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thefanficmonster · 3 years

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There You Are

PART 2: ‘Finally, You’re Back’

Karl Heisenberg x Reader (Gender Neutral)

Warnings: Mild spoilers for Resident Evil 8:Village, Swearing

Genre: Romance, Mild Angst

Summary: It’s the life before the nightmare. It’s the breath of fresh air before the pollution. The sunshine before the storm. And there they are, standing in the warmth of a sunny spring day in that Romanian village, their meeting coincidental yet fated at the same time.

Requested by Anon. Hi darling! I’m sorry for the long wait but here it finally is - you request turned into a fic! Also, big thanks to that other Anon who gave me the idea of modifying the fic in a way where it’s now gonna be a two-parter, a sort of the before the nightmare and the aftermath of Heisenberg’s turning. Regardless, I hope you enjoy the read. Love, Vy ❤

Because one is incapable of expecting the unexpected One can never see what the future may hold One can never know what storms await One can never fully prepare And neither did he Because he could’ve never guessed Never known He could only see so far ahead He could only plan so much Yet he always thought he’d run free Let the winds and rivers guide him forward Never did he think his fate would uproot him into a nightmare He had no idea what to expect He had no idea he’d never be the same again Hell, to him it was the first and last time But to his hope it was a lightning spark Praying for more Regardless, in that moment When eyes met eyes, all he could think was... ‘There you are’

And there they were, standing in the almost completely melted snow on the outskirts of the Romanian village, the shy sun rays shimmering on their skin, making their hair glow. Their gaze gave away nothing yet so much simultaneously. Their crystal, shining yet still tired orbs were busy taking in their surroundings, their back turned to him. They didn’t have to face him for him to be able to guess they weren’t from around here. Truth be told, there were several clues that let him know: the clothes, the shoes, the sun-kissed skin - which there’s no way they could’ve obtained from the gloomy sunless winter in the village- but most important, the dead giveaway was the huge rucksack burdening their back and shoulders.

‘A traveler‘, he thought, ‘They’re probably lost. There’s no way they landed in this shithole on purpose.‘

The contemplation of whether to address them or not ends shortly and not really willingly - it mostly has to do with the fact that his thoughts were momentarily shut up when the traveler’s eyes met his.

Even with the amount of distance between them, something in those E/C pools glinting in the faint sunlight while also reflecting the brightness of the last remaining snow on the ground stole his breath away and paralyzed him. He was rendered helpless and unmoving from simple eye contact with this stranger.

But they weren’t done surprising him with the overwhelming power they unknowingly possessed.

They, out of the blue, shot him a smile that could only be described as blinding. One that sent his heart racing, eyes widening ever so slightly with disbelief. He was rarely offered such a kind reaction upon being seen by someone. A smile - not a mocking or menacing one - was an expression he rarely saw directed towards him.

‘They don’t know you, idiot!‘ He scolds himself mentally, ‘They don’t know what kind of lowlife piece of shit you are.‘

Yeah, they don’t. And they’re never gonna find out

He was willing to pull every lie from the book to keep his miserable life as a nearly homeless, poorly treated worker of three jobs hidden from this stranger. He didn’t want to see pity in those eyes nor sympathy in their smile.

He didn’t want things to change. Though, he simultaneously didn’t know what ‘things’ he didn’t want changed.

And so, he decided to create some, knowing full-well they would be temporary.

“Need any help? You lost or something?“ He calls out to them as he makes his way down from the cliff and into the large field where they’re standing.

They shake their head in response, loose strands of hair forming a curtain over their features as they do so, their smile never fading, “Nope, not at all. I’m exactly where I wanna be.”

“What could you possibly wanna see here?“ He asks, now without having to belch his lungs out due to the smaller distance between them.

They turn away from him, pointing to the monstrosity of a building he’s more than familiar with, towering over the village and dominating the outskirts. Having been abandoned for years now, the factory has become a home for rats, roaches, bats and Karl Heisenberg. The young man runs the risk of having it all crumble atop him while he sleeps the three hours he’s allowed each night. He’s not usually embarrassed by this fact but he doesn’t proudly announce it either. Sure, some people who pick on him and are determined to make his life a living hell have spread rumors about his place of stay but no one dares go into the factory to fact-check. It’s menacing exterior looking to be straight from a horror movie or a nightmare is more than enough to drive any person away, but the haunting noises the place harbors accompanied by the many creatures that produce said noises just add to the fear factor among the villagers when it comes to the century old structure.

“That.“ The traveler says, looking almost dreamily at the building so many people turn to with disgust and fear. “Would it be trespassing to enter? I really wanna have a look inside.“

Forgetting to mask his confused and surprised expression, Karl is caught with that wide-eyed, mouth-slightly-agape look on his face which sends the traveler in a fit of laughter.

“I know I probably sound crazy saying that, but abandoned places are sort of my thing, you know. I can’t simply pass by one without going in and doing a literal scavenger hunt. Not that I ever find much apart from graffiti and crap all over the place, but it’s worth having a look. Especially inside a place that looks that old. And man is it huge.“ No, his assumption was right the first time - their eyes do indeed get dreamy when they turn to observe the giant structure further down the overgrown path.

Who gives him the right to tell them no?

“Lucky I found you then.“ He says, shedding every last bit of confusion and replacing it with enthusiasm, a wide smile plastered on his face, “Follow me, I know all the entrances.“

He needn’t tell them twice. Hell, he barely had to finish his sentence before they literally took flight as they rushed - as much as they could with the heavy backpack they were carrying - towards the factory, taking his hand to drag him along, never stopping their river of gratitude the whole way there.

It awoke something in him, something warm and genuine that made him want to get to know this sunshine in human form better. He hasn’t had a chance to smile plenty in his life, never having a reason to do so. But during this less than five minute interaction, he hasn’t been able to contain the grin brought upon him as a side effect of their own happiness.

“I’m Karl, by the way!“ He informed them as they stomped their way up the path.

“Nice to meet you, Karl!“ They called back, giving him a brief glance over their shoulder, “My name’s Y/N.“

‘Y/N‘ the name echoed and repeated itself in his head, intensifying that feeling dangerously close to adoration.

“Nice to meet you too, Y/N.“

* * *

Dust and dirt had stuck to their clothes, practically merging with the textile by the time the pair left the factory to see the setting sun once again. The darkness and dinginess of the factory periodically made them forget how beautiful the outside world was. The place was filthy but what Y/N didn’t know is that it had been in a worse state before. Before Karl started staying there.

The young man always had a fascination with mechanical engineering, having met many workers who worked in the factory prior to its closing. They often times snuck him in so he could admire the work process the different types of machinery they had in there - many of which still remained in the factory covered in rust and spiderwebs. That being said, he took it upon himself to clean up a bit, treat the powerful mechanical giants with the respect and decency a machine of their kind deserved. Some he even miraculously repaired - probably the biggest achievement in his life - but he was yet to put them to good use, given that he still didn’t know how to properly operate them and what their true purpose was.

“That was incredible!“ Y/N cheered once the two had stepped onto the grass outside in the field again, “I can’t believe I almost started debating whether to go or not after so many of the villagers tried to scare me.“ They turned to give the factory one more lingering look, “Damn, I wish I could go back in there again to see if we missed anything. Unfortunately, my time’s limited.“ They sigh, checking their wristwatch before sparing the setting sun a look as well. “And it’s almost up.“

The knot that suddenly appeared in Karl’s throat made him choke on the oxygen he had inhaled. The worry of what those words of Y/N’s meant made his stomach turn.

But, before he could ask what they meant, they gave him an apologetic smile, their eyes still shining, but saddened now, “I have to get going. I have a different destination I need to reach by dawn.“ They sighed heavily, looking down at their boots. Karl opened his mouth to say something, but he found himself to be at a loss for words. He felt hollow and empty and couldn’t bring himself to stomach what he had been told. However, Y/N once again beat him to the opportunity of saying something. Their head snapped back up, their eyes meeting his, now glimmering with the glow he had grown to think of as familiar at that point. “However, that doesn’t mean I won’t be back.“ They took him by the wrist and brought his hand up, opening his clenched palm to drop a small chain in it. “Growing up, I was taught to not expect people to return things you give them but to go and take them back yourself. And so, Karl, I’m giving you this necklace and promising I’ll be back to retrieve it.“ They closes his palm again, letting his arm fall by his side. While he still had only processed half of all that happened when they spoke up again, “Ok, so now I ask of you to stay here, not see me off, not follow me, just stand right here. Or you can turn around and walk away too, that’d be even better. Can you do that for me?” They asked, cringing suddenly, “Sorry, I’m bad at goodbyes.“

He faintly nodded, unable to get any words out yet again. That was probably a good thing, cause there was a huge risk that he would’ve asked them to stay if he spoke.

Taking his nod as a positive response, they gave him a quick peck on the cheek before turning around and walking off in the direction they came from earlier, leaving him behind. Karl wanted to force himself to walk in the opposite direction like they had told him to, but he couldn’t tear his eyes off them. He stood there, heart aching, watching them go. All the while squeezing the dog tag necklace tightly in his hand. The physical proof of the person that reminded him how it felt to feel.

The physical proof of the promise that they’d come back.

They’d come back to him.

He’d see them.

And he’d once again think to himself...

There you are, finally, you’re back

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lastxviolet · 3 years

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Madripoor is for Lovers (Zemo x F!Reader) - Ch. 2

Summary: Y/N is a SWORD agent recruited to help Sam and Bucky track down Karli and the super-soldiers. When Helmut Zemo joins the team, he takes a special interest in her. The friendly union is wrought for disaster, but then things take a turn for the worst when Y/N is taken as collateral. Will Zemo keep her forever? Does she even want to escape? And what happened in Madripoor that made the whole thing so complicated?

Warnings: 18+ / eventual smut / kidnapping

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32878015/chapters/81589774

The plane completed its descent, jolting you awake and away from the dream of what happened next.

His hands inside your dress and the moment in the evening that stopped feeling like an act.

“We are here,” he confirmed, gripping your hand and leading you from the plane.

The air wasn’t cold anymore and smelled like spring. It was May in the states and DC had felt the same so it was possible that you were still in the northern hemisphere. The United States and Canada weren’t options for the criminal, neither was Germany.

Italy?

He spoke to the driver in German and although you recognized the words, you had no clue what they meant. A short drive later and the car stopped. He untied the blindfold and you took in the sight of a lone chateau at the end of a lavish driveway. He opened the door and motioned for you to follow.

“No gun,” you questioned, eyeing his relaxed demeanor.

He smiled. Although you were angry and the sun was too bright, you were glad to finally be able to see something again.

“Not necessary,” he nodded at the rolling hills around them. “Where would you run?”

You glared at him, letting him know that this was still against your will and that any familiarity you’d had, was gone.

“You’re very confident that I prefer your company over death,” you hissed, eyeing the wilderness.

“You’ve come with me this far.”

Your eyes met his. It was impossible to know what he was thinking beneath the stern exterior.

“You could’ve screamed for your comrades,” he shrugged.

“There was a gun aimed at my temple.”

“Or jumped out of the plane.”

Again, you glared at him. If looks could kill.

“This way,” he said, clearing his throat. “Please.”

You followed him, debating if you could make it to the car or even out of the compound before Zemo shot you or caught up.

The terrain was unfamiliar, and now you were in a foreign country, alone and uncounted for.

Zemo slowed and matched your snail’s pace, signaling that it was time to hurry up. You moved slower despite his hand on your back and he clicked his tongue. You made the journey last as long as possible until there was no choice but to cross the threshold.

“Your room is up the stairs and to the right,” he said, eyes on your face.

You stormed up the wooden stairs, making each groan with your anger.

“Dinner will be ready soon,” he called after you.

You slammed your door in response. The wall shook and you half hoped it’d bring the whole house down, taking you and Zemo with it.

An hour later, you entered the small and intimate dining room. A round table sat in a nook surrounded by windows, looking out onto the cliff-like drop below. You didn’t even glance at the food before you. There was only Zemo, and convincing him to let you go.

“Is your room to your liking?”

You scoffed. “My cell is fine, thank you.”

Unfortunately, your warden was fond of conflict, and difficult people. The words only seemed to intrigue him further. His eyes danced over your face, glancing down towards the exposed skin on your chest and then up to your lips.

“They say a pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity,” he mused.

“I’m a pessimist because of intelligence,” you quoted.

His eyes twinkled again, he knew, as you did, that it came from an Italian philosopher. It was applicable but also, a guess.

He raised his glass towards you before finishing the quote. “But an optimist because of will.”

In true Zemo fashion, he neither confirmed nor denied your suspicion. You lifted your glass of red wine towards him with a scowl.

You ate in silence for a while, you, staring out the window, Zemo, eyeing you. You made it half an hour before the weight of his stare became unbearable.

“So what’s your game plan, with all this,” you asked, waving your fork to yourself and then to him and the house.

“Do not ask questions you already know the answer to,” he chided. “It is beneath you.”

“My life for your freedom.”

He sighed then, almost like he didn’t like that answer either. It was the right one, you both knew that but it looked like it pained him. Seeing that flicker of humanity hurt more than you wanted to admit. It'd be easier if the man beneath the mask wasn't real. It'd be easier if he'd been lying and there weren’t two versions of him. You wished that there wasn’t a charming and passionate man beneath the evil Baron facade, but there he was again.

“Prison is not an option for me,” he admitted, laying down his fork. “But I am sorry that it had to be you.”

You nodded and scoffed, rolling your eyes for good measure.

“I do hope to make you comfortable, in the meantime — ”

“Before you kill me,” you interrupted.

He clicked his tongue again and glared. It was the plan he orchestrated and yet, he didn’t seem to like it.

“I may not have to,” he corrected.

You laughed then, with little care for his strained expression. “Have you met the Dora Milage? They’ll go through whoever they need to, to avenge their king. They don’t know me nor do they care about me. You don’t have the winning hand that you think you do.”

“You are forgetting about your colleagues. They've lost one of their own. If not loyalty, then pride will make them come for you,” he corrected.

Again, you smiled at his miscalculation. “I’m a foot soldier, not an avenger; not a super soldier; not one of them.”

"There is no such thing as small people, only small — ”

“Great,” you bellowed. “More wisdom! Your riddles and literature are useless now. You should’ve spent more time studying negotiations while you were incarcerated. Why didn’t you take Bucky? Or Caps little assistant? The US would’ve been at your feet for them back. You could’ve gotten a pardon and a reward!”

“I have no need for a reward,” he spat.

Your chest was heaving, out of anger, out of nerves, but most of all because the man in front of you was once again, impenetrable.

“Or a pardon from the great United States,” he continued, almost in a whisper.

Your eyes snapped to his but he avoided your gaze. He swirled his wine and stared off into space before inspecting you again. Something was missing, something that didn’t make sense.

The glimmer of humanity returned, despite his best efforts to hide it.

He’d been the main orchestrator of his outbreak from jail. He had private homes, apartments, transportation, weapons, cars, everything. He could run forever but he didn’t need you to do it. How was this life any different than what it would be if he was free? He watched you come to the realization and winced as it clicked into place.

“Why am I here,” you whispered, squinting.

He was silent and looked back to the window.

“Zemo,” you whispered. “Look at me.”

Funny enough, he followed the order.

His lips moved in silence but words didn’t escape.

“Why did you choose me?”

He pursed his lips in exasperation. It was no secret that he liked having the upper hand but he’d shown you all his cards a moment ago. You wondered why he hadn’t bothered to lie.

“I chose you because they wouldn’t — they won’t.”

He stood up and leaned against the sill, sipping wine in small swigs and staring out at the greenery.

“You would die for your country, Y/N,” he explained. “I find that admirable — heroic even but the problem, for me, is that they would let you.”

“Let me?” You repeated the phrase slowly, trying to understand the point.

He let out a huff. “If you caught a grenade in the name of bettering America, what would happen?”

You cocked your head in question. “I die? Maybe get a Purple Heart?”

“And then what? Would they bat an eye before rejoicing you — celebrating you and your sacrifice? Encouraging others to do the same in your name?” He paused and stared at you.

“No….no they wouldn’t because your death would mean that their wars are working. Another name in the long list of people that they were willing to gift to the god of war.”

“That sacrifice is what I signed up for — it’s my choice,” you explained, confused about where he was taking this.

He nodded and yet made no amends or clarification. The angry veins in his forehead receded and his gaze flitted away like he couldn’t bear to continue. You suddenly wondered if he'd even sent a ransom note, or whatever kidnappers do. The look in his eyes, told you no. The tone of his voice told you that he might not ever.

“Then you are doing your duty as a prisoner of war here, with me.”

He smiled and your anger dissipated. You lunged to grab onto any remaining frayed piece of it but there was nothing left. All those years of training and fighting, all to succumb to an evil man in a fitted turtleneck. You hardened your expression in an attempt to remain vexed.

“Your circumstance could be worse,” he concluded.

“And what of your circumstance?”

Silence ate up space between you. His gaze was set on you once again and then it seemed like you were the only two in this room, this home…the world.

“Better than it has been in a long time, schatzi,” he sighed.

“How so,” you asked, pushing for information.

He shrugged. “I am free and I am alone….with you.”

You winced and shook your head. “Don’t,” you whispered.

His brows furrowed. “In previous interactions, you did not seem to resent my…affections, Y/N.”

Butterflies ravaged your sternum, bringing memories of the night at Sharon’s with it. If it was different, if he had turned over a new leaf, then it would be easier to admit your feelings.

“Is this your version of affection? Holding me hostage?”

“Yes,” he breathed, coming to sit next to you, so close you thought he might touch you.

“Let’s not…talk about it,” you whispered, trying to push away the longing in your chest.

“I would like to,” he pushed.

All you could do was stare. The memories should've stayed in Madripoor. It should live in your brief collective drunk past. But you could see that it weighed on him as heavy as it did on you.

“That is fine,” he sighed. “I can talk if you will listen.”

You nodded once. The residual affections plagued you and it was impossible to keep your heartbeat at bay. The thought that he might feel the same was exhilarating and terrifying.

“It was you who assisted me with my escape plan. You who tracked Karli. You who guessed that I’d betray you on countless occasions. You who ensured that we evaded Captain America as long as we did. You who played your part so well that everyone in Madripoor thinks I have taken a wife.”

“Your point,” you hissed, deadpan.

“The super soldier solution does not increase intelligence, as you know. Nothing does. Even all the books in the world cannot alter what is already there. Either you are born with the glorious burden, or you live in ignorant bliss,” he explained.

He reached up and brushed his thumb along your forehead. “I know your burden, Y/N, because I share it.”

A stuttering breath left your chest. Compliments were the easiest forms of manipulation. You’d studied it, known it, resisted it in many years of training but this felt different. Everything he did and said, felt different.

“I do my job Zemo, that’s it.”

“You excel,” he corrected. “You make the rest of your colleagues look like newborns and yet they don’t...value you. Not like I do, Liebling.”

“If this is about the incident at Sharon’s,” you said, recognizing the nickname. “It was a mistake.”

He chuckled. “An optimist would call it a happy accident.”

“I’d call it life-ruining,” you said, trying to decipher the feelings of anger and something warm inside your chest. “If it led you to this.”

“I understand if you hate me,” he explained. “But you should know that living here with your hatred will be akin to breathing, for me, if it means you are safe. Natural and life-bringing.”

Your face gave nothing away but he’d stunned you.

“The evil baron is becoming less and less of a character.”

“They say hate itself is a version of love,” he mused, ignoring your words and staring at your lips.

The word knocked thought and common sense back into your head. This wasn’t love. This was ownership and selfishness. A myriad of terrible things that had tangled you both in this mess. It’d spurred from fascination and proximity but for love to grow, there has to be more. There has to be more good than bad. You looked around the home, owned by the man in front of you. Both beautiful, breathtaking even. But not enough to trade your freedom for.

“How convenient for someone with so many enemies,” you hissed.

His eyes squinted then and the Baron who commanded respect in Madripoor returned. There was this side of him too, you reminded yourself. And it seemed to be winning over the side who loved books and witty conversation.

“Are you my enemy, Y/N?”

For the first time, you didn’t know what to say. Before this, it wasn’t safe to call him anything other than an enemy but now? He ruined any chance of normalcy or redemption. The question lingered between you and it struck you how close he’d gotten. It would take almost nothing to start a repeat of the night at Sharon’s. But this was a different man.

“I didn’t have to be,” you breathed before breaking eye contact. You gave him no time to answer before fleeing back to your room.

#zemo smut #zemo fic #baron zemo fic #baron zemo x you #baron zemo x reader #baron zemo #helmut zemo x you #helmut zemo x reader #helmut zemo smut #zemo x you

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hongism · 4 years

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shifting desires - j. jaehyun x reader x mark lee

➻ pairing: jaehyun x fem!reader x mark

➻ wc: 3.2k

➻ genre: smut, pwp

➻ rating: M, 18+

➻ warnings: threesome, explicit smut, oral sex: m & f, fingering, face-fucking, slight choking on dick, multiple orgasms, creampie, cum eating, unprotected sex!!! wrap it before you tap it folks!!!!, idek what else to tag

➻ summary: jaehyun is bold but he’s never been this bold, especially not during a movie night with you and mark.

➻ requested by: @wheresmymoniat

➻ prompts:

“Are you really watching porn right beside me?”

You drop your head onto Jaehyun’s shoulder, a small sigh leaving your lips as you watch the TV screen with increasing boredom. His hand comes to rest on your thigh and squeezes the muscle before beginning to rub small circles against your clothed skin. He has his phone in one hand, and he’s watching something on the screen rather than looking at the TV, but you can’t see what he’s doing. Mark sits on the other side of the couch, feet propped on your lap, and he watches the television with much more enthusiasm than either you or Jaehyun.

A few minutes pass like that, and you feel your eyelids starting to grow heavy as you rest against your friend’s shoulder. All of a sudden, he shifts under you, and you jolt into a sitting position again. Mark glances over as you move quickly. Your eyes are on Jaehyun, however, and you try to figure out what caused his sudden movement. He doesn’t look back, gaze still glued to his phone screen without a care in the world. It’s like you and Mark don’t exist at all, and you want nothing more than to smack the device out of his hand so he actually pays attention.

Rather than doing that though, you just reach forward and grab the phone from him.

“No!” Jaehyun exclaims automatically, but it’s too late because you’ve already got the device in your hands. Mark leans forward to glance over your shoulder and see the screen as well. Neither of you are ready for what you see. It’s a lewd image that causes your jaw to drop. Mark chokes out a nervous laugh that you know is only an attempt to veil his embarrassment. Jaehyun lunges towards you and grabs the phone back, and you can’t even fight back in your shock.

“Are you really watching porn right beside me?” You ask, tone incredulous as you look to Jaehyun’s face. You expect to see some form of embarrassment on his features, but he just shrugs and returns to watching the screen. “Jaehyun!”

“What? I can put it on the TV if you’d like.”

You choke at his suggestion, but Jaehyun continues to have zero shame. He presses his legs further open, revealing the prominent tent in his grey sweatpants, and you try your best to avoid looking at him again.

“At least go to the bedroom, for fuck’s sake,” you grumble as you pull your legs up on the couch and curl into yourself. You move to lean against Mark this time, but he shifts away from you awkwardly.

“I-I, uh…” His voice dies in his throat as you turn to look at him now. A faint blush dusts his cheeks. He’s dragged a pillow over his lap, but now that you know what Jaehyun is watching, you know exactly what’s hiding under that pillow.

“Are you serious?” You ask, releasing a deep sigh. Mark swallows in response and doesn’t meet your eyes.

“He’s probably thinking about fucking you like the video,” Jaehyun pipes up. The words send both you and Mark into a state of shock. Mark starts laughing only to choke on his saliva and fall into a fit of coughs. You whip around to glare at Jaehyun’s form. When you turn to him, you find his gaze on you. His phone is gone, and he’s turned his body towards you. Your eyes flit down to the tent in his pants.

“W-What?” You stammer even though you know exactly what Jaehyun means. Jaehyun has always been bold and a bit on the flirty side; that’s something you’ve known since the start of your friendship. This is completely different. It was just a friendship, and it’s always been that way. The same goes for Mark, except Mark is marginally less intense and a lot more shy. The three of you have a solid friendship, and while Jaehyun is not shy about talking about his exploits in the bedroom (or other places), he’s never directed those exploits towards you.

Jaehyun pushes closer to you on the couch. Your heart begins to speed up as he edges closer and closer. You reach behind you to support yourself when you lean away from Jaehyun, but your hand makes contact with the pillow over Mark’s lap instead. He groans at the pressure. You don’t intend for the sound to affect you the way it does, but Mark’s moan sends a surge of arousal straight to your core.

“I said… he’s probably thinking of fucking you like the guy in the video,” Jaehyun repeats, voice falling to a whisper. “Or seeing you get fucked like that.” Something about the way Jaehyun says the words causes your core to coil. You press your thighs together to alleviate some of the sudden pressure between your legs. Jaehyun notices the small movements, a smirk overtaking his lips. “Do you like the idea of that?”

“I… yes.” Your voice is faint, nothing more than a whisper that can barely be heard over the rumble of the television. Jaehyun’s lips twitch, tongue darting out to moisten them, and you follow the movement with your eyes.

“Do you like the idea of me kissing you, Y/N?” Comes Jaehyun’s next question, and he’s already leaning in before you can answer. You respond by leaning towards Jaehyun. His lips ghost over yours, delicate and soft against you, and you sink into the sensation. His tongue pokes at your lower lip, and you don’t hesitate in granting him access to your wet cavern. He hums into your mouth, tongue swirling against yours. Jaehyun’s hands find your hips, gripping the flesh tightly, and he tugs you into his lap. You drape your arms over his shoulders and dig your fingers into his hair. His tongue is warm against yours, and you know that he’s going to overpower you but you still wrestle for dominance.

You nearly forget about Mark because of the overwhelming haze that’s rising in your mind. Pleasure fills your system, you sink further into Jaehyun’s touch, and he digs his fingers further into your hips. The force is enough to be bruising but it draws a moan out of you nonetheless. You push your hips further against his, dragging your crotch over his and grinding down against his bulge.

Jaehyun pulls his lips off yours for a fraction of a second, just long enough for him to hook his fingers around the hem of your shirt and tug it up over your head. You neglected to wear a bra since it’s your apartment and these are your best friends, but as Jaehyun’s gaze drags hungrily over your form, you can’t help but feel a bit shy. His hands fall to your breasts, squeezing the skin under his fingers. You respond to the action with delicate moans. Jaehyun takes the small sounds as encouragement and brings his lips to your sensitive nipple, pulling the skin into his mouth while kneading the other.

You throw your head back at the sensation, and Mark is there to catch your head with his shoulder. You don’t know when he moved, but his chest is now flush against your back and his erection prods at your back as he pushes closer to you. His lips find your neck in an instant. He ravishes the bare skin with his tongue, dragging the flat of his tongue over you before sucking at it harshly. One of his hands slips around your abdomen. It travels further and further down until deft fingers slide into the band on your pajama shorts, revealing your lack of underwear and sopping folds. Mark pushes into the wetness with his index and middle fingers. He drags over your clit, causing your body to jerk under the touch, then he starts working small circles around your sensitive bud.

You can’t contain your lewd noises as the two men go to work on your body. Arousal takes over your senses. Mark’s fingers speed up as your moans grow louder and louder, and you’re certain that if he keeps up at that pace you’ll hit an orgasm sooner than you’d like. Luckily, Jaehyun pulls off your breasts and slaps Mark’s hand away from your core.

“Bedroom,” he all but growls. A moment later, Jaehyun is hoisting you onto his waist, hands braced on your ass, and he carries you down the hall to get to your bedroom. Mark trails after you, and you watch him move over Jaehyun’s shoulder as the older man presses marks to the side of your neck Mark left untouched. He tugs his shirt off as he follows Jaehyun, pants dropping along the way to the bedroom as well.

When you reach your room, Jaehyun tosses you to the bed with a surprising amount of strength that has your core throbbing. He tugs his shirt off with ease and drops his pants just as quickly as Mark did. He moves to climb on the bed with you, but you stop him with your hands bracing his hips. You get on all fours before him, eyes clouded with lust as you look up at him. Hesitant fingers tug at the band of his underwear. You pull lower and lower until his hardened member springs out. He’s well-endowed, to say the least, and it would be a lie if you said that you hadn’t thought about how… large he is from time to time.

He watches you with hooded eyes as you dip closer to his cock and give a tentative kitten lick to his leaking head. He hisses at the contact, and that slight noise encourages you to continue. The mattress dips behind you. You gasp around Jaehyun’s cock when hands brush against your hips and tug the pajama shorts down to your knees. You help Mark a little by lifting your legs one at a time so he can pull them completely off.

You push your lips further down Jaehyun’s member, taking him as far as you can without gagging, and you drag your tongue over each dip and vein along his cock. Mark’s hands push your legs further apart. Cold air hits your core but the sensation doesn’t last long as a warm and wet muscle brushes through your folds. You want to turn and look back at Mark, see his face as he eats you out, but you’re too preoccupied with Jaehyun to do so. Instead, you bob your head along Jaehyun’s member, humming when Mark’s tongue flicks over your clit. Jaehyun’s hand flies to your hair when the vibrations carry over his dick. You look up at his face with fluttering lashes, seeing gritted teeth and sweat on his brow already.

You have to admit that it’s a beautiful sight, even if you never expected to see it in this sort of position. His fingers tighten in your hair and guide your mouth along his cock. You slacken your jaw to let him take control and fuck your mouth as he sees fit. Before his hips start bucking into your wet heat, he pulls out to let you take a deep breath.

“We need a safeword,” he says through heavy pants. You pause, barely able to think straight with Mark’s tongue ravishing your dripping cunt. Glancing over to your vanity, you spot something that causes you to look back up at Jaehyun.

“Mirror.”

“Mirror? Are you sure?”

“Yes, yes, Jaehyun, I’m sure. So can you get back to fucking my mouth?”

Jaehyun groans at your words, teasing your bottom lip with the head of his leaking member. He doesn’t thrust back in quite yet though, seemingly still having something else to add before he gets back to business.

“Tap on my hand three times if it’s too much,” he says, tone suddenly soft. His hand reaches out to drag over your cheek, and you lean into the touch. Mark chooses that moment to thrust his tongue into you particularly hard, and a wanton moan escapes you. It’s enough encouragement for Jaehyun to grip your hair against and thrust his cock into your mouth, immediately hitting the back of your throat in one thrust. He picks up a brutal pace and slams against your throat with each jerk of his hips. It’s enough to cause your eyes to water, but it’s not unpleasant yet, mostly thanks to Mark’s continuous touch at your cunt.

Mark pushes two fingers into you alongside his tongue, curling them against your tight walls in search of your sweet spot. He finds it within four thrusts of his fingers. You cry out around Jaehyun, and the older man takes it as pain, quickly pulling out of your mouth to check your expression. You’re too busy seeing stars from Mark’s touch to pay any attention to Jaehyun, however, and with two more thrusts of his fingers, you clench around Mark. A powerful orgasm washes over you. Jaehyun leans forward to capture your lips, kissing you as you ride out the pleasure, and Mark’s fingers and tongue don’t stop until your body stops trembling.

You’re still gasping for breath when Jaehyun pulls you up and places you on your back on the bed. It’s a good thing that he didn’t try to put you on your hands and knees against because you aren’t sure your body could hold yourself up any longer. You glance down between your legs, expecting to see Jaehyun lining up with your stretched hole, but instead, it’s Mark who standing at the foot of the bed. You find yourself a bit confused by the sudden switch of positions, especially as Jaehyun climbs onto the bed and seats himself behind your head. He reaches for your hands and interlocks your fingers with his. You blink up at his face, finding a gentle expression across his sharp features.

You don’t have time to dwell on his expression long though, because Mark pushes into you a moment later. It’s a much larger stretch than you expected and much larger than his fingers. You gasp at the sensation of being filled up, and Mark doesn’t stop until he’s completely buried in your tight heat. Your walls squeeze around his member involuntarily. He doesn’t move for a little bit, giving you ample time to grow accustomed to the new stretch. You glance down at where he’s standing and drag your gaze over where the two of you are joined then up to his face.

“Pl-Please fuck me,” you plead, pushing your hips against his cock. Mark hisses as you squeeze around him almost painfully. He pulls his hips back and drills back into you with one quick thrust. You cry out at the head of his member drags against your walls. He shifts as he begins to pick up a steady rhythm, trying to find the perfect angle to hit your sweet spot, and it doesn't take long for him to move your hips and find that angle. Jaehyun squeezes your hands tighter as you rock against his body. The force of Mark’s thrusts pushes you back on the bed, and if not for his grip on your thighs and Jaehyun behind you, you’re sure that you would be edging closer and closer to the headboard.

“I bet this is what you wanted, isn’t it, Mark? You wanted to fuck her like this? See her so loud and needy under you? Just wait until I have my fun with her and you watch on. I have so much I wanna do to her.” Jaehyun purrs the words. His still hard member is smacking against your head with each thrust that Mark gives, and part of you wants to reach out and take hold of it.

“F-Fuck,” Mark exhales as he slams into you. Your thighs tremble from the pressure, and your core is beginning to coil again as the pleasure heightens. You squeeze Jaehyun’s hands as tight as possible, and you can’t imagine how it doesn’t hurt him because the grip hurts you. Mark’s reaction basically confirms Jaehyun’s words. There’s a dirty sense of pleasure that rises in you at the thought of the two men imagining you while watching porn. You clench around Mark’s member, urging him to hasten to his climax as you do, and it works. His thrusts begin to stutter but he keeps fucking you until you are hit by another crashing orgasm. Mark rushes to pull out of your pulsating cunt and strokes himself to completion on your stomach. Hot, white spurts of cum spread across your skin.

Jaehyun doesn’t give you any time to recover though; he releases your hands and reaches down to scoop the cum onto his fingers before bringing those same fingers to your lips. You swirl your tongue around his fingers, Mark’s cum salty in your mouth, but you don’t stop until Jaehyun’s hand and your stomach are completely clean.

He must have decided that he’s waited long enough at that point because he climbs back off the bed and moves to where Mark was just standing. Rather than taking you in the same position though, he pushes you a bit further along the bed then flips you onto your stomach, pulling your hips up until your ass is high in the air. He climbs onto the mattress and positions himself directly behind you. You don’t have time to think twice before Jaehyun buries his member in you. The stretch is bigger than Mark for certain, but he at least helped open you up for Jaehyun so there’s no pain as he pushes into you. You try to prop yourself up on your hands only for Jaehyun to push your head down against the bed again. You gasp at the sudden show of force, and a whine slips through when Jaehyun presses your head to the mattress.

Jaehyun begins to fuck into you at a brutal pace. The angle causes his cock to drill even deeper in you, and you cry out at the pressure. You could cum again just from that feeling but Jaehyun makes it even better by reaching down to flick your clit. You writhe as he touches you, so oversensitive from two orgasms already that you aren’t sure if your body can handle a third. Jaehyun doesn’t seem to care about that one bit because his pace doesn’t let up, and you reach a third orgasm before you know it. Your lips part in a silent scream against the sheets as the blinding pleasure washes over your body. Jaehyun chases his own orgasm, fucking into you without cease until his hips stutter. Your whole body goes warm for a moment, and you whine as Jaehyun fills you to the brim with his cum.

He pulls out of your used hole slowly, and cold washes over you immediately. Jaehyun doesn’t stop moving though, turning you over onto your back gently and sweeping your damp hair off your sweaty forehead. You remain limp in his arms, muscles already aching from the sex. Mark pops into view, eyes full of concern and affection.

“I’ll get the shower going,” he says, patting you on the thigh as he moves for the bathroom. Jaehyun remains over you with gentle hands that sweep over your cheeks.

“That was really nice,” he murmurs before pressing a quick kiss to your forehead. “Let’s do it again sometime.”

“We’ll see about that. Maybe next time you can do something other than watch porn on the couch.”

☽ ☾

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mxndoscyarika · 3 years

Text

Honeydew (Marcus Pike/Moreno x OC) | Chapter 6

Summary: Erin He moves to DC after working for the FBI in Texas and runs into a hero in disguise; Marcus Moreno. Something about him is familiar, too familiar, yet different in a way that she can’t quite place. Although confused, she can’t deny her feelings for him; perhaps, after years of regret, she finally found the one.

Warnings: food/drink mention, death mention

Ao3

Honeydew masterlist

Like my writing? Here’s my masterlist.

Author’s Note: Thank you for being so patient 🥺 School+job interviews have been kinda crazy for the last few weeks. But now I’m on spring break AND got an internship, so hopefully the coming chapters will be up soon. Enjoy!

“Are you sure you don’t mind picking up Missy? I don’t want to keep you from your work.”

Erin laughed softly, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. “I’m turning into the school parking lot already, babe. I don’t mind, really. It’s nice to spend time with Missy.”

Her boyfriend let out a sign of relief on the other end of the call. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

“You’ve mentioned it a couple times,” she replied, pulling up to the pickup line. When she spotted Missy, she waved her over. Her heart soared as the little girl’s face lit up like the sun. “I should let you get back to work. I’ll bring her back to your place, so don’t worry about stopping by my apartment, ok?”

“Okay, honey.” A pause. “Thank you for taking care of my baby. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“Probably run around frantically,” she teased, unlocking the car doors so Missy could climb into the back seat. “Now go save the world, Marcus. I’ll see you at home in a few hours.”

After that, she hung up and turned around in her seat to greet Missy, who was already buckled up. “Ready to go home?”

The little girl nodded. “Will you stay for dinner tonight? We haven’t had a night with all three of us in a while.”

Erin laughed softly, pulling out of the pickup line. “Missy, sweetie, I stayed over this past weekend! But yes, I’ll stay as long as you want me to.”

“Can you stay forever, then?”

Well, that was unexpected. Yes, she’d become an integral part of the Morenos’ lives, but she never thought Missy would want her around all the time. Surely she missed her mom, or missed having free reign around the house with just Marcus as her parent figure. She couldn’t be that important, could she?

Part of her couldn’t help but melt at Missy’s request. For a long time, she’d wanted to find someplace that she could call home–a place where she could live, appreciate, and be appreciated in return. It would’ve been a lie to say that she never thought of a life with the Morenos, but she knew that it was more complicated than her late-night fantasy made it out to be. She couldn’t just barge into their lives.

The drive to Marcus’s house was muscle memory at that point, the turns of her wheel well-practiced. After their first date, they’d gone on two more. And while neither of them had gone much further than needy kisses, she couldn’t help but fall a little more in love with him. He was worth it. He was worth everything.

Missy bounced on the balls of her feet as Erin fished out the house key from her purse, bounding into the house the moment the door was unlocked. “If I finish my homework early, can we bake something?”

“Maybe,” she mused, setting her shoes on the shoe rack by Missy’s. After locking the front door, she walked into the main family and dining area. “What did you have in mind?”

“Can we make a tres leches cake?” Missy asked, looking up at her with innocent eyes. “I asked dad, but he said no.”

Erin chuckled and sat down in the chair next to her. “That’s probably for a good reason, sweetie. We just finished a cake roll the other day, so maybe we can bake it this weekend. Instead, we can have ice cream today.”

The girl sighed and shrugged. “Okay, it was worth a shot.” She frowned as she read over her english homework. “Parts...of speech? I don’t remember learning any of this in class. Can you help me? Pleeeease, Erin?”

Humming in confirmation, she set down the file she was reading and turned so she could read the homework sheet better. “Ah, I remember learning this in school. It’s not too bad, it’s just that the names are a little weird. Let’s see…”

They worked on the homework together, Erin explaining the concepts and asking Missy to give her examples of everything from verbs to nouns. She tried not to think about what it would be like to spend more afternoons and evenings helping her little girl with homework. It was a long way off, and she didn’t want to get her hopes up.

She was explaining the difference between nouns and proper nouns when Missy mentioned, “You know, dad used to have a different name.”

Erin raised a dark brow, surprised at how nonchalantly the girl had made the comment. “Really, now?” It probably shouldn’t have come as that much of a surprise–didn’t most superheroes have codenames, or secret identities?

Missy nodded. “Well, I think so. I remember when I was little, sometimes he would write Marcus Pike on my permission slips instead of Moreno. Then he’d have to cross it out and fix it. Silly, right?”

Erin froze, her heart dropping into her stomach. Her Marcus...was Marcus? “Oh...that is silly. I wonder why he changed it.”

It didn’t make sense. Marcus Pike disappeared nearly a decade ago, and as far as she knew, he wasn’t affiliated with the Heroics. And he certainly couldn’t have a daughter that was in second grade.

Or could he?

But if he was the Marcus Moreno, then why did he need to have a fake identity? More importantly, why didn’t he tell her that he was Marcus Pike? Even if it was a codename, it didn’t matter once they met. Unless...he didn’t want her to know.

Maybe he didn’t want to be found; because if she was anything to him, why didn’t he look for her? Why didn’t he try to contact her?

The air turned cold. Breathing slowly through her nose, she sat back and opened her laptop. She scrolled through the reports of Marcus Pike’s disappearance. There was nothing on him except some anecdotes and some text messages between coworkers. There was no address, no email, no mention of his name online. He’d very much disappeared. No one, not even her best agents, could find any trace of him after that winter day eight years ago.

Sighing, she switched gears and pulled up as much information as she could find about Marcus Moreno. She didn’t like the feeling of prying into his life, but she had to know. It didn’t make sense: if Marcus Pike existed for years within the FBI, what was Marcus Moreno up to? Did he disappear too?

Her hands shook as she clicked on the website of the Heroics and went to Marcus’s page. Unlike most of the other heroes, he didn’t have a codename. Why was that?

She paused at his photo, gaze softening slightly. As much as she tried to convince herself otherwise, he did look a lot like Marcus Pike. He had the same furrow between his brows, the same nose. They were the same height as well, which she’d noticed as her body fit perfectly against him.

They–he?–both knew her coffee order like the back of their–his?–hand, and knew exactly how to comfort her when the stress from work became too much. He called her the same pet names, her favorite being….honeydew.

Shit.

Only one person ever called her “honeydew.”

She was terrified as she scrolled down.

The first appearance of Marcus Moreno as a member of the Heroics was eight years ago.

How could she have been so blind? He was right in front of her the entire time, and she never noticed. She built her entire reputation on remembering details and noticing everything, and she couldn’t pick up on the clues. Who else would call her “honeydew,” hug her like it had been years, and want to take the relationship slow?

It was too much.

Not wanting Missy to worry, Erin got up from the table and locked herself in the bathroom before letting the tears fall.

Why did he have to go?

Why didn’t he tell her?

Why didn’t he come back?

---

Erin only let a few tears fall before gathering herself again. She couldn’t let Missy know the truth, not yet. She had to be strong for her, just as she had to be strong for her team when every lead turned into a dead end. So much time had passed since she last had any hope of seeing Marcus again; part of her didn’t want to believe it. But at the same time, she couldn’t deny it anymore: Marcus Moreno was Marcus Pike. He was alive and well, and happy.

The least she could do was be happy for him.

But it didn’t soften the blow on her pride.

Dinner was a quieter affair than usual. She couldn’t bring herself to talk more than a couple sentences at a time, for fear of something slipping out. Maybe it was better that way. Marcus obviously didn’t want to deal with the effects of disappearing, so why should she make an effort to find closure?

That was another thing, she realized. If he really was Marcus Pike, then would she ever get closure? Would she ever get to truly move on from the one person she could never have?

Once Missy went upstairs to get ready for bed, the silence grew deafening. There was so much she wanted to say, but she didn’t know how.

Marcus must’ve sensed something was off, because his brows furrowed just slightly. He came up and leaned against the counter, watching as she transferred the leftovers into tupperware containers. “What’s wrong?”

Erin sighed. Part of her didn’t want to confront him and destroy the little bubble of happiness surrounding them, but she needed answers. If he reacted badly….maybe he wouldn’t be the one. Resigned, she asked, “Why did you lie to me, brown eyes?”

A blanket of silence settled in the kitchen.

His eyes widened. “W-what do you mean?”

Fighting back tears, she asked, “Why did you let me think you were dead, Pike? I-” She covered her face with her hands, eyes clenched shut. “I searched for you, but you were gone!”

“I’m sorry,” he said, eyes glistening. “I should’ve told you.”

As she started trembling, he realized it was the first time he’d ever seen her cry. His honeydew was crying because of him.

“I just wanted my best friend back,” she said. Facing him, she asked, “Were you ever going to tell me? Or was I supposed to live the rest of my life feeling guilty that I was moving on from the love of my life?”

Marcus felt like he’d been punched. She…wanted him since the beginning? “Your...what? Honeydew, I-”

She stepped back as he reached for her. His heart broke as she shook her head and said firmly, “No. You don’t get to call me that. I don’t….I don’t even know who you are.”

“Okay,” he said softly, taking off his glasses. Tears dripped down his face as he faced her. “Let me introduce myself. Completely. My name is Marcus Moreno. We met when I was hiding under an alias: Marcus Pike.”

He told her about his family, and his involvement with the Heroics early on in his life. His mother, Anita Moreno, was one of the original heroes in the organization. As the Heroics grew more prominent and began working with the government, he needed to change his name–while his mother wanted to help the world, he just wanted a normal life. He wanted to go to school, make friends, and have a family someday. With the status that came with being a Moreno, he couldn’t do any of that without putting his loved ones in danger. So, with the help of the Heroics, he changed his identity to Marcus Pike.

Most of his adult life, including university, was spent as Marcus Pike. His failed marriage had Marcus Pike written on the certificate. Even when he worked for the FBI, he was documented as Marcus Pike; no one knew who he was, not when new people were being cycled in and out of the workplace.

After moving to DC and having his engagement with Teresa Lisbon broken off, he gave up. He contacted his mother, got involved with the Heroics again, and had his identity erased so he could take over as the leader of the Heroics.

“But that doesn’t explain why you couldn’t tell me,” she said, frowning. “Is the difference between Marcus Pike and Marcus Moreno so big that it would affect our relationship?”

Marcus sighed. “Do you really want to know?” When she nodded, he confessed, “I didn’t tell you because...I didn’t want to lose you.”

Her gaze softened. “What?”

“I was afraid that if you saw me as Marcus Pike, you’d only ever see me as a friend,” he explained. “And he is me…. But the way you looked at Marcus Moreno was all I ever wanted. It was everything I wished I could have back and more. The most painful part of leaving Pike behind was losing you. It was losing the chance to tell you how I felt, and to see where we could’ve gone together.” He stepped closer, and this time she didn’t flinch away when he touched her. “It was selfish, I know. I’m sorry. But I promise you, Erin, my honeydew, my feelings for you are real. They always were. No amount of name changes and secret identities can change that.”

Unable to stop herself, Erin threw her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. “I missed you so much.”

He held her close and stroked her hair, basking in her warmth. “I missed you too.”

“You’re an idiot, though,” she said, clinging to him as if he would disappear if she let go. “I would’ve said yes whether or not you were Pike.”

“But?”

“But, that doesn’t mean I’m not mad,” she said. A wave of humiliation crashed over her. “If you were anyone else, I’d be gone.”

“I know,” he murmured, kissing the top of her head. “I’m sorry. You have every right to be mad, and I don’t blame you if you want some space.”

“I don’t know what I want anymore,” she said softly, wincing as her head started throbbing. “I...I want space, but I’m afraid I'll lose you again. I’m mad, but I’m also….glad that my best friend is alive and well.”

“You can stay for the night, if you want,” Marcus offered, searching her gold-flecked eyes. He braced himself for the rejection, for her to scoff and storm out of his house. But it never happened.

Once everything was put away in the kitchen, they made their way up to his bedroom and got ready for bed. Sharing the bathroom as they brushed their teeth and washed their faces felt odd. Why did it feel like they’d been robbed of years of their life?

He didn’t regret marrying his late wife–no, never–but the more he and Erin spent time together, the more aware he was of just how much things could’ve been different. Everything he had was because he couldn’t tell a woman he loved her eight years ago.

Nestled against him, Erin sighed. “You don’t have to go with me on the undercover op. This job...it’s important and I can’t afford to be distracted.”

He shook his head. “No, I promised you I’d go. Everything will be alright, honey.” The familiar weight of her body against his soothed his nerves, even after everything. “I’m sorry we lost so much time. I’ll make it up to you.”

Erin didn’t respond.

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hyuneytoast · 3 years

Text

The Stranger’s Meadow || H.HJ

Pairing || Hwang Hyunjin x Reader

Word Count || 10k

Genre || Modern-ish(?) Magic AU, Angst, Fluff, Strangers to Lovers

Warnings || Suicide attempt, mentions of death, depression, and anxiety, explicit language

Description || You live in a world of magic, the Northern District. Despite it being a place where people are everywhere, meeting people was like a blue moon for you. It just so happens, during the most unlikely situation, you meet someone who offers to take you somewhere for comfort. To a flower cafe outside of the city, in the middle of a meadow. Mind you, the Northern District is one of magic, including a flower cafe that offers feelings.

Listen to ---> 7UP by Boy In Space & Closer to You by Rasmus Hagen

Note || This is my first fanfic and I will be honest... I’m very nervous about posting this! I apologize if the end seems rushed. Anyways, please be free to tell me your thoughts about it or if I missed a warning! Without further ado, please enjoy reading <3

11:09 pm

There's no feeling like the one right now. Being in the sky, above the city, wistfully watching it hold the society of nothing but magic. Lying in the Northern District is everything and anything. The things that can fill up a person of endless inspiration, endless purpose.

The remaining bits of the winter wind howls through the night, biting people. Nature coming back to life through the cold layer as days pass. Flowers and shrubs sprouting and budding. Spring embracing the life around. The moon hangs above, casting as much light as it could pass the blanket of thin, wispy clouds. The stars were barely visible due to the city’s lights polluting the air. Oh, how you missed the stars.

You’re on your apartment's rooftop looking down upon the sleeping, yet glowing city. Structures built and compacted everywhere with rivers running between. God, how much you love it all. From the big things, like the mystic city below and the cozy night sky, to the little things of lattes and flowers that grow between the pavement. Not to mention, the feeling of time coming to a stop for once.

Like every story, everything comes to an end. You'd miss it all, but it couldn't compare to the feeling of freedom close in your grasps. Your hands tightly grip the railing right in front of you, knuckles turning white.

You knew the consequences that awaited if you were to step forward.

If you were to climb over.

If you were to jump.

That’s why you’re here, after all.

Hot tears brim at the edge of your eyes, your vision blurring. All these years of bottling up emotions, you’re, at last, done. Empty. Too exhausted to even freely cry and too restless to properly sleep. In your everyday, you could worry about your job, your shitty boss, your financial struggles, or your unstable relationship with your parents. Or even college, where you're falling behind in alchemy. In fact, it's what you should be worrying about. But no. Instead, you're too absorbed in an abyss of loneliness and self doubt.

You have your co-workers, but they were no more than acquaintances. No friends. No one to express your emotions towards. In any relationship, you felt like the only one trying. Perhaps there is something wrong with you? It's exhausting to solve this problem without even knowing what is wrong with you. Even more so, you feel weak not being able to handle even the simplest struggles in life. Why are you like this? You felt like you had no good reason to feel the way you do. Everyone deals with loneliness. So why couldn't you? Invalid feelings. That's what you believe you're full of.

The moon watches you from afar, wishing it could speak. Wishing it could tell you how you're all wrong; what you're about to do is wrong. But it does what all it can do; illuminate the darkness that coats the sky.

It all continues. The world continues no matter what. The world continues no matter who decides to continue along with it. Day by day, month by month. What difference would it make if you were here? Or if you weren't? What’s the point in continuing?

The frigid wind welcoming you at the edge to jump. The moon silently begging for you to not. You shudder from the cold as you take a deep, shaky breath; your hands trembling around the rail. Apple-frosted fingertips and cheeks. Nose bitten by the bitter wind. You wipe the tears spilling from your eyes in a harsh manner. Adrenaline rushing through you. Was this really happening? You aren’t going to lie, you're terrified. Why is it so hard? It’s just one jump.

Right?

“Excuse me,” a gentle voice interrupts the dreadful silence.

You were rather more disappointed than startled by the sudden voice. You didn’t want anyone stumbling upon you in this situation. Nor, making you live longer and suffer more unneeded hours. You turn your head and upper body with eyes trailing to see the voice's owner. Your hands remain around the only thing dividing you and death. The draping patio lights above lit the area just enough to make out the stranger’s appearance.

There stood a tall, slender frame of an unfamiliar male a few feet afar. He looks like your age, if not, a couple years older. The breeze softly blew through his long blond hair, reaching no longer than his chin. He’s wearing black snug pants, a black turtle-neck, and a brown cardigan that was a bit loose on his shoulders. His hands were fumbling around with each other as he shuffles a bit closer. Like yours, his breath was visible, making tiny clouds of fog in the night’s air. His eyes wander around, taking in the night view before meeting your eyes. You could tell he was feeling nervous, but surely not as much as you.

You were literally taking in the last moments of your life. It was what you wanted, though, despite the fear that keeps trying to hold you back. This stranger, on the other hand, seems to have other plans.

The male clears his throat, breaking the awkward silence between you two.

“A-are you busy at the moment?” The stranger stutters causing him to curse at himself. He didn’t know if he's nervous, cold, or both. It didn’t help he was in panic mode, internally screaming for you not to jump.

“Why?” You bluntly reply, your tone revealing an emotionless demeanor.

“Could you at least step a little back from the rail? Please?”

You remain motionless which only makes the stranger's panic grow.

“Okay then…” His voice drifts off as he brings his hand to scratch the back of his neck. His eyes glance at the city before landing back at yours. He bit the bottom of his lip before continuing to speak. “Do you want to maybe… Maybe talk about it? What's bothering you, I mean. You're clearly distressed,” His voice becoming more pleading.

You remain standing in silence, like a fool. Why on earth would a stranger listen to you rant about your stupid problems? Why would he even think you would just open up to him like that?

“Well, do you like flowers?”

What the hell.

“Flowers…?” Taken aback from the random question, you raise one eyebrow.

"Yeah, flowers. Do you like them?”

It took you several seconds to process everything before nodding. The male, satisfied with your response, intertwines his fingers together.

“There’s a flower cafe I think you would like to visit. They have good coffee too. I bought Doorway tickets there for a friend and I, but my friend ended up ditching me. So… maybe if you would take the extra ticket? I’d be happy with that. We can accompany each other since we both seem, you know... lonely.”

Your eyes widen a bit. Was this guy interrupting your suicide attempt for a cafe and some flowers? You weren’t going to lie, it sounded like he was asking you out on a date. At the absolute wrong time. Out of all the dramas you spent hours watching, never have you seen a scenario like this. You’d think he’d at least ask a cute girl in the city somewhere. Or, even in a less awkward situation where one's not trying to die! You lowly chuckle in disbelief. For some reason, though, your mind kept drifting from your original plan and more towards the stranger’s offer.

“A cafe? At this hour?” Your tone was softer this time while your hands loosen a bit from the railing. You didn’t know what time it was, but you were aware that it was late. You remember leaving the inside of your apartment around 10:30 pm. Not to mention, you were standing on the rooftop for quite some time.

“Mhm,” He nods. “Please? Just trust me on this. I promise you’ll like it there. No regrets!”

You turn your head back and forth a few times, from the sleeping city and back to the friendly stranger. What could go wrong? Worst case scenario, he could be a necromancer or a grim reaper. He could be an Average planning to kill you, (which, from his sweet and polite impression, doesn’t seem to be the case) or you could jump like planned. Either way, neither choices and endings seem to disappoint you. Despite your doubt, you made a decision to agree and tag along.

“Okay, I-I’ll come with you,” your voice was on the quiet and uncertain side, but it was enough for the male to hear. You release your hands from the rail and turn around completely towards the stranger. With small steps, he approaches you closer leaving no more than two feet between. You could now examine the towering face before you better. His mono lids filled with dark orbs, representing the sentimental night above. Along was a mole placed right under his left eye. He has sharp nose and plump pink lips that curl into a small, consoling smile. Everything about his face seems to be so proportional, so perfect. Goddamn, why is he so pretty?

You took notice of his right-hand coming between and waiting for yours.

“I promise you to make this night worth it.”

You hesitate but end up lending him your hand. With his long fingers lacing between your small ones, he tugs you towards the stairs.

11:58 pm

You never liked strolling through the city, but it turned out to be more of a good time than expected. You passed through the city in its sleeping state while still hand in hand with the male. He would throw you reassuring smiles once in a while, making you a bit flustered. The evening was chilly, but not as much as it was on the rooftop; It was a bearable temperature. You didn’t feel pressure either since the streets weren’t overcrowded. To your surprise, you would enjoy wandering around just like this all night if you could. Now here you were at the location of instant transportation, Northern District Doorways.

There aren't trains, monorails, cars, or carriages. None of the such. Instead are doors that take you anywhere, basically having the purpose of a portal. Hallways and rooms of different colored doors that are numbered. Behind the doors lie major areas found in the Norther District. Enter the door and watch your surroundings melt into another.Arriving at the ticket booth, you feel warmth leave your hands, signaling you that the stranger let go.

“I have a key to enter door 325.”

You watch him hand over his ID. You were too focused on the male’s side-profile to look at the person working behind the booth. There was something about the stranger that seems comforting. Perhaps it was the gentle way he spoke, or the angelic features portrayed on his face. Or, how he is trying to save you because he cares. At least, you think he does. What ever it was, it made you put a great deal of trust in him. Maybe more than you were supposed to. That didn't prevent you from wondering where the stranger was taking you to, though.

You notice the male receive a silver key from the booth

“Thank you, have a good night. Come on!” You felt a tug on your hoodie’s sleeve, leading you pass the ticket booth. "The door isn't too far down the hallway."

You both walk pass doors aligned side by side, reflecting different colors and hues. Each number label increasing. Door 317, 319, 321, 323...

Door 325.

"Wait... I thought you had an extra ticket?" You question.

"Well... No, sorry. I own the door and property behind it. Because I own it, I don't need tickets. Just a key and the station's permission!" He says while waving the key in the air cheerfully.

Right when his hand lands on the handle of the dark green door, he turns to look at you with endearing eyes.

“Can you do something for me?"

"Sure," you reply with a small voice.

"I promised you that I'll make this a memorable night for you, right?"

You nod.

"That's only possible under one condition."

"Okay," You nervously reply. What would be the condition? Was this a bad idea? He's going to ask for all your silver and just scam you, isn't he?

"Before we enter the door... Just leave it all. Leave as much worries as you can right here, okay?"

12:10 am

The door opens with the view of an entire meadow. As you enter, the male lets go of your hand and closes the door behind. The airport? Gone. Any view of the city? Gone. Your shoes land on the pathway made of smooth stone pieces. The cold air nipped at both of your faces, welcoming your arrival. The edge of the pathway met with grass that extended further than your eyes could see. You could see faint specks of color from flowers all around, not yet bloomed. It's still hard to see as the night only grows. It smells like nature; The smell of fresh grass and refreshing, sweet scents the blossoms gave off. A smell rich of pollen. It's a new delightful smell, not one found in the city where you live. You could hear the plants dancing against each other as the wind blows through. The light chirping of crickets bounces in the night along. The whole atmosphere was serene.

“You like it?” Hyunjin’s soft-spoken voice rings through your ears, breaking you out of your trance.

“It’s beautiful,” You utter in awe.

“Well, that’s not all. We didn’t even arrive at the actual place yet. Come on.”

Light footsteps hit the stone, leaving the door behind. The yellow light from the street lamps illuminate the way while casting shadows.

“Are you cold?”

“No, I’m fine,” You reply, not removing your gaze from the lush terrain beside you.

“Okay. Let me know if you are, I can lend you my cardigan.”

“Got it, thank you.”

This surely wasn’t what you expected Hyunjin to take you to. You thought of those shops or cafes you walk pass in the city. The ones that are owned by enchantresses or fortune tellers. Or, the flower shops grim reapers own for funerals.

The walk is silent between you and the boy. There's no other person in view. Feeling your social anxiety kick in, you start fumbling with your hands. Realization completely dawns on you. You ditched your suicide attempt for an attractive guy and some flowers. Now, you were alone with him in the middle of god knows where. The lingering quietness didn’t help either. Should you say something? Hell, you didn’t even get his name. The male somehow notices your uneasiness, so he decides to break the silence.

“Do you have a favorite flower?”

“Umm…” You look up to meet the soft gaze beside you. “Maybe gardenias?”

“You sound a bit unsure there,” He chuckled. “Do you know what they mean?”

You tear your gaze from him and shake your head.

“Gardenias mean gentleness, joy, and secret love. They have a pleasant smell too!”

You let out a small smile, only to leave silence filling the air once again.

“I’m Hyunjin by the way. Hwang Hyunjin.”

“Y/N Y/L/N.”

"Very pretty name, Y/N," He grins.

You look at him, staring at his eyes crescent-like eyes as he smiles. You couldn’t help but think that despite not knowing what you were getting yourself into, he sure did. And it sent a bit of hope for happiness in your mind.

The remaining walk wasn't too long. In fact, it was a quite comforting one. Once in a while would you both ask random questions to get to know each other better. Well, mainly Hyunjin did the asking.

"What's your favorite color?"

"Y/F/C."

"Mine is black and red."

Hyunjin seemed to enjoy telling you stories of his friends too.

"We should try to make pancakes one day. I have a friend who once tried to make some. It was an absolute mess though! One time he put too much butter in the pan that it took up half the batter. The second batch, he didn’t put any butter and then burned his pancakes. We also found out that he was supposed to put vanilla in the batter, but he mixed it up with a sleeping potion. He passed out so fast after one bite! It was pretty funny,” He laughed while clapping his hands.

It reminded how you longed for friends or just company from someone, anyone. And now here you were. The experiences Hyunjin reminisced were enough to brighten your mood. You admired that; the effort he made in befriending you. You almost felt bad though, how you didn’t have stories to make him to make him laugh. Starting fun conversations weren’t your strength. Still, you’d be lying if you said you didn’t enjoy your time. You can’t remember the last time you felt like this; Not stressed out, not anxious, not empty of emotions, not fearful. All just seemed to dissipate into nonexistence.

The two of you continue on the pathway; soon taking a left turn and up a short staircase where the meadow elevates. Straight ahead you see a compact building, which you assume to be the flower cafe. The sight of it is charming and comforting, especially with the moonlight cascading from above. It’s a small, white shop with a dark shed roof, slanting down to the right. A giant window lies on the right front of the cafe. Flowers of many displayed behind the window and in front on wooden shelves. The door on the right is a lavender color with an "open" wooden sign hanging. The walls partially hidden under the lively draping vines and blossoms. It’s a kind of architecture and vibe you wouldn’t catch in the city. It’s like a page from a fairy tale book, ripped out and perfectly placed in front of you.

Hyunjin softly grips your hand and pulls you out towards the cafe's entrance.

“Y/N, welcome to Haven Cafe!”

12:52 am

The shop’s interior is just as cozy yet beautiful like the outside. It is on the smaller side, but it seems perfect for the environment, like a dark cottagecore. An aroma of fresh brewed coffee mixed with a bit of floral floated around. When you walk through the door, you are greeted by the wooden counter with a white marble top ahead. On top was a cashier register and a dark rotary dial phone. There is a thin glass on the counter, like a pastry case. There weren’t any pastries though. Instead, there are small glass bottles, some full of colorful flower petals and others of different magical dust blends. Pass the counter, you could see more counters, cabinets, and shelving of dark wood. On the shelves, that had vines growing alongside, lied dishes including saucers, teapots, and a couple of vintage manual coffee grinders. On the right besides the counter was a tall wooden figure with dozens of drawers. Each drawer has a label of different flower breeds. Placed hanging on the front of the counter below the glass is a menu listing several beverages.

Latte.

Tea.

Cappuccino.

Smoothie.

Milk tea.

Espresso.

Americano.

Below the list is a sign.

Prices depend on the effects you desire and flowers needed. Prices start at 2.5 pounds of silver.

On the left of the kitchen and overall area where you order is a small loft. There is the front window which extends to the side of the shop. There is a small evergreen-colored, square rug with a low dark-wood coffee table. There is a brown leather couch pushed against the cafe’s side window, which is where you are sitting. On your left, the couch meets a mini square table that resembles the counters. On it was a decent black lamp and a stack of marble coasters for your drinks. Above is a plant hanging in a macrame holder, like others throughout the shop. Around the top edge, where the walls meet the ceiling, are dainty fairy lights.

“Do you like it? The shop, I mean,” Hyunjin asks as he’s behind the counter organizing some bottles of flowers in a cabinet.

“Yes, it’s very charming. So you own this?”

“Thank you very much! Glad to hear that from you. And yeah, I own it along with 38 acres of the meadow. It’s kind of my home too. My bedroom is behind the back door. Anyways… Would you like me to explain the concept of this place?”

“Go ahead.”

Hyunjin walks to the front of the counter, leaning is body with arms supporting his weight behind.

“Hopefully it's not too complicated to understand. So, you know how each flower has their own meaning, right? Like what I told you earlier about gardenias. Basically, you need or want a certain feeling? Tell it to me, I make you a drink with the flowers that give you the desired feelings, and there you go! If you’re feeling regretful, and want to forget a specific memory, I suggest you order a tea with yellow carnations and rosemary. You want to befriend someone? You can offer them tea discretely full of yellow roses. And so on. All of them are made from the flowers I grow in my meadow!”

“So you sell potions for emotions? And how does that work from flowers?”

“I guess you can put it that way. And like I said, flowers have their own meanings and symbolisms. Specific flowers are assigned to a certain drink that will give you what you wish for. I blend the petals with a drink you want on the menu and your wish is granted!”

"So, if someone wants to forget a memory, you would give them what?"

"I suggest you order a drink with yellow carnations and rosemary."

“If... I want someone to die, you would give me what?”

You watch Hyunjin’s eyes soften as he feels his heart slightly break from your question. He couldn’t help but acknowledge the certain meaning behind your words; the words directed towards yourself.

“That… that I don’t make. I don’t even grow those flowers. The goal of this shop is more for one's benefit. That excludes death or any inflicted harm on one's self.”

You simply nod in response before tearing your gaze from his. Your eyes observe the shop once again, taking in the pleasant atmosphere. You start to wonder what you just got yourself into. Sure you’ve had the traditional beneficial ones, like chamomile tea. But you've never had what Hyunjin had to offer. You've seen very few similar shop concepts, but you discovered that later they were just shitty scams. Was Hyunjin scamming you? Part of you didn't want to believe he was. It all seems legit anyways. Unbelievably legit.

“But, I can make you something else if you’d like.”

“Okay,” accepting his offer.

He smiles with satisfactory. “You like coffee, right?”

“Mhm.”

“Perfect then!” He claps his hands together and makes his way behind the counter.

You remain sitting on the couch examining what Hyunjin does. He opens a drawer from the cabinet and pulls out a few bristly leaves. Retrieving a coffee grinder from a shelf, he pours in the leaves and coffee beans.

After several minutes, he approaches you with a short, but wide black cup. He places it on the coffee table in front of you as you lean forward to pick it up. You could see it steaming as your hands hug the cup, absorbing the warmth.

“What flower is this made of?”

“Purple hyacinth. It will help you let go of the time on the roof or some events before that. It's also made of alstroemeria petals and may... help us become better friends..." Hyunjin's voice drifts off as his face starts reddening with embarrassment. "Also!! Don’t worry about paying, it’s on me!”

You lightly chuckle at the boy's flustered state beside you.

After a minute of blowing on the drink, you take a sip. The warmth dances around in your mouth and tingles on your tongue. It tastes like an average latte, not too bitter nor too sweet. The coffee was rich in cream and tasty. You didn’t feel different, but continue drinking it.

"So, you majored in... healing or something?" You ask, taking another sip of the hot beverage.

"Something like that. I majored in medical and alchemy," he smiles. "What about you?"

"I'm currently majoring in alchemy too! I'm kind of falling behind on my studies though, ha."

"Majoring? So how old are you?"

"Nineteen. You?"

"Twenty."

"So you graduated early, then."

"Yup!" He grins.

"Good for you," You lightly laugh.

"Thanks! And hey, maybe I can help you with your class."

"I'd like that."

The night grew heavier and the moon continued to make its way across the sky. What else grew was your trust and hope, especially in the new acquaintance. I mean, he could have poisoned you already. Here you are though; uncertain, but well alive.

You felt a growing desire to see what else wonders he had to show you.

Oh god- Was this what he meant with the alstroemeria petals?

2:21 am

Maybe not in your eyes, but in his, you were lovely. And of course, you still are. Hyunjin could not deny that. You were crying on the roof in pure devastation. He still thought of you as one of the loveliest persons he's seen and met. He has noticed you a few times at the book store you work at, but that was some time ago.

That is until he saw you on the rooftop of an apartment. Hyunjin was initially visiting the apartment next to you, which was his best friend’s. Working at Haven Shop for problematic people made him grow to be very observant. Not much observation was necessary for your state, though. You were so close to the rail. So close to climbing over, sleeves wiping your teary face. It was an obvious, painful scene. It was his job to try help people out and you were no different. He can’t remember the last time he ran as fast as he did that night to get to you.

Now here you were. Safe under the same roof as him. Hyunjin sat on the dark wooded flooring of his bedroom, behind the back door of the shop. His bedroom is simple, but pleasantly aesthetic. There’s a window with a seating ledge in the middle, across the door. In the right corner is a bed with nothing but white sheets and pillows. It stretches across to the window. Above is a shelf with a plant, whose leaves were like a curtain, and a framed photo of his dog, Kkami. On the right corner of the room is a tall, oak wood bookcase. The books held information of nature and poetry. A few even included fantasy novels and dog facts. In the center on the ceiling hung a few light pendants, varying in different lengths. The room was dark yet cozy.

You were on the bed, snuggled between the blankets. Last night, you two had a few chats of pointless, but fun topics. The night grew deeper and you two grew sleepy. After several yawns, Hyunjin was able to convince you to sleep on his bed while he slept on the floor. You refused saying he was already offering too much. But he said your comfort is his top priority.

Most of the night, he was awake with endless thoughts. It was going to be hard to make you appreciate your life on this world. His sense of protection over you was great enough for him to at least try, though.

Sure, Hyunjin has dealt with people full of different emotions in his shop. They weren’t so severe though. People came in knowing what they wanted and left. Nothing else. Not to mention, there were many customers who’d take his work for granted.

You aren’t like that though. There were times when Hyunjin had to reassure you that you weren’t being a burden. You were selfless. Perhaps a little too selfless, but it’s an admirable trait to him. In fact, there is something else about you. Something that intrigues him. Sure, you have a pretty face, but there’s something more. It makes him want to protect you; give you the happy world he believes you deserve.

That is his job after all...

Right?

9:37 am

The glowing rays of the sun hits your face, alerting you to wake up. The melodic chirps of birds bounce in the distance. Shifting away from the blinding light, your eyes flutter to the room.

This wasn’t your apartment. Definitely not.

It took you a minute before remembering how you got here. That’s right. You with Hyunjin in his shop. You sit up, groaning and rubbing your eyes from your surprisingly good rest. The room wasn’t too cold nor hot. The bustling city noises weren’t echoing outside. It was comfortable, a soothing atmosphere. You stand up and take a deep breathe, inhaling the gentle lavender fragrance.

Making your way, you twist the silver door knob. You're revealed the shop’s “kitchen” along with Hyunjin. He is gathering empty glass bottles from a drawer at the bottom of the main counter. He turns around upon hearing his bedroom door creak. Looking at you, he makes a bright, welcoming smile.

“Good morning, Y/N! Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“Have a seat on the couch. I’ll make you something and after, I’ll take you around the meadow. Is that okay?”

“Of course! Take your time too,” You say, making you way to the couch in the loft area.

Now that the sun is awake, everything seems to be more clear. The sun rays peeking straight into the front window and the plants seem more lively. The view outside was beautiful, too. The meadow is brighter, more green and lush. Flower buds filling up half of the field, only few that have started to open it petals. The sky seems just as happy. Not gloomy from the pollution cars spat out in the city. The blue is full of thin, wispy white clouds. Small groups of birds flew by every here and there. The scenery made you more eager to explore the unfamiliar wonders.

You look at Hyunjin whose occupied making drinks for himself and you. He is wearing black cargo pants and a loose, white v-neck shirt tucked in. The peeking sunlight hides in his hair. He is lowly humming a random tune with a content look. You want to ask a few questions, but decided later; not wanting to interrupt his work.

He walks towards you and serves your drink in your hands before sitting next to you. You look at the tall, glass cup in your grasps. It’s full of a green drink and strawberry puree, flowing down from the side of the cup.

“It’s a strawberry matcha latte with pink hyacinth. In a way, it will help wake you up and boost your happiness for the day!”

“What about your drink?”

“Oh, this? It’s just a regular iced americano. There’s a short list of rules I have to follow in order to own this business. One of them is that I can’t drink any of the magical products here.”

“Why?”

“Not too sure. Maybe it's so I don't take advantage of the magic I'm capable of,” He turns to you and softly smiles.

You nod, returning the smile before taking a sip of your strawberry latte. Your eyes widen, its taste definitely coming to your liking. It was creamy and refreshing. The bitterness from the matcha and sweetness from the strawberries blended well.

“Wow, this is really good!” You exclaim, making the boy make grin yet, flustered.

“Thank you! Its one of my favorite drinks too, without the flowers of course.”

“Are the flowers suppose to make the drink taste different?”

“Nope. The flower petals don’t effect the taste, just the conditions of your wish.”

11:32 am

The mood of spring is definitely present. The sunlight dances through the meadow and plants gently sway along in the breeze. The feathery clouds move across the fairy blue sky at a steady pace. The blossoms paint vibrant colors against the lush field, stretching far over the horizon. Like fiery stars dotting the night sky. From deep reds and bold oranges to soft pinks, purples, and beaming yellows. Mini white butterflies flutter around, bees prancing from one flower to another. Every part of nature seems so carefree, yet thriving in complete beauty.

You let the pleasing warmth from the sun soak into you while walking besides Hyunjin. He hums a soft joyous tune, eyes wandering at the scene in front of him. You let your left hand drift across the tall greenery that surrounds you. There’s no pathway or any structure for guidance. You just walked pass Haven Shop and Hyunjin told you to just let your mind wander with your feet.

“Do you ever get tired of the view?” You question and look up at the boy’s side profile.

One thing for sure is that you’ll never get tired of looking at Hyunjin. It’s already so damn hard to not stare at the pretty boy who you just met. His lips appear so soft with eyes of stars. His hair perfectly framing the structure of his face-

“Of course not. It never fails to amaze me! Especially around this month, when spring begins. I miss it through out the winter.”

“I bet. I get tired of the city view every now and then. I don’t think I’d ever get tired of this though.” Your lips curl into a small smile as you let your eyes focus ahead.

Up ahead offers even more for your fascination. In the near distance is a river. The water so clear, the pebbles at the bottom are very much visible. It glistens with reflection of the sunlight. The calming trickle of water becoming more audible as you both approach closer. On the other side of the river, the field of flowers elevate, holding up a willow tree. A tall tree with feathery vines that drape down, coming in near contact with the water. You stare in awe at the idealistic scene before you.

Hyunjin turns his head to get a good look at your face. Your eyes lit up with anticipation and lips slightly apart. It pains him knowing the emotions you feel deep down. That didn't affect how he truly viewed you, though. The sunlight didn’t help either, highlighting every feature on your face. The light was just singing, “You! You!” How lovely you are.

“No,” Hyunjin thought, shaking his head and averting his attention back to the willow tree. He has a job to do. Make you happy, brighten up your days with wonders up his sleeve. That's all. How could he possibly feel anything more towards you? He barely knew you. He just met you less than a day ago! He clears his throat before speaking, wanting to distract himself from the sweet thoughts of you.

“Have you ever been outside of the city? Like to the Northern Country, of course.”

“No, I’ve always stayed in the city. Never had a good reason to leave. Until now that is.”

“I see. Nice to know I’m the one to first take you to a place like this then!” He giggles.

There it is again. His contagious, yet melodic laugh. One that makes your heart flutter and adore, leaving your ears craving more. You let out a breathy laugh, joining Hyunjin on the joyous feelings.

“How did you start?,” You say with a light voice. Relaxed footsteps approaching the creek more.

“My mom and dad are pretty strict. They always encouraged me to open up a business of my own, too. I found myself very interested in alchemy and just helping people in general. So, I studied hard and here I am!"

"Good for you, Hyunjin!" You compliment.

"Thank you!" He puts his hands over his chest and lets out huge sigh of happiness.

You giggle at his dramatic behavior.

1:02 pm

Hyunjin and you sat on the grass, leaning back against the willow tree. The vines dangling from the branches that stretched out above made it a perfect canopy-like shelter. You sway your feet left to right in front of the river ahead; shoes abandoned to the right side of you. It's a perfect spot to seek for solace, especially with Hyunjin's company. It's like a hidden paradise. You didn't care if you didn't show up for work today. You didn't care if you were in an unfamiliar place. You didn't care if you just met Hyunjin less than twenty-four hours ago. All you want now is to just enjoy the present time of the happiness you thought was long lost.

It's like nature playing a part of sympathy for you. The sweet scent of blossoms and pines fill up your nose. The mellow breeze freely caressing your faces. On the outstretched branches above are the winged symphonies played by sparrows. The swaying blades of grass tenderly stroking both of your bare feet. Sunlight beaming down, reflected off the water and strained through the tree's leaves. The tree also providing shade like a tattered umbrella.

It is known that trees behold stories of many. It this tree could speak, it happily tell you how the meadow slowly grew and came to be. How Hyunjin would walk through the meadow day by day, tendering to the flowers until they began growing wildly on their own will. How every star fragment in the sky is visible to the naked eye, only if you decide to stay out at night. How the tree itself got to hear the magnificent stories each traveller told when they came by to rest. How it will patiently wait for you to tell any of your stories.

Every once in a while would Hyunjin's hand brush against yours. It somehow managed to make your heart dance every time. Little do you know, he was doing it on purpose. Little do you know, he wishes for your simple touch, your hand to hold. How he's too timid to do so, though. Instead, he silently remains cherishing every moment with you.

"Why aren't there customers at Haven Shop?"

"My shop isn't open yet. In fact, it opens back up tomorrow so that's when people should arrive," He states. "It's because of winter. Flowers and their magic effects, especially here, obviously die off in the winter. So, that's when I have to close my shop. And god it's hard going through a meadow with barely any life. I miss it. But that's when spring comes by and never fails to amaze me."

"Ah, I see."

"Can I ask you something?" Hyunjin turns his head to lock eyes with you.

"Of course."

"How are you really feeling? Like from last night."

You look at your fumbling hands on your lap, causing moment of silence before speaking. "Better than the time on the roof, that's for sure. In fact, I almost forgot that happened. I guess I'm enjoying my time here." You turn to gaze at him with a small, appreciative smile.

"Good to hear. And we're friends, right?"

"You mean you want to be friends with me?" Your eyes widen in disbelief.

"Of course!" He smiles and scrunches his nose, something that made your heart go crazy.

"Then, friends we are I guess."

"I think it worked."

"What worked?"

"The drink I gave you last night! I didn't put too much flowers so the effect wouldn't be so strong, but it's working," He remarks with satisfaction.

"Good to know," You giggle. Do you believe him? You aren't completely certain. You don't care about it though.

The comforting atmosphere and warm sunlight eventually made you yawn with drowsy eyes.

"Tired?"

"Just a bit. It's hard not to be when in peaceful place like this," You let out a breathy laugh.

"Here, relax." Hyunjin's hand comes to the side of your head and gently pushes it to his shoulder.

After a few minutes, your eyes drift off into darkness as you lay on him. Hyunjin smiles with adoration before resting his head on yours, entering dreamland with you.

Both of you pleading the world to not let this day end.

5:48 pm

You spent the day attending your university in the morning and completing your afternoon shift at the book store. Being placed back in society just reminded you how much of an ass everyone is. A crazy witch came in demanding for spell books for immortality. Who the hell did she think she was? A god? You told her there are no books of such kind. The next thing you know, she's complaining to your boss about how "lazy and stubborn" you are. And now? Your boss cut back your paycheck for "not doing your job properly." For a the whole damn month. You would tell him about the actual situation of why the witch was mad, but like again, your boss is an ass and won't listen. This sure wasn't the first time too.

It's been two days since Hyunjin dropped you off home. You told him you needed to prepare for school and work the next day and so should he. To be honest, you would continue staying at the meadow if it weren't for your life tasks. You already skipped a few days though. When he dropped you off home, he engulfed you in a big hug and told you to not leave the world, but come back to him.

What were you going to say? No?

Now, you are walking down the city streets on your way to the Northern District Doorways. Whenever there were crowds headed your way, you'd move to the sidewalk across to avoid them. Crowds mixed of Averages and the magical class. Despite the power difference, everyone ran on the same mindset of equality.

And here you are, slowly becoming apart of the magical class. Well, that is if you pass your alchemy class. From taking notice of the spell books in the bookstore, even that made your brain undergo an entire maze.

Schools for young ones who are Averages placed throughout the city. Then, further in the center are universities where people begin to develop their potential for magic. They have choices of what they want to major in. Medical, where you learn to heal wounds with magic. This could be sealing cuts or making potions with medical purposes. English classes where you memorize every magic spell term, mainly for those who desire to be witches and wizards. And then alchemy... Learning about chemistry of magic components. Yup, you know lots about that class. Well, in a way, you do.

You continue to stroll in the busy midday city. Buildings of many tightly packed together, resembling an overcrowded village. Buildings constructed of stone, cement, or wood that is either petrified or damp of weariness. The buildings roofed with dark asphalt shingles and displaying arched windows.

The paved stone roads that connected through and around structures. Small weeds growing between the stone cracks. The police stations constantly crowded with necromancers. Banks for your silver. Shops that make wands for witches and wizards. Clothing stores. Convenient shops that carry the basic magic necessities many need. Mossy stone statues of the greatly respected elders capable of magic. Planters nicely placed in the center, between the shops. Wooden crates outside shops that hold fresh fruit and bread. The roads that formed into bridges over rivers. The rivers for the canoes that rely on magic to continuously float. Post offices are very common throughout the city, too.

Post offices... It reminds you that you and Hyunjin should exchange addresses to contact each other. In the Northern District, phones simply did not exist. Instead, writing instant letters is the way for communication. You'd write a letter, put someone's address, and it will disappear to that person once you'd stamp it.

And then, there were the dark alleyways. Alleyways where mice and stray cats roams. Where the roads are cracked and uneven, homing the drunken powerless citizens. The smell of alcohol and smoke was faint but still unpleasantly present.

Continuing on are prostitutes offering services in front of their stores. Children running and laughing on the streets, playing games of tag and hide and seek. People gracefully singing on the boats below.

Oh how they are all only half of the structures the Northern District offers.

Your feet start to slowly ache. Not only was the transportation center distant, but you're walking at a faster pace to avoid the crowds. And perhaps, you may be eager to visit the boy in the meadow.

Stomps and chattering. Cheering and complaints. Bells ringing with doors constantly opening and closing. Your nostrils burn with the variety of smells. Scents of flowers and bread to smoke, oil, and alcohol. Children's joyous voices. The still air allowing the sun’s rays gently beam. It's all the Northern District just simply existing.

Entering the station, you approach the ticket booth. Good thing you remember the door number.

"Good afternoon!" A young guy greets from inside the booth. He has permed silver hair, small eyes and a bright smile with braces. A small name tag pinned on his suit, displaying "Jeongin."

"Hello, a ticket for Door 325, please."

"Of course."

He's quite cute looking, but that didn't lessen your social anxiety. You could scream and let out a dramatic exhale. You could run away and tuck yourself cozily in a corner. But of course, you couldn't just do that.

"Here is your ticket. Have a good day and safe travels!" He waves with twinkling eyes.

"Thank you! You too." You eagerly grab the ticket out of Jeongin's hand and scurry past the booth.

After looking at a directory, you walk down the hallway containing doors of 300 to 350.

You casually walk down with eyes swiftly scanning each door.

A deep red door of 313.

A mustard yellow door of 315.

And at last, the dark green door numbered 325!

A small smile of anticipation appears on your face.

When was the last time you were this excited? You could not remember. You simply didn’t care though.

6:27 pm

"Thank you very much! Have a good day!" Hyunjin smiles, courteously waving off the one of many customers.

He turns behind, restocking a glass bottle with pink camellia petals from the drawer. His mind seems to hold onto one thought ever since yesterday. You. He couldn't deny it any longer. The boy, once a stranger, loves you. God damn, he misses you, too. Feelings only growing from you absence. At the same time, though, the feeling of fret also fills him. Fearing that perhaps you may turn away from him and jump like you wanted to that night. Worrying that you simply had no interest in him, even as just a friend. He gave you a drink with alstroemeria petals, though. So that couldn't happen. But the doubt seems to never leave him.

Hyunjin's ears fill with a familiar bell ringing above the door.

"Be right there!" He politely informs. Closing a few drawers and placing the bottle aside, he turns around; eyes focused on a small insect crawling on the register.

"Good afternoon, welcome to Ha-" Hyunjin abruptly stops in mid-sentence as he looks up from the now dead bug. His eyes widen and a faint pink spreads across his cheeks.

"Hi, Hyunjin," You greet and wave your hand in a rather timid manner.

He suddenly gasps aloud and runs around the counter. Wrapping his arms, he forces you into a tight hug.

"You came back," He coos, head resting on top of yours. All of his doubts and worries about you instantly fade away.

Though your head is buried in Hyunjin's chest, you could practically hear the huge smile resting upon his face. Eventually breaking the hug, you both step back taking a good look at each other. He's wearing a white collared button-up. On top layers a thin denim jacket tucked in black pants and a long beige coat, stopping at his knees. His blond hair neatly tucked behind his ears, only a few front strands framing his face. It so desperately made you want to push it back, but how you had to resist.

"How-" Hyunjin gets interrupted by the bell, notifying a customer just entered.

"We'll talk later," He winks at you before going back behind the register.

7:13

Several customer came lining up in the store. After they received their drinks, they were out the door. You sat on the couch peacefully watching each pass. Barely two minutes ago, a customer came in stating he has a soccer game and in need of motivation and ambition.

"One americano of hollyhock for Chris!"

"Yes, thank you!"

"It has hollyhock and hyacinth in it. Enjoy the rest of your day and I wish you good luck on your soccer game!"

"Thanks, mate!" The customer shouts as he exits the shop.

After the place is once again empty aside from Hyunjin and you, Hyunjin runs out through the entrance before coming right back in.

"What was that about?" You ask while still seated on the couch, legs crossed and arms hugging a small white pillow to your chest.

"Oh, I just had to change sign to 'closed'. Do you want a drink?"

"Sure. How about... one not for me but my boss whose a complete asshole? Can I do that?"

"Don't tell me you want me to conjure up a death drink for him."

"I thought you couldn't do that?"

"I can't, I'm just messing with you! But sure. I'll give you a small bottle of the flower powders and you can put it in his water or coffee at work. What about you, though?"

"Surprise me a drink for success and remembrance."

"Sure thing, Y/N. What is it for? Only if you don't mind me asking." Hyunjin makes his way behind the counter, opening drawers, collecting flowers, and putting them in the manual coffee grinders.

"I have a huge test next Friday for fucking alchemy. I need to pass and remember as much information as I can."

"I see. So in other words, you're seeking my work for cheating on a test?" He turns his head to look at you, playfully wriggling an eyebrow.

"You really had to go word it like that?" You playfully ask with a small smile.

Hyunjin turns his head back to his work, carefully spooning flower essence into a glass bottle. "I mean, it's true. Note this though. In order for this drink to take full affect, I suggest you drink it the night before the test. So I'll give the flowers in a bottle for you. And! Make sure you study every single note you've taken right after drinking it. Then, you should be good to go!"

Several minutes later, the boy returns to you, lending you a mini white pouch.

"The bottles are in here, so careful. I labeled them too, so you won't get anything mixed up."

"Thanks, Hyunjin. What did you put?"

"No problem. I put statice and goldenrod for yours. For your boss, he has gladiolus with a smidge of coreopsis."

"Thank you again."

"Shut up, no need to thank me. I'll gladly make hundreds of drinks just so I know I'm helping you." Hyunjin's ear redden a bit after saying that. "U-umm... I-"

You chuckle aloud at his nervous state. "It's alright! I'm flattered." Deep down though, you're just as nervous. Why? You aren't one-hundred percent certain, but you think you may be falling even more for the lovely boy whose in front of you. It be more of a surprise, though, if you were to not fall for him.

6:41 pm

It's something said before; The world continues no matter who decides to continue with it. Time lives on without warning anybody. Slowly, it sure didn't feel like that was the case though. The day turns into the next day, then a week, then a month, and soon enough, many more. And as much possible free time you had, you spent it on Hyunjin. You'd visit him so often, he decided to give you a his shop's spare key to use during closing hours. You never used it yet, though, because he always had his doors unlocked for an hour more, knowing and waiting for you to come by. Occasionally, he'd invite himself over at your apartment, surprising you when you open the door. And then, no matter where you both were, you'd do whatever fun activities friends do.

Helping you study (and you certainly passed on your alchemy test thanks to him), going to book stores, riding the boats in the rivers below. He'd visit you at work too sometimes. And surprisingly, the mixture he gave you worked on your boss. Your boss became more sincere not only towards you, but to your co-workers. Then movie nights, picnics under the willow tree and cuddling. To your surprise, Hyunjin was more clingy than you'd ever though he'd be. On days where you were unable to hangout, you'd both write letters. Soon after you stamped the letter and it disappeared, you'd receive one in return. Usually, no more than 10 minutes later. You recall receiving a letter that was half soaked. He wrote how he spilled his americano and didn't want to waste everything he wrote before. He stated how he spilt it on his favorite sweater too.

There was a time where he introduced you to a friend of his, too.

"Felix, this is Y/N! Y/N, this if Felix! You know the guy who made a mess when making pancakes?"

Later on, you three decided to bake brownies at Felix's apartment which was just down the block. Oh how poor Felix's kitchen ended up looking like hell.

Then, when it was just Hyunjin and you once again, you continued making happy memories. You barely remember the night you wanted to jump, or the feelings you did feel. Hyunjin helped replace them all.

"You're feeling alright, right? Happy?" Hyunjin's asks lowly with a sleepy voice.

Both of you were on the roof of your apartment. Sitting on a bench, admiring the view the Northern District offered.

"I'm alright. Especially with you." You chin rested on his shoulder, looking up at his eyes. His eyes are one of the many things you absolutely adored about Hyunjin. They held fragments of the starry sky and displayed many endearing emotions. Eyes that you enjoy getting lost in. Oh and how they'd turn into the crescents themselves when he'd smile bliss.

"Tell me when you feel down. It doesn't matter if it's three in the morning or if my shop is crowded. I like it when you open up your feeling to me. I like knowing you trust me. M'kay?"

"Thanks, Jinnie."

If the moon could sing, it would. It sing about how cheery it is knowing your existence. It sing knowing the feelings you and your friend has. It sing out of contentment while the stars would dance. It sing knowing you've recovered from each night of crying.

The nights you've cried, Hyunjin was there right by your side. Pulling you close to him, sweet nothings would pour out of his lips. Sometime you'd talk about the mess in your mind, sometimes you didn't; just wanting his comforting presence to keep you. His presence to remind you that all is not lost. Then after, if you were up for it, he'd take you for a long stroll in the city.

8:01 pm

You both are on Hyunjin's bed cuddling. Nothing but the moonlight shining through the window, landing upon your bodies. Your head laying on top of Hyunjin's chest and his hands playing with your hair. You can hear his mellow heartbeats and feel his chest calmingly rise and fall.

"It's a perfect time to hangout by the willow tree. You want to go?" His voice ever so gentle, drowning your ears.

"Why now?"

"Pleeeaasse!" The boy pleadingly whines, making you giggle.

"Let's go then." You sit up on the bed.

"Yay!" Hyunjin immediately hops off the bed. Swiftly grabbing your hand, he pulls you to get up towards the back exit.

"Woah, Hyunjin!" You laugh at his excited behavior, like a child told he could get any candy in an entire candy store.

The door closes behind with a small creek and thud. The cool relaxing air hitting your faces. Summer is nearing, so the air is no colder than the nights before, but instead, warmer.

"Race you!" He shouts, before dashing off into the tall growing meadow.

And of course, you run. Running in the color-dotted field as it if were the stars in the sky above. Both of your laughters mix into the night air with the solemn singing of the insects. Hastened footsteps making crunching noises with the grass beneath.

The next scene is what makes you break out into a big fit of laughing. You weren't too far behind Hyunjin. He though, before reaching the tree, ended up tripping and falling into the river. The river whose currents flowed peacefully now being disturbed.

"NOooOOooOOoo!~" Hyunjin shrieks, now sitting in the middle of the river.

You catch up, standing on the edge before the river without breaking your fit of laughter. Hyunjin would kill to hear you laugh every hour, to see a smile painted on your face. Despite his love for you and your current laughter, he extends his arm only to pull you down with him.

"HYUNJIN!" Your legs and half of your arms now immersed underwater. Now it's his turn to laugh.

It was good that the night air was warm enough to not leave you both freezing. To your surprise, you both didn't reach the tree. Instead, you both remained sitting in the river; Bodies leaning on each other for support and comfort. Another thing to your surprise, you felt more excited. Stuck in a manner more playful than usual, like a child who stole his mom's coffee.

The field ahead decorated with more colorful flowers than ever. The black sky above wearing millions of jewels. The river currents playing its own song. Both of you aware of your hearts thumping like crazy.

"You know that drink I gave you an hour ago?"

"Yeah," You reply in a hushed tone.

"It's mad of pink alstroemeria flowers."

You remove your head from his shoulder to make eye contact with him; his eyes of tenderness. "And what does that mean?"

"Love and playfulness. It best represents friendship that turns to love." Hyunjin says in a barely audible whisper, but it's more than enough for you to hear. At a time like this, he greatly thanks the sky for hiding his deeply-reddened face. "C-can I show you something?"

"Hm?"

Hyunjin's lips crash onto yours not a second later. The gap between you both who desired to be filled had it wish granted. His plump lips were soft on yours, both passionately moving in sync. His lips gave off a taste of sweetness; lips completely sugarcoated. And he could say the same for yours. He eventually pulls away, only to rest his forehead against yours. Eyes lovingly gazing into one another’s. You both sweetly smile, not daring to break eye contact. It feels like the world came to a stop for the two of you.

"You know, you have to pay me back for all those drinks I made for you. How about you do that by coming on a date with me?"

"I'll have to think about that," You say mischievously.

Hyunjin leans in to give you another kiss, one quick but still sweet.

"How about now?"

And that night, the willow tree had another story to keep.

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: SKZ Materialist*.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

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ahopelessromantic · 4 years

Text

Revelations ➳ S. Reid

Pairing: Spencer x Reader

Wordcount: 1,8K

Warnings: None really, slightly suggestive neck kissing, Morgan’s a snitch

Spencer and you like playing games, one of them being hiding your relationship from your team. But, working together with some of the world’s best profilers, things are bound to get found out.

Roses. A big bouquet of red roses, right in the middle of your desk.You hadn’t even properly arrived at work for the day and your team was already pestering you with suggestive smirks. “Red Roses, huh?” Morgan wiggled his eyebrows. “Who’s the guy?” You felt your ears grow hot. “No one.”, you mumbled. Before you could even stop him, he had snatched the card that had come with the flowers from their vase. “You get the food; I get the wine. Signed R. Looks like you and your mystery boyfriend are still going strong.” “Morgan, leave (Y/L/N) alone and get to work.” Hotch called out over the bullpen, but even his lips were curling into a smile. “Right, Morgan, get to work!” You scolded him playfully, taking the card back from him.On your way up to the conference room you could spot Reid’s grin from the corner of your eyes.

“R?” You giggled, carefully straightening his tie. “You’re getting careless.” Spencer lifted your chin with his fingers and pressed a chaste kiss to the corner of your lips. “What’s life without a little risk?” You rolled your eyes, barely able to contain your happiness. “Alright, Romeo, let’s go before you start telling everyone we’re basically living together, too.” It was fun, sneaking around with Spencer like this. Your team consisted of some of the world’s best profilers and yet they didn’t seem to have a clue about who your new boyfriend was.And it wasn’t just that, the secret little dates, the notes placed on each other’s desks while no one was looking, they were all a nice change from being under constant scrutiny otherwise. Additionally, most of your team was going to endlessly tease you once they found out the two of you were dating. So, for now, you were keeping things lowkey. As lowkey as being in a committed, loving relationship with each other could be.

“This doesn’t make sense! Why would she go for the asshole when Darcy is right there?” You laughed, cuddling further into Spencer’s chest. At some point in your relationship you had agreed on banning anything crime related from your lives outside of work, so the movies the two of you watched together were mostly sci-fi or romance, like today.For some reason you hadn’t expected Spencer to be into Bridget Jones as much as you, but there he was, getting heavily invested into your favourite chick flick. “Guess you’ll have to wait until we watch the next part.” You looked up to him from your place on his chest, reaching up to tuck his hair behind his ears. “There’s more?” He asked excitedly, already moving to reach the tv remote. “Noo, Reid. I don’t want to watch another movie, I want attention.” You whined. He looked at you in amused confusion. “I give you attention all the time, or do I have to remember you about the huge bouquet of flowers on your desk?” His tone had taken to teasing now and you pouted. This playful side of Spencer was one you had only gotten to know after some months of dating, him only then feeling confident enough in your feelings for him to let down his guards completely. “But I haven’t been properly kissed since this morning and if I don’t get a kiss soon I think I’m going to die.” He looked down at you, an incredulous smile on his face. It didn’t matter that you had already kissed many times, when Spencer looked at you with his warm hazel eyes and the close lipped smile that made his gorgeous cheek bones stand out like that you still felt as excited as you did before your very first kiss. This lanky, highly intelligent man with his sometimes odd mannerisms had bewitched you body and soul, and often you still couldn’t believe that he was yours. “I think we need to change that before you die of lack attention, right?” “Hm.”, you hummed in confirmation, closing your eyes into the kiss. He cupped your face, pulling you impossibly close. “Better now?” He grinned after pulling away. You rolled your eyes and climbed on top of him. “Not yet.” You whispered and kissed him again, allowing yourself to wander from his lips to his neck. You heard him shakily exhaling beneath you, and at that point you were gone.

“Oh shit.” You whispered looking at the alarm clock on Spencer’s nightstand. “No no no, please don’t be right.” You pleaded, now starting to panic. But a look at your phone only confirmed what you had been suspecting: The two of you had overslept. Big time. You had less than ten minutes to get to the office in time. “Spence.” You hissed and shoved at his shoulder, after which he immediately bolted up. “Huh?” He squinted and looked around his bedroom, eyes widening once he saw your stressed expression. “Spence, did you forget to set an alarm?” Instead of answering he got out of bed impossibly fast as well. “Spencer!”, you scolded him, panicking at the prospect of being late. “I- I was distracted, okay?” He stammered in the attempt of defending himself. It was only now in broad daylight that you could see the faint hickeys blooming against the side of his neck. Somehow your anxiousness melted away at the mere sight of your confused, still very much tired boyfriend. You took a deep breath, assessing the situation. “Alright, get dressed, we’ll get breakfast on the way to work. And I’m going to need some of your clothes.” Normally your morning routine was a very different one. You woke up together, had breakfast and then on the way to work made a detour to the other’s apartment so they could get changed out of yesterday’s clothes. This routine had been fool proof and effective for months now, but apparently Spencer had really needed the distraction that was you yesterday.

“You go in first. I’ll go in after a few minutes.” Your boyfriend nodded, getting out of the car before stopping in his tracks. “What?”, you asked softly, afraid he had forgotten something at home. “I forgot something.” He confirmed, making your heart sink into your stomach. But then he leaned over the gearbox through the open car door and pressed a kiss to your lips. “I love you.” You laughed, completely taken by surprise. Then you playfully shoved him away. “Go, Spence! Hotch is going to kill us!” Through the windscreen you saw him get into the garage’s elevator, an uncharacteristic spring in his step and a smile still on his lips. You waited five minutes before taking the elevator up as well, still revelling in your boyfriend’s love. “Morning, (Y/N).” Morgan greeted you before stopping in his tracks for a moment, mustering you up and down. But then he shook his head and continued to walk past you. “Meeting’s in five, we waited for you.” “Thanks.”, you smiled sheepishly, still feeling bad about being late.

“Looks like we’re looking for a sexual sadist.” Emily murmured, taking in the crime scene photos now hanging on the case board. “Could be.”, confirmed Gideon. “JJ, talk to the police, see if there’s anything they’re not telling us. Morgan, Prentiss, go check out the crime scenes. The rest, work on the profile. Meet you all back here in a few hours.” Everyone nodded, going back to work. You loved being paired up with Spencer during work, your fields of expertise always perfectly complimented each other. “What if this book is the only connection between the victims we need?” You asked looking at your laptop’s screen in concentration. Penelope had sent you an online copy of the book that had been found in all the victim’s houses and now you were looking through it. Spencer leaned over where you were sitting at the conference room’s table to get a better look at your laptop as well. You breathed in his scent, immediately feeling less stressed about the case at hand. “But the Unsub didn’t leave any ripped-out pages or quotes at the crime scenes.” He murmured, his breath tickling your neck. You turned to look at him and were about to say something else when Morgan stepped into the room. As if he was hoping that if he moved just slowly enough Morgan wouldn’t see him, Spencer leaned away from you, so your noses weren’t basically touching anymore while working. “Garcia just called, the victims all bought the books in the same store and went to a live reading there.” Clearing your throat you nodded, heartbeat quickening. Morgan turned to go before looking at you again in the same weird fashion from this morning, as if he was trying to decipher something that was right before his eyes. Then, suddenly, the realisation seemed to strike him. “You’re wearing Spencer’s sweater!” He almost yelled, looking as if he couldn’t really believe it himself. “Nuh, it’s mine-“ “I gave it to her on our last case, she-“ Spencer and you tried to lie yourselves out of being caught at the same time. A mean grin spread across Derek’s features. “Oh no, you’re not getting away now. I knew those were hickeys on Reid’s neck!” Spencer shyly rubbed his neck, mumbling something about having sensitive skin. And, as if things couldn’t get any worse, JJ entered the room in that moment. “What’s going on?” She asked confusedly, taking in the situation. Morgan crossed his arms. “Take a really close look at (Y/N)’s sweater, and then look at Reid’s neck. Notice anything?” J’s eyes lit up, the same incredulous look on her face as Morgan. “You’re (Y/N)’s boyfriend? What??” “How long?”< Derek asked teasingly.< “I, uh…” you tried to explain but didn’t know how to. “We kissed for the first time about a year ago.”, Spencer jumped in to help you. “A year?!” Morgan and JJ shrieked at almost the same time. You looked at Spencer only to find his gaze on you as well. He had a slight grin playing around his lips, one that reassured you. The team knew about you two now, so what? You had still been able to fool them for months on end.

A bright smile on your face, you turned to them. “What would you say when I tell you we want to move in together soon as well?” They didn’t say anything, but very much looked like they were about to strangle you both. Spencer hid his face in your hair with a groan. “Not our fault you’re bad profilers!” You teased. With a laugh they left the room, probably to go tell on you with Emily.

“Guess I can wear your clothes more often now, right?” Spencer smiled, pressing a kiss to your temple. “And I can do this more often now.” You inwardly shrugged. Maybe making things official wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

#spencer reid x reader #spencer reid #spencer x reader #criminal minds #criminology #Matthew gray gubler #Matthew gray gubler x reader

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thiswasinevitableid · 3 years

Note

88. I dropped my watch in an open grave, jumped in to get it, and while you were visiting your dead grandmother, you saw me climbing out of the grave (credit to @enchantedcass)

Indruck, sfw or nsfw, please!

Here it is! This is technically SFW, though there's some discussion of sex and a bit of steaminess at the end.

“Here, these are fresh.” Indrid sets the wildflowers on the small, stone marker, so covered with moss and worn with age that no one can read it. He only knows where to find her because he watched from the Barrens as she was put in the ground.

Temperance Leeds. His grandmother, the one who narrowly avoided accusations of witchcraft, the only human who ever set foot deep enough in the trees to bring him food, to drape blankets over his shaking shoulders. She never forgot him, and he shall return the favor as long as he lives.

There’s a thump of earth behind him and he whirls; it’s midnight in a graveyard, who could possibly be here? The ghosthunters usually wait for darker nights to come. In his periphery, a hand rises from an open grave.

Great, if the dead rise he’ll probably be blamed for that too.

“Fuck” A young man pulls himself from the grave, staring at his cell phone, “c’mon, please don’t be fuckin cracked.” Light illuminates his face and sighs, “thank fuckin christ.”

The light disappears and he blinks, eyes adjusting to the dark. Indrid, too caught up in working out why he’s in the ground, hasn’t bothered to hide as he should. The human notices.

“Uh. I. Uh. Dropped my phone checkin the time. I, uh, definitely wasn’t smokin in the off limits, uh, fuck, graveyard I, uh, I fuck, promise I’ll clean up my beer bottles I mean, uh, fuck.” He scratches the back of his neck, “please don’t call the cops?”

“Can you see me?” Indrid cocks his head.

“Yeah?”

“And you are worried about me alerting the police?”

“I mean, guess we’re both breakin the rules but I kinda figured you were staff here because of the clothes.” He gestures to the ensemble Indrid cobbled together from clothes lines.

Indrid stands, stretches his wings, flicks his tail and watches the human slowly notice the color of his eyes and the outline of his horns.

“Fuck. Look, man, whatever you are, I swear I won’t tell, I’m just tryin to keep busy, please, my folks are already worried about me-”

“I’m not going to harm you.” Lightning cracks through the sky, flashing his shadow across the frightened human, “I just wanted you to see me clearly.”

Rain patters on the leather of his wings. The man looks up at the sky, face seeming even younger as it fills with resignation. Indrid recognizes it’s source.

“You have nowhere to go, do you?”

“No. I, uh, decided I wanted to get outta town and never come back, made it as far as here before I ran outta money.”

Indrid offers his hand, watches the man’s face zero in on the claws, “You may spend the night with me, if you wish. My home is a ways into the woods, but it is dry and warm.”

“Okay.” The young man replies softly, letting Indrid help him up as the dirt turns to mud. Indrid shelters him as best he can with a wing until they reach the cottage. Indrid kneels by the fireplace, lumps kindling into a pile as the young man sets his backpack on a chair.

“Nice place. Gotta admit I was expectin somethin more dilapidated. On account of the whole, uh, y’know.” He gestures to Indrid’s horns and cloven feet.

“It was much like you expected, once upon a time. But a human named Arlo Thacker took pity on me and helped me build it with the aid of a few friends. There.” The fire flickers merrily, “that should keep us warm. You may--ah, what are you doing?”

The young man has removed his jacket and shirt, revealing what Indrid recognizes from human magazines as a sports bra. His hands are now on the fly of his jeans.

“You said I was supposed to, uh, spend the night with you?”

“Yes, in that you may sleep here to be safe from the weather and any who might wish you harm. Not so that you may keep me warm. So to speak.”

“You’re not gonna fuck me?”

Indrid flicks his tail, surprised, “You would offer yourself to me, looking like this?”

The man nods in a way that suggests he’s run a calculus in his head and decided Indrid’s desire was less abhorrent than some other option. Indrid crosses the small living room, bringing them face to face. He reaches out a hand, runs his claws through black hair until the human closes his eyes. Then his hand slides to cup his cheek, one nail tracing fond little shapes on the skin as the man sighs. Against his better judgement, he tilts his head down to nose the dark locks; smoke lingers there, just as alcohol hangs on his breath. He’s so warm, so willing and so very soft. Indrid wants nothing more than to undress him further, carry him to his cozy bedroom and discover what sounds come when he fits their bodies together.

“What’s your name?”

“Duck. It’s a nickname.”

“A charming one. But no, Duck, I will not take such advantage of you. I may be called a devil, but I do not believe in making one trade their body for basic kindness. Come along, the bedroom will allow you more privacy.”

“Thanks.” Duck sways, and Indrid senses a weariness he’s not certain a good nights rest will fix. Tomorrow he will be sure to be gone when Duck awakens, leaving his dry clothes and a map back to town outside his door so that he can do what Indrid can dare to; leave the Barrens and find a life waiting for him in the world beyond.

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

There are some days when Duck thinks his encounter in the woods was a dream. The hand-drawn map he keeps folded among his books tells him otherwise.

He’d come home after that night, made his peace with Kepler for a few years more, and often awoke from dreams where he was pushing through brush in pursuit of a strange shadow. He never cites these as a reason for his taking a job at a state forest in New Jersey that includes the Barrens.

Now, he’s decided to upgrade from his apartment to a house in the woods that’s been listed for over two years and is a goddamn steal because of that.

“As you can see, there’s another residence across the clearing; that’s why the company that built this lovely dwelling was able to do so. They intended to build a nice little community here.”

“The fact that ain’t happened got anythin to do with the reason I gotta stay the night before I make an offer?”

Ned’s smile falters, “Indeed, dear boy. I like you, so I’ll be forthcoming; we’ve never seen anyone in the other house. But they have most certainly seen us.”

Duck settles in for an uneventful afternoon and evening, reads his book and considers whether he could fit some windowboxes on the house for garden space. It’s not until it’s pitch black outside that it starts; footsteps on the roof, followed shortly by red eyes peering in through the living room window.

He opens the front door, the undergrowth rustling hurriedly to his left.

“Uh, hey there. You may not remember me but, uh, we’ve actually met before. About ten years ago. You uh, you let me stay the night?”

Only some crickets, unaware of the tension in the air, reply to him. Then the bushes grow two, ruby red flowers.

“Duck?”

“Yep. Y’know, you never told me your name. If we’re gonna be neighbors, feels like I oughta know what to call you.”

A shadow moves from the trees, stopping when it reaches the light spilling from the windows. He’s as Duck remembers him; short horns sprouting from a mop of silver hair, claws on his fingers and black wings folded on his back. His skin is a swirl of ashy grey and ember red. And his face, while striking, is human. That was the part that always tripped Duck up; the Jersey Devil was always drawn with a goat or horse face, making him question whether that’s who he met all those years ago.

“Indrid. My name is Indrid.”

“Nice to see you again, Indrid.”

The other man smiles, and Duck knows what will replace the mad hunt through the brush in his dreams, “Likewise.”

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

“You know, she had three more children after me. None of them suffered the same curse.” Indrid kicks idly at the long decayed remains of his family home. Their nightly walk brough them close to it this time around, and Duck had been curious. His interest is never prurient or morbid; Duck wants to get to know Indrid, not his legend.

“That fuckin sucks.”

Indrid chuckles, “I do enjoy how you put things so plainly.”

“I’m serious, what kind of folks put their kid out when it’s a baby? I mean, mine weren't always the fuckin parents of the year but at least they understood lookin after me was part of the deal.”

“It was a different time.”

“Fine, but I’m still judgin the hell outta them.”

Indrid looks fondly down at the human, “That’s as fair a fate for them as any.”

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

“It don’t weird you out?” Juno indicates Indrid’s house from where she and Duck are sitting on his front porch. The twin Adirondack chairs are a new addition, as the warmer months mean he and Indrid spend ample time trying to see the stars through the treetops.

“Nah. Indrid’s a real good neighbor when he’s around. He’s uh, from an old family so he don’t gotta work. Part of why he keeps such weird hours.” Duck wishes he could introduce them; it’d be nice for the three of them to have dinner before Juno heads south again. But Indrid has several centuries of shitty human encounters that dig under his skin like splinters, and Duck will never push him to ignore that pain. Besides, there will be other visits.

The summer and fall pass in much the same ways last winter and spring did. Duck works in the park, visits friends in town, runs errands, and generally goes about all the mundane moments that make up a life. Then he spends his evenings in one of the two cottages, or walking alongside Indrid on long-overgrown pathways.

The hardest part of it all is not mentioning Indrid in every single conversation; Duck is already tempting disaster being unable to lie and the neighbor of a cryptid. He doesn’t want to also drive his friends up the wall talking about said cryptids art, or his laugh, or the little herb garden Duck is helping him grow.

They’re in the stretch of days between Christmas and New Year, and Indrid has just finished opening the gift Duck brought him; a thick, soft sweater that Duck stitched a “I” into the front of along with a few little pine tree patches. Indrid smiles at him and notices that Duck’s sweater is done in a similar fashion (in fact, everyone in the Newton family wears one like this). The grin turns bashful and Indrid rubs his cheek against the fabric.

“Thank you, Duck. I, ah, I’m sorry I do not have anything to give you. Holidays are not my strong suit.”

“Just gettin to see you is enough.” Duck stands to refill his tea, Indrid’s gaze caressing his back as he moves through the room. He almost hadn’t gone home, had offered to stay and keep Indrid company. But his friend insisted, reminding him that while it felt odd to be without each other, they both had spent plenty of time apart and been fine. All the same, when he got home yesterday Indrid was knocking on his door before he even put his bag down.

Duck didn’t mind at all. No more than he minds when Indrid sleeps with his head in his lap or strokes his hair while they read on the couch.

The cryptid stokes the fire as the snow gives way to sleet, streaking the windows with icy drops.

“Goodness, what a frigid night.”

“No kiddin.” Duck sets his mug down, turns just as Indrid gets to his feet, “can’t say I mind, kinda reminds me of the night we met.”

The colors of Indrid’s skin make a blush difficult to spot, but Duck’s learned which dip of his head and quirk of his lip means it’s there.

“‘Drid? Did you ever think about that night? Because I did. I, uh, I do.”

“Yes.” Indrid’s tail twitches.

“What do you think about?”

“I, ah, I...you first.”

Duck crosses the creaking floorboards, looking up into red eyes, “I think about how safe it felt when you brought me here. How when I woke up, I felt like this was some kinda weird sign, that I needed to rethink some things and that’s how come I went home, which turned out to be a good call. And” he smirks, “I think about how I was drunk and desperate enough to ask the fuckin Jersey Devil if he was gonna fuck me.”

Indrid blushes once more, studies the ground as Duck touches his shoulder, “I must say that is the part that dominated most of my thoughts. Not right away; for the first few weeks when I thought of you I only hoped you were alright. Then I would let myself imagine that I had been devilish indeed.”

Gently, Duck raises Indrid’s hand and cradles his cheek with it as they did that night, “What would you have done, devil of mine?”

A snicker, “I will answer that only if you tell me whether you are angling for the demonstration that I think you are.”

“Damn right.” He closes his eyes, heart swelling and skin prickling as Indrid steps closer and nuzzles the top of his head.

“I would have asked if you were tired of running. If you wanted a home. And would you like to make it here, so that we could keep each other company. I know in my heart this would have been a selfish offer. I am glad I did not make it, did not trap you here, resign you to a fate that was not what you would have chosen freely.”

“I’m pretty fuckin free these days.”

“And that all on it’s own fills me with joy. But yes, there were nights where I wished I’d been selfish.”

Duck tips his head up, brushing their noses together, “Say you made that offer and I accepted. What then?”

Indrid cups his face with both hands. The kiss is chaste, Indrid sighing against his lips as he twines his claws in his hair. Duck wraps his arms around his waist, lightly teasing the edge of one wing.

“Then” Indrid murmurs, “I’d carry you to bed.”

“Yeah, that part woulda been easier when I was seventeEEN” he laughs as Indrid scoops him into a bridal carry with ease. He’s never been in Indrid’s bed, so he giggles again when he discovers it’s ten times squishier than his own. The cryptid sinks onto it with him, guiding him so they’re face to face on their sides.

“May I undress you?”

“Knock yourself out, darlin.” Affection deep and warm as a thermal spring wells up in him as Indrid carefully removes his sweater and shirt before dainty setting his claws to work on his fly. When Duck is down to his boxers, hunger enters Indrid’s eyes for the first time.

“Oh you are divine.” One hand strokes his leg, pausing at the crease of his thigh each time it reaches there. The other curves along his belly up to his chest before caressing his face, the black claws making his skin seem oddly pale and very fragile in comparison.

Duck touches the hem of Indrid’s shirt and the cryptid freezes.

“‘Drid? Is this okay?”

“Do you...truly wish to see me unclothed?”

Duck surges forward to kiss him as he rucks up his shirt, the movement a sufficient answer for Indrid to raise his arms and let him pull the sweater and battered shirt beneath it away. His skin here is the same swirl of colors as the rest of him, but there’s a dusting of peach fuzz fur across it. It’s delightful under Duck’s tongue, though the little keen of pleasure from Indrid is even better.

“It’s strange” Indrid traces hearts and zig-zags with his claws along Duck’s sides as the human continues kissing his chest and neck, “I thought that seeing you like this would so overwhelm me with need that I’d beg to have you this instant. But it seems I feel much the same way I did in my fantasies of that night.”

“Oh” Duck reaches up to toy with the base of a horn and Indrid groans happily before continuing.

“Had you stayed, knowing you were now mine, I’d have taken my time. Nestled you under the blankets, opened you up on my tongue until you were weak from pleasure. That way it would be easy to take you when I was ready. Perhaps on your back, so you had me to hold onto if you needed. Or on your belly, so you would be even more sheltered from the cold, cruel world by my body and wings. And I’d stay there for hours, make up for decade after decade of touch starvation by glutting myself on your young, willing body.”

“Holy fuck, ‘Drid.” Duck pulls him down into a kiss, “christ that’s a fuckin good image.”

“Mmmm” the cryptid licks his cheek, “it is, isn’t it. But since you are not going anywhere, and we are not limited by the confines of my imagination, I am even less inclined to rush. Will you indulge me with just kisse tonight?”

Duck brushes silver hair from his forehead, planting a kiss there when he’s done, “Of course.”

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

The morning brings several feet of snow and announcement that those who can stay in their homes and shelter from the ongoing storm should. The pines drop heaps of white across the ground, and frost makes the windows so icy it’s better to draw the curtains and stay curled up in the dark.

Duck doesn’t mind at all.

#indrid cold/ duck newton #indruck #meet ugly #monster boyfriend

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otonymous · 4 years

Text

A Bolt From The Blue (MLQC Shaw - NSFW) - Part III: Near & Far

Description: Promising beginnings and a premature end throw you into a tailspin Warnings: NSFW/18+: Explicit/graphic language & mature themes — reader discretion is advised. Potential trigger warnings: depictions of mild PTSD symptoms, mentions of death of a close family member, disappearances, “breakups,” angst, profanity Word Count: 1882 words (~9 mins of falling in love and wallowing in angst 😱😂) Author’s Notes: If you’re still following this story, please accept a giant (virtual) hug from me to you! Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart for supporting me and this piece of work! 💖 Without further ado, I present to you part 3 of my slow-burn Shaw fic, written for the lovely @op-peccatori as part of my follower milestone celebration.

As always, dear reader, please note the potential trigger warnings listed above, and happy reading! 😊

Jump to Chapter(s): One | Two | Four

⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️

“You can relax, you know. I won’t try anything funny while you sleep, not my style. Besides, isn’t this much better than camping out on the floor?”

Nodding your head before you realize that Shaw probably couldn’t see you in the dark, your “Yes” comes out in a mewl so pathetic you wished you could immediately take it back.

His snicker shakes the bed, reverberating across squeaky springs to where you lay beside him, right at the edge of the twin mattress as you tried not to let your hands touch.

No matter how much you wished for them to.

Beyond the window, a neon signboard paints electric shadows on your walls in splashes of pink, flashing in time to a rhythm Shaw tapped out with one foot beneath the covers.

“Is it cool if…if we didn’t draw the blinds tonight? I can’t sleep in complete darkness.” He had asked you earlier that evening, towelling off his hair as he emerged from your bathroom wearing a shirt your ex had left behind along with your broken heart a year and a half ago.

Snoopy looked much better riding his skateboard across Shaw’s broad chest anyways.

And there, in the midst of an awkward arrangement where sleep would surely prove fleeting, the sounds of the night: the low hum of the refrigerator, the pawn shop’s sign buzzing just on the other side of the windowpane…the tick-tock of the clock on the wall, steady like Shaw’s breath beside you as it counts down precious time—

“I’ll be out of your hair first thing tomorrow morning.”

Ba-bump.

“No, there’s…there’s no rush. Honestly.”

“Can you really afford to miss more work because of me?”

Silence. You couldn’t refute the truth.

“Tell you what, in exchange for putting up with me, you can ask me anything you want. I’ve seen the way you look at me sometimes; surely you must be curious about some things. Might as well find out before I go.”

Your stomach knotted, clenching tight. He was right. For all you know, it was now or never. “Why did you join? The triad, that is.”

He is silent for a moment, as if trying to find the right words to piece together.

“I’m looking for my brother.”

Out of all possible answers, this wasn’t one you were expecting. Turning onto your side, you study the handsome profile of his face — watching as pink mixed with lavender in the most ethereal way until you were overcome with the sense that in this vast ocean of life, you and him stood on very different shores. Eyes still fixed on your ceiling, Shaw continues.

“He was an undercover cop, working to infiltrate the ranks of the group I’m currently a part of. I only found out by accident, and he made me swear up and down not to breathe a word of it to mom. Then one day…he was gone. Just...disappeared off the face of the earth. Mom and I went down to the station every day for months, knew the names and faces of everyone who worked in that building, but it was like Gavin never even existed.

“It was too much for her. I came home late from school one day — found her on the floor, barely breathing. It was dark in the apartment…so dark. She had probably just drawn the curtains. By the time the paramedics arrived, she was already gone. Heart attack, they said.

“I lie awake at night sometimes, wonder how I’m going to tell him that mom’s no longer here — go through the motions in my head, rehearsing every line. ‘Cus I know that sooner or later, that day will come. There’s no way he’s dead. I know my brother.”

A glimmer at the corner of his eye catches yours. Beneath the covers, your fingers inch towards his, finding courage in the darkness to brush against his pinky as if the sliver of warmth could express what words simply couldn’t convey.

“With mom gone, there was nothing to lose. I joined the group, worked hard…did what they needed me to do to gain their trust, all while collecting scraps of info here and there — whatever I could get my hands on in the hopes that it’ll lead me to Gav.”

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter.

Tiny drops of rain speckle your windowpane. And when Shaw’s finger hooks around yours as if in a solemn pinky swear, the tears burning your eyes finally fall. You don’t ask him how many years it’s been, the dirty deeds he’s had to sully his hands with. You don’t question him about the father he doesn’t mention. All you can do is watch as a solitary drop rolls down the side of his face before soaking into lavender strands fanned out on the pillow, the way his Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows back bitterness only he knew.

In spite of it all, he is the one who chuckles when he turns towards you, eyes red rimmed even as his brows rise in feigned exasperation when he says, “Why are you crying?! I’m the one with the tragic past here!”

And when you start to cry even harder, his soft hushes of “Shh, shh…I’m sorry, that last part was a joke. It’s all right, everything will be okay, I promise,” burrows deep into your heart and you believe him.

Because when he reaches towards you — the thumb wiping the tears from your eyes calloused yet gentle — you are struck by a sense of overwhelming tenderness:

In the carefulness of his touch.

In the way he regards you with the sincerity of some unspoken emotion.

In the entirety of this man whom the rest of the world has already written off.

And that is when you know…

“I didn’t mean to make you cry by telling you all this, I’m sorry.”

…that you are in love with him.

“I’ll make it up to you. Ask me another question. Maybe something less depressing this time.”

A smile spreads across his face. You wished there was a way for you to keep the warmth of his hand on your cheek forever. Sniffling, you try again.

“Wh-why did you keep coming in to my store everyday? There’s a lot of other convenience stores in the area—”

A flash of panic in those amber eyes, and Shaw is turning over with lightning speed until all you can see is the smooth expanse of his back.

“Changed my mind. A guy’s gotta keep some secrets! Goodnight!”

“You’re a good girl, aren’t you?”

Wrap your arms around the pillow.

“Good girls shouldn’t concern themselves with bad boys.”

Bury your face into its cushiony fill.

“Or have you forgotten that I’m wanted by the police?”

And inhale deeply.

Shaw’s scent on your sheets is faint now, so much so that you can’t be entirely sure you’re not imagining it, having gone through this ritual countless times since the day Shaw left your apartment…

…and stepped out of your life.

* * *

“Is there…any way I could stay in touch with you? I-I just…just want to make sure you’re okay…”

Voice trailing off, you watch as Shaw gingerly shrugs one arm then another through the sleeves of his leather jacket, still wearing the Snoopy t-shirt he had slept in the night before after you told him he could keep it. His own was torn beyond repair, stubbornly dyed in blood regardless of how much you scrubbed at it. And when he hesitated still, you said he would just be doing you the favour of taking out the trash.

Smoothing down the front of his jacket, Shaw glances at the phone in your hands — eyes tracing along your eager fingers, poised to type. The expression on his face is unreadable, as if the man you had spent the night sharing secrets with was nothing more than a figment of your imagination.

“It’s better if we don’t. I’ll be fine, just laying low for the next while — boss’s orders. And I don’t want the cops coming around to your place again. Detective Whatshisname looks like he could be really good at hounding pretty girls like you.”

That smirk again, so familiar to you by now. And in the compliment that would’ve made you blush bright red before, nothing but a smokescreen.

“Shaw, I don’t mind—”

“You’re a good girl, aren’t you?" The force in his voice cuts, and you barely breathe to feel his finger curl beneath your chin, tilting up your face until you have no choice but to meet his gaze. Those eyes are dull, like molten gold frozen beneath a layer of impenetrable ice. “Good girls shouldn’t concern themselves with bad boys. Or have you forgotten that I’m wanted by the police?”

The shiver that runs electric down your spine makes the hairs on your skin stand on end. It was like looking at a stranger. Heart racing, your palms grow clammy with sweat, unsure of exactly when your phone had dropped from your hands, slipping away like…

“I don’t care about the cops! I’ll deal with them—”

“DEAL WITH WHAT?! You think that just because you managed to turn them away at the door that it makes you a hardened criminal?! WE are not the same, okay? My life is worthless. I’ve already signed it away a long time ago, I’m ready to give it up without a second thought. But you…you’re different. Y-you’re kind, innocent. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you. One day, you’ll make someone the luckiest person in the world, be a beautiful mother to beautiful children. Don’t sell yourself short…not for someone like me.”

The silence that descends is thick, suffocating. You don’t speak, afraid to open your mouth because it takes all your concentration just to keep the tears from spilling from your eyes.

Finally letting go of your chin, Shaw reaches behind his neck to undo the clasp on the thin gold chain he wore, the jade disc pendant that hung from it still warm from the heat of his skin when he places it in the palm of your hand.

“It’s not much, but it was a gift from my mom and the most valuable thing I own. You saved my life, so it’s yours now. Maybe…maybe one day, you can give it to your own child.”

Lump in your throat, you can barely breathe, let alone tell him there was no way you could accept something that precious, something that priceless. That you didn’t drag him home that night, broken and bleeding, in the hopes of gain; not for money, not for love.

He curls your fingers around the heirloom, gentle thumb pressing on index, middle, ring then pinky in turn before your fist finds itself held tightly within the press of his much larger hand for one…two…three seconds…

…before those purple Chuck Taylors take him to your door…

Slam.

…and just like that, the man with the lavender hair is gone.

⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️

Forgive me for trolling, but there really was only one bed LOL! Hope you all enjoyed the latest chapter, and please stay tuned for what may be the final instalment in this Shaw saga! - XOXO

Jump to Chapter(s): One | Two | Four

Thanks so much for reading! 💕 Check out more of my work here! 📚(Please do not repost/copy/alter my work. Reblogs, on the other hand, are a-ok and much appreciated! 👍🏼💖)

#mlqc #mr love queen's choice #love and producer #mr love dream date #evol x love #mlqc shaw #mlqc ling xiao #mlqc shaw smut #mlqc shaw fic #mlqc fic #my writing #fanfiction #elex

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taekooktimeline · 4 years

Text

May 31, 2020 (filmed)

In the Soop, start of ep. 6, is filmed on this date.

Please remember the below is our THEORY. You are free to interpret as you wish.

The episode opens with Tae fidgeting and being visibly anxious.

Jimin is entrusted with the mission to get Jk to Tae and tells Jk there is a leak that requires him to collect his luggage as a ruse to get him to go outside.

As they get closer Tae sits up abruptly. Jk is confused about what is going on. We’ll discuss further below, but for now this indicates while the talk appears to be planned and scripted to an extent, Jk didn’t expect the talk to happen at the time it did, as is evidenced by the boxing wraps he just finished wrapping on his hands. Tae created an elaborate setup for this moment and Jk was authentically surprised.

Jimin and Tae playfully banter as if they’re at a classy restaurant - Jimin being the waiter - which adds certain romance to the scene.

Jin comes by and asks if Taekook are on a date. This increases their shyness which makes Tae say “jungkookshi!” on repeat. We can’t tell if he’s panicking and calling out for him as if saying “Jk, help! this is so awkward” or if he’s teasing Jk, but it actually looks like a mix. It’s awkward because they are being filmed while playing out such a scene.

Jk asks about the occasion and Tae replies that it’s nothing special, though shortly what follows is a conversation reminiscing about their trainee days, as well as Tae’s recent struggles.

Tae starts by saying that Jk’s recent attempt to hang out with him is what prompted him to prepare this intimate talk.

Following the above phrase is when Jk fully realizes what’s going on, letting out a big “ahhhhhh” of understandment. Despite this Tae asks once again “Remember?” to which Jk confirms by repeating “ah, ah, ah”. If there is an acting cue this would be it.

Tae adds a couple short sentences to finish the introduction.

Jk then excitedly says “I see!” using a similar voice to that funny one from the drama “Itaewon Class” as if getting ready to start an interpretation (the one that has the “it’s fun!” line).

Out of nowhere, Jk brings up the topic of them being scolded together even during trainee days, parroting exactly what Tae said in his YT livestream back in late April (which is rare because they barely mentioned each other as of recent times so there aren’t many chances to coincide). You can tell there wasn’t a cut between Tae’s intro and Jk’s topic if you pay attention to Jk getting rid of his wrappings. It seems like Jk isn’t the best at easing into a pre-planned topic and just dropped it abruptly which caused them both to laugh. They start to talk about the past and highlight how they were always close, scolded together and partners in crime. It’s interesting that the conversation unnaturally segwayed from having drinks to trainee days.

Jungkook says that they’ve been busy lately which implies that they no longer have the special bond that was just mentioned. This seems to be the whole objective of this theatrical interpretation: to make the public believe that they drifted apart & are now reconnecting. While it’s true that BTS explained on a recent vlive that they worked for 18 hours a day - which doesn’t leave much time to decompress and have time to yourself, let alone with loved ones - we believe they are trying to sound credible by creating lies out of truths (we are busy = truth; lost the special bond = lie).

Jk tells the camera in a narration that Tae used to be so playful and the easiest to talk to out of all the hyungs, but has become more reserved and not as open as he was in prior years, even to the point of developing certain awkwardness in their relationship. Again, lies based on truths. Tae has grown up and matured but he is still playful in a more calm way. Additionally, since three months prior to filming, Tae was noticeably sad and withdrawn. BTS were even concerned and had written on his festa rolling paper to be happy and reach out to any one of them to discuss when he was ready. Tae finding Jk in the soop to have an on camera discussion was very pivotal for their on camera presentation of their relationship going forward to viewers - making it a safe excuse for the sudden openness & increase of on camera interactions being now viewed as reunited friends - but they surely must have had private talks & we don’t believe there was any type of emotional distancing involved.

Reviewing prior footage shows they’ve always shown indicators of closeness and acted in a questionable manner, as well as what could be considered special attention to each other. We’ve caught onto moments they were instructed to separate - such as the vlive in which staff clearly rang the bell & told Tae to leave the hotel room as if he wasn’t sharing it with Jk on May of 2019 - so this talk is the culmination of the narrative BH tried to fabricate these recent years.

Weverse didn’t pick up the entire translation but Jk actually said “these days” he hadn’t really had a serious talk with Tae. This implies Tae was distant recently, which aligns with the sham but also correlates with Tae’s behavior in the spring. Tae mentioned in KBS and this Soop episode that the pandemic was something he struggled with. We doubt that Jk & Tae didn’t have any deep talks during these difficult times and then chose to broadcast their first ice-breaker so we once again deem it a false statement. We will elaborate more in our final thoughts.

Jk credits Tae for bringing him out of his shell in trainee days. Jk has mentioned this in prior interviews, so it seems to be a really important thing for Jk to continue to acknowledge. Tae appears genuinely surprised about Jk bringing this up - blushing for a second - so it’s apparent that they didn’t have a strict script for the sake of making it feel natural. They would just have planned to make sure to touch some key points to convey the narrative of reconnecting. As a positive side, it looks like it falls inside their plans to highlight how much they click and how much of an impact they’ve had on each other. During Festa, when Tae appeared to be at a low point, Jk referred to Tae as his commonality (which K ARMY proceeded to trend for its general meaning). Keep in mind Festa content was released in June, which would have been just after “In the Soop” was filmed, but it was surely written beforehand along with the rest of Festa’s content (~March). The fact that Jk said he has a lot in common with Tae correlates to what he said in this episode about having many similarities. This whole setup would be a bridge for them to be able to, at least, publicly act like close friends once again - which is a milestone - while giving a platonic explanation as to why there was a lack of on camera interactions. We guess it works if they don’t plan to come out as of now and it makes BH look good.

Tae never wanted Jk to use honorifics, but to treat him as a same age friend. Keep in mind honorifics are very important in a country like Korea. It does seem, based on Tae’s personality, that he’s not as hung up on such specifics. Regardless, the fact that, from the start, Tae insisted on treating Jk as an equal is a big deal when factoring in the culture / customs of their country.

Portion of Interview for the Magazine “Catch The BTS” Vol.1, 2013/11:

It seems like Jk was polite with Tae at the very beginning of their friendship, but after some time they started interacting as same age friends - as they explicitly said - and talked casually. In the below pics they contradict the old evidence by saying that their age difference and use of formal speech put up a wall between them. Jk even says “that’s what I chose back then”, meaning it later changed. It’s an easier way to lie.

They also might have used Festa to push the narrative of age difference being partially responsible for their supposed distancing. It was written that Tae viewed Jk as his “maknae-like dongsaeng” which uses not only one, but two terms to reinforce how young Jk is (“maknae” means youngest of the group, while “dongsaeng” is the complementary word to “hyung”. Jk is the dongsaeng of all his hyungs. It does NOT mean biological brother).

Tae mentions how he draws strength from ARMY and has felt empty lately, yearning to perform again. He didn’t feel as loved since they were not on stage hearing the cheers. This appears to be the main reason Tae struggled. And again, this correlates to Tae struggling in recent times, as the pandemic forced BTS (and the world) to change plans, and there was a lot of anxiety and uncertainty. The fact that this affected him so much suggests he still has self-worth issues and relies on external validation to a considerable degree. In our eyes, this is interlaced with his identity & fear of rejection - at least to an extent - being this a period of changes in TK’s presentation that stirred up various emotions. This theory is also supported by him reading the speech about happiness from the LGBTQ film CMBYN a little over a week after filming this. It seems like this was also a crucial topic to tackle & broadcast in order to continue working on the public’s empathy and dive little by little into the sources of their struggles.

Jungkook shows himself to be a source of strength to Tae, giving him advice and reassuring him he’s handling things well. He tells him that he should take this as an opportunity to work on stuff so that the people he loves can see how much he improved.

They decide to make a toast to those who love them. They do not toast to ARMY, which is the typical choice of words. Could this be specifically to people who support them? Because we know not all ARMY would accept them if they found out.

The scene ends with them smiling brightly at each other before walking away from the tent.

(final photo courtesy of TK_Rainbow insta)

Taekook’s “talk” clip: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Kx0ahPr8dVRQzGNBXEbH9nhkRLkLaVLh/view?usp=drivesdk

Our theory - Personally, we believe this moment was staged to an extent. The execution may have been authentic in that Tae planned a romantic setting, since Jk seemed genuinely surprised and had prepared to work out prior to them meeting. However, it should be taken into consideration that taekook were relatively hidden in on camera, official moments for years. This possibly could be a presentation, agreed upon between TK and BH, to explain their current loudness to viewers who may only be watching official content and looking at things at the surface level. To see TK not as interactive in ON official camera moments, to suddenly see them in the manner we are, required an explanation that wouldn’t out them for the moment while allowing them to showcase their special bond and familiarize people with it. Taekook have always made it clear, in Jk’s words, that their relationship is not for the cameras. To have a 1-1 raw, intimate conversation in official content with cameras around, for a televised show, goes against their prior nature and indicates some sort of pre-planning.

Jk mentioned in “recent days” Taekook had not had a serious talk. Then, on camera, what the viewer is able to view is not very heavy besides their talks about Tae seeking love & support from ARMY. JK’s statement of the lack of recent heart-to-heart talks doesn’t match with what they proceeded to talk about. Although it wouldn’t be the goal if it were to be genuine, the viewer did not learn anything pivotal in the talk, meaning it was just a retake on topics deemed safe for public consumption. On the contrary, they flipped the original - pure - story of them being just like same age friends that were close in debut times, to them being close but never overcoming the weight of the age difference. There are a plethora of deep topics Taekook could have discussed. They weren’t able to fully dive into how Tae has exhibited some sort of playfulness throughout the years, but visibly bottled up and became more reserved only in recent months, just barely scratching the surface. The pandemic clearly is part of why Tae struggled, but not all. They do not discuss the obvious separation or lack of on camera moments during these last few years. These are certainly not topics they can easily and freely touch upon given their current situation, which means the idea of suddenly having a “serious talk” to clear the air between them, on camera, for television, has even less credibility. Keep in mind, in between debut to current times, we have always gotten subtle signs of genuine closeness & even slip-ups that they tried to hide. This confirms that what was aired (not necessarily all they talked about but what the viewer was able to see) didn’t really touch on anything intimate.

Since we believe Taekook are in a romantic relationship and are closeted, this means they cannot be fully transparent in why the recent years have involved cuts and on camera separations. The positive takeaway, though, is it appears that taekook will no longer be heavily hidden, nor separated on camera or official content as a result of prior negotiations, which probably took place back in 2018 as they signed - in advance - their second contract. The plan going forward, to us, is for taekook to be less restricted and to normalize their interactions - now holding increased control & benefits over key points in their career. Whether TK have the legal ability to come out at some point - if ready - within this contract or if this new direction would be the rooftop, that we don’t know. Either way, BH had to explain this long-needed change in on camera moments and appears to have chosen this method. Keep in mind the contract renewal took effect shortly after the Soop was filmed. Soon after Soop, Tae read CMBYN and wrote on Weverse he wants to be happy. It’s interesting how all of this happened in quick succession from one another.

Again, as stated at the start of this section, please remember this is our THEORY. We have done our best to clearly explain why we are thinking in the manner we are. Please remember this topic is controversial, and the reader is entitled to their opinion just as much as we are to ours.

Interestingly, these were the lyrics of the song that played in the background as they talked:

TK trended once the ep was released on Sept. 23rd -

June 1, 2020 - First day of Pride Month. Continuation of Episode 6. Tae wore a Bert and Ernie shirt the next day. This may be a coincidence or it may be him trying to send a message after having a 1-1 with Jk on camera. Please decide as you like.

We don’t want to theorize too much on the ending scene but it’s possible there are clues in it. No other member has ended an episode of “In The Soop” as an individual moment. And the ending shot of Tae has a lot of metaphors as he stands to embrace the sun, and then let’s the canoe take him to its brightness. The implication may be that Tae has found healing in this setting, and this, among other things, has helped him come to peace with his struggles.

#taekook #taekooktimeline #may 2020 #2020 #200531 #separation #sadness #closeness #hints #lgbtq

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starkidpotty · 3 years

Text

The Good Side [DLM]

You and Draco lament on what could’ve been and what would’ve been fun had things been different.

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Reader

Words: ~2.1k

A/N: I took a lot of liberties writing Draco out, so I’m sorry if the characterization is a little whack. (any draco writers out there...advice is welcome pls message huhu) i hope u guys enjoy it nonetheless <3

The sun beat down on the northern part of Diagon Alley that day. It was the transitional period between summer and spring, where the weather hit just the right spot and everyone was out to enjoy their time. It was quite the contrast to what you and Draco had come to discuss at Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Shop.

Draco was sat across from you, people-watching while scooping up his raspberry ice cream. You decided against ice cream that day, with your hands folded gracefully on your lap. You and he would occasionally steal glances at each other, trying to urge each other to start the conversation. Whether it was pride or shyness that hindered you two from talking, you were not sure. The heat was starting to get to you, as you were now starting to get annoyed with the silence you two didn’t need to share.

“How’s the MACUSA and Ministry effort?” Draco starts, as though he were aware of the irritation building inside you. He was always one step ahead of you, a skill he still proved to have been proficient at even though it had been years after you two parted ways.

“Same old, same old–only I spearhead it now.” You answer him quite proudly. He stops picking at his ice cream to flash a smile your way.

“I always told you’d get it, didn’t I? The Ministry would be fools to let such talent go to waste.”

A heavy pause blankets you both. The air between you two was a tripe mixture of nostalgia and despondency. As uncomfortable as it was, neither of you made moves to fuel the conversation further. Draco picks at his cup again, and you fixate on a wizard carrying a stack of books making his way out of Flourish and Blott’s.

You take a deep breath in, “Alright, I think it’s time to save us the awkwardness, yeah?”

Draco puts down his ice cream cup, turning his body and chair to face you. He perches his folded hands on the table and looks at you intently. Your body is still facing the street the ice cream shop overlooks, but your head is turned to look back at him.

“I need the ring back.” He states his purpose simply.

“Then, you’ll get it back. Need not worry, Draco.” You grab your purse and shuffle through its contents until you finally palm the velvet ring box. You gently place the box on the table.

“Perfect.” Draco says to you, as he opens the ring box, examining the emerald ring inside.

“When are you planning on asking Astoria?” You ask Draco, trying to make your tone as neutral as possible.

“All I can say is soon. I just know I’m going to marry her.”

You won’t lie to yourself and say that there isn’t a small part of you that finds this deeply saddening. Draco and your’s relationship was good, to say the least–as good as it gets as childhood acquaintances to Slytherin housemates to lovers. All firsts were shared with each other: first kiss, first time, first I love you’s. You watched him as he received the Dark mark, held his hand through Lucius’ trial after the war, and watched each other in the early stages of your respective careers. It wasn’t the beginning and middle that was terrible so much as the end. There was never any big event that had caused either of you to fall out of love. There was no third party, no betrayal, no selfishness, no greed. It was quiet–that was the best way you could describe it–the ending crept up on the both of you, sleeping on your chests until the weight became too heavy to shudder away. You looked at each other and no longer sought each other out in the future. The breakup itself was amicable and neutral, with the both of you accepting that you had merely outgrown each other, despite having grown together. On some nights, imagining what could’ve been sent you down two paths, where you either resented each other or fell back in together. It bothers you sometimes to think of the latter, but you know well enough it was going to be the former.

You smile sweetly at Draco in response, looking back down at your hands as you were at a loss for words.

“I’m glad you found someone, I really am.” You say as you finally unknot the tie your tongue was in.

Draco looks around, as though making sure no one would be able to hear the next sentence to fall out of his mouth. “D’you ever think we could’ve made it to that point?”

“You did propose to me, hence why we’re here.” You chuckle lightly and continue, “but, I think we would’ve grown to hate each other, if I’m being honest, Draco.”

Draco squints to look up at the sun, trying to muster a response.

You look back at him with your mouth twisted into a half-smile, brows furrowed, mildly amused that he asked. He finally turns to you and catches your expression, making him smile slightly.

“Why do you think that?” Draco asks you intently.

“Well, I think we just became different people. It wasn’t anyone’s fault.”

One of the things Draco had to learn was choosing his words carefully before speaking them. He was never keen on being heedful with what he’d say, as evidenced by his formative years at Hogwarts, even when he was talking to you. However, his early years in litigation forced him to catch his tongue before it made any unfavorable comment on stakeholders during a trial. His eyes were shut in deep concentration, trying to map out what to say next to you.

“What happened between us?” Draco asks you. “I still ask myself that a lot sometimes. Not for anything, but it’s just hard for me to understand. It just happened upon us, quickly too might I add.”

You take a few moments to ponder, to craft out your dialogue, “It wasn’t that anything happened, Draco. It was moreso that nothing happened at all.”

“Did we grow to hate each other, is that it?” Draco tries hard to hide his classic schoolboy sneer, but fails.

“Draco, I could never hate you. You of all people should know that.” You huff out, suddenly frustrated at his tone.

“Sorry, [Y/N], that didn’t come out quite right.”

“S’alright, I understand.”

Draco curses himself for the drastic change in mood, he didn’t mean for it to happen.

“It’s just strange to think, I suppose.” He asks again, more careful now with his tone.

“What is?” You turn your head to face him. Suddenly, the years you spent apart are splayed on his face in developing forehead wrinkles and tired eyes. You are studying the new features on his face intently, making sure that this is the Draco you had spent more than two decades with.

“Weren’t we always sure of what was to come to both of us? As though we had so much control over the next few years of our lives?”

You breathe in and close your eyes before you answer. In a flash, you are taken back to nights spent in the Slytherin common room, talking hypothetical situations with Draco–what you’d do if in the event the hospital made a mistake and you were having twins instead of one child, what if you became a quidditch star and he your number #1 fan instead of working for the Ministry, what if you both ran off to an island off the coast of Greece and raised sheep and never came back?

You reply to him solemnly, “I think the universe is funny that way, don’t you think?”

“Merlin, you sound like you belong with the quacks in the Department of Mysteries.”

“Shut up, it’s a saying muggles like to parrot, thought it would go nicely with the tone of conversation.”

Draco pauses and continues, “Didn’t we always have our own sense of time? That extended into our plans, who our hypothetical kids would be. It’s insane to me how that changed so fast,”

“I agree.” You tell him, “We were supposed to marry each other, for Merlin’s sake!”

Draco sighs, looking off to the side.

You never held any ill-intent with how you and Draco ended, but now you realize that was just you. Not once had you considered that he was hurting more than you due to the peaceful nature of the breakup. It was criminally naive of you to have thought Draco was just as at peace as you after ending a decade-long relationship.

“Well, do you hate me, Draco?” You ask him at your realization.

“More than 10 years together and, what? Four years apart, you think I could hate you?” Draco asks you, almost offended at your question. “You know the answer to that, [Y/N].”

“Were you ever angry at me? For how,” You pause trying to look for the term to best describe, “calm I was when I told you I wanted to leave?”

Draco’s practiced this conversation so many times in his head, but he still takes a moment to process the words he wants to use to convey his emotions. “For a time, yes. I was angry with you. But not the kind of angry I usually am. It was an anger that made me question so many things.”

“I had just always thought time was an excellent indicator of a strong relationship, I mean, 10 years? Would you question it then? A decade? So, to put it simply, I was angry–angry that time wasn’t enough to salvage what we had. But, I think that was naivety talking. This is in no offense to you at all, I cherish our time together so much so. But, Astoria? It’s as right as anything, and not even time could tell me how to feel about her.”

You look at Draco in awe, wondering when he had crossed the line from boy to man in the four years you spent apart. Draco was always smart, no doubt. But, this Draco sat in front of you–carefully choosing his words and explaining his emotions–it was entirely new. You reached over to hold Draco’s hand, but not in the way you and he would hold hands years ago. It was in an I’m proud of how far you’ve grown, type of way. Draco was taken aback, but understood quickly, always privy to your emotions, whether they were tacit or overt. He squeezed your hand back.

“[Y/N], I need you to know that you are such a huge part of who I am today, I can never discount that. Ever.” Draco says to you, your hand still in his. “We’ve done so much good for each other, we really have.”

“We really have, Draco. Astoria’s so lucky, she has to know that.”

Draco’s famous smirk makes an appearance on his mouth, “I’m damn well sure she knows.”

You throw your head back in laughter, letting go of his hand, “Merlin, there you are again–cocky boy from Slytherin.”

“Cocky boy from the litigation department, I’d rather hear that.”

You both laugh at each other like no time has passed. Like both of you were back in the Slytherin common room after bedtime talking about all the dumb things two teenagers thought were important at the time. You two catch up a little bit more, further detailing your efforts in dating and at the ministry (with the former being quite futile), and he diving into how he and Astoria came to be. You and Draco filled in the blanks from the last few years until the conversation boils down to a halt. You say your goodbyes, hugging each other, wishing each other well and walking toward opposite ends of Diagon Alley.

As much as you thought this a heavy task to fulfill, you left the conversation with a light heart and even lighter shoulders. There is relief you haven’t felt since you left Draco. The relationship, as good as it was, was best left how it ended. No mourning, no lamenting could rewrite the ending or the years succeeding it in the same way no regret or guilt could change the years prior to it. All you knew was the good that you and Draco left in the spaces between you two.

masterlist here | requests open

#draco malfoy x reader #draco malfoy x y/n #draco malfoy #draco lucius malfoy #draco malfoy fanfiction #draco imagine #draco malfoy oneshot #harry potter #harry potter fanfiction

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taeken-my-heart · 4 years

Text

Moirai Chapter 13

Summary: On your 18th birthday a name appears on your wrist. The name of your soulmate. It’s a momentous day that everyone looks forward to, but you’ve always brushed aside; refusing to believe in a fickle mistress called destiny. But what happens when on the morning of your 18th birthday you wake to find the name of your mortal enemy? Jeon Jungkook.

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader Genre: Soulmates au/ Enemies to lovers au. Angst, fluff, bickering, romance, eventual smut.

Word Count: 5651

Chapter notes: This has got some nice bits...but it’s also got some pretty good angst at the end. It will all be OK <3

+++++++++

“So, I was thinking,” Jimin began, leaning against the door frame as you finished your mascara, peering up at his reflection. “There’s this farmers market going on, on 5th and Waller, and I’ve heard really good things about this Greek gyro stand there. Let’s go try some.”

“You hate trying new food.” You frowned, peering over your shoulder at him and he huffed, coming to stand behind you, hands kneading into your shoulders.

“Not all the time,” he whined, “Come on. We both have the evening off, I thought it might be fun to go do this together. Tomorrow is the last night and you work so let’s go now.”

“Fine.” You replied, standing and dusting off your jeans. “But food is on you.”

“Yes ma’am!” He saluted, kissing your cheek and grabbing your hand. “Don’t even bother getting your purse, I’ll take care of everything.”

The market was within walking distance of your apartment so the two of you made your way leisurely towards 5th and Waller, chatting absentmindedly as the early evening breeze swept through your hair.

The evening was pleasant, the sun drooping low on the horizon. The hair at the nape of your neck was warm with perspiration and you tugged at the bottom of your shirt to fan yourself. The market came into view, colorful tented booths lining the street. The first stand caught your eye and you navigated Jimin towards it, arm linked through his.

“Wow, look at this dress! It’s super cute. What do you think?” You held the sunflower yellow up against your body and Jimin looked you up and down, nodding.

“You look like spring vomited all over you.”

“That’s my favorite look.” You hummed, turning to the vender and inquiring after the price. After Jimin had paid (because he’d foolishly insisted that he’d take care of everything) you took the bag you were handed and linked your arm back through his.

“Y/N?” Someone inquired from behind you and both you and Jimin turned around. Your heart sank into the pit of your stomach, eyes landing on the dark mop of hair you’d never imagined you’d see outside of work. Now, of course, you realized that was foolish. You lived in the same city, naturally it was a possibility.

“What are you doing here?” You asked, sharper than you’d meant.

“I live in this neighborhood,” Jungkook said, eyebrow raised at you. He glanced at your arm, thread through the arm of your boyfriend, before turning his gaze toward him. “You must be Jimin.”

“Ah, yes, I see my reputation precedes me. You are?”

“I’m Dr.-”

“Kim!” You said loudly and both Jimin and Jungkook turned to blink owlishly at you. “This is Dr. Kim.”

Jungkook looked back at Jimin, smiling tightly before extending his hand. “Taehyung Kim. Nice to meet you.”

“Oh, Taehyung!” Jimin grinned, “Y/N tells me you’re a really gifted pathologist.”

“Ah, she shouldn’t have.” Jungkook crooned, switching his gaze to you and you smiled, tense.

Laughing, you squeezed Jimin’s forearm nervously. “He really is great, but honey, we’ve really gotta get going or we’ll miss the gyros. I’m sure Taehyung has somewhere to be too.”

“Actually, I was heading to the gyro stand myself.” Jungkook smiled, “I’ve heard really good things about the quality of their meat.”

“Well then, please, join us. I would love to hear how Y/N behaves at work.”

You were dying, Jimin dragging you along by his side as the three of you resumed your walk further into the market. “So, remind me what you do for work,” Jungkook said, “I know Y/N has told me before, but I’m afraid I have forgotten.”

“I’m a divorce attorney at Swanson and Heath.”

“Ah, must be a difficult business.”

“No more difficult than being a doctor, I imagine. Though I’m not often faced with life or death.”

Jungkook nodded, dodging a lady yelling at her little boy off to the side of the stands, hair tousled and looking like he’d been rolling in the dirt. “They’re difficult in different ways, that’s for sure. Do you see many soulmates in your office?”

You tried not to squeeze Jimin’s bicep in your stress. You glanced over at Jungkook who looked the picture of curious innocence and tried not to glare.

“I can’t say we see a lot, but we have seen a couple in the five years that I’ve been there. It’s not unheard of, but it is pretty rare.”

“Guess there’s something to be said for the soulmate attachment.” Jungkook said; nonchalant.

Jimin shrugged, your arm raising with the motion. “I guess if you buy into that type of thing.”

Jungkook looked between the two of you, smile quirking at the corner of his lips. “I’m a big believer in soulmates; always have been. I think, like every relationship, it takes some work, but I’m willing to put in the work.”

You frowned, following Jimin around the corner and you could see the gyro stand come into view, line long, but likely worth it.

“Have you met your soulmate yet?” Jimin asked, just as the three of you stepped into the line and stopped. You looked at Jungkook, eyes wide as you tried to communicate to him how brutally you would strangle him if he outed you.

Jungkook smiled sadly, shaking his head. “Ah, life hasn’t given us the opportunity to really connect yet. I’m hopeful for the future.”

“Well I’m rooting for you.”

“I appreciate that.” Jungkook grinned and you just wanted to shrivel up and disappear. If only Jimin knew what he was rooting for.

“So, how’d you hear about this market?” Jimin asked.

“I actually only live about a block away so I’ve been seeing the posters around for the last week and it got me interested. I’m pretty new to the area,” at your sharp, panicked expression, he backtracked, “this neighborhood, I mean, and so I thought it would be a good idea.”

“Ah, did you move recently?”

Jungkook nodded, “into this neighborhood, yeah. It’s been a pretty positive move so far. Much nicer apartment than my last.”

You could see the line Jungkook was toeing, trying not to outright lie about everything and you felt a little bad. You were the one who’d called him by the name of another colleague, but you weren’t ready to tell Jimin yet. You just knew he wouldn’t be happy.

“So, have you been seeing anyone? While you wait for your soulmate?” Jimin asked, cheeks pinched at the thought. He really did hate the idea of soulmates and everything they represented, but he was too nice a guy to mock other people’s dreams and ambitions. At least not to their face.

“No,” Jungkook shook his head, “not really. I dated casually in college but nothing every really stuck and eventually I just realized that I already had someone special that I was willing to work for.” He tapped his wrist, looking up at you and your eyes locked, heart beating anxiously against your rib cage.

In a dark corner somewhere inside you, where you’d locked that same dream away, it leapt eagerly, beating against the doors of its prison. You had wanted that too…maybe you still did.

The line moved forward and you switched your gaze away from the heat of his intensity, watching as a couple walked past you with their recently purchased gyro. Your mouth watered a little.

“So, you’re a romantic?” Jimin asked and before you could stop yourself, you were scoffing.

“Yeah, when he was a kid, he used to think he’d hear a bell when he met his soulmate. It’s from an anime or something.”

Both Jimin and Jungkook looked at you in surprise. “Did you know Taehyung as a kid?” Jimin asked, “I thought you said you met at the hospital.”

Internally kicking yourself, you tried your best to smile. “That’s just something he’s told me before. These kinds of conversations come up sometimes.”

“I guess.” Jimin nodded and you could see Jungkook’s struggle not to laugh.

“Yeah, I was a bit of a nerd as a kid.” He chuckled, “Never really grew out of the romantic side, although I was kind of an idiot for a few years. You know how teenagers are.”

Jimin laughed, nodding. “Yeah, there was a week straight in elementary school where we learned about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and I was convinced that, that was my calling, literally dressed up as a knight every day for a month.”

You burst out laughing, griping his arm tight. “No way! You never told me that.”

“Yeah,” he chuckled, “not exactly my proudest moment. Didn’t really think that was the story to try and woo you with.”

“Fair enough.” You grinned.

It was your turn in line so you and Jimin both stepped forward, glancing over the menu quickly before making your selections and paying. You stepped off to the side, laying your head against Jimin’s shoulder and waiting for your food to be ready.

Jungkook came to stand beside the two of you once again, striking up conversation with Jimin as you linked your fingers with the later, playing with the knuckles on his hand to distract yourself. This was a very weird situation; to be trapped in the center of a conversation between your boyfriend and you’re your soulmate. You were really grateful that so far Jungkook hadn’t said anything.

After spending the next hour weaving your way through booths and chatting in your small group, Jimin expressed his interest in returning home. Tomorrow was officially the weekend and after a really early morning and long day at the office he was about ready to collapse.

“Well it was really nice to meet you, Jimin.” Jungkook smiled, extending his hand for a handshake.

“Likewise, Taehyung.”

As Jimin and you began to move away from him, you glanced over your shoulder at Jungkook who waved you a small goodbye. “Hold on.” You said softly to Jimin and he stopped with a nod.

You walked over to Jungkook pausing as you scanned his face carefully. “Thank you, Jungkook.” You whispered. “I’m sorry you had to lie; I just haven’t felt ready to tell him yet that…well that you’re back in my life. I promise I’ll tell him later. I just don’t want him to leave me. I love him.”

Jungkook nodded, his face a careful mask over his emotions and you waved softly, backing away. After walking back to Jimin and moving towards home again you glanced back one more time to find Jungkook still standing there, watching as you rounded the corner.

Saturdays were one of your least favorite shifts to work (aside from the full moon because that crap was real) for all the obvious reasons, but also you were typically working 12-hour shifts and today was no different. It was 6 hours in and you were already tired.

Jungkook’s welcome party had started an hour ago and even though you’d had opportunities, you hadn’t been brave enough to go in yet. You’d seen his parents through the doorway and had been tempted to go say hello…but then what? Stand there awkwardly while you all thought the same thing? Standing next to your soulmate but not doing anything about it. No thanks.

The intensity of the shame was too much to bear.

You were stood by the nursing desk, trying to kill some extra time by flipping through the charts of one of your patients when Lizzy caught you.

“There you are!” She called and you stood up straight, smiling over your shoulder at her. “What are you doing out there? There’s free food in the break room, you know. They have French fries, Y/N, French fries!”

You chuckled rolling your eyes and leaning your elbows against the counter as you turned to face her. “Careful now, you just might start a stampede with your volume.”

“Come on, let’s go eat.” Lizzy said, threading her arm through yours and you balked at the idea, attempting to pull your arm away but she clung tight.

“I can’t, I’m busy.” You lied and Lizzy’s face darkened.

“Really? Busy reading Mrs. Chapelman’s chart for the 6th time in an hour? I’ve been watching you, Y/N.”

You huffed a sigh, tugging at your arm again and this time Lizzy relinquished her hold. “Well that’s not creepy.” You muttered, “I’m just not really feeling hungry.”

“Then come socialize.”

“Or social.”

Lizzy crossed her arms over her chest. “Seriously, what is going on with you? You barely know Dr. Jeon, why are you acting like this? It’s kind of childish.”

You frowned over at your friend, fingers tapping at the desk behind you. “You don’t even know what happened between us or anything so that’s pretty rich.”

“Yeah, because you won’t tell me anything!” Lizzy fumed, “it hasn’t been from lack of trying on my part. He’s a really nice guy so I really don’t get this grudge you seem to have against him.”

“If I go in there, can we stop talking about Jungkook?” You sighed with a rolled of your eyes. Lizzy examined you carefully and you fought the urge to fidget under her gaze.

“First name basis, huh?”

“Oh my gosh, Lizzy!” You laughed. “Seriously. I’ll go in if we stop talking about him.”

“Fine,” she sniffed, grabbing your wrist, “but at some point, you’re going to have to tell me what’s going on. I’ve been pretty patient, but you know I’m a nosy s.o.b and you haven’t been sharing your gossip.”

Just as the two of you stepped into the room Lizzy’s pager beeped and she looked down at it, groaning. “I’ve gotta go, but you need to at least go say hi!” She insisted, pointing her finger at you.

She stomped her way out the door and you tried to carefully follow after before anyone else could see you, but it was too late. Jungkook’s eyes skimmed the room, landing on you and he grinned, calling your name and waving his hand over his head. His parents stood beside him, dressed in simple but classy dress clothes and you made your way towards them, Mrs. Jeon holding her arms open for you.

“Y/N!” She cooed, pulling you into her embrace, “how are you? It’s been so long since we’ve seen you!”

You hugged Mr. and Mrs. Jeon before taking the drink Jungkook handed you and smiling at his parents. “Wow, it really has been so long. Like 9 years, right? Can you believe it?”

“You should come visit your parents more often.” Mrs. Jeon scolded and you nodded, embarrassed.

“You’re right, I haven’t been out that way in too long. Just seems like there’s always an emergency that needs attending to here.”

You all chuckled and Mr. Jeon wrapped his arm around your shoulders again, squeezing. “How have you been? What have you been doing?”

“I’ve been good; just working mostly. Trying to find that work life balance.”

“Are you excited for your sister’s wedding? It’s coming up really soon, just over two months, right?”

“That’s right!” You smiled, one hand sliding into the pocket of your scrubs and you took a sip of your drink. It was fruity and light; maybe passionfruit. “Two months and one week officially. Ella called me this morning to threaten my life if I don’t wear the shoes she’s ordered for me.”

Jungkook laughed and you smiled up at him. “That sounds like something she’d say.”

“Well then you’d better wear the shoes.” Mrs. Jeon chuckled, taking a bite of her food. “You should get some, by the way,” she said, pointing down at her plate, “They did not skimp on taste.”

Jungkook motioned for you to walk passed him and you bowed your head in thanks, moving towards the table with him right behind you. “How was the rest of your night last night?” He asked, dropping a couple drumsticks on his plate and scanning the rest of the table for what he wanted next.

You grabbed a plate yourself, heading straight for the fried rice, allowing the grumbling in your stomach to make decisions for you. “It was good; very casual. We ordered in some dessert, binge watched a few episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and then went to bed early.”

“On a Friday night?” He chuckled and you turned to him, smiling.

“Well Jimin stayed up a little later than me working on one of his cases, but I have a 12 hour shift today so I wanted to be well rested.”

“Fair enough. Glad I have today off.”

“Don’t rub it in.” You complained and he grinned. You stood by the table as you ate; time was limited so you wanted to shove as much in as you could while you could.

“Is Jimin coming as your plus one to the wedding?” Jungkook asked, chewing on one of the drumsticks on his plate and you looked up at him, nodding.

“Yeah, that’s the plan. Unless something crazy comes up at work, of course, but that’s doubtful.”

“I bet your family is really excited to see you. Has it really been 9 years since you’ve been back home?”

“Well, no,” you shook your head, “just 9 years since I’ve happened to see your parents. I’ve definitely been back home but it’s always been when they were out of town or schedules just didn’t match up.”

“Yeah, they’re out of town a lot,” he agreed, grabbing a roll from the pile on the table, “That’s my dream for retirement.”

“To travel?” You asked, looking up at him and he nodded.

“Yeah, everywhere I can get to. I wanna see the whole world. What about you? Are you interested in travel?”

Jungkook’s parents were talking to Dr. Kim a few feet away and you watched them for a moment in thought. You wondered what they thought about all of this. Jungkook’s job, how far he’s come, this hospital, the fact that you worked here…just you in general. You’d never felt like your relationship with them suffered, but you knew, even if they didn’t say it, that they wanted you and Jungkook to be together.

Sometimes…when you weren’t paying attention to how your thoughts strayed, you wished that it could be that simple. That old wounds would heal and maybe some how things would work out. Life never worked how you thought it would, though.

“I mean, yeah, definitely.” You nodded, turning back to look at Jungkook. His hair was pushed back and away from his face and you could see that he had a mild undercut. You wondered if that was new. “Who doesn’t want to see the world? If only money allowed.”

“I’m a big believer in the fact that it’s not money that holds us back, more like lack of time and the will to make the sacrifices needed to save. One time, in college, my parents told me that they were going to go visit family in Korea in the spring. I only had about 5 months to save so I literally stopped spending money on things that weren’t necessary and saved a ton. It just took a lot of dedication.”

“Doesn’t that take some fun out of life, though? What if I want to go to lunch?” You grinned and he smiled back.

“Depends where your priorities lie, I suppose. I was willing to put off a few every day activities for 2 weeks of adventure. It was pretty worth it in my books.”

You sighed, taking a large sip of your drink and Jungkook watched your throat bob as he waited to hear what was on your mind. “Do you ever take a break from being obnoxiously good at all things?” You teased and he grinned, shrugging.

“There’s no rest for the brilliant.”

You chuckled, rolling your eyes and smacking his arm. “You’re so full of yourself.” Just then your pager beeped and you frowned, throwing away your empty plate. “Duty calls. I’m gonna go say goodbye to your parents.”

Jungkook nodded and you made you way over to bid your goodbyes before heading back out into the hallway and over to the labor ward. They were a little short tonight and needed someone to administer an epidural.

You had a cesarean section in an hour anyway so it was probably better to stay close to the area. Someone calling your name made you pause and you turned to find Jungkook jogging towards you. “Hey, sorry, I know you’re busy. My parents are leaving back home tomorrow night and they were wondering if you had any free time tomorrow, they want to take you out to eat.”

“Just me and your parents?” You asked, eyebrow raised and he chuckled, running his fingers through his hair and looking down at the ground.

“Well, no, I’d be there too.”

You scratched at your pant leg in thought, “Well, I’m working tomorrow night and into Monday morning so I could really only do something in the morning or early afternoon.”

“What about brunch? Would you be available for that?” He suggested, eyebrows raised.

“Sure, I think I can swing brunch,” You shrugged, “I’ve really gotta run, though.”

“Well how can I get a hold of you to tell you the details?” He asked as you began to move away and you stopped.

You looked around before grabbing a marker from the nurse’s desk next to you and reaching for his hand, scribbling your number down in his palm. “There,” you looked up at him, lips quirking up. “Problem solved.”

You placed the marker back in its place before nodding and turning around, walking around the corner and away from the man who had now made a habit of making your heart race.

When your shift was over you made your way wearily to your car, chucking your bag into the passenger seat and turning the key in the ignition; the car whirring to life noisily. It was only 7:15 but you’d been working for 12 hours straight and right now, you thought your feet might actually fall off.

The drive home was quiet. No music to disturb, rush hour long over. The quiet was nice; peaceful after a day of emotional turmoil and emergency surgeries. You enjoyed your drives home; like a reset of your emotional state, allowing you to breathe and feel human again. At least until the next shift.

Sometimes working in medicine, you did feel like a robot. It could become all too easy to switch off your emotions, especially in the cases when someone died in your care. Having to tell families that someone they’d trusted you with was gone…it was honestly the worst part of your job. All the monitoring and work in surgery was daunting, yes, but it usually paid off with a healthy person at the end.

But sometimes it didn’t.

Those moments made you bleed red, like somehow you’d died instead, lost a piece of your soul with the person you couldn’t protect. You’d seen many really good doctors just switch off; self-preservation, as it were. You understood it; that need to protect your own heart. It was tempting, sometimes, to want to switch off and just become robotic. Get the job done and don’t lose any of yourself in the process.

That’s not how it worked, though. In a choice like that, you always lost more of yourself when you chose to stop feeling. Choosing to embrace the emotion, you liked to believe it made you a more empathetic person. You wanted to grieve with those who were grieving; show them that they weren’t alone.

It was draining, though.

After parking your car and switching off the engine, you slid your bag back over your shoulder and made your way towards the elevator. You locked your car from over your shoulder.

The hallway was relatively quiet this evening, which was nice. Usually you could hear your neighbors trying to corral their two young children into their nighttime routine. Whatever it was, the kids hated it and you got to hear about it every night. You smiled at the thought, slipping your key into the lock of your front door and making your way into the apartment.

The house was quiet but the lights were on. “Jimin?” You called, making your way towards the living room.

He sat on the couch, eyes trained down on the floor and something about his silence was earie. Something felt…off.

“So, something really interesting happened today.” Jimin said, lips pursed as he picked at the fluff of one of your couch cushions. From the look on his face, it seemed like that something wasn’t a good thing.

“Oh?” You said, fingers griping tightly at the strap of your satchel “What happened?”

“I met a man today, at the store, we got chatting and we figured out that you both work together. His name was Taehyung Kim. You know what’s particularly interesting?” You heart plummeted as he looked up at you, face ridged from his emotion. “He looked nothing like the Taehyung Kim I met.”

There was silence for what felt like forever, a sharp stillness as Jimin watched you carefully, gauging your reaction.

“Who did I meet last night, Y/N?” He asked and you couldn’t help the tears as they welled in your eyes. “Who was that?”

He stood and your arm went limp, your bag sliding from your shoulder and onto the floor. “It was Jungkook.” You whispered.

“Who?” Jimin asked, voice sharp and you felt a tear slip over and onto your cheek.

“Jungkook.”

“How long has he been back?” The stone in his voice was terrifying.

“It’s been three weeks.” You mumbled, mouth wet with emotion.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jimin snapped, pacing across the room angrily, “for weeks you’ve been working with him and you never said a word!”

“I’m sorry!” You cried, “I really didn’t want to worry you. There’s nothing going on between us, I swear, we’re just coworkers. You know how the soulmates thing works, he and I are always going to have our lives revolve around each other.”

“Do you want to be with him?” He asked tersely.

“No!” You insisted, coming to stand in front of him, gripping his forearms.

“Does he want to be with you?” He asked softly.

You paused, not really sure of the answer. While he hadn’t exactly expressed his interest in words directly to you, his actions seemed to indicate that, that might be something on his mind. Your silence was all Jimin needed.

“Great.” Jimin replied sourly, “I guess this is it then, right? Gonna leave me for your soulmate?”

“No!” You balked, pulling him to you as he tried to turn away, “Jimin, you know I don’t believe in the soulmate thing. Just because his name is on my wrist doesn’t mean he suddenly adds value to my life; he never has. I don’t want to be with him, I want to be with you. I love you.”

Jimin frowned and your heart stuttered slightly in your chest; he almost looked…guilty. “I’ve gotta get some air.” He muttered, turning and storming from the apartment before you could stop him.

It had been three hours since Jimin had left, insisting he needed air. You were beginning to think he’d gone to a friend’s house when suddenly the keys in the lock roused your attention. You watched from your spot at the kitchen table as Jimin walked in, dropping his keys and his jacket on the console table and running his hands along his jeans before shoving them in fists into his pockets.

“Are you ok?” You asked softly, clutching tighter to your mug. Jimin took a deep breath, walking slowly into the kitchen but pausing in the doorway. Something wasn’t right.

“We need to talk.” He said, leaning against the door jam and your heart seized in your chest. You motioned for him to take the seat beside you and he moved slowly, sliding down onto the chair and folding his hands in front of him on the table. “I haven’t been 100% honest with you.” He said, gaze trained on the divots of the oak table you were both sitting at. Your stomach rolled uncomfortably but you waited for him to continue. “I tried to fight it for a while, tried to practice what I preach…but I’ve reached a point where I realize I just can’t anymore.”

“Tried to fight what?” You whispered. You were terrified. You’d heard this story before and it didn’t end well for you.

“I met Molly.” Jimin mumbled sadly, glancing up at you and you could feel your heart shatter. 8 years together, a lifetime of future plans already made suddenly evaporated.

“Ok.” You murmured hoarsely. You could feel the tears already pricking at your eyes. It wasn’t fair, what had you ever done to deserve this sort of heart break? Each guy you’d dated who’d insisted he didn’t believe in soulmates always seemed to change their tune once they’d met them. It was never ending disappointment.

“You remember that crazy couple that’s been going through my firm to get a divorce? Always screaming and asking for emergency meetings? Turns out the wife’s maiden name is Fisher.”

Molly Fisher. It was burned into your mind along with the skin of Jimin’s wrist, a constant reminder that he was never really yours to begin with…just like the name on your own wrist was a reminder that in the end, you weren’t really any bodies. It hurt so badly. You weren’t equipped to handle this sort of pain; how could you just pretend the last 8 years hadn’t happened? How could you watch the love of your life leave you for no other reason than the fact that the universe deemed it so?

"I thought you didn't believe in soulmates?" You mumbled. Your mouth felt heavy with emotion and tears were streaming down your cheeks.

"I didn't." Jimin sighed, "Until I met mine. I don't know how Jungkook did it, knowing you for so long and just giving you up. I've only known Molly three weeks and I can't imagine trying to breath without her."

You couldn't help the sob that escaped you and Jimin's bottom lip quivered at the sound. "I'm so sorry." He choked.

You nodded soundlessly, trying to regain your composure. “I know you are.”

“I never meant for this to happen!” Jimin cried, reaching out and taking your hand in his own. “I love you; you know I love you...but I can’t deny that it’s different. The way I feel about you and the way I feel about her are…” he paused at the trembling of your bottom lip and he looked down at your hands, sniffing, “it’s just something I can’t really ignore anymore.”

“I understand.” You said, standing and wiping at your tear stained cheeks, sniffing noisily as you tried to stop the wave of emotion that was overcoming you. “You should probably go, though, I don’t think your soulmate would like you being here with me.” You walked towards the living room, heart seizing as you heard Jimin cry louder.

“What do you want me to do?” He sobbed, standing and coming to hover at the kitchen door, “what am I supposed to do in this situation? Just tell me and I’ll do it!” He looked half out of his mind and in that moment, though your heart was still bleeding in the center of your chest, you felt immense pity for this man that you loved. He was torn between two horrifyingly difficult choices. Stay with the woman he was in love with and deny the pull to his soulmate, or give you up and follow his destiny with a woman he already loved so much more than he could express? You could already see that intense love on his face, the one they always talked about. No matter what he did, someone was going to get hurt.

And it looked like it was going to be you.

“You should go to her.” You mumbled, “I can’t keep you…I have to believe that I love you enough to let you go.”

“Don’t say that.” Jimin frowned, “I don’t want you to let me go.”

“But you want to be with Molly.” You said it as though it were a question, though you knew it was also fact. Jimin’s frown deepened because he couldn’t deny it. “You can’t have us both, Jimin, it’s greedy and not fair. I’m not willing to share you so you have to choose.”

Jimin stared at you in silence and you nodded, pursing your lips. “I’m going to stay with a friend tonight. You can get your stuff together and do whatever. We’ll sort out the lease on this apartment later. Right now, I just really need to go.”

“Y/N!” He called as you yanked open the door. You turned to look at him over your shoulder and he sighed, eyes bloodshot with tears. “What am I supposed to do without you?”

“Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.” You whispered, “Goodbye, Jimin.”

The evening was surprisingly cool for the time of year; though the summer had come and gone, the days were still warm and sticky. You wished you’d brought your jacket but there was no way you were going back to the apartment now. You needed time to breathe and Jimin needed time to pack.

You felt like your heart was splintering all over again at the thought of him. You needed comfort. Food, you needed food. Your favorite diner was just around the corner and you picked up your steps, making your way through the door with a jingle of the bell and you smiled meekly at the hostess as she greeted you.

“Table for one?” She smiled and you nodded, following after her. She led you to your favorite table, pushed back against the wall and with a view out into the city. Leaving you with the menu and a promise to bring you a cup of hot chocolate pronto, you sighed, pushing your nose deep into the menu and scanning for something that would help you feel less miserable.

Maybe pancakes.

The sound of someone sliding into the vinyl seat across from you roused your attention and you looked up to find Jungkook, doe eyes wide and smiling as he surveyed you. He held in his hand a coffee mug and you eyed it wearily.

“Coffee at 10:30pm on a Saturday?” You asked and his smile deepened.

“Decaf.” When you said nothing he continued, “So what brings you here so late?”

“Jungkook,” you sighed, setting your menu down heavily, “do you need something?”

“I just thought you could use some company.” He replied and you frowned.

“Well, no offense, but I’ve had a pretty terrible night and you are kind of the last person I’d seek comfort from.”

You felt bad, Jungkook actually looked a little hurt and you closed your eyes, rubbing at them in frustration. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I’ve just had a really bad night.”

“Is it anything I can help with?” He asked carefully and you sighed again, staring down at the menu.

“Not really.” You shrugged.

“Where’s Jimin tonight?” Jungkook asked. You knew he meant well, was trying to distract you from your thoughts…if only he’d known how poor that conversation starter was.

“At home packing, I presume.” You muttered weakly.

“Packing?” You could hear Jungkook’s discomfort.

“It would be weird to continue to live with one another after breaking up.” You said, feigning a casual air you most certainly did not feel.

“I’m so sorry.” Jungkook mumbled, and really, he did look very sorry, which was more comforting than it should have been.

“That’s what happens when you meet your soulmate, I guess…well, sometimes.” You tried not to look at him, but you could see him shifting uncomfortably in his seat, fingers tapping against his porcelain mug. It was silent for a while before the waitress came, delivering Jungkook’s food and your drink before promising to be back with your food soon.

“Want a fry?” Jungkook asked, pushing his plate towards you and you smiled.

“Sure.” You took a fry from his plate, chewing on the end of it and watching as he took a bite of his burger.

“Look,” he said after he’d swallowed his mouthful and chased it down with a sip of his coffee, “I know we’re not exactly…close, or what not, but if you need a place to stay, I’ve got a spare room, you’re more than welcome to stay the night.”

“That’s very generous of you,” you smiled, “but I’m OK. I’ll just call a friend and ask to spend the night. Beside aren’t your parents with you?”

“No, they wanted to stay in a hotel.” He said, “Are you sure, though? I really won’t bother you. My place isn’t too far away and the guest room has its own bathroom.”

“Thank you, Jungkook, really. I just think, considering our history, it’s probably not the best idea.”

“Can we put history aside for one night?” He asked softly, “I just want to help you.”

“You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll get through this.”

“I know you will.” He replied confidently, “you’re strong, stronger than anyone I know. You’re passionate, intelligent, and kind. It’s not a question of whether you’ll get through it but whether you’ll let people who genuinely care about you help you.”

“And you would consider yourself one of those people?” You questioned, thanking the waitress as she dropped off your pancakes.

“Look, Y/N, I was 18 years old when I made that choice. I was scared and made a rash decision but it doesn’t mean that I never cared. I’ve done a poor job of showing it, but I’ve cared about you my entire life. Please let me help you.”

You chewed on your pancakes slowly as you considered him. Maybe you were being unfair, still holding this grudge against him. The both of you had been just barely 18 and there had been a lot of sudden changes. You weren’t ready to think of him in the context of falling in love, and you probably never would be…but perhaps you could be friends.

Sighing you nodded, “OK. Just for tonight. Tomorrow I’ll be back in my apartment, though.”

“Yes, of course!” He beamed and you couldn’t help but smile back.

“Here it is.” Jungkook said softly, flicking on the lights at the front entrance and ushering you through. It was simply furnished, with clean lines and warm tones. It was similar in size to your own apartment, but with a more open plan style. “Let me show you the guest room.”

He led you down a separate hallway, pushing open the door on your right. “It’s nothing, fancy,” he mumbled, rubbing at the back of his neck, “but there’s blankets and pillows, an en suite, and the mattress is pretty comfortable.”

Simple grey’s and browns showcased the room perfectly and you smiled. “It’s great,” you said softly, “thank you.”

“I suppose you don’t have a tooth brush or pajamas, huh?” At the shake of your head he raised one finger, walking quickly back out of the room and you listened to the shuffling sounds at the end of the hallway. “Here,” he said, returning with a towel, a new tooth brush, and a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. “The clothes are washed and clean; I hope they fit. Let me know if you need anything else.”

You smiled, taking the small pile from him and nodding, “thanks, Jungkook.”

After he’d left the room you closed the door, changing into the pajamas provided and going to brush your teeth and wash your face. The shirt was a little too baggy and the shorts sagged on your hips, but you were happy to have clothes to sleep in; you didn’t really fancy sleeping in your jeans or even worse, your underwear. Not with Jungkook around, anyway.

After you’d finished preparing for bed you decided you wanted a glass of water to help you settle down. Stepping back into the hallway you padded slowly towards the kitchen in search of a cup. You hoped Jungkook had retreated to his room but those hopes were quickly dashed as you found him sitting at the kitchen Island, medical book opened across the countertop and laptop attached at the fingers.

He looked up at you in surprise before sitting up straight. “Oh, I’m sorry, did you need me to turn off the lights? I didn’t realize they reached all the way to the bedroom.” He made a move to stand but you motioned for him to sit and he slowly complied.

“No, you’re fine, I actually just wanted a glass of water before bed.”

“Oh, of course. Here, let me get that for you.” He said, pushing off the stool he’d been sat on.

“It’s really not necessary,” you insisted as he rounded the counter, “you’ve already been very kind to me, you can just point me to the cups.”

“Nonsense.” He smiled, pulling a glass from a cupboard above your head and moving to the fridge to get some water. “You’re my guest, let me take care of you. Go ahead and sit down.”

You moved reluctantly to the bar stool next to his, taking a seat and waiting for him to return with your drink. “Thank you.” You said, softly, as he slid the cup into your hands. “So, what are you working on?” You asked, setting your cup down on the counter after a careful sip.

“Just brushing up.” He smiled. “There’s a lot to remember and it’s all kind of overwhelming sometimes.”

You nodded, staring down into your mug. “Yeah, I remember being really intimidated when I first started. Sometimes I still feel a little overwhelmed if it’s a complicated case or something. We walk a fine line between life and death and it’s hard not knowing if you’re being delicate enough.”

“That’s exactly it! That’s why I wanted to be a surgeon, though. Knowing that I can do something to make people’s lives better. Some of the people who end up on that table are going to be having the worst moment of their life and I have the power to make a positive impact. It makes my heart race just thinking about it.”

“Sounds like you chose the right profession.” You smiled, looking over at him and he blushed, bowing his head down into his chest.

“I hope I can make a good doctor.”

“Jungkook…you’re already a good doctor. The fact that you care so much, means something. It’s not easy to look into the faces of the families whose loved ones have died on our tables. There’s going to be times when you just want to give up, but as long as you keep trying and caring the way you do right now, you’ll be successful.”

He smiled, bashful, staring down at the keys on his laptop, fingers tapping gently in thought. “Thanks Y/N, that’s mean a lot…especially coming from you.” He looked up at you and you felt like your heart might seize right in your chest. “You know, since you’re such a good doctor.” He stuttered and you nodded, taking a gulp of water from your cup and standing.

“Thank you, I appreciate that. I should probably get to bed now, it’s…” You sighed, “It’s been a long day.”

Jungkook nodded and you lifted your glass at him in a salute before turning around and walking back into the guest bedroom.

++++

Wow, thank you so much for reading! I'm sorry this one was sad, but it was necessary. After all, this is a Jungkook story, is it not? ;)

Let me know what you think <3

Chapter 12

Chapter 14

#btsbookclub #jungkook scenario #jungkook smut #jungkook angst #jungkook fluff

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writethehousedown · 4 years

Text

New sensations, Sweet temptations Chapter one (Crygi/Jan x Rock) - Winter

A/n: huge thanks to emerald for betaing this, it’s been like a solid month of planning then like a week of actually writing it but i’m proud to finally be able to put chapter one of my first multichap out here, it’s a little short but a lot of fun, enjoy a soft highschool au of the s12 girls

The end of spring, transitioning into the start of summer, was a strange time. It was getting hot but school was still going for a little longer. People got restless, wanting for anything interesting to happen. The desire to spend time in the sun with friends grew stronger day by day until a beach trip was suggested.

The second the words beach trip were uttered in the group, all previous conversations were lost. The idea of a beach trip made all the girls excited.

Jackie had been the one to suggest it, knowing her friends well enough to know they would all agree. It had been a while since all eight of them had done something together, making it extra appealing.

“There’s a beach that’s a 20 minute drive away from here. How does everyone feel about going next Saturday?”

The resounding chatter of approval was all Jackie needed. Plans were made and excited chatter was shared for the next week. With the explosion of energy that half of their friend group was, it sure was a lot to deal with.

Jan was always excited. In the run up to the beach trip she held her usual enthusiasm that rarely seemed to droop. She had rambled about how excited she was multiple times in the past week. After the fourth time it had become somewhat grating to the other girls. That didn’t phase her though, returning with the same bright enthusiasm day after day.

The excitement spread as the days went by though. Rock soon joined Jan in her excitement, not wanting to leave the blonde alone in her enthusiasm. Crystal had followed soon after, talking non-stop about how fun it was going to be.

She totally wasn’t also excited to see Gigi in summer clothes, absolutely not. The thought of the redhead in shorts messed with her brain. She could wear anything and make it look good though. That was the power of Gigi Goode and what Crystal thought to be the endless beauty.

Gigi herself was minorly excited. She hoped for an opportunity for some alone time with Crystal. The two of them at a beach had potential to be exciting. Gigi resolved to offer to buy the green-haired girl some ice cream when the chance arose on the day.

—

The day had started well enough for the group. Knowing half of them struggled to ever get up on time, it was an achievement they were all together half an hour after the agreed meeting time.

“Jan, are you incapable of being on time?” Nicky asked, tapping her foot impatiently and giving her fellow blonde a light glare before turning her attention back to jaida.

Jan just laughed. None of them apart from Jackie, Jaida and Heidi had been on time. The fault did not lie fully on her. Nicky was impatient as ever though, choosing the easiest target for her irritation after waiting for 20 minutes.

“Who decided to let the two slowest girls arrive together anyway? Don’t think I forgot about you Rock. How much did you have to do with the lateness?”

Nicky was as blunt as ever, not waiting to poke into the issue. She knew full well neither girl was good at being on time. Combining their chaos was an awful idea. She sent an annoyed glare to the two of them, although it didn’t phase the pair. They were always off in their own world when together, it was a mix of amusing to watch and infuriating to actually deal with.

“Calm it Nicky, we don’t need to argue. At least we’re all here, close enough to being on time.” Jackie spoke in her authoritative mother voice that always sorted out the childish bickering. It was inevitable in a large group of loud girls but that didn’t mean there was no way to control it.

The group made their way to the beach, Nicky and Jaida splitting off to find a good place to sunbathe.

Crystal and Rock seemed to have the same idea, glancing at the water then at each other with a devious grin. Jan and Gigi exchanged a nervous look, knowing what the girl’s could do when teamed up with no one to stop them.

Shortly, they were all in bathing suits ready for the day. Jan’s gaze caught on Rock in her pink frilly mess of a swimsuit. It was something only she could pull off that well. Not only that, her best friend’s body was more revealed than normal. Maybe it was the shock that was keeping the blonde’s eyes trained on the muscular arms currently swinging wildly in the water aiming to splash Crystal before she could be splashed herself.

There was nothing odd about that. Not one thing. Just a friend admiring their good friends figure.

But it wasn’t just that. Jan’s mind was racing at the sight of Rock and her toned body. She was confused, having not given the girl this much visual attention in all the years they had known each other.

Her totally normal appreciation was interrupted by a bemused Gigi, tapping her on the shoulder with a knowing smirk.

“I know that look, it’s the same look Nicky always gives to Jaida. Didn’t think you were into loud pastel nerds, very interesting Jan.”

The blonde jolted in shock. There was no way she looked at Rock the way Nicky looked at Jaida. The French girl did nothing to hide her obvious interest in the self-proclaimed essence of beauty. Her looks were often one of obvious, unfiltered attraction and appreciation. Jan and Rock were different. They didn’t flirt constantly, they were just two best friends who looked at each other with affection due to their close bond.

Right?

She couldn’t dwell on it too long, a loud voice called her name. Rock was beckoning her over with a large, gleeful grin that made the blonde’s heart flutter.

For all the staring, Rock herself had failed to catch on to any longing gaze from the blonde, instead preoccupied by attempting to win the ongoing water fight between her and Crystal.

“Geeg, you too! Help me win this!” the excitement in Crystal’s tone brought Gigi in, her heart warming at the childlike wonder twinkling her eyes. The redhead maintained her composure, but agreed to help fight the losing battle.

Jan and her walked over, with the blonde preoccupied with messing around with her pink haired friend the moment she got into the water. Gigi didn’t buy Jan’s refusal for a second but knew rather well that it wasn’t her place to pry. At least not yet.

Crystal bounced in excitement at Gigi joining her, greeting her with a welcoming splash, soaking the neatly tied up red hair the Gigi had tried hard to not mess up too badly.

The look on her face must have said it all as Crystal backed up slightly, an innocent smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Gigi returned the smile, inching closer and using both of her arms to create a large splash, completely drenching Crystal and making her giggle with glee.

Something about the way her soaked green hair stuck to her face was adorable, that and the smile. The soft smile that sent Gigi crazy. The one she just wanted to kiss and be the one to cause to as long as she could. Only Crystal would smile like that after being splashed by a large amount of water.

Outwardly, Gigi only smiled slightly before setting her eyes on their competition. Of course Jan and Rock had teamed up. But Gigi was confident she could get the pair drenched with ease, or that was her idea before Crystal excitedly ran forward, attempting to get the girls while putting herself at an easy range.

Gigi held back a laugh when her friend got soaked by two well timed splashes from the opposing girls. Her heart sank at the look of betrayal Crystal had, but was soon boosted up as the green-haired girl cracked an adorable smile. God damn it, Crystal was doing things to Gigi that made her just want to kiss this girl.

Deciding to play the honourable hero, she lept into action, delivering a considerably large splash to distract Jan and Rock before moving Crystal out of their splashing range.

The little giggle Crystal let out at seeing how Gigi managed to soak both Jan and Rock made her heart twist and flutter even more than before.

Their little battle continued, eventually ending in a defeat when Jan almost fell, her whole body almost dropping into the water before Rock instinctively caught her.

That didn’t complicate her feelings further. Absolutely not.

Jan’s mind was left wondering and confused at the day’s events. She seemed absent as they grabbed food and ice cream with the whole group, only really returning when she turned to face Rock before the pair drove home.

“Rock, how did you know you were gay?”

#rpdr fanfiction #crygi #jan sport/rock m sakura #jaida essence hall/nicky doll #jan sport #rock m sakura #crystal methyd #gigi goode #nicky doll #jackie cox #new sensations sweet temptations #winter #fluff #lesbian au #high school au #concrit welcome #summer lovin' 2020 #day 1: bathing suit #submission

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judgmentofcorruption · 4 years

Text

Episode 6–The Sinking Story; Scene 1

Judgment of Corruption, pages 172-181

Yo, long time no see!

…Yes. It has been quite a long time.

Because over fourteen years have passed since then.

Gallerian was doing alright.

He had finally managed to reach the top.

This was the birth of USE Dark Star Bureau Director Gallerian Marlon.

At the same time as he was inaugurated into the position, he announced the formation of a new special organization within the bureau.

Given the antagonistic relationship that they’d had with the world police that was a concern before, and the people’s dissatisfaction with them—

This organization was created as a result of that.

Its name was “Police Neutrality”—meaning a neutral police force, in essence. It was a name loaded with cynicism towards the World Police. It went by “PN” for short.

The position of its leader was taken by a commissioned officer of the USE allied forces.

Shiro Netsuma…The white-haired woman who had once shot Gallerian, and delivered the killing blow to Loki. She had not retired from her role in the USE united army, and held her post there concurrently with her position as PN’s leader.

Only, Shiro had the weakness of being poor in normal communication. In order to combat this, Hel Jaakko was appointed her vice-commander, as someone who could be well-versed in the internal state of affairs within the Dark Star Bureau.

Part of the Yarera Zusco Conglomerate’s private army was dispatched to make up PN’s forces. They already had a strong relationship with Gallerian, and on top of that had no connection to the World Police at all.

Leading these forces was Feng Li. Having worked for a long time as Gusuma Yarera’s bodyguard, he was not one to be treated like a simple tiger. He was a fine human being, and had a great deal of respect among his unit as their commander.

The fact remained that the Freezis Conglomerate was a massively powerful trade organization, but its power had begun to weaken compared to how it had once been.

A war had started in the Republic of Maistia over liberation of its slaves—and thanks to that, the conglomerate had lost their footing in the continent.

One could argue that, now, the position of top organization in the Evillious region had shifted from the Freezises to the Yarera Zusco Conglomerate.

Contrary to the enrichment of Gallerian’s professional self, his private life wasn’t especially satisfactory for him.

He made sure that no one could tell from the surface, but his marriage with Mira had completely fallen apart. They hardly ever talked in the house anymore. They had added three more servants to their staff outside of Bruno, and Gallerian’s estate was fairly bustling, but with Gallerian and Mira there was always a cold atmosphere between them.

Gallerian devoted all of that affection to his one daughter, Michelle. It was a level of doting that exceeded words like “spoiling” and “over-fond parent”, to where even Bruno would be amazed at times.

At sixteen years old, Michelle had grown into a beautiful girl, with the same pretty green hair as her mother and the graceful features of her father.

There were times when one of Bruno’s fellow servants, Rennert, would idly grumble, “I shudder to think about what’ll happen when she gets a boyfriend.”

That was because Gallerian was liable to go half-mad no matter what kind of man it was.

Michelle herself always seemed to be worrying about the poor relationship between her parents, but she never let those feelings come forth publicly. For she knew that could be scandalous to her father as the director of the Dark Star Bureau. She was a kind, intelligent girl. And she was slated to enroll in Levin University that upcoming spring.

The doorbell rang through Gallerian’s home.

“Just a secooond,” replied Larisa, one of Gallerian’s servants.

But at that moment she was in the middle of roasting a Rollam bird in the oven, so she couldn’t leave to answer the door.

“Could someone get that for me! Katerina! …Wait, I think she’s out shopping. Rennert! Bruno!”

But she received no reply from the other two servants who should have been in the house.

“Good grief. Those men are as unthoughtful as always.”

Just as Larisa was growing more flummoxed, Michelle appeared, cheery as can be.

“I’ll go get the door for you, Larisa.”

“Miss Michelle! …No, it would be a disgrace for a servant to make the young woman of the house do such a thing. Just get Rennert or Bruno to—”

“They both seem busy--Rennert is trimming the grass in the back garden and Bruno is helping Papa with his work in the study—Don’t worry, you just focus on cooking the Rollam bird, ha ha.”

“Thank you kindly, young miss. Well then, with my apologies, I leave it to you.”

The doorbell rang again.

“Got it, I’m coming!”

Michelle lifted up the ends of her skirt and delightedly ran to the foyer.

When she opened the door, she saw a tall, thin man standing there next to a white-haired woman. Both of them were wearing USE army uniforms.

“Hey, Uncle Tony! And you have Miss Shiro with you.”

“My my, as precious as ever, little Michelle.”

Gallerian’s friend Tony Ausdin smiled as he greeted her.

Shiro Netsuma silently bobbed her head, a shy smile on her face.

“Is Gallerian in?”

“Papa’s with Bruno in the study right now…Papa! Uncle Tony and Miss Shiro are here!” Michelle yelled, racing further down the hall.

Tony gave a sarcastic laugh as he watched her go. “…She’s healthy, that one!” Then he glanced over at Shiro, standing beside him. “—You could stand to be a little bit more like that.”

“Um…Uh…Sorry.”

“…Well, whatever.”

The two of them stepped inside and headed for the study.

After managing to graduate without much trouble from university, Tony Ausdin enlisted into the USE allied forces as planned.

Though at first he had merely seemed a poor student, he had come to show more alert, active behavior, as though having awakened since gaining some experience in small-scale warfare.

He had offered up great military gains such as in the suppression war against the Asmodean guerillas and in the sixteenth search and destroy operation against the dead soldiers, and was soundly promoted through the ranks as a result of that—

Currently, he had somehow managed to achieve the rank of major general in the USE army.

“That you could achieve such distinction despite your youth…Frankly I could never have imagined it when we were students,” Gallerian said in honest praise of Tony.

“Hey now. Didn’t you say that I was a ‘future general’ and all that nonsense? Was that a lie?”

“Did I? …I must have been trying to spare your feelings back then or something.”

“Ha ha ha—Well, we’ve both moved up in the world, Mister Dark Star Bureau Director.”

Gallerian and Tony had seen each other frequently over the past few years.

There was the fact that they were childhood friends. But more than that--there was a great deal of meaning in a companionship between two people who stood at the core of two components so essential to the USE as law and military. The foundation of PN by Gallerian likely wouldn’t have been possible without Tony’s cooperation.

“By the by…What business do you have here today that Shiro would bring you along for?” Gallerian asked Tony, getting down to business.

“Ah, well there is an issue. We have a favor to ask of you. And given Shiro’s personality she’s not liable to get to the point.”

“…?”

“—It’s ‘Ma’. I…or rather, the USE allied forces, requires her aid now.”

“…”

Upon hearing that name Gallerian’s expression clouded, as well as Bruno’s beside him.

“Ma, huh…As I remember she was a collaborator of mine. Not just me, but for Bruno and Shiro here as well. But nowadays I have no idea where she is or what she’s doing. One day she just up and disappeared. Around the same time as Hanma Baldured went missing.”

Gallerian looked to Shiro. She shook her head, as though to say that she didn’t know either.

“Bruno…What about you? Do you know anything of her whereabouts?”

“No—It’s been fourteen years since she vanished. During that time I have not heard so much as a rumor of her. I don’t even know if she’s still alive…” Bruno replied somewhat uncomfortably.

He had not told Gallerian that he was the one to drive Ma away.

“Sigh…So even you don’t know…”

Tony’s shoulders drooped in disappointment.

“Tony. Why are the USE allied forces searching for Ma?”

“…It’s the ‘dead soldiers’.”

“You mean those corpses that have risen from their graves to attack people. That’s one of the more dangerous occurrences amidst all the changes in the world.”

“They’ve been carrying on their activity for a while now, and each time the army has suppressed them. …But they aren’t decreasing in number. After all is said and done, they were originally human corpses. And as long as humans aren’t immortal, as long as there’s still corpses being made, then the dead soldiers will continue to increase without end.”

Hearing that, Bruno’s brow furrowed.

“You can’t mean…you intend to get the secret of immortality from Ma?”

“If she knows such a secret I would certainly want to ask her, true. But that’s not it. Though they’re called dead soldiers, their battle potential is frankly not all that impressive. Their movements are sluggish, and it’s not all that difficult to fell them just by sustained attacks—Until now.”

“So then…you’re saying that’s no longer the case?”

“We now have ‘dead soldier mutants’. These creatures have begun to appear lately that have different powers from the rest. Some are excessively strong, some are fast like a monkey—Fortunately they are few in number at present, but whenever they show up on the battlefield our casualties go up immediately.”

“That—sounds dangerous.”

“The worst of the lot is a variety that we’ve come to call the ‘Worldeater’. We’ve only seen it once, on the eastern front, but according to reports its height is estimated to be over four meters tall…There are some people saying it was larger than that. At such a height, it’s doubtful that it was ever originally a human being. This one was able to drive back the entire battalion before it could be destroyed.”

“…This sounds like something out of a fairytale.” Gallerian leaned forward with great interest. “Then—how did you repel that one?”

“We didn’t. It returned to wherever it had come from on its own. Under the persuasion of another variety of mutant that’s appeared.”

“Persuasion? But I’d always heard the dead soldiers had no intelligence.”

“That’s right. But this one is different. Its body isn’t all that big, but this dead soldier—it can speak like a person. Among the top brass there’s murmurs that this may in fact be the leader of the dead soldiers…. At any rate, thanks to the existence of these mutants the USE allied forces are stuck in a hard fight. And so we want to borrow Lady Ma’s wisdom, given she distinguished herself during the witch trial reforms.”

Gallerian folded his arms and thought.

“Hmm…It’s true that Ma has a great deal of magical knowledge. But what would she know about dead soldiers?”

“There’s documents that claim that dead soldiers appeared in the Beelzenian Empire centuries ago, around the time of the Retasan Coup. Legends says that the woman named Gumillia who opposed them was actually a sorceress.”

“And so you think Ma could have that power too…I see. That’s a very vague prospect. There was a theory long ago that the dead soldiers were being controlled by magic, but that’s been definitively disproven nowadays—by none other than Ma herself.”

“Even so, there’s still a slight possibility. As we have no other options, we have to pursue that slim chance that it can be done.”

“…Whatever the case may be, you still don’t know where she…”

At that moment, someone knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

The person who entered then was one of the servants, Katerina.

“Ah, Katerina. Have you finished shopping?”

“I have—and at the entrance I met with our mail carrier. Though they weren’t the normal person who brings it over. They gave me a letter for you, Sir.”

Katerina held out a letter for him. Gallerian took it and cut the seal with a pair of scissors.

“This is…” After looking at the contents, Gallerian’s expression turned to one of mute amazement. “Speak of the devil—what excellent timing.”

The letter was from Ma.

<<prev------directory------next>>

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withoutaconscienceorafilter · 4 years

Note

UNEXPECTED VISITOR 👀👀

WIP -- UNEXPECTED VISITOR(S)

This is supposed to be during Cable & X-Force, because that has both de-powered Nate with pre-cog visions that are slowly turning his brains to jelly and Hope chasing after her dad, but no sign of Wade and that made me sad. :( And there’s this fanart by aortdn on Tumblr somewhere with Nate sprawled on Wade’s couch with his head in Wade’s lap and Wade’s holding a gun with this absolutely mystified expression......

Also, I hate how most comics writers make Nate really mean to Wade. :C

Oh yes, this was written before it became canon that Hope is vehemently opposed to Wade. ;P Stupid canon.

A lot of my WIP ideas like this get abandoned because I decide I’m being overly dramatic and I feel a little ridiculous. Plus they end up full of plot holes. So this is something I wrote myself in a spurt of romanticism and never bothered to move out of the WIP directory. Mindless self-indulgence.

If you think I should go ahead and post this snippet on ao3, leave a comment. Otherwise it’s probably going to just live here and nowhere else.

Nate, Wade, Hope, hurt/comfort, angst, incomplete, probably not entirely canon compliant

~~~~

Some nights start off like all the others, until one thing changes.

Wade Wilson is watching television in t-shirt, boxers, and bunny slippers from one end of his dirty, stabbed-in-places, shot-in-other-places couch. When there’s a soft knock at the door, that’s surprising. When whoever knocks just goes ahead and turns the handle a second later, like he or she has the right to just waltz on in, that’s even more surprising.

Wade isn’t used to anyone visiting his hellhole of an apartment. Visiting him. At least, he doesn’t think he is.

Except maybe Bob, but he doesn’t count.

Especially not visiting and letting themselves in.

So when Cable walks through the door, Wade’s got a gun aimed right between his eyes.

“Hello, Wade.” It sounds tired. Resigned. And of course not the least bit intimidated, because his time-traveling best whatever-the-hell-he-is certainly is never intimidated by Wade. Unclear if that’s comforting to his soul or insulting to his ego.

Reflex keeps the gun trained on Nate while Wade’s brain is struggling to catch up, finally flicks on the safety and shoves it back down the couch cushions after watching Nate close and lock the door and start carefully setting down his larger guns.

“Staying for a bit?” he asks with attempted nonchalance.

“For a couple hours, if you’ll let me.”

He looks tired. He looks different. New: mechanical right eye, working left eye. Gone: techno-organic mesh. New: actual flesh left arm and some sort of mecha robotic prosthetic surrounding it.

Still huge and muscled. Still scars over his right eye. Still all grizzled and old, military, GI-Joe look. His hair is really short this time--Wade misses the slightly longer Nate hair. Better for the running-fingers-through-it stuff.

Wade just watches, brain still trying to catch up, as Nate does something up by his left shoulder and suddenly Mr. Robot Arm opens up, slides off and gets unceremoniously tossed by the guns.

“Why?” It comes out a little too forceful, and it doesn’t say all the why are you here? and why me? and why now? explicitly, but they’re there all the same.

Nate just shakes his head and that might have been the ghost of a sigh. The couch shakes when he drops onto it. For a moment he’s not quite looking at Wade but everything about the tension and line of his body says all his attention is on him.

“Can I … lie down?”

“Lie … what?” Wade has no clue what’s going on. “I mean, sure, there’s a bed--”

But before he can get further, Nate just gives a quiet little sigh and a shake of his head, and he’s turning and slinging his legs around over the arm of the couch and lying down along the length of it, settling his head in Wade’s lap with a tired grunt.

“Jesus Christ, Nate! Are you dying?!” Because honestly, he can’t think of anything else that would make big tough mutant savior do this.

Nate’s eyes close and he turns his head toward Wade’s stomach, shifting in the little ways someone does when they’re getting comfortable.

“Maybe,” is the rumbled answer. “Telepathy and telekinesis crapping out. Precog visions. Tearing my head apart. I just want a couple hours where I can pretend everything’s fine.” Unspoken: everything between us is fine and I’m going to be fine and I’m not dying ... again. And then, before Wade can call him any of that unspoken stuff, “Hold on.” He taps a headset in one ear. “Cable to base. … Yes, I’m fine, just taking a couple of hours to sleep. … No, extraction unnecessary. … I’m …” Now he sounds aggravated. ”Hope, I’m fine. None of my visions are happening in the next 8 hours, so let me sleep before I drop dead. … You keep telling me to trust my team, so that’s what I’m trying to do. Keep watch, deal with any shit that comes up, and don’t screw up! Cable out.”

He taps the headset again, then pulls it off and throws it in the general direction of his guns and arm.

“Hope?” Wade tries to keep his voice neutral. “She’s working with you?”

“Yeah.” Nate’s got his eyes closed again, head turned toward Wade. “She battered her way in, wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“How old is she again?”

A sigh. “Sixteen.”

Wade feels it all over again like it was the first time he heard it, like someone punched him in the gut, punched the breath right out of him. Fists clench. Anger rising. It’s long seconds before he can find the voice to speak.

“I hate time travel. I still can’t believe you ran around without me for sixteen years.”

Because, seriously? Sixteen years. Sixteen years of being chased, shot at, shot up, getting blown up, getting older and grumpier, doing who knows what in bed with who knows who, raising a kid, and all without him? Without giving him anything aside from a quick stopover in Alaska to say see you later? Not dropping by for a proper reunion when he got back? And yet having the gall to walk into his apartment and flop in his lap like they’d just seen each other last week?

“It wasn’t quite that long. We got separated along the way.”

“Still a hell of a long time!”

“I know,” said softly. “You deserve better.” Then, “I’m tired.”

“Dammit, Nate.” Wade lets his head fall back, staring at the ceiling. Because he is not going to get emotional. And his eyes are totally not springing a leak right now. Instead of saying anything else, he settles for lightly running a hand through Nate’s hair over and over, feeling the fuzz and prickle of it, the occasional ridge of a hidden scar on his scalp.

Nate sighs, a long, quiet thing as if tension is flowing out of him, and wraps an arm around Wade’s back, then stills.

Wade keeps letting his fingers ghost over Nate’s hair, and when he finally has it together enough to look down, Nate’s lips are slightly parted and he’s pretty obviously asleep. Chest and stomach rising and falling slowly and regularly.

Wade frowns. Nate must be exhausted to fall asleep that fast.

This universe fucking sucks, running Nate around like this, chasing him into other times for something like a decade and a half. Wade doesn’t want to think about it anymore, so he picks up the remote and resumes channel surfing, other hand still gently resting on Nate’s hair.

He does turn down the sound. If Nate needs to pass out like this, Wade doesn’t want him disturbed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wade isn’t used to anyone visiting his hellhole of an apartment.

He certainly isn’t used to two visitors in one night.

He’s nodded off in the earliness of pre-dawn, head propped on a hand on the back of the couch, dozing in place so Nate can keep sleeping. Who cares if his leg is asleep. If it falls off--can legs fall off from going to sleep for too long?--he’ll just grow a new one anyway.

And then the door knob rattles quietly. Just the little sound of someone testing it to see if it’s locked.

Wade is instantly awake and pulling the handgun out of the couch for the second time. There’s a long pause and then the lock glows blue and twists on the inside, unlocking with a click. The handle twists and the door is pushed open a couple inches.

“Step in where I can see you,” he growls quietly. “Hands come through first and stay up the whole time. Or I’m going to shoot a hell of a lot of holes in my door and send you the bill.”

There’s a long pause, then a pair of slender hands, gloved in green poke through, fingers wiggle as if to say see, no weapons and then a head pokes around the door. Red hair. Green eyes.

“Oh fucking hell,” Wade swears, flicks on the safety, and savagely shoves the gun back down into its hiding spot. Again.

The green eyes blink in surprise and then their owner sidles through the door, pushing it quietly closed behind her. She’s dressed in the usual skin tight superhero outfit, except with a Nate-worthy big gun strapped to her back. Eyes wide, just staring.

Hope. He doesn’t know her very well. Barely at all. That hurts too, that Nate hadn’t bothered to get them together, to have him properly meet his adopted daughter.

“Whaaaaat?” Wade asks defensively. Quietly and defensively. Quietly because don’t wake Nate. And defensively because so what if he has multiple hundred pounds of X-Force leader stretched across his couch and lap? Manly, brawny, probably never-admits-weakness-in-front-of-his-kid leader?

“Sorry, I didn’t know what was-- I borrowed some of his powers to get-- I could feel him but I couldn’t read you--”

“Yeah, telepaths have trouble with me.”

“Is he okay?” she breathes, edging closer, and the ridiculousness of it all almost makes him laugh, that they both figure Cable has to be damn near done for before he does this sort of thing and sleeps through a conversation about him happening right next to him.

Wade shrugs. “I asked him if he was dying. He said maybe.”

And there. That’s definitely a kid Cable raised. Because the flash of guilt quickly covered up and the squaring of the shoulders, taking responsibility for and internalizing problems and failures, that’s all Nate.

She nods, and now she’s looking him over more carefully, scrutiny from head to toe, gaze lingering on his face as if she really wishes she knew what he was thinking. Wade really wishes he had his mask, but it’s across the room and he’s sure as hell not going to ask her to hand it to him.

“Who are you?”

Wade hates being trapped in one place like this, so he pulls the gun back out and starts twirling it around a finger. Most people don’t fidget with guns, but then mostly people aren’t him. She almost doesn’t twitch a hand toward her gun in response.

“Wade Wilson. Your dad and I were kinda sorta best buds back when he was building a floating island utopia.” She just looks at him blankly. “Also known as Deadpool?” And now her eyes get really wide.

“I do know you,” she says cautiously. “A future you saved me from Stryfe.”

“Oh. Do I? Good for future-me. Did Nate see it? ‘Cause it’s always nice when he realizes I have a good side.”

“He … uh. Yes. He also told me not to trust you. And worse.” She gives sleeping Nate a hard look tinged with disbelief, as if to say, you hypocrite.

Wade gently sets down the gun before he shoots something or someone. Hunches forward a little because he really doesn’t need her seeing the hurt he’s sure is all over his face. “Nate,” he says softly toward the man in his lap, “you suck.”

That appears to actually get through, because Nate frowns, makes a frustrated grumbling sound. His eyes squeeze tight as a tremor of clenching and unclenching muscles runs through him, a morning stretch. His arm tightens around Wade and pulls him closer, forehead resting on stomach.

“Hey, Nate.” Wade pokes him in the shoulder. “You might want to wake up. Your girl’s here.”

Nate makes an unhappy noise along the lines of “nnnngg”, but rolls and sits up, blinking blearily at Wade’s second unwelcome visitor. “Hope. What the hell are you doing here?”

Hope gets a stubborn look on her face. “You weren’t answering your com.”

“I was asleep.”

“You still weren’t answering. You always answer, even if you’re catnapping.”

A groan, rubbing a hand over his face. “I wasn’t catnapping. Wanted to really sleep for once.”

The curiosity and disbelief are almost palpable, rolling off her. “Why here? You told me Deadpool couldn’t be trusted! You told X-Force to ‘gut him and dump him!’”

That causes double flinches for very different reasons, and Nate glances guiltily sideways at the other man on the couch.

“Yeah, Nate,” Wade says with deceptively calm. “That's even meaner than usual. What’s up with that when Hope was telling me this future-me saved her ass?”

“Wade, you couldn’t be trusted,” and he sounds deeply pained. “How many times have you backstabbed me? Tried to kill me? Lost your mind or your memories so bad who knows if you’d even remember what side you’re on? It… you… he was roughly a thousand years in the future. Not just crazy. Mad. Falling apart, healing factor running out, a dead man walking. Working for Stryfe. Lost.”

It hurts. He’s only looking at his clenched fists when he says, “I never backstabbed you in a way you couldn’t recover from, Mr. Hypocrite Who Exploded My Head Multiple Times. I haven’t tried to kill you in years, aside from being brainwashed, but that wasn’t really me trying to kill you. And...” He swallows, wishes he had something smartass and irrelevant to say instead. Finally looks Nate in the face long enough to say, “I don’t care what I remember or how crazy I am. I’m always on your side.”

Nate drops his head, folds his hands over the back of his head, elbows on his knees. Not looking at either of them, blocking them out. Hope is hovering, looking unsure if she should get further away or come closer to comfort her dad. Wade is just watching--what he just said was as exhausting as an entire fight. Nate’s shoulders shake with the slightest tremor, but his voice is steady.

“Wade, I can’t trust you. I’m sorry. I can’t trust anyone. Maybe Hope. It never goes right. Plans, intentions, it all leads to weaknesses. I can’t even trust myself.”

“Nate.” He puts out a hand, very carefully settles it on a shoulder. Because he’s pretty damn mad at Nate right now, but it’s also obvious Nate’s got some messed up head stuff going on here. “Listen to yourself. When the hell did you get so lost? You used to trust people. Irene. Gareb. Forge. Prestor John. Johann. Maybe you didn’t tell them everything, but you were a team. Six Pack and X-Force before that. I think you even trusted me, until I screwed up and you kicked me off the island. For god’s sake, you cared about other people enough that you burned your powers out fixing my screwed up, useless head! How’d you get from that to this?”

“This?” It sounds hollow.

“Mean and untrusting.”

“Wait, what?” That’s Hope. Wade flinches again. He’d almost forgotten she was there. “What do you mean, burned himself out?”

Wade glares at her, taps the side of his forehead. “My brain’s a mess. Between cancer, my head getting constantly stabbed and shot, and my healing factor, it ends up as ugly on the inside as the outside of me. Last time I was actually sane and able to remember everything was because your dad went inside my head and fixed it. He could have stayed an omega-level telepath and telekinetic again, but instead he wasted it on me. And it didn’t even stick.” And that totally was not almost a sob, Wade is denying it forever if anyone asks.

Hope stares at him, then her dad. “Is he telling the truth?!”

“Yes.” Nate’s still hunched over, not looking at either of them. “He’d just saved my life. Twice. He had holes in his mind.”

“I told you to walk away!” Wade snarls, hand on Nate’s shoulder clenching.

“Like hell,” Nate snaps back, starting to straighten.

Hope just stares at them, like they’re the world’s biggest idiots and confusing her by being unable to see to what’s obvious.

“Dad, if you care that much but you can’t trust him when he’s broken, why don’t we just fix him again?”

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