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lis-likes-fics · 7 months

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At Long Last (Revised)

Pairings: Dream of the Endless x goddess!Reader Word Count: 13.8k words Warnings: Captivity, murder, torture, slight maiming, swearing… A/N: This used to be 9.8k words but...here we are now. I posted this a year ago and decided I didn't do it enough justice. You can still find the first post here if you wanted to compare it. I hope you enjoy this, happy reading!

"Must you leave for so much time?"

You smiled gently at your Dream, taking his hands and stepping closer. You kiss the spot between his brows, "I will be back before you know it. The humans need me right now, and I must aid them. That is our purpose, isn't it?"

The world had been thrust into a war. The humans were struggling, and, as the Goddess of Hope and Transformation, it was your job to aid them in their struggles. Dream knew this well, it was one of the reasons he loved you so.

He merely breathed a sigh and nodded as he looked down at you, "Very well, then. Be safe."

"I always am," you smiled, pressing your hand to his cheek. "Don't go anywhere while I'm gone." It was a joke, gentle teasing as you tried to pull a smile from his lips. You managed a ghost of one and nothing more. You sighed and leaned forward, kissing his lips gently as you savored the taste of him before you were off. You didn't know how long you would be gone. "I love you, Morpheus."

"And I, you," he said.

The war lasted four long years. Four years full of grueling work; taking care of the injured and the dead, healing the sick… You stayed behind another two years to help those of the mortal plane to begin to settle and recover after the chaos and bloodshed came to an end.

You spent most days and nights as a medic for injured soldiers, some days you were doing charity work for the families at home. Work was busy—answering prayers, granting hope to those without, helping in any way that you could to ease the troubles of war.

By the time you returned to the Dreaming, all you wished to do was hold your husband in your arms and dream with him for a little while. But as you crossed the threshold of dream and slumber, felt yourself returning home for the first time in six years, you knew something was wrong. Things had changed. You would not return to the Dreaming the way you left it.

You stood at the gates for a very long time, staring at the carvings and the art of the entrance, lost in the careful contemplation of what you would be returning to. Your arms were crossed tightly over your chest. You were afraid to move any closer. You chewed on your lip and tapped your foot, shaking your head as the worry ate at you.

Just go, you thought to yourself. He'll be waiting on the other side for you. Surely, he will.

You took in a slow, deep breath…and then took a step.

"My lady?"

You turned your head and found your loyal librarian approaching you. You smiled and held your arms out to your dear friend. "Lucienne," you breathed as you took her in your arms. "It's been so long."

She smiled, a type of relief in your eyes you knew like the back of your hand. Hope. She held tight.

You sighed, "Where's Morpheus?"

You felt her muscles tense as she pulled back with a frown. "I was hoping…" her relief turned to dread, "he'd gone to you while you were away."

Your smile fell and a concern slipped over your face that Lucienne briefly mistook as anger. "What does that mean?" you asked.

She took a slight step back, holding a journal in her arms as she looked down at her feet for just a moment. She peaked up at you over the top of her glasses as she frowned. "I'm afraid…Lord Morpheus has been gone for four years. He went to the Waking World two years after you left in search of the Corinthian, and…he hasn't been seen since."

Your heart sparked with pain at the news of your dear husband's disappearance. Everything was fine when you left, and now he was gone? How could this happen?

"Show me the kingdom," you said.

Lucienne nodded hesitantly as you both made your way to the grand entrance of the Dreaming. They opened for their queen without hesitation, your long white robes flowing behind.

The realm seemed…okay. Most of the same magic, just lacking in a bit of luster. But it was just okay. The Dreaming was grand, magnificent, the reflection of the fantasies and hopes and fears and loves of all of humanity and inhumanity. If Morpheus didn't return soon, it would begin to crumble. You would not see his realm turn to ash, not if you could help it.

You went to the castle with Lucienne at your side, waving to the residents who smiled and waved their greetings to their returning queen, delighted and enchanted that you were home again. Happy as you were to see them again, you had more pressing matters on your mind.

The inside of the castle—the heart of the realm—was stronger as you ventured within, but there were cracks in the walls that carved themselves into your heart. Morpheus lack of presence in the realm was breaking, even you could only feel so much of him here…

You pressed your hand against one of the cracks, so shallow they could be passed on as marble-like design. You frowned, peeling your hand away into somewhat of a fist.

"I have to go find my husband."

"My lady," Lucienne gave a gentle interjection as a voice of reason. "If I may… I think it would be best if you stayed. Without Dream, the realm will begin to fade. Your presence might be the only thing keeping this place from ruin."

"But if he's missing and he doesn't return, my presence won't do a thing," you told her. You could see her sigh at your response, not unreasonable but certainly not her favorite. "I need to find him and bring him back. Do you know where he went?"

She shook her head regrettably, "No, I don't. But perhaps you could ask one of his siblings?"

You hesitated at the idea. "Perhaps if it comes to that, but… you know how the Endless are." She sighed and nodded.

You softened at the sight of her despondency, walking over to her as you set your hands on her shoulders. She looked up at you again, and you offered a smile. "I will return soon."

She tilted her head. "He said the same thing."

Your reassuring smile faltered and you let out a breath. "I promise. Have hope, dear friend."

She smiled sentimentally. She set a hand over yours. "I did miss you, my lady," she said.

"And I, you." You blinked a couple of times. They were the last words Morpheus had said to you before you left. "I will be back, and I'll be back with Dream."

It was more to reassure yourself than her. You let out a long breath and stepped away. "Stay safe," Lucienne bid softly.

You smiled. "I always am."

You grasped the edges of your white robes, feeling them between your fingers before sweeping them over your form like billowing sheets in the wind. They enveloped you in magic as you took flight in a blur of feathers of white.

He was somewhere in the Waking World. That was what you knew. You would find him one way or another.

You searched the world, wings and magic carrying you across the vast realm. You searched over land and sea and mountain and countryside. You searched the sky and you searched the caves. The more you searched, the more you wondered, the more you doubted. You couldn't find him, not in the trees, not in the sand. He was being kept from you, a deliberate shield of your senses. When you finished, you swept the Earth again for the ethereal being you could not find.

And then again over.

It was about a month before you finally returned to the Dreaming. You collapsed on the throne, barren of the king it belonged to, exhausted and dismayed.

As if on cue, Lucienne was standing there again. Her face was full of worry and concern as she looked upon you for the first time in a while.

"I can't find him, Lucienne," you lamented. "I searched over the Earth five times, and he was nowhere. I'm worried."

She took a step, "We will find him, my queen."

You nodded gently, looking around as if the answer would present itself. It seemed like it did when your eyes found a depiction of his mask on a carving in the wall. You stood and began descending the steps. "I will ask his siblings. Surely one of them will have an answer—Death, Destiny, even possibly Desire."

As you took the first few steps, you faltered for a moment, your legs weak and your tired arms sore as you caught yourself. Your robe splayed over the floor, dark skies inside of your cloak filled with clouds of grey. Lucienne rushed to your side, helping you stay steady on your feet as she caught of glimpse of the gloomy weather hidden within your cloak. Her brows creased in worry. "You need to rest, my lady. You cannot go out there like this."

You shook your head in protest, dusting yourself off. "I need to find my husband."

"Ma'am, please," she begged. She adjusted the glasses on the tip of her nose, furrowed brows pulled tight with her worry. "You put yourself at risk by leaving as you are. You can't help him if you, yourself, are hurt."

You pressed the meat of your palm to your temple, staving off a headache forming there. You couldn't sleep, without Dream, it was far and few and unpleasantly empty. You sighed, thinking for a moment before resigning with the nod of your head. "Alright," you said, choosing to ease your dear friend's worry. "I'll rest, but then I go straight to them."

She licked her lips, looking down at the ground for a moment. "My lady—if I may," she trailed off, thinking before she spoke again, "the realm needs you."

"The realm has you." You trusted Lucienne to take your place while you were away. She was more than capable of holding the realm together, as far as the residents go.

"I'm just a dream," she shook her head, adjusting her glasses and placing her arms behind her back again, still gripping her journal. "You're his wife. Lord Morpheus is the heart of the Dreaming, you are the heart of Lord Morpheus. The realm needs you." She tilted her head, looking away to organize her thoughts again, careful of her words as though she were speaking to a tempered Dream.

"Some of the dreams are beginning to doubt Lord Morpheus will return," she began slowly. "Some believe that, if you find him…you will abandon them, too."

Your lips parted as you listened to the news. "They think we will leave them behind?" you wondered. "Have they no faith in us?"

"It's not a matter of faith as much as it is a matter of uncertainty. One of the Endless has abandoned their duties before,” her words were guarded. She did not look at you as easily as she said it, uncertain of what your response would be.

Instead you merely sighed and clenched your jaw, looking down as you took her words into consideration. You straightened your back again, “What will you have me do, Lucienne? Leave him?” The thought of it made your blood run cold.

Lucienne sighed. “The walls are cracking. The residents are wavering. I think he would want you to keep the realm safe first.” There was a long pause before she continued, “Perhaps you should assure everyone, mend the damage, then search for him when you have any idea as to where he actually is.” It did not come out as an insult, more as a plea for your ear.

You thought in silence for a while, trying to see if there was another way. Another way to restore the realm’s calm without the expense of leaving your husband to fend for himself, wherever he was. He could be in danger for all you knew. But if he was not in the realm, it would suffer. If you were not in the realm, it would suffer. Lucienne was right, you were the only one who could keep the Dreaming intact, even if only for a little while, until you were certain you knew where Morpheus was. Until you were certain you could find him again.

You looked down at your feet and sighed, defeated by Lucienne's better judgment to your love-rotten mind. You nodded your head and agreed. “Very well. I will,” you swallowed hard before looking up again. “But as soon as I have anything, I find Morpheus.”

She did not argue. “Of course, my lady.”

Without Morpheus' magic, it took three years for your presence alone to heal the cracks in the foundation. When you returned, the residents of the Dreaming eased their worries and allowed you liberty not to be too concerned about their loyalty.

It was tiring—lonesome—to have no clue as to where your husband could've been. Lucienne passed on any information she could, but she had her own responsibilities to the library.

You'd hoped to find him in sleep, as all people did—but even there, your wishes were not answered. Nevertheless, you resigned to bed for the first time in over a week. You, admittedly, did not require much sleep, but without Dream, sleep was much harder to acquire anyway.

Your hand brushed against the empty spot beside you. His pillow was cold, his sheets colder. You laid back gently against your own with a heavy sigh and felt the tears before they were even a thought in your mind. The sobs shook more gently from you, having grown used to the feeling over the past few years. Part of you feels guilty for grieving so much. It's one of the reasons it took so long, your heart was hurting and hope was always wavering because of it. Sleep did not ease you for a long time that night, when you slept and dreamt the first dream in a long time.

A dream through the vision of another's eyes.

High over the expanse of trees. The sounds of other birds, flapping wings. Blue skies, green fields. Then a house, a mansion.

A strange air. A dark presence.

You woke up with a start, breath heavy and loud as your pulse roared in your ears. Raising a hand to ease your thumping heart, you calmed yourself enough to recount the dream that had whispered in your ear.

Jessamy, that beautiful bird.

In the next second, you were dressed in your robes and off to the library. Upon turning the corner to see her stocking shelves, you rushed toward her with a quiet exclamation. "Lucienne!"

She turned to you in a heartbeat, attentive and alert, "What is it?"

You smiled, one of the first genuine smiles she'd seen on you in years. "Jessamy. She showed me where he is. I didn't see him, but I saw a house."

"Are you going there?" she wondered, immediately concerned for your welfare.

"I have to," you take Lucienne's hands. "If there's any chance she's right, I have to take it. You're in charge until I return, and I will be back soon."

Lucienne nodded dutifully, though you could see her hesitance to let her go. But you are the queen, and she is your humble servant. "Be safe, my queen."

"I always am."

And then you were flying into the Waking World, a white crow's wings carrying you across the skies. You searched for her, which was a lot easier than searching for your husband's mysterious location.

You found her perched under a tree, and you shifted upon arrival to greet her. Her wings spread wide in greeting and you smiled. "Jessamy! I've missed you," you held out a hand for her and she stood on your wrist as you brought her up to your level. "Where is he?"

She turned her head in the direction of the large manor she'd shown you in your dreams. Flying away again, Jessamy bid you to take her lead. You transformed in a lunge, chasing after her on nimble paws.

You came up on the manor, watched as she perched on a tree. She turned her head to you, giving a slight bow. You continued on, slowing as you came up on a stray entrance to the house, a tiny hole in the foundation at the side just big enough for you to slip in.

As you squeezed through, you looked around at the grand place. It was an old manor, very traditional and belonging to a family of high standing. You padded along the halls, looking at the architecture and furniture, the vases and paintings.

The sound of voices down the hall had you rushing to find a corner to hide in. You crouched under a chair in the hall just as a tall man dressed in expensive clothes and white hair combed from his face. He had a beard of white, a cane to help him walk. As he passed by you, you followed after, staying low to the ground as you traveled along the wall to remain hidden.

His swift steps resounded along the halls as you followed. He stopped. You stilled. As he turned around, you hid behind a vase on the floor. The fur along your back stood on end, and you crouched low to the ground. His eyes swept the corridor, he hesitated, and then he continued walking once more.

You came up to a door. Turning the handles, he opened it and walked into a room. It was dark, a cellar guarded by two men armed with guns and bored-looking faces—two men who quickly stood to their feet upon his arrival.

So he was the boss. You slipped in just before the door closed, staying close to the wall as you ducked underneath the table both the guards had been sitting. You turned.

And you saw him.

You stared and gawked and gazed at Morpheus, trapped in a globe of glass without a strip of clothing to protect himself. Anger flared within you as the older man stood in front of the glass. He had a stern look on his face as he stood there, hands clasped behind his back as he balanced the cane between his fingers.

He stood there for a while, staring at your dream lord like an ant under his boot. "We've been here before," he sighed, already exhausted of the conversation. "I've asked a thousand times, and I'll ask a thousand more," he said. "Can you return my son to me?"

Morpheus said nothing as he stared with a gaze that would penetrate souls and turn men to boys. The coldness in his eyes, the chill of the silent rage in them made the room freeze.

"No?" he jabbed. "Money? Power? Anything?"

No response.

He hummed, tapping the cane behind his back. He knew the drill. "Very well then."

He left without another word.

As he walked away, you began moving again. You crawled forward, coming from underneath the table in a slow crawl to keep from being so conspicuous, your white fur making you obvious in the darkness.

As Dream stared down at his lap, his brows furrowed. He looked around slowly, sensing the presence of something nonhuman and searching for it. His eyes lifted and found you immediately. No matter who or what you were, he would sense you anywhere.

His eyes found yours, deep and sorrowful and filled with the depths of his love for you. His empty face slowly shifted, lifting in a tiny little smile as he found light in the sight of you.

Your heart cried out for him. He looked so ethereal. To others, he would be a strange creature with strange powers to behold.

But to you, he was your husband. And you loved your husband.

You took a few steps forward, quick and light on your feet. His face shifted again, and he shook his head, the movement miniscule but enough.

You stopped and tilted your head at him. Why?

You tried to step forward again. Another protest.

His eyes pleaded for your heed, teary and regretful. He opened his mouth just a crack and mouthed a simple "no".

You huffed and ignored his words. There was no way you would come this far after spending so much time searching for him, only to leave him behind once you have him in your sights again.

You bounded toward the glass. His lips parted and his eyes filled with regret. You ran across the expanse of the room, jumping over the water that lined the cage as you grew closer to the man who had been trapped here for the last five years.

As you jumped toward the glass, you hit a barrier surrounding the dome. You bounded off of it and landed on your feet, crouched still as you stared frustratedly at the glass. Shit.

The guards looked up as they caught sight of you out of the corner of their eyes. "Oi!" He turned to his friend, patting him roughly on the chest. "Where'd a fucking cat come from?"

"I don't know. Get it!"

You looked at Morpheus again, staring anxiously. He shook his head and looked toward the exit again. You mewled weakly, hesitating as you kept watching him. It had been so long…

You felt fingers brush your backside as you slipped out of the man's grip, skidding away before starting off for the door. He cursed under his breath.

You sprinted toward the closest exit you could find. You slipped through with ease, leaving the complaining man behind as you broke out into the corridor. You kept running and running, stopping only once to glance behind you to see if the halfwits were still after you.

"Hey!"

Your ears perked and you turned quickly as you stared at the man who had imprisoned your husband. He glared at you, bringing his cane up with every intention of smacking you with it.

You hissed violently, arching your back as you backed away with the swat of your paw. He swung at you, just narrowly missing. You bounded in the other direction. He walked after you quickly, just as you broke out through the front door, taking off like a bullet toward the trees.

You heard his exclamation behind you. A loud "fuck!" in the distance as you continued on into the woods surrounding the manor. He watched Jessamy fly down from the trees to fly after you. And then he watched you jump into flight with her. You heard him curse again.

Out into the woods, you stopped to catch your breath. Leaning against a tree on your own two legs now, eyes full of tears and heart full of rage, you cried. Jessamy perched in front of you, hanging her head mournfully.

"He's been in there for five years?"

She bobbed her head in confirmation. You huffed. "We have to save him," you sighed. "But they have a shield against me, I can't get to him myself."

She stared thoughtfully.

You stood straight, dusting off your robes and letting out a heavy breath. You closed your eyes for a moment, steadying yourself and wiping at your face to be rid of your tears. Jessamy flew up to a tree limb, watching and waiting for an order.

You turned toward her, running a hand through your hair to think. "Keep watch, be safe. I will return soon."

She bowed her head again, and you smiled at her as you pet her feathers. She nestled her head into your palm. She'd missed you. Wishing her farewell, you flew off again to the Dreaming.

Roderick Burgess stormed back down to the cellar, clutching his cane tightly in his grip. The last thing he needed to deal with was some bloody bird and a magical cat.

He approached the prison and stood there silently as Dream glared at him with more rage than he'd seen in him since he arrived, even more rage than they'd held when he was first captured.

Voice tight, Burgess watched Dream intently. He grit his teeth. "Who was the cat that came to visit you today?"

As expected, Dream said nothing. What surprised Burgess, however, was the clench of his jaw as he glared at the old man with a burning rage.

"Oh, is it someone important?" he asked, raising a brow. He thought briefly over who it could be that would pull a reaction from this stubborn god after five years of silence. He recalled the warnings he received after first capturing the Endless.

"Well, you'll have to deal with that one." They watched a raven fly off, disgruntled after being struck from a tree. The strange man who'd appeared in Burgess' house turned to him, passing caution. "Her name is Jessamy. She belongs to him."

Burgess' eyes flicked in the direction the bird had escaped. The man turned to leave before stopping abruptly, looking over his shoulder.

"Ah, how could I forget?" he spoke. "There's someone else you'll have to watch for. Much more powerful than a pesky bird."

Roderick tilted his chin, "Who?"

"His wife," he smiled, snapping the word. "The divine Y/N."

Burgess noted the sense of reverence in his voice as he spoke, such high respect for this mystery girl. He furrowed his brow, "Why would I care about his little wife?"

He almost looked offended at the phrasing as he licked his teeth, nearly scowling at the bitter old man. "Because she's the queen. The Goddess of Hope and Transformation, beloved in his realm and this one alike. She'd gone to war for your kind a few years ago." He said it with a hint of distaste.

Burgess stared thoughtfully. The man smiled a little, "Let's just say…she's not one known for letting things go." He tipped his hat, "Best of luck…to the both of us."

"Will I see you again?"

"You should hope not."

Dream's hard eyes were harder still. Roderick's lips turned into a malicious smirk that only curled Dream's anger. "Is it, perhaps…someone special?" He raised a brow. "Your goddess wife?"

Dream tilted his chin slightly, declining his gaze until his dangerous gaze looked deadly. Burgess could have sworn he saw his lip twitch. Progress.

"Perhaps I should catch her next," he suggested, treading dangerous waters. "Maybe she can give me what I want. Or motivate you."

His fists clenched until his pale knuckles were white as pearls. "Oh," he raised his brow, amused. "Have I angered you?" he asked. "Does my suggestion make you upset?"

He tapped his cane sharply against the hard, thinking to himself. "I don't think imprisonment would work on her or you. A broken heart bleeds more than a wounded one."

He didn't break his gaze away from Morpheus as he called the guards' attention. They sat up quickly as he addressed them. "If you see the cat again…"

Dream's glare challenged Roderick as his chest heaved with heavy, rageful breaths. He didn't seem to care. He turned away and started walking.

"Kill it."

You and Lucienne tore through the library in search of any spell that could break the one keeping Morpheus in and you out. You searched public archives, private archives, you searched books even you had only just discovered existed. You found nothing.

You continued back and forth between the Dreaming and the Waking World. Jessamy reported anything new that she could with each visit. Sometimes you snuck in yourself to make sure he was not hurt. Every time he laid eyes on you, you could see the sorrow in the depths of his soul.

Soon, my love.

Over the course of the next five years, even your own rule in the Dreaming was beginning to waver. The cracks were returning, the residents were doubting your search.

You needed Morpheus back. Jessamy seemed to feel the same.

One day, you went to visit her and your husband again. She flew back to the manor with you in tow. You walked after her silently as she made her way into the house. You followed closely, hiding when you needed.

You heard Burgess' steps as he came down the hall, bolting quickly as you hid underneath a chair. Jessamy posed on a lion taxidermy, still as the thing itself as she watched the man. You kept track of his footsteps, heard the sound of a match lighting into a flame, and then saw his shoes leave the room again after a du thump on the seat from something being thrown onto it. You came out of hiding as he left. Jessamy grabbed a match, lighting it flying away and returning with it lit as she dropped it onto a newspaper on the chair. Clever bird.

She returned to your side moments later as the fire caught and flew with you away. Two men, more guards, burst from a room to see what was happening. You saw your chance and took it, entering the cellar with Jessamy about you.

She went straight for him, and you followed as you allowed your magic to grant her more strength to break through the glass when you couldn't. She tapped her beak against the glass, a rapid peck in an attempt to get through. Morpheus watched the both of you and smiled, his eyes full of pride for his girls. It made your heart soar. You were so close to freedom, to him.

You leaned up against the barrier. Jessamy's wings and beak continued to beat against the glass. Dream reached out for the both of you, enthralled in his saviors.

Your ears rang as a loud crack sounded through the air.

You stilled as you felt warm, crimson blood against your snowy fur.

You flinched when Jessamy's mangled and bloodied body landed next to you.

There was another cock of the gun. You turned to see Burgess with it. You bent to take Jessamy in your maw, but Dream's hand tapping insistently against the glass stopped you. His tearful eyes pleaded for you, for you to leave, to flee, to save yourself and never return. He would not see you dead, too.

You faltered and looked back at Burgess, who was aiming the gun at you with a greedy scowl. You moved away just in time for the bullet to pass you. You ran toward them, heading for the open entrance as you tried to get through.

He cocked the gun and shot again, narrowly missing your fleeing body. The guards blocked your way as you tried to weave through. Burgess bent down and picked you up in a steel grip by the nape of your neck, pinching painfully as you hissed and clawed and squirmed.

He glared as he brought you up to his face, ignoring the way you scratched and bit at his wrist. Dream leaned against the glass, hands pressing against the cold material as he watched you struggle to break free.

He brought you up to his face, which proved to be a mistake as you clawed at him. As he granted you a smile, one full of malice and taunting, your ears peeled back as you hissed. Your sharp claws dug into his brow and raked down his face, scraping against his eye as he groaned loudly. He dropped you to the ground as he turned away to cover his eye. You landed on your feet and rushed away as the other guards chased after you.

"Get the damn thing!" You heard Roderick yell from the cellar.

Your heart pounded in your chest, imprinting its shape into your ribcage. As you glanced behind to see if you were being pursued, you missed the person walking around the corner. You screamed again when you were being picked up once more, squirming as a man's hands clamped around your body to keep you still as he held your arms tightly.

You yowled and hissed and screamed, trying to break free but finding it impossible to. Burgess and the guards approached, murderous intent in his eyes and frustrated exhaustion in theirs. "Bring her here."

The man holding you still, some other guard you recognized. You hissed as Burgess came to stand before you. He sneered and looked at you like a pest. You hissed again.

"Come." He turned and made his way back to the cellar, the guard holding you still as he followed. Upon re-entering the cellar, you saw Morpheus again as he sighed deeply and leaned away from the glass. You could see the fear in his eyes.

It was silent as you all just stared, watching one another with a variety of emotions. Burgess spoke.

"Now I have you and your little pet." He seemed to be proud of his achievement. He reached over and grabbed you roughly by your neck and you hissed at the pain. He turned you to face him, scoffing again before dropping you down and kicking you away from him with his expensive leather shoes. The painful sound you let out as you landed roughly on your side pained Dream as he watched you.

You looked at him, whining and trying to stand again. Burgess took quite a bit of joy in kicking you again, striking you roughly and sending you flying again.

"Father!" Alex, Burgess' son, exclaimed.

Burgess turned quickly toward him, raising his cane in his direction in a sharp warning. "Do you want to be next?"

Alex stepped back and bowed his head, staring at the floor regretfully and wincing as he heard his father strike you once more.

You didn't try to stand again. If you did, you would only hurt Morpheus by making him suffer through seeing you hit again. You stayed down.

Burgess huffed and turned to Dream. "Let's see how much you love your little wife."

There were no words to describe the look in your husband's eyes as he glared at Burgess. It was like watching an entire universe fill with blackness, a darkness that consumes galaxies, devours supernovas, destroys black holes from the inside, out. His jaw clenched, his breath heaved, vengeful tears rolled down the tip of his nose and dropped down from his chin.

Burgess huffed. "Keep her here. We shall teach them both a lesson."

He began to leave before turning toward Alex, "And clean that damn thing up." He stormed out of the cellar, leaving you, Alex, and the guards behind.

Slowly, Alex took Jessamy into his hands and stood back to his feet, staring sorrowfully at you and Morpheus before turning and taking his leave.

You sighed and laid on the cold floor, defeated for the moment as the weakness and exhaustion in your muscles crept in. Maybe just a little bit of sleep would do you good. Just a few minutes…

"Oi!"

Your eyes opened again, heavy as you looked at the guards again. "Don't let it sleep," he said to one of the guards. Give it a tablet or something."

Another guard pulled a bottle from his pocket as he rolled his eyes, walking over to you and bending down to grab you. You mewled as he grabbed your sore neck and forces your mouth open to shove a pill inside. You tried to force it out, but he was very thorough in ensuring it went down.

And once the pillow was swallowed, he groaned as he walked away. "Have to go wash my fucking hands now. That's disgusting," he mumbled. "Watch 'em."

"Yeah, yeah." He kicked his feet up as he sat at the desk and sighed. "Hate this fucking job."

You laid there, weak eyes watching Morpheus. He was so beautiful. You could stare at him for hours…

You didn't know how long you spent trapped in that cellar—at least a month, if you were thinking correctly with the passing of time. Burgess kept you weak and awake, a metal collar chained around your neck tight enough so you couldn't slip out. It was bolted to the floor, you wouldn't be escaping anytime soon as you were too hurt to shift out of them.

Burgess would come to the cellar every day and ask things of Dream that he could and would not give. When he gave silence to the man's pesky questions, he would turn to you and have the guards kick you around to encourage Morpheus. You hated it, being the center of his torment.

And what of Lucienne? You hadn't returned when you said and now you were trapped too. How were you to help if you couldn't even get out of your own chains?

You didn't know how long you spent down there with your husband, you held on for the sole purpose of ensuring him that you would both make it out okay. You were his hope, you would not break.

Burgess was angry when he came to the cellar one day. You sighed as you adjusted yourself to sit, ignoring the ache in your bone and muscle as you stared at him. Your fur was grimy, still stained with the blood of dear Jessamy and darkened by dirt and blood of your own.

Your ear flicked as you just stared at Burgess, who didn't regard you as he made his way to Dream. He came up and leaned on the glass, watching him through one eye as the other scarred shut after your defilement. It was a great look on him.

He was silent for a while, he liked to relish in the power of his own silence but despised the silence of others after he'd demanded a reply.

He finally spoke, stressed and annoyed as ever. "The woman who lives with me has gone and robbed me of my fortune," he said.

You remembered this woman. She was kind to you, at least—Ethel Cripps. She used to keep out food for you. On the occasion that she could, she'd even allow you a moment of comfort and a scratch behind the ears. You hadn't seen her since you were captured.

"She's also robbed you," he continued. You tilted your head. "She's taken your helm, your sand, and your ruby." As if you needed another problem to solve…

"Now, I can unlock this, you can go after her, I can let your little thing go…if you give me what I've been asking for. Wealth, youth, immortality." There was a long pause, frustration at Morpheus' silence. "Oh, you're a god. These things are nothing to you."

Another pause. "Don't you want your weapons and your freedom? To see your wife as something other than a bloody cat being thrown around like a ragdoll?"

Dream tilted his head but gave no other response. Burgess' anger got the better of him as he grew impatient, frustrated.

"Speak to me! Speak to me! Speak to me!" He punctuated each word with a sharp strike at the glass with his cane. You watched silently, intently. Your ear twitched and the movement caught his eye as he turned toward you. As he stepped forward, you stood to start backing away, stopped by the chain as you pulled on it to move away some more.

Dream practically jumped to the glass, the rage flaring.

Burgess raised his cane high. "Speak!"

You crouched in anticipation of the strike.

Alex's hand took hold of the cane just before it came down on you. You stared, frozen with fear as your wide eyes went unblinking.

"It's all right, Father."

He turned quickly, dropping his pursuits to glare offended at his son. "Get away from me! If you were any kind of son to me…" He swung his cane at the boy.

Alex struggled not to be hit, moving out of the way as the cane swung and he flailed his arms to catch it. Your heart pounded in your chest, recovering still from such a close encounter.

"If Randall were alive today–"

Alex grabbed it once more, firmly halting his father's attempts to strike him once more. "If Randall were alive, he would hate you as much as I do!"

Burgess stopped and huffed, forcing Alex away and not anticipating him to push back. The force was too harsh for the both of them as Burgess stumbled back, losing grip of his cane after being knocked off balance.

With a sickening smack and a surprised grunt, Burgess fell back against and hit his head against the glass. He brought a hand back to see the blood smeared on his fingers, slumping to the ground as you just watched.

Alex and the guards rushed to him. He wheezed as his blood leaked out over the cold, hard floors. He turned weakly to Morpheus as his eyes fluttered and his breath became labored with the loom of death. "You're never getting out of there," he said, eyes drifting. "Never."

His eyes found you, hooded and fading. You stared at him, your own eyes wide as you watched him. A heavy, cold hand reached out toward you, wanting so desperately to feel one last shred of hope before he left his mortal coil forever.

You stood and turned your back to him.

You heard his hand fall to the floor, a dull thump. You sighed, relief flooding you now that the source of the cruelty was gone…

Alex backed away from his father's body, disoriented and dazed as he stared. He shook his head and looked around with a face etched in confusion and fear.

As you turned around, standing to your feet, Alex's gaze found your thoughtful eyes. You blinked and turned your head to your husband.

Morpheus stood in his cage, his lean body stretching tall as he reached out toward the glass. Your tail and ears twitched, wide eyes watching Alex's gaze hold strong to Morpheus in all his power. He looked hypnotized by your husband's glory as he held his hand out. Just a little more, and you could leave this place forever.

"Don't do it, sir." You hissed at the guard, who ignored you as he continued to plead with Alex. "He'll kill us."

Alex didn't listen, a dopey grin spreading over his lips as he brought Morpheus closer to freedom.

"What would your father say?"

Alex stopped, returning his hand to his side as he returned to his sullen manner. He backed away from the glass, gripping onto reality once more. He tore his gaze from Dream, finding yours shortly after. "I need to think."

He began to walk away, headed toward the door to leave it all behind. A tiny huff left you as you sat, bowing your head in defeat.

It was late that night when Alex returned. You hardly realized it was him, laying limply on the ground as you mourned sleep. You didn't remember the last time you shut your eyes and dreamt.

Quiet, slow footsteps approached you, and you perked your ears slightly at the sound. When you felt cold fingers on your fur, you jumped to your feet and backed away, hissing and arching your back violently. Alex sat before you and frowned, his constant sorrow clear on his face as you swatted.

He knelt in front of you, his hands turned up in his lap to show surrender. "I won't hurt you…"

You stayed away but he watched your stance change as you watched him carefully. He moved slowly, his hands reaching toward you. You backed up as far as you could, once again tugging on the chains around your neck as you looked between him and Morpheus rapidly. "I'm not going to hurt you," Alex bid gently as he finally took the chain in his hand.

"Alex," one of the guards tried.

He just shook his head. "Please." The guard went quiet.

You froze and closed your eyes shut, your breath huffing out of your lungs in a fast, thick rhythm.

You heard the click of a lock.

You felt the weight around your neck lessen until it was no more.

Opening your eyes again, you looked over at Alex to see him holding the heavy metal collar in his hands.

You stayed there, still frozen in place as you stared, wide-eyed.

Alex took in the sight of you, grimy with dirt and blood, the fur around your neck thinner and slightly discolored with the rust of the chains. Snow white fur was now mud brown and copper red and mold green. Alex sighed.

He held his hand out again, and you flinched away from him as he tried to set his hands on your head. He dropped it back into his lap.

"I'm sorry…" he breathed. "For all of this. You don't deserve this—neither of you deserves this."

Still, you stayed. Alex could mistake you for a statue if he didn't know better.

"You can go."

"Alex–"

"Please," he said sternly. He turned to you again, "You're free to leave… I'm sorry."

You looked toward Dream, who watched closely. As you stood up straighter, testing the waters with movements slow and measured, you took a small step away. Then another. And then another.

When Alex made no move to stop you, you moved, to the best of your ability, away and toward your dear husband once more. You stared at him, mewing meekly.

You turned to Alex, who gave a regretful frown. You set a paw on the barrier. He shook his head.

"I'm sorry…" he said. "I'm sorry, I can't… I can't let him free, he'll kill us."

You propped up against the barrier, more insistent that time as flares of gold and white kept you from your beloved. You mewled.

Alex took a dragging step backward, shaking his head reluctantly. "No, I… I can't. I can't do it." He swallowed thickly as you got off the barrier and looked at him, meowing again in an attempt to persuade him again. To no avail.

"I'm sorry, I can't," he breathed. He looked down at his feet, avoiding Morpheus' dangerous gaze. "You should leave." Stepping back again, he turned around and left briskly with the shake of his head.

You huffed silently, turning to face your husband again with a sorrowful gaze. He leaned toward you, resting his forehead to the glass as he sighed. His eyes darted to the door and then back at you. You folded your ears back. He did it again, more insistent this time.

Leave, before you get hurt again.

You mewled, sitting to stare at him.

You heard the guards shift behind you, standing from their chairs as they groaned. One of the men spoke, muttering under his breath as though you could not hear him. "Fuck this. He's going to get us all killed." Then, in a lower voice, he whispered, "The Magus said kill it, so I'm going to kill it."

You heard him step forward, and then a protest from the other man. "It's a goddess."

"It's a cat." He scoffed, "Man up."

Dream gave the approaching man a hard glare, hoping to deter him and merely receiving a pause before he was walking again, trying to sneak up on you. Dream gave you a pleading look as you stayed there, staring at him remorsefully.

His lips cracked open and formed a single, silent word coming from deep within his soul as his eyes welled with tears.

Go.

Just as the guard came up behind you, lunging forward in an attempt to bring you into his clutches, you darted away. You ran and you ran and you ran, both men in pursuit as you escaped them with as much speed and strength as your weak body could muster, running on nothing but pain and adrenaline.

As you broke out into the world for the first time in a month, you had no time to smell the fresh air or feel the night sky on your fur. You ran and ran and kept running until you found yourself crossing the threshold of the Waking World and the Dreaming.

"My lady…"

A mumble sounded in your ears, a far away feeling fluttering over you as if your soul and your mind were not attached to your body.

"My lady."

Your awakening was violent, like being awoken by a gunshot or a million trumpets blaring in your ears. You shot up and tried to find steady ground in a world without. You kept slipping, not quite finding a grip on the plane you found yourself in.

"Calm, my lady," a voice beckoned. "Calm."

You looked over to see Lucienne, kneeling beside you with a face deep with worry. You hadn't seen her smile in some time.

You caught your breath, which you only just now realized was aching your lungs. A warm hand grabbed yours and you held on tight as you looked around yourself. Upon setting your sights on a world of black sand and sea, you sighed. Home. You were home.

"My lady," Lucienne's voice called your attention again. You turned toward her again, moving to stand, to brush the sand from your robes.

"What happened to you?"

You followed her gaze to your robes where you met the source of much of her concern. You were covered in dried blood and grime, your skin was discolored from the bruising…

You met her eyes again. "I…"

She sighed and offered a kind smile. "We should get you back to the castle. You've been missed…"

You nodded and walked with her toward the grand entrance of the kingdom. The doors opened, and you stepped through to see the kingdom far darker and far more desolate than you last left it.

You swallowed thickly as you walked with Lucienne, immediately noticing how much the population had dwindled. There were still plenty of Dreams and Nightmares running around, but there were also plenty you were missing.

Upon seeing you, faces lit up all around, deterred only when they soon noticed the tarnishing of your white robes. You kept waking, holding Lucienne's hand as you went.

Once in the shelter of the throne room, you collapsed at the foot of the stairs. You were still recovering, the wound was so fresh…

"My lady!" Lucienne exclaimed, coming to your side once more to sit next to you.

"I'm okay," you assured her, holding out a steady hand.

"What happened?" she asked again, more desperate this time for her queen.

"I…" You sighed to gather your thoughts, closing your eyes for a moment before finally replying. You were not used to talking much.

"I went to the manor again with… with Jessamy." You swallowed thickly. "We had come so close to freeing him but… but they killed her." Your fists clenched as the memory invaded your mind. She watched your face as you recalled it, far off and angry, your fingers brushing blood on your cheek. "They slaughtered her."

Lucienne looked away, the wheels turning in her head as she processed what you'd just told her. Jessamy was gone. She was dead. Lucienne would never see her again…

"I tried to run but they caught me…locked me in the cellar with him and," your eyes shut and you shook your head gently to be rid of the memory, "and abused me to hurt him."

"I'm sorry, my queen," Lucienne spoke gently, bowing her head.

"Burgess is dead."

She looked at you again, her gaze snapping toward you. "Is Lord Morpheus–"

"No." You cleared your throat. "His son let me go but is too afraid of Dream to set him free. I only barely got out before the guards were after me again."

Lucienne looked away thoughtfully, shaking her head in an attempt to take everything in. "My lady…" she sighed. "You should rest. You've been through…a lot."

You cleared your throat, looking at yourself again as you nodded. "Yes, you're right. I should." Again you nodded. "Alright."

You stood to your feet, peeling your robe off of you and standing in your gown. You turned to leave, stopping just at the beginning of a hall before turning toward her again. "Thank you, Lucienne… I missed you deeply."

"Of course, my lady," she smiled gently. You bowed your head in a gentle nod. She softened some more. "I missed you, too, Y/N."

A soft smile widened your lips just a smudge and you nodded again before turning to leave. You locked yourself in your bedroom and prepared your bath, sinking into the hot water and letting it remove the filth from your skin.

It wasn't until you were washed clean that you began to cry again.

It amazed you how quickly war could befall the world of man. How quickly human squabbles could grow into something so devastating.

You would have to leave again. Humanity could not survive without hope; and in a war, you were detrimental to that spark of life.

After taking time to recover—attempting and failing to mend some of the cracks in the Dreaming—you began to go back to the manor again to persuade Alex to set your husband free, to no avail. The guards still tried to hurt you and Morpheus still tried to get you to stop coming back for him.

You wept alone in the woods for a long time as you considered your choice, your duty. You would have to leave him, and you don't know when you'd be back.

You just wanted to see him before you left, to look upon his face without the danger of being shot while you were in a vulnerable form.

As you walked into the house, dodging the residents who walked the halls for work or leisure, your steps were quick and silent as they always had been.

You found him in his study, the door cracked open as if beckoning you. You nudged the door with your body and ventured inside. His back was turned, hunched over his work.

You called his attention with a gentle mewl, looking up with more narrowed eyes. Alex turned and laid eyes on you. For a moment, you could see the flash of fear as he saw you, afraid you were going to hurt him.

But you just stared at him, unblinking and still.

"Hello," he said tentatively. "Um… if this is about him, I… Look, I don't want him here anymore than you do. But if I let him go… he could come after us. He could hurt me or-or Paul. I can't let him." He swallowed thickly. "I'm sorry."

You did nothing in response. Alex watched you stare at him. He sighed, "I don't know how to help you."

You turned your attention to a newspaper discarded somewhere in the room. The headline read "SECOND WORLD WAR BREAKS" in big, bold lettering.

His brows furrowed and he set down the pen he'd been holding in his hand. "What?" he asked. "I don't understand."

He heard a tiny huff come from you, frustrated that he hadn't put it together yet. You walked over to the paper, dragged it over to where you were sitting, and tapped on it repeatedly.

"Oh," he mumbled. "Oh."

Now he'd gotten it.

"I…I can't enlist. I wouldn't know the first thing."

You huffed louder this time. You shoved the paper closer and sat on it. You tilted your head expectantly, the closest you could get to a brow raise in this form.

"Oh, you have to go?" You curled your tail. "Of course… It's your job." You laid down, practically sighing your relief.

"Well," he mumbled, "you can go… I'm certainly not keeping you."

You yowled at him, losing your patience with his thick-headedness. You stood and circled your spot, pacing the entirety of the room with senseless noise before stopping at the door and sitting next to it. He felt like a toddler being scolded by a cross mother with the way you "spoke" to him.

He seemed to put it together, at least. "Oh… you want to see him."

You answered his question by walking out of the door. He stood and followed you, walking behind as you led the way to the cellar where your husband was being kept. He opened the creaking door to let you in.

The guards stood quickly at the sight of you, pointing their guns. You paid them no mind as you continued walking. Alex was quick to stop them. "No, don't shoot!" he exclaimed. "It's alright. Let her through."

They were confused by the order, but obeyed nonetheless. They sat back down, half-heartedly continuing their games and light chatter as Alex closed the door and sat by it, watching.

You locked eyes with Morpheus, continuing closer until you were forced to stop by the boundary spell set against you. You sat down and looked up at your husband, taking in the sight of him with sad eyes.

He looked back, seeming to read every single intent in your eyes as you watched one another. After a while, you saw a stray tear slipping down the apple of his cheek as his wet gaze bore into yours.

Your own fur was damp now as a tear slipped from your own eye, a mirror of him. You hated to leave him here, to go to aid in humanity's problems when it was humanity who stole your husband from you. But you knew you couldn't look at it that way. You were hope, and if you lost that in yourself, they would all be doomed.

So for hours you sat and stared at one another silently. For hours you memorized every little detail in Dream's face and imprinted it in your mind.

And all those hours would never be enough as you walked out of that room for the last time in the next ten years of war and recovery.

"How many are there?"

Lucienne walked at your side as you ventured slowly down the bridge leading to the palace. The realm's various colors and lusters had dulled. The stoney bridge was dark and desolate, cracking at the edges with patches of eroded rock. The fingers which curled around the bridge were deformed, a couple have fallen off and descended into the waters below.

You ran your hand over one with a sigh and the shake of your head. "Nearly half the residents have left since last you were here, ma'am," Lucienne reported.

"Half?" You turned to her with wide eyes, "Half the residents are gone?"

She nodded, "They feared you weren't returning either. If the Queen Mother leaves and the King isn't here to rule, there's no reason to stay. They felt as though the Dreaming was…an abandoned kingdom."

"They know about the war," you argued feebly. "They know it is my duty to tend to the humans in their times of need."

"And some went looking for you to aid so that they might bring you back when the job is done," she said. She blinked a few times and turned her gaze to the floor. "But…"

"But?" you urged.

"Others weren't so sure."

You shook your head and sighed, continuing to walk faster down the bridge to get to the palace. The closer to the palace you got, the more Dreams and Nightmares you spotted. They must have been fleeing the outskirts of the crumbling realm where it was most dangerous. Upon your entry, you saw how much had been destroyed by their king and queen's absence.

"And what of the realm?" You said, going to some of the residents who approached you, relief in their faces. You gave a kind smile and cradled their grasps.

"The palace is the most intact thing there is. But the cracks are larger and many of the rooms have been closed off or have completely disappeared. Half the books in the library are either empty or their words are dissolving off the pages. Towns and villages have been abandoned. It's hardly safe for anyone anymore."

You set your hand against the castle doors, bowing your head and sighing before turning back to your faithful librarian. "Move the Dreams who have lost their homes into the palace. Those remaining may come as well at their leisure."

"Of course, my lady. Shall I gather the remaining books and search for any spells to free–"

"Magic won't work," you said, pushing open the doors to get to the throne room. You sat on the steps leading up to Dream's throne, your robe splaying out over the stairs. Lucienne could see the blue skies replaced with grey clouds darker than she last saw them.

"I've tried a hundred times and then another hundred times over." You set your face in your hands, "I have no power in that house, much less that cellar, while he's locked up as he is. He's trapped in, and I'm trapped out."

Lucienne thought for a moment, reaching a hand out in offering. "Well, hope–"

"Hope took three years last time. It will take longer this time. I can't do another gods-knows-how-long away from him," you said. You swallowed hard, wiping your face in your hand and urging the frustration out of you. "I haven't even seen him yet. I came straight here."

Lucienne tried to say something to help, but she had nothing. She shook her head, taking a step back. "I don't know what to do, my lady."

"Neither do I."

There was a long silence between the both of you as you thought about your next course of action. Your mind was slow, hazy from a decade of nonstop work. You could hardly think straight with ten years of no real sleep… well, longer than that without your Dream.

You sighed and stood to your feet. "I will rest for now. I need my strength. Tomorrow… I will call forth the Fates."

Lucienne's eyes widened in protest as she heard your plan. She stepped forward again, "The Fates? Are you sure that is a wise decision?"

"It's my last hope, Lucienne."

She paused at the desperation in her voice, bowing her head again as she let a sigh pass through her lips. She straightened her back and nodded once, her worry clear across her face. "Very well."

You walked through a meadow of flowers and fields, looking over the rising sun as the golden light gleamed against your skin. You stood there for another moment, taking in a deep breath of the fresh dew-filled air.

You shed your robe and began to shake it, wishing away the grey skies and dark clouds to bag the rising sun in your cloak with one grand sweep across the sky. As you set the robe back over your shoulders, you examined the symphony of pinks and yellows and blues with a gentle smile.

Sunrises and sets were promises of rebirth and new beginnings for every day and for every night, a promise of new hope. It was what the Fates required.

You swept your robes again and took to the skies, appearing upon a little cottage where wind chimes rang peacefully in the gusts of morning air. Since one could call upon the Fates with the coming of the wind, you could pluck the chimes from the porch to offer to them. It was what the Fates required.

With two of three items collected, you could move on to the final prize.

You stood in another meadow, one erupting with more colorful growth than the last as a cacophony of flowers fluttered with the kisses of butterfly wings. You looked over the creatures with smiles before opening your robes. They swarmed around you in moments, disappearing in flocks of color into the sunrise in your cloak. Butterflies were symbols of transformation and hope throughout time. It was what the Fates required.

You let your robes fall over your form again, turning toward one of the trees. There are chrysalises hanging onto a branch, cocooned in their catalysts. You wrapped your fingers around it, filling it with a piece of your magic before breaking it off the tree. You brushed your finger over one of the leaves and set the branch back in your coat.

And again, you were gone. As you set your feet over the growth of a field of black grass, you looked around for a moment.

"I, Lady Y/N, Goddess of Hope and Transformation, summon The Fates...the Three-Who-Are-One, the One-Who-Is-Three. The Hecate."

A rumble of thunder rolled in the sky as you directed your gaze. A strike of lightning flashed before you saw them. You could still hear the faint melody of the wood chimes as you laid eyes upon the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone.

They descended their gazes upon you as they took you in for the first time in many, many years.

"Y/N…" the Mother began, "How have you been, luvvy?"

The Maiden added, "How're the humans treating you?"

"How's the husband treating you?" the Crone asked.

"Now, sister-self," the Mother scolded with a smile on her face. "You know the answer to that."

The Crone chuckled lightly, turning back to you as she tilted her head, "I suppose you've come for your husband?"

You smiled, despite the annoyance you felt for her jest. "Surprise," you said. "Ever the wisest."

"What is it, dear?" the Maiden kindly inquiried.

You nodded gently. "I do hope you can offer the help I require."

"Well, what are we here for?" The Mother grinned, holding her hands out between her sister-selves.

"We do, it seems," the Maiden began, "hold a debt…"

"But you brought us gifts anyway." The Crone's smile seemed always shifty to you as she pointed her eyes toward your cloak.

You directed your smile toward her, opening your robes and allowing your gifts to jump out, offering them up to the Fates. The butterflies swarmed chaotically around the women, curling around the forms, until they settled in the Maiden's skin with their butterfly kisses.

The sunrise slipped from your robes and seeped into the sky like a great painting. The last butterfly landed against the Maiden's nose, fluttering its wings before laying them flat against her face. It seeped into her cheeks, the patterns of its wings turning into freckles against her skin.

The Mother smiled, "You may ask us three questions, and you shall have one answer from each of us."

"Thank you, ladies," you smiled. "My first question. My husband has been trapped for 33 years, will he be free?"

A vision of Dream in his captivity flashed before you as the Maiden's voice filled your ears.

"Lord Morpheus will walk freely again upon the Dreaming and the Earth." You watched Dream's eyes open, his intense gaze glinting back at you. "You will see your husband free again, his captivity is not an eternal one."

You turned back to her, desperation filling you all-too suddenly. "When?"

"Come now, dear," she chuckled. "One question. You know this."

"Of course," you sighed, offering a smile. "My apologies. For my second question, I need to know: is there a spell that I could use to set him free?"

You saw visions of the gold bindings trapping your husband, the spell you analyzed over and over again to try and come up with a counter-spell, all in vain.

The Mother spoke, "The magic set against you is strong. Unfortunately, it's strong enough to thwart your temperament, even with how powerful you are."

You sighed and shook your head. "Of course," you mumbled. You straightened your back again, "For my last question… The Dreaming is crumbling, how can I save it without my husband's power?"

The meadow you had just come from combined with the sunrise you collected in your robe. Butterflies flew around you as they perched on the flowers in the field.

"You are a symbol of hope and change," the Crone said. "To maintain the Dreaming's powers, hearts must have hope and minds must be changed."

Straight to the point, as always.

You offered a smile, nodding gently. "Thank you, dear Fates."

They tilted their heads, chuckling lightly. "Until next time, lady goddess."

They left you to a sunset, a couple of butterflies flitting around the space as you pulled the branch from your robes. "That was helpful," you muttered, cradling the branch.

"Well," Lucienne walked forward, her hands behind her back, "the Fates have never been the most helpful beings." You sighed, handing the cocoons to Lucienne. "What about these?" she questioned as she held them in a tender grip.

"Those were not for the Fates." You walked with her by your side. "These are for the Dreaming. The people need hope." You looked at her, "If they survive as the Dreaming falls, we shall have it."

Too many years had passed since your husband was captured. Alex still refused to let him go until he promised not to do them harm. You could not do anything to help. You just stalled around the house in hopes of stumbling upon an answer. It was the only thing that seemed to be worth it.

Nearly all the residents of the Dreaming were gone. As the world crumbled, so did their last hope that you or Dream would come through.

The cocoons never hatched. They sat idly by in the castle. You were clinging to the words the Fates had told you as a century without Morpheus passed.

"You will see your husband free again…"

It was the last hope you had left. You couldn't give up.

You sat under the crumbling ceiling of the castle, your head resting against your arms as you pulled your legs to your chest.

It had been a particularly hard day for you. You walked along the Dreaming, taking in the new damage and found that your decaying garden had disappeared completely. It was one of the only things that had remained mostly intact, something you and Morpheus had built together after you were married. Now it was gone.

You were fading, your last ounce of hope shriveling up like your garden. Your tears stained your sleeves as you wiped your face, sniffling quietly.

But then you felt a strange shift in the air that made you feel… something. A feeling akin to pure elation.

You flew back to the Waking World with a speed you hadn't breached in a very long time. You nearly stumbled onto your feet when you shifted again, taking off running toward the manor as you felt the pull growing quickly.

The humans who spotted you in the hall weren't paid nearly as much to care, it seemed, as they let you pass without more protest than a little call of annoyance.

You rushed into the cellar, hissing at the guns pointed at you. Their attention was stolen as glass shattered, a bright shine blinding the guards as they shielded their hands, shouting over the howling of the wind.

Morpheus climbed out of the remains of the dome, lean body maneuvering easily. "Oi! Show me your hand!" One of the guards yelled as Dream balled his fist.

He raised his hand to his face and took a deep breath. A gust of sand flew out from his hand, surrounding the guards in his magic. They fell to the ground as sleep overtook them.

You stood there, eyes wide, chest rising and falling out of breath as you gazed at him. You shifted, a soft glow emanating from your body as your white robes settled over your body once more.

"Morpheus," you whispered, eyes glistening with tears full of rejoice.

The smile that took his face was utterly breathtaking. He held a hand to you, beckoning you closer with his own tear-filled eyes.

"My love."

You rushed into his arms. As soon as your bodies collided, his own dark robes materialized over his. He held you closely, practically crushing you to his chest as you buried your face in the crook of his neck. His hand cradled the back of your head as you huffed out a long, shuddering breath at the feeling of finally holding your husband again.

He pulled you closer still, swaying gently as you enveloped him in all your warmth and love. "At long last," he breathed, nestling deeper into your neck.

"My husband," you sighed as you allowed your tears to freely spill. "I missed you so much. I'm sorry I could not set you free. I tried so hard, it never worked."

"Shh," he whispered. He pulled you back to look at you. "Do not fret anymore, my darling wife." His voice washed over you like honey, soothing you as you finally heard it for the first time in over a century. You melted against him.

"I have something I must do before we return," he breathed, cradling your head still before leaning in and pressing his lips to your forehead, his eyes closed shut and his heart full. "Wait for me?"

You nodded, pulling away from him and cradling his face in your hands. You brushed your thumbs over his cheeks, under his bottom lashes. How wonderful it felt to have him in your hands again. You brought him back down to your forehead and nodded a second time. "Always."

His tangible form slipped in your hands, and you turned to look at the cellar you would soon be abandoning forever. You knelt down next to the two guards lying on the floor, lost in a terrible dream, you assumed. Laying your fingers against their foreheads, you pressed against their temples as you exercised your will, a will you would soon place upon the rest of the house.

You would not kill those who worked under Burgess, but you could not let them roam free for what they did to you, to your husband. They'd stripped you of so much over the last century, the very fiber of your being brought into question with the creeping slivers of doubt that you would never see Morpheus free again.

That was what you would do. Replicate the hurt, the lost, the pain and suffering. As you let the heartbreak of the last century consume you, it embedded itself in the house like a plague, seeping into every corner and taking over every life that they would be cursed to be without hope for as long as they lived.

And when Morpheus returned to his last deal of business with Alexander Burgess, he took your hand and returned with you to the Dreaming.

"Morpheus," you whispered, cradling his head in your lap as he lay in the black sand. "My love, wake up."

You heard shuffling in the sand and looked up as you saw Lucienne rushing over. "Sir!" She exclaimed. "Sir!"

You beamed as you beckoned her closer. She knelt down in the sand beside him. She offered her hand as he took in a breath, his eyes slowly cracking open to reveal the both of you.

"Sir, it's me," she smiled. "It's Lucienne."

He smiled, slow and soft as he saw her, his faithful librarian. "Lucienne."

"You're home," she beamed, looking between the two of you as you lay there, finally reunited.

"I am." He grabbed her hand as the both of you helped him to his feet. He looked toward the doors which lead to his kingdom, his realm of dreams. He raised his hand, willing them to open and reveal what lay beyond them.

You could feel a pit in your stomach rising at the idea of him seeing what his realm had become. You took his hand, squeezing it gently and looking at him with pleading eyes. "Dream…"

He tilted his head, turning to you as he placed his free hand against your cheek. "What is it?" he asked gently.

Before you could reply, Lucienne was speaking for you. "Forgive me, sir, but… the realm, the palace," she said, "...they are not as you left them."

He turned his head and looked upon his desolate realm as the gates finally opened to reveal it to him, a kingdom turned to ash and rubble. Silence and despair stuck to every corner, every dark shadow cast over the land.

"What happened here?" he breathed sorrowfully. "Who did this?"

You sighed heavily, shaking your head as you stared at the perishing castle. "We tried. I tried to stop it, but I wasn't strong enough…"

Lucienne spoke up again, "My lord, you are the Dreaming, the Dreaming is you. With you gone as long as you were, the realm began to… decay and crumble."

"When I first returned two years after you'd been taken, there were only a few cracks in the foundation. It took three years to mend myself," you began, kneeling down beside a few stray blades of grass that drooped low with scarce life. "When I left for the second time… nearly half the realm had been destroyed."

He took in this information with a frown, his eyes pricking with tears at what he learned. "And the residents? The palace staff?"

Lucienne sighed, "I'm afraid most have gone."

"Gone?"

"Some went looking for you, sir. Some looked for your lady while she was away at war, and then off again when she was caught by Burgess."

"And the others?"

"They thought, perhaps," she tread lightly with her words, "you'd grown weary of your duties and–"

"What?" Morpheus questioned, unbelieving of such an idea. "Abandoned them? Had they so little faith in me, even with my wife here to uphold it? Do my own subjects not know me?"

Lucienne jumped in, adjusting the glasses on the tip of her nose to sit further on the bridge. "If I may, sir. It wouldn't be the first time one of the Endless had just–"

"Enough."

"Morpheus," you whispered, taking his hand again.

"I will not have Dreams and Nightmares preying on the Waking World," he declared. "I will bring them all back. I made this realm once, Lucienne. I will make it again."

He began his trek through the realm as the both of you lingered at the door. You shared a look with your librarian, taking her offered arm and walking with her behind him.

During the walk, you watched as Morpheus' hand flexed at his side, like it was hurting him. He glanced over his shoulder at you, a gleam in his eyes that made your heart jump in your chest. You stepped forward again and took his hand, pressing yourself into his side. Oh, how good it felt to be within his embrace.

You finally managed to steal him away for a moment to have him to yourself. You pulled him into the hall, holding his hand tightly. Despite the grimness of his surroundings, your presence alone seemed to put a smile on his face—a sad smile, but a smile nevertheless.

You looked back at him over your shoulder, seeing his lovestruck grin as he watched you. You paused in front of a door, hand on the handle, and chuckled lightly. The kingdom was crumbling, but you would always be as radiant as the sun.

"What?" you wondered aloud.

He stepped forward and into your personal space—not that it ever existed with him. He took your face in his hands and stroked his thumbs over your cheeks. You grabbed his wrists, returning the favor over his pulse. You smiled longingly at him.

"I've missed you dearly," he breathed against your lips.

You sighed, "And I, you." Your smile fell slightly as you stared into his star-filled eyes. "I'm sorry for not taking better care of the Dreaming. I could have avoided this."

He shook his head to silence you, leaning in even closer without yet pressing his lips to yours. "You did not disappoint me. You had nothing to do with any of this. I know you did everything within your power with Lucienne to fix this. Do not place blame where none is due. You are alright, my Y/N."

How you've missed his voice as he spoke to you in his low, velvety tones. His eyes glistened like magical waters, as if they were ponds swimming with stars.

"Will you kiss me, Dream?" you asked, gaze glued to his own.

He smiled, his eyes shifting between yours and your parted lips. "I thought you'd never ask."

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to your own, cradling the back of your head as he pulled you close. His lips molded against yours and consumed you with love and care and hope. Your heart fluttered in your chest as you tasted his kiss for the first time in over a century.

The both of you pulled away, lingering so close that all it would take was a little nudge, and you'd be kissing him again. Your lips tingled as you slowly allowed your eyes to open. He stared at you longingly.

"I love you," he spoke breathlessly, as if it was taking his entire soul to say those words to you, and even that wasn't enough.

You beamed, and it was like an arrow to the heart as he watched your beauty unfold. "I love you, too," you told him. "More than you truly know."

He leaned in to kiss you once again, only giving pause when you both heard the sound of the door clicking open. You turned your head toward the door next to you, setting your hand on the knob. While he would normally stop you, afraid of you being hurt, this was his realm. Broken or not, nothing here would harm you.

You pushed it open slowly, only to yelp when a strange swarm burst from the door. You looked around you at the kaleidoscope of butterflies surrounding the two of you as he held you close. You both stared in awe as the beautiful creatures flapped their gorgeous wings about you.

"They hatched," you gasped. "They've been dormant for nearly eighty years, and they hatched." You sighed, watching them. "They're beautiful." You stared at the butterflies, eyes wide with wonder. Morpheus' gaze turned back to you, gluing onto the star-struck smile on your face.

Never, throughout all his lives, had he ever seen anything with more beauty than his darling wife. Sometimes he felt like a thief when he thought of you, like he'd stolen you all for himself so he would never have to share with the rest of the world. Never once did he ever feel ashamed by it. Because you were his, and he was yours, and he loved you more than anything in every world.

His face softened, and his eyes glittered with gentle tears. "Yes," he breathed. "Beautiful."

The Sandman taglist: @poetic-fiasco @the-nerdy-goddess @life-on-needs @fanreader @jamiethenerdymonster @sarahbullet235 @majestyjade @melinoe-the-rat @katsukis1wife @sugakookieswithacupoftae16 @hatterripper31 @kplatzman Dreamers taglist: @meg-the-second-greatest @killerqueen-ofwillowgreen @gortycs @octo-octopie @damianodavidhands @alexxavicry @rosaren2498 @sayumiht @jaritzaflores94 @evabalexeeva @cl-0-vr

#morpheus #morpheus x reader #morpheus x fem!reader #morpheus fanfic #morpheus fanfiction #dream of the endless #dream of the endless x reader #dream of the endless x fem!reader #dream of the endless fanfic #dream of the endless fanficiton #the sandman #the sandman x reader #the sandman fanfic #the sandman fanfiction #fanfic #fanfiction #female reader #reader insert

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wonusdoll · 2 years

Text

LEMONADE } pjs.

warnings: none

genre: sm fluff it hurts </3

word count: ?

summary: park jisung is utterly, and completely in love with you.

note: this is a draft thats been rotting in my drafts for like months and i thought it was cute so here it is unfinished.

"Shes my sunshine in rain,

My tylenol when i'm in pain yeah,

Let me tell you what she means to me.."

Meeting Jisung was the best accident to have ever happened. Maybe it was the slow dancing in the kitchen, the gentle embraces, waking up to each other in the morning, or the constant teasing; But never will you regret being a clutz as it's led you to your perfectly imperfect boyfriend.

Jisung kisses the back of your hand softly with a smile, "Tired?" He asks.

His romantic antics make a blush creep onto your cheeks. Even after so many years, Jisung never seemed to fail to make you so giddy inside. His touch, his gentleness, his concern; Butterflies in your stomach never settled.

You hum and nod, bringing the blanket on your laps up to your neck, careful not to disturb your dog that has been sleeping in your lap for the whole movie night. closing your eyes, you didn't notice Jisung had turned off the tv until he leaned your head onto his shoulder, making you flutter your eyes open. Jisung notices and rubs your leg comfortingly under the blanket.

"Do you want to go to bed?"

"No, it's okay.. i just... want to be with you." You mutter into his neck, relaxing your eyes shut again. His calming presence always seemed to ease your mind, never having to worry around him.

Jisung chuckles lowly and presses a kiss atop of your head, "I'll always be with you, angel."

"Like a tall glass of lemonade,

When it's burning hot on summer days,

She's exactly what i need"

Jisung thought he was crazy. He thought he was completely mental when he realized he wanted to marry you. It had only been a month when he realized. It was his 21st birthday.

Jisung came home from a stressful day at work. He told everyone he didn't want to celebrate as he was working on the day, and although they were all disappointed, they agreed and only sent him birthday gifts and messages. He immediately noticed something was up when he saw the lights all off. You were apparently waiting at his house; did you leave?He only shook his head with furrowed brows, deciding not to dwell on it though he was very sad you supposedly left.

Jisung opened the front door and was met with the smell of something delicious.

"Y/n??" He shouted out for you as he took his shoes off. "Are you home??"

It took a second but he heard your giggles from the kitchen. He grinned and shook his head at your attempt of being sneaky. He found it adorable how you managed to out yourself not even 2 seconds into your scheme. Jisung decided to be nice and pretended he didn't hear you. He walked carefully into his dark house, scared he'll trip over something you planted or clumsily dropped.

The second he entered the kitchen, you popped up from behind the island with a cake in your hands, "Happy birthday, Sung!!" You exclaimed, laughing at your laughing boyfriend. Although he knew you were there because of the glowing light of the candles, and because you were loud earlier, he amused your trick and yelped in surprise any ways. Jisung looked at you with adoring eyes as you introduced all the food you cooked him for his "special birthday dinner".

"Jaemin helped me with the cake recipe because I remember you said that the cake he baked you for your 18th birthday was the best cake you've ever had, and so hopefully I did it some justice." You rambled as you fed him a piece of the chocolate cake.

His heart fluttered. How could you have remembered such a small thing he briefly mentioned? little things never get by you. And that's why Jisung loves you. Love. A feeling Jisung didn't know he was capable of feeling so soon. He was scared, but he trusted you to take care of his heart.

#yes that is it i was too lazy to finish #nct dream #park jisung fluff #fluff #park jisung #nct #nct dream jisung

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melanieph321 · 9 months

Text

One of my favorite chapters from my Mick Schumacher fic.

Link below if you want to read the full story!

Study Buddy Last Forever - Chapter 12

+18

Enjoy!

Sabrina paced anxiously in the waiting room of the hospital, her mind racing with worry. With Mick's parents out of town, Sabrina felt responsible for his wellbeing and desperately pleaded with her mother to allow the family to be with Mick at the hospital.

After what felt like an eternity, the doctor finally emerged from the examination room. He wore a concerned expression on his face, which only served to further escalate Sabrina's anxiety. She rushed towards him, nearly tripping in her haste.

"How is he? Is Mick going to be alright?" Sabrina's voice trembled with fear as she clutched onto her mother's hand for support.

The doctor's gaze softened as he spoke gently, "Mick has indeed suffered a concussion and a broken nose. It's a bit severe, but he'll be alright with proper care. We've determined that he doesn't need to stay overnight, but he does need to be kept under surveillance for the next few days."

Sabrina felt a rush of relief wash over her, followed by a surge of protective determination. She immediately turned to her mother, her eyes pleading.

"Mom, please, can we bring him home? He shouldn't be alone right now. I don't want him to wake up scared and in pain. We can take care of him."

Her mother listene d intently, assessing the situation. After a moment's thought, she nodded and gave Sabrina a comforting smile.

"All right, honey. We will bring Mick home. We'll make sure he's comfortable and well taken care of," her mother reassured her.

Once back home, Mick was settled into the guest room, where he would spend the next few days recovering. Sabrina busied herself with setting up a comfortable space for him, making sure everything he might need was within arm's reach. The room was bathed in soft, comforting lighting, creating a calming ambiance.

As night fell and the household grew quiet, Sabrina couldn't bear the thought of Mick being alone. She approached his room, gently knocking on the door before slowly opening it. The sight before her tugged at her heart.

Mick lay in bed, his features relaxed in sleep, his face wrapped in bandages. Sabrina couldn't help but admire his resilience, even in the face of such adversity. She cautiously approached the bed, the floor creaking under her weight. The sound stirred Mick, and his eyes fluttered open.

"Sabrina?" he mumbled groggily, his voice filled with confusion.

Sabrina smiled warmly, intertwining her fingers with his. "Hey, Mick. I couldn't sleep knowing you were alone. Mind if I keep you company?"

A grateful smile curved Mick's lips, and he scooted over to make room for her in the bed. Sabrina climbed in beside him, the warmth of his presence easing her worries. They settled into a comfortable silence, finding solace in each other's arms, drifting off to sleep, finding strength and healing in the simple but profound act of falling asleep in each other's arms.

***********************************************

"How is he doing?"

School was the last thing on Sabrina's mind. She wanted to be home with Mick, however her mother wouldn't let her skip school.

"He's okay. The doctor says he's supposed to take it easy for a few days."

"So are you guys sleeping in the same room or…"

"Klaus!" Paulina slaps his arm.

"What?" He winced. "They are living under the same roof now, aren't you curious to know?"

"Of course not. That is such a private question to ask her."

Sabirna's smiled at them. It made her feel better, being surrounded by friends. "We don't sleep in the same room." She clarified. "Mick is staying in the guest room."

"Oh." Klaus said, disappointed by the fact.

"I wish he wasn't though, I worry that he'll need me at night and that I won't hear him. People can die of concussions, you know."

"I know honey, I know." Paulina brings Sabrina in for a hug. "The doctor said he's going to be fine though, so no need to worry. Mick and Hans will be back to rehearsing the play in no time."

"Yeah, how is that going?" Sabrina was excused from the drama club from the rest of the week to catch up on her studies. Mr Schutlze was too busy rewriting the script anyway, none of the drama students had much to do until then.

"Klaus says Mr Schultze is turning the play into a pride parade."

"That's because he is." Klause seconded.

"Yes but try running that past the school board. The principal won't like it."

"Why not?" Sabrina frowned. Surely Mr Harrison wasn't born during the stone age, she thought.

"Well for starters schools are supposed to separate religion and politics from any board of education."

"What's so political about two guys playing love interest in a high school play?" Sabrina argued.

Klaus snorted, "Honey, everything about lgbtq is political, trust me I know. Do y'all remember when some guys from my gym class signed a petition to ban me from changing in the boys locker room?"

"Yeah, that was awful." Paulina nodded.

"Wasn't it Thomas Rudiger and his friends that did that?"

"Speaking of the devil." Klaus mumbled.

Spotted ahead of them was Thomas Rudiger entering the school library.

"Why is he coming this way?" Paulina frowned.

"I dunno, but it means I'm going this way." Klaus rose from the table that they were seated around.

"Klaus!" Paulina called after him. "Wait up." The two of them left from the library's back entrance, leaving Sabrina behind.

"Seb?"

She sighed as Thomas plotted down in one of the empty seats around her table, throwing his backpack on top of it.

"What do you want, Thomas?" She was not in the mood to negotiate his demands to keep her biggest secret from Mick.

"How is he doing?" He said, expressing empathy in his usually hollow gaze.

"Who, Mick?" Sabrina frowned, a bit thrown off by how concerned he sounded.

"Yes, Mick. Is he gonna be alright?"

"Why do you care?" She hissed.

"What do you mean? Of course I care. Mick's like one of my best mates."

"Could have fooled me." She snorted. Had it never occurred to him that blackmailing his best mates girlfriend might not sit too well with Mick? If he ever found out of course. Sabirna was desperate for him not to.

"Look." Thomas made a quick scan of the room before setting his elbows on the table, leaning forward. "I know that this whole Laurie thing might make it difficult for you to believe that I'm really a nice guy…"

"Extremely difficult." Sabrnia said, folding her arms.

Thomas sighed. "Look, you don't have to believe me, but I need to know that you're all in on helping me get Laurie Maxwell,"

"Why?"

He shrugged. "I dunno, cus' she's hot."

"Your disgusting."

"Wait!"

Sabrina had risen from the table, ready to storm out of the library, when Thomas had shot to his feet, grabbing her wrist, the desperate motion almost twisting her arm.

"Let me go." She cried.

Thomas turned his head, anxious for anyone not to hear them. "Just get her to come to my next game, can't you do that?"

"No." She yanked her arm out of his grip.

"Then I'll tell Mick what kind of family his girlfriend comes from." He looked at her with a fretful stare.

Sabrina had no comeback. She stared at him in silence, a bit frightened.

"Just do this for me, Seb." Perhaps he had noticed. He stepped away from her, expression mellowing. "Just get her to come to the game."

"Fine." She said, hugging her frame. "Just don't tell Mick about this, ever."

He nodded, "It's a deal."

***********************************************

"How was school honey, you're so quiet." Her mother said. They were all seated around the dinner table, Sabrina and her family along with Mick. Resting underneath the table was Mick's dog Angie. Apparently Sabrina's mother had brought her over from Mick's house knowing that she had been alone over there. Sabrina was grateful for that, her mother, for being so kind to Mick, letting him stay with them whilst his parents were out of town. Perhaps she knew how much she loved him?

"School was good mom, I went to class then I went home." Sabrina muttered. She was not in the mood and apparently everyone around the table could sense it. Whilst Memphis went on to tell everyone about his day Sabrina felt something nudge her underneath the table. Looking up her eyes found Mick, he was already staring at her, smiling deviously.

Underneath the table, Sabrina's foot discreetly found its way to Mick's, their toes gently intertwining. Mick met her playful gesture with a grin, feeling a peculiar mix of excitement. Feeling bolder, Mick reciprocated the footsie game, running his foot along Sabrina's leg teasingly. They exchanged mischievous glances, relishing the secret intimacy they shared even in the presence of others. The subtle touch of their feet brought an electrifying sensation and made the gathering more enjoyable.

"Stop." She mimicked with her mouth. Mick's foot had almost settled all the way up her thigh, cousin unwanted heat to rise to Sabrina's face.

He chuckled, but did as told, lowering his leg to go back to just nudging her foot. Their escapades did not go unnoticed for long. Memphis had been peering curiously under the table. His sharp eyes and mischievous nature had caught on to the covert exchange of footsie. A mischievous grin spread across his face. He had found their secret love game. Instinctively.

"What on earth are you two doing under there?"

Mick and Sabrina withdrew their feet when they saw Memphis watching them intently.

"Nothing." They said in choir, bowing their heads and resuming with dinner.

The night fell. Sabrina didn't want to make it a habit to sneak into Mick's room, especially not when her little brother slept in the room on the other side of the wall. However, having drifted off to sleep, she woke up feeling the warmth of soft lips upon her neck.

"Mick?" Slowly opening her eyes, she saw his face filled with a mischievous smile. There was a dip in the bed as he joined her underneath her sheets. Caught off guard, a mix of surprise and delight suddenly flooded Sabrina's senses. Mick's hand gently traced the curves of her body, slipping quietly beneath the fabric of her panties. Sabrina's mind raced with a mixture of confusion and excitement, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Mick, wait." She hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to react, but deep down she knew she could trust Mick. They had shared countless intimate moments together, building a bond based on trust and mutual respect. Still, this sudden awakening left her on edge. With a curious twinkle in his eye, Mick whispered softly into Sabrina's ear, ensuring none of his words would escape beyond the confines of their private moment. His warm breath coupled with his gentle touch sent shivers down her spine, awakening a desire within her that she couldn't explain.

"Mick, you caught me off guard," she said, her voice laden with a mixture of shyness and excitement.

He chuckled in her ear, his breath warm against her skin. "Do you want me to stop?" He had already stopped the circling motion of his fingers, bringing Sabrina down from her flooded heatwave.

"Please don't." She gasped. "We just have to be quiet."

Mick's eyes softened as he gazed into Sabrina's, his touch becoming tender, and he nodded in agreement. "I'll try my best."

#fanfiction #fluff #smut #mick schumacher #mick #schumacher #f1 #love and desire #f1 imagine #wattapad

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violetsareblue-selfships · 9 months

Note

(19 - on top of a scar/injury) with diluc OR (5 - crown of the head) with xiao — you can either do both or just pick whichever you feel like doing :D

ty~ so this post will be the diluc drabbles - I'll post the xiao ones tomorrow~

on top of a scar [(diluc receiving) 413 words]/injury [(April receiving) (411 words)] - two drabbles hehe

Diluc lets out a quiet groan and melts against the mattress, the feeling of her hands slowly soothing his muscles almost making him tear up. Just the fact that she'd been concerned enough about him when he made an idle comment about being sore that she offered to give him a massage in the first place…

He swears he falls more in love with her every single day. He doesn't know how he got someone so sweet and caring to fall in love with him, and it makes him feel like the luckiest man in Teyvat.

Slowly, the stiffness of his muscles -- one borne of too many late nights fulfilling his other duties to Mondstadt on top of those for the winery -- starts to ease and he's growing more relaxed than he's been in a long while.

"There… that's doing the trick…" April murmurs quietly, letting out a soft laugh. "It'd be better if I had your vision though. I don't think ice is what you need right now…"

Diluc lets out a quiet chuckle. "Mmm… maybe not, but that feels good either way," He says and she hums in acknowledgment.

Her hands drift down from his shoulders once there are no more knots and she slowly works down his back. As she does, her eyes settle on the scars on his upper back. She doesn't ask about them despite her burning curiosity. It's not her first time seeing them and she knows he'll tell her about what caused them when he wants to.

Instead, another urge wells up in her, one that's much more innocent and that she's able to act on. So once her hands have moved low enough to allow this, she leans down and starts slowly pressing kisses down the line of one of the scars.

Diluc breathes in sharply, knowing what she's doing. His next breath is shaky, though he's not quite sure why.

Maybe it's the feeling of tender affection on something that has only represented pain until now. Maybe it's the proof that she cares about what happened even if she doesn't ask him aloud.

Or maybe it's the fact that it's her lips against his skin. Or some combination of the three.

Either way, he doesn't move, doesn't ask her to stop (because he doesn't want her to), and soaks up her attention like a sponge. All while thinking once again of how lucky he is to have someone like her.

The fireplace crackles softly, keeping the room warm and comfortable despite the growing chill from the breezes outside. The room is silent apart from that, neither of its occupants wanting to say a word. One being focused on his task while the other is too busy staring at him.

Diluc's touch is gentle as he wraps the bandage around her wrist, every movement of his fingertips against her bare skin sending small shivers down her spine. It doesn't take much longer before he's securing the bandage and making sure it won't slip and that it isn't too tight.

"There," He murmurs quietly. Before either of them says another word, he's gently pulling her wrist closer and dipping his head down so he can brush a gentle kiss over the cut through the bandage.

April's cheeks heat up at the touch, at the warmth that spreads through her body at the sweet gesture. His eyes flick up to meet hers and his lips curl in a soft smirk as he kisses it again, a little stronger but still gentle not to disturb the healing injury.

"Why so surprised, dearest?" He murmurs, amused at how flustered she's become off of something so simple. "I've heard that it helps injuries heal faster."

April giggles softly. "And I didn't think you were the type to believe something like that, 'Luc…"

"Mm, you'd think so. Call it a remnant from my childhood that's never quite left," Diluc says, pulling away and looking at her with love and a bit of concern. "Now, was that the only injury?"

"Mhm. Thank you for patching me up, love," She says softly, glad that she has him to come back to after her commissions, especially when mishaps happen like during today's.

"It's no trouble. Just another duty of mine," He says with a wry smile as he gently squeezes her hand and moves to stand up properly. April smiles a little at his words and watches as he repacks the first aid kit and puts it back in its usual spot.

"Take it easy, dearest. I'll be back with some hot cocoa, alright?" Diluc asks and April giggles. Despite how minor the injury might be, he's always like this when she gets hurt. She nods her head and he leaves the room, leaving her to spread out on the couch to wait for his return.

Still, her heart feels warm from that whole exchange. Her Diluc really is quite sweet, isn't he?

#self shipping #self ship #f/o #romantic f/o #fictional other #thanks for the ask!#i'd melt for you 💖🍷#mika✨#my writing

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abnerkrill · 2 years

Note

For the Taylor Swift prompts: Kieren/Simon, 7!

thanks bestie you've given me Permanent brain damage by making me think about kieren/simon through the lens of taylor swift lyrics, i will never be the same!!

7. You can hear it in the silence.

Six months isn't quite sufficient time to get over anything, especially the death of your best friend; at the same time the grief is no longer as fresh and cutting as it once was, and Kieren finds himself at times almost managing to forget that day before it comes rushing back and he feels horrible for not feeling as horrible as he thinks he ought.

It is awful, all of this is, layers and layers of guilt, old self-loathing cropping up, regret upon regret. Wishing he had been the one to go instead of her. Wishing things could be as they were, even for one moment.

What stabilizes him in this time, keeps him going despite the heavy tug downwards that he knows very well leads to despair, is—what else—the few people around him who understand, or who try to understand. There's Philip, who tentatively apologizes ("for—you know—everything"), and in whom Kieren, absurdly enough, sees a kindred spirit: the two people who loved her most. There's Jem, whose presence and care are abundant even though Kieren wishes he could be strong for her right now too.

And there's Simon. Maybe Kieren should be a little worried, how close the two of them have cloven together in mere months—how raw and vulnerable they are with each other, every day, so close the edges between them warp and blur. It still knocks Kieren right over to think they have this. He has this. And Simon has him. It's a dangerous precipice, a very sharp knife, if they were to slip—that he is sure of.

Things are not perfect; Simon is still grouchy, standoffish; can retreat into himself and hide so very much. A turtle in his shell, Kieren thinks with a small grin.

He's not quite sure that the way Simon sometimes looks at him, the same expression he wears when he prays, is a good thing. But he can't help but seek it out, so does that make him an accomplice to Simon's self-obliteration?

But then they're alone together, and the deep frown in Simon's brow eases, and the tension in his broad shoulders evaporates, and he'll settle and even smile a little, and Kieren is absolutely certain that he'd do anything, even a bad thing, for Simon's peace of mind.

There is so much pain, Kieren thinks, his own, his boyfriend's, the world's. There is nothing to be done to take it away, only to try to add less of it. So he lies with Simon in the silence of the night, head on his chest, hearing no pulse but the one he imagines was once there, and resolves quietly once more to stay, to smooth sharp edges away, so it all stops hurting so very much.

taylor swift writing prompts

#in the flesh spoilers #firstelevens #writing prompts #in the flesh #kieren walker #simon monroe #my fic

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molotovmetro · 2 years

Text

RE boys with a s/o who has chronic pain

Warnings: mentions of pain, mentions of medication and injections, and mentions of bodily harm (wesker), a bit of swearing

Chris Redfield

Chris can be a bit protective, but he knows you can handle yourself

He'll offer his help with nearly everything, but he respects you if you say you don't need it, as long as you're not clearly struggling or suffering. Because if that's the case, he won't leave you alone untill you agree to at least get some rest. He doesn't mind taking over whatever you were doing

He reminds you often that he's there for you if you need him, and you can always ask for help, no matter how big or small

Chris is really understanding of your pain, and if you need it, he'll stay in bed with you for the day, cuddling you the entire time

Albert Wesker

The king of pain management

Wesker worked for a pharmaceutical company, if your medications aren't working, he'll find a way to make you better ones

He'll come to appointment with you if you ask, he's very knowledgeable about medicine so he's a huge help

If your doctors don't take you seriously, they're about to regret it. He's more than willing to chew them out, and maybe if they were too rude for his tastes they'll find themselves in an unfortunate accident

If your meds are injectable, he has no problem helping you. If you're afraid of needles, he even manages to distract you enough while doing it that you won't even notice. Its moments like these where his softer side comes out. He does care about you a lot

Finn Macauley

Finn can be a little overbearing, but he means well

He checks up on you often, usually not going an hour without asking if you're okay, even on a good day. He just worries about you

His own thoughts and memories can be a bit all over the place, but he always remembers everything when it comes to you. Meds, appointments,... You'll never have to worry about forgetting it. Because Finn will remind you like five times

He fusses over you a lot, but he can tone it down if you ask. He means well, he just wants to help

He genuinely likes taking care if you, if you let him. It makes him feel useful, and a bit less helpless like he feels when you're in a lot of pain

He's definitely the type of guy who would haul his ass to the store in the middle of the night for painkillers and your favourite food

He can't stand seeing you suffer, and he'd do anything if it could ease your days even a little

Piers Nivans

Piers, as a BSAA operative with a military history, is very punctual. You can always rely on him to remind you to take your medications and make sure you don't miss appointments

If you use mobility aids, or anything that makes your problems visible, and people say something rude or even just stare, they'll have an angry puppy Piers on their ass

He's very protective, especially when it comes to how other people treat you. He'll settle for nothing less than you receiving the upmost respect

He can be a bit stern when it comes to you straining yourself, but he just doesn't want you to be in even more pain. If he could, he'd switch places with you in a heartbeat. All so he could see you enjoy being fully pain free, even if it's only for a day

Leon S. Kennedy

Leon has been through his fair share of shit, he's got injuries that never really healed probably that still act up from time to time, and he knows how hard it can be to ask for help, or even just to accept it

Thats why he tends not to offer his help unless you need it. If you do ask, he'll basically jump at the opportunity, but he isn't gonna force you to accept it of you really don't want it. You're an independent person, you can handle yourself, and he trusts you to be able to decide when you can or can't handle something

He'll gladly go along to doctor's appointments, and like Wesker, doesn't hesitate to call them out on their shit if they don't believe you or don't take you seriously

If the need for it arises, he can be an exceptional nurse. He'll bring you your meds, he'll run you a hot bath, or massage your sore muscles. He is so happy you trust him the way you do, and will do anything he can to show you he deserves it

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extravaguk · 3 years

Text

pairing: jungkook x reader

summary: But above all things, the last thing you expected to happen when you came back was to show your tits and get pierced by none other than motherfucking Jeon Jungkook.

Jeon Jungkook. Guk. Gukkie. Jeongukkie.

wordcount: 15k

genre: summer!au, ex high school classmaters, kinda frenemies to lovers, tattoo artist!&piercing artist!jungkook, popular!reader

rated: m (fluff - smut - angst)

warnings: you broke jungkook's heart you bitch!! , oral sex (m&f), protected sex (shocking tbh), CL as your bestie it doesnt get better than that! idk i dont wanna spoil too much

author's note: fucking finally dude!! i've been writing this since february but school was kicking my ass. now that i finished my exams and mercury is in gemini i was able to finish it. if you read this, i hope you enjoy it!

Inkphoria

You've been standing outside the shop re-reading the word for fifteen minutes, although it definitely feels like it has been longer. You're gripping the flyer too tightly, rumpling the paper in your hand until you're pretty much sure it's ruined. It's the first day of June, and it's already too hot. The sun and humid weather are causing beads of sweat to form in your hairline and your white tank top to stick to your skin. Your jean shorts didn't feel this uncomfortable a few hours ago and you're sure the heat is causing your mascara to transfer to your eyelids and lower lashline. You've never needed a slushie and a smoke this bad in forever, even if you knew the later would make your parents lose their shit.

Inkphoria

You read it again. Your brain is trying to guess what font its written in, an excuse to try to steady your heart beat until your nerves ease a little and you can finally gather the courage to step into the damn shop. You've noticed a few people passing by giving you strange looks because maybe it hasn't been fifteen minutes. Perhaps you've been unmoving like an idiot in the middle of the street for longer than you want to admit.

Chaelin's voice echoes inside your head.

'Its not that much of a big deal. It's not even that painful, trust me.'

You wish you could trust your best friend, but your best friend is also the same woman who assured you Cats was the movie of the year. Yes, not 'Cats: The Musical'. 'Cats', the movie.

'And this could be a great start to get out of your comfort zone and start living your life exactly the way you want to, not the way people expect you to. Not the way your family wants you to, not the way Adam wanted you to.'

But although her credibility could sometimes be questionable - like that time she also told you she'd tried marmite and 'honestly, it's not as bad as people make it out to be'-, you also didn't trust anybody in this world as much as you trusted her. She had always been your entire support system, the only one around you who never sugarcoated, who always treated you as an equal, who was always there for you to help you discover yourself and, at the same time, remind you of who you were.

'And it's gonna look so hot, too.'

That's it. Sticking the wrinkled flyer on your back pocket, your feet finally start moving. It doesn't take longer than three strides and you're pushing open the door.

The first thing you notice is that, thankfully, the shop is empty. The second thing you notice is the bright sky blue walls, a green undertone peaking through. Your eyes scan nervously the interior. Frames with tattoo designs and people modeling other different designs decorate the walls, some skateboards also hanging from the ceiling. A few plants in the corner, and two leather couches on either side of the room. Your scanning stops on the counter, where a girl with short, platinium hair and -what you guess is- the eighty percent of her body inked. Face included. She's been looking at you, a smirk tugging at her lips. Her tone is amused when she speaks

"Hi." she says. "You can come closer, you know? We don't bite."

Great. As if you couldn't feel more out of place, apparently you also couldn't look more out of place.

"Sorry." you gulp as you walk forward. "It's my first time doing anything like this."

She laughs this time, but it's not mean. It's not mocking, thank God, and the smile she sends you is as warm as the weather, friendly, luckily helping you calm down a bit. "A virgin, huh? JK's gonna love this." your eyes jump in surprise, but she's fast to wave her hands in front of you. "Just a joke. So, first time getting a tattoo. You have something in mind, honey?"

"Um, no. Not a tattoo. Not yet, I think." you wet your lips, regretting not reaplying chapstick before stepping inside. "A piercing."

"Oh! Cool!" she claps her hands, too excited for your own taste, pulling from under the counter a catalogue. "So, where will it be? Cartilogue? Nose? A lot of people are getting their septums pierced right now, though, so you might-"

"Nipples. Like, one of them."

Her gaze finds yours in surprise, although her face swiftly transforms again into an amiable expression. "Now, that's badass. Alright!" she skims through the pages of the catalogue until she finds the nipple piercing collection. You scratch your head before wiping your forehead sweat-free. "You can pick either barbells or hoops, although barbells heal faster and they don't move around as much. There's different kinds of metal, too. Gold or platinium. If your skin is sensitive, I recommend titanium. It's hypoallergenic and not as problematic."

The blonde keeps talking as you nod your head, a smile making its way into your face while silently thanking her for her easygoing personality. It quickly makes you feel comfortable and stupid for being so terrified of doing this.

Once you decide, settle on the cost and sign the papers, she stands up from the stool she'd been sitting on. "Ok, I'll go tell my coworker. He's been sketching tattoos all morning, it's time he gets to work!" she laughs, but suddenly your smile banishes and your throat shuts down.

"He?" your alarmed tone halts her motions and she looks back at your frightened expression.

He? A he is going to pierce your nipple? You're about to let a random stranger, a HE, see and touch one of your boobs and then pierce a needle through one of your nipples?

"Oh, baby, don't worry. I'd do it myself if I knew how to, but I only do tattoos. Most of our staff are on summer vacation so it's mostly just him and I. If you don't feel comfortable, which is totally understandable, you can wait until september when Minzy comes back and she can do it for you." It's her turn to scratch the back of her head as she adds: "but trust me, we're professionals. He's not a creep or anything like that. He's been doing this for a long time. He won't cross any boundaries."

September? You won't even be here in september. Fuck.

Sure, you could do it when you move back into the city. But this summer was supossed to be the summer. You already decided after your breakup with Adam that there would be no trace of the old you. That it was time to push yourself, to do the things that you've always wanted to do, unapologetically. To find the new you, the real you. To stop being scared.

So after going through you options for a few seconds and taking a deep breath, you make up your mind.

"It's fine. I can do it."

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"JK, sweetheart!"

Jungkook is finishing drawing a Chinese dragon when Mijoo opens the door without knocking. Again. He puts the pen down, rubbing his eyes. It's monday, a slow monday, not much work, and he had hoped it would stay that way until closing time. It's summer and Jungkook hates summer. He hates the heat, he hates being drenched in sweat, and he hates the fact that he can do nothing about it. Because working in the summer is terrible. Summer makes him lazy, makes him want to bathe in a tub full of iced water and not get out until he turns into a raisin and october comes. It makes him irritable. Summer makes him annoyed by people -like Mijoo, even if he loves her to death- and himself.

"I got a girl here who wants a nipple piercing, her first piercing by the way, so get your shit ready and bla bla bla. Straight titanium barbell. Also, don't flirt and don't be creepy. She almost ran away when I told her a male was going to be touching and piercing her tit, be mindful of that. She's too cute, if you want to get her number you should wait until it's done. I think that's it. I'll bring her in in a minute."

Mijoo leaves as fast as she talks, but Jungkook is already used to it. He's already used to the headaches her mouth causes too. He sighs before standing up, tying his too-long raven hair into the best bun he can manage. He washes his hands, sets the table up, sits on the chair and puts the gloves on. He's too busy sterilizing the jewerly when Mijoo comes back with you.

"Alright, my babies. I'll leave you to it." she turns to you. "He'll explain everything, from how the process will be to how to take care of it after it's done." she leaves before saying bye, closing the door behind her, and then he finally turns to you.

Your eyes meet and suddenly everything stops. He almost drops the sterilizing machine, his whole body tensing, going into panic mode as he recognizes you immediatly. His hands shake.

Of course he does. Of course he recognizes his high school crush. The too goody two shoes, too pretentious and too rich, too good for everybody and, most importantly, 'too good for Jeon Jungkook' girl of his high school dreams. Of course he recognizes the girl he had confessed his stupid crush to when he was sixteen. Of course he recognizes the girl who rejected and broke his young and foolish heart when he was a dumb teenager.

It doesn't matter that six years have passed ever since. He still knows every lock of your hair like the palm of his hand. He still remembers the shape of your lips and the exact shade of your eyes. He can still identify the body he fantasized about -and jacked off to- when he was a hormonal teen, now filled in all the right places. Now a grown woman.

Just one look at you after years and years of pining is enough to almost make him faint. And grow a boner under his jeans.

And by the look on your face, your eyes wide and your mouth agape, you recognize him as well.

Dammit.

He schools his features and clears his throat. Forces his body to relax and compose himself, because he's not a teenager anymore. He's also a grown man, who has matured, who now has much more experience with women than he did back then. He had already embarrased himself enough when he was sixteen to be doing it all over again. You're just another attractive girl in a sea of attractive women.

He turns to you. You still haven't said anything. Neither has he.

"Um, you can sit on the table." he manages, motioning to the set up in front of him. He watches you taking doubtful steps until you're sitting down, your eyes avoiding his gaze. He almost forgot you were here to get pierced. Holy shit, you were here to get pierced. To get your nipple pierced.

You're a professional, Jungkook. You can do this, Jungkook. You've seen boobs before, Jungkook. You've pierced nipples before, Jungkook.

Clearing his throat again and forcing his hands to stay by his side, he speaks. "The... The top." your gaze finds his, like a puppy about to get scolded. You look at your top, realization dawning on you. "You don't have to take it off. You can just pull it down."

So you do, pulling the straps of the white tank top down and dragging the fabric down with trembling fingers. No bra. Jungkook gulps as your breasts comes into vision. As perfect as he had imagined years ago. His cock twitches. Round, full, perky and so damn inviting he has to hold himself back from latching onto one nipple with his mouth around it and swirling his tongue over the nub until you're a pretty, moaning, little mess on his piercing tabl-

He closes his eyes for just a second before reminding himself to act like the 23 year old Jungkook he's tried so hard to become. The confident, assured Jungkook he is.

"Okay, this is how it'll go. First I'll clean it and scrub it to get rid of any bacteria." he's so glad he hasn't stuttered yet. 23 year old Jungkook doesn't stutter like 17 year old Jungkook. He's also glad he can pick the alcohol bottle and the surgical scrub without trembling. When he faces you again, you're watching his motions with your lip caught between your teeth. That has him swallowing the lump in his throat.

Making eye contact with him again, you take a deep breath and offer a small nod, so he gets to work. He can show you and himself he's a grown man. A grown man who can pierce a nipple without appearing like it's the first time he's seen a boob in his life. The sooner he does it, the sooner it's over.

Jungkook wets the paper towel with alcohol before carefully wiping over your nub with it. Your back arches, probably from the cold feeling, he guesses. He rubs it a few times before throwing it in the trash can nearby. He avoids looking at how enticing the soft peak is salluting him when he reaches for the marker. He doesn't say anything when he dots it with it, jaw clenched and his dick painfully stiff.

"Lay back." his voice low as he commands, turning away to get the clamp. When he slides closer, he tries to ignore the view: you, with your hair sprawled and your sweaty, shiny skin and your eyes focused on the cieling, nipple fully erect, like the star of one of his most erotic dreams. He extends his free gloved hand before he can stop himself, fingers carefully working the nub until he's sure it's painfully hard. Almost as hard as he is.

You gasp, your back arching again. He stills and looks at you, your cheeks flushed pink. Probably from the heat, he guesses again. Or at least that's what he tells himself. He can't stop himself from wondering how responsive would you be in a different setting, most likely his bed while his teeth play with your breast and his cock dives into-

"You okay?" he studies your face, your eyes not meeting his and instead still focusing on the white ceiling.

"Mhm." you reply with a small voice.

"Relax, alright? It'll be over soon." his voice is as gentle as he can, his fingers mindlessly caressing your breast to try to soothe your nerves. Or maybe it's just because he's a selfish bastard. Whatever it is, he forces himself to bring the clamp to your nipple, securing it around it.

"Take a few deep breaths. This will only take a second of pain and then it will go away." He misses the way your mouth falls open, but he doesn't miss the way your eyes squeeze tight as the needle goes in.

"Ah!" he definitely doesn't miss that either. He goes rigid for a second, because that didn't fucking sound like a cry of painfulness. It's breathy, and whiny, not too loud and, for fucks sake, if that's how you sound when you're getting fucked, he swears to God-

He feels your heartbeat under his hands when he puts the barbell in and then the bandage over it. He takes a look at you, chest moving up and down. And then you take a look at him and what he sees is almost enough to take you right there.

Reddened cheeks, drops of sweat framing your face and those eyes glazed with something he's seen too much in the women he's fucked throughout his life. They're half lidded, mascara adorning your long lashes and almost smudged, looking right through him.

"Jungkook..." and your voice, as you say his name -acknowledging him for the first time since you stepped into his shop, for the first time since you were sixteen-, it's hoarse, almost inaudible, like you just came all over his-

He's on his feet in an instant like he's been burned. "It may bleed for the first week, and it can be really sore. The swelling will eventually come down." he's quickly tidying up the table, a bottle in his hand that he hands to you without looking directly. "Wash it gently with this soap and warm water once per day. Don't touch it. Wear a comfortable...bra. If it gets crusty, clean it with saline. Not alcohol or any other thing you might clean a wound with. The soap I just gave you or saline. Nothing else."

He's pacing around the room as he takes his gloves off and throws them in the trash bin, too agressively maybe, then he keeps rambling, like he's hurriedly trying to make you leave as soon as possible. "Avoid pools and the sea. It takes about six months to a year to heal, so don't... don't touch it, don't play with it or..." he clears his throat, "don't let anyone else play with it. And if it gets infected, come back immediately and I'll take a look at it." which he honestly hopes it won't happen. When he faces you, your top is back on and you're getting off the table.

"Alright, um...I'll do that." clearing your throat, your hand gripping the doorknob. "Thank you."

But right before you can exit the room, Jungkook says your name.

"_____." when you turn around to face him, it takes a few seconds for him to make eye contact from across the room. "It was good to see you."

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"Let me see!"

It's the first thing Chaelin says when she opens the door to her appartment. It's on the second floor, small enough to compare it to most expensive appartments you'd stayed in throughout your life, but big enough for Chaelin, her cat and her -impressive- collection of acrylic nail kits and pairs of high heels. It's also big enough for her to offer you the only guest room until summer is over so you didn't have to, one, stay at your parents' place, and two, find an appartment in a short period of time for a short period of time.

When you left years ago, you did so with the thought of 'never looking back'. You never really expected to return here, of all places. Maybe visit your best friend for a weekend at most, have dinner with your parents on a saturday and then go back to the new life you'd made for yourself on a sunday.

But that was before you'd caught Adam cheating.

Tale as old as time: childhood sweethearts get engaged, move in together, son of a bitch sleeps with the assistand he told his girlfriend not to worry about, and then the brokenhearted girl packs her bags and leaves the cheating bastard begging for her to come back.

You'd be lying if you said you were surprised.

Throughout your life, you'd learned to expect many things, regardless of being sheltered and babied by your family since you were born. Watched too much Maury and Dr.Phil. Too much Gossip Girl to know what the deal with life really is.

So, thankfully, you'd only shed a few tears, mostly because your ego and self steem were slightly triggered. You'd realize long before that your feelings for Adam started to disappear once he popped the question and you said yes. Your love story began as teenagers but soon after graduating, the two of you went on different paths: you'd matured, grown into your twenties while he got stuck at 17 and never stopped acting as such.

So yeah, whatever, break ups are hard. But they're not as hard when the love is gone and the sole reason to stay with your partner is to please your parents. You were also right when you expected your mom to tell you to 'forgive and forget' because 'those things just happen, it's not a big deal, honey'.

But above all things, the last thing you expected to happen when you came back was to show your tits and get pierced by none other than motherfucking Jeon Jungkook.

Jeon Jungkook. Guk. Gukkie. Jeongukkie.

The lanky nerd with braces, glasses and an anime obsession much bigger than his hentai obsession, which is saying a lot. The shy, awkward classmate who'd stuttered his undying crush for you when you were just kids. That one who you had rudely rejected like the bitch you used to be in high school.

But my God, Jeon Jungkook was anything but a kid now.

You were shocked. You were gagged. Couldn't seem to fathom what was happening and what your eyes were seeing. It took you a while to close your mouth when you realized JK was Guk. Gukkie. Jeongukkie.

With messy black hair, a smoldering gaze free of glasses, piercings adorning both ears, and his right eyebrow,, the braces long gone showing perfectly straight - but still bunny like- teeth. The clothes he wore were loose, all black, but it was impossible not to notice the muscles of his back and arms, covered with tattoos from his hands to his forearms. You'd bet there were more of them underneath the fabric.

It was awkward at first. You didn't know what to do, or what to say. Didn't know if he rememberd you. So you chose to stay quiet while your body chose to react like it had never been in the presence of an attractive young man in it's entire life.

And oh, did it react.

He was reluctant, his old timid demeanor peeking through his newly adopted persona. But as soon as those hands came in contact with your skin, your whole body was lit on fire. Like you were 16 and losing your virginity over again and it was the first time a dude touched your boobs.

There shouldn't have been anything erotic about it -besides the fact that your entire breasts were exposed-, it should've been just a professional procedure. But those gloved fingers touched and pinched and suddenly you were too aware of Jeon Jungkook and the way you were starting to sweat profously, not due to the heat of the season.

You tried to distract yourself by looking at the cieling and not at his gorgeous face. Tried to avoid thinking about Jeon Jungkook and how his mouth would feel wrapped around you. Tried not to think about the way your panties were a second skin to your folds, and how tempted you were to grind your hips until you recieved some sort of friction with the jean fabric of your shorts. You wonder if he noticed you squeezing your thighs together. You hope not.

And then the needle happened. You never thought of yourself as a particularly kinky person. Sex with Adam was boring for the most part and you'd lost your libido for a long time. Stopped thinking about sex altogether. But the pain. The pain mixed with his hand rubbing soothing circles on your breast and his voice, as sweet as honey, guiding you through it. It made you reconsider a lot of things you'd once dismissed as 'weird' or 'deviant'

You swear you almost came right on his table.

And then your eyes connected, you made the mistake of calling his name like a satisfied woman who still needed more, and it was all gone. He stood up like a scared cat, gave you a bunch of explanations about the aftercare that you barely grasped without even looking at you and pretty much rushed you to leave.

So you walked, all the way from the tattoo parlor to Chaelin's appartment, mortified, and completely humilliated.

"Are you gonna let me see or not?" your friend says expectantly as you finally sit down after chugging a glass of iced water. You sigh, placing the glass on the table before carefully pulling down your top. "Oh my God, it looks so cool!" she gasps and you can't help a smile while she studies it in amazement. "Did it hurt?"

"Um, I guess." you keep out the part where you almost orgasmed, obviously, stopping her hand from touching when she reaches towards you. "Wait, no. He said something about not touching it for like six months or a year, I don't remember."

At that, Chaelin's eyebrows quirk up. "He? It was a he? Was he cute, at least?"

"You won't believe this..." looking away for a few seconds, you take a deep breath. "It was Jeon Jungkook."

There's a pause, a silence that fills the room when Chaelin's jaw drops. "Jeon Jungkook...pierced your nipple?"

You close your eyes, bracing yourself for what you're a hundred percent sure is coming.

"Ha..." there it is. "Ha ha..." you still know there's more. "Ha ha ha..."

Chaelin laughs hysterically for about God knows how long, while you keep drinking your glass of water unfaced, your mind drifting back to Guk. Gukkie. Jeongukkie, his tattoos and his stupid gloved hands.

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You know he's here.

Everything was cool, you were doing alright, having a great time with your vodka sprite in hand and your cute white bikini on. Chaelin was by your side, the guys were excited to have you back and thankfully, you'd avoided most questions about Adam and they'd avoided digging too deep into the topic. You'd sunbathed the whole afternoon, kept away from the water like he'd told you and ate the Hawaiian pizza Yoongi insisted on ordering despite Namjoon's and Jimin's complaints.

It's at night, when you're a little tipsy and your cheeks are flushed, that you feel it. You'd barely noticed Taehyung disappearing to let in a new guest.

You don't see him, but you feel him.

You're sitting on the pool tile steps, legs dangling and the water baely reaching your belly to make sure it doesn't touch your very sensitive and newly pierced nipple. Your back is facing the sliding glass doors of Hoseok's house, but the moment you hear his voice, smooth but animated as he converses with Taehyung, your body wakes up immediately, back straightening, goosebumps forming on your arms and nipples tightening against the fabric of your two piece.

You don't turn around, instead opting for downing the remaining of your drink and coming to the realization that, of course, Taehyung, social butterfly who'd always got along with everybody and remained friends with most people from high school, still keeps in touch with Jungkook.

You ignore him when he enters the pool, still peering from the corner of your eyes while pretending to be engaged in Chaelin's and Jihyo's conversation. Your mind sabotages you by taking you to that day a week ago at the tattoo parlor.

To the warmth of his hand, to the few strands of hair that his small ponytail couldn't keep together, to the way his eyes focused on such an intimate part of your body, to the endless ink decorating his skin, to-

Great. Now your bottoms are wet and not due to the water.

You don't miss Chaelin supressing a laugh and her not so subtle elbowing. You glance at her in warning and try to keep calm for the next fifteen minutes until Jin proposes moving to the living room to watch a movie.

"I'm gonna stay here for a little longer, guys." you say, after clearing your throat. You needed some time to gather yourself before being in a confined space with Jungkook.

"Are you sure?" Jin stops by your side to place a hand on your shoulder as everybody starts exiting the pool. "It's Mean Girls! You love Mean Girls! You never miss a minute of Mean Girls!"

Rolling your eyes, you wave him dismissively. "I know every dialogue on Mean Girls like the back of my hand, I think I'll be alright, Jin."

When everybody finally leaves, you take a deep breath, covering your face with your hands in an attempt to get him out of your head. Damn Jeon Jungkook and his irresisitble glow up.

"You okay?"

The unexpected voice startles you, a gasp finding its way out of your mouth and causing you to jump on your seat, heartbeat erratic as you instantly recognize who it belongs to. Your hand grasps your chest as if that would do anything to protect yourself against him.

"Shit, don't do that!" you say, the words almost getting stuck in your throat as you see him approaching you, still submerged in the pool. The more he nears you, the less water depth there is and the more visible his torso comes into view. Wich was exactly what you'd been avoiding.

Because Jeon Jungkook was ripped, as you'd imagined when you first encountered him.

Broad shoulders and strong biceps and chiseled abs and veiny forearms. Drenched hair, a full sleeve of tattoos and water dripping from delicious tan skin and all just so very hard. That paired up with a loopsided smile that does nothing but make you shudder.

"Sorry." he doesn't sound apologetic at all when he says that, the smirk adorning his features telling. "You just seemed a little off." you advert your gaze when he pushes his hair back.

"I'm fine, just...just wanted to be by myself."

"Oh" Jungkook's smile disappears. "I can leave, if you want me t-"

"No!" you're not sure where that comes from and neither does he, judging by the look on his face when your eyes find his. Eyebrows raised and mouth slightly parted, he's as surprised as you and there's an awkward silence for a few seconds. "Um, you don't have to. I mean, it's not my house, you can do whatever you want." you sniff and tame your voice, trying to seem cool and collected like you didn't just practically beg him not to go.

Ironic, considering this was exactly what you had been fearing for the past thirty minutes.

And then he smiles. A knowing smile. A smile that says 'you just totally checked me out and now you don't want me to leave'. A smile that you would have never associated with Jeon Jungkook of all people years ago. A smile that makes you want to look away but still keeps you in place.

"Sure." he says, closing the space between the two of you slowly but still leaving enough distance. "So, how's it going?"

You clear your throat, head high and determined not to let this man, or any man for that matter, turn you into a trembling mess. You're still you and you're not easily shaken by the opposite sex. Or at least that's what you helplessly chant in your head.

"Everything's cool. I'm on summer vacation now," a little white lie, "so I decided to-"

"The piercing." he says, the smile never leaving his face. "I meant how's the piercing."

"The pier- right." you almost miss the step he takes forward, all too aware of his height over yours but thankful for the centimeters that being propped on the stairs added to yours. "It's-" you almost, almost miss his knee touching your knee and him slightly separating your legs with his own inch by inch. Or how your thighs open unvoluntarely to welcome him in and how you can barely find coherent words to speak. "It's doing-" or the way his smile disappears and is instead focusing his dark stare fully onto yours.

"It's doing well." you finally say in a whisper, not being able to bring yourself to be louder.

He hums. "May I see it?" Jungkook wets his lips with the tip of his tongue and the action and his voice is enough to make you nod your head, bewitched.

His movements are unhurried, his hand coming up to tentatively come in contact with the flesh of your clavicle. His fingers skim through your skin upwards, his touch is feather-like when it wraps around your throat. You pant, and he stops but he doesn't move away, his eyes still focused on yours, studying you, daring you to pull back, to tell him to back off. But just a simple touch of his and you're fully under his control. It reminds you too much of the day you got that damn piercing.

Your lips are parted and for a moment he stays just like that. His body so close to yours but not close enough, and his hand slightly gripping your neck. Your pussy clenches around nothing and you can't wrap your head around the fact that something so simple sets your entire being alive and leaves you aching.

Then, as slow as he started, his hand travels from the front of your neck to the back, pushing your hair aside to carefully untie the straps of your bikini. He breathes through his nostrils, doesn't make a sound. He seems so collected it's starting to annoy you.

Instead, your breathing is ragged when the top falls down, exposing both your breasts to him. That's when he removes his eyes from yours and his jaw clenches. Your nipples perk up under his gaze, like they remember him and the effect he had on them just a week ago. You're at least glad you're not the only one affected but he seems to be a master at keeping it under wraps.

Then, his hand moves again, leaving goosebumps on your skin as it goes south. Jungkook takes his time, so deliberate you want to scream, until he's cupping your pierced breast, keeping away from the nipple just like he'd advised you a few days prior. You can't look away from his face, from his eyes observing you like you're a full course meal and he's been starving for days. You feel drops of water falling from his hair to your thighs, his thumb caressing your skin so delicately as it faintly nears your still tender nipple. Just nearing it, never touching it.

"Beautiful." his murmur is almost imperceptible and for a moment you think you've imagined it. Your back arches on its own, breast pushed against the palm of his hand, almost like your body is begging him to come closer, to touch you more, to feel you all over. He meets your eyes briefly, gauging your reaction, before going back to your chest. Suddenly, the grip on your breast tightens, fingers ever so softly squeezing your flesh. From your throat comes a mewl, your eyes shut and your legs close around his waist.

"Jungkook, please..." you whisper when you open your eyes. He looks at you, unvertainty written all over his face, lips bruised as if he had been biting on them too hard, gaze as glassy as yours. And just like that, the spell is broken. He blinks and his expression changes completely. Lips forming a straight line and jaw tight. His hand retracts, fixing your bikini top over your breasts before tying it around your neck like it originally was. Meanwhile your eyebrows crunch in confusion. But when you're about to start asking questions, he clears his throat.

"It's healing okay." he steps back, avoiding your eyes. "I'll see you inside."

Jungkook leaves the pool like nothing happened.

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Jungkook is fiddling, fixing the position of his glasses and combing through his straight hair with shaky hands, habits he's tried so hard to get rid of in his sixteen years of existence but still finds impossible to.

He can't help it. He's always been like this: the quiet and awkward kid in class who sits in the back, a misunderstood puppy in a sea of stronger dog breeds that could eat him alive. An outcast. Too geeky for his own good. Notebokes full of Dragon Ball doodles on the margins of the pages, the shelves in his room stacked with Marvel figurines, and a closet filled with outdated clothes that he has been inheriting from his older brother.

He has never been the type to stand out, always being overlooked by people like he's invisible. He doesn't mind though. He'd much rather be ignored than getting picked on by bullies like he used to in elementary school.

He never gets invited to parties. Ever. He's a nobody who barely speaks, and when he does he either stutters or manages to embarrass himself in one way or another. He's seen the look on people's faces when they look at him. Their eyes seem to scream 'weirdo' everytime he gets acknowledged.

So obviously the only reason he was invited to this particular party had a first and last name: Kim Taehyung. The only kid in Jungkook's entire life who didn't look at him in a funny way, the only kid who took the time to entangle in a random conversation with him after class and who seemed geniune enough to make Jungkook feel comfortable.

He's not sure how it happened, since Taehyung mostly hangs out with the cool kids. But somehow it did, and now Jungkook is uncomfortably standing in a living room full of drunk teens, looking directly at you.

You, the one girl Jungkook had been pining on for God knows how long. You, who are obviously too pretty, too popular, and way out of his league. You, with your plaid skirt and your polo shirt and those legs that never seem to end. You, who are sitting with your friends in a couch, drink in hand and visibly tipsy. And yet, he doesn't think he's ever seen anyone pull of the 'drunk-rosy-cheek' look better than you.

He can hear your laugh through the music and he already thinks it sounds better than whoever is playing in the background.

"Come on, Gukkie! Her friends are leaving and she's all by herself now! It's your chance" Taehyung's obviously drunk too because it took Jungkook a while to decypher his exact words. He'd disappeared for a while and now that he's back, he's pushing Jungkook in your direction.

"This was a mistake, Taehyung." Jungkook shakes his hair and steps back, quickly glancing at the front door to prepare his escape. But his new friend's grip on his hoodie keeps him in place.

"Guk, listen. The only thing you have to do, is walk up to her, and say 'hey I think you're, like, really pretty. Just letting you know. Bye!' That's it. Jung- Dude, Guk, seriously, look at me." Taehyung grabs Jungkook's cheeks, squishing them between his hands and forceing him to face him. "You've been crushing hard on her for years, my man. We're graduating and you won't see each other again. What's the worst thing that can happen? Getting rejected?"

Jungkook's eyebrows draw together. "Um, yeah?"

"Exactly! Getting rejected is not the end of the world, bro! It just means keep trying on other girls!" Taehyung releases his hold on Jungkook's cheeks. "I just think you're going to regret not telling your crush she's your crush. Who knows? Maybe in the future you two will get married."

Jungkook snickers, muttering a 'yeah right' under his breath. Still, he can't help the smile that Taehyung's words always seem to pull out of him.

"Now," Taehyung playfully slaps Jungkook before turning him in your direction again. "Go get 'em, tiger!"

"Okay," Mijoo's voice slices through Jungkook's memories. She's sitting on Jungkook's desk, munching on her brownies and looking at her coworker expectantly. "And then what?"

He sighs, running a hand through his hair, sits back on his chair, already feeling the effects of Mijoo's baked goods. "And then I walked up to her, like a damn fool, stutter and all. And I say:" he clears his throat, making an effort to do his best teenage Gukkie impression."'Hey, _____, um, so, I think you're beautiful and I've had a crush on you since seventh grade, haha, just wanted to let you know.'"

Mijoo rolls her eyes, still chewing. "And then what?"

"And then she looked me up and down, giggled, fucking giggled, Mijoo, and said 'Who are you, again?'" Mijoo gasps and Jungkook closes his eyes, trying to force that recollecion out of his head.

"What a bitch." she can't help but laugh before apologizing. Jungkook merely shrugs his shoulders and takes another bite of his brownie. "She didn't say anything else?"

"She said something along the lines of:" he clears his throat again, this time, doing an impression of you. "'That's sweet and all but, you and I... we're not the same. And I have a boyfriend, so...' She said that like I didn't know, like I wasn't aware of the school's it couple! Like I was dumb!"

Mijoo nods. "And now you want to fuck her even more than you did in high school."

"I- No! Well, yes. Fuck, of course I want to sleep with her! But I just... can't."

"Why not?"

"Did you hear anything about what I just told you or were you too concentrated trying to get high?"

It's Mijoo's turn to roll her eyes. "I heard everything you just told me. I just don't understand what the problem is. You two were sixteen. Sure, she was a bitch about it, but Lord knows I've been a bitch my entire life and now I'm not anymore." Jungkook raises an eyebrow at that. "Okay, sometimes I can be nice. But the point is..." Mijoo finishes her piece of brownie before getting off of Jungkook's desk. "It's been, what? Nine? Ten years? People change, JK. You're the best example of that. You want to fuck her and she obviously wants to fuck you too. You're both adults." she wipes her hands on her shorts. "I think it's time you fulfill that high school fantasy of yours."

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You've made up your mind.

And by you, it means Chaelin has made up your mind.

It didn't take long to convince you though. That last interaction with Jungkook cause too many emotions stirring within you. It left you hot, it left you bothered, it left you confused. Sure, it also left you a little bit embarrassed like the first time, but above everything else, that interaction with Jungkook left you absolutely livid.

Because who the fuck did Jeon Jungkook, formerly known as Guk, Gukkie, Jungukkie, and currently known as JK, think he was to come near you, speed your heart rate's up, and then runaway like that?

You've spent days thinking about it. About that face, about that body, about those hands and- shit. You're doing it again.

You've spent days trying to push those intrusive thoughts. Spent days trying to bury what happened. You've spent days trying to keep quiet, not telling anyone about it and just wishing that stupid spark of desire simply went away.

But it has just been simply unavoidable. You haven't been able to ignore the sleepless nights with your brain drifting back to that night and forbidding your hand from slipping under your panties. Or the excessive amount of time during the day where images of him suddenly popped in your head and wouldn't go away, even with you squeezing your thighs to try to make the ache go away.

So you ended up ranting and ranting and ranting to the only person you could confide on, who is obviously your best friend. Your best friend, who's too smart for her own good and knows you too well for your liking. Because apparently your moodiness and snappy remarks couldn't go unnoticed.

And after explaining the fiasco over a bottle of wine -and minutes of endless laughing on Chaelin's part because, again, it's Gukkie you two were talking about and, according to her, this was "the most karmic thing I've ever seen"-, she gave you the best advice an older sister could ever give.

"Fuck him."

"I know right? Fuck him!"

"No. I mean, fuck him."

And now here you are. Right inside that room you stepped in weeks ago, confronting the man in question with the same confidence that has always distinguished you from others and trying to act like the fluttering inside your belly wasn't nauseauting.

"A date."

"Yes."

"You want to go on a date with me." this wouldn't be so hard if Jungkook didn't look so delectable in a plain white t-shirt and ripped jeans. You cross your arms over your chest, doing your best to not look down at the exposed skin of a man who obviously worked out a lot and apparently, never skipped leg day. "What's the catch?"

He's sitting on his chair, back resting comfortably and legs spread, narrowing his eyes at you and probably wondering why the girl at the front desk let you in without an appointment. Also, probably wondering if there was a catch to all of this.

"There's no catch. I just want to go to the fair this weekend. I'll ask Taehyung for your number and text you the date and the exact place we'll be meeting. Unless..." your quirk one of your eyebrows. "Unless you're already planning on how you'll chicken out this time."

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Of course, Jungkook says yes to going on a date with his high school crush but spends the following days overthinking every single thing.

He can't help but feel like it's kinda sketchy. What if you're planning your vendetta on him? What if you don't even show up and he ends up there looking like a damn idiot? What if you hate him and are just messing up with him? What if that incident in high school is going to repeat itself?

"If she doesn't show up, you simply move on and never speak to her again. It's that simple. She can't have that much power over you to cry about something like that." Mijoo had said that same day she let you in the tattoo parlor after you'd asked to see Jungkook. Jungkook's coworker hadn't even question you and just motioned you to Jungkook's room with a knowing smile on her face. Later that day, Jungkook had scolded her about it and she'd simply shrugged.

He considers cancelling, eyes reading the 'won't be able to make it, sorry (sad face emoji)' over and over again and fingers hovering over the send button so many times he's lost count. But then he remembers that comment of yours about him chickening out and Jungkook starts seeing red.

How couldn't you understand he's just terrified of you rejecting him one more time? Sure, Jungkook is now an adult who doesn't get butthurt over stuff like that. He's experienced too much after graduating from high school and he's a much stronger individual than his fragile self back was back then.

But something about you just makes him feel so... weak.

He still finds it impossible to concieve where he got the courage to approach you like that at Taehyung's pool, or how he brought himself to touch you for longer than a minute without coming in his pants. He'd enjoyed it too much. Allowing him to see you so exposed, just for him. He'd be so tempted to kiss you right there and then, to run his hands up and down your thighs and fully wrap your legs around him to let you known how much you'd affected him. Once you called his name, it was like he'd finally snapped out of it and backed away like he'd been burned by you. He spent the next twenty minutes trying to keep himself from pulling down his pants and jerking off in his friend's bathroom.

It's terrible. Because he feels like the teenager he used to be when you're around. Shy, insecure and overall a mess. You showing up in his life after so many years and now apparenly being interested in him seems like a dream that he's not sure he wants to keep being in or wake up from before it's too late and he falls back into that tumoltuous longing that will inevitably end up in heartbreak. His heartbreak.

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It's saturday night, he's standing by himself in the crowded fair at the spot. You're fifteen minutes late and he's already about to turn back and dip out. He feels too awkward and the nerves are eating him alive.

You're not going to show up. You're not going to show up and now he feels and looks even dumber than the time he told you he was crushing on you. You're not even going to show up and now he's going to come back home, get drunk by himself and curse your name for-

"Hey!" he turns around to the sound of your voice and sees you running towards him. "Sorry I'm late! I couldn't find my phone and spent like thirty minutes looking for it. Turns out, Sharon Stone, was taking a nap on top of it and I didn't even notice."

"Sharon Stone?"

"Chaelin's cat."

To be honest, he's too surprised to process your explanation right away. He might also be a little speechless because that sky blue sundress looks too good on your skin and your eyelashes are so long, framing your beautiful eyes, and your lips are all glossy and kisseable that it takes him a while to find his own voice.

He clears his throat. "It's alright." scratching the back of his head, he momentarely adverts his gaze from you in an attempt to not get distracted by how soft your hair looks and how much he wants to wrap it around his hands in a ponytail. "Um, where do you want to go first?"

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Almost an hour and a half later, when the sun has already disappeared and you're both surrounded by colorful lights, Jungkook decides to buy the both of you hot dogs and a drink and you both settle down on a bench.

You've been walking all over the fair, going from booth to booth, playing any game in sight Jungkook dared you to -he obviously had a competitive streak-: from the ballon and dart games, to the shooting games, to the bumping cars, to the ball-in-basket one. To say you were having fun was an understatement.

You'd almost regretted setting the date up. You were sure he wouldn't even show up and if he did, you were scared of how awkward things could get between the two of you. And if things were awkward, you were sure it would only take less than thirty minutes for the both of you to part ways and never talk again about such failure of a date.

To your surprise, none of that happened.

The conversation was flowing, both of you acting like you were strangers on their first date getting to know each other, which, to be fair, that's exactly what it felt like. There was a slight banter, teasing each other when one of you lost in whatever game you were playing while the other was obviously winning. There were laughs and a funny feeling in your tummy whenever you'd walk side by side and his arm brushed yours.

There was no stiffness on his shoulders, no mention of the past or your previous encounters, no acknowledgement of the blatant sexual tension you'd experienced before, not an ounce of avoidance whenever your eyes met his and he was even sure of himself enough to place a hand on your lower back or briefly interwine your fingers with his to guide you through the mass of people.

It felt like you'd both unspokenly agreed on making each other feel comfortable enough to have a good time.

"I didn't think you were going to show up, to be honest." you suddenly say, taking a sip of your strawberry juice and thankful to finally let your feet rest for a while.

Jungkook looks at you, hot dog mid air and eyebrows almost disappearing into his hairline. "You didn't think I was going to show up? I didn't think you were going to show up." you simply shrug, lowering your gaze seepishly, the beginning of a smile on both your faces. He surprises you by tilting your head in his direction with his forefinger. You watch him watching you, a little dazed, a little lost in how his dark hair messily falls over his forehead and his equally dark eyes study your face, his thumb swiping over your lower lip. "You um... There was ketchup right there." he lies.

"Oh" you say, feeling your face heating up. "Thanks. Red doesn't really match this dress." you manage a smile and tuck a lock of your hair behind your ear.

At that, he eyes your dress for a moment, mouth slightly ajar. He's debating on whether or not to say something but you beat him to it.

"I'm sorry, by the way."

"For being late? I already told you it's fin-"

"No." you shake your head. "For... that time when we were young and I was such a concieted brat." you say, looking away , trying to find anything else that's not his pretty face. "I thought I was a queen bee back then. I was annoying and rude, specially to you. I..." you lick your lips. The cherry glittery gloss was already gone. "I thought it was cute, what you said. There was no reason for me to act like that. I know this doesn't make anything right but..." when you turn to face him again, there's still the same expression on his face. "I'm sorry."

A few seconds go by before it's him who's shaking his head. "It's okay. It was a long time ago, anyway." he smiles at you, although it doesn't reach his eyes and seems sorta forced. You sigh, and he takes your hand. "Let's go to the ferris wheel."

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tell you're tense. You're sitting right beside him in the ferris cabin, your back is all straight, you're facing forward and he believes you haven't blinked for what feels like an eternity. He thinks it has everything to do with your conversation a few minutes ago. You were probably not content with his response but what could Jungkook do? There was really no point in apologizing for something that happened years ago, but at the same time, he didn't want to hold anything against you like a resentful asshole because it was really not who he was. But there was still a little bit of stingyness inside of him and he didn't know how to make it go away.

At the end of the day, here you were, on a date with him that you'd asked for, getting along and asking questions about him and laughing at his jokes and trying to start all over again.

But then the ferris wheel starts moving, and he finally understands why you look so uncomfortable.

It's the way you immediately grip his forearm, nails digging in his skin and he swears he hears the smallest gasp forcing itself out your throat.

"Are you... scared?" he tentatively asks.

You say nothing for a while, not moving an inch. He would laugh if you didn't look so pained about it.

"I don't like small confined spaces nor rollercoasters." you finally say through gritted teeth.

"It's not really that small and ferris wheels are not rollercoasters. " your nails dig deeper and he winces. "Okay, okay. You don't like small confined spaces nor rollercoasters, and that includes ferris wheels. So why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't know. I've never liked ferris wheels but you seemed excited about it, so..."

There's a silence after that in the environment, neither of you exactly sure of what to say or how to act. Until Jungkook moves one of his hands hands until it's resting on the one who's holding onto him for dear life, fingers caressing yours. The warmth of his hand spreads through yours and although it's almost July and you can already feel your sweaty back staining your dress, it's oddly comforting. What's more comforting even, is him twisting his body towards you and talking with the calmest and most soothing tone you've ever heard.

"Look at me." you do instantly, unwillingly, and kinda wish you hadn't. It's almost as if your body will do anything he says without question. Like he has some sort of power over it to just react however he wants. His eyes bore into yours and suddenly the cab doesn't seem so suffocating. "It's just you and me right now. We're not even on a ferris wheel." the corners of his mouth turn slowly upwards. You zone out the environment, suddenly too aware of him and how close he is and how loud the beating of your heart is to your own ears.

"Jungkook."

You swallow the knot in the back of your throat when he removes his hand from yours. It almost makes you protest, - now realizing you've losened the tight grip on his arm- , before it craddles your face, keeping you in place while bringing his body closer.

"You have to stop saying my name like that."

With his thigh touching your thigh, your whole demeanor melts. When he leans closer, and you feel his breath fanning over your lips, your eyes shut closed.

"Tell me I can-" he starts to say.

"Yes." you finish for him. He doesn't doubt on closing the distance between you two. His lips touch yours and your body shakes in excitement. It's just him lightly skimming your lips with his but it's already too much and at the same time, not enough. It has you deepening it, yourself moving closer when he kisses you again. It has you relaxing against him, the tenseness prior disappearing and making you arch your back when his tongue asks for permission.

But it's exactly then, the moment you open your lips to him, that has you losing your mind.

The sparks fly, traveling from your head to your toes and then settling on the pit of your stomach as soon as the kiss starts to turn desperate and rough. When he nibbles your lips with his teeth, it makes you mewl and whine and your nipples tight against the cotton of your dress. It makes the metal barbell to feel uncomfortable, slightly painful. And when he goes back to being messy and filthy with his tongue tangled with yours, your thighs close on their own.

He forces himself to pull his hand back and bring it down, finding the parting of yd opening them for him. "Wait," you say, your fingers wrapping around his forearm as you try to catch your breath."The ferris-" he shuts you up with another kiss.

"We're not on a ferris wheel." he reminds you, a soft whisper against your mouth. And for whatever reason, you believe him.

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"He fingered you on the ferris wheel."

"Yes."

"And you came before the ride was over."

You take a small sip of wine, your eyes focusing on the TV where a rerun of the Golden Girls is playing, although, to be fair, lately you haven't been able to pay much attention to anything else but a certain brunet with doe eyes and kisseable lips. "Yes."

She hums, stealing a handful of popcorn from the bowl between your thighs.

"How long did it took? Like five minutes?"

There's a pause in which you clench your jaw, your fingers twitching around the glass in your hand, and then you answer. "Probably less."

There's another pause, and then-

"Ha...Ha ha...Ha ha ha-"

You let her laugh. It's okay. You knew you had it coming.

Chaelin knows the pillow you throw right at her face is also something she had coming.

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It's not that you're mad.

Jungkook and you had a great time on that fair date, he made you laugh, bought hot dogs and drinks for the two of you and got you off inside the cab of a ferris wheel on record time with those magical, long fingers of his. Technically, there shouldn't be anything to be angry about.

Except it's been a week and you can't stop thinking about him, about wanting more, and about those words that he left you with after the ferris wheel ride ended, when you had tried to return the favor.

'Next time, maybe.'

And there hasn't been a next time.

The thought of texting him or giving him a call to ask for another date is persistent in your mind. It remains while you do the laundry or wash the dishes, while you shower, while you eat or while you spend your days at the beach with Chaelin. There's always the incessant desire to reach out towards your phone, unlock it and dial his number to beg for more.

But you'd never been one to beg, so you resist the urge everytime that feeling starts to creep up on you and it washes over you like a wave. You silence your phone and try to concentrate on making the most out of your summer.

It's one random night, when you're tiredly dragging your feet across Chaelin's apartment's carpet, yawning and ready to succumb to a well needed slumber, that you see your phone screen's lighting up with a message.

Your heart pathetically leaps inside your chest when you read his name.

'you free on saturday?'

You wish you could say you ghosted him, ignored his text and moved on with your life until it was him who begged you for another date. But the truth is you opened it in a matter of seconds and typed 'i'm free, why?' back in a rush with trembling fingers.

So now you're on the passanger seat of his car while he sits on the driver seat, the first saturday night of July, like he's Danny Zuko and you're Sandy Olsson, watching a vintage movie in a drive-in theater which plot you don't give a shit about, even if Jungkook's date plan idea made something inside of you churn with adoration.

And the only reason why you don't give a single damn about the movie playing in front of your eyes, is because you're hot. Way too hot. And the reason and cause is none other than the boy-now-turned-man sitting on your left.

You barely exchanged words when he picked you up, just rode in silence until you got to your destination and you bet he can feel as well as you do the tension in the air.

You've surveyed him a few times from the corner of his eye, noticing him fiddling with the rings around his fingers and shifting in his seat from time to time. And if the sight of his fingers bring memories that you've tried to bury to keep yourself from lunching towards him, a brief glance at his forearms, adorned with ink drawn through his golden flesh -doing a poor job at concieling the veins running underneath- and his skin-tight jeans wrapping those muscled thighs of his is enough to have you be the one squirming in your seat.

A woman can only endure so much, and you come to that realization thirty minutes into the movie.

"I want to suck your cock." you say, a stern expression on your face as you turn your body in his direction.

Jungkook frozes as your voice slides over him. It takes him a couple seconds to look at you, shock widening his eyes and parting his lips.

"Huh?" he manages, his grip on the steering wheel turning his knuckles white.

Without separating your gaze from his, you gather your hair and tie it in a ponytail with the hair tie previously around your wrist. You don't miss the quick glance he sneaks into the curvature of your neck and the valley between your breasts.

Inching forward, closing in on him, you place one of your hands on top of his thigh, the action making his whole body tense. "____..." he whispers your name in a warning that doesn't sound convincing even in his own ears.

You smile, your eyes never wavering from his as your hand inches upwards, slowly caressing over the fabric of his jeans until you finally come across what you were looking for.

His hand flies to your wrist, stilling your movements. "____, this is not-". He starts, but his voice gets stuck inside his throat when you palm his undoubtly growing erection.

"Shh." your shaky breath fans over his cheek and you force yourself on your knees on the passanger seat in a more comortable possition to stop the trembling to reach them.

You fumble with the belt holding his pants in place, then with the button and finally with the zipper. He helps you by lifting his hips to pull his jeans and boxers to his thighs and you have to bite back a mixture between a gasp and a moan at the sight below you. You haven't even seen Jeon Jungkook naked all the way, but the mere sight of his hard cock with pre-cum glistening on his crown is probably the sexiest thing you've ever had the pleasure of appreciating.

It gets sexier when you wrap your hand around the base and his body melts in the driver seat, throwing his head back with his eyes shut. It gets even sexier when you finally lower your head, swirling your tongue over the head before finally engulfing him fully in the wet warmth of your mouth.

"Shit." his voice is tight, uneven as his hand loosely grips your ponytail, as if careful not to accidentally hurt you and break the glorious moment.

Although you wouldn't mind at all. Because the moment your hands are on him, and your tongue is on his shaft, that's the only thing you care about. Your belly is twisting, an undeniable wet spot on your panties as the fabric sticks to your folds, and the more you suck Jungkook, the more you want from him. His earthy taste is addicting and the soft little whimpers he occasionally can't prevent himself from are making you want to milk him until he can't take it no more. There's this desire within you to whorship him and his cock like you had been dreaming for the past weeks.

"This is s-so fucking h-hot." he rasps between ragged breaths, the bobbing of your head, sliding up and down his dick as your hand works the centimeters your mouth can't take is about to make him faint.

"Getting a blowjob?" you joke, your throat starting to feel sore as you kiss his leaking tip.

"N-no." he draws in a rough breath when you take him all of him again. "You giving me a blowjob... T-the f-fact that anyone c-could see us..." he darts a quick glance at your body, your ass up in the air and your dress sliding down, almost exposing you completely. "The fact that-ah! Shit..." he squeezes his eyes when he feels a glob of your spit lubricating him.

There's a sudden need to make you feel the same, to touch your skin and have you shaking the same way you have him. So one of his hands travels from your spine, to your perked ass, finally dragging the cotton of your dress to allow himself to see your thin white panties. "The fact that anyone could see you l-like this," he murmurs, regaining a little bit of control when he squeezes one of your cheeks. "letting t-them see you s-sucking my cock and..." he smirks when he feels you gasping around him, his fingers trapped between your thighs and pushing them inside your heat easily "and letting them see me fingering this pretty little pussy."

Soon after that he's cumming in your mouth while you're cumming around his fingers.

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At first, it's mostly on weekends when you see each other. Weekends of stolen kisses and soft sighs and whispering against each other's lips. Then weekends turn to week days, sitting on grass while sipping on refreshing beverages, drawing each other laughs, elbows touching as you walk around the park side by side because the both of you are too scared to interwine your fingers together.

Jungkook feels content like this: sitting on the sand with you between his thighs, admiring the sunset while nuzzing your neck and inhaling your scent every now. He likes waching you enoying your strawberry ice cream, almost forgetting the chocolate chip one already melting in his hand.

"If you were an ice cream flavor,which one would you be?" you ask him, relaxing against his chest.

"Rocky road."

"Why?"

He shrugs behind you. "Everyone likes rocky road."

You hum, playfully rolling your eyes. "What about me? Which ice cream flavor would I be?"

"Lemon sherbet, in the summer."

"Lemon sherbet? Out of all of the flavours out there, you're rocky road and I'm lemon sherbet?"

"Lemon sherbet, in the summer." he corrects.

"Okay, fine. Why?"

"You're boring and basic."

You gasp, trying to feign outrage but not being able to repress the laugh that escapes your throat. You elbow him, his laugh mixing with yours while taking the time to wrap his arms around your form, the breeze blowing your hair allowing him a spot between your neck and your shoulder. "You're boring and basic, but once you have a taste..." he presses a small kiss on your skin, causing the tiny hairs on the nape of your neck to rise. "Once you have a taste, specially on the hottest day in the middle of summer, you can't stop tasting and licking until there's no more lemon sherbet left."

You suck in on a breath when he craddles your jaw to face him. "It's been my favourite flavor since I was a kid." he kisses you immediately after, his lips swallowing the small whimper now stuck in your throat.

You close your eyes as his tongue opens your mouth, arousal blasting your insides and something much, much deeper that you fear to even name shredding your chest.

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The beginning of august comes faster then you two realize, but what you both do realize is how hard it's becoming to stay away from each other.

It's been thirty days of dates happening almost everyday, sharing high school memories and anecdotes of the time you spent away from each other. Hours of getting to know each other and opening up to each other. From failed relationships to new friendships. Of park dates walking side by side and fingers now interwined because you both realized one day that, fuck it.

It's difficult to sleep when you realize you're starting to catch serious feelings for somebody who was just supposed to be a fling. It's hard to sleep when his face, his voice and his touch and thoughts of missing him when you don't see each other start haunting you at night.

It's hard for Jungkook to focus on work when you're everything that's occupying his mind. Because he has a hundred sketches to make but he's too busy thinking about the hundred different sketches he would make of you.

It's hard not to send him a goodnight text, just like it's hard for him not to reply in a matter of seconds, almost as if he was already waiting to recieve it.

Jungkook thinks of you at night. Of how pretty and absolutely perfect you are for him. Of the taste of your lips, the way your hair feels between his fingers, or the flush on your cheeks when he makes you cum as droplets of sweat accumulate between your breasts. He thinks about your voice. He also thinks about the amount of hours left to be able to listen to it again.

But mostly he thinks about how ridiculous this situation is. Because he was stupidly crushing on you when you were only teenagers, daydreaming about a chance with you. And now his crush is long gone and he's starting to realize that he's falling, and falling fast.

You, too, think of Jungkook at night. Of his ability to bring a smile out of you, to soothe you with just a few words and filling your belly excitement, happiness and feelings you're sure you've never felt before.

Jungkook's managed to imprint himself in your dreams, and you, in his.

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Getting drunk with Jungkook is fun and messy.

It's fun because he lets loose, he stutters a lot like he used to do when he was a teenager and he makes you laugh louder than ever before. It's messy because he has no control over his hands as they explore your body, clumsily taking your clothes off as his mouth laps at the breast he's allowed to touch.

He's more forceful and dominating too, pinning your hands above your head, and commanding you to keep them right there, on the pillows of his bed. When you rebel against it, your fingers finding the hard planes of his chest, he pulls away from you and places them back where he left them. "Don't make me tie you up." he threatens, and your body shudders beneath him.

He sucks, and bites and leaves marks all over your skin, grunting in response to your moans. Creating a path of kisses from your lips to your stomach, his shoulders separating your knees, opening you up only for him. And thankfully, when you reach down to tug at the strands of hair framing his face, he lets you, because he knows you need something to hold on to the moment his tongue eats you up. He leaves his fingertrips on your thighs as he keeps you in place, not allowing you to runaway. Just forcing you to take it as he takes from you.

And when you cum, he doesn't back away. He keeps sucking, and licking and punishing you with his mouth until you're cumming over and ove again, screaming and begging for his cock.

Having Jungkook over you, both completely naked, skin to skin and only sweat in between is more than you could've ever fantazised about. He slurls your name when he puts the condom on. He would do anything to feel you raw, but he also knows he wouldn't be able to last a minute. The sight of you spread open, with your cheeks darkened by a crimson blush and your hair tangled all over his pillow is a picture he wants to keep forever.

He enters you when you call his name, your voice dripping with need. He stretches your warm and wet felsh, slowly easing himself into you at first, until he's fully inside and your bodies are completely in union. A shiver runs down Jungkook's spine when he looks at your contorted face in pleasure, your lips forming an 'O' and your pussy clenching around him.

"Oh, my God." you moan into the dark of Jungkook's room, and even then, he can clearly appreciate every curve of your body lifting off the mattress to connect with his. He lowers himself on his elbows on either side of your head, caging you in and capturing your mouth with his.

"I know, baby." he murmurs. It's hot, in the middle of August but suddenly Jungkook doesn't hate summer as much as he used to. Not with you sharing the heat with him. "It's way beyond what I could ever imagine." You nod hurriedly against his lips, your arms finding their way around his neck as he starts rocking in and out of you.

"It's too good." you cry, when he hits a particular spot that has you rolling your eyes in bliss and gripping his waist tighter with your legs against you. Your fingers thread through his hair, not bothered by the beads of sweat gathered on the nape of his neck.

"Too good..." he agrees, not missing the shiver that's shaking your own frame when he picks up his speed. "You have no idea what I would do t-to fucking feel you with n-no barriers between us," his movements become frantic as his hips slap against yours, his jaw clenched as he keeps talking, "to s-stuff you full of my c-cum over and over again until it won't stop d-dripping."

Jungkook's voice against your ear has you trembling and your orgasm nearing closer, your nails scratching down his back as his thrusts overpower your form. "Would you like that?" he asks with his voice strangled.

"Y-yes. Anything y-you want."

"You'd take all of my cum like a good cum-slut?"

You hate the fact that that's what makes you come undone. The twisting and knotting in the pit of your stomach finally snapping until you're holding on to him like you never want to let him go and he's following soon after.

Because if Guk, Gukkie, Jengukkie was not only able to make you come in less than a few minutes with his fingers or his tongue, but he was also able to make you cum instantly just by calling you a good cum-slut, that means you're fucked. Like, really, really fucked.

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There's a knot in Jungkook's stomach and a suffocating grip around his vocal chords as he caresses your skin. The sun is rising in the distance with the first rays of light entering his room through the window. Your shamphoo is intoxicating him, numbing him and enticing him to bury his nose in the tangled curls pressing against his chest. Your arm is thrown across his stomach, your breathing leavig goosebumps all over his body.

"It's too early. Go back to sleep." you mumble against his heart. He wonders if you can feel it dangerously speeding up.

"I can't." he says, voice struggling to stay balanced. "I have to tell you something."

You hum in response, sleep still interwined with your body, your arm tightening around him. You sigh in content, expecting him to elaborate.

He wets his suddenly dry lips. "I don't want this to end. In fact, ____.... I want more. Need more."

"Jungkook..." your whole body goes rigid right away, untanglling your bodies from each other and sitting up on the mattress.

"No, listen to me." he mimicks your movements, rapidly grabbing your hands to make you look at him. His eyes are expressive, a mixture of fear and hope swirling in his dark irises. "I wake up everyday, and you're the first thing I think of. I go on about my day, and I keep thinking about you, wondering what you're doing and counting down the hours until I get to see you again. I spend every night dreaming about you, and when we'e together, the only thing I can think about is how I wish I could stop time so I don't have to say bye to you the next morning. ____, I-"

"Jungkook, stop please." you shake your head, pushing away from him and in desperate need of air. You press a hand against your chest, beating back the throb of pain while the other curls in a tight fist, the feeling of your fingernails digging into your palm less painful than the ache inside your heart. "This... This wasn't supossed to happen, Jungkook." you start pacing around the room, as if trying to find an exit while avoiding his gaze. "This was just a summer fling. That's all it was, I'm supposed to come back to the city in two weeks and-"

"A summer fling?" a sardonic sneer comes out of him. "Oh my God, I can't believe this is happening again..." he mumbles to himself before rising from the bed. You stop immediately, a shiver quaking through you as his impressive frame intimidates His eyebrows are drawn together and his dark eyes are void of any prior emotion. "You're going back to the city in two weeks? And you didn't care to tell me until now, after I just spilled my guts to you?"

You eyes fill up with uncomfortable tears, reaching one arm towards him. "Jung-"

He flinches, taking one step back. "A summer fling is all I mean to you?"

"Ju- "

"Look me in the eyes, right now, and tell me that's all I mean to you. A summer fling." panic crawls up your throat. There's the need within you to confirm, to stare into his beautiful and stern eyes and tell him that, yes, that's all he is to you. But you've never been a good liar. So nothing comes out. You opt for wrapping your ams around yourself wishing they were his and lowering your eyes to the ground. "I think... I think you should leave."

Those are the last words he says to you, and the last thing you see when you turn around one more time after gathering your clothes, is his back as he looks out the window.

You allow yourself to cry the exact moment you step into Chaelin's apartment. Your friend is sitting on the couch, bowl of cereal in hand and a fresh cup of coffee sitting on the livingroom's table.

"Hey, you're early tod- Baby, what's wrong?"

"Please, don't laugh."

That morning, you lay down for hours on the couch with your head on Chaelin's lap while she softly brushes your hair as you cry, hiccup, fight through the pain in your heart and relate to her as best as you can the latest events.

She doesn't laugh at all.

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"She'll come back." Mijoo's slurred words do nothing to put Jungkook's state at ease that night. He simply shrugs, fingers clenching at his sides, frowing into his drink before gulping down the bitter taste of vodka in one shot. "Seriously, I think she's just afraid. My ex was the same."

"Comparing her to your ex is not the analogy you think it is."

"Ugh, shut up. Things didn't work with my ex because she was a bitch." Jungkook gives Mijoo a pointed look which she responds to by rolling her eyes and sipping on her rum coke. "Your girl is not a bitch. She used to be a bitch. What she did this morning was bitchy, but, like I said, she's just being a pussy. If she only wanted sex with you, she wouldn't have been doing couple stuff with you the entire summer."

"Whatever. I don't care." he lies and Mijoo knows he's lying but decides to drop the subject fo now.

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"We can't keep spending our days smoking weed." Chaelin speaks over Blanche's voice on the TV.

"I know. I'm just sad."

"You have to come back and tell him how you feel."

"I know."

There's a beat of silence before your friend kicks your thigh with her feet.

"I know and I will." you mumble through red eyes and smoke clouds.

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It's September first and it doesn't feel like Jungkook's birthday at all. He's been trying to focus on his work, alternating between isolating in full hermit mode and hanging out with friends to drink away his sorrow. The days have gone by and before he could realize it, he woke up today with over twenty text messages wishing him a happy day and a throbbing hangover.

He dresses up on autopilot. First a cotton shirt, then a pair of jeans and lastly, his Nike's. He doesn't bother tying his sneakers just like he doesn't bother taking a shower. He smokes a cigarette for breakfast, the death stick making him feel nauseaus on an empty stomach. And then he goes to work.

He's been repeating the same routing for the past weeks and he's not thinking of changing it, not even on his bithday.

He spends hours drawing, tattooing and drawing some more between yawns. He ignores texts an phone calls and simply waits until the day is over to go home, go to bed and forget about the fact that you're probably on your way to the city and that he hasn't crossed your mind not even once.

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Inkphoria.

You've been standing outside the shop re-reading the word for fifteen minutes, although it definitely feels like it has been longer. You're gripping cup of ice cream as it melts down your fingers the more you wait. The shop is already empty and it's starting to darken out side, and still you're so hot. Your shorts are heavy and your tank top is sticking to your skin. You didn't even bother to put on any make, although your eyebags definitely needed some concieling and your lashes some dimension to hide the fact that you'd been crying for the last few days.

'You're crazy about him.'

Chaelin's voice echoes inside your head.

You've lost count of how many times your best friend has given your advice, or simply encouraged you to do something you've been too scared to try.

'And he's cazy about you too.'

Chaelin might be wrong about marmite and the movie Cats, but she's definitely now wrong about anything regarding your and Jungkook.

That's it. You briefly close your eyes, inhale a deep breath then release it slowly. You start walking. It doesn't take longer than three strides and you're pushing the door open.

The tattoed blonde looks up from the counter the second you come into view. She smiles at the distance between you two. "You can come closer. I won't bite."

You clear your throat, stalking closer to her. "Is he-"

"He's in the back." she replies before you can finish you question. You close your mouth, clear your throat and nod your head.

"Thanks, Mijoo." she gives you a small wink, her smile easing your nerves like she had three months ago.

She watches you disappear. She shakes he head, her smile meeting her eyes. "I told him so."

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Jungkook ignores the knock on his door at first. It's almost ten and the parlor is about to close. He just has to finish this last fucking sketch so he can grab his shit and go the fuck ho-

Knock knock.

He growls, exhasperation cursing through him. He runs a hand through his messy pile of hair, his rings tangling between the strands, making him wince in pain. "Come in." he grunts under his breath. The door opens. "Mijoo, I really have to finish-"

He stops dead in his tracks as soon as he sees you.

"Hey." you say after a moment of hesitation.

"Hey." he replies and although there's something inside, deep in his chest, shouting at him to stand up, run up to you and kiss your face while he tells you how beautiful you look right now and how happy he is to see that you're still here, he decides against it. "Listen, ____, I'm pretty busy-"

"No, you listen to me." you cut him off abruptly. He looks taken aback and is already opening his mouth to say something, but you're not having it. "Please, just... Let me talk."

Silence looms between the two of you for a while, a staring contest defying each other to back down. When you take one step inside and close the door behind you, he sighs and leans back against his chair.

You move towards him slowly, your lip caught between your lip going through your mind for the speech you'd been preparing the last few days. Your hands are sticky due to the the sugary treat liquifying in your hand. "I know there's no reason you should give me another chance after rejecting you in high school, and there's definitely no reason why you should forgive me for the way I shut you out a few weeks ago. You've been confessing your feelings to me since we were teenagers, and now it's my turn to tell you exactly how I feel about you."

"Jungkook, the truth is... I like you so much. I like you more than I've ever liked anyone. Ever. I said this was just a summer fling, and I was lying. I was lying because there's no way a simple summer fling could make me feel the way you do. There's no way a simple summer fling could make me want not just summer with you, but also fall and winter, and spring and every summer that comes next."

You hadn't realize when your eyes filling up with tears until the sight of him starts blurrying in front of you. His fingers reach yours, his thumb comforting on your skin. "____, it's okay-"

"I'm not done yet." you sniffle, gathering enough courage to continue. "I brought you a lemon sherbet because you said it was your favourite. But you also implied I was your favourite, and I want to keep being you favourite, but now it's already melted and-"

The corners of Jungkook's lips start pulling upward as he tugs you towards him, his heart loudly jumping inside his chest. "Shhh, come here."

He takes the ice cream from your hand and places it on his desk. Then he's helping you onto his lap, your head tucked under his chin and your arms wapping on their own around his neck.

He doesn't care about your sticky fingers or the wet stains of your tears in his shirt. The only thing he cares about is the fact that you're right there, letting him engulf your frame and drown in the scent and warmth he'd misses so much.

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The first day of June has Jungkook sweating and wishing for a haircut. Jungkook usually hates summer. He hates the fact that he has to shower at least twice a day, and the fact that the heat is almost unbearable to sleep in and also the fact that he's easily sunburnt.

This year, however, Jungkook likes summer a little bit more.

"Excuse me, miss. Do you have an appointment?" it's the fact that you're starting to wear those summer dresses he loves so much, and the fact that your skin glows under the sun like glitter, and also the fact that he can lick ice cream off of it whenever he desires.

"I am the appointment." your giggle is almost childlike, playing with Jungkook's heart strings. You shut the door behind you, nearing him. You also seem to always have that flush on your cheeks. Although he likes to think part of it is due to him. He doesn't say anything else as he puts his pencil down and instead turns around in the chair to have you immediately on top of his thighs.

Yeah, he also likes the path your lips trace from his cheek, to his jaw, ending at the juncture between his neck and his shoulder. It still makes his body quaver to this day.

"Let me see." he murmurs against you forhear, his hand already working on unbottoning the front of your dress.

"Mijoo hasn't left yet." you whisper back, your smile impossible to supress and the faint whimper impossible to hide when his fingers expose your breast and tug at the titanium barbell adorning the already hardened nub.

Jungkook loves knowing he was the one to do that, and also the only one to play with it. He doesn't hesitate when he dips his head. "As if we'd ever cared about that." he adds, wrapping your sole point in his mouth.

He fucks you on his studio table with your legs around his waist and his tongue playing with both your breasts, the tattoo sketches long forgotten, scattered on the floor as he whispers against your flesh something that sounds a lot like 'I love you'.

#jungkook #jeon jungkook #jungkook smut #bts fanfic #jungkook angst #jungkook x reader #bts #bts fic #bts smut #jungkook fic

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minniepetals · 3 years

Text

Rose & Thorns: 09

— summary: a lone rose, a little broken, until Jungkook came along and the two of you saved each other. and in doing so, Jungkook showed you a world where he shared with his six other mates.

— pairing: dragon!bts x reader

— genre: fluff / slight angst / poly!au / fantasy!au / dragon!au

— word count: 8.3k

— warnings: none

╰ part 1 / part 2 / part 3 / part 4 / part 5 / part 6 / part 7 / part 8 / part 9 / part 10

"Hi there."

Just two single words are uttered from your lips and Jungkook is reminded of everything that has happened from the very first moment you spoke those exact first words to him.

He remembered those eyes of yours, so lost, so lonely, yet still having that kindness within to try and reach out a hand in order to ease his pain even if it meant just a small dose. Little did you know you'd end up as a true keeper of the dragons, lover to the seven princes of the East Sky and Mountains. But knowing the rewards, in the end, had never been anything you were seeking for at the time, and his heart warmed at the single reminder of how truly kind your heart is. After all, before you could even come to that moment of happiness with them all, you had to face serious consequences all because of that kind heart of yours.

Looking back on it, Jungkook only wished he could have dealt with it all in a better sense. If he were there for you like you were always for him, if he had gotten to his lovers a little sooner to make them see that nothing about you had been false, if he had been there through your pains and tears, maybe you could have reached that dream of freedom and happiness so much quicker.

"Jungkook?" Yet no matter what he thought, you were always there gracing him a sweet smile with such precious eyes that he knew he would forever hold dearly to.

"Back from taking care of the little whelps?" He asked, driving his thoughts away from the memories in order to look at what was in front of him instead. Jungkook knew he couldn't keep dwelling on the past no matter how much it had hurt him. Because here you were, lips curled into a brighter smile and he knew then that no matter what he thought, you'd never blame him for anything.

But perhaps that was what was hurting him even more.

You walked into the castle, feet having light bounces to them with a basket full of laundry. "I'm fairly certain Namjoon will hold an apprentice ceremony for Haeun soon. Who do you suppose her mentor will be?"

He grabbed you by the arm to pull you back in front of him before you could walk right past him without a second thought, surprising you just a bit.

"I'm sure Namjoon will make a wise decision on that but," the young dragon drew both his hands to hold you firmly by the shoulders as he expressed a disappointed face, "don't you think you're forgetting about someone else first?"

You giggled under his adorable pout. "Don't you have to get ready for the afternoon hunting patrol soon?" You reminded him, causing him to let out a grunt.

"Why is it that Taehyung and Seokjin are the ones to have you by their sides every day? Why can't it be me?"

"Kook," you laugh, "you know your hyungs would never let me go out there to support the patrols. For one, it can be dangerous especially for a simple human like me, and two, I don't have a clue on what to do during a patrol."

He sighed, allowing his hands to drop by his side again. "It's unfair. Sometimes I wish I wasn't a warrior."

"Don't say that. The clan has both you and Hoseok to keep us protected and that is something I would never want to take away from you."

"I know. I just want to spend more time with you" He looked up to meet your gaze again. "But for now this will do." Without any warning, he leaned in to give you a quick kiss to your lips, causing your cheeks to brighten in an instant as he strolled away with a giggle, knowing exactly what your expression would show without even looking.

You were too adorable for your own good.

"Have you ever had scented candles before?"

On one of the rarer days when you were free from your duties and didn't have the little whelps demanding for your attention almost every second you turned your head and Seokjin was well on his own, you accompanied Jimin in the lonely dungeons as he made his rounds as head of the guards, making small talks ever so often.

There weren't many prisoners locked up for their bad deeds just as the time you spent there a prisoner yourself so you knew Jimin often got lonely making his rounds all alone each time. Taking that into consideration, you weren't going to let the opportunity of your free time be spent doing nothing.

"Scented candles?" You tilted your head slightly to the side with innocent eyes that always got him every time and Jimin chuckled lightly after dropping his clipboard on a table from finishing his rounds with you by his side and turning to elsewhere. "I've heard of them before but they don't necessarily exist around here do they?"

"They don't but there are tales of the scented candles being of great help to be of comfort for anyone in need." Your eyes widened at his words, feeling quite intrigued, and when Jimin turned back around with a few things in hand, your breath hitches. "The first person that came into mind was you when I heard about them," he told you with bright eyes smiling as he brought them on over towards the table at the center of the room. You followed him curiously, rounding yourself to stand beside him as he displayed the candles for you. "So I had one of our traveler dragons to bring them back when they had the time."

"Jimin..." You felt so touched by his kind thoughts for you you almost didn't know what to say towards the sweet gesture. But when he graced you with a tender smile upon your gaze on him, you were sure he understood your thankfulness towards him.

"If only we had these at the time when you were our prisoner." His face fell with slight dejection but you were quick to shake your head lightly.

"Having you to help me then was more than enough, Jimin, I promise. Then again," thinking back to that time, you giggled upon the memories, "would you guys have really wasted such precious things on me at the time?"

He sighed. "I'm glad we can joke about it now but looking back at it, we were so horribly rude to you I can't believe I let my emotions get the best of me."

"You were just worried for the little one."

He chuckled upon your words with a tousle to your hair. "I don't think Jungkook would appreciate someone smaller than him calling him the little one."

You gave him a pout. "And why not? You do it to him all the time."

"Because I'm his hyung. Though he does often tease me about it from time to time." You giggled knowingly, already picturing their small bickering when it came to the two of them and their banters. Having seen that, Jimin smiled from where he stood beside you and brought his hand behind your head in order to pull you close and place a sweet kiss on your forehead, surprising you and making your cheeks flare up at the sudden gesture without warning. He found it cute how you had yet to get used to their kisses whether unexpected or not but returned his eyes to the candles despite the shocking state you were still in.

"Shall we try one of them?"

With his question, you blinked in a daze before shaking your head to return to the subject, and with your cheeks still slightly flushed, your eyes darted back to the candles laying on the table. "There are so many different kinds," you observed with a slightly opened mouth of astonishment to which Jimin found adorable.

"I didn't know what kind of scent you'd prefer so I got the dragon to get a couple different kinds."

"Lots of them are flowery scents," you beamed under the lowlights of the dungeon as you went on to pick up the candles in order to observe them up close. Pulling them up close to your nose, you waft at them in order to get a sense of how each of them smelt, your expressions clearly pleased each time you got a new scent to try as Jimin simply stood there watching you, happiness blooming in his chest at just the sight of you so content. "They all smell so great even without it lit up."

Your face fell with furrowed brows as you stared at each of the candles, having a hard time choosing which one to try first and Jimin let out a laugh. "You're so cute," he said. "We can try every one of them now if you still have time to spare."

"I have all the time to spare!" You exclaimed almost a little too happy for someone who had come in the dungeons declaring the desire to help. But he knew that was just the way you were and for that alone, Jimin wasn't at all dissatisfied by it.

"Well then, since you're having a hard time choosing which one to try first, just close your eyes and choose."

"Good idea!"

Upon Jimin's suggestion, you quickly closed your eyes and hovered your hand over the candles, blindly searching over each one before you finally settled with the one to the far right. With that, you opened your eyes again and held that one up.

"Lavender," the dragon beside you stated.

"Lavender's wonderful!" You were quick to say with your eyes lighting up at the chosen one. "It helps relieve stress and anxiety," you let him know and his brows furrowed a little at your words.

"Are you having trouble, little one?" He asked, concerned.

"Oh no, not me," you quickly said with a shake of your head. "I want to share this with Namjoon because I know being a leader to a clan isn't always the easiest. He comes home later than every one of us after all and most times I'm already asleep by then. I haven't seen him around lately so I'm a little worried."

His eyes softened at your innocent kindness that never seemed to ever leave your heart no matter what and for that alone, Jimin almost believed that he was falling in love all over again. "We're so lucky to have you by our side."

You looked up at him and gave him a humble shake of your head. "It's the other way around," you smiled. "Do you think he'll appreciate it? Oh, but you got these for me as gifts."

"Don't worry, it's always best to share gifts like these with each other," he said while gently stroking your head. "I know Namjoon will be more than happy to receive this."

"Then shall we also choose candles for the others as well? I think it would be really incredible to build a storage room for scented candles so that whenever one of us needs it, we can always—"

"Before that."

"Hm?"

Innocently, you looked up from the candles to meet Jimin's gaze only to have your lips captured in a sweet kiss, leaving your breath to hitch and your eyes to widen as you froze right there at the unexpected kiss.

Jimin leaned away just enough to give you some space with a chuckle. "Your reactions will always please me."

"J-Jimin!"

"But," his brows furrowing slightly, he brought his hand over to slowly swipe his thumb along his lip as you simply stood there, staring at those plump lips of his, not knowing what to do, "I want more, little one."

"J.." Your cheeks brightened even more as your eyes were quick to avert to the ground upon meeting his eyes, causing him to let out another throaty chuckle.

"I love you."

He found it amusing in the way your face only seemed to flush even more each time he did and said something. Your eyes were shaking, not knowing where to look, and he was sure your head was swarming with thoughts of how to respond to him. Surely you were panicking upon whether to return those sweet three words or not and it brought a tug at the corner of his lips.

"Well?" He raised a brow, waiting for your permission.

You bit your lip, still contemplating, but Jimin went on to take the lavender-scented candle away from your grasp to place it back onto the table as he inched towards you in a sly manner.

"I..." You opened your mouth shyly.

"Yes?" He urged you on.

"I-I..." You stepped back out of panic but he followed right away. "Well..um..."

"Hm?"

Bravely, you looked up to meet his eyes head-on and Jimin smirked, satisfied with that. But still, he waited to hear your words and despite how slow you were with it, hearing it made him happy nonetheless.

"I love you too." You told him and he smiled, letting his hand trail down your face in a gentle possessive manner before leaning in and pressing his sweet lips to your own.

It's a gentle kiss like the gentleman he is and not long after your thoughts are filled with him and him alone.

"I can't wait to become an apprentice! I just know prince Namjoon will choose the perfect one for me!"

You giggled fondly at the little dragoness who sat beside you helping you with your duties as the two of you fold the blankets for the whelps together. "But before that, you will have to let him know what you want to be first, right?"

"Ah," she said, almost as if she had forgotten about the beginning steps first.

"Well?" You urged her on. "What would you like to be as part of the clan?"

She looked away thinking, her hands coming down to a stop on top of the white blanket that laid on her lap, her thoughts going on to stray away to the different duties every dragon has as a member of the clan.

"Unnie how did you choose what you wanted to do?" She asked you instead of answering, her decisions still unclear.

"Well," you started, ready to help her to try and decide, "I chose to be both Seokjin's underling and helping out with the whelps because I love helping. I guess it was easy to decide because, for one, I enjoy taking care of the whelps' needs, and two, I'm used to the herbs and remedies as I've often had to learn them myself without relying on others to help me heal when I needed it. Plus it comes in handy when the princes need to be tended to."

"You don't like just watching on the sideline and would rather be of help, huh?"

You nodded with a smile. "Tending to them makes me feel useful. I can protect them in that sense while they help to protect the clan as warriors themselves. I'd hate to just stand back and watch them in pain, not knowing how to help them. It'd feel worse than anything"

Haeun broke into a beaming smile at your answer. "Unnie, that sounds just like you."

You chuckled at her words and went on to tousle her hair. "You'll find your purpose one day soon. Take your time, no one is rushing you."

"Oh!" She let out a cute little gasp. "What if I worked as a caretaker as well? That way I can be of more help here in the roosts!"

"That sounds—"

"No."

The two of you turned at the voice to find Taehyung walking up with a slightly displeased expression as he handed little Kihyun to Haeun before shamelessly pulling you against his chest right in front of the kids.

"T-Taehyung!" You quickly gasped and were ready to push him away at the unexpected gesture. Only he wasn't going to let you go.

"You already spend too much time with my princess, you can't keep taking her away from me. I'm supposed to be the one who spends more time with her than anyone else, Haeun!"

You couldn't believe this was the reason for his refusal of Haeun's help but rather than taking him seriously, the dragoness let out an exasperated sigh as she stood from her spot with Kihyun in hand before purposely sticking her tongue out at the prince. "Sucks to be you then, my prince, because unnie likes me more than you anyways!"

He let out a dramatic gasp with the grip around you only tightening. "How dare you say such lies."

Yet she made no comebacks and simply ran away before Taehyung could scold her anymore.

You giggled at their little banter and turned around to face your lover with a sigh. "I would appreciate it if you kept the affections to a minimum in front of the little ones."

"Why should I? Those little dragons are already trying to steal you away. I'm just marking my territory so they know not to steal someone else's mate, especially one that belongs to a prince."

"You know they're just playing around."

"That's what they'd like you to think, those mischievous little brats."

You burst out laughing at how ridiculous he was, jealous of the little dragons and even having quite the serious pout plastered upon his face. You didn't know what to expect walking into the relationship but even so, everything had been so well you were glad to be able to laugh and smile along their sides no matter how many times you'd get flustered by the things they did.

Frowning at you for not taking him seriously, Taehyung grabbed a hold of your face in both his large palms and brought himself right in front of you, making your laughter cease almost instantly.

"Is it fun making me jealous?" The prince asked with a raised brow, suddenly giving you a deadpanned look you weren't sure what to think. "Hm, princess?"

Your eyes panned away from his out of panic, already afraid to be caught by the poor little dragons in case they stumbled upon the two of you. "Tae—"

"I'm right in front of you yet you're focusing on something else?"

"If the whelps catch us like this, I—" He brought your face forcibly back to face him again with a displeased expression that is quick to bring your voice quiet all over again. "Tae..." Seeing him like that was a little surprising to you. After all, despite the many months spent in the dragon clan, there was still so much you had yet to know of including how the princes would act as your lovers, and now that you were with them, it still felt a little unbelievable they would feel such love and possessiveness over you.

Maybe that was just the nature of dragons. Just as you've heard stories of them being quite possessive with their treasures, perhaps mating was just as if not more important.

Your faces were so close you were sure Taehyung could feel the heat of your cheeks against his palm. It made you even shyer so you looked away, not brave enough to keep eye contact for much longer, and just for that, he let out a knowing chuckle.

"You're so cute." His voice was low, quiet. "I don't want anyone else to see this side to you, princess. You're ours after all, aren't you?"

You ignored his words in an attempt to hide your embarrassment. "Don't you think, um...you're being a little too brave doing this right here?"

"I'm sure Haeun's got us covered."

"That's not—!" You grunted. "We can't let her watch the whelps all alone, you know that."

"Eh," he shrugged, not caring one bit, "she's a good kid. She'll take care of it. In the meantime—"

"Noona!!"

You were quick to gasp and pushed Taehyung away as soon as you heard the young voice calling your name. "Do you need something, Minho?" You asked, turning around as the little one ran up to you while you both ignored the cry of agony and frustration falling out of Taehyung's lips as he leaned back into one of the beds of the whelps, holding his face against his palm at the missed opportunity that was now ripped away from him.

"Noona I wanna play with you!" The little dragon exclaimed with a bright innocent grin plastered on his face but Taehyung knew it was anything but. As if to provoke the prince further, he grabbed ahold of your hands and dragged you off, not even sparing Taehyung a single glance, knowing fully well what he had just done.

"Y/N."

"Namjoon!" He saw you quick on your little feet as you ran up to him with a beaming smile that was just enough to slowly ease the weights resting on his shoulders. But he knew it wouldn't last forever despite wanting to keep seeing that precious smile of yours even if it meant for just one whole night, dreading for the time that was coming. "I was just looking around for you!"

He gave you a tender smile as he drew his hand along your face, stroking it gently. "Did you need me for something, dear one?"

"Mhm!" You took his hand, ready to run off. "Come here, I—"

But Namjoon pulled you back to stand right before him again, he himself not having moved one inch despite you just about to drag him away. "Can it wait?" He said, causing your smile to fall with a slight concern.

"Oh. Are you busy?"

He hated doing that to you. "I was just about to have Yoongi call for a clan meeting."

"Ah," you said, nodding. "Then I will wait for you in—"

"Actually."

"Hm?"

"I want you to attend the meeting."

That took you by surprise as your eyes widened a little, totally unaware that Namjoon would ask you to attend a clan meeting. Usually, he would have all the princes and his most trusted dragons together for a meeting first before letting the rest know of any news that would be important to announce. You've never attended any meetings before and there hadn't been one for a while so surely the things he had to discuss had to be important, right? So why would he ask you to attend?

Seeing the confusion written on your face, Namjoon began to explain. "You're our Keeper now, remember?" He said, reminding you of the ceremony that had taken place just a few weeks ago. "Must I keep reminding you that you are now very important to the dragon clans?"

"Well..." They've mentioned that but you have yet to know what exactly that title meant for you. "I haven't exactly done much, have I?"

"I know," he nodded, understanding. "Truthfully none of us truly understands how a human would prepare for this role but I need you to begin seeing this title as your new duty. I know you have the whelps to take care of and also work alongside Seokjin but being a Keeper will begin to take up the majority of your time now. I need you to be prepared for anything, Y/N."

"I..." The serious gaze he held for you made you understand how crucial it was but still, you couldn't find the answer as to why. "I don't understand."

Namjoon nodded again. "It is best to let everyone know first before you ask your questions." He took your hand and began leading you towards the one room you hadn't exactly been to before; the meeting hall. "But just know that from now on, the Keeper will be attending every meeting that is to be held."

Knowing your questions would be answered soon, you gave him a nod. "Okay."

The meeting hall was a grand hall that laid a large table right in the middle with twelve chairs surrounding it all together. Seeing it up close and personal itself, you could understand just how serious the meeting was going to be. Even Taehyung himself who had already taken his place towards one of the ends held a grim expression.

But upon seeing you walk in with Namjoon at your side, his face lit up just the slightest bit.

"You look tense," he joked as if trying to ease your nerves with his little jokes. "It's alright, princess," the dragon assured you with a soft smile as he held his hand out to offer you a seat beside him. You easily took his hand, allowing him to guide you to the chair beside him as the others began to file in.

Hoseok took his place on your other side with a grin. "First time here?" He asked almost flirtatiously and made you let out a giggle.

Not long after the meeting began.

"The three clans have gotten news of me declaring Y/N as Keeper of the Dragons." You could feel all eyes turning to you at the report that left Namjoon's lips and just for that, you felt a weird feeling drop within your stomach but you weren't sure exactly what you were supposed to feel.

Was it a good thing? Or not?

Weren't the Clans all connected in one way or another despite them ruling their own skies and mountains? Questions swarmed in your head and you were suddenly realizing just how much you didn't know about lots of things that were important to the clan.

Sensing your confusion, Namjoon began to explain. "There are four main clans. The East, the West, the North, and the South. The other clans that exist are the smaller clans that protect other areas that are not covered by the four major clans. The warriors live protecting our territories in order to maintain the lands that were given to us from the first beginning wars many years ago. We are allowed to go to war with any smaller clan to gain land if we wish to do so, but none of us are allowed to attack any of the major clans so that no one clan becomes one over the other and dictates the rest."

"Hence that's where gaining a Keeper poses a problem, doesn't it, my prince?"

You turned your head at the warrior that had spoken. "It..does?"

He sent you a conflicted expression. "Us major clans may not be allowed to attack the others to maintain order but there are other ways to gain power and look slightly better than the rest."

"And one way by doing that is having our ancestor warriors accept a Keeper into one of the clans," another warrior added.

You were posing a problem as a Keeper already? Just by existing? Did that mean you'd have to leave in order to not cause more problems and potentially be the reason the clans may go to war?

Seeing those worried brows furrowing, Seokjin turned back to Namjoon. "The clans have given you their answers, I am sure. What did they say?"

With Seokjin's question, the attention returned to the high prince once again.

"They will accept the Keeper as long as we grant them the permission to use her in the case of any major wars."

Jungkook abruptly stood up in protest. "No!" He said in a thunderous tone with a face filled with rage at the thought of even bringing you to the wars. "I will not allow anyone to use Y/N in any way shape or form even if it comes to our own wars."

"But the Keeper has her powers to protect herself and the ones beside her."

"Y/N doesn't know how to use her powers yet," he was quick to dismiss the thought.

Meanwhile, you look at Hoseok and Taehyung beside you with confusion at this so-called power of yours. You really possessed powers now? And as if reading your thoughts, the two of them gave you a silent nod both firmly to let you know that all of this was real.

"She can learn."

"And she will."

"Whether she learns it well or not does not mean I will let anyone take advantage of her and put her life at risk. Y/N's already gone through so much, you can't just expect her to suddenly be thrown into the middle of our clan's problems."

But you were the root of the problem so it only made sense. And you were sure you weren't the only one thinking that as you looked around the room, noticing the hesitation in the warrior's expressions as some of them felt conflicted on whether to voice their true opinion on the matter or not since they all knew you were the lover of the princes.

Sighing silently with worry, you spared a glance towards Namjoon who seemed to be the one in the most conflicted position. After all, as leader of the East Clan, he had to consider both sides to the problem while also needing to take in the other clan's words without dismissing it so easily.

As you sat there while the debate continued on, you realized that the only way the clan could have accepted you at all was to become a Keeper. That was the only position available to you as a human in order to be someone not only the East Clan could trust but the rest of the clans as well. Which also meant that this was Namjoon's way of protecting you. Because as Keeper, you were given the power to protect not just the people around you but yourself as well.

"Hyung." Jungkook turned back to Namjoon, wanting the leader to declare the words of declining the other clan's orders but you knew it wasn't going to be that easy of a decision.

The room fell silent again as the youngest of the prince addressed the leader who sat tall in his seat at the end of the table. His gaze remained grim with both his hands clasped together in front of him with silent thoughts swarming in his head.

It remained that way for a while, the room waiting for Namjoon to speak.

He closed his eyes for a second before sitting back tall against his seat and looking up to rest his gaze right on you. Your heart skipped a beat, not knowing what he was going to ask of you or if he had come up with a decision, and whatever it was, you knew you had to be prepared.

"Y/N," he called, voice uttered in a low octave.

"Yes?" You were almost too afraid of what his next words were going to be but this was Namjoon you were talking about. You knew you could trust him with your whole life. The two of you went through danger together, helped each other up, carried one another, and made it out alive in the end. You knew more than anyone that he wouldn't purposely lead you to danger. After all, even though he had hated you then, he still protected you from that great fall because he knew you were special to Jungkook.

If there was anyone you could trust, it would be Namjoon.

"The wars that the dragon clans may involve themselves in can be quite brutal," he told you. "There will be enemy dragons far more dangerous than the ones that had attacked both you and Seokjin. You have to, however, be rest assured that our own warriors are far stronger than you can ever imagine. I will do all that I can to negotiate with the other three clans but be prepared to know that you may be needed in one of the wars in the future."

"Namjoon—"

He held a hand up to silence Jungkook without ever diverting his gaze from you. "No dragon that belongs to the clans, whether that of the major clans or the smaller ones, will ever dare to harm you. Every dragon knows not to try and harm a Keeper who lives to protect them. So if and when the wars ever come, will you give your complete trust to us in due time just as the clans will do the same with you?"

Seeing that complete resolve in Namjoon's eyes which hides no lies upon his vow to keep you from harm's way, you knew your answer.

"More than anything, I will entrust my life to the clans."

Proud with your reply, Namjoon let himself give you a faint smile in return.

"This will mean the clans will want to meet her, won't they?" Jimin spoke up upon the possibility and returning to his serious expression once again, Namjoon gave a nod.

"The Keeper has much to learn then."

"That's right."

Customs and courtesies along with the history of the Clans and their origins. Adding along with your training as a Keeper, the need to protect the dragon clans. You had much to do but you knew running away from it wasn't going to happen so you sat there with a resolved look in your eyes, letting the dragons know that you were going to do it all if it meant protecting them.

They smiled knowingly, proud to have you as their Keeper.

"Can't sleep?"

Namjoon's eyes turned tender upon the sight of you joining him out on the balcony later that night. He held out a hand for you to take and you gladly accepted it with no protest, allowing him to bring you forward and wrap his arms around you to keep you warm from the night breeze.

It remained silent for a while with the two of you just basking in each other's warmth, comfortable with just the sound of the crickets chirping under the night sky filled with the light of the twinkling stars.

"I'm sorry," he whispered a moment later and you turned to look up at him with confusion.

"For what?"

"When I gave you the title as Keeper of the Dragons, I should have asked you about it all first instead of just deciding it all on my own," he told you with a grim expression resting on his face. "Now you're going to have to face some challenges that you weren't prepared for."

His voice was soft against the wind, but you could hear the guilt and heavy stress weighing against him, letting you know that he had been worrying about you with all of this now going on. The other three clans weren't going to give in to his negotiations that easily but Namjoon would be working hard just for the sake of you and for that you knew all you wanted to do at that moment was to ease his burdens.

"It's okay," you told him softly as you leaned against his chest to let him understand that you weren't blaming him for any of it. "You gave me a place in your clan and that is more than enough."

"Being a Keeper is not going to be easy on you. Whether it was the only title I could give you as a human or not, this will only make things harder on you."

You chuckled a little at those words. "You know more than anyone nothing has been easy for me in the first place."

"Exactly." He let out a sigh as his arms around you tightened with worry. "This isn't exactly helping."

"As a Keeper, no one can hurt me, right?"

"You're going to have to learn to defend and use your powers first."

"Mhm," you nodded. "And I will."

"I know you will Y/N, and I trust you with all that I have," he acknowledged without any doubt. "I know that despite the situation you're suddenly placed in, the burdens you will have to face as a Keeper, you won't let any of that get to you and will do all that you can do for the clan. But," he gave you a squeeze, holding you tighter as if to silently tell you how afraid he was knowing he had no choice but to send you away as a leader who had to make the best decisions for everyone, "truthfully I wanted to agree with Jungkook and straight-up refuse the thought of even involving you in any future wars. The little one knows you best. He's seen through it all, feels the most guilty out of any of us for not being able to protect you as well as we should have. And I know you don't blame him, none of us does, he was after all the one who fought so hard for your life. But because he had to go through that, Jungkook will be the one to suffer the most when we have to send you off to fight."

You understood that. You understood the fact that Jungkook's heart was so big he wanted to protect everyone he could with his power. He was there beside you, always feeling helpless he couldn't do much to help you in your situation knowing he had been less powerful than the rest of his hyungs, but even then, you would never blame him because none of it was his fault.

He was a kind, gentle, and loving dragon who refused to let any of his lovers get hurt. But you understood where Namjoon was coming from and knew this wasn't going to be easy at all.

"I will tell you this though," you looked up at the leader whose eyes were already on yours with a firm resolve in his eyes. "As the leader of the Eastern Clan and as your lover, I will not let anything happen to you no matter what we will face in the future. So can you place your faith in me and do your part knowing I will be standing right beside you in all of this?"

"Namjoon..." Dealing with the Clans and potentially needing to be used in some of the future wars would not be easy, you knew, but you also knew that you weren't going to be alone. So you gave him a firm nod, knowing more than anyone that you could trust him. "Of course."

He leaned in to place a kiss on your head. "That's all I need to hear."

The days grew longer and longer as you took your duties off as Seokjin's assistance and the caretaker of the whelps in order to begin your training as the true Keeper of the Dragons.

You were given a teacher who taught you the history of the Clans and common customs and courtesies to prepare you for the meeting of the other three clans and had to face a challenge in trying to understand how the previous Keeper had lived.

None of it was easy, knowing you would be alone throughout most of it because the dragons themselves had no idea of how to train someone with a position they've never had to face. So you spent most of your time in the large library mostly to yourself with lessons after lessons on the history of the Clans and the first Keeper of the Dragons.

Given the ability to wield the power to physically protect someone while having no idea how to use or control it was hard for a beginner like you, but you knew you couldn't give up so easily because this was now your duty. You couldn't let your clan down nor disappoint anyone.

Everyone believed in you, it was your duty to show them that you were capable of this position without any doubt.

If the other three clans blindly trusted in you to the point of potentially asking you for aid in future wars then you could not let them see you as a weak and vulnerable human who would make excuses on how hard it was. You had to prove yourself to everyone.

Not just your princes, not just your clan nor the other three clans, but to yourself as well.

You were going to face this head-on, knowing it was your duty to protect the dragons now as Keeper of the Dragons.

"Tired?"

You quickly shook your head as you headed back to the private chambers after another long day of studying. With a big smile plastered on your face, you knew you couldn't let them worry over you so much.

"I'm perfect!" You said to Yoongi who held on to a skeptical expression.

"Well that's true but," he held his hand up to stroke your hair with eyes that didn't blindly believe you so easily, "you know it's okay to say when you're tired, right? You have it very rough right now, after all. We can all see it."

"Well I'm a little tired," you admitted sheepishly, knowing you couldn't hide anything from them as he brought you in to hold you in his arms soon after. "But it's been going well, I promise."

"I don't doubt that." Seokjin came up from behind you to place a kiss on your head. When you looked up at him, his eyes were just as concerned as Yoongi's. "I know you're a smart girl who is stronger than anyone I've ever met, however, you must remember to not push yourself too hard."

"You often go to the extremes for others, that's why we're so worried, princess," Taehyung said.

"If it becomes too difficult to face this all on your own, you have to tell us," Jimin chimed in. "Preparing for battles is not easy but doing this as a Keeper is something beyond our own imaginations. We may not understand some things but we're right here for you, okay?"

"Once you're done with the first steps of knowing how to defend and use your powers as a Keeper, the next step is learning how we fight our wars."

"I'm sorry," Namjoon said after Hoseok, looking the most worried out of them all since he was the one to have given you the title. "This is a lot more than I thought it'd be."

"I promise I'm alright," you said with sincerity at their concern for you. You hated seeing them like that but you knew it was coming from a good place. "Learning to protect the Clans is a privilege. I'm honored to be a Keeper. I won't let you down."

"Y/N."

You turned to the sound of the last prince to speak and saw the way he stood a bit further from the rest of you, an unsettling uneasiness clear on his face as his brows furrowed while he refused to look at you at first. It was silent for a moment as you waited for Jungkook to speak.

When he finally managed to look up and meet your face, you could see how much this was affecting him and felt your heart drop at just the sight alone. Jungkook was so worried about you.

He held his hand out, eyes averting from yours again but still, you took it without hesitation, letting the youngest prince have his way with pulling you into his strong arms. You couldn't see it from where you stood just seconds ago but now that you were in his arms, you could feel the way he was trembling slightly as he held you.

"'Please," he whispered as he let his cheek rest against your head, "if it's too hard you have to let us know. You can't lie to us no matter what. If you don't want to do this anymore then just say the word and we'll take care of it. But I know that is not something you'd ever do because you are much too noble for that so please...please don't push yourself too hard for any of our sakes. If you go too far you'll hurt yourself. So this time, this time I won't let you get too far. I promise I'll uphold my words and protect you. So please rely on me. Okay?"

You knew to some extent that Jungkook worried the most out of everyone but hearing those words coming out of his mouth, feeling the slight trembling of his body, you knew how scared he was right now. So worried, so afraid.

He loved you so much so you knew you couldn't do something that would make him think you were only going to make things harder for yourself.

You stepped back just enough to face him again where you reached up to hold his face in your hand. His eyes were filled with so much grief you wished you could just take all those worries away in a blink of an eye. But it wasn't going to be that easy. Despite that, however, you knew you had to do something to ease the pain even if it meant a small dose.

"I promise, Jungkook. I won't go too far this time."

"Good." He said and buried his face against the crook of your neck, his breath shaky as he let out a sigh. "Good."

"How about this?" Witnessing that moment between the two of you, Namjoon spoke up. "You should take a break tomorrow. You've been working non-stop these past few weeks after all."

"Hm?" You turned to Namjoon with a slight confusion while Jungkook remained in your arms, refusing to let you go anytime soon. "But—"

"The clan haven't seen you in a while since you've been buried in the library almost every day since your training started. I'm sure they've missed you."

"That's right," Taehyung let out a sigh at just the reminder of the little whelps demanding him questions after questions on when they were ever going to see you again. "You know more than anyone how much those little whelps love you. They've been asking for you since the day you started your training and Haeun isn't making things any easier. She's gotten so grumpy I can't keep handling all of them on my own."

You laughed lightly upon the mention of the little ones, already picturing them complaining to Taehyung and bouncing around him for answers about you.

"Everyone knows you're working so hard right now," Yoongi stated with a firm nod. "You should take tomorrow to catch up on things and take things easy. They've all missed you."

"I suppose a day wouldn't hurt."

"Then it's settled." With that, Namjoon gave you a faint smile as he walked up to both you and Jungkook, giving you a kiss to your head before gently patting Jungkook's head. He looked up, still slightly upset about this whole thing. "Y/N's going to be okay," the leader vowed firmly. "Everyone's looking out for her."

"Mhm," you nodded with a smile. "So don't worry too much, okay?"

He took a moment to stare at the kind smile you gave him and seeing how sincere you both were, Jungkook began to look relieved as his face relaxed for the first time in a while. "Okay," he sighed with a small smile of his own. "I'm proud of you."

Your heart blossomed with love.

Two weeks later, you were to leave to meet the three clans of the North, South, and West.

Dressed in formal wear, you took a deep breath as you stared out at the view of the horizon from the mountain top, knowing this would be the first time you would be leaving the mountain and being gone for a while.

"Are you ready?" You turned at the voice of Hoseok who stood tall beside Namjoon as the two of them would be the ones to accompany you on the journey. Behind them stood the rest of the princes and the clan to bid their farewells and wait for your return. Scanning the crowd, you could see some faces of worry and decided to give them all your usual kind smile.

"I have Namjoon and Hoseok with me, you can all stop looking at me like I'm already going out for war," you said with a small laugh to lighten the dampened mood. "I will be alright," you give them the vow with confidence in order to ensure that they did not have to worry too much.

It seemed to have worked since many of their faces began to lighten up again.

"We will be waiting for your return."

"Please stay safe."

"Send word if anything goes wrong. We'll be ready for anything."

You laughed again. "You all worry too much."

"For good reason." Seokjin walked up looking slightly grumpy. "We're sending our Keeper away after all."

"They won't do anything to me, I'm just going to be meeting them so that they will know who the Keeper is," you reminded him.

"I'm surprised you can be so calm." Truthfully despite Jimin's words, you were quite worried but you knew you couldn't show that now. It wouldn't be the best thing to do knowing the clan themselves were already concerned. "You're so brave, little one."

"Mhm," you nodded at his words with a confident grin. "So trust me a little more, hm?"

"Stay safe, princess," Taehyung told you as he gently tousled your hair.

"I will."

Meeting both Namjoon and Hoseok's gaze, there seemed to be some sort of a silent conversation going on as Yoongi met their gazes before he turned to you with a small smile. "We'll be waiting for you."

"Mhm," you smiled.

"I love you," Jungkook whispered before turning to Namjoon and Hoseok. "You too," he said. "Be careful out there."

"Of course," Hoseok nodded.

"Shall we go? We must reach the Southern Clan before the sun sets." Upon those words of Namjoon's the clan tensed up again along with an odd feeling dropping along your stomach. But you knew you had to do this whether it was scary or not. It was important to the future of the clans after all.

Once both Namjoon and Hoseok transformed into their respective dragon forms, you gave the clan a formal bow of respect. "I shall return in time."

With that, you climbed onto Hoseok's back and the two of them took off riding into the sky, leaving the Eastern Dragon Clan behind.

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poohnie · 2 years

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Here let me just cry a moment as yeet some angsty headcanon.

-Revali and S/O Before and After Defeating Windblight in Age of Calamity-

You were feeling a bit anxious these days, with the awakening of Ganon approaching fast, and you needed to do something to help you focus and calm down.

That's why you were at Rito Village, helping the villagers prepare stocks of arrows. When suddenly, the earth started shaking.

Ganon had finally awakened.

In the widespread panic, some Ritos were preparing for the battle while others protected the children and elders. You tried to find Revali. You needed to see him, to make him promise he would come back.

He was nowhere to be seen, as you searched for him among the crowd when all of a sudden, people began to cheer while looking at the sky.

Revali was making his way to Vah Medoh.

You shouted his Name, but your voice never came to his ears as he was too far away and the crowd too loud for him to hear you.

You couldn't get your eyes off him. It was when you heard your Name through the crowd that you remembered you were needed elsewhere.

All you could do was focus on the task at hand believe in Revali.

"He will be fine. He'll make it. Of course, he will!" You repeated yourself, believing each one of those words.

Time passed, monsters were everywhere and more powerful than ever. You were trying to keep every young and elder Ritos safe with some other warriors. And didn't think looking at the sky, but when you did. It made your blood run cold. Something was off.

Vah Medoh wasn't looking the same, and you started to worry what was happening up there? How was Revali doing? You had a bad feeling about the whole situation.

And with this, your fear came rushing in again.

But then, as a Moblin was about to attack you, Link, Princess Zelda, Impa, and even that little guardian called Terrako came to your rescue.

And the news you heard from them made your heart skip a beat.

Blights of Ganon were trying to take control of the Divine Beasts. The champions were imprisoned with them and fighting against them.

Her Majesty, Princess Zelda, and the others were there to rescue them. You offered your assistance to help them make it to the top of the mountain while taking care of some monsters and not letting them harm the others.

It took some time to get there, but Link managed to ascend Vah Medoh. And time seemed to spend so very slowly as you were waiting for any sign of Revali. Worrying, but still fighting as the adrenaline was rushing over you.

Then piercing the sky, you heard Vah Medoh screeching. The rescue was a success. Now the Divine Beast could take all those monsters down. What a relief, you thought to yourself while taking cover with the Rito warriors.

When all was clear, you rushed to the Rito Village, where you could see everyone come down of Vah Medoh.

"Revali!" You shouted as you finally saw the Rito. He wasn't in good shape, even if his demeanor was saying otherwise.

"[Name] you-" But he couldn't finish his sentence as you cut him off, asking if he was alright, what happened, and just worrying over him.

As you didn't stop begging him to let you patch his wounds, Revali finally accepted. You thanked the Rito who helped Revali and, of course, the Princess and her knight and led the Champion to his shack.

You helped Revali settle on the ground where he could rest on a pillow while you were fetching a towel, hot water, balm, and bandages to help him ease the pain.

You helped him get rid of his chest piece, and his top soaked the fabric with water and began cleaning his wounds despite your trembling hand and your blurry vision.

The both of you remained silent. The only sound filling the room was coming from the outside, steps voices, wings flaps.

Until you couldn't take it anymore, and out of the blue, you just rested your forehead on Revali's shoulder, making the Champion stiffen and his feathers puff.

"Wha-what are you-" again, for the second time this day, he couldn't finish his sentence. Has he heard you sobbing.

"Eh! Is this how you're planning to tend for my wounds? If I had known, I would have waited for Mipha's assistance." He tried to joke with no lasting success, as you kept crying over his shoulder.

"Revali, I-I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't. Bu-but I thought you were- That I would never see you again. I was-" You stammered, trying to be coherent and express all the feelings you had these past hours.

Holding you in his arms and stroking your head was the only answer Revali could give you. As so, you let the soaked fabric fall and indulge yourself in crying in his arms.

The Rito wanted to tell you that there was no reason for you to cry, that you should calm down. But the words never came to his beak, as deep down, when he was on Medoh, he was also frightened, to never see you again.

Both of you stayed like this for a long time, embracing each other, reassuring yourself of each other presence.

#hyrule warriors aoc #hyrule warriors #revali #revali x reader #age of calamity #hyrule warriors age of calamity #botw revali #the legend of zelda #the legend of Zelda breath of the wild #botw #headcanon #zelda breath of the wild #breath of the wild #reader insert #canon x reader

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allnewalldifferentwildspider · 3 years

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Zuko & Katara's Relationship Dynamic

This is like the third or fourth time I've tried to write up this post so please bare with me.

Oh wow. That video. Hopefully everyone has seen it now. Not only did it articulate arguments I've been making for years, but it also brought up ideas I had never thought of or noticed before. Watching that and watching the second half of Book 3 again (because it's my favorite) made me want to redo my zutara dynamic post.

I'm going to be using the tiny bits and pieces the show gave us to see how Zuko and Katara's relationship looks and how it would look if they gave us more because...Bryke really fucking hated zutara. I mean, I guess they did.

Katara is compassionate; Zuko is empathetic

A lot of anti-zutara arguments have said that Zuko and Katara could never be together because they would constantly fight and hate each other and it end sooner than later. Not only does this actually describe maiko, but that argument would need to ignore the characters' actual character.

One of Katara's biggest character traits is how compassionate she is. She has a drive to help others and ease their pain. Whether it's getting Aang out of the iceberg or healing a Fire Nation fishing village, Katara will go out of her way to help someone in need.

Katara: No. I will never ever turn my back on people who need me.

Zuko is very emotional and passionate person. As much as he tried to hide it to appease his father, Zuko does want to open up and connect with people. Unfortunately, aside from his uncle, most of the other people he knows are like Zhao and Azula. Not the most understanding of crowds. But because of this he can pick up what people are really thinking and feeling. Think of it as a defense mechanism he developed growing up around people like Azula.

Get these two kinds of people together and you get the crystal catacombs scene. Katara lashes out at Zuko until she breaks down. When she does Zuko opens up with empathy since they have something in common. This creates the beginning of an understanding between the two. Zuko uses that to finally open up to someone who isn't his uncle and Katara listens and reaches out to help. Contrast to the first episode of Book 3 when Zuko tries to voice his thoughts and concerns to Mai and she...doesn't really care.

Something similar happens during The Southern Raiders. Zuko figures out that Katara is taking out her anger of being separated from her father by The Fire Nation onto him and even connecting her mother's death to him.

It's not the first time Zuko has done this either. He easily figured out that Sokka was planning on going to The Boiling Rock. He does it again during Sozin's Comet when he tells Katara that Aang needs to figure out what to do about Ozai by himself.

There's a noticeable pattern of behavior by the time Sozin's Comet arrives. Zuko voices his concerns about meeting his uncle again and Katara is right there to help him through it.

Zuko's empathy combined with Katara's compassion creates almost a cycle of understanding and emotional vulnerability that the two can't really get with anyone else. One notices the other having concerns or problems and goes to give comfort by words or by actions.

Zuko still has a temper but so does Katara

Even after Zuko's fever dream character change thing, even after The Day of Black Sun, he still has it in him to yell at anyone who commits even the slightest transgressions against him:

Aang: That one felt kinda hot. Zuko: Don't patronize me. You know what it's supposed to look like. Aang: Sorry, sifu hotman. Zuko: And stop calling me that!

Sokka: So all we have to do is make Zuko angry. Easy enough. *pokes him with his sword* *annoying laugh* Zuko: All right! Cut it out!

Maybe it's the firebender in him or maybe he really is just like that. Basically if you annoy him, he'll let you know. What people sometimes overlook is that while it takes Katara a bit longer, she also gets worked up when people upset her.

Toph: What's the matter? Can't handle some dirt, Madame Fussy Britches? Katara: Oh, sorry, did I splash you, mud slug?

And remember, it was Katara getting angry at Sokka that even broke the iceberg that revealed Aang.

Katara: Ugh, I'm embarrassed to be related to you! Ever since Mom died I've been doing all the work around camp while you've been off playing soldier! Sokka: Uh... Katara? Katara: I even wash all the clothes! Have you ever smelled your dirty socks? Let me tell you, NOT PLEASANT! Sokka: Katara! Settle down! Katara: No, that's it. I'm done helping you. From now on, you're on your own!

The point is that it is both Zuko and Katara that are very passionate and emotional people. One of them isn't emotionally dominating the other because they both wear their emotions on their sleeves.

This also comes in to play when they set goals for themselves. When Zuko sets a goal, he puts everything into it. Katara is the same way. The difference is that Zuko's drive sometimes gives him a one-track mind while Katara is more flexible. Like for example Zuko being so focused on finding Aang before Sozin's Comet that he ignores Toph's story about her childhood versus Katara wanting to go to the North Pole but taking time to stop and help whoever they come across.

This passion also fuels their values and how strongly they stand by their beliefs. I already put The Painted Lady quote up above but Zuko's morality is what is making him so angry at himself during The Beach. He knows what he did was wrong, but he couldn't face it yet.

Sometimes their emotions get the better of them, but it's only because they are passionate about what they're doing.

Their natural teamwork is amazing

I can't provide a lot of clues in this bit because it's more of a visual thing. Just consider how flawlessly their plans worked during their attack on The Southern Raiders. Especially when you consider that it was a stealth mission so they barely even said anything to each other during and it still went incredibly well.

You could see it again during their mock battle with The Melon Lord. Sokka must have noticed because he paired them together to deliver some "liquidy-hot offence." And they pulled it off, again, without having to say anything.

They've only been a team for a few weeks(?), days(?) but they act as if they've been doing it for years.

They trust each other's judgment

Piggybacking of the previous point, Zuko and Katara have only been a team for a while but there seems to be a level of understanding in terms of judgement. They both know that whatever the other chooses is going to be a well-thought out decision. Maybe it's because they see each other as the mature members of the group even though Sokka is the same age as Zuko? I don't know.

Aang disappears right before they embark on their fight against the Fire Lord, and out of nowhere, Katara puts Zuko in charge.

Zuko: Get out of the bison's mouth, Sokka. We have a real problem here. Aang is nowhere to be found and the comet is only two days away. Katara: What should we do Zuko? Zuko: I don't know. Why are you all looking at me? Katara: Well, you are kind of the expert on tracking Aang.

and that wasn't the first time in that episode that she went along with one of Zuko's decisions

Katara: Aang, don't walk away from this. *She begins to walk towards him as a hand touches her shoulder to stop her from doing so.* Zuko: Let him go. He needs time to sort it out by himself.

As a lot of people have pointed out during the entirety of The Southern Raiders, Zuko never gives a suggestion on what he thinks Katara should do. Aside from making it a stealth mission, he follows her lead the entire way.

Katara teases Zuko (and he lets her)

The fun one. This one has two parts: pre and post The Southern Raiders.

Before The Southern Raiders, Katara was tolerating Zuko. She was still angry with him about the betrayal at Ba Sing Se. Getting little jabs at him was the only thing that was really helping her from loosing her cool around him.

Katara: I'm sorry. I'm just laughing at the irony. You know... how it would have been nice for us if you lost your firebending a long time ago? Zuko: Well it's not lost. It's just weaker for some reason. Katara: Maybe you're just not as good as you think you are. Toph: Ouch.

He just finished yelling at Aang and Sokka but all he does is glare at Katara. She does it again, but to be fair, he kind of set himself up for it.

Zuko: It's a sacred form that happens to be thousands of years old! Katara: Oh yeah? What's your little form called? Zuko: ...The Dancing Dragon.

Then comes post The Southern Raiders and...yeah, she's still picking on him and he still lets her. Granted it's a lot more playful this time around.

Zuko: They make me totally stiff and humorless. Katara: Actually, I think that actor's pretty spot on. Zuko: How could you say that? Actor Uncle: Let's forget about the Avatar and get massages. Actor Zuko: How could you say that?! (Cut back to Katara wearing a satisfied grin on her face and she looks to an expressionless Zuko as he slouches in his seat.)

I love pointing it out every time. She teases him and he does nothing about it.

Katara: Er, no. I was looking for cooking pots in the attic and I found this. Look at baby Zuko! Isn't he cute? Oh lighten up, I was just teasing.

And she admits it!

So what can we take away from this? From what little time they were given together (thanks, Bryke) it seems that Zuko and Katara really understand each other on an intimate emotional level. They can sense when the other is distressed and offer comfort. They're both passionate in and out of combat, for better or for worse. They're comfortable with each other as if they've known each other for years even though it's such a short time. Katara also likes to add a little bit of playfulness in there with Zuko letting her have her fun, again, showing how comfortable they are with each other.

I do think their relationship could have gone to romantic sooner than later if you would have given it a bit more time. Like first half of a hypothetical Book 4.

To me, at least.

#zutara #zuko #katara #anti kataang #anti bryke

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sanghyukstattoos · 3 years

Text

SF9's reaction: first time over at theirs, accidentally leak

Warnings: mentions of blood, medicine (tablets)

A/N: None of the images in the collage are mine, refer to here for more; For more SF9, read here, for iKON, read here and for optional bias writings, read here

Safe and happy reading everyone!

Youngbin:

Partly anxious, partly thinks he knows what to do

He has a vague idea of what he should do, it presents itself to his decisions in the form of a solution but he isn't sure, is it what he is supposed to do? Suppose you have been asleep when he found out about your period, he will softly climb back into bed and wake you up. He'll hold you as and when you wake up and he finds it important to cuddle you all day long, even when he suggests that you watch something to distract yourself. He'll try to engage you in doing something like cooking as well but when he see that it doesn't work, he'll tell you that it's okay and pull you to the sofa where the two of you will spend the time either watching the tv or not but in each other's arms. You may go on a walk because he insists on getting fresh air and it's reliving, to feel the wind breeze through your hair, away from the growing stuffiness of staying indoors all day long.

Inseong:

''Oh, she must be in pain, what do I do?''

He may wake up because of your whimpers and heated body (you feel warm to the touch, much more than usual) so he wakes you up, giving you a detailed report of the blood stains and your probably high body temperature. He's freaking out which is cute before you sigh. The previous evening you felt your pms but when would it actually come? That was your question. Nevertheless, he leaves you to freshen up and takes the sheets for cleaning. He has some tricks up his sleeve; he knows that to do. When you come out, maybe hug him from the pain, his heart will squeeze like a towel filled with water, he'll press kisses on your face and give you gently words of support, ''You're doing so well. You want to lay down? I'll lay down with you, come.'' as he tugs you along. If you feel more active, he'll try his best to cook, as in, he'll give in his ultimate best. Extra effort so that you can eat food at home rather than from outside, it will taste good in the end because he would have followed the recipe and it's measurements to the t. Shining eyes should be following your movements when you taste his food, anxiously waiting for your response. Should you feed him, he'll melt, like a marshmallow. He loves you that much.

Jaeyoon:

Jaeyoon's a sweet heart

He'll ask you, ''Are you cramping?''. His voice is soft, almost down to a whisper. It draws you closer to him. You nod, pout whilst holding your lower tummy. You feel uncomfortable standing because of the pain, he knows it and draws you into his arms, holding you steady on your feet. He gives you little kisses on the cheek, teasing out giggles from you. He'll cook for you, maybe pancakes or avocado with fried eggs on toasted bread, whatever you want + as long as he is capable of making it, he may even surprise you! When you are eating, he'll give you company, his chin will rest in the palms of his hand and he'll give you this look where his eyes shine and the pads of his fingers drum on his cheek. He'll melt if you feed him, into a puddle his true form has been summoned. He'll make you smile, partly because of his cheeky jokes but also partly because of his own smile, lit cheeks that resemble a baking bun. He'll tell you not to apologise for the stained sheets, kissing your concern away. He'll join heads with you and figure out to do with it. The rest of the day, he'll spend it with you by taking you into his arms. Be prepared, fluff! passionate-driven! domestic husband! Jaeyoon is out to cuddle you!

Dawon I Lee Sanghyuk:

🥺🥺

He may wake up to your groans of pain, too disorientated at first to comprehend that you may be pms-ing so he'll go back to sleep. When he wakes up later on, the first thing he may say is, ''Shit.'', biting his lip but not yet thinking of a solution. He'll first check up on you, to see if you are still asleep or not. If you are, he'll let you you be and sit back with his mouth agape, wondering how this could happen. This may go on for some moments. He doesn't have even half the heart to wake up but if he has to, he will. When you curl up into a foetal ball, his heart will break. After you refresh, he'll rush to sort out a hot bag for you and maybe some tea and cuddle with you on the sofa till you begin to feel hungry (he may wait for when you are ready to make breakfast!). It's because he loves eating and so he'll love to see his significant other too. He knows that you enjoy what you are eating and that makes him happy, so he'll wait!

Rowoon I Kim Seokwoo:

Luxurious level Rowoon 💸💸💸

You may already be up when he wakes up. ''Oh!?!?'' is his voice when he looks at the lil' crime scene you left. You didn't stress about it okay maybe a little but decided to deal with it when he woke up. O-O is his facial expression. He can't believe his eyes. He's scared, he may never be able to un-see it again, ever. To bad for him, slightly better for you. You are already refreshed and not feeling to great, drained even before the day has begun but he's not asking anything, only how you are feeling. You settle in the seat beside him, pressing a kiss to his cheek, he greets you with a kiss back, discussing about your plans for the day. ''About the sheets'', ''It's okay'' he says, noticing your apologetic face, ''We'll throw them out'', ''Okay~ they are your sheets'' you laugh. Otherwise, if he wants to make love to you, your period may briefly hinder his thoughts but not by much, especially if you agree. He undress you in the shower and kiss you all over, to relieve the soreness of your body and fill you up. He would be okay to cock warm, to sit there with you on his lap and talk to you, giggle and laugh with you, occasionally cutting you off by giving you love-bites and sucking your nipples, nipping the area around them, if you find yourself comfortable with cock warming.

Zuho I Baek Juho:

Home-man Ju, never-leaving-his-cats Ju

But for you, it'll happen. You may have not brought pads or tampons with you because your schedule is hay-wire. If no and you have some then problem solved but if not, he'll leave you with a hot bag and run to the nearest store to buy you some pads. He'll hurry, knowing that you are in pain so he'll even say to his cats before he goes, ''Be good and take care of y/n for me okay?''. You have half a mind to chuckle at this adorable behaviour. In his pyjamas and slippers, he'll walk out, coming back with pads/tampons and food! Food! What's not there to love about this man? He'll bring your favourite snacks, putting them on a plate while you freshen up. If you borrow his clothes, you'll take his breath away. He'll put something on to watch or go out, like an amusement park or food stalls or wherever you would love to go. He wants you to feel better.

Yoo Taeyang:

Shocked or master level response

The first would be more appropriate for this man no? But I can't also help but think that he would see you in pain and move quickly. Without thinking of a plan or immediate solution, he would try to use what he has, a resourceful character is my point. He may rummage through the kitchen and medicine cabinets, standing there for two to three minutes, pondering over what he could use. He is quick to find a heat bag and warm it up, perhaps a wet towel that he thinks he will come back to and tablets for your pain. No doubt that his once blurry eyes and tired mind have disappeared to the back, your peacefulness of mind and sleep becomes his first priority. He takes you to the toilet and while you hazily strip off your clothes, he warms up the water and fills the tub with it. While you soak, cleaning yourself up, he lets you be, giving you the space you need to take a while and gather your peace of mind. There's a lot he would do for you. In the morning, he would cook for you and take you out. Later in the afternoon, you'll fall asleep together and in the evening, if you both are in the mood, he'll be willing to try and ease your cramps with releases. He's someone to be grateful for.

Hwiyoung I Kim Youngkyun:

Shy, to the bone

You knock on his door, ''Kyun?'', ''hm? You okay?'', he is curious. ''Yea, I'm going to the store and coming back.'', ''It's pitch black outside, I'll come with you.'', ''okay'', it's dangerous outside, anyone could be there. Just left the complex, he asks, ''What do you need?'', ''Tampons'', ''oh.'', he's flustered now. The tips of his ears turn pink and his cheeks- he can't resist them from going upwards. After scratching the tip of his ear, he asks, ''Does it hurt?'', ''hm, I can feel it, it's hurts a little but later it may hurt a lot.'', ''As in, unbearably?'', ''Yea and I think that I may have already leaked.''. ''Shit'' he murmurs, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, ''If you want, you could go home and I could get them?'', he asks, in all seriousness. He doesn't contemplate that he's never done this before but he could, for you. ''It's okay, I think I can make it. Plus, you won't know what to get.'', ''Call me, ''Are you sure about this?'', ''Absolutely, I'll drop you off and then I'll pick them up, do you want something to eat?''. The endeavours make you smile, now you are at the front of his house, ''Anything is okay with me.'' to which he chuckles. He knows what you want, ''So some snacks?'', in a teasing manner. He moves closer to you. It's a pause from the outside world, cupping your face entirely in his hands, he kisses your cheek. You softly gasp, slipping into his grasp when he lets go. You could smell his shampoo and the way he lingered, he's already telling you, ''Go up, I'll come to you.'' having you shake you head and tell him, ''thank you.''. As he begins to walk, he resists turning back and pulling you into a kiss driven by heat-blinding passion.

I guarantee that the kiss doesn't happen for sometime but when it does, you end up making soft love under the covers. He starts with mapping out kisses along your body + he loves how you touch him when he kisses you.

Chani:

Loving and admirable

When he sees you in pain, he hurts too, expressed as a pout or frown, tugging your hand and asking if you are okay. He wants to make your pain go away. He may be doing some work on his laptop, he'll hold you in his arms with your head on his chest and you softly snoring away. It'll make him smile, after all you were woken up so early in the morning by your cramps, waking him up to a few hours later to find that you made breakfast. It depends on who wakes up, one or the other makes breakfast after a long competition of seeing who can sleep the longest. He feels grateful and he tells you that, before saying that you shouldn't have when you felt this much pain and that he was okay with eating outside food. You have to smile and place a finger to his mouth to prevent his nagging from chewing your ears off and give him a little kiss and then immediately pull him for cuddles. Complain about how you are in pain and he will melt like a lolly on a hot summer day and instantly cuddle you, hovering over your figure that he placed on the sofa and tease you, maybe by feeling your waist to your neck to a small make-out session. It'll be automatic for him to compliment you and shower you with love, easily embracing you and kissing you to tell you that he loves you.

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hitozy · 3 years

Text

have you ever ‹ masterlist › denouement

tw! manipulation, mentioned underage sex, dubious consent, cheating. i also want to point out that reader is around 2-3 years younger than Iwaizumi, while Jae and Iwa are the same age. ps. this is a long chp :)

𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞

Iwaizumi has no idea of what has possessed him tonight. He doesn't know why he's walking around the city in the middle of the night a day before he should be on his way home.

He doesn't know why after the celebration he didn't follow his teammates. He doesn't know why he has barely answered your texts since after the game.

He also doesn't know why he agreed to go and see Jae, to hear her out.

He's been doing fine so far, seven months Jae clean and while the first three were bumpy; your company had made it easier to deal with. Your cheerfulness, your happiness, the adventures you've both have been planning have taken his mind off the broken heart he was nursing.

She continued to contact him, even when he begged her not to and blocking her phone was no use, she just got a new one and tried again and again. His resolve was diluted and he knew it would be a matter of time before he fell into his old habits.

lil jae: congrats on the win haji! let me invite you to a drink, im in town.

Iwaizumi recalls an old memory from back in high school, a few weeks before moving to California, you were sitting on his bed helping him organize his suitcase with 'essentials'. His clothes all over the place but as always, you showed enthusiasm at helping him out.

He remembers you giggling and calling him a dork while folding his Godzilla themed underwear and placing it inside his suitcase. He remembers the way you hummed some songs that you had just placed on your shared playlist because 'it's kinda your style' and it kinda is. He even remembers what you were wearing, a pair of black running shorts and a blue tank top. When you reached over the edge of his bed for his fallen socks, your cleavage was visible to his eyes, 'If a man ever peers down his shirt', he thought, 'I'll kill him without hesitating.'

But what he remembers the most is you pulling out an old shoe box from under said bed, a shoe box that held his most treasured things. Pictures from his childhood that matched the ones on your bedroom wall, doddles from your hand, your favorite flowers pressed inside a copy of your favorite book, short stories and poems, snippets of stories never finished from you. He'll never forget your teary eyes and happy smile when he took the box from you, emptying the contents carefully inside his backpack. The hug you gave him afterward still sets his heart on fire, nothing has ever been more lovely than you and your happy smile.

He also remembers Jae coming into his room right during your hug, wearing an empty smile on her face, her eyes red and raging. He's only ever seen her this mad whenever he's with you and he still doesn't get it.

She stay's to "help" when in reality all she does is glare at yn the whole time. It helps that you don't even mind the glares or the bad mood, joking that 'Jae's grumpy because we couldn't go to the movies today'.

It was late afternoon when you left, Iwaizumi had given you a bag filled with some of his stuff - things he knew you loved and adored, things he couldn't take. He watched you get inside your parents car and wave him goodbye, even though you both knew he'd be coming through your window in a few hours for movie night.

He remembers when he came back inside to find Jae naked on his bed. How angry she was and how she took it out on sex, the tension so palpable he could taste it. Once it was over, she walked towards his backpack and pulled out all of YN's things and that's when it clicked. She was mad because he was taking stuff about YN and not her, she made it clear when Jae told him, 'What the fuck is this.'

He remembers that hours later, he finds himself in your room squeaky clean and wearing nothing but his sweatpants and socks, his back against your front with his head against your breasts. He hadn't told you that Jae broke up with him, but he knew you had figured out he was sad because your arms cradled him since he got situated there and had not moved since.

How Jae said she wouldn't move with him in the end. How she had decided to stay in Japan and have him go to California all alone in the end, just because she wanted him to. How he begged her to come, to stay with him, to not leave him and how he watched her get dressed to go home. How she winked at him as she left with a, "Call me once you're in Cali."

How she only wants to go out when she knows he has plans with you. How she only cares about him when you're around or how messed up and used he feels ever since she took his virginity during your 14th birthday party.

He feels disgusting sometimes after sex with Jae, disgusted with himself on how wrong it is but how much he loves her still.

He didn't have to say any of that to you, the kiss on the forehead you just gave him eased it all away anyway.

He remembers all of this while he's kissing Jae in her hotel room, her dress and underwear discarded somewhere in the room, his cock buried deep inside of her like a starved man, Her nails racking down his chest from his unbuttoned shirt as she moaned at the feeling.

When Jae separates herself from him with half lidded eyes, she smirks, "I bet my little cousin can't even kiss right, the little virgin." She kisses the column of his neck, grazing her teeth against the skin, getting ready to mark him as hers and even though he doesn't agree with her, he stays quiet.

A memory burst through his mind as he pounds into Jae. The way your sighed his name when he settled himself inside of you, the way your nails scratched his back when he hit your G-spot, the way you moaned when his thumb circled your clit; your gummy, tight walls griped him as you came, with his name on your lips. Your soft, pillow lips that have only been his, only kissed him.

"Be safe out there, Hajime! I'll be waiting for you!" She smiled as she kissed him goodbye by the front door.

He turned to deepen the kiss, pulling her closer to him like a starved man, "Don't worry, I'm not gonna runaway, mochi."

As he walked down the steps of his house, he heard her say "I miss you already."

It's then that Iwaizumi snaps out of it.

He pushes her off of him and steps back until his back is against the wall, feeling disgusted with himself in a way he hasn't since they broke up.

"I can't do this, I won't do this, I-" he pushes himself off the wall, tucking himself in and picking up his stuff, "Never again, Jae."

Jae watches him leave, a sinister smile spreading across her face. Her gaze steady as his figure disappears into the night, "If you think you can just up and go, Haji, you are very mistaken."

She walks to where she hid her phone and chuckles as she presses send, "Lets see what my little cousin has to say, hmm?"

Iwaizumi was worried, it wasn't normal for you to not answer his calls or texts. He was on the road back home with the team, their ruckus would usually give him a headache, but right now? Right now he can't focus on anything except the little 'unread' mark at the bottom of his last text to you.

my one: mochi? r u ok? im on my way back home

He didn't expect to come back home and find you in the living room in silence. Your eyes rimmed red and puffy from crying, you didn't have to say anything for him to know what had happened.

Jae told you.

He wish he could be surprised, but Jae had been nothing but a devil all this time and he can't believe he never saw it until now. Until he married you, an angel.

"Mochi, I'm sorry. I'm very very sorry, please talk to me." He knelt at your feet, his hands on your knees trying to get you to look at him. His guilt crashing down brick by brick, he should have never gone out to see her.

"I know this means nothing to you, mochi. But I'll never see her again, only when its a family reunion or you're with me."

Silence.

"There is no excuse, but yn, please, look at me, let me explain."

She pushes him off a bit, without much force as if her sadness took away all her strength and his heart clenched. How could he do this to his best friend? Lie and lie, again and again and again.

YN-”

“No, STOP! You- you got your say, now it’s my turn.” She's shaking and her breaths are short. She's starting to have a panic attack.

I get up and advance towards her slowly, “YN you need to calm down. Here,” I place my hand on her back, “let me-”

She pushes me off, her back towards me, “Please, don’t touch me. Please, please, please.” She's sobbing and its hurts so so much.

It hurts, it hurts, it hurts.

“Remember your breathing exercises, mochi. In and out. In…”

Eventually her breathing normalizes but she still won't look at me and it takes all of my strength to not touch her.

“All I ever wanted was for you to love me, Hajime.”

Whoever said words can never hurt someone, has never been in my place. She just stabbed me without a knife and its more painful than I ever imagined.

“I wanted you to love me, to see me as your wife, as a woman but you didn’t. You don’t and I- it hurts so much.”

“But, mochi, you said you would marry me so we didn’t end up with strangers.”

“I know.”

“Then why-”

“I lied. I’ve loved you since the moment you came into my life. I’ve loved you for years, even before Jae came into the picture. I’ve loved you so so so much, I love you so much.”

“… you know about Jae? Since when?!” I made the mistake of reaching out for her, she pushed me back and said nothing. The dread of her knowing, of her finding out before today makes me sick.

“If you knew then why did you marry me!? Did you think I would change? That my feelings would change? You know I’m not like that.”

“I do know. I- thought that maybe-, but then it was clear that nothing would change but, I made a promise to you and I said it in our vows.”

“YN-”

“I know the mistake is mine. I know what all the blame is mine to take, I know it and I accept it. I’m sorry, Hajime, that’s me that you have to stay with.”

She finally turns to look at me, but I wish she hadn't. The tears are flowing steadily down her cheeks to her neck. I did this to her, I hurt her again and again, without thinking. No, without watching. Because if I had paid attention to her like Jae did, I might have seen it sooner.

“We could get a divorce, you know. That way you can stop getting hurt. Stop your heart from breaking. You don’t deserve this.”

“It’s okay. I- I give you permission to do it, to break my heart forever.”

“…What?”

She takes my hand, and in-between the tears she smiles at me as if her heart wasn't breaking in two. As if I didn't shatter her dreams for a few sloppy seconds, “It’s okay, I know what I signed up for, I knew it from the beginning. I guess I just didn’t want to accept it. So go ahead, break my heart, break it into a million pieces! I give you permission, Iwaizumi Hajime, please just - don’t leave me.”

I can't say anything, what am I supposed to say? My sweet, sweet girl is hurt and damaged and all she wants is for me to stay. I feel disgusted in a way I never did with Jae, because instead of being used, I am using her.

I bring her into my arms, and say the only words that have actual meaning between us, "I love you, mochi."

"I- I'll do better, I promise. Please YN," He gripped her shoulders tightly, "Please forgive me, I'll do whatever just, I'm so sorry, baby."

He can feel the tears spilling onto his shirt, a scorching pain expanding through his chest at the consequences of his actions. He hurt the one person who didn't deserve it, who he promised to keep safe and happy.

"Hajime, please take a bath, I wanna sleep without the smell of Jae."

His heart dropped at her words, he forgot that he had just upped and left from Jae's, only changing his clothes for comfort. His skin still smelled like her. As he separated from her, he kissed her forehead, "Join me?"

He laid on the bed with her hours later, her head on his chest where he could see her puffy eyes. She had washed him thoroughly to the point were he thought she had scrubbed him raw, and he couldn't blame her - he wanted to do the same since the beginning.

He pulled her closer, practically on top of him and felt her heartbeat against his own. He had done something terrible and he needed to fix it, fix this. So he needed to take the first step.

to lil jae: for someone who says they love me, u sure like to make me miserable. i don't know why u hate yn so much and tbh i don't care anymore. i don't want to see u or talk to u ever again. if u contact me, i'm gonna get a restraining order, jae. i can't do this anymore.

to lil jae: goodbye jae.

do you wish to block this number?

yes.

Remorse is memory awake, Her companies astir,— A presence of departed acts At window and at door.

Its past set down before the soul, And lighted with a match, Perusal to facilitate Of its condensed despatch.

Remorse is cureless,—the disease Not even God can heal; For ’t is His institution,— The complement of hell.

Remorse is memory awake - Emily Dickinson

taglist ! @daphnxy @zukoslosthishonor @i-am-a-hoe-for-shinya @mrsdoradominguez-barnes @anejuuuuoy

a/n! *hands you all this and runs* i'll see you soon for chp11~

but in all seriousness, i wrote this chapter with my heart on my sleeve. love is truly the strongest curse and for it to be unrequired? imagine it.

now, i'm off to write the next part! and i am sorry :) ♥

#owwaw💔#owwaw #iwaizumi fic #iwaizumi hajime #iwaizumi hajime x reader #iwaizumi hajime fic #iwaizumi smut #because of the short sex scenes

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sweetestlamb · 3 years

Text

You Can’t Just Leave Me

Summary: The Han family is a force to be reckoned with.

Author’s Note: Writing this chapter made me smile, I hope reading it as the same affect on you all. Thank you to everyone who supports this story and leaves comments (or my silent readers). I appreciate you all and I am so thankful that you like this brainchild, I’ve just been winging it- never expecting to be on chapter 7 on something I initially planned on being a one shot. You all made it come this far, enjoy chapter 7!! Beautiful header by @ewolfwitchwisegirl text message created by Junjin fairy @prodmina

The apartment is eerily quiet following Su-ah's departure, he hadn't intentionally tried to eavesdrop but it was hard not to overhear their sniffles through the door. Then hours later the usually bubbly girl had exited the room with red rimmed eyes, he'd never seen her cry before in his many years of knowing her. He was awkward in the face of it, not used to comforting anyone besides Ju-Kyeong.

Their conversation was clipped and it was clear that Sujin hadn't opened up about what happened. The Su-ah he knew would be making plans to sabotage her father, if she knew the full story. She'd left with the final words, "Take care of her." He nodded without hesitation that was his intentions, he just needed to get her onboard with his plan to do that.

Taking a deep soothing breath he walks over to knock on the door.

"Sujin-ah, can we talk?" He asks, pressing his head against the door. Ready to plead if need be, she hadn't been answering him since being here. He never saw her come outside, but the food he brought would just disappear hours after he placed it. He waits patiently before reaching out his knuckles to knock again, but when the door suddenly opens he takes a quick step back surprised to see Sujin's face. It's clear she's been crying. He looks away, it's a bit unsettling to see her like this. Too raw.

"Let's talk in the living room." He suggests quietly, stepping back and walking towards the couch. Nerves easing minutely as he hears her soft footsteps behind him. He slides into one corner of the couch and watches as she sits on the opposite end. An awkward silence bellows around them as he stares at his hands and she stares at the ceiling. They have both never been the most talkative on a good day, but now it’s painful.

He clears his throat stilling when he feels her eyes on him, waiting. He had this speech planned in his head for days but now that the moment is actually here, he's terrified. Too nervous to say the words he wants to, does he even have the right to apologize to her now? Does she even want his late apology or will she brush him off? He wouldn't blame her one bit, it had taken him too long and he still hasn't even forgiven himself, how could he expect her to forgive him?

"Thank you."

He almost misses the quiet utterance because he's so lost in his own self deprecation. They are staring at each other now eyes locked, his own wide in bewilderment.

"What?" He responds caught off guard, he didn't expect Sujin to speak at all-much less for those to be her first words.

"You heard me. Thank you for letting me stay here and for not pressuring me to talk about it." Sujin awkwardly squirms in her seat, glancing away from him before darting back and she gives him the courage to finally saw what he wanted- no needed to.

"I'm sorry." It's his turn to watch the shock form on her face but he presses on before she can question him. "I'm sorry I wasn't there, I knew what was happening but I didn't know how to help. I understand now that just being there would have been enough, you just needed a friend. I'm sorry I wasn't one."

A slight weight lifts off his shoulder and his heart, he's not free but he's one step closer. One step at a time.

"You didn't do anything wrong. We were just kids, what could you have done? It's okay, I never expected you to save me. How could you when you were dealing with your own pain?"

She's giving him an out, and logically she's right the pain of losing his mother crippled him for years. It was still weighing heavy on him to this day but he doesn't want an out, he wants to be accountable. He would rather her rage than her understanding.

"I know you didn't need a savior, but you needed a friend. Am I wrong? Were you okay dealing with everything on your own?" It's a low blow he's aware and the way her eyes narrow further confirm that his question isn't appreciated.

"Am I wrong?" He repeats and watches as the ice around her eyes melt away glacially, too many emotions flashing in her dark orbs- anger, sadness, disappointment, broken acceptance each emotion cutting at his heart.

Leaning forward he grabs at the folder on the table, he's already come this far might as well go all the way now.

"Here." He hands it to her, she raises an eyebrow taking the thick object. "Open it," he nods at the folder watching quietly as she breaks the seal and pulls out the documents, eyes scanning the papers before realization settles.

"Emancipation?" She whispers, now staring at him unblinking he can feel the heft of her undivided attention.

"Yes, we've been doing research and I think the best bet is for you to get emancipated." He winces at himself as she glares at the use of "we", he should have left that out with how distant they've been; she didn't even know that Seojun was the one providing the meals she seemed to love. She might stop eating them if she knew, she was so stubborn sometimes.

She leaf's through the pages, carefully looking over the document and he sits silently awaiting her reaction.

"He would never allow this. You know that." It's said with certainty as if she's accepted her fate long ago, probably thought of this very option herself and then talked herself out of it.

"I'm going to ask her father to help, he's been supporting your father all these years. If he knew the truth..." He trails off letting her finish the rest and she barks out a humorless laugh, it sounds more like a sob.

"You want to tell your father? They have known each other for years, why would he believe me?"

"He's my dad. He'll believe me. We have to at least try." He pleads now desperate for her agreement. It wasn’t the right thing to say, he knows that instantly.

Instantly she stands up, slamming the documents on the table the ice restoring around her eyes. "I was fine all those years you were wrong. I'm not doing this, I don't need your dad's help." She spits the word "dad" like it's poison on her tongue, storming off to the room and slamming the door shut.

He sighs, defeated leaning back onto the couch. He sends a text to his father and Seojun. He failed.

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Guilt eats at her following her outburst, she wasn't mad at Suho despite her harsh words. She can blame her anger on many things but she's self-aware enough to know that it's a defense mechanism; she was jealous. It was ugly and grotesque, but she cannot stop the way her blood boils when she sees others with parents that care.

He's my father, he'll believe me.

That would never be her reality, Suho and his father had been able to reconcile and restart their broken relationship. That would never be her truth, her relationship with her father would never resemble something healthy and despite her efforts to repress her true feelings, it hurts. The little girl who desperately wanted to make her dad happy and proud still hadn't died.

She feels stupid, the biggest fool on the planet. How can she still be looking for love from someone who has never shown her anything but hatred? She’s the one with a problem here, she knows that.

She shouldn't have lashed out especially after his apology, that must have taken true guts and she had thrown it all back in his face. She tries to make amends but every time they cross paths she freezes up and escapes to her borrowed room instead. It continues on for days with him still bringing food to her door and the combination of their kindness is too much for her. She doesn’t deserve it from either of them.

Tugging on her jacket she leaves the apartment hastily with only a small note on her door. She needs some space to think without feeling suffocated.

Gone for a walk.

It's just her luck that it's raining outside, only a drizzle but it coats the world in a thick fog and it's hard to see. The biggest benefit is that nobody can see her, she just needs time alone to think.

The idea of emancipation wasn't new to her, she had considered this option before but in the end she discarded it. Her father wasn't someone she would simply leave, he would drag her back kicking and screaming. He had instilled long ago that she was his, it was pointless to have dreams or aspirations, she just needed to follow his orders. That was her purpose. Being an obedient dog.

Suho's plan also called for revealing her pitiful life, what if she went through this ordeal only to lose and not be given emancipation in the end? No. She couldn't make herself that vulnerable at least now she had her dignity, only two people knew about her secret. It might not be much to others, but her dignity was everything to her; it was all she had left.

Sighing loudly at the skies she mentally curses the weather, maybe it's poetic but all of her worst times have been bookmarked by the rain. It must be a metaphor for her life, damp and cold with no warmth in sight.

Stopping to sit on a bench she stares up at the gray skies before closing her eyes, accepting her fate. "Fine, rain on me. I probably deserve this." Cool raindrops roll down her cheeks imitating tears and she can feel the moisture seeping into her clothes and siphoning her heat.

"Unnie?" She jumps at the voice, sounding too close and she shifts away when she opens her eyes and is greeted by the large bespectacled eyes of Gowoon. The younger girl smiles sweetly, covering her with a pale blue umbrella with ice cream cones decorating it. It’s too innocent and too young the antithesis of everything in her life.

"Unnie! What are you doing in the rain? You're getting wet!" Gowoon grabs her arm tugging her to her feet using her umbrella to shelter them both. She's shocked when she doesn't bristle at the unexpected and too familiar manhandling. She almost rolls her eyes, what was it with the Han family and finding her during rainstorms?

"Come on, my house isn't far. I'll make you some soup so you don't catch a cold." The other girl doesn't wait for her reply before she starts pulling her down the sidewalk. She sputters but feels her feet following obediently.

"Oppa is working late, so he won't be there to bother us."

Her heart defiantly jumps at the mention of him, she hasn't seen him in a week. She has dozens of unsent messages to him, cowardice has rendered her fingers useless though.

"That's good." She lies, "So it'll just be us two?" She's not quite ready to meet any other members of the Han family.

The other girl nods absently, easily easing them into a riveting conversation about a boy at school who won't leave her alone. She offers to beat him up if he keeps on bothering her to which Gowoon laughs gleefully before squealing, "You sound just like Seojun oppa!" She glares at the comparison watching entranced at the young girl's uncontrollable giggles. When was the last time she'd laughed so freely? She had no recollection.

Gowoon wasn't lying and within minutes she's staring at the apartment she's only seen once before. That feels like a lifetime ago.

She immediately regrets her inability to say no to persuasive girl later when they are greeted at the door.

"Gowoon, sweetie is that you?" A maternal voice calls out and she instantly recognizes it, stiffening in the doorway. Stepping back she starts thinking of excuses, but her tongue is too heavy in her mouth and she's too slow as the woman comes around the corner halting her escape.

She blinks unhurried as the older woman gapes at her clearly not expecting to see anyone besides her daughter.

Gowoon breaks the silence, her voice nonchalant, "Hi mom! This is my unnie Sujin, she's the one who saved me the other day! Is it okay that I brought her here for dinner, I found her in the rain!" Gowoon makes it sound like she picked up a stray puppy outside, but she knows the other girl means no harm.

Her skin prickles at the question, anxiety filling her stomach without her permission. She's waiting for rejection. For Gowoon’s mother to say that it is not okay and she would rather eat with her daughter without a stranger intruding.

"Of course! I didn't realize it was the same Sujin." Gowoon looks confused by her mother's statement and she feels embarrassment swarming in her belly. Oh no. She has to stop her before she reveals too much, Gowoon knows nothing and she wants to keep it that way.

"I didn't realize you knew Sujin too, isn't this Seojun's cru.."

"Classmate!" She suddenly interjects staring at the woman with pleading eyes, she's not ready for Gowoon to know about her brothers “feelings”. She's trying her best to forgot them too.

They both stare at her and she squirms under the scrutiny, before the older woman puts her out of her misery. "Yes, Seojun mentioned her before I didn't realize she was the same person that helped you. Thank you." She freezes as the woman embraces her hand, smiling at her warmly as she thanks her. She can only stare in response, nodding dumbly.

"Come on unnie! I'll get you some warm clothes, you'll catch a cold if you keep wearing those."

She lets herself be tugged into the younger girl’s room. Just like Gowoon the room is bright and vivacious, wall covered in posters and books littering her table. It looks completely normal and it makes her ache, her own room was militarily decorated with nothing out of place and no evidence of her personality. Since she was young her father would inspect it and punish her if anything was untoward. She had stopped trying to make the room look lived in after seeing poster after poster thrown down.

"Here unnie. You can borrow this." Her eyes bulge at a familiar blue shirt with a puppy on the front. "I know it's so embarrassing but oppa got it for me, it's really warm though." In the end he'd gotten her to wear the ridiculous shirt, she reluctantly goes off to change into the top and leggings. They are the same baby blue hue, making the outfit look like a set. She's thankful the boy isn't here to see her.

"Well don't you look adorable?" Seojun's mom coos at her when she finally comes out of the bathroom, she desperately wants to disappear. The woman must notice her ruby cheeks because she turns with a smile calling out to her daughter, "Gowoon! Come help with dinner!"

Now changed too, into cactus pajamas the younger girl bounds out grabbing an apron and tying it behind her back.

"What are are we making?" She curiously peeks over her mom's shoulder. The air between the mother and daughter is comfortable, the two leaning into each other naturally as they discuss what to make for dinner. She observes with a heavy heart as Gowoon easily puts her head on her mom's shoulder and the woman strokes her cheek lovingly. Something inside her throbs in response.

"Do you want to help?"

Shaking her head to clear the longing she looks at their mom, who's looking back at her with soft eyes already holding out another apron.

She can't control herself her yearning is too large, she stands without hesitation walking to the woman, sucking in a breath when the apron is placed over her shoulders and then tightened snuggly.

"We're making wonton soup. Have you ever made dumplings before sweetie?"

She looks at Gowoon waiting for her reply but then realizes that both pair of eyes are on her and oh, she's talking to her. She called her sweetie. Swallowing thickly she shakes her head before replying, "No. I've never made them before." She waits to be berated or at least chastised for her lack of culinary skills, her father always said a woman's place was in the kitchen.

Nothing happens. The woman hums before smiling again, she's always smiling it's so pretty. She wishes she had the courage to say the words aloud. She doesn't.

"You can help Gowoon chop the vegetables for the filling. Then we can mix it with the ground pork and I'll show you how to make the dumplings." If the woman is disappointed at all at having to teach her she's doing an incredible job of concealing her frustrations.

She accepts the knife when Gowoon hands it to her, both of them working on a wooden cutting board. They've gotten into somewhat of a rhythm slicing the chives and carrots finely for the filling. She'd never chopped vegetables before but their mom had casually stood behind her shocking her so much she almost dropped the knife, but the older woman had easily caught the utensil before holding her hand and manually showing her how to tuck her fingers and mince the vegetables. She froze before imitating the woman, she was good at replicating acts.

"That looks great sweetie! You're a fast learner!" The woman praised her turning back to the broth and adding more seasoning liberally. She preened under the attention smiling shyly before Gowoon shouted out loudly, "What about me mom? How do mine look?" They both looked at the younger girl's unevenly chopped chives and carrots, next to Sujin's perfectly identical veggies all in an even row. The difference between the two is stark.

"They look fine dear, they'll be hidden in the dumplings anyway." Her mother tries to soothe her ego, patting her shoulder before turning back to her soup dismissively and a burst of laughter explodes from her chest at the offended look on Gowoon's face, her cheeks are red and her mouth is turned down in an exaggerated frown. The younger girl looks positively livid that her mother is not similarly singing her praises and she starts to defiantly chop more vegetables, only to have them come out even worst; even more lopsided and haggard.

She tries to tamper her laugh but when the younger girl starts whining, crying about how her veggies were “cousins not siblings” she loses it, clutching at the counter for balance. She feels the air bursting from her lungs as she clutches at her stomach, laughing harder when Gowoon glares at her pout on her lips. The older woman joins her rubbing her daughter's back as she cries about her dignity, and then Gowoon looks at them both laughing at her and a smile spreads on her face and soon they are all laughing in the kitchen, soup bubbling beside them as a delicious aroma permeates the room.

None of them hear the front door opening or a deep voice announcing its arrival.

He's cold, tired and wet. Once again missing the forecast for rain, he really needed to start carrying an umbrella around all the time. What was up with the weather lately anyway? Why was it raining all the damn time? He absently thinks of a certain someone and hopes she's somewhere warm out of the rain. They always seemed to meet when the sky was pouring and raging.

It was hard not contacting her but he wanted to listen to her requests and respect her wishes no matter how hard it was for him, it was also getting pathetic being the only one fighting for this. She hadn't outright rejected him after his confession but her silence was an answer in itself and he wanted to respect that. He wasn't too manly to admit that he was hurt, and he was reeling from being pushed away so many times already.

So he followed his mother's advice, he'd given her something that he knew she needed and expected nothing in return.

All week he'd been waking up early to cook for the girl, reading recipes off his phone fluffy cat headband on his head keeping his fringe out of his eyes. The easier recipes like soup and grilled meats had been simple enough to accomplish but when he ventured into more complicated bento boxes that's when frustrations had arose. They looked so easy but they were tedious and he wasn’t the most patient or detail oriented person.

He struggled to recreate the detailed meals and almost gave up, throwing his phone across the room.

That's how his mother had found him, fuming and tugging his hair on the kitchen table. Seconds away from bashing his head into the surface and screaming at the ceiling.

"What are you doing up so early?" He jumped at her voice, looking around at the mess he'd made in the kitchen with wide guilty eyes.

"I-I can explain." He stuttered out but couldn't come up with a feasible answer once she looked at him expectantly, arms folded. The patented mom stare.

She had calmly walked across the room picking up his discarded phone, peering at the screen before looking back at him.

"Is this for your friend?" She shook the phone at him knowingly and he pressed his lips tight together, nodding mutely while looking away.

"Okay let's see what you have so far." His mom walked over and assessed what he had already made, nodding with a proud smile. "You did good so far, let me show you how to make a hotdog into an octopus. I did this for you all the time when you were a kid."

He was grateful when she didn't ask him any questions and it became their morning ritual, until he no longer needed guidance and he was able to make the boxes on his own. The satisfaction he felt when Suho would return the containers, clean as a whistle not even a grain of rice remaining was incomparable. It wasn't much but at least she was eating, that was all he needed even if she didn't want to see him or know that he was the one making her meals.

He sighs at himself, he told himself not to think about her but that was proving easier said than done.

Shaking himself at the front door like a wet dog, he tugs his keys from the back pocket of his jeans slotting it on the doorknob and turning.

"I'm home!" He calls out instinctively announcing his arrival as he toes off his drenched boots, but then his eyebrow lifts as he hears peals of laughter coming from the kitchen. He chuckles without knowing the joke, instantly rejuvenated by his family's abundant joy. Slipping on his slippers after hesitating a second because he doesn't recognize the shoe at the front door. When did Gowoon get those and how the hell was his little sister affording Chanel sneakers?

Those thoughts are swarming in his mind when he stomps to the kitchen, all the air sucked from his lungs when he sees an unbelievable vision. His mother and sister are grasping at each other, lost in laughter completely unaware of his presence but the image that most shocks him is Sujin, holding her stomach as she spots something on the counter that sets her off into another bout of boisterous laughter.

He can't help it he starts to categorize her every move, the way her eyes are crinkled and a stray tear is leaking out the corner, the way her nose is scrunched up like a rabbit and the way her mouth is stretched wide, visible even behind the futile shield of her hand. All of his thoughts from earlier regarding not needing to see her dissipate, he wants to tattoo this image in his mind.

"Oh! You're here!" His mother suddenly turns to face him and that causes Sujin to freeze laughter fading off with a whine, regarding him with huge bright eyes. It's almost too much once he notices what she's wearing, he wasn't prepared to see her like this in his house. It's overwhelming in the best way.

"I'm home. I'll go change and come help." Both his mother and Gowoon nod easily no longer paying him any mind but he can feel eyes on him as he runs away, trying to regain his composure and his breath. He purposely avoids Sujin's eyes not ready to see if the walls are back up at his arrival.

When he comes back out the table is already set and they've all taken a seat, the only available chair is between his mom and Sujin, so he takes a calming breath before walking over with fake confidence. He’s used to faking it until he makes it. That could be the name of his biography.

He answers his family's questions about work and school blowing on the soup before taking a bite of the slightly lopsided dumpling. What it's lacking in appearance it more than makes up for in flavor, he groans at the delicious flavor that dances on his taste buds looking up excitedly at his mom.

"These dumplings are delicious! Thank you for the meal!" He praises his mom, happily chewing at the soft delicacy in his mouth.

"Thank you Junnie, but I didn't make the dumplings. They worked on the filling together but Sujin-ah seasoned and filled the dumplings while I made the broth and your sister helped with the side dishes." His mother smiles proudly over at the two girls, Gowoon beaming with pride but Sujin, almost disappears into her soup her head so close to the steaming hot bowl.

They haven’t said anything to each other and he's nervous to be the one to break this stalemate but he also really wants to talk to her, has wanted to since he stepped through the door and saw her smiling face. Has wanted to since that night he stormed out and didn't look back. So finally he does, gathering all his bravery to finally look over at her.

"The dumplings are great." And when she doesn't look up or seemingly react at all, he tells himself he's fine and he expected that. She wasn't ready to talk to him yet, it was his own fault for hoping when she'd explicitly told him to stop doing that.

So he goes back to eating, more lethargic than before eyes locked on nothing but his food and his spoon. It was embarrassing. He knows his cheeks are pink and he hates it.

"Thank you. I just followed your mom's directions. It was nothing."

He pauses, peeking up at her and almost choking when she shoots him a small smile before filling her bowl with more rice.

His heart thumps in his chest. Fuck.

He doesn't hear anything else the rest of the meal, too lost in his thoughts and it's only familiarity that has him standing up when everyone is finished, collecting the plates and bringing them to the sink.

"It's almost time for Sunbae, don’t wear those high heels!!" Gowoon shouts, he cringes at the name of the new drama they've been obsessively watching, he'd only tuned in one time before flabbergasted by the exorbitant amount of times the female protagonist had fallen into the arms of various men but especially the male lead. She fell off a balcony into his arms that time, with neither of them needing to be admitted to the hospital somehow. His mother and Gowoon had both hushed him when he'd voiced that particular opinion and he had happily banished himself to his room.

"Oh no, I'm going to miss it because I'm washing the dishes." He replies deadpan as his sister rolls her eyes dramatically at him, "Whatever it's your loss. Let's go I want to see if she's going to choose the sweet bad boy or the cold cute guy!"

He scoffs at the cliché characterizations scrubbing harder at the plate.

"Come on unnie!" Sujin gasps as she's tugged to the living room too, glancing over he sees his little sister place her in the middle of the couch sandwiched between her and his mother. Sujin looks overwhelmed as Gowoon animatedly tries to catch her up on the series. He shakes his head, maybe the show wasn't that bad. He could watch a few minutes with them.

He strolls casually to the living room, easing onto the ground beside his mother's legs after all the dishes are clean and drying.

"What are you doing here? I thought you despised this "cringey" show?" He leans his head back, sighing when his mother eases her fingers into his hair scratching at his scalp and he sighs content in her lap.

"I do. But it's too early to sleep so I have no choice but to watch this crap."

"Mom! He said crap!"

"Watch your language."

His mother scolds him immediately and Gowoon sticks out her tongue at him vindicated because he got in trouble and immaturely he does it back, tugging off her sock much to her chagrin, dodging her when she tries to kick him.

Sujin looks back and forth between them both before discretely looking at their mother, she seems shocked when all the woman does is chuckle and say, "Children please. Do I need to remind you that we have a guest?" He looks away bashfully not wanting to look childish in front of Sujin, he hadn't thought about that. That makes them settle down and he finally looks at the TV, groaning loudly when low and behold the heroine is falling again, tripping over a candy wrapper on the ground.

"She falls a lot. She should probably wear protective gear." Sujin says breaking their new silence and he chuckles at her observation, happy that someone agrees with him, excitedly he turns to her "Right! Last time she fell off a balcony!" He shouts in disbelief and suddenly they're all arguing about the feasibility of someone surviving that. His mother shaking her head fondly at them, choosing to say out of it which makes Gowoon pout because she's outnumbered.

"Okay who would you choose Unnie, the tsundere type or the bad boy with a heart of gold?" Suddenly he's very invested in her answer, he tries not to react staring at the ceiling and breathing evenly but inside his heart is thundering ready to pound out of his chest.

A few seconds drag on and he wonders if she's not going to answer, he doesn't even know why he cares so much but curiously is gripping at him. He knows that this doesn't mean anything necessarily and he's not getting his hopes up but--

"The sweet guy. He just looks like a bad boy but he's sweet to her, he never says anything mean to her. That would be nice." She answers, trailing off at the end and he hears Gowoon instantly disagreeing saying the other guy is way better, but he can barely hear his sister over the thumping of his heart in his ears, he can't help the wide smile that spreads on his face.

He turns to hide it in his mom's lap.

It doesn't leave his face the rest of the night.

It's getting late, she knows that it's time for her to take her leave she's been imposing on them for too long but....she doesn't want to. She doesn't want to leave, they are so warm. She's never seen a family like this outside of television shows, how was it possible that this was their real life? How could they have a mother who was that loving? Everything they did was greeted with fond exasperation, where was the reprimanding or cold backhanded words that cut like a knife?

She'd even treated her kindly, calling her sweetie more than she said her name. And she got used to it similar to how she'd gotten used to Seojun calling her princess, she knew she should fight it but she didn't want to. She was ashamed to say she liked it.

She tries to soak it up for as long as she can before she says reluctantly, "I should probably go. it's getting late." Then she watches in a daze as the woman races off before returning with containers stacked and tied in a bag.

Before she can argue or refuse their mom is already shaking her head, "You made this so it's only right that you take it home. I won't take no for an answer." At this point that should have been the Han family motto she thinks fondly. But she accepts the food, bowing in gratitude at the simple act of kindness.

"Unnie, can I have your number? I just realized I don't have it and we're so close!" Gowoon thrusts her phone out with two hands, giving her the biggest puppy eyes she's ever seen. Without a word she accepts the phone, punching in her number before handing it back. She hadn’t realized the girl considered them close, but she finds that she doesn’t mind it at all.

"Thank you! I'll text you so you can have my number too." The younger girl dances in celebration before grabbing her in a hug, she awkwardly pats her on the back once before she's finally set free. They're all so naturally affectionate and she's not the least bit accustomed to it, used to harsh words and slaps instead of praises and hugs.

"Get home safely sweetie. Junnie! Where did you go? Come walk her home!" She rushes to say it's okay she doesn't need an escort home, she's fine walking by herself it truly wasn't that far it turned out. But Seojun comes out of his room, changed again with a coat on and a beanie. Walking over to them he thrusts a sweater at her, when she looks blankly he replies sounding defensive, "It's probably colder now. Put this on too." He pushes it at her again firmer and she grabs it, gasping when their fingers brush.

It's a thick dark green sweater with fleece lining the interior and it smells just like his earthy cologne, she wants to give it back. Instead she puts it on over her borrowed long sleeve shirt from Suho and feels like a child playing dress up when it reaches the bottom of her knees. She knows what he's thinking when he smirks at her, she wasn't short he was just a damn giant.

She takes off the slippers and slides back into her sneakers, thankful that they're dry now. She's distracted by Seojun's heat, he's so close to her putting on his own boots. So much so she nearly misses what his mother says, "Get home safely. Please come again soon, I need more maturity in this house." Seojun and Gowoon both shout affronted but all she can see is the genuine smile on her face, she finds herself nodding throat too thick for words. When she's pulled into another hug, this time she has to blink away tears arms still by her side. She’s vibrating from keeping her emotions contained.

They are walking side by side, the sounds of the city filling the silence that would be present. Every once in a while their arms brush but he moves away after the third time and she feels cold, more so than when the wind blows.

They're getting closer to Suho's apartment and she's wrecking her brain to find something to say to him, knowing that the ball is in her court; it always has been. She's just terrified to swing her racket. What if she misses? Or trips and embarrasses herself? It was usually better to just do nothing then you wouldn't be disappointed.

With each step she loses more courage until they are standing in front of the building and she still hasn't said anything.

Coward.

They stand awkwardly looking at the building pointedly avoiding each other and she finally speaks, "Oh your sweater! Here you go." She says stupidly, not at all what she wanted to say but she starts to pull the sweater off to commit to her exclamation. However he steps back shaking his head at her.

"It's cold. Just wear it upstairs. I'll get it later from Suho, you won't have to see me again. Go up." He sounds deflated, nothing like the animated jokester she'd seen just minutes at his apartment. It aches that she's the one making him act this way.

Then he turns around after looking at her, all of the light drained from his eyes.

He takes three large steps, putting immeasurable space between them in no time and she knows that if she lets him walk away right now he might not come back and that's a gut wrenching thought that makes her chase after him.

Thoughtlessly, she grabs his arm halting his exit from her life.

"Wait!" She shouts, but at the first touch of her hand on his forearm he's already frozen, still in her arms. He doesn't turn around. She shoots him a silent mental thank you, even if it's not his intention it's much easier to say what's on her mind like this without him facing her and her feeling too open and vulnerable.

"I know you're the one making me food." There was supposed to be a thank you somewhere in there but instead she ends up sounding accusatory, and he tenses instantly his arm tight in her grasp.

"I'll stop. I know you told me to leave you alone. I--just. There's no excuse. I'll stop."

His voice is strained and this is going all wrong already, she's ruining everything.

Letting go of his arm, she sidesteps and brazenly moves directly in front of him. She can't keep hiding from this. She needed to be vulnerable, that was the only way he could understand.

His eyes are wet.

She gasps at the sight, not expecting it and so jealous at his ability to just feel and be seen. She was always hiding from everything.

"Don't."

He doesn't give her a chance to finish.

"Sujin. Let me go. I know already, I know it all. I can't like you, I shouldn't get my hopes up, I need to mind my business. I know it all!" He shouts, pain marring his face but she notices how he still tugs his arm free gently, still careful about harming her even while he’s breaking down.

She doesn’t deserve this.

This is all her fault she knows that to be an objective truth, but the way he throws her own words back at her makes her realize how cruel she'd been while trying to spare him. She hadn't spared anything, the pain in his eyes and voice makes that abundantly clear.

"Don't stop. Don't give up on me." She finishes, staring at him with her own wet eyes, tears prickling at them.

His shoulders sink as he stares at her, lost and hesitant.

"I'm sorry. I’m sorry for saying those things to you. I can't promise I won't push you away again. I'm...I'm fucked up Seojun-ah. I'm a fucking mess. But I want to stop, I don't want to push people away."

I don't want to push you away. But she’s still too much of a coward to say that out loud.

"Sujin, what-what are you trying to say?" He looks at her with guarded eyes, not yet ready to believe the words coming out of her mouth.

"I want to be friends."

She watches him wrestle with her sentence, hurt being covered up by a façade and she's not obtuse, she knows that's not the answer he was hoping for. Knows he thinks she's friend zoning and clipping the wings of his feelings.

"That's all I can deal with right now. I have a lot to work on, I need to work on me." It may seem like a cop out, an excuse but it's the most honest she's ever been with herself, it's not that she doesn't like him she might- if the way her heart thumps when he’s around says anything- but more importantly she has realized that she doesn’t like herself.

"Right now." He repeats in awe, she blinks confused before realizing the implications of her words, she starts sputtering trying to backtrack but he's too quick beating her to the punch.

"I can do friends. For now." She blushes at the beaming smile on his face, his happiness over such a small acquiesce is too much. Why did he have to wear his heart so obviously on his sleeves?

They stand simply staring at each other. Locked in the moment.

She might need to remind her heart that they'd only agreed to be friends.

For now.

I don't like onions.

She doesn't know what possesses her to text him first, or what compels her to send that particular message. She starts googling if there's a way to unsend messages, instead finding stories from others regaling their own embarrassing messages and finding solace that she isn't alone in this feeling.

She jumps when her phone vibrates. Slowly turning it over like it's a ticking bomb.

Of course you'd be a picky eater. Onions are good for you.

She rolls her eyes at the message, he was such a nagger.

It's not good if I don't enjoy it.

Alright princess, noted. No more onions. Are you okay with chicken teriyaki tomorrow?

She recalls the delicious chicken teriyaki he'd made for her just days ago, it was succulent and juicy and she'd fought Suho over it, reminding him that this was her food and she replies quickly.

Yes! Do you have more kimchi?

I do. I'll pack some.

She stares at the phone, in disbelief at the how easy it is to talk to him again, like there was an empty spot in her life, a Seojun shaped gap that was now filled once more. She wasn't fixed, she had meant what she told him; she couldn't examine her feelings for him yet. But she needed him in her life, he was there when she needed someone and now no one else would do.

I missed you.

#true beauty #true beauty kdrama #bring me to life #chapter 7 #han seojun #kang sujin #Han family superiority #the couple that should have been #I got to write some cute stuff #calm before the storm #maybeeeee #junjin #dedicated to my shooters

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