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#horrifying catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror
slut4sway · 1 year
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the burgundy on my t-shirt when you splashed your wine into me
and how the blood rushed into my cheeks, so scarlet, it was
the mark you saw on my collarbone, the rust that grew between telephones
the lips i used to call home, so scarlet, it was maroon
🍷•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••🍷
why cant i have you
‼️ CW : Blood, drinking, suggestive language‼️
tags :
men’s hockey rpf, some angst, happy ending, hangover, hooking up, friends to lovers, making out, red wine, linus ullmark/jeremy swayman, swaymark, another reflection of myself, crying, arguing, soulmates, this is how i cope
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last thing linus remembered was the man next to him screaming his name the previous night, heavily intoxicated by the expensive italian alc with the background noise of maroon - by taylor swift and the faint lyrics clouding his head in the moment.
now, the broken wine glass and the scarlet alc running between the cracks and shards, spilled out onto the hardwood floor. the morning light being absorbed by the matte finish. jeremy was lying on his back beside him, the thin, blood stained sheet covering just below his prominent v-line. a pounding headache and a wave of nausea washing over him, and a dry throat making him feel even more shitty. his muscles sore, especially his legs for an unknown reason; most likely jeremy.
he came to the realization through the sickly feeling he had woken up with.
“did i seriously sleep with- my goalie partner?” the words echoed in his head, sitting up and leaning on the headboard while he looked down at the toned body next to him, sleeping soundly.
the blonde hesitated to kick the sheets off, seeing they were both wearing nothing but the mysterious bruises and marks dappled across their bodies. he was disgusted, in shock, so many things going on at once. jeremy still didn’t wake, even thought the atmosphere had changed drastically with such an affect to make anybody unsettled, subconsciously or not. the older man began inspecting the scene more thoroughly, looking at the sleeping man’s swollen lips and a reddened handprint stretching across his neck. he jolted at the thought, a singing pain on his back from the sudden movement. he reached back, feeling the scratched, open skin.
“what the fuck..?” the swede audibly rasped.
those words finally waking jeremy. he turned on his side, as his eyes fluttered open but still heavy.
“mmh.” the younger man whined, resting a kiss on linus’ forearm which he quickly retracted and was met with a wretched look. he hadn’t seen his best friend so horrified ever.
“did we..?”
“you don’t remember? last night you fucked my brains out” jeremy joked, linus still processing everything.
out of the overwhelming thought and natural flight response, he stumbled off their shared king size bed; inadvertently stepping in the pool of red wine trailing away from the shards of glass which he glanced down and avoided on his way to the full body mirror across the room. he turned around, examining the scratches on his back that so obviously were from jeremy.
“you.. what?! why did we..? how-? fuck you.. fuck me, oh my god” linus whined, as he couldn’t even look at jeremy. he threw on the nearest pair of grey sweats (which he didn’t realize had a #1 on the thigh patch) and a t shirt, slipping on a pair socks and his nike blazers. his head still aching and his muscles still tense
jeremy registered everything he had said, tearing up a bit by being hurt by his words. from his best friend? his fling? the man he’s wanted since he met him? it sunk in as he blinked, lips pursed and tears dropping from the corner of his eyes.
linus grabbed his car keys from the nightstand, finally catching a glimpse of his best friend who was visibly upset. he didn’t care, he just had to leave the situation. jogging out of his bedroom and out to the landing, he clicked his keys to unlock his truck. pulling open the front door and not even bothering to shut it. the spring suburban boston breeze and some light drizzling that had began sprinkled his hair, as he almost ripped open the door to his chevy. he connected his phone to the radio to clear his head only to vaguely be reminded of last night by taylor swift playing on repeat.
when the morning came we were cleaning incense off your vinyl shelf
'cause we lost track of time again
laughing with my feet in your lap
like you were my closest friend
how’d we end up on the floor anyway? You say
"your roommate's cheap-ass screw-top rosé, that's how"
i see you every day now
and I chose you
the one I was dancin' with
in new york, no shoes
looked up at the sky and it was
the swede just sighed and rested his head on the steering wheel staring down at the gold and silvery chevy logo, still feeling like shit from the hangover. through the music he could hear quick footsteps approaching his car.
jeremy was crying, still trying to hide it like he always does while opening the trucks door.
“i’m sorry linus, i’m so sorry.. it’s all my fault i was really drunk and i wasn’t thinking straight and i was like- i was all up on you and you didn’t stop me and i couldn’t stop myself and and-“ he confessed with an obvious upset tone.
“well what the fuck? why were we drinking anyway?! you probably brought me here anyway, this is all your fault swayman!” linus interrupted, just saying phrases he obviously didn’t mean; just enraged and overwhelmed by not being able to handle his emotions.
the younger man broke down. resting his head on the swedes shoulder and gripping his cut biceps.
“get the hell off me, i don’t even know who you are anymore…!” he yelled and recoiled, and jeremy’s crying triggering him and making everything worse as the blood started rushing to his cheeks as he started to sob hysterically.
jeremy was weak in the knees, barely able to hold himself up . his best friends words digging into him like a knife. finally, he stopped holding back since he figured losing his best friend over a drunk night and not telling him what he wanted to say would make him regret it forever.
“linus i’ve wanted you since i saw you between the posts for the first time, do you understand how much you fucking mean to me?! i know what i did last night was wrong and you’re right, it is my fault; it’s all a blur and i don’t know why i decided to take that chance. i love you so much, and i want what’s best for you and i should’ve known last night isn’t that. wherever you go i just want you to remember what i just said, you hear me?” jeremy finally expressed, choking through tears. there was nothing else to be said be he mentally prepared himself for his best friend to leave him crying on the driveway while he sped away in his pickup truck down the freeways of massachusetts.
tears still streaming down both of their faces, linus responded barely clear enough to be comprehended.
“sway, i’m not gonna lie to you. i couldn’t keep you out of my head, and i still cant, it all just happened so fast and i don’t know how to feel anymore, it’s like i love you but i know i shouldn’t for some reason; and it hurts so bad and i swear i’ve thought about telling you for a long time and i never knew how and- and i guess i just have to know, y’know?”
jeremy paused, his heart racing already and skipping a bit from everything linus just said. he forced out the words.
“oh my god.. are you really sure you’re not just saying this just.. because-?” swayman questioned.
the older man didn’t even have to verbally reply, his adequate response was taking this opportunity to really tell his pending lover the truth.
stepping out of the truck and catching his footing but still managing to steal a needed prolonged kiss from his best friend. both savoring the taste of their lips, something they’ve wanted since they met. it was so desperate, so messy, so uncalled; so right. linus interlaced his fingers in jeremy’s brunette hair, feeling him with another hand cupping his cheek and stroking tears away with his thumb. their lips were finally each others to call home. nothing else mattered, and the hangover though feeling horrible made everything fit so right.
taylor swift still playing on repeat in the background, her words lining up perfectly with the moment felt so surreal.
when the silence came we
we’re shaking blind and hazy
how the hell did we lose sight of us again?
sobbing with your head in your hands
ain’t that the way shit always ends
and i lost you the one i was dancing with
in new york
no shoes
the burgundy in my t shirt when you splashed your wine into me
and how the blood rushes to my cheeks
so scarlet it was maroon
the mark they saw on my collarbone
the rust that grew between telephones
the lips i used to call home
so scarlet it was maroon
and I wake with your memory over me
thats a real fucking legacy, legacy (it was maroon)
and I wake with your memory over me
that’s a real fucking legacy to leave
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Thanks for answering my previous ask!
I have nobody to share this with so hopefully you won't mind me sharing it here: So far, recovery has been going pretty ok for me. For now, I'm avoiding the mirror and I shower with the lights off, and those are behaviours I'll have to work on one day too but for now it seems to be the best course of action, because seeing myself in the mirror would most likely cause me to relapse. Especially since I know for a fact that I'm totally bloated right now, so whatever I'd see in the mirror wouldn't even be an accurate reflection, but my disordered mind wouldn't listen to that.
I'm currently going through the dreaded extreme hunger phase, which is partly why I'm so bloated lol. For the first few days I've been alright with it but it's like the 4th day of my mind and stomach both screaming for food like vultures and tbh I'm starting to feel kinda guilty about it. I realise that it's a part of the process and that it's good for my organism and that my body is trying to repair itself, but my ED is slowly rearing its ugly head and scolding me a ton, saying that I'll gain weight, trying to convince me to look in the mirror, etc. So far I've been able to resist and I also keep reminding myself that I SHOULD gain weight because I've been horrfically underweight all of my life and I'd be much better off at a healthy weight. The only problem that keeps weighing on me is that I have a really big issue with folds. Even though folds are completely normal and everyone who's not very underweight has them when they slouch or sit, my mind has somehow become convinced that rolls mean being fat. I'm not sure how to get rid of that mentality. If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them.
Another thing I found out is that I might have to give up romantic relationships for the time being. Even though I've struggled with anorexia for most of my life, going through on and off phases, my last relapse and the worst I've ever had occurred after I got into a relationship. Specifically it seems that a lot of my behaviour hinges on the obsession with being "perfect" for my partner. I can't let go of thinking about needing to be as thin and hourglass-shaped as possible for my partner, and I can't let go of the fear that if I get to a normal weight and perhaps lose some of that hourglass look, he won't find me attractive anymore and will leave me. I'm like constantly horrified of the possibility of being seen naked or in tight clothes, I'm plagued by the desire to be as attractive to him as possible and then to stay exactly like that for as long as possible. I attempted to talk to him about it before considering breaking up, but he made it clear that he doesn't wish to discuss my mental health problems with me, and as much as I'd like to, I can't just turn this problem off with a flip of a switch. So I decided that I'll most likely break my relationship off and stop dating altogether until I manage t somehow fix my chain of thought. At least I personally think that's the best solution for now.
I definitely don't mind you sharing! I usually do post things my followers choose to share, since I think it can really help create solidarity among the ED community. It can show others that they are not alone, and sharing recovery tips is always a plus too!
It seems like you've got some great harm reduction strategies in place in the form of avoiding scrutinizing your body while you prioritize getting regular nutrients into you again. That's really important. I think you're right that you will eventually have to learn to be able to view your body again, but if you just need to avoid visual triggers in order to eat better, that definitely comes first. You might want to practice just falling in love with your body exactly as it is - as the vessel that is doing its best to take care of you and keep you alive.
So, for example, if you did catch a glimpse of yourself and you happened to notice some recovery bloat or other triggers, you could take time to say to yourself, "That is my body doing what it needs to do to heal me. My body is trying its best to make me healthy and well, and this is what it needs to do." I think body image issues are something shared by all people who are going through health issues, since bodies do tend to do weird stuff while they're healing. Illness is only pretty on TV, not in real life.
Maybe when your ED is scolding you, you can take some time to examine where those thoughts are coming from? Like you could say "I wonder if I should be scolded for enjoying my food as humans do?" Or "I don't think it's such a bad thing to allow my body to heal." Don't try to fight the thoughts or stop them from coming, even though they're hard. Just gently challenge those thought patterns so that you can adjust your thought patterns gradually and become more aware of them. This is what I'd suggest especially when you start thinking about things like rolls, which seem to be a big trigger for you. You can perhaps engage with the thought directly, and say things to yourself like "If I need to hurt myself to pursue a roll-free body, is that something really worth pursuing?" Keep in mind that, since you're deep in ED thoughts, your mind might respond with "yes." As I mentioned before, trying to fight off negative thoughts will only give you more anxiety around them. Instead, acknowledge them, consider what feelings are causing them. The negative thoughts will not change overnight. It will take practice.
I'd also suggest, and this may take practice since it sounds like you've struggled with fear of fatness for a long time, that you just take a moment, when you have the capacity for it, to address how you have learned to think about fat bodies. Do people who are truly fat deserve less love, less respect, less estimation of worth? Society may have taught you that they do, but I think it's time to challenge that. Again, your mentality won't change overnight, so don't beat yourself up.
Lastly, I think it's so, so strong of you to prioritize your health over this relationship. That is such a hard choice to make! But honestly, even though it's really difficult now, I think you will realize down the line that someone who doesn't want to talk about/support your mental health is someone you can't build a healthy relationship with down the line. I hope you get lots of quality time to spend just pouring lots of love and energy into yourself, and perhaps work with a therapist on some of the body and intimacy issues you've been dealing with, if therapy is an option for you. I hope that you get together with someone down the line who is interested in building a relationship based on mutual support!
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carladuquette · 1 year
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My best friend is super brave. She has been struggling with severe mental health issues the entire time I've known her. And this past Sunday, she opened up about all of it in a social media post – all of it out there for everyone, her family, her friends from all stages of her life, to see. Can you imagine?? She said it had been on her mind so much that she needed to get it out and that after sharing her story, she felt tearful but relieved. I am still in awe of her, and the idea of opening up, sharing something of yourself that you normally keep hidden, inspired me.
It also freaks me out and I'm not as brave as my best friend, so I'm not sharing my story with everyone in my life. It's easier to do it here, where most people don't know my full name or my face or where I work or who my mom is. At the same time, it's not the same as screaming into a void, because I do feel like I have some sort of connection with some of the lovely people I've met here. A perfect middle ground, if you will.
If you know anything about me, you know I'm wordy and can't be short and to the point to save my life, so it's no surprise that this is going to be on the long side, too. But hey! As my best friend put it, I'm giving myself the "gift of openness and understanding."
I have an eating disorder. (And I'm going to be somewhat explicit about it, so if this is triggering for you, please take care and put yourself first.) I have never used these words before and even right now, part of me thinks that's bullshit. That I'm being overdramatic, trying to get attention. Because I'm fine! I'm not anorexic, I'm not bulimic, I'm just not the healthiest eater and don't really like the way my body looks, like almost all women everywhere ever.
But the fact is that I threw up my dinner tonight because I felt like I shouldn't have eaten it, or all of it, in the first place. This is what I do. I don't binge to then purge, but I throw up food when I feel disgusted with what I ate. I'm mad at myself that I don't have the self-control to just eat less, so instead I throw up what I regret. That can be the occasional junk food haul, the treat I was excited about when I picked it up and took it home (an excitement that turns sour quickly), or a nice dinner at a restaurant with friends. I've been hunched over the toilet in my favorite Mexican restaurant more than once, waiting for the woman in the other stall to leave so I could throw up without anyone overhearing.
The part of me that doesn't think I have a problem points out here that I don't do this all the time. I go for months at a time without throwing up at all. Years sometimes! (Other times, when it’s bad, I do it several times a week.) I first started doing this when I was 16. Before tonight, I haven't thrown up in a few weeks, and before that, probably two months. So, clearly not a problem!
Except that it's exhausting. I want to be able to have mediocre fries and chicken filet bites, or feel full and stuffed and happy without panicking about how all this food I just ate is going to make me gain weight. And on that – I would love to return to a place where I can tell what my body actually looks like. Because I have no idea anymore. I don't know what's normal anymore.
I look in the mirror from the side and will be destroyed because what I see is disgusting, even though I'm pretty sure (I hope?) that's not objectively true. Then I see a current photo of myself where I think I look good, or I catch a glimpse of myself and think "Hey, that's not too bad!" Then that same day I see my reflection in a window at the office and am horrified again. And I know, rationally, that it is not possible for my body to look completely different a few hours apart. That it's just in my head. But there's nothing I can do about it.
This distorted body image, unlike the throwing up, is relatively recent, something that crept up on me during the pandemic, and I'd love to go back to a time where I was happy with the way I looked. Which, by the way, wasn't that much different from now, I think. But I'm not sure.
I've gone on a couple of rants here about how mad I am about what society has done to women. How angry it makes me to see women feel like they have to starve themselves for love or approval or success because thinness is valued above all else. And I've talked about how that behavior is nothing to emulate. I hope all of what I've shared in this post today doesn't make me a hypocrite. I still stand by what I said earlier. The thoughts that are put into our heads by everything we see around us, the way it's drilled into girls and women, sometimes subtly and sometimes less so, that what matters most is our looks, is infuriating. It's hard not to let that get to you, and I guess I did, too. Even though the part of me that thinks I'm just being overdramatic says that my problem isn't society, it's just the fact that I am lazy and can't watch what I eat. But you know what? Fuck that girl. At least right in this moment, I can say that and believe it.
I feel better just having gotten all of this out for the first time. My best friend, the brave one, is the only person who knows about my eating disorder, and she encouraged me to do this. So I'm sharing this in her honor – cheers, girl. It's ok to be open. It's also fucking terrifying. But maybe it can help. And if you have something you feel you need to get out, if you feel inspired by my best friend too- my inbox is always open, for a private chat, an anonymous ask, whatever.
Aaaaand post 💌
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incorrect-koh-posts · 2 years
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First of all - love the blog! You posting KoH content always pleases me, and thank you especially for sharing what you write as that takes extra courage.
Now, headcanon asks! Raymond of Tripoli is my favourite character of the era as well, so I'm happy to see some bits about him here. Also great is the fact that you seem to vibe with him quite well! He would be pleased. Could you indulge me, please?
☼ - appearance headcanon ♒ - cooking/food headcanon ☆ - happy headcanon ■ -  Bedroom/house/living quarters headcanon
(When I had my car crash and a limp with it, he came to mind and that is just amusing in a way. The fact he's got one certainly makes me feel better about mine. I was warmed by the earlier post that said he doesn't mind his that much either.)
thanks!
Hi :) Thank you very much for your kind words, it really means a lot to hear that someone enjoys what I post here. Especially the non-Baldwin stuff. Good old Raymond has been living rent-free in my head for the past two years and simply refuses to leave, so I'm glad there are other people who like him and that I'm not screaming into the void like a raving lunatic.
Having a car crash sounds absolutely horrifying to me, though. I very much hope you are okay now. If not, then all my best wishes to you ❤ I've thankfully never had a limp or any serious health issues myself, so I'll limit myself to saying that I don't think these things are anything to be ashamed of. Claiming that they don't affect a person's life in some way would be lying, but we are all of us supposedly "damaged" in some way - whether inwardly or outwardly - and trying to make the best of it under our individual circumstances.
And I think that's why a lot of people feel drawn to the character of Baldwin (and, to a lesser extent, to Tiberias) in Kingdom of Heaven. It's the kind of "this man has been through a lot but he's still standing" mentality that they both exhibit. Which is particularly interesting in regard to Tiberias, since none of the historical sources ever mention Raymond having a limp or an old injury bothering him.
Anyway, sorry for the rant. I'm very happy to indulge you, so let's get on with the headcanon : )
RAYMOND III OF TRIPOLI (Part 2)
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☼ Appearance
In terms of looks, Raymond knows he's been dealt a better hand than most other men. Tall and slim, he is rather handsome even after ten years of captivity; and even though his sharp, wolfish features and the scar marring the right side of his face can make him appear somewhat sinister, the soft brown eyes tell a different story. Still, while his height and harsh face have mostly served him well in politics and in war, Tiberias is quite aware that his appearance is not one that instantly inspires trust. The worst things he has heard others say on that topic over the years were that he looked "scrawny", "like a burnt carcass", and "older than he should be". He shrugged it off then; but sometimes, when he passes one of Sibylla's mirrors in the palace and catches a glimpse of his own reflection, he wonders at his crow's feet and the flecks of grey in his hair and for the life of him cannot fathom where all the years have gone.
In any case, he always makes sure he is well-dressed and well-groomed. (Though he wouldn't admit to it, even an old war horse like him isn't entirely exempt from vanity.) He may not be everyone's type, but Raymond knows there are still a not inconsiderable number of ladies among Sibylla's court that wouldn't say no to him. Despite the silver at his temples and his ill-sorted leg, he is, after all, rather ... well-preserved. So when he notices a lady trying to catch his eye, there is a good chance he'll take her up on the unspoken offer of some harmless teasing and flirting. Tiberias isn't the philanderer Godfrey was, but sometimes he is glad to be reminded that the boyish charm hasn't worn off entirely just yet.
♒ Cooking / Food
William of Tyre wrote about Raymond that he was very moderate in his eating and drinking habits, much more restrained than the average man. Considering that it is unclear how well he was treated during his time as a prisoner in Aleppo, it seems unlikely to me that he was a picky eater - you don't survive this long as a captive of the enemy if you're particular about food. So, while his time in captivity may have led Reynald of Châtillon to overeating, perhaps for Raymond things went in the opposite direction: making him regard food as a means to an end and not much more. He simply lacks the enjoyment that for most people comes with a good meal, especially when he's dining alone, and often has to remind himself to eat something or else he'd just forget.
While the European style of cooking isn't much to his taste, Raymond is rather fond of the Arabic cuisine and actually keeps a Saracen cook at Tripoli. He generally leans more towards spicy than towards sweet; but find him some atrocity like candied ginger and he'll happily lick the sugar crumbs from his beard like a cat that found the cream. Other than that, Tiberias likes a good wine as much as anyone. To his own chagrin, however, he gets tipsy quite easily and thus tends to limit himself to a cup or two before he begins to make a fool of himself. Godfrey has a wealth of stories on that matter from their younger days which he likes to tell at the most inopportune of times, claiming that "even a nun could drink you under the table, my friend". Tiberias denies everything.
☆ Happy
Raymond hasn't had the kindest of lives, so happiness isn't an emotion that comes easily to him - especially with the times being what they are, and the kingdom in such peril. Malicious gossip has it the Count of Tripoli is actually incapable of smiling: "With his dour face," they say, "surely he can't do aught but scowl". Which, of course, could hardly be further from the truth. Though, like any other lord of some importance, he tries to keep his temper in check around the clucking courtiers, Tiberias is a man who will openly show his happiness if he is in the right company. He is a man who likes to laugh and make merry; and perhaps he'd even be a happy man, if the circumstances were different.
There are many things that make this grumpy old knight happy. But seeing how used he is to doing things for other people, what he would probably appreciate the most would be someone doing something for him, for once. It could be something as simple as his lover helping him take off his boots after a long day; or a friend whisking him away from his duties for an afternoon spent in the city or the falconer's mews or exploring the countryside on horseback; or just a heart-felt thank you from someone for some advice Tiberias gave them. The possibilities are practically endless. (Another favourite of his, though a rare occurrence, is when someone at a courtly gathering gives him unmistakable signals that they'd like to dance with him, even though everybody knows full well that the Count of Tripoli dances like a three-legged donkey at best.)
Depending on the setting and situation, Raymond will definitely show the ones he's with that he is happy - and not merely by way of a twinkle in his eye. He can get downright giddy when the occasion allows for it. If he is really over the moon, he'll grin broadly and laugh his barking laugh, only to then either fiercely pat the closest man's back or sweep the nearest woman off her feet and into a very tight embrace. It happens rarely, but it does happen. He has heard from quite a few people over the years that one of their favourite things about him are the long, deep dimples that appear on either side of his mouth when he smiles.
■ Bedroom / House / Living Quarters
Raymond has quite a few dwellings, actually. There are his chambers at the palace of Jerusalem, plus very likely a house he keeps in the city for when he has guests of his own, then there is Castle Tiberias by the Sea of Galilee, and his ancestral home of Tripoli. Hence, a lot of space to decorate.
His living quarters at the royal palace are rather sparsely furnished; he seldom entertains visitors or spends much time there, and the state of his rooms reflects that he basically only comes there to sleep. They're nice enough - with painted tiles on the walls and gauzy curtains, ferns on the windowsills and flagstone floors that stay cool even in summer - but impersonal.
Castle Tiberias is Eschiva's domain; it's her home, after all, and since Raymond only married her about a dozen years ago, the place doesn't really say much about him, either. That's not to say that it isn't beautiful, though. As Eschiva's ancentors likely came from somewhere near Paris, the castle is more Norman in its architecture and interiors. Overlooking the Sea of Galilee, the castle gardens never lack for water, and the view of the lake at sunset, strewn with the tiny boats of the fishermen from the neighbouring villages, is quite a sight to behold. At night, with the wooden shutters flung open, Raymond falls asleep to the sound of the waves lapping at the shore, reminding him of home.
The Citadel of Saint-Gilles at Tripoli is the place closest to Raymond's heart. Built on Mons Peregrinus, you can see the dark waters of the Mediterranean from the top of its parapets, hear the seagulls cry and smell the salt in the air. With his parents constantly at odds with one another, it wasn't always a happy childhood that he spent there, but nowadays he often misses Tripoli and regrets not being able to go there more frequently. In terms of interiors, the citadel really leans into the mix of Eastern and European styles that also characterises the palace of Jerusalem. The colour scheme is much warmer, however: instead of the blue-ish hues which you'll find in Jerusalem, Tripoli is full of the reds and golds that make up the coat-of-arms of the Counts of Saint-Gilles. The rafters of the high rooms as well as a great deal of furniture are made from dark wood, and there are lots of eclectic fabrics and textures that Tiberias is actually rather fond of. In his private chambers, high up in one of the towers, Arabic elements dominate; he has a great carved four-poster bed that could do with some more pillows, and during winter nights, the lord of the house can often be found reading in one of the high-backed chairs, his long legs stretched out towards the crackling fireplace.
When left to his own devices, Tiberias does tend to be a bit of a clutterbitch, so his desk, side tables and even the mantelpiece are usually strewn with scrolls, seals, and papers and all sorts of other curiosities acquired here and there. He keeps his father's sword, which is too unwieldy for him to use, displayed on a wall in his solar; and most of the hangings found throughout the castle used to belong to his mother, depicting scenes from her favourite French chansons de geste. It may be a place of ghosts and memories now, belonging to an aging, heirless lord who is scarcely there, but to Raymond, Tripoli is still home.
Part 1 of the Raymond / Tiberias headcanons
Want to hear my headcanons for a KoH character of your choice? Have a look here : )
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its-the-ratdawg · 11 months
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Perhaps you fear what will become of your life before. What will become of the years you spent seeking acceptance from the very cattle you longed to feast upon?
Do you think they'd be disgusted, its-the-ratdawg? Do you think they could even begin to grasp the sheer ecstasy that fills your imagination at the mere thought of sinking your teeth into them?
I could never be disgusted with you. Such a sight would be truly mesmerizing, and I find myself almost relieved that you haven't succumbed to these desires just yet. How beautiful it would be if, in that inevitable moment, I could bear witness to your initial act. To share in the intimacy of your first coup de grâce, where destiny intertwines with mortality. To indulge in the sight of the blood as it streams down your face.
It will make the hunger go away. It always does. You will never feel a greater sense of peace.
I've long forsaken the desire for normalcy, but this eternal starvation you feel, will never cease.
Unless you jump.
Know that if you dare to embrace the abyss, I will be there, standing unwavering in the depths, ready to catch you. Always.
All my life I’ve just wanted to be understood. Accepted. I just wanted to fit in, even if it meant I wasn’t honest.
Maybe it was all a waste. Maybe I was never meant to fit in.
But maybe, maybe it wasn’t. Maybe those years are what brought me here. Here to you.
Darling, I know they’d be disgusted with me. They’d be horrified. A glimpse into my imagination, into my cravings, that could take away their appetites forever.
They would never see me as one of them again. Perhaps I’m not. Perhaps, I acted the part so well that I fooled myself.
But I still didn’t fool you.
I couldn’t fool you. It would be like trying to lie to a mirror. I can’t keep you from knowing me and I don’t want to. You’re under my skin already, and you know the horrors that lie within. You love them. You revel in them.
I think this is what they call “snapping,” dearest. But maybe this isn’t me breaking. Maybe this is me coming together. Becoming.
And I want you with me when it happens.
I want you to see it in my eyes when I finally succumb. I want you to smell the blood I spill. If my newly embraced madness is a bonfire, I want you to stand in its glow and watch proudly as I consume. Devour. I want to mesmerize you with my violence.
I always thought I could put that moment off forever, but you call it inevitable. You’re telling me there’s no reason to put it off anymore.
I thought I could carve out these parts of me, toss them out like mangled, useless bits. But I can’t and I don’t have to. I don’t want to.
I can’t stand to starve anymore, my love.
I have to jump. I have to meet you in the depths.
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mightyflamethrower · 3 months
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OAKLAND, CA — Tragedy befell a 51-year-old frontman of a local punk rock band this week after he came to the sudden realization that he is a 51-year-old frontman of a locally based punk rock band.
The man was horrified by the knowledge that he was now, in fact, one of the old squares he wrote and sang his songs about back during the Reagan administration when his band was first formed.
"Wait a second…oh my gosh…look at me!" the man was heard exclaiming when he happened to catch a glimpse of himself in a mirror. "I'm a grown man! What in the world am I wearing? Why on earth is my hair done like this? Is that eyeliner?! What are these on my feet? Are these…Converse?! Help! Someone, help!"
A crowd soon rushed to the suffering man's side to offer assistance as he curled into a fetal position and sobbed. "That's why everyone keeps laughing at me at Whole Foods!" he shouted, disgusted with himself. "I kept telling myself they were laughing at me ironically, but they just think I'm a total jackass! And look at me — they're right! Dear God, help me, they're right!"
The man's friends and family were eventually able to help him get himself together enough to check himself into a local country club for treatment.
At publishing time, the man had started a whole new life after getting a decent haircut, buying a pair of New Balances and a nice polo shirt, and finding himself a sensible job at H&R Block.
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lotuspeacock · 1 year
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101 Things That Make Me Anxious
Someone asking me how my day has been when I’ve had a bad day
My alarm clock on Monday mornings
The due date for my archeology essay
My mother’s texts asking me if I’m studying well
Figuring out what to eat for dinner today
The read notification on the text I sent her
My therapist telling me that I need to have this done by our next meeting
The 77 unread emails in my inbox
The laundry
The dishes
My roommate bringing home her new boytoy at 2am
The bus being late
My backpack with the zipper that keeps splitting
My empty shampoo bottle
Asking the boba shop employee for a new straw
The feeling of leaves crunching under my boots
The missing assignment marker on the online classroom
My supervisor asking me why I haven’t been to work in two weeks
My dad calling me to tell me she passed the exam in the 98th percentile
The sunlight hitting my textbook after studying for six hours
The autumn chill that bites through my coat
The physics quiz
People staring at my dry elbows
Men touching my shoulders
Getting lost in the city I’ve spent the last 3 years in
The numbers going down in my back account
My airpod falling out as I’m crossing the street
People speaking to me sarcastically
Not knowing when to end the date
Getting full at a restaurant
Waking up at 2pm on a Sunday
My hair falling out in clumps
Her face suddenly showing up on my instagram feed
My test scores that won’t go up
My mom’s worried face
The guy sitting in front of me in the lecture hall wearing too much cologne
My face in the mirror
The way my roommate vacuums
The lack of food in the fridge
Composing an email to the club president to apologize for passing out at the meeting
The smell of rotting vegetables
The cashier telling me my card was declined
The blister on my foot from walking all day
The thing staring at me from the corner of my room at 3 am
Where are its eyes
How is it staring at me without eyes
The flies circling the trash can
The pink ring around the tub
My roommate vaping while sitting on my blanket
My professor telling the girls laughing behind me to shut up
The cracks in the sidewalk
The weird red marks on my arms
My empty water bottle
Seeing her across the street
Seeing her smile
Forks
The puncture marks in my thumb that make it hard to hold a pencil
The shreds of the problem sets that are stuck under my bed just out of reach
The thing that grabbed my hand under the bed
It won’t let go
Nobody heard me screaming
Did I even scream
Getting only 2 hours of sleep before an exam
Not knowing how I got to the middle of the woods at 5 am
Throwing up pieces of deer carcass
Not being in control of my body
Skipping an exam
The splinters on the bottom of my bare feet
Walking 8 miles in my pajamas
Scaling the side of a brick apartment building
The glass shards from the window stuck in my hand
The way I know this is her apartment when we haven’t spoken in 5 years
The feeling of bloodlust
The pictures of our friends on her wall
None of the pictures have me in them
Her horrified face when she sees me standing in her living room covered in blood
The glimpse I catch of myself in one of her decorative sun mirrors
Those aren’t my eyes
Her whispering my name like a plea to let her go
Her scream when I lunge at her
Her gurgling in pain when I tear out her throat with my teeth
The fibers of muscle that get stuck between my incisors
The taste of human flesh
The smell of human blood mixed with deer blood
How easily my nails can scratch her eyes out
The crunch of the lens in my mouth
The glass shard cutting into me as I cut into her
Her intestines keep slipping out of my hands when I try to slice them
My reflection in the glass shard
Those are my eyes
Being in control of my body
The thing eating her body
The sickening way it smiles at me
Waking up in another person’s apartment covered in blood
Taking a shower in another person’s apartment
Wearing another person’s clothes
Using another person’s money to buy hydrogen peroxide
Getting bloodstains off the walls
Throwing a bloodstained rug away
Spending the rest of the week pretending like nothing happened while all her friends and family are looking for her and the thing won’t leave my side it just keeps smiling at me and I don’t feel guilty I’m happy I’m really really really fucking happy so I smile right back at the thing
You, reading this.
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jackknife-roach · 3 years
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why has catching a cold turned me into a ghoul. girl you look straight up rotted</3
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yoonpobs · 3 years
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dilf (and love) | knj | m
pairing: kim namjoon x oc
genre: fluff, domestic fluff, smut, established relationship, marriage and kids lol
warnings: light dom/sub themes, pregnancy kink, penetrative sex, oral sex (f & m receiving), DILF JOON
words: 6, 702
summary: it's been too long since you and namjoon had time to yourselves
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“God take that thing away from me!” You whine as you smother your face with your hands.
Jin pins you with a dry look as he catches a glimpse of ‘that thing’ who is looking up at you with big eyes and a toothless grin.
“That thing is your child …” Jin says blandly.
“That thing is ruining my sex life.” You narrow your eyes at Chanmi as she babbles some incoherent words with her ten-month-old vocabulary. You’d think as the daughter and apple of Kim Namjoon’s eye that she’d be able to read, write and speak sixteen languages at the age of one.
You still allow Chanmi to wrap her chubby fingers around your thinner ones and you can’t help but coo at your daughter. While she may have been the one thing that disrupted any intimate moment between you and Namjoon, you would fight anyone that would ever dare to mess with her. Your own husband included.
“Please, spare the details,” Jin mutters under his breath as he watches Chanmi fondly as she attempts to tug at your sleeve in hopes of getting your attention. You squeeze her cheeks before lifting her up in your arms and hold her close to your chest. You whine because she smells so … fresh. Just like a little bread baby that was all yours.
God, you loved her.
“My old sex life brought me this angel.” You grin up at your daughter who just smiles at you, unknowing of the context of your words.
“Can you stop using such vulgar words in front of your child?” Jin scolds you but doesn’t do anything much to take Chanmi out of your grasp.
You roll your eyes.
“She’s like 300 days old. She doesn’t even know how to shit at a decent hour let alone understand what sex is. Penis in vagina. Destroying pussy. A hole in one. Railing—”
Jin slaps his hand over your mouth to get you to stop talking as he glares at you.
“Why did my brother marry a heathen like you.” Jin seethes.
You shrug nonchalantly as you turn your head to see your dumbhead yet smart-ass husband that was attempting to glue back the shards of glass from the wine glass he broke earlier in hopes of you not realising.
“He needed to put his 148 IQ to good use and I’m the best investment his finance major ever got him.”
“The only good thing that came out of your marriage is this cutie.” Jin coos at his niece and you have half the mind to withdraw his Chanmi visiting card because whenever he was over all he did was berate you and your … unique ways of parenting.
But Jin would still say he cared for you as far as a brother-in-law would but with the added benefit of the fact that he was your best friend before he became your brother-in-law. You were an interesting character, to say the least, and the only reason you managed to befriend Jin was due to the fact that you didn’t know what boundaries meant and had invaded his personal space on the first day of lectures when you leaned over him to throw something at a know-it-all. Jin had been annoyed, but then an unlikely friendship bloomed out of the mutual distaste for ‘Howard from Accounting’.
He introduced you to Namjoon just because he thought that it was hilarious that you and his brother were polar opposites. Jin didn’t even expect the two of you to get along with each other let alone fall in love, but life had a funny way of saying ‘fuck you and your expectations’ to Jin when he least expected it.
The only thing that he regrets is the fact that now he had to listen to both you and his brother whine about your sex life, or lack thereof after the two of you became parents. Being a mother was hard because there was no manual to tell you what was right or wrong when it came to your baby but the experience itself. When you first fed Chanmi softened shrimp in her meals and caused an allergic reaction; you cried for hours straight because you felt like you should’ve just known.
Namjoon was a good partner and an even better father because he was understanding. The first few months postpartum he respected the fact that you weren’t ready to show your body to him because of the way it changed after giving birth to Chanmi, and he never told you that you were in your head for feeling that way. He validated all your feelings through all the rough edges that you gave him when you were going through your own things.
You finally felt comfortable to get naked around Namjoon at the five-month mark where your sex drive returned to that of when you were in your early twenties and just begun knowing how to truly enjoy sexual intimacies with a partner, but a five-month-old baby didn’t allow for much intimacy with your hot ass husband either.
It sucked because Namjoon had always been broad and very dad-like, and after he officially became a father to Chanmi you just felt like salivating over him every waking second you got because … God … Namjoon was a gift from the God’s themselves. Whenever you saw the way he handled Chanmi with absolute gentleness and care you felt like dropping to your knees and sucking the soul out of him. It didn’t help that he wore his glasses every night when he tucked her into bed and read her Shakespeare because it would ‘help with development’. You loved your husband but he was a little excessive.
“Oh God stop drooling over my brother!” Jin grimaces when he sees the bedroom eyes you were shooting Namjoon from where the two of you were with Chanmi.
You sigh dreamily and lean against your palm as you check out Namjoon’s ass.
“I can’t help that your brother and my husband has an ass like that.” You click your tongue.
Chanmi giggles again and it’s like a bell chiming at your favourite cafe when you cuddle her closer, feeling comfort in her scent. She smelt just like home and bubbles.
“How about I give you a sibling, huh?” You whisper to Chanmi who just opens her mouth to babble. Jin on the other hand facepalms himself and sighs.
“You’re insufferable.”
“I’m horny.” You shrug.
“Correction: you’re insufferable on a daily basis but absolutely horrifying to deal with when you’re horny.” He sneers.
“I just need to bed him and I’ll be fine.” You drawl, as your husband who spent the better half of your conversation fixing the wine glass grins to himself with his dimples when he finally placed the last piece of glass back into place. He was so meticulous and cute for the wrong reasons.
“Jesus, stop …” Jin groans.
“Jesus would definitely tell me to go get that dick because I deserve it.” You pat yourself on the back and wince slightly when you smell the telltale signs of Chanmi’s poop permeating the air.
“Say … would Yoongi mind having Chanmi over your place for the weekend?” Jin recognizes the devious expression you have on your face and knows that there’s no way out of it.
“I don’t have a choice do I?” Jin sighs.
You shake your head.
“Nope. Cause’ I texted Yoongi yesterday and said he totally wants to see his niece. The baby bag is all ready to go and it’s in the nursery.” You cock your thumb to the room down the hallway and Jin thinks to himself of all the reasons why he shouldn’t have introduced you to his brother at all seven years back.
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“It’s weird without her …” Namjoon frowns as the two of you stand in the nursery as if you were mourning the loss of your child. It felt a lot like it, though.
The two of you never spent more than a few hours away from Chanmi ever since she was born and it felt weird to not smell her vomit from the kitchen or hear her giggles as you cooked dinner. You missed Namjoon and the spark you had in the first years of your relationship but you also felt a little empty without Chanmi’s presence with you.
“I miss her.” You whine into Namjoon’s chest and he clutches you tightly as if to say that he mirrored your sentiment.
“Should we call them?” You look up at him with wide eyes and he smoothes the frown lines on your forehead and chuckles, offering a gentle kiss to your temples.
“We called fifteen minutes ago, remember?” He chides you gently.
You huff, “I just … it’s so quiet. Where are my baby babbles?” You pout.
Namjoon sighs and rubs his thumb comfortingly on your arm when you look around at the purple nursery with reminders of your daughter that wasn’t currently with you.
“Let’s enjoy what we have, okay love?” Namjoon offers, “I miss Chanmi too but I miss this too.”
You smile at him the way he first fell in love with you years ago and leans down to place a peck onto your lips.
“I miss having you all to myself.” He whispers against your lips and you shiver at the way his broadness is clouding all your senses.
“You always have me Joon.” You tell him in a tone as soft as his.
His chest rumbles when he laughs and you feel so warm in the comfort of your husband's arms and you felt it too. Besides the physical aspect of having sex with him, you missed holding him like this without a care in the world. Most of your cuddle sessions were left to the nights you slept next to each other in bed because the two of you were either exhausted with work or trying to care for Chanmi. It’s been a long time since you could just feel Namjoon’s presence with you.
“Besides … we can finally, you know …” He mumbles shyly into your hair and the devil horns that you hide most of the time reappear.
“What, Joon?” You smirk up at him, hands trailing slowly down his chest.
Your husband was so big that every room he walked into he basically commanded the attention of every single person that would come across him. That’s what happens when you’re six foot and broad like him. But you loved the fact that you were the only one that got to see the much softer side to him that he didn’t just show anyone. The fact that he was the CEO of his own company made his persona ever more intimidating than he actually was but you knew he was a huge softie on the inside.
The two of you were very different in many senses. From your personalities to the way you approached conflict. Namjoon was very diplomatic but you were anything but. He was truly the most empathetic and understanding person you’ve met in your entire life and you’ve seen a total of ten therapists in your teenage years. Namjoon was the balance that levelled your temper and uninhibited tendencies to always be the loudest person in every room. With every time you snarked at someone who pushed your buttons came Namjoon that placed a gentle hand on your back with a soft whisper of comfort.
In fact, most people thought the two of you would have never lasted. You heard those mean girls in college that made petty bets on the fact that you’d probably end up leaving him because you were too much of a bitch to deal with someone as kind as Namjoon. You remembered most of your fights being about your insecurities and how you always thought that Namjoon deserved better and with him telling you that you were the one for him.
Looking back, you laugh because the two of you were theoretically horrible for each other but exactly what the other needed. Namjoon needed someone free-spirited enough to manage his meticulous tendencies and you needed someone willing to see you for more than your erratic behaviour.
“What’s that pretty head of yours thinking about?” Namjoon hums when he realises you’re not paying attention to him anymore. He clasps your hands together to bring back your attention to him as you look up at him with eyes so full of love.
“Just reminiscing on the old days.” You tell him and he snorts.
“You say that as if we’re ancient.”
“You’re not fooling anyone. I heard your joints cracking when you bent down to pick up the strands of hair on the floor.” You tease.
“And who’s fault is it that I’m constantly bending over to pick up strands of hair because she sheds like a cat?” He retorts playfully.
“We’re both old.” You pout, playing with his fingers and admiring the glimmer of his wedding ring. You can’t believe you bagged a man like Namjoon.
“I still got it, though.” He adds thoughtfully and you raise an eye at his comment.
“Got what?”
“My game.” He wiggles his eyebrows at you suggestively and you burst out laughing because it was so on-brand for Namjoon to make a comment like that but blush when you got a little more touchy-feely with him when he least expected it.
“How about you show me then?” You whisper as you turn around to press yourself against his chest, ensuring that your cleavage was on full show to his line of vision when he looks down at you.
“Did I ever tell you how much I love your tits after the pregnancy?” He tells you breathily and you snort.
“So you didn’t like my tits before I gave birth to your child?”
He rolls his eyes and reaches his hands below your thighs to lift you up so that you could wrap your legs around his waist. The way he could effortlessly carry you and lift you up always made your heart and nether regions flutter because he was so big that he basically towered over you. Especially when he became a dad it was like his hot factor exploded exponentially. He basically became the epitome of a dilf.
“You and your mouth,” He tsks as he carries you out of the nursery and into your bedroom, “I just may need to shut you up.”
You whine into his chest before he tosses you down onto your mattress as he towers over you, looking over your body like you were the finest piece of art he’s ever seen. Namjoon always had ways to make you feel like a million bucks even though you were in an old camisole and your old college varsity sweatpants.
“Why don’t you do it then?” You tease back.
You were different from the women that Namjoon has been with prior to your seven-year-long relationship as most of them were pliant and quiet, and took whatever he gave to them. Don’t get him wrong, he loved playing the dominant character in bed but he also needed a brat to push his buttons and it was exactly what you were. Even if the two of you were so fundamentally different in personalities, the two of you were definitely sexually compatible.
“Flip over.” He demands and you whine before reluctantly turning over.
“I want to see you.” You whine petulantly.
You feel him rather than have him verbally respond to you because he delivers a tight slap to your ass as you gasp at the impact. He rubs his hands soothingly over your butt cheeks and squeezes them as he leans over your body, crowding your back with his body heat.
“Don’t be a brat ___.” He sneers into your ear and the moan is stuck on your throat when you feel him drag his hands all over your body until it reaches under your body to reach for your tits.
“Fuck. I love your tits.” He groans.
Namjoon’s hands immediately trail down your body until they reach the hem of your shorts and you wiggle your ass back at him teasingly. You hear him growl and you always knew that Namjoon was an ass man and your ass made him weak.
“Need I remind you that you’re in no position to tease, sweetheart?” He whispers into your ear and you feel the goosebumps erupt on the surface of your skin.
“Fuck. Please—Joon, touch me.” You gasp as you feel him pull down your shorts to be greeted with a cheeky pair of panties that left little to imagine of what hides underneath. Your husband had the talent of getting you obscenely wet without doing much and it’s proven again when you feel the uncomfortable ache between your legs as he flips your body over once again to get a good glimpse of your heaving body, as well as the stain on your panties.
His knuckles trace the inner side of your thigh carefully as he avoids the place you need him the most while you feel more wetness pool at your entrance. You’ve been deprived of his touch for way too long and that caused your sensitive reactions to anything that he did. You missed his fingers so much and having him so close yet so far away from your pussy was destroying your restraint.
“Namjoon p-please!” You cry when he finally cups your mound with his large palm.
He digs the heel of his palm straight into your clit as you arch your back and let out a low moan.
“So wet baby and I’ve barely done anything.” He taunts you with the low baritone of his voice.
“You make me so wet Joonie.” You pant when you feel him grind his palm into your clit some more, providing the satisfying friction that you’ve been craving.
The feeling doesn’t last long because he’s hastily removing your panties from your legs and tosses them somewhere over his shoulder. His face is directly in front of your pussy and you can’t help but feel flustered at the proximity of his breath to your hole. You’ve done this a million times before but the familiarity is slightly lost due to the time between the last and the present.
“Where’s the brat that couldn’t shut her mouth before, hm?” He mumbles and you feel every breath against your pussy. You squirm and feel his large hands wrap around your thighs, locking you into position so you wouldn’t be able to move.
“It’s just been so—ah—long,” You tell him breathily.
“Too long. Missed this pussy.” He says as a parting gift before he dives straight into your clit and begins to lap rounds over the hardened bud. You let out a high pitched moan at the pleasure he was providing you with just his tongue alone, and the way that he knew just where to focus on your clit with tense figure-eights.
“Ah—ah, fuck—Joon!” You groan as your hands wrap around his hair to tug at it. You feel him moan against your pussy, which sends vibrations up to your core and causes more wetness to pool at your centre.
Namjoon is relentless when he digs his hands harder into the meat of your thighs to prevent you from moving too much as he continues to suction on your clit, focusing his attention on it as much as he could. After years of being together, he just knew what you loved and this was it.
You liked it messy. Wet and fast, and Namjoon always gave it to you good. He pulls away momentarily so he could look up at you with a hooded gaze and you let out a high pitched whine when you see the glistening of his chin all the way up to his nose with the signs of your wetness staining him. His fingers run up your thighs teasingly and you shift under his ministrations only for him to smack your right thigh harshly.
“If you move you don’t get to cum.” He threatens you and you immediately still your body with the impossible threat.
You feel his fingers run up and down on your slit as he gathers all your wetness into one place, hovering slightly over your clit. You have to keep your whine to a minimum because Namjoon got real mean when he wanted to. But he was a good lover—so good.
Your hole is throbbing with a need to be filled, and your husband picks up on that immediately as he prods your entrance with the tip of his index finger. You attempt to grind down on him as you make eye contact with the dark eyes that threaten to take away your orgasm.
“I said. Don’t. Move.” He reminds you.
You whimper in silence as he teases your hole a little more before he decides to return home into the warmth of your walls. The moment that barrier was broken, you feel him go straight for the hook as he reaches his index finger all the way up until his knuckles. You hear Namjoon hiss under his breath as he begins prodding your walls until he finds—
“Fuck—there, Joon—ah!” You gasp, head tilting backwards when your husband finds your g-spot.
Namjoon smirks to himself and slides another finger in to hook them upwards into your g-spot, unmoving as he stills himself against the area; causing pure, unaltered pleasured to run through your veins. You’re vibrating and twitching all at once because you can’t control the involuntary response that comes with your husband's demon fingers that are causing every possible pleasurable feeling to run through your system.
You can’t keep the moan to yourself either as Namjoon looks at you with awe, but you miss it because your eyes are too busy being rolled to the back of your head at the way Namjoon skilfully thrusts into your pussy.
“H-Harder, p-please Joon—wanna cum so bad.” You moan and run your fingers through his hair to bring his mouth closer to your mound.
He lowly chuckles and shakes his head at your sex drive. And the next thing he does next nearly makes you cum on the spot.
The way he gathers his spit at the back of his throat was borderline pornographic as you see the way his throat revs up. He drops the glob of spit directly onto your clit and uses the hand that wasn’t in your pussy to spread the lubricant all over your slit. He purposefully grazes your clit but doesn’t apply enough pressure to make your head spin, but just enough for you to whine in want.
“Your pussy is so pretty love.” He coos, leaning into your mound to deliver kitten-licks to your clit, and the warmth of his tongue with the added addition of his fingers feels all too much.
“J-Joon!” You gasp when you feel him thrust his fingers rapidly in and out of your pussy that your body hitched up the surface of the bed. Every thrust was accompanied by the direct assault of his tongue on your clit as he presses down on the hardened bud with the purpose to drive you closer to your orgasm.
You were painfully close, and the precision of his fingers at your g-spot allows you to revel in the way the coil in your body is ready to snap, so close to release. Namjoon leans down so that his head is where you love him the most, between your thighs as he scores the final goal and presses his tongue against your clit.
“Oh my god Joon—fuck—s-so good—I’m gonna cum!” Your back arches off the bed uselessly because of the way that Namjoon uses his other hand to pin you down, arms wrapped tightly around your stomach.
“Come for me pretty girl.” He coos against your clit and the vibrations is what sends you over the edge.
He fucks his fingers into you as you orgasm, kitten licking your clit with just enough pressure for you to whine as you buck your hips up into his mouth involuntarily.
“Fuck. Baby—hurts.” You whine, pushing his head away from your pussy when the overstimulation gets to you.
Namjoon places one last teasing peck on your clit, which causes you to twitch and pinch his neck as he chuckles, dragging his hand up your body to bring you closer to him.
“Still got it, hm?” He whispers against the column of your neck as you roll your eyes.
“Just kiss me you fool.” You pull him in for a kiss, and your tongue immediately finds its place home in Namjoon’s mouth.
It’s probably because it’s been so long since the two of you could feel each other like this, without any rush to get it over with but with the freedom to enjoy each other’s bodies as much as you’d like. Namjoon’s hands were the truth of that as he trails his arms down the sides of your waist and tugs you closer to him by your hips until he reaches for the hem of your camisole to tug it off your body.
He grabs the mounds of flesh in his hands and squeezes them hard enough to cause another gush of wetness to drip down the side of your thighs and onto his sweatpants. Besides the fact that he delivered a mind-blowing orgasm to you, the stained wetness of his sweatpants from his pre-cum and your slick is enough for you to push him down onto the bed.
“I’m gonna suck your cock.” You kiss him on the lips one last time before you’re leaning down to palm him over his sweatpants.
He hisses above you and grabs the back of your neck lovingly that it has you snorting.
“You know if you’re laughing at my dick my feelings are going to be very hurt,” Namjoon says from above you.
“It’s just …” You shake your head and giggle as you clench your fist around the outline of Namjoon’s cock as he lets out a low breath of approval at your action.
“You used to shove my head onto your cock the moment I reached your pants and now you’re so soft.” You tease.
You hear his breath hitch and the grip on your neck tighten at your taunting words. The excitement already pooling in your stomach at the roughness that would ensue from your husband.
“Me? Soft? Is that what you want baby?” His tone is warning and you know he’s serious.
You shake your head as you look up at him with innocent eyes, a stark contrast to the hand that continues to fondle his balls over his sweatpants.
“Don’t be a bitch and take my cock out.” He sneers, and you smile to yourself cheekily—knowing you hit a sore spot.
You happily oblige as you pull Namjoon’s sweats down to be greeted with your husbands cock. The visual itself has your pussy throbbing, and every time you’re faced with it, you always burn with the prospect of his thick cock pounding into your pussy.
“Now suck it like a good girl.” He guides your head towards his dick but you’re proactive enough to fully start licking at his tip, tongue teasing his slit as you hear him let out a low groan.
Your eyes are locked on his figure, as his head is thrown back. You want to grind on the sheets but you know that would delay him fucking you so you decide against it. But that didn’t mean you couldn’t appreciate the visual that your husband was giving you from where you were.
Namjoon had always been handsome. But there’s something about seeing him throw his head back in pleasure because of you that has your stomach churning with pride. You’d shamelessly admit that you were more on the possessive side, purely because you knew there were many men and women out there who desired Namjoon in more ways than one; and you didn’t like sharing one bit.
You spit onto his dick as your hands worked the rest of the length that you didn’t engulf in your mouth as you hollowed your cheeks to create a suction. Your tongue begins to tease the underside of his shaft, the way he likes the most and you know he’s enjoying your focus there because the hand that grips your neck is now tightly clutching your hair in a fist.
“Fuck. That’s it, baby.” He groans.
Motivated by the praise, you sink deeper, hands resting on his thick thighs as you push yourself until your nose reaches his pelvis. You’ve taken his cock like a champion on many occasions, and you can only thank him for that like the numerous times he had to guide you down on his cock were probably the only reason why your tiny throat could welcome his thick girth.
The sounds of you chocking on his dick was a lot for Namjoon, mainly because he couldn’t get enough of his wife but also because he’s been waiting out to bust a nut down your throat—actually your pussy—so long that he can’t handle the onslaught of pleasure your mouth brings him.
“Baby—baby,” He tugs you off his cock and the redness around your cheeks with the tears that pool at your waterline is enough to make his heart soar. Even though you were nasty in bed, he loved every single part of your forwardness.
“Your mouth is amazing but I need to cum in your pussy.” He tells you.
You whine at his declaration and allow him to manhandle you until you were face down ass up, ass pressed tightly against his pelvis as you grind your wet cunt over the hardness of his dick.
“Fuck—you’re so wet, baby. You like sucking my cock?” He growls, arms reaching around your stomach to pull your body flush against his chest.
When you reach your hand to wrap around his head to balance yourself, you see a view of your bodies together in your mirror. Courtesy of when you first moved in and due to you and Namjoon’s egocentric tendencies of wanting to see you guys fucking each other.
“S-So much Joon.” You garble.
His hand reach down to cup your mound and digs his palm into your clit as you grind down against his hand. You feel him loosely trace over your clit to gather your wetness into his hand to lather it over his dick.
“I’m gonna fuck you so good.” He whispers in your ear when he lines his cock against your entrance.
You whine, excitement erupting inside of you—until he finally slides it.
It definitely takes you by surprise because your husband was big. And the fact that you haven’t had his dick in you for months made it much more of a pleasant surprise when he bottoms out completely in one swift thrust of his hips, which causes your body to fall forward as your hands grip the sheets beneath you.
“Fuck. This tight pussy’s mine, right?” He growls.
You nod your head into the sheets as he begins with a few experimental thrusts as you adjust to the slight, yet pleasurable, sting in your lower half.
Until you squeeze his hand on your hip to give him the go, Namjoon settles for slow thrusts into your pussy, but it’s enough to prod at your pleasurable spot because not only is Namjoon smart, kind, funny, handsome and ridiculously a great father—he is phenomenal at sex. Probably why he knocked you up on the night of your honeymoon with your bundle of joy.
Namjoon begins snapping his hips into yours relentlessly like a man starved, and starved he was. He’s missed the wet heat of your pussy; and God did he love your daughter—but he missed this—your pussy.
“F-Fuuuuu—” You’re heaving.
Namjoon continues to thrust into your pussy, angling his hips upwards so that he’d reach places deeper than ever as your eyes roll to the back of your heart in pleasure.
“Fuck—this—tight—pussy—” His words follow the sharpness of his thrusts and you don’t even know where to grab because all your sensations are heightened, especially when Namjoon reaches a hand down to your clit to begin rubbing it vigorously.
“Nam—Joon!”
You’re so wet that the squelch of his thrusts is echoed in your bedroom, and the only thing you hear besides that is your loud moans and the heavy breathing coming from Namjoon.
It’s only when he plants his knees firmly into the mattress and brings your hips to meet his thrusts is when you feel your pussy clench uncontrollably around his cock as you wail out his name.
“Fuck, baby—you’re clenching—so—hard.” He groans, pushing his hips deeper into your pussy.
“Love your cock,” You moan, “Fuck—Joon, please—fuck your cum into me.”
“Yeah?” He grits his teeth and flips your over effortlessly, dragging your leg over his shoulder as he begins pounding into you even harder as he admires the way your face contorts in pleasure.
“Yeah.” You nod your head like a sex-crazed maniac because your husband was just too good with his hips.
“Gonna give you another baby.” He whispers when he leans down into your face as your eyes widen at his declaration. Your pussy reacts too, gushing out even more wetness as it becomes tighter around Namjoon’s cock.
“Fuck. You like that idea? A sibling for Chan’?” He grinds his pelvis into your clit as his words spur your second orgasm for the night on.
“No shit?” You gasp when he revs up his spit in the back of his throat, looking at your mouth invitingly.
“Yeah,” He says breathlessly, and you open your mouth to welcome his tongue when he drops the glob of spit down your throat.
You whine, feeling your orgasm coming so closely.
“Fuck Joon—I’m gonna cum.” You gasp.
You feel Namjoon’s hips stutter and you know he’s coming soon too.
“Me too baby.” He tells you while giving you the set of most adoring eyes ever. Even as he’s fucking you into the next dimension, Namjoon makes you feel so utterly loved and whole that you can’t imagine spending the rest of your life with anyone else.
He snaps his hips the hardest he’s ever done throughout the entire night, and you feel your pussy throb so much; signalling to you and Namjoon that your release was right there.
“Baby—I’m gonna—I’m gonna c-cum,” You grab onto his shoulder to pull him closer to you.
He welcomes it and leaves open mouth kisses onto your mouth as he fucks into you like a mad man.
“Cum.”
That’s all it takes for you to reach an explosive orgasm, one that quite literally causes you to blank out for a second because while Namjoon’s hot cum spurts into your pussy short after you came, he feels your body go limp in his embrace; causing his eyes to widen.
Only until you’re blinking up at him dazedly is when he holds you to his chest, as you feel his chest rumble when he chuckles.
“Baby … I thought you died.” He cards a hand through your hair and you smile at him, stupidly in love.
“If I die because of your dick I’d be happy.” You grin at him cutely. And he scoffs at the way you look so cute after you’ve been fucked to hell and back.
“My horny little monster,” He flicks your forehead as you bring him close to your chest, his dick still settled inside of you. But there was a sort of intimacy that you couldn’t quite put words to, but welcomed the gesture nevertheless.
“Were you serious?” You ask after a while of sharing a few intimate pecks to each others’ lips.
He finally pulls out to roll on his side as he reaches over to pull your close to his chest. He raises an eyebrow at your expression when you feel his cum leak out of you.
“God you really didn’t jack off recently, did you?” You ask.
He pecks you on the nose as he quickly tugs clean boxers over his legs and disappears into your on-suite. You sigh to yourself dreamily, thinking of how lucky you were to be with someone as loving and compassionate as Namjoon was.
You weren’t necessarily unlucky when it came to your relationships prior to him, but there would always be dealbreakers that caused splits to be more bitter than neutral. Namjoon was the only man in your life that you could speak to without fearing any judgement from because he wasn’t like that. He knew how to make you feel wanted and also how to want yourself, all while being your best friend and partner.
When he returns, he returns with a damp cloth and immediately begins cleaning up the mess between your thighs, even as he cheekily mentions how there was more from where that came from as you slap him on the shoulder.
Once he ensures he’s satisfied, he tosses the cloth into the laundry basket and grabs a big t-shirt of his to slip it over your body. You hum in satisfaction as his scent overwhelms you, even more so when he tugs you close to his body and he looks at you with all the love in the world.
“You asked if I was serious earlier?” He repeats your question and you nod your head looking up at him.
“Yeah.” You let out a breathy smile when he leans down to pull your face towards his own as you admire all the freckles and pores on his skin, fingers tracing loosely over the wrinkles that come with age.
“I know it’s sudden but … I’ve been thinking about our family and—I want our family to become bigger.” He tells you like it’s a secret. You know he’s been mulling over it for quite a while because he looks a little unsure of himself, but all you can do is smile widely at him.
“Really?” You ask, playing with the hair on the back of his neck when you feel his fingers trace over the skin on your back.
“Of course. I love you, and I love Chanmi. I’ve always wanted kids and you brought the best gift in my life to me and … I can’t explain how happy I am when I’m with the two of you.” He smiles at you gently.
You don’t know if it’s because he just fucked you so good, or was it because you were lovesick, but your eyes water because Namjoon was Namjoon.
“But—if you’re not ready then I understand and we can—”
“Yes.” You interrupt him.
His eyes widen as you see the excitement begin to pour into his irises.
“Wait—really?” He asks innocently.
You nod your head and kiss him on the lips softly, no rush as he returns the gesture, holding you close onto his chest where you feel the best in his arms.
“Yes really. I want what you want. And I think it’s about time Chanmi gets a sibling, no?” You tease.
He groans like you’re unreal as he buries his head into the crook of your neck as you caress him gently. Namjoon was really just like an oversized baby and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
“When?” He asks.
You tease your fingertips down to his chest and offer him a knowing look.
“Now?” You feign indifference but you can see the wide grin he sports on his face.
“Fuck. Don’t say that. I think my dick is going to fall off at how hard I fucked you just now,” He whined.
“You’re getting old,” You massage his shoulders as he sighs.
“I am …” He acknowledges, “But we’ll grow old together, right?”
The prospect of a future of unknowns with Namjoon only makes your heart bloom. You nod your head, not another word need to be uttered as he holds you in his arms, excited for what’s to come.
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pekowithabat · 2 years
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Can I please get some chubby body positivity with Korekiyo--- (I mean chubby reader who got bullied for their body shape pretty much in the past x Korekiyo) Thank you in adavance!
Also, GOOD LOOK ON YOUR DATE!!!!!!
JENAOSK TYSM!! It acctually went pretty well! Anyway, I don’t have that good a grasp on kork yet tbh, so I enlisted my friend-
I hope you enjoy it!!
Dm me if you want anything changing
Tw; mentions of previous bullying and problems regarding weight and abandonment
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I look at myself in the mirror, disappointed as always. I stare into the abyss, completely zoned out. I remember it all happening as if it was yesterday. They would stare and snicker at me. *Such monstrosity. Skip a few meals, why doncha? Give the starved kids a chance.* I hated when they said that. When they would make me feel abnormal. When I felt my humanity snap out of my mind. I was no mortal. I was a monster. A chubby, hideous one.
I tried everything I could to change. Just for them. I would give it all up, just to be perfect for them, in hopes that I would be treated normally. I froze. I stare at the photo I took with my beloved partner. It was Korekiyo and me. He looked so pleased. But I was certain he wasn’t pleased because of me. I always would think of what my previous partners said. *I had to leave you. You’re just… big. I could never stay with someone like you.*
I was so scared. I felt as if one day, my beloved Korekiyo would part from me. Because of my body. Just like the others. What if… What if I was too big for his liking? I snapped out of my trance as my phone vibrated. I pick it up to see Korekiyo’s message. *”Is everything alright? I haven’t caught a glimpse of you all day.”*
I stopped in my tracks. I don’t want him to see me like this. He’d be horrified. I refuse to let him worry over me. I hesitantly reply to his message. *”Don’t worry. Everything is just fine.”*
Except it wasn’t. I just lied directly to my beloved. I felt heavier by the guilt. I faceplant onto my bed, not looking back at his response. I hear rapping at my door. It was none other than Korekiyo. I didn’t lock my door, so he entered himself. I felt his eyes staring at my figure. He tilts his head. “Is everything alright? I felt as if your reply was blunt.”
I didn’t respond. I was too lost in my thoughts. He sat down next to me, lightly caressing my hair. I look up at him. “What?”
“Oh my,” He places his hand over his mouth as his eyes widen. “I assume you’re not in a very joyful mood?” He questions. I sat up. “Sorry, Korekiyo. I’m just a bit paranoid.”
“About what?” He inquires. “Did someone hurt you? Need I tear out someone’s nerves?” He balls his hand into a fist out of disgust. I snicker at him. “No need,” I said. I frowned again. “It’s just something that’s been on my mind for a while.”
“Note that you do not need to keep anything from me. I will not think about you any different. You are my lover, after all.”
“Well…” I fiddle with my hair. “I was wondering if... you actually like me,” I said quietly. He lifts my head up to face him. “Of course I do. You’re my beloved. I will always admire you no matter what.” He pulls me into a hug. I started to cry. He attempted to catch a glimpse of my face. I was all red, tears streaming down my eyes, getting his rosegold sweater soaked.
“What happened? Why are you weeping?” He asked. I couldn’t speak. All I could do was cry. I made an attempt to speak. “Please... don’t leave... me.”
“Why would I leave you? I have no reason to.”
“My… My weight…” I managed to say. He stares at me in shock. “I wouldn’t leave you for your weight. I think it’s admirable, just like the rest of you.” He hugs tighter. “Look, I really like you for your personality. I adore your positivity.”
“...Really?” I said, calming down a bit. He closes his eyes and nods. “That’s why I want to be with you for the rest of our days. Simply because I like your smile, and how it brightens up the room. I like how welcoming you are. You’re perfect and admirable in my eyes. If others find it difficult to see that, then they are missing out.”
“...Thanks, Kiyo…” I sniffled. He nods. “Of course, my beloved.”
\\Oh my god first Drabble in a while Bois- 🥲👍//
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sserpente · 4 years
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A/N: Random idea. Very fluffy. A little awkward… probably what would actually happen if you took Loki to a thermal bath spa when you are seriously crushing on him… enjoy! ;-)
Words: 4087 Warnings: a lot of fluff, sexual themes, implied smut
Birthdays were special—or at least, they should be. For the last decade, however, your own reflection in the mirror had been the only one wishing you a happy birthday. You had grown used to it. Loneliness was not so bad once you learned how to deal with the ache in your heart. But perhaps this year could be different, even though by now, you avoided telling the people in your life about your date of birth.
You had joined the Avengers a little over eight months now—and even though they were all nice and kind, there was only one other person you truly connected with. Loki. The man who had, only a few years ago, attempted to subjugate the entire planet. You shook your head quickly. It had not been his fault, not entirely. He had suffered under Thanos’ torments as much as you had been suffering under your loneliness. He was lonely too. Thor was his brother but he was no longer a friend, not really. The distance between them, albeit not physical, felt heart-breaking to even watch.
Surely, Loki would not be opposed to joining you in the thermal bath spa today. You intended to treat yourself, clandestinely and quietly, for your birthday. Having Loki with you—the man you could not only spend countless sleepless nights with talking about life, desires and fears but also caused your reoccurring and uncontrollable wet dreams. Seeing him shirtless for almost an entire day would put the cherry on top of your imaginary birthday cake.
Cautiously, you knocked on his door, your bag already packed. You would not need more than a book to relax with, some snacks (some of which were healthier than others), a towel and another bikini to change into, especially since the exclusive sauna was a no-clothing area anyway. Oh… if you got Loki to join you there…
“Yes…?” Loki’s disinterested face practically lit up when he realised it was you who had knocked. Smiling, you squeezed yourself through the gap.
“Hi.”
“Good morning.” He frowned, eyeing your bag. “Are you going somewhere?”
“I am, and I was wondering if you would like to join me. I’m heading to a local thermal bath spa to relax a little. You know… whirlpools, saunas, massages…”
Intrigued, he leaned forward. He remembered receiving positively amazing massages from Asgardian therapists in the palace when he was younger. They had worked wonders on his exhausted muscles after his training with Thor.
“Who else is coming?” He asked.
“No one. Just you and me.”
The God of Mischief smirked. “Very well.”
-
It had taken him time to warm up to you, and he had not just once questioned your intentions and sincerity. It warmed your heart, seeing him blithe, cheeky and curious now whenever the two of you were together. It almost felt like catching glimpses of his old, light-hearted self—before he had found out he was a Frost Giant; and that his whole life had been but a lie.
Loki had a good heart—he merely protected it well.
“Are you telling me we are going to share these pools with other people?!” He exclaimed in a downright horrified manner as you walked past the first swimming area to the reception.
“Oh… yes.” You giggled. “I’m afraid so, the spa is open for other customers too, after all. I’ve booked a booth all for myself… so we’ll have as much privacy as possible, alright? Hi!” You smiled at the receptionist who gave you a court nod.
“I’ve made a reservation, the name is (Y/L/N).”
“Oh yes, Ms (Y/L/N), you’re right on time. Please, let me escort you and your partner to your booth. Inside, you’ll find our welcome package, including champagne and the hot chocolate for your massage. If you need anything else, you can pay with your bracelets which will also give you access to our sauna world. Any purchases made will be added to your bill when you check out, other than that… we’re happy to help if you are experiencing any problems.” The words bubbled from her mouth like the gushing waterfall in the whirlpool area.
“Oh, uh, yes, thank you.” You stuttered. You blinked, blushing furiously. Loki spoke up as soon as she was gone and left you to change into your complementary bathrobes.
“Hot chocolate… for our massage?”
“Um… yeah… the package I booked to get this booth is intended for couples, usually.” You had almost forgotten about that when you decided to invite Loki this morning… Well, at least, the booth was nice. Opaque and dimly lit, it reminded you of an indoor-tipi. Inside, a giant round mattress took most of the space, along with a small table with, like the receptionist had promised, the hot chocolate and a bottle of champagne with two glasses.
“Ah. I see.”
Your heart skipped a beat, no, several at once, when Loki’s blue gaze met yours. If only he knew about your wet dreams… with a sigh, you undressed until all there was left was your bikini. You truly couldn’t wait to dive into the whirlpool first thing before your massage appointments, but what you were looking forward to even more was spending an entire day with Loki completely shirtless.
You gulped, quietly, when he followed your example. Quite hilariously, he had been rather unfamiliar with the concept of swimwear. On Asgard, nudity was rarely frowned upon when it came to bathing, whether it was a giant bathtub or a lake—still, Loki had always had the privilege of complete privacy as a prince, so he had told you.
He had refused to borrow one of Tony’s bathing trunks and instead opted for magic. Now, all he was left wearing were a pair of black swimming trunks with green and gold accents, complimenting his pale, yet well-defined and muscly chest.
“Do you like what you are seeing, my dear?” Blinking, you cleared your throat, quickly looking away. You blushed again, causing the God of Mischief to chuckle to himself. He truly was a tease. By now, you had learned this much—Loki was constantly torn between his smugness and confidence because of his physical superiority over you and his own shyness and insecurities whispering to him that as a Jötun, who would ever find him attractive compared to the mighty Thor?
You longed to prove him a lot more often he was indeed a lot more handsome than the Thunderer.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You said finally, his cheeky grin growing even wider when you grabbed a towel and headed for the whirlpools. Loki followed you amused.
-
“Loki…?”
“Yes, my dear?”
You had been watching him, secretly of course, for the past twenty minutes now. How his muscles danced when he leaned back and closed his eyes, arms spread on the edge of the whirlpool and his Adam’s apple moving slightly when he swallowed… his wet body shimmering in the dim light of the spa… focus.
“Is there a reason nobody else is willing to join us in this particular whirlpool?” He really liked this one. For the past hour, you had been trying them all out. You could tell he preferred those with lower water temperatures. Oddly, however, other customers practically seemed to avoid the pool. Granted, some of them might have recognised him… but surely not all of them.
“I would never…” He teased, opening one eye and glaring at you mischievously. You grinned, shaking your head. For Heaven’s sake, you would only love to swim over to him and sit on his lap, find out what it would feel like to straddle him and to explore his muscles with your wet palms… but you would probably freak him out if you did. Loki had never indicated he had a romantic, let alone sexual interest in you. Your wet dreams would most likely remain just that—dreams. Wishful thinking. You sighed, taking a peek at the huge clock on the wall.
“We have one and half more hours until our massages. I’m gonna dry off and head to the sauna for a bit but you can stay here if you like.”
“No,” he replied quickly. “I will join you.”
You climbed out of the whirlpool with a smile, your body, instead of freezing, growing hot as soon as you heaved yourself out of the water. The cool air should have made you shiver, yet you felt your back burning. Loki was watching you, you were sure of it. Intently.
You returned to your private booth to put on your bathrobe, with Loki following you suit. It was nice and warm inside, perfect for a short break.
“Ugh, stupid hair…” Grumbling to yourself, you struggled to make your wet ponytail presentable again. The God of Mischief chuckled and raised an eyebrow, a cheeky smirk tugging at his lips.
“Come.” He said, reaching out for you. Blinking, and ignoring your rapid heartbeat, you obeyed. He made you turn around so you were sitting between his legs, holding onto his thigh for support. You had expected so much out of this spa visit with Loki… but not that you would become so aroused throughout the day. This man could be breathing peacefully and it would make you horny. For Heaven’s sake…
You almost purred when he suddenly ran his long fingers through your wet streaks to untangle it a little. He removed the hair tie easily and soon began to part your hair in three. Before you even realised what he was doing, he was already braiding it neatly.
“You… wow. Thank you. How do you know how to do that?” And how do I get you to do this more often? His fingers had felt wonderfully in your hair and on your scalp. You could only imagine him pampering other parts of your body…
“I used to do it for my mother as a child. I always came to hide with her in her dressing room. It somehow calmed me down whenever Thor and his friends… never mind.”
Turn around, a seductive voice in your head screamed. Turn around and kiss him, now! But you did no such thing. Instead, you darted away from him as if stung by an adder, much to his surprise.
“S-sauna.” You said quickly. “ Loki nodded, eyes, however, widening fast when you started taking off your bikini under the bathrobe.
“What are you doing now?”
“Uh, there are no clothes allowed in the sauna.” You mumbled in response, curious about how he would react.
Gosh, ever since your arrival, you were torn between seduce him and pounce on him and run away screaming. You just couldn’t decide… in fact… in fact you wished he would just pull you on his lap and kiss you senseless.
“You mean to run around naked? Among strange men?” He countered as he approached you slowly. He looked good in that white bathrobe, it complemented his wet raven hair… argh, focus! Loki sounded almost… possessive. A sign? Would he kiss you? Pretty please with a cherry on top? Perhaps you should just tell him it was your birthday and ask for a proper kiss as your birthday gift.
“I do it all the time, Loki. No one cares about the nudity in there. Besides, it’s rather dark in the cabins. I understand if you don’t want to do it though, you don’t have to come with me, I can—”
The God of Mischief snorted. “I am not letting you go there alone.”
You paused, mid-sentence, a smile tugging at your lips. Now you couldn’t just kiss him but at least, you could hug him. Loki always acted like he hated the physical affection you often showered him with but in that aspect, he was a bad liar. A sigh escaped his lips when he reciprocated your hug and wrapped his arms around your body. It was so tiny compared to his, the urge to protect growing within him like an ancient, primal need. Mine… he blinked.
Oh no, you were a mortal. He would not make the same mistake as his brother and fall for a woman who would die centuries before him.
“Let us go.” He had not told you yet but he was not overly fond of saunas. He was familiar with the concept, of course—steam baths and alike—but had usually avoided them back on Asgard. It wasn’t until he had found out he was a Frost Giant that he realised why he despised the heat so much and yet… he was willing to sweat with discomfort just so he could see your half-naked, no, all naked body all wet and warm and… Loki cleared his throat and let go of you like a piece of blistering firewood. Mutely, he followed you to the sauna world and used his bracelet to get inside.
He already longed to snap the necks of the men turning around to glare at you hungrily when you both entered, his left hand jerking slightly as he almost brought it to the small of your back to show them you were taken. They glanced away again quickly, realising Loki was not to be meddled with.
As soon as the two of you had disappeared into one of the cabins—an empty one, much to his relief—he flicked his wrist. A green, barely visible shimmer of light surrounded the opaque door. No one else would get to explore your naked body with their eyes now—only him.
Only then did he start to feel the gravity of the heat around him. It enveloped him, slowed him down… he took a deep, disgusted breath.
-
You shouldn’t be shy. Fuck it. Drop your towel. So you did, avoiding Loki’s heated gaze on you as you did and sat down. While part of you meant to lean back and present your breasts to him temptingly, another wanted you to cover yourself up again this instant. You looked up and…
Loki’s lips were parted. He didn’t even think about removing the towel around his hips. Instead, his greedy gaze wandered up and down your body, slowly and intimately. You gulped. It took him a moment to pick himself up.
Then, finally, he slowly removed his own towel, revealing the sight of his member. You swallowed thickly. He was big. Bigger than the average man, even in his soft state. Loki sat down next to you, another mischievous smirk playing on his lips. He knew. He bloody knew. He must have… right?
With any other Avengers, this situation would have been super awkward and strange but with Loki… it was peaceful. Neither of you felt ashamed to be naked around the other, no sounds disrupting the silence. The heat felt amazing, sweating all negative energy from your system even better. There was only the steam hissing in the background, the rapid beating of your own heart and Loki, panting frantically. Panting?
“Loki? Are you okay?”
“I feel fine.” He lied. You flinched when you looked over to him. Loki was blue, his eyes glowing red in the dimly lit sauna and his bare chest decorated with dozens of ridges you longed to trace with your fingertips.
“You’re blue!”
Taken aback, the God of Mischief gazed down at himself, jumping up as if stung by an adder as soon as he realised.
“A-are you okay?”
“Fine,” he choked out. You barely had a chance to reply before he stormed out of the sauna.
“Loki! Loki, wait!” Grabbing your towel before you could dart after him, you clumsily wrapped it around your body to cover yourself up. Loki had disappeared into the shower room.
He glared at you from the corner of his eye when he saw you approaching him slowly—ignoring the other naked man taking a shower as cool as you please. The pattering of the water onto the wet files echoing through the room pierced your ears the closer you came but you barely even registered it. Loki was leaning against the wall, palms pressed flatly against it. He looked normal again. Not blue.
“You were not supposed to see that.” He growled quietly. Hesitatingly, you put one of your hands on his shoulder blade. He had no idea how this could have even happened. His body reacted to the cold. To objects of Jötun origin, not to heat and hot air. It must have been a defence mechanism to cope with the sudden temperature change…
“It doesn’t matter, Loki. I knew about… well.”
“You knew I am a monster? A wolf in sheep’s clothing?” He snapped bitterly.
“I knew you were a Frost Giant. You’re not a monster. You haven’t eaten me yet, have you?” You joked, waiting for him to reply. When he said nothing, you took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Loki, I didn’t think the heat would do… this. Are you… are you sure you’re okay? I don’t want to spend the rest of my birthday in the hospital.” Even though you were fairly certain a regular hospital could barely help the God of Mischief. You should have considered his race when suggesting the sauna. Why, for Heaven’s sake, hadn’t he refused to come with you? To… protect you, maybe? From other, greedy men? Your pussy clenched at the mere thought of it.
“What did you just say?”
“W-what? Nothing.” Shit.
“Your birthday. You said it was your birthday.”
Defeated, you gave him a court nod and shrugged innocently. “It… it is. That’s why I wanted to come here today, relax a little… and spend time with you. Let’s just… go back to our booth and forget this happened, alright?”
She is not afraid of you. She does not hate you. She is not disgusted. The thoughts tumbled through Loki’s head like a house of twigs collapsing in on itself. She wants to spend her birthday with you.
He nodded mutely, for once at loss for words, and followed you. He had sworn to himself to not make the same mistake as his brother, besides, a mortal was no match for him… right? How soon, however, would he once again find someone who liked his company simply for the sake of it? Someone who would spend their most important day with him of all people? Someone who did not despise his true nature? Perhaps… perhaps, he should reconsider.
Hungry for a snack to stifle the shock, you reached into your bag to retrieve a package of marshmallows once you were back in your private booth. It was your birthday, after all. You could have some additional calories today if you weren’t going to get any cake. Apart from that, you needed something to munch on, even after admiring Loki’s backside… and his very impressive manhood. You wondered, briefly, if his cock was covered in ridges too when he was in his Jötun form… and how they would feel inside of you. You should have looked down when you had the chance. Licking your lips with a hum in a weak attempt to distract yourself from your naughty thoughts, you ripped open the package and fished one of the marshmallows out.
In the meantime, Loki opened the champagne bottle and poured you both a glass.
“And what is that supposed to be?” He said as he handed you one of them.
“Marshmallows? You’ve never had marshmallows before?”
“No…” He responded slowly, rather suspicious towards the white sugar clumps.
“They’re sweet and soft and… here.” Unceremoniously, you dipped it into the hot chocolate. It shouldn’t go to waste, now should it? “Eat.”
Loki obeyed, still in doubt but he soon hummed in approval when he let it disappear in his mouth. “Delicious… Tell me, what was that hot chocolate intended for, initially?” He asked curiously when he had swallowed, nodding at it before taking a sip of his champagne.
“Um… well…”
Impatiently, he raised an eyebrow.
“It’s for, uh, couple massages. You know… you’re supposed to use the chocolate for… as…”
“Massage oil?” He finished your sentence with a nod. His blue eyes locked with yours, making your heart pound in your chest. By the Norns, he should have read the signs earlier. The way you looked at him—both shyly and provocatively at the same time… the way your breath caught in your lungs whenever he touched you, even if it was in the most innocent and decent way possible. You made him laugh, too. It had been a while since he had laughed, from all his heart.
“Hmm, I see. Well, perhaps you were wrong, my dear.” He mused and put his glass away, making his decision there and then. “Perhaps I will eat you after all.”
He smirked—maliciously at that when your eyes widened and he crawled up to you on the huge mattress, right until he towered above you. Unceremoniously, he reached for the hot chocolate and inhaled deeply. The scent was infatuating—Loki’s hungry glare, however, even more so.
“L-Loki… what are you doing?”
His lips parted, one of his hands reaching up to caress your cheek. You shivered, desire and affection rippling through you. What was happening here?
You couldn’t help it. Your eyes wandered down to his lips. What would it feel like to press your lips against his? What would it feel like… oh. He was kissing you. A moan escaped your throat when his mouth came crashing down on yours, kissing you gently at first and then, devouring your lips like his last meal. Your languishing glance, so it seemed, was all the invitation he had needed. Loki’s hands set your body on fire, exploring every inch of your skin, stroking your neck, your arms, your chest…
You squealed when he undid the messy knot you had tied into your towel, leaving you completely exposed beneath him. Once more, his blue eyes appeared to ravish you whole. Then, suddenly, you both witnessed and felt him pouring the warm chocolate over your chest and breasts, your already hardening nipples reacting to the sweet liquid immediately. Oh my… God…
You couldn’t have imagined it to be like this in your wildest dreams. Goose bumps lingered wherever his fingertips ghosted over your body, the droplets of chocolate tickling where they trailed down your sides, threatening to stain the mattress. Your breath was trembling from desire by the time Loki lowered his head to your body and finally released your now swollen lips, instead tending to the warm and sweet mess he had created on your upper body. His tongue darted out as he hummed in joyful anticipation, patiently licking you clean.
Your back arched, hips bucking up towards him and grazing his crotch. It was him who moaned this time, his free hand, for he propped himself up with the other, fondling one of your breasts. You wanted more. Oh, you wanted so much more. But not here. This booth was private but at the end of the day you were still in public. At home, back at the compound… if that was what he wanted too. Don’t be a fool… of course he wants it too, the horny voice inside your head complained.
“Hmm… this tastes much better than those marshmallows…” He purred. You whimpered when he sucked one of your hard nipples into his mouth and tenderly nibbled on it. The attention made you clench your legs. Betraying arousal was pooling in your centre, drenching your bikini bottoms. If he didn’t stop now…
“W-we’re going to miss our m-massages, Loki…” You attempted weakly.
Loki chuckled darkly. “Something tells me you wouldn’t very much mind that, my sweet.” My sweet… if you hadn’t been lying down, your knees would have given in now at the very latest. Loki had a lot of explaining to do, and so did you. You had pounced on one another like wolves in heat, like sex-starved beasts… but not now. For the time being, you would simply enjoy having broken the thin layer of ice remaining between you. “You are right, of course.” He added then. “I want to be the only one to hear you screaming my name…” Another low chuckle rumbled through his voice chords, sending pleasant shivers up and down your spine. Reluctantly, he released you and let you catch your breath. Naked, you sat up, eyeing him with a shy smile which Loki reciprocated. This spa day escalated quickly, you thought, giggling to yourself. Not that you were to complain.
He winked. “Happy Birthday, (Y/N).”
-
A/N: Check out my blog to find more Imagines and take a glimpse at my  first (to be) published novel! If you enjoyed this story, I would  appreciate so much if you supported me on Kofi! ko-fi.com/sserpente ♥
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octoberink · 3 years
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In His Hands Part 1
The pouring rain pounded against my car in a thunderous pitter-patter. My windshield wipers went into full drive to keep the water from altering my vision. And it was late. So it was dark out. I was driving back home from my best friend’s house. We had a good time. We watched a movie, and ate junk food like always. And it was always a good time. But—
It’s always the same thing.
Lately, however, I’ve been rather lucky it seemed. I got promoted at my job. I finally found an apartment I could afford that I liked and felt safe in. And I’ve been on a few dates with this nice guy. His name was Eric. And while we had been talking for several weeks online through this dating site, I was still so nervous to see him in public. As if he wouldn’t like the real thing beyond my picture. But I guess he did. At least well enough to agree on another three dates with me. He was nice, too. Real with me. He didn’t seem fake like half of the other assholes I’ve been out with. One even had a fake profile, and as soon as I saw that fifty-year-old-something sitting at our table with a full bottle of wine in front of him, I was gone. Out the door.
I sighed heavily in the car at the streak of bad luck. Just before the good luck kicked in. I was in a really good place right now, actually. And I needed to remember that. I needed to count my blessings. Not my problems. Life was good right now. As good as it needs to be. For now. But of course, as good as it seemed, I still had that feeling.
I wanted more than this.
I slowed down as I approached a stop sign ahead, and halted. It was hard to see the bright red octagon in the nightly downpour. It had been raining like this for five days. And as much as I would hate to admit it, I kinda missed the sun. But I did like the rain. A lot. Except when driving in it at night.
I checked to make sure there were no other cars coming before I pulled ahead. As I continued driving, the music in my car suddenly began to skip. “Damn it,” I muttered to myself, grabbing my phone that connected to my radio. I paused the melody, and gave it a second, flashing my eyes back and forth from the radio to the road. I pressed play. It kept skipping. “Oh, come on,” I groaned with annoyance. I closed the music app altogether, and gave it another moment. Then, I opened it up and pressed play. A consistent melody started once again. I felt my shoulders relax with relief before placing the music player in a small compartment underneath the stereo, and lifting my gaze back up.
I immediately had to slam on the brakes, and steer away from some enormous thing blocking the road. I veered off of the pavement, and straight into the trees that lined the secluded street. But the rear passenger side of my car hit the object hard, sending me in a spinning circle. My head hit the window as the right side of my car smashed into the hard contents of a large tree, finally stopping my drive.
I listened to the heavy pitter-patter of rain drum against my vehicle as I fought to stay awake. I wanted to close my eyes and sleep. I hit my head really hard. But I had to stay awake. I had to call 911. I needed help.
The world around me suddenly vibrated in a thunderous quake.
Was that thunder? They didn’t say anything about thunder in the weather. It came again, and I glanced into the rearview mirror to see it vibrate from the alarming sound. And in the reflection, I saw something move. Was someone here? Maybe they could help me.
The headlights on my car flickered out.
“Shit,” I muttered. “No, no, no. Come on.” I played around with the small device that controlled my lights, but nothing worked.
I looked out of my window, hoping to see the figure I noticed earlier coming my way to help. But I saw nothing. I turned to my phone, and decided to call for help. I dialed 911, but before I could press that green button, something smacked against my window.
I whipped my head around to the noise. And felt my heart skip at the sight. It looked like an enormous thumb. Resting right against my window. I could see the rivets in the skin where the thumbprint would be—smushed right up against the drenched glass.
There was another smack to my right, and I quickly looked over to see another one. On the other window. My heart quickened its pace. My breath grew shaky. I had no idea what was going on. And that terrified me.
My car suddenly started to groan. As if the metal itself was in pain. And then, a truly bizarre feeling engulfed me. I felt as if I was being lifted. Like my car had suddenly turned into an elevator. As this unusual experience occurred, another one began. The headlights of my car began to flicker on and off. As they did, I caught glimpses of fabric. Jeans that took up my entire vision. Cotton that had been drenched from the rain. All enormous. And all flashing before me, proving that me and my poor car were climbing up.
My lights turned off. After another moment, the rising feeling ceased. I sat perfectly still in my seat, gripping the strap of my seatbelt with white knuckles. I held my breath, unsure of what to do, or even think in this situation.
What the hell is going on?
I was on the brink of freaking out. I could feel the scream climbing to my throat, ready to burst any second. The headlights came back on.
And I wanted to scream. I truly did. But it was now stuck in my throat. All that escaped me were heavy gasps of shock and horror.
A giant pair of eyes gazed right through my windshield. To stare right at me.
I have to get out of here. I have to escape. That was the only thing running through my head. I have to get out of my car! I unbuckled myself, and looked over to open my door. But there was a literal giant-fucking-thumb in my way! I turned back to the enormous pair of eyes to see them suddenly replaced by a giant mouth. With massive, white teeth that glinted under the harsh lights of my vehicle.
“Oh, shit,” I murmured to myself with a quaking voice. “Oh, God—oh, my God,” I was on the verge of fainting. I could feel it. The way my head felt light and airy. And the horrible urge to let it come over me—“No,” I shook my head. “No, no, no. Stay awake. Come on,” I turned around to see the doors behind me free from giant, meaty digits. I turned back to the front of my car to see those eyes appear again.
This brought back the rush of fear, and I used it to give me the ability to try and escape. I lowered the back of my seat as far as it could go before crawling to the rear of my car. I gripped the handle, pulled, and then used my body to push against the door. But it didn’t open. It was stuck. Jammed. Oh, for f—“Come on!” I grunted as I began to bash my shoulder into the door. “Come on! Please!” I raised my voice as the fear of this thing killing me consumed my entire being. I used all of my strength for one last push, flinging the car door open. And tumbling out of the vehicle myself.
For a moment I was falling in the air, screaming, and flailing my limbs around in a desperate attempt to stop my plunge to the hard ground. But instead of the ground, I landed in something much softer. Something warmer. Something that wrapped itself around my body. I opened my eyes to see the ground no more than a few feet from my face.
An explosion of noise burst from my left, and I looked over to see my car. My car was on the ground. The glass in all of the windows had shattered from the impact it took, allowing the rain to pour itself inside, and soak the interior. But—
If my car is now on the ground, then what am I...?
The world around me began to move. The ground below me edged further and further away. I was being lifted back up. Only this time, there was no car to keep me safe. I suddenly began to twist around in whatever it was that encased me. Panic settled in. And I writhed. I kicked and flailed. I screamed.
My screaming came to a halt, however, once I was turned around. And I saw those eyes. Black eyes. They were connected to an enormous face. The face was connected to a body that led down to a giant hand. The hand that held me.
The headlights of my car were still on somehow. And they brought a low, menacing light to the massive figure before me. He stared at me with water dripping down his enormous features. He flashed a massive, toothy grin my way.
“You better have insurance after hitting me like that,” his booming, somewhat southern-accented voice called above the pouring rain.
It talks. This twenty-five-foot-tall man just spoke English to me. And as confused as I was at what he just said, when I felt his warm breath wash over my face, goosebumps instantly rose along my arms and legs. Something was taking over me. Something was about to happen. I was about to finally react to this thing before me. And he knew that.
He cocked a large, dark brow at me and sighed with a smile still plastered on his features. “Let me guess, you’re gonna—”
Every ounce of energy and distress balled up into one big, loud scream. It built up in my lungs, climbed through my throat, and burst out of my mouth with a horrifying wail. The giant man before me hardly reacted to this. He calmly watched me as if bored by my screams.
When I paused to catch my breath, he smiled again. “Are ya done?”
The fear was too much. Overwhelming. I opened my mouth and screamed again. As if my very soul was being ripped from my body. And now, he looked slightly annoyed. Which scared me even more. Before I could beg for my life, a massive mound of flesh plastered itself over my mouth, silencing my cries. It didn’t take long for me to realize it was the tip of his finger. I immediately reached my hands up to push it away, but he was far too strong.
“Stop,” he sternly muttered. “That’s annoying.” He watched me for a moment longer, keeping his finger over my mouth. I decided to stop struggling for now, despite the way his massive hand dug into my waist. “You’re not gonna scream again, are you?” When I quickly shook my head, he smirked. “Good girl.”
His finger retreated, allowing me to breathe again. And I began to struggle in the hand that held me. His grip tightened a bit on my hips, putting a strange ache in my bones. Even the tips that curled around my stomach started to hurt. I had a feeling I would get bruises from this. But bruises were, of course, the very last thing I was worried about at the moment.
I noticed the way he simply watched me squirm in his hand. His smile wide and menacing on his giant face. Right. Apparently, giants exist now. I was being held by a giant man. And I needed to stay calm. I needed to get out of this alive. “Can you let me go?” I asked.
He cocked a brow, and leaned in closer. I cowered away when his face got even bigger. “What was that, sweetheart?”
Sweetheart? Why is he talking to me like he knows me? I cautiously glanced back up at him, and raised my voice. “P-please?” I stuttered from the shaking in my body. “Can you put me down?”
I barely heard his light chuckle over the downpour. “What, are you uncomfortable?”
I reached a hand up to wipe away the rain on my face. I nodded. “Yeah,” I called back. I squirmed a bit more in his grip as if to prove my point. “A little, so please—”
“Alright,” he smirked as his massive shoulders briefly moved up and down in a shrug. “Then, we better get going.”
Wha—uh, wait. I froze in confusion at his words. “G-going?” I repeated. “Going where?”
“Home,” he replied. And he said nothing more.
Home? Whose home? Mine, or his? Am I being freakin’ kidnapped? I heard a strange noise erupt around us before I caught glimpses of a strange blue light in the darkness. The headlights of my car blinked on and off over and over again. As if something was drawing power away from them. “W-what’s happening?” I yelled. “What are you doing?” Next thing I know, I’m surrounded by light. While still in this thing’s clutches. And I felt a sudden rush of energy pulse through me. As if my body suddenly decided to use up all of its adrenaline at once. Once the blue light flickered away, I went limp in his fist.
I was still awake. But I couldn’t move. I felt exhausted. Weak. Like my body had given up on itself. I swayed like a ragdoll in his hand as he walked. My eyes felt heavy. As I slowly blinked, I could catch glimpses of where I ended up. Flashes of the scene of a living room.
A giant living room.
A giant couch. An enormous chair. The biggest flat screen TV I had ever laid eyes on. And a massive shelf full of movies. I could feel his hand slowly lower me down somewhere. I landed on something soft. Like a huge pillow. And watched with dreary eyes as this giant creature stared down at me. Hands on his hips. And a large smirk on his face.
“Go to sleep,” his voice was laced with calmness. As if this was all normal. It echoed in my head as exhaustion crawled over me. Just as I closed my eyes, his voice emerged once more. “We’ll talk more when you’re awake.”
*~*~*~*~*
Everything hurt.
My arms. My legs. My chest when I breathed in. Even my fingertips felt sore. I wasn’t sure why. I was just glad to be alive. I am alive, right?
I slowly fluttered my eyes open to see a great big blur. When I tried to lift my head, it swam and ached, causing me to squeeze my eyes shut at the sensation. I planted a hand against my forehead as I slowly sat up. I had been lying on my stomach. On something soft. Something was also draped over me, and when I looked down, I saw fabric. But fabric that was expanded. Like it was bigger. As if my vision had zoomed in on it. But my hand on the fabric was normal in size. I slowly and carefully turned my head, causing my neck to ache at the movement. I saw more enlarged fabric on my back. Like a blanket.
What happened? Where am I?
And when I decided to finally take a glance at my surroundings, it suddenly became much harder to breathe. Despite the pounding throb bouncing in my skull, I whipped my head around at the world before me. A world of—what looked like to me—
A world made for a giant.
It looked like a giant living room. And I was on what seemed to be a giant, fluffy pillow. That rested on—I leaned forward to see a slab of wood. High over carpeted floor. A coffee table. I was sitting on a giant coffee table. Which seemed completely insane.
Have I finally gone mad? What the hell is this place?
I brought the blanket around me even tighter, wincing at the sudden ache in my head. I brought my hand up. And touched my hair. It was damp. Why is my hair damp?
And it all came rushing back to me.
The crash. The giant thumbs. The giant man. He spoke to me. He said something. But I couldn’t remember what it was. Taking another glance at the world around me, I realized—shit. I’m in his home. His living room. What? What the hell? Why would he take me? What’s he going to do to me?
My body trembled violently as the horrible thoughts in my mind suddenly brought in a new reality. All of those awful things I had once heard about giants in fairy tales as a child—what they would be able to do to tiny people suddenly became real. Oh, God. I have to get out of here. I could feel tears of true fear and panic edge into my eyes. If I didn’t get out of this, who knows what this thing has planned for me? I whipped my head around, searching for him. He wasn’t in the room with me. Where was he? What do I do?
Maybe I should wait until he comes back. Maybe I can reason with him. Oh, man. I hope he hears me out. I have a family waiting for me at home. I have a job to get to, and a date tonight. I have a good friend who’s probably trying to call me.
Call. My phone.
I began to frantically search for the device. I looked all over the massive pillow I was on before I carefully slipped off of it, and looked around on the tabletop. I even pushed the pillow off to see if it was under that. But it was nowhere to be found. I shook my head as a pit of despair dropped in my gut. Shit! I’m dead. I’m going to die. He’s going to—
My blood suddenly froze at the sound of something coming my way. I could feel the world around me quake at the impact of thunderous footsteps. Coming here. Coming for me. I cowered away now wishing I hadn’t pushed off the pillow. I could’ve felt at least a little safe hiding behind it. Hearing him get closer only caused me to tremble even more at the fear that consumed me.
And when he entered the room, I couldn’t breathe.
In the full light of the space we were in, he looked even bigger than he did last night. Broad shoulders. Narrow hips. A hard jawline with slightly raised cheekbones. Tanned, glowing skin. Hair buzzed on the sides of his head, but smoothly groomed and slicked back on the top. Like a mohawk trying to act classy. His hair was a very deep, dark brown. Almost black. And his eyes. His eyes bore the same darkness, sending a harsh chill down my spine. He had muscle. Easily noticeable beneath the black, skin-tight tee that he wore. Heavy, dark jeans that covered his large legs.
And when his eyes met mine, the world came to a complete halt.
He smiled. And then, he spoke. “Well, look who’s finally awake,” he greeted.
My heart was pounding at the way he was looking at me. Like he was proud. As if I was some grand prize. A valuable object. As soon as he started walking over to my position on the coffee table, I quickly began to back away. “No, no, no! You s-stay away!” my voice rose with a stutter. I even put my hands up as if they would protect me from getting crushed by this thing. “Stay away from m-me!” I yelled.
But he didn’t stop. He strolled right over to me as I teetered on the edge of the table. When I saw him bend down and reach a hand out to me, I squeezed my eyes shut. And braced myself for the torture he would bestow on me.
His massive fingers wrapped around my waist, causing that soreness from the previous night to return. And when the ground disappeared from beneath my feet, I felt sick to my stomach. My hands gripped the meaty digits that clutched me. “Wait, wait, wait, just w—oh, God,” I whispered. The fear of being dropped like this from any height scared me. But not as much as the fear I was suddenly slapped by when I dared to look up. His massive face was closer than ever. He had a small scar over his right eye that I hadn’t noticed before. His deep brown eyes observed me as I struggled in his uncomfortable grip. Now I had this horrible fear of getting my head bitten off by him. When he smiled, his teeth were brilliantly white. Massive. Strong enough to chomp right through—
Oh, God. My stomach rolled.
“Well,” he murmured, washing his warm breath over me once again. “Look at y—”
I didn’t even think. I just kicked. I kicked as hard as I could, and my foot met his nose with a hard snap. He flinched his features away from me as he cried out in surprise. The pressure around my waist vanished. And I briefly felt the terror of gravity pull me down. Thankfully, it was a short tumble to the hard tabletop. As soon as I sat up, I began to crawl backwards to get away from him. He quickly rubbed the sore spot on his face before locking his eyes with mine. And when he smiled, my stomach flipped with dread and regret.
“Now that was a ballsy thing to do, Taylor,” he chuckled.
I felt the hairs on the back of my neck shoot up. How the hell does he know my name?
He leaned forward, looming over my small figure on his table. “Didn’t expect that from the likes of you.”
The way he had said my name and was talking to me made my blood freeze with horror. Why is he talking to me like we know each other? What is happening? When I noticed his hand edge closer to me, I backed up. “W-wait a minute,” I stammered as his hand continued its pursuit. “Just wait a sec—please, don’t pick me up again!”
He raised his brows in surprise at my tone. “You’re giving me orders?” he grinned. “That’s cute, cupcake.” His voice suddenly lowered as he leaned in even closer to me. “But I’m gonna do whatever I want with you. And yes, that includes picking you up whenever I please. Now, get over here.”
Just before his fingers touched me, I called out in fear. “Wait! How do you know my name?” That seemed to stop him. I had to keep this going. I didn’t want to be in his hands again. “Who are you? Can you at least tell me—”
“Are you gonna let me answer, or is this one of those one-sided conversations we’re having?” he muttered. And I shut my mouth. He smiled, leaned back a bit, and stared at me a moment longer. “I’m Kade Lyon,” he began. “And I know a lot more than just your name, darlin’.” He lowered himself into a seated position, and took in a breath through his nose. “Taylor Orwell. Twenty-three years old, lives alone in the state of Rhode Island. Has a large family due to both parents divorcing, and both getting remarried to other larger families. Hobbies include writing, playing guitar, and a game of chess once in a while. Works as an office assistant in a law firm building, and has recently been promoted. Likes the beach, hiking, and the occasional rainy day, but does not like beer, karaoke, or rom-coms.” He cocked a brow at my silence. “Did I miss anything?”
I was speechless. In shock. How did he know so much about me? I still didn’t understand. I had so many questions. I took a quick glance around me. “What is this place?”
Kade shrugged. “Well, you’re in my home.”
I passed him an odd look. Yes. I know. Thank you for clarifying that.
He chuckled at my reaction. “And by that I really mean you’re not in your own world. You’re in my world. The world of Teras.”
Teras? What does that mean?
He easily sensed my confusion. “Or in your case,” he gestured to himself. “The world of the giants.”
Giants? A whole world of them? I think I’ve lost it. And now, I had to ask the question I was most afraid to have answered. “Why am I here?”
Kade eyed me for a moment. Deviously. As if I had asked him the one question he’d been waiting to answer. He looked me up and down for a moment before he stood back up to his full height, giving me a horrid shiver down my spine. “I’ll be right back.”
As soon as he was out of the room, I closed my eyes. And took in deep breaths. My heart was pounding. My head was throbbing. And my entire body was quaking. I was terrified. I had a horrible feeling that I was not going home. That he was going to kill me, or torture me. The look he had in his eyes before he left the room made my stomach roll. Where was he going? Would he come back with a giant knife to cut me up? Was he getting another giant person to tear me apart? When my head swirled, I decided to sit down on the tabletop. And wait for him to return.
Hopefully he would answer my questions. And not kill me, or throw me in a pot of boiling water like a lobster. God, I was so scared. I didn’t know what to do. Or what to think. I was in another world? How is that possible? I was heading home last night. It was raining, I remember that. I must’ve hit Kade with my car. Was he mad about that? Is that why I’m here? I didn’t mean to, it was just so dark I couldn’t see anything. He just came out of nowhere. 
I felt like running away. Far away. As far as I could go and never stop. This couldn’t be real, right? This has to be a nightmare. I’m dreaming right now. Which made sense, I suppose. I would dream about something like this, considering all of the stories about giants that I read growing up.
The air around me began to tremble again as his heavy footsteps slowly returned to me. I stood back up to my feet, as if I should be ready at any moment to fight a twenty-five-foot man. And when Kade entered the room, he had a tray in his hand. He lowered it down on the coffee table before me. On the tray, I was surprised and confused by what I was seeing. A big plate for him. As well as a large cup, and food and drink to go with it. A fork, a spoon.
A knife.
I swallowed nervously, and moved my gaze to the bizarre arrangement beside it. A plate my size. Cutlery, and a cup with food and everything. My size. Not his. What is this place? Kade carefully moved the smaller pieces to me, humming happily as he placed them on the coffee table. He then sat on the floor to get closer to my level. The tray of food sitting in his lap. He passed me a look I really didn’t like. As if he was excited about something.
“You should eat something, princess,” he muttered, still grinning. “Traveling between dimensions can take a toll on your body.”
But I wasn’t hungry. Even as I watched him dig into his own meal, my stomach churned with uncertainty. He wasn’t going to eat me, was he? Is that why he was feeding me? To fatten me up? Oh, seriously, Taylor? Why do you have to think of these things?
“Mr. Lyon?” I quietly called. His brown eyes landed on me, making my heart skip. “Please,” I murmured. “Why am I—”
“Call me Mr. Lyon again, and we’re gonna have a serious problem, short stuff,” he muttered in a deep tone.
Oh, boy. Okay. I shrugged at him. “Kade?” He smirked when I said his name. I took a step back. “Please, tell me why I’m here.”
That strange look crossed his gaze once again. And he looked down to the food in his lap with a wide smile. He hesitated. Took his time. Just stared down at the way his hands cut the meat on his plate while I waited anxiously. He then lifted his gaze to me. And I saw what looked like a glimmer of pride in his features. “Because you’re mine.”
I stared at this thing before me with mixed emotions. I was confused. I was scared. He thought he owned me? I shook my head at him with disbelief. “W-what are you saying? I don’t understand what you mean, I am not y—” Kade’s eyes suddenly flashed defiance at my words. As if I was wrong about what I was going to say. The look on his face bothered me. Scared me. “Will you take me home?” I murmured. “Please?”
He shook his head as his grin returned. “No-can-do, sweetcheeks.”
“Why?” I instantly blurted. I could feel the fear overpower my confusion. My body shook at the horrific reasons this thing would want to keep me.
Kade’s gaze never left mine. “It’s like I said. You’re mine.”
I shrugged at him. “Okay, look—I don’t understand, you just keep saying the same thing, Kade, could you please explain to me what is going on here?”
Kade moved the food tray to the floor beside him. And then he leaned forward. As if he was trying to intimidate me. I backed away with a whimper, afraid that I had pissed him off. But he kept his hands out of sight beneath the table.
“You humans think you’re the only ones out there with power,” he began. “The only ones with souls, self awareness. Ambition.” He shook his head at me. “None of you have a clue about our world. What we do. Why we do it.” He shrugged. “I would explain everything to you, but there are things that your pea-brain isn’t going to understand right away. So,” he cocked a brow with confidence. “You’re just gonna have to trust me.”
I chose to ignore the pea-brain comment. “Trust you?” I repeated in an accusatory tone. “You want me to trust you after you kidnapped me?”
“I saved you,” he retaliated. “Which you never thanked me for.”
My jaw dropped. “Thank you?” 
“Aw, you’re welcome, buttercup,” he passed me a cheeky smile.
I raised my voice as the fear continued to consume and suffocate me. “Will you please just tell me why I’m here?” I backed away. “A-are you going to hurt me, or kill me?”
Kade suddenly laughed at that, shaking his head. “Hell no. I wouldn’t dream of diminishing your value.”
My value? As relieved as I was at that news, I felt a new wave of fear overcome me. Was he going to sell me? Were people my size seen as prizes on the black market or something? I was ready to give up on this guy and his ability to answer one freakin’ question. “Then why—”
“You won’t understand,” he interrupted.
Now that I knew he wasn’t the one that was going to hurt me, I decided to test my limits a bit. I dared to take a step closer to him on the table. And I crossed my arms. “Try me.”
Kade’s eyes were locked onto mine. His smile didn’t waver for a second. “Your world is falling apart,” he murmured. “Your species is annihilating itself, and you don’t even know it. In just a few years, your world is going to end. And humanity will die with it.” He watched for my reaction to his words. Words I was still processing. And I was waiting to hear more. “I took you away, because that’s my job. We go to your world, and we each find and take one human back with us. To keep. To help give humanity one more chance by allowing them to stay here. With us.” He leaned forward. But I was frozen where I was. “As brave and noble as we are, we won’t be able to save all of you. Even though we’re trying our best. And we don’t want to accelerate the process that your dimension is going through by making our presence known to your species. Because if that were to happen, you would all be dead in a matter of days. You would all be gone if we didn’t take our time with this. As our scientists say, it’s an extremely delicate matter.”
I didn’t even know what to say. Or think. How to process this. Our world would be gone soon? In a few years? How? I didn’t completely understand all of this. Why was this happening now?
“You’re mine,” he murmured, gathering my attention to him once again. “I chose you, Taylor. I get to take care of you. I’ve been trained for this, and it’s up to me to make sure you survive what’s coming.” His eyes gazed at me. With that same smug smile on his face. “I’m your caretaker. And you. Are. Mine.”
Trained for this? Caretaker? Is that why he had things like plates and cups in my size? Was it specifically made for humans for when we’re forced to live here? I could only stare at him with wide eyes of fear. Confusion. Doubt. How could I possibly know that he was even telling the truth about all of this? So much of this just sounded so crazy.
At my silence, he raised a brow. “I told you that you wouldn’t understand.”
He’s right. I don’t understand. He needed to help me comprehend what he just told me. “How do you know?” I murmured. “How do you know that our world is going to be gone soon?”
Kade edged back to lean against the foot of the enormous chair behind him. “We’ve been watching your dimension for a long time,” he began. “We’ve briefly attempted to make contact with a couple of humans in the past. Which in turn created your stories about us.” He paused. “When we saw how much our kind has made more of an impact in your culture in recent years, we thought it was time to introduce ourselves. We wanted to teach you about world-jumping. And hoped that you could teach us something in return. But,” he shrugged. “The Director denied our requests to meet with you. Scientists from our world discovered that your planet was on the brink of collapse. And apparently, they couldn’t risk the safety of our world by merging it with yours like we had planned. But they also couldn’t just sit by and watch an entire species go extinct. As long as they could do something about it, anyway.”
And I noticed that familiar glimmer pass in Kade’s eyes again. He was looking at me like he was sort of excited about this. Which made me wonder about something else. “Why me?”
And his smile grew wider at that. “Why not?” At my confused look, he shrugged. “To be honest with you, I really wanted to choose someone that was going to be more...” he paused to search for the right word. “Submissive,” he grinned. “Someone that wouldn’t fight back when I felt like picking you up, and holding you. Or snuggle you, if I was in the mood. I requested that sort of personality file. And you hadn’t been picked on the list in your district, yet. So, I decided to choose you.” He chuckled. “Boy, were you a surprise with that kick.”
I seemed to finally understand this situation I was in. “You wanted a pet,” I quietly murmured. I was going to be stuck here. Forever. With this thing. In his massive world. “I’m just a pet to you.”
Kade reached for something to his left. “Now you’re gettin’ it.” He held an open bottle of beer in his hand. And slightly raised it. “Welcome home, Taylor.”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
so, I’ve been writing again...slowly, but it’s something lol and I really liked how this was turning out, so I thought I would share it on here! what do you all think? should I write more? hope you’re all having a lovely Saturday! :D
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Draco finding the reader doing ballet practice and he’s just stunned cause she moves so beautifully? And then the reader gets frustrated when she finds him and apologises because she’s pretty scared of Draco, but he stops her and tells her that he loved the show (awkward boy) and asks for her name and where she learned it, that’s the story how they got slowly together? Love you thank you
I absolutely ADORE this idea! I love ballet and it is one of my favorite forms of dance, I’m putting a bit of my love of ballet in this story lol. I’ve been wanting to write a story with dance and this request made my idea come to life! Thank you so much
An atmosphere of despondency fell over Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Wizarding World was in a state of turmoil and the disappearances underneath the hands of the Death Eaters frightened anybody who caught wind of them. Regardless of the Headmaster’s assurance of safety within the castle, the students grew fearful as Lord Voldemort’s grip tightened on both the Wizarding and Muggle worlds. Danger always found its way towards Hogwarts, regardless of The Dark Lord, so most students kept their guards up, preparing for any threat that could come their way. 
Draco Malfoy was having a particularly difficult time focusing during his sixth year. Most Professors began to notice his disinterest in class, sleeping through some of his courses, and even the students realized they were no longer the targets of his tricks and taunts. Despite his strange behavior, nobody bothered to question the unnerving Draco Malfoy. 
Well, one person seemed to care for Draco, if one could even label a ghost a person. Moaning Myrtle circled around the boys’ bathroom, gliding her sheer hand over Draco’s back in an unsuccessful attempt to soothe him as he sobbed. 
“I can’t do this!” yelled Draco, slamming his hands against the porcelain sink in a fury, “I don’t know how!” he cried, remembering the horrifying memory of Voldemort’s wand underneath his chin, threatening his life and the lives of his family members. Harshly shoving up his left sleeve, Draco glared down at the mark seared into his skin, wishing he could scratch it off his person. 
“Maybe you can speak to Professor Dumbledore,” suggest Myrtle comfortingly, but Draco only shook his head in frustration. 
“I can’t,” hissed Draco, wiping his tears away and splashing his face with cold water. If only it were that simple. As much as it pained him to admit it, Dumbledore could’ve figured out the stupid vanishing cabinet in a matter of seconds, but this was his mission. It was up to him to succeed or else he would lose his mother and father. 
Collecting himself, Draco pushed out of the boys’ bathroom and walked down the empty corridor. The harsh downpour drummed loudly against the glass windows of the castle. Draco’s eyes shifted towards the window, noting the darkening sky as he whizzed down the stone corridor. Draco couldn’t help glance over his shoulder as he made his way towards the Room of Requirement, the stress of Voldemort’s mission had made him uneasy and he had begun to question the intentions of those around him. Taking his bottom lip between his teeth, Draco tapped his fingers against his thigh taking his final steps towards the hidden room. 
The sound of his heels clicking against the floor came to a halt in front of the large door. “What?” He muttered questioningly to himself. Normally, it took three rounds around the corridor for the Room of Requirement to appear but Draco realized the door was already there. 
Multiple scenarios flew through his mind, his anxiety rising as he imagined the possibility of someone recognizing the hidden cabinet and catching on to his intentions. Gritting his teeth, Draco quickly pushed the door open, determined to find the person he assumed was hidden within the room. 
However, he was not greeted by the cluttered Room of Requirement he was used to. Instead, he entered a room full of mirrors, windows, and stationary handrails that came up to the waist level. Draco carefully examined the room, noting the sunlight shining in through the window. This weather reflected in this room was a complete juxtaposition to the current weather of the Scottish Countryside, but even Draco couldn’t deny how comforting the glow of the sun was.
At the end of the room, there was a girl completely engrossed in her practice, so much so that she failed to notice her platinum-haired classmate entering her rehearsal space. 
(Y/N) (L/N) was an exceptional (H/H) student in Draco’s year. She was a member of Professor Slughorn’s Slug Club, she held the position of chaser on the (H/H) Quidditch team, and she was the niece of former Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Her uncle’s dismissal from the Ministry left (Y/N)’s family divided in half, those who followed Fudge’s words and those who understood Voldemort’s imminent threat to their lives. 
(Y/N)’s family prided itself on class and etiquette so, from a young age, their daughter began training in various forms of dance, and music. For (Y/N)’s parents, it was important for her to hold a positive reputation at school as well as the highest grades. She often felt pressured by her family academically, but she endured it as long as she had a space to dance. 
Recalling her years of pointe training, she envisioned herself on stage as she prepared for the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. (Y/N) rolled her shoulders back, engaging her body as her feet moved across the floor. The familiar music rang through the Room of Requirement, her body easily recreating the variation she had performed for numerous Christmas performances. 
Draco watched as the (H/H) girl glided over the Marley flooring, his eyes examining every detail of her body. She wore a standard ballet uniform, a black leotard, pink tights, and pink, ribbon-tied pointe shoes. Her hair, however, was not in the usual ballet bun instead she wore her hair in a half-updo, the loose strands flying as she performed her variation. 
“third, fifth, third…” (Y/N) recited mentally, recalling the feet and arm positions as she continued her routine. She began rolling up on pointe, leaving Draco mesmerized as she supported her weight on the tips of her toes. Her jaw clenched momentarily but relaxed with a soft exhale as she transitioned to her sous-sus position. 
Draco couldn’t quite understand what he was feeling. Seeing (Y/N) move across the floor as the golden light of the sun illuminated her face provided him with a sense of comfort. By watching her, he could feel the passion in her dance and the happiness that flowed through her as she focused on her performance. 
Watching her dance rejuvenated him. Her radiance and poise provided a breath of fresh air from the gloom and malevolence that clouded his thoughts. As the performance continued (Y/N) began to grow tired, but she was determined to push herself towards the end. She approached her final positions, executing multiple, seemingly perfect pirouettes. 
Draco’s heart began to race as she circled the floor, her balance unwavering as she accomplished her turns. He wondered many times (Y/N) had practiced in this room or how he could’ve missed a girl like her walking down the corridor. He didn’t know her but after watching her dance, he knew he had to know who she was and Draco Malfoy was not one to give up easily. 
(Y/N) had been practicing her routine without noticing somebody had entered her space. But as she was finalizing her performance, her eyes caught a glimpse of a student standing by the entrance. Suddenly, her concentration shifted from her movements to the person watching her dance. As soon as this happened, however, (Y/N)’s working leg buckled and she collapsed onto the floor. 
Draco couldn’t help feeling responsible for her sudden accident. His eyes widened and his mouth fell agape as her body fell, his feet instinctively moving towards her direction. A small, yet noticeable, blush crept onto Draco’s cheeks and he searched for an excuse as to why he was watching her in the first place.
It was as if this was her first time performing in front of an audience, as soon as she caught sight of someone watching her, she crumbled. (Y/N) winced as her ankle bent, looking up at the familiar face approaching her, “Draco?” She questioned, her eyes locking with his nervous ones. 
Draco furrowed his eyebrows as she called her name, embarrassed that she knew of him when he barely knew anything about her. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Draco extended his hand towards her, “I apologize, I didn’t mean to intrude” He uttered, “You were just so captivating and I couldn’t bring myself to look away,” Draco admitted sheepishly.
(Y/N) was stunned, she had never spoken to Draco, but had heard enough about him to know he didn’t just call anyone “captivating”. A dark blush spread across her cheeks as she eyed his outstretched hand, “It’s okay,” She replied softly, accepting his offer to help by sliding her hand into his, “You just caught me by surprise, that’s all.”
“I don’t believe I’ve ever properly introduced myself to you,” Draco said as he helped her up, “Draco Lucius Malfoy,” He greeted, his hand subconsciously placed on her waist as he stabilized her. 
(Y/N) was fully aware of who Draco was and his negative reputation at Hogwarts, but they had a conversation until this moment, “I’m (Y/N) (L/N)” She replied, nervously biting her lip as she sensed the feeling of his hands on her body. The smooth feeling of the leotard fabric against his hand made Draco’s heart race. He was still bewildered by the fact that a person could move so beautifully across the floor seemingly without any pain. 
The two of them stood as if they were about to begin a complicated waltz. (Y/N)’s hand was placed atop Draco’s shoulder and their hands remained together as they gazed at each other. Draco noted the twinkle in (Y/N)’s bright (E/C) eyes, as well as the light freckles across her nose. He didn’t understand why, but seeing her up close after watching her perform made his head spin. Breaking from his trance, Draco realized he had held onto her for an extended amount of time and quickly released her, embarrassed at his lack of composure. 
(Y/N) had taken her time to examine Draco as well. However, remaining calm proved to be more difficult for her since she kept thinking about Draco watching her. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed him enter, but as he stood before her all she could think about were the mesmerizing silver eyes staring into hers. On anyone else, the color might seem unusual maybe even frightening but the pairing of the color with Draco’s naturally long eyelashes was enough to take the breath of any girl away. 
“How long have you been dancing?” Draco asked stepping backward in an attempt to create some distance and break his wave of embarrassment, “I’ve never seen a performance up close before” He admitted, a small smile on his face. Even though he had never spoken to her, he felt at ease with her as if he knew she could understand him. 
“Ever since I could walk,” She replied, taking a drink from the water bottle she had prepared, “My mum was a dancer so technically it’s in my blood” She admitted jokingly, recalling her daily lessons with her mother when she was young. 
“You’re very talented,” Draco stated, “I could tell how much this means to you just by watching you perform,” He started, “Your movements tell such a detailed story and it is a shame the rest of the student body does not see your talent,” Draco admitted, a bit surprised at his own honesty. Normally, he would try his best to hide his true feelings, but he felt compelled to be honest with (Y/N), he wanted her to have a positive impression of him. 
Draco’s compliment sent (Y/N) into a fit of coughs, the water she was drinking traveling down the wrong pipe. Her sudden choking alarmed Draco, his hand immediately patting her back to relieve her situation.
“Thank you,” She choked out, regaining her composure, “But I don’t think the rest of the students would want to watch me dance when there are spells they could be learning” (Y/N) admitted truthfully with a sheepish smile, “or else we’d have an actual dance class in the curriculum” She joked, letting out a small giggle. 
Her innocent giggle made Draco’s heart flutter, he couldn’t believe how her small actions had such a big effect on him, “That’s their loss then,” He stated confidently, earning a quirked eyebrow from her, “If they don’t want to watch, I’ll admire you myself” He smirked, his usual charm now shining through.
(Y/N) laughed once again, sitting down to undo the ribbons of her shoes, “Admire me yourself?” She repeated, falling into her post-workout stretches, “The Draco Malfoy wants to watch me dance?” She questioned, rising from her seated position, “Why on earth would you want to do that?” 
Draco took a deep breath, he knew he couldn’t explain his situation to her, but he needed some sort of positive outlet in his life, “I can’t tell you all the details,” Draco began, making his way towards her once again, “But I don’t have many friends here and I’ve begun to lose my motivation…” Draco admitted, his gaze falling to the floor, “But walking in your practice made me feel different, I felt elated and I haven’t felt that way this year.”
(Y/N) couldn’t help but smile at Draco’s heartfelt words, she was delighted to see that the rumors around him were not entirely true. The infamous Draco Malfoy had not ridiculed her talent instead her praised her and spoke honestly with her. His actions created a flutter of butterflies in (Y/N)’s stomach, he wasn’t a person known for his amiability so their interaction made her feel somewhat special. 
“Draco…” She whispered, taking his hand and giving it a light squeeze, “I know we don’t know each other well, but I’d be honored to have you at my practices” She murmured, her smile turning into a grin, “Maybe I can teach you some basic moves too” She added playfully, earning a smile from Draco. 
“Oh no,” Draco breathed out, “I don’t think I’d be able to keep up with everything you do” He laughed, feeling comforted by the feeling of his hand in his, “But, I’ll try my hardest” He admitted proudly, knowing he could be successful if he truly applied himself to her teachings. 
“Great, we’ll meet twice a week” She stated happily, grabbing her equipment bag from the corner of the room, “I hope you’re prepared” She teased, slinging her duffel bag over her shoulder as the two began to make their way out of the Room of Requirement.
“I’m a Malfoy, we’re born prepared” Draco added proudly, his arms crossed behind his head as the door swung open. (Y/N) laughed at his sudden announcement, fully aware of the ambition within the Malfoy family. 
“We’ll see how long you last” (Y/N) grinned, stepping out of the room with Draco. The two continued their conversation, the door to the Room of Requirement shrinking as they stepped farther away from it. 
Although they were not aware of it then, their accidental encounter would be the beginning of their unlikely friendship. With (Y/N), Draco would no longer have to bottle up his feelings and he felt at ease knowing he had someone he could fully confide in. 
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solennitawrites · 3 years
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The Voice in the Silence, Part II
The pandemic has really been getting to me. I’ve been hearing a voice in the silence, and it wants to hurt me.
It’s me again, Emilia. It looks like my first post did go through but...I lost a week. Yes, an entire week.
The last thing I remember is the voice, calling my name in a thundering whisper that drowned out every other sound in the world. It was like...like a pull, like it wanted me to come with it, and I didn't want to but I couldn't resist it. I can't describe the voice in any other way but evil. Except...there was a spark of familiarity in it. Something in the voice felt like I knew it, somehow?
I'm sitting in my car in an empty parking lot right now. It's around 3am and I have no idea how I got here. According to Maps, I'm hours away from my house, from my beach, from my parents. I can't even imagine how scared and, honestly, furious they are at me. I can't bring myself to respond to any of their thousand messages or calls because...what would I even say? Hola mami, papi, sorry for disappearing for a week--I'm fine, just a few hundred miles away and no idea what happened to me in the last week, los quiero!
Yeah, I don't think so...
I don't have any outgoing messages or calls from my phone in the last week, so I don't have any clues or leads on who I might have spoken to. This lot is part of what seems to be a long-abandoned strip mall, and I really can't imagine what I came here for. The only thing somewhat familiar is that I'm near the city my grandparents used to live in. I guess, technically, I lived here too for a time when I was really young. My mom says her parents took me in for a few years when her and my dad were getting the restaurant running, just until things were stable enough for them to be able to properly raise a child. I don't remember this at all, to be honest, and though I always felt really close to my grandparents and attributed this to that time, they were always a bit more reserved with me. Or probably just reserved in general. My family isn't exactly warm.
I can't find anything in my car that might help me figure out what happened--no food wrappers, gas receipts, nothing. Did I even eat? Am I hungry right now? I honestly can't even think about food yet. All I feel is a horrible knot in my stomach and lump in my throat.
Thinking there must be something to go off of on my phone, I check out my camera roll. Okay--okay, here is something. There seems to be a two minute video as my last saved. The thumbnail is black. My phone is already plugged into the car, so I turn the car's volume up and hit play.
...
Nothing. 30 seconds and...still nothing. Just black screen and the vague sound of a car engine. Like the video just shot off while I was driving or something.
Nothing?? It can't be nothing--there has to be something here to tell me what happened. Frustrated, I stop the video. What the hell happened?
I'm wearing the same clothes as I was when I was at the beach a week ago and...okay, yeah. I smell pretty bad. So no shower, cleary, between then and now. I check the pockets of my jeans and my jacket, but there's nothing in any of them. This isn't helping with the panic and I feel myself start to get overheated. Blasting the AC, I take my jacket off and rest my head for a moment on my hands, gripping the steering wheel.
Okay. That is weird. That is actually really fucking terrifying.
My arms. My arms are covered in...in what? **Bruises? They look like dark red splotches with these dark, almost black, striations running through them. As if someone was sketching a picture with pen and then filled it in with a horrible mix of watercolors. And...oh, god...the lines seem to be moving? Like they're trying to make their way up my arms but--I have to be imagining that. That has to be the delirium speaking.
I snap a bunch of photos just in case--I have no idea what this is or where it came from, so I need to be able to see if anything changes. Back in my camera roll, I decide to go back to the video again. Maybe there will be something at the end or something? Anything that will help me recover the lost time.
Black screen...car engine...no change--oh, wait. Wait. Okay, just about past a minute and a half? It seems like the car has stopped. There's movement--the camera is facing out and I can see out the car's windshield that it's nighttime. The camera flashes past the rearview mirror and I catch a glimpse of my face in it.
Oh my god. I pause and zoom in. It's me, definitely me, but it's like there is something else. In my eyes, normally a plain, dark brown, there's like a glint of red in them. Maybe the reflection from a stoplight? That makes sense.
I zoom in more. But there--there in the rearview mirror, behind me. There is definitely something there. Oh god, is that a person? Is that a face? It looks dark, like a shadow, with vague hints of detail hidden by the shitty camera quality. It could be a face but there's something so wrong about it. It reminds me of the voice--evil, but familiar at the same time? I can't make sense of it. I zoom back out and keep playing.
The camera moves past the windshield and I have a better view of the outside--but, weirdly, no traffic light. I'm by a lake or something? It's just a grassy bank and water in front of the car. The camera flips to selfie view and I almost drop my phone in shock.
The red light is still in my eyes, definitely there, and my face looks contorted--as if it's in pain, as if I'm fightingsomething. The camera moves and I see my arms and--oh my god--the shadow thing, person, whatever--it's wrapped around them like a fog. I can sort of see dark lines beneath the fog, running through my arms. Could that be these striations? The camera moves back to my face and I feel the sweat start trickling down the back of my neck. The shadow thing has moved to cover my mouth, and my eyes look terrified. I think I hear me? Maybe? Grunting or something, like an attempt to scream? And then...
Let. Go.
The voice--unmistakably. My face looks even more strained than before in the camera. Camera-me shuts my eyes, tightly, and there's what seems like a skip in the video or something, because then it's just me looking at the camera with my normal eyes and no shadow thing, and the video stops.
I pause on that final frame, zooming in to try and see what was going on. Okay, so my eyes weren't totally normal--there was still a faint red glow, but it looked dimmer. And--I braced myself for this--yep, there was still a shadow just behind me in the corner of the screen, just no longer covering my mouth anymore.
I exit the video and open the car door to throw up. Looks like I haven't been eating...
I have no memory of the video, or of any of my lost days, but at the same time I do. It's like the memory is just so far back in my mind, I can't access it, but there's a recognition there. Almost like when you try to remember a dream and it just slips away. And with this recognition comes the horrifying realization that I do remember, at least part of what happened. The voice belongs to this shadow. The voice was controlling me, or trying to. It wanted me to drive into the lake. It wanted me to drown.
I realize I'm crying now, but I honestly just feel numb. How did I get out of this? Why did this thing want to hurt me? And why, why, why do I feel like I know it?
Emiliaaaa....
No--no, please--no. The voice. It's here, it's back. It feels like it's in the car with me--I can't hear the air conditioning anymore, or the engine, or anything. I just hear a complete and deafening silence until...
Emiiiiiiiiliaaaaa...
It calls my name again... And--oh my god--the marks on my arms...the striations are moving and it's like they're taking over me again. I can't risk losing control before this gets out. Please, someone out there has to help me.
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junghelioseok · 4 years
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pronoia.
↳ you can definitively say that you did not sign up for this.
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◇ namjoon x reader ◇ zombie apocalypse!au | college!au ◇ 15k [1/1]
notes: a very late birthday present for @imaginationofacrazyfangirl, who i kind of like for some reason. 
⇢ pronoia (n): a state of mind that is the opposite of paranoia. a suspicion that the universe is conspiring in your favor.
warnings: some violence obviously. some gore. mostly just me trying to be funny. irreverent humor, zombieland jokes, and a couple bad philosophy references bc idk what i’m talking about. exactly one (1) brooklyn 99 joke. yoongi is lowkey a badass bc u cannot convince me his crafty, conniving ass wouldn’t be good in this kind of situation. jk’s ready to risk it all for a twinkie. tbh this is kind of a mess and the ending might be rushed but i still worked really hard on it so please leave feedback sndfjfkjsksds 🙈
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It’s too quiet.
Fluorescent lights flicker overhead, the dull hum fading into the background as water starts dripping somewhere to your left. Your heartbeat quickens, thudding erratically against your ribcage as you suck in a deep breath and tighten your grip on your baseball bat.
It’s hard to believe that just three days ago, you were a regular college student. Three days ago, your biggest concerns were finding a decently paid summer job and getting through your last philosophy lecture without daydreaming about the cute teaching assistant bending you over his desk. But now, sandwiched between two rows in the back of your university’s biggest auditorium, you have several new concerns. Bigger concerns.
And first and foremost among them, are the zombies.
To be honest, you still aren’t entirely sure how it happened. The last emergency alert had killed your phone’s battery for good, and you’d only just managed to catch a glimpse of the words “mutated virus” and “nationwide epidemic” before the screen faded to black. And a good thing too—the undead guy trying to sneak up on you from behind definitely would have gotten you had you not seen his reflection in your now-useless hunk of metal and glass.
Thank god for the softball unit in high school gym class, you think to yourself, trying in vain to wipe the blood and brain matter off of your bat. Sure, you didn’t think you’d be utilizing those skills to kill zombies, but at this new low point in your life, anything that aids your survival is a home run in your book.
Deeming your weapon sufficiently clean, you tuck it back into a makeshift sling you’d fashioned out of an old scarf, adjusting it so that it lays flat against your spine. With both hands now free, you begin inching toward the back exit. There’s a growing ache in your bladder that you can no longer ignore, and you send a quick prayer up to any gods that may exist before cracking the auditorium door open, glancing left and right down the seemingly empty hallway. Silently, you count to ten.
After a few more moments of deliberation, you decide the coast is clear. The restrooms are at the very end of the hall, and you can’t help but feel like the little gendered stick figures are taunting you as you cautiously make your way toward them, your shoes silent against the linoleum floor.
You are approximately fifteen feet away from your destination when you hear footsteps. Your heart kicks into overdrive at the unsteady rhythm—a short tap followed by a long dragging sound, as if the approaching individual were limping. For a moment, you debate running for the nearest bathroom and barricading yourself inside, but enclosed spaces are a bad idea according to every zombie movie you’ve ever seen, and you aren’t particularly keen on the idea of becoming zombie food.
Instead, you steel yourself and turn around, pulling out your bat. The approaching zombie doesn’t look like a student—in fact, you’re pretty sure he was your trigonometry teacher for a semester during freshman year—but that’s hardly important right now.
What is important, however, is the black-and-white figure that’s just rounded the corner behind the limping math professor-turned-zombie. And it’s running toward you—fast. Far faster than any of the undead beings you’ve seen, and, upon closer inspection, faster than most of the human beings you know.
And that can only mean one thing.
“Jungkook!” you exclaim, half in surprise and half in horror as the dark-haired track star pulls even with your former professor and swings at his head, using all of his momentum and landing a solid crack. The zombie crumples to the linoleum floor, blood and viscera seeping from the crack in his skull, and you frown in distaste before looking up at your classmate. “Uh, hi?”
“{Name}?” Jungkook asks in disbelief, skidding to a stop. He’s wearing a single boxing glove on one hand and wielding a smashed wine bottle in the other, and you almost want to laugh at his appearance. After all, you’re about ninety-nine percent sure he was wearing the exact same thing at the last house party you both attended. But now—with a bloodied zombie still twitching at your feet and the imminent threat of even more coming after you—probably isn’t the best time to bring that up.
“It is you,” Jungkook says in disbelief, his eyes widening. “Are you alone?”
You nod. “Yeah. You?”
Jungkook nods back. “Yeah. You’re the first person I’ve come across who hasn’t—well… you know.” He gestures downward vaguely.
“Yeah. I know.”
For a few seconds, the two of you stand in silence, ruminating on how everything managed to change so quickly. Just last week, you and Jungkook were regular college students. He ran track and and co-captained the campus dance crew, and if it weren’t for the fact that you were lab partners, you aren’t sure you ever would have met. But after months of sitting together in class, equally stumped by the biology textbooks you were forced to buy and elbow-deep in formaldehyde far too often for your liking, you’ve grown to consider him a friend. And right now, you really, really needed a friend.
“Jungkook,” you begin, laying an arm on his shoulder, “I need your help.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” he says, shaking his shaggy hair out of his face like a dog and glancing around the hallway. “We should team up. I mean, we’ve been lab partners for months so we already know we work great togethe—“
“We’ve failed almost half of our lab reports, and you nearly set the table on fire last Tuesday,” you cut in. “But that’s not the point. The point is the current state of my bladder and how you can help me with it.”
Jungkook blinks. “Uh.”
“I need to pee,” you clarify.
“And what exactly do you want me to do about that?”
“Come with me,” you reply, grabbing his wrist. Jungkook lets out a protesting grunt when you begin pulling him down the hallway toward the restrooms, struggling even more vigorously when you try to make him follow you inside.
“This is the girl’s bathroom!” he gasps, wrenching out of your grasp.
You stare at him. “The entire city is overrun by zombies and that’s what you’re worried about?”
“It’s weird!” he protests. Nevertheless, he trots in on your heels, peering around curiously as you bang on the wall of the nearest stall in an attempt to draw any lurkers out into the open.
“Check for zombies, idiot,” you instruct when Jungkook gets distracted by his own reflection in the mirror. “I don’t wanna get eaten.”
He huffs but complies nonetheless. Raising his broken wine bottle, he glances into each stall, kicking open the doors with unnecessary force. “Clear,” he reports once he’s checked the last one, offering you a mock salute. The effect is ruined by the bright red boxing glove still on his hand, but you bite back the snide remark on your tongue and instead walk into the nearest stall.
“Plug your ears or something,” you tell him as you lock the door. “I don’t want you listening to me pee.”
“Why the hell would I listen?” Jungkook retorts, sounding thoroughly horrified.
“Some people are into that,” you reply, wagging a finger at him despite the fact that he can’t see you through the closed door. “It’s called urolagnia. Don’t kinkshame.”
“I don’t want to know why you know that,” he grumbles under his breath. “Shut up and pee already. I have to go too.”
“But this is the girls’ room,” you snipe, finishing your business and stepping out to wash your hands. Jungkook takes your place inside the stall while you turn on the sink, eyeing his reflection pointedly in the mirror. “You’re gonna get cooties.”
Jungkook rolls his eyes. “Ha, ha,” he says dryly. “You’re hilarious.”
And then he’s turning around, flipping you the bird before slamming the metal door in your face.
You shrug, unfazed. “I know I am,” you say, addressing your own reflection in the mirror. “Also, do you by any chance own a car?”
///
“This feels like a bad idea,” Jungkook mutters, eyeing the quiet parking lot. It’s nowhere near full, but there are still several dozen cars scattered around, empty and abandoned with no owners to be found. At the far end lies your prize—a black SUV with tinted windows and a bicycle strapped to the roof. “Should we make a run for it?” Jungkook asks. “I mean, we don’t really have any other options if we wanna make it out of here with our brains intact, and—”
“Hang on a sec,” you interrupt, grabbing his arm. “We can create a diversion first. Give me your wine bottle—I’m gonna throw it.”
Jungkook hugs the glass bottle to his chest, eyes round and expression aghast. “And leave myself defenseless? What do you want me to do, punch the zombies away?”
“That’s literally what you did ten minutes ago,” you point out, rolling your eyes. “Do you have a better idea?”
He pauses for a long moment before a resigned sigh leaves his lips. “Fine. I get to throw it, though.”
“Whatever,” you reply, waving a hand at him. “Knock yourself out. Or them. You should really knock them out, on second thought.”
Jungkook wisely chooses to ignore your rambling, hefting the bottle and testing its weight. Rearing back, he tosses it in a perfect arc, and you watch in fascination as it somersaults through the air before crashing down onto the asphalt in an explosion of shattered glass. “There!” you hiss urgently, tugging on Jungkook’s sleeve when a zombie immediately lumbers out from behind a nearby sedan, searching for the source of the noise. “We run on three, got it?”
“Got it,” he whispers back, watching raptly as several more zombies follow the first. “One…”
“Two…”
“Three!”
Together, you make a mad dash for the SUV. Jungkook gets there first, skidding to a stop and trying the driver’s side door only to find it locked. “I’ll check the other side,” you tell him, glancing around to make sure the zombies are still distracted. “Work on breaking a window or something, fast!”
The sound of a throat being cleared stops you dead in your tracks. “You’ll do no such thing,” a low voice drawls. A moment later, the platinum blond head of Min Yoongi—a reclusive senior you only know because he deejays at your favorite club every Friday night— pops out from behind the hood of the car, his dark eyes narrowed at you accusingly. “We got dibs on this one.”
“Yoongi?” you ask in surprise. “What are you—wait. We? Who’s we?”
“I’m we,” a new voice announces—one that you’re very, very familiar with. Kim Namjoon steps into view behind Yoongi, and you aren’t sure whether to be horrified or thrilled to see your philosophy TA alive and well, with what looks like a metal fence pole perched on his shoulder like a bayonet. “Hey, {Name},” Namjoon says, offering you a small smile. “Fancy seeing you here, of all places.”
“N-Namjoon,” you stammer, your heart skipping a beat and racing to catch back up. “You’re… okay.”
“More or less,” the tall man replies agreeably, shrugging. Then he glances toward his blond companion, raising a quizzical brow. “Come on, Yoongi. We’ve got room for two more, don’t we?”
Yoongi grumbles something under his breath that sounds like acquiescence, and Namjoon grins, patting him on the back. “Welcome aboard,” he says, turning back to face you and Jungkook. “We’ve got to move fast. You’re Jeon Jungkook, right? I’ve seen you around the track field. Can you do me a favor and watch my back while I open this door?”
Jungkook nods, accepting Namjoon’s brief handshake and the metal pole he hands over. Namjoon then pulls a wire coat hanger out of his jacket pocket, and you watch, awestruck, as he jimmies the car door open.
“There aren’t any keys,” Jungkook points out, peering over the taller man’s shoulder to get a glimpse of the ignition. “Now what? Does anyone know how to hotwire a car?”
“Yes,” Namjoon and Yoongi say simultaneously.
“Well, only in theory,” Namjoon adds when Yoongi rolls his eyes and brushes past him to duck underneath the steering wheel. “Yoongi’s the real expert here.”
“That makes me sound like a criminal,” the blond man grumbles as he sets his toolbox on the ground and gets to work. “For the record, I only know how to do this because of all the times my keys have gone missing. I’m not the fucking Pontiac Bandit.”
“Sounds exactly like what the fucking Pontiac Bandit would say,” you and Jungkook say at the same time, high-fiving each other.
Yoongi rolls his eyes. “This isn’t even a Pontiac,” he grumbles, hissing through his teeth as he pulls a few wires free and begins fiddling with them. “Quit watching me and make yourselves useful. Go check the trunk for supplies, or something. Christ.”
Namjoon hums thoughtfully, eyeing the surrounding cars. “That’s actually a good idea. There might be something useful in some of these other cars too. {Name}, why don’t you come with me? Jungkook should probably stay here and keep watch.”
Your mouth goes dry at his suggestion, but you nod hurriedly before your brain can short-circuit at the sound of your name leaving his lips so casually. “That… yeah. That sounds good. Let’s do that.”
“Good luck!” Jungkook calls cheerily as you walk off, earning himself a hard kick in the shins from Yoongi, who’s still flat on his back on the floor of the car.
“Dude, shut the fuck up! Do you want to die?”
Jungkook looks properly abashed. “Right,” he says, lowering his voice. “My bad.”
To your left, Namjoon muffles his laugh behind his hand. Yoongi lets out an exasperated sigh, and you grin, waving at the two before departing with Namjoon. Together, you wander deeper back into the maze of abandoned vehicles scattered around the lot, peering inside for anything that might be useful. Stopping at a sedan with open windows, you slip a hand inside and unlock the door. There’s an unopened bottle of soda in the cupholder, and Namjoon smiles as he reaches into the backseat and pulls out a few grocery bags.
“Try popping the trunk,” he suggests.
“On it,” you reply, searching for the right button. Namjoon walks around back to open the lid, grinning triumphantly when he sees what’s inside.
“More groceries,” he says, hefting another bag. “And half a case of bottled water. This should be enough to get us started.” Beckoning for you to join him, he hands over the three bags before hefting the case of water over one shoulder. “You okay? I can take a bag if you want.”
You shake your head, threading your baseball bat through the handles of each bag and hefting it onto your shoulder. “I’m fine. Thanks, though,” you tell him, trying to ignore the way your heart rate picks up when he gives you a look of approval, a small smile curling the corner of his mouth and dimpling his cheeks.
“So,” you begin as the two of you start trekking back toward the SUV, “where are we headed, anyway? It seems like you and Yoongi have a plan.”
Namjoon nods. “We do. There’s a reported quarantine zone up north—it’s all over Twitter.” Reaching into the pocket of his jacket, he pulls out his cellphone, along with a massive battery pack. “I’ve been conserving my phone battery as much as I can, keeping track of any news, and I think it’s our best bet.”
“Smart.” Ruefully, you pull out your own device and show him the black screen. “My phone died ages ago.”
“You still might be able to charge it,” Namjoon points out. “The electrical grids haven’t gone down yet. And I know Yoongi’s got a cord back at the car, so we can charge our devices on the road too. He’s got all sorts of stuff—this battery pack is his, actually. I couldn’t find mine.”
“Of course you couldn’t,” you mutter, thinking back to every time he’s misplaced his laser pointer or lecture notes during class.
“What?”
“Nothing,” you say quickly. Off in the distance, you spot a few zombies shambling along, no doubt searching for their next meal. Silently, you and Namjoon begin walking faster.
Yoongi and Jungkook are both seated inside the car by the time you return. Jungkook hops out to help you load the bags, and you shoot him a grateful grin as you climb into the backseat alongside him. Namjoon takes the passenger seat, kindly plugging in your phone while Yoongi adjusts his mirrors with a frown. “The engine’s gonna draw their attention,” he says. “They probably won’t be able to get us in the car, but hang onto your weapons just in case.” Then he pauses, glancing back at the metal pole in Jungkook’s hands and the wooden bat in yours. “Well. We’ll need to make a stop and get actual weapons.”
“We can try the police station,” Namjoon suggests. “I’m sure others will have had the same idea, but it’s really our only option. Then we’ll have to load up on food, water, and gas.”
Curiously, you peer into the grocery bags sitting on the floor between you and Jungkook. “Most of this stuff’s perishable. We’ll need to get non-perishable stuff if we’re going to be on the road for a long time. How far did you say that quarantined zone is, Namjoon?”
“I didn’t. I’m not actually one-hundred percent sure myself. Social media is a mess, as you might imagine.” Turning around in his seat, Namjoon shows you his Twitter feed—conflicting news alerts interspersed with grisly photos of the destroyed city and panicked requests for aid. “The last emergency alert said that the military base just outside of city limits is safe, but I’m not so sure.” He scrolls down, revealing several videos of zombies staggering around a helicopter, and upon closer inspection, you realize that they’re in full military garb. Horrified, you take his phone to get a closer look, thumbing down the page to reveal even more atrocities.
“Shit,” Jungkook breathes, sidling over to look over your shoulder. “That’s not good.”
Yoongi sighs, eyeing both of you in the rearview mirror. “Yeah, no kidding. The only thing we’re sure about so far is that the infection started in the south, so heading north is our best bet. And hopefully, we’ll find—”
THWUMP!
Namjoon’s phone clatters out of your hands as the parked car suddenly tilts, swaying dangerously to the left before all four wheels return to the asphalt once more. Horrified, you stare at the huddled horde of zombies that has suddenly appeared at your window, bloodstained hands trying in vain to reach you through the glass. “Yoongi, I think you need to drive now!” you shout, wincing as they begin thumping on the window in earnest.
The blond man curses when the car rocks again, his eyes flickering between the dashboard and the zombies swarming on Namjoon’s side of the car. “Oh, fuck. Fuckfuckfu—HA!”
The engine roars to life, and you watch as the zombies closest to you flinch at the sudden noise before renewing their efforts, banging on the window until spiderwebbing cracks begin to form.
“Dude, floor it!” Jungkook yells.
Yoongi doesn’t need to be told twice. The car lurches forward, tires squealing, and you yelp as you’re slammed back against the seat. Instinctively, you fumble for your seat belt, ignoring the stunned look Jungkook shoots you in favor of buckling yourself in and watching the undead horde recede in the distance as you pull farther and farther away. “Holy shit,” you mutter, your head falling back against the backrest, your chest heaving with uneven breaths. “Holy fucking shit.”
Yoongi huffs out a sardonic chuckle as he slows ever so slightly to turn onto the main road. “Yeah. Welcome to the apocalypse.”
///
It’s odd, seeing the city you know and love in ruins. Billowing black smoke rises in the distance, filling the air with an acrid stench and a metallic tinge that you don’t want to think about. The roar of the SUV’s engine sounds like a siren’s song in the eerie silence of the streets, drawing unwanted attention from the undead. Everywhere you look, soulless eyes follow. Some zombies even try to chase the car, but they are quickly left behind as Yoongi slams down on the gas pedal, weaving past overturned vehicles and prone bodies.
You don’t wait to see if any of the bodies will rise up again.
Namjoon begins fiddling with the radio as Yoongi turns down yet another street, heading downtown. Static blares from the speakers, and you watch his frown get deeper the further along he scrolls through the stations. “Nothing,” he mutters after a few long minutes. “That’s not a good sign. The infrastructure is crumbling.”
Jungkook tears his gaze from the window. “What do you mean?”
Namjoon switches off the radio, letting silence envelop the car for a few seconds before speaking again. “I mean everything that sustains our way of life—the things we take for granted most days, like running water and electricity and the internet. We aren’t going to have them for much longer. Without workers to run things, we…” He sighs. “I figure we have maybe a week, at the most.”
“And then what happens?” you ask, your voice soft.
“I don’t know,” Namjoon admits. “To be honest, we might not even survive long enough to find out.”
“But we have to try,” you murmur. “Sure, we’re outnumbered and weaponless, but we have a car. We’re faster and smarter. I don’t think things are hopeless just yet.”
Namjoon shakes his head at your optimism, but Yoongi’s nodding, meeting your eyes in the rearview mirror. “Don’t mind him,” he advises. “Joon likes to overthink things and work himself up into a frenzy, but I think we’ve got a chance at making it through. Besides...” He gestures out the window with his thumb. “We won’t be weaponless for much longer.”
The car rolls to a stop in front of a square brick building that you recognize as the police station, the dark windows overlooking the street like gaping mouths. Most of the glass is broken—even on the higher stories—and you shiver at the sight of the jagged edges glinting like teeth in the wan afternoon sun.
“So... getting inside won’t be a problem,” Jungkook says dryly.
“Guess not,” Namjoon says, frowning. “Somebody definitely beat us here. Should we chance it? Everything could already be gone.”
“We’re already here, man,” Yoongi drawls, already beginning to open the door. “We may as well check it out.”
Cautiously, the four of you pile out of the SUV, eyes darting left and right as you make your way toward the front door with Jungkook in the lead. It’s hanging off its hinges and the glass is pocked with bullet holes, and a frown spreads across your face as you trace one lightly with your index finger. “Looks like there was a fight,” you murmur quietly to Namjoon, who’s standing just behind you with a rather large rock that he must have just picked up from outside. Yoongi takes up the rear with a hammer grasped tightly in his hand, and you bite back the Thor joke that’s sitting on the tip of your tongue.
“Doesn’t look like anyone’s here anymore, though,” Jungkook says, winding his way farther into the lobby. “Think these elevators still work?” he asks, gesturing at the twin metal doors on the far wall.
“Not worth the risk,” Namjoon decides, walking over to the stairwell and opening the door. He peers inside before gesturing for you to enter, allowing everyone to step past him before quietly shutting the door and eyeing the two sets of stairs branching out from the landing. “We’re looking for the station’s armory,” he whispers. “What do you guys think? Up or down?”
“We could split u—” Jungkook begins to suggest, but you cut him off before he can even finish the sentence.
“And get killed off one by one like in every horror movie ever? Are you serious, Jeon?”
Jungkook blinks. “Fine. What do you think, then?”
“I think the parking garage is probably downstairs,” you muse, peering over the railing to look at the lower landing. “And it doesn’t look like there’s another level below that, so I’d say going up is our best bet.”
A smile curls the corner of Namjoon’s mouth, dimpling one cheek as he follows your lead and glances downstairs. “Nice observation,” he says once he’s straightened up again, laying a hand on your shoulder. The gentle pressure sends a shiver up your spine, a butterfly taking flight in your stomach on fluttering, iridescent wings. It’s all you can do to smile back, thanking him softly as he retracts his hand. Already, you miss the warmth of his palm.
“Let’s go,” Jungkook says, effectively ruining the moment as he begins the ascent with his pole at the ready. Yoongi follows, and Namjoon gestures for you to go ahead of him, tucking his rock under one arm.
“It’s not the best weapon,” he says when he catches you looking, a rueful chuckle escaping him.
You grin back. “Better than nothing.”
Up ahead, Jungkook stops on the second floor landing, pressing his ear against the door. “I can’t hear anything,” he grumbles, fumbling for the doorknob and cracking the door open. “But it looks like the coast is cle— oh, shit!” Jungkook pulls the door shut again, his eyes wide.
“What happened?” Yoongi hisses. “What did you see?”
“There’s a bunch of them in the corner,” Jungkook whispers. “They’re… eating something.”
“Someone,” Yoongi corrects wryly, earning himself an elbow in the ribs courtesy of Namjoon. “Sorry,” he mutters, not sounding very sorry at all.
“How many are there?” Namjoon asks.
Jungkook pauses, casting his gaze upward as he does a mental tally. “At least seven or eight that I saw. There could be more though.”
“Did you see anything that could’ve been an armory? Some place where weapons would be stored?” Namjoon presses.
“Nah. Looked like a bunch of desks, mostly. Offices and whatnot.”
Namjoon nods slowly, tapping his chin. “Okay,” he says after a few seconds of deliberation. “Let’s keep going.” He takes the lead this time, stepping past Jungkook to the next staircase, and you follow after him, struggling to keep up when he elects to take the steps two at a time. His long legs span the increased distance with ease, and it takes every ounce of self-control you possess to refrain from staring at his flexing thigh muscles.
One flight of stairs and several instances of shameless ogling later, you find yourselves on the third floor, tiptoeing through a darkened hallway lined with doors and peering inside one by one.
“These all look like interrogation rooms,” Yoongi grumbles after a few fruitless minutes.
“Nope, this one’s a closet,” Jungkook pipes up, walking inside and exiting with a mop. The door slams shut behind him, and he winces under the absolutely withering glare Namjoon shoots at him. “My bad,” he whispers, offering the taller man the mop. “But on the bright side, I think this might be a better weapon than a rock.”
Namjoon sighs and accepts the mop. “Fine. Let’s make the rest of this search quick though. And be quiet,” he adds, with a pointed look at Jungkook. “We might be close to where the weapons are kept now, since we’ve left the administrative areas behind.”
And as it turns out, he’s right. The very next door you open is a room with a multitude of industrial shelves and racks lining the walls. Much to your disappointment, most of them are empty, but a more thorough search turns up a couple of handguns along with several cases of ammunition. Jungkook finds a stockpile of smoke grenades that he refuses to part with, and you roll your eyes as he shoves them into his pockets. “What the hell are smoke grenades going to do against zombies?”
“You never know,” Jungkook retorts. “Besides, I don’t see anything else in here. Do you?”
Dejected, you shake your head. “No, I don’t. Guess Namjoon was right—someone had the same idea as us.”
“It’s better than nothing,” Namjoon says, picking up one of the guns and peering closely at it. “Who here knows how to handle a firearm?”
Yoongi grunts. “My uncle used to take us hunting on camping trips. I’m not a great shot, but I’m all right.”
Namjoon glances over at you Jungkook. “What about you guys? No?”
Jungkook shrugs. “Do shooting games count?”
“No.”
“Okay, then no.”
Namjoon sighs and hands the other gun to Yoongi, who accepts it and checks the safety before tucking it safely into his belt. You watch as Namjoon checks his own gun, unloading the magazine and inserting a new one. “I take it you know a thing or two about guns,” you remark, inching closer to him as he engages the safety with deft fingers.
“My grandfather was a cop,” he replies softly. “He taught me a lot before he passed away.”
You bite your lip as his brow furrows, laying a gentle hand on his arm. “I’m really sorry to hear that.”
He shrugs, his gaze sliding up to meet yours. “It’s alright. It happened years ago.” Then he glances down at your hand, his expression softening just the tiniest bit. “But I appreciate it. Thanks.”
The next few minutes pass in silence as the four of you complete your sweep of the room, peering at the bottommost shelves for any equipment you might have missed. “Hey,” Yoongi says suddenly, his voice hushed. “Hand me your bat, {Name}.”
Both you and Namjoon turn to face him. “Why?” you ask curiously, handing it over and watching as he lays it on the table and pulls his hammer from his waistband.
“Nails,” he says shortly. “Found some in that drawer and figured I’d make you a proper apocalypse weapon.”
“Wait,” Namjoon interrupts, striding over as Yoongi begins hammering nails into your wooden bat. “You’re making too much noise. Someone’s going to hear us.”
“Uh, it’s kinda already too late for that,” Jungkook hisses from the entrance. He’s peering through a little square window that sits about two-thirds of the way up the door, and flinches when a bloody, pale fist slams against it, splintering the glass. “We’ve got company, guys,” he grunts, pressing his full weight against the door and wincing as the glass shatters over his head. “Anyone got any bright ideas to get us out of here in one piece?”
“No,” Namjoon says slowly. “Unless…”
“Unless?” you press.
“We need a diversion,” he says, shaking his head. “But I don’t see how we’ll create one unless… well, unless one of us goes out there and leads them away from here. But that’s asking way too much, and—“
“I’ll do it.”
All three of you whirl around to face Yoongi, who looks thoroughly unfazed by the sudden scrutiny, picking idly at a frayed corner on his jacket. “You can’t be serious,” Namjoon says, finding his voice first. “It’s dangerous.”
“So is staying here,” Yoongi replies. “Besides, aren’t you always going on about the greater good? Altruism and Comte and all that shit? Let me do this, man. I can handle it.”
“That’s not—” Namjoon stops, rubbing the bridge of his nose and letting out a heavy sigh. “That’s not the point. It’s just not practical, Yoongi. You’ll be vulnerable if you’re alone.”
“No, I’ll be fast,” Yoongi corrects, pulling out his gun and clicking off the safety. “You think we’ll do any better as groups of two? I don’t.”
“But—“ Namjoon tries again, his brow creasing, but Yoongi shakes his head and strides to the door.
“I’m gonna go left,” he says, his hand on the handle. “We came from the right, so you guys should be able to retrace our steps and get out.”
Jungkook stops him before he can exit, pressing a handful of smoke grenades into his palm. “Hang on,” he says, his throat tight. “You might need these.”
Yoongi pockets them, nodding. “Thanks, man.”
Namjoon looks like he wants to argue some more, but finally bites his lip and nods, his face resolute. “Good luck,” he says after a long, heavy pause. “Stay safe.”
Yoongi flashes you all a crooked grin. “See you soon.”
And then he’s flinging open the door, swinging his hammer into one zombie’s skull and kicking another in the knees. Namjoon stays in the doorway, shooting any and every zombie that he can see through the smashed window. You can just barely hear Yoongi jeering insults over the sound of gunfire and stumbling footsteps, the occasional thud of something heavy against the linoleum floor letting you know that Namjoon has successfully found his mark.
After what feels like an eternity, Namjoon finally pulls back from the window and turns back to you and Jungkook. “Coast is clear,” he whispers. “Let’s go.”
“And Yoongi?” you ask, anxiety roiling in your gut at the thought of the blond man facing the horde of undead alone.
“He’ll be fine,” Namjoon says automatically, and you know he’s trying to convince himself just as much as he’s reassuring you. His grip is tight on his gun as he wrenches open the door and ushers the two of you out into the hallway, and even in the dimness you see the worried glance he shoots over his shoulder, lingering on the corner that Yoongi has disappeared around.
“Come on, Joon,” you murmur, nudging his arm gently. “Yoongi’s gonna beat us back to the car at the rate we’re going.”
That draws a soft chuckle from your companion. “You’re right,” he murmurs back. “Let’s go.”
///
As it turns out, however, Yoongi does not beat you back to the SUV. The blond-haired man is nowhere to be found, and you see concern etch itself permanently onto Namjoon’s forehead as he peers around the eerily quiet street. The air feels too still, and every crunch of gravel from underneath your sneakers sounds like a gunshot.
“He’ll be back, right?” Jungkook whispers urgently to you while Namjoon is out of earshot, his doe eyes wide and beseeching. “You don’t think he got…”
He trails off, and you shake your head, unwilling to even think of the possibility that harm has befallen the blond-haired man. “Yoongi’s tough,” you declare. “He’ll be back any minute, and we should be ready to take off when he does. In case, you know, he’s still being chased.”
“Right,” Jungkook says, glancing over at Namjoon, who’s standing closest to the driver’s side and is suddenly beginning to look very sheepish.
“So… I can’t actually drive,” he says, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly as your jaw drops.
“Wait, you can’t drive? Don’t you live off-campus? How do you get to class?”
Namjoon shrugs. “I usually bike. Sometimes I walk to class, if the weather’s nice.” Then he pauses, dejection settling on his features. “Although I guess I won’t be teaching classes again any time soon.”
Your heart sinks. You know from the syllabus that he handed out on the first day that this was his first semester as a teaching assistant, his passion for philosophy shining through in every lecture he’s given. “You’re a great teacher,” you tell him, intent on cheering him up. “I learned so much from you. I mean, nobody likes moral philosophy, but you somehow managed to even make that interesting, which is pretty damn incredible.”
Namjoon huffs out a laugh. “Thanks. You were a pretty damn incredible student, yourself.”
“Why, thank you,” you tell him with a grin.
Beside you, Jungkook rolls his eyes and pretends to retch. “Fine, I guess I’ll drive.” Grumbling, he swings open the driver’s side door and plops down onto the seat, adjusting it for his longer legs. “Now how the hell do I start this thing?”
Namjoon clears his throat awkwardly and tears his gaze away from yours, reaching underneath the steering wheel and pulling out a tangle of wires. You stop listening as he explains to Jungkook how to spark them together and instead turn your gaze back to the looming police station, watching intently for any sign of Yoongi’s return. Crumpled newspapers and stray plastic bags roll by, buoyed by the spring breeze. Across the street, a lone pigeon roams, head bobbing as it searches for crumbs.
“Looking for me?”
You jump, letting out a surprised shriek as Yoongi’s blond head of hair suddenly pops out from behind the trunk. “Jesus Christ, Yoongi, what the hell? Where did you come from?”
“Originally? My mother’s womb,” he replies, shrugging. The movement draws your attention to the sleeves of his jacket, newly tattered and splattered with crimson, and any witty retort you might have had is immediately swallowed up by concern.
“Is that blood? Oh my god, is that your blood?”
Your shout alerts Namjoon and Jungkook, twin looks of concern marring their faces as they clamber out of the SUV and join the two of you. “No, no—I’m not hurt,” Yoongi reassures, dismissing your worries with a wave of his hand. “Things did get a little dicey, but it all worked out in the end.”
“How exactly did you escape?” Namjoon asks.
Yoongi grins crookedly. “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”
Jungkook blinks. “What?”
“If I couldn’t beat them, I had to join them,” Yoongi elaborates, gesturing to his tattered, dirty clothing. “I stumbled across the evidence room while I was trying to find another way out, and got an idea. This—” he gestures at the red stains splattered across his clothing, “—is actually spray paint. The police must’ve confiscated it from graffiti artists or something. Then all I had to do was rip up my jacket and limp a little and, well, here we are.”
“And that worked?” you ask in disbelief. “You just… pretended to be a zombie and walked out?”
“More or less,” Yoongi says with another shrug. “Now come on, let’s blow this joint. They could find us any second, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t really wanna die just yet. Pretending was enough.”
You have about a million more questions, but Yoongi takes his spot in the driver’s seat before you can ask any of them, readjusting the seat and promising an inquisitive Jungkook that he’ll teach him how to drive the hotwired vehicle next time. The rest of you take your seats as the engine roars to life underneath the blond man’s skilled fingertips, and with a squeal of tires against asphalt, you are off once again, heading toward the great unknown.
///
“Wait, wait, no, stop!”
Yoongi slams on the brakes at Jungkook’s shout, the car skidding to an abrupt halt. “What is it?” he demands, his gaze darting around frantically as his fingers reach for his gun. “Is there a problem?”
Jungkook winces. “Sorry. I was talking to Namjoon, actually.”
Yoongi visibly relaxes, shaking his head as he resumes driving. Namjoon glances back at Jungkook, his eyebrows disappearing behind his dark hair in silent inquiry. “Yes?”
“The radio,” Jungkook says, gesturing at the dashboard buttons that Namjoon has been fiddling with incessantly for the last several minutes. “Go back to the last station for a sec.”
Obediently, Namjoon turns the dial. Staticky white noise fills the air, and Jungkook frowns. Then a few jumbled words filter through the static, and he lets out a triumphant shout. “There!”
“Huh,” Namjoon says, leaning closer to the speaker. “I can’t understand a thing they’re saying. We must be out of range.”
“But we must be getting closer—I think I can make out a few words,” Jungkook says. “Everyone shut up and let me listen…” He trails off, and for a few moments, there is only the sound of garbled static and the low whir of the tires against pavement. Then Jungkook flops back against the seat, a pensive frown settling on his face. “Huh.”
You nudge his shoulder. “Well? What did you hear?”
“Not a whole lot,” he admits. “And I can’t be sure that what I heard was right, but… I think the broadcast is coming from Sonyeo City.”
Namjoon purses his lips, his chin jutting out in the way it does whenever he’s deep in thought. “Sonyeo City… that’s about six hours away, isn’t it?”
Yoongi hums. “Yeah, just about.”
“Do you think…” you trail off, hesitant. “Do you think that this means Sonyeo City’s… safe?”
“There’s no way to be sure.” Namjoon casts his gaze out the window, and you get the feeling he’s looking far beyond the crumbling streets and dark buildings, to the horizon where there still may be a glimmer of hope. “But at least we now have a destination in mind.”
The rest of the ride is quiet. Namjoon keeps the radio on just in case another snippet of discernible audio comes through, but none of you manage to catch anything important. Yoongi stops at a gas station to refuel, and a few minutes after that, finally manages to find a grocery store that looks to be mostly intact and devoid of any immediate threats.
“Let’s get this bread,” Jungkook proclaims as he slides out of the backseat, walking toward the entrance of the store. “And by bread, I mean Twinkies.”
You gape at his retreating back. “Is that a Zombieland reference?”
“Maybe,” he replies, shooting you a playful grin over his shoulder.
Shaking your head, you follow him through the automatic doors and glance around the interior of the store. Row after row of shelves take up the majority of the room, with an open space on the far right for fresh produce and glass-paneled refrigerators lining the wall. Behind you, the doors slide open again with a whoosh, and you turn to meet Namjoon’s eyes as he steps inside with Yoongi. “We should lock the doors,” you point out.
“You’re right,” Namjoon agrees, inspecting the metal frame surrounding the glass.
“Hang on,” Jungkook interrupts, eyes wide as he watches Namjoon fumble with the mechanism. “Are you locking us in?”
“For the time being,” Namjoon says absentmindedly, still focused on the door.
You walk over to Jungkook and pat his cheek. “He’s not locking us in; he’s locking them out. Or would you rather have a horde of zombies stumble in while we’re grabbing supplies?”
“... fair point.”
“Exactly.”
Yoongi, meanwhile, is gazing around the store, leery as always. “Hello?” he calls, his voice cutting through the silence. “Anyone home?”
Not even two seconds later, a shambling, shuffling figure emerges from a far aisle, moving surprisingly quickly despite its odd, lopsided gait. Two more follow, and Yoongi raises his gun, clicking off the safety and narrowing his eyes.
Toward the other end of the store, you spot another zombie dragging itself along the floor, leaving a trail of streaky, bloody handprints in its wake. Three more shuffle out from behind a display of watermelons, heading toward you, and you tighten your grip on your nail-studded bat as they draw ever closer.
Shots ring out behind you, but you don’t chance a glance backward. Out of your peripheral vision you spot Jungkook on your left, bringing his metal pole down onto the crawling zombie’s head with a sickening crunch. Leaping into action, you swing at the closest zombie’s head. It was once a woman, you notice—long stringy hair falling around her decaying face, the bottom half of her jaw visible through the peeling skin. “Sorry about this,” you say, wincing as your bat makes impact. The nails catch in her skin, her neck cracking under the force of the blow, and you yelp as she falls over and the other two zombies take her place.
“Watch out!”
Namjoon’s voice suddenly sounds from behind you, and you instinctively duck as he sprints over and shoots one point blank. Jungkook takes out the other, driving the pole through its chest before pulling it out and smashing it over the zombie’s head. “Are there more?” he asks, slightly out of breath.
“Not sure,” Yoongi says, rejoining you. “I would think most of the lurkers were drawn out by all the noise.”
“Better to be safe than sorry,” Namjoon says. Walking over to a checkout lane, he grabs a pile of plastic bags and an abandoned cart. “Let’s stay together and take the aisles one at a time. We’ll take as much as we can carry.”
“Don’t forget bottled water,” you pipe up, pointing at the stack of water bottles piled next to the door. “We’ve already drank most of what we have. And if we’re getting canned food, we’ll need a can opener too.”
Namjoon follows the direction of your finger. “Good call.”
“I’ll get it,” Jungkook volunteers, jogging over to select a twenty-four pack of bottles and heaving it into the cart. “Now what?”
“Let’s grab the can opener first,” you say. “Maybe some other utensils too. Sound good?”
Namjoon nods. “Sounds great,” he says, handing you one of the bags. Jungkook and Yoongi accept the other bags that Namjoon doles out, and together the four of you head farther into the store, scanning the signs until you come across the one labeled household goods. It’s clear that others have been here before you, but a quick raid of the shelves yields two can openers and a set of silverware, all of which you deposit into your bag. Namjoon grabs four unbroken bowls, mismatched and in varying sizes, and you hold out your bag for him to drop them inside.
Next up is the canned food aisle, where you stock up on various vegetables and far more beans than you care to think about. Jungkook grabs a box of instant coffee, and Yoongi disappears for a few seconds and returns with a massive jar of vitamin supplements. “Gotta stay healthy,” he says in response to your raised eyebrows, adding it to the growing pile in Namjoon’s cart.
“Speaking of healthy, we should grab some produce,” you say. “It won’t stay good forever, but we can at least get some apples and oranges. And we should probably grab some stuff for dinner too. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starving.”
As if on cue, Namjoon’s stomach rumbles. “Dinner would be nice,” he admits with a sheepish grin. “Let’s finish up here and then eat in the car. We probably don’t want to stick around here for much longer than we have to.”
After some discussion, the four of you decide on sandwiches for dinner and set about gathering the necessary ingredients. Yoongi wanders to the deli area to pick out a selection of meats that haven’t yet spoiled, and even manages to locate some cheese. You peruse the produce, selecting a head of lettuce and several ripe tomatoes while Namjoon fills a bag with apples and grabs a bunch of bananas. Jungkook raids the bread display, shoving two whole loaves and a box of dinner rolls into his bag. Several bags of chips and a pack of juice boxes later, you are ready to go, heading back out into the parking lot where the SUV is parked.
“Wait!” Jungkook suddenly yelps, stopping dead in the middle of loading the trunk. “I forgot my Twinkies!”
“Are you serious right now, Jeon?” you hiss, watching in disbelief as he hurriedly drops his bags and turns back toward the entrance.
“Yes,” he says stubbornly, already beginning to jog away.
Yoongi groans and flops down into the driver’s seat. “Sartre was right,” he grumbles under his breath. “Hell is other people.”
Namjoon gives him an astonished look, mouth already open and ready to question what exactly his friend knew about the French existentialist philosopher, but quickly snaps back to the issue at hand when you abandon your own bags and dart after Jungkook. Immediately, Namjoon follows, nearly tripping in his efforts to keep up with you, and you whirl in concern when he lets out a sudden, startled shout. “What is it?”
Namjoon grimaces, brushing a stray lock of dark hair off his forehead. “Sorry, it’s just—holy shit!”
A skeletal, gaunt hand is grasping at Namjoon’s ankle, and you gasp when you realize that it belongs to the female zombie from before, her milky eyes gazing unseeingly out from beneath stringy hair. Cursing, Namjoon shakes her off and fumbles for his gun. Pointing it down, he aims and pulls the trigger.
Click.
“I’m out of bullets,” he whispers in dawning horror.
You reach for your trusty bat, tucked away in its sling on your back, but the handle keeps evading your grasping fingers, the nails catching in the fabric. Your palms begin to sweat as Namjoon kicks at the zombie, stomping on her arm and cracking all the bones. He’s glancing around frantically for something he can use as a weapon, but to no avail. And all the while, the undead woman continues her dogged pursuit, crawling after him with one good arm like a lopsided cockroach, teeth gnashing furiously in anticipation of her next meal.
“NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!”
Jungkook barges onto the scene with his metal pole in hand, glinting dull silver in the flickering fluorescent lights. He smashes the zombie over the head once, twice, three times before relenting, his chest heaving with exertion. Namjoon sucks in a deep breath when she finally falls limp, reaching out to clap Jungkook on the back. “Wow,” he says shakily. “Thanks, man. That was a close call.”
Jungkook straightens up and hefts his weapon over his shoulder. “And that’s why we have rule number two here in Zombieland,” he says proudly.
Namjoon asks the question before you even have a chance to stop him. “What’s rule two?”
Jungkook grins a grin so wide, you’re surprised his mouth doesn’t fall off altogether. “The Double Tap, of course.” Then his gaze flickers downward, to where a familiar blue-and-white box lies crumpled against the linoleum. “Oh, no. My Twinkies!”
You sigh.
///
Dinner—if it can even be called that—is a quick affair, eaten while huddled in the SUV and parked in an alley. The sun is setting rapidly, dipping beyond the horizon and bathing the surrounding buildings in a fiery orange glow. It’s been mercifully quiet for the past half hour, broken only by the occasional crunch of a chip or a slurp from a juice box.
Yoongi starts driving again after he’s polished off the last of his sandwich. Dusky twilight cloaks the city in purple—turning it into something strange and unfamiliar. Normally, the streets would be aglow with lit lamps and illuminated homes, crowded with people returning home after a long day of work or classes. Now, though, the streets are silent and abandoned. The few zombified citizens you pass are quickly left behind, and you know you aren’t imagining the melancholy air that’s settled over your companions, nestling deep into the nooks and crannies of the SUV, stagnant and unshakable. It grows stronger the farther Yoongi drives, the buildings getting shorter and the space between them growing longer, and your heart breaks a little in your chest when you turn for one last look at the city you’ve all come to call home.
You can’t quite explain it, but somehow, you know you won’t ever be coming back.
Namjoon begins fiddling with the radio dials again as Yoongi turns onto the highway, a burst of static breaking the stifling silence in the car. Jungkook startles slightly at the sharp sound, looking up from where he’d been staring out the window. “Is that the station from before?”
Namjoon hums in affirmation, adjusting the volume until the white noise is just a low buzz. Jungkook settles back into his seat, but you can see that he’s listening carefully, his knee bouncing in anticipation.
And then, without any warning whatsoever, a voice comes through the static, clear as day.
Testing, one, two. Is anybody out there?
If you’ve still got a functioning brain and at least one ear, congratulations! another voice chimes in, brighter than the first. You’re listening to 2J! Straight out of Sonyeo City, we’re your premier source of zombie news—
—your only source, really—
—and we’re here to bring you all the latest so that you can stay safe out there, the second voice continues as if there was no interruption at all.
Unfortunately, the first voice says, adopting a more somber tone now, there isn’t a lot of good news. We’re still in the dark about how this epidemic started. Reports claim that it began in a city in the south, which multiple sources have confirmed, but the government has yet to put out an official statement regarding the situation.
They’re being pretty dodgy about the whole thing, to be honest, the second voice continues. The first emergency alert said it was a mutated virus, but the second claimed it was a contaminated water reservoir. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was some super-secret experiment gone wrong, Jin.
Honestly, me neither, the man named Jin says. But that’s enough of the conspiracies for now, Jay. Let’s talk survival! First thing you’ll want to do, dear listeners, is head north toward Sonyeo City, where a quarantine zone has been set up.
Jungkook releases a long, pent-up breath. “We were right,” he whispers. “Thank god.”
Namjoon flashes him a little smile and cranks up the volume, listening carefully as Jin’s voice fills the car.
Your best bet is to drive, of course, hop in your car and get going. Stock up on gas and non-perishable food, and some weapons certainly wouldn’t hurt either.
If worst comes to worst and you have to kill a zombie, the best way to do it is to smash its head in, Jay pipes up. You can also break their kneecaps to slow them down, but that won’t kill them for good. They’ll keep coming as long as they can still move—and if they bite you, you’re a goner.
Now onto ways to avoid zombies! Jin says, perhaps a bit too cheerfully. One thing I’ve noticed during my research is how quickly their optic nerves deteriorate once they’re infected. In fact, the rate of deterioration is second only to that of their vocal chords!
And now tell them what that means in plain English, Jay prods, laughing.
Jin chortles. Basically, they have shit eyesight, especially in the dark, he clarifies. If it’s nighttime and you find yourself surrounded somehow, your best bet is to stay quiet and move slowly. If they hear you, well…
You’re a goner, Jay supplies helpfully.
Exactly. Thanks, Jay.
No problem, Jin.
And that brings us to the end of this broadcast, Jin says, clapping his hands. Thanks for tuning in today, and we’ll see you next time.
Until then, this has been 2J. Stay safe out there!
There’s a dull click, and then the static resumes, filling the silence left in the wake of the broadcast. “Well, at least we’re headed in the right direction,” Yoongi says after a few long moments. “It’s a long drive though, and I don’t think I can stay awake for much longer. We might want to start looking for a place to sleep for the night.”
“That’s a good idea,” Namjoon says. “I’m pretty sure we’ve all been running on pure adrenaline up to this point, so we definitely need some rest. We’ll start fresh tomorrow morning.”
Mumbles of agreement all around. Ten minutes later, Jungkook points to a quaint little farmhouse on the right side of the road, the windows dark. “Think anyone’s home?”
“Guess we’ll find out,” Yoongi replies, slowly pulling off the road and into the winding driveway, watching for any movement from the house or the surrounding fields. The hum of the engine doesn’t draw any unwanted attention, and you breathe a tentative sigh of relief as he parks the car beneath a large oak tree. Together, the four of you pile out and approach the house, weapons at the ready.
“Should we knock?” you whisper, looking at the little brass knocker in the middle of the front door. “Ring the doorbell, maybe?”
“Can’t hurt, right?” Jungkook jabs his thumb into the button by the doorknob, listening intently as the bell chimes inside the house. After a few beats of silence, he shrugs. “Guess no one’s home.”
“And the door’s locked,” Yoongi says, trying the knob. “Maybe they’re away on vacation or something.” Wandering over to a nearby window, he jimmies the frame, a wry grin crossing his features when it pops open easily. “They should probably invest in better locks, though.”
One by one, you climb through the window. Namjoon is the last one inside, folding his tall frame through the small space, and as soon as both his feet touch carpet, Yoongi shuts the window again and closes the curtains. “Don’t wanna be seen from the street,” he explains as he pulls out his cell phone and taps the flashlight button, illuminating the room in harsh white light. Namjoon does the same, as does Jungkook, and you pull your own phone out as well—now fully charged from the long car ride. A quick sweep of the house reveals that it is indeed empty, and Jungkook whoops when his flashlight falls upon a rifle mounted over the fireplace. Further investigation reveals two more pistols in a cabinet, along with ample ammunition, and Yoongi grins as he loads all three guns and hands one over to you.
“You ever shot one of these before?”
The gun is heavy in your palm. Slowly, you shake your head.
Yoongi glances over at Namjoon slyly. “Why don’t you give her a lesson out back, then?”
You don’t miss the way Namjoon’s ears flush pink, his feet scuffing nervously against the carpeted floor before he chances a look at you. The smile that he offers you is warm but hesitant, and when he speaks, his voice is even more so. “Sure,” he says. “I can show you how, if you’d like.”
“I’d really like that,” you tell him, the butterflies erupting in your chest when his smile widens. Together, the two of you head toward the back of the house, taking a detour to the kitchen where Namjoon grabs an armful of empty soda cans. His shoulder brushes against yours as you walk, but neither of you pull away. Even as you step onto the wooden patio that leads into the rest of the yard, you remain side by side, admiring the full moon that hangs bright in the sky, providing just enough illumination to view your surroundings.
“I suppose we should start with the basics,” Namjoon begins, his gaze alighting on a low fence lining the property. Jogging over, he lines the cans up on the wooden beam before returning to your side and gesturing for you to raise the pistol. His fingers skim across yours as he shows you how to disengage the safety, and your heart skips a beat when he explains how to reload once you run out of bullets, his large hands guiding yours through each step.
There’s a damp chill in the evening air, but you don’t even feel it. Namjoon is so close by this point, his chest pressed almost flush against your back as he shows you how to aim. His fingers wrap around your wrist, warm and gentle, and you shiver when he speaks again, his mouth at your ear, his voice rumbling through his chest.
“Ready?”
You nod, almost afraid to breathe as your finger finds the trigger. Namjoon’s grip on your wrist loosens but doesn’t disappear entirely, and you steel yourself for the recoil as you finally pull the trigger. The loud crack has you wincing, but Namjoon is laughing, the sound deep and husky as he urges you to lower the gun.
“Nice shot.”
You turn to look at the fence, now missing one soda can. “Oh, wow,” you breathe. “That was… kind of therapeutic, actually. Can we try again?”
Namjoon grins. “Of course we can.”
///
Ten cans and a box of ammunition later, you and Namjoon find yourselves lounging on the steps of the patio, staring up at the velvety night sky. “I’ve never seen so many stars before,” you murmur, a little awestruck by the sight. “But now that we’re away from the city and all that light pollution… wow. It’s amazing.”
“It’s beautiful,” Namjoon agrees, his gaze lingering on you for a moment too long before he collects himself and looks up at the sky once more.
“I wish I knew more constellations,” you say, laughing softly. “I can really only pick out the Big Dipper. And even then, I can only find it about eighty percent of the time.”
“What about the Little Dipper?” Namjoon asks. He scoots a little closer to you, pointing upward. “Do you see that really bright star up above the Big Dipper? That’s Polaris—the north star. It’s the end of the handle.”
You follow the trajectory of his finger curiously, eyes widening when you spot the smaller, but still distinctive, spoon shape. “Oh! Yes, I see it now. I don’t know how I didn’t notice it before.”
Namjoon chuckles. “I can show you where Orion is too,” he says. “That’s as far as my knowledge of constellations goes, though.”
“You know more than I do,” you reply, smiling up at him. Softly, you lay a hand on his arm. “Thank you for showing me.”
“You’re welcome,” he murmurs, cheeks dimpling as he gazes down at you. This close, you can see all the stars reflected in his irises, his skin glowing silver under the luminescence of the full moon. And in a sudden surge of boldness, you allow your hand to slide down until it’s laying atop his, your fingers settling in the spaces between his own.
Namjoon glances down at your intertwined hands, his lips twitching with a barely restrained smile. “You know,” he murmurs, his breath visible in the chilly air, “I’ve always kind of liked you.”
You blink at the admission. “Really?”
He huffs out a soft chuckle, his chest rumbling with the sound. “It’s crazy, right? But it’s true. Ever since you sat down in the front row on the first day of my class with a bright pink pen and no laptop… do you know how rare it is to see someone take handwritten notes in this day and age?”
Your cheeks heat up. “You noticed that?”
“I did,” he replies, taking your hand in his and twining your fingers together properly. “Do you remember that essay the professor assigned? It must have been the second or third assignment—the one about moral responsibility in modern society?” At your nod, he smiles and continues. “Yours was the best one I read, hands down.”
“Yeah, he talked about it for three days straight,” a new voice says. Whirling around, you see Yoongi’s head poking out the back door, smirking like the cat that ate the proverbial canary. “He wouldn’t shut up about it. It was annoying as hell.”
Namjoon groans. “Seriously, Yoongi?”
The blond man puts his hands up innocently. “Just stopping by to make sure you guys weren’t dead,” he says before letting the door shut again, chortling to himself.
Namjoon sighs and turns back to you, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Sorry about him. He doesn’t have much of a filter.”
You giggle and squeeze his hand. “Don’t worry about it. He’s gone now, so I can finally do this.”
Namjoon tilts his head curiously. “Do wha—?” he begins to say, only to be cut off by your mouth on his. The kiss is soft and slow, your lips moving lazily against his, and by the time you pull away, both of you are breathing much more heavily. Namjoon’s hands find their way around your waist, tugging you close, and you nestle deeper into the warmth of his embrace, enjoying how it wards off the chill in the air.
“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time, you know,” you murmur, pressing your lips to his cheek.
He chuckles and chases after your mouth, his nose bumping affectionately against yours. “Yeah. Me too.”
///
You wake up the next morning to golden sunlight streaming in through the window and an arm wrapped firmly around your waist. Namjoon hasn’t opened his eyes yet, his hair sticking every which way, but his grip on you tightens when he feels you begin to stir. “Good morning,” he mumbles, finally cracking an eye open and smiling down at you.
“Good morning,” you whisper back. You’re positive that you look like an absolute mess—hair in disarray, face crusty from sleep, body desperately in need of a shower—and yet Namjoon is staring at you like you’re the most beautiful creature he’s ever laid eyes on, dimples dotting his cheeks as he reaches up to stroke your cheek with his thumb. You reciprocate with a kiss to his palm, and he grins. Grabbing your chin, he tilts your face up so he can kiss you properly—his lips soft and gentle against yours. It almost feels like an ordinary morning, and for a few moments, you can pretend that there isn’t a monstrous epidemic running rampant through large swathes of the country. For a few moments, you’re just a girl and a boy, basking in the idyllic haze of each other’s presence.
But then there’s a knock on the door, followed by Yoongi’s low drawl. “Get dressed and come eat, lovebirds. Sooner we get on the road, the better.”
You break apart from Namjoon, giggling when you see the dopey grin stretched across his face. “Why are you looking at me like that, you weirdo?”
His grin only widens, his arms looping around your waist. “It’s just funny,” he says. “Waking up with you, Yoongi yelling at us—this is the first ordinary morning I’ve had in a long time. And I’ve missed it. I’ve missed it a lot.”
“So have I,” you murmur, burying your face into the warm cotton of his t-shirt and allowing yourself one more moment of normalcy before getting out of bed. Walking into the bathroom, you are pleased to discover that the water is still running, and Namjoon even manages to unearth some unused toothbrushes and toothpaste from underneath the sink. The bristles are a little too stiff for your liking and the water has a metallic tinge that refuses to dissipate, but being able to brush your teeth makes a world of difference. There’s a noticeable bounce in your step as you make your way downstairs with Namjoon, and Yoongi and Jungkook pick up on it right away.
“Someone’s chipper this morning,” Yoongi says without looking up from his bowl of dry cereal. “The sex was that good, huh?”
“W-we didn’t…” Namjoon stammers, his cheeks flushing. “That’s not what we—”
You squeeze his hand, stopping his rambling in its tracks. “Let them think what they want,” you advise. “They’re just jealous of your dick game, anyway.”
“Ew,” Jungkook grumbles, throwing an apple at you. “Way too much information, {Name}.”
You shrug, just barely managing to catch the piece of fruit. “You guys brought it up first. Not my fault.”
The remainder of breakfast passes quickly. Yoongi and Jungkook head outside to start loading the car while you and Namjoon scour the house one last time for anything that might be useful, and within the hour, you are back on the road toward Sonyeo City.
“You know, this Jin character sounds like a piece of work,” Yoongi grumbles from the passenger seat for what feels like the millionth time. Jungkook is driving today, which leaves you and Namjoon in the backseat with the eclectic collection of food and weapons you’ve amassed. The four of you are listening to the 2J broadcast again, and after a rather lengthy discussion of zombie evasion techniques, Jin has lapsed into telling the worst dad jokes you’ve ever heard.
What does a vegetarian zombie eat? Graaains!
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Yoongi groans.
Morning turns into midday, the sun high in the sky. The road winds on, through green cornfields and grassy plains and the occasional small town. Several times, you spot a zombie or two shambling around aimlessly through the windows, but they’re quickly forgotten as Jungkook slams on the gas pedal. You get the feeling that he’s relishing the lack of an enforced speed limit, and taking full advantage of the empty highway.
It’s late afternoon by the time you arrive on the outskirts of Sonyeo City. Off in the distance, you can see taller skyscrapers rising up, gray and hazy against the horizon, but the area you’re in right now seems to be the warehouse district. Low, squat factories sit on either side of the road and a branching network of railroad tracks weaves throughout, but everything is eerily still and deathly quiet. No smoke rises up from the smokestacks, and you’re pretty sure you spot a train that’s been toppled over onto its side before Jungkook hits the gas again and takes you deeper into the city. The buildings get taller the farther you drive, but you still have yet to see any signs of life besides the occasional bobbing pigeon or scurrying rat.
That all changes when the car rounds the next corner. It looks as if a bomb has gone off in one of the largest brick buildings lining the street, covering the entire block in a layer of rubble. Zombified citizens mill around in the debris, and Jungkook slams on the brakes, his eyes wide with panic.
“Dude, just back up and try another street,” Yoongi says when he doesn’t move. “They haven’t noticed us yet.”
“No, that’s not it,” Jungkook says, his voice shaking. “We’re… we’re low on gas. Like, really, really low.”
Yoongi takes another look outside and blanches. “Are you fucking kidding me? We’ll get killed if we try to refuel now!”
“I’ll—I’ll get us as far away as I can,” Jungkook stammers, throwing the vehicle into reverse and beginning to back away from the mayhem. He clears the corner and continues backward for another two blocks before the car slows to a full stop, a groan escaping his lips. “Fuck.”
Glancing out the window, you see four stray zombies stumbling toward you. “Uh, guys? We have a bit of a problem.”
Namjoon curses and begins digging through the stash of weapons at his feet, pulling out several long knives and an axe you’d taken from the farmhouse. “We don’t stand a chance without a car,” he mutters as he pulls out supplies. “Yoongi, grab the gas. I’ll watch your back while you fill up the tank. Jungkook, be ready to drive at a moment’s notice. {Name}...” He grins, handing you the rifle to join the pistol you already have at your side. “You’re on sniper duty. But save it as a last resort, okay? Gunshots will draw even more attention to us, which is the last thing we need right now.”
“Got it,” you say, accepting the box of ammunition he slides over and ignoring the way your heart begins to pound in your chest. “Stay safe out there, okay?”
Namjoon presses a quick kiss to your mouth, ignoring the disgusted sound Jungkook makes. “I will, don’t worry. Be back soon.” And then he’s hopping out of the car, joining Yoongi at the gas tank and scanning the street for any approaching threats. The four zombies at the end of the street are still a block and a half away, but the distance doesn’t make you feel any better as you watch Namjoon and Yoongi standing out in the open, unprotected. Through the open window, you can hear Yoongi cursing, hands shaking as he opens up the gas can.
Bang!
A young man bursts out of an apartment complex just up the street, the door slamming against the brick wall behind it. Even from a block away, you can see the frantic expression on his face as he dashes outside without taking proper stock of his surroundings. Your mouth opens to shout a warning—beside you, you can see Jungkook about to do the same—but it’s already too late. The zombies are upon him before he can even scream, rotting teeth tearing into his flesh and ripping chunks away until he’s reduced to a huddled mass of blood and viscera on the ground, deathly still and silent.
Then, to your absolute disbelief, the man is crawling to his feet again, his stance lopsided and his expression blank. Half of his jaw has been torn away, exposing teeth, and your stomach squirms at the sight of his fresh wounds still oozing crimson.
“Holy shit!” Jungkook screeches, whirling around to face you with wild eyes. “We need to get out of here!”
“I know, dumbass!” you yell back, craning your head back to check on your other two companions only to nearly jump out of your skin when the door flies open in your face.
“It’s me!” Namjoon shouts, sliding into his seat. Up front, Yoongi is already seated, his chest heaving with uneven breaths. “Drive, Jungkook!”
Jungkook lets loose a colorful string of curses and fumbles to start the engine, eyes skittering between the steering wheel and the approaching zombies. “Come on, come on—”
“WAIT!”
All four of you whirl around, searching for the source of the unfamiliar voice. A split second later, a young man with fluffy blond hair pops up in your window, followed quickly by another man with longer, dark brown hair. “Please wait!” the blond man entreaties, wincing when you let out a startled yelp and slam a hand against the glass. “Please!”
“Who the fuck are you?” you gasp.
“My name’s Jimin, and this is Taehyung,” he says, glancing over to where the zombies are rapidly approaching. “You have to take us with you!”
Jungkook chooses that moment to butt in. “What the fuck? No way! How do we know you’re not infected?”
“We’re not!” It’s Taehyung who speaks this time, his voice low but no less urgent than Jimin’s. “Please, you have to believe us.”
“How do you expect us to do that?” Yoongi growls. “We don’t know you—you could be trying to kill us, for all we know.”
“Why the hell would we kill you?” Jimin yelps, looking offended by the very idea.
“We’re not zombies, I promise” Taehyung adds, frowning. “No need to be so paranoid.”
“I think a healthy dose of paranoia is a good thing in this situation!” Yoongi snaps.
Out of the corner of your eye, you notice Namjoon’s pensive expression, his chin jutting out in the way it does when he’s focused. “Joon? You okay?”
His frown deepens. “I think we have to let them in.”
Yoongi balks. “Dude, what the fuck?”
Namjoon shakes his head. “No, seriously. Remember what Jin said in that broadcast—about how quickly an infected person’s vocal chords deteriorate? There’s no way they’d be talking if they were infected. Absolutely none.”
Jimin claps. “Exactly! Now can you please unlock the door?”
You look at Namjoon, who nods. Jungkook groans and Yoongi slaps a hand over his eyes, but you nod back and reach over to flip the switch, the door unlocking with an audible click.
“Thank you so much,” Jimin chants as he piles into the backseat in a mess of limbs. “Thank you. Holy shit, thank you.” Taehyung follows after him, slamming the door shut, and you grunt when Jimin scoots over to give him a little more room and nearly elbows you in the face.
“Careful,” Namjoon cautions, wrapping an arm around your waist and tugging until you are practically seated in his lap. Beside you, Jimin and Taehyung make themselves comfortable, carefully avoiding the bags of supplies on the floor as Jungkook starts the car.
“Thanks again,” Jimin repeats earnestly once he’s settled in. “I know it must’ve been hard sticking your necks out like that, but we really do appreciate it.”
“Why were you even out in the open like that?” Yoongi asks, narrowing his eyes at Jimin. “Isn’t there supposed to be a quarantine zone somewhere in this godforsaken city?”
Taehyung nods. “Yeah, it’s in the city center, past the river. We were headed there ourselves, but then the explosion happened.”
“You guys must’ve seen it,” Jimin says. “Few blocks back, rocks and garbage everywhere? We think it was a gas leak, but who knows? It totaled our car, and we’ve been on foot ever since.”
Yoongi looks a little abashed. “Sorry to hear that.”
Jimin shrugs and offers him a crooked grin. “It’s all good. We’re still here now, and we’re still alive. That’s really all that matters.”
///
As it turns out, Jimin is a cadet in the local police academy—something you discover when his jacket falls open to reveal an impressive array of weapons strapped to his belt. Taehyung is an art history student, but between his fondness for paintball and his childhood on a farm, you quickly find that he’s almost just as well-versed in marksmanship as Jimin.
In the last ten minutes, however, Taehyung has fallen oddly silent. A glance over at the brown-haired man reveals that he is staring out the window, lost in thought as buildings rush by. Jimin is still chattering about the academy to a very interested Namjoon, but you don’t miss the occasional furtive glance he gives his friend, his brow creasing briefly in concern before he manages to smooth his expression out again.
Up ahead, you catch a glimpse of the river—a ribbon of blue snaking its way through the city. “There’s a big bend in the river, kind of like a horseshoe, right around the downtown area,” Jimin explains. “I think it was some kind of fortress back in the day, before the rest of the city was built around it. Most of the walls are still standing—historical preservation and whatnot—so the only way to get there is by crossing the bridge or going through the tunnel. And I’m like ninety percent sure they’ve already closed the tunnel down.”
“Bridge it is, then,” Yoongi says. “You know how to get us there?”
“Yeah, you take a left at the next light and then—”
“Can we actually stop here for a minute?”
Everyone glances back at Taehyung, who seems to have finally found his voice again. “Stop?” Namjoon asks, a frown etching its way across his face. “Why?”
Taehyung sucks in a deep breath, his gaze darting over to an unassuming brick building on the corner. “It’s just that… that’s where my little sister lives.”
And in an instant, you understand. You understand why he’s been so quiet this entire time, and why he’s been gazing out the window so wistfully. Jungkook steps on the brake, and the car rolls to a slow stop at the curb. “I get it,” he mutters, his fingers tight around the steering wheel. “I’d… I’d want to check too, if it were my brother.”
Murmurs of agreement all around. Taehyung smiles weakly, mumbling his thanks, and Jimin takes his hand with a reassuring smile. “Come on, Tae. Let’s go get Eonjin.”
“I’ll come too,” Jungkook volunteers, hopping out of the driver’s seat. “You might need the extra help.”
Yoongi sighs and exits the car as well, glancing back at you and Namjoon. “Guess I should stretch my legs too. You two wanna watch the car?
You nod. “We can do that.”
Yoongi nods back and follows the other three men into the building. You watch as they disappear into its dark depths, letting out a soft sigh.
“Do you think they’ll find her?”
Namjoon hums. “I don’t know,” he admits. “I hope so, for Taehyung’s sake. But I really don’t know if they will.”
You sigh again, shifting into a more comfortable position on his lap and letting your head fall back onto his shoulder. His arms tighten around your waist, and you shiver as his warm breath caresses your neck. “I’m glad my parents are overseas on a cruise right now,” you say softly. “They posted photos just yesterday, so I guess that means that whatever this epidemic is, it isn’t a global thing.”
“You’re lucky,” Namjoon mumbles. “I haven’t heard from my parents yet.”
You stiffen in his embrace. “You… you haven’t? Oh my god, Joon, I’m so sorry.”
He tries to shrug off your concern, but you don’t miss the way his throat bobs harshly as he swallows. “It is what it is,” he says after a few seconds. “I’ve heard from my sister, at least. She says she’ll be making her way here in the next day or two.”
“That’s good,” you murmur. You don’t know what else you could possibly say, and Namjoon, luckily, seems to understand.
“Yeah.”
Silence falls over the two of you, then—each of you lost in your own thoughts. Even though you’re so close to your destination now, it still feels far—as if it’s a mirage that will disappear if you so much as breathe the wrong way. You don’t know what awaits you, and for a moment, you’re terrified of the possibilities. But Namjoon’s arms remain wound around you, his presence warm and reassuring even now, and you think to yourself that maybe—just maybe—everything will be all right.
And then Jimin’s banging on your window again, forcibly pulling you out of your stupor. “Guys! Guys! It’s Tae—he’s been bitten!”
A beat passes. His words take a second to register in your brain—Tae, bitten—almost as if they don’t make sense together. It’s a sentence you never wanted to hear, and your limbs suddenly feel like they’ve been submerged in water, slow and heavy and dragging.
Namjoon, however, is up in an instant. “Where is he now?” he asks, throwing the door open and laying a hand on Jimin’s shoulder as he blabbers on. “Is he bleeding? Is he hurt anywhere else?”
“No, no—” Jimin looks close to tears. “It’s just—it all happened so fast. We were in Eonjin’s apartment but she wasn’t home, and then this guy came out of nowhere and—and…” He trails off, gesturing weakly behind him. “Look for yourselves.”
Yoongi and Jungkook stumble their way out of the building, supporting a pale-looking Taehyung between them. Blood drips down his wrist and onto the sidewalk, and the sight of the bright red liquid shakes off any stupor you might have been under. Delving into the backpack full of supplies from the farmhouse, you pull out the first-aid kit, brandishing it in the air as you jump out of the SUV. “He’s losing way too much blood,” you say, pulling out a roll of bandages and a tube of ointment, handing the rest of the kit over to Namjoon. “We have to stop it.”
“This isn’t exactly a safe spot for medical procedures,” Yoongi points out, gesturing around the street with his free hand. “We’re out in the open, totally exposed.”
“Then we’ll get back in the car,” Namjoon says. “We can drive and patch him up at the same time.”
“But he’s infected,” Jungkook whispers. “What happens when he… y’know. Turns?”
None of you have an answer for that. Jimin’s running his hands frantically through his hair, and you can practically see the desperation swimming in his honey brown eyes. “We can’t just leave him behind,” he murmurs. “We can’t.”
“Then we won’t,” you tell him, stepping up to Taehyung and slathering a generous amount of ointment on the bite wound. Then you pull off a short section of bandage, tying it around his upper arm like a tourniquet. “We’re going to get you in the car now, Tae. Is that okay? Can you still walk?”
Taehyung blinks dazedly, his brown eyes taking a few seconds to focus properly on you. “I… I think so. Hang on. Lemme try.”
Namjoon nearly drops the first-aid kit. “Wait, did you just talk?”
Taehyung blinks again, swaying slightly on his feet. “Yes?”
Your eyes widen as realization dawns. “Wait, but infected people can’t talk. Their vocal chords…”
“... deteriorate,” Namjoon finishes for you. “Yeah. So then that begs the question: why can Taehyung still talk?”
For the second time in as many minutes, none of you have an answer. “Tae,” you try again. “How do you feel right now?”
Taehyung’s mouth pulls down into a slow frown. “I feel… slow. A little muddled, I guess? No brain eating urges or anything though, which is nice. Brains probably don’t taste very good.”
“No,” you say, exchanging a glance with your equally flabbergasted companions. “I can’t imagine they would.”
///
Not twenty minutes later, you are driving across the bridge that leads to your final destination. A rather formidable wall with an even more formidable gate stands in your way, and you watch as several guards peer out from over the top, weapons drawn and at the ready.
“Stop right there!” the guard stationed on the ground commands, his gun trained on the SUV. “Get out of the vehicle with your hands up and identify yourselves one by one.”
“My name is Kim Namjoon,” Namjoon says, clambering out with his palms extended. You follow after him, stating your name as well, and the guard directs both of you to stand against the wall, calling for a man named Seokjin to come check your vitals as your companions continue introducing themselves.
A minute later, a smaller door to the right of the gate opens, and out walks a man wearing a white coat and a genial smile. “Sorry about this,” he says, adjusting his stethoscope. “Proper procedure and all that. You can never be too careful, right?”
“Don’t worry about it,” you tell him, pulling the collar of your shirt aside so he can listen to your heartbeat. “This is hardly the worst thing to happen to us in the last few days.”
The young doctor laughs—a high, squeaky sound that reminds you of a windshield wiper. “Touché,” he says, waving Namjoon over so he can listen to his heart as well. “Well, look at that! You both appear to be alive—congratulations! It’s nice to meet you.”
His laughter is contagious, and you can’t help the answering giggle that bubbles up in your chest and escapes into the open air. “Nice to meet you too, Doctor.”
He grimaces, flapping a hand at you. “Please, call me Jin. Everyone does. Doctor makes me sound way too stuffy.”
The sound of the familiar name has your eyebrows flying up into your hairline. You exchange a glance with Namjoon, who looks equally shocked, his mouth opening and closing a few times before he ventures, “Jin? Does that mean you’re one half of the 2J radio broadcast?”
Jin’s face splits into a delighted grin. “It sure does! Were you guys listening to us?”
You nod. “It was the only station we could find. I don’t think we’d be here if it weren’t for you and Jay.”
His grin broadens. “His real name’s Hoseok, actually—I had to talk him into the nickname. Took me ages.” Then his expression sobers. “That’s great to hear about the broadcast, though. Really. We weren’t sure that we were reaching people, but it’s nice to know that we definitely are. Thank you.”
“Thank you,” you tell him earnestly.
Jin grins. “You’re welcome,” he says, waving goodbye as he moves on to check on everyone else’s vitals. He makes friendly smalltalk with Yoongi, Jungkook, and Jimin as he listens to their heartbeats, but frowns when he reaches Taehyung, regarding him a little more closely. Jimin looks on anxiously, twisting the hem of his jacket, and you and Namjoon wordlessly sidle closer, ready to defend your friend if the need arose.
“You look a little pale,” Jin says, but his voice isn’t accusatory. “Are you feeling okay?”
Taehyung shrugs vaguely, his eyes unfocused. “I’ve been better.”
Namjoon chooses that moment to step forward, keeping his voice low and guarded. “Jin, you know a lot about the zombies, right?”
Jin nods. “I’ve been conducting research, yeah. It’s slow going though.”
Jimin eyes Jin warily. “What would you say if we told you that one of us was immune to the zombie virus?”
Jin’s mouth falls open, his gaze immediately landing on Taehyung again as he leans closer and stares intently at his pupils. “Immunity? Now that’s interesting,” he mumbles to himself, rubbing his hands together. “That could change everything.”
Taehyung blinks blearily at him. “What are you going on about?”
Jin just laughs. “They’re clear,” he calls to the guard, who nods and returns to the guardhouse. Once he’s gone, Jin claps his hands together and beams. “All right!” he exclaims. “Let’s get you all settled in, shall we?”
“What are you going to do to Tae?” Jimin asks suspiciously, scooting a little closer to his friend.
“Absolutely nothing, if I don’t have his permission,” Jin promises. “But guys, think about it. Someone who’s immune? I could learn so much about what’s causing that immunity if I ran a few tests… maybe even find a cure, eventually. It’s an incredible opportunity.” Upon seeing Jimin’s lingering distrust, however, he stops and laughs again. “But honestly, I won’t do a thing if he doesn’t want me to. Right now, I just want to help you get settled in. All of you need lots of rest and a proper meal. Doctor’s orders, okay?”
Jimin nods. “Fine.”
Up ahead, the gate is slowly beginning to creak open. Jin is welcoming all of you to Sonyeo City, but you barely hear him. Your focus is on Namjoon and Namjoon alone, his presence warm and reassuring as he finds your hand and laces your fingers together. 
“Ready?” he asks.
You suck in a deep, steadying breath and squeeze his hand. “Yeah. I’m ready.”
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lowkey-living · 3 years
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Have you ever peed your pants? If so what’s the story?
Lmao! I need to provide you some context that’ll just make this story 10x funnier!
1. I can hold my pee forever, I literally go to the bathroom maybe twice a day (if I keep going at this rate, I’m 100% going to need a diaper by the time I’m 60 because there’s no way that’s healthy)
2. I love drinking lemon water (this is important)
3. My attire primarily consists of black everything
I’ve peed myself plenty of times, but the worst/best? story comes from a situation I got myself into at church summer camp years ago. I was like 16 years old, my pee game was so strong I could get through a whole day without tapping out. We had just gotten done with the rock climbing wall, and headed back to the cabins to shower/change and whatever else girls do before heading to the mess hall for dinner and worship. While all the girls were peeing or whatever, I was choosing my next outfit and dreadfully decided that white shorts with a bright red thong (I know...I was a heathen) was the way to go (in my defense, you could not see the type or color of the underwear through my shorts) fast forward we are finishing up supper, I’m downing my probably 6th bottle of lemon water and everyone is getting ready for worship hour. My friend for some reason was extra hype for praise time and decided to climb on her seat to get a better view of uhh who even knows. Anyways she slips on something, tumbles off the chair and busts her ass, I die laughing (very unholy of me tbh) I can’t hold my pee any longer and the SEAL BREAKS. After a couple of seconds of being consumed by laugher I realize what just happened and BOLT to the nearest bathroom horrified. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and there I am, standing in my stupid white shorts stained with a red outline of my underwear. My pee was so acidic because of my lemon water drinking habit that it pulled the color right off my underwear. I left mess hall and had my walk of shame straight to the cabins...I don’t know what part of the story is worse, thong in church camp? Peeing myself in front of all the campers? Stained white shorts that were completely ruined after that? Or overshadowing my friends hilarious fall with my humiliating exit. I’ve never worn white shorts after that.
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