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ncssian · 3 years

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A Favor: Part Twenty-One

Nessian Modern AU

Masterlist

a/n: as someone who is physically incapable of reading fics and other long tumblr posts line by line and word for word, i think it’s so fucking cool that a bunch of you regularly, excitedly read what i post. i would not blame you at all for skim reading. thank you.

***

The majority of Cassian’s life was spent battling with the fact of his own existence. First he was fatherless, then motherless, then homeless. Being taken in by Rhys’s parents, who bought him nice clothes and nicer gifts, was like putting a bandaid over a stab wound. It couldn’t change the questions that made up Cassian at his core: was he equal to everyone else in this world, or had he been born inherently inferior? Did he deserve the same happinesses that his friends so carelessly reaped, or should he step back and know his place?

The older he grew, the more he grappled with those questions—until the night he learned who his father was, and the truth behind his existence. That he was likely a product of rape. Nearly driving himself drunk off a mountainside in Monte Carlo was enough to make him realize with a startling clarity: he couldn’t keep asking himself the same questions for the rest of his life. At some point, he was going to have to buck the fuck up and make his peace with the world, whether he believed he deserved to be in it or not. And though it might have taken him a while to reach that conclusion, Cassian can proudly say he did it. Not long into his post-college years, Cassian finally grew up.

By twenty-seven, he was secure enough in himself and his place in the world to not have to deal with those doubtful voices every waking minute. His life was figured out, and his ego was unshakeable. Until Nesta Archeron entered the story.

Now at twenty-eight, Cassian is again unsecured—this time in a less tragic but more confusing way. Because everything he thinks he knows about himself, about life, she insists on proving wrong.

Including the issue of celebrating his birthday.

“I feel like I should have asked this earlier,” Cassian mutters to Nesta as they stand in the cozy resort lobby, “but why is Az here?”

Nesta looks both humiliated and resigned when she mutters back, “He wouldn’t pay for the resort unless I let him come with us.”

“At that point you should’ve just let me pay, babe.” He watches Azriel’s back as he chats up the lady at the front desk while getting their room keys.

“On your own birthday? It would have ruined the point,” Nesta says.

Cassian doesn’t retort that having his brother present at their couple’s retreat also ruins the point. He’s sure she already knows.

Nesta’s reaction when Cassian told her that he didn’t celebrate his birthday was unforgettable.

“No one in our inner circle really cares about birthdays,” he had shrugged. “Feyre’s birthday is the exception because she’s sort of the outsider, and Rhys will find any excuse to worship at her feet. But the rest of us? I don’t know, it was never a big deal.”

As someone who’s never skipped a birthday once in her life, even when she was isolated and ignoring her family’s phone calls, Nesta took this as a personal offense. “I need to get you out of this cabin,” she stated.

Which brings them here, to Colorado’s finest ski resort situated high in the Rocky Mountains. The lobby is littered with overstuffed armchairs and a crackling fireplace, and huge windows look out over the blinding white mountains.

Az starts heading their way, key cards in hand, when Cassian suddenly turns to Nesta. “We need to find him a woman,” he whispers.

“What?”

“We can’t let him third wheel with us for the whole weekend. We’ll never get time alone.” Cassian is set on this new plan, already scanning the lobby for women around Azriel’s age.

“I agree, but—”

Azriel reaches the two of them, tossing a room card to Nesta. “You can stop talking about me now. I’ll be spending most of my time hitting the slopes.”

Cassian and Nesta mumble a halfhearted, “We weren’t talking about you.”

He narrows his eyes at them. “Uh-huh. Just remember whose credit card this is going on.” Picking up his ski gear and duffel bag, he turns for the elevator.

Nesta frowns up at Cassian once Az is gone, more adorably than she probably intends. “Do you think he’s upset?”

He scoffs. “We should be upset at him.” He doesn’t want to have to worry about his brother while he’s on vacation, and Az definitely wouldn’t want him to worry either, but it isn’t something that can be helped.

Despite his irritation, he might go skiing with Az later this afternoon. Just to keep him company.

***

Nesta will give it to Azriel—he’s a man of fine taste, and also generous with his spending. She originally wanted a normal room for her and Cassian, preferably the cheapest one, but Az went behind her back and upgraded them to a fully decked out penthouse suite.

“This is too much for just a weekend,” she tells him over the phone while Cassian is in the bathroom. “How am I supposed to pay you back for this?”

“Why would you pay me back?” he says dismissively. “I’m rich.”

When Nesta tries arguing with him, he only replies, “I don’t take money from poor people,” and hangs up on her.

Which leaves Nesta to enjoy the four-spray shower and heated bathroom tiles free of charge. By the time she comes out of the shower, Cassian has already left with Azriel to hit some slopes before dinner, though not before leaving her a note promising to teach her how to ski tomorrow.

Nesta doesn’t even get to unwrap her towel from her body before realizing her phone is ringing incessantly, all the way from the other side of the suite. Jogging over to the living area, Nesta answers Emerie’s call. “What’s up?”

“Where are you?” Emerie greets without introduction.

“At the ski lodge?” Nesta answers, confused. “I already told you, for Cassian’s birthday.”

“I know that,” Emerie hisses. “I mean what room are you in? This place is huge.”

“Wait—you’re here?” Nesta looks quickly around herself, as if Emerie will pop up from behind the couch.

“Not just me. So is Gwyn.” Nesta hears rustling on the other side of the line, and then Emerie saying from a distance, “Answer for your crimes, Gwyneth. Say hi.”

A new, clearer voice comes over the phone. “Hiii, Nesta.” Gwyn sounds weak, like she is not having fun at all.

“What the hell do you two think you’re doing?” Nesta demands.

“Well, it’s a long story and I need to see you first. Also, I have to pee. Where is your room?”

Five minutes later, Gwyn and Emerie are sitting obediently before the roaring fireplace in Nesta and Cassian’s suite.

Now fully dressed, Nesta stabs a finger at Emerie. “Explain.”

“I didn’t do anything,” Emerie says indignantly. “Gwyn barged into my place at eight in the morning and dragged me all the way here—”

“It was an emergency!” Gwyn tosses her hands in the air. “It still is an emergency. That’s why we’re here.”

“I’m here because Gwyn is scared of traveling alone,” Emerie interjects. “And driving on highways.”

“Guys!” Nesta snaps.

Gwyn makes a whining sound of defeat and drops her head into her hands. After a long moment, she speaks. “He asked if we could go to dinner together. Like, right to my face. And I panicked and said yes, because I couldn’t think of a reason to say no, but obviously I can’t do that. So this morning I cashed in my sick days and told him I was going on vacation for a whole week.” Gwyn looks up at Nesta with pleading teal eyes. “Please can we stay here the whole week?”

Nesta stares at Gwyn, feeling like her brain was just sucked dry. “First of all, who’s ‘he’?”

“Max!” She stands in her outburst. “The love of my life. The man who works on the fourth floor of the library. Do you pay attention to the groupchat at all?”

Oh yeah, that guy. “You came all the way here,” Nesta drawls out slowly, “so you wouldn’t have to have dinner with your crush?”

“It wasn’t just any dinner.” Gwyn flops back onto the couch. “It was a date. I can’t go on a date with him. First dates lead to second dates, and second dates lead to—sex.” She whispers the last word.

“Really?” Emerie frowns, not missing a beat at the mention of Gwyn’s deepest fear. “What kind of dates have you been having?”

“I haven’t been having any dates,” Gwyn says. “Why, how long do you usually see someone before doing it?”

“First date, at most,” Emerie shrugs.

“No,” Nesta steps in, sending Emerie a bewildered look. “Gwyn, you’ve known this guy for a while now. If he’s half as decent as you think he is, he won’t expect sex by the second date. And even if he does—”

“What does it matter?” Gwyn wails. “It’ll come up eventually. And when it does, he’ll think I’m a freak.”

“He won’t get a chance to think anything before I kill him,” Emerie says, eyes darkening.

Nesta says nothing, knowing this is something she can’t advise Gwyn about. Whether or not Gwyn chooses to share her past and unresolved trauma with another man, and whether or not that man reacts in an unshitty way isn’t something Nesta can determine. So she just states for the record, “You’re not a freak.”

“But it’s what he’ll think.”

“Then you shouldn’t be with him in the first place,” Nesta says firmly. Even though she knows better than anyone that it isn’t always that simple.

Proving her point, Gwyn scoffs and looks away. “You don’t get it.”

“What I really don’t get,” Nesta says, “is why you took your lie so literally. Why did you come all the way out here instead of hiding out at home for the week?”

“Merrill sees and knows everything. I can’t lie to her.” Gwyn cringes. “If I stayed at home, she would sniff me out as soon as she got me on the phone, and then I’d really be screwed.”

Nesta cocks her head at Gwyn, squinting her eyes in something akin to fascination.

“I had the same reaction,” Emerie pipes up. She shakes her head at Gwyn. “I’ve never met a more melodramatic idiot, truly.”

Gwyn curls into herself on the couch, looking ashamed.

Nesta sighs sharply, then whips out a hand. “Give me your wallets. I’ll go downstairs right now and see if I can book a room last minute.”

Emerie sits up at that. “Uh… I’m not sure I can afford a place like this.”

“Neither can I,” Nesta says. “That’s why Azriel paid for all of us.”

Gwyn’s eyes go comically round. “Azriel’s here?”

“Unfortunately.” She snaps her fingers at both girls. “Credit or debit, now.”

“So… I’m assuming we can’t just share this huge suite with you guys, huh?” Gwyn says hesitantly.

There might be actual flames in Nesta’s eyes. This is Cassian’s birthday, goddammit. Cassian, who hasn’t celebrated a birthday since he was eleven. “Please don’t push me.”

Gwyn and Emerie, very reluctantly, hand their cards over to Nesta. Emerie hands over two, just in case.

In the end, Nesta doesn’t use any of their money, but charges the new room to her own account. She’ll work it off by putting extra hours into Night Court, she tells herself.

When she returns to the penthouse suite, she spies tracks outlined in melted snow at the doorway. Shit. She barges inside to find Cassian and Azriel standing in the middle of the living area, with Emerie looking awkward on the couch.

“Uh, we just got back—” Cassian starts.

“I can explain,” Nesta interrupts.

A faucet turns off in the distance, and Gwyn peeks her head out of the bathroom door.

“Oh, shit,” Azriel says in delight. “Freckles is here too?”

Gwyn looks like she’s about to turn right back around to the bathroom. Nesta and Cassian both throw Az a baffled look, but Nesta says, “I can fix this. I’ve already fixed it.” She goes over to Emerie and hands her a key card. “You and Gwyn are going to stay on the first floor, and you won’t bother me or Cassian for the duration of our stay. It’ll be like you’re not even here.” She whips toward Gwyn, who still hovers near the bathroom doorway. “And at the end of this weekend, you’re going back to work like the adult you are and taking care of your shit.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Gwyn says quietly, lowering her head.

Cassian comes over to Nesta, whispering, “So, you didn’t invite them to keep Az company or anything, right?”

“I can hear you,” Azriel says.

“Of course not,” Nesta whispers back. “That’s a terrible idea.”

“Really? Because I thought it was kind of convenient—”

“I can still hear you,” Az repeats.

“So can I,” Emerie nods.

“Shut up,” Nesta hisses at the both of them. Grabbing Cassian’s still-gloved hand, she drags him upstairs and away to their bedroom. When the door shuts behind them, she turns to him and blurts, “I’m so sorry.”

Cassian only laughs, taking his ski jacket off and brushing away the wet snow from the back. “I’m not.” He tosses his jacket and gloves over a chair and approaches Nesta, tugging her closer by her oversized turtleneck. “And what did I tell you about wasting your apologies?”

Nesta doesn’t care. “I ruined your birthday.”

“My birthday’s not until tomorrow,” he says with a straight face. “But honestly, I like this a lot more than just you, me, and Az. At least he can’t third wheel anymore, right?”

She shakes her head insistently, frustration boiling in her blood. “Everything’s going wrong.”

“But you solved our problems.” He finds Nesta’s clenched fists and unfurls them with gentle hands. “You got the girls their own room, and now Az can be distracted with those two. We can still be alone. We win.”

Nesta purses her lips, unconvinced, when Cassian adds, “But seriously, though—what the fuck are they doing here?”

She exhales deeply, letting her head drop forward onto Cassian’s chest. “I don’t know,” she mutters. “Gwyn panicked about some personal stuff and thought it was a good idea to come to me. I don’t want to make her leave, though.” Gwyn is being stupid right now, without a doubt, but Nesta won’t abandon her. Neither will Emerie.

God, having friends sucks.

Cassian threads a hand through her loose hair and hums. “Gwyn was smart for coming to you.”

***

Dinner is held outside in the snow and cold, but everyone bundles up and sits down at a table that surrounds one of the multiple fire pits in the courtyard. Cassian convinced Nesta to let Gwyn and Emerie hang out with them for the weekend, because what else are those poor girls supposed to do, and now the women babble over each other as they decide what to drink.

Cassian sits back and takes it in, the sight feeling heartwarmingly familiar and strangely brand new at the same time. Nesta ends up being the one to order everybody’s drinks, and once the waiter scampers back inside, Gwyn releases a terse breath. “Sometimes I still get scared of that tone.”

“I’m always scared of it,” Az mutters, eyeing Nesta from the corner of his eye.

“What tone?” Cassian laughs. He knows Nesta is still a little wound up from her plans going off the rails, but she hasn’t done anything scary.

“I’m used to it,” Emerie says through a mouthful of fries, “but I think that waiter almost cried.”

“That’s how I sound all the time.” Nesta shrugs, sitting back.

“What tone?” Cassian repeats.

Nesta clicks her tongue impatiently. “You know how I talk. I’m straightforward.”

“And harsh,” Azriel adds. “Even aggressive.”

“Watch it.” Gwyn turns stern eyes onto him over the fire pit.

“I have no idea what you all are talking about,” Cassian says. He turns to Nesta. “You sound perfectly normal to me.”

She narrows her perfect brows at him, and Emerie laughs, “I don’t know if that’s romantic or ignorant.”

But now that they’re discussing it, Cassian does distinctly remember Nesta having a sharp edge to her words while they were getting to know each other. Did it disappear over time, or has he really stopped noticing it?

He doesn’t get to think about it before their drinks arrive, followed soon by a dinner of fancy sandwiches.

Cassian cuts his beef sandwich in half and gives the other half to Nesta, and she does the same with her turkey sandwich. They eat and drink around the crackling fire, laughing and talking about tomorrow’s plans (“It’s not your birthday, Azriel,” Nesta says. “Stop asking about gifts.”). Cassian and Emerie talk idly about video games over wine, and even though it isn’t really his thing, he can see her excitement over it and gladly indulges it.

Once everyone is finished eating and is slightly drunk, Gwyn pulls a small sleeve of crackers out of her puffy jacket, followed by a fun-sized Hershey’s bar and a handful of mini marshmallows.

“What are you doing?” Nesta says.

“Making dessert.” Gwyn builds a mini s’more and places it carefully on her fork so she can toast it over the fire pit. When it’s done, she leans forward even more to try to put it on Nesta’s plate. “For you. Thank you for letting me and Emerie stay.”

Nesta jumps, catching the s’more with her plate and batting Gwyn away from the fire pit at the same time. “You’ll set your hair on fire,” she hisses.

Gwyn’s hair remains safe, but now Cassian catches his brother watching Gwyn amusedly from the corner of his eye. “Can I have one?” Az says.

“I’m all out.” Gwyn says while building another s’more, refusing to meet his eyes.

Cassian and Nesta share a look, a hundred words thrown back and forth between them in that glance. She scoots her chair closer to him to slip her cold hands into his warm ones, but while the conversation carries on around the table, she leans in and whispers, “I’m not a busybody but…”

“I am,” he whispers back. “Az is being weird, weirder than usual.”

Nesta nods. “I’ve never seen him so—outgoing.”

Neither has Cassian, but before he can mention anything else, he looks up to find that Gwyn and Azriel’s seats at the table are empty. “How much did those two drink?” he breathes.

Nesta follows his gaze, seeing what he’s seeing: Azriel and Gwyn wandering clumsily around the snowy courtyard. Or rather, Az is trying to chase Gwyn down for a s’more, while she clutches her mini marshmallows to her chest and vehemently yells, “They’re mine!”

Meanwhile, Emerie is half asleep at the table.

Cassian watches as Gwyn nears the towering fir tree at the center of the courtyard and slips. Az shoots out a hand to catch her, but not before her ass hits the stone, hard. He pulls her back up, no longer fooling around, and Gwyn rubs her butt in pain.

Cassian suddenly feels Nesta squeezing the life out of his hands, and he looks over to find fury written across her face. For a heartbeat, he feels worried for Az.

“Go deal with him,” Nesta says lowly. “Before I do.”

Not needing any more words to understand, he stands out of his seat and heads out into the courtyard. He doesn’t know why Nesta thinks Gwyn needs protecting, but it makes him feel protective himself. Approaching the duo, he sees that Azriel finally acquired the leftover s’more ingredients from Gwyn.

“There’s only like half a cracker left,” Az mutters to himself, shaking the baggie.

“Is he bothering you?” Cassian asks Gwyn, who still looks grumpy over losing their skirmish.

Whipping her head to Cassian like he’s her savior, Gwyn nods furiously. “Please make him stop.”

Cassian turns to Azriel with rage in his eyes, a clear What the fuck do you think you’re doing?

But Az shakes his head in denial. “It’s not like that. Look, she’s smirking at me!” He points over Cassian’s shoulder.

When Cassian looks, Gwyn is already walking back to the fire pit, holding her bruised ass.

Az starts, “What a fake little—”

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Cassian interrupts. “Yesterday you’re crying over Elain and today you’re flirting with Nesta’s friend?”

Azriel goes serious, his face turning colder than the night air. “How do you know about Elain?” he says gruffly.

“Everyone knows, Azriel.” Cassian stares down his brother, wondering if he’ll finally get him to get his head screwed on straight after these past weeks of secretive bullshit.

Azriel sets his jaw, but a muscle there ticks.

“Will you finally at least tell me what’s going on in your head?” Cassian pleads. “Because I can’t keep guessing.”

Azriel glances toward the dinner table, as if checking to see that no one is paying attention to them. Looking back, he inhales a breath. “You want to know why I left Velaris?”

Like Nesta, Azriel is not one to quickly make himself vulnerable. So there’s no blatant emotion in his voice when he says, “I started seeing her at the end of summer, not long after she broke up with her ex. And it was so…nice after every other relationship I’ve been in has gone wrong. We kept it quiet, and because of that, it was peaceful.” Azriel’s eyes meet Cassian’s twin ones, and he smirks without humor. “But you already know what that’s like, don’t you?”

He does. Cassian crosses his arms, waiting for Az to continue.

“Anyway, we had a good run. For a long time, it was mostly just sex, but I liked her. I liked her a lot.” Az kicks at the snow-dusted cobblestones. “Then Christmas came around, and Rhys found out.” His face darkens as he remembers, and Cassian stiffens, knowing what’s next isn’t good. Sometimes Rhys forgets the boundary between boss and brother.

“He didn’t say anything about it to Elain, of course,” Azriel says. “But he dragged my ass aside and gave me this huge lecture about us using each other as rebounds. Said ‘Feyre’s sister’ deserves better or some shit. I told him there was more to it than that, but he wouldn’t listen. Instead he brought Vanserra & Co. into it, like his business matters had anything to do with me and Elain.” Azriel’s eyes crinkle at the corners in a puzzled way. “So I got to thinking, ‘why would he bring the Vanserras up?’ He made it seem like such a big deal.” The toe of his boot digs a hole into the ground.

Sympathy churns alongside anger in Cassian’s chest for Azriel’s situation, anger at Rhysand for crossing that line between brothers. He’s only momentarily grateful that Rhys never tried doing something similar to him and Nesta.

“I thought she was over that other guy, Lucien,” Az continues. “But maybe she’s not, if Rhys is so concerned about what Lucien’s stepfather thinks. Anyway, that’s why I ran. Because I knew she liked me, but I also knew she didn’t love me. I didn’t want us to cause all that trouble with Rhys just to end up backed into a corner one day, having nowhere else to go because she loves someone else and I’m just a rebound. It would be awkward for everyone involved.” He scratches the back of his neck. “It’s mostly my fault, for always chasing after women I can’t have.” He finally looks up at Cassian. “When you talk to Elain, does it sound like she hates me?” The question is quiet, straightforward.

“No,” Cassian answers, voice rough. Even if Azriel wants to hide his feelings, Cassian won’t. “She doesn’t seem like she hates you. I don’t even think she’s mad at you.” Concerned, anxious, upset—that’s Elain as far as he knows.

“She should hate me,” Azriel says. “She should get pissed, burn my old clothes, and swear to never talk to me again. That’s the only way she can move on.” Maybe even move back to Lucien, is what goes unsaid.

Cassian isn’t so sure about that. Even as he feels for Az, he thinks both of his brothers should get slapped upside the head for how they’ve been acting lately. He won’t be the one to do it, but he might get Nesta to relay a message to Elain. It’ll be the same thing. “I’m sorry,” he tells Az instead. “I know I’ve been hard on you lately. When we get home, I’ll start doing better.” He claps Az on the shoulder and squeezes.

Azriel surprises him by scoffing, looking away in disbelief. “Wow, being compassionate is really a full time job for you, huh?” He claps Cassian’s shoulder back, pulling him into a sudden hug. “You’ve already done more than enough,” he says into Cassian’s ear. “Go to your girlfriend and take a rest.”

Taken aback, Cassian nods and pulls away. He’s about to turn around and leave when Az says, “By the way, I wasn’t flirting with Gwyn.”

Cassian raises a brow. “You were definitely doing something.”

Az rolls his eyes. “I’m not giving her anything she can’t handle. But in case you haven’t noticed, I have no interest in other women right now.” He makes a face. “Especially not her.”

Cassian chuckles. “I believe you. It’s Nesta you need to worry about.”

“Whatever. I’m not scared of her.”

That makes Cassian laugh even harder, but he turns around, ready to go back to said girlfriend. As he nears the fire pit, though, he finds that Gwyn is already there and cuddled up to Nesta. On Nesta’s other side, Emerie now sits in Cassian’s chair, asleep on her friend’s shoulder. He stops in his tracks.

Cassian wasn’t lying when he told Nesta that he was happy about their changed vacation plans—he believes the more the merrier, and he loves these people. Yet he can’t help but wish the two of them could be alone for just one day. Only one.

God, sometimes having friends sucks.

***

a/n: this is a two parter so next chapter we’ll finally be getting more nessian alone time

tagging: @hellasblessed @sjm-things @thewayshedreamed @drielecarla @valkyriewarriors @superspiritfestival @aliveahaahahafuck @cupcakey00 @sayosdreams @rainbowcheetah512 @claralady @thebluemartini @nessiantho @missing-merlin @duskandstarlight @lucy617 @sleeping-and-books @everything-that-i-love @cassianscool @swankii-art-teacher @wannawriteyouabook @awesomelena555 @julemmaes @wickedqueenoffantasy @poisonous-bloom @observationanxioustheorist @gisellefigue08 @courtofjurdan @theoverlyenthusiasticwriter @wolfiixxx @cass-nes @seashade @royaltykxx @illyrianundercover @queenestarcheron @monstrousloves-explodinggalaxies @humanexile @that-golden-lyre @agentsofsheilds @mercy-is-alive @cassiansbigwingspan @laylaameer01 @verypaleninja @maastrash @bow-dawn @perseusannabeth @dead-on-the-inside666 @jlinez @hungryreadingaddict @anidealiveson @planet-faerie @shallowhighwaters @ghostlyrose2 @chosenfamily-valkyriequeens @rarephloxes @readiajin @nessiantrashh @live-the-fangirl-life @ifinallygavein @xoblivisci @sjmships @jungtaekwoonie-is-life @lysandra-tiara @lanyjoy-13 @frosted-crackers @post-it-notes33 @loosingdreams @fromthelibraryofemilyj @18moneytoad @dontgetsalmonella @champanheandluxxury @togreblog @arinbelle @ladygabrielli1997 @meridainthedisneyland

#ncssianwrites #a favor #nesta archeron #nessian #cassian #nessian fanfic #nessian au

238 notes · View notes

ravenadottir · 2 years

Note

hiii im so happy youre back!! i hope your doing well :D i was wondering how the lis would celebrate mc’s birthday with her?

thank you so much! i won't blab too much here.

bobby. he wants to cook her meals and make sure it's a surprise, enough to beat the buttercream the day before when she's not around. making her favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner are a given but to top it all off, he arranges table for two in the living room, very romantic, very intimate. her present might be something really cool like tickets to see her favorite artist.

carl. he's not a cook so he's taking her out to her favorite place, because he will burn everything down, including the kitchen. limo, a new dress, flowers. in the restaurant, after the meal, bubbly and dessert, and her gift when she gets home. it's always something extravagant because he loves shiny things. unless that's not mc's style he will give her something diamonds.

elisa. glamour surprise birthday party, every friend invited, black tie, sophisticated food and place but absolutely cool music. she pampers mc with a new dress and shoes and sends a car to mislead her. a room waiting for them at the end of the night where elisa gives mc her present, something gold like a necklace or bracelet engraved with an inside joke.

gary. surprise party with friends, the barbecue type of party, possibly asking chelsea to help out. there's music, presents, the friends playing drinking or card games, but there's one room where they can go to be alone for a second, where the gift comes out. it could be a thousand things but i'm betting on trip for two.

henrik. mini vacation, possibly somewhere warmer and more reserved. if it's winter, somewhere with a fireplace. he will spoil her with food, massages, his gift, which i think it might be a token from somewhere they visited together but couldn't get it at the time.

ibrahim. getting a private plane to a place where they can share dinner and a present. he's done it before, imagine what he would do if he loves the girl! it might be a different country and they might spend the weekend. the present is as ostentacious as the trip there. i don't doubt he would stir into the rich when planning something.

kassam. a really cool concert he might mislead mc saying he couldn't get the tickets to because it has to be a surprise. definitely 4 am food on the way home and her gift waiting to be unwrapped, possibly something practical that she really needs, like a laptop or tablet. he loves giving things he sees people using all the time.

lottie. whole-day-date, starting by shopping and spa, then having mc's favorite food for lunch. a movie later she wants to take her to a hotel for the night. lottie being so imaginitive and planning something for a girl is endearing, because she wants everything to be perfect. her gift might be something mc really wants to splurge but doesn't want to because it's too expensive and she would feel guilty.

lucas. he's moving things on his schedule because it's gonna be big. a whole weekend kind of deal, possibly taking her to the beach, where is warm, no matter where that is. there's new clothes, shoes (that he picked), extravagant meals, everything to spoil her.

marisol. loves planning things, especially for her girlfriend. i reckon a dinner party with their friends, entrees, main course, dessert, drinks, the whole shebang! she struggles to pick a gift so she goes with what she knows mc needs at the moment.

noah. two for dinner in his place all the way. he's cooking everything, he's picking her up from work and drawing her a bath while finishing the meal. they have dinner and he gives her the present he chose. it's always heartfelt, and it could be something from mc's childhood, like a plushie toy she really wanted, or a book that was a big part of her life growing up.

priya. step aside because the fancy birthday dinner will end up in shambles, in a good way. the best way to celebrate a birthday, according to her, is to have fun with your loved ones, so she's taking mc and everyone else to an afterparty in a club. there's music, drinks, all types of shenanigans because bobby and gary will be present. she wants it to be unforgetable.

#litg #love island the game #litg s2 #litg season 2 #litg bobby #litg carl #litg elisa #litg gary #litg henrik #litg ibrahim #litg kassam #litg lottie #litg lucas #litg marisol #litg noah #litg priya #queue #post-villa #birthday

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ah-ga-seven · 3 years

Text

Till The End of Summer - Chapter 14 (The Finale)

>> series masterlist <<

Pairing: Choi Yeonjun x Reader

In a Nutshell: College!AU, Rich Kids, Friends to Lovers, Fuckboy athlete Yeonjun, Overprotective Best friend Soobin, contains all of TXT and other Idol cameos, Omnipresent perspective.

Synopsis: You and Yeonjun are caught up in a cat and mouse game because of unspoken feelings and endless pining for each others’ attention. With the summer break approaching and lots of college parties, will you finally get a chance to explore your feelings for each other; even though the world and Yeonjun’s reputation makes things complicated?

Word count: 12,3K

Idol Cameos: NCT Johnny, ITZY Ryujin, ATEEZ Wooyoung, Stray Kids Hyunjin, Enhyphen Sunghoon, Heesung and Jay.

Genre: Fluff, SMUT, angst if you squint.

Warnings: explicit mature content, I put a bolded warning sign at the start and end of it so you can skip through if you want.

Month 1.

Yeonjun went back home to save the reputation of Choi Enterprises by dealing with Lita’s attempt to overthrow him and his mother.

Apparently, she did a lot more than the things she was locked up for initially.

Lita and her husband bribed members of the board, making promises they obviously couldn’t keep. “When we have the company, the world is yours” but those days never came. and the board members that were bribed were fired effective immediately.

Each and every one of them got disposed of, with their assets included like they were last weeks’ trash. And if that wasn’t enough, Lita’s unjustified psychosis stemmed from the fact that she used to sleep with Yeonjun’s father. Lita felt like she was entitled to the Choi’s fortunes because according to her; the only woman Daniel Choi ever loved, was her.

The revelation had Yeonjun sick to his stomach as he sat next to his mother in court. Lita looked at him with pleading eyes, claiming to really love him as her own son before the judge announced her 15-year prison sentence for fraud, spying, embezzlement, and attempted murder.

Somehow Yeonjun felt nothing as he looked at her. He really didn’t. If anything, he was glad to close this chapter of his life for good, and look ahead of the road to recovering his soul.

You, on the other hand, were completely overwhelmed with your new surroundings. You threw yourself into your work to forget about your heartache and didn’t dare to talk to Yeonjun in case it’d open up your wounds again. It would cause for you to lose focus, and you simply couldn’t afford that distraction right now.

Month 2

The first month passed without any contact between the two of you, but that changed when you wished him a happy birthday. His heart thumped in his chest on his way to his 6th therapy session as he looked at your message.

He was even more surprised to see that you sent him a cute card with a Polaroid picture of the two of you; all happy and smiley in the park.

It was reassuring to him that you were still thinking of him, and that you hadn’t completely forgotten about him or moved on so easily, because lord knows he hadn’t.

When you asked him about Lita’s trial a few days after his birthday, you two started to slowly talk again from time to time. You’d check up on each other and made small talk, but it was nothing like it used to be.

There was no depth, and the core of your conversations always had to do with how both of your studies were going, if you were taking care of yourselves or if you’ve had dinner already.

You both figured it was for the better this way, otherwise your break up would have been for nothing if you didn’t use this time apart from each other to heal, especially since you promised to be better individually so you could be even better together.

If that was still what both of you wanted upon your return of course.

He missed you so much, and he was finding it incredibly hard not to check your socials at least once a day, especially when he realized how male-dominated your studies were at Brown.

Your Instagram feed and stories indicated that you were having the time of your life when you could. You were happy despite the crazy hours you spent in a lab with your research team. A team that quickly became your new group of friends at the University.

There were 2 other guys and one other girl in your team. The girl’s name was Giselle, you seemed to be the closest to her out of all of them. One of the guys was named Chanhee who was quite obviously gay, therefore not a threat. But the second guy, Hwang Hyunjin… let's just say that Yeonjun wasn't a fan.

Month 3

Your almost daily texts and calls with your friends back home started to shift to communication on a weekly basis.

It was hard to keep up with your friends back home while having to entertain a new friend group here, all while you spent hours upon hours in the lab, working on a possible treatment for neurological disorders.

You knew that whatever you were getting yourself into with this exchange was going to be hard, but you didn’t imagine it to be this hard and frankly, you were feeling incredibly homesick by now.

You missed Soobin, the boys, Mia…Yeonjun. And one time when you came home at 10 PM after a long day that started at 8 AM; you broke down on the phone when Soobin called to check in on you.

He was so shocked at your tears that he was ready to jump on a plane, but you stopped him from doing so. Knowing that you needed to push through and confide in the friends you made, whom you’ve started to hang out with a lot more, especially with Hyunjin.

He reminded you a lot of Soobin, the way he was gentle yet in for dumb shit matched well with your own personality, and hanging out with him felt liberating. He introduced you to his friends and spent time with you and your lab partner and roommate Giselle whenever he could, which made your time at Brown a lot more bearable than you had anticipated.

Yeonjun was slowly starting to enjoy life again. He caught up with his studies, kept going to therapy, had regular calls with his mother, and spent time with his friends whenever he could. He started to pick up his neglected hobby of dancing again, finding comfort in the art form with Wooyoung and his crew.

Month 4

Yeonjun’s mother sold Choi Enterprises. She was completely done with the company as it wasn’t hers to begin with. The stock prices had risen for the first time since Daniel’s death paired with the whole Lita ordeal, so she took the chance to get rid of her past with a simple transaction.

She consulted Yeonjun about selling the company and the house he grew up in, for which he agreed, glad that they could finally close that dark chapter of their lives while getting a fresh start with new surroundings.

With all of this newly acquired money, she opened a new headquarters of her own luxury fashion brand, closer to Yeonjun; only an hour away to be exact.

She was determined to be a better mother and get to know her son, and the only way to do so was by actually trying. He was happier now that the burden of having to take over Choi Enterprises one day fell off of his shoulders.

For the first time in a long time, he held the reigns to his own future again and his mother assured him that she’d support whatever he wanted to do in life both mentally and financially.

From there on out things started to look up for them.

They went on café dates every Sunday, and sometimes he’d visit her for an entire weekend where they would bond by cooking or shopping together.

During one visit, Yeonjun helped her pick some pieces for Fashion week, which made her pleasantly surprised by Yeonjun’s out of the box and daring passion for fashion. She suggested he’d take a minor in fashion design next to his regular Business studies and after giving it a good thought, he did, enjoying it a little more than he thought he would.

Month 5

You were doing better too. The hard part of your research was over with, and you had a well-deserved break which you spent with Giselle, Chanhee, and Hyunjin. You decided on having a mini-vacation and go sightseeing, rent an Airbnb somewhere in the state, and just chill.

Everything was fine until the last night of your trip, where you got shitfaced drunk and ended up sleeping with Hyunjin.

You were single, so there was no reason to feel guilty, especially since the last time you even talked to Yeonjun was over a month ago, yet you still did.

Of course, you had to talk to Mia about it, who only told you to remember that when you’d return in a month; you’d probably never see Hyunjin again, and that was enough for you to start distancing yourself from him.

The guy obviously had feelings for you, and you felt bad for friend-zoning him after being intimate with him, but the fact of the matter was that you just didn’t feel the same way about him. None of it would matter in a few weeks anyway, because you’d be heading back home, to your friends...and to Yeonjun.

Month 6

Brown had offered you to stay and finish your studies at their facilities but you kindly declined. The experience was great, but you couldn’t put yourself through one more year of this type of curriculum, and you desperately wanted to see your friends' faces again by going back to the place you’ve called home for the past three years.

To your new-found friends’ disappointment, you were getting ready to leave as the weeks passed, packing your things little by little and meeting up with all of the people you met one last time before parting ways for good.

It felt bittersweet though. Not only did you learn a lot about neuroscience, but you learned a lot about yourself as well. You grew as a person, matured, and blossomed by being more independent. Not having Soobin or your other friends to fall back on really pushed you to become more self-dependent, which was one of the perks of being away from them for so long.

You respected yourself and put yourself first and promised that that’d be a piece of knowledge that you’d be taking back home too.

Now.

Yeonjun couldn’t believe half a year had passed already. But what he really couldn’t believe was that he’d be seeing you again tonight.

He stood in your apartment with the guys and Mia, organizing your things and cleaning up the place for your surprise welcome home party. Being in there felt weird, almost foreign to be exact.

It’d been half a year since he stepped foot in here, and even though you were gone for so long, the place still smelled like you. If it wasn’t for the empty shelves, missing bedsheets, and plastic covers over your furniture; it’d almost seem like you never really left.

He opened your bedroom door to see Mia struggling to make your bed and chuckled lightly at the sight. He walked over to her, grabbing the other ends of the sheets to help her out.

Mia gave him a faint smile and stopped her movements for a second to look at Yeonjun. “Are you excited?” She asks with a big smile. Lord knows she was, her best friend was finally coming back but Yeonjun didn’t really know how to answer Mia’s question.

“More nervous than excited. We checked up on each other from time to time but it’s not like we really talked or anything.”

Mia pouted at Yeonjun’s insecure facial expression. One she hasn’t seen from him that often. Especially lately. Mia and Yeonjun have gotten a lot closer in the past six months, which was a nice change for the both of them.

“It’ll be fine. Don’t worry. You’re not the same Yeonjun you were six months ago. And that’s a good thing. She’ll appreciate the change.”

“Gee, thanks.” Yeonjun snickers as he throws a pillow at Mia’s head. It hit her straight in the face, messing up her hair which made both of them erupt in loud laughter.

“Asshole,” Mia says straightening out her hair.

“What’s going on here?” Soobin asks with a big smile on his face as he enters your room.

Soobin hasn’t been able to wipe that damn grin off of his face all day. He was so excited for you to come back and honestly the mood with the boys and with Mia has been amazing lately.

“Yeonjun is back to his old ways,” Mia argues as she tries to throw the pillow back at him, but Yeonjun swiftly caught it, giggling to himself as he fixes it before putting it back on your bed, where it belongs.

“Well, quit messing around and hurry the fuck up, I’m picking her up in an hour.” Soobin says clapping his hands together to try and give orders, but neither Yeonjun nor Mia were phased by Soobin’s attempt to assert dominance. Both of them rolled their eyes before getting back to the task of making your bed.

It was adorable how stressed yet giddy Soobin was to see you again. Everything had to be perfect before you arrived so he could relax and make sure you’ll be able to relax after your flight too.

He ran around your apartment like a stressed mother; making sure the boys weren’t messing around too much so that everything planned out smoothly before the guests arrived.

Soobin waited for you patiently…at the wrong exit.

You immediately recognized his tall form when you were skimming the crowd, wondering why he wasn’t there yet, but when you saw his back facing the wrong arrival hall; you knew enough.

It’s so Soobin of him to face the wrong way. You smile to yourself as it gave you the perfect opportunity to scare him.

You chuckle as you walk towards him while pulling your suitcase with you. He was concentrated on the people exiting the gates, hoping to see you and growing more and more restless as you didn’t show up, but little did he know, you were right behind him.

“Who are we waiting for?” You ask in a serious tone as you stood beside him with your arms crossed while following his gaze onto the crowd.

Soobin’s head snapped into your direction so fast you swore you heard a bone crack.

His eyes widened before he smacked his bunny-like lips in confusion, looking you up and down before a huge smile crept upon his face that you could only mimic.

“YOU’RE HERE!” Soobin shouts in shock, relief, and joy at the same time while pulling you in for a tight hug. He inhaled your scent while twirling you around, and all you could do was giggle as he smothered you in his hold.

God, you missed him, and judging from the way he wasn’t letting go of you, you could tell he missed you too.

“Ugh, I missed you so much. How was your flight? And look at you! Did you change up your hair? You look good, happy, healthy. Ugh.”

You couldn’t even respond to anything he was saying as he wrapped you into his arms again. Normally you’d fight him for being so clingy, but this time you let him have his way for a few seconds…until it got hard to breathe.

“Soobin, I can’t breathe.” You protest softly as you tap his chest to let go which made him laugh in response, holding you at an arms-length. “Sorry y/n. I just…we’re never separating for that long ever again,” he says with a serious yet playful look on his face.

“Agreed.” you beam up at him as you link arms, walking towards the exit.

“Did you have a good flight?” he asks as he pets your hair, not believing that you were standing next to him right now.

“Mmh, there was some turbulence so I couldn’t really rest. I can’t wait till I’m home again so I can sleep,” you mumble before you let out a yawn as you drag your feet on the tiled floor of the airport.

Soobin gulped. He didn’t know how you’d feel about the hoard of people in your apartment right now, all ready to celebrate your return when all you really wanted was to get some rest after your long travels.

He felt guilty for a second but also knew that you’d probably forget all about your tiredness when you’ll see all of your friends again.

“Uhm, the car isn’t that far. Give me that,” he says as he takes your suitcase from your hold.

“Everyone quiet down! They’re coming up right now!” Taehyun announces while he cut the music.

Everyone frantically found a spot to hide. Some giggled as it got dark, some held on to each other cause they couldn’t see shit and some were nervous wrecks like Yeonjun.

You weren’t suspecting anything as you dragged your feet to your apartment. Soobin was acting weirder and weirder; fumbling with his keys, dropping shit, and constantly checking his phone, but you were too dense and tired to notice.

You struggle with your lock and let out a yawn. Soobin stood closely behind you, taking a deep breath as the door swung open.

Before you could even close the door behind you or find the light switch, all of the lights turned on in an instant, followed by a loud ‘SURPISE’ yelled out by at least two dozen people who were occupying your living space.

You flinch, your eyes nearly popping out of your skull and stumble backward, just so your back could hit Soobin’s tall form.

He laughed hysterically clapping his hands together like a seal, followed by everyone in the room.

“Oh my god.” Is the only thing that you were able to get out as you covered your face at the overwhelming sensation.

You didn’t even realize you had this many friends? I mean you knew all of them of course, but you didn’t comprehend the fact that they were all here to welcome you back.

The music turned back on and Mia was the first one to launch herself into your arms which had you immediately defrosting in her hold.

‘BITCH!!!” she yelped. “I MISSED YOU SO MUCH.”

She clung onto you and twirled you around making the adrenaline and confusion in your body shift to pure happiness at seeing their faces again.

You can’t believe they did this, and suddenly you don’t feel tired anymore.

“Y/N!” Beomgyu squealed your name as he hugged you, followed by Taehyun and Hueningkai who all patiently waited until it was their turn to hug you.

You were so caught up in shock and bombarded with love, that you didn't have time to scan the room for other familiar faces. Instead, you just let them come to you one by one as you stood glued to the floor, smiling, hugging and chatting away with all of the people that seemed to have missed you so dearly.

Yeonjun stood in the corner of your living room, watching the whole ordeal. A smile crept onto his face at how happy and healthy you looked. It’s almost as if he saw you for the first time again. Making him realize that love at first sight really was a thing…even in this form.

He took a sip of his drink, still watching you carefully until someone nudged his shoulder.

“Shouldn’t you go say hi to your girl?” The taller and older guy leaned against the wall next to Yeonjun after nudging him, making him look up at him.

“Hyung, I don’t even know what to say to her. She’s so happy right now, I don’t wanna ruin it.”

Johnny furrowed his eyebrows, cocking his head to the side. “You don’t think she’ll be happy to see you?”

“I don’t know anything right now.” Yeonjun sighed, watching you join Hueningkai and Beomgyu for a selfie with a big smile on your face. “When is the last time you two spoke?” Johnny asked, taking another sip of his drink.

“Like two months ago.”

“Damn…”

“I know.”

and just as the picture was taken, you spotted him across the room.

Your eyes locked, making Yeonjun freeze in place. “Shit,” he gulps, downing his drink in one go to calm his nerves which made Johnny laugh at his antics.

“Relaaaax. Did you see her eyes light up just now? I think she missed you too,” he assures him, throwing an arm around his shoulder for comfort.

This seems odd? Doesn’t it? Yeonjun and Johnny being all friendly with each other.

During Yeonjun’s never-ending therapy sessions, the school’s counselor wanted to connect Yeonjun with someone with a similar background. You should’ve seen both of their faces when they met during a group session, but after realizing they had such corresponding backgrounds, you know; the neglected rich kid kind, they haven’t stopped talking to each other and oddly became very close friends.

It was nice for Yeonjun to have an older brother figure in his life since he’s the oldest in his own friend group, and it was even nicer for Johnny to find out that Yeonjun wasn’t such a big dick after all. Oh, and the part of having someone who gets his struggle was great too, even in the form of Choi Yeonjun.

You couldn’t believe your eyes. You didn’t expect him to be here for some reason and the last thing you expected was seeing him with Johnny’s arm around his shoulder in a non-threatening way.

Mia chuckled as she followed your gaze. “Yeah…so, they started hanging out a few months ago.”

“How even?”

“I don’t know maybe they started to bond over being your rejects,” Taehyun says making Mia and Beomgyu cackle with him, but you couldn’t quite see the humor in it. You had only returned to your friends for 5 whole minutes and they were already being annoying.

Soobin noticed your slight annoyance and chuckled, rubbing your back in comfort as he was the only one to notice how nervous you really were to talk to him again after all this time. “Go talk to him, he’s just as nervous. Trust me.” Soobin says into your ear so only you could hear, and you give him a small nod in response. Smiling at the encouragement you so desperately needed.

You’re a bad bitch. You got this.

You look at him once more as he talked to Johnny.

For some reason, his whole aura changed from the last time you saw him. His features matured a bit, he lost weight and he completely embraced having a mullet. Ok…hot.

He was breathtaking. Even after all this time of being apart, he made you feel the exact same way and all it took to remind you of that feeling was one look from him.

He decided to man up and make his way through the crowd to greet you, but you beat him to it as your legs automatically walked over to where he was standing.

Johnny sensed the sudden electricity in the air as you approached and decided to go in for the hug first to give Yeonjun some time to collect himself. “Y/n!” Johnny coed as he enveloped you into a big bear hug. “It’s so good to see you again. How are you? How was your exchange?”

You’re snapped out of your trance, but you still feel Yeonjun’s eyes on you as you’re trapped in Johnny’s embrace. You collect yourself as you let go of him, trying to avoid Yeonjun’s gaze for now but it was almost impossible because of how close he was.

“I’m good, it was good. A lot of sleepless nights but it was totally worth it.” You give him the quickest answer possible; you weren’t quite sure where to start the conversation with Yeonjun but the longer the two of you ignored each other, the weirder the tension between you two was getting.

He took a deep breath, giving you a warm smile before averting his attention to Johnny. He not so subtly told him to leave with his eyes, which made Johnny suavely exit the conversation by announcing that he needed a refill.

“Hey…” you start.

Yeonjun’s eyes glistened as he looked at you with adoration. “Hey.”

You looked good. Your skin had a healthy glow, and your new haircut was working wonders for your features. He was entranced by your beauty for a second before realizing his stare might be creeping you out, though you didn’t even notice, cause you were staring at him too.

You were completely caught up in your own perception of time. Everything seemed to slow down now that you were looking into others eyes again after all this time and just as you were about to open your mouth to speak, some kid you didn’t know accidentally bumped into you roughly.

The sudden impact made you lose balance as you jolted forward, straight into Yeonjun’s arms. Luckily, he swiftly caught and stabilized you.

He looked at you in shock, making sure you were okay as he grabbed your shoulders before turning his attention to the random kid who somehow got an invite to be at your welcome home party, in your house, without you even knowing who he is.

He quickly apologized, but you feared for what was about to happen. The Yeonjun you left 6 months ago was a dick and a hothead, he’d make the kid regret running into you like that but to your surprise Yeonjun straightened out the freshman’s clothes and gave him a small side smile.

“Be careful kid, we just got her back,” he says in neutral yet friendly tone.

That’s it? No threatening glare? No sarcasm?

He seemed to notice your dumbfounded facial expression and chuckled. “Anger management classes,” he explains with playfulness evident in his voice.

“You’re kidding?” you scoff in amusement.

“Nope. I’ve turned into a complete softie, just for you.”

You teasingly shove his shoulder and laugh loudly. The sound made Yeonjun’s heart flutter as he watched your face contort into pure joy and cuteness. He felt the sudden urge to squish your cheeks together and litter your face with kisses but he withheld himself from doing so, and reciprocated your giggles with the sound of his own laugh as he raked his hand through his long locks.

This small moment of flirty teasing made the both of you realize just how much you had missed each other as you were quick to jump back in your old ways.

You both should’ve known that worrying about any awkwardness between you two was stupid. After all, you were friends before you even started dating; and luckily that dynamic returned quickly because he was just as big of a casual flirter as you were.

Suddenly it felt like you were starting all over again with him, it felt like the first time you tried to connect with him on that damn picnic that started the timeline of your relationship.

Somehow the universe granted you the opportunity to hit the reset button and do things right this time, and you couldn’t be happier now that you realize how stupid it was to worry about the inseverable connection you two seemed to have to each other.

Even after all these months and all those miles of distance, Yeonjun still felt like home.

He gave you a shy smile, realizing you were staring at him with hearts in your eyes while you expectantly gazed into his dark orbs.

His eyes weren’t hollow anymore, for the first time in ages his happiness felt genuine and you couldn’t wait for him to tell you all about it.

“How about we…ditch your party for a bit and go take a walk,” Yeonjun suggests, giving you a hopeful yet mischievous look as he held out his hand for you.

You boldly lace your fingers through his and lead him out of your apartment without a second thought, ignoring stares from literally everyone.

Oh my god, history really was repeating itself. Your mind flashes back to the walk you took with him that night at Johnny’s party; you lead him out of Johnny’s kitchen the exact same way right after the fight you had with an overprotective Soobin about trying to date Yeonjun.

You got Yeonjun a little flustered, which is a first, but he was happy with your directness. He couldn’t wait to be alone with you in a more private setting and if that meant leaving your own party, then so be it.

Fresh air hits your lungs as the chilly spring night welcomes you outside. Your apartment was way too crowded and way too hot which made you sigh contently as the cold wind created goosebumps on your skin.

Yeonjun looked at you and stopped in his tracks while diverting his gaze at your still intertwined fingers.

You look back at him, confused as to why he stopped walking, but before you could ask questions; he pulled you towards him, trapping you into his strong arms. One of his hands made its way to the nape of your neck to slowly pat your hair as he leaned his chin on the top of your head.

You just let it happen, wrapping your arms around his torso while burying your face in the crook of his neck. The familiar scent of soap mixed with his expensive Chanel Bleu cologne hit your nostrils and the butterflies in your tummy start to flutter again after being on rest for six months.

Whole. That’s how you feel in the moment.

“You have no idea how much I missed you.” You mumble into the hug, not wanting to look up at him out of fear that he might not have felt the same, but by the way he was holding you right now, you should know better. The insecurity of not being good enough still had its ways of fucking with your mind, even though you had no reason to be.

Yeonjun opened his eyes at your confession, not being able to hide how happy he was to hear that his feelings were mutual. He hid his grin by burying his face into your hair again as he giggled before pulling back slightly to see your face. You were trying incredibly hard to hide the heat that had risen to your cheeks but it was to no avail as Yeonjun mumbled something about how cute you were right now.

He was so worried you didn’t feel the same. He was convinced you forgot all about him at Brown. Your Instagram stories were filled with the countless parties you went to, the new people you met accompanied with the fact that your posts were littered with suggestive comments from guys he could only assume you met over there.

Yeonjun’s biggest fear relating to your return was that you utilized those six months away from him to move on, but as selfish as it sounds; he was so incredibly glad that you hadn’t.

“Look at me.” He tried to cup your face but you didn’t let him, giggling into his chest as you protested.

The two of you must look absolutely pathetic to bystanders right now. You were completely stuck in your own world, acting like high school kids who were brand new to love, but somehow that’s exactly what you were.

He chuckled lowly, as you tightened the hold you had on his waist. “Ah, whyyy…Look at me, come on.”

You do as you’re told, and when you look up you are greeted by the most beautiful smile you’ve seen in your life, making your breath hitch in your throat at how boyish yet manly he looked just now.

“Ok, I’m looking. Now what?” You challenge as you take a hold of his wrists as he cupped your face.

He didn’t know if he’d move too fast if he kissed your lips right now, so he decided against it while giving you a sweet kiss on your forehead instead.

“I just wanted to see your pretty face up close again. Instagram doesn’t do you justice, angel.”

“Oh, shut up.” You giggle, rolling your eyes as you push yourself out of his hold. You hate to admit it, but the little pet name made your heart skip a beat. You pretend to run from him, but he snatched you back in no time by tugging at your elbow with laughs and giggles. You give in and link arms with him as you resumed your walk through your neighborhood and look up at him to check if he was really here with you right now.

This whole thing just felt too good to be true. Here you thought he’d moved on from your relationship, but the confirmation that he hadn’t was nice, to say the least.

He looked down as he felt your eyes on him and smiles at you before looking at the path ahead of him.

“What?” he asks with an amused tone, but you just shake your head in response.

“You seem different.”

“How different?”

“Like you aren’t carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders anymore type of different.”

He nodded understandingly and stopped in his tracks to look into your eyes again. His hands traveled down to yours, lacing your fingers together once more before he sighed, tucking a stray piece of your hair behind your ear for you.

You gave him an expecting look, squeezing the hand that was still intertwined with yours to assure him of the fact that you’re listening, which earned you a small smile.

“It’s cause I’m not. While you were changing the lives of others with your research, I was changing my own. At first, I thought the whole therapy thing was a hoax. I didn’t understand why talking to some stranger would fix me, but it helped me come to terms with a lot. I learned about acceptance and moving forward. And I learned that in order to be able to love someone in a healthy manner, I’d have to love myself first. You know…on a deeper level than just my handsome face” he jokes trying to lift some weight off of his words.

You roll your eyes, but secretly love his arrogance, making a low chuckle escape from your lips before you return to seriousness again.

“I’m so proud of you.” you say, and you mean it. You’re amazed at how clear his mind seemed to be. It’d usually take Yeonjun a good minute to collect his thoughts before he could talk about how he felt with you, but right now it came out so naturally, it was almost odd.

He gave you a weak side smile, making eye contact once again. “I’m nowhere near the finish line though. I can’t promise you that I’ll never fuck up again because I’m learning as I go, but what I can promise you, is that my heart and my feelings for you are unchanged. I haven’t stopped thinking of you, not once. The thought of being with you again was my driving force and I need you to know that.”

He caressed your cheek while you let his words sink in and suddenly you feel tears prickle your eyes.

You were at a loss for words, completely lovestruck by his incredibly sweet and wise confession.

You hold onto his wrist for leverage, your breathing turned shaky and uneven as a tear escaped your eyes.

Here you thought he had completely moved on from your relationship. But god, you were so wrong, and you couldn’t be any happier.

“I promised myself to never make you cry again,” he joked lightheartedly as he wiped another tear away from your cheek, making you sniff in response, wiping them away with your sleeve quickly. “They’re happy tears.”

He looked into your eyes again, searching for answers and maybe even permission. He wanted to take things slow; give you time to reflect and time to adjust to being back home, but he simply couldn’t help himself.

When you leaned into his touch, he knew you basically gave him an okay to proceed.

He inched his face dangerously close to yours, lightly brushing his plump lips against yours. His hesitation made you smile, so you pull him down to your level by the back of his neck as you initiated the kiss.

He froze for a second at your dominance but quickly relaxed in your touch soon after he realized that you seemed to want this just as much as he did.

Kissing him was like muscle memory. It felt natural and blissful and suddenly you find yourself wondering about how you were able to live without this feeling of pure euphoria for over six months.

His love was like a drug, and all it took was one kiss to break your sobriety.

He pulled back, quickly assessing his surroundings before he realized the two of you were basically making out in the middle of the street.

He pulled you into an alleyway and pushed you against the wall of a random apartment building, his hands holding on to each side of your face delicately yet roughly as he kissed you with so much fervor, it almost made you dizzy.

“You really had me thinking I lost you forever,” he mumbles as his lips disconnected from yours.

You weren’t given the change to respond as his lips found their way to the soft spot in your neck. He still remembered every sensitive inch of your skin and used it against you all too willingly; wrapping his hands around your throat as he kissed and licked a pattern from your jaw to your neck.

A breathy moan left your lips as he started to suck possessive marks onto your neck and you instinctively wrap your arms around his waist, letting him do as he pleases, too entranced by the delicious feeling. You jumped up and he caught you by hooking his arms under your thighs, stabilizing you against the wall as you kept making out.

You giggled at his eagerness, a little flustered at the fact that you were in public; even though it was nighttime while being in a neglected alley; it still felt wrong.

He smirked against your neck when he felt you hesitate, and placed a soft yet wet kiss on your lips before letting go of you. He made sure you landed back on the ground safely, straightening out your clothes for you. “Maybe we should head back,” he says with a dark gaze, acting as if he didn’t just litter your neck with marks and bruises. He licked his pouty lips in amusement at the sight of what he had just done to you, knowing all too well that people would be able to see what happened while the two of you were gone.

You playfully shoved him aside, completely oblivious to how bad it really was but when you stepped into the elevator and saw your own reflection you gasped and shot Yeonjun a look of pure panic and distress. “YEONJUN!” you gasp loudly. “You can’t be fucking serious.”

“I’m sorry I just…couldn’t help myself.” he licked his lips again, cockiness emitting from his entire being. He inched closer to you to give you an innocent kiss on the top of your head and pulled the hair tie out of your hair, making your hair fall past your shoulders to cover the hickeys.

“This’ll do.”

“Oh my god, I hate you.”

He scoffed, casually smacking your ass in response.

On the remaining way back to your apartment you were constantly fixing your clothes and hair, trying to let it nonchalantly fall to the front but you knew it looked rather ridiculous.

You had hoped your friends were too intoxicated to notice but when you stepped foot in your apartment with Yeonjun closely trailing behind you, all eyes were on you again.

How long were you two gone for? 10, maybe 20 minutes?

“Hyung.” Taehyun grabbed Yeonjun by his collar, turning him around which made Yeonjun frown at the younger one.

“For fucks sake.” Taehyun sighs dramatically, wiping something pink from the corner of Yeonjun’s mouth with his index finger.

…it was your fucking lipgloss.

Yeonjun’s ears turned a bright red as he started to chuckle nervously. “Now I lost the fucking bet with Hueningkai. I thought it’d take at least a week before you two would start simping over each other again, it hasn’t even been an hour….AND OUTSIDE?” Taehyun sucks his teeth as a sign of disapproval, looking you up and down before his eyes lingered on your neck. “Animals. That’s it. That’s the description.”

“Pay up, loser. I told you.” Hueningkai cackles as he throws his arms around both Taehyun and Yeonjun’s shoulders.

“Y’all made a bet? An actual bet on our relationship?” you ask in pure disbelief. It was so like them to turn your emotional turmoil into their own amusement, but you couldn’t really be mad at them.

Your friends know the two of you better than anyone and probably saw this coming way before you did.

“Venmo me later.” Taehyun mumbles to Hueningkai in defeat while walking off, and you can’t help but chuckle at the irony of it all.

All of these months left in pure insecurity about your relationship with Yeonjun. Nights of pondering about your future, worrying if he had moved on or not. It was all for nothing

Yeonjun and you move like magnets, and no course of time could really drive you apart because when you’re reunited, you will always find your way back to each other. Always.

He looked at you a little dreamily, it still wasn’t sinking in that you were back. For good. And all his.

He snaked his arm around your waist as he stood behind you, resting his head on your shoulder as you told your friends all about your adventures.

He was clingy, you were clingy and neither of you was hiding it for anyone. You’ve had your fair share of secrets with Yeonjun and you were more than glad that those times were over with.

At around 4 AM most people left, and you were left alone with the boys, Ryujin and Mia.

You were on the couch, perfectly comfortable on Yeonjun’s lap as you leaned into his chest. One hand was rubbing your back in up and down motions while the other had found its way under your shirt and onto your waist. His cold fingertips grazed over your bare skin and suddenly it was way too hard to stay awake.

The chatter of your friends became background noise as your eyelids grew heavy. But you were shortly awakened out of your slumber as you felt Yeonjuns lips on your temple.

“You must be so tired after that flight and this whole circus,” he whispered with an empathetic pout, yet all you could do was nod as a response.

He chuckled at your cuteness and fixed a piece of your hair, kissing your forehead again before you buried your face in the crook of his neck.

“It’s funny how nothing has changed, yet everything is different,” Beomgyu says as he stares at you and Yeonjun with a loving smile.

Beomgyu might be a little shit with a smart mouth, but he cares for his friends. Seeing the two of you be so content in each other's presence made love emit from his pupils. Even though Yeonjun had been doing so much better the best couple of months, nothing compares to the pure happiness and giddiness that Gyu was seeing from him now, and that was all because you were together again.

Beomgyu wasn’t the only one to notice, because it was literally all of them, and especially Soobin.

Soobin who literally rebelled against any type of relationship between you and Yeonjun was smiling at the sight of you in his arms fondly. His two best friends finally found solace in each other after all the shit that both of you had been through together, and it made him sentimental.

A year had passed since the two of you started dating unofficially, though this was the first time in that whole year that Soobin was completely okay with it.

You were long gone and off into dreamland by now as Yeonjun looked at you with a small smile on his lips, but when he looked up to check why everyone had stopped talking, he was met with six pairs of twinkling eyes on him.

His pupils darted back and forth between them in genuine confusion. “Why? What’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong.” Soobin sighed contently. “For once, nothing is wrong.” he says as he leans forward to hug Mia from behind who was sitting between his legs on the floor.

Taehyun chuckled at Soobin’s dramatic statement and Hueningkai hummed in agreement.

“Not to get all simpy or anything, but with her being back it feels like our little dysfunctional family is whole again.” Beomgyu mumbles as he let his head drop onto Ryujin’s shoulder.

“Let’s try to be less dysfunctional,” Hueningkai says with determination.

“We can be less dysfunctional if you can clean up after yourselves and fold your own damn laundry so I don’t have to start a fight with you every 5 seconds,” Taehyun argues as he throws a pillow at Hueningkai's face. Making him laugh as he got in in the face with full force.

“Why can’t we just…have one peaceful moment…just one.” Soobin says rubbing his forehead in agony.

Yeonjun chuckled at the banter of his little brothers and looked back at you. “I don’t know guys, maybe that’s our charm,” he says leaving all of them in pure confusion as they looked at him for clarification.

“What do you mean by that.” Mia questions as she raises a brow at him.

“We’ll literally walk through fire to be there for each other, right? We go through things individually but will never fail to be there for each other in times of need, and I think we need to embrace our worst mistakes and arguments so we can grow from them. After all we’ve been through, I know we’ll be together forever. So, I say cheers to being dysfunctional,” He says with a proud smile, picking up his drink from the side table to raise it up in the air for a collective moment of cheers.

Dumbfounded by Yeonjun’s odd display of maturity and wise words, they all comply, raising their glasses in the air followed by a loud cheer to being “dysfunctional.”

The sudden loudness of their voices woke you up, completely out of it and sleep drunk; you lift your head from Yeonjun’s chest, squinting your eyes at your friends as you rub the sleep out of your eyes.

“Did I miss anything?” you say, your voice laced with sleep and confusion.

They all burst out into laughter at your current state paired with your obliviousness and messy bed hair.

“Nah, just six months of incompleteness,” Yeonjun says as he pecks your lips.

Mia stayed over that night and helped you unpack and clean your whole apartment the next day, which you were super grateful for but...you’d be lying if you said you didn’t wish Yeonjun would’ve stayed the night.

The fact of the matter is that you haven’t had time for a serious talk with him yet, because you know, tongue punching each other was of higher priority than hashing things out with actual words. Which meant you hadn’t really talked about your relationship status or how things will be moving forward.

“The last game of the season is tonight. Are you going?” Mia asked as she plops down on your couch with you.

“The last one? Already?”

“Yeah we’re gonna go celebrate after.”

“Even if they lose?”

“Girl, you know they don’t lose.”

You roll your eyes and laugh at Mia’s overconfidence in her boyfriends’ team. You were about to give her a definite answer before your phone started buzzing.

[Yeonjun, 12.44 PM]: Hi baby.

[Yeonjun, 12.45 PM]: Is it ok if I come over? I’ll bring us coffees from that café you love so much. 😌

[Y/N, 12.45 PM]: Yesss please 🥺

You giddily smile at your phone, wanting to squeal with excitement but you hold it in and Mia seems to notice. “Oh god, is it him?”

“Yeah, so.” you glare at her with playful intent “Let me be happy. He’s changed so drastically; I almost couldn’t believe that last night’s Yeonjun was the Yeonjun I left six months ago.”

“Yeah, he’s been working super hard to change and the whole thing with his mom helped too.”

“His mom? What do you mean?” You ask in genuine confusion, Mia bit her lip as she furiously shook her head. “Listen, I’m never, ever going to meddle in your relationship ever again. When he gets here, I’m sure he’ll tell you all about it.”

You chuckle, nodding in agreement until your attention is averted to your phone again as it buzzes in your lap once more.

[Hyunjin, 12.46 PM]: Hey sweetheart, did you have a good flight?

Oh….

Your eyes shoot to Mia’s in panic and she frowns, taking your phone out of your hold to read the message.

“Oh my god…is this your little slip-up?” she asks with disgust evident on her features.

“What do you mean slip up? I am a single woman,” you argue, but Mia wasn’t having it.

“AM?”

“WAS? GIRL, I DON’T KNOW. It was a fling, nothing more.”

“Flings don’t call you sweetheart and ask you how your flight was.” Mia says squinting her eyes at you.

“Mia…”

She sighed, visibly irritated with how naïve you were being, but you couldn’t have known that you’d fall back into Yeonjun’s arms that fast, and it’s not like you ever dated Hyunjin. He was just a friend…who you’ve slept with once.

“Listen, girl. I love you...but after everything Yeonjun has put himself through to be a better man for you, you better ghost this motherfucker right now or else.”

“Jeez, I will. It’s not like I like the guy. And since when are you team Yeonjun?”

She relaxed at your statement, slouching back into the couch. “A lot has changed y/n. He was a good friend to me when you weren’t here, that’s all.”

You nod understandingly, realizing that Yeonjun and yourself have a lot to talk about; maybe even more than you had hoped for now that Hyunjin reminded you of his existence with a mere text message.

Mia left soon after, wanting to give Yeonjun and yourself some privacy for when he got here, which wasn’t long after she left.

You opened the door for him, and he smiled at you. He was wearing a black beanie, an oversized black t-shirt, and those damned gray sweatpants of his that you love so much. Your heart did a thing at the sight and he quickly kissed your cheek before he rushed his way into your living room, trying to find a place to set down the coffee cups that were burning his fingertips at the touch.

“Careful.” You mumble as you watch him struggle. When he put the coffees down on your salon table, he quickly made his way to you again to properly kiss you this time.

He cupped your face, pulling you into him as he started to steal chaste kisses from your lips. You giggled into the kisses as you tried to untangle yourself from him, slapping his chest playfully to shoo him away.

He let go with a smile, taking your hand to lead you to your couch. You could tell by his whole body language and the way he skipped through your apartment that he was happier than ever.

You hoped you wouldn’t ruin that happiness by telling him about Hyunjin, but it shouldn’t matter because he didn’t matter. You only wanted to tell him just so you weren’t keeping any secrets anymore; cause god knows how that went the last time.

“How’d you sleep?” he asks you as he hands you your coffee. You happily take it from him and keep your eyes on him as you take a sip. “Fine, it was weird being in my own bed again, I missed it though.”

“Yeah? Anything else you missed?” his gaze was piercing into you as he took a sip of his Americano, fully aware that he was fishing for an ego boost.

“Theres this guy I kinda missed, I guess his name is Yeonjun.” You shrug as you take another sip; your flirty playfulness is one of the things that he loved about you, it kept things spicy.

“Oh him? He wanted me to tell you that he kinda missed you too,” he says with an amused glimmer in his eyes.

You chuckle. “Good.”

Suddenly the two of you fell quiet, but it wasn’t an awkward quietness; it was more of a realization that your endless flirting had to turn into somewhat of a serious conversation.

“Yeonjun…”

“Hmm?” his eyes softened at the way you called his name, he set his coffee aside turning to you completely to show you that he was listening attentively.

You sigh, not knowing what else to say other than the following. “I love you and I want to be with you.”

His eyes grow in size, a little shook by your directness but he composed himself as he fixed his posture quickly. “Why do I feel a ‘but’ coming?”

“I mean it, but I need to be honest with you too,”

“About what?”

“While I was at Brown, I kind of…flirted off and on with one of my lab partners and well…I slept with him…once. I swear it was only once and I-” he cut you off by raising his hand so you’d stop your nervous rambling and sighed. He knew exactly who you were talking about, because he had seen that motherfucker all over Instagram and had honestly seen this confession coming from miles away.

He was glad you told him though, cause he'd feel worse if you tried to hide it from him.

Though you didn’t post about him, Hyunjin did post about you, and basically tagged you in all of his Insta stories or group pictures. Yeonjun shamelessly cyberstalked the guy. It wasn’t one of his proudest moments, but he had to just to stay sane.

“Baby, we were broken up. You don’t have to justify what you did or didn’t do at that time. It’s not like I expected you to turn into a nun.”

You raise your brows in surprise at his mature response. “You’re not mad?”

“No. As long as it’s over with.”

“It is, I promise.”

“Good,” he sucked his teeth as he watched you. “Also, it’s not like anyone can fuck you as well as I can,” he states with a devious smirk as he pulled you close, making you gulp in response to his choice of words.

He chuckles at how easily intimidated you were by him and takes the opportunity to tease you.

“Did he?”

“N-no.” you stutter, innocently staring up at him. “He didn’t”

“Good girl.” He says, biting his lip while letting his thumb ghost over your lower lip.

His choice of words made your stomach turn but you knew better than to let lust get the best of you once again.

“Yeonjun…” you breathe his name like a warning, trying to avert the tension. “We…we need to talk.”

“We can talk.” He shrugs, pulling your legs towards him aggressively so you’d slide down. Your back was now on the couch as he parted your legs, settling himself in between them before hovering over you to kiss over the bruises he left last night. “After I give you a little reminder.” He smiles against your skin, pulling your shirt over your bra so he could kiss a trail down to your belly button.

“God I missed you,” he says digging his nails into your waist. "So fucking much."

(Warning: heavy smut ahead!)

Your mind goes into overdrive as he unties the tie to your sweatpants, and as he does so you stare at the outline that had formed in his own.

He didn’t waste any time, pulling down the waistband of your joggers with one swift motion while you helped him by lifting your hips off the couch.

He discarded of your clothes faster than your mind could comprehend but then you noticed that he was fully clothed, when the only thing you were wearing by now were your panties.

You pouted, pulling at his waistband but he grabbed your wrist, pinning your hands above your head so he could look at you, beautiful, bare, and all his.

“Fuck, you’re so beautiful.” His lips found their way to the sensitive nub of your breast as he eagerly licked and sucked on it while his fingers found their way onto your still clothed heat.

He rubbed his middle and index finger over your clit, making you moan at the sudden stimulation.

He pulled away, making his way down to your core as he littered your inner thigh with more and more hickeys.

You were eagerly moving your hips by now, trying to get him to kiss you where you wanted him most, but he was taking his sweet time and you were losing your patience.

“Y-Yeonjun…” you moan his name. He finally rewards you by pulling your panties aside. Licking his lips at your glistening arousal, ready to feast on you as if it was the last meal he’d ever have.

“Fuck.” He says with admiration to no one in particular, placing a soft kiss on your pussy before he started to slowly kitten-lick your sensitive nub. He lowly hummed in approval at the taste of you and fastened his pace slowly.

You gasped, arching your back to give him better access as he started to eat you out like you’ve never experienced in your life.

His skill was baffling, he had your brain melting and legs shaking while he struggled to keep you still.

“Ah…” you arch your back once more, trying to get away from the overstimulation but he held you down with his strong arms.

“Who are you running from baby, stay still.” He ordered with a low voice before getting back to business, and with ten more seconds, he had you cumming in his mouth as the vibration of his low hums drove you over the edge. You cover your own mouth to muffle your loud cries, but he pulled your hands away from your face, wanting to hear you fall apart for him.

“That’s it baby.” he mused in approval, finishing you off with one last lick before he came back up to assess your fucked out state. “So fucking good for me.”

Your chest was heaving up and down rapidly as you were trying to catch your breath. Once again you lost to the charms of Choi Yeonjun, but he was nowhere near done with you.

He quickly got rid of his own clothes and pumped himself a few times while looking straight into your eyes.

This man is a god, and he knew it.

His mischief returned when he realized you were watching him. “I think I got you wet enough, right baby?”

You almost forgot about his grit, your mouth salivating at the sight. Any slick you could build with him was a gift, because the last thing you wanted was for him to start a fire down there, cause that’s just how big he was.

You sit up which surprised him, but when you spit in your hand and pumped him a few times to slick him up some more he chuckled lowly as he realized what you were doing. He moaned in the form of a sharp exhale as your pace fastened, but he didn’t let you take control just yet.

“Scared?” he teased, keeping his eyes on you as you twisted your wrist a little more.

“No.” you huff.

“Then turn around.”

You comply without a thought. You were both sitting up on your knees while your back leaned against his chest. You threw your head back and he kissed your forehead sweetly. guiding himself into you while his other hand held onto your waist to stabilize you against him.

You curse at the stretch, digging your nails into his thighs for leverage as he fills you up.

You both moan as your walls clenched around him. His arms snaked around you from behind as he took a hold of your neck, pinching down on the veins on each side of your throat as he slammed his hips into you continuously with long and deep strokes.

The choking sensation made everything so much more intense, especially when the fingers of his other hand started to rub circles on your still abused clit.

Your eyes rolled back as your vision got blurry, tears prickling your eyes at how good you were being wrecked right now.

He let go of your neck, putting his hand on the small of your back to push you down on the couch so your ass was up, and your face was down.

He started to pound into you mercilessly, his rhythm and pace perfectly alternating as he grabbed a fistful of your hair. “You’re mine,” he grunted as he felt himself getting closer and closer by the physical stimulation of your tightness and the mental stimulation of your moans and mewls.

It didn’t take long before you both reached your highs as he was prone boning you into heaven.

Your orgasm washes over you, and right after you came, he reached his own high.

He pulled out right before he busted, releasing himself onto your back with a loud growl.

Your eyes flutter closed; way too fucked out to function as you catch your breath. You feel his weight move off of you to grab one of the napkins on your side table that came with the coffees, and wiped his cum off of you with a cocky smile on his face.

You built up the energy to look back at him, and when your eyes meet all you can do is giggle with him at how ridiculous you two are.

“So…I guess now we can talk,” he says with a smirk.

- end of smut -

Once you fully recovered from having your back blown out…quite literally. You came out of your bedroom after a quick change of clothes.

You walk into your living room while you pull a clean shirt over your head.

Yeonjun was still on your couch, watching you with a big boyish smile on his face as his gaze followed you.

“All good?” he asks, opening his arms for you. You nod in response, excitedly making your way into his arms. He moved you on top of him so you were on his lap and kissed your cheek sweetly.

“Where do we even start.” You think out loud as you start playing with Yeonjun’s hair. He threw his head back in solace, letting you massage his scalp softly.

You chuckle at his reaction, stopping your actions which made him lift his head up immediately, giving you a kittenish angry face. “Why’d you stop.”

“Because it’s been an hour since you got here and all we do is dance around the subject,” you say as you move off of him. You turn sideways, leaning against the armrest of your couch while you drape your legs over his lap and sigh.

After deciding that Yeonjun would go first, he told you everything. From the progress he has made with his therapist to the baffling information of his mother selling Choi Enterprises and moving closer to the Uni for him. He told you about their relationship and his interest in the fashion industry. He’s been spending time with his friends in the dance studio again after years of neglecting his hobby and his grades are improving drastically compared to last year too.

He’s been doing well both mentally and socially. Even though he still has his bad days, he’s a lot happier than he was before. You listened attentively asking questions and making sure you understood every detail to your best ability.

When it was your turn to start talking, you realize just how sadistic your exchange was now that you’re explaining the details out loud. You told him about the crazy schedules, spending days from 8 am to 10 pm in the lab, neglecting your health just to forget about your heartache. You were being brutally honest, and you saw Yeonjun’s jaw clench at the revelation.

If he knew you were having such a hard time, he would’ve contacted you more, but you explained to him how the experience made you stronger, harder and less of a cry baby.

You spoke about your new gained independence and soon realized that, where Yeonjun needed emotional cradling, you needed to be hit with the real world without the safety net that your friends and parents always provided for you.

The two of you had been talking for over two hours, and finally came to the inevitable question.

“So…what does that make us.” You sigh as you played with his fingers.

“Really, the ‘what are we’ question?” he chuckled, watching you play with the ring on his index finger.

“Well. Do you have an answer?” you mumble, letting go of his hand.

“I’m yours,” he says, putting his hand on your thigh while his other hand tugged on your chin to make you look up at him.

Your eyes grew in size, swallowing harshly when his fingers moved from your chin to caress your cheek. “And I don’t want to take things slow anymore, I love you too much to relive the dating phase."

“Me too,” you agree with determination. He smirked contently, leaning into you to feverishly kiss you on the lips.

“You know what that was?” He asks as he pulls away with his face still in close proximity.

“What?” you question with a giggle.

“Our first kiss as boyfriend and girlfriend.”

You slap his chest, bursting into laughter at his cheesiness. The sound of your laughs and giggles filled the room as he started to kiss you all over your face and neck, leaving you breathless and ticklish at his touch

“I love you, Choi Yeonjun, but I think you have an important basketball game to get to.”

Of course they won.

Yeonjun made the winning point which meant he had something to brag about all night.

You were at a local diner with all of the boys, their teammates, and respective girlfriends or boyfriends. Drinking, talking, and overall having a good time.

When Mia, Ryujin, Soobin, Taehyun, Beomgyu and Hueningkai heard the news about your new relationship status, they basically congratulated you as if you announced that you were getting married.

The whole thing was just way too funny, and Yeonjun dragged you around all night to introduce you to everyone.

The freshman on the team were so confused when Yeonjun introduced you as his girlfriend because they had never heard of or seen you before.

“Hyung, Imma be honest with you, I kinda thought you were gay.” Sunghoon admits as he apologetically scratched the back of his head.

“…S-same” Heesung states, looking at you both with apologetic eyes as well.

Yeonjun looked at them a little funny as he burst into laughter, pulling you closer to him. “Why?”

“Because well, we haven’t seen you with a girl all year, and with the way you look, I don’t know. 1+1 was gay I guess.” Jay, another freshman explained their point of view a little further, which had you cackling at the situation.

“Oh my god, so you little shits were the ones spreading rumors about me and Wooyoung!?”

“N-no! NO!” The kids protested, but Yeonjun was already playfully grabbing them by their collars to scold them.

You laughed at the whole ordeal, love emitting from your eyes as you watched Yeonjun be in his popular guy element again.

You zoned out for a bit, absentmindedly listening to how Beomgyu and Hueningkai were telling a story about that one time they took Yeonjun’s car for a joyride in the middle of the night without his permission.

Yeonjun noticed your mental absence, wrapping an arm around your shoulder to pull you into his chest, softly kissing your temple.

“What’s wrong?”

You shake your head, sentiment getting the better of you. This is the most complete you’ve felt in a while.

You kissed him with fervor, your hands lacing through his dark locks before you pulled away to place a small kiss on the corner of his mouth.

“I’m just really happy right now,” you say as you smile at each other lovingly.

1 year later.

Graduation was around the corner.

It was insane how fast time flew. You celebrated your first-year anniversary with Yeonjun the night before and were now laying in his bed the next morning, slowly waking up just to feel the soreness of what he did to you last night.

You groaned in agony at the bright light, even after all this time; you still weren’t a morning person.

You noticed how Yeonjun was missing from the bed, so you got up to look for him. Putting on his large shirt to cover yourself as you made your way to the boys’ living room.

Soobin was on the couch with Taehyun and Hueningkai looking you up and down with disapproval.

“Jesus. Did you get hit by a truck in there?” Taehyun asks as he clicked his tongue.

“Shut up smart-ass. Where’s Yeonjun?”

Taehyun chuckled, being completely used to your grumpiness in the morning by now. If Yeonjun wasn’t staying at your place, you were staying at theirs; so they were more accustomed to having you around like this.

“He said he had to run a quick errand; he’ll be back soon,” Soobin replies with light amusement in his eyes at how roughed up you looked.

“Hey, next time…be a little more quiet.” Beomgyu tells you as he walked out of the kitchen and into the living room.

“My room is next to Yeonjun’s you know.”

“Oh shut up hyung, I hear you and Ryujin almost every night,” Hueningkai says rolling his eyes, which made you crack your first smile of the day.

“Oh nooo, not my pure baby Hueningie” Soobin pouted as he trapped Kai in between his legs for a hug.

“Hyung, you’re gonna have to let go soon. Literally. When you guys graduate you don’t get to live here and baby me anymore.” Hueningkai protests as he tries to push Soobin off of him.

Soobin pouted, making you immediately feel bad for him.

When Yeonjun and Soobin would move out, Jay and Heesung would move in, which meant that Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Hueningkai had to hold down the fort as seniors for one more year until they graduated, and the thought alone made Soobin feel uneasy.

Soobin and Mia were officially moving in together after graduation. They had planned their whole futures together and both had job offers in the city from their internships.

“I’ll still come over…every…weekend. You know, just to make sure.”

You drift off into thought, realizing how Yeonjun and yourself have been living your lives in the moment without concrete plans for the future together.

Since your apartment was off-campus you still got to live there after graduation. You had gotten an amazing job offer because of your research at Brown, which had major corporations battle it out with outrageous contracts, salaries, and promises to your favor so your options were most definitely open.

Your future looked bright, as did Yeonjun’s who’d be working as a Creative Director for his mothers’ luxury brand...but how did you two miss the mark on planning a future together?

Were you that caught up in your own world to realize that adult decisions had to be made soon?

Yeonjun walked in, interrupting your thoughts. “Oh, hey guys.”

He set his keys on the kitchen counter, giving you a funny look. “I texted you to get ready.”

“Oh..shit, I didn’t check my phone, Sorry. Give me 20 minutes.”

You didn’t question why he wanted you to get ready, he’d probably take you out for breakfast or some shit, so you weren’t suspecting anything, but Yeonjun could sense that something was off about you.

During the car ride to your unknown destination, he looked at you as you stared out of the window. You were lost in deep thought about the whole graduation thing and didn’t even notice how the houses on the streets were starting to get ridiculously big as you drove further and further into a random neighborhood

He grabbed your hand, kissing the inside of your palm while rubbing those comforting circles into your skin.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, trying to look at the road while also looking at you from time to time.

“I’m just…worried about life after graduation. I don’t like change.”

Yeonjun raised his brows in surprise, a soft smile tugging at his lips as he turned the corner into a brand-new built street filled with massive villas.

The neighborhood looked peaceful, not too flashy and private. Maybe even a little too perfect to be real.

He pulled up to a random house, parking his car on the driveway. The confusion was evident on your face as he opened the door for you, reaching out to take your hand.

He helped you out of the car and you give him a look, chuckling at his awkwardness. “Uh…are we here to see someone?”

He sighed, back hugging you and leaning his head on your shoulder as the both of you looked up at the house.

“What do you think of this place?”

“It’s…beautiful. But I don’t really get why we’re here.” You giggle as you feel him kiss your neck and you turn around to face him, trying to find answers in his eyes.

“If you want…we can stay here.” He bit his lip nervously. “You know, after graduation.”

“W-what? I’m confused. Like Till The End of Summer?”

He shook his head, laughing once again while snaking his arms around your waist at your innocence and obliviousness. “You’re so cute,” he muses, pulling out a set of keys from his pocket and suddenly realization hit you as pure shock takes over your features.

He bought the fucking house.

He couldn’t help but laugh at your shocked Pikachu face. He had been planning this behind your back for so long and it was incredibly hard to keep this a secret, especially since literally everyone knew about it but you.

You didn’t know what to do or say, completely frozen and shocked as you look at the house with big watery eyes.

He pulled you in for a deep and passionate kiss, giving you the keys to the front door with a big smile.

“Till the End of Our Lives.”

Bonus Chapter 15

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dubersbutt · 3 years

Text

4 Times Leon Joined You and Connor

+ 1 Time He Stayed

Summary: How you, Leon and Connor became a thing

Warnings: smut (oral (female receiving, male receiving, penetrative sex), mlm sex (blowjobs)), sexuality crises (sexuality procrastination)

1) The “Accidents”

Leon gets your text message a second too late. The notification with your name and “DON'T OPEN MY SNAP” hanging above the picture of your scantily clad torso, matching royal purple set, the deep colour complimenting your tan skin. Leon is torn between wanting to be respectful and wanting to keep the picture open until he can get himself off. But, he’s a good dude so he does not do the latter. Instead, he closes the snap and texts you back

Leon: Whoops. I didn’t get your message until after I opened it

You: Ugh. I’m sorry, your name is right under Connor’s and my finger slipped.

Leon: Aren’t you supposed to be at school.

You: Stats are boring. I was trying to bother my boyfriend.

Leon: Pay attention in class, (Y/N).

You: 🙄

You: You can keep the picture btw. I know I look good

You: No face, no case

Leon doesn’t keep it but, his finger hovers over the replay button for far too long.

~~~

Leon’s furnace craps out on him halfway into the season, and Alberta winters without heaters isn’t very enjoyable so he temporarily moves in with Connor, the day of the charity gala. Leon has a good time for the most part. Except -

He can’t get that fucking picture out of his head. And your dress hugs you in all the right places and he really hopes that neither you or Connor notice that how often he looks over at you. Connor has to rub elbows with the rich donor more than Leon does, so he keeps you company in between rounds. The two of you keep yourselves entertained by comping up with potential conversations for the other people in the room.

“Leon wait,” you say, clutching his arm and Leon feels his heart skip a beat, “That girl is his daughter, not his sugar baby.”

“No,” Leon was convinced, they were sitting way too close if that were true, “How do you know?”

You point to an older lady that’s approaching the table. She leans down to give the man a quick kiss and Leon’s about to propose a potential mistress until he realizes the girl looks like a younger version of the older woman.

“Shit,” he says and you look at him with wide eyes, “We’re going to hell.”

“We totally deserve it too.”

An hour later, Leon is excusing himself from a conversation with Klefbom and an older lady. She hardly notices, her attention has been focused on Oscar the whole time. Oscar tries to get him to stay but Leon thinks her not-so-subtle flirtation is hilarious.

He laughs when he gets the “I’m gonna fucking kill you” text from Oscar on the way to the bathroom.

Leon: I don’t like being the third wheel

Leon: Make sure she’s not married, klef. You’d be a terrible mistress

Oscar: I would be the best mistress in the history of mistresses.

When Leon opens the door to the bathroom he’s met with the sound of moans. He supposes he should have shut the door right then and there but he opens it all the way without realizing. He’s met with the sight of Connor fucking you on the sink. Your nails are digging into his back as Connor fucks you. He’s frozen for a moment, can’t remember how to move his limbs until you meet his eyes. He’s fairly certain you smile at him but he’s also convinced he imagined it. He replays your moans and tiny whimpers in his head.

He’s not even surprised when he wakes up the next morning and the girl next to him looks a little like you when he squints.

~~~

A week later he’s coming home from a run, the weather had warmed up enough for a short 15 minute jog before he had to pack for the California road trip. He lets himself in through Connor’s garage door, taking off his snowy boots in the mudroom. He takes his earbuds out, pocketing them when he hears -

“I - fuck, don’t tease me.”

Not again.

Now, Leon is kind of annoyed. He texted Connor that he was on his way home, had given him ample time to move to his bedroom. And Leon has to pass the living room to get to the guest room.

“You’re such a brat,” he hears Connor say and the next thing that comes out of his mouth is a loud groan.

Leon has to start packing, they need to be at the airport in an hour. He tries to make his appearance quick and minimal but he meets Connor’s eyes. He mouths, sorry as he picks up the pace, but Connor doesn’t seem to mind. His face is flushed, and his chest is rising and falling quickly. Connor winks at him. Winks.

When he finally makes it to his room he slumps against the walk, leaving the door open a crack so he can hear Connor’s moans. He can’t help it anymore, he pulls the waistband of his pants down, gripping his dick. He has to bite down on his hand to keep his moans at bay. He cums in unison with Connor, using his moans to guide him to finish.

He stands there for a moment, hands sticky with cum listening to Connor praise you through the crack in the door.

~~~

Leon doesn’t make a habit of picking up men during the season. You can never know who's secretly a hockey fan wanting to sell Leon’s bisexuality to the tabloids. Hell, only like 4 people on the team knew. But Anaheim doesn’t have a huge hockey presence so he takes a chance. He gets out of team movie night under the guise of an upset stomach.

Instead, he Ubers to the nearest gay bar. The place is pretty packed when he gets there. He orders a drink and notices a floppy haired blond guy across from him. He’s a little too scrawny to pass as Connor, but Leon’s not asking for perfection. He asks the bartender to send over another of whatever he’s having before he makes his way over to him. Not-Connor’s name is Josh, and they hit off right away.

Soon, Leon’s pushing not-Connor up against the bathroom wall, grinding against him. Not-Connor gets down on his knees and sucks Leon off. It doesn’t take long until Leon’s shooting down his throat with a hand in his thick hair. He starts to get down so he can reciprocate, his jaw is gonna kill him tomorrow but he’s not an asshole, when not-Connor stops him.

“If you want, we can go to mine and you can fuck me,” he says, biting his lip.

Leon’s already forgotten his name, but he says yes anyway.

Not Connor is really fucking flexible, letting Leon hook his legs over his shoulders when he fucks him in missionary. They stop for a quick snack in the kitchen before Leon bends him over the counter and fucks him until tears form in the corner of his eyes.

Leon’s half an hour late for curfew, but no one says anything to him.

2) The Vacation

Don’t get him wrong, Leon is always honoured to be invited to All-Star weekend. However, if he had the choice of being interviewed for two days straight or sitting on a beach in california for a week, he probably wouldn’t put too much though into his decision.

But, he still had 4 days of vacation in Palm Springs with the team before he and Connor had to leave early. Connor had asked him if he wanted to split the cost of the penthouse suite, and because Leon’s room was on the other side of suite as yours and Connor’s room, he said yes.

They left for California as soon as their last game ended, leaving them too tired to party the first night, choosing to order room service instead. Leon gets a plate of honey garlic chicken wings, 12 of them to himself, spaghetti, and a slice of cheesecake because, fuck it, he’s on vacation.

When it arrives, he snatches the plate of wings before Connor could take one, he had a bad habit of saying he didn’t want stuff and then asking for a few bites. Normally, Leon doesn’t care but he’s been craving wings for weeks. Why did he choose the career with the strict diet regimen?

“You’re really not gonna share?” Connor asks, eyebrow raised.

“Nope,” he replies, popping the ‘p’ and sinking his teeth into his second one.

“You have 12!”

“No one was stopping you from ordering your own.”

Leon feels your eyes on him. He assumes it's because he’s foregone any and all manners. The sticky sauce on the wings coat his fingers, he can feel it in his beard but he does not care because they’re so good. He doesn’t care that he’s gone full barbarian-

“Leon do you want to have a threesome with us?” you ask and Leon chokes on a piece of chicken.

“What?” He nearly drops his wing, “Right now?”

Connor’s groans and runs a hand through his hair in exasperation, “This is not how we said we would ask him.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t explain it,” you giggle and gesture at how he’s hunched over his wings, “but this is doing it for me?”

“Really?” Leon asks incredulously and Connor looks at you in disbelief.

“I wish I could say it didn’t.”

Leon squints at you and Connor, “You’re serious about this?”

“Yeah,” You both respond.

“We’ve been discussing adding a third,” Connor asks, “We were going to ask when you weren’t beasting a plate of wings - I admire your ability to eat during a conversation, by the way - but someone can’t keep it in their pants.”

You shrug, taking a bite from your burger.

Leon contemplates it, eating his 8th wing in the meantime.

“Sure,” he says, starting his 9th, “But not tonight. I don’t feel sexy after I eat spaghetti.”

You laugh, “Leon, if you had to choose between only sex or only food which would it be?”

“Food,” he says with no hesitation, or regrets.

~~~

The next day Leon spends baking in the sun. Everybody had decided to spend the day in the attached private pool in the suit. He chirps Connor when his skin starts to burn about an hour into the day and pokes at his red shoulder when he joins Connor under the umbrella.

By the end of the day Leon is pleasantly tipsy, saying goodbye to the team as he lounges on the couch. When the door shuts, you settle yourself in his lap. Your skin is warm from the heat.

Your sheer white swimsuit coverup has been driving Leon insane for the past two hours the team has been in the suite. Although, seeing you in your bikini, watching the water glint off your tan skin as Connor splashed you with the water, was far worse.

“Hi,” you hum, leaning in, “You still down for this?”

“Of course.”

You kiss him, letting out a groan as you do so. Leon rests his hands on your thighs, and when you don’t rebuke him he slides them up, dragging your cover up with him. His fingers toy with the band of your suit bottoms. He pulls away from your mouth, instead kissing along your jaw, scraping his beard against your skin gently. Normally, he wouldn’t be so bold, but, when you first started dating Connor, he told Leon that he started to grow his beard out because you enjoyed the scratch on your skin. He pays attention to the places that draw tiny gasps or moans from you, noting them for later.

“I should have known that the two most impatient people in my life wouldn’t wait for me,” Connor says, holding your jaw to kiss you. Leon doesn’t miss the way your body goes limp against him when Connor’s fingers tighten ever so slightly.

“I wouldn’t have pegged you as a sub,” Leon hums, pulling your cover up all the way over your head. “She’s not,” Connor interjects, helping Leon with his task, “She’s a brat, but she’s pretty.”

“You’re mean,” you respond, “Should we move to the bedroom?”

Connor pulls you up, off his lap. Leon thinks that he’s just going to lead you, but Connor picks you up. You pull him closer with your legs, grunting as Connor settles you and starts walking to the master bedroom. Leon has to stop himself running after you.

Leon takes two minutes to get there, stopping for a quick glass of water. Two minutes is all it takes for Connor to fuck you from behing. Leon takes a minute, scanning his eyes over the two of you. Connor looks over and winks at him and Leon gets that same pang in his heart again. He stops, and you let out a whine in protest, pushing your hips back against him.

“Take her mouth,” Connor says, nodding towards the empty spot on the bed.

“For the record, I’m not thrilled that you’re bossing me around,” he says but obliges, pulling his swim shorts off on the way there.

He gives himself a few pumps before you reach over and take over, “You can put your hand in my hair,” you say, before you wrap your lips around the tip.

Connor’s hand slides along your spine, lightly dragging his nails as you start to bob your head, taking Leon deeper each time.

“Should we link arms in true Eiffel Towel fashion?”

~~~

Leon thought it was going to be a one-time thing, but the next morning he wakes up with your throat on his dick, and he can hear the shower running. By the time Connor’s back in the room, you’re cuming on Leon’s cock as he spills into the condom.

“You asshats,” Connor says, water dripping down abs, “I leave for five minutes.”

“You take the longest showers known to man, Con,” you tease, accepting his kiss.

That day the team planned on going to go sightseeing, but Leon makes the excuse of finding a girl at the hotel bar last night. Connor says that the two of you are going to take advantage of the empty penthouse. And you do. The next day, during the team hike, the three of you lag behind the rest, too exhausted to keep up.

~~~

Leon thinks that when they land in San Jose for the All Star game, that it’s the end, and he’s almost sad about it. But at the end, Connor and him get the same snap. You lifting up your McDavid jersey to reveal a lacey, navy blue bodysuit. The V dips tantalizingly low, Leon wants to lick the exposed skin and feel your body squirm against his as he teases you. He and Connor change faster than Leon thought was possible, and soon he’s upstairs in yours and Connors room. Connor fucks you first, not giving you quite enough to cum as he finishes, filling you. As Leon’s rolling on the condom, Connor’s whispering in his ear - don’t let her cum.

So Leon fucks you slowly. Holding both of your hands in one of his palms, he takes his time. His thrusts are rhythmic, as he grinds into you, watching your face contort. He rubs your clit, feeling the way you clench around him. He pushes you to the edge and waits before pulling out entirely. He rests his dick on your stomach, pulling off the condom as he cums on your stomach.

3) The Dinner

Connor gets sick from the WEM signing in February. (Whoever decided to have the Oiler’s star player do a fan signing with a thousand people in the middle of flu season needs to be fired but that’s besides the point.) Because of this, he can’t go to the Nuge’s team bonding dinner but he insists that you still come, the other girls would miss you.

So you go, and you press up against Leon every once in a while during drinks. At dinner, you sit next to him, keeping a hand on his thigh at all times. Your hand moves onto his inseam as you spoon risotto into your mouth. While Nuge and Bre are handing out deserts, you lead him down a hallway.

“Hold on...aha!” you push open a door, leading to a guest room. The bed is made, and there’s a picture of Nuge’s dog on the bedside table. You turn the picture down, “I don’t want Sophie to see what we’re about to do.”

“(Y/N), What about Connor?” he asks. Leon has spent the night with you and Connor multiple times since coming home, and he’s fucked you many times but Connor’s always been there.

“Connor doesn’t care,” you say, pushing him down on the bed, “He said it was fine. We can FaceTime him if you want.”

Leon doesn’t think you’re lying, but he does enjoy watching Connor bite his lip as he watches Leon fuck you from behind. He’s got a terrible angle, can’t really see much but just the sounds of you and Leon make him groan into the phone. You end the cal with a quick “I love you.”

“You coming over tonight?” you ask when you and Leon finished getting dressed.

“Obviously.”

Everyone’s tipsy enough that they hadn’t noticed the two of you were gone.

When Leon comes over that night it’s the first time he gets his hands in Connor. He’s just finished fucking you - he’d quickly become the one to call the shots when he was around - and Connor was watching him pound into uou with wide eyes, fists clenched at his side like he was told.

Leon had spent a number of nights with you and Connor by now, but he figured Connor wasn’t into men so he didn’t push it. But this time it was different, he didn’t know why, but it was.

Leon knee-walks over to him, planting his legs on either side of Connor’s thighs. He doesn’t kiss him, doesn’t know if that’s too much, but he slides his hand up the length of them.

Giving a handy for the first time is always a little bit awkward, Leon actually has to pay attention to what they do and do not like, but with Connor it’s easier. It’s still a little awkward, he accidentally squeezes Connor’s base a little too hard and he crumpled against him, but it’s significantly better.

(Later that week you’d have a conversation with Connor.

“You know I don’t mind if you wanna do stuff with Leo when you’re gone right?”

“What?”

“If you want to. You don’t have to but you seemed like you really enjoyed Leo’s hands the other day. Not that I blame you for that.”)

4) The Roadie

Leon isn’t expecting anyone to knock on his hotel door. He’s surprised when it’s Connor there. He’s antsy, cracking his knuckles.

“Hey,” he says, furrowing his brows at Connor’s uneasy demeanour, “everything okay?”

“Everything’s great,” Connor replies, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“Do you wanna come in?”

“Wh-oh yeah sure,” he stutters like he didn’t realize that he was still outside.

Leon lets him in, and Connor walks to the chair on the other side of the room, but doesn’t sit. Leon eyes him as he sits on the edge of the bed.

“So I talked to (Y/N),” Connor starts.

“And…” Leon prompts.

“She said that if we wanted to mess around together on roadies then that’s fine with her,” he takes a deep breath “andivebeenthinkingaboutitandiwannatrymaybebutivenever-”

“Woah woah woah,” Leon stops him, “You’re going to have to repeat that way slower.”

“I was thinking that, if you’re down, then maybe I would be willing to try it?” he trails off at the end.

“Connor?”

“Yes?”

“Do you want to sleep with me?”

“Maybe,” Connor takes another deep breath, “I mean I’ve never done anything with a dude before, but I kinda liked it the other day. But like, only if you want to.”

“We can fool around on roadies,” picking up is so much work, Leon would love to have a steady side piece - even though he doesn't have a main piece, “Since when were you into dudes.”

Connor rubs a hand over his face, “Don’t start with me. I’ve been having an ongoing sexuality crisis for a while. I love women, (Y/N) especially, but we’re tabling this conversation for, like a year.”

“Just one thing,” he says, finally sitting down on the bed next to him, “I don’t want you to….fuck me just yet.”

Leon wants to laugh, Connor’s so straight that it hurts, “Gay sex isn’t like straight sex, there’s a process. And, I don’t want to brag, but if I were to fuck you, you wouldn’t be able to walk for a week and you’re kind of important to the team.”

“So...you’re a bottom,” Leon teases, poking him in the shoulder.

“I think so? Obviously I won’t really know until I try it but I see the appeal….what are you?”

Leon does laugh at that, “ I usually top but I don’t mind taking it every once in a while.”

Connor nods, which Leon finds adorable. The last time Leon dealt with any kind of virginity was when he was losing his own (both times), and he’s kind of excited.

Connor leans in, kissing Leon softly. Leon pushes against them, hand coming up to card through Connor’s hair. A few moments later, he pulls away.

“What’s the verdict?” Leon asks.

“Your beard feels weird.”

“Good weird or bad weird,” Leon didn’t have a 5 step beard oil routine for it to feel bad.

“Good weird.”

Leon hums in approval. Connor leans back in, and this time Leon pushes him down on the bed and Connor lets him. He lets Leon trail kisses down his neck, chest heaving off the bed once Leon gets that spot at his jawbone that drives him crazy.

“You good?” Leon asks as he lowers himself between Connor’s spread legs. Connor nods, “If you’re uncomfortable, tell me and we stop.”

He takes Connor’s dick out of his shorts, only mildly surprised when he realizes Connor’s not wearing any underwear. He licks his lips as he starts to jack him off. Connor lets out a breathy moan as Leon drops his hound to the base of his cock a with a gentle squeeze. Leon leans forward, sucking on the head gently as he watches Connor’s face turn red. Leon bobs his head down, taking more down his throat each time. Leon digs his fingers into Connor’s hips to keep them down.

“Easy, baby,” Leon murmurs, not realizing the nickname was on the tip of his tongue until it had slipped out, “It’s been a while, you’re gonna have to give me a second before you fuck my throat.”

“ ‘M sorry,” Connor says, panting.

“It’s okay, Con,” Leon responds, reaching for Connor’s hand and placing it in his hair.

“Fuuck, Leo,” Connor grunts when Leon starts to suck on his head.

Leon finds a good rhythm, bobbing his head low and hollowing his lips as he comes up. Connor is groaning, Leon should probably tell him to keep his voice down given that they’re surrounded by the team but he doesn’t care.

Leon drops his dick, until the very tip of his cock, and sucks. Connor grunts, thrusting up into Leon’s hands before Leon starts to slide his hand up and down quickly, bringing Connor to the edge.

“Close,” he pants, “I-close, Leo, plea-”

Leon sinks his head down one more time before Connor hits the back of his throat. He sputters a little as Connor keeps spilling into his mouth. He feels a little bit dribble out, and when he finally pulls off, he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

“How was that?” Leon asks, tucking Connor’s soft dick under the waistband of his shorts.

Connor has a hand thrown over his face, and his only answer is a groan. Leon can’t help but laugh.

“I’ll take that as a compliment, I know my head game is strong.”

(Connor tries to give Leon a blowjob, but he gets a little too ambitious and chokes a few bobs in. Connor sputters and coughs, and Leon can’t help but chuckle as Connor grips his thighs, trying to catch his breath. He wants to try again but Leon stops him.

“You’ve done a lot today, you can try again later if you want to.”

“No, no I can do it.”

Leon explains that he doesn’t want Connor to bite his dick and Connor relaxes, giving him a hanjob instead. His pressure is a little light, so Leon wraps his hand around Connor’s and guides him until Leon finishes all over his stomach.

(Connor hesitantly runs a finger through the mess, before slowly raising his finger to his lips. He scrunches his nose in disgust. “Drink some pineapple juice, ugh.” and Leon laughs)

Connor leaves shortly after, and Leon definitely doesn’t replay the moment over and over again in his head.)

+ 1) The One Time he Stayed

When Leon pulls up into Connor’s driveway, he’s expecting the usual: play with Lenny, threesome, play with Lenny, dinner, play with Lenny, maybe round two, decide if he wants to drive home at 3 am (the answer is most likely no).

However, when he shows up Connor isn’t even home, which is not normal. Lenard throws himself at Leon when he walks through the door, knocking him down on the floor.

“One of these days he’s gonna be successful in his assination attempts,” you joke from your place on the couch.

“There are worse ways to die,” he says as he gets back on his feet, this time ready for Lenny’s high energy. Eventually Lenny decides Leon is not worth his time, padding off to his bed by the fireplace, so Leon sits by you on the couch.

“Watchya reading?” he asks, poking you in the side.

“My textbook detailing the different types and phases of psychosis,” you say, capping your highlighter.

“Hm,” Leon grunts, “Uplifting.”

“Very,” you place the book on the coffee table, “So Connor was telling me about your hook up on the roadie.”

Leon’s heart stops, “Connor said it was okay and you seduced me at Nuge’s so I assumed-”

“Leon, relax” you cut him off with a chuckle, “I’m not mad.”

Leon lets out the breath he didn’t know he was holding.

“And I did not seduce you at Nuge’s.”

“You led me down a hallway I’ve never been in just to have sex with me in their guest bedroom,” he raises an eyebrow, “that’s the definition of seducing.”

You mutter something that Leon can’t decipher under his breath which he knows means that he’s won this argument.

“Anyways,” you say, clearing your throat, ““Connor was gonna be here, but he had an appointment and now he’s stuck on the Henday but he’ll be here soon. We were talking and we were thinking, only if you wanted to, that maybe you could join us...as a couple.”

Leon isn’t sure he understands your proposal.

“What?”

“Would you like to join me and Connor as a third?” you ask, “If you don’t want you can leave before Connor comes home and we’ll never bring it up again.”

~~~

Later that day, when Leon is falling asleep with Connor on one side of him using his chest as a pillow and you’re on his other side tucked against him, he’ll think about what a strange road it was to get here. Connor’s already asleep, listening to Leon’s heartbeat as his head rises and falls on with Leon’s breath.

“So was this always the plan?” Leon asks when he feels you tracing something on his skin.

“Hm?” you question.

“Was this all an elaborate ploy to get me to join you and Connor?” he clarifies, “Because if so, kudos because I never expected.”

“No,” Connor mumbles against Leon’s chest, turns out he wasn’t asleep, “We didn’t expect to ask you to join us more than once in California but you’re too damn cute.”

“I never thought we would because I didn’t think Davo was into dudes,” you say, “We get any closer to an answer on the sexuality thing, Con?”

“We’ll get there when we get there.”

#nhl smut #leon draisaitl #connor mcdavid #leon draisaitl imagine #connor mcdavid imagine #leon draisaitl smut #connor mcdavid smut #nhl oneshot #nhl imagine #polyfic

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ha-hatdog · 4 years

Text

daisuke kambe hcs

- what is it like to be dating daisuke kambe/domestic life with daisuke kambe

i hope you don't mind but i slapped two requests together because they were nearly similar. since i am making one post with two requests, i'll try to make this longer. i hope you enjoy this

requested by anon (i just turned my anon ask and i'll just go ahead and presume you want to be anon hehe sorry about that) : Hi, I saw your post. 😳 I just wanna say goodluck to your writing! and I'll be looking forward to them in the future. ❤ (Your anon asks aren't on btw. 😔) And for the request, it can be a headcanon or a short fic/scenario, whichever you like. :3 But can I please get soft/domestic Daisuke to his s/o (which is the reader)? Like, they're taking care of each other stuff. ❤👁👄👁

uwu thank you so much and i look forward to writing more stories for you

requested by @holdmejk : what it’s like to date daisuke 🥺

i wonder too how it would be like to date this rich man so here ya go

haru kato is the simple man, simple life

there is no way daisuke kambe can be considered the same. this is the very reason why haru hates the man with a burning passion

waking up with daisuke goes two ways - the normal soft wake up, or the after sex wake up

if you wake up normally, you will always find yourself on his chest, a hand over the small of your back and the other behind your head, pressing you close to him as if you were his leverage to the real world

you never get tired of seeing him peaceful and cute that you kiss him everywhere your lips can touch - his chest, his cheek, his nose, his forehead, but never his lips

daisuke loves waking up to your kisses but what really gets rid of his sleepiness is the annoyance he felt that you never kiss him on the lips

he will lift his head up from the pillow while holding your head and lean forward to capture your lips. no, he doesn't care about morning breath, he cares about your kisses

if you two had sex the night before, it's a different story because it's daisuke who always wakes up first this time around because you know, he tired the hell out of you

he runs his fingers through your matted tresses as the side of his head rested against his open palm, elbow proped up on his pillow

he loves how you look so happy and satisfied and peaceful. he admires your beauty silenty, a small smile on his lips

he'll try to go another round because he can't help himself when you look so enticing but you stop him because you were already so tired

you will drown in luxurious things. this daisuke kambe we are talking about. what did you expect?

you want it? you got it. you like it? you got it. you need it? you got it. your eyes looked at it a second too long? you got it

daisuke believes you deserve the best of the best so whatever you wanted, bam, something much better

flowers? you get a garden. chocolate? you get a factory. movies? you get a theater. cup noodles? you get a ramen shop or the actual cup noodles company. dress? you get your own clothing line that trumps over versace and gucci

oh you think you can stop daisuke from spoiling you just because you begged him and showed him your big doe eyes? he was tempted for sure but there is no way he'll be holding back, especially after seeing your big doe eyes (yup, that plan backfired)

one hard thing about dating a millionaire? you can't buy anything for him

you do not have the money to lavish him the same, and even if you did, it's stupid to assume daisuke can't afford the same things you plan on buying for him. maybe he'll buy something even better

so instead of spoiling him like he does to you, you buy him trinkets that remind you of him

daisuke has no clue as to why items could remind you of him but he still keeps everything you buy for him close to him like in his office so he can always see them

you bought daisuke a goofy looking bobble head and he put it on the dashboard of his super cool looking car and haru was like the hell is that

daisuke sped through the streets before haru could make a comment

daisuke trust you more than anyone. more than suzue, more than haru, more than himself, more than his credit card

that being said, you are the only one he allows to patch him up after a particularly rough day at work

he will literally drive all the way to your shared home while bleeding out, enter your shared room as more blood trailed his face and deadass say "Can you help me? My head is bleeding"

you scold him for being so reckless and for always giving you a heart attack whenever he comes home in that condition

he doesn't mind being lectured tho because he still gets to feel your soft touches and gets lots and lots of kisses from you

he doesn't get why you kiss his wounds after patching him up. like his wounds are dirty? it still hurts? what was the science behind it? he still won't get it even if you explain it to him but he'll take note for reference

when you get injured, you are obligated to tell daisuke that you are not severely hurt that he had to call the hospitals all around the world to come heal you

you had to snatch the phone from him at one point when he tried to contact professional surgeons from america after you scratched yourself from a bush

daisuke at least knows how to use the first aid kit and no matter how little your injury may be, he will always proceed with the basics because he's very worried about you (though his face doesn't show it), that your small wound would get infected, and then you'll be on your death bed saying your last words, and then he's kneeling on your grave -

you had no idea this is what goes on inside his head every time you get injured

he also kisses your wounds after patching them up. he still doesn't understand the reason as to why you and others do it, but he does it because you do it

daisuke doesn't allow you to move a muscle aftee he's done fixing your wounds. he acts as if you have a terminal disease and would check on you every five minutes when he's working at home and calls you every three minutes when doing police work (haru gets annoyed with that habit so you had a talk with him)

dates with daisuke is far from simple. you either go to the most expensive resorts or attractions in japan or you're going out of the country. yes, your dates are basically mini vacations

so that's the reason why whenever you two want to spend time together, you are in charge. you can't always go to malaysia and england every weekend. plausible when you're with daisuke but you're not having it

you try to make your dates as simple as it can be. like what regular couples would do like going to movies (he was irritated because he had to sit near other people because he only wants to be near you), hanging out in the mall ("No, Daisuke, don't you dare buy that Gucci bag for me, I just glanced at it - oh for fuck sake"), and eating food from stands (Daisuke was confused like where will you two sit so you can eat your food properly?)

you two went ice skating and you guided him as he wobbled on his skates. you never let go of him because the first time you let go of him so he can try to balance alone in the ice, he looked very worried and made grabby hands at you

he becomes better at skating after doing it so many times. you were a little jealous because he's better than you now

daisuke his whole life always had a professional chef make something for him and when he began dating you, he also began inviting other professional chefs to make something for you two

but as your relationship grew stronger, you began cooking for him and you made him feel so special and he couldn't react properly

sometimes he watches you cook and helps with the cutting (you stopped him when he cut himself), but most of the time he's at his office and you bring his food to him and he scolrs you because he wants to eat properly with you ay the dining table

bringing food to his office is a no no. eating together at the dining table and sharing stories together is a yes yes

you don't know if the food you make for him is good or bad to be honest because he always has a deadpan face and if it is bad he won't tell because he'll hurt your precious little feelings but he'll be blunt as hell if it was another person

don't even wish that daisuke will cook for you. don't get him wrong tho, he really wants to but he's been pampered a little too much that he can't distinguish onion from garlic. he just thinks garlic is an elderly onion lmao

so yeah, daisuke cannot cook

but he likes cleaning the dishes with you because he can spray you with water and he'll hear your giggles. you always break many plates when you clean dishes and always drenched in water after your little fight

having the same authority with his AI. you rarely use the AI unless absolutely necessary and you can communicate with daisuke through it. you always mess with daisuke and you'll say something to the AI like "dial haru" and AI will go like "contacting haru kato" daisuke will go "cancel dial" and then AI says "cancelling contact" and you'll say "dial haru again" and the cycle goes on

late night walks are common for you two. when he comes home earlier than he originally does, he will insist you to take a walk on his private property and if he's feeling extra generous, he'll let you take him outside and to the park or something

you can take him to the convenience, the gas station, the prison - as long as he's with you, he's fine

stargazing is part of the late night walks. he'll point at a star and you'll say what constallesation that star was part of

"do you want that star"

"no daisuke"

"i can buy it"

"you are not buying a star"

daisuke : (꒪-꒪) ⇨(¬､¬)

he loves kissing you on the lips. your lips and kisses were just so addicting and sweet that he can't find another better place to kiss you

plus your blush is too adorable. he smirks whenever you get flustered. add a soft embrace to the mix, and his heart melts

daisuke will always open the door for you. in cars, in restaurants (he'll pull your chair for you too), in anywhere

he won't let you open a door as long he's there with you cause he's a simp for you

he won't care about any other person trying to enter an establishment after you enter. he'll let go of the door handle and won't even turn if he hears a loud thump behind him

you know what else he loves? hand holding. daisuke always holds your hand whenever you're outside and will only let go if absolutely necessary like going to the comfort room

he likes playing with your fingers while you love tracing the lines on his palm. you'll probably make a cheesy joke that you can see him marrying you in his future and he goes ( ºΔº )

"how do you know i was planning to marry you?" ( ºΔº ) "can you really read palms?"

you always massage each other because stress. when you massage him, he'll let out small mewls that just makes you go omg so cute but when he massages you - he will whip out the best of best stuff for massage

he will play relaxing music for you. you fall asleep whenever daisuke massages you because he's just so good with his hands

you know what else those hands are good for? touching your body in places that'll make you blush but he mostly especially likes cupping your butt because he thinks its so cute

you don't try to do the same because last time you did, you couldn't walk the day after. don't seduce daisuke if you're not prepared for a pounding

you like grocery shopping with daisuke. sure you can always order someone else to do it or you can make use of shopping as a time to bond with each other

you two work out together. daisuke is a boxer and learning that, you begged him to teach you to box but he didn't because what if he hurts you and instead, taught you how to workout and how to defend yourself

he wanted to test out if his self defense lessons were truly learned so he hired someone to pretend to steal something from you

he learned that his self defense lessons was fruitful because the man he hired came back with bruises and such

when daisuke admitted, he slept on the couch for an entire week

in your birthday, you woke up feeling nervous because it's your birthday - meaning daisuke must be up to some expensive shit

then you realized you're not in your bedroom. it was a completely different bedroom

you were scared honestly and you thought you were kidnapped until daisuke comes into your room wearing his beach wear and his shades while holding two coconuts with straws

"happy birthday. welcome to hawaii, my love"

HOW DID HE BRING YOU THERE WITHOUT WAKING YOU UP

you're just very tired the previous night after some fun activities with daisuke if you know what i mean wink wonk you wouldn't wake up no matter how many times you tried

suzue adores you because daisuke smiles more with you and you're best friends uwu so cuteeee

will always be your peace maker whenever you and daisuke fight. she ships you two. her ship cannot sink

suzue: "just hug it out now. hug it out - I SAID HUG DON'T MAKE OUT YOU TWO ARE GOING TOO FAST"

daisuke loves head pats. he wants them all the time. ruffle ruffle his hair. his eyes will close whenever you pat his head

he only wants you to pat his head. anybody else is a no no. maybe suzue but mostly just you

he lets you get all the groceries while he pushes the cart. he doesn't know the brands he sees on the shelves so he depends on you all the time

there's another reason he likes holding hands with you - he doesn't get lost. there was this time when he got lost because you let go of him and someone called you in the intercom and when you went there, you saw daisuke waiting for you with crossed arms and a balloon and its string around his wrist

the person at service said he was frowning the whole time you were gone and so they gave him a balloon but all he did was frown while playing with the balloon. he's mad because he got lost, you were gone, and you let go of his hand

you two are opposite of haru and his girlfriend in grocery shopping

you love it when his hair is down because he's so cute? can a man really be cute and hot at the same time?

the first you saw him with his hair down, you swooned and coddled him and since then, daisuke makes it his point to put his hair down more often now

taking baths together is just as great as massages. shower? you're not some commoner peasant. you use a very large bathtub

you relax with daisuke in the bathtub with bubbles and wine and sometimes he read you a poem from the poetry book he brings at times

you two always go to bathe together. but if you feel like you wanna bathe alone, daisuke will get all pouty aww and sulk aww

he will sit at the toilet seat and stare at you and when he does this, you can't hold yourself back anymore because he's too adorable and just let him join you with a sigh. he's with you in the bathtub in seconds

but if you don't, he'll leave the bathroom after a while and poke his head at the door, staring at you, as if saying this is your last chance and if you still don't allow him, there is a good chance you'll find him sulking on your bed while lying down, back facing you

just cuddle with him, he'll be fine

haru still doesn't believe daisuke got someone like you as his girlfriend because you're so kind and down to earth and you're dating this rich bastard like whaaaat

you try to make haru see the good qualities of daisuke and every single time you do, daisuke does something to piss him off

you made it your personal mission to experience the regular life of a human being without an unlimited balance

daisuke allows you to style his hair whenever you two sit on the couch. any hairstyles, any accessories, he's open so long your soft fingers are on his hair

you have always wanted a dog and begged daisuke for one but he did not relent, saying it was too much work and although it hurts to see you sad, he had to be strong

this is the only thing and time he said no to you and i'm pretty sure you heard haru scream in horror at the distance in disbelief

then one day you and him were walking down a street when a small puppy trotted up to you two wagging its tail and barking happily at you

you bent down and patted it, cooing and daisuke is wary of that small adorable pup. will it bite you? surely the pup has some common sense

you scooped the pup up and it licked your face and you were laughing and daisuke just has a sudden realization - who looked cuter? you or the puppy? or perhaps you made each other cuter?

daisuke rejected the puppy when you tried giving it to him but you forced it into his arms. daisuke and the pup kinda just stared at each other for a long time. you honestly thought you broke both of them until daisuke kissed the forehead of the puppy, hesitantly but softly

you were shooked (you swore you can hear haru screaming again)

daisuke couldn't help himself. something about the puppy just reminded him of you. it's those puppy eyes

"we need to find its owner, daisuke"

"no"

you told him he cannot buy the puppy because the owner must be worried sick

but it turned out it was a stray lil pup and you adopted her

now daisuke comes home to see you sleeping on the couch waiting for him with the pup in your arms. his heart melts every time

his small little family

for now

Daisuke Kambe let out an exhausted sigh as he parked his car in the garage. His hair was tousled, eyelids dropping, and jacket discarded on the passenger seat beside him. The case earlier has proven difficult than the previous ones he had taken. The criminal was harder to catch with his agility and athletic abilities, and was not easily persuaded when beckoned by cash. Not to mention his partner has been rebuking him the whole time, ranting about how justice workes and how money does not solve everything - basically, the usual. He was extremely fatigued, and all he wanted to do was wash up and go to bed with his beloved in his arms.

A tired smile broke his bland visage at the thought of you. The only reason he hasn't decided to spend the night at a hotel was because you weren't there. The faster he moves, the faster he can get to bed with you. Oh, he can't wait to see you and that little puppy of yours and his.

He exited the car, jacket draped over his shoulder. He sluggishly went to the front door and entered. As he delved further into his mansion, he was immediately greeted by a lovely sight. Your slumbering figure was laid out on the couch, the newly adopted puppy curling near your chest and resting with you. Warmth swaddled his heart and his eyes softened. All of a sudden, the exhaustion he felt has vanished, and all he could do was admire this masterpiece before him. You were waiting for him again.

As much as he wanted to see you like this longer, he couldn't let you sleep on the couch. There's a much more comfortable bed waiting for you upstairs. He approached you with quiet footsteps. The puppy perked up, her superb hearing picking up the sound of his advancement. Daisuke knelt down and stroked her head. "Good evening, Chico." Then he turned to you. You looked so peaceful - parted lips, even breathing. He leaned forward and pecked your cheek, smiling a small smile when you shifted. "Good evening, love."

You let out a yawn as you rubbed your eyes, body shuffling. "Daisuke?" You groaned out. "Is that you?"

Daisuke knew you couldn't see him but he nodded anyway. "You don't have to keep waiting for me like this, you know."

To his surprise, you wrapped your arms around him and pulled yourself closer to his body. "But I want to. And I missed you." You yawned through your statement as you nuzzled your head on his neck. "You still smell good after being outside the whole day. How unfair."

Daisuke let out a chuckle. "Come on. Let's get you to bed." He stood up easily even with your form carried in his arms. Chico jumped out of the couch at the same time and followed Daisuke as he carried you upstairs to your shared room, lying you down carefully on the bed. Daisuke made an attempt to withdraw from the withholding grapple of your arms around his neck but his endeavor was less then proliferant as you have established a stronger hold on him, unrelenting.

Daisuke let out a sigh as he tried to adjust from the uncomfortable stance he was positioned in. "I need to change first, Y/N." Badgered Daisuke, hands resting on your back.

Yet his words did no preclude you and you merely shook your head in response. "No," Your eyes shone with defiance, pout manifesting on your lips. "Stay."

"I'll come back in a few, love. I can't sleep in my work clothes." Insisted Daisuke, resolve crumbling the more he looked into your eyes.

"I don't care. Just stay." You grumbled.

Sometimes Daisuke sometimes wondered just how much power you had over him. He couldn't say no to you, apart for that one time when you asked if you two could get a puppy. Looking back at it, he felt guilty that he did not allow you two to have a dog earlier but if it wasn't for his stubborness, you wouldn't have come across Chico.

Speaking of the little puppy, it had successfully jumped on the bed and let out a merry howl. Distracted by the new development of the young dog, you were able to pull Daisuke down on the space beside you and did not think twice before snuggling to his side, arms embracing him tightly as you grinned happily, a happy giggle exiting your lips. You rubbed your head on his shoulders, sighing contentedly. "You're staying here with us."

Daisuke looked down at your beaming face and looked away, redness tinting his cheeks. "If it can't be helped." He stated, but he knew he made his choice the moment you had told him to stay.

Daisuke slowly wrapped his arms around you and pulled you closer, and you willingly accepted his affection. You were so warm, so loving. How did he ever find you?

And then came the cloud of exhaustion. His eyelids gradually drooped over his sockets, his strength withering every second that had gone by until the last thing he saw before sleep overcame him was you and a bounding Chico burying herself in between the two of you.

#daisuke x reader #daisuke kambe x reader #fuguo keiji x reader #haru kato x reader #fuguo keiji balance unlimited #fuguo keiji #anime #anime x reader #x reader #x reader fanfic #the millionaire detective balance unlimited #the millionare detective balance: unlimited #the millionaire detective #fugou keiji x reader #fugou keiji balance: unlimited #fugou keji

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batdadforlife · 3 years

Text

I've been thinking about Bruce traveling with his kids.

Look, sometimes he needs to leave Gotham for a Justice League thing, and in those cases he probably either leaves his kids with Alfred, or keeps them at the Watchtower because its too dangerous. But sometimes Bruce Wayne goes out of town for a business trip or a vacation. And on those trips, he probably likes to bring the kids with him when he can. Its educational, lets them experience another part of the world or another culture. It has nothing to do with how wonderful it is to watch his kids experience something new with wonder in their eyes. Or how much fun Bruce has finding the best this new place has to offer with his kids.

(Alfred has always refused to go on trips, stating that he has enough to do at home and it would be completely improper for a butler to go on family vacation. Eventually Bruce got a concession that Alfred would also take a vacation somewhere he wanted to go anytime a trip lasted more than a weekend.)

When it was just Dick it was simple. He just asked for a room with two beds or a suite with two rooms, he's rich enough to afford several rooms. Dick still liked to wake him up by jumping on the bed, asking if they could have ice cream for breakfast just this once because Alfred wasn't there to say no. When Dick left he found himself keeping the habit, getting two rooms instead of just one.

When Jason came along it was better, Bruce just put him in the extra room anytime he came with and getting another room the rare times he and Dick could agree long enough for a vacation. Jason wasn't as prone to jumping on the bed, and always made fun of Bruce for wasting so much money. But Bruce knew that Jason appreciated having his own private space when he got overwhelmed on a trip.

Bruce had several business trips already planned out after Jason died, already booked with an extra room. Some of those trips were hurriedly canceled in his wave of grief, but when Bruce was finally able to force himself to go, he found he couldn't bare to cancel the other room. And he kept doing it, booking two rooms when he only needed one. Sometimes he would just go to the doorway of the empty room, and imagine knocking only for Jason to open the door, and for it to have all been a bad dream after eating sushi at a dubious restaurant Jason had dragged him to.

And then eventually Tim came along, but Bruce couldn't exactly take his neighbor's kid with him on trips. So that extra room stayed empty, a reminder of what would never be.

And then one time Dick decides to come with him on a trip. Bruce is sure that Alfred and Tim are responsible for it, are trying to get them back to the place they were as a family. But he's too grateful to question much, eager to reconnect with his remaining son. Except...

He couldn't bear to not have that empty room. It was part of his travel routine now, and he couldn't bear to admit to himself that Jason was never going to go on another family trip, that his sons were never going to be with him again...

He booked a third room, and dodged Alfred's knowing looks and Dick's curious frown at the extra key he picked up in the lobby.

And then he was able to take Tim along on the trips, introduce him to all his business partners as his youngest son. Then Cass came along and she had never had the chance to travel like this, with a warm place to sleep and people willing to explain what was going on around her. But no matter what, Bruce kept that one room empty, always having a spare room that no one ever entered.

And then Jason came back. And he was angry, and killing people, and said he wanted nothing to do with the family. Bruce knew he should break the habit now, since it was likely to piss Jason off if he ever found out. But now he had a distant, almost microscopic hope, that someday that extra room might be needed for its intended purpose.

It isn't until after the time stream, when he has Damian with him, that the room finally gets used. The entire family was with him for once, a two week family vacation that disguised a trip to disable a major crime family making inroads in Gotham.

Jason showed up midway through the second week, coming out of nowhere to save Red Robin from a sniper that would have put a bullet in his brain. Unfortunately the sniper got a lucky shot, and Jason limped away from the fight with a twisted ankle and a bullet in the shoulder. The crime family was taken down and Jason properly bandaged, but he was in no shape to leave alone as he tried to insist before the painkillers kicked in and knocked him out.

Jason wakes up tucked into a bed in a ridiculously expensive hotel room with a throbbing ache in his ankle and shoulder. He downs the pills left for him on a side table, then once they kick in gets up and hobbles his way out of the room.

He gets caught by Dick and Damian in the hallway, and before he can escape he's dragged to breakfast at the restaurant in the lobby with the rest of the family. He reluctantly agrees to stay until the end of the vacation, and head back to Gotham with the rest of the family.

It isn't until later that Jason asks about the room, joking about who he kicked out of their bed. Everyone else just looks at him in confusion. “what are you talking about, Jason?”

“That room has always been for you.”

#Bruce Wayne #Batman #Jason Todd #Dick Grayson #Tim Drake #Cassandra Cain #Damian Wayne #batfamily feels #batfamily #batdad #look I know a secretary probably books the rooms #but shh because that ruins part of the story #I have no idea how hotels work for rich people #Bruce probably just rents an entire floor because of his huge family

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nobodycallsmerae · 3 years

Note

Hey, I hope you’re well! 🙃Can I ask #7 and #32?

Hi hi!! I'm fine! I hope you're doing great too!! I've written another shot based on prompt #32, (which im quite proud of) and you can find it here. You haven't mentioned a pairing, so I'm just gonna write for bbrae :)

I humbly tried to dabble into the holy world of office romance. You should see my manhwa reading list. My last 6-7 webcomics are filled with office romances XoX

____

'What? But I've been working overtime for the past twelve days!' He whined, practically on the verge of tears.

'Well that's tragic,' The vice president rolled her eyes. 'But you are my secretary now, and you have to be competent in what you do.'

'But..!'

Raven Roth had no idea how she'd gotten herself into this situation.

She was the vice president of a successful company, an accomplished and respected 28-year-old woman, but now she was stuck here, in her office, arguing pointlessly with a man-child.

Her old secretary (and only friend) Kory Anders, was on her honeymoon, leaving Raven with.. Him.

‘No “buts” Mr. Logan,’ Raven cut him off. ‘The company is going through a critical time now, and I want every employee to give their hundred percent. And you-’

Sometimes she wondered why she didn’t just fire him, but, truth be told, even if he was messy, and lazy, and was definitely not used to working behind the table, 27-year-old Garfield Logan was actually quite good at what he did.

And also that her old secretary had personally hired him, and Raven did not want to deal with an angry Kory Anders.

‘M-Mr. Logan are you…?’ She looked at her now secretary, who had slumped shoulders and was looking downwards.

‘How do you expect me to work like this?!’ He finally snapped, looking up at her and walking closer to her desk. ‘I get sleep for a grand total of three hours a day, I haven’t had a proper meal and have been practically living on caffeine and I don’t have any plants in my new apartment!!’

‘Plants…?’ She raised an eye-brow.

‘I just needed a third thing, okay?’ Gar cried out. He took a few deep breaths and with his chin touching his chest, his shoulders began to shake.

‘Mr. Lo- Logan are you… cryi-’

‘Yes! Yes, I’m having a mental breakdown right now!’ He exclaimed, looking up at her with tears in his eyes. ‘You may be perfect, Ms. Roth, but I am not! I’m nowhere near perfect, and I’m trying my best to keep up with you here. I’m trying my best, I swear, but I can’t anymore. You’ve ought to give me a break. If I had a girlfriend, I bet she’d want me to quit.’

‘..Well, you don’t have a girlfriend…’ Raven quietly muttered, feeling kind of guilty all of a sudden.

‘Because I’ve been working for you the whole time!!’ Gar yelled, watching her wince as he did.

He finally exhaled, and calmed himself. He stepped back, and suddenly, a professional aura surrounded him, which made Raven blink twice.

‘..I’m sorry Ms. Roth.’ He regarded her. ‘I’m sorry for behaving in an-’

A quite peculiar, but not not-good sound made him stop in his tracks, and in front of him, he could see his superior…. Laughing?

Gar had worked for Raven Roth for almost a month now, and he had never even seen the sides of her lips turning upwards, often making him wonder if they were fixed in a slight frown. But now, in front of him at 10 pm, The Raven Roth was laughing her heart out. Gar blinked, and even rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was hallucinating, because, truthfully, the scene in front of him was… making his heart flutter.

‘I-I’m sorry Mr. Logan..’ Raven said between laughs, covering her mouth with her hand. ‘But no employee has ever talked to me like that before… I would say that you’re almost being… cute.’

‘Well.. of course they haven’t,’ Gar coughed, trying to hide his obvious blush. ‘They’re practically working zombies…’

‘Heh, well you know what,’ Raven sighed, rolling her stiff shoulders into her plush chair. 'You can go home for today… But, I need those papers present on my table by next Monday. Understand?'

'Yes, Ma'am!!' Gar happily exclaimed, saluting her.

‘I may say… you’re being quite perky for someone who was whimpering not two seconds ago.’

‘Heh.. yeah, about that..’ He blushed, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. ‘Can we just pretend the last five minutes of our lives never happened?’

‘Even the time I told you to wrap it up for the day?’ Raven slyly played along, not knowing what had gotten into her… but not disliking it either. ‘Okay, then, get the files from-’

She looked at him, pouting like a cute little puppy which was kicked in the- wait…

...Cute?

Raven Roth didn’t think things were cute, let alone other humans. She didn’t go around swooning over other men like some women, but what had invaded her thoughts right now?

Well, she did say that the puppy was cute… that had to count for something, right?

‘It’s okay, Mr. Logan, you may go. I was just messing with you.’

‘Phew.’ With a hand on his fine chest, the secretary let out a sigh. Wait, fi- ‘And also, now that we’re off the clock, please, you can call me Gar, Rav-’

‘And you may call me Ms. Roth.’

‘Ms. Roth.’ He smiled. He slightly bowed his head as a silent greeting and walked out of her office.

Raven thought about continuing her work, like she’s been doing every single night-

‘Mr. Garfield?’ She called out, surprising herself as she did.

‘Si?’ Gar immediately popped his head back into her office, almost as if he’d been standing in front of the door the whole time.

Now that he was looking oh-so intently at her, she blushed. And the last time the vice president had blushed was probably(?) when she was in kindergarden…

‘I.. J-just.. I wanted…’ Raven stumbled, making Gar raise his eye-brows with disbelief. ‘Just.. ah, thank you. I.. I needed this. This may seem a little out of character for me-’

‘A little?’ He teased.

‘Okay, well,’ She huffed. ‘This may not seem like myself, but..’ She sighed, almost bashfully fingering the folders on her table. ‘You know I don’t have many friends, everybody knows that. There are only people who are more-or-less fearful of me because of my designation. And ever since Kory went on her… vacation, I have just been working without a care in the world. But… this, whatever weird little confrontation we had right now… it was refreshing. I really needed that laugh, honestly,’ She chuckled. ‘So.. thank you.’

Gar’s face was colored red, and she was almost sure it mirrored hers, but he just smiled. ‘Anytime.’ He winked. 'And.. I'm your friend now! So don't hesitate to come to me anytime you're in need of a pal.'

Raven awkwardly smiled and got back to the task she was doing on her computer.

‘Umm.. Ms. Roth, aren’t you gonna go home too?’

‘Huh, me? No.’ She shook her head, stifling a yawn. ‘I have this presentation to be tak-’

‘What? But today is Friday.. You have the whole weekend ahead of you! You should take a break!’

‘No, Mr. Loga- Garfield, it’s okay.’ He'd taken a seat on one of the chairs in front of her table. ‘You should go ahead...’

‘Oh, Ms. Roth..’ He sighed. ‘If you take a break now, and get a decent good night’s sleep while you still can, you’ll be refreshed and will be more energized to do your work later on; which will make your work even better! So.. what do ya’ say?’

Gar smiled at her, but he seemed dumbfounded once he saw the expression on her face. She was blushing, very heavily, and Gar wasn’t sure if he’d done something which made her face flush. He raised an eye-brow, to which Raven shyly responded by pointing towards her desk with her eyes. As he looked down at where her eyes were pointed, he saw that his hands were covering hers, almost in an affectionate way.

‘Ahem.’ He pulled back at once, his face flushed with shock and embarrassment.

Raven tried regaining her composure, flattening the front of her suit as a distraction and trying to not concentrate on the warmth that was still lingering on her usually cold hands.

‘Well, Mr. Logan, I thank you for your concern, but…’ The VP sighed, eyeing the files on her desk, thinking back on what had happened a few moments ago. Raven wasn’t the kind of person to reconsider things; She had a schedule and she followed it accordingly. But she also wasn’t the kind of person who’d be easily flustered around people, blush (so many times!), or have such… inappropriate thoughts about a co-worker. (Raven believes “cute” is highly inappropriate.) She also made a mental note to go for a health check-up soon, because she wasn’t sure if her heart was supposed to be beating so fast. Or be missing beats.

‘..I’m going to say something and regret it real quick.’ She mumbled. ‘Okay.. have it your way!’

‘Sweet!’ Gar laughed. ‘Seeing as we’re the only people left, let’s head out together!’ He suggested before walking out.

Raven looked dazed for a moment, but then quickly sorted through the files and folders. She organised what she needed and what she would take a look at later, and sighed at her empty table.

Rummaging through her bag, she looked for her car keys. ‘Shit.’

'You okay?' He called out to her. 'Whoa, that was so cool!' She heard him say to himself as his voice echoed through the empty office.

'Nothing, just..' She exhaled. 'I locked the keys in the car, and my spare keys are at home...' She looked frustrated.

'Oh man...' Gar stood at her door, looking down. 'Uhh, can't you just call up your butler or something?'

'It's almost 11 at night, Garfield.' She let out a long sigh.

'Wait.. but can't you rich people like, call your butlers anytime and they'll be present?'

'What do you think this is, a no-budget fanfiction?' Raven rolled her eyes. Her head was laying on her clean table, and Gar couldn't help but blush after seeing her look so laid-back in front of him. 'Well, I can call them, but I wouldn't want to disturb them. Besides, I can just call a cab for now.'

'Or I could give you a ride!' Gar abruptly suggested.

'Umm?' The woman awkwardly raised an eye-brow, not able to find her words to reply to him.

'I mean..' He started, scratching the back of his neck. 'I was the one who suggested we wrap up for the day, and I'm here with you now. If anything were to happen to you, it is really unsafe now, late at night, I wouldn't help but feel responsible. So let me-'

'Garfield.. I-' Raven blushed. 'I don't think it will be suitable for me to accompany a co-worker like this... And also if people think there's an ulterior motive-'

'I don't have any ulterior motives, Rae.' He smiled. 'I'm just a concerned guy looking out for a friend.'

'Very well... Thank you, Garfield.' She looked down at her table, trying to hide her flushed face. 'Also, nobody calls me "Rae".'

'Yes ma'am!' The secretary smiled and walked out to his cubicle to get his things, leaving Raven alone in her office.

Right then, Raven Roth knew something had changed. Be it the atmosphere or herself, she wasn't sure, but something had definitely changed between her and this Gar Logan.

Maybe it was just one-sided; maybe it was because nobody had made her laugh like that, (even though he didn't do it on purpose.), maybe because no one else had ever suggested her to leave her precious work and get sleep. It could be because for the first time, someone had talked to her as Raven (...or Rae) and not “Vice President, Miss. Roth”. Or probably because it was the first time somebody had cared for her enough to stay back and offer a ride.

She wasn't sure why (or what exactly), but she knew something had changed... and in the deepest, darkest corners of her mind, Raven selfishly hoped it didn't change back.

‘You ready?’ He reappeared at her office, bowing a little melodramatically as he caught her eye.

'Yeah…' Raven smiled. 'I'm ready.'

____

Believe it or not the whole meltdown-in-front-of-lady-boss thing is based on a real incident lmho.

Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed this!! Please share your thoughts :>

[send me a prompt]

#My fic #Ask #shewhowillnotbenamed1 #Bbrae #Garchel #Prompt #Raven Roth #Raven #Rachel Roth #Gar Logan #Garfield Logan #Beast boy #Titans #Teen titans #Au #Office romance #Office romance au

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d0llpie · 3 years

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Hii can you possibly do suna and the miya twins going with their gf to her childhood home for a vacation and turns out she's v v rich and actually lives in a palace (designed like a royal palace) completed with butlers and maids and just the boys being shook and the gf touring them around? Thankyou💘

Visiting s/o childhood home

Tsumu x reader, Suna x reader, Osamu x reader

Sorry this took me longer than usual i was having a little bit of trouble with Sunas part, thank you for the request <3

Atsumu:

You were both on the way to your childhood home, he had a weekend off of training and you decided a trip away would be good for you both. “So babe what will yer parents think of me?” he wiggled his brows before turning back to the road. “Tsumu we’ve been together for years and you know them..besides they won’t be there until saturday night they have work” you deadpanned and he chuckled before squeezing your thigh. “Not in person tho.” It was true he’d only ever spoken to your parents over skype but they had known about him from the moment you started dating. After college you moved in with Tsumu so distance would be easier when he travelled for volleyball.

Upon arrival, atsumu stared out the car window with his mouth hung open. “This is it?” he looked over at you “What not grand enough for you?” you teased and left the car. You looked behind you to see Tsumu just admiring the fountain in the front yard, beautiful gardens surrounding with vibrant coloured flowers and lush grass. “Y/N, welcome home this must be Atsumu Miya?” at the large front door stood your butler “Hi, yes it is, it’s good to be home!” you replied as Tsumu jogged up to your side, “We’ll grab your bags, make yourselves at home!” you nodded and grabbed atsumu’s hand running inside.

You first walked into your industrial style kitchen and grabbed you both a glass of water “okay so i’ll show you around before they get here tomorrow and we can just chill and watch some movies tonight if that’s okay?” Atsumu was looking through all your cupboards and drawers “is this real silver?” “Tsumu did you hear what i said?” you shook your head and dragged him into the living room. The roof seemed almost as high as a volleyball stadium and Atsumu admired the smooth wallpaper and spotless couch. “Honestly babe i might’ve just dated you for your money if i knew about how loaded you were.” you rolled your eyes at him before leading him out into the hall “no seriously, i know i make a lot but maybe you should be my sugar mummy” he wrapped his arms around your waist and you laughed before swatting his arm playfully.

After you’d managed to tour Atsumu around the whole house and survive his snarky comments you went up to your childhood bedroom. “Awww y/n~ what’s this” Atsumu held up a teddy bear while plopping onto your bed with a shit eating grin. “Hey give that here-“ you jumped onto him and he just laughed loudly before rolling you over and pecking your face in kisses. “And to think people thought you were in it for my money..” you looked up at him with an offended face “who is people??” “Oh ya know just fans who are jealous of ya babe don’t worry i’ll make sure to tell everyone i’m here for your riches.” he lay his head on your chest and you scoffed before smiling down at him.

“Tsumu let’s watch a movie hmm?” you both changed into your pyjamas before making your way down to the theatre room. “Want me to make some popcorn?” Tsumu offered and you shook your head “come lie down, we don’t have to get it.” “wow babe you’re spoiling me” you laughed as he lay down between your legs, resting his head on your stomach. “So what movie do you wanna watch?” you turned the TV on and looked down at him “What’s on netflix premium?” “What the hell is netflix premium??” he just shrugged at your confused expression “thought youd have special netflix but i guess not.” he sighed in faux disappointment and you ruffled his hair. “Shut up.”

Osamu:

It was actually Osamu’s idea to visit your childhood home, he wanted to see where you grew up and thought it’d be a nice break from work. “Babe put the GPS on” “I think i know how to get there ‘Samu i lived there most my life.” An hour later and you were lost so Osamu switched to driving and you put the GPS on reluctantly.

Upon arrival Osamu was shocked, you’d mentioned your home was big but he wasn’t expecting this. Stone pillars at the front with high ceilings and flawless designs was not what he pictured. “Woah y/n this place is gorgeous...is this why you always buy ME coffee in the mornings?” “Samu it’s my parents money” you laughed as you led him to the front doors. “This is sebastian, i can only think of black butler rn our butler” You bowed and smiled at him before showing Samu up to your room for him to unpack. “Cute bedroom y/n” you looked around your childhood bedrooms, posters from your previous interests still up and f/c walls, “I’ll show you the rest of the house but just wait till you see the kitchen babe you’ll love it!” you grabbed his arm leading him out “I love the whole house babe.”

After touring through the gardens and rooms on the first and second floors you led him into the kitchen which currently had a few maids inside laying down ingredients. They smiled sweetly at you before exiting and you nodded appreciatively. You looked over at Samu who’s jaw was slack. “Sooo i know this is a bit bigger than your kitchen so i was going to let you use it, if you wanted of course, i have some ingredients to make onigiri since you wanted to teach me how to-“ before you could finish Osamu’s lips were pressed against yours and his hand cupped your cheek. “I’d love to teach you.”

You stood next to Samu watching as he sculpted the onigiri and you copied what he did. He smiled watching your actions, a smile only reserved for you and then pressed a kiss to the top of your head. “So do you wanna eat these in the gardens when the sun sets?” you look over at him before humming “Hmm romantic Samu, how about the roof?” you smiled up at him. “I’d like that”.

After you’d cleaned up in the kitchen you brought the onigiri to the roof and settled into the blankets and pillows Osamu had set up. “The view up here rivals the house honestly” you hummed in agreement, looking out to the pinks and oranges painting the sky while curling into Osamu’s side.

The sun had set by the time you’d finished the onigiri but you wanted to stargaze so you fixed yourself to lie with your head on Samu’s chest while he played with the ends of your hair. “Thank you for bringing me here y/n, it’s beautiful” you turned onto your stomach and looked at him “Of course babe, i’m glad you like it, we can make pancakes together in the morning too if you want.” he smiled and pecked your lips before pressing a longer kiss to your forehead. “Sounds good babe.” You turned back over to admire the stars while Samu fiddled with the small box in his left pocket, a ring that shone just as bright as the stars sitting inside.

Suna

Suna was excited to visit your childhood home because he was missing your little brother who he’d only met a few times. You wanted to spend christmas with your family and Suna was happy to spend it with them too this year, and so you both got in the car and made your way there.

“Is this a government building or an apartment complex from a couple centuries ago” Suna asked you sarcastically, although he was admiring the exterior of the palace-like home. “C’mon let’s go greet everyone.” you chuckled and took his hand leading him inside.

He was starstruck at how extravagant the interior was and made this clear by standing still in the hallway just staring all around. “Y/N, i cannot believe you make me pay for dinner on dates..” you laughed and kissed him on the cheek “I spoiled you for christmas just wait until the morning.” You both greeted your parents and the maids that were around before sitting down for some drinks while they prepared christmas eve dinner. “Suna?” your little brother walked out of the lounge room and ran up to Suna, hugging him. “Oh wow i guess i’m not here then.” you rolled your eyes before your brother gave you a hug too.

After dinner and small talk with your family, you were talking with your mother taking up the bags to your room. “Is Suna settled in?” she asked “Oh he’s playing video games with aki, he gave him a small tour too.” “oh that’s nice, he seems a lot happier around you and so do you” “oh thank you mum” you hugged your mum before going into your room and changing into your pyjamas.

You walked into the theatre room and saw Suna playing with your brother on the playstation. “Suna wanna come to bed? Aki should go to sleep soon too” He nodded before following you up to your room. “M tired” he cling onto you and flopped into the bed. “Hmm let’s get some sleep, we’ve got a big day tomorrow.” “This house is huge Y/N i think we should split the bill from now on when we go out.” you chuckled and ran your fingers through his hair as you settled under the covers comfortably “sure thing baby, goodnight.” He hummed against you “love you” “i love you too rin.”

#haikyuu #haikyuu fluff #hq fluff #suna rintaro #suna #suna fluff #suna rintaro x reader #suna x reader #atsumu miya x reader #atsumu x reader #atsumu fluff #atsumu miya #osamu miya x reader #osamu x reader #osamu fluff #miya osamu #anon requests #anon

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raleighcarrera · 3 years

Text

be mine

platinum | raleigh carrera x mc (cadence dorian)

raleigh and cadence end up on a couple’s trip together as the fifth and sixth wheels to their friends, four months after they’ve broken up.

shoutout to jade for letting me borrow her rcd mc florencia/platinum mc dom and shoutout to pj for letting me borrow her platinum mc ascendance ! the gang’s all here this valentine’s day 💕

tags: @choicesarehard ; @empressazura; @dakotawinchester ; @zigtheeortega ; @pixeljazzy ; @grigori-girl

~9k words | E (18+)

avery was uncharacteristically squirrelly when she pressed him about who else was coming on the trip with them, evading her questions as best as he could while he herded her onto the plane.

“i don’t want to be a third wheel to you and ascendance,” cadence insisted for what was surely the sixth or seventh time since he’d first invited her along, “or a fifth wheel once seth and florencia show up, either.”

“would you relax?” avery said, waving the flight attendant over and practically shoving a drink into her hand as they settled into their seats across from each other, “seth and florencia are bringing someone with them, too. it’s going to be fine.”

“it’s not going to be fine if whoever they bring is a weirdo,” she pointed out, but sipped obligingly from her champagne all the same, sighing dramatically when the doors closed and the plane started to roll down the tarmac. “then the four of you will be off doing valentine’s day things together and i’ll be stuck entertaining some creep.”

“they wouldn’t just bring some creep,” avery assured her, rolling his eyes. “and even if they did, at least you’ll be entertaining them in palm springs, yeah? i don’t think i could’ve lasted another day below zero.”

that was true. new york had been freezing, lately, with a particularly unrelenting winter that seemed unlikely to melt into spring anytime soon, groundhog predictions be damned. as the plane took off into the air, her toes had yet to thaw out where they were like ice in her sneakers.

avery’s girlfriend’s vacation house in palm springs was going to be a welcome respite from the place she was desperate to get away from, even if she was going to have to spend her first valentine’s day alone there -- or, worse, with some strange guy or girl she wasn’t ready to entertain.

it had been four months since her breakup with raleigh, and it wasn’t like she hadn’t tried to date again. she had. each of her friends had begged to be given the chance to set her up until she finally relented and subsequently regretted ever leaving her apartment -- every single miserable dinner date she went on felt like trying to walk around in the wrong size shoes, pinchy and unfamiliar and strange.

each of the people she’d dated were perfectly nice in their own way, but they weren’t raleigh. they never could be.

the realization had admittedly left her feeling a little glum. she’d expected to be over him, by now, or at the very least, to not still be so torn up about their breakup, especially when she was the one who’d forced his hand.

man up and make a commitment, or let me go. the words felt bitter as she recalled them, and she sighed when avery kicked her underneath the table between them, eyebrows drawing together.

“oi, none of that this weekend. this trip is going to be fun.”

“i know,” cadence said, her eyes on the window beside her. as fun as it could be, she supposed. “and i really appreciate you trying to take my mind off things, but...”

avery’s eyes softened. “yeah,” he allowed, “i get it. but i really do want you to try to have a good time. a break from new york will be good for you.”

“i hope so.” though she doubted it. if she couldn’t get raleigh out of her mind when she was home, a trip across the country was unlikely to make a difference.

the drive to ascendance’s from the airport was short, and after only a few minutes cadence had the pleasure of watching the two of them embrace like it’d been years since they last saw each other, kissing enthusiastically while she lingered in the foyer with her suitcase.

ascendance grinned widely at her when they broke apart, laughing a little as avery kept her wrapped in his arms, lifted up off the floor with her bare feet dangling. “hey! it’s so good to see you again. you can take any room you want, okay?”

the wet sound of kissing didn’t disappear even after she rushed upstairs, dragging her suitcase down the long hallway until she could find the bedroom farthest away from the noise.

she shut the door behind her on an airy, sun-drenched guest bedroom draped in billowy linens, the open window looking down at the pool and sprawling backyard. palm trees decorated the property, and the sight of the view alone was enough to calm her down just a little, so that her stomach wasn’t clenched into tight knots for the first time in weeks when she kicked off her shoes and sank into the bed.

her hands scrubbed across her face, rubbing at her eyes. she was makeup-free from the flight and knew she’d need to get ready before whatever chaos she was inevitably going to be dragged into tonight, when seth and florencia and their mystery guest would get in, but just then, she was far too exhausted to move.

figuring that a nap wouldn’t hurt, she slipped under the blankets in the sweats she’d worn on the plane and immediately fell fast asleep.

the sun was setting when she woke up, a commotion downstairs alerting her to the fact that seth and florencia had gotten in early; she heard a champagne cork pop and cheers echo out just as she slid to the edge of the mattress and stretched, arching her back and righting her clothes where they’d pulled out of place in her sleep.

running a hand through her messy hair, she walked out into the hallway without thinking twice about it, figuring she’d find out the plan for the evening before she started getting ready.

cadence regretted the thought as soon as she paused at the top of the stairs. “hey, sleeping beauty!” seth crowed, throwing his hands up in the air, but she couldn’t bring herself to greet him when her eyes were focused on the mop of brown hair standing just behind him, a head taller and a commanding presence she’d recognize in any room, in any city, in any place.

the person seth and florencia had brought with them was raleigh.

he smiled sheepishly at her, rubbing at the back of his neck before lifting his hand in an awkward wave. “hey.”

“hey,” she said slowly, resuming her walk down the stairs as if on autopilot, even though every nerve-ending in her body was screaming at her to turn back around and go to her room and put on something hotter, damnit. if she’d known she was going to be seeing raleigh today she would have taken the entire six hour flight in valentino haute couture and sat ramrod straight not to wrinkle it.

but she didn’t, and so there she was, makeup free in sweats, dreaming of all the long, drawn-out and painful ways she was going to murder both avery and seth for blindsiding her.

“i’m gonna go pour drinks,” seth said decisively, and cadence only barely caught the look florencia shot her before they both turned away to tend to the champagne bottle in her hands, leaving her alone in the foyer with raleigh.

it had been a few months since she saw him last. they ran into each other only once after she picked up all her things from his apartment, the shoes and makeup and guitar picks and jewelry she’d left strewn all over the place because there was no rules at raleigh’s and she’d gotten too comfortable with that. she’d spotted him from across the room at a party she didn’t want to be at and ducked out the back door before he could see her, too, walking home thirty blocks in the cold, hiccuping sobs that blew clouds of her breath into the air.

he looked more or less the same as he had in november. raleigh’s hair was still pretentiously, purposefully disheveled, his clothes the rich form of messy, distressed and slouchy that looked effortlessly fashionable, with that gaudy rolex on his wrist and hints of his tattoos peeking out at the edge of his collar.

the expression on his face gave nothing away when he said, “i didn’t know you’d be here.”

“we don’t have to talk,” she answered, because they didn’t, and she pursed her lips and looked away just as avery and ascendance entered the house from the patio door, their clasped hands swinging between their bodies.

“oh... my god?” avery said, recovering quickly from the shock on his face, his eyebrows arching to his hairline. ascendance looked to be hiding a nervous laugh behind her hand. “raleigh, good to see you. this is... a surprise.”

“it sure is,” cadence agreed with a wide, fake smile, rage pulsing in her temples. fine -- maybe she’d only have to kill seth.

as if on cue, seth reentered the foyer with the bottle of champagne still in his hands. “oooookay, here’s the -- oh, hey avery -- ascendance, thanks for having us.” florencia passed out glasses while seth leaned in for welcome hugs, and cadence stood there numbly as the reality of the situation started to sink in.

she and raleigh were the other couple, the people who’d be paired up all weekend while the rest of their friends enjoyed the time away. she was going to be stuck with the guy who’d dumped her, on valentine’s day, and there was nothing she could do about it.

when seth stopped beside her, she made a show of wrapping him up into a bear hug, squeezing him as close and as tightly as she could. “you’re dead to me,” cadence murmured calmly into his ear, smiling innocently again when he pulled away nervously and taking one of the waiting glasses of champagne from florencia’s outstretched hand.

she stared at it for a second, unseeing, before lifting the glass to her lips and draining it in one go, knocking back the champagne while silently lamenting the fact that it wasn’t something stronger. but there was probably no amount of alcohol in the world that was going to make this weekend feel bearable.

“i’m gonna go get ready,” she announced to no one, dashing back up the stairs as quickly as she dared.

ascendance found her a few minutes later in full meltdown mode, flicking frantically through the outfits she brought for something to wear to dinner.

“obviously i had no idea they’d be bringing him,” she said, sitting on cadence’s bed and rolling her eyes, “and i hope they didn’t know avery was bringing you, or, like, what the fuck is wrong with them?”

“please don’t even get me started,” cadence sighed, “or i really think i might kill someone tonight. which dress do you think is hotter?”

she gestured frantically at the two pieces she’d laid out over the top of her entire dumped-out suitcase, pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes until she saw stars. getting ready was going to be impossible. if she wore something too sexy it was going to look like she was trying to get back at raleigh and if she dressed too casually it was going to look like she was trying too hard to seem unaffected. the whole situation was fucked.

“i think i have something you can wear,” ascendance said slowly, “if you have the right shoes. but are you sure you want to --”

“i can’t go home,” she cut in, groaning. “that’s worse than staying. no offense -- i want to stay, i just don’t want --”

“i know,” ascendance said sympathetically, “i get it. why don’t you start on your makeup while i pull this dress out?”

“okay,” cadence sighed miserably, and then she was alone again, staring at the mess of clothes before her.

she let herself have exactly ten seconds of wallowing and dramatically lamenting why me before she squared her shoulders and sprung into action, digging her makeup bag out of the chaos covering the bed.

okay. step one -- all she had to do was get ready. you’ve done this a thousand times before. just get ready, and go downstairs. no tears.

her hands shook as she sat down in front of the vanity.

fuck this. she wished dom was with her -- she would know what to do. at the very least, she’d have a xanax to offer.

you will not believe where i am, cadence texted her, stomach squirming. part of her would’ve given anything, just then, to be where dom was, with shane, working on whatever film they were making in whatever remote location he’d dragged her to, if only so she wouldn’t have to face the disaster waiting for her downstairs.

strip club? dom answered almost immediately, her words enough to make cadence crack a genuine smile. she felt a little calmer as she quickly filled her friend in on the situation.

fuck him, was dom’s advice, when she was done. ruin his life!!!! is that even a question? squeeze your tits up to your neck if you have to

thanks for the encouragement! cadence wrote back, setting her phone aside when only a sarcastic string of nonsensical emojis came back in response.

she did feel fortified, then, to make it to dinner, and got her makeup on in almost record time, a genuine smile fixed on her face when ascendance helped her get dressed and zipped her into the outfit she’d set aside, a stunning red minidress that was equal parts short and tight, a gentle ruffle at the hem flaring out under her ass.

they were late to dinner, but it was only in the backyard; ascendance had planned for a private chef to come to the house and cook for them so they wouldn’t have to worry about cameras following them around, and in hindsight, cadence could have kissed her for her forward thinking.

the setup was still elaborate when they made their way outside. ascendance had gone all out in planning the evening -- the table was set with candles and flowers down the length of it, the lawn lit with string lights and music playing somewhere, softly in the distance.

thankfully everyone was already at their seats when they made their way across the grass. avery pulled out the chair across from him for ascendance, and cadence took the seat at the head of the table, opposite raleigh, who was all the way down the other end and looking right at her, a crooked smile on his face and an eyebrow arched at her outfit.

she pointedly ignored him as she dropped down into her seat and picked up the bread roll waiting on her plate, squeezing ascendance’s knee gratefully under the table when she silently passed her roll over, too.

conversation was slow to start, but ascendance kept the food and drinks coming and when cadence was halfway through her third tequila soda she felt markedly less murdery, at least enough to actually talk to seth again, who was still eyeing her warily when she asked, “so, how’s the movie coming?”

“it’s good,” he answered modestly, “they tore down our sets, like, the day filming wrapped, so we did some of the reshoots on location in cordonia. that was cool.”

“they took us on a tour of the palace,” florencia added, though cadence couldn’t look at her without catching raleigh in her peripheral vision, so she kept her eyes on seth, even when he grinned widely at her between bites of the appetizer, a sure sign that there was trouble to come.

“ryan actually asked me about you,” he said casually, “a lot.”

her eyebrows pulled together in surprise. “ryan summers? i think the last time i saw him was when the odyssey dropped.”

“well -- i guess he knows we’re close,” seth shrugged, and, fuck it. she risked a glance at florencia and found her picking her way through the salad; out of the corner of her eye, cadence was pretty sure raleigh had tuned into their conversation, too. “he said he heard you were single.”

warmth flooded her face. she lifted her drink and took another measured sip of it. “did you give him my number?”

now it was seth’s turn to look surprised. “do you want me to?”

“yeah,” she said without thinking, turning her eyes back to her plate immediately. “florencia, how’s pilot season going?”

the tequila sodas went down easily after that. eventually, when the meal finished and she stood from her chair, cadence realized she was too drunk to be upright, wobbling precariously on the lawn in her heels. her head swam as she did her best to hold still, though judging by the look ascendance was giving her, she wasn’t quite managing it.

“you guys wanna head to a bar?” avery asked, and she looked up just in time to catch raleigh’s eye across the circle, knowing they were having the exact same thought at the exact same time.

her team was going to kill her if she was photographed with raleigh. more than that, the internet would destroy her, and she would absolutely deserve it. she shook her head.

“we’ll hang back,” raleigh said, either not noticing the glances the others were exchanging behind his back or tactfully ignoring them, “you guys go.”

then they were alone.

“i don’t want to talk to you,” cadence said bluntly, as soon as the others had gone, the half-bottle of tequila she’d drank obliterating her filter completely.

“that’s fair,” raleigh allowed, looking around the backyard -- which was slowly spinning in her field of vision -- before asking, “can i help you upstairs?”

“you can fuck off.” she spun on her heel to storm away and promptly tumbled down onto the ground, face planting into the grass. fuck.

in an instant, raleigh was down on his knees beside her, one large hand wrapped gently around her arm to pull her upright. “hey, are you okay? jesus, that looked bad.”

“i’m fine,” cadence groaned, yanking her arm out of his grip, “and i don’t need your help, and even if i did, you wouldn’t be helping me anyway. all you care about is yourself.”

it took her a minute, but she made her way back to her feet, kicking her heels off for better balance. silently, raleigh picked them up for her, giving her a long look before muttering, “come on, let’s get you inside.”

they trudged back to the house in silence, side-by-side, cadence’s steps slow and awkward with the world fuzzy around her. raleigh hovered as close to her personal space as he dared their entire way up the stairs, all the way down the hallway until they were both alone in her room.

everything she owned was still strewn across the bed. she groaned when she saw the pile of clothes obstructing the mattress, then threw herself down in the vanity chair and poked around for her makeup wipes instead.

raleigh lingered in the doorway, watching her. “are you gonna be okay?”

she scoffed, yanking the package of makeup wipes open and pulling one out forcefully. “like you give a shit.”

“would you stop it? you have every right to be pissed at me but i’m trying to help, here. are you going to be sick?”

“sick of you,” she said, scrubbing the eyeliner off her eyes in a way her glam team definitely would not approve of, with how she was tugging at her face.

but they weren’t here. raleigh was. and she needed him to go, before she said something stupid.

when she dropped the makeup wipe into the trash at her feet, cadence found raleigh’s arms folded across his chest where he was still leaning in the open door frame. he was staring at her through slightly narrowed eyes, looking either annoyed or pensive -- it was hard to read him, now, considering the drinks she’d had and how long it’d been since they were last alone together.

maybe she’d never be able to read raleigh’s expression ever again.

raleigh dragged a hand across his mouth, rubbing at his jaw before shrugging helplessly and saying, “i do actually want us to be friends, eventually.”

“don’t count on it,” cadence scoffed, turning back to the vanity mirror for a fresh makeup wipe and the eyeliner on her other eye.

there was silence for a long moment before he asked, “is that really how you feel?” raleigh’s voice was quieter, this time. he was less sure of himself, maybe.

or maybe she was projecting, leaning into her own wishful thinking.

either way, she faltered, pursing her lips as she stared at her streaky, half-made up face in the mirror before her.

no. it wasn’t what she wanted. but evidently she wasn’t able to have what she wanted, so a clean break should have been the next best thing, right? space to get over raleigh in peace, no matter how long that took.

when she didn’t say anything, he softly continued, “it’s just that... i miss talking to you, you know? other people don’t always get it.”

irritation flashed within her, sudden and sharp. that was so like raleigh, to want all of the emotional benefits of her companionship without any of the responsibilities that came with them. “i can’t be your friend right now,” she snapped, shutting her eyes briefly when the way her head turned too quickly made the room start to spin again. “maybe ever, okay?”

there was quiet for so long that she forced her eyes open to check and see whether or not raleigh had left, peeking one eye open slowly, just a crack. cadence sighed when she saw he was still standing in the doorway, staring at her with that dark, inscrutable gaze.

raleigh cleared his throat before he said, “i’ve been trying to give you space. obviously i knew you wouldn’t want to talk again right away, but in a few months, i thought...”

how embarrassing. she turned away in shame, biting down on the inside of her cheek.

she wondered how long it’d taken him, to get over their relationship. had he felt they could have been friends again, like nothing ever happened, in one month? three weeks? a few days?

“well, you thought wrong. so please just leave me alone this weekend.” cadence kept her eyes trained on the wall by the closet on the other side of the room, refusing to turn back around. she could feel the tequila starting to work its way back up in her stomach.

“okay,” raleigh said finally, and she heard his hand tap on the doorframe with finality. “night, cadence.”

only when she heard the soft sound of his footsteps on the carpet fade away into nothing did she get up, gently shutting the door to her room and slumping back against it to thump her head against the wood quietly once she was alone.

fuck.

that certainly hadn’t gone as planned.

in the morning, she woke up with a pounding headache, someone heavy sitting on her legs on the bed. the smell of coffee forced her eyes open, and cadence sat up slowly until her blurry vision focused on seth, who grinned at her again before passing her a mug that was warm to the touch in her hands when she reached out for it.

“morning,” he said, looking far too obnoxious and smug for someone who’d been out later than she had the night before. “i thought you might want to know that raleigh asked if i was really going to give your number to ryan at breakfast just now.”

“i’m going to throw up on you,” cadence mumbled, but stared into the coffee in her hands instead, lifting it to her lips for a careful sip that immediately burned her mouth. “wait -- what?”

“any idea why he’d ask me that?” seth smirked, shifting away deftly when she lifted her leg underneath the covers and kicked out at him.

“because he’s a bad person and you’re an even worse one?” she suggested, slumping back down to the mattress with a huff when seth rolled to the other edge of the bed, out of reach. “i hope you don’t think i’m ever going to forgive you for bringing him here.”

seth cringed. “florencia said i’m lucky to be alive.” he shifted closer tentatively when she laughed. “i really didn’t know you’d be here, though. i thought you were going upstate to write.”

“i went last month,” she sighed, “it was miserable. even colder than the city and more depressing than my apartment.” the air b&b had been too empty and too quiet, just like her place back home.

“well, we didn’t all conspire to pull a parent trap on you, i promise,” seth said, and she rolled her eyes at him before disappearing back into her coffee, hoping the caffeine would mitigate the hangover that was starting to feel miserable. “but i also didn’t think you were going to get drunk and start a huge fight or whatever.”

“is that what he said?” she asked, glancing at the closed door of her bedroom before looking back at seth curiously, “that we had a huge fight?” she had been drunk, but the argument she’d had with raleigh had felt tame in comparison to some of the blowouts they’d gotten into when they were together, including the final explosive screaming match that’d broken them up in the fall.

“kinda,” seth shrugged, “but you know how he is. always downplaying everything.”

“yeah.” her nails tapped against the ceramic mug as she strained to listen to whatever was going on downstairs, but if there were still people in the kitchen, she couldn’t hear them, anymore. “are you going to give my number to ryan?”

“i already did,” seth answered with a dismissive flick of his hand, sending a wave of relief through her. there was something comforting in knowing that the decision was out of her hands, and that she wouldn’t have to admit, out loud, that she was reconsidering the offer after talking to raleigh last night. “but that so isn’t the point.”

“please don’t start,” cadence practically begged, “i literally don’t have it in me to think about this today.” or ever, she silently added. the what-ifs of her and raleigh’s relationship would prove to be enough to consume her, if she let them. she’d spent too many hours, over the last few months, thinking about them -- wondering how he felt, questioning whether or not he was thinking about her, torturing herself guessing where he was or who he was with. life had finally been able to start to distract her with other things again: work, friends, social events. she couldn’t afford to take a step backwards.

any question or comment he’d made was probably done in passing. he didn’t care who anyone gave her number to.

“but --” seth tried, cutting off with a sigh when she shook her head at him, eyes wide and pleading. “fine. well... there’s more coffee in the kitchen, okay? come out to the pool when you feel like it.”

she stared off into space as she finished what was left in the mug seth had brought her, rubbing her calves together under the sheets to try and determine whether or not she needed to shave her legs again. it’ll give you some time to stall, said a voice in her head helpfully, and she headed to the shower without thinking twice about it, eager to explore ascendance’s stock of beauty products.

everyone was out by the pool when she finally emerged with her sunglasses and bikini on. the boys were splashing in the water, and cadence kept her eyes lowered as she spread out in one of the empty lounge chairs next to ascendance.

“so,” ascendance murmured, as soon as she got comfortable, “i heard last night was a disaster.”

cadence rolled her eyes again. “good to know raleigh is still the nosey little gossip he always was.”

“if you seriously thought he wasn’t going to tell everyone you hardcore unloaded on him last night, you’re delusional,” ascendance pointed out fairly, making her pout where she was sitting next to her friend.

fine. “i just didn’t think it was news every time we got into an argument,” she muttered, tilting her head back against the lounge chair, squinting into the sun.

“it’s always news, with you two.”

with a sigh, cadence looked away, squeezing her eyes shut against the spots that were suddenly appearing like fireworks. evidently all sense of self preservation had completely abandoned her this weekend, both where raleigh was concerned and otherwise. “you’re not really going to make me ask about it, are you?”

she turned her head and found ascendance grinning at her. “would i do that to you?” she asked, rolling over onto her side and inching her chair closer. her voice dropped to a near whisper, and when she dipped her head so her eyes were visible over the tops of her own sunglasses cadence could see how eager she was to fill her in on the news. “the man is a mess,” ascendance said bluntly, looking almost excited about it.

despite her best efforts not to care, she couldn’t stop herself from feeling hopeful and a little relieved, just to hear that. “really?”

“yeah. i don’t think he ever thought you’d be so upset with him, and for so long. it’s kind of embarrassing, honestly. like -- for his soul.”

“well -- what did he think, that i was just going to be, like, okay, see you? when he picked up all his shit from my apartment while i was on a shoot and told entertainment tonight we had mutual differences. what the fuck was he thinking?”

“beats me,” ascendance scoffed, slowly shaking her head. “i told him he was out of his mind many times. you know how he is. asking all of us for advice on how to talk to you when you made it clear you wanted him to leave you alone.”

“it’s just like -- what could he even possibly have to say to me, you know? after all this time. he had plenty of chances to text me, or something.”

“i don’t think he even knows,” ascendance said. “it just kills him to think anyone’s mad at him. we’re all like that, in a way.”

“i hate that you’re right,” she sighed, gaze drifting out at the sprawling view in the backyard. “he doesn’t care that it’s me. he’s just too much of a narcissist to have someone dislike him.”

“hang on, i didn’t say that,” ascendance mused, pursing her lips. “he definitely cares more because it’s you. try talking to him for ten minutes, you’ll see.”

“i honestly don’t think i can stomach looking at him for ten minutes. it’s like --”

“oi! ace, cadence -- get in here, yeah?”

they turned in unison to find avery grinning, splashing water and waving them into the pool. florencia and seth were sitting on the stairs, and her eyes scanned the rest of the space to slowly come to land on raleigh, treading water behind avery, already staring at her.

“come on,” ascendance smiled, reaching for her wrist and tugging cadence out of her chair before she could protest, yanking her forward towards the edge of the pool.

with a splash, they both jumped in, and cadence was left hovering by the wall as ascendance immediately swam over to avery and jumped into his arms, the two of them spinning away into the deep end with loud laughter.

raleigh lifted his hand to wave awkwardly at her. with a sigh, she swam over, sparing only a brief glance at seth and florencia, who were still parked on the stairs with absolutely no intention of moving and saving her anytime soon.

“you sleep alright?” raleigh asked, as soon as she was close enough to hear him. the expression on his face was sincere, his eyes resting respectfully on her face.

cadence fidgeted as she tried not to stare in return, though the broad planes of raleigh’s chest had always been a distraction -- worse when they were bisected with gold chains and dripping with water, gleaming under the sun. “yeah, i guess. sorry i got drunk and screamed at you or whatever.”

raleigh tipped his head back with a loud laugh, one large palm resting against an equally large pectoral muscle. with his eyes crinkled together under the sun, she gave in and let herself stare at his fingers, glaring bitterly at the tattoos that swirled up his forearm. asshole.

“i think i actually really deserved it, so it’s fine.” when their eyes met again he seemed uncharacteristically uncertain, his trademark shield of confidence momentarily lowered. “i feel like an idiot for not realizing that’s how you must’ve felt sooner.”

cadence shook her head. “that’s not your problem.” having an ex-boyfriend was new to her, let alone one she had to work in the same industry with and live a few neighborhoods away from, the tinny call of the subway conductor’s voice announcing the stops still making her cringe down into her takeaway coffee, even months later -- but she was pretty sure none of this was par for the course. in her (admittedly limited, defined mostly by movies) experience, ex-boyfriends didn’t concern themselves with the aftermath, and raleigh shouldn’t have been any exception.

“i know that.” something unidentifiable flashed in his eyes, and when he winced, she realized it was akin to... pain. uncomfortableness, at the very least. “but, still. i hate thinking that you felt that way... about me. or because of me, even. it’s just shitty.”

“you don’t have to feel guilty,” cadence said, that same prickly annoyance rising up in her again, too suddenly to contend with before the rude words reached her lips. “i know you think highly of yourself, but i’ve had worse things happen to me than being broken up with before.”

raleigh sighed heavily, shaking his head. “i’m fucking this up again. that’s not what i meant. i’m trying to apologize.”

her face contorted with confusion. “you are?”

“yeah, but -- this isn’t going like how i thought it would.” he shrugged, dragging a wet hand across the stubble on his face. he must’ve forgotten to bring a razor with him; it was growing out thicker than it usually did, even and dark across raleigh’s jaw. “i am sorry, though. for what it’s worth, i... really do miss you. and i know that you want me to fuck off and leave you alone and i’m being selfish by not doing that, but -- i just hate not talking to you. and i’m sorry.”

she was quiet for a moment, stunned into silence by his honesty. before she’d even fully had time to process what he’d said, cadence found herself saying, “you don’t have to fuck off entirely.”

raleigh blinked. “no?” he questioned, sounding unsure.

cadence shook her head. there were a million things she could’ve said -- that she’d missed him, too, that she hadn’t ever wanted to break up in the first place, that all she’d ever wanted from him was the promise of a future together -- but they all felt too revealing, making her feel as small as she had when she’d seen his first tabloid cover without her hit the newsstands at the corner store beneath her apartment building. yet again, it was like he was winning their breakup and she was acutely aware of the fact that she was not, and that she’d never be able to, because raleigh was raleigh and she was in love with him.

so she said nothing, and after a beat, he smiled hesitantly at her, eyes searching her face for some sign that she was going to snap at him again.

but she didn’t, and just as she smiled back at him a splash down at the other end of the pool startled them apart, stealing their attention away, and then they were both melding back into the group seamlessly, as though absolutely nothing had transpired between them.

that didn’t stop her from obsessing over it, though, analyzing every aspect of their interaction for the rest of the afternoon while she lounged by the pool, scrolled idly through her phone and made small talk with her friends. despite knowing that raleigh was only trying to bury the hatchet between them in order to appease his own narcissism, the small flicker of hope that had been inside her since their breakup, wondering if maybe he regretted what had happened between them, had been stoked back into a roaring fire.

as the sun started to set, she shivered, tugging at the ends of her damp hair. “i’m gonna go shower. what time’s dinner again?”

ascendance waved her off lazily. “whenever. you know these fools are going to start a fire and pull out a guitar as soon as it gets dark. just come back down when you’re done.”

she shouldered her bag and was surprised to find raleigh fall into step beside her, just outside the sliding back door of the house. “hey,” he said, shirtless still and warm from the sun, smiling brightly, “you going up?”

“yeah,” she answered, trying not to stare at him, “need a break?”

“i’m exhausted,” raleigh said, as they walked up the stairs shoulder-to-shoulder, “i think i got too much sun.”

“i know, i’m going to be washing my hair for, like, a year.” her hands pulled at the split ends, hanging in wet waves around her face. “feels like i soaked up all the chlorine and took it with me.”

silence fell as they walked down the hallway together, and cadence snuck a glance over at raleigh as soon as she realized he wasn’t stopping in front of any of the other guest room doors. they both slowed outside the last one, at the end of the row -- hers.

“listen,” raleigh said, lifting a hand to rub at the back of his neck, “i was thinking about it, and i feel like i didn’t explain myself well earlier.”

great. he’d probably seen the way she was overthinking written all over her face and realized she was holding out hope for something he had no interest in giving her. cringing, she opened her mouth to insist that she was fine when he continued, “i don’t just miss you as a friend, cadence.”

her mouth snapped shut. out of the thousands of possibilities she’d been turning over in her mind, that sentence was one that had genuinely never occurred to her. “what?”

“i felt like -- what i said, i felt like it came across, like, that i just miss being around you and talking to you like we used to... which is true, don’t get me wrong. but i didn’t mean any of it platonically. and i know that’s wrong, but...” raleigh shrugged, grinning ruefully at her. “i guess i don’t care.”

she gaped at him. after a moment, raleigh’s grin faltered. “can you say something? anything is fine.”

“sorry, i’m just, um.” cadence shook her head. what the fuck? “i’m processing.”

“look, you don’t owe me anything,” raleigh rushed to say, “i know that, and -- last night, i know you said you don’t even want to be friends, let alone anything else, so the fact that you told me i don’t have to fuck off should be enough and is way more than i deserve --”

before she could think too much about it, cadence pushed up onto her toes and kissed him, backing raleigh in against the other side of the hallway. for a split second, he stayed frozen against her; then, just as she started to panic again, he kissed her back, mouth moving urgently over hers.

raleigh’s arms wrapped around her and she carefully tip-toed forward, swaying in against his bare chest and pushing her fingers into his hair to drag his head down closer, giving herself over eagerly to the kiss. raleigh answered as if he was drowning, holding onto her so tightly her knees buckled.

the door behind him opened abruptly as they both pushed against it, and they stumbled forward into a linen closet, breaking apart clumsily as towels and washcloths rained down over their heads.

“fuck,” raleigh muttered, breathing heavily. she watched his bare chest rise and fall as he lifted a hand to run his fingers through his hair. “shit, i’m sorry.”

“don’t,” cadence interjected, similarly working to catch her breath. “i kissed you.”

“yeah, but i -- fuck, i want to be able to give you your space. i know you want that.” he seemed torn by the very idea of it.

she shook her head. “i don’t,” she rushed to explain breathlessly, “i just -- i said all that stuff because i was mad at you, and i thought... i didn’t think you wanted...”

her voice wavered and then trailed off helplessly. with her eyes, she offered raleigh the most pleading look she had, begging him to take pity on her and be the one to drive the conversation, so that she wouldn’t have to feel so achingly vulnerable, like she’d just ripped her chest wide open and laid herself bare for him to examine.

raleigh sighed. “cadence... of course i want you. i always have, ever since you threw that stupid pizza party at one in a million. but i felt like i lost the right to... to even think about this.”

cadence drew in a breath, finding it impossible to tear her eyes away from raleigh’s. he looked heartbreakingly sincere, among ascendance’s racks of askew towels, and no matter how much being with him was going to eventually, inevitably destroy her, she knew she would never, ever forgive herself for turning around now.

“you didn’t.” she watched as raleigh exhaled, relief transforming his face. ��i’ve thought about it -- so much -- and i’ve wondered if you ever thought about it, too, and -- i hoped that you did? but when i didn’t hear from you, i had to assume... i mean, i thought you just moved on.”

“no,” raleigh insisted, “jesus, cadence, i could never ‘just move on.’ do you have any idea --”

she kissed him again before he could continue, and raleigh stepped forward to meet her halfway, blindly walking them both out of the closet and back across the hall to her bedroom, fumbling for the doorknob behind her back without dislodging his lips from where they were doing their very best to pull every last breath from her lungs.

he kicked the door shut when they stumbled inside together, and they fell onto her unmade bed in a tangle of damp bathing suits and sunkissed limbs, the messy sheets twisting into further disarray as they rolled around amongst the pillows.

“fuck, fuck, fuck,” raleigh bit out, crawling on top of her to press her down into the mattress, the combination of his lips on her neck and his hands on her hips wiping each and every last thought from her mind. “god, cadence.”

“raleigh,” she moaned in return, sliding her hands down the bare expanse of his back, her fingertips digging into the muscles she’d sorely missed touching, “please, i want...”

his hips bucked forward, and her voice trailed off into a gasp as he pressed against her, her legs widening to give him more room to settle in. raleigh took advantage of the space immediately, and his hips circled forward slowly in a dirty grind that made her head spin, her eyelashes fluttering as her head tipped back against the pillows.

“is this what you want?” raleigh demanded, his voice low. “can you feel how much i want you?”

“yes,” cadence breathed, palms pressing against his back, urging him forward against her, “yes, raleigh, please --”

his hands made quick work of her bikini, untying the strings at the sides of her bottoms, letting the fabric fall away beneath them as his hips thrust forward again. her back arched up off the mattress, and as soon as there was space for his hands, raleigh slipped them between her ass and the mattress, squeezing.

“you look so fucking pretty,” he sighed, sounding almost personally offended as soon as his thigh slipped between her legs and she pushed her hips up, chasing any source of friction, “jesus, cadence.”

cadence reached up and threaded her fingers into his hair, pulling his face down for another desperate kiss. she didn’t exactly feel pretty, makeup-free and wet from the pool, flushed and panting and begging for her ex-boyfriend’s affection, but the way raleigh was looking at her made her feel like a perfect ten, as stunning as she’d ever thought she was, more glamorous than she’d be for a red carpet event.

it was exactly the same as the way he’d used to look at her, a mix of warm adoration and awe in his eyes, his pride bumping up her own self confidence until she thought she could do absolutely anything.

her forehead pressed against his as they broke apart, sharing the same ragged breaths. “i want you to fuck me,” cadence murmured, just so that she could hear the pained, punched-out groan of raleigh’s that followed the words, her gaze unfocused on where raleigh’s eyes suddenly screwed shut tightly from up close.

“anything,” raleigh promised, lifting his hips so her hands could slide his shorts off, “god, come here.”

she slipped forward down the bed, into raleigh’s waiting arms, and he pulled her in close enough that her body acted on muscle memory, opening up for him to slot into place against her in that same familiar way they’d come together so many times before.

it was as easy as breathing -- as simple and as complicated as everything with raleigh always felt.

raleigh’s hands planted on the mattress to give him more leverage, and he shoved his hips forward forcefully, pushing her up the bed. “fuck,” he groaned emphatically, making it impossible for her head to be anywhere else but right there, with him, “you feel so fucking good.”

she knew exactly what he meant. her romantic conquests over the last four months had been few and far between, and raleigh was scratching an itch that had been impossible to manage on her own or with anyone else -- even if she’d wanted to be with someone else, there was no one who knew him quite like he did, who knew exactly what she needed and never failed to give her everything and more.

each quick thrust nudged the headboard against the wall behind her, the sharp tilt of his hips making her tense until her whole body was shaking with how good it felt. cadence turned her face away as raleigh got the angle just right, throwing her forearm over her eyes to hide the open expression of pleasure on her face, muffling her moans into the sheets under her cheek.

“oh, don’t you dare,” he breathed, reaching for her arm and pulling it away, pinning her wrist down to the bed. her head rolled back as his hips bucked viciously, compelled by the low intensity in his voice. “look at me.”

her whole body felt hot and anxious, but her eyes blinked open obligingly and locked onto his, pinned in place by the wild look in raleigh’s gaze.

“raleigh.” his name was a moan that felt too loud in the room, her breath hitching halfway through. a full-body shiver tripped down her spine.

above her head, his palm slid the last inch up her wrist to lace their fingers together, squeezing her hand in his.

“did you miss this?” he asked suddenly, walking his free hand up the inside of her thigh in a maddeningly slow tip-toe. his question was punctuated by a thrust that shoved the bed into the wall again.

“yes,” she groaned, “god, raleigh, i --”

“say it.” his hand paused in its path, curling tight around her thigh, fingertips digging in hard enough to bruise.

“i missed this.” the words tripped out in a needy rush, the full-body flush she could feel worsening. “i missed this, i missed you.”

“yeah,” raleigh agreed with an answering moan, bowing his head to bring his lips to her neck again as his fingers finally slid the last few inches up between her legs to touch her, the rough pad of his thumb circling in time with each swing of his hips.

in a matter of moments she was shaking, the rough scrape of raleigh’s teeth and stubble down the column of her throat making her squirm in the sheets, her legs trembling with the way he was touching her. her nails dug into the back of his hand when she tripped over the edge, and she felt her mouth work with what was doubtlessly a mindless jumble of profanities, her brain too dizzy to work out the specifics.

cadence was only distantly aware of raleigh’s hips rocking forward, the curse words he spit out in spanish when he followed her over the edge with his teeth biting at her shoulder. her head was still spinning from the ridiculous ride of it all, and when raleigh finally exhaled, lifted his head and grinned goofily at her, his hand pushing a sweaty lock of hair off his forehead, her heart joined the party, too, seizing up with a worrying tightness before beginning to do backflips in her chest.

he rolled over carefully onto his side, pulling her with him gently until she reached out and braced her hands on his chest. “you okay?”

“pretty good,” cadence murmured honestly. she felt better than she had in a long time. her eyes swept his face curiously, desperate for an understanding of what he might have been thinking. “just tell me now if this was, like, a palm-springs-only kind of thing.”

raleigh’s wide smile faltered. he sucked his bottom lip into his mouth and she saw a flash of his teeth before he resolutely shook his head, eyes still fixed seriously on her face. there was quiet for a moment before he said, “i want to go at your pace, okay? but... i’d definitely take it all back, if i could. that fight we had -- and those things i said --” he trailed off, reaching out for her arm. “i could explain this a lot better if you give me, like, an hour.”

she laughed, smiling brightly despite the heaviness of their conversation. “sorry. i didn’t mean to ruin the afterglow.”

“no, this is important,” raleigh insisted softly, “‘cause i don’t want you to go home thinking -- whatever. and i don’t want this to be just a one-time thing. i mean, i’d love for this to be at least a ten-or-twelve-time thing before our flights tomorrow, but... ideally, uh. you know. there’d be more than that, too.”

cadence leaned in to close the distance between them, gently catching his lips in a quick kiss. as soon as their mouths brushed, raleigh relaxed against her, the tension abruptly dropping out of his limbs as his hands hesitantly came to rest on her back, tilting her in closer.

“i think that sounds great,” cadence murmured, the cautious smile that was spreading across raleigh’s lips enough to set a swarm of butterflies loose in her stomach again.

“thank god,” he sighed, “because i seriously need a break before i have to put sentences together again, cadence. you killed me.”

“oh my god,” she laughed, “shut up, you’re so absurd.”

it was a long time before they finally dragged themselves out of bed and into the shower, and an even longer time before she felt like they were presentable enough to join the group, who all looked at the both of them with shit-eating, smug grins when they sat down at the fire in ascendance’s backyard together, raleigh snagging two slices of pizza out of the box on the table and dangling one of them straight into her waiting, open mouth.

“don’t,” cadence insisted without stopping to chew or swallow, “please keep it to yourselves.”

“what she said,” raleigh agreed, finishing his own slice of pizza in a few quick bites and passing his crust over to her wordlessly.

there was a beat of silence before seth said, “okay, no,” and then a cacophony of sound exploded around them, with each of their friends talking louder and louder over each other, shouting their questions out from around the fire.

she leaned her head on raleigh’s shoulder, chewing thoughtfully. there was certainly still a lot more to talk about -- so many things to discuss -- but she felt more on the same page with raleigh now than ever before, his palm spread out low across the small of her back with his ring and pinky finger dipped beneath the waistband of her shorts.

as avery and the others continued to bicker around them, raleigh turned his head and pressed his lips to her temple in a sweet kiss. “happy valentine’s day,” he murmured into her ear.

cadence glanced down at the face of his watch, shrugging. her lips curved up into her own private smile -- it wasn’t quite valentine’s day just yet, at nine o’clock on saturday night.

“we’ve still got three more hours,” she reminded him, basking in the warmth that raleigh’s fond, indulgent laugh provided, “let’s not push it.”

#raleigh carrera #raleigh carrera x mc #platinum #choices platinum #cadence dorian #raleigh x cadence #raleigh x mc #myfic #long post #ns*w #happy valentine's day ❤️

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