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#but I will try my best to cheer up and spam you
dcxdpdabbles · 8 months
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Cave Boy Danny calls Batman’s costume uncool and the bats lose their minds over it. Also Alfred would totally spoil him in nostalgia. (Maybe by making the batfam let Danny out of the cage…?)
Danny tries his best not to stare at his perceived counterpart or any of the children, convinced he's their dad as a kid. He's not doing an excellent job of it, though, seeing as his eyes flickered around the room against his will.
It's almost as if the more he tries not to stare, the more he glances. It's so weird that Bruce looks precisely what he imagines Dan Phantom would have looked like if he had a human side. Knowing that Bruce and Dan look alike does not settle his nerves.
It makes him feel even more weary of the older man.
He was curious to know if they were the same person because he had made up the name Bruce on the spot since it was the most boring name Danny could think of. Yet, the DNA results showed they were the same person, not due to cloning. He knew what clones' DNA looked like from personal experience.
Especially since Bruce- why did it have to be such a boring, stupid name? Why couldn't he still be named Danny? His own clone kept his name for Pete's sake!- was sending out major Fruitloop vibes.
Not only was he rich with a secret lab underneath his house and dressed in a weird bat costume, but oh no, Bruce ate pizza with a fork and a knife.
Danny's eyes flicker over to the man just as he cuts another piece of his pepperoni pizza without a single movement wasted. He doesn't even look like he's doing it as a joke- no, the man is regal, dabbing his mouth with a napkin every third bite.
What a freak. Danny thinks, folding his pizza slice in half so he can stuff most of it in his mouth in one giant bite. Two of the teenagers gasped as though they just witnessed a natural disaster.
"Philistine." Damian- his counterpart's youngest- hisses. He's glaring at Danny, obviously trying to insult him, but Danny has dealt with bullies all his life. The kid is far too polite in his insults. Damian wouldn't last a day in public schools' playgrounds, that's for sure.
Danny looks him dead in the eye, still chewing, eyes wide and earnest, and responds with a cheerful "Gesundheit."
Damian's face clouds over in disgust. "Do you even know what that means?"
"Philistine is an uncultured person who is hostile or indifferent to the arts." Danny recites without missing a beat. He gives the other boy a pitying frown. "If you don't know the definitions of words, maybe you shouldn't use them. Might get you in trouble one day"
Damian throws a knife at him with a cry of outrage. Danny is not ready for said knife, but his ghost reflections have him moving to the right just in time for the blade to miss his head and impale itself on the back chair of his seat.
It does, however, nick his neck a little. Danny lets out what he hopes is an appropriate scream in response to the pain. He doesn't want them to know about his real name, much less his powers, but it's hard to have proper reaction times when he could already feel his healing ability numb the pain seconds after it happens.
It felt like a small prick of a sticker while walking barefooted in the grass- quick and sharp but over quickly.
Danny blinks at the table for a solid three seconds, before tilting his head as far back as it could go in his seat and letting out an even monotone cry of "aahhhhhhhhhh!"
He wishes he was better under pressure because it felt like he was attempting to impersonate a toad.
"Young Master Bruce!" Alfred- the butler that raised Bruce in their world? So his counter-parts foster dad?- cries out in alarm. He springs up from his seat, rounding the table to be at his side in seats. "My dear boy, are you alright? Does it hurt? Shall I bring the medical kit?"
Danny stops his monotone cry to blink up at the man. "I'm okay. I'm just dramatic."
Alfred's face spams before it settles in a nostalgic, fond expression. "Oh, the memories."
"Leaping Lizards, Batman," Tim whispers, gripping his fork so hard it's bending. He has a manic glint in his eye, with a smile so wide it's splitting his face in two. "Is this what Bruce was like at our age?"
"Yes, Master Bruce did have a very similar personality to our guest".
"I thought Ollie was kidding when he said Bruce was the weirdest kid in school," Dick speaks up, his face reflecting massive glee. "Does this mean it's also true he would tell people he would date them if they could beat him in a fight?"
"Yes. Alfred told me that was the only way I would be allowed to date before eighteen," Bruce speaks up, a hint of a blush appearing on his cheekbones. "I was in a lot of fights."
Alfred laughs, looking far too grandfatherly when he nods. "I would get a call from Gotham Acadamy almost every other day because Master Bruce had fought off would-be suitors. It's why no one bats an eye at his play-boy persona."
"You know what," Jason speaks up, looking thoughtful. "This explains everything about your love life, to be honest."
"Oh, so when you beat up annoying guys hitting on you, it's okay, but when I do it, it's unfair since I have training," Steph complains, making air quotes on the word training.
Bruce frowns at her. "When I was a teenager, I didn't have any of my Bat training, just what Alfred taught me."
"Alfred, the ex-British Secret Service, bulter." She counters.
"Alfred, the ex-medic in the Royal Air Force, bulter," Duke cuts in.
"Alfred, the ex-SAS Commander, Bulter," Dick tasks on with a smile
"Alfred, the ex-Spy Master for the Royal Crown, bulter," Cass cheerfully says.
"Ancients, those poor teenagers," Danny whispers, staring at Alfred in newfound respect and fear. "Did they even have a chance?"
"No, those riff-raff did not" Alfred smiles turning to the older version of Danny. "I do believe Master Bruce once threw Mr.Queen into a dumpster and left him there overnight?"
"I did. Oliver wouldn't accept no as an answer, so I put him in time-out." Bruce responds with a shrug. "If he hadn't been such a crybaby about the black eye, maybe I would have taken him up on his offer to see a movie."
Danny can't believe this. He points an accusing finger at Bruce with an unhinged look of confusion. "You had everyone falling over themselves in a world where bi-sexuality is common, mind you, and you choose to wear the lame-ass weird bat costume by choice? You chose to be uncool when you could have been in the It-Crowd!?"
The Wayne kids choked on their spit as Bruce gaped at him.
"Brucie, you are a riot!" Jason gasps, causing Danny to frown.
"Brucie?"
"Yeah, since there are two of you, I thought calling the smaller one Brucie would make it easier to tell you apart." Jason sighs wiping a tear out of his eye. Next to him, Dick is still howling with laughter.
Danny needs to keep calm and tell them he would not respond to the name Brucie. Instead, he panics and says, "I actually go by Brucie back home. I'm so surprised you know the nickname!"
He needs to get the fuck out of here.
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sjyuns · 8 months
Text
WAY BACK HOME ┆ A SIM JAEYUN ONESHOT
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BREAKING NEWS! the friendly neighbourhood superhero spider-man has been caught trying to swing into a girl’s heart — but why is he failing miserably?! is this the spider-man we all know and love? or has our hero lost his spark?
or in which sim jaeyun asks you, his best friend out, forgetting that he was still in his spider-man suit.
GENRE! best friends to lovers, mutual pining, extremely groundbreaking embarrassing pick up lines, my missed hit at being a comdeian, jaeyun being jaeyun ( ie a hot loser ),
CAUTION! idiots in love, two timing ( but they’re the same person ), kissing, love, mentions of weapons and fighting crime, bad pickup lines, embarrassment for sim jaeyun, both reader and jaeyun are nineteen in this fic
WORDCOUNT! 5100
MIKAELA’S! hey everyone, this is the first ever oneshot i’m posting on my shiny new blog! please feel free to leave feedback through reblogs or asks! hope you enjoy jake embarrassing the soul out of himself🫶 i love sim jaeyun so much ( too much it’s embarrassing tbh ) this is the last of my old drafts, sorry for the spam!
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playlist ⟡ way back home — shaun ⟡ forever only — jaehyun ⟡ pov — ariana grande ⟡ daylight — taylor swift
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i. with great power comes a platter of hot embarrassment
“With great power comes great responsibility,” is what Spider-Man once said in an interview with The Daily Times, the most widely read newspaper company in all of Seoul.
It’s so out of character of Sim Jaeyun that he himself wonders what exactly went through his mind at that given time to blurt out such a philosophical quote — especially when he was having the bad urge to take a piss at that very moment.
But whatever it was: he needs it to return now, because he’s standing in front of you, his best friend, and he thinks that now's the chance; to finally ask you out after saving you.
Unfortunately Sim Jaeyun is out of luck, like he always is with you, because nothing but five utterly embarrassing words come out of his mouth.
“You tingle my spidey senses.”
You choke back a laugh as you stare at the masked superhero, amused at his sudden pick-me-up. “Are you rizzing me up, mister friendly neighbourhood hero?”
It seems like too much thinking has altered the already broken thought process in Sim Jaeyun’s brain, because it is only now that he registers that he’s still in his Spider-Man suit, and you don’t have a single clue that he’s Spider-Man.
“Uh, I mean-” but he’s cut off by the roaring cheer of the gathered public, who have their phones out and recording.
“Don’t back down, Spider-Man,” a citizen calls out, and Jaeyun thinks it’s far too late to back out now, because not only will it crush his ego, you might think Spider-Man isn’t as cool as he seemed to be.
“Would you let me swing into your heart- I mean, could we” he pauses, “could we hang out sometime?”
You smile, and it makes Jaeyun frown slightly under his mask, because he knows that smile — it’s the polite one, the one you use in a slightly uncomfortable situation, as if you didn’t want to embarrass the popular superhero standing in front of you at the moment.
“Sure,” you grin, pearly whites on display, “could I bring my best friend Jaeyun though? He’s a big fan.” It’s him, he thinks, he’s the Jaeyun you’re talking about. And his heart skips a beat at your thoughtful action.
“Okay! Tomorrow, here, five in the evening,” he says in excitement without a second thought. You’ve just agreed to go out on a date with him, and he’s too drunk in love to think about how he’s going to meet you as Spider-Man without telling you his identity.
He shoots a web up and swings after shouting an elated “see you, yn,” in the air. All too caught up in you to realise the three critical mistakes he’d made.
ONE. He never asked for your name as Spider-Man
TWO. There’s no way he could ever go on a date with his suit on in public
THREE. How in the fucking world is he going to a date with you as both Spider-Man and Sim Jaeyun?
Sim Jaeyun spends the whole night twisting and turning in his bed, mind in a flurry as he tries to think of the smartest way to solve these problems.
And it doesn’t help him when his phone pings with a new message from you.
Guess who just bagged us a hang out with Spider-Man tomorrow!
Don’t wear that Spider-Man suit or I swear to god I will not bring you to see him.
He sighs as he presses hard on the power button of his phone, staring blanking at the black screen. Fuck power or responsibility, he thinks, all he wants is his best friend’s heart, is that too much to ask for?
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ii. man up, spidey-boy!
“BREAKING NEWS! Spider-Man spotted trying to swing into a girl’s — who supposedly goes by the name yn, heart. And after failing miserably at the first try, he succeeded on the second. Spidey may be a hero who saves lives, but it seems like he might have to take up what youngster’s call ‘rizz’ classes.”
The wide billboard screen casts a video taken by a bystander as the announcer's voice blared into the main junction of the city.
Jaeyun groans as he hangs his head low, adjusting the baseball cap perched on top of his head to cover his face. Not like anyone knew he was Spider-Man, no, but it was just far too embarrassing for him.
He hears you before he sees you, your voice is illegally sweet as it causes a smile to appear on his face amidst all of the stress. “Jaeyun!” You call, “you’re unusually late,” and Jaeyun groans, blaming it on the lack of sleep he had gotten last night, “Spider-Man isn’t here yet.”
Right, Spider-Man. Jaeyun still hasn’t found a solution to that.
His suit is tucked safely in the bottom of his bag, just in case. But for now, Jaeyun thinks it’s a better decision to disappoint you as Spider-Man instead of as your best friend. Besides, he hasn’t missed a single hang out session with you, and he isn’t ever planning to.
“Do you think he’s actually going to come?” You ask, head tilting in question and eyes soft, and Jaeyun wonders if he actually underestimated how much you liked Spider-Man, misunderstood that seemingly polite smile you gave him yesterday — should he have came as Spider-Man instead?
“Uhm,” he pauses, hesitant to squash your expectations, “how about we go first? I’m sure Spider-Man will swing by, it seems like he likes you a lot.” And even though he was talking about himself, he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy bubbling in him at the thought of another boy liking you.
“Right,” you say, giving him a smile that makes his heart melt, “I guess it’s just us, like it always is.” Your fingers wrap around his, “I like it like this.” You mutter softly, yet in the buzz of the city square, Jaeyun catches the whisper of your voice, a goofy grin plastered on his face.
“Plus, if I ever need, you can be my Spider-Man — whip out that fake suit of yours. You have his physique anyway, and your pick up lines are just as idiotic as his. Maybe even more idiotic.”
Jaeyun lets out a loud laugh, one that’s of melodious dreams, and it causes a few pedestrians to stare but he doesn’t care, not when you’re next to him, asking him to be your very own Spider-Man. And he agrees immediately, all too ready to put on the ‘fake’ red and blue suit just for you.
He’s a little amused that you still believe that he’s a hardcore fan of Spider-Man, because the only time you’ve caught him wearing that very suit was two years ago, when you coincidentally entered his room to see him in a Spider-Man suit without a mask.
And he still remembers your accusations of him being a fanboy, asking him if dressing up as his idol was what he did in his free time. Jaeyun was way too flustered to even explain himself, and letting you know that he was the real Spider-Man never even crossed his mind as he bashfully nodded to your words.
But it wasn’t like you ever laughed at him about it, though you did tease him. You would still buy him different types of Spider-Man merchandise, ranging from Spider-Man socks to a custom Spider-Man mug with the words ‘Spider-Man loves Jaeyun’ in bold red.
With every gift given, came an opportunity to reveal his identity. Yet Sim Jaeyun never seizes it, he refuses to, because he finds it so endearing — the way you have the proudest smile on your face as you give him merchandise of himself that he has never seen before, the way you send him a picture of every single Spider-Man related thing you see on the streets.
“Right,” he nods as he gazes adoringly at you, “forget the real Spider-Man, I’ll swing into your heart.” And the giggle you let out once again makes his knees weak — he thinks the smile plastered on your face is much more genuine than the one he saw yesterday.
And he wants to kiss you so bad, tell you exactly how much he likes you, loves you. This familiar feeling that has settled comfortably at the bottom of his heart and back of his mind for the past four years, has only grown and never dwindled. It was times like this, where he didn’t feel the burden of having to be alert about ongoing crime.
Only with you can he feel like Sim Jaeyun — a lovesick nineteen year old and not Spider-Man, the hero of Seoul.
“Jaeyun, what do you want to do first?” You ask, pulling him through the blaring fun of the amusement park. He hums, following behind your excited figure, letting you choose what you wanted to do. “Oh my god, look it’s a Spider-Man toy.”
You halt in your step and immediately turn towards him, eyes sparkling. “Do you want it Jaeyun? I’ll get it for you. Just so you aren’t too sad that Spider-Man ghosted us today.”
He scoffs, as he examines the booth. It’s a shooting game, and he knows that you suck at shooting. “You sure, love? From what I remember, you aren’t too good at shooting games,” he brings up and you shoot him a sharp glare before pestering him to pay the vendor.
You end up blaming your best friend for jinxing you, “Yun, if you never said that, I could have shot them all down,” you complain, eyes morphing into slits as you pinpoint the blame on him. Jaeyun raises his two hands in innocence, face displaying an expression of shock, “I didn’t even say anything wrong, plus you barely hit one out of five balloons.”
You groan, shushing him in embarrassment, “If you’re such a professional, win it for me then,” you challenge him. Jaeyun shrugs, it’ll be easy — all those years of shooting webs has made him extremely sharp, so he manages to shoot all the five balloons without any effort, snagging the coveted Spider-Man doll.
“You sure you don’t want it, Yun?” you question, “add it to your collection as a fanboy.” He shakes his head, handing you the plush toy, “I won it for you. Plus, I like the ones you gave me more.”
It overwhelms you, the stark sincerity in his voice. And you feel the sudden need to kiss him, not like you’ve never thought of it before (more like you’ve thought about it too much), because Sim Jaeyun with his bright personality and handsome face is far too good to be real.
But you can’t bring yourself to be that direct, so you settle for a kiss on the cheek. A quick movement and a short peck before you let out a loud giggle, walking over to the next booth with a stupid smile plastered on your face, leaving Jaeyun in shock and awe — eyes wide and mouth agape before he bites back a smile.
He thinks it’s too hard to conceal his feelings any longer; that he has to tell you soon, next week, tomorrow, or maybe even now. And he feels the three words, eight letters, at the tip of his tongue.
As always, though, he swallows them back down, throat dry as he stares at you. The fear of rejection far too intense for him to handle.
How ironic, that Sim Jaeyun could fight criminals with equipped daggers that could kill him in one swift motion, yet he could not say three simple words to a girl who has pierced his heart and filled his stomach with butterflies.
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iii. in a sticky predicament
“Now on to our very own Spider-Man’s upcoming love story that seems to be wilting by the looks of it — Spidey, in fact, did not show up to his date with yn, who was seen with another boy at the amusement park. Our very own hero is facing multiple accusations that he may be, like his representative colour, a red flag. However, a minority of fans have brought up a speculation; that the boy we call Spider-Man, might be the very boy accompanying yn yesterday unmasked. That’s all for Spider-Man, here on The Daily News.”
“Don’t you think that’s insane Jaeyun?” you laugh, throwing your head back into the soft pillow on his bed, “they think you’re Spider-Man.”
“Right,” he trails on, arms crossed as he leans on the doorframe, “that’s so impossible.”
His laugh awkward as his fingers find themselves combing through his hair for the nth time. And you turn your head, looking at him with suspicion. Right, that’d be crazy, insane maybe, you think, because Sim Jaeyun was well — him. He’s slightly awkward, likes physics, and hell he’s scared of bugs, so it’ll be mind blowing if he ever was the real Spider-Man.
But impossible, you think, might not be true. And you sit up on the edge of the bed, eyes trained on him. Same physique, similar height, he’s athletic, and he shoots well. Plus, from your ever so short encounter with Spider-Man saving you from getting your wallet stolen, Spider-Man is just as awkward as your best friend.
Could he really be Spider-Man? But he’s a fan of Spider-Man, wouldn’t it be weird if he was such a big fan of himself. Still, you couldn’t rule out the possibility.
“Jump,” you instruct, “hang upside down on the walls.” Jake is shocked, as his heart accelerates in nervousness at the thought of being found out.
“Don’t be weird,” he groans, trying to keep calm, “that’s literally humanly impossible.” His mind racing, finding a way to get out of this sticky situation, because as much as he wants to tell you his identity, the last way he wanted you to find out was through the internet. Also, maybe because you looked slightly angry, with your eyebrows furrowed and hands on your head, and Jaeyun didn’t want you to be mad at him.
You were deep in thought, was that why Spider-Man didn’t show up yesterday — because he is actually Sim Jaeyun, and he couldn’t be there as two different people.
That might be a stretch, but it isn’t an impossible scenario. You tilt your head, quickly grabbing the pillow you were just lying on, throwing it at him, “catch.”
He catches it easily, with one hand even, as his face contorts into an expression of surprise. “Don’t scare me like that, love,” he says. But you’re too flabbergasted at the fast reflexes of your best friend to even comprehend his complaint.
“You could really give Spider-Man a run for his money, you know?” you chuckle, as you tell yourself that no matter how much it might fit, it’s probably just a coincidence, “put on that suit of yours and fight crime.” It was all a coincidence, right?
“What if I’m scared of getting hurt,” he pouts, and you snort. With Sim Jaeyun’s level of cowardice, there’s no way he could ever be out there fighting.
“Then I’ll protect you,” you say, “I’ll be your sidekick, all you have to do is stand there and look pretty.”
He grins, walking over to stand in front of you; hands moving to ruffle your hair. “Okay love, you lead, I’ll follow.”
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iv. tell him to grow a pair
Your newfound popularity brings you more drawbacks than benefits — by that you mean the sudden fury of boys approaching you to ask for your number. It annoys Jaeyun more than it does you, as your best friend flaunts a new irritated look that you’ve rarely seen.
“That’s the sixth fucking boy,” he grumbles, eyes rolling before he glares at the fleeting figure of Lee Heeseung, the boy who just asked you for your number, the boy who Jaeyun lashed out at.
“Be kind, Yun,” you chuckle, amused at your best friend’s sudden grumpiness, “I mean, I’ve never lashed out at any of the girl’s who ask you out.”
“No one has asked me out.” he groans, “are you flaunting right now?”
“Yes I am,” you reply, “don’t worry Jaeyun, you’ll always be my loser.”
He lets out a loud exaggerated sigh as he rolls his eyes, leaning against the locker as he grits his teeth in exasperation.
You wonder why no girl has ever hit Sim Jaeyun up. Granted, he wasn’t the best looking guy back in middle school with his choice of brightly coloured clothes that blinded eyes, but you think that was part of the appeal — how awkwardly adorable he was. Now, with his upgraded fashion style and bubbly personality, it’s a miracle no one has tried their shot at bagging him. Not that you wanted anyone to.
Sim Jaeyun is yours, just as much as you are his.
And he thinks the exact same. Despite what you think, he has had a girl approach him, professing his love only to get turned down by his puppy-like smile and his confession that he liked you.
Though his body exudes jealousy, there's a slight bit of relief at the fact that you turned all six of the boys down, telling them that you had a crush on someone else. He hopes, prays, begs that the person you think about is him. He furiously looks for a sign, because he’s tired of all this, and he needs a sign from you before he can courageously make the first move.
After school, the both of you walk down the buzzing streets with carts of street food lined up along the roadside. Your fingers bunching the fabric of Jaeyun’s shirt as he navigates the both of you through the crowded streets, making a beeline for his favourite churros shop.
“I told you the queue would be long, it’s Friday night,” you whine, mentally counting the number of people in front of you. Fifteen, that’ll take a while. “We should have just ordered in pizza and binge on Netflix shows.”
“Fine, we can eat churros another day,” Jaeyun pouts and you curse yourself for saying that even when you knew he wanted to eat churros.
“It’s fine, we can stay, since we’re already here.” You stop him, pulling him back beside you in the queue, “but you can’t leave to do something else like last time, you have to wait with me.”
The glow on his face coupled with the adorable smile on his lips makes you stare in awe. And you think Sim Jaeyun is so pretty and handsome all at once it’s a crime to look as good as him. His lips, god, they look so kissable and soft, you wish you could kiss them at any given time — now, tomorrow, forever.
But the moment doesn’t last long, as faint screams and shouts travel from a small corner shop down the road. “Thief, there’s a thief on the run.”
You watch as Jaeyun’s eyes widen, body in a sudden scramble, “uhm, I’m gonna go to the toilet for a moment,” he says amidst the whispers of the crowd, “stomach ache, you know.” Running off before you can give him a reply, brushing past people hurriedly into a random narrow street.
You shrug it off again because it isn’t the first time Jaeyun has acted out of character. However, you can’t help but realise it was always when there was crime.
The questions and suspicions floating around your head for the past week resurface as you focus on the narrow street your best friend had disappeared into.
Oh my god.
You blink profusely, pinch yourself, and rub your eyes because this is mind blowing information. You can’t seem to believe an ounce of what your eyes have just seen. Was that Spider-Man who just swung out of the very same alleyway?
Sim Jaeyun is Spider-Man. And your conclusion only seems to solidify as you hear the muffled voice coming out of his masked persona.
“Oops, sorry,” and a careless swing as he tries his best to manoeuvre through the crowd, accidentally knocking over a little girl’s ice cream cone, “I'm sorry, please don’t cry.”
Yup, that’s Jaeyun. His voice now so familiar you hit yourself in the head for not realising sooner. And his utterly helpless tone as he tries to soothe the little girl — you could recognise it from a mile away.
“I’ll get you a new one, I’m sorry,” he shouts as he spins his web and shoots again, lamppost to windows to signboards before effortlessly catching up with the thief; who was now bound to the wall by web.
“Sorry,” he groans for the fourth time in a matter of minutes, “it’s my job — i mean, not that you deserve to get away no, i just-” he rambles and you giggle at his comment. Seems like Sim Jaeyun will never change, even as a superhero or as your best friend.
“I meant to say, justice has been served,” he nods, seemingly proud of his awkward catchphrase that you were sure he stole from the superhero movie you watched with him a few weeks back. “I have to get back now, someone awaits me you know - i mean, no- I’m not supposed to give details of my personal life. I’ll just- stop talking… yeah.”
And you watch again as he swings back down the street. With his identity revealed, you can’t help but look up to Jaeyun even more now — a top student and a superhero? How unfair the world is. How lucky you were to have him as your best friend.
“Hey! Aren’t you yn? Spider-Man, is that your girl?” You shrink, head down as you fix your gaze on the floor immediately, cheeks a rosy red. God, you think, this is a little embarrassing.
You feel his presence before you see his shadow morphing with yours on the floor, “hey yn,” and you look up to see the superhero, who’s panting ever so slightly, stand in front of you in his glory. “Sorry about last week, I was well busy, and I know it isn’t any-”
“It’s fine,” you stop him from blabbering, a toothy grin plastered on your face. And Jaeyun feels proud, maybe him saving someone has put Spider-Man back into your good graces, maybe he has a chance with you as Spider-Man.
“I had fun with my crush at the amusement park. Actually, thank you for the opportunity, I kissed his cheek for the first time and it felt like heaven.”
He pauses, and Jaeyun wants to rip off his mask at the very moment to kiss you. You liked him back, fuck, you actually liked him back.
“Ah,” he says after a while of tense silence, his hands rubbing the nape of his neck, “that’s amazing. So- do you… I mean- so you’re like, in love with him? Wait love might be a little uhm-”
“Yeah, I’m in love with him.”
Time stops as your eyes pierce into his, and he can swear at this moment that you knew exactly who he was. He thinks it’s over, and he can finally ask you to be his — because he’s hellbent on loving you, for the past four years he has been.
“Seems like this crush of yours needs to step up his game, or I might just steal you away,” he remarks lightheartedly, uncaring of the sea of cameras pointing towards the both of you.
“Yeah, it seems like he does. Maybe you should visit him one day, tell him that it’s about time to man up, or I’ll be the one asking for his hand.” You shoot a knowing glance at him, a confident smirk on your face.
Jaeyun chuckles, “right, I’ll be sure to tell him that, wouldn’t want him to lose such a special girl.”
“Thanks Spidey, I wonder what I’d ever do without you,” you laugh, patting his suited shoulder before he once again swings away into the narrow alleyway, only to appear minutes later donned in his usual faded ripped jeans and white shirt, hair tousled and smile wide as he runs back to you.
And he’s before you all again, this time as your best friend and you swoon as his adoring eyes and elated smile. “You okay?” You ask, hand raising to fix his hair.
“I couldn’t be better.”
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v. Batman vs Spider-Man, a battle of the mans
“Spider-Man should now change his name into wing man as he is spotted once again, engaging in conversation with the very same yn from last week. Spider-Man was not only ruthlessly dumped by her, but was also asked to quote on quote visit her crush to ask him to grow a pair. Seems like she is off the market for our poor lonely superhero, who can’t seem to catch anyone except for criminals. That’s all for Spider-Man, here on The Daily News.”
“Seems like you can’t catch a break, huh Yun?” You point out as you switch the television off, “not only defamed into a wing man but also asked to grow a pair.”
And it seems like he really can’t because ever since you confronted him about being Spider-Man, his days have been filled with even more ruthless teasing, and weird questions.
“How do you even piss as Spider-Man?”
“Can I swing from building to building?”
“Can you hang upside down for ten minutes?”
“How do you think you would fare against Batman in a fight?”
But there’s one unasked question still hanging in the air. And Jaeyun really wants to address it, but it seems like you’ve lost your confidence by the way the flesh of your cheeks heats an angry red at any slight hint of him being your crush — or as Jaeyun would like to call himself; your soon to be boyfriend.
“I’ve grown a pair,” he says, shifting towards you, eyes trained on yours, “seems like someone has lost a pair.”
“Have not” you argue, lies — you could barely look at Jaeyun now without a lovesick smile on your face. Neither could you muster up the courage to ask him to be your boyfriend. “And if you ever grew a pair, you would have asked.”
“Ask what?” He teases, face moving closer to yours. He looks too good, godly almost, with his black rimmed glasses perched at the bridge of his nose.
You pout, furrowing your eyebrows as you place a light slap on the middle of his chest. And he lets out a low chuckle, the vibrant sun rays flush through the sheer day curtains of Jaeyun’s room, a natural spotlight glowing on the both of you.
“Fine,” he whispers, and you can feel his breath on your lips, it’s warm and inviting and you feel yourself leaning into him. “Will you be my girlfriend, love?”
You barely nod your head before he attaches his lips on yours. And you think you’re going to be obsessed with Sim Jaeyun — your fingers find their way through his hair and he sighs. It’s like he’s imprinted in your heart and you want to kiss him again and again and again.
Sim Jaeyun with pretty eyes, pretty lips, a pretty face, a pretty being, breaks the kiss only to kiss you again and again as you wish.
“Did I swing into your heart, love?” He smirks as you playfully roll your eyes at his antics. “Are we not going to bring up the time when you fell after showing me your web skills?”
He tackles you down and you giggle, “I can fall from the sky, I can fall from a tree, but the best way to fall is to fall in love with you.” He grins idiotically before racing out the door as you cringe at yet another bad pick up line from him.
“Sim Jaeyun, are you kidding me? I wonder how you even make up quotes like ‘with great power comes great responsibility’ with that mind of yours.”
“What mind? You mean my mind — the place where you always are?”
You groan in fake disgust as you watch your boyfriend (boyfriend!) smile proudly at his idiotic pick up lines. The both of you drinking sunlight as if it’s love — where he’s all yours and you’re all his.
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uncut. confessions i can’t make ( a crumpled confession letter written by a sixteen year old sim jaeyun )
hi dear yn,
i like you. it’s been a while since you took my breath away we first met. this is my first time ever writing a confession so i don’t really know what to say write… i guess it’s like writing physics notes so maybe it wouldn’t be too hard i hope
chapter one part one : what i like about you
i like the way you smile laugh, how your eyes turn into the tiniest of crescents, it makes me proud of the jokes i crack (that physics joke was good was it not). i like the feeling i have around you — it’s warm and fuzzy, natural — talking everyday without any forceful conversation, laughs or attention.
part two : why you should like me
i think you should like me because i like you. i think you should like me because i’m smart! i can help you with physics and maths. i don’t really know what else i can give you but i’ll try my best to make you smile everyday.
will you be my girlfriend? Oh god, this is so weird i actually like you a lot and
(a bunch of scribbling)
forget it. you’ll never like me back.
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dear mister sim jaeyun,
after three hours of fighting for my life, i have finally gotten my hands on the most treasured item of the year, a sixteen year old you’s crumpled confession letter to me. and since you wrote it in a physics notes style like a loser, as your girlfriend i have no choice but to follow you (so that you don’t feel lonely)
one. what i like about you
everything. i like your hair, i like your face. I like the way you say sorry to every single person in the neighbourhood while courageously saving them. i like your pick up lines on some days and how you have the guts to challenge Batman to a fight when i proclaim him as my favourite hero. i like the way you laugh and i like the way you smile. i am especially enchanted by your kicked puppy ways and easily manipulated demeanour where i can always get what i want without question.
two. why you should like me
i’m your girlfriend and you’re my girlfriend. (you are my girlfriend) you should stop staring at me with those eyes, it gives me the ick (i meant that in a ‘whatever you say pretty boy’ kind of way) you should like me because i am the person who likes you the most. (i love you so much)
will i be your girlfriend? obviously i will, i mean who can say no to you.
love you babe,
spider-man’s (your) hot sidekick
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© SJYUNS
2K notes · View notes
boyfhee · 11 months
Text
FAIR AND SQUARE › lhs
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SYNOPSIS › one thing about life— it's unpredictable. for example, you made a note to yourself about not associating too much with heeseung for your own peace of mind, letting him stay as the academic rival slash classmate that he is, instead of allowing him to be something more, except one thing leads to another and you find yourself face to face with the said man with your feelings all over the place. a lowkey confession leading to a mere competition, let the game begin.
WORD COUNT › 20.2k
GENRE › academic rivals / friends to lovers, mutual pinning because they're just competitive and oblivious ft in denial, fem reader, quite the 'he fell first but she fell harder' thing eye guess . . .
WARNINGS › mentions drinking, sheds light on family issues ( mostly on the reader's side ) bruise and injury, slightest of angst, arguments, suggestive ( fourth section, towards the end ) profanities, let me know if you spot more
PLAYLIST › tune in for a better experience
NOTE › i love this fic with all my heart and lungs, even more. anyway, i'm sorry to academic rivals fans, this doesn't have academic blood and gore, as quoted by my dear mai. SPEAKING OF MAI EVERYONE THANK @maiverie FOR BETAREADING THIS FIC!!!!!! im not lying when i say i wouldn't have finished writing this yesterday if it wasn't for her, like thank u for ur super helpful review that got my brain juices flowing :< luv u fr. ALSO both heeseung and reader are taking post grad course so of course, they're aged up ( no ages specified ) have fun reading.
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I. BANE OF EXISTENCE
one thing about life— it’s unpredictable. 
for example, you’re in the library writing and reading papers on the topic you love, the one that you’re supposed to enjoy and the one that will become the reason behind your earnings in the near future, but here you are, sitting with a headache and a cup of coffee on the side. who knew the subject you've liked since grade one will betray you and become the potential bane of your existence? not you, surely enough. wednesday noons are for basketball matches, which explains why the library and hallways are quieter and emptier than usual. even the teachers make time for the tournaments off their busy schedules, it’s understandable— your university is known for having one of the best sports teams in the league, and the basketball team being the defending champions does nothing but fuel the pride of students and staffs as if they’re the ones on the court, trying to get the ball in the basket.
you wouldn’t say you don’t like being a part of the crowd because you’ve been to the badminton tournaments and know that watching matches is as interesting as playing, if not more. you just don’t have the time to attend any. with assignments piling up and exams ‘round the corner, you’d rather spend your last two months of the semester studying instead of yelling at the bleachers. you can always get the recordings if you ever feel like watching one, as for the results, the word goes around faster in your department than anywhere else, all because of one of the students being on the team. 
you try focusing, you really do, but your cup is just as empty as your brain and your phone is going up with notifications. you don’t see the point of miyeon spamming the gc with updates on the match when everyone in the group, except you, is with her, watching and cheering alongside. muting is a choice which you choose not to do, and the reason is between you and god, to be honest. long story short, it’s the lack of motivation clogging your thought process and the realisation that your friends are out there enjoying themselves unlike you is blocking any means of logical thinking. a day or two spent not studying wouldn’t make you fail the classes, and even if the guilt is pooling inside, you pack your stuff and walk out of the library, making your way to the indoor basketball court. 
the screams grow louder as you approach, each step reminding you that you still can go back as you choose to ignore it. exams can wait, you tell yourself, a day to myself can’t. your mother would tell you to take breaks and go out instead of studying all day, but being on top is an addiction. it’s no good, you wish other students would believe you, it’s a struggle, on the top, at the bottom, everywhere. you expect to turn a few heads as soon as you walk inside, which doesn’t happen, but you expected it. you don’t watch matches, this could easily be your third or fourth one, and the first basketball match, to be more specific. once you realise that everyone is busy watching the plays instead of noticing who comes and goes from the court, you make your way up to the one friend you manage to spot amidst the crowd— sung hanbin. indoor bleachers feel more compact than the outdoor ones. you've been to the football match last semester, courtesy of miyeon, and everything being outdoors really helps with the crowd and noise. 
“didn’t expect to see you here,” hanbin stands next to you, offering you a sip or two from his drink, which you politely refuse, eyes fixed on the court as if it was the home they’ve been searching for. “i thought you hate heeseung,” it isn’t until he takes his name that your gaze averts to heeseung. you don’t even know why hanbin would outright assume you’re here for heeseung. in fact, that man’s name didn’t even cross your mind until he was mentioned.
“hate is a big word, ‘bin,” your words are more of a whisper laced with hesitation, as if you aren’t sure of what you’re saying. hate, actually, is a very big and heavy word. despite its constant usage with your friends, you realise the weight it holds and the impact it has. hate and dislike— they’re different and yet similar enough to be used synonymously at times. not by you, of course, you have a clear distinction between the two, and as of now, you don’t know if what you feel for heeseung is a mere dislike or pure hatred. “i just don’t like him,” 
when he successfully shoots a three-pointer, you come to the decision that you definitely don’t hate him. heeseung is, more or less, the typical all-rounder straight-A student, the jack of all trades and fortunately enough, the master of all as well. he's the student teachers use as an example, the son parents wish for, the boyfriend people wished they had. lee heeseung is many things, and one of those is being the reason why you have the second highest score in your department instead of the first position, unlike how it used to be two semesters ago. 
heeseung transferred departments about thirty weeks ago, from chemistry to bioinformatics. it had been surprising on your side because not many opted for bioinformatics until they were certain of their goal. the course in itself is vast, like an ocean of several different fields and each and every one of them opens a door to a different outcome. bioinformatics isn’t something students picked overnight just because it had the vacancy and they didn’t like their initially chosen courses. as fun as the subject sounds, it demands consistency and time, something that heeseung lacks. you had seen him attend classes the first few weeks regularly, and then the ghost of him started sitting on the empty seat that belongs to him. skipping classes, arriving late, delayed submission of a couple of projects— you knew he wasn’t here to stay. it was to pass time, or whatever, you couldn’t care, didn’t care, not until he started acing the tests, practically dethroning you from your infamous ‘perfect all kill’ title that you had for getting nothing less than a perfect score, most of the time, give and take a few here and there. 
you still get good scores, amazing even, full score in theory and the same in practicals. it’s going well in lab manuals and project works but heeseung seems to get a perfect score in those too, something you started missing ever since he came into the picture. perhaps, it was something in the way he phrased his essays— you hoped it was. rumour has it that heeseung used to be a literature student, which could explain his outstanding english skills and his eloquent way of speaking. you even looked up his debate videos on youtube only to find more evidence on how skilled he is in public speaking. 
but above all, heeseung is, actually, just a really damn annoying student, quite literally the bane of your existence. he’s always set on stealing people’s spotlight during lessons, with you being the people, obviously, always answering questions with information that’s unrelated and probably even unnecessary. and for the shortest time, you even considered taking him off your ‘things i hate’ list because you were no different in highschool. when you’re the top student, it becomes a habit to talk about things as if you know them in your bones and impress teachers. hell, you even had rivals in highschool, although none of them got on your nerves the way heeseung does. basically, he has no reason to call you by weird names everytime you both pass each other in the hallways, or remind you that he’s the top student. ‘this is the vice-captain of the basketball team and the best student of the biotechnology department, lee heeseung, informing you on the up—’ seriously, no one wants to hear him introduce himself like that when you’re around. you’re pretty sure it’s engraved inside your brain with the amount of times he repeats it everyday. minjeong even says that heeseung is becoming more and more like sunghoon, and you would not know how or why because you didn’t attend highschool with sunghoon, unlike her. 
the court flares up with cheers when heeseung goes for a dunk which ultimately leads to their team winning the match, and you reach the conclusion that maybe you don’t hate heeseung but actually want to bang his head against the walls. your eyes follow him around the court, analysing his conduct during the match, the way he communicates so effortlessly with teammates using hand signs or quick phrases, the way he holds the team together when the ball is with him, despite not being the captain. heeseung might be the most unbearable person you’ve met so far, he’s actually just fine when his target is not you. you’re sure any other player is doing just as good but nothing comes close to how you see heeseung. it’s different, the light he is in, it’s unique, incredible, and inexplicably addictive. heeseung juggles between classes and basketball, you remember sunghoon talking about his part-time job when you passed by their lockers the other day. he doesn’t have it easy, you don’t either, but you had those all perfect kills by spending hours in your study while heeseung does better than you while winning matches, making money. 
it doesn’t take you long to realise that what you have for him could be dislike with a hint of jealousy, and you wonder if all the people would react the same way once they know who heeseung really is— a devil behind an angelic face, one who deliberately likes ruining things for you, as if his life depends on it. you still remember the day he personally texted you the wrong syllabus for a test, claiming that it had been updated and the professor had asked him to notify everyone. ‘and as you know, i have not been added in the group chat yet so i’m texting everyone personally,’ he had lied ever so smoothly as if his words consist of nothing but truth, as if lies are something he hasn’t even heard of. kudos to you for studying the original and correct syllabi beforehand, you still aced the test, if heeseung scoring the first rank is overlooked. 
you’re dragged back from your thoughts to the reality when a boy bumps into you while hurrying down to the players, hoping to get noticed. half of the students act like the team is actually a boy-band, you can see them on the front page of every single edition of university magazine. usually, you prefer waiting for the crowd to disperse before taking your leave from wherever you are, but a sudden reminder about the tests over text from your professor gives you a reason to leave early, all to make sure you could catch up to heeseung. you rush your way out of the bleachers once the teams start leaving the court, eyes fixed on heeseung to take a note of the direction he leaves. hanbin gives you a confused look before the words find their way out of his mouth. “where are you going?” 
“basketball shower room,” and your words could give him, and the other people who might’ve heard you, a wrong idea but you couldn’t care less. the goal was to see heeseung before he leaves the campus, which was highly likely because no one has it in them to attend four hours of classes after an exhausting match, not even heeseung, no matter how amazing he is. 
you make your way through the ocean of people, bumping into a few in the process as you make your way to the club room. a silent profanity leaves your mouth once you realise that the club room entrance might be filled with fangirls and boys, left and right, and the thought of shuffling your way out of the crowd to meet heeseung makes you reconsider your actions. heeseung might be a star student but isn’t amazing enough for you to step out of your comfort zone and do things to see him. 
“well, this is surprising,” your voice manages to turn his head towards the door. “thought you’d be busy with your fangirls, lee,” and it is surprising indeed because the hallways are unexpectedly empty with only a few people around. you would say they learnt to give the players their space after a game but that would be a lie considering the embarrassing history of students when it comes to people on the sports team. 
“they’re probably busy with jake,” heeseung responds with a smile, and even though he turns to his locker just as quickly, you could see the smile dancing on the corner of his lips. 
jake is rather a new player, a junior to be specific, and jay personally spent days waiting outside the physics department to get the guy on the basketball team. explains why he’s popular amidst students, he’s talented, good at studies— seriously, you wouldn’t understand how these people manage academics with sports. you couldn’t, and even if you managed to, you would end up passing out every few days. “does it suck to lose your fan-following to a newbie?” 
“not really. i still have you here,” heeseung wouldn’t call it ‘losing’ his fan-following because he’s using jake as bait to escape the crowd of students as quickly as possible. a junior has to make sacrifices, in this case it’s to save heeseung by sacrificing himself to the public. although, saying that he still has you looking for him even though a hundred others aren’t makes him feel better about himself. “no but seriously, what did you come here for?” 
“oh, it’s for the test on friday,” you pull out your phone, opening the group chat with the professor and the students who took the same course. it’s laughable how the universe put you in the exact same situation twice, although with the tables turned this time, and it takes everything in you to not tell him a made-up, wrong syllabi, and do what is rational. “the syllabi was extended up to chapter fourteen, till page three-ninety-seven. they sent it in the group chat this morning but i’m sure you hardly have time even to think about something else except basketball,” 
you’ve known heeseung for two semesters but that’s for the people to say. the truth is, you don’t know him outside what he shows to everyone else. you see him come and go, spot him around the bar with his friends on weekends you pass by it. you know he skips classes and asks students for notes. it’s not necessarily from you, though you’d prefer if he would ask you since you’re the best student in the whole department, after him, as much as you hate to admit it. on some days, you see him in the library, earphones plugged in. if you manage to sneak a glance or two, you’d catch him watching the match recordings and taking notes, you wouldn’t know what notes someone could take from matches. in short, you don’t know heeseung more than how everyone knows him. coming to the shower rooms and notifying him about the test might just be a discreet attempt at striking up more conversations with him, but also, you’re just fine with him being the academic rival slash classmate that he is. 
“yeah, semi-finals,” heeseung shuts his locker close, a sigh falling off his lips just like the water drops falling on his shoulder from the tips of his hair, after a shower. “doesn’t help that they’re at the same time as the quarterly assessments. thank you for telling me even though it means you’ll end up losing the first position to me once again,” and of course, the heeseung you know wouldn’t waste an opportunity to strike up a competition. it would be a lie if you claim to hate it because despite the sour look on your face, a part of you loves these little academic races with him. heeseung makes you strive to do better, he’s like the driving force you lacked which made college a whole lot better. after all, where’s the fun in getting a perfect score with the bare minimum effort, without some challenges knocking at your door? 
“what can i do, i’m all about fair play,” there’s a subtle shade behind your words, reckoning to the multiple incidents of him ruining things for you. this could take a really nasty turn if you were to resort to his ways, except you won’t because you’re better than him. “good luck, and we’ll see who loses the first position to whom,” 
heeseung wipes his hair before switching to texting on his phone, the smile still adorning his face like a jewel. you assume it’s the delight from winning a match, it’s obvious. his eyes couldn’t help but sparkle at every little achievement, always looking forward to something more, something challenging, that’s lee heeseung for you— someone who knows he has an easier way around things but would deliberately walk down another path and test his limits. shocking how it took you one basketball match to see the passion he has for things he’s interested in, that he’s more than a sport jock or a straight nerd, he’s more than someone who takes courses to pass time, more than someone who is just a show-off.
“heeseung,” the dislike, the hatred, the envy, it might all be a lie. “well played today,” because in the end, there’s a minimal possibility that you’re leaving the room with nothing but the slightest of admiration for the guy who is nothing but an obstacle between you and that first position in upcoming finals in two months. 
and it would be a lie too to claim that your words didn’t catch heeseung by surprise.
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II. RIVALRY, FEELINGS, ETCETERA. 
it has been a little over one day since heeseung’s conversation with you outside the shower rooms, twenty-seven hours to be exact. twenty-seven hours of him hearing the same last words over and over again, twenty-seven hours of him failing all and any attempts at straight thinking and twenty-seven hours of him not thinking about anything except you. all of it ends up in three hours of practice and not one good shot from heeseung. the sighs and snickers from teammates fill the court every few seconds— truthfully, they never leave. heeseung is simply too lost to pay attention to them. 
“heeseung, you good?” a pat on shoulder from jake and the words following soon after manage to pull him out of his spiral of thought, even if it’s for a brief second. 
“he’s not, won’t be anytime soon,” sunghoon replies as if the answer was on the tip of his tongue, waiting to be revealed. “yn came to watch the last match, after all,” there’s a smirk on sunghoon’s face, heeseung can tell it in the intonation of his words. 
jay pauses just seconds before going for a layup, joining the conversation. “wait, she did?” 
“yep, saw her standing next to that hanbin guy or something,” 
“mate, you cannot be acting like this over a girl and that too, four days before finals,” this conversation, as a whole, is beyond jake’s comprehension. a part of the reason could be because he joined the team late, thus missing out on a huge chunk of internal jokes and gossip and goes amidst the players. and no amount of reasons can convince him into thinking that it’s fine to act out-of-character before important matches just because your crush showed up at one of your matches. 
“she’s not just some random girl. she never attends matches, but she came to watch my match,” heeseung clarifies as if the reasons behind his antics are valid and acceptable. “you wouldn’t know how i feel right now,” 
“you’re on cloud nine, we know, your crush gave you the attention you’ve been lacking but trust me, she would ignore you just as efficiently if she sees you perform like this,” 
“she’s not a crush,” and despite it being a well known fact amongst the basketball team that heeseung has a thing or two for you, he always refuses to accept it. one can say it’s the pride thing. you barely even talk to him unless it’s about studies, and your conversations are mostly along the lines of who outdoes whom in tests and assessments. moreover, everyone knows heeseung is the reason why you’re the second best student in the department— as much as you hate to admit it, again— because he transferred and flipped your world, probably even dribbled around with it like a basketball. a word goes around every few days about you glaring at him in class, which is not true, you’re instead focusing your eyes on something in an attempt to think. he just happens to sit right in front of you and be the object of focus. heeseung might as well believe that you hate him, even though yesterday’s conversation was far from how people talk when they hate each other, and his assumptions could account for the constant words of denial that fall off his lips. 
jay snickers before landing a hook successfully. “yeah, and i’m a pigeon,” 
“oh, shut it, jay,” heeseung turns to look at the other boy. “she’s just someone i admire. have you read her essays? her papers? god, we’re a year away from graduation but she’s already writing mind-blowing papers, one of them was even published in the monthly issue of some magazine. she’s already on her best performance and still tries to do better, always down to guide juniors with lab work and also is on the research team for the paediatrics department at asan medical centre. all this, and she studies all day. if i were her, i’d pass out. i can’t go a day without entering the court,” 
“and he says he doesn’t have a crush oh her,” sunghoon rolls his eyes, it’s like if he heard another line of excuses from heeseung, he could see the back of his skull and have a look at hs big, fat brain. 
“because i don’t? you guys never had someone you admired so much that they practically became your role model despite being in the same year?” unlike other things that heeseung does, calling you his role model has a reason. first, it can give him a reason to talk to you. heeseung is almost convinced that you hate him, and if this persists, it would get harder and harder for him to approach you, but with the lie— half lie— of you being his role model and so wonderful that he couldn’t help but admire you from afar while trying to overcome his social anxiety gives him a reason to talk to you. plus, it sounds plausible, he doesn’t understand why his brother says it’s bound to fail. 
the second reason and more to do with his friend group. no one in his friend circle is capable of keeping a secret— jay ends up spilling tea unconsciously, jake tells one person who he trust and that person turns out to be the most untrustworthy person ever, beomgyu, well he’s on the team but telling him would be like standing on a stage and announcing to the whole campus, and sunghoon, he’s the mother, he cannot digest food without disclosing secrets. even if it’s common knowledge that heeseung has a tiny crush on you, denying it in front of the whole campus everytime one of them brings it up helps him with his reputation and fortunately, ends up keeping it a secret. besides, he’d rather have people tease him for calling you his role model than having a crush on you. 
“i surely don’t have someone i admire to the point i read all their papers and know each and everything they’ve volunteered for,” jay argues back, set on proving his point. “tell me what am i gonna do knowing that she’s on the paediatrics research team?” 
“i think this is the most i’ve known about yn ever since classes started and that too, because of heeseung,” beomgyu chuckles, earning a side eye from heeseung in the process. 
“enough, let’s get back to practice,” heeseung intervenes in an attempt to change the topic. he does not want his closest friends making fun of him for liking someone— it’s supposed to be human nature to have a crush. 
“you get back to practice because you’re the only one fucking up because of your silly little crush. i’m done, jay, call me when we’re having a practice match because i need to attend theology or my professor would write me up,” taehyun passes the ball to sunghoon, the latter yelping in surprise at the sudden yet successful catch. 
“i don’t have a crush—”
“of course, let’s get you back to practice,” jake cuts heeseung off mid sentence, moving back to take his position as sunghoon passes the ball to heeseung, who, as expected, misses the catch due to lack of concentration.
it’s going to be a long day for the team. 
.
“a little birdie told me you went to see heeseung in the shower rooms?” are the words you hear as soon as your classes are dismissed, miyeon walking up to you and hanbin discussing the set of questions your professor distributed just a few minutes ago. 
“i didn’t go into the shower rooms, i was outside, near the lockers,” and there’s a difference. to be in the shower room implies you were there in the shower, which definitely gives rise to several wrong ideas of different levels. specifically, you didn’t even enter the locker room. you were outside, leaning against the door, watching heeseung as he walked freshly out of the shower, a towel around his neck, you both strike up a small talk. yeah, that was the scene, not with you in the shower and whatever miyeon’s imagination leads to after that. 
“so you did go!” she claps her hands together as if it’s a celebratory occasion, turning her head to look at the boy next to you. “what were you saying about yn not having a crush, habin?”
“it’s not a crush, miyeon,” and it’s true— heeseung is not a crush. he’s a classmate, a rival, an over-qualified and impossibly competitive student, someone you would want to take your time to study. “what, i can’t even go to tell a classmate about the updated syllabus for a test now? i would’ve done that for anyone, not just heeseung,” 
hanbin sighs, packing his bag. “sure, but he’s in the groupchat. he could’ve checked it himself,” 
“um, i doubt that,” you’re preparing a powerpoint in your head, multiple slides on why you needed to do what you did. “he’s busy with basketball and i know how he gets when the matches are around the corner. don’t you remember how he skipped two weeks of classes straight because of matches last semester? and it’s the finals this time, i don’t think he even opens texts about anything that’s not basketball. i mean, he responded to my messages six days later because he was busy with practice,” 
you say it like you’ve known heeseung for a decade and have been through the ups and downs with him. you wouldn’t care about who does what in the classes, if it’s a paper plane flying right over you, landing just second to the first row of seats or if it’s someone being brave enough and playing music during lectures. biology, in your opinion, is a subject for those who are serious about doing something unique while staying in the academic field. you don’t encounter troublemakers often, once a blue moon if the heavens make a mistake. on other days, it’s quieter than a library, emptier than cemeteries at night. 
to think your life as a biotechnology major got interesting after heeseung switched majors is astonishing and equally debatable. 
“i don’t see why i should remember all that about ‘just a classmate’ but thanks for telling,” and before you know it, hanbin and miyeon are out of the class, on their way to wherever their next stop is. seriously, they’re having it easier than you. they go to games, movies, drink on weekends— something you haven’t had a taste on ever since the year started. somewhere, you could be blamed for your hectic schedules. studies, lab work, and thesis, they suffice for all the stress a student in post graduation studies can handle. volunteering and writing papers is on you, things wouldn’t have been arduous if you had decided to move slowly, one step at a time. sometimes, the hunger for more leaves you starving— quite literally. 
you spend an hour or so in the classroom along with a few other students, going through the same old routine of yours— watch videos, take notes, transfer them to your document in your own words and make it sound as innovative and convincing as possible. heeseung would be better at this than you. you’re exhausted to the point that accepting your defeat to him doesn’t even faze you anymore. he used to be a literature student, had english as a side course as an undergrad, he’s bound to be better than making essays sound they came right out of shakespeare's drafts, phrases and metaphors that would put fitzgerald to shame. 
you didn’t care about what went down in your classes until heeseung came along. call it craziness or the weird impression you have of students in your field, heeseung is far from the typical biotechnology student aiming for a postgraduate degree. he skips classes, plays basketball as if studies are a side business, and yet still manages to ace every test like an all-rounder. he shouldn’t even be in classroom, he should be in the labs, being the most important subject of studies. there are days you think of him as a social experiment— how quickly can a robot piss off a straight-A student with its impeccable skills— of course, the subjects wouldn’t know it’s a robot but you do, you’re almost convinced he is one. there’s no way he’s the top student with the amount of effort he puts in. one would claim that he studies after classes, at home slash dorms, but you can bet your life he doesn’t. there have been numerous instances when you’ve spotted him in the background of someone’s picture at a bar. he’s always with people, he has a humongous friend group, god knows how someone can live like that. at first, you were convinced he isn’t real, as worrisome as it sounds, and if he is real then he needs to be studied. 
which leads to what you’re doing right now— making your way to the basketball court. you don’t know how or why you’re doing it. you started with your studies, ended up thinking about heeseung, and now you’re on your way to the basketball court. although, it’s not half a bad idea, now that you think about it once again. 
your mind goes all the way back to when you watched him play for the first time, which was just a day ago actually. you don’t know anything about basketball, you don’t know much about heeseung either, but there’s one thing you’re sure of— heeseung is class and heeseung on the court, they’re different. you’ve noticed the way he clicks his pen relentlessly out of nervousness when he can’t solve a question, the way his back tenses up for a fraction of a second as soon as he’s asked to explain something. you’ve seen the hints of fear in his eyes when he asked you for notes last semester just three days before exams, scared that he would fail. heeseung isn’t sure of a lot of things and basketball isn’t one of those. 
“you’re not practising?” you ask him when you swim out of your thoughts, watching him climb up the bleachers and sit next to you. the court seems much better when it’s empty, free from the loud cheers of spectators, but that could be just you. 
“i was, as you see, but i saw you up here and thought it was time for a break,” you could see his teammates shake heads at him in disappointment, proceeding to continue with their practice. “what’s up?” 
you don’t respond to him and instead, take your time watching the others practise their shots. you watch the way one of them, who you think is taehyun, goes for a dunk, credits to hanbin for telling you names for a few shots. next to you, heeseung shouts out a tip or two for the boy for him to have an easier and effective approach at the said move. heeseung is good at dunks, you’ve heard it from students, you’ve seen it in the last match as well. just one shot was enough to tell you how good he is at it, it’s like basketball flows in his veins, like he can close his eyes and still manage to get a basket. 
your eyes ghost up the court and shift to him— there’s a content smile on his face, a relaxed posture as if there’s nothing for him to worry about. he takes a sip from his energy drink, you wonder if he, or anyone from the team, even gets time to have their meals. the expression on his face, it’s something you’ve never seen on him during lessons. it takes you back to the match, how he looked on court a day before, certain of every move he made, every step, every breath, without doubts, no second thoughts. you’ve done enough lab projects with heeseung to know how his hands shake when he’s preparing a slide or extracting a sample from a centrifuge, afraid that one wrong move and he would mess up the efforts of everyone in the group. that hesitation is nowhere to be seen on the court, gone like it has never existed. as if lee heeseung, the star student and player, has never had an encounter with nervousness and hesitation in his life. there’s a thin line between studies and sport for him, you finally realise it after much consideration. maybe, you’re going beyond your boundaries and making assumptions about a guy you barely know, even if you would never voice all these thoughts to him, you think you know the reason why there’s a different him on the stage when the ball is in hands.  
“how did you realise that you like basketball? you know, like it enough to devote so much of your time and have it alongside studies?” because even if biotech is something he’s studying and wants to make a career in, you guess that it’s just a source of satisfaction. in your eyes, through your perception, basketball is what makes him truly happy. 
you don’t know why someone wouldn’t pick satisfaction over happiness, especially when it’s coming with its hands full of opportunities to grab that bag.
“eh, i don’t have a sob story about it, if that is what you’re hoping for,” he chugs down the contents of the can before crushing it to the slightest, eyes squinting at the opposite wall before they move back to meet yours. “i never had to sit and think about basketball and studies, you know, as in how am i going to manage both of them. it just happened. i started playing basketball in middle school and it has been with me ever since,” 
heeseung’s side of the story is simple— a mediocre guy who was introduced to sports by his older brother and now, it’s one of the most important things in his life. middle school heeseung preferred staying in and playing video games instead of going out. in fact, middle school heeseung resembles you in all the ways that make him different from you right now. he has been good at learning and remembering things, he takes liking to things quicker than others do. basketball was like for him— easy, quick, fun, like a way to release all the stress after a long day at school. in heeseung’s story, there isn’t a main character who helped him choose the path he’s walking right now. instead, all he had was his family who introduced him to the various aspects and opportunities, and he simply ended up joining hands with the ones he liked, deciding to not let it go before the dead end. 
“i want to have that passion for things,” a soft laughter falls off your lips, it’s an attempt to make your sob story look less pitiful. “i used to paint and play piano— but painting, mostly, was really good at it. i learnt how to draw before i learnt how to tie my shoelaces. i couldn’t go a day without painting, but then highschool happened, i had pressure to do well, expectations from friends and family, had a dream outside painting, and now, i haven’t painted in years,” 
unlike heeseung, art started as more than just a side business to you. it’s not something you were introduced to in the middle of your life but rather is something you grew up with. you can blame or credit your mother for making paintings and having them in almost every corner of your house. it’s one of the reasons why at five years old you were beyond fascinated at all the patterns and colours. no one would’ve guessed that science would manage to sweep you off your feet right from the first grade, given the way your hands danced a duet to their own melody along with a paintbrush, as if each stroke has a conscious life of its own. no one would’ve guessed that your mother would tell you to stop painting and focus on studies, neither would they have known that she would become the reason why you no longer feel the same way about art. as stated before, life is unpredictable— because no one would’ve guessed that sitting here on the bleachers with heeseung and sharing a piece of your life would water the seeds of doubts in your heart, the ones that bloom at the sight of him.
he thinks your story is sad— with all due respect, without sarcasm, of course. it’s the best he can say. “i think it’s more of a ‘connection’ thing. you think you’ve lost the connection but you simply need to pickup a canvas and some colours to relink, if you get me,” because heeseung has had somewhat of a same experience, with music, and sitting front of a piano to play one of sibelius’ symphonies after senior year highschool finals was all it took him to find his lost interest in music. even though it’s nothing more than just a hobby, even if it's just something he considers as a way to pass time, heeseung knows how it feels to let go of something that is an integral part of one’s life. 
“it has always been about timing, heeseung,” you shake your head, trying to prove him wrong using your own arguments. “you think i haven’t tried painting again? i still have art supplies stacked up in my cupboard. it’s all about timing. when you like something, you only get a few chances to make sure it stays with you for a lifetime. how many people do you know who have given up on their hobbies because they claim to have lost interest? the thing is, the interest is still there, it’s the inability and fear of not being able to do it again. if you timing is off, no matter how much you try, things won’t work, and what you love will end up becoming a closed chapter of your life,” 
a pause. he sits still, eyes admiring your face while his mind is busy replaying your words in the back of his head. heeseung wonders how valid they are when it comes to people. he likes you, despite the constant denial which is only for show, by the way. it doesn’t take a scientist to read him. reading him isn’t even close to rocket science, he doesn’t understand how you haven’t caught up even after being incredibly smart. he has seen you hang out with hanbin— heeseung hates that guy, by the way. there’s no solid logic, it’s just that hanbin seems to be around you all the time and heeseung thinks of him as a leech sucking blood off its host. heeseung would never admit but it’s just his jealousy playing tricks on him, and even though it doesn’t look like you have any romantic feelings towards that guy, it would be fucking embarrassing for heeseung lose you to a guy who isn’t even half as qualified as him. ( yes, he is judging characters based on academic qualifications, no heeseung wouldn’t explain why )
“i like you,” and so, he lets his feelings win for once, deciding to let his heart take control instead, closing doors to any room for rational thinking like it never existed. “you said it was about timing, about trying hard enough and having only a few chances, perhaps, just one bullet, and i’m shooting my shot right now. i don’t want to remember you as a closed chapter of my life,” 
it would be such a waste of chemistry if you end up becoming just a closed chapter of his life. heeseung has done his research, more like reading tons of books and watching hundreds of movies to understand the potential that two academic rivals have. no one knows this, not even his closest friends, but heeseung’s favourite genre might simply be enemies to lovers and living that trope doesn’t sound as bad when it’s with you. he has spent hours thinking about the number of productive library dates you could have, working on projects together and brainstorming about the next biggest revolution in the RDT world, changing the public’s outlook at genetics forever. it sounds stupid and makes him sound even stupider, even as a lost cause, but heeseung doesn’t care. in his mind, it’s the best date someone could have. to live and become successful together, it sounds like a perfect plan to him.   
truthfully, you have always been a part of heeseung’s future, near or distant. he always always pictures you in his life, standing next to him during graduation, bidding goodbyes at farewell, exchanging shy greetings at reunions ten years later while reminiscing about everything he did to irritate you, that would sound embarrassing a decade later. your presence will always be significant to him, he just hopes to remember you as something more than just a rival, just a classmate he never really got to know, just a person he spent his two years hating upon, just a crush he didn’t get to confess to. 
the catch— heeseung has already started picturing his future and you are not even sure of your present— and while he is looking at you for an answer, you’re lost inside your head, looking for words to articulate. 
heeseung is someone you planned to stay away from for the rest of your university life. him stepping into your life already costs you a lot, namely: dropping in ranks and losing your infamous title. his actions cost you the time you could use to study, which is actually upon you because you can simply ignore him instead of spending hours on thinking about his hows, whens and whats. heeseung was supposed to be the academic rival slash classmate that he is, instead of allowing him to be something more, but beyond rivalry, feelings, etcetera. you knew the way you felt about him, even though you couldn’t be as certain as him, or even to claim you see him the same way he feels about you.
turns out, heeseung has always been sure of certain things in his life. 
“heeseung, i’m—”
“not sure? busy? stressed? i know you have a lot of things going on right now. take your time, study for the finals, finish your papers, sort out your own issues and then come back to me. i’ll be waiting,” it’s like he’s not only good at studying but also at reading minds, because heeseung seems to have guessed a part of exactly what you’ve been thinking. call it timing, jay calls him to get back to practice just a few seconds later— a perfect excuse to leave. “looks like my break is over,” 
you sit speechless, watching him walk away like an opportunity that just walked out of your hand. it feels like a slight defeat, like a test you failed when you could've scored better, if not a full score. it's funny because this wasn't a competition, you weren't rejected, more like you rejected him, but it still feels like he has the upper hand. it's funny and equally annoying because heeseung is supposed to be nothing more than just a nobody, somebody you aren't even supposed to spare two thoughts on, but here you are sitting with the guy with your feelings all over the place. 
“heeseung,” you stand up, your voice making him turn to look at you, both of you ignoring the sight of his teammates standing motionless in their positions, too stunned at your voice reverberating in the almost empty court. “let’s do this: if you manage to stand first in the finals, i’ll date you,”
a lowkey confession leading to a mere competition. his lips morph into a smirk, the ones he'd pass you before tests, an open challenge offered directly to you. “and if i don’t?”
and you mirror the same smirk back at him, you weren't going to back off simply because it's about the person you possibly have a crush on. “i become just a closed chapter of your life,” 
let the game begin. 
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III. LIAR AND THE LOVER
despite heeseung’s sudden confession, you’re doing quite well, taking it better than expected. you had your moment of confusion back when the words of proposal fell off his lips— anyone would. after all, it’s lee heeseung we’re talking about. you can only imagine the saddened faces of his fangirls once they hear about him confessing to you.  
“jay told me you made a bet with heeseung?” hanbin’s question catches your attention as soon as he steps into the cafe, managing to turn a few heads towards you in the process. 
“you know jay?” 
he sits next to you, pulling out his laptop in a hurry. you can guess it’s because of his essay that’s due before six in the evening, one he could’ve written last night instead of getting wasted at his friend’s birthday gathering. “we share history, also, that’s not the answer to my question,” 
“it’s not a bet, ‘bin,” your words aren’t half wrong. “just a silly game, y’know? i didn’t even expect him to agree,” frankly, even you don’t know why or how you came up with such a bizarre idea in broad daylight. usually, people get bouts of excitement or embarrassment while confessing or being confessed to, but in your case, you jumped over the fence and made a proposal that you have only seen in fiction. 
“nah, no way you’re setting up your whole love life for failure and calling it a silly game,” the disappointment is evident in hanbin’s voice as his fingers danced over his keyboard, typing with a speed that could leave the trains behind. well, people tend to get like that when you have an assignment due and the deadline is just a few hours to go. you guess that he’s too busy to even listen to your reasoning, which is appreciated considering you have no reasoning as for why you did what you did. 
“you made a bet with heeseung,” you turn your head around, making the boy next to you do the same in the process. it’s miyeon— you should’ve seen it coming, honestly. your actions have consequences, as always, and one of them is dealing with her non-stop interrogation as if you’re the prime suspect for some gruesome crime and every question answered wrong opens gates to capital punishment. sometimes, you wonder why she didn’t go with studying law instead. 
“how do you know?”
“everyone knows, yn. it’s all they’ve been talking about,” she sighs, sitting opposite to you while taking a look at hanbin’s laptop. “even the football fanatics are talking about attending the game, god, hanbin we better hurry that day or we’re not getting a seat,” you should’ve seen it coming, honestly. miyeon might not be the most social person, but she definitely is the most updated. nothing escapes her, every tiny incident reaches her ears one way or another, and if not, then she just finds out about it using her sources, given you don’t know about her sources. it’s one of the reasons why you’re almost convinced that she runs a shady side business alongside her career in bioengineering. 
you take a sharp breath, going through the bunch of papers arranged in your file. “it’s not that serious. he confessed to me and i said i’d date him if he manages to secure the first position in the finals as well,” 
“you did that knowing he hasn’t been studying because of games while you’re studying like your life depends on it? there’s no way he’s going to be first, and everything aside, it was a wrong fucking move to play with his feelings,” play with his feelings— a pause, you don’t like how it sounds. you’re not playing with his feelings, that’s far from what you’re doing. it’s a game, a competition, new to your friends but you and heeseung have always been familiar with it. there’s an unspoken rule to test each other’s limits. the last time you and heeseung did something like this, it resulted with you writing ‘lee heeseung is smarter than ln yn,’ in bold on a sheet of paper and putting it on the notice board for the whole campus to see. in your eyes, it's history repeating itself yet again. sure, there is something else at stake, but the rules are the same, and you don’t know why your friends are acting like you’ve done something terribly unethical. 
“no one’s playing with his feelings, miyeon, and i know for a fact he’s making time to study for finals,” you clarify your side, slight annoyance evident in your voice. “besides, it doesn’t matter. it’s not like this is serious, i only did this to buy time to figure out my feelings while the game gives me a reason to study and not get distracted. you know how i get when i lose focus,” 
that could be the reasoning behind your actions, of course. even while sitting in a cafe with your friends and having a conversation that is about to make your blood boil, you’re thinking of heeseung in the back of your head. his words play over and over again like a broken record player, the image of him on court or studying pops up in your mind every now and then. obsession is a disease and you have it bad. it’s crazy to be thinking about someone so much without being absolutely floored for them. 
“so you’ll date him despite the outcome?” hanbin drags you out of the well of your thoughts, a question that leaves miyeon flabbergasted. 
“if i manage to figure out my feelings then of course,” a chuckle falls off your lips. “i’m telling you guys, it’s not that serious. i’m sure he knows it too,” and you’re really confident about this— it usually never ends on a good note. 
“and if he doesn’t? what if it’s serious for him? yn, you never know how one thing might affect someone, and feelings are not something to gamble on. you should’ve told him you need some time to think instead of giving him a false hope or whatsoever,” it’s now that you start having second thoughts. the next two hours go by amidst silence, a few small talks blooming here and there, but dissolving just as quickly within the ticking clock of deadlines for assignments and exams. 
it doesn’t take a scientist to know when miyeon is upset, for she isn’t the best at masking her emotions. through the sneaky glances at her that you’ve stolen over time, you can tell she’d rather spend the evening in silence than talk to you, which is a challenge with herself because she’s really talkative. it takes two to sing a duet, two to play and game, two people to make a relationship work. heeseung and you— the two of you are enough to make decisions for yourselves, decide what’s right and wrong and, something about miyeon questioning your choices doesn’t sit right with you. 
too many cooks spoil the broth, it’s the principle of your life, the words you’ve been following to this date. it was your decision to have a few friends instead of a fifty— quality over quantity, as one might call it— and there has never been a moment when you regretted having a handful of people to call friends. instead of consulting too many people about your major in university, you simply went with what your parents and homeroom teacher suggested. life has been good so far. the more the better is something that isn’t applicable in your case. instead of telling everyone about your dilemma regarding heeseung, you decided to keep it to yourself, eventually opening up to heeseung when the time comes. you’re doing just fine on your own, it doesn’t make sense to you why a third person’s opinion is making you doubt your decision making abilities that you’ve been so proud of. 
this is not a gamble, you tell yourself, it’s a fair play. you gave him options, he made the choice, it’s consensual. you didn’t force him into this game, he didn’t pressure you to respond, it’s a harmless competition that’s bound to have a positive outcome. you even spend a good fifteen minutes wondering if you should go back to heeseung and take it all back in case he finds it insensitive to put his feelings on the line. doing it in person seemed impossible so you resorted to texts, typing and deleting your message before giving up altogether. in your head, this was an okay decision. a sweet confession, a person with unsure feelings, a harmless competition. 
you hope it doesn’t backfire ten times worse. 
.
three days later, you find yourself on the way to basketball club rooms once again. you checked the court, it was empty, and your only option was to check the club slash locker rooms if you wanted to see heeseung. okay, first things first, you don’t miss him— maybe a little, but it’s because you miss hearing his weird ass answers in class even though they’re right. heeseung just has an unique approach to things, in other words he simply knows how to buy time and go in detail about things he’s an expert at to impress the professors. however, that doesn’t seem to be the case for him because he has approached you six times in the past three days, asking if you’re free to hangout. 
you like to think he misses you or that his requests were because he wanted to make sure you don’t study and lose to him, either could be true. knowing heeseung, he’s capable of going both ways. whatever may be the reason, you turned him down all six times, and it’s not because you have something against him— of course, you don’t. that’s common knowledge by now— your reason for not hanging out with him is studies, as expected of you honestly. the bet aside, you had way too many chapters to learn before exams and all heeseung ever does is take up your headspace everytime you sit down with your books spread open. avoiding him in thoughts wasn’t possible so avoiding him in person was your last straw. 
which leads to the present : you rushing to heeseung, again,  not because you miss him but because you need his help, though one of the reasons could be that you feel bad for turning him down six times. you can hear muffled laughter from a distance as you approach the club rooms, a bang against one of the lockers, a loud profanity that follows afterwards. their humour is beyond your level of understanding. 
“heese— oh, um—” you greet and turn away just as quickly when you realise that one of them is shirtless. it’s obviously heeseung, you can’t mistake his face for someone else. and you’re guessing he’s the last one to come out of shower because everyone else is dressed, maybe he’s someone who likes to take his time showering— you seriously need to stop thinking before your imagination goes bonkers. “sorry, can you come outside for a second when you’re ready?”
another round of laughter follows, more like teasing remarks because you can swear you heard a few of them refer to you as his girlfriend, and it gets you a little flustered, you won’t lie. you even hear one of them yell ‘ooh, get it, heeseung,’ as heeseung walks out, fixing his t-shirt, responding back with his middle finger up at whoever made the comment. 
“hi,” his voice isn’t much louder than a whisper, eyes fluttering between you, the floor, and his teammates who pretend to not look when you peek inside. there’s a soft smile on his face— it’s cute, you think, and then rethink what you just thought. heeseung is, well, not cute— usually. he’s good-looking, handsome, hot, sexy, even, since you’re on the topic of finding adverbs that suit heeseung. cute is rarely one of them, you don’t think you’ve seen him as flustered as he is right now— rubbing his nape, a tint of pink on his cheeks, avoiding eye-contact— that’s far from the heeseung you’ve been seeing for past two semesters. 
“hi, can you send me the pdf of the extra set of questions that prof sent last week? i think i accidentally deleted it while clearing up my storage,” you get straight to the point, trying not to waste much of your precious time. “i could’ve texted you but figured you’d be too busy with practice to check messages,” you remember what happened last time; he took six days to reply to your texts. you’re quite a patient person otherwise but in this case, you’re in dire need of questions to practise for tomorrow’s mock. 
“ah, sure, give me a minute,” and he pulls out his phone, scrolling through an ocean of files and documents to look for the one you need. you do think he’s gorgeous though, it’s a well known fact that he’s stunning, but you think this look of heeseung surpasses the other ones quite easily— hairs wet after shower, partially covering his forehead, a white t-shirt that’s slightly wet near the shoulders because of the water dripping down— you wish he’d at least dry his hair before catching a cold. “actually, i would have replied to your texts if you had— oh, yes, there you go. do you want me to email it to you or…?”
“oh, just texts would be fine, thank you,” 
“done,” a pause, you feel his eyes on you as you go through the pdf to take a brief look at the contents. “do you want to go for a walk? or are you getting back to studies?” at this point, you’re sure that question is a way to tease you about your obsession with studies. heeseung may think you’re overdoing it because you want to win, but it’s no more than the normal amount of hours you spend studying. he never paid you any attention to care about that. 
“no, i’m done for today, actually,” and that’s a big fat lie considering you were planning to solve some questions and revise two chapters before leaving the campus, but it’s fine. you feel bad for rejecting him six times either way. 
never in your life did you imagine that you’d be going on a walk with heeseung. it’s nothing serious, you just didn’t think there would be a day where you two would have normal people conversation while doing normal people activities instead of trying to disparage each other based on grades and academic performances. to think about it now, heeseung isn’t half bad, it was all in your head. it’s not like you had vile assumptions about him, you did find him annoying and way too prideful— anyone like him would be, actually, and heeseung is still quite humble about his achievements because if it was someone else, they sure would have made it everyone’s problem. 
actually, heeseung is insufferable as well. you remember your first encounter with him, first and so far, the worst— in the laboratory. you and heeseung sat next to each other and when the professor asked him to briefly explain his experiment, you realised it’s oddly similar to yours. you had accused him of cheating, like any sane person would, which led to him getting two scores less than a perfect. he only lost one score because of you, actually, and that too because you were professor’s favourite and heeseung was new to the department. the other score, you don’t know where he missed, but that incident led to heeseung deleting your powerpoint thirty minutes before your presentation, which led you stealing his notes and selling it some junior through an undercover twitter account, which led to the professor asking you to help him with notes before exams, and everything ultimately led to the realisation that heeseung is actually quite decent if you behave with decency as well. the give and take is serious for him, because he gave you notes and so, you had to take his offer of going on a walk. even though it seemed like you had a choice, a part of you knew it was a mirage. you would’ve ended up on a walk with heeseung one way or another. 
“i come here whenever i’m tired or just not feeling well,” he says and you wake up from your daydream of memories you shared with heeseung. the way he phrases his words makes it sound like he has brought you to one of his most secret locations, one that no one knows except taehyun, probably, considering they’re close friends, but in reality, it’s the playground you pass by every single day on your way from your apartment to university. 
“oh, are you okay? are you nervous for tomorrow’s match?” you continue, deciding you shouldn’t ruin his favourite place for him. honestly, no one would’ve guessed that lee heeseung would come to a children’s park on bad days. 
“actually, this walk was for you, you looked like you’d pass out if you spent another hour in front of books,” and you’re done, standing speechless with your eyes wide open at his words that he says with a victorious smile on his face. “you should start taking breaks, yn. it’s not a bad thing to go home earlier when you’re tired,” 
he’s right, oh, you know he’s absolutely right about everything he just said, from passing out to going home. a part of him probably even feels glad to have you out on his little walk with him, you’re getting your well deserved rest, thanks to him. heeseung might even ask if he can walk you home considering you’re ‘done for today,’ which is very thoughtful of him— but what does this make you? a liar? miyeon was right, you’re gambling, even though it’s not that serious. so far, you’ve lied about being done with your studies and the bet you made with heeseung because at this point, it’s more like a prank, except it’s not funny and that it might end up with him getting upset with you because tomorrow is basketball tournament’s finals and you’re here wasting his time, all because you lied. 
a liar and a lover, on a date at children’s park— match made in theatre club, you’d say. 
“are you sure this is not your way to manipulate into not studying and losing to you, just so you can date me?” you try to play it cool, knowing very well that it can be one of his tricks or whatsoever. after all, it’s the same heeseung who made you trip in front of your class just three days after being transferred. 
“i was being genuine but it doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” of course, it doesn’t. he gets to win, after all. “can i walk you home?” just as you had guessed. 
“i would love to go home but my bag is still in the library,” you had considered taking it with you, actually, but dismissed the thought once you realised you had to come back to the library and continue with your studies. albeit, you’re not studying, that’s on you for lying into oblivion and giving into his requests.  
once again, you two are back to walking, this time back to the university campus. it’s nice, having a walk with heeseung, it’s sweet, slow, comforting, like slow music flowing around and engulfing you in its arms. the unsaid words are weighing on your shoulders, you can feel the pressure, but it’s not awkward. above the busy hustle of the city and blaring horns, it’s a quiet world with heeseung, it’s nice, like a warm hug after a long day. you didn’t think you had it in yourself to spend a minute next to him without overthinking and possibly starting a banter. you didn’t think heeseung had it in him either, to make a walk feel so close to home.  
“so, how are you coping knowing you’re going to lose once again?” and, it’s back again. everything is a hoax actually— his looks? a trap. his smile? a trap. it’s all a facade because once he opens his mouth, nothing but horseshit comes out of it. 
“very well, in fact, because i know i’m the one getting that first spot this time,” call it overconfidence but you really do think you’ll get your title back this time. you’ve been studying well and hard enough, solving questions and going through every extra set of notes and exercises your professor sent. although, you would claim to beat heeseung had you been prepared or not because it’s fun messing with him. 
“i’d rather have you show some mercy, in that case,” before you know it, you’re already standing in front of the library. “academic defeat and a heartbreak, it already sounds painful. i hope you go easy on me,” it’s sarcastic, of course, all these saccharine words of confessions made you forget how he is under the layers of smiles and winks that adorn his face. a session full of silence follows, the comforting tranquillity morphing into something tensed as he steps closer, your breath getting caught up in your throat as your mind dysfunctions— it’s the effect he has. 
“heeseung,” you put a finger on his lips— the only thing between him and you, the only thing helping you stay sane and composed at the moment, because only you know the struggle of pulling yourself together while standing inches away from heeseung as he grabs your wrist and plants a soft kiss on your finger before removing it from his lips. 
“why, that’s unfair. you get to see me anytime you want while i have to wait because you’re busy studying, you even get to see me shirtless, and i can’t even get a kiss?” and you hate the look in his eyes, you hate how close he is standing and how it makes your heart go crazy. this isn’t even the beginning and you hate how you feel like you’ve already lost, and you hate how confident he is with every breath he breathes against your lips. “just kidding, see you tomorrow,” 
and you hate how this is where you realise that you’ve fallen deep, and you’ve fallen hard. 
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IV. PLANET TO A SUN
heeseung has been thinking about the walk for an hour and twenty-seven minutes— actually more, ever since the moment he got home last night, but that is how long he has been practising for, eyes on the ball but mind revolving around you like a planet to a sun. you had texted him about a rule this morning— no kissing before finals. actually no kissing before we start dating, lee— your exact words. they have been holding him back from thinking straight, even made him practise an apology while looking in the mirror if in case his actions offended you in any way. lost in thought, heeseung manages to get another shot in. that’s twenty-third in a row ever since he stepped on the court, which is unbelievable, even for him. 
“is it just me or did heeseung’s performance improve overnight?” jake looks up at jay, fastening his shoelace, a chuckle escaping his lips that goes unnoticed. 
the latter offers a hand to jake, helping him stand as they share a laugh before jay passes him the ball. “well, of course it will. he has to impress his girlfriend today at finals,”
“she’s not my girlfriend,” heeseung grunts almost as if hearing you and the word girlfriend in the same sentences cuts ten years from his lifespan. he knows it doesn’t, he’d kill to call you his’. the reason behind his edgy behaviour is your text and the weird rule you’ve inserted in an already weird bet— it’s not like he minds it, the bet, obviously. heeseung definitely minds not getting to kiss you for the next few weeks. 
“yet,” jay clarifies, emphasising enough for the world to understand that his words are supposed to be in italics. “she will be if you score more than her in finals, which i don’t think is possible because unlike you, she has been studying all day everyday. i don’t know how she’s still alive,” and jay isn’t half bad student himself. juniors in business have his name residing on the tips of their tongues. he simply thinks you’re a freak for being in no clubs and not participating in anything that doesn’t involve studying. 
“she’s the top student for a reason,” jake adds. 
“i am the top student,” and hearing his friends call you the top students hurts heeseung’s ego a little bit. crushes aside, you’re his rival before his girlfriend, and you’re not even his girlfriend. you’re basically just a rival. “also, it’s not hard to study all day if you’re used to it,” 
and jay scoffs in disbelief. “right, you would know something about it, lee i can’t go a day without playing basketball heeseung,” 
“hey, everyone,” your voice reverberating in the court is what stops heeseung from responding to jay with a snarky remark. “just wanted to wish you all goodluck. i really hope you guys win the tournament or else, it’s going to be hard for heeseung to deal with two loses after i beat him in finals as well,” 
heeseung rolls his eyes in disbelief, you hear taehyun exclaim that he has been team yn since the very first day, a claim that few others proceed to back up, especially sunghoon, with his own lore of how he prays everyday for you to win the bet with heeseung. you’re honoured to receive such support, to some extent. a part of you still wishes for the whole thing to be a secret restricted to just heeseung and you but again, it was your fault for placing bets in court, in front of the entirety of the basketball team to witness, even their coach. 
“you’re a little too confident, don’t you think so?” he smirks, taking a few steps towards you with the ball supported between his arms and torso. “let me know where you’d like to go for our first date,” and it turns out heeseung is just as confident about winning the bet as you, perhaps even more. you are not surprised, being defending champions does that to people, or so you believe.
“mhm, let’s have you score a date first, lee,” you would have loved to talk more but decide to bid your goodbyes as soon as hanbin’s message pops up on your phone, the little scowl on heeseung’s face going unnoticed the moment he sees his name on your phone screen. heeseung would never in his wildest dream confess to being jealous— it doesn’t even make sense for him to be jealous of hanbin because he confessed to you, and you seem to like him back. his worries are pointless just like the useless art projects his art teacher used to assign in middle school. 
your fingers dance on the keyboard of your phone as you reply to hanbin, the subtle taps synchronous with your steps with you rushing across the quadrangle, taking the nearest flight of stairs to the library. you wanted to spend the day at your apartment since classes are suspended for the rest of the day on account of the match. however, hanbin managed to convince you into coming to the library to help him with a few assignments here and there. you’re not opposed to studying on days-off, in fact you think it’s better since you get all twenty-four hours to yourself instead of investing any of it in classes. the match gave you an excuse to call in for a break, or an excuse to take your time choosing the outfits as if you’re the main character on such a big day. 
the librarian gestures to you to slow down the moment you almost avoid slipping on the tiled floor, in the process of holding the door frame to stop yourself, an embarrassed apology makes its way from you to her as you spot hanbin in the further corner with his airpods plugged in. your first instinct is to scare him from behind but the thought leaves your mind as soon as you remember that you’re in a library, and getting kicked out on a day that has been treating you well so far doesn’t sound so smart. 
so, you settle with approaching normal, instead of pulling random stunts, pulling out the chair opposite to him quietly to not make any sounds, mumbling a soft ‘hi’ as he takes out one of his airpods. “where’s miyeon?” 
“sick, she’s skipping today’s match as well,” hanbin replies, eyes fixed on the notes he's copying from the laptop to loose sheets of paper, before looking up at you with another question on the tip of his tongue. “are you two still not talking?” 
“we did, none of us brought up what happened that day, though,” you shrug as if it doesn't bother you anymore, as if you don't want it to bother you more than it already does.
miyeon and you have known each other since university, she was a senior in undergrad course who was forced by financial circumstances to skip one academic year, thus rejoining in third year along with you and hanbin. seeing her was less frequent while she was still a senior, although you're not sure if you've spent more than three days away from her ever since postgrad school started. a heavy tension masks all your conversations with her, over texts or in person, and even though you're trying to act like the small talks with her don't hurt you, a part of you is starting to miss the best friend you used to talk to all night, about wasted matters and sharing useless gossip.
silence fills in for the lack of words between you and hanbin and you allow it to do so, deciding not to disturb the decorum of the library anymore. you scroll through your phone mindlessly, there’s nothing to look at except people going crazy about the evening's match. you even manage to stumble upon a thread of arguments featuring students of your university and the one the team is going against. it’s all empty threats, seriously, ‘kys’ and ‘ur mom’s in my bed’ aren’t even insults at this point. they’re funny, sometimes, but you’ll never understand why or how they ended up being insults. ( honestly, you don’t see the potential ) 
“are you serious about heeseung?” a crack in the ice, hanbin's question catches you off guard, with a number of questions running back and forth in your mind before you settle with the one to respond with in return.
you blink in confusion. “i guess so, why?” 
“nothing, it’s just i never expected it to be him, y’know, considering your history,” you think it's unavoidable, questions along these lines, they would've been asked sooner or later. truthfully, even you didn't expect yourself to fall for heeseung.
your history, what even is there to call history except blood and war? both you and heeseung have been up each other's neck from the moment your gazes collided. it sounds like a stupid beef between highschool students, almost embarrassing now that you both are nearing post graduation. with all the days that you’ve spent thinking about ways to get on his nerves, or worse— ruin his projects, it wasn’t just you who resorted to ruining each other’s hard work— no one would have known you and heeseung would ever end up on this note, with him chasing you and you pinning for him, all under the blankets of a silly bet.
“well, as i always say, hanbin, life is unpredictable,” there’s a smile dancing on your lips, a dazzling hint of factuality in your eyes. “besides, he’s a nice guy behind all the annoying things he does. i think he's pretty serious about me, or us, too,”
hanbin has noticed the way you smile at your phone. it doesn’t always happen, only when you’re talking with miyeon or a few friends from highschool, now heeseung ranks up on that list as well. he’d be lying if the uneasiness doesn’t bother him, it’s bound to surface when he remembers all the nights you spent complaining about heeseung. actually, the rant session included hanbin, you and miyeon, but she would rather go to sleep than listen to you complain like a child for hours on roll, leaving you and hanbin driving the conversation. he has lost count of the amount of times you’ve ended up crying in the process, or the amount of times he has hung up on you only to show up at your place late at night to make sure you’re doing okay, and the nights you two have spent watching movies and falling asleep on the couch, followed by the mornings gone by with miyeon being salty over the fact that none of you invited her to your impromptu nightover. 
the thought of heeseung confessing to you still surprises hanbin, it’s one of the things he deemed as impossible since forever. and he can go, warn heeseung about hurting you, dropping all sorts of threats at the boy. hanbin can go on for hours about how he would make heeseung’s life a living hell if he ever broke your heart. he can prove the righteous friend that he is, but at the end of day, he would always be the third person between you and heeseung. hanbin can only assume so much about you two, not even sure if all of it is right. he can only wish so much for you to have eyes for someone else. 
and so, all he does is shoot a smile at you. “i hope he is,” 
.
the only time you step out of the library is exactly three hours and thirty three minutes later, to sprint towards the basketball knowing that you absolutely cannot afford losing seats in the first two rows. fortunately, or unfortunately enough, you’re not the only student going crazy about the game. you can swear at least a dozen came out of the library right after you, even though all of them may not attend the game.
you’re already running late— well, still twenty minutes early but that doesn’t give you much time to meet the team and secure the front row seats. and meeting the team is an excuse, let’s be honest. you want to meet heeseung, have a quick private talk, kiss him good luck, you don’t know; you wouldn’t. your head is in a mess, behind you hanbin is yelling for you to slow down as you run down the stairs. half of you is worrying about seats and the other half is wording her sentences out for you to say when you meet heeseung, and the team. you can wish them all the luck in the world, after all, it’s the university team and you would love to see them win. the whole craze about sports doesn’t feel real and worth the hype but things start coming full circle when you’re the one watching. slowly, as one would expect, but you are starting to understand why everyone goes bonkers during tournament season. 
“damn, slow down,” hanbin huffs, grabbing your arm for you to slow down. “it’s not like they wouldn’t start without you,” 
“that’s the problem. what if they start without me?” but your legs wouldn’t rest before arriving at the court. you know your words sound funny, painting you as if the result of today’s match depends on you. it feels crazy to be this excited about a mere basketball match, nonetheless you know it’s not the match you’re actually looking forward to. “besides, i’m more worried about seats,” 
“i asked hao to save two for us. he’s friends with heeseung, i think he will do that much for his friend’s girlfriend or whatsoever,” you see him roll his eyes at his own words, proceeding to slide his hands into yours before continuing on your way to the venue, this time a little slower. 
you have heard about hao from hanbin and miyeon a few times. he’s pursuing a masters in music, wants to teach violin professionally according to hanbin. miyeon has even attended one of his recitals last autumn, something from sibelius, if you remember correctly. he is popular, and you see the depths of his popularity as soon as you spot him on the bleachers, surrounded by people left and right, one of them trying to grab a seat next to him before he points at you and hanbin, and the crowd goes mild, ultimately dissolves as the players step in. 
“i didn’t know heeseung had a girlfriend,” you don’t know what you were expecting, perhaps a few words of greetings, hi’s and hello’s since you two are meeting for the first time. anything, except that question. 
“believe me, i didn’t either,” and why even is heeseung going around telling everyone that you’re his girlfriend?        
the court breaks into cheers as soon as the game commences and yet, it feels a little quite. perhaps, it’s miyeon’s absence getting to you. had it been her next to you instead of hanbin and hao— who are busy amongst themselves by the way, talking about anything but the match— she would’ve been eating snacks non-stop, giving you a little talk on every player, like a resume. it’s take her fifteen minutes to give you summaries on players from each team, their achievements, girlfriends and probably even mothers, who knows. although, you haven’t attend many games with miyeon to pinpoint every good and bad thing about her impromptu presentation, her unofficial commentary helped you sit throughout the match. it feels incomplete without her, not just the game but days in general. it’s definitely her absence making your surroundings feel quieter. 
so, long story short, you don’t have a clue of what’s happening. well, you do, a little. you know what a dunk and a three pointer is besides the names of players on your university team, but that basically sums up your knowledge about basketball. all sorts of voices are mingling in the air but you’re busy following the ball around the court with your gaze, occasionally cursing and clapping when the team misses a close basket or scores a comparatively difficult basket. the tension between the two teams keeps rising as the game continues. you notice sunghoon groan in disappointment as one of the players from the opposite team gets in a banked shot from the wings, scoring two points for the team. a part of the crowd goes quieter at jay’s failed attempt to save the score for his team, beomgyu patting on jay’s back while muttering something along the lines of ‘good job.’ involuntarily, your eyes travel to heeseung, whose expression stiffens at the sight of the scoreboard displaying a two-point lag.
a time out call follows as the players move back to their respective ends, and it physically hurts you to see the difference in atmosphere between the two teams, or the frowns on the faces of players on your university team. for a second, you even consider walking down to them as they gather around the coach, grabbing water bottles and towels while nodding at the coach’s words between heavy breaths. you catch jake looking in your direction for a brief second, a smile makes its way to your lips before he responds with one as well, proceeding to nudge heeseung’s arm and pointing in your direction. his actions are left with no response— it hurts a little, although you are aware that anything else falls after winning the match on his priority list— and they get back on the court as the game resumes. 
“they need to catch up soon,” hanbin mutters, taking a look at the clock. and even if it’s just a two point difference, you’re starting to understand why it creates a huge gap. it’s almost like scores on a test. going from eighty-three to ninety then hundred is easier than going from ninety-eight to hundred. greater differences are easier to overcome; for you have so many rooms for improvisation and thus, so many chances at closing the gap. the closer you are to a perfect score, the narrower are the chances and it’s almost impossible to pin-point and work on every single weakness of yours within those two points. you’re pretty sure your words would hardly make sense to anyone else, but nonetheless you understand why everyone on the court looks more attentive, probably like meerkats on the lookout for preys and predators. 
much to your disappointment, the play continues with the rivals dominating the court, giving low to zero chances for the opposition to get their hands on the balls. you even see a few of them trying to provoke heeseung, the latter trying his best to not react but you’re afraid he would start throwing punches if another one of the players passed by him with his middle finger up heeseung’s face. one of them, who you assume is the captain judging from the way he has been directing his team, goes in for a hook, immediately getting blocked by taehyun as the court bursts into loud cheers once again. 
“that was a little too far for a hook,” hao comments, and you nod as if you understand his words and know exactly how a hook is supposed to be. you didn’t even know about a hook until now, and you’re still not sure what it is since all the shots look almost the same to you. 
from that second onwards, it felt as if the control transferred to heeseung’s teams as they transition quickly from defence to offence, making quick passes and running the court, practically catching the opposite team off guard. jay passes the ball to jake, who takes a leap from half court, driving towards the unguarded basket. a quick layup using the backboard, as you hear hanbin name the shot, and basically everyone runs to jake for scoring two points for the team as the scoreboards displays a sour tie. it’s a seemingly easy match after that, especially when the players look like they’re back into the game. sunghoon passes the ball to heeseung who goes for another layup and fails, much to his despair, before going in for a dunk and scoring yet another basket for the team, leading it by two points. you see him passing a cocky smirk at the player from before as jake pats him in the back with heeseung almost stumbling in the process. 
heeseung shoots you a wink before focusing on sunghoon’s words as they get back into position, and even amidst the butterflies you got by his recent actions, you don’t miss the way he stretches his fingers, ring-finger specifically, pointing something about the movements to jay before getting his focus back to the game; and you just hope it isn’t what you’re thinking it is. 
it’s a slow game after that, no points scored, four fouls with two of them back to back, one by each team respectively. the frustration increases on the court, evident in each step taken by the players, groans and sighs fill the atmosphere and get louder than the cheers that have gone quieter once again. it isn’t until a few minutes later that all the players run to the front court as soon as they see an opportunity for a fast break with taehyun taking the lead, passing the ball to jay just a few seconds after, who passes it to heeseung— and call it the lack of efficiency or bad timing, heeseung bumps into one of the players from opposite team, an uneven balance, and falls directly on his right knee, as one of the opposite players throws the ball off-bounds to stop the play. 
the medics take him to the benches, bringing ice packs and everything else before escorting him inside. you considered following him inside before hanbin tells you that the officials aren’t letting anyone meet him, probably until they receive updates of his situations. you bite the inside of your cheeks in nervousness, palms sweating as if you’re about to appear for an exam you weren’t informed about until five minutes ago, or maybe it’s even worse. the murmurs from the crowd or the group of girls behind you, to be more specific, do nothing but make you feel more anxious. zhang hao, being a sports medicine student, tries to give you an insight on heeseung’s injury, telling you that even if he fell directly on his knee and it could result in a patella fracture, or perhaps just dislocation— words that compel you to yell at him to shut up before he ensures that heeseung will be fine. hanbin does that for you, noticing your slightly panicked state, telling hao to talk about anything but anatomy of how badly a simple injury can affect a player, and when sunghoon and taehyun return to the officials with an update on heeseung and a pale face, you knew you had to run to your heeseung as if it’s the end of the world. 
“heeseung,” you breathe out, stepping aside to let the nurse from the infirmary leave before you walk closer to him. the awkwardness between you and other players, namely jay, jake and beomgyu, besides the coach, rings all the bells to remind you that coming here was probably a bad idea. well, of course, you like heeseung and are worried for him, but the tension in the air makes you feel like you showed up uninvited. “are you okay?” 
you ask nonetheless, voice close to a whisper, as you stand at a distance, looking at the bruise on his knee. the smell of antiseptic spray fills your lungs, nose scrunching at the way you could almost taste the diclofenac at the back of your mouth. 
“not really,” he inhales sharply, exhaling a reply once everyone left, knowing they had a game to get back to. “look at you, are you worried for me?”
“i’m regretting coming here now,” liar. and then you let the silence carry the conversation with itself for the next few minutes. you don’t know what to say— what can you say? all you do is sit next to him, hands brushing against his as his winces at the slightest touch. heeseung opened his mouth to say something before dismissing his words with a heavy sigh the very next moment. you almost hold his hand— almost, thinking of holding it ever so carefully as if it’s glass with thousands of cracks, and then you’d kiss it ever so delicately, you did it— almost, but then, it’s just you getting upset over the fact that he played even after hurting his hand.
“so, they’re benching you,” you say in an attempt to strike a conversation, a little conflicted with your choice of words, wondering if he even wants to hear about something related to the match at the moment. 
“of course,” he says it like a matter of fact, a fact whose impact doesn’t seem to touch him. “please tell me they have jeno substituting for me. i’ve barely been getting updates in the group chat,” the least he expected was for one of the substitute players to keep him updated about the game through texts, and heeseung planned to get back to the court until you showed up, taking a seat next to him on the benches in the locker room. you don’t understand why they didn’t take him to the infirmary, and decided to think it’s because locker rooms are closer and if there’s anything heeseung should not be doing right now, it’s moving his injured leg. 
you shrug. “i don’t know, i’ll ask hanbin,”
“thanks,” and even though heeseung isn’t really fond of your friend for reasons that are widely known, at least amidst his friend group, he really hopes hanbin is of some use. 
it’s quiet now. you can hear faint cheers buried in the layers of walls and rooms that stand between the court and the locker room, a few muffled footsteps filling up any spaces left in the air, here and there. you assume it’s his fans trying to check up on him, as annoying as it sounds to you for you’d rather have this moment with him all to yourself. you hear him sigh heavily once every few minutes, trying to ball his injured fingers up in a fist to allow the slightest of moments and ensure healthy circulation, a soft hiss leaving his lips at the sensation of striking pain shooting up his nerves. unlike heeseung, your attention shifts to his injured knee with a faint chill running down your spine as you look at his bruise, which now looks more bluish than it was when you had arrived, signifying the possibly alarming amount of blood that has now clotted in the tissues. 
“you can cry,” nudge him with your shoulders and heeseung directs you to the most disgusted face in return. “what? it’s the finals and you’re injured so you won’t be able to play today. any normal person would sob their eyes out,” 
“i’m not a kid, yn,” he nudges back, a chuckle slipping off his lips. 
“trying to act all cool but you’re probably going to cry yourself to sleep for days, or even weeks,” he holds out his hand for you to hold it as you stand up, an action you give into without opposition, intertwining your fingers with his. there’s a smug smile on your face and he sees it as well, although only you know the way your heart is somersaulting at the way your hands fit his’ like pieces of a puzzle. “i know what you are, heeseung,”
he scoffs at your words, hands still entwined, a lovesick glow in his eyes— it’s your first time seeing this side of him, you’re glad to be one of the people to see it. silence has never felt so comfortable to you. the distant noise from court feels like it rushed on its way to you and heeseung, and stopped at the doors, as if you two are beyond its reach. you might never say it to him, but everything seemingly ceases to exist when you’re with him, and the world feels timeless. it’s embarrassing, cringe, and it’s making your heart beat faster with the way he looks at you. “you need to shut up,”
“make me?” a quick response, one that was supposed to be a joke, a joke which was supposed to be accompanied by laughter and brushed off as another baseless comment, but another second passes as you continue to look into his eyes, and you realise you’re actually considering it— leaning in towards him while giving his hand a light tug to pull him towards you the slightest, your other hand cupping his face as your gaze ghosts up his eyes and settles on his lips. when it comes to him, rationality is out of the window and your lips are on his’ planting the softest kiss at the corner of his mouth before pulling away like nothing ever happened.  
a pause; you could hear the silence ringing in your years, eyes fixed over him as if you’re spilling all your secrets to him, waiting for him to take a hint. “what even happened to the ‘no kissing before finals’ rule?’”
and you realise you had actually forgotten about it, for better and never for the worse, because as you said and as he repeated, it’s all about timing. empty locker rooms, quiet hallways with not a soul around, your hand in his, his eyes on you— the timing couldn’t be better, and you know better than messing up and letting heeseung become just a closed chapter of your life. “yeah, i could care less about that,”
there are a lot of things you could care less about, like the cold metal that stings against your back as he pushes you against the lockers, or the fact that anyone could walk in, any minute; you don’t care, don’t know. his lips are on yours and his hands are on your waist, it feels euphoric the way his lips move in synchrony with yours, fitting like puzzle pieces. heeseung tugs you closer by your waist, a faint gasp escaping your mouth that dissolves immediately into your breaths mingling together. it’s intoxicating and is making you go insane, the way he manages to sweep you off your feet with the smallest of actions and simplest of words— from the very first day. 
heeseung was right, and you as well, it’s all about timing. from the day you first looked at him in a seminar, to the day he switched to biotech— you plan on asking him why because so far, all your guesses seem implausible— down to the day he confessed, leading up to this moment with you pressing against the lockers and his lips against against yours. heeseung sighs softly, cupping your cheeks and tilting your head to deepen the kiss, and you could feel the heat of his breath against your lips when you pull away just when it was about to get better, avoiding his lips when he leans in to chase yours barely a millisecond later. your eyes shift down to his hand, one that has been injured during the game, and you proceed to hold it carefully, brushing your lips over the bruise lightly before adorning it with feathery kisses as his other hand travels down to your waist once again, pulling you closer. “you should go easy on yourself,”
you whisper the exact same words he had told you a day ago, traversing your eyes back towards him while your gazes have a conversation so foreign, as if it’s only for the silence to understand. and it’s quite literally just the two of you basking in silence as he rests his head against the crook of your neck, planting a few kisses here and there before pulling you even closer, as if you were going to disappear any second. “i think, i’m in love with you,” 
and timing be damned— because heeseung confesses to you once again, and then he’s kissing you once again, slowly, sweetly, in love, and timing doesn’t even matter because every second feels right with him. with the same air of delighted indifference he comes to know well in the gleam of your touch and the curl of your lips, you simply kiss him back as if to say, hate to admit, but i’m in love with you too. and timing really be damned because you hear loud rounds of cheers as you feel his shoulders stiffen. a slight disconnection between you and heeseung makes you wonder if he’s thinking about the results of the game, which is inevitable, but this is about you and him, and nothing else. you hear the notifications from his phone go off, hinting that the match is probably over, and you pull him into another kiss, another round of selfishness guised as an outlet for him to forget about the game, another round of messy make outs, tasting the freedom of ignorance. 
and then you don’t hear from heeseung again.  
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V. OBJECT OF ALL DESIRES
days without heeseung feel like they’re forty-eight hours long.
you think it’s a disease or some sort of withdrawal syndrome. this isn’t your first time without him, in fact, you used to do just fine without him in your life until you let him in. at this point, it isn’t even about not being able to see him— heeseung has been absent for almost seven days. you even asked jay about him to see if he has been in contact with any of his teammates but much to your disappointment, he disappeared off the face of earth like he never existed. taehyun has constantly been reminding you to not fret too much, knowing that heeseung gets a little dramatic after losing matches. you can take his word, obviously, a friend from highschool would know heeseung better than a girl who started talking to him normally barely weeks ago, although you couldn’t help but worry about him as seconds passed like water dripping down the tap, disturbing the silence. 
you know how losses feel— like a part of you has been taken out and you’re left to bleed. it’s worse when it’s about something you’ve loved all your life. you’ve walked next to losses, hand in hand. when you know you’ve lost something while having it in the palms of your hands the whole time, the feeling eats you inside. you wonder if heeseung is feeling the same way you think he is, even if he didn’t show it a week ago when you had met him in the clubroom, the feeling starts to sink in when you’re alone amidst the ghosts of nobodies. even though he was smiling and acting like the little shit he is, you felt anger and regret in the way he kissed you. there was a sense of numbness dripping down his fingertips in the way they brushed against your cheeks, cupping your face. you could’ve been a sweet escape— it hurts to admit that the emotions weren’t possibly real, but you couldn’t blame him. 
losing a match, to put it in your words, meant failing in a test; and losing because of an injury, it’s like skipping a test you prepared for, because of fever. except tests can be rescheduled for students who missed— a luxury heeseung, as a basketball player, cannot enjoy. even you couldn’t believe your eyes when the students on the forum started talking about the lost match, all sorts of comments going around, though none targeted at heeseung, fortunately. yet, your first instinct was to dial his number— out of reach, the first thing you hear on the other side of the line, and all you’ve been hearing for days now. 
you had considered cutting ties with him, not literally, but as in stopping to chase him as if he’s the oxygen you inspire. you could’ve showed up at miyeon’s place with apologies, her favourite snacks and a brief explanation of why you did what you did, and everything that has happened as the consequences of your own actions. with weekends approaching, you could’ve planned a two-day trip with her and hanbin before the winter snow made it hard to commute— just anything to get your mind off heeseung, since apparently, you weren’t on his mind either. albeit, you end up doing nothing, no trips, no plans to see miyeon, it’s just you and your bruised heart with soju on the side. your mind is way too cluttered with thoughts about heeseung to focus on studying and at the same time, it’s way too empty to try doing anything else.  
so, you simply venture down the hallways, drowning in all kinds of thoughts, good and bad. you can use the time to study but concentration has been far out of your reach ever since the match, or ever since he went underground, to be more specific. the impromptu make out session was probably his last straw— it makes sense. you kissed someone who had been walked out of a match because of an injury instead of consoling them. you let your feelings get the best of you, making everything about yourself yet again. you won’t be surprised if heeseung decides to ghost you for the rest of his life after that; or maybe, that’s not possible since you see a familiar figure sitting in the outdoor basketball court, spinning the ball with it’s axis on the ground in a directionless manner. 
“heeseung?” you notice his back tense at the sound of you calling his name, head down low as if he’s responding with an exasperated sigh. “where the hell have you been? i’ve been trying to reach you— heck, even your friends haven’t heard a word from you in days,”
“not now, yn, leave me alone,” and an exasperated sigh is what it was. 
“look, i know—”
“just, what part of leaving me alone do you not understand?” you try to speak but heeseung cuts you off just as efficiently as he does other things, with annoyance heavily evident in his words. had it not been heeseung, you would’ve left already, for you have more important things to tend to, and you’re certainly not interested in matters you’re not supposed to be included in, if only it wasn’t heeseung, and if only you weren’t crazily worried for him. 
“oh, i understand it clearly, every part, actually, and i also understand that you’re upset and leaving you alone would certainly not be the best move considering the way you went MIA for a week,” and you understand his impulses about disappearing into thin air, wishing the ground eats him up or for the walls to cave in till he’s entombed in them, but a person as smart as him should know taking out helps better than thinking about wanting to vanish. “we can sit and have a talk if you stop being such an asshole about it. i’m down to listen to—”
“fine, what do you want to hear about?” he cuts you off in annoyances, the ball rolls down to a distance like your heart when you see the unfamiliar emotion in his eyes. “you were right. i went home and have been crying myself to sleep. i haven’t been eating well either. i skipped five out of nine mocks and barely passed the four i gave, let’s add that too. is that enough?” 
you don’t like the way he puts it, as if it’s supposed to make you feel better. maybe about the bet, maybe, since he’s supposed to rank above you in finals to get around dating you, and maybe watching him lose is supposed to offer you some sort of relief— seriously, what you’re feeling right now is far from that. guilt, anger, shame, you’re not unfamiliar with those emotions. they eat you inside and it’s not because you’ve met with defeat, it’s because of falling off all the expectations people had, giving them another reason to point fingers and laugh. you could be really over-reacting, but if you didn’t have your parents telling you it’s going to be fine every time you didn’t do well on tests, you don’t know where you would’ve been right now. and you think you can play a part of the same for heeseung, if not all. 
you sit next to him, nose scrunching at the sight of dust on the cement laid with cracks. that’s what you get with an outdoor court no longer in use. you can see little plantlets germinating from the soil, emerging through the cracks, the rusted ring catches your eye. heeseung huffs as you settle next to him, wondering exactly how long the court has been unused for, considering its lack of maintenance. “let’s date,” 
and your words are not what you were planning to say or what should be said in this situation, but they still manage to extract a response from him. “don’t play with me,” 
“i’m not, in fact, that is what i’ve been wanting to say to you for days. of course, this isn’t the best timing, but i don’t know what else to say,” you pause in what feels like embarrassment. too bad, his crush is not good at conversations. sometimes you end up nodding and blinking for five minutes straight before saying anything, after a person opens up to you with tears and blood. “and, i’m not going to tell you to stop acting like a child or whatever because the team lost such an important match and somewhere, you’re blaming yourself for it, which you shouldn’t, by the way. all i need to say is that you still have the next year to make up for what you’ve lost now,” 
second chances come with higher expectations from people along with words that end up making one feel worse about their situation. you’ve already heard a few students talk about how heeseung should’ve been more ‘careful’— as if it was his choice to get injured and lose the match. you know it wasn’t going to be easy, especially with his injury that probably requires him out of the court for weeks, but you hope that amidst whatever he’s feeling, between self-loath and regret, heeseung manages to find himself once again. 
“actually, i’m planning to drop out of the team next year and focus on studies. my parents were already against me playing basketball during postgrad, i’m finally starting to notice why,” basketball could’ve been his entire career if heeseung’s grandmother had not wished for him to go into the medical field. seeing the insides of a person makes him want to empty his bowel from the mouth so biotechnology was his next option. heeseung thought having two hands would give him the benefit of managing basketball and academics together, unlike how his parents had wished for, but his recent mock scores and lack of time devoted to studies is making him question his choices. “and what the hell were you on about dating, by the way?” 
you’re half immersed in your own thoughts until heeseung directs the question at you— brows furrowed, confusion shadowing his face— you realise it’s your turn to do the talking. “oh, you know, dating. i think we should start dating already, it’s quite inevitable after that day in the clubroom,” 
it is evitable, really, but you’re down bad— with all due respect. 
you haven’t been okay ever since you realised that you like heeseung, and you’ve been trying to act normal about it, attempting to not lose your cool-hard-to-get-girl composure— miyeon’s words, and they make you cringe— while the thought of him is eating your brain slowly and gradually, making you go insane. if you were to narrate from where you opened and closed the door at, it would be a slippery slope, you don’t know how someone ends up falling for the person they despise. the yn from a month or two ago would be knowing, you can see her shrugging and getting back to her books, saying see saw it coming. ( it’s miyeon’s fault for making you even think about having a mind blowing chemistry with heeseung ) the you from two semesters ago, when he first transferred, would hate you and call you a traitor, might even write whore on a mirror while looking at it because you fold at the sight of hot, smart and sporty men who are perfect at everything, even at ruining someone’s life, like he’s ruining yours; and the yn from highschool, you see her squealing on the floor because oh, what a fan of enemies to lovers she was— heeseung wouldn’t even have been in the current picture if your highschool crush slash rival liked you back. the current you, well, she’s a goner, and in denial that she’s a goner. too much pride does something to a person, especially when you’re an over-scorer and an academic weapon. you’ve lost all your abilities of letting your guard down even once, refusing to give up and accept defeat, no matter how tortuous it is on the inside. 
the current you is more like a victorian man looking at ankles for the very first time. 
“and the bet? what happened to it?” he chuckles, of course, anyone would, considering the way you’ve lost after placing the bet with utmost confidence slash overconfidence. see, it never ends well, anything, with overconfidence, it doesn’t end well, never have and never will. and you, you don’t learn, sitting with the very well known fact that if you were given the chance, you would place the bet with him again.  
“ah, i didn’t mean to do that, honestly. i was confused when you confessed, it was so sudden, i didn’t know how to respond. the bet was the best i could come up with,” miyeon was right, you could’ve used something along the lines of ‘i need some time,’ that day instead of pulling out a bet right out of your ass, and now you don’t know how to save face. at least the fact that heeseung confessed first makes you feel a little better about yourself. “c’mon, i know you love challenges. i was just trying to see if it gets you turned on or something,” 
and heeseung scoffs in disbelief, eyeing you at your choice of words. “yeah, i feel very turned on knowing my crush dragged me into a bet that i’ve been working so hard for and she wasn’t even serious about it,” 
“working hard? from what i saw, the only thing you worked hard for was basketball,” you raise your brows, a taunting intonation in your voice. a part of you regrets the choice of words, knowing that basketball is seemingly quite a sensitive topic to bring up at the moment. albeit, the slight fear evaporates off when he laughs and dismisses your words and nothings. 
he leans a little closer, hands touching yours. “you never know what i’m up to at home,” 
a pause; you look in his eyes and then at his lips, he mirrors your actions with a smirk on his face. you guess that there’s a second meaning to his words, not sure what, but the look in his eyes tells you something about it. “i think we should get back to when you were talking mental and i was talking you down,” 
and you could grab his face and kiss him with no one around, on the unmaintained basketball court for the grey and cloudy skies to see. you could run your hands through his hairs and tell him how crazy he makes you while planting kisses down his neck. you can kiss him till both of your lungs are begging for oxygen, and that's when you'd tell him how he makes you feel— breathless and drowning, a little insane every time you see him flirting with someone that's not you. you can kiss him till the sun goes down and evening takes over, it doesn't matter if you're outside for the world to see. you would've kissed him if heeseung hadn't leaned back, looking at the ball lying stray at a distance.
“by the way, i’d love to date you,” he smiles at the infinite horizon before looking at you, as if waiting for a response already known.
“yeah, i figured that,” you try to play it cool as if you’re all knowing. it’s partially true, he did confess to you first. “let’s make another bet: no kissing before finals, and the one who ends up giving in first has to buy dinner,” you come up with yet another bet, your voice hinting the enthusiasm for no apparent reason.  
heeseung squints at you, a little conflicted, quite unsure of your words. it sounds like a moment of deja vu, hopefully on a better note this time ‘round. “that’s not even valid, we made out not even a week ago,” 
“let bygones be bygones, hee,” he likes the sound of the little nickname you've given him, unlike bygones, the word you use to refer to your very first kiss with him as if it's an unfortunate memory. “it’s decided then, no kissing before finals and the loser has to buy dinner, and i won’t be satisfied with anything less than a five star meal,” 
you squint, index finger pointing at him, a challenging composure. another chuckle from him makes it’s way to you, lips curling into a faint smile. it takes you all the way back to the day you placed your first bet with him, with head empty and no logic, for the entirety of the basketball team to see, hear, and talk about it as if it’s supposed to be on the headlines of the national newspaper. your eyes spark up in anticipation, wondering if the two of you are down for another bet, one that doesn’t proceed towards failure, hopefully.
“the last time you did something like this, you ended up running back to me and asking me to date you,” he scoffs softly, side-eyeing you with a mocking gaze, quite ready to pull out the receipts if you ever deny his words. you hate how correct he is, all the time, actually, and you hate how you don’t have words to argue back.
lee heeseung, a nobody to you till he switched to your department, just some student who was there to pass time until he started ranking above you on tests and flipped your whole world upside down. you tried to not think about him and failed every time— still beats you why. you’ve never let distractions get the best of you, but heeseung, perhaps he’s more than just a distraction, or maybe he isn’t a distraction at all. he’s like a plant in your garden that you could care less about— should care less about, it’s growing without harming your plants, but it’s creeping against a wall with pretty flowers for show, and before you know it, it’s demanding for all your attention that you offer without second thoughts, unwillingly at first. 
he’s the bane of your existence and object of all your desires, to put it simply and make it sound cliché. you’ve had your moments trying to run away from him, get him out of your head, annoy him to the point he’d prefer flying to the other side of the globe, or that could be you too, anywhere, far from him. but life, for the thousandth time, is unpredictable. when was the last time something worked out exactly how you had planned— can’t remember, obviously, just like the way you don’t remember when heeseung started occupying a corner of your brain, popping in and out at random times and disrupting your thought process. the more you tried to ignore him, the further he housed in your head, the deeper in your heart, closer, within your reach, as if for you to grab his hands and let him enter your side of the world. 
and so, you kiss him again, pulling him towards you with the collars of his jacket. you feel him smile, a triumphant smile, as expected from someone who is used to winning. you don't think you can say you've lost, not at the way he cups your cheeks and tilts his head to deepen the kiss just moments before you pull away. “i always run back to you, don’t i?” 
and you're a child infatuated with their favourite sport, a painter falling in love with strokes, a pianist dancing to the melody of rachmaninoff, a student addicted to getting a perfect score, a player addicted to winning. you trace back to things you like, you always run back to heeseung,
and you always would. 
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TEN MINUTES LATER :
heeseung plants a soft peck on your lips. “dinner’s on you,” 
“fuck!” 
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mattitties · 4 months
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Boyfriend, pt 2 - matt sturniolo
you guys asked, so i delivered (hopefully)
part 1 here
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I left the party last night feeling on top of the world. I recounted everything to my best friend the second Matt had left and she came back to me.
“I came back from the bathroom and saw you guys totally hitting it off, so I just stood back and watched. I thought he was about to bend you over the bar and fuck you right there,” she told me. 
It’s now the next morning and I’m trying to distract myself and not think about the fact that he hasn’t texted me yet. It’s only 10 AM, so I really shouldn’t be worried, but as someone who doesn’t talk to boys literally ever, I am naturally very worried. 
As the hours pass and it’s now 2 PM, I go into my roommate’s room. “Why hasn’t he texted me? Do you think he was just fucking with me? What if I didn’t give him the right number and he’s now texting some other hotter bitch instead of me? What if I was-” I start to ramble before she cuts me off.
“Oh my god, shut up! It’s been like 14 hours, chill out! He’s gonna text you, and if he doesn’t, he doesn’t. We don’t know anything about him, he could be sleeping still or he could be having a busy day. Take a Xanax or something, good gracious,” she tells me, finishing just as my phone vibrates.
I check it absentmindedly, fully expecting it to be my mom or a spam text, but instead I see an unknown number.
Hey it’s Matt, just wanted to see when your free to hang out?
I let out a shriek and show my roommate my screen.
“Fucking told you!” she says excitedly before her face changes. “Oh boy, he’s one of the fuckers who doesn’t know the difference between your and you’re. You gotta fix that.”
“Oh for sure,” I say, starting to type in my phone.
hey :) i’m free tonight or tmr if either of those work
Tonight is good, I can pick you up around 6 and we can get dinner. How does Boa sound?
“Oh my god. He wants to take me to Boa,” I tell my roommate. I’m just about on the verge of vomiting everywhere.
“Oh fuck yeah! Mr. Moneybags over here!” she cheers.
that sounds great!
Sick, whats your addy so I know where to pick up my gf ;)
I give him my address, turn off my phone, and immediately go to my room to take an everything shower and get ready.
I’m finishing up my hair at 5:30 when I get another text: Leaving now, be there in 15 min. I made reservation for 6
I don’t know why I’m so nervous. I was so confident around him last night, but now I feel like a completely different person. I’m terrified I’m gonna be an awkward mess when I get in the car and he’s gonna wonder what happened to the girl he met last night and I won’t even be able to eat I’m so nervous and–
Nope, I’m not worrying anymore. It’s gonna be fine. I triple check everything to make sure I look good, and finally he texts that he’s here.
I grab my bag, go downstairs, and open the front door to our apartment complex, where I’m met with a very familiar face standing next to it. He’s wearing a black short sleeve collared shirt, blue jeans, and a black baseball cap he put on backwards. Man, he looks good as fuck. 
He looks up when he sees me and smiles. “Hi,” he says. “Car’s right there. I was going to come in but then I saw I had to be buzzed into the building and I didn’t know which apartment was yours, so…” It seems that his confidence from last night has lessened quite a bit as well, as now he’s just awkwardly rambling. I find it adorable.
I shake my head and smile. “You’re fine, this is perfect.” I follow his lead to his car, and am surprised when he opens the passenger door for me. “Thank you,” I say as I get in, and he shoots me another quick smile before closing the door and going to the driver’s side. 
“So Boa, huh? You really are trying to show off your YouTube bucks,” I joke.
“Me and my brothers go there a lot, it’s not really that expensive,” he says. 
“Speak for yourself! I was looking at the menu and almost had an aneurysm at the prices!”
He laughs and glances at me. “Well lucky for you, you’re not the one paying, are you?”
We continue our banter for a few minutes before there’s a lull in the conversation. “Do you wanna put some music on? Here’s the aux cord,” he tells me, pulling out a cord.
“Oh,” I say, immediately regretting all my life choices. I am historically NEVER on aux in any situation because my music taste is comprised of Taylor Swift, dad rock, and depressing music. “Um… you may not like my music. We can just play whatever you like.”
He looks at me wearing a tiny frown. “What! You’re the passenger, you get aux. Whatever you play will be fine.”
I sigh dramatically as I plug my phone in and queue Taylor. “Okay, but if you don’t like it, just remember I gave you a chance to say no.” He nods. I watch his face to gauge his reaction as “The Story of Us” starts to play, and I roll my lips into my mouth to hide my laughter when he recognizes the voice. 
“Yayyyy,” he says sarcastically. “I love Taylor Swift…”
The rest of the drive consists of me explaining to him that if he was willing to give her music a try, he would definitely enjoy her music. I was fully expecting him to laugh it off and come back with some smart ass comment about her as nearly every other man does, but he seemed genuinely interested in what I was saying. “You’re right,” he told me. “Maybe we can listen together and you can show me more of her stuff!”
I think I fell in love right there.
When we arrive at Boa, the man nearly eats shit rushing around to open the passenger door for me, and walks slightly ahead of me to get the door for the restaurant. Neither of us have any ounce of the same flirty energy we had last night, but there’s no awkwardness at all. I still can’t believe this is happening. The hottest guy I’ve ever seen, he’s a perfect gentleman, we have so much in common, and he’s actually into me? It seems far too good to be true.
“So,” I say when we get seated, “what exactly made you feel the need to come up to me last night? Did I really look that uncomfortable?”
“Oh, you looked like you were about ready to sink into the floor. I mean, in all honesty, I was kind of eyeing you all night but I didn’t have the courage to come up to you, so I guess I sort of used that as an excuse to do something. Plus saving you from creepy guy and all,” he replies.
“Well, thank you, no matter what your reasoning was.” I look around the restaurant. I feel so out of place, it’s disgusting. I’ve only lived in LA for a couple months, so I still feel like I don’t belong, especially when I end up in the same restaurants that people get papped outside of. But somehow, even in a place like this, I feel oddly safe and at peace with a man that I met not even 24 hours prior. 
I’ve never been much of a great conversationalist; if I’m in a one on one conversation, the other person needs to be a rambler for it to not be awkward. But he’s not a rambler, and we both are just so invested in what the other person is saying that it’s somehow a never ending conversation. We have so much in common – our love for movies, Legos, journaling, us both attempting to get back into reading after going so long without it – I feel like I’ve known him my whole life. It’s so refreshing, and it’s terrifying. I know I’m going to fall for him fast. I may be already, but I can’t be. We just met. 
He pulls me out of my trance by repeating his question. “You ready to go?”
“What? Oh, yeah, sorry. Um, thanks for paying,” I smile as I get up. 
“Of course! What kind of a man would I be if I didn’t pay on our first date?” he jokes. 
“Ohhh, our first date? Does that imply there’ll be a second?” I ask as I get in the car.
“Would you like there to be a second?” 
“I mean I guess…” I smirk at him. We’re both looking at each other, smiling ever so slightly. I want nothing more than to kiss him right now, and I’m 99% sure he wants the same based on the way his eyes are shifting focus from my eyes to my lips. I’m about to lean in when –
“I should get you home.”
Oh. I nod. “Yeah… yeah, probably.” I sit back in my seat.
He turns on the car and Taylor Swift blasts through the speakers. “JESUS–” he yells, turning the volume down as we both start laughing. “I know I said you could show me her stuff but let’s take it down a notch, god damn!”
We don’t talk at all during the drive home, but it’s nice. Just the music in the background, and subtle glances between us every so often. When we pull up in front of my apartment complex, he parks the car and turns it off, then starts to get out.
“You don’t need to get out, it’s okay,” I tell him.
“Well I have to make sure you get into your apartment safe, don’t I?” Again, what a gentleman. I didn’t even think people like him existed anymore. I smile to myself and lead the way, taking him up to the 4th floor and down the hall to my door. “I guess this is where I leave you?” he asks.
“Unfortunately, this is where you leave me.” I’m looking up at him, he’s looking down at me. I can tell he wants to say something, and I hope it’s what I think it is.
He opens his mouth, takes a sharp inhale. “Can I kiss you?”
Bingo. I smile and nod, holding his jaw lightly in my hand. He takes my waist with one hand and the back of my head with the other, and our lips collide softly in a matter of seconds. I haven’t kissed many guys, but they’ve always felt just a little off and I never knew why. But this? This feels right. It’s gentle, but our tongues slip into each other's mouths as the kiss grows deeper. I know I need to stop this here, as much as I don’t want to. I give in for a few more seconds before I pull back. 
“I, um… I need to go inside,” I tell him, completely unable to wipe the smile off my face.
“Okay,” he says, pushing a piece of hair behind my ear. “I’ll text you, because yes, there definitely will be a second date.”
“Good.” I kiss him one last time before I unlock my door. “Goodnight, Matt.”
“Goodnight.”
———————————————————————
i probably won’t do a part 3 because idk how to keep it interesting from here but if you have other fic requests lmk and i’ll do my best 😚
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(A/n: Disclaimer- I don't know French; I took Mandarin in high school instead lmao. I asked my sister who took it (she failed but google wasn't helping😂) and she said to default to the male version of ma chère/mon cher if the gender isn't stated, so blame her if it's wrong lol)
Word Count: 1,724
Summary- Everyone knows that some actions are just objectively more attractive than others. But which of these actions represent the brothers?
Warnings: Allusions to spicy moments in Mammon's, Asmo's and Belphegor's
Age Rating: Pg 13
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Obey Me Brothers x Things That Are Attractive
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Lucifer as- Pulling you in by the waist:
"There you go. Just like that." Lucifer guides.
"I feel ridiculous," you say as you step to the side with your right foot and slide the left back into position.
He had taken it upon himself to teach you how to dance. Which, on the surface isn't bad in itself, but when you dig a little deeper and find the two left feet you were 'blessed' with, it becomes slightly more daunting.
"You don't look it," He assures you as he leads you through an improvised spin.
Coming back in, your hands find their place on his shoulders as you waltz around the empty ballroom. He dips you low, arm wrapping around your waist as he pulls you upright once more. Though, instead of resuming the steps, Lucifer keeps you in place; his arm tightening around you until what little space between you is gone.
Your hands are pinned against his chest as you look up to him. There's a look in his eyes that you can't quite decipher, and you don't know if you should try to.
"Despite your self-acclaimed 'two left feet', I think it's safe to say you have successfully learned the waltz." You can feel his minty breath fan your face with how close his is.
"What a shame," you tease. "Looks like you won't be needing to teach me anymore."
You earn a soft 'hah' as he leans impossibly closer with a smirk that shouldn't have you feeling the way you do. "On the contrary. You'll be learning the Salsa next."
-
Mammon as- Pinning your hands above your head:
"No!" You yell as you're knocked down.
"Gotcha!" Mammon cheers as he reaches for your phone.
He has you on the bed, legs on either side of you as he attempts to get rid of the picture of him sleeping.
"C'mon! You look so cute in it!" Your attempt to reason falls on deaf ears as he fails to snatch your phone again.
"I'm literally droolin' ya dummy!"
In a last-ditch attempt to preserve the photo, you stretch your arm above your head as his grapples you for it.
The end result is both your wrists in one of Mammon's hands as his other works on deleting the picture. He tosses the phone to the side once he's done.
"You learn your lesson yet? Don't mess with The Great Mammon!" He smirks down at you, chest heaving from exertion.
The sight of you pinned under him, hands held above your head as you look up at him has him gulping. His free hand comes up to grip the side of your jaw, tilting your head up just the slightest.
"I think I should make sure ya learned yer lesson~"
-
Leviathan as- Spinning hugs:
"Yes!" Leviathan cheers from beside you as the monster finally falls after what seems like hours.
He had called you to his room to help with a level of a new game he got. What he didn't tell you was that it was the final boss, and it was only a P1 game.
So, without any introduction or in-depth explanation you were thrust into an insanely difficult level. If you're being honest, you were kind of just spamming the controller and hoping for the best. What you didn't expect was actually making progress and killing the damned thing.
Levi jumps up as he celebrates. You can't help but laugh at his antics as you're pulled to join him. Deciding there's no harm -you're in his room with the door shut, who's gonna see?- you play along. Cheering and jumping alongside him.
You let out a yelp as he wraps his arms around your waist and lifts you up. Your yelp turns to laughter when he twirls you around before nuzzling into your neck.
"I can't believe you actually did it! I've been trying to beat that thing for days!" He's quick to pull you into a kiss, face bright red when you separate. Your foreheads rest together as any residual laughter fades.
-
Satan as- Lifting you to reach something:
"Satannnnnn!" You whine. "I need helppppp!"
You can hear his unamused sigh from a couple sections down.
"What could you possibly need help with? We're in the library for hell's sake..." His voice gets steadily closer as he makes his way to the bookshelf you're in front of.
He rounds the corner to see you on your tiptoes as you try to reach a book. You look to him for help but only receive a deadpan.
"Really?" He crosses his arms. "There is literally a step ladder 10 feet from you."
"Yeah, but now you're only 4 feet from me."
Satan turns to walk away but you're quick to grab his arm.
"Please? You and I both know that with my luck, I'll probably fall off the thing." You both know the only reason is because you want to annoy him.
"Not my problem." He starts to walk again, only this time you rush in front of him.
"But books read better when they're from you." You got a small huff of amusement so that's something.
"Do they now?" Wow, he's actually playing along.
"Yup," you nod as believable as you can.
There's a second of silence before he breaks. "Fine. Which one do you want?"
Dragging him over, you expect him to reach up and snag the title off of the shelf. What actually happens is that he places both hands on either side of your waist and lifts you until you're eye level with the book.
Shaking off the shock, you quickly grab it before he decides to drop you.
"Thanks," You mutter when he sets you down, face hot both with embarrassment and at the display of strength.
Satan simply hums in acknowledgment as he walks away, leaving you standing clutch your book to your chest.
-
Asmodeus as- Neck/jaw kisses:
"Darling~" Asmo drawls from his bed, head hanging off the side to look at you.
"Yes?" You sigh as he drones for your attention for the nth time.
You need to get this essay done before tomorrow, but the Avatar of lust doesn't want to make it that easy for you. When he had invited you to his room to 'study' you should have seen through the fib but you hadn't. So here you are, stuck trying to get work done with a perpetually horny demon vying for your attention.
"I'm bored, mon cher." He rolls off the bed and hangs himself on you, arms over your shoulders, chest against your back and chin resting on your shoulder.
"And I'm trying to finish this."
"C'mon..." His head lifts from its position to nuzzle into your neck. "You're not the least bit tempted to take even the smallest of breaks?"
His soft lips graze your skin with each syllable. A feather light, kiss presses itself against the column of your neck.
"Asmo, I really need to work on this..." Despite your words, your head still lilts to the side allowing him to trail his kisses up to your jaw.
"You know you want to~" Asmodeus chimes, voice sending vibrations through you. "Take a break." He presses another kiss to your jaw.
"Just for a few minutes..." Another kiss.
"Ugh." You move to save your progress. "Fine. 15 minutes and then I get back to work."
"That's all I need, my dear." You can hear the smirk.
-
Beelzebub as- Licking something off their finger:
"You can't eat that, yet!" You cackle as Beelzebub sticks his finger in the cake batter.
"But it looks good..." He's looking at you, finger still in the mixing bowl. You can't help the face you make when he says that. The sugar hasn't even been added yet, there's no way it would taste good.
You tell him so, only to receive silence as he takes his finger out and slowly moves it to his mouth.
"That's just going to taste like flour and eggs, Beel." You try to reason.
He looks you right in the eye as his lips close around his batter-covered digit. Beelzebub keeps looking at youas he sucks the liquid off his finger. With a *pop*, his finger comes out clean and it's all you can do to not grimace at what the taste must be.
"It's good." He says.
Beel dips his finger in the batter once more, only to hold it out to you. "Taste it."
The corners of your mouth pull down as you lean away. "I think I'm good, actually."
"Humor me?"
He's holding your gaze as he continues to offer the batter to you. Looking between his finger and face, you concede. He'll just keep trying until you taste it, so you say:
"Fine, but I'm not swallowing it."
With that you grab his wrist to stabilize as you tentatively lick at the batter. Surprisingly, it's not bad -Beel must have added the sugar when you weren't looking. Upon seeing your reaction, Beelzebub pushes his finger to your lips.
Deciding it's easier to just play along, you let the digit enter, maintaining eye contact. Your tongue swirls around the digit, getting all of the batter off.
With one final suck, he slides his finger out of your mouth, fingertip resting against your lip before dropping and pulling your bottom lip with it a bit as it goes.
The kitchen is silent as you hold his heavy gaze.
-
Belphegor as- Lazy morning make outs:
Your lips slot together slow and steady in the bath of golden light that is Belphegor's bed.
Both of you had just woken and, in an attempt to neither wake up or slip back into the sweet embrace of sleep (damned RAD classes...), you'd somehow found yourselves lip locked.
Your legs are tangled under the blankets as the two of you move in sync. Nothing else important enough to draw your attention away from the other.
His hand is in your hair, keeping you close as he bites on your bottom lip. The noise you let loose enough for him to make it his mission to drag more sweet sounds from you. Your own hands come up to push on Belphegor's chest to until he's lying on his back with you laying on top of him. His other arm slides up your back, a grunt leaving his lips when you roll your hips down.
"Fuck-"
A knock interrupts your moment.
"Get up. You're not going to be late again." Lucifer's voice is muffled by the door, but it doesn't lessen just how over everything he sounds.
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hanniluvi · 10 months
Text
💭 — NIKI AS YOUR BOYFRIEND !
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my friends chose riki, so i’m doing a riki ver 🫶 ty sillies !!!
warnings : mentions of pet names “babe/love”, mentions of kissing
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— seeks to your comfort. he isn’t too expressive with his thoughts, yet he finds himself telling you everything that was hard on him. when he’s down, he immediately wants to be in your embrace, as you would be willing to help him and play with his hair. he’s just that comfortable of showing that side of his to you, knowing you wouldn’t judge him <3
— definitely loves teasing. he loves joking around with his love ones, hence the amount of pranks he pulls on you. of course, he would always apologize while laughing at you. you get him back real good though!!
— loves taking silly pictures of you with him. like you both could be posing randomly and giggle about each other for a long period of time. he has a whole album of photos of you and him ! he likes going through the album when he’s gone and missing you a lot </3
— he lives for praise. i feel like he would feel extremely happy when you reassure him that he’s the best of the best. your compliments are the only ones he could ever think about. whenever he’s having a hard time, he just thinks of you, knowing you’d be cheering him on so hard right now.
— prefers action over words. instead of giving daily affirmations, he tries comforting you with touch. he doesn’t want to slip up when speaking, so he prefers doing little things like playing w/ your hands or just hugging. his touch is used to try to make you remember that he will always be by your side :)
— plus, why affirmations if you know he’s yours and you are his? but, if you’re someone who prefers that, he would try to sneak a few daily, just to make you happy :]
— starting off the relationship, it might be a little awkward bc he doesn’t know what to do!! you might have to be the first to initiate, or he just invites you to do whatever he’s doing, making you two bond <3
— if he’s been with you for a while, he’s always thinking about a second person, it’s become a habit. he goes shopping, would you like this as well? he’s out with the others, would you enjoy this trip too? he’s dancing, you’d be excited to see the choreography he made right? he’s just the sweetest </3
— loves texting you! sure, he loves calling, but texting is his thing. it’s more easy to come up with convos and not having to wait awkwardly on the other line. def a spam texter, but don’t mind him, he just wants to share everything w/ you :(
— likes hugging you from behind bc it scares you LMAO. like he could just suddenly appear and jump on your back, making you be all shocked
— “what the heck, ki?” “what? i can’t hug my gee eff now??”
— if you guys are real comfortable w/ each other, expect you guys clinging 24/7. watching tv? you’re holding him or you have each other’s legs on the other. sleeping? you’re cuddling. eating? he’s sitting next to you just so your shoulders touch. he loves you okay!!!
— sure, he got all that height, but loves being a little spoon! he’s fine w/ being the big spoon and sometimes ask to be one himself, but being the little spoon is his way of thinking that you’re always going to be with him no matter what. and bc you guys always hug/cuddle, he can’t sleep by myself without holding something. (you did that to him.)
— would blush every time you kiss him. like if he runs away, leaving a peck on your cheek, what do you think he acts under your touch?! like if you suddenly just go near him and give him a peck on the cheek, he’s all giddy and smiling to himself. oh, you can DEFINITELY feel him get red when you kiss him all over his face. begs you to do the lipstick trend on tiktok just for the kisses.
— probably giddy when you say “i love you” to him. he tries to keep his cool in front of the others when hear you say it to him. ps: it doesn’t work because he’s always smiling like a big dork. your dork only is something he would say.
— “ooo, look at our riki all grown up!” “jake, i WILL not—” you can imagine how it ends up <3
— not too big on pet names, maybe only uses it to tease you. if he were to use them, babe/love would be his go to.
— probably loves drawing/tracing your arms or legs when he’s bored. don’t be shocked if half of your leg is filled with HIS doodles. can you imagine a family of shin-chans… oml…
— would love teaching you. if you come from a different culture, he would love teaching you his. but if you’re from the same, you’d bond over that. he will js have to find something else to teach you !!!
— you guys make playlists together and rotate the three (one made for you, one made for him, one made by both of you) to listen to. leads to a bunch of singing and dancing <3
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💭 — i only have 3 members to do after this omg..wonder who i should do next
ENHA PERM TAGLIST — @flwoie @ixomiyu @yenavrse @shinsou-rii @bearseulgs @ilovewonyo @yenqa @dimplewonie @bubblytaetae @wtfhyuck @ineedaherosavemeenow @starcubes @starikizs @wonioml @chirokookie @xiaoderrrr @neozon3nha @en-chantedtomeetyou @millksea @enhaz1 @eundiarys @woon2u @ja4hyvn @judeduartewannabe @j-wyoung @thia-aep @vampcharxter @softpia @officiallyjaehyuns @itsactuallylina @hsheart @sweetjaemss @ahnneyong @hanienie @jwnghyuns @kpoplover718 @jiawji @rikizm @haknom @yeokii @wvnkoi @tnyhees @teddywonss @shinunoga-iie-wa @flwrshee
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writingstoraes · 1 year
Text
is he? 💍
pairing: charles leclerc/fem!reader
type: instagram imagine/social media au
notes: not proofread nor revised so please expect errors! lmk what you think <3 also lmk if u wanna be included in my taglist!
about: charles takes you on a rather spectacular trip to amsterdam, one of your dream destinations, and you decide to poke fun at him joking whether he was going to propose or not.
yourusername
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liked by arthurleclerc, lilymhe, yukitsunoda0511, and 104,678 others
yourusername life update! charles said he's taking me to amsterdam to kick off his break from racing now that the season has wrapped up <3
the million dollar question... is he proposing or did he just plan a trip to my dream destination spontaneously?
charles_leclerc Before I answer anything, you pack terribly, mon ange (said with love 🥰)
yourusername u have guts to tell me that as if we haven't seen that C2 challenge with Carlos
charles_leclerc Hey I was under pressure! I pack just fine!
carlossainz55 No Charles you suck at packing, its a good thing you're a great driver
ilovecharles ok but charles didnt say no... is he actually proposing?????
yourusername
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liked by danielricciardo, lilymhe, kellypiquet, and 150,678 others
yourusername part 2 of this saga: is charles proposing or did he just willingly accompany me to my nail appointment before the trip? is he proposing or did i just get the urge to try on and pack several "fancy" dresses?
pierregasly You know what Y/N, you are onto something
ferrarilover OH MYGODHHHH DO U KNOW SOMETHING PIERRE
charles_leclerc Pierre 🤦‍♂️
sainz55cs Oh he knows something we dont
yourusername
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liked by pascale_leclerc, arthurleclerc, carlossainz55, and 102,567 others
yourusername you guys this is getting suspicious... is charles proposing or did he just buy me a ton of tulips, took me here conveniently before sunset, and said we'd only eat these as snacks because we are having a candlelit dinner in the evening?
(ps. amsterdam is beyond beautiful i am in awe i love you charles thanks for taking me here 😘)
charles_leclerc Or maybe I am just a wonderful boyfriend, mon amour
charlesmyfavedriver CHARLES PLAYING VICTIM I CANT
landonorris Seems suspicious but okay
danielricciardo Okay now Y/N really has got me curious if Charles is going to propose or not
carlossainz55 Tell me about it, mate! Isa turned her notifications on for them 🤦‍♂️
charles_leclerc
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liked by scuderiaferrari, pierregasly, lewishamilton, and 1,567,902 others
charles_leclerc To answer everyone's question, yes I did propose. Looking forward to spending forever with you, yourusername ❤️ You are undoubtedly one of the best things that have ever happened to me. You own me - body, heart, and soul.
(P.S. Sorry you didn't get to wear your dress amour, it was unexpectedly cold and I did not want you to shiver!)
yourusername i was honestly just joking i didnt expect you to actually propose 😭 you always find ways to surprise me, baby! excited to be your wife 🤍
lewishamilton Wow congratulations, Y/N and Charles! One of the best couple I know 🤍
pierregasly MY MAN you finally did it! Cheers, mate!
charles_leclerc You almost blew my cover, Pierre
pierregasly What are best friends for? 😊
scuderiaferrari Congratulations to our favorite couple! We wish you a great life ahead. ❤️
pascale_leclerc Welcome to the family, Y/N! You have always been my favorite 😘
arthurleclerc What????
carlossainz55 Best wishes, Charles and Y/N! Am I best man yet?
pierregasly Not on my watch you're not
ferrarilover23 WHEN DO I GET A LOVE LIKE THIS
tagging: @slytherheign thanks for keeping up w me spamming you while im making this :))
notes: aaaa my second one! how do you guys like it so far? pls lmk what u think! these are so fun to make but im running out of ideas already 😭
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What They'll Say About Us
Ghosts That We Knew
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"The ghost that we knew made us black and all blue but we'll live a long life. And the ghosts that we knew will flicker from view." - Mumford and Sons
Pairings: Spencer Reid x Fem Reader
Summary: you look back on old times with Spencer leading all the way up to when you reunited with him after your falling out.
Warnings: mentions of sexual assault, angst, allusions to toxic/abusive relationships, fighting, underage drinking, mentions of Spencer reids season 5 boyband hair 🤭, crying, let me know if I missed anything else!
What They'll Say About Us (Masterlist)
it wasnt always easy having a best friend like Spencer Reid, especially when the both of you were polar opposites. While Reid was busy attending Caltech at the age of sixteen you were on the cheer squad and attending parties at your local highschool. But even though you both were on different paths in life Spencer never failed to visit whenever he could.
One of the most vivid memories you have with Spencer was when he surprised you during a football game. You remember saying one of those cheesy cheer chants and making eye contact with Spencer in the bleachers. He hadn't told you he was coming to Vegas for the weekend so you were completely ecstatic. You wanted to run and hug him but you knew you would have to wait until the game was over.
And as soon as you could you gave into your temptations and ran straight to Spencer in the parking lot, you had practically tackled him and almost dropped all your things in the process.
"Spencer you didn't tell me you were coming to town!" You stared up at him while still engulfed in a hug, refusing to let go.
"I was planning on visiting my mom and I thought I would surprise you" he smiled. It always amazed you how much warmth you were able to find in his smile.
"I wish you would've told me, I would've cancelled my plans tonight." The realization hit you that you had promised you would go to a party with your boyfriend after the football game.
"That's fine I just wanted to see you before I headed home but I'm sure we could hangout later" his smile turned somber and you could tell he was disappointed but he would never say it. "I'll pick you up tomorrow yeah?"
"yeah" you answered but the honk of your boyfriends car behind you made you quickly jump away from Spencer. "I'm sorry I have to go now but I'll see you tomorrow." You said giving him one last hug before running to your boyfriends car. If you would've known then what you know now you would've cancelled your plans and left with Spencer that night. But back then you were too young and naive to sense the danger you were in.
_
Spencers phone had started ringing at around two in the morning. He was fully prepared to hang up what he only assumed was a spam call until he saw your name illuminate the screen. "Hello?"
"Spencer I need you to come pick me up." He could tell you had been crying and you sounded scared by the tone of your voice. "I-I don't know where I am but I just want to go home. Can you please just come get me."
He shot out of bed and threw on a hoodie as he grabbed his keys "I'm on my way can you try to tell me what you see so I can figure out where you're at? Do you see any street signs or anything?"
"I see a seven-eleven and I can see a street sign but it looks really blurry I can read it Spencer I'm sorry." You started sobbing into your phone and Spencer knew he had to find you soon.
After a few minutes later he turned down a random street and saw you standing there on the corner. You turned around immediately recognizing his car. You were wearing shorts with a halter top. Spencer noticed that your hair was messed up and your makeup was faded with only your running mascara being shown under your eyes and on your cheeks. You had clearly been walking around probably trying to find Spencer yourself.
He parked the car as quickly as he could and ran out to hold your stumbling figure. "What happened?"
"He hurt me Spencer." You were slurring your words. "He saw us together a-and he got drunk then he said I was a bad girlfriend and that I needed to show him that I could be a good one." You started crying yet again but Spencer just kept holding you "I told him I didn't want to, I told him I've never done that before but he didn't stop. I told him to stop Spencer but he just kept going. I was screaming and crying but he just wouldn't listen."
Those last words were all Spencer needed to figure out what had happened. As he held you in his arms he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt in his heart. Maybe if he had never surprised you this wouldn't have happened. Maybe it was all his fault. It was his fault you were hurt. He wasn't able to keep you safe.
He tried not to think about it too much as he tried to make sure you were okay and drove you back to his house. He had successfully gotten you inside, brushed your hair, wiped off your makeup, and changed you into some of his clothes to sleep in. After that weekend he left Las Vegas and never told you when he was visiting again. If it made your life easier he could live with communicating only through phone calls and texts.
_
The next time you saw him was at your wedding. You were both new agents at the FBI but in totally different departments. Spencer had joined the BAU while you joined the Sex Crimes unit. But you still hadn't seen him in person since you were both sixteen years old.
"Your oddly calm for somebody who is about to get married within the next hour." Your sister Ellie stated as she watched you adjust the straps of your dress.
You turned around to look her in the eyes. "Is it weird to not be excited or nervous or even be feeling anything?"
"Technically nervousness if your body's natural defense mechanism to your perception of what could be a dangerous situation. It's apart of your fight or flight reactions so no not being nervous isn't weird at all." Spencer explained as he popped his head out from behind the door.
"Spencer did mom let you up here?" Ellie asked surprised by his presence. "She has Y/N's room on total lockdown."
"Actually when I saw her she was near one of the groomsmen with a huge glass of wine in her hand so you might want to go check on her." He gave Ellie a tight lipped smile to which her expression dropped and she ran out of the room.
"I swear ever since dad passed that woman has no shame in public settings." You gigged after Ellie left.
"So Y/N are you sure your ready for this?"
You groaned at Spencer's words knowing exactly what he was trying to to imply. "Spencer I'm not doing this with you especially not today of all days."
"All I'm saying is this is a guy you've caught cheating on you multiple times. Are you sure your even going to really be happy with Matt or do you just like the idea of getting married and playing house?" You both sat in silence and you let his words fully sink in. "All I'm saying is if you wanted we could leave right now and you wouldn't have to explain anything to anybody."
"Spencer I love you so much and I know your just trying to help but I'm a grown woman and I got this you don't need to worry." You sighed "I just need you to be my best friend right now and walk me down that aisle."
He nodded at your words but his heart was slowly shattering. There was so many things he wanted to say to you but he decided that it was better to leave them unsaid. He was unable to keep you safe yet again and that just wasn't something he could live with.
"Hey Y/N they're ready for you guys to come down" One of your bridesmaids informed you though the door.
You and Spencer walked down to the venue in silence. The only time he spoke up when when you both reached the aisle to tell you that he thought you looked beautiful and he was happy for you. As you started to walk down the aisle you could only feel your heart racing. Part of you wished you could just walk with Spencer forever because as soon as you reached the end of the aisle and let go of him you realized that you were also letting go of a part of yourself.
The priests words started to blur in your head until he asked if anyone had any objections to your marriage and you watched Spencer stand up and walk away from his seat.
"I'm sorry I'll be right back." You said before running after him. Your fiancee Matt tried to grab your arm but you just pulled away and kept going.
"Spencer what the hell is wrong with you? We're you really just gonna get up and walk away and expect me to not say or do anything about it!" You screamed as you chased after him.
"Y/N I can't sit there and watch you marry that guy knowing that your not happy but you can't even admit it to yourself! It's my job to protect you and I can't stand the fact that I can't do that right now!" You had never heard Spencer raise his voice until now.
"Spencer you can't keep carrying around whatever guilt you have about what happened when we were sixteen! Either you can suck it up and deal with the fact that I'm happy and I don't need saving or you can leave and don't bother talking to me again." You felt tears wanting to fall down your face but you weren't about to give Spencer that satisfaction of crying.
Without anymore words Spencer walked away leaving you broken. You wished you would've just been brave enough to tell him the truth that you weren't happy and that you should've left with him earlier but you were too scared.
You had a bittersweet feeling in your stomach as you said I do. Now you were trapped with no savior in sight because you had just sent him away forever not knowing if you would ever see him again.
_
"So you've been with Sex Crimes for the past seven years?" Agent Hotchner questioned.
"Yes sir"
"Your file is quite impressive and I think you could be a great addition to the team." Agent Hotchner beamed at you after setting down your file. "How do you feel about starting immediately? We were just given a case that we need to go debrief."
"I'm ready whenever you need me" you smiled feeling the need to be a people pleaser when it came to this new job. Hotch quickly led you out of his office and into the debriefing room where you were greeted by a flock of new faces none of which were that of Spencer Reid. You were scared when you had been offered a job at the BAU, worried about seeing Spencer again after all these years. But now it was very clear that you had just taken his spot on the team and that was perfectly fine with you.
"Everyone this is Agent Y/L/N and she will be joining the team." Hotch announced before you both took your seats. "Y/N these are Agents Morgan, Jareau, Prentiss, Rossi, and Garcia"
The blonde woman next to gave you a warm smile "You can call me JJ. If you don't mind me asking how old are you, you seem very young"
"I'm twenty nine." It was intimidating having coworkers that were older than you, you couldn't imagine how Spencer had felt when he first joined the team.
"Looks like pretty boy isn't the youngest member of the team anymore." The guy who assumed was Morgan chuckled next to you. You found yourself puzzled by who he was referring to when he said pretty boy.
Hotch looked behind you clearly confused. "Speaking of Reid has anyone seen him today? We're just waiting on him to start this debrief." Oh.
"Honestly he's been acting funny ever since he got that boyband haircut." Agent Prentiss said as she muffled a laugh across from you.
And just as if he was waiting for his queue Spencer walked in. He looked older now, slightly more handsome. And Prentiss wasn't joking about the boyband haircut, to be frank you would be lying if you said you didn't find it attractive. You had so many feelings running through you it was overwhelming.
"What the hell are you doing here." He deadpanned as soon as his gaze met yours.
"I'm a member of this team now Spencer." You tried to keep your composure but it was hard considering you hadn't seen or spoken to him in seven years.
"Hotch could I speak to you privately." Spencer completely ignored your words. To this Hotch nodded as they walked to his office together.
"So what's the deal with you and Spencer because I have never seen him act that way." Rossi questioned.
"Well we sort of grew up together and then when I was in highschool there was an incident and Spencer blamed himself and we didn't see each other for years until my wedding where we had a fight and we haven't spoken in seven years." It was weird to explain to a bunch of strangers but these people made you feel oddly comfortable.
But there was something strange about the look Gracia had given you. A look of sadness and understanding. You had heard about her technological skills before and you had no doubt that she was currently taking the time to search through your personal information. After all you would probably do the same thing if you could. You also had no doubt in your mind that she had seen the police file from what happened that weekend and read that part where you explained how Spencer picked you up after that party.
Spencer and Hotch had walked back in pulling you out of your thoughts. The nasty look that Spencer gave you as you sat down made you feel so small and you were starting to wonder whether taking this job was the right choice or not.
A/N: this one was definitely a lot to unpack. There might be some grammar and spelling mistakes and I sincerely apologize if there are. I didn't go into too much detail about the readers sexual assault and I don't think I ever will because it is not something I've experienced first hand and I would hate to insult people who actually have by accident. My heart goes out to survivors of sexual assault and if you have experienced sexual assault don't be afraid to report and ask for help. I hope y'all enjoyed this and I'll see you guys at the next part.
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lowkeyrobin · 2 months
Note
hi hi!! could i get cricket crew (those a-okay with xreaders) with a reader who’s like a pro gamer, maybe reader is also a streamer? somethin along the lines of that pretty please 🦕
ahhh yes of course!! I recognize you mwahahha, lmk if you'd like to be addressed as 🦕 anon btw bc I can't tell if you used it in a silly way like how I use 🛒🛒🛒 somwtimes or as a way to address yourself LMAO no worries tho 🫶🫶🫶
HANDSOME BROS ; pro gamer era
includes ; ranboo, tommyinnit, tubbo & badlinu
warnings ; language, mention of Dream
masterlist
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TOMMYINNIT
he's been your biggest fan since day one, literally
he just so happened to be one of the first couple viewers you pulled while you began speedrunning minecraft
eventually you guys became friends and stuff
he literally watched your speedruns go from an hour and a half to half an hour so quickly
and over that time he's been boosting your stuff and everything
you ofc make other content and collab w other streamers, mostly Tommy and his friends
one time, you get a speedrun down to 25:03, your best so far and he's in a vc w you with your stream pulled up
literally screams when he sees the ender dragon explode into xp
"HOLY FUCKING SHIT, YOU GOT DOWN TO 25 MINUTES, THAT WAS SO GOOD, OH MY GOD, Y/N/N!"
you sit there like "omg I just did that that's my best record ever"
afterwards you play roblox for a bit with him (meep city) and throw a party to celebrate
you meet a bunch of viewers/chatters/fans as well bc you publicized yours and Tommy's usernames so they could join your server
"You're a pro now, y/n! even better than Dream!"
if he was right next to you rn, he'd be giving you the biggest kiss in the whole world
you'd been spending so, so long to get below a half hour or so and even just 5 minutes below that made you so ecstatic, same with him lmao
he literally makes 40 tweets about it and posts about it on his Instagram story
he also doordashes you some fast food + like three large waters
he's literally your biggest fan ❤️❤️❤️
when I tell you he's so fucking sweet to you
he's fully aware you're very serious with your video games and you try to be the best you possibly can
like he'll come over while you're training for a valorant competition with foolish & punz and just hang out behind you and watch
he'll go to snapchat and snap aimsey a pic of u grinding on valorant with the caption "look who's grinding valorant again"
star will respond with a "Jesus Christ how many hours do they have on there??"
he'll reply with a video of him asking
"how many hours do you have on valorant? like, all time"
you didnt even hesitate or think before you replied with "253"
"HOLY SHIT DONT YOU THINK YOURE GOOD ENOUGH?"
"amount of hours doesn't equal skill, tommy"
TUBBO
you're like a pro bedwars player istg
like techno and purpled type pro
he plays with you sometimes but he mostly cheers you on
the 18 in a row win streak?? holy shit that was a celebration in itself
he was in your chat spamming "HOLY SHAUT Y/N" "OMG PLS PPSK PLS PLS GRWT TO 19" "HOYKEHIT"
he can't even type he's so excited for you
you end up losing that streak to an adrenaline rushed bad move
next time you won't rush yellow 💀
months later, once you got to a 19 streak he was actually on vc with you and started getting your chat to become your cheerleaders
literally had 45000 cheerleaders for a bedwars streak + him who made a whole chant????
when you actually won the 19th you just freaked the fuck out
you couldn't even bare trying to get to 20 because you were shaking so much and you'd end up fucking up
you literally show your stream your shaking legs and hands
the entirety of your chair was soaked in stress sweat from your thighs 💀💀💀
he's seriously your biggest fan
everytime you do something relatively pro-gamer-esque he makes at least 5 tweets, a YouTube community post, and a post on his insta for ppl to go watch it and how awesome you are
he makes complications of your best bedwars moments on an alt YouTube account too LMAO
he did a lot of math but rounded up that you had 150 or so hours of bedwars streamed, plus the hours of grinding skill you'd done off camera
"only 150??"
dude even chat is somehow surprised
makes you a whole poster and brings it to your house to celebrate your 19 win streak its so cute
it's made a feature on every stream since because it's up on the wall right behind you and in perfect view for everyone to see 🫶
RANBOO
good god they're actually worried something is wrong with you
no way super Mario odyssey can be so fun to you
speedruns went from maybe 2 hours down to 58ish mins or so in just a couple months
you were friends prior, but you got back into smo and got addicted with trying glitches and bugs you knew about
once you reached like 58:05, (about 13th on the leaderboard) you quit
good lord there was no getting better lmao
then came the challenge to get all the moons and speedrunning the dark side & darker side of the moon
they got on a vc with you while you were collecting moons so you could deal w a lot of distraction, and asked you to check the hours time
the way this shit said 834 hours.
the amount of joke-yelling and "I'm not mad just disappointed" convo came out of that
"It's not my fault the game is fun!"
"that's more than a year! that's nearly two straight years!"
"I've been playing it since release in my defense. I probably grinded up half of that within the past year or two though to be honest"
never the less, they always cheer you on and always have to boost your content
for the leaderboards, you're around 70th place on the dark side, about two hours, and for the darker side, around 80th, so about 3 and a half hours
they literallt watched you do 10+ hour streams and got on vc to voice concerns of burnout or scoliosis
"I'm fine! shit! damnit!"
"Chat please tell them to go sleep, this is wild. go play Mario kart with Bill at least"
"Yeah, come play Mario Kart with me!"
"where the fuck did you come from, I didn't even hear you join???"
"I've been here for half an hour!?"
BADLINU
you're freakishly amazing at building in the Sims 4
like dude you're an idol in the Sims community it's so weird
you build like those humongous mansions and find new furniture glitches and new designs and share them and stuff
dude don't even get me started on your sims
most the time you make your friends but they're never inaccurate
you can dedicate a five hour stream just making the fucking characters dude
he'll sit next to you so you can properly make his face and he'll get all tingly in his head as he watches
when you're making a giant new build he'll tweet about it like 4 times and leave a link to your stream LMAO
"guys go watch y/ns stream they have polls set so you guys can actually decide on design choices"
he's actually your biggest fan omg
he'll be in your chat like "omg hi y/n"
"Hey Freddie!"
joins a vc with you and starts absolutely bombarding you with compliments
dude can't go one stream without taking 372882 screenshots of you
"Dude how do you have motivation for this?"
"It's fun! if I can't be a designer in real life then I'll be one in the digital world motherfucker"
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ariicandy · 5 months
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𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘞𝘢𝘺 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘋𝘰𝘸𝘯…
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About ; You’ve been feeling down on not being the best like your older siblings Lyney & Lynette. You always practice on how to do the trick yourself over and over again but only burdens you out to which, your dear sibling notice your change of personality
A/n ; been wanting to write something for quite some time with my super duper lack of motivation , been also feeling sad lately might as well try cheering myself up by writing my favorite siblings !! FYI : freminet is only mention, he isn’t here sorry :(
Word count : 972
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Being siblings with the famous twin magicians has its funs. Like also sometimes being in their performance as an assistant and show the item they will be using is completely empty, nothing is there etc. but recently you started to practice more to be more on the stage with your older siblings and to get better as well! You would ask time to time on help to maintain that unfazed look when doing a trick to get advice on what to do. Maybe that’s the reason you’ve been feeling down and tired.
You’ve been practicing for hours trying to perfect everything for a single trick even your facial expression in the mirror to really challenge yourself, you would nonstop until it was perfect just like how Lyney does them. You sat down on the couch tired, head looking down as about to pass out of being so tired. Lyney got curious on you looking so low lately, you’ve been coming back home bit more tired and almost sad too. “[Name]! Are you alright? You’ve been looking tired and down a lot almost everyday, did something happen??” It was, to you, normal on Lyney checking up on you more whenever he saw you. While lynette and Freminet both wait til you’re both alone to see if you are possible dealing with something in secret you don’t want everyone to know. But lynette also slowly started to walk towards you with Lyney from how your state is, is it really that noticeable from how exhausted you are now? “Oh I’m fine lyney I’m just a little tired that’s all! There’s nothing to worry about..” trying to hide the tiredness in your voice you tried to imitate your normal voice but your face says it all and no point in hiding it anyways. “You sure? You look like you could pass out on the couch right now just by seeing you lending on the arm rest.” Lynette said trying to reason with your words. “Wait, [name], is it because both me and lynette haven’t been spending with you and freminet in a while because of our shows?” Well you did miss spending time with your older brother and sister, but that was not really the reason. “No no it’s not-” You got cut off by lyney hugging you saying “I’m sorry [name]!! I swear! No, I promise! I’ll make both you and freminet up for it! I’ll buy you your favorite-” “Lyney no no it’s okay that’s..not the reason..” both your brother and sister faces’ changed to a worried one from your response, did they do something they have not realized?? Were their spam on attention really went to zero with both you and freminet?!
Fidgeting with your sleeve trying to calm down your nerves, were you this nervous on wanting to be like them? Lyney & lynette could see you were nervous on saying your reason on sudden behavior, they even were scared and nervous a bit waiting, thinking they did something wrong. “[Name], if you’re not ready to say why or only want one of us we can do that and wait, we don’t want you to feel force.” Your sister tried reassuring you, but think it’s time to tell them why. “No no it’s fine sister! I was just trying to find the word to start.” Taking a deep breath to hopefully calm down, you started to tell your sister and brother your reason. “The reason I’ve been coming home tired, exhausted and sometimes sad too is cause..i was practicing tricks you guys do to perfect them and be like you. I like being on the stage with both of you, it’s like im part of the performance with you guys and not just a side assistant to show the crowd whatever you are using is really empty… I just really want to be like you two.” Tears were fighting to come out, you tried hiding your face away from your older siblings to see and scared for their reaction.
In the other hand, both your brother and sister, lyney & lynette, were shocked from why you were so tired and sad you also wanted to be on stage with them, they both had sad faces from you trying to hide your face to not cry. Tears were slowly beginning to form in lyney’s face from seeing you sad, lyney began to hug you tightly near him after a few moments which shocked you seeing your brother like this. Lynette made her way to hug you too seeing there was some space for her to sit and hug you. “[Name] it’s my fault for making yourself practice on wanting to be on stage, you impress both me, Lynette and everyone on how incredible you do them! It’s my fault for this [name], lynette has been bugging me about it because I’ve been scared something might go wrong in on of our tricker stunts. So I’ve been holding you back a lot and i knew i shouldn’t, I’m sorry i made you feel this way dear [sister/brother/sibling], can i make it up to you somehow?” You have never seen you older brother looking so low before and apologizing so much, you hugged your brother tightly. “Can..I be on stage with you guys on your next performance then??” Lynette added to your response with, “it’s only fair after making them feel this way lyney, and should be time [name] to be in our performances now since now you opened up to her why.” Lyney sighed and only nodded his head from being scolded by his sister, “Yes [name] will be us now, no need to make me feel more bad about myself now after [name] being open to us.” A small fond smile appeared on you from now finally going to perform with your older siblings.
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moonlit-ivy-writes · 10 months
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VALENTINE
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I love the light in your eyes and the dark in your heart
You love our permanent chase and the bite of our bark
We know we're classic together like Egyptian gold
We love us
“I’m sorry baby I’m not going to be there...” Jeans voice was soft through the phone, he always delivers bad news in a whisper…
“What do you mean? You’re not coming up for the week? What-what about Valentine’s Day?” You were in shock that your boyfriend wasn’t going to be able to take a break from work for a holiday with you, he’s been gone for nearly 6 months.
“I know- I know it sucks, but I should be able to get free time the following week, or- uh, no maybe sometime in March. Sweet heart I’m really sorry but I have to go now. I’ll call you when I get home okay? I love you.” He hung up the phone before you could even say it back.
You fell into your bed and screamed your frustration into your pillow.
Bzzbzzbzz
A bunch of texts spamming your phone made you look up for a minute, expecting to see texts from your boyfriend. Instead, they were just a bunch of memes from Eren.
You sent back a frowny emoji, watching him type for a while and the bubble disappeared. Eren decided to FaceTime you instead.
“Wow, what happened to you,” he must of been referring to the black streak marks of mascara smudged down your cheeks. You rub your face, trying to remove the black gunk. “What’s wrong?”
“Jeanie isn’t visiting this week and I was looking forward to spending my first Valentine’s Day with a boyfriend.” You sighed.
Eren rolled his eyes, he never cared for your boyfriend. Always thought he was stuck up, and bragged about his job too much. “Well don’t worry about it YN, If you want we can rent that slasher fic Mikasa recommended and I could possibly get Armin too…”
You sighed dramatically, “I know it’s cliche, but i was looking forward to roses and chocolates.” Even though a night surrounded by your best friends does sound comforting.
“Well, no movie then, I’ll take you out.” You looked to stunned to speak so he reiterated as “just friends” but it cut a bit inside to say that out loud. Eren has always liked you, and has done a pretty good job at hiding his feelings. Although he did kiss you once at a party, the next morning you didn’t even remember. “Cheer up, i dont like it when your sad.” He gave you a cheeky grin and hung up the call.
+++
Fresh out of a hot shower you paced your bedroom in your underwear, what do you wear on a valentines date with your best friend. You looked at the dress you had saved for Jean, no way, you thought. Opting for a typical outfit of yours instead.
“Hey i let myself in if you...what are you wearing.” Eren stood in the door. He was all dressed up.
You turned around from your vanity, your hair still wet. Framing pieces stuck to the side of your face, shit… is he early or are you running late. Eren stepped forward, raising his hand and tucking your hair behind your ear. A small tingle sparked in your stomach, but you were probably just hungry. “What? Is this not nice?” You pouted a bit kinda hurt from the reaction he had.
“I said i was taking you out out, were not going to the library...” He eyed you up and down, before spotting the dress hanging on your closet door behind you. “What’s that?” He pointed.
“Oh, that’s what I was going to wear...”
“Put it on, I’ll wait for you in the living room… oh and hurry Ive got an eventful afternoon planned.” He left your room before you could even fight him on wearing the dress. You stared at it for a few minutes and shrugged to yourself. Someone might as well see you in this. After rushing through getting ready you snapped a pic, contemplating even sending it to Jean, why did you suddenly feel a bit guilty…
+++
Eren waited impatiently outside your bedroom, he had brought flowers for you, and decided to place them in a vase on your kitchen counter. He nervously arranged the roses. Fidgeting with the tiny baby’s breath that accented the bouquet.
“Oh Eren those are beautiful, you didnt have to-“ you startled him a bit and you held back a laugh.
His cheeks heated up once he caught sight of your dress, discreetly, he scanned over your outfit, starting from the black paten leather heals with a cute dainty strap at the ankle. Cautiously gazing up your beautiful bare legs, to mid thigh where this cruel red satin dress ended. Quickly he focused onto your face, hoping you didn’t catch him gawking.
Your make up was subtle, though the red lip was nothing but. He noticed the black choker on your neck, and lost his breath. He looked for words to describe how beautiful, no, gorgeous, no stunning. “You look-“ he starred at you, “wow..” he shook his head, embarrassing himself. You just giggled and stuck your nose into the roses. A little note laid in between some petals.
To my valentine with love.
Eren.
By now all of your dejection about your boyfriend not being here was gone, you were far too excited to see what Eren had in store for you.
Sitting in his passenger seat, you let him take you wherever he had planned. Turns out the plan was the beach. You two strolled down the dock. Other couples were out having fun, playing fair games and sharing funnel cakes. Seeing couples enjoying each other made you remember you weren’t here with Jean… You looked over at Eren who must have just noticed the disappointment on your face. Shoving cotton candy into your mouth as an attempt to keep those pesky boyfriend thoughts from filling your head and ruining his scheme. His true intentions… showing you how you should be treated, and being here for you when that stupid prick wouldn’t even bother to. “Come on YN,” he grabbed your hand and led you to the best date of your life.
+++
Watching the people on the beach at the top of the ferris wheel you held on tightly to the stuffed octopus Eren had won for you earlier in the evening. You leaned your head on his shoulder, and smiled to yourself,“I’m having fun Eren, thank you.” Your hand fell to your side, and softly grazed against his. You two hold hands all of the time, but for some reason, the slightest touch made you get goosebumps. You pulled your hand away and shyly held the plushy up to your face.
“Hey anything for you YN, I love you.” Eren says he loves you from time to time,but this time ….hearing it made your heart jump. “Are you hungry? I’d hate to end your fun but our reservation is in an hour, we should get going after this.”
“Reservation? I thought we’d just have chili dogs at the stand down there,” He laughed like you said a joke, you just stared at him dazed and confused.
“Don’t look so dumbfounded,” He pinched your cheek, “the dates not over, I’m gonna take you somewhere nice.”
Date…
Of course it was a “date” but when you accepted Eren’s invitation initially you didn’t completely view it as a romantic word, more so a platonic date… but now… things are starting to feel a bit too … complicated. You left the beach full of thoughts and feelings swirling through your head.
+++
“Eren!?” You gasped, pulling up to the valet of one of the finest restaurants in your city. “Eren we can’t eat here…”
“Why not, you think I don’t have the money?” he teased you and you tried to combat his reasonings, but just like the beginning of the day he was gone before you could argue with him. Dropping his keys into the hand of a stranger and walking over to your side, opening the door for you. His chivalrous behavior made you question who you really were on a date with today. This is a side of Eren you had never seen before and you were starting to fall for it.
A hostess guided the both of you to a table that was tucked behind a privacy wall and with full view of the city scape. With a now setting sun disappearing behind buildings. You glanced at Eren who wasn’t even enjoying this outstanding view with you. He eyes caught yours and a heat radiated through your chest. Fluttering butterflies in your stomach conveniently covered the vacant feeling of guilt that sat in your belly. No, you’re just hungry… yeah that’s it.
Jean not even crossing your mind once, the two of you laughed together about old memories over steak and wine. You immersed yourself in his charm, even if you were constantly catching yourself from falling for your best friend. He’s was just being a good friend, you thought. Don’t over think things.
“Would you care for dessert this evening?”
“Yes-“
“No,” Eren cut you off and you gave him a death glare. “I have something else planned for dessert, thank you for the great meal.” Watching him use his natural charm on the waitress brought you back to reality. He was just being nice and comforting his pathetic friend. The guilt was back on, how could you even entertain whatever silly fantasy you had convinced yourself was happening. This date was definitely all in your head.
+++
Eren saved a favorite of yours for last. Fro yo.
You two would meet up here every Saturday to gossip and complain about each others lives. Well not so much anymore, since you started seeing Jean. Eren stood inline to get you your favorite flavor as you waited in a corner booth for him, checking the notifications on your phone. To your surprise you had no notifs from Jean. A bitter taste not even fro yo could recover coated your mouth. Not even a ‘Happy Vday’ text. Did he seriously forget?
“Remember when that old lady slipped and fell and she spilled her cherry berry all over herself.” Eren came back with yogurt in hand. Tears stung your waterline. Almost dropping the cups, he quickly sat next to you.
“What’s wrong YN?”
“I just realized I’m having the best date of my life and it’s not even with my own boyfriend,” you let out a genuine chuckle. Laughing at your own pathetic relationship.
“You have such an ugly laugh,” Eren sucked on his spoon.
“No i dont, shut up,” you playfully pushed his shoulder, but he moved closer to you.
“I mean it, its cute.” He took a spoon full of pink delicious yogurt and pressed it to your nose, leaving melted fro yo on the tip. You scrunched your face up, and tried to wipe it into his shoulder.
“Hey! Hey! This is my nicest jacket you’re gonna ruin it” He pulled back, but you refused to let him get away with his crimes. Playfully pushing him but in his haste to get away from you, he lost balance. Grabbing onto your arm for support he managed to pull you closer to him. Your nose, still pink, now centimeters from his face. Eren spontaneously licked the yogurt off of your face.
Time froze colder than the freaking yogurt. It felt like you were buffering a response. You honestly didn’t know how to respond to that, verbally…but your body decided to respond for you.
Closing the gap between you quickly and kissing him. You didnt know what overcame your morality in that moment but it felt good. Your heart now beating out of your chest.
“Uh-Er,” you tried to make any excuse as to why you kissed him, but sadly couldn’t come up with anything other than. “Sorry-“
“Don’t be sorry, YN,” his hand firmly gripped your waist and pulled you back in to kiss you again.
+++
You zone out one hand on the doorknob the other holding your house key. “Is it weird that I feel weird about inviting you inside.” You laughed. “You practically live at my house.”
“You know i think this time, it’s just different,” his words not matching the intense feeling that flooded into your core. “I don’t have to come in, I had a really good time YN, I-“ he caught himself before he said anything. Not wanting to say it and then have you regret everything in the morning, just to get hurt. Nothing would hurt more than that. So he chose not to say it.
“I love you Eren,” shocked by what you so effortlessly said, you examined his reaction. Trying not to misinterpret his expression. His face lit up, as if he had never heard you say it before, not like this, this time he knew you felt it the way he did.
It don't matter, be combative or be sweet cherry pie
It don't matter just as long as I get all you tonight
At that moment, Eren took a risk, kissing you this time with a hint of lust. Patiently, he waited for your cue deepening the kiss and slightly moaning in his mouth. That was it. He knew he had you. His efforts of today paying off by the sweet aftertaste of fro yo on your lips.
You blindly unlock your front door, Eren hungrily placing kisses over your neck and shoulder. You led him back into your living room, kicking off your heals while still managing to tug and pull his bottom lip in between your teeth. Guiding him all the way to your bedroom. Where this date originated from just hours ago.
So deep, your DNA's being messed with my touch
Can’t beat us
So real, fueling the fire until we combust
Can’t touch us
Eren fell to his knees the moment your dress slipped off your body and onto the floor, he peppered kisses up your thigh, worshipping your body. Chills fell down your spine as the warmth of his breath closed in on your inner thighs. He dug his face in your sex, pulling the lace fabric that was in his way to the side. Kissing softly at your exposed skin. His fingers snuck behind you, feeling your curves, before hooking and pulling off your panties entirely. He looked up at you, grinning, before diving back into your flesh. Kissing and sucking gently on your skin.
His tongue dipped between your folds, his fingers moved from your thighs, now spreading you further open for him to devour your pussy. You gasped and moaned, finding balance with a fist full of his hair, making it a disheveled mess. You found yourself grinding instinctively on his tongue, chasing the growing pleasure in your core. Fuck.
The guilt that you let take a backseat behind your lust made the high of your orgasm sinfully better.
You watch him lick you up, through fluttering lashes. You’re now coming fully undone for him. Eren smiles, growing cocky. If he can get you coming just with his tongue, he can have you screaming for him at the end of the night. He stood up ,“You taste fucking amazing YN,” Ushering you to the bed, you laid back putting on a beautiful display for him, spreading your legs proudly. Inviting him back in, he leaned down devouring you once more. Sucking gently on the bundle of sensitive nerves earning sounds of praise from you.
He took care of your pussy so well, being mindful of what you liked and didn’t. Paying attention to your moans, you got louder and more breathy when his tongue dipped inside your entrance. You found yourself coming again for him, singing his name instead of Jeans. A newfound guilty pleasure erupted from your core along with a flow of juices. You gasped never have experienced a climax like this before. Eren relished in your wetness, soaking in your arousal.
“Can you do that again for me Valentine?” He sounded so eager, it made your knees weak. Blush painted your cheeks, he was quick to pull you back into his mouth. Fleeting feelings of embarrassment and guilt floated away. Your body listening to his pleas, unraveling waves of pleasure onto his tongue again and again.
Valentine
Part two mayhaps, It’s bedtime - Ivy
156 notes · View notes
serxinns · 3 months
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Yabdere Hawks vs Yandere Aizawa
A/N: Since everyone said yes to the yandere Vs yandere I decided to do it I let my good old friend ash choose and she pick these silly goobers!
(and yes this is apart of the scarlet which reader series)
Aizawa Vs Hawks (Both platonic)
• now Aizawa never liked hawks he thinks he's a bad influence before he met you he thinks he's a bad influence even before he met you now he got someone to prioritize AND knowing that he's obsessed with you as well oh he's going to be angry papa mod
•Hawks Loves to spend time with you wanting to teach you how to fly by using your witch powers he loves to see you smile and pinch your cheeks and hug you but Aizawa would always shoo him away when you and him have a fun time whenever you and hawks hang out he would always try to spam call you to see if you were ok
he notices how Shouta will nonstop call you every time and whenever you pick up he will come you for not picking it up early hawks tried to reassure him that he was alright but was surprised when he threatened Hawks to not go near you he was shocked honestly but was calm reassuring he will but deep down he was pissed
•Aizawa would always make you hang with your classmates more than ever now whenever you're going out to hang with hawks Aizawa would always tell you to bring tokoyami with you
•Hawks would sometimes sneak you out to go have a sibling night playing all the games and joining you if not cheering you on making sure no stranger will talk to you and giving you many prizes and at the end of it all he gives u a keychain of himself and puts you to bed unaware that he was watching you sleep then decided to leave
•Aizawa began to notice some changes about you, how you would sleep in the middle of the class, you would always bring in Hawks merch whether be a key chain or a notebook and would see you having big prizes he got curious so he put a camera in your room when you weren't there and when he found out you were sneaking out oh he was PISSED he grounded you for a month and took away the hawks merch from you and threaten hawks to not interfere with you or he's dead
•When Hawks heard you for grounded he was heart he tried to text you but it seems like Aizawa took that too and when he saw you through your window he saw poor little you crying his little scar was crying ok now he's pissed as well
•and so now there's 2 pissed pros here about to fight to the death needless to say the fight didn't go well and now both are in the hospital
•In the aftermath they still hate each other but they don't fight in front of you whenever Aizawa hugged he glares at Hawks while Hawks deadly glares at him and would brag off each other about who's the best at taking care of you Hawks would be taking selfies of yin and him having fun at different places and would post them publicly (because he knew Aizawa would see it) and Aizawa would give you access to the teacher's lounge and hang have cuddle time after class so you can brag it off to Hawks
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shurislover · 6 months
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A Look into Letitias Spam ll
- i really love making these lol
- enjoy and thank you so much for showing love on the first one. i really appreciate it
- part 1
tishspams
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liked by therealyn and 389 others
tishspams on a date kinda nervous ( drinks kinda nasty )
therealyn you’re such a wimp , those drinks were so good
jojovandalkidd @/therealyn bracelets are fire ! link please
therealyn i made them boo, i’ll make you some and bring it to you when i see you
jojovandalkidd this why you’re my absolute favorite love you 4 life
tishspams
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liked by dominiquethorne and 596 others
tishspams CAUGHT 🤪
dominiquethorne get a room 😒
kosarali__ that’s what i’m saying
 therealyn dom baby if you wanna kiss just say that
dominiquethorne i’m ready when you are
jojovandalkidd pic snapped by me 😤
tishspams
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liked by therealyn and 632 others
tishspams happy birthday to the love of my life, my princess , my baby , my future wife , my kids future mother , my overall everything. you guys truly don’t understand how much this woman means to me, she was one of the main people who pulled me out of this dark hole after losing my brother. she checked up on me constantly , she made sure i ate , made sure i took care of myself. she made me the woman i am today and i’m forever grateful. i love you so damn much , and i cant wait to celebrate tonight with you sexy ! the big 2 6 baby. cheers to more years ! tish and y/n forever and always , locked in 4L 🔒❤️
therealyn mi amor 🥺 love you forever and always , got me crying rn. you know i got you always.
jojovandalkidd can’t wait to celebrate with the kid . happy birthday y/n
dominiquethorne the big 26 !! cant wait to see y’all tonight
michaeldapaah lil one growing up
shionat my baby growing up 😭
1dessdior my girl y/nnnnnn you got yourself a special one , happy birthday boo
haydmclean celebrating big tonight
tishspams
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liked by jojovandalkidd and 900 others
tishspams y/n on this, just know my baby cool where she’s at
haydmclean not people out here trying to break y’all up
therealyn they should know better, i don’t play bout mine 😤
jojovandalkidd let em know
therealyn you already know what’s the vibes
tishspams and therealyn
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liked by dominiquethorne and 13,587 others
therealyn i’m about to get real sappy on this. it’s the big 30 for my big baby 🥺. y’all when i say this woman means everything to me i fucking mean it. she has stuck by my side through everything, supports me in every single way and i just love her for that. i honestly thank God for you everytime i wake up and everytime i go to sleep. I am so grateful for all the amazing times we spend together, the happiness you bring into my life. Keep doing big things my love, keeping inspiring not only me , not only yourself but all the black girls and boys out there. I love you forever and always mi amor. LETS LIVE IT UP IN GREECE BABYYYYYYYYYYYY
tishspams love you 5 ever baby
therealyn 😘😘
jojovandalkidd Greece ain’t ready for us
therealyn NOT at all
daishamonee DIRTY 30!
tishspams
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liked by daishamonee and 456 others
tishspams why she caught me slipping in her bonnet 😒
dominiquethorne bonnet for ???
jojovandalkidd right ?
winstonduke them little 3 milimeters of hair don’t need a bonnet
therealyn not too much on my baby. she got inches don’t play 😒
tishspams
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liked by therealyn and 874 others
tishspams she wanna be me so bad
therealyn AND DO !
daishamonee i mean who wouldn’t
jojovandalkidd exactly! bro acting like the whole internet isn’t in love with her , she got a fly ass gf and living her best life ? come on now !
kosarali__ let it be known
winstonduke how you let your gf outshine you in your own fit ??
therealyn you’re so real ! she’s never getting this suit back.
tishspams
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liked by dominiquethorne and 690 others
tishspams she thought the view was pretty…. but i thought she was prettier 🤭
daishamonee did google help you with this caption ?
tishspams sure did
dominiquethorne y’all so damn cheesy
haydmclean when y’all getting married ?? i’m ready for wedding season ?
tishspams soon come !
tishspams
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liked by haydmclean and 567 others
tishspams y/n on this ! bae sleep rn but look what i found lollll ( shes gonna jump me when she sees this )
winstonduke good luck to you when she wakes up
jojovandalkidd nah the auntie hairstyle is crazy
haydmclean this shit has me so weak i’m keeping this
dominiquethorne my new favorite picture
kosarali__ you’re definitely getting cussed out lol
therealyn y’all this picture has legit tears coming out my eyes
jojovandalkidd i’m gonna need you to text me in the morning to make sure you’re alive
haydmclean me too lmao good luck y/n
tishspams
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liked by therealyn and 20,678 others
tishspams kept this a secret for a while , so i could bask up my excitement in private with my FIANCÉ 🤭 you guys SHE PROPOSED ! IM A WHOLE FIANCÉ ! A WIFE TO BE !
daishamonee WHAT ?
haydmclean shout out to @/therealyn for choosing me to help pick the ring. happy for you bro
dominiquethorne BIG CONGRATS !!
ayoedebiri WOAH ! happy for you letitia
ramlaali BRING ON THE WEDDING SEASON
officialsheiks been waiting for this moment
prada this a big one 🔥
s11mone so happy for you sis
littlesimz NO WAY !
shionat you deserve this so much
michaeldapaah BIG TINGZ
thewrightnikki I KNOW THATS RIGHT
————————-
was supposed to post this for her birthday
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infinitebrians · 4 months
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Favorite Games of 2023 Part 2: Super Mario Wonder
What a weird thing to say but this really is the best Super Mario has been as a 2D platforming game since the Super Nintendo! An overall creatively fresh look on that guy Mario and what he can do when he’s only got two directions to run around in. Just a true delight all the way through, I never had a bad time playing it. The new features like the badges and wonder seeds all gave the game a fun amount of variety and character to the game always keeping a sense of surprise in each area that at their very worst was easily ignored. Also a very lovely game visually that gave character to its characters and a fun new set of weird critters to appreciate.
A unique aspect for my playthrough of Mario Wonder was I insisted on playing through the whole game using my new snackbox leverless controller (arcade stick controller sans the stick). I’ve been wanting to try that controller with a side scrolling game because I kept hearing people play other side scrollers with it and it sounded like a fun perfect test case for that idea. I had a blast playing through the whole game with it. Using it’s button based directions felt entirely natural to play through the entire game with it and I’m absolutely going to be using it for any further similarly structured games in the future. The only time the unique button controls did not feel natural was when I was in situations involving four way direction like the water levels or those surprisingly frequent times where you turn into slime. That controller rules and I always feel bad I don’t like using it too much since I don’t always want to just get absolutely destroyed at fighting games all the time.
The thing though that I will always remember Mario Wonder is surprisingly enough it’s online feature. When this online aspect of the game was announced, a feature while you’ll see and be able to lightly interact with live ghosts of other players who are also playing the same level as you, I joked about Mario Wonder being the second ever strand game. Now having played the game 100%, I am absolutely standing by that statement. I’ve had numerous tiny but memorable experiences with other players with that feature either dancing around, spamming the simple emotes, or even helping each other out through tricky parts of the level. One experience of that in particular, the one this post’s drawing is referencing, happened during the final final challenge level where a Japanese Nabbit player and I were helping (them more to me than me to them) each other through a series of areas in that level. We would emote chirp at each other, cheering us on, and more importantly, wait at the room exits so when we left the room at the same time we’d maintain our online instance together. It happened for a whole checkpoint’s worth of that final level and it would’ve been longer if I didn’t screw up immediately with the infinite sprint badge room LIKE A FOOL. That player was a huge help to me with the few of the toughest rooms of that whole challenge and a very appreciated companion.
These little stories and memories I gathered from such a silly little feature gave me such a warm feeling toward everyone I was playing with in the game, we were all here to help push each other forward. A mechanic that gave people the encouragement to help each other out and feel good in the process of doing it, a fun look at what can be done with online semi anonmyous interaction. I’ll always appreciate that Nabbit player, I hope they’re having a happy new year.
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proseka-headcanons · 2 months
Note
You know how Kohane is a fan of WxS? And there's a popular HC (at least I think it's an HC, feels real to me tbh) that Akito is a MMJ fan? HC: At least one person in each group is a fan of another group.
Ichika loves listening to Nightcord's music, she'll often try to play their songs on her guitar. Saki, an Airi fan, obviously loves MMJ (this grows after that one Valentine's Day where she made chocolates with Airi and Emu). She'll never admit it, but Shiho loves WxS. They make her smile and feel good, and honestly it's nice to see someone who cared for her chasing his dreams. And Honami surprises everyone when she's able to memorize VBS's songs. Both covers and original (Honami busting out the rap for Shanti and the entirety of Machi to the surprise of literally everyone around her).
Minori finds herself visiting PXL more often just to see WxS perform (and okay, maybe she also wants to spend time with them and this is the best time to ask). Haruka listens to Leo/need's music whenever she's working out. Airi does her best to attend as many of VBS's live events as she can. And Shizuku actively listens and waits for Nightcord's music.
Kohane, while obviously a WxS fan, also enjoys listening to Nightcord, especially on days where she feels upset and needs something that will help her cry, rather than cheer her up (because that's what she needs at the moment, a good cry). An has a secret account she uses to watch MMJ stream (she's worried that karma will come after her for all the teasing she's done against Akito, she has no idea the other VBS members already know she has a secret account because they watched her log in). Toya, ever the supportive (adopted) brother, goes to Leo/need's concerts (sometimes even skipping practice to do so). And much like Shiho, Akito will never admit to being a WxS fan (imagine if Tsukasa or Rui found out? What if they pull him up on stage like they've done with Kohane? No thanks... okay, fine, Nene can know. JUST NENE!!... He isn't sure where he stands with Emu knowing.)
Tsukasa jumps from group to group depending on what he's working on, currently he's mainly listening to VBS. Emu will sometimes join a MMJ stream and be one of the most active chatters (sometimes being reported for spam). Rui tends to have Nightcord on in the background as he works. Nene listens to Leo/need and will sometimes ask Ichika if she has the lyrics so she can learn them.
Kanade enjoys MMJ and will listen to any song of theirs that Mizuki has shared (since she tends to get them first), she loves how it makes her feel and she'll often use those feelings towards her own compositions. Mafuyu listens to WxS music, both as a way to, maybe, better understand Emu, and as a way to, maybe, just maybe, better understand her own emotions. They do a good job displaying them, so... Ena refuses to admit she loves VBS. It has nothing to do with Akito or the fact she's the one responsible for her little brother chasing street music. Totally (it is but if she admits it, she'll cry). Mizuki has made several MVs for Leo/need. They sit in a flashdrive she carries around. She loves their music and sometimes hopes to run into one of them (Saki most likely seeing how she's Tsukasa's sister) so she can give them the MVs (hopefully they like them, she was so nervous making them).
In short: they're all friends and supportive of each other, your honor 🥺 trust me 🙏 I know it to be true
THESE ARE ALL SOOOOOO REAL OMFG YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW REAL YOU ARE FOR THISSSS - mod ena
OMG I LOVE THIS SO MUCH also wait rq does anyone remember Tsukasa SCREAMING "LEO/NEEEEED AAAAUIFUFU" because it lives in my head rent free. I love them all being friends and being supportive -🦈
THIS IS SO CUTE AAAAAARJFHDJFHFH I WILL LITERALLY CRY/pos mizuki making leo/need mvs.......... who meets them first who do they get to give the mvs to do they like them i need to knOW /nf - 🎀
as mod rui him liking nightcord should be canon. their songs are perfect background music and also just perfect in general. these are all so cute rhhrgrhrhrhgr biting you /pos — 🎈
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thecursedanon · 13 days
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Rainy Day
Characters: Lee!Yuji, Ler!Nanami, Sukuna(only in Yuji's head), Megumi, Nobara, Inumaki (because I love this little dork, okay? lol) Genre: Comfort <3 Word Count: 3166 Summary: Yuji Is super down today, that and he's not been sleeping well due to the nightmares he's been having. His friends, concerned about him go to Nanami with their concerns, and the stoic teacher takes it upon himself to cheer Itadori up. A/N: Hey, Curse here! This was originally intended to be part of the Amusement Park Aftermath fic, but I couldn't organically fit it in so I split them up... so that's why there are similarities in the setting. Enjoy!
Though the mood had been upbeat and calm in the days before, today it seemed as though a rain cloud loomed over Jujutsu Tech-- both figuratively and literally. Everyone seemed a bit more somber today.
Even Yuji wasn’t immune to the effects as he gazed out his window at the bleak gray sky, winds whipping the trees around and causing the leaves to drift around with reckless abandon.
He sighed softly, leaning over and resting his face on his palms as he watched the gloominess outside from the edge of his bed.
He heard his door open, but didn’t turn around or acknowledge it. Nobara and Megumi had been peeking in on him periodically to make sure he was still alive, clearly unused to the pink haired teen being a recluse.
“He’s still moping.” Megumi sighed.
“Should we go get Gojo sensei?” Nobara asked.
“We want to cheer him up, not make him worse.”
“I dunno, he seems pretty good at this kind of thing...”
Inumaki poked his head into the room with them, signing as he spoke. “Bonito flakes…” Megumi is right… “Mustard Leaf.” Gojo would just overwhelm him more.
“Well, do you have a better idea?”
Inumaki paused, the blonde tapped his chin as he became deep in thought. Nobara shot Megumi a look that screamed; ‘this is who we’re taking ideas from?’ as she gestured to the other teen.
“Tuna mayo?” Maybe Nanami can help?
“If Gojo can’t help, what makes you think Nanami sensei can?”
“He’s right.” Megumi nodded in agreement with Toge’s idea. “Nanami is our best bet. If something serious is going on, Yuji might be more comfortable talking to Nanami about it.”
Inumaki nodded his head, looking quite pleased with himself as Nobara sighed. “Fine, let’s go find him…” With that, the trio headed to Nanami’s classroom and explained the worrying situation to him.
“That explains why he hasn’t been blowing my phone up this morning…” He sighed softly. Yuji had a bad habit of spamming his phone with an overabundance of positive texts, or any and all memes he found that he thought were funny… most of the time they weren’t.
“I’ll go talk to him,” He nodded, standing up from his desk. “Thank you for coming to me.”
Back In Yuji’s room, he had actually started to doze off watching the rain fall down his window when there was a knock at his door. He sighed, trying to ignore their efforts.
There was another knock, this one softer and a bit more hesitant than the first. 
“Guys, I’m not dead in here. you can stop checking on me.” He called out, half asleep.
“Itadori?”
Yuji perked up at the sound of the voice. “Nanamin?”
“Is it alright if I come in?”
The pinkette nodded, but realized he couldn’t see him. “Yeah, you can come in.” he responded, turning around to look at the door.
Nanami walked in and closed the door behind him, assessing Yuji carefully for any signs of distress. “I haven’t heard from you In a while… I wanted to check in on you.” He said, his voice softer than usual.
Itadori smiled a little, and when he did, Nanami could see just how exhausted the teen looked. “Yeah, sorry… I haven’t been on my phone.”
That in and of itself was alarming.
The blonde teacher approached him cautiously. “Yuji, you look like you haven’t been sleeping.” He observed out loud. “Is everything alright?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Itadori brushed off his concern, trying to shake off the fatigue. “Just didn’t sleep well last night.”
“Watching too many Jennifer Lawrence movies, again?” There was a note of teasing on his words as he spoke to the pink haired boy. (Okay, more than a note.)
Yuji felt his face heat up. “Noooo…” He subtly nudged his chair to conceal a stack of Jennifer Lawrence movies he had in fact been watching the night before. 
Nanami, of course, saw this. He let out a small chuckle as he idly picked up one of Itadori’s blankets from the floor, folding it as he spoke. “Yuji, if something is bothering you… you know you can talk to me, right?” He asked, glancing up at the teen as he neatly set it down on the bed. “Even if you think it’s something minor…”
Yuji bit his lip and looked back out the window. “Yeah… I know that…It’s just my thoughts are so scrambled right now… I don’t even know how to start talking about what’s bothering me...”
Nanami frowned, picking up another blanket and approaching the pinkette with it. He carefully draped it around him and sat down next to him. “I understand…”
A memory flickered to the forefront of his mind, he recalled saying something similar to his best friend when he was Yuji’s age. Haibara had responded by looking for the fluffiest, most comforting blanket he could find in their dorm room and damn near smothered Kento with it as he wrapped him up in it and hugged him tightly.  
It was times like this that he wished Yu had still been alive, he’d be much better at this sort of thing than he was… “I’m sorry.” Kento said softly, his hands firmly grasping his students shoulders. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Yuji looked at the window, the rain and wind had kicked up even more outside. “Can I… have a hug?”
Nanami nodded, not hesitating to engulf him in a big protective hug at his request. “Of course you can.”
Yuji smiled, the warmth from the blanket and the warmth radiating from the tight hug was soothing to him. He wrapped his arms around Nanami in response, resting his head on his shoulder. 
As he sat there with him, the room silent save for the rain falling outside and the soft breathing, he felt his racing thoughts slowing down a bit… making more sense rather than being incoherent whispers speaking over each other.
But that soon became a problem too, as the reason for his anguish presented itself.
He was sad.
He was really fucking sad… He missed his grandpa. He was exhausted from trying to put on a brave front all the time, when the truth of the matter was; he was still just a scared, sad kid who missed the only family he had ever truly had...
As Nanami sat there holding the student, he felt him begin to tremble in his arms. “Itadori?” He asked softly, holding the teen tighter to try to silently reassure him he was okay.
“I’m… sorry…” Came the small, whimper of a reply. Small sobs escaped his shaking form as he buried his face in the blonde’s chest, his tears soaking into the blue fabric.
“Hey… don’t be sorry.” Kento responded, keeping his tone low and gentle in an attempt to soothe the boy. “It’s okay… shh… you’re okay.” He began rubbing circles into the pinkette’s back as he spoke. “I’m here with you and I’m not going anywhere…”
If Yuji hadn’t have already been crying, he would have been now. He clung onto his mentor like a scared child as he sobbed harder.
It became clear to Nanami just how much pain the boy was in, his muffled cries sounding anguished and terrified. It absolutely broke his heart, he wasn’t sure how to take the pain away from the usually bright light hearted teen, and he desperately wanted to.
“I’m so tired of being scared, Nanami!” he cried into his chest.
“Yuji… It’s going to be okay, you have nothing to be afraid of here. I’ll protect you.” The usually stoic teacher whispered in response.
“But who will protect you?” Itadori whimpered, burrowing further into his protective hold. “I can’t lose you too!!”
“Yuji…” Nanami felt his heart twist at the student’s outburst, he wished more than anything he could say that he wouldn’t lose him, and that everything would be okay in the end… but he knew from his own experience that wasn’t the case. He knew how cruel this line of work was… it didn’t discriminate with the lives it claimed.
“I can’t lose you…!” The boy sobbed, his frame shaking like a leaf in the blonde teacher’s strong arms. “P-Please…!”
“Shhh… hey, listen to me okay? I have no intentions of going anywhere.” Kento whispered, gently rocking Itadori in his arms. “Why are you so worried about me? I haven’t died yet.”
“I…” Yuji pulled back, looking up at Nanami with tears falling down his face. That also broke his heart. “I-I’ve been having these nightmares… Where y-you… you…”
“Shhh…” Nanami reached forward and gently pulled the crying pinkette back into his warm embrace, stroking his hair gently as he guided his head to rest against his chest. “Yuji, they’re just bad dreams… do you hear that? My heart is still beating. I’m still here. You’re okay… I’ve got you.”
This seemed to soothe some of anguish the boy was feeling, his sobs becoming small whimpers as he began to calm down at the sound of Nanami’s heartbeat in his ear.
They sat there In silence together for a while, the only other sound in the room was the rain hitting Yuji’s window and his sniffles and whimpers.
But soon those would silence too, and Itadori would slowly pull away from Nanami again. His eyes were puffy from all the crying he’d done, and his face was tear stained. “N-Nanamin?”
“Yes?”
“Th-Thank you…”
The blonde smiled softly at him, gently wiping away some of the remaining tears from his face. “Of course…” 
Yuji giggled a bit as Kento grazed against his neck when wiping his tears away, causing the blonde to pause and give him a confused look. “What was that?”
“Nothing.” Itadori said quickly, smiling nervously as his mentor stared at him.
Oh?
Nanami smirked, ghosting his fingers along Itadori’s neck, causing him to squeak and recoil with a giggle. “Nothing? Are you sure about that?”
“Nanami…”
“Itadori… you wouldn’t happen to be… ticklish, would you?”
“W-Well would you look at the time? I’m gonna be late for my training session with Gojo and-- ACK!”
“Oh no you don’t.” Kento grabbed onto the pinkette before he could escape, pulling him back into his arms and pinning him against him. “Even if you did have training with Gojo right now, which you don’t because he’s out of town… I’m not letting you off the hook that easily.”
“Wh-What did I do?”
“I told you I’d protect you… that includes from yourself and your sadness.”
“But Nanamin… I’m not sad any--eeeeehehehehehe!” Yuji’s protests were interrupted by a squeal followed by adorably bubbly giggles as Nanami began to tickle him.
“Oh please, don’t insult my intelligence… I know you’re still sad, you’re just not crying anymore.” Nanami rolled his eyes fondly at the boy, squeezing at his side teasingly.
“Nahahahahanami! Ihihihit tickles!” Itadori whined, but despite his complaints he made no attempts to get away.
Nanami chuckled at his reactions, sneaking his hand underneath Yuji’s shirt to lightly tickle his bare side. “Does it now~? How unfortunate for you… because I have no intentions of stopping until you feel better~”
Yuji giggled harder as he leaned into Nanami’s hold. “Ihihihihi’m not sahahahahad anymore!”
“Itadori, It’s okay to be sad…” Nanami said soothingly, skittering his fingers up and down his ribs as he spoke. “It’s okay to feel what you’re feeling… but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let you suffer through it alone.”
The most adorable thing about this whole thing? Yuji wasn’t resisting, he was actually angling himself in ways that would give Nanami more access to his ticklish spots… which he found utterly adorable.
“Itadori, you know… you could at least pretend to want to get away~” Kento chuckled in amusement at his student.
“I dohohoho want to get ahahaway!” Yuji lied… because If he really wanted to get away, he totally could.
“Oh, you do, hm? Is that why you’re rolling around like a puppy trying to get me to scratch its belly?” Nanami couldn’t help but tease the boy, his fingers drifting to Yuji’s stomach. “Is this what you were looking for~?”
Itadori squealed as he felt Nanami’s fingers lightly dance across his toned stomach, practically melting in his mentor's hold as he laughed harder. “EHEHEHEHEEK!”
It’s now coming to Itadori’s attention that he may… and I repeat; may be… enjoying this. (He is.) 
Sure, every once In a while he’ll get the occasional poke here and there, or Gojo will be… well, Gojo… and tickle the absolute snot out of him but… Nanami’s tickles are much more gentle and affectionate. It’s almost relaxing in a sense… plus he never knew his parents, and his grandfather wasn’t exactly the most physically affectionate so it’s kind of healing to his inner child right now to be tickled by someone he views as a father figure.
Also, he just really loves playing around with him like this… this isn’t a side anyone sees of Nanami.
Did I mention Yuji is an adorable ball of sunshine yet? because he totally is.
“Ah, that was definitely what you wanted…” Nanami teased, his fingers tracing teasingly along his stomach, producing the most adorable giggles he’s heard in a very long time.
“Nahahahahanamin! Nohohohoho! Nahahat the behehehelly!” Yuji squealed, covering his face as his half hearted protests fell on deaf ears.
“Not the belly? why not? It seems like as good a spot as any…” Nanami hummed thoughtfully, pretending to consider it for a moment. “Hmm… Nope, sorry. I think I’m going to stay right here for a bit longer, you’re a tough kid, you can take it.”
Yuji squealed again as his stomach was tickled with more vigor.
‘Seriously, brat? He’s not kidding… You really are like a dog who wants his stomach rubbed. The only thing you’re missing is the damn leg kick.’ Sukuna taunted Yuji internally.  
‘Suhuhuhukuna shuhuhuhut up!’ Poor Yuji couldn’t even escape the teasing in his mind.
‘You know you could easily get this to stop, don’t you? Just allow me control and--’
‘Absolutely nahahahat!’
‘Why not? Don’t tell me… you actually ENJOY this, do you?’
‘Ihihihim not gonna lehehehet you hurt him!’
‘How pathetic… you truly are an annoying brat.’
“Nahahahanamihihihi plehehehease!”
The blond relented his attack, allowing the pinkette to catch his breath. “Are you feeling any better yet?” He asked gently, keeping his unofficial son trapped in his grasp as he calmed down.
Yuji nodded, giggling a bit still. “Y-Yeah.. thanks dad.”
Oh fuck.
He didn’t just…
Nanami froze as he heard those words come out of Itadori’s mouth.
Itadori panicked inwardly, his distress making Sukuna chuckle in amusement in the back of his mind. “I-I mean… yeah, thanks dad.” He said much more sarcastically this time, hoping that Nanami would go for it.
He did not. 
“Yuji… did you just… call me dad?”
Yuji felt himself tear up, fearful that he just ruined the relationship he had with Nanami. “Y-Yeah, but I meant it in a joking way.”
Kento frowned, he knew by the way the boy’s voice quivered that he was lying. “Yuji…”
“I-I’m sorry.” Yuji shook his head and closed his eyes, trying to contain his emotions. “I-I didn’t mean to… I-It… It jus-- EEK!”
Yuji shrieked as Nanami resumed his ticklish attack, now holding the teen’s arms above his head and tickling under his arms.
“NAHAHAHAHANAMI?? AHAHAHAHAHAHA! WHYHYHYHYHY ARE YOU TICKLING MEHEHEHE??”
“Because you’re sad again.” Nanami answered simply.
“AHAHAHAHAREN’T YOU MAHAHAHAD AT MEHEHE??”
Nanami leaned down a bit so he could speak directly into Yuji’s ear. “Why would I be mad?” His voice was low and calm, as if he wasn’t completely annihilating Yuji with tickles right now.
“BEHEHEHECAUSE IHIHIHI CALLED YOU-- EeEeEeEeEEEEK!” Yuji shrieked as Nanami blew a raspberry against his neck, cutting him off. “NAHAHAHAHA!!”
“I seem to have missed the part where you did something to make me mad…” Nanami smiled a bit, his fingers not slowing their pace against Itadori’s ticklish armpit whatsoever.
“BUHUHUHUT IHIHI… IHIHI CALLED YOUHUHU DAHAHAD-- AIEEE!”
Itadori was interrupted by another raspberry against his neck. “And?”
“IHIHIHIHIM SOHOHOHORRYEEEEHEHEHEHE!” Yuji shrieked again as he dealt another massive raspberry against his neck. Before he could form semi coherent sentences again, Nanami laid him down on his back on his bed and pinned his arms down above his head.
“Yuji Itadori… If you apologize to me again, you’re going to regret it.” Nanami said sternly, though his green eyes sparkled as his gaze remained gentle on the teen. “My cursed technique isn’t just useful for inflicting pain…It can also be used to make ticklish troublemakers even more ticklish…”
Yuji took a moment to catch his breath, and tried to collect his thoughts before responding. “N-Nanamin… Why aren’t you mad at me…?”
“I told you, you haven’t said anything to upset me.”
“But… I called you… D-Dad… That doesn’t upset you?”
Nanami smiled. “No… It doesn’t.” He let go of Itadori’s arms, and just let him lay there instead.
Yuji frowned, tears quickly flooding his eyes as he looked away. “You can’t possibly mean that… you’re just trying to reassure me-EEEE--” the pinkette squealed and began cackling again as Nanami blew a raspberry on his stomach.
“New rule, every time you apologize for no reason or overthink, I’m going to tickle you.” Kento smirked, watching as the boy composed himself again.
“B-But…”
“Yuji… I’m not just trying to reassure you. I meant that.” Nanami’s voice was gentle as he spoke. “If calling me Dad makes you happy then… you can call me that any time you want.”
Itadori sat up slowly, his eyes still sparkly with tears. “Y-You… really don’t mind?”
“Of course not.” Kento reached forward and wiped Yuji’s tears. “I happen to care about you.”
Welp. That did it… again.
Yuji started sobbing again, leaning forward and burying his face in Nanami’s chest as he ugly cried
Kento pulled him into a comforting hug, rubbing soothing circles into his back. “Shh… It’s okay now… You’re safe.”
‘You truly are a pathetic creature, you know that?’
‘That may be… but at least I’M loved sooo… suck it.’
After a few more minutes Yuji began to calm down, and he pulled back from Nanami. “Thank you… I needed that.” He smiled, wiping his eyes.
“You don’t have to thank me for comforting you, you know…” Nanami mused. “I really don’t mind.”
“Heh… Yeah I guess you’re right… sorry-- EEHEHEHE!” Yuji shrieked as Nanami reached forward and tickled his stomach, after using ratio to make him even more ticklish, of course.
“You never learn, do you?” Nanami sighed, though his words may have come out as disappointed, the playful glimmer in his eyes betrayed him.
It seemed It was going to take some time for Yuji to learn not to be so apologetic and overthink so much, and Nanami was content to keep tickling him until he got that message through his skull… Yuji was also content to let it happen.
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