#i assume most of them have the six tagged blocked by this point

[scarlettriot]

• About Me | Masterlist | Tags (in-process) •

Scar’s Currently: Trying to get back into the swing of things. ALSO IF YOU NEVER RECEIVED YOUR WINTER WRITING PIECE FROM ME, LET ME KNOW PLEASE.

⭐ Please check the warnings, content, and/or tags of each specific fic before reading for your own sake.

⭐ All my Readers are currently AFAB & use she/her or they/them or some variation of the two.

⭐ Everyone I write for is aged up! You can assume they're in their late 20s to mid 30s unless otherwise stated.

⭐ My RPs have moved to a separate blog. If you'd like the info, please PM me.

| W H A T ' S • N E W |

🔮 Not a darn thing because writers block is a damn bitch but I’m trying!

| I N • D E M A N D |

• These three fics currently have the most notes •

🌙 Faking It | Bakugo X Reader X Kirishima 🔥

🌙 Head Over Heels | Bakugo X Reader X Kirishima 🔥

🌙 Pajama Party | Bakugo X Kirishima X Mina X Reader 🔥

| C H A P T E R • F I C S |

• For summaries of chapter fics, please check out the masterlist •

✨ Breaking Point | College AU (the hockey one) | Kirishima X Reader Current Total Word Count: 22K+

★ Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven ★

✨ Along For The Ride | The rich wedding one | Kirishima X Reader Current Total Word Count: 33K+

★ Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven ★

✨ She Lit A Fire | The one where Kiri's a dad | Kirishima X Reader Current Total Word Count: 37K+

★ Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six | Part Seven | Father’s Day Special ★

| U P • N E X T |

💫 Gonna try updating Chapter Fics

💫 A new Fantasy Series

• all personal works on this blog belong to scarlettriot. Please do not repost my work anywhere, or claim my work as your own. Please do not share or recommend my work on TikTok or other similar platforms. Thanks so much.

• Writing GIF & my header GIF were created by: @/rainismyonlytherapy

• Profile Pic by: @/sdrawberrii-mochii

• Updated 12/01/23 •

#scarlettriot info ⭐️

[ladylilithprime]

What Is More Infinite Than The Universe

Series: Fluffy Faerie Tales

Fandom: Supernatural

Pairing: Sastimmy/Jamstiel (Jimmy Novak/Sam Winchester/Castiel), Balthazar/Meg

Rating: General to Teen and Up

Tags/Warnings: Half-Fae Sam Winchester, Jimmy and Castiel Are Twins, References to Dean Winchester's Canon Levels of Stubbornness, Archangel Gabriel Casually Hanging Out In A Faerie Cafe, Dragon Balthazar, Dragon Meg

Summary: Some businesses shut down when the weather turns bad. Others tend to get an uptick in activity. Some good... some not.

For: @fluffyfebruary challenge!

Prompt: Day 9: Storm

Read on AO3

WHEN THE WEATHER forecast for the week had handed down the verdict that Seven Mile Island, New Jersey, was going to be inundated with rain for five out of seven days, several of the tourist spots opted to close up shop for the week. Walking tours, wetlands exploration, and the ever popular beachcombing activities of a coastal location just weren't as appealing (or safe) when having to battle the elements to get anywhere. Conversely, places like The Kitchen Witch, The Black Cats' Kettle, and Lighthouse CommodiTeas saw a distinct uptick in their usual customer traffic, including the lifeguards and tour guides who would otherwise be staying home or stuck in their main offices doing paperwork. Nice, hot meals and rich soups from the two witch-owned restaurants really hit the spot on a cold, wet day, and the warm drinks and fresh-baked cookies and pastries from the faerie-owned cafe were a welcome treat anytime, but especially during less than pleasant weather.

"It's really coming down out there!" Balt announced to the cafe at large as he opened the door, sending a burst of cold air into the cozy interior. He quickly deployed one dark blue and black wing to block further incursions of wind as he held the door open for Meg, tucking it back out of sight into the pocket dimension where dragons kept the majority of their mass while in human shape as he let the door swing shut behind them.

"Pulling extra shifts this week?" Sam guessed, eyeing them both even as he reached for the phoenix ash. Jimmy followed his lead and started pulling out the sweetened condensed milk, chocolate sauce, and cinnamon chili powder. It was rare to see Balt and Meg coming in together as they usually kept an alternating shift schedule on purpose. Unsurprisingly, the dragons both nodded.

"Wouldn't you both have less to do when it's raining like this?" one of the other customers asked, frowning in puzzlement. Jimmy recalled that she was one of the newer tour guides for the wetlands and had lamented that the weather had shut down the job she had been looking forward to starting.

"Weather like this tends to mean more accidents, which means having as many doctors and nurses on call in the ER as can be spared," Meg sighed. "Search and rescue, too, given the risk of flooding, and that's assuming it doesn't kick up into a hurricane."

"The relevant local powers are all keeping an eye on things," Sam assured her, getting a grateful nod in return.

"And the hazards of fires don't drop just because it's wet out," Balt chimed in with a grimace. "No easier to put them out once started, either. Imma spend as much time using my wings as an umbrella for my mates as I am diving in to haul folks outta trouble."

"But why?" the customer asked, confused. "Wouldn't most people stay home if they didn't have to go out?"

"Nah, plenty'a people out and about, even on days like this," Gabriel piped up from where he'd been enjoying his usual Trickster's Special and a S'mores Brownie. He waved a hand around the cafe. "Case in point, we're all here, and when we leave we'll have to be out there. Now, we're all gonna be blessed with whatever good luck boost our bodacious baristas have included in our drinks, but that only covers us and anyone else who comes in for a pre- or post-work pick-me-up. It doesn't cover the folks who decided they'd rather warm up with a shot or six at the bar, or tried to start a fire in their electric fireplace."

"'Two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I am not yet completely sure about the universe.' Albert Einstein," Sam quoted, passing Jimmy the cups for toppings.

"Isn't it kind of racist for you to say that?" another customer asked, frowning.

"The boss is half human," Charlie pointed out with a shrug. "If anyone should be allowed to mock both humans and faeries with impunity, it's him. And besides, Einstein was human and he saw a lot less of human stupidity than the boss has."

"And if he'd ever met my older brother he probably wouldn't have limited it to human stupidity," Sam grumbled.

"Dean-bean still being very himself about the alicorn incident?" Gabriel guessed, tsking when Sam and Jimmy both nodded. "You ever decide to cash in that favor I owe you, Samarooni, just let me know..."

"I think sending you after him would be a bit overkill," Sam said dryly. "But we appreciate the offer."

"Don't worry, I sicc'ed Baby on him," Charlie said, winking at Gabriel's pout. "We'll just see how many miles of nothing but dubstep he can tolerate before he caves and actually apologizes. Balt, Meg, you two want anything else besides your usuals?"

"Can we each get a couple dozen assorted baked goods?" Meg asked, after exchanging a glance with Balt. "Not much keeps morale up in the ER like free pastries, and Clarence makes some of the best we've ever had."

Jimmy glanced at Sam. Sam shrugged and glanced back towards the kitchen where Cas was listening. Jimmy caught sight of his brother surveying the ovens and the trays standing by, then nodded and held up ten fingers. "If you can spare ten minutes, we'll get you squared away with an assortment fresh out of the oven."

"I'll make Balt drop me off first," Meg grinned. "He can afford to be a little late."

#fluffy february 2024 #rk writes #supernatural fic #sastimmy #balthazar/meg #urban fantasy au #coffee shop au #first reaponders deserve ALL the respect

[emmetrain]

Rules and Muse (for mobile users!)

Hello hello! I am Rain (they/them), 26, have been writing on tumblr for 10 years :D Please know that I am anti-harassment and refuse to partake in fandom drama. The sibling interactions I will rp will be strictly platonic! I am a tad slow with my replies/threads atm, but feel free to IM me if you would like to plot! Thank you so much checking out my blog and my dear train man :D

Thanks a lot!

I also have a sideblog for my Ingo (ingovercast) , main blogs for Sada ( @sadaolim​ ) and Groudon/Daichi ( @crashingearth ).

Rules and Muse pages are under read more! Public/Semi-public/Private Info post is linked! Verse Masterpost is linked! Their home HC is there.  Misc Info on Battle Subway and Emmet’s knowledge on legendaries here.Emmet’s distinctive features muses might notice. Emmet Hidden Powers HC here.

Rules;

Multiship. Multiverse.  Emmet is not a cheater, every ship is in its own verse. Crossovers and doubles are welcome! OCs and Self-inserts as well!

I do not condone harassment over someone writing fiction. Real people come first. I will block if it the sensitive subject is too much for me, that’s that.

No-nos: Vague blogging. Portrayal shaming. Callouts over fiction (unless it is actual harassment). Policing what others are writing. If you repeatedly bring me drama when I want none of it, it will earn a hard-block. Thank you. Block-evading is not allowed.

IC=/= OCC. If you assume someone’s muse is a statement of their OOC opinions on fandom or other issues, I do not wish to engage. (If you assume people writing villain muses are evil or such, no thank you.)

Don’t reblog threads or headcanons you are not a part of, please. Unless I tag it “ok to reblog”. I do not force reblog karma for memes, but it would be nice if you could avoid reblogging from me.

Blacklist “ask to tag” if you wish to avoid darker themes with violence. Blacklist “long post” to avoid longer threads.

I will not roleplay incest. I will not ship Emmet with any character under 20. All sibling interactions will be strictly platonic.

Please tag real-life images with nudity, blood, gore and such in general.

Do not force sexual acts on my muse.

The icons and gifs I use are mine. Please do not use my icons, thank you. ((BUT THE LOVELY GRAPHICS FOR OOC/ANSWERED/HC/CONT WITH MACARONS belongs to dearest Plane ;;;; Forever grateful for them ;;;; ))

My Emmet’s backstory may reference canon muses, but these mentions will be disregarded unless we plot and agree on these points. Emmet can also come in a blank state to match his brother!

Thanks for reading!

MUSE

*The information can be changed to match his twin, Ingo. Any mentions of canon characters can be disregarded when we rp!

Name: Emmet. (He hasn’t decided on a surname yet.)

Title: The Subway Boss. 

Nicknames: (will be added once we get threads going!)

Age: 24-28 in main verse where Ingo is in Hisui (younger than Ingo by minutes)

19-20 - Depot Agent

21- B&W

23-B2&W2

24-When Ingo disappears

28-When Ingo returns

Birthday/Sign: September 18, Virgo (Pkm B&W Release Date :D )

Gender: Trans Male (he/him)

Sexual Orientation: Questioning (Pan, most likely)

Height: 5'8 feet / 1.70 meters

Weight:100 pound/45 kg (Main/Hisui verse), 165 pounds/75 kg (Pre-Hisui Verse)

Hair Color: Currently Grey, formerly black.

Family: Ingo - Twin Brother

Elesa - Best Friend

Starter Pokemon: Tepig (no longer in his party), and then Klinklang

Team: Klinklang, Gurdurr, Eelektross, Galvantula, Archeops, Durant, (Cutiefly in Verse;; Welcome Home)

*Ingo and Emmet share Pokemons, but these six are solely in Emmet’s care.

*Also, Joltiks. So many Joltiks.

Likes: Trains, Learning, Pokemon Battles, Gossip, Sewing, Truth

Fears: Rain and Thunder. Not being good enough. Fear of being forgotten. Being lied to.

Skills/Talents: 

*Can sew well, their Subway Boss uniforms were redesigned from the old green to white/black by Emmet. He is currently working to improve his skills to one day design a suit Elesa would LOVE to wear.

*Can cook well.

*Can tackle mechanical problems and advanced mathematics.

*Great strategist in Pokemon Battles. Champion-level skills in battling and training.

*Bringing a new approach or a unique solution to problems. Solution-oriented. 

Jobs: One of the Subway Bosses of The Battle Subway, a battle facility in Nimbasa City, Unova.

Personality: Emmet is highly organized person who likes to do multitask a LOT.

*He is used to the fast-paced environment and a comforting presence for many in the Battle Subway he oversees with his twin brother.

*He is resourceful and grounded, making him a feared opponent.

*He enjoys patterns and habits, thus, he likes to stick to his scripts when talking and greeting new people. He likes to get to his point fast and with short sentences; this sometimes intimidates others, however, he DOES enjoy talking and fun conversations.

*He smiles A LOT. Nervous? Smile. Sad? Smile. Scared? Smile. It is rare to see him holding a neutral expression.

*He is extremely responsible, loyal and hardworking. He is prone to burnouts due to this. 

*He IS nosy. He likes listening to the stories with messy interactions. He likes gossip. He is an avid listener of Gossip shows of Nimbasa City.

*He enjoys fine things. He cares a LOT about his appearance, thus, he can be seen wearing the most sparkling whites everyday. He religiously does the laundry and cleaning himself.

*He is a perfectionist. He takes his hobbies and favors asked of him very seriously. Staying up late for these are a common occurrence for him.

*He is ambitious. He can take defeat with a smile, however, he gets disappointed and throws himself to work to improve his skills after a defeat. After all, he likes winning more than anything else.

*He has hard time making friends. He WANTS to, but it seems he push people away or keep his distance, afraid of bothering people.

*He is playful, curious and creative. He will never admit it but he enjoys jokes and puns. He likes getting to know other people. His love language is gift-giving and praises, and hand-crafted gifts will be his go-to.

*He is caring, and loves to serve others. Taking his time to go over his opponents’s strategies after the match, and happily answering any question about Pokemon battle strategies are his favorite pasttime.

*Passionate. Will give his all to his jobs and people he likes.

*He cannot lie to save his life, because he believes in Truth and that it should be said, and lying is disrespect to the integral part of a true life. Also, as someone who is passionate about TRUTH, he knows Ingo’s ideals are true and well, and wants to make them into his reality as well. This is why he kind of lets Ingo lead and make the big decisions, or propose new ideas, because Emmet feels more at home with execution of ideas and making them real than he is with coming up with ideas.

Emmet believes in organization and helping people be their true selves to make the world a shining place of truth. He believes that with truth never covered, bad actions would have consequences and people would be held accountable, thus, prone to change for better. So, he may be a bit direct when he is faced with half-truths and lies. He never wants to be rude, but he believes every lie start small, and it may hurt everyone on the long run.

History: Emmet and Ingo were born to a wealth family, with high expectations and no space for self-expression. However, Emmet always found a way to sneak his own interests and likes, altering the clothes enforced on him, and generally causing havoc. He likes to bottle up instead of speaking up, and this means when he finally breaks, he goes up in flames.

His sibling rivalry (lighthearted and fun one) started long ago, and he had chosen a fire-type starter on estimation that Ingo would definitely pick a grass-type starter. However, Ingo was one step ahead and picked Oshawoot, a water-type pokemon. Which made Emmet get closer to his childhood friend Elesa, who had electric-type Pokemon (Emolgas), to challange and win against Ingo.

When they were approaching their 20s, Emmet and Ingo decided to respectively live their truth and follow their ideals, which led to them to run away from home and reinvent themselves. 

Emmet chose his name to pursue the truth, (as the common name “Emmett" is connected to the Hebrew word אמת> (emét),“Truth”).

Till they landed a job together at the Battle Subway, Emmet took odd job here and there, and tried his hand at being a model, inspired by Elesa. However, his insecurities about his appearance tore him down and he chose to solely focus on his job as a Subway Boss, which he adores.

Headcanons:

*During Ingo’s disappearance, Emmet has stormed Team Rocket’s headquarters located in Unova, and continued to meddle with the police operations and battling/checking the databases of each and every criminal organization in Unova. This was both intended to make progress on his brother’s gaze, but also to cope with the stress and grief. Getting too close to the opponent’s attacks in battle, and only having Haxorus by his side, Emmet was prone to get hurt. A lot.

*This meddling was of course done under disguise, with a black sweater, black mask, and his worn-down white coat cropped to the bare white, becoming a cropped jacket instead.

*He had thought Haxorus “Outrage”, and during one of the battles, Outrage had a lasting consequence. Emmet caries three scars on his right upper arm, and one on his chest from when he tried to shield himself. Appearances are important to him, but with the heavy grief clouding his every sense, he cannot care about it as much as he should.

*During Ingo's disappearance, he had thrown himself to work, and used the nights to strike at the hornet's nest, any criminal organization he could mess with under disguises. The unknown fate of his brother suffocated him and due to his bad coping mechanisms from childhood, he threw himself knowingly in harm's way to get release.

*For him, having scars and bruises to match his inner suffering feels comforting. Emmet is of a chaotic-good alignment, however, him thwarting the criminal organizationss' plans in Unova is not done out of goodness of his heart. He knowingly engages with them, under disguise and only having Haxorus by his side, to distract himself and pretend it is  for the greater good, that he does not have a problem with seeking danger.

*Emmet trusts a bit easily, but befriending him is a hard feat to achieve.

THANKS A LOT FOR READING! I can't wait to interact with Pokemon RP fandom!! Also I adore Pokemon OCs, please feel free to drop by my inbox or starter call!!

#{rules} #{muse}

[sophie-i-guess13]

I posted 5,587 times in 2022

That's 5,587 more posts than 2021!

2,767 posts created (50%)

2,820 posts reblogged (50%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@outsiders-lesbian-xvi

@rumble-aint-a-rumble-without-me

@collieflower215

@the-kneesbees

@cleverclove

I tagged 3,376 of my posts in 2022

Only 40% of my posts had no tags

#soapie’s stuff - 2,782 posts

#asks! - 1,881 posts

#lee! - 936 posts

#lee this is a blessing - 765 posts

#the outsiders - 384 posts

#the outsiders fanfiction - 183 posts

#james! - 130 posts

#dillo’s replies - 110 posts

#sophie i guess13 - 109 posts

#tim shepard - 102 posts

Longest Tag: 137 characters

#i actually have a walkman from ‘92 but it broke (and i don’t have the materials to fix it just yet so i might as well keep an eye out for

I sent 1 gift in 2022

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Haha.

Nice.

45 notes - Posted November 18, 2022

#4

Buck : this is the fourth time I’ve had to bail you out this month. Keep this up, and I’ll have to start stripping to keep the lights on.

46 notes - Posted October 17, 2022

#3

Hello hope you doing well :) #8 With Steve? Sorry it's late

8. hugging while walking

Hi! Hope you’re doing well too! I’m gonna assume you wanted an x reader for this one :)

Elongated shadows paint the sidewalk as they move down the street, hand in hand. It’s a warm afternoon in October, the perfect time to slip away during the lunch hour and walk the six blocks over to the DX. Now that lunch was almost over, Steve was walking Y/N back.

“Y’know what, Steve?” Y/N asks suddenly, “I think I’m gonna try and get a job this month.”

They freeze in the middle of the sidewalk, Steve’s large hand still fully incapsulating Y/N’s. “You don’t want a job,” he chuckles. “They’re so much work-“

“That’s the point, Steve. I don’t see what the big deal is, you have a job-“

“I have a job because I have nothing else goin’ for me, Y/N. If my old man wasn’t all over me, I woulda dropped out by now.” His voice is much lower now; quieter as his arm slides around Y/N’s waist and holds them close, willing their steps to synchronize as they walk. “Just focus on school, yeah? You’re plenty smart. I’m saving up to take care of you already.”

53 notes - Posted July 30, 2022

#2

Curly Shepard loves photography. Specifically, candid shots of his siblings. He keeps a secret album beneath his bed, all with a little blurb on the back.

He kind of uses them as a diary - things he’ll never say to them out loud.

There's one of Tim asleep on the couch, it's obvious he fell asleep waiting for Curly to get home. So, on the back, Curly’s written “I know you worry about us. I'm sorry.”

There's one of Angela doing her makeup, getting ready for a date. “Bryon Douglas is a douchebag who doesn't deserve you- I dunno why you're getting all dressed up for him. You look pretty without all that make up anyway.”

His favourite ones are when they're both smiling, he has a specific page dedicated to those ones.

74 notes - Posted September 11, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

12 year old Dallas, fresh outta NYC: you’re a hillbilly. I don’t have to listen to you.

A 17 year old Buck, wondering why he just let this kid in his car: I prefer the term redneck, you fucking orphan.

285 notes - Posted August 2, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

[morkofday]

Bad Buddy and Gifted AU???????????? i know mejomonster would probably love to see that too

and u know that i'm always down for anything involving a william show >:)

<3 <3 <3

brigiiidd ♥♥ the love of my life 🥰

(placing under a cut bc this got so long! sorry)

ok yeah so i have this fully-fledged bad buddy x the gifted au in my brain that is half based on all the ohmnanon dramas i've come to watch after bad buddy plus all the things i hope the gifted would've been instead of. well. what it was 😬 the concept was super cool but i didn't really like their execution lol

but i have powers for the main six, i have backstories for most of them. i have figured out some of the struggles they go through! also yes this is a mutant au basically and of course that means there's a ton of Angst and things get way rougher than in the gifted. also the school system or whatever is more Nuts bc i said so. also bc i love mutant aus and the mutants always breaking free and lowkey starting a revolution or something. not just the small scale struggle they had going on in the gifted smh

(also as a side note, i have seen at least two other the gifted aus for bad buddy and both were really good so! idk if i really would have any place there so am happy to keep this in my own head basically :') i can just go feral every time i think about what i could write for them haha)

if i can talk about the powers i have figured out, then they go as:

pran - can control soundwaves which basically means that he can a) hear very well (at first involuntarily which is kind of rough), b) use sound as a weapon and c) talk to ppl who are far away

pat - a type of power sealing power? he can make others' powers disappear by touch. usually, the effect lasts only for a while but he can make it permanent too (has done this only by accident for now). my initial plan for him was him being some type of "shield" against powers but that felt too much like bella swan. so now he's this. tho i feel like he still gets parts of the "shield" idea bc i thought that at some point he might be able to develop his power into using it at will to just block others' powers when they try to use them

wai - can control senses so hallucinations, sensory deprivation, all that. if it's subtle he can just make ppl believe basically anything bc they thought they sensed it. if it's violent enough, he could kill ppl.

korn - super strength. lowkey a cliche but i like this. he can probably develop his power into being lowkey indestructible. he probably also heals fast.

pha - can control earth. she is the reason the jindapat siblings discover their powers. she suddenly gets a temper tantrum at ten and breaks their living room floor. bc pat is her biological brother, it is considered most likely that he will develop a power too. it takes him a year before he discovers that what he thought was just his social skill at calming down ppl is actually his ability to make their powers vanish for a moment.

ink - able to read and manipulate emotions. kind of like claire in the gifted but more extreme. she usually uses her skill to help others but she can be terrifying if someone does her wrong. ever cried so hard your heart gave out? not fun.

and that's about it. i have some meetings and conflicts figured out outside of their powers. also i think these could make very nice dynamics to explore. (tagging @mejomonster to this too if you're right and they wish to see this!)

-

then the novoland thing bc i assume you meant that lol (or does my dreamwalker au include fo ye? you'll never know. at least ba ye is there)

i think you have read everything i have for that currently 😔 i still think about how zhou youdu will fit into the dynamic with the other two. also thinking about how william probably dies in this too. i was not that fond of his character as you might know lol he was a major asshole and i don't think he deserved to "get the girl" at the end but well. i guess he deserved something. also he needs to apologize to so many ppl and i plan on doing that bc wth why was he allowed to just Get Away With It dammit.

thank you so much for asking brigid ♥ i love you!

#the bad buddy x the gifted au is something that keeps me afloat ok #watching all these ohmnanon dramas has made me Feral #like have you seen nanon in the gifted or in blacklist? #the faces that boy makes?? delicious whump #i want to whump pran so bad #and bad buddy doesn't really offer us that bc that drama is Soft #and i cannot give anything but nice things to pran there #so au it is haha #and what an au it is ok i have come to majorly Wreck His Ass #the boy in this au is so angsty he wishes i was not in love with him #bc wow does he get hurt by his own power #he struggles with it so much #also it's been fun trying to come up with like #the reasons why some things that happen in bad buddy happen in this #like why does pran have to leave school when their parents aren't really involved in any of this in the au? #well i think it's bc he accidentally hurts someone with his powers #and is deemed too dangerous to attend this normal school #and well he and pat know each other then #and are kind of friends and kind of close #and then pat is left behind bc well his power isn't really dangerous #his power is Good #and then pran meets wai in the facility he ends up in #and wai is Dangerous too #and they bond over this #before somehow pat ends up there too #and they meet up again #and this time it's not just friendship but they Fall In Love #bc what will be sadder than loving someone in that type of environment #where they cannot be sure what happens to any of them

[dreamsunlimiteds]

The Basic Principles Of Valley of flowers trek

Answer: Trekking sneakers with thick soles and most importantly, it should be comfortable; Flip-flops must be light-weight Specialist trekkers have categorised the Valley with the Flowers trek being an very easy to reasonable stage trek. The highest issue Here's at an altitude of 4390 meters. If you are geared up well and Stay an active lifestyle 12 months-round, it's not Substantially of a challenge. You'll set off in your travel again to Haridwar in the morning. You are able to eat lunch on the best way. You will reach Haridwar by evening. Your excursion ends below. We now have a ideal value ensure. If you have exactly the same product wherever else at a less expensive price tag therefore you notify us in regards to the very same on exactly the same day within your reserving, We'll refund the main difference of Price for you. That night time we had a pleasant camp keep. It was superior. The 4th day started off by using a trek from Ghangaria to Hemkund Sahib trekking. This was a holy spot of your Sikhs. The go to to your 7 snow-capped mountains was the emphasize. It absolutely was the ideal at any time day on the trek. Fifth day was trek back to Govindghat and drive to Joshimath from there. The next day we went again to Haridwar exactly where our trek travel finished. it absolutely was avery unforgettable journey for all of us. we'd definately recommened this position The trek also needs some local transfers. If you are not staying in Govindghat - the trek start out position - you will require transfers more info in the spot you will be being on the main night time to Govindghat. Similar will apply in reverse on the second last day of your trek. Dates and Charges date & duration availability cost Sorry no much more departures accessible. You might get in touch with us at reccytravel.com if you'd like to help make a booking. Therefore, the rainy season is thought of as the most beneficial time for Valley of Flowers trek. Be aware that this is additionally enough time of your year when the area is susceptible to accidental landslides and torrential downpours. It could be clever to check climate forecasts before embarking on this trip. If you have prior substantial-altitude trek experience, then this wouldn’t be described as a tricky a single assuming you have a good Physical fitness amount. Nevertheless, every single individual’s human body reacts in different ways for the mountains, so you're the ideal choose of The body. You’ll first have to vacation from Delhi to Rishikesh, which happens to be the starting point for your trek. After which from Rishikesh to Joshimath(and scroll further more for next itinerary right after this) Most do a trek for 5 to six days. I traveled from Bangalore to Valley of Flowers as well as did Hemkunk Sahib trek and including all the things, it Charge me all around 2500 INR. Check my specific break-up of charges at the end of this post. We suggest September for trekkers which might be viewing with families which have slightly senior associates or for many who wouldn’t love to trek during the rain. Do Remember the fact that you won't have the capacity to truly enjoy the flowers of the valley in the course of this thirty day period. The Himalayas existing a large number of selections to your enthusiastic along with the curious. Some trekkers brave the hard terrains to look at the dawn in the snow-capped mountains and attain a feeling of fulfillment right after summiting Those people mighty peaks. They're hygienic and well-preserved. There are 2 GMNV houses – a single on the centre, and one other in upper Joshimath. You'll be able to contact them on the identical working day or per day right before and block your keep.

#valley of flowers trek #travel #trekking

[redladydeath]

songs i daydream about my six ocs to

castle - empress matilda don’t threaten me with a good time - edward ii misery business - isabella of france you should see me in a crown - margaret of anjou (tentative) black space (rock version) - henry viii idontwannabeyouanymore - guildford dudley bloody mary - mary i watch - mary i ultraluminary - elizabeth i part of me - mary queen of scots i’m still standing - james i we were rock ‘n’ roll - henrietta maria of france ex’s and oh’s - charles ii/catherine of braganza queen - mary ii if i had my time again - mary ii and william iii i like me better - mary ii and william iii without me - queen anne nobody - queen anne you’ll be back - george iii juice - caroline of brunswick my future - queen victoria kings and queens - empress matilda, jane grey, mary i, elizabeth i, mary ii, anne, victoria emperor’s new clothes - all all the he good girls go to hell - all

#can you tell i have a limited music taste and latch onto any song i discover during my fandom interactions #redlady speaks #peyton's six posts #btw rec me songs that make for good amvs/animatics #i literally have 70+ six ocs so whatever it is it'll probably match up with someone #(christ i hope this doesn't show up in the search results when someone looks up one of these historical figures names) #six the musical #there maybe that'll keep history tumblr from having to witness my brainrot #i assume most of them have the six tagged blocked by this point #six oc hell

[buckys-other-punk]

 Merciless

Pairing: Asshole Ex-Boyfriend!Chris Evans x Reader

Request: Could I have a part 2 to Insensitive were the reader comes back and she’s a bad bleep?

Summary: A couple months after their breakup, Y/N has changed since the last time Chris saw her. 

Word Count: 1.3K

Warnings: mentions of previous cheating, alcohol, cussing, mentions of sex, and badass reader aka justice lol I don't know 

A/N: Hello! Thank you @vanillabqrnes​ for the request apologies for this taking forever and I hope you like this! Also sorry to those who follow me, I promised to write more and that didn’t happen, but here’s something lol. Whenever I wanna write I open my computer and then bam writers block. Also please don’t mind any minor mistakes this is unedited. Anyways hope you enjoy and I’ll meet with you at the end of the fic ; ) 

Previous Part

It had been six months since your breakup with Chris and honestly you were doing great. I mean at first after all the rage you remembered the good memories from your relationship. While recalling those “good”memories you realized that four months prior to you finding out he cheated that he had been acting strange and distant. But you’ve moved on and could care less about that asshat.

You quickly moved on and actually you’ve completely changed your mentality when it comes to relationships. You have started to become more comfortable with yourself and not let anyone walk over you. Your closest friends have noticed your change in demeanor and they love it. They have literally called you a badass heartbreaker, solely because you have turned down almost every guy who reminded you of your asshole ex-boyfriend.

With your new look and attitude you were able to find the perfect match for you. You met your boyfriend, Henry *cough Henry Cavill cough*, at a party hosted by a mutual friend. The two of you were trying to avoid the crowd which didn’t help since the two of you were seated at the bar. You both had people flock towards you offering to buy drinks, which you both rejected. The two of you noticed one another when a woman asked Henry for his number, he declined, then she started flirting with you. You shook your head and scoffed, turning her down as you stood from your seat. You walked closer to the man taking a seat right next to him. After that the two of you had a pleasant conversation about who had the most people to hit on them, you won, and then the rest is history.

Your new relationship was completely different from your previous one. Henry adores you, treating you way better than you know who ever did. Also lets just say the sex was clearly better and you learned new things about yourself with your boyfriend. You never really got to explore that side of you when you were with Chris. He would be the one to take charge and never let you try something new.

Anyways you and Henry were actually going to lunch at one of your favorite fancy restaurants. Opting to sit near the open glass window you ordered your food. You didn’t give a fuck how these rich people were staring at you because you were wearing. You wore a long leather coat showing the right amount of cleavage and thigh high black boots. Henry wore a white button up shirt that clung to his muscles and dark blue dress pants. You laughed at a joke that Henry made, you glanced out the window and your eyes widened. Henry looked outside and he felt his blood start to boil.

*Chris’ POV*

After the break up the infamous Chris Evans was having a slightly rough time. He still didn’t understand what he did wrong. Then about a few months later Brittany, his second girlfriend while dating you, dumped Chris because she apparently found a better, richer man. Chris had been miserable in his house ever since. He thought about calling you after his break up with Brittany, but then he thought a grand gesture would be better. So he ordered the most expensive bouquet of roses and had them delivered to your house. 

A letter was immediately sent back saying that you had moved out of your small apartment, but the man who lived there kept the expensive flowers. Chris yelled out in frustration which startled his maid. She tried to comfort him telling him what he wanted to hear, that you would eventually come back to him, but deep down she knew that what she said was a lie. She knew about what her boss had been doing, but Chris offered to pay her to keep quiet.

Chris never stopped thinking about you. He would walk by your old apartment, sometimes even drunk. The man who lived there always saw him through his window feeling a bit bad for Chris, but assuming he probably deserved the heartbreak. As more months passed Chris decided that drinking would help numb the pain. It didn’t, drinking honestly made him think about you even more. Thoughts and images of you flooded his head and he didn’t know if he wanted them to stop or continue.

Chris decided that going out with other women would help, the break up messed his game. He would accidentally call his new girlfriends your name and some would stare at him with a blank face and the rest would ignore it. Eventually he found a woman who resembled you to the tee. The two of them were together for a while and Chris was kind for getting tired of her because she wasn’t you. He decided to go to a fancy restaurant to make reservations for their most elegant seating to break her heart. That’s when he saw you through the window with a man.

----------------------------

Henry looks back at you, “Is that?” You nodded your head and stood up from your seat. “Be nice.” he huffed as he remained in his seat unfolding the napkin on the table and placing it on his lap.

You stormed out of the restaurant stopping Chris from entering. Chris was shocked by how you dressed, he never saw you dress like that before. You saw Chris eye your entire body looking from your head to toes stopping at your chest.

“What do you want?” you harshly said crossing your arms over each other.

“Obviously, I’m here to make a reservation.” he snarkily replied. “How was I supposed to know you would be here?” 

“Bitch, I don’t know?!” you exclaimed. “It’s not like this is my favorite restaurant.”

“Again, how was I supposed to know that?” Chris angrily replied.

“Seriously?!” you huffed. “You’re still a dick you know that?”

“So what? You gonna teach me a lesson?” he flirtatiously said.

“God, you’re disgusting.” saying as you turned away from him.

“Wait,” he stopped you, grabbing your arm and pointing to the window, “who’s that you’re with?” 

Snatching your arm back from him. “That is my boyfriend, no begone.” you said shooing him away not caring about the people who were staring.

“Boyfriend? I bet he doesn’t treat you as well as I did.” he says c, crossing his arms. You slapped his face hard and shook your head.

“Oh, you're one to talk.” you yelled back at him. “You never changed, did you? You’re still an asshole prick that just wants a nice woman by his side to make him feel better about himself.”

“That’s not true!” he exclaimed.

“Oh really? Then tell me the real reason why you’re here?” you questioned looking at the man.

“As a matter of fact I’m taking my girlfriend here.” he replied with a smirk.

“Yeah, to break up with her?” you asked, shaking your head.

“How’d you know that?” He placed his hands on his hips.

“Because that’s what you did to the girl you dated before me, asshole.” you exclaimed.

“Well, why not after I break up with my current girl, you and I find a nice place to properly talk.” he smirked at you.

You walked closer to him and he smiled as he felt your chest against his. He looked down at your cleavage and back up to your face smiling even more. You put your hand on his shoulder smiling at him and that’s when you kneed him in the crotch.

“Go find someone else to feed your ego. I’m busy.” you said as you walked back to the restaurant and your boyfriend.

As you sat down on your seat, your boyfriend placed a kiss on your cheek. “Were you nice?” he asked, taking a sip of his wine.

“I tried to be.” you huffed as you looked out the window staring at your ex who laid on the ground in pain.

“Well, looks like I need to teach you some manners then.” he smirked.

“You sure do.” you smiled, winking back at him.

A/N: Ahhh hello!! How was that? I feel like this wasn’t my best but at the same time not bad. lol I literally have no clue how to write a bad bitch reader (because i ain’t one), but hopefully I did this request justice! Thank you for reading and lemme know what you though of this. Feedback is very much appreciated and lemme know if you wanna be tagged in my stuff!

Taglist:  @lostinthoughtsandfeelings​ @sebtheromanianprince​ @aquabrie @who-the-hell-is-sebastianstan​  @anbrax5553​ @wintersoldierissucharide​ @caplanbuckybarnes​ @miraclesoflove​ @kitkatd7​ @saiyanprincessswanie​ @fandomsandxfiles​ @hailmary-yramliah​ @coffeebooksandfandom​ @thefallenbibliophilequote​

^^please lemme know if you wanna be added/removed for future tags or dm me if I forgot you^^

#chris evans fanfiction #chris evans x reader #reader x chris evans #chris x reader #reader x chris #asshole evans au #reader insert

[anatomical-puppet]

A short lil fic because Oh My God, Arthyr My Beloved,,, I also just wanted to write some Eira angst with at least a kinda-happy ending lol :')

Warnings: Cursing, as well as mentions of injury and being attacked/jumped. Ask to tag if I forgot anything!

Reblogs appreciated!!! ^^

Arthyr had always found the day-to-day routine of princehood rather dull. You’d think it would be a walk in the park, and he was the first to admit that he did have it significantly better than most. But even then, there were still downsides.

The constant circle of guards that stalked his every move was certainly chief among his complaints. Really, what sort of self-respecting seventeen-year-old couldn’t even take a walk by himself? It was humiliating.

He was on one such walk- just a simple stroll to unwind after a particularly tense dinner with his parents- when he heard the falls of familiar boots a few meters to his left. They turned into an alleyway, the one a few blocks southwest of the castle with the graffiti at the far end and the family of raccoons living in the garbage cans. Thank god he’d taken the time to memorize the kingdom’s layout as a child; his little getaways would have been much more difficult otherwise.

“I think I heard some disturbance over that way,” Arthyr blurted immediately, pointing forwards and to the right, down a side street lined with book shops and apothecaries. “If you all would take a moment to investigate, I’d be very much appreciative.”

Three of the four guards flanking him nodded, hands apprehensively gravitating to their sabers as they walked the few meters to investigate the prince’s ruse. Thankfully, the remaining guard was new to his position and had yet to learn that the prince needed a careful eye on him at all times, lest he mysteriously vanish. He was remarkably stealthy for his height.

Arthyr waited a mere moment, listening to the other three guards grow steadily further away, before slipping silently behind the back of the fourth and jogging into the alleyway he’d heard the boots duck into.

“Eira?” he called in a stage whisper, smiling to himself and dragging his right hand along the coarse brick wall to keep himself on track. “I know you’re down here, silly bastard, I heard you.”

A hefty sigh greeted him from further along, lower than Arthyr had expected. He must’ve been sitting on the ground.

“I thought you said you were gonna be at home tonight.” The voice was congested and hollow.

“I was. But now I’m not.” Arthyr’s brow furrowed as he turned to face Eira’s voice, then sat beside him, careful not to dirty his cloak. “You sound cross.”

“I’m fine,” Eira bit back.

“Clearly not. What’s the matter?” Arthyr reached a hand out to carefully grasp Eira’s shoulder.

“Don’t touch me,” Eira snapped, jerking his shoulder away.

“Eira, what-

“Go back home, Arty, it’s cold.”

“You say that as if it’s anything new,” Arthyr said with a roll of his eyes. “Really, what’s come over you? You sound like you’ve been crying. Tell me.”

Eira cursed, then stood and continued walking down the alley.

Arthyr could hear the limp to his steps.

“You’re hurt? Eira-”

“I told you it’s fine.” His voice cracked at the end. “Go. Home.”

“No.” Arthyr stood and began to walk beside Eira, his longer strides making it impossible for Eira to pass him without running, which would’ve been damn near impossible with that limp. “I’m not leaving you alone until you tell me what happened and how I can help.”

In his frustration, Eira slammed his hand against a nearby trash can, crying out on impact as pain seared back through his wrist.

“Something with your hand, too,” Arthyr sighed, holding a hand out towards Eira. “May I?”

Eira hesitated before shakily holding his left hand out for Arthyr to gingerly take.

His wrist and hand were shoddily wrapped in bandages, and he heard Eira wince when he put pressure on the joint. The bandages were slightly damp...

But they were cold. So it was just melted snow. Good.

“Who was it this time?” Arthyr asked gently, carefully pulling Eira’s sleeve down to cover the bandages before letting go and crossing his hands back over his cane.

“Some jackass fuckin’ kids,” Eira spat, leaning against the opposite wall before sliding down to sit. Arthyr took up his spot on Eira’s right yet again.

“They jumped at me, just tryin’ to scare me, and I… got startled. Accidentally hit one of them with some ice. And then they kicked my ass. Six of them, I think? Maybe more. I couldn’t see.”

“They attacked you because of the ice..? Or because you hit them?”

“Obviously because of the fucking ice,” Eira spat, then sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m just kind of on edge still.”

“That’s alright. I know how you get sometimes, I don’t mind.”

They sat in relative silence for a few moments before Arthyr heard a scratching on his left.

“You’re picking at the scar again.”

“What?”

“The scar. You’re picking at it.” Arthyr lifted his hand, giving Eira ample time to move his own away before gently guiding his touch away from the mark on his face. “It’s going to bleed again if you keep prodding at it like that.”

“I’ve had it for years and it’s only bled twice. I think I’ll be fine.” Arthyr could hear the roll of his eyes but chose to ignore it.

“Well, here. I can’t be away much longer or my father’ll have my head for running off again.” Arthyr rifled through his pockets, then pulled out a few coins and handed them to Eira. “I’m assuming you’ve got some scrapes and cuts, too, so buy yourself some antiseptic. And get supper while you’re at it, I know you haven’t eaten.”

“You sure you’re not magick? You seem pretty fuckin’ psychic to me” Eira breathed out a weak laugh but didn’t take the coins in Arthyr’s palm. “I’m fine.”

“You know I’m not going to take no for an answer.”

“Arty, really, I-”

“Eira, darling,” Arthyr mused, “denying the direct orders of the prince could be reasonably considered as treason, no? And I have ordered you to take this money and go buy yourself some damn food.”

Eira chuckled again, more like himself this time, and reluctantly slipped the coins into a hidden pocket of his jacket. “Thanks, your highness.”

“Ugh, you know I hate it when you call me that,” Arthyr laughed, standing and wiping snow from his cloak before holding a hand out to help Eira up.

“Of course I do. That’s why I do it.”

“Scoundrel.”

“Rich kid.”

“Street rat.”

“Pretty boy.”

“Little- wait, what?”

“What?”

“Prince Arthyr!”

Both heads turned sharply at the intrusion of the guard’s shout, just outside the entrance to the alleyway.

“Shit,” Eira whispered, looking about frantically. “I gotta hide, they’re gonna think I was trying to shiv you or something.”

“Find someplace quick, dumbass,” Arthyr hissed, hurriedly shoving Eira to the left. “I remember there being some boxes over there when I was here the other week.”

Eira dove, skidding into the snow behind the conveniently-placed stack of crates just as one of the crown’s guards rounded the corner, heaving a sigh of relief at the sight of the prince standing, unscathed, at the tail end of the alleyway.

“Goodness, your majesty, why the hell are you in this dingy place? Not fit for a man of your rank, you know. And I really don’t think you’re supposed to be on your own, regardless.”

“Thought I heard something else awry and must’ve taken a wrong turn in my investigation,” Arthyr lied, walking briskly past the guard and allowing his cloak to whip against his face. “I’ll try not to get turned around next time I take a detour.”

#heartless #abd illustrates #prince arthyr #eira hale #my writing #tw cursing #tw injury mention

[crescentsteel]

Keeping a Secret - Prologue

plot: ehehe lemme leave this blank for now as this is only a prologue genre: fluff, crack, slow burn, eventual smut, sexual tension, angst at some point wc: 2.7k

[a/n]

I am reeling just from finishing this one because Tsukki is my boy (Kuroo ily too i swear)

Who writes 2.7k words of prologue? lol me

I’ll set up the masterlist when I’m done with the 1st Chapter.

Thank you so much @oii-sugasan​ and @haikyuu-is-for-lovers​ for the betaread! :)

Let me know if you wanna be tagged

Chapter 1 || masterlist

You aren’t just annoying. You’re a fucking menace. Every time he goes to the gym, your presence is like a plague. You're just a manager, but sometimes he thinks that you think you’re the assistant coach. There’s nothing he’d love more than to shower you with the nastiest, most off-handed comments, just to shut you up and wipe the cheery grin that taunts him every time he sees you. 

Seriously, you’re all over the place -- you talk to all members of the team as if you’re a player yourself, you nag everyone to take care of themselves outside training like you’re their older sister, you hand out self-gathered information on upcoming matches as soon as matchups are announced, you scamper around the gym tossing balls, assembling the net, doing whatever the hell you can get your hands on, all the while wearing those stupid shorts that distract the majority of the team, especially the new members. 

As his eyes follow you, you suddenly turn around to face him, breaking him from his reverie. Even when you’re halfway across the gymnasium, he can see the sharp playfulness that you always exude whenever you talk to him. 

“Tsukishima!” You wave at him with that disgustingly sweet grin. “If you’re done staring at my sexy back, you can start your blocking drills, okay?!” you shout with a voice loud enough for everyone else in the gym to hear.  Tsukishima feels multiple sets of eyes glance towards his direction and he ‘tsks’ in annoyance under his breath.

He immediately walks away. He refuses to hear more of the unnecessary and untrue prattles directed at him by you.  

He hears footsteps follow him. Judging from its pace and heavy strides, he already knows its Kogane without even looking

“Oi, Tsukki. Do you like our manager?”

He doesn’t understand why Kogane is whispering when you’re half a court away from them. More than that, he doesn’t understand why Kogane assumes he likes you. For one, you were wrong: he wasn’t even staring at you. He was staring randomly at nothing while thinking  about how irritating you are and you just happened to be at his line of sight. 

“I don’t see anything to like about her,” he replies passively. 

“What? Why? She’s super helpful -- and pretty too.” Kogane, just like the rest of the team, believes so. Even Kyoutani is fond of you because of that one time you received his spike on full force. You rolled on your back from the sheer power of it but you were able to receive it perfectly, making the whole team go wild when you did, with him as the only exception as he found it inane. 

“If you think so, go confess or something then.” 

“You know we can’t!” Pink stains begin to surface on his teammate’s cheeks, obviously infatuated with you. Then again, this is not new to him. It was a basic reaction from anyone whose dick is more functional than their brain.  Maybe it’s because you’re the only female so close to everyone else. Honestly, he really doesn’t know. But one thing’s for sure. Kogane has 0 chances with you, and neither does every player of Sendai Frogs. 

He remembers the conceitedness you displayed even in your first year as a manager. You two became part of the team almost at the same time. He was two months in when the former manager introduced you to the team. As she finished introducing you, you whispered to her to add something. It went something like ‘oh, umm. y/n-chan also said that no one from the team can’t date her.’ Even the former manager looked at you weirdly but you were just there beaming as you bowed to everybody. 

They thought it was a joke, but when you became a full-pledged manager in less than six months, you announced it yourself. 

‘I know I’m kind of cute, but I won’t ever consider dating anyone from the team. Okay?’

You announce it with a sickening smile every time there are new members, reminding everyone else that you’re untouchable. 

It’s fucking atrocious, to him at least. Unlike the other players from his team, he’s not shallow enough to fancy you just because you’re not disgusting to look at, or that you did your managerial duties so exceedingly well.

He grits his teeth. He hates it. How can someone so chaotic as you be so effective in managing the team. What grinds him even more is that you go to the same university he does, and even there, your presence stinks. He once had a class with you only to find out that you’re not as dumb as you make yourself out to be. 

It’s infuriating. He can’t wait for the day you mess up -- only then would he finally get the chance to diss you. He’ll turn that shit-eating smile of yours upside down. 

--

Man, nothing boosts your mood better than bugging Tsukishima. When you felt his sinister stare boring at your back earlier, you just couldn’t waste the opportunity to say something about it. He just ignored you, but the scowl on his face was enough response to satisfy you. 

The truth is, you have nothing against Tsukishima. Yeah, he has a sharp tongue and a vile attitude, but hey, he’s a good team player. He doesn’t speak much, but he gets shit done in matches. Despite his foul personality, he’s actually manageable: he listens to you and he rarely shows up late. He’s not particularly motivating to look at, but he still does what’s asked of him. For some reason that you don’t know, he still hasn’t spat out his usual, rancid remarks towards you. You know he’s itching to, and honestly, you’re kind of curious of what he’ll throw your way. 

Still, for the last three years he kept his mouth shut even though he looks at you like you’re the most unpleasant being he’s ever laid eyes on. 

“Y/n!”

You jog towards the team coach, Coach Mira. “Yes, Coach?”

“Do you like Tsukishima?” she asks curiously. The question is funny to you but you hold back the laughter and smile instead.

You like Coach Mira a lot. She’s more like an older sister than a coach to you. You’re free to share a few laughs with her, and she values your input to the team. Maybe it’s because you’re both women drowned in a sea of male athletes that you sort of have that innate connection. 

“No, Coach. Why?”

“Cause you pay attention to him the most.”

“I don’t see what’s to like about him,” you veer your gaze towards his direction, watching his scowling face as he walks away, Koganegawa following closely behind him. You can’t hear them, but the sight is already amusing as it is. “I just like putting him in place whenever he’s being extra nasty,” you add. 

“If you say so, y/n. Honestly, I don’t really care if you go out with one of them.” 

You wave your hand back and forth like you’re swatting a fly. “No way, Coach. They’re like little boys I’m taking care of.”

She sweeps her gaze behind you, scanning all the players present in the court. “Can’t say they feel the same way though.” Then she looks at the same person you’re looking at. “Well, maybe except for Tsukishima.”

“That’s why I like messing around with him the most,” you admit with mirth as you watch Tsukishima get away from Kogane.

--

Everyone in the gymnasium is staring as they enter the arena. If there’s one thing opposing teams remember about the Sendai Frogs, it’s their female tandem of a stone-cold coach and a ‘hot,’ bubbly manager who walk side by side in front of the whole team, not the players.

It’s not really an issue for Tsukishima. He doesn’t really care. Shimizu had the same reputation back in high school. But you? You’re not Shimizu. You aren’t even close.

And you, being the chaotic mess that you are, you milked the attention. Whenever someone blatantly gapes at you,  you’d wave at them. You’d even entertain those who openly flirted with you. In retrospect, he should find it despicable. Rather finds it entertaining. So does the rest of the team.

When the Sendai Frogs reach their spot, a guy wearing a Tamaden Elephants jersey approaches you shamelessly. A brave (maybe a little bit foolish) act, considering you’re with the whole team.

“Hi!”

You turn around and greet him just as enthusiastically, maybe even more.

“I just want to say, great game from last season, he says as he scratches the back of his head. 

Liar. 

If the guy really wants to acknowledge the team’s play from last season, he’d approach one of the players. He also wouldn’t have that stupid blush on his awe-struck face. 

“Thank you! Great game indeed,” you return the compliment.

As soon as the guy starts fidgeting, Tsukishima can already guess what comes next: it’s either a date or your number.

“If you don’t mind, can I get your number?”

Tsukishima sneers at how predictable the scene is, and he can’t wait to see what comes next.

You beam at the guy. “Sure! It’s number 1.”

He still smiles even though he’s obviously dumb-founded. “Sorry, what?”

“My number, right? It’s 1. Cause we’re number 1 in the district,” You say with that fake innocence that isn’t really fooling anyone.

“...Uhh.”

“Go Sendai Frogs!” You cheer out of the blue and as if an automated response, the rest of the team, even Tsukishima (though lifelessly), answers.

“Sendai Frogs fight!”

The loud baritone of deep male voices drew the attention of other people in the area, brightening your face up even more as you focus on the guy in front of you again. He looks scandalized by what just happened. 

“How about you? What’s your number?” you ask, pushing the guy to a mental corner as Tsukishima and his team glares at him while waiting for how he’ll answer. An embarrassed blush replaces the previously infatuated one as he realizes that he shouldn’t have made the mistake of hitting on you. 

“I-I’m not really sure,” his voice loses any shred of confidence it once had.

“Oh. That’s too bad,” you feign sympathy. 

“Yeah.” The guy looks down. “Guess I’ll see you around,” he adds before retreating defeatedly.

“Bye! Nice to meet you,” you wave cordially. ‘Whoever you are, newbie elephant,’ you say to yourself as you watch the unfamiliar member of the Elephants go back to his team, a team you wiped the floor with last season.

Until now, you don’t understand why people still even bother. You welcomed the flirtations, but never really went out with anybody. You’re not really opposed to getting in a relationship, but like -- Gooood! They’re all so uninteresting. Rejecting them is more fun than the mere prospect of dating them.

You feel a familiar touch on your shoulder. 

“Good job boosting the team morale,” Coach Mari says in a volume that only you can hear as she pats you.

“Thanks, Coach!” You grin at her praise. 

You turn around to check your players and your eyes instantly land on Tsukishima who had just put on his white headphones and began scrolling at his phone. Around him, everyone else has already started stretching. 

You bounce your way to him, knowing that you’d instantly get his attention even without saying anything. But even with you ogling when you stopped in front of him, he still doesn’t budge.

“Tsukishima.”

No response.

‘Heh,’ you snicker internally. He never fails to amuse you when he tries to ignore you. 

“Tsu~ ki~ shi~ ma~” You bob your head sideways, popping at the opposing sides of his phone so he’ll notice you.

You don’t miss the minute twitch of his eyes as he drags his phone closer to him in an attempt to shut you out. 

Tsk tsk. He should know better by now that you're not the type to back away. 

You go beside him instead, tiptoeing so you can see what he’s so busy looking at. As soon as your arms touch his, he puts down his phone and irritatedly removes his headphones. 

He’s shooting daggers at you, making you giddy with excitement as he looks like he’s about to say something you. You hold his gaze with a raised eyebrow and subtle smirk that you couldn’t suppress. Did he get fed up already? Is he finally going to say something?

‘Do it. Do it. Do it,’ you chant in your head. 

He takes in a painful deep breath instead. “What?” The single word contains so much disdain that you want to cackle so bad. 

“Shouldn’t you be stretching?” you query.

“In a bit.”

You leisurely shake your head with disapproval. “I know you’re a lazy ass fucker sometimes,” you begin. “But you always help us win. You’re our meanest, tallest, best blocker.” Your gaze drops down to his ankles and travels up.

“So,” you continue, dropping your voice amusedly, “stretch those gorgeous, God-given, legs you have.” Your eyes linger on his thighs before landing up to his face to smile sweetly at him. “Will you?”

This is one of the moments you’re pretty sure he won’t dare talk back at you. Why? Because you’re one hundred percent right, and he knows that too. 

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t hate it.

He glares at you for one second and walks towards the rest of the team to join them. 

--

Playing at the professional level, he always considers one match to be a big win already, even if it’s just the first match of the regular rounds. Ever since he became a starter for Sendai Frogs, he was not allowed to slack off even for one rally. He could take the lecture if it’s from Coach, but he couldn’t stomach it if it’s from you. 

Even before the match started, you were already on his grill, pestering him just because he wasn’t warming up yet. He was pissed the whole game and put extra effort than usual to make sure that you won’t have anything to say after. 

“Um, excuse me.” A girl from Red Rabbits blocks him on his way to the restroom. “Tsukishima, right?”

He can tell that she is trying her best to look nonchalant, but the familiar tint on her face is telling.

Tsukishima had never understood girls who approach him for anything remotely romantic. Does he look like he’s interested? It’s not that he’s not open to the idea of dating, but he finds it unpleasant when people go after him because they like how he plays. Worse, for some obtuse reason like him being ‘cute.’

“Yes. Why?”

She smiles at him bashfully with her arms crossed behind her. “I’m also a middle blocker. I was really inspired with how you read block so well. If it’s okay with you, can you teach me how you do it?”

Why would he do that? He’s already a senior college student who’s also a professional athlete. He has no reason to go out of his way to teach someone read blocking. Especially someone who’s already supposed to know it since (as she claims) she’s also a middle blocker. Judging from where they currently are, someone from Division 1 no less. 

“Sorry. I’m really busy,” he says bluntly. 

“Oh, okay. Sorry for bothering you.” She bows then takes off immediately. 

He watches as the girl from Red Rabbits scampers off as quickly as humanly possible. Did she really think he’d agree to it?

He is too occupied to notice the faint sound of footsteps behind him, and only when you speak does he notice your presence.

“Aww, poor girl going out of her way to ask you out.” 

He groans. Why are you even here? You’re supposed to be checking on the team since their match just ended.

You fall into step beside him as he brushes your comment off and continues heading for the rest rooms.

“I didn’t ask her to,” he calmly responds despite your irksome presence. 

“How are you going to get a girlfriend like that?” you ask exaggeratedly as if not getting in a relationship will lead to his ruin.

“I don’t need one.”

You gasp. “Damn, Tsukishima. Men your age are all about raging hormones. Where do you put all that raging testosterone?”

He purses his lips in a corner, his jaw tensing at your remark. Men his age? You talk as if you’re older when you’re in the same year he is.

Also, what the fuck?

Now you’re nagging about his personal life too? You’re already aggravating as the team manager. Now you’re even sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong.

His blatant irritation must have shown in his face because you suddenly let out a giggle. “My bad, my bad. Don’t look so scary. Geez. Where you get action is none of my business. I just followed you to let you know that we’re leaving in twenty minutes.”

You turn around, about to go back but stop before you make the first step. “Oh, and we have a meeting later. I did the stat sheets of the game and gave it to the coach already. Great blocking, Tsukishima!” You pat his shoulder twice with a proud smile, then saunter off back to the arena. 

Damn it. If only you aren’t so good at being a manager, he would actually be able to dislike you to the fullest. Not only that, he wouldn’t feel that silly, tiny contentment he felt upon hearing you.

Chapter 1 || masterlist

Taglist:(those crossed out can’t be tagged)

@ameliaxo @suikrem​​ @akaashisslave @tsumurai​​  @babythotshq​​ 

#tsukishima x reader #tsukishima x you #tsukishima fluff #tsukishima crack #haikyuu x reader #tsukishima angst #tsukisima series #haikyuu fluff #haikyuu crack

[thetravelerwrites]

Dr. Mael Halvorg (Part 3) Lemon

Rating: Explicit Relationship: Male Part-Fae/Female Part-Fae Additional Tags: Exophilia, Monster Boyfriend, Fae, Naga, Reader Insert, Genetics Content Warnings: Children, Pregnancy, Incubation, Oviposition, Egg Laying, Birth, Surgery, Male Infertility Words: 4029

Dr. Halvorg learns what could be causing his infertility and makes arrangements to try and correct it. He and the reader become closer, and the reader attempts to do something to help him feel less lonely and unfulfilled. Please reblog and leave feedback!

The Traveler's Masterlist

Halvorg went in for the tests that same week, returning afterwards subdued and blushing slightly. You assumed he’d never given a… sample… before.

“How’d it go?” You asked him.

He rubbed his neck bashfully. “It was… thorough.”

You snickered. “At least it wasn’t a biopsy after an abnormal pap smear. Those are traumatic.”

He looked aghast. “I can only imagine.”

“Did they say when the results would be in?”

He shook his head. “No, they’re supposed to call me when they come back. Could be a week or so.”

You patted his arm softly. “How are you feeling?”

He sighed heavily. “Worried. This could change my life or confirm my worst fear. Either way, I’m… well, to be honest, I’m a little scared.”

“I understand,” You replied. “Well, no, I don’t. My family is disgustingly fertile. If I ever tried to get pregnant, I’m sure it wouldn’t take me long.” You looked up at him with sympathy. “But I do feel for you.”

“I appreciate that,” He said solemnly. He looked at you curiously. “If I might ask, how old are you?”

“I’ll be one hundred and seventy four years in August,” You said.

“And you’ve never considered having children in that time?” He asked.

“Not really. I figured I had enough nieces and nephews that I didn’t think it was necessary. I mean, I’m not against the idea of having children, I’ve just been career oriented for most of my life and never really settled down in any place for very long. I’ve never been married, never had any serious relationships, never dating with the intent on finding ‘the one.’ I figured if I wanted that, it would come in time and I would let it happen naturally and there was no need to rush it. Does that make sense?”

“It does,” He said. “That’s how I used to be for a good three centuries. It wasn’t until I did marry and tried to make a family and failed, again and again, that I sort of became… obsessed.”

“How many times have you been married?”

“Thirty times, I believe.”

“Were they all human?”

“Most of them were,” He said. “There were a couple of tieflings, a half-orc woman, a faun, a selkie, and a dryad. I stayed with them all until the end of their lives, except the last one who left me. I’m nothing if not devoted.” He cocked his head. “Well, I divorced the dryad. She wasn’t happy that I couldn’t conceive children and berated me for it.”

“Oh, jeez, what a bitch,” You said, frowning.

He snorted. “I may have used similar language at the time.”

“I can’t imagine you calling someone a bitch,” You said, side-eyeing him.

“I was a different man in my youth,” He said, smiling. “I’ve got some papers to file. I’ll see you later.”

You waved him off, watching him walk briskly and frowned. He’d lost so much, been disappointed so often, given up on the things he wanted for himself to help others. He was using what he had to give others what he wanted, and as noble a pursuit as that was, it was also rather sad. And what if he got the news he was dreading the most. He’d be devastated.

Was there anything you could do to make him feel better? Was there something you could give him that would make him feel less… incomplete? The only time he seemed genuinely happy was when he was with the children. What else could give him the same joy?

The boy. It came to you suddenly. What about the boy he thought was his son? The one he raised until his mother left with him? Could you find him? Was he alive?

At lunchtime, you sat down with Amai in the cafeteria.

“Can I ask a favor of you?” You asked.

“Sure, what is it?” She responded, sipping her coffee. She always craved coffee when she was incubating and downed gallons of it after laying.

“The boy Halvorg raised, what was his name?”

“Robert, I think?” She said. “I can ask Yenuno, he knows.”

“What year was he born?”

“Uhhh… 1901 or around there.”

“What was his mother’s name?”

“Martha--why are you asking about this?”

You sighed. “I want to find Halvorg’s son. He may be dead now, but I have to try. Halvorg is so unhappy, he’s just gotten really good at hiding it. I want to give him some kind of closure.”

Amai winced in sympathy. “Yeah, I know what you mean. Spending all these years around him, I can see how much he’s hurting, even if he tries to mask it.” She sighed. “I have some contacts at the census archives and I can make some inquiries. I’ll check the lineages websites and find as many records as I can.” Amai snorted. “Maybe he’ll be less uptight.”

“Amai!” You retorted.

“Sorry, sorry!” Amai held her hands up. “I’m sorry, it’s a reflex by now, sorry. This is serious. I’ll look into it.”

“Thank you,” You said with a warning tone. “This is serious.”

“I know,” Amai said, her face more solemn. “I’ll do what I can.”

“Thank you,” You repeated. “I’m sorry to put more work on you, though.”

She tsked at you. “Please, I always take maternity leave during Yenuno’s time incubating. I generally have nothing to do but keep the big guy company while he’s stuck in one place. It’ll give me something to do.”

Halvorg got the call a few days later and informed you of the appointment time. You offered to drive him, and he gratefully accepted.

“Are you alright?” You asked him.

He took a deep breath and blew it out through pursed lips. “I don’t know. This is either a new beginning or the end of the road. I don’t know how to feel.”

“I’ll be with you, no matter what,” You told him.

He grimaced in a failed attempt to smile. “Thank you.”

The two of you sat in the waiting room for a moment before being called back into an exam room. He sat there in his chair and fidgeted nervously. You put your hand on his and held it. He looked up at you with fear in his eyes and didn’t shake you off.

The doctor knocked on the door and let himself in. Halvorg straightened up, releasing your hand.

“Alright, Dr. Halvorg,” He said, sitting at the table. “We Have your results back. Blood and urine came back normal, and there’s nothing abnormal on your x-rays.” He flipped on the computer screen on the desk in front of him and pulled up Halvorg’s file. “However, there was abnormalities in your sperm sample and the MRI.”

“What type of abnormalities?”

“Well, first of all, your semen sample didn’t have any sperm in it.”

Halvorg looked confused. “What?”

“It’s a condition known as Azoospermia. It’s basically when there’s a blockage somewhere that’s trapping the sperm, which is why there weren’t any little swimmers in your sample.” The doctor clicked on one of the tabs and opened an MRI of Halvorg’s pelvic area and pointed out the anomalies. “The MRI confirms it. There doesn’t appear to be a connection between your epididymus and your vas diferens, and without that connection, the sperm is completely blocked. There’s also a blockage from your testes to the urethra. You appear to have been born with all of these blockages.”

“How does that happen?”

“As to that,” The doctor said, looking at the paperwork he came in with. “Your genetics test came back, and it appears that you have a mutation of Cystic Fibrosis. Thankfully, with this mutation, there are no other typical symptoms of Cystic Fibrosis besides the infertility.”

“Can it be corrected?” Halvorg asked anxiously.

“Yes, microsurgery can correct it. Before we do that, we’ll need to take a sample directly from the testicle with a needle to see if you’re producing sperm at all and look at the count. If we determine that the general sperm production is not the problem, then we’ll proceed with surgery.”

Halvorg sat in a stunned silence, gripping his knees tightly.

“So… it’s possible that I could have children?” He asked.

“There is a possibility,” The doctor said. “We would have to wait until after the surgery and take another sample. I don’t want to get your hopes up too soon, the sperm count could be low, they could be abnormal. There are a bunch of things that could go wrong.”

“But there’s a chance?” Halvorg asked, his eyes as wide and vulnerable as a puppy.

“There’s a chance,” The doctor replied.

As the two of you left the clinic and headed to your car, before you could get to your door, Halvorg gently took your arm, swung you around, took your face in his hands, and kissed you full on the mouth. You made a sound of surprise, but you didn’t push him away.

He lingered for a moment or two before breaking away and saying, “I’m sorry, I know that was extremely unprofessional and probably unwanted, but I don’t know how to thank you. I owe you so much, I can’t begin to express how grateful I am.” He gulped and looked at you earnestly, breathing out a shaky breath. “Do you remember when you asked me to dinner?”

“Yeah?” You asked, confused but intrigued by the sudden softening of his prickly exterior.

“Does the offer still stand?”

You smiled at him slowly and took his hands. They were trembling. This was the first time in a century he’d asked a woman out, after all.

“Yeah,” You replied, stepping closer so that your body lightly brushed his. “Yeah, it does.”

He smiled wide and kissed you again.

Maël went in the next day to have a sample taken, and was thrilled to learn that he did have a decent amount of sperm production. He scheduled the surgery immediately. The recovery time would be at least six weeks, and it was advised that he didn’t try to have sexual relations for another two weeks after that. Plenty of time to feel out your new blooming relationship and get more comfortable with each other.

Thankfully, you had a week to actually go on a few dates before he went under the knife. He took you to Dunmountain on a weekend trip to the museum and the opera. It was the first time you’d done anything like this recreationally in a really long time, and you loved every second of it.

Even though you were sharing a hotel room and a bed, he didn’t attempt to be intimate with you, and you didn’t push him. It had been a century since he last took a woman to bed, and you imagined he felt a little nervous about it.

You didn’t go out of your way to tell people that you were together, but it wasn’t a big secret either. Yenuno and Amai were overjoyed for the two of you. Maël had told Yenuno and Amai about the surgery, but he claimed it was a hernia. You weren’t sure if he would tell them the whole truth. Not unless he got the results he wanted.

By the time he healed completely, it would be about time for the eggs to hatch. Yenuno was already restless and it had only been a month.

You drove Maël to the surgical clinic on the day of his surgery, sat with him in pre-op while he waited nervously and just talked him through his anxiety, holding his hand when they put the IV in. They gave him some medicine to help calm his nerves, and he began to grow sleepy. You stroked his head and watched his eyes fluttered closed. They wheeled him into surgery while he was still snoozing.

The procedure didn’t take very long, only about an hour, and you waited to be called back. A nurse came to retrieve you and took you to his room.

He lay there in bed, drifting in and out.

“Hey, sweetie,” You said, rubbing his arm. “How are we feeling?”

“Sore and thirsty,” He croaked.

You picked up the cup with water in it the nurse had provided and helped him take a sip.

“I’m not surprised you’re sore,” You remarked, setting the cup back down. “A whole bunch of people fondled your balls for an hour.”

He wheezed a laugh. You loved it when he laughed. It changed his whole face. “Did they say when they’d release me?”

“As soon as you can pee on your own, they’ll let you out of here. They said there would be swelling so it might be a while before you’re able to do it, though. I’ll wait.”

He held his hand out for yours and you took it.

“I feel like all I do these days is thank you,” He said. “I wish I could do as much for you as you’ve done for me.”

“You don’t have to do anything for me,” You said. “I’m a strong, independent woman who don’t need no man. But I’ll keep you around. You’re cute.”

He breathed another laugh through his nose. “I’m glad. I’ve become rather fond of you.”

You kissed his knuckles. “Likewise.”

He managed to relieve himself right after dinnertime, and was declared clear to go home. You drove him back to the facility and helped him to bed. He was asleep before you left his apartment.

Heading back into your own apartment for the night and sat heavily on your couch. God, you needed to do laundry. It had been a chaotic few weeks.

You started picking up clothes that were strewn haphazardly over furniture, and while picking up a pair of jeans, a small book fell out.

Oh. Right. Maël’s research notes. You’d meant to give it back. Well, Maël was going to be recovering in bed for a few days and likely sleeping most of that time. You could give it back when he was back on his feet. You placed it in the drawer of your nightstand, stared at it for a minute, and went on to start laundry.

And promptly forgot about it for a second time.

Maël slowly healed, though he walked a little stiffly for a few weeks and was careful when sitting. He was a little more irritable than normal, but you imagined he was trying to adjust and was also still worried about whether or not the surgery had worked. He wouldn’t know for another several weeks.

The children kept bringing him flowers they found in the forest to cheer him up, which always seemed to lift his spirits. You spent the evenings with him, talking and cuddling and kissing. You felt like a teenager again, and you hadn’t been a teenager in over one hundred and fifty years.

You were starting to regret the timing of the surgery, though. Sometimes the making out would get pretty hot and heavy, and you had to force yourselves to stop for fear of injuring him.

One night after you’d been dating for just under two months, he was kissing your neck and began to unbutton your shirt. You stopped him.

“You haven’t been cleared for intercourse, have you?” You asked him.

“No, not yet,” He said, breathing heavily and biting his lip. His white-blonde hair was out of it’s normal clean braid and falling around his face. “But I can do something for you.” His hand drifted down your abdomen and between your thighs.

“Oh,” You said, smiling a little. “Are you sure?”

He slipped his hand into your panties and stroked you, and your breath caught in your throat.

“I haven’t done it in a while,” He said, trailing open-mouthed kisses down your stomach. “But I think I still know how to do this.”

He got up from the couch and pulled you by your legs gently so that you were laying flat, pushing up your skirt and pulling off your panties. He knelt back down on the couch, yanking off his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. He slowly spread your legs and pushed your knees upward. He started kissing and sucking the inside of your thigh while circling your bud with his thumb. You moaned and lay back into the cushions, giving over to the sensations.

As he kissed his way toward the apex, he slipped his middle finger inside you and thrust it gently in and out. You whimpered and gripped the couch, your hips grinding against his hand.

“Maël, please,” You breathed.

He growled low in his throat, sending a shockwave through your spine.

“Since you said please,” He whispered teasingly, and pressed his tongue to your clit. Your toes curled at the contact and you grabbed a handful of his hair.

“Oh god,” You whispered. “Maël.”

He placed his whole mouth over you, licking and sucking, adding another finger inside you. He certainly did remember how to do this.

“Fuck!” You said through gritted teeth, followed up by a shuddering moan, raising your head to watch him. He looked up at you through his long lashes and doubled his efforts, sucking your labia into his mouth and pulling, adding a third finger. “Fuck, I’m so close.”

Still sucking, he grinned up at you and quirked an eyebrow. He withdrew his fingers and used his hands to push your knees into your chest to open you up wider. You grabbed his head with both hands and rocked your clit against his tongue.

You came as though hit by a bus, loud and violent. Your butt lifted off of the couch as you pulsed in ecstasy, screaming. You hoped the walls of his apartment were soundproof. You couldn’t believe that he’d made you come in under a minute.

“How? How did you do that?” You wheezed.

He chuckled darkly. “I was married thirty times, darling. If I don’t know what I’m doing by now, I shouldn’t be dating at all.”

You just sort of laid there like a starfish while you got your breath back and cooled down. Maël went to fetch you some water and a snack. Eventually, you found your underwear and put it back on. Once your heart rate had slowed, he pulled you into his lap and kissed you slowly until you fell asleep. The next morning, you woke up next to him in his bed. You were tucked up under his arm and he was sleeping peacefully, a small smile on his face.

Suddenly, both of your cellphones buzzed at once. Maël snorted awake and untangled himself from you, picking up his phone, looking at it, and jumping out of bed.

“What’s wrong?”

“The eggs are hatching!” He exclaimed hastily, pulling clothes out of drawers and putting them on hurriedly. You threw your clothes on and joined Maël’s mad dash for the door.

When you got to the receiving area, the kids were milling around inside, instructed to stay away from the cottage until the babies were born, but they were craning their necks to see what was happening.

Amai was in the shelter with Yenuno and several members of the hatching team, looking into the circle of his tail. She looked up and saw the two of you running up and shouted: “Hurry! They’re almost out!”

You and Maël darted up the ramp and looked down into the coil. All three of the eggs were cracked open and little arms and tails were poking out.

“Vitals?” Maël asked, donning a surgeon’s paper outfit and instructing you to do the same.

“Vitals are elevated but within acceptable range,” One of the nurses said.

“Good,” Maël said. “Alright, we just have to stand back. They’ll do most of the work.

Amai and Yenuno were watching the eggs hatch with awe on their faces. You supposed watching this never got old for them. You wondered if they would miss this now that they decided to stop laying.

Slowly, the little wiggling figures freed themselves from their shells and were crawling around on their hands, looking up at their parents. Maël used that distraction to examine them.

“No way…” He said in a hushed tone. “I don’t believe it.”

“What?” Amai asked a little shrilly. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Maël said, grinning up at her. “They’re all girls.”

“What?!” Yenuno and Amai said in unison, looking at their new little ones.

From what Maël had told you, the ratio of male to female births of Blue Gill Nagas was disproportionately skewed in favor of males. One in twenty eggs contained a female. Having an entire clutch of females was extremely rare.

Yenuno and Amai cried with joy and excitement. They’d been hoping to have at least one more little girl. To get three in one go was overwhelming.

Maël supervised the clean up process, and when they were ready, Yenuno and Amai brought the three baby girls out and introduced them to their siblings. You watched on the ramp with Maël, smiling, and took his hand. He squeezed yours in return. Looking up at his face, you could see he was crying, too.

This is what Maël wanted. He wanted to be the first to say hello to his own child, to be the first to hold them, to be the first to tell them he loved them. He wanted to kiss their brow and dance with them when they were crying and sing them to sleep at night. To get on the floor and play with them and put bandaids on their knees when they scraped them. He was desperate to experience that again, like he had with his son.

After the hatching, Maël went to file the new birth paperwork and Amai and Yenuno and their children were spending the next few days together. That left you with nothing to do.

Back in your apartment, you lay in your bed, thinking about that morning over and over. The babies busting out of their shells, the look of joy on their parents’ faces, the mix of happiness and pain on Maël’s.

You sat up to get your lip balm from your night table, and again found the book. You really ought to give it back. You’d been absent-minded about this for too long.

You opened it, flipping through pages until you landed on the date you first arrived at the facility. Intrigued, you read it.

“Amai’s friend finally made it today. It was exciting to meet her; I’ve been following her career for so long. She’s done so much for the non-human community. Amai didn’t tell me how breathtakingly beautiful she was. My heart stopped when I saw her out of the window. I haven’t felt attraction like this in centuries.”

Oh. Oh god. This was his personal diary. You knew you should stop reading it, but couldn’t. You had no idea he’d felt this way.

“I think I’m flirting with her, but I’m not trying to. I can’t help it. She’s funny and intelligent and everything I love in a woman. She’s gorgeous. I don’t know what to do. I’m trying so hard to stay professional, but I can seem to stop smiling around her.”

The next entry was the day you asked him to dinner.

“She asked me out on a date tonight. It was so hard to say no, but there’s no point, is there? She won’t want me if she knows I can’t have children. She’ll either leave me or mock me. There’s no point. I’ll avoid her. That’s all I can do. It’s best if I don’t get closer to her. Even friendship is dangerous. I’m already half in love with her, and I don’t think I could take it if we started a relationship and she ended up pitying me or disgusted. I can’t do it again.”

There were no more mentions of you in the book after that. You didn’t realize you were crying until the tears hit the page.

It was then that you made a decision.

You took out your phone and dialed your gynecologist’s office. “Hi, Grace, I’d like to schedule a consultation with the doctor about canceling my next birth control injection.”

Since my work is no longer searchable, please do me a favor and reblog this story if you enjoyed it. Help me reach a wider audience! To help me continue creating, please consider buying me a Kofi, becoming a Patron, or donating directly to my PayPal!

Thanks for reading!

My Masterlist

The Exophilia Creator’s Masterlist

#Exophilia #Monster Boyfriend #Fae

[chxrrysangel]

The Diner

Part Two | Masterlist | Part Four

Summary || Bucky surprises Diana with a lunch date, opening up a box of even more shocking revelations

Pairing || fakeboyfriend!bucky x black!ofc

word count || 1,704 words

Warnings || language, fluff, pet names [ darling, doll face, angel, love ]

“Alright everyone, class dismissed.”

“I genuinely despise this class.” I look over to my best friend, watching her fold up the small blanket she carries to sleep in the boring lectures. I don't know how she does it and still passes.

“Well Nat, blame the Dean my love. She’s the one that made Smith a Psych teacher.”

“Ugh, Williams and I have beef for that one.”

“Definitely. C’mon we gotta go before she starts yelling.”

Nat and I quickly make our exit through the lecture hall, careful not to agitate Professor Smith with our supposed-“loitering.”

“So Di, where are we eating today? Steve told me about this new restaurant in town and he wanted to bring everybody there today. Wanna come?”

“Well—”

“Hey, doll face.” My head snaps to down the hall, seeing a certain long-haired biker boy.

“Bucky, hey!” I run from Nat towards him, wrapping my arms him.

“That good enough for you?,” I whisper in his ear.

“Perfect,” he whispers back.

“Bucky and Diana…never thought I’d see this happen.”

Hearing her voice, I untangle myself from Bucky’s arms and smile sheepishly.

“Nat, I was gonna tell you—”

“No babe, it’s alright. I’m sure you would’ve eventually. So Bucky, what’s up?”

“Well, I’m stealing your little lady and taking them to lunch.” Nat smirks at his words, before shooting me a knowing look.

“Alright. But don’t forget to return her at some point. Her next class is in two hours.”

“Yes, ma’am. C’mon Walker. I got a special place to take you to.” He doesn’t wait for Nat to say goodbye before he’s tugging me along, hand wrapped around my waist.

“So James, where are we going exactly?”

He grins at my inquisitive nature. “You’ll see darling. Don't worry.”

~~~~

“Oh my god no way!” I practically tackle Bucky in the concrete parking lot, overcome with excitement over where he took me.

“This is the diner we went to last semester to take breaks from studying. We spent so time here.” I smile at the memories of us playing table football and drinking milkshakes between late night study sessions. Whenever we started to get burnout, Bucky would take me here because “good food heals the soul”. Or something like that.

“Well, I figured out you didn’t know the address by the lack of appearances you made after you helped me. So I thought I’d bring you back. Now come on, food awaits.” He grabs my hand in his, pulling me through the door of my favorite 50’s diner.

Walking in, I realize how little has changed since the last time I’ve been here. The black and white checkered tiles are still there, including that lone set of two black tiles next to one another. Pink and blue leather still accents the space, and the waitresses still wear Robin’s blue uniforms with hoop skirts. I love it here.

“Hey, Bucky! How you doing darling?”

“I’m good Janet. Table for two?”

“Two? Oh Diana, hey sweetheart. I haven’t seen you in a long long time. ‘m glad you’re back.”

“Hi, Janet. Glad to be back.”

I’m not surprised Janet didn’t see me considering half of me is hidden by standing behind Bucky. He’s a pretty good hiding spot when you’re nervous. I watch Janet take two menus and motion for us to follow her. She stops as a booth in the back, winking at Bucky before heading off to take orders. I’m assuming she’ll be back later.

“M’lady. Your seat.” Bucky bows, holding his hand out towards my side of the booth. I laugh at his ridiculousness, before sliding into the red leather booth.

“You’re suck a dork.”

“Well technically, I’m now your dork. At least a fake one. So, you’re stuck doll face.”

“Unfortunately.” His face drops in feigned hurt and my words, putting a hand on his heart as if I struck him.

“Wow, Di. I’m pained, truly pained by your confession.”

“Deal with it, Charming. That's just how I am." Something sparkles in Bucky's eyes, making me feel slightly anxious

"Charming, huh?"

"Yeah, Charming. Like Prince Charming. Personally, I think you look most like Prince Eric, but Charming is close enough."

"Walker, I'm truly honored. " He smirks, mischief evident on his features. I can see the wheels and gears turning in his head across the table.

"Well, don't get a big head about it James. Or I'll never give you another compliment again. Anyways, I'm gonna head to the bathroom. Be right back."

~~~~

When I walk out the bathroom, I find Bucky still sitting at the table. Phone in hand, tapping away at the screen, and constantly running his hand through his loose waves, he looks quite unapproachable. He's in distress. I don't like when Bucky is stressed. He becomes irritable, snappy, and hard to be around. So I tread lightly towards our table.

"Hey Buck, you alright?"

He doesn't answer for a few moments, lost in whatever is happening on his phone.

"Bucky?". Still nothing.

"James?." His head perks up this time, eyebrows furrowed with a frown etched into his features.

"Yeah, doll face?" I chuckle before sliding into the booth.

"So you answer to that, but not the name you normally go by?" His eyes flicker back to his phone, typing away again.

"Well, you normally call me James anyways and it doesn't seem like you're gonna stop anytime soon. So I'm not used to hearing you use Bucky." He continues to type away, barely paying attention my presence. I don't like when people text while talking to me, so I snatch the phone away. He begins to protest, but looking at the harsh glare I'm sporting causes him to stay quiet.

"Who's texting you anyways?"

"No one." I sigh, annoyed with his lack of honesty.

"Bucky if we're gonna do this, you have to be honest with me. I haven't lied to you yet, so don't lie to me." By his lack of argument, I presume his believes I'm right.

"Fine, it's Steve. Happy now?"

"Steve? Why's he texting you? I thought you weren't friends." I motion to his phone password, silently asking if I can open it and he nods. Still haven't changed the password I see.

"We're not. But it seems that a little birdie told him about you and I, so now he won't stop blowing up my phone and asking me questions. I thought he blocked me to be honest."

"Do you mind if I look at the texts? Or is that something you want to keep private?"

"No, go ahead. I trust you." I grin at his words. Aw, he trusts me. I'm so gonna make fun of him for this later.

"Uh uh. Diana, I see that twinkle in your eyes. Don't get a big head about it."

"Too late, bubs. I've already got one. You trust me, how cute." I reach over and squish his cheeks, causing him to slap my hands away in agitation.

Okay, the texts.

Buck, you're dating Diana?!? Wtf since when?

Why does it matter?

It doesn't, I'm just asking.

Don't you have a gf Steve? Why ARE you asking?

Shut up, she’s one of my closest friends. I need to protect her from bad people.

And I'm bad people huh? You're not her fucking dad. Lay off.

I'm just being a good friend.

Sure you are.

I was not expecting this in the slightest.

"Buck, Steve sounds..."

"Jealous?"

"What! No, not jealous. You sound dumb. Why would he be jealous, he has Nat."

Bucky doesn't answer, just smiles at me and shakes his head. I give him a questioning look.

"Are you really this clueless about relationships and love?"

Ouch. Stab me in the heart while you're at it.

"I am not clueless. I've just never been in a relationship before. Is that such a bad thing?"

"You've never been in a relationship before? You? Don't lie to me Angel. "

"What? I'm not lying." He stares at me, eyes demonstrating distrust.

"Alright, why?"

"No one's ever liked me like that." Bucky looks at me like I'm a complete moron and snorts.

"Yeah, right." He's confusing me.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, y/n. Absolutely nothing."

"Well at least I wasn't fawning over a girl for multiple years and didn't have the guts to ask her out. Hm?"

"You're one talk. Steve?"

"I do not have a crush on Steve."

"Right, of course you don't. It's not like you asked a random guy to pretend to be your boyfriend so he doesn't think you like him. And the only reason that it would matter that he thinks so is if you actually did have a crush on him." I could break his neck right now if I wanted to. I really could.

"You're full of shit Barnes. Complete and utter shit. And you're not a random guy either."

"I mean if you think so darlin', so be it." He smirks like he knows something I don't and it make me feel queasy.

"So, what are we gonna do about S--"

"A burger with fries and a patty melt combo with two vanilla Root Beers?"

I'm cut off by Janet arriving at our booth, a tray of food in her hands. I didn't even order. My eyes flicker over to Bucky in confusion and he grins.

"Thanks, Janet. We'll call you back later for dessert, yeah?"

"No problem, sugar plum." Bucky takes the plates from her, divvying up the items to their respective sides.

I look at Bucky with confusion written all over my face, watching him dig into his burger and pay me no mind. I didn't even order. How could he-- he remembered my order. From six months ago, he remembered by order. I check the sandwich to be sure. Cooked onions, pepper jack cheese, no pickles on the side. It's all there.

"You remembered my order." His eyes move up from his sandwich and he looks at me like I didn't just say something spectacular.

"Yeah, so? It's not a big deal, Diana. Don’t make it one. Now as you were saying, how are we gonna take Steve down and get him to believe this?"

It's Not Real tag list:

@vicmc624

#fakeboyfriend!bucky #fake relationship #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky x female reader #romanogers #steve rogers #bucky barnes #natasha romanov #mcu au #bucky x reader

[queen0fm0nsterz]

It always makes me feel weird how everyone wants Thin Man to be into the Lady. I get that all theories are valid if people can find evidence to back them up, but I can't help for it to bother me. Everyone thinks the Lady is Six, but that's not canon, its a theory and people seem to forget its a theory. I don't think Thin man can ever leave the tower, its the whole point, he literally cannot leave until his younger self goes to save him out of it. He can kidnap kids from the tvs, but he can't leave the tower, so i dont see him meeting the Lady or being like "uh yes, time to get some pussy!🤩"

People are fine to ship and be all romance dreamy over a horror game about sad kids trying to survive, but sometimes they make it like its "offical" and that's when it begins to bother me.

(Lol sorry for ranting)

Look, anon, I understand where you're coming from. From what I'm reading, I'm assuming you are referring to the theory that states Thin Man and Lady are the Pretender's parents.

Honestly, I agree with what you said on the Thin Man: him being stuck in the Tower is the whole point of his character. He can't leave. He is not allowed to moved on. If he was able to leave all along, then the betrayl would have been meaningless and Mono wouldn't have turned into the Thin Man - and I'm pretty sure the Thin Man wouldn't be so upset with Six had he actually gotten the chance to go out there and look for her adult version.

That being said, I can assure you there is a good half of the fandom that believes Six isn't the Lady, and that despise the idea of Lady and Thin Man together. It's a 50/50, really. You just gotta find your people.

I understand what you mean when you say some people are pushing too much and trying to make them ""official""... as official as two characters that have never even met on screen can be, anyway. It's true: there is people who want them to be together really hard. It's frustrating and annoying - and this comes from someone who enjoys the Thin Man and the Lady together.

Then again, it's also true that most people in the fandom are just normal people trying to have fun. There's nothing bad about making harmless theories because that's what they are: theories. Hypothetics. AU material, even. Fun headcanons to talk about, if you feel so inclined.

If these kind of theories about Thin Man and the Lady bother you so much, the best advice I can give you is avoid them. Block people or tags, if it helps you have a better experience in the fandom. Don't let it be ruined by this small thing you don't like!

#im not sure if i should put this in the main tag? mhhh🤔 #i mean we ended up talking more about the fandom rather than the characters #nyways the ln fandom is mostly pretty chill and cool #save for *those* weird mfs yeesh #i hope this didnt feel condescending? im just trying to give advice so that you can have the best experience hanging out in the fandom

[kaitycole]

you broke me first (part 2)

Summary: You and Oikawa dated all three years of high school, that is until he broke up with you out of nowhere. Then three years later, you open the door of Iwaizumi’s apartment to find Oikawa there.

Word Count: 2825

Rating: Angst. Pinning. Mentions of anxiety. Talks of a break-up

Pairing: OIkawa x Female Reader (past tense), Iwaizumi x Female Reader

A/N: Fingers crossed I’m capturing these guys right lol I think maybe it’ll have one more part, I'm not sure. Let me know your thoughts though! 

Also, I’m thinking of having two different ending, let me know if that’s something you’d be interested in!

Song Choice: you broke me first by Tate McRae

Tag List: @yatoatyourservice​  

When Iwa finally gets back to his apartment, Oikawa is sprawled out on the floor on his phone. Shaking his head, he simply walks passed him, grabbing two beers from the fridge. He just knows he’s gonna need some.

“Oi. Here.”

Oikawa takes the beer, clinking it against Iwa’s before taking a sip. While the two of you were gone, Oikawa practically dissected all the posts on both your social media profiles. He came up empty, either you weren’t dating or weren’t making it public. It’s driving him crazy to not know, while he wasn’t expecting you to be here, he’d be lying if he said seeing you didn’t stir something up inside him. Didn’t make him rethink the last three years, comparing them to the three you spend together.

“How long as you in town?”

“A week.” He makes eye contact with Iwa, “But I’ll find somewhere else tomorrow.” Iwa shakes his head in protest, “Just stay in the spare room.” “Is Y/N okay with that?” Oikawa raises an eyebrow, trying to see how he react; but he’s stoic as usual.

He nods, “As long as you don’t act like shittykawa, I’m sure things will be fine.”

A few beers later and Iwa’s phone goes off, he excuses himself to take it. Oikawa leans back on the couch, trying to not think about you but failing.

------

It was just like every other day, an early chilly morning before school. You and Oikawa were sitting on a bench close to the school, he had just finished up a brief practice. He enjoyed this time with you, before the campus filled with tons of students especially his “fan club”.

“Oh, I brought you something!”

“Oh really? What is it, princess?” You pulled out a small bag and handed it to him: milk bread.

“Y/N, you’re the best. I love you.”

Your face turned bright pink.

“Oh, I…uhm…well, no, I love you.” He shrugs, “Wasn’t how I was planning on telling you.”

It made your heart skip, he had been planning on telling you that he loves you. And instead of some grand gesture or in some super overthought way, your dork of a boyfriend told you after getting milk break.

“You are such a dork.” You pulled him close and kissed him, “I love you too.”

There had been great days in Oikawa’s life; most of them included volleyball, but this day topped all of them. He draped his arm around your shoulder, pulling you into his side and kissing the top of your head.

“Say it again?”

Your face turned even redder, it extended to the tops of your ears, “I love you, Toru.”

Oikawa could’ve died right there and he’d have been a happy man. You and volleyball are all he needed in life and luckily, he wouldn’t have to choose one over the other, right?

Two years and three months later, he had to choose one and it wasn’t you.

------

Iwa comes back into the living room, “That was Y/N. She’s back at her dorm.”

“When did she start calling you Hajime?” His voice is full of regret and Iwa instantly picks up on it; his heart sinking.

“I’m not really sure, sometime during our first year here I think.”

“You two are together, aren’t you?” Oikawa asks, not really wanting to hear the answer. His eyes are closed and he feels like he’s going to be sick.

“Yeah. We are.” Iwa rubs the back of his neck, he never intended to keep this from his best friend.

“How long?”

“Three months.” There were several days within those months that Iwa had dialed Oikawa’s number just to hang up or not bring it up. He wanted to tell him, there was nothing keeping him from it other than himself; there was just some mental block.

“Guess you picked up all the piece, eh?” Oikawa stands up, chugging the beer on the table before grabbing his bag. He tries to think of where he can go because he can’t stay here. He doesn’t want to hear about how Iwa was there to catch you when he had left.

“It wasn’t like that. We…she didn’t even talk to me that summer or the first few months of school.” Iwa hates thinking about how you were back then, remembering just how broken you were when Oikawa left.

“Then enlighten me.”

“You broke her, shattered her, destroyed her.” He runs his fingers through his hair, “You were it for her and when you just left she fell apart. I honestly thought she didn’t come to university until we had a class together the second part of our first year.”

When Oikawa first left, Iwa assumed you’d need a few days to adjust, but it was after a few weeks that he tried reaching out. You ignored him. He eventually swung by your job at a local convenient store, only to find out that you had quit. When he went to see you at home, your mom had been the one to tell him of the break-up and that you had gone to stay with your aunt in Tokyo for the summer.

Iwa sits down, elbows on his knees with his head in his hands. Oikawa drops his bag, he didn’t realize how hard the break-up had hit you. With him going abroad, he thought it’d be easier for you. Though it hadn’t been easier for him either.

“I felt horrible, she’d become my best friend through high school and there she was and I didn’t know the slightest thing about her anymore. So, I sat next to her, made study plans with her, invited her to meals; anything that I knew she’d agree to and not see as unnecessary like parties.” He takes a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.

Iwa tells Oikawa about how you’d practically jump each time your phone went off, praying that it was Oikawa. How you flinched every time someone brought up volleyball or when people would eagerly ask you if you knew Oikawa when they learned where you went to high school. Or that you missed two days of classes when she learned he had injured his bad knee again and that it was almost a year later when you actually gave Iwa a sincere smile and laugh.

Iwa doesn’t look up Oikawa as he recounts the last few years; part of him want his best friend to feel guilty and miserable, but the other part of him feels guilty for wanting that. He recalls the time when you called him first to make plans that didn’t include the library, studying or a lecture.

He laughs, “You know she came in here about a year and a half ago now, randomly telling me she hated all my furniture and over the next four months, she had completely redecorated the apartment.” Oikawa smirks, that sounded just like you.

Oikawa continues listening to Iwa. Learning that it may have taken you a bit longer than expected, but you learned to be happy again. That a day came where you could hear his name again without cringing and how one random night you brought up a memory of the three of you out of the blue. Oikawa isn’t sure if the ache in his chest is still from hearing about how you were or from the proud smile Iwa sports talking about you.

He stands up, once again picking up his bag before nodding his head towards the hallway. “I’m beat.”

“Oh, uh, yeah.” Iwa stands up, motioning his friend towards the guest room.

In three separate beds lay three individuals, minds all filled with a mix of worries, regrets, and memories. In the room at the end of the hall is Iwa, trying to convince himself that laying in the middle of the bed will prevent him from missing you. It’s been months since he’s slept alone; even before an official relationship, you slept in his apartment. It started by innocently crashing on the couch after a long day to Iwa saying you could keep a few things in the spare room until the start of your third year of university, about six months ago, when you found yourself in Iwa’s bed, cuddled to his side.

It’s not until his head hits the pillow that he finally realizes why he couldn’t tell Oikawa about the two of you; he never wanted Oikawa to think he liked you during high school. He didn’t want his best friend to try to tear apart every memory, wondering if Iwa had ever tried to sabotage the two of you. He didn’t want him feeling that all his advice through your relationship was in hopes to break you two up. Because that wasn’t the case, although he couldn’t pin point when he had fallen for you, he knew without a doubt that he didn’t look or think about you in that way during your time with Oikawa. All Iwa wanted in the world was for you and Oikawa to be happy.

Just down the hall, Oikawa finds himself sitting on the edge of the bed thinking about what Iwa has just told him. He didn’t want to imagine you the broke mess he learned you had been, it’s what got him through the last three years. It was the immature reason why when he got on the plane, he didn’t glance back. He falls back on the bed, his face in his hands as he lets out a groan. This isn’t what he expected when he came to visit, he thought he and Iwa would hang out, talk about old times, and just have a good time; seeing his ex-girlfriend aka the only girl he’s ever loved was not part of his plans.

He doesn’t like that Iwa was the one who helped you get through the break-up. He doesn’t like that you were completely destroyed. He doesn’t like that three years ago he took the coward’s way out and broke up with you. Seeing you just brought up all the feelings he’d been burying for these last few years, reminding him of all the reasons why the two of you fit together so well and why he fell in love with you. And he definitely doesn’t like feeling like he’s too late because all he wants is to beg for you back. He groans again, wanting for just a moment that he could turn off his thoughts.

Across the city you’re in your college dorm room, laying on the uncomfortable twin mattress that creaks every time you roll over to adjust. Even when you move as slowly as possible, it squeaks and you feel awful for your roommate; even though she’s assured you that she can’t hear a thing. Tonight isn’t going how you originally planned, you woke up this morning thinking that you’d spend the night at Iwa’s, wake up early to him cooking breakfast and then rush to campus to work on your project. But with the slight turn of events, you probably won’t eat until lunch and be early to your group project.

There’s a pit in your stomach, thinking back to the moment you opened the door to see your ex-boyfriend standing there; looking way too good for someone that you wanted to hate. You smack your hands to your face letting out a low groan as your mind wanders. You have worked so hard to get over Oikawa; to be able to breathe and live again after he just left you. His sun-tanned skin, soft brown eyes, all have your stomach in knots and you don’t realize just how long you’ve been holding your breath until your phone vibrates.

Oikawa: You awake? (2:34 am)

Oikawa: It’s Oikawa Toru (2:34 am)

Oikawa: I’m so sorry if you’re sleeping (2:35 am)

Your stomach twists more, surely this was a coincidence and not the universe sending you a sign, right?

Y/N: Did you just send your ex a ‘you up’ text? (2:39 am)

Y/N: Classily Toru (2:39 am)

He sharply inhales, the use of his first name leaves him shocked. All night you had avoided his name altogether, going to the lengths of talking to the wooden table, but here you were using his first name. He has two favorite sounds: a volleyball smacking his hand and the way you say his name, especially his first name. You stare at the text, mentally kicking yourself for the slip up, but it felt comfortable.

Oikawa: I didn’t mean it like that (2:41 am)

Oikawa: Just wanted to talk (2:41 am)

Your hands shake as your thumbs hover over where the J and D are located. Could you? Could you just talk to Oikawa? Act as if he didn’t carelessly toss everything in the closest airport trashcan as he walked towards his gate three years ago? Could you talk to him like you did back when you first met and had become friends? Before you have time to type anything, it buzzes again in your hand and your chest constricts.

Oikawa: I know this is three years late (2:45 am)

Oikawa: And this won’t mean much at all (2:45 am)

Oikawa: Wait, I’m going to call. Hold on (2:46 am)

His hands start to sweat, feeling clammy as he tries to calm his nerves. You start to slightly panic before practically jumping out of bed and rushing into the bathroom. The light blinds you momentarily and the door clicks shut just as his name pops up on your screen, your phone buzzing repeatedly.

Taking one last breath you swipe the screen, putting your phone to your ear, “Hello?

He picks up on the shakiness of your voice, hoping his will sound more still, “Hey.”

Your stomach is all but completely knotted up as his voice fills your mind. It’s soft, like it usually was right before school in the early mornings or when he answered the phone right after he woke up. But you pick up on how it shakes just like yours, wondering what has him so nervous.

“Y/N, I am so sorry.”

“It’s…” he cuts you off.

“Wait, please let me get this all out.”

You nod, instantly realizing he can’t see you.

“An apology won’t ever be enough for what I did. What I put you through. But I am so sorry.”

Tears gently fall down your face, you wanted those words for years. Dreamed about hearing him call and apologize, saying that he made a mistake. Here you were, squatting on the floor in your dorm bathroom at nearly 3 am getting exactly what you wanted all those years ago, but is it what you need now?

“I know and I forgive Toru.” You feel winded, wondering if you really did forgive him. You know that you did, you had years ago because it was once you did that you started to feel better.

There’s a wide smile on his face, “Thank you, Y/N. Could we maybe get together? To just catch up, that is.”

“I have a project tomorrow, but I’m free Sunday.” You bite your lip nervously, but feel your stomach untwist only to fill with butterflies? Are you allowed to get butterflies with an ex? Maybe they were more like moths.

“Sunday. It’s a date then.” He catches his words just as they leave him, he leans against the wall feeling like an idiot. You were dating his best friend, he needed to word things more carefully, he didn’t want to come between you and Iwa.

“Yeah. A date.” You don’t think twice about the term, it was just an expression.

What you also didn’t think twice about is that the room Oikawa is in shares a wall with Iwa’s. The exact wall that Oikawa is leaning up against and the same Iwa who heard just enough of the conversation to feel heartbroken.

This was part of the reason when he tried telling you where Oikawa had been planning to stay, he didn’t correct your when you said girlfriend even though he knew that wasn’t correct. He was going to stay with his sister, but his nephew was sick and he didn’t want to risk it. The same way Iwa didn’t want to risk giving Oikawa an in with you. He trusts you, more than anything, but that doesn’t stop his insecurities from creeping in convincing him that he’s not worthy of anything; especially not someone like you.

When he asked you if you were still okay with dating him, it was more for him than you. He needed to know that he hadn’t been some last stitch way for you to hold onto Oikawa. That you had picked him for him, you had picked Iwaizumi Hajime and not Iwa-chan Oikawa’s best friend. And now at 3:10 am, those same insecurities wrap around him as he can’t help but wonder if your relationship is on stolen time.

previous | m.list | next

#haikyuu!! #haikyuu #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu oikawa #oikawa toru #oikawa x reader #oikawa x y/n #haikyuu iwaizumi #iwaizumi hajime #iwaizumi x reader #iwaizumi x y/n #hq oikawa #hq imagines #hq iwaizumi #hq x you #hq #hq reader insert #haikyuu reader insert #reader insert #tw: angst #hq angst #tw: anxiety

[cant-think-of-anything]

Pirate AU (Part Six)

Lucie was very impressed by the sheer amount of weapons the Carstairs owned. There was an entire room lined with them that Cordelia led her down to in an attempt to find her a weapon.

“Well I would offer you a dagger,” Cordelia mused glancing at the wall full of them, “but Alastair is unhealthily fond of those. Bow and arrow?”

“I don’t think my aim is quite that good,” Lucie replied, running her hand over a gold spear.

“I wouldn’t take that either,” Cordelia cut in, coming to stand next to her. “Another one of Alastair’s, I swear he treats them like his children. He has multiple on him all the time.” 

“But how would one even-”

“I’ve given up asking. Oh!”

Cordelia popped the lid off a barrel and pulled out a small axe, flipping it once in her hand before waving it to Lucie. She accepted, wrapping her fingers around the dainty handle and looked up. 

“Perfect,” Cordelia murmured. 

~~~

Thomas stared out the carriage window rather helplessly, because looking anywhere else would mean staring at either Alastair or Eugenia. Who were miraculously chatting amicably instead of sniping at each other. They were set to go to the Blackthorn’s ship at sundown, meaning they had very little time left. 

“Thomas!” Eugenia half-yelled, kicking his leg. 

Thomas looked up suddenly, not missing Alastair’s unsuccessful attempt to cover his laugh. His mind clung to the sound of the short-lived laugh, trying to focus on what Eugenia was saying

“Open the door, Cordelia’s here.”

He pushed the entry open to reveal Cordelia and Lucie. Lucie had changed into what he could only assume were Cordelia’s clothes. They were looser on her but Lucie seemed thrilled.

“Well,” Eugenia huffed, glancing at her own gown distastefully as they started moving again. 

When they arrived near the ocean night had come, the darkness would cloak their presence as they approached. Alastair began to explain what they needed to do. Thomas noted the way everyone readily listened to him.

“Lucie, Cordelia, Eugenia, you three locate Tatiana’s room, take out as little people as possible. Do not go in unless you feel the need to. Come back to where we burn through the ship and wait for us to come back. We’ll try to find anyone in need of rescuing.”

Thomas’s head jerked up at that. Alastair turned his intense dark eyes to him, his eyebrow flickering up slightly.

“Thomas you’re with me.”

~~~

Eugenia watched Cordelia stab her sword into the side of her ship and pour the vial Christopher had given them on the wood. The smell of smoke drifted into the air as a patch of the ship withered and melted away, leaving a large enough hole for them to get through.

Alastair cocked his head to the side and studied the vial. Eugenia heard him mutter the word “smart” before he pocketed the glass and swung himself gracefully into the ship. She felt a thrum of nervousness and anticipation as she watched Cordelia and Alastair pull her friends up. She wasn’t going to be alone, she reminded herself as she gripped the siblings’ hands. 

The crawlspace was dark and tight, she was fairly certain someone had stepped on her foot, but it served for a well hidden meeting spot. 

“An hour,” Cordelia reminded them, exchanging one of those looks with her brother. “Anymore and we assume the worst.”

And then they split, Thomas and Alastair disappearing down to the depths of the ship. 

“Captain’s cabin is always in the same spot,” Cordelia said softly, squinting into the distance.

“Is Tatiana their captain? We never really found out.” Lucie followed Cordelia down the dark hallway leaving Eugenia no choice but to follow. 

“I suppose not but it is rare for any one of higher position to be sleeping below with the common crew.”

Cordelia stopped suddenly, her head tipping back. They were above deck now, obscured, pressed into an open passageway leading to the back of the ship. It started to rain, cold pelting droplets combining with the ocean spray. 

“There,” Cordelia breathed, pointing up to a row of connected rooms. 

The only problem was that there was a clear outline of a man in one of the shaded windows. If they went in from the front he was sure to hear them or see them. Eugenia considered running up the stairs and stabbing him regardless but Cordelia seemed to have other ideas. 

She looped her hand around the rope connected to the main mast, the muscles in her arm flexing as she tightened her grip and turned back to them.

“I can only take one with me.”

Eugenia pushed Lucie forward. It wasn’t as if she didn’t want to go, but she wasn’t a fool. Cordelia and Lucie made moon eyes at each other nearly every time they spoke and while all of her friends may be oblivious idiots to their own feelings she refused to be the same. Cordelia swallowed, pulling her hood up to cover her red hair before wrapping her arm around Lucie, who’s breathing seemed to have completely stopped. 

Feeling as if she was intruding, Eugenia looked away, promising to keep watch and alert them if anyone came. She heard them depart but a different noise caught her attention. She whipped her head around, her hand tightening on her sword - and nearly dropped it. 

~~~

Kamala wasn’t sure what to make of the situation. She heard soft footfalls from above her when she was retiring for bed and reluctantly pulled herself above deck. She had expected to see a stray crewmate breaking curfew but she certainly didn’t expect to see Eugenia Lightwood standing on the deck, her day dress and brown hair coated in water droplets. When she had met her in the market she’d recognized the name, the Lightwoods were Tatiana’s family after all.

But Eugenia seemed to be just that; a relative of her leader who fell into a situation at a market. Not a longsword wielding criminal who snuck onto pirate ships.

“What are you doing here?” Kamala half shouted over the rain which was growing louder.

“This is your ship?” Eugenia called back. Her eyes were halfway between green and brown, shining with either anger or something else. 

“Not my ship. I just work on it.” 

Eugenia pulled back, her breathing looked shaky. “Why?”

“Money. Why else?”

Catching her hand, Kamala felt herself being pulled under the wood cover of the hallway. The storm was picking up speed now, tearing violently at their masts. Kamala told herself that she shouldn’t care about the look of betrayal in Eugenia’s eyes but she still felt a piercing pain in heart whenever she looked at the woman’s face. 

“Are you going to say anything to them?” Eugenia asked finally, her face close enough to Kamala’s that she could whisper. 

Kamala’s loyalties did not lie with Tatiana. She worked for her certainly but she couldn’t bring herself to turn Eugenia in.

“No. I won’t ask questions. But if you’d come with others keep in mind that you are the only one I’m sparing.  

~~~

It seemed, Alastair thought bitterly, picking the lock that led below deck, that there was no part of London that wasn’t absolutely filthy. It smelled overwhelmingly of alcohol and fish, a scent that Alastair had grown to block out overtime of being held under enemy pirate ships. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, trying to press down the memories. The Carstairs had always tried to spare innocents and other pirates, but most pirates favored cruelty. 

He tried his best to keep that from Cordelia, that if there was ever a price to be paid that he would be the one in debt. The scars on his skin, reminders of how brutal their life could be were always carefully hidden.

“Alastair? Are you alright?” 

Biting back a curse he nodded, avoiding Thomas’s eye as he pushed the door open with a soft creak. Turning he pressed one of his daggers into Thomas’s hand, ignoring the way the brush of his hands sent sparks directly to Alastair’s brain.

“We won’t take any of the crewmates, we’re just looking for prisoners, people who were taken.”

“They take people for prisoner?” Thomas asked, his voice a horrified murmur.

The memory of ropes cutting into his arms burned far too brightly behind his eyes. “Yes.”

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Thomas gently placed a hand on his arm, his hazel eyes searching Alastair’s face.

“I-” 

The sound of a wave slamming into the side of the ship cut him off and Alastair was grateful for it. Turning down the hallway they searched the rooms as quietly as they could. Hurried moments passed and they came up with nothing.

“What if Tatiana doesn’t have any?”

“Unlikely. I assume they’re dead. We should meet the girls upstairs.”

~~~

I was going to post this yesterday but Shadow and Bone. Also I’m posting the next part now as well, it got too long. 

Tagging: @adoravel-fenomeno and @barbra-lightwood

#alastair carstairs #cordelia carstairs #thomas lightwood #eugenia lightwood #kamala joshi #lucie herondale #thomastair #joshwood #lucelia #tlh #the last hours #tsc #my writing

[closer-stars]

Gut Feeling (8)

Member: San Genre: Fluff, Feel good stuff Word Count: 10k (I’m SO SORRY) Content: food. Reunion. Tying loose strings. #Maturity. I think I provided enough hints as to where this is going Note: FINALLY FINISHED PART 8. there’s only two parts left. :D This went through a lot of stuff because of writer’s block and a thing called a short attention span. I’ve proofread this a number of times but I’ll continue to do so, especially once i update this with links in 24 hours. Network: @ateezlovenet Tag list: @barsformars @yeotlny @seoultraveller @shinyddeonghwa @frankenstein852 @miniyeo @hwaberrykiwi @jeongyunhoed 

Part 7

San’s gaze stays glued to you, unwavering, as he takes in your visage. Your new hairstyle accentuates your cheekbones, you look healthier, happier even. He couldn’t help but wonder if you were doing better without him. 

“Hello!! Surprised to see me, Manager Bae?” You ask in a playful tone. Your attention shifts to the eight boys who look at you with slack jaws and wide eyes. “Surprise?” You say softly, a bit of embarrassment rushing to your cheeks. Guilt washes over you when you remember you never said your goodbyes. 

A few moments of heavy silence sinks in on everyone and it was Yunho and Wooyoung who break the silence, tackling you into a hug. “We miss you so much!” You weren’t sure who exclaims it, you just knew the hug and the shrill pitch shocks you. This breaks the rest of the boys from their daze and they start to whine at you for leaving them with no warning, some asking you how you’ve been. 

Maybe things haven’t changed. 

You laugh, hands reaching to pat their heads, just like how they liked it when you worked with them. “Guys, we can catch up during your down time. Right now I need to introduce you to the director then bring you to your dressing rooms.” Your eyes skirt over to San, giving him a double take. 

He’s changed, matured, and he looks a lot like a man now. He always looked like a man but there was something about him now that had your gaze lingering at him for a moment. You snap yourself out of it and bring them to the director. After the formalities and quick rundown of the process, you bring them to their dressing rooms. San is the last one to enter as he lingers around you for a moment. 

You’re at work, you remind yourself. “Yes? Is there something I can help you with?” You ask, and you kind of hate yourself for your voice changing in pitch, your default customer service voice as you’d like to call it. 

It’s how even your work voice makes the corner of his lip twitch in amusement. He looks at you properly for a moment and his lips break into his bright grin. “I’m alright, thank you.” 

You hate yourself for your heart fluttering at his smile but you thank yourself for keeping your composure. At his words, you nod and let him enter the dressing room. You stay with them in the dressing room, because you know the boys well enough to know that when they have questions, they’re persistent. 

Hongjoong was the first one to speak up. “You never told us you did production too!” He could’ve asked for your help in his music if he knew earlier. You never really mentioned your experience in production, all you did tell them was that you’ve been in this field long enough to know a little bit of everything. 

You watch his make up artist work on his eyes for some time, then shift your attention to the rest of the boys. Seonghwa asks you about how the production work will be while adjusting his clothes for the first set. Black really did suit him. You look at your clipboard, flipping through the papers for his script and art direction. You decided to give everyone a rundown of the general gist of this shoot. You were sure they already knew of the story line, shit, you can actually pinpoint which parts of the story line were your suggestions during the meetings back when you worked with them. 

 It’s going to be a whole day shoot for the first day while the second day focuses on all the night shoots, all of which were going to be long days. Quite frankly, you feel a little bad that they’re filming at the wee hours of the day or end when the sun’s about to rise. It’s all part of the job, you get the good and you get the bad.  It’s just a matter of how much you love what you’re doing or how much food you can put on the table. 

One by one, you bring the members to their set, letting them discuss the scenes to be shot with the director while taking a few runs until both are satisfied with the final output. It takes several tries until both sides are satisfied with how the rolls come out. In between the planned shots were impromptu acting and dancing from the members, you wonder if this was San’s doing thanks to Answer. 

Speaking of, San was the last to leave the dressing room, the other members were already retouching their hair and makeup for the next shoot. On the way to the director, he asks how you’ve been.

“Well, I’m doing better now.” You start. “We can catch up after the shoot, if you want.” You advise as the two of you get closer to the director. 

“Same number?” He asks, his heart slightly racing. He wants to reason that it’s because it’s a new production house and nerves. 

“Yep.” You affirm casually. “Let’s get to work first?” You gesture, switching to formal speech as you approach the director first. You introduce him to the director, letting them do a quick runthrough of what the director wants from San for this scene. 

Once all of that is done, he’s about to step onto the set before he looks back at you. “Are you going to watch me?” 

It takes a moment for you to reply but you don’t hesitate this time. “Just like old times, Sannie.”  

Something about that makes him flash a bright smile, a complete contrast to his darker, mature look. He stays where the director tells him to first. Once he gets the cue, he starts to move, getting into character a lot quicker than you thought before the staff could even use the slate. 

Heeseok, the director, notes that you’re lingering around to watch San do his thing. “You can stay, you know.” He muses. His words make you look at him in surprise. You haven’t been with this production house as long as most of them have so you’ve kept to yourself for the most part. “I’m serious. You’ve worked with these boys before us right? At least, let yourself loosen up around them. It’s been awhile after all.” 

You wonder how lucky you were when it came to finding a work environment as understanding as this. At his words, you take up the offer and step a little closer, watching San with and without the help of the monitor. 

He’s improved greatly. He clearly has the experience to back up his professionalism. A gaze sharper than a dagger, colder than ice was given to the camera. You can’t help but have your breath taken away by how intense it looked. The shock wears off when you see how mischievous Wooyoung becomes next to you as he tries to make San break out of his character. 

Things haven’t changed. 

You watch Wooyoung pull the weirdest antics that would’ve made San probably want to punch the other. “You really think the boys would break after all these years?” You ask him, incredulous. The male looks at you, grinning ear to ear. 

“Of course! It’s fun pulling all sorts of tricks to see which one makes them break. The last time was Yunho when I started dancing to one of our earlier covers while I was wearing a multicolored outfit.” He explains. You have a rough estimate of when that would be. Even if you left your job to be their manager and their publicity team, you still watched them from a distance. You still buy their albums too. 

You shake your head, still entertained by his antics, before shifting your gaze back to San. He approaches the two of you and you figured that he was going to review how his performance looked on screen while the stylists retouch his makeup and dab his sweat away. “How did I do?” San asks the two of you as he takes a sip of water. 

“As expected, you did great.” You return without missing a beat. Wooyoung agrees too but in his typical fashion of a praise mixed with sarcasm. 

San catches onto Wooyoung’s antics and scoffs, unfazed by the other’s jokes. The two of them monitor his performance closely. Already, San takes note of which ones he needs to fix in the next shot. Now that they were busy, you thought it would be a good chance to slip off and check on the other members. 

When San straightens up after watching his performance closely, he spots you about to leave. “Are you leaving me with Wooyoung?” He asks as if miffed by the fact he would be left alone with his own member. 

You look over your shoulder, surprised at how bad he wants to have you watch him. “I want to check on the others, to see if they need anything..” You explain, unsure of what to make of this situation.

He has to admit you have a point but he wanted you to watch him still. Despite that, he let you do your work; you aren’t their manager anymore. 

--------

The music video shoot goes on for the entire day, and will continue to do so in the next few days. You assume that the earliest you’ll finish is in three days, this being based on how the boys have been working earnestly. But like any other shoot, no matter how hard you work or how smart you work, delays still happen. The three days eventually turned into six days due to unforeseen delays along with everyone needing rest. Thankfully for both sides, the work didn’t seem to feel like too much of a burden. 

In between the shoots, the photographer managed to take a few shots for the album’s photobook. A lot of b-rolls but that was fine, the more the better especially with how lore heavy this comeback seemed to be. 

By the last group shot, the director finally yells cut. “Cut! Good job everyone! We’re finally finished.” Heeseok bellows out much to the relief of everyone on set. In response, the boys return the same phrase, bowing to everyone in respect and gratitude. Everyone slowly starts packing up, those who have been on their feet for hours on end find somewhere to sit to rest their weary bodies; you included. You find a corner to drop yourself onto, your hands gently massaging the knots on your legs. 

You look at the time. You won’t be able to get home until sunset you assume, as you find yourself feeling guilty to even consider heading home now while everyone else is helping each other pack up the equipment. Once feeling returns to your legs, you pull yourself up to help out in packing away the equipment. 

You were already done with half of the stands when your higher ops realize you were still on set, cleaning up. “What are you still doing here?” Hwayoung asks you, eyes wide with an array of emotions behind them.

The surprise and concern makes you feel a little anxious, wondering if you did something wrong. “I wanted to help pack up…” You return softly, rubbing the back of your neck after keeping the last light stand away. 

“You should be home by now!” She chides. “You’ve been on set the entire time, leaving late and arriving on the dot. You need to get some rest!” She continues, patting you on the back. 

“But, what about you guys..?” You ask as you look around. The bigger set pieces were going to be dealt with in the following days as it’ll still be used for the jacket photos if you remember right. 

“Leave it to us. We’ll be alright, go home and get some rest. You’ll be needed back on set after tomorrow.” She reassures you. You look at your co-worker who agrees with her, echoing her sentiments about how you’ve been on set day in and day out. You really couldn’t fight them regarding their points. Somewhere along the way, you went from wearing jeans to joggers for the ease of moving around. With that, you nod at their argument.

“I’ll get going now. Please take care too!” You say, bidding them goodbye before heading to where your belongings were. 

On your way out of the staff’s room, you figure you should bid goodbye to the boys. It only seemed proper after your surprise departure from the company. You knock thrice on their door, peeking in carefully. Thankfully they were already dressed in their regular clothes. “Hey, just wanted to drop by and say that I’m heading out.” You state as soon as the boys catch sight of you. 

“Do you want to eat with us?” Hongjoong asks. It takes all of San’s control to not trip over his own bag at Hongjoong’s offer. Not only do old habits die hard, so do old feelings. 

At his invitation, you raise an eyebrow. “Aren’t you guys tired after the continuous shoots?” 

“Well, we are but..” Wooyoung trails off, taking the chance to stretch. “... food after a long day always tastes great.” He had a point there. 

It takes a while for you to decide, it has been way too long and you’re sure the boys have a lot to talk about with you. That also depends on how awake you could be in the midst of everything. “Are you guys free tonight?” You ask. You know yourself better by now: eating while sleep deprived isn’t a good idea and the way home can be an issue. 

“Yeah, their entire schedule for the next few weeks is just centered around the upcoming album.” Manager Bae returns as he hoists his bag up over his shoulder. 

“If you guys have the energy later tonight, we can eat dinner together. I don’t think I can last long enough to eat with you guys for lunch then head home.” 

“Then it’s settled, we can meet later tonight for a meal.” Hongjoong returns, clearly excited to be able to bond with you and the rest of the members. Just like old times (sort of). 

-------

The ride back to their place was bustling with energy. The members were exhausted yes, but the fact they got to work with you again overrode the need for rest. 

“Hyung! Why didn’t you tell us that they’d be there too?!” Mingi whines. He was one of the few who took your departure a little harder, if not just as hard as San. 

Manager Bae flashes an apologetic smile, though it can’t be seen by them, they hear it in his voice. “Sorry guys, they told me to keep it a secret.” He explains how you were the recipient of the PR team’s email along with how you did everything you can to make sure this deal pulls through. You even contacted the managers (as friends) to make sure that they told the members nothing about you yet. 

You were also aware of how they took your departure. Though this part wasn’t from the managers, rather from Seonghwa. 

“If we can’t have dinner with them, can we at least have a meal with them one of these days?” Wooyoung pipes up. The eldest members knew that one way or another, you’d make sure to have a meal with them. You confessed how much you missed them in the months following your leave. They understood why you had to leave too. They can’t hold it against you. 

“It’ll happen. They have a soft spot for you guys.” Manager Bae returns with a chuckle. The nine of them arrive outside their apartment and decide to catch up on sleep before grabbing something for dinner tonight. 

--------

[ You to Hongjoong ] Are you guys still up for dinner? It’s on me. 

Hongjoong looks out of his room and the boys were already getting ready to eat out. “Boys, dinner with them tonight, yes or no?” 

[ Seonghwa to You ] Everyone’s ready already. Where to?

You send them the address, along with the menu. As you wait for their thoughts, you walk around the area. 

[ Hongjoong to You ] See you in that restaurant! The boys are excited LOL

Somehow you can picture just how excited they were, and how chaotic the apartment was since the invite. 

[ You to Hongjoong ] hehe, see you in a few then. 

--------

You wait outside the restaurant, occasionally looking up from your phone to look for them. They never really said what time they’d arrive. A part of you wonders if they moved elsewhere now, it would make sense if they did, especially with how big they are now. You’re stuck in your thoughts again, staring into space despite looking as if you were looking at your phone. You hear a familiar voice call out to you and that snaps you out of your thoughts. 

You look up from your phone, blinking a few times to regain your surroundings. You’re greeted by a Mingi that’s already speeding towards you. Fortunately, you were quick enough to catch him in your arms this time. “Oof--! Hey there Mingi.” You greet carefully, patting his back lightly. 

Despite him being the more laid back member, he was more vocal with his emotions. You were glad to see him looking better than before. “We missed you!” He exclaims, pouting slightly at you. 

An apologetic smile graces your features at his actions. It sometimes slips your mind that they were still kids when you met them. At least in your eyes they were, even with the close proximity in age. “Let’s continue the talk inside? You guys are probably hungry.” You raise, as you let them enter the premises first.

“They didn’t even eat prior to this.” Hongjoong quips with a snort. You look at them then at him in mild concern. 

“Did you eat though?” 

“He didn’t.” Seonghwa cuts the conversation as he drifts inside, walking past a dumbfounded Hongjoong. “It’s okay, I forgot to eat too.”

“That makes all of us then.”

--------

The dinner goes without a hitch. For the most part it was you and Seonghwa who were cooking the meat over the grills. 

There were times where when you put the cooked pieces of meat on their plates, some of the pieces you cooked would appear on your plate. “Huh?” you mumble, when you catch the culprit’s hand under your line of sight. You’re able to catch the direction of where the hand retreats. It’s San. You look at him while keeping track of the sizzling meat over the grill. “Did you at least eat?” 

“Yeah but you haven’t.” He shoots back, gesturing to the cooked meat on your plate. 

“Let me cook this time.” Yunho offers, he doesn’t take no for an answer as he takes the tongs from your hands. Now that you were empty handed, you could finally sit and get some food into your system. 

San says something that you don’t catch so you turn to San’s direction, only to be greeted by a small ssam in front of you. You stare at him for a moment, opening your hand for it but he pulls back at such action. This puts a confused frown on your face which doesn’t faze him. “I said, ‘say ah’.” He even goes the extra mile by opening his mouth for you to mimic. 

Stubborn boy. 

You roll your eyes but appease his wish to have him feed you. As expected, the food in this restaurant doesn’t disappoint. The other members glance at San, somehow amused at how he acts despite the time apart. None of them were caught by you, too busy eating your share after a long day. 

The rest of the night goes like that, just eating and drinking (non-alcohol because of their schedule) with the boys as they tell you stories of what you’ve missed. 

“Seonghwa doing rock climbing? Again?” You repeat, incredulous and rather concerned for his safety. You stare at the male at the other side of the table who looks at you as if he heard nothing. Of course he looks unfazed, the other members were praising him for having gotten through it despite his phobia. He says nothing to your question, instead taking his sweet time eating his sherbet. At his lack of a reply, you just snort at him and continue to eat your ice cream. 

It’s hard to deny that he didn’t have feelings anymore. Not when he looked at you with warmth as you recount what has happened since you left. Yunho and Seonghwa could clearly see how he felt about you but say nothing except to snap a few shots to tease him with later. Maybe this explains his lack of interest in dating. 

You did your best to tell them your experiences and how things have been after everything. The few months of just you being on your own, doing side jobs to keep supporting yourself as you did some reflecting. The succeeding months of landing the job you have now. “I feel happier here.” You admit, while managing them was a lovely job in itself, the fact you get to help create visual ideas into reality is something you can’t replace. “Despite all that, I still bought your albums.” You add, showing them a photo of their albums still on display at your place.

“Oh you moved?” Wooyoung notes. 

Sharp boy, you thought. “Yeah, I moved elsewhere for my job, easier to get there too.” You confess. San leans a little closer looking at your photo to see how Wooyoung noticed such a detail. Though it’s not much, he could definitely tell you had plans of staying in that apartment for a longer time. The walls were decorated, their albums were on shelves, proudly displayed their achievements, even some of your jackets were resting over your chair too. It just looked so you. 

Hongjoong looks at the time, “Guys, it’s getting late..” He hated having to cut the fun especially with a dear friend. The two of you catch the dejected looks on their faces. Looks like it’s up to you to save the situation. 

“We’re still seeing each other for your album jacket shoot.” This slightly lifts their spirits but it’s still not the same as being able to hang out with them as friends. “We can have another dinner after the shoot. Celebratory dinner for finishing something big, y’know?” You admit. 

“Is the dinner on you?” Yeosang cheekily asks. 

“What are you talking about? I already paid for this dinner.” You return with a snicker. As proof, you raise the receipt up to their eyes, of course, you cover the price from them otherwise they’d pester you to no end. 

“What?! How did you--” San asks, clearly not remembering you leave the table to pay for the meal. 

You don’t reply to his confusion, opting to just shoot him a wink at your stealth. He shouldn’t have felt his heart skip at that but he did. Now that all of that is out of the way, you, Hongjoong and Seonghwa stand up, getting ready to leave, much to the dismay of everyone else. 

San takes his time to stand up, shrugging on his blazer after he stretches. “Looks like you ate well.” Your comment catches him off guard, doing nothing but confuse him. With how lost he looks, you take a piece of tissue and wipe his cheek. Just like old times. “You had a bit of sauce that somehow landed there.” He wishes he could walk you home like old times. 

Now that all of you were outside, goodbyes and hugs were exchanged with you. The amount of times you had to reassure them that you haven’t changed your numbers was insane that the two eldest members had to show proof to back you up. “Gah! You guys need sleep more than I do! I’ll see you boys in a few days' time.” 

They wait with you until you manage to hail a taxi before they make their own way back. While everyone was recounting the stories you told them and the stories they failed to share, San was in his own thoughts. 

[ San to You ] Thanks for today. Everyone misses you. 

[ You to San ] I missed you guys too, really. Get some sleep okay? You guys deserve it.

[ San to You ] Got it! Sleep well too ^^

His last message makes you smile at your phone, even at his mature age, his eye smile never seems to change. He hasn’t lost his optimism either it seems. You let yourself absorb the good energy from tonight for a few moments before keeping your phone away, letting out a breath you didn’t know you’ve been holding this entire time. 

Maybe hanging out with them outside work wasn’t such a bad idea.

---------

The past few hours leading up to the shoot had the boys teasing San. “Guys, come on. I don’t have feelings for them anymore.” He shoots back, half heartedly. He still does. 

“San, my guy, you had honey dripping from your eyes during dinner with them.” Yunho points out before sipping his coffee. 

“I didn’t!” 

Seonghwa just brings out his phone to show the photo he and Yunho took that night. It was obvious and there’s no denying from San about it. At the sight of the photo, he shuts up and eats his meal. Hongjoong watches his members act like young kids again but he holds no tension in his body this time. They’ve hit the point in their careers that any romantic relationship they have won’t heavily affect them. “San, just give it a shot this time.” He suggests carefully. This causes the former to look at him with wide eyes. The look prompts the older to explain himself. “San, you still have feelings for them. You know why they turned you down back then. Now that the two of you are in your respective fields-- and have grown, why not give it a shot? If they still say no then,” he shrugs. “Let them go. If they say yes this time, at least you gave it a shot right?” 

San’s ears are burning at this point. He wanted to ask you out, properly this time. He didn’t want to regret expressing his feelings but he didn’t want to be selfish about it either. Was Seonghwa right all this time?

“For everyone’s sake, San just ask them out after the shoot. I don’t think I can handle you whining about them any more.” Wooyoung snips. His words though sounding rather sharp, held no malice in them. They genuinely just want him to be happy beyond their passion to be on stage and perform. 

“Fine, fine but if it doesn’t work out?” 

“Hongjoong hyung and I will take ten shots of soju.” 

“I didn’t agree to that!”

--------

The boys enter the venue, now brightly lit as compared to their music video shoot. Their creative team always pulls through with these ideas and seeing your production house make them into reality is mind blowing. 

On one side of the building is lit up with various plant life and neon lights, very reminiscent of their older eras. A few meters away was another one, just as well lit though a little muted compared to the other. To the boys, they knew what this set was a reminder of, it would only mean that it would take a few hints before the fans understood what part of their concept this would be. The last one seems to be unfinished, the backdrop still rolled up with the spotlights still switched off. 

“Crap, how many versions are we selling this time?” Yeosang asks, dumbfounded by the amount of set designs in front of them. 

“Four versions this time.” The answer shocks all of them, surprised to see you behind them. “Did you guys get some good sleep?” You ask as you try to hide the snicker from their fright. Once they get over the initial fright, you gesture for them to follow you to the dressing rooms. There you’ll give them a rundown for today’s agenda. “If you noticed, the third set isn’t done yet. It’s easy to assemble but we wanted to know your opinions on it. The last one is ideally a free-for-all type of thing. Considering that this album’s going to be released near your fanbase’s anniversary, this is more visually very relaxed, just have fun. This version of the album also will carry the heaviest lore so…” You shrug. Their marketing team really knows how to rake in the cash. “We can have the set be up for today or we can save it for once all of you are done with the first two sets.” 

The members look at each other, merely communicating their opinions with raised brows, shoulders and the like. “Can we save it for after the first two sets?” Hongjoong asks. Their politeness never really went away even despite being seniors in this industry. 

With that said, you nod. “Consider it done. Now get changed. The clothes in the back are labelled depending on which set they’re for.” You gesture to the back. “The photographers have the mood boards with them for visual aid for you. I’ll wait for you guys outside the dressing room.” With that, you bid them goodbye for now before leaving the room to talk to the teams for the agenda. 

Now that the boys were left to their own devices with their stylists, they looked through the clothes. They decided to just split into two teams, just to make it easier for everyone. It seems that even their stylists weren’t surprised with their decisions as they immediately got to work. 

---------

One by one, the members trickle out of the room, leading them to their designated sets as they get to know the photographers. Some members were already restless inside the dressing room when they visited the others who were having their photos taken. 

There was music playing overhead to fill in the silence along with making sure to keep the productivity going for everyone. As Seonghwa has his photos taken in the muted set, San and Yunho are by the side, singing and dancing goofily, just to see how strong his control is. If that doesn’t work, they would look at how his photos come out, even helping out the photographer by giving advice to Seonghwa. As expected of the member, the photos come out well, even the candid ones, much to the pleasant surprise of the photographer. 

On the other set is Mingi. He somehow still manages to pull off the look while being with various plant life and neon lights. Hongjoong monitors his photos while Jongho is off to the side, taking photos of them as well. From time to time, Mingi would ask the photographer how the photos were coming and how he should position himself. While the photographer has no complaints, Hongjoong asks if he can try to suggest something. The former allows it so Hongjoong asks Mingi if he can try opening himself, instead of curling in this time. The members know the overall plot of their concept but Hongjoong knows it the best without spoiling anything to the fans. 

“What do you think so far?” Yeosang asks you as he’s the last to leave the room. You look over at him and you can easily tell that he had just woken up from a quick nap. 

“Good sleep?” you return lightly. “So far so good: Yunho and San joking around, Jongho taking photos, Hongjoong monitoring closely… hey where’s Wooyoung?” You ask once you realize the missing member (and noise). 

“Still in the dressing room, he wanted to grab a few more minutes of sleep.” Yeosang says. It’s only then that you realize how deep his sleep was from his tone. 

“Looking forward to really push the doberman agenda huh?” You muse, once you take note of what he’s wearing.

He looks down at what he’s wearing then flashes a proud grin. “Of course, even until now the fans consider me a maltese.”

You walk with him to his designated set, keeping away from the camera their manager holds to grab some footage for their youtube. “Do you guys still bark for the fans?” 

“Only Yunho and San do.”

That honestly doesn’t surprise you. “Anyways, I’ll leave you guys to it. Manager Bae seems to be recording for your youtube channel.” You say, patting his back, as you catch Yunho and Seonghwa talking about their album. You wanted to stay out of view, even though you knew they’d blur your face it’s for your comfort too. 

“Oh yeah,” he starts. “San’s looking at us.” You shoot Yeosang a look to which he shrugs. “Best to talk to him before he starts bouncing around.” 

At his suggestion, you steal a glance at the male who’s now pestering the two boys talking to the camera. Seeing that he wasn’t doing what Yeosang had just said, you return your eyes to the male, confused. He returns your look with his usual mischief. Goddammit. 

Whatever, you tell yourself as you make your way to the photographer, checking in on the material he has and if he needs a break. As he shows you the photos, both of you are pleased with how they all come out. He even shows a photo of Seonghwa that he caught shocked by the propped figure behind him. “Yunho’s next but I can wait.” He tells you, stretching his sore shoulders and arms. 

“You’re doing great. Hopefully we can finish the shoot in two days.” The two of you wait for Yunho to finish his thing with the members before calling him over for his shoot. Once you do, you linger around to make sure he and the photographer are on the same page. Just as you were about to head towards Wooyoung, you’re greeted by someone’s figure just behind you. “Holy sh--” you nearly shout, stopping yourself with a heavy sigh of relief. 

“Whoa, it’s just me.” He returns, taking a few steps back to give you space. Once you regain your composure, he flashes a bashful smile at how you shoot him a deadpan look. 

“You’re lucky I like you.” You mumble. 

San looks at you with a confused light in his eyes. “What?” 

You shake your head, changing the topic. “I’m going to check if Wooyoung’s awake. He’s probably right after Yeosang.” With that, you walk past him, gentling hitting his arm with your clipboard in retaliation.

He yelps at the sudden impact-- though it didn’t hurt. “What was that for?!” His tone tinted with faux insult by your actions as he follows you towards their dressing room. 

“For surprising the living daylights out of me.” It gets tricky to keep yourself from smiling once you notice him catch up to you. 

“I didn’t mean toooo.” He whines, stopping by the door as you peek inside the room. 

There you see Wooyoung getting his makeup done. “Sorry!” He apologizes earnestly. You shake your head, not minding his apology. You can only imagine how packed their schedules are now as the preparations for the new music is looming around the corner now. 

“All good, just had to check on you. Just come to the set once you’re ready okay?” You remind him. As he’s unable to move his face, he flashes a thumbs up. He catches San peeking over your shoulder, he says nothing to this but the look in his eyes results in San making a face at him. Now that’s out of the way, you turn your attention to San now. “So how have things been huh?” 

“Been alright, felt weird that you left.” He admits. He just doesn’t beat around the bush anymore. 

You look at the set for a moment, lively boys and music playing overhead. They won’t hear the two of you. “I’m sorry about that… leaving with no word from me.” Your voice is a little softer this time. He doesn’t mind your apology. You had your reasons after all. 

“It’s okay, hey I get why you had to do what you did.” San quickly returns. 

“Please know that I didn’t leave because of you.” You add before he could possibly start jumping the gun. 

He stops there, surprised by what you had just said. Before he could even ask you to explain, Hongjoong calls him over to ask for his opinion on something. 

“We can talk later.” Your tone leaves no room for arguments, heading over to the rest of the staff to check on what they need to attend to in the next few days. He watches your hesitant visage shifts into something more confident. Crazy how things change. 

He watches you attend to your work before he heads back on set. Time to get back to work.

---------

“Thank you for your hard work!” The voices of the eight members echo through the venue. Their voices were returned with applause and cheering from the staff. You check on the photographers immediately after the words of praises have been exchanged. The photos have been backed up on the computers and hard drives. From there, you tell them that they can leave now, to leave the pack up to the rest of the staff. 

With that, you keep the memory cards and cameras in a safe place, before stepping out of the office to help with packing up. By now, it’s probably night time. Truthfully, you didn’t keep track of the time, it only makes you more exhausted if you did. You pick up the tables first with your co-staff, carrying up somewhere out of the way but still easy to put back in pace for day 2 of the shoots. 

The backdrops have been rolled up as well, all the heavy lifting were being dealt with by the other staff. You notice the lack of eight loud voices and check on the dressing room if they had to rush to another schedule. 

You peek in and they’re still there, just now in casual clothes. “Sorry, had to check if this room was clear already or not. No rush!” You explain as you leave the room quickly, a little embarrassed. You get back to work, unclipping the gel sheets from the spotlights. At least you don’t burn your hands this time as you put them on the table next to you. 

You finish folding or rolling the gel sheets into the containers. One on your hands, the other pushed forward by your feet. While you were strong enough to carry heavy duty gear, your hands can only carry so much. Additionally, you didn’t want to do repeated trips back and forth, spare mercy to your sore legs and back. 

A man comes to your assistance and for a moment you thought it was one of your co-workers. “Ah thank y-- San?!” You look at the male in surprise, you thought they would’ve left by now. 

“We figured you guys might want some help.” San explains as he hoists the second container in his arms. We? You look around and you see members helping carrying gears into the storage rooms or offices. 

“You guys didn’t have to…” You mumble, one part touched and one part concern. They’ve worked so hard yet they’re here willingly helping out. 

“We wanted to. You guys work hard too. that it would be good if you guys get some rest too.” 

You had a feeling that he wanted to talk about something also, based on how careful his words were. This time, you don’t close yourself to what his thoughts are. Once you lead him to the storage room for the lights, you put the container on top of other crates. You made a mental note to make an updated inventory list with how many empty crates this room had. Once your arms are free, you take the container from San, propping it on the table. All that’s left to get were the lights.

Once his hands were free, he hid his hands in his hoodie’s pockets. “I, uh, was wondering, if you wanted to go out soon? Of course, when you’re free also..” San asks, hesitance slowing his words down. You have a feeling this outing has some sort of weight behind it but you don’t say anything for now.

 “It’s just the two of us?” As if it was no big deal. 

“I mean, if you want it to be with the members, it’s fine too.” San doubles back on his words, feeling embarrassed for feeling like the same kid a few years back. 

You shake your head at the second offer. Maybe giving him a chance this time wouldn’t be so scary. “Sounds like a plan. You still have my kakao don’t you?” You ask, taking the container from his hands. 

It was a good thing you took the container from him as he freezes up in surprise at your willingness. “Uh-” he clears his throat to regain his composure. “Yeah, I do! When do you want to hang out?” 

“Next week? How does that sound?” He genuinely hopes he isn’t dreaming from this point on. “

“Sounds good.” He’ll clear out the day just for this. 

You flash a smile at him as you let him leave the room first. “Awesome, let’s finish up cleaning so we can get some rest?” 

When the two of you return, your higher op tells you to leave the stands where they are. For easier assembly for the next shoot. 

“Next shoot?” You get a little nervous, unaware of this schedule. Did you forget about this?

“Relax. It’s an outdoor shoot for an advertisement. It’s just easier for everyone if it’s already out and ready to go.” Probably not one of your assigned projects then. With that, everyone bids each other farewell. The boys splitting from you and Hwayoung to head to their apartment. 

Now that everyone else is out of earshot, Jongho breaks the silence. “I think Hyung asked them out.” The spaced out smile on San’s face is a giveaway to how the conversation goes. Yet, knowing the members, they wanted to make sure. 

“What did they say?” Wooyoung prods. 

“We’re meeting next week.” San simply states, and immediately Wooyoung jumps and shakes his friend gleefully. It’s thanks to Seonghwa that the dazed boy doesn’t fall over from Wooyoung’s antics. 

--------

On the days leading to your meet up, the two of you agreed to meet somewhere away from the crowds. Now that today’s the day, you stroll around the area waiting for him. You weren’t sure if you’re expecting him to ditch due to schedules or hoping for him to come. This area feels new to you, one part of your mind stays aware of where you’re going and where you are while the other shuts off as you stroll and look through the shops that line your sight. 

[ San to You ] Be there in five minutes! 

You look at the message then at the time. Not a big deal, you supposed. 

[ You to San ] Don’t rush. Just as long you arrive safely. 

[ San to You ] You’re there already? 

It looks like it’ll be a lengthy text conversation so you step away from the foot traffic, on the fence of either exploring some more or heading to the meeting spot. 

[ You to San ] Yeah, I got curious so I explored for a bit. 

Three minutes. You decide to walk back to the meeting spot. 

[ San to You ] I’ll show you this new food place I found when I was with Wooyoung and Seonghwa. 

You could actually picture how excited he was and you had to bite your lip from smiling like a fool at your phone. 

Someone taps your shoulder and for a split second you think it could be a lost foreigner. When you turn on your heels, it’s San. This time he’s in loose clothes, an oversized white shirt tucked into dark blue slacks like bottoms. For once he isn’t in black. 

“This is the first time I’m not seeing you in black, I think?” you comment, giving him a thorough look. Well save for his bag, he wasn’t in anything in black.

He flashes a pose at your words. “I wanted to change it up for once, does it suit me well?” He asks, spreading his arms to let you look at him properly. 

There’s something about his outfit that makes you smile. “Yeah, I like it.” You shouldn’t have the urge to squeeze his cheeks upon seeing his dimples but here you are. Now that the greetings were out of the way, he holds on to your shoulders, gently steering you at the direction of this restaurant he mentioned in your text. “So what’s up with this restaurant that you like so much?” 

Once the two of you are walking, he pulls his hands away from you. “Well, for starters, their stews are great. All of their ingredients are fresh.” He goes on about this restaurant that he’s been so in love with lately. A small part of you wonders if this is one of those restaurants he visited for his individual content. You guess you’ll find out eventually. With that, you let San talk excitedly about food, how he’s finally able to get away from the boys even for a few hours. He’s not one to talk a lot but when he does, he talks. With that said, you don’t mind listening to him, you spend too much time having to talk to others (for a living) that listening for a change isn’t so bad. Besides, you know for sure you’ll have to do your share of talking once you arrive at this restaurant. 

He spots the restaurant a few meters ahead of you and he starts to bounce a little on his feet. “Do you see the restaurant with the red lettering with a crab?” He asks. There’s something in his tone that makes you walk a little faster, just for his sake. 

“We’re going there?” You ask in return. He takes a few steps forward, already slightly ahead of you. You can tell he already wants to run towards the franchise, and you can already imagine just how good the food could be to elicit such a reaction from him. From there, you decide to just follow him to the restaurant, amused by his excitement for food. 

The restaurant looked homey; wooden chairs and tables, with dividers per table for privacy, with some songs playing overhead. Some tables were occupied with what seems to be families and friends, tables covered with various stews and seafood that come in various vivid colors and flavors. It makes sense why San would love this place. 

The two of you get settled down on a table a little further away from any eyes. You weren’t entirely sure of what to order either that you let San introduce you to the meals available instead. This of course, makes him beam even brighter. “Anything I should be wary of?” You admit to being wary of certain things; it’s not that you’re allergic but because you rarely have them. That alone gets his head working and already he knows what to order to share with you and for your solo meals. 

As the two of you wait for your meals, your eyes wander around the place--, partly out of curiosity and partly because well… you’re a little shy of the mere fact it’s just you and him. The male across you lets you take in the interiors of the place for a few moments before speaking up. “So, how have things been?” It was a genuine question, one filled with wonder if life has been better for you. 

This is probably your cue to fill him in on as much as you can without anyone overhearing the two of you. You fill him in on the months you were jobless, not because you couldn’t find a job but because you just needed to rest badly. You stayed on your own still but you were able to meet your friends in those few months, recharging and taking care of your health after who knows how long. You’re into new hobbies as well, making bracelets or keychains, which fortunately also gives you a bit of extra cash. At the mention of the crafts you’ve been making, you show the simple beads that wove around your wrist, along with the purple and green woven keychain that’s attached to your phone case. 

“You learned all of that.. Over the months of no work?” San asks. Truth be told, when he’s on hiatus, he either just plays games, work out, or sleep. He learns things too for the sake of becoming a better performer but crafts never crossed his mind. “And yet, you know how to deal with production work?” 

“I did tell you I knew a thing or two when it comes to the industry. My tolerance to things is just something I need to work on.” You admit as you keep your phone away. One by one the food arrives. It’s only when you’re greeted by the stew that you realize how hungry you are. “Fill me in on your life too.” You quickly add before the two of you get side tracked by the various dishes that slowly fill up your table. 

As he hands you your utensils, he starts to tell you stories of their recent milestones and albums. The way he finds himself improving as a person and as an artist. He admits to some dips in self-confidence though not as bad as they used to be. After all, at the end of the day, he’s still a regular human with their ups and downs. He tells you as well of the acting gigs he’s been doing, even did a few radio shows on his own. In typical fashion, he even exposes some of his members, what they’ve been doing, what they’re planning, and the like. Were you surprised though? Not quite, in fact you can see a bit of Jongho’s influence in his mannerisms of exposing members. Those two were doing amazing in the drama scene after all. 

“Oh yeah! Speaking of dramas, I heard from a little birdy that you were interested in taking up a horror thriller drama role?” You say before taking a small mouthful of noodles. This question flusters him slightly but he flashes a smile so bright, his dimples make an appearance. 

“Yeah,” he starts as he looks for the crab meat in his meal. “If the director thinks I’m perfect for the role then why not right?” He lets himself eat for a few moments before continuing to speak. “Though, if Seonghwa-hyung gets the role instead of me that would be funny.”

“He still can’t handle horror?”

“Him and Mingi.” 

That’s how the rest of the meal goes. The two of you sharing stories and jokes from the years you’ve been out of touch with each other. It’s a feat that San still plushies on his bed, some of which he had given away, some still with him after all these years. He’s just as amazed as you are for you. 

It takes an hour or two before the food is finished. You’ve kept note of this place in your phone, wanting to come back here on your own in the near future. “Speaking of, did you feature this place in your individual content?” 

“I have! It’s just going through post processing with the staff so expect it soon.” He chirps, beaming at how you remembered his individual content. 

After he pays for the meal (which you will pay back through desert), the two of you walk around the area. He shows you where he gets his clothes, stuff Mingi has showed him as well. In some shops, he proceeds to complain about how some of his members have taste that’s too expensive for him. In response to that, you stare at his bag. You may not be as well off as he is, but you can tell a luxury brand when you see one-- his bag being one of them. 

“This was a gift from Yunho!!” He tries to defend himself, which was pretty useless knowing how he had set himself up for that. Besides that, the exploring was fun. The two of you inevitably bought a few things. It was a little funny though, to see a foreigner try to flirt with San and seeing San try to shake them off by pretending to not speak any English. Once you two leave the shop, he immediately asks if the two of you could head somewhere for dessert. 

“Even until now, huh?” You tease him. 

“Sh..” 

You don’t need to see him to see his red ears. You know him well enough for that. 

Now you’re here in a bingsu cafe, sharing a strawberry and mango bingsu with him as rivers of people pass by beneath you. It’s a lot calmer now, the jitters of meeting up with an old friend having faded now. Your chats have mellowed down as well. Some topics seem to fit a night of drinking soju in the comfort of one’s home until the sun rises up. There were things that he needed your thoughts about certain things in his line of work. Not that he doesn’t get them with his own members but the unbiased approach you have also helps him in more ways than he can imagine. There are also things that the two of you needed to discuss, things that neither of you should be running away from. 

“What you said in the set..” He trails off. You look up from your meal at his words, waiting for him to expound. “You didn’t leave because of what happened between us?” He asks, his eyes stay glued to the half eaten bingsu. There’s doubt in his mind that he’d be able to face how you look with this topic. 

You do owe him an explanation. You set down your utensils first before speaking up. “San, I left the company cause I couldn’t keep up with the deliverables… it took a toll on my health.” It was an explanation that San kind of didn’t expect. While you didn’t delve into all the details, you gave him enough for him to understand the gravity.  It only takes his expression for you to connect the dots. “You thought you were a reason for my departure?” San couldn’t really say much, only eating his share in guilty silence. “San, you weren’t a reason for that. Sure it was stressful but I can take on workmates having a crush on me as compared to deliverables that needed to be sent out at crazy times.” He still feels a little burdened, but you can’t really do much for that. It’ll take a while before the guilt really washes away, he carried this belief for so long, unlearning that would take a while. “You’re not a burden, I promise you that. Never were, never will be.” Truth be told, any shortcomings he’s had have been forgiven and forgotten. You truly believe he’s grown since you last heard from him. 

He flashes a small smile, and you know it’s taking a lot of his strength to not cry. San catches the look of mild alarm in your face and beats you to it. “I’m not going to cry here, I promise.” As he says this, he proceeds to blink profusely to keep the tears at bay. You slipping a piece of tissue towards him catches his eye and he laughs lightly at the thoughtful deed. “Thank you.” He holds onto it to reassure you and to make sure he doesn’t cry in public. He’ll save the tears when he’s in the privacy of his own room. “Now, help me create a cave with this bingsu.” The man across you states, picking up his spoon again. You look at the half eaten bingsu and he’s right, for some reason he started at the edge then started digging downwards. 

“San, this cave is going to fall.” You state, a little fearful of a possible mess that could happen if you indulge in his wish. 

“Do you not have faith in me?” He asks, visibly hurt by your alarm now. Your gaze carries disbelief and you decide to indulge but on one condition.

“If this falls, you’re buying my coffee on the way home.” 

“Call.”

--------

“Do you wanna do this again? Some other time?” San asks. It’s a little frustrating that the two of you don’t live under the same roof (technically) anymore but it does make the time spent a little more precious. 

Your eyes widen at his invitation but soften up once it registers in your head. “Yeah, I’d like that. Message me?” You ask, raising your phone up. The train’s arriving soon and that means a surge of people. You take a quick sip of your nth cup of coffee for the day before you brace yourself for rush hour. You did reassure San that your coffee tasted sweeter because it was his money. 

“Of course. Send me a message when you get home okay?”

The two of you quickly give the other a hug, just in time for the train to arrive. San stays near the wall, away from the incoming foot traffic from both ends of the station. He watches you enter the train, staying near the window so that you could still clearly see each other. Even at a distance, San pulls a few faces at you to which you try to stifle the laughter that wants to spill from your lips. The doors close and you wave goodbye to him. He does the same, his thumb and pinky outstretched as if to say to expect a message or a call from him soon. The last thing he sees before the train whirrs away is a thumbs up and your smile. 

He lets the rush hour crowd dissipate first before making his way to his own train ride home. Somewhere along the way, he receives a message. 

[ You to San ] I got home! 

[ You to San ] proof.jpg

It was a photo of the clothes the two of you bought along with the coffee he bought for you, spread across the table in your place. A small air of laughter slips out of him at how you arranged the photo in your typical manner after a long day.

[ San to You ] clapping_ryan.emoji

[ San to You ] thumbs_up_apeach.emoji

 It’s hard to shake the feeling that the members would annoy him about today. 

--------

The door beeps a melody at his return, and already he’s greeted by some of the members playing video games in the living room. It looks like Mingi somehow managed to doze off on the massage chair despite the chaos in front of him. Yeosang who was just an audience to the entire thing notices his return and beckons him over to sit with them to watch. It was a tight match between Wooyoung and Yunho from the looks of the score.

“How was the date?” Yeosang asks before offering a piece of chicken to the now seated member. “It wasn’t a date.” San states, he wonders how many times he had to get this through their heads. Regardless, he takes the offered chicken pop. “Not the usual salt and pepper today?” He asks, a little surprised with the change of flavor. The other shrugs nonchalantly at the change. “Promo plus GC. You know I had to do it.” He looks at San with a raised eyebrow. “It looks like a date though.” 

Somehow, San didn’t want Yeosang to expound on what that meant. It’s good to keep your hopes up but this is different. 

“Are you going to see them again?” Yeosang asks, the two of them suddenly jumping when Wooyoung manages to score another point against Yunho. The entire room erupts into cheers. They peer over at Mingi and he’s still deep in slumber on the massage chair. 

Now that they’ve mellowed down and Yunho has called for a round 2, San returns to their topic. “If we have time then yeah.” 

-------

It wasn’t a matter of if the two of you have time. It was a matter of how the two of you will meet. By some strange feats of stubbornness and quick thinking, the two of you somehow manage to meet with each other still after schedules. Of course, depending on how tired the other is, it was usually just San decompressing at your apartment. 

The two of you have grown closer than before. Not a day passes without either of you sending each other messages at the start or end of one’s day. Today, San asked if he can stay for the night after a CF shoot. Even though you’ve said before that you don’t mind him coming over just as long as he gives you a heads up, he still asks. 

Now, he’s spread eagle across the floor, relishing on the cool feeling of your flooring after such a long day. “San, I’m pretty sure your massage chair might be more comfortable than my floor.” You say, as you set down some snacks on the table. 

“We may have a massage chair in the dorm but we don’t have a Lily.” He states. Lily’s your pet ragdoll that’s been with you now for half a year. The little one was also resting on San’s abdomen. The image in front of you makes you laugh. 

“I guess so, but will Lily really help with your muscle knots?” 

“Her purring can.” 

You roll your eyes at how weak he gets for cats. “Go get washed up. Your spare clothes are in my room. I promise, her purring will feel much better when you get out of your work clothes.” Before he says anything to stay put, you already got Lily’s favorite toy ringing clear in the room. The dainty bell already catches the feline’s attention and she hops off of him before he can say anything. 

“Fine, fine.” His voice is tinged with an exhausted whine but you’re right; loungewear after a long day does feel nice. With that, he pushes himself off the floor and makes his way to your bathroom. 

Now that he’s gone, you tire out your little zooming companion for some time, playing catch with her as she bounces around the room, catching her favorite ball over and over. In the course of throwing the ball repeatedly and tiring out your favorite girl, thoughts run in your mind. You’ve talked about this with Jiwoo recently but you never got to talk about this with Seonghwa or Hongjoong. With Lily still whacking at the small ball around, chasing it around the room, you decide to send Seonghwa a message. 

[ You to Seonghwa ] Hey remember that question you asked me when you and Hongjoong visited me? 

[ Seonghwa to You ] Yeah, what’s up?

The bathroom door unlocks and it’s sudden enough for you to jump out of your seat. You couldn’t think of a reply to make yourself look busy when San comes back after a shower and in a fresh set of clothes. Adrenaline runs hot in your body now. 

“San, I have a question..” Your voice is careful and it already puts San on edge, wondering what could be in your head to suddenly sound so hesitant. Just earlier, you were teasing him and playing around with Lily. He worries what could’ve happened in his absence. 

“Yeah?” San returns, repositioning himself to listen closely to whatever’s bothering you. He sits across you, tearing open a bag of snacks. 

“You still have feelings don’t you?” 

“What if I do?” 

This time there’s nothing that twists in you.

Part 9

#my writings #ateez fanfiction #ateez fluff #ateez fanfic #ateez scenario #ateez san #san fanfiction #san fluff #im just saying but if some stuff here come true i'll deactivate /jk 1/2