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skzhocomments · 2 months

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Mafia Book #2 - PART II - The Withered Rose - Chapter 5 - Bleeding hearts

Story masterlist - please consult it for the summary of the story, trigger warnings etc.

General masterlist

PART I - The Black Iris

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Wattpad | AO3

Chapter 4 | Chapter 6

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PART II - The Withered Rose

Chapter 5 - Bleeding hearts

chapter word count: ~3.3k words

“Everyone seems to like her.” Wooyoung whispers in Emilia’s ear as quietly as he can. Pointless, she thinks, as everyone’s eyes are on them anyway.

“Do y’all have nothing better to do than watch me feed my daughter?” She snaps and looks at everyone around the table, whose eyes are stuck right on the trio.

"I'm just shocked that you've become such a good mother." Felix smiles. "It's just... unexpected."

"Yeah, you were scared of children before at the orphanage, weren't you?" Changbin chuckles.

"Oh, God." Emilia rolls her eyes with a chuckle.

Chris is there too.

Three weeks have passed since they arrived at the Stray Kids mansion, and so far, he has only watched them from afar. He would not initiate any conversations with Emilia, but he would try to steal some moments with his daughter whenever she wasn’t around.

Wooyoung would usually take care of Ivy every afternoon while Emilia resumed training with Felix and Minho, and Chris would take advantage of these moments to the fullest. He’d go into whatever room they were in, and at first, he would just admire Ivy from a distance. But when she approached him after a few days and asked him to play with her, his heart melted completely, and he gave in.

He kept spending more and more time with her each day. They’d play together, he’d feed her, tuck her into bed for her afternoon naps, hug her and calm her down when she’d cry, and tried his hardest to act like a good parent. Wooyoung observed him carefully each time, but Chris seemed to do everything right, and Ivy fell right into his arms.

She started loving Chris more and more each day, and whenever they spent time together, they looked like the perfect father-daughter combo. Ivy is, after all, his splitting image.

Chris also fell in love with Ivy from the first moment his eyes landed on her, and he swore to himself that he’d do anything in his power to protect her and make sure she’d have the happiest life without any hardships.

Although Chris thought he was pretty sneaky to see his daughter behind her back, Emilia was aware of these meetings taking place. She would intentionally turn a blind eye and spend more and more time away training, because deep down, she truly wished Chris would be the one raising Ivy alongside her.

She can’t forgive him, not now, anyway, nor anytime soon, but… she still feels love for him, and she knows from the way he’s looking at them that he loves them too. It’s so hard, being in love but unable to do anything about it, because what he did was too unforgivable, even with so many years passing by.

She honestly thought she’d feel more rage when seeing him, but she keeps shocking herself, apparently. It became clear that, when Minho and Iris first told her they’d have to take her with them, Emilia didn’t want to meet Chris not because of any rage and hatred towards him, but because deep in her heart, she never stopped loving Chris.

She still loves him, so she avoids meeting him as much as possible. She knows she has to respect herself enough and not allow him back in her life after what he’s done, so every night when he’d slip a paper note asking her to meet him to discuss things, she’d simply ignore it.

Now, looking at him over the big table while feeding Ivy, she knows she made the right decision to not see him in his room. It’s too soon to talk.

It’s simply too soon.

“So, I really thought you were a ghost.” Jisung randomly starts at the dinner table. They are currently playing cards, absentmindedly drawing one card after another when the colours of the one on the table wouldn’t match the ones in their hands.

“Dumbass.” Seungmin wastes no time insulting him.

“Man, I thought she’s back to haunt us all! What is there to laugh about?” Han scoffs.

“Oh my, Sky, you’re still mean.” Emilia remarks with a slight chuckle.

“Never changing.” Seungmin smirks proudly.

“It’s a good quality to have sometimes. Oh, fuck off, Lix.” Iris curses as she starts drawing 5 cards.

“It feels so fun being together like this again!” Lix smiles. “If 5 wasn’t enough, I can give you 5 more.”

“Now we know your cards, dummy.” Hyunjin ruffles his hair with a small laugh.

“Shit! You’re right!”

“No, but, hear me out, why do you always get the good cards? Are you cheating?”

“How could you?!” Jisung gasps. “You little-”

“I’m not cheating!”

“No, he’s not cheating. I would’ve noticed.” Seungmin defends.

“Guys, he can’t even cheat on a test, let alone around this table with quite literally the most intelligent people around it.” Hyunjin jumps to Felix’ defence as well.

“Look who’s talking! You can’t cheat either!” Felix pouts.

“His speciality is literally deceiving people, Lixie.” Emilia fake pouts as well then starts laughing. “Anyway fuckers, seems I won.”

Letting go of the last cards in her hands, she stands up and gets out.

“Where to?” Iris asks.

“Just out.”

The night air is chill but pleasant, and Emilia is happy to get some space away from the loud laughter in the house. She’s no longer used to having this many people around, but with each passing day, she feels more and more at home in the mansion.

She never expected to be able to feel good there again, but life is full of mysteries.

She begins walking the familiar streets towards The Overpass, and in spite of the cold, she is feeling perfectly content with walking around.

She reaches the small bridge and is happy to still see it standing, even if it looks more worn out than before.

“My shade.” She hears a manly voice from behind her, and she turns around with a smile.

“My shadow.”

“It seems you still remember the bridge. After you left, this place has also become… comfortable to me.”

“This old bridge?” Emilia smiles, sadness visible in her eyes.

“Mhm. It’s where you and I got close, isn’t it?” Jeongin asks while grabbing her left hand, lifting it palm up in the air and drawing circles in it with his index finger.

The anxiety technique he’s taught her before.

“Have you been looking for me?” She asks after a little while.

“Yeah. Wanna go back to the mansion with me?”

“Sure.”

They walk back towards the house holding hands and talk about their lives for the past few years. She tells him everything about how she’s lived, about Ivy, and he listens carefully and asks questions.

They reach the house not long after. Time seems to pass by faster when you’re in the company of someone so dear to you, who you haven’t seen in years. There’s a lot to catch up on, and they barely had time to meet since he had to go away on a mission a few days after she returned.

When they reach the gardens surrounding the mansion, Emilia takes a deep breath and asks.

“So… why did you really come meet me tonight, Innie? I feel like you’ve not been completely honest.”

“You’ve always read me so well…” He smiles, but it doesn’t feel genuine. He looks almost sad. “I wanted to talk to you one last time.”

“What do you mean?” She frowns.

“I’m… going away. Tonight.” He averts his gaze, his eyes glossy.

“Why?”

“It’s obvious. Chris must hate me now that he knows the truth, and… if my own family doesn’t trust me, what point is there in staying?” He says, knowing how close to home this will hit for Emilia.

He’s right. If there’s no one on your side, why would you stay?

“I trust you.” She replies quietly, but he just shakes his head.

“That ship has sailed long ago, Emi… I just wanted to say goodbye. I know how I felt when you left without even so much as a farewell, and let me tell you, it wasn’t a nice feeling.”

“I’m truly sorry, Innie.” Emilia confesses from the bottom of her heart, and he hugs her.

She knows what he’s feeling. It’s all because of her, but there’s nothing she could say or do to make him change his mind at this point. She knows it all too well, for he has the same gaze she had that night when she decided to leave it all behind.

“Thank you for keeping my secret these past few years.” She whispers, and he separates his body from hers, grabbing her face with his hands. He keeps searching her eyes for something, but he doesn’t find it. He decides to close his instead and come closer to her, his lips merely millimetres away from hers, but he finds it within himself to stop in time.

“It appears I’m still selfish. You have a kid with him, and your heart is right there… I know it. But still… fuck. For my younger self who was head over heels for you, please reject me properly this time, so I can move on, hm?”

“I’m sorry, Innie. There was a time I wished it was you, really. But it’s not. I love you with all my heart, but…”

“But just as a friend.” He smiles and moves back. “I know. I’ve always known.”

“I’m sorry.”

“We can’t choose who we love.”

“Would’ve been so much easier if we could, don’t you think?”

“Yeah.”

“Can I be selfish too? Can I ask you to stay?”

“I’m sorry, Emi, but this time, I have to put myself first.”

Emilia nods and watches Jeongin walk away from her, waving his hand around with his back turned. Goodbyes are always bittersweet, and she wonders if he will really leave. Stray Kids has been everything he’s ever known, and it hurts her to think that he feels forced to let go of this life.

Chris finds it hard to focus on his work.

Maybe some air will help. He thinks as he stands up from his desk and goes to the window, opening it and smelling the night air.

He sees two silhouettes in the dark, Emilia and Jeongin, and carefully watches their interaction, but something feels off about the whole thing.

He shakes the thought away and returns to his desk, but even an hour later, he still thinks about what Jeongin’s behaviour could have meant. He stands up once again and goes directly to Jeongin’s room, and once he opens it, he finds the boy hunched over an opened suitcase, clothes scattered everywhere on the bed.

“Planning to go somewhere?” Chris asks. He is worried, but he tries to seem indifferent.

“I was waiting for you to kick me out, but since that never came, I decided to make it easier on you.” Jeongin shrugs, his back turned to Chris, but Chris just shakes his head and heads to the bed, throwing some clothes away and sitting down.

He pets the empty spot next to him and waits.

“Can we talk?” He asks, and eventually, Jeongin follows and sits down as well.

They stay in silence for a little while, both trying to think of what to say to each other. In these past years, they’ve barely talked. Unless it was for some mission or someone’s recovery, their interactions have been minimal.

“I know you hate me.” Chris starts. “I fucked up, and she left because of me. I know you resented me all these years.”

“… I know you also resented me for not being able to save her back then, and now that you know the truth, for lying to you.”

“Yeah, I was truly angry back then, but I eventually realised it was misdirected. And last month, when I saw her walk through that door and I realised that you’ve been lying to me for all these years… I was seething, to be honest.”

Jeongin doesn’t say anything, so he decides to continue.

“But Innie, I want to do better. I no longer want to be the man who bursts out in anger and acts impulsively. I thought about it long and hard, and you know what? I no longer want to lose anyone that’s precious to me. You are one of those people, and I want you to stay next to me as a cherished member of my team.”

“Chris, do you know how much I loved her? Do you know that I wanted to betray you and run away with her?”

“Yeah. I do.”

“And even now, years later, I even tried to kiss her.”

“Okay.”

“Do you still want me to stay?”

“Yes.”

“Even if I keep loving her?”

“Yes. Whether you love her or not… it doesn’t matter to me, Innie. You are one of the most important people in my life, and I want you to keep staying here with me. That won’t change, no matter how you’re feeling about me or her, or anyone else in this mafia. You’re my friend, Jeongin. My little brother.”

Jeongin starts tearing up, which brings Chris to tears as well, and they hug and silently promise each other loyalty.

“Hyung, you’re a really lucky man.” Jeongin says as Chris stands up and heads to the door.

“Lucky?” He chuckles. “How so?”

“She… she still loves you. I’m sure of it.”

“I don’t know, Innie… we haven’t talked at all since she came here...”

“Give it time, and I’m sure she’s going to eventually come back to you.”

Chris turns his lips upwards, a smile laced with sadness.

“Your daughter is really cute, Hyung.”

He smiles again, genuine this time, and walks out of Jeongin’s room, heading towards his bedroom.

He opens the door and freezes in the doorframe as he sees Emilia waiting for him next to the window.

“Is he truly leaving?” She asks, glancing outside.

“No.” Chris steps in, closing the door behind him. His breath hitches in his throat, and he finds it hard to inhale. Finally, she came here to talk.

“Did you talk him out of it?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.”

She straightens her back and takes a deep breath, then brushes past him and takes the door handle in her hand.

“Emilia, please wait-” Chris grabs her wrist, but he is quick to release it as soon as she throws him a sharp look.

“What?” She asks impatiently.

“I’m sorry. For everything I’ve done, for how much I’ve hurt you… I am truly sorry. I have no excuse.”

“That’s right, you don’t.”

“I know. I know there is probably no way for me to amend… I can’t change the past, I can’t change anything about what happened. The only thing I can do is improve myself to be a better man for you and our daughter.”

“Ivy is not our daughter.” She spits venomous words that are sure to hurt him, but the only thing he does is smile.

“I know you’re aware that we’re spending more and more time together each day. I know you let me do it…” He starts, and she averts her gaze. “I can’t just stand by while she calls some other man dad. I’m right here.”

“For Ivy and for me, Wooyoung is not just some other man. He is the person who stayed by my side and protected her in your stead. He protected us from you.”

“I would’ve never been able to kill you. I would’ve done it that night if I could’ve. But I couldn’t.” He whispers.

“I was stabbed, but you know what, Chris?” She looks back into his eyes, and they are so sharp, he felt them cut right through him. “It didn’t even hurt. I didn’t even feel the wound. The one in my heart was far too painful to feel anything else. What hurt the most were your words, your lack of trust.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I don’t care.”

“For how long are you going to punish me like this, Emilia?”

“You’re really asking me this?” She laughs. “For the rest of that miserable life of yours.”

“I’ve been visiting your grave every day… I’ve apologised countless times… I thought it over again and again, but still-”

“You should’ve done all of that before it was too late.”

“You’re here. It’s not too late. Is it?” He looks at her with hope, but instead of looking in his eyes, she glances behind him and notices the dagger she wore on her thigh on the night they met. She finds it somewhat amusing that he is keeping that old thing on display in his bookshelf.

Chris turns around and sees what she focuses on as well, and he smiles briefly before grabbing the dagger and taking it out of its sheath.

He hands it to her, and she grips it steadily.

“Come on.” He encourages her. “If you can’t forgive me, then do whatever you need to do. Finish what you started when you first came here. I won’t stop you. You can get your revenge and kill me right here.”

Emilia looks at the small blade in her hand, and then in Chan’s eyes. He is serious.

“Come on.” He whispers, grabbing her hand and pointing it towards his abdomen.

Her hand is trembling, but she obliges, and she feels the blade cut through his skin. Chris winces but tries not to let out any sounds as the blade goes deeper and deeper.

Emilia keeps shaking more and more, as she realises that she doesn’t get any satisfaction from hurting Chris. She doesn’t want to hurt him.

She still loves him.

Fuck.

“I… I loved you… so, so much.” She whispers while twisting the knife in his abdomen. Crimson blood starts spewing out of the wound, but Chris doesn’t even flinch. His face contorts with pain, but other than that, he grabs her waist and holds on tight for support.

“That’s okay, love… let it all out.” He whispers.

“It hurt. It hurt then, and it still hurts so fucking much, Chris…” She cries out. She has been mourning her relationship with Chris for years now, even if they spent more time apart than she spent next to him.

How come a mere human could have feelings so powerful, she wondered?

… And why couldn’t she let go of them?

“I can’t- I can’t even hurt you.” She looks back in his eyes, her cheeks stained by tears.

“I’m so sorry, my love. I was wrong. Let me do it right this time.”

“N-no.” She shakes her head. “How can I trust you after what I’ve been through, hm? I can’t. You can beg for forgiveness all you want, but… I will never forgive you, Chris.” She says harshly, feeling the need to dig the knife in a little deeper. However, the trembling in her hands gets to be too much, and she lets go of the dagger instead.

Somehow, hurting him is not making her feel any better. It does the exact opposite, and she’s never felt so emotionally drained.

“What if I-”

“Shut up.” She cuts him off. “There is nothing… nothing you could do to magically fix what happened, okay?!”

Chris lets his head fall down and looks at the dagger still piercing his abdomen.

Emilia is no longer holding it, so he decides to test whether she truly doesn’t care about him.

“Okay.” He nods. “If you truly don’t care about me anymore, I understand. It will be alright.”

He takes hold of the dagger and pulls it out of his abdomen, as blood starts flowing uncontrollably, dirtying the floor in front of him.

Emilia gasps in panic and tries to cover Chan’s wound, but he loses blood quickly and collapses to the ground.

In a frenzy, she runs out of the room straight to Jeongin.

“Help!” She shouts, and as he sees her covered in blood, he feels panic rush through his veins. He follows her to Chris’ desk, where Chris is laying down with his back supported against the bookshelf, holding onto his wound.

“What the fuck happened?” Jeongin looks at Emilia for any explanation, but there’s nothing she can tell him. She watches as Jeongin skillfully stops the bleeding and cleans the wound, and once she knows Chris is out of any danger, she leaves the room, anger boiling into her heart.

How could he pull this out, after how much he’s hurt her already?

Is he willing to let her kill him if that’s what she wants?

How dare he?

---

Chapter 4 | Chapter 6

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moon-catto · 2 years

Text

Shifting into JJK Universe!

I had this crazy dream and decided to write it down but with a little twist sksksk 😃

Warning: none, fluff? Manga spoiler inside!

Masterlist

I got this crazy dream when I took a nap in the afternoon. I was doing my college assignments that I ignored for weeks. Tomorrow is the deadline so I literally speedrun my essay to prevent me from failing that class.

It was like 5 pm when I finally sent my essay via email to my professor, there's nothing special that time. But somehow the air feels a bit warmer and I can smell the subtle scent of wet grass because my windows are open. I can see the red sky outside where the sun is barely setting.

And something about it moved me. I pulled my chair closer to my window and sat there for a moment. I rested my chin on the windowsill as I enjoyed the light breeze of passing wind hit me gently.

Being a seventh semester student is tiring, I keep running here and there trying to keep everything together when it's clearly falling apart. I was too busy chasing after my diploma to see the world around me.

I forgot that the world can be so… beautiful.

A smile was curved on my face. It may look like a tired smile, but it feels blissful nonetheless. This simple moment is very precious, where I can breathe easily without worrying about my assignments and grades. I can just simply… breathe.

I wasn't tired, no. I have an even more heavy assignment before. This much doesn't tire me or maybe it's because I didn't realize just how tired I am? Perhaps that's why my eyelids feel so heavy right now.

I got a night class later… a light nap won't be a problem, right?

I'm not the type of person who dreams often. If I do, it would be an absurd type of dream, you know? Like the world is falling into a zombie outbreak and I'm the only human left. It usually ended with me running for my dear life with these left4dead zombies chasing for my ass.

Ugh, it was horrible. I don't wanna remember that dream again. Anyway the funny thing is, whenever I have these dreams I would always be able to access a side menu. Like an in-game menu where you can pause the world, resume the dream, skip the dream, or go back to the main menu a.k.a the real world. Of course, I was quick to choose to skip that dream— just to be chased by abnormal titans in another dream.

This time too, I was playing hide and seek with Huggy Wuggy from the Poppy Playtime game in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory (I know. It was a very wild dream). He found out where I hid, so I tried to run away but my body feels so heavy like time got slowed down but that thing— that blue furry monster walked so quickly towards me and was about to eat me.

I screamed but my voice also pitched down because I'm still stuck in the slow down mode. Thanks to my super quick reflexes, I was able to press the side menu and skip the dream/sarcastic.

So that's why now I'm stuck in this white space. I'm finally able to breathe freely and my movement becomes normal.

I was about to fall because of the sudden change in space, but luckily I was held by someone.

"Geez, that scared the hell out of me." The person who held me said, His voice is surprisingly familiar. "You appeared here out of nowhere and screamed like you're getting possessed." He had the audacity to laugh at my misery. I would be throwing hands and legs at him if only I wasn't so shocked at the current moment.

I let out a coughing fit because of the building tension earlier. My chest feels so tight, it's painful. The pain is very vivid, just like when someone punched you right on your chest. "Holy shit. Should have not watched that youtuber gameplay last night." I muttered between coughs.

"Hey, you're okay? You look a bit pale there." He pushed my chin with his thumb to see my face. I squinted my eyes shut, in fear that he had a disfigured face or something. I don't really think I can handle another jumpscare right now.

Sensing my fear, his voice got softer.

"It's okay. You're okay. Nothing is going to happen to you."

I clearly remember the owner of this voice. Is it really him? Can I open my eyes? What if it's not him? I can count the occasions where I fall for this kind of sweet trap in other dreams, it doesn't end well to say the least.

"I promise."

Oh, wow. He sounds very reliable. Why do I feel like crying?

"Aw, look at you." He ruffled my hair. "You're crying. You were that scared?" I can hear him chuckle lightly. "What kind of monster did you see to make you this scared, huh…" Maybe he took pity on my pathetic self, that's why he's pulling me closer to him.

A bump. Is this… his chest? For your information, yes it was hard. Also, boii, you're going to kill me right here.

"Now you're laughing. Aren't you a weird girl." He hummed, he sounded amused even. Figures, he must've never seen such a weirdo in his life.

But No, you don't understand mister. This is the most delightful dream I ever had in my life. Like for real? I don't wanna this to end.

Get a grip. I immediately slapped myself to stop my concerning train of thoughts. Geez, in all of the people I could have met, I have to embarrass myself in front of him.

Ah, now I wish to disappear.

"Quiet now, aren't we?" I can feel his hands trying to remove my hands that covered my face. "Come on, that's not fair. I let you cry on my chest earlier."

After a bit of pulling and tugging, I finally gave up. He's just that irresistible and also very stubborn.

"Now we're talking!" I opened my eyes and was met with his blue ones. "You're feeling better?"

"... Dear lord."

"Ah? Wah! Why are you falling all of a sudden?!"

"I must've saved a nation from a disaster in my previous life…" I was limp in his arms. My body gave up just like that, there's no ounce of power left. My knees shook like a jelly and my vision is getting blurry because of the rush of serotonin in my veins.

"What are you talking about?" He's enjoying this weird situation. He's pulling my noodle arms and twisting my body as if I'm a kind of a marionette. "You're really weird." He says but he's laughing at my pathetic state. Guess being a clown for my whole life can be advantageous sometimes.

"Thank you." He finally let me sit on the white ground. Currently breathing heavily and in denial.

"Hmmmmmmmm…." He leaned closer. I should've known this man doesn't know the concept of personal space. "I've never seen you before." He then clapped his hand in an excited manner. "Then how about introducing ourselves?"

".... Okay."

"Me first! I'm Gojo Satoru! I'm 28 years old and I'm a teacher!" He extended his hand and I accepted it hesitantly, because I was in awe at the size difference of our hands.

"... I'm Y/N…"

"... And?"

"... I'm 21 years old…"

"Uh-huh."

"And uh, I'm a college student."

"Ah, what semester are you in right now?"

"Seventh semester."

"I see, then you will be graduating soon!" He shook my hand vigorously and my whole body also shook following his movement. "Congrats!"

"I haven't graduated yet, why are you congratulating me?" I smiled.

"Because that means I will be the first to congratulate you!"

"Ah, that makes sense."

"So, you're not asking about what major I studied?" He asked with a wiggle on his eyebrows.

"Why should I?"

"Well because I'm a teacher. Isn't it natural to ask what major I studied?"

"Well, yeah." I nodded. "But then, a sorcerer doesn't have to go to college in order to be a Jujutsu teacher, right?"

He made a big surprised O. His expression is very cute, I can't hold back my laugh. "Are you a psychic?!"

"You can say that." I grinned.

"Oh, a sorcerer and a psychic. That would be a dope story." He smiled, his smile could light up the whole continent.

"I bet." I smiled back.

We spent like hours talking about various things. Mostly about our worlds, he's beyond surprised to hear that curses doesn't exist in my world.

"... That would be a perfect place to live." He told me in a rather solemn voice.

"Maybe."

He raised his eyebrows in question.

"Because in my world, some people have to live with something worse than a curse." I smiled bitterly at the thought. "You can say that we're cursed in one way or another."

"...True," he said. I thought he's a nosy person who invades others' personal space as he likes, but he doesn't push further after that.

"Hey, Gojo."

"What?"

"..." I'm hesitating to say this. I know that our time will be over soon and I don't know if I will be able to meet him again. But I always want to say this to him if I can. This is maybe just a dream, but my heart says otherwise— that's why I need to tell him this.

"... What are you going to say?"

"——————."

His eyes widened after hearing my words.

"Be careful." I told him with a sad smile. His surprised face somehow made me feeling hurt. "I don't want you to hurt even more."

Satoru woke up in a cold sweat.

"... Just a dream." It's supposed to be a dream. But why is his heart racing and filled with such uneasiness?

The words from the stranger in his dream keeps haunting his mind even with his hardest effort to forget it.

"Fuck." He bit his lips as the memory of his dream comes back again.

"Suguru Getou is alive but his body is taken over by Noritoshi Kamo."

Masterlist

#gojo satoru #jujutsu kaisen #gojo satoru x reader #gojo x reader #gojo x you #gojo satoru x you #gojou satoru x you #gojou x reader #jjk #gojo Satoru imagines #jjk imagines #jujutsu kaisen imagines #gojo satoru drabble #jujutsu kaisen drabbles #jjk drabbles

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ghost-town-story · 1 year

Text

FebruarOC Day 4: Divo

(And for the first time, this boy is not bringing the fluff lol)

In all my years of living in this city, I can’t recall one instance of being able to see a star through all the light pollution. That fact doesn’t deter me from sitting in my usual spot by the window, staring up at the sky in with vain hope.

“You’re up late stella.”

I can’t help but startle at the unexpected voice, whirling away from the window. Mamma stands at the end of the hallway, looking half asleep and vaguely startled to find me awake. “Stai bene?” Mamma’s voice softens in concern.

“Bene,” I reply, returning my gaze to the hazy sky.

I hear Mamma cross the room, and out of the corner of my eye I see her settle to the floor across from me. “Stella,” she says slowly, carefully, “you’ve been very quiet lately. Even by your standards,” she amends as I level a deadpan stare at her. “Your papa and I are worried about you.”

I hug my knees close. It just doesn’t feel right, after everything, to just go back to life as normal. But there’s no way to explain that to Mamma, not without her worrying even more.

“What’s wrong?” Mamma asks.

“Niente. Sto bene,” I lie, because I should be fine. I’m home with my family again, and Toni’s number is safely saved in my phone alongside his promise to always answer. I shouldn’t still be seeing dark hallways whenever I close my eyes and waking up terrified that I’m still stuck there.

“Stella,” Mamma says, with that tone of voice that tells me she sees right through my bullshit, “if nothing is wrong, then we wouldn’t be having this conversation at,” she squints at the clock just barely visible in the kitchen, “2 am.”

I grumble softly into my knees, a little too stubborn to concede the point to her.

Mamma doesn’t push it any further, but I know she is far from dropping the issue completely. Instead, she lets the silence linger between us, the ever-present sounds of the city and traffic fading into white noise.

The familiarity is almost enough to lull me to sleep. But the moment my eyes are closed for more than a few seconds, I’m seized with the sudden fear that these past few weeks have just been some kind of vivid dream and if I open my eyes the light pollution haze will be replaced by dim lights and blue screens.

I jerk awake with a sharp gasp to find Mamma watching me, the concern even more evident now. It’s enough to make me relent, at least a little bit.

“È… It’s just… bad dreams.” They’re more memories than dreams, or maybe both, but I’m not too eager to get into the semantics of it here and now.

“Oh stella.”

I wince, praying she won’t keep asking questions that I don’t want to answer.

“Come here?” When I look at her, Mamma’s arms are outstretched, inviting me onto her lap.

I’m 16, not 5. I don’t need to go running to my mamma every time something scares me.

I take the invitation anyways, curling up in her lap and pressing my face to her shoulder as she holds me tight. I don’t need her comfort, but I did spend what felt like months missing her. I think I’m entitled to a little bit of childishness.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Mamma asks.

I shrug, clinging to her a bit tighter.

Mamma tucks my hair behind my ear, then begins to quietly sing. It takes a few moments for me to recognize it as one of the lullabies she used to sing to me and Nicoli when we were little.

Despite myself, I find my eyes slipping shut once again. We’re still sitting on the living room floor. This can’t be comfortable for Mamma in the long run. But she makes no move to shoo me off of her lap, to try and send me back to my room or even move onto the couch.

“Grazie,” I mumble, my voice nearly lost against her shoulder.

Mamma reaches the end of a line, then pauses just long enough to kiss the top of my head. “Vai a dormire, stella,” she murmurs before resuming the lullaby.

This time when I close my eyes, there are no dark empty hallways waiting for me, and for the first time since I woke up in the hospital, I don’t have any nightmares.

#writing #in which i write #snippets #stars #februaroc #februaroc 2023

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whoiskt · 1 year

Text

2022 draws to a close... it is time now... the questions...

1: What did you do in 2022 that you’d never done before?

WENT TO THE OCEAN!!! BABEY WE FINALLY MADE IT!

Also wrote a TV pilot script which has altered the course of my future in ways that are yet to be determined....

I did some other things, of course, but nothing as big as those. Like, I went to the renaissance faire, and tried hot pot, poisoned myself with mold. Just a tastes of some firsts.

2: Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I made... so many. It was too much.

Read 10 books--- Yeah, I technically have started and failed to complete many books. This does include Dracula -_- I’m so bad at finishing things. I’m trying to finish one before New Years.

Go to an event I wouldn’t normally attend--- I mean, I did go to the ren faire... so I want to count this.

Run a mile in less than 12 minutes outdoors--- I didn’t try lmao once it was warm enough to run outdoors I had completely forgotten.

Apply for at least 4 jobs a week----

I was trying to film a second a day too and that ended in... February.

Yeah, anyways, I don’t know. I got to be more reasonable.

3: Did anyone close to you give birth?

Nay! Least you count all the girlies at work.

4: Did anyone close to you die?

Nay!

5: What countries did you visit?

I’m still working on that ok?

6: What would you like to have in 2023 that you lacked in 2022?

Watch as KT chooses “career” for the fourth year in a row... Honestly, no. I’m going to say a feeling of community. That’s what I really want.

7: What dates from 2022 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

I will probably forget everything. I still remember the queen died on the 8th of September. I don’t know why I remember that but I doubt it will last.

8: What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Writing the script. I mean, it has changed a bit, and will continue to, but it was a big step in this journey I’m on. And as you know, I rarely finish things I start, so this was a big deal. Even if it never sees the light of day.

I read it to my family at Christmas and my oldest bro-in-law told me to keep making it because he likes it.... HUGE compliment coming from him.

I have also written the outlines for several other episodes for this not-real TV show of mine. I think I’m up to 5 outlines, in addition to the script. So, yeah. Even if it never gets to TV I might make it into a webcomic. Like, I'll make a pact that if I haven't gotten it made by the time I'm 30, I'll start making it into a webcomic instead.

Plus, I’ve been working a lot on my portfolio. I need to finish that up in January and then I’ll be applying for grad school! Scary but exciting.

9: What was your biggest failure?

My biggest failure of the year was probably whenever I applied and interviewed for that broadcasting job. I was really bummed that I didn’t get the job because of the following reasons:

1) It was “the perfect” job for me, I was perfectly qualified and it was in the perfect place, as close as I could get to my “dream job” without leaving the state.

2) There was three (3!) openings. The odds should have been in my favor

3) I knew someone who was already working there. Just embarrassing to me like, ok, so he knows I didn’t get the position. We went to school together our resumes were VERY similar ya know? How did I not get it?

But my biggest failure did lead me to self-reflect. The job search the last few years has been so hard. Getting this rejection was a very big “I can’t do this anymore” moment, so I was thinking, what has brought me satisfaction in all this? The answer was the TV show I write in my notes app.

And because I believe in that enough, I guess I’m going to go do that now instead. Either way, it’s been really fucking nice since then to have just completely given up on the job search. Just so nice.

10: Did you suffer illness or injury?

Yes, first I was sick... idk some time in Spring. Then I drank mold and became poisoned that way, so that was fun. And this last week I’ve had a stomach bug so wooo! I look forward to being well again.

11: What was the best thing you bought?

I bought the new tablet. It is really nice. But it would really only be useable thanks to Will, letting me borrow his computer all the time these days.

12: Whose behavior merited celebration?

I respect all my friends for their behavior and growth or dealing with challenges. It was tough ages 18-24 dealing with losing friends, but now the people I choose to surround myself never worry me, or shock me, or even come close to disgusting me. That’s not something I could have said when I was younger (sadly). But now all my friends are super solid and I am proud to know them.

13: Whose behavior made you appalled?

I don’t know... sometimes my coworkers do stuff but I wouldn’t call it outright appalling? At worst it’s petty drama or bootlicking. But I’m very good at leaving things at work so I don’t care.

14: Where did most of your money go?

They keep increasing the gd rent grrrrr

15: What did you get really, really, really excited about?

The ocean and the beach and the accompanying aura was really cool. I was so excited in general for summer and warm weather, which I think I’m just thinking about because I want it really bad right now.

Chainsaw Man anime! It’s been great showing it to Will, now he knows who tf I’m talking about.

16: What song will always remind you of 2022?

I really don’t listen to pop songs anymore but on our drive to the east coast we discovered Brick + Motar which has become a staple in our home, so pretty much all their songs.

17: Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? Richer or poorer?

I’m probably in all ways about the same. This is what I talk about when I say all the last few years have been a blur because things really don’t get better or worse they just stay the same.

18: What do you wish you’d done more of?

Focusing on finishing things I started. Running theme here, I know, lmao

19: What do you wish you’d done less of?

Play stupid little games on my phone. I seriously get addicted to these things.

20: How did you spend Christmas?

Went home. It was really brief this year. I'll make sure my visit next year is an extended stay.

21: Did you fall in love in 2022?

Never stopped.

22: What was your favorite TV program?

Some things I enjoyed this year: Severance, What We Do in the Shadows, Arcane, Chainsaw Man, Spy x Family, Jojo Part 6, Bee and Puppycat: Lazy in Space, Fringe, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Gravity Falls, and many docs.

23: Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Nah.

24: What was the best book you read?

I have been and should be finished reading “The Song of Achilles” soon. I enjoy it because before I played Hades, and as a former greek mythology kid, I hadn’t heard of Patroclus, and I enjoy learning more about him..

25: What was your greatest musical discovery?

I did a lot of musical discovery this year. Like, more than usual, probably not a lot compared to most people. First off, I discovered Of Montreal (not from Montreal sus) TV on the Radio, and of course my Spotify top song of the year: “Heart It Races” by Architecture in Helsinki (I have yet to listen to a single other song of theirs because I just know nothing can top this).

Will discovered Brick + Mortar, and Fish in a Birdcage, which I have coveted.

I have also enjoyed That Handsome Devil and Spoon. Although there is more diving to do with them.

26: What did you want and get?

New drawing tablet.

27: What did you want and not get?

New laptop. My tastes are just too expensive and so I ended up using the money for other things.

28: What was your favorite film of this year?

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE!

29: What one thing that made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Writing things for myself and then reading them off to Will. Oh, yeah, my TV show has a fan! Just greenlight me baby!

30: How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2022?

Visions from higher powers. But mostly I don’t wear pants at home. I’m not wearing pants as I write this.

31: What kept you sane?

Socializing. Going outside. Going for walks. Music. My notes app.

32: Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

I don’t care about celebrities but I do care about Aki Hayakawa.

33: What political issue stirred you the most?

I lost rights this year so..... oof.

34: Who did you miss?

My kitty cat.

35: Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2022.

I learned not to compromise on quality of life? Life is filled with dreams. You gotta follow the string of satisfaction.

It’s easy to get caught up in a stream of “well I have to do this, and then that, and then I’ll be happy.” Which is pretty much how I have lived my life up to this point. I went to college because I thought it was a step to happiness. I wasn’t happy while doing it. I should have done something else, I think. It was unhappy times.

Like, I don’t really like my job, it’s not what I want to do for the rest of my life, or even a year more, but it’s something I can do now, while pursuing other things that DO satisfy me... and THAT’S the satisfaction I have in my life. Before, it was just a step while I waited for something better. But I realize that’s not a good way to live life.

36: Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

#lifeblogging #Tl;dr of this is that I wrote a script and didn't read any books lmaooo #year in review

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clementinesjourney · 3 years

Text

Record Shop Funk - Pt. 1 Like real people do

A.N. : Hey guys, so i had this idea yesterday, and i really hope you'll like it. <3

MINORS DO NOT INTERACT.

Words: 1,9k

Pairing: camboy!Steve x Reader, roommate!Bucky x reader, Stucky x reader (as the story goes)

Warnings: nothing yet :)

Summary: Who knew that having a secret crush, then a hearbreak will end in such a sweet thing..

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

You and Bucky shared an apartment above the recordshop you both worked in. Your aunt was the owner of both, so it was a fairly good payment, and a fairly good apartment for a cheap price. It was a bright and big apartment with two bedrooms, so your decided to rent it out, all while searching for a helper to the shop downstairs. When Bucky came in applying for the job, you asked out of joke if he needs a place to live since you had seen around 5 people already and none of them felt right. His eyes lit up as he said he is in fact looking for a place. Since he was fitting for a job, and looked like a decent guy, you congratulated him on his new job, and asked if he wants to see the place today. You still had one and a half hour to close, but after it you would gladly show him the apartment.

He had nothing better to do, so he agreed to it, feeling happy about having a job he might actually like and a coworker he might actually will get along with.

-Do you drink coffee? I was thinking of getting one in the meantime. My friend works close by, and they make the best coffee in town. - He asked.

-I could go for one thank you - you smiled at him - iced cold-brew, no sugar, i'm sweet enough.. - you said with a smile.

He couldn't help but smile back at the joke. When he arrived at the café, he saw his friend Steve flirting with a girl whom he could visibly see trembling just cause he talked to her. Steve always had his way with girls, ever since the serum of course. After he broke up with Peggy, it was mostly just hookups, never finding a girl worth keeping around. Not as if they werent kind, pretty or good to him, it just never felt right. Bucky smiled at his friend, Steve immediately shifted his gaze from the girl, to a very happy Bucky.

-Did you get the job?

-Better.. I got the job, and she has a room for rent which i'll see tonight.

-Wow Bucky, i didn't know you were even better then i am.. sooo how does she look? - asked Steve with a slight wiggle of his eyebrows. He wanted Bucky to get a girl since ages and hearing this, his mind immediately ventured there.

-5'7, ginger, green eyes, freckles, curvy just the right places. why?

-Nothing Buck.. nothing.. - Steve said smirking at his friend.. Bucky never realized when he liked a girl, so he never really acted on it. He last had a woman back in the 40's.

-Sooo i know you didn't come to have chat with me, one black coffee and.. ?

-ah, iced cold-brew, no sugar..

After paying for the coffee, he hurried back to the shop, hoping to get to know his coworker a little bit better.

You thanked him for the coffee, and when you tried to pay, he refused.

-Next round's mine then. - You smiled at him with your 1000 watt smile, which again he couldn't help but smile back at.

-So tell me about you Bucky, what do you do in your freetime?

-Nothing really, just reading, spending time with my friends, kind of thats it.. I have a boring life really. What about you?

-Well, i work here, then i go home and listen to music, cook, god i love to cook, thats a big pro for the apartment.. just saying. - you said with a playful wink. - besides that nothing much. Sometimes i go to a nearby bar with my friends maybe concerts and thats it.

-I like washing dishes if that helps with the application for the room. - he said with a shy laugh which made your heart skip a beat.

- It sure does.. Do you leave your stuff around?

-No i'm a tidy person.. thank you very much. - he said cockily (just for the sake of being funny really).

-Okay okay, if you like it you can have the room, just promise to tell if you bring up a girl so i can leave. The walls are kind of thin.

-It's okay, i don't really...

-Oh um i'm sorry, i didn't meant to intrude, it just something i would really like everyone to add to their rental contracts. - you chuckled embarassed.

-Noo no, it's okay, i'm not embarassed by it. I guess i don't want hook ups, if one day there's someone i'll tell in advance.

-yea me too, i promise. If you end up renting it anyway haha. on that note it's time to close so i can show the room in a min.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

When you opened the door to the apartment Buckyquietly took in it all. It was really bright, white walls with paintings all over the walls, plants in every corner or shelf you can put one on, a comfy looking mustard couch, aztec-y rug under the coffeetable, and a wall fully shelved, filled with books and little trinkets, it looked like a home he never had a chance to have. The livingroom had an american kitchen on the side, island in the middle of the kitchen area, it was white, and blue which reminded him of greece, down the hallway you showed him the bathroom which of course had a lot of plants that liked the atmosphere of a bathroom, a shower in the corner and a bathtub under the window. You then showed the empty room he could rent out. It only had a shelf and a wardrobe, and a queen sized bed. No decorations, no signs of anybody ever living there. You then pointed to the room the opposit of what could possibly be Bucky's in the future, saying that is yours. You didn't show your room, he wasn't gonna go in there anyway, and showing your most private space on the first day didn't seem like a good idea either. You then invited him out to the balcony, watching the setting sun, smoking a cigarette.

-So thats about it, what do you think?

-I really like it, and i mean.. my workplace is pretty close so thats a plus, also you said something about cooking all the time.. sooo if it's alright with you i would love to rent it out.

-It's settled then roomie. I'll give you the keys, you can move in whenever you want to. Tomorrow we are closed, so maybe that would be ideal.

-Yea, then tomorrow it is then. I'll ask my friend to help, then we can maybe hang a bit if you're free.

-Sure, i have nothing planned, and it's good to know who i'll be living with. - you said with a smile.

Before closing the door, you said your goodbyes, and you realized what did you just do, after he wished you good night with a killer halfsmile that almost had your knees buckle. You just agreed to living together with possibly the most handsome man you've ever seen who is also your new coworker, so you will basically spend most of your time with him.. Guess we'll see how this goes you thought to yourself.

Morning came soon enough, you were sitting out on the balcony when you saw Bucky arrive with a very tall, just as handsome man, carrying boxes of books, and bags of clothing. Bucky looked up at the balcony, waving towards you, you waved back, then moved to open the front door before going back out to the balcony, resuming your coffee and smoke.

When they finished bringing all Bucky's stuff in, it was already midday, so you decided you'd order pizza for all of you, as in like a welcome present.

-Hey guys, i'm thinking of ordering pizza, what kind would you like?

-Oh (y/n) you don't have to. - said Bucky, earning a smirk from Steve as he looked back and forth between you two.

- Noo i insist, today won't be the day i'll start to slowly kill you with my cooking. - you said giggling a bit.

- Whatever's fine peach. - said Steve with a wink, that you decided was just out of friendlyness. You didn't veen knew his name, and he seemed like a lady's man anyways. Not really your type no matter how handsome and muscular he is.

- Steve, by the way, nice to meet you.

-(Y/n), likewise. - you shook his hand.

When the pizzas arrived you called them to the kitchen, listening to all their shared stories from their early years. They seemed like really close friends, and genuinely good people. You had a really great time. It was nearly 9 pm when Steve left, for saving a dame from dying cause of boredom he said. You and Bucky chuckled, then he let him out, closing the door, locking it for the night.

-I guess i have some packing to do, so.. good night (y/n).

-Good night Bucky, if you need anything just knock. - you said with a smile, and he couldn't help but smile back. He felt at peace. He had Steve, now he had a job, and a room to make a home of, and you as a new addition. You were so kind, so eager to help if he needed anything, he loved how the scent of raspberries and flowers lingered in the apartment mixed with coffee and cigarette smoke. It seemed to have a calming effect on him.

You heard a soft knock half an hour later. WHen you opened the door you saw a smiling Bucky, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

- Hey, um.. sorry. I forgot i didn't bring a blanket, could i borrow one until i get my own?

-Yea sure, i'll get one in a min. - You said, leaving the door open, letting him see a bit of "you" while you were searching for your spare blanket in your wardrobe. The room really was you. White, with mustardy curtains on the window, plants everywhere, books piled up here and there, a really comfy looking bed, pictures of you and your friends on the walls. And damn, your room smelled even more like you. If he wouldn't pay attention your scent would lure him into your room and never let him leave he thought.

-There you go. - you handed him the blanket smiling.

-Thank you very much.

Then he stood there for a moment drinking in the sight of you in front of him. You were wearing an oversized tshirt, that ended just around the middle of your thighs, hair in a messy bun, no makeup. He could swear he thought you were pretty before, but seeing you as you were made him fancy you even more.

With a small smile you told him goodnight again, then closed the door in his face.

You could hear his little laugh on the other side of the door, then his door closing. For the first time in months he didn't wake up in the middle of the night, and he didn't had a nightmare either. He was afraid he would, and then he would wake you up with his screaming, but looks like the blanket which smelled just like you calmed him enough.

After waking up because the rays of sunshine on his face, he smiled to himself guess i'll wait with getting my own blanket then...

#bucky x reader #bucky x you #bucky barnes #steve x reader #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers #recordshopfunk

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moririki · 3 years

Text

⤷ AN EIGHT-LEGGED PROBLEM

OIKAWA TOORU & SAKUSA KIYOOMI & HAIBA LEV & MIYA ATSUMU X READER -> 1.8K you save your boyfriend from a massive problem which is currently in the corner of your bathroom )

REQUEST -> n/a CONTAINS -> spiders, bugs, you picking up said creepy crawlies, hq boys being no! help! at! all! (but that's ok bc we love them for it), fanon-ish sakusa cos i haven't read the manga and he had like 5 seconds of screen time so i'm just going off of what i've read + seen, clear favouritism despite the fact that i know basically nothing about sakusa, manga timeskip spoilers in sakusa's MORI'S THOUGHTS -> haven't seen one where the reader is the one in the relationship who takes care of bugs so since i'm a #girlboss who throws spiders out of my room whenever i see them without breaking a sweat i'm writing that into a fun lil thing with the haikyuu boys that i strongly believe are scared of bugs. also besides the point but look at the pretty colour palette that their banners make fjfjfjdj will go back to writing the requests after this! inspiration just struck

❍ OIKAWA TOORU

-> omg this fucking guy

-> don't let his pride fool you this man HATES bugs with a burning passion

-> he'll never admit it though

-> between you and the aoba johsai team he would never hear the end of how the great king oikawa would cower at the sight of a moth doing laps around a lightbulb

-> so when you pretended not to hear the shriek that left your boyfriend when he saw something flying around the bathroom light and he declined your offer to get rid of the moth for him, this left oikawa in a pretty difficult situation

-> it was just him alone in the bathroom, trying to brush his teeth while eyeing the bug warily

-> you came in a few minutes later, getting ready to go to bed as well

-> "you know, babe, that moth's been there for quite a while," you teased him

-> oikawa hummed in response, his eyes never leaving it as it continued its circumnavigation of the light fixture

-> "oh, you know. who am i to kick someone out of their home? i'm no monster"

-> you almost snorted at how poor of an excuse that was, but ruffled your boyfriend's hair anyway

-> "i'll take care of it, ru, you just finish getting ready"

-> "but y/n-chan, that moth has feelings! don't be mean to it!"

-> you gave tooru a very blank stare at that

-> "so do you want me to leave you alone with your new friend?"

-> "......no"

-> "that's what i thought"

-> you went up to the moth, managing to trap it in your hands before releasing it from a window

-> oikawa shuddered as you came back to the sink, giving your hands a quick rinse before resuming with brushing your teeth like nothing had happened

-> "you're so brave, my love"

-> "anything for you, babe"

❍ SAKUSA KIYOOMI

-> bless this poor boy

-> so it's no secret that sakusa isn't the fondest of germs

-> and that extends to bugs and spiders too

-> besides a normal amount of disgust that he held for them, the thought of where the insects had been or placed one of their many feet on never failed to make his skin crawl

-> that's where you, his wonderful significant other, comes in

-> as much as he loves you, he just can't understand how you always stared at bugs with wonder in your eyes

-> you'd even pick them up, cooing at the way they crawled up your arm while sakusa just stared at you in disbelief with a can of bug spray in hand

-> tonight was one of those swelteringly hot summer nights

-> you know, the ones where the air seems to be still no matter how many windows you open and every insect in a mile radius is actively trying to enter your home

-> you were spending the night at your boyfriend's apartment, ready to have a relaxing night in with him since your schedules had finally synced up and allowed you both to enjoy a day off at the same time

-> it took months of trust before sakusa finally admitted to you how much he enjoyed doing skincare

-> so whenever you two spent the night together, you decided to start the evening with some face masks and idle binging of a tv show

-> against his half-hearted protests, you had insisted that sakusa wore a headband while this happened (one that had a very cute duck face printed on it)

-> just to keep the curls out of his face, of course

-> whenever he caught you sneaking a candid of him with facemask and duck headband on, he just shot you a halfhearted glare and threatened you to never send that to atsumu or the rest of the msby team

-> (you set it as your home screen instead)

-> anyways, i digress

-> so tonight you decided to cool down from the heat with a few facemasks and cuddling in your boyfriend's heavily air conditioned living room

-> but he kept all his skincare stuff in the bathroom, so you went to go get them as he set up a show to watch along with some snacks

-> you flicked on the light, going to his cabinet when something in the corner of the room caught your eye

-> there was a fairly large spider, desperately trying to crawl up the smooth tile wall

-> you decided to take pity on it and release it

-> but when you had it cupped safely in your hands, you decided to terrorise your poor boyfriend just a little

-> "hey, omi, look what i found!"

-> your boyfriend perked up at your signature nickname for him, though his eyes narrowed as he saw your clasped hands held in front of you

-> "no"

-> "but baby, you haven't even seen-"

-> "no"

-> you giggled at how defensive he had become

-> "come on, don't you want to name it? it's very cute"

-> "i want you to throw it out, y/n"

-> "alright, alright"

-> you took the spider to a window, releasing it back outside before heading back to the bathroom and grabbing a few masks for real this time

-> sakusa gave you the cold shoulder as you sat down next to him, humming as you gave him a face mask and putting it on without a word

-> "aww, baby, i'm sorry"

-> "..."

-> "i'll give you a head massage if you stop ignoring me?"

-> sakusa turned to you, his eyes narrowed in thought as he stared you down

-> the act soon broke, though, and he smiled against the sheet mask that was on his face

-> "it better be a good one," he huffed as he tugged the duck headband off, already sighing at the sensation of your fingers against his scalp

-> "omi, come on, what do you take me for?"

❍ HAIBA LEV

-> ngl lev gives off equal amounts of being terrified of like the tiniest spider or just finding bugs insanely cool vibes

-> it's funnier to imagine this 6-foot-something guy scramble away from a fucking crane fly in terror though so this is how it's going to play out

-> when you invited your giant of a boyfriend to your flat, you didn't anticipate just how small he made everything appear

-> he even towered in your doorway, having to stoop to step through into your hall

-> "woahh, i love your place!"

-> it was his first time staying over for the night, and lev was making sure to drink in every aspect of your interior design

-> you found it sweet of him, and watched as he stared in wide-eyed wonder at the little trinkets you had collected over the years to make your small apartment seem more like a home

-> you didn't expect him to scream at the top of his lungs and practically run back to you, though

-> you jumped at the sound, watching as he scrambled away from your lamp and pointed back at it with a shaking finger

-> you squinted at it, making out the very menacing form of a crane fly as it bumped into the lampshade and continued on its path

-> "lev, you big baby," you giggled, heading to the kitchen to grab a glass and trap it

-> "y/n, don't leave me alone with it!" he yelped, and you rolled your eyes at his antics

-> you came back, smoothly capturing the insect and throwing it out of a nearby window

-> lev was sat on your couch the whole time, hands covering his eyes as he curled in a ball

-> "is it gone?" he asked, and you you giggled at how childlike he was acting at the moment

-> "it's all good, baby" you smoothed his hair and lev gratefully leaned into your touch, a sigh of relief leaving him

-> "thank you, y/n"

-> "i'll get rid of all the bugs in the world for you, lev"

❍ MIYA ATSUMU

-> gives off the vibes that he used to eat bugs as a child i'm sorry but

-> have mercy on his soul lmao

-> so twins are supposed to be identical right?

-> anyone who spends more than a few minutes around the miya twins know that that's a complete fucking lie

-> and you've had the misfortune of being friends with them for a very long time

-> like your mums were friends and you were all born around the same time

-> you've been pulled into their shit before you could walk or talk

-> so you're well aware of just how different these mfs are

-> even though they were both absolute bastards, osamu always had a slightly more mellowed out approach which would always end up with atsumu getting the blame for what they got up to

-> especially as a child, osamu loved to terrorise his twin with the unwilling help of you

-> one of the ways was through osamu exploiting one of his twins' fears

-> that being bugs and spiders

-> he always cackled at the sight of atsumu screaming and trying to run away from him due to the spider he was holding

-> as they both grew up, this became less of a frequent thing for osamu to do

-> you also somehow started dating atsumu, but nobody could exactly pinpoint a moment that signified a beginning to your relationship

-> but since you're dating the world's biggest manchild in disguise, and osamu gets annoyed with atsumu quite easily, you would have to swoop in to rescue him from time to time

-> recently the twins had been getting a little snappy with each other, and it had yet to sort itself out

-> from what you had heard your boyfriend was in the wrong this time, but you still listened to him whine and rant about it

-> you were going to the inarizaki school gym to say hi to your boyfriend and best friend before practice started, only to see absolute chaos unfolding

-> with kita yet to arrive, the twins were effectively unleashed and that much was clear with the way atsumu was practically screaming his head off as he ran around the gym

-> your eyes took in the rest of the players- aran had his head in his hands, suna was snickering with his phone out to record the newest miya twin fight, and osamu's deranged laugh could be heard above everything else as he chased his brother, hand held out in front of him

-> only one thing was capable of making atsumu scream like that, so you already knew what was happening

-> atsumu quickly spotted you hovering in the doorway, and made a beeline to where you were

-> his eyes were panicked, and you were quick to wrap him in a hug as you shot osamu a nasty glare over his shoulder

-> literally this lmfao

-> "that's enough, 'samu"

-> your best friend paused, before a smile spread across his face as he dangled the centipede in front of him

-> "you know it was rubber, right?"

-> you felt your boyfriend tense in your arms and you bit your lip to stifle a small giggle

-> but at least they would be back to normal by the end of today

back to the menu - ,, 🕷 ·˚ ༘ ꒱

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jeyramarie · 3 years

Text

Mr. & Mrs. Holland-(Mob! Tom Holland x Mob! Reader) part 6

summary: don’t trust everyone you meet with your things..

warning: smut, fluff

w/c: 3,348

a/n: ik it took a while, sorry guys i had a lot of school work and a bit of writers block but it’s finally here!! i hope the smut is not shitty 😬 anyway, happy reading everyone 🦋

prologue~ part 1~ part 2~ part 3~ part 4~ part 5~

It’s been two weeks since Y/n’s kidnapping and she has been surprisingly good. The first few days were the worst, she had a lot of nightmares and woke up screaming multiple times. During the rest of the first week, she started going outside again and having dinner with Tom again. The curtains of the bedroom started opening and she started showering alone. In the second week, everything was almost back to the way it was. Y/n resumed her morning yoga sessions and started swimming a bit which gave Tom an incredible view of her in a bikini.

The only thing that kept the mob boss worried was that she would drift off sometimes, stare at a wall for a while. He knew she was thinking about it, about Adam, his men and where she was held. That’s why he brought her breakfast in bed everyday and he worked from home. Harrison has asked him multiple times about when he’s going back to the office and Tom gave him the same response. “Whenever Y/n is ready to go back to work.”. He was walking up the stairs into his bedroom with breakfast in hand and walked in slowly, not wanting to wake you. Tom tiptoed to the bedside table, placing the plate and coffee mug on it. Then he got into bed slowly and started placing soft kisses on her neck, her shoulder. After a few more kisses, she stirred awake and smiled feeling safe when she saw Tom.

“Morning, baby.” she giggled as she turned around to face him.

“Good morning, gorgeous.” he smiled as he gave her a peck on her forehead.

“I brought you some breakfast.” she sat up quickly and pressed her back against the headboard. Tom laughed and sat up too, turning his body to grab the plate and mug.

“Here you go, love.” he said, handing it to her, watching her smile as she grabbed it. She sipped from the coffee and moaned in delight as the warm liquid ran down her throat.

“Did you drink coffee already?” she asked, grabbing the fork to start eating her eggs.

“I don’t want any today, love. It’s okay. You enjoy yours.” Tom smiled and pecked her lips.

“Well, thank you. For doing all this these past few weeks. I love you.”

“I love you too, baby.” he whispered, rubbing his thumb on her cheekbone.

“Are you gonna go back to work?”

“I can work from here. I’m not gonna leave you.”

“You can go back to work, you know?” she said softly looking into his eyes with a soft stare.

“I don't wanna leave you here alone.”

“Baby, I’m not alone.” Y/n giggled, grabbing his hand.

“There’s people here that are gonna protect me and this time, they won't follow my orders, only yours.”

“Definitely not yours.” Tom laughed, making his wife giggle.

“You don't have to tell me but I know you miss work. I’m not gonna keep you here, honey.” she whispered as she placed her head on his shoulder.

“Are you sure? I can take you with me.” Her head perched up and looked at him in surprise as her cheeks turned a nice shade of pink.

“You want me to go with you?”

“Yeah, it would be fun. I would love to have my wife with me.” he smiled as she nodded and leaned in to give her a peck.

“Let’s go get ready then.” she quickly stood up from the bed and sipped from her coffee one more time before walking into the bathroom. Tom followed her, of course, and they shared a relaxing fun shower. Y/n walked out first and went into the closet. Once the lights turned on and she saw her clothes, heels, makeup, purses, she froze. She hasn’t been out since the kidnapping, anywhere really. Not even to her own mailbox. When Tom walked out he saw her like that and frowned a bit. He walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist slowly, careful not to startle her.

“If you want to stay, we can.” he whispered, making Y/n let out a breath she didn’t know she held.

“No, No. We’re going. It’s time I finally left this house.” she said and strutted into the closet giving Tom a slight sense of hope. Maybe his wife was finally coming back.

An hour had passed and the mob boss was already downstairs in the kitchen, waiting for his wife to be ready. As he drank from his scotch he couldn’t help but think about his life and his wife, his job, his friends. Everything was cut short when he heard heels clack against the floor. He put his glass down and walked to the end of the stairs, looking up to see Y/n. She walked out of their bedroom with a Dolce Gabbana long flowy dress, some Saint Laurent platforms heels. Her hair was pinned back nicely and the makeup was simple. Made Tom think about their wedding again, about how Y/n looked when she walked down the aisle. It made him smile a bit, seeing his wife look like her again. She made it to the end of the stairs and looked at him with a wide smile.

“So? What do you think?” she asked as she twirled around for her husband to see the full outfit.

“You look… absolutely breathtaking. As always.” he smiled, grabbing her waist to pull her towards him. They kissed for a few and broke apart which made Y/n laugh over the gloss that was smeared around Tom’s mouth.

“We should get going, don’t wanna be late.” Tom nodded and grabbed her hand making their way to the car where Dylan was waiting.

“Dylan, hi. How are you?”

“I’m doing good, ma’am. Good to see you.” he said with a small smile.

“It was nice seeing you.” and with that she got into the car with Tom behind her. He immediately held her hand once he sat comfortably. The car ride was smooth and silent till Y/n began asking questions.

“What are we gonna do at the office?” she asked looking out the window.

“We’re gonna interview someone for this new position. Harrison had to look for more people.”

“Hmm. Well, that’s gonna be interesting.” she chuckled as she looked at her husband and leaned in to kiss him. Tom placed his hand on her jaw, moving his lips softly against hers. Their lips moved a bit more passionately, both feeling that familiar heat between them when the car came to a stop. They didn’t notice they were already there which left Dylan to interrupt the kiss. He looked nervously in the rear view mirror to see his bosses locking lips.

“Mr. Holland?” he said after clearing his throat which caught Tom’s attention.

“We’re here, sir.” the mob boss looked to the side and saw his building making him take off his arm from around his wife.

“Let’s go, love. Thank you, Dylan.” the boy nodded and Tom opened the door to go around the car. He opened the door on Y/n’s side and helped her get out quickly interlocking their fingers as they walked towards the building. Once inside, everyone was completely shocked to see Y/n. Everyone knew what happened, of course, so they expected her to be cooped up at home for a long time. It’s obvious they don’t know Y/n at all. She’s not that kind of girl. As they made their way to the elevators, people broke their necks looking at them walk hand in hand. Tom bid a ‘good morning’ to everyone as Y/n just nodded and smiled. The elevator doors closed and she let out a huge breath, feeling relief.

“You alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just felt a bit nervous… seeing everyone again.” Tom looked at her with soft eyes and pulled her into a hug. She immediately buried her face in his neck and breathed in his perfume. He rubbed his hand up and down her back, bringing her comfort.

“You’re safe with me, love. I won’t let anything happen to you.” he whispered into her hair as he took in the smell of her floral shampoo. Tom saw that they were one floor away from his office which made him pull away from the hug. They looked at each other’s eyes and both leaned in to join their lips in a peck. The elevator dinged as the doors opened to reveal a busy office. People walking back and forth with files in hand. Others were talking on the phone and taking notes. It was pretty hectic. Tom grabbed Y/n’s hand with a strong grip and began walking to his office. Before walking inside, they noticed a woman who quickly stood up when she saw the Hollands.

“Mr. Holland…. Hello. I-I’m Jane. I’m here for the job interview.” she said nervously with her hand extended to shake his hand. Tom took it and shook it, giving her a tight lip smile.

“Hello, nice to meet you. This is my wife, Y/n. She will be present during your interview.”

“Hi, how are you?” she smiled while shaking the woman’s hand.

“I’m good.” Jane smiled and took her hand back. Tom walked into his office with Y/n right behind followed by the possible new employee.

“Take a seat, Jane.” Tom said sitting down on his chair as Y/n sat on the sofa next to the desk.

“Let’s get started, shall we?” she nodded and he leaned back getting comfortable to begin the interview. They had this rule where every interview only consisted of 20 questions. After those questions Tom or Y/n would decide to hire the person or not. It was a nice, easy system. Especially for Y/n, she’s crazy organized. Tom was listening to Jane and her past experiences in the office environment as Y/n walked to his desk to grab her files. She had major trust issues, especially with new people. She had to read about Jane herself. Of course, him being a man there were many things Y/n saw that Tom didn’t. She scanned over the papers, searching for any familiar name. Names like Cavanugh or Matthews. After everything that’s happened, she’s been paranoid. Even when she goes to their kitchen, she spends the whole time looking out the windows to the backyard, checking underneath the tables, behind doors, even her shower. ‘Jane Richards.’ Y/n read in her head. ‘I’ve heard that last name before.’ she thought as she walked back to the sofa with the files in hand. She was so caught up in the files that she didn’t realize the interview was over. Jane was gonna say goodbye and Tom broke his wife from his trance.

“Darling?” she looked up from her lap and saw the woman standing there eagerly.

“Oh, my apologies. Thanks for coming by.” Y/n smiled as she shook her hand.

“Thank you for your time. Have a nice day.”

“Thanks, you as well.” Tom said, placing his hand on his wife’s waist and waving at Jane as she walked out of the office. Once alone, Y/n turned to Tom and put her hands on his chest.

“So? What do you think about Jane?” he asked, running his fingers softly up and down her back.

“Honestly? I don't know if we should trust her.” she muttered looking at her hands, afraid to look at his eyes.

“Why not?” he asked, putting a piece of hair behind her ear.

“I've heard her last name before. Probably before I met you, while I was still with my parents.”

“So you think she has worked with your dad?”

“It’s a possibility. Maybe she’s married or something.” she said finally looking up at Tom and licking her lips.

“I didn’t see anything about a husband on the files.”

“Me neither.. Maybe it's her maiden name?”

“Probably.” he whispered as he leaned in making Y/n smile. Their lips came together in a soft kiss filled with passion. Tom broke away and jogged quickly to the door to lock it. When he came back he kept kissing his wife, moving her to his desk. She sat down which caused her to open her legs for him to stand in between them.

“It’s kinda hot that you wanna fuck me on your desk.” Y/n muttered against his lips making him bite her bottom lip which caused a small moan to leave her throat.

“It’s really hot when you make those noises.” he mumbled against her lips pulling her into a messy, strong kiss. Savoring each other as much as they could, Tom began placing kisses on her neck and collarbone as Y/n began to unbutton his shirt. He then leaned forward and pushed everything on his desk to the sides for his wife to lay down comfortably with no obstacle. When she laid flat on her back, Tom moved his lips down her body until he found the knot that was holding Y/n’s dress together. He untied it quickly and stood back to admire her. She was wearing a lace yellow set that complemented her skin perfectly. Tom bent down and kissed her stomach all the way to her breast. Then moving back down to the hem on her panties and looked up at her eyes, asking permission. She nodded yes as his fingers went under the lacy fabric, pulling it down slowly as his lips kissed every piece of skin till the panties were completely off. Her legs were immediately opened as he looked at her pink, wet lips. Tom leaned in and without a warning he ran his tongue over her folds to her clit making Y/n arch her back a bit and gasp. Her hands went to his hair as her back arched more and loud moans came out her lips.

“Fuck- Tom, baby.” she whimpered pulling at the root of his hair making him groan into her folds. His tongue circle around her opening as he opened up her lips more with his thumbs. Tom’s nose bumped against her bundle of nerves as his tongue fucked her over and over, giving her an intense wave of pleasure. His member was becoming harder by the second as he heard his wife in pleasure and felt her squirmed under him.

“Tommy, fuc- oh fuck!” she moaned aloud making Tom perch his head up away from her folds.

“You want my whole office to hear you?” he groaned into her ear as his fingers stayed buried in her opening. Y/n moaned at his words moving her hands to his back and down to his ass. Tom moved his lips from her neck back to her mouth and began kissing her passionately allowing her to taste herself against him.

“Baby, please. I-I need you.” she whimpered against his lips. He removed his fingers slowly making her whimper and began to unbuckle his pants. He stood up straight discarting his shirt and pulling his pants down along with his underwear. Y/n leaned on her elbows and admired her husband’s chiseled body, every mole and freckle adorning his torso. He was doing the same thing. Admiring her body, her face, every small detail he might not notice most of the time. He then moved forward and leaned over her again to kiss her. Y/n’s hands immediately went to his member, moving her hand up and down as he groaned into her mouth making her wetter. She spread her legs wider and guided her husband’s hard cock to her opening, letting him fill her softly. A gasp left her lips as he spread her the deeper he went in. After giving her some time to adjust, Tom retreated his hips and snapped them forward again making his wife moan loudly. His thrusts started off slow but hard, with her nails scratching down his back.

“Fuck- you’re so tight, darling.” he groaned making his thrusts faster which caused her moans to be louder. She clenched as she became wetter around him. The skin to skin slapping filled the room as the couple raged in euphoria on the desk.

“Oh fuc- baby, shit.” Y/n moaned into his neck and moved to bite his shoulder which resulted in a grunt from him. Suddenly, he pulled out which caused her to lean up on her elbows with a questioning look. He grabbed her hands and made her stand up to then turn her around, making her bend over the desk. Tom entered her without warning making her moan against the polished wood beneath her. His hands gripped her hips tightly as he moved back and then thrusted forward in a fast motion. Tom kept his eyes down, seeing how his member slipped in and out of Y/n’s drenched folds. His hips kept hitting her ass on repeat as her back arched making her ass stick out further.

“Oh fuck.. You feel so good, baby.” he muttered into her ear as he leaned forward over her.

“So tight around me- shit- I’m gonna cum inside you, babygirl. Would you like that?” she had no power to talk so all she did was nod and whimper. Tom’s dick twitched inside her, letting her know he was already close. His thrusts became sloppy but still strong as his climax approached.

“Please cum with me.” Y/n whispered, turning her head to look at him whose mouth was agape in pleasure. After a few more hard thrusts, warm liquid covered her walls as Tom groaned into her neck and she moaned lowly. Both of them were breathing heavily as they came down from their high. Tom pulled out slowly, watching all his cum drip out of her. He quickly left to the bathroom in his office and brought back a damped rag to clean her with. They put their clothes back on and unlocked the door in case any employee had to go ask questions.

“So what are we gonna do about Jane?” Tom asked breaking Y/n traced who was standing by the window, looking over at the city.

“Well, do you think we should hire her?” she asked as she walked over to his desk and leaned against it.

“Her interview was great and we need that spot filled quickly before the rest of the deals are made. You can keep looking into her after.” he said as his calloused hand went to her thigh and rubbed it softly.

“Okay, fine. You can call her tomorrow.” she smiled and he stood up, giving her a kiss. He checked his watch and quickly looked at her.

“You ready to go?” he smiled as she nodded and walked away to get her things. They walked out of the office bidding everyone a ‘goodbye’ and ‘good night’.

When they finally made it home, they got rid of their clothes and got into a bath together. The bathroom had a few candles lit, the bath had flower petals and soft music was playing from the vinyl.

“Thank you for bringing me with you today.” Y/n said softly as she played with Tom’s hands.

“Of course, darling. I loved having you around.” he said and kissed her head. They stayed in the water till it started getting cold. After drying each other off and sharing a few kisses, the couple was finally in bed. In their pajamas, cuddled into each other. Tom drifted off to sleep first, leaving Y/n alone with her thoughts. ‘Where have I heard Richards from?’ she asked herself in her head, feeling the need to find out. She knew that name, she just had to find out from where. Her dad could be an option, his office or co-workers. Y/n had trust issues but her gut was always right. She knew she couldn’t give Jane every access to her and Tom’s empire. At least not until she found out who she was for sure.

mr&mrs.h: @ilovefandoms102 @themaddies-obx @guillerminacaba @teenwishes08 @runawayolives @theartisticqueen @quacksonlover81 @wonderfulfluffer @spidernerdsblog @nerdy-collector-festival @tyb1 @bella03riv @blueberrynonnie

#tom holland #tom holland x reader #mob! tom holland x reader #mob!reader #mob!au #tom holland fluff #tom holland smut #tom holland angst #mob!tom #tom holland fic #mr. & mrs. holland #mob! tom holland x mob! reader

165 notes · View notes

imagining-in-the-margins · 4 years

Text

Here to Misbehave (Pt. 16 | S.R.)

Summary: Reader is trying to go back to her old life, which includes the life she led before she met Spencer. Category: Angst. Couple: Spencer/Fem!Reader Content Warning: Drug mention, addiction, jealousy, arguing, death mention Word Count: 9.3k

MASTERLIST

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“Don’t wear that tie, wear the other one.”

Spencer turned to look at me curiously, his little grin the first signal that he saw right through me. “Why?” He asked, taking off the tie he’d only just finished putting on to swap it for the other one hanging in my closet.

It’d been a week since Spencer all but moved into my room, refusing to leave my side for even a second longer than necessary. Aside from the freshly healing bullet wounds, it had been one of the best weeks of my life.

“I don’t know.” I shrugged, trying and failing to hide my smile. “I just wanted to watch you take it off.”

My boyfriend pointed an accusing finger at me as he approached the bed, using it to poke my nose before retreating. “You, my dear, are a troublemaker. I’m going to be late.”

It was hard to believe that life could resume so quickly for everyone else when it felt like I was still on my knees on the cold tile floor of the bank. I tried not to think about it, acutely aware of the terrible things that could happen when PTSD was left unchecked.

I wanted to think about nice things, instead. Like how cute my boyfriend was, acting like it was my fault he’d be late while he took his time tying his tie over and over again. He’d say it was because it wasn’t perfect, but we both knew he didn’t care about that. He just didn’t want to leave yet.

“If you’re going to be late Dr. Reid, it’s because you refused to get out of bed until I gave you a kiss for every hour you’ll be gone today.” I reminded him, joy filling my chest at the small combination of a smile and a pout I received in response.

“You still owe me two.”

“Do I?” I responded, reaching out to grab his hand and pull him back to my place on the bed. “Then please, let me remedy that.”

Not wanting me to move any more than I already had, he quickly came down to place a chaste kiss on my lips. But I didn’t let it end there, holding onto the newly secured tie and tugging him closer.

Now it might be my fault, I thought, but I didn’t care. With one hand on the bed to steady himself and the other carefully caressing my cheek, he put all of his love into one little kiss. I felt like I was going to explode with the pent up desire that had accompanied being with him for so long without being able to show him how much I loved him in a physical way.

He insisted that he didn’t need sex, that it didn’t matter to him, but it mattered to me! I didn’t have a way with words like he did, and while he was content with curling up by my side, it left me wanting more.

The doctor kept telling me it would be soon, that the time will have passed quickly in hindsight. I didn’t understand half of what he said— he was just trying to get me to accept the narcotics in hopes that I wouldn’t end up back in his hospital.

I was doing it again. I was thinking about things I didn’t need to think about instead of the way Spencer bit down on my bottom lip when he paused to let me breathe. The smell of his cologne filled my lungs and I remembered how much I used to miss it. I’d stopped appreciating it when it was around me all the time.

It wasn’t until his phone rang that he left completely, tearing himself away from me like he wouldn’t be able to stop himself any other way.

“Hello?”

There were only a few reasons they would be calling him right now, and I didn’t like any of them.

“Oh… Alright.”

It was that exact tone, that terrified, pitiful grumble that told me what I needed to know. He had to go somewhere, and he wouldn’t be back today. He’d retreated from me, turning his back to me like I wouldn’t be able to tell what was happening just because I couldn’t see his face.

His voice was hushed. “Hotch, are you sure that I…”

The hopelessness hurt. I wanted him to go back to work; I knew he needed to. But it was so hard to let him go.

“Understood. I’ll be there soon.”

“How many more kisses do I owe you now?” I asked with a nervous laugh, fiddling with the sheets between my fingers.

“I don’t know.”

“Uh oh. I don’t like that voice.” I tried to keep my tone playful, but it wasn’t enough.

“I have to travel.”

The fact that he wasn’t looking at me made me more anxious than the fact he was now grabbing all the clothes he had in the closet and dropping them in the suitcase.

“Where to?”

Spencer paused, staring at the floor so that he could see me from his peripherals. He was torturing himself by forcing himself to see my reaction, but he wasn’t strong enough to look directly at me.

“Alaska.”

“Oh... wow.” I didn’t know how to respond, my body freezing as I tried to conceptualize just how far away that was. Far enough away that in maps of the United States, they had a separate area designated for it since it couldn’t fit.

It was too far, that’s all I knew.

“Hey, that’s fine! I can still call you.” My voice sounded foreign and the hopefulness was poorly performed. I wasn’t sure calling would be enough, but it apparently didn’t even matter.

“Not really. They don’t have service out there. Garcia is coming with us.” His packing got angrier, no matter how hard he tried to hide it from me.

“It’ll be fine, Spencer.”

His hands, unable to find any more clothing to grab, found purchase in his hair instead, running through them roughly. “What if something happens?” He asked as he finally turned to face me with a seriousness that was unbecoming.

“Nothing is going to happen. I have tons of friends who can help me. I’m just going to be sitting here on my ass all day watching bad TV.”

I gestured to the television that my friends had been nice enough to set up in my room, sighing as Spencer sulked in the other corner. It took a few waves of the hand, but eventually he dragged himself back to my side. Opening my arms to him, I took him in when his head dropped against my shoulder once more.

“I-I’m not ready to leave you yet.” The vulnerability shook in his voice, and I could feel the insistence in his grip denting my pillow.

“Well, too bad, superman.” I teased, pulling him away enough that I could show him my smile, hoping that it would be enough to calm his mounting fears. “You’ve got lives to save.”

He looked at me, his eyes still welling with tears despite the smile he now wore. He took my hand and heldit against his cheek. He closed his eyes; taking a deep breath, he mumbled, “How do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Make me fall more in love with you every single day.”

I had to laugh, and I cursed him for it. It hurt so badly to laugh still, but the look on his face was worth it. No matter what, Spencer Reid had to be a romantic, and I loved him for it. It was so very much unlike me.

“Don’t get all sappy on me now, old man.” I chastised him lightly, “You’re going to be late.”

He wasn’t done yet, though, that protective glimmer in his eyes returning with a vengeance. He held tighter to my hand and bit his lip.

“Promise me you’ll be safe. Don’t do anything you aren’t supposed to. Please.”

It sounded like a beg, a desperation that I wasn’t used to. Up until now, it always felt like I was the one who was seeking more information and assurance. But now he sat before me, practically broken at the thought of not seeing me for a few days, pleading for me to take my own life seriously.

I hated the attention, but couldn’t tell him that. He wouldn’t understand; it would only make him worry more.

“I promise.”

He didn’t believe me, but he accepted my answer, anyway. Lunging forward, his lips crashed into mine without any reservations. I laughed into the kiss, tangling my hands in his hair so that he’d have to fix it again before he could leave me.

It was only funny until I remembered how long it might be until I see him again. I held onto him, deepening the kiss just to drag it out. He was also looking for an excuse, still refusing to part all the way when our lungs had nothing left.

“I love you… so much.” He whispered, resting his forehead against mine for a moment longer.

“I love you, too.”

I’d said it so many times in the past few weeks, but the words still felt new on my tongue. I wanted to say them more, to shower him in my affection, but I didn’t know how. Love was just another language he was fluent in, and I decidedly wasn’t. All I could do was wait for him to translate the thoughts to me whenever I got lost.

“I’m going to try to set up something so I can talk to you, okay? I can’t promise it’ll work but I’m going to try. You remember what I said about the last time I couldn’t reach you.”

Memories of papers scattered on the floor ran through my mind. I could practically feel his hand wrapped around my neck for the first time, holding my life in his hand because I’d trusted him to keep me safe. The vision of waking up in his bed, only to have him lower himself below the sheets, pressing kisses down my stomach.

Things had been so different then. It felt like a lifetime ago.

Those thoughts were suffocating and overwhelming and painful, and I shoved them back into the deepest recesses of my mind. It was too early to be emotional.

I took a deep breath, patting Spencer’s cheek with a soft palm before I summoned all the sarcasm I could in my voice. “I’ll always be with you in your heart,” I joked, smiling as he cringed at the sound.

“I mean it, little girl. If you don’t take care of yourself, you’re in for it when I get back.”

Feigning shock and a gasp, I brought my hand to my chest just in time for him to step away from me. The absence of him was colder than it should have been. At least he appeared to be in better spirits, and I wanted to keep it going.

“Dr. Reid, has that ever worked to make me not do something?”

Spencer shook his head with a chuckle, grabbing the rest of his things with more pep in his step. The closer he got to the door, the harder my heart beat. It was deafening and mind numbing in its volume.

Was this how love was supposed to feel? Or had I just grown so spoiled and accustomed to him being here, that I was being entirely selfish? I would no doubt have days to think about it.

He returned to me one more time, running his hand gently through my hair and granting me one more soft, serene kiss in the pale morning light.

“Take care of yourself.” He whispered, the begging bleeding back into his voice. “For me.”

“I will.” I promised before closing my eyes so I wouldn’t have to see him leave. I still heard him hesitate at the door, and I felt his eyes linger on me for a few seconds longer. But then the door clicked shut, and I was alone again.

—————————————————

Nine days. I’d been gone for nine days. It might as well have been a lifetime, because that’s exactly what it felt like. Even worse, I was only able to call (y/n) a whopping three times, each one shorter than the last. We’d only talked for a total of 14 minutes and 29 seconds. And considering that nine days is 12960 minutes, that’s a pretty abysmal fraction.

But it didn’t matter, because as soon as that stupid jet landed in Virginia, I was on my way back to her. Thankfully it was still a normal hour and the sun was still out, albeit quickly setting.

She wasn’t answering my calls, and I tried not to think too much of it. During our last call, she’d told me that she started a new medication that made her sleepy. In fact, our conversation had been so short in part because she fell asleep halfway through the call.

I didn’t mind though, listening to the soft sound of her breathing until the signal went dead again. I’d played the audio over and over again in my head to help me sleep that night, knowing that she was hours away but still dreaming with me.

I was so ready to see her again, that I’d barely knocked on her door before the keys were already in the knob. I didn’t want to wait, I didn’t want to spend another second longer than necessary before I could see her.

But before I could turn the handle, the door swung open and away from my hand.

There were a few people I’d expected to see; (y/n), her roommate, or possibly one of the other female friends the girls had mentioned that I’d yet to see. Unfortunately, it was the one face that hadn’t ever crossed my mind that appeared.

On the other side of the threshold was the man I’d only seen in pictures. To be more specific, one picture, months ago, sent to me from (y/n)’s phone in an attempt to keep her from answering my call.

I recognized him immediately, but realized I’d never actually heard his name.

We stood there for a long time, staring at the other with the utmost hostility in our eyes and postures. I hated the fact that I felt the need to compete with him, but found myself acting out of instinct. I just hoped that he wasn’t as smart or perceptive as her, and wouldn’t notice the insecurity and jealousy that immediately emerged.

“So you must be the cop.” He drawled, leaning against the doorframe to prevent my entry. The action alone pissed me off, but I bit my tongue in the hopes I could deescalate the situation, despite how much I didn’t want to. There were many things I wanted to say to him, but only a few words came out.

“I’m not a cop.”

“Yeah, she said you’d say that.” He chuckled, rubbing his chin as he recalled a memory of her. I wanted to wipe the smirk off his face.

“That makes sense. It shouldn’t be a surprise, considering it’s not my job.” I stated matter-of-factly, trying to remind myself that the two of them were friends. She’d known him for a long time, and he probably felt just as possessive of her as I did.

The only difference was that I had a reason to believe she was mine.

“Let me guess, your sense of humor is her favorite trait.” The sarcasm dripped from his tongue. Normally I’d say that was my role, but right now all that I had to spit back was venom.

Retrieving my key from the door, I contemplated barreling past him to get to her quicker, but realized he was probably hoping to provoke that exact kind of reaction.

“You’re funny.” My face steeled and my fists clenched in my pockets, I peered around his head to the empty hallway behind him. “Where is she?”

“Sleeping.” That stupid smirk was back, his eyes trailing after my every movement, waiting for me to snap. When I didn’t, he escalated his antics further.

“I was about to go join her.” He said, licking his lips and standing up in an attempt to match my height.

But it wasn’t size or age that distinguished the two of us. It was our priorities. Because while he was here, trying to prove himself to me, all I could see was a young boy standing in the way of me seeing her again.

“No need. I’m here now.” I took a step forward, unsurprised to find that he didn’t immediately move out of my way.

He narrowed his eyes, grasping at straws to try and prolong this interaction. I couldn’t understand why, really. He couldn’t honestly believe I’d try to start a fight with him or leave, could he?

“Does she know you were planning on coming by?”

“Why does it matter to you?” I responded with a bored tone, staring him down until I saw his stance falter. It wouldn’t take much longer of this standoff for him to finally recede far enough into the apartment that I could just ignore him.

“Just wondering.” He mumbled, finally taking a step backwards and to the side so that I could enter. He shut the door behind me, but clearly wasn’t done with the conversation.

“Figured she wouldn’t have asked me to come spend the night with her if she knew you were coming. So she must not have expected for you to show up.”

I turned around to face him, knowing that I was playing into his games but unable to resist the temptation.

“She told me you got jealous last time. I would hate for you two to fight again if you found us in bed together. That would be so upsetting for her.”

“Well, you’re off the hook. No miscommunication. No worries at all.” It was times like these that I was grateful for my training, because it was the only thing keeping me from lunging at the boy and slamming him against the wall. I knew he could see it in my eyes.

He clearly had an idea of me in his head, one that was honestly probably pretty accurate. He wanted me to lose control and show that side of me, to prove that he was the better man. But he wasn’t. He’d had several years with her now to prove himself, and she’d still chosen me.

She chose me— that’s all I needed to remember.

“What if I want to stay?” He teased.

“We’ll let her decide.”

That was the first thing I’d said that struck a nerve in him. He resumed his previous stance with his back straight and arms crossed over his chest. “You’re a bit full of yourself for a dude who’s never here.” He spat, puffing his chest. The longer the bravado continued, the less intimidating it became. “You barely even know her.”

I was transported back to when (y/n) and I first started dating, when Morgan had accused me of the very same thing over lunch. My heart wrenched in my chest, because so much of me knew that it was still true.

She’d only just started to share information with me about her past, and still she spoke in vague generalities and half-thoughts. There was so much she hid from me, and I just… let her. I let her hide from me because I was scared that if I pressed her, she would leave.

At least, that’s what I’d thought. But each time someone pointed out how little I knew her, I was forced to consider the possibility that she was keeping me away for a deeper reason.

“I know all the parts of her that she doesn’t want to show you.” He taunted, sensing my anxieties that were clearly written across my face.

“Are you done? I’d like to go see her now.”

He didn’t respond, shaking his head. But I only got a few steps before I heard his voice again, this time louder and angrier.

“Doesn’t it bother you? Knowing that I’m here, in bed with your girlfriend while you’re on the opposite side of the country, not even answering her calls?” He remained rooted in his position at the end of the hall.

I lost the battle of keeping my eyes on her door, ripping them away so that I could turn to face him. My breathing got heavy and my hands finally left my pockets. “No, it doesn’t bother me,” I said, my voice falling quieter instead of growing, “You want to know why?”

The grimace on his face was the only answer I needed. I brought a finger to my own chest, not trusting myself to touch him. I barely knew this guy, and I wasn’t about to start a fight with one of (y/n)’s oldest friends to prove my manhood, especially if that was exactly what he wanted.

“I’m not worried because I trust her.” I practically whispered to him, “And even if I had some reason not to, I’m not intimidated by you.”

A fire appeared in his eyes, the desire to bite back stifled by the knowledge that there was nothing he could say to make me doubt her. He’d already tried and failed every time so far.

“I don’t care what parts of her you think I haven’t seen. Because I get to have the parts of her you wish you could. And she gave them to me willingly and without regret. Over and over again.”

There was so much more I wanted to say, but I was thankfully cut off by the hoarse, familiar voice in the backroom.

“Spencer?” She called, groggy yet excited. There was no way she could hear me from the room, which told me that she’d probably just woken up to my texts and hoped I was here. It told us both that when she woke up, the first person she thought to call was me.

“Yeah.” I said, a soft, genuine smile crossing my cheeks at the thought of her. “Like I said… I’m not worried.”

He didn’t follow me then, staying in the hallway to stew in his anger over the fact that this hadn’t gone at all how he’d planned. But I couldn’t think about him any longer, because as soon as I turned into her room, my heart melted.

She was sprawled out on her bed, hugging a body pillow like her life depended on it. Her hair was a beautiful disaster across her pillow, and the blanket had fallen far enough to see that she was swamped in the same Caltech sweatshirt she wore every time I was gone.

“Hey little girl.”

She slowly shimmied her way up the pillows, clearly surprised at my appearance despite having called me in. With half shut eyes, she spoke through a yawn, “What’re you doing here? You look like you haven’t slept in a week!”

“I missed you.” I admitted quietly, finally bridging the gap between us and climbing onto her bed on top of the covers. I couldn’t even bother taking off my blazer or my shoes; I needed to be close to her now, without any other unnecessary delay.

Despite curling up against me immediately, she still found a way to whine. “You better not have skipped out on anything for me. We know I’m not doing anything worthwhile in here.”

I leaned down to kiss her forehead, my hands holding her against me so that I could breathe in the familiar scent of her hair and perfume. “I strongly disagree.” I sighed, happy to hear her hum and giggle at the way my breath tickled her face.

I didn’t even hear the door open, but she tilted her head away from me to see her friend. I stayed where I was, not wanting to take my eyes off of her again for as long as I didn’t have to.

“I’m gonna head out. Let me know if you need me again.” He said, his voice full of repressed anger and sadness that I understood but didn’t particularly care about right now.

“Thanks for coming! I’ll probably see you next week; I’ll text you!” She chirped, waving to the man who’d already left.

His absence eased away the last remaining bit of tension in my shoulders, allowing me to bury myself in her neck while she continued to laugh. I heard the soft sounds of the tv for the first time and mumbled into her skin.

“What are you watching?”

“Just a sitcom. You wouldn’t be interested.”

She sounded... defensive, if not a little ashamed for her choice in shows. I had to laugh, realizing that she was still unaware of the shows my mom and I used to watch when I was a kid. The asinine, cheesy soap operas that taught me the dorky, awkward way to love that she constantly mocked me for.

I would save that piece of information for later, though, and instead, I chose to show her my own interest in the things she loved, or in the very least found comforting. “What’s it about?”

Apparently, it was the right question to ask. Over the course of the next thirty minutes she tried to condense the entire nine season series of The Office into one barely coherent rant. Eventually, she realized that I wasn’t following along as closely as she’d hoped, and just decided to start the show over.

I didn’t mind. She chastised me a few times for not paying close enough attention after catching me monitoring her reactions more than the show itself. But eventually she fell asleep on my chest, still murmuring about Jim and Pam until the words were just gibberish.

Without her commentary, I was forced to pay attention so that when she undoubtedly woke up and quizzed me, I wouldn’t just be repeating words I’d heard in the background. Somewhat unsurprisingly, I found myself swept up in the romantic storyline of her two favorite characters. So caught up, in fact, that when she woke up, it took me a moment to notice.

“What did I miss?” She grumbled, trying to force her eyes open while she turned to see the tv that displayed the immediate results of a very poorly timed love confession. “Oh, Casino Night.” Her voice was nostalgic and a bit solemn while she spoke. “This is one of my favorite episodes.”

“Why? It’s so sad.”

Without looking up at me, she pondered the question. It was obvious she’d never really thought to question why she was drawn to it. Her answer didn’t provide any comfort or explanation.

“I guess I relate to it. Loving someone like that.” She shrugged before turning back to rest her head against me. She’d said it so easily, like it wasn’t something jarring for me to hear. I realized then that she’d never told me about her past relationships. In fact, I didn’t even know if any existed.

She sensed the anxieties that were building and brought a hand to my cheek to reroute my gaze to her. “What’s wrong?”

“You… You never really talk to me about your life.” My voice was so pathetic, the pout on my lips so childish in its sadness. Because although I told myself I was only upset she hadn’t told me about it, another part of me was also jealous at the idea that anyone else ever got to hold her.

And what a stupid thought that was, to be jealous of men who didn’t get to keep her. I should have been hoping that she had people who loved her and held her and made her happy, not wishing none had existed.

“What are you talking about? We talk about it all the time.” She chuckled, clearly unaware of my inner debate and turmoil.

“I mean your life before me.” I clarified, taking her hand into mine and watching as she carefully wound our fingers together.

“Oh, well… Who cares? It’s in the past.”

She was using that voice that warned me that she was about to try and change the subject. She hadn’t meant to get this conversation started, and now it was quickly getting away from her. But I wasn’t ready to drop it—especially now that I was aware of a huge, life altering event that she’d managed to keep hidden until now.

“I care. If it’s important to you, it matters to me.” It didn’t seem to reassure her, a lopsided smile covering her cheeks before she tried to maneuver away from the topic again.

“What time is it? Shouldn’t you be going to sleep?”

I held up the small notepad that rested on her nightstand, displaying the several timestamps that I could tell were meant to signal the last time she’d taken painkillers. “I was waiting so I could offer you medicine.”

“Ugh, yes please.” She groaned, moving herself off me so that I could grab the bottles beside her bed.

But there was something I’d noticed before, which only became more obvious once I picked them up. I looked past the orange plastic, my mind straining to count the number of pills inside. The date didn’t match the amount.

“Did you fill the narcotics?”

She didn’t answer.

“Is that why he was here?”

“No.” She responded swiftly, shaking her head and rubbing her temples.

The mention of him brought out feelings that I’d almost forgotten, and with those feelings came stupid worries and questions. “...Why was he here?” I mumbled, turning the pill bottles in my hand like I didn’t already have them memorized.

“Are you jealous?” She teased, poking her tongue out at me. It worked to turn my pout into an awkward half-smile, but I was still sulking.

“Would he have really stayed in the bed with you?”

“What? No!” She shouted, sitting up fast enough that she winced, her hand grabbing her stomach but still talking through clenched teeth. “Did he say that?!”

Her reaction alone made me laugh, easing the tension and reminding me it was stupid to worry about it in the first place. “He might have implied it.” My hands started to sort through her tangled hair, gently arranging it back to its rightful place.

“Ugh, he’s such a fucking dick.” She grumbled, wiping her face to try and get rid of the sudden anger.

Meanwhile, I was once again distracted. It was obvious in the way she struggled to keep her eyes open and preventing her hands from turning to fists. She was in way too much pain for my comfort, and it was partially my fault for getting her riled up over something so silly.

But she hadn’t told me she filled the narcotics, and she didn’t tell me where they were. I needed to respect that, if only because I was scared that it might make her doubt me. When she turned to look me in the eyes, I held her cheek that fit so perfectly in the palm of my hand.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me where they are. I understand.”

“No, it’s fine. I trust you, Spencer. It’s…” The troubled look shifted to a shaky smile. “They’re in my bedside table. I don’t think I can get them myself.”

I tried not to look excited by the reveal in case she misinterpreted my happiness. It wasn’t the drugs I cared about – it was the fact she trusted me with the fact that they existed. That was enough to carry me through any cravings that popped up. They were few, but like always, they were there.

I funneled those feelings into my caretaking, grabbing her a water bottle and helping her ease back down onto the pillow after she’d down the pills. With a sigh, she closed her eyes, listening to soft sound of the theme song in the background.

Just as I shifted my focus back to the TV, she brought me back to her with a tiny whisper.

“You have nothing to be jealous of.”

I looked down to see she still had closed eyes, now accompanied with a genuine smile. I laughed at the sight, and her eyelids fluttered open at the sound. She narrowed her eyes into a suspicious glare.

“Yeah, I... may or may not have said that.” I admitted, wiggling my fingers between hers.

“Tsk tsk tsk. Very cocky, Dr. Reid.” She chastised, squeezing my hand tighter and bringing it up to her chest. I could feel her heart beating softly against us, her chest slowly rising and falling as she started to try to drift off again.

“What else did you guys talk about?”

“Nothing that matters. Let’s go to sleep.”

It was a suggestion that didn’t need to be made, because she was basically already asleep by the time she replied, “Okay. I love you.”

“Sweet dreams, little girl.”

—————————————————

The best part of the week was waiting for the chance to spend two uninterrupted days with (y/n). But this time it was different; when I left her house this morning, she told me she wanted some time to herself.

I tried to ignore the fifty alarm bells that rang in my head, convincing myself that she just needed a break from entertaining me. We all needed alone time sometimes, right?

No, that was a lie. I didn’t ever need a break from her, and it worried me that she needed one from me. Was I stressing her out? Were there more secrets she was keeping from me? It had to be something heavy if she didn’t want me to know, but that’s exactly the time she would need me most, right?

It was times like this when I wished that I had more experience with relationships; I was panicking and I didn’t want to ask anyone for help. I didn’t want to. I was scared that they might tell me the wrong thing, or the right thing. I was worried they might talk some sense into me and tell me that waiting outside my girlfriend’s apartment was creepy, stalkerish behavior.

I knew it was. I tried to justify it with a present that I was going to leave on her doorstep and leave. But when I got to her place, a dread filled me. I shouldn’t have come. She deserved her privacy and my trust. She’d earned it, and it wasn’t right for me to doubt her.

So, I turned my car back on and prepared to leave. But before I could, I saw her. Alone.

We’d talked about it before, and she’d promised me she wouldn’t go anywhere alone. The risks were too high – not just that she might fall or get stranded, but that something could go seriously wrong. Her stitches could tear, or she could overexert herself. She could get into a car crash and no one would know about her already existing internal damage.

She wasn’t supposed to go anywhere alone. She’d promised me. But there she was, climbing into her car after suspiciously glancing around. Her car left so quickly, I barely had time to think about the ethics of following her. After a few seconds of wrestling with myself, I decided to just do it and worry about the consequences later.

I’d admit it to her later, when she was safe and sound. Maybe it would be good, too, to see that she was fine without me. I just wished she’d told me so I could come to her aid if she needed me to.

After nearly twenty minutes of driving, I still had no idea where she was going. I was a little surprised she hadn’t noticed me yet, which just goes to show she probably shouldn’t have been driving.

Actually, was she on narcotics?

My mind was spinning, my hands shaking when she finally pulled into a small, unfamiliar cemetery parking lot off the side of the road.

For all her paranoia leading up to this point, she didn’t check the other cars in the lot when she got out. Instead, she put her hand on her stomach and slowly made her way through the gate, hobbling off into the field.

And then I felt terrible for so many reasons. I selfishly felt awful that she didn’t want to bring me here. It hurt that I was violating her trust like this, but it hurt worse to know she was going through it alone.

Leaning back in my seat, I let out a shaky breath and closed my eyes, trying to calm down the emotional disaster of my mind. I didn’t need to follow her, I thought. She would come back in a little while, and I could watch her get back in her car. She would make it home, and I could call her and ask her how her day was. Maybe she’d even tell me herself.

God, I was such an idiot. I shouldn’t have come, but now I was here, and I couldn’t leave, either. This was the time she was most likely to be in danger, since the cemetery was relatively empty.

Just as that thought occurred to me, another car pulled in. it wouldn’t have mattered much to me, but the thing that followed caught my attention.

The woman inside the car climbed out and made a beeline to (y/n)’s car, peering into the windows and taking photos of the license plate. At first, I did nothing, trying to keep track of everything that was happening, noting the unfamiliar woman’s license plate number in turn.

But then she took off in the same direction my girlfriend had left in, and I realized that I couldn’t just wait here. This woman clearly knew her, and from the looks of it, it was not going to be a friendly encounter.

This is why, I thought. This is why I made her promise.

I couldn’t just run out after her yet, so I followed as closely as I could without being clearly visible, relying on sounds, instead. But what I heard was somehow even more distressing than when I could see.

“What are you doing here?! You aren’t allowed to be here!” A scratchy, unfamiliar voice rang through the air. Even if I didn’t already know, her tone alone told me that a fight was about to follow.

I bit down on my tongue, trusting that (y/n) could handle herself. She’d done it before me, and she could do it now. The only thing worse than revealing my presence would be doing it while also discrediting her.

“Mrs. Loughton! I can explain!”

At least I finally had a name for the face, but that was about as far as my thoughts went before they turned to red. Because the only thing I could hear after that was the sound of skin against skin, and the gentle thud of someone hitting the ground.

“Get the hell out of here, you bitch!” The woman screeched, and by the time I came into view, I saw my girlfriend on her hands and knees, holding the very visible red mark on her face. Neither of them saw me, too caught up in each other to notice.

It was the panic on her face, the way she lifted both hands to cover her head when the woman grabbed a fistful of her hair that broke my silence.

“Hey! Get away from her!” I shouted, running over to the two women. Mrs. Loughton released (y/n)’s hair, causing her to drop back onto her hands and knees while she looked up at me with an angry, frazzled stare.

“Spencer?!”

“Who the hell are you?” The woman spat, redirecting her anger towards me. I much preferred it this way.

“I’m a law enforcement agent, and you just assaulted someone.”

“Assault? Ha!” She laughed, talking over me as if she’d heard the speech a million times before. I got the impression this wasn’t the first time the two have had a showdown. “That’s funny, considering.”

“Spencer, please leave.” The fear overtook any other emotion, and the tears welled so quickly in her eyes it hurt my chest. I couldn’t leave. There was no way I could leave her on her knees in front of this woman.

“Let me guess, are you one of her dad’s friends?” She sneered, but all I could hear was (y/n) continuing to plead.

“Spencer. Go away.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” I couldn’t breathe, my chest heaving with unbridled rage, confusion, and something else I couldn’t even place.

“Oh I bet you are one of his friends. Always protecting her. You’re all a bunch of pathetic, power-hungry lowlifes.”

(Y/n) stood up now, neither of us paying any attention to the raving woman while I tried to help her up. “Please, I want to leave.” She pleaded, grabbing my hand so tightly that it trembled.

“Are you a murderer, too?”

“What are you talking about?!” I snapped, my arms wrapping possessively around (y/n) like I could shield her from everything that was happening. But I couldn’t, and I heard her soft sobs while she pulled on my shirt, now wet with her tears.

“That stupid, selfish little bitch knows exactly what she did, and she knows that she’s not allowed anywhere near here!” Her face was red, her arms waving and tears sprouting in her eyes while she ran out of breath. Then, deathly quiet, she pursed her lips and tried to bite her tongue. But she couldn’t, the words bursting through when she saw the way I held (y/n).

“If you really are a law enforcement agent, then get her the fuck out of here! She’s not allowed on this property!”

“She hasn’t done anything!”

It was the wrong thing to say, and she let me know swiftly and with full force.

“She’s the reason my son is dead!” She shrieked, stepping towards me with an accusing finger in my face. “It was her friends, her drugs, her horrible decisions and now my baby is gone!”

I hated this part. Because as much as I loved (y/n), it was impossible not to hear the absolute devastation in this woman’s voice. And the longer she talked, the more I understood what was happening. Not enough to argue back, but enough to feel sympathy for them both.

More than anything, I wanted to protect (y/n), but I didn’t know how. I held her tighter, trying to show her that she was safe. I’m afraid it had the opposite effect, and she started to fight my embrace.

“It should have been her! She should follow in her father’s footsteps and do the world a favor and...” She cut herself off, knowing the weight of her words and contemplating them a moment longer before making her decision. “And just fucking disappear!”

The shock of it all caused my arms to loosen – just barely. It was enough, though, and before I knew it (y/n) had burst from my arms, taking off at full speed through the headstones.

“(Y/n)!” I choked, going to run after her, but I was stopped one final time.

“Yeah, get the hell out of here.” The woman behind me softly sobbed, trembling as the fight left her. “Go protect her like you always do. They always do.”

I couldn’t stay on the thought; I’d have to come back to it later, because there were more pressing concerns for me than a stranger who’d just hurt the woman I loved. So I turned around and booked it after her just as she slipped through the gate and disappeared into the cover of the woods around the cemetery.

Naturally, she couldn’t stay on the level, manicured grass. My heart was pounding not just at the energy exerted to follow her, but from all the different things that could go wrong. She could fall, she could run into something, she could get lost.

But luckily, even the adrenaline couldn’t stop the pain in her stomach, and she’d barely gotten anywhere before I caught up to her. I loosely caught her wrist, pulling her gently back to me before she nearly collapsed in my arms.

“(Y/n), where do you think you’re going? You can’t be running like this! Especially not here; it’s way too dangerous!” I said through my labored breaths. Then we stopped, and she protested at my touch.

“Hey, are you okay?” I asked calmer now, lifting her back onto her feet. “Did she hurt you?” When I went to lift her shirt to inspect her wound, she brought her hand down in a hard slap.

“Stop, Spencer! Just fucking stop! Don’t touch me! Get away from me!”

The venom dripped from her tongue and burned my skin, my hands jumping back away from her as I took a step back. All the negative emotions that I’d just watched her go through were growing and morphing into a painful anger, and it was all aimed at me.

I deserved it.

“Why the fuck are you even here?! I told you I wanted to be alone today, a-and now you’re what, y-you’re following me?!”

I wished I could just shut up, but the words flowed out of me like I had any right to be angry with her over a promise that didn’t even seem to matter anymore. “And it’s a good thing I did. That woman could have seriously hurt you!”

“Who cares!”

“I do!” My voice strained at the volume I used to match hers. Our angry shouting disrupted the wildlife and broke through the sounds of cars traveling on the highway on the other side of the trees. “You might not care about what happens to you, (y/n), but it matters to me!”

“Why the fuck are you yelling at me?!” And then the sniffles turned to outright sobs, her whole body shaking, her hands cradling her face while she struggled under the weight of everything that had happened so quickly.

I shouldn’t have come here, but I was glad I had. I wished none of this had happened. I just wanted to hold her, but she stepped away when I got closer, defensively covering her head. My heart shattered at the thought of her being scared of me.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” I said genuinely, my voice still breaking, but now at an acceptable volume. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t be yelling, I-I just… I got scared. I thought you were going to get hurt again and I—“

“Sometimes I’m going to get hurt, Spencer. I can’t put my life on hold for your comfort. I’m only twenty years old. I’m not ready to be a housewife waiting at home for you!” She was quick, stumbling over her words and waving her arms between us in the hopes it would force me to keep my distance.

I didn’t want to hurt her, I never wanted that. And right now, it was very obvious that’s exactly what I was doing. “Of course. I want you to have a life, but you…”

Her hand was back on her stomach, and the action caused a sudden panic that overwhelmed the logic and sense. “You were shot!” I cried, “You almost died in my arms! I thought I was going to lose you, forever.”

She couldn’t reply yet, her lungs too busy trying to take in hungry breaths without irritating the hardly healed skin.

I clenched my eyes shut, unable to look at it any longer. “It’s been barely a month, (y/n). A-And you’re already sneaking around behind my back and putting yourself in danger and I don’t know how I’m supposed to just turn a blind eye to that.”

“I don’t want to talk to you right now.” She panted; the words hardly audible. Her skin was damp with sweat from the pain that was obviously written all over her.

This time, when I stepped closer, she couldn’t move away. I didn’t hold her yet, opting instead to place one hand on her hip and the other on the side of her face. She sighed, resting her head against my hand. She said she didn’t want to talk to me, but the way she closed her eyes and her heartrate immediately calmed down with the simplest touch told me that she wanted nothing more than for me to pick her up and take her home.

“I know you’re trying to distract me from whatever the hell just happened out there, but you don’t have to do that.” I whispered, gently wiping away her tears with my thumb. “If you don’t want to talk about it, we don’t have to.”

“Oh, you’re just going to let it go?” I couldn’t decide what was more simultaneously heartbreaking and adorable, her pauses to sniffle, or the way she pouted as she spoke. “You aren’t going to ask me every night until you get an answer?”

“If that’s what it takes for you to trust me again, then yes. I’ll let it go.” I reassured her. She took the answer with an immense amount of relief, leaning forward to rest all of her body weight against me. I tried to stop her from falling too far or too hard, hoping to ease the pain that was already wrecking her.

But she didn’t even seem to notice, rubbing her face against my shirt and further soaking it with tears. I just wanted her to be okay, and I wished I could do it faster. For now, all I could do was pet the back of her head, rocking just a bit to the side in a soothing manner.

We stayed like that for a long time, and I occasionally pressed a kiss to her forehead, whispering soft apologies to her and telling her that I loved her, no matter what. Eventually, she responded, her voice filled with guilt and shame again.

“I was going to tell you eventually.”

“I believe you.” I immediately responded, pulling her back to look at me to know that I was telling her the truth. “I love you. You know that, right?”

She gave the tiniest, saddest nod back.

“I would never try to hurt you.” I promised, earning a slanted smile. I mirrored it back to her, which made her laugh.

The sounds of the highway paired with the rustling of the leaves, and the two of us shared a quiet moment of understanding. Because I knew I shouldn’t have come, but I was glad I was there, and she felt very much the same.

“I’d like to go home, please.”

“Okay.” I agreed, taking her hand and maneuvering the woods that didn’t seem nearly as dangerous when her hand was in mine. “Let’s go home.”

—————————————————

“Hotch, I need to ask you for a favor.”

The man didn’t even look up from his desk, and I could tell from his posture that he wasn’t in the mood for the conversation he expected to follow. I couldn’t blame him; I hadn’t been the easiest employee to have for the past couple of weeks.

“Reid, we’ve talked about this. You either have to come back completely or—“

“No, sorry, this… isn’t about that.” I corrected, trying to ease the tension before it got any worse. Unfortunately, he still seemed combative, although there was now a guilt mixed in the frustration.

“I need to talk to you about (y/n)’s father.” I clarified, my voice breaking mid-sentence. I cleared my throat, trying to make eye contact despite the nerves gnawing at the little self-esteem I had.

But after a brief moment of thought, Hotch waved me forward, gesturing to the seat in front of him. He shoved the papers to the side and I wondered what it was he was working so hard on. I had a feeling it had to do with her, but I wasn’t going to ask.

“Does she know you’re asking me about this?”

It was the first question, and although I fully expected him to ask it, I still choked on an answer. He sighed deeply, his hands folding on his desk. He wasn’t able to look at me, either.

“Reid…”

“I-I’m really worried about her.” I needed him to hear the desperation in my voice, to feel just how scared I really was. I didn’t want to come running to him for every little thing involving her — he’d already done so much for her just fending off the prosecutors.

I knew we were both tired, but I could see it in his eyes and hear it in his tone when he talked about her that she meant something to him, too. Even if it wasn’t nearly as much, he’d known her when she was a kid.

Well, I guess to Hotch, she still was. I hated to exploit that knowledge, but I needed answers now. Before something else went horribly wrong. So I broke into a rant, my hands running through my hair and down my legs as I tried to prevent them from turning to fists at the memory.

“The other day she did something and she got into a physical altercation with another woman a-and she told (y/n) that she should follow her father’s footsteps and…” The word caught in my throat. He narrowed his eyes, and I suspected he already knew what I was about to say.

“Disappear.”

Across from the desk, he tensed, bowing his head to look at the files lining the surface in front of him. Every single one of them contained a plethora of information about someone’s family. Someone’s everything.

“What did she mean, Hotch?”

“Reid, the information in that file is not only classified, it’s extremely personal. I’m sure she doesn’t know all the details herself. I think it’s best for you to hear it from her.” He explained it so robotically, I could tell he didn’t want to be saying it. The way his jaw clenched told me that there was a lot he wished he could discuss about whatever the hell happened.

It must be a lonely way to live, I thought. And then I thought of her, carrying the weight of uncertainty on top of whatever Hotch held. She was strong, but she was young. She had been even younger then, and she wouldn’t have had the one man who’d taught her to survive to teach her how to handle what came next.

I wrung my hands together. I didn’t mean to be manipulative, but tears stung at my eyes. They were real, and they were persuasive.

“I just need to know that she’s safe.” I begged. “But your reaction isn’t telling me that at all. In fact, it’s telling me the exact opposite.”

Now that I’d started, the words wouldn’t stop.

“If my girlfriend is in danger, I need to know. It’s not like I care about the mission or whatever her father was wrapped up in — I-I just want to know what happened to him. This woman knew, so apparently it’s not that classified!”

My voice grew in volume, and I couldn’t do anything about it. I could feel his face morph into a scowl even as I clenched my eyes tightly shut. There was so much I hated about this, but nothing more than knowing that despite everything I’ve done, I still couldn’t reach out to her and help her when she needed me.

I was still failing her, and I didn’t know how to fix it.

“Reid, stop.”

Hotch must have been able to read my mind, because something inside of him also snapped, the tension releasing from his shoulders and his jaw. I wondered if it was because he trusted me not to give it away, or if it was because he trusted her.

Either way, he spoke, his voice low and hushed.

“I need you to understand that what I’m about to tell you has never been confirmed, and should not be shared outside of this room. Even with her.”

Sitting up with a straight back and a heavy swallow, I nodded.

“I understand.”

—————————————————

| Part 17 |

#spencer reid #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid series #spencer reid self insert #criminal minds imagine #criminal minds self insert #reid series #reid x reader #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x y/n #spencer reid x you #dr spencer reid #spence reid #spencer reid angst #angst #h2m

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jeontaehui · 3 years

Text

TAEHEE WITH SUPERM

baekhyun baekhee

there was this tension at the start. you wouldn’t notice it at first glance but when you really pay attention to how the both of them act around each other ,,, you’ll just wonder how they are off-cam.

taehee mentioned during wgu era baekhyun was one of her role models when it came to the entertainment industry ,, so some fans wondered maybe there was still this senior-junior relationship between them while the rest were getting close with her.

but baekhyun hates awkward. luckily, they were roommates when they came to the states for their debut.

he figured he could get closer to taehee by making her laugh a lot, and he succeeded !!! it was easy since they basically shared the same humor.

he also took her out to eat when they came back to korea ,, discovered her love for playing video games and that they had a lot more in common

taehee enjoys playing hard to get when it comes to baekhyun.

(superm midterm exam ep. 1) “but you said i was your role model!!!” “when it came to being funny, yes...?” “W H A T !!!!”

as much as possible, baekhyun wants taehee to show off or be given attention to. whether that came to lines on the script or bragging about what she can do, not only does he do this as a leader but as someone who wants to show that taehee is as capable as them.

(200913 vlive) taehee comes up to the camera and nervously laughs, “yah, how do i do this?!” she turns around to face the rest of the boys who have challenged her into doing taemin’s killing part in the ‘criminal’ mv. “just do it like you would usually do!” baekhyun encourages cheerfully. “don’t act shy! you know you can do it.”

iconic moment (mtopia ep. 11-2) "whoever competes with baekhyun hyung is likely to lose,” kai says, watching as the eldest prep himself for the game. hearing this, taehee instantly shot up from her seat and moved to the red square opposite of baekhyun. though determined, she lets out a casual remark, “i’ll fight him,” and the others laugh.

ever since the first game of the night, baekhyun and taehee teased each other back and forth, trying to get the other off their game. the scoreboard between the two of them was currently 2:1, with taehee having won the paper cup game and the team game with mark and the others. baekhyun glances to the side nervously, until an idea pops in his head.

he lights up her candle shortly and hands it to her, “here.” taehee accepts the candle without protest as she sat down, until kai says, “he gave you the weaker candle.” her head snaps up to see baekhyun dead set on making his flame stronger than hers, his fierce expression making all of them crack up. “oppa!” taehee complains but she laughs. “yah, baekhyun hyung, that’s unfair!” taeyong backs the maknae up, well aware of the feeling of losing quickly to their leader. “jeon taehee, you better win this,” taeyong tells her, his tone was laced with seriousness yet his pout said otherwise. “avenge me,” and taehee gives him a salute and a wink in return.

not sooner than later, their match begins. their hot battle keeping the members on their toes, they too were aware of their rivalry from earlier. “jeon taehee, let’s go!” mark cheers. although taehee could barely see with the water getting in her eyes and hair, she moved her candle in all directions in defense to her opponent’s shooting (at this point, taehee figured baekhyun was just trying to shoot at her face but she’s not complaining... that much). with a sharp aim, taehee was able to distinguish baekhyun’s candle in just less than a minute.

“i think water went into my nose,” taehee giggles as she lowers her candle down, removing any excess water from her eyes once her other hand was free. meanwhile baekhyun looked shell-shocked, taemin and the others laughing more at the result. “hyung, you looked like you won!” kai teases him further. “i won,” baekhyun jokingly seethes, “I WON!”

taehee laughs, “알았어, loser.” the team breaks off into a louder fit while baekhyun smiles in disbelief. taehee sure was different.

song falling by trevor daniel

taemin 2tae

despite both of them being the most quiet during the first meeting, the both of them got closer the quickest !!!!

first day they were like ‘hi hello annyeong’. next day, they’re sharing recipes, having inside jokes, mini-handshake (courtesy of taehee), play-fighting, making funny faces at each other whenever they make eye contact during dance practices ....

dance prodigies !!! amazing, talented, remarkable dance prodigies !!! aces at everything !!!! their stage presence !!!!

(superm reveal which member has the best hair and who is the funniest of the group | billboard) “these two,” taeyong gestures to taehee and to taemin, “how do i say this? they look immoral on stage.” the others chuckle at his bluntness, “i think that would be the best term for it.”

taehee finds taemin very cute and would willingly watch his aegyo.

(’one’ dance practice behind) “hyung, you are honestly so cute,” taehee centers the camera to taemin, “times like these, i wish you were my younger brother.” he laughs.

meanwhile, taemin finds himself laughing at taehee’s antics most of the time (totally didn’t expect the chaotic energy coming from this one).

taehee always manages to find her place next to taemin somehow, and when taemin turns to find out she was beside him this whole time, he’d smile at her and pat the top of her head.

taemin became one of taehee’s comfort people !!!! from having a senior-junior relationship to being one of taehee’s most trusted friends, they grew really close after time and related well with each other.

iconic moment (’one’ dance practice behind) “woah, oppa you look really pretty from this angle,” taehee tilts the camera to the sides until taemin starts doing aegyo, causing laughter to bubble from the girl. “hey! hyung, why are you seriously so cute?”

taemin recalls the other day he and taehee hung out together, and he sits up straight before telling the story. “you know what taehee did the other day?” his lips break into a wide smile, his tone piquing interest from ten and mark. “what did she say?” mark said.

“she said, ‘hyung, it think it would be nice if you were my dongsaeng.’ and i haven’t said anything yet and she said, ‘yaja time? start. taeminnie, what do you want to do?’”

mark and ten burst out laughing, taehee feigns ignorance. “what? when was that? i don’t remember that.”

taemin chuckles, “taehee is really so precious.”

song it’s tricky by run d.m.c

kai kaihee

kai was a bit awkward with taehee too at first.

he was very cautious around her, even if it was just standing close to her during photoshoots.

kai, keeping his distance: “is this okay?”

director: “closer!!!!”

kai: fuck

but now he teases the hell out of her you’d probably mistake them for being friends for a long time.

(superm on knowing bros) “baekhyun hyung? baekhyun . hyung???? you seriously find him the most attractive out of all of us?????” “BEAUTY IS IN THE EYES OF THE BEHOLDER!!!!!!” “YOU NEED TO GET YOUR EYES CHECKED THEN”

he makes fun of her accent (jokingly ofc) but also loves it.

“how do you say ‘귤’ in english?” “tangerine” “ahh you are so cute !!!!!!”

also teases her by wrapping his arm around her shoulders and proceeding to shake her aggressively.

before superm, kai already found taehee super cool .... he was probably intimidated by her.

when kai is not teasing taehee, they’re both teasing mark.

in the end, there is an i-will-tease-the-heck-out-of-you-until-your-ears-turn-red kai and a im-her-father-no-one-touch-her kai

iconic moment (mtopia ep. 11-1) “i feel like taehee would get this though,” baekhyun says and the others agree with him, taehee’s agile. they all watch as she puts her hands on each side of the toaster, preparing herself by biting on thin air. “okay, i’ll start now!”

using her left thumb, she pushed the press handle down and released. but instead of catching the piece of bread, she caught her tongue in between her teeth. she immediately pulled back and brought her hands to her mouth, walking away the pain as the members pointed out she wasn’t able to succeed. kai was the first to notice her, “what’s wrong, taehee?”

“i bit my tongue and it hurts so much,” she winces. kai cackles, “바보! taehee!”

“it was an accident!” she exclaims. “i know but you don’t put your tongue out like that!”

taehee grumbles at kai’s remark as she sat beside him. the latter pulls her close by the shoulder and ruffles her hair, laughing as she poked her cheek. “you want to eat bread?” kai smiles at her, already reaching out for the plate of extras.

“i’m gonna eat bread.”

song mambo no. 5 (a little bit of ....) by lou bega

taeyong yonghee

taehee’s all up for the ‘taeyong babie’ agenda since it’s so cute to see the older members tease and baby taeyong.

knowing that baekhyun likes to poke the fun out of these two, taeyong and taehee would team up against him.

(superm mtopia ep. 1) “taehee, let’s make baekhyun hyung out,” taeyong tells her, taehee mirroring the determined look on his face. “we got this.”

taeyong hypes taehee up like a stage dad or something lol he’d go like, “WOOOO!!! THAT’S MY BABY,” and taehee would find herself smiling before resuming to whatever she was doing.

taehee had to stop herself from clowning taeyong when they went surfing for mtopia and instead gave him tips and all. of course, she tries to bite her lip from laughing while doing so.

(mtopia ep. 3) taehee goes to sit beside a nervous taeyong on the dock as he waits for his turn. chuckling, she says, “hyung, just pace yourself, alright? don’t rush—“ but then kai cuts her off, also noticing the scared look on the rapper’s expression, “you won’t die anyways.” taehee whips her head back to glare at kai, though it was clear she was trying to hold in her laughs. “HEY!”

iconic moment (mtopia ep. 2) taehee was the first to pick out of the eight of them. whether she’ll start shedding tears or not, her fate relies on the fifth sushi she had chosen, hoping that it wasn’t the one with wasabi. “it’s the one. she lost it,” baekhyun says as he tries to throw taehee off guard. “it’s not,” she replies, though her eyes said otherwise.

once she grabs the piece of sushi in between her chopsticks, she takes a tentative glance towards the staff and keeps her eyes on them as she took it in whole. taehee knew she was doomed on the first chew, the spiciness of the paste burns her tongue and brings tears to her face. she laughs dryly as a few tears slipped down her face and sniffs, “i never knew wasabi was this spicy.” the boys behind her laugh at the crack in her voice, the staff handing her a tissue as she staggered back to her place beside taeyong who immediately wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. “taehee can’t handle spicy foods well,” taeyong chuckles, “are you okay?”

“yeah, my mouth just feels like it’s burning!,” taehee exclaims, her wild gestures adding humor to her expression. taeyong lets out a hearty laugh as he gave her water, “have this.” he watches her down the water in one go, though there were still tears in her eyes, “taehee, you are too cute. i’m serious.” taehee laughs as she wiped her eyes, and they continue with the game.

song train wreck by james arthur

ten tnt

they are literal geniuses !!!! but... they have their moments.

(200930 live) “he’s the main character in ‘aladdin’, right?,” and with knowing smiles, the others nod at ten’s question. clueless, ten decides to ask more, “what was his name? a whole new world~” and baekhyun and mark tell him he’s right, but ten has literally no clue. chuckling at his cuteness, taehee speaks up, “hyung! he’s the main character in ‘aladdin’! aladdin!” mark and kai laugh loudly at her hint, she was already giving him an answer. kai notices that, like ten, taehee hadn’t got her question correct yet with all the obvious hints they were giving her, and so he laughs harder. “taehee! don’t act like you’ve got you’re question correct!,” the said girl shrugs exaggeratedly, bringing her hands up in the air as if to question the heavens. “you told me he was powerful! so is he like a superhero or something? thor?,” she exclaims, and the others began laughing at her guess, the maknae unaware of the large ‘LEE SOOMAN’ on her cap. “who is it?!”

their banter that goes back and forth are one of the things that make the members’ stomachs hurt from laughing.

(superm: ready to fly in la) “the three maknaes are my babies,” ten tells the camera, tilting his head to look taehee into the eye before continuing, “but then you’d be my least favorite.”

taehee knows that ten secretly has her as the favorite loves her too, so she always makes it a point to call him cute or something to throw him off guard.

iconic moment (superm as we wish ep. 1) it was very obvious how taehee felt about ten’s drama. she tried to hold back her smiles but ten was just too cute, it made her heart run in circles. when his drama ended, the boys praised ten’s performance, but baekhyun noticed how much taehee liked it. he calls her out, “taehee-ssi, you seem to like this very much.”

a surprised ‘really?’ comes from ten while taehee spoke. “ten oppa just looked so.... natural while doing it,” taehee says, her words and expressions assuring ten he really did a great job. “my heart is doing flips right now?”

the boys laughed, “did you fall for him?” and before taehee got to answer their leader��s question, ten said, “i’ll date you based on your performance.”

“i didn’t even say yes!”

song positions by ariana grande

lucas luhee

lucas took one look at him, mark, and taehee and just went, “you know if someone took a look at us, they’d think taehee was the oldest.” (taehee had punched him on the shoulder while mark hit the table, laughing)

but then he clarified that it was just because taehee had this motherly aura around her and that she takes care of him and mark really well.

from then on, lucas would accidentally call taehee ‘noona’; sometimes, he would call her that intentionally when asking for the snacks that were kept in her bag, or teasing her.

(superm as we wish ep. 2) “unnie,” they hear taehee say from the monitor. while the boys accompanied each other in different work environments, taehee went alone to a little café to try out the experience herself. she found herself well acquainted with one of the staff members that had showed her around, and she found herself asking, “how old are you?” the boys erupted into choruses of ‘ooh’s’ when they heard her, baekhyun jokingly asking if she was there to find a date. taehee shakes her head shyly, but she busts out laughing when lucas shouts, “NOONA, FIGHTING!”

we see more of taehee being a baby with lucas in superm :(

he’d give her piggyback rides or ask her if she’s eaten yet, and if she says no, lucas would be like, “come on, man! the last time i saw you eat was breakfast but you only ate a sandwich. wait for me here, i’ll get you a plate.”

iconic moment (mtopia ep. 11-2) as mark and kai shoot each other’s candles out with their water guns, taehee leans into lucas’ side as she laughs with her head buried into his shoulder. it was an endearing sight to see them comparing hand sizes, both of their eyes widening at the size difference. “you’re hand is so small!,” lucas says. “well, duh. your hand is like the size of my face!”

song rather be by clean bandit (ft. jess glynne)

mark markhee

taehee knows so well that superm mark lee is a different breed

(the story of ‘jopping’) “you look so handsome these days,” taehee said to mark as she took in his appearance, causing the latter to become shy and flustered, “really?”

but mark caught onto it this year and ‘complained’ that taehee had favoritism .... to superm mark

“you’re cute in 127 and dream!!!! you’re different here, what’s wrong with that?”

taehee LOVED ‘talk about’. she posted a video of her jamming to it in her manager’s car on twitter.

in mtopia, taehee literally took a glance at mark’s quiz in the first episode and said, “ahh you should get this one the first try, it’s easy.” cue a pouty mark

during games, mark knows taehee in and out so it comes off as an advantage to him and a disadvantage to her.

(mtopia ep. 6) “it’s taehee. taehee is the liar.”

mark and taehee are roommates most of the time and their nightly routines just consist of putting face masks on each other and listening to music while waiting!

iconic moment (mtopia ep. 11-2) “sleepover!!!!,” taehee says excitedly as she sat on the bed with mark. she had just finished brushing her teeth while mark brought out facemasks from his bag. “you wanna put them on each other?,” mark asks, tearing one of the packets open already.

he turns his head to his right and giggles. taehee had her bangs tied up in a short ponytail, her eyebrows arched in a cheery smile. “you look like 뚱이!,” mark laughs, “dude, seriously. you’re so cute.”

“whatever, just put it on,” taehee rolls her eyes playfully as she hit mark’s shoulder. she closes her eyes but hears mark chuckle again. opening only her left eye, she says, “what’s wrong?”

“you’re really cute,” mark repeats, both of taehee’s eyes now wide open at his compliment. she goes to say something but chooses against it, closing her eyes back again when mark begins putting the mask on her face.

song until the last falling star by matthew perryman jones

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behindheremeraldeyes · 3 years

Text

title: the next step is love

summary: Modern AU - It’s Sakura’s birthday, and after the party, she’s left to take care of the mess of dirty plates and glasses. Luckily, she’s not alone, but he can’t really stay forever, right?

a/n: Okay, this story was supposed to have come out way earlier, but I changed the plot so many times that I just couldn’t finish it for her birthday... The original idea was so different, and perhaps, I end up writing it another time when the inspiration strikes again (seriously, it was a nice one). Anyway, I hope you can still enjoy this one! As always, my fluff side took over me and I just had to make something simple and domestic for the Queen’s bday! Hope you enjoy it, and please, let me know what you think! (also, this is un-betta’d. I wanted to post this asap because I’m working on a different project, so... bear with me)

“Thank you for coming! ‘Careful on your way home!”

The sound of the door clicking shut reverberates across her entire apartment, and it only takes one second for that smiley expression to fade from her face. Her right hand is still placed over the door-knob, and for a brief moment, she closes her eyes, letting out a deep sigh in pure contentment. The last guests are finally on their merry way home now, and at last, she can stop worrying about things such as making sure no one’s feeling left out or re-filling toilet paper. Even if they’re all good friends, her perfectionist mind can’t simply allow her to enjoy the night without worrying about those details.

After turning the key, her hand moves to massage the back of her neck, and finally, she sets her toes free from her black heels. A mix of relief and calmness spreads all over her body, as a soft smile takes over her cherry-colored lips. This, perhaps, might be her favorite part of her birthday parties— or any party, for the matter— because, right now, she can finally savor all the things she's prepared for the night. The food, the decoration, the soothing music...

Oh, what a dream, she thinks, at first, before looking around with her lazy eyes and frowning at the scene. If only all of that mess could magically disappear by the time she wakes up tomorrow morning.

A sigh escapes her lungs as she makes her way back to the center of the hurricane that is her living room. Just like last year, she starts wondering why on earth she let Ino convince her to host her own birthday party instead of going out for a couple of drinks like most people do. Though the pinkette really enjoys having her friends over for a couple of hours, she can’t deny that the day after March 28th is probably the most tiring of the year. Sakura knows she's barely gonna get any sleep tonight, and by the time her alarm goes off around 5:30, she will certainly need at least 1 liter of coffee in order to go through her shift without falling asleep.

In theory, she could leave all that mess for tomorrow, sure, but thanks to her cleaning compulsion, that’s not really an option for her.

If only she could be a little more like Naruto...

Still, as she shakes her pink head, Sakura decides there’s no use in thinking about it tonight. That’s a problem for her future-self, and even if she’s probably going to regret that decision in the morning, right now, this is her moment. She can drink a full glass of champagne while eating another piece of her strawberry cake, and the best part is that she can do it all while enjoying the company of the only one whose presence will never be a bother to her.

Once she finally reaches her kitchen, the pinkette is fast to register the dirty dishes laying around the counter. There are way more glasses than the number of people she invited for the party, but for a brief moment, she forgets that she’s the owner of that mess. Her emerald eyes automatically drift towards the sink, and her heart skips a beat at the scene playing in front of her.

Not even in her wildest, teenage-ish dreams would she have ever pictured Uchiha Sasuke doing her dishes after her birthday party. Though she knows she’s the one who’s technically responsible for all of that, it’s inevitable for her to be entertained by how focused he seems to be while attempting to remove that lipstick stain from the cup.

How lovely, she ponders, bitting her lower lip in order to suppress a chuckle.

Too bad she can’t just keep watching him for the rest of the night.

“You know, even if I appreciate both your help and the view, you don’t have to do this, Sasuke-kun.” Sakura says, picking up some of the plates laying around and walking towards the sink. She’s standing by his side now, his tall body towering over hers, almost a head taller. The expression decorating his features remains unaltered, and she notices how he slowly moves to give her some space next to him. “You can go rest, if you want.”

“Do you want me to go leave?” He asks, unaltered, while scrubbing another knife.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” She answers, grabbing a piece of cloth to dry the cutlery he has already washed. “I just don’t want you to do something you don’t want just because it’s my birthday or anything like that. It’s fine, really. I can do it alone.”

“Hn, It’s faster if we do it together.” He stops, a sly smirk taking over the corner of his lips as he closes the tap. His eyes are on hers, now, and she can feel her chest warming up in response. “Unless you wanna do it all by yourself.”

“Nope.” She says, promptly, handing him another dirty spoon and he’s quick to resume what he was doing. Her eyes watch the way the water runs through his fingers, and oddly, she can’t help but find that amusing. “If you’re willing to help, who am I to say no, right?”

A giggle escapes her lips when she hears the ‘tch’ that escaped from his lips, and eventually, they fall in a comfortable silence that is only disturbed by the clanking of the dishes touching each other. Every now and then, their fingers brush when he hands her the plates, and though she can still feel the sparks, those simple touches are no longer enough to make her blush in embarrassment as they used to.

His touch is no longer a stranger to her skin. His presence and his warmth have long been registered by her subconscious, marking every cell of her body with his constant presence. It’s been over 5 springs since their childish love finally bloomed into a serious relationship, and by now, both Sasuke and Sakura have grown used to one another. It goes beyond carnal desires or any poor excuse for a casual company, for their hearts share a connection deeper than words could ever describe.

Blame it on the fact that they used to be good friends before or even fate itself, but it’s impossible to deny the fact that they’ve reached the apex of their young love-life, to the point where doing the dishes together feels wholesome in ways neither of them can explain. There’s a sense of domesticity and mutual understanding shared in between unspoken words, and perhaps, that’s why it works so well for them as a couple. Even if they’re very different people, with different routines and personalities, they make it work.

They have enough trust, love and companionship to last for a life-time.

And though that should be enough—hell, that should be more than enough— Sakura can’t help but feel that there’s still something missing.

Something she can’t quite pin-point, but something that makes perfect moments lose their magic, for she knows they just won’t last. Even now, as they’re doing the dishes and making small conversation about how the party went, deep inside, her heart is heavy because she knows that once those dishes are clean, it will all be over and she will be left alone in her apartment before midnight strikes.

No matter how hard she tries, their moments together have their life-spawn shortened by the common laws of the universe, for every time there’s that stupid parting moment in which they both have to go separate ways. It’s painful for her to watch him disappear in the distance, and even if he doesn’t really express it with words, she can see the light in his eyes fading whenever they have to say goodbye. It’s always a new ‘good night’ and never a constant ‘good morning’ for them, and after so long, she’s sick and tired of this.

Perhaps, it’s just her tired-self speaking too loud in her head or even the few drinks she had during the party, but tonight, she doesn’t want the world to stand between them. Tonight, Sakura will break the natural laws, not caring about the consequences of finally taking the next step.

It’s still her birthday, after all. That has to count for something.

Her heart is beating faster now that she has made up her mind, and she realizes that she’s shaking when she picks another fork from his hands. She’s swallowing dry, and if not for the make up in her face, she knows he would be able to see a crimson blush decorating her cheeks. It’s now or never, she thinks. And before she has the chance to talk herself out of it, Haruno Sakura decides to act.

“Uhm... Sasuke-kun.” She starts, her voice shaky as his name slips from her tongue. Clearly, she forgot to think about the proper way of actually saying what she wanted, choosing instead to improvise— something she’s never really been good at. “I was thinking... Why don’t you spend the night here? You don’t have to go home after this.”

“Don’t even think about going to sleep, Sakura. You’re not leaving all of this mess to me.”

“Oi, that’s not what I meant!” She scolded him, a pout taking over her expression. “Shannarou, I just don’t want you to go home all alone at such late hours. Besides, is it wrong for a girl to want to stay with her boyfriend for the night?”

“You pervert.” He smirks, earning an elbow to his ribs in response. For someone so small, it’s undeniable that his girlfriend has some sort of abnormal strength people like her shouldn’t possess.

“Shut up. That’s not what I meant either! I just... I just don’t want you to leave, that’s all.”

Her words come out a little too low, but high enough so that he can hear them. Her voice sounded an octave too-melancholic, and perhaps, that was what made him actually take her offer seriously. “Hn, I guess I could. I don’t have to work tomorrow, so I can go home once when you leave for the hospital.”

“Really?” Sakura starts, a smile now threatening to take over her features. Though she still had to convey her real plan, that was already a win. A small one, but a win, nonetheless. “Well, you don’t have to leave that early if you don’t want to. You can just...stay. Maybe even wait for me to get home from the hospital and then we could eat dinner together.”

“What?” His eyes widen at her idea, and right now, she can’t really tell if his surprised expression is good or bad. “Aren’t you going to stay there until late tomorrow?”

“Well, probably, but you can stay here... is that a problem?”

”It’s not really a problem, but... I just don’t want to abuse your hospitality. It’s still your apartment, Sakura.” He scratches the back of his neck, and she could see that he was truly concerned about his manners. His mother has taught him how to be a gentleman, and even if she loves that about him, right now, she wishes he could let loose and just take her offer.

She bites her lower lip at his words, a puff of annoyance inflating her cheeks at his answer. Her boyfriend’s has never been good at reading her signs, and now, when not even she’s understanding them, the pinkette is starting to freak out.

Things are not going as planned— not that she actually planned anything to begin with. Her head is spiraling as she watches the snow-ball being created by her messy words, and slowly, she can feel her chance slipping through her fingers. If she doesn’t say it now, Sakura’s going to miss her opportunity, and who knows what’s going to happen to them. Will they break up? Will he think she’s not interested in a long-term commitment? Will they never do the dishes again?

No, she’s overthinking again. They have a solid relationship that has been built over the years and she’s not going to ruin it all in one night because she’s acting like a coward. She’s a modern, independent woman. A doctor, damn it. She has done a lot of things that were harder than asking her boyfriend to move in with her.

She can do it. She will do it.

“Sasuke-kun!” Her voice is determined now, her eyes filled with a different fire in them. This is it. No backing out now. “I need to ask you something important. It’s about our future together.”

“Okay... I’m listening.” He states, a little taken aback by her sudden burst. He stops what he’s doing, his dark irises now looking into her emerald ones. They’re holding a certain hope in them, and if anything, she was not expecting him to be paying that much attention to her. She’s feeling pressured by them, intimidated even. Her knees are shaking, her lips are trembling and her mind is suddenly blank.

She can’t do it. Nope. Not with those eyes staring into her soul.

“I-I... I...” Her heart is beating faster, and she feels like it will burst out of her chest any minute now. She’s going to faint, she can tell it.

“What is it, Sakura?”

“I-I...” She swallows, then, sighing as courage escapes her body. The pinkette has chickened out, finally opting for her ever-reliable plan B. “Naruto is an idiot, right?”

“... Yes.” He starts, his brows furrowing in confusion. “But what does that have to do with our future?”

“E-Everything! I mean, did you see how drunk he was tonight? Thank god Sai offered himself to take him home tonight, but we can rely on that forever. As his best friends, we have to do something about it. He lives far from both of us and we need a plan whenever we have a drinking night together.”

A moment of palpable tension grows between them, and right now, she’s sure he can hear her heart beating like crazy inside her chest. I’m an idiot, she thinks, holding back the urge to lower her head and cry. Sakura has just ruined everything, and right now, she’s going to have to pretend to actually care about where Naruto crashes when he’s drunk just so her boyfriend doesn’t think she’s completely crazy.

Ugh, those damn eyes of his. Why do they have to be so *freaking beautiful?

Thankfully, they can also read her like an open book.

“Hn, you’re right.” He says, finally breaking the silence that surrounded them. His voice is calm and understanding, as always, and she can feel her heart settling down at that. If anything, at least, his reaction isn’t bad or anything. “I guess we will have to have a spare room for him when we move in together.”

“Yeah, sure. A spare room when we—“ Her mind stops. Her hands freeze while holding the cloth and her green eyes widen. Her lips part slightly, but no word dares coming out of them.

Did he... Did he just say what she thinks he said?

She doesn’t know what kind of face she’s making right now, but if anything, she’s completely dumbfounded by his words. Sure, it’s not like he’s making a move tonight or anything, but he did say the words, right? Move in together. The three words she was trying so hard to get out of her chest, simply rolled out of his tongue as if it is the most logical thing in the world— and perhaps, it is. He says them in a way as if that decision won’t change their lives forever. As if it won’t affect their routine and the amount of food they have to buy at the grocery store.

It’s a decision that goes beyond a drawer filled with socks or an extra tooth-brush. And even if he sounds as calm as ever, she knows he’s aware of all that, because, if anything, Uchiha Sasuke doesn’t do anything based on impulse. He’s the kind of man who thinks things through and studies every possibility before making a decision.

So that means...

“Sasuke-kun... Are you suggesting that we move in together?”

“Aa.” He nods, no hesitation in his voice. “Weren’t you trying to say the same?”

“I-I... I was?” She says, sounding more like a question, to which he simply quirks an eyebrow in inquiry. If anything, that was not the moment for doubts anymore. “I mean, yes! That was exactly what I was trying to say.”

“Good. Then it’s settled.”

“Is it? Really?” She asks, hope now running through her veins and lighting up her entire system.

“Yes. It’s only natural for people like us, right?”

“Yeah...” He cheeks grow warmer, and her chest suddenly feels lighter. At last, he took the words out of her. “It’s settled, then.”

At last, their days of saying goodbye are counted and now they can enjoy each other from dawn to dusk.

A smile slowly makes its way to her eyes, and she can’t help but switch her attention to him. Sasuke is now looking at her, a soft expression taking over his face. She’s bewildered right now as she looks at the man who will be living with her. Totally and completely marveled, and more in love with him than she has ever been before in her life.

He understands her unsaid words and they share similar ideas regarding their past, present and future.

They are in love, and now, they’re ready to share the same roof above their pretty, little heads.

“You’re still staying with me tonight, right?”

“Tch.You really are a pervert, Sakura.”

He splashes her face with some water from the sink and her giggles fill her kitchen with joy. They’re young and in love, and for now, that’s all they need to take the next step towards their future together.

the end

#Sasusaku #sasusaku fanfiction #Sasusaku fanfic #sasusaku fic #myssfics

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princessmariaphiliper · 3 years

Text

THE SLEEPOVER FIC | Part 4 The Snake Eyes

Notes: Alcohol consumption and homelessness dialogue warning, and shit innuendos, with cheeky grinning, mostly me trying to remember how Cluedo works

Pairing: James Acaster x Reader

Genre: Fluff with eventual smut, Slow Burn fic

Words: 1,937

Summary: You and James have put yourselves into trouble, but you think maybe it’s hotter that way.

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9

You were blushing so much you could feel it on the base of your feet. The game of Cluedo had begun some time ago but you were finding it difficult to focus on the murder at hand rather than James. He’d dished you all up a bowl ice cream and was idly digging into his own. To you each time he dragged the spoon up and parted his lips felt like a lifetime. He was even occasionally darting out his tongue to reach any that had melted down the handle.

“I think it's Plum.” James spoke, switching eye contact between you and Ed. Tilting his head he raised an eyebrow in a playful manner.

“And what brings you to the conclusion James?” Ed called on his bluff, James’s face now twisting to hold back a grin.

“No reason”

“Well I think we know who has Plum then”

“Or do we?” James pulled a face again before taking another spoonful of ice cream. You’d hardly touched your own, feeling awkward, hot and bothered. You and Ed had also moved onto your floor now to reach the board easier. Ed taking your beanbag as you remembered he hated sitting on the floor. Your legs were stretched out beside James’s own. Just then he wiggled into the living room floor, placing his elbows casually on the coffee table, one leg crossed over the other. As he did so his thigh made accidental contact with your calf. Your own leg locked in its position, too anxious to move it away in case you rubbed into him again.

“Y/n?” Ed pulled you from your nervous trance.

“Hmm?” You questioned, looking over at him with confusion, not realising until now that you’d clenched your teeth from nerves.

“It's your turn” He paused with concern on his face “Are you okay? You look a little red. And you’ve not touched your ice cream”

“Oh, I’m just feeling a little weird, it's the wine I think.”

“Do you want a glass of water or something?”

“Um yeah, if you would.” You thought some H2O might help to calm you down a little. Ed left the room to go get you the water, you listened out as he clattered around in the kitchen.

“You okay?” James asked, placing a hand on your leg in a comforting manner. “Do you want us to head off soon?”

“I’m okay really, I don't mind you guys staying, it's not too late yet. I’ll be fine in a few”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah I’m just having a moment I think.”

James began rubbing his thumb slowly across your leg in a laid-back manner. Occasionally making contact with the bare skin between your jeans and socks. It stunned you at first, but in a way you were enjoying it. You couldn’t tell if it was working you up or shifting your attention to more innocent thoughts about him.

“Thank you” You said, for both his concern and reassurance.

“Say that again?” James teased smiling devilishly at you.

“James,” You laughed back.

“And that.” He hinted, bringing you back to your own sickening desire for him as Ed entered the room. James didn’t remove his hand from your leg, merely moving it further from your ankle under the table where Ed couldn’t see. The movement although innocent had you wonder of its underlying meaning. Ed put down the glass on a coaster for you, returning to his place. You and James made eye contact for a while before you eventually broke the silence.

“Thanks Ed”

You felt James’s eyes on you as you took a sip from your water, flicking between your mouth hand. You felt some sort of unspoken tension growing between you, unbeknownst to Ed. You rolled the dice, gaining snake eyes. Getting you nowhere, but perhaps gaining you a spiritual sign that James was watching you intently. You gracefully moved your red playing piece by two squares and took another sip of your water. James’s thumb had stopped its slow up and down movement sometime ago and had now resumed to circular motion, making it difficult to swallow. He seemed to notice, smirking knowingly while striking up a conversation again.

“I think Y/n did it.”

“You think everyone’s done it.”

“Can't be wrong then can I?”

“Shut up,”

“It's your turn I can't make a guess Ed” You reminded him.

“You rolled a double,”

“Oh yeah sorry.”

“Must have got distracted” James commented casually, causing you to have to withhold a smile. The cheeky bastard.

“Yeah by your shit chatting” You piped back before Ed interrupted the two of you.

“Okay kids calm down, no fighting at the table. Y/n roll again”

You rolled your eyes with a smiling, James doing the same. You rolled, this time gaining a three and a six, allowing you to move into the study. Not having that room filled you decided to take a guess. Might as well,

“Can I guess?”

“If you want”

“Okay.” You looked at your paper intently, you already knew the weapon, and you had a fifty fifty chance of it being Peacock or Mustard. You were being drawn to Mustard for the most part though. “I’m saying Mustard in the study. With the candlestick.”

“Shit.” Ed said with annoyance, obviously having known for quite some time now but attempting secretly to make his way towards the study. You took out the envelope at the centre of the board. Slowly pulling them out to check if you had guessed correctly. Satisfaction growing as you read each card before placing them upwards on the table. Indicating your success and subsequent winning of the game.

After a while of chatting around the finished game the three of you had put on some music to help fill the room with more than just your own voices. You were listening to Paolo Nutini on shuffle, enjoying a pleasant conversation. Some time ago ‘Scream’ had begun playing, it being one of your favourites you sang along to the lyrics.

“And it’s awful how people just sit there and let shit, happen to them. You’ll be walking down the street just watching them all being ignored.” Ed continued on the topic of homelessness.

“I read a statistic a few years ago that said for every ten people in 2010 there are more than twenty-four now.”

“Yeah, and people forget that its not them at all, it’s just a situation that for the most part they’ve been forced into. Its sad how willing people are to overlook that really.”

“And the government do piss all.” James added, taking a swig of his wine.

“I’ll drink to that.” You replied.

“God people are shit aren’t they.” Ed sighed out, filling the room with a pregnant pause before he chuckled, “How did we get onto this topic?”

“Not a clue mate”

“I think I blacked out half an hour ago.” You joked, gaining a laugh from the two of them. James’s hand was still on you, he had however made his way to rest naturally on your knee now. Occasionally giving it a gentle squeeze when he began speaking passionately. He’d even replaced his hand (as you’d hoped he would) after you had taken a trip to the bathroom. Pushing your leg against his as it had been before he smiled shyly as Ed wasn’t watching. There was some kind of an inaudible agreement that this was okay from the both of you. However, it didn’t stop the waves of guilt whenever Ed mentioned his own wife, reminding you that James was still in fact in a relationship. And although you knew it was fizzled, it still didn’t make you feel good. But it sure as shit felt right. Not wanting to think about it any further you tuned back into the music that was playing. Candy had begun not so long ago.

“It gets held against my name. I know you’ve got plenty to offer baby but I guess I’ve taken quite enough.” You sang quietly swaying your head. “While I’m stained here on your bed sheets you’re my diamond in the rough”

You all listened contently, James even closing his eyes and smiling as the guitar overtook the lyrics.

“God what a beautiful album” He said eventually. Bringing the two of you to the real world again.

“It is.”

“It changed my life.” You said with honesty to no one in particular. James pulling you up on it.

“Yeah?”

“Hmm, you know everyone has that collection albums that they define their life with.”

“Sure”

“Its just amazing, the rise and fall you go through while listening to it. One minute you’re in a field of flowers the next you’re in your Uni mates garden getting high. Its one of those I always pull up for every mood.” You caught yourself speaking for too long, suddenly a little self-conscious of oversharing.

“I love it,” James smiled, leaning back on his free hand, resting his head into his shoulder. Finding yourself caught off guard by his words you looked away from him and towards Ed who was checking his phone for the time.

“Ah shit,” He spoke slowly, “Half ten, I better get going home, Claire should be back from dinner too now.”

“Okay, well it has been lovely having you.”

“No no thanks for hosting. Cheeseboard was divine Y/n” Doing a little chef kiss with his hand, he began to stand up slowly. “Do you want to grab the tube together James?”

Looking at James you now realised he’d been staring at you for quite some time. He blinked with surprise to the mention of his name.

“Um yeah sure, I’ll just get my coat”

“Don’t rush I need to use the loo anyways first, that okay Y/n?”

“Sure knock yourself out mate”

As Ed left the room James patted your knee lightly, standing and sighing with a smile. Chamber music had begun playing now, and you found yourself rising with him, ready to see your guests out. He made his way around the table and towards the doorway, you following.

“Well.” He spoke with a smile, “It’s been lovely to see you again.”

“With the opportunity of memory.”

“Yeah,” You watched him bite his lip shyly, sucking in a breath. “We should do this again sometime?”

His statement came out as more of a question, hoping you understood his meaning, you gave him a gentle nod as you heard your toilet flush.

“Defiantly”

Ed made his way over from the bathroom, you held open the door for the two of them.

“Thanks again Y/n! I’ll come over again sometime next week for a bit?” Ed called out, giving you a smile as he began heading down the corridor. James hung back for a moment as you shouted a ‘Sure’ in response to Ed. He watched Ed unreadably with his lips pressed together until Ed was fully facing the other way.

He gently took your hand in his then, leaning in to give you a soft kiss on the corner of your cheek. Your body froze with shock by the sudden affection, yet soon a smile formed in a dimple. His lips felt determined, the kiss now presenting itself with a giddy charm. He pulled back an inch, so his breath caressed your face.

“Bye” was all he said before dropping your hand and flashing you a cheeky grin. Turning and catching up with Ed down the corridor. Too stunned to say anything you watched them disappear into the stairwell in silence. Eventually you shut the door, turning back into your empty apartment, not fully sure of what had just happened. But one hundred percent grateful that it had.

#james acaster x reader #james acaster imagines #james acaster fanfic

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thedeathdeelers · 3 years

Text

anyway so i finally finished another Juke drabble (at 12:45am on a Tuesday when I have to be up for work in 5 hours lols) based on the word prompt “Dancing” sent in by @nervousmiracletrash

the word mostly just inspired the idea for this fic - but ya. still counts :) enjoy!

(also this fic refers to a movie about a friendly ghost from 1995, so i hope it still makes sense to you even if you haven’t seen it)

Now also up on my AO3

————

childhood crushes

“So you’re sure it’s in one of these?”

Julie’s eyes remained focused on the notebook balanced on her knee, skimming through the never ending lines of poems and lyrics covering every page as she answered Luke.

“Yes! I swear, I remember working on something similar with my mom a few years before she- A few years ago. If we can find it, we won’t have to start from scratch.”

Feeling a little stiff, Julie leaned back, her eyes never leaving the pages, as she rested against the foot of her bed, stretching her legs out in front of her. They had been sitting on her bedroom floor all morning, surrounded by piles of scattered old notebooks of varying colours.

“I know, but we’ve been up here for ages and we haven’t even taken any breaks yet.” She could almost hear Luke’s pout as he continued, sitting cross legged and leaning against her closet door. “I’m nearly done with my stack. Maybe we should just consider focusing on one of our other songs for now? Come back to this one later?”

Julie shook her head as she looked up, her eyes needing a second to readjust.

“I’m telling you Luke, we’ll find it. I won’t be able to work on anything else unless I get this melody out of my head. I know I can find the lyrics. They’re definitely here. Plus we’ve pretty much gone through the majority of my notebooks - there’s barely a few left. We’ll be done before it’s time to head down for band rehearsal, chill.”

Without waiting for a reply, Julie lowered her gaze back down, quickly finding her spot on the page she was in and resuming her search. Luke shook his head at the stubborn girl sitting across from him, a small smile touching his lips. He knew there was no point in arguing with a Julie that had already set her mind to something. Adjusting his sitting position to avoid cramping (who knew ghosts still had to deal with pins and needles, eh?), he dived back into the book in his lap.

It stayed quiet for a while after that, only sounds of paper crinkling under fingers, and soft whispers of words being spoken disturbing the peace.

That is, until disaster struck.

“Uh, Jules, why does this notebook have “Julie hearts Casper” written all over it?”

Julie was so focused on the poem she was reading, that Luke’s words took a few good seconds to fully sink in. But when they did, her head snapped up while her heart sank, the blood draining from her face. It would have been funny if she wasn’t the one panicking right now. Her eyes, now as wide as saucers, zeroed in on the offending journal, balanced on Luke’s left knee. She had completely forgotten about that.

“It’s nothing! Nothing just a- a- a pet’s name! Yes! We had a dog named uh Casper and I really loved him.”

She scrambled up, the notebook she had been so focused on only a few moments ago hitting the floor with a soft thud. She quickly reached Luke’s side, swiping the journal off his knee and out of his reach.

“I thought you guys never had any pets? What with your dad’s allergies?”

Julie froze on her way back to her spot by her bed, having completely forgotten that her dad, who she’s literally known her whole life, was allergic to dogs. Trust Luke to remember that tiny, throwaway detail, but completely “forget” that her dream box was out of bounds.

She slowly resumed her half hop trek to her spot, avoiding the minefield of papers and journals, making sure Luke couldn’t see her face for as long as possible. Her mind, on the other hand, was busy hastily trying to come up with a plausible excuse.

“Yeah, we uh- we had Casper for a week before we found out Dad was allergic. Had to give him away after that.” Julie held the journal tight against her chest as she turned back around to face Luke now that she was at a safe distance.

Luke’s eyebrows lifted, disappearing under his beanie. The disbelief on his face was palpable. He could always see straight through her.

“So you’re telling me that your dad didn’t know he was allergic to dogs until he was in his thirties?”

“He was still in his late twenties, thank you very much!”

“Jules, you know that’s not my point.”

“The point is we had a dog, I loved him very much and then he was gone. It was a sad time, can we just move on?”

He was still looking at her sceptically, but nodded his head regardless, diverting his attention to the dwindling pile of notebooks yet to be explored, spread out on the floor next to him.

Julie was just glad Luke hadn’t noticed the little ghost doodles decorating the spine of the notebook. She plopped back onto the floor, sneakily pushing the accursed nightmare under her bed.

It was only half an hour later however, just as her heart had finally reached a normal tempo, when Luke spoke up again.

“So, Casper huh? You guys really named a dog after a ghost?”

Trying hard not to groan out loud, Julie forced her features to adapt a natural expression, before lifting her face towards her band mate.

“Yes. Mom had just introduced me to the movie, and the name was still fresh in my mind.” She could see that he was still not buying her story, but there was nothing she could do. She was definitely not about to spill the truth to him.

Luke scratched his head, his beanie shifting with the movement.

“I see. So the little ghost doodles down the side there, have nothing to do with the actual friendly ghost? The one from the Casper movie released in the summer of 1995?” He was pointing in the general direction of where she had thought she had managed to carefully dispose of the journal. Apparently not.

Julie could feel her cheeks getting warmer, and curse it all, Luke had definitely noticed. That damn smirk.

“Not to mention the ghost painted on the back pocket of your favourite pair of jeans.”

She threw her head back, bouncing slightly against her mattress as her hands flew up to hide her warm face. Luke chuckled.

“Fine! This is mortifying, but fine! I had a crush on Casper as a kid, okay? Happy?” Her voice came out muffled, her palms pressing hard against the horrified expression taking centre stage.

But not even a few seconds later, did she feel hands wrapping themselves around her wrists and pulling her fingers away from her face. She hadn’t even heard him move. She kept her eyes closed, scrunching her eyelids together as tightly as she could. Maybe if she thought of it hard enough, her carpeted flooring would eventually swallow her up?

“So, you had a thing for ghosts, huh?”

She could hear the barely suppressed glee in his voice, making her eyes pop open in disbelief.

“Ugh! This is why I don’t tell you everything!” Now that her eyes were open, she didn’t know where to look. Maybe over his left shoulder?

A soft chuckle made its way out of his mouth.

“Aw, come on Julie! This is actually pretty cute. Kinda feels like fate, huh?”

“Really?” She deadpanned. Her eyes diverted to his face of their own accord.

“I mean, he’s a ghost from a movie from the 90s, the girl has the hots for him even though he’s clearly dead...I’m getting similar vibes here.”

“He was just a floating orb!”

He tried to cut her off with a sly “As opposed to cute air?” But she continued speaking over him, wanting to defend her old childhood crush.

“It was an emotional connection. A deep connection, exploring different emotions and representations of love, resulting in some pretty iconic lines and moments in the movie.” She sounded a little hysterical, a little ridiculous. But the whole situation she currently found herself in was ridiculous in and of itself, so there really wasn’t much pride left for her to hold onto anymore.

Luke hummed at her reply, his eyes brimming with humour.

“Thought about it a lot, have you?”

“Ugh! You’re impossible. Fine. You might as well know. It was my favourite movie for a long time. I’d watch it whenever I was having a bad day or whatever.” She shrugged, casting her eyes downwards towards her lap where their hands lay; his fingers still locked around her wrists. She knew she wasn’t fooling anyone.

“Was?”

“Yeah, well...It started hitting too close to home a few years ago so I just.. stopped.”

Understanding dawned on him, as she felt more than saw, the energy leave him in one fell swoop. She chanced another look at his eyes, and saw that the humour previously taken up residence had now shifted to something softer.

“Julie I- I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that, I-“

“No, no Luke really. It’s fine. I’m okay now. I haven’t felt the need to watch any comfort movies or shows lately anyway. Maybe I’ll even revisit it sometime soon, who knows. See it with a fresh set of eyes.” She gave him a small smile as she tilted her head to the side. “Honestly, don’t worry about it.” After a beat of silence, Julie grasped at the chance to steer the conversation away from anymore embarrassing questions.

“Do you think we could stop looking through these for now? I’m getting hungry, and it’s nearly time for practice so...” She gestured towards the mess on her floor.

“Yeah, of course.” Luke looked at her for another second, checking that she really was okay, before letting go of her wrists and jumping up. He then extended his hand down to her, waiting to pull her up with him.

As she got up, she couldn’t help but appreciate how sensitive Luke could be when it came to her feelings. She reached up on her tiptoes, and sneaked a quick peck on his cheek, before pulling him along with her, leaving the mess of notebooks (and hopefully that whole topic of conversation) behind them.

A few days had passed, and Luke hadn’t brought up the movie again. She had assumed he had forgotten, or at least accepted the fact that he wasn’t going to get much more out of her concerning that topic. Or maybe he even felt bad. But then a week later, while Julie was sat in the studio on her own (a rare occurrence), she was proven wrong.

She was sat on one of the armchairs, scribbling away furiously in their songbook, inspiration having finally struck. She was so focused, her hands gliding through the page as she hurried to get every word down, that she barely glanced at Luke when he popped into existence to her right.

She didn’t even notice when he moved to stand in front of her, knees nearly knocking into hers.

“Okay! So I finally figured out the second vers-“ Julie looked up, stopping mid-sentence as she finally took in the sight of the boy standing in front of her.

“Can I have this dance?”

“Luke? Why are you dressed like that?”

“Humour me, Julie. Dance with me?”

The fact that there was no music currently playing was on the tip of her tongue, but Julie held back. She takes a few seconds to reply though, too busy drinking in the sight in front of her. He had his hand outstretched towards her, dressed in black pants and a white dress-shirt. She was hyper aware of the fact that he was dressed in the near exact way she had imagined him during her imaginary Perfect Harmony routine. The only difference was his hair - but she had to concede to the fact that he looked better this way. It was 100% Luke, and she wouldn’t have him any other way.

Putting her notebook with the pencil tucked inside on the coffee table to her right, she reaches over towards Luke, taking his proffered hand.

He pulls her up, just like he did in her bedroom the other day, and guides her to the centre of the studio. They stand there, staring at each other for a few seconds before a song starts playing on the old garage stereo - the same one that had brought them, him , to her in the first place.

every now and then,

we find a special friend,

who never lets us down

who understands it all

reaches out each time we fall

you’re the best friend that i’ve found

I know you can’t stay,

a part of you will never ever go away,

your heart will stay

Luke reaches over to grab her other hand, lifting both up to his shoulders. Once settled, he lets go and finds her waist, pulling her in a little closer. Following his lead, Julie wraps her arms around his neck, her eyes focused solely on his. She listens to the song that is playing, gently swaying from side to side with the boy in her arms.

She cocks her head to the side as she tries to figure out why the melody and words sounded so familiar to her.

“This song sounds so familiar? Like I’ve heard it so many times but I just can’t place...” As her sentence dies on her lips, a small gasp is heard escaping her. Julie’s eyes widen as memories of her younger self listening to this song and swaying along in her mother’s arms flood her mind.

cAll the while, Luke’s eyes are intent on hers, reading her reactions. His hands resting on her hips, slide past her hips towards her lower back, his arms fully wrapping themselves around her, pulling her closer to his chest.

“You didn’t!” Her eyes still wide, still unbelieving.

“I figured of all the things I could actually accomplish as a ghost, any childhood dreams you might have had - this might actually be it.” He shrugged, his shoulders moving under her hands. His grin turned boyish. “Plus I didn’t like the idea of another ghost having a hold on your heart.”

Julie has to try hard to focus on the questions she wanted answered, and not on his sweet confessions.

“But- I assumed you guys never got to watch the movie? It came out around the time you were too focused on the band and the gigs, and then...” She let the rest of her sentence trail off, never too comfortable mentioning their early demise.

“I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.” She felt his shoulders shift up and down again. He shook his head at her as he continued. “I gotta say Jules, you really know how to pick ‘em.” She could see the mirth brimming in his eyes, his lips twitching as he tried to keep his amusement under control.

Julie’s eyes narrowed at him, even as she tried to keep her own smile from forming on her lips.

“Girls are all about that star crossed lovers’ life. Add in a dash of supernatural? Absolute dream.” She moved her hand, gesturing wildly to convey her (ridiculous, but secretly truthful) point.

Luke chuckled at that, the laughter finally spilling out of him.

“Lucky for me then, eh?”

Julie’s eyes softened, her mouth curling into that special smile she only ever reserved for him. She stood on her tiptoes, her lips a hair’s breadth away from his.

“Who said I wasn’t the lucky one?”

They stayed that way for a few seconds, still moving slowly from side to side as they stared at each other. They were so close they were breathing the same air. And just when Julie was about to close the distance, Luke shifted, tracing his lips across her cheek, her jaw, until they hovered by her ear, warm breath sending shivers down her spine.

And then he whispered to her the four words she had been dreaming of hearing ever since she was a little girl.

“Can I keep you?”

FIN

#jatp #julie and the phantoms #julie molina #luke patterson #juke #juke fic #jatp fic #julie x luke #my fics #aaahhh #i’m kinda proud of this one?#thedeathdeelers fics

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