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dialovers-translations · 3 years

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Diabolik Lovers VANDEAD CARNIVAL ;; Kanato Route ー Chapter 3

ー The scene starts on the Carnival’s venue

Kanato: Teddy? Hey...Where are you...? Where have you gone, Teddy!?

Yui: Haah...Haah...Teddyーー!

( It’s good we came looking for Teddy ever since he went missing from the dress shop but... )

( Will we truly find him...? )

Kanato: Uu...Teddy...Why...? Where are you!?

Teddy, come on...Show yourself...

Yui: ( Kanato-kun’s in total distress as well (1), so we really have no other choice but to look for him right now, do we? )

( But... )

Say, Kanato-kun? Can Teddy walk?

Kanato: Eh...?

Yui: I mean, according to what the shop lady told us earlier, he walked out by himself.

However, I was wondering if he was truly capable of opening the door by himself and just waltzing out....

( Up till now, I’ve only ever seen Kanato-kun carry him around in his arms so I wonder if he can even move by himself? )

Kanato: Are you crazy...?

Yui: ...?

Kanato: Of course he can’t!!

Yui: ...!!

Kanato: What makes you believe Teddy could walk on his own!? Please stop spouting such utter nonsense!!

...Uu...Teddy...Where are you...?

Don’t leave me, Teddy...

Yui: R-Right...I’m sorry, Kanato-kun.

( Anyway, with Kanato-kun’s current state of mind being the way it is, I’ll try and search this area a little longer. )

Ah!?

( That back silhouette...Teddy!? )

Kanato-kun! Look! Isn’t that Teddy?

Kanato: Eh? ...Ah...!

Teddy! It’s me! Teddy...!

Yui: ( ...Teddy’s floating? )

( Anyway, we have to go after him! )

Kanato: Wait, Teddy!

Yui: Ah...Kanato-kun, wait!

ー The two of them chase after Teddy as the scene shifts to Milton’s Doll House

Kanato: Teddy...Teddy...?

Yui: Stay calm, Kanato-kun. I’m pretty sure he went this way...

( As to be expected of the Demon World though. Nobody would bat an eye at the sight of a stuffed animal floating or moving around. )

( This shop...They’ve got a bunch of plushies lined up so I wonder if it’s a toy store? )

( But...When there’s so many dolls and stuffed animals in one place...It’s a little scary. )

*Rustle*

Yui: ( !? ...I could have sworn that doll moved a little just now... )

( Oh no, this place is kind of strange... )

Kanato: Teddy!? Are you here!? Hey, answer me!

...

Eh? ...Why? Why would you say that?

Yui: Eh? Kanato-kun, what are you...?

Kanato: You keep quiet!!

Yui: ...!! S-Sorry...

( Kanato-kun...Is he talking to Teddy perhaps? )

Kanato: Tell me, why are you saying you won’t return to my side?

We’ve been together this whole time...So why?

Yui: ( There’s just no way, right...? I can’t hear anything after all. )

( Besides...Uu, I feel like the dolls are looking our way. This store really is creepy after all! )

Kanato: That’s not true. I would never...think of her as more precious than you, Teddy!

I won’t deny that she belongs to me but...How could I ever compare her to you!?

Okay? So, Teddy...Let’s go back together?

Ah...Wait...!

ー Kanato starts running away

Yui: Ah, Kanato-kun!!

Kanato: Take a look, Yui-san. Here...I can hear Teddy’s voice from here.

Yui: This is...Some sort of entrance?

It looks like a door, but there isn’t a doorknob anywhere...We can’t open it like this.

Kanato: No way...Then how did Teddy go inside!?

Yui: I don’t know that either...

( Besides, it seems highly likely we wouldn’t be able to get back out once inside, so I’m scared... )

Kanato: Hey, Teddy? Are you in there?

I can’t live without you...

*Creaaaaak*

Yui: Eh...?

( The door opened by itself... )

Kanato: ...! You’re in there, aren’t you? Teddy, come out!

Yui: ( I wonder if Kanato-kun’s feelings got through? ...I’m glad. )

( That being said, I wonder why Teddy did all of this? )

( Hm? Something came out...Is this a reaching tool? )

*Rustle*

Yui: Kyaah!?

Kanato: Yui-san! Watch out!

*Thud*

Yui: ( Kanato-kun...! )

ー Both of them get locked inside the room

Yui: ( We’re...Inside that room? We were pulled in by a great force, I wonder what that was...? How creepy. )

( There’s a bunch of stuffed animals and French dolls lined up...What an impressive number. )

Kanato: Say, where are you...? Ah, Teddy! I finally found you!

ー Kanato runs over to Teddy

Kanato: Why did you leave me without a single warning? ...How could you...

Teddy: ...

Kanato: Eh? This will be your new home from today onwards?

I don’t want you to move to a doll house! I’d be lonely!

Yui: Doll house...?

( This wasn’t a toy store? )

*Rustle*

Yui: Eh...?

( It should be just Kanato-kun and I here...So who tapped my shoulder just now? )

...!?

Rabbit: ...

Yui: ( The rabbit plushie is moving...How...? )

*Rustle*

Yui: Kyah!!

Kanato: What’s wrong!?

Yui: Kanato-kun, help me! O-One of the stuffed animals grabbed my arm...!

Kanato: You little...Get your paws off what belongs to me!

ー Kanato shakes off the rabbit doll

Rabbit: ....

Kanato: Are you guys the ones who called Teddy over here as well?

I won’t just let you steal what is mine!

*Rustle*

Rabbit: ...

Kanato: Eh?

You won’t harm us...? Is this...cake?

There’s so many of them as well...? Can I really have them all?

Rabbit: ...

Kanato: I see...Fufu...Thank you very much.

Yui: Kanato-kun, you can understand what the plushies are saying?

Kanato: You can’t hear their voices?

Apparently this doll house is the home of these stuffed animals.

Rabbit: ...

Kanato: The rabbit over there will serve us some tea. See? ...It smells wonderful...

*Pshhhhh*

Yui: ( It does smell nice but... )

Is this safe to drink?

Kanato: Who knows...I wonder. Please test it for me.

Yui: Eh...!?

Selection

→ Have a sip (☾)

Yui: I have to drink it?

Kanato: That’s what I said just now, no? Did you not hear me?

Yui: ( I did but...What should I do? Well, it does smell lovely and looks delicious as well. )

*Cling*

Yui: ( ...Just a sip can’t do much harm, right? )

Nn...

Kanato: Fufu...How is it?

Yui: Delicious...This tea is really good!

Kanato: ...I see. In that case, I shall have a taste as well.

→ Don’t drink it

Yui: No way...I-I can’t drink this.

Kanato: Why not?

Yui: I mean, I don’t know what the doll is saying but it’s a little scary.

Kanato: So you’re straight-up denying them, simply because you can’t communicate?

In other words, you must have been looking at Teddy in a similar way, no?

Yui: Of course not!

Kanato: ...Haah, you are the worst.

Yui: Fine, I’ll drink it! I’ll drink it, okay?

( Here goes nothing...! )

*Cling*

Yui: ( Huh...? It’s delicious... )

Yui: ( In which case, these cakes are probably the real deal as well? They look somewhat fake though. )

Nn...

( Ah, it’s sweet...It’s real cake. Somehow it feels like I’m inside a dream! )

Kanato: Is it good?

Yui: Yeah...It’s delicious. Why don’t you have a taste as well?

Kanato: Yes. That is a fine idea as well, but please look over there.

Yui: ( There’s a small stage in the middle of an area decorated with cute props... )

Is something about to begin?

Kanato: Yes...It seems like the dolls will perform a dance for us.

Yui: A dance?

( Uhm...Those who went on stage are a rabbit, a cat and a duck? )

( Ah, music started playing...Fufu, how cute. )

How very cute, right, Kanato-kun?

Kanato: Yes, exactly. I can tell they are trying to give us a good time.

*Rustle rustle*

Kanato: ーー Hm? What’s wrong, Teddy?

Teddy: ...

Kanato: ...Fufu. Yui-san, Teddy is asking you for a dance.

Yui: Eh? Me?

Kanato: Yes, of course. You wouldn’t possibly refuse, right?

Yui: But I’ve never danced before?

Kanato: In that case, I definitely want to see it. Come on, Teddy.

*Rustle*

Yui: Wah...Teddy?

Teddy: ...

Kanato: Please show me your interpretation of a dance. ...Fufu, I’m very much looking forward to this.

Yui: No way...

Kanato: Well then, the song is about to start. Please try your best to avoid utterly humiliating yourself.

Explanation: The player dances to the beat with Teddy. Follow the instructions on the bar at the very top of the screen and press the arrow pointing into the same direction at the right time.

You can play this game in EASY, NORMAL or HARD mode.

Kanato: Heeh...That was quite painful to watch, but I suppose you get a passing grade.

Yui: Really? Thank god...

Kanato: Yes. However, Teddy was a million times better than you.

Please be aware that your performance was nothing to brag about.

Yui: Yes...But, thank you still.

( Uhm...He did sort of compliment me, right? )

Kanato: Oh? What did you guys just say...? You want to see us dance?

I can imagine why you would ask me but...Aah, I see how it is.

You are testing to see what kind of dance I could pull off while dragging my luggage along, no?

Yui: ( Again with the luggage...That really is a horrible way to put it. )

Kanato: What do you say, Yui-san?

Yui: Eh?

Kanato: If you insist on dancing together, I will take it into consideration.

Of course, I will lead you?

Yui: ( Kanato-kun will lead me...I’m honestly a little intrigued now. )

I-I’m counting on you then...

Kanato: Haah...Excuse me?

Yui: Eh?

Kanato: Get down before me and beg for it. I’m sure you’ve seen someone do that before, no?

Yui: ( Ah...I have seen that in movies and such. Uhm, you move one leg to the back and bend your knee, then clutch onto the hem of their trousers... )

*Rustle rustle*

Yui: ( Yes, this should do the trick, right? )

Kanato: Well, you didn’t have to go as far as to grab my clothes but...

Yui: Eh? Really?

Kanato: Yes...Honestly, you are such a disgrace.

However, well, I suppose it is not half bad as a way to show respect towards your Master.

Well then, Yui-san, your hand, please?

Yui: Yes.

Kanato: ...Move a little closer, please.

Yui: Yes. Uhm, like this?

Kanato, No, more...

Yui: Wah!

Kanato: Fufu...About this much.

Yui: ( When we’re this close...I feel like he might hear my heartbeat. )

Well then, turn please.

Yui: ( T-Turn? Uhm... )

*Rustle*

Kanato: Why do you spin around so vigorously? ...That unrefined touch is truly very fitting of you, and very unsightly.

Yui: ( I was only trying my hardest because I didn’t want to lag behind... )

Kanato: Hmph...

Yui: I’m sorry...

*Rustle rustle*

Yui: ( Wait, huh? I wonder why Teddy is clinging to my feet? )

Kanato: Teddy, we’re dancing right now. Why would you cling onto her like that?

Teddy: ...

Kanato: We’ll be done in a few minutes, so have some patience, okay?

*Rustle*

Kanato: Eh? What’s wrong, Teddy?

Teddy: ...

Kanato: ...You feel frustrated? Why? Because I’m a better dancer than you?

Please don’t say that. This isn’t a competition, you know?

Teddy: ...

Kanato: Teddy, why would you say such things?

Yui: ( I wonder what’s wrong with Teddy? )

Kanato: ...Please cut it out, Teddy.

First you run off by yourself, then you start saying all of these weird things...

Why are you so set on troubling me?

Why do you keep on rebelling against me!?

Teddy or not, I won’t let that slide!

Yui: ( Kanato-kun... )

*Rumble rumble*

Yui: ( Huh? ...Isn’t this room shaking somewhat? )

( Also, the dolls have stopped moving all of a sudden, now laying across the floor... )

( ...What is happening? )

Kanato-kun, this room is behaving strangely...!

Kanato: You shut up!

Teddy, why do you do this?

Are you trying to cause me trouble? If that’s the case, what’s your reasoning?

Teddy: ...

Kanato: Eh? ...Teddy?

Why would you cry?

Yui: ( He’s wiping his eyes but...I don’t see any tears. )

( However, Kanato-kun can hear Teddy’s voice apparently, so he might actually be crying. )

Teddy: ...

Yui: ( He just stomped his feet against the ground...Could he be angry? )

Kanato: Why are you mad at me? If you keep acting so selfishly, I truly won’t forgive you!

*Rumble rumble*

Yui: ( Another quake...Ah! )

*Shatter*

*Splash*

Kanato: ...!! Yui-san, come here!

ー Kanato pulls her close

*Rustle*

Yui: ...!

Hey, Kanato-kun? What is Teddy saying?

Kanato: I don’t understand either.

But...He’s definitely the one in the wrong here.

Yui: Kanato-kun...

Teddy: ...

ー Teddy moves away

Yui: Ah, Teddy? Say, where are you going?

Kanato: Hold it, Teddy! Yui-san, let’s go after him!

*Rustle*

Yui: W-Wait! Kanato-kun, you’re hurting my hand!

( Teddy left through the door in the blink of an eye. )

( Is this the doll house’s doing? Or maybe...Teddy is the one behind it? )

( I wonder what is causing him to act so defiant towards Kanato-kun...? )

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

Translation notes

(1) Yui is rather vague with her words and simply says この調子 or ‘kono choushi’ which means ‘this state’.

← RETURN TO CHAPTER 2

→ PROCEED WITH MAIN STORY [CHAPTER 4]

→ SUB-SCENARIO #1 [W/ AYATO]

→ SUB-SCENARIO #2 [W/ YUMA]

→ SUB-SCENARIO #3 [W/ AZUSA]

#diabolik lovers #dialovers #kanato sakamaki #vandead carnival #diabolik lovers translation #vckanatochapter3

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kopikokun · 3 years

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Shotgun༄ mark. l

↳ You were just meant to get high, but getting to kiss Mark Lee is definitely a plus.

pairing: stoner!mark x reader

content: fluff, drug use (namely marijuana), stoner!au

word count: 1.3k words

author’s note: can you tell i had no idea how to insert the first prompt?

Request 35: Mark + “Can we cuddle?” (52) + “Shut up and kiss me already.” (55) + “You’re making me blush!” (68) + “Are you high?” (93)

— 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝.

If your mother were here, she’d have probably passed out. You can totally envision the look of sheer horror on her face as she’d stare at you in your friend’s car, his hand scandalously gripping your thigh as tendrils of smoke leave his pretty pink lips. You’re already feeling a little lightheaded from just the second-hand smoke, but that still doesn’t hinder the fact that you’re enjoying this way more than you had expected. Or maybe it’s just the company.

“Get your feet off my dash.”

“Oh, come on, your car’s filthy anyway, Mark.”

“Feet. Off. Now.” Mark’s hand grabs your left and then right foot, bending it towards you and forcing you to tuck your feet beneath the dash board.

“Whatever,” you huff, crossing your arms over your chest. “When’s it gonna be my turn?”

Mark kneads the soft flesh of your thigh, his hand ice cold against the warmth of your skin. “Be a bit more patient, will you?”

You groan, slumping in your seat and peering out the window. Since Mark parked the car here about an hour ago, the road’s been mostly desolate, save for the occasional car every now and then. A swarm of bugs crowd the streetlamps along the road, their bodies just tiny floating specks in the distance. The car is stuffy and faint R&B music plays in the background, creating an almost serene atmosphere. You don’t realise that you’re starting to drift off until Mark’s voice jolts you awake.

“Are you high?” he jeers, rolling the blunt between his fingers. “You look like you’re about to pass out already. This really is your first time, huh?”

You scoff. “No, I’m not high because someone won’t let me take a hit yet,” you retort. “And how’d you know that?”

Mark’s eyes unabashedly trail your figure as he licks his lips. “You don’t really look like someone who’s smoked before.”

Heat begins to pool in your cheeks. You’re reminded of your friend Renjun making some off-handed remark the other day about how you’ve exuded a ‘good girl’ aura since your high school years, and you suppose he had been right. “Well, just be honoured that I’m getting high for the first time with you, Mark Lee.”

Mark holds a hand to his heart theatrically. “Aw, how sweet. You’re making me blush.” He pats your thigh, shifting in his seat. “Alright then, you wanna take a hit now?”

Like an excitable dog, you instantly straighten your back, facing Mark with fervour. “Yeah, I do.”

Mark chortles. “Look at you being all cute. You want me to shotgun you? You know what that is, right?”

“Shotgun me?” Your eyes widen. “Of course, I know what that is.” You’ve seen your fair share of teen flicks. Mark wants to shotgunyou? The notion makes your cheeks warm. He’s gonna kiss you, well not really, but close enough. You’d be lying if the thought didn’t get your pulse racing. You can’t deny your attraction for Mark. He’s charming and witty in all the ways that gets your gut churning. Of course you want him to kiss, no, shotgun you. “Yeah, sure.”

“Cool,” Mark says. Wow, he sure is being nonchalant about this. Does he do this often? How many other people has he done this with? The image of Mark melding his lips with somebody else has your stomach in envious knots, which in hindsight, is stupid of you. His friend. He can shotgun anyone he wants. Is what you tell yourself, but you know you really don’t want him to.

“Alright, come here.” Mark gestures for you to inch your face closer to his with a wave of his hand. Your heart soars as his face nears yours. This is really happening. Mark’s going to shotgun you. At first you came here with the genuine intention of getting high, but now this seems like a way better scenario.

Your eyes follow the blunt in his hand, nervously anticipating for the moment he takes a hit. To your surprise though, he turns the joint and places the lit side in his mouth instead, right in between his teeth. You’re quick to voice your confusion, tearing yourself away from his gaze. “What are you doing? Aren’t you supposed to take a hit and blow it into my mouth?”

Mark’s thin brow quirks as he takes the joint from his lips. “What? No, you’re supposed to suck on the other side while I blow. That’s what I meant by shotgunning. What did you--” Mark’s mouth forms an O as realisation dawns on him. “Oh, you thought I meant that kind of shotgunning?”

You’ve never felt this mortified in your life. There’s more than one way to shotgun? So, Mark didn’t want to kiss you? You’ve never felt more betrayed in your entire life. But the teen flicks... they were all lies? Looking at Mark’s amused expression, you’ve got half the heart to just jump out of his car and sprint all the way onto some highway and into traffic. The realisation that there won’t be as many cars as you would like extinguishes the idea. Your next best option is denial. “No, I didn’t think that.”

Mark grins at you. “Yeah, you did. Don’t lie to me.” You turn away from him, hoping to hide your humiliation. “Hey, don’t be embarrassed. It was an honest mistake. And, I’m not gonna lie, I’m down to shotgun the way you meant if you are. I just didn’t do it from the start because I thought it’d make you uncomfortable.”

“No, it’s okay,” you reassure. "You can do it. I won’t be uncomfortable.”

“So, you want me to try to shotgun you again?” Mark asks, grinning coyly.

“No, I want you to kiss me.”

Mark sputters. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“You want me to kiss you?”

“Forget it. You know what? I think I am high.”

“If you wanted to kiss me you could’ve just said so in the beginning. I’m down for that.”

You blink at Mark, searching his gaze for that little glint of mischief. “Stop playing with me, Mark.”

“I’m not.” His eyes, now admittedly a little pinkish in tone, glance down at your lips. “I’m serious.”

“Then, shut up and kiss me already.”

It’s a little messy, but kissing Mark is honestly a drug in itself. His lips are just as you imagined they’d feel yet at the same time, they’re miles better than you could have ever hoped for. They’re soft and sweet yet hungry and desperate. His hand which was on your thigh now cups your jaw, and although his palm is a little rough, you can’t help but lean into his touch. Maybe you really are high because even the foreign taste of the weed intermingled with that cheap watermelon gum he always chews on which invades your senses has your brain melting into a little puddle of mush.

Way sooner than you would have liked, the kiss of your dreams ends just as quickly as it began. Not really though, you think, because by the time Mark pulls away, both of you are panting for air and you bet that your lips are probably just as swollen as Mark’s.

“Wow,” he sighs. “We should do that more often.”

All you can muster in your haze is a small nod of agreement.

You’re not sure how much time has passed, but somehow you find yourself curled up in Mark’s arms in his backseat. Well, actually you do know how that happened because you faintly recall asking Mark “Can we cuddle?” after you finally got high.

But, as the early morning Sun pours through the foggy windows of Mark’s car, and as his calm breathing stirs you awake, you bask in his scent and his warmth and think, yeah, you two should definitely do this more often.

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amerrierworld · 3 years

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Supposed To Be

Ocean’s 8 fanfiction

request: the reader finds out what Tammy does at party with the girls and maybe gets angry at Tammy for not telling her and lying to her. Then hets angry at everyone else and they all fell guilty. And maybe tammy says something that’s losses the reader of more. Then the reader walking out. The next morning the reader is ignoring all the texts and calls from Tammy and the girls. Tammy going over to talk to her...

Summary: Tammy is planning something for you with the team, but can’t let you know about it.

Characters: Tammy x fem!reader, the Ocean’s girls, (divorced!Tammy)

Word Count: 2,550

Warnings: Angst angst angst angst angst angst!!!!!! Miscommunication!! Hurt & comfort! Eventual happy ending :)

You first started feeling uneasy when Tammy’s text responses went from excited paragraphs and emojis to one-word answers. It was such a simple thing, but you barely got to see her in person some weeks, and this was the only thing that kept you connected.

After an inevitable divorce, Tammy moved to the city to be closer with the entire group, sharing custody of her children every other week. It had been stressful, but you had been there for her every step of the way, and a fruitful, happy romance had blossomed.

But now, even after all those months, there was a sudden barrier you couldn’t seem to get through. Her phone calls were hasty, her texts short, and no one else in the group seemed concerned like you were. You got no updates on her kids, which usually she couldn’t stop taking about. Frankly, it felt like she had gotten tired of you.

So, you shut your phone off and went out for the rest of the day, window-shopping and wandering around the city to get your fuming mind off of things.

On the other side of the city, in Lou’s spacious loft, Tammy had gathered the other ladies, vigorously typing lists on her phone as she paced back and forth.

“Really, Tam, you’re overthinking this! Why do you feel the need to go through all this?” Lou sighed, swirling her glass of rye.

“Because it has to be just right,” Tammy snapped back.

Everyone knew how detail-oriented and perfectionist Tammy was. It was a life-saver for criminal activity and ensured safety for the gang to get through undetected. But sometimes, in ordinary life, it was a bit overkill.

“I really don’t think Y/N needs all this, babe,” Nineball added, lounging in a large, velvety bean bag and a joint between her lips. “Lou’s right, you’re overthinking it.”

“Listen, she’s my girlfriend, and this is my plan. Can you please just be a little bit supportive of this?” Tammy threw her hands up, exasperated.

“Her birthday isn’t for another month,” Debbie pointed out.

“Exactly, I’m already running behind!”

The remaining seven shared a few bemused glances before Daphne handed Tammy a glass of wine to calm down. Debbie sighed, pulled up a chair and reached for the snack bowl.

“Alright, what’s the plan, TamTam?”

You still had one of Lou’s door keys from the last heist, and figured it was the best time to return it. It was starting to get late, and it was a bit of a walk, but you didn’t mind. The fresh air did good for your nerves and bad mood.

You hadn’t seen Lou in ages either, so you figured a quick catch-up was needed too. Not even thinking, you used the key to let yourself in, washed over by warm light coming from inside, and-

Laughter? Music?

You froze. The first person you saw, of course, was Tammy. Your eyes were drawn to her in any room, always. She was laughing, nursing a drink in her hand, chatting with Lou and Debbie, who looked equally as pleased.

There was popcorn popping in the microwave, and the TV was showing a movie. Your heart sank little by little, as you realized that yes, they really had gotten tired of you. You didn’t register the pile of paper and notes on the coffee table, at all.

Lou saw you first, and went a little pale. She registered the keys in your hands were hers, and it clicked in her brain why you were there. She nudged Debbie, who immediately turned off the music, as if they’d been caught doing something illegal.

Then Tammy turned her head and saw you, her beautiful smile fading away instantly. Her mouth hung open a little, as if she didn’t know what to make of you standing there, in the flesh.

Suddenly your confusion melted into anger, and your heart broke little by little as they stood there, staring at you, not even bothering to say anything.

You tossed the keys to the floor, turned around, and slammed the front door shut.

No one was moving. Tammy’s brain was lagging, still trying to register why you looked so distraught, so betrayed. The rest of the group eyed her shyly. Constance had a mouth full of popcorn that she was afraid to chew down on because of how loud it would be in the silence.

“You fucking idiot,” Rose was the first to speak up- Tammy was shocked to hear her swear. “What’re you doing jus’ standing there? Get out and go after her!”

“Yeah,” Amita said, “she didn’t look too happy when seeing all of us.”

“Did you tell her where you would be today, Tam?” Debbie questioned her, looking her squarely in the eye. Tammy bit her lip, and shook her head. Cue a collective frustrated groan.

“Tammy, we love you, but you can be so stupid sometimes,” Lou said, grabbing her glass from her. “Go on!”

Tammy nearly stumbled over her heels as she hurried after you, fearing she wouldn’t be able to find you in the dark.

“Y/N?” she called out, frantically looking out as the door closed behind her. She spun around, looking left and right. “Y/N!”

“Stop yelling,” you snapped. She turned and saw you leaning against a streetlamp, face washed in eerie light.

“You’re still here,” she said, relieved.

“No, I’m just waiting for a cab,” you said, not meeting her gaze. “You should go back to your party.”

“Do you want to come inside?” she asked you, wringing her hands.

“No, thanks,” you said, shoving your hands deep in your pockets. “I wasn’t invited, so.”

“Oh, Y/N, I didn’t mean to-,”

“No, no, you clearly did,” you shook your head, interrupting her. “It’s fine, really. But next time you get sick of me, have the fucking courtesy to actually break up with me, please?”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re barely answering any of my texts, and every time we talk you’re miles away. And now you’re throwing a party with the whole team, except for me. What gives?”

“It’s not what you think!”

“What the hell am I supposed to think, then? Do you even realize what the past few weeks have been like for me? Jesus, Tammy, I’ve been worried sick.”

Tammy didn’t know what to say. She didn’t want to lose you, she knew she couldn’t lose you, but to explain the plans and explain everything she’d prepared would ruin so, so much.

“Y/N, I love you with my entire heart. I can explain, I promise.”

“No, forget it,” a cab pulled up to the sidewalk and you yanked open the door. “Come back when you’ve made up your mind, I guess. Unless it’s something I don’t want to hear. Bye, Tammy.”

With that, the cab sped away, and you left a stunned Tammy standing on the sidewalk.

It was nearly two weeks later. You didn’t know how on earth you got this far without talking to Tammy at all, but you figured you made it clear where you stood. If she never talked to you again, you understood the message, and you were through.

A bit overdramatic, maybe, you wondered? If it was, you weren’t prepared to be the first one to cave. You wouldn’t go begging and crawling back to her. You were too stubborn and proud- even with the constant crying over the past few days.

You were sitting at a bar, drinking a sweet and fruity drink while watching some mindless sports game on the monitor when a familiar blonde slid into the seat next to you.

“Go away,” you said, not looking at Lou. She waved her hand, and the bartender set to work on a drink for her.

“Good evening to you too, sweetheart,” she said.

“What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing. This is my bar after all,” she received her drink and took a big gulp, leaning forward on the bar and looking over at you.

“No it isn’t,” you frowned, trying to piece your memory together. “Your club is dozens of blocks from here.”

“Yeah, and then I bought almost every bar and club on this side of the city. You’re looking at one rich-ass owner, Y/N.” Lou grinned, but you couldn’t be bothered to return the smile.

“Well, congrats Lou. No need to rub it in. Some of us are meant to just be broke.”

“Since when did you become such a downer?”

“Uh, since my girlfriend decided her life was better off without me?” you scoffed.

“Is that really what she said to you?” Lou asked, blue eyes piercing. You shifted in your seat.

“Not exactly, but I know when people are tired of me,” you muttered. “Walking in on the whole team who went through hell together having a party without me kinda sends a clear message.”

Lou chewed her lip, and sighed. She pushed the empty glass away from her and took her time to unwrap a stick of gum.

It was quiet between the two of you as she got up and straightened her jacket, flicking her bleach blonde hair away from her eyes.

“It wasn’t a party, Y/N,” she said. “Talk to Tammy. She’s been absolute shit the past week.”

You bristled, not wanting to think about Tammy again. But Lou left you to it, paying for your drink, and headed out the door. You rubbed your face, tired, and lonely, and cursing yourself for letting it get this far.

Hesitantly, you took out your phone, reading the ‘six new voicemails’ notification, and lingering your finger over the green listening button. All from Tammy.

“Hey, Y/N. Giving me a taste of my own medicine, huh?” A weak laugh. “I’m sorry for not responding or talking more with you.. you have every right to be angry.”

You got up and headed home slowly, going through each voicemail carefully, listening at least twice.

“God I don’t even know where to start. It’s been so... empty without you. Please call me soon? There’s so much I want to tell you.”

Turning multiple corners, you put on your sunglasses, hoping it would hide the tears threatening to spill over.

“I feel terrible. And the girls are mad at me for letting you get away. Not-not like you ran away, but- but not fighting for you, you know? For such a stupid, stupid reason too. I, uh, hm... I miss you.”

I miss you. You stared at your front door, listening as the voicemail ended, frozen. You were mere steps from getting inside, but there was something in the way.

Tammy looked over her shoulder, standing on your doorstep, and you nearly burst into tears all over again. She was startled just like you were, surprised to see you there.

Your arm dropped limply to your side, voicemail forgotten, and you took a shaky breath,

“I miss you too.”

You sat across each other awkwardly. You offered her a cup of tea, she politely declined. Tammy was carrying a large tote bag with things inside, and you were intrigued, but didn’t make any effort to start the conversation. You would remain stoic, and not cave. No matter how beautiful she looked, how rosy her cheeks were, how done up her hair was. But there were giant bags under her eyes that you could not ignore, and something pulled at your heartstrings.

“You look well,” Tammy said, smiling weakly.

“No I don't,” you replied. Her face fell. “Neither do you.” Ouch.

“Crazy what only two weeks can do to a person, right?” she chuckled hoarsely.

She continued, “I realize that... that I didn’t handle things very well, with how it ended.. on the sidewalk that night.”

“Hmm.”

Her fingers were shaking, and your resolve nearly crumbled. She reached into the bag and grabbed a massive binder, nearly bursting with the amount of pages. Your name was written in thick letters on the front.

“This is why I wasn’t talking to you,” she muttered, bashfully. “And I realized that keeping this a secret from you isn’t worth the risk of losing you.. like, actually losing you and never getting to have you in my life again.”

Your mouth fell open as you turned to the first page. It was one of those massive wedding planner books that some young girls like to have when dreaming of their future wedding.

Only it was for your birthday. Lists and lists of your favourite music, your favourite foods, restaurants, colours and clothes. Plans for venues, DJs, special outings and reservations. Plans for each member of the team to take care of little things; drinks, dances, meals, performers...

“Oh my god,” you whispered.

“It was going to be your first birthday with the two of us really together. It was supposed to be a surprise... perfect and special. I guess I went a little over the top..” she rubbed her neck with her hand and blushed.

“Tammy... oh my god,” you kept saying, with every new page, and new intricate lists and ideas. “Oh my god.”

“This is incredible,” you breathed, tears falling freely now. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“No no, I should be the one apologizing,” Tammy replied firmly. “I should have told you.”

“But then it wouldn’t have been a surprise! Oh my god, I should have been more trusting in you,” you cried softly. “Tammy, oh, god. Tammy, I love you so much.”

Every detail was spot-on. She knew you inside and out, like no one else ever knew you. No one had ever cared so deeply for you, to think so deeply for you.

Now Tammy was crying too, and you were two blubbering messes, clasping hands across the table and spilling tears on the pages. Thankfully, they were laminated.

“I’ve scrapped it all,” Tammy confessed.

Your head snapped up, “What?”

“Well, when I say scrapped.. I rescheduled it for next year.. I didn’t think that you would want this anymore. Not after what I did.”

“Debbie thought it a good idea to just move it to next year, in case you still wanted it, and.. well, in case you and I are still...” she cleared her throat, face red, not wanting to finish her sentence for fear of jinxing it.

You pushed your chair back and walked over to her, cupping her face and kissing her sweetly. She melted in your touch.

“Of course I’ll still want it,” you said, brushing her mouth with your lips. “I want you.”

“So-, are- are we o-okay?” Tammy’s breath hitched with increasing sobs and you kissed her, again and again.

“Yes, yes, yes,” you laughed, kissing her tears away. “I don’t want anything except you.”

“Good,” Tammy giggled, “because I don’t think I had anymore energy to finish these plans.”

“When did you start making this?”

“About a month ago.”

“Oh, Tammy, my God,” you threw your head back, understanding why she had gotten so distanced now. “You can’t possibly think all of that-” gesturing to the thick book, “would be possible to plan in just a few weeks right? Not with your perfectionist habits, at least.”

“Hey,” Tammy warned, but her eyes were twinkling.

“Plus, I love every single detail you put in there, I swear, but I don’t need anything except you and the people we love on my birthday. Seriously.”

“Good, because that’s exactly what Lou offered after she slapped some sense into me,” Tammy confessed. “A party at her loft or one of her clubs? And then.. cake?”

“Yes!” you clapped your hands. “Our friends, and cake.”

You slid forward to sit in Tammy’s lap and pressed your warm face in her neck, kissing her there and hugging her closely.

“That’s all I need,” you murmured. “That’s how it’s supposed to be.”

Tammy let out another sob, wrapping her arms around you tightly and kissing the side of your head, nuzzling your hair without abandon.

A/N: A bit longer than usual but I wanted to do the lovely request justice :D Miscommunication is such a bitch... especially when it doesn’t work out, but in this fiction land it does!! We love soft!Tammy~

#tammy #tammy oceans 8 #tammy x you #sarah paulson #sarah paulson x you #sarah paulson character #wlw #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbtqia #ocean's eight #oceans8 #oceans 8 #oceans 8 fanfic #ocean's 8 #cate blanchett #Sandra bullock #fanfiction #merry writes

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whywasdumbbitchjuicealreadytaken · 4 years

Text

The Ballad Of [Y/N] Berry

(Bad guy sanses x female!reader)

Ooooohhh~

Down on your knees before the queen~

You walk down the halls, clinging onto your boyfriend's- G sans's- arm as your "friends" followed not to far from you

Ooooohhh~

Down on your knees before the queen~

The bad guys had gone to [Universe] to check out a shape-able glitch. Since she hadn't been in any other universes, all she needed was a little shove to set her on the right path...

"[Y/N] Berry was a popular bitch. Hot bod, hot boy, cheer captain, plus she was rich~" Nightmare was reading what he knew about the glitch off to the bad sanses

That girl had everything, till hiccup and hitched; Julie Jenkins lost a leg in a crash (Am-pu-ta-ted)

Horror, raspberry, and dust were the first to observe you. Killer was supposed to be here but he was was still healing up after the initial crash that he had caused. Raspberry's eyes examined your body, he elbowed dust and pointed you out to him. He didn't bother with horror, seeing as he was already staring..

The nominations for prom royalty came,

You smirked to yourself, you knew you were going to win just like every other year

Our [Y/N]'s senior year, and queen was her claim...

You felt someone tap your shoulders. You spun around to see, it was fell and cross from your biology class. "don't worry sweetheart we'll vote for ya." Fell wink, cross energetically nadded as an agreement and the two walked away. "Uh.. thanks i guess?" You muttered.

Till gossip stirred, the student body would name Julie Jenkins, queen of prom. (Pi-ty-Vote)

You blinked in shock as you saw the votes and what people were saying. An arm around your waist pulled you into a taller figure

"[Y/N]," G sans said "Life is like a prom, i know you wont disappoint me and mom..?".

With that, he walked away. Your mother died in an accident when you were 6 and whenever you fail, you always felt as if you were disappointing her..

"You taste the silver [Y/N]? You taste the crown?" Your desk neighbor, Bill, asked you. You simply ignored him. You heard someone tap you desk and you look up to see Alisans(alistor sans..?)

"You thirst for blood from the roses in hand." He told you. You stood up. "May i be excused??". The teacher nodded and you left the class.

You spoil for stash and scepter, music to dance, as they crown you queen of highschool land~

CHECK [Y/N]

CHOOSE [Y/N]

VOTE, FOR [Y/N] BERRY

Your eyes widened to see red X's on your vote for [Y/N] posters

CHECK [Y/N]

CHOOSE [Y/N]

VOTE FOR [Y/N] BERRY

You reported it to the principal then went about your day. Everything was normal until..

So obsessed our [Y/N] near lost her mind. To life Un-prom related, [Y/N] was blind.

Prom was getting to you. The pressure you were getting from G sans, your friends, and the constant feeling of someone watching you was driving you insane. Was worse, is it seems G was paying more attention to Julie then you..

She shoved her squad, her clique and boyfriend behind, Still one-leg Julie held to the lead. (Poor, poor Julie)

You sighed and ran your hand through your hair.

Soon [Y/N]'s sanity was hung by a thread, Her B.F.F.'s proclaimed her socially dead.

Your eyes narrowed 'fine. I don't need them!' You huffed and sat in your seat next to cross in chemistry. Atleast you still had G. You saw your boyfriend looking at you. You smile at G, but it quickly faltered when he turned away and began talking to Julie. You felt your phone buzz

Till then, at last, her boyfriend texted and said: "I'm taking Julie to the senior Prom." (Love, love Julie)

Your heart dropped and you decided to confront him after class. "G," you said calmly "what the hell? Why are you taking julie??".

"[Y/N]" G said "why be so calm, theres just no future for a Princess of prom."

You sat at home, on the evening of prom, shakily putting on your eyeliner and black lipstick/ lip gloss. You tried to hold your smiled but you couldn't keep a smiled and hold back tears at the same time..

You taste the Silver [Y/N]! You taste the crown.

You watch as your tears, accompanied by long black tears slowly fell down your face

You thirst for blood from the roses in handYou spoil for sash and scepter, music to dance, As they crown you Queen of High School Land.

You're smile faltered and you realize what must be done in order to be queen. You put on your blue flowy dress, it was off shoulder and had a slit in the left side.

Ooooh~

You walked downstairs and opened the front door to see Alisans, he handed you a hammer and kissed your hand then caressed your cheek. He handed you a rose and took you to G'S house.

Down on your knees before the queen~

You arrived at G's house found him walking towards his car, her ran up behind him and smashed a hole in the back if his skull.

Ooooooh~

You mercilessly stomped his head in and watched him turn to dust. But you weren't done.

Get on your knees before the queen~

You walked in front of the school and felt a hand grab your own. You looked up to see Bill, he winked and you smiled. He handed you a white rose and led you inside.

"$0m£ g!r|$ @r€ r@t!0^@| bUt [Y/N] ₩@$ ^0t"[translation: some gurks are rational, but [Y/N] was not]

Error told Nightmare with a smirk as the two watched. You had gone inside the bathroom.

She stared in mirrors thinking one single thought: There's seven reasons this crown's not good as got. And so the night of Prom, mercy! Thus went her plot;

Bill had gave you rat poisoning, you dumped it in one of your "friend's" punch, her blood had gotten on your rose.

"P" is for Patricia, drinking poisoned punch

Fell had came up next to you and snaked an arm around your waist. He took you outside and gave you a rock, while you were scanning the area you spotted Raquel.

"R" is for Raquel, dashed on a rock (crunch)

Fell handed you a blood cover rose. Cross grabbed your hand and brought you out back. Anne was busy getting high. You picked up a nearby brick and bashed her brains in.

"O" is what Anne said when Sara bludgeoned her brains

Cross kissed your cheek and handed you a blood rose like fell did. You went back inside where horror greeted you. You both went to a classroom, where you found Marianna. Horror showed you how to chop her up just right

And "M" is Marianna's marinated remains.

Horror pulled you into himself. He wrapped one arm around your waist and the other rested on your lower back. He swayed side to side in a sort of dancing motion. You smiled and rested your head on his shoulder with your hands on his chest.

But!But!

Dust cleared his throat. Horror scoffed and stopped swaying, he handed you a blood covered rose and winked at you. You went over to dust and held his arm. He led you to the school pool you spotted another friend and you made you work quick.

"Q" is for Quiara, quiet, drowned in the pool.

Dust gave you a bloody rose and took you to the kitched. In there, you helped raspberry chop up the body of Eunice.

"U" is for Eunice's pieces spread round the school

Raspberry gave you a rose and you left to find Julie..

But "E's" are for the easy way in five minutes tops. A one-legg'd girl can bring an "N" for end by calling the cops.(what a bitch)

You got your silver [Y/N], you got your crown

Nightmare placed a crown on your head

You got their blood on your roses in hand

Error gave you the roses using his strings

You donned the sash and scepter, doing a dance,

The bad sanses all took turns dancing with you on stage

As you crowned you Queen of High School Land!

You watched them leave with a smile on your face, this is all you've ever wanted. This is all you could of ever hoped.

Woah-oh-oh-oh, Oh, Oh!

God save the Queen...

Down on your knees before the Queen.

God save the Queen.

After about 30 minutes, you see flashing blue and red lights outside. You walk out, ready to accept your fate.

Woah-oh-oh-oh, Oh, Oh!

The Queen of High School Land.

Down on your knees before the Queen.

The Queen of High School Land.

They wrapped your wrists in silver, they took your crown

Your eyes widened as you watched them put the crown into an evidence bag "WAIT NO! STOP!" You cried as your dreams began to be taken away from you.

As they washed your bloody fingers and hands.

You weren't ready to go, you bit and scratched to the people who tried to wash you. They ended sedating you.

Into a tight straitjacket, small padded cell, As you screamed,

"I'm the queen of highschool land!!" You screeched and ran into the door repeatedly. The doctors came back in and sedated you again. The next thing you knew, you were in the arms of nightmare

At least in your head, you're Queen of High School Land.....

It had been several years, but you found julie. The boys[and Sunny] have been very affectionate and protective of you, Even error! Yeah I'll let that soak in.

Pity the dead! You're Queen of High School Land.

You began walking through the halls every sans you'd pass would sinister-ly grin.

CHECK [Y/N]

CHOOSE [Y/N]

VOTE FOR [Y/N] BERRY

Everyone gathered in the throne room as you approached it, you were dragging a crying,screaming,pleading, and begging Julie behind you by her hair.

CHECK [Y/N]

CHOOSE [Y/N]

VOTE FOR [Y/N] BERRY

You walked in and error shut the doors. A series of screams,applause,and laughter were heard from the throne room not long after.

#the ballad of sara berry #songfic #sans x reader #bad guy sans #error x reader #spotify #horror x reader #nightmare x reader #dust x reader #cross x reader #raspberry x reader #bill sans x reader #fell x reader #alastor sans x reader #[y/n]#Sunny sans #g sans

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littledraga · 3 years

Text

Messenger Roomba

It had been a quiet day at the manor, for once. Something everyone had been trying to make the most of it. Especially The Spine, as he sat in his room, pouring over a new song. Lyrics had been bouncing around in his head for a while now. He just had to make them make sense.

While he was working away, scribbling in a notepad, a Roomba slipped into his room. Without doors, it wasn’t uncommon, and he hardly gave them a thought. At least until they bumped into his leg and beeped.

He glanced down and raised an eyebrow. There was a piece of paper stuck to their head.

Strange, he thought as he picked up the folded paper to read what was inside. Likely someone had just missed a trash can, but it wouldn’t hurt to look.

Hastily scribbled on one side in glittering ink, it simply read: ‘Hi Spine!’ and was signed with a large R.

Spine sighed and gently pinched the bridge of his nose. Really? He thought to himself. Sitting up a little, he pinged Rabbit over the wifi. “You can just ping me if you want to talk, Rabbit. You know that.”

Nothing.

Another sigh and he put the paper down on the desk. Rabbit and her weird ideas. There were easier ways to talk if she had something to say. It wasn’t like their rooms were that far apart either if she really needed him.

Intent on throwing away the note and getting back to work, Spine noticed the Roomba still sitting there, waiting.

“Oh, fine! But only because it’s you,” he told them as he turned the paper over. In a neat manuscript, he wrote back: ‘Hello, Rabbit.’ And signed it with an S. Putting it back on the Roomba, he smiled at their excited beep as they zoomed away.

A messenger Roomba, not the weirdest thing in the manor. Not even the oddest Roomba. Rollie had finally learned to roll without their training wheels. It was a proud moment for Spine. If this one wanted to pass along notes, he supposed it didn’t really hurt.

Hopefully, that would keep Rabbit busy for a while, and he could get back to work. He wanted to, at least, get the idea written out before turning in for the night.

He at least had a few moments of peace before Roomba came rolling in again and beeping to get his attention. Another note was placed carefully on their top. Picking it up, he opened it up to read it.

‘Whatcha doin’?’ was scribbled on it with the same glittering ink. He didn’t have any expectations that it would be important if she was sending notes via Roomba, but she could have at least put some effort into it, honestly!

All the same, he turned it over again. ‘I’m working on a new song.’ Maybe that would give him some peace.

That was a short lived hope as another note came in shortly after. This was probably the worst way they could be communicating right now. But he humoured her and read the next note.

‘Me too! I’m stuck on the chorus. How many ‘La’s are too many?’

He groaned and put his head in his hand. If she wanted to talk about music like this, they’d be there all night. It wasn’t worth the effort. Instead of answering, he wrote back. ‘Rabbit, this conversation would go a lot faster if you just pinged me over the wifi.’

Less time between visits this time. Rabbit had sent her lyrics over with a few question marks on top.

This was easier at least. Relenting, he went over her song, jotting down notes in the margins, and corrected some spelling mistakes. Honestly, for a bot with built in internet access, why did she misspell so many words? Once he thought he had caught everything he could mention or help with, he sent it back with the Roomba who beeped happily along.

He at least got more time to work on his own song while she read through his notes. It was good to know she at least took his advice seriously, even if she rarely took him seriously any other time.

A simple ‘Thanks’ and a doodle of Rabbit giving a peace sign was all she sent.

He supposed it was polite to thank him, but, ‘Rabbit, the Roombas have work to do.’ He tried to remind her as he sent the Roomba off to, hopefully, get some work of their own done. And maybe, just maybe, he could finish his too.

Or she would just ignore when he reminded her of things she didn’t want to do. But this time, it was a bit longer.

'Isn’t this neat! It’s like sending secret messages! Like before everyone else got on wifi!’

Ah. Now he understood where these notes were coming from.

There had been a time when they were the only ones that could connect wirelessly, at least within the manor walls. Rabbit must have missed it. Now that Spine was thinking about it, he did too. They had told each other jokes and comforted each other when they couldn’t speak.

Sometimes it made the lonely nights in the labs easier. When they were too far away to talk with each other, or when they were too nervous to power down. They could at least talk and feel like they were still in the same room. It reminded him that he wasn’t really ever alone, even if they couldn’t be together.

Now with cellphones and tablets, everyone was buzzing around. A constant drone they had to block out to get some peace. They didn’t talk as freely as they used to.

Grinning a bit to himself, he wrote back. Opting to be just a little cheeky, he didn’t have to be serious all the time. ‘Just be careful they aren’t intercepted.’

Work all but forgotten, he waited for the next note to come.

He didn’t have to wait long.

‘Nah! This one is faster than GG, I checked.’ Along with the note, Rabbit had doodled GG sitting down and pouting.

The Spine couldn’t help but laugh, hard, when he saw it. GG must have been upset to lose. And likely hated that she wasn’t in the know.

‘Good! Then maybe we can get some peace for once.’

‘So! What song are you working on Spine-o!’

Right, he had been working. Looking the paper over, he hummed softly. He could explain it to her. Or he could just send it to her with the help of the Roomba.

Beeping happily, they scooted off down the hall and to his sister’s room. In the distance, he could hear GG yell for them to come to her. He laughed.

When he got his notepad back, it was covered in little hearts in different colours.

He smiled as he looked it over and sat it back down. Along with his music, there was another note.

‘Did you get dumped again?’

Steam rushed through his vents as he heated up. ‘No!’ He hastily scribbled back and sent it back. He hadn’t had a date to get dumped by, but that was hardly the point. Rude!

He was still pouting when the Roomba came back again.

‘We’ve got a real nice blender that just came in the other day, I could introduce you.’

Chuckling, he shook his head while he put the note on his desk to respond.

‘No thanks, Rabbit. We don’t have the same tastes in appliances.’ Still chuckling to himself, he sent the Roomba off. They spent the rest of the evening talking before he gave up on his song and laid down for the night. It was nice to just talk for a while.

In the middle of the night, the Roomba rolled in again, gently bumping into his bed frame.

Groaning softly, Spine rubbed his face before blindly reaching for the Roomba and the note. He didn’t mind the notes, but they needed time to recharge and rest. If it was an early morning pun, he was going to ignore her.

It wasn’t a pun. There were no words at all, just a poor doodle of a sad face. It took his brain a moment to warm up enough to understand what that meant.

It was a bad night again. She hadn’t had one of those in ages. Or maybe, it had just been ages since she had let anyone know. That was concerning, she should know she could always come to him if something was wrong. Rabbit may have been the oldest, but he was the support of the manor.

Sitting up, he tried to wake up enough to go check on her. Only, she hadn’t come when she knew she could. He tried to ping her over the wifi, only to be greeted with silence. So, that’s how it was.

Padding over to his desk, he turned on the desk lamp and pulled out a piece of paper. ‘It’s all right, Rabbit. I’m here whenever you need me,’ he reminded her and sent the note off.

He leaned back in his chair while he waited. Time seemed to drag on forever while he sat there, minutes ticking by too slowly for his liking.

Eventually, the Roomba did wheel their way back to him. He hardly waited for them to stop before grabbing the note.

‘I know. It’s just hard talkin’ about it. Ya know?’

He smiled softly. Yeah, he understood that just fine. If she didn’t want to talk about it, that was just fine.

‘It’s okay, you don’t have to.’ Spine couldn’t draw like his sister, but he doodled a little guitar with musical notes floating around it.

On the really bad nights, they sang together or made up silly stories to distract each other from what was bothering them. It wasn’t the same as connecting to each other, but they talked through the night, changing lyrics in songs to be silly and making jokes until light started to filter into The Spine’s window. He hadn’t even noticed how late it was.

‘How are you feeling?’

‘A lot better, thanks.’

It was a relief. Spine knew he couldn’t make everything go away. Things were never that simple, even when your brain’s composed of wires.

‘I’m glad.’ He doodled his own face with a thumbs up. Or well, as close as he could manage on his own.

When there came no reply, he worried a little. She probably just fell asleep, likely had none at all.

Putting away his pen, Spine looked to his bed. There was time to get some more sleep, at least, but he thought better of it. It wasn’t like he needed a full night's sleep. He wasn’t human after all.

Putting on a fresh suit, he was adjusting his fedora when the Roomba finally came back. Kneeling down, he gave them a pat. “Thanks for all the help, buddy. I really appreciate it.”

Instead of a note, it was a picture. The two of them were sitting at the duck pond and laughing. He could get a hint.

Getting a fresh piece of paper, he carefully sat the picture on his desk to keep.

‘I’ll see you soon, Rabbit. Don’t forget the feed, you remember last time, don’t you?’

Having a messenger Roomba was nice, but nothing beat talking face to face.

#spg #fanfic

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purplesurveys · 3 years

Text

1062

survey by chrissylee22dc

Achievements: I guess I’m being asked to list some of mine...some of the ones I’m proudest of, at least, are graduating university with honors, landing a job (liking it is a big bonus), and taking up leadership positions.

Age: I am 22, but never felt quite like it.

Are you planning something right now? Kind of. I’m eyeing a long road trip to Tanay with just myself and go to one of their coffee shops, but idk when I’ll be able to do that. My wallet and bank account are still beat from Christmas lol (and until now I’m still buying gifts for friends), so it might have to wait until sometime next month.

Arizona or Alaska: I think Arizona weather is already quite like ours here, so I might enjoy Alaska a bit (if not a lot) more. There’s generally a lot more factors I find interesting with Alaska, like their food.

Birthdate: April 21st.

Build: I’m quite thin and underweight, but I actually recently made plans to start working out - both to make an effort to be healthy with myself, and also to feel good post-breakup. I’m hoping to see some changes in my body and build in the coming months.

Babies, do you have any? None of those, not sure if that’s still the plan for me.

Blonde or Brunette: Brunette.

Childhood sweetheart: Erm, does Gab count? We technically weren’t kids anymore when we first got together. I wasn’t attracted to anyone as a kid and was more concerned with growing my Pokemon pogs collection.

Current mood: I’m hungry and can go for savory breakfast foods right now, like shakshuka or huevos rancheros. Also a little anxious because I really don’t want to think about work, but tasks continue to pile up for a certain client.

Children, are there more in your future? There aren’t even any to begin with.

Coke or Pepsi: Pepsi just because it reminds me of Punk and my chaotic wrestling fangirl years.

Dad's name: Edgardo, but no one calls him by that full name. He has two nicknames; one of which he hates and only family and friends use, and the other is the name he has permanently introduced himself as in his workplace.

Dating anyone: Not anymore.

Do you plan on having lots of money? Don’t most people?

Dogs or cats: Dogs.

Elementary School: I’m not sharing that.

Eye color: Dark brown/black.

Ever going to China? Probably not right now considering the present situation. I’d love to go to the rural cities and have a peek into their country life.

Early or Late: EARLY. Lateness is a big pet peeve, unless the excuse is super reasonable like Manila traffic or a car accident.

First Crush: The first person I felt remotely attractive to was Andi, from 6th grade. Then she moved to New Zealand and the crush quickly faded out.

Fears: For concrete things, I hate cockroaches and fair rides. For bigger concepts, I fear getting left behind, failing, and not getting approval, and the idea of never being satisfied or happy with who I am, what I’ve done, or where I’ve gone.

Future goals: Have a place of my own, be able to sustain myself, and keep myself alive.

Funny or Serious: I think everyone has to have both sides. I wouldn’t want to hang out long with people who can’t be sat down to just shoot the shit with conversations that go a little deeper. At the same time, I’d be quickly bored with someone who talks about existential or philosophical topics 24/7 and takes everything seriously.

Grandparent's names: On my dad’s side, Dolores and Federico; on my mom’s side, Agnes and Jun. My maternal grandpa is the third in multiple generations of Abelardos in the family, but his nickname is simply ‘Jun,’ because Philippines.

GPA: We don’t measure our grades with that, but we do have a GWA; I’m just not sure how that can be converted to GPA. Mine was in the 1.47 range, which was good enough for cum laude honors. I barely missed out on a magna cum laude honor (which required a 1.45 GWA), so that’s something I’ve always been pressed about and I know I could have clinched it if the pandemic didn’t cancel my final semester, which would’ve given me the chance to pull up my grades.

Going anywhere this weekend? I don’t think so. I want to spend the remaining 5 days of my break completely unproductively.

Giver or Taker: Giver. I like pleasing people.

High School: I attended one school from kindergarten to high school.

Hair color: Black.

Hate anyone for life? I don’t think so. I dislike some people, but I can’t tell if I’ll feel that way for the rest of my life.

Hairspray or Gel: When I’m going somewhere or attending something fancy, I use hair gel to hold my hair down.

In 8th grade, who was your best friend? Eighth grade is freshman year of high school, right? In that case, my best friend was Gabie.

Is ignorance bliss? Sometimes it is. I like no longer being updated about Gabie’s life. Back when I still tried to push my way in, I was miserable. I stopped doing so over the holidays and I just stopped reaching out, stopped trying to communicate, everything. I’ve been a lot happier that way.

Is there anything you wanna share? That’s kinda the goal with every survey I take.

Ice Cream or Cake: Right now, maybe ice cream. I’m very picky about cake, and I don’t like the spongy ones aka most cakes I know.

Jumped rope for fun: That’s exactly what I use jump ropes for. I don’t think I ever used it for fitness or working out except for maybe PE.

Junk around you right now? I mean, not really. I have my embroidery stuff in a pile beside me, but I don’t consider them junk.

Joining anything anytime soon? Not planning on it. I briefly considered joining a gym as a new thing to do for 2021, but in the end I figured working out at home would be enough. Angela recommended the latter as well, so that’s how I abandoned my gym plans quickly haha.

January or July: I guess July? January always feels just a teeny bit stranger than other months, considering it’s the beginning of a new year.

Killed anyone: ...This serious?

Keeping a secret? I keep different secrets from different people.

Kicking someone off your top friends today? I don’t think that’s a thing anymore. Hasn’t been for a while.

Kiwi or Apple: Apple, just because I’ve never had the chance to taste kiwi.

Lost anyone close to you: I’ve lived 22 years, of course I have. I’d be very surprised if someone has lived that long but has never experienced losing people, whether from a fallout, from death, etc. Just this year alone I lost a great-aunt on my maternal grandpa’s side, and a ton of relatives from my maternal grandma’s side.

Last kiss, when and who: Gabie, three months ago.

List 3 people that you'll love forever: I can only think of Angela. And of course, Gab.

Lover or Fighter: Fighter, I suppose. I can be relentless. Right now with my breakup has been the only time I allowed myself to take a step back and not forcibly take things under my control for once.

Middle School: We don’t follow the concept of middle school here. The levels in middle school fall under elementary school as well.

Marital Status: Single.

Mom's name: Abigail.

Music or TV: TV.

Northernmost state you've been to: Batanes, which is as northernmost as northernmost gets in the Philippines.

Nickname: A lot of family members call me Byn, but for the most part Robyn has always been my main nickname.

Name your future boy and girl: I have yet to make up my mind about this.

Naughty or Nice: Nice. I never particularly feel ~naughty, and since the breakup I especially haven’t felt the need to be sexual.

Opened a piece of mail that wasn't yours? Sometimes I’ll open the electricity or water bill addressed to my parents out of curiosity just to find out how much we consumed in the last month. But nothing more than that.

Occupation: I’m an associate at a PR agency.

Owe anyone money: Nope.

Outgoing or Shy: Shy at first but I can get outgoing once I’ve warmed up to a person/situation.

Place you most want to be? Right now? I’d love to be at a coffee shop or bar at a higher altitude, with a view of the city. I used to go to a lot of these before the pandemic hit, but now I’m thinking of doing it again.

Purposely destroyed someone’s life? No.

Planning a major trip? Not really. Most tourist spots require swab tests and I am not having anything go up my nose.

Pink or Black? Love both, but I like pink ever so slightly more.

Quit a class: I’ve never dropped a class. I’ve wanted to, but there was so much paperwork to fill out to do so and I also didn’t want to be behind on my overall schedule.

Quickly...the first word to come to mind: Whistle, because the pink/black question reminded me of Blackpink.

Quitting your job soon? No lol I’m barely two months in.

Quiet or Loud: I can be both, but these days I’ve been quieter.

Riding in an airplane: I have no idea what this is asking.

Ride, tell me about yours: ^ Same.

Running for any political office in the future? No plans to.

Rain or Snow: I guess rain, since it’s the only one I’ve experienced.

Siblings names and ages: Nina is 20, my brother is 17.

Shoe size: I fit anywhere between a size 6 to 7.

Shave daily? It used to be daily, but I haven’t had the need to since the quarantine began.

Shower or Bath: Shower.

Turning 21 was (will be): It’s been a year since then.

Texas, ever been? No but I have relatives who live there, so it’s one of my choice states to visit and stay at if I ever plan to go to the US.

Think you'll live to be 100? I doubt it. I don’t have any relatives who lived until that age.

Tame or Wild: Idk, tame I guess?? I don’t know what this is asking.

Unique quality about you: I feel like this is a question best answered by other people who see and interact with me more than I do myself.

Underwear on? Yeah.

Under your bed lies: Large containers with all the magazines I collected from childhood that I can’t bring myself to throw out.

Under or Over: Idk, you have to be more specific.

Virgin? No.

Vacation time left? I have five days left, including today :( I plan to be the most unproductive or bum-y I’ve ever been, because I have no clue when I’ll have a break this long again.

Voting in the next Presidential election? Of course.

Volleyball or Swimming: I like swimming more, but I like watching volleyball.

Went white water rafting? I don’t think so, but I would give it a shot.

Wearing right now: A hoodie that’s around two sizes bigger for me.

Write a sentence about you: About anything? I’m a little upset with myself for having been a bit lousy with survey-taking during the holiday break. I planned on taking a lot to catch up on the ones I’ve missed out on, but so far I mostly take just one a day lol.

West Coast or East Coast: East.

X-Rays in the past month: 0.

X-Mas plans: Had a get-together with my mom’s side of the family on the 24th; we hosted our own Christmas party on the 25th; and we visited my dad’s side of the family on the 26th.

X, does it mark the spot? Idk.

X-Tina or Britney? Britney.

You lost "it" when? I mean, I’ve had more than one moment where I freaked out...

Your favorite song: I’m really in love with Saw You In A Dream by The Japanese House. My favorite songs come and go, but this one has been a constant.

Your favorite place on Earth: Sagada.

Yes or No: Idk. I’m not enjoying these vague ass questions.

Zodiac Sign: Taurus.

Zodiac Sign: Idk, I’m still a Taurus.

Zippos are neat, agree? I don’t have an opinion.

Zoo or Circus: Neither.

#survey #surveys

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thebluewickedmermaid · 3 years

Text

Breaking Us Both ~ Kuroo Tetsuro x OC

CHAPTER ONE: Leaving Me Hangin'

PLOT:

"Yeah, I couldn't get my eyes off her back then..." and my heart till now. He almost blurted out the last part and sighed.

It's been six years and yet the memories were so fresh like it was yesterday when he first laid eyes on her peculiar dark auburn locks and her steely gray eyes. The way she regarded him with distrust and annoyance... and curiosity. She should have just run instead of facing him head-on. Maybe they could have saved themselves a heartbreak. --- I DO NOT OWN THE ARTS IN MY COVER. ALL CREDITS BELONG TO THEIR RIGHTFUL OWNERS.

Y E A R : 2018

The bar was filled with cheers and laughter as the music reverberated in every corner. It was a Friday night, a night where workers filled their glasses and rejoice for the upcoming weekend after a long day of work, or where couples have their date, or where people reward themselves for their success, or simply just where acquaintances meet up after a long time of not seeing each other. Either way, it was a night to be remembered by most and the others long after a stressful week.

Kuroo on the other hand was on his way to the said bar for one reason only: to meet old acquaintances.

As he trudged his way inside, the music was already deafening. A lady wearing a sexy black waitress uniform came up to him once he made his way inside. Despite the on and off disco lights, he could clearly see the way her eyes raked his body like a predator to its prey which clearly made him uneasy. If he was his past self, he would have enjoyed every single moment of it. Alas, he was a changed man; more professional and more mature.

"What can I help you, sir?" she asked, or rather purred seductively at him.

Kuroo combed his bed-hair with his fingers and flashed her an uneasy smile. "I'm meeting with somebody who already has a reservation here. The name is Bokuto Koutaro."

The lady's eyes lighted up at the mentioned name. "Right this way," she said and gently grabbed hold of his biceps to guide him towards a booth on the other side of the bar where few people were sitting.

Kuroo could only sighed and let the lady do what she wants. He didn't want to embarass her in public since some eyes were on to them already.

Once they reached the last booth, she knocked twice before opening the door wide.

"One of your acquaintances is here," she announced.

"Thanks," Kuroo said and the waitress winked at him making him chuckle. Once he made his way inside, shouts of greetings welcomed him.

"Kuroo!" a man with spiky, white hair and black streaks boomed once the door closed and barraged him with a tight hug. It was none other than Bokuto Kotaro; a volleyball player for the Black Jackals who just won last week against the Adlers. It was an epic battle that moved everybody in the arena and everybody that they were acquainted with during their volleyball years came to watch.

Kuroo grinned before returning his hug.

"You're late!" he teased and punched him lightly on the shoulder.

"Yeah, sorry. Got stuck with something in the office," he apologized as his eyes scanned the small crowd inside the booth.

Akaashi Keiji, Tsukishima Kei, Daichi Sawamura, Sugawara Koshi, Iwaizumi Hajime, Kageyama Tobio, and of course Hinata Shoyo were huddled up in a round table already eating their fill. Unfortunately, Ushijima Wakatoshi, Kozume Kenma, Miya Atsumu, and Sakusa Kiyoomi did not make it for personal reasons.

"Well, well, isn't great to see you lot, again," he greeted with a sneer as he put a hand on his hip regarding each one with his hazel orbs.

"I couldn't say the same thing to you, though," a man with brown hair joked making the others in the room chuckle.

"Oy, Daichi, that's rude, man. You know you missed me," he joked back as he sat between Bokuto and Akaashi and in front of Daichi who offered him a drink which he gladly accepted.

"We all did!" Bokuto joined with rambunctious tone. "You barely hang out with us."

Kuroo rolled his eyes at him as he took a sip from his scotch. "I've been busy with work. We're launching Shrimpy's promotional video with Kodzuken in a few weeks," he explained, his hazel eyes landing on Hinata who gave him a thumbs up.

Despite his age is 22, he still looked like a kid that seeing him holding a glass of alcohol makes Kuroo want to snatch it away.

"Besides, haven't we just celebrated last week after your victory?" He added with a brow raised at Bokuto.

"It's a different story tonight," Akaashi commented before he put the grilled pork in his mouth. "Bokuto-san has an announcement to make."

Bokuto blushed a deep shade of red whether it was from the alcohol or from Akaashi's statement, Kuroo's attention piqued.

"AGAAASHI!!" Bokuto whined and crossed his arms on his chest. "Don't bring it up this early!"

"Oya? What is it?" he asked, turning his attention to his best bro who was suddenly fiddling with his fingers as if he was shy to tell the others his announcement. "Don't tell me you're going all shy all of the sudden? Are you finally realizing your hidden desires for me?"

"Shut up, Kuroo!" he snapped before he cleared his throat. He took a deep breath before a wide grin spread across his face. "She said 'Yes'."

A deafening silence surrounded the group once the news broke. Only the sound of the muffled music from the outside can be heard. An amused smile formed on Akaashi's face as the once loud group became mute.

A few more seconds had passed and when the news had sunk in, a loud gasp and cheers erupted.

"What the hell?!" Iwaizumi exclaimed and clasped hands with his trainee; a wide grin on his face. "Congratulations, man! That was unexpected!"

"Oho, oho, I’m surprised she accepted the proposal," sneered Tsukishima as he put a hand over his lips.

"Tsukki!" Bokuto growled and punched the giant lightly on the shoulder. "At least I have the guts to ask my girlfriend, unlike some other guy I know!" That shut Tsukishima up, Kuroo grinned. Bokuto's getting witty with his comebacks lately. Must be the influence of the soon-to-be-missus.

"You're really okay with this, Akaashi?!" Kuroo countered as he slammed his drinks on the table. "You're letting him marry your cousin?!"

"I already warned Addie-chan with what she's got herself into," Akaashi joked lightly and patted Bokuto's back over Kuroo's shoulders; his eyes turning serious despite the small smile on his face. "Besides, if Bokuto-san ever hurt or as much as make her tear up, he knows the shovel is all set--”

Bokuto gulped and backed away slowly from the threatening gaze his best friend was giving off.

"—is what I would say normally as the older cousin of your soon-to-be bride, had I not known you, Bokuto-san."

Kuroo sweat-dropped as the others laughed at Bokuto's uneasy expression. 'Well, that kept Bokuto in line,' he thought as he took a sip from his drinks. Nevertheless, he was thrilled for his best friend's future.

"So, when's the wedding?" Iwaizumi piped in. "Hopefully, I could get Trashykawa to attend it, too."

Kuroo's smile faltered slightly at the mention of the former Aoba Josaih captain.

"Oh yeah, where's Oikawa-san, by the way?" Sugawara asked looking over at Iwaizumi, who was Oikawa's best friend.

"He just arrived in the U.S. yesterday to meet with someone," Iwaizumi answered and tipped his drinks in one go but his eyes landed on Kuroo when he mentioned the 'someone' part. "He's set to arrive next week for a vacation."

Kuroo pursed his lips at the face Iwaizumi was sending him his way. His heart skipped a beat slightly when a certain someone entered his thoughts.

"Oh! I met Oikawa-san when I was studying in Brazil once!" Hinata beamed; his face a little red from alcohol. "I think that was two years ago?"

"Pipe down, boke!" Kageyama growled; his face the same shade as Hinata's due to alcohol.

"I think you two had enough already," Sugawara warned and grabbed both of their drinks much to their dismay.

"As I was saying!" Hinata continued and poked Kageyama's head for him to listen. "You'll like this one since I also saw Machi-senpai, your first crush, with Oikawa-san in Brazil!"

Kuroo's stopped mid-drink at the mention of the name he longed and at the same time never wanted to hear. A familiar twinge of pain resurfaced in his chest that he almost dropped his glass had he not recovered quickly and tipped the glass to downed it in one go. The bitter taste of alcohol didn't help with the situations as he cringed slightly.

The others, except Kageyama and Hinata, paused their conversation and glanced warily at him for his reaction but as quick as the pain resurfaced, the quicker he masked it off his face.

"M-Machi-senpai?" Kageyama stuttered and blushed a deeper shade of red this time; after all these years, he still had this little crush with his senpai that he couldn't get rid of. "H-How is she and w-why didn't you send a picture of her? You only send yours and Oikawa-san's selfie like what am I supposed to do with that, boke?!"

"Oh yeah!" Hinata exclaimed and rubbed the back of his head before grinning sheepishly at his best friend. "I totally forgot about that. She arrived on the third day of our beach volleyball match. She just passed by to pay Oikawa-san a visit and she wasn't expecting to see me there. She said she was doing volunteer work in Brazil for a week." Hinata's eyes sparkled and he had the same dreamy look in his eyes as Kageyama.

"Machi-senpai is doing volunteer work?" Kageyama closed his eyes tight and clenched his fist on his chest. "I've always known her to have a big heart! HOW LUCKY OF YOU BOKE?!!!"

"Well, that's Machi. She probably got it from her mother who was a philanthropist before she died," Iwaizumi noted and smiling softly at the memory of his childhood friend. "She have a soft heart for orphans."

Kageyama and Hinata sighed dreamily as if they were on cloud nine. "Do you still get in touch with her, Iwaizumi-san?" the Adlers' setter asked to his former upperclassman.

Iwaizumi shrugged his shoulders. "She'd call sometimes to say hi," he answered and pursed his lips as if what he said was enough information, Kuroo noted. That kind of topic always made Iwaizumi looked reserved about it especially when the rooster-haired captain was around.

Kuroo's grip on his glass tightened as he stared hard at it. It confused him and frustrated him greatly to the point that he wanted to punch the answers out of Iwaizumi. But even he couldn't form a question properly. He didn't even know where to start. Hell! Why was he even feeling like this?

"She looked more divine than she ever was in high school. AGHHH! I should have asked her to join us in playing beach volleyball! I wonder how strong she is, right now?" Hinata pondered before he was elbowed by Sugawara. "Sugawara-san, nani?" he asked but stopped when he saw him pointing at Kuroo who staring hard at his glass. "O-Oh. Oops."

"She quitted," Kuroo snapped; his eyes cold as he stared at his clenched fist on his glass.

For the second time of that night, the deafening silence filled the group once again.

"Hey, you okay?" Bokuto asked once they were alone, walking down the streets of Tokyo in the dead of the night.

Akaashi and the others already bid them goodbye and went their separate ways. After Kuroo snapped, he apologized quickly to Hinata to which the latter completely waved off. Had it not been for Bokuto, the dinner would have turned into an awkward mess.

Kuroo sighed deeply before his fingers combed his hair. "Yeah," he answered as he put his hands inside his jeans pocket. "I was caught off-guard but I'm fine. Sorry back there."

"Nah, I don't mind. You weren't expecting to hear about Machi-chan, were you? It's been six years after all," Bokuto gushed as he blew his cold hands.

"Six years since she shut me out without explanation; left me in the air hanging," Kuroo lamented as he looked up at the dark sky. "You know that. I even tried to find her in the US when Oikawa refused to tell me her whereabouts."

Bokuto patted Kuroo at the back in sympathy. "Oikawa is very protective of Machi-chan, you know that since she's like a sister to him. He's even protective than Iwaizumi."

"Yet as a friend he could have told me what was wrong or what did I do wrong, right?" Kuroo growled and kicked a can on his way.

"You'll have your chance to ask him why he didn't tell you next week. Oikawa will be attending Iwaizumi's birthday for sure," Bokuto cheered and gave him a hard slap on the back.

Silence descended upon the two as they walked side by side before Bokuto suddenly chuckled. Kuroo glanced at him and raised a brow as if he was going mental.

"I just remembered that time when Machi-chan overheard us at the first away games," Bokuto reminisced earning a small grin from Kuroo over the memory.

"Yeah, I couldn't get my eyes off her back then..." and my heart till now. He almost blurted out the last part before he sighed and rubbed his face. What was wrong with him all of the sudden? It's been six years already!

Bokuto, noticing his best friend's struggle on his face, wondered how he'll cope up if ever Addie left him hanging too without explanation. He'd go insane, for sure. It's a wonder that Kuroo stayed strong through all these years.

CHAPTER TWO

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mercurypilgrim · 3 years

Text

OC Interview

@a-muirehen tagged me to do this, thanks! ^_^

Pick three companions who know your OC/muse well. Answer the questions from at least one of their companions points of view. Replace anywhere it says Ven’fir with your OC’s name. Name the three companions who will be answering here:

1. Vette

2. Quinn

3. Jaesa

Are they ready to be candid with their responses? Don’t worry, this is totally private. Ven’fir will never read it.

1. First Impressions. What was the first impression you had of Ven’fir?

Vette: “I thought he was weird. Actually I still think he’s weird. He was different back then. Sharper, I would say. Less pleasant to be around. He was a brat, and he was vicious. I liked him, though. He was strangely kind to me, and as I got to know him I realised that he’s more complicated than many people give him credit for. Still weird, though.”

Quinn: “I agree with Vette, much as it pains me to do so. My lord was... different, when he was younger. I admired him for his strength and his dedication to the Empire. I ah, I also found his flirting to be quite difficult to deal with.”

Jaesa: “I didn’t know what to think of him. He wasn’t like any other Sith I’d met, that was for sure. Like no other person, really. He was such a chaotic shade of grey, I can’t describe what touching his mind felt like. He’s a good master and a better friend. I care about him deeply, and I know he feels the same for me.”

2. Ven’fir walks into a bar. No, it’s not a joke - what does he order? If you give him a credit for the jukebox, what kind of music would he put on?

Vette: “Oh stars, this is giving me flashbacks. How many times did we peel him off the floor? Too many. Ven can drink a lot, and he likes the strangest stuff. For such a tough guy, he has a huge weakness for fruity, pretty cocktails. As for music? Something hard and heavy.”

Quinn: “My lord likes a drink now and then, and he’s got a fondness for sweet things. I... I suppose I find that endearing. As for his music taste... Well, it leaves much to be desired.”

Jaesa: “Cocktails, the fruitier the better. You’ve not lived until you’ve seen a Sith that’s cleared battlefields sitting at the bar listening to heavy metal while sipping a tropical cocktail with an umbrella in it.”

3. How does Ven’fir spend a day off from work?

Vette: “Naked, probably. Actually, drop the ‘probably’. I swear any moment that he and Quinn have off, they’re fuckin’ each other. Don’t look at me like that Captain Carbonite, you know it’s true.”

Quinn, blushing: “Shut up, Vette. That’s highly inappropriate! My lord has many hobbies. He enjoys reading and watching holomovies, even if his taste is... suspect. He likes to write and spend time in the gym, too. He likes to dance, and he’s very good. I like spending time with him, when my work permits.”

Jaesa: “He writes fanfiction, and he trolls his fanclub. I only know because sometimes he asks me to proof read for him. He’s quite good, actually. He’s got me into the Warm Hearts, Cold Space series and I see why he likes it. It’s quite enthralling. I wonder if he would like it if I drew some art of it for him?”

4. What silly superstitions or funny traditions does he observe?

Vette: “He’s a dork, but at least he’s funny about it. He’s not superstitious but he does do things in a particular way or it’ll bother him. I think he’s learned how to stay focused as much as he can. He refuses to start tasks until the time is an increment of ten so he can measure it, and he writes a million lists. He usually loses them later, though. It’s kinda cute, sometimes.”

Quinn: “My lord does have certain rituals that he observes. For example, his bedtime routine is very involved and he never misses a step. He cares for his appearance and it’s often quite calming to watch him. He tries very hard to keep on top of things, and he does an admirable job.”

Jaesa: “He collects a lot of things that have sentimental value. He always seems to find little items or random things to take with him wherever he goes, and I know for a fact he keeps the really special ones in a little box. He puts others in his apartment. It’s strange really, but I never used to think a Sith could be sentimental. Of course they are, they never let go of anything.”

5. What does Ven’fir wear to bed? And just how do you know that?

Vette: “He’s got these stupid sleeping pants. They’re way too long and about a size too big. They trail on the floor, and it looks ridiculous. I know because he has no shame and doesn’t bother to get dressed before breakfast.”

Quinn, blushing: “Uh yes, what Vette said.”

Vette: “Yeah, sure. I’m sure you don’t have any other details.”

Quinn: “None that I would share, no. It’s an invasion of his privacy.”

Vette: “He’s posed nude for a karking Lifeday calendar, do you really think he cares if you tell everyone he sleeps naked sometimes?”

Quinn: “... He wasn’t completely nude. He was wearing a hat.”

Jaesa: *sigh*

6. Your favorite memory of Ven’fir?

Vette: “When he helped me with the Star of Kala’unn. It was when I really knew he was my friend, you know? No one had ever really done anything like that for me, and I’ll always be grateful to the big idiot.”

Quinn: “I have quite a few. I expect most people would assume it would be our wedding day, but... I think the day he proposed to me for the second time takes the top spot, as well as when we found each other again on Odessen. I... Yes, I think on those times often.”

Jaesa: “When he comforted me after I joined his crew. I was a mess, then. I’d left everything I knew again, and I wasn’t sure if I was doing the right thing. He came to me, I think he sensed my feelings, and he just... sat with me. Talked. He talked so much I think I forgot to be sad. He managed to make me laugh. He never told me to abandon my Jedi teachings, never demanded I embrace the dark side. He taught me, and those times are some of my fondest memories.”

7. A time you very nearly almost kissed Ven’fir?

Vette: “I’ve kissed his cheek before, I think. I was wasted. We’d celebrated after some... thing. I don’t even remember what.”

Quinn: “I don’t think this question applies to me.”

Vette: “Mm, because there’s no ‘almost’ involved? As if anyone could miss you two being disgustingly sappy.”

Quinn, blushing: “Vette, please stop.”

Jaesa, embarrassed: “Never. He’s my Master, and I don’t think of him that way. He’s not repulsive, but... no. That’s never happened.”

Vette: “I’m sure he’ll be thrilled to hear that you consider him ‘not repulsive’.”

Jaesa: “Vette, you know what’s not what I meant!”

8. Vacation time! Where do you take Ven’fir for some R&R?

Vette: “Anywhere with a beach. He’s not happy unless he’s wandering around half naked, shades on and a cocktail in his hand.”

Quinn: “A beach resort would be my choice for him too, but he does like to stay active. Anywhere with hiking trails or sports would entertain him too, I think.”

Jaesa: “Vacation with Ven’fir doesn’t usually involve a huge amount of ‘rest’ or ‘relaxation’. He’s always got to be doing something, and he can only lay on a beach for about an hour before he’s got to get up and swim or explore something.”

9. Ven’fir’s sense of humor -is it dry, immature, sarcastic, self-deprecating, physical, witty, dark, or…?

Vette: “It’s like a fourteen year old got into the smutty side of the holonet. He’s prone to sarcasm, too. He’s got a good sense of humour, thank the stars. I couldn’t travel with someone as boring as Quinn, for example. No offense, Captain Carbonite.”

Quinn: “...Some taken, Vette. My Lord’s sense of humour is... expansive. He’s quite quick with his jokes, so I think he’s rather witty. Of course, the next moment he’s laughing about a funny noise that the chair made, so I find it rather hard to classify.”

Jaesa: “He can be quite vicious when he’s slighted and he sometimes makes mean comments about people who he doesn’t like. I shouldn’t find them funny, but I really do. I can’t help it.”

Tagging: @darkshadeless, @outcastcommander and... @tearlessrain !

#swtor #OCs #Ven'fir Polaris #OC interview

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useless-slytherclaw · 3 years

Link

Rating: Explicit Relationships: Lán Jǐngyí/Lán Yuàn | Lán Sīzhuī

The afternoon sun filters through the window of the room Sizhui and Jingyi share, bathing the small room in soft gold. They’re old enough now that given their position in the sect, they could have requested their own rooms, but they prefer it this way.

The sun falls across Jingyi’s bed, and he’s sprawled out in what is neither a proper sitting nor lying position, lingering in the sun rather like a cat, and holding the scroll he’s supposed to be reading in the air.

He looks across the room at Sizhui, who from his angle appears to be upside down. Sizhui, unsurprisingly, is sitting in a proper Lan sitting position, with his guqin on the table in front of him, slowly working through a piece of music that Jingyi doesn’t recognize. Something complex.

The soft sound of the guqin filling the room is calming and familiar to Jingyi after all these years.

“I meant to tell you that you probably want to avoid studying in the library for a few days,” Jingyi says into the hush.

“Mn?” Sizhui says, fingers still carefully picking out the melody. “Why?”

“A group of guest disciples got caught with contraband materials for the second time. Lan-Laoshi was furious; he’s even making them do handstands this time. They’re going to be in there forever.”

Jingyi knows that Sizhui likes to study in the library, but he dislikes when the deep silence and calm of it is disturbed by disciples who don’t know any better.

“Must have upset him then,” Sizhui says, voice calm. “What contraband did they have?”

“The usual,” Jingyi says with a dismissive wave. “Alcohol, porn, whatever.”

“Hmm,” Sizhui says, probably trying to figure out what had caused Lan-Laoshi to lose his temper.

“I don’t get it,” Jingyi says. “Every year, multiple times a year even, the same thing happens. It’s such a stupid thing to get in trouble for.”

“They’d probably say that running or running your mouth are stupid things to get in trouble for,” Sizhui points out.

Jingyi makes a face at him, but he’s not looking.

“Those two punishments don’t even compare. Besides, I could probably finish the whole set of rules before they managed to do the first volume, handstands and all.”

“I’ll remember that next time you are stuck in the library and ask for my help.” He can hear the small smile in Sizhui’s voice and see the faint upturn at the corner of his mouth.

“That’s just mean,” Jingyi complains.

Sizhui just smiles without looking away from the music and his guqin.

“But really,” Jingyi says, more interested now in this conversation than the readings he’d been assigned, “you don’t think it’s stupid?”

Sizhui gives a tiny shrug and then finally glances at Jingyi.

“Have you ever even looked at the books?” Sizhui asks.

“Why would I? I don’t particularly want to see it, let alone risk Lan-Laoshi’s wrath over it. It’s just drawings of random people having sex, eugh.”

“Jingyi,” Sizhui says sounding amused, “did you just describe sex as ‘eugh’”

“I meant the porn, but yes? I guess?” Jingyi shrugs, but it’s rather ineffectual since he’s lying on his back.

“Jingyi, we have had sex, and I’m pretty sure ‘eugh’ was not your reaction.”

“That’s different.”

It’s so incredibly different that the two things are almost irreconcilable. There is so much to experience of loving Sizhui: the touch of his skin, the taste of his lips, the feeling of being at the center of his attention, the intimacy of it… The flat art cannot contain that, and instead, it focuses on explicit details meant to evoke arousal in a way that Jingyi has never quite understood. He doesn’t understand why exactly he’s supposed to be attracted to random people the way he is to Sizhui. While Sizhui, for his own part, hasn’t quite grasped that Jingyi’s interest in sex more or less begins and ends with his involvement.

“If you say so,” Sizhui says, attention back on his guqin.

“I do.”

Sizhui nods in acceptance, but he doesn’t respond otherwise. Jingyi sighs and turns his attention back to the scroll in his hand, but he only gets a few lines in before something hits him, and he almost drops the book on his face.

“Sizhui!” he says, craning his head backward to look at his partner. “You’ve read some of the porn books you’ve confiscated haven’t you?”

Sizhui’s hands pause over the guqin strings for only a moment, but Jingyi’s trained ear easily catches the break.

“Sizhui!” Jingyi says tossing his readings aside and somersaulting off the bed to stand and look directly at Sizhui. “You have! Haven’t you?”

“Yes,” Sizhui says, and there’s a hint of a blush spreading across his cheeks.

For a long moment, Jingyi just stares at Sizhui, processing. Jingyi knows that there is more to Sizhui than most people see. He knows the side of him that is bright and untamed. The version of him with a sharp tongue and mischief in his eye; the version of him who follows Jingyi into trouble. He is learning the side of him that is passionate and burning. The version of him that exists in Jingyi’s arms, in the touch of bare skin and the press of lips.

So maybe this revelation shouldn’t be as surprising as it is, but he’s still Sizhui. He still follows all the rules even when there’s no one watching. The idea of him with contraband materials is decidedly dissonant.

Jingyi narrows his eyes at Sizhui, taking in the blush on his cheeks and the slightest hunch to his shoulders. A second realization washes over him, and he starts across the room to Sizhui’s side before he has time to think about it.

He’s shared a space with Sizhui long enough to know where he hides things, and he is hiding things.

“What are you doing?” Sizhui asks, and the room goes abruptly silent as he stops playing the guqin.

“You have some here,” Jingyi says, not bothering to look over at Sizhui.

“I-” Sizhui says and stops, giving Jingyi all the confirmation he needs.

“Are you going through my things?” Sizhui asks somewhat sharply as Jingyi passes his desk.

“Yes,” Jingyi says, glancing over his shoulder. “Are you going to stop me?”

“Five seconds ago you said you aren’t interested in these books!”

Sizhui starts to get to his feet but pauses, kneeling.

“This is different,” Jingyi says, determining that Sizhui is not going to get up and try to stop him.

“How?” Sizhui asks, face growing more pink. “You said you weren’t interested in random people. I can confirm the art is of random people.”

“I’m not interested in seeing the porn per se,” Jingyi says. “I am interested in seeing what you are interested in.”

Jingyi glances at Sizhui. His face is flushed up to his ears with embarrassment, but there is no genuine distress on his face.

“You could have asked me!”

“Would you have told me the truth?”

“If you asked nicely!”

“Well, tell me then,” Jingyi says, dropping down on Sizhui’s bed and reaching behind and under it. He passes over several things, momentos from Sizhui’s past like the grass butterfly from Tanzhou and a much older one given to him by Senior Wen.

“I-” Sizhui stalls and sputters for a minute. Then he sighs, “Oh what’s the point?”

Triumphant, Jingyi sits up with a pair of small books held in one hand and a small jar in the other. He glances at Sizhui, who is still at his desk but has put his hands over his face.

“Sizhui,” Jingyi says in a singsong voice. “Come here.”

“No.” His voice is slightly muffled by his hands.

“Fine,” Jingyi says and walks over to him. He drops the books unceremoniously on the desk next to the guqin and settles onto his knees behind Sizhui.

He wraps his arms around Sizhui’s waist and rests his chin on his shoulder.

“I hate you,” Sizhui says, but there’s no bite.

“No, you don’t,” Jingyi says, smiling and squeezing Sizhui tighter. He can feel some of the tension starting to ease out of his muscles.

“A little bit?”

“Nope.”

Jingyi kisses the spot behind Sizhui’s ear. He reaches up and puts his hands over Sizhui’s gently trying to pull them away from his face.

“Why are you so embarrassed, A-Yuan?” He says gently, “it’s just me. There’s nothing you have to hide from me.”

“I know,” Sizhui says, letting Jingyi pull his hands down.

“There you are,” Jingyi says, kissing the burning skin of Sizhui’s cheek.

Sizhui turns his head so their lips meet, and Jingyi smiles into the kiss, lingering until Sizhui pulls away.

“You know,” Jingyi says, “if you really don’t want me to, I won’t look.”

“Mn, I know. It’s fine, it’s just…” he makes a vague hand gesture, and Jingyi smiles.

“Yeah, I know,” he says, pulling Sizhui back against him.

While Sizhui is confident in what he wants and in his actions, he is easily flustered when forced to talk about it. There’s no hesitation in his touches, and he doesn’t pause when they topple into bed together, but just hearing the word porn is enough to make him blush.

Sizhui relaxes into Jingyi’s embrace, turning slightly, and Jingyi leans in to kiss him. Sizhui’s lips part in a soft sigh, and Jingyi leans in closer, deepening the kiss, tasting the white tea that lingers on Sizhui’s lips and in his mouth. The kiss is soft and slow, and Jingyi can feel the tension from the lingering embarrassment going out of Sizhui’s muscles.

Jingyi tightens his arm around Sizhui’s waist, pulling him closer, and Sizhui twists, turning his shoulders more towards Jingyi. With a smile, Jingyi pulls away.

“How’s your neck?” he asks.

Sizhui pouts at him, raising a hand to rub the back of his neck. “Not exactly the most comfortable kiss ever.”

“Well,” Jingyi says, pulling on Sizhui’s hip to turn him towards Jingyi. “I tried to get you to come to the bed.”

“I’m supposed to be studying,” Sizhui says, but he lets Jingyi turn him further around.

“So am I,” Jingyi says with a smirk.

“That makes things worse, Jingyi, not better,” Sizhui says, but his expression is amused.

“Shhh,” Jingyi says, leaning in and kissing him again. For several heartbeats, Sizhui kisses him back, and then he pulls away again.

“Really, we shouldn’t be doing this,” Sizhui says.

Jingyi knows from experience, though, that it’s a token protest made because Sizhui feels like he has to rather than a real objection. He recognizes the expression in Sizhui’s eyes, and it’s not even the one where he’s just waiting to be convinced, it’s the one where he’s already convinced.

“We don’t have anywhere to be,” Jingyi says, cupping Sizhui’s hand in his face and leaning in for another kiss. “Not today.”

“That’s not the point,” Sizhui says, but the words turn into a sigh when Jingyi’s lips brush against his.

“Hush, A-Yuan,” Jingyi says.

“But-”

Jingyi doesn’t let him finish, capturing his lips and sliding his tongue into Sizhui’s mouth. He kisses Sizhui until his response goes from slightly surprised to eager, and then he pulls back. Sizhui looks at him with wide faintly surprised eyes.

“If you really would rather be studying,” Jingyi says, letting his arm fall from around Sizhui’s waist and starting to pull away.

Sizhui makes a noise of protest, leaning into the space that Jingyi had vacated, and Jingyi grins.

“That’s what I thought,” Jingyi says, unable to stop the smirk on his lips.

He gathers Sizhui in his arms again, and this time Sizhui doesn’t even pretend to protest; his hand curls around the nape of Jingyi’s neck, pulling him closer. As they kiss, Jingyi lets his hands wander, sliding down Sizhui’s back to the curve of his ass, sliding up the line of his thigh. Sizhui frees Jingyi’s hair from its ponytail, sinking his fingers into it. Sizhui’s hand in his hair instinctively tightens and his breath hitches as Jingyi’s hand trails higher and higher up his thigh. Sizhui’s already hard, and Jingyi smirks into the kiss, palming Sizhui’s cock and making him moan into the kiss.

Without pulling away from the kiss, Sizhui moves his hand from his Jingyi’s hair to his waist, fumbling with his belt. Jingyi’s belt is tossed aside, and Sizhui works his hands under the collar of his robes, running his hands over Jingyi’s chest and then across his back, fingers tracing the lines of the muscles.

Jingyi twines the tail of Sizhui’s forehead ribbon around one of his fingers, feeling the thrill at being allowed that still goes through him every time he touches the silk. He tugs it gently and then, when Sizhui doesn’t stop him, tugs it free. Deftly, he twists it so it doesn’t fall to the ground and tucks it into Sizhui’s pocket.

Sizhui’s lips move from his mouth to his jaw and then down the line of his neck, and Jingyi turns his attention to Sizhui’s belt and then the ties to the robes underneath. A flash of annoyance goes through him as they impatiently work through the layers of the Gusu Lan uniform. This is much easier when they’re already mostly undressed for the night.

The clothes and Jingyi’s forehead ribbon do eventually fall free.

Jingyi pulls Sizhui into his lap, letting his hands linger on Sizhui’s narrow waist. His thumbs trace down the lines of his obliques as Jingyi admires how well Sizhui fits into the curve of his hands. It would be so easy to lose himself in this, in Sizhui, in the heat of his body, the silk of his skin, the taste of his lips. It’s so easy. But Jingyi hasn’t forgotten how this whole thing started.

“Sizhui?” he says.

“Mn?”

“You still have to show me the book.”

“Hm?” He pulls back to look at Jingyi. There’s vague confusion on his face, and Jingyi feels a fond smile on his own. Sizhui is so one-minded sometimes, focusing so much on the task at hand that the whole world falls away, and Jingyi has the privilege to be the center of that attention.

Jingyi reaches out, tracing the curve of Sizhui’s bottom lip with his thumb, and watching as Sizhui’s thoughts scatter again.

“You,” Jingyi says, gaze caught by Sizhui’s mouth, “have to show me your porn.”

Sizhui blinks at him, and a blush darkens the faint flush high on his cheeks.

“Now?” he asks, sounding almost petulant.

“Mn,” Jingyi agrees. “I want to see what you are interested in.”

Sizhui runs his tongue over his lip, tracing out the tip of Jingyi’s thumb with it. Jingyi’s breath catches, and Sizhui smiles.

“I think, Jingyi, you already figured out what I’m interested in.”

“Some of it,” Jingyi agrees, letting his hand fall away from Sizhui’s face before it becomes a bigger distraction for him than it is for Sizhui. “But I want to see it all. Show me what you like, Sizhui.”

Sizhui tilts his head slightly, and his eyes narrow.

“You aren’t going to give up on this are you?”

“No,” Jingyi says, an unrepentant grin on his face.

“Mn, alright,” Sizhui says. He lets go of Jingyi slowly, hands trailing over his skin until the last possible moment of contact, and then he turns back to the table. Jingyi scoots up behind him, settling with Sizhui in between his legs. He wraps his arms around Sizhui’s waist, pressing his bare chest to Sizhui’s back and looking over his shoulder.

Sizhui leans back, grinding against Jingyi’s erection, making him gasp and then moan.

“Are you sure?” Sizhui asks. “We could just?”

Jingyi laughs and lets his hands fall to Sizhui’s thighs, squeezing them.

“Show me, and then we will.”

Somewhat impatiently, Sizhui grabs one of the two books, the one on top, and pulls it across the table towards him before flipping it open.

He opens the first page, and Jingyi looks at the drawing with curiosity more than anything. The art is different from the one porn book he’d seen when a group of junior disciples had been passing it around. The art quality is better for one, but it’s also the style is different, more sensual than purely graphic. Jingyi is relieved but not at all surprised.

He studies the picture for a moment, but it’s nothing exciting, a woman on her knees and a man with his hands in her hair. This particular act, Jingyi has already figured out.

“Are there women in all of these?” he asks Sizhui idly.

“In this one,” Sizhui says, glancing at him. “Does it bother you?”

“Dunno,” Jingyi says with a shrug. This picture certainly doesn’t, but as Sizhui turns a few of the pages, Jingyi can’t help the expression of distaste on his face. He’d never particularly had the desire to see a woman naked and this only confirms it.

Sizhui, noticing his expression, snaps the book closed and pushes it aside.

“Maybe this is better,” he says, grabbing the other book.

It is better, Jingyi finds as he studies the new picture: two men with one man's legs over the other’s shoulders. Sizhui glances at Jingyi, gauging his reaction. Jingyi presses his lips to Sizhui’s shoulder, not at all sure what reaction he’s supposed to be having. It’s easy enough to imagine them like this, and that’s interesting, but the picture itself does nothing.

As he turns the first few pages, Sizhui glances at Jingyi, but when Jingyi’s reaction doesn’t turn negative, his focus shifts back to the book. Sizhui turns the pages, and Jingyi continues to watch over his shoulder, letting his hands run idly over Sizhui’s body. Over the muscles of his abs and chest, down his arms, up his thighs, bunching up the silk of the pants he hasn’t removed yet.

As Sizhui slowly flips through the book displaying men in a variety of positions, some of which look not at all comfortable, Jingyi can tell that Sizhui is affected by the art in a way that he is not. He’s so attuned to the small changes in Sizhui’s body that it’d be hard to miss his interest.

Jingyi’s lingering attention is mostly trying to puzzle out what is happening and how the positions work, but Sizhui’s gaze lingers for a completely different reason. Jingyi can feel the slight uptake in the pace of his breath and sense the way the weight of his attention shifts away from Jingyi and onto the page. He watches the way Sizui’s cock flushes harder, straining against the silk of his pants without needing to be touched.

Sizhui keeps his hands on the book, but it’s easy for Jingyi to imagine him touching himself and wonders if he would be if Jingyi wasn’t watching over his shoulder.

“Sizhui,” Jingyi says, voice low, husky, as he nimbly undoes the ties to Sizhui’s pants.

“Yes?”

“You can touch yourself. That’s what you’d normally do, isn’t it?”

“I-” Sizhui’s cheeks flush with embarrassment again.

“Or do you want me to do it?”

Jingyi guides one of Sizhui’s hands to his cock. Sizhui’s breath catches as both their hands, one on top of the other, wrap around his length.

Lazily, Jingyi mouths over the plane of Sizhui’s shoulder as he moves their hands up and down.

Sizhui’s breath shudders as he turns the next page of the book. Curiosity starts to give way to arousal as Jingyi’s attention turns away from the art and onto Sizhui.

The slow turn of the pages pauses, catching Jingyi’s attention and bringing it back to the book. The men in the picture are leaning over a desk in a position not too horribly different from their current one, and Jingyi wonders if that’s what caught Sizhui’s attention or if it’s something he generally prefers.

“You like this one?” he asks, studying the picture.

Sizhui’s flushed face goes even redder, and Jingyi smiles.

In a smooth motion, he grabs Sizhui’s hip with one hand and puts the other on his back, bending Sizhui over the table in a mirror of the art.

Sizhui squeaks in surprise, catching himself on the table with both hands and knocking his guqin askew, as he braces himself. Jingyi leans over him, not quite pressing him into the table, but pressing their bodies together. He can feel as well as hear the way his breath hitches.

“I think you do,” Jingyi says, trailing his hand down Sizhui’s side and down to his hip before cupping the curve of his ass.

“Don’t tease,” Sizhui says, but his voice is too breathy to have any bite.

“I assure you,” Jingyi says, kissing the back of Sizhui’s neck, “I fully intend to follow through.”

Sizhui’s next breath is shaky with desire and anticipation. Jingyi’s fingers catch on Sizhui’s waistband, tugging his pants down around his knees and out of his way, even as he leaves a trail of love bites along the line of Sizhui’s spine, unable to resist leaving marks on the perfect, creamy canvas of Sizhui’s skin.

He presses a last kiss, gentle this time, onto the small of Sizhui’s back before grabbing the lube from the table and leaning back. He pauses, breath catching slightly, at the sight of Sizhui like this, and lets his gaze linger, admiringly, for a moment. Jingyi squeezes his ass, watching the way his fingers dimple the soft skin. His eyes trace the curve of his ass and down the line of his spine, admiring the strong, supple planes of his back and the dip of his waist. His long ponytail has spilled over one shoulder, the strands tangled and mussed from Jingyi’s hand.

“You are lovely,” Jingyi says, hand on Sizhui’s ass.

“Jingy- ah” The word gives way to a small gasp as Jingyi slides a finger into him. The motion is easy, and a flush of heat goes through Jingyi’s system as he imagines Sizhui taking his cock just as easily. Sizhui lets out a breath, knees sliding wider as he relaxes and Jingyi groans at the sight, palming his own hard cock, through the pants he hadn’t managed to take off. He’s tempted to just take Sizhui here, bent over the table.

Sizhui is, as ever, beautiful, but there is something more , something that Jingyi could never put words to, seeing Sizhui, who is usually so proper and composed, splayed over his desk with his guqin carelessly knocked aside. Jingyi desperately wants to make love to him, to see him completely undone on Jingyi’s cock; he wants it enough that he almost forgets what prompted this whole thing.

But he’s still curious about the porn book on the table and what Sizhui’s interests are. Without stopping his hand, he leans over Sizhui, pressing his lips to the heated and flushed skin of his shoulders.

“Sizhui,” he says, voice low and rumbling in his chest.

“Yes?” Sizhui says, and his tone is breathless.

“Show me what you want,” Jingyi says.

“What?” His voice is both dazed and distracted and satisfaction curls like warmth in Jingyi’s chest.

“The book,” Jingyi says, “What do you want?”

“This,” he says, “this is good.”

“Mn,” Jingyi says, brushing his hair aside and kissing the slightly damp skin of his neck. “I don’t think so. I chose this.”

“And it’s- ah- good,” Sizhui says.

“Tell me what you want, Sizhui,” Jingyi says.

It’s always a struggle to get Sizhui to admit his wants; he’s often too accommodating. It’s frustrating for Jingyi who wants to give him the world, would give it to him, if only he would ask for it.

Jingyi leans further forward and nudges the book into Sizhui’s reach, still lazily fingering Sizhui with his other hand. He runs his tongue along the shell of Sizhui’s ear, making him shiver.

“Show me what you want Sizhui, and it’s yours.”

Sizhui trembles for a moment, eyelids fluttering. Jingyi kisses the crook of his neck, waiting. Sizhui, hardly blushing this time, hurriedly flips several pages of the book to one that seems slightly dog-eared at the corner.

Jingyi studies it for a moment. There are two pictures; one on each page. Both with the men standing up.

“Is it... okay?” Sizhui asks, glancing at Jingyi and seeming uncertain.

Jingyi smiles.

“Your wish is my command, Sizhui.”

He presses another quick kiss to Sizhui’s shoulder and leans back.

“Come on,” he says, rocking back onto his heels and reaching down to help pull Sizhui up from the table.

Sizhui pushes himself up to his feet with a speed that gives away his eagerness. He shucks his pants the rest of the way as he gets up.

Before Jingyi can do anything other than kick off his own pants, Sizhui presses himself close, sliding his arms around Jingyi’s neck and kissing him deeply. Jingyi threads his fingers through Sizhui’s hair for a moment, leaning into the kiss and holding Sizhui close. He can feel the frantic beat of Sizhui’s heart where they are pressed together and feel the excited tension in his muscles.

Jingyi lets his hand slide through the length of Sizhui’s hair and down to his hips. Easily, he lifts Sizhui off the ground. Objectively speaking, Sizhui is solid; the muscles of his body are hardened from as many years of training as Jingyi’s own. But to Jingyi, he hardly weighs anything. Jingyi lifts him, and Sizhui wraps his legs around Jingyi’s waist.

Jingyi breaks the kiss, taking a few panting breaths and smiling at Sizhui who looks somewhere between excited and dazed and is delightfully rumpled.

“Shall we figure this out then?” Jingyi asks. This is certainly trickier and more exciting than anything they’d tried before, but he’s not worried.

“Yes,” Sizhui breathes, eyes bright.

Jingyi’s breath catches and he promises himself that he will figure out every single thing in that book that will make Sizhui this excited.

“Hold on,” Jingyi says, and Sizhui nods.

It takes a moment of rearranging, lifting Sizhui higher, pulling his knee up over Jingyi’s elbow, tilting his hips, before Jingyi can get the angle right. Jingyi’s eyes close as he slowly thrusts into the enveloping heat of Sizhui’s body. He goes slowly, letting Sizhui adjust, but Sizhui takes his cock so easily, so perfectly.

“Oh, A-Yuan,” he moans as the sensation almost overwhelms him.

Sizhui presses his face into Jingyi’s shoulder as Jingyi presses into him, a small sigh coming from his lips when he’s taken it all.

They move slowly at first, getting used to the unusual position. Jingyi grips Sizhui’s hips guiding him on Jingyi’s cock as he thrusts. The velvety warmth around his cock scatters any coherent thought as Jingyi starts to lose himself in Sizhui.

Jingyi could stay in the moment for ages, reveling in the feeling of Sizhui on his cock and listening to the small sounds from Sizhui’s lips, but it’s not long before Sizhui is begging him to move faster, to fuck him harder. Jingyi has never been able to resist Sizhui, especially when he’s begging, so he does. With each sharp thrust, he jerks Sizhui down onto his cock and then lifts him off again, his fingers pressing hard into the skin of Sizhui’s hips as his grip tightens.

Jingyi can’t see Sizhui’s face where it’s pressed against his shoulder, but he can feel the already broken rhythm of his breath where it spills hot against his skin. He can feel the way his breath catches with each thrust.

“More,” Sizhui pants, “more, please, I- oh, I’m yours, please, I- ah”

Something electric and possessive flashes through Jingyi at the words, and he realizes as he pulls Sizhui down onto his cock particularly hard, making his speech fall apart entirely, that Sizhui wants to be manhandled more. So of course, he complies.

Pleasure builds like slow heat under Jingyi’s skin, and the sounds Sizhui makes as he’s moved on Jingyi’s cock only adds to it.

“You feel so good,” Jingyi pants. “So fucking good, so perfect, like you were made to take me.”

Sizhui moans slightly, trembling at the praise, and Jingyi keeps talking, letting the compliments fall from his lips as easy as breathing, telling Sizhui how good and beautiful and loved he is. Sizhui shudders, his grip on Jingyi tightening painfully.

Jingyi can feel how quickly Sizhui is falling apart, can feel the way he goes boneless with pleasure, letting Jingyi move him without almost any feedback or resistance, can hear the moans and gasps pouring from his lips. Jingyi’s eyes are half-closed as he lets the sound of Sizhui’s pleasure wash over him, making desire like electric heat sizzle through his whole body.

He recognizes the way that Sizhui’s breath turns into a whine at the back of his throat, and all his muscles start to tense again. He smiles as Sizhui once again begs him for more, harder, faster.

“Jingyi, please,” he pants, “I’m so- ah close. Please.”

So Jingyi gives it to him. His grip on Sizhui’s hips growing tight enough to bruise as he holds onto his own control. The pace of his thrusts chases the frantic pounding of their heartbeats.

He feels Sizhui’s climax go through his body, feels him go taught and shuddery where their bodies are pressed together, feels him tightening around Jingyi’s cock, and hears the broken moan on his lips that has the rough shape of Jingyi’s name.

Jingyi lets Sizhui’s pleasure and his own crash over him, letting go and finishing in the soft warmth of Sizhui’s body gone pliant with pleasure.

Jingyi shudders, breath coming hard, as the pleasure washes over him and then away like a wave, leaving him tired, but his steps are steady as he carries Sizhui the small distance to his bed and sits down. The bed seems much further down than he remembers, but he sits with Sizhui on his lap, still clinging to him.

Jingyi wraps his arms around Sizhui’s waist and rests his forehead against his shoulder. The harsh sound of their breathing is the loudest thing in the room aside from their heartbeats as they sit, holding onto one another.

“Thank you,” Sizhui says, when his breath is calm again, “that was…”

“Good I hope,” Jingyi says with an amused smile.

“Excellent,” Sizhui says. He leans back so he can look at Jingyi’s face. He smiles at Jingyi, warm eyes going soft. Gently he reaches out and smooths Jingyi’s bangs away from his face before kissing his forehead where his ribbon would be, then his nose, and finally his mouth.

“I’m glad,” Jingyi says, rather dramatically falling back against the bed, “because I’m dead now.”

Sizhui laughs, looking down at Jingyi with soft eyes.

“Mn, I didn’t realize you were so out of shape Jing-er.”

Jingyi huffs indignantly.

“Me? Out of shape. You are heavy, A-Yuan.”

“Heavy?” Sizhui asks in disbelief.

“Mn. Heavy,” Jingyi agrees.

“Nonsense, I’m half your size.”

“You are not!” Jingyi protests. Sizhui is a couple of inches shorter than him, nowhere near small enough to be half his size.

Sizhui’s smile is unrepentant for an instant, but he turns it into a pout.

“I thought you were so strong,” he reaches down to pat Jingyi’s pecs. “All those handstands. Turns out you are too weak for a little bit of- oh!”

His words cut off as Jingyi grabs him and hauls him down to the bed, and then flips them over pinning him to the bed.

“What was that?” Jingyi asks.

Sizhui just grins at him, eyes bright, hair splayed across the bed, and absolutely lovely, and Jingyi has to kiss him, so he does again and again until the two of them collapse against the bed, laughing, happy, and content.

#the untamed #zhuiyi #lan sizhui #lan jingyi #mdzs #fic #fanfic

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queerofthedagger · 4 years

Note

27 with jegulus?

Thanks for the prompt, Nonnie! 27 was: "Help me I'm being hit on at a bar please be my fake boyfriend for a second."

Like You Mean It

Pairing: James Potter/Regulus Black; Wc: 7109; Ao3

Warnings: None; Tags: Fake Dating, Professional Quidditch, Au - No Voldemort

Summary: When Regulus gets hit on in a Muggle bar while celebrating his graduation and signing up as a professional Seeker, he thinks asking James to pose as his boyfriend for a moment, instead of hexing an unsuspecting Muggle, is a rather smart move. After all, it's only for a few minutes, so it won't be much of a problem with the small crush he has. Right? Well - let's just say it doesn't work out that neatly. Until it does.

Regulus is going to kill Sirius, he thinks, weaving his way through the throng of people clustering the shady bar his brother dragged him to, narrowly avoiding getting drinks spilled on his shirt.

Alright, maybe nothing that drastic but he’s not sure why Sirius thought a ratty punk-bar in Brixton would be the obvious choice to celebrate Regulus’ graduation and signed contract for the Seeker position of the Falmouth Falcons. Or maybe he simply isn’t drunk enough yet.

Ducking underneath another elbow, he steps up at the end of the long-winded bar that runs along the wall, leaning his elbows onto the dark wood and watches as the two barkeepers try to keep up with the string of orders.

The bass of the rough music is reverberating in his head, he can feel the vibrations through his shoes and up his legs and the strobing lights let everything appear slower, like watching a series of individual pictures in quick succession and he can admit, at least to himself, that he kind of gets why Sirius likes to come here.

It’s a stark contrast to the wizarding world, to everything they grew up with and he can nearly taste the sense of defiant freedom the people here carved out for themselves – he’s just annoyed that he lost Sirius, James, and Remus somewhere in the jumping crowd and isn’t all that certain that he fits in here.

“Hey there, pretty boy!” a loud voice shouts way too close to his ear for comfort, the words slightly slurred and he clenches his jaw, refusing to visibly jump.

Taking a deliberate step back, he slowly turns, lips curving into an instinctive sneer. Maybe he’s going to reconsider the murder plans from earlier he thinks, looking the guy up and down. He’s taller than Regulus, which is saying something, and twice as wide, with an unkempt beard and an unrefined face. Worst of all, he’s leering and Regulus’ fingers itch for his wand.

“What do you want?!” he asks, raising an eyebrow and standing up a bit taller.

His hostile attitude doesn’t seem to deter the guy; he simply takes another step towards him, leaning close and grins. “Don’t be shy. You look bored, and a pretty guy like you – “

Right, no. His eyes flicker to the side and he thinks he’s never been more relieved to see James Potter standing only a few feet away, leaning over the bar and talking to the barkeeper. Without another word, he steps around the guy and pushes his way over to James, pressing up close to him.

James looks surprised but flashes him a quick smile. “Alright there, Reg? Enjoying yourself?”

He silently thanks whoever is listening that just now there’s a switch of the bands, just background music filling the small space, and that he doesn’t have to shout to be heard. “No, but listen. There’s this absolutely disgusting guy hitting on me so, to prevent me from hexing the living daylight out of some Muggle, pretend to be my boyfriend for a moment, yeah? Great, thanks. There he comes.”

James' eyes widen and he opens his mouth, but Regulus elbows him into the side before wrapping an arm around his waist. James tenses for a moment but he seems to get it quickly enough, eyes suddenly dancing with mirth. He throws an arm around Regulus’ shoulders, leaning close. “Alright, but you owe me.”

Regulus spares a moment to consider that this might not have been his best idea; he harboured a small crush on James for years now, and they’re going to play on the same Quidditch team soon. Then again, it’s not like this is going to take longer than a few minutes and he’ll probably only have to help him prank Sirius or something.

Shaking his head, deciding to worry about this later and ignoring the little voice in his head telling him that he might be drunker than expected, he leans into the hug, turning his head when the guy steps up next to James and looks at the two of them.

James’ smile vanishes and he tightens his grip on Regulus, who’s definitely not enjoying this more than he should. “Need something?” James asks, all that arrogance and cockiness he carried through his first six years of school breaking through.

“I was just talking to your friend – “

“My boyfriend,” James says with a pointed look. “And he didn’t appreciate it, so if you could get lost – “

The guy frowns, lips curling downwards and for a moment, Regulus thinks that this could turn very ugly. “Are you certain about that?”

Regulus sneers, glaring and leaning around James. “Who the fuck do you think you are to question that? Even if I wasn’t, I was obviously not interested so I’m going to repeat what James just said – get lost!”

He thinks there’s something like recognition flickering through his eyes, but it’s gone just as quickly. “Well then, your loss.”

Both James and he snort and shake their heads at his retreating back. Before either of them can say anything, Sirius steps into the empty spot, looking between them and the guy that just left them alone. “What in Merlin’s name did you talk with Andrews about?”

“Who?” James asks, taking his glass from the bar and downing half of it, still not taking his arm from Regulus’ shoulder.

He tells himself he only stays close in case they’re being watched, but he’s not sure he believes that himself.

“Andrews – the new Beater from your team? You know, Quidditch – “

“You’re kidding me,” James states confidently, shaking his head and smirking at Sirius like he easily sees through his joke.

Sirius looks confused though, slowly shaking his head. “Eh no, I don’t? He was at the try-outs and got the spot – how can you not know that? And what did you do that he looked so pissed?”

James falters, running a hand through his hair and Regulus takes his glass from him because he really needs a drink right now.

“We – well, he – what the fuck is he doing here? This is a Muggle bar,” he says, his throat still burning from the whiskey.

Sirius looks at him like he’s a bit dense and he scowls at him.

“The whole team is here, you know that – and what is it with you two, anyway?!”

James groans, dropping his head onto Regulus’ shoulder who keeps himself from running his hand up and down James’ spine by pure force of will.

“He was hitting on me, and rather disgustingly as well,” he says, lips twitching when Sirius’ exasperation morphs into an annoyed scowl on his behalf. “He didn’t get the message and I spotted James, so – well, I asked him to act as my boyfriend for a second.”

Telling it to Sirius, it doesn’t sound as smart anymore as it did a few minutes ago and Sirius’ barking laugh doesn’t help matters. “You did what? That’s the best you come up with when someone is hitting on you? Merlin Reg – “

“I know, I know okay?! It’s not like James didn’t agree though,” he says, rolling his eyes and nudging James a bit who finally looks up again.

“Did you, now?” Sirius asks with an amused smirk, raising a brow at James.

James shuffles his feet a bit, avoiding to look at either of them before flashing Sirius a sheepish grin. “I didn’t know it’s him – and well, Regulus said otherwise he’s going to hex the guy, so I thought, you know, before getting an incident on our hands because of breaking the Statute of Secrecy – “

Sirius laughs again, shaking his head. “Very self-sacrificing, Prongs. Well, if you two don’t want to have a spit with your future teammate already, I’d suggest you keep that up for a while.”

Regulus’ eyes widen and he quickly looks at James, who appears to be far less concerned by that idea than he has any right to, instead just tightening his hold on Regulus and grinning at him.

“Well then, seems like we have a fake dating thing going on.”

Yeah, definitely not one of his best ideas Regulus thinks, plucking the glass out of Sirius’ hands. How is he supposed to get through this without going mad within weeks?

He wakes up with a pounding head, a dry throat and pain in his back, and it takes him long moments to remember where he is and why he feels like he had a run-in with a Hippogryph.

Blinking his eyes open, he looks around the messy living room of James’ and Sirius’ flat, books, vinyl’s and a few empty mugs littering the dark hardwood floor and available surfaces and he slowly pulls himself up into a sitting position.

“Morning,” Sirius greets him, levitating two mugs and handing one to Regulus, looking way too cheery for his tastes.

All he manages is a grunt in response and he closes his eyes in bliss at the first sip of hot coffee. Sirius throws himself into one of the worn armchairs across from him, watching with an amused expression as Regulus slowly returns to the land of the living.

“As often as you’re staying here since you graduated, we could actually consider giving you the third room,” Sirius breaks the silence after a few minutes, and when he looks up, he’s smirking. “Would give your whole relationship-story a bit more weight, too?”

He’s confused for a few seconds before realisation washes over him and he curses under his breath, pulling his knees up to his chest and burying his face into them.

“Oh come on, James isn’t that bad,” Sirius teases, obviously enjoying the whole thing far too much and Regulus thinks he would like to hex his brother. “I was serious about the room though. It basically serves as a storage room right now, and then you wouldn’t have to stay at Grimmauld’s. Or constantly sleep on the couch.”

Distaste is clear in Sirius’ tone and he looks up again, sighing to himself. “Mother is going to throw an epic fit if I move in with you. Even worse than when she found out I signed up for Quidditch.” He doesn’t manage to hide the slight wince at the memory and Sirius’ face turns a bit softer.

“Exactly why I’m offering, she’s not suddenly going to stop pestering you about it.”

Drawing his bottom lip between his teeth, he thinks about it. Normally, he would agree without a second thought. Sirius and he mended their relationship over the last 2 years after drifting apart when he was sorted into Slytherin, and while they’re always going to be different, they get along well enough.

The bigger problem is James – not because he doesn’t like him, more due to the fact that he probably likes him a bit too much, and just got himself into a fake relationship with him. He’s not so naïve to think that this couldn’t blow up in his face.

“I’ll think about it,” he says after a few moments, sinking deeper into the cushion and closing his eyes, trying to calm his racing heart.

James finds them like this, flopping down next to Regulus unceremoniously. A quick glance at him is enough to nullify all his effort to calm down – James looks soft, hair wet and wearing a white t-shirt that stretches over his chest and shoulders, and he’s smiling at both of them.

“That was a good night, wasn’t it?” James says, stretching his arms over the backrest and coming terribly close to Regulus. “Got drunk, danced a lot, celebrated Regulus and I even got a new boyfriend.”

The smirk and satisfaction in James’ tone nearly make him choke on his coffee and he has to fight hard to keep his composure. Of course James Potter would make a joke out of it he thinks, not without some bitterness.

Sirius just snorts, throwing a cushion vaguely into their direction and missing by a landslide.

“You should probably come up with some story, so when someone asks, you’re not contradicting each other. It’s bound to get some attention, seeing that you’re both professional Quidditch players now.”

Regulus just groans again, letting his head fall back and startling when it lands on James’ arm. Merlin, what did he get himself into?

James hums, obviously unbothered by their closeness. “We started dating after I left school and finally got over Evans, otherwise nobody is going to believe it anyway, or make a whole lot of drama out of it. I don’t know, we met through you, of course, and kept the whole thing silent because Reg was still in school.”

“Oh yeah, that’s good! So you’ve not been together for long, let’s say a month? Means you’re still in your honeymoon phase though,” Sirius goes on, throwing his legs over the armrest of the chair he’s sitting in. “You don’t have to shout it from the rooftops, of course, it all depends a bit on how much Andrews is going to bother you about it or if he’ll just keep his mouth shut.”

Regulus doesn’t think that it’s very likely, seeing how bad the idiot took their proclamation last night, but he doesn’t feel inclined to join their planning session right now.

“Makes sense, though we shouldn’t act like we’re just friends all the time. It’s not like there’s much room during practice to be all couple-y but, you know, arriving and leaving together, holding hands, that kind of stuff,” James says, his hand nudging Regulus’ shoulder who only nods in response.

“Oh, and then you can stage a breakup in a few weeks – if you didn’t date for long and say it’s a mutual decision, nobody’s going to doubt that it’s not that hard for you two to still get along – for my sake, if for nothing else,” Sirius grins, clapping his hands together.

“What do you think?” James asks, and it takes him a moment to realise that the question is directed at him.

Shrugging, he leans forwards again to get away from James for a bit. “Sounds fine to me. Now that I know that the git is a wizard, I can simply hex him if he’s getting on my nerves anyway, so we could actually cut this rather short.”

There’s a flash of… something in James’ eyes but then he shakes his head and grins. “Don’t spoil the fun, I actually like the idea. It’s going to be great!”

Of course James would see it this way, just another prank he can pull.

“Yeah alright, it’s probably better to not already antagonise my teammates already,” he says with a sigh. If he tells himself often enough that it’s the only reason he’s agreeing to this, he might actually believe it at some point.

The next few weeks are flying by and the whole thing turns out to be less taxing on him than he thought. They simply arrive at and leave training together often, hold hands and share their breaks – ignoring the hand-holding, which is rather nice as far as Regulus is concerned, it’s not that different from what they would be doing, anyway.

Unfortunately, the press catches wind of it soon. They can’t be sure if they’ve been seen or if their teammates couldn’t keep their mouths shut, but about a month after it all started, there’s an extensive article both in the Prophet and Witch Weekly.

Both Bachelors Black and Potter off the market!

Dear readers, you’re going to be as surprised as I was when the news reached me the first time. Regulus Black (18) and James Potter (19), both fresh, young players of the Falmouth Falcons, are no longer single!

James Potter already became well-known over the course of the last season, filling the position as Chaser directly out of Hogwarts where he led the Gryffindor team to the Quidditch cup six years in a row, the last two years as captain.

Many girls and boys are aware of James’ good looks and charming smile, and there have been speculations about his relationship status for the whole of last year, only outmatched by his best mate, Sirius Black (20).

This season found another young talent among the ranks of the Falmouth Falcons. Sirius Black’s younger brother, Regulus Black, got chosen as the new Seeker and is rumoured to easily match James Potter’s talent. He not only matches him in talent though – the Black family is well-known, not only for their high standing in society but also for their very good looks, and Regulus is no exception.

So maybe it shouldn’t be such a huge surprise that both rising Quidditch stars found themselves a partner – but I think nobody is going to contradict me when I say that it’s rather unexpected that they are in a relationship with each other.

An anonymous source tells me: “Potter and Black always arrive at training together and are basically inseparable as soon as they’re off the pitch. They’re often seen holding hands and Black spends a lot of his time over at his brothers flat, where both Sirius Black and James Potter live together.”

Well, dear readers, I can’t say that they aren’t making one of the most handsome couples I’ve laid eyes on in some time! I’m sure we would all like to know how their relationship came to be! Is Sirius Black fine with this fresh love between his brother and his best friend? What does the Black family think about it? And what will happen if they break up at some point – that wouldn’t be easy, playing on the same team! Stay tuned, this reporter will make sure to keep you up to date!

Regulus would have laughed about the article as much as James and Sirius probably did if he hadn’t found out about its existence by his mother reading it out loud, her voice trembling with barely repressed fury.

His first instinct is to deny it, but the annoyance and defiance that’s been building within him for some time now rears its head – it shouldn’t matter what the bloody hell he does with his time, or whom he’s dating and even if this relationship wasn’t completely fake, she has no right whatsoever to demand he ends it. He stubbornly ignores the voice that tells him that he’s starting to go a bit far for this whole thing, tells her straight-up she can shove it, packs his stuff and moves into the spare room in Sirius’ and James’ flat.

Sirius looks way too proud when he tells him what happened, grinning brightly and throwing an arm around his shoulders. “I knew you had it in you! We have to celebrate that!”

It’s then that James walks in, bags of groceries in his arms and he smirks at them. “Hey, hands off my boyfriend, Padfoot!”

Regulus chokes out a laugh, still a bit incredulous that he actually walked out on his mother, but Sirius simply snorts, rolling his eyes at James. “You can be glad I let you fake-date my little brother, don’t test me.”

Regulus smacks the back of his head before stepping out of his reach. “You said something about celebrating? I could use a drink.”

“Let’s go to the Leaky Cauldron, we shouldn’t get too wasted seeing that it’s our last training before the match tomorrow and that never works out in Muggle London. We can ask Remus and Peter as well,” James pipes up from the kitchen.

When they walk into the pub an hour later, Regulus’ nerves calmed a bit and he actually feels like he made the right decision. If everything goes to hell, he can always find his own place, it’s not like he’s lacking the money.

His good mood dims when they not only find Remus and Peter but half of their team in one of the boots in the back, including Andrews who made it his personal goal to get on both of his and James’ nerves in the last few weeks.

Still, it would have been impolite to not join them and it’s not like they don’t give as good as they get.

It’s still a funny night; they drink too much beer and firewhiskey, exchange guesses and theories about the coming match and Quidditch in general and he gets into a lengthy discussion with James about the possible uses of Transfiguration in a duel.

They’re sitting close to each other, James’ arm over the back of his chair and their knees knocking together occasionally. It’s a good thing that everybody believes they’re dating and that he can put his lingering glances down to acting his part; his heart is beating too fast and he feels warm, and he tries to keep reminding himself that this is not real, that James’ small smiles and short touches are nothing but an act, a game to him, but he’s not all that successful.

At some point, the inevitable needling from Andrews starts, because of course it does. “So, how’s it with the two of you? We only ever see you holding hands and sure, it’s cute and all but you’re either disgustingly innocent or maybe not as in love as you claim to be.”

“What, just because you don’t find us snogging on the Quidditch pitch every other day?” Regulus sneers, unable to help himself. “If you want a show, visit a strip club, for Merlin’s sake.”

James laughs and a warm sense of satisfaction curls in his chest at the thought that it was he who put that carefree expression there.

“It is a bit weird, though,” Mary Charleston speaks up with a thoughtful look. “Don’t get me wrong, you two are definitely disgustingly in love, there’s no doubt about that – “

And isn’t that a bad joke, Regulus thinks bitterly, carefully keeping his face free of that emotion.

“ – But I didn’t take either of you for much of a prude – well, especially not Potter.”

He’s just readying himself to tell them all where they can stick it and that he doesn’t need to indulge in public displays of affection because he doesn’t owe them anything, when James’ hand slides up his arm and settles on his neck, and at the same time he turns, leaning forward in his chair and kisses Regulus.

It’s like his mind goes blank within a second, everything narrowing down to the soft, warm lips pressed against his, the thumb drawing circles into his neck and James’ smell invading his senses, of freshly cut grass and soap and something spicy – pine maybe, he can’t think straight enough to actually tell.

It takes him a moment to open his eyes again after James pulls back, their faces still close and a soft smile tugging at James’ lips before he gives a soft sigh and sits back in his chair, smirking at the others. “There, satisfied?”

Reality crashes back into him and he swallows against the feeling of cold disappointment that replaces the warmth and elation within seconds. He’s never been so thankful for the endless hours of his mother telling him to never show what he feels, he thinks, biting his tongue and raising a challenging brow at Andrews. Right. All just an act.

“Alright, that was hot. And convincing,” Mary says, grinning at the two of them and he forces himself not to tense when James puts his arm back around his shoulders.

Later, when they’re home and he retreated into his room, there’s a soft knock on the door and James steps in, wearing sweatpants and a washed-out shirt that makes Regulus fingers itch to pull him into bed.

“Hey, just wanted to check – sorry if I overstepped earlier, I was…” James trails off, ruffling his hair and the movement has his shirt riding up, revealing a sliver of tanned skin Regulus has to draw his eyes away from.

Gesturing dismissively, he just shakes his head, looking back down at his book. “Don’t worry about it, it was just a short kiss.”

James is silent for a moment and when he looks back up, he’s watching him with a small frown.

Exhaling slowly, he smiles. “Honestly James, it’s alright.”

“Yeah I – okay, good. Goodnight then,” James murmurs, leaving his room and shutting the door before he can say anything else.

The next morning, it’s like nothing happened and no matter how convoluted his feelings on the whole matter are, Regulus is glad for that right now. He’s nervous enough as it is with their first match taking place today, and he shoves each and every thought that involves James as far away as possible.

Still, as soon as he takes off and the game starts, it’s like he left all his nervousness behind. It’s perfect weather for flying – it’s cold but the sky is clear, weak November sun promising a good chance to spot the Snitch, and he quickly starts circling the pitch above the rest of the players, letting his eyes wander and keeping half an ear on the commentary.

Puddlemere United played rather badly in the last season but they exchanged half of their team and it’s hard to tell how it’s going to affect this year, though if the fact that, after 15 minutes, the Falmouth Falcons are already leading with 50 points, it might have not been of much use.

James is in his best form, and Regulus catches himself a few times watching him play for a tad too long – that’s definitely a habit he needs to let go of he thinks, letting his eyes roam over the stands.

It wasn’t that much of a problem in Hogwarts, seeing that they only ever had one match against each other per year, but he can’t keep getting distracted now. Maybe he shouldn’t have joined the same team then, that annoying, little voice speaks up again and he shakes his head to dispel it.

A flicker to his right catches his attention and he turns his head, fixing his eyes on the little, golden ball that’s currently hovering at the bottom of Puddlemere’s goalposts. It’s closer to him than the opposing Seeker, Jones, and he doesn’t waste another second to drop into a dive, weaving between players and taking a sharp turn when the Snitch zips to the left.

A brief look over his shoulder shows him that Jones noticed the Snitch as well, or at least that something is going on, but he’s too far behind to catch up and if the Snitch doesn’t do something very annoying, he shouldn’t have much of a chance.

As if reading his thoughts, it suddenly changes directions and flies straight up. Gritting his teeth, he follows, ignoring Jones when he pulls close to him. There are only a few feet left before he can grab it and he curses under his breath when it pulls to the right, directly out of his path. He just thinks he’s going to lose after all when it flies back, back into his way and he can’t help his whoop of joy when his hand finally closes around it.

James touches down only a second after him and before he knows what’s happening, throws his arms around Regulus’ neck and pulls him into a deep, demanding kiss. His body is still soaring with the rush from winning them their first game and he simply clenches his fingers into the front of James’ robes, pushing against him and letting himself get lost in this marvellous feeling.

A hand lands on his shoulder, pulling him back and they break apart, for a moment just grinning at each other and then there’s a bright flash and Regulus whirls around, staring at the reporter holding a camera and wearing a self-satisfied smile.

It’s like dropping into the freezing Great Leak from hundreds of feet up in the air, his chest clenches and he balls his hands into fists, nails digging into his palms and teeth grinding together.

It’s only minutes of celebration until they’re free to go to the changing rooms but it feels way too long, thoughts racing through his head with only the burning need to get away really reaching him.

Bloody hell but he can’t do this any longer. It’s been fine when holding hands was all they did but this, this makes him go mad because the longer it goes on, the more often James kisses him, the more he realises that he’s long since past a simple crush.

All that time they spent together, in training, in their flat, talking about books and Quidditch and James making him laugh until his stomach hurt, it’s simply too much and he doesn’t think he can keep up this façade any longer; not even regarding their teammates or the public, he honestly couldn’t care less about that now, but he just knows that one of these days he’s going to break and tell James exactly how little of his affection he has to fake.

And if he’s certain about one thing, it’s that he can’t do that. It’s been obvious from the very beginning that this is all one great, hilarious prank to James and in the best case, James would simply laugh at him; in the worst, he’s going to be sorry for Regulus and he doesn’t think he could take that.

He needs distance, desperately so, and as soon as he’s out of sight and can slip away from his still cheering team, he apparates back to the flat and storms into his room, haphazardly throwing a few things into a bag and leaving again within less than 10 minutes.

He’s a bit surprised to find himself on Barty’s doorstep. They kept in touch after school, one of the few real friends he actually made at Hogwarts, but he realises with a start that it’s been some time since they’ve seen each other and it’s mostly due to him spending nearly every moment with James and Sirius.

They have that effect on people, he thinks, clenching his jaw – drawing you in, making you forget everything else, and he got completely lost in it.

Fortunately, it’s Barty’s mother that answers the door. His father never liked Regulus much, solely because of him being a Black, and he’s not sure he could have stayed calm and polite right now on top of everything else.

“Oh, hello Regulus, I didn’t know Barty was expecting you. No matter though, he’s in his room, just go on through,” she greets him with a kind smile, and he forces himself to return it.

Her worried frown tells him that he wasn’t all that successful, but he quickly ducks into the corridor, thinking that he’d probably break and spill everything if she asked him if he was alright in that motherly way he always envied a bit.

Barty’s sitting on his bed, surrounded by books and parchment with an ink-stain on his left cheek and a quill tugged behind his ear, getting a fleeting smile out of him.

“Hey,” he says quietly, staying in the doorway and suddenly uncertain what to say.

Barty’s head flies up in surprise but it’s quickly replaced by a bright smile. “Reg! Didn’t expect to see you, come in! Didn’t you just have your first match today?”

The tight knot in his chest loosens ever so slightly at the warm, familiar comfort of Barty’s company and he drops his bag to the floor where he stands before flopping down into the chair next to Barty’s bed. “Yeah, we won.”

“Alright – shouldn’t you be… I don’t know, happy about it?” Barty asks with raised eyebrows, slowly gathering the many pieces of parchment into a neat pile.

Shrugging, he looks away from him, pondering what to say. “Yeah I am – or well. It was a good match, at least,” he finally sighs, running a hand over his face, fingers lingering on his lips for a short moment.

Honestly, James Potter doesn’t have any fucking right to kiss him like he means it.

“Well, why are you scowling like someone killed your Kneazle, then?”

Grimacing, he blows out a long breath and closes his eyes for a moment. “It’s – I – James…”

“Your boyfriend?” Barty asks surprised, leaning back against the wall and stretching his legs out. “By the way, you could have told me that you finally got your crush to go out with you, you unfaithful git.”

He groans, leaning forward and propping his elbows on his knees before burying his face in his hands. “He’s not – we’re not together.”

“What?! Did he break up with you?! I swear to Merlin – “

A quick look shows Barty already half up from his bed, wand in his hand and a short laugh escapes him, and even he can tell that it sounds vaguely hysteric. “No, we were – we just pretend to be together. Pretended. Salazar, I swear this is such a mess.”

Barty stares at him for long moments before slowly sitting back down. “Do you mean to tell me that you thought it’s a good idea to fake-date the guy you’ve been crushing on ever since 5th year? Didn’t you even move in with them?”

He just nods defeatedly, feeling the beginnings of a headache.

“Merlin Reg, that’s so exceptionally stupid I wouldn’t even have expected it from your brother, much less you.” It’s a sober, clinical statement and he can’t help but agree.

“It’s not like I planned to, you know?” he says with another sigh and Barty just looks at him disbelievingly. “Really, we were in this Muggle bar and there was a guy hitting on me, not taking no for an answer. So I asked James if he could act like my boyfriend, thinking it would be a case of a few minutes. Well, turned out that he was the new Beater of our team.”

Slowly, Barty pulls the whole story out of him, his face becoming more sympathetic and exasperated with each passing minute.

“Well,” he says when Regulus is finally finished. “It’s still stupid and you could have ended it weeks ago, but I kind of see why you didn’t, you miserable sod.”

Regulus just opens his mouth to answer, he doesn’t even know what, when the door to Barty’s room opens.

Expecting to see Ms. Crouch, he startles violently when James is stepping inside, face flushed and slightly out of breath.

“No, absolutely not!” Barty snaps, already up and halfway through the room before Regulus even processes what he’s seeing.

It’s kind of cute and reminds him that Barty has always been a bit overprotective for whatever reason, but it’s also misplaced. He calmed down considerably since getting here and it’s probably better to get the whole thing over with rather sooner than later.

Getting up, he pulls Barty back from James who, for his part, has his hands raised in a placating gesture and looks terribly confused. “It’s alright, I’ll be back in a minute,” he says tiredly, gesturing for James to lead the way. “Let’s go outside.”

They’re silent until they reach the French doors leading into the garden and Regulus leans against the wall, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. Bad habit he picked up from Sirius, he thinks, staring at it for long moments before sighing again and meeting James’ eyes.

“I just – Why did you… I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t know it would bother you so much more than last night and I was just – “

Exhaling the smoke in a rush, he holds up a hand and shakes his head. “It’s not about that. I just – we should end this whole charade,” he says quietly, watching as the wind whips around white particles of ash before carrying them away.

“What – why?” James stammers, his voice somewhat rough and when he glances at him out of the corner of his eyes, he’s frowning and has a hand fisted into his hair.

Shrugging, Regulus looks away again, fixing his eyes on the forest at the edge of the grounds that are already becoming indistinguishable in the fading light. “It was never meant to go on for so long anyway, and the longer we keep it up, especially with – “ he gestures helplessly into James’ direction, “Stuff like you did today, the more complicated it gets.”

James huffs, staying silent for a moment. “But I’m – I mean it’s going well, isn’t it? I stop kissing you if you want – “

“For fuck's sake,” he finally snaps, glaring at James who takes a step back. “You had your fun, it’s all been a great prank, but I can’t – I don’t want to do this anymore, so you just have to find yourself a different pastime, alright?”

“It’s not been some prank for me!” James instantly shoots back, his eyes blazing.

“Oh yeah? Then what was it, really? And don’t tell me you simply did it because I asked you to, it’s been rather obvious how much you enjoyed this little game,” he sneers, burying all his hurt and disappointment deep underneath the anger and not caring one bit that he’s being a bit unfair here. Honestly, James could have simply left him alone, or at least agree to stop the whole thing and leave it at that.

“I enjoyed it because I like you! Because I’m – I have – “

“Oh great, yeah. I like you too, but that doesn’t mean that we have to pretend to be a bloody couple. You don’t do that with Sirius either, do you?!”

James stares at him incredulously, his hands balled into fists at his side and it’s a weird feeling all this provokes in him – it’s painful, fighting like this, but it’s also easier, better than this soft, intimate side he witnessed over the last few weeks, and the self-destructive, proud, stubborn part of himself wants to make it worse, wants to burn all the bridges they’ve built between them and only remember this because it would make everything so much safer.

“Are you – for Merlin’s sake Regulus,” James sighs, suddenly sounding tired, shoulders slumping and his hand messing up his hair for the umpteenth time. “I have a bloody crush on you, alright? Not even – I suppose it’s more than a crush and really, I should have told you earlier and not take advantage of the whole situation but it was just – at least it let me pretend, for a moment, that it – that we could be something more because, well… Nevermind, I should go.”

There’s a strange, rushing sound in his ears, he can feel his heart racing painfully in his chest and his mouth is dry as he watches James turn with one last, sad look at him.

“Wait,” he manages to choke out, the word coming out raspy and silent and he quickly takes two steps forward, curling his fingers around James’ wrist before he even knows what he’s doing, before he has any idea what he’s supposed to say.

James turns slowly, frowning and looking at the spot where Regulus is still holding his wrist. He lets go on instinct, wincing at the resigned look flashing through James’ eyes. Merlin but he’s absolutely shit at talking about feelings, there are a thousand things he wants to say and each and every one of them sounds more ridiculous and stupid than he can bring himself to voice.

The longer he’s silent, the more James’ face shutters, his lips pressing into a thin line and his shoulders tensing, and fuck he really needs to say something and maybe it doesn’t matter all that much what it is, exactly, in the end.

“I – Me too, I mean – it’s why I… Why I was so set on ending this because I just couldn’t – it’s too hard to pretend, all the time and you – fuck, why is this so hard?” he laughs hollowly, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair. “I like you, like, a lot.”

James turns fully towards him then, taking a step closer and slowly raising his hands to Regulus’ face, thumbs running over his cheekbones and he closes his eyes, leaning into the touch.

“I should have asked you this much earlier, but can I kiss you, please?” James murmurs, so close already that his breath is ghosting over Regulus’ lips and he doesn’t think he could speak if he wanted to, so he simply nods.

It’s a soft, careful kiss, just a brushing of lips and completely different from their first two kisses but it makes his breath catch and a shiver run down his spine, much more intense than the others. He wraps his arms around James’ waist, pulling him closer and deepens the kiss, has to fist one hand into the back of James’ jumper because he feels like if he doesn’t ground himself somehow, he’s just going to break apart or drown, going to burst with the rush of happiness and disbelief and joy that’s threatening to overwhelm him.

James tangles his hands in Regulus’ hair, humming softly and bites into his bottom lip before running his tongue over the spot.

“Hey Reg, are you – oh.”

They only slowly break apart and it takes several moments for him to comprehend that Barty is standing in the doorway, looking at them with wide eyes. Regulus can’t help the laugh escaping him, his heart still racing and happiness bubbling within him. Really, he thinks, going through such a wide arrange of emotions in the course of half a day can’t be healthy, and he leans against James for support because he fears his legs might just give out in exhaustion.

“I’m fine, as you can see. We kind of – sorted it out,” he finally manages to say, knowing that he must look like an utter sap right now but he just can’t find it in himself to care.

Barty snorts, shaking his head. “I figured. So I take it you’re not staying?” he says with a smirk, looking between the two of them.

James' arm around him tightens at the mention, making his heart jump again. “No, thank you. But we should catch up soon, yeah? You need to visit us, or come to one of our matches,” he says, still remembering that he thought he should see Barty more often.

“Will do,” Barty says with mock-seriousness before pinning James with a look. “Don’t do anything stupid, Potter.” With that, he turns on his heel and disappears back into the house, and Regulus can only hide his laughter in James’ neck.

“Let’s go home,” James murmurs into his hair, and Regulus didn’t think something as simple as that could sound so terribly good.

#regulus black #james potter #jegulus #james x regulus #james/regulus #mona's writing #yeah finally filled another prompt

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tempesrature · 4 years

Text

IDOL | Chapter 2

Platinum x Ride or Die (AU) Crossover

Pairings: (Major) Ride or Die | Logan x Ellie (Minor) Platinum | M!Raleigh x Cadence Warnings: PG13+ A/N: To people who actually know something about music and the discipline...please forgive me if I got anything wrong lol.

@troublemakerinspace @raleiighcarrera @harrys-wheezys @choicesarehard

Ellie nervously taps her feet on the car, earphones plugged into her ear as she hums out a melody she’s trying to work out into a song. She glances at Mona driving the car before she looks back at the time on her phone.

Ten more minutes and they’ll arrive at the recording studio to record the new single with Logan. Ten more minutes until she meets the man she—according to Raleigh—hit it and quitted it.

Is she nervous? Definitely. But she tries to withdraw to herself and focus on what she’s supposed to be doing—her job as a singer and being professional. Plus, she made ground rules for herself. Don’t talk about that night and focus on recording the song. Depending on the song waiting for her to sing, they should be done in two to three hours. Short enough for her to avoid any real conversation about anything that went on between them. So in theory, nothing wrong should happen.

“Ellie.”

Ellie looks to Mona and pulls out one earbud from her ear. “What’s up?”

“You need to pose for pictures after recording,” Mona turns the wheel and turns a corner. “We need to post it on Pictagram as a teaser.”

Ellie blinks, her heart rate shooting up.

So…maybe something wrong might just be happening.

“And…that’s a good idea?” Ellie starts hesitatingly. “I mean with what happened after the party you’d think that would be a bad idea right?”

“This is a good way for people to start talking about the song,” Mona says as she pulls into the studio’s parking lot. “Good press, hashtags trending, stans speculating, etc.”

“Yeah for him,” Ellie huffs as she pulls open the car door open and puts on her sunglasses. “I’ll be crucified by the stake!”

Mona pauses mid-open of the front door and looks at Ellie amusingly. “You realize that’s not how it goes, right?”

“Whatever Mona!” Ellie complains as they make their way down the purple neon-lit hallways towards the recording booth. “You know what I meant. This won’t end well for me. Why am I being put on—Micah hey!”

“El!” Micah shoots out of his chair and excitedly pulls Ellie into a tight hug. “Ready to record this song with Mr. Flavor of the Month?”

Ellie groans as she flops to the couch. “Not you too Micah. I thought you’d be on my side on this.”

“Hey, I am El!” Micah cackles as he slides back into his seat and swivels it to face her. “But you gotta admit, the pictures weren’t great. I like the Colt pics more, better lighting.”

“Micah. I’m leaving her with you,” Mona says and Micah replies with a mock salute just as she presses the phone to her ear and walks out of recording booth.

Ellie sighs as she takes off her sunglasses and throws it on the table in front of her, her demeanor changing and her mind fully focusing on her task. She already told herself that she wouldn’t let what happened between her and Logan affect her work. Although she isn't really a fan of his work, she doesn’t want to be accused of purposely bombing the song or act aloof and unprofessional when he arrives. That’s how ‘diva’ rumors start.

“Do you have the instrumental and parts for me?”

Ellie reaches over to Micah who hands her the lyric sheet for the song. Her eyes flick to the title of the song ‘Candy’ before she scans the lyrics of the song. The storyline is simple enough. It’s a guy who’s crushing on a girl that’s picky with the guys she dates. The guy compares himself to candy and how the different flavors compliments her perfectly. There’s a push and pull to the lyrics, as if the girl already knows that she likes the guy but she’s hesitant to fall for his charms. Ellie’s lips quirk in a small smile at how…playful the lyrics seem to be. Completely different from Logan’s discography of heartbreak pining that makes her cringe sometimes (although she’d never admit it to him personally).

The soft start of the synth fills the room and Ellie’s ears immediately pick up the sound and her eyes light up.

“Woah, wait. Is that the song?” Ellis listens carefully as she rhythmically taps her feet on the on the carpeted floor. “No way. The song’s an R&B pop?”

Micah grins as he adjusts the volume of the song. “Yeah, surprised me too. I thought I’d have to mix another whiny pop song.”

Ellie grins as she continues to sway to the music and silently hum the lyrics she’s partially memorized now. She likes the song more than she thought she would. When Mona first brought up the collab idea, she was really hesitant. Ellie didn’t really know if their musical tastes and genres could fit each other well enough to work together. But just as Cadence and Raleigh had been mentors to her, she vowed to help the newer artists make their way into the entertainment industry as best as she could. Now, she’s actually glad that she took up the project. She can already tell that the song will be a total hit.

“Let me hear the guide, do you have it?” Ellie stands from the couch to stand next to Micah. He pushes some buttons and the Ellie has to bite back the utter awe when she hears Logan’s voice and she’s once again reminded of why Logan shot to fame so quickly. He has a raspy and light lyric tenor voice with a bright and resonant mixed voice that can reach up to a F5 falsetto, the kind of voice that would suite a powerful and pining love song but agile enough that it can transition to more pop and R&B songs.

“Damn. He really does have a great voice.”

“Wow thanks, that means a lot coming from you.”

Ellie’s eyes widen as she turns around and faces Logan. He comes in with a big grin, his long brown locks swept back a little, and she can’t help but be reminded of the night and the pictures. It’s difficult not to ogle, to stare at how truly handsome he really is in the dim light, and she kind of understands her drunk self now. Drunk-Ellie might make dumb decisions but she sure does know how to pick out the handsome ones.

“Logan! About time man,” Micah greets as stands from his chair and gives Logan a hug and a fist bump.

Micah’s voice brings her out of her thoughts and she quickly reminds herself that she needs to be professional. Which means no staring, no thinking of that night and definitely no ogling so she plasters on a pleasant smile as she walks towards him and offers her hand.

“Logan, nice to meet you. I’m Ellie,” She internally cringes at herself. Of course he knows who she is. He’s here for a collab after all and they were already well acquainted a week before. She didn’t need to introduce herself and she didn’t need to make it so obvious that she was intentionally setting up a clean slate for them to work on.

But Logan doesn’t take notice of it and takes her hand with smile. “Thanks for taking on this project Ellie. I really appreciate it.”

Micah's eyes bounce between them and he lets out a small snicker before he makes his way back to the mixing console. Ellie internally sends Micah a threat of bodily harm for purposely leaving her with Logan knowing full well that it’s going to be awkward. But the slight flutter of the paper in her hand reminds her that she has a song to record and she can use that as a way to worm herself out of this awkwardness.

“Uh should we practice with our parts?”

Logan blinks, his long lashes almost touching his cheeks, before he breaks out in a wide grin. “Yeah let’s do that. Want to do it in the booth?”

No. Absolutely not. Ellie does not want to do it in the vocal booth. An enclosed space where sound gets muffled and Micah can see everything happening from the other side? A terrible idea for her and her beating heart and crumbling resolve to not ogle at the guy in front of her.

But how else is she going to turn down his offer?

“Sure,” Ellie shrugs, trying to sound nonchalant but her voice comes out a little too squeaky for her own liking.

Logan grins as he moves to the door and pushes it open. “After you then.”

Ellie glares at the double thumbs up Micah sends her in her peripheral view and she quickly replies with an annoyed thumbs down before she enters the solitary and quiet space of the vocal booth. She takes the seat on one of the chairs and Logan drags one to place in front of her. He swings his legs over it and folds his arms on the back of the chair as he perches his chin on top of his arm to look at her.

Ellie immediately curses the musical gods at how they could create a guy so dastardly handsome with a golden voice and drop him in front of her.

“So,” Logan starts with a grin. “Did you get home okay?”

Ellie can’t help the blush that spreads on her cheeks as her lips pull into a frown. “You couldn’t just leave it alone?”

Logan shrugs with an honest smile. “I’m not really a subtle guy and I want to make sure you were okay. I didn’t get your number either so I couldn’t text you,” He lifts his chin off of his arm and he observes her quietly. “We didn’t have sex by the way.”

“We didn’t?!” Ellie practically shouts before she clamps her mouth shut.

Logan raises an amused eyebrow. “Of course. You think I’m the type of guy who’d take advantage of a drunk girl? I said I’d sleep on the couch but you insisted that it was my bed so I should sleep there. Then you started to strip,” He grins. “Luckily, we were able to reach a compromise on the underwear staying on.”

Ellie can’t keep the grimace away from her face as the mental image comes to her. It pains her to admit that Drunk-Ellie would definitely do those things in those exact same sequence of events.

She drops her head in her hands and groans. “God, I’m so sorry. I’m not usually like that, I swear.”

Logan chuckles, his voice light and teasing. “So you’ve said last night. You’re a really nice drunk though. Kept on insisting that you would make this song a guaranteed hit. That’s why you wanted to come home with me actually, “so we can practice” you said.”

Ellie chuckles ruefully before she lifts her head to look at him apologetically. Then, the image of him shirtless on the bed suddenly comes to her and she narrows her eyes suspiciously at him.

“If we didn’t…why were you shirtless?”

“Oh that?” Logan laughs a little as he rubs the back of his neck and looks away from her. “Uh, the lipstick was gonna leave a bad stain. Thought I’d put it in the wash first so my stylist wouldn’t kill me.”

“Oh my god,” Ellie covers her mouth with the lyric sheet in her hand in shocked guilt. “I’m so sorry. I’ll pay for it, send me the invoice. Along with the glass that I broke and the carpet I probably ruined.”

“Nah, it’s already taken care for,” Logan grins as he looks back at her. “And you didn’t leave that much of a damage. You’re fine, Ellie.”

She stares at him and a grateful smile tugs at her lips. Although she didn’t want to admit it, she’s already heard a lot about Logan from the staff and from what she picks up from time to time on the internet. Not that she heard anything bad about him other than his secret of hobby of racing cars but she’s still pretty apprehensive with the bad boy image that the company seems to be pushing on him.

She knows that an image of an artist can be fabricated to cater to the fans (and sometimes the general public) but a little of that image usually stems from the artists’ real personality. After all, it’s difficult to always keep up an image and the real person behind the music is bound to slip out. And she’s had enough of her fill of “bad boys”.

“Okay but let me pay for the shirt. I insist.”

Logan grins brilliantly and she has to internally scold her heart for reacting.

“Sure. Can your card handle it though? It was a Valentino.”

She smiles playfully as she leans forward and whispers, “I’ll put it down as a company expense, don’t worry.”

Logan lets out an amused laugh. “You can do that?”

“Oh yeah, Raleigh taught me that little trick,” She says just as she suddenly feels a little shy under his soft and warm gaze. “In fact, I can uhm…teach you a lot of stuff about the industry. Just to help you get by, you know? Have a friend and all that. I mean that’s what Cadence did for me. Raleigh too but he’s an awful teacher.”

She’s fairly aware that she’s rambling but she can’t seem to stop herself around him. Perhaps that’s why Drunk-Ellie was so adamant on kissing him. Even Sober-Ellie wants to do it and there has never been a time in Ellie Wheeler’s life where Drunk-Ellie and Sober-Ellie has made a unanimous decision on anything other than wanting to kiss Logan.

Logan smiles teasingly as bumps his knee against hers. “You’re a troublemaker aren’t you?”

Ellie blinks a little and a smile tugs on her lips. “Only if I have to be.”

They exchange a small laugh as the atmosphere around them starts to mellow out. The awkwardness and apprehension Ellie felt immediately disappears in an instant and she’s surprised at how easy and comfortable it is to be around him.

“Uh anyway,” She says as she raises the lyric sheet in her hand. “Let’s practice?”

“Sure. Think we can share though? I left my sheet with Micah.”

Oh fuck. The close proximity of him to her is not going to do her heart any favors. But it’s not like she can say no to him. What would she even say? ‘Sorry but you’re too hot and any closer I’ll catch fire?’, like hell she’ll say that to him.

“Yeah, that’s fine,” She says as she moves her chair next to him and she can already catch the smell of something floral and woodsy. She tries her best not to comment on how much she loves it.

“Thanks Ellie,” He looks at her with an encouraging smile as he pulls out his phone and waits for her cue so he can start the instrumentals. “Let’s start.”

Ellie nods and she warms up her voice by briefly running through some vocal warmups before she gives him a nod. She keeps in time with the intro of the arpeggio chords before she starts the beginning of the song.

Candy, candy, candy Aye, yeah, yeah, yeah Aye, yeah, yeah, yeah Candy, candy

Honey are you still wondering? Right, you are careful picking out sugar, spice I respect that appetite, yeah

“Shit,” Logan says in awe as he pauses the music. “I knew your voice would be perfect when I wrote this but I didn’t expect it to sound this good.”

Ellie pauses and looks at him in shock. “You wrote this?”

“Yeah, you think I don’t write my own songs?” He tries to laugh it off but Ellie could hear the slight hurt in his voice.

“No I didn’t mean it that way. I just thought…I mean the genre is so different from what you usually release. I thought Ellis might be pushing this on to you or something, sorry.”

Logan chuckles as he places his hand on his heart in mock hurt. “I take it that you aren’t a fan of the heartbroken bad boy pining songs I’m known for?”

Ellie wants to lie but the honest response of his question is probably written on her face.

“Sorry. They’re very sad though, I’ll give you that.”

Logan laughs. “They better be! The producers of those songs practically told me to cry in the booth if I have to.”

“They did not!”

“Oh they did,” Logan grins at her. “It’s ridiculous right? The things they’ll tell us to do to get the sound they want.”

“It comes with the territory unfortunately,” She laughs as she nudges his shoulder playfully. “When I was recording ‘Easy’ I was supposed to act sad and heartbroken. But I didn’t want the song to be that way. I wanted it to show a side that was playful and strong.”

“Yeah?” Logan grins and he looks at her with awe. “Bet they liked that.”

“Oh they loved it,” She says sarcastically before she giggles. “But when it placed fifth in the top 100’s and had 40 million views in PlayMe, I didn’t hear a peep from them ever again.”

Logan chuckles. “Troublemaker.”

Ellie grins. “Guess it’s just part of my brand now.”

“Funny enough, I didn’t become a fan of you because of Easy.”

Ellie looks at him curiously, their faces close enough that she can see his eyelashes touch his eyelids every time he blinked. After she collaborated with Cadence Dorian, which caused the initial push for her success, everyone was waiting for what type of song and image direction she was going to take. When she dropped ‘Easy’ as her first solo single, a groovy alt R&B single with a music video packed with soft and pastel neon lights, it was a guaranteed hit and so many of her fans credit ‘Easy’ as the reason to why they became her fans in the first place.

“So what made you a hardcore Ellie Wheeler stan then?”

Logan smiles as he plucks the sheet lyrics from her hand. “Flower.”

Ellie’s eyes widen and somewhere in her heart tugs at the mention of that single. She had released it shortly after her mother died as a dedication to the love and life her mother left behind. It’s the one song Ellie absolutely loves and absolutely hates at the same time. She loves it because it’s the most honest and raw she’s ever been as an artist but hates it because so many of her worst critics and haters dragged her through the mud for “capitalizing” on the death of her mother by promoting the song. As if she wasn’t allowed to express and work through her grief on her own terms.

“Thanks,” She replies but she can’t keep the forlorn and melancholy tone out from her voice. “It’s a nice song.”

“It’s more than nice,” Logan refutes. “I mean those runs in G5 falsettos? And I can feel the emotions you were putting into the lyrics. You got me hooked from that song alone.”

Elli goes red at the compliments that flow so easily out of him. No wonder so many people love him. He makes every word that comes out of his mouth sound genuine and honest. Ellie realizes he really wasn’t lying when he said that he wasn’t a subtle guy.

“Yeah, I really love that song,” She confesses honestly as she plays with the edges of her shirt. “My mother...is the one that taught me to sing. I thought it would be nice to honor her memory through a song.”

Logan smiles softly. “That’s why I love you.”

They freeze, the meaning behind his words hanging between them, and Ellie looks at him in disbelief and shock and Logan fumbles through his explanation as he looks at her nervously.

“I mean uhm as an artist to an artist, you know? I mean as a fan too. I’m a huge fan! That’s why I love you—as a fan. Nothing more. Just a fan.”

Ellie searches his nervous and panicky brown eyes as he settles his eyes everywhere but her face. She wants to dig in more to his words but she hardly knows him enough to know if he’s lying or not. And it’s not like they’re close enough for her to actually start asking him questions about it.

“Alright you two! Let’s get to recording!”

Micah’s booming voice in the vocal booth cuts through the awkwardness that settled between them. Ellie quickly stands to her feet and look towards the glass barrier and tries to hide away the blush on her face.

“Right! We’re—I mean I’m ready Micah!” She turns to Logan and holds her hand out. “The uhm lyric sheet. I need to record the song, I mean my parts. Not the whole song. This is a collaboration after all. That’s why I’m here and all that.”

She internally cringes at herself when she realizes that she has the social and conversational grace of a Raleigh Carrera after 4 glasses of tequila.

Logan laughs a little as he stands from the seat and hands the paper to her, his eyes burning in a passion and determination that pulls her in. “Let’s make this a hit Ellie.”

Ellie’s eyes widen as she gives him a reassuring and determined nod before she takes the sheet from his hand. “You can count on me Logan.”

#choices rod #choices platinum #logan x ellie #Choices Logan #raleigh carrera #cadence dorian #male raleigh x cadence #crossover #if anyone is familiar with the song #its candy by baekhyun HAHA #outing myself as a casual kpop fan #but im using the fan edit of wheein and baekhyun singing candy #top tier i need an actual collab

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fluffy-yoongi · 4 years

Text

Across The Sea

You had been in Souel for about a month now. You had taken a promotion for work that required you to move abroad for a year to project plan a new division. When you took the job, you thought you’d be staying in NYC, but a month before you were set to start, you found out that the job was actually moving you to Souel. You were absolutely terrified, but you figured you were young and unattached, plus is was only for one year.

You were settling in okay. It was difficult adjusting to the time zone and trying to still talk to your friends and family at home, and you were starting to get homesick and lonely. You knew enough Korean to get by, but you definitely weren’t fluent by any means. For work, it wasn’t too bad. Most of what you were doing was graphic designed based, so it was just a mater of making sketches, and adjusting. It was going out and having a social life that was hard. You were the youngest on your team, by around 20 years, and hanging out with 40 and 50 year old men wasn’t really your idea of fun. So during the week you worked, and on the weekends, you silently explored the city.

You set off on Saturday morning to go get a coffee from the cafe down the street from your apartment and sit along the river with your sketch pad. It was about the only way you’d been able to find comfort while half a world away from home. So you woke up around 8, showered and called your mom to talk while you were getting ready. After talking to your mom for about an hour, you said goodbye, packed up a bag with your sketchbook and pencils, then headed to the cafe. You ordered your usual, americano and a blueberry muffin, then put your headphones in, and left the cafe.

As you were heading to one of your favorite spots along the river, your phone dinged. You mom was sending you a picture of your cat cuddling with her dog. They had been fighting since you moved, and this was the first time they were getting along since your mom started taking care of you cat. You felt the tears in your eyes start to well up, completely taking your mind off the fact you were walking down a sidewalk. Suddenly, you can to an abrupt crash, your coffee going all over the front of you and phone crashing to the sidewalk.

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry. My mom just sent me a picture of my cat, and I’m sorry. Does you jacket need dry cleaned? Here, let me get some cash.”

The person in front of you began to laugh. “Are you okay?” A deep voice asked in the cutest accent.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. Did my coffee get on you?”

“No. I’m fine.”

The strangers face was hidden by a mask as he bent down to pick up your phone. “Uh, your screen.”

You looked at you phone, and the screen was shattered beyond use. “Great, guess there goes my off day.”

The stranger in front of you chucked again. “Let me get you a new phone. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.”

“No, I can’t accept that. I wasn’t even looking up. It’s fine, really. I should have been paying attention. I just live up the street, so I can run home and change and get a phone this afternoon. Really, it’s fine.”

“No, really. I wasn’t paying attention. I was daydreaming and lost in my own world. Now I insist. Let me get you a phone. Plus, now I know you live on this street, I can just sit out here and wait until you let me pay for it.”

“Are you sure? Because it’s really not that big of a deal. I can-“

“You can let me get you a new drink while you go change, then meet me back here so I can buy you a phone.”

“Okay, thank you, stranger.”

“Yoongi.” A hand extended out for a handshake.

“Thank you, Yoongi.” You retuned the handshake, and it lasted a few seconds longer than it needed to as your eyes locked.

“It’s no problem, stranger. Now what do you want to drink?”

“Y/N. My names Y/N. And an iced americano, please.”

“Y/N. I like that. And you’ve got good taste. Now go change, and I’ll meet you back here in a few minutes, coffee in hand.”

You thanked the stranger, who now had a name, once more as you turned to walk back to your apartment. “Yoongi. What a unique name. And his eyes are so deep.” You thought out loud as you frantically shuffled through your closet looking for an equally as comfortable sweater and leggings combo as the one you had changed into. Thankfully, your jacket seemed to avoid the coffee, so you threw it back on, then set off back to the cafe.

You didn’t know if would still be there, so you didn’t get your hopes up, but sure enough, there he was, sitting at the little bistro table outside the cafe.

“That was quick,” He smiled as he stood up to hand you your coffee.

“Thank you. And yeah, I have to wear my business clothes during the week, so the weekends are reserved for the comfiest thing in my closet.” You let out a little nervous laugh, feeling your cheeks flush with color.

“I like your style. I called for a car while you were changing, it should be here soon.” A warm smile broke across his face. The mask he was wearing when you first collided was now tucked under his chin so he could drink his coffee.

“Really, you don’t have to be so kind. I appreciate it, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t want you to feel like you owe me this or something for my clumsiness.”

He let out a deep, raspy laugh. “I can see the car coming, so it’s too late to change my mind now.” A few seconds later, a black town car pulled up to the curb, and Yoongi went out to open the door for you.

“Oh, thanks.” You were shocked at how nice this complete stranger was being to you. You’d been living here for nearly a month, and this was the first time you’d talked to someone outside of work for more than a casual greeting.

Yoongi got in the car on the other side and gave the driver the address of a store on the other side of the town. “So, you’re obviously not Korean. What brings you to the other side of the world.”

“I work for a large company doing project planning. There’s a new division opening, and I’m the designer for the new infographics and displays. It was supposed to be in New York, but got changed at the last minute. The project is only for a year, so my mom is keeping my cat, and I’m living in Souel now.”

You could feel yourself instantly regretting everything you just said. You couldn’t read Yoongi’s expression as you studied him for a response.

“So, you do art?”

“Yeah, not as much as I want to. My major in school was fine arts, but not as many companies are looking for painters.” You leg was shaking nervously. Not at anything the person next to you was saying or doing, you just felt weird talking about yourself.

“Let me know if I’m asking too much. I don’t want you to think I’m stalking you or something.” He let out a breathy laugh that made you smile.

“No! You’re fine! I’m promise. I just get nervous talking about myself. I don’t think what I do is that exciting, but it’s still doing art, it pays well and I get to travel a lot.”

“Having a job that allows you to travel is the best. I feel like I’m always going somewhere new for work.”

“What do you do?” He looked almost surprised at your question.

“Uh, well. I’m a musician.”

“That’s amazing. I love music. I always wanted to play an instrument, but that was never my artistic calling.” He laughed at your comment. “What kind of music do you make?”

“Well, a little bit of everything. I’m in a group, so technically pop music, but we definitely go for more of an R&B sound than traditional pop.”

“So you sing?”

“No way. I produce, write and rap. I wish I could sing, but that was not my destiny.”

“Well, next time you guys have a show, you’ll have to tell me.”

“Well, if you want that, I guess you better give me you number.”

You felt you cheeks flush with color. That may have been the smoothest pickup line you’ve ever heard. “I..”

“Here.” The driver stopped outside of the phone storefront cutting your response short.

“Hold that thought.” He quickly ran out of the car to open your door before you could even process everything that just happened.

“Thank you.” You climbed out of the car still flustered by the conversation that had just happened. You tried to relax and walk into the store, but your mind was racing.

“Let’s get you new phone so you can read the next show flyer I send you.” Yoongi walked into the store, and you followed suit.

“Hi, how can I help you?”

“Hi, we need to get a new iPhone. Whatever the newest model is. And plenty of storage for art and music. Thanks.” Yoongi had answered everything before you could even open your mouth.

“Really, you don’t have to do this. I’m fine with just the same one I have. I’ve got my credit card. It’s fine.”

“No, I ran into you. I’m buying you a new phone. End of discussion.” He reached for his wallet out of his pocket, grabbing a black American Express card.

Who is this man? A black card?

“Did we need any cases or screen protectors today?” The sales representative set the phone on the counter.

“We should probably do the screen protector.”

“Yoongi, at least let me buy that.”

“No, my treat. Besides, you think $20 is going make a difference?” You smiled, still feeling guilty about the kindness of the man who you didn’t even know an hour ago.

“Well, I owe you.” You stepped up to the counter to finish setting up your phone. Once you were finished getting everything set up, the two of you walked back out to the car, and headed back to your apartment.

“So, now that your phone is fixed, how about you text me so I have your number. Then, we can call it even.” Yoongi reached over to grab your phone adding his name and number to your contacts. “Just send me your name so I can save it.”

“Are you sure? Really? Can I at least buy you lunch or something?” You began to send a message to him.

“Hmmm, I guess it is getting close to lunch time. Fine, your number and hot pot. Then, we’re even.” His phone buzzed with the message you sent him, and he saved your number as he asked the diver to take you to his favorite hotpot restaurant.

“I’ve been here a month, and I’ve basically been living off ramen, coffee and whatever is in stock at the 7/11 on the corner. I don’t know enough Korean to try anything else. I’m so scared of ordering something I can’t eat.”

“What?” His face was taken over by a completely shocked expression.

“I know. I know. I’m allergic to eggs, and I’m scared of getting sick. I don’t know what I would do if I got sick without my mom. I still make her come take care of me when I have a cold.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “No eggs. I’ll keep that in mind.”

The two of you arrived at the restaurant, and walked in for lunch. You had great conversations about family, pets and favorite artist. Before you knew it 2 hours had gone by. The two of you had finished eating about an hour ago, but you were just having a great time getting to know this new person.

“Oh, is it 1:30? Shoot. I have rehearsal in 30 minutes. Let’s get you home.”

“I can call a cab, it’s fine. Really. You’ve done enough.”

“You don’t even know where you are, I’m not leaving you alone. Besides, I have a car waiting outside.”

The two of you got up and left the restaurant, heading back out to the car.

“Well, did you like it? Better than ramen?”

You nodded you head in a laugh.

“I’ve got to get you out and eating more Korean food. Are you off every weekend?”

“Yeah. I usually spend my Saturday’s drawing by the river, and my Sundays sleeping.”

“A whole day devoted to sleeping. That’s my idea of good time.”

You both laughed, and continued to just get to know each other on for the next few minutes as the car neared your apartment.

The car came to a stop just outside the door up to your apartment.

“Seriously, thank you for everything today. You really didn’t have to, but I truly appreciate it so much. This is the best day I’ve had since I moved.”

“The pleasure was mine. I’ll talk to you later?”

“Okay.” You smiled, got out of the car, and headed toward the door to your building, pausing just before entering to wave goodbye. A soft wave met yours, as the car pulled away.

You walked into your apartment, sat on the couch , turned on the tv and tried process what had just happened over the past few hours. The next thing you knew your phone was buzzing, waking you up.

“New Message from Yoongi 🤴🏻”

“Thanks for hanging out with me this morning. It was nice to step away from life for a few hours.”

“I mean, you didn’t give me much of a choice. You did break my phone. 😉”

“Oh, I see how it is. Much braver now that you’re not with me. 🤔”

“I’m kidding! I really appreciate it so much. Next time coffee is on me. Well... not literally. I don’t need that again.”

“😂 Okay, I’ll hold you to it.”

“Pinky Promise. As long as it’s during the weekend.”

“Well, I have to check my schedule, but I’m sure I’m free the same time next week. This time, we can make it to the river, not the phone store. I can’t afford a new phone ever weekend!”

“😞😖 I’ll try.”

“Hahaha. Listen kid, I’m about to pass out. But seriously, thank you for today. I don’t get my mind off work often, so it was truly refreshing.”

“Well, I’m glad neither of us know how to pay attention when we’re walking. Talk to you soon?”

“That’s not a question, that’s a given. I’ll let you know my schedule next for next weekend soon. Goodnight.”

“Night!”

For the next few weeks, the two of you started to form a genuine friendship. You were surprised at how much the two of you had in common despite growing up on completely opposite sides of the world. Every Saturday morning, you’d meet at the cafe, get coffee and walk along the river. It just felt so good to have someone to talk to that wasn’t the same age as your mom, but your age.

“So, do you have any plans tonight?” Yoongi walked up to you, arm extended with a coffee in his hand.

“Well, I did have some big plans of watching Netflix and making instant ramen.”

“Well, I don’t know if I can top that, but we have a show tonight. If you weren’t busy, I was going to see if you wanted to come. It’s just a small fan fest show. You can come hang out with me and the guys backstage. I know it’s not nearly as exciting as Netflix, but we always have instant noodles.”

“Hmmm. I don’t know. Netflix is pretty exciting, and I have been spending every Saturday night at home for the last 3 months I’ve lived here. I really hate to break that streak...” You let out a laugh as you finished the sentence.

“Well, If you can break up with your couch, I can have a car here at 7?”

“7? Let’s see, it’s 12:30 now. That gives me at least 4 hours to nap. I think I can do that.”

“Really? You’ll come?”

“Don’t act so shocked. We’re friends, or at least I think we are. And I’m getting a little bored with Netflix. I gotta tell you, there’s only so many sitcoms you can watch before they all start to seem the same.”

“I’m just excited for you to meet the guys. They all want to meet you. We usually go get food and drinks after the smaller shows like this, you can join us for that if you want, too.”

“That sounds great. I’m a little nervous about meeting everyone, but I think I need more than one friend.” You laughed as Yoongi rolled his eyes.

The two of you continued on with your Saturday morning walk for another half hour before you made it back to the entrance to your apartment.

“I’ll give the driver your number so he can message you when he’s here?” Yoongi looked at you with pure excitement in his eyes.

“Yeah! That works. 7, right?”

“Yep. And don’t worry, I’m the most intimating one, seriously. The other six are puppies.”

“Okay,” you could let help but giggle. “I’ll see you in a little bit then. Do I need to wear anything fancy?”

“You’re so cute. No, it’s just a small concert. Wear whatever you’re comfortable in.” He chucked at your question.

“I don’t know. You’re draped in mystery. Maybe.. I don’t know.” You laughed together for quick second before Yoongi pulled you in for a hug.

“I have to get to sound check, then get ready. The car will drop you off backstage.”

“Okay. I’ll see you then.” His driver was now staring at the two of you, clearly getting impatient.

“I think you better go, or he may not come pick me up later.”

“You’re probably right. See you later.” And with a soft laugh, he climbed into the car, and took off.

You walked into your apartment tried to process everything that just happened. In the time the two of you had spent together, that was the first time he’d called you cute or hugged you. I mean, it’s not like you mined it, but you also couldn’t help but overthink the situation. You figured a shower and quick nap would help calm you down, so you did just that.

You woke up around 4:30, giving you more than enough time to change. You threw on an oversized sweater and swapped your leggings for some skinny jeans, threw your hair up in a bun, did some soft and natural makeup and topped the outfit off with your favorite doc martens. You still had about 20 minutes to kill, so you walked down to the cafe for a coffee, then sat outside waiting for the car.

7 pm on the dot, a black town car turned the corner. You stood up to start walking down to where he was going to pick you up, but he stopped in-front of the cafe.

You slid into the back of the car, said thank you, and headed off to the venue. You never really talked to the driver much the few times you had met him, plus you didn’t even know if he spoke any english, so you sat in the back reading the book you kept in your bag. It wasn’t long until you were being escorted from the car to the backstage area. Everything was starting to feel like a blur and a rush. Was this really happening? A guy you had known for maybe two months was inviting you to his concert?

You walked in, and suddenly felt underdressed and incredibly nervous. There was a room full of people all just staring at you, and you didn’t know a single face looking back at you.

Suddenly you heard a familiar voice coming up beside you, “Hey, kid.” It was Yoongi, looking completely different than how he did when you last saw him, or really from how you ever saw him. You were used to him in sweats and oversized t-shirt’s, beanies and usually a mask tucked below his chin. This Yoongi was in a suit, hair and makeup done, looking like a casual model.

“Hi. I’m.. Uh.. Sorry I’m not dressed better. I’m used to just, like, small bands and house shows. Like 200-300 people. And you said small show, so I figured, and—“

He cut you off with a hug. You don’t know why he chose to pick up that habit today, but you were complaining. He laughed as he felt you take a deep break into his chest. “Come on, I want you to meet the guys before we have to go out.”

He grabbed your hand and drug you over to a side of the room you didn’t notice when you walked in. There, sitting across 3 separate couches, were 4 other guys, all dressed similar to Yoongi, and all looking like they, too, were part time models.

Before you could even introduce yourself, a warm voice greeted you, “So you must be the famous y/n our hyung won’t shut up about. I’m Jimin.” A sweet hand reached out to greet you.

“Uh, yeah, I guess that’s me.” You nervously smiled as you felt color rush to your face. What did he tell them about you? How clumsy you were? How he felt bad you didn’t have any friends?

You thought was cut short. “Come sit down, we have around a half hour before we need to go out. We’ll see if your all you’re cracked up to be.” The comment was immediately followed by a laugh and a slap on the knee.

Yoongi leaned in to whisper in your ear, “Please don’t take Jin seriously. He thinks he’s funny.” His warm breath and deep voice sent chills down your spine. You were still in shock, so you just smiled, nodded and sat down.

“I have to say, I’ve known Yoongi for 5 years now. I’ve never seen him want to bring someone around us other than his family. You must be pretty special.”

“And that’s Namjoon. You’d think with an IQ of 148, he’d be a little smarter.” You could tell Yoongi was nervous, and you kind of liked seeing this side of him. He always seems so cool and collected on your walks, it was nice to know he was still a human under his cool exterior.

“Hi, uh. I’m y/n.” You waved for some reason, and instantly regretted it. You must have looked so dumb, here you are, clearly out of place and from the other side of the world, waving to people in the same room as you introduced yourself. You could feel your cheeks start to turn red. Suddenly you felt a hand caress your back, and you looked over to see Yoongi raise his eyebrows and mouth “You good?” You nodded.

“Okay, guys. I didn’t bring her here for an interrogation. She’s new to Korea, and if I weren’t such a klutz, she’d still be alone in Korea.” You could hear him hold back his laugh at the bad joke he just made. “Now, let’s show her an actual good time, and not make her more nervous?” His hand still resting on your back, not low enough to make you uncomfortable but not high enough to be just friendly. Maybe you were just over reading the situation. Maybe he was just trying to make you comfortable. You mind was racing trying to process everything that had happened over the course of the last 12 hours.

Thankfully, another voice broke your racing mind. “Well any friend of Suga-hyung is a friend of me.” You couldn’t help but smile at the sweet smile from the man sitting across from you, before turning to Yoongi for clarification on who the hell Suga was.

“Suga?”

“Wait, you didn’t tell her that?” The same sweet smiling face from earlier, no rounded in surprise.

“Yeah, I guess it never came up. I don’t really introduce myself as Suga when I’m alone. Not all of us have the same name on and off the stage.”

“I do. I’m Jungkook!”

You smiled and said hi, then realized there were still two people sitting in chairs getting their hair finished. “Wait, how many are in the band?”

“Seven. Tae and Hobi are still getting their hair done, so you may not meet them until after. They only look intermediating, they’re actually big softies.”

“I think I’m noticing a trend.”

“Boys, it’s time to go.” Namjoon quickly gathered everyone up.

“If you go over there, the stylist will take you to the side stage. They’re all super sweet, and I told them you were coming. Don’t believe any of the stories they tell you.” Yoongi smiled before removing his hand from your back and standing up to go off with the group and get ready for stage.

You walked over to a group of 3 women, obviously nervous, but as Yoongi promised, they were all super sweet. You all introduced yourself before walking over to an area labeled “staff”. There you were giving a giant sticker that said “VISITOR” before being allowed into the area. What you were told was a small show, was actually a small theater of about 800 people. “This is a small show?” You turned to the stylist.

“Yeah, they usually do arenas.”

Your mind was back to that racing place, and this time you felt your stomach drop. Who was your new friend? Everything had been so casual and just fun. You never even fathomed that he was an actual celebrity. Was that why he always had on a mask and hat? Was that why he came over to the cafe on your side of town? Because it was mostly older people and business people? You tried not to panic, but your mind was racing. You wanted to get out your phone and google “Suga” but you also didn’t want to get caught by the stylist. You tried to enjoy the show, but you were visibly shaken.

“He didn’t tell you about any of this?” His stylist leaned over during a break in the show without music.

You shook your head no.

“That’s so typical of him.” She laughed, easing your worry slightly. “They’re a lot bigger here in Korea than they are over seas, so any of the guys have trouble meeting people who don’t gawk over them. When you came in, and I saw you were foreign, I figured you didn’t know.”

“Yeah, he told me a show, I figured like a small band. That’s what I’m used to seeing in New York. A couple hundred people, max.” You we’re still nervous, but somehow calmed by the stylist words.

“They tend to be pretty tight knit, Yoongi is probably the most closed off to the outside out of all of them. Honestly, he’s the last one I would have figured for a plus one. But you got to know Yoongi, not Suga, so don’t let all of this cloud that for you.”

“No, definitely not. I mean, it’s a shock for sure. But The man on that stage is like watching a different person from the one I’ve been spending time with over the last few weeks. It’s nice to know he’s a real person outside of all of this, and know that side of him first.”

“He really is one of the best people I know. All seven of them are, truly, but Yoongi just has this calming attitude about him. I’ve been with them since pretty much the beginning, before they even had a show or an album, and you’re one the first people outside of family or pre-fame friends they’ve let into this world. He must see something pretty special in you.”

Before you could respond, there was a loud base thump, and the show started back up. There were only a few more song, and you were relieved because your stomach was growling. As the boys all lined up for the final bow, you followed the rest of the staff back to the backstage area and waited for the boys.

“Hey! Just let me shower off and change, then we’ll go get some food. Just go back over to the couches, I’m sure Hobi and Jimin will be over there soon. They always like they sit for minute and cool before that change.”

You nodded your head and went back over the the couches, still kind of shaken by everything that just happened. You sat down, and before you could get your book out of you back, a hand reached out to shake yours.

“Hi. I’m Hoseok, but Yoongi probably called me J Hope or Hobi.”

You reached out to shake the hand, and look up to see one of the nicest and sweetest smiles you had ever seen in your life. “Hi, I’m y/n”

“I know. Suga has been talking about you for the last few weeks now.”

“Oh, I—“

“Don’t worry! It’s all good. He said you make really good art and tell funny jokes without trying. And you bought him hot pot.”

“He... He talked about that? I figured it was all embarrassing things.”

“Suga? Never. The only people he ever makes fun of are Jin and Jimin.”

“Oh.” You felt a smile taking over your face, completely out of your control. “I’ve really had a great time getting to know him, so I’m glad to hear he hasn’t been spending time with me just because he feels sorry for me.”

Hobi laughed and the two of you had light conversation for the next few minutes until Yoongi emerged back in the typical uniform you were used to seeing him in.

“You ready?”

“Yeah. Do we need to wait for the rest of the guys?” You remembered he said they usually all would go out after shows like this.

“No, I think it’s just the two of us tonight. Unless you’re too tired, I can take you home.”

“No! Not at all I’m starving!”

“Good, me too. Let’s go. My car is on the other side.”

“You drive?” You we’re shocked, all this time you’d only seen him with a driver.

“Yeah, I don’t like to that often, but I gave Hank the night off”

“Wait Hank. Your drivers name is Hank? I feel so bad! I didn’t say anything earlier, I just read my book on the way here. I didn't know if he spoke english, and I just...”

Yoongi could tell you were worried you’d upset the driver, and couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t worry. Hank doesn’t talk much. He was probably so relieved when you pulled out your book.”

“Okay. Are you sure?”

“Yes.” He couldn’t help but smile at you. “You’re so caring. It’s so cute.”

You felt a warm rush back to your cheeks again. There was that word again. I mean, this time he wasn’t directly calling you cute, but still. This was a whole different side than you’d been seeing. You didn’t mind it, it wasn’t like he wasn’t an attractive man, you just didn’t know if it was just how he talked or if you should read more into it. You tried to not let the thought consume you as you walked to his car with him. He opened the door for you before he walked over and got in the drivers seat.

“So, what sounds good?”

“I really liked the hotpot restaurant you took me when we first met. If you want that-“

“Say no more. I’m always in the mood for hotpot.”

You laughed at his eager response as he shifted the car into reverse to pull out of the parking garage.

“So, did you like the show?”

“Yeah, It was amazing. I guess I just wasn’t expecting something that big. You’re, like, really popular. And you’re all so talented.”

“Sorry I didn’t tell you about that sooner. I just didn’t want you to freak out and not come or something.”

“No! Don’t apologize. I had a really good talk with your stylist during the break.”

You could see his hand tighten on the gear shift, obviously nervous at what you may say next. “Hopefully all good?”

“Better than good.” You rested your hand on his on the gear shift. You figured you might as well shoot your shot. Try and figure out if he was flirting or just flirty. You tried not to smile when you saw him visibly gulp out of the corner of your eye.

“Since it’s Saturday night, they’re probably busy. Don’t worry, we can go in the back. I know the owner, and he always has a few private rooms ready upstairs.”

You nodded your head and he turned into an ally, pulling up to the back of what you assumed was a restaurant. “You’re lucky I trust you, or I would be a lot more suspicious about where we are right now.” Although it was dark, you could see his stoic face break into a warm smile.

“You don’t know, maybe I have a third name, and that one is a criminal.”

You both laughed out loud at the suggestion, and he shifted the car into park. You both got out of the car, and Yoongi draped an arm around your shoulders. “I would have opened your door, you know.”

“Maybe I wanted to get out and open yours this time.”

He smiled down at you before the two of you walked in through the back entrance of the restaurant into a storage room.

“Are you sure-“

Suddenly an older man greeted Yoongi with a warm embrace speaking only in Korean. The two of them exchanged a few words, of which you understood hello and table, then the two of you were lead upstairs to a much more intimate setting than the main dinning room you knew. You sat down in room clearly meant to seat no more than 7 or 8 people, as the older man bowed and left the room.

“That’s the owner. I’ve been coming here since I first moved to Souel. It’s the best hotpot in the city, seriously. I’ve tried them all.”

You smiled looking at the clean face you were more familiar with and smiled. You could tell he was nervous, but you weren’t sure what to say to make him relax.

“So that’s a small show, huh?” You instantly regretted it, but It was honestly just the first thing that came out of your mouth.

“Yeah, sorry about that. I just didn’t want you to get nervous or think something different of me. A lot of people who meet me, well any of us, tend to treat us different. I didn’t want you to look me up or not come after you found out what I really did. It was just...”

“It’s fine! Yoongi. I don’t care.” You reached out and grabbed his hand. This time, he took your hand between both of his, softly caressing the top of your hand with his thumb. “Your stylist explained a little bit, and after going to the show, I see why you didn’t want to tell me. I probably wouldn’t have come if i knew Suga or BTS before. I would have been so terrified. I’m glad I know Yoongi.”

You could see his body relaxing as you talked. “You’re the first person I’ve met in the last two years who only knew me as Yoongi. It was just nice to have that again. No pressure to live up to a certain image.”He was still holding you hand, his eyes focused on his thumb making small circles on the top of it.

“Yoongi, the person I know, the person who I bumped into, the person who bought me a phone, the person who has talked about anything and everything with me, never been more than second late on Saturday mornings, that’s the person I’ve grown fond of. That’s the person I look forward to seeing every weekend, and that the person I came to support tonight.”

His eyes met yours with a soft gaze. “I have a confession.” You could feel your heart start to pound. What was he going to say? Was this Yoongi thing all an act? We he done spending time with me? “The guys all wanted to come tonight, but I told them the couldn’t.”

“Wh-what? Why?”

“I don’t... I haven’t... I...” You could tell he was struggling for the words, something you’d never see him do. He was usually so calm and collected. “I just needed to tell you something, and I didn’t think all the guys should be here. I mean they know, and they know why I wanted to bring you here. I just... I just haven’t done this since I was a kid.” He took a deep breath, and you could feel heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of your chest. “I like you. Genuinely, 100%, haven’t felt this way about a person since I was kid type of feelings. After we started getting famous, I didn’t think I would ever be able to form just a genuine bond with someone like this again. And these last few weeks, between the coffee and the walks and the messages, I feel like I’m in school again. I just, I’m sorry to spring this all on you, I know it’s a lot. And if you don’t feel the same...”

You cut off his words by leaning over to give him a soft kiss on the cheek.

“How could I not share those feeling with you? In the short time we’ve known each other, you’ve treated me better than most of my friends, let alone any boyfriend I’ve ever had. I just didn’t want to say something, and have you think I was over reading your kindness. But the conversations we’ve had, we can talk about anything. It feels like I’ve known you for years.”

“Really?” His face lit up, leaning in for a more passionate peck this time. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

Your moment was cut short by the food coming in.

“You remembered I cant have eggs.” You smiled as everything was sat down and there wasn’t even a smaller dish with eggs for him.

“Of corse. I can’t have you sick on our first date.”

“D-Date?” The word ignited a warmth in your stomach.

“Sorry, was that too forward? I know it’s not a proper date, and a little weird, but I just though...”

“No. I like it. Our first date.” You couldn’t help but smile. The rest of the meal was just the same conversation you’d always had, hobbies, family, favorite tv shows, everything. Nothing ever felt forced in conversation, the two of you just genuinely liked learning more about the other.

You finished up dinner, the stood up to leave. Before you left, Yoongi looked down at you and smiled.

“Do I have something on my face?” You started to lift you hand up to wipe your face when he let out a soft laugh.

“No, I’m just happy I can finally just study every part of your face without you thinking I’m weird.”

Your cheeks filled with color, as he smiled, grabbed your hand and led you back out to his car. He went to open the door for you, stopped to steal on more kiss before he did. “Seriously, You have no idea how bad I’ve wanted to do that.” He smiled as his face lingered in front of yours for a minute before he finally opened the door for you. You’re whole body was taken over with a warm glow, and you stomach filled with butterflies. Everything was starting to feel like a movie.

Once you got back out to the road, he started to head back to your apartment. You laced your fingers with his, and he pulled you hand up for a kiss before placing your laced fingers gently to rest on you lap. You just stared at him, watching the way his eyes lowered as he drove, the way they slightly squinted when he read a road sign.

“Do I have something on my face?” He asked with a smile, his eyes not leaving the road.

“No, I’m just happy I can finally just study every part of your face without you thinking I’m weird.”

“Ah, stealing my line, huh?” He smiled as his eyes still focused on the road.

“Maybe.” You both let out a soft laugh as the car turned on the your street. “You, if you want to I mean, You can come up for a glass of wine.”

“I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.” He parked the car along the street, before turning it off and leaning in for one more soft kiss before you both got out of the car and walked up to your front door.

You entered you apartment and immediately felt the urge to apologize for its lack luster appearance. “Sorry, it’s small and kind of plain. I really just have some pictures of my mom and my cat.”

“Don’t apologize, it’s perfect.”

You felt you cheeks begin to flush with color again. “Um, you can go sit on the couch, I’ll get the wine. Red or white?”

“Red. Unless you want white.”

“Red it is.”

You watched Yoongi walk over to the couch, and nervously rub his hands up and down his thighs. It was cute and also comforting to know you both were nervous as hell about this night that was turning into your first date.

You walked over with a bottle of wine and two wine glasses, setting them in the coffee table. “I’m going to go take off my makeup real quick. You can put on a movie or something.”

He smiled and nodded at you as he reached for the wine bottle and began to pour wine in both glasses.

You came back out, and he looked at you, taking in every inch of you before you sat down on the couch. “You wear glasses?”

“Oh, yeah. I, uh, I usually wear contacts, but my eyes were hurting so I took them out.”

“I like the glasses. They’re cute.”

Your face once again flushed with color, Yoongi was good at making you blush. You sat down on the couch next to him, and he pulled you in closer with his arm wrapped over your shoulder.

“Oh, I forgot I was watching this earlier. We don’t have to watch it.” You we’re suddenly embarrassed at your favorite movie, Terminator 2, playing on the tv.

“Nope, I love this movie. I was shocked to see it paused when I turned in the TV. I didn’t take you for the action movie type.”

“Yeah, I pretty much only watch action and horror movies. This is my favorite movie.” You instantly regret the words you just said, feeling like a total nerd.

Yoongi smiled, placed a kissed on you head then rested his head on yours, softly combing his fingers through your hair. “I love it.”

You must have been more tired than you realized because suddenly you felt the sun peaking through your window onto your face. Your eyes fluttered open to realize that you and Yoongi had both fallen asleep watching the movie. You looked up and smiled at his sleeping face, then bushed his hair off his face, leading to a low hum from the chest you laying on.

“Good morning, beautiful.” His low and soft morning voice sounded so warm in your ears.

“Good morning, handsome. I hope you don’t get the wrong idea about me.” You let out small giggle as Yoongi’s hand rubbed you back softly. “I’ve never had a boy spend the night that wasn’t my boyfriend.”

“Hmmm. Boyfriend. Are you asking me to make things official” His sleep voice vibrated in his chest below your ear.

“I just mean... I’m not...” He cut you off with a laugh and a soft kiss on the top of your head.

“No, I like the sound of it. You being my girlfriend, no one else’s.” His hand still rubbing your back. “I know we haven’t known each other that long, but I really don’t want to loose you to someone else. So, do you want to make this official? Do you want to be my girlfriend?”

—————————

“I know we haven’t known each other that long, but I really don’t want to loose you to someone else. So, do you want to make this official? Do you want to be my girlfriend?”

It’d been over five years since you said yes to that question, and you’d been happy you did everyday. By no means was it easy, and there were times you wanted to just give up, but Yoongi was the best thing that had ever happened to you.

Over the last few years BTS had exploded, and they couldn’t go anywhere without being noticed by people. Every year the comeback grew bigger, so the tours grew bigger and the time apart became longer and longer. You loved and respected your boyfriends work ethic, but it was also making it harder to spend time together.

The two of you had certainly survived more than most relationships. When your contract in Seoul was over, you moved back to New York, and the long distance was so hard. long distance in the same country is hard enough, but you were on opposite sides of the world? Miserable. Trying to find time to talk between you both working constantly was hard, but you made it work. The boys also came to New York a few times for different events, and you took 2 trips to Korea during the year.

Around a year and half after you started dating, while you were in Korea for the new year, Yoongi suggested you moved in with him while laying in bed.

“I know it’s so far away for you, but I can’t keep doing this. It kills me not being able to kiss you or hold you when I want to. I love you so much, it’s killing me only seeing you for a week or two at a time.”

“Yoongi, what about work? I don’t have a job lined up here. There’s nothing more I want than to spend the rest of my life with you, but it’s just so sudden.”

“You don’t need a job, let me take care of you. You can stay home and do your art. Make the guest room into an art studio. Please, I don’t need anything from you other than you.” He was getting emotional at the idea of you leaving in two days back to New York.

“Yoongi... I ca—“

“Don’t say you can’t because you know I can support you and take care of you. Make art on your own terms and sell it on your own terms. You don’t need to depend on your art to survive, and you don’t need to make art you don’t love ever again. I love you. I love you more than I thought I could ever love someone. Please, just think about it. Please.”

You pulled your boyfriend to your chest in a tight hug as he tried to hold back tears. It wouldn’t be hard to move to Korea, really. You’d lived away from your family since you were in college, only seeing them on holidays for the last 6 years. You had more friends in Korea at this point than in New York. But it wasn’t that idea that scared you. You’d love nothing more than spending everyday like this, melted into one person with your boyfriend. But the idea of not working and just becoming dependent on someone, regardless of how minor it was for him, it wasn’t something you were used to. You’d lived alone and supported yourself since you were 18. That was the last 8 years of your life. And now you have this man wanting to give you the world, and you were considering saying no?

You must have contemplated the decision longer than you thought because you went to tell him you wanted to move, and he was asleep on your chest. In a weird way, you were happy he was asleep and you couldn’t tell him. This moment just confirmed that he was your person, and this was where you were supposed to be.

The morning after he suggested you move to Korea, you woke up to an empty bed. You were slightly confused, you didn’t remember him saying he had to go to the studio, but you also wouldn’t be surprised if he forgot.

You walked out to the kitchen to get a glass of water, and there he was, making you breakfast. He’d even gotten vegan eggs for you.

“So, are you going to make me breakfast every morning when I move in, or is this just you trying to butter me up?

He turned around to tell you good morning, but then he suddenly realized what you had just said. “Wait... are you serious?”

“Yeah. I wanted to tell you last night, but you were already asleep. I hurts too much to leave, I can’t keep doing it. You’re my now and my future. It’s going to take some adjustments, but like you said, I can make art and sell it. That’s what I’ve want to do since i was a kid. So to not only have the love of my life want me to spend everyday with him, but to have him support me and encourage me to do what I love? You’re almost too good to be true sometimes.”

He left the food on the oven, and wrapped you up in a tight embrace. “I just wanted to make you breakfast because it was your last morning with me. But if you want breakfast in bed every morning, I will make you breakfast until I can’t stand up anymore. What ever you want, for the rest of your life, I will give it to you.” He covered your face with soft kisses.

“All I want forever is you.” You leaned into a kiss, this time feeling a little sweeter than usual. “I’ll start figuring everything out once I get back to New York.”

“Are you sure? Because I know this is what I want. I would have asked you to move in before you even moved back to New York when we started dating if I didn’t think it would have freaked you out.”

You laughed at the idea. “Yeah, you’re right. I definitely would have freaked out. But there’s nothing more I want in life now.”

He continued to kiss you, your cheeks, your forehead, your neck, your fingers, you hands, just showering you in the sweetest and softest moments of pure joy. “I think I can move somethings around and come back with you to the city. Help you pack, get documents, tell your boss you quit. Whatever.”

“I don’t think I can get this handled in just a week. The visa process alone can be like 90 days.”

“Well, at least turn in your resignation when you get back. So you can start moving things until your visa gets approved. I’ll get you added on my bank account and credit cards before you leave. You can use them to pay for everything.”

“Are you sure? I have money. I have enough in my saving to live for six months without working.”

“Then keep it there. Or invest it. Please, this was my idea, you’re moving half way around the world for me. Let me take care of everything.” His face was so soft and sweet, you couldn’t believe this was the man that was in love with you. That wanted to be with you. That would do anything for you.

It took 6 months to get everything finalized for the move. And man, did those six months feel like forever. By some weird twist of fate, the paper work came through and the everything was finished on your two year anniversary. Yoongi was in New York with you for a few days to celebrate.

You’d spent weeks trying to find the perfect gift, and somehow, fate led to it falling into your lap. So that morning, you snuck out while he was still sleeping to go get a card and print off the email to put inside. When you got home, he was just starting to stir in bed.

“Come back.” His morning voice always made you smile.

“Give me 2 minutes. I’ve got something for you.”

“Mmm. I don’t need anything but you. Come back, I’m cold.”

“Trust me, you’ll want this.” You quickly folded up the printed email, signed the card and stuffed everything into the envelope, before crawling back into your boyfriends arms. “Here.”

He rubbed his eyes, before taking the card and giving you a nearly missed sleepy kiss. “What’s this?”

“Just open it.”

He shifted his weight to sit up a little more, and opened the card. He chuckled at the stupid little card you got him. The two of you had a history of getting the dumbest cards you could find, and this was no different. But it wasn’t about the card, it was about that piece of paper in the card. He unfolded it, and as he read it, his eyes tripled in size. “Wait, is this... Is this real? Everything is done? You can move?”

You nodded your head as Yoongi buried his face into you neck and began to cry. “Why are you crying? I thought you would be happy?”

“These last six months have been the hardest. From all the struggles and the long distance, and just waiting for you to come be with me. And now it’s happening. This gets to be my everyday. Forever.”

You felt the tears starting to swell in your eyes as you listened to his words. It had been hard being apart for so long, but to know it would soon be over, that was the best feeling in the world. You combed your fingers through your boyfriends hair, and the tears slowly turned to kisses.

“So this is real? We’re really doing this?” You knew it’s would make Yoongi laugh, and he quickly flipped you over, pouncing like a cat pounces on its prey.

“You’re stuck with me now, kid.” That morning quickly became afternoon, and you missed your dinner reservations that night.

So, now, here you were. Dating a member of the most popular Boy Group in the world. You’d been living together for nearly 3 years now, and the bliss never seemed to end.

Everyone told you the honeymoon phase would end, or how hard it would be dating someone with his job, but it just worked for the two of you. You had a mutual understanding of each other’s limits and needs, and he truly was your best friend and your boyfriend.

You both were so comfortable with each other, you could just sit in the same room and say nothing, but be happy. And you did that a lot. He’d watch you paint, and you’d watch him mix music. You’d lay on the couch together and read books the other picked out. Even just laying in bed together, scrolling through your phones together, it was all just comfortable and felt right.

So now, you laid in bed with your boyfriend of over 5 years, just paying with his hair as he lay asleep beside you. You loved these little moments with him more than anything. Life had become so hectic over the last few years, but moments like this reminded you why you feel in love with him. Whenever he started to stir awake, he would always pull you in closer to his body, and today was no acceptation.

“Mmmmm.” Am arm reached out and wrapped around your waist, pulling you in closer to his chest.

You let out a soft giggle as you rested your head on his chest. “We can’t stay here forever, kid.”

“Shhhh. Just five more minutes.” He nestled his head on top of yours.

“But it’s Saturday. You know what that means.” Somehow, through all the chaos and the fame, the two of you always took a Saturday morning walk. No matter the city, no matter the schedule, even if it was walking to the hotel lobby to get a coffee and walk back to the room, the only time you’d missed a Saturday was when you lived apart.

“The side walk will still be there in fine minutes. I just want this for five more minutes.” His hands softly rubbing your back as you drew shapes on his stomach with you finger.

“Fine. But any longer, and you’re buying coffee this week.”

“I’ll buy the coffee shop if that means we can stay here forever.” He somehow hugged you even tighter, still sending that same rush through your body that you got the first time he kissed you.

Five minutes came and past, but you’d both managed to fall back asleep for another hour. This time, you were woken up by a cold nose pressing your face.

“Okay, the kids need to go out. It’s time to get up.” You sat up and gave the two dogs laying beside you good morning kisses. When you moved to Korea, you brought your cat, Yoongi already had Holly, and after months of torture, the two of you adopted a second dog. Of course, that led to a second cat about 6 months later because your cat couldn’t be without a friend, and your bed now being occupied by 4 pets you both referred to as your children.

“Fine, Fine. Let’s go. But walk, then coffee today? I’ll make it.” Yoongi sat up, hair a mess and eyes still closed, but still just as perfect as ever.

“Okay, I’ll get the kids ready for their walk, you get the water?” You leaned over to kiss his cheek, leading to a soft hum and eyes slightly opened.

“One more?” You kissed his other cheek, opening his eyes a little more. “Okay, now one more?” You gave him one more kiss as you laughed, then stood up.

“Okay, kid. Let’s go. We can stay right here, just go around the building a few times. Then you’re making coffee.” You walked out to then entry room to get harnesses and leashes on the dogs, put on your shoes and wait for your boyfriend to get his. “Yoongs? You moving?”

“I’m here, I’m here. I had to get water.” He shuffled into the entry, eyes still half closed and water bottles in both hands. You couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

“Slip on some shoes, or you're making coffee and cleaning up the accident.”

He let out a groan that made you laugh out loud, slipped on some sandals, and followed behind you as you led the dogs out the door.

You’re walks weren’t nearly as talkative as the used to be, but you still loved them just as much. It usually consisted of going to the dog park outside your building, you chasing the dogs for 30 minutes and him laughing and recording it. Today, even the dogs seems extra sleepy, so you just took a little longer of a walk, then all headed back home.

You walked back in, and while Yoongi made coffee and a light breakfast, you got breakfast ready for your babies.

“So you know what today is?” Yoongi sat down a coffee and bowl of oatmeal in front of you.

“Hmmmm. Saturday?” You pretended like you didn’t know what today way, but you were fully aware. It was 2000 days since he asked you out. You’d managed to hide a card in the front pocket of your hoodie, and had it waiting for him when he sat down.

“And here I thought you forgot. You always amaze me, kid.” He opened the card and laughed at the stupid joke the bear on the front made. Inside was a picture of a painting you’d been working on of the two of you. “How’d you keep this hidden from me?” He studied the image before leaning in to a deep kiss.

“I have my ways. And Kookie is also a hopeless romantic with a half empty apartment, so he let me steal a room for a few weeks. We can go over and get it when ever you want.”

He leaned in for one more sweet kiss, “It’s so beautiful. I know just the place for it in my studio. Thank you. You’re amazing.” He kissed you one more time before he stood up. “Now wait here. I have something for you.”

He walked down the hallway and turned into the guest room. You had no idea what he was hiding or planning. Suddenly, he reappeared, holding what looked like a dvd case in wrapping paper. “Here.”

“You took the gift and unwrapped it to reveal it was a Terminator Two dvd. You couldn’t help but laugh. “We don’t even have a dvd player, plus we have it downloaded to the tv.”

“Just open it.”

“What?”

“Open it.”

You looked at your boyfriend confused, but followed his instructions. There, inside the case in place of a dvd, was a ring. Not just any ring, it was an absolutely beautiful opal ring, set by two diamonds on either side.

“Well, kid? Let’s make it official.” You looked up from the ring to see your boyfriend now kneeling in front of you on one knee.

The tears were filling your eyes, and you couldn’t even get any words out. You just nodded your head. He then slipped the ring on you finger, stood up and pulled you into the tightest huh you’d ever shared. You could feel him start to cry on you shoulder as the two of you just stood there, holding each other so tight you may just become one person.

After a few minutes, you both got two a point of where you could talk same, and the first thing he did was ask you if you were sure.

“Are you sure? Because I don’t want you to feel any pressure or anything. I know we’ve both said were fine with not getting married, and this doe-“

You cut him off with a kiss that made him melt into you. “Have you ever known me to mix words?” You took his face in you hand, “Do you think I would move to the other side of the world, bring my child, adopt two more babies with you and put up with your schedule if I didn’t want this? If I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life with you? I always told you I just wanted you. That’s it, for the rest of my life. This is just the perfect reminder of that. But I want you. Everything could end tomorrow, we could go back to working 9-5 jobs, and I’d still want nothing but you.”

He grabbed you by the waist and pulled you in for a deep and long kiss. He then just studied your face for a minute before he said anything. “You know, I’ve spent 2000 studying this face, and Instill find things to love. I’ve spent 2000 days with your heart and your mind and your soul, and I never run out of things to love about you. From the freckles on your forehead, to the scar on your pinky. The mole on your shoulder, the way your knees turn in when you stand. The scar on your knee from falling in first grade, the way your left pinky is crooked from breaking it when you were 6. The way your hair curls when it rains, the color your eyes turn during golden hour. The way you know the constellations and drag me out of the city to see meteor showers. I even love when you crack you toes. The way you hum as you’re falling asleep, and you ears raise when you smile. How one dimple is deeper than the other, I know you think you only have one, but the second one just hides until you have a full body laugh. When you’re painting, you always forget you have paint on you hands and fix your hair, getting paint on your face and in your hair. I could fill encyclopedias about the things I love about you. I want to spend this life, and every other life with you.”

You’re eyes filled with tears again listening to everything he said. He truly knew you better than you knew yourself. “You’re so amazing and perfect. How’d I get so lucky?” You snuck in about her kiss before sitting back down to study your ring.

“Well, thankfully, you’re a pretty clumsy person.” He sat back down talking your left hand with both of his, studying the ring on our finger. “But I want to tell you about the ring. Because this has been a few months in the making.”

“What?” You looked up at him with rounded eyes, confused by the statement.

“Well, I wasn’t about to let you wear a ring someone else my have. Everything about this is custom. Even the stones. Remember when I took that trip to LA for recording?”

You nodded your head, still confused about what he was talking about.

“Well, I went to the US, but I didn’t go to California. I went to Ohio. The diamonds are from your Grandma’s original wedding ring. And the chrysoprase, I know you’re not into diamond, so I wasn’t about to get you a big Diamond. But your mom said you loved it and she said it was your dad’s grandmothers necklace. That it was the only piece of jewelry she had when the immigrated during the war.”

Your eyes filled with tears all over again, you knew the ring and necklace he was talking about. Your mom had them in her safe at her house along with some other small things that had been passed down to you. “You really did all of this for me?”

“I know i could have bought you a ring, or even made some big fancy ring with a jeweler, but I know that’s not you. I started talking to you mom about it a year ago, asking what she thought, and she told me there was some old family jewelry if I wanted to look thought it. I saw the necklace, and I knew it was perfect. She suggested the diamonds from your grandmas ring, that you loved that ring. She also told me if you were going to wear it everyday, it couldn’t be too big, or you’d go crazy. I wanted to do some big date, or some special vacation, but that’s not us. I’ve had the ring for a few months, just trying to figure out what to do and last night it hit me. I couldn’t just keep it forever. I watched you sleep, with all of the kids down at our feet, and this is the family and the life I want for the rest of my life. Then I thought I would do it at dinner tonight, or I could sneak out and get flowers, or I’d take you on some romantic moon lit walk, but watching you kiss the dogs. Then seeing that painting. I think if I waiting any longer, I would explode. Sorry it wasn’t some big grand gesture, but I didn’t want a box. And I knew the movie would throw you off.” You could tell he was getting emotional talking about everything, so you cut him off.

“I love you so much it should be illegal.” Your eyes still filled with tears, over flowing on to your cheeks. “Now let’s call my mom and tell her.”

“Hold on. One last thing.” He stood up and took your hand, leading you over to the couch. “Let’s just enjoy this one little moment, just us.” He sat down, pulling you on to his lap. He studied your face for a minute before saying anything again. “I just want to study the face of my fiancé.”

#yoongi #suga #min yoongi #min suga #yoongi fluff #yoongi imagine #min yoongi fluff #min yoongi imagine #suga fluff #suga imagine #bts fluff #bts imagines #boyfriend yoongi #boyfriend suga

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dayseternal-blog · 4 years

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Written for @naruhina2020 February: “Groundhog Day” Loop

Or, since this is such a tardy submission, it could also fit for April: Too Late/Missed Opportunities

He's moving away.

But they were never close to begin with. So after tonight, he can leave, and she'll have no regrets.

Time Loop Modern High School AU - Rated T

(Chapters 2 out of 3.)

Chapter 1: Only Now & Chapter 2: All Along

Fireworks leap into the dark.

Blooming,

Pounding,

Cascading in heat and light.

She feels it in her heart.

This moment won’t last forever, she has only now.

Her last chance to tell him.

“Naruto-kun.”

He tilts his head, his eyes still fixed on the display. “Yeah?”

Shadows shift over his face as the sky burns above them. His eyes sparkle, reflecting, dancing in light. She’s never been so close to him before. She never will be ever again. She’ll never forget him in this beautiful moment. “I love you.”

The crowd’s voices rise as a large one explodes overhead, light showering down over the ocean.

Sakura, on the other side of him, exclaims a loud, “Wow!”

But Naruto turns, brows furrowing, eyes trained directly at her, mouth fallen open. “...What?”

For a second, time freezes.

He’s never not heard her. No matter how quiet her voice, he somehow always heard her.

Class presentations-- “If you guys just shut up, maybe you’d know what she’s saying!” he’d scold.

Friends pressuring her-- “C’mon Sakura-chan. Leave it alone, you heard what she said.”

He heard her. He’s not asking because he didn’t hear. He heard.

She takes a step back from the railing, self-consciousness flooding her.

He turns, watching her.

She takes another step back, wondering if she can take her words back, too. “Sorry,” she murmurs, before turning around.

Her stupid geta and yukata don’t let her run. But she tries anyway, her knees pressing against the tight circle of cotton around her legs, her feet finding no flexibility squished between wood and stiff cloth.

A firm hand closes around her arm, then her other side, stopping her from going any further.

“Hinata!” gasped out, but not from exhaustion, from surprise.

She goes rigid in his hands.

He relaxes his grip.

“Naruto! Hinata!” Sakura comes, hurrying beside them, her geta clapping against the cement. “What are you guys-”

His hands fall away. “I just need to talk to her. You can go back.”

Hinata looks at Sakura, not at all knowing if she wants her to stay and stop this or leave them alone.

Sakura’s gaze shifts between them. She’s too smart. Her head turns back to the railing, toward Ino, who’s anxiously trying to hold their spots. She glances at them again. “Okay.” She turns around, leaves them, leaves her to suffer this alone.

Hinata trains her eyes at the sky, fireworks blossoming one after the other. It was the heat of the moment. No, it was the festival’s influence. No, it’s because...it’s because…

“Hinata.”

She can feel his gaze burning into her.

“Why.” His voice falls heavily, at odds with the high buzz of excitement surrounding them. “...Why now.”

She finally looks at him.

His face scrunches up. Pained.

She feels her heart mirroring him. “...because...you’re leaving.” She’s so quiet, she has no idea how he can hear her over the noise.

“I’m leaving!” His voice rushes out, forced. “So why would you tell me that now. I can’t...I can’t do anything about…” He gestures aimlessly. He’s rejecting her.

But she never had any expectations to begin with. She already knew her feelings weren’t reciprocated. She just wanted to tell him. “I-I know.” Maybe that’s why she’s telling him now. She’s getting this over and down with. Finding her own closure. And she won’t have to suffer any humiliation once he’s gone.

His eyes widen for a moment. Staring. Then pain shades his face once more. “Why now, why not…”

Tell him earlier? She was too afraid. Isn’t that obvious?

“Hinata.” He takes a small step closer.

She shifts backward, but he closes that distance anyway.

“I’m sorry.”

She shakes her head furiously, and she’s vaguely aware of her kanzashi loosening in her side bun.

“...If you had told me sooner…”

She looks up at him in disbelief. If she had told him sooner? Then? “...But you don’t like--” Her lips tighten around that admittance of the secret burden in her heart.

He looks away, one foot scuffs against the ground. “...I would’ve liked to…” He stares hard at a spot somewhere away from them, brows so furrowed, cheeks scrunched. He lets out a breath, then looks directly at her, his expression clouded. “I would’ve liked to get to know you better,” he murmurs.

He might have accepted her? Even if he didn’t have any feelings for her? The gravity of the direction of his words hits her.

Maybe they could’ve been a couple. Maybe he might’ve eventually returned her feelings.

But he’s leaving.

So none of that’s going to happen.

Ever.

If only he wasn’t leaving.

Tears sting her eyes as she stares at his shoes. She doesn’t want to cry. Tonight was supposed to be a happy one. A final, celebratory farewell. But she’s already ruined that. She shouldn’t have said anything. She can’t stop her eyes from burning. “I think I’ll go home.”

She turns around.

“Wait.”

She keeps walking.

“Hinata.”

She can tell he’s trailing after her.

“It’s dangerous,” he tries, using a logic that she knows she should listen to. The city at night isn’t a very forgiving place.

But she feels like she can’t turn back to face him again now.

If only he wasn’t leaving.

If only he wasn’t leaving!

Her feet pick up a pace that she knows her attire can’t handle.

“Hinata! Wait!” he calls, his voice sounding as heavy as her heart.

And somehow, it only makes her feel worse. Her eyes close, a tear spilling out. Now she really can’t face him. Her vision blurs.

If only she hadn’t started crying.

No, if only she hadn’t said anything.

No.

If only he wasn’t leaving.

If only she had more time with him.

Her geta catches on an uneven stone. Her ankle rolls.

She doesn’t have time to cry out as she tries to catch herself.

She hits the ground, pain smarting over her hip and arm.

Tinkly, musical tones snap her eyes open.

Light hits her bookshelves.

She sits up, her blanket falling down to her lap.

She looks at her phone, her alarm set for 6:00. For a school morning.

It’s a school morning?

But she could’ve sworn that she just humiliated herself. Falling after foolishly running in her geta. She can imagine exactly how she fell, the pain a ghost over her ankle and elbow.

She turns off her alarm and gets out of bed.

Utterly confused, she heads to her closet.

Her yukata is hung. Just as it had been all week in sorrowful anticipation for Naruto’s last night in Konoha.

Confused, she reluctantly pulls a uniform out.

She confessed to Naruto, didn’t she?

He rejected her, didn’t he? And in a classic Naruto move, he surprised her. Always saying and doing the unexpected.

Was it a dream?

A vivid, incredibly realistic dream?

She slides open her homeroom’s door. Shino, who’s usually there before her, isn’t in his seat. Just like yesterday. Or was it the day before yesterday he was absent?... So he’s been absent for two days now? Worry makes her frown.

Sakura slides into the desk beside her with a cheery “Good morning, Hinata!”

“Good morning, Sakura-chan.”

Sakura frowns at Shino’s empty desk. “Usually he’s here before you.”

She hums her concern. “I guess he’s still sick.”

“Oh, was he sick yesterday?” Sakura asks, eyes wide. “He’s going to miss the math test, he must be really sick.”

Her breath freezes in her throat, panic shutting everything down. “What? We have another test?”

Sakura looks at her curiously.

“W-we just had one two days ago.”

“What?...No, we didn’t.” Sakura’s more type-A than anyone in the class. She would know.

So Hinata finds herself copying Sakura’s confused expression. “The test on multiplying complex numbers...?”

“...That’s today’s test,” Sakura says slowly, clearly, leaving no room for argument.

Hinata pauses, suddenly feeling incredibly lost. “Oh.” Today’s not Sunday. That wouldn’t make any sense. “Today’s...Friday?” That’s what her phone said, too, so why is she so confused?

“Yep.” Sakura smiles. “And to celebrate, we’re gonna all go out after clubs today for karaoke!” she cheers. “Naruto’s last time,” she says, quieter. “He said he doesn’t know if his new town will even have karaoke.”

Hinata feels like she’s watching everything unfold outside of herself. This already happened. Or, she knew this was going to happen? This already happened, didn’t it? She couldn’t go. Because after judo practice, they always have cram school.

“Do you want to come with? I’m skipping juku,” Sakura says, nose scrunching up in a mischievous expression.

“I don’t think I should skip…” she murmurs, her memories conflicting with the present.

“That’s too bad...You can’t skip just once?...I think Naruto would be happy.”

“...R-really?” No, not really, they hardly talk to each other, even if they’ve known each other since last year. Then again, last night, didn’t he say he would’ve liked to… last night? A hot Saturday night alive with fireworks, the oily taste of overpriced yakisoba on her tongue. A dream?

“Of course he would be!”

The door slides open, her homeroom teacher walks in.

The student leader for the week calls out for them to stand in morning greeting.

Naruto and Shikamaru come stumbling in right after as usual, their teacher grimacing at their near-late intrusion.

And with ever since she learned he’d be moving, the ache in her heart deepens. Starting next week, she won’t see him rushing into class ever again.

She doesn’t want him to leave.

She doesn’t want any of this to end.

Each moment that passes in the school day makes her more confused.

She already learned this.

She knew the whole history lesson. It felt word-for-word. But nobody else wears the same confusion that she has. And somebody, like Naruto, would have said something by now, right?

Rewriting notes, rereading passages, taking the same test.

She dreamed all of this? She’s dreaming right now?

How can this be?

How could she know? All predictions for the afternoon are coming true.

After changing in the lockers from judo, she runs into Naruto and Shikamaru as they’re coming off of baseball practice.

This happened, too, before, didn’t it?

“Oi, Hinata, you going to karaoke with us?” Shikamaru calls out. He’s so smart, he doesn’t even need juku.

The golden boy turns and sees her, eyes widening in surprise.

She said, heart already hurting to decline the invitation right in front of him, “I have juku…”

Shikamaru shrugged and Naruto nodded, wishing her good luck in her studies.

She didn’t miss the daily vocabulary quiz. She continued to practice progressive past voice in the English lesson. She did the responsible thing. She missed out, and it was okay.

Wasn’t it?...

Her wide obi tight around her waist, holding her together as he visibly processed her confession. “I would’ve liked to get to know you better.” A pained expression she’s never seen before on her crush’s face.

Did that really happen or not? What matters is he’s still here right now. So whether it happened or not...this is her last chance. “I’ll go,” she affirms.

“Huh?” Shikamaru asks, taking a step closer in her direction.

“She said she’ll go! You deaf or what?” Naruto smiles brilliantly at her, a grin that never fails to leave her dazed. “So you and Sakura-chan are going to skip for me?” His chest expands as he pumps a fist in the air, cheering.

She didn’t know Naruto even knew she went to the same juku as Sakura.

“You’re coming?!” “You never skip!” “I can’t believe Hinata’s skipping.” “Wow we gotta show her everything she’s been missing out on.”

Such exclamations herald her as the group gathers at the school entrance.

She feels so extremely naughty, so severely embarrassed by the attention, and at the same time, oddly proud of herself.

The subway stops at where she and Sakura usually get off for juku. The doors open.

Hinata stays seated.

The doors close. The subway pulls away for their next stop.

She bites her lips, a strange anxiety seizing the pit of her stomach.

Sakura just shines a reassuring smile at her. “It’ll be alright! We need to live a little, too!”

And Hinata realizes that it’s a lot easier to skip than she previously thought.

No one’s coming after them.

No one’s scolding the crowd of teens in their uniforms for walking through the shopping district. No one’s stopping them from climbing the steps to the second floor of a rather nondescript building and entering the lobby.

The man at the counter assigns them one of the medium-sized rooms.

She follows Sakura in, taking a seat between her and Kiba. She watches Naruto sit across from them, with Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino.

It’s hard to not sneak glances at him. It’s exhilarating, being near him in a different setting.

Besides naughty, she feels young, living the way she should be at this age.

Binders are opened, songs are punched in, mics are passed around, and Ino’s calling the man back over a relatively old-looking intercom with orders of juice and soda.

Kiba pushes the binder toward her, urging her to choose a song.

She flips through pages and pages, reading titles and titles until she happens upon a classic pop song, one probably everyone knows. “Is this a good one?”

Kiba glances over. “Yeah put it in! Anything is good!” He grabs the large remote for her.

Anything? So she pushes the ID number in to reserve the song.

Her schedule and strict father don’t permit her much unsupervised free time with her friends.

She’s really breaking the rules.

At this very moment, she should be practicing new vocabulary.

So it takes a few songs for her to feel comfortable enough to sing along.

She figures no one can really hear her anyway over Ino and Naruto, who go hard for nearly every song, even if they don’t have the microphone.

Admiration for their self-confidence puts stars in her eyes, a permanent smile on her face, and laughter bubbling out whenever Naruto acts as the background hype man.

Until Naruto calls out, “Whose song is this?”

“Hinata put this one in!” Kiba says, without missing a beat.

Naruto leans over the table, shoving the mic at her, and she stares at him bewildered.

“Ah, ah-I, don’t need the mic,” she tries.

“Oh don’t worry, Hinata! Just take it!” Sakura encourages.

“Somebody else can take it…” She quickly notices that the momentum of the party has pretty much. Stopped. Because of her attitude. Why is she like this? But, she really doesn’t want to have her voice over the speaker…

Naruto leans back into his seat. “I’ll sing it with you!”

Kiba suddenly has the other mic, passing it over to her from Ino. “Here! Don’t worry!” He adds then, noticing her continued discomfort, “It’s just us.”

Everyone else has picked up the lyrics, already effortlessly singing the classic love song.

She stares at the mic in Kiba’s hand.

Sakura turns to her and whispers over her shoulder, “You can just hold it. You don’t have to sing directly into it.” Her hand fists a ways in front of her, pretending.

“Like this!” Naruto inserts, holding the mic down, away from his face.

Hinata blinks at him.

He nods, encouraging her with bright eyes.

She finds her hand moving on its own accord, taking the mic from Kiba. The cool weight of it makes her insides squirm. She reminds herself that everyone else is taking responsibility for the song they put in. She needs to do the same.

And as the song goes on, she finds it’s not so different from singing without the mic. She really is just holding it.

Everyone claps at the end of the song, and she smiles, embarrassed. She readily hands the mic back to Kiba, and, as per habit, glances toward Naruto.

He’s smiling right at her.

She flushes, but he doesn’t give her time to look away.

“That was great, Hinata!” Just him saying her name makes her want to faint. “Choose another one!” He pushes the giant binder toward her.

She doesn’t really want to. But she doesn’t want to disappoint him.

She opens the lists with a weak smile. She wants to show him her best, that she’s not a stick in the mud, that her dream (or was it a nightmare?) Naruto would have been right to give her a shot at a date.

...Amazingly, she grows more and more comfortable in the atmosphere.

Everyone’s choosing songs.

Everyone’s taking turns with the mic.

It would be weirder if she doesn’t.

It’s fun to sing without worry of judgment. No one’s rating, grading, or nitpicking her. It’s even better to realize that she’s a part of the fun, that she’s not missing out on memories.

Sakura’s holding the mic, looking at her with an excited gleam in her eyes.

The music begins, and Hinata recognizes the title that scrolls across the screen.

“You gotta do it with me,” the pinkette states seriously, standing up.

“Oh no.” They were silly middle schoolers, learning a silly para-para dance on their lunch break. “When did you put that in?”

Sakura ignores the accusing question. “You still remember it, right? At least the hand motions?” Sakura picks up the lyrics, starting the fast-paced pointing and clapping.

Ino rushes up to the front, gesturing at Hinata. “C’mon, I know you still know it!”

She glances at everyone else, at Naruto. All of them have wide, expectant eyes, brows high on their foreheads, excited smiles for the performance.

She can’t do it. Not in front of boys.

Sakura continues, pausing every so often to laugh at Ino’s mistakes.

She finds herself laughing, too. Because she, in fact, does remember the hand motions.

She bites her lips. If she dies tonight, she’ll know who to blame. She stands, Sakura and Ino squeal in joy, and they pick up the energetic beat together.

It’s a throwback to three years ago. When she first started making actual friends. When she only had Sakura and Ino. And the two girly girls were obsessed with getting selected for an idol band.

When she sits back down, she’s smiling harder than she can remember. From embarrassment, yes. From the warmth of her friends, still her friends, even three years later, definitely.

The guys, Naruto included, are smiling directly at them, too, from the entertainment. Her skin is burning up, she’s certain a severe blush has overtaken her, but she tries not to care. She’s happier than she’s been in a long time.

They sing until an hour before minors are kicked out.

Her smile lasts as they spill back onto the streets.

Nine-to-fivers crowd the intersections, heading out for Friday night dinner. The sun shines behind the buildings, casting long shadows and brilliant colors on the clouds.

She feels alive, a part of the heartbeat of the city, more than just a student.

Ino comes up beside her, scrunching a teasing smile. “I think that’s the loudest I’ve ever heard you.”

“Oh, really?” Is that a compliment, an insult, or just an observation? Ino’s probably not wrong, whichever way. She grew less and less worried about the mic over the hour and a half of singing. “I, I guess so, huh.”

“You should come out with us more often!” Ino invites.

“It was a lot of fun,” she admits. She didn’t think karaoke was for her. Whenever Sakura invited her, she thought she’d make a fool of herself. It turns out, maybe she did, but Naruto and Ino made it so no one looked or sounded more ridiculous than them. She should’ve tried to go last school year with them, too…

Naruto turns, looking back at her. “Thanks for coming out, Hinata!” His pace slows until she’s caught up to him, and he’s walking right beside her. “I know you don’t normally...break the rules.” He gives her a sheepish grin.

She averts her gaze. “W-we’re heading back home in time. I don’t think I’ll get in trouble…”

“That’s good.”

She sneaks another look at him, and he’s still watching her. She can feel heat rising to her cheeks.

“You’re going to the festival tomorrow, too, right?”

She nods. It’s getting harder and harder to breathe. It’ll be his last night in Konoha. She’s never dreaded a festival before.

He smiles. Then goes quiet, too.

They walk a few steps in silence when she realizes...he’s not keeping up.

She turns around.

He’s standing there, watching them walk away, a lonely look in his eyes she’s never seen before.

Her breath catches in her chest.

Belatedly, he notices her. A hand comes up, ruffling the back of his hair. “Sorry.”

She shakes her head.

He starts walking again.

She swallows the knot in her throat. “A-are you okay?” A stupid question. Obviously he isn’t.

“Yeah,” he sighs. His hands slip into his pockets. “Yeah, I’m okay,” he repeats, more determinedly.

She doesn’t know what to say to cheer him up. “You…” The thought dies in her throat.

“Yeah? What about me?”

“Um, you’re very good at karaoke.”

He laughs, shaking his head, and she’s glad that his mood brightened again so quickly. “You mean to say I’m terrible at singing, right?”

“N-no, I think you made each song ten times better.” She tries to sound as earnest as possible. Because she honestly believes that. Karaoke without him will obviously never be the same.

He chuckles. “Thanks.” He smiles at her more, and she knows she’s never held his attention for this long. “You were awesome at that dance.”

“Oh,” she verbalizes, blindsided by the compliment. Heat threatens to burst across her face again at the memory. “Oh, no, no.”

“Yeah, you were. Sakura-chan, too. Ino….ehhhh. But you. You knew all the moves.” His arms swing out, mimicking their dance. “I never would have expected all of that from you.”

She thinks she really is going to die from embarrassment. And she knows Sakura is to blame.

He glances down at her again. “Hey, it’s okay! It’s nothing to be ashamed about! You were really good!”

She’s barely recovering.

“If anyone should feel embarrassed, it would probably be Ino,” he adds, quieter, cupping his mouth to keep his voice from traveling.

Remorse for Ino makes her snap out of it. She frowns at him.

“I’m just kidding!” he laughs. “You had fun, right? That’s what you said earlier.”

Getting out of her comfort zone, breaking the rules, being naughty with her friends, spending time with Naruto! It was all much more worth it than she expected. She nods. “I had a lot of fun.”

“Yeah, aren’t you glad you came out?”

“Mhm,” she nods. She should have gone out more. She should have tried harder...if she had known Naruto would be leaving...she could have talked to him like this more. She wouldn’t have been so shy. She would have enjoyed herself more. “...I...I wish I went out with...you guys more.”

Naruto’s silent for a second, before replying, “You’ll have more chances to go karaoke.”

She does. He likely doesn’t. Not in the countryside town he’s moving to. She should have just skipped more often. She should have….If only she had more time…. “...I don’t think it will be the same. Without you, Naruto-kun.” She blushes furiously, turning away so that he can’t see the pink of her cheeks.

He doesn’t say anything.

She shuts her eyes, afraid she said something strange.

Her phone’s alarm.

When she opens her eyes, her vision’s blurry, like the world shifted sideways.

Her head against her pillow.

Adrenaline spikes, her heart hammering so hard against her chest that she can hear it reverberating in her ears.

She grabs her phone, exits out of her alarm, stares at the date.

It’s Monday morning.

Five days prior.

She climbs out of bed, trying to get her bearings, turning in circles to find her footing solidly on the floor, the tatami cool beneath her toes.

Everything’s real.

She’s not dreaming.

She wasn’t dreaming.

None of that could have been a dream, it was too real.

She was just walking back to the subway station. Naruto beside her. Behind their friends. The sun rapidly lowering behind the buildings in the busy shopping district. It was about to be dinnertime!

How, how on earth, is she here, in her room, on a Monday morning she already lived?

Chapter 2: All Along

It happened again.

Clenched in his fist, the crystal gem, usually cold on his chest, burns warm.

Like a phone overheating.

He lies in his bed, completely flat, breathing deeply to try to calm the rush of…finding out he can turn time?!

“No fucking way.”

He shoots out of bed, cradling his necklace, examining it.

Rapidly cooling back to its normal temperature, the crystal shines it’s turquoise blue.

His brows furrow, trying to figure it out, his only memento from his deceased godfather.

It originally belonged to his godfather’s...close friend? He remembers seeing the lady on occasion, her caked-on makeup, platinum blond hair, and, perhaps most unforgettably, the smell of her breath. Sour from alcohol, the same as his godfather. The most sober and clean he ever saw her was when they visited her in the hospital. Her death devastated the old man.

Jiraiya never told him her necklace has magic.

His phone vibrates violently on his desk, the alarm alerting him to get ready for school.

He grins.

It’s not his last day.

He has a whole new week to enjoy himself.

And nothing about it is new.

He’s practically peeling Shikamaru out of bed...the guy’s limbs are deadweight.

He’s shoving Shikamaru’s hands into the uniform, repeatedly saying, “Wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up it’s ten minutes to!” Deep inhale. “Get up get up geeet uuup your mom said she’d take away your video games if you get detention again! Get up get up get up!”

“Ugh.”

His friend’s never been a morning person.

But it’s worsened since high school.

The familiarity of their stupid morning routine--pass by Shikamaru’s place, find out that the dad just got out of bed and the mom left for work, so inevitably Shikamaru slept through his alarms, so it’s up to him to get his friend to school--is precious to him now.

Racing to school right as the gates close.

Speed-walking like exercising grannies through the halls.

Slamming the door wide open.

Inviting the teacher’s glares with rushed apologies.

He has a place here. A role. Even if he’s “dead-last” in the class. Even if he’s Shikamaru’s real alarm clock.

He’s needed. Special. If he’s not here, who’s going to graciously score the worst on the assessments? Who’s going to be infamous as the class dunce with perfect attendance? Who’s going to lead the nerds to Sports Festival victories? Most importantly, who’s going to wake up Shikamaru?

His life here has been far from perfect.

He lost so much with Jiraiya’s passing.

His life’s always been a series of losses, really.

Yet slowly but surely, he felt like he was getting somewhere in school, his one and only constant.

Even maybe a…

He glances across the room quickly.

Hinata’s as focused as ever, diligently taking notes. A delicate hand thoughtlessly tucks dark strands behind her small ear.

I can’t believe she likes me.

They couldn’t be more opposite in personality.

But he’s always thought that she seemed cute. Really pretty. Beyond the fact that all the guys have pervertedly looked at the way her boobs she fits in her summer uniform, making her that much more unattainable and attractive, he simply always thought that she seemed interesting, considering that such a gentle girl does judo.

Way too quiet.

But.

Maybe not that quiet?

Her dancing at karaoke was ridiculously cute…

If he weren’t leaving, they could go on dates.

He could have a really cute girlfriend.

Why the hell did she confess to me the night before I had to leave.

He frowns down at his notebook and its empty page. He hasn’t been listening to a second of this lecture. It’s not like he’s going to be tested on it. Either he’ll be gone in Awajishima or he could keep looping time to delay his foster family placement.

Objectively he gets why she did it...he's leaving and she just wanted to finally tell him, but…

He glances across the room at her.

Meeting so, so pale, widening eyes.

His heart stops.

She turns back to her notebook. Her fair skin enflames to her ear, rosy all the way down her neck.

He jerks his attention away, his breath caught in his chest. A replay in his mind of what he just witnessed spreads a burn across his own cheeks. Damn.

So this whole time, she’s really actually secretly…liked me? Since when…? What about me does she even like…?

"I love you." She really said that to him. No joke.

Each time he remembers it, he has to gulp down a knot in his throat to try to separate fantasy and reality. His gut goes too warm, like he's liquifying at his core and one glass of water away from getting a stomach-ache.

It’s obvious to him that he doesn’t feel the same way that she does for him. They just haven’t talked that much despite having a few mutual friends. But he doesn’t think it would take much for him to catch feelings.

She's super pretty after all.

He frowns at his notebook harder.

He’s afraid he might already be halfway there. And it’s only been about a day since finding out.

Fuck.

Not that he can really remember the details of the last time he lived this same day, but it seems to be panning out similarly.

Except for this one, odd, unexpected change, same as the last time jump…

Hinata’s here with them in the cafe, ordering a hojicha soft serve cone.

The straight-laced, good girl playing hooky for ice cream?! Not even Sakura skipped juku this time!

Is this some kind of torture? A joke on his already confusing life? How is it that everything else is the same except for her? And the truth of the matter is he’s glad.

Logically he knows he shouldn’t be glad because what kind of hole is he falling into?

And what does this mean?

From the start, this whole time-turning thing seemed unreal. Is his subconscious trying to let him live out some kind of fantasy? Has he cracked under all the stress? Organizing Jiraiya’s burial, moving into youth housing with all the kicked-out teens with undiagnosed emotional disabilities, finding out he has some benevolent family members willing to foster him in a little rinky-dink town...

Anyway.

He licks up the chocolate soft serve before it melts onto his hand. “Thanks again, Shikamaru. You didn’t have to.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he drawls. “It’s my thanks to you for always waking me up. Now I’m clear of all debts!”

Naruto happily eats more, keeping the thought to himself that it’s actually Shikamaru’s second time buying him ice cream. “Haha, what are you going to do without me when I’m gone?”

Shikamaru tsks. “I’ll figure something out, don’t worry about me.”

“It’s all up to you to save your games from your mom here on out,” he laughs. But he doesn’t really feel it. He doesn’t actually want them to move on in life without him.

“What a drag,” Shikamaru drawls.

Ino looks up from her phone. “Do you know who you’re moving in with?”

The question catches him off-guard. Ino didn’t ask him this last time. “Uh sortaaa? I’ve never met them before.”

Hinata’s looking at him, too, and he suddenly feels a pressure to talk more.

“I talked on the phone with them for a little bit at the office.” He remembers that they sounded old. “They’re like my mom’s...cousin’s...mom and dad. Or like my mom's...mom...so my grandma's...sister and husband? They’re fishermen…? Or something.”

“Um.” Hinata’s soft voice rises. “What town was it again?”

“Minamiawaji. But I looked up the address on Maps, and like, they live waay out in the sticks, like the outskirts of the town. It’s impossible to bike to the high school. And there’s no trains on the whole freakin’ island.”

“Wow,” Ino verbalizes, making a face at the thought.

He feels the same. If they don’t drive him to school, he’s going to be in for a workout every morning and afternoon. Even worse, what if they don’t have internet? Well, he’ll just set it up and find a part-time to pay for it...but what if there isn’t even good phone reception? He can’t do anything about that!

“That’s practically right across the bay,” Choji observes, already finishing off his ice cream parfait. “So you’re going to live by the ocean?”

He remembers the street view on Maps. One road leading along the coast, his great-aunt and great-uncle’s house tucked along the street. “Yeah, actually. They live in this little house in this area right across the docks.”

Choji shrugs. “Sounds pretty nice.”

“I…” A barely-there voice.

He turns his attention to Hinata.

She blushes.

His gut inexplicably tightens.

“I’ve been to Awajishima with my family. Two years ago. We saw the whirlpools and the botanical garden.”

“Oh yeah?” After officially confirming that he has relatives on that island, the mystery was solved. He really must be named after those famous whirlpools.

“Mhm. It’s a beautiful island.”

“Hey we can come visit you!” Ino cuts in, eyes wide.

“I dunno…” As far as he knows, besides the whirlpools, there doesn’t seem much to do.

Hinata nods. “I’d like to go again. There’s a sunflower field there we didn’t have time to visit.”

“Sunflowers?” Ino gasps in excitement.

Hinata smiles, eyes glittering with memories. “Awajishima has many beautiful flower fields.”

“Ugh, we have to all go,” Ino decidedly states. “Can you just imagine? Naruto.”

He pulls his eyes off Hinata to see Ino staring at him.

Her sharp brows lift up. “Expect all of us this summer break.”

That would be almost exactly in a month. A lot sooner than he ever thought he’d see them again. “Uh-”

“Yeah, man, we’ll come visit you.” Shikamaru slaps him on the back. “Sounds like a good time to me. Sit around...Look at the ocean...Look at some flowers.”

“Pff.” He can’t help but laugh at what a lazy bum Shikamaru prides himself to be.

Choji looks up from his phone. “Says here they’re famous for beef.” His small eyes enlarge, the way they do whenever he’s looking at food or reading a menu. “And fish! You think your great aunt and uncle are good at cooking?”

“Ehhh, I dunno…”

“Well don’t worry about that!” Ino shoots a glare at Choji. “We’ll just stay at a hostel or AirBnB in the town. We’ll get our own meals. You can just meet us there or whatever.”

Choji’s already deep into his phone’s browser. A glance over shows Naruto the tell-tale stripe of red across the top--the search engine app on the best restaurants in the area.

Hinata tilts her phone his way. “Um, maybe we could stay here?”

Ino bumps shoulders, peering over. “Hey that looks perfect, can I see?”

Hinata hands the phone over, and Ino scrolls through the page, commenting aloud on the amenities, the reasonable price, the location, the nearby attractions.

Naruto glances over at Shikamaru, who just smirks. “Looks like you’re not getting rid of us so easily.”

He doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He wasn’t expecting this. This didn’t happen the first time. He’s not sure why this time is so different. It scares him just as much as it pleases him. The trajectory of his future rapidly changed, however small, and he hopes this isn’t a dream.

Ino squeals. “This is so exciting!” She passes the phone back to Hinata. “I’m texting Sakura about this.”

“I have to ask permission, maybe my father will let me go…” Hinata murmurs.

Naruto beams at them. “Well, uh, maybe my great aunt and uncle won’t mind supervising us a little. I’ll just have to see what they’re like.”

Ino lets out a heavy sigh as she taps a message on her phone. “Oh yeah. Well, hold up. I’ll try ask my mom and dad to come with us. Or--Choji!”

Choji looks up.

“You think your parents would want to come, too?”

Choji grins. “I just have to show my dad these restaurants--” He waves his phone. “--And I’m sure they’ll go along for a short trip!”

“Kay, well we gotta figure this out quick before everywhere books up.” She suddenly squeals again, her mood flipping like a switch. “A trip!!” She turns to Hinata. “I hope your dad lets you come!”

“I hope so, too.” The bluenette blushes a smile. “Maybe since he’s been there before, he’ll feel more at ease about me going?”

“Yeah!” Ino nods reassuringly.

They turn to Naruto, and he realizes his own smile hasn’t receded.

“Thanks, you guys. I hope it works out.” He pauses, taking in their looks of excitement. It’s the first time he’s felt like his departure isn’t a finality. “It makes me feel a little better about having to leave.”

“It’ll be cool to see where you’re going to be,” Shikamaru replies. “See for ourselves how you’re going to turn into a country bumpkin.”

He rolls his eyes as Ino laughs. He spots Hinata smiling, too. He tries to keep his imagination from wandering to a trip that might not happen. But if they can all go...If she can go, too…

He likes her.

Somehow, he doomed himself. With this time-turning thing. Running, running, running, and smack! Head-first into a wall.

He could’ve left for Minamiawaji, simply thinking of her as that really quiet, pretty, smart girl who confessed to him at the festival.

Well, that first time he used his necklace was a complete accident.

If he hadn’t done it a second time, he could’ve left for Minamiawaji, simply thinking of her as that really cute, pretty, smart girl who confessed to him at the festival and danced at karaoke.

But no.

Something’s different this time around as their two circles of friends merge during the short lunch periods to plan a trip that still might not happen.

Hinata shares some notable places to visit, every so often looking at him for his opinion on the idea.

If he didn’t know that she likes him, he probably wouldn’t think anything of it. But he does know. And it makes him feel all sorts of messed up and self-conscious whenever she blushes at his smile.

Because a cute, pretty, really attractive, smart, nice girl is crushing on him, has been crushing on him, and it’s obvious she’s been harboring her feelings so secretly as if she doesn’t want to be a bother to him.

It’s really cute. The way she talks. Her voice so soft. Her eyes lighting up joyfully whenever Sakura or Ino enthusiastically agree with an idea.

She’s got a traditional beauty vibe, like a princess from another era with her clear, soft-looking skin and long, dark hair, but it turns out she’s really down-to-earth, keeping her two girl friends from daydreaming about expensive visits to onsen or theme parks.

He likes someone like her.

Someone like her…

He ignores the disappointed shuttering in his chest.

He tries to act as normal as possible with everyone, with her.

Yet at the back of his mind…

He tries not to wonder if she’ll confess to him again at the festival. And what he might say. He'd have to...he'd have to say that...since he's moving...he wouldn't be able to...

Or maybe she won’t confess. Because she'd have to see him on the trip. Then he wouldn't have to tell her that... But how will he feel if she doesn’t confess?...

He tries not to think about her.

She’s so damn hard to not think about.

Suddenly, she’s always around. On his mind.

At the corner of his peripheral, sitting across the room in each period.

Stealing glances at each other during lunch that leave his chest all locked up and his face slightly warm.

Shyly waving goodbye at the end of class, a heady feeling bubbling too quickly for just friendly classmates.

Even karaoke again, Friday night, she’s there.

He just can’t believe himself.

He sits himself beside her. Something he's never dared to do before. Just to feel that overwhelming dose of giddy butterflies that he knows he should be smashing down with a giant lid.

It’s stupid.

But he rationalizes that he can help her get accustomed to singing karaoke like the last time. “Here, Hinata, choose a song!” He heaves the binder over to her.

“Thank you,” she quietly replies.

“Yeah, no problem.” He wants to act nonchalant. Singing along, glancing down at her every so often. Nonchalantly. Right.

When she stops at a title, her finger pointing at the ID number, he quickly grabs the large remote for her. “You found a song you like?”

“Mhm.”

“Tell me the number, I’ll put it in for you.”

“Okay.” She reads it off, and he punches in the digits. “Thank you, Naruto-kun.” She smiles at him so openly as she sweetly says his name, he feels like he did more than just a little favor.

He never thought about it much before this week, but her tone around his name is so light and airy, feminine and nice. He likes it a lot. “Yeah, ‘course.” He doesn’t want to be just nonchalant. He wants to be cool and reliable.

So when her song is up, he’s ready to encourage her to take the microphone. “You can hold it like this if you want.” He shows her, and to his surprise, she readily takes it with a shy smile, nodding.

He cheers for her. He sings with her. He helps her with the remote and the heavy binders.

She smiles at him. She claps happily when he goes hard on a jam. She giggles his name out when he acts silly during a song.

He feels more than just admired.

And he knows he’s doing more than just encouraging her.

He’s doing that embarrassing thing people talk about.

Flirting.

Running, running, running, smack!, face-flat.

He hates this doomed feeling. He loves it, too.

Sakura, Ino, and Hinata do that para-para number. Unlike on the other timeline, she seems a little more willing, a little looser, even cuter.

The girls study the binder and find another one they remember.

The music is upbeat and adorable, just like their dancing.

He claps along, trying to catch the words here and there.

But inwardly, he’s mildly disgusted in himself. He can’t stop watching her bouncing form, the swirl of her pleated skirt at her thighs. How he’s hoping the other guys aren’t doing the same thing as him, or at least not looking at Hinata. How logically he knows it’s neither healthy nor nonchalant, nor cool, nor reliable...of him to be constantly thinking, cute, cute, cute, cute.

It’s with regretful relief he sees that they decide they’ve had enough dancing for one night.

When she sits back down beside him, he doesn’t really know what to say.

She’s smiling widely, a blush stained on her cheeks.

...She’s really “Cute.”

She blinks up at him, eyes wide. “...Huh?” she verbalizes.

He closes his stupid mouth and turns away, suddenly incapable of looking at her. “Yeah...your guys’ dancing was great!”

She’s silent for a long moment. Then quietly, she murmurs, “Thanks.”

He peeks at her.

Her eyes are fixed on the screen as she pretends to sing along, but her steaming red ears are a dead giveaway to how his words affected her.

He’s dying and living over this. He wants to tease her more, he wants to flirt and test this feeling out more.

They sing, nearly forgetting the time.

It’s as they’re walking back to the station, he realizes.

The week is almost over.

One more day.

Then the festival.

And will she confess again?

He slows his pace until she’s caught up. “Hinata.”

“Hm?” She looks up at him with a shy smile.

He still doesn’t know if he actually wants her to or not... “You’re going, right? To tomorrow’s festival?”

She looks away, her head dropping, shaking.

“You’re not?!” He realizes belatedly that he sounds way too surprised, too upset.

She silently nods.

But last time she went! And the time after that, too, she said she was going to go!...He tries to scale his emotions back. “...Why not?”

“I, um, got caught on Monday. For skipping juku.”

“You did?” He still sounds a little too upset.

Her lips tighten into a frown. “So I’m not allowed to go to the festival tomorrow.”

“You...got back late or something?”

“Oh. No. I actually got home too early.” She ducks her head in embarrassment. “My little sister accidentally told my dad I got home earlier than expected. She didn’t mean to get me in trouble.”

He can’t believe this.

He tries to wrap his mind around this.

She’s not going to confess to him tomorrow night.

He’s not going to see her at all.

She won’t be there.

“I’m sorry I can’t come,” she murmurs.

No, he could fix this. He can make sure she’s there. If he just resets this week, if he just warns her to stay out until it’s the time she usually goes home. Or if he just...

He grips the gem at his neck.

“I hope I can at least go on the trip. I haven’t asked, yet.”

The trip. He completely forgot about that for a moment.

If he turns back the time, there’s no guarantee events would pan out the same way. There’s no telling if Ino and Hinata would think to bring up the topic the second time around. Or if Hinata would even go get ice cream with them.

If he resets this week, they might not talk the way they have been. All of these sweet exchanges with her...gone.

“...You really can’t go tomorrow?”

She shakes her head again. “I really wanted to go.”

“Mm.” He wanted her to go, too… He fingers the necklace, uncertain.

“So that’s why I came tonight.” She smiles up at him, a slightly sneaky expression on her face he’s never seen before.

Despite his mixed feelings, he can’t help but grin back. “Yeah, I’d never have thought that you’d skip classes!”

Her cheeks pinken, a self-satisfied smile blossoming. “I never thought I would either.”

“...So what made you change your mind?” His gut tightens. He glances at her nervously. What if she says it was him?

But she looks away, eyes unfocused. “...I think I was given a second chance.” She smiles softly.

“A second chance?”

“Mhm. I thought it was my last chance, but it wasn’t.”

Does she mean going out with them? With him? “What was your last chance?...Or- you thought was your last chance?”

“Um.” She peeks up at him. Then quickly glances away. “The festival. To have fun with everyone together.”

He blushes a smile. "Everyone" meaning...including him. It's roundabout. It's there, but it's not exactly what he wants to hear. “But still, you wanted to go tomorrow, right?”

“Yeah…” She nods, then shrugs. “It’s okay. I had a lot of fun this week.”

He fists his hands. Somehow, it’s not okay. There’s no saying if his friends can even go on the trip. Choji and Shikamaru will likely visit him, but if he really wants for them to come, he’s close enough with them that he could just bring the topic up on his own in a do-over. “...What if you could do this week over? Would you?”

She snaps her attention to him quickly, alarm in her eyes. “W-what?”

“If you could do it over…” he starts, more uncertain with her strong reaction. “So that you can go tomorrow...would you?”

Her brows furrow up at him, and unconsciously, he squeezes the gem between his finger and thumb. She looks away, blinking, obviously thinking it through.

He’s about to backtrack when she looks up at him, determination set across her features.

“No. For once in my life, I feel like I didn’t regret a single moment.” She smiles. “I felt like I lived fully. Even when I got in trouble with my father, I felt like...I was experiencing life. So it’s okay if I can’t go tomorrow.”

He wants to smile genuinely at her. He wants to feel happy for her. Just her lively spirit this afternoon, her smiles, her dancing, her laughter, all of it has been amazing, eye-catching, attractive. Except the gigantic hope he didn’t even know he had for tomorrow was completely extinguished.

He wants more time.

He’s not ready to go.

He wants to hang out with her at the festival, he wants to hear her confession, he wants those words unprompted, given freely to him as if he’s always simply deserved her affection.

He never even had to try.

He just existed in the same class as her.

He didn’t know.

But had he known. Had he known, he could’ve done something about it.

She’s lived this past week without regrets, but what about him?

What should he have done differently?

How much time does he need to change things?

From before Jiraiya passed so that he doesn’t have to move?

...But his godfather suffered for so long with his addiction. He did all that he could to help. His godfather tried as best he could, too. Going back to that time...the 119 calls, the hospital stays, the arguments over missing money… He loved his old man, but his passing was a long time coming. And he doesn’t think he wants to experience any of that constant worry again.

A week.

This week over again is all he needs.

He grips the gem. Please.

The subway pulls into the station.

The doors slide open.

His friends pile in.

“Naruto! C’mon!” Sakura yells at him.

His heart pounds.

It didn’t work.

Please stand clear of the doors.

He dashes into the crowded car.

“You okay, man?” Kiba asks. “You zoned out?”

“Yeah…” He’s still not all present. He takes off his necklace to examine it.

It shines in perfect clarity, no scratches or smudges.

He tries again, gripping it, wishing for more time.

The subway train begins moving, the standing passengers swaying slightly.

Why won’t it work this time?! He frowns at the sudden, discomforting sensation that...this is reality. This moment is the real thing. He doesn’t get a do-over.

Everything this week was truly his last shot.

...Did he ever even have a shot? Was it ever fair?

His eyes drift over toward Hinata, who’s standing very closely with Ino and Sakura. Choji and Shikamaru stand around the trio, casually and purposefully separating them from the salarymen on the opposite side, their obvious presence discouraging any aberrant gazes toward the girls.

He can’t help frowning.

There are too many people for it to make any sense for him to try moving closer to her. To protect her like any good guy would. That was his chance, too, and he didn’t even realize it.

He got in too late.

Too late.

It’s too late for him.

For them.

For there to be a “them.”

He half-expects to see her.

Inseparable three girls dressed in yukata, their slow approach heightening the fun adrenaline of the occasion. They took small steps toward them, due to their traditional wear. Naruto knows they all turned to look. Noticing.

Hinata looked like she was made to wear it, like the model in the video advertisement at the main train station. Her long hair was up fancy, exposing more of her cheeks and neck than he had ever seen.

And the yukata made even brash girls like Sakura and Ino look demure, their rowdiness contained within the tightly pulled folds and draping sleeves. He felt like he'd never seen them more covered.

But he didn't get a chance to dwell on that thought for long.

"Oh, Shikamaru!" Ino gasped, loudly. "I never would have thought you'd wear one, too! And Choji! You guys look really good!" She said such a compliment without a single hint of embarrassment.

Sakura passed a glance at him and Kiba. "You two didn't dress up?" she asked, accusingly.

Even though he knew Shikamaru and Choji don't care at all about what Ino thinks, he couldn't help feeling the smallest bit of jealousy. "I don't even own one," he replied. Not that he really cared about what Ino and Sakura think. But that, in general, that must be what girls honestly feel about guys in yukata...

"My mom forced me to wear it," Shikamaru huffed.

"Mine, too," Choji said with a shrug.

And even if he did own one, it's not like anyone would help him put it on.

"And what do you think about us?" Ino asked impatiently.

Kiba cocked his head, frowning, looking among them. "Hinata sure, but for you two...doesn't match, does it."

Their faces deformed so quickly.

All the guys couldn't help busting out in laughter as they realized Kiba accidentally voiced what they were all thinking.

"Kiba-kun!" Hinata scolded, her voice raised to...a regular-human level. Then, "Ino-chan! Sakura-chan!" more panicked as the two fruitlessly tried to swat at Kiba, who could easily jump out of reach, not at all encumbered by geta.

"If I wasn't wearing this! You'd be dead!" Ino threatened. But she didn't seem actually mad. Naruto was pretty certain she found the humor in this, too.

There's no Hinata tonight to diffuse the situation. Kiba's joke is still funny. But her absence is almost visually painful.

Everything just wrong. Missing her.

He hardly talked with her that night, but it’s not like he didn’t notice her.

He just…

Thought…

She was too proper and elegant to ever consider someone like him…

Last week…or in the other timeline...he looked at her a lot without meaning to. Her hair was pulled up, her eyes were so noticeable, she looked different.

He guesses he always just looked at her. He never really had conversations with her. He didn’t know what they had in common. But she was around enough to look at. Around enough for him to acknowledge that she was good-looking and smart, but quiet. In the past year or so that he’s known her, she was always something between just-another-classmate and a friend because he was friends with her friends. So a close classmate? A friendly acquaintance? It was nice to just stand near her and know that a takane no hana was next to him.

And now?

Now they’re actually friends?

And all he had to do was talk to her for a minute longer?

All she had to do was go out with them once or twice?

It’s not fair!

If he told her his feelings right now!

If he just called her--

He doesn’t even have her number.

He doesn’t have her LINE.

Does she even have an Insta?...

Can he ask someone for her contact info now?

Wouldn’t that be too obvious? Out of the blue? Strange now to ask for such a thing since he’s leaving anyway?...

The night goes on.

Despite their jokes about their yukata, Ino and Sakura are pretty. They're funny, the life of the party, going head-to-head on festival games. The duo is just as noisy as the last time.

He tries his luck and skill, competing with them, winning at shateki, but Ino and Sakura are never so easily impressed.

So he was actually just trying to impress Hinata? Last week, or rather, in the original timeline?

He thought he wanted to look good for “the girls,” but actually, logically, didn’t he know Sakura and Ino don’t give a damn?

All along I…

The night’s not nearly as fun as he remembers it being.

The yakisoba’s not as filling, the shave ice isn’t as sweet.

The fireworks aren’t as nice, either...beside him at the railing stands a stranger.

Hinata was there last time.

Her voice so soft. “Naruto-kun.”

“Yeah?” What if he had stopped watching the show and looked at her then? He can imagine how she must have looked in that moment...pretty, and so close to him.

“I love you.” He doesn’t remember the last time anyone said that to him.

“What?” And that was what he said. That’s what he said.

Her eyes wide, the proverbial “deer-in-the-headlights.” That’s how she looked. That’s how he made her look.

“Sorry,” she whispered. And she looked away like she already regretted her words, like they were a crime against him, like she somehow severely inconvenienced him.

And that’s basically what he ended up implying, right? As he realized the really pretty Hinata just confessed to him of all people, the night before he needed to leave, and he let his mouth continue to uselessly bumble out as if his first reply wasn't enough injury... “Why now?” “I’m leaving!” “So why would you tell me that now?” “I can’t do anything about--”

She eventually seemed too shocked to answer him. Speechless. Then she turned away. She ran. Literally ran in her geta and yukata. Away. From him. Because he was such an insensitive asshole. And she fell.

His throat closes up, a knot too large to swallow. The explosions of color above go dull in his ears, but pound in his head. A hot pain prickles behind his eyes.

He made her run away from him. Nice, pretty Hinata ran from him and fell because she couldn’t stand to be near him. And that’s a sight he realizes now, standing here in this exact spot where she bared her intimate secret to him, that he’ll never forget...he’ll never forgive himself for it.

Maybe back then he didn’t know what to do when she confessed, and even now he’s not sure what he would do, but that’s not the problem!

Even with a second chance.

He just wanted more time.

Then with a third chance.

He wanted more time with her.

In the end, he did nothing to absolve him of hurting her. Because even if in this timeline it never happened, even if he erased it, even if she doesn’t know that’s how he decided to react to her feelings, it still happened to him. He still acted that way.

One more chance would make all the difference.

He doesn’t need a week. He doesn’t even need a day. Just that moment with her.

Just that moment back!

It was what he was counting on!

It was supposed to happen again!

He was supposed to be able to fix it somehow!

“Naruto-kun.”

“Yeah?” And he’ll look at her. He’ll meet her eyes for a last time. He’ll really look at her and he’ll memorize everything soft and perfect about her. He’ll burn it into his mind, he’ll forget the first time, he’ll do it properly this time, and at the end of it all he’ll make sure she smiles up at him, warm and right. “Hinata?” he'll say, to encourage her.

And she’ll whisper...

What if no one ever says “I love you” to him ever again?

What if that was his only chance? In his life?

Can’t he somehow go back to that moment? Just to hear it again?

He grips his necklace, willing it to heat in his hand the same way it did that night.

Just that moment.

One more time!

He’ll leave after that! He doesn’t need them to come visit him, he’ll leave, he’ll be a good foster kid, he’ll do his best at his new school, he’ll stop complaining about the countryside, and he’ll never regret anything again if he could just--

He prays to whatever time deity lives enshrined in his stone.

But it doesn’t answer him.

#chapter 3 scheduled for July #inspired by movie Fireworks Should We See it from the Side or the Bottom?#naruhina2020 #nh2020 #naruhina fanfic #teen romance #coming-of-age story #time loop #too late #high school au #sorry i stay on island time #naruhina fanfiction

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