#and I know that everything is suppose to be forgotten at the end of 06 but it's not like he wouldn't find out a different way

[w0lp3rtinger]

I just had a thought.

We know from 06 that, in that future present, Omega will be utilized to take Shadow down, ultimately betraying him.

However, the very fact that Silver goes into the past, over and over and over again, shows that the future can be changed.

And it can be changed for the better. I do wonder (and hope) that this current stretch that Shadow is on... is just him growing as a person. Perhaps this is a way to rectify the damage Sega seems content to lay upon his character, but consider this. In SA2, he was a softspoken, snarky person who wasn't a villian, but rather, someone who was truly hurting and thought they only had one way out, one way to make right the fact that the only family he had ever known, including Maria, had been destroyed in front of his very eyes.

Then you have Heros which is so fresh after SA2, and he doesn't remember anything. He's in agony over this until he gets to a point where he thinks, you know, it's okay I don't know. I have a new family. I have new people who I care for, and who care for me, and whatever I was, it no longer matters. I'm whatever I choose to be, and that's fine.

THEN you have the Shadow the Hedgehog game, when Team Dark has dispersed, where he's alone with his thoughts for too long, where he relapses into that hesitation and questioning and, honestly, fear. What was he, who is he, why is he having PTSD effects over a thing he can see but doesn't understand? That's terrifying. And then this man who claims to be his father tells him that humanity needs to be destroyed, and if they aren't, they will destroy him. Yeah, Eggman says he's the original in the end, but... that whole event will still stick with you. You were so easily played, weren't you? You were so desperate to be good at something, to be wanted by someone, after your old family seemed to go up in smoke.

You can't do that again. You're homeless, living out of an abandoned Eggman base that you can't even keep because you get the stuffing beaten out of you by a robot. Maybe Rouge realized you shouldn't be alone. Maybe G.U.N wanted to just know where you were. Either way, you're brought back into your family, only to find out that...the thing that beat you, that can destroy the world. You just got the world back, and that scares you. You just fixed your latest and greatest mistake. When you react with violence, you're told to rein it in and calm down, but your fear never leaves you. And when you're friends are threatened again, you are there. Every time Rouge goes missing, or Omega is out of commission, you come in swinging. Yes, you help out team Sonic, but they will never be your first priority. They aren't family to you. Team Dark is, and amongst Team Dark, the only one that truly understand what it means to be a weapon is Omega.

And then, then you're told that's the very person who will undo you.

And everything hurts all over again. Everything is bad, and wrong, and all the people you trusted, you're afraid they're going to lie to you again, that you're a sucker just waiting to be duped, that you're never going to be more than that jackass in the corner with unresolved PTSD who's a sucker for someone you assume is trying their best, because you want to believe everyone is trying their best, because you're trying your best.

And so you shut down.

You quit trying to understand everyone else, even if you want to. You stop trying to fit yourself into the fabric of friends around you because it's not going to work. You give up. You're just going to be angry and bitter because you know- you know- you can't trust them. And eventually, they'll all die, won't they? You're going to be left alone as time takes them one by one.

Except for Omega.

Because at the end of everything, Omega really will be the only one who knew you left, and they're not going to be able to stand alone to defend you.

Ultimately, there is a choice. The choice is to continue to be cut off, accepting that eventually the world will turn against you, and though you will fight it like you always have, you will lose.

Or

You accept who you really are (no, truly) with all your faults and failings and successes and splendors. You accept your limitations alongside of your limitless possibilities . You allow yourself to be kind, to care, to laugh, to love the world around you. You let friends in. You make peace with what you cannot change instead of stuffing it in the closet in your brain. You learn to let things go. You learn to let life in.

And maybe, if you pick the second option, there will be people alive to defend you when the world comes for you, like it will, because it will. Maybe, if you choose to open yourself up again, you won't have to suffer it alone.

#shadow #shadow the hedgehog #sth #sonic #sonic the hedgehog #theory #listen- I am really just trying to make sense of the whole fucking sega mandate thing #and the hoops that both the game and comic writers and jumping through at the moment #but like- it also works #and I know that everything is suppose to be forgotten at the end of 06 but it's not like he wouldn't find out a different way #so the point still works #writing #read #me stuff

[julyarchives]

Don’t You Hear Me Howling? || (M) || 08

Finding out you are a female Alpha sparkled some rivalry inside your pack, and resulted in you losing your best friend and your life turning upsidedown, so leaving for college was the fresh start you needed. Years later, you are about to finish your degree and suddenly this past comes back to mess with your head.

→ Pairing: Yeo One x Female Reader | Kino x Female Reader

→ Genre: A/B/O AU; Omegaverse; College AU.

→ Words:  3.8K

→ Contains: mentions of alcohol; wolf shifting; some Alpha-Alpha tension; Y/N making out with a special guest 👀; smut; Jealousy

→ A/n: Thus was supposed to be posted yesterday, but we sort of got lost in the calendar, so here it is now (oops?) we hope it isn't too lame and you guys like it! Also, as mentioned in the warning, there is a special appearance heheh.

→ Index: 01 • 02 • 03 • 04 • 05 • 06 • 07 • 08

As much fun and easygoing as things were for you, you felt glad for the holidays break. You got out of the cab and breathed in deeply, inhaling the scent of the reservation forest that boarded the neighborhood.

Every year your pack has their own ritual to celebrate your ancestors during the holiday, and you were actually looking forward to participating this year, after missing it since you started college, for many personal reasons - and one of them included a very difficult talk with your parents. Also, so much has happened this semester that being in the small city allowed you to breathe some fresh air and organize your thoughts.

Your parent’s received you immediately as you went through the front door, with big hugs and wide smiles.

“It’s so good to have you home” your mom patted your head, her small frame making her reach high to do so.

“Let me take your stuff to your room” Your dad grabbed your luggage and turned around to take them upstairs

“Oh, it’s fine, I can take them” You tried to stop him, but he pretended he didn’t listen. But you knew he loved feeling like the man of the house. You redirected yourself to your mom “I think I could use a shower and a nap, the trip was too long.”

“Of course, honey, I’ll call you for lunch.”

You crossed paths with your dad in the doorway, who offered a small smile. He wasn’t very fond of small talk, so that was usual of him. You closed the door behind you and sat on the edge of the twin bed centered on the room. You looked around and took in the scent of your old home, which immediately brought back so many memories.

Before you left for college, you and Changgu were on bad terms, so there weren't pictures of you together anymore, but you could still see the tape marks on where they used to be glued on your old vanity mirror. You also remembered perfectly which drawer you have tucked them away, the one that you were currently staring at, contemplating taking a look at them. In the end, you just shook the idea off of you and followed what you’ve told your mom.

The day was rather quiet and peaceful, the big event being held in the night, and the talk you were dreading could wait after the celebrations. Your parents had visited you in college a couple of times, and you have visited them too, but it was rare, never for the holidays, so they prepared a special family lunch and you couldn’t deny that you had a good time being around them.

All the pack had gathered in a big clearing at night to celebrate, and the bonfire already burned high. You could feel all the attention shifting to you as you arrived, your dominant scent overpowering everyone else's, and you held yourself high.

The day you left the city you promised yourself to never get close to this pack again. They’ve ignored you and diminished you as an Alpha, and you knew this place wasn’t for you. They were all surprised to see you back, they could barely hide it, but every time you made eye contact with someone, they quickly turned away avoiding you.

You didn’t hide, not ashamed of you or your choices, but it was rather uncomfortable, the tension almost palpable in the air. You quickly grabbed your phone and texted Wooseok.

“ Please tell me you headed back town for the holidays”

To which he quickly replied

“I actually came to a friend’s house, I’m not there, sorry :(“

You sighed. The cold weather wasn’t so bad, the cool breeze was blowing softly and the fire kept the place warm if you got close enough. Your parents stopped along the way to say hi to their friends, but you followed closer to the bonfire, where your eyes quickly met the current Alpha.

For a moment you had forgotten he was Changgu’s father, but seeing him immediately brought the information back to you. They looked alike so much, the same eyes full of expression and sharp jawline. He was staring at you, not so happily, and nodded when you looked at him. Your expression could be sour, you weren’t sure how much you were holding back, but you respectfully nodded back.

He sustained the stare a couple more seconds, so did you, but soon he was calling everyone’s attention. Everyone gathered close and his wife stood by his side. That’s when you saw Changgu, getting close to his father with a stoic expression on his face.

You shoved your hands in the pocket of your jacket and offered a half-smile when he noticed you. At first, he seemed confused but returned the gesture

“Brothers and sisters” The senior Alpha called “tonight we celebrate the ones who have left us. Our ancestors passed us their wisdom,” He spoke firmly and slowly, looking around at everyone. “Their strength lives in us, and so we honor them with our nature.”

There was a long speech about union and tradition that to you it sounded too much like hypocrisy since the traditions would include you, supposedly the next Alpha of the pack, to be standing there as a successor. You did not bother, because you expected nothing else.

The leader of the pack was the first to turn. His skin shredded, giving space for the long dark brown and silver fur to grow as a howl echoed loudly, bringing out everyone’s instinct, but especially your Alpha ones, and soon you had shifted.

This was one of the reasons you wanted to come. Being in university has you taking suppressants daily, so letting yourself run free was like getting rid of tight clothes that restricted your movements. You howled loudly to follow the collective chant, an ode to the departed ones, a hymn for the pack, the freedom of instinct.

The pack’s Alpha ran in the front, leading everyone with his big frame. Changgu followed him, and it’s been so many years since you’ve seen his wolf form that you felt surprised. He was bulky and big, his posture very imponent, and you stopped to admire it for a second.

The run was freeing. The wind hiding your wolf nozzle, pushing your fur back, your paws hitting the dirt. You needed that, and just letting yourself act on your instincts was the best thing you could grant yourself at that moment.

Reaching the highest point of the forest, the collective howling restarted. You stopped right next to Changgu, whose wolf eyes watched you intently, and in wordless communication, you howled together, allowing the instinct to speak for yourselves.

…

After the traditional pack run, a feast was hosted by the Alpha, usually in his house, which was big enough to fit everyone comfortably in the large backyard.

Everyone happily celebrated what was the closest to a wolf Christmas, with an abundance of food for everyone. You sat with your parents at the assigned table, attending the event quietly, holding yourself back just enough to not drag any more attention than you were already getting. Mr. Yeo, the Alpha, customarily greeted every individual, and when he approached you and your family, you stood up and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you for having us" your father shook his hands

"It's my pleasure," Mr. Yeo politely answered, "I didn't expect your daughter to come."

He talked about you like you weren't there, and you were pretty sure that was purposefully meant to challenge your position.

"I came to pay respects to the tradition, sir" you opened a forced smile. A damn good one. "Can't let that behind me."

His eyes snapped in your direction with intensity, letting the impassive expression on his face falter for a second.

"Of course" he smoldered, masking it with a smile probably just as fake as yours.

To him, you represented a threat to his family's legacy, so it wasn't a big secret that he isn't very fond of you.

"I hope you enjoy the party," he said to you and your parents altogether, but redirected the last sentence at you "if there's anything you need, just tell me and I can provide."

"Of course, thank you so much" your mom answered gladly. She followed her leader with passion and always tried to be in good graces with him, so she's always been strict in the sense of community tradition and formalities.

"No need to thank me, ma'am" he smirked "that's just an Alpha job"

The provocation was like a punch in the gut. Ever since you were revealed an Alpha, Mr. Yeo tried to do everything in his power to deprive you of your given rights inside the pack. He raised Changgu to take his place and hated your guts for ruining his plans. He was a man of power and didn't appreciate when someone threatened that position.

"Y/N…" your mom called you with a warning tone to her voice.

You didn't notice how you were instinctively growling, low enough for only people close to the table to hear, but your Alpha emotion was strong enough to cause some heads to turn in your direction.

Mr. Yeo, of course, smiled in victory from a distance, happy to make you look bad in front of the community.

"You really don't care that he does everything to undermine me, do you?" You said to both of your parents.

"Honey, he's the Alpha." Your mom said calmly "everything he does is to protect you. Is the best for everyone."

"You do know I'm an Alpha too, right?" You scoffed, rolling your eyes.

They both stayed quiet. You looked at your dad, hoping he would say something in your favor, but he just complies with your mom's orderly silence.

"Yeah, thanks," you said, standing up and leaving.

Growing up you used to love being with your pack these kinds of celebrations were your favorite time of the year.  But now everything changed and suddenly you felt so misplaced that you felt like you didn't know anyone anymore. You knew all your neighbors, and their kids who went to school with you, but now they were almost complete strangers to you.

You grabbed a bottle of beer and looked around for the only familiar face you could find there. Changgu was not running Alpha errands with his dad, so when you found him he was surrounded by a group of girls, apparently younger than you, swooning at every charming smile of his, and you could just see how much he adored all the attention. You chuckled at his fuckboy attitude and the poor deluded girls who had a crush on him, hoping to get the son of the Alpha in love with them.

"Y/n?" You heard your name being called, taking you always from your thoughts.

The boy who called you was tall and slim, a long-ish hair half up in a ponytail and he looked happy to see you.

"Hey…?" You said with uncertainty, trying to figure out why he looked so familiar, but you just couldn't remember his name

"Hyunjin" he chuckled "I don't know if you remember me, but we went to school together."

"Right, Hyunjin, of course, I remember!" It finally clicked to you. Hyunjin was an omega, a few years younger than you but you two used to share some clubs in high school, but he didn't look so… hot. "You look so different, sorry it took me a while to recognize you."

"Yeah," he laughed shyly, scratching the back of his head. "I haven't seen you since you left for college. You look great"

His flirtatious half-smirk was very obvious and you actually thought he looked quite cute.

"You look great yourself" you bit your bottom lip, looking him up and down "But yeah, I kind of focused on graduating rather than coming here."

"I'm glad you're here now." He fully smirked this time "wanna go somewhere quieter? I'd love to catch up with you"

You felt hesitant at first, and you looked back to find Changgu again, and this time one of the girls was grabbing his arm, running his hand all over it. You wanted company for the party, and since Changgu was busy flirting, why shouldn't you do the same?

"Of course, let's do it." You took one last sip of your beer and linked arms with him.

He guided you around the house to the front porch, where you rested your elbows and watched the quiet street. Hyunjin had his back against it, looking at you.

You two actually did some catching up, and even exchanged numbers. You found out Hyunjin also went away for college, but he always came back for the holidays and breaks, and stuff like that, but nothing you were really paying attention to.

"You know, I have to confess something." He said, straightening his posture "I sort of had a crush on you, back in the days"

"Really?" You laughed softly, amused at the sudden confession. "Why didn't you say something, then?"

"Ah," he clicked his tongue. "Everyone knew you only had eyes for Changgu."

You rolled your eyes involuntarily.

"C'mon, everyone knew that, and Changgu didn't let anyone get close to you"

You were actually surprised to hear that since this wasn't something he ever told you but explained why you weren't popular with boys in high school.

"Well," you stood up and stopped directly in front of him "I don't see Changgu anywhere now, do you?"

Hyunjin grabbed your waist, pulling you closer to him, and your hands held the collar of his jacket.

"I guess I should shoot my shot, then" he licked his lips, alternating looks between your eyes and lips.

"What are you waiting for, big boy?" You challenged him.

He reached forward, kissing you rather urgently. His plumpy lips felt soft against yours, and he was a really good kisser. He pulled you against him, and you intertwined your fingers on the loose hair behind his neck. He gasped when you tugged on it, and you grinned into the kiss for getting a good reaction out of him. His hands sneaked down your waist, boldly squeezing your ass as the kiss got more intense, and he earned a shy hum of satisfaction out of you.

The noise of someone clearing their throat interrupted you two, making both of your heads snap in its direction, but neither of you really letting go of each other.

"Y/N" Changgu called you rather sternly, with a matching frown on his face. "I need you to help me deal with some stuff"

You sighed.

"Looks like some things didn't change, did they?" Hyunjin whispered just for you to hear,

"I'm not done with you yet." You whispered back, nibbling his earlobe.

"Now." Changgu interrupted again.

You pecked Hyunjin's lips before detangling from him, only then noticing that his hands were still in your ass.

"Text me, ok?" You said to him loudly as you followed Changgu inside the house.

He walked large steps and didn't bother looking behind to see if you were following.

"You couldn't have picked a worse moment to need me to deal with some bullshit, could you?" You whined, but he still paid no attention to you "all night, I was there doing absolutely nothing, and when I finally started to have some fun you decided I was important enough to attend whatever this is."

You babbled but still, he didn't respond, and you just kept following him around corridors in the big house, finally entering a dark room

"What is so important anyway that you had to call me so urgently-"

Changgu interrupted you when he pushed you against the door, making it slam loudly, his lips crashing against yours with a certain vigor.

At first, your eyes widened in surprise, and you pushed him back to look at him, but his hold on you didn't loosen up.

"What the fuck, Changgu?"

"Just," he stopped to think, breath already heavy in anticipation "shut up"

He resumed kissing you, and this time you rolled with it because, you couldn't deny, kissing him was something you ever saw yourself getting tired of. He pressed his whole body against yours, grinding on you making you gasp every time his thigh in between your legs rubbed against your clothed core.

"Fuck, Changgu" you said when he attacked your neck.

You pull the hair on his nape, making him look at you

"Is that what this is about?" You asked, forcing yourself to think straight "you can't bear the thought of me fucking someone else?"

Rather than answering, Changgu just growled, making you laugh ironically

"So you can flirt with all those pretty girls out there," you raised your eyebrows, "but I can not hook up with people? As if, Changgu"

You weren't as mad as much as you were enjoying taunting him for being so desperate to have you his.

"Just shut up, for fucks sake" he rolled his eyes and picked you, only to throw you on the bed behind him.

You finally recognized Changgu's old bedroom, with the light that came from the window above it. It was different, with no more posters taped to the wall or the action figures he liked to collect. It was a simple room with minimal decoration now.

"Gonna break another bed, wolfie?" You teased "I don't think daddy would be very happy to know you're fooling around with the Alpha"

He growled loudly, hooking his hands around your legs and pulling you closer to him, your bottom hitting his knees, which were pressed against the mattress. He leaned down and viciously kissed you, nibbling and ducking your bottom lip.

"You know, you're way hotter when your mouth is shut" he panted in between kisses.

Having turned into wolves mere hours ago had all your instincts right under the skin. The dominance, the connection between you and your Beta, the lust. Everything was on edge and you guessed that's why Changgu was so desperate.

He unbuttoned your jeans and pulled them down with your underwear in one swift motion while you took off your shirt, revealing your bare breasts underneath it. Changgu licked his lips and chuckled cockly when he ran a finger down your slit, showing you how wet you already were.

He took his shirt off, but didn't bother with his pants, and leaned back down to lick a long stripe of your juices, brushing softly on your clit on the way.

You moaned weakly.

"I'll show you why you're better here than with the what's-his-name out there." He said in a low husky voice.

He kept his hand around your legs and captured your sensitive nub in between his lips, making you buck your hips and grab his hair in response.

His back muscles were on display for you and it was hot to watch it contract and relax as he moved in between your legs.

"You're so eager for me, aren't you?" You teased him again and he hummed, sending vibrations down your core. "Do your worst, let me see if you're worth my time"

He leaned back up and you hated the loss of contact, but he quickly spun you around and pulled your hips up exposing your ass to him, and a harsh slap sting on your skin, accompanied by his deep growling that he didn't seem to have control over, and you yelped at the burning pain.

You heard him fumbling with his belt and soon he was entering you with no warning, making you bury your head in the pillow to muffle a loud moan. He didn't give you any time to adjust as he pounded into you fast, showing his desperation. He angled his hips just right to hit the perfect spot inside you to make you scream.

For a second you were afraid someone would hear you, but the backyard was not that close to the bedroom, and you tried to suppress your noises the best you could. Changgu seemed to be out of control with the way he hissed and moaned, your name falling out of his lips here and there.

A sloppy rushed fuck was not on your plans tonight but, fuck, it felt good. Changgu was getting sloppier by the minute and you just knew he wouldn't last long. You reached in between your legs and circled around your glistening clit, realizing you were in no better state than he was.

The closer you felt to your high, the more you squeezed your walls around Changgu's member, and the louder he moaned.

"Are you trying to get us caught?" You managed to say "such a loud wolf."

He didn't respond, too focused on fucking you, but he didn't get quieter.

You fastened your movements and had again your head buried in the pillow, moaning freely as you reached your orgasm, your whole body vibrating in pleasure. Changgu started thrusting faster, gripping your hips harder and pulling you against him to meet his thrust, and soon enough you felt his seed dripping down your thighs, strangled noises caught in his throat as he rode his high.

You relaxed your body when he pulled out of you, laying down with your stomach against the mattress, crossing your arms under your head for support. Changgu threw himself by your side, facing the ceiling and panting, looking fucked out already.

"Jealous wolf, aren't we?" You tapped his chest, provoking him

"Shut up" he chuckled

"How many girls did you fuck in this bedroom anyway? You were quite popular with the ladies back in high school. I bet they all died to be in Yeo Changgu's bedroom" you mocked a dreamy-girly voice.

"Do you really want to talk about who I fucked in high school?" He chuckled.

"Well, someone had to get laid, right? Since I couldn't because someone told boys to stay away from me." You smirked at his embarrassed expression

"Hyunjin is such a snitch, he was never good enough for you" he rolled his eyes and looked away.

"And who is? You?" You scoffed

"I didn't hear you complaining when you were screaming against the pillow just now"

You slapped his chest and he laughed loudly

"Jerk" you mumbled.

"Guess you can go back to your pretty boy out there", he said in a teasing voice, "if you're still interested, that is".

"So cocky, aren't you?", he laughed at your mocking expression.

"Maybe. But we still have festivities to attend".

"Unfortunately".

You got dressed in comfortable silence and after a few minutes, you were good to go. Changgu stood by the door and smiled at you before opening it and waving for you to walk by him. As you walked out, a satisfied smile took over your face and you only hoped people wouldn't notice the smell of sex on you too much. You and Changgu parted ways and for a second you let the whole tension of your body relax during the holiday. Just for a while.

#ksmutclub #smut #changgu x reader #omegaverse #changgu smut #pentagon changgu #pentagon imagines #pentagon imagine #kpop pentagon #pentagon #pentagon smut #kpop scenario #kpop scenarios #kpop writing #kpop smut #kpop story #kpop fanfic #kpop

[xjoonchildx]

guarded | jhs x reader | chapter four: cham-pain

summary: you’ve tried to separate yourself from your infamous crime family, but a new case has your carefully-constructed world crashing down around you.  now you have to figure out how to heal old wounds and handle the new man who enters your orbit.

pairing: hoseok x reader

genre: mafia AU, E2L, slow burn, tsundere, eventual smut

rating: 18+

word count: 4.4K

A/N: hey, you.  yes, YOU. has anyone told you that you’re pretty today? well, if not let me be the first. i can’t help but feel lovey-dovey about the love you guys have shown me on this story. thank you so much for everything.  i hope you like this chapter and i hope you’ll reach out and let me know either way.  big shoutout to the baes @ladyartemesia​ and @taetaewonderland​ they know why.

Chapter 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | EPILOGUE

********************

At what point do you stop calling them shorts and start calling them panties?

That’s the question Hoseok ponders when he walks into the kitchen to find you precariously perched on tiptoes, straining to reach for something in an overhead cabinet.  He lets his gaze linger over the soft skin of your legs, up to your thighs, up higher to where he can damned near see the swell of your ass peeking out from that obscene little scrap of cloth.

What he does next is probably unwise.

What he does next is approach silently from behind, pressing one hand into the small of your back as he reaches over you to get a hold of the jar you’re struggling to grab. And if he enjoys the way your body jolts with surprise beneath his fingertips or the way your hair smells when he’s this close, then that’s his business and no one else’s.

“Thank you,” you murmur, avoiding his eyes and for a moment Hoseok thinks you’re going to scold him for being so bold.

But you don’t.

*********************

Hoseok shouldn’t be toying with you right now and he knows it. It’s not like you’ve ever been an open book with him, but these past few days you’ve been even more withdrawn -- more in your head than ever before.  

Not that you don’t have your reasons.

Shit is off the rails with your case and you’re living with a complete stranger and someone left a live fucking snake in your bedroom a few nights ago.  

So if Hoseok has noticed that you walk around in a fog — that the fire he used to see inside of you from time to time seems extinguished — well, that’s certainly understandable. 

But he can’t help but wonder if there’s something more to your melancholy. He can’t help but wonder if you actually hold a candle for that idiot you left reeling at the restaurant.  

Hoseok can’t stop thinking about that guy.  

There is a feeling he can’t shake and it’s not just the urge to beat Kang Donghyuk to a pulp. Hoseok can’t shake the feeling that beneath the dopey smile and the lazy charm and the overall benign affect, there’s something more.  

Something Hoseok is determined to figure out.

So he leaves you to your cooking in the kitchen and retreats to the privacy of his room to phone Seokjin.  If this piece of shit is up to something, Hoseok is going to make it his personal mission to find it.

And if he finds something?

Then Hoseok will make it his personal mission to make him pay.

***********************

YOU

“Amsaja -- with Hoseok.  Try being nice.”

You think back to your brother’s words as you stand just outside the door to Hoseok’s room, fist raised to knock.  But you don’t, at least not right away.  

What is your fucking problem?

You remind yourself that you are a grown woman, not some skittish little girl.  You remind yourself that Jung Hoseok is just a man.  

And then you get a grip.

The door opens after one light knock.  You don’t mean to stare, truly you don’t -- but Hoseok is wearing one of those goddamned tank tops again.  What happened to suits all day and all night?  Suits are a hell of a lot less distracting.

“What’s up?” he asks cautiously.  

Your eyes dart from his face to his chest to his arms and finally settle around his neck, where a pair of dog tags hang from a silver chain.  You had nearly forgotten that Jung Hoseok made a career of the military before he was one of your brother’s right-hand men.

“I made some Samgyetang,” you say lamely, gesturing to the bowl of soup in your hands.

I made it for you. 

“And it’s uh, supposed to be good for a cold,” you add, when he says nothing.

Which you have.  

“So, I -- ” you clear your throat, shift your weight back and forth on your feet, “ -- made some.”

For you.

Hoseok stares at the bowl like you’ve brought him a grenade instead of a meal.  The puzzled look on his face makes you feel awkward, makes the entire gesture seem silly.

“Never mind,” you say under your breath, turning on your heels.  

“Wait --” Hoseok calls quickly, stepping out of his room to follow you,  “ -- I didn’t -- I was just surprised, that’s all.” 

“It’s just soup,” you say over your shoulder, trying like hell to sound casual and not at all offended.

Hoseok keeps pace behind you into the kitchen; commands your attention with one firm hand on your arm.  You turn to face him, averting your gaze from the sweatpants that hang low on his hips and the thin cotton that grips every muscle of his lean chest.

“I didn’t mean to make that weird,” Hoseok says quietly. “Thank you. It’s been a long time since I’ve had homemade Samgyetang.”

You pull your arm out of his hold.  

“Well, it’s there if you want it,” you shrug, brushing past him.

It’s a relief to trade the charged air of the kitchen for the uncomplicated quiet of your room.

*************************

Hyejin takes her reading glasses off to rub the bridge of her nose.  

“I’m not even kidding about my eyesight being shot,” she sighs, reaching for her coffee cup.  “It gets worse every day and the print on these depositions does not help.”

“I know,” you mumble, highlighter flying over your own set of fine print.  “Sorry.”

“Hey, at least we’re in this together,” she smiles. “Right?” 

Her face falls when you don’t return the gesture.

It’s not exactly a secret that you haven’t been firing on all cylinders lately.  You are so worn out from the shit going on at work and the shit going on at home that it feels like you don’t have much more to give.  You just want to climb into bed and sleep for a week straight.

If only you had that luxury.  

Instead, you’re back at it with Hyejin today, trying to figure out a way around the missing digital evidence you so desperately need.  The loss of those files was a terrible setback, but you refuse to let it be the end.  You still have an entire warehouse full of confiscated guns under lock and key.

Now you just need to get your head in the game.

“You still going to the gala tomorrow night?” Hyejin asks, sipping her coffee.

So much for getting your head in the game.

“Not sure,” you murmur, underlining a key part of the testimony.  “Lots of shit going on right now.”

“Yeah, I know things between you and Donghyuk got weird,” Hyejin says carefully.

You stop yourself from laughing out loud. 

Donghyuk is so far down your list of fires to fight, you’d nearly forgotten him completely.  You probably could forget him if you weren’t subjected to his dirty looks every time the two of you cross paths at the office.  You’ve made at least two very awkward cups of coffee standing side-by-side in the past week alone -- but honestly, you can’t bring yourself to care.

“That’s -- “ you start and stop before continuing, “ -- not really an issue right now.”

“Okay, sure,” Hyejin concedes. “Just don’t forget that I’m here if you need someone to talk to, alright?  You don’t always have to take everything on by yourself.”

You stop your incessant highlighting to look up at your friend and colleague.  

Concern is written all over her pretty face and for a moment you entertain the thought of opening up to her.  The idea of talking about what’s going on is tempting -- like if you could share just a piece of your burden you could relieve some of the pressure inside of you.  But there’s another part of you that worries that you are too pent up to let go of any of this.  A part of you that feels like all it will take is one tiny crack for the entire dam to give.

You finally manage to muster one weak smile for your friend, who seems relieved to see any display of emotion out of you.

“Thanks, Hye.  I’ll keep that in mind.”

***********************

You almost skipped tonight.  Almost.

But you’d already bought a dress and the tickets were paid for and Hoseok didn’t even flinch when you told him you had to go to a black-tie event. 

If only you could say the same for the moment you saw him in the living room.

When Hoseok turned at the sound of your heels on the marble floor, with hands tucked into the pockets of his bespoke black tux, you nearly forgot to breathe.  All of the coordinating details, the slim-cut jacket and the perfectly-styled hair and the carefully-crafted bow tie felt like a gut punch.

You’d silently prayed that Hoseok didn’t catch the way your eyes lingered on him for just a beat too long -- or that he didn’t spot the heat you could feel creeping up your neck and into your cheeks. The color that must have been made all the more obvious against the rose shade of your gown.

“You ready?”

Hoseok interrupts your thoughts with his usual business-like tone.  The one that tells you that this inner monologue about how incredible he looks tonight is painfully one-sided.  

You nod, not trusting yourself to use your words.

All things considered, the situation with Donghyuk couldn’t have gone south at a better time.  He would have been your date for the night were it not for the blow up at dinner -- and it certainly would have drawn unwanted attention to have two men at your side all evening.  

Though with the way Hoseok looks tonight, you imagine the attention will come anyway.

*********************

There are few things in life rich people enjoy more than pretending to give a shit about poor ones. 

They make sport of it, jockeying for position in front of the cameras, gladly shelling out hundreds of thousands of won a plate to prove just how much they care.  They spend their evenings drinking top-shelf liquor and eating top-notch catering and convincing themselves that they’re making some kind of sacrifice for the greater good.  

A string quartet plays softly in the background as guests mill about, grabbing drinks and hors d'oeuvres off of passing trays.  Hoseok is at your side, a glass of water in hand.  He is just close enough for you to take in his heady, masculine smell -- but not too close.

You hate that he smells this good.

You hate that he looks this good.

You have tried -- and failed -- to ignore the appreciative stares he’s gotten from some of the gala guests.  You already caught one woman ogling outright, gawking unrepentantly while at her own date’s side.  When a cocktail server walks by with a carefully-balanced offering of champagne flutes, you grab one right away.

Hoseok, as usual, takes nothing.  

You sip your champagne and watch him watching the room.  

He certainly looks the part of a society player tonight in his tux, the occasional wrinkle of his nose the only indicator of his disdain for the men and women drinking and dancing around him.  When a woman bumps into him while carrying a plate of appetizers, he holds out a hand to help her keep upright and she damned near melts at his reassuring smile.  

“Oh, thank you,” she breathes deeply before her eyes dart in your direction.  

You look away.

Not once have you ever seen this man smile, and he’s certainly never smiled at you.  You turn to slam the rest of your champagne and put the empty flute on a nearby table just as another cocktail server passes with a full tray of drinks. 

How fortuitous.  You grab another.  

There’s a few more minutes of mingling before the guests are asked to take a seat at their assigned tables.  Hoseok holds out your chair and you accept. 

The interaction, like always, is silent.

You look up from the perfectly staged spread to spot Donghyuk two tables away.  Even from a distance you can tell his cheeks look ruddy — like he’s already had way too much to drink. He narrows his eyes when he realizes you are looking and you lift your champagne flute to tip a sarcastic salute in his direction.  He scowls back.

“Miss Kim,” a deep voice interrupts your petty exchange. “What a pleasant coincidence.”

You force a smile when your boss and his wife unexpectedly fill two empty seats at your table.

“Mr. Park,” you return quietly. “Nice to see you tonight. And Mrs. Park, of course.”

Mrs. Park’s answering smile is warm and genuine, but the same cannot be said of her husband’s. Of course, the last conversation you had with him one-on-one, he’d practically thrown you out of his office. The smile on his face right now is a bit watery.

“It’s so nice to see you dear,” Mrs. Park says sweetly.  “And who is this handsome fellow?”

You falter when you open your mouth to answer, but Hoseok smoothly interjects.

“Yi Sang, ma’am. Pleasure to meet you.”

You close your mouth and turn to smile woodenly at Hoseok, who doesn’t bother to look back. 

“Mr. Yi,” your boss extends his hand for a firm handshake, but a strange look passes over his face.  “The pleasure is ours.” 

Hoseok’s mouth pulls into a tight smile and you down what’s left of your champagne.

A couple you don’t recognize join your table before dinner is served.  You do your best to appear engaged in the small talk; nodding when appropriate, smiling during the awkward pauses.  But there is an emptiness in you tonight.  You spend the entire meal pushing the artfully-arranged dishes around your plate because you find you have no desire for food.

The same cannot be said for the champagne, though. That’s going down quite nicely.  Your server dutifully brings another flute as soon as yours is empty.

“I must commend you, Miss Kim, on forging ahead with this case,” Mr. Park says, when the plates have been cleared and after-dinner coffee is being served.  “I know it hasn’t been easy after the theft of your files.”

“Oh,” you clear your throat. “Yes, well -- I’m doing my best with what I have left.”

“Of course. It’s important we do what we can to bring these low-lives to justice,” Mr. Kim says slowly.  He looks from you to Hoseok with an expression that stops just short of a challenge and the champagne in your stomach seems to come to life. “Organized crime in this city is out of hand. We can’t allow Seoul to descend into chaos because of the trash making a living off of guns and drugs.”

Trash like your brother. 

“Right,” you say quietly, swallowing past a lump in your throat. “I’ll do my best.” 

Hoseok remains composed at your side, but you don’t miss how his knuckles go white as his grip around the water glass tightens.  

Trash like Hoseok.  

You swallow another mouthful of champagne.  

The couple sitting next to the Parks -- oblivious to the friction at the table -- strike up a conversation about the dessert selection and you’ve never been more glad for small talk.  The tension in the air slowly dissipates.

But you keep drinking.

Hoseok leans into you, lips so close they nearly brush the shell of your ear and your entire body goes still.  Goosebumps bloom all over when you feel his breath against your skin.

“You should eat something,” he murmurs.

You could almost laugh at the way your stomach seems to fall with disappointment.  What were you expecting him to say? Something complimentary? Something reassuring?  

What a joke.

All at once you decide you need space, you need air, you need a break from the bullshit you seem to be taking from all sides tonight.

Hoseok’s eyebrows lift as you stand from your seat.

“If you’ll excuse me,” you announce to the table, “I need to visit the powder room.”

The champagne seems to hit you the moment you stand and you have to work hard at keeping your steps steady as you make your way out of the ballroom.

You would never admit it, but Hoseok is right. 

You really should eat something.

***********************

hoseok: text me or i’m coming in [11:02 PM ]

You stand in the mirror and stare at your reflection in the dim lighting of the ladies’ room. You’ve been to dozens of these events over the years and it’s never felt as pointless and unnatural to you as it does right now.  A part of you hates how much you’ve tied yourself into knots seeking the validation of these pompous assholes.  So desperate to be chosen by the chosen few. 

hoseok: last chance [11:06 PM ]

Another part of you hates Hoseok.  

You hate his constant presence and his constant silence and his constant judgement.  It always feels like he’s punishing you for some transgression you don’t even know you’ve committed.  Your phone buzzes with a reminder of the waiting texts and you sigh, unlocking the screen to fire off an answer before Hoseok makes good on his threat to storm his way in.

you: i’m fine. be right out [ 11:08 PM ]

You take one last look in the mirror.  Have you always looked this tired? 

Before dinner -- after you’d meticulously primped for tonight -- you’d been satisfied with what you saw in the mirror.  Now all you can see are the shadows under your eyes, the grim set of your mouth.  Is this what other people see when they look at you, too?

A knock sounds on the door and you blow out an exasperated breath.  Hoseok must be tired of waiting for you to wrap this pity party.  You yank the door open with more force than intended, fully prepared to tell him to fuck off.

But it’s Donghyuk on the other side.

You stare at him.

“What do you want?” you hiss, stepping out into the hallway.

“I just want to talk,” Donghyuk says coolly, standing just a bit too close. You grimace at the smell of liquor on his breath.  “You still haven’t given me a chance to thank you personally for making me look like an asshole at dinner the other day.”

“Oh, honey -- you don’t need my help to look like an asshole,” you fire back, pushing more space in between you with a firm shove of your fingers to his shoulder. “You do a fine job of that all on your own.”

His laughter blows whiskey-tinged hot air in your direction and you make a face.

“I see you upgraded the bodyguard to dinner date.”

“Shut up, Donghyuk, honestly,” you seethe.  You try to step around him to leave, but he blocks you with his body.  

“You fucking him now, too?”

You barely register the movement of your own hand before it’s connecting with the side of Donghyuk’s face.  You barely register Hoseok’s arrival before he’s between you both, pulling you away and practically shoving Donghyuk to the floor.  You barely hear Hoseok’s whispered threats and you nearly miss the way he unbuttons his jacket to ensure Donghyuk sees his gun.

The whole debacle is so fast and so surreal you could almost convince yourself you imagined it.

But there is no imagining the sting still throbbing in your palm.

*****************************

HOSEOK

The trouble tonight started long before you smacked the shit out of Kang Donghyuk. 

The trouble started when you walked out of your room in that goddamned gown. Hoseok had not been entirely prepared for you in that dress.

He had only a split second to make sure he wasn’t staring.  He jammed his hands into his pockets and forced the most casual demeanor he could muster, but fuck it wasn’t easy.  There were a hundred things he could have said in that moment, would have said in that moment -- if you weren’t you and if he weren’t him.

Of course, dinner was a bit of a clusterfuck, too.

Playing dress up with the city’s elites was somehow less enjoyable than Hoseok imagined it would be.  The stares from tipsy society girls and the critical looks from their dates were bad enough but your boss laying it on thick with the white knight bullshit at the end was the real icing on the cake.  The coded language and the veiled threats that made loud and clear he knew exactly what Hoseok was but wouldn’t say it out loud.  

Hoseok saw the way you seemed to retreat even further into yourself during the exchange, silent and thinking.

And drinking. 

Hoseok has only ever seen you enjoy the occasional glass of wine with meals.  Tonight was an entirely different story. You were on a mission to get wrecked from the moment you sat down; forgoing food for an alarming amount of champagne.  Hoseok counted four glasses down before he decided to say something. 

Of course, that went over about as well as he’d expected -- and seconds later, you were walking away.

Hoseok hadn’t planned on following you to the bathroom. He hadn’t planned on overhearing the nasty back-and-forth in the hall . And he hadn’t planned on threatening to kill Kang Donghyuk at some ridiculous charity dinner.  But when he saw the man get up from his seat to follow you -- Hoseok moved on auto-pilot.  

There was no avoiding what came next.

**********************

You don’t utter a single word on the ride home.  

You don’t say a word when Hoseok walks you upstairs, unlocks the door to usher you inside.  He’s still securing the new deadbolts when he hears your bedroom door slam shut.

Hoseok scrubs a hand over his face and sighs deeply before loosening the bow tie and slipping it off.   

Then he pulls out his phone to text Seokjin.

hoseok: you on him? [ 11:48 PM ]

seokjin: sleeping it off in his car right now. what a slob [ 11:49 PM ]

seokjin: you’re welcome btw [ 11:49 PM ]

hoseok: thx [ 11:50 PM ]

Seconds later, your bedroom door swings open so hard it bounces back off the opposite wall. Hoseok looks up from his phone just as you are storming into the living room, hands still securing the belt to the short robe you’ve just changed into.  

You are positively vibrating with a dangerous energy Hoseok can feel clear across the room.  Maybe you’ve been sleepwalking through these past few days, but you are definitely awake now.

And angry.

“I don’t need you to win my fights,” you fume, pointing one hostile finger in his direction. “I took care of myself long before you came along and I can take care of myself now.”

Christ, do you have any idea how little you are wearing right now?  

Hoseok focuses on that accusing finger because it keeps him from staring at your legs. It also keeps him from opening his mouth and making you madder than you already are. 

“I don’t need you or anyone else swooping in with that macho bullshit,” you hiss, bringing your body within inches of his.  “I have had enough of men running and ruining every aspect of my life.”

Shit, do you have any idea how close you are right now? 

Hoseok can smell the perfume that lingers on your skin when you’re this close.  He can see how your pupils are blown wide and your cheeks are flushed with heat when you’re this close. 

“Say something,” you demand, jabbing your finger into his chest.  “Do something.”

Fuck, you are playing with fire.

You want a fight and Hoseok is this close to giving you one.  He has to summon every ounce of his self control to keep his voice and breathing steady. He fists his hands at his sides to keep them from moving.  

“You’ve had too much to drink,” he replies with careful calm.  “You should go to bed.”

“Or what?” you challenge, fingers reaching to unfasten the top buttons of his dress shirt.  Hoseok’s entire body tenses under your touch. 

“What the hell are you doing?” he says between gritted teeth. 

“Checking for a heartbeat,” you murmur. “Looking for signs of life.  Is there a real man in there?”

There’s a real man in here, alright, Hoseok thinks darkly.  Keep pushing me and you’re going to find out.

“Of course not,” you whisper to yourself, snaking one hand into the collar of his shirt. He flinches when your fingertips brush up against the cool metal of his dog tags. “You’re some kind of robot.”

You pull the tags out from under his collar and Hoseok swallows thickly.  

“Just a machine programmed to follow orders, right?  My brother’s orders. The Army’s orders,” you pause to read the embossed letters on his tags.  ‘Isn’t that right, Captain Jung?”

You gasp when Hoseok’s hand comes up to seize yours.  His fingers circle the delicate bones of your wrist and he doesn’t let go, applying a pressure that sure as hell gets your attention.

“People like me follow orders so people like you don’t have to,” Hoseok seethes.  “People like me do the dirty work so people like you can impress rich assholes at stupid parties. People like me stay behind and handle our responsibilities so people like you can walk away from yours.”

Your stare at him for a moment, eyes wide at his outburst.  Then you jerk your wrist out of his hold so violently you nearly fall back with the force of it. 

Hoseok freezes when your robe slides down off your shoulder. He stares when his eyes settle on the jagged scar that runs deep across your collarbone.  

Fucking hell. 

Hoseok traded one bloody business for another when he gave up his rank in the Army for his rank in the Gajog. He’s seen more than his fair share of vicious cuts and nasty wounds. 

Whoever did that to you wanted to make sure you’d have to carry it with you for the rest of your life.

********************

Tomorrow morning, Hoseok is gonna regret a lot of shit that happened tonight. 

He’s going to regret not telling you how beautiful you looked when you walked out of that room.  He’s going to regret going out of his way to hurt you with his words. 

But most of all, he’s going to regret the moment he looked into your face and saw the anger in your eyes change over into pain.

You yank the robe back over your shoulder, cinch the belt tight — and walk away without another word. 

********************

tag list!

@saintjeonofbusan​ @lemonjoonah​ @illnevertrustmyselfagain​ @sunkissed725​ @taetaewonderland​ @shadowhale​ @sugaminyoonjiji​ @jinhitwhore​ @trust-me-im-joly​ @daydreambrliever​  @ultraanonymousey​ @yoon-bug​ @multistantrash17​ @poohsaidhi​ @alyboo-jpeg​ @sahmfanficbts​ @yoongissugarmommy​ @ppersonna​ @p-polaroid​ @vi-hoshi​ @stressedinmedschool247​ @jgissle12​ @ctvrty​ @btsnatalena​ @strawbewymiwk​ @stephleee​ @jjeonjoon

#hoseok smut #hoseok x reader #bts mafia #bts tsundere #hoseok mafia au #bangtanarmynet #btswriterscollective #ksmutclub #ficswithluv #btscreatorscorner #networkbangtan

[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

Love On-Set (Pt. 07 of 10)

Pairing: Dacre Montgomery X Reader

Summary: You knew acting on Stranger Things season 3 would be a challenge, and you also knew, from the start, you'd have to work closely with Dacre Montgomery. But is wasn't a big deal for you, since this is your job and you're determined to act professionally. You had it all figured out, or so you thought, until the moment you were out face to face with Dacre. Then, this job became a lot harder than it was supposed to be, since you can't seem to focus whenever you're around Dacre. And you'll have to be around him a lot until the end of production.

Word count: 3 K

<- Previous part (06)

Next part (08) ->

{Dacre Montgomery Masterlist}

{Stranger Things Masterlist}

×

Kisses

The only reason why you didn't talk to Dacre at the airport was because you thought you'd have a couple of hours before shooting. But you were wrong. The flight was terribly late, and you had no choice but to go straight to set, and as soon as you got there, you and Dacre were pulled apart so you could get ready.

Already in your outfit, you stare at the mirror as your hairstylist gives the final touches, mumbling in response to whatever she's talking about. Your leg is bouncing nervously, as you regret not having called Dacre yesterday night. Or driven to his house. Anything really. Maybe it would a lot easier if you two had some time, but life has a way of complicating things.

“And you're ready,” Laura says and you manage to smile and thank her. “Now go before James comes yelling at us again.”

“Alright.” Mumbling under your breath, you stand up and leave the dressing room only to be rushed into the parking lot. Dacre is already there, talking to James. The wind makes you shiver and you brace yourself... Well, you think it's the wind that makes you shiver, what else could it be?

“...despite the delay, we'll get everything done in time so–” James swallows the words when he sees you. “(Y/N), great. Hope you made a safe trip here. I was just talking to Dacre about the upcoming scenes you two will shoot. There's just so much chemistry that I had to add more kisses.” Oh... You should've read the new script. “But I'm sure it won't be a problem since you two seem to be getting along very well.”

“Yeah, of course...” The first thing you'll do when you get to your hotel room is read every single line of this scrip. It'll be better if you're mentally prepared for what's to come.

But you're not prepared for this.

“Alright, everybody into position.” The director announces before walking away, leaving you and Dacre alone. Well, not exactly since you can't ignore the camera guys, the microphones... All the rest.

“Sorry, we couldn't talk before... This.” Dacre apologizes, but you shake your head slightly.

“But we will.” Nodding more to yourself than to him, you hope nobody is listening to this conversation. “Right?”

“Absolutely.”

“Alright, guys, c'mon,” James says and Dacre walks away as you take a deep breath. Thinking over the lines, you let yourself fall into character, remembering the backstory that leads to this moment. “Everybody set? Ok... Action!”

Turning around, you look at Dacre as he crosses the parking lot. “I can't believe you took almost an hour to get here, Hargrove!” You yell, walking to end the distance between the two of you. “There's a freaking Demidog in the pool!”

“The thing is dead. So why the hurry?” He flashes Billy's a cocky smile, and you struggle to keep the irritated expression on your face. “Chill.”

“Don't tell me to chill. Can't you miss one single date?” Giving action to Amy's jealousy attack, you punch Dacre in the chest, and he gives a small step back as he rolls his eyes. “Not even when there's an interdimensional monster involved?”

“Why the hell you always think I'm with some girl?” When you move to push him again, Billy grabs Amy's wrists. This was improvised, you think. Or is it on the new script? Dacre's grip is soft though, and you put on an annoyed face as you try to set free, uselessly.

“Because that's where you always are.” Putting a frustrating undertone in the sentence, you sigh. “But it doesn't matter. We have a much bigger fish to fry.”

“The damn thing is dead, it can wait.”

You get why Amy falls for Billy. Or are your fellings for Dacre clouding your judgment? Putting up a fight, you try to free yourself of his grip, making sure to stumble backward until your back hits a car. “Let go of me! I'm tired of this shit.” Slowly, Amy gives up fighting. Physically and emotionally. The moment you stop moving, Dacre let's go of your wrists, his arms coming to trap you in between the car and his body.

“I know you're jealous. I just need to figure out why.” Billy leans closer, and you can feel yourself drowning in Dacre's eyes, more beautiful than the ocean.

“I said it once and I'll say it again. I won't be one of your many flings...” Your voice is low, and as the cameras move closer, you know it's about to happen. God, it's so damn hard to keep up the act. You can feel Dacre's chest every time he breaths in, and you want to pull him even closer. “...so... Back the hell off.” Putting your hand on his chest, you know that the action that would make more sense here would be Amy trying to push him away again... But you fail to do that, Amy slowly disappearing as you break character for the hundredth time. Instead of pushing him away, your fingers slowly clench around the collar of his jacket, grabbing it. Dacre's eyes burn on you, and you know he wants it to.

“Who said I want you to be a fling?”

Then you don't know who moves first. If it's Dacre who leans forward or if it's you, pulling him. But it happens, fast and needy. First kisses shouldn't be like this. They're supposed to be short and sweet, shy even. But part of you is thankful for the situation you're in right now, because it justifies how you cling onto him, how deep the kiss is, hot and passionate. Billy and Amy were both craving for this moment, but so were you. And so were Dacre because his grip around you is tight, his lips keeping a quick pace, one that you're more than happy to follow. You hand find its way to his hair, as he holds the small of your back, needing to have you closer, if that even possible. The cameras are long forgotten, and there's no set, no show, nothing. Just his taste, fresh and sweet, inebriating. There's something in the background, some familiar sound trying to reach you, but you push it away, ignore it, tiptoeing even more to try and match Dacre's high, wishing he would lift you up.

“CUT!” James' voice sounds like a freaking thunder, and it wakes you up. With your heart beating insanely fast, you suddenly go back to reality, probably blushing harder than ever as you step away from Dacre. He takes a while to let go of you, intense eyes locked on yours as he tries to catch his breath, falling out of the stupor too. “That was... Good. That was good.” James says, and when you look around, you notice people staring. That wasn't... Discreet, and now you know that what you heard was James yelling ‘cut’ half a dozen times.

Running a hand through your hair, you have to fight back the urge to touch your lips, the kiss burning in your head... You really hope James will need another take.

“Are you ok?” Dacre asks, taking a quick look around before taking your hand in his.

“Yeah...” Biting your lip, you nod, staring at him. This just gave you a rush of adrenaline, making you feel brave. “More than ok, actually.”

Dacre's lips break into a smile, his thumb caressing the back of your hand. “Well, judging by James' obsession with the perfect lighting, I bet he'll need a couple more takes to get it done.”

“I really hope so. I–” You're cut short for a commotion. Several people move to surround James, who soon starts cursing. “What's going on?” You mutter, exchanging a glance with Dacre before walking over the sea of people. That's when you see the rest of the cast, and you just now remember they were here too... And they just saw everything... Millie won't let you hear the end of it.

“Who the hell did this?” James shouts, and a lot of people start apologizing. Giving the others a glance, you notice they have their eyes glued to their phones.

“Oh, no...” Something leaked, you're so damn sure. Rushing to the guys, you stand beside Noah, taking a look at his screen. “What happened?”

“The kiss. The first you shot. Someone here recorded and published on YouTube ten minutes ago.” As Noah speaks, he hands you over his phone and you read the news article he was reading. ‘Exciting scene from Stranger Things 3 leaks: Amy Halpert and Billy Hargrove are definitely a couple’.

“Shit.” You mutter, leaning closer to Dacre so he can read it too. “Who did it?”

“We have no idea,” Natalia answers, looking up from her phone. “But I watched it. Whoever did this stopped recording right before the cameras fell.”

This sucks. Giving Noah his cellphone back, you sigh. “It's really mean to do that. There's a lot of operations to keep the set free from curious eyes and someone from the inside leaks it? That's ridiculous.”

“James will sue whoever did this,” Dacre adds.

“Excuse me, guys.” Ryan comes, a tablet on his hand and a very worried expression on his face. “James wants you to stay here until we find out who did this.” He says, giving you a quick glance before looking back at his tablet. “You got the trailers here so... I think you'll be comfortable. Sorry, but James is–”

“RYAN!”

“James' orders. Sorry.” Rolling his eyes and sighing, he gives his back at you.

“We'll have to stay? I didn't do it.” Gaten exclaims, clearly pissed.

“Me neither. I was too busy watching the kiss with my own eyes.” Natalia complains but gives you a glance.

Well, you would like to get to your bed, but complaining won't help and you're exhausted from the flight. “I'm calling it a night.” You mutter, upset that this whole thing happened. The leaking, of course. “I'll take a shower to wash the 80's from my skin and I'll go see my trailer.” You haven't seen it yet, since it's meant for the Battle of Starcout scenes, which you'll probably shoot throughout the night.

“Me too,” Dacre says, then turning at you. “I'll find your trailer after if that's alright.”

“Sure.” Smiling, you blush to feel all those eyes on you. “See you soon, then.”

• • •

You're lucky to have your baggage here. Maybe the flight being delayed wasn't so bad as it seemed. After showering and handing the outfit back to your stylist, you follow her directions to where the trailers are. They're in the very back of the set, in a large area, set side by side. You're surprised to see the trailer doesn't look like a trailer on the inside, but like an actual house, only a little tiny. There's a main space with a couch, a table, and a TV, then a kitchen with a stove, an oven, and a sink. A bathroom with a shower. And on the very back, the thing you needed the most after this long day. A well-equipaded room with a huge bed. Smiling, you let your piece of baggage fall as you climb on the bed, lying on your back and sighing in relief.

Jumping back to your feet, you decide to change into something more comfortable. So you exchange your jeans for light gray sweatpants and a black spaghetti strap tank top before lying back down. You're happy you ate on the plane, or else you'd be starving right now.

But despite all the thoughts in your head, you can't help but come back to the main event of the day. Your fingers come to touch your lips, as you close your eyes to bring the memory back. You're upset you didn't get to do more takes. The cold and nervousness you were feeling vanished so quickly, at the same moment his lips collided on yours. So hot and intense. Breathtaking.

You're dragged away from your thoughts by a knock on the door. Dacre. He told you he'd come. Taking a deep breath and fixing your simple clothes the best you can, you make your way to the door, thinking you should've picked something better to put on. “Hey.” You mutter when you swing the door open, gesturing for him to come in. “Did you see your trailer?”

“Yeah. I stopped by to leave my luggage.” He answers, stepping inside and looking down at you. “These things look bigger from the inside.”

“Definitely.” Clearing your throat, you gesture at the back of the trailer, to the bedroom. You know how awkward it may be, but there's a burning on your back that won't let you sit on the couch. “I hope you don't mind but could we talk while I lie down? My back hurts real bad from the five hours we had to spend at the airport.”

“I don't mind at all.” Nodding, you walk back to the bedroom, throwing yourself on the bed. “So. Who do you think leaked the video?” Dacre asks as he sits on the edge.

“I have no idea. All I know is that is wasn't me. And it wasn't you.” Staring at the ceiling, you try not to feel very self-conscious right now. “I was too busy on scene.”

“Me too.” He mutters. “Where does it hurt, by the way?”

“On my shoulder blades.” You answer, looking at him. He looks very handsome, as usual, despite wearing a simple white T-shirt. “Those airport chairs weren't very nice to me.”

“I can give you a massage if you want.” Dacre stares at you dead serious, which means he's not joking.

You wish you had the adrenaline rush from earlier, so it'd push the words right off your mouth, and maybe you wouldn't be blushing. “Uhm... If you want to.”

“Alright, lie on your stomach.” He says, taking off his shoes and climbing on the bed.

“Fine.” Mumbling, more to yourself than to him, you roll over, grabbing a pillow to rest your head. Breathing deeply, you feel the mattress moving under Dacre's weight as he places himself beside you.

“Let me know if it hurts, alright?” The moment you nod, you feel his hands on your back. And he must know what he's doing because it does feel good. The butterflies on your stomach are wide awake now, since Dacre has his hands on you, strong but delicate at the same time, rubbing and softly pushing your muscles.

“If I knew you were good at this I'd have asked.” You say with a smile, pulling the small amount of hair that still falls on your back out of his way. Dacre gets this as a permission to put a little more pressure, just enough to make you relax. His fingers slide under the fabric of your shirt, but you don't mind.

“Glad I can help.”

You just mumble in response, suddenly feeling your tiredness taking over as you close your eyes shut. Falling asleep now is the last thing you want because it's so good to be around Dacre, and you think you may finally understand where you both stand in all this situation. What you're feelings are and if they can take you somewhere.

“It's ok, I'm alright now.” You speak up, moving to lie on your side. “If you continue I'll fall asleep in a matter of seconds.”

“If you're tired I can go.” He gestures at the door, already moving.

“No. Stay.” Bursting out, you sit up, grabbing his arm. You can't believe what you just said. What you just asked of him. “If you want, of course.”

Dacre stands still for a while, frozen before he settles down on the bed again. “Alright.” You can tell he's tired too, by the way his eyes are heavy.

“Let's play a game. Who sleeps first loses.” The idea comes suddenly to your head, and it seems to lighten up the mood.

“And what will I get when I win?” He has a cocky smile on his lips as he lies down, facing you.

“When? Don't get overconfident.” Moving a little to get comfortable, you take a deep breath when your eyes set upon his. Blue and calming. “I'm gonna win.” You say, winking at him.

“I really doubt that.” As he speaks, Dacre brings his hand to your face, fingers sliding from your forehead to your eyelids, forcing you to close your eyes. “You'll lose, so better start making peace with that.” His voice, low and deep, sends a shiver down your spine.

You were just about to answer, to say something, when you notice how his hand lingers, moving to caress your cheek, thumb rubbing the soft skin on your jaw until it reaches your chin. Slowly, painfully slow, it comes to your lower lip. His touch burns, making your head spin around. The memory of the kiss fills your head, and you know you want to do that again.

Swallowing hard, you gather all the courage you can to move closer to him, ending all the space between your bodies and, being really brave for once, going for the thing you want. That you need the most right now. You connect your lips to his, feeling relieved as if a burden was suddenly lifted when you feel him kissing you back. Dacre's hand remain on your cheek, and yours rest on his chest, feeling his muscles under the soft fabric of his shirt. The kiss is slower this time, as if you're both discovering, unrevealing each other. But you don't mind. You love it as much as you loved the other one.

It sucks when you have to break apart to breathe. But when you do, you remain close, your foreheads touching because you just can't force yourself to pull away from him now. “Sorry, I... I had to.” You mutter under your breath.

“It's alright.” Dacre's hand comes to encircle your waist, keeping you close. “If you didn't, I'd have to.” He giggles. “I've been dying to kiss you, (Y/N).”

“Me too.” You whisper. “What you said in the message... I feel the same way. That kiss... I really wanted it and that wasn't Amy, it was me.” Maybe it's the sleep winning over you, but the words just come out. You need him to know. You need to let it out and you hope it means something to him. “Dacre, I... I really like you. A lot.”

You blush when he smiles, but soon enough a giggle escapes your lips. “Then I'd like to take you on a second date. As soon as James lets us out of this set.”

“I'd love that.” Giggling like a teenager, you kiss him again, a peck on the lips that linger a little too long. But not long enough. “Uhm... You can crash here if you want.” You decide to offer since you just noticed you're already on the bed, all tangled on each other. “I think we already reached the point of no return here.”

“I agree...”

“Are we... Are we going to sleep like this?” You ask, putting a strand of hair behind your ear.

“However you like.”

Biting your lip to hold back a smile, you turn around. Dacre is fast to hold you, a strong arm pushing your back against his chest. “Is this ok?”

“Yeah.” You both move to get more comfortable and you lay your hand on top of his, on your stomach.

You've never been like that with anyone, so close, so... Intimate. But you like it. And you can't believe it's Dacre who's holding you this way.

×

@baker151910 @shinydixon @dreamin-of-dacre @hanoi15 @lickmymelaninn @foccus @multific @uncookspaget @kellysimagines @peakascum @thisbreakableheaven

#dacre montgomery x reader #dacre montgomery imagine #dacre montgomery fanfiction #imagine dacre montgomery #billy hargrove x reader #imagine billy hargrove #billy hargrove imagine #stranger things imagine

[chibinekochan]

How to become a Demon Ruler 113

Part: 01 I 02 I 03 I 04 I 05 I 06 I 07 I 09 I 10 I 11 I 12 I

GN. Reader insert

taglist: @ayesha95 ; @nomnomcupcakesworld ; @fex-phoenix ; @depressed-bixch ; @kitsune-oji ; @witch-o-memes

The party is the last part of this story. So there is one more part after this one.

I wake, being cocooned in my blanket.

I can't see Barbatos anywhere so I just proceed to stand up. I plan to take this morning slowly.

I get ready much like usual.

Strangely, Barbatos doesn't show up at all. As much as his sudden appearances scare me sometimes, right now I miss him.

I find the outfit for the party hanging by the door. It looks very nice. I fondly remember how I bought it.

I find my breakfast ready for me. Another bit of loneliness hits me. This means I won't see Diavolo this morning either.

I sigh and look at my favorite breakfast. Obviously made to make me feel better.

I can only sigh at it. Then I see a note, placed at the side of my dish.

Dear young Master,

I humbly apologize for not being able to wake you up this morning.

I have full faith that you will find this in time before lunch. Please rest until then.

I will be there in time to help you dress.

Your loyal servant Barbatos.

PS. Sorry for leaving you all alone. Please don't cry. ≈ Diavolo

Somehow I can't help but smile at the note. It's obvious how much they care.

I then see the items I requested from Barbatos. He is diligent as always. He even prepared wrapping paper, knowing that I'd insist on wrapping them myself.

So I eat my meal, with little enjoyment, and then wrap all of the presents for the brothers.

I do my best but they aren't perfect.

After that, I'm unsure what to do all by myself.

A wave of sadness rushes over me. I never realized how lonely my life was before coming here. Living day in and day out, always the same, always all alone.

Funny how everything can change so much in a single instance.

Barbatos left me a stack of books. I give this a dry chuckle.

What am I thinking? I have to survive first of all. No time to mope around.

With a bit more motivation I open a book and start to read.

So I pass time until a knock rips me out of the colorful devildom history.

"Come in." I hope it's Barbatos.

"You should ask first, who is there? You never know who might be on the other side." Barbatos shakes his head, but can't hide his smile.

"I was hoping that it would be you." I simply close my book and get up from my bed.

"What would you have done if it wasn't me?" Barbatos sighs.

"Umm, throw a book?" Some of them are heavy enough to do damage.

"I will add self-defense to your lessons." Then he seems to stop himself from saying something else. "We should get you ready."

I look at him, slightly suspicious. "Did you want to say something else there?"

Barbatos seems surprised that I caught on to this. "I need to be more careful around you. Sadly, I have promised not to say anything so please be patient. Just know that I would… no, I already said too much." Barbatos sighs once more. I have never seen him this troubled before.

"I hope keeping secrets from me won't become a habit. I honestly hate that sort of thing." I speak firmly, grimacing at this. "Diavolo acted a bit shady yesterday too." It makes me feel very uncomfortable.

"I understand, . From now on I will not keep secrets from you as long as I can avoid it." Barbatos acts like he is fully agreeing with it, but his words are clear to me.

"You will keep secrets to protect me I assume?" I can't hide my disdain for this.

"Yes. I will shield you from any harm." He doesn't even hesitate.

"It will harm me more if you hide important things from me. I'd rather get hurt by knowledge than by mistrust." I look away from Barbatos.

"What if the truth kills you?" Barbatos seems to honestly consider it.

"Well that might be an exception, but know that I will likely still end up trusting you less. Especially when I realize that you are hiding something." I can't truly fault him for that and it seems like a pretty unique exception.

Barbatos nods in understanding. "I will consider these points in the future. Regardless of this specific case, I have promised to keep it a secret. I hope you can forgive me for this." His consideration is probably as much as I will get out of him.

"Fine, and I forgive you this once." I'm glad he got my message at least.

Barbatos seems relieved by my words. "I'm glad that it's settled. Now we should let you get changed."

I feel pretty embarrassed. "You don't expect me to change in front of you, do you?"

"Based on your reaction, I'd suppose I don't, but this outfit seems rather fragile so if you need assistance I will be right here." Barbatos clearly planned to dress me himself.

There is no way I'd let that slide. "I will change in my dressing room. Will you change too?" Now I wonder how he would look in a different suit.

"No, I will only attend as your butler tonight." Barbatos calmly explains.

"Too bad. I bet you would look great in a different suit." I shrug and smile at him.

"Maybe next time." He smiles gently at me.

Somehow I expected him to protest.

I take my outfit and head to my changing room. Much to my surprise, I find matching underwear and shoes waiting for me. I mean I kind of expected shoes but underwear? This is very embarrassing.

I strip naked and start to get dressed. The outfit for the party is indeed very fancy, it takes me a while to figure out how to dress it all by myself. My pride prevents me from calling out for help from Barbatos.

Then finally I step outside. I walk very slowly, thanks to the new shoes and the new outfit.

Barbatos looks at me with wide eyes.

"Do I look weird?" My cheeks become hot once again.

"Oh no, quite the opposite. You look gorgeous." Barbatos looks at me full of admiration. "Now I regret even more that I wasn't with you when you picked this outfit." He sighs lightly. "Well regardless. I have to insist on taking a picture of you." Barbatos suddenly has a camera.

"A picture? Now I feel like this is my prom night." I chuckle.

Barbatos quickly takes the photo at that very moment. "This will be my greatest treasure."

"Barbatos, you sound like a parent." I smile and shake my head.

He huffs. "I'm just very happy to be able to share this moment with you. Furthermore, I'd like you to refrain from calling me your parent."

"I know you aren't my parent. I think of you much more like a friend, even if you are seeing me as your master." I have to clearly say this to him.

"I'm pleased you see me this way. I don't just think of you as my master either." Barbatos smiles in his usual way.

"That is very good to hear. I can't say how much that means to me." He feels incredibly close to me, I'm very glad it's not one-sided.

Barbatos nods slowly. "I feel the same way." Then he pauses for a moment. "Shall we head over to the venue then?" Barbatos holds his arm towards me.

"Yes, lead the way." I take his arm with a bright smile.

Together we head to the big ballroom. Barbatos matching my speed to perfection.

I notice this especially since I'm slower than usual.

We meet with Diavolo by the entrance.

"Good evening. You look beautiful." Diavolo gives me his biggest smile yet.

Somehow the warmth of his smile seems to radiate right into me.

I take a moment to appreciate his prince outfit. It's similar but different from his usual attire. "You look very beautiful yourself."

Is it right to call him beautiful? Well he is, I have no regrets.

"Thank you. What a shame that Barbatos can't dress up today." Diavolo likes my compliment.

"Yeah, I said the same thing." I chuckle lightly.

Barbatos shakes his head. "You both should take your seats. For the first part of the party, everyone will come to greet you. The brothers should be first. That would be the best opportunity to give them their presents. I have placed them by your seat. After the greeting, there will be dinner. Then casual conversation and dancing. The first dance will be led by Diavolo and you." Barbatos summarizes the full event.

"You have forgotten the speech my father will give." Diavolo only adds that.

"So he will show up? I wasn't sure." Barbatos doesn't look like he knew.

"Only for a bit. I assume it's to watch over my lovely sibling." Diavolo shrugs.

I feel a cold chill running down my spine.

"You don't need to worry about him. You will, as they say, knock him off his socks." It feels very strange to hear Barbatos saying this. I look at him wide-eyed.

"Haha, sounds like you had a chat with Levi." Diavolo chuckles.

"I only hope he won't kill me." This is the only thing that matters to me.

"He would never do such a thing." Diavolo seems very surprised by my words.

I'm not too sure about that but maybe Diavolo is right. I trust him and silently pray that he is right.

"Let us sit down now before everyone arrives." Diavolo then offers me his arm instead and I take it.

I'm more steady now than before but it still feels very nice to do this.

I see two throne-like chairs on the far back of the room. They are on a small stage.

This will be awkward for sure.

I sit down, at least it's pretty comfortable.

"Everyone will go to greet Diavolo first and then you." Barbatos has already taken his position behind my chair. Probably because I might require his assistance.

"I was expecting that. Would it be okay if I get water or something in between the greetings?" I'm known to get a dry throat.

"Naturally. You can also take a bathroom break." Barbatos seems to add this for my sake. That's good to know.

For a bit, I watch the other servants doing whatever. We do have them after all. It's amusing to finally actually see them. I was honestly starting to think that Barbatos does everything by himself.

Then finally something starts to happen.

The big entrance door gets opened and someone announces the demon brothers.

I watch them all with great curiosity when they all walk into the room.

Most of them don't look eager to be here, I share their feelings.

They all wear fancy suits, at least one of them looks extremely uncomfortable in it.

Lucifer walks calmly over to us. Much as expected, he greets Diavolo first, though he keeps it very brief.

Then he comes over to me. "Good evening. It's a pleasure to meet you again. I hope this evening will be a great success." He is very polite.

"It's a pleasure to see you again Lucifer. I hope we get the chance to meet more casually next time. I took the liberty to buy you and your brothers presents in the hopes of forging a good relationship." I smile at him and speak in a manner befitting a man of his stature.

"How very kind of you. I and my brothers have prepared a present for you as well. Please open it later." Lucifer takes a big box from one of his brothers.

He holds it out for me.

"Please allow me to take it for safekeeping." Barbatos quickly chimes in and takes the box. I wonder what they got me.

"Thank you very much for your kindness." I give him a big smile and Lucifer nods at me seemingly pleased.

"Lucifer, when can we eat? I'm hungry." One of the brothers speaks up.

"Beel I told you to eat before we came." Lucifer sighs.

"I'm afraid we cannot serve you food at this point." Barbatos sighs. The kitchen is still preparing it seems.

"I think I might be able to help. I prepared a big amount of cookies for Beel as his present. Please feel free to eat some now." I gently smile at Beel and Barbatos hands him the nicely wrapped cookies.

"Oohhh, how sweet of you." Beel takes the whole package and straight-up eats it, with the packaging still intact. I almost gasp in disbelief.

"Beel don't eat things with the packaging." One of the other brothers shakes his head.

"Sorry, they are very good though. You want some too, Belphie?" Beel shows the half-eaten package to his brother.

"No thanks." Belphie shakes his head.

"I apologize for his behavior." Lucifer sighs.

"Don't worry about it. I have put a few cookies into everyone's present." I somehow expected this to happen.

"Haha everyone knows how much of a glutton you are. Oh so lovely to see you again. That outfit looks very beautiful by the way." Asmo giggles and then calmly compliments me.

"Thank you Asmo. You look gorgeous tonight." I ignore his obvious undertone and calmly smile.

"I know, but I would look even better without the strict dress code." He shakes his head.

"Asmo, I told you, you need to greet Diavolo first." Lucifer seems pretty exhausted. "Beel you didn't even greet the new heir." He looks sternly at the still munching Beel.

"Ups sorry, I just got distracted by that outfit." Asmo doesn't seem sorry at all, but he walks over to Diavolo anyway.

Lucifer sighs again. He certainly doesn't have an easy life.

"I'm sorry. I was just hungry. The cookies were very great. Thank you for them." Beel sheepishly apologizes to me.

"I'm glad you enjoyed them." I can't be very mad at him. He has that puppy aura.

"Thank you for helping Beel. I'm Belphie by the way." He seems grateful and then he yawns.

"It's a pleasure meeting you. Please enjoy your present." I smile and hand him the gift. It's very light compared to Beels.

He unwraps it and starts to smile. "Nice, I will test this right away."

"No you won't, go over to your chair if you are done here," Lucifer tells him off. I start to wonder if they are children.

"I'm back. Sorry, I was cut so short. Anyway, I was talking about how much better I'd look in a more flashy outfit." Asmo his back, casually continuing.

"Stop talking so much and let the others have a turn." This brother sounds rather annoyed.

"Gee, excuse me for making small talk." Asmo rolls his eyes.

"We should talk more later. Please enjoy your present for now." I try to mediate between them.

I show the present to Asmo, I made sure to make it look extra pretty.

"It's so beautifully wrapped. Let's take a Pic before I open it." Asmo proceeds to be busy with that for a moment.

"You must be Satan. I'm very pleased to meet you." I smile politely.

"How did you know? He seems surprised by my guess.

"It was an educated guess. A few things gave you away, like your cat-shaped pin." To be completely honest it was his temper but I will not tell him that.

"Mammon told you about that huh? Well, I'm happy to meet you. I wasn't sure what to expect, to be honest, but you seem to be doing just fine." Satan is pretty polite, it seems.

"I hope you will enjoy your present." I smile at him. He doesn't seem to be too bad.

"Thanks for the gift. I didn't get the chance to buy it. I'll wear it for the after-party." Asmo is cheerfully holding the top I bought for him.

"I'm just glad you like it. Please tell me what you think after wearing it." I feel pretty good about his reaction.

"Sure, I will ask Mammon for your number if you don't mind." Asmo smiles.

"Of course." I think this is a good sign.

Satan has meanwhile gotten his present from Barbatos and seems to be pretty happy.

"Asmo, Satan, when you are done join the others." Lucifer sounds about done with them.

I can see other guests start to line up already.

Satan seems to mumble about something and they both leave.

"Yo, you look great tonight. Almost didn't recognize ya." Mammon is very casual. I don't mind that though.

"Mind your manners." Lucifer scolds him.

"I don't mind if you are casual with me." I smile and notice the last brother still standing awkwardly around. "And you don't need to be scared of me I promise I don't bite." I try to reassure him.

"Don't mind Levi, he is socially awkward." Mammon is pretty blunt about it.

"I understand, . I'm not offended if you are too shy to talk to me. Please take your present anyway. It's some Manga from the human world. I hope you don't own them already." I hope this will help to break the ice.

Levi's eyes light up in an instance.

"This is for you Mammon." I hand him his present.

He basically rips the packaging apart. "Oh, sweet new shades." Mammon looks happy.

Levi meanwhile opens his package very carefully, even when it's all inside of a box. His eyes seem to light up with every title he takes out. "Wow, I haven't seen any of these yet. Amazing! We need to talk about all of them soon!" All of his awkwardness seems to be gone now. I feel relieved.

"Of course, let's do that. I have read all of them myself. You can ask Mammon for my number too if you want." It does sound like fun to talk about my old Manga with someone.

"S-sure.. Thank you so much." Levi blushes and basically runs off. Mammon follows after him.

Lucifer shakes his head. "I hope they didn't give you a bad first impression."

"Not at all. They all seem very nice." I had somehow expected worse.

"I'm glad that you see it that way. I had some kind of idea for you, after hearing so much from Diavolo. He hasn't exaggerated. I look forward to getting to know you better." He smiles kindly and joins his brothers.

"I feel the same way." I need to find out what Diavolo is saying about me. I'm sure it's very embarrassing.

"I'm sure you will fit in just fine." Lucifer smiles kindly at me. I'm not sure what he means but I smile back at him.

The seven brothers are certainly an interesting bunch.

#obey me #obey me! #demon ruler 101 #how to become a demon ruler #omswd #obey me barbatos #obey me diavolo #obey me demon brothers #obey me shall we date #obey me one master to rule them all #obey me fanfic #obey me fanfiction #om! shall we date #om!

[crystaljins]

River lead me home | 06

Characters: Kim Seokjin x reader

Word count: 5.6k

Synopsis:  Ever since coming to the human realm when you were child, nothing seems to fit, and this was just supposed to be a simple roadtrip to help you find yourself.

Is that too much to ask for?

Spin-off to A long journey home

Rating: Teens

Genre: Adventure, fluff, angst

Notes: This is like the third or fourth time I’ve forgotten to post the chapter LOL!! Anyway, we’re fast approaching the end and I’m so tempted to draw it out because I’m not ready to say goodbye T.T but i’m also reaching the point where i can’t even remember what happens in each chapter LOL I read the cute messages you guys send and I have to go back and re-read to know what youre talking about ahaha

Also I feel like there hasn’t been enough asks about Jungkook’s role in this story and hopefully that will change after this chapter LOL

Tags: @blue1928​ @veeparkersstuff​

Masterlist

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 FINAL

As the three of you prepare to depart the next morning, Ayla catches Jin as he’s packing up the supplies provided to him. The Psittanurans had been generous in their rewards and you all have abundant supplies to last you through until you reach the human realm once more. 

“I apologise for offending Jungkook,” Ayla announces, as she helps Jin sort through the various medical supplies the Psittanurans had gifted to him. He’s not entirely sure on the function of each object, and so Ayla had offered to talk him through everything. 

Jin pauses in his examination of a bottle of sharp-smelling liquid to glance at Ayla in surprise. 

“Don’t mind him.” Jin says dismissively with a warm smile. “He has the manners of a sewer rat. In fact, if you want to execute him for his disrespect, feel free to.”

Ayla’s eyes go wide, her bright yellow iris peering at Jin in absolute horror.

“I would never do such a thing!” She cries. “Do you not care at all about your wish?”

“My wish?” Jin echoes in confusion. He can’t say he has a specific wish- mostly for peace and quiet, but the timing for Ayla to bring up a wish seems strange. She tilts her head curiously to the side.

“Is it not your wish he must fulfill? Is he (Y/N)’s pixie, then?” She wonders aloud. Jin stares, completely confused. 

“I mean, I wouldn’t say he belongs to either of us- he’s just kind of there. Like a toe fungus- hard to get rid of and painful to look at.” He snorts. 

“That’s strange. Usually pixies stay with the creature who made the wish, but it doesn’t sound like either of you have made a wish.” Ayla observes. Jin pauses as he packs away the last of his medical kit- the niggling feeling he had felt last night about Jungkook returns. 

“Wish?” He tests the word aloud. It does sound vaguely familiar- if he reflects on his schooling from before the war, he does vaguely recall something about pixies and wishes. But he can’t think what it is, and his memory is frustratingly blank. 

“Do you not know the origin of pixies? I would have thought an ancient species like a guardian would know everything there is to know about the species that inhabit this realm.” Ayla observes. Jin frowns. Perhaps, if his people had not been driven heartlessly from the realm they spent generations protecting, he would have the extensive knowledge that Ayla seems to expect of him. 

“Refresh my memory.” He says slowly. 

“A pixie is born of a desperate wish.” She explains. “And their goal and purpose in life is to see that wish come to fruition.”

Jin blinks. Jungkook, in all the years Jin has known him, has never mentioned anything with regards to a goal or purpose. All he’s ever done is get into trouble alongside you and antagonise small, fluffy dogs. 

“So, you think Jungkook has a wish he has to fulfill?” Jin questions. Ayla nods. 

“He must. He could not exist otherwise. Although, it is strange that neither of you seem to know about that. Can you not think of a wish he must fulfil?” She asks curiously. Jin frowns as he recalls the night before. Jungkook had been frustratingly vague when discussing why you had to see the river. And casting a spell to force you to see it had been oddly out of character for him. Could his strange behaviour have to do with whatever the wish is? What even is the wish? Is it yours? Why have you never mentioned it before?

“I can’t.” Jin finally admits. “This is the first time I’m hearing about how pixies are born. So then, what happens when they fulfil that wish?” He wonders. Ayla shakes her head. 

“I’m afraid that knowledge has been lost to time. No one has even seen a pixie in a very long time- they aren’t exactly common.” She admits. “The last one was probably the Saishta Queen’s pixie; it managed to convince two guardians to steal the young dragon prince. So, they have a bit of a bad reputation.” She admits. 

Jin is silent. Taehyung had been involved with the dragon prince incident, he knows, and his new girlfriend had gotten dragged into the fray too. But as far as he knew, Taehyung had never met any pixie. And Jungkook, as annoying and pesky as he is, would never do something as awful as that. Not to mention it’s been thirteen years since Jin met the little pixie. If he’d had bad intentions, he could have acted far sooner. It’s far more likely that you made a wish and you didn’t realise you’d created Jungkook. 

Still, he can’t help but wonder. If a pixie is born of a desperate wish, what was the wish that led to Jungkook’s birth? And what could Jungkook’s goal be in leading you to this realm, and to the river?

Ayla takes her leave then, bidding Jin a warm farewell and wishing him well on the rest of his journey. She leaves Jin alone in the little hut he had taken residence in for the night. 

“It’s not anything bad.” Jin starts at the sudden voice and turns to find Jungkook sitting comfortably on the little cabinet at Jin’s bedside. Neither he nor Ayla had registered the little pixie’s presence, which is disconcerting to say the least. 

“What?” Jin snaps, irritated by the way he was so startled. Jungkook stretches and gets to his feet. 

“The wish. It’s not for anything bad. So, you don’t have to worry.” He tells Jin with a yawn. 

“How come you never mentioned it before?” Jin asks curiously. Jungkook shrugs. 

“Well, I can’t. We can’t speak of the wish or the owner of the wish aloud.” He explains. “And as for why I waited so long... I guess I was afraid. I don’t know what will happen to me when I grant the wish.” He confesses. 

Jin stares at Jungkook for a long time, and for the first time since he’s known the little pixie, Jin realises that Jungkook is very good at hiding behind a smile. He can’t imagine what it must be like, having only a handful of people and some moths to talk to for thirteen years. Watching them grow up without you- not being able to share in the bonds and friendships they formed. 

“Will... will something happen to you?” Jin questions hesitantly. Jungkook shrugs and shoots him a grin, but there’s a tired quality to it. 

“I certainly hope not.” He answers, but the implication is clear: something might. Jin feels a tremor of unease at the thought. 

“Are you guys done? We really should be heading off?” You call, popping your head in through the doorway of Jin’s little hut. You’re already sporting your hello kitty backpack and you’ve changed into a fresh pair of clothes. Jin wasn’t afforded the luxury of fresh clothes, but luckily the Psittanurans had some travel garments they could lend him. It fits a little strangely given their unusual body shapes, but their tendency to make loose-fitting, free flowing clothes has worked in Jin’s favour. 

“Almost.” Jin says quickly. Jungkook flutters up to land cross-legged on Jin’s shoulder. Your gaze catches the exchange, and you arch an eyebrow. Obviously, it’s strange to see Jin and Jungkook getting along. But you brush it aside and offer Jin a smile instead. 

“Great! Because apparently the river is only a few days away! Isn’t that great?” You ask cheerfully. Jin struggle to keep a straight face as he recalls Ayla’s words from last night. 

“Hey,” Jin says slowly because he doesn’t think it’s right to keep such knowledge from you. “About the river-“

“Let’s get going!” Jungkook interrupts, leaping across the distance from Jin’s shoulder to your own like he’s an Olympic athlete. He stabilises himself against your neck and glares at Jin over his shoulder. The meaning of the look is clear enough- don’t say anything. Jin bites his lip- he’s not sure it’s right to keep it secret. 

But something stops him. He doesn’t know why. Something about the tone of Jungkook’s voice when he confessed that he didn’t know what would happen to him... it lingers in Jin’s mind. 

With a sigh, Jin shakes his head and steps so that he’s standing shoulder to shoulder with you. 

“Have you said goodbye to everyone?” Jin asks, because he knows you’d somehow made a whole bunch of friends during the festivities last night. It was surprising, to say the least. You’d never been the social kind or the type to win the attention of people you’d just met. 

Or maybe you’d just never been in the right situation to do so. Jin feels an uncomfortable pang in his chest at the thought. 

“Yup! So, there’s nothing left to do now except see the river.” You respond. You glance sidewards at Jin. “What were you and Jungkook talking about?”

“About your embarrassing crush on him.” Jungkook drawls. 

Your eyes go wide, and Jin feels his heart drop into his stomach. He can’t believe Jungkook would blatantly throw him under the bus like that- actually, no. He can believe that. 

“I... I...” you stutter, and your cheeks glow red and if the darn pixie didn’t have such quick reactions, Jin would be taking great pleasure in flinging him through the air at the nearest tree. Your mouth trembles and you look like you’re about to cry and if the revelation of your feelings didn’t already have Jin feeling like the scum of the earth, then this most certainly does. 

“(Y/N),” Jin calls hastily, already desperately trying to plan how to placate you. But then you swallow and stare at him with hardened eyes. 

“I don’t have a crush on you.” You assert firmly. 

The words die on Jin’s tongue. He doesn’t know why, but they do. It’s like you’ve just slapped him and he’s still reeling from the shock. He opens his mouth a few times, but no words come out- he just flounders uselessly like a goldfish that had foolishly leapt out of the safety of its tank. 

And it’s stupid. It’s positively idiotic. But he can’t help but think… you didn’t have to deny it so aggressively. It’s not like... it’s not like your feelings are a secret! And when you deny them like that... it just sounds so convincing! Wouldn’t a simple “huh I don’t know what you’re talking about?” suffice?

You take the opportunity of Jin’s speechlessness to get a head start, huffily storming off towards the eastern exit of the village. Jin shoots Jungkook a glare. 

“Very nice.” Jin snaps. Jungkook shrugs. 

“It was me or you, man. And sorry, but I choose me.” He says simply. 

Not for the first time, Jin restrains the urge to give Jungkook the solid flick he deserves. 

Luckily, though you have a multitude of irritating personality traits, holding grudges is not one of them. It does not take long for the wonders of the next leg of the journey to catch your eye and before long you are chattering Jin’s ear off like there’s no tomorrow, about the wildlife you’ve spotted or about the weird plants. It makes him smile, because this trip is finally being enjoyed in the way you intended it to be. 

For the first time since starting on this wretched journey, Jin realises he is enjoying himself. The sunlight streams warmly through the trees and gradually the metallic flora native to the Golden Plains starts to infiltrate the surrounding shrubbery. With your detour to the marshlands, you had essentially skipped the starlit wonder of Mountains of Delaria, but you will still get to see the magnificent Golden Plains as they are the only way to access the river after leaving the swamplands.

It’s so rare to see you smiling and cheerful. Usually you’re hunched and awkward, like a puppy that’s just been scolded for urinating on the carpet. But here, you’re bright- he’s even go so far as to say that you’re radiant, in the afternoon sunlight, surrounded by the mystically glinting metallic plants. You’re in your element in a way you’ve never really been before.

It makes a warm, fond feeling bloom in the centre of his chest. This is the (Y/N) that everyone has been trying to get back for so long. The girl with sunshine in her smile and bright, eager eyes. He had almost forgotten that girl existed but seeing her now- seeing you now- has him smiling like a dope. 

“What will you do when you go back?” It takes him a moment to even realise he’s asked the question. You stare at him, a bit surprised, while Jungkook shoots him a look like he’s gone crazy. Jin almost curses his big mouth, but then you smile at him. 

“I don’t know.” You confess. You turn your gaze to where a low hanging flower dips into your path. Its petals glint a wonderful metallic purple and when you run your fingers over them, they are stiff like sheets of metal. 

Jin prides himself on being a bit of a smooth talker- no one can be as popular with women as he as without a bit of a silver tongue, so to speak. So, no one is more surprised than himself at the tactless words he blurts out next. 

“Would you ever stay here?” He regrets the words as soon as he says them. What if he’s giving you ideas? His mum would kill him- your mum would kill him. And he’d never be able to visit- he’d wait a week and two years would have passed for you. Within a year, 120 years would have passed in this realm. You’d be long dead from old age by that stage. And yet... the question has been weighing on his mind without him even realising it. You’re so happy and at ease here- if you can’t ever settle in the other realm, does that mean the only place you’d ever be happy is here? His heart leaps into his throat in anticipation of your answer. Jungkook simply stares in confusion.

“No.” You say, and the firmness in your voice stills the panicked racing of his heart. “There’s nothing here for me, now.” You shoot him a furtive, shy glance. “Our family is in the other realm.” You remind him. “This was only ever supposed to be a short trip.” 

For some reason, his slow, stupid brain lingers on the way that you say “our family”. Not “your family”. Or “my family”. But “our family”. Like the two of you are family. That strangely fond feeling from earlier returns, but with a vengeance, carried on the wings of the thousands of butterflies that decide to take residence in his stomach. Jungkook’s incredulous expression morphs, and it irritates the way he looks strangely smug at Jin’s sudden floundering. Jin suddenly finds himself missing the time he had with you earlier, without Jungkook there to eavesdrop and pass judgement. 

“You seem really happy here, is all.” Is all Jin can manage. 

You turn to face Jin fully and your answering smile is annoyingly bright. 

“I’ve wanted to do this for years! Of course I’d be happy.” You remind him. “But me being happy here doesn’t suddenly make it my home. It stopped being my home the day that...” you trail away for a second, and your smile falters. “Anyway, it hasn’t been my home for a long time.” You say dismissively. 

“So, what did you think this trip would achieve, then?” Jin asks curiously. “And why now, right after a fight with your mother? You know she must be worried sick about you.”

You grimace, staring straight ahead. The trees are starting to thin out, and in the gaps between the foliage, an endless expanse of blue peeks through. 

“Are you trying to scold me again?” You joke. “I get that it was irresponsible. And selfish too. But Jin,” your expression as you gaze at him is so serious and sincere that for a moment, Jin doesn’t know who you are. It’s like an entirely different person gazes you at him. “I really, truly want to be happy for my mother. I love her more than anything. I want to be celebrating her marriage. I do. But I can’t... I can’t just forget about him. I can’t just move on.” Tears well in your eyes as you come clean. It’s been a very long time since you’ve been vulnerable and open with Jin like this and it surprises him to realise that he missed this. He’s missed having your trust and affection. He doesn’t know how he lost it, but he’s strangely relieved to know that he’s slowly gaining it back. “I’ve tried so damn hard. But I won’t be able to smile at her wedding or celebrate with her until I’ve said goodbye.” You confess. “That’s what this trip was. It’s a chance to say goodbye. So yeah, I’m happy to be here. I’m happy to be seeing the things he wanted me to see. But no, this isn’t my home- home is where you guys are.” 

In that moment, Jin realises something. He doesn’t know how he hadn’t realised it sooner, with it staring him right in the face all this time.  But never has it been clearer to him than in this moment- you’ve grown up. Somewhere, somehow along the line, you stopped being that little girl who needed him to hold her hand or stand up to her bullies in school. That’s why you’ve stopped looking like the girl he’s known all his life. It’s because you’ve stopped being that girl. And yet, at the same time, you haven’t. The person who stands before him is the young woman he’s cared for most of his life... but also a young woman he doesn’t know. Someone who can defeat Forest Spirits with her mind and infiltrate enemy encampments with nothing but her wits to save her friends. Someone who was brave enough to take the steps to recover after losing everything. And yeah, maybe you took a few bum steps along the way. Maybe you didn’t settle in as easily as he did. But you’re so much better than what he thought you could be- what anyone thought you could be. 

And he’s so incredibly proud of y-

“Look out!” You’re shoving him to the ground before he can even finish the thought. He winces as he hits the ground.

“(Y/N)!” Jungkook cries, and Jin’s never heard that tone of absolute terror in the pixie’s voice before. 

“Jin.” You gasp, standing where he had been a mere moment prior. He doesn’t understand what’s happening, until he gazes over your shoulder and he spots it. The arrow, sprouting from your left shoulder, right through the hot pink strap of your backpack. The blood, pouring from the fresh wound. The agony in your expression. 

And he’s a doctor- he’s seen much worse in the ED but for the first time in his life the sight of blood makes him dizzy enough that he may pass out. You’re bleeding- you’ve been shot. Worse- you were shot instead of him. That arrow’s trajectory should have lodged itself directly where his heart had been moments ago, but instead you took the hit. 

You took an arrow for him. He should be dead... but you... but you...

Time seems to slow as the colour drains from your face. You crumple, and Jin scrambles forward, barely managing to catch you before you hit the ground. He cradles you, his expression manic. 

“You idiot!” He all but snarls. “Are you crazy?”

“I’m sorry!” You gasp, clinging desperately to the loose material of his shirt. “My body... moved on its own.”

Jin has never really experienced heartbreak before. For a guy who spends a lot of time dating around, he’s always seemed to escape with his heart intact. 

But the weak, confused tone to your voice might just do it. If he’d known that it hurt this much to get your heart broken, he might never have risked it before. Nothing can prepare him for the sheer agony of realising you’d thoughtlessly throw away your life in exchange for his own. That the reflex is so deeply ingrained in you that you didn’t hesitate to throw yourself in the path of an arrow for him.

“Jin!” Jungkook cries. “Jin, they’ve found us! We have to go!” 

Jin doesn’t need to be told twice. He scrabbles to his feet, pausing to hoist your prone form over his shoulder in a fireman carry and then legging it as fast as he can, just as the sound of a Saishta hunting horn erupts in the shrubbery behind you. 

There is no living creature in this realm that can catch up to a guardian that has decided to flee. Even a guardian like Jin. Especially a guardian like Jin, who has desperation and panic fuelling his desperate sprint. You scrabble at his shirt, trying to stabilise yourself, and he ignores the way he can feel blood soaking into his shirt from where you grab at him. 

He doesn’t know how long he sprints mindlessly, desperately across the glittering fields of the Golden Plains, but right at the point where his lungs burn and he thinks he may collapse, he feels you tugging at his shirt. 

“Over there!” You gasp, and he turns his head to follow where you point with your good arm. It’s a slightly raised hill, with some sort of abandoned burrow. There are various megafauna that inhabit the Golden Plains and live below ground- this must be one of those. 

Jin quickly decides he’d much rather take on an angry giant rabbit than a troupe of highly trained Saishtas. 

The burrow entrance is small, and he’s glad you have sharp eyes, for anyone else would have missed it. But  after crawling through, although you have significantly more trouble with a blood arrow sprouting from your shoulder blade (Jin just ends up snapping the protruding shaft so that you can drag yourself through) it widens into an earthen alcove that’s just the right size for two guardians and a pixie to conceal themselves. 

You collapse weakly on the earthen floor, pale and gasping for breath.

“Let me see.” Jin demands, when he’s gained his composure enough to examine the wound. He’s still embarrassingly out of breath, but he doesn’t think he’ll ever get his breath back. He helps you into a sitting position so that your back is to him.

You offer no protest to him blatantly ripping the damaged strap off your backpack so that he can tug it over your other arm and toss it aside. It’s probably a testament to how much pain you’re in- that backpack had been a gift from Taehyung, and you treasured it like he’d bought you a diamond or something. 

The arrowhead doesn’t go deep, thankfully. The backpack strap provided enough padding to reduce the damage, and your shoulder blade prevented the arrowhead from piercing through into your thoracic cavity. But there’s significant muscle damage and if you were a human, you’d probably have lost all use of the arm. Blood streams from the wound and the material of your shirt is completely soaked. But the bleeding has mostly stopped, though your back is sticky with congealed blood. 

You aren’t going to die. Though you are weak and crumpled and pale from blood loss, you’ll survive. Especially with the enhanced healing your guardian nature lends you- if Jin can remove the arrow and stop infection from setting in, you’ll be fine. 

He feels the strength drain out of him at that thought. All that’s been keeping him going since the arrow hit him has been sheer terror. Now, with the space to breathe, he feels he doesn’t have the strength to hold himself up. 

He drops his head against your uninjured shoulder, and he feels you stiffen but you don’t crumble under his weight. 

“You’re such an idiot.” He says, but there’s no real malice in his voice- just a broken, exhausted tone he didn’t know he was capable of. 

A sharp jabbing pain in his temple startles him into sitting back up. Jungkook has kicked him. 

“Maybe you can save the exhausted lover boy act for after you’ve stopped her from bleeding out.” Jungkook points out drily, his arms folded across his tiny chest. 

“It’s... not that bad.” You grit, turning to face Jin. You’re pale and sweat pools at your temple and forehead. The pained expression on your face is enough to kick Jin into gear. Jungkook’s right. He doesn’t have time to break down now. The Saishtas are hot on your heels and you need first aid. And it’s nothing but open plains out there and golden, waist high grass. There will be nowhere to hide or escape once you set out for the river. If the Saishtas come across you, it’s outrun them, or defeat them. Jin doubts the three of you could do either in your current states.

Jin swallows and reaches for the satchel with the medical kit the Psittanurans had gifted him with. He’s just blindly trusting that the substances they gave him actually do what they claim and aren’t just hopeful voodoo, but it’s not like he has a bag of IV fluids and a sterile surgical kit handy to stitch you up. 

“I’m going to have to pull the arrow out.” He warns you, reaching for your torn bag strap. He balls it up in his hand and holds it up to your face. 

“As much as it hurts, bite into this.” He tells you. “I don’t have any local and so this is going to hurt like hell.”

You look slightly uneasy, but nod your head, leaning forward to take the balled-up strap between your teeth. 

Jin pulls out a small, dark vial which Ayla had told him was a coagulating liquid. Muscles bleed like hell and if the arrow has hit any vessels, you may pass out from blood loss. He swallows and braces himself. He can do this. He’s a doctor. He reaches deep into him and recalls the guy who worked in the ED and didn’t bat an eye at knife injuries or chainsaw accidents or that one drug addict with a prolapsed rectum. 

“Ok, I’m going to do it now.” He warns you. He then plants one hand flat on your uninjured shoulder and grips the broken arrow shaft in the other. 

“On the count of three.” He tells you, and you nod. Your fingers dig into the ground in anticipation. 

“Three.” He says, and then he yanks the arrow. 

Your answering scream is muffled by the bag strap, and you spit it out quickly as he empties the bottle of coagulant over the open wound, which is now filling up with fresh blood. 

“That wasn’t on the count of three!” You shriek. Jin nods sheepishly. 

“Ok. Well. There’s no use crying over the past.” He offers helpfully. He shoots a look at Jungkook. “Turn around. I’m taking her shirt off.” 

Both you and Jungkook splutter. 

“Why?” The two of you cry in eerie unison. You even turn fully to face Jin for good measure. He merely arches an eyebrow at you. 

“I know you don’t have a degree in medicine or anything... but generally bandages don’t include your tattered shirt edges sticking to the wound.” Jin explains patiently. “(Y/N), it’s fine. I’m literally a doctor. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”

It’s interesting that despite the blood loss, you can turn that particular shade of red. 

“That doesn’t make it any better.” You mumble, even as you turn away and obediently unbutton your drenched shirt. 

“It doesn’t have to be the whole shirt.” He murmurs comfortingly, pulling out a strip of material from the medical kit. Ayla had told him that it’s hard to get bandaging material to stay in place for silky Psittanuran feathers, so they often enchant materials with a special adhesive. “Just enough that your shirt isn’t sticking to it. I need to clean it up because the last thing we need is you getting an infection.” 

You nod and drop your shirt enough to expose the left half of your upper back. Jin clears his throat awkwardly as he slides the thick strap of your sports bra out of the way and notes that it’s awfully warm in this little burrow. 

“I didn’t know they made hello kitty sports bras.” Jungkook observes from where he’s hovering off to the side. You whip your head around to glare at him. 

“Get OUT!” You snap. He holds his hands up. 

“But you need me! What if Jin starts enjoying himself? You know how he feels about hello kitty-“ the empty coagulant vial being launched at him by your good arm is the only prompting Jungkook needs to go keep watch outside. 

Which leaves you and Jin alone. The air feels thick and sluggish in the burrow as Jin works cleaning off the wound and applying the bandage. You’ve gone quiet- whether from exhaustion or pain, it’s hard to tell, but Jin has to help you tug your shirt back into place when he finally finishes. 

He crawls over to your hello kitty bag and pulls out your water bottle. 

“Why’d you do it?” He asks quietly as you take a long drink from your bottle. You don’t answer for a long time, but finally you drop the bottle. 

“I told you. My body moved on its own.” You offer. 

“Exactly. Why?” He asks, and he doesn’t mean for so much anger to leech into his tone. It’s just, he feels like the stress and fear and agony of the past week catching up to him and he doesn’t know how to deal with it other than being angry. Angry at you, for deciding to go on this journey in the first place. Angry at this realm for taking your father’s life. Angry at himself, for being pathetic enough to have to constantly be protected and saved by you. 

But most of all, angry that your first instinct in danger is to disregard your own life in exchange for his own. He doesn’t even know what answer he’s looking for- that you love him? That it’s just instinct to save people? Neither answer would be particularly comforting.

“I don’t know.” You retort, and your tone is defensive in response to his barely concealed anger. “What do you want me to say, Jin? I heard the arrow coming and I didn’t exactly have time to think.”

“Exactly! That’s your problem!” He cries. “You never think! You only ever act! What would I have done, if your wound had been more serious? Have you ever once stopped to think about how that sort of thing affects me? How it feels to know you’re constantly doing things like fighting armed robbers and getting into fights and treating your life like it’s a piece of garbage to be thrown away without a thought?”

“That’s not what I-“ you protest, but Jin cuts you off. 

“What if you had died? What if I had lost you? What would I be supposed to do?” He cries, and he surprises himself when his voice catches. 

You go silent. Your words have been lost.

It actually reminds you of when Jin first caught you sneaking over to this realm. That fight seems like a lifetime ago, and he had scolded you for similar recklessness then. But strangely, it feels different. The look in Jin’s eyes is different. He’s... He’s not angry, you realise. He’s scared. 

He flinches when the hand of your uninjured arm lands on his forearm. You watch him curiously, your movements cautious as though you are approaching a scared animal. He certainly feels like one. 

Slowly, you slide your hand up his arm until you can hook your arm around the back of his neck and pull him into an awkward hug. It’s a little weird- you kind of have to awkwardly straddle him to properly hug him in the limited space, and he is still an unmoving like a wooden board. 

“It’s the same for me.” You answer softly. “I can’t lose you. I’m sorry- I didn’t have time to stop and think but I’ll never stop and think when your life is in danger.” You pull away to meet his gaze. “I’ll always just act. You’ll just have to get used to that.”

Jin is silent, as he stares up at you. A weird feeling overcomes him, at your proximity. It’s warm and overwhelming. And, if he’s being honest, it scares him a little with the intensity of it. Like, if he were to pull you downwards and hold you tight, nothing would ever go wrong again. It’s not entirely unfamiliar, but at the same time he’s certain he’s never felt like this in his entire life. 

“See I told you! It’s the hello kitty! He can’t resist!” Jin startles at the sound of Jungkook’s voice and you scramble off him like he’s burned you. He tries not to dwell on the fact that he instantly misses the warmth of your body. Suddenly the burrow feels too cold. 

Jungkook tuts and shakes his head. 

“See, good thing I came in here. Who knows what kind of stunt lover boy would have pulled?” He scolds. “Anyway, I think you’ve had enough time to recover. I guarantee you the Saishta’s are hunting for us as we speak and so we better get a move on.” 

You nod, adjusting your clothes awkwardly and gathering your things. 

Jin follows suit, almost robotically. He can’t shake the feeling that something huge just happened, but he doesn’t know what. 

But his stomach churns because there’s one thing he knows for sure: He can’t lose you. He’s so, so afraid.

#jin x reader #kim seokjin x reader #castlebangtan #thebtswritersclub #seokjin x reader #writing

[umbry-fic]

A Palette Full of You (3)

Summary: Glimpses into Colette and Lloyd’s lives as they grow up together, learn who they are, and fall in love with each other.

(Written for Colloyd Week 2021)

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters: Colette Brunel, Lloyd Irving, Sheena Fujibayashi, Zelos Wilder Relationships: Colette Brunel/Lloyd Irving, Colette Brunel & Lloyd Irving & Sheena Fujibayashi & Zelos Wilder Rating: G Chapter: 3 of 6 Word Count: 6896 Mirror Link: AO3 Original Post Date: 11/06/2021

Chapter Title: Race Into the Night

Chapter Summary: Lloyd, Colette, Zelos and Sheena visit the carnival to have a night of fun after the end of exams. Lloyd and Colette end up riding the Ferris wheel alone, where...

(Colloyd Week Day 3: Confession/First Kiss)

Notes: Chapter 3 of my multi chapter Colloyd week fic! Featuring much fluff and sap. Zelos is non-binary in this and uses they/them pronouns.

Chapter title from Yoasobi's song.

Chapter list Full fic Previous chapter Next chapter

~~~

18-years-old

"There is no way I'm ever going on that thing. You can't make me."

"Come on, you promised that if I scored better than you at darts you would ride the Riptide with me! Gonna go back on your word now, Sheena?"

"Stop smirking at me, Zelos! You clearly cheated! That game was rigged!"

"All carnival games are rigged. That's common knowledge."

"I don't care. You still cheated!"

"Cheated how? You were watching me the whole time!"

Colette giggled, watching her two friends have a go at each other as they inched closer to each other with each word they spoke. All three of them were leaning against the cold metal railing, though Colette was careful to keep a safe distance from Zelos and Sheena. When they were engrossed in arguing with each other, there was a safe zone, and a not-safe zone where one was liable to get smacked by a wildly gesturing arm or two.

Surrounding them were various stalls staffed by people who were enthusiastically calling out to potential customers, hoping to receive more coupons in the final hour before the carnival closed. There were pop-up game stalls featuring the classics like ring toss and soccer, food stands selling carnival staples like candy floss and popcorn, and even thrill rides like the aforementioned Riptide, a roller coaster that paled in comparison to USS' coasters but certainly had the most twists and turns of anything offered at the carnival. Adorning everything was bright neon lights and colourful decorations, and noise came from every angle, lending to a cheery atmosphere that could get a tad overwhelming at times.

Despite the late hour of 9 pm, there was still quite a crowd - mostly consisting of young adults like them, the majority of families having gone home for the night. She had bumped into quite a few classmates in the past three hours, who had come here with the same idea of having a fun night out with friends after the end of A-levels. A lot of pictures had been taken, until her cheeks hurt a bit from smiling so much, but it had been great fun.

She, Lloyd, Zelos and Sheena had managed to visit almost every booth, using up all of the coupons that they were sharing amongst each other. But even with their combined efforts, they had only managed to win one prize: the adorable Siberian Husky plush she was currently hugging. Though they'd certainly snacked on their share of popcorn, sharing one large carton between the four of them until their fingers were sticky with kernels.

"Colette, back me up!" Sheena begged, turning to face Colette. Despite the biting words that were leaving her mouth, her true emotions were betrayed by the smile playing at the corner of her lips. Sheena's hair was tied up into her trademark high ponytail, the ends of her hair swaying slightly in the weak wind.

"What, me?" Colette exclaimed, rather surprised she was being pulled into the conversation. Zelos and Sheena tended to retreat into their own world whenever they got into this state, forgetting anyone else existed.

"Uh, well..." Colette muttered, sheepishly smiling. "Sorry to disappoint, Sheena, but I have to give this one to Zelos."

"See? Even Colette agrees!" Zelos placed their elbow on the railing, leaning closer to Sheena, smirking.

Sheena didn't even spare Zelos a look, just shoved their face away with a hand, ignoring Zelos' sputters of protest. "How could you, Colette? How could you side with the idiot?" Sheena cried in mock betrayal.

"Well, I and Lloyd were both there, and we both saw Zelos win fair and square. And a deal's a deal," Colette replied, shrugging. Zelos did seem more insistent than usual, but she couldn't discern why.

"Just think of it as a date!" Zelos waved a nonchalant arm in the air, that smirk never fading as they took hold of Sheena's arm.

"Screaming in abject terror is not my idea of a date," Sheena hissed through gritted teeth, though she didn't free herself from Zelos' hold. "Besides, we're supposed to ride the Ferris wheel together once Lloyd comes back!"

"Eh, we won't make it before the carnival closes if we catch the Ferris wheel. Don't worry, I'll treat you to ice cream afterwards! And if that isn't enough to appease you, surely some Ajisen will." Zelos turned to Colette and winked, leaving Colette utterly confused. Was there an underlying meaning to all of this she was supposed to be catching?

"If you drag me on that damn thing, Zelos Wilder, I swear I will never forgive - GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME! STOP!" Sheena shrieked as Zelos began to drag her by brute force towards the snaking queue of the Riptide. Colette gaped, watching Sheena struggle wildly, digging her feet into the ground and hurling curses that got steadily fouler at Zelos, who didn't seem to be affected at all.

"I'm back with the drinks!" Lloyd's happy voice came from behind her as he walked up to her, holding two cups with steam venting from their tops, hair adorably ruffled from the day's hectic events, woefully unaware of everything that had occurred in the time he was gone. "Wait, what's... Happening...?" he asked, only now spotting the gradually diminishing silhouettes of Zelos and Sheena.

"I... Uh, Zelos and Sheena are going to ride the Riptide," Colette said, explaining the situation as succinctly as she could. How else could she word it, anyway? There was no explaining the antics of those two.

"Alright." Lloyd shrugged, accepted her explanation and passing one cup over to her. She pushed the plushy into the crook of her elbow, freeing up a hand to accept the cup and still managing to almost drop it. She closed her fingers around the plastic cup, soaking in the warmth it emanated.

"It's hot chocolate," Lloyd explained between gulps as he practically downed the whole cup in half a minute. "They're out of hot milo. Sorry."

"It's alright. Any hot drink would have done." Colette finally took a sip, feeling the sting from the heat and sticking out her tongue.

"Should we wait for them to come back or go queue for the Ferris wheel?"

Colette sighed. "We should just go. The queue for the Riptide is really long... They know to meet up back at the MRT at 10."

The original plan was to take a group photo at the peak of the revolution of the Ferris wheel, but that didn't look like it was going to happen now.

So it would just be her and Lloyd riding the Ferris wheel. An activity that could be seen as romantic. The pamphlet for the carnival had even advertised it as a ride of love. When they'd walked past it just now, she'd seen that the Ferris wheel was decked out with a ton of wire hearts that lit up in multiple colours.

It was just ten minutes. It would be over in the blink of an eye! Totally!

"Then, let's go," Lloyd said, grabbing her hand and giving her a minute heart attack, causing her bravado to crumble into dust.

Nope. There was no way this could end well.

The two of them joined the short queue for the Ferris wheel, having thrown their empty cups into a nearby dustbin. Only eight people were waiting for the next empty carriage to descend to ground level and open its doors. Five of them - three children and two adults - belonged to one family, while the rest were a group of three girls, enthusiastically talking to each other. It wouldn't take long for their turn.

A bout of shivers overcame her as the wind picked up, the warmth of the drink already a memory. She wrapped her free arm around herself, gaze dropping to the floor as she once again regretted forgetting to bring out her favourite dog-ear hoodie. It was always hanging on her clothes rack, and it would have been so easy to just reach out a hand and swipe it on her way out. But no, she just had to wake up late and stumble out of the house still half-asleep.

She'd forgotten how cold the nights could get. Especially for her, someone who couldn't even handle the lecture theatre air-conditioning. Forgoing a long-sleeved T-shirt for her kiwi bird-print tee was not helping matters.

"Here." Something warm and soft was draped around her shoulders, and she looked up to find herself draped in Lloyd's familiar jacket, his face hovering close to hers. "You should have told me you were cold," Lloyd muttered, his breath tickling her neck. "I would have given you my jacket earlier."

His jacket smelt like him, a safe, comforting blanket that reached to her thighs. It held his body heat, too, slowly seeping into her.

Colette flushed, turning her face away so she didn't have to look into those russet eyes. For there was concern there, as well as the ever-present kindness, but there was also more. There was no way to hide her blush, not when he was right here, but she still had to resist the urge to hide her face behind the plushy.

Why was she still trying so hard to hide, anyway? It's not like it was of any use. She was so obvious. As Zelos had told her, it had gone far past the point of being funny.

"Though I guess you're always cold," Lloyd said, tearing his gaze away from her and taking a hurried step back. Perhaps the words were meant to be teasing, but they fell flat with the out-of-place laughter attached to the end.

"I - I mean, it - it was my fault for not bringing a jacket in the first place," she stuttered, the words stumbling over each other in her mouth in her hurry to answer. Now Lloyd would know she was nervous too. She was doing really well, wasn't she? “But thank you.”

"The next carriage is here," the attendant called out, voice flat and expression terribly bored. He was staring at them with a barely veiled expression of disinterest, waving his arms to direct them into the next carriage, doors wide open.

"Come on." Lloyd grabbed her hand, the smile returning to his face. The Ferris wheel was lit up to the nines, throwing soft purple light onto everything around her and illuminating half of Lloyd's face. Beautiful. He was always so beautiful, but it was moments like these where it made her heart hurt, wanting so desperately to reach out and touch his face.

Heart pounding in her chest, she took her seat, Lloyd sitting directly on her left, their legs close enough to brush.

She placed the plushy in her lap, resting her chin on it and trying her best to slow her racing heart, knowing it would be of no use. Here, in this carriage that was slowly rising into the sky and gently rocking, it was just the two of them in this little space, cut off from the rest of the world.

It was hard to tell herself she was imagining the intense way Lloyd was staring at her, like she was the only thing worth looking at, even though the beautiful night scenery was right outside the glass. Nor was it possible to imagine the tension, sharp as a knife, that had arisen between them for the past half a year or so. Almost everything was the same: they were still incredibly close, but there was a hesitance there now - in the way Lloyd’s fingers sometimes curled away from hers, in the way she sometimes stopped before throwing an arm around his shoulder to embrace him.

Neither of them had spoken up about that tension, dancing around each other like fools. Even if he did return her feelings… Love wasn’t enough to bridge the impossible distance between them. She could never fully comprehend all that he felt, just as he could never fully comprehend the absence of what she felt. She could never give him what others could, not with her extreme revulsion towards anything sexual in nature. She’d be willing to try, for him, simply because her love for him knew no bounds, but… she couldn't say where her limits would be. Likely not very far from where she would start.

Even though Lloyd had been nothing but supportive of her, that didn’t mean he was willing to take a chance that could very well end in failure and heartbreak. She might not be enough for him when it came to a relationship. If that was the case, she could understand. Neither of them had done anything wrong. If they were incompatible from the start, then she could keep her silence. She’d be perfectly happy to remain as friends, even if these nebulous feelings would never leave her chest. She didn’t want to lose them.

"Um, do you, uh... like the plushy?" Lloyd asked, his voice cutting through her anxious thoughts. Awkwardness radiated off of him in spades as he shifted in the seat, turning his head away to stare down at the floor. At least she wasn't the only one that was nervous. He was repeating the exact question he’d asked her when he’d given her the plushy.

"I love it. It's soft, and it's cute. Thanks for giving it to me." The same answer she’d given him before.

Lloyd had been the one who won a carnival game - the ball toss, to be specific. He'd managed to down all the cans with a single ball and gotten the choice of any of the first-place prizes. Zelos had raised an eyebrow and asked him how he'd gotten past the unfair odds. Lloyd had sheepishly scratched the back of his head and said it was a lucky accident, one that he couldn’t repeat, which proved to be true in his later attempts.

Lloyd had taken one look at the prize pool, pointed out the Siberian Husky plush to the staff, and then stuffed it into her hands the moment he'd gotten it, proclaiming that it was a gift for her. Zelos had been outright snickering, while even Sheena had looked like she was holding back laughter, shoulders shaking.

Lloyd's hand found hers in the little space between them, his thumb rubbing the skin of her palm just below her fingers. It was a repetitive, soothing motion, helping to calm her down.

She hoped that, no matter what, they would always stay together. Whether as friends or more. Just the two of them.

"I'm glad you like it." Lloyd's voice was getting progressively quieter with each syllable his lips formed, slowly shifting right along the seat towards her.

“Can - can I…” Lloyd asked timidly, turning to face her and leaning closer. Her field of vision narrowed to just his face, barely lit by the scant light that reached them from the carnival grounds and the spokes of the Ferris wheel. Everything else was slowly turning into a blur. “Can I kiss you?”

The carriage had reached the top of its revolution. Through the window, she could see the sparkling lights of the high-rises in the distance. Silence suffused the air as no one spoke, the world itself seeming to hold its breath, neither she nor Lloyd moving a single part of their bodies as they stared at each other. His eyes were wide, filled with such incredible emotion, built up over years and spilling over at this very moment.

Her breath caught in her throat, a current of warmth making itself known in her heart at the fact that he’d actually bothered to ask. She’d expected Lloyd to - the kind, considerate soul that she’d come to know and love, but somewhere in the back of her mind was tucked the irrational fear that there would never be anyone who respected her boundaries, simply because she wasn't worth it.

She took a deep breath, preparing her answer. It wouldn’t be “normal”, that was for sure. It wasn’t a simple yes or no, but rather…

“Is it fine if it’s on the cheek?” were the quiet words that left her mouth, shattering the expectant silence as her grip tightened on the plushy. Maybe one day, she wouldn’t mind a kiss on the lips, but not today. She wasn’t up to it yet.

She doesn’t know what answer she expects. Probably a no. It’s perfectly understandable for Lloyd to just step away.

“Of course,” Lloyd replied instantly, the gentle smile on his face once again shattering all the preconceived notions she’d constructed in her head, absolutely terrified of rejection but huddling herself into a corner in the belief that that was all she could possibly receive. There had been no hesitation behind that statement, no hint of reproach or anger or irritation towards her.

“Yes.” The word slipped out without any thought, for she herself had yearned for so terribly long. The desire she had always held to love, and to be loved, despite everything - to experience it all with the boy that had always been part of her life and that she hoped could continue to be there for the rest of it.

She turned her head to the side, and it didn't take another moment longer before Lloyd pressed his lips against her cheek, one hand still holding hers while his other arm wrapped around her shoulder, the plushy trapped between them. He was nothing if not gentle, bringing up her earliest memories of being kissed on the cheek by her mother, before she had left her life forever. It was through that gentleness that the force of his love was truly impressed on her - for there was passion there, in the very act of holding himself back. Love, gentle like a warm flame, but not any lesser for it, for his love was just as impregnable as a brick wall, unyielding and unbreaking.

She could feel his warm breath against her cheek, his lips softer than she could have thought, his hair close enough to run her hands through as she’d always wanted. So she did, letting the strands fall through her fingers like melted chocolate.

Was he… smiling? It sure felt like it.

It wasn't a magical moment like people always said the first kiss would be like. After all, theirs was nowhere close to conventional, but it was an experience that belonged only to them. No sparks were flying in the air, nor did time stop. It was just the two of them, fitting together perfectly like puzzle pieces in the way they always had, and she couldn't ask for anything more.

Lloyd moved away, his arm dropping from her shoulder, hand joining the other to clasp her limp one. His eyes were shining with joy, the same joy that filled her heart and made it feel like it might take flight at any time. Everything had finally fallen into place.

Her whole face was now on fire as she turned away, leaning forward over her legs. Her hair fell by the side of her face like a veil, letting only tiny glimpses of Lloyd through.

“You’re sure?” she asked, knowing that she needed to clarify. Even if his actions had been the shining light that burned away most of her doubts, some still remained. Lloyd really, truly needed to understand what he was getting into. She would not let him mindlessly enter into a relationship with her without knowing about all the ups and downs, all the complications that would come with it. That would only end in them hurting each other, and then they might never be able to stand the sight of each other again. It was the dreaded future she never wanted to come to pass. “It’s not going to be easy."

“I know,” he replied, squeezing her hand, his russet eyes focussed on hers. “But all relationships have challenges, don't they? We'll figure it out together, just like always. And if it doesn’t work out, then we’ll stay as friends, forever. I just want you to know that I love you.”

There is nothing but burning conviction behind his words, and a determination that reached deep into her soul and lit a flame of hope.

There would be many more difficult conversations that needed to be had, candid discussions that would need to take place. But for now, she didn't say anything more, hoping the unspoken “I love you” from her side could be understood, clear as day. She still couldn’t make herself say it, the final lingering doubt that she suspected would never fully go away holding her back: that romantic love had to go hand in hand with sexual attraction, and that one could not exist without the other.

She simply closed her eyes, leaning against him and enjoying the gentle rocking of the carriage for the remainder of their time on the Ferris wheel.

~~~

25-years-old

"Remember this Ferris wheel?" Lloyd teased Colette, squeezing her hand as they stood in front of the Ferris wheel at the reopened carnival. It wasn't the exact same one they’d ridden at the age of 18, for that one had been deconstructed years ago. But it was a near-perfect replica, down to the purple lights that lit up the spokes, though the hearts were gone. Even the bored attendant who was barely paying attention to her duties was right!

"How could I forget?" Colette laughed, her trademark bright smile on her face. Even after knowing her for twenty years and dating her for seven of those years, the sight of her smile never failed to light a spark in his chest.

At least this time Colette was dressed appropriately for the colder night, in a pencil skirt and a long-sleeved collared blouse with a few frills. She looked a lot more put-together than him, who was just wearing plain old jeans. He had picked her straight up from work before driving them here, after all.

All that was missing was the staff pass that she’d removed from around her neck and left in the car. Her smart-casual image, however, was completely shattered by the pair of grey dog ears poking out of her hair, attached to the headband sitting behind her ears. They even felt furry to the touch, though it wasn’t real dog fur.

A pair of brown ears sat on his own head. Colette hadn’t managed to win a grand prize at the game stalls like he once had out of dumb luck, but she'd managed to do pretty well at the ring toss, scoring almost all of her tosses onto the red-rimmed bottles. That meant she could redeem a few mid-tier prizes, so she'd gotten two headbands with dog ears attached, one for her and one for him that he could wear if he wanted to. He'd put it on immediately. Now they matched! He needed to take a picture of them sometime - Sheena and Zelos would appreciate the cute image.

More like Sheena would strangle him over digital space if he didn't send cute photos.

The carnival had finally returned after four years of absence, and he and Colette had jointly decided to return almost immediately upon hearing the news. It was small and honestly not that impressive compared to other theme parks they’d been to, but it still held precious memories. And it would make for a fun date, which it certainly had so far!

They'd retraced their steps from years ago, though unfortunately, they were lacking Zelos and Sheena. First riding the pirate ship, Colette’s hair going wild in the air as the ship swung from side-to-side, then visiting the game stalls, laughing at each other’s absolutely horrendous attempts, then buying and sharing a stick of cotton candy between them, taking turns biting from the fluffy substance and having their tongues curl from the overload of sweetness, before finally arriving back here at the Ferris wheel.

"I know I've said this already, but thanks for planning this all out," Colette said, linking her arm with his and smiling up at him as they joined the queue. The queue was much longer today, amounting to more than 40 people, by his rough estimate. It was still quite early in the evening, half of the sun still peeking over the horizon, the sky painted in a pink that would soon be darkening to orange. It was just as noisy as in the past, perhaps even noisier, for the families hadn't gone home yet. "There were quite a few kerfuffles with the system at work today, and this really helped."

"That bad?"

"Mm. We had a new intern come in today, and then the old system just decided to crash. Not the intern's fault, she's the sweetest girl. But it was still a headache to deal with."

"Well, I'm glad it helped. Though I'm just happy to spend more time with you."

If everything went according to plan, then he'd be seeing a lot more of her in the future.

He shoved his hand into his pocket, checking that the all-important box was still there. It was the crux of this whole operation, and he could not lose it.

Colette laughed, a sound that inevitably made him smile. "I'm sorry I haven't been free for the past few weeks. It's a busy time for the company."

"It's alright. I'll be starting work soon too, after all. Besides, we still stay two floors apart. There's pretty much no way we don't see each other every week, silly."

"Sorry, sorry. Shouldn't be a downer; you're right. Anyway, since tomorrow’s a public holiday, want to spend it over at my place?”

“Netflix and chill?” Lloyd answered, well aware that he was probably getting some weird looks from people close enough to overhear him. He wasn’t even sure if Colette knew of its double meaning - she was generally completely clueless about the world of euphemisms. Over time, they’d just started co-opting the phrase. After all, their time together at each other’s place was mostly spent… watching shows while curled up together on the couch, creating dishes that were more like unrecognisable disasters in the kitchen while attempting not to set the whole place on fire, or Colette playing video games at the foot of the bed while he tickled her neck with his toes. In terms of risque activities, they so rarely happened - and only after he checked, double-checked and triple-checked that Colette was feeling up to it and not forcing herself for his sake.

“I don’t mind, but we haven’t finished that card game we started last month. The card piles are still sitting untouched on my bay window. Wanna do that instead?”

“Sure!” He replied enthusiastically. Board games or card games always promised a good time, if infuriating when nothing would line up and Lady Luck was decidedly not smiling on him. Colette seemed to get all the luck in these party games. Maybe it was consolation for tripping all the time.

“It’s such a shame that Zelos and Sheena aren’t here,” Colette said, pulling out her phone. “I know they went on the Ferris wheel the year after we did, but we still haven’t gotten that group photo we were supposed to.”

“One’s in Europe and one’s in Australia. There’s no way they could join us on such short notice.” The last he'd heard from them, both were doing well for themselves and very happy in their long-distance relationship.

“True. I guess I can add them to the photo afterwards with the power of Photoshop. Oh, and Zelos sent me this really weird message...” After a few swipes of her finger, Colette shoved the bright phone screen under his nose.

Zelos Wilder: Looking forward to the good news ;)

“Do you have any idea what they mean?” Colette asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion. “They haven’t been replying to my question!”

Lloyd could feel his fingers twitching. Zelos Wilder wasn’t here, but if they were, Lloyd would have strangled them already. Trying to spoil the surprise, were they?

“It’s probably nothing! You know how they are. Always trying to cause chaos.” Lloyd shrugged, hoping he wasn’t being too obvious, as he tended to be.

“I suppose that’s true… What good news?” Lloyd could hear Colette repeating that question to herself under her breath, not quite soft enough for it to escape his notice. She didn’t seem to have noticed that anything was up with him, thankfully.

“It’s our turn! Come on, let’s get on!” Lloyd declared, just loud enough to startle Colette and cause her to nearly drop her phone. She hurriedly stuffed it back into her pocket, following Lloyd to the open carriage. She hadn't realised the space before them had completely cleared.

The attendant lazily waved them onto the open carriage with barely a glance at them, a mumbled: “Have a nice ride” leaving her mouth.

Lloyd was the first to scramble on, turning around to give Colette a helping hand - only to find her falling straight into him, having tripped over the raised step. With a shocked “Oh!” falling from her lips, Colette crashed into him, nearly knocking him flat onto the carriage seat. With a shocked yelp, Lloyd braced himself against the glass window of the carriage, barely maintaining his balance. Years of practice at stopping Colette’s sometimes fantastical falls over obstacles that weren’t visible to him had honed his reaction times to near perfection, giving him ample preparation for this situation.

The attendant continued to ignore them, gaze fixed not so discreetly on the phone sitting in her lap. The doors of the carriage slid smoothly shut, and with a jolt that nearly knocked them off balance again, the carriage set off on its journey.

"Um, sorry..." Colette apologised from her position pressed flush against Lloyd's chest, arms entangled in his. She slowly extricated herself from the mess, stumbling a few times but managing not to fall again, even with the gentle swaying of the carriage floor. He tried his best to steady her without falling over himself. She sheepishly smiled. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Lloyd adjusted her headband, setting the ears that had been knocked crooked back into their rightful place. He’d told her multiple times that she didn’t need to apologise for tripping, but she still did, the habit too ingrained to break. It was endearing, though. “You?”

“I’m fine!” Colette smoothed out her skirt (though there weren’t any noticeable wrinkles in it from the fall,) and sat down to rest her weary feet, giving Lloyd the cue to sit down as well. “Thank goodness I wasn’t wearing heels…”

Lloyd did not want to imagine what would have happened if she was - she might have twisted her ankle, or worse. She rarely wore heels due to her clumsiness, but when she did, all sorts of accidents tended to happen.

He stuffed his hand into his pocket again, fingers feeling the velvet texture again.

It’s still here.

"What's still here?" Colette’s confused voice broke through his relieved thoughts. Her hands were resting in her lap and she was leaning forward, eyes shining with a curious light. The usual white lights of the new condominiums close to the carnival grounds shone, a few glimmers of pink visible as people celebrated Pink Dot. It was at this very moment that the Ferris wheel's lights turned from purple to pink, the spokes emanating soft pink light that washed over Colette, making her hair glisten - almost like an ethereal fairy with imaginary wings that shimmered, having come to visit him on this mortal plane. The dog ears only added to that image, somehow. Even now, the sight of her was enough to make him feel dizzy, both out of love and awe, even if he no longer blushed like an embarrassed schoolboy. Awe that she could get more beautiful every time his gaze landed on her. And awe that such an incredible person had chosen to trust him and stay with him.

He was so enraptured by the angel before him that it took a few seconds for her words to process in his mind, after which he froze in horror.

OH NO, HE’D SAID IT OUT LOUD. A thousand alarm bells were ringing in his head. Some days he was reminded that he was an adult now, and other days he was reminded that he was as much an idiot as he used to be. Some things just never changed.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Colette said, a teasing lilt to her voice as she rested her chin on her palm, an amused smile playing on her lips.

He could just play it off - he knew Colette wouldn’t pursue it any further if he gave off the signals to drop the topic. She was just like that: the most considerate person he knew.

But…

The original plan had been to do it on the Ferris wheel. It even had Zelos' approval. This, right now, was the perfect chance to just let the cat out of the bag. And he would grasp the opportunity in hand before it could escape him.

For he could think of no future happier than one spent Colette’s side.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled the purple box out of his pocket with a shaking hand, dropping to his knees on the surprisingly clean carriage floor, devoid of the usual spilt drinks and crumpled up tissues.

He could tell the exact moment Colette gleaned the true intent behind his actions, the blank, confused expression on her face morphing into one of shocked disbelief, eyes widening and hands flying up to cover her mouth.

Damn it, he’d completely forgotten the script he’d written with Zelos’ assistance in a back-and-forth over messages, Zelos alternating between giving actually good advice and being extremely annoying, though Lloyd had gotten them to shut up by asking them when they planned to propose. The two of them had both struggled to find the right words, since neither of them had done super well in English. But Lloyd had persevered, wanting to get his feelings across eloquently.

But now that he was staring into Colette’s blue eyes, all the words were sprouting wings and flying mockingly out of his head, leaving only blank space for him to reach uselessly for.

The one piece of advice Zelos had given him that continued to stick in his head was this: speak from the heart, and surely she would understand.

He couldn’t keep her waiting forever.

“I… ” He couldn’t help but start off slow, struggling against the block in his mind but determined to push past it. The words then seemed to just come to him, progressively faster as time went on, stumbling out of some unknown part of his mind - or perhaps it would be more accurate to say his heart. Somehow, throughout it all, he didn't drop the box despite his trembling hands. “Colette, you’re the most amazing person I know. Your compassion, your gentleness, even your clumsiness, they’re all vital parts of my life that I wouldn’t give up for anything. You are my shining star in the sky, the one that gives me hope, that inspires me to be the best version of myself. If I had the choice to relieve my life from the start, I wouldn't change a thing, because meeting you on that playground all those years ago was the best thing that has ever happened to me. All my years spent with you have been incredible, and I would like to spend many more by your side. So, just like years ago, Colette, I have something I need to ask you, right here and right now.”

“Will you… Will you marry me?” He finished, voice drifting off into silence as he flipped open the box to reveal the two plain, thin metal rings he’d bought. Colette wasn’t the type to go for flashy diamonds or colourful gems. She’d appreciate something simple like this.

He waited, the few seconds of deafening silence seeming to stretch out into eternity, broken only by the sound of blood rushing past his ears. This wasn’t the first time he’d asked this very question, if in a different and less dramatic form. He’d already received her answer once. But he would respect whatever answer she gave now, and most of all, they would keep the promise they had made at this very place: that they would always remain friends, no matter what.

~~~

Colette still couldn’t quite believe her ears, gaze flitting between Lloyd’s face and the box he was holding up towards her, the two rings housed snugly within reflecting pink light.

Marriage had crossed her mind many times. She had learned over the years that it wasn’t a penultimate goal that had to be reached to prove her relationship successful, and she’d told Lloyd as much when he’d asked her two months ago if she’d be willing to get married.

But still, even if she had managed to break free from most of the notions the fairytales of old had implanted into her head, able to just enjoy them as sweet stories now, she couldn’t quite rid herself of the dream of having a fairytale wedding. One that was perfectly planned, with family and friends present to stand witness to their union.

She’d told him yes. That she would be willing to tie the knot with him, the one she loved. The expectation of a proposal had been simmering in the back of her mind ever since, often going forgotten. She had not expected the time would be now. Lloyd had been more fidgety than normal, constantly checking his pockets while disguising the action as keeping his hands in his pockets. She’d known something was up, but his true intentions had escaped her detection until just moments before, when she’d been taken off guard. All she’d thought when he’d pulled out the box was that it resembled the ring boxes in the dramas Sheena was always recommending to her, the ones that appeared in all the emotional proposal scenes, until the realisation had hit her in the chest like a truck.

Once again, like years ago, they’d reached the top of the revolution. The silence remained unbroken as Lloyd patiently awaited her answer, not pushing her towards one. And so events repeated, mirrored across time.

Colette slowly stretched out her arm, eyes shimmering with unshed tears as a smile graced her face. She nodded, her throat blocked by all the emotions that swirled in her chest, unable to say ‘yes’ out loud even as she screamed it over and over in her mind, the tears finally breaking free of whatever barrier was holding them back to spill down her face.

Lloyd broke out into the most beautiful smile she had ever seen, radiating pure joy as he slid one of the simple, elegant, silver bands onto her ring finger. It fit. Perfectly. When had he even learned her ring size?

She picked up the other ring that was meant for Lloyd, marvelling at how her hand could somehow remain stable as the rest of her body trembled in barely contained emotion. The ring was so tiny, held between her thumb and index finger, and yet it held such significant weight as she slid it onto his ring finger, the skin of his hand rough against hers and the metal cold.

Lloyd jumped to his feet, pulling her into an embrace and pressing a kiss to the top of her head (his nose bumping the dog ears), holding her close, his happy laughter rumbling through his chest. Even now, when he must have been bursting with joy, he was still mindful of her boundaries, refusing to do anything that would cross the line. Heart filled with warmth, she pressed herself impossibly closer, intending to just melt into his arms forever -

"Please get off the carriage."

The deadpan voice that belonged to neither her nor Lloyd broke through the peaceful bubble that had been constructed around the two of them. She froze, feeling Lloyd stiffen around her as well. Looking to the left yielded the view of solid ground, and the same uninterested attendant gesturing towards it.

Ah. They'd reached the bottom without even noticing. This was… embarrassing, to say the least.

Thankfully, no one seemed to be in the queue at the moment, allowing the two of them to escape from the Ferris wheel without much attention. It appeared that only the attendant had borne witness, and she couldn’t seem to care less, having returned to the booth.

Their interlocked hands swung in the air, the matching rings glinting under the bright neon lights of the carnival as she wiped away her happy tears, both of them grinning uncontrollably.

"I love you," Lloyd said, the words leaving his lips with ease, as they always had. "Shall we go home?” he asked.

Home was with friends and family and Lloyd, the one who held her heart.

Colette squeezed Lloyd’s hand. She felt light as a feather, like she could somehow fly with wings that she didn't have.

"I love you," she replied, the words coming so easily now. "Let’s.”

~~~

The attendant shook her head, scoffing as she returned to scrolling through Twitter.

“I suppose love does make the world go round.”

~~~

Next chapter

#fanfiction #multi chapter #tales of symphonia #colloyd #colloydweek2021 #day 3: first kiss/confession #colette brunel #lloyd irving #sheena fujibayashi #zelos wilder

[hold-me-sickfics]

Okay guys, as promised:

Day 1: Namjoon💜

Prompt: Namjoon’s been up since 2:00 a.m. with a stuffy nose and a pretty rough cough. His throat is killing him, and can someone please bring him the lotion tissues? His nose is bright red from how many times he’s used that old t-shirt in the floor. Thankfully, he’s been given permission to stay home and rest for the day, but that’s just impossible for him. He’s supposed to be the leader of the pack, so how can he just abandon them right before an interview? What if they need him? What if the interviewer only speaks English? What if Jungkook loses his shirt 5 minutes before they go in? What if Jimin and Taehyung accidentally reveal what the new album is called? What if… well everything happens? Or… what if… just maybe… the leader needs loved and coddled but instead he’s all alone at the house all day...

TW: Food, this fic is more snz focused than anything (Note: if anyone sees a trigger I missed, please let me know and I’ll post a warning for it too!)

—————-

“Namjoon, why are you in here? I thought I just told you to stay in bed until I got your breakfast.” Jin lightly scolded the leader. Namjoon had been up since 2:00 feeling pretty sick.

“I know but I wadted to bake sure you didn’t deed help with breakfast.” Namjoon shuffled over to the coffee maker, and poured himself a mug of it.

“Joon, down. No coffee. You’re sick, so the last thing you need is coffee making your stomach hurt.” Jin took the mug from him, and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Here, just sit down and rest okay? How about you make a quick call and see if you can get today off. I’ll make you some hot tea. We’ll see if you feel like eating once your sinuses open up a little, alright?” Jin eased Namjoon down into one of the chairs at the kitchen table.

Namjoon had to admit, he felt terrible. His nose was stopped up and running at the same time. His throat felt like it was tight and on fire. His muscles ached, and he felt cold. His skin felt so sensitive; even Jin touching him earlier had hurt. But still, having his hyung so close did help him to feel safe and cared for, so he had endured the pain.

Namjoon picked up the phone, and dialed the BigHit office number, asking to speak to his scheduler.

Jin listened closely as Namjoon struggled to talk. He grabbed a bottle of honey out of the cabinet and poured a tablespoon into the tea he was brewing on the stove. Sympathy pain took over his chest when he hear Namjoon cough to clear his throat. The cough was wet, and thick, and had nearly even made him gag.

Just then, Taehyung and Jungkook came running downstairs.

“I AM EATING THE BACON! YOU CANNOT STOP ME!” Taehyung screamed.

“I WILL JUMP ON YOU!” Jungkook swung over the railing.

Surprisingly, the maknae managed to land perfectly on Taehyung’s back, causing him to hit the floor- hard.

“Ah!” Taehyung let out a harsh cry.

“Shhhh!” Jin pressed a finger to his lips. He mouthed the words “Joon’s on the phone”

Both the younger boys apologized immediately, and then bolted to the refrigerator. Jin couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

“Yeah, I cad’t breathe well.”

Namjoon coughed again. This time wasn’t as thick, but Jin could tell there was enough snot in his throat to fill a bucket.

Hoseok came downstairs in his bathrobe, hair still dripping wet from his shower. He too, heard the last cough, and decided to inquire about the situation.

“Jin, he sounds awful.” Hoseok glanced over at the leader. He immediately noticed Namjoon’s red nose, puffy-pink eyes, and pale skin. A sheen of sweat covered his face and upper chest. His hair was half-matted to his head in sweat as well.

“He’s been like this since 2:00. He’s trying to get today off so he can stay home and rest.” Jin took the tea off the stove and poured a decent-sized amount into a small, blue mug.

“Okay, thank you.” Namjoon hit the “end call” button, and set his phone down. He rested his head in his hands.

Jin carried the mug to Namjoon and set it on the coaster. He took the chair beside Namjoon and stroked his hair softly.

“What’d they say?” Jin leaned down to try and meet Namjoon’s eyes.

“They’re letting be stay home... but you all have an interview today... I cad’t stay here and just let you guys go alone.”

Though it hurt to have someone touch his skin, he leaned in closer to Jin, trying to take in some of his strength.

“Joonie, you have to stay home today. You look like you feel awful, and I know you do. You’ve been up since 2:00 this morning, and I know you’re exhausted. We’ll be back by dinner, okay?” Jin carded his fingers through the younger’s sweaty blonde hair.

Namjoon was about to protest when his chest broke into hacking, heaving coughs. His ribs hurt from coughing so much and his throat felt like it had been run up and down a cheese grater. Tears came to his eyes as he finished his coughing fit.

“Take it easy Joon-bug. Sip on this for me. It’s got honey in it. It’ll help ease the pain a little. And hopefully it’ll open you up too.” Jin lifted the mug to Namjoon’s hands and helped him lift it to his lips. Jin couldn’t help it, he had a soft spot for all the members, but it was really bad when Namjoon didn’t feel well. It seemed that Namjoon was all he could think about on those occasions. Perhaps since they were paired together so often in games and such. They’d just gotten really close as oldest and leader of the group.

Namjoon gratefully accepted the beverage, and sipped it down. He was visibly relieved by the warmth and smoothness of the liquid. It nearly made him forget that he had to let the group be on their own today.

Aaaaaand that’s when he remembered.

“Jin, what if they don’t have a transblator? Or like, what if Judkook can’t find his shirt again? Or what if...” Jin cut Namjoon’s worries off short.

“I’ll take care of it okay? You just rest today. And if I come home and find you doing anything but resting, I won’t be very happy.” Jin gave him a gentle look, telling the leader that he was just doing what was best for Namjoon’s health.

Namjoon wanted to debate, but he just couldn’t. He wasn’t feeling strong enough. He nodded, and they went through the rest of breakfast pretty smoothly.

An hour passed, and Namjoon was currently being tucked in by Jin.

“Okay, I put a bottle of water on your table. There are two extra blankets in that chair over there. I have cough drops over here beside the water, but if you end up needing more, they’re in the top shelf of the bathroom cabinet. I know you didn’t want to take medicine, but I left it here anyways. Send me your temperature every hour, unless you fall asleep. If you fall asleep, then take it ten minutes after you wake up. We’ll be back by 4:30 p.m. If you need me, call me. I’ll have my phone on while we’re there except when we’re shooting. Other than that, I’ll most likely pick up on the first ring. Oh and-“

“Jin?” Namjoon interrupted him.

“Yeah?” Jin realized he might have been rambling.

“Thanks.”

Jin smiled. “No problem. Just rest okay? No doing stupid things. Don’t try and do housework, don’t work on songs, don’t make calls unless absolutely necessary... or well you know, unless they’re to me.” Jin’s eyes softened. “Feel better Joon-bug.”

Namjoon nodded, and rested his head on the pillow as Jin closed the door.

He heard the other boys close the front door, and suddenly, he was alone in the house.

He felt lonely almost instantly. Turning on the tv was supposed to help, but it didn’t. After one episode of “Housewives of America,” he turned it off and tried to sleep.

He woke up slowly, and turned to face his alarm clock.

“Please be 4:30, please be 4:30...”

The clock read 10:48 a.m. They’d been gone for 46 minutes. Namjoon whined loudly to himself.

He tried to go back to sleep, but it was no use. His nose kept running and his throat hurt badly. He finally just decided to get up and get something to eat.

That task proved to be harder than he originally thought it would be. The moment his feet hit the floor, chills ran cold up and down his spine.

“Aish,” he wrapped his shaking arms around his body. Luckily, he remembered Jin’s statement about the extra blankets, and he was able to turn one of them into a nice cape for him to wear around the house. With that, he trudged to the kitchen and opened the pantry door.

“I deed food.” He sniffled as he eyed the contents of the small room.

Namjoon finally decided on a pack of blueberry muffins, and...

He glanced back at the coffee machine, recalling Jin’s strict warning about the coffee being bad for his stomach. But... Jin wasn’t here soooo....

Namjoon did a sneaky little dance of shuffling over to the machine with a mischievous smirk on his face. When he got there, he took the filter out and there was a small post-it note inside.

“Morning Joonie. I hope you’re feeling some better by the time you read this. I figured you’d come for coffee after I left, so I took all the coffee with me. There’s some tea in the refrigerator that you can warm up for your throat. Remember to rest up, and I’ll see you when we get back.

Ps. If I get home and find out you bought coffee and had it delivered, I will remove our address from every coffee shop record between now and last October. Remember to send your temperature every hour. *hugs*

-Jin”

As much as Namjoon knew that Jin was doing this in his best interest, he really wanted that coffee.

Within the next thirty minutes, he was on the couch with a coffee in hand (thankfully, they delivered). He sipped the beverage happily and took a few nibbles of the muffins he’d gotten from the pantry earlier.

The hot coffee felt great on his throat, and actually helped the muffins to go down easier.

When he’d eaten enough, he checked his phone just to see if he’d gotten any new notifications.

And that’s what he’d forgotten.

11:06 Jin: “how’s that temp bud?”

Okay now he was in trouble. Jin wanted his temperature, but if he gave it to him, his mouth would be wayyy hotter than normal because of the coffee... Then, he had an idea.

11:09 Namjoon: “I’m 99.3. I don’t feel like I’ve got a fever so I think it’s just a little cold.”

Thankfully, he’d remembered that you could take your temperature under your arms too. He meant to wait and see what Jin would say back to him, but he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, and decided to take a shower.

Fifteen minutes later, he came out of the shower feeling a lot better. Jin had texted back saying “good, make sure to stay hydrated and rest.”

He smiled at how caring his hyung was, and then turned his phone down. He thought it was best to go ahead and take a nap while he could still breathe. Maybe his symptoms would even be gone by the time he woke up!

Well, as hopeful as he’d been, he was wrong.

Namjoon woke up at 12:45, with his throat hurting more than ever. His nose was so stuffed, he had to breathe through his mouth, which felt like glass scraping his throat brutally.

On top of that, he had started feeling bitterly cold. A couple minutes passed and he took his temperature.

“101.4” Could be worse but could be better. The only problem was, Namjoon had a tendency to get really emotional when he had a fever higher than 100. This was no exception.

Namjoon’s eyes flooded with tears. He wanted the other members here... he wanted Jin here. But they couldn’t be... they had to work. He desperately wanted them home, but he knew they’d have to finish before they could come back. So, he decided to text them.

12:56 Namjoon: “I’m at 101.4.”

12:56 Jin: “Okay. Are you feeling worse? Or just the fever?”

12:58 Namjoon: “I feel bad Jin... my throat hurts, and my nose is stuffy and I can’t breathe. And my stomach hurts.”

As soon as Namjoon hit send, he regretted it. His stomach was starting to hurt because of that coffee from earlier, but Jin would be furious if he figured that out.

Before Namjoon had the chance to defend himself, Jin had texted back.

1:02 Jin: “That’s what I thought. We’ll be home in a few hours okay Joon-bug? Just lie down and drink water or tea until I get there. There are some fever reducers in the cabinet. Only take one, and then in thirty minutes it should start working.”

1:04 Namjoon: “You’re not mad at me?”

1:05 Jin: “Namjoon, you’re sick. I’m not going to fuss at you even though I probably should. I’m not entirely heartless you know.”

Namjoon wiped a hot tear from his cheek. More than anything in the world, he wanted Jin to coddle him.

1:08 Namjoon: “Please hurry home. I need you.”

Namjoon set his phone down and cried a bit into his crab plushie. He would take fever reducer, but it hurt to move. His muscles ached and his skin was so sensitive that even his pajamas seemed to prick him.

His soft cries tightened in his throat. He was in so much pain. Only one thought crossed his mind:

“Please come home Jin. I don’t want to feel this way alone...”

———-

Jin put his phone back in his pocket. His chest was tight with sympathy. There was nothing he wanted more than to hold Namjoon close and tell him it would be okay.

But for now, he had to push that aside. He had problems that were a bit more pressing...

“Jin Hyung! Have you seen my pants? I can’t find my pants.” Jungkook yelled from the other side of the guest room.

“Jin, my snack bag is gone and Hobi is gonna explode if he doesn’t get a sprite in the next 12 seconds.” Yoongi was scrambling around the room.

“Hyung, have you seen my other earring?” Jimin looked totally lost and Taehyung was trying to help.

“Aish. I’m coming just hang on.” Jin then set off to solve all the problems that had been named off. The interview was in 20 minutes and everything that had been mentioned was nearly life or death.

ESPECIALLY Jungkook’s. He really needed to find pants before he just decided to go on without them. Because, he definitely would if given the choice.

——-

Namjoon had managed to fall asleep.

Jin had rushed through everything as fast as he could, and had quickly thanked the interviewer and called for the bus early.

4:00 Jin: “I’m on my way Joon-bug. Hang in there for me.”

When Namjoon actually fully woke up, he felt a hand on his back. It hurt against his skin, but he hoped that it meant Jin was back. He turned over, and sure enough, it was.

“Grande? You had to get a grande coffee? You’re gonna take out that stomach of yours.” Jin was smiling, which told Namjoon that he wasn’t really upset with him.

“I really wadted it Jin. Like, really really.” He sniffled. His nose was back to running.

“Yeah yeah I’m aware.” Jin popped out a fever reducer pill and grabbed a bottle of water.

“Now take this for me. I’d check your temperature again but just feeling your forehead earlier told me enough.”

Namjoon did still feel chilled, even under three blankets. His throat was sore, and speaking was hard.

Luckily for Jin, this meant he couldn’t protest taking his medicine.

“Alright, open up for me.” Jin placed the tablet on the younger’s tongue and then lifted the bottle of water to his lips. When he’d taken it, he eased Namjoon back down onto the pillow.

“How’s your throat feeling?” Jin asked, taking the leader’s hand in his own.

Namjoon didn’t want to speak so he just shook his head sadly.

“Alright bug. Just wait here, and I’ll go warm up some tea. I’ll probably put a little something in it for your stomach too since I can literally hear it bubbling from the coffee still.” Jin patted Namjoon’s hand and then got up from the bed. He closed the door and started to walk up the hallway.

Namjoon just smiled. Since Jin was home, he knew he’d be better in no time.

#rpf #bts sickfic #snz fic #Jin caretaker #Namjoon sickie #lots of sweetness and fluff #Day 1 Fic #Food TW

[greendaleshistorian]

My Thoughts on Mary Wardwell

A response to: @mambospellman @alexusonfire @mechislilith @lesbiandemoness @danaedaniels; I made a separate post NOT to steal the conversation or anything ... Just because I accidentally wrote 800+ words on the matter and didn't want to overwhelm.

My false-Controversial Opinion? ... I don't like Mary Wardwell.

But! This is what I mean: I don't like the canon Mary Wardwell that we got. I don't think she's a good character.

Rather, I liked the Mary we were supposed to have...

The one the prop/set design team spent so much time making real and alive with their level of detail.

I know I'm not saying anything too revolutionary, but I wanted to share some feelings since P4 upset around Mary is back. (And, to me, rightfully so.)

Warning: Long ramble and strong feelings ahead.

...

I feel like — and I say this ALL the time to my IRL friends who are the victims of my rants — they pulled a Jocelyn Fray (Shadowhunters TV) on her. [Spoilers?] They brought her back... Too soon? In a way. If the show was ending at P2, that might have been vaguely reassuring that she came back... And with the hope she'd possibly make it through and figure everything out? Also... That they wouldn't allude to going to hell to get Nick back, so I'd imagine the ending a bit more complete or rounded or with a feeling of finality.

Instead, she came back during a weird interim section. They wrote her back and they just didn't know what to do with her... So they scrambled and, in doing so, sort of ruined a potentially great arc? (Of Mary. Jocelyn from the analogy is questionable for predetermined book-plot reasons.)

She made it to the 9:06 minute mark if episode one, not even appearing in all the scenes within that time frame. As such, everything known about her must be inferred past that point. Which is such a unique way to learn about a character.

I'm sort of (read: terribly) upset they they'd take a character like Mary, who has this interesting amount of lore made up of context clues once she's gone... And not run with any of it.

Her dress form with partially stitched clothes... Right underneath an unsettling, nearly horrific (thematically) painting. Being gifted the doll by Adam, and then the contrast of the China dolls in her office. This woman has an office filled with maps — an old town map hanging on her wall that was swapped between Autumn and Spring. She sings to her car radio... She leaves so many coats and hats on her coatrack. Does she just forget that they're there and keep acquiring more coats? Why does she have a History of Trains book on her bookcase?

And suddenly, all of those pieces you observe go away. She doesn't mention classic horror films, though perhaps more understandable in her P3 experiences. You don't see her being creative (versus the knitting and sewing projects), though her chalk boards are fantastic, I will give her that. Her book on the occult is present (P03E04), but it's being looked at with the hope to find answers? And it isn't something she seems to enjoy reading. More that it's a frantic search.

Perhaps I've gone too far astray. But my point is, her character is so unique in that a lot of knowledge about her is in the context of what impressions she left on the places she used to be. Her home, her office, Baxter High in general...

They ruined, even unintentionally, the work they already put into her.

And it's why I have such a hard time liking Mary now as she's presented in canon. She doesn't feel like the Mary from October Country (even if you disregarded her drastic change in appearance) and doesn't feel like the type of person to be surrounded by the things she's created, earned, or done. I don't believe that Mary's office feels like hers anymore. Nor her own home.

I don't like where Mary's plotline is going either (going back towards a comment by @mechislilith). But I also haven't really been as in love with her character since she came back. And I do mean in the straight, direct canon. The version of her that was rewritten for P3. I adore Mary Wardwell, through a more explorative, creative lens... And collaborative with friends and famdom. I adore her through a lens that tried to tie in those hints of who she was...

And perhaps it's odd to hear from someone whose aesthetic has been very Wardwell-ian. Or from someone who has "@greendaleshistorian" as a blog name.

Simply, I love the idea of Mary, and had grand hopes of loving her, even if she wasn't done justice, once she'd come back.

And now I think I've found that I have to find the Mary Wardwell I loved in the forgotten or unfocused details.

(And somewhat of a closing: I'd also like to thank the writers and artists and editors and creatives who do a wonderful job portraying her as being… both. Of blending or merging or integrating those two parts of her together. I appreciate you.)

Best.

Tam.

#tam talks #mary wardwell #caos meta

[mellow-elbow]

Remember this post?

Hey. I’m back and this time I’m ready to talk about the Plot™. Let’s talk about everything Sonic Adventure 3 was supposed to be.

Before I get ahead of myself, let me first introduce this concept with the fact that Sonic Unleashed (2008) was meant to be Sonic Adventure 3, but after heavy criticisms toward the franchise after the flop of Sonic 06 it was scrapped and changed. Sonic Adventure 3 was also confirmed to originally have Shadow and Knuckles, meaning that the plot I’m about to explore has to have important ties to those two characters specifically.

Now then, that doesn’t mean that ideas from the original Sonic Adventure 3 concept weren’t repurposed for Unleashed. As a writer and an avid Sonic lore fan for ~18 years, I’ve taken a good look at Unleashed’s plot and singled out certain elements of the story that seemed like they got washed down to fit the new narrative of Unleashed. It goes as follows:

the corruption of a character important to the main plot (later became the Werehog)

an amnesiac Guardian with forgotten knowledge of the Chaos Emeralds (later became Chip)

geographical locations of importance relating to the lore of the Master and Chaos Emeralds (later became the Gaia Temples)

a dark, ancient power that happened well before the events of Perfect Chaos ~4,000 years ago in SA1 (later became Dark Gaia)

some sort of importance pertaining to the sun and moon

Let’s start with how the plot probably would have involved Knuckles and Shadow. Knuckles is the well-known Guardian of the Master Emerald- but also just as clueless as how he came into the position in the first place, as originally stated in a now-archived character profile on Knuckles. The plot of Unleashed was already heavily centered around the Chaos Emeralds, so it’s safe to say the original SA3 plot had similar ties with the Master Emerald.

Shadow’s is... a little trickier. Shadow was originally meant to die at the end of SA2 but was brought back with various contradicting backstories due to becoming an instant fan favorite. Chances are, SA3 was going to go more in depth on Shadow’s creation and life aboard the ARK- along with how he survived the fall from space at the end of SA2. I’ll go into more detail about how else he would have been important to a possible plot later.

Now then, let’s start analyzing the parts that actually made it into Unleashed. Corruption, Amnesiac Guardian of the Emeralds, temples across the world, an ancient and powerful force that threatens modern day, and the symbolism of the sun and moon.

Sonic, the main character of Unleashed and the franchise itself, is corrupted to where he’s unable to use his normal powers half the time. It takes a toll on his character as he’s, in a way, lost his sense of self and is desperate to restore his original self and powers- eventually he comes to terms with the new abilities of the Werehog, which is an important plot point as well.

Chances are, Sonic wasn’t originally supposed to be corrupted. With several important, reoccuring characters to choose from it’s understandable that Sonic got the short end of the stick when the cast got severely downgraded to Sonic, Tails, and Amy. So, who else with significant importance to the plot was supposed to get corrupted?

Chip. Or, for lack of SA3 plot, whoever was originally designed to be the amnesiac Guardian introduced in the game. A lot of context clues can be pulled from Chip’s character and story as a whole from being happy-go-lucky and interested in the wonders of the world they can’t remember to the importance of Adabat with how it was that specific temple that helped him recall his origins. Seeing that Adabat is also infested with ruins, it’s safe to say that something pretty terrible must have happened there at some point in the past. The originally scripted Guardian must have come from Adabat and, lilke Chip, was supposed to recall their past at it’s temple.

Speaking of Temples

Unleashed introduces Gaia Temples- large monuments meant to reignite Chaos Emeralds should they ever be damaged. These temples must have had greater significance in SA3, as in Unleashed they’re chopped down to all have the same interior and cutscene. My theory is that each Chaos Emerald belongs to a specific continent, but not neccessarily in the order that they’re restored in in Unleashed. Chances are, these temples were originally meant to be Master Shrines that were once a part of an ancient cycle the Master Emerald followed- I know this might seem like a stretch but hear me out:

In this screenshot of a flashback from SA1, we see the Chaos Emeralds aligned in a rainbow pattern- White, Purple, Violet, Cyan, Green, Yellow, and Red. While this can easily be shrugged off as a design choice, it would be more interesting and plot enriching if a cycle of sorts were introduced- such as the Master Emerald relocating whenever it’s damaged (which would explain why it’s suddenly in... Africa (?) in SA2- it would be following the pattern of Angel Island being the White Shrine and the Purple Emerald being the Sandopolis/Mazuri/Egyptian shrine. The Master Emerald isn’t necessarily at a Shrine when it’s introduced in SA2, but try and keep your mind open about this- in Unleashed the main narrative is restoring the Chaos Emeralds... what if it was originally about restoring shrines?

In SA1, Tikal explicitly mentions the fact that during the Echidna conquer the Knuckles Clan had been attacking the holy places of other countries- could she have been hinting at the destruction of Master Shrines to break the cycle and keep the Master Emerald and all of the Chaos Emeralds in their territory to give their clan unlimited power? It would explain why the Chaos Emeralds seem to ‘randomly’ scatter after being used as well- their resting places have been destroyed and they’re lost without a home. A fully functioning shrine with all the Emeralds would give unfathomable power, as seen in S3&K with Hyper Sonic- a form that Sonic can tap into when balance is restored among the emeralds.

Now, we all know that classifications do really well when introduced in Young Adult fiction (See H*gwarts Houses, Greek/Roman Demigods, Owl House Covens, etc.) and it can be easily implemented in the Sonic franchise as well. Not only with the Master cycle, but with the Chaos Emeralds themselves. There’s been a few confirmed powers linked to the emeralds such as Chaos Control and Chaos Blast- Chaos Control allows users to warp between space and time as seen in SA2 and 06 while Chaos Blast- introduced in Shadow the Hedgehog (2005)- allows users to release a large burst of power as a defense/attack mechanism. Chaos Blast is linked with a fiery red which could link it to the red Chaos Emerald. Red symbolizes passion and strength; it’s color is usually meant to warn us of danger, meaning it’s linked to both our primal fears and the instincts we’ve developed to survive over years of evolution. I’d like to introduce the concept of these powers being blocked if their emerald is damaged in any way- meaning Chaos Blast wouldn’t be accessible via other emeralds if the red one was damaged. I’d also like to link these emeralds to their specific Guardian, meaning that if their Guardian is damaged in a way that would prevent the cycle to continue, the emerald could die out as well. If you’re wondering if these Guardians would exist in the game then have no fear becuase they WOULD and 85% of them are characters we already know and love (I will NOT introduce all of them because I Do Not Wish To Spoil It, but this is definitely where Shadow would play a bigger part like I mentioned before). There is, one, however that we don’t know and that’s because they were reimagined as Chip for Unleashed- the Guardian for the green Chaos Emerald from Adabat. (I ended up making a fan character for this role as you can see in the last installment, but it would be lame of me to force an OC into the game if given the opportunity).

Let’s move on before I go any further into crazy fan-theories. A main villain would need to be introduced- something that Dr. Robotnik/Eggman would want to get his hands on in hopes of conquering the world (a trope we’ve seen before with Chaos in SA1, the Ultimate Lifeform in SA2, and Dark Gaia in Sonic Unleashed). Chaos was, essentially, the first domino to fall over in the pattern introduced in the Adventure games. They were only a small speck in the bigger picture though, as we see that Gerald Robotnik must have taken some inspiration from the stories and depictions of Chaos and created the BioLizard in hopes of harnessing the energy in the Chaos Emeralds. He would later get the idea from an unknown source to instead create a synthetic Hedgehog user, possibly from studying the well-known mural in S3&K’s Hidden Palace Zone:

But there’s something else in this mural we all seem to be forgetting- what is the big figure holding (possibly) the Master Emerald? Well :)) I’m glad you asked. I believe this was originally meant to be the main antagonist of SA3 who eventually became Dark Gaia in Sonic Unleashed. Some sort of powerful being that had some sort of forgotten knowledge pertaining to the Master Emerald.

But there’s more. The Hedgehog-like creature is surrounded by a golden aura, but it isn’t the only one. Behind the creature are 6 smaller aura’s seeming to try and attack the antagonist while it’s preoccupied with the hedgehog. This could depict seven Chaos Guardians using the energy of the restored shrines, all seven Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emerald to become Hyper Versions of themselves in order to defeat this powerful being. So, who could it be? If Chaos introduced the BioLizard and they were both defeated, what could possibly be hinted at in SA2 that would introduce the main villain for SA3?

Well.

OKAY OKAY HEAR ME OUT

We know very little about King Boom Boo and he seems to be a pretty unforgettable character for a reason. There’s something about him that must have been important for a future game. Granted, a lot of this levels design is taken from Sandopolis-

(See the light/dark triggered ghosts from Sandopolis in S3&K vs. King Boom Boo being weakened by light in SA2; see also Egg Golem from S3&K and SA2)

-which also leads us to the Lava Reef zone which then leads to the Hidden Palace Zone- the location where the Master Emerald is first introduced (assuming that these are all the same place) . Could it be possible that the Hidden Palace Zone was once the original and only location of the Chaos Emeralds? What could have possibly happened to that kingdom for it to be buried and haunted for an unknown amount of time? Personally, I believe King Boom Boo committed the ultimate taboo of the Sonic universe and tried to harness the power of all the emeralds to power his kingdom- much like the Echidna’s tried to do and were ultimately punished for as well. History has a funny way of repeating itself like that. Only this time, in modern day, the power hungry monster is Eggman who’s been trying harness the various ultimate powers the Chaos Emeralds can grant. In SA2, we’re also introduced to the concept of a synthetic Chaos Emerald- a fake that can grant a user the link to use other Chaos Powers mentioned previously, but not an infinite power source like a genuine Chaos Emerald. It wouldn’t surprise me if this concept was meant to be further explored in SA3 and present multiple dilemmas for it’s plot. Nevertheless, there’s something about King Boom Boo and the concept of making a deal with the devil that is rather captivating.

Finally, let’s talk about the sun/moon aspects in Unleashed. Obviously these symbolize dark and light, good and evil, yin and yang. There will always be something to fight for and something to fight against. SA3 was meant to have the battle to end all battles. Sonic and six other powerful beings were supposed to work together to fight the greater evil and restore peace and balance until the next Eggman scheme. There was supposed to be something important that would happen once peace was restored. Things were supposed to go back to the way they were before the Echidna’s began conquering and pillaging the world ~4,000 years ago.

Now, obviously I’m ignoring the lore of a LOT of games (modern Sonic games made after SA2, most notably) and this is because there is a hidden plot among these few games. Shadow the Hedgehog (2005) is nine sonic games in a trenchcoat and was only made because of the fandom loving Shadow. Sonic 06 has always been a standalone game from the original series, The Chronicles series aren’t even made by the same people from the Adventure series, etc. Although, I would still like see characters from these games make an appearance.

Anyways... did I do it? Is Mr. SEGA gonna bust into my house and kill me for knowing too much or will he kiss me on the lips soft and smooth and let me turn this concept into a reality? The choice is yours.

#im boutta take direct action and send these posts to the sonic the hedgehog tumblr account lmao #sonic the hedgehog #sonic adventure 3 #sonic adventure 2 #sonic adventure #sonic #sth #game theory #sonic theory

[pendragonfics]

All’s Fair

Paring: Draco Malfoy/Reader

Tags: gender neutral reader, no pronouns for reader, alternate universe - modern setting, alternate universe - modern: no powers, alternate universe - lawyers, good Draco Malfoy, Draco Malfoy in the Muggle world, redeemed Draco Malfoy, carnival, Ferris Wheels, tooth-rotting fluff, marriage proposal

Summary: A day off at the carnival with Draco turns out differently than expected.

Word Count: 1,392

Current Date: 2020-06-03

It’s a beautiful day; the sort of day that you suppose only happens in fictional places, like books or movies. But it’s real, and there’s not a cloud in sight. The sky is a perfect blue, and there’s not enough wind to make a fuss, but the kites that litter the sky in manmade rainbows draw out the laugher of the crowds. It’s not often the fair comes to the countryside; there are markets, sure, but this is something else.

“You know I have cases to work on,” Draco whined.

But with every plea, you push it to the back of your mind. Instead, you keep on tugging at his hand, onward into the field. This place is usually where the local football team hosts home games, but today - in fact, all week - it’s home to a colourful array of oddities and fascinations.

“Come on, love.” He protests.

If you were in any way swayed by his appeal (you are) he’d get his way instantly (he usually does) but today is different. You’re determined on it. You tug him past the ring toss, the balancing games, and pull him onwards. It doesn’t matter that you’re parting crowds to get to where you want to be. They seem to move around you and pulling Draco through makes short work as you make your way.

“You can’t get out of this!”

“I could if I tried really hard,” he replies. You scrunch your face up into a glare, and backtracking, he adds, “but I don’t, because I love you.”

“I don’t know if I should be glad, or scheming to make you do things I want…” you retort.

He only hums in response.

You’ve managed to breach the crowds for the moment, and stopping, Draco collides with your back. It’s a sight to behold. It was visible from the outside of the field - it’s a small town; there’s hardly anything more than two flights tall at this end of the country - but ahead, is a behemoth of a Ferris Wheel. It looks like it was painted red over the steel beams once upon a time, but it’s faded to a soft pink that warms your heart. It’s as pretty as a postcard.

“Oh no.”

You beam.

Not ten minutes later, your fare is paid, and after inching through the line, you and your boyfriend are ushered into the two-person carriage. The other riders come in a variety; the elderly married couples who look like they do this every time the fair comes, young teenagers in love, parents and their children that are tall enough to ride. As a uniformed attendant secures the pair of you in, Draco turns your way.  

“I wonder how old this thing is,” he says idly.

“Draco!” you admonish. “I’m sure this is perfectly safe.”

He raises a brow at that. “It’s practically antique. I wonder how many lawsuits it’s had in its time…”

You roll your eyes. As if he could go without mentioning his work. Of course, that was his everything; he’d divorced himself from his father for it (that, and because he’d started dating you, and his very posh East London daddy couldn’t see past your low birth and humanities degree). He’d recently been made partner at the local firm, and seeing as that kept him all hours, the pair of you hardly had time with each other.

“Babe,” you insist.

He nods and doesn’t speak any more on the matter.

You hardly hear the safety announcement, but sitting so close to Draco, you can’t help but feel the world around you melt away. He smells the same as always; like mint, the pricey aftershave from the chemists and a hint of woodsmoke. Leaning into his side as the ride begins, you feel his chuckle through your cheek.

“I can’t believe we’ve never gone on a ride together,” he says idly, as the ground level gets smaller beneath your carriage. “It’s…peaceful.”

You look up, but don’t move. From this angle, he looks just as handsome as ever, and you smile. “Is that the Draco Malfoy, speaking kindly about something leisurely?”

“Don’t you tell anyone,” he threatens in jest.

Once the Ferris Wheel gets fairly high, he nudges you and points toward the horizon. “Can you see it? That lump in the distance.” You peer that way, but alas, it’s hard to discern with your eyesight. How Draco spent all his time reading in poorly lit rooms and didn’t need glasses was beyond you. “That’s Liverpool.”

Just then, the ride makes a noise, and you freeze, squeaking. Before you can ask of it, though, the ride comes to a stand-still, and beside you, you can practically feel the smugness rolling off of your boyfriend like a fortune teller reading an aura.

“Don’t say it,” you moan.

“I told you so,” he titters.

From the other carriages, you can hear a mixed response. But you try to ignore them; somehow it makes you more nervous, thinking about the matter at hand. Instead, you huddle in closer to Draco’s side. He’s not the most affectionate person, your Draco. When you first met, he wasn’t even used to being touched by people, let alone prospective lovers. But now, he welcomes your touch, even initiates it.

“I wonder how long we’ll be up here,” you shiver.

Draco notices, and asks you, “Cold?”

You hum.

Carefully, he begins to shrug his jumper off. But instead of passing it to you, he puts it over your head and dresses you in his clothing. You slip your arms into the sleeves, and invigorated, lean back to his side in a less lethargic manner. The wind at this height is more than what you felt on the ground, but now you’re shielded from its effects. While your boyfriend usually runs cold, he’s warm beside you and continues to point out things in the distance that you can’t see.

“I’m sure you can see Manchester, it’s over that way,” he insists.

You peer that way, but in the midday sun, it’s almost too bright to focus wholly on what Draco claims to be the home of the acclaimed football team. You don’t notice his fidgeting, but when you look back to Draco, all words are stolen from you.

“It was supposed to be more romantic than this,” he grumbles, but even his ministrations can’t dim the ecstasy that’s filling your entire being.

In his hands, Draco cradles a ring box. It’s the one from the antique store across from your apartment; the one that you’d liked ever since you first saw it. It sits nestled in a box of blue velvet, and it’s so very small in comparison to Draco’s hands as he holds it your way.

“You didn’t…” you breathe.

He smiles and rests his arm on the bar that secures you both into the carriage. “__________, love,” he says, “I know I’m not the easiest to get along with. Potter knows, Parkinson knows…but you never let that get in the way. I knew I would love you ever since we met - I’ve never known anyone as brave as you, like when you stood up to my father, the prat -,”

“Don’t focus on the idiot, Dray,” you remind him softly.

“- and you’re the smartest, kindest, sexiest, most cunning person I’ve ever met, and I can’t let you go. I refuse to.  So, __________ - my gorgeous, sweet __________, will you do me the absolute honour and privilege, of marrying me?”

You nod, overcome with emotion, “Yes,” you say, almost a whisper. “Oh my gosh, Draco. Yes!”

Carefully, he extracts the ring and slides it upon your finger. You’re not sure if he’s had it resized or not, but it fits as if it was made for you. Just as he pockets the box once more, you feel another jolt, and fearfully, move closer to Draco’s side. But instead of the unfamiliar sensation of plummeting to a death fall, the Ferris Wheel whirs back to life.

“See? Everything’s fine now,” he says, kissing your forehead.

A small voice in your head wonders if he paid someone to stall the ride. But it’s hardly loud enough over the excitement you’re now wearing on your ring finger, and the question is soon forgotten.

“Now that,” you tell kiss him, “is going to be a hell of a story.”

#draco #draco malfoy #draco malfoy x reader #draco malfoy/reader #draco x reader #draco/reader #harry potter fanfic #harry potter x reader #chaotic--lovely #pendragonfics #gender neutral reader

[kayr0ss]

Welcome Home

[LWA, Diakko, domestic, family, baby?, cute happy shit]

Akko and Diana are still settling into this new life, routine, and responsibility. But coming home to this...? It was the best thing that ever happened to them.

—–

Diana clicked at the button of her retractable pen, eyes moving rapidly from left to right and back again. She paused, humming softly to herself while she appraised yet another essay on how ‘the advent of big data and analytics is a turning point in the synthesis of magic and artificial intelligence technology. She scribbled her remarks on the paper’s margin:

‘Revise – provide suggested guidelines and security measures for magic-infused data-driven machinery.’

Now, it may come as a surprise to many, but Diana never really considered herself a traditionalist. In fact, her on-going tenure at Luna Nova’s higher-education learning center is heavily decorated with progressive and future-minded research and perspectives. This idea, however, simply sounded a little too much like… Croix—and she wasn’t going to pretend that kept her at ease. But Diana also believed that very few people fall far beyond redemption, and Prof. Croix’s appointment as the Head of the Magical Engineering Ethics Board was the perfect example of redemption if there ever was one.

‘As we’ve learned historically, aggressive technological progress should be done under the guiding hand of ethics and humanitarian agenda,” she jotted down. She spared a quick glance to the office clock her before diving back down into the paper.

05:17:PM

Still early, she thought to herself, I could probably finish this stack before going home and—

“Quarter-past-five!” she suddenly exclaimed, forgetting that her former working hours of until well-past-eight were no longer applicable. Recent events had turned her entire world… upside-down.

“Grading will have to wait until tomorrow,” she hurriedly—but meticulously, of course—tidied the papers into her drawer; the pile on the left for marked papers, and unmarked papers on the right. Her keys jingled while she put her belongings back into her handbag, and the hurried clacking of her heels signaled the other professors of her early retreat back home.

--

Diana Cavendish rarely rolled her eyes, but by Jennifer the traffic was horrendous on the north-bound lane. Which she wouldn’t even be on, had she not forgotten the towels she was supposed to buy earlier in-between lectures. Akko reminded her thrice that morning (each time answered with an obedient, “yes, dear.”) Diana was once again reminded that one of the most surprising—and amusing—things she discovered since her marriage to the brunette witch was that between the two of them, Akko was ‘wife-zilla’.

06:13:PM

And there was extra-emphasis on the ‘zilla’ part lately. Traffic be damned, she was going to get those towels.

--

“Eep!”

The sharp whistling of a boiling kettle startled Akko out of the sports magazine she was so deeply engrossed it. Shit shit shit—she clumsily shut the glossy pages closed, darting towards the kitchen and—kami-sama, why did Diana think it was a good idea to have doors everywhere? “Stupid door,” she groaned, anxious to silence the whistling lest it disturb their special guest.

She lunged towards the stove, snapping the burner knob closed. “I could have done that with magic,” she flicked herself on the forehead, old habits from a magic-less childhood kicking in during the oddest moments. She blinked, scanning the kitchen counter for a small box before realizing that she left it back at the living room. “I’m almost as bad at this as I was at transmutation spells!”

About five minutes later, she was jogging back towards the dining area balancing a warmed tumbler in one hand, and several plastic utensils in another. She narrowly avoided tripping over the carpet (“Fuck!”), and was unfortunate enough to hit her shin across the low coffee-table, warranting an impressive parade of crisp, native-to-Japan curses. Thank Kami-sama it was Friday, she thought with relief. Diana would be taking over evening household duties by Monday and she damn well needed a break; even if a break meant more hours working.

She tipped the warmed tumbler over and let a few drops of its content spatter at the back of her hand.

06:37:PM

It was still too warm but should be just fine by dinner time.

--

[Capitalism is a predator, but I’m nearly home.]

Diana hit ‘send’, letting her wife know that she was around 2 blocks away while waiting for the last stoplight to turn green.

[As long as u got the towels lol. Tnx, luv u :-*]

Diana smiled at Akko’s reply, turning her attention away from her phone screen when she saw the soft glow shift from red to green. Yes, she had the towels—and maybe a full set of Reuven-Eilhart designer night pajamas. Or three.

She also brought home new ‘friends’—she saw that the store had recently released a set of ‘We There Bears’ themed products. Diana remembered Akko raving about them; they were apparently quite the in-thing as of late. She was immediately drawn to the pure-white polar bear with an interestingly unreadable expression. “That un’s ‘Nice Bear’,” the clerk supplied. “But if y’gonna get ‘im, you gotta get the whole gang else he’d be lonely.”

And so she did—because if Diana ever did anything she never did it half-way done. Frizzly Bear and Fanda sat snugly beside him in the backseat.

The blonde witch pulled up into their driveway, sorting out her belongings before stepping out to unload her shopping bags from the back. She opened the door and couldn’t help but laugh at herself.

“What has become of me,” she smiled, wondering how to bring three bears and several frilly-looking things into their house without painting herself as silly.

06:53:PM

Warm, yellow light flooded through the dining room curtains, and the familiar sound of their car alerted Akko to Diana’s arrival.

“She’s actually home on time,” she remarked to a little fellow seated at the end of their dining table, pulling on an exaggerated expression of being impressed. But Diana’s arrival always makes her smile, so she walks towards the front door so she can giver he wife a hand and—

She paused, taking a strong sniff of something which was coming out of the kitchen.

“Oh, no.”

The pizza! There was pizza burning in the oven! She bolted back towards the kitchen for some damage control, relieved to find that the pizza was only beginning to blacken at the crusts—easily salvageable.

“Mou, Diana’s gonna give me an earful,” she whined in defeat. She could hear the sound of their door unlocking, followed by footsteps through their dining area and the rustle of shopping bags being unloaded.

To her surprise, Diana had no drop of sternness in her voice. “I’ve missed you,” she cooed.

Akko broke into a grin, turning to face Diana. “Missed you to—”

She bit back her words, fascinated at the sight of her wife, looking weary from a long day, cradling their beloved Sara with all the fascination in the world. Their daughter giggled up to her mother, hands reaching for her face, prodding at Diana’s nose (which scrunched up adorably) and pulling at her platinum curls before squealing in delight.

“I may have missed you, as well.” Diana teased, tossing a smile to Akko’s direction.

“That’s hardly fair!” Akko tried to pout, walking towards the two people she loved most in the world.

Diana nuzzled against Sara’s forehead, running her fingers softly over the thin patch of light-brown hair beginning to grow longer. Sara perked up immediately when Akko came into her field of vision.

“I think she likes me better,” Akko whispered before kissing Diana’s shoulder. She wrapped an arm around the pair and tickled at Sara’s nose.

“Not a chance.” Diana leaned her head against Akko’s, watching as Sara grabbed onto Akko’s finger with a chubby little hand.

“Did you buy her another hundred sets of pajamas?” Akko raised an eyebrow.

“Only three,” Diana tried to hide her defensiveness. “And... several room accessories?”

Akko laughed, “pretty soon we’re going to run out of space in her room. This little lady has got you wrapped around her finger!”

There was no use denying it, so Diana simply rolled her eyes.

“Come here,” Akko smiled. “Welcome home.” She moved up to her tiptoes, and Diana turned her head to meet the brunette half-way for a small kiss. She appreciated the way Akko’s embraced tightened around her torso and warmed her chest; the way it made her family feel so... whole.

Akko pulled back, but Diana chased after her to steal another quick kiss, amused at the way Akko would still blush whenever she did that.

“So,” Diana gave her wife a look, “burnt pizza for dinner?”

“Mou, Sara! Your mother is such a bully!”

--

A/N: Woohoo finally churned another one out! I’m feeling a bit sick, and it’s early in the morning, so hopefully there aren’t that many typos/errors. Anyway I’m doing fine, hope you all are too! I’ve been re-reading Appointments over and over so I can get a feel of the writing style and flow I used to have for it and finally finish the next chapter. I do feel out of touch from how I was back in 2018; so I really need to do a lot of fanfic reading. You guys have any suggestions?

ALSO - meet Sara! Her name means vivid blossoms; it’s Japanese but also western-sounding so win-win for both moms. A homage to ‘Botany’, with the flowers and everything. She was originally meant to be Leia, because I’m a big Star Wars fan, but hey! I saw Sara and instantly thought it was the best fit. Hope you enjoyed. :) [Also, I’ve noticed I tend to switch between past / present tense a lot and I’ll be working to actively fix that moving forward!]

#Diakko #Dianakko #Diana x Akko #diana cavendish #atsuko kagari #kagari atsuko #Akko Kagari #Akko #LWA #Little Witch Academia #Fanfic #Yuri #Femmeslash #Fluff #Family #cute #wholesome #family fic

[hongnanglen-arina]

See You On Monday | SVT Interactive AU

06: The lost wallet

⋅𖥔⋅ ━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━ ⋅𖥔⋅

Masterlist | Previous | Next

Warnings: a little angsty if you squint? Words: 1.638 A/N: Hey there! So here’s the sixth chapter of my little experiment and I’m sorry to say that but it’s the end... for now? Maybe I will continue it next year but I’m visiting family for the next couple of weeks so it’s better that way than making you wait although there aren’t many people reading it anyways hahaha. Sorry if it was boring. There are some things in queue so it won’t get quiet on this site. Anyways, here is part 6. As always, I hope you like it ♡

⋅𖥔⋅ ━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━ ⋅𖥔⋅ ━━ ⋅𖥔⋅

Wait, maybe the game has an autosave setting. Maybe you can continue where you left the game? Isn’t it often like this?

Determined to enter again and see how the boys are, you put on the VR glasses again and start the game. In the worst case scenario, you could just restart the game and change your previous decisions. To be completely honest with yourself, you can’t shake the thought off of you what the black pills were for.

And when the screen changes, there is really the possibility to choose ‘load’ instead of ‘new game’ only.

Without a second thought, you press ‘load’ and suddenly everything around you turns black again. Silence. When some seconds pass and you still can’t hear anything, you slowly get uncomfortable. You can’t see a thing. Turning your head around doesn’t help either.

“Hello?” You dare to ask but besides your breathing, it was still silent. 

Extending your arms, you try to feel something, carefully taking small steps forward when a familiar voice hits your sensitive ears.

“Welcome back. It’s a pleasure to have you back here with us.”

The narrator.

And all of a sudden you feel your anger rising up again. “Why did the game end without me doing anything? Why am I alone here and can’t hear them anymore. More importantly, how are they??” Your questions left your mouth faster than you’ve planned but now that you said them, you impatiently wait for an answer.

“The game ended because it was the end. Your end. You can’t hear them because they aren’t here. And what do you think, how are they, hm? Any idea?”

You aren’t only angry but now annoyance is adding itself to your emotions.

“What a stupid question. They must be fine!”

“Oh, there’s is no stupid question out there.”

“Whatever. So how are they?” You stand there, looking up in hopes to see anything but your eyes are still meeting the darkness.

“It has nothing to do with you anymore. You played the game and failed.”

“But I chose ‘load’. Doesn’t it suppose to transfer myself back to the last saving point?”

“And here you are. In this dark room. You came back so I can tell you again that it’s over for you.”

“What the hell!? You are kidding me! This game was too short! Also this end sucks!”

“Different decisions, different endings,” the low voice replies coldly, making you ball your fists.

“This is really a stupid game. Who the hell would pay for it?” You scoff and try to end the game again, having enough of this bullshit, when you hear the narrator again. “You. You payed for it.”

“Hah, I didn’t!”

“You did.”

Trying to remember if you are in the right or wrong, you cock your head to the side but it didn’t help you remember so you finally turn off the game. Somehow relieved when you are back in your living room, holding the VR glasses in your hands while you are met with the cover of the game.

“I really wonder how they are.. they sounded in pain at the end…” you ask yourself out loud but without awaiting an answer. You are alone at home and this was just a game. A really bad game to begin with.

Clicking through the menu and the settings, you open the Play Station store and you see it. You actually payed for it. 5 dollars.. for what? A demo? “This was a demo? What the hell???”

You stare at the screen in disbelief. There was no way you could understand the hype at uni about this game. Even you could have planned and created a much better game.

Shaking your head, you grab your phone and unlock it on your way to the kitchen, feeling very hungry all of a sudden. You see a message from your friend.

- Wow a full day without a sign from you. I guess you are playing the game. It’s awesome, isn’t it?? Let’s talk about it tomorrow, Nighty!

Tomorrow? A full day without a sign? There are literally question marks flying above your head after reading the text on your phone screen. You read it again. Maybe you read it wrong but no. Letting your finger swipe over your screen, you check the date and time and gasp loudly. Sunday, 8:42 pm!! 

Instantly your stomach growls and you cover it with your hand. How is that possible?? You just came back from uni and played the game for maybe 2 hours max. But two full days?! No way..

Still confused, you make yourself instant noodles and after a quick shower, you decide to go to bed. When you are in bed, the tiredness hits you hard. You didn’t know how exhausting the game was. The second you close your eyes, you immediately fall asleep and into a strange dream. You see the boys from the game. All 13. You even count them. You are all playing happily at the beach. The weather is beautiful, the sky blue with only a few small clouds. Feeling the sand in your shoes, you are about to take them off when Mingyu runs over to you.

“Y/n please take a photo of us. I will take one with you in it afterwards if that’s okay?”

“Oh sure!” Taking his camera, you wait until everyone stands in line, getting ready for the picture. They make grimaces and joke around but the fifth shot is okay, everyone smiling into your direction, you giving them a thumbs up. You switch positions with Mingyu and fill his spot beside Minghao but he thinks that you should stand in the middle so you switch places with Seungcheol as well, leaving Seungcheol to be in Mingyu’s place now. 

You look to the left and Wonwoo gives you a wide smile which you give him back wholeheartedly. You feel happy and as if you’ve known them for a decade. Hoshi’s hand settles on the small of your back, making you look to the other side, facing him. 

“Thank you for being here with us… miss ghost… miss y/n.” 

Your smile falters. “W-what?”

The loud sound of your clock wakes you up the next morning. What was this dream? Even after crawling out of bed and getting ready for uni, you are still not able to shake off the thoughts about your dream last night. It feels as if they said their goodbye to you and deep inside it makes you sad. You could have done a better job in helping them and changing the story but no. You failed. You died.. or worse, they died?

When you arrive at the campus, everything was the same, despite the thoughts of the game in your head. Also the memories of the strange dream. You halfway listened to the professors and even with your friends, you can’t find the motivation to sound interested. You feel sorry but hearing about uni stuff and about the subjects for the next exams? No thanks. And hearing the people around you talk about the game? Also, no thanks. You haven’t really processed what happened over the weekend and you still feel tired. It was definitely not enough sleep you think to yourself.

Only half an hour left and you can leave uni and go back home. The nice feeling of relieve filling up your tired body knowing that you can jump right back into bed again soon. That’s when you hear a voice two rows in front of you and absentmindedly your eyes follow the sound, sighting bored.

“What is this?”

“Oh, I lost my wallet. Haven’t bought a new one yet so this one has to do for now.”

“I see. Hope you didn’t lose a lot of money?”

“Believe me, I lost a lot. Photos, money, credit cards and the cards from the coffee shops! They were already full!”

Your eyes widen at his words. From your seat, you can only see the back of their heads but you are sure that you have heard those words before. The rest of the conversation isn’t interesting anymore nor tells you more about the person in front of you but you follow it anyways in hopes for more informations. 

Finally uni was over and you quickly excuse yourself to your friends that you have something really important to do, almost running after the boy from earlier because he already left the room after you were done packing up your stuff and separating yourself from your group of friends.

While you follow the boy, you try to find the right words. How should you talk to him? How should you explain yourself without sounding like a complete idiot. The fact that you aren’t the best in starting conversations with strangers makes you fear the confrontation even more.

You reach the main gate and stop in your tracks when you recognize the person who was waiting for the boy you follow, your heartbeat increasing. It was Wonwoo. The boy from the game. You are 100% sure. He wears a long black coat but around his neck is that familiar white scarf you’ve seen before. As the boy reaches him, he pats him on his shoulder and hands over a white paper bag when he looks over his shoulder, locking eyes with you.

His brow twitches and all you can do is to stare at him in sheer confusion. The boy from your uni turns around and your mouth opens a little. It was Seungkwan. But when he sees you, he turns back to Wonwoo again. Oh yeah, he never saw you in the game.. but Wonwoo did. And his expression shows you that there is something unspoken between the two of you.

The tiredness in your body is long forgotten.

#seventeen scenarios #seventeen fanfic #seventeen au #Seventeen #kpop #kpop au #kpop fanfic #kpop ff #seventeen ff #svt #carat #au:see you on monday #hoshi #leechan #mingyu #minghao #wonwoo #seungcheol #scoups #kpop scenarios #dino #jun #junhui #seungkwan #joshua #jeonghan #woozi #jihoon #dokyeom #dk

[edyacouky]

New School Years

Hi !

Here my participation for day 06 of @omegajasontoddweek

Day 06 : No one believe that Jason is a omega.

Hope you will like it

                                                           ~*~

Jason is pretty anxious when he wakes up this morning. It’s the first time since a few months that he gets the chance to go back to school. It’s the first time he goes to a school for rich kids.

Well, he supposes he became one when Bruce adopted him but he still doesn’t realize it.

He’s glad that he has a uniform to wear; because he really wants do good impressions but he have no idea how he should dress for that.

Well, in reality his uniform is not correct. When Bruce did the inscription, Jason wasn’t presented yet so by default the school sends him a beta uniform. In the meantime, Jason presented as an omega but he will receive his new one next week.

For one week and with the school knowing the situation, it should be alright.

In the living room, Alfred already prepares his breakfast.

“Did you sleep well, Master Jason?

-Yeah. And you Alfie?” Jason lies he wants to go back to his bed

He feels nauseous but forces himself to eat.

“Very well.”

Once his food eaten, Jason finishes his washing. He tries to comb his curly hairs, and puts a lot of gel in it.

They will all know he is from the Narrow but he doesn’t have to look like a street rat.

When he is finally ready to go, Bruce is waiting for him in the front door, dressed and awake.

“You don’t sleep? Jason asks him surprised

-Well, I hear it’s an important day today.”

Jason couldn’t hide his happy smile. It’s still new to him the fact that people care about him and do thing for him without waiting anything from him.

“Ready to go Jaylad? He asks before messing up playfully with Jason’s hairs

-Bruce!!! No!!!

-Jeez, Jason how much gel do you put in your hair?” Bruce says astonished

It doesn’t last long, suddenly; Jason starts to cry and yells at Bruce how he ruins his first day at school.

“Jason, calm down. It’s nothing.”

But Jason refuses to let Bruce comes near him; he even refuses to go to school.

“It’s a mistake! I have nothing to do in this stupid school for stupid rich brat!”

Bruce tries to keep his scent as calming as he can to smooth Jason. Was Dick this difficult? Yes, he was. And Bruce wasn’t good with him either. Did he really learn nothing of being a dad?

Fortunately, Alfred comes save both of them. He washes Jason’s face with a warm towel before fix his hair.

“Master Jason, please breathes. Everything will be alright. And you should not only apologies to Master Bruce but also thank him. You put too much gel in your hairs.”

Bruce takes the towel to clean his hand and puts his other on Jason’s back.

“I’m sorry I ruin your hairs, Jaylad. He gently says. Everything will be alright, ok? And even if it won’t be for some reason, Alfred and I will be at your side, ok?

-Ok. Jason says once his breath calm down. I’m sorry for yelling at you.

-Thank you for your apologies. Now if you’re ready, we can go.”

                                                       ~*~

His presentation in front of everyone was an ordeal but he survived it. The classes from the morning were good? During lunch he forced himself to eat in cafeteria in case someone will want sit with him, it didn’t happen but he has taken a book with him so it was not so bad.

Things get a weird turn when he wants get to piss before his first class from the afternoon.

It’s weird for him to be an omega now, but he accepts it. So he doesn’t think much when he enters in the omega bathroom. He doesn’t even remark their eyes on him.

“Hey asshole!” An omega girl yells at him

Jason would have noticed her if an omega boy doesn’t block him the way.

“What?

-What the fuck are you doing here?

-I want to piss.

-Oh hell no! Not here!

-That’s not your freaking bathroom here!

-What?

-This is the bathroom for the omega. Not for the beta.”

Jason realizing what happen smile and want to explain, but the omega thinks he mocks them and one of them slaps him before he could say anything.

“You pervert! Get out! Get out!” They yell and push him out of the bathroom

He falls on the floor in front of everyone while being insult of being a fucking stupid pervert.

Everyone laugh at him “Never piss off a bitch” or ask to the omega if they want them to hit him.

Jason knows that since he presented not too long ago, his scent is not totally well defined as an omega. But he doesn’t smell like a beta or an alpha neither. He tries to explain himself but no one listen to him, especially when someone from his classmate say out loud that he is the new orphan of Bruce one, “The addicted one that was a prostitute from Crime Alley”.

From there, everyone is so ready to lynch him. He only owns his salvation to bell and one monitor.

For the rest of the day, everyone avoid him speaking behind his bad, and Jason avoids the bathroom and he still need to pee!

At the end of the day, he jumps in Bruce.

“Go, go! He yells buckle up his belt

-Oh! What’s going on? Are you purchased?

-Please go! I need to pee!

-Don’t you want to go to the bathroom at school before we go?

-Please, stop talking about bathroom and drive please!

-Ok, ok.”

After a few minutes of driving, Bruce starts the conversation again.

“So … How was your first day at school?

-Cool … cool. I wasn’t too lost during class. Alfie and you learn me well. How long till we’re at home?

-At least ten minutes. Glad to hear that. Did you make any friend?

-Not yet.

-Maybe you could join a club.

-Maybe.”

Jason thinks that join the theater club of the school may be nice, but he doesn’t think it will happen after the reputation he gains today.

“Did something happen today that you don’t want to speak with me?” Bruce asks

Jason has to bite his tongue. What is he supposed to answer to that? Yes, there is something I absolutely don’t want talk with you. And if he answers that, will Bruce drop the subject? Of course not.

“I just really want to pee, Bruce. I can’t think of anything else.

-Ok. I just find that weird that you have to wait to be at the Manor.

-I’m shy, ok? Jason invents blushing furiously. There were too many people and I just can’t. Can we just arrive at home?

-Sure, Jaylad. Just if …

-If I need to talk to you, I will do it. Promise.”

Finally, Bruce drops the subject.

Honestly, Jason doesn’t think he have anything to say to Bruce. Yeah, people doesn’t like him, but it’s not like he was expected something else. And next Monday, he will have the right uniform and the misunderstanding will be forgotten. For the moment, he just has to not drink at school so he doesn’t have the need to go to the bathroom.

Just one week. He can do it.

                                                           ~*~

Jason avoid problem for the rest of the week. His teachers knowing his situation, don’t hesitate tell at some of his virulent classmate to back off. It’s nice.

He counts the day till his new uniform arrives.

Friday he has PE. It makes him anxious but he’s sure the teacher will take his side like the others.

So PE starts and Jason starts follow the others omegas to change.

Immediately, the omegas refuse him to enter with them and call him names. Again he tries to explain his situation to them but they don’t listen.

The teacher comes near them. Jason is relieved, thinking his problem will stop.

It’s a mistake.

Since the beginning, the teacher look down at him, and not because Jason is small.

“Let me guess. The Narrow kid bothers you?

-What …?

-He’s a fucking pervert!

-He want see us change!

-My uniform is not right! Jason tries to explain

-Yeah. I believe you. The teacher says but before Jason can breathe again she catch him by the neck to drag him to the alpha locker room. Only an alpha could be this deranged!

And like that she thrown him in it.

Jason tries to get out immediately but this crazy teacher block the door!

How the hell did she get to be a teacher? She is a crazy beta woman with stupid idea?

Yet, Jason hears so many horrible things about what alpha can do to omega. What a band of alpha can do to one omega. And no one will help him here.

If his scent was subtle before now it impossible to ignore that he is a stressed omega.

He doesn’t dare look at them, he starts to hyperventilated and all his body is shaken.

Bruce must never know otherwise he will refuse to let him be Robin.

“What the fuck an omega doing in our locker room?

-Wait. Is he wearing a beta uniform?

-Maybe he just present.

-What the hell a freshly presented omega does in our locker room?

-Should he be in the beta locker room or the omega one?”

This entire situation is so humiliating.

“Hey. Someone calls him out. Are you alright?”

One hand is put on his back and he’s tensed instantaneously.

“Oh, you’re the new kid, right? Jason. That’s it?

-Yes.

-Come here. Sit down.”

Some alphas remove their thing from a bench so he could sit down. Jason is still dazed and without control himself he starts to cry.

“Michael! What did you do?

-Nothing!

-Don’t worry. The other alpha says to Jason while pretending to strangle Michael. His big sister is an omega too and if she learns he’s an asshole, she will kick his ass.

-Shut up, Stella!

-Guys! Another alpha naked screams brandishing a wet towel. Towels Battle!

-Anthony! No! Everybody shout at him

-What? Oh my! Why there is an omega?!”

Despite himself, Jason starts to laugh.

“Oh! Little Anthony junior make Jason smile!

-Shut up Willow! My junior is much bigger than yours!

-On your dream maybe.”

Everyone laughs and the atmosphere becomes less tense.

“So, Michael says to Jason, can you explain to us what happen?”

Jason deeply inhale then nods.

“When Bruce registered me, I didn’t present so they send me this uniform. But in the meantime, I presented and I can have the right uniform only next Monday. Bruce did call the school and the teachers know.

-So what are you doing here?

-The omegas of the class think I’m beta so they don’t want me in the locker room. When I tried to explain, the teacher though I am an alpha and put me here.

-The teacher put you here?

-That’s absurd. Willow says. I’m going to see her.”

Everybody stay stunned as she leaves half dressed. For a moment, they though that the problem was over. But Willow comes back with her wide eyes.

“I have four hours of detention.

-What?

-She accuses me, and us, to want send Jason as some kind of spy so he can take photo of the omegas.

-She’s completely crazy!

-And she says none of us can leave before Jason is changed or it would be four hours of detention for everyone here.

-She can’t do that!

-I’m sorry. Jason says. I will change.

-Out of question. Anthony says. She’s wrong. You and your dad did everything to avoid this kind of problem. And I refuse to obey to a crazy lady that treat us like some kind of deviant pervert.

-Anthony, you’re still naked.”

Anthony turns bright red and put the towel around his hips before going put underwear.

“You should call your dad. It’s the best solution.” Michael says to Jason

Jason doesn’t want to do that. He doesn’t want to bring any problem to Bruce

“It’s just today, then next week I will have my new uniform …

-I don’t think they will stop bullying you just because you have your new uniform.

- Yeah and you should call your dad before the school do it.

-What?

-Well none of us will go on PE class so the school will call our parent to tell we skip it.”

Jason sights. He had just one day left before the week end. Why does the shit had to hit the fan?

Hoping for some kind of Deux Machina who may prevent him to explain to Bruce what happen, he calls Bruce.

“Hello?”

Jason can’t talk. What can he tells? He can’t tell me.

“Hello? Jaylad? Are you ok?”

Jason hung up without thinking. He puts his head between his legs and focus on his breathing.

“I can’t do it.

-Jason …

-No! You don’t understand! I’m not like you! I’m not related by blood with Bruce, he can discard me anytime he wants! Then I will have to live in the street again! I can’t do it again!

-Jason …”

It isn’t one of his classmates who call him. Jason looks horrified at his phone. He didn’t hang up! Bruce hears everything!

He wants to die!

He can’t believe his day become worst with each minute.

Panicking, he almost throws away his phone but Stella catches it.

“Hello sir. He says tense. Eh … I’m Stella Tidek, a classmate of Jason. You want talk to him?”

Jason shakes violently his head.

Well it was nice while it lasted. Now he will return to the street.

“Sorry. He can’t talk to you now. But it would be nice if you can call the school or come because our PE teacher is crazy.

-Stella!

-What? It’s true.”

Willow takes the phone to Stella and explains everything to Bruce without being interrupted.

“He’s coming. Willow says return Jason his phone. He wants tell you something.”

Jason shaken puts his phone on his ear.

“Hello?

-I’m sorry for your teacher and your classmate. They shouldn’t have done it.

-Ok.

-And Jason, if … if you ever leave, it wouldn’t be my choice. Never. It would be entirely yours.

-Ok.

-I will be there in twenty minutes.

-Ok.”

Bruce hung up and now they wait.

One time or two, the teacher wants force them to go out but the entire alpha proudly say they do a strike. Each kid warns their parent about the situation.

Many of them are outraged by the teacher’s behavior, some only by the fact that an omega is alone without any chaperone with so many alphas. Some parent tells their kid to record what happen so they couldn’t be accused of rape.

The entire situation is really surreal.

                                                               ~*~

They are playing at card so loud that at first they don’t hear the knock of the door.

“We’re on strike!

-If you come in, we get naked!

-I certainly hope that none of you will be naked in front of my son.” Bruce voice made heard

Everyone freeze and look at Anthony still in underwear.

“Go get dressed, Anthony! Everyone yells at him

-I’m not naked!

-That’s the same!”

Only once that Anthony is presentable, Jason opens to Bruce.

He is still afraid when he does it. Bruce knows how to lie; maybe he is angry at him and was nice on the phone to make sure he didn’t run away.

He doesn’t have the time to see Bruce’s face that he hugs him.

“I’m so sorry, Jaylad. You were supposed to be safe in this school.

-That’s ok. That wasn’t so horrible. The alphas were nice.”

Bruce take a long look at Jason before looking inside the locker room where the teenagers seem embarrassed.

“Thank you for helping my son.

-That’s normal.” They all babble

They all finish getting ready for the class once Bruce closes the door and search for the teacher without letting Jason leave his arms.

It’s a little embarrassing, to be honest.

“What’s going on here? The teacher screams at Bruce at the other end of the basketball court

-I’m suppose you’re the teacher.” He simply answer without moving

She cross the court and goes pale when she recognize him.

“Mister Wayne, what are you doing here?

-I heard there was a misunderstanding with my son.”

The teacher’s nose wrinkle with disgust. But she gets a scent that makes her paler.

An omega scent. An omega scent coming from the Narrow brat.

“Can you explain to me why you try to force my omega son to changes in the alpha locker room?

-He is wearing a beta uniform.

-Can you explain to me why you try to force who you though being my beta son to changes in the alpha locker room?”

She can’t say anything. Nothing can explain what she did, especially since she has no good reason.

The alphas leave the locker room and start play with the other classmates. Some give thumb up and smile at Jason that smile at them.

Willow loses her smile unexpectedly and put her hood.

An alpha woman wearing a fancy pantsuit approaches them. Jason at first thinks she must be a teacher or the director but she proves him wrong.

“You are the teacher, right?

-Yes.

-Can you explain to me why you give four hours to detention to my daughter?

-I don’t see what you’re talking about? The teacher blatantly lies

-Willow! The alpha calls. Willow comes immediately.”

Willow red from embarrassment shuffle in their direction.

“Take off your hood and stand up straight.

-Dad.”

Jason is sure that the teacher is going to pass out in any minute.

“Now that you see which one is my daughter, are you still saying you didn’t give her detention?

-Look, all of that it’s a misunderstanding. She tries to defend herself. This omega doesn’t say that he is an omega and goes to the alpha locker room.

-Liar. Willow and Jason accuse her

-I can see the mark you put on my son’s neck. Bruce growls

-This omega stays a long moment with a bunch of alpha. Who know what they did?”

Jason and Willow blush at the accusation, but before they can defend themselves, Willow’s dad argues:

“You’re paid not only to teach sport to our kids but also to supervise them. If they did a fucking orgy in a locker room during your class it would be your responsibility to know it and to prevent it.

-Dad! Please! Can you … can you not say that?

-I understand that you love your kid and see them at some kind of perfect angel but sometimes they lie and do terrible things. It’s my role as a teacher to punish them if they did that.

-No need to do a “your word against their”. Bruce says. I’m sure the video surveillance will tell you if Jason enters in the alpha locker room by himself or if you push him in it.”

The teacher frowns before she lost the little trust she gains and remembers the camera in the gymnast recording everything.

“What if we pursuit this conversation in the director after we see the film?” Bruce says with one of his Brucie smile

Willow’s dad agrees and the teacher can’t refuse.

They decide letting their children in the gymnast with their classmate and leave as soon as a monitor comes replace the teacher.

Willow put back her hood and is still mortified that her dad came.

“I can believe she say we had an orgy.

-Well in her defense she didn’t exactly say that. Michael says

-It’s the same!

-I don’t understand why you’re the one that panic and not Jason. With this kind of rumor is always the omegas that suffer from this. Stella says

-Oh, well, Jason answers, all the school already think that I’m the addict prostitute from Narrow so … Don’t see how it can make thing worse.

-Oh … yeah …right …”

For a moment, they don’t know what to say. Before they learned to know Jason they laugh at these rumors after all.

“Hey, do you think your dad will bring you home? Anthony ask him finally

-I don’t know.

-Well, if you stay, would you like it with us?

-Yeah that will be cool.

-You say that because you didn’t see Anthony eat before.”

                                                           ~*~

An hour later, the director, Willow’s dad and Bruce come back. Not the teacher.

The director explains that the teacher is suspended for a while, without replacement. The entire student and their parents will be summoned next Monday to take testimonial and explain what will happen next.

The director presents his apologies and explain Jason’s situation, claiming that he is an omega and that the school knew it since day one.

After that, Bruce take Jason apart.

“Will she lost her job?

-It’s a possibility.

-I don’t want that. It’s difficult not have money to live.

-I suppose you don’t want us to put charge.

-No. Not if it’s the first time she act like that.

-The director seemed surprised and Dick never had problem with her. But I will do my research.

-Ok. Thanks for coming.

-It’s normal, Jason. You’re my son and I will do everything I can to protect you.”

Jason hugs Bruce as tight as he can.

Bruce is the first adult that makes him comprehend what a parent is supposed to be.

“If you want, you can take your things and go back to the Manor with me.”

It’s tempting, Jason won’t lie but …

“No thanks. I make some friends. I would like to stay.

-Ok. I see you tonight.

-See you soon.”

                                                               ~*~

Jason is pretty impatient when he wakes up this morning. It’s the first time he will wears his omega uniform. It’s also the first time he goes to school to meet his first friend he ever had.

#OJTW 2020 #OJTW #omegajasontoddweek2020 #omegajasontoddweek #jason todd #bruce wayne #Alfred Pennyworth #OC

[sonicfanj]

A little while back I made a comment in regard to Sonic’s character not being understood and pointed out that he has the potential to be a “selfish hero”. Not surprisingly I was asked about what I meant so I’m going to tray and explain.

Before beginning though, I should note that I view Sonic as an adventurer first, and not a hero like most of his fans do. This creates completely different expectations out of his character and results in me seeing things very differently from others. For example, I disagree with the notion that Sonic lives to stop Eggman. To me, it’s simply something that happens and we see so much of it because those are the stories of his adventures that we are shown most commonly (I think Eggman has only missed one game that Sonic has been in so that kind of says something).

So, for my explanation I am going to try to stick to as few examples as possible, but I get a little long winded so apologies in advance.

To begin, let’s look at Sonic’s motivation to be a hero. Well, simply put he has none. That may seem a little short-sighted, especially in light of Sonic’s heroics, but the thing is, Sonic does not present himself as wanting to be a hero. If you ask Yuji Naka, Sonic’s favorite thing to do is run, and his running is spoiled if he doesn’t get a full eight hours of sleep. If you consider this Sonic’s constant lazing around makes sense as he’s trying to put himself in a mood to enjoy what he loves best. But for as hard as it seems for Sonic to get a good night’s sleep, which supposedly also makes him irritable, he still loves to adventure. When describing Amy’s character Hoshino has stated that Sonic’s mind is always on the next adventure or challenge. This is important as it tells us that Sonic is not thinking about who to help next. He is thinking about himself. In other words, he is being selfish, or he adventures to enjoy himself and his running, not to help people like most of his fans believe.

Naturally this raises the question of why does Sonic help people. That is a very easy question to answer, but it also reflects a bit on Sonic’s nature and his selfishness some more. Out of the gate, we are told that Sonic has a strong sense of judgement and a big heart. And we know how compassionate Sonic is. In case anyone has forgotten, though he bashed the poor guy in the brain a few times over, Sonic calmed a raging God of Destruction and desired to console it so it could live in peace. It takes a big heart to do that and Sonic has it. But he is also said to have a short temper (though it is rarely demonstrated) and that he can’t stand injustice and dislikes tears. At this point I would hope that a clearer picture of Sonic’s selfishness as a hero is starting to become clear, but as I’m explaining my viewpoint I’ll continue.

Making what will feel like a sudden jump, Sonic helps people on his adventures because seeing or knowing that people are in trouble ruins his adventure for him. The moment he knows people are in trouble he can’t enjoy himself no matter how much sleep he got. His big heart and distaste for injustice spur him into action. He’s acting on his own emotions to bring himself back peace of mind. This is a horribly selfish thing to do, but we see him do it quite a fair bit, sometimes even putting himself before those he is aiming to help. Obviously, I need some examples to back these claims up, so I’ll go ahead and get started with Sonic CD.

Now, a lot of people do not know this, but Sonic did not go to Little Planet to save it. It kind of happens as it stands due again to Sonic’s short temper and reaction to things he dislikes and can’t stand. The whole reason he actually goes if I remember correctly is that he already knew the legends of it and wanted to both see it and see if he could actually time travel using his speed. When he arrived Eggman being there was a total shock to him, and seeing what the good doctor had wrought spurred him into action. In other words, he was there for himself, and saves Little Planet only because his moral compass and own feelings happen to align with what appears to be heroic. But roughly, Eggman ruined his plans and Sonic responded in kind. It’s almost petty his actions at Little Planet if not for how it is painted due to Eggman being the rather destructive villain. But CD is far from the only example.

In Sonic Adventure he gets involved because he is involved by Tails and Eggman. Stopping Chaos 0 is a matter of his evening run being ruined by the clash between Chaos and the Cops. He can’t leave the cops to be slaughtered and jumps in restoring his peace of mind. A selfish action. It isn’t much better with Tails either. With his peace of mind restored we next join Sonic chilling at the pool until Tails appears and ruins his nap. Though not Tails’ intentions, Sonic’s shrug tells us a great deal about how he feels about the situation before going off to make sure the fox is alright. If Tails came first he would not have delayed or even shrugged. He simply would have taken action. He also is later on disparaging of Knuckles, dismissive of Amy when she is trying to ask for help until he actually sees the danger, and gets wrapped up in the thrill of chasing Eggman rather than making sure Tails and Amy get away alright. Most of the game he puts himself first and displays irritation when he is needed to be heroic. It doesn’t really paint him as a hero. He isn’t much better in Sonic Adventure 2 either where he really drives home his preference for doing things his way. Then in Sonic Heroes he only gets involved because it seems like fun. Despite the danger, Sonic puts himself first. It isn’t until Shadow where Sonic is really painted as heroic straight up, but that game takes place through Shadow POV, and in relation to himself Shadow does see Sonic as rather heroic.

In 06 though Sonic goes right back to his selfishness. Yet another seemingly lost detail, even though it is repeated at the end of the game, Sonic goes to Soleanna to see the Sun Festival. It is literally his only reason for being there. If not for Eggman arriving he would have never interacted with Elise and would have been gone the next day. Yet Eggman attacks and Sonic gets involved. And seeing the mess that Elise is Sonic can’t have any peace of mind until she has some and shares a lot of his philosophies with her until she finally stops being mopey and has the strength and resolve to do what she needs to. Then, sure enough, even with the subtle hints that Sonic remembers what happened, he heads right on out once he knows everything is fine, including Elise. He made himself a big part of her life and then leaves because that is who he is and he can enjoy his running again knowing that everything is resolved.

When we get to Unleashed, we see a slightly different side to Sonic’s selfishness as he puts himself before his charge of the game; Chip. When Sonic meets Chip he blames himself for the latter’s memory loss and offers to help him restore it. Yet when he can’t resolve it and is informed of the larger mess at hand by Tails he heads right off to solve the problem. Now yes, he brings Chip along, but he has no basis on which to base Chip regaining his memories in his company. Yet he gladly exposes him to danger while thrill riding on his own adventure, where Chips memory coming back becomes insignificant to him. Chip simply becomes a friend on the adventure and Sonic mostly enjoys himself. Again he is being selfish.

Like 06 before it, Black Knight is a game where Sonic is heavily doing things his own way and for his own enjoyment. Most of that breaks later on when facing Merlina, a friend he has to save as much as her world, and of course the Knight Trials. The Knight Trials are one of the more interesting examples of Sonic’s selfish heroism as he has been tasked with saving the world but will not refuse the child in need. Worse, the Lady of Lake knew Sonic’s abilities when she put the time limit on him and the trials which would assure that Sonic would fail should he deviate at all. But Sonic has a big heart, and he hates tears, and here is this child crying due to the dragon. There is no way Sonic can have the peace of mind to focus on his quest to save the world while this child suffers and chooses the child over the world. Kind of funny that Amy gets chewed out by the fandom for this but Sonic clears his Knight Trials with flying colors for the same thing. But I digress. While it worked out for Sonic here, it could have been disastrous, but in his selfishness, he prioritized his feelings and went against what was requested of him. I may sound heartless here, but when faced with the choice of saving the few or the many most “heroes” seek a way to accomplish both, but Sonic chooses to satisfy his feelings instead. It is a selfish action on his part regardless of the outcome.

Beyond the games though you can also find Sonic being selfish in the OVA where talking him into going to Eggmanland is to stop Tails from worrying. He has no desire to go and outright refuses. It is only when someone he cares about is expressing genuine concern that Sonic is prompted to act. Even then he is visibly irritated by the whole affair the entire time. He had to go against what he desired to do, and it frankly agitates him, which implies a very selfish nature. When he does agree, it is to address something which does bother him, which is anything but heroic.

So, I’ll admit that some of my readings may seem excessively extrapolative, but as I addressed at the beginning of this explanation, I look at Sonic in a different light than most and this paints my view of his character. That Sonic’s selfishness is never really called into question tells me that most people at SEGA also don’t understand it, or as Sonic is supposed to represent everything cool about SEGA it highlighting a negative trait would be seen as unfavorable to say the least. Regardless, Sonic’s selfishness slips in and paints the character in a very unique light, but if you don’t fall for the trap of him being a hero but rather an adventurer who lives for himself first, than it starts to not be a surprise. Or at least, that’s my view on it.

#my thoughts #my opinion #sonic the hedgehog #character analysis

[mintchanniemint]

Request # 1

"I am a sucker for angst so like... maybe for SKZ, when the reader overheard him saying they are clingy and completely ignore him to respect his decision? that’s like a classic scenario but I love them so much" Thank you for the request, anon!!

I really worked hard for this! I got a bit of inspiration by listening to “I Would” and “Goodbye Winter” by DAY6! I really hope you’ll enjoy reading this, and I apologize for any mistakes, English is not my first language!

pt.2

_____________________________

Thursday March 5th, 01:34 p.m

You’ve been working nonstop for the past five hours but you finally decided to give your eyes a break from the bright screen of the computer you worked on. The only good thing about lunch break was to eat something with your boyfriend. You were colleagues, and it was probably thanks to that boring office job that you were able to meet him.

It happened back in October, when he started working there and the boss told you to help him integrate in his new workplace; not one of your favorite tasks, but you had to admit that he was pretty smart and friendly, and the time spent with him was actually enjoyable.

You slowly got closer day after day, when one day he asked you out for a movie, and not only it was a great night, but you couldn’t forget his shy smile when he asked you to “see each other more often, preferably not only at work” and you agreed.

You couldn’t forget the sparkle in his eyes when you kissed him, that evening during the little Christmas party you had at work with other coworkers since you had to work some extra days and some of them decided to bring some drinks and sweets, to make that “I’m working during Christmas” day a bit less sad.

You couldn’t forget his beautiful smile when you started leaving every single morning a little mug of hot chocolate and a warm strawberry jam filled sweet roll on his desk. Those were small things that filled your days with happiness, they made you feel so calm, and somehow, loved. On the other hand, he started leaving a milk candy near your computer as a little ‘thank you’ and he was always there, ready to comfort you whenever you had a rough day. Sometimes he spent the night over at your house, to keep you company, and you would have never forgotten that time you literally ran in the rain to go take care of him when he caught an awful cold.

You were there for each other, you loved each other, and you thought everything was alright.

You really thought nothing was wrong in your relationship, but lately you’ve been feeling a bit different; maybe it was due to the stress at work, but you and Chan argued often, even over really useless things. Although you were always able to solve it all but it was starting to feel slightly annoying. It felt as if you needed something that would make you talk about it with him, but you were scared. You were scared of the consequences, but at the same time you had to do something.

Right when you were heading to the cafeteria to enjoy your lunch, you heard a conversation. Probably a conversation you would have completely erased from your mind if you could. A conversation you never wanted to know it happened. You didn’t expect that at all, you were hoping you somehow misheard. But no, it happened.

“Man, don’t you think y/n’s a bit clingy? I mean, you see each other every single day, at work, too!”

“Tell me about it, sometimes it might be annoying, but, you know, I guess that’s probably normal?”

“Nah, Bang, let me tell ya’… That’s not normal! Too clingy, man! Think about it. See you after break.”

“Yeah…see you!”

You kept walking, tightening the grip on your food box, and slowly headed to the cafeteria.

“Hey!”

You heard his voice, probably calling you. You took a deep breath and kept walking. You don’t really know how you felt, that overheard conversation was able to change your mood completely. You were upset, angry. Angry at him but mostly, angry at yourself.

It wasn’t the first time you heard such words from some colleagues, but this time it hit differently since you heard Chan agreeing to it.

“Oh, you’re finally looking at m-”

You didn’t say a word, ignoring him, but he kept following you.

Once you arrived at the cantine, you sat down at a table near the window, and looked at your boyfriend, sitting beside you.

“You know, Chan. In a relationship there should be communication.”

You cut his words and ate your meal in complete silence. He snorted, already annoyed by the fact that you were probably starting the usual fight over something dumb, but you didn’t even look at him nor said anything else. The atmosphere got really uncomfortable and the only thing you were thinking about was to finish your meal as soon as possible and go back to finish that huge file the boss assigned you that morning. At least you and Chan didn’t work in the same room, otherwise the rest of the day would have been unbearable.

You sighed and lightly slapped your left cheek. Don’t think about that now.

Once you finished your meal, you gave him a quick glance before standing up and leaving the cantine, quickly going to the restroom.

You washed your hands, fixed the round glasses on your nose and quickly combed your hair with your fingers, fixing your blouse and trousers. You took a deep breath and stared at your reflection in the mirror, wondering what you did wrong.

What was so “clingy” and “annoying”? What you thought was a small cute sign of love, was actually something he found annoying?

You went back to the office, but you couldn’t focus properly on your task, your mind full of thoughts about your boyfriend, and a sense of guilt started spreading in you, because you ignored him during your break and left him there without saying a word.

“Ugh… I’m the worst.” you mumbled to yourself while checking some files and information on the server of the office. Your eyes drifting from a page to another, your mind fixed on repeating those words in loop. You just wanted that day to end soon.

_____________________________

05:06 p.m

“See you tomorrow!”

“Yes, have a good evening!”

You waved goodbye to your friend and put the last few documents left in your small folder, ready to finally leave and go home. You passed your badge the little machine that bipped, signing the time you were leaving, and wore your jacket and scarf. You took a deep breath, and after saying goodbye to some other colleagues you met in the hallways, you finally reached the parking of the building and quickly got in your car.

You sat there for a couple of minutes in complete silence, immersed in your thoughts when you suddenly heard someone knocking on the window of the car, scaring you. You gasped and saw Chan waving at you with a little smile.

You sighed and nodded, telling him to get in.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“… Did… did you forget we went to work together this morning?”

You didn’t answer, you sighed and turned the engine on and drove towards Chan’s home. He didn’t live too far from work, but you thought it was nice to give him a ride since his house was on your way to work.

You turned on the radio because the silence got way too annoying and awkward. The soft and calm voice of a female singer accompanied by the sound of a guitar was filling your ears, nearly able to erase those annoying thoughts that kept flowing in your mind, when suddenly Chan spoke up.

“Weren’t we supposed to go to your house today?”

You blinked and looked at him, quickly finding an excuse.

“Uh… I have a lot of work to do today. It’s better if I go home early.”

You said, tapping lightly on the steering wheel and biting nervously your lip, waiting for him to get off.

Chan nodded, understanding, and before getting off, he left a quick peck on your cheek.

“See you tomorrow, then.”

He whispered gently against your skin before leaving another long kiss on your cheek. You slowly closed your eyes at the familiar softness of his lips but quickly snapped out of it once he left. He waved at you before entering the huge block of flats, and you nodded slowly, driving away to your house.

_____________________________

08:23 p.m

You were in the living room, laptop, pens and documents all over the table. Working at home wasn’t really that fun but you had to do it since that day you were completely absent and you weren’t able to do much and you kept feeling highly guilty about it.

Not even on purpose, your phone started buzzing. You checked the notifications.

Who the hell says goodbye to their own boyfriend by just… nodding?!

You groaned, annoyed by your own thoughts, and kept tapping on the letters of the keyboard.

You really loved Chan but that exact moment you were hating him because your mind was full of thoughts about him.

Great, a message.

Chan🐺: hey babe. It’s pretty late now so I hope you’re not still working. You might be tired now! Make sure to sleep early.

You sighed and quickly typed your reply.

You☀️: Don’t worry, it’s ok Chan. Make sure to have a good sleep xx

Chan🐺: you seem weird, we’ll talk tomorrow k?

You☀️:Tomorrow I can’t give u a ride, see you though

You put your phone away and kept focusing on your laptop and in a couple of hours you were able to finish everything. It was nearly midnight and you had to go to sleep. You got ready and changed into your pajamas and once in your bedroom, you automatically took your phone to write a goodnight message to Chan, but something stopped you. Maybe it was better not to.

There you are, coward as usual.

_____________________________

Tuesday, March 10th, 4:50 p.m

You were getting ready to go back home, fixing some files and documents in the office before getting your bag and jacket. You left the room, hoping not to bump into him, but once you were going down the stairs, you froze.

Some days have passed since you decided not to be “clingy” to your boyfriend anymore. You didn’t drive him to work anymore, you didn’t stop at the café to get his breakfast and you tried your best not to annoy him too much. You didn’t want to hear anyone else describing you as “clingy”, but being so focused on that, you slowly started ignoring completely your boyfriend. You didn’t notice how you two were slowly losing each other and he gradually stopped writing you any messages.

It was a horrible situation, but you tried to convince yourself you were doing the best thing for the both of you.

You couldn’t hide the fact you were starting to miss spending time with him, but at the same time, you were afraid. Afraid to face reality. You were avoiding any kind of interaction with Chan since the last thing he told you was “we need to talk”, but that day you couldn’t escape from it anymore.

“Hey, y/n, wait. Please.”

He followed you, he seemed like he was in a hurry, probably he tried for the past week to meet you but you were fast enough not to see him when you were leaving to go home.

He grabbed your hand and looked at you, sadness and confusion filling his eyes. You sighed and slowly nodded, already knowing what was going to happen.

“Let’s go outside.”

You sighed, those lovely memories were starting to hurt you slowly.

Once you were out, the light breeze caressed your face and you started feeling slightly nervous. You both fell into an awkward silence, walking quietly in a small park near your workplace.

While walking, memories started flooding your mind: you looked at a couple of trees, that started blooming, and remembered how you spent entire hours in that park when it was covered in snow, with Chan, talking and laughing.

“You’ve been acting weird lately. I’m sorry I said that. But it was getting pretty suffocating.”

“You should have told me.”

You stopped walking, staring at your own shoes. So you were really having that conversation, huh?

You took a deep breath.

“I know, and I’m so sorry. But you know how we were already arguing over stupid things, I didn’t want to add any more to it.”

“See? You’re already arguing.”

“So you go and complain about your girlfriend with some random colleauge?”

You took a deep breath, not brave enough to look at him in the eyes.

You didn’t say a thing, you just kept looking at the ground, holding your tears, when you suddenly looked at him.

“Maybe… Maybe we just need some time.”

You mumbled, your hands holding tight on your bag.

Chan hummed in response. Silence quickly spreading in a couple of seconds. Neither of you moved nor said anything. You were deeply focused on your own thoughts, but that was the best decision at the moment. You were usually not the type of people to argue or hold a grudge, but that day you both agreed you needed some time to think.

“I’m sorry.”

It was getting a bit uncomfortable, but before parting ways, Chan held your hand shyly, and gave you a long kiss on your lips.

You closed your eyes at the sweet and warm feeling of his soft lips on yours.  

He whispered, caressing lightly your cheek, fixing a lock of hair behind your ear. You nodded slowly, taking a deep breath.

You just needed some time to think, but a sense of fear couldn’t leave you at all.

He looked at you one last time and walked away, his figure getting more blurry and distant as you finally let your tears roll down your cheeks.

#skz au #skz imagine #skz angst #bang chan au #skz chan au #skz chan angst #chan angst #stray kids imagine #stray kids angst #bang chan imagine #request #day6 songs are always so on point