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#either the first time mc meets her or the last time they saw each other
ufolane · 1 year
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everyone's losing their mind simping over @naffeclipse's cryptid sightings and then there's me coming outta left field obsessing over vanessa. that's alright, i got two hands
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queenofallimagines · 1 month
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Oooh I have a Obey Me writing idea for you but you can ignore if you don’t wanna do it. So when you first come to the Devildom, almost all of the brothers are cold/petty asf to the MC (in my Pisces opinion). Imagine MC’s like “fuck that” and doesn’t try to pander to them as much as the game script wants you to. Like the story still progresses bc the MC is still nosy when it counts, but she doesn’t center them around her world and instead gets closer someone who was nicer/more helpful in the beginning (say like Solomon or Simeon). I’m sorryyy I’m not hating on the brothers but realistically you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Like yeah being a tsundere is cute to an extent but most of em were doing too much in the beginning. Maybe a reaction from the brothers (doesn’t have to be specific for each brother) as they slowly start to warm up to MC but they can’t stand that they’re not gonna be as close as they wanted to be. And either Solomon or Simeon (or both) reacting to you getting closer to them ;) Again this request may be highly specific so you can either tweak it or toss it if it doesn’t sound appealing to write. It can be SFW or NSFW. I love your writing!
A/n: YOURE SO RIGHT BESTIE!! Like the dick ain’t good enough for them to be all over MC like that CRAZY disrespectful 😒 like in my head I was being fake nice to them to secure the pacts until like you make one with Satan and then it’s like okay, maybe I can be genuine w yall. Bc like I’m making friends w any of the billions of other demons there like Diavolo is all but head over heels for you.
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MC:
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- I’m so on board with this
- Like if they want to go low I can take it right to hell
- They want to throw UP
- Mammon thinks you’re joking but when you fr never come ask him for help he’s crying himself to sleep
- Asmo hates being ignored so after that time in the maze(catacombs? wtf was those) he’s antsy that you don’t really talk to him
- They feel you having fun through your pacts but when you’re around just them it’s like nothing
- Like when a lightbulb dies
- Student council meetings become increasingly more tense as they watch you get along with Solomon and Luke and Simeon and you’re cold to them
- They don’t even really realize they the problem at first
- Lucifer always itching to punish someone so when he snaps at you and you clapback and the issue never comes up again he’s a little disappointed
- Like him and Satan make fun of your grades?
- Bet. you’re being tutored by Solomon and a demon in your potions class
- Like bitch how the FUCK were we ever supposed to take demon philosophy before?? We just got here!!
- Refuse to work with them on any school activities
- You and mammon partnered up to decorate for some school event?
- You work only when he’s not around
- Beel is the one who sounds the alarm by realizing it’s hard to keep track of you
- Like he’ll go asking where you are and nobody can even say when the last time they saw you was
- Belphagor tried to pull that “I’m a human” shit and you didn’t visit the attic for like three weeks😭
- Had to actually force himself to be genuinely nice
- Remember how they said they sent a demon to like the human realm to pretty much do the same thing? who was that because I don’t think we ever hear about them😭
- But you get their number and talk about your shared experiences
- Fish out of water if you will!
- Lucifer WANTS to yell but you do the bare minimum of what they ask he can’t mandate you to join family movie night😔
- Asks a pouting mammon where tf you are and he lists off like any number of random demons you could be chilling with
- Asmo is burning with envy as he catches you at a party with a group of old acquaintinces
- Can see they are so obviously enjoying your company
- Tries to steal the attention for himself
- Levi seeing you on other mfs socials cosplaying w them and doing a TSL marathon like he’s right there??
- Dinner be so awkward but you brush it off like a G
- only texts the family group chat for confirmation, dinners ready, and when is lord diavolo asking for everyone
- Lucifer comes to Dia’s house bc paperwork and he plans to spill the tea when he sees you and him already HAVING TEA🤨
- Like excuse me??
- “Ah just who I was looking for-“
- “Sorry Lucifer I have exams to study for I was just asking Lord Diavolo some history questions I’ll be on my way.”
- He’s literally WILTING💀
- Whines to Dia and he’s like I’m sorry ?? have yall not been spending time with them??
- “Yall….LIVE together. I ain’t out just you and them in the same house for no reason??”
- He can’t eleven rly do shit bc you’re integrating into demon society very well and are pretty sociable
- Like you gain regular popularity but not through them
- Rest of RAD forgets you’re under their protection tbh
- Like you’re your own entity and not at all attached to them so when a random demon is caught talking about like chilling w you and mammon is like IM THEIR FIRST MAN YOU GOTTA AS ME
- he looses about 500 years when the demon goes
- “Oh yeah you are their hired help huh?”
- Yeah he’s picking out a coffin
- Bc he rly tries to curb his tsun behaviors but he hasn’t made it to that level with you where he can be genuine in private
- Levi too like he calls you a stupid normie on reflex and is whimpering when he sees he’s been blocked on devilgram
- What did yall expect??
- Beel is the ONLY one who you regularly talk to
- And even then he’s got his own stuff going on
- But you guys always eat together
- Jaws dropping when he offered you food
- I imagine Beel is like “oh they don’t be talking to yall?….That’s crazy”
- Precious boy so unaware of the conflict
- Nor bc he’s dumb but he’s like “tf that got to do with me?? MC likes me.”
- Very “okay what does that mean to me tho” energy
- I imagine after the Levi pact arc when mammon is wrapping your sprained wrist and he’s all
- “If I can’t come save ya next time, Die.”
- You pull away completely
- Even Satan is having to control himself be he sees your purposefully avoiding him
- He would congratulate you on how well you’re dodging his advances if it didn’t piss him off so bad
- Keeps it a little secret to himself that he can feel your pact mark burning right under his skin whenever you talk to them
- Played hot and cold to see how he can make you less mad when he interacts with you
- Lucifer is so desperate he’s fr about to make a pact early to feel any sort of proof you exist
- Idk if peacocks do it but you know how birds will rip out their own feathers under stress?
- Yeah That’s HIM😭
- Barbados just sit back and observe
- Even the season 3(?) characters come in early! Like you meet 13 as an extension of Solomon and y’all are thick as thieves
- You’re flourishing in your Magic practices bc you still have their pacts, them helping you with magic or not you’re still not one to be fucked with
- Mephistopheles is so giddy that you’re close to him and not Lucifer
- Offers to hide you in his news room to avoid them
- “It’s so quiet a perfect place to study!”
- Sees them scrambling to get ahold of you but your in his office w your phone on silent
- “Oh hmmm, idk I saw them in the forbidden section of the library maybe check there? Weird y’all supposed to be watching them and have no clue about their whereabouts.”
- Lucifer can take it NO LONGER when we’re about right before lesson 16 and he’s making a scene at dinner
- “Why do you never stay in this house? You a mere human think you’re too good to talk?”
- “That. That shit right there is why I don’t talk to any of you. Do you not notice how rude you are?”
- Before Satan can even say his “we’re demons” line you’re cutting his ass off
- “Why would I want to spend time around people who threaten my life for fun?🤨my job is to heal demon human relations and I’m doing that just not with the help of YOU.”
- Dips to purgatory hall bc it’s not Solomon’s night to cook
- They all just kinda 🧍🧍🧍🧍🧍🧍for a few days bc wtf can they say to that??
- Like you’re absolutely right
- You were already humbling Lucifer before but now he has this irrational anger towards you
- But in a nice way??
- He’s like packing your lunch and throwing away whatever you had
- Pushing you out the way to do whatever chore or task you’re doing
- Makes your favorite foods when is his turn to cook dinner
- Like he’s completely unhinged
- To stir the pot let’s say this is lesson 16 and they show up to all that
- Can you imagine??
- Their filled with even more regret than before!! They never got a chance to establish a deep bond with you
- Not really. Not like you have with everyone else
- And now you’re gone??
- They barely even care about the Lilith reveal like😭
- They do everything they can to win your favor but it’s like the end of the program now who’s to say it was enough??
- Beel is elated while the othered are broken that you and belphie become close
- Poor belphie is exhausted w all this drama so to make amends even more he goes out of his way to heal the gaps between you and the others so it’s all good now
- Not Lucifer tho
- He’s still moping
- Can’t hurt his pride by saying how glad he is that your back
- Can’t tell you how he watched his world fall apart when he saw the light leave your eyes
- DEFINITELY can’t tell you how he prayed to Lilith that he would protect you from now on and that he’s sorry
- All of RAD throws a huge goodbye party for you
- Lots of tears
- During the movie night of like that last few days
- As a little treat for you, you still sleep w Lucifer lmao
- Like you sneak out to go to the bathroom and none of the brother see you for the rest of the night?? Yeah we knew already
- He WILL cry jsyk
- He’s pressing kisses all over you and holding you like you’ll disappear
- Mumbling praises into your skin
- The most he’s ever said “I love you” in his entire existence
- Looking at you with teary eyes
- Can’t keep up his prideful façade
- He���s okay with being vulnerable to you
- Again hit him w the “my morning star”
- And he will go crazy
- Tears up when you leave
- Like he can’t even front like he’s not about to go throw up
- They’re all anxious that they won’t ever see you again because you still hate them
- I promise you on everything in all three realms
- They almost do NOT let you leave when you go
- “Thank you for my time here, I love all of you.”
- They are inconsolable
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Nadia with an MC who’s really close to her sisters and parents due to not having a family of their own (for reasons which I’ll leave vauge so your creativity can fill them in) perhaps ?
The Arcana HCs: MC with M6's family
~ oh, we love some good found family! thanks for the request, @dameschnee123! I had fun work shopping this request with you ^.^ - brainrot ~
Julian
Let's be clear: Mazelinka's first feeling upon meeting you was relief. And she experiences it again every single time she can sense that Ilya (the rascal!) is getting into trouble again because she knows that he listens to you at least (and you seem to be sensible)
She doesn't expect you to fix him, but she's been watching him wander around with too many empty spots in his heart for way too long and she's glad you've found a home with him there
She is going to pass on all the advice, all the embarrassing childhood stories, and regularly threaten to replace him with you
Portia's a little jealous at first, not gonna lie
She's been looking up to and trying to keep up with her older brother for years, and now you've popped up out of nowhere and you have all of his love and attention! (she's more annoyed than she is upset, though)
If anything, you make it easier for her to reconnect with him. They last knew each other as kids, and having you around helps them become friends again as adults
Dinners with the four of you often devolve into Julian and Portia telling you "how it actually happened" while Mazelinka threatens them with her spoon to keep the noise down
Asra
Both Asra and their parents are so glad you're around, and while none of them would pressure you, they're all very eager to treat you like part of the family
On Asra's part it's obvious. He wants to make you a constant in his life, and having you around makes it easier for him to face emotionally difficult situations (like reconnecting with his parents)
Aisha and Salim feel that keenly. They love you right away for what you mean to their precious child, and they'll quickly come to love you for who you are as well
Aisha's mama-bear instincts are going to flare up just as quickly for you as they do for Asra. Arcana help the poor fool that causes you any form of pain
Salim, on the other hand, bonds with you over your magic and your shop. An ability as versatile as yours captured his interest as soon as he saw it, and he could spend hours browsing your collection
Aisha loves having you over for tea - regardless of whether or not Asra or Salim can make it. It becomes a weekly thing
Salim will stop by for a five minute purchase and then spend hours telling you about his latest ideas (much to Asra's embarrassment)
Nadia
You're about to be spoiled rotten
And dragged into lots and lots and lots of "spirited debates"
Nasrin is the slowest to warm up to you, only because it takes a while before she has the chance to be in the same space as you without also needing to be the Queen of Prakra
Namar has no such qualms and adopts you immediately, as do Navra and Natiqa. You are about to get dragged into so many shenanigans with them (Nadia thinks they're terrible influences)
Thankfully, Nasmira and Nafizah are quick to notice when the madness becomes a little more intense than you want it to be and will either give you an out (Nasmira) or stop the whole thing (Nafizah)
Nahara never indicates when she decides that you're part of the family, but you notice when she starts shifting her stance to keep an eye on you as well as her sisters
Nazali, being the sister most removed from royal life, will often seek you out for the sole purpose of talking to someone "normal"
There's an ongoing battle over who will be your shop's benefactor. Nadia's waiting to tell them that she owns half your stocks
Muriel
He didn't think that he had family
Or if he did, he always assumed that they hadn't wanted him
Having you by his side as he learned the truth gave him the courage to accept it, grieve over it, and grow from it
It means so much to him that there's someone he can talk to who also met Khamgalai and who is able and willing to visit the Steppe and decipher the tapestries with him
Speaking of Khamgalai, she still talks to you both all the time. It's not uncommon for her to ask you to interfere when Muriel chickens out halfway through an embarrassing baby story
She has so many baby stories - about him, about his parents, about his cousins ...
And, oh dear. She's very eager for the two of you to have babies of your own. It doesn't have to be by biological means, just adopt a kid or two or five or ten already!
She knows for a fact that Muriel has a deeply nurturing nature and would be a wonderful mentor and she's convinced that if she points out to you what perfect husband and father material he is you'll help her persuade him. (which makes him flush every time)
Portia
Ilya tried to give you the shovel talk, okay?
The only problem was that his heart wasn't in it because he had just watched you and Pasha empower each other so much that you two took down the world together and he's just a little intimidated
To his relief, Mazelinka was quick to hijack it and serve you a proper threat ("Exactly! What she said!" etc)
He doesn't want to admit it, but it was really because he's learned how ticked Pasha gets if he acts too protective and he doesn't want her to get angry at him again
Mazelinka, Portia, and you have regular get-togethers to sort out exactly what's going on with that delicious soup. Portia wants to learn how to make it, and you want to decipher its magical properties. Mazelinka is amused by your observations
Julian will often mysteriously appear and claim that he's not interested, magic's not for him, he's just here to read his book, but he's peeking over the edge and adding his two cents the whole time
Portia loves inviting them up to the cottage for family dinners and it's always a fun time. You didn't know it was possible to bruise a rib from laughing too hard, but you quickly discover that it is
Lucio
Family is a touchy matter for him
The biggest reason being that he tried to kill his own (and succeeded, in his father's case) and then ran away from them
Which is why, when it comes to the possibility of starting a family with you, he is absolutely convinced that it will end with one of his kids attempting the same thing
It doesn't help that Morga points this out every time you make contact with her, only to finish with something vaguely threatening along the lines of "children are the blessing we deserve"
If you have hair that can be braided, she will braid it every time she sees you and scold Montag for not taking better care of you
Never calls you her child out loud, treats you like the family favorite
Which Lucio notices, and whines about, but is secretly pleased by because you are one of the few decisions he's made that his mother approves of
Lucio will often ask you to tell her things on his behalf because he's convinced she'll respond better if it's coming from you
This does not work, because after giving you a curt nod she will promptly hunt him down with exactly the reaction he was avoiding
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jerzwriter · 9 months
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Objections: Reunited? (3/3)
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Book:                   Crimes of Passion (Book 2)
Pairing:                Trystan Thorne x F!MC (Carolina Rose)
Category: Chapter Rewrite - Ch. 4
Rating:                 Teen
Series:   After reading Chapter 4, I felt one scene could have been expanded on, one should have been added, and one could have been better. So, I took a stab at it (pun intended ).
Part Three: After a couple of emotionally grueling days, Trystan and Carolina finally get a moment alone, but it doesn't go as either expected.
Words: 1,750
A/N: I was disappointed with the final scene between Trystan x MC. While I absolutely feel they could have snapped at each other under the circumstances they were in, I don't think the scene captured the closeness, respect, or concern that was always present in Book 1. While I didn't change the scene drastically, I changed the dialogue and some elements that brought it closer to how I imagined it would go. I hope you enjoy it.
SERIES MASTERLIST | COP MASERLIST | FULL MASTERLIST
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Carolina anxiously looked at her watch. It was just shy of 7:00 PM, and her wandering mind was getting the better of her. It had been nearly ten hours since she last saw Trystan, and she was sure she hadn’t gone this long without hearing from him since the day she barged into his life. Not even at the beginning when she sometimes desperately needed a reprieve from the man... Trystan always managed to find a way to be... there.
Curled up in a chair in the palace’s library, she tried to pinpoint when everything changed. When his omnipresence went from an annoyance, to a reality and, finally, to what it was now, cherished. Something she relied upon more than she even knew, though she knew she never wanted to do without it again. In reality, they hadn’t known each other very long, but what is time when you meet someone that makes you feel as if your souls have been intertwined forever.
She placed the only English language book she could find down on an end table. A dusty old tome about Drakovian war history wasn’t about to hold her attention today. She spent most of it holed up in her suite. With the exception of Marguerite, everyone made it abundantly clear that her presence was not welcomed, and her room felt like the safest place to wait.
Luke and Ruby attempted to take her sightseeing, knowing it would be best to keep her mind occupied. But they knew she’d never leave without ensuring Trystan was all right first. Jetlagged, and with the emotion of recent days catching up to her, she couldn’t stop her mind from wandering, and wherever it traveled, it left her more anxious than before.  
All this had her off her game because she had never heard the footsteps coming up from behind. Her first indication that he was near was two warm hands covering her eyes, and for once, her visceral reaction was not to take the perpetrator out.
“Guess who, gorgeous?”
Her body slumped against his, her tension visibly released with just three words from his lips. The castle suddenly felt smaller; she was no longer alone.
“I don’t know? Is it my new Drakovian boyfriend, Milosh? Or perhaps someone more sinister.”
“Milosh, huh?” Trystan’s hands dropped to her waist, and he pulled her close. “I never liked that guy. I��m going to have him fired at once.”
“Is that all? That’s pretty mild. I thought a guillotine might be involved here in Drakovia.”
Trystan smiled softly as he spun her around to face him. “You’re not wrong. That’s the least of what would befall anyone who dared to steal you from me.”
Her arms looped around his neck, and they lost themselves in a tender kiss. A moment’s pleasure in a sea of turmoil.
“No one is stealing you from me,” she insisted. 
“Good,” Trystan smiled, the relief in his eyes more than Carolina had expected to see as he gently tugged her toward a nearby sofa. He let out a loud yawn as he settled down.
“It has been a long day,” she smiled.
“Long days,” he corrected. “And this one was quite unexpected.”
“What happened after I left? What happened with your parents?”
“Well,” he ran a hand down his weary face. “They weren’t joking when they said ‘effective immediately.’ I think I’ve met with no fewer than five foreign dignitaries, sat through two lectures, and had one very long lunch where I was to prove I still know how to behave at the table. Oh, and I knighted a snake.”
“A snake?”
“It wasn’t any old snake, dear. It did rescue its owner – a marchioness – from the wolf that got onto her property.”
“Hmmm, and all I’ve done is save a Drakovian princess from a serial killer.”
“You make an excellent point. I suppose the realm owes you a tap on the shoulder with a sword. I’ll see if I can get to it after the hundred other things I have on my plate.”
“A damehood is nothing I’ve ever aspired to, so allow me to take that off your list of things to do. But, these other hundred things... what exactly do you need to do?”
“Well,” he sighed. His fingers curled tightly around her hand, but for once, words seemed to fail him. Carolina felt her blood growing colder with every second of silence that fell between them.
“We have a flight out tomorrow afternoon...is that still happening?”  
“About that,” Trystan whispered. “I was hoping I might convince you to stay.”
“Stay? I’ve been afraid to eat my food with the way I’ve been treated here... why would you think I... wait... you want to stay?”  
“I...I’m not sure.”
“Trystan,” she gasped, clutching his hand tighter. “Did you think this was a possibility?”
“To be reinstated as heir,” he replied, eyes wide. “No... I never expected to be found innocent, much less be called upon to be the next in line once again.”
“So, then tell them no. After all they’ve put you through... You don’t want this... do you?”
“Carolina, I don’t know what I want. I need time to get my head around what happened today.”
“What’s there to get around? I saw the look on your face when your father made the announcement – you don’t want this! I know you don’t!”
Trystan’s eyes flashed with surprise and hurt as he pulled his hand from hers.
“I don’t appreciate that tone!” He huffed. “It’s amazing that you know what I want when I don’t know that myself!”
“You don’t appreciate my tone? Trystan, I put my whole damn life on hold to come here and be with you, and I...”
“I didn’t ask you to!”
“You didn’t have to! Don’t you understand how much you mean to me? Do you think I’d leave you to face bullshit murder charges alone?”
“No! But I didn’t think you’d leave me to face this on my own either!”
“That’s not fair! I’m not some exiled princess with a bottomless trust fund, Trystan! I’m a private investigator who lives above a bar. People like me don’t just get to put their lives on hold without consequences.”
“If money’s the problem, I can help you.”
“What? I don’t want your money! And that’s far from my only concern! My life is in New York! And I’m not wanted here. I’m not so sure you are, either. Think about it! They abandoned you and were willing to put you away for life just yesterday! It took Luke and me one afternoon to find proof that you were innocent! They had eight freaking years and more resources than we could imagine, and they didn’t do it? And you’re going to trust them?”
“It’s not all about them, Carolina! You’re right, I don’t know what it’s like to live your life, but you don’t know what it’s like to live mine! My obligations are to more than just my family! There is a country... a country full of people who deserve to have a leader who cares about them! A leader that would turn Drakovia into the country Juliana and I envisioned!”
Carolina stepped back, her face softening as realization began to wash over her.
“Wait,” she whispered as she began moving back toward him. “Juliana... is that why? Trystan,” she whispered, taking his hand back in hers. “I understand you want to honor her, to fight for what she believed in, but I think Juliana would want you to be happy.”
“You didn’t know her,” he shot back. “How could you know what she’d want?”
“I... I didn’t know her... so... perhaps you’re right. But I know what it feels like to care about you this much, and I know I’d only want you to be happy... from what you’ve told me about Juliana... I can’t imagine she’d feel differently.”
Trystan turned to Carolina; his tear-filled eyes were heavy with exhaustion.
“Don’t you want me to be happy now?” He asked.
“Yes. Of course, I do...” Her voice cracked with emotion, and Trystan pulled her into his arms, holding her close with all his might.
“And I would be the entitled, selfish ass my family believes me to be if I expected you to care about my happiness while I didn’t care about yours. I’m ashamed to say it, but there was a time when I’d be comfortable doing such a thing to someone I cared for so deeply. Believing my needs mattered more than all others. But that’s not who I am anymore, and I don’t want to return to being that way.”
Carolina burrowed her face into Trystan’s shoulder, allowing his jacket to absorb the few tears she couldn’t hold at bay.
“So, what does that mean for us?” she cried. “If what you need, and what I need to be happy... are a world away?”
“I don’t know,” he muttered. “But I know I don’t want to lose you.”
“It sounds like you’ve made up your mind, then.”
Trystan extended his arms, holding Carolina by the shoulders as he looked into her eyes.
“I haven’t. I’d tell you if I did. I’m sorry, Carolina. The past few days have been grueling, and this probably wasn’t the best time for me to bring this up with you.”
“It’s all right. I’m not in the best place to have this conversation, either.”
Trystan placed a kiss on the top of her head, gently stroking her hair as her arms encircled him.
“Luckily for us, we don’t have to have all the answers tonight,” he whispered. “We should probably get some sleep.”
“That’s probably the smartest thing you’ve said all night,” Carolina teased.
“Agree,” he chuckled. “But if I’m going to sleep, I’d like to do it with you in my arms.”
“I’m not supposed to be in your room.”
“Really? That didn’t stop you last night,” Trystan smirked. “Please. I need you.”
“I need you, too,” Carolina replied with a kiss. Trystan extended his hand.
“Come with me. If I see that we’re being watched along the way, I’ll devise another plan.”
“I like that,” she smiled. “You take over the private eye duties for the night.”
Carolina nuzzled her head into his shoulder, his presence making an unwelcoming place feel more like home. But the detective in Carolina never rested, and as they approached Trystan’s room, something felt wrong. She lifted her head from his shoulder just as he reached for the door. 
“Trystan, that smell... do you...”
“Oh, no!”
~~~
Yeah, another day, another dead body. lol Let's see what PB has planned for us in Chapter 5.
@choicesficwriterscreations @choicesbookclub
Other tags in Reblog.
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jeridoesntdourls · 3 months
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Saw @vesuviaweekly 's prompt for MC dynamics wanted to talk more about my guys!! Sadly I have not completely nailed their designs yet so for now I'm just going with text! I personally treat my MCs as less of MCs and more like LIs so I'm gonna also include what I think their dynamic with the MC themselves would be! As you'll notice my MCs are all residents of a country I made for the Arcana universe myself if you want you can see more about that here. Minos' entry is a bit undercooked but I'm rushing to post this before the deadline ends LMAO. All of these gorgeous banners are by @cafekitsune
edit: put in a link I forgot to put the first time lmao-
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BOREA NORCHE // she/they
with the MC
Borea knew MC before they died of the plague and worked alongside them and Asra to find a cure. She succumbed to the plague herself only a few weeks after MC and was buried beside them as her last wish. She was brought back by making a deal with the Heirophant and not knowing MC was brought back by Asra, debated staying in Vesuvia to stay near MC or to leave and look for Asra. They ended up unable to do either and were ordered to return to their home country, Tua, by the Heirophant. She returned to keep her end of the deal but both her and Tua had dramatically changed. On her arrival she began to keep her emotions in and dutifully began to work as Tua's magic consultant.
At some point MC, along with the LIs, would take a trip to Tua (for diplomatic reasons as Tua has a considerably new government now running it) and Borea would be one of the more respected officials at the Syndicate meeting. Asra had heard from Nadia about the more prominent figures that would frequent this meeting but, still believing that Borea has died, hadn't thought much of it.
After they first encounter her at the meeting Asra evades her and tries to explain their relationship to the MC as they have not gotten a hold of all of their memories. He is unable to explain in time and is interrupted by Borea herself who began looking for the MC.
Their dynamic in this Era is very different than it was in the Plague times. Borea is, at first, in denial, she embraces the MC and they have a bout of their headaches, this makes Borea only more desperate which makes her hold on even tighter. Only Asra is able to separate them from the MC and pull them aside to explain what happened.
Borea is absolutely crushing under the weight of everything, running a new government, meeting the two closest friends she's ever had after years of assuming she'd never see them again and having to learn about MC's resurrection makes her even more prone to completely isolating herself from the Vesuvian guests. She eventually has to converse with Nadia and, ever observant as she is, makes Borea explain her adversion to them.
From them on Nadia slowly begins to work to re introduce both Asra and the MC to Borea. At first she's a force to be respected, acting professional to an absurd degree but that facade begins to decay into something nervous and unsure. MC has to reassure her that her feelings are important and need to be felt (in her upright end at least) and she begins to explore her pent up anger and longing with them.
I would describe their final dynamic as old married couple(ish) in that they have SO MANY idiosyncrasies and can practically read each other's mind. Borea is very much a closed off and firm individual for anyone other than their family, MC and Asra. With those people, she is able to express that reckless curiosity and boyish side she had hid for so many years.
with Asra
They have a very similar dynamic with Asra than with the MC. The only difference is that Asra ALSO has a tendency to run from his problems so Nadia has to work overtime to make them both talk to each other. It takes a mishap with the Buzia House and Borea stepping in to rescue the group to make them talk to each other.
They work in compleat harmony but after they get to safety they go back to being unable to have a conversation longer than three exchanges. Despite that, Borea refuses to leave Asra's side, keeping watch for any other threats to his safety. In doing this Borea over exerts herself and Asra has to make her take a break before she colapses in a meeting.
They go over their years apart, recounting tails and making each other laugh. Slowly they begin to work together again as Mage Commissioners.
Their dynamic is honestly the one which would take the longest to happen. Very much an AGONIZINGLY slow burn and re kindling. Asra needs to work through so much guilt in regards to leaving Borea behind and Borea, like in MCs route, also needs to work in being honest with her feelings and losening her grip on relationships she think she'll lose.
with Nadia
With Nadia she has the most light hearted dynamic, very much liege and ruler but the roles keep switching between them both. They're both givers and Nadia really is the best person to make Borea learn how to actually accept being the one receiving.
On Nadia's route we also get more of a focus on the politics of Tua and the conflict between the new Syndicate government and the Buzia House's integration into it.
overall
Dates with her definitely include stargazing and going to the beach at any time but especially at night. She'll be at home to just nerd out about the constellations and the planets, even reconstructing their partner's favorite ones with their orbs.
Relationships include lots of late nights and reassurance. She has a tendency to try and do everything for her partner, so she needs someone who can make her slow down and take care of herself. She would love a partner who is also proficient in magic and who can help her create laws and boundaries for the new Tuan government.
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ATTIS SALVO // he/him
with the MC
Attis is exceptionally cheerful at first meeting. As he is one of only members of the Buzia House willing to collaborate with the Tuan government he feels the need to keep up the appearance of harmlessness to not potentially cause a rift between the two opposing sides.
He's very much used to working alone. Loves his community and family will all his might but the weight of the future falls into his shoulders most times. This, combined with the fact that he really can't entrust his problems onto that community (his sister specifically) because they continuously judge any action he takes makes him weary about working with anyone else.
Working with the MC to ensure the exchange doesn't cause another civil war really strains him at first. He's lived through a bloody revolution and his family only became the engineers and weapon makers that they are because of Vesuvia's betrayal. That history along with his personal habits of doing things alone cause him to be weary of the MC at first. That weariness only ever comes out in passive aggressiveness, he's very adverse to any conflict after years of playing diplomat.
This relationship really only changes when his parents pass and he, along with his sister, are left to rule over the entire House. Under all the additional stress he begins to impulsively turn to the MC as a distraction. MC needs to make it clear that they actually feel something for him or else he'll continue to use them eternally.
He's the oldest out of these three characters which means he's had lots of experience with partners, none of them ending well. When MC first confesses they do feel something for him, he's in shock and already making some excuse as to why they wouldn't work.
MC would notice his panic and have to calm him down for him to notice that he also feels something for MC, even if that something isn't as clear cut as MC's feelings.
with Julian
Attis only notices Julian after his parents passing when rumors begin spreading that they were assassinated by the Tuan Syndicate who used the Vesuvian's to infiltrate the Buzia House.
Julian, sketchy as ever, is high on Attis' suspect list. This list is kept hidden from the public and he'll talk about how false he believes the rumors are to anyone who will listen.
He tracks Julian down and as a last resort, Julian uses his charms to try and escape. For the first time in his life, it actually works and he is able to momentarily flee.
After that they fall into a pattern of cat and mouse and feelings develop much to Attis' dismay.
Julian's confession and Attis' reaction play out similarly to MC's but Julian stumbles and trips over himself to explain that he didn't kill anyone which makes Attis reach over to comfort him.
overall
He's very sensitive even though he keeps his emotions to himself, he's prone to crying over things that have already been resolved and just ignores any emotions that aren't productive because "he's got a job to do."
Also very prone to falling back into nostalgia, that longing for things that have passed ossifies him and keeps him from doing anything productive so he keeps those memories for when he's alone.
His dynamic with a partner would make him a lot more playful, he feels as if he finally has someone who understands him and is in HIS corner.
Dates include just staying home and letting the sun pass by. He's never intent to sit still for too long so he'll fiddle with the clasps of his revolvers or his partner's hand.
I'm not sure what I'd describe their dynamic as but I think Two Idiots in Love covers it well.
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MINOS FERNI // she/he/they
with the MC
Minos is a pretty difficult person to get into a relationship with. Even if they like a person romantically they fervently ignore it both in fear of being rejected and their own self sabotaging ways.
They were born into the Heilist church and even after its reformation by the new Syndicate, they inwardly still believe the old doctrine. That includes the ideia of a cycle in which humanity is doomed to commit the same mistakes and suffer infinitely, the old Heilist god would then forgive humanity for their treasons at the time of death and welcome them into the sky.
Minos believes that any break out of that cycle (the revolutions and the new goverment) would forego the forgiveness given to him by God. So, his dynamic with an MC would have to be SLOW. like VERY slow. and very patient. At first it's almost certain that Minos would dislike them and it's only after comming to terms with their repression that they might be open to the thought that MAYBE they like the MC.
Mino's main emotion is guilt. Guilt for not attending to God as he should and guilt for not attending to his community, its only when he realizes that those two things overlap that he can hope to move on to a less painful existence (in his upright end at least). Their relationship in the later staged reminds me of Martin and Jon's dynamic from TMA. Hes trying his best not to be a tyrannical force of magical horror.
with Lucio
Minos hates hin at first. Its very rare for them but his pompous nature and disregard for consequences makes Minos crack and finally show some of their true own true nature. Ironically enough its this initial crack that opens the floodgates of Minos' person. They begin to hunt Lucio down as a way to try and make things go back to how they were. Very much a Hannnibal and Will adjacent pairing. (Lucio in this AU/expansion of sorts is a lot less silly)
with Muriel
haven't put much thought into this pairing but i think that if they both got past their inicial distaste for each other they woukd work out wonderfully.
overall
Don't think she would go on dates but she'd definitely take MC sightseeing and show them around the more historical spots around the city. They would be a very devoted lover (a little obsessive if im honest) and only ever vulnerable with them. Honesty and grappling with their own identity are still new to them so they would definitely need someone who's ready to spend nights on the church roof talking things over and putting things into perspective.
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neonghostlights · 1 year
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Don’t Fear The Reaper Chapter 03
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Chapter Three to the Don't Fear The Reaper Series. Please make sure to check out the other parts. Series Masterlist can be found on my page.
Chapter Song: The World Has Turned And Left Me Here by Weezer
Summary: Dani Crawford didn’t expect to spend her days wandering around Hawkins, Indiana as a ghost. She also didn’t expect her only chance at peace to come from local metalhead Eddie Munson. When he becomes all she can rely on in hopes of solving the cause of her demise, the lines between life and death become blurred.
Pairing: Eddie Munson x f!oc (OC is given a name but NO physical descriptions are used)
Warnings: Death (MC is literally a ghost), Breaking and entering, Cursing, 18+ only, Minors DNI
Word Count: 2.1k
Eddie didn’t tell Dani what he planned to do today. He didn’t lie when he said he had some business to take care of. But, he also needed to start gathering some intel without making himself look even more like an ax murderer to the student body.
He figured the best place to start was the very judgment free zone that he had created with blood sweat and tears. Sitting at the head of table in the drama prop room, surrounded by his D&D club members that had just excitedly bounced into the room, ready for their favorite time of the week. He knew that nothing, no matter how weird, left the four walls of that room. Eddie couldn’t help but wonder if Dani would like the game. Or would she think he was a loser for playing?
Pushing the thoughts out of his head, Eddie waited, arms crossed against his chest and leaning back in his chair to exude the energy of relaxation. He wanted to broach the subject gingerly due to the inability to explain his sudden interest in the subject. Eddie clapped his hands loudly to get the attention of his members before launching into his campaign.
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After the campaign, Eddie was packing up before he interrupted the loud chatter of his friend in front of him, excitedly discussing the campaign. Eddie loudly cleared his throat, “So, have you guys seen the posters for that missing girl…Danielle something?”
There was a brief silence before Mike Wheeler spoke up. “You mean the missing posters that have been up for months? Yeah, I think we’ve all seen them.”
“Oh, I was just wondering if anyone knew her.” Eddie said, glaring at Mike for the tone he had used with him.
“She was in my AP Calculus class but I didn’t talk to her ever. She was super quiet and sat in the back.” Jeff offered.
“Did she ever talk to anyone? Mention anything?” Eddie asked, maybe too eagerly.
“Why do you want to know, man?” Gareth cut in abruptly. Jaw clenched.
Everyone in the room froze and looked at Gareth's tense face.
Ever the peacekeeper, Jeff was the first to break the silence, “I never saw her talk to anyone in class. Ever. I didn’t ever see her in the hallways outside of class either,” Jeff shrugged before grabbing his bag.
“I was just wondering. Just thought it was weird that’s all.” Eddie said, facing Gareth who still seemed off.
Eddie proceeded to tell every one that could go home and to not miss the next meeting. Eddie didn’t miss the way Gareth practically ran out of the room.
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Dani laid on Eddie’s floor, staring up at the vent in his ceiling. Noting how she had a similar vent in her room as well. Eddie explained he was late due to some ‘business’ and a D&D campaign. Dani didn’t want to know what kind of business he had to take care of, but judging by the amount of weed he had with him she could only assume.
She hadn’t told him how much she had struggled after she left his trailer the night before. Apparently being a ghost brought the inability to sleep. She was never able to seek refuge from her raging mind.
She felt like she was finally hitting the stage where she was starting to grieve herself. Each hour of this existence seemed to weigh heavier than the last. Guilt was bubbling in her thoughts for laying the burden of her murder investigation on Eddie but he seemed so eager and willing to help.
“Do you know Gareth Emerson?” Eddie said abruptly. Forcing Dani to forfeit her staring contest with the ceiling vent.
“No. Can’t say I do. Why?” Dani said while sitting up to make eye contact with him while he sat on his unmade bed; staring intensely at an index card. He had been mostly silent and avoidant when he got home, despite saying his campaign had gone well. He blamed his mood on the brain storming.
“I asked the guys at Hellfire today about you. Just to see if any one and at least heard of you. And Gareth acted really weird about it. He didn’t say if he knew you he just seemed…off.”
This had piqued Dani’s interest fully. “Off how?”
“Like he got really tense and snappy about it. Look, I’ve known him forever. He’s a good guy. I don't think he could have done anything to hurt you or any one. But…”
“They said the same thing about Ted Bundy.” She said slowly, trying not to offend Eddie about his friend.
Eddie sighed before standing up from the bed and pinning the index card with Gareth's name under ‘Suspects.’
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Their investigation for that night didn’t get very far. Especially with Eddie being so distant due to his concern for his friend. Only one good thing came out of the meeting though; a plan, and not a very good one.
Eddie reassured Dani of his lock picking skills, but this was way too risky. Due to her inability to get in a car, which was tested by her and Eddie when she walked straight through his van causing Eddie to fold over in laughter for some reason, she promised to meet Eddie in a sketchy alleyway between the general store and diner at midnight the next night. Eddie told her since it was a Saturday the officers would be too busy patrolling back roads and stopping house parties to drive by the station.
It was Eddie who came up with the idea to see if the police knew anything about the case that they weren’t sharing with the public. And since neither of them could just waltz in and ask, this was the next best thing.
Dani walked to the creepy alleyway to find Eddie perched against the wall, cigarette hanging out of his mouth and arms crossed. He was dressed in his typical all black attire, seemingly blending in with the shadows. He showed no sign of the same fear and anxiety that wracked through Danis mind. “How are you so calm? Is breaking and entering something you do on a regular basis or something?” Questioned Dani, alerting him of her presence as she walked towards him.
He gave her a big smile that made her heart drop to her stomach, she decided to ignore that concerning feeling for now. “Yes, how'd you know this is a hobby for me?” he said with a smirk. “And it’s obviously not a usual thing for you since you're late. I thought I was being stood up.” He pointedly looked at the watch that sat on his wrist, pretending to be annoyed.
Dani smiled and rolled her eyes at him. Ignoring the way her gut kept reminding her not to get too comfortable with him.
“Okay well are we gonna stand around and look cool or are we gonna do this?” Dani pointed at the cigarette hanging out his mouth.
“You think I’m cool?” He pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and crushed it beneath his boot.
“No.” Dani said while turning to walk towards the station.
She didn't have to turn around and look at his face to know that he knew she was lying.
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Dani was the first to walk into the building to scope out the place and make sure no one remained in the office after hours. After seeing the coast was clear, she went back outside to stand watch while Eddie picked the back door lock. The door was hidden enough from the mainstreet but still not secluded enough. He pulled out a few little tools from a little black pouch and got to work. Tongue sticking out in concentration while muttering that he never thought he would be breaking into this place instead of trying to break out.
He was able to pick the lock and open the door open wide, bowing to allow Dani to walk back inside first. “Ghost ladies first.” he drawled, earning himself a playful eye roll from Dani as she walked past him and back into the building. Looking slowly and squinting into the darkness. “Oh, shit! I forgot '' Eddie cursed loudly causing her to jump and look around for the threat. Eddie simply pulled out a black object from his back pocket and slipped it over his head.
“Really, Eddie? A ski mask? You didn’t think to put that on while you were outside in the open picking a lock?”
He shrugged, the mask successfully blocking out all features except for his eyes. All she heard was a muffled reply that she didn't bother asking him to repeat. Why he thought his eyes wouldn't get him recognized was a mystery to her but she decided to bite her tongue.
“Over here.” She heard him call from the darkness. Pointing towards a door that had ‘File Room’ written on a plaque above it. Eddie jiggled the door to find it was locked before bending down to quickly pick this one also. Once it was open they both slid in and shut the door quickly behind them.
The room was small, Dani assumed it was because there weren't many cases to file in Hawkins, Indiana. Eddie made fast work of opening the filing cabinets that lined the walls until he grabbed the one he was looking for. Placing it on the small table that sat in the center of the room, Eddie opened the manilla folder that had Dani’s full name and case number written on it. They both noticed how thin and empty hers looked compared to the others that were in the cabinets.
Dani peered over him to get a good look at the contents. The first page was a copy of Dani’s photo and a copy of a missing poster with the same photo on it. Eddie thumbed to the next page which seems to be the missing persons report filled out by her dad. Eddie and Dani both read through the page which didn’t have any new information for them. The only item of interest was the fact that her dad hadn’t reported her missing until four days after he had last seen her, this fact made Danis stomach drop in disappointment but she didn't say anything. Eddie seemed to notice the same thing because he gave Dani a sympathetic glance before switching to the next page.
The last page in the folder was a typed report covering the case. It was only one page and didn’t have much on it. The top of the page stated Danis name , age, and physical description. Following that was what she was last seen wearing and when. What surprised Dani was the notes following which detailed that Dani had moved here after the death of her mother and according to her father and teachers she seemed unhappy and withdrawn. The paragraph after that stated no foul play was suspected and that she was runaway. Since she was legally an adult there would be no further searches.
“That’s it?!” huffed Eddie, flipping the page over to see if it held any more information.
“They think I’m a runaway, No one else is looking for me.” She said quietly.
Eddie could see the devastated look on her face. He pulled off the ski mask and set it on the table beside her file to look at her fully. “No, Dani. I’m looking for you. I’m not going to let them forget about you.”
They stood in that dark room just staring at each other in mutual understanding before they heard the front door of the station opening and the lights clicking on in the next room. Heavy footsteps sounded through the empty station, whoever it was sounded like they were coming right to the file room.
“Shit, shit, shit.” Eddie said while looking around the room for another exit. The only way to get to the back door of the station would be to walk back into the main room and pass whoever was out there.
“The window! Quick!” Dani yelled while pointing towards the wall. Eddie quickly snatched up his ski mask and rushed to the window. He forced open the rusty latch before throwing his legs through and landing on the ground.
“HEY!” Is all they heard from inside the building before they took off running to where Eddie had hidden his van.
Dani met a still adrenaline rushed Eddie back at his trailer about half an hour later. They both took one look at each other before doubling over in laughter on his trailer porch.
A/N: Thank you for reading. Comments and reblogs are appreciated! Why do you think Gareth was acting so weird?
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bookaddict24-7 · 8 months
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REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!
Books I’ve read so far in 2023!
Friend me on Goodreads here to follow my more up to date reading journey for the year!
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148. The Message by K.A. Applegate--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This series continues to be incredibly entertaining and fun!
I loved this one because of the animals they turned into and the almost suspense-like thrill of it. Also, some of the opposing animals they meet. But most importantly, because something new is added after this one, promising to make this series more than just a linear "and then this happened" storyline.
Also, the multiple personalities shined through this one. I really, really wished I had read these as a kid!
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149. 6 Times We Almost Kissed [and One Time We Did] by Tess Sharpe--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Loved, loved, loved.
Tess Sharpe killed it again with another novel full of emotion, complex relationships, and character history full of depth.
One of the things I loved most about this, beyond the adorable will-they-won't-they sapphic relationship, is the level of support the characters got from each other, despite the circumstances and the one character who was drowning for so long in their grief that they forgot to take care of those who were still surviving alongside her.
I also really liked the concept of us exploring the moments where the two MCs almost kissed because it added more layers to their relationship. Their history was so intertwined that they were, of course, the last ones to finally see it.
Loved the friendships, the grandmother, and the cuteness of just how much these two young women care for each other. The grief in this story was palpable (both for the loss of a parent, and the loss of innocence that one of the characters used to have before her life changed so irrevocably.)
Highly recommend, especially because Sharpe has such a strong understanding of what it means to be a human who carries trauma in their heart and the connections that can help lift some of that burden.
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150. Masters of Death by Olivie Blake--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received a copy from the publisher for an author interview I did for Indigo on Instagram. This didn't affect my rating in any way.
This was my first book by Blake and I was pleasantly surprised! There was so much humour in this book, alongside gorgeous and poetic writing. I think I highlighted quite a few of her lines just because they were either hilarious, or so beautifully written.
The concept was unique and I loved how experimental some of the writing was presented, it made it so conversational--making meeting some of the characters a fun experience. I especially loved the character of Death and how unapologetic he was in how he saw the world. Especially that first quote when he's introduced, "Hello children. It's time for Death."
While there were definitely some slower bits in the heart of this story, I overall really enjoyed the storytelling. I think this will definitely be a book for those who love dark academia stories and character-led plots.
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151. A Tap on the Window by Linwood Barclay--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I think this is one of my favourite of Barclay's books. Having already met the MC in later books, I went into this already knowing his quirks and the men he becomes after the tragedies he faces in this book, so I was excited to see how his past happened.
My heart broke for him as he tried in vain to find out who sold his son the last drugs he had before his death and how the repercussions of his actions came back to haunt him. But I especially enjoyed how he transferred his fatherly worries to the new missing person's case on his hands because he had front row seats to see it all go down.
Through corrupt policing in a small town, a grief-stricken couple, and a mystery that kept revealing more and more secrets, Barclay weaved an entertaining story that I couldn't put down (again). I'm really glad I've gone through his history of books and have slowly been reading them all. They're so entertaining!
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152. Don't Want to Be Your Monster by Deke Moulton--⭐️⭐️⭐️
I went into this expecting...more? I've read a few middle grade horror books that genuinely spooked me (as an adult) and while I know that it's ridiculous for me to expect more in a kid's book, this was definitely more of a metaphorical horror than a literal one (which was interesting considering that the mcs are vampires.)
That being said, the family connection was great and I loved the LGBTQ+ rep of the one sibling! I also appreciated the comparison of hunting creatures like Vampires for being different and for the stereotypes and the genocide of Jewish people during WW2. I never thought of making that comparison, but it is a very fitting one. Especially when the author explained at the end of the novel of the influences behind Dracula and the consequences of such harmful stereotypes.
The hunter was a creepy and evil man and it was very hard watching this man not give a crap about the fact that he was threatening to kill children.
This wasn't a favourite, but the message behind it is a powerful one. I recommend this, not for the "spook factor" but for the comparisons the author makes!
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153. The Predator by K.A. Applegate--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved to read from the perspective of this character because it allowed me to see more depth than what we usually see. He is more than the annoying kid who always complains about having to do dangerous things, even though those dangerous things are about saving Earth.
What we learn is about the grief he and his father live with and just how much their lives changed when his mother was lost at sea. I got to see the anxiety of the new pressures put on him by a best friend who is so ready to fight, and the beautiful girl friend who is always ready to jump in front of danger.
I think this one is actually one of my favourites, also because there was a hilarious lobster moment in this. I laughed way too much. Absolutely loving this series.
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154. I Survived the Attacks of September 11th, 2001 by Lauren Tarshis--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoyed this addition to the series, not just because it gives a young reader the perspective of the attacks of 9/11, but because it also tackles the issue of how playing Football can cause concussions that have very real repercussions in the future. While it, of course, wasn't the main topic of this book, I liked that the author touched on that topic.
Reading this book reminded me of how a lot of people who were alive during the 9/11 attacks often wonder where they were and what they were doing when it all happened. The videos will always be the heartbreaking proof of the events, but having a perspective of a child of a family of firefighters was a wholly new way of seeing that day. This series is so important. Even if it's all technically fictional, the events are very real and kids reading these (even adults reading this) may gain new insight and empathy for those who did survive and for those who sadly lost their lives.
Highly recommend this series--bite sized historical snacks in between bigger books.
___
155. The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
After having this book partially started on my shelves for years, I have finally finished it!! I'm glad I did, too, because I really enjoyed it. It was strange reading a mythology book by Riordan that wasn't connected to the other ones, but it was just as fun as his other series.
Much like his other books, Riordan explores more than just mythology in this one. He also talks about the very real discrimination mixed raced kids might experience when one looks different than their siblings--and we even see it in how family members treat one of the children. We also see the personification of "the grass is always greener" in the form of how very different both of these siblings' lives were growing up.
The mythology aspect was so cool and I loved learning about the different Egyptian deities. Other than the exploration of race, discrimination, and trauma, the mythology and stories associated with them are always a favourite of Riordan's books.
Will definitely be picking up the next book soon!
___
Have you read any of these books? Let me know your thoughts!
___
Happy reading!
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insurrection-if · 2 years
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May we know what the ROs' first thought/s when they first met or saw the MC? If possible the minor ROs as well? If it's a spoiler then feel free to ignore this ask! :D
That would be very dependent on a few factors, though I could perhaps give a general / baseline impression that would've been made. I should disclose that the MC doesn't meet the HAWKS in the best of circumstances, and Fyodor's first encounter with the MC is not one they will have an awareness towards.
ROs
Akil: Life is about to change for you. May your misguidance end here.- Disappointment. To have captured them here causes his mind to leap from one assumption to the next, each less favorable than the last. It doesn't spell well for the adjustment to take place in the weeks to come.
He worries over the potential headache in his near future.
Kamiko: I cannot kill them, but how much force will this one require? - Wariness keeps up her guard. This person could kill her at a moment's notice. Could hurt any one in her team the moment she tears her eyes off them. She won't allow them the chance.
She will not allow her vigilance to fall in their presence.
Sigmund: You better not bite. - Frustration and a wish to defend them. He has a bit of a bleeding heart when it comes to the defenseless, yet it is one he has learned to suppress beneath the CARDINALS and HAWKS alike. It would be a tightrope for him between wanting to defend them from the HAWKS and defending the HAWKS from them. It's a mild waiting game to see which side wins out over the other.
The sooner this person vanishes from his life, the better.
Imka: Run, please. You should never have come here. - Pity. Her heart aches upon the sight of them. Fear for them urges her nails to prick against her arms as she tries to hold back the tears that threaten to spill forth. This person did not deserve this.
She bears regrets on their behalf, and feels helpless in their presence.
Elouan: Let's hope this one's a good pick. Not too much trouble, not too much lack of trouble . . . - Amusement. This is too familiar a scene for him to be overly invested. Perhaps he will not see this Gifted again after this. Perhaps this stranger will turn fixture in his life. Either way, an issue (or the absence of an issue) for a future time. For now, he takes mild satisfaction in the chaos around them and the misfortune embodied in a single, ravenous soul.
As long as they do not cause trouble for him, he will entertain this fragile interest and let it guide him as it may.
Jae: Ah, you've drawn the short straw! How much bad luck can one person get? - The scene around them acts to distract her focus, but she likes what she sees thus far. If this unlucky fish in the net joins her company then she will not shirk the entertainment it will promise. It is about time someone helped to further stir the staleness of the HAWKS. Whatever sorriness she feels for them is fleeting, but genuine all the same.
She has her fingers crossed to reunite with them soon.
Niccolò: What is this? What did they find? Move, let me see! What will they turn out to be?- Excited curiosity hums from his being as he peers closer at this novel creature. Questions stir behind his grin, yet he metaphorically swallows them to avoid a scolding.
He hopes to become reacquainted with them soon after all this is done.
Mutya: Don't cause any fucking trouble, for your own damn sake. - Worry buried under apathy. She refuses to insult them with her pity, and thus she instead hardens herself towards their reality. If she can find some excuse to transfer her emotions around all this into anger, she will.
She fears for you, and wishes you'd just escape so she can breathe again.
Fyodor: It is dying . . . Should I help it? - Mild concern, wonder, and longing. He can sense it, this kinship in their souls. One that is reflective and warped, broken into an inherited shard. He wants to approach, but Gabriel restrains him with a look alone. And Mishka . . . he watches with curious worry as he awaits the right moment when his presence may remain unknown. He trusts Curadora entirely, as well as the renowned Retriever by extension and reputation. They will right the wrong that has occurred.
He wishes this supposed enemy the best in the events to come.
Minor ROs
Dearil
Law Enforcement MC: An annoyance that he wishes to be rid of.
Homemaker MC: An inconvenience that may prove to have some use for him.
Otherwise: Whatever this creature is, it is beneath him.
Curadora
She's stricken by fear, and then horror at what has occurred. And then, insatiable curiosity for this mystery that has come to a bloody fate before her. Her heart will start as tender for what she sees as a victim of her own faults.
Retriever
Medic MC: Though he tries to focus on the needs of the man he's brought to receive care, he can't help his appreciation of the MC in more ways than one. Actually, though I associate the song far more with certain elements of Curadora's love life, it vaguely reminds me of Enfermera by Los Hermanos Flores, haha!
Rancher MC: Upon their first handshake, he couldn't help but check out the MC with as much subtly as he could muster. He makes note to keep an eye on them during his temporary stay at the ranch, though he won't gather the courage to approach until his final night of residence.
Otherwise: Instinct and paranoia in the current situation leads him to conclude that the MC is a hostile threat, and the consequences of this assessment will haunt his nights to come.
Lempo
Artist MC: Having accumulated an admiration for the work of this local artist already, her admiration is cemented upon witnessing them in the flesh.
Thespian MC: She adores what she has thus far seen, and makes no attempt to hide her starstruck nature.
Otherwise: Oh, yet another HAWK? She appraises what she can glimpse, and it pleases her so. She would love to host their company somewhere a bit more private.
Bones
There had been an immediate pulse of hostility the moment he sensed their shared nature. Hostility, and cold annoyance towards the kid starting at him. Both these sentiments coated his buried spike of shame as he continued to eat his garbage-fetched meal.
He considered throwing a rock at them, and other tactics to scare / shoo them away. Something about them seemed like trouble in the making, and that was an additional trouble he didn’t need. Not when he generated enough of that on his own.
Mishka
It would be best to kill the inconvenience before them, yet they have had the misfortune of being paired with the more soft-hearted of these false kin. It would be so simple. Practical, really, considering the thorn they may further prove to be down the road.
And yet no one ever listens to what they have to say . . .
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lyon-amore · 2 years
Text
Mr and Mrs Liars Prologue Part 1
⚠️ ATTENTION ⚠️ This story will contain spoilers for chapter 10, do not read if it is not finished
(****************************************) Flashback
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*MC POV*  I was waiting in the center of the city, crowded with so many people and tourists, camouflaging myself in the crowd. I sit on a bench, waiting for Jake. We had agreed to meet here, because he would confuse anyone trying to find him.  I adjust the strap of my backpack where I have some change of clothes and enough money for a long trip. I take out my mobile reading the last conversation we had. It had been hard, but I had finally convinced him that I didn't mind giving up everything to be with him. The first person in a long time that had made me feel complete. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MC What a day today 😫 Could I have a boss less asshole? The guy keeps wanting me to write an article about Hannah... When is he going to give up? It's already been two years! My answer will continue to be no! 😡  Jake MC, I've been thinking about it. And I feel like I can't take it anymore. MC ?! What?!What do you mean?!  Jake Wanting to be with you. What did you think? MC Um… Nothing in particular 😅​ And that change of mind?  Jake I don't know. I was looking at the photo we took the last time we saw each other and how the discussion we had went. And something in me made me sick of continuing to hurt you. MC Does it mean...  Jake The problem is that I don't want you to make that sacrifice for me. I'd hate it if you did it out of obligation. This is why I wanted to know your opinion.  MC Are you kidding me?Jake, if you had said it even the first day we met in person I would have said yes!  Jake :) Then you would like to live a life of wandering, without having a place to settle forever and live dangerously with me?  MC We have become very filmy, eh? Jake You are the one to blame. You have changed me too much. All I do is lose focus because you're not by my side. MC, I want to spend my life with you.Is everything alright?  MC Sorry, I was reading it like fourteen times in my head You are adorable, you know that? 🤭 Something tells me a certain person is blushing again 😊  Jake You will be able to check it soon. Link Here I leave the exact place for us to meet. MC All right  Jake But you can't tell anyone.  MC Not even my friends? Or your sisters? You know they have helped us whenever we wanted to see each other Besides, it's better that way, in case something happens  Jake If it's what you want and you feel safe, fine.But don't say anything to your co-workers. I don't really trust them.  MC I knowI don't trust them either, many of them are scavengers Except in Lian But I'm sure she would be mad if I told her 🙄 Jake That's up to you.  MC That's why I won't say anything Surely she would give me plenty of reasons not to do it  Jake But you wouldn't listen to her.  MC No! Because I already decided it a long time ago 😉 Jake I'll try to be at 2:00 p.m. If I entertain myself, at the latest at 2:10  MC It's not too late ten minutes 😄  Jake Ten minutes is everything for me. And more than I have to meet you.MC, things are going to change in your life. I hope you know and prepared. MC Always ready! But don't be late or I'll get mad Forever! Everything will be over And I'm not kidding, just so you know it  Jake All right, I won't be long. :) See you tomorrow.I love you MC.  MC I love you too Jake See you tomorrow 💖  Jake ;) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  I check the time. Only five minutes left until 2:10 p.m. I try to relax remembering the first time I saw him. How we met in person Two years ago… **************************************** When Hannah had been rescued, they called me to testify to the police to give the explanations that they had been waiting for so long. I told them that I was very scared and that's why I didn't want to contact Alan at first, just like I told him. Our chat conversation made him not really know who I was until we met face to face, he knew whose daughter I was, then he understood. Jake got in touch with me seven days after not hearing from him. I told him about three times that I was going to kill him for worrying me. He told me that he had trouble getting back out of the mine and had to use the ladder he had entered again. When he was going up, he did it so fast that when he put his foot in the ladder, he ended up breaking it and almost killing himself on the spot. Again, I ended up angry when he told me, or rather, concerned. If he really had died down there, I would have died with him in life. At least he fixed it by telling me that he would go to Duskwood to see me… Well, not only me. He wanted to come to Duskwood to see Hannah, but he couldn't risk it with the surveillance at the hospital entrance, so, with my friends, we devised a plan. The FBI was still looking for him in Duskwood and we wanted him to be safe.
When we went to the hospital to see Hannah, we focused on seeing when they went on break and when they changed shifts, texting each time it happened. We all collaborated so Jake could see his sisters, since Lilly wanted their first meeting to be all three of them together. Lilly and I got a text from Jake in our group, asking us for all the details. We leave nothing unchecked.  At first, the encounter was... how to describe it? Quite uncomfortable. I kept looking at him the whole time as we waited outside the psych ward, so I was like, 'Am I making him uncomfortable?' I noticed I even got a quick glance from him, but he quickly looked away, blushing. He made me think of those times that I would make him blush through the cell phone. I didn't know even in person it would have been so easy. His appearance was clearly that of a rather tired grown man, pale and obviously wearing black clothes, nothing flashy to avoid drawing attention. He didn't want to be reminded if someone looked at him.    "Do you want me to leave you alone?" Lilly asked, who was between us.    “No!” We exclaimed at the same time, embarrassed by her way of saying it.    "I'm fine like this" Jake answered, distantly.     With all we had talked about and he was cold. Yeah, it bothered me a little. When they called us, I decided to wait, refusing a change after a couple of minutes. They had a lot to talk about.  I talked to the group, telling them that Jake had already gone in to see Hannah.They obviously wanted to know what Jake was like. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jessy And..
How he looks? Dan Do you look like an addict?  Cleo Dan, for God's sake! Don't go too far!  Dan To spend so many hours on a computer, something must be inserted Or not?  MC It is…Normal  Thomas What do you mean by normal? MC Normal Well…Not normal At least not for me  Jessy I get it  Cleo Me too  Dan What do you understand? It has not been explained well  Cleo Things of the heart, Dan  Thomas She wants to say that it might be normal for us, but for her, he is attractive.  MC Thomas!  Dan OH! So like Hannah and youShe is the beauty and you are the beast  Thomas Thanks for your great explanation... Dan You're welcome 😎  Cleo Do you need to be picked up?  MC No, Lilly's taking us to the motel.  Jessy The conversation is getting more and more interesting  MC It so happens that Jake and I are staying in the same motel  But of course, things don't seem to be to shoot rockets...  Thomas You haven't talked?  MC Nope Completely ignored me And after everything we've been through...  Dan If he makes you feel bad, I'll go punch him 🤛🤛  MC If that helps him speak to me  Cleo Give him time, MC You just met for the first time  Jessy Surely he is more nervous to see you than you are to him  MC Well I don't know Because I only wanted to throw me into his arms when I saw him I had to control myself so as not to scare him  Thomas I understand you The same thing happened to me when I ran into Hannah But the doctors advised me that it was better to approach little by little You will see how in the end Jake decides to take the step  MC Thank you all For real 😊 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We talked for a while until Jake and Lilly came out. Lilly was crying and I couldn't help but comfort her in a hug. I looked at Jake's eyes, who were looking at us helplessly. They were red, as if he wanted to cry. I extended my hand without separating from his sister and took his, letting him know that I was there for him. He looked down at our hands and squeezed hard. It seemed like he didn't want to let go of me. He looked at me again and moved his lips forming the word 'Thank you'. I smiled at him, although it was sad to see the two of them like this. After the three of us calmed down, Lilly took us back to the motel. I was a little sorry to leave her in that state.     "Are you sure you're okay?" I asked concerned.     "Yeah, it's just the thrill of the three of us together," she replied, with a smile, then looked at Jake. "Do you want to meet tomorrow?"     "I don't know if-"     "Of course you can." I gave Jake a look, tilting my head slightly in his sister's direction, letting him know that he shouldn't leave so soon. "I'll handle it personally.”     "Okay" she laughed and looked at us both. "See you tomorrow. "     "See you tomorrow" we reply at the same time. When she left, we stood there for a long time. How difficult it was to speak face to face after so many texts.     "Thank you," Jake finally said, meeting my eyes, "for brokering for me."     "They need you right now," I crossed my arms, lips pouting "the least you can do is leave. Not yet."    "I know." He adjusted his backpack, a little uncomfortable with the situation. "Forgive me for my attitude towards you, I know my behavior is not proper.”     "Apologies accepted, 'Mr. Darcy,'" I sort of bow like they did in 'Pride and Prejudice' and manage to get a laugh out of him.     "Too formal?"     "A little" I laugh too. The atmosphere relaxes a bit and we already seem closer. I tried to listen to Thomas and Cleo and stay calm. What I didn't want him to know was that I really wanted to meet him at last. Inside of me, a maelstrom of emotions. I was embarrassed by all those things I had written to him. Talking to him in text had been easier.     "Would you like to-"     "Would you like to-"      Surprisingly we talk at the same time. The two of us seemed to have decided to speak to each other.     "I guess we have a lot to talk about." I was glad to know that he was determined to talk to me, I was afraid that in the end he wouldn't want to talk to me. "Would you like a coffee? I'll warn you though, the vending machine coffees aren't too great."     "I think I'll handle it" I nod and start to follow him. He handed me my cup. It was hot. We sat on a bench, in silence. I tried carefully not to knock over the fiery cup.     “Does it burn a lot?” he asks me, concerned.     "No, its fine" I lie. I didn't want him to worry about just one little cup of no importance.     "Wait." He set his glass down on the bench, careful not to knock it over. He then took off his gloves and offered them to me. I blinked a little, surprised. "Come on, put them on.”     "Thank you…”I put the gloves on. They were hot. I felt my face burn, suddenly any sense of cold disappeared.     “Better?”     “Yeah…”    "It's amazing everything you've done for me to meet my sister." He looked at his cup, with a wistful smile, my heart beating fast at the sight of him. "You still fascinate me even in person.”     "I wanted you to see her, you needed to see her after everything we'd done."     "But even in this I let you do the hard work." He turned to look at me and I noticed how his eyes shine in the dim light that the streetlight shone on the parking lot. “I don't know how I'm going to be able to thank you for all you've done.”      I bit my lip. Yes there was one thing.      I swallowed and steeled myself.     "You still owe me that dinner at a Chinese restaurant" I replied, with a small smile.     "Glad you remembered" he sighed with relief, "I didn't know what excuse to make so I could stay longer so I could spend time with you too."      I felt a flutter in my stomach. My whole body felt too light, like in a cloud. I couldn't see anything else around me except him. I had even stopped drinking just to focus on Jake.     "How could I forget?" I ask him rhetorically. "I was really surprised when you asked me if I liked it."     "I was quite surprised by your dream of me too."      Oh, no... He wouldn't dare... I look at him wide-eyed and blushing. It was something I said because I felt I had to say it when he told me he was interested! I didn't think he would remember after that! If not, he'd let it go despite… Well, with everything that happened, I didn't even think he'd remember.     "Not that it's a romantic place we're in right now." His words are calm. He no longer seems like the cold Jake I'd met that morning "And we haven't met under dreamy circumstances, but I'd like to grant your wish.”   “My wish?” I let out a nervous laugh, thinking about what I think he's thinking. He gently caresses my cheek, not saying a word. His hands are warm from the coffee, the aroma makes it seem homey. He approaches me, placing a hand on my waist. I sigh, not looking away. There was no one there at the time, just the two of us. Not a single sound disturbed us. He leaned slowly towards my face and I didn't even make a single move to push him away. I wanted it. I wanted that moment. That kiss was magical. I tried not to seem clumsy, it had been years since I had kissed a boy and one that really interested me so much. I tried to stop myself from letting out small sighs, but it was impossible. I hoped I didn't sound desperate about it.  In the end we slowly parted from lack of air. If I had known, I would have practiced holding the oxygen.   "Wow…" Jake says and any melancholy or sadness in his eyes had disappeared. "You were right, it was a nice thought."     "Oh, shut up." I bury my face in his hoodie, embarrassed. I hear close to me his laugh through my ear until it is stored in my brain. I couldn't forget that nice laugh.    "Now that I have you by my side, I can tell you better." I looked up into his eyes. They were so bright. "I love you, MC. "      My lips expanded so much that I thought the next day my face would hurt. This time I kissed him. Without breaking the hug.    "I love you too, Jake." **************************************** I return to Earth and look at my phone again. 3:30 p.m.     "He may have had a computer problem…" I try to convince myself, not thinking of something worse. That he would have backed down. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MC Jake, where are you? Please answer me when you see the message Part 2
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iceysghost · 2 years
Text
NXX Boys and Your Wedding: Part 4
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Tears of Themis: Luke Pearce x Rosa (MC) Reader
Word count: 893 words
CW: mentions of illness, death
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"What would I be doing right now, if not this?"
Not this, as in the wedding. Not this, as in the dance. This, as in, what would I be doing right now, if we never dated?
I would forever be married to work, she thought. The image of her exhausting working desk made her shut her eyes in disgust and embarrassment.
Once it happened, however, I'd never be able to forgive him. Hell, I wouldn't even have the strength to get out of bed; let alone work.
Luke pondered over the same question and came to an answer; she'd do just fine without me. Working her amazing job, and meeting with amazing coworkers. Not to mention falling into the hands of a capable lover. 
He respected the others' oh-so-capable hands. Yet, thoughts of Rosa mingling with another NXX man made his blood boil.
This is why they sent all their guests home for this dance of the newlyweds. It wasn't too hard to ask from them. After all, the only ones invited were Artem, Vyn, Marius, and Aaron.
He did not want to think of how he'd feel if someone else was holding her, or if he'd even be alive at all.
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An old ballet room; the floors made out of old hardwood, the walls covered in mirrors. The only light source was from candles enclosed in glass stuck to the corners of every wall.
No magical chandeliers, no orchestra of music, no ooh-s and ahhh-s of mesmerized guests.
Luke could only offer the warmth of his body through his loose, white, long-sleeved polo. He could stand and twirl her across the room. The fabric of his pants brushed the floor, somehow always a notch oversized.
Rosa could only offer herself. She let him play with her hair, free of sparkly accessories and stiff hairspray. He held onto her long, white nightdress as if it were his nightdress when he was lonely in the eerie hospital rooms.
On the side, a radio played all the songs they used to love listening to together. The cheerful songs that were once crazy and loud made Rosa quietly giggle. The sad songs that were once overdramatic spoke to Luke's heart. The love songs that were once fairytales made their night ever so magical.
They danced for hours; bare feet sounding across the wood. Whispers somehow echoing through the air.
Luke held her close. Every time she slipped out of his grap, he frantically reached for her body. It was as if she was going to disappear once he let go.
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This was a simple wedding for a simple couple.
For years, Rosa had seen him as nothing but a friend, a brother even. She thought he was living such a simple life.
For years, Luke thought she was a simple woman. She was not as simple in terms of being plain or ordinary, but he thought it would be simple to leave her behind.
And yet, of course, they were far from right.
The moment he saw her after eight years was enough to know how much she changed. Rosa was a lady, already so mature and business-oriented.
Luke was as happy for her as can be. But, what was at first a tinge of sadness in his chest grew to be an annoying ache. He first thought it was another health problem.
He wished to have seen her grow or contributed to this change in any way. At some point, he wished she had never changed at all.
It took a bit longer for Rosa to find out. While Luke's was a slow process, hers was a painful jolt to her heart that made her want to faint.
He said he'd be dead in two years. She was so frustrated at him for not telling her, so shakingly scared for Luke's health.
When an experiment for the cure to his newly discovered illness came out, Rosa's hands trembled as she used her pen to sign up for him. Either he would live a long life, or side effects would show up and he’d die with no warning.
Once the doctor reported positive results after a week of medication, they cried in each others' arms.
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The last time he danced with her was the night before he left. It was to the same radio and songs, waltzing around her room.
A single tear hit his cheek as a painful song played. He thought this would be the last memory of her dancing and smiling. He thought she'd be gone forever.
Now, a single tear again hit his cheek as they heard the same melody. The remix was now gentle and sweet in contrast to the original. She'd be here forever; they could dance like this for days and no one could stop them.
The dance quirks they made all taught him different things.
Every step showed him that to truly appreciate life, he must keep going. Every twirl showed him that no matter what happens, he must try to make Rosa smile. 
Every time he spun her around in the air showed that he shouldn't try to hide his love for her, but flaunt her to the earth and to the heavens.
And every dip showed him that sometimes he should take it slow, and let her rest in his arms while basking in her beauty.
A/N: I’m sorry it took so long to publish this! Recently, I’ve been bombarded with schoolwork, but I’ll try my best to keep posting.
Luke is one of the boys I”m not too familiar with, so this might be a bit shorter than expected. Although, I tried to let my inner artist out, and personally I don’t think I did that bad.
Thank you for all the support on this series! I promise I’ll do my best to keep chucking out pieces like these. Notes and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated!
Now, the end of every series marks the start of a new one.
I present to you: NXX Boys with a Sick S/O. Although this might be aa bit shorter, this was by request, so I’ll try my best to work with it!
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At this point I have completely forgotten the lore of this game aksnskdnsks but like are we definitely Lilith reincarnated? I thought we were like related to her after she became human and had a family with her lover. Which...even if it was like centuries in between is still very eugh to me. I mean either way I have made the executive decision to forget that part of the story ever happened and my MC has absolutely zero connection to Lilith in my mind 👍
NO NO! THAT IS DEFINITELY NOT WHAT I SAID OMIGOD😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
MC is NOT a reincarnation of Lilith.
Human!Lilith was a reincarnation of Angel!Lilith (Diavolo says he can't save angel!Lilith but he can bring her back as a human) and MC was a descendent of Human!Lilith
And about Lilith getting together with her lover, ik they said it in the game but I don't think it sounds realistic??? This is of course my own opinion/headcanon but hear me out:
1.) Lilith never says she got together with her lover. She just says she had a happy human life with a family. If I remember correctly it was Lucifer who said it, but Luicfer was banned from going to see her so he would have never had a way to confirm it
2.) For Lilith to get together with her human lover she would have had to be brought back exactly the way she was before she died (in order to avoid a huge age gap) and that just isn't practical because:
a.) They would have to wipe Lilith's complete memory for this to happen. And I don't see how it's possible to drop a grown woman into the middle of nowhere with no connections and no proper knowledge about how the world works and expect her to have a happy life?
b.) Remember how Mammon told Levi that Lucifer would never be truly happy without his memories because he loves his brothers too much? I believe that applies to Lilith too. With a noticeable gap in her memories she would feel the absence of them and never be fully happy.
c.) Lilith as an angel definitely would have told her lover about her family, given how close the 7 of them were and how much they adored each other, so if she got back together with him he would have had so many questions about where this family who loved her so much was
d.) The last time her lover saw her, she was performing a miracle to save him from the brink of death and he would definitely have questions
e.) So to make this work Diavolo would have to heal Lilith's dying body, change her entire species, erase her memories, somehow create and give her a support system (alter the memories of a random human family and dump her there????), erase the memories of her human lover about her, possibly erase the memories of her human lover's family or friends who might have known about her and still manage to find a way to make Lilith and her human lover meet and fall in love??? Just the whole thought of this seems like way too much trouble.
-> Instead Diavolo could have just taken her soul and had her reincarnated as a human. Thereby giving her completely new human family, the possibility to live a human life the way she wanted and since this lilith would have been a new person they wouldn't have felt the gap left by her old family. However she wouldn't have gotten together with her old lover. She would have found a completely new person and fallen in love and had her own family.
-> And I like the idea that she didn't get together with her old lover a lot because:
[1] It really highlights the selflessness of her actions. She knew what the Celestial Realm was like, she knew what they would have done to her, she knew she may not be able to get together with him, but she still healed him because she wanted him to have a long happy life
[2] I said in a previous post (with reasons why) that I think the existence of the Devildom & Celestial Realm was once an open secret in the human world but with the war it became a myth which eventually transformed into a religion. I like the idea that Lilith's first lover was one of the first people who believed in angels being divine beings who performed miracles
[3] I like the idea that Lilith didn't get the neatly wrapped happy ending she would have wanted as an angel but instead got to really experience life as an actual human and find love along the way
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commajade · 2 years
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Thoughts about the new group blackpunk? i personally believe they have a lot of potential (but seriously i love this so much like who would have thought it would become a whole thing)
LMAOOO U MEAN MY FAVE GROUP!!! MONSTER ROOKIES!!! WHERE'S THE ALBUM!!! i've literally never been more invested in a variety storyline in my life because everything is coincidence and fate and magic and it's all so so funny. i could literally talk about this for like hours this is gonna get long. the group dynamics are literally perfect and it's all by chance it's so fucking funny.
the whole thing is so delightful like first jaejae has nothing to air on mmtg for the second time in like 4 years of her show running and puts out an apology video and asks "if u see any celebrities with nothing to do pls send them our way..." and jaejae is literally the best up and coming mc of today every celebrity she works with loves her because of her work ethic and attitude and humor and creativity so all the managers who love her call mmtg saying they have celebs who r available. and jaejae says "ok can u come tomorrow morning with no script or info on what we're doing here's an address" and the 3 who say yes happen to be sungjong eunbi and tsuki.
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the mmtg staff pulls an all nighter meticulously researching these 3 celebrities and decides the concept of the episode will be creating an imaginary project group. and magically they literally look like a well balanced group. it's kind of insane. visually jaejae looks like a male idol and her style is loud and flamboyant like sungjong while eunbi and tsuki are both trendy young and bright. they have jaejae as leader, eunbi as reliable main vocal, tsuki as main dancer and maknae, and of course sungjong is visual center.
tsuki literally has no idea what's going on and is down for anything she's from japan and debuted 4 months ago she's never heard of jaejae or mmtg and watched some episodes in the car on the way there and kept thinking "what.. what are they doing?? what am i gonna be doing???" and once she gets there no one else knows what's going on either so she's just cute and dances awkwardly to herself in the corner but gets involved in the rapport so quickly but also doesn't understand what they're saying half the time 😭😭
eunbi is in the middle of successful back to back solo comebacks but likes jaejae and mmtg so much she saw the SOS video herself and called her manager immediately asking to be booked for it. she agreed to be a part of 2 more mmtg episodes in the middle of comeback promotions. the girl loves jaejae.
all 3 of them are women and infps so they have a grand time saying hello to each other and then sungjong makes a grand entrance and jaejae is like SUNGJONG MY LONG LOST BROTHER and they do the gay greeting(TM) and sungjong monologues about how he needed jaejae in his life when he debuted (i'm guessing they had been texting for quite some time but this is their first meeting?) and eunbi is like oh my god sunbaenim??? because he literally just dramatically left the company she works for like last week and she thought he would never see him again really but it's surprisingly not that awkward and she's very happy he's doing okay.
sungjong keeps dramatically talking about his recent divorce with woollim ent and jaejae is super understanding and hyping him up from a salaryman's point of view talking about how natural it is to leave a company and join a new one in the workforce and eunbi is getting brave about hinting she's not happy with woollim either and sungjong was right to leave and tsuki is like ??????
tsuki has no idea who sungjong is and sungjong has no idea who tsuki is. it's so funny. he keeps asking her the same 2 questions and she doesn't care about sunbae politics so she calls him out for it immediately and it's hilarious. tsuki does know infinite tho and jaejae plays her pick of second gen kpop classics and asks them to dance with her and tsuki is like OK THIS I CAN DO and they have a great time and suddenly they're all best friends. jaejae and sungjong are literally besties separated at birth but this is the case with jaejae and every flamboyantly gay male kpop idol so that's not a surprise. they're both old time kpop people and eunbi and tsuki r kpop enthusiasts.
they decide their parts and it's natural and obvious choices they're just a perfect mix of people for a coed kpop group somehow. coed kpop groups are kind of unheard of and kard is an exception in recent years so from the beginning there's an unrealistic nature to this group because they were all just tossed together and are pretending to do something to fill an airing slot. sungjong is dramatic and insecure but very grounded and cool somehow you can tell he knows how to do variety and is feeling genre savvy and on a high from being on variety again after leaving woollim. he comes up with several terrible names for their group and then thinks of "blackpunk" which is very very funny. punk is actually punc from puncture, punc is the korean word for when there's a hole in something like an empty airing slot in a broadcast schedule. it was the word jaejae used to describe the crisis in her SOS video and it's the title of the episode. and then it's a parody of blackpink the most popular girl group outside of skorea because they are not that at all.
and jaejae brings out fake contracts and tsuki announces "i know i just debuted with billlie but i will be leaving and joining blackpunk instead :)))" and eunbi threatens to leave woollim and sungjong eggs her on it's like a magical alternate universe where they are free of the difficulties of their actual idol lives and get to sign with jaejae/sbs and live an imaginary life. of easy success. there's this sense of "ok this is the only time this is ever gonna happen, fuck it, let's do whatever we want!" so they keep saying bold things and bragging about how famous their group is going to be.
and then the episode gets so popular that the next episode is them pretending to move into a dorm together??? because they got a sponsor for their group that's a service for decorating a house so they just found a house. one of the rooms won't open unless you use a kitchen knife. they're all just shameless about leaning into the bit and being as delusional about their fame as a group as possible.
and this group dynamic also meets each of the member's needs in a weirdly perfect way?? because jaejae is not a part of the idol world but deeply admiring of and sympathetic to idols (she talks about how much she missed doing kpop episodes cuz her recent ones had been dignified figures mostly actors) and they have a group therapy session in this fake dorm. and sungjong and eunbi are deeply touched and tsuki is being guided and encouraged.
jaejae is always looking for a new big project that can boost mmtg's popularity that had fallen since her huge campaign for the wilddly successful second gen renaissance series and concert last year. the first episode got a million views in a few days when there's no reason for it to be that popular that's exciting! and jaejae's original career dream was becoming an idol, she had auditioned to be a trainee years ago but ended up living her dream by being an sbs producer instead. being a leader of a group is perfect for her.
sungjong is suddenly part of a group again after probably feeling a little washed out/has-been-ey as many no longer active second gen idols tend to feel. he had just divorced the company he had his height of fame and work at and suddenly has a fresh start with someone he likes a lot (jaejae) a previous hoobae who looks up to him (eunbi) and a trendy rising star in current kpop that he hadn't even heard before cuz he's old and doesn't see viral content immediately (tsuki).
eunbi debuted as a leader and then a soloist and she finally gets to be in an act where she's not in the leadership position and she has 2 older members to lean on and a cute new maknae to dote on. she's a huge fan of jaejae and literally jumped at the chance to meet her in the middle of a comeback that's insane that was probably her 1 free day or she moved something around for her. and now she gets to meet up with her regularly for as long as their group is being talked about. sungjong is her (ex) company sunbae that is now on the same level as her and completely understands her issues with woollim and can shit talk woollim with her (when she's less busy) because he's allowed to. eunbi has met tsuki twice and sends her whole group a giant gift basket of fruit and beef in the middle of a promotional cycle when she can't even make time for filming the third mmtg episode.
tsuki is freshly debuted and freshly well known because of her viral fancam and needs a variety foothold to cement her status as a rookie star but she's young and nervous and very good but not native speaker level at korean. and she gets the nicest most accomodating sunbae in eunbi, a crash course on korean variety in a high stakes environment with jaejae who deeply cares about her all of a sudden, and sungjong to have a hilarious running joke dynamic with because of their immediate contrast between them and mutual irreverence.
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tsuki literally just scored a lifelong loving sunbae (eunbi), a variety broadcast coach and group therapy facilitator (jaejae), and a recently divorced gay uncle (sungjong). literally everything you need and all idols struggle without for several years but tsuki got the fast past into viral fame and healthy support system and a very supported first step in the variety entertainment world because anyone who watches this knows how to characterize tsuki in a show now, she is super cute, takes no shit, and is down for Anything.
and the third episode is??? a mysterious person sends them an invitation to go to france??? because they had mentioned it in the first episode as an example of being delusional?? and i kept waiting for them to say jk we're kidding but if they made a whole episode because of it wouldn't that mean it's a real possibility? god i hope they actually go to france for an album photoshoot and music video shooting. i hope they find some famous producer and songwriter to make a song for them and they release a single and it tops the charts just from the power of hype. the mmtg concert had that kind of magic, it was aired at like 1 or 2am and still had ridiculously high viewership people were deeply invested.
everyone help me manifest blackpunk going triple platinum! i wanna see how far this thing goes!
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hansolmates · 4 years
Text
here comes the bride, all dressed in pride
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summary; You and your cousin Doyeon have had beef with each other since the sandbox. When she plucks the last straw, you decide to end your long-simmering fight by claiming that you and her ex—Jeon Jungkook, are now boyfriend and girlfriend pairing; jungkook x reader (f) genre/warnings; fake dating!au, fluff, crack, mentions of cheating, lang, alcohol, mc eats meat, tw sexual harassment, toxic family, dick talk, making out, if u have that one family member that pulls bs on you constantly this is it, this fic is for all the people who have a huge ass family who wont leave them alone w.c; 17.3k  a/n: my second fic for gcn’s 23 birthday project! the fact that wedding szn zoomed by us like that... and so bc im sad that so many weddings had to be postponed this fic was born! a huge thank u to vivi @eerieedits​ / @chillingtae​​ for creating this BEAUTIFUL fic banner and separator pls check vivi out to make your fics all purty
prompts used: “You’ve always been beautiful to me, don’t you know that?” and “I never knew love could be like this, feel like this.”
if you enjoyed this pls consider giving a like and a share💕💕
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Doyeon likes to call Jungkook, “the one who got away.” 
You like to call Doyeon, “the one who drove him away.” 
In secret, of course. In fact, the only person who knows how much you loathe Doyeon and her behavior is your father. And all your co-workers. And your boss. And your boss’ ex-husband. 
And Jeon Jungkook, but of course you haven’t seen the man in two years and back then he was far too polite to address his concerns of your hatred of his then-girlfriend. 
Okay, so everyone and their mother knows how much you don’t like your cousin. Kim Doyeon and you have had beef since the sandbox, and for whatever reason is always out to one-up you. A strange competitive nature in everything, academics, family, and even boys. The sick, twisted part of you has come to enjoy it. While you’re not a fighter as devout as Doyeon is, you have your own callous tendencies farmed from the seeds Doyeon has planted in your brain. She gives you a comment? You can’t help but throw one back. Since you’re a painfully mature soul you don’t have any mortal enemies as far as you know, Doyeon is the perfect amount of hot water to keep you on your toes. 
“I’m really sorry that you couldn’t be a bridesmaid,” Doyeon cooes next to you, swirling her champagne glass with a too-jutted pout, “but if I did there’d be an odd number of pairings and you’re a little too old to be walking as a bridesmaid, am I right?” 
Your nails. Are digging. Through your dress. Alas, you’re in public and you have class. Doyeon smiles at you with all teeth, reminding you of the Beldam from Coraline. Aside from that she looks absolutely stunning in that Lirika Matoshi strawberry dress that has her Instagram aching with likes and love from her baseless followers. 
“I don’t know,” you reply lightly, leaning back in your seat, “I mean, if Yoojung and Rena can be bridesmaids and they’re three years older than me, wouldn’t I make the cut? It’s okay to be honest and say you just didn’t want me in the bridal party.” 
Doyeon laughs, slaps your thigh like you told her the most hilarious joke in the world. Anyone passing by would think you’re best friends. You laugh too, incredulous at the amount of power she thinks she holds. 
“Nice party,” you tack on, surveying the room. It’s filled with pastels and beiges, bright and airy.  It’s Parisian themed, and while you’re not a fan of theming cultures, you can’t deny that you’re loving the infinite supply of macarons. 
“Oh, yes. This is just a taste of the real wedding,” she laces her fingers together, as if she thinks she’s living an Elizibethean love story, “speaking of, you put on your RSVP that you’re bringing a plus one. Am I allowed to know who’s the unlucky date?” 
“As if you care.” 
“I care if you’re bringing Jimin. That tiny thing nearly gave Aunt Lillian a heart attack when he gave a striptease at Yoongi’s graduation party.” 
You smirk softly at the bold memory. That was the plan. 
Doyeon sighs dramatically, crossing her legs and popping out a cherry red heel. She plays with the back on the balls of her feet, letting the little pearly rhinestones glisten in the candlelight, “I should really commend you, cousin,” she drawls, “I mean, how kind of you to be so charitable and give your dopey friends a chance to have fun. After all, I’m sure it is difficult for someone like you to find a date.” 
It’s no surprise as to how you end up with a date at any family formal gathering. You say you bring a plus one, and then between Jimin, Taehyung and Hoseok. The three of them draw straws as to who gets to gorge on free alcohol and food for that night. 
“Difficult?” you arch a brow, “I get plenty of dates.” 
Doyeon giggles. She must be feeling extra vindictive today, high on her impending marriage and the taste of bubbly champagne. “By taking turns with those three? You gotta be kidding me,” she snorts, tipping back her crystal, “please y/n. Don’t get so defensive because I’m getting married first. Your time will come. That is, if you stop dicking around with your friends.” 
Normally you’d smother any attempt at Doyeon to call out your friends, but now she’s just done that and insulted your ability to get some, and you are livid. 
“Actually,” you quip sharply, “I’ve been dating someone. It’s been a couple months, actually.” 
“Oh?” Doyeon’s genuinely interested, face falling slightly, “you’ve never mentioned anyone, I don’t see anyone on your social media.” 
“Yeah well,” you feign sympathy, pressing your lips together and tilting your head accordingly, “I’ve had to keep it private for a couple of reasons.” 
“What, is he ugly or something?” she chuckles, “but really, who’s the person who has the misfortune of being in a committed relationship with you?” 
Maybe it’s because Doyeon’s right, the both of you are too old. The two of you have been running around each other for years, with no end in sight. Maybe, the words that linger on the tip of your tongue will be the final nail in the coffin. 
“Jeon Jungkook,” you state proudly, clear as day. “Jungkook and I have been dating for three months.” 
And you pick up the vanilla macaron that sits innocently on your plate, ravishing it up like it contained all the tension in your table. Between you and Doyeon’s bubble, you could hear a pin drop. 
“Jungkook?” her smile is concrete-solid, “my Jungkook?” 
“My Jungkook,” you correct, giving her a puppy-eyed look, “I’m really sorry I never told you. I mean, is there ever a right time to tell your cousin they’re dating their ex-boyfriend?” you laugh, either to lighten the mood or because you love the way Doyeon pinches her face, you don’t know.
“How did you two even meet?” 
“We reconnected through Seokjin. You know how the two of them play Starcraft together, I just ended up joining the call and he was so funny and nice. We just sorta… felt it.” Doyeon nods like a slow bobblehead, still comprehending in her pea-sized brain, “I just hope it isn’t too awkward. I know it’s been awhile but, if you really don’t want Jungkook to come I can always take Hoseok or something.” 
“No, it’s fine,” Doyeon says a little too quickly, masking on her picture-perfect smile. “I’m with Namjoon now, and I’m totally happy. Water under the bridge, it’ll be totally fine.” 
“Really?” your eyes practically sparkle, thankful for the amount of glitter and highlighter you’ve dumped on your face today, “I really appreciate it, Yeonie.” 
And she quickly downs her champagne glass, and gets up from her seat. It’s haunting, the way she gets up, pink tulle billowing around her ankles. “I have to attend to the other guests,” she says. 
“Of course,” you raise your glass.
“But, be careful,” she gives you a little smile, one filled with a last-ditch attempt at a jab, “Jungkook, he’s a little hard to deal with.” 
“Oh don’t worry. I know how to deal with Jungkook’s hardness,” you wink, and Doyeon’s face falls like a ton of bricks. 
“That’s not what I meant.” 
“I know,” you shrug loftily, “that’s what I meant, though.” 
And you don’t bother watching Doyeon stomp off the metaphorical stage, double fisting two new glasses of champagne from an awaiting butler as she finds some other poor guest to pick on. Now, the matter of securing your date. Conveniently so, the most important man in the room is walking your way, and you manage to snag his tie just as he passes your table. 
“Ow—ow! I’m choking!” Seokjin grabs, nearly throwing his tall body onto your lap, hands grappling to release the tension on his neck. “Leave me alone, woman! I just wanted to get some chicken tenders!” 
“Jin,” you say sweetly, opening his blazer to retrieve his phone, “I need Jeon’s number, now.” 
“Jungkook?” your favorite cousin pales, eyes widening as you take out your phone of your own, copying down the digits, “what did you do?” 
“Don’t ask questions.” 
Seokjin says your name again, firmer. “You’re playing with fire.” 
“It’ll be fine, it’s the last time,” you quell, already knowing how much Seokjin hates being in the middle of your fights. Once you’ve secured the phone number, you place Seokjin’s phone back into his pocket, patting his breast. “Thank you. You know you’re my favorite cousin, you know that?” 
He grumbles a “damn right I am” before stomping away, resuming his race for his chicken tenders. 
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You: hey jeon it’s y/n. I see you’re doing great, i saw on instagram that you released your first app w/yoongi! Totally amazing, been playing for weeks, really upset that i can’t get past the flaming frog boss :((
You: Feel free to ignore this, i won’t blame you if you do. Im at doyeon’s rehearsal dinner, and she basically snubbed my friends and said i couldn’t get some prime dick even though im?? Me??? Anyway, im tired of her shit so im gonna throw it back at her, one last time before she ties the knot. I told her you and i have been dating, and im bringing you as my date to her wedding. Really sorry, the demons took over my brain and made the worst and best comeback of my life. So… if you’re up for being the hottest couple on the floor in three weeks and showing how madly in love we are, please text me back? Or not. You might think this family is crazy and i accept partial responsibility. 
You: I’ll buy u every meal for every practice date we have if u agree.💕💕💕
Jeon Jung-boo-thang: thanks, i appreciate that. To defeat the frog boss, go back to the coconut cave and find the garnet garter. It absorbs his fire and u can easily defeat froggo w any level 15 weapon
Jeon Jung-boo-thang: and as for the real reason u texted me. Im in. let’s get pork belly tomorrow. 
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Two years ago, you were surprised that Doyeon could manage to snag a man as fine as Jeon Jungkook. Also unsurprised, because Doyeon is gorgeous and could snag any man she wanted, and has snagged every man she wanted. 
Jungkook was different though. He had an air of innocence to him. He loved her, a little too much to be safe. Your heart would betray you every time you would find him at a family gathering, making her plate and counting the calories she so meticulously measured. How can someone so sweet be with someone like Doyeon? 
Your heart ached for Jungkook when they broke up a year later. From what you heard, Doyeon was Jungkook’s first serious girlfriend. And then you wanted to rip your heart out a week later when you caught Doyeon smooching with her favorite graduate professor Kim Namjoon, wanting to erase any possibility you’d have at love. At that time, you never wanted to feel the pain you imagined Jungkook was going through. 
“Y/n! Over here!” you’re a little taken aback at how much has not changed in Jungkook. His eyes still sparkle like fresh dew, his smile is still pearly white and infectious. He’s even early, snagging a table at his favorite barbeque place and waiting for you as if he is the one organizing your first date. 
At the same time, there’s so much that’s changed about him. He’s confident, even going so far as to walk over to you and slip your jacket and purse in his grasp like a gentleman. He leads you by putting a hand lightly at the small of your back, making you feel impossibly small in comparison to his Dorito-shaped body, broad shoulders and a deliciously trim waist. 
“How was the walk over?” 
“Not too bad,” the conversation is casual, easy. You wipe the sweat off your forehead with a napkin. “Could use a little exercise now and again. I did eat a whole tray of macarons at that rehearsal dinner.” 
Jungkook laughs from his belly, causing you to smile. “Nonsense. You look great, by the way,” you don’t mind it, actually, you enjoy it when his eyes rake over your body. After all, he’s now your boyfriend and he needs to get familiar with all the important bits. He leans his arms forward, bracing him against the wooden table so his face is closer to yours. 
“You’re not doing too bad yourself,” your eyes gloss over the veins and intricate tattoos that paint his muscled upper half. Your smile morphs into a smirk, letting him know you’re enjoying the view just as well as he is. 
And as soon as the tension sparks, it ends just as fast when your waiter comes up to light your grill. 
“So,” Jungkook wastes no time in decorating your stove, making sure to add all the appropriate aromatics and infusions to season your lunch, “do you know why Doyeon and I broke up?” 
“Cheated on you with Namjoon, I assume,” you keep your eyes trained on the darkening meat. 
Jungkook slips a piece of meat in his mouth. Any expression of pain (whether it be from Doyeon or the barely cooked meat) doesn’t reveal itself as he stops to take a sip of water. “Who else knows?” 
“Just me and Seokjin. The family loved you too much and Doyeon made up some sob story about how you two were going different life paths.” 
He chuckles to himself, taking great care in flipping the meat. “I really was a fool in love, wasn’t I?” 
“It… was mildly cute.” 
“Tell me the truth, you have no reason not to.” 
“Okay, you made me want to vomit rainbows and glitter every time I saw you.”
The two of you laugh, faces crinkling shamelessly as the two of you busy yourselves with setting up the table. Most of the food is done and the aroma of fresh onions wafts around your grill. As you place chopsticks on his side of the table, you think about all the times Jungkook made it abundantly clear how much he loved Doyeon: the love letters tucked into her purse, 100 day anniversaries, even just a simple Americano for her in the morning. 
“Is that why you never hung out with us?” 
“No,” you reply lightly, “Doyeon made it clear that I shouldn’t talk to you.” 
Jungkook frowns, “You really don’t like each other, do you.” 
You shrug, “Just always been like that,” you quirk a smile when Jungkook places the freshly cooked meat on top of your rice before serving himself. 
“So what’s the plan?” 
“We go to the wedding, make out a little, get Doyeon boiling. Even if she’s not interested in you, she’d still be upset knowing we are together.” 
“And why is that?” 
“Because it’s me,” you grin into your glass, staring at a water-stained Jungkook through the blue tinted glass. “And all you have to do, is enjoy your night and look pretty.” 
His eyes crinkle, chopsticks pressing between his lips. “You think I look pretty?” 
With a roll of eyes you don’t respond, preferring to dig your chopsticks in your rice. No need to inflate Jungkook’s ego too soon. 
Pinning the main theme of your hangout to the side, the both of you dig into your meal. You throw conversation back and forth like pebbles, grains of sand that build and build until you’re caught up with each other’s lives. It feels so strange to admit it’s been two years since you’ve spoken to the man, and all of a sudden the once luscious meat feels dry in your mouth. 
“Jeon,” you put your chopsticks down, “are you sure you want to do this with me? I mean, I know it’s all my fault and I dragged you into it. Don’t feel obligated to agree to this.” 
“I’m a hundred-percent sure,” he doesn’t stop eating, shoving two spoonfuls of rice in his mouth. His cheeks puff up considerably, and your eyes trail down to his neck as he swallows, “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t wanna.” 
“Right,” you don’t need a big explanation or a personal confession from Jungkook, just his consent. “Partners, Jeon?” you hold up your glass. 
“Partners,” he agrees easily. The smile on his face disarms you, a full-fledged grin decked with pearly whites. Clicking his glass to yours he adds, “And it’s Jungkook, babe.” 
Oh, this is going to be interesting. 
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Seokjin thinks the two of you are the most boring fake-couple. 
His eyes dart back and forth between your spot on the couch and his desk, where Jungkook is currently seated. Seokjin is hovered over Jungkook, who’s typing and clicking furiously over his PC game. You’re on your phone, feet pulled up to the coffee table while some old Netflix movie plays in the background. To top it all off both of you didn’t even try to dress like it’s daytime, nearly matching in sweatpants and an oversized hoodie. It doesn’t look like a couple coming to visit Seokin, it looks like Jungkook is playing video games with Seokjin while his cousin hangs around like she owns the place. 
“Shouldn’t you guys like, I don’t know, go on dates or something?” Seokjin feels like he’s talking to the air. “Maybe get to know each other before the big day?” 
Pulling your phone down to your lap and Jungkook taking off his headphones, the two of you shrug at each other, “No, we’re good.” Jungkook says. 
“We know enough,” you agree cooly, “Jungkook likes Valorant.” 
“I do like Valorant.” 
“He likes pork belly.”
“I do like pork belly.” 
“He’s ripped as hell.” 
“I am ripped as hell.” 
“Okay but have you guys kissed yet?” Seokjin interjects, probably compensating for the nonchalance in the room with his own brand of freaking out. You two only see each other when you’re hanging out at Seokjin’s apartment, and while he’s happy that you two aren’t doing the whole 9-yards and creating an elaborate scheme, the both of you are almost too relaxed. His anxiety is spiking.
“Yes,” Jungkook answers, “at the barbeque place we went to.” 
“It was nice," you tack on, "Jin, we got this. Don't worry." 
"How can I not worry when you're trying to upset our cousin on her wedding day?" he's sweating in his fully air-conditioned apartment. “I get that she’s the devil’s spawn and everything, but she’s still a human being.” 
“In second grade she pushed me on the treadmill because I was going too slow. I got caught on the roller and got a bald spot for two months.” 
“Okay yes one bad example—” 
“And in senior year she accused me of plagiarizing her essay just because we chose the same topic. I almost didn’t get into college!” Seokjin sighs, crossing his arms. All valid points, and arguing with you isn’t a route he wants to take. “Jin, the point is that she’s constantly pushing my buttons. I’ve always been the bigger person and now that I’m old and confident I just want one jab.”
“That’s valid,” Jungkook pipes up, pressing the spacebar a few times, “I want a jab too, she cheated on me.” 
“See? It’s a mutual decision.” 
Seokjin asks, “Why aren’t you more worried about this?”
"Because Doyeon isn't going to chew me out on her wedding day," you checked your aunt's seating chart last week and you are far, far away from the bridal table. "We're just going to show off a little bit. Get drunk, eat some bomb steak. Break up in three months or less.”
"You don't have to just convince Doyeon, it's your entire family! Not to mention you also have to go to the bachelor party!" 
"Oh I almost forgot," you reach under the couch for your laptop, "Jungkook, in two weekends from now we're flying to Las Vegas for the bachelor party and wedding. I'll buy your ticket now." 
"Thanks, babe!” Jungkook sends a cheeky grin to Seokjin, who is unimpressed. “See? I remember to call her babe.” 
“Alright, get out of my house,” Seokjin tugs Jungkook away from his computer, causing the younger man to swivel around in his plush gaming chair. 
Jungkook frowns at the monitor, “But I’m still bronze one. I’m aiming for silver one by this weekend.” 
“Don’t care. As much as I don’t like this plan, I’m not letting you two slip-up.” Seokjin pulls out his phone, revealing Doyeon’s Instagram story, “Doyeon and Namjoon are at the mall buying swimsuits for Vegas. Go to the mall and ‘accidentally’ run into them.”
You sit up straight, tilting your head to the side. “That’s not a bad idea, actually,” you bound over to grab your jacket, giving Seokjin a big fat kiss on his cheek, “Thanks Jinnie, do you know you’re—”
“I’m your favorite cousin. Yeah whatever, bye.” He waves you off, plopping in his own chair so he can enjoy his games in peace. 
“I’m driving,” Jungkook declares, swiping your keys from Seokjin’s opal dish. 
“Oh, hell no,” you jump on your tippy toes to reach Jungkook’s grasp on your keys, but he’s so freakishly tall there’s no way you can reach. “I drive my car!” 
“I’ve always wanted to drive your car back then,” Jungkook cooes, leaning in so your noses touch. “C’mon, you can trust me.” 
“You two are gross already,” Seokjin admonishes from the other side of the room, “see, it’s working!” 
Poking his cheek so he gives you some space, you whip your head to hide the flush that burns on your cheeks. “Fine, but if you crash you’re buying me a new one.” 
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“They’re over there,” you hiss between the racks, shuffling between the plastic hangers to point to Doyeon and Namjoon at the women’s section of the store. They look disgustingly adorable together, with Doyeon pointedly telling Namjoon which swimsuit suits his stature better while Namjoon nods along and goes with whatever she says. You crouch down lower, fearing Namjoon’s tall frame would catch you. “Now we just gotta act all couple-y and they’ll notice us. Or maybe we can walk over to them? What do you wanna do?” 
“Do you think we should get matching swimsuits?” Jungkook pays no mind to your sleuthing, holding up a red pair of swim trunks to his thighs, “we could pretend to be sexy lifeguards.” 
You tilt your head away from the pair, only because Jungkook has been genuinely interested in this store since you’ve arrived. Putting a hand under your chin, you scrutinize the dark red cutoff shorts. “They’re cute,” you nod appreciatively, “It’ll make your thighs look thick.” 
Jungkook’s grip on his hanger lowers, and he regards you with dark eyes. “You think my thighs look thick?” he asks, leaning in and putting one hand on the curve of your waist. His fingers dance on the surface of bare skin between your top and jeans, and while you’ve agreed beforehand that you two could touch each other wherever in public, it still surprises you when gooseflesh rises to the surface.
“Easy there, tiger,” you chuckle, putting a hand on his chest to stop his sudden bout of flirting. “I’m just stating the facts, we get it. You lift.” 
“You’re so cute when you try to put your guard up,” he’s brushing noses with you now, and you feel the plastic of the hanger crumple pathetically between you two as the gap closes further. “But you can’t hide from me.”
And just as his lips move to press against yours, a shrill “Jungkook!” echoes throughout the large store.
You nearly flop over the boardshorts rack if not for Jungkook’s arms secured around your waist. Oh right, you think dumbly, this is all for show. Doyeon and Namjoon are right in front of you, purchases already made and looking at you two in curiosity. Well, Namjoon is definitely curious, because you know for a fact that Doyeon speaks very little of you to him and you’ve only conversed with him a handful of times. Doyeon on the other hand, looks a little stiff in the grin. 
“Hello to you too,” you remark to Doyeon, who’s barely acknowledged you. You reach over to squeeze Namjoon’s arm, “Hi Joonie,” you crinkle your eyes, and you fight back a squeal when he smiles back with dimples. Doyeon has such a cute fiancé, and if you’re keeping score he’s way too good for her. 
Doyeon’s eyes glaze over to where you’ve touched Namjoon, and she links her arms with his. “What a coincidence, you two are buying swimsuits where we’re buying swimsuits.” 
“Well, there’s only one mall in this town and we’re going on the same trip in two weeks,” you reply blandly, and you feel Jungkook pinch your side. “Oh, Namjoon. Have you met my boyfriend Jungkook?”
“Can’t say that I have,” Namjoon reaches over to clasp Jungkook’s hand, “nice to meet you, man.” 
While Namjoon and Jungkook exchange small talk, you pointedly ignore the waves of negativity Doyeon sends your way in favor of observing the two large men. Namjoon just said it was nice to meet him, therefore he has no clue who Jungkook is. Interesting, considering Doyeon two-timed in favor of Namjoon. It gets you a little antsy, and you wonder if Namjoon is faking this whole interaction or if Doyeon is hiding something. 
“Baby,” Jungkook rests a hand on your shoulder, regarding you with concern, “you spaced out there, are you okay?” 
“She’s like that, Jungkookie,” Jungkook gently presses your shoulders down, blocking your view of Doyeon as she regards your not-boyfriend as Jungkookie. “My cousin’s a bit of an airhead,” her tone is sweet and jesting, the backhanded jab going right above Namjoon’s head. 
“I’m just hungry,” you say, forcing a tight-lipped smile. 
“Well, that’s perfect,” Namjoon clasps his hands together, “Yeonie and I were just about to go grab some dinner. Why don’t you join us?”
Doyeon and you both reply immediately, “That really isn’t necessary—” 
“Nonsense,” you don’t even have the heart to be upset at Namjoon because he looks so damn genuine, “It’s been two years and I haven’t even bought you a meal, y/n. After all, we’re going to be family at the end of the month.” 
“Right,” you answer reluctantly. 
“We’re gonna make reservations at the Cheesecake Factory,” he pulls out his phone, ready to make a call, “but you and Jungkook can finish shopping, okay? The wait will be a little long but by the time you’re done our table should be ready.” 
You and Jungkook wave off Doyeon and Namjoon as they make their way to the restaurant. Your hand is caught in the air by Jungkook, who regards you with worry in his eyes. “I wasn’t kidding when I said you looked spaced out,” he says, “tell me what you were really thinking.” 
Subconsciously, you squeeze his palm for comfort. “I don’t know, it just feels weird knowing Namjoon doesn’t seem to know you at all. Normally Doyeon loves to talk shit about her exes.” 
Jungkook scoffs easily, “I mean, if she��s marrying the guy I’m sure she doesn’t want to let him know the details of how they ended up together.” 
“True,” you decide to let it go, and follow Jungkook to the register to pay for his swim trunks. 
“So,” the little ‘ding’ of the register opens up the money box, and Jungkook quickly hands the clerk his cash, “we’re having dinner with them after this?” 
“Only if you want to.”
“We need to, right?” Jungkook thanks the clerk, holding the bag in one hand and threading his fingers through yours as you head out the store. 
“Well, do you want to?” you ask again. Jungkook stops the two of you on the sidewalk. It isn’t a fast stop, but a slow down that makes his walk a little more thicker, more deliberate as he trudges you down the lane. You move in front of him, clutching your hands between his. “Are you okay? You barely even acknowledged Doyeon.” 
“I’m fine,” you flinch at his harsh tone, and he immediately moves to remedy it by squeezing your hand back. “I’m sorry. It’s just been awhile and I’m definitely over her but,” he bows his head, feeling embarrassed, “she hurt me, you know?” 
Going into this is definitely one of the more selfish plans you’ve put your mind to. Your heart pangs thinking about what must be going through everytime he sees her. If he’s reminded about all the good times they shared, or how much he’s over thought every single conversation he’s had with her up until this point.
“Of course,” you completely understand, knowing from the beginning that this whole mess would end up with some dicey feelings someway or another. “I’m just thankful you chose to stick by me. And we can talk about it if you’re comfortable,” both of you being victims of Doyeon’s brand of torture, you hope the two of you can at least be friends after all of this is over, “we don’t have to go have dinner with them.” 
“But, Namjoon got us a table—” 
“Namjoon will be fine. We can always have dinner with him another time,” you smile softly, “what matters is that you’re okay.” 
His gaze melts, and you feel his grip loosen in your hold. He regards you with weak eyes, betraying the confidence he held himself to moments before. “Thanks, y/n,” he says, “I really appreciate that.” 
“Anytime,” you reply honestly. “We can go to Cheesecake and order to-go. I can make some excuse about how my stomach hurts and that we should do a raincheck.” 
“Sounds good.” 
“Do you wanna eat at one of our places or eat at the park or something?” you’re already pulling up your phone, checking out the menu. “We could invite Jin too.” 
“The park sounds nice,” neither of you acknowledge the fact that you’re not inviting Seokjin, and for some reason that’s okay.
“Yeah,” you agree simply, “the weather’s beautiful.” 
Under any normal circumstances, you would’ve been friends with someone like Jeon Jungkook, easily. A little part of you wishes that you could’ve met Jungkook first, but Doyeon has better connections than you and always had a good crowd around despite her inner motivations. No awkward exchange happens when you suggest to Jungkook to eat together. Even though you’re not technically dating, the two of you know that eating together is better than eating alone.
And you have to admit Jungkook’s great company. The two of you drive to a reserve nearby, overlooking a tiny lake. Instead of a fancy Italian tablecloth the two of you move your car seats down and set a spare picnic blanket in the trunk. Instead of a candlelit dinner the two of you find some emergency electric tealights in the glove compartment, lighting it up between you two as you dig into your to-go boxes. 
You’re a little envious that so much time has passed by. You could’ve been a little sneakier and made a better effort to communicate with Jungkook when you saw him regularly at family parties, and maybe you two would have a better friendship today. Nevertheless, the two of you mesh like peanut butter and jelly, exchanging conversation that has your cheeks sore from smiling too hard. 
By the time you get to dessert, the moon is out and the stars are floating above your heads. The two of you are at war, fighting with your forks over the last strawberry in your cheesecake slice. After some careful stabbing Jungkook manages to nab it with his fork. 
He almost puts it in his mouth, but instead swipes up some whipped cream to press the last strawberry to your lips. 
“I think it’s working,” Jungkook says randomly as you chew the sweet fruit, “you could see it on Doyeon’s face today. She’s unsettled.” 
“Yeah,” you agree, lying down on the lavender gingham picnic blanket. 
“Do you know why she fights with you all the time?” 
“That’s a question I’ve been asking myself since the dawn of time.”
“I think I know why.” Jungkook looks down at you with his large doe eyes, licking innocently on a spoon of whipped cream. 
“Pray tell.” 
“She’s jealous of you.” 
“No,” you disagree easily, “she’s jealous that I have you.” 
“Bzzt! Wrong,” Jungkook puts his empty container in your makeshift trash can, falling beside you and knitting his hands under his head. You have a little window on the roof of your car, so both of you are able to stare at the navy sky, “she’s always been jealous of you. Think about it. The two of you have similar lifestyles: same career path, confidence, taste, education. But even after all of that? People still like you more.” 
You scoff, hands immediately reaching to fiddle with the frayed corner of fabric next to your fingers. “I don’t think so.” 
“I’ve met all of Doyeon’s friends,” he informs you, “they’re weird. Like yeah, they care about each other on the surface level. But they’re nothing of substance. They’re not like your friends.” 
“Please, Doyeon has everything she could ever want,” you don’t know what kind of complex you have supporting Doyeon’s life, but something deep and insecure wants to separate you two as far away from each other as possible. “Like… she’s Malibu Barbie and I’m Polly Pocket.” 
Jungkook turns to face you, resting his head between his palm and leaning on his elbow. “Do you not think you’re beautiful?” 
“Yeah, but compared to Doyeon—” 
“You’ve always been beautiful to me, don’t you know that?”
You choke on your saliva, feeling small and skittish at the implication behind his words. It’s been two years. You’ve only been friends for two weeks. How can he possibly say that? 
“I uh, saw you once,” Jungkook coughs, and you watch the way his pale cheeks unmatch the moon and instead flit to a crimson hue, “we were at some party and you were wearing this really cute black dress with a white bow in the middle. Doesn’t even matter what party because it was random, y’know? I was gonna go talk to you but Doyeon got to me first and well, the rest is history.” He breaks eye contact with you, unable to handle it. 
You remember that party, vaguely. It was random, some sort of poetry slam in a shady part of town. Doyeon and you didn’t even go with each other, you were with Taehyung and she just happened to stumble in there from another nearby party. You didn’t even know Jungkook was there that night, or how you were a hair's breadth away from meeting him before Doyeon. 
“Don’t ever think you’re lesser than her just because out of all the people she chose to pick on, she chose you. It’s why she never lets you get to know her boyfriends. She’s threatened by you because you’re just as special,” something low sparks in your chest at his words,  “and now that you’ve finally decided to stoop to her level and fight back with a taste of her own medicine, she doesn’t know what to do.” 
Feeling like your body is on a beach and you’re sinking in sand, you soften over your picnic blanket, mulling it over. “Did I make the right choice? Stooping down to her level.” Your voice is quiet, comparable to the chirping birds and buzzing gnats outside. 
“We won’t know until after the wedding,” Jungkook answers honestly, “but I do know I’m sticking with you until the end. We’re friends now, got that? You have no excuse to ignore me anymore.” 
You don’t want to ignore Jungkook, never in a million years. Now you know that you are envious of Doyeon, for having an opportunity to love and care for an amazing person like him. So in a sudden bout of emotion, you roll over to straddle Jungkook’s waist. 
He’s shocked, hands flying to your waist to make sure you don’t wobble off. But you’re determined, and lean down to press your lips against his. He tastes like cheesecake and strawberries, the taste melding with your own as you relish in the feeling of his soft lips against yours. You melt a little when he squeaks, breaking into a soft moan as he reciprocates the gesture. He’s warm and large and he makes you feel safe. Once your brain returns to your body, you break for air. You only pull back a few centimeters, and there’s no way for you to get off because Jungkook has locked you in place. 
“What was that for?” he asks breathlessly. 
“Don’t know,” you’re whispering against his lips, unable to pull away, “just felt like we needed a little more practice.” 
He blinks, before relaxing in a silly smile. “I agree,” he says simply, dipping you on your back so he can be on top the second time around. 
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“We’re in Vegas, baby!” 
Every single terrible comedy movie set in Las Vegas has brought you to this very moment. You’ve always wanted to say that line. Dumping your luggage next to Jungkook’s, you flop on the nearest mattress. Thank goodness you only wore leggings and a t-shirt on the flight, it’s the optimal sleeping outfit after a long day. Feeling something hard and plastic dig into your brain, you hold up the culprit and squeal excitedly. “Look, Kook!” you wave the crinkly confection in your hands, “they put mints on the pillows!” 
Despite your room being a square with two queen beds, the hotel does not skimp on quality. The decor is ornate, the white and gold trim on the doorknobs and metal appliances shimmering beautifully. The beds feel like clouds, as you try to imagine what a cloud could possibly feel like, this is it. 
Jungkook immediately follows suit, ripping off his outer clothes until he’s left in his undershirt and boxers, flopping next to you on the mattress. He immediately opens his mouth when you shoot a mint, catching it easily. “I feel like we’re in a deleted scene of Crazy Rich Asians,” he says, letting the hard mint clink around his teeth, “is this the part where you tell me your family comes from old money and I’m gonna be your sugar baby?” 
“Don’t be so hopeful,” you narrow your eyes, booping his button nose with your finger. 
“I’m just saying, the first class flight threw me off.” 
You giggle, slapping his chest, “No. If that was true, we wouldn’t be sharing a room with my cousin. Sorry you have to share the bed with me, I got the hotel with Jin and he doesn’t want to sleep with you.”
“S’okay,” Jungkook replies softly, leaning closer to make grabby hands at you, “you’re softer.” 
Tentatively, you scooch over so you can lean on Jungkook’s chest. You two have a little time before Doyeon and Namjoon’s combined bachelor and bachelorette party. The past two weeks have been nice—scratch that, the past two weeks with Jungkook have been wonderful. You never cared to measure how much time passed before meeting him, but now that you’ve begun fake-dating, time is the only thing you regard. You’re already beginning to miss him, knowing that in a week, this whole arrangement will be over.
Well, not exactly over. Jungkook says you’ll remain friends after this, but you don’t really want that. You want more, and it scares you to think he may not feel the same. 
But right now you’re snuggling like an old couple, sleeping comfortably between pillow-like sheets and minty breath. Your pretend boyfriend, now your pretend boyfriend with benefits, looks soft and huggable and you want to bottle up this moment forever. You say benefits because, well, the cuddling is an added bonus. Practice practice practice, Jungkook sing songs the words you used that one night under the stars, excuses to seal his lips to your lips. You’ll never argue with that. So when Jungkook’s hand tightens around your waist and pulls you closer, you relent. 
One second, you’re closing your eyes and the next, you’re waking up to Seokin’s wide eyes staring back at you. 
“Eep, you creepo!” you shriek, scrambling away from him. That’s when you realize Jungkook’s missing from bed, the scent of his laundry detergent lingering between the eggshell Egyptian cotton. 
“Jungkook’s in the shower,” Seokjin immediately reads your mind, pulling away so he can unpack his luggage. “My flight just got in two hours ago, you both were out like a light when I arrived.”
“Ugh, I’m really not ready to party.” 
“Doyeon just texted the family group chat. She reserved the rooftop, the party starts in an hour,” he talks mindlessly, rifling through his stuff. Seokjin is fiddling with his clothes, despite the fact that you know Seokjin prepares his outfits days in advance so he doesn’t have to choose. He looks concerned, pulling out a flamingo pink boardshort and setting it down on his mattress. Finally he says, “I’m worried about you.” 
“Why?” 
“Because. It’s clear that you’re starting to fall for Jungkook.” 
The words strike you straight in the place you’re trying to avoid. You’ve been living in a fantasy these past two weeks, thinly veiled by the whole reason you two are together in the first place. Doyeon’s wedding is just around the corner, and what then? 
“I’m not saying that he doesn’t feel anything for you either,” that gets your heart skipping a beat, and you secretly hold a hand to your chest under the blankets, “but do you really want to start off a relationship like this? A relationship all messy and morally objective because it’s built on revenge?” 
“Don’t worry about me,” the words easily fall from your lips, “I can take care of this.” 
“I hate it when you say that,” the words are curt and harsh against Seokjin’s plush lips, “I’m allowed to worry about you, y/n. You know why? Because, because you’re my favorite cousin too,” he bites his lip, walking over so he sits on your side of the bed. “So don’t tell me what I can and can’t worry about. I want you to be happy, I want you to stop holding in this anger you have for Doyeon and move on.” 
“I’m sorry,” you whisper, leaning over to press your cheek against Seokjin’s shoulder. “You’re right.” 
“For the first time in a long time, you’ve finally decided to lean on someone,” and both of you know who that someone is. “I don’t want you to lose him over some petty family issue. You should tell him how you feel.” 
“I will,” you wrap your arms around your cousin’s slim waist in a silent thanks. 
“Am I interrupting a tender family moment?” 
The two of you pull away to stare at Jungkook, leaning against the doorframe that leads to the bathroom. He’s in a plain white t-shirt and the red board shorts that you bought at the mall, cutting off mid-thigh and revealing the bulky muscle underneath. You were right, the shorts do make his thighs look thick. 
Seokjin groans exaggeratedly. “Yes, yes you did.” 
Jungkook immediately goes to replace Seokjin’s spot, and some stray droplets fall fresh from the shower due to his slicked-back hair. “Do you wanna get ready? First party’s soon.” 
“Not really,” you admit, “you’re gonna meet the family all over again.” 
“Second time’s the charm,” he winked, “I’ve already met your parents and everything. Not feeling nervous at all.” 
“Oh, really?” 
“Really,” and the facade cools down a little, “well, maybe a little nervous for your Aunt Lillian. Her stares give me the heebie-jeebies.” 
“Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from Aunt Lillian.” 
“God the two of you get worse every day,” Seokjin has magically changed into his shorts, tucking himself into the bed, “don’t wake me up until we pre-game.” 
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Doyeon and Namjoon don’t skimp on the festivities, although in taste the ideas are Doyeon’s in its entirety. It’s lavish and colorful, with a beautiful infinity pool in the middle decorated with lavender and pink headlights. There’s a buffet table overflowing with tasty food. There’s petal pink champagne overflowing from fountains, decorated with fresh strawberries bobbing around the fizzy drink. 
“I don’t know,” Namjoon and Jungkook have been talking for well over an hour, and it’s clear how well they mesh together. Heck, you’ve accepted that Jungkook may like Namjoon more than he likes you. Jungkook’s eyes sparkle as Namjoon discusses the various genres of rap and hip-hop music, explaining the potency of mature themes in a young community, “but I will say music is like another language, knows no boundaries when it comes to sending their messages to others.” 
You fight the urge to chuckle when Jungkook sighs dreamily at the music theory professor. “Wow, that’s so deep.” 
Getting up from your cabana, you nudge Seokjin, who’s currently flirting it up with one of Doyeon’s bridesmaids. “Hey, wanna get a drink?” you ask, throwing your wrap on the cushions to reveal your strappy red bikini. 
“And chicken tenders,” Seokjin presses a kiss to the bridesmaid’s cheek, bidding her goodbye as he follows you out of the shaded area. 
“Do you two lovebirds want anything?” you stare pointedly at Namjoon and Jungkook. While Namjoon’s eyes stay in contact with you, you can’t help but smile a little more when Jungkook has a hard time keeping his gaze in one place. 
“I think we’re fine,” Namjoon answers for both of them, swirling his beer bottle. “I’ll meet you two at the bar once I’m done.” 
“Sure thing,” Seokjin puts a hand on your back to lead you to one of the open bars. As much as you like being in a handsome hotel with money to burn, nothing beats the fact that your entire family is here to celebrate. The elders have corroborated two cabanas for poker and other games, while your younger cousins are playing ping pong and air hockey on the other side. 
“Namjoon sure is a dreamboat,” Seokjin bemoans, handing you an electric orange drink. You take a sip of it, and bug out when you realize it tastes nothing like alcohol. You’re definitely in for a night. “Like I can hear him wax music thingamajib any day.” 
“I thought you were into that bridesmaid.” 
“A mere diversion,” he sighs, leaning his tanned arms against the bar, “can’t ignore the deep voice Namjoon has, it’s intoxicating.” 
“I’m sure Jungkook would agree,” you egg on. 
“What are you two talking about?” you straighten up when the man of the hour shows up at the bar, absolutely glowing under the sunset. He orders a round for the three of you, and you immediately chug your own drink to get to the next one. 
“Talking about how you’re stealing Jungkook away from me,” you joke, accepting another fruity drink from Namjoon. Damn, this stuff tastes like candy. 
“Oh, never,” Namjoon replies brightly, waving the thought away, “do you see the way he looks at you? Hopelessly in love.” 
Maybe it’s the copious amounts of alcohol, but you feel your stomach flip-flop at the thought of love. You’ve always known what love felt like, the warmth of Namjoon’s cheeks whenever he sees Doyeon, when your mom takes care of you when you’re sick, when Seokjin makes sure you’re not emotionally constipated 24/7. But the thought of Jungkook and you in love? It’s a feeling you secretly yearn for. 
“Right? It’s disgusting,” Seokjin groans with an eye roll, “like, Jungkook wasn’t like that with Doyeon at all when they were together.” 
The slip up has the three of you choking on your own thoughts, staring at each other like the three have just been told you’re on a prank show. But it is no prank, and you look at Seokjin who’s absolutely horrified. 
“Oh shit,” he squeaks, looking at Namjoon guiltily, “did I say something I shouldn’t have said?” 
“I don’t know,” Namjoon replies coolly, “did you?” 
The ominous response gets you going, and you quickly place a hand on Namjoon’s arm, placating him. “They dated, yes. But it was only for a short time and we’ve sorted everything out. Nothing for you to worry about.” 
“Oh,” Namjoon quirks his head, and regards you two with pursed lips. “I’m not one of those guys who freak out over other people’s exes. I’m just surprised that I’ve only heard this now,” Namjoon takes a slow sip of his drink, and despite your drink also being cold and refreshing, you’re absolutely sweating. 
“Well, I’m sure Doyeon didn’t want to worry you.”
At the mention of his future wife, he beams. “You’re right, she’s considerate like that,” and the conversation ends just like that. He holds up his drink to the two of you, and you and Seokjin do the same. With a sharp clink he leaves you two to mull, happily conversing with the next round of guests he needs to entertain for the week. 
“That guy is too nice for his own good,” you shake your head, asking the bartender for your third drink within ten minutes. 
Seokjin leans over you and warbles, “So you’re telling me that Namjoon has no idea that Doyeon cheated on Jungkook in order to date him?” he’s sweating just like you are, following suit to your actions and asking to make his drink a double. 
“I don’t know,” you bite your lip, your teeth worrying the dark skin, “I’ve been thinking about it for a while though. I just don’t want to get involved, you know?” 
“But this is different!” 
“But Doyeon’s family!” 
“And all of a sudden you care about Doyeon’s feelings?” Seokjin gripes back, “it’s not about Doyeon, it’s about the both of them. And if we know something that Namjoon doesn’t, wouldn’t it be in our best interests to warn him before he seals a marriage deal that costs him over a zillion dollars?” he gestures to the extravagant wedding party. 
“But we don’t even have any proof that’s the case,” you frown, “Doyeon could have changed—a little, not a lot—since meeting Namjoon, maybe she thinks it’s best to reveal as little as possible.” 
Seokjin wonders what kind of family he has. One as chaotic as his takes a lot to stomach, and Seokjin likes to pride himself in his strong appetite. “Fine, let’s just keep a close eye on both of them this week. And if anything remotely fishy happens, we strike.” 
“Deal.” 
You return to the cabana alone, with a plate of fries for both you and Jungkook. Jungkook is also alone, laying on the lounge chair with his eyes closed. It gives you a chance to ogle your fake-boyfriend a little bit, reveling in the sight of his toned body. 
Setting down your plate with a sharp rap of the glass, Jungkook opens one eye. “Hey,” he smiles, drinking in your muted expression, “you okay?”
Damn Jungkook for being able to read you so well. “I think so. It’s nothing, really.” 
“Well, will you tell me if it’s something?” 
“Yeah, I will.” 
“So, I do have something to tell you though.” Jungkook sits up, regarding you wearily. “Can you… stand in front of me?” Confused, you shove a fry in your mouth and walk up to him as directed, your back blocking the entrance as you stand in front of him. “Okay, come closer. Now bend down,” you bend your back 90 degrees, and he presses a hand to your shoulder to stop you, “no, no. With your breasts out, just a little—there! Arch your back. Like you’re doing the Sorority Squat.” 
“Excuse me—” 
“The music isn’t even that loud,” he mutters to himself, “no one would need to push their boobs in my face to hear me.” 
“Jungkook, is someone pressing boobs to your face?” 
“Why,” he breaks into a playful grin, “jealous?”
“Not if it’s Aunt Lillian.” 
“Unfortunately it wasn’t,” he twiddles with the drawstrings of his shorts. “It was Doyeon.” 
Doyeon? She didn’t walk by your cabana all day. Heck, she barely greeted you when you arrived with Jungkook. But when Jungkook’s alone is when she decides to pounce? And with what motive? 
“I don’t know,” he’s rambling to himself, “maybe I’m overthinking it. It was only half a second.” 
“Jungkook, I have something to tell you,” you say instead, panic in your features. 
“Is it something urgent?” 
“Well, no but—” 
“Then tell me when we get back to the room,” Jungkook easily pulls you onto his lap, and you instantly heat up when you feel your bare butt press against Jungkook’s golden thighs. “Like you said, we’re in Vegas. Let’s have fun while we can.” 
“Okay,” you tuck your head between his neck and collarbone, reaching to press a kiss to his smooth jawline. 
Relaxing against the plush lounge chair Jungkook feeds you fries while talking about the things he wants to do this week. It’s his first time in Vegas and he wants to make the most of it. He wants to visit all the buffets he sees on Buzzfeed compilations, relax at the pool, maybe catch a show. The thought of spending all week with him and your family is nice, and suddenly you don’t feel so awkward sitting on his lap, and eventually he pulls you between his thighs so you can lay on his chest. 
“And between you and me,” he fake whispers against the shell of your ear, as if he’s telling you the biggest secret, “we’re the hottest couple here.” 
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The next three days leading up to the wedding are relatively uninteresting. 
Uninteresting in the best way possible. On Monday you and Jungkook spend time with your little cousins, taking them to The Adventuredome, one of the resort's indoor theme parks. On Tuesday you and Jungkook go shopping at the outlet malls with your parents, blowing hundreds of dollars on cheap Levis that have your luggage bursting with a new wardrobe. In between all of that Seokjin and occasionally Namjoon joins you two in your buffet journey, hitting up the top spots and filling your tummies to the brim with delicious food. 
On Wednesday, Jungkook brandishes two gold-foiled tickets in front of you, waving them around like a fan. With one finger, he pushes away your Pokémon battle, “I got us tickets to Cirque du Soleil,” he announces proudly, “waited in line for an hour.”
You gape, scrambling off of your bed and throwing your Nintendo Switch to the side. “Jungkook,” you marvel, “these are so expensive. How’d you manage to get a show for tonight?” 
He shrugs, “Looked around.” 
“You’ve been impulse buying a lot this week,” you tease, “like really, you don’t need three pairs of the same ripped jeans.”
“This wasn’t an impulse buy,” he says, “I’ve been looking around for shows. Just managed to pick them up today, so go get dressed for our date.”
Did Jungkook just call it a date? Giddy with excitement you throw the covers off, running into the bathroom to get ready. What a surprise, you didn’t think Jungkook would be into spontaneous things like this. 
Seokjin left the bathroom open, so when you walk in the room it is steamy and warm. Your dear cousin is still in the shower, probably waiting for his conditioner to pass three minutes of set-in time. 
“What are you getting ready for?” Seokjin asks over the rain shower.
“Kook got us tickets to Cirque du Soleil,” you chirp happily, looking through your skin care products. 
“I wanna come!” 
“Nope! Jungkook called it a date.” 
“Oh, a date,” Seokjin drawls, putting his head under the water to rinse his hair clean. “Well then, should I vacate the room for tonight?” 
“What, no!” you’ve closed the door, so thankfully Jungkook can’t hear you talking about him. “We’re not doing anything. We’re just two friends who are fake-dating going on a date.” 
“Sounds like a real date, though,” Seokjin wraps a towel around himself to cover all his important bits before getting out of the shower, bumping elbows with you so he can brush his teeth. “Either way, I’ll be gone tonight. It’s my turn to watch the baby cousins. Don’t have too much fun while I'm in their room watching Despicable Me for the millionth time.” 
“We’ll be sure to stop by with some pizza or something,” you tease, a little wiggle in your hips when you vacate the bathroom. 
By the time you and Jungkook are ready, you two are dressed impeccably. Jungkook is wearing one of the ripped black jeans he bought on Tuesday, combined with a white button up and black blazer. A classic outfit with a little bit of Jungkook-themed flair. And to Jungkook’s surprise, you’re wearing the dress that he first saw you in, all those years ago. You’ve gained a little weight since college, but you still fill out the little black dress beautifully, the little white bow in the middle adding a simple yet adorable touch. It took a little sleuthing and searching through your old college clothes, but you were determined to find it when Jungkook reminded you how much you love the design. 
Clearly from the way Jungkook is currently gaping at you like a bloated fish, he loves it too. 
The show is beautiful and colorful, leaving you speechless and in tears by the end of it. Jungkook lets you hold his hand the entire time, feeling a bout of anxiety anytime the acrobats fall gracefully despite the large height. 
Overall, it was a wonderful show, paired with your equally enamouring date. It’s getting harder and harder to distinguish what’s fake and what’s real in your heart, and throughout the night you’re sorely reminded that you should tell Jungkook how you feel. 
But by the time you get to the room your parents are calling you, asking to get their suit and dresses out of the car so hotel service can do a last minute press and dry clean. 
“I’ll be back,” you say to Jungkook, “I need to go get their clothes out of the car. They’re always so forgetful.” 
“Want me to come?” he offers, hand shying away from inserting the keycard in. 
“No, I’ll only be fifteen minutes, tops.”
“So I guess this is this the part where I get a goodnight kiss?” he asks cheekily, leaning on his heels so his tall frame reaches yours. You don’t hesitate to give a short peck to his pretty pink lips. He pouts at the brevity, “that was too quick.” 
“Go inside,” you insist, “the sooner you get ready for bed the sooner I can get ready for bed.” 
“Then more kisses?” 
“Then more kisses.” 
Jungkook breaks into an all-teeth smile, unable to control himself when he dips down and steals a longer, more lingering kiss to your lips. “I had a great time tonight,” he says, mimicking every single teenage rom-com protagonist who’s deeply in love with the popular jock. “Don’t take too long, okay?” 
You nod, pushing him inside, “C’mon, if you stopped talking I’d be back by now!” 
Once the door closes shut, you let yourself do a little dance in the hallway, wiggling your butt and giving yourself a mini-celebration. You quickly text your group chat that you just came back from the Cirque show.
Jimin: what, a date with your fake date?
Hobi: jeon jungcock? 👀👀
Jimin: whaaaaaattttt. U’ve gotta have sat in his lap at least. 3 times since you’ve started this ting
Hobi: i’ve heard things in college… 
Taehyung: u are all gross and i hate u 
Taehyung: but so am i bc im very curious 
Just as you’re about to send a heated reply, the elevator dings, revealing a pissed off Doyeon. She’s bare-faced, in a fluffy lilac bath robe and matching puff ball slippers. You slip in right beside her, making sure there’s a comfortable amount of space between you two. 
“You’re going to the parking garage too?” you ask, eyes lingering on the lit button. 
“Yeah,” she’s looking at her phone, a few stray hairs from her mahogany bun falling onto her forehead, “Aunt Lillian left her medication in the car. I don’t know why she has to send me, I’m busy getting married.” 
“My parents left their formal clothes in the car,” you shrug, “you know, my parents and Aunt Lillian share the same brain cell. Gotta help them out once in a while.”  
The icy silence in the elevator is probably the calmest you and Doyeon have been since you’ve announced your relationship status with Jungkook. You fight the sigh, opting to take out your phone and open some unread messages. 
Jeon Jung-boo-thang: hurry up, the bed’s cold without u 
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You: lool, why do u look constipated 
Jeon Jung-boo-thang: because i am, hurry up. Im bringing ur switch to the toilet and playing on your profile 
You: JEON WAIT YAMPERS AT 5HP GO TO THE POKEMON CENTER U HEATHEN
You tilt your head a centimeter, feeling Doyeon breathing down your neck like Puff the Magic Dragon. You look at her with wide eyes. Her long, slender neck manages to snake its way next to your head, “Can I help you?” you ask amusedly, clutching your phone to your chest. 
“Are you two really together?” she asks, batting her lashes. All this week she’s left you alone, and you’ve been wondering when she’s going to make herself known. It’s a little self-absorbed you have to admit, but ever since Namjoon’s ignorance to Doyeon’s previous relationship, you’ve been on edge. 
“Of course we are,” you spit back, “I love him.” 
And you must be very convincing, because Doyeon’s gaze falters just a fraction. You glare at her, staking your claim. Ever since Jungkook told you the reason Doyeon hates you is because she’s jealous, you’ve started to feel a bit of sympathy for her. Doyeon is beautiful and smart, she has no reason to feel this way. But the brain holds fickle thoughts sometimes, bringing darkness to the mind. 
“He loved me first,” she bites back, lifting her chin. 
“And why do you care?” you laugh tonelessly. The elevator dings open, and you’re met with the open air and concrete of the parking garage. “He may have loved you first, but he’ll love me last.” 
You leave the elevator first, a little pep in your step as you make your way to the rental car to gather your parent’s things. While the words you uttered are white in nature and may not hold any sort of weight to them, it manages to bring Doyeon to her knees, absolutely quaking in the elevator. 
You’re tasting revenge, and it’s sweet. 
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“Okay, you need to leave,” Seokjin pulls away the shot glass from your lips, “I didn’t spend days planning the itinerary for you to mess it up. Bridal party in Doyeon’s suite and the groom’s party in Namjoon’s parents suite.” 
“That’s dumb,” you chastise, crossing your arms, “we’re all meeting at the same club at 10. Why can’t we pre-party together?” 
“Because it’s tradition!” 
“Screw tradition,” you stumble on your heels as you purse your lips at Jungkook, “Kook, when we get married I don’t wanna do a whole boy-and-girl party. We’re equals, right?” 
“Of course, baby,” he cooes, being careful not to smudge your makeup when he presses his lips to the crown of your head. “But for the sake of Seokjin’s sanity, you should probably go to Doyeon’s. It’ll only be an hour or two.” 
You gasp exaggeratedly at the blatant betrayal. He only grins cheekily in response, dipping down to press a wet kiss to your cheek. “Fine,” you cross your arms, snatching back your drink from Seokjin’s grasp to knock it down. 
Leaving the bachelor pre-party pains you considerably. They’re having such a good time joking around the suite, telling each other fun stories and relaxing in chairs as they watch TV. This is your kind of crowd, not to mention that you can peacefully check out Jungkook’s ass in those tight dress pants without any crazy club lights distorting your vision.
From past family party experience you already have a feeling what’s coming for you in the ladies’ suite. 
Loud music pours from Doyeon’s suite, and it’s completely unlocked. The bridal party is raving, ten seconds away from being completely drunk and immobile. The lights are being manually shut on and off like some sort of cheap rager, and you have to tell Yoojung to tone it down before you get a seizure. 
The stench of acidic drinks and the tang of alcoholic air is palpable, and instead of a shot you opt for a glass of peach champagne to slow you down. 
As you walk deeper into the suite, you notice a crowd forming by the balcony. Tapping your cousin Nari on the shoulder, you regard her with a hug and kiss. “What’s going on over there?” you ask, heels not helping you see any better. 
Nari’s all blushy and pink, hiccuping as she gestures to the balcony. “Her maid of honor got Doyeon a very special gift!” 
Managing to weave through the women blocking your view, you fight the urge to gag when you have a clear view of the scene in front of you.
You really don’t understand the purpose of bachelor and bachelorette parties. “One night to be single all over again!” they all say, even though they’re not actually single? Like why does the couple suddenly get one night of forgiveness when you’ve already spent years being in a committed relationship? 
Why is it okay that Doyeon’s dry humping a stripper on the balcony? Her white silk dress is ruched dangerously high, soon close to flashing her family. Aunties and friends and the like are cheering her on, and she flips her head perfectly to all the phones shoved in their faces, making sure to get the perfect angle. 
Fighting the urge to roll your eyes, you turn back in the hopes that your other family members would be willing to have a good old-fashioned tip back with you. 
You squeal when your hands accidentally land on a bare, oiled chest. You look up, mortified at the large man covered in black harnesses. “Hey babe, I’m Wonho,” he says, faking a sultry gaze as he looks at you up and down, “you’re part of the bridal party too? Wanna dance?” 
Feeling naked, you push past him, careful not to get anything on your dress. Wonho? Wonno.
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Jungkook loves your family. 
(Except Doyeon.)
As much as he told you not to worry about him, and he’ll be completely fine when he meets your family, he couldn’t help be a little wary on the flight over. After all, it’s been two years and he didn’t know how things would be different. 
Chaoticism and all, your family is a thing to be cherished. Even though Yoongi has been on mood swings that make Jungkook question his sanity from time to time, and Seokjin is secretly breathing down Jungkook’s back every time he so glances at you, he thinks things are right where they should be.  
But despite all that they regarded him with familiarity, hugged and kissed him like old friends, something is different. They’ve turned over a new page for him. They don’t bring up Doyeon. They ask about his family, his job, his life in the city. They ask about how you and Jungkook met, and how happy they are for you. How happy they are for him.
Oh, how he wishes everything could be different. In another world, you two would already be together. 
He wasn’t lying back at the cabana when he said you two are the hottest couple at the resort, including the bridal party (but don’t tell Namjoon). You look absolutely stunning in your sparkly red dress, accentuating all the right parts and lighting up the whole room. 
When he finds you in the club you’re sitting down with your Aunties, keeping the elders company while the younger ones are flagging down the bartenders. He thinks it’s cute, how well you fit in between them, coddling you like you’re still a child in their eyes. 
“Dear, your boyfriend is here!” your one Aunt yells over the loud EDM.
You lift your head up quickly, giving him the prettiest smile. Your teeth glow purple under the neon lights, and he fights the urge to laugh when he holds out a hand. “Mind if I steal her from you?” 
“Of course, she’s gotta live a little!” 
You pout, a little wobbly but nevertheless still in the right mind as you shuffle out of the booth to meet his awaiting arms. “Hey handsome,” your voice is thick and sweet-smelling, “come here often?” 
“Only when my girlfriend does,” he replies cheekily, hands immediately coming to your butt to smooth out your dress. He shys a bit when your Aunties hoot and holler at his public display of affection, but all he wants to do was pull the hem down a little bit. No way is he going to let anyone get a flash of your goods. 
“Let’s dance!” you take your hand in his, leading him to a comfortable corner of the dance floor. 
Clubs aren’t really your scene, aligning with Jungkook’s sentiments towards the loud generic music and terrible smell. But you’re in Vegas, and he feels that it’s all part of the package to experience the nightlife at least once. He puts his hands on your waist and you giggle like you’re in prom, hands coming to rest on the collar of his button down. 
“Hey,” he says with a lopsided smirk, “wanna make out?” 
 “Sure,” he notices that you don’t even check if anyone’s seeing, and it makes his heart flutter when you don’t hesitate to get on your tiptoes to meet him halfway. 
He’s always hoped for a moment like this, a moment where the room stops spinning and both your minds click into place. It’s almost comical, how he distinctly notes that the music fades once his lips touch yours. The kiss is hot, yet intimate. Even though he makes excuses to kiss you all the time because of practice, it goes to show that you two definitely never needed it. Your tiny hands grip the collar of his button down, bringing you two impossibly close despite the hot air. His larger hands grip at the strings that hold your measly dress together, grappling at any excuse to get to your soft skin. The two of you are a natural when it comes to each other’s intimacy. 
The two of you pull away, mesmerized. You haven’t kissed like that before. He melts under your stare, his thumb reaching to nick off any lip gloss that’s moved in the process. 
Seokjin comes down the floor to haul you both by the shoulders, “C’mon lovebirds, they’re taking wedding shots!” 
The two of you follow your cousin to the crowd of people that is your family, already with their own drinks in hand. Doyeon and Namjoon are sitting atop the bar, making a very loud toast that consisted of a quick “thank you!” and “we love you!” before downing their drinks with their arms linked together. The room is thrumming with excitement for tomorrow’s festivities, and surprisingly, you and Jungkook included. He tucks himself in your body like a puzzle piece, hugging you from behind while he watches Namjoon’s eyes sparkle with love under the neons. 
The nightclub gets a little blurry after that, with the copious amounts of alcohol and shameless actions from your family and friends. By the time it’s twelve Jungkook notices you swaying at a rate that you can’t handle. He knows your limits and knows when you have to urge to pee every five minutes, it’s time to go. With a chaste kiss you leave him at the bar, deciding to make a pitstop to the bathroom before telling Jungkook you want to head up.
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You’re locked in a stall when you hear Yoojung’s voice. 
“Ugh,” she groans, voice echoing through the tiny room. “Jungkook is so sexy. Do you see the way he’s dancing out there? He’s a literal babe magnet, I can’t believe he ended up with someone like y/n.” 
You don’t move a muscle, pressing your ear against the door that hides you. The silly slander isn’t news to you, Doyeon has been feeding her friends all sorts of bullcrap so they wouldn’t bother talking to you. 
“Yeah, Jungkook’s a real treat but he dated Doyeon first. Sounds like she’s into sloppy seconds,” Elly replies, another bridesmaid you’ve met in passing. “But I don’t know, they do look happy together.”
“Please, I’m sure Jungkook’s just using her so he can get one more chance at Doyeon before she ties the knot,” you bristle, the thought of Jungkook still having feelings for Doyeon makes your heart thud painfully against your chest, “like, what a downgrade. Namjoon and Doyeon do not deserve this drama. If Jungkook ever liked Doyeon at all, he wouldn’t have come. Period.” 
You slam the door open, causing Elly to squeal and Yoojung’s YSL lipstick to fall onto the sink. You’re the epitome of relaxation, walking towards the sink to wash your hands. The bridesmaids simply stare at you, unable to formulate a comeback. When you finally dry your hands, you say your next words. 
“Jungkook is here because he loves me,” an act act act. This is all an act. You shouldn’t be this offended because you know it’s all false. “And you’re wrong. It’s not Jungkook that doesn’t deserve Doyeon. Jungkook was too good for Doyeon.” 
And you slam your heels against the tile, stilettos pounding to the beat of the music. Your exit is full of anger and frustration as you ignore the burn in your step and the ache in your heart, flagging the first bartender you see to get you a double. 
Shot for shot, that anger soon melts into guilt as Yoojung’s words sink in. The thought of Jungkook using you to get to Doyeon is terrible, you can barely stomach the thought. But that’s exactly what you’re doing, right? You’re using Jungkook to get back at Doyeon. 
Why did you even want to get back at Doyeon anymore? Why do you have to prove anything to her? If she just continues to push you around, isn’t that more on her than it is on you? 
Jungkook soon finds you after you’ve nursed a few drinks, leaning unceremoniously against a barstool. His eyes widen at your state, and he immediately sheds his jacket to wrap it around your waist. 
“Why did you drink so much?” he chastises, “it’s the night before the wedding.” 
“Jungkookie,” you warble, clutching your stomach, “I don’t feel so good.” 
He sighs, bending down. “Get on my back. Make sure the jacket covers you up, okay?” 
He doesn’t even grunt when you put all your weight on him, feeling like a ragdoll as he hoists you up. You wrap your arms around his shoulders, letting him carry you to your room. Most of the older family already went upstairs to sleep, so none of your cousins could care less when they see you get hauled away by Jungkook. 
You inhale, he smells like sweat and cologne. “I like putting my head between your neck,” you babble, and you feel Jungkook chuckle through his chest, “you smell so nice there. It’s the bestset! Comfiest place ever, ‘specially when m’sleepy.” 
“Are you sleepy now, baby?” You love how smooth the petname falls from his lips. 
“I will be when we get upstairs,” you reply, happy to see the elevator is empty. “I’m just all up in my head.” 
“Is that why you were drinking so much? You said you were gonna stop earlier.” 
“Yeah, but,” you shamefully tuck your head in his shoulder, “I was frustrated.” 
“Frustrated? At who?” concern laces his tone as he struggles to hold you with one hand and fumble for his key in the other. You tighten your legs around his slim waist until the door clicks open, and he immediately walks over to your bed to plop you down. “Babe, are you crying?” he finally has a good look at your face, horrified to see the streaks of tears mixed with mascara running down your face. 
“I wa-was jealous,” you confess tearily, clutching your face in your hands,  “some girls in the bathroom were calling you sexy and that you were only here so you could try to win over Doyeon. I know it sounds ridiculous and you would never do that but. The thought of you getting back with her makes me so jealous and I hate it! I’m starting to feel so guilty about this, all of this. I put all of this on ourselves and I’m ruining it.” 
“Ruining what? You’re not making any sense.” Jungkook places a hand on your knee, crouching down so he can look up at you. 
“I’m ruining us,” you gush despondently, “I’m ruining any potential of us before we even start.” 
Jungkook freezes, hand clutching your knee like a lifeline. The potential of you two together? You’ve thought of that? Jungkook didn’t drink much tonight, so his mind is definitely running on all cogs. 
Coming to a conclusion, he rubs slow, soothing circles on your knee, his other hand reaching up to wipe the tears from your face. “You’re not ruining anything,” he declares firmly, “that’s impossible. I may have agreed to fake-date you because of Doyeon, but I stayed because of you.” 
His heart aches seeing you so upset, and he decides to take initiative to get you out of your clothing and ready for bed. You don’t have any words, opting to let Jungkook take care of you as you try to calm yourself down. He finds a spare t-shirt,  a long one so you’ll be comfortable. He doesn’t bat an eye when he unzips your dress, in favor of balling up the shirt and getting you clothed as fast as possible. He rifles through the bathroom to find your makeup wipes, and he’s gentle when he scrubs up the once pretty makeup you spent half an hour doing. Barefaced and fresh, you look sleepy and ready to crash. 
But before Jungkook can tuck you in, you clutch his arm.
“Jungkook,” you murmur sleepily, “I think I lo—” 
“I know, baby,” he doesn’t want a confession like this, and he’s sure you wouldn’t want it either. You still look a little green and you’re not sober, so he makes the executive decision to pin these feelings for later. “I’m not trying to invalidate you, I promise. I want you to tell me this, all of this in the morning. We’ll talk then.”
“Okay,” you melt in the sheets, pulling the blankets up to your chest. When you see Jungkook move away from the bed, you jolt, “Where are you going?” 
Jungkook smiles, reaching over to tuck you back in, “I left my blazer in Namjoon’s room. I’ll be right back, okay?” 
He walks out of your room as quietly as he can, making sure to close the door slowly. Once it’s sealed shut, he leaps up, giving himself a silent cheer as he bounds down the hall. You like him back! 
The smile on his face is tired but full of fervor as he makes his way to Namjoon and Doyeon’s suite. He doesn’t even care that he probably has to talk to Doyeon to get his jacket back, thoughts filled with the excitement of his requited feelings and going back to his room to cuddle up with you. 
He doesn’t even have to knock when the large double doors swing open. Dumbfounded, he looks down at Doyeon, wearing a tiny black nightie and dangling his jacket with one finger. It’s an outfit that leaves nothing to the imagination, and he feels his neck heat up at the feeling he’s encroaching on an intimate moment. 
“You left this,” she says slowly, a tiny smirk on her lips. 
“Uh, thanks,” he says, making sure not to touch her when he grabs his blazer. 
In her other hand she holds up her room’s designated ice bucket. “Could you also get me some ice, please? Namjoon’s fast asleep and I really don’t want to walk out all… exposed.” 
He swallows his sigh, knowing it’s going to take significantly longer to get back to you when Doyeon drawls like this. “Of course,” he replies tersely, “after all, you are the bride.” 
“Thanks, Jungkookie.” 
He makes quick work of getting Doyeon the ice, pumping his long legs down the hall. The ice room is cold and cramped, barely enough for his tall frame to fit in. He jabs the container in the holder, pressing the button ten times per second to get as much ice out as possible. 
As soon as he turns around with the ice, he drops the whole bucket. 
Like glass, it shatters onto the ground, hundreds of little clear pebbles skimming across the floor like marbles. Doyeon’s pushing Jungkook against the ice machine, freshly manicured hands splayed across his chest. Her body is flush against his, making sure that he feels all of her with her thin silk gown. 
“What the fuck, Doyeon get off of me!” a little part of him hopes she’ll come to her senses on her own so he doesn’t have to put his hands on her. 
“C’mon, Kookie,” her voice is a sickly candy sweet, her eyes wide with hunger as she takes in his form, “just one more night, you and me. Like old times. One more night before I tie the knot.” 
“You’re crazy,” he balks, running his hand through his hair, “this is sexual harassment, do you know that?” 
“You don’t mean that, Kookie,” Doyeon dips a red-tipped nail down his chest, “why settle for someone like y/n when I’m right here?” 
He grabs her wrists, firm. She winces at the contact, but doesn’t say anything when Jungkook delivers her a scary glare. It gets her quiet, fearful of this version of Jungkook. Doyeon’s never seen Jungkook like this before, so unwilling to bend at her whim and emanating all his power against her. 
“Why settle for your cousin?” he whispers like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, “because, I love her.” 
Her lip curls in disgust, nails digging into the palm of his hand. “But you loved me first.”
“And I’ll love her last,” he spits pack, letting go of her. His anger splits for a brief second, regarding Doyeon with sorrow, “this is low, even for you.”
Jungkook pushes past the ice, wobbling out of the ice room. He doesn’t look back, he just knows that he needs you right now. He needs to tell you everything, figure out a plan to cancel the wedding or something. 
But when he crashes inside the room, you’re dead asleep. He can’t find the courage to wake up Seokjin as well, who returned and is sleeping in his club outfit. He groans, feeling useless as he stares at the two of you, ignorant of what just conspired ten minutes ago. 
And Namjoon, what is he going to tell Namjoon? Poor guy doesn’t deserve any of this. 
Walking up to your side of the bed, he tucks your loose hair behind your ear. You look so peaceful now, so beautiful. 
It’s just going to have to wait until the morning. 
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The morning of the wedding, you wake up alone. 
The first thought that runs through your head is that Jungkook has rejected you. The little, insecure bug that will never go away in your brain fills you with rash thoughts. He’s on a flight half way back home and he regrets this whole week. 
But after that exaggeration, you notice two aspirin and a bottle of water on your nightstand, along with your phone that’s fully charged. 
You pull up the screen to check the dozens of messages that flood your app. 
Jeon Jung-boo-thang: morning babe, im sorry i had to leave early. Namjoon showed up at our door freaking out that his suit is the wrong fit and shade. Now im running around vegas trying to find a replacement that doesn’t look like an elvis presley extra
Jeon Jung-boo-thang: but i didn’t forget what you said last night, i promise! Just go get ready and i’ll meet u at the chapel outside the resort. 
Jeon Jung-boo-thang: i also have something to say to you
Jeon Jung-boo-thang: wow i didn’t realize how ominous that sounds. Dw, everything will be fine
When someone tells you something will be fine, it’s a universal agreement that no, things will not be fine. 
So you get dressed, and put on your makeup mindlessly. You don’t really know what to make of Jungkook’s cryptic message, but you decide to leave those thoughts in the back of your mind as you go to the other rooms to help your family get ready. 
Seokjin is busy tying the ring bearer’s tie, looking handsome with his slicked back hair and polished grey suit. “Morning, cousin,” he sing-songs, “you look beautiful today!”
You smooth out your dress, a cascading silver number with starry sparkles. You feel like you’re living out your magical girl fantasies, wrapped up in layers of tulle and a sparkly sweetheart bodice.
“Right back at you. Say, you didn’t see Jungkook this morning, did you?” 
“No, but I heard he’s with Namjoon hunting for a new suit. Why?” 
“Nothing,” you lean against the guest table, “he just said something really ominous over text.” 
“I will never get a peaceful day so long as I’m in this family,” he says this directly to the ring bearer, a toddler who’s obviously confused at his uncle’s weird sayings. 
Your phone beeps conveniently, displaying Jungkook’s name. 
Jeon Jung-boo-thang: just got his suit. We’ll be there in fifteen. Meet me at the garden behind the chapel, please. It’s urgent 
Now you’re just worried. So you tell Seokjin your sentiments, and that he should have his phone on hand in case you needed him. With a confused nod, you leave him to go down to the garden.  
The groomsmen and bridesmaids are already at the chapel taking pictures. Only the wedding party is really allowed at this time, but you manage your way through the gardens virtually undetected. Jungkook’s already waiting for you, hiding under a white gazebo overlooking the hotel’s fountain. 
He looks gorgeous in his all black pinstripe suit, hair pushed back and pants fitted perfectly around his waist and thighs. When he sees you he gets up, full of skittish energy. You note that his hair isn’t even styled, only washed and curling slightly at the ends, as if he’s in a rush.
“W-wow,” he marvels when you rush up to him, “you look gorgeous.” 
You drop the handful of silver tulle, letting it fall to the floor. “Jungkook,” you clasp his hand in both of his, guilt flooding your eyes. You’ve been thinking about this all morning, and you need to cut to the chase. Jungkook tries to open his mouth but you silence him with a finger on his lips. “I can’t—I can’t do this. I know this sounds really stupid and you probably don’t want anything to do with me after this, but I shouldn’t have made this elaborate scheme,” you bite your lip, feeling even more antsy as Jungkook squirms in his grip. He however, is trying very hard to focus with his eyes, confused at your sudden confession. “I like you, Jungkook. I don’t want to parade you around like a revenge plot anymore, it isn’t fair and it’s wrong in so many ways—” 
“That’s great,” he says simply, brown eyes swirling with thoughts, “um, ditto. But—”
“Wow,” you frown, “I pour my heart out to you and this is what I get?” 
“It’s great that you want to be selfless right now,” Jungkook takes your hand, firm and tight, “but without this elaborate scheme, we wouldn’t be saving asses like we are right now.”
“What are you talking about?” You thought Jungkook rushed you down here so you could talk about each other’s feelings before the wedding. 
“Doyeon just threw herself on me last night. I got her ice and she took that as an invitation to seduce me like an episode of Sex and the City. Namjoon needs to divorce her, like yesterday.” 
Your face then morphs into something dark and ugly, and you fling your whole confession out the window. The thought of Doyeon going as far as throwing herself on Jungkook as a last ditch attempt to get back at you, has you seeing blood red. “What? Why didn’t you tell me this sooner!”
“You were asleep!” he shoots back, putting his hands on your shoulders. He rubs warm strokes up and down your bare arms, “please relax. You’re shaking.” 
“And why didn’t you tell Namjoon when you were driving around all morning?”
“I tried to!” he retorts, hands swinging in the air. You huff when his hands land back on your shoulders, preventing you from running to the chapel to extract Doyeon out yourself, “but he just kept talking shit about how much he loves Doyeon and he can’t imagine being together with anyone but her and I felt so bad! I’m sorry I chickened out. I really don’t wanna be the one to break Namjoon’s heart. I’m just the plus one!” 
You pinch your brows, mulling it over. “Fuck it, let’s crash a wedding,” you declare, “where’s Namjoon and how can we get him alone?” 
Jungkook exhales, a hand carding up to loosen his thin silver tie. “He’s taking pictures with the groomsmen right now. It’s gonna be awhile before we get a chance to talk.” 
“Fuck,” you curse, sitting down on the white bench. Jungkook presses soothing circles on your back. “We have no choice, we have to get to him before the ceremony starts.” 
“You’ll have to get through me, first.” 
Doyeon’s not even in her wedding dress when she strides up to the two of you. She’s in ballet flats with her hair and makeup done, but the only thing she’s wearing is the thin underdress of her actual ball gown, a simple silk negligee that reaches her ankles. You don’t even know how she’s managed to escape the bridal party, especially without her dress. 
Feeling protective, you step in front of Jungkook. “Before you say anything,” you murmur, “I’m not ruining your wedding, and I never wanted to. You’re ruining it because of your mistakes.” 
“Oh, boo-hoo,” Doyeon rolls her eyes, playing with her nails, “I didn’t even do anything wrong, everyone knows that on the bachelorette’s night she can do whatever she wants. Namjoon could’ve fucked whoever too if he wasn’t so faithful.” 
“Namjoon is ten times the partner you are and would never do that,” You’re seeing red, unable to comprehend the complete garbage spilling from Doyeon’s lips. “You touched my boyfriend without his consent, and I will never forgive you for that,” your voice is scarlet, angry and thin. 
“It’s not like he isn’t used to it, I—”
“NO!” the sound that comes out of your mouth has all three of you flinching, and you’re thankful the gazebo is far enough so that the rest of the wedding party is oblivious to your actions. “You’re not allowed to justify yourself anymore, Doyeon. What you did was fucked up, what you’ve done to all of us is fucked up!” You realize now that you didn’t need to get back at Doyeon with a fake date, what you needed was this. You needed a reprieve, a chance to lay down your law. “Jungkook was right all along. You are jealous. You’re jealous and selfish and have no shame. You think you own whatever you set your eyes on, but you’re wrong. We’re not objects, we’re people.” 
You walk up to Doyeon, eye to eye. You jab a hand at her chest, pushing her back slightly. You soak up your cousin’s expression, and you watch as Doyeon’s eyes pop out in surprise at your act of boldness. “So you have a choice here. You can either swallow your pride and leave Namjoon at the aisle quietly and save whatever dignity you have left. Take your pathetic ass on the next flight back home and pack up your apartment. Or, we can start a big scene at your ceremony,” you probably look manic, filled with freshly injected power, “I know Seokin’s always wanted to yell ‘I object!’ at a wedding.” 
“You have no proof,” Doyeon glares right back, taking a step closer to you. Your noses are practically touching, but you dig your heels in the white-stained wood, puffing up your chest and standing your ground. 
“Doesn’t matter,” you bite back, “what matters is that Namjoon will doubt you. Namjoon knows we’d never do anything to sabotage a wedding without a valid reason. Even if you do get married tonight, we have Jungkook’s word and proof of a relationship that overlaps with his. I find this option to be far worse because it’s prolonging the inevitable,” you shrug, “I hope you two didn’t sign a prenup.”  
Hot, angry tears mess up her meticulously done makeup. Black rivers carve through her porcelain skin, showing the feelings that have been dormant since been hidden under a facade. Doyeon’s eyes dart back and forth between the two of you. She’s practically vibrating in combined fear and rage, seeing blurry images and memories and regrets of what could’ve been if not for her self-absorption. And finally, your cousin comes to a decision. 
“I hate you,” she emphasizes each word with the most concentrated of venoms in her tone. WIth one last look at the two of you, she stomps away. Instead of going to the direction of the chapel however, she takes the shortcut back to the hotel. 
Her grave words are unsurprising, but nevertheless disappointing. A thinly veiled smile grazes your lips, sadder than ever as you watch your cousin go. “And I pity you.” 
As soon as she’s gone Jungkook doesn’t hesitate to scoop you up, hugging you tightly as you fight the urge to cry again. “Oh babe, that was really hot. The way you stood your ground? That was amazing!” Jungkook takes out his silver pocket square to wipe the stray tears that threaten to ruin your makeup. “You’re so strong, don’t you know that? You did it and I’m so proud of you.” 
As much as you want to revel in the affection, go back and bed and fall asleep until noon, you can’t.  Grasping Jungkook by the hand, you tug him to the chapel. “C’mon,” you say, “we have to corner Namjoon.”
The groomsmen photos are done by the time you get there. Thankfully, the to-be-groom doesn’t look too occupied. His eyes widen upon seeing you two stumble from the garden of all places.
“Oh, y/n. Jungkook,” Namjoon tilts his head curiously at how winded you two look, equally flushed and out of breath. From your state, Namjoon muses that it must've taken a lot of effort to finally get to the groom unattended, save for a few random family members he’s making small talk with, “The wedding isn’t for another hour but I must say, you two look radiant together. Doyeon always thought you’d end up an old spinster-catlady, but I always told her that you’re too beautiful to be single for long,” he pauses to send the aforementioned man a wink, “Jungkook’s a lucky guy. What were you two doing back there?”
“Uh, things?” Jungkook scratches the back of his head, not wanting to reiterate the fiasco between Doyeon moments before.
Namjoon smirks at the ebony-haired man, “Couple things?”  
You can’t take this needless small talk anymore. With a teary groan, you throw yourself at Namjoon. You hug him tight, and you don’t even care when you feel a slosh of his water bottle sprinkle your hairstyle. 
“Joonie,” you bemoan, “please, please don’t leave me. You’re the best not-cousin ever. I know it’ll be a pain to face Doyeon after today but you’re a strong independent man and when you’re ready Jin is single and ready to mingle—ow! Jungkook! Did you just pinch my ass?” 
“Do you really think setting him up with the next cousin is the best idea right now?”
“I figured a little humor would lighten the blow,” you sulk.
“I’m sorry what—what blow?” Namjoon frowns, pushing you away from him. “Y/n, have you been crying?” 
The tears resurface at that moment, like a kettle on overboil. Namjoon’s face is knitted together, unable to grasp at any conclusion. Namjoon feels something grave is upon the sky as he tenderly brushes away your tears with his thumbs before releasing you. Instantly Jungkook pulls you to his chest, patting you soothingly. As much as you two do not want to be the bearer of bad news, the time is now. 
“Namjoon,” Jungkook says, finding the strength that was previously stuck in his throat, “we have to tell you something.” 
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Needless to say, Las Vegas is very forgiving when it comes to last minute wedding cancellations. 
The whole wedding party, both Namjoon and yours, collectively feels like a whole ice bucket has been dumped upon your families. You would like to say that the whole issue was handled mess free, but that would be a bald-faced lie. 
There was screaming, crying, hysterical laughter from all sides. Doyeon’s parents were of course furious, embarrassed, unable to calm down a hysterical Doyeon as they haul her on the next flight home. You have a feeling they won’t be showing up to family events anytime soon. 
Namjoon’s family leaves quietly, frustrated, but classy. After all, they know at the back of their heads they dodged a bullet. Everyone leaves except Namjoon however, who isn’t quite ready to go back to his and Doyeon’s apartment. Namjoon invites Seokjin and some other close cousins to stay in his suite until their flight tomorrow afternoon, wanting to be surrounded by close friends and (almost) family. 
As for your family, they decide to find the silver lining. While the chapel was able to cancel the wedding, the reception wasn’t as easy to sway. At the very last second, your grandparents decided to make use of the reception and renew their Golden Anniversary vows instead. The ceremony will be a quick, sweet affair. At this very moment, your cousin Yoongi is getting officiated online. 
And for you? You’re in the place where you’ve wanted to remain all week. A fluffy hotel bed wrapped up with your not-boyfriend. 
Or? 
Would a not-boyfriend be snuggling against your chest like you’re the softest teddy bear in the toy shop? Would a not-boyfriend be hooking your leg atop his lap, forcing you to latch onto him so his hands can roam freely against your soft thighs? 
“We have to get ready for the wedding,” you whine against his hold, to no avail when he only holds you tighter. 
“But your grandparents are already married,” Jungkook whines right back, nuzzling his nose in your head. “This is like an afterparty fifty years later.” 
“I wanna get dressed,” you insist, pushing yourself up, “and we still need to talk.” 
Without Seokjin staying with you, the hotel room feels much bigger and freer for the two of you. Your clothes are scattered on the floor, uncaring of any wrinkles or smears that would get on the delicate fabric. 
All that matters is that Jungkook is still here with you. Doyeon’s wedding is called off, but he’s still lying in bed with you. You want to burn this image to memory, and keep it forever. Jungkook laying in only his white undershirt and boxers, looking at you dreamily as if he’s still in nap-mode. Hair that was previously windswept and exposing his forehead is now out of place, fluffy and sticking out in all directions. His cheeks are flushed with coral-colored warmth, and a little puffy because you two have been sleeping most of the afternoon. 
“Right, talk,” he repeats, letting you hand him his black button up so he can clothe himself. 
You throw off your shirt somewhere behind you, not wanting to face him as you walk to the full-length mirror. “So, I think my feelings for you are pretty clear and out in the open…” 
“Same, I think I made it pretty clear as well.” 
“What? You turn around, looking at where he’s still half-covered in bed. “You did not. I distinctly remember almost confessing my love to you last night. And then this morning, only for you to cut me off and say ‘that’s great’.” 
“Oh,” he stares at the white sheets that cover his lower half. “I guess I didn’t then.” 
You smile wryly, turning back to face the mirror so you can slip into your dress that’s been pooled around your ankles like a silver halo. “Maybe you thought it in your mind and forgot to tell me.” 
That seems about right. Jungkook has a tendency to be a little too passionate for his own good, windswept in thoughts and feelings until they consume him. He hops out of bed, walking only in his dress shirt and socks as he makes his way to the mirror. “Then let me do all the talking,” he says softly against your neck, hands on your hips. 
You shiver when you feel the cold silver of the zipper whirr up your body, Jungkook’s large hands splaying across your back to smooth out the waistline. 
“You of all people would know that being with Doyeon is a trip,” he chuckles into the crook of your neck, “I thought that was what love felt like. Being codependent, jumping through hurdles, trying so hard to please someone who can’t be pleased.” 
Jungkook’s hands wrap around your waist, hugging you tightly. He squeezes you and holds you like the most precious thing in the entire world. Through the mirror, you two are quite a pair. 
“But with you, I never knew love could be like this, feel like this.” 
“So… are you saying you love me?” you fight the urge to bounce around in his grip, the biggest smile on your face.  
“You really just want me to say ‘I love you’ and be done with it, huh?” 
Within seconds he’s pulling you from behind, whirling you around to the edge of the bed. He manages to flouce up your skirts to billow around his lap, sitting you down on his bare thighs. 
“You look like a cupcake, all sprawled up like this,” Jungkook says cutely, peppering kisses in a trail from your chest all the way to your lips. “You look like a huge, silvery cupcake and I love you. It’s so easy to love you.” 
Maybe it was kismet that Jungkook didn’t get to you first all those years ago. Maybe the right time is right here, right now. 
“I love you, too,” you say happily, dipping down to press a long, passionate kiss to his lips. He tastes like love and a happy future. When you pull away, you encapsulate his face in both your palms, regarding him like the sun and stars. “But you know, if we date you’ll never get away from my crazy family.” 
Jungkook snorts, pressing his forehead to yours, “And miss Yoongi re-marrying off your grandparents tonight, the next year of Seokjin and Namjoon running circles around each other, and a lifetime of happiness?” his hands snake under your dress, finding purchase in your soft skin, “not a chance.” 
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mysmegrace · 3 years
Note
i recently installed mystic messenger again after like a month or more of not playing (was afraid of someone finding the game in my phone) , and it felt good to "see" the characters again , so can i please request headcanons of the rfa seeing mc after a long time ?
hello, that's completely understandable lol. i remember back in 2016 when i played it the first time around (i deleted it after the first bad ending and didn't play again until 2019 lol) and was worried people would look on my phone and see it. oh how times have changed lol. but of course!
RFA Seeing MC After a Long Time
---
yoosung kim:
you attended the rfa party during the last summer you had before going to college.
life was looking up for you.
you found an amazing boyfriend, started becoming independent, and got a good summer job.
things only got better when you found out you had gotten accepted to college.
only problem was that the college was in the US, and your friends and lover were in South Korea.
as much as you loved your new life here, you reminded yourself of your feelings before meeting the rfa.
how everything you created here would only be temporary.
but now, you didn’t want to stick to that anymore.
your life was going so well, and you knew yoosung wouldn’t be happy about you leaving to go across the globe.
however, it was too good of an opportunity to let it go.
this was what you were to planning to do for the last decade.
if you were to give up now, all your hard work would be for nothing.
you were incredibly conflicted, but eventually choose to follow your passion at college overseas.
and yoosung was frantic about it.
he wouldn’t be able to see you, protect you, help you, feed you, walk with you, the list went on.
however as he’s gotten more mature over the past few days, he knew he didn’t have the power to stop you, nor should he guilt you about it.
besides, he wanted you to pursue something you were passionate in and become successful.
some sacrifices would just have to be made.
that didn’t mean he would let you go either.
the two of you made a promise to call, facetime, and visit each other as often as possible.
you’d make it work.
so with much regret, you left to the states.
and when the holidays approached, you decided to bring yourself to him as a gift.
it had been months since he saw you at this point.
you both could enjoy the holidays together while relaxing.
it was a win win.
and what better way to carry out your surprise than by showing up to his front door at 10pm?
and that’s exactly what you did.
giving the door a good few knocks, you waited until you were greeted by yoosung standing in his unwashed pajamas, staring at you.
it took a few seconds for it to click who you are, yet once that processed, he was overcome with joy.
you thought it was adorable how his hands flew to his face as he began to pull you into a hug shortly after.
you were met with only parts of words as yoosung couldn’t explain his excitement fast enough.
and you were ecstatic as well.
you never realized how much you missed him until you were reunited with him again.
hence why after you two spent the holidays together, you found it incredibly difficult to leave again.
however with his encouragement, you went off to work your hardest so he could meet a successful you the next time you reunited.
hyun ryu / zen:
much like zen, you were an actor too.
you were a much lesser known actress, but you had began building connections.
and those connections all paid off when you were offered a new role in a movie that was predicted to be going big.
you couldn’t be more grateful.
yet as you began reading farther into the offer, your heart slowly sunk.
if you were to take the role, you would have to relocate to germany for the next 9 months.
you wanted this so bad, but you didn’t want to leave zen alone for 9 months.
he if could, he would join you in germany.
but he already had a role to work on in south korea.
as much as you wanted him to join you, you didn’t want him to give up his role he had been working so hard on for the past year.
you were conflicted, and knew it would be best to talk about it to zen.
not only to see what he thinks, but to ease your feelings.
and once you had the discuss about it with you, you came to a conclusion.
you would could, keeping in contact with him everyday.
though zen was heartbroken about it, he knew how much you wanted this and how much this would advance your career.
so with a heavy heart, he sent you off.
the moment you left on the plane, he was already longing for your reunion.
9 months never went by so slow.
when you were with him, there was never enough time to bask in each others love.
but without him, everyday had an extra 8 hours.
even though you were working 24/7, time stayed still for days on end.
yet when the production ended a month early, all your worries and stresses eased as you could finally reunite with your love in person.
without thinking, you packed all your stuff up once you got back to your trailer to get the next plane back to seoul.
you hadn’t even thought to tell zen until you boarded the plane.
too late now though, as you weren’t aloud your phone on the plane.
what an idiotic rule, you thought.
but perhaps it was better this way, as you could surprise zen with your return sooner than expected.
you gave into the tiredness that followed you around for the months prior, awakening to the speaker saying you’ve landed.
in your half awake state, you got off the plane and called for a cab.
it only took an hour to reach your destination, in which you got more sleep on the way there.
you thanked the driver before heading out, practically running to the front door.
you knocked, hoping to make zen believe you were only a door salesman or a mailman.
you heard some footsteps approaching behind the door in a hurried state, before the door opened and you were greeted with your future husband.
his expression changed in the speed of light once he quickly realized who you were.
you were met with a tight embrace, doubting if you could breath for a second.
zen pulled away not too long after, his excitement getting to him as he said “i didn’t think you were supposed to be home so soon!”
to that, you could only giggle as you admitted the reason behind your surprise.
zen was more than happy to see you home earlier than discussed before.
“this day is too important, we have to do something now!” zen said as he got dressed up to go out in the christmas weather.
with a small laugh, you agreed.
the rest of your day was spent going out to cafes and buying presents for the other rfa members.
and to your luck, the movie turned out a huge success.
not only in germany, but in korea as well.
things worked out for the best, you thought.
but one thing was for sure, you weren’t doing that again.
jaehee kang:
jaehee had brought up the idea of opening a cafe, to which you were 100% in on.
however, in korea you had to have a culinary certificate to own a cafe.
i dont know if thats legit or not i completely made that up
but if you had to get a certificate, you were going to get it in the best way you could.
and a college you had come across was perfect for that.
it was a good price and had a great reputation.
there was one problem however, and that was that it was located in france.
which was a 12 hour flight away from seoul.
you knew there was no opportunity like it, but you couldn’t stop yourself from being on the edge about it.
you didn’t want to leave your friends and family here for 2 years while you went off to another country on your own.
plus who knew if something would happen to you while you were aboard?
your concerns were slightly lessened after you brought up your worries to jaehee, and the encouragement she gave you was overwhelming.
she suggested for you to go for it and that she would hold everything down in seoul while helping the rfa in planning future parties.
on the upside, it would give her more time to save up more money for the opening just in cause it was needed.
with hesitation, you decided to go along with her words and study in france for some time.
you would miss each other, but you both knew it was what you two needed to ensure a sucessful future.
while you were aboard, jaehee would attend culinary classes in korea here and there.
you would keep in contact frequently, but never had the money to go back to seoul on holidays to reunite.
so once those two years had passed, you were out as fast as possible.
you loved france, but you loved your girlfriend more.
you hopped on the plane home, eager to see everyone again.
and once you arrived at the airport in seoul, the first thing you saw as you exited the plane was your girlfriend standing there, eyes focused on the doorway waiting for your arrival.
and once your eyes met, you were quick to run up to her while opening your arms to hug her strongly.
two years was such a long time to be apart, but all was well now.
shortly after, the two of you opened the cafe and were met with an incredible amount of support from the community and rfa.
now you were content to settle down in seoul with the love of your life.
jumin han:
you were very business driven, which jumin liked about you.
even having your own fashion company.
you were unlike many other women he had come across before in various ways.
but the downside to your business focused mind were your frequent business trips.
some would last a day while others would last a week.
though this recent one you were expected to take was unlike anything you had ever had to do before for work.
it suggested you stayed in china for a month as you worked out many business issues and proposals.
while your company had began trending recently, you had never expected this.
the first thing that came to your mind once reading the email was your husband.
you felt horrible when you had to leave him alone for a day, but a month?
you couldn’t even imagine how much that would hurt him.
however, this wasn’t something you could just refuse.
if you did, you weren’t sure if your company would continue standing.
and so later that night, you told jumin everything over wine.
how you didn’t want to but knew your company wouldn’t survive without it.
he didn’t know what to make of everything.
this came at the worst timing.
he needed to stay in korea for the time being for business, so he couldn’t join you in china either.
reluctantly, he supported you in your travels.
he understood your situation, but made you promise to call him every night.
which you had no problem with.
and so with a sad smile, you had left a few days later.
things were frustrating in beijing, but you at least had the comfort of your husbands voice to fall asleep to.
everyone at the office noticed jumins shift in mood as soon as your left.
yet without a voice of concern, things carried on as if nothing happened.
the day you were set to come back, jumin cancelled all plans to spend the day with you.
you needed to make up for the time the two of you lost, and you needed to rest in the comfort of your own home again.
thankfully, your company didn’t meet it’s downfall just yet.
in fact, it was now prospering.
saeyoung choi:
your day was going as it normally would.
well, as normal as a day with saeyoung can go.
yet it all changed when you got a call that your brother had gotten into a bad car accident, and the situation wasn’t looking good.
you didn’t know how to react, so many emotions and fears were overwhelming you.
you knew you were your brothers emergency contact, as he had no one else close to him in his life, so it was no question about why they called you while you were in seoul and he was in brazil.
but after learning about the situation, you quickly realized that you needed to get back to brazil as soon as possible.
they didn’t know how long he had left, and the remainder of his days would require for him to get help to do everyday things.
with your eyes barely spilling over, you told saeyoung everything.
you were met with a hug as he comforted you.
when you brought up the fact of needing to leave, he didn’t think twice before giving you his blessing (though he knew you didn’t need it).
it would be hard on him because he wouldn’t be able to join you as he was in an active mission, but he would keep in touch and make sure of your safety from countries away.
after all, he would do the same if saeran were in your brothers position.
the next day, you backed your flight to brazil, packing only what you needed.
your days in brazil passed in pain, as you watched your brother fight for his life daily.
until one day, his body gave up on him and he passed.
you were devastated.
you were on autopilot in public and breaking down in your hotel room when no one was around.
after attending your brothers funeral and a week of mourning, you began to book your ticket back to seoul.
yet in your state of heart ache, you didn’t realize the change in the countries health as the coronavirus started running through every town in the nation.
planes were unavailable and travel was banned.
now you were stuck here for the next 6 months, always hopping the next month would be better and you’d finally be able to go home.
saeyoung was on his toes all the time, not feeling the same without you.
and you missed him more and more as the days went on.
when the time finally came, you rushed to buy a ticket, though most people weren’t flying due to their fears surrounding the situation.
the plane was empty, allowing you to sneak your phone, sending a text to saeyoung.
“i’m on the plane home now” you typed.
saeyoung was overcome with joy to see your message.
though you had to isolate for 14 days, at least you were in the country and close to him.
once you got off the plane, went into isolation, and tested negative for covid, you ran to your shared home.
opening the door to be greeted with the same old smile that teased you every morning was a refreshing sight.
you ran up as he lifted you in a tight embrace, swaying you side to side in a wave of excitement.
after months of stress and anxiety, you could finally breath.
that realization alone was enough to make you burst out into tears of relief.
your feelings were contagious, as you saw saeyoungs eyes starting to water as well.
you were finally safe and sound in his protection, and that was all he could’ve asked for..
---
01:51 AST - 09/01/21
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mammonshuman92 · 3 years
Text
- It Takes Two -
(Mammon x GN!MC)
Genre: angst/hurt/comfort
WARNINGS: alcohol, drunkenness, cheating, **
** There is a moment where a character is drunk, and someone makes moves on them, character is too drunk to realize it’s not who they thought it was. Groping and making out, no penetration; character doesn’t consider is SA. I apologize if it is offensive.
Ya better hurry up, or we’re gonna be late!” Mammon was pulling you by the hand down the hallway to your first class of the day.
“I wasn’t the one who overslept because they kept saying “just lay with me for 5 more minutes.”“ You said, giving your best impression of him.
You’d become best friends rather quickly after your arrival in the Devildom, practically becoming attached at the hip instantly. It didn’t take long for that light, warm feeling to invade your heart. Now you’d been dating for a few months and had become even more inseparable.
“Details, details!” He responded, laughing.
The two of you came barreling through the door with only seconds to spare before the bell rang; hand-in-hand, laughing like fools.
You took your seats across the room from each other, being the professors current punishment for Mammon talking to you during class.
As you sat down you felt eyes on you and looked up.
A few succubi were not so casually looking at you and whispering.
It wasn’t uncommon though. I mean, you are a human in the Devildom. You also live with the 7 rulers of the underworld. You’d gotten quite used to people whispering about you. You decided to ignore them, and pay attention to class. Whatever they were whispering about was surely nothing you hadn’t already heard circulating throughout the gossip mill.
Throughout the day, you noticed the same group of succubi whispering and giving you looks. They even giggled a couple times. You tried your best to keep your cool, but it had been going on all day and it was really getting under your skin.
What is so damn funny? You thought to yourself.
The final bell rang and you couldn’t be happier. Now you got to put the day behind you and go home with Mammon. Tonight is movie night. Cuddling and eating junk food is just what you need after a day like today.
You rushed to the usual spot where you meet Mammon. Seeing his face would definitely make you feel better right now, but he wasn’t there yet. 
He must have gotten hung up in class or something.
You leaned against the wall, pulled out your D.D.D. and started surfing Deviltube to pass the time. You were so engrossed in your video that you barely noticed that same group of succubi walk past.
Until they made sure you noticed them, that is.
One girl bumped into you on purpose, sending your D.D.D. to the concrete, via crash-landing.
“Stupid human.” She sneered.
You rolled your eyes and bent down to pick up your D.D.D. It’s nothing you haven’t heard, quite a bit actually, since coming to the Devildom. She’d have to try a lot harder than that.
When you stood back up, the succubus in question was standing in front of you, arms crossed with a smug grin.
“Do you think you’re special?” She asked, looking you up and down. You didn’t respond and resumed your scrolling through Deviltube. Ignoring her made her mad.
“As soon as he gets tired of you, he’ll move on to the next one.”
Excuse me? 
“I don’t think MY relationship is any of your concern.” You said sweetly, slapping on your best fake smile. You looked around them, desperate to see Mammon walking up, but he wasn’t there.
Where is he? 
She was practically laughing in your face. 
“He made me feel special too.” Her words, full of venom as they left her lips, triggered something in your brain.
Flashbacks of your first day in the Devildom came rushing back. Specifically what Satan had said after Mammon made his grand entrance.
“Whenever he takes a liking to someone, they suddenly find themselves awash in money. But from what I hear, if he decides to break it off with someone, that wealth evaporates. They’re left without a Grimm to their name.”
The memory made your chest feel heavy. 
Could that pertain to people as well? They said a pure soul is like a shiny gem. What if..
“Everything he’s said to you, he probably already said to me.” She spat.
Your head was spinning, a knot forming in your throat. Her earlier words replaying in your mind.
“As soon as he gets tired of you, he’ll move on to the next one.”
What if..? No.. He wouldn’t do that...would he?
You quickly got so lost in thought as anxiety started to take root, plaguing you with ‘what ifs’ and hypotheticals, that you almost didn’t notice when someone stepped between you and the succubus. Putting a hand on either side of your face, he tilted your head up to look at him. Irises the color of tropical waters, instantly melt away your anxiety, calming the angry sea inside you.
“Let’s go home.” He whispered with a smile. His voice was soft, but you could see the anger in his eyes. He slung an arm around your shoulders and turned to start walking toward the House of Lamentation.
“We weren’t done talking.” She said vindictively.
“Don’t ya have anythin’ better to do?” Mammon snarled, glaring at the succubus.
She scoffed and rolled her eyes, leaving with her friends.
By the immense tension you could feel between them, you could tell that they had indeed been together at some point.
The walk home was quiet, which left you with ample time for your thoughts to run wild. 
Did she know him like you do? His little habits and his favorite things? 
Did she stick up for him when his brothers were dogging on him? Or afterward when he was down, did she try her best to drown out their hateful words with affirmations of love?
Did she play with his hair while he laid on her stomach, arms wrapped tight around her middle after he loved her? Hold her in his lap as he rubbed soothing circles on her back when she was sad? Whisper sweet nothings to her when he thought she was asleep?
...Did he love her?
-
“Whoa! Did ya see that, MC?!”
The two of you were curled up on the couch in Mammon’s room, watching a movie on his projector, just like you did every week.
Did they do movie night?
It shouldn’t be bothering you. Of course he’s had other partners. He’s been alive for thousands of years.
And you’ve had other partners. So what? No biggie. That wasn’t the issue.
The thought of him saying the same things, doing the same things with someone else...loving someone else, is what bothered you. It hurt to think that maybe you really weren’t that special; another weak, insignificant human, just like all the rest.
But the things she said kept playing on a loop in your head.
“As soon as he gets tired of you, he’ll move on to the next one.”
“He made me feel special too.”
Could she be right?
“Babe, are ya okay?” He had paused the movie and was now staring at you expectantly.
“Hmm? Oh, yeah I’m fine.” He saw through it quickly.
“Ya know, you’re not good at lyin’. What’s wrong? If ya don’t like the movie we can watch someth-”
“That girl earlier, at RAD? Is she your ex?” You didn’t want to bring it up, but you had to know before your thoughts could torment you further.
His face fell and he sighed heavily. “I was wonderin’ when you were gonna say somethin’..”
You remained quiet, watching his face, waiting for him to begin talking.
“We were together a long, long, time ago. Nothin’ serious. I broke it off when I realized she was only around for what she could get outta me. She didn’t take it too well.” He explained, his expression turning sour. “She had a different story, huh?”
“She didn’t say much really, except once you get tired of me you’ll move onto the next one. That I’m nothing special because everything you say to me you’ve probably said to her.” You said, keeping your eyes down as you fidget with the hem on your shirt.
He started laughing.
Your head snapped up, looking at him in shock.
“What’s so funny, Mammon?” You asked, getting a little irritated by his reaction. He stopped laughing when he looked at you and realized you were serious.
“Ya don’t actually believe her, do ya?” He scoffed, getting offended.
“No? I don’t know..” You replied, not meeting his gaze. Of course you wanted to believe him, but you already felt like you weren’t good enough for him, and that succubi’s words just watered the seeds of insecurity in your brain and helped them flourish.
You had always been the opposite of his brothers. You always believed Mammon, even when everyone else was against him. You were always on his side. Ready to stick up for him no matter what. To hear you now, was like a slap in the face.
Mammon’s face distorted in pain. And anger.
“What? Whaddya mean ya don’t know?” His voice was soft, “Ya don’t trust me?” He asked, meeting your gaze.
“Mammon, that’s-”
He shook his head. “No, I get it. A few bitter words from some random demon and now my words mean nothin’. “ He jumped up from the couch, making a beeline for the door.
“What about the last few months, huh? After all the time we spent together you think I’d do somethin’ like that to ya?” His voice cracked on the last sentence. He paused; hand on the knob as he stared at the door. You heard a small sniffle as his other hand came up to angrily wipe his face.
“I thought ya knew me better than anyone.” His voice was barely audible, but you could hear the hurt. He felt betrayed.
And with that he left, slamming the door behind him.
When he didn’t come back after an hour and wouldn’t answer your calls, you grabbed a few things and headed to your room. You still felt uneasy about the whole “his ex confronting you” thing and after what had just happened, you just wanted to be alone. 
Your bed seemed huge and your room felt odd. It’s not like you didn’t spend time in there anymore, you just didn’t usually do so alone. The silence was deafening.
I shouldn't have doubted him. He used to try and hide his feelings, although he was bad at it. But since we got together, he doesn’t hide how he feels about us to anyone.
You thought of all the times his cheeks had flushed scarlet when you caught him staring at you. How he sits and endures scary movies because they’re your favorite. The way he will randomly bring you your favorite snacks or other little gifts because he was thinking about you. Relentlessly tickling you just to hear your bright, uninhibited laughter. That even in his sleep, he has to be constantly touching some part of you, or he gets restless. 
You slowly drifted off to sleep, with tears staining your cheeks.
-
“Have you seen Mammon?” 
He never came looking for you last night and he wasn’t at breakfast. He even skipped RAD.
Asmo shook his head, “Not since yesterday. Did something happen?”
You decided to fill him in with all the details. He is the Avatar of Lust after all, so surely he could give you some advice regarding love.
He gasped dramatically, “No she didn’t! What a tart!”
“I know I shouldn’t have doubted him. He’s never given me a reason to, but I don’t know. She just got in my head, I guess. Poked at some insecurities.” You explained. “I haven’t seen him since he stormed off.”
“He won’t pout for long, he never does.”
“It’s more than just pouting. I hurt him just like everyone else. He feels betrayed.” You said, voice small.
You just wanted to pepper his face with kisses and profusely apologize for ever doubting him. Why did you ever let some random succubus get to you like that? To make your trust for Mammon falter, even slightly. Did you honestly believe he would toss you aside after he got what he could out of you? Really? 
Satan said it too though, in the beginning. That when you’re with him you find yourself drowning in gifts and the like, but once he outgrows you, you’re left with nothing. That’s the Greed.
You refuse to accept it though.
You know Mammon, better than anyone. He has changed so much since you came here. He’s not the same demon he used to be. He is more than just his sin.
“When he is ready, he’ll come back. He always does.” Asmo said, placing a hand on your shoulder, giving you a warm smile.
“Now, let’s go and change! You are depressing me and it’s ruining my skin. We are going out tonight!” He was practically vibrating with excitement. You, not so much.
“Ugh, no way Asmo. I’m not in a party mood.”
“Nonsense! It’s exactly what you need. We will have some drinks and dance and you’ll feel better. You’ll see.”
You relented, knowing that once Asmo got his mind set on something like this, there was no getting out of it. Maybe a few drinks really would make you feel better.
-
“Trouble in paradise?” She said, motioning to the drink in his hand.
His clothes were dishevelled, his hair mussed, eyes red-rimmed and puffy. He looked like he’d been through the wringer. Felt like it too. He’d been in the private lounge at the club for a little while now, nursing drink after drink, attempting to drown his sorrows.
“Go away.” He growled, turning his attention back to his drink.
“Is that anyway to greet an old friend?” She asked innocently.
“Nah, but it is a good way to greet a snake.”
“Ouch.” She put a hand over her heart, feigning hurt feelings.
“Haven’t ya caused enough problems? Leave me alone.”
She scoffed, plopping down onto the couch next to him.  “Oh, come on Mammon. You’re this hung up over a human?”
“Don’t talk about MC.” He snarled. In one big gulp, he swallowed the remainder of his drink. No matter what kind of situation the two of you were in, he wouldn’t let someone, anyone, say anything cross about you. At all.
“Oh, come on. You can’t seriously say you don’t miss being with me. A demon.” She leaned in close, her lips next to his ear, “Not nearly as fragile as a human. You can be as rough as you want..” She purred.
He jumped up from where he’d been sitting, attempting to get away from the succubus. “Get the fuc- Whoa.” He slurred, staggering slightly before quickly sitting back down, head lolling back to rest on the back of the couch. His vision was pretty blurry; the room spinning. He closed his eyes, hoping it’d help. 
Even in his deeply inebriated state, you were all that was on his mind. The feel of your hand running through his hair, lightly scratching at his scalp. The warmth of your body pressed against his, your lips; soft and delicate like rose petals, leaving small kisses across his face before finally meeting his lips. The bubbly sound of your laughter, beautiful like music. The way your eyes shine every time you see him, even if he only left your side for a tiny moment. 
After the fight you had and leaving the way he did, and now being away from you a whole day, not hearing your voice, feeling your touch, he was ready to go crazy. And although he did sneak back into the house after he was sure everyone was asleep, and slept in the backseat of his car so no one would find him, it wasn’t the same as sleeping next to you. He missed you.
But, it was more than that. He felt so incredibly stupid for reacting the way he had. If he were in your situation, and felt how you did, he would’ve had questions too. You love him, and all you wanted was a little reassurance that he in fact does love you. Man, does he love you. More than he’s ever loved anyone or anything.
With the attention span of a tuna sandwich, mixed with the levels of alcohol in his system, and being so deep in his thoughts of you, he hadn’t noticed the sudden shift of weight in his lap.
One hand found its way to the back of his head, fingers tangling in his hair. The other hand resting on his chest, slowly moving down his stomach, intently feeling every muscle. His mouth opened slightly, a breathy sigh escaping. He had missed you so much, your touch lighting his skin ablaze, craving you more and more.
Your hand moved lower, earnestly caressing his growing stiffness. Your lips crashed into his suddenly; hungrily, your tongue brushing his bottom lip. His hands moved up your thighs before firmly gripping your hips, grinding you against him.
Small alarm bells were going off in his head, something didn’t seem right. You didn’t giggle like you always do when he grabs your hips. Your kisses seemed sloppier than usual too.
He tried opening his eyes, blinking lazily several times. The room was still swirling around in his drunkenness, making it nearly impossible to focus.
Your hand moved to his pants, undoing the button and zipper. He removed a hand from your hip and grabbed your wrist, but didn’t attempt to move your hand from his swollen boxers. As he was about to break the kiss and suggest heading home and picking up with this make up where you left off, he heard a voice nearby.
“What the hell?!” They shrieked. 
Asmo?
“Mammon..?” You barely choked out.
That was your voice. He’d recognize it anywhere; the musical sound gently floating into his ears as it always did. But you sounded like you were crying..
And it didn’t come from the figure straddling his lap. How is that possible? He’s been making out with you, getting pretty heated actually, for the last several minutes.
He broke the kiss with you, confusedly turning to his left and blinking several times until his surroundings started to come into focus.
There you stood in the doorway of the private lounge with Asmo next to you, your eyes wide as s tears streamed down your cheeks, gaping at him in horror.
The alarm bells that had been going off, the red flags popping up trying to warn him that something wasn’t quite right, were about to become very clear.
- part two coming soon! -
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alexaplaysgames · 3 years
Text
Request: “Could you write something in which the mc is starting to develop feelings for Felix but denies them constantly/tries not to confess or accept them as a reality because they fear what would follow if and when they happen to go back to earth later...?”
Here you are! I literally have to fight myself to keep from making every dramatic moment occur at sunset on a grassy plain. This time, I lost. Sorry for the wait, I’ve hated my writing recently. Thought I don’t love this, either, I hope you enjoy it :) I changed to first person for this cause my brain is Like That.
Title: Did you Really Mean it?
Pairing: Felix Escellun x GN!MC (Last Legacy)
Words: 2484
Tags: @demon-paradise @themohawkhelmet @cactus-hoodie @aomiyeon @piningmaybeanartist @another-confused-gay @uselessbeanies @nomnomcupcakesworld @druwuuwu @frozen-daydream @kirakiratears @margitartist @crowtrinkets @fanfic-about-fictif Please let me know if you would like to be added or removed.
The first time, he had been quick to dismiss it.
Felix had asked for your help reaching one of the taller shelves of the library. He claimed he needed access to one of the books, strictly for academic purposes, of course, but you’d judged by the sight of his rosy cheeks that he more so just wanted you to touch him.
Nonetheless, you had risen from your comfortable position on the sofa and accompanied him without complaint, teasing him all the while about his short stature. When you’d pinched his flushed cheek, he’d rolled his eyes with a groan, hoping you didn’t see the goosebumps that had spread across his skin at your touch.
Standing in front of the shelves, you’d wrapped your arms around his waist. This seemed most sensible, rather than vice versa, given how he knew which book to look for. You’d felt Felix’s breath leave him in a rush as your arms slid around him, his ribs contract as he exhaled. He’d shivered as your fingers brushed the bare skin near his hips where his shirt had ridden up.
Yet, he had leaned back into you as if he didn’t want you to let him go. You swallowed. That is what made this so difficult, you thought. You didn’t want to let him go, either. You simply knew that you would have to.
It was surprisingly effortless to lift him to reach one of the dust-covered titles a few shelves above your heads. As Felix had pulled the book off the shelf, a thick layer of dust had been dislodged with it. He’d sneezed, and the force of it made you stumble. 
You’d fallen back onto the cushy carpet below with a gasp, Felix landing slightly on top of you with a startled yelp.
“Ouch,” you’d mumbled, rubbing your head, and then burst into laughter at the ridiculousness of it all. 
“S-sorry,” Felix stammered. He looked quite abashed. You’d only shaken your head with a fond sigh and reached up to tuck his hair behind his ear.
Felix’s breath had hitched at that, his eyes going saucer wide. You dropped your hand as if he’d burnt you. Only now did you realize how close your faces were. You could count every one of his eyelashes, this close, feel the heat of his breath. His gaze briefly flitted towards your parted lips, laden with desire.
“We should get up, now.” Your smile had turned a little tense, which Felix noticed. You’d looked as if you wanted to push him off. 
He winced. “R-right. Yes, of course.”
When you’d stood and parted ways, he couldn’t help but feel the slight sting of rejection. He clutched the book to his chest as he watched you walk away. 
Perhaps he was over-thinking things.
✦✧✦✧
The next time, however, he was certain something was wrong. 
You’d been quite clearly avoiding him as of late, skirting around his company with flimsily construed excuses that you were much too busy to see him.
Felix didn’t mind. Being on his own was something he’d grown to find familiar, if not enjoyable. He told himself that it was reasonable for you to wish to spend some time apart from him, and while a part of him believed that, another part wondered why he wasn’t good enough to hold your attention. 
You used to adore him. He could still feel your fingers in his hair, your hands on his skin. At what point did he begin to bore you? Had all your comments of accepting him for who he was served only to pacify his childish, moody self? Did you mean none of it at all? 
It certainly felt that way.
Then, one evening, you’d told him you were going out to a tavern with Sage. Though you’d invited him to join you, he’d declined, partially due to his being a lightweight, but also the fact that he wasn’t certain whether you truly wished to see him at all.
Yet, hours later, when you still hadn’t returned, Felix’s stomach churned with worry. He was torn between going to you and offering you the space you so clearly craved. 
With a sigh, he’d wrapped a cloak around his shoulders and set off to find you. He simply wanted to make sure you were alright, that was all. It needn’t be more complicated than that.
You were seated in a booth in one of the local establishments, Sage at your side. He could smell the alcohol on your breath the moment you drew near. “Felix, my sweet!” you’d laughed as you saw him, wrapping your arms around his shoulders. Felix frowned at the pet name. He’d almost forgotten that you used to calm him that. 
He had closed his eyes at your touch, melted into the familiar warmth of it. Then you’d frozen, looked up at him with cloudy eyes, and proclaimed that you were leaving. 
Felix blinked at you in astonishment. “What?” 
You had offered him no reply. 
Felix had followed you as you stumbled slightly out the doors and into the darkened streets. He himself had often taken to midnight walks through the city, knowing that he had the means to protect himself. You, however, had no such training. 
You’d tripped over your feet as you walked, intoxicated, through the cobblestone streets. Felix grabbed you elbow and spun you to face him.
“Stop this- this tomfoolery,” he gasped. “You’re going to maim yourself!”
“Leave me be, Felix,” you’d pouted, your words dangerously slurred. “I can’t- I don’t want to see you right now.”
Felix’s breath caught; your words sunk through his skin and settled as an ache in his chest. Yet, before he could say anything in reply, you stumbled again. He pulled you against his side to keep you from falling over, slinging one of your arms over his thin shoulders. 
Felix is many things, but strong is not one of them- you nearly broke his slight frame with your weight, and he panted while he struggled to hold you. Nonetheless, he managed to guide you through the streets to the nearest inn, conscious of your breath by his ear all the while. 
You’d flopped down onto the worn sheets of the bed Felix rented, your hair haloed around your head. The young necromancer’s heart hurt as he watched you, until you’d grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the bed at your side.
“Kiss me,” you begged, the heady scent of brandy curling around the words, and conflict waged war across Felix’s delicate features. “Kiss me, Felix, this might be the last time you get the chance.”
Felix’s grey eyes welled with tears. “I- I can’t,” he choked, feverishly shaking his head against the sheets. Oh, he had wanted to, you knew it even through your haze. You saw how his eyes once more drew towards your lips before he tore them away.
“Then go,” you said simply, rolling away from him and onto your side. 
And he had. 
Felix wrapped his arms around himself as he walked home through the streets alone. 
✦✧✦✧
The third time hurt the most. 
“Are you two officially together, now?” Anisa had asked you one evening, and Felix had waited for your response with bated breath, tucked outside the doorway where he knew you couldn’t see him.
Until it finally came, and he wished he hadn’t. 
“No.” You said it with such finality, such certainty, he was sure you could hear his heart breaking, the sound of his panicked breaths. “Felix and I… I don’t think we’re a good fit.”
That was it, the final straw. He choked on a sob as he turned away, already feeling the hot rush of tears spilling from behind his closed eyelids. 
He had curled up in his study, face tucked into the worn couch, and cried into his elbows, cursing his own stupidly all the while. His tears soaked through the strands of his hair, ran down his face in rivulets, dripping off his chin. 
He was so delirious at that point that he allowed Stella to curl up next to him, even stroking his fingers through her soft, silky fur.
“W-why am I like this, Stella?” Felix mumbled, still sniffling around the remnants of his sobs. “It was idiotic of m-me, to think-” Felix flopped onto his back, wiping at his eyes. Then he groaned. “Goddess, and now here I am, conversing with you. A rather pitiful display.”
Stella, as expected, did not offer a reply, though her rumbling purr provided some comfort. 
Felix stared up at the ceiling until morning light streamed in through the windows, caught in a miserable state. He is accustomed to being alone- after all, his wasn’t the first time he had his heart broken by someone he was sure he was in love with.
This was the only time, however, that it cut him this deeply. Never had he felt such hurt before, not even in death. In fact, he was certain he preferred that dull, empty nothingness to this.
He sighed, tiredly letting his eyes flutter shut. Stella’s fur tickled his nose, and he whispered, “How you’ve ruined me, my dear barista.”
✦✧✦✧
Things were strained between the two of you from then on. Felix wouldn’t meet your eyes whenever you were near each other. You could tell, by the redness of his eyes, that he had been crying, though for what reason you couldn’t be sure.
He kept his distance, and you chastised yourself for missing him. This is what you wanted, wasn’t it? But you suddenly weren’t so certain. You stomach was slowly twisting into knots of guilt and longing.
You sat with Felix, sifting through more textbooks in an attempt to find a hint as to how to send you home. It served as a reminder, somewhat, as to why you had pushed him away, though as time passed the memory became fainter. You were instead focused on how Felix kept his eyes trained downwards, not once making a characteristically snide or snarky remark.
The silence and the tension stretched between the two of you until it snapped like a frayed string.
“Why?” Felix suddenly asked you, gasped it out as if it pained him. You’d met his eyes, though he still wouldn’t meet yours, his hands squeezed into fists in his lap.
“Why what?”
“Why did you turn me away?” he continued, his lower lip quivering. “I had hoped-” he trailed off, as if he couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought.
“I suppose it doesn’t matter,” Felix finished a moment later with a soft, self-deprecating laugh. “You deserve much better than m-me, of course. I was selfish to think otherwise.”
“Felix-”
But Felix was no longer listening, having slammed his textbooks shut and left your side with tears swimming in his stormy eyes, muttering under his breath about how stupid he had been, desperate to keep you from seeing what a mess he’d become.
You felt awful. You’d been so determined to quell the growth of your relationship that you’d disregarded Felix’s rather fragile sense of self worth. You’d absolutely crushed him, you thought regretfully, and for what? Perhaps what was between you couldn’t last, but you should’ve been grateful for the time with him you were given.
Hours passed. You’d searched the rest of the day for Felix, but you couldn’t find him. Not in his bedroom, his study, the library, not with Sage or Anisa- your necromancer had mysteriously vanished. 
Until you’d remembered one evening when he showed you one of his favourite places- a grassy hillside overlooking the sprawling city underneath. With the sun sinking over the horizon, you’d found him there, chin resting on his knees, pulled up to his chest. The wind whipped through his dark hair, cooling the streaks of tears on his reddened face. 
Felix looked back over his shoulder at your sudden appearance through one of his trademark portals, then buried his face in his arms with a low groan. 
“Felix, listen to me,” you whispered. Coming to sit beside him in the long grass, you gently wrapped your arms around his waist and pulled him into your side. You could feel him hiccup, feel him tremble against you.
You settled your chin on his shoulder as the both of you looked out over the world that had once been so foreign to you. The wind once more rippled through the sea of grass around you, the sun reflecting off each individual strand. As the sunlight slowly waned into a single strip, it touched the tips of the buildings below and lit them up like candles.
“I am so, so sorry, baby,” you said, “for making you feel that way. I was worried it would hurt, when I have to leave. I thought I was doing us both a favour by keeping us apart. You did nothing wrong, Felix, and you weren’t selfish.” You squeezed your eyes shut, feeling the dying sun warm your face. “I was.” 
“You weren’t-” came Felix’s muffled reply, quick to defend you as always. You shook your head, kissing the curve of his shoulder. 
“I was. I thought it would be best for both of us, but I was wrong. I missed you so much, you know. Every day, I always wanted to see you. But I didn’t, and I told myself that was for the best. It was stupid. I hurt us both.”
Felix exhaled. You could feel the tension melt off him in little waves as his shoulders slumped. “You will have to leave, one day,” he murmured. “It was only logical.”
“Then we’ll face that when it comes, okay?”
Felix sighed, closing his eyes, then leaned into you and settled his head on your shoulder. “Okay.” That one word was still rather wobbly, as if he didn’t believe you. His chest rattled with each of his shaky, uneven breaths. 
“Now, let me see you smile.”
You suspected you were pushing your luck with that, and your assumption had been proven correct when Felix rolled his eyes and sent you a rather unimpressed look. “No. That’s ridiculous,” he huffed. “I’m not an infant.”
You simply resorted to other means of achieving what you sought. Felix squeaked as you shifted to the side and rolled him onto your lap, laying down in the long grass in a similar position as you had in the library, long ago. This time, however, when his eyes went wide above you, you shot up and kissed him, merely a chaste peck on his plush lower lip.
His blush was more brilliant than the setting sun behind him, a bright, fiery red you couldn’t believe you ever thought to abandon. Though he groaned and stubbornly averted his eyes, Felix couldn’t help but smile- a mere quirk of his lips that was faint enough to miss.
And yet, it was good enough for you.
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