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maritotoy · 3 months

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MAUGA X Support/Medic Reader ((Part. 1))

NOTE: Believe it or not, I never realize how long I've written this one.

This narrative tracks Mauga's obsession with Y/N as it grows to the point where he is prepared to kill everyone who stands in his way. With this in mind, Mauga's commitment would gradually grow. He would start out softly and then this need on you would get stronger.

It all began when your talents were initially utilised for recruitment. You were a terrific help, willing to assist your teammates in whatever way they needed.

Your main issue was that you could never truly let them handle things on their own. As a result, it became increasingly difficult to care for yourself.

They promised you riches if you helped them fight back against their threat. There were only so many ways to profit from rival worlds, after all. You were aware that you were going into a whole new universe when you agreed, but you also felt that you had no choice but to accept them.

Ultimately, you didn't wish to pass away, did you?

It was stated to you when you first joined TALON Organization, that you should concentrate only on the battlefield. Up until you met Baptiste, an exceptional combat medic, it was great with you. Your shared enthusiasm for curing illness is what unites the two of you. It turned into a shared passion. As you try to acquire experience in several areas, like medical supplies, you both hope to discover some more useful abilities, like healing or even a unique kind of combat capability.

But you can hardly ever get to Baptiste, he's constantly at the top. Both a combat mercenary and medic. You're always looking for ways to sharpen your skills.

Even after meeting him again at your base and on missions, you are still determined to improve your ability to deal with any possible emergencies. Not until later do you find out what happens when a member of your unit gets injured.

Baptiste surged in, carrying an imposing stature and a solid, muscular frame. His voice sounded desperate, asking, "I'm sorry if I came to you! I know you are busy, but I need help with my friend, please, Y/N!" The urgency was so obvious that there wasn't much resistance. Even if he was a doctor himself, it must have seemed urgent enough.

Besides... You were in the right place to help.

You rushed over to his side and helped him stabilize his huge friend. "What happened, Bap? Are you hurt?" He didn't reply, but his eyes told you all you needed to know.

You fix your sight on his pal. He does not appear to be hurt or seriously damage. However, the man's body is completely soaked, which looks very suspicious to you. "Is he alright, Bap? I don't see anything wrong." He shook his head and gave a sigh.

"We were attacked. Mauga and I found the source of the enemy attack and got separated."

"How long has it been since then?"

"Four hours, maybe five."

"Do you have any idea of what may have caused the damage?"

"I'm not sure. However, I had already discovered him unconscious but unharmed on the ground. It should not take long for him to awaken.." You glance at the unconscious man again before you say, "Let me take a look at him." He nodded and stepped aside.

"Mauga could never be wounded by shots like that. Despite his size, he could easily absorb one hit thanks to his physique." He explains.

You crouch down and check on his comrade. He seems fine to you. There's nothing unusual about him, other than the fact that he's a bit too heavy.

You knew Mauga.

And with such.

You just don't know how to engage with him.

On a conversation? Yes. Your profession is your duty.

You don’t really get along with those who rely solely on themselves as an advantage, even though you respect their abilities.

The feeling is mutual. Every time someone gets hurt because of something beyond their control, you are there to help them.

Because that's your job as a medic.

You both have quite a difference in interests, though. You can't stand the fact that he’s so reckless, you can't understand why he doesn't think more carefully before he acts. As soon as he sees blood, it's always the most important thing.

Mauga stands tall, towering over his opponents with an impressive height of 7'5 ft tall. (My headcanon)

Mauga is a formidable opponent on the front lines thanks to his strong, muscular physique. His broad shoulders and thick neck gives off an air of strength and power, and his body is well-built, demonstrating his strength and capacity to deal severe damage to rivals.

Did I mention he has two hearts?

Unlike you, Mauga is a ruthless and cunning individual, driven by his own motivations. He never lets anyone interfere with his goals, whether or not they involve you. While he might act with reckless disregard sometimes, he is also able to calculate the best course of action.

Not anyone knows this. But you knew nontheless with Baptiste.

You may be underestimating him in some way, or you may have witnessed the genuine thing, up close and personal, but he always brags about his achievements without hesitation or shame. His fighting style turns wild and unpredictable when he fights. If Mauga doesn't want to win, he will take his time, before using ChaCha and Gunny, his chainguns, to grab the victory, and he won't give up until he achieves his objective.

He definitely is careless, isn't he?

"He's breathing just fine, Baptiste. I would say he is in perfect health, aside from the injuries, I can't detect any signs of any damage injuries either." You said as you stood up. Baptiste sighs relief. "I'll leave him to you doctor. Don't worry, I trust that you have everything under control." He says this to you while nodding in satisfaction.

This gesture of his is a way of gratitude towards the medic's work.

"I will be back later," he says as he leaves to make a round to prepare for battle.

While Baptiste was gone, you sat next to the downed mercenary soldier and begin to observe him. In the midst of his unconsciousness, he seems to be in a good state. There was no sign of discomfort or pain. His pulses are fast but steady, knowing that Mauga have two hearts, one that allowed him to replace his damaged, organic heart with a cybernetic one. That way, his heart will beat twice as fast. You can easily tell that Mauga is in his natural state.

Your eyes began to feel heavy after observing him for some time. You weren't sure if it's due to fatigue from watching him, or simply exhaustion from your duties as a medic.

Before you knew it, you fell asleep.

When you awoke, you find yourself staring back into the face of Maugaloa Malosi, whose lips formed into those flashing, same pasted smile as usual. “Ah, Doctor. How nice to see you again.”

You quickly wake up, sitting straight up on the chair. “M-Mauga!" You exclaimed, alarmed. "H-How is you- I mean are you feeling alright?”

He grinned at you. “I am feeling rather fine.” You let out a long, sigh of relief. However, you didn't anticipate that this would happen frequently. “I see..." You replied.

Silence takes over for a while. Mauga stared at you intensely before taking a step forward. “Your Y/N, correct? Baptiste little assistant. I've heard much about you, but never expect that I would get to get treated from you.”

You flinched slightly at his words 'assistant' and the word 'little', but you remained calm. “I'm glad that you feel better now. You should rest and recover. If you still need them..."

“I appreciate the concern,” he says as he reaches towards your shoulder. You instinctively raise your hands in preparation of blocking. This caught him off guard, causing him to pause in his movements, then booms laughing.

“My apologies, Teuila. I thought that you might have forgotten what I do here,” he said in that familiar, friendly tone.

“If I recall correctly, I haven't given you permission to touch me.” This comment caught him off guard as he chuckles deeply.

He stares at your hand for a while longer. You're beginning to become worried. After a brief silence, he reaches forward and lightly holds onto your wrist.

“That’s a very sensitive spot…” He whispers gently. Your heartbeat begins to accelerate. “And your pulse is fast. Is this normal?” he asks. “Yes,” you respond in a soft voice.

“Then why are you afraid? You know I'm not going to hurt you...” He grinned. His sharp teeth glinted menacingly in the dim light. "Surely you've already made a friend? You also gave him a lot of attention than you do with me. Or have you grown to dislike me?"

"...I... I beg your pardon-" your speech is interrupted by Baptiste with a tired expression.

"Hey... Sorry that I took so long. I went to gather supplies. Mission was a success." He sighed in relief as he approached you.

"Mauga, I'm glad your awake bud." Baptiste sighs in relief and smiles at Mauga. Mauga returned the gesture before looking back at you.

He still has that huge grin plastered across his features while his eyes darted towards yours. "You're crazy out there Mauga. Do you really think that you can defeat the enemies single handedly?" Baptiste says with a chuckle. “You know me Baptiste, I never do things without planning them out.” He grinned, revealing that row of dazzlingly white teeth. “I still don't understand how you've been knocked down so easily. It's hard to believe that you can be beaten like that.” Baptiste gives a half smirk, half frown.

You listen to their conversation, and you try to make sense of it. Mauga laughs at the situation, as if it's all so obvious. "C'mon, Baptiste, we have bigger problems than me right now. The mission is a success because we finally found the enemy camp. But it was a close call, and we needed your medical expertise to treat the wounded," Mauga explains to Baptiste while looking directly into his eyes with a sly smile. "I carried your massive ass in this camp with support of your weight alone. You ought to be pleased to have a subordinate with such skill." Baptiste smirks. He was referring to you. Mauga laughs at his friend's criticism, displaying his amusement at the circumstances.

"So yeah. It was pretty rough, but we managed to secure the objective! Isn't that great news?"

It's not really a surprise to you.

Mauga does tend to put himself in danger, especially when he's in an unfamiliar place.

This guy is completely reckless, which is why you can't believe that he managed to survive so many battles without falling apart or breaking down.

"Your a loose-canon, but I hope ended well..." you say calmly, hoping that you sound convincing enough.

"I can assure that I have the highest respect and admiration for your abilities as a medic. I would never doubt your skills, even if I hadn't personally experience how skilled you are in dealing with wounds." Mauga comments, he sounds sincere as ever.

Baptiste grins again. "That's a big ego of yours, my friend. You should consider giving a few compliments to the people who did more than you."

"I would love to, my friend, but there's nothing wrong with being modest about our accomplishments."

"Alright," Baptiste said, sounding annoyed.

--------

After several hours, days, months of treating your patients at base. You cannot help but wonder seeing Mauga quite often, whether that is purely because of duty or something else. Although it is difficult to tell what he's thinking, there are moments where you notice the way that he is constantly staring at you. Like he's trying to figure out something about you:

studying your appearance, facial expressions, mannerisms. Sometimes he gets lost in his thoughts, sometimes he appears to be lost in his own world, occasionally, you could catch him smirking knowingly, or even smiling to himself. These small gestures usually only occur during times when it's with you with him. Sometimes, the man is just too cheerful, or too energetic in general.

You could hardly handle the stress of handling all these patients in the infirmary on your own. You're starting to miss having Baptiste around to keep him occupied while you go through patients. You sighed loudly not until Mauga appears behind you

You found him with wounds on his chest and torso. You turn to look at him, "What happened?"

"Nothing serious..." He grins, showing his sharpened teeth.

"Just a minor injury, eh?" You raise an eyebrow at the mercenary, crossing your arms over your chest. Mauga simply shrugs as he sits on a table.

There was another period of silence between you two, and the atmosphere seemed to tense up considerably. This time, it's you who breaks the silence. "I'm sorry that you got injured. I don't know how I should react seeing someone else getting hurt so casually. You could have died out there. And that's not the worst thing that can happen," you said sarcastically and sternly.

He chuckles. "Oh really? Tell me more." He leans closer to your face, gazing deeply into your eyes. "Ah. So that's how it is."

You glare at him angrily, but he ignores you as you continue working. "Are you seriously going to mock me for worrying about you?"

"Not at all," he replied, with a hint of sarcasm. "But there is one thing that concerns me."

"What? You're going to insult me too, aren't you?" Mauga laughs while Y/N tends his injury.

The felt of your touch sends shivers throughout his entire body. He tries hard to suppress the sudden urge to grab her hand and hold on tightly. It's becoming harder to control these urges though. He shakes his head rapidly as he pulls away from you. He looks at you with narrowed eyes. "I'm not mocking you, you know?"

Your gaze flicks briefly to his. "Hm."

There was a short silence between you two, until you began to clean a cut on one of his legs. You noticed his gaze follow every movement of your fingers. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

"I'd prefer that you didn't ask questions so frequently, Teuila."

"Teuila?" You face him. "You know, I never asked you of this... But why do you call me that?" He lets out a deep chuckle and replies. "Because you look like Teuila. It fits well, doesn't it?" He flashes you a warm smile before turning his head away again.

You shrugged of his answer, continuing your work without saying anything further, although you were extremely curious. "Teuila... What does that word mean?" There's a brief moment of silence in between the two of you once you finished cleaning up the blood staining his leg. A faint smile plays across his lips again. "I thought you were better than that."

"And you think that you're better than me?"

"Yeah," he replies smugly.

"Then... You've obviously underestimated me, don't you?" You give him a challenging smirk. He returns the smile with a smirk of his own, but he then turns serious again. His eyes narrow. "Let me enlighten you. That name means 'flower'. Do you understand what kind of flower it means?"

You gave him a blank stare. He continues to smirk, waiting for you to understand his meaning. Eventually, you sigh, putting your hands on your hips. "Do I look like I care to know?" You scoff, rolling your eyes lightly.

Mauga laughs. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter what you think of it..."

There was silence between you two for a few seconds, and you looked away with furrowed brows.

You finish patching up the mercenary, placing some bandages around him and securing them securely. "Now that I finished helping you, you're dismissed." You professionaly said after you made sure that everything was covered properly. Mauga laughs at this. "Really? Now? Just like that?" He asks mockingly.

"Yes Mauga, I don't have any other duties besides tending to your wounds. I've been doing that for quite some time now," you responded coldly.

Mauga raises an eyebrow at this. "You know, if you start beginning to care about those wounds, you might find yourself losing them. If you want me to leave your clinic quickly, then you'll have to earn my trust first, which requires some work."

You sigh heavily. Of course Mauga will insist on making things difficult for you. "I am no doctor Mauga, I cannot cure your injuries." You sarcasticly said.

"Oh I know that. But you're still willing to take the risk." He chuckled.

"You wouldn't had to waste precious time coming here in order to talk shit."

Mauga laughs at you again, grinning like a cat that ate the canary. "I wouldn't waste too much time coming here either, but I also wouldn't be able to enjoy it quite as much because you'll be gone by then," he says confidently. "Besides, you're not exactly known for your patience." You roll your eyes, turning back to the table in front of you.

"You know I've always wondered what it feels like to be your patient," Mauga mused. "To be the one receiving the attention of the most skilled medic in your battalion."

"You must be joking," you replied, you know what he meant, not wanting to think that you would ever become his patient.

"No. You know me... " He grins. You groaned. "Don't' make such assumptions, we don't know each other all that well yet."

"Yet..."

You glared at him as he laughed. "Whatever. It seems like there's no stopping you, is there? We haven't even officially met yet, and already you're acting as if you have a good relationship with me." You sighed exasperatedly, massaging the area of your forehead in irritation.

"Listen, Mauga. My job is simple, I care for my patients and treat them well. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Oh yeah? Well, maybe I'm different," he said cockily.

"How? Are you not afraid of dying?"

"No... No I'm not... I've done so much more reckless things than death." His expression suddenly shifted to an emotionless one. For a moment, it felt almost as if he wasn't looking at you anymore. Then he chuckled softly, giving you a playful wink. "But I'm no saint."

"It must be hard to admit being human." You shook your head slightly.

"Sometimes." His grin returned to his features.

You couldn't help but stare directly into his eyes for a little longer, taking in how dark they actually are.

Mauga shows a huge plastered face. His still wearing his dumb smile.

You blinked at him.

He blinked back.

You rolled your eyes. "Stop smiling so much." He continued to laugh, as you turned away from him again. Mauga stood up and stretched lazily, "I have something to attend to, I'll be seeing you later," Mauga teasingly said as he made his way towards the door. He opens it, but he glances back.

A small smirk forms on his lips.

You watch him disappear outside the door, closing it behind him with a click. Once the door closes you let out a heavy sigh, resting your back against the wall behind you. Your heart is racing a mile, a minute, both at the prospect of having finally been alone with Mauga again, and the strange feeling within you after you spent several hours alone with him.

This feeling...

It's definitely not normal.

End of part 1

Part 2- ???

#mauga #maugaloa malosi #mauga overwatch #overwatch mauga #overwatch #mauga x reader #ow mauga #mauga ho'okano #overwatch x reader

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girlinlavender · 2 months

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one of the most intriguing things about sapphic pairings, which, in my opinion, cements them as the best type of ship gender wise, (don’t come at me), is the dialectic parralels they often showcase. Very commonly, a narrative will queercode it’s characters by presenting them as something of a matched set, whether they be friends, enemies, rivals, etc.

This is especially and irrevocably true in sapphic relationships specifically because of how insanely close and often toxic and codependent female friendships can become, especially between repressed queer girls. The comparing yourself to them, the resentment and jealousy, the love, the possessiveness— it’s easy for those types of relationships to bridge on romantic, and that’s why queer girl “friend breakups” are so intense, and often so romantically charged. Because it’s essentially an actual breakup.

Similarly, as is often seen with two characters who are intertwined in this way, or any other, the narrative will present them as parallels to the other’s character, essentially inversions of each other, furthur proving the notion that these two people are a matched set— you cannot talk about one without also discussing the other, because their development within the storyline is entirely dependent on each other. Specifically, female relationships are known to present themselves in this way to a T; it’s what raises the extremely common question within queer women: do I want to be her, or do I want to be with her?

Take Jackieshauna, two girls so insanely connected that even their fucking funko pops had to be together, still codependent even when separated by death. Their relationship was insanely homoerotic, even without being canonical, which makes them one of the most popular ships in the entire Yellowjackets fandom.

Take Catradora, who were super duper codependent in their early days in the horde, and who’s narratives paralleled each other even right up to the very end of the series. They were also a matched set— yes, they had independent character arcs, but their traumas were so connected to each other that without the other, they would have turned out a completely different person, and very likely a worse one..

Take literally any sapphic ship, and you’ll likely see this issue presented in one way or another. This entanglement, like souls bound together, that can’t even become completely separate from each other in the midst of war, death, politics, starvation or cult activity. That’s what makes these kinds of dynamics so interesting, and ripe with motifs to discuss, like I’m doing now. To put it simply: fiction is bonkers bannanas, and girls are extremely close with one another in a way that cannot be understood by outsiders. People of any nature, gender, whatever, are shipped together because they are interesting together, and nothing is more interesting than people who cannot exist without some semblance of the person they care for most. Even if you don’t see them as romantic, you can’t deny the intensity and emotional intimacy share. The human condition is an endlessly expanding atrocity, and the depth that lies within it is easily exemplified by other people, and that, my friends, is why stories are good.

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thecarnivorousmuffinmeta · 6 months

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in your and Vinelle "And then there were none" fic, and just your (both of yours) fics in general, Edward really tries to figure out a way for Jacob staying around and being with Renesmee.

is it just so he can go throw Renesmee in Jacob's direction any time he thinks she's a bother and "distracting" Bella from him? and because Bella wants Jacob around and he wants Bella happy?

or is there some other reason I'm missing?

Ah Edward, you complicated deranged mess of a man. It's been a while since we've psychoanalyzed this chap, I'm ready for it.

Let's dive in.

Edward and Jacob

The thing about Edward and Jacob's relationship is that Edward finds himself unwillingly fond of Jacob. Jacob's a rival, yes, but Edward comes to view him as the only worthy rival as he's a protector of Bella who is determined not to see her as a vampire and has actually earned Bella's affection and interest.

It goes beyond that, though, as Edward sees Jacob as the man who should have won the fight. In a rational universe, to Edward, Bella should have chosen Jacob and remained human and had a family with him. Edward would have been heartbroken but it was the better future for her and the one Jacob deserved after the fight he had put up.

Essentially, Edward by Eclipse feels as if he's gone through a long and bitter struggle and now finds himself not simply impressed by Jacob's perseverance but genuinely moved by the romance of his story as the second love interest who ultimately does not win but should. And the fact that Edward does end up the clear victor makes it easy for him to look on Jacob no longer as an enemy but someone he would have liked to be his friend in better circumstances. Jacob's no longer a threat but instead what Edward could have been had the fates been less kind to him and not granted him Bella.

Basically, by the end of Eclipse when Edward's won the fight, he gets to marry Bella, he really really likes Jacob. Then we get to Breaking Dawn where Edward feels as if his family has gone mad and turned against him as they actively petition for Bella's death (in Edward's mind). Rosalie's actively guarding Bella to prevent his saving her life and Carlisle refuses to do anything because of Esme. Jacob is the only voice of sanity in the house with Edward who is on board to abort Bella as soon as they can.

They find themselves unwilling allies once again and Edward remembers this (though Edward forgets about the part where he changed his mind and Jacob different but lets move on).

What I'm getting at though is that Edward wants Jacob to have a happy ending. He wants the best for him, in a world where he can't have his true love Bella, and he's genuinely upset that Jacob can't have that future/his and Edward's interests are mutually exclusive (they can't both have Bella nyuk nyuk nyuk).

Now, hold that thought for a moment...

Edward and Bella

Throughout Eclipse Edward realizes that he's done fucked up. He left a gap in Bella's life, emotionally devestated her, and she did exactly what he wanted her to: she moved on emotionally to Jacob Black. Edward tries in vain to separate the two throughout the novel without looking like a madman (then gives up and looks like a madman for all Bella doesn't notice or care). By the end, he's forced to conclude that while Bella does choose him, she loves Jacob as well and that, as I noted above, Bella should be choosing Jacob Black over Edward, retaining her humanity, and living a wonderful life with him.

Edward fundamentally believes that he should lose this fight but is too selfish to do so.

Then we cut forward to Breaking Dawn where Bella is dying and the only thing that makes her happy two weeks in is Jacob being brought in. It doesn't matter that Jacob's angry and terrified, she lights up at seeing him, and it's all the confirmation Edward needs that Bella needs Jacob in her life. Jacob's the one who can make her emotionally happy in ways Edward simply can't, he's what gives her the strength to survive a little longer during that time when Edward couldn't.

He can't cut Jacob out of Bella's life no matter how hard he's tried. And, per the above section, he no longer really wants to.

Which leaves us, in a world without imprint, Edward watching a tragedy as Bella and Jacob will become natural enemies, Jacob will lose the love of his life, and it will all be because Edward's a monster and can't let go and has destroyed the woman he loves in his own detestable selfishness.

And Then the Imprint Happens

Then it all makes sense.

Jacob's true love was never Bella, it was because she would become the progenitor of his true love, Renesmee, whom he imprints on. All that suffering, all that pain, was simply so that Jacob would be in the right place at the right time to meet his true love.

And Edward is not his romantic rival, but instead his future father-in-law, and Edward gets to have this wonderful, brave, son who he would have been happy to have Bella run off with except now this man is the perfect man who can protect and cherish his only miracle daughter.

This isn't Jacob getting a consolation prize: it's him being rewarded, perhaps by God, for his endurance, his pain, and everything he had been through until this moment.

To Edward, Jacob imprinting is one of several signs that they live in a just universe.

His daughter, for her own part, will have her own personal protector who will put her above all other things. She will have the world's most devoted playmate, brother, friend, and some day lover. She will have a bond few will ever know and a human in her life who can remain with her forever (as Jacob if he doesn't stop shifting will cease to age).

Bella, of course, gets to keep her emotional support, her best friend, and it now makes sense to Edward that she and Jacob had this unbreakable bond as, again, Bella was the progenitor of Renesmee and likely their friendship was an echo of what would exist with her daughter.

The imprint not only provides a means for Bella to be happy and not have to let one more thing from her human life go but is just the perfect solution for their perfect family in this perfect universe Edward now lives in post Breaking Dawn.

That Renesmee herself is a person, not simply a bonus chia pet he got as a result of this post-Bella-turning happy ending, is something Edward fundamentally doesn't understand. Nor does he understand the issue with imprinting and grooming, and like Bella considers the very idea that Renesmee wouldn't want to marry her soulmate bizarre and even ghastly.

You want her to end up with some--some guy?! A MIKE NEWTON?! (perish the thought).

That it works out wonderfully for Edward in Bella in that they don't have to be parents, they can just shove Renesmee at Jacob and rest assured he'll take the best possible care of her, is something that's barely an afterthought for Edward. I'm not sure he even realizes he's doing it in Breaking Dawn (Bella certainly doesn't and she barely sees that kid). Edward genuinely thinks he's the world's best father (and not just the world's best seventeen-year-old father).

So, Why Does He Resist When it Goes South?

The thing about the imprint is it looks bad (because it is bad) and that if the family starts doubting it then they'll start doubting Bella and Edward for supporting it, especially Edward, who in their eyes should have been able to see that this was not platonic and Jacob had been intending to groom Renesmee from the minute she was born.

This means that getting caught out wouldn't simply lead to Jacob having to leave (and Edward would turn on him quickly in such a case) but losing the love of his family entirely and the coven breaking apart. Esme and Carlisle would no longer love him, Rosalie would look at him the way she did the men who destroyed her, the family would see him as a monster.

The possibility of this sends Edward into a spiral in which he must retain the status quo at all costs or else, if that's not possible, preserve his image in the eyes of the family.

Often, at least when we approach it, Edward sees it as an issue that has a simple, obvious, solution: Renesmee just needs to get over herself and get with the program. If Renesmee assures everyone she wants to marry Jacob (and of course she does) then she can smooth this over and they won't have a problem. That this then usually doesn't happen makes Edward even angrier and more panicked as it all quickly falls apart.

This death spiral is what usually leads to extra madness in any of mine and @therealvinelle's fics as it... doesn't go well for this and other reasons.

Thoughts @therealvinelle?

#twilight #twilight meta #twilight headcanon #twilight renaissance #renesmee cullen #edward cullen #anti edward cullen #jacob black #bella swan #the cullens #meta #headcanon #opinion #vinelle #therealvinelle

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homoerotic-shonen-rival-showdown · 1 year

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Round Two Match Eight: Sasuke and Naruto (Naruto) vs Gojo and Geto (Jujutsu Kaisen)

why should you vote for them?

Sasuke and Naruto (autoqualified but still got 4 submissions):

duh

Idk I don’t go here I just wanna help them for all the tumblr girlies

because of every single crazy quote they’ve said

Gojo and Geto (3):

uh…divorced. i love them

STSG ESSAY TIME >:)))))) Warning for Jujutsu Kaisen anime/manga spoilers ahead! I had to explain deep dark depths of the story to prove that they deserve to win the crown. Here I go. Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru (also known as Satosugu or simply stsg) deserve to win the crown for the following reasons. Please bear with me throughout this whole essay because I am unequivocally insane about them. First of all let’s get into the rivalry side of things.

In high school, Gojo was an absolute menace. The first time Gojo and Geto met, the latter hated the former because he was annoying, rude, and arrogant. Now eventually they became best friends, but you see, their rivalry returned when Geto was exiled from the school because they had a stark disagreement in moral ideologies, which resulted in a dramatic breakup in front of a KFC (yes, this is actually canon). Gojo was supposed to execute Geto because he did some Bad Things (that we don’t need to get into right now) but as Geto walked away he said (paraphrased) “Go ahead and kill me. There’s meaning to that.” And My Lord is that a line. So for the next ten years of their lives, these two were separated, now on opposite sides, now each others’ enemies. Eventually this came to a climax when Geto declared war on Gojo, but before we get to that, let’s pause for a second, and talk about the meaning behind this all. I’ll try to make this part quick because without restraint this would become excessively long. So technically, Gojo and Geto’s breakup directly caused the plot of Jujutsu Kaisen to unfold. If they hadn’t broken up, then Geto wouldn’t have declared war and then died. If they hadn’t broken up, Geto’s body wouldn’t have been possessed; his body wouldn’t have, completely against his will, trapped Gojo in a prison, as Geto sat back helpless, unable to do anything to stop his best friend from being sealed *by his own hands*. Every single other tragic event that happened in Jujutsu Kaisen would not have happened, because, assuming you have never watched/read Jujutsu Kaisen, no, Gojo and Geto are not the main characters, and the whole rest of the cast was affected by this event. Yes, this homoerotic rivalry breakup is the very Big Bang for Jujutsu Kaisen, because if it didn’t happen, Jujutsu Kaisen wouldn’t have the incredible plot that it has. Butterfly Effect at its finest. Anyway, now that their rivalry is out of the way, I will now get into their homoeroticism.

My first piece of evidence for their homoeroticism is that… it’s in the name. Both of their first names start with “s” and end with “ru”. Both of their last names start with “g” and end with “o”. And both of their full names have the same amount of syllables. There is no possible way that this wasn’t done on purpose to get the point across that they are literal soulmates. Do I sound insane yet? In addition, Gojo called Geto, and I quote, “my one and only”. Now if that isn’t some fruit ass shit then idk what is. And now the most damning evidence of homoness, comes when Geto died by Gojo’s side. This was after the war that Geto declared on Gojo, and Geto ended up on the losing side. Even though they had been rivals for ten long years, they still had an important and heartfelt history together, so as Gojo walked over to his dying best friend, Geto smiled, glad to see not only an old friend, but the most important person in his life, for the last time. Gojo’s last words to Geto as he died were NEVER REVEALED. Only very very few producers of the anime know the words. They will be released soon but for now we don’t know. But it was confirmed that his last words were THREE WORDS. Now I don’t wanna put any words in Gojo’s mouth but the most obvious theory here is that he said “I love you” as his best friend and rival of 10+ years died by his side. This is even further affirmed when, after hearing those three words, Geto BLUSHED, SMILED (as he was in the process of bleeding out!) and described the words as (paraphrased) “embarrassing words that they had never said to each other before”. IT’S BARELY SUBTEXT AT THIS POINT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THEY’RE GAY AS HELL!

Now before this gets any longer I will cut myself off here. Thank you for coming to my way-too-long Ted Talk about these stupid ass anime men who have been plaguing my mind for months, I hope you take my submission into consideration! I don’t expect them to win but I’m just happy I get to aggressively type an essay about them in this google form :D

#polls #naruto #jujutsu kaisen #sasunaru #sasuke #gojo satoru #suguru geto

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nobodynobodyno · 5 days

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i keep seeing you post thai dramas and im intrigued :3 where do you watch them and do you have any recommendations??

Ohhh hiii! Well yes, while Dip and Pip were doing absolutely nothing in 2022, I got really into thai dramas lol. There are truly so many, it all depends on what genres you like! I'm going to post my top 5 and give them a little review based on my own taste and you can let me know if you are intrigued by any of them 👀

Bad Buddy

If you like rom-coms and are into the whole rivals-to-lovers thing, you might wanna check this one out! I also think of it as a modern gay romeo and juliet adaption. It's about two guys who grew up together as their houses are next door but their families are enemies! And then the majors that they pick when they go to university also have a rivalry thing going on, and so their respective friends also hate each other lol. It's very sweet but also very, very sad at times, I really recommend it!

Not me

This is the first thai show I watched and an absolute fave, though you might not wanna start your thai drama journey with this one as the plot is kinda bonkers lol Black and White are twins who share a psychic connection that allows them to feel each other's pain. White is forced to leave the country for a while and when he comes back he feels it when his brother gets attacked and ends up in a coma, so he decides to take his place and seek revenge. He then discovers that his brother was part of a gang, an eco terrorist group if you will, and he might also be developing feelings for a guy his brother hates lol. It's gay, there's crime, what more could you want!

I told sunset about you: a coming-of-age story about two childhood friends who had a falling out and have not spoken for years. They meet again in their last year of school and start to slowly rebuild their friendship while also developing feelings for each other. The cinematography is on point, it's beautiful but also depressing at times. This one is not on youtube but I am sure you will find it around wink wink

The gifted and The Gifted Graduation:

This one has two seasons that are both available on youtube and it's about kids who go to an elite high school and have supernatural abilities. And the teachers are also up to something suspicious. I cannot recommend this one enough, it's really so good. There are so many twists and turns, I was sweating during all the reveals from season 2 lol.

Triage: oh my god, this one blew my mind! It's about a doctor who is stuck in a time loop trying to save a patient that he ends up falling for. If you like the idea of desperately trying to save someone you love and failing every time :) you might wanna check this one out! There is also a bigger conspiracy going on in the hospital. It's amazing! Also not available on youtube but you can find it around wink wink

Also worth mentioning: the ongoing gl 23.5, there are a lot of bls but not so many gls. They are worth supporting so we will get more stories about women in love :) This one is a very cute, lighthearted high school story with 4 lesbian characters! And there might be something happening between two teachers too ;)

And here are two trailers for other gls that are coming out next year

youtube

#thai dramas #d rambles #i know that the ones that are on youtube might not be available everywhere so in case they are not you can always use a vpn #sorry for the long answer lmao anyway let me know if you have any more questions #there are so so many as i said #you can check more on the gmmtv yt channel #gmmtv is not the only company that produces thai dramas but it's the most popular one afaik #thank you so much for the question btw hope you're having a nice day/night

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tending-the-hearth · 1 year

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Been reading and loving your Narnia thoughts (you might have noticed). Do you have any opinion on Caspian's relationship with the Pevensies? Like how he has no family and feels possibly slightly out of place in the beginning of Prince Caspian and by Dawn Treader he's treating Lucy and Ed and even Eustace to a degree as family

oh my god YES I DO

god, you're so right, they ARE his family, he says it at the end of "Voyage of the Dawn Treader" to Eustace, Edmund, and Lucy. They're the closest thing he has to a family, they're his siblings, he hasn't got anyone else, and I think that really affects how he interacts with each of them!

so i think Caspian's relationship with the Pevensies is SUPER interesting, and i'm going to break it down with each sibling!!

Peter:

obviously, from the get go, there's resentment and tension between Caspian and Peter. Peter spent the beginning of the second movie showing how desperately he wants to go back to Narnia, how desperately he wants to return to his people and take care of them. When he finally does get to return, it's only to see that they don't need him anymore, and he's basically been replaced by Caspian.

the entire battle in the castle scene shows their relationship REALLY well, and I think it does a good job of showing their separate experience. Peter, of course, knows how to lead an army, he knows how to launch attacks. Caspian's really not familiar with being in an actual battle, and it's shown in the mistakes that he makes. At this point, Caspian's still a rival for Peter, and he's angry. His people have died because of those mistakes, and maybe Peter remembers his first few years as king, remembers the Narnians that he lost because of a few foolish mistakes, and hates that he sees himself in Caspian.

then, their relationship shifting into something more friendly after Caspian's nearly enthralled by Jadis. Once again, Peter's seen himself in Caspian, but more importantly, he sees Edmund in Caspian. He sees the same fear, the same desperation in Caspian that Edmund had the first time he entered into Narnia.

Peter giving the final blow to Caspian during the duel is a MASSIVE moment for them both. First off, it's a parallel to the "not me. him." scene between Peter, Edmund, and Trumpkin at the beginning of the movie. It's also Peter acknowledging Caspian's place, and the passing of the sword, both in this moment and at the end of the movie, is Peter showing that he's grown and understands what's happening.

So while they don't become as close as Peter and Edmund, or as close as Caspian and Edmund, I do think that their friendship could have been something SO much closer had they had a little more time! Caspian's never gotten to have an older brother, so I can absolutely see Peter mother henning the HELL out of Caspian because ofc he gets stuck with two dark-haired self-sacrificial idiots as younger brothers

Susan:

Their relationship is SO frustrating to me, because i absolutely think they would have been better off just giving Caspian and Susan the same enemies to friends plot line that Caspian and Peter got.

Like, I struggle to find things I like about their relationship, because I really don't like the romantic subplot. It doesn't make sense, especially because Caspian finds his canonical love interest in the next movie, so it doesn't even matter.

I would have loved to see a Caspian who's grown up with a little hero crush on Queen Susan the Gentle, who's transformed her into this ethereal being in his mind. Then, when they meet, she's his age, and that hero worship lessens as they get to know each other. Give me a Susan who's had to endure countless marriage proposals from Narnian nobles, who has boys in England flirting with her, but Caspian doesn't do any of that. He genuinely wants to be her friend without any ulterior motives! Give me platonic soulmates Caspian and Susan!

AND NOW ONTO MY FAVORITE RELATIONSHIPS THAT CASPIAN HAS!!!!!

Edmund:

Their relationship is so special to me. Like, they easily could have used Caspian to replace Peter, personality and actions and all, but Caspian and Edmund just have a separate relationship, and it really gives me the vibes of how Peter and Edmund must have acted together during the Golden Age!

Their swordfight on the Dawn Treader is one of my favorite moments, because you can tell they're just goofing around and having fun! They're laughing and grinning, and there's no tension.

Also, the entire subplot with Peter's sword, with who Peter's successor will be is so perfect. Edmund hiding his resentment about Caspian getting Peter's sword, to him showing his true emotions during the golden pool scene, to Caspian giving him the sword for the final battle, it really fits with them reconciling with each other.

I also really love the little nuances between them, like how Caspian always calls Edmund "Ed", how he comforts Edmund when they think Eustace is dead, the way he shouts Edmund's name when Eustace grabs him, how Edmund's the first one Caspian shakes awake when Lucy's missing, just everything is so well done.

My favorite Caspian and Edmund scene is probably when they're preparing for the battle, when Caspian helps Edmund with his armor and says "I want you to know I think of you as my brother, Ed", before giving Edmund Peter's sword.

Also, I think it's really important to note that both Caspian and Edmund's fathers play a large role in who they are, and their big decisions: Edmund's loyalty to his father is what prevents his relationship with Peter from growing until he understands Peter's struggles, and Caspian's desperation to please his father's memory holds him back until he's able to let go and learn to be a better king at the end with Aslan.

Lucy:

I wish so badly that we got more moments between Lucy and Caspian in "Prince Caspian"! Like how I wish Susan and Caspian's relationship had looked like, I would have loved to see something similar between Caspian and Lucy.

Caspian admiring Queen Lucy the Valiant, her being this mythical figure for him, and then he meets her, and his Big Brother Instincts™️ go into overdrive!

Their relationship in "Dawn Treader" makes me so emotional. Like, Caspian is truly another big brother to Lucy, and the fact that she's the one he goes to when he spots them in the water, and she immediately knows it's him by his voice, and you can hear the happiness in her own voice when she says "Caspian!", they're siblings your honor.

Also, I'm picturing Caspian rushing to get clothes for both Edmund and Lucy when they show up, frowning as he tries to make sure he has something for both of them, because he'll be damned if they sit around in wet clothes because they'll get sick!!!

Caspian also immediately noticing that Lucy's missing before they go off to find her is very important to me, the way that he, Edmund, and Lucy have such a strong connection that they search each other out and know when one of them is missing works so well.

Once again mentioning Edmund and Lucy stepping into Peter and Susan's roles, Lucy becoming the voice of reason between Edmund and Caspian, keeping them calm and being that jumping off point for them to discuss the Mist and their emotions. She's the healer, that's been her job since she first entered Narnia, and Caspian and Edmund both understand that, but also step into the roles as being her supports, her rocks when she needs them.

so yeah, i'm obsessed with Caspian's relationship with the Pevensies, I think he's such an important character, and has so much potential that I wish there had been a bit more to his relationship with Susan and Peter!

finally... y'all mind if i just fucking sob over the way Caspian interacts with them??????

like the way he reassures Eustace, so affectionate with him, and Eustace is finally returning that affection and holds him back? Like Edmund in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe", Eustace starts off on the outside of all the affectionate moments between Caspian, Lucy, and Edmund, and now he's at the center of it all, and he's not afraid to return that affection. And Caspian doing the Big Brother Thing™️ that he, Peter, and Edmund do to reassure Lucy????

then, his hug with Edmund, which has no right making me as emotional as it does. The way they hold onto each other, because they're brothers, they understand each other in a way that no one else does, because Caspian's really the only other one who was nearly tempted to Jadis's side, so like Edmund and Lucy have that special connection because they were the first ones in Narnia, Caspian and Edmund have that special connection because of their personalities and weaknesses.

Lucy and Caspian's hug makes me fucking cry my eyes out. I've already discussed how Lucy is the most tactile of the four Pevensie siblings, but this just makes me want to violently sob. The way she's already reaching for him, and he doesn't hesitate before pretty much lifts her off her feet with the force of the hug, how they both cling to each other so tightly. Lucy's so connected to Narnia, and that includes Caspian. He's her big brother, she's his little sister, of course they're both heartbroken about being separated.

#chronicles of narnia #prince caspian #voyage of the dawn treader #caspian the tenth #peter pevensie #susan pevensie #edmund pevensie #lucy pevensie #eustace scrubb #character analysis #platonic relationships #hearth overanalyzes

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lemonade-of-gods · 1 year

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random ramblings

I have an exam tomorrow on literary criticism (structuralism, bakhtin and all that jazz) so I was playing around with my old otps as an exercise while studying huzzah, and the more I look back on it, the MORE nonsensical all the ship wars are looking

Because its one thing to not prefer a ship and its ANOTHER to just go delulu and say that the canon ship should not have happened because *insert nonsensical galaxy brain level argument here*, and yes I am talking about sasusaku, renruki and nalu

Like Sasusaku has always been the obvious choice, starting from the moment Sasuke went “who did this to you” in his rage to when Sakura calmed him down with a back hug. Sakura got taken a peg down after Sasuke scolded her for treating Naruto poorly. Sasuke THANKED Sakura before knocking her out and placing her on the bench and leaving. Sasuke began attacking Sakura proper AFTER she tried to kill him. There is a dynamic between them, there is ACTION in a way you don’t see with either Naruto or Karin. I could go on and on, but my point is, Narusaku or even Sasukarin was honestly never going to happen. If these two had to end up with anyone, it would be with each other. This is a classic ETL couple folks!!

For Sakura particularly, Naruto represents an innocent and childish life (Naruto you’re a fine guy no lie, Hinata was suited better for you) and Sasuke is the dangerous option that forces her to sexually mature and grow up (remember, we’re focusing on structure here not the execution, whatever your opinions may be), so Kishi wasn’t wrong when he said that pairing Naruto and Sakura would have been unfair (paraphrased a bit). Naruto isn’t losing out much either, a gentle girl like Hinata who has loved him from the start (you see the pattern of first love coming up here?) was always his better match in the long run.

You can achieve the same effect with FTL as well, if we look at Renruki and NaLu. Kubo gave the angst of separation and pining with Renji and Rukia and the metaphor of “the stray dog barking at the moon”, which was not exactly a thing with Ichigo and Rukia. An argument can be made about “black sun and white moon”, but since Orihime gave the push to Ichigo for going to save Rukia, it didn’t quite feel strong. But in the interests of staying fair, I’ll say that we did have two options: bickering friends or, “we used to be friends but now we’re enemies”.

THEN came the nail in the coffin.

Legit all bets were off the SECOND Ichigo tossed Rukia into Renji’s arms and basically gave his blessing/aashirvad to run away and basically saying ”Jaa Rukia, jee le apni zindagi” (Translation: go Rukia, live your own life, this one’s inspired by DDLJ hehehe). Like I would not give away the woman I am in love with to my romantic rival and tell him to TAKE HER AWAY. HELLO. THIS IS GOING AGAINST THE NARRATIVE BEHAVIOUR. THIS IS GIVING SECOND LEAD SYNDROME BEHAVIOUR. ICHI HAS BECOME THE KULJEET TO RENJI’S RAJ (Or more accurately Simran’s dad lmao.)

So what’s the point in saying all this, you may ask. Well, now that I’ve said it I’ll make my argument: STRUCTURE and NARRATIVE decides whether the author’s writing decisions were poor and not the reader’s preferences. And I’ve taken a neutral stance earlier on the last ship in my list but now I’m committing: NaLu HAS to be canon.

I had said earlier that NaLi could potentially be canon, again for the sake of fairness, but looking at it now I’m changing my opinion. Natsu and Lisanna were set up to interact more but Mashima changed his mind halfway through and just didn’t do much with Lisanna. You can see how great his writing decisions are there, but the technicalities are to be reserved for another post, another day. If I am to try getting more fancy about it, Lisanna represents Natsu’s childhood while Lucy represents a mature and adult future.

Point is that by process of elimination, Natsu and Lucy have to end up with each other. Or remain as friends. Considering Natsu said to Lucy “we’ll be together forever”, these two will be a thing at some point in the future, unless Mashima pulls a HIMYM or something (TOUCHWOOD, even though the guy did canonize Gruvia, Gajevy and Jerza...)

#lemonade rants #more like rambles but you get the idea #sasusaku #renruki #nalu #le lit crit prof reading my answers tomorrow: ... at least it wasn't about kdramas this time

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hyunverse · 1 year

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hiiiii moots x skz book tropes pls

AHH THIS ONE’S UNIQUE, I LOVE!! here’s me quite literally writing a whole fanfic plot

1) @hwajin + hyunjin — and there was only one bed. . . trope. they would go on a staycation (platonically) and one of ‘em would mess up the hotel reservations thus leading to only one room aka one bed being available. (hyunjin’s 100% the one to mess up, he’s 1/3 of baboracha for a reason.) i can see them arguing over who gets the bed EVENTHOUGH IT’S LITERALLY KING SIZED ‘N THEY CAN SHARE. would definitely end up sleeping at the edges of the beds, not facing each other 😭 and then fall in love overnight. it got cold so they probably had to get close or some shit. then wound up talking abt their lonely love lives and Boom. they date. slay.

2) @jkefelx + jeongin — classic bumps-into-each-other-in-university trope. we’ve got kana darling rushing to a class and jeongin walking while being on the phone and Tada. . . they Bump into each other then all their books fall so they both scramble to gather them awkwardly but Wait. . . two hands graze each other’s. gasp! the act gets them both shy. shy enough to accidentally swap books. what happens then??? jeongin’s book just happened to have his number in it so wooo, kana calls it and then the rest is history. 🤸‍♀

3) @starlostseungmin + felix — childhood best friends to lovers with a twist. listen. Hear Me Out. i feel like keisy suits the whole pining, slowburn trope. felix as well! they’d be kindergarten friends who got separated once felix moves and then they meet each other in a 💫 fated reunion 💫 therefore all memories rush back or some shit like that 😭 “i’ve never forgotten you” “me neither” (plays the ouran high school host club theme song) 🎶 kiss kiss fall in love yeahh 🎶

4) @zoe8stay + bang chan — blind date trope. look. they’re both busy people. frankly, they’ve got no time to date. . . which leads to jisung practically blackmailing bang chan to go out on a date with this beautiful person he happens to know (you can’t tell me that jisung wouldn’t do this shit.) so chan goes, not expecting much out of it only to end up enjoying the date. idk how but he tolerates zoe’s love for mint choco ice cream (yes i’ll bring this up ‘til the day i die.) one date turns to three turns to five turns to a committed relationship. zoe’s happy, chan’s happy and jisung’s happy!!!

5) @comet-falls + minho — enemies to friends to lovers. i feel like they’d despise each other at first over some trivial thing. then they’d find out that they have something in common (which is wreaking chaos) so they become partners in crime. somewhere along the way it’d turn into something romantic. 💏

6) @asters-abditory + changbin — classic seven minutes in heaven trope. . . except it’s nothing sexual. i feel like within those seven minutes, they’d wound up having a wholeass deep talk. changbin would say something that’s funny and somehow it turns into a talk about their life??? but not the type of talk that makes you cry. it’s light-hearted, yet meaningful and sprinkled with jokes in between. both changbin and aster are the chill type, but with some chaos in between u get me? people would leave them in the closet thinking some nasty shit is going on but it’s a deep talk instead 💀

7) @milkybonya + jisung — the-extrovert-adopts-the-introvert trope! i’m aware that han is an introvert, but on the surface, he’s the life of the party. he enjoys talking to new people, and i feel like he’d get intrigued by quiet people. milky’s a very sweet person, someone laid back who i feel like at a party, they’d stay on a sofa and just watch while relaxing. i feel like jisung would get attracted by that! mans would end up trying to impress milky for hours 😟

8) @starseungs + seungmin — academic rivals to lovers. ah, the two excellent students in class gets paired for a project. they’d argue here and there (it’s mostly seungmin provoking for fun) and in return, cielle would accidentally fuel into seungmin’s need to provoke??? cielle’s just making remarks that’s supposed to be funny but seungmin takes it Seriously and ends up roasting cielle 😭 it becomes a roasting battle. (which is basically a ticket to seungmin’s heatt tbh) they’re both your typical chaotic duo, it’s entertaining.

#rin’s lovemail!#moot games 💌

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reginrokkr · 4 months

Text

@resolutepath asked: ✔ for aether mainly or any who interest you! but also i added halfdan to my secret npcs list so yknow that's an option too

Do I know your muse(s): yes | no | a little | tell me about your muse

Pre-established relationships? yes | no | depends on the relationship

For Aether

For him it'll depend on two main things, whether he's the one who will become the Abyss prince later down the line or the traveler. I'll present ideas for both:

✧ In the first route, I think we can go all the way during Khaenri'ah days when he was "summoned" and venerated as the prince of Khaenri'ah. As per my own take of Dain, he would be highly suspicious of him because of this incipient obsessions part of the civilization has with the Abyss, Aether included in this. Dain won't consider him a prince, but he'll give him the respect expected from him. As the captain of the Black Serpent Knights, I wager that he would have ample opportunities to meet Aether and even act as his personal guard. I'm aware that for this we'd need some previous discussion in regards of how we perceive Khaenri'ah so we don't go entirely blindly either in a vastly unexplored territory for now.

Following the destruction, Dain wouldn't blame Aether for being unable to save the nation despite being revered as a sign of hope to bring betterment to the nation and would actually empathize with him for being put in a position that maybe he didn't even want to have. During the duration of their journey across the nations in search of their destiny, I picture it to be heavy in dark and heavy moments where they are dealing with their own circumstances + being thrown in situations where they have no other choice but to fight their way for survival and, at least for Dain, he would want to help the other nations for multiple reasons.

Lastly and leading to the moment they go their separate ways up until the present, their relationship would certainly be sore and Dain has no intentions to yield in his pursuit to frustrate the Abyss Order plans, no matter how good intentioned Aether might be.

✦ As the Traveler I think we could expand more on what we're given, it'll be in a way easier as we already have some guideline to follow and there is actual room for exploring further in what we've seen. I don't have much more to say on the matter as it's more self-explanatory based on the AQs they crossed paths.

As my personal preference, I'd lean more towards the first path because it's more unexplored in my end and also less seen overall from my own observations. However, I also noticed that this is request only, so I'll leave that to you to determine if you'd like to give it a try! We could also do multiple threads if you'd like, I don't really mind.

For Halfdan

I can't thank you enough for suggesting this for Halfdan too because I've been dying to interact with one for ages >< I would love specially to see how they fare in Khaenri'ah days and I would also love to hear your thoughts on Halfdan's mindset in regards of the lingering obsessions, the Abyss, the highly likely strangeness in the society with those that revere the Abyss, everything, truly! I have plenty of ideas about Khaenri'ah that I plan to write about soon and would love to share with you in turn.

I think we could also do things in the present as seen in the Chasm but more expanded and more a thing between them alone, albeit more bound to restrictions given the circumstances he's under unless you have a different twist for him in that regard.

#resolutepath #◟༺✦༻◞ what use has the veil of falsehood? ┊ask.┊#◟༺✦༻◞ what lays behind the mantle of faux stars ┊ooc.┊#thank you for sending in!#I feel like I would've gotten more in depth #due to the thoughts I have about Khaenri'ah #but I'm leaving that for either when I write those posts #concerning the kingdom #if we discuss things privately or both ♥︎#I'm looking forward to interact with you in depth soon!

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mxddyhero · 2 years

Note

JUZA FOR THE ASK GAME and also banri please!! Thx in advance

AHHH,, THANK YOU!!! 💕💞 gonna do em as two separate posts for ease!! ^^/

In reference to this post !! (feel free to send an ask!)

Character: juza hyodo

Favourite thing about them

Oh gosh,, where to start. I love his dedication to and passion for acting. Especially after Fallen Blood when he realised that he isn't at fault for how he was treated and that being himself is not a negative, after years of being shunned, and that his drive can take him so far without having to do anything different. I love how he's a big softie - he cares so much about his fellow troupemates and family!! When he bought muku an entire chocolate cake just to do something nice and let the rest of mankai share it with them ough... ♡ I love how even despite his insecurities and uncertainty, he still tries his damned hardest at every performance because that's all he's ever wanted. I love his fashion sense (yes, even the sandals fight me), how it progressed from pretty dark, unassuming colours and pretty loose and breathable because he didn't wanna draw any unnecessary attention in fear of drawing fights but allowed him room should he absolutely need to defend himself to more casual, colourful and comfortable clothes because he has mankai around him now (think the HAGT fit). I love his whole design actually,, he has pretty eyes and lovely hair and how his colour scheme is the non-binary flag (I'm biased). I love that he opens his heart so quickly to the mankai members once he realises that they accept him for who he is - that he goes to school with tenma and taichi, and he'll go for bike rides with omi and cares so much about sakyo he'll follow him around to make sure he's okay. Everything about juza hyodo is wonderful.

Least favourite thing about them

Nothing he is, in fact, perfect. (/j, king please stop leaving your dirty laundry out in your room. Banri doesn't often have good points, but I know this man uses 19 in one body wash/shampoo/conditioner on top of being one of the shortest bath takers and i think he needs to not do that)

Favourite line

brOTP

O HIGH BOYS SUPREMACY !!! Him, taichi and tenma just all play so well off of each other and i would die for them all. I also really love omi and juzas dynamic, how omi encourages juza to do his best (Fallen Blood still got me crying) and juza allows omi to grieve and heal and assure him that he's a good friend. They're very sweet besties. I'd love love love to see more Juza and Guy interactions?? Not sure whether jp has explored any of that BUT I think two dudes who have had to repress a large part of themselves for a lot of their lives finally finding acceptance and comfort would be super interesting to explore. The way they both had duties to their family in a way and had to leave to protect them is just. Ough. Let them go fishing together or smth idk.

OTP

Me juban juban juban juban-

Fr,, this ship is so good and i love it so much. The enemies to lovers, the rivals, the "It's your fault I finally found something that gets me fired up", the "muse" of it all ough..

nOTP

Omi and juza. Listen, I know its technically okay in jp with ages and stuff,, but it still kinda makes me 😬 also the fact juza also looks and acts exactly like omis best friend who passed is just a lil too much for me. I see it much more as a mentor kinda thing, Omi getting a chance to rectify the mistakes he made in his youth to try to steer juza onto the path he wants aough..

Random headcanon

AMBIDEXTROUS JUZA,, I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL. I swear I had more but I forgor ♡

Unpopular opinion

The entire fandom loves juza understandably because really who wouldn't, but popular fanon juza who's just a himbo who loves sweets and banri is. Not it. Like you can have him as a shallow character and that's okay but stating with your whole chest that's all he is makes me go insane bonkers absolutely crazy.

Song I associate them with

So so many ... I'll name a few ...

Cheerios and Chocolate Milk by Theo Kandel

Starjumper by Bad Suns

Tired Eyes and Heavy Hearts by The Gospel Youth

Nights Like These by The Ghost Club

Confidence by Oscar Scheller

Favourite pic of them

This is literally my favourite image ever he's just so fucking head empty ♡ when this card came to en I saved up enough for 5 ten pulls, he didn't come home and my roommate got 2 copies in his first 10 pull 😐 but! Event reward gems came through and I actually managed to get one before it shut down ♡

TY AGAIN GOMPER FOR THE ASK ILY 💞

#beloved mutual #gompereatsall #ask game #hahn personal

3 notes · View notes

cathygeha · 5 months

Text

REVIEW

The Talk of Coyote Canyon by Brenda Novak

Coyote Canyon #2

Dysfunctional families leave trauma scarring family members and many in this book have been scarred. The possibility of overcoming what has happened in the past to forge personal strength and a positive future is not easy but can be achieved by those who persevere, find the right place to be, and are supported by those who care. Truly enjoyed this book!

What I liked:

* Ellen Truesdale: owns her own drilling business, in debt, in competition with her father, survivor, difficult mother, absentee father, jealous stepmother, lonely, guarded, wants to love and be loved but afraid to trust

* Hendrix Durant: orphaned at eleven, taken in by his aunt, strong, caring, protective, pleaser who tries to avoid conflict, works for his uncle, grows a lot in this book

* Leo: Hendrix’s cousin, loving, open, sweet, adult with Down Syndrome

* The friendship between Talulah and Ellen

* The enemies to lovers storyline with slow burn between Ellen and Hendrix

* The plot, pacing, setting, and writing

* Getting to see some of the characters from previous books

* The mystery to be solved over who sabotaged the Haslem’s new well

* The small town feel

* The way the past was revealed and wrongs exposed along with the impact they had

* That some characters were made aware of the wrong they had done

* That it was believable, sometimes sad, but provided hope and a happy ending

* Wondering who will have their story told in the next book

What I didn’t like:

* Who and what I was meant not to like

* Thinking about the pain suffered by Ellen, Hendrix, and a few others

Did I enjoy this book? Yes – Stayed up till 2:30am to finish it!

Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin-Mira for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

BLURB

She’s not here to make friends. She’s here to make trouble. With her piercings, tattoos and spiky blond hair, Ellen Truesdale doesn’t quite fit in with the other folks in Coyote Canyon—and that’s just fine with her. She’s only here to put her father out of business, as payback for abandoning her when she was young. Or is she more interested in finally proving that she was worth keeping? Either way, she’s struggling to keep her rival well-drilling company afloat. And being a single woman in a male-dominated field has started to take a toll. So when Hendrix Durrant steps in to help, Ellen has no choice but to let him—even though he happens to be her father’s business partner and therefore her enemy. But the closer she works with him, the more she sees what she’s been missing…in life and love. And once she lets go of her anger long enough to learn the truth about her past, she might just find the

EXCERPT

One

Hendrix Durrant eyed his longtime neighbor, speaking with a hard-edged frustration he didn’t bother to

conceal. “You’re hiring Ellen? Really, Jay? You’ve been talking to me about getting this well dug for the past eight months. You’ve had me meet you out here two or three times for details on where to drill, how deep to go, what size pump you’ll need to get enough water, what we’ll do if we encounter sand, and on and on. And now you’re going with my competitor?”

Jay Haslem, a forty-something mechanic who was finally getting the chance to build a nicer home outside the small town of Coyote Canyon, Montana, where Hendrix had lived since he was eleven and Jay had lived his whole life, shoved his hands in the pockets of his grease-stained overalls and stared down at the dirt. “Well, she’s not really your competitor, is she?”

Hendrix rested his hands on his hips. “She does the same thing I do, but her business is completely separate from mine. Wouldn’t you call that competition?”

“Yeah, but…she’s Stuart’s daughter. And he’s married to your aunt Lynn. I know you’re not related, but

you’re sort of…connected, right?” He offered Hendrix a weak grin, which Hendrix immediately wiped from his face with a heated retort.

“Not only are we not related, I barely know her and hate that she moved to town two and a half years ago, because ever since then, she’s made a concerted effort to become a major pain in my ass.”

“It’s just that…her dad’s married to your aunt,” Jay said again.

Lynn had raised Hendrix from the first year she married Stuart, after his mother died of breast cancer.

Everyone knew he’d been taken in out of the goodness of her heart, that he would’ve gone into the foster care system otherwise. It wasn’t as if he had a father, like most other kids. His mother, Angie, who’d lived and worked as a venture capital analyst in San Francisco, where attitudes were more liberal in general, had been so determined to have a child on her own terms she’d used a sperm bank, never imagining what might happen to him if she wasn’t around. That meant, once she was gone, he’d been lucky to have extended family who would give him a home. “I don’t care. That doesn’t change anything.”

Jay winced as he pulled on his beard. “My wife likes her, Hendrix. Thea’s the one who promised her the

job. Not me. Ellen’s a tough little thing, a go-getter. We… I don’t know, we admire that kind of gumption, I guess. After all, there aren’t many women in your field.”

Jay’s, either. Not too many female mechanics around… But Hendrix was too focused on other things to

point that out. “You admire her gumption,” he echoed, chuckling humorlessly. “You’re giving her the job

because she’s—” he used air quotes “—a tough little thing.”

Once again, Jay shifted uncomfortably. “That and…she’s saving us a few bucks, of course.”

“Of course,” Hendrix echoed flatly. Ellen had been undercutting him and Stuart since she moved to town.

“How much is a few bucks?”

“She said—” He stopped and cleared his throat before finishing in a mumble, “She said she’d do it for a

thousand less than whatever you bid.”

“Excuse me?” Hendrix had heard him fine, but he wanted to make his neighbor state, clearly, the reason

he’d chosen Ellen. This wasn’t about supporting a female-owned company in a largely male-dominated field, as Jay had tried to claim a few minutes ago. This was nothing more than pure self-interest. Ellen had been working day and night since she moved to Coyote Canyon, just to best him and Stuart, her father. Hendrix knew that was true because, in some cases, she was—had to be—drilling wells and replacing and repairing pumps for next to no profit, other than the pleasure of taking jobs that would otherwise have gone to them.

“She said she didn’t have the time to come out and bid, but she’d do it for a thousand less than what you

said you’d do it for,” Jay repeated. “All we had to do was give her the paperwork you left with us.”

“You handed over my bid? Now she can order the supplies and get you on her schedule without spending any of the time I’ve invested in assessing your needs.”

Jay hung his head. “I’m sorry. You know I don’t have a lot of money. Thea and I have held on to this

property for several years, hoping to save enough to start improving it, or…or I would’ve gone with you no matter what.”

Drawing a deep breath, which he immediately blew out, Hendrix stared over Jay’s shoulder at the rugged

Montana terrain that constituted his neighbor’s five-acre dream parcel. Ever since Ellen Truesdale came to town, he’d made a point of avoiding her. If he ran into her by accident—in a population of only three thousand it was impossible not to encounter each other every once in a while—he nodded politely, so she wouldn’t know how much it bothered him to have her around. But she never responded. She just gave him that unflinching, steely-eyed gaze of hers that let him know she was gunning for him.

Despite that, he’d remained determined not to let her get to him. But as time wore on, and she stole more business from him and Stuart, she was harder and harder to ignore.

Why couldn’t she have sold the place her grandparents had given her here in town and remained in

Anaconda, where she’d been born and raised? Anaconda was twice the size of Coyote Canyon; there had to be more people in that part of the state who were looking to drill a water well. Actually, he knew that to be true because he and Stuart occasionally drilled a well or helped with a pump out that way—Fetterman Well Services ranged over the whole state and even went into Utah and Nevada. And if Ellen had stayed in Anaconda, which was almost two hours from Coyote Canyon, their paths would most likely never have crossed.

But Hendrix knew her decision had very little to do with where she could make the most money—or even where she might be happiest. She had a vendetta against her father, who’d left her mother when Ellen was only ten to marry Hendrix’s aunt, and she was determined to make him pay for walking out on them. Hendrix and his cousin, Leo, whom he considered as close as a brother, were just the visible representation of all she resented.

“No problem,” he told his neighbor as he started back to his truck. “Here’s hoping she does a decent job for you.”

“Are you saying she might not?” Jay called after him, sounding alarmed.

Hendrix didn’t acknowledge the question, let alone answer it. Undermining Jay’s trust in Ellen was a cheap shot—beneath him, really. Ellen knew what she was doing. In many ways, she ran her business better than Stuart ran the one Hendrix had helped him build since he was brought from San Francisco. She didn’t have the resources or the experience they did, but she was a quick study. From what he’d heard, she was also detail-oriented—stayed right on top of everything—and since Fetterman had two crews consisting of three employees each, and covered a much bigger area, he had no doubt she was operating with far less overhead, so she could be nimble.

Although Stuart insisted they didn’t have anything to worry about when it came to Ellen—that she’d give

up trying to get back at him and eventually move on—Hendrix was beginning to realize that wasn’t true. Stuart was just avoiding the problem because he felt guilty about the past. And the more he avoided it, the worse it got.

When Ellen Truesdale heard a vehicle pull up, she assumed it was Ben Anderson, her only employee. She’d finally sent him out to grab some lunch. Since breakfast early this morning, they’d been too busy to eat, and she was starving. He had to be, too; it was almost three. At twenty-one, he seemed to consume twice his body weight in food each day. But when she finished welding the steel casing they were putting down the well and flipped up her helmet, she saw that it wasn’t Ben. Hendrix Durrant had just parked next to her older and much less expensive pickup.

Since Hendrix hadn’t actually spoken to her since she came to town, she was more than a little surprised

he’d driven out to her jobsite. That meant he was here with a very specific intention.

Setting her torch aside, she removed her helmet entirely and shoved up the long sleeves of her shirt. She had no idea what he wanted, but whatever it was…she couldn’t imagine she was going to like it.

Instead of approaching her right away, he slipped his hands into the pockets of his well-worn jeans and

studied her GEFCO rotary drilling rig. Maybe he’d assumed she couldn’t afford a top-head drive, which

enabled her to advance the casing that blocked off the sand and gravel as she drilled, and was shocked to see it.

She could understand why that might be true. A rig like hers cost almost a million dollars, and she’d never had the luxury of being able to ride on her father’s coattails. If she hadn’t been able to take out a loan against the house and property her paternal grandparents had passed on to her, she wouldn’t have had the down payment necessary to purchase it. And if she’d had to settle for an older rig, it would’ve made her job much more difficult.

As it was, her payments were almost ten thousand a month, and that didn’t include the water truck she’d also had to buy. Fortunately, it wasn’t nearly as expensive as the rig. She’d managed to find a used one in Moab, Utah, for only fifty thousand. But it all added up. She had a lot on the line, which was why she worked so damn hard.

“Is there something I can do for you?” she asked, tensing in spite of all the self-talk that insisted there was no reason to be nervous. She didn’t care if she had a confrontation with her father and those connected to him. She’d been spoiling for a fight with them almost as far back as she could remember. Except for Leo, of course. Leo was harmless. Everyone knew that.

Hendrix turned to face her. She hadn’t moved toward him, hadn’t closed one inch of the gap between them. If he wanted to speak to her, he was going to have to cross that distance himself—which he did, reluctantly from what she could tell.

“You’ve been in town for two and a half years now,” he said.

She wiped the sweat from her face before giving him a smirk. “I didn’t realize you’d been counting.”

His eyebrows slid up. “I’ve only been counting because you’ve been doing everything you possibly can to

make me notice you—and now I have.”

She barked a laugh. “Am I supposed to be excited about that?” She had to admit most women would be.

With sandy-blond hair, smooth golden skin and wide, sky blue eyes, he reminded her of Brad Pitt in

Troy—mostly because of the structure of his face but also his build. She couldn’t claim he was hard to look at.

“I was hoping to convince you to come over and talk to your father,” he said. “Scream and yell, say

whatever you want, but quit trying to punish him by ruining our business.”

She removed her leather gloves and slapped them against her thigh, which made him take a step back to

avoid breathing in the resulting cloud of dust. “I have nothing to say to my father.”

“Obviously you do, or you wouldn’t be living here.”

“In case you’re not aware of it, my grandparents gave me their house, and it happens to be here. I guess you didn’t quite manage to replace me in their affections.”

“I didn’t try to replace you at all. I’m sorry if you feel I did. But just so you know, your grandpa and grandma Fetterman have been good to me, too.”

She shrugged off his words. “Only because they’re nice to everyone.”

“Maybe so, but just because you got their house doesn’t mean you have to live in it. You could sell if you

wanted to…”

“That’s the thing.” It took effort, but she brightened her smile for his benefit. “I like it here.”

“Come on,” he said. “Be honest. You’re only staying because you think it bugs your father.”

“That’s not all,” she said with a taunting grin. “I’m staying because it bugs you, too.”

“And that makes you happy?”

“Happier,” she clarified.

He shook his head. “There’s something wrong with you. What’re you trying to do? Prove you can build the same business we’ve built on your own?”

“And do it even better,” she said with apparent satisfaction. That had been her goal for a long time, ever

since she’d finished college at Montana State with a degree in business and returned to Anaconda to help her mother make ends meet. After seeing her father become successful drilling water wells, she’d decided to do the same thing. She knew she didn’t want to get stuck waiting tables forever, and Anaconda didn’t offer a great deal of opportunity.

But it hadn’t been easy to get started. If she hadn’t managed to convince Ross Moore, a successful driller in Anaconda, to hire her, she wouldn’t have had the chance. But she’d needed only two years of experience, drilling fifteen wells under a licensed contractor, in order to get her own license. So Ross had eventually agreed—just to be a nice guy, she thought—and wound up being so happy with her work he’d kept her as his business expanded until her grandparents gave her their house in Coyote Canyon two and a half years ago, and she decided to go out on her own.

Hendrix’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve been pleasant so far, haven’t lifted a finger to stop you. I don’t want to—”

he spread out his hands “—do anything that would harm you, even financially.”

“If there was anything you could do to me financially, you would’ve done it already,” she pointed out,

which only seemed to enrage him further.

“Our company’s bigger than yours,” he said with a hard set to his jaw.

Our company. She was Stuart’s daughter. Hendrix was only his second wife’s nephew. He stood to take

over the business when Stuart died, since Leo wasn’t capable, but he wasn’t even considered a true partner at this point. As she understood it, he was only on salary. And yet, when Hendrix lost his mother to breast cancer, her father had not only allowed Lynn to take him into their home, he’d chosen Hendrix over her in every regard. No doubt Stuart assumed Hendrix was stronger and more capable than she was, but she was bound and determined to prove he’d significantly underestimated her abilities. “That’s obvious.” She gave him the once-over. “But bigger isn’t always better.”

He stepped closer, too close for comfort, which was probably his intent, and glared down his nose at her.

“It is in this case. Don’t make me put you out of business.”

He turned on his heel to stalk back to his truck, but she called after him. “You couldn’t put me out of

business if you tried!”

He stopped before opening his door. “We have deeper pockets than you do, Ellen. We can play the price game, too. What if I were to go around to all your jobs and offer to drill cheaper? You’re saying I couldn’t steal your next six months of work from you?”

“You’ll be taking a heavy loss if you do!”

He studied her for several seconds. “I’m beginning to think it would be worth it.”

The size of her monthly bills—the payment she had to make on her rig alone—sent a tremor of foreboding through her. She couldn’t withstand a full-on battle with her father and Hendrix. Not one that went on for very long, at least. She needed to back off. But she couldn’t. “You don’t scare me!” she yelled. “I’ll take you on. I’ll take on both you sons of bitches!”

His tires spun dirt and gravel as he backed up and nearly hit Ben, who was just coming back in his Jeep.

Ben slammed on his brakes in the nick of time and waited for Hendrix to swerve around him. Then he got out, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, and walked over to where Ellen stood at the rig. “That was Hendrix Durrant, wasn’t it?” he said. “I told you he wouldn’t like what we’ve been doing. He confronted you about it, didn’t he? What’d he say?”

“Nothing,” she retorted. She couldn’t bring herself to admit that the resentment driving her might have

caused her to sign the death warrant on her fledgling business—the only thing that was currently keeping a roof over both their heads.

Damn her! What’s wrong with her? Hendrix fumed as he drove, probably a little too recklessly, to Lynn and Stuart’s. At thirty-one, he no longer lived with them, but his house wasn’t far away, and he was at their place a lot to see his cousin, Leo, who had Down Syndrome. The office for the drilling business was in one section of the barn, too, and most of their drilling equipment was parked on the property.

Leo was in the wide front yard wearing a snowsuit—even though it was the end of March and edging

toward spring and there were only little patches of white in the shadows—playing with his dog, Zeus. He lit up like a Christmas tree the second he saw Hendrix turn in, and came running to the truck. “Hi, Hendrix!” he said, waving enthusiastically as Hendrix got out. “I been waitin’ for ya. I knew you’d

come!”

Because Hendrix came almost every day. He typically brought Leo a donut or other treat, and he would’ve again today, except Lynn had told him he had to stop. Leo was gaining too much weight. It was hard for Hendrix to disappoint him, but he had no other choice. “I know you’re probably hoping I’ve got a donut for you, bud, but I couldn’t get over there in time to buy one. I’m sorry.”

Leo’s shoulders slumped, and the corners of his mouth turned down, which made Hendrix feel terrible. But in typical Leo style, he perked up right away. “That’s okay, Hendrix,” he said as they started to walk, with Zeus, toward the office. “You’ll bring me one tomorrow, right? I like the chocolate with sprinkles. It’s my favorite. I bet that’s the one you’ll buy me. You’ll bring me the chocolate one tomorrow, won’t you, Hendrix?”

Hendrix eyed his thickening middle and offered to take him on a walk instead, but Leo was having none of it.

“After I eat my donut?” he asked.

“Yeah, after you eat your donut,” Hendrix said, finally relenting. He couldn’t refuse, despite Leo’s weight.

He’d just have to take Leo somewhere else to eat it so Lynn wouldn’t catch them. He hated to contribute to the problem when she’d asked him not to, but he couldn’t deny his cousin the few simple pleasures he enjoyed so much. Maybe the walk after would zero it out.

“Thank you, Hendrix. I can’t wait!” He rubbed his hands in anticipation as they reached the office. “What

are you doing today?” he asked before Hendrix could open the door. “Are you drilling another well? Can I get my steel-toed boots and my hard hat and go with you?”

It was Friday, Hendrix’s day for picking up parts, fixing broken equipment, giving estimates and helping

catch up on any paperwork Lynn was holding back because of questions she had. She helped in the office

while they did the drilling, but she must be in the house or getting her hair done or something else today, because Hendrix didn’t see her when he swung open the door. “For the next little while, I’m mostly hanging out here with Stuart, okay, bud?” he said. “But if I have to run an errand or two, you can come along.”

Leo smiled widely—something he did almost all the time. “Maybe we could buy a candy bar while we’re

out!”

“No treats, Leo,” he said. “They aren’t good for you, remember?”

Leo’s shoulders rounded again, until he thought of the donut. “But you’ll bring me a donut tomorrow?”

Hendrix barely refrained from groaning. He’d never known anyone with such a sweet tooth. Leo was at him for candy, soda and other junk food all the time. “Yes,” Hendrix told him. “I said I would.”

“I love you, Hendrix,” he said. “You’re the best!”

It was hard to remain angry about anything in the face of his childlike exuberance. “I love you, too,” Hendrix said with a chuckle.

But when he walked into the office and Stuart glanced up, he remembered why he’d come skidding into the driveway of their house in the first place.

“You need to do something about Ellen,” he said bluntly.

“Ellen Truesdale?” Leo piped up before Stuart, who was sitting at his desk, could respond.

Hendrix wasn’t surprised Leo knew who Ellen was. With her bleached blond hair, cut in a short, jagged

style, nose ring and ear piercings, together with the tattoo sleeve that covered one arm, she stood out in the ultraconservative community in which he’d been raised. Not only had she been a hot topic around town, she’d come up in plenty of conversations between Stuart and Lynn. Hendrix was surprised, however, that Leo remembered her last name. It wasn’t as if they knew any other Truesdales. As soon as she’d turned eighteen, Ellen had legally changed her last name to her mother’s maiden name—another of her many attempts to get back at Stuart. Leo’s father had been an alcoholic who’d raised and

sold hunting dogs—before he shot himself when Lynn left him. Stuart adopted Leo when he and Lynn married three years later, so Leo went by Fetterman. And since Hendrix’s father was found in a tube of sperm cells in a lab somewhere, he’d retained his mother’s last name and went by Durrant.

“Yes, Ellen Truesdale,” Hendrix told him.

Stuart sighed as he rocked back in his chair. “What’s she done this time?”

“Took the Haslem job from us.”

His father looked startled. “I thought we had that one in the bag. Isn’t Jay your neighbor?”

About four years ago, Hendrix had bought a small, two-bedroom, two-bath, log-cabin-style home on a couple of acres about five minutes away. Jay lived in the mobile home next door—until he could move to his other property, anyway. “Yeah, well, I guess loyalty doesn’t count for much when money’s involved.”

“She undercut us again?”

“Word’s getting around that she’ll beat any price we give. At least, that’s what I’m guessing. All Jay told

me was that he was hiring her because it would save him some money.”

The beard growth on Stuart’s chin rasped as he rubbed it. “Drillin’s hard work. I can’t believe she’d do it

that cheaply—and that she’s actually doing a decent job. She’s only about five foot four, maybe a hundred pounds soaking wet.”

“You know she has Ben Anderson to help her, right? She hired him right out of high school when she first

got here.”

“I know she’s got Ben, but it has to be difficult for her even with a hired hand.”

Hearing the grudging admiration in his voice made Hendrix’s hackles rise again. “She’s trying to damage

our business. You realize that.”

“She’s not going to damage it for long,” Stuart said dismissively. “I’ve been drillin’ wells and servicing

pumps for forty years. We’ll reach a new equilibrium sooner or later.”

“I’m not so sure,” Hendrix argued. “Can’t you meet with her? Have a discussion? Folks talk, especially in a small town like this. If word has it that she’s the cheapest around, and she’s a good driller…” He shook his head. “It’s been two and a half years since she moved here. She’s only getting a firmer foothold as the days go by.”

“What do you want me to say to her?” his uncle asked. “She’s not doing anything wrong.”

“Purposely targeting our business isn’t doing anything wrong?”

“It’s a free market,” he said with a shrug. “There’s nothin’ to say another driller can’t move in here and

compete with us. Whether it’s her or someone else…”

“I’ll talk to Ellen!” Leo volunteered. “She’s so pretty. And such a little thing. I bet I could pick her up.”

“Don’t ever try that,” Hendrix told him. “I don’t think she’d like it.”

“Oh, I’d never hurt her,” Leo hurried to reassure him.

Hendrix knew he’d never hurt her intentionally. Leo would never hurt anyone intentionally. But he was a

big man, and he didn’t know his own strength. Sometimes he reminded Hendrix of Lennie in Of Mice and

Men, not least because he himself identified with George Milton in the role of Leo’s protector. During his

teens, he’d been in more fights than he could remember trying to defend Leo from the bullies who’d tease and make fun of him. “I know you wouldn’t, bud. You just have to remember not to touch her, okay? Ever.”

“Okay,” Leo said dutifully.

“So will you talk to her?” Hendrix asked, turning back to Stuart.

Stuart blanched. “I don’t know what to say to her,” he admitted. “I mean…what can I say? I didn’t do right by her, and there’s no changing that now.”

“Then apologize,” Hendrix said, “before she makes me lose my mind.”

Stuart stared at the paperwork on his desk for several seconds before finally—and grudgingly—relenting.

“If I get the opportunity, I’ll see what I can do.”

“Let me give you the opportunity,” he said. “She’s drilling the Slemboskis a well right now. Should be there another day, at least. Maybe longer.”

His uncle’s jaw had dropped as soon as he heard the name. “The Slemboskis went with her, too? Slim

Slemboski’s on my bowling team!”

Hendrix threw up his hands. “See what I mean?”

Stuart winced as he went back to rubbing his jaw. “O-kay,” he said on a downbeat, as if agreeing to talk to Ellen was tantamount to walking the plank. “I’ll go over there tomorrow, see what I can do.”

Published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

Buy Links:

BookShop.org

Harlequin

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

Books-A-Million

Powell’s

AUTHOR BIO

Brenda Novak, a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author, has penned over sixty novels.

She is a five-time nominee for the RITA Award and has won the National Reader's Choice, the

Bookseller's Best, the Bookbuyer's Best, and many other awards. She also runs Brenda Novak for the

Cure, a charity to raise money for diabetes research (her youngest son has this disease). To date,

she’s raised $2.5 million. For more about Brenda, please visit www.brendanovak.com.

Social Links:

Author Website

Facebook: @Author Brenda Novak

Twitter: @brenda_novak

Instagram: @authorbrendanovak

#Brenda Novak #Coyote Canyon 2 #netgalley #Mira #Harper Collins #Contemporary Romance #Small Town Romance #Enemies to Lovers Romance #Romance #Fiction

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talesfromthemidnightride · 9 months

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The Witch Collector ★★★☆☆

Synopsis: Raina Bloodgood sets out with a mission -- to kill the Frost King who took her sister from her. A threat from another rival kingdom throws off her quest and brings her closer to her unwilling ally -- the Witch Collector, Alexus Thibault. The man she was supposed to kill is now the only one who can help save her sister and capture her heart.

Genre: New Adult, High Fantasy

Quick Takeaway:

I don't connect with the main character and her struggles due to the fast-paced nature of the story.

Raina is mute, which adds a unique and interesting layer to the story.

Magic and necessary worldbuilding are not elaborated on or properly fleshed out.

Interesting character development is info-dumped onto the reader, or it's left in offhanded marks.

There isn't enough mystery or intrigue given to pull the reader in.

I gave it a 3 out of 5 as I rounded up from a 2.5 rating on Goodreads. While this story didn't hit the mark with me, please feel free to check this out yourself and support the author if a high fantasy, enemy to lovers sounds interesting to you. Keep in mind this story is intended for mature audiences!

In-depth spoiler review under the cut!

I was genuinely interested in this story by the blurb. A high fantasy new adult involving enemies to lovers? Yes, please. But, it, unfortunately, failed to live up to what I wanted.

I feel like it would be a crime to not talk about the one thing I did love about this story. The mute character. I enjoyed delving into Raina's perspective and seeing how she may choose to overcome situations where she may not be able to sign. It was a sweet gesture reading that her sister managed to teach other witches her sign language.

The first arc of the story comes and goes in a whirlwind. You're still trying to understand the lore and world and find a connection to each of the characters around Raina when everything comes crashing down. How can you feel Raina's pain when a) you just met all of these characters in name only, and b) Raina herself is more focused on how handsome her alleged enemy looks.

This leads to another weak point I encountered as I read further into the story. Everyone is flat or two-dimensional. Raina changes her goals far too fast with little build-up for the reader. Helena, Raina's closest friend, was possessed, but it was quickly brushed under. Nephele, the sister Raina wanted to save, lost her lover but that was not addressed. She remained the calm sister even while Raina had a breakdown because she may lose Alexus, the Witch Collector.

You finally get a more in-depth look at the lore of the world around the 3/4 mark of the book. But it's all in a monologue from Alexus. Maybe this is a personal preference, but I don't appreciate lore being handed to the reader in monologues. It's not very engaging as a reader.

The world needed more careful touches. The author fell too heavily on 'tell not show.' She told us Raina wanted her sister, and that she had an issue with the way things are. But show us why she wanted her sister. Give Nepehele depth, and emphasize the heartache the separation can cause. It was so much harder to fall into the story when everyone seemed to agree or be fine with the way things are.

The magick was also confusing to grasp. It was vaguely addressed. I would have loved more discussion about the witch markings, their meaning, and how exactly it functions. It's a bit confusing at times. You must sing to use your magick, but I still struggle to understand how Raina can use her magick. Everything is mainly handed to the reader with the understanding we will know, or it's vaguely addressed.

Lastly, it was very interesting to see a story where the good guys lost, but the emotional impact of it all was swept under the rug. Instead, the story focused on the romance between Raina and Alexus, so the full impact was never felt. This was very disappointing and added to the characters feeling so two-dimensional.

#the witch collector #charissa weaks #booklr #book review #bibliophile #bookworm #fantasy #high fantasy #new adult #minas book review

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heathsbitch · 3 years

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YOUR LOVE COULD START A WAR - k.b

You can read part two here.

Requested: Yes

Warnings: Poor proof reading (as usual), mild gang violence

Word Count: 2075

The dark tendrils of his hair fell over his forehead as he worked, his hands sifting through paper after paper, page after page. His gloves had been long discarded and the frown between his brow was all I needed to see to know exactly what he was doing. Scheming face. He was planning our next heist. Kaz wandered through every small detail, every possible outcome that could occur as we robbed some poor soul. My feet rested against the edge of his desk as I sat opposite him, my head buried in a book. Eyes scanning over the words, figures appearing in my mind, formed from shadows, ethereal yet tangible all the same.

His foot tapped against the creaky floorboards of his office, the rhythm almost resembling a heartbeat. What should have been annoying was comforting to me, reminding me that he was still alive without me having to tear my eyes away from the words on the page. It was moments like this that I truly valued. The silence that would pass over us, connect us in an altogether different manner. It was intimacy at its highest with Kaz Brekker; a knowing, an acknowledgement of each other’s presence in the room was all he needed, and it was all I craved. It was never awkward or uncomfortable, it was something we were both accepting of. I never wanted to push him, to try and scale the barriers he had so meticulously built over his lifetime. Regardless of my feelings towards him, the feelings he was oh-so aware of, the feelings he reciprocated.

Occasionally the silence of our voices would be broken, “How’s Henry?” His eyebrow would twitch as he asked the question, fully knowing the answer. “As handsome and brooding as ever.” I had responded, a small smile playing upon my lips. Kaz had gifted me the book himself, after he had finished reading it. He knew every plot point, every scene by heart yet insisted on asking questions about whatever part I was up to. He held a particular attachment to one character, Henry, and I believed it to be the fact that Kaz saw himself in him - a mysterious boy with a fondness for dark suits and smoulders. That and he knew I had a mild-to-moderate crush on the character, which he would oft tease me about.

The silence between us was disrupted once more, yet again by Kaz. “I need you to go to the market tomorrow and get me a few things.” He pushed a scrap of paper over his desk towards me, along with a small stack of kruge. “Of course, boss.”

The rest of the night mirrored the earlier parts, Kaz scheming away while I steadily read through my book. Before I knew it, it was time to return to the Slat. My eyes felt heavy with fatigue and the ache in my body begged for the comfort of my own bed. But as I reached the door to my bedroom, I noticed an envelope in the threshold. Tentatively, I took it in my grasp, turning it over in my palms to be met with a stamped image. A feral cat curled into a crown. The Dime Lions. How had they passed through enemy territory and gotten into the Slat without being noticed? My heart was beating so fast it felt as though it rattled my ribcage. With shaky hands, I opened the note.

We’ve heard of your exploits in the dregs. Let this serve as a warning. Watch your step, little one. Remember what happened to Edda. Don’t tell pretty boy Kaz about this either, it can be our little secret. Otherwise you’ll find his pretty head on a pike.

Enjoy your evening, Y/N.

Yours unfaithfully, Nyck.

Son of a bitch. Edda had been a close friend of mine when I joined the dregs, she was a guiding light for me. That was before she had started dating Nyck. At surface, their relationship seemed pleasant enough, the fact they belonged to rival gangs never troubled them. But as they rose through their separate ranks, tensions rose too. Nyck had cut Edda. Badly. And had threatened to do the same to me due to our closeness. The Dime Lions were full of idle threats, everyone was aware of that. Everyone was also aware of the scornful look of vengeance that passed over Kaz’s face whenever Pekka Rollins’ name was mentioned. I trusted Kaz with almost anything and everything, knowing that no matter what problem I presented to him, he would be able to solve it with the mere snap of his fingers. But I could not tell Kaz about this.

Maybe if I just ignored the problem, they would leave me alone? That was stupid optimism but there was nothing more I could do. I couldn’t fight off an entire gang but I also wasn’t going to sacrifice my position in the dregs purely at the hands of a trifling threat. So I hid the message under the mattress of my bed, far from any prying eyes. This could be dealt with properly in the morning.

It happened when I was out collecting things for Kaz. My world had been engulfed in darkness, a hood thrown over my head, my limbs grabbed. I could feel they were moving me. But where to? And how many were there? I tried to focus on the hands on my body, on the breathing I could hear around me. There were at least five. I could take two or three easily in a fight but there was no possible way I could save myself from this. I knew no one was coming for me. There was nothing I could do but wait and take whatever beating was coming my way.

The hood was torn from my head, my eyes blinded momentarily before focusing on my surroundings. They had dropped me on the floor of a dank alley, a puddle beneath me, the moist walls surrounding us. There were five men spaced around me in what appeared to be a rough circle, each of them bearing the mark of the Dime Lions. The shortest of the group took a step towards me.

Nyck.

“What a nice surprise, Y/N.” He had a large mouth, figuratively and literally, that stretched into a wide grin. “Long time, no see,” I quipped from the ground. I made no attempt to stand up in the fear that they would beat me down faster than my legs could straighten. “What do you want, Nyck?” He produced a knife from the back pocket of his dark slacks and twisted it between his hands. “Consider this a warning, little one. You can’t hide from us forever.” I remained silent, unsure of the best move to make. We worked ourselves into a stalemate. Until Nyck nodded his head.

They attacked from all sides, punches and kicks alike thrown at my body. I curled myself into a ball, sure to protect my head. But my position didn’t last long. Nyck wrenched my head from between my arms and brought his hand down across my cheek. His knife had been discarded to the floor, thank the Saints, but the rings that adorned his slender fingers had cut my lip. The group had decided that had been an adequate warning as Nyck threw me back to the ground, shot a sickening grin at me before leaving the alley, the rest of the Lions not far behind.

I was no stranger to taking punches, but this had been different. A serious foe that I could not defeat on my own. I had to get Kaz involved. I had lost this battle, but Kaz would win this war.

I stumbled into the Crow Club. I had come across no mirrors but I could tell my face was badly bruised from the way my head throbbed, my lip was split and blood leaked gently from it. My first thought was the bar, I needed a drink before I faced the wrath of Kaz Brekker. But my bee-line was interrupted by a cane stopping my tracks, resting smoothly at my waist-line in front of me. “My office. Now.” He seethed, his cheeks were dusted with red, his lips pulled together in a thin line. He was pissed, to say the least.

I followed his lead, walking up the stairs and into his office. As soon as I stepped past that threshold and he had firmly set the lock in place, a flurry of questions was launched at me. The likes of “What happened? Where have you been? Who did this to you? Where are they?” came flying out of Kaz’s deft mouth faster than I could process. His eyes swept over my face, his frown worsening by the second. “Kaz...” I started, though no words came to my mind. I stood opposite him, silently, unsure of what the right thing to say was. His chest was heaving by this point, his hand clamped hard around the head of his cane. “Who did this to you?” His voice felt as if it were alive, filling every corner of the room; it pulled at my heart as if it were flames. I had never seen him in such a state.

“The Dime Lions,” I squeak, my voice no more than a whisper, meek compared to Kaz. Shame filled my every pore, though I wasn’t sure why. “Nyck left a note in my room yesterday. It was a warning. He told me not to come to you because if I did, he’d put your head on a pike. Kaz, I didn’t know what to do, I was scared. I thought that maybe if I ignored it, it would go away but they cornered me in the market and did this,” I gestured to the array of injuries that littered my body. “I’m sorry.” I felt as though I was suffocating, the air in the room becoming all too thick as I stood under Kaz’s scrutinizing gaze.

“Clean yourself up.” The demand was harsh but his voice did not follow the same tone. He loosely gestured to the washbasin in the corner of his room. I walked over to it, taking the cloth from beside the basin and dipping it in the water. My eyes stayed trained on the man stood behind me through the mirror. His body seemed to twitch, his eyes begged to help me, but I knew he couldn’t. Sorrow filled me as I cleaned my wounds. The cogs turning in Kaz’s head were visible as he thought over his next words. “Nyck,” He seethed. “The Dime Lions. My head. On a pike,” He shook his head, the corners of his mouth turning into a sinister smirk. A dark chuckle left him, “They should have thought twice before threatening my girl. I will slaughter every last Dime Lion, burn their palaces to the ground, I will start a war.” He spat. I turned to face Kaz, taking cautious steps towards him, “It’s okay, just leave it. Nyck’s a coward anyway.”

“Does this look cowardly to you?” He gestured to the marks upon my face. “It’s not alright. Let me protect you, it’s the only thing I can do for you,” His words were laced thick with guilt, his eyes started to water, “What if you had died, I don’t want you to die.” His voice broke as the words passed his lips. Tears had formed in my eyes and had started to slide down my cheeks. I got closer to him and held out my wrist for him to take. I hadn’t noticed before but Kaz had taken his gloves off, his slender hands now bare. Hesitantly, he took my wrist in his hand, his fingers quickly finding my pulse, “I’m alive. I’m okay,” A shaky breath left him as he gently returned my hand to me. “We can do this together, let’s take down this son of a bitch.” The smirk returned to Kaz’s face briefly, his stormy eyes offering a flood of emotions. “I will carve out his tongue-”

“Kaz, please, we can talk about it later.” A mild look of offense washed over him before he nodded, accepting my advice. He gestured to the chair in his office, suggesting I sit down. I followed his proposal and took a seat, Kaz sitting opposite me, as we returned to that gentle silence we both welcomed so fondly.

MY OTHER KAZ WRITINGS:

Baby Steps, part i, part ii*

Better?*

Exposed, part i*, part ii

Forbidden Fruit*

MASTERLIST

#your love could start a war #kaz brekker #kaz brekker x reader #kaz brekker imagine #kaz brekker smut #freddy carter imagine #freddy carter smut #shadow and bone #six of crows #imagine #fluff #angst #fic

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homoerotic-shonen-rival-showdown · 1 year

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Round One Match Sixteen: Yusuke Urameshi and Kazuma Kuwabara (Yu Yu Hakusho) vs Gojo and Geto (Jujutsu Kaisen)

why should you vote for them?

Yusuke Urameshi and Kazuma Kuwabara (4):

OH MY GOODNESS Kuwabara is SO whipped for Yusuke like im not kidding. he constantly is trying to beat Yusuke in strength, but most of all he seems to want his acknowledgement and attention. we see Kuwabara actually GRINNING with JOY when Yusuke remembers his name for the first time. theyre constantly at each others throats, but trust each other with their life more than anyone else. crazy kids!!!

There are a number of times where they each almost die or actually die and the other has a full breakdown about how the other's not allowed to die because then who would they beat up? The first time this happens is at the very beginning of the series before anything even happens and they're supposedly just normal middle school punks. They say they hate each other but they very clearly don't. Gay af

they start off as rivals and then go to teammates, but also in a "I will still win over you" way, and in a "no one can kick his ass but me" way, and they should kiss about it

Gojo and Geto (3):

uh...divorced. i love them

In high school, Gojo was an absolute menace. The first time Gojo and Geto met, the latter hated the former because he was annoying, rude, and arrogant. Now eventually they became best friends, but you see, their rivalry returned when Geto was exiled from the school because they had a stark disagreement in moral ideologies, which resulted in a dramatic breakup in front of a KFC (yes, this is actually canon). Gojo was supposed to execute Geto because he did some Bad Things (that we don't need to get into right now) but as Geto walked away he said (paraphrased) "Go ahead and kill me. There's meaning to that." And My Lord is that a line. So for the next ten years of their lives, these two were separated, now on opposite sides, now each others' enemies. Eventually this came to a climax when Geto declared war on Gojo, but before we get to that, let's pause for a second, and talk about the meaning behind this all. I'll try to make this part quick because without restraint this would become excessively long. So technically, Gojo and Geto's breakup directly caused the plot of Jujutsu Kaisen to unfold. If they hadn't broken up, then Geto wouldn't have declared war and then died. If they hadn't broken up, Geto's body wouldn't have been possessed; his body wouldn't have, completely against his will, trapped Gojo in a prison, as Geto sat back helpless, unable to do anything to stop his best friend from being sealed *by his own hands*. Every single other tragic event that happened in Jujutsu Kaisen would not have happened, because, assuming you have never watched/read Jujutsu Kaisen, no, Gojo and Geto are not the main characters, and the whole rest of the cast was affected by this event. Yes, this homoerotic rivalry breakup is the very Big Bang for Jujutsu Kaisen, because if it didn't happen, Jujutsu Kaisen wouldn't have the incredible plot that it has. Butterfly Effect at its finest. Anyway, now that their rivalry is out of the way, I will now get into their homoeroticism.

My first piece of evidence for their homoeroticism is that... it's in the name. Both of their first names start with "s" and end with "ru". Both of their last names start with "g" and end with "o". And both of their full names have the same amount of syllables. There is no possible way that this wasn't done on purpose to get the point across that they are literal soulmates. Do I sound insane yet? In addition, Gojo called Geto, and I quote, "my one and only". Now if that isn't some fruit ass shit then idk what is. And now the most damning evidence of homoness, comes when Geto died by Gojo's side. This was after the war that Geto declared on Gojo, and Geto ended up on the losing side. Even though they had been rivals for ten long years, they still had an important and heartfelt history together, so as Gojo walked over to his dying best friend, Geto smiled, glad to see not only an old friend, but the most important person in his life, for the last time. Gojo's last words to Geto as he died were NEVER REVEALED. Only very very few producers of the anime know the words. They will be released soon but for now we don't know. But it was confirmed that his last words were THREE WORDS. Now I don't wanna put any words in Gojo's mouth but the most obvious theory here is that he said "I love you" as his best friend and rival of 10+ years died by his side. This is even further affirmed when, after hearing those three words, Geto BLUSHED, SMILED (as he was in the process of bleeding out!) and described the words as (paraphrased) "embarrassing words that they had never said to each other before". IT'S BARELY SUBTEXT AT THIS POINT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THEY'RE GAY AS HELL!

Now before this gets any longer I will cut myself off here. Thank you for coming to my way-too-long Ted Talk about these stupid ass anime men who have been plaguing my mind for months, I hope you take my submission into consideration! I don't expect them to win but I'm just happy I get to aggressively type an essay about them in this google form :D

#polls #yu yu hakusho #jujutsu kaisen #satosugu #yusuke urameshi #kazuma kuwabara #suguru geto #gojo satoru #this is probably the most balanced matchup we have

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kpopfanfictrash · 3 years

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Raise the Barre (Epilogue)

Author: kpopfanfictrash

Creative Contributor: @baebae-goodnight for the last Raise the Barre moodboard TT she nailed it

Pairing: Jimin / Reader

Rating: 18+ (Smut)

Genre: Enemies to Lovers / Dance Academy!AU

Warnings: sexual content. Dry humping, fingering, hand job, oral (female), breast play, multiple orgasms, Jimin gets turned on by making someone else come, dirty talk. Jimin’s pants are tight.

Word Count: 13,409

Summary: You and Park Jimin have been rivals for as long as you’ve known one another; ever since he tripped you in the front row of your first dance convention. When you graduate from high school and enter Russet Ballet Academy, you tell yourself you’re leaving all past quarrels behind. The main problem with this though, is that your past seems determined not to leave you alone.

Worse still, the obstacles you face while out in the real world might prove more challenging than anything your enemy has to offer.

“And… more pointe shoes,” you said, opening the box in your lap. “Wow. Thanks, mom and dad.”

Your dad laughed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “You’re welcome, kiddo,” he said, nodding from the couch. “I know Russet gives you some already, but you can never have too many.”

“Out of curiosity.” You glanced at the tree. “Are there any boxes from you which aren’t related to dance?”

“Not related to dance…” Your mom pretended to think. “I don’t understand.”

“Mom!”

She laughed. “I’m kidding! Yes, there are other presents. You just happened to pick all the pointe shoe boxes first.”

Shaking your head, you placed the box aside. You smiled though, warmth in your chest at being home for the holidays. Classes at Russet had ended a week prior and it had been nice for a few days to simply relax. Already though, you found yourself itching to return to the city. It was strange to wake every morning and not head to ballet. It was even stranger to take classes at your old studio, trying to stay in shape before second semester began.

Playing with the string of your sweatpants, you couldn’t help glancing at your phone on the couch. It had been several days since you’d last seen Jimin in person. Oddly enough, the separation had been harder than you’d thought it would be.

Immediately after ending things with Finn, you and Jimin had tried to keep your distance. The pain of your separation had been too fresh to even consider dating someone else but, as time had gone on, you and Jimin had started becoming friends again.

It was hard not to be, with Jimin continuing as your dance partner and classmate. At the end of the semester, you’d had the opportunity to switch partners, but you and Jimin had chosen the status quo. It just made sense this way; you couldn’t think of anyone else you’d trust as much as him.

At first, things between you were strictly professional. You saw him only within the confines of the dance studio but eventually, his presence bled into your normal life. At first, the outings were small. Jimin went to a pregame you also attended. He saw you once at the coffee shop and, instead of running away, he stopped to chat. One time, he walked you back to your dorm.

When the month became December, you found your outlook improving. Most of November had been spent wallowing in your dorm, but the holiday season brought with it endless activities. The very first weekend of the month, a bunch of your Russet friends decided to go ice skating and you’d ended up tagging along.

The biggest problem had been you’d never ice skated before. Noelle had been patient, skating backwards in front of you and dragging you around the rink. Jimin had done the same thing for Hoseok, who was in a similar predicament to yours, and at some point, they swapped partners and left you skating with Jimin.

When he’d taken over for Noelle, your stomach had swooped. Hands touching, he’d led you gently around the edge and the world had seemed to still. It had been the first time you’d felt anything stir outside of your break-up. Whatever hurt and distance had sprung between you, it seemed something had survived between you and Jimin.

Nose red, Jimin had smiled as he skated backwards. “It’s easy,” he’d told you. “You just swivel, Y/N. In and out, in and out. Got it?”

“Um, no!” you’d yelped, nearly crashing to the ice when Jimin let go of your hands.

He’d laughed, catching you easily and skating like that for a while. Eventually, Jimin had helped you off the rink and gotten hot chocolate, which you insisted on buying. Payback, you said, for the impromptu skating lessons.

That day had been a turning point for you both. Throughout the month prior, you’d texted sporadically but after, you seemed to talk every day.

Jimin even offered to drive you home from Russet, given the fact that your hometowns were so close together. After much hemming and hawing, you’d eventually taken him up on the offer. The savings it gave your bleeding bank account were well-worth the potential discomfort.

This had led to both the best and worst twenty-four hours of your life.

Best, because Jimin was an excellent road trip companion. He let you choose the music, laughed at all your dumb jokes, and agreed to play the road trip games you suggested. You’d already made a firm rule not to compare Jimin to any past boyfriends but couldn’t help but note this as an improvement over anyone prior.

The sole reason the twenty-four hours were also painful was because you stopped at a hotel halfway through. It was either this or drive until 3:00 AM, so you chose the smarter option and rested for the night. You and Jimin bought separate bedrooms, but they’d ended up next to one another, so you’d been forced to spend a sleepless night imagining Jimin separated from you only by a thin sheet of plywood.

You had told yourself this was silly. At Russet, Jimin hadn’t been much further away, but something about the closeness in the hotel made you nervous. It was infinitely easier to forget about boundaries when you were separated by only a car console for hours at a time. Infinitely easier to forget the rules when you were outside of Russet, cocooned by his car and the snow.

You couldn’t help but think about the one kiss you’d shared.

That had only been a taste, barely a teaser, but the memory kept you awake for more nights than it probably should have. You couldn’t help but wonder what it’d be like to kiss Jimin again, under different circumstances.

Groaning, you’d covered your face with a pillow that night and tried your best to sleep. It hadn’t really worked, and you’d shown up at the car the next morning with dark shadows beneath your eyes.

Forcing yourself back to the present, you glanced away from your phone and focused on the tree – only to see its screen light up in your peripheral. Grabbing your phone, you realized Jimin had texted. Stifling a smile, you scrolled through the conversation until you found his last message.

Jimin: MERRY CHRISTMAS! [10:23 AM]

Jimin:

Y/N: oh my god everything’s so... coordinated lol how long did that tree take to set up? [10:24 AM]

Y/N: and merry Christmas 😊 [10:24 AM]

Jimin: not long at all. I just googled ‘christmas trees’ and that was the first one I found [10:24 AM]

Y/N: ha ha hilarious [10:25 AM]

Y/N: so, what are the Park family plans for the day? [10:25 AM]

Jimin: the usual. Opening presents, going to my grandparents later for dinner. What about you? [10:25 AM]

Y/N: same, minus the grandparents. We usually have a pretty low-key day [10:26 AM]

Jimin: sounds nice [10:26 AM]

Jimin: what’s your favorite present so far [10:27 AM]

Y/N:

Jimin: LOL [10:30 AM]

Jimin: how many of them did you get? I’ve gotten two new dance bags and seven pairs of black leggings. It’s like our parents have forgotten we do anything else [10:31 AM]

Y/N: no new dance belts? 😈 [10:32 AM]

Jimin: Y/N, I’m shocked [10:35 AM]

Jimin: mind out of the gutter. Stop thinking about my junk [10:35 AM]

Y/N: as your dance partner, I have a vested interest in your junk. What if it breaks free in the middle of practice? [10:38 AM]

Jimin: the more delicate ladies would faint, I imagine [10:41 AM]

Jimin: and probably Paulo [10:41 AM]

Y/N: lmao [10:43 AM]

Y/N: but seriously, I hope you get presents other than dance gear [10:43 AM]

Jimin: back at you haha [10:47 AM]

Y/N: I can’t help but notice you didn’t get me, your dance partner, a Christmas gift though [10:50 AM]

Jimin: was the drive home not enough? [10:50 AM]

Y/N: oh, shoot. You’re right! You did get me a Christmas gift [10:51 AM]

Y/N: I’m the one who’s been remiss [10:51 AM]

Jimin: don’t forget about my housewarming gift, too [10:52 AM]

You smiled, sitting back on the sofa. Jimin was lucky enough to be moving off campus second semester. He, Hoseok and Alex Wong were moving into an apartment not far from Paulo’s. You and Noelle had decided to stay in Grace Hall, but you’d talked about moving someplace else next year.

Jimin was heading back early to move into his new place, so you’d need a different ride on your return trip to Russet. Still, you were looking forward to Jimin’s apartment hosting parties in the new year.

Y/N: don’t get greedy on me now, Park [10:54 AM]

“Who’re you texting?”

Jerking your head up from the screen, you nearly dropped your phone. From the couch opposite, your mom gave you a knowing look.

“No one,” you said hastily, setting your phone aside.

“Oh, really?” She glanced with your dad. “No one wouldn’t happen to have dark hair, his own car and excellent table manners, would he?”

Immediately, you felt your face heat.

When Jimin drove you home before Christmas, your parents had insisted on feeding him before he continued to Harleigh Heights. This had led to the weirdest double date of your life – which was, in fact, not a date – including you, Jimin and your parents for dinner. Luckily, your parents had been great and Jimin hadn’t cared, but you’d been endlessly mortified for your first date with Jimin to have included your parents.

Not that you’d called it a date. When Jimin had left that night, you’d brushed it aside and he’d simply gone along with it. After Jimin had left, you’d gone to your room and wondered what the hell you were doing. It was clear you still liked Jimin and wanted to be more than just friends. Still, something continued to hold you back.

You weren’t sure when it was considered appropriate to move on. The line seemed fuzzy, so you hadn’t dared cross it and Jimin hadn’t asked. You got the feeling you needed to be the one to make the first move – which made sense. You’d been the one who asked for more time. You’d told Jimin you’d say when you were ready.

Any next steps would have to come from you.

It had been weird to go home and not see Finn. His house was only fifteen minutes away from yours – you’d driven past it on your way to the grocery store last week. Still, seeing his home hadn’t caused the pain you’d expected. It was strange not to see him, but more like you’d forgotten something you needed to do, as opposed to missing his actual presence.

If you were being honest, Finn had crossed your mind less and less lately. Possibly because you’d been falling out of love with him long before you’d broken up in November.

Still, it would be unfair to jump into something before you were ready. You’d already hurt Jimin once this past fall and were determined not to do so again. No matter how good things had been lately between you, you didn’t want to make the mistake of dating Jimin too soon.

Despite this, things had become flirtier between you as of late. Exhibit A: casual text conversations about Park Jimin’s junk.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you said lightly.

Your dad laughed as he stood from the couch. “Alright, then,” he said, grabbing another gift. “How about you open this one next?”

Accepting the thin package he handed over, you frowned. The box wasn’t large and, shaking it slowly, you heard no sliding inside.

“I swear,” you said as you began to undo the bow. “If you wrapped your passport photo again, dad...”

Laughing, he settled back on the couch by your mom. “It’s not that, I promise.”

Grumbling, you opened the box and immediately froze. Staring at the paper inside, you slowly looked up. “Is this… is this what I think it is?”

“It’s a plane flight,” your mom said with a smile. “I know we’re supposed to drive you back on the third, but we thought you might want to celebrate New Year’s with your friends.”

“But…” Speechless, you returned to the box. “We always hang out together on New Year’s Eve.”

“I know,” said your dad. “But maybe it’s time to start some new traditions, kiddo.”

With that, he stood and took his mug to the kitchen. Sensing he wasn’t needed for this conversation any longer, he began washing dishes and to prepare breakfast. Once he was gone, your mom moved to your couch and settled beside you.

“I… this is too much,” you said, immediately backpedaling.

“It’s not.”

“Well…” Hesitant, you considered the possibilities. “I guess Ari will be in the city for New Year’s Eve. Maybe Noelle, too. She mentioned she might go back early.”

Gently, your mom smiled. “That’s great if you want to hang out with them, but… didn’t Jimin mention going back before New Year’s?”

Startled, you glanced up. You were surprised she’d remembered. Jimin had mentioned it briefly at dinner last week – he’d said he was moving off campus, which was why he’d needed to return home to pack.

“I – he might have,” you said cautiously.

“I see.” She paused. “I just… I don’t want you feeling like you need to hold yourself back, honey.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Your mom glanced meaningfully at your phone. “I’m glad you’re taking time to yourself,” she said slowly. “It’s important to know who you are and what you want. But also – don’t feel like you need to follow someone else’s timeline when it comes to moving on.”

“I know, but…” You trailed off. “We only broke up in November.”

She shrugged. “Only you know when you’re ready, honey. I just don’t want you to keep punishing yourself for something that’s over. You’re allowed to be happy, even if you’ve messed up in the past.”

Swallowing, you glanced again at the gift. The plane ticket was for the day before New Year’s Eve. Plucking it from the box, you sat back on the couch.

“But…” you said lowly. “Mom, it’s only been two months.”

“And are you still in love with Finn?”

“No.”

“And did you learn anything from what happened this fall?”

“I… Yes. A lot.”

“Good.” Reaching out, she squeezed your hand. “Learn the lessons you need to learn, and then move on. Self-flagellation isn’t productive, Y/N.”

You nodded, still uncertain about what she was saying. Her words made sense, but everything she was saying uncovered a dormant fear. You were scared. Scared of hurting someone else, scared of being hurt by someone else in return. Your last relationship had ended so badly, it was hard to convince yourself it might be worth it to try again.

Finally, you turned to face her on the couch. “Does it ever get any easier?” you asked. “This fear of being hurt… does it ever go away?”

Something sad passed over her face. “Yes and no,” she said, pulling back her hand. “You’ll never be as innocent as you were in your first love. There’s something special about loving someone and never having been hurt before. Once you’ve gone through that kind of pain, you aren’t the same after. But… it does get easier. And better. You’ll know more about how to support this time, instead of tearing down. How to make a love stronger, instead of hanging on.”

Something about this speech gave you comfort, and you slowly nodded. Again, what she said made sense but if there was one thing you’d learned from the fall, it was no matter how great the advice was, it was impossible to take if you weren’t ready to hear it.

You continued wondering if the risk would be worth it. No matter how much you felt for Jimin, you couldn’t help but remember how you’d felt breaking up with Finn. You hadn’t been in love with him at that point and it had still been so painful. It was terrifying to imagine loving someone again and having things end the same way.

Your mom was right, though. You couldn’t keep punishing yourself for something you couldn’t change. There were several ways you could move on from here. The main question to ask yourself was whether you wanted Jimin in the picture.

“Alright,” you said softly. “Thanks, mom.”

“Anytime.” Smiling, she stood and dusted off her pants. “I’m going to see if your dad needs help making breakfast. Don’t be too long, now!”

You nodded, watching her go, and then glanced at the ticket. Your mom’s words continued to run through your mind and after a moment, you picked up your phone.

Jimin had texted back.

Jimin: I would never! [10:57 AM]

Y/N: hey, so [11:01 AM]

Y/N: I did get one non-dance gift this year. A plane flight the day before New Year’s Eve [11:02 AM]

Jimin: oh, wow! That was really nice of your parents [11:03 AM]

Taking a deep breath, you closed your eyes. When you opened them, you found yourself newly determined.

Y/N: when do you get back again? [11:03 AM]

His ellipses started, then stopped, then started again.

Jimin: December 28th [11:04 AM]

Y/N: what are your New Year’s Eve plans? [11:04 AM]

For a moment, he didn’t respond, and you felt your heart catch. Maybe you’d misread things. Maybe Jimin had moved on and didn’t care about you anymore. Maybe he didn’t want you to tell him you were ready.

Jimin: I’m free 😊 [11:05 AM]

Jimin: want to be my New Year’s Eve date? [11:05 AM]

Smiling ear to ear, you responded.

Y/N: yes. Please [11:06 AM]

On the actual day of New Year’s Eve, you found yourself stressed beyond belief. Standing in front of the mirror of your dorm room, you adjusted your dress and worried over the hemline. Jimin had arranged to meet you around 7:00 PM and it was dangerously close to 6:55.

“Is the dress too short?” you asked, turning a little to face Noelle. “It is New Year’s Eve in the city. Should I wear pants, or something? Will I be cold?”

Noelle considered, then shrugged. “Just drink more. Problem solved!”

Snorting, you turned back to the mirror. Nervously, you smoothed down the front of your dress. You’d bought it at an after-Christmas sale and had fallen instantly in love. It had seemed perfect at the time, but now you were having second thoughts about the thin straps and tight bodice.

“Alright, so Y/N.” Noelle changed the subject. “Here’s the plan. Are you listening?”

Hiding a smile, you adjusted an earring. “Listening.”

“Good. Okay, so Ari and I will be at a party uptown. If the date goes badly, just say the word and we’ll call you a cab. You can be ringing in the new year with us within the hour.”

“Perfect,” you said. “It’s good to have a back-up.”

“It is.” Noelle paused. “Not that I think you’ll need this, of course.”

“Well, you never know.”

“Please.” She snorted. “What’s Jimin going to do? Be too charming? Too respectful of boundaries? Wear pants that show off his ass a little too much?”

“Noelle!”

She laughed, coming to a stop alongside you. Noelle wore a sparkly dress which made her skin glow, although this may have been the glitter dusted over her shoulders. Looking at herself in the mirror, she fluffed her hair.

“Seriously,” she said, meeting your gaze. “You’re going to be fine.”

“I know, I know.” Shaking out your arms, you forced yourself to exhale. “I’m just nervous, that’s all. It’s been a long time since I went on a first date.”

Noelle considered. “That’s true. Allow me to give you some dating tips, then.”

Laughing, you turned around and sat on the futon. “By all means.”

“Alright – number one.” Noelle removed lipstick from her purse. “Don’t order anything with garlic. I know, that sucks because garlic is everything, but no one wants to make out while they have garlic breath. Rule number two!”

“Whoa, whoa,” you said. “Who said anything about making out?”

Noelle gave you a pointed look. “Just in case it should happen…”

Shaking your head, you sunk back on the futon, but you knew she was right. Tonight was New Year’s Eve, after all. Ideally, you’d like to do more than kiss Jimin, but this seemed like too much of a jinx to say out loud.

Mentally, you agreed to the ‘no garlic’ rule.

“What else?” you prompted.

“Let’s see.” Noelle began to reapply her lipstick. “Relax.”

“What?”

Glancing at you in the mirror, she raised both brows. “I can see your shoulders tensing from here, babe. Just relax, okay? Tonight will be fine. You’re just hanging out with Jimin. You’ve done that before.”

“I know,” you groaned, lowering your face to your hands. “For some reason though, I’m very aware of the ‘date’ aspect of tonight. I don’t know why.”

When you looked up, Noelle gave you a sympathetic look, but before she could say more there came a knock at the door. Half-standing, you moved to open it, but Noelle shooed you back.

“Rule number three,” she said as she crossed the room. “Never answer the door for your own date.”

“What?” you laughed, although you sat back down on the futon.

Grabbing the handle, Noelle pulled open the door. Blocking you from view, she leaned her shoulder against the frame.

“Password?”

“What?” came Jimin’s voice, sounding confused.

“That’s correct!” Noelle stepped aside.

As you stood, you saw Jimin for the first time. He wore a pea coat over his outfit, his dark hair pushed back from his face in a devastating manner. When he saw you, Jimin froze, and you saw his eyes widen.

Silently, you congratulated yourself on having picked the right outfit. His gaze slowly trailed your body, lingering in places which made your cheeks heat. When he returned to your face, he slowly exhaled.

“Hey,” he said. “You… you look beautiful.”

Smiling back, you found yourself at a loss for words. “So do you.”

Jimin grinned and you stood there, smiling at each other like idiots until Noelle cleared her throat.

“Well,” she said, side-stepping Jimin to grab her coat. “I’m going to head over to Ari’s. You kids be safe, okay?”

“We will,” you laughed.

Noelle left in a flurry of kisses and glitter, waving goodbye as she stepped out the door. Jimin turned to face you once she was gone, offering a smile.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked. “I brought you these.”

From behind his back, he pulled out pink peonies, which made you gasp. They were your favorites, a little limp from the cold, but still beautiful. Taking them gently from him, you turned them over in your hands.

“They’re wonderful,” you said happily. “Thank you.”

Jimin smiled. “I’m glad you like them.”

Glancing around, you found a clean glass near the sink and filled this with water. Arranging the peonies on your desk, you took a step back and cocked your head. You’d always thought the idea of flowers on dates was kind of cheesy, but now that you’d experienced it in person, it seemed unimaginably sweet.

“There,” you said, turning back. “All set.”

Jimin smiled at this, then glanced at your bare arms. “You’re going to be cold without a coat,” he said. “That’d be a bad way to start off the new year.”

“Oh – duh,” you said, hurrying towards your wardrobe.

Pulling a coat out, you slipped this over your dress and buttoned the front. As you left the room, you turned off the lights and shut the door behind you. Jimin walked with you down the hall, continually glancing your way from the corner of his eyes.

You felt oddly shy, despite this being Jimin beside you. Jimin, who you’d known since you were teenagers. Jimin, who’d been both the utter bane of your existence, along with the single person you trusted most in the world. He’d tossed you up in the air and caught you no question and somehow, this felt like the most daring thing you’d ever done.

It was strange to walk beside him, out on a date whose future held a large question mark. Excitement and uncertainty warred in your stomach, which only seemed to exacerbate the situation. You felt as though you stood on the edge of a precipice, staring into a ravine with no discernable bottom.

As you left the building, snowflakes swirled in the sky up above and you looked up in surprise.

“Oh,” you exhaled, breath frosting before you. “I didn’t realize it was snowing!”

“Yeah.” Jimin grinned, tilting back his head. “Snow is my favorite weather, actually.”

“The wet and the cold does it that much for you, huh, Park?”

“That, and the romance of it all.”

Your smile softened a little as you fell into step alongside him. The snow continued to drift as you walked, melting as soon as it touched the pavement.

“So, where are we going?” you wondered, glancing at him. “You said you’d tell me once you picked me up and I’ve got news for you, Jimin. I’m here. I’ve been picked up.”

“Right, sure.” He shoved both hands in his pockets. “I made a reservation at this restaurant around the corner. The food’s really good so I hope you’ll like it.”

“I’m sure I will.”

“Huh.” Jimin paused. “That was easy.”

You shrugged. “I’m just excited for tonight. That’s all.”

His gaze softened a little when he glanced at you. “Me, too.”

Smiling, you continued to walk alongside him. New Year’s Eve in the city was a grand affair. The sidewalks were still lit with holiday lights, people hurrying past in brightly colored coats. Privately, you were glad Jimin had made a reservation at a restaurant instead of trying to brave a club or a bar. You’d heard horror stories from people who paid extravagantly to get into a club, only to spend the entire night waiting in line at the bar.

Turning the corner, you saw the restaurant Jimin had chosen and brightened. It was one you’d walked past several times and always wanted to try but had never found time.

Jimin held open the door as you entered. The inside still had their holiday decorations up, garland strung across every surface with tiny, white fairy lights hung up above. Everyone who was dining wore formal attire, laughing and chatting in the glow of the fireplace. The food smelled amazing and immediately, your mouth watered.

Joining the line at the hostess stand, you waited for the couple before you to leave and then Jimin stepped up.

“Park,” he told her. “Party of two.”

The hostess smiled, nodding as she flipped through her notebook. “One moment, please.” The longer she looked though, the more her face fell. After a moment, she glanced up. “Park, you said?”

“Yes.” Jimin nodded. “P-a-r-k.”

The woman nodded, flipping through her notebook again as though the name might magically appear.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, glancing up again. “There seems to be some kind of mistake. I don’t have you listed as a reservation.”

Jimin’s expression faltered. “Can you look again?” he asked, leaning forward.

The hostess nodded, running her finger down the numbered rows. “I can’t find you anywhere. Do you remember who you spoke with on the phone?”

“Rebecca.”

“Oh.” Her face immediately fell. “Rebecca left the restaurant last week. It seems a few reservations slipped through in the transition. Is there… well, before I do that – let me see what I can do,” she blurted out, turning around to rush into the restaurant.

Jimin watched her disappear and you saw his expression tighten.

Silence fell between you as you adjusted your coat. Jimin looked stressed and you weren’t sure what you should do about it. Frantically, you tried to remember times he’d been stressed during class, but before you could do or say anything, the hostess returned.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, looking harried. “The restaurant is completely booked up. I was trying to see if we could squeeze you in, but there’s just no room. I’m so sorry. Normally, only one person does the reservations, but we’ve been so busy lately...”

“It’s fine,” you said, jumping in. The poor woman looked like she was about to burst into tears. “Please, don’t worry about it. We’ll figure something out.”

Jimin glanced at you, surprised, and then nodded. “Yeah,” he agreed, returning to the hostess. “Thank you so much for your help – I appreciate you trying. We actually have a back-up reservation somewhere else, so don’t worry. We’ll come back another time!”

“Oh, really?” Her entire face brightened. “That’s so good to hear. New Year’s Eve, and all. Thank you for being understanding!”

“Yes, busy night,” Jimin said with a smile. “Take care of yourself!”

The woman nodded, seeming grateful when you stepped out of line. Jimin followed your footsteps, heading towards the door and then came to a stop. Slowly, he exhaled.

“So,” you said, turning to face him. “Where are these back-up reservations?”

Jimin winced and met your gaze. “I have none,” he admitted. “She just looked so sad. I wanted to put her out of her misery.”

“Wait.” Piecing this together, you paused. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah,” he said miserably. “I only made reservations here and that was super lucky, considering most places in the city have been booked for weeks. I don’t have any back-up plans.”

For a moment, you could only stare. “So, you said all that just so that poor hostess wouldn’t worry about a mistake her restaurant made?”

“I – well, yeah.”

You stared another moment, then started to laugh. It started out small but grew until eventually, you were wiping tears of mirth from your eyes.

Jimin watched you laugh, seeming thoroughly confused. “What’s so funny?”

“It’s just…” Shaking your head, you paused to catch your breath. “You’re unreal. Most people would be super stressed about New Year’s Eve plans falling through, but here you are lying to make a hostess’ night better.”

He blinked, still uncertain. “I’m… sorry about that.”

“Don’t apologize!” you insisted as you straightened. “It’s… wonderful,” you said to him shyly. “I like that about you.”

Slowly, his expression changed. “I really don’t have other plans, though,” he admitted. “I wasn’t lying about that. And I am stressed about my reservation falling through. I wanted this night to be perfect.”

The sweetness of this made your heart start to melt and newly determined, you nodded.

“We can fix this,” you said. “We’ll just go somewhere else.”

“Like where?”

“Like...” You paused. “We could hang out at my dorm. Or at your apartment! One of our kitchens has to be free, right? We could make dinner and hang out, watch the ball drop.”

“We could go to my place,” said Jimin slowly. “Hoseok and Alex are at a New Year’s Eve party uptown. We’d have the kitchen to ourselves.”

“Perfect,” you said. “Let’s go there.”

“I should warn you, though – I can only really cook one thing.”

“Spaghetti-o’s?”

“Okay, two things.”

You laughed. “So, what’s the first thing?”

“A pasta dish they taught us in Senior Foods class. But it’s nothing fancy.”

“Perfect.” You shrugged. “That will go nicely with my contribution of store-bought bread and olive oil.”

Jimin started to grin. “Alright, then, it’s settled. Let’s go to my place.”

You smiled when he opened the door, following him onto the sidewalk. Jimin’s new apartment was a few blocks away, but time passed quickly with him beside you. Oddly enough, the mishap at the restaurant seemed to have cleared some of the lingering awkwardness.

Noelle had been right, you realized – you had nothing to worry about while you were with Jimin.

He talked while you walked, detailing the ongoing fight at his apartment about some posters Hoseok wanted to hang. This segued into the general ridiculousness of New Year’s Eve – a topic you wholeheartedly agreed with.

“It’s stressful,” Jimin complained as you walked. “Everyone’s always asking about your resolution, you need to find someone to kiss at midnight, and there’s that super awkward moment with the countdown and your date…”

You laughed, grabbing a basket as you entered the grocery store. Jimin had suggested you stop by, since he didn’t have much food at his place.

“Doesn’t the countdown make it easier?” you joked. “It really dumbs the whole process down. Fool-proof.”

“Well, sure,” Jimin said. “But then you end up staring awkwardly at someone for ten seconds while you slowly lean forward and wonder when you should blink.”

Laughing, you reached on tiptoe for a loaf of bread. “Alright, you got me there,” you admitted. “I’ve never had a proper New Year’s Eve, anyways. I’ve always been dating someone and then, it’s just kind of assumed you’ll kiss. None of the magic you see in the movies.”

Jimin nodded. “Most of that’s just movie magic, though. You aren’t missing much – trust me.”

“I don’t know,” you said as you turned the next corner. “The anticipation sounds kind of nice. Wondering if someone will kiss you back, if they’re thinking about you the same way you are…”

Jimin made a humming noise, low in his throat.

Coming to a stop, he reached overhead to grab some pasta. Putting this in your basket, Jimin casually brushed your arm as you met his faze. Fighting back a shiver, you tried to remember what you’d been saying.

Giving a smile, Jimin continued forward and kept shopping. You stared after him a moment before your gaze dropped to his ass. Inhaling quickly, you remembered Noelle’s comment about Jimin’s tight pants. She hadn’t been wrong about that. Hurrying along, you quickly caught up.

Grabbing another jar, Jimin placed this in the basket. When he caught your eye again, he grinned, his hair falling forward. The sight made your heart flip-flop in your chest.

As you entered the check-out line, Jimin came to a stop alongside you. His gaze traveled the store, eyes widening when he glanced over your shoulder.

“What’s that?” Jimin gasped.

Startled, you turned. “What’s – hey!” you blurted when he took your basket.

Grinning widely, Jimin placed the food before the cashier. “Too slow.”

“Jimin, come on,” you said, slightly flustered. “I can pay. I –”

“You can pay next time, if you want.”

This shut you up and you stared at him a moment before you stepped forward.

“There’s… going to be a next time?” you said.

Jimin glanced in your direction. “If you want there to be.”

“I do,” you said softly, and he smiled.

Taking another step forward, he pulled out his wallet to pay and you let him – this time, anyways. Outside, it seemed to have grown colder since your arrival and you shivered as you exited the shop. Noticing this, Jimin immediately undid his scarf from around his neck.

“Here,” he said, handing it over. “I don’t need this.”

“But then you’ll be cold,” you pointed out, accepting it anyways.

“I’ll jog in place to keep warm.”

“… With me walking beside you?”

“Yep.”

You laughed, even more so when Jimin began to demonstrate. He jogged for a few steps, then slowed to a walk.

“Changed my mind,” he said with a wince. “I’d rather be cold.”

You laughed, cheeks starting to hurt from both this and the wind. Jimin’s apartment wasn’t far, although it did turn out to be a third-floor walk-up. This left you slightly winded when you arrived at his place, to which Jimin shrugged and said the rent had been cheap.

Opening his front door, he led the way into – boxes. Tons of them, although most of the furniture had been set up around them. Jimin fumbled for a light, flicking this on and setting down the groceries.

“Most of the boxes are Alex’s,” he sighed, looking around. “Hoseok and I have a secret deal we’re going to unpack him ourselves if he doesn’t do it by Monday.”

“That doesn’t sound like much of a detriment to Alex.”

“I never said what we planned on doing with his things once we unpacked.”

You laughed, undoing your coat to set aside. Glancing around, you saw Jimin was right. Most of the boxes were scrawled in the same handwriting. Beyond them, you saw the living room had been mostly set up with a couch and TV.

To your right lay the kitchen, in which Jimin was already unloading the groceries. Beyond him was a hallway, through which you assumed were their bedrooms and bathrooms. Wandering back to Jimin, you realized he was staring.

“What?” you said, coming to a stop. “Did I spill something on my dress in the store?”

“No,” Jimin murmured, shaking his head. “I just… I know I said this before, but you really do look incredible.”

“Oh.”

Looking at him, you felt your face growing hot. Jimin smiled and ducked his head, resumed pulling things out of the bag. Stepping from your shoes to place in the hall, you returned to the kitchen and pulled out a stool.

Sitting down, you propped your chin in your hand. “Aren’t you going to take off your coat?”

Glancing down, Jimin blinked. “Oh,” he laughed, undoing the buttons. “I forgot I was wearing it.”

You smiled, but this quickly disappeared when you saw what he was wearing. Jimin had worn a dark blazer and trousers, paired with a paisley shirt and black boots. He looked ridiculously good and again, Noelle’s comment about his ass came to mind.

She’d been correct – his pants were well-shaped and well-formed.

After removing both coat and shoes, Jimin returned to the kitchen and pushed a hand through his hair. You watched him get to work, leaning forward a bit when he began to dice vegetables. Immediately, your brows raised. It seemed Jimin had undersold his skills in the kitchen.

When you said as much, he laughed.

“Maybe a little,” Jimin said. As he pushed veggies from the cutting board, the pan began to sizzle. “It’s all part of my master plan. Set expectations low, then over-deliver.”

“It’s working,” you said with a laugh. “You seem pretty damn impressive to me.”

Jimin’s cheeks reddened. “You’re just saying that.”

“Why would I lie?”

“I seem to remember some shocking texts about my junk and dancer’s belts. You could just be after my body, Y/N.”

“I – that’s not!”

He looked up and grinned. “Kidding.”

Flustered, you blurted, “That wasn’t nice!”

Jimin laughed. “I’m sorry.”

You huffed, waiting a minute before you continued. “You do look really good right now, though,” you said softly.

He looked up, eyes wide. As much as Jimin said he enjoyed being liked, it seemed to throw him for a loop whenever you said you liked him. It made you pause, mulling over this for a minute.

“You seem surprised,” you said quietly. “Whenever I say things like that, you always look surprised.”

“Well…” Jimin hesitated. “I just think… there’s been a lot of times where I never thought this would happen. It feels kind of unreal have you here. In my kitchen. On a date.”

“Times after November?”

Jimin paused.

Your brow furrowed. “Before then?”

Opening the pasta, Jimin added this to the pot. He stared into the steam, slowly exhaling before he looked up.

“Let’s just say I’ve wanted this for a while,” he admitted.

“What? But you hated me before Russet.”

“I…” Jimin trailed off. “Kind of. It’s complicated.”

When he failed to elaborate and returned to his cooking, your eyebrows shot up.

“Uh, no,” you laughed. “You can’t just say that and not explain what you mean. What are you talking about?”

Jimin winced as he set down his spoon. “Okay,” he said, gripping the counter. “I guess what I’m saying is I never really hated you. Not truly.”

“You didn’t.”

“No.” He spoke flatly.

“But…” Confused, you searched his face. “You’ve hated me ever since we met, Jimin. That first weekend at NUVO dance competition. We were both called out to demonstrate and you tripped me!”

“Well, maybe that’s not exactly what happened.”

“What are you talking about?”

Jimin released a low breath. “Okay, so here’s the thing. That weekend happened a little differently from my perspective.”

“How so?”

“We were both called out to demonstrate,” he said, repeating your words. “But I hadn’t seen you before then. When we both reached center and I turned and saw you – I froze. I couldn’t remember how to act. Every thought I’d ever had just… flew out of my head.”

You stared at him, speechless.

“I didn’t know what to do,” Jimin continued softly. “I’d never felt like that before. When you started to dance, it only got worse. I’d never seen someone dance like you did. That’s why I entered the combination late. That’s why I was in the wrong spot at the wrong time and that’s why I accidentally tripped you. I was… well, I was distracted.”

“By me,” you whispered. “You were distracted by… me?”

“Yeah.”

“So,” you said, breath catching. “This entire time, you haven’t really hated me?”

“Ah, I don’t know about that.” Jimin rubbed the back of his neck. “You could be really infuriating,” he said with a laugh. “There were times when you genuinely pissed me off. I meant it when I said I wanted to win against you. But also… I don’t know. I never really forgot the first time I saw you.”

“Oh,” you whispered, unsure what you were feeling.

It made your head spin to hear this different version of events. Jimin hadn’t hated you – at least, not in the same way you had. He hadn’t been the one to make the first move after all. You had when you’d decided not to listen to his apology.

“Oh my god,” you groaned, burying your face in your hands.

“Hey – what’s wrong?”

Dropping his spoon to the counter, Jimin came around and stood beside you. Keeping your head down, you refused to look up until Jimin touched your arm.

“I just,” you exhaled, turning to face him. “It was my fault. This entire time, I thought you hated me and that’s why I hated you. But instead, I just decided to hate you – and for what?”

Jimin’s upper lip twitched. “I wasn’t entirely blameless, you know. I was such a little shit at that age. I wouldn’t have believed me, either.”

“You tried to apologize, though!”

“Hey.” Gently, he gripped your elbows. “If it makes you feel any better, I did trip people just to get to the front. I was an ass. It’s why that Jungkook guy hates me. I started dancing later in life, so I was really hung up on proving myself.”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t true,” you told him. “You didn’t trip me on purpose, and if I’d only been less stubborn –”

“Whoa, hey.” Jimin smiled. “You weren’t the only stubborn one. Maybe it started off as a misunderstanding, but I didn’t really fight it. You were my competition as much as I was yours.”

“I guess,” you said quietly. “I just… I feel like I wasted so much time hating you. Maybe we could’ve even been friends.”

His gaze sparked. “Just friends?” he asked with a quirk of his brow.

“Jimin,” you groaned, but started to smile.

“Listen.” Expression softening, Jimin moved closer. “Even if I had decided to explain all this in high school, would you have believed me?”

“Probably not.”

“Exactly. I was a dick back then.” He nodded. “Remember that one time I lied and told you the awards ceremony had been pushed back an hour?”

Sitting up straighter, you glared. “Oh, I remember. I showed up after they’d already taken the photo for Top Junior solos.”

Jimin grinned. “Or the time I put an out of order sign on the women's restroom after your solo at BRAVO, so you had to run all the way across the auditorium?”

“That was you!” you blurted out, wide-eyed. “No one would believe me when I said it was! Every girl was so pissed off at you that weekend.”

“Which is exactly why I could never admit it was me!”

In disbelief, you shook your head. “You did all of that just to get back at me?”

Jimin’s smile disappeared. “Hey, you weren’t innocent either,” he argued. “Remember the time you spilled an entire water bottle next to my bag so that when I sat down, my ass got all wet?”

Devious, you smiled. “Honestly, there was kind of an ulterior motive there. As much as I hated you, your ass looks great in damp sweats.”

Jimin’s jaw dropped a little.

Managing to shut this, he took a casual step forward. “Is that what you thought?” he murmured, barely able to conceal the thickness in his voice.

“I… may have noticed a few things about you.”

When he placed a hand next to you on the counter, your breath hitched in response. Jimin repeated this with his other hand, bringing his body a step closer to yours.

Hesitant, his gaze roamed your face. “What else did you notice?”

“I…” you exhaled and glanced at his lips.

The air between you could have been cut with a knife, heated for a different reason than the stove beside you. Which – eyes widening, you glanced over.

“Shit!” you blurted. “Jimin, the pasta!”

Startled, he looked in the same direction as you and realized the water was boiling. Rushing away, Jimin entered the kitchen and turned down the burner. Now that you were separated by a solid counter, you felt somewhat dazed when you glanced up and saw him.

Meeting your gaze, Jimin came to a stop. “Anyways,” he said softly. “Now, you know. I didn’t trip you on purpose. I never really hated you. And I’m incredibly glad you’re here tonight.”

Watching him speak, something warm bloomed in your chest.

“Me, too,” you whispered.

Smiling, Jimin returned to the pasta and you settled back on the stool. Delicious scents soon filled the kitchen and you realized how truly hungry you were. You hadn’t eaten much at lunch in preparation and by now, you were famished.

It wasn’t long before Jimin placed pasta onto plates, adding the bread you’d cut up on the side. He brought these to his table, disappearing briefly to return with two candles.

“Oo,” you said as you took a seat. “Fancy.”

Jimin lit the one closest to you with a flourish. “We aim to please, here at Park Jimin’s Fine Eating and Dining.”

“Is that the name of your restaurant?”

“It is.”

“And you’re set on that decision?”

“I decided on a whim, but I have no regrets,” Jimin said, taking a seat across from you. “Now, eat before you piss off the chef and he takes back your food.”

Laughing, you dug into the pasta before you. It was delicious and, after the very first bite, you sighed in appreciation. Apparently, Jimin had truly set the bar low. Conversation began to flow, any lingering tension disappeared after talk of your past.

It was the oddest thing. You’d heard stories from friends about other first dates. They worried about how to behave, what to wear, or what to say to their date – but none of these worries seemed to exist for you in the moment. You’d been so concerned before the night began, but now that you were here, all these worries seemed to fly out the window.

You’d thought you’d spend the entire night comparing. Comparing Jimin to your last relationship, comparing Jimin as a date to Jimin as a friend, but instead, it felt like natural progression. It wasn’t a matter of comparing Jimin to anyone else, but rather simply enjoying where the night led.

After dinner, you insisted on helping clean because Jimin had cooked and bought the food. Donning rubber gloves over your dress, you stood at the sink and began to wash dishes. Jimin laughed as he joined, pulling on gloves to dry the dishes beside you. Once this was done, he suggested watching a movie before the ball dropped.

Collapsing onto the sofa, you adjusted your dress and scanned the room. The posters Jimin had bemoaned were now hung over the TV – you wondered if Hoseok had managed to somehow sneak them past his roommates. Small touches here and there made you think of Jimin.

A game he’d mentioned was out on the coffee table and a blanket which smelled like him was draped over a chair. Pulling this towards you, you wrapped it around yourself as Jimin left the kitchen.

Holding two glasses of wine, he paused when he saw you.

“What?” you said, glancing down.

“Nothing.” Jimin cleared his throat. “Are you cold?”

“A little,” you admitted, tugged his blanket closer.

“Shoot.” Jimin frowned. “The heat’s been weird since we moved in. I’m not sure how to fix – oh!” Setting the glasses down, he rushed towards the hall. “Do you want a sweatshirt?” he called.

“Yes, please!”

Jimin reappeared moments later, a navy sweatshirt in hand. Handing this over, he settled beside you on the sofa. He’d ditched his blazer and now, Jimin was dressed in only the paisley shirt and slacks.

Pulling his sweatshirt overhead, you somehow managed to get stuck right away. It was hard not to, with your hair and the dress, trying not to flash him while you kept your legs crossed.

After a moment of watching your undignified struggling, Jimin cleared his throat.

“Need help?”

“Yes, please,” you said weakly.

Jimin laughed, helping you free and once the hoodie was settled, you sighed and leaned back. Glancing sideways at Jimin, you found him already looking at you.

“What do you want to watch?” you asked.

Jimin blinked, then glanced at the TV. “Hm,” he mused, grabbing the remote. “We could watch the ball drop and enjoy the fact that we’re sitting inside, not standing in the freezing cold without any bathrooms.”

“I know!” you said with a shudder. “Out of all the stupid traditions, that’s one I’ll never understand.”

“How do so many people have it on their bucket list?”

“Right? That, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Zero out of ten. It’s cold, there’s wind and again, there’s the question of bathrooms.”

Jimin laughed as he scrolled through the channels. “Alright, so no to the ball drop. Want to watch a movie?”

“Sure.”

“What movie?”

“Why’re you making me pick?” you whined, sinking deeper into his cushions. “That’s such a large amount of pressure.”

“Exactly, which is why I don’t want to do it.”

You laughed and after some back and forth, decided to watch About Time. This was a movie about obstacles and falling in love, which seemed more than fitting because of the new year. At first, you and Jimin were watching diligently but eventually, he asked a question and conversation slowly drifted from the movie.

At some point, Jimin lowered the volume to focus solely on you. You curled deeper into the couch beside him, your thighs somehow touching and shoulders inches apart. Jimin’s head leaned against the cushion and he continued to smile in a way which made your heart flip.

“Here’s a question,” you murmured, no longer pretending to watch the movie.

His eyes gleamed in the darkness. “What?”

“Why’d you tell Sabrina you only wanted to be friends?”

Briefly, his eyes widened. “How did… you know about that?”

“She told me.”

“Hm.” Jimin gave you a dubious look but moved past it. Sabrina had begun hanging out with your friends as of late. “But alright, I’ll answer. If I do though, you need to answer one of my questions. Deal?”

“Deal.”

“So, I was single when I came to Russet.” Jimin paused. “It was the first time in a long time, and I may have hooked up with a couple of people.”

“Hm,” you said tightly.

His eyes danced with amusement. “Jealous?”

“Answer the question.”

He laughed. “Anyways, I only hooked up with Sabrina the one time. Afterwards…” Jimin sighed. “I felt kind of weird about her asking me to switch partners. Then I overheard what she said about Ari at weigh-ins and just didn’t feel like anything more... Plus, there was the other reason.”

“And what was the other reason?”

“I was starting to like you,” he said, a bit softer. “The day you said you wanted to be friends was a giant weight from my chest. And the more relaxed you were around me, the more… I don’t know. The more I liked you, I guess. My mom has always called me her hopeless romantic,” Jimin said with a smile. “I don’t know about that, but I can be single-minded when I like someone. That was part of the reason I told Sabrina we shouldn’t hook up anymore.”

“Oh,” you whispered.

His smile turned lopsided. “Does that answer your question?”

“Yeah. I guess it does.”

“My turn, then.” Smile disappearing, his gaze darkened. “Why did you really call me that night at the club?”

“Oh. That. Well, I –”

“And don’t say it was because I had a car,” Jimin interrupted. “There were a lot of people you could’ve called to help. You didn’t, though. You called me. Why?”

You hesitated before you realized there was only one answer. “I wanted to see you,” you said honestly. “I was scared, I was alone and… you were the person I wanted to see.”

Jimin’s gaze had become nearly black, the air between you thick with something unsaid. You were suddenly conscious of all each part of your body pressed to his. When Jimin shifted on the couch, you moved somehow closer.

He hesitated, then glanced at your mouth. “I don’t…” Jimin licked his lips, sounding hoarse. “I don’t want to do anything you’re not ready for.”

“You won’t,” you told him.

Something uncertain passed over his face. “Maybe we should take things slow.”

“Or,” you said slowly. “I could tell you things I like about you, instead.”

“And what would be the point of that?”

Your gaze shifted to his. “You’ve told me a lot tonight about how much you like me,” you said softly. “About how long you’ve liked me. I think it’s time I returned the favor.”

Something in his gaze cracked and he nodded. The TV in the background was quiet, only the noise from the street and the whoosh of the heater breaking the silence.

“First,” you said, glancing down at his lap. “You have really nice hands.”

Jimin’s lips twitched. “My hands? I’ve always thought they were small.”

“Wrong. They’re the perfect size. Never have they dropped me.”

“Mm, that’s a good point.”

“And your smile,” you said.

“What about it?”

“I like your smile,” you told him. “It makes me smile.”

His eyes crinkled in demonstration. “Oh, yeah?”

“And your ears.”

Jimin laughed. “My ears?”

Reaching out, you delicately traced over an edge. “I’ve spent a long time looking at your profile, Park. I know what I’m talking about here.”

As your fingers moved lower, feather-light down his jaw, Jimin’s smile disappeared.

“I like your jaw, too,” you told him.

In the darkness, his gaze glinted, and you felt his jaw tense.

“And your lips,” you added, gaze lowering. “I like those a lot.”

“Y/N…” Jimin’s eyes fluttered shut.

“Yeah?”

He slowly exhaled. “I just don’t want you to regret this.”

“Jimin.”

He opened his eyes.

Your expression was serious. “I told you I wouldn’t jump into something before I was ready,” you said, lifting your other hand. “But I’m not in love with Finn anymore. It doesn’t hurt when I think about what happened last semester. I like you, Jimin. I want you. I don’t want to keep pushing you away. I get if you’re unsure about this, though. If you’re unsure about me.”

Jimin’s gaze roamed your face. “Unsure?”

“I know I hurt you before. I shouldn’t have kissed you and ran away. But I promise this isn’t like that. I’m not running away. I’m the furthest thing from running and I –”

Cutting you off, Jimin pressed his lips to yours.

You shuddered a little, leaning into his kiss before he pulled back. Jimin exhaled, barely a breath before he kissed you again.

Noses brushing, lips lingering, the kiss slowly deepened. Your hands curled into his hair, pulling him forward to bask in his warmth. It was dizzying, how different this felt than last time. Last time you’d been heartbroken, desperately yearning each time your lips had touched.

Now, Jimin felt like air, like sunshine as you drowned in his presence. Hand grasping your waist, Jimin moved you closer so your chest nestled to his. Lifting his fingers, his touch skimmed your jaw, your hairline before he circled the nape of your neck.

Drawing away, he bit down on your lip. With a low sort of moan, Jimin sought your lips again. When his mouth opened yours, his tongue swept forward and you nearly combusted.

This was only to tease, though. Only to taste before he pulled away, pressing a chaste kiss to your lips. Thumb skimming your jawline, Jimin tilted your head back to brush a kiss to your throat. Moving higher, he worshiped a slow path up the column of your neck. At your ear, he nipped gently before he returned.

Now, his kisses began to deepen. Mouths opening, your tongues brushed only briefly before he chose to withdraw. You were glad you were kissing on the couch, because suddenly your own legs felt weak underneath you.

Hand re-gripping his waist, Jimin pulled you against him. Eager, your hands found his neck and the blanket dropped to the floor. It wasn’t enough, though – you needed more, wanted to feel him fully beneath you. Rising on your knees, you swung a leg over his lap and settled on top.

Jimin hissed, his head hitting the back of his couch. Your dress had ridden up in the process, exposing your thighs – his thumbs skimmed the surface before he looked up.

“Shit,” Jimin croaked.

Smiling, you bent to kiss him again. Jimin arched upwards, each part of your body electric where you touched. He shifted his hips, granting friction and heat which made you short-circuit. Pressing yourself closer, your thighs sild backwards until they nestled around his waist.

Jimin’s hand found your spine, pulling you closer as his hips pushed upwards. You groaned when you felt him shift underneath you. The kisses grew steadily hotter, this ache in your core increasing with every touch.

“Can I…” Pulling away, Jimin glanced lower. “Can I take off the sweatshirt?”

“Yeah,” you said, a bit dazed.

Jimin didn’t waste time, helping you pull this swiftly overhead. It was tossed on the ground and when your dress was revealed, he inhaled.

Slipping his hands up your bodice, Jimin met your gaze. “I’ve wanted to do this for so long,” he confessed, his voice hoarse.

“Do what?”

Your breath hitched when his hands skimmed your breasts, lingering in all your softest places.

“Touch you,” Jimin said. “It was torture to see you, to look at you and not be able to do this. Not how I wanted, anyways. I’d tell myself not to think about it, but…”

“Jimin.”

He paused and looked up. “Yes?”

“Touch me. Please.”

Without hesitation, Jimin slid his hands lower. Cupping your ass, he pulled you against him and allowed his other hand to drift up your spine. You shivered, closing your eyes as your head tilted back.

His hands slid up your front, over your breasts and under the straps of your dress. Jimin’s thumbs drifted lower, brushing your nipples through the fabric of your bodice. Opening your eyes, you looked down at him and saw his gaze darken.

Reaching higher, Jimin cupped the back of your neck and returned your lips to his.

He kissed you slowly, purposefully as you melted forward. Shifting against him, the kiss began to intensify. Mouths opening, your tongue swept forward in bold strokes against his. Suppressing a whimper, you ground your hips on his lap.

“Is,” you murmured, breaking free. “Is your bedroom unpacked?”

Jimin went still. “I – mostly, yeah.”

“Can I see it?”

“Fuck, yes,” he groaned, releasing your thighs as he stood from the couch.

You laughed, sliding down his front as your feet hit the ground. Tugging your dress down, you followed Jimin when he grabbed your hand. He pulled you down the hall, coming to a stop at the last room on the row. Pushing open the door, he flicked on the light and came to a stop.

Stepping forward, you glanced around Jimin’s room. You recognized some of the items from the two times you’d visited Jimin in the dorms. Photos of his family were carefully hung on the wall and he had the same pillows laid over his queen-sized bed.

Turning around, you took a step backwards and sat on his bed. “It’s nice,” you said, patting the comforter. “I like it here.”

Jimin watched you, his gaze half-lidded from the hall. “I like you here.”

Cheeks heating, you watched him enter and gently shut the door. Leaning back on your elbows, you arched a brow.

“Where’d we leave off?”

Jimin exhaled as he crossed the room. “I think you were on my lap,” he said hoarsely, kneeling beside you.

You nodded, moving to straddle him as he leaned to the wall. Catching your waist with both hands, Jimin pulled you against him, kissing you roughly even before you sat down. Suddenly ravenous, his hands slid to your ass as he rolled you against him. Inhaling sharply, you sucked his lower lip between teeth as he groaned.

Reaching up, Jimin tugged on your hair as you inhaled, throat exposed for him to kiss slowly down your front. When he returned to your lips, you ground your hips impatiently over the bulge in his pants.

Shifting his weight, Jimin’s spine hit the wall. He stared at you, slightly dazed with his kiss-reddened lips. Without looking away, Jimin lifted his fingers and began undoing his shirt. You stilled, watching each inch of skin be revealed. When he reached the last button, you gave in and helped push this aside. Smiling, Jimin sat up as his shirt fell to the floor.

You weren’t sure where to look first. Hands faltering, you slid them up his abs, over his shoulders and down his biceps. He was so perfect, it almost hurt to look at. Jimin’s breath quickened as you touched him and slowly, he lowered you down to the bed.

“Enough,” he said roughly, returning your lips to his.

As you kissed it turned lazy, nothing but grinding and touching. Jimin’s hair was messy beneath the pull of your fingers. He didn’t seem to mind, his own hands digging into the curve of your thigh. Playing with the hem of your dress, he deftly slid upwards.

“Jimin,” you said, breaking free. “Unzip me.”

His gaze darkened. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Jimin nodded, following suit when you sat up beside him. Turning around, you exposed your back and Jimin began to lower the zipper. He moved slowly, taking his time as his fingers brushed skin. Holding the dress up with your hands, you waited until it was fully unzipped before releasing it to the floor.

Turning around, you found Jimin’s jaw slack.

“You…” He roughly inhaled while he scanned your body. “Lace, Y/N? Really?”

“Do you like it?” you asked.

You may have gone overboard preparing for tonight. Although you hadn’t been sure what would happen, you also hadn’t wanted to be caught off your guard. Tonight, your constant need to plan had come in handy. Beneath your dress you’d worn a crimson lace bra and panties – a matching set which Jimin seemed to like, based on his expression.

“You’re going to kill me,” he muttered, lowering his lips to your neck.

Kissing slowly down your chest, he came to a stop where the two halves joined together. Skimming the length of your torso, his hands trembled a little when he brushed the lace.

Jimin looked up. “I’m sorry I keep touching you,” he murmured. “I just – you’re driving me crazy. You’ve been driving me crazy.”

“You said that before,” you whispered.

“I meant it.”

Kissing again up your body, he lingered in places your skin was exposed. Inhaling, your eyes fluttered shut as you grasped his shoulders.

Jimin’s hand slid between your thighs. “Part them,” he murmured, and you obeyed.

Heart racing, you opened your eyes and watched Jimin drag a finger slowly up the center of your panties. Even you could feel how damp the fabric was, how wet and ready you were for him.

Lifting his finger to his lips, Jimin sucked. “You’re soaking,” he breathed, sounding eager. “So good to me.”

Lowering his head, his tongue flicked your breast. Teasing the nipple through fabric, he urged and he sucked until it was fully erect. Moving onto the next one, Jimin grazed with his teeth until it pressed wantonly into the lace cup of your bra. Moaning his name, you arched against him.

Finding your wrists, Jimin pinned you backwards as he continued. Thighs caging your waist, he kept you hostage with his exquisite torture. The lace of your bra was now drenched, Jimin sucking debauchedly through fabric.

“Jimin,” you groaned, twisting on the sheets. “Please.”

His hips rolled lazily against your center. “Not yet,” he insisted before pulling back. “Not until you make a mess of my sheets. Want to ruin these panties.”

Sliding a hand between your thighs, he lightly circled your entrance. Feeling how wet you were, Jimin softly groaned. Sitting back on his heels, he finally relented and pulled your panties down. Tossing these to the floor, he returned to your thighs and spread your legs.

Lightly, Jimin dragged the pads of his thumbs up and down your panty line. “God, you’re so perfect,” he murmured. “Got my sheets fucking soaked.”

Separating two of his fingers, he slowly dragged his digits up and down your folds. You inhaled, feeling needy while you watched him touch you. Each brush of his fingers had you dripping – teasing over your entrance, he refused to give you exactly what you wanted. Feather-light, Jimin circled your swollen clit with his finger.

Hands gripping the sheets, you could only stare while Jimin brought you closer and closer to the edge. He was barely touching you, but it was the most turned on you’d ever been in your life. Jimin’s thumb swiped over your clit, rubbing you gently as you keened in frustration, arching against him.

He continued like this until you were gasping, begging for more and then – only then – did he slide a finger inside you. Legs trembling, you arched on his mattress and stared at him, glassy-eyed. When Jimin began to move in and out, you lost all control.

Lowering his head, he closed his lips over your clit.

“Oh my god,” you whimpered as you broke apart.

Barely did he suck before you were coming undone, pulsing around his fingers. Shuddering with pleasure, you collapsed on the bed as you rode out your high. Gently, Jimin pulled out his finger and returned to your lips.

Reaching behind you, he undid the clasp of your bra and tossed this on the floor. Once you were fully naked, he pulled you against him. You felt limp, thoroughly sated, but familiar excitement began to stir at his front pressed to yours. Tilting your head, he gently kissed you while your fingers wound in his hair.

Jimin moved slow, letting you take the lead. Your core continued to throb with oversensitivity, although this seemed to lessen the longer you kissed him. Before long, your nipples were hardening as you rubbed against him. Fingers digging into your thigh, Jimin pulled this over his hip to watch you lazily grind.

Realizing he still wore pants, you lowered a hand, determined to fix this. Jimin helped, dragging the zipper down to throw both these and his boxers down on the floor.

He bent to kiss you again, but you placed a hand on his chest. “Wait,” you murmured. “I want to see you.”

Jimin exhaled, leaning back so you could take in his body. If you’d thought his chest was unreal, it was nothing compared to his trim hips, sculpted thighs and cock nestled between.

“Oh,” you said, dragging a hand down his front.

Jimin shuddered a little. He was already hard, his cock thick and pretty with a reddened tip. It made your mouth water to look at, wanting to lick up the shaft. Reaching between you, you closed your fist around him and slowly jerked him off.

You watched in fascination as Jimin responded. His jaw tightened, abs tense while you teased over his frenulum. His cock responded instinctively, hardening further the longer you touched him.

After a few minutes of this, Jimin shook his head. “No more,” he said huskily, taking your hand in his. “I’ll come if you keep doing that.”

“Oh?” you murmured, gaze darting lower.

He chuckled, a rough sound in his throat. “I like watching you come,” Jimin confessed, his cock hard between you. “It turns me on. I’m… still trying to recover from your last orgasm.”

“Oh,” you said, in a completely different way.

Jimin exhaled, hair falling forward. “I hope that doesn’t weird you out.”

“Does it… weird me out that you like giving orgasms?”

“Well, when you put it like that.”

“How else would I put it?”

His grin became devious. “You could ask for another.”

Breathless, you nodded and Jimin’s gaze darkened.

He descended your body, not wasting any time as he positioned himself between your legs. Licking slow up your center, you gasped and instinctively drew your legs higher. Jimin didn’t bother easing you into it. No, now he ate you out like he wanted to.

Kissing your folds, he returned to your clit and sucked this into his mouth. Rolling the sensitive bud with his tongue, he teased and released before you knew what was happening. He continued to do this, spreading you underneath him and bringing you close to coming, only to pull back and leave you maddeningly empty.

Spreading your folds, he began licking sweetly over your clit. This was followed by loose, lazy sucking and more tender flicks. You stared dazedly at him between your legs, the sight more erotic than anything you could’ve imagined.

Grinding his cock into the sheets, Jimin thrust his hips while he pleasured you. You could tell he enjoyed this; each grunt from his lips was more affirmation. Moving lower, he circled your cunt with his tongue just to lap up your juices. You gasped at the sensation, having never felt it before. Flicking your clit with his thumb, Jimin fucked your cunt with his tongue before he slowly withdrew.

Spreading you wide, he returned to your clit and you clasped a hand over your lips before a moan could escape. Each curl of his tongue left you gasping, writhing beneath the pleasurable onslaught of his mouth. Pulling away, Jimin pressed a gentle kiss to your thigh before he rose up your body.

At your mouth, he kissed your fingers. “You don’t have to be quiet,” he told you. “I want to hear the noises you make, Y/N. It makes me feel good.”

Removing your hand, you slowly nodded.

Jimin just grinned, dropping between your legs to begin eating you out again. This time, you didn’t hold back. Jimin seemed to appreciate this as you slipped further from control. He was so good with his mouth, making you see stars as your legs started to shudder. When he slid his finger inside you and fingered you again, your hands fisted in the sheets.

“Ji-jimin,” you gasped, writhing beneath him. “Jimin, I – oh.”

He began to move faster, adding a second finger as your insides clenched around him. Everything tightened, hovering at a breaking point while Jimin continued, relentless. His mouth on your clit, his fingers inside you – everything broke apart when you came, gasping his name.

Jimin didn’t move, kissing your sex as you slowly came down. He lapped at your sex, licking up your arousal before withdrawing his fingers. Once your breathing had steadied, Jimin returned to the sheets beside you.

“Good?” he breathed, draping an arm over your waist.

“Oh my god, yes,” you exhaled, burying your face in his chest.

He laughed, pulling you closer. Jimin started to pull away, which made you look up and frown.

“What are you doing?” you said.

He paused. “I’m looking for a tissue.”

“Why?”

“I… I’m kind of at a loss here.”

“No, I mean why now,” you said, baffled. “I can come again, Jimin. I want to come with you inside me.”

Jimin stared at you a moment.

“Unless…” Uncertain, you hesitated. “You don’t want to…?”

“Fuck,” Jimin muttered, sounding hoarse. “No – I want to. I really want to. Are you sure, though?” he said, reaching to open the side drawer of his bed.

You grinned when he pulled out a condom, ripping this open.

“I’m sure,” you murmured, moving closer.

Jimin rolled the condom onto himself, pausing before he went any further. Shifting his weight so he hovered over you, Jimin searched your gaze. Reaching lower, you casually stroked his cock and guided him to your center.

He didn’t enter yet, content to take his time. Instead, Jimin bent and kissed you, dragging a hand down your side. His fingers paused at your breast, tweaking your nipple until it stood fully erect. Moving to your waist, he curved under your ass and lifted your hips to his.

Arching upwards, you felt his cock brush your center. The touch made you pant, wanting him inside you and wanting it now. Rolling over his length, you marveled at the feel of him between your legs. Having him so close and not having him inside you was maddening.

“Jimin,” you whimpered.

“Yeah?” he murmured, continuing to thrust between your thighs.

“Please,” you begged him.

“Alright, baby,” he said and rolled you onto your back.

It was the first time he’d used the endearment, sending a wave of warmth through you as your legs parted. Reaching lower, Jimin positioned himself at your entrance. It took him a moment to work his way in; you were so wet, he needed a second try. With only his tip inside, you immediately clenched and buried your head in his shoulder.

Lightly, Jimin brushed a kiss to your hair. “Relax, baby,” he murmured, making you glance up. “I’ll make you feel good. I promise.”

Slowly, you nodded. “Okay.”

Laying slowly back down, you tried to relax while he worked his way deeper. With slow, shallow thrusts, Jimin finally bottomed out and you stared at him in amazement. His cock was thicker than you were used to and stuffed to the brim like this, you felt so full. Glancing down, you saw his hips nestled snugly to yours.

When you looked up, Jimin met your gaze. “I’m sorry,” he exhaled, hanging his head. “I just – I need a minute.”

“What’s wrong?” you blurted, immediately worried.

A smile passed over his lips. “Nothing’s wrong.” He looked up. “You’re just… fuck. I feel like a damn virgin. You’re so tight and wet, I’m losing my mind.”

Hearing him say this sent a shiver through you. Shifting your hips, you reveled in the sensation of him moving inside you.

Jimin groaned. “No,” he protested. “You can’t do that right now.”

“Do what?”

“Try and make me move,” he murmured. “I know you can’t see yourself, so you can’t see how hot you look. Tits out, pussy spread and dripping all over my cock.”

“Oh,” you breathed.

“Sounding like that.”

“Jimin. If you don’t –”

He suddenly thrust deeper, grinding his pelvis against your core and making you groan. Speechless, you stared as he slowly pulled out. Jimin teased you with his tip, moving a few inches back in before he thrust again.

“Oh,” you groaned, jolted upwards on the bed.

His gaze dropped to your chest. “Fuck,” Jimin said quietly, dropping down to an elbow.

He moved again in earnest, thrusting slowly in and pulling back out. It made your breath catch, needing more but loving the torture. It was torture to feel every inch of him and have Jimin continue to hold back. You knew he could go faster, deeper, but wanted to stay in control.

Dropping his head, Jimin slowly kissed your neck. His cock continued to move, fucking you slowly as your legs opened wider.

“Jimin,” you whimpered.

Your hips chased after his, hoping to coerce him deeper.

He smirked. “Yes, baby?”

“Please,” you said, arching against him. “I want more.”

“You want it harder?”

As he said this, Jimin increased his strength. Keeping the tempo the same, each thrust of his cock had your lips parting with pleasure.

“Yes,” you whimpered, barely hanging on.

“And faster? You want that, too?”

You nodded, slack-jawed as Jimin sped up the pace. His cock began to pound into you, hand fisting in sheets as he gave it to you hard. Arching underneath him, your hands dragged down his back as Jimin fully let go. With each thrust of his hips, his pelvis brushed your clit and yet, it still wasn’t enough.

“More?” he teased, continuing to fuck you.

“More,” you whimpered, sliding your hands up your breasts. Tweaking the nipples, you watched his gaze harden. “I want more, Jimin.”

He immediately moved, as though he’d been waiting for this. Grasping your ankles in one hand, he lifted them high overhead and pulled his cock out. You gasped when he did so, your hands falling to the side while you were put on display. The position pushed your pussy lips together, giving an incredible view of your dripping cunt.

Jimin plunged his cock back inside, nearly making you scream. It felt so deep this way – so deep and hard and deliciously wanton. Jimin fucked you from above, hips slamming into you and making your breasts bounce.

Jimin groaned, his hips never faltering. “Touch them,” he said, lowering your ankles to one shoulder. “Touch your tits for me, baby.”

You obeyed, hands sliding over your breasts to tease your nipples. This sent a shock of pleasure straight to your core and Jimin hammered your g-spot, making you see stars. Jaw slack, you could only lie there and take it while he made you come.

It was too much, the wave of pleasure threatening to overwhelm, but then Jimin leaned forward and you finally snapped. You felt him release into the condom as you fell apart, rope after rope of hot cum inside you.

Eventually, Jimin softened and fell onto his elbow. As he opened his eyes, he sought your gaze and you smiled. His cheeks were flushed, his hair dark and sweaty and you couldn’t help the deep surge of affection within you.

“I don’t know about you,” he murmured. “But that was pretty fucking incredible.”

“Same here,” you whispered. “I’d like to do it again sometime.”

“Three orgasms weren’t enough?”

“Were they enough for you?”

“No.” Jimin laughed. “I could watch you come all night. But we should probably get you cleaned up and all that.”

“Probably,” you agreed, although you made no effort to move.

Eventually Jimin sighed and gently pulled out. Tossing his condom in the trash, he showed you to the bathroom and let you do what you needed to do. When you returned, Jimin was on top of his bed. He’d put back on his boxers and held out his sweatshirt.

“I thought you might want this,” he said, uncertain.

Smiling, you took it and lowered it over your head. Climbing beside him on the bed, you rested your head on his shoulder and cuddled beside him. Listening to his breathing, you concentrated until yours started to match.

Outside, cheers erupted from the street. Scrambling upwards, you fought to look out Jimin’s side window. As you hurried to see what the commotion was about, Jimin groaned when you flashed him your bare ass, but followed suit.

Glancing outside, you realized it must have turned midnight. Fireworks went off over the skyline, people cheered below, and someone had lit a sparkler on the street. Voices drifted higher, wishing each other a happy new year as slowly, you turned around to face Jimin.

He smiled at you, his happiness clear when he pulled you to him. A dizzying rush of what-if’s and excitement went through you and somehow, you knew this would be only the beginning.

“Happy new year,” he murmured.

“Happy new year,” you whispered, tilting your face up to his.

Author’s Note: Thank you so much for reading this series 😊 It’s been a whirlwind, so thank you for sticking with our main characters throughout the journey! I hope you enjoyed and are having a wonderful holiday season :) happy (almost) new year!

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