and it was almost too much. So good, you were getting close.

Jungkook could certainly tell, the feeling of your walls gripping him even tighter– fuck. He couldn’t take it anymore. He kissed you sloppily, wanted to feel you even closer. You wrapped your arms around his neck moaning into the kiss, sensing what was happening.

It didn’t take much time till he was pulling away and burying his head back in your shoulder, a glorious moan spilling from his lips. A wave of pleasure washed over him as you felt his hips still and his whole body shake lightly.

You rubbed his back softly as you helped him work through it.

You thought this was the end of your game, but you were shocked. Jungkook immediately turned to your nightstand, opening up and shuffling through the top drawer.

“What are you doing?” You asked breathlessly.

It was almost immediately that you got your answer when he pulled out another condom. “I’m not done with you yet.” He said as ripped open the packaging with his teeth.

You were left stunned as you watched him swiftly throw away the used condom and put on a new one, before quickly pushing himself back inside you once more.

You saw the way his face scrunched up, likely at the pain of overstimulation. His pace was slow, but he continued with deep strokes that made it so he was hitting your clit each and every time, making your toes curl.

Oh so he was a freak?

For some reason you knew this wasn’t the first time he’s done this. You should have known the way he nearly fucked you out in public in that parking garage.

Jungkook’s full intention was to make you feel good. He was quick to get back at a moderate pace and then he turned his attention to kissing and sucking on your neck, making sure it was going to leave a mark.

As much as he wanted to pretend that the rage he felt in the club watching you and Jimin together was far in the past, now that everything was all said, it fueled him even more to want to tell everyone that you were his and his alone.

And just to think, if things didn’t go the way they did his hyung would have probably been in this position… Just the thought of him seeing you like this pissed him off more than it should.

He wanted to prove himself, that you made the right choice.

Jungkook was eager to make you cum around him, he needed to feel it. The breathy moans you would let out motivated him, you were so fucking pretty.

Jungkook looked you right in the eyes as he fucked you. Oh you were close.

“I love you.” He moaned quietly. Oh you were a mess, three little words were enough to send you to another dimension.

“You feel so fucking good and all fucking mine.” Jungkook groaned, fucking you a little faster.

For some reason Jungkook getting all possessive while he’s buried deep inside you was so hot, the feeling in the pit of your stomach growing more restless.

“Jungkook, please, I’m so close.” You cried.

The pleasurable sting from overstimulation made that fleeting feeling return all too soon for Jungkook as well so he made quick work of finally pushing the both of you over the edge.

“I love you too, Jungkook, love you so much.” Jungkook had no idea if you said that just because you were close, but the confession was enough for his orgasm to come crashing over him, not once did he slow down though, if anything he went a little faster.

His efforts were enough as with just a few more strokes you moaned and he was feeling your walls tightening around him. He watched intently, now with the better light, he saw the way you crumbled in his grasp, so pretty as your third orgasm of the day hit you even harder.

For a little while, it was just the sound of your labored breaths as you both tried to recover from everything. It was peaceful, almost like the calm after a storm. After the exhausting year you’ve both had, it finally led to this moment, together in each other's arms at last. When you both calmed down, Jungkook smiled as he kissed you gently, you couldn’t be happier.

He was quick to throw away the condom and snuggle up next to you. A moment of silence passed before you both giggled.

“This day was something…” You smiled.

“It was, wasn’t it.” Jungkook responded absentmindedly, too busy tracing your features with his gaze.

You both still didn’t say anything for a while, choosing to let the events of today speak for you. Jungkook was just so enamored by you, happy that everything finally made sense, happy that he was able to be with you like this. For some reason it had his mind going back to the previous year.

The newly revealed sentiment of how much you truly cared for each other made him think back to the dark days and how you helped him through it all. Without you, would he really be here today? You really were there for him, never once asking any questions. As soon as he told you he was struggling, you never left his side and helped him navigate through the path that seemed so endless.

Even to this day he never really explained himself and you never asked what happened.

“Hey Y/n.” He finally said, getting you attention. “Last year… I don’t think I ever told you what I was really going through during those months, did I?” He asked suddenly.

You were a bit taken aback by the question but you answered nonetheless. “Not in much detail.” You noticed his gaze changed from you to peer straight up at the ceiling.

He took a deep breath. “I want to tell you what happened...” It only seemed right, before you take this next step in your relationship, all the cards from his past he kept hidden from you should be laid on the table for you to see.

He was scared though. Would you still want him after he tells you?

“Is that ok?” He turned back to you, his gaze unreadable.

You couldn’t lie and say you weren’t curious. On the day Jungkook told you he had been struggling you knew he was keeping the details as vague as he possibly could, for a reason you had no idea about. You didn’t want to pry, you knew that he had gone through a lot over the last few months so you were content with him telling you anything. All you knew was your friend needed help and you were going to be there for him through that process.

“If you’re comfortable telling me, I’ll be here to listen,” you settled with saying.

Jungkook noticed the look in your eyes that told him it was truly fine for him to continue.

Would you hate him, ridicule him, shame him? All of these were outcomes he wanted to avoid. It’s why he didn’t tell you back then. He was ashamed of himself.

“At the end of our first semester as you know Yoona and I had a big fight. It all had to deal with you, funny enough. She was upset at how close we were, the fact that we lived together, and that she thought I could have been cheating on her with you. At the time I was upset that she even thought that was a possibility, I was with her, you were my friend and that was it.” Jungkook had to pause for a second knowing the irony of the situation.

You couldn’t hide the look of shock on your face at the information. You thought you were just so drunk that you had somehow heard your name come up in conversation. It had been about you entirely. It stung a bit to know that you had gotten in the way of their relationship like that, but the one detail you did know about this story made that guilt dissipate quickly.

“We said some pretty hurtful things to each other, with her eventually leaving and that’s when you came in. I really liked her at the time so I wanted to do my best to try and repair the damage that had been done, but when I saw her… when I went to her apartment and saw she was actually cheating on me, it really really hurt.” Jungkook didn’t even have the words to describe how much pain the revelation brought him. For a while he blamed himself, that he was such an awful boyfriend, an awful person, that it led a girl he would have never in a million years thought would ever do something like that to him, to anybody really. It only made the next unfortunate event even harder to bear.

“I can only say this now in hindsight, but I didn’t understand at the time how much I relied on her. My mental health wasn’t the best for various reasons, a difficult semester taking its toll, life, I don’t really know the root cause but as soon as I knew she was cheating on me, it all came crashing down harder than I thought it ever could. I shut everyone out, it was too much, but if it couldn’t get any worse I got a phone call from my dad about my uncle.” You could hear the slight quiver in his voice, just at the mention of it.

You remember the exact moment it happened. You had just woken up. You had been in the kitchen trying to figure out what to have before you head out to your first class. It was nearly the end of the final semester, finals were coming up and you had a whole day of studying planned. Despite your packed schedule, you had also wanted to have enough time to try and be there for Jungkook since he had just gone through a pretty rough breakup, you having gone to bed early as a result. It’s probably why you didn’t hear when he got the phone call late the night before.

You had been making a little breakfast when he suddenly came bursting through his room door, a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. You noticed immediately he looked frantic, his face was red, and you could see his cheeks were still stained from tears. He looked like he hadn’t slept all night.

Jungkook ran straight to the door, but you stopped him concerned and a little confused about what was happening.

He was barely able to explain to you that his uncle had been in an accident and that he was going back to Busan, tears just were streaming down his face. Without thinking you had pulled him into a hug, Jungkook completely just broke down in your arms.

He was out the door before you truly could say goodbye.

“I went back to Busan and tried my best to process everything, hoping that this sinking feeling would pass and I could get back to some level of normalcy. Weeks started to go by and all I could feel was nothing. I didn’t cry anymore, I wasn’t angry, nor was I ever truly happy, it was just gray everywhere I looked.”

“Christmas came and went and the new year started. All of those holidays only made it worse, seeing how happy friends and other family were, the fact that it was just nothing made me even more desperate for anything.”

Jungkook had to stop again, knowing what was coming next.

“It was around the time we were supposed to start heading back for the spring semester that some friends had called me and asked to meet up. We talked and I ended up telling them things have been hard lately so they invited me to a party to try and cheer me up. I was desperate so I said I’d be there, hoping it might help me feel anything. I drank a lot, tried to have fun, but again things just became worse when nothing helped.”

He couldn’t even look at you anymore.

“They invited me to another one, this time I thought maybe sex might help, it didn’t, not at all and left me feeling more empty than ever. It was sometime after this that I started having some pretty scary thoughts bouncing around my head.” It truly had gotten so bad so quickly. The depression had quickly consumed him and any effort he made to try and make things better only seemed to make things worse. He felt trapped, that there was no way out of this hole.

“I was desperate for anything at that point so when those same friends called and asked to meet up again… this time… this time they offered certain um… illegal substances. I should have said no, I know, but I was looking for anything to make it better so…” For some reason Jungkook was waiting for you to say something, to scream at him, anything, but you remained silent as his words hung in the air.

He didn’t have the courage to face you to see your expression. Instead he kept going.

“It wasn’t perfect, but for a little while I finally felt ok, better than ok even, but the crash was horrible and I felt the regret starting to take hold. It was only once when I was in Busan, but by then the semester had started and I needed to get back. That’s when I came back to the apartment. I wanted to tell you everything but then you opened the door and I saw Incheol with you… I didn’t understand why at the time, but seeing you with him… It made me so angry so I just shut everyone out.”

“Before I left my friends gave me the number of a friend they had in Seoul who carried and so instead of focusing on my work that I should have I turned to chasing that high and dealing with an even worse low. I stayed out as much as I could, I didn’t want to see you with Incheol, plus I was ashamed what would happen if you saw me like that. I didn’t want you to see me like that.” Your eyes were teary and his was as well, a couple had even begun sliding down his cheeks.

“Jimin hyung saw the worst of it actually. Too many times would I head over on something and he would yell at me but he would always help me through it. I was also at his place a lot dealing with sober thoughts and he kept my mind occupied so I wouldn’t do anything rash.”

“It wasn’t until that day I got the message from my advisor telling me how bad everything was that I snapped out of it enough to try and look for help. That’s when I told you. Besides the work you helped with, you were just being there for me without asking too many questions… It was more sympathy I deserved considering how weird things had been since I left. You brought me back and I can never be more grateful.” It was only then that Jungkook finally looked over at you, your face was stained with tears and you were trying your best not to make too much noise so you didn’t disturb his story.

“I mentioned this now because being here… I should have known after all that what I felt for you was more than just being my best friend. I didn’t want to lose you so I tried to push away the obvious and tried to just keep being just your friend. I’m so happy I can be here with you now, like this, together. And I wanted to thank you for the millionth time, you pulled me out of a dark place that I never thought I was going to come back from. I’m just so happy.” He tried to chuckle but seeing you crying made this difficult discussion that much more emotional.

It felt so good telling you.

You quickly pulled him into a hug, finally letting the emotions spill over.

“I wish I was there for you more, you struggled so much I– I–” You sobbed, absolutely heartbroken that he went through this. “If only I had noticed, if I wasn’t so focused on Incheol I could have–”

“Don’t say that. You were happy, I didn’t want to burden you with my problems.” Jungkook said, trying to wipe away your tears.

“Burden?! Jungkook, I was your friend, don’t think you would ever burden me.” You sobbed, the tears continuing to stream down your face, making more and more go down his as well.

“Fuck, I love you so much, of course you would say that.” There were no words in any language to accurately describe how much he cares for you and how he will eternally be grateful for being there with him.

You both smiled and Jungkook reached over to grab some tissues to wipe your faces. You both tried to make light of the situation and giggle at how messed up you truly were. Between the sex and now the crying your makeup had smeered all over your face.

“Jungkook, truly though. If you ever go through any sort of hard time again know I’ll be here for you ok.” You reassured him.

“If you ever go through a rough time, I’ll be here for you and then some.” He smiled.

“Don’t be afraid to lean on me, life gets hard but at least we have each other.” You leaned in to kiss his cheek, but he moved to make sure you hit his lips instead.

You both laughed, but quickly went back in for another.

“You actually can’t get rid of me.” Jungkook giggled as he started peppering kisses all over your face.

“And I don’t want to.” It was just love, you loved this man.

“By the way, I wanted to ask whose room should we stay in? Should we just get a new apartment?” Jungkook questioned, kissing down your neck.

You thought about it for a second.

“We could move after graduation. We could figure something out so that it’s a little closer to my law school, or maybe something closer to your job, whichever one you decide to take.”

Jungkook was pretty talented in his field, over the years managing to work as assistants for camera operators and editors in movies and various kdramas. He already had a promising resume. He worked a ton of jobs, did various commissions for friends, peers, even his school had him shoot something. He also was working some type of internship most of the time, the only time you can remember him not working was when he was going through that hard time.

It was certainly going to be impressive to the production companies. With all the jobs he applied for, Jungkook’s professors and advisor assured him that he was bound at least to make it to the interview stage and was probably going to end up with multiple offers.

His achievements were certainly amazing, but he had a tendency to downplay them.

Jungkook nodded, the plan made sense. “For now though, you could move to my room. It’s a little bigger, maybe you could keep your clothes in your closet, but you could sleep here most of the time if you want.” You added. He just nodded along, until his brain actually processed what you were saying.

“What, aren’t our rooms the same size?” He recounted what you told him all those years ago once you decided to move here.

You cringed at the mention of that. “5 extra square feet makes you do some crazy things.” You chuckled weakly.

“Yah wait– what did you just say?!”

“You never noticed!” You tried to defend but it was too late and he was already tackling you back down to the bed.

Was he mad, not at all, if anything this was just an excuse to get you in this position. It’s strange what a year does to your libido. He couldn’t get enough of you.

Jungkook kissed you all over your face and neck, making you laugh at the way it tickled.

“I love you.” He said between kisses.

“I love you too.” You made sure to look him in the eyes when he said it. You wanted him to know how much you meant it.

You were so happy.

5K notes · View notes

luxaofhesperides · 6 months

Text

greener on the other side.

Danny makes a habit out of hopping into portals and exploring he places he ends up. It just so happens that this time, he ends up in Gotham right as the Signal begins his patrol. Duke meets the strangest, funniest, cutest guy on the roof of the Gotham City Public Library. He knows Batman would not approve of literally anything he’s doing, but sue him, he wants a meta friend and this guy seems to up for it. – OR: how Duke and Danny got together despite having secret identities and living different dimensions.

chapter two: how it grows - 10.7k

read chapter one here or the entire fic on ao3.

here's the duke pov! one chapter left from danny's pov, then this fic is complete and i can get started on the rest of the series focusing on their relationship! . . .

Duke doesn’t like to make a big deal of things. He’ll try to handle things on his own and roll with the punches. As long as he keeps his cool, things will work out.

Unfortunately, feelings are not one of the things that just ‘work out on their own’ and he has to admit that he might just need some outside help for this. The problem, then, becomes a question of who he can go to.

He’s come a long way since he was part of the We Are Robin gang and knows that he can rely on the rest of the Bats for help. He’s one of them, something that still feels surreal when he thinks about it for too long, but Duke has his place with them both in and out of the mask. He gets along well enough with Damian, trains often with Jason, bothers Dick for help when he gets in over his head, and makes fun of Bruce with Tim and Cass and Steph.

They’re good people and he trusts them. They’re messy, with lots of history and fights between them all, but what family isn’t like that?

They’re good people and he wants to ask them for help, but Duke can’t bring himself to go to the Manor. They’re all just… Some of the advice they give him for his civilian life is suspect at best. So instead, he’s going back to Jay’s house, hoping his cousin will have some normal advice for him.

Though he spends a decent amount of time with the Waynes, Jay technically still has custody of him; Duke doesn’t want to leave his family behind at all, not if he has any other choice, but he knows that looking after a teenager while being single and not having the biggest paycheck is stressful. Plus, it allows less time for any resentment to spring up between them with the amount of secrets Duke is hiding from him.

As unprepared for him as Jay was, he still does his best. He’s waiting in the living room when Duke arrives, dropping his keys into the dish on the side table in the entrance hallway. A bowl of popcorn and two glasses of ice tea are set on the coffee table and Duke gladly takes one and drinks half in one go before he even sits down.

“Alright, man,” Jay says, “What’s going on? You never ask me for advice.”

Duke sighs. “It’s, uh… dating problems? I guess?”

“You guess?”

“I don’t actually know if it was a date or not and I need a second opinion.”

Jay gives him a long look. “Usually, just having to ask tends to mean it was a date and you just didn’t notice in time. You getting back with that Izzy girl?”

“No! We both decided to stay friends, and it’s not like we’ve been hanging out much at all since the break up. This is someone new.”

“Anyone I know?”

“Nah, he doesn’t live in Gotham.”

The smile falls from Jay’s face and he leans closer to Duke, suddenly growing serious. “If this is an internet friend, I’m going to have to lecture you on stranger danger. Come on man, I know you’re smarter than that.”

Duke shakes his head, pushing his cousin back into the couch. “No! No, no, definitely not! Do you really think I don’t know anything about internet safety? Not the point. The point is, he’s from out of town and he��s really cute and I spent most of yesterday just hanging out with him and took him to the best food trucks I could find. Was that a date?”

“Honestly? Sounds like it. Good for you man. Just make sure to let him know if you want the next one to officially be a date.”

See? Simple, normal advice. Jay is just telling him to communicate like a normal person. It’s not that simple, of course, since Duke isn’t going as Duke but as The Signal, but it’s still good advice. Once he finds the courage to ask Danny out on a proper date, he’ll do it in a way that leaves no confusion.

It won’t be any time soon, though. Not when they’ve just met and Danny doesn’t even know his name.

“It’s that easy, huh?”

“Sure is,” Jay grins. “How do you think I got all the girls when I was in school?”

“Is that also why you can’t get any dates now?”

“Alright, you little shit,” Jay laughs, throwing an arm around Duke’s shoulders to trap him in a noogie. “See if I give you advice ever again. Is this the thanks I get for looking after you?”

Duke can break free from his grip easily, but it’s been so long since he had a nice, easy interaction with his cousin that he just sinks into it, laughing. Time apart has made things better between them; there’s less stress involved with hiding his identity, and Jay isn’t worried out of his mind about raising Duke right while also making enough for rent and groceries.

“You staying the night?” Jay asks, finally releasing Duke.

“Nah, the Waynes want me over for game night and I really wanna see them try to kill each other. But I got a couple of hours until they’re expecting me.”

“Up for a movie?”

“Is it another zombie movie?”

“You know it.”

Duke shrugs. “Sure, put it on and I’ll try not to laugh too hard when you get scared.”

It’s nice and lets his mind finally stop spinning in circles, going over everything he can remember from his not-date with Danny. He’s missed spending time with his cousin even if living away from him is a lot less stressful. As great as the Waynes are, they can’t give him this.

What they can give him is chaos and embarrassment.

“Caught you slacking yesterday,” Jason says casually as he drops onto the couch next to him. Both of them watch as Steph and Damian team up to kill Bruce for taking all their properties in Monopoly, and Duke suddenly has a feeling that he should have stayed with Jay after all.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he replies, “I’m never slacking as the Signal. I’ve never done a single thing wrong, ever, in my life.”

“Didn’t you lead a gang?”

“Didn’t you decapitate eight men?”

Jason pinches his side in retaliation, making Duke jump. “So, you pulling a Superman? Flirting with a civilian you saved?”

They didn’t go anywhere near Crime Alley. How did Jason just happen to stumble across them? He probably should have expected someone to have spotted him. None of the Waynes care too much for other people’s privacy.

“No,” Duke says slowly. He is flirting with a civilian, but Danny is not someone he saved. Danny is someone who helped him out when fighting crime, and is fun to be with. “I was just showing him around Gotham?”

Jason’s eyebrows go up. “An out of towner? Didn’t think they’d have the balls the stay in Gotham longer than a few hours.”

“Yeah, well, he’s not one to be scared away so easily.”

“And does this someone have a name? If he’s spending time with you, I wanna know his name.”

Duke side eyes him. “Why do you want to know?”

“Look, it’s good to keep an eye on any civilian that gets close to us. In case they’re a threat, and in case they get caught up in the bullshit that saturates every part of our lives. The longer they’re with us, the more danger they’re in. But I can help you look out for him. So: name?”

That is… a depressingly good point. Duke can’t save everyone despite how hard he tries. It would be good to have someone else looking out of Danny while he’s in Gotham, just in case.

“Danny. His name’s Danny.”

“No last name?”

“I don’t know it. Look man, I only met him two days ago. He’s a meta like me and he’s not from Gotham. That’s about all I know.”

“That’s it?”

“Again, we literally just met. If he decides to keep coming around, then I’ll learn more about him.”

Jason gives him an assessing look, then gives him a sharp grin. “Oh, I’m sure he’ll be coming back for you. Boy was giving you doe eyes the entire time he was with you. Don’t drag him along too much, yeah? Poor thing’s got it bad for you.”

“He does not!”

“I’m not blind, Narrows. And I know you saw it too.”

That’s the problem. He did see how flustered and cute Danny was around him, always finding some way to bump into him or have their arms brush as they stood around, always sticking close as they soared through the air almost close enough to hug. It was cute, so adorable that Duke wanted to squish his cheeks and also lie face down on the ground. But it wasn’t Duke who was causing Danny to blush was the slightest of touches. It was the Signal, the daytime hero, and Duke knows they can’t build anything good together when it’s built on a foundation of secrets.

Danny’s got his own secrets too. Being a meta is only one of them and he’s not sure he’ll ever get to know those parts of Danny when the guy can just choose to never return to Gotham again.

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to try. It’s stupid and reckless when they’ve only known each other for two days but no one has ever made him feel so normal before. Even in the midst of using their powers and hopping around Gotham fighting crime, there was a sense that they understood each other, that their lives rhymed and it made everything so easy and comfortable between them.

“And?” Duke sighs. “He doesn’t even know my name. It’s not really anything right now, okay? We just get each other and it’s nice to spend time with someone like that.”

“Want me to find him for you?”

“Please don’t.”

Jason shrugs. “Alright, your loss.” He looks back to where Bruce is calmly stealing Steph’s Monopoly money as she has her arms around his throat, trying to choke him as she clings to his back. Damian is trying to steal everything back. None of them have caught on to the fact that Tim and Cass have teamed up and have taken over the bank and are steadily taking properties on the board, fully and shamelessly cheating.

He’s so glad he chose to sit this game out.

Jason seems content with leaving the conversation there, so Duke cuts his losses and leaves before Tim and Cass have to fend off everyone else and turn this entire game night into a blood bath.

It’s not like anyone’s going to win against Cass anyways.

Duke fully intends to go up to his room and get a full eight hours of sleep while everyone else goes on patrol. He’ll take some time to think about how excited he is to see Danny again when he brings his friends over next week, but only for a bit. His sleep is so important.

Batman could never compare to how much he values his sleep.

He’s got good priorities, okay? He’s not changing them for anything.

Instead of sleeping, though, he ends up laying on his bed for hours, all his thoughts swirling around in a restless tangle. This is why he can’t ask the Waynes for advice on Normal People Shit. They just make him overly paranoid and sure that everything is going to go wrong.

Danny’s a mystery. He didn’t feel like one when they met; Danny was just an average citizen standing on top of a building, and the Signal had a duty to check up on him.

But when Danny turned to face him, his eyes were a bright blue, practically glowing, and there was a light emanating out of his chest, as if he tucked a star into his ribcage. No normal human looked like that, and Duke would know. He’s seen a lot of weird shit with his powers, especially once they started affecting his eyes even more, but even people who dabble in magic didn’t look like that.

Danny had looked ethereal. Unreal. As if he wasn’t from this world at all. Like someone who had stepped out of a story and into the real world.

And he was fun.

That’s what’s tripping Duke up. He’s met other metas before. They tend to either be 1) homicidal, 2) depressed and traumatized, or 3) serious and heroic. Sure there were some that had a sense of humor, but it was just to keep the mood light as they went around saving people and being more Hero than Person.

That’s what Duke had become, growing into his role as the Signal until he worried that it was taking away from Duke Thomas. The other Bats seemed to have no problem with their various identities, or enjoyed being in the mask far more than they enjoyed taking it off. Duke, as he usually was, is the outlier.

It’s why he always has to wrestle with imposter syndrome, forcing himself to stick around until he can finally feel like he belongs with the heroes of Gotham. He can act unbothered as much as he wants. It will never change the fact that, at his heart, Duke is still the terrified and angry boy sneaking out of foster homes and orphanages to search for his parents, refusing to find a place in the world that wasn’t by their side.

As the only meta on the team, his powers are both a blessing and a curse. They’re another reminder that he’s the odd one out, the one who doesn’t fit in as easily as all the others, but also a tool that lets him help in ways no one else can.

He always has something to prove when he’s out as the Signal. He always has to make himself worth keeping around as Duke.

With Danny, all of that fell away.

Using his powers was fun with him. They darted around the city, from rooftop to rooftop, stopping crimes and teasing each other as they went. There was no pressure to conform or prove himself, just the easy joy of feeling the air rush by him as he swung through the skyline, hundreds of feet in the air.

It doesn’t hurt that Danny is cute, too.

Sighing, Duke rolls over and shoves his face into his pillow.

He hadn’t realized how lonely he was until he met another meta who wasn’t trying to attack him. Sure, he has other hero friends, but they’re either regular humans or not human at all. One day with another meta, just shooting the shit, enjoying their time together, makes him all too aware of how much he’s wanted something like this since his powers first manifested.

Jason said that Danny was down bad, but Duke’s not doing any better, honestly.

He can’t wait until he sees Danny again.

It takes putting on some soothing music and trying not to let all his thoughts drift back to Danny before Duke finally feels sleep take a hold of him and gladly gives into its embrace. . . .

The glow appears suddenly, a flash of light in the distance, and that’s all Duke needs before he takes down two muggers and zip ties their wrists together quickly. “Stay safe!” he calls to the victim, quickly grappling away as she glares at her attempted muggers. She’s looking rather violent, and if she wants to whack them over the head, then that’s her right.

Duke doesn’t need to worry about it. He’s already dealt with the problem and now he can make his way to Danny, falling into the familiar rhythm of catch, fall, and release as he chases after the cold star-glow of Danny.

He makes his way to the glow until he can see Danny standing on the roof of the mall in Diamond District. Duke stops a few buildings away, taking the time to catch his breath and make sure he’s in Signal mode instead of Duke Thomas.

Then, as prepared as he’ll ever be, he shoots his grapple out.

Danny and his friends are already facing him when he lands, eyes flickering between him and his grapple gun.

Duke tucks it away and offers them a small wave, giving Danny a soft smile.

“This is him!” Danny announces, turning to face his friends so he can do a little flourish and show off Duke. “This is the Signal, and he’s a legit hero here.”

A goth girl looks him over with an unimpressed gaze, then clicks her tongue in a way that reminds him way too much of Damian. “Too much yellow,” she says, “You should update your armor to be less… this.”

“Sam!” Danny says, smacking her arm. “Uncalled for!”

“What? I’m right. That’s way too much yellow.”

The other boy pushes his glasses up his nose and glares at Duke. “So you’re a hero, huh?”

Duke blinks and the sudden hostility, then nods. “Yeah, sure am.”

“And you save people?”

“I do my best.”

“Even if they’re not human?”

Oh, Duke realizes, they’re just being overprotective of Danny. It kind of sucks to be on the other end of it, but he’s glad to know that Danny has people that will stand by him. Being a meta without any support is awful and often dealy; human traffickers especially love to target vulnerable metas.

“Even then,” Duke says. “If anyone needs help and I can help them, I do. It’s how I got into the hero business.”

“Quit the interrogation,” Danny hisses, then turns to Duke with a strained smile. “I am so sorry about them. This is Sam, and this is Tucker.”

“Well, welcome to Gotham.”

Danny hooks his arms with Sam and Tucker’s, pulling them closer to himself with enough force that they stumble. “Stop being mean, guys. We’re here to have fun, remember?”

Sam sighs, then gently knocks her head against Danny’s. “Yeah, alright. We’ll behave.”

“ Thank you. Let’s hit up Wayne Tower first, then the botanical gardens and maybe lunch after that?”

“Sounds good,” Tucker says, pulling his arm free from Danny’s grasp just to hop onto his back. With Tucker secured, Danny sweeps Sam up into a princess carry, and all three look at Duke like this is something totally normal that happens all the time. And maybe it is! It’s probably normal for them and Duke is not going to judge them because he wants to make a good impression and not be a hypocrite.

He’ll just… not talk about the Bats and how bizarre they all are. Duke himself is not exempt from this.

“You gonna be able to hold them both and fly around?” he asks, just to make sure. He definitely doesn’t want anyone falling to their deaths while he’s leading them through Gotham.

Danny just offers him a grin, the tips of his sharp canines just barely visible. The glow in his chest gets a little stronger and his eyes flicker from blue to bright green. “Don’t worry. I’m strong enough to be their Uber today.”

“We’re not paying you,” Sam and Tucker say at the same time, then high five. Danny rolls his eyes, and Duke can’t help but smile seeing their little routines.

They must have been friends for a long time to be so close.

Duke makes a mental note to spend a day just hanging out with his own friends soon. It’s been a little too long, hero work and school taking up all his time, and though they understand and try to keep him in their lives through texts, it’s all too easy to slip away from each other.

Focus, Duke, he tells himself. Today is for Danny and his friends.

He’s the Signal. There’s no time for Duke’s problems. He’s got crime to fight and three teenage tourists from who knows where to show around Gotham. He’ll deal with his own shit later.

“I’ll lead the way to Wayne Tower then,” he says, walking backwards to the edge of the roof. Danny lifts up from the roof, hovering a foot in the air, and it’s so hard to look away from him when he’s literally glowing, eyes bright and hair turning white. “Also, just as a heads up, I may have to leave for a few minutes to deal with crime, but I will come back. Just stick to the roofs and you’ll be safe.”

Sam looks around, assessing the city. “Lots of crime here?”

“We’re called the Crime Capital of America for a reason,” Duke responds wryly and she grimaces.

“Well. At least the aesthetic is pretty nice. I’m digging all the gargoyles.”

“Wait ‘til you see some of our churches. Stained glass, dark stone, really Gothic. I think you’ll like it.” Then, to Danny, he says, “Ready?”

Danny nods, and Duke turns and jumps off the roof.

Behind him, he can hear a gasp, and then he shoots his grapple out and begins swinging through Diamond District, trusting that Danny is following behind him as they fly above the busy streets. And sure enough, when he flips off the edge of another building, Duke catches a glance behind him and sees the shimmer of an invisible Danny flying towards him, with two additional little shimmers that must be his friends.

He goes back to grappling through the streets, keeping an eye out for any crime.

“Come in O,” he says quietly, activating his comm.

“Signal, everything good?” Oracle asks, hopping onto his frequency within a second.

“Yeah, I’ve just got a few visitors I’m escorting around Gotham. Can you keep an eye out for any crimes that need my attention? Just let me know where they are and I’ll deal with it.”

“Sure thing. Who are these visitors?”

“Out of towners. One’s a meta and they wanted to do a little sightseeing, and you know how this city is dangerous for people who aren’t used to it. And with meta human trafficking…”

Oracle makes a small sound of understanding. “Yeah, best to stick close to them while they’re here. Good call, Signal. I’ll keep an eye out and let you know if anything pops up, but so far, it’s all looking quiet.”

“Good to hear.”

There’s a pause, and then Oracle’s voice turns teasing, bringing more Barbara into the forefront. “Soooo,” she starts, and he can already hear the grin in her voice. “Making friends, Signal? Looking to start up your own team? It’s tradition, you know; we’ve all done it.”

“Nah, they’re not looking to join the cape scene. They just want to see the sights, hang out a bit. Are you looking for information on them right now?” He can hear her typing loudly, fingers flying across the keyboard. She’s supposed to be working in the library, but she’s also got her own office in there now that she’s the most senior employee. It would be just like her to pass off patron duties to the other libraries and bust crime rings from her office desk.

Zero separation between regular work and night work. The curse all bats and bat-adjacent folk struggle with.

“Who do you think I am?” Barbara scoffs. “If you’re making friends, then it’s my duty to make sure they’re good friends. At the very least, I can’t let you run off with villains in the makings, or cultists wanting to sacrifice you or something.”

“They’re normal civilians,” Duke hisses into his comm. He casts another glance behind him to see Danny flying off to the side. From what he can make out from the movement of the shimmer, like a heat mirage given form, he’s pointing something out to his friends. “And how likely is it that they are villains? I doubt anyone looking to hurt me is going to ask me for a tour of Gotham.”

Barbara hums. “You never know. Tim befriended Anarchy. And a couple of League assassins.”

“Tim’s a special case. He can befriend literally anyone. I mean, didn’t Jason and Damain both try to kill him? Now look at them. Thick as thieves.”

“He is something special,” Barbara agrees, amusement coloring her voice. “Say, can you tell me their names?”

“Who?”

“Your tourist guests.”

“Danny, Tucker, and Sam. Why?”

There’s a pause, even the clicking of her keyboard going silent. Oracle being stopped in her tracks is never a good thing and Duke is suddenly worried that she did find something that will connect the trio to some evil world domination plan.

“I can’t find them.”

“What?”

“I’ve run their faces through the databases, I’ve searched for people matching their descriptions, I can’t find any tech on them that I can hack into… It’s like they don’t exist. Digitally, that is.”

Duke lands just a block away from Wayne Tower, staring up at it. The glass glistens in the few rays of sunlight that force their way past the clouds hanging heavy in the sky. It’s taller than any other building in the district, overlooking Gotham all the way to the bay. He hears the slight shuffle of feet as Danny lands on the roof behind him and sets Tucker and Sam down.

He wants to keep talking to Barbara because he can’t recall a time she wasn’t able to find something. She’s ruthless in the pursuit of information, effortlessly hacking into even the most protected files, capable of finding people and vehicles and buildings and everything else someone might need for a case.

The fact that Danny and his friends have hidden themselves from Oracle’s all seeing eyes has him on edge.

He really hopes it’s nothing. He wants to be friends with Danny. He wants to trust him to be a good person just trying to live a quiet life as a meta. He wants just one thing to not blow up in his face.

“Here we are!” Duke announces, showing off Wayne Tower with a flourish. “I can’t get you much closer to the tower without people noticing you pop in out of nowhere, so you’ll have to walk the last two blocks to get to the building.”

“Impressive place,” Tucker comments as invisibility slides off of him. Sam appears a moment later, followed by Danny, the glow in his chest softening and growing a little dimmer.

“Wayne Enterprises is always striving for perfection,” Duke agrees. “Though, between you and me, I’m 99% positive that the only reason this building is as big and impressive as it is stems from Wayne’s need to be better than Lexcorp.”

“Lexcorp?”

“Rival company in Metropolis. Lex Luthor is the CEO and we all hate him for a lot of reasons.”

“I kinda want to pit Vlad against these guys,” Sam says, shooting Danny a grin.

Danny snorts and shakes his head. “Vlad has a cheese castle. I think he’s already lost.”

Duke is really interested in hearing about the cheese castle, but a quick glance at the watch hidden in his wrist gauntlet (put there only so he can dramatically check the time and leave with some insane excuse when criminals were complaining to him about their own poor choices) tells him that it’s nearly time for the next tour to start.

“Alright, folks,” he says, “You’ve got around eleven minutes to sign yourselves up for the next tour, so if you want to make it, you’d better get moving!”

Tucker swears, then sprints for the edge of the building. “Danny! Get me down there! I’m not waiting another hour for a tour!”

Danny rolls his eyes, but he’s smiling fondly as he flies over to Tucker and scoops him up. They both disappear over the edge of the building, leaving Duke alone with Sam.

“So,” she says, and her tone could be mistake for conversational if it wasn’t for the coldness of her eyes. “You’re getting pretty friendly with Danny, from what I’ve heard.”

Duke smiles nervously. This is the beginning of a shovel talk, isn’t it? “I guess so. I mean, I’d like to be friends with him.”

“How old are you?”

“What?”

“How. Old. Are you?” she bites out, walking closer with a glare.

“Why do you want to know? I can’t just be giving out information about my identity, you know.”

“If you’re not a teenager, then I am going to have a few knives sharpened for when you make a wrong move towards Danny.”

“Wait, wait! I’m still in high school! That’s fine, isn’t it?” He definitely shouldn’t be telling anyone this, but if one of his friends said they were hanging out with someone they don’t know outside of a mask, or a username, or whatever, he’d want to make sure that person wasn’t a creep. Her protective anger is admirable, really. And besides, he gets it. If telling her his age (or age range) will reassure her that he’s not going to… groom Danny or something, then he’ll tell her.

He’d never fault someone for looking out for their loved ones.

“You better be telling the truth. For your own sake.”

“Cross my heart,” Duke says.

Danny pops up through the roof a moment later, startling both of them, easily breaking the tension. “Come on, Sam, Tucker’s signed us up and doesn’t want to wait for you to get over there.” He picks Sam up, then glances between her and Duke. “Wait. Sam. Tell me you didn’t threaten the Signal.”

“Do you want me to lie to you?”

“I can’t take you guys anywhere, I swear…” Danny mutters, then flies down to the street.

Duke blinks at the empty roof, then decides that he’s just going to move on with his day and enjoy spending time with Danny.

He grapples closer to Wayne Tower, following Danny’s glow to make sure they get inside just fine. It’s only a block, but anything can happen in Gotham; better safe than sorry. As soon as he watches them go into the building, Duke sets a timer to display on the corner of his helmet visor and gets back to patrolling, keeping watch over Gotham while he waits for the tour to finish.

“Signal,” Oracle says, and Duke snaps to attention, landing on the next building at the end of his grapple, hopping down from the ledge with ease.

“What’s up, O? Got something for me?”

“Not quite. I’d like you to keep an eye on your guests. One of my drones picked up a strange reading that’s similar to magical residue.”

“You think they’re magic?”

“I think there’s something going on with them that we should keep an eye on. I know you said they’re just here as tourists, but you know we can’t take chances in Gotham.”

As much as he understands Barbara’s concerns, Duke can’t bring himself to be suspicious of Danny or his friends. They do have secrets, and none of them have even hinted at how they arrived in Gotham, appearing suddenly and without warning on a rooftop. But he’s always been one to give the benefit of the doubt. To try to talk things out, figure out a solution where no one needs to get hurt. Most of the time, it doesn’t work since whoever is causing problems really only cares about venting out their pain and frustrations through property damage and loss of life. Sometimes, though, the people causing problems need a little help, need protection, need some space to calm down and get themselves under control, and having a horde of Bats chasing them only makes things worse.

“They really are just tourists,” Duke says. “I know how you feel. I get it, there’s definitely something more to the three of them. But it’s not causing any harm right now, so I say it’s none of our business.”

He hears Barbara sigh down the line, but she’s always been good at respecting boundaries (when it doesn’t come to privacy) and will let people do as they believe they should. It’s why she helps out Jason every so often despite his violent methods and familiarity with killing. It’s why she has her own group and leads them without controlling them the way Batman tries to.

“Alright,” she says, “You make the calls since they’re your guests. Just be ready for me to say ‘I told you so’ when something goes wrong.”

“Yeah, yeah, we know you’re always right, O. Let me make my mistakes in peace, alright? We’ll fix it when we need to.”

“This is why you’re my new favorite,” Barbara jokes.

He makes to respond, maybe poke fun at some of the others with her, when he catches sight of two guys trying to break the lock on a bike to steal it from the sidewalk. Dropping down from the roof, he casually walks up to them, then clears his throat and shakes his head in disappointment at them when they jump and whirl around to stare at him.

“Really?” he says, judging them harshly, “Stealing someone’s bike? In broad daylight?”

They both flush with embarrassment, scowling at him.

“Well, we gotta get home somehow!” one of them says, kicking at the bike in frustration.

“Can’t you take the bus or something? Walk?”

“We don’t have any money on us for the bus and we’re heading to Robinson Park. I ain’t walking that far.”

Well. At least they’re just trying to get around and weren’t planning on selling the bike off.

“Two options,” he says, and both guys tense up immediately, prepared for a fight. He hates that that’s the reaction people have to Gotham’s heroes. As soon as they turn to a crime, no matter how petty, they’re prepared to be beaten down into submission. It’s a precedent set by Bruce that he’s never really liked and Duke does his best to embrace how different he is from the rest of the Bats to show the people of Gotham, criminals and all, that everyone can turn to him for help.

“I can buy a week-long bus pass for you both. Or, I can give you two a ride.”

They share a glance, slowly relaxing. “Can we do both?” one asks. “Get a ride from you and the bus pass?”

Duke glances at the timer in his visor. He’s still got forty minutes before he needs to go back to Wayne Tower.

“You know what? Yes, we can do that. Let me get you those bus passes and then we’ll get going.”

The two men share an excited grin, stepping away from the bike and its slightly mangled lock. They follow Duke to the nearest bus station where a little kiosk is tucked under the awning. Barbara, listening in as she always is, buys the bus passes for him, getting them to print within seconds when they get there.

“Sending your new motorcycle to your location,” she says as soon as he hands both bus passes to the men.

As far as Duke knows, he only has one motorcycle. He wishes he could ask what Barbara meant with new motorcycle without anyone listening in, but he’s gotta give the guys his attention, keep them company while they wait.

They make small talk for a bit, the two asking him what being a hero is like while Duke chats about life in Gotham and shares some Batfam gossip (mostly patrol blunders of one of them slipping while crossing the rooftops and eating shit).

It only takes seven minutes for the motorcycle to arrive, appearing in front of them in the street as the cloaking turns off.

“Woah,” one of the guys breathes, staring at it in awe. “Man, you heroes get the coolest shit.”

“Perks of throwing ourselves into the line of fire. Literally.”

He sees why Barbara sent him an entire new motorcycle (!!!) because his original plan of having three people squeeze onto the seat of one motorcycle was clearly going to end in disaster. This new one, Signal Yellow as it should be, is more armored, a little larger, and has an extended passengers seat attached to it so three people can ride it easily.

Duke swings his leg over it, settling into the seat and grips the handlebars. “Come on,” he smiles, inviting the men to join him. They do, nearly tripping over themselves as they get seated, excited grins on their faces.

It’s nice to know that no matter how old people get, a cool motorcycle is the way to most people’s hearts.

And what a change it is to see two men, likely college students in their final years, go from scared and unhappy people to acting like kids again, jumping at the chance to ride a motorcycle with a hero.

Small interactions like this, where everything goes right, is exactly why Duke is determined to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, a chance to choose differently and be good.

“Hold on tight!” He revs the engine, then takes off, the men letting out whoops behind him as they rush down the street. The motorcycle picks up speed quickly and runs so smoothly it’s as if they’re flying, easily dodging all the cars around them.

Normally, he’d go invisible and use the cloaking mode on his motorcycle to get around, but with two civilians riding with him, he’d rather be visible so cars don’t accidentally hit them.

The ride to Robinson Park takes fifteen minutes at the frankly dangerous speeds Duke was going, and he has no regrets about speeding because 1) it’s fun as hell and 2) the guys with him are clearly having a blast.

He slows down once they reach the park, then pulls over to the side of the road.

“Thank you for riding with Signal Wheels. Be sure to leave a review!”

“Five out of five!” one guys says as he gets off the motorcycle. His hair is a mess, completely windswept and tangled when Duke turns to look at him. “Holy shit, dude, I think I’d marry your motorcycle if I could.”

“Oh same,” Duke laughs, holding out a hand for a fistbump which is readily granted.

The second guy needs a moment longer to get off, laughing breathlessly. “Ten out of ten,” he says, once he’s next to his friend.

“Trying to one up me, huh?”

“Just being honest here.”

“Alright, well you two take care now,” Duke says, shifting his weight to one foot in preparing to kick off and head back to Wayne Tower. “And be sure not to lose those bus passes!”

“Thanks Signal!” they both call out as Duke heads back down the road, turning invisible as soon as he gets to a good speed.

He’s got just enough time to make it back to lead Danny and his friends to the botanical gardens. He cuts it close, but he makes it, pulling into an alley and hopping off the motorcycle.

“O, would you mind getting this back to wherever you piloted it from?”

“Not going to take your new friends on it?”

“Nah, I get the feeling they prefer flying.”

“You got it, Signal.”

The motorcycle pulls out of the alley silently, then heads down on road once cloaking is enabled. It’s gone just in time for his guest to walk out of Wayne Tower, trailing after Tucker who talks with his hands moving around energetically, too distracted to watch where he’s going as Sam and Danny pull him this way and that to keep him from crashing into other people.

Danny spots him first, after he stops and his brow furrows, a look of concentration on his face. Then his head turns and his eyes snap onto where Duke leans against the wall at the mouth of the alley. He grins, the glow in his chest flaring brighter for a moment, and Duke offers a small wave, unbearably charmed by how cute Danny is, especially when he’s so clearly delighted to see him.

“How was it?” Duke asks once they’re close enough to hear him.

Tucker immediately launches into a rant about WayneTech and the R&D Lab and how he would give his liver to work there. Then he starts rambling about technology and coding and a few of the things he’s created and how he’d love to look through what WayneTech does. He doesn’t stop even as Danny flies him up to the roof, Duke following after with his grapple, Sam clinging onto his back.

“So, so cool,” Tucker gushes, “I could probably take over the government in Amity with this kind of tech.”

Okay. Kind of a concerning statement to make, especially in the wake of Barbara’s suspicions of them.

Sam snorts. “You could take over the government in Amity now, if you wanted to.”

“Yeah, I could.”

“Not that you’d be good at it. What would you do as mayor?”

“Create a steak festival to celebrate steak and all the meals you can make with it.”

“Oh you little—” Sam lunges at them and Tucker falls back with a shriek. And then they’re tussling on the rooftop, arguing about meat and veganism and the farming industry, which, what a subject change.

Duke looks over at Danny, who watches them wrestle with fond exasperation. “Should we… stop them?”

“Let them get this out of their systems,” Danny replies. “They’ve been having this fight for years. I’ll stop them in a few minutes, and then we can go to the botanical gardens.”

So they stand together and watch Sam and Tucker roll around the roof, trying to choke each other out. And all Duke can think is, Man, I can’t ever let them meet the Bats. They’ll get along like a house on fire.

Or, it’s all he thinks until Danny shifts closer to him, just a few tentative steps. He’s suddenly starkly aware of how small the space between them is, how Danny’s close enough to touch, how much he’s been looking forward to this moment since Danny left a week ago.

Boy was giving you doe eyes the entire time he was with you, Jason had said. Duke saw it, when he was with Danny, reveled in it, basked in the attention. It wasn’t that he didn’t reciprocate, but he knows it can be hard to convey anything through his helmet, but there’s only so much action can do.

But it’s what he can do, so Duke shoves away his nerves and wraps his arm around Danny’s waist, pulling him closer.

Danny lets out a cute little squeak, cheeks filling with color immediately, and Duke is so, so endeared he wants to cry.

“So, what’s the story behind this fight of theirs?” he asks, leaning closer to ask his question quietly in Danny’s ear.

“Oh! Um,” Danny blinks at him, visibly flustered, and Duke wants to squeeze his cheeks together, he’s so cute.

Oh, he really is down bad. Damn. He hopes Barbara isn’t watching through his helmet camera, but he knows better than to expect her to not be collecting blackmail on him for this.

Which is whatever! Jokes on Barbara, he’s not at all ashamed of what he feels for Danny!

He could do without the ribbing from the rest of the Bats. They have no leg to stand on when it comes to relationships and being honest about their feelings. He’ll turn every conversation about Danny into improvised therapy if he has to.

“Well?” he prompts.

Danny glances at his friends, then leans into Duke and turns to him with a small smile.

“So,” he begins, then launches into a wild story from his freshman year about Sam and Tucker splitting the school into two groups to have a mini civil war over meat vs vegetarian food. Which lead to eating grass (?!) for lunch, a ghost lunch lady attacking the school, and the teachers having their own hidden meat lunch kept secret from the students, which lead to more chaos once it was discovered.

“That was a wild school week,” Danny concludes, just as Sam and Tucker’s fight winds down.

“Dude,” Duke says, staring at Danny, unsure if he wants to laugh or ask follow up questions. “What kind of life have you been living? That’s so much. The only thing we’ve got here is shootings and so much crime. Also a zombie in the sewers.”

“See, you drop info like that on me and suddenly I’m convinced that my life is actually pretty tame compared to whatever’s going on here.”

“No, no, listen. In Gotham, you expect this kind of nonsense. But your story started so deceptively normal! ‘Just a fight between friends’ and then a ghost attack? Betrayal from the teachers? Grass? Danny, everything you said left me reeling.”

“It’s not that bad!” Danny laughs. “The ghosts barely cause any problem anymore. They’re just kinda like anyone else, now.”

“What’s this about?” Sam asks, brushing her skirt off as she stands. Tucker pushes himself up to his feet and takes a moment to wipe the lenses of his glasses.

“The first time we met Lunch Lady.”

Sam and Tucker make a sound of understanding, nodding. “That sure was something,” Sam says.

“To think we were so young and innocent back then,” Tucker says with a fake sniffle. “So innocent!”

“You’re still as insufferable as ever,” Sam replies, taking his smack to her arm with grace.

“You two ready to head to the botanical garden now?” Duke asks, getting them back on track. Danny moves out of Duke’s grasp, unfortunately, to return to his role as their personal Uber, this time getting Tucker in a princess carry while Sam clings to his back like a koala.”Well. Guess Danny’s decided you’re ready.”

His friends snicker while Danny rolls his eyes and mutters about their unending arguments, then nods at Duke to lead the way.

Giving him a little salute, Duke readies his grapple, then takes off, leaping off the building to return to the skies. Danny follows him effortlessly, a soft glow that occasionally passes by in front of him playfully, sticking close as they head north.

The botanical gardens are a large spot of green in the otherwise urban landscape. It’s a few blocks away from Robinson Park, close enough that everything nearby is deemed Ivy’s territory, but far enough away that most people can pretend it’s like any other building and visit it safely. It’s been a long time since the botanical garden was attacked, or use for Villainous Purposes™, so Duke is comfortable letting Sam, Tucker, and Danny explore it on their own.

Plenty of other people are also in the gardens, from what he can see a roof away. And no one’s run away screaming, which is definitely a good sign.

“Oh, wow,” Sam says once she hops down from Danny’s back. She stares at the gardens with something unreadable in her eyes, as if she’s seeing more than what’s there. “There’s so much…”

“Poison Ivy—one of our rogues who can control plants and is doing a lot better these days, don’t worry—she takes care of most of the gardens. The greenhouse in the middle is hers for studies and experiments with plants, but she lets the public walk the garden. She’s even added little informational cards for kids to read so they can learn more,” Duke says, walking up to where Sam is leaning concerningly over the edge to get a better look at the gardens.

“That explains it,” she says, explaining nothing. “Do we have to pay to go in?”

“Just five dollars per person. It’s her income, and we’re all encouraged to leave a donation so she doesn’t turn to crimes to get enough money to support herself again.”

“Well!” Danny claps his hands together. “Let’s go, then. Jazz made sure we had cash on had, so it should be fine.”

“I can cover our tickets,” Sam offers, “Since this is for me.”

“Then I’ll cover lunch,” Danny says.

Tucker shoves his hand onto Danny’s face to push him away as he says, “No, I’ll pay for lunch. Danny, you’re not spending anything since you’re the one that scoped out this place last week for us. Got it?”

“Yeah, yeah, got it. Thanks, guys,” Danny smiles, then turns to Duke. “Would you mind waiting here for a bit? I’m gonna check out the gardens for a bit, but then I’ll be back.”

“Sure,” Duke says easily. It’s a quiet day anyways, and he’ll take any excuse to spend more time with Danny.

“Great. I’ll be right back!” And then he wraps an arm around both Sam and Tucker’s waits, picks them up like they weigh nothing, and casually hops off the roof.

Duke sits down on the edge of the building, watching as they cross the street and enter the botanical garden, Sam pulling out her wallet to pay for their entry. He idly kicks his heels against the wall, looking around the street, enjoying the rare Gotham peace.

No one is calling for help and Barbara hasn’t alerted him to anything. This is a good thing, but it doesn’t change the fact that Duke is bored.

He pulls out his phone, which he knows he shouldn’t have while he’s in the suit but it’s his day shift, he can do what he wants, and checks his friends (no Bats allowed) group chat and sees that Izzy is active. He opts to leave the chaos of the group chat to message her directly.

flashlight: hey izzy u know how we broke up

2(00)chains: oh boy. strong opening. but yes i am aware we broke up

flashlight: would u be mad if i started dating someone new or is it too soon?

2(00)chains: OMG DUKE??? WHO IS IT YOU NEED TO TELL ME RIGHT NOW

flashlight: izzy.

2(00)chains: babe u gotta give me something to work with so i can know if i should give u my blessing or not

2(00)chains: but also if u want to date and they make u happy, then yes u can date

flashlight: okay thanks!! wasn’t sure and didn’t know if it would be rude

2(00)chains: rude to date when ur single?? it would have been a problem if we were still together but that ship has sailed bby

2(00)chains: but duke PLSSSS i need deets. give me some tea… a girl is parched…

flashlight: lmao. so dramatic. but uuuuuuh

2(00)chains: little concerned by that pause there duke

flashlight: ok hes a meta

2(00)chains: ok strong start, u dont need to hide powers from him

flashlight: he’s not from gotham and doesnt live here so idk how well long distance would do

2(00)chains: duke. is this an online friend u’ve never met before.

flashlight: no!! i met him in person in gotham!! he’s just visiting!!!!

2(00)chains: ok ok go on

flashlight: uh

flashlight: he may only know me as the signal?

2(00)chains: DUKE.

2(00)chains: i understand the need to keep ur identity secret

2(00)chains: but PLS do not be a superhero love story cliche. im begging here. u didnt even keep it secret from me

flashlight: he may also not exist in this world (universe?)

2(00)chains: .

2(00)chains: u know i think u can make it work

2(00)chains: u have my blessing! if he says yes when u ask him out (which he better do 🔪) then i demand to meet him!!

flashlight: u got it izzy

flashlight: thanks!! u always got my back ☺️

He only has a faint prickle on the back of his neck to warn him of Danny’s approach, looking up through gut instinct only just to see Danny’s fuzzy glow fly up to him.

Danny pops into visibility a moment later, pouting. “I was hoping I could sneak up on you.”

“It’s gonna take more than that, babe,” he laughs. “I’m hard to sneak up on.” Bar that time Cass… and Bruce… and Tim… Dick, also… Jason, too…

Okay, so anyone who isn’t a Bat won’t be able to sneak up on him easily.

“Babe?” Danny repeats, his voice suddenly much higher. Duke freezes and takes a moment to curse his loose mouth; he and Izzy love pet names and still call each other terms of endearment even now when they’ve broken up. And since he was just talking to her, habit made him put his foot in his mouth.

“Yeah,” Duke says, committing to it, “Babe”

Danny makes a little whine in the back of his throat, face going red, and then his hides his face in his hands and floats up higher, curling his body up into a small ball. The movement reminds him of the videos he’s seen of astronauts in space, moving in lazy circles in zero gravity.

“Sorry,” he adds on, “I was texting a friend and we call each other things like that, so I just… slipped up. Didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“I’m not,” Danny mumbles.

“What?”

“I’m not uncomfortable.”

Duke smiles. “Alright. Wanna come down and join me, then?”

Danny continues hiding for a few moments longer, then reaches a hand down towards Duke. He doesn’t look at him, shyly turned away, still red in the cheeks.

How is he so sweet?

Duke has never met someone so cute, and full of light, and literally glowing. He never stood a chance.

He takes Danny’s hand, gently pulling him down to the roof, wrapping an arm around him once he’s sitting to make sure he doesn’t go floating away.

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?”

“Oh, I was just… I really like hanging out with you and you’re super cool and I thought I should explain a few things about myself.”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“I do,” Danny says, resolutely. “First, I’m not from here.”

Duke stares at him. “Yeah, I got that. Kinda obvious after we spoke for the first time.”

“No, I mean. Really not from here. From a different dimension.”

Oh. So Danny’s just casually walking the multiverse, apparently, and chose to return to Gotham to spend time with Duke. That’s honestly really flattering.

“Makes sense,” he says.

Now Danny’s staring at him, incredulously. “How does that make sense? Do you not have questions about what that means, or where I’m from, or how I got here?”

Duke shrugs. “Not really. Listen, there’s a lot of weird shit in Gotham. Like, a lot. Batman was lost in time once and presumed dead until Red Robin helped get him back. There’s incomprehensible magic and time travel and so many aliens, dude. This is not that out of the ordinary.”

“YOU HAVE ALIENS?” Danny shouts, then claps a hand over his mouth, eyes wide. And then, whispered, “You have aliens?!”

“Yeah, we have aliens. Some try to kill us and conquer Earth, some live here as superheroes.”

“No way,” Danny breathes. “Can I stay here forever? My dimension doesn’t have aliens. I really want to meet aliens.”

“If you stick around long enough, it’s kind of inevitable that you’ll get caught up in some crazy shit, and you’ll probably be able to meet Superman then. Or maybe Martian Manhunter, if he’s available.”

He watches Danny mouth Martian Manhunter in awe and is so charmed by him and his visible excitement about aliens. Most of this is just how he lives life, knowing all these impossible things are out there but have very little to do with him. It’s only mind blowing when he actually meets Superman and all, but that’s because meeting big heroes is like meeting celebrities and it never stops being cool.

“Wait, I’m getting distracted.” Danny shakes his head, then lightly claps his hands against his cheeks. “Okay, so. I’m from a different dimension. And Tucker has made a few phones that can work literally anywhere. But only to contact other phones he made for interdimensional communication. I had him make one for you so we could keep talking even when I go home, if you wanted.”

“I want it! I very much do want it.”

Danny grins. “Great! Perfect, okay.” He reaches into his own chest (?!) and pulls out a phone.

“Um.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I can use my insides like a pocket dimension for extra storage.”

Sure. This might as well happen. Duke takes the phone and looks it over; it looks like a large, square flip phone, but when it opens, the screen and keyboard are both touchscreens the glow a faint neon green. He opens up the contacts menu, finds Danny, and shoots him a quick text that consists only of a smiley face.

“Man, this is so cool,” Duke says. “Thanks for giving it to me! I really am glad I can talk to you some more.”

“I feel like I should be thanking you for giving me the time of day.”

Duke knocks his shoulder against Danny’s. “Come on, man, don’t say that. Anyone would be happy to spend time with you. Besides, I’m really not as cool as you think. I’m a normal guy outside the suit.”

“You still have powers.”

“I do, but I’m not the only one.”

“I know this is a bit of a bad question, and I do understand how important secret identities are! But do you think I’d ever get to know you when you’re just… you?”

Duke thinks about how much Batman would disapprove, the lengths Tim went through to protect his own identity as Red Robin, how everyone around him would become a target if anyone figured out who the Signal is…

But then he thinks about how much keeping this secret puts a strain on his relationship with his cousin, how much of a relief it is to have his friends in the know so he doesn’t have to constantly lie to them, how he’s the only hero Danny knows in this dimension and the only person who can help him while he’s here.

“I’ll tell you one day,” Duke says, “Promise. When we get to know each other a little more, yeah?”

“Yeah, alright, that’s fair. Thanks, Signal.”

“You need to get back to your friends?”

“Nah,” Danny shakes his head, “They can manage on their own. Besides, they agreed to one hour each place, and Tucker’s hungry enough to drag Sam out as soon as it hits that hour mark.”

“Well, in that case, why don’t you tell me a little more about your dimension while we wait? Or any other place you’ve visited.”

Danny grins, leaning closer, and says, “Have you ever met a yeti? Cause I have.” . . .

He doesn’t get to see Danny or his friends off when they return to their dimension. They’d been in the planetarium for hours, and Duke had to end patrol and turn in for the day to look over cases with Steph and Tim, then work on his college application.

He does get a text from Danny, his new phone going off with a soft sound of a wind chime, in the middle of looking at different colleges and stressing out.

Danny: got home safe! off to fight dinner now 🤺

Danny: wanna talk more tomorrow?

Signal: sure! i’d love to!! good luck with dinner?

There’s a brief pause, and then Danny sends a blurry picture of a rotisserie chicken flying through the air towards a woman with red hair, holding out a steak knife, ready to attack.

…Yeah, he’s going to question that tomorrow. For now, he just sends Danny a thumbs up emoji and goes back to staring at his list of potential schools he wants to go to with growing despair.

Does he want to stay in Gotham? Gotham City University isn’t all that bad, and he’s familiar with the campus. Or maybe Montclair State University. Rowan University and Rutgers University don’t sound bad either, and both are still in the state, so he wouldn’t be too far from Gotham. Maybe he could go to his parent’s alma matter; UCLA and Penn State are both out of state, though, and way more expensive, even if Bruce offered to cover his tuition.

What would he even study?

So lost in thought, Duke almost doesn’t realize that his regular phone is ringing until the noise cuts off. His head jerks up and he stares at it, wondering who could be calling him right after he finished eating dinner.

Then it rings again, Barbara’s name popping up on the screen, and he lunges for it, worried that something’s going down in Gotham without him noticing.

“Babs! Is something wrong?”

“No. Should something be wrong? I was calling because you didn’t check in with me before you ended patrol, and you haven’t been responding to any of my texts,” she says, sounding distracted as the sound of her keyboard continues on steadily in the background. She must be working as Oracle already, preparing to assist the Bats on their patrols.

“Oh, sorry. Everything’s fine, our visitors were from another dimension and they really were just here to sightsee. Nothing to worry about.”

“I saw that you got a gift.”

Duke understands exactly what she’s calling about, now. He should have expected Barbara to fall to the siren call of new tech. “I did,” he says, offering nothing else just to mess with her.

“Duke,” she says, “It’s a matter of safety.”

“Just admit that you want to check out interdimensional tech.”

Barbara sighs, then says, “I want to look at interdimensional tech. Come by the Clocktower tonight and drop it off.”

“I don’t know, Babs,” he says teasingly, “I think Tim might want a look at it first.”

“I should have never believed Dick when he said you were well behaved. ‘The good one’ my ass,” she grumbles. “What do you want?”

“A favor to be decided in the future. No questions asked expect what’s needed to get that favor done.”

“Deal.”

“I’ll swing by soon. Do you think you could help me with my college apps while I’m there? I have no idea what to do or where to go.”

“Sure,” Barbara agrees, her voice warm, “I’d love the chance to big sister you. Jason hogs you too much.”

He does, and Duke doesn’t really understand why Jason gets along so well with him, but he’s not going to question a good thing. Street kids gotta stick together, after all. Even if neither of them are living on the streets anymore.

It’s nice to know that the others are just as willing to help him out, even if he works separate from them most of the time these days.

“Oh, and the phone I got from Danny has contacts already added to it. Please don’t text Danny or anyone else without saying it’s you.”

“That sounds like you’re giving me permission to talk to me.”

“I figured you’d want to talk to Tucker some, since he’s the one who built it.”

“Well,” Barbara says, and he can hear the smile in her voice, “Thanks for the permission. I’ll be sure to get as much information as I can from him.”

“Please don’t ruin this for me.”

Barbara laughs. “Oh, don’t worry Duke. I know how to be nice, especially with people you’re trying to impress. It’s Dick you should be worried about.”

She’s right.

Duke drops his head onto his desk with a groan.

“I’ll see you later, Duke.”

“Yeah, alright. See you, Babs.”

She ends the call and Duke sighs, contemplating taking a nap before he heads out. But that would mess up his sleep schedule, and he’s willing to do a lot, but not that. Instead, he flicks through his phone to the group chat with his friends, and sends a quick question about when they can hang out again.

He’s missed them. Seeing Danny with Tucker and Sam reminded him of how much he loves his friends and spending time with them. He should take a page from Danny’s book and spend a day with them, just catching up and enjoying their company.

And if they tease him about his crush on Danny, well, better them than the Bats.

#ghostlights #duke thomas/danny fenton #dcxdp #dpxdc #dp x dc #dc x dp #dc x dp fic #dp x dc fic #my writing #its been months but the second chapter is here and the boys are even cuter than before!!#tbh i dont think ive ever written such a fast burn before #now to think of a name for this ghostlights series on ao3...

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