#anyway its also always clean and the staff is friendly | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

stephspurs · 3 years

Text

A Family Affair | Euro 2020 Football Fanfiction

here is the second last part besties wahhh I'm so sad its coming to an end!! I'm also so sorry about this part, it'll break a few hearts :'( Love always, Steph xx

Part 11 | parte undicesima

warnings; heartbreak, swearing & angst - i'm sorry in advance. word count; 2185 writing tools; third person until dashed line, first person thereafter. final update; Wednesday 18/08 5pm AEST. tags (as requested by users); @footballffbarbiex @obsesseds-world @abysshaven link to fic masterlist here

A few days had passed since the Villa match and Amelia had heard from Jack when he returned to Birmingham. He sent her a simple text to let her know he made it home. That’s it. The two went from previously not going more than 24 hours between FaceTimes or calls or memes to a simple made it home a few hours ago, thanks for a good time x.

No “speak soon”, no promise of a FaceTime , no double kiss at the end of the text that would have typically been there otherwise. If anything, she was more mad that he made her feel like a side piece; like one of his instagram girls that she knew he entertained throughout the week. Amelia knew that she, for lack of better terms, fucked up. She fucked up their friendship, and was praying to all of the Gods that would listen to help her not fuck things up with Ben, too. However, the fact that she didn’t go to church as often as she should have is probably the reason that Ben refused to make eye contact with the girl. It was either that or…he already knew.

“Benj, hey, wait up.” She called as he walked out to his car after a particularly long day at Cobham.

“Don’t call me Benj,” he coldly stated without turning around, continuing his stride.

“Okay fine, Chilly. Wait up will you!”

“Don’t call me Chilly either, that's reserved for friends.”

“Okay, if I can’t call you Benj, or Chilly, what can I call you?”

“The best mate of the guy you fucked multiple times on Saturday night” He spat out at her, as he finally turned around, ready to see the shocked look cast over Amelia’s face as she stood a couple feet away from him. He wasn’t expecting to see Mason at his car, just across the way or Jorgi at his, a few cars down. But they were there and it didn’t matter; they were going to find out sooner or later, anyway.

“He told you.”

“He told the group chat, Amelia. The fucking group chat! How does that make you feel? He’s already bragging about it. Your bed isn't even cold yet! It probably doesn’t bother you that much though - you’re just like him.”

“He fucked you when he knew exactly how I felt about you, having gone to him for advice as to how to apologise to you. I called him on Friday after I left your house and gushed to him like a bloody little girl because I was so happy you forgave me, and that we had kissed. And then, just like that, you let him weasel his way between your legs.”

“I know I should be taking this out on him, and I will don’t worry, but you knew what you were doing also. You knew exactly how I felt about you. I was ready to commit to you that night and you said you wanted to be friends, that you needed time to heal or whatever. So I hope you’re happy and are healing, because I take it all back.” With that, Ben turned around and got in his car, driving away from the girl who felt remorse worse than she ever has in her life.

Witnessing the whole exchange, Jorgi gave Mason a nod to say “go check on Ben, I’ll look after Amelia” and walked up to the girl from behind. Without scaring her, he firmly grabbed her around the shoulders and pulled her to his chest where she let go of all of the emotions she had been keeping inside. With every stab of the knife that was Ben’s words, she felt herself becoming more vulnerable and exposed than ever before. She refused to let him see her cry. That wasn’t something she was willing to let anyone see; she didn’t realise all she had been holding together until she no longer had to, until she had the physical support of Jorgi holding her up in the middle of the training ground car park.

Ushering her to his car - she could collect her own another day - Jorgi put her inside before any other first team members - or worse, staff members - could see the distraught girl and drove them both back to her place where he spent the rest of the evening comforting the girl and letting her know she wasn’t alone. He had even made a desperate call to Fede, asking for advice on how to cheer the girl up. Of course, her Italian ex-lover had been worried the moment his national teammate had told him that the girl was inconsolable and was just about ready to board a flight to her, but Jorgi had calmed him down too. Fede’s advice of coffee, warm pyjamas and clean sheets had done the trick of putting the girl to sleep for the night.

The next few days had come and gone, and the two heartbroken almost-lovers were back to the beginning - Ben ignoring Amelia and Amelia trying to get Ben in a room. But it wasn’t to be. Towards the end of the week, Amelia had received a phone call from Mr Mancini, formally inviting her back to the Italian National Team staff for the upcoming friendly matches and preparation for the 2022 World Cup. Without any hesitation, she accepted her role and began to prepare the necessary procedures that would need to be implemented or maintained during her time away with the Italian side.

Sharing the news with her fellow Italians, Jorgi and Emerson, she decided that she wanted to be the one to tell Ben. She wanted him to know, whether he cared or not, that she wasn’t running away from him and that she would see him soon.

“Chilwell, please stay behind after the session.” She decided it was best if she requested it in the company of the rest of the first team and also the staff members. She was being selfish but she didn’t want him to run away from her again.

He remained sat in his seat as the rest of the team and professional staff left for the evening. Arms crossed, slouched down, looking at everything else in the room but the girl who was nervously wringing her hands together.

“I’m leaving for international duties tomorrow morning.” With that sentence, he stopped tapping his left leg and looking at the cornice details. Instead, his attention was focused on her.

“But we don’t break up for internationals for another week.”

“I know, but Mancini has requested I come earlier to settle back into things over there.”

“It’s only an hour flight away, how difficult could it be?”

“I thought you’d be happy to see me go.”

Silence. Ben didn’t have an answer for her. Of course he didn’t want to see her around Cobham on the day-to-day basis they currently had to endure, but that doesn’t mean he wants her to go back to Italy. Even if it was only for a couple of weeks. Especially if it meant she was around Fede again.

“Well, much to your dismay I'll be back here in 3 weeks. And, Italy are playing England in the last friendly match of the break.”

With a slight nod of his head, Amelia presumed that their conversation was done with. She turned to gather her paperwork and heard the chairs behind her move, followed by the sound of the door opening and closing. She sighed into her hands. How did she let this happen? She preached to Ben how much she didn’t want to be selfish with his heart, and that's exactly what she did. But hey, it takes two to tango. Deciding there was no time like the present, she dialed the contact that once made her smirk but instead only made her furious to look at.

“Amelia, hey, how are you? Sorry it’s been a hectic couple of weeks.”

“Cut the crap Jack, you never intended to keep this friendship after you got what you were after.”

“Excuse me? You wanted it just as bad as I did.”

“You’re right about that, I thought I wanted it. Now, though, all I feel is regret. You know Jack, I knew from the moment we met that you were just my type, the kind that only calls me late at night. I knew a guy like you, and he treated me more or less the same. I gave myself to him, over and over for the better part of 3 years, and it was only when I left that he decided I might have been worth it... worth him.”

“But not you, you couldn’t help but run to your group chat and brag about your latest conquest, about how you made me feel wanted, only to rip it all out from under me the next morning and every day since. Honestly Jack, I think it's time you grew up a little. For Ben to confide in you how he was feeling and for you to just have blatant disregard for your so-called best mate. I can’t believe you would stoop so low. I know I'm in the wrong here too, but you are his best mate for crying out loud! How could you do this to him?”

“I don’t even want to hear what you have to say, I just needed to get that off my chest. Lose my number Jack, find some other hopeless girl that you can lure in with your foolish words and sweet nothings because I’m done. I’m done with whatever this was to you.”

______________________________________________________________

“You’re probably not going to believe me, but you have no idea how happy I am to see you here,” I heard from behind me, spinning around on my heels to see the ever-charming, boyish grin I used to love with my whole heart. This time, it's a different kind of love - it's an unconditional love shared between two people that are glad to exist together in the same crazy world.

“Federico, amore mio.” (Federico, my love) I stood up from my place on the bench at the Technical Headquarters and Training Ground of the Italian Football Federation, bringing the taller, heavily tattooed man into my arms. A gentle rock from him, side to side, to let me know that he can feel the weight of my moral compass.

“Vieni, cammina con me” (come, walk with me) He looped our arms together, and we strolled around the perimeter of the pitch that I was using to visualise my plays for the upcoming games. By the time we made it to the first set of goals, Fede had had enough of letting me mull over my own thoughts.

“Tesoro, Jorgi called one night a couple weeks ago. As smart as he is, it turns out he is hopeless at calming down an emotional female. While I'm not proud of knowing exactly how to calm you down, being that it was more often than not my fault you were inconsolable in the first place, I had to get some information out of him as to who upset my favourite girl in all of England.”

So I launched into the story, telling him everything from Mykonos to that fateful night a few weeks ago. Fede being Fede, he wanted to know everything, but I stopped just short of letting him know how many times Jack took me to paradise (much to his dismay). By the time I had wrapped up, we must have walked the pitch at least 3 times in its entirety, before retiring to the centre circle where we sat on opposite sides of the half way line staring at each other.

“I’m sorry that I ruined you for any other man,” Fede spoke solemnly.

“Fede, no - it was my stupid mistake to sleep with Jack.”

“No, let me finish amore. I’m sorry that I made you love me so deeply, and convinced you that the way I treated you was the right way, that the way I was with you was what you expect in every man to come after me. This Jack, he sounds just like me about 5 years ago - before I met you. But Ben, he sounds like the man I am trying to better myself to be, to be the man that deserves the kind of love you have to give.”

“I want you to listen to me. You need to fight for Ben. From what I have heard from both yourself and Jorgi-”

“That boy cannot keep his mouth shut to save himself,” I muttered under my breath.

“Amelia, you have a heart that deserves to be loved. Open yourself up to Ben. Tell him how you feel. From experience, you are very hard to ignore when you’re so vulnerable. Be honest with him, apologise, make him feel wanted, not like a second choice. Let him know how much you care for him, and equally how much you want him to care for you. He will see your sincerity and realise just how truly irresistible you are.”

Part 12. | la parte finale

77 notes · View notes

sidespart · 3 years

Note

For the fic title thing: Make Up Your Mind/Catch Me I’m Falling

Make Up Your Mind (this seriously got away from me and became basically a whole string of conscious fic whoops)

Logince, Bakery/coffeeshop AU Mutual Pining/ Not-Actually-Unrequited love, + loceit friendship

So Janus owns a Bakery (struggling to think of a snake/lie based bread pun for the name but ehh). He is the head only baker and sends most of his time in the basement kitchen blasting the phantom of the opera soundtrack and kneading dough.

Logan is his childhood friend. Janus hired him as cashier after Logan dropped out of collage but then he never left and is now basically manager/ accountant/ hbic of this whole operation.

So one night as Janus is leaving he’s casually like: ‘oh by the way, a couple are coming by tomorrow for a wedding cake consultation’

And Logan blocks the door and is like: ‘Janus. We don’t do wedding cakes. We don’t even do cake. You only make weird artisanal bread. it took me 6 months and 8 powerpoint presentations to convince you to sell banana loaf’

Jan, his eye enormous: ‘but Logan, you should have heard this guy on the phone. They only want to use LGBTQ businesses for their wedding, they want to support the community that’s supported them for so long. He spoke so passionately and eloquently about why it just had to be us I couldn't say no’

Logan, his eyes not enormous: did you tell this man we make wedding cakes just to make the phone conversation end?

Janus: I was going to miss the murder, she wrote marathon, Logan

So Jan manages to escape, and Logan rolls his eyes but like. This is nowhere near the worst ‘cleaning up after Janus lied to get out of a situation and made everything more complicated for no goddamm reason’ incident that he has had to deal with during the course of their friendship so, whatever: he can tell the couple there was a miscommunication when they show up in the morning.

Next day, the guys arrive. Virgil, who barley introduces himself and then stays hunched in his hoodie not speaking for the whole meeting, and Roman.

Roman does not have a problem speaking. Roman has lots of ideas.

Roman has a binder.

Somehow in the course of this conversation Logan goes from ‘we don’t make wedding cakes’ to ‘I’LL SHOW YOU, WE’LL MAKE THE BEST GODDAMM WEDDING CAKE THIS TOWN HAS EVER SEEN’

Maybe it was the passion of Romans argument. Maybe it was the slightly disdainful look on his face when he looked round the shop. Maybe it was the ridiculous amount of money he was prepared to pay (see: Janus insists on only making specific, weird bread as to why the shop’s always on the brink of collapse). Maybe it was the power of the binder (Logan is like 80% sure Roman hit him with the binder at one point). Maybe its just Logan hasn't had a full blown passionate argument like that since high school debate club and the rush of adrenaline made him dumb.

Whatever the reason - they’re now fully committed to making this 6 tier, purple and blue, Disney inspired, multiflavoured wedding cake

(Janus, who skipped out on the meeting because he is Like That: But Logan....we don’t make wedding cakes...this was really irresponsible of you...

Logan: I know where you sleep. I could kill you at any time)

Which would be doable (the weddings a while off, and Logan is ready to RESEARCH) except Roman keeps. Coming. Back.

With new ideas. And tweaks. And suggestions. All of them seemingly designed to make the cake less structurally sound.

Basically every time he comes in they end up having a blazing row, first about Romans inability to make up his mind about the cake and then about...literally everything. One time they spent 25 minuets arguing about whether or not Shakespeare wrote all of his plays, which somehow turns into ‘who was the best host of blues clues?’ which then turned into ‘how would nationalised healthcare best be implemented?’ (the loudest arguments were during the blues clues section).Logan had even fewer customers then normal that day.

(Logan: I hate that guy so much! He shows up at 2pm every day and now my blood pressure has started going up at 1.55pm in anticipation of the fight! He’s causing me actual medical distress because he’s so stupid!

Janus:...you’ve memorised some guys schedule and your heart starts racing whenever you see him?

Logan: yes! because he is my enemy!

Janus:...

Janus: mmKay.)

ANYway, one day Roman turns up and is like: Can’t fight today. Need caffeine. Must Study. and sequesters himself on one of their two rinky dink tables and starts pulling enormous textbooks out of his bag. Turns out Roman is in law school, he’s back home for the whole summer to help with wedding prep and has been neglecting his summer reading. He wants to be an environmental lawyer and, ideally, singly handily prosecute every oil company and give a speech at the UN whilst wearing an immaculately fitted Italian suit.

Logan has a panicked moment of OH NO HE’S SMART (he doesn't need an oh no he’s hot moment because Roman’s been hot the whole time). Very carefully he does not think about how upset hearing Roman mention the wedding again made him feel, and then shares a bit about his own anxiety during college which led to him dropping out.

Roman says degree or no degree its obvious Logan is one of the smartest, most capable people Romans ever met.

Cue: blushing, stammering, Logan standing up to quickly and knocking half a pot of coffee over etc etc all that good fluff.

And after that their conversations are less confrontational (although they still debate like. everything.) and more friendly.

They have one (1) more conversation about the wedding wherein Roman apologises for being so stressed and snappy over all the preparation stuff but he just wants everything to be perfect for Virgil. (Logan, awkwardly: you must love him a lot. Roman, himbo-ly: Yeah!) aaand then Logan changes the subject to the best rhyming structure because Romans big sappy grin is making his heart do awful twisty things-

And eventually, Roman asks Logan to go out with him outside the bakery.

Logan: hahaha this is friendship, we are great friends, we are going out as friends. I am not going on a date with a man with a fiancé because that would be the actions of a crazy person.

So they go on their date. It’s amazing. Roman leans in for a kiss at the end and Logan is delighted!

And then devastated.

He pushes Roman away, yells some creative insult (malodorous centurion?) and flees. Spends the next week basically hiding in the kitchen area, refusing to see any customers and working on the wedding cake.

(which is looking perfect by the way)

So after a week of Logan moping round the kitchen Janus finally blocks the door to stop him leaving and demand he tells him what the hell is wrong. And after a few minuets of filibustering Logan ends up telling him everything.

“In any case, the very fact that he is the kind of man who would cheat on his fiancé means he’s not the kind of man I thought he was. Therefore any alleged feelings I may have developed towards him would now be null and void” says Logan, looking like the worlds sadist accountant

Janus: So...wait. You’re saying wedding cake guy and hot lawyer guy are the same person?

(Logan: you need to come out of the basement more often Janus: YOU need to tell me what’s going on in your life more often. (they have had this conversation many times in the past))

So Janus sincerely tells Logan he’s sorry...and that he’s even more sorry that he needs him to help him deliver the cake to the venue tomorrow.

(this thing is way to big for one person to carry and there’s no way Jan would trust any of their occasional teenage cover staff to do this and ‘we’ll go round the back and you wont have to see anyone anyway comon Lo’ you basically built this monstrosity you should see it home)

So, reluctantly, Logan goes. And they go round the back as promised, and get this enormous cake settled, and then get told to wait there one sec cus one of the grooms is going to come sign for it and before Logan can throw himself out of the widow (get OFF me Janus we’re on the ground floor it’s FINE) from behind them they hear squeeing.

There’s a curly haired dude in a pastel blue linen suit who Logan has never seen before in his life looking at the cake and cooing over ‘all the little details! its perfect! oh Virgil is going to love this! You know he was so embarrassed about asking for a Disney themed cake he had to ask Roman to go with him to -”

“Who ARE you?”

The man blinked at Logan, who realised dimly that he still had one foot up on the windowsill and slowly returned it to the floor.

“I’m Patton” said Patton.

“And I’m Janus” said Janus, removing his arms from where they’d still been clamped around Logan’s waist and stepping smoothly towards Patton, clipboard held aloft “A pleasure to meet you, if you could just sign here...”

“BUT-” Patton paused, hand still raised to accept the clipboard, and looked over again at Logan who found himself mumbling: “but - but the groom is supposed to sign for it?”

And Patton just smiled at him looking a bit bemused and goes ‘I am the groom? And who are you kiddo?”

Logan says he’s Logan. Patton suddenly looks a whole lot less friendly.

“Oh.” says Patton. “You.”

And since Logan’s mind is currently refusing to take in the information in front of him Janus is the one who ends up stepping in between them and going “so just for 100% transparency - you are Patton.

“yes?”

“and today you are marrying the love of your life: Virgil?”

“Yes!”

“And are either of you, at any point today, also planning on marrying one Roman Sanders, caffeine addict and terrible communicator?”

And Paton burst out laughing and says “ROMAN? Virgil’s big brother Roman? He’s my best man but I don’t think we’re planning to take it any further...”. And because Patton is apparently much quicker on the emotional uptake than Logan he gives him a vey soft, if slightly exasperated, look and says:

“Roman - who again, is my future brother-in-law- is helping set up in the main hall.”

And Logan likes to think he said thank you before he took off fucking RUNNING through the building but he can’t be sure.

So he gets to the hall, where a load of people are setting out chairs, putting up flowers etc, and skids to a stop at one end of the aisle. Shouts: “ROMAN.” (Roman and Virgil, who were standing at the other end arguing over a flower arrangements, both look up) “YOU’RE NOT MARRYING YOUR BROTHER.”

“um.” Says Roman “No?”

Explanations are given. Virgil, who is a lot more talkative now that he’s not on 7th wedding appointment of the day burn out, is ready to physically fight Logan for breaking his brothers heart. And then once he understands the full story is ready to kill both of them for being such dumbasses.

Roman: But I s2g I told the guy on the phone that it was the groom and best man coming??? Logan: Yeah he might have lied and said you were a couple for a joke, or he may have just straight up not listened to you. Either way, he is just Like That.

Logan: WHY DID YOU NEVER MENTION VIRGIL WAS YOUR BORTHER?? Roman: I WAS TRYING TO GET TO KNOW YOU AND ALSO SEDUCE YOU WHY WOULD I WASTE TIME TALKING ABOUT MY LITTLE BROTHER??? Virgil: Yeah...he does like talking about himself, sorry he’s just Like That.

Anyway it all ends fluffily, Patton and Virgil get married. Roman cries. Logan and Jan hang around for the wedding. Roman and Logan hold hands throughout the speeches and dance during the reception. Roman has to go back to law school soon but they agree to call each other every day at 2pm to catch up and argue.

Janus gets off with the moustachioed DJ.

And Roman and Logan get another chance at their first kiss.

#sanders sides fic #logince #roman sanders #logan sanders #Loceit #Platonic Loceit #janus sanders #SANDERs sides #YEAH THIS ONE ALSO GO AWAY FROM ME #i might write some of these scenes up properly or draw them out #this was fun #fake fic meme #sidespart writes #Anonymous

314 notes · View notes

shutupanddance · 3 years

Text

“I can’t believe you don’t like hugs.”

@girloncorneliastreet requested more Sam Seaborn and who am I to turn that down? Sorry if this is super choppy. I had a great first draft, and then lost it to the post editor, so this is the best I could salvage. I also have a Sherlock request that is next on my to-do list!

Meeting an old friend at a charity event was a mistake.

It wasn’t like you planned it, anyway, but still a mistake because your coworkers were there. And no one is nosier than the West Wing of the Whitehouse.

She had run up, excited to see you, and squeezed your arm.

“Don’t worry, I won’t hug you!” She said, and you both laughed. The conversation went on about other things for awhile, but as soon as she left, your colleagues pounced on you. They wanted to know why she wouldn’t hug you.

After some relentless questions, you said that you didn’t like hugs, and your friend was just respecting that. That’s when the West Wing really blew up.

You’d think you had announced you were becoming a Republican with how people talked about it. They were completely offended that you didn’t like hugs.

You finally managed to escape into your office, and were putting work together so you could finish at home, when you heard Sam Seaborn at your door.

“I can’t believe you don’t like hugs.”

You groaned.

“Can we do this some other time?”

He didn’t respond, just looked at you through furrowed brows. He was standing in your way of making an exit.

“Alright, move, Socrates.”

He smiled, just like he always did when you called him that. But thankfully, he moved. You took your coat off the hanger and made a break for it.

You got about four steps away before Sam started following you.

“What is it about hugs that you don’t like?”

You tried to ignore him. The only problem was, the man can talk an ear off.

“Is it the warmth? The squish? Do you just hate people?”

You got as far as the lobby before you blew a gasket. You whirled on him.

“Just drop it, okay!?”

He looked shocked. A little hurt. But mostly regretful. That sad puppy look in his baby blue eyes…

“I’m sorry.” He swallowed.

You didn’t know what else to say, so you nodded. You left him standing there.

You felt bad for yelling at Sam. Even if he deserved it a little. But you really didn’t know how to bring it up, and you HAD asked him to drop it, so you decided to drop it as well.

Lucky for you (but not so lucky for the cleaning staff), some kid had projectile vomited near the Oval Office, and the West Wing was crashed, meaning everyone was more concerned about the crash than your “I don’t like hugs” statement of last night. Business went on with everyone navigating their jobs around the crash.

You saw Sam several times during the day, but you pretended nothing ever happened. Sam must’ve felt pretty bad, because he went along with it.

“Hey, Plato!” He called, and you turned from your spot in the bullpen. Once you had started calling Sam “Socrates”, he decided to refer to you almost solely as “Plato”.

“What?”

“Leo wants us to run these down to Legal in the basement. Says we need to be briefed by Ainsley about something?” He shrugged. “I don’t really know.”

You nodded, took some from the stack he was carrying, and followed him downstairs.

There wasn’t much talking involved, not like you could be distracted while navigating the Whitehouse. It takes an individual’s entire brain power to figure this maze out.

You were almost to Ainsley’s office when the halls were flooded by Secret Service agents. They were like a swarm of bees. One of them, Agent Daniels, grabbed you and Sam.

“Mr. Seaborn, Mx Y/L/N, we need you to step into this office and not leave. The crash has escalated a level.”

He shoved you roughly into an abandoned office.

“Hey-” you began, but the door was shut quickly. You huffed. “What, did the vomit kid try and assassinate the President now?”

Sam laughed, and you smiled, making eye contact for probably the first time since last night. It felt good to be normal friends again. You surveyed the office, with its empty boxes, a desk, and a couple chairs. You strolled over to one and sat down with a sigh, knowing that this crash could last for awhile. Sam joined you.

“So, what do you think it is this time?” He asked. “Biohazard, fire, maybe someone jumped the fence again?”

You leaned back, staring at the yellowing ceiling. “Who knows.”

It was then that Sam’s cell began to rang. He answered it, but all you could hear from the conversation was a few yes and no’s.

“So?” You asked, raising your head.

“Biohazard it is. Apparently the vomit kid had some sort of respiratory infection on top of whatever stomach bug made him turn the office into a postmodern art gallery.”

You laughed, but scrunched your nose in a disgusted expression. You could vividly remember the puke painted on the walls.

It wasn’t much longer until Agent Daniels came to retrieve you both, saying the crash had been resolved. This was business as usual at the West Wing, but you were glad it happened. It had given you a chance to repair your relationship with Sam. You went on your way to Ainsley’s office, but she wasn’t there. She must’ve been stuck in some other corner of the Whitehouse.

Unfortunately, it was freezing down here. You hugged your arms close and shivered. Ainsley’s office was notorious for being either jungle-hot or tundra-cold, with very little imbetween. Of course, Sam noticed you shivering.

“Aw, would a hug help?” He joked, and you could tell he was trying to make light of what happened last night. But you saw your chance.

“Actually, yes. A hug would help,” you said through chattering teeth, and he nearly did a double-take.

“What?”

“I said I’d like a hug.”

Sam looked a little confused, but he took a few cautious steps forward, and you met him in the middle. You leaned up against his broad chest, head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around you tentatively.

You snuggled just a little closer, and he took that as his cue to hold tighter. Sam Seaborn was a great hugger, you realized.

“So, you DO like hugs?” He asked.

You sighed.

“When I was in college, I got a lot of creepy guys who would try and hug me in a *friendly* way. I had a really hard time telling them ‘No’, so I just started saying to people that I really didn’t like physical contact. I kept the story because it made it easier to avoid being too close to people I don’t like.” You chuckled. ““I like hugs as long as they’re from a person I also happen to like.”

Sam let his face rest in your hair, and you could feel him smile and his arms pull you just a little tighter.

“Okay.” He said.

It was a silly answer, but you were enjoying being so close to him, so you didn’t care. You just hoped he cut his answer short because he was enjoying being so close to you as well.

Just then, Ainsley returned.

“Do y’all need a room or something? Cause there’s an empty office just down the hall.”

#sam seaborn #sam seaborn imagine #sam seaborn x reader #The West Wing #the west wing fanfiction #the west wing reader insert #rob lowe #masterlist

61 notes · View notes

lunnybunny12 · 3 years

Text

Sandor Clegane X reader (Rory)

MODERN AU

A/N: This is a modern AU based off of this headcanon.

Word count: 2036

Warnings: Swearing, alcohol, mentions of death

Master List

As an Infantry Soldier, Sandor served in the field, working to defend his country against any threats on the ground. He'd capture, destroy, and deter enemy forces, assist in reconnaissance, and help mobilize troops and weaponry to support the mission as the ground combat force. He'd seen good people get murdered, shot, hanged, killed. People with families to get back to and friends who would miss them. Sandor had neither, and yet he was allowed to return.

He took a large gulp of his drink and looked at his surroundings. Sandor had been to the bar many times before and the familiar hum of other patrons as they'd pull frothing glasses of beer to their lips was there like always. He heard the occasional clicks from the back where the pool-tables were placed. The smell of alcohol, snow and pine-scented air freshener drifted through the air as you dragged a damp rag across the bar.

"Oi Barkeep. Beer." Sandor called, fiddling some change from his pocket.

"Keys first, Dogface. Then you can drink," You retorted, not moving from your place at the bar. (Dogface- A nick-name for Infantrymen because they sleep in "Pup-tents" and hide in "dugouts")

Sandor sighed in annoyance and paused to look at you. It hadn't been the first time you had told him this, he never understood why but he knew full well that you weren't joking with him.

"Again?"

"Yes, again. now hand them over."

He begrudgingly did as he was told and slid the car keys across the bar, avoiding your outstretched hand completely. You snatched them away and placed them in your pocket, with a fake glare.

"Good boy. They'll be in the same place when you come to pick them up tomorrow." You said popping of the cap of a beer and sliding it towards him and going back to cleaning the bar.

"You're lucky you're one of the few people I can stand in this town" He grumbled.

"Oh I feel so honoured" you joked and rolled your eyes.

Since there were other customers to attend to you couldn't talk long, but it's not like he'd say much to you anyway. The community he had found himself in was quite tight-knit. Everyone knew everyone and it was tricky to not run into someone who had something to talk about. Sandor however was a very quiet individual who often kept to himself making him stand out to many of the residents.

As the night continued and other staff started their shifts, Sandor found himself looking at you from time to time. He watched you collect glasses, chat to customers, tell jokes and take orders. He found himself doing it allot recently and he didn't understand why. At some points, he had even begun te eavesdrop on your conversations since he had nothing better to do.

"Ah (y/n) hows Rory? Heard the lad had an accident" A customer asked as you took their order.

Sandor's ears pricked up. He'd never heard of a Rory before at least not from you, and from what he knew there wasn't a Rory in the village.

"Yeah, the silly thing fell down the stairs and hurt his leg. He's upstairs having a lie-down. he should be up and about in a few days though," You chuckled.

You had changed so much since he was dragged off to the army. You weren't a crazy teenager anymore but a grown woman, with a proper paying job and a life outside of work. Yet you were still the same when it came to your personality: humerus, silly, carefree, cheerful and stupid... my god were you stupid, you had to have been to be his friend.

"Right, consider me.. clocked out" You smiled to yourself and looked at Sandor.

"Why do you need to clock out? You own the bloody place." Sandor said.

"Yes, but its this new fangled technology thing that Mr Ray insisted I use, and you know what he's like. 'His town his rules.' Plus it helps me keep tabs on whos working."

"At least you understand half of the tripe you just said." Sandor joked taking another sip of his drink.

You rolled your eyes and patted his shoulder as you headed towards the door. "Goodnight everyone!" You yelled earning a cheer of goodnights.

Everything was different when Sandor went away. One day he was there and the next he wasn't, no warning, just a letter that said that he had been accepted into the army and to not expect him back for a long time, that was if he came back at all.

When he did eventually return he had also changed. His personality remained the same, as you expected but he had changed physically. He was taller, broader and stronger and his hair had been cut making his burn a more prominent feature.

If it was up to you, you would've stayed away from him but since yours was the only bar in town, he would come for a drink. Out of politeness you talked to him and sent the occasional harmless jab his way and in return he was civil. You were still angry that he hadn't said goodbye but you still cared, you must have done to take his keys.

It was misty that morning. All mornings were misty since the Autumn season rolled around. You loved Autumn. You loved the feeling of the wind rushing past your face and how the leaves crunched beneath your boots. Your favourite place to walk was at the park and since Rory had stopped limping around your apartment, you thought the park was a good idea.

Rory was a large thing. The hound was easily half your height when stood on all fours and towered above you when on his hind. In his youth, he would have been jet black and full of energy but as he aged, the fur around his snout and paws had dimmed to a light grey and he had mellowed out.

As you walked along the wet grass a sudden yelp bit through the air.

"Someone get their fucking dog!"

You immediately ran to the voice to see Sandor, on the ground with your dog licking his face.

"Rory! come here. You silly thing" you laughed as you latched the lead onto the dog's collar and pulled him away from Sandor.

The man looked awful. His hair was a mess and he was covered in dirt. The shirt he wore was the same as the day prior and he seemed half asleep.

"Were you sleeping in the bush?"

"Oh yes, I'm fine thanks for asking" Sandor huffed as he pulled himself off of the grass.

He was in a mood and in all honesty, you would be too if you were sleeping in a bush.

"What kind of dog is that? Looks like a living mop"

"He's a wolfhound and I can guarantee he's cleaner than you."

"Well, you try and stay clean when you've been sleeping in the park for 5 days," Sandor growled, dusting off some leaves from his pants.

"5 days?" you asked. "You've been sleeping here for 5 DAYS! What happened to your apartment?"

"No money to pay for an apartment."

"What about your job?"

"Why do you care?" Sandor asked, bending down to grab the blanket that was hidden in the shrubbery. He was about to walk away until you stood in front of him with a serious look.

"I care because we were friends once and I'll be dumbed if I let my friend sleep in the cold. So I will ask again... What about your job?"

The look Sandor gave you wasn't out of shock or surprise. It was a look of familiarity. A look of relaxed friendliness that you hadn't seen since before he left.

Sandor sighed and scratched his neck. " My job fired me a few weeks ago. Said that 'I have talents that could be useful elsewhere.'"

"They fired you without reason?"

"I stacked boxes (Y/n) and that's all I did."

"Load of cunts," you sighed. "Right you're coming home with me, you're gonna get a shower and we can talk about a job later."

"I didn't ask for your help."

"No, but you're getting it anyway. Follow me Dogface."

A month had passed since then and things once again changed.

You gave Sandor a job at the bar more suited to his skillset and became the security. The town was a tourist hotspot in the summer months and you would get the occasional rowdy bunch that you nor the rest of the residents liked to deal with. In the other months, Sandor would just hang around, help with any shipments that required heavy lifting and occasionally cover for a staff member. Since you couldn't have him sleeping in his car or in a bush you gave him the spare room in your apartment and when he could afford it he insisted on paying rent and wouldnt take no for an answer.

One day when Sandor came back from his shift, he was met with you, laying on the couch with Rory draped over you with his head on your chest. Rory had done this more than once and you thought it was adorable, whether it was to protect you or because he was cold you didn't know but it was adorable just the same.

"You look comfortable," Sandor said slipping off his shoes at the door.

"Oh, I am. Very much so. I was in the mood for cuddles and since you weren't here Rory stepped up" you joked, petting the sleeping dog.

At the corner of your eye, you saw Sandor's demeanour change. He straightened his posture and took a sharp breath in.

"You alright?

"I'm fine. move your legs." Sandor said sitting on the couch beside you as he leaned to grab the tv remote.

He had been doing that a lot. Whenever you joked about ding something a couple would do, he would shy away or close himself off and to be honest you were only half-joking. It why you were so upset when he left without a word of warning. You liked him but if he liked you was a different story.

"You jealous?" You asked

"Jealous?" Sandor chuffed. "Of Rory? Nah. You wouldn't go for an old dog like him"

"I like old dogs. They have more charm and personality than the younger ones." You answered as you ran your fingers through Rory's fur and kissed him on the head.

Sandor sighed and continued to look at the TV. He looked so handsome to you, he always did. Sure he was rough around the edges but its what drew you to him in the first place.

"I like you too, you know."

"What?" Sandor laughed and looked a you. He thought you were joking like you usually did but by the look on your face, you weren't.

By that point Rory had jumped off of the couch to get some water, allowing you to sit properly.

"I like you, Dogface."

"In what way?"

"In a romantic way... since before you left" a second of silence cut between you when you started laughing at yourself. Like a real laugh. "I don't know why I'm telling you this, it's not like you feel the same anyways."

"How do you know I don't like ya?"

"Look at me, Sandor. The only men in my life are you, the customers and my dog, I'm not exactly a noble-born am I? Just a daft bar made"

You stood up and walked to the fridge to grab a few beers.

"I like a daft bar made. They're way more entertaining than the smart ones."

"Very funny" you said handing him a bottle and sitting back on the couch with a huff.

"I also like my bar made: brave, and strong, and funny. With... a nice dog and a home of her own. Look, I like you too. I like being around you. I...I like your face."

You laughed and shuffled closer to him and leant your head on his shoulder.

"Cute" you mumbled and leant up to kiss his cheek. " I like your face too"

#game of thrones x reader #game of thrones #sandor clegane x reader #sandor clegane #sandor clegane x you #sandor the hound clegane #sandor x reader #the hound x reader #the hound #sandor clegane deserves the world #house clegane

115 notes · View notes

joshuas · 3 years

Text

sue me

♫ pairing: han jisung x gender neutral reader

♫ genre: college/university student!au, slice-of-life, crack, fluff, best friends to lovers

♫ word count: 3.9k

♫ warnings: nil of note!

♫ summary: just chaos and lawsuits?

♫ tagging: @fluffyskzclub

♫ a/n: the seventh addition to my christmas drabbles! i don’t really know what i’m doing anymore ;-;

♫ skz christmas drabbles: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

The door jingled as three figures huddled through the store together,

“It’s so cold!” One of them — Jeongin, exclaimed, bringing your attention to them from your organising,

“Lucky it’s warm in here. Hey, guys!” You waved as they approached, looking at the display of records and CDs behind you.

“Y/N!” Jisung approached you first, pulling you in for your signature handshake.

The taller boy, Seungmin, scoffed, looking down on the two of you,

“I can’t believe the two of you still do that elaborate greeting.”

“You’re just salty that you haven’t been friends with someone since childhood and had the awesomeness to come up with something like this.” Jisung defended.

Bitterness bubbled in your stomach,

Right. Friends.

The two of you had established your friendship way back in daycare when you lent Jisung your crayons... reluctantly, at that. But you were kind of desperate to make friends, so you accepted his request. What you had underestimated though, were his motives. Jisung had no intention on actually giving your crayons back. Long story short, hair was pulled, paper was thrown, including scissors at one point, all resulting in Jisung eating your crayons so that you would never get them back. You had never been more shocked in your entire life... well you were two-years-old, so there wasn’t much that you had experienced. However, your parents, after hearing of this fight, insisted on taking you to visit Jisung in the hospital (he had just digested crayons, it’d be concerning if he didn’t at least get it checked out), giving him a CD of your favourite songs for him to listen to. How a two-year-old was supposed to appreciate that was beyond you, but when he came back to daycare with a set of colour pencils and drew pictures beside you, the two of you were inseparable since.

However, once you had gotten into university, the two of you had exchanged more than friendly comments, making you reconsider his place as your best friend after all. I mean, did he make your heart flutter? Yes. Did you miss him whenever he wasn’t around, even when he was being a pain? Yes. Was he incredibly talented, handsome and amazing that you couldn’t help but fall for him?... Yes! You had been trying to figure out ways to hint to him what you really thought of him, but he was about as clueless as Cher in the movie Clueless. And seeing as New Years was round the corner, you had resolved to yourself that you’d confess to him as one of your New Years resolutions... It was now just a question of how...

As Jisung pulled you in for the final part - a hug, you inhaled his familiar scent, interrupting your internal monologue, your mind calming from its racing, seconds before.

“How may I help you guys today?” You brushed your clothes, trying to maintain an air of professionalism.

“Jisung dragged us all the way here to get some of your famous ramen.” Jeongin explained, sighing.

“You came all the way to a music store... to try my ramen?” You asked confusedly.

“I don’t understand the logic behind it as well. But we did come all this way, in the snow as well.” Seungmin looked at you pointedly.

“...okay. Wait here, I’ll make it.”

“Oh my god, I love you Y/N,” Jisung called out as you went to the staff room, your heart skipping a beat at his comment.

Sighing, you turned on the kettle,

Why is he like this? How does crayon eating boy have this much power over me?

“Be careful, it’s hot!” You passed the steaming bowls of ramen and chopsticks to each of the boys, as the four of you sat around the till.

Bowl dangerously balanced on his elevated leg as he tried to pull apart the wooden chopsticks, Jisung flashed you a grateful smile,

“You know, Y/N, one day you’re going to make someone extremely happy with—“ He yelped as he jolted from the force of taking the wooden chopsticks apart, the bowl tipping off his leg and onto the carpeted floor. The red ramen soup soaking into the light carpet, staining it.

“Oh no! Y/N, I’m so sorry!” Jisung exclaimed, frantically grabbing at tissues from the counter, dabbing them on the ground.

You bit back a smile,

Of course, it was Jisung. But ugh it’s going to be a pain to get that dry cleaned...

“I might just have to sue you for that!” You said sarcastically.

Jisung looked at you wide-eyed,

“Oh! I— isn’t there anything else I can do? I can help out at the store for the rest of the break!” Jisung said frantically.

“Ohhh, no I’ll have to have sue you. Company policy.” You hid a smile, deciding to tease him further.

“Oh. Um, okay.” He blinked, unaware, “Let me just get a lawyer to represent me— Seungmin! You’re a lawyer, right? You need to represent me for this case.” Jisung grabbed Seungmin’s arm, looking at him pleadingly,

“I’ve literally only had one class and isn’t this a jo—“ Seungmin broke off as you stared him down, imploring him to partake in the practical joke you were playing on the other boy.

You sighed, “Okay. Seems like it’s sorted. We’ll meet up in two weeks. Hopefully, you’ll have your money ready, because I’m going to win this.”

“It’s Opposite Day. So you won’t, and I will, okay?” Jisung gave you a quick smile, dragging Seungmin towards the door.

“But, my ramen!” Seungmin complained.

“No time, we need to win.” Jisung dragged Seungmin out of the store.

You shared a glance with Jeongin,

This is going to be interesting...

“You aren’t a parent, nor a teacher, what are you doing here?” Jeongin warily watched you approach, narrowly avoiding the little kids running through your path.

“I need your help.” You said solemnly.

“How did you know I was doing work experience at the daycare?” Jeongin raised an eyebrow sceptically.

“Believe it or not, Seungmin can be extremely candid and direct when Jisung is harassing him on the other side of a phone call. Also, you’re working towards your teaching degree. It doesn’t seem too weird that you’re working at a daycare.” You noted, taking in your surroundings.

“Oh, alright. What can I help you with?” Jeongin said reluctantly.

“I need you to dress up like an old businessman and pretend to be my lawyer.” You said quickly, thrusting a back-rubbing cane into his hands before getting ready to bolt.

“Wait! Why?” Jeongin looked at you sceptically yet again.

You sighed,

“Look, I need Jisung to think it’s the real deal, otherwise...” You stopped, squinting at the two figures attempting to act casual outside the daycare.

“Oh my god, are they spying on us?”

“It was most definitely Jisung’s idea.” Jeongin joined you, staring as Jisung attempted to casually lean against a car, trying to converse with a stony-faced Seungmin, not long before setting off the car alarm and yelling at Seungmin to run.

You watched the two of them take off,

“Looks like we’ll need to up our game, Mr Yang. Or should I say... Prosecutor Yang?” You smiled pleadingly at him.

“Fine...”

“Let me get this straight, we’re spying on them now even though this whole lawsuit thing isn’t actually going to happen?” Jeongin asked, bringing his jacket closer to him as he entered the University café.

“Well, it’s not like we can’t put any effort in because then we’d be admitting defeat to this... joke? Regardless, we need to win.” You pushed your cap further down after nodding at Chan in acknowledgment.

You sat down in a secluded area of the café, Chan approaching to greet you,

“Why is it always that chaos is brought to this café by this friendship group?” Chan looked pointedly at Jeongin as he shrugged.

“How do you know that shenanigans are to take place? Can’t we just enjoy our coffee in a secluded area of the cafe in our spy clothes without suspicion?” You asked, slightly defensive.

“...no. Anyway, what can I get for your spy mission?” Chan asked, eyes glinting with amusement.

“I’ll have an iced americano.” Jeongin.

“And I’ll have a—“ you broke off as Chan interrupted you,

“New York Cheesecake? I know. Jisung and you come here to get some like every Friday. Speaking of Jisung, why are you sitting over here instead of with them over there?” He pointed to the two boys huddled at the table, Seungmin slightly bored, checking his phone regularly, and Jisung talking animatedly to him. Jisung, noticing Seungmin’s disinterest, grabbed his phone, getting up and placing it in the trash can before heading back to a very much annoyed Seungmin.

“It’s... a long story. Very chaotic! You probably wouldn’t want to hear it.” You ushered Chan away, Jeongin looked at you smugly,

“You and Jisung, huh? It’s almost as if you were... soulmates. Now I think I know why you need my help.”

You scoffed,

“I don’t need your help.”

“Oh really? Then I guess I’ll get going—“ You pulled him back into his seat, the chair scraping as it was pulled erratically from both directions. The commotion caused Jisung and Seungmin to pause, looking at you two, eyes widening in recognition.

You looked at Jeongin, panicked, before throwing the money at a stunned Chan and rushing out of the cafe.

“Don’t give my cheesecake to Jisung! We both know that he’ll eat it instead of giving it to me.”

[09:38] (Jeongin) Hey, make sure you come on time.

[09:40] (You) Why do we have to go to the shops for this?

[09:41] (Jeongin) sadly the courts were all booked out with proper criminal cases, so the shops will have to do to resolve this fake lawsuit. just get ready and come quickly!

[09:43] (You) fine, fine. I’ll get my finest attire on. See you soon.

You placed your phone on your bed before dressing up to the best of your ability, steeling yourself as you looked in the mirror,

I will tell him how I feel... no matter how complicated this lawsuit thing becomes.

“Look who finally decided to show.” Jisung drawled, sipping at his soft drink. You looked him up and down appraisingly, ignoring your beating heart... he cleaned up more than nicely.

“Okay, shall we get started?” You clapped your hands, sitting opposite Seungmin and Jisung... and next to a very poorly disguised Jeongin.

“Interesting outfit choice, Jeongin.” Seungmin noted.

“What’s even more interesting is that Y/N selected Jeongin as her representative. He’s not even a lawyer!” Jisung looked at you triumphantly.

“Neither am—“ Seungmin interrupted, Jisung shushing him before he could complete his sentence.

“I thought you were going to dress up like a business man! Not some young mobster. This isn’t a fanfic. You’re not the main character.” You hissed under your breath, leaning slightly towards Jeongin so he could hear.

“And what? You are?” He scoffed, before smiling widely at the two in front of him.

“Right, so Jeongin and I have discussed the case beforehand.” Seungmin nodded at Jeongin.

“We’ve decided that we’ll put together a bunch of trials, and whoever wins those will win this lawsuit.” Seungmin proposed.

“I... feel like this isn’t how lawsuits work.” Jisung said doubtfully.

“This is what I was taught in law school!” Seungmin defended.

“Gotta trust the guy who attended law school.” You pointed out.

“What do you mean attended? He’s still at law—“ Jisung broke off as Seungmin cleared his throat, pointedly.

“The first challenge being, who can make the two of us the best milkshake.”

“Ready to lose, Y/N?” Jisung raised an eyebrow competitively at you.

“You wish, Han Jisung!” You sprinted to the other side of the food court, lining up as Jisung hurried after you, ending up directly behind you.

[20 minutes later]

You sighed loudly,

This is taking too long.

You politely pushed in front of people to the front of the line,

“Hey, are you guys right or do you need help? Because I can help out if you want. It’ll help you get through this queue a lot faster.” You asked the worker at the register.

“I can too!” Jisung sidled up beside you as you narrowed your eyes at him.

The worker looked at you sceptically before sighing in defeat,

“You know what, you may as well help because we’re so swamped. Grab some gloves and a hairnet and get started.” The worker let you through.

That was easy enough.

This is not easy.

“Chocolate ice cream thick shake for Sara!” You called out, frantically pushing the lid on the shake before handing it to the customer. Jisung rushed beside you,

“No-fat, non-skim, skinny latte with soy milk, one and a half sugars and a drizzle of vanilla for Jacques?” Jisung called out,

“Actually, can I change my—“ Jacques started.

“No.” Jisung deadpanned.

“Ready to admit defeat?” You smirked.

“Never. We’re yet to make the best milkshakes for Seungmin and Jeongin.” Jisung ran to the blender, chucking in as many ingredients as possible.

“Two can play at that game.” You said resolutely, approaching another blender, using as many ingredients as possible.

This is either going to be a disaster or a five star Michelin dish in the making.

“Stop. Stealing. The. Caramel. Sauce.” You gave Jisung a death glare as you wrestled the sauce bottle, the manager of the store glaring at the both of you,

“Alright, that’s enough. The two of you need to leave. You basically ditched serving the customers and did this. I don’t even know what this is but you need to stop using our resources for it.”

“Wait but it’s the finishing touch!” Jisung pleaded as the manager shook his head resolutely.

You scoffed,

“Whatever. It’s not like we’re getting paid for this or anything. Which we should! In fact, I have a lawyer friend that could help me sue you. He’s very good and wins about... 100% of his clients’ cases.” You threatened.

The manager pinched the bridge of his nose,

“Half of the orders that you served came back with complaints so you really did nothing.”

“The people really don’t appreciate our talents.” Jisung gasped, offended.

“If you guys think you’re talents are in milkshake making, you really should reevaluate your...um...life choices.” The manager said sheepishly.

“Whatever, be prepared for a lawsuit! Let’s leave, Jisung.” You grabbed your milkshakes, grabbing Jisung’s arm and dragging him out of the store.

“100% track rate, you say? Have you admitted defeat already?” Jisung raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, shut up, Jisung. I was obviously talking about Jeongin.”

“Right...”

“Um. What is this?” Seungmin scrunched his face in disgust, looking at the... mess of two drinks in front of him and Jeongin.

“Milkshakes!” Jisung said excitedly.

“I know that. But why did it take so long to make... you didn’t poison it, did you?” Seungmin looked at the two of you skeptically.

“Just drink it and tell us who wins.” You sighed as they picked up their drinks, tentatively sipping and then tasting the other,

“We need time to confer, so we’re going to give you the next challenge. You’re going to have to... pick out the best present for each other, and we’ll judge that once we see it.” Jeongin shooed the two of you away, winking at you as Jisung took the lead, striding towards a craft store.

As you browsed around the store, closely following Jisung, you stopped at the crayons section, exhaling a small laugh.

Jisung turned around, confused, eyes wide, settling on the packet of crayons,

“I dibs getting that for you.”

“You can’t dibs getting a present for someone.” You said incredulously.

“Um, well if it’s a competition, yes I can.” Jisung retorted, hands on hips.

“So you’re telling me, that the best present you could ever get me is crayons? You wouldn’t get that for me normally?” You rolled your eyes, exasperated.

“Why should I?” Jisung said, confused.

“Let me remind you. Twenty or so years ago, a young Jisung eats my crayons in retaliation for getting told to give them back. Young Y/N visits young Jisung in hospital, giving him a free record as a gift. And Jisung never reimburses Y/N with another set of crayons. You know, with your track record, it’s not even accidental. It’s serial. Like serial killing but serial property damage. Honestly, I could extend that to this lawsuit, as well.” You defended.

“Okay one, it’s too late to do that... isn’t it? I don’t have enough money for both! And two, is all you’re saying that your ideal gift is a pack of crayons?!”

“Are you admitting defeat already?” You smirked.

“Pfft no! Give me— that—“ He grabbed the pack of crayons from you, heading to the counter to pay as you grabbed another pack, lining up behind him.

“You both bought each other the same gift?” Seungmin raised an eyebrow at the two of you.

“Not intentionally! Please don’t disqualify us.” Jisung defended, apologetic.

“You literally went to the same store.” Jeongin deadpanned.

“That’s—“

“Whatever, I don’t have time for this. I need to go to the hospital in a bit. Okay, here’s what you can do. Explain to us why you bought the gift for said person, and we’ll judge based on your response.” Seungmin checked his watch, leaning back in his chair.

“Jisung, you go first.” Jeongin gestured for Jisung to start.

“Okay, well the short story is that Y/N told me that it was their ideal gift. The long story is that Y/N called me a serial property damager, and I really can’t afford that being added to my list of offences and be sued further.” Jisung said a matter-of-factly.

“Oookay... anyway, Y/N! What’s your reasoning?” Seungmin turned to you.

“Hmm... okay well when I was a child, Jisung stole my crayons and ate them, somehow we became friends, and he never bought me crayons to reimburse me, so I decided to be the bigger person and buy him crayons to share. Honestly, you’d think he’d know how to by now.” You tutted as a soft pink colouring flooded Jisung’s cheeks.

“...what?” Jeongin blurted out.

“It doesn’t matter! Jisung and Y/N are both... odd personalities. I mean, no wonder they’re best friends.” Seungmin dismissed.

There was that “f” word again...

“Anyway, I don’t have time for this. We’ll deliberate again as you do another challenge. You’re going to have to race each other around the entire shopping centre. Whoever comes first, wins... that round. Obviously. Otherwise, there would’ve been no point to these other challenges.” Seungmin dismissed the two of you, getting you to start at the same time.

Is this what my life has come to? Racing the literal love of my life to show that I’m serious about a fake lawsuit?... I really need to reconsider my lifestyle choices... and friends.

You and Jisung were neck and neck, you huffed as you sprinted next to him,

“Why are you so caught up on this whole lawsuit thing? You and I both know that it’s fake.”

Jisung glanced at you through the corner of his eye, “Hff— I— hff— know that but fake lawsuit or not, it was one of my New Years resolutions to win it.”

You stopped,

“You can’t be serious.”

“Dead serious.” He stopped in front of you.

“Well— I... who am I to stop you from achieving your goals? I forfeit.” You stepped back, relieved to be out of it.

“You can’t be serious,” Jisung said, slightly shocked,

“I need you to finish this! I can’t just win by default. That defeats the whole purpose. Actually try.” He challenged.

“This is so stupid, though.” You grumbled.

“You’re the one that proposed it. Why did you, if you don’t want to do it?” Jisung raised an eyebrow expectantly.

“I— ugh. To be honest, it started out as a joke but then I saw how serious you got about it! So, I decided to play along so I wouldn’t let you down.” You sighed.

“You’re right, I paid Seungmin $100 to represent me.” He sighed in sync with you.

“...you really need to stop doing that. First Minho, now Seungmin? Are you going to pay the entirety of your friendship group for being your friend?” You looked at him disappointedly.

He rolled his eyes, “Speaking of friends... why did you play along?” He asked, curious.

You inhaled sharply,

Now or never. No more friend-zoning.

“Do you know what my New Years resolution was?” You asked.

He shook his head, clueless,

“It was to confess my feelings for you. I’m not as great with words as you are, but Han Jisung, I like you. A lot. Even if you do crazy things like eating my crayons.” You closed your eyes, unwilling to view his reaction... only for a slight pressure to meet your lips.

Your eyes fluttered open, only to meet Jisung’s as he kissed you softly.

He pulled back, bringing you into a hug,

“You’re always going to hold that against me, aren’t you?” He chuckled, whispering that to you.

“We just kissed and that’s what you’re concerned about?” You lightly smacked his chest.

“Well, what else am I supposed to say? I kissed you. I don’t think that best friends do that. Do I need to say it explicitly? Okay then, I like you too!” He said, confused.

You rolled your eyes,

“Whatever. We better get going if we want to finish this race, and help you achieve your life goals!”

“Oh my gosh, Y/N. You’re such a supportive... lover? We’ll figure it out.” He held out your hand, dodging past people as you both sprinted down the mall.

You slowed as you approached Seungmin and Jeongin, dropping your hand from his grasp. Jisung turned back to you, confused.

You ushered him forward, smiling encouragingly,

“Go! Finish first. Achieve your goals.”

He paused, before taking your hand again, dragging you over to Seungmin and Jeongin, they looked up, equally as confused as you.

“We both forfeit.” He said, in between catching his breath.

“What? Why?” Jeongin started, as Seungmin groaned,

“You’re telling me, that I spent the time that I could’ve been sleeping, only for you to forfeit. You know what? It’s fine. Neither of you won anyway because drinking your milkshakes was the worst thing we had to suffer through since the time you both made us cake!”

You reeled back in mock offence, Seungmin sighed,

“I’m sorry if that was harsh. I’m working nights at the hospital.”

“Wait. What does a lawyer have to do at a hospital?” Jisung questioned, confused.

“Do— do you guys even listen to the things I say? I quit law school after one lesson and went back to medical school.” Seungmin said, exasperated.

“And no! You can’t have your money back. We’re leaving now anyway, so bye!” He grabbed Jeongin, running away from the two of you as fast as possible.

“You know, I lied about my New Years resolution.” Jisung spun you around to face him, your hand meeting his bicep.

“Oh no! How could I ever trust you again?” You sighed dramatically.

“Y/N— I was trying to be sentimental and tell you that our resolutions were the same but you ruined the moment!” He pouted, annoyed.

You laughed, grabbing his cheeks (jeekies ahhhhhhhhh they’re so cute right—),

“I’ll sue you if you don’t stop being so cute!”

“Ha! I’d like to see you try.”

➳ part eight? | masterlist!

109 notes · View notes

dangercocktail · 4 years

Text

The Pandemic by DangerCocktail

When panicked news reports began overseas, Lucas shrugged most of them off as an issue too far from home to be concerned with. There wasn’t a lot of information coming from the hot zone anyway so he assumed most reporting was pure speculation. The country where the pandemic originated muzzled the press and scientific community within their borders so reports were sparse at best. Not to mention that part of the world had a reputation for being a bit of a mess anyway. Military refused to let anyone enter or leave the country and even more extreme, the Internet had been downed. Rumors circled, the ones that Lucas had heard at least before he stopped paying attention to the news, that the infection was extremely contagious for men specifically and might have been a military grade weapons test gone awry.

Ignoring the hallmarks of what his friends called a global crisis, Lucas packed his luggage for a two week cruise he had scheduled well before any rumblings of a fast moving disease. Walking aboard and exploring the ship, he smiled and winked at several of the handsome men also arriving who returned his greeting. Lucas was a notorious flirt and he planned on having a pretty damn good time aboard the ship.

Eventually settling in to begin his vacation, Lucas stretched his long legs lithe with a tennis player’s muscles out on a deckside chair. He watched the city fade away into the ocean’s horizon as he sipped a bottle of beer. It was going to be nice to check out from the stress of the world news and society in general. He pulled his sunglasses down to cover his eyes and quickly fell asleep.

Waking a couple hours later, Lucas stretched to shake the soreness of the hard deck chair out of his muscles, then stood and gathered his things. His room had to be ready by now, his luggage having been transported by a porter, and he was starting to feel hungry. He wandered over to one of the many restaurants offering food aboard the ship and stood in line to receive a bowl of teriyaki chicken and vegetables. He promised himself he’d relax, allow himself to enjoy a few indulgences on this trip, and if needed, drop a couple pounds to get back to fighting weight when he was home. The teriyaki bowl wasn’t such an indulgence, his healthy eating habits died hard. He chuckled when he passed a 24 hour pizza kiosk and swore to be back later that night for a slice or two. He was on vacation.

After several days of travel and stops in ports increasingly exotic to Lucas’ usual day to day, he had fallen into a leisurely routine. Lucas woke every morning to a breakfast of eggs, fruit, and toast delivered to the room so he could watch the sunrise over the ocean as the ship skimmed to its next destination. He had even begun enjoying a mimosa with each breakfast because why not, all expenses included. Following breakfast, he would hit the gym, lift for an hour or two, shower in the luxury locker rooms of the cruise liner’s locker rooms, then get dressed in tasteful but casual vacation wear for a day of leisure, exploration, and occasional trips into foreign locales. He had met many people over the course of the first week on the excursions shoreside but was legitimately enjoying being on his own, able to go and do whatever he pleased with little thought towards the rest of the world.

Every night, Lucas would stroll through the mostly deserted decks of the ship as he was near the only one up and about at 1 am. He wound his way through empty stairways, greeting the ship’s crew who were working overnight to clean and prepare for the following day, Lucas giving them a friendly nod as he passed. His destination was always the same, the 24 hour pizza place where he ended his nightly walk and would enjoy a nightly indulgence of two slices, heavy with sausage and garlic. He had just thanked the server for the slices, sat down to eat with one slice almost in his mouth when the audio system for the entire ship signaled an incoming message through loudspeakers hidden in the extravagant columns and furnishings of the decor.

“Attention please. It is of critical importance that all passengers aboard the Tantalus Destiny please return immediately to their cabins. A critical issue has been reported to the staff and we are exercising extreme caution. We will inform you when exiting your rooms will be appropriate but for the moment, please all passengers outside of their cabins return immediately. Thank you.”

Lucas looked inquisitively at the worker behind the pizza bar who looked back and shrugged. Lucas decided he might as well finish his two slices quickly then head back to the cabin. He was halfway through his first slice when he observed another passenger turn the corner and head to the pizza counter. The man was fairly handsome and the father of a family Lucas had chatted with briefly on an excursion two days previously. His name was Craig. Lucas laughed to himself, assuming that Craig also wanted to grab a few slices for the night if they were going to be locked up for a bit. Lucas continued eating, watching Craig talk to the server behind the counter but began noticing something strange about Craig.

When Lucas had first met Craig, he had appraised the man’s looks, as he usually did with any man he met, and put Craig decidedly in the handsome category. Craig had a ruggedly handsome face and a solid build, with a couple extra pounds around the middle that most dads were carrying. Lucas was never bothered by a few extra pounds though strove to keep them off himself. However tonight as he watched Craig pile slice after slice onto his plate, he noticed that Craig seemed rounder from behind. In fact, Craig’s t-shirt was riding up on love handles that pushed over the waistband of his sweatshorts. Lucas thought that the pile of pizza that Craig had amassed would definitely explain any new weight gain, especially if it was a nightly habit like Lucas was engaging in. As Lucas went back to his own pizza, slightly proud that he was only one or two pounds heavier from the cruise indulgences, Lucas stopped mid-bite as he saw Craig visibly and noticeably expand.

It was as if there was a hidden pump, inflating Craig from somewhere inside. As Craig turned with his plate piled with more slices of pizza than Lucas could quickly count and a slice already being pushed into his mouth, his shirt began riding up further as his belly swelled forward. In a matter of seconds, his modest dad belly and love handles tripled. His navel widened and deepened with each step he took, receding quickly into fat that rapidly accumulated. Craig’s chest surged forward and began to bounce in rhythm with his expanding belly, folded over the front of his shorts and still growing wider and rounder. His legs and arms were expanding as well, swelling incredibly fast as if beestung and losing all semblance of musculature. Craig’s face, bearded and handsome, had grown so fat in those few steps that he had taken that his jawline had disappeared completely and was swelling with fat every second that passed. By the time Lucas stood up in shock and began to walk towards Craig to help, Craig’s belly had become so large that he started to wobble, lost his balance, and fell on his enormous backside, his shorts and underwear ripping in the process. As Craig landed on the ground on his ass that was now almost as wide as Craig was tall, his fat production increased, his belly surging forward and to the sides as his arms lifted with the newly acquired flesh. His shirt began to rip like a tube of biscuit dough, Craig’s flesh pushing it open as it rose into the air. By the time Lucas reached him and the expansion had stopped, Craig was a rounded ball of a man unable to reach the front of himself by at least a foot, still shoveling in slices of the pizza that had survived the fall and were balancing atop his belly.

“Oh my god, Craig,” Lucas started, stopping a few feet from the whale of a man in front of him. “What the hell just happened?”

Craig looked up at Lucas from the floor, his fat face covered in pizza sauce. “They had it at port...the men. They had the disease,” Craig said, his words muffled from the enormous bites of pizza he was taking. “I’m just... so...damn hungry”.

Lucas backed away in revulsion as his attention was immediately drawn to a crash at the pizza counter. The server behind the counter was stumbling around in confusion, his uniform ripping open to reveal a huge belly that was swelling alongside his swollen chest. Lucas watched as the man expanded in under twenty seconds to the same size as Craig, but as the man went to fall to the ground from the sheer size of his girth, he became wedged between the wall and the pizza countertop. His belly kept swelling in all directions, spreading across the countertop as the man rose slightly in the air. Unperturbed, the server began grabbing slices of pizza and eating them himself.

Lucas panicked for a moment before realizing he had to get away from these two inflated men before whatever this was infected him. He ran from the dining area towards the stairs that would take him back to his cabin. Muffled grunts and outcries of shock could be heard from different hallways as he ran, occasionally followed by a loud and padded thud. Lucas was nearing the stairs when he felt his pants burst open at the front, the button skidding off across the floor. Slowing to an alarmed stop, Lucas looked down in horror to discover a round slab of fat pushing out atop his shorts like a doughnut swelling with cream.

“Oh god, no,” Lucas exclaimed, as he felt his butt begin growing so quickly that his shorts split up the back. Involuntarily turning back towards the dining area, he felt hunger overtake his body as his shirt drew tight across his swelling chest and nipples. He began waddling forward, his thighs forcing themselves together with new chub as his calves melded into his ankles with fat. From the periphery of his vision, he saw his cheeks rounding and his face settling into the fat of his neck. Beginning to feel the pull of his own massive heft and knowing that soon he would be stuck on the floor, a fattened ball of a man, Lucas maneuvered his enormous form towards the closest source of food he could find. As his legs slid out from under him and he fell onto his massively padded ass, pinned beneath the still growing fat of his body and overcome with the undeniable need to feed, he leaned his head back and opened his mouth to eat from the food source he was ultimately able to reach: the cruise liner’s soft serve ice cream machine.

#weightgain gainer bhm weightgainfiction

388 notes · View notes

dangerouscommiesubversive · 3 years

Text

compromise is made out of peace but history's made out of violence

Fandom: Kamen Rider Amazons Characters: Mizusawa Haruka, Izumi Nanaha, Takayama Jin / Chihiro, Nagase Hiroki / Mizusawa Mizuki, several orphanage children Song: "Sing Along," Sturgill Simpson (playlist here) Warnings: Well, this is Amazons fic, so if you've watched Amazons I'm sure you can guess, but--TW for references to cannibalism, although there is no actual violence. There is also, in the third part, a small amount of blood.

well i know you know that you’re killing me, but it’s worth it just to see you smile

The couch in Jin’s apartment is old and beat-up and not especiallycomfortable, but Nanaha’s draped one of her many shawls over it, and so it makes the entire room seem warm anyway. Haruka sits nearly at attention, nervous, hands half-folded on his knees, and says, again, “Thank you, Ms. Nanaha.”

She just flaps a hand at him from where she’s working in the kitchen. “It’s fine, I like to cook. And I figured having you over might keep Jin on his toes, he gets too full of himself.”

The entire apartment smells of food, rice in the cooker and vegetables and spices and sauces and chicken. Especially chicken. Haruka shuts his eyes and breathes the scent in, and it calms him so much that when he realizes how good he feels he’s shaken again. Did meat always smell so extraordinary? It was difficult to sit while she was cutting it up; he wanted to offer to help just so he could steal bites, eat it raw and feel the texture against his teeth…

He shakes himself, keeping his eyes shut, and Nanaha says, very calmly, “See, this is why I didn’t let you help. I can’t let Jin in the kitchen when I’m cooking at all.”

“I—” He flushes hot. “You can tell what I’m thinking about?”

“Not really, just an educated guess. Jin tilts his head the same way when he’s thinking about food.” Suppressed laughter audible in the back of her throat. “Among other things. Anyway, if you eat all the chicken raw then you won’t get to taste it when it’s cooked. You can help with dishes after, Jin’s terrible at that.”

He nods, eyes still shut against his own embarassment. “Yes, Ms. Nanaha.”

Another deep sniff, and it’s astonishing, how he can smell the meat in the pan, tracing the shifts in its flavor as it cooks and soaks in sauce. There’s another scent, too, underlying the cooking food, and he’s not sure what it is, but it’s intoxicating.

The floor creaks, the fridge door opening, and the strange scent moves too, and Haruka’s eyes snap open as he realizes that what he smells is Nanaha, and she smells like food.

He’s so hungry. And she’s right there. It would be so easy, she’s not even two meters away and just smelling her he can almost taste—

The apartment door opens, and a moment later Jin thumps down on the couch next to him and murmurs, cheerily, “Teeth off my girl.”

“I, I wasn’t, I don’t—”

“’course you do.” Jin slaps him on the back, almost friendly. “Who wouldn’t?”

“Don’t talk about eating me like I can’t hear you,” Nanaha says, not looking up from her cooking. “Dinner’s almost ready, anyway, you can control yourselves for two minutes.”

Haruka buries his face in his hands. “Does it ever stop, Jin? Are we always hungry?”

He can hear Jin grinning. “Always, always. It’s about self-control, Haruka. Secret is, when you get down to it, we’re all made out of meat. Me, her.” Hand on his shoulder, mouth next to his ear. “You. It’s all meat.”

Haruka shudders, and then shudders again as he realizes that he can still smell Nanaha, that she smells like she would be the best meal he’s ever had. And he can smell Jin too, different, gamey but good, and his mouth is watering.

The edge of a plate bumps his hand, and he looks up at Nanaha, who smiles down at him and says, “Here. Dinner. It’ll take the edge off.”

bitter air and the winds of spite

Chihiro has been sleeping on the floor of Hiroki’s bedroom for a week, ever since the day after he ran away from 4C, and he’s not sure he can stand it anymore.

It’s not the floor itself, the floor is fine. He’s got a few blankets. He’s got a pillow. The carpet is soft and not dirty, because as much as Hiroki tries to talk big and act rough he likes his things to be clean. The room is warm and full of life. But Hiroki is in bed, asleep, and the smell of him is overwhelming.

He tends to fall sleep on his stomach, vulnerable, the back of his neck exposed. One of his arms dangles over the edge of the bed, so close that Chihiro could reach out and grasp it. Breathing slow and even, pulse steady.

Chihiro drifts off with his mouth watering.

Later in the night he wakes, and the scent is still there, Hiroki in the bed so close by smelling like prey for the eating. Slow and sleepy, he sits up and says, “Hey, Hiroki?”

No answer but an unconscious sigh, and then Hiroki rolls over onto one side, facing the wall, his back entirely open. He’s slim, too, even in the dim light Chihiro can practically count his vertebrae, and in counting become lost in a dreamy imagining of what they might taste like when crushed between his teeth.

He's moving before he’s even really aware of it, like a sleepwalker, crawling the short distance from his nest of blankets to the edge of the bed. The closer he gets, the more the scent fills his nose until he’s certain he can taste it, the siren call of fresh meat making his mouth hang open. He leans forward and presses his face close to the back of Hiroki’s neck and breathes it in, drowsy and hungry, and oh, it would be so easy to taste, so easy to bite—

He’s scrambling backwards right as Hiroki wakes up with a startled snarl of, “What the fuck do you think you’re, Chihiro, what the fuck.”

Chihiro’s already hiding himself in his blankets again as he stammers out, “Sorry, I’m, I don’t, I mean, I think I was asleep, I think I was dreaming, I’m sorry.”

Hiroki stares at him for a long moment, looking affronted and alarmed, and then says, “Just stay off my bed and don’t be a fucking freak. Go back to sleep.”

Chihiro mumbles assent and pulls a blanket over his head. “I’m sorry,” he says again, even as he rolls the scent around his mouth, the memory of that pulse so close to his teeth, and tries to pretend that his stomach isn’t growling.

---

after the war of the words has ceased all that’s left is the deafening silence

The staff of the orphanage was always minimal, and with the death of the principal the others all fled, leaving Mizuki to handle everything. Her mother has somehow managed to transfer the orphanage accounts to her, so managing things isn’t especially difficult. They’re mostly self-sufficient, anyway; most of what the children eat, they grow themselves, and they’re all learning to cook together.

Tonight they’re making rice bowls. The rice is already cooking, of course. Two of the older girls are cutting up vegetables, a younger boy is mixing a sauce, and Mizuki is cutting tofu. The tofu is homemade too; she’s been consistently surprised and delighted by how good it is. She was mostly a vegetarian already before coming here, for reasons that she doesn’t ever plan on explaining to anyone here, but the food they make together has made it a pleasure.

The girls are singing a song together, cheerful and bright, and as Mizuki looks up to ask if they can teach her the words, her knife slips and opens a red gash along one finger. She yelps, dropping the knife and grabbing for a square of paper towel to keep from bleeding on the tofu.

The kitchen has gone still.

The girls are staring at the bloody knife, now on the floor next to Mizuki’s feet. The boy, Kuhi, is frozen with his whisk in the sauce, gaze fixed on her cut finger. Mizuki stares back at them, blood soaking into the paper towel, and for a moment.

For a moment.

She feels hunted.

And then the children all visibly shake themselves and she fights the feeling back and says, “Kuhi, could you go get the kitchen first aid kit, please? Natsu, please find me another knife, I’ll get this one into the sink but I don’t want to use it on the food anymore until it’s been thoroughly cleaned. Shina, I’d appreciate it if you’d check to make sure none of the tofu got blood on it, we should throw away any that’s gotten contaminated.”

They all nod, and Kuhi runs to the corner of the kitchen where the first aid kit is stored while Mizuki gets her knife into the sink and washes her hands. It’s not a bad cut when it’s cleaned, it was just the location making it look nasty.

Kuhi bumps her elbow with his head when he comes back, affectionately, and says, “Do you need me to help you bandage it?”

She nods. “That’d be very helpful, Kuhi, thank you.”

The tension doesn’t come back into the room, even when he’s wrapping gauze around her finger and taping it closed. Smiling, she reaches out and brushes hair from his face with her uninjured hand. “Thank you very much, Kuhi. I appreciate your help.”

He nods, smiling brightly at her. “Of course, Miss Mizuki.” The end of the tape goes neatly into place. “We love you.”

“I know.” She hugs him, watching Shina hesitate over the trash can before she throws away the few cubes of bloodied tofu. “I love you all too.”

#mizusawa haruka #izumi nanaha #takayama jin #chihiro amazons #nagase hiroki #mizusawa mizuki #fanfiction #30 day shuffle challenge

7 notes · View notes

cherrysung · 4 years

Text

pairing: soulmate!jaemin x reader

genre: guardian angel au / fluff / slight angst

warnings: language, sad themes, character death (car crash), suggestive (not explicit, I suck at smut), my shitty writing (I’m so sorry)

summary: the glimmering boy from the accident would often visit you in the depths of your dreams with eager eyes, your imagination the only place where he could allow you to see him. that is, until you finally became an adult.

word count: 10.2k

note: this is my first time writing a long fic, it might seem rushed or confusing but I’m sure I’ll improve with time, so feedback will be greatly appreciated. anyways, I truly hope you enjoy the story from the bottom of my heart! also, thank you @glossyjaems for hyping me up on this!

cherrysung’s navigation

The rain poured violently, hitting the car windows in near agression as you mindlessly watched the drops race down, ‘till they eventually disappeared from your view. The roads were hugely engulfed in a sea of haze, and it was complicated to decipher the direction in which the car was heading towards, amidst all the fog surrounding. You remember a gentle song playing quietly from the radio, and if it weren’t for the furious banging of the weather, you’d be fast asleep. Asleep, in the warm arms of your mother, who held you so dearly. No one expected what was to come. The anxious stirring from your father, the deafening crash, the cries of the woman who now held you tightly with fear, or the pitch black darkness that consumed everybody in an instant.

Four years, you were only four years when you lost your entire family; and you were supposed to leave with them. Softly, the song kept playing, when you caught a gleaming silhouette in the distance. Just like that, consciousness slipped away from you.

Years went by quickly, time left but memories stayed. The helpless screams of your father and your mother’s tears that fell onto your chubby cheeks; you remember them vividly. You thought memories were supposed to be cherished, but yours only managed to haunt you every progressing day of your life. A life that was meant to be taken away from you, a life that was meant to be spent with your loved ones. You lost one option for the price of the other and you weren’t sure what was worse, there was no way an answer from something as intricate as existence could be obtained. All you knew was the shimmering light before blackness tugged at your vision. Tall, lean and majestic; you wished it would’ve been one of the few memories that did stay, but it seemed like it was fading away more and more as the clock ticked by.

Attached to several tubes and beeping machines, you had woken up disoriented that day, completely unaware of your surroundings. So confused, you couldn’t even process or fathom what just had happened; the death of your parents, or the cuts and bruises that stung your delicate, baby skin. A nurse was walking by the room you were in when she noticed the small of your figure sitting up on the hard hospital bed, immediately bursting through the door with shock plastered on her young face.

You were not expected to survive a coma. You were not even meant to survive a deadly car crash. No one was really expecting you to wake up. In the midst of all the chaos that had eventually formed by the surprised nurses and hospital staff, you could only stare through the small-framed window, at the bright spark that shined outside in the empty streets. Only for your eyes to see.

Growing up with your grandparents had its perks. They were very pure beings; always trying the best they could to keep a content smile on your bruised face, always trying to show you the love their own children couldn’t. Their mythical, fantasy tales were your favorite; the ones where everything and everyone was magical, where anything could happen because suddenly animals and plants could talk, and the Earth wasn’t as soulless. Your lovely storytellers successfully distracted you from the harsh truth, that an innocent child like you had to learn at a very young age their family; the woman who birthed you and the man who held you in his arms for the first time, were gone. Just like they had left, the time came where their own parents had to step off the journey of life, too. This time, you were fully alone to face the frightening reality and malicious threats of those who weren’t happy. Fifthteen years old, you were now totally by yourself.

Or so, you thought.

Forming part of your grandparents’ usual anecdotes and short stories, was the tale consisting of soulmates. Soulmate, someone destined to be by your side forever. You knew they loved talking about myths and legends, so believing that something as harsh as life already had prepared an individual to cherish you, seemed impossible. More so, when it took your parents from you in the worst way possible. Naturally, you brushed the thought aside despite your grandmother’s last words, asking you to wait for the letter, one that was soon to come. You didn’t know what she was talking about, and quite frankly, you were too distressed to care; helplessly watching the world take yet again, someone from you.

Every night after the accident that almost took your life, images began forming in your head. What were images turned into short dreams, and soon, they were a common occasion every time you slipped off into slumber. After giving a final goodbye to your grandparents, those visions only seemed to increase. There, you would always meet him. The boy with excited eyes, somehow he always appeared remarkably delighted to see you, although you couldn’t understand why. Who was he? Why was he in your nightly thoughts all the time? You didn’t know, but you didn’t mind either. He was divine, always formally dressed in a white suit; black, lustrous shoes and hair combed back so carefully accompanied by a slight part enough to show some of his forehead. A person so tremendously handsome, you usually wondered how your young mind was even able to create such a heavenly man.

You never failed to meet him in your dreams. Enveloped by all the loneliness you had been left with, you looked forward to see him until the sun decided to rise from within the towering mountains and over the vast horizon; the sultry warmth of a new day bringing you out of the place where only the two of you knew. Life was mostly dull unless you were having your fair share of time with the celestial boy in the depths of your imagination.

Age seventeen came through, gifting you with the fading of majority of the scars that had been left on your skin as a daily reminder of what happened years ago. One of them, though, chose to accompany you forever. It was fine, you assured yourself, no matter how dark it sounded, it was the closest thing to your parents that you had. Rather than despising it, you’d enjoy it.

The town you lived in wasn’t all that special. It was small and far from the bigger cities, home to a low population of friendly people. Everyone knew each other; and everybody knew what happened the winter of 2006, when your parents died. The year your whole world came crashing down; like the angry ocean waves would hit at the random, jagged rocks that stuck from beneath the water. In spite of the tragedy you had to endure, nobody treated you with shameless pity, and instead taught you that yes; life can be threatening, but it can also be marvellous. You realized that living is unexpected; one day you’re breathing, the next one you could be gone. It’s difficult to accept the fact that everybody’s fate is exceptionally different. Sometimes they might leave with pride, sometimes they might leave with fear. Of course you didn’t know what the world had in store for your future, but you certainly didn’t want to keep drowning in your sea of miserable grief.

Sighing, you put an end to your train of thoughts as you plopped down on your bed’s soft mattress. Your grandparents’ wooden house was the same as it was the day they left; cosy, warm and vintage. You would often dream here about what the actual cities looked like, your last time catching the bright, colorful lights being the same day of the accident. Grandma didn’t want to tell you much as she usually avoided describing the occurence in detail, but she did admit you were on your way to visit her and the rest when the early winter storm caught up with the unplanned trip. Maybe, if your father would’ve chosen to spend one last day at your old house, they would be here today.

The endless questions and memories that consumed you everyday were enough to lull you off into a deep sleep.

Suddenly, everything around you looked magical and extraordinary in the sea of green, healthy grass that kissed at your bare feet oh so tenderly. Several flowers that accompanied the slightly flowing ocean of emerald were colorful; blues, pinks, yellows, purples. Every single shade thinkable was present. A sky so heavenly azure, and a small amount of white, fluffy cotton clouds decorating it beautifully. You discovered, you were no longer in reality. You were in your dreams. Far off in the distance, your eyes spotted the same white suit you had grown accustomed to seeing, and your feet immediately headed in the direction of the clean attire. There he was, the same boy who was nothing but absolutely ethereal, sitting on the soft field of tulips and roses under a large oak tree. He didn’t have to search to know you were there; he felt your presence from miles away, even when you were not meeting him in your lovely thoughts. After all, he had always been there with you. You just weren’t aware of it.

Despite the tall grass that occasionally tangled with your feet, you reached him easily, quietly taking a seat next to him on the velvety ground. “Hello.” He simply greeted, still looking off into the horizon as he slowly grazed his hands through the flowers surrounding him. Features so enchanting, his face looked like it had been sculpted and carved by the gods themselves. A defined nose and jawline, narrow eyes that only conveyed pure compassion, with a final touch of the smoothest skin you had ever seen before. He was literally glowing with beauty.

“Hi,” you replied shortly with a small smile, “we meet again.” He turned to glance at you, his eyes surveying lightly over your own features. He thought you were breathtaking.

He slightly nodded his head, the setting sun offering a nice dew to his warm skin. “We do.” A pause took over, and you wondered why he was so quiet today; usually, you were used to him being more talkative, even flirty. Before you could say anything else, he spoke up with a graceful smile. “You’re turning eighteen soon, right?” You could only nod, a huge knot forming in your chest at the thought of spending yet another birthday without the company of your family, you wished they would’ve been able to watch you turn into an adult. “Don’t be sad, just because they’re not with you physically, doesn’t mean they’re also not with you emotionally. If you think about it, they have never left.”

It had become a common feeling to be taken aback by his sudden rightful guessings of your thoughts. You never understood how he was able to tell what you were currently thinking, and honestly, it didn’t seem like you’d ever know, for his answers had always been along the lines of having a strong intuition.

By now, the bright sun had almost completely set behind the horizon, engulfing the vast grasslands with warm hues of oranges, yellows and reds; while the quick approaching night brought with itself a sea of blues, purples and pinks. The colors mixing together created a stunning evening sky, a view so captivating you could misinterpret it for a famous Italian painting. “I guess you’re right,” you agreed with his previous statement, “but I just wish I was able to spend a day meant to be so special with my family. In the flesh, I mean. I’m tired of spending my birthday by myself. Turning eighteen was supposed to feel exciting, but I can’t seem to find eagerness anywhere within my emotions when I know I’ll be on my own again.” Exhaling with slight disappointment, you softly pulled at a honeysuckle beside you and allowed yourself to savor the sweet taste of the nectar that it gingerly left on your tongue. You wondered if there was anything else more sugary than the tasty honey of the tiny flower.

“I understand.” He replied with a slight nod as he watched you grab another honeysuckle. Then, he did something he had never done before, and his hand grasped yours delicately. You were certain this was only a dream, still, you could feel him. You could feel his skin and the warmth that radiated from his hand, along with the creases on his much bigger palm. Somehow, the skin there wasn’t soft like you imagined, in fact, it was sort of rough; either way, they still managed to feel silky as they held your own. “But hey,” his eyes twinkled with happiness as he beamed, “I promise you, you won’t be spending your eighteenth birthday alone this time. I promise, really.”

“I hope you’re right,” you let the boy intertwine his fingers with yours, “I’ve been meeting you in my dreams for the longest time. Things like this don’t happen, so I believe you might be telling the truth.”

His eyebrows furrowed adorably as he shook his head, “I always tell the truth, lying is wrong. Besides, I would never do that to you.”

“Indeed.” You grinned lightly, and only now had you remembered this had been the first time in a while where you had shown genuine merriment. Night had taken over, and now the dark sky was covered in multiple little stars that, although from your perspective they barely sparkled, you were sure they glowed the brightest if close enough. Sometimes, what shines the most is not always the first thing noticed. The boy holding your hand frequently questioned why you couldn’t see that on yourself; why you couldn’t see how dazzling you really were, like the twinkling balls of fire that called themselves stars. Sighing with joy, you kept staring up at the endless heavens, the lively moon being your only source of light. “Hey?” You spoke up again, earning yourself a hum from the handsome boy. He didn’t seem to age, he still looked the same as he did the first time you ever saw him in yours dreams. Now, you realized his features resembled the same as a regular teenager like you, except he was obviously striking. “I’ve been meeting you here for as long as I can remember, but I never got your name.”

He chuckled, thinking you sounded cute. His free hand gently pulled at a fully bloomed rose, its scarlet red shade so bright and vibrant in the scarce night light. “I’m afraid I can’t tell you that yet, love.” He shook his head, releasing your hand and instead replacing his own with the beautiful rose. “Don’t worry, you’ll find out soon enough, you just have to wait a little bit more. Then, you will get an answer to all your questions. They say patience is key.” Standing up, he carefully pulled you up with him too, pressing a faint kiss to your forehead. “Lovely, it’s time for you to leave.”

“But I don’t want to.” You muttered, not quite looking forward to another lonely day.

The boy laughed lowly as he began walking in the opposite path from where you initially came from. “Dont worry, you see me here everyday, right? I’ll be waiting for you here on your next dream. And the next one, and the one after, and the one after. I will always be waiting. Just do me a favor, will you? Take that rose with you, consider it my early birthday gift. Keep it, and care for it. Also, remember my promises, I won’t ever break them.”

Just like that, he disappeared in the multitude of blooming flowers, as you felt yourself fade away from the world you wished was your reality.

You woke up from your deep slumber, a smile etched across your face as you thought of your little secret, who you always encountered in your dreams wearing the same white suit. Your conscious itself was still adapting to the daylight of a new day and the comforting heat radiating all the way from your window. Hair disheveled, and eyes puffy from sleep, you had not woken up yet completely. As your senses adjusted, strangely enough, you felt something smooth against your arm, only then noticing the red rose resting nicely next to you while its petals softly kissed at your skin. A gasp left your lips instantly, and you quickly scurried off the bed as fast as lighting to stare incredulously at the flower laying on it. You were a hundred percent sure that was not there before drifting off. Yet, as freaked out as you were, the boy’s words filled your mind, and you reluctantly picked up the gorgeous plant to place it in a vase of fresh water.

The brand new day carried on as always, unwanted and repetitive. Many outsiders who traveled from the bigger cities claimed your small town was breathtaking; here, they didn’t have to deal with the awful sounds or smells that the multiple factories over there emitted, they didn’t have to deal with the large streets full of traffic and impatient car horns from people who were desperate to get home. Here, your town was everything but the opposite. Streets were not paved, instead, they were nice dirt paths created by the town’s own people so cars could drive by easily. It was mostly rural; adorned with greenery, flowers, crops and the overall touch of unbothered Mother Nature. A huge pond occupied by different, colorful fish was located in the center of the town, also serving as a usual meeting spot for friends or couples who wanted to have a lovely day out. Lastly, the most special detail; a large river stream ran through, which had been decorated between the passing years with several tiny shops and homely bakeries that had slowly started forming alongside it. Generally, it reminded you of pictures from Venice, Italy that you’d see on the internet.

In spite of how gifting your little town was, it’s not like you could enjoy it when you had no one to explore it with. You had your fair shares of adventures around it when you were young, but as you inevitably grew older, so did the cravings for companionship, for a friend. A friend you didn’t have. Growing up without any parents somehow prevented children at school from befriending you, claiming it was weird to not have a mother or a father. You never blamed them, nor did you resent them; they were merely young kids, who were almost just as clueless as you.

Due to many unpleasant experiences, you began believing this town had nothing else in store for you other than remind you of the unforgettable truth, so you often refrained from going out when it was unneeded. Living alone had also slowly become bearable; either way, you had to learn how to because there was nobody else who would be able to guide you through life. There was no choice but to become independent at an early age.

After taking a warm shower and placing the unexpected rose in a vase, you decided to make yourself some chamomile tea. While waiting for the water to boil, your eyes spotted a rusty note that was messily folded, laying on the kitchen counter. It appeared almost crumpled, like it had been bunched up in a rush. You confusedly stared at it for a short moment, trying to remember whether there had been a note there last night when you cleaned the kitchen isle. A sudden whistle interrupted your puzzled thoughts just as you were about to open up the strange looking letter, bringing you out of your daze as the loud hiss reminded you the boiling, hot water was finally ready. Cursing under your breath, you quickly whipped around in a hurry to turn off the stove, forgetting about the wrinkled paper altogether.

The rest of your day went by unbothered, the night sky catching up quicker than you had presumed. Regardless, it didn’t faze you. Rather than upsetting you, it only caused a huge wave of excitement to travel along your body; you knew what the night meant. You let out a squeal that bounced off the walls as you observed through the window the dark sky that had engulfed the whole town, decorated by the bright moon that had replaced the yellow, warm sun. It was only seven at night when you read the time on the digital clock hung on the thorough, wooden walls. You hurried off to your room, where you quickly readied yourself for sleep.

Not long after, you found yourself barefooted in the same place as always, although this time autumn season had began. Unlike reality, time worked distinctly in your dreams. When it was nighttime in the real world, it was daytime in your thoughts. Yet, you couldn’t understand why the season suddenly changed, you weren’t quite sure this had happened before. Right in front of your eyes, the oak tree you were so used to see standing gracefully with flowing, vibrant leaves, was slowly becoming leafless while the few ones that did manage to stick to the branches jumped between different, several warm and golden tones. The grasslands that were once a blanket of only verdant green with the occasional colorful flowers that would stand out, was now an ocean of faded orange mixed with a faint tint of pinkish red. Underneath the oak tree sat him, but this time he was not dressed in the same white suit from always; he was wearing casual clothes, and his typical perfectly brushed hair was left down and fluffy, covering most of his forehead.

White denim jeans paired with a white denim jacket, and a loose light, grey t-shirt tucked carelessly inside his pants; he seemed to already know what you were wondering, and answered your question before you even got the chance to take a seat on the dried autumn grass. “Everything is different because something important is nearing. No,” he giggled when he noticed you lean forward with a new question ready to be asked, “I can’t tell you what the special occasion is. Chill, you’ll find out in no time.”

Whining, you slightly sulked with an annoyed look plastered on your face, “I’m tired of all these weird clues.”

“Don’t worry, the answers are closer than you think. Quit sulking, drama queen.” He grinned warmly. The scenery appeared ridiculous when compared to his radiant smile, it was a battle he’d win right away effortlessly. A sudden breeze passed by, offering a pleasant warmth that felt sensational as the air slowly became cooler every time the season developed more. Whenever you met up with him, you always had new things to interrogate him for, but just recently your inquiries had gotten much bigger as you found yourself in stranger situations leading towards him. You turned to glance at him, despite his side profile being the only sight you could get from your current view, you knew he still looked unreal as ever. “I noticed you kept the rose.”

Your eyes widened in surprise, “how do you know?”

“Can’t answer that either.” He shrugged with a cheeky grin, exhaling with calmness as he rested on his elbows, basking in the warm, soft breezes that blew by every now and then. His chestnut brown hair moved fluidly along with the infrequent winds too, letting his forehead show up for a split second. You thought he seemed so peaceful like this. Truthfully, he always looked peaceful, but today his features were particularly serene as they emitted a feeling of tranquility, even you felt it. He hummed, opening his eyes for a short moment before closing them again, “you forgot to read the note. I’ll get rid of that one and send a new one when you wake up. Make sure to read it, no excuses.”

A small huff of disbelief escaped your lips, as they soon turned into a smile. “Are you sure you’re not a witch? You were the one who put the rose on the bed, right? Because how else would that magically be there? Please answer me before I go insane.” You massaged your temples gently to simmer down all the jumbled emotions that had fallen upon you. “I thought you were just part of my imagination, but I’m doubting that now. Oh my God, what are you? There’s literally no way I can bring a flower out of my dreams-”

“Just part of your imagination, what am I? An imaginary friend? Sorry,” he laughed, “I’m not that. Yeah, I was the one who placed the rose next to you; but no, I won’t answer how.” You could tell he was having fun watching you experience an existential crisis in the middle of your dreams, it entertained him more than he would like to admit. “Today you seem very curious, that’s no good. So, we will be parting ways sooner than we usually do.”

“Wait, no, what-”

With only the snap of his fingers, it was nighttime, like a light switch had been flicked and suddenly the brightness was turned off. Due to the fast approaching winter lurking just around the corner, it was freezing cold, the temperatures so low you stared at the unfazed boy like he was crazy. You immediately began shivering, and he calmly took the time to place his denim jacket over your trembling shoulders. Honestly, the piece of clothing didn’t really provide you with much cover, but the warmth of his body that had stuck to it was enough to decrease the clattering of your teeth and the goosebumps that had formed on your arm the moment the temperatures abruptly dropped. “You can take that with you. For now, we have to go. Goodbye lovely, we’ll see each other soon.”

Your body shot up on bed in shock, anxiously feeling around your shoulders where indeed, a jacket comfortably rested on. His jacket. You felt like crying from all the utter confusion, so many questions swirling in your head that you wanted to desperately ask. Breathing irregular, you stood up with a slight stumble as you made your way towards the bathroom with a failing vision until you were able to grip the small counter, your reflection showing back on the flimsy mirror. There was no tone to your skin, which was accompanied by a light dampness; your throat felt like it was stinging and your nose was extremely runny. Was this a cold? A sharp pain hit at your temples before a grunt left your lips, demanding you to get some rest. Using all the strength you could muster, you went back to bed, falling weakly on the soft mattress.

“You fucker, now I’m sick.” You gritted through you teeth with irritation. As if on cue to your words, another crumpled ball of paper flew onto your forehead, gently bouncing off and onto the bedsheets. You cursed again, rolling your eyes before opening up the letter. It looked old, the delicate paper was covered in several creases and ink stains that were smeared all over the page; inside, was the messiest handwriting you had ever seen before. Squinting, you tried your best to make out the tangled words that were scribbled down.

Before I even start; you got to stop cursing young woman. The Heavens are watching and won’t be happy at you. Now, off to the actual letter. You must still remember your grandmother telling you about it, this was the note she was talking to you about. How are you? I hope you’re dealing alright with that nasty cold, honest, I knew you’d catch one after that weather. It’s alright though, it won’t last longer than three days, enough for you to spend your awaiting birthday without any bothersome sicknesses. How does it feel to be turning eighteen years old in four days time? Maybe you didn’t believe me, or maybe you did, but I’m still keeping promise to my words, and I assure you; your eighteenth birthday won’t be spent alone, neither will be your other birthdays to come. You’ve come so far in life, you have battled so much and yet you’re still overflowing with strength. You definitely deserve answers to all the questions you’ve often wondered about.

Remember all those fairy tales you would hear all the time from your grandparents? The ones you loved so, so much? Many of them were really only that; tales and nothing more, just something to keep you entertained, except for one. No, soulmates are not a lie, or merely another created narration from your lovely storytellers, they’re a real thing. You’ll meet your soulmate soon, I promise. I could tell you who it is, but I’d rather wait and watch you find it out yourself. For the meanwhile, you can look at your wrist the day you turn eighteen, you’ll notice some words engraved on it. They’re meant to be your soulmate’s first words ever said to you; in person, so the flesh and bones. I feel like I gotta make that clear because you’re so dense. When you do finally meet them, the words will fade away. Overall, you’re going to get a gut feeling when you meet the right person, you won’t even need to check your wrist to know. Everybody is destined to meet their soulmate sooner or later, you would know about it more if you ever left the house, lazy. Since you don’t, you’re not really aware of how many people out there have already found their fated lover. Even your folks were destined soulmates. Everybody is.

You certainly are curious. No, don’t be scared, stop thinking I’m a witch, I’m not. Yes, I can read your thoughts and I can feel your emotions. Yeah, even though I wrote this way before you read it. I can already decipher them from days, hours, minutes and seconds before. What’s up, I hereby officially present myself to you as your Guardian Angel. Just as one gets assigned a soulmate, they can also get assigned a Guardian Angel, way before they’re even born; life is weird. Truth be told, your family already knew me. This is why your grandmother asked you to wait for the letter, otherwise she knew your stubborn self wouldn’t have budged. Someone like me can only do much, I don’t really form a part of what The Heavens decide; therefore, I wasn’t aware that you were involved in a car crash along with your parents. As your Guardian Angel, I can only save the one assigned to me, that being you. And, as far as decisions go, it had also already been determined by The Heavens they would be taking your parent’s lives early. I don’t know why, but they must have their own reasons. One thing I can assure you though, is that their last breath was peaceful. All they wanted was for you to be fine, and they knew you’d be.

No one from your family had a Guardian Angel for themselves because it’s actually a rare thing to get one assigned. You were part of the small percent who did attain one. I’m not just a creation from the depths of your dreams, but it was the only place through which I could communicate with you for the meantime. Our situation though... it’s a little complex, or different, but very special since it barely ever happens. Little to no chances, I mean. Again, I’ll leave that for you to figure out. Look out for my visit on the 28th, your birthday. Once you turn eighteen, I’m allowed to see you. Not in your dreams, or thoughts or imagination, just reality. See, right? I promised you. You won’t be spending your birthday alone anymore, and I never break my promises.

I also want you to know, your parents and grandparents; they’re fine, they’re resting well. I really am sorry that I was not able to do anything to save your parents, trust me, if I could have, I would’ve. Thank you, for always thinking so fondly of me and calling me your hero when you were young, even though you didn’t even know what I was. I’m glad you looked up to me. Don’t worry, and don’t cry, remember I can feel when you’re unhappy; I can already tell as I’m writing this letter that you are in tears. Don’t be, I know you frequently worry about your family, if they left happy or sad; or, if they left in peace or not. They’re totally happy in The Heavens, where nobody suffers. You don’t have to be concerned over them anymore, they’re in peace and their wish is for you to be too.

Yes, silly, Guardian Angels can age. Mine was just frozen at twenty until I meet you. I still have a lot of explaining to do but you have to figure out the important part first.

I hope this letter answered all your big questions, it seems like it did. I apologize again, that I couldn’t save your parents. But, do believe me, they’re all fine. Stop crying, it makes me sad too. I can’t wait to finally meet you, I’ve been already waiting more than eighteen years. Anyways, I’ll be ending this here, lovely. I know your grandma said it was only a note but this got longer than I had planned, oops. See you soon,

Na Jaemin, your Guardian Angel.

Your hands shook as the crippled letter fell from your trembling grip, tears running down your face uncontrollably. You wouldn’t say your cries were of anguish, but rather, peacefulness. Peace because now you finally knew your parents were fine, and peace within yourself after that discovery. It was a question you initially thought was impossible to get an answer for. For the longest time, you had felt guilty you were given a second chance while they were not; but, although you still firmly believed they were taken unfairly from you, at least you knew they were okay. Words were not enough to express how you currently felt. So, the world that you thought to be so ugly and malicious actually had things such as soulmates and Guardian Angels? You always doubted they existed, much less were you able to process you were gifted with the two. It never crossed your mind that the boy in your dreams, Na Jaemin, was the reason why you were even alive.

You always told yourself the world had so much to make up for after taking away your loved ones. Little did you know you had been meeting with the most important person in your life for the entirety of it. Suddenly, it was you who had to make up for so much. The question was, how would you do something greater than what Na Jaemin did for you? He was after all, your literal savior.

And you’d be meeting him soon.

November 28th finally arrived, your cold long gone as the time hit twelve o’clock at midnight. Anxiously, you looked down, and time felt like it had slowed. Although the seconds kept counting down just fine, you couldn’t help the shock that ran through your veins as you watched black, cursive words gradually show up on your wrist. ‘Hello, lovely.’ You exhaled with a shaky breath, gliding your finger over the words swiftly; they looked like they had been tattooed on your wrist for a long time now despite their recent appearance. Astonished, you cursed before glancing around your bedroom, unsure of what to do and completely ignoring the angel’s previous scolding for your bad habit of swearing. It all seemed unreal to you, but the constant burn of the pinching you inflicted upon yourself assured you it wasn’t. Your heart rate was beating at rapid speeds, and you began wondering if it would eventually thump out of your chest to escape from all the unstoppable adrenaline rushing chaotically through your entire body.

“Alright, calm down, fuck.” The angel could only watch you in amusement from afar, shaking his head at your raw language.

The midnight winds were tremendously cool as the winter temperatures continued to drop, the heater or the cosy clothing you currently wore were not enough to fully rid you of the icy atmosphere. You wished you’d meet the angel in your dreams, so you could be welcomed by a warm and sultry weather. Unfortunately, you had not gotten to see him after the day you read the long, messy letter he wrote. It was weird to not have the daily visions you had grown so accustomed to.

Somewhere during the very early hours of the morning, you managed to drift off into a deep sleep, unable to meet the angel once again. You woke up to a much more pleasant climate air, and you would’ve been happy about it if it weren’t for the many doubts you awoke with. It had been four days since you had last seen him. The usual scenery you always magically appeared in with the help of your brain didn’t develop in the deepness of your thoughts; you didn’t care about your birthday anymore, you cared for the boy from your dreams. You still had to learn to call him by his actual name, but it was harder than you expected when he had basically been nameless for most of your life. Na Jaemin, you had never heard that name around your town or anywhere else, it was just as unique as him.

“I heard you calling?”

You shrieked, tumbling off the bed and onto the hardwood floor as your chest heaved up and down in fear. Quickly, you stood up on your feet, where you locked wide eyes with the charming smile you always admired, a grin beaming with pearly whites showing through that could light up the whole world. There he stood gracefully, unlike you, wearing the same attire he had been sporting the last time you saw him; of course, minus the denim jacket you occasionally hugged to sleep. Instead of the same brown hair he always had, it was now a light shade of blonde, to the point where it nearly looked silver. Eyes still widened in alarm after his unexpected arrival, you carried on taking in his features and tall figure; lean and majestic, exactly as you had described him the first time. He was absolute breathtaking, and his beauty only seemed more glorious face to face; you were utterly speechless.

An almost quiet giggle went past his lips, a smile still adorning his features as he carefully approached you upon noticing your frozen state. There was a slight glow that outlined his physique, similar to the one you always caught sight of as a child, but not as strong. With gentle movements, his hand softly came up to cup your cheek, tenderly caressing at the skin before pulling you into a warm embrace. You gasped, his swift actions successfully bringing you out of your daze; and ultimately, with shaky hands, you wrapped your arms around his torso tightly as well. He hummed lowly in satisfaction at the feeling of your returned hug, already loving how it felt to finally be held by you.

Hugging him felt oddly nice to you, there was an emotion inside that you couldn’t quite describe, but you knew for sure it was a feeling you had never experienced before. You felt free and no longer alone, like you had known him your entire life; not just because of the dreams where the two of you conversed, it was a feeling more personal than that, like he had always been there with you. Not all your senses worked in your nightly thoughts, and only now were you able to bask in the sweet smell that engulfed him; he smelled like home. Like the tall, grassy grounds he was always sitting on under the same familiar oak tree as he waited for you. Like the roses and tulips that were fully bloomed in all their grandeur by summer time, and like the warm sunrays that never failed to make his skin naturally glow with dewiness. You had never smelled anything in your dreams, because it simply was impossible, but you didn’t have to; you knew right away he was the epitome of the place where you always met up, in all the five senses. The enthralling landscape, the soothing sounds of nature, the sweet taste of honeysuckles, the feeling of the flowing grasses, the earthy scent of threes and flowers; all put together into a human body.

Not only did he feel like home, but his embrace also provided a sensation of comfort and safety that nobody else could emulate. Your heart was beating rapidly, but this time it wasn’t out of shock, it was nervousness. You felt like you had made the biggest discovery ever, yet you were not sure what the find was. Still, everything somehow felt right amidst the thundering thump of your chest that rang loudly in your ears.

“Hello, lovely.” He whispered in your ear, feeling the smile on his face as his lips gently pressed against the side of your head.

Overcome with emotion, a tear ran down your cheek before slightly pulling away so you could properly look up at him. “Thank you, for saving me. Thank you so much... Jaemin. How will I ever repay you?”

“Silly,” he simply chuckled, “you don’t have to repay me with anything, meeting you is enough.”

You nodded as he ran his fingers through your hair, confessing, “I feel very comfortable around you, even though I just met you. Well, in person, I’m still confused.”

“It’s totally normal,” Jaemin replied as he pulled away from his tight embrace, softly patting your back, “technically, I’ve always been here, you just couldn’t see me. Reminds me; happy birthday, lovely.”

Heart fluttering at his words, you began feeling all giddy and fluffy inside despite not understanding the reason why. You could not fathom why he was having such a huge impact on you already. “I have a question.”

“Not surprised.”

“Do you, perhaps, have any wings or a halo?”

Jaemin giggles in amusement at your question, shaking his head. “I don’t, but I used to. We only have wings and halos when we’re in The Heavens, not on Earth. I’m meant to form part of Earth from now on, so I can’t really show you, except for the glow around my body. That, I choose whether I want you to see it or not.” You opened your mouth to speak, but he beat you to it. “Yeah, I’m still a Guardian Angel, your Guardian Angel specifically.”

Your cheeks flushed a faint tint of pink, muttering as you looked down at your feet, “stop reading my thoughts.”

“What? Are you scared I’m going to hear something naughty or weird one day? Don’t worry, I’ve heard plenty of those. Also heard multiple times you think I’m god-worthy handsome. Thanks, by the way. Its okay, it’s normal for me now. Just keep your thoughts in check, where did you learn all those dirty things, young lady?”

“Jaemin!” You screeched in embarrassment, your cheeks only becoming redder than they previously were, his grip tightening around you lovingly.

The boy shook with laughter, a melodious sound to your ears that you wanted to keep hearing for the rest of your life, and if it weren’t for the awful embarrassment you were experiencing, you would’ve surely relished in the contagious cackles more. Being with Jaemin was natural, it didn’t feel awkward at all, you instantly knew you could trust him with anything; besides, meeting him in your dreams for the past fifteen years was enough time to warm up to him.

“Come on,” you grabbed his hand, letting go not long after when a jolt shot through your arm. “What the hell! What was that?”

“You better stop cursing around me,” Jaemin jokingly warned, narrowing his eyes at you, “you have to find that out for yourself. I never thought you’d be this clueless, to be honest.”

“And lastly, this is the basement; tour is finally done! This used to be my grandparent’s house from mom’s side, where I spent my whole childhood in. My dad’s parents lived a little farther away and their house wasn’t roomy enough to take me, but they still visited here constantly; it felt like they all lived together, honestly.” You explained to the tall boy. You had decided to show him around, still rocking your hideous pajamas, but he didn’t seem to mind.

Jaemin hummed as he listened to you, eyes skimming over the wide, empty room; of course, he already knew every single part of your house like the back of his hand. He had been watching you your entire life, chances are he even recognized it better than you. Though, as he gazed at you with loving eyes, you seemed too excited showing him around so much that he chose to remain quiet and carry on pretending he was unfamiliar with everything surrounding him.

Your grandparent’s house was extremely welcoming; as most houses in your town, this was also built solely out of pure wood. It wasn’t exactly a cabin, but rather a small suburban home. Everything inside consisted of mostly vintage items left behind by your folks, the only modern objects around being the ones they had bought for you. As for the backyard, it wasn’t really spacious, but it was well appreciated and cared for since majority of the homes in the town didn’t have one. Your grandmother was always making sure her garden looked appealing at all times; and in memory of her, you would regularly keep it neat in spite of your hatred for gross bugs and itchy plants.

“I used to always come down here when I wanted to play with old stuff, like landline phones or typewriter machines, I thought they were quite fun.” You smiled automatically at the fond memories. “Oh! I also remember accidentally catching Grandpa and Grandma kissing, it was disgusting.”

Jaemin laughed, recalling the time you found your grandparents being way too romantic for your young mind to comprehend, and your startled eyes before running off as soon as you had identified the scene in front.

You sat down on the dusty wooden floors that were in strong needs of some good polishing and sweeping as you called Jaemin over. Complying, he took a seat next to you, creating a feeling of familiarity just like you would usually sit together in your dreams; except this time, the two of you were in a basement desperately screaming for a deep clean. You were certain his white clothes would be totally dirty by the time you left the room. “I forgot to tell you, you were right about the whole soulmate words thing.”

“Did you think it was a lie?” He cocked an eyebrow, paired with a sly smirk.

“No, no, that’s not what I meant!” You waved your hands in the air fearing he had gotten the wrong idea.

Giggling, he nodded and brought your hands down gently, “I know what you mean. Tell me about it.” He might’ve been a holy being, but he had never experienced love for endless decades. Now that he finally found you, he couldn’t stop the crazy thumping of his heart.

“Okay so, I stayed awake until midnight yesterday - well, today, actually... anyways - besides the point.” Jaemin smiled adoringly at your cute stutters and fumbled ranting. He had learnt years ago that you stumbled over your own words when you were ecstatic about something. Hearing your thoughts in the distance was nearly impossible when he was so close to you, and it was inevitable to catch what your mind was currently thinking. You were talking, but your mind kept saying he looked ethereal right now next to you, going as far as comparing him to the most prepossessing events from Earth itself and claiming he was still prettier. “So, as I was telling you, I stayed awake ‘till midnight and you were right! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I noticed small letters appear on my wrist out of the blue, it was freaky to see it firsthand. Do you want to see?”

A cocky smirk was threatening to show up on Jaemin’s lips sooner or later, whether it be for your thoughts about him or what you were about to find out; yet, he fought the feeling and simply agreed at your request. It felt like euphoria was devouring him whole, but outside, he maintained a serene stance when you raised your wrist up to his eyes. As expected by him but not by you, the words were no longer there. A piercing shriek that hurt his ears left you upon realizing your wrist was not marked with the cursive letters anymore. Jaemin could only internally crack up at the sight of you scrambling away in panic, rushing towards the small window on the wall to get a better look of your arm with the aid of the sunrays. There was, in fact, nothing there.

The angel pondered playfully, humming specially loud so you’d be able to catch the mischief in his tone, “I thought you wanted to show me something? I don’t see anything there.”

Eyes wide like they were about to jump out of their sockets, you turned to look at him with a frightened expression, whining. “What do you know that I don’t?”

With a grunt, Jaemin got up from the floor as he brushed off the dust on his clothes, rolling his eyes at your question. “Silly girl,” he approached, your feet moving backwards the closer he got, eventually stopping when your back hit the wall behind you, “you’re so bad at this game.” He smiled cheekily before flicking your forehead.

“Ow!”

“Lovely, what did I explain it meant when the words faded away? Do you remember what I first said when I arrived?”

Oh. You realized what the current situation was. Jaemin was your fated soulmate, and as always, you did not notice because you were distracted; unsurprisingly, distracted by him. “But you’re not exactly human? How is it possible?”

He shrugged, running a hand through your hair, “Heaven and God are complicated. Angels can have human soulmates if that’s how The Heavens decide it, the only benefit you get, is you get to know when you’ll meet them - unlike humans who have no idea if they’re even gonna be fated to somebody or they’ll leave the world tragically because of their wrongdoings. The downside is that angels can take thousands and thousands of years to meet their soulmate; I was lucky to only have to wait three hundred.”

“Three hundred years!? But how come you’re twenty years old, how did you become an angel? Does me feeling all happy and sappy around you have to do with all this?” You were freaking out, but you didn’t want him to misunderstand.

Jaemin nodded, pulling you down onto the floor with him again, “there are two different types of angels; angels and Guardian Angels. Angels are people that died before their innocence was tainted which is basically all newborns or young children; teenagers and adults can too, just not as often. Guardian Angels are beings created by God himself, so unlike angels, we never existed in Earth first.” His hands were fiddling nervously with the end of his t-shirt, fingers adorned with a few silver rings. “We’re only allowed to meet our soulmate until they turn eighteen, so our age freezes at twenty while we wait. Angels can’t see their soulmate like I did in your dreams, but since I’m your Guardian Angel, I’m required to watch and care for you at all times. So, it’s acceptable to reveal myself to you discretely. And yeah,” he sheepishly giggled, “that’s why you feel all happy and sappy around me. I do too.”

“Oh.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I guess. Someone dumb like me can only handle so much information, Jaemin.”

He snickered. “Yeah, you’re right.”

You pushed him away playfully, a small smile lingering on your lips before a blush took over your features. You never had a boyfriend previously, and you had no idea what to do from now on. Jaemin looked lovely as ever, the attraction you had for him only heightening as the bond became stronger. His once fully white clothes were now slightly covered in dust, as so was his face. Despite that and his tinted cheeks that you assumed were like that because he intruded your thoughts once again, he was the same handsome boy from your dreams that never failed to make you smile. Now, he’d be by your side for more than your usual six hours of sleep, and you were thrilled, to say the least. Meeting him for real got your heart rushing and doing flips, you didn’t know what that initially meant; but now you were sure it had to be love. It felt strange to feel something as deep as love for someone you met minutes ago. Then again, Jaemin was more than a soulmate; he had basically been with you the entirety of your life, your love went higher than a mere soulmate bond. “So, what do we do now?”

Rosy cheeks, the angel was still not able to look at you after listening to your thoughts. He knew he had to stop doing that, but it wasn’t easy when they sounded so loud and tempting in his ears. “Can I kiss you? I’ve really wanted to kiss you the moment I saw you.”

A series of wild coughs took over you upon hearing Jaemin’s confession, your reaction only making him feel giddier than he already was. “I - sorry,” the attack in your throat gradually slowed down, “I’m just, Ive never had my first kiss before, I’m new to all of this.”

He scurried closer with cheeky eyes, the darkening daylight that managed to show through the tiny window in the room signaled that the sun was beginning to set, the basement now drowned in a vibrant, saturated mandarin shade. Your breath hitched instantly when he cupped your cheeks, his eyes fully sparkling with love and adoration for you, gaze traveling down your features until it landed on your lips. He wet his own unknowingly, slightly parting them as light, irregular puffs of breathes left him. Jaemin leaned in, closing the short gap that was once between the two of you until the same jolt of electricity from before warmly hit you.

His lips tasted sugary sweet, like he had been previously sucking at the nectar from the honeysuckles you loved to have in your dreams. Now, you were certain that there was indeed something sweeter than honesuckles. Not only did he taste sweet, he felt sweet too. His mouth moved against yours slowly, the rhythm at which you two kissed was a little bit sloppy, but neither of you cared about it; hands still gently holding your cheeks while your own found their preferred location, lightly grabbing at his shoulders. Jaemin pulled back, chest heaving with pants as he attempted to catch his breath, leaning in again after whispering lowly against your lips.

“Hadn’t had my first kiss either.”

“Na Jaemin, you’re supposed to be an angel from Heaven!”

The boy ignored your protests, keeping you trapped between his body and the wooden wall as he continued a fiery assault on your neck, lips trailing all the way down to your collarbones where he mercilessly sucked hard reds and purples at the delicate skin.

Months had quickly gone by after finding out the angel was your fated special someone, and time flew peacefully as your feelings for each other grew more and more at rapid lengths, if it was even possible to be any more infatuated than you already were. A lot of remarkable things had happened once Jaemin officially stepped into your life; you weren’t low-spirited anymore like you used to be, coming to terms with yourself that Jaemin was happiness itself, it was impossible to remain miserable with someone as bright as him around. Although your biggest dream had always been to visit the wonderful cities that you knew awaited outside your small town, you decided to stay here; often reminding you of the views you’d always encounter in your imagination whenever you met up with the angel, instead of your parents like you used to believe.

Christmas was the best holiday you had spent, drowning in all the love Jaemin cherished you with while his arms held you tightly to his body as you both cuddled in front of the warm fireplace, under large, fluffy blankets. Or, the softness of his lips that pressed against yours in utter passion after he had shamelessly placed random mistletoes all around the house as an excuse to kiss you all throughout winter. It was little things like that, that made you fall deeper for him. Spring was slowly coming to an end as summer prepared to engulf everybody in the heat of its shining sun and the hot temperatures that gradually became warmer every day. You couldn’t wait for the orangey sunsets that were soon to come so you could take Jaemin out to the small shops located along the river, accompanied by the relaxing sounds of the streaming fresh waters and forgotten 70’s songs that the old ladies from the stores never failed to play.

With time, you found out Jaemin was tremendously clingy and overwhelmingly sappy. For a while, he seemed absolutely pure, the tittle well deserved since he did belong to the vast heavens that he described as divinely glorious. You believed him, for his looks and personality where the exact same. Though, your perception of innocence that you had for him might’ve gone overboard, because even a harmless angel like him could sometimes overflow with a burning fire of love and want.

“Are you even allowed to do things like this?” You whined under his towering frame, refusing to let out any sounds of satisfaction. He was supposed to be a holy and saint being, yet here he was, licking and biting at your skin with no remorse. No matter how hard you tried to keep quiet, the shocks of pleasure that his naughty kisses sent throughout you entire body were inevitable and tough to neglect, when the feeling was so exquisite.

He was panting with need, wasting no time in taking off both your shirts as his hands instantly began roaming around your unconvered, warm skin, pulling you impossibly closer to him, “it’s fine.” His hands slowly moved up towards your flushed face, taking their own sweet time to run over your tummy and all the way up to your chest, which received special extra attention, until he eventually reached your cheeks and brought you into a rough kiss. Jaemin’s lips devoured you like there was no tomorrow, like he was a starved man, occasionally biting gingerly at your lower lip before lightly swiping his tongue across, engaging the wet muscles in a battle he would surely win. “Please, touch me.”

You pulled away shortly with ragged breaths, lips a cherry red and fully swollen from all the endless sucking he had inflicted on them. “Na Jaemin, are you sure this is right? I’ve never done anything dirty yet I swear I feel like I’m corrupting you so bad-”

“Stop swearing, it’s wrong.”

Jaw dropped in disbelief, you glanced up at the shirtless boy who still had you pressed against the wall with no way out, “I - you’re saying that while trying to get into my pants! I’m pretty sure swearing is the least of concerns here.”

“I’m not the one who’s thinking about sex all the time, you expect me to go through my day calmly when you’re thinking such naughty stuff?” Jaemin whined with a pout, running his fingers through his blonde locks in frustration before unexpectedly picking your flustered self up. He hurriedly carried you towards the bedroom, ignoring your loud screams demanding to put you down as he gently threw your body onto the soft mattress. “I’m literally a teenage boy, I have needs and your thoughts don’t help,” he kept complaining, “this is totally normal, it’s fine as long as it is with your soulmate, I promise. Now, please, woman.” The angel proceeded to leave a trail of feathery, wet kisses down your neck again, eyes landing on your bra straps before they locked with your gaze and wordlessly asked for permission.

Nodding slowly, you pulled Jaemin down and locked lips once again; though, this time it felt like all your unsaid emotions were pouring out into the desperate kiss, love being the biggest one swimming in the pools of several, different sentiments. He returned the kiss delicately as your hands slightly tugged at the little hairs that rested on the back of his neck, eliciting tiny moans and groans that rumbled in his hard chest. Breaths of pleasure that you swallowed escaped his mouth, the kiss progressively becoming messier and harsher as you allowed yourselves to get lost in the euphoric feeling of your bodies pressed close together, the warmth the radiated from your bare skin igniting a huge fire of arousal within the two of you.

“I love you. So much.” Jaemin pecked your lips one last time with a sincere smile, hands gliding over your shoulder blades as they unclasped your bra, gently sliding off the straps with eyes that twinkled with nothing but absolute love, lust and devotion. “I’m gonna take you higher than Heaven.”

“Jaemin! Don’t be rude!” Right then and there, you knew you were exactly where you were meant to be; in the arms of your lover as he showed you a deeper intimacy than you had ever shared before. Despite all you had gone through, life gifted you with the greatest present, Na Jaemin. You didn’t have to dream anymore to feel at home, he brought it with himself.

A celestial angel, indeed. Life was no longer unbearable for you, it was the best thing ever; and you were ready to live it at its fullest.

290 notes · View notes

jaskierswolf · 3 years

Text

You Set My Heart Ablaze Pt. 16/25

Previous __________________

It was mid-April when Geralt walked into the station, after dropping Ciri of at school, to find a huge banner hung in the breakout room. The word ‘INTERVENTION’ was scrawled in red paint across sheets of paper that had been stapled together.

Geralt almost turned tail and ran from the station.

He didn’t need a fucking intervention.

He was fine.

This was Vesemir’s fault for going on leave. Geralt was starting to wish he’d joined him. Vesemir had taken a trip to the coast, near Cintra, to go fishing. He’d asked Geralt if he wanted to go along but Geralt didn’t want to take Ciri out of school to go on a fishing trip that would most likely bore her to death. She was off school next week anyway, the start of the Beltane Holidays.

“Fuck off!” He snapped at his team mates as he shoved past them to the locker room to get changed.

“It’s for your own good, Geralt!” Eskel called after him.

Geralt muttered the words under his breath and scoffed. He was fine. Yes he’d been hurt when Jaskier had decided to practically ghost him out of the blue but really he should have expected it. Jaskier had said so many times that what they were doing was strictly on friendly terms. Not a single phone call or coffee date went by without Jaskier reminding Geralt of that fact.

He’d pushed too far.

He’d let his feelings get out of control and Jaskier had gone for a clean break. It was less messy that way. Geralt couldn’t begrudge him that.

The thing that was confusing him was Jaskier’s apparent reaction to the whole thing. Coën had spoken to him after school a couple of weeks ago and mentioned that Ciri thought that something was up with Jaskier. He’d tried to ring the teacher but he hadn’t picked up. Not that Geralt had really expected anything different, by that point Jaskier had been avoiding him for about three weeks.

He’d sent an email to check in with the teacher instead, noting that Ciri was worried about him. Jaskier should have appreciated Geralt’s efforts to make it about Ciri, but the reply he’d received was a curt assurance that the teacher was fine and that he was just tired, along with an apology to Ciri and a promise to hide it better in future.

Ciri had never mentioned it again so Geralt had assumed that Jaskier was alright.

Until that morning.

Jaskier was on morning playground duty this week.

And he looked like shit.

There was small selfish part of Geralt that desperately hoped that it was the break in their friendship that had caused such a change in the man.

He shook his head. Perhaps Eskel was right. He did need an intervention. He sighed as he finished changing into his uniform and strode back into the break room as he was pulling his hair back into a bun. “Fine. Go on.”

Renfri cackled and pulled the screen down on the wall that Vesemir used for training days. Lambert clicked the button on the projector and Geralt groaned as the picture slowly faded into view.

It was a picture of Jaskier, a headshot taken from the school’s website. Geralt knew that because he’d checked website earlier that morning to make sure he’d gotten the dates for the school holidays right.

It wasn’t his fault that he’d accidentally clicked on the staff page.

His fingers slipped.

The slide show was titled ‘how to get over your daughter’s teacher.”

“Very funny.” Geralt muttered under his breath.

Renfri wrapped her arms around his neck and then grinned as she twisted to ruffle his hair. “We only want what’s best for you Ger-Bear.”

“Get off.” He grumbled and tried to escape her grip. Once he’d finally ducked out of her arms he turned round to the team with what he hoped was a convincing smile. “I appreciate the concern but honestly I’m fine.”

“You look like someone shot Roach in front of you.” Eskel raised an eyebrow at him.

“And then forced you to eat her.” Lambert added.

Geralt grimaced. “Why am I friends with you?”

“I’m delightful.” Lambert smirked.

Geralt frowned, remembering a similar conversation he’d had before.

“What?!” Lambert groaned. “Seriously! What did I say?”

Eskel shrugged and Renfri watched Geralt suspiciously. “Geralt?”

He grunted.

“Please tell me that you’re not sulking because Lambert said something that Jaskier would say.” She put a hand on his shoulder but he didn’t meet her gaze.

He shrugged her off. “I’m fine.” He insisted and stalked into Vesemir’s office.

With the chief gone, Geralt had been asked to step up for the week and make sure all the piles of paperwork didn’t build up. It also meant that he got to hide out in the office away from the others which suited him just fine.

The projector had been turned off by the time he’d left his office for his morning tea break but in its place was a bundle of paper, printouts of the slides. He sighed and scooped them up before putting the kettle on. His friends were only trying to look out for him and he could admit, in the privacy of his own mind, that he’d been sulking. More than anything he was just pissed off at himself for letting his walls down, and he was angry that it was suddenly so much harder to rebuild them again. Why couldn’t they just snap back into place? He could go about his day with his job and his friends and his family.

Jaskier’s face was smiling up at him from the sheet of paper.

“Fuck!” He cursed and typed out a text to Coën, asking the teenager if he wouldn’t mind staying a little longer with Ciri this evening.

A few minutes later his phone beeped and he let out a breath of relief when he read that Coën had agreed to stay for an extra hour. He quickly replied to thank Coën. Honestly, the kid was a lifesaver. Geralt wouldn’t have been able to stay at work without him. He’d considered finding a way to work from home when Ciri had first arrived, he was pretty handy at DIY and there was a time where he’d thought about making a business out of restoring and fixing up damaged furniture, even odd jobs round people’s houses whilst Ciri was at school, working to his own schedule.

But the fire station was his home, they were his family.

He’d been too selfish to give that up and in the end it had worked out for the best. Ciri now had a family beyond Geralt which was important for the young girl who had lost everything.

He sighed as he finished his tea, it was still too hot and burnt the back of his throat but he didn’t mind. It was better than cold tea and he had work to do. The breaks always went too fast and the day always went too slow.

He avoided his colleagues for the rest of the day whenever possible, luckily for them it was a slow day and most of the call outs were false alarms. Eskel and Renfri had a tough call at a fatal car accident and they were pretty shaken for the rest of the day after that but the team banded together and they moved on.

They had to.

It was the job.

When the handful of full-time cats turned up for the nightshift, Geralt felt a prickle on anxiety tickle up his spine. He was exhausted and this had all seemed like a good idea at the beginning of the day when he still had hours to go.

But now.

Now he just wanted to fuck it all and go home to Ciri.

He ran through the handover quickly before escaping to his truck. He sat in his truck for at least five minutes, his head resting on the steering wheel before he swore under his breath.

“Fuck, Geralt. Get a grip!” He turned the key in the ignition and pulled out from the station.

He considered dropping into a petrol station on the way but decided that would be too cheesy.

Jaskier would probably like cheesy though.

But they weren’t dating and couldn’t be dating so cheesy was out of the question.

“I’m just making sure he’s alright. Friends do that.” Geralt grumbled at he drew up in front of the block of flats, thankfully not on fire this time.

He peered at the keypad at the front of the door looking for the right number.

5D.

That was seared into his mind forever more.

He took a deep breath and pressed the buzzer, ignoring the rising wave of panic in his chest. The building was not on fire and Jaskier was not in danger. He didn’t need to kick through the door. He wasn’t in uniform and there was no smoke billowing from the windows.

“Hello?” Jaskier’s voice crackled from the intercom.

“Jaskier?” Geralt asked. “Can I come up?”

There was brief pause and Geralt stared at the keypad, willing for Jaskier’s voice to come out, as if staring at it would make it happen sooner.

“Fuck. Fine. Yes.” Jaskier sounded tired but the door buzzed and Geralt opened it before Jaskier could change his mind.

The lift would be too slow, he decided, so he ran up the stairs taking them two at a time. He slowed to a brisk walk as he walked through the corridor. It would be a bit much, even for him, to run down the corridor.

Jaskier was waiting for him, leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

He looked… lifeless.

Geralt had never seen the teacher so flat before. He was normally brimming with life, dancing around with sparkling eyes, never really staying still.

“Jask.” Geralt breathed as their eyes met.

Jaskier frowned and looked away. “This is not appropriate, Geralt.”

“I know.” He sighed. “I know.”

“Why are you here, Geralt?” Jaskier asked, still looking at his feet.

Geralt desperately wished that the man would look at him. “Honestly?”

Jaskier huffed, sounding somewhat amused by the question. “Normally helps.”

Geralt swallowed. This was a terrible idea. He was not good at this, not good at finding the words that were enough. All the feelings swirling inside him like a storm. How could words ever be enough? Jaskier normally understood this and he’d gotten pretty good at translating Geralt’s hums and grunts in the past but now that wouldn’t be enough.

He needed words.

Jaskier needed words.

“Take your time.” Jaskier said quietly with a tilt of his and finally looked Geralt in the eyes.

Geralt felt the tension leave his body as he let himself get lost of the cornflower blue of Jaskier’s eyes. A weight he didn’t know he was carrying was lifted from his body.

He took a deep breath. “I.” He cut himself off with a growl. Why was this so hard? “I don’t understand.”

Jaskier raised an eyebrow. “You don’t understand what, Geralt?”

“We were friends.” Geralt tried to explain. “And then we weren’t.”

Jaskier sighed and moved from the doorway, gesturing for Geralt to follow him.

Geralt looked around the flat. It was good to replace the memories he had of the place. He took in all the details he could, Jaskier’s instrument collection propped up against the walls covered with a thin layer of dust, a thick soft looking rug underfoot and picture frames scattered all over the walls with no particular care of placement. The kitchen was small and led straight into the lounge area. Jaskier’s furniture was a mess of different styles but somehow he managed to make it work and Geralt couldn’t imagine it any differently.

“Drink?” Jaskier asked as he shuffled awkwardly in the middle of the room.

Geralt consider it but shook his head. “Fine thanks.”

“I’m going to have a glass a wine. Do you mind?” The teacher asked as he moved towards the kitchen. Geralt shook his head. “Good. Please, sit down.”

“Jaskier.” Geralt sighed in exasperation as the man flitted about the flat, but he did as he was told and perched on the edge of the sofa. He waited for Jaskier to come back into the living area, a large glass of red wine in hand. “Jaskier, what’s been going on?”

Jaskier was tapping his fingers against the glass nervously, glancing around the room and looking anywhere but at Geralt.

“It’s not your fault, Geralt.” He finally answered.

Geralt laughed. “I never said it was, now stop making this seem like a bad rom-com and answer the question, Jask.”

Jaskier giggled at that and the sound brightened the room considerably. “I suppose it was a bit like a bad rom-com, wasn’t it? It’s not you, Geralt, it’s me!” He laughed.

Geralt laughed with him and their eyes met once more. “Is this the part where I declare my undying love for you and beg you to take me back?” He teased.

Jaskier froze.

Fuck.

Too far.

Why did he always take the joke too far?

“Don’t joke about that, Geralt.” Jaskier’s voice wavered and there was something indescribable shining in his blue eyes.

Geralt furrowed his brow as he took in the teacher’s reaction.

The realisation hit him like a ton of bricks.

Jaskier wanted that.

He wanted Geralt.

His body moved without his permission. He stood up and crossed the room in a heartbeat, his hands cupping Jaskier’s cheeks as he pulled the brunet into a kiss. It felt like all the air left him as their lips met. He hadn’t how much he had needed this, needed Jaskier. It wasn’t until Jaskier’s lips were on his that he realised the true depth of his feelings.

It was like the heat of fire after being caught in the middle of a blizzard. Hot, blistering and burning into his soul.

Jaskier whimpered against his lips and they both jumped apart at the sound of breaking glass. Red wine was running over the floor and soaking into the rug.

Jaskier glanced down at the mess of broken glass and back up at Geralt with wide eyes. They stared at each other, their breaths the only sound in the flat, before Jaskier lunged forward and captured Geralt’s lips in a bruising kiss. Geralt pulled Jaskier closer to him, after the distance between them the last few weeks he needed to feel the brunet pressed up close to his chest. Geralt’s hands drifting down to Jaskier’s ass. He smiled against Jaskier’s lips as the man squeaked when Geralt gripped his ass.

“Geralt!” Jaskier whined.

“Hmm?” He buried his nose in Jaskier’s neck and inhaled the soft chamomile scent.

Jaskier tugged at his hair and pulled him in for another kiss. Jaskier’s lips were cracked from where he’d been chewing on his bottom lip but Geralt couldn’t care less as he bumped his nose against Jaskier’s. It was messy, it was needy…

It was somehow still perfect.

They were lost up in the moment, caught up in each other as the world around the faded away.

All Geralt knew was Jaskier as their lips moved together, tongues dancing as the kiss deepened. It felt like Jaskier was reaching into his very soul. They broke apart, panting and gripping tightly onto each other’s shirts. Jaskier was first to catch his breath and he laughed as he pressed his forehead against Geralt’s.

“Well, that was…”

“Hmm.” Geralt agreed.

“Not that I’m complaining or anything but…” Jaskier pulled back slightly and rested his hand on Geralt’s cheek.

Geralt couldn’t help but lean into his touch. It had been so long since he’d felt like this for anyone, since he’d allowed himself to be vulnerable. “I love you, Jask.”

Jaskier smiled sadly and pressed his lips to Geralt’s in a chaste kiss. “I love you too but…”

Geralt groaned and pulled away from the teacher. “Don’t say it.”

“We can’t.” Jaskier pouted. “Geralt you know we can’t. That’s why…”

“Why what?” Geralt snapped.

“It’s why I had to, you know. I couldn’t bear to be around you and not have you.” Jaskier stepped forward with a heartbreaking expression on his face.

Like Jaskier was begging Geralt to understand.

He didn’t.

“You could have had me, Jask. Fuck!” He yelled and spun around in frustration, his finger pinching the bridge of his nose. He counted a few beats in his head and sighed, turning back round to face Jaskier. “I’m not. I’m not good at this but I thought I was being pretty obvious.”

Jaskier’s face fell. “Oh dear heart.”

“Don’t.” Geralt growled. “Don’t kiss me like that and then tell me we can’t do this.”

“I’ve hurt you.” Jaskier sighed and sat down on the sofa. “I’m sorry, darling.”

Geralt down next to him, he couldn’t help it. He was drawn to Jaskier, even if he was angry at the teacher. Jaskier seemed to have the same problem. He rested his head on Geralt’s shoulder and his hands landed on Geralt’s legs.

“I didn’t come here to kiss you.” Geralt admitted.

Jaskier laughed. “Oh?”

“I just needed to know why you were avoiding me.” Geralt sighed as he laced their fingers together. “I couldn’t understand what I’d done wrong. I thought maybe I could apologise?”

Jaskier shifted next to him so that he was kneeling on the sofa facing Geralt, a hand on his cheek. “Dearest, you did nothing wrong.”

“Hmm.” Geralt replied, not believing Jaskier. Of course he’d done something wrong. There was no other reason for Jaskier to pull away from him so suddenly.

“I was scared, Geralt.” Jaskier admitted. “We have the board breathing down our necks at work, three teachers suspended for misconduct.”

Geralt opened his mouth to speak but Jaskier’s finger on his lips stunned him to silence.

“Let me finish, dear.” Jaskier pleaded.

“Fine” Geralt mumbled against Jaskier’s finger.

“Good.” Jaskier bopped him on the nose and Geralt wrinkled it in surprise. “Three teachers suspended for misconduct,” He repeated, picking up his train of thought. “and then you came in with the lunchbox and well…” Jaskier trailed off and smiled dopily at Geralt. Geralt laughed and bumped his forehead against Jaskier’s gently. “Well, I realised that I was unreasonably in love with you.”

Geralt hummed and pulled him into a kiss. How was he supposed to resist the teacher when he said things like that?

He felt Jaskier’s smile against his lips as the brunet pushed back against his chest. “I wasn’t finished!”

Geralt smirked and tilted his head at the teacher.

“No. Stop it. Stop looking at me like that.” Jaskier pouted.

“I’m not looking at you like anything.” Geralt chuckled.

“Yes you are!” Jaskier poked him in the chest. “It’s all very…” He waved his hands in Geralt’s general direction. “distracting!”

“So you realised you were in love with me?” Geralt grinned, prompting the teacher to continue his story.

“Yes and,” He paused “then I remembered that we were supposed to just be friends and with teachers getting suspended left right and centre I just. I couldn’t risk it! I couldn’t do that to my kids, Geralt. I couldn’t do that to Ciri. She’s lost too much already.” Jaskier was staring at him with wide eyes and jutting out his bottom lip.

Geralt frowned at the words. “You did it for Ciri?”

How could he argue with that?

Jaskier was right. If he was suspended or fired because Geralt couldn’t control himself. Ciri would lose her teacher and she adored Jaskier. All of the buttercups did.

“I did it for all of my buttercups.” Jaskier amended. “Ciri included.”

“Fuck.” Geralt groaned and pressed his palm against his forehead.

“But I hated it, Geralt.” Jaskier shifted forward and took Geralt’s hands in his. “I missed you, Melitele knows I missed you. I missed the sound of your voice, I missed your laugh, I missed the way your lips quirk up in that little half smile.”

Geralt scowled. “I don’t do that.”

“You do.” Jaskier insisted. “and I missed your eyes. Gods, Geralt. Do you even know how beautiful they are?”

Geralt scoffed.

“Geralt!” Jaskier whined. “Beautiful.”

“Hmm.” Geralt rolled his eyes.

“I never wanted to hurt you.” Jaskier sighed. “Forgive me, darling.”

Geralt searched Jaskier’s eyes with his own, trying to find an answer to a question that he didn’t understand. He only knew that the answer was in Jaskier’s eyes. He tilted his head as he tried to comprehend what was really going on between them. They were fighting, but then they were kissing, and then fighting again. They couldn’t be more than friends but they loved each other but Jaskier could lose his job but the never-ending terms of endearment.

Was love always this fucking confusing?

He thought back to his relationship with Yennefer and decided it probably was.

“Geralt?” Jaskier asked quietly. “Please.”

He sighed, knowing he wasn’t able to answer the question yet. He didn’t have enough information to make the decision yet. “What happens next?”

“What?” Jaskier asked, his voice cracking.

“We can’t date, Jask. You were right. It wouldn’t be fair on the kids, on Ciri, if someone found out.” Geralt scowled.

Why did it feel like they were breaking up again before they even got started?

“I know.” The teacher sighed and buried his head in Geralt’s shoulder. Geralt instinctively moved his hand to thread his fingers through Jaskier’s soft hair. “It’s not fair.”

“No.” Geralt agreed. “It’s not. So what happens now?”

“I can’t pretend that I don’t love you, Geralt.” Jaskier moaned into his shirt.

Geralt laughed and gently pulled Jaskier up so he could see his face again. The brunet was pouting.

Gods, those lips would be the end of him.

He didn’t know what else to say so he did the only thing he could think of and kissed them.

Jaskier fell back onto the sofa and pulled Geralt on top of him. Geralt straddled Jaskier waist and he kissed him like his life depended on it. They wouldn’t have tomorrow, they only had today.

This moment.

This was it.

He couldn’t waste it.

He wouldn’t waste it. Not now that he had Jaskier in his arms, his lips captured by his own.

“Jaskier?” He asked, his voice a low growl. “Stop me.”

Jaskier laughed breathlessly, his face was flushed and his pupils were blown wide so there was only a slither of cornflower blue. “Like fuck I will. Shut up you brute and kiss me!”

So he did. ________

#the witcher #geraskier #you set my heart ablaze #geralt/jaskier #geralt of rivia #jaskier pankratz #teacher!jaskier #fireman!geralt #modern au #sorry this chapter is late!#wolfie's witcher writing

34 notes · View notes

planetjisungie · 4 years

Text

détester- l.dh

characters; slytherin! haechan x gryffindor! reader ft. gryffindor! mark (its just a given at this point) and slytherin! jisung

summary; enemies to lovers, you and donghyuck had always just hated eachother. you dont know when it started, or why it started but it was starting to get annoying.

an; i WILL finish my hogwarts series tonight we only have chenle left but now we have more fluff than actual crack because simon says is playing

congratulations you have reached gryffindor level you lucky prick

only the finest gryffindor

you are the embodiment of courage, literally if there was a ditch and someone fell down while everyone was too scared to help them, youd dive in before they could even say ‘dumbledore’

and you just so happen to be the younger sister of mark lee

the infamous mark lee,, that is

lucky prick part 2

but one thing made you seem not so lucky

your sworn enemy, lee donghyuck

or haechan as he liked to be called because apparently all evil villains needed a fake name

thats what you said anyway, he just liked the name haechan for its meaning

but he was also the emodiment of a slytherin, ambitious, cunning, resourceful and he was a pretty damn good leader

hence him being the captain of the quidditch team (no we are not going down the jisung route)

you didnt actually know when you started hating him, in your first year he had just decided to tie your poor, poor cat like a pig for roasting (he was in his second year already)

mr snuggles was traumatized

after that day it was small things to annoy you

like when he put hair dye in your conditioner bottle, resulting in your hair turning out a seafoam green colour

which you actually didnt mind so the joke was really on him, you pulled that shit off

or when he put spiders in your school shoes

that was unpleasant

and he also put a cockroach in your pocket, scaring your poor best friend who was terrified of the creatures

jisung was shaking, he hates cockroaches

to this day you still didnt know why he was a slytherin, but you guessed it was because he was a pureblood, very ambitious and resourceful but not so scary

but today was no exception

you walked towards the gryffindor table, robe billowing behind you as if you were walking in a movie

you were a lee sibling, you were both good at literally everything and deserved all the praise on earth

you fucking go girl, i stan

jisung sat at your table, the gryffindors appeared not to mind, especially as he was actually super nice

"y/n haechan told me to give you this"

ah there it was

the small hufflepuff girl handed you the letter before scurrying off back to her table

"y/n im scared"

jisung was already frightened of what that letter would hold

and you were a good friend, who knew no good would come from that letter

so you shoved it in your pocket, letting it crumple up before turning back to your breakfast

rip donghyuck

that was a fat L for our boy

he just wanted your attention

at first at least, he just wanted to be noticed by you so he pulled the cat stunt, making sure he didn’t actually harm the creature because he is still a decent human being and the grey furry animal did nothing to him

but now he had taken things too far

and he realised that after the stunt he pulled which resulted in you

yes, you, the brave, courageous gryffindor, crying

yeah he fucked up

he casted an illusion spell that infiltrated your sleep, creating nightmares with your deepest fears

and he regretted that

prank gone wrong *nearly killed her* (not clickbait)

you were still pissed at him for that

but that letter in your pocket was no ordinary letter

it was a confession letter, because he; yes him, the infamous slytherin, was too scared to talk to you about it in person

yet you literally just crushed his heart

which he kinda deserved to be fair

but jisung sent you a grateful smile and you went back to your conversation of which cereal brand was better

the answer is obviously lucky charms or frosted shreddies pengers mate

so our baby slytherin needed to find another way to get his feelings across because he was failing

and brother mark was: not happy

mark was a friend of haechan but despite his complaints every goddamn time that he needed to stop his stupid jokes that weren’t actually jokes, he didnt listen

maybe he shouldve listened

mark knows best

apart from jenos fic, mark was a real bitch but this is mark 2.0

mark really doesnt know best

anyways moving on

its time for innovative hyuck™️

so its back to the drawing room, sitting next to yuta (his head boy) to discuss the next plan of action

cutie yuta felt that haechan opening up to him about his feelings was the biggest achievement during his time at hogwarts

so right, the next plan

it was to leave flowers on your bed and then when you turned around to see who put them there (hypothetically) he would be there and he could make his outstanding apology

but of course, this isnt some fanfiction where everything goes right

who do you take me for?

so later that day he gathered his flowers, tying them in a cute dark green ribbon

staying with the slytherin theme

and he put them on your bed

they were some seriously nice flowers

you noticed them as soon as you walked in and your heart swelled

unfortunately that wasnt the only thing that swelled

you were allergic to pollen, and your eyes had puffed up slightly, itching a little and you had some sniffles

that was another L for hyuck

and he ran, he fucking booked it out of his little hiding spot back to his common room aka the dungeon

"YUTA I FAILED"

"how the fuck do you fail giving someone flowers hyuck?"

"shes fucking allergic"

so you never found out who gave you flowers

but

but you did keep them, despite your obvious physical irritation to them

they were pretty :(((

so you pressed them into a random notebook you found, because seriously you couldnt just chuck them out

unfortunately for hyuck, he was not so slick to mark who narrowed his eyes on the boy

he knew something was up

what kind of torture device was flowers ?? this was too soft

and so he found out that the same boy who had been making your life a little

how should i say

s p i c y

had a fat crush on you and was just a pouty baby who wanted your love and attention

cute

mark didnt know whether to support this?? like ?? he knew that underneath your front of disliking the long legged boy, you had some feelings, maybe small but they were there

you wouldve called it fondness

because

i promise youre not a sadist or masochist

but you would see him in class

he was very focused and had a beautiful smile

and laugh

he may come across a little... stand offish and arrogant at first but hes actually a kind soul

from how he made a mess in the grand hall but when he thought everyone was gone, he stayed behind to help clean it, having fun conversations with the staff (elves? who tf cleans the great hall??)

that goddamn melodious laughter constantly ringing in your head

shawtys like a melody in my head

but moving on

you noticed the pranks he pull decreased

and that was because he was spending time with yuta and mark, planning the perfect, foolproof (unfortunately not jeno this time) way to confess

and he sent you small smiles ?? what ??

this is so unlike the hyuck you knew

like he did a 180

i did a full 180 baby crazy

i said this was gonna be less crackish but when regular comes on and you hear jaehyuns queso line you cant not feel qUirKy

(bbq- bb—s mY DIAMONDS I DONT NEED NO LIGHT TO SHINE- jungwoo)

okay so the next plan

you loved quidditch too, mainly because your brother was the captain for the gryffindor team

so the plan was for you to attend the slytherin v gryffindor match and

mark somewhat willingly agreed to have a friendly match so that hyuck could show off his skills

this was an awful plan

because it was raining the day of the match

so you and jisung huddled together for warmth, shivering as you watched the match

and hyuck couldnt feel worse, he felt like you were now going to be sick because of him

damn, you really couldnt catch a break

the groan of pure frustration yuta let out was amusing at least

he was just as invested in this as haechan at this point

like he was germinating a seed??? he was fathering this relationship

so with another L, haechan felt super super bad

and this baby cooked for you

he got his best friend jaemin to teach him how to make chicken soup

because you were actually not a herbivore

(thats the category i put vegans and vegetarians in)

omnivore tings

so he carried his little pot of soup, his fingers kind of burning as it was piping hot

he legit walked right past a suffering jisung in the slytherin dorm, the pot of soup still in hand not even sparing a thought about taking pity on the poor kid and giving him some

so he walked to your dorm, being let in by mark who was being big bro™️ and looking after your sick ass

you looked dead

pale skin, eyes closed, lips tinted blue, your body was shivering but you felt fucking boiling

peak peak times

but haechan still thought you looked gorgeous

mark vacated the dorms, leaving to his lessons so hyuck could look after you

this wasnt a plan ?? but hyuck rolled with it

setting his lil pot down he sat in a seat next to you, staring at your asleep awake form with closed eyes

his eyes held so much love and adoration for you, you really are lucky

he took off his robe, just sitting there in his shirt, trousers and green tie and watching you sleep

you were actually awake, just vibing and breathing to stay alive

and he had a lot on his chest

"i know ive been a massive prick to you and im really sorry. i know you’re asleep right now but im too much of a coward to say this to your face. i really only just wanted your attention because i seem to have feelings for you and i am sincerely sorry for going about it the wrong way"

your ears were {}

wide open

boy were you listening and taking this all in

oh shit

realizashun xx

so you fluttered your eyes open gently, watching his face morph into an expression of pure terror from his previous one of literal love

*whipping noise*

"youre awake!" he squeaked out, eyes darting around the room to look at anything but you

which you couldnt help but smile at

shifting to the side in your bed slightly, you lifted the covers, lazily patting the now open space

"c’mere"

your voice was kind of croaky and hoarse

that made hyuck feel guilty

baby it wasn’t your fault

but he complied, kicking off his leather school shoes and sliding besides you, staying as far away from you as possible

not to offend you, his heart was just going a million miles a second and there was no way you wouldn’t be able to hear it

this boy was like blushy sausage face part 2

arrogant hyuck has left the chat

you pouted seeing him shuffle away from you, shuffling to move yourself closer instead

power move, he either had to cuddle with you or fall off the bed

"can we just forget what i said earlier?"

that made you frown

the fuck?

hell no

"hyuck wait-"

"no dont bring it up its embarrassing"

whiny baby is back

"hyuck i-"

"nope nope nope nope"

"LET ME SPEAK FOR FUCKS SAKE"

he had no choice but to listen

your voice sounded strained already and he didnt want to make you feel worse

"i have feelings for you too you big baby"

double take

you what now?

haechans mouth just kinda froze open

so you shut his jaw gently

cant let him get jaw ache

"wait what?"

his soul has returned

he felt elated, completely happy, dare i say like he was high on a drug and said drug was not THC it was your TLC (LMAO GET IT IM PROUD OF THAT)

and so thats how mark returned to your dorm room to see you and hyuck cuddled in your bed, your head laying on his chest as his chin rested on your head, nuzzling into your hair (which was still half seafoam green might i add)

hyuck wasnt awake to celebrate, so yumark had their own small celebration, counting this as their success

you only found out he had put the flowers on your bed about two months after you started dating

a month after that you read the letter he gave you

#nct #nct dream #mark #mark lee #jisung #jisung park #nct hogwarts au #no eun this time 😔#fucking finally this one took longer than an hour to write #haechan #donghyuck #hyuck #gryffindor reader

105 notes · View notes

originofjaehyun · 4 years

Text

Interlude: No More Drama | Part 8 | Love Me Now

Interlude: No More Drama Masterlist

Word count: 4,985

Warnings: Angst, language

Part 8 | Love Me Now

“Now I realize those shining days, those days left alone being stuck in the dark you disappeared.”

Prev • Next

The clinking sound of the spoon touching your cup of tea can be heard. It was not the usual prototype of a cafe that you would come to. It’s even too grand to be called a cafe. Butlers are stationed nearby, and although their presence is to make sure you’re at ease, it does exactly the opposite.

You’re worried about your table manners, your speech, and the way you dress up. You’re choosing a nude-colored coat, pairing it with a black turtle neck to keep the theme neutral. You complete the look by wearing a minimal gold layered necklace over it, with few stacks of thin rings on your fingers.

The steps from oxford shoes snap you out of your daze. There, you saw how this tall man gracefully walks towards your direction. Two men can be seen walking next to his side, to which he dismisses when he’s about to reach you.

“Good afternoon, Ms. [Y/L/N]. I hope I didn’t take too much of your time.”

Mr. Jeong took his seat, immediately crossing his legs and clasping his hand together.

You straighten your back, trying hard not to look nervous, “No problem, uh, Sir. I already make sure I book my calendar for this so please be at ease.”

After what Jaehyun has told you about his father, you could not believe that man in his story is the same person as the one who’s sitting in front of you. Sure, he looks intimidating by his prideful aura, but he is the perfect epitome of a gentleman. A posture that is so perfect that it must be from years of keeping his manner on check.

Not long after, the butler brought his share of tea. He never ordered, so you wondered how the waiter would know his choice of drink. Perhaps he was a regular here, or his men ordered it for him.

The butler poured his tea, left immediately afterwards. You were about to take a sip of your tea because the silence kills you before he suddenly speaks up.

“So, how is your company running along? What was it called again?”

“The Paper Plane, Sir.”

“Ah yes, that one.” He took a sip while fixing his gaze on you.

You gulped, “It’s been doing well, Sir. Our project with NCT Corporation is on track so that’s great. Johnny has been nothing but wonderful, he’s been a great help.”

“What do you do again at your company?”

“I’m the creative director, Sir. I oversee the general artistic direction of a brand or company, making sure everyone has a shared vision of the direction things should be moving in.”

“I see,” He placed his cup back on its saucer, seemingly impassive about the topic.

“So, Jaehyun.”

Your heart drops at the sudden change of topic. Although you want to remain calm, you can feel the anxiousness start to creep in and you unconsciously press your lips together.

“How long have you been together?”

“Sorry sir?” You are taken aback by his sentence, clearly didn’t expect him to be so direct, skipping the unnecessary chit-chat. Furthermore, you’re not sure whether Jaehyun told him about your relationship. Presuming from the story Jaehyun has told you, it doesn’t seem like he did.

“Indeed, Jaehyun introduced you as our client,” He took a glance at his teacup, leaving it untouched as he diverted his pupils to you. “But I know you’ve been dating Jaehyun.”

You widen your eye, revealing more sclera. “Uhm…” unsure how to answer, especially in front of Jaehyun’s father domineer aura.

But you decided that you don’t want to lie.

“We’ve only been together for almost four months, Sir. But I’ve known him for seven months.”

“Ah, young love.” He twirls his spoon on his tea, “Must be great, I assume?”

You gulped nervously, not sure whether you answered correctly.

“Jaehyun has been treating me well, Sir. Even though he is working hard at the office – which I heard from Johnny he’s always a stellar performer, he always make sure he spare some of his time for me. He’s gentle, and appreciates my opinions too.”

“I see,” He breaks your sentence, taking another sip. “Then, I take that as he would listen if you asked him to end it with him?”

You almost drop your spoon, “Sorry?”

“Jaehyun is an excellent young man, Ms. [Y/L/N]. He would face more challenges moving forward, and surely you’d rather be free with your creative field.” He holds his cup, putting a sarcastic tone especially at the word creative.

“Well, I think it’s up for Jaehyun to decide, Sir. He’s a full-grown man and I think he’s excellent at making his own decision.” You tried to keep your calm, debating with him.

“Ms. [Y/L/N],” He lets out a cold snicker. “I do not like to repeat my words.”

You hold your breath, surprised at the sudden change of personality.

“Our Jaehyun already has his life crafted for him. His future is bright, and I know he would continue doing well. You lived in a world, completely opposite of his. It would be difficult for you to carry on with the relationship.”

“Thus my advice, Ms. [Y/L/N], since it’s only been a short while since you started seeing my son, I would suggest you would end it soon. It would make the parting more bearable.”

He clasped both of his hands, elbow on the table. He gives you a smile, and a dimple appears on his right cheek, probably where Jaehyun inherits his. However, his smile was monochromatic, dark and cold.

“Sir, with all due respect,” You unconsciously formed a fist, clawing yourself for a grip. “Both of us can decide what’s the best for our own, and Jaehyun is more than capable of deciding his own path. He would be happier if he could walk on the path that he chose.”

“If.” He shrugs his back to his chair backrest. “My dear, you don’t know anything about his life. And believe me, it’s time for you to no longer be a part of it.”

You could no longer stay in the suffocating air, you rose from your seat. He remains unfazed, as if he knows you would react this way.

“Sir, I apologize if this may come off as rude.” Even at the tip of your patience, you tried to be polite to someone who shares the same blood with your lover. “But I’m a woman of my own decision and I love Jaehyun as much as he loves me. I think you just crossed the line by telling me that I’m unsuited to be a part of his life. I don’t even think you even asked Jaehyun about this. Please think more about your family’s happiness if you truly care.”

You grabbed your purse, storming outside without even trying to say goodbye to the rude man. You saw in glances that the butlers seem uncomfortable with your conversation, but you don’t give a damn. You don’t even care even to split your bill, that man probably has the fortune to purchase the entire building anyway.

You took a march outside the tea salon, and after you judge you’re far enough, the walls that hold your tears finally break down like a broken dam. You squatted because you don’t want anyone to see the sight of you crying, even though you’re sure people would still take a peek at you crouching down, sobbing.

You cried because you feel insulted, not at the way he talks to you. He looked you down, and it hurts your pride. You built your career from the ground and you’re very proud of it. So for a father of the person whom you love refused to give his blessings to you merely because he sees you as unbefitting as his son’s partner is devastating.

“Hey, are you OK?”

You’ve heard that voice before. Although the overall tone of his voice was cheery, he tried his best to calm you down.

You look up at the owner of the voice, eyes are still wet from crying. As if the stars were trapped inside, his eyes were full of sparkles. The gaze that gives a spoiler of his innocence and purity. From the way he looks at you, you know behind his iris lies his kindness.

“Ah, you’re… Jaehyun’s brother?” You’re quick on your feet, standing up so he doesn’t have to stare down, ending your sentence awkwardly because you don’t know how to address him.

“Just call me Mark.” He said in a friendly tone, “Uhm, I realize you’re just from the tea shop, but would you like a warm cup of hot chocolate?”

You realize how awkward he is, his hand keeps scratching his non-itchy scalp. He probably never asked someone out, so he doesn’t know what to do. But you know he did so because he wished to calm you down.

“Hot chocolate sounds fantastic, Mark.”

The familiar sight of the cafe makes you comfortable. The smell of the fresh pastries and grounded coffee fits you better in comparison to the high-end tea setting just now.

“Here,” Mark handed out a warm towel.

You stare at him confusedly, and he immediately answers your unspoken question, “Oh, it’s from the kitchen. One of my friends is the staff here. It’s fresh from the sterilizer, so it’s clean, don’t worry!”

Finally, the feeling of discomfort starts to fade at how genuine he is in trying to cheer you up. You took the towel out of his hand, “Thank you.”

You patted the towel over your swollen lids. Mark took his seat, fidgeting on the cup’s handle before he talked about the elephant in the room.

“So, uhm…”

“Was it my, uhm, father who did this?” He stutters as he is very careful about touching the sensitive subject.

You paused, trying not to recall the bitter memory. But you see Mark glancing at you like a lost cheetah cub, and you don’t have the heart to ignore his question.

“Well, sort of, I guess. He’s not entirely on fault, I think.”

Though you know deep inside he is, you tried to keep your statement as democratic as possible, avoiding to hurt Mark’s feelings if you bad mouthed his father.

“It’s OK, you can be honest with me.” He leans forward so you can see his sincerity.

“Truthfully I saw when you talked to Father. Sorry, I overheard my father at home, he said he’s meeting you today. I realized he was talking about you, hyu…”

“I mean, elder brother’s girlfriend.”

“Just address him comfortably, Mark. I realize you forced yourself to call him that way. Also, it sounds overly polite.”

He lets out a warm chuckle, “Ah, you got me. Father asked me to call him that way, so I want to make sure I’m used to it.”

“Why do you have to force yourself? He is your brother, no family does that.”

Your statement causes the lines on his face to appear, forming especially near his cheekbones, showing how prominent they are.

“Anyway,” You swirl your cup, melting the marshmallow on top. ”Jaehyun never mentions that I am his girlfriend, how does he know?”

Mark almost choked on his share of chocolate. He cleared his throat, “Well, Father has his own connection…”

You furrows your brows, demanding him to elaborate his statement.

“Please don’t be offended? I think he did a background check on you. It’s just the way he does his thing, and I know it’s wrong and I oppose it.”

“Also, you did steal the show on that night. Not only are you linking arms with hyung, but you’re different from the rest of the wannabes on that event.”

You laughed, but it dies down instantly as the thought of their father investigating you makes you uneasy. “Well, he could’ve just met me and get to know me. That is some illegal shit he’s doing.”

He then asks you whether Jaehyun has told you anything about him. You did tell him the snippets of the story that Jaehyun has told you, telling him that you know the situation between them through Johnny initially.

You keep it nice and short before he proceeds to tell you a bit of Jaehyun’s childhood. About how Jaehyun always acted like the ideal older brother but you’re almost out of breath when you laugh at the story on how Jaehyun sulks because he wanted to eat his cereal with a cold milk, but they were out of it so he sobs while saying that all he wants is just some milk.

“Hey, bro. Sorry it took me a while to clean off the stain.” You are equally as surprised as him, who just skipped his way to where you and Mark is.

“What is she doing here?” Taeyong openly showed his hostility.

“You know him, Yong? Oh no, wait, yeah you told me she came with hyung during your class.”

“Mark just asked me for a cup of hot chocolate, to cheer me up.”

“Why?” He furrowed his brows, directing that question to Mark like he didn’t want to engage a conversation with you.

“She met father, Yong. And I, uhm, happened to be there so I took her here.”

The explanation seems minimal but it seems enough for Taeyong to grasp the situation. “Hah! Let me guess, the meeting doesn’t go well, does it?”

You fidget with your fingers, not sure how to answer him. Mark took your place by giving his friend a nod.

“Well I guess it's bound to happen. The Jeongs are always overprotective with their old money business. Thank God you kept your mother’s last name.”

“Yong!” He rose from his seat, moving his palm to cover Taeyong’s mouth.

“Oh shit, his man could be around, doesn’t it?”

“No, no, no!”

You’re confused with his statement, especially when Mark became so alert at the sudden piece of information.

“What business, Mark?”

“Wait, she doesn’t know?”

Mark shook his head lightly, trying to keep his movement minimal so Taeyong aware that he just landed on a minefield. It was like a scene from a movie, where both of them slowly looked at your direction.

“Answer me.”

“He doesn’t have the obligations, though.” Taeyong tried to ask you to let this one off.

“Mark.”

“[Y/N], I’m sorry can you just pretend you didn’t hear it? I-”

“Mark, your father just insulted my career or basically just me as a human being for loving your older brother. I’m about to move in with him and I think I deserve to know the truth if there’s anything that he’s hiding.”

The way you demand makes Mark flinched, “But, if Jaehyun-hyung didn’t tell you then I don’t think I have the rights to do so.”

“Mark, please.” You beg, and you can feel your vision start to blur. The water that starts to collect on your tear duct instantly made Mark’s decision.

“Yong, can we borrow the classroom?”

Taeyong nods, and with that he swiftly walks to the classroom direction on the second floor. You and Mark followed right after.

“I’ll wait outside. There’s no more class today so take your time.” Taeyong said gently to Mark.

“Sure, I owe you bro.”

Mark then took a seat next to you. With no table in between, you can now see the frustration in his eyes. You know you don’t want to force him to tell you anything, but you’re just tired of this new information that keeps appearing with every breath you take.

You just want to know the truth.

He looked left and right, making sure there’s no extra pair of ears that could listen to your conversation except for Taeyong.

“[Y/N], I really don’t think I should tell you any of this...”

“Mark... Jeong? Wait, Taeyong did say that you kept your mother’s last name.”

“It’s Lee. Mark Lee.”

He is fidgeting with his fingers, vexed with the fact he has to be the one who deliver the news.

“Please, what I about to tell you is suppose to be a secret. And please, please I beg you don’t let this change the way you see hyung.”

You tilted your head to one side, confused with the sudden warning.

He then spoke softly, “My adoptive father, and grandfather. Well, mostly my grandfather... Uhm, I guess there’s no way he could build an empire like what we have right now without… a little bit of help.”

Lines appeared on your forehead you might get wrinkles as you frowns harder.

Mark looked down, took a deep breath before he looks at you, “The Jeongs have been doing underground business.”

He looked at you and immediately regretted that you have to hear it from him, and not Jaehyun. But there’s no way you letting him go after that piece of puzzle he just revealed.

“Grandfather knows in order to fulfil his dream to live with power, it would be nearly impossible to run just a property business. Long story short, he made connections with people from higher ups to do business behind the scene. Father, as the only child, has no option but to…”

“What business, Mark?” You demanded him to cut to the chase, frustrated because he keeps on concealing the truth.

Worries are stamped all over Mark’s face. He pressed his lips together, wishing that he could seal this information forever, but your eyes told him to unfold the truth.

“Gamblings, drugs, prostitutes.”

You closed your eyes in disbelief. Breathing in trying to not let another tear fall.

“As a company, NCT Corp. is doing great now. Of course as the founder we’ll get a lot from there but once Father tasted how much it triples with his side business, Father just couldn’t stop.”

“Also, it’s even easier to do their business because Father is the founder of NCT Corp.. As a property company, he can easily conceal where the transaction happens. We are the biggest in our sector, and with Father’s connection, that he inherits from grandfather, boom, easy as a snap of a finger.”

“Hang on,” You push your palm to Mark’s direction, interjecting him. “Is Jaehyun the heir?”

He widens his eyes, “He is the next in line for NCT Corp..”

“Mark, you know I’m not talking about that.”

Mark constantly grips his jeans, visibly anxious. “I swear, [Y/N], Jaehyun-hyung don’t want this,”

Before Mark could continue his sentence, you quickly grabbed your purse, ready to leave.

“Wait, [Y/N], please!”

Mark holds your arm, begging you to stay.

“You’re not leaving hyung, will you?”

You squeezed your lips together, as the next sentence that you’re about to say feels like a thousand needles piercing your heart.

“What is there left to make me stay, Mark?”

He rose from his seat in panic, “No, no! Please don’t, I beg you! This is all my fault, I shouldn’t have told you! I just ruined hyung’s happiness. Please don’t leave his side, you don’t know the look that he gave you that night. He truly cherishes you and he will continue to do so, I promise!”

He hold your arm, begging you to listen to his explanation.

“Jaehyun-hyung will try his best to protect you, I know that, so don’t leave him, [Y/N].”

You pull your hand, escaping it from Mark’s grip. “Your father,” No matter how much you tried to be collected, the droplets finally fell down from your eyes. “Done a background check on me. Insulted me to the bones, and he is a freaking mafia? Tell me, Mark, would it be wise for me to stay?”

He wanted to argue, but he couldn’t because he knows if he were in your shoes, he would probably do the same. He knows the thing that his own father would probably do, so he can’t really defend his own argument.

You gave Mark one last look before opening the sliding door, exiting and ignoring Taeyong who just called you rude.

—

Thank God you took a half day leave because the last thing you would’ve wanted is to deal with work. You finally reach home after sobbing inside the cab.

“Hello?”

There’s no way Doyoung would reject your call, so he answered after a few tones.

“Doyoung, where are you?” You called him, meekly.

“Hey, are you alright?” He noticed that your voice is shaky, and he knows that you’ve been crying.

“I… don’t think I am.”

“Hey, hey, stay with me.”

“Who’s that? Your girlfriend?”

Another voice alerts you. You saw the clock, it’s past seven and it should be over his working hour.

“Doy, should I end the call? I wanted to call Hanbyul but she’s currently vacationing with Mingyu.”

“No it’s fine, I already clocked out but I planned to have dinner with Yuta – no, this is not my girlfriend. Remember her? The one I told you about before you got drunk?”

“Ah! I remember! The one who’s dating The Jeong, right? Man, she’s dating one powerful guy!”

“Wait, Yuta, you know Jaehyun?”

“Who doesn’t? It’s a wide-known fact. Nobody messes with The Jeong – even with all of their doings, they got the higher cops backing them up. My friend back in Osaka, he got connected to a yakuza group, you see, told me that they wouldn’t even dare to come for them. Taka’s yakuza group is pretty poweful, too.”

You can’t see Doyoung, but after eavesdropping their conversation, you can imagine how Doyoung’s face turned pale.

“Shit, [Y/N], is this what it's all about?”

You break down at how perfect he hits the target.

“Fuck, and you just move in too.”

“I can’t stay Doy. I’m fucking scared right now. I don’t feel safe.”

He sighed, “Shit. Yuta, I have to cancel our dinner.”

You can hear Yuta whined in disappointment, but you’re glad on how Doyoung always prioritizes you.

“Is Jaehyun at home?”

You struggle to reply to him, as you’re choking from your tears.

“I was planning to drink tonight so I didn’t bring my car. I’ll go back home and pick you at your place. I’ll stay until Jaehyun’s home, then hopefully we can make peace with him.”

—

Strange.

Usually by now Jaehyun would see you in front of the TV, with any snack available from the pantry. You would watch a drama while waiting for him to return. Sure, it’s way past drama prime time, nevertheless you would always wait for Jaehyun no matter how late he’s coming home.

But all he heard was noises coming from the master bedroom.

“Babe?”

After he called for you, he noticed your movements become faster. He automatically looks up for you, only to find you just finished packing your stuff to your suitcase.

“Baby what’s going on?” He is confused with your action, colors start to wash out from his face.

“I…” You’re nervous because he caught you red handed, and Doyoung is probably still on his way. It’s partly your fault because you didn’t check your phone, which you left in your handbag in the living room. “I can’t stay, Jaehyun. I’m sorry.”

You quickly grabbed your suitcase, didn’t have time to check whether you left anything behind. You couldn’t care, when all that matters is the sight of Jaehyun’s puzzled face. It breaks your heart to see him, knowing that you love him so dearly but you have to leave.

He grabbed you before you could leave, “You can’t stay? What do you mean?” His voice was shaking, you can tell that he couldn’t catch the situation clearly.

“Please let me go, Jaehyun. It is as I said, I can’t stay here anymore.”

“Are you going back to your apartment? Did you leave anything important? I can drive you there.”

“No, Jaehyun.” You closed your eyes, fighting the tears that were about to come, “I can’t stay with you anymore. I’m sorry.”

You drag your suitcase, turning your back from him as you couldn’t bear to look at his face any longer, which is painted with disappointment.

He rushed out of the room, halted you by standing in front of you, “Don’t joke with me, [Y/N],” He finally drops the nicknames he gave to you, “This doesn’t make any sense. Why are you suddenly leaving? What did I do?”

You look at him in the eyes, to see how his eyes start to turn red. You know it’s not his fault, but you also know that it wouldn’t be wise to stay with him, when his family just screams danger.

But Jaehyun deserves to know.

“I met your father this afternoon,” His eyes instantly grew wider, “He told me that you and I live in a different world. He asked me to break it off with you.”

“Bullshit, [Y/N]!” He grabbed your arms. “You know I’m trying to win this battle with him. I promise I will, don’t worry about that fucker and stay. Stay with me.”

He tightly gripped you, tears welled up in his eyes though he did not cry. He’s angry, and you know it.

“Let me go, Jaehyun. Please.” You begged him, pushing the last bit of energy you had left. You’re tired of crying, and you feel like you could cry again anytime soon.

“No, I won’t. If I let you go, you’ll be gone forever. Don’t do this to me, [Y/N]. You’re precious to me and I will not let that goddamn father of mine ruin my only happiness.”

His sentence makes your defense collapse, teardrops left their trails in your cheeks, “Winning what battle exactly, Jaehyun?”

He looked at you confused, not sure which part that you don’t understand. You broke the silence, “When will you tell me that you are an heir to some fucking underground business?”

His jaw drops, clearly blown by the fact that now you know. “[Y/N], I swear to God I never meant to hide it from you,”

“This again Jaehyun? You keep hiding things from me! You tell me a lie, but not exactly. The truth, but not entirely! Which one is it?!”

The aftershock lingers, Jaehyun unable to speak back to you.

“Your family is doing illegal stuff, Jae. And you hid it from me! I can’t believe you asked me to live with you without telling me about this! What do you expect, me obliviously living in danger?”

“No, baby, of course not. Please listen to me, there’s a reason why I didn’t tell you.”

“No reason would be good enough, Jaehyun. Let me go.”

He blocks your way, desperate to make you stay.

“[Y/N]?”

Doyoung suddenly came in, relieving you. Jaehyun, on the other hand, is baffled with the fact he could enter your place.

“How did you come in?”

“I asked him to pick me up, Jae.”

He turned his attention to you, perplexed.

“Please, I have to leave. Let’s go, Doy.”

“You’re leaving me for another guy?” Again, Jaehyun took a grip at your upper arm, refusing to let you go. This time, his grip was tighter. Confusion and anger, as well as disappointment mixed together.

“Jaehyun, that hurts.”

“Answer me, [Y/N]!”

The sight of Jaehyun losing his calm shocked you, as well as Doyoung.

“Bro, let her go. Let’s talk about this…”

“You stay out of this!”

Jaehyun reactively pushed Doyoung away, causing him to fall. He hit his back to the nearby coffee table, and that is enough to fill your eyes with rage.

“Jeong Jaehyun, you don’t fucking hurt my best friend!”

You immediately rushed yourself to Doyoung, checking whether he received any injuries. Although he hissed in pain, there are no visible cuts or wounds.

“Fuck,” Jaehyun murmurs, “[Y/N], I’m sorry, I didn’t meant to, I…”

“Don’t fucking apologize to me! Is this how you're going to treat people, being all violent? How are you different with your father, Jae?!”

As much as Jaehyun wants to deny it, he knows that your words are true.

“We’re leaving, there’s nothing else we could talk about. We’re talking doesn’t change the fact that you are doing illegal business.”

You helped Doyoung to get up, before taking your suitcase and ignoring Jaehyun who just stood in his place.

Before you could leave, he took your hand again, taking every chance he got to change your mind.

“[Y/N], please.”

And as if he just lost all of his hope, a single tear runs down his face.

“I love you, and I know you love me too. I would do anything in power to protect you, I promise.”

You took a glance at your lover – the one that you have to leave soon. Your heart shattered when you saw the desperation in his eyes.

“I beg you, [Y/N].” He entwined his fingers to yours, “You are the most wonderful thing that ever happened in my life. The day you come and fill my day with joy, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Please don’t look at me like that. Look at me like you did that time. Please come love me once again.”

You wish you could stay. How you wish you could return to his embrace, removing the trails of his tears.

Then it strikes you. How you staying means you have to live a life in constant fear. Knowing you have to come home to a person who his family sells women for pleasure.

You could not help but to shake your head. Telling Jaehyun that your decision is final.

“Jaehyun, I’m sorry.”

Your heart breaks into million pieces, for you to leave the love of your life behind.

You love him, so infinitely, and you never sought to hurt him.

But you know continuing your relationship will be a vain.

So you left, leaving Jaehyun there, staying rooted on the same spot.

A/N: I’m sorry...

#jaehyun scenarios #jaehyun angst #jaehyunxreader #jaehyun fic #mafia!au #jaehyun fluff #jaehyun #jaehyun scenario #fic jaehyun #angst jaehyun #interlude no more drama #nct scenario #inmd #love me now

89 notes · View notes

sithsecrets · 4 years

Text

A Matter of Expediency - Part V

After being married off to Kylo Ren in the name of securing an heir to the First Order’s throne, a princess tries to navigate the ins and outs of married life. As she grows closer to her new husband, the princess also carves out a place for herself in the Order, assuming control over her life when she thought she would have none.

---

Part 5

4.3k words

Mentions: bad family dynamics, verbal insults, public embarrassment

---

Sabe doesn’t come back to apologize, and you don’t run after her to make amends. Instead, you busy yourself with final preparations for your wedding, trying not to grow too nervous as the day approaches. Lydia, Helda, and Joon are by your side the entire time, of course, helping you with this and that, running here and there whenever you ask them to.

Your final dress fitting comes the day before you’re due to leave for Undarbi, and you must admit that it’s the only appointment that you’re excited for. The palace seamstresses have been working tirelessly since you become engaged to the Supreme Leader, and what they’ve come up with is truly a work of art.

White is traditional for a bride on your planet, but you insisted on being wed in cream instead. You never liked yourself in white, but any shade of ivory has always looked beautiful against your skin and hair. Instead of going with an airy, gauzy dress like one would expect to find at a wedding set on a beach resort, you’ve opted to style your garment in a sleeker vein. Long sleeves, a high collar, simple yet still very intricate detailing— you think you’ve done a good job of marrying (for lack of a better word) the styles of your home planet with the Order’s aesthetics. And of course, the dress has been precisely tailored just for you, custom made in every way.

Once the seamstresses get your laced and buttoned into your gown, you feel like you’re dreaming. You look so beautiful, absolutely radiant, and it’s in this moment that it all feels real to you. Day after tomorrow, you will be married to the Supreme Leader of the First Order in this gorgeous, opulent gown.

“You’re a vision,” Lydia declares, standing between Helda and Joon. You look over at your friend and smile, running your hands down your abdomen experimentally.

“How does it look in the back?” you ask, twisting slightly so that you might get a better look at yourself.

“Absolutely perfect,” Joon declares, moving behind you to straighten the gown’s train. You had insisted on having one, and you love how it’s turned out, perfectly cut and rich with tiny, intricate embroidery.

“It is to your liking, Princess?” one of the seamstresses asks, hands folded in front of her. You don’t mean to gush, but you can’t help yourself, not when you feel so beautiful.

“Oh, yes!” you exclaim, running a hand down one of your arms. The fabric of your gown is so soft beneath your hands, and you wonder idly what your husband will think of it.

After you give the dress your final approval, the seamstresses help you of it, packing the garment away to be shipped to Undarbi for the wedding. It’s what’s happened to a lot of your things as of late, really; everything you own and most of your clothes have been sent to the Order in preparation for your arrival on the Supremacy, the ship that’s to be your home once you marry Kylo Ren. You had less to send than you thought you would, actually, and you were glad for that. You overthink everything these days, worried about making a bad impression on your new husband. Kylo thinks something of you, that much he said himself, but you’re still worried about earning his affections and keeping his respect.

As the wedding draws nearer, your anxiety about your wedding night rears its ugly head. You’re concerned about forging companionship with your husband, of course, but it’s been difficult not to fixate on the physical aspects of your relationship over the past couple of days. Joon has assured you more than once that you’ll find your way as you and Kylo fall into bed together, but you’re still extremely nervous about the prospect of having sex with a virtual stranger. You pray that Kylo will be gentle with you, that he’ll listen if you say you’re uncomfortable or in pain. You know that Lydia was a virgin when she married her husband, but you feel like you can’t ask her about what happened on their wedding night. You’re afraid her story will only frighten you more, so you choose to dwell on Joon’s romantic, positive descriptions of sex instead.

You insist on having a private dinner that night, wanting to enjoy this final evening on your home planet with only those who care for you. Joon, Helda, and Lydia, and yourself sit around a small table together, and while the lot of you cut up and laugh happily, there’s an undertone of melancholy permeating the entire meal. Though you’re still incredibly angry with her, a small part of you still wishes that Sabe was present as well. But, she never shows, and it doesn’t hurt you too badly— you hadn’t been expecting her anyway.

Your ladies stay with you well into the wee hours of the morning, but they eventually depart, telling you to sleep well if you can. That night, after everyone’s left, you spend a long time out on the balcony, taking in the moons and stars that dot your planet’s sky one last time.

---

In the morning, you dress and supervise the packing of your last few belongings. Nervous butterflies flit about your stomach as you wait for an Order landing party to come collect you, eternally grateful that your ladies have been allowed to travel with you.

It’s strange, being flanked by stormtroopers as you board the ship that will take you to Undarbi, but you don’t say anything about it. The journey to the resort is short, thankfully, and the leader of the little group sent to collect you is friendly enough. Still, the ride is mostly silent, and you’re happy to make landing.

Undarbi is just as beautiful as you remember it, sunny and balmy and warm. It’s a pleasure to hear the crash of the ocean behind you as you and your ladies make your way inside, sucking in breaths of salty air as you’re welcomed by staff member after staff member. Even the owner of the resort himself is there to greet you, gushing about what an honor it is to host you and Kylo’s wedding. It’s overwhelming, all of the good tidings and compliments that are thrown your way as you come inside, but you like to think that you take it all in stride well enough.

An official from the Order is waiting for you on the other side of the crowd, sleek and clean-cut in a dark outfit and boots. Sweat beads on the back of your neck, but this man seems hardly affected by the humidity. He introduces himself graciously, ushering you through the lobby and up to your rooms for the night with two stormtroopers in tow. That’s been a constant since you were picked up this morning— guards are ever-present, sticking close to you and your ladies.

The rooms you’re shown to aren’t the ones you’ll share with your husband tomorrow night, of course, but they are beautiful and extravagant nonetheless. The chambers themselves are massive in size, built from the finest stones and woods you’ve ever seen. Every furnishing is rich and plush, every detail and decoration opulent and grand. Tomorrow, you’ll board the Supremacy and begin living with your husband, but tonight, you’ll sleep alone for the last time.

Your ladies are housed elsewhere, so you’re left alone for a moment as they’re shown to their own living arrangements. Grateful for the moment of privacy, you perch on the foot of your bed, looking all about at the things around you. A little snooping lets you know that your things have already been put away for you, and it’s a relief to see that your wedding clothes have arrived safely. Your engagement ring is still on your hand, of course, and you play with it idly as you walk around.

The balcony attached to your room overlooks a private stretch of beach. You open the double doors to let in some air, breathing deeply so that the salt may cleanse your lungs and calm your nerves. The moment of peace passes quickly though, broken by a knock at your door.

When you open the door, you find your fiancé standing before you, hands clasped behind his back. You muster up a small smile at the sight of him, a burst of butterflies going wild in your stomach.

“Supreme Leader,” you say, curtsying deeply. You try not to let your nerves show outwardly, but you can feel your hands fidgeting at your sides.

“Princess,” he says, tone even. “I was informed of your arrival, and I thought it appropriate to come see how you’re settling in.”

Always so formal, you think to yourself, but it’s not a negative observation. “I’m settling in just fine, thank you,” you tell your fiancé, smiling more broadly. “This resort is very beautiful.”

Kylo nods at that. “Excellent. I’m glad you think so.”

You nod back, and the two of you stand in silence for a moment. Kylo is the first to speak.

“I also wanted to ask you if you would allow me to escort you down to dinner in a few hours,” he blurts, and you can tell by the way that his arms work under his clothes that he’s fidgeting with his hands behind his back.

“Oh,” you breathe, taken aback. “Yes, of course. That would be lovely.”

You hadn’t even considered it, the idea of having to make an appearance at the evening meal tonight. You feel stupid for letting it slip your mind, but thankfully, you had the good sense to have a few changes of clothes sent with you along with your wedding things and night clothes.

“Is it just going to be us, or…?”

“No,” Kylo answers quickly. “There will be a few members of the Order in attendance, your family, and then of course you and myself. Your attendants are welcome to come too, of course.”

“I’ll be ready,” you assure him, somehow growing even more nervous than you already were. It’s petrifying, the prospect of being shown off to Order officials, and you have always dreaded having to see your cousins.

Kylo nods and bids you farewell, turning and walking off down the corridor. You can tell that he’s trying to be friendly and warm in his own way, and you figure that him asking to escort you to dinner is an attempt to forge some sort of friendship or bond between the two of you.

Thankfully, Helda, Joon, and Lydia reappear at your door soon after the Supreme Leader leaves, and they help you decide what to wear. It makes you feel like a basket case, but you let them take the reins, too anxious to be of use. As always, Lydia does your hair, Joon helps you with your makeup, and Helda has many helpful suggestions regarding which earrings would look best with your outfit.

When all is said and done, you think you look rather pretty. Your dress is made of light, airy fabrics, and you’re grateful for that. Even the fall of nighttime has done nothing to stifle the heat outside. Now more than ever, you thank the stars for central cooling.

Your ladies depart once you’re dressed, saying that they’ll see you at dinner. Once they’re gone, you’re left waiting for Kylo to come, perched carefully on the stool in front of your vanity so as not to wrinkle your clothes. You don’t have to wait long, however, because your fiancé arrives promptly at seven pm.

The Supreme Leader looks rather handsome, dressed in finer, lighter eveningwear, and way he looks at you when you open the door makes you feel shy. Still, you greet him brightly, happy to take the arm that he offers to you.

---

The dinner table is already crowded by the time you and Kylo arrive, dotted with Order officials, their wives, and unfortunately, your uncle and every single one of your cousins. There’s three of them, two boys a girl, and you grow sick at the mere sight of their faces. Sebastian, Mila, and Tensin have always tormented you, always, even after your mother died. They’ve been away at school for the past several years, only coming home for major holidays, but of course your uncle has yanked them away from their educations at the first opportunity to parade the three of them in front of every important person in the First Order.

Yourself and Kylo are greeted with kind words, and everyone stands from their chairs in respect. Kylo nods silently, and everyone sits down again, back to chattering and drinking merrily like nothing happened. Your ladies wave to you quickly, the three of them seated next to two empty chairs at the table, and you and Kylo start moving that way. You’re relieved to see that they’ll be by your side, your head already swirling with new faces and names to learn.

You don’t make it to your seats.

“Cousin!”

Mila’s shrill voice forces the pleasant look right off your face, and you’re more than horrified to see your uncle’s only daughter making her way over to you and your fiancé. She comes to stand before the two of you, curtsying deeply to the Supreme Leader and the Supreme Leader alone.

“Mila,” you say shortly, acknowledging her only because you have to. You hate to admit it, but she looks beautiful tonight, swathed in jewel tones and draped in gold. Mila’s always been a pretty girl, all sharp angles and big eyes in the way men seem to like, and what’s worse is that she knows it, too.

“You look nice, cousin,” Mila says, looking you and down with a look in her eyes that you know well. “Pink always such an… interesting color on you.”

Under different circumstances, your cousin’s snide remark would barely sting. But Kylo is beside you, and you flush with embarrassment at the thought of him witness Mila’s cruelty. And it’s like she can read your mind, because her eyes land on him next.

“You look very handsome, Supreme Leader,” Mila husks, and though Kylo’s not really your lover, something about how she’s talking makes you want to cut out her tongue on the spot.

“Thank you,” Kylo says curtly, seemingly unimpressed by your cousin.

Having seen that Kylo has no interest in entertaining her advances, Mila begins scanning for other soft spots to jab her fingers into. Your engagement ring catches your cousin’s eye, and she snatches up your hand in hers.

“What a beautiful ring you have on, cousin!” Mila exclaims, studying the stone with hungry eyes. She’s grinning like a wolf as she asks, “Won’t you let me try it on?”

Astoundingly, Mila actually goes to take your ring off your finger, not even giving you time to tell her no. You jerk your hand back, moving to grip Kylo’s arm with two hands now to protect your jewelry.

“No, Mila, you can’t try on my engagement ring,” you tell her, in disbelief that she’s acting this way. Your cousin’s always been a menace, but in front of the Supreme Leader? Your fiancé? Has she gone mad?

Mila laughs lightly. “It wouldn’t fit me anyway,” she says, looking at Kylo as she speaks. “My cousin always did have the chubbiest little fingers.”

Your cousin’s smile is bright, but there’s cruelty in her eyes. Thankfully, she leaves the both of you alone after that, and you’re finally able to sit down.

“That’s your uncle’s child?” Kylo murmurs, and you’re flattered when he helps you into your chair before sitting down himself.

“Yes,” you reply quietly, still incredibly embarrassed.

“Then let’s hope that her brothers are not as unbearable as she is.”

That has you turning quickly to meet your fiancé’s eyes, and though Kylo does not openly console you, the sympathy in his gaze is comfort enough.

“I’m afraid they’re worse,” you whisper. “At least Mila’s intelligent.”

“Fantastic,” Kylo deadpans, and you snort as the food service begins.

---

Wine flows as readily as conversation at the dinner table now, and you’re relieved to find yourself amongst so many fun, lively people. You feared that the Order officials would be boring or lacking in social skills, but they’re quite the opposite. Chancellor Hux is the stiffest of the bunch, but even he’s loosened up now after half a glass of wine.

The Supreme Leader doesn’t talk much, but when he does, he’s sure to include you in the conversation, readily explaining something whenever you ask a question. And boy, do you have so many! It’s dizzying, trying to get a handle on what the Order does and does not control, where their greatest interests lie. In twenty minutes, you learn the name of three new planets and come to find out that the Order has found inhabitable moons in the Outer Rim.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to learn all of this,” you laugh at one point, having just incorrectly named the location of the Order’s Starkiller Base.

A man a few seats away shakes his head, making a flippant gesture with his glass of wine. “My wife’s been a High Admiral for fifteen years, and I still don’t know what the fuck she’s talking about sometimes. All you have to do is smile and act like you understand.”

“That’s because you don’t pay attention. At least she’s trying!” his wife chides, but she’s smiling as she rolls her eyes. “You’ll get it,” she assures you.

“Says the woman who can draw maps of the galaxy from memory,” her husband teases, smiling broadly when his wife bats him on the arm.

You take another sip of your wine, flush with drink and elation at the feeling of being included by those around you. The Chancellor asks you a rather analytical question about your planet’s trade structure, and you’re more than happy to discuss the matter with him. That strikes up a conversation regarding your planet as a whole, and where you were born. You talk about your mother and growing up outside the palace before her death, and your fiancé and the others listen intently.

“What are you talking about down there, cousin?” calls a male voice from down the table, and you look that way to see Sebastian gazing at you with a rather smug expression on his face. Your stomach drops at the sight of him and his siblings, for they all look like predators on the scent of a kill. Still, you square your shoulders and answer him, keenly aware that you now have the attention of the table.

“My mother,” you reply curtly, voice even and calm. To your left, you see your ladies sit up in their chairs, defensive— they know what’s coming as well as you do.

“Why don’t you tell your new friends about your father?” Tensin suggests. Sebastian snickers at the mention of the subject, and Mila is entirely too pleased with the both of them. To your horror, your uncle does nothing to quiet his children, only watches on.

“My mother and father were never married,” you admit, choosing your words carefully. You throw a cautious glace Kylo’s way, anxiety spiking as you observe his unreadable expression.

“Come now, cousin, let’s not split hairs,” Tensin drawls. “You don’t even know who your father is.”

No one says anything for a moment, and you refuse to meet anyone’s gaze. It’s true, what your cousin’s said— your mother became pregnant with you after a fling, and while you’re sure that she knew your father’s identity, she never got the chance to reveal who he was to you before she died. It’s shameful on your planet, being an illegitimate child, and you feel mortified to have such a thing come out at the dinner table in front of strangers.

Beside you, Kylo shifts in his chair, and it seems as if he’s going to speak. But Chancellor Hux cuts him off, face hard as he asks, “Do you have a point, Prince Tensin?” You can tell by the set of the Chancellor’s mouth that he does not appreciate your cousins’ behavior at all, though you don’t get your hopes up.

Not one of your cousins provides an answer, and it gives you a sick sort of pleasure to watch as they begin to squirm in their chairs. Your uncle, a much more seasoned bullshitter, schools his face, but you can see the sweat beading on his brow.

“Because I would hope that you do,” Chancellor Hux continues, raising his brows. “You see, you may take our lack of reaction to what you’ve just implied as an indicator of indifference or disgust, but you would be mistaken in doing so.”

The Chancellor pauses again, perhaps waiting for a member of your family to say something. Still, they sit silent.

“I am my father’s bastard,” Hux spits, rage seeping into his voice now. “And I am not the only one at this table who comes from such a lineage. Two of the admirals before you are orphans from backwater planets, and General Hayden was born in a brothel.”

“I grew up there, too,” a man calls from down the table, not at all ashamed, and you presume him to be the general that Hux spoke of. He gives you a sympathetic look, and you’re eternally grateful.

“So you see,” the Chancellor explains, “your little jab at your cousin only makes you look bad. The identity of the Princess’s father means nothing to me, or to anyone else you see before you. If you’re trying to cast shame on her, it’s not going to work.”

Mila finally opens her mouth, trying to smooth things over. “We were just talking, Chancellor. My brothers meant nothing by their comments.”

“Yes, they did,” Hux cuts, glaring at Mila directly now. “And don’t act so innocent, Princess. I saw you when the Supreme Leader and your cousin came in. You were throwing yourself at him and yet again trying to embarrass her. Maybe if you weren’t so insufferable, the Supreme Leader would have chosen to marry you instead.”

General Hux shakes his head, openly disgusted with the three of them now. “Spiteful children. You have no idea what you’re doing, have no idea how lucky you are. I do not profess to know the Supreme Leader’s private thoughts and feelings in this moment, but I have seen him gut people for less.”

That has Sebastian and Tensin looking nervous, and even your uncle and Mila shift timidly in their chairs.

“However, his temper has improved in recent months, and I believe that he is trying to make a good impression on your cousin and her friends. But,” the Chancellor amends, “if I were you, I would leave the table, lest you find yourselves without tongues.”

The threat is enough to send Sebastian, Mila, and Tensin out of the room, and you’re happy to see them go. Chancellor Hux turns his angry stare on your uncle next, and you cannot believe that the man is still sitting there.

“Why don’t you go with your children, Your Majesty?” It’s phrased like a question, but you an hear the command in the Chancellor’s tone. Your uncle looks around the room for a moment, taking in all the unfriendly faces around him.

“Goodnight,” he says, rather subdued as takes off after his children.

The room is completely silent after your family has left, and you can feel everyone’s eyes on you. You know that you should say something, and you hope that Kylo might speak as well, but neither one of you gets the chance.

“Thank the stars,” Helda declares, unusually bold. “I’ve always hated those black-hearted, spoiled cretins.”

That comment earns Helda a few amused chuckles, and you think that even the Supreme Leader cracks a smile. You gape at your friend, shocked beyond belief at her behavior. Lydia must be horrified too, because she peers at Helda around Joon’s body.

“Helda, what- Who let you drink wine?” Lyida hisses. It’s then that you notice the flush on Helda’s cheeks, the looseness of her smile— Helda is drunk!

You can’t help but laugh at you watch Lydia try to wrestle Helda’s wine glass away from her place setting, scolding Joon for not helping all the while. All the tension has left the room now, and everyone is thoroughly enjoying the display before them.

“You’ve had enough,” Lydia tells Helda, but an officer at the end of the table disagrees.

“Give her another glass!” she commands. “This is the most rousing commentary I’ve heard around a dinner table in a long time!”

While you find what’s going on very funny, you still can’t help but feel incredibly upset by your cousins’ cruelty and your uncle’s indifference.

“I’m not close to my family either.”

Kylo’s voice is soft in your ear, and the way his breath tickles your neck makes heat prickle down your back. You turn your head towards him, unsure of what to say to that. Thankfully, he’s not expecting a reply.

“It’s okay,” your fiancé whispers, and then the both of you go back to talking with the group.

---

You spend your final night as an unmarried woman walking along the beach. The waves lap at your feet and ankles as you breathe in the salty air, a fistful of your nightgown in one hand.

Pausing on the sand, you turn your face towards the stars, studying how they make patterns and pictures in the sky. This time tomorrow, you’ll be amongst all of these twinkling balls of flame, spending your first night in Kylo Ren’s bed.

Closing your eyes against the moonlight, you whisk away thoughts of your husband and your marital bed, trying to center yourself one last time before you go to sleep.

#kylo ren #kylo ren imagine #kylo ren x reader #kylo ren fanfiction #star wars #star wars fanfiction #ame #my writing

93 notes · View notes

msiconoclast · 4 years

Text

Again - Chapter 1

Pairing: Jaebeom x Reader

Genre: romance, angst

Word Count: 2.3k

Summary: Lim Jaebeom was the single most significant part of your college experience. A chance encounter brings you together again many years later when you’ve both settled into your careers (Jaebeom is a music producer and Y/N is a journalist). As you take a walk down memory lane, you reflect on your understanding of love and its many trials. Some loves are meant to make you grow, and some are meant to help you heal. And some are destined to be both.

A/N: Whew, this took longer than I expected. Enjoy! Read the prologue first if you haven’t yet: Again - Prologue

-----------------------------------------------------

Lim Jaebeom first showed up in your life the summer after sophomore year. You were nineteen at the time and life was still full of glorious possibilities.

Before you learned his name, he had been "hoodie guy from film class".

Hoodie guy almost always showed up to class late, often with dark circles under his eyes that looked like they'd been there for days. His usual attire of oversized hoodie, shorts, and sandals suggested that he'd probably just rolled out of bed and come straight to class. He would inevitably fall asleep in the back row and start snoring at some point during lecture. You had to physically move to the front just to block out the noise and catch what the prof was saying.

Yet somehow, he managed to be the professor's favorite student.

The thing is, when he wasn't nodding off, hoodie guy was apparently Ebert incarnate. He was usually quiet but whenever the class discussion came to a halt, he would always make a comment that somehow managed to cut straight to the heart of the film. The class would give collective pause over his flash of brilliance and then resume in excited debate in a new enlightened direction. On the few occasions when the professor decided to read out excerpts from written assignments, you knew.....you just knew that they were always from hoodie guy's papers by the smirk on his face.

In other words....the guy was annoying as hell.

Look, you loved movies and film class was sacred. It was one of the few classes you actually enjoyed outside of your major. How dare this guy just waltz into class in his pajamas and proceed to wax philosophical on “French New Wave” while the rest of you barely understood what the films were trying to convey? Was he some kind of silver screen idiot savant? More importantly, why was he trying to ruin the curve for everyone?!

Needless to say, by the time the semester ended, you were more than done with hoodie guy’s antics. If you were to never see him again, that would be absolutely perfect.

Life, unfortunately, had other plans for you.

As spring eased into summer, you decided to take a job at Joe's on Third to supplement your non-paid internship at the local paper. Joe's was your home away from home as a student. Cozy and airy, it had the perfect ambiance and was never too packed. As a bonus, they served a mean grilled cheese among a small menu of comfort food classics and you would get fed every day you worked there. It was going to be tough balancing the two jobs but all things considered, it wasn’t a bad deal at all.

When you showed up at seven for your first day at Joe's, the place was still empty. The only sound came from behind the counter where someone was grinding coffee beans. A tall figure with an enviable head of hair was rustling around getting the goods ready before the morning rush. As you got closer, you noticed that he had more than a few piercings, one in particular under his right eye. You never really found facial piercings to be attractive on men but there was something oddly intriguing about the look on him. It gave him an air of nonchalance. A rebel without a cause.

He was so concentrated on his tasks that he didn't notice you until you tapped on the counter in front of him.

"Shit....oh...." It took him a moment to collect his thoughts until a look of recognition registered in his face. "You’re Y/N? I'm Jaebeom. Call me JB. Joe said I'm supposed to set you up on your first day."

Hoodie Guy?

The second he opened his mouth, it dawned on you that this was no stranger. Though you never cared to study his face, you had memorized hoodie guy's voice by heart. And while this clean shaven, well dressed man in front of you looked nothing like the guy who always buried his face in his hoodies, the voice was unmistakable.

"Intro to World Cinema. Were you the one who got the only A in class??"

Confused, he raised his eyebrows and tried again. "Uh, I'm supposed to get you trained on your first day and make sure you can..."

"I'm asking if you were in Intro to World Cinema last semester? Didn't you always wear a hoodie to class and nap in the back row? Were you the jerk who ruined the curve for everyone and got the only A on the final paper?

He stared at you as if you were nuts. But you didn't really expect him to protest innocence.

"I was in that class too and would've gotten an A if it weren't for you! Instead I got a B+. First B+ in two years of school!!" The words flew out of your mouth before you could catch yourself. Oh, you knew it was petty but your indignation had been brewing for weeks.

He squinted his eyes and continued to stare at you.

Ding!

Somewhere in the back, a toaster went off. This seemed to snap him out of his trance and you watched as confusion dissolved into amusement on his face.

He cleared his throat: "Well...Miss B+....we got twenty minutes until open. If you want to keep this job, I suggest you get going and put all the baked goods out."

Not waiting for you to respond, he turned towards the kitchen.

Just before disappearing into the back, he suddenly swung around and grinned`: "Yeah, I got the A. And you were the girl with the pencil hair bun who always sat in the front."

So he did recognize you.

Asshole.

The first week of your new job breezed by without much of a hitch. You'd worked restaurant jobs before and a cafe was a piece of cake by comparison. What surprised you was how efficient JB was at the job. You just couldn't stitch together the image of him snoring in class with how professional he appeared at the cafe. Not only was he efficient, he also seemed to be preternaturally friendly towards everyone who walked in. Loud teenagers, moms with screaming babies, post-breakup girls drowning in their brownie-a-la-mode, he handled each and every one of them with calm and kindness. Yet, you wouldn't exactly call him a "people person" since he never voluntarily took up small talk with anyone nor did he socialize much with the other staff. It seemed that JB simply existed comfortably in the backdrop of the cafe’s inviting atmosphere and treated everyone with the same distant warmth.

After the awkward initial encounter with JB, you maintained a precarious distance towards each other. You were still reeling from the embarrassment of your outburst, and he must have decided to steer clear of stirring up the "crazy" in you again. In fact, he treated you just like any other member of the staff, as if the incident never happened. If anything, you two developed a satisfying partnership of sorts. When the cafe was busy, you teamed up to keep the orders moving and the kitchen hot. When there was a lull, you gave each other plenty of space. You would work on your articles for the paper while he pranced around behind the counter scribbling down notes on little pieces of paper.

Mid-afternoons were usually the slowest at the cafe. You savored these moments when time seemed to pass by as slowly as dust particles that swayed in the summer sun. It gave you a strange sense of privacy even if you were sitting in a cafe full of people. Sometimes, when you were feeling really wild, you'd stealthily switch the cafe jazz that droned on in the background to your favorite soundtracks. None of the cafe patrons seemed to mind as long as it was something mellow. The one person who did take note though was JB.

"Is that 'Before Sunrise'?" Um hum.

"That sounds like 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'?" Yup.

"Oh, 'Midnight in Paris'. The gypsy jazz is cool." Totally...

Either this guy had seen every movie under the sun or you two just happened to have very similar tastes. What was most curious was the fact that these were all movies that any other guy would scoff as “chick flicks”. Not the type of entertainment that you’d expect a “rebel without a cause“ to seek out.

"So did you actually watch all of these movies?" You had to ask him one afternoon.

"Hmm......yeah." He waved one of the little pieces of paper he was scribbling on: "They help me with my songwriting. I......heh, need inspiration and I like movies that provide different perspectives on the concept of love. "

So that's what he had been working on. Song lyrics. You weren’t entirely surprised since half of the population in LA were trying to make it in Entertainment in one way or another.

"Why do people write so many love songs anyways? Loneliness is totally underrated."

"Because almost any emotion that music can express can be related to love. It's universal." he said

"Yeah? And what have you learned about love in all your movie-watching and song-writing experience?”

"The heart's not like a box that gets filled up. It expands in size the more you love."

“Her”. Nice..... another sentimental fool.

The best thing about working at Joe's was the weekly closing party. Every Friday night, the staff would string up lights around the back patio and put on a little dance party while closing the cafe down. It was an unspoken rule that whatever bottles of wine were open by the end of the week was a free for all for the party and the beer taps were open until dry. Quite a nice little perk for the employees.

You had always enjoyed yourself at these parties. Most of the part time staff were kids who went to the same school, people you had seen around campus. It was where the staff really got to know each other and sometimes, got their hands on each other. And it didn't take long for everyone to get comfortable and really let loose. It was also funny to see how people changed when they were drunk. The shy introverted ones would surprisingly become super hyper while the normally outgoing ones often ended up bawling their eyes out in the corner by the end of the night. Nothing short of human theater.

The first couple of times you'd joined, you were still careful not to drink too much. You wanted to make a good impression and actually get to know everyone. But by the fourth closing party, you were well on your way to earning the title of dancing queen. See, alcohol also had an intriguing effect on you. It helped you break out of your usually calm shell but it also had a tendency to make you more than a little flirty. And on this particular night, you were definitely feeling the love.

The theme for the night was 90s jams and you had been showing off your moves on top of one of the patio tables for the last 45 minutes. But it was nearing midnight now and most people were either too drunk or too tired to be dancing and you were starting to feel the early signs of a crash yourself. It was then the bass thumping hip hop switched over to a slow and smooth R&B song that you had never heard before. There was something seductive about the way the singer cooed out the words.

"Girl it's only you

Have it your way

And if you want you can decide

And if you'll have me

I can provide everything that you desire

Said if you get a feeling

Feeling that I am feeling

Won't you come closer to me baby,

You've already got me right where you want me baby

I just want to be your man

How does it feel

Said I want to know how does it feel

How does it feel

How does it feel"

As you spun around on the table, you noticed a pair of gaze that fixed steadily on you as you swayed your hips slowly to the beat. You couldn't make out the expression on his face but there was an intensity in his gaze that made your body heat up. The thought that you had a captured audience turned you on and prompted you to run your hands across your body. As you felt your body heat up more and more, you reached for the glass nearby and took out an ice cube. You desperately needed to cool down. Holding the ice cube in your mouth for a second, you then started to run it against your skin. Trails of ice water trickled down your neck, your collarbone and pooled where your cleavage had shown through your shirt. The song was pushing towards a crescendo and the singer's falsetto was ringing in your head. It grew louder and louder until the lights started to spin.

Dizziness took over. Suddenly, you felt yourself lose your balance and stumble towards the ground.

Black.

And the next time you opened your eyes, a familiar face was just inches above you. The owner of the gaze had his arms propped up beneath you while they supported your weight.

You could feel his breath on your face and for what seemed like an eternity, you simply stared at each other.

Finally, you ended the silence by flashing him the brightest smile you could muster and pointing at his nose: "I forgive you!!!...Hoodie guy!"

The corners of his mouth curved up.

"You're pretty cute, B+." He chuckled.

Previous Next

#got7 #got7 jaebum #jaebeom #jaebum #got7 fanfic #kpop writing #got7 fiction #got7 fic #got7 imagines #got7 jaebeom #got7 jb

71 notes · View notes