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jade-04 · 2 years

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Dove (Part 4)

first part | part 3 | part 5

Eddie Munson x fem!Henderson!reader and Steve Harrington x fem!Henderson!reader

Summary: Dustin Henderson’s older sister finds herself in a predicament having to choose between Steve “the Hair” Harrington and Eddie “the Freak” Munson

a/n: Okay this is a super long chapter compared to the rest and I have a strong feeling part 5 is going to be just as long. Also right now, theres a bit more of a focus on the Eddie storyline, but I promise that Steve is gonna get his time to shine soon. Also message me if you want to be a part of the tag list :)

Warnings: swearing, mentions of death of a parent, angst (?), kinda fluff i guess idk

taglist: @happiejoon @simonsbluee

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The sound of your alarm clock going off brought you awake. The annoying beeps were starting to get on your nerves.“Okay okay. I get it.” Your hand slamming the top of the clock in an attempt to get it to shut up. You groaned moving to get out of bed and looking at the clock. ‘Shit shit shit’ you thoguht to yourself. It was 9:15 and Steve would be picking you up to drive both of you to work in 5 minutes. You scrambled around your room looking for your bright red, polyester “Ross’s Records” shirt and some jeans to wear with it. Tucking your shirt into your jeans, you caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror.

“God, my hair is a mess.” You whispered moving a hand to your hair. You quickly brushed out your hair and grabbed a scrunchie to tie it up with once you got to work. The last thing you had to do was put on your shoes and find a spare shirt to wear for your rehearsal with Eddie today. As you were putting your boots on and lacing them up you heard the sound of Steves car pulling into the driveway. You quickly grabbed a red and black sweater that reminded you vaguely of Freddi Kreuger and ran out the door.

Just as you got out the door, Steve started honking the horn. “C’mon (Y/N)! Hurry up or were both gonna be late!” He honked the horn again.

“Okay okay! I’m sorry, I was up later than I intended last night.” Flinging the door open, you plopped down into the seat. “Now, if you dont drive, were really gonna be late.”

Steve put the car into reverse and started backing out of the driveway. “Now, what time do you get out today? I should be able to give you a ride home from work.”

“I wont need a ride home today, Steve. Eddies gonna pick me up from work.” You said pulling down the visor to fix your hair in the mirror.

Steve choked a little. “Eddie? As in Eddie Munson, is picking you up? Since when were you guys that close?” He said looking over to raise an eyebrow at you.

“Oh dont be jealous, Steve.” You looked over at him with a smile. “He wants to rehearse a duet with me today before our first full band practice. It’s nothing, you can still pick me up for lunch with you and Robin today.”

“I’m not jealous, (Y/N). I just find it odd that he’s picking you up from work for a rehearsal when you guys could meet earlier on Tuesday instead.”

“Sounds like jealousy, Steve.” You said as he pulled up outside of your job. “Meet me here at 12:00 for lunch with you and Robin?”

“Yea sure that works. Bye (Y/N).” He gave you a small smile and wave as you got out of his car.

“Bye, Steve. Thanks for the ride.” At that, you got out of his car and rushed into work.

Your boss didnt care that you got there right at the time your shift was supposed to start because nobody was in yet. Really all you had to do was restock shelves and work the register for today. Making your way to the back you noticed that there were boxes of cassette tapes and players. ‘Those are new’ you thought to yourself. Typically the store only sold records and record players, but you thought you remembered Ross talking about getting tapes in. You picked up the boxes and walked over to the register area so you could place the tapes in the new, empty bin that was upfront.

Ding ding

You heard the bell on the door go off as it opened causing you to turn around and see an unexpected face.

“Eddie?” You smirked a little. “I dont get off for another 4 hours. What are you doing here?”

“Well, uh, two reasons, doll-face.” You could tell he was a little nervous by the way he was messing around with the rings on his fingers. “One, I heard you guys got cassette tapes in and I wanted to browse the selection.” He came over and started to help you unpack the boxes of tapes while taking a mental note of which ones he was going to buy. “Two, do you want to get dinner together tonight? Like, after rehearsal?”

Eddie never was nervous. He was always pretty confident with himself because he never really cared what people thought, but when it came to you, he really wanted things to be perfect. Just like you. To him, you were the most perfect girl he’s met. You liked the same music he liked and always dressed kind of edgy and, like him, you never really gave a shit about the social hierarchy of Hawkins High. It amazed him how there was someone so similar to him and that you existed in the same place at the same time. He was smitten and boy was it obvious to seemingly everyone. Everyone, but you.

“You asking me on a date, Munson?” This brought you back to the exact thoughts you were having last night. You wouldnt mind it being a date, but you never had feelings like that for him. You werent the type of girl to just throw yourself at any guy who asked you out either, but for some reason, you didnt care if you threw yourself at Eddie. The idea didnt sound bad.

“That depends, Henderson. Do you want it to be?” He was now leaning on the counter with a smirk.

“We’ll see how I feel at the end of my shift.” You looked over at him with a smile pulling at your lips. “Now, are you going to buy those tapes or not?” You said motioning to the stack of tapes he set aside to buy. There was a Stevie Nicks tape on top and you couldnt help thinking he got it because of the song you sang at your audition. You finished ringing up his items, placed them in the bag, and he was on his way.

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Your shift was normal with the usual rush happening around 11:00 and being over just in time for lunch. Lunch with Steve and Robin was also normal, nothing too exciting. Well, besides you asking Robin to cover for you to your mom so you could go to your rehearsal tonight. The story was that you would be over at Robin’s house studying for an indefinite amount of time and would be home later than usual. Steve was still a little grumpy about the whole ‘Eddie giving you a ride’ thing, but you couldnt care less. Before you knew it your shift was over and you were changing your shirt in the record store bathroom. You spent most of the day thinking over whether or not you wanted to consider dinner with Eddie tonight to be a date. By the time your shift was over and Eddie was pulling into the parking lot, you still hadn’t made up your mind. It was necessarily a tough decision. You were stuck, you saw no harm in going on a date with Eddie without having to make it a thing, but you also didnt want him to feel like you were leading him on. You brought back to reality from your thoughts as you heard a knock on the door.

“(Y/N), your rides here.”

“Thanks, Ross.” You said before splashing some water on your face and walking out to see Eddie leaning on the glass by the front door smoking a cigarrette. You made your way out of the store to greet Eddie, but he beat you to it.

“Hey there, sweetheart. You ready to go?” He tossed his cigarette on the ground and stomped it out.

“Yep.” You nodded, walking past him to his car. You didnt mean to sound cold, but your brain was lost in thought.

The second you put your hand on the door handle, he rushed over, putting a hand over yours to stop you. You looked back at him slightly puzzled as to why he wouldnt let you open the door. “Got a dead body in there? Why cant I open the door?”

He pulled his hand away, a tinge of red forming on his cheeks relizing how close you two were right now.. “No, uh, no dead body. I just..um.. Here.” He scrunched his face up a bit and opened the door for you. “M’’lady.”

Eddie’s actions caused you to chuckle little. “Wow, I guess chivalry isn’t dead after all.” You remarked hopping into the passenger seat of his van. Your eyes already looking through the cassette tapes he had on the floor between the driver and passenger seat. You knew it would be about a twenty minute drive from your job to his place (you’d pass his house whenever you had to pick up or drop off Max), so you wanted to pick out the music for the drive. While looking through his collection of tapes you were surprised to see that the Stevie Nicks cassette tape he bought at the store earlier wasnt in there.

“Whatcha lookin’ for, ( Y/N)?” He said with a raised eyebrow while hopping into the car.

“Music.” You mumbled not looking up at him. You were now set on trying to find that cassette tape.

“Okay… what kind of music?” He was now turned toward you.

“Got any…uh… Journey, maybe Stevie Nicks?” You now met his eyes, chewing on your lip in concentration.

‘God, she is so beautiful’ Eddie thought to himself. Just looking at you in your oversized sweater, hair a little messy from work mesmerized him. The way you were chewing your lip in concentration just about made him melt. The amount of times that he dreamt of kissing those same lips are impossible to count. “Um.. I should have some Journey somewhere in here.” He said reaching past you to the bag in the back seat. He pulled the bag to his lap and grabbed the cassette tape for Journey’s “Evolution” album out and placing it into his car. “Here we go.” He said rubbing his hands together.

“Nice.” You shot him a smile. “Let’s get going.”

As Eddie started to pull out of the parking lot, the intro to “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’” began to play through the speakers

You make me weep and wanna die

Just when you said we’d try

Lovin’ touchin’ squeezin’ each other

You couldnt help but start humming along to the song. It reminded you of your father, it was his favorite before he passed away. You have such fond memories of watching your parents dance along to it in the living room while you were trying to do your homework. At first it annoyed you, but you soon came to realize that you wanted that with someone someday. In all of your relationships, nobody has ever made you feel as happy as your mom did when dancing with your father. You’ve never felt anything that was as special as what they had. You felt your face getting wet and you were brought out of your thinking. Tears were streaming down your cheeks, reflecting on memories of your father always made you cry. You sniffled quietly and wiped the tears off your face hoping Eddie wouldn't notice.

“Hey hey hey, (Y/N), what's going on?” Eddie said sounding very concerned. He wanted to comfort you, but he needed to keep his attention on the road. The best he could do for the time was place a hand over yours. He was doing his best to convey that he was here for you.

“It’s nothing really.” You sniffled a bit. “This was just my dad's favorite song. He and my mom would always dance to it in the living room… before he… you know.” You gulped, flipping your hand over to hold his. It felt a little awkward holding his hand considering you two weren't really anything, but it was comforting and you needed that.

“Ahh okay, here.” He said, lifting his hand from yours to turn down the radio and then replacing his hand back in yours. “We don't have to listen to it and if you wanna talk I’m right here.”

This was a soft side of Eddie that you’d never seen. You always perceived him as kind of annoying by the way he would act around school, but he was sweet under the surface. He was like a sour patch kid.

“Thanks Eddie.” You looked over at him with a soft smile. “I dont know, hearing this song always gets me emotional. I mean I miss my dad so, so, much, but I also miss the way my mom was so happy with him. She’s been different since then. She had no expectations of me and Dusty, I mean we were 11 and 8, but still. There’s so much pressure on us, well mainly me, now.” You couldnt help but start to cry again. “There’s just so much in my life that he’s missed out on and theres gonna be so much more. I never understood why there wasn’t anything the doctors could do and-” You cut yourself off by your breath catching in your throat.

“Hey, we dont have to talk about it if you dont want to.” he said rubbing his thumb along the back of your hand. “I’ve been where you were, well are, before and I know it can be hard. It’s also okay if you want to keep talking to. I’ll be here either way.” You could see the smile he had on his face, it was comforting.

“Yea,” You took a deep breath which helped to stop the tears. “I just miss what they had and what he was to everyone. I wish I could be like him, but I’m definitely not headed down that path.” You reflected on everything your father was. A smart man that graduated from Brown and came back to his hometown to marry his highschool sweetheart. He never drank or smoked and spent every Friday night with his family watching movies. You were nowhere near on this path. You were a straight C student with no future plans, and that highschool sweetheart was not coming along great at all. Every Friday night, you were always at a friends house, you hardly spent any time at home. You also drank and smoked a lot, especially on nights like these.

“What do you mean?” You could hear the confusion in his voice. “I think you’re doing great.” That was just what you needed to hear right now.

“I’m the complete opposite of him. He was smart and responsible. A family man for sure. Hell, he married his high school sweetheart. His life was like a god damn movie. Me, on the other hand, I’m not smart or responsible. I never spend time with my family anymore and I am pretty much out of luck on the whole high school sweetheart scenario.” You took another deep breath starting to feel yourself on the verge of tears.

“You know you dont have to be your father right?”

“I know, I just wish my life could’ve been a movie the way that his was.” You took a deep sigh feeling the car stop. You were parked in front of Eddie’s trailer now, you hadn’t even realized that it had been twenty minutes.

“It still can be.” Eddie took the keys out of the ignition and turned to you. You never noticed how pretty he was until now, maybe it was just because you spilled out all of your emotions to him over the past 20 minutes or maybe it was you really noticing him. “It just doesn't have to be the same movie.” He continued offering a smile, still not letting go of your hand. He didnt want to let go of it, and neither did you.

You surprised yourself when you leaned in to hug him, but it was something you really needed. You liked the way that you felt comforted in his embrace and the way that he just rubbed your back. You didnt want to, but you pulled away from the hug. You didnt want it to linger for too long, but both of you missed eachothers warmth the second the hug ended.

“Thanks, Eds.” You leaned back, wiping your tears with the sleeve of your sweater. “Now, lets get to practice.” You offered up a smile and turned to get out of the car.

#eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson #henderson!reader #eddie munson x reader #steve harrington #stranger things #stranger things s4 #steve harrington x reader #eddie stranger things #eddie x reader #steve harrington x henderson!reader #steve x reader #eddie munson x henderson!reader

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moon-ursidae · 1 year

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SESSION #6

as always, SPOILERS for BOTH of the last of us games below!!!

okay so i want to finish this game before my semester starts on tuesday so i really gotta pick it up haha bc there is still SO MUCH GAME left to play. i haven’t even played as abby yet bros.

total play time: about 6 hours

scavenging is soooo satisfying

but also lonely as fuck without dina

this is probably gonna remind me of the first game of the sections when joel is without ellie and he starts goin ham

FUUUUUCK I DON’T WANNA HURT THE DOGS MAN.

that fucking sucked and i feel awful

i would not be able to live in an apocalypse i have too much empathy

ANUTHA CARD WOOO

again i love the stories being told with the collectibles. it adds so much to the world

oh my god that garage was full of infected lil fuckers

LONG GUN HOLSTER FINALLY

WHY THE FUCK ARE THERE SO MANY GODDAMN SHAMBLERS

NEW BRANCH WOOOOOO

precision?? HOW MANY BRANCHES ARE THERE GODDAMN

I’M PICKING UP ARROWS??? BOW SOON PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD I’M BEGGING

oh fuuuuuuuck i feel so bad for this boris guy

i feel like he is also infected in the house i’m currently stood in

damn i was so right

BOOOOOOWWWWWWWW FUCK YEA FINALLY HOLY FUCKING SHIT I’M SO EXCITED

I CAN CRAFT ARROWS?????????

FUUUUUCK DUDE THIS IS DOPE

oh my fucking god i can shoot it while prone.

this is the best day of my life.

WHY ARE THERE SO MANY OF THESE WLFS????

ohmygod i fuckin finished em

holy fuck bro

stealth is WAYYYYY too fun lmao i love it

THERE’S MORE THAT JUST GOT OUT OF A TRUCK??? UR JOKING.

OH MY GOD THERE’S SO MUCH GOING ON AND THE MUSIC IS FUCKIN C R A Z Y

WHO THE FUCK JUST GRABBED ELLIE

JESSE!!!!!!!!!!!

“you think i’d let you do this on your own?” PLEASE THEY ALL CARE ABOUT HER SO MUCH🥺

HE’S LIMPING FUUUCK

HOLY FUCK THIS IS COOL BUT ALSO CRAZY AS FUCK HOLY SHIT

A HORDE?? OH FUCK

CRASHED INTO THE WATER??? THIS IS FUCKING CRAZY DUDE

OUT OF HILLCREST DUDE WE FUCKIN MADE IT WOOOOOOO

oh shit we’re back at the theater?

i love that jesse always hits a stance where he’s leaning

i know ellie isn’t jealous of jesse but rather mad at herself for allowing these people she cares about into a plan that puts them at risk

OH FUCK ANOTHER FLASHBACK????

2 years earlier?? damn so ellie is 17 here?

“i can tell when you’re off.” “let me know if you want to talk about it.” FUUUUCK DUDE THIS IS GONNA MAKE ME CRY TOO🥺

JOURNAL TIME

MORE CAT!

ellie if everyone in jackson knows, joel probably does. he’s got a keen ear

hmmmmm dina is definitely jealous or upset if she’s avoiding you ells

ellie’s so poetic🥹

i’m gonna cry bc of how sweet tommy’s being. i feel like he’s hella underrated. i’m glad we get to see more of him in this game.

“when the barometric temperature gets to.. shit i don’t fuckin know.” LMAOOOOO

“i’m not supposed to say anything, but joel’s worried about you.” classic younger sibling energy

i would know bc it’s me. i’m the younger sibling💀

god this is fucking gorgeous.

THERE HE IS I’M GONNA CRY AGAIN

i wanna know why there’s so much fucking tension between them even before the winter dance. why is ellie distant? is it bc of cat? aftaid that joel will find out? she obviously cares what joel has to think bc she wrote it down in her journal. maybe that’s why?

tommy’s smart for pushing them together to figure out whatever the fuck is goin on rn

LMAO THE LOG BOOK “for those of you wondering, my brother’s still eating with his mouth open. -T.” LMAOOOOOOOO

AND JOEL IS READING SAVAGE STARLIGHT😭

omg i never notice the dark horse comic logo

this is fucking GORGEOUS

i miss joel😭

OMG HE’S TALKING ABOUT SAVAGE STARLIGHT W HER😭😭😭

THIS IS TOO CLOSE TO HOW ME AND MY DAD ARE IT’S MAKING ME SUPER EMOTIONAL

“need a boost?” 😭😭😭😭😭😭

“well hello” “howdy” YYYEEESSSSS

omg wait is this the fuckin patrol ellie mentioned w dina WAYYYYYYY earlier???

joel taking out that bloater??? kinda attractive

“i hear the way jesse talks about you.” damn he really does have NO idea

omg and the clicker???? also attractive

he looks so good w these graphics

if i ever get my hands on a ps5 it’s over for you bitches

“if only they were immune, right?” THE WAY HE WHIPPED HIS HEAD TO LOOK AT HER OOOOOOOOOF

FUCK man

THAT’S what’s bothering her. fuck dude.

oh shit! she’s asking him about it! oh shit!

JOEL STOP LYINNNNNGGGGGGGG

the look on her face tells me she doesn’t believe him

she doesn’t. “i’ve never met another immune person before. have you?” THE WAY HE JUST STANDS THERE FUUUUUCK MAN

“is now really the time for this?” JOEL STOP AVOIDING

“why did you pull me outta there while i was still unconscious?” THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION THO FROM HER POV

“there was no cure.” FUUUUUUUUUUUCK JOEL WHY ARE Y- GGGRRRRR

i wanna knock some sense into him but i also understand his side of it

she’s pissed. i can see it in her eyes bro she is so upset

“is there something else you’d like to rehash?” JOEL. i get that you don’t wanna talk about it man but c’mon.

DAMN. DAMN. well i wanted to know what was bothering her. i found out.

the way that ellie isn’t even fuckin flinching with these stitches speaks volumes

ellieeeeeeeeee girl please REST.

“what?” “nothing.” “good.” ELLIE.

oh my god she really is just gonna fuckin GO.

i have nothing but bad feelings about this

JOURNAL CHECK-IN

“maybe he can help us find these people more quickly. i don’t want to hear anything about turning back.” ellie. it’s consuming you ellie you gotta see that bro.

literally nothing good ever happens at night in tlou

ANUTHA CARD BABYYYY

randy styles💀

i’m ready for it to start storming bitch

what the fuck is up with scars and hanging people??

i’m concerned about this wlf hit list i found on a clickers’s body

what if they’re around here?

oh shit! there’s a not from one of the people that was in the theatre group! he talked about how he got sick and went to go get himself meds i think?

he died in the theatre though so i think this not from paige is for him

ANUTHA CARD BABYYYYY

OH SHIT A SAFE AND A CARD WOOOOO

it’s too fuckin quiet in here

WORKBENCH WOOOOO

WHAT THE FUCK????

I KNEW IT WAS TOO QUIET OH MY FUCKING GOD THAT SCARED THE SHIT OUTTA ME

I HEARD FOOTSTEPS AND TRIED TO CLOSE OUT BUT HE GRABBED ME

BROOOO THESE WERE THE PPL ON THE HIT LIST

WHAT THE FUCK DID I SAYYYYY

let’s try this again yea?

EXPLOSIVES BRANCH??

EXPLOSIVE ARROWS??????????

DAMN. THAT’S FUCKIN COOL. I’M GONNA WAIT THO BC I NEED MORE LISTEN DISTANCE

i feel so smart for figuring that fuckin dumpster thing out so fast

had to S P R I N T to get to that chain dude

holy fucking shit i am FAR from this hospital goddamn

i gotta say i HATE being on my own

wait is this the convention center for pax??

ANUTHA CARD BABYYYY

broooooooo arch-enemy is my fucking favorite so far like this is the the kind of character that i’m always drawn to

I WENT TO CHECK THESE DEAD BODIES, TURNED AROUND, AND GOT FUCKIN JUMPSCARED WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT???? WHAT WAS THAT??????

BEING STALKED BY A FUCKING INFECTED? WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT????

tbh might end on that note bc it is almost 4am and i am losing function in my hands hahaha

i’m saying FUCK NO to that tonight hahaha

i fuckin fell asleep before i posted this last night🤦🏻‍♀️

#the last of us part ii spoilers #the last of us part 2 spoilers #the last of us part two spoilers #the last of us spoilers #the last of us part 2 #the last of us part ii #the last of us part two #tlou part ii spoilers #tlou part 2 spoilers #tlou part two spoilers #tlou spoilers #tlou part 2 #tlou part ii #tlou part two #mads plays the last of us!🌿#mads plays the last of us part ii!🍃

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mminttae · 3 years

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Clandestine | 02

-> Pairing : Jeon Jungkook x reader

-> Genre : tattoo!artist Jungkook, mafia! JJK,mafia au, bloody!missions, slight violence, got secrets they can't tell, angst, romance, Jungkook's part time job is flirting, sad (backstory), Y/N is strong!

-> Summary : who would have known that just doing a part time job at a night club would lead you to the tattoo artist Jeon Jungkook's messed up world. One letter related to the secret comes out of your mouth you'll be laying in Jungkook's arms but alive or not, that's not guaranteed...

-> Word Count : 4.286 K ( A/N: I’m increasing words )

-> T/W body language, killing, curse words and intimacy are included in the story (you may read if you're comfortable with these)

Part : 2

<< previous chap

.・゜-: ✧ :-playlist -: ✧ :-゜・．

Jungkook's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish. Even if me saying that line didn't flatten him enough I knew the nickname did as it always have been doing. It was clearly visible that he didn't expect me to be this bold suddenly. But he being himself smirked after a couple of seconds as his hand snaked up to grab my wrist pulling me more closer "Sure princess.. Do you want to go to the trip now? " His tongue rolling over his bottom lip as his piercing doe eyes holding so many thoughts looked at my lips then to my eyes.

"I don't want to interrupt but the trip has to be postponed "Jimin interferes in the moment, his eyes narrowed and only looking at me as if scared that the younger guy would throw him out if he locked eyes with his. Making a 'tch' sound Jungkook raises his eyebrows at Jimin in a manner that reads he's asking why postpone. I yeet his hand which was holding my wrist and get off from the table clearing my throat while fixing the skirt and apron. Jungkook clearly disappointed for not being able to hear my answer gets up from the seat while putting the black leather jacket around his shoulders. Jimin and Taehyung following him gets up too grabbing their bags. Jungkook walked up to me while fixing his bangs with his index finger.

"Gotta go princess a client's waiting" Nodding I proceeded to walk away but I could hear Jungkook saying with a sad dramatic tone. "Atleast act that you don't want me to go". I'm afraid I won't be able to because I myself don't know what this client of yours gonna do if you don't go on time. Is the person waiting even a client or not? Knitting my eyebrows I look back only to meet with strangers taking up the seat. The three tall mesmerizing men with inks on their body not to be seen anywhere. I don't know what's going on in that foolish yet extremely clever brain of yours but...

Be careful Mr. Artbook..

End of YOUR POV

Mid summer yet the night breeze is able to run shivers down your spine. Not a single soul in sight.

10 at night maybe the shopkeepers closed down the shutters and went to bed. Not many shops here in this area to even begin with. The only workshop's bell which rings here is the Jeon's Tattoo corner which has been ringing from the morning today , seemed to have stopped in the evening but now making its sound again. "Argh I should really break down this bell "

With an annoyed expression the black haired guy opens the drawers searching for a fresh towel. The tall man who just entered the shop walked past the desk table, turning the door knob and allowing himself inside the cozy room. His loud footsteps on the wooden floor telling Jungkook that the guest has arrived.

"Where were you? I waited here for five minutes then went inside the nearby plant store to kill time"

Taking off the long coat the tall silver haired guy walks up to the chair positioned in the middle of the room beside the various tools. "Sorry hyung, Taehyung and Jimin wanted a new tattoo so went to hear out their designs"

Jungkook says, eyebrows knitted while he fishes out the stencil of the beautiful clematis he has drawn beforehand of the leader's arrival. Smiling to himself he walks up to the seated boss whose like a big brother to him, he puts the stencil aside. Taking out a black rubber band from his pocket he takes his hair and ties it up to a small ponytail before taking out a drawer full of tattoo needles and inks. "Heard that Yoongi started boxing classes with you"

The older male speaks as his lip corners slowly moves upwards. Jungkook giving out a laugh says, "Yea Yoongi hyung be moving like a turtle. "

The thought of his hyung boxing and whining that it's hard is enough to make the little one giggle. Taking out a small wooden stool with one hand as the other one was holding the tattoo gun, Jungkook sits himself beside the strong looking man who rolls up his shirt's sleeves revealing all the different type of arts and words of different languages tattooed on his arm.

"Need chewing gum?"

The younger one asks at the thought that it might hurt but the older one replies plainly that he's fine after all his skin had been coming in contact with this gun for a long time now. Jungkook nods before resting the needle on the free space on the top of the man's biceps before starting to draw on it, the awestrucking clematis. "Was thinking of getting a lip piercing but not being able to get it cuz of the adults in the house"

The man says while his dimples makes visits to his cheeks.

"The exact same reason why am postponing on getting an eyebrow piercing"

Jungkook replies as he carefully moves the tattoo gun sideways on the man's bicep.

"So when are you planning on telling your sister?"

He asks as the silver haired guy closes his eyes once realizing what Jungkook meant.

"When the time's right.. "

He replies, slowly opening his eyes his gaze meeting the ceiling.

"But first we need to pinpoint Mr. Choi's location"

Replying with a small and quiet yes Jungkook draws the details on the flower carefully.

"Seokjin has been checking the cctvs regularly and the only thing he found was the black hyundai stopping at a night club at exactly 7pm every Tuesday and Wednesday"

"What's the night club's name? "

Jungkook asks as he draws on the small leaves.

"Hell's night club"

With just the mention of the night club's name Jungkook's hand stops moving as his eyes widened. "Isn't that the club you often visit with the others? "

The silver haired man asks making Jungkook quietly nod his head. If the most feared mafia in the country slash his team's biggest rival had been going to the exact same club at the exact same time as his how come he never saw the familiar old man's face? He thought.

What kind of person does the man disguise him as that even Jimin who encountered him multiple times doesn't notice. "You should be careful and try to see your clients faces carefully and see if they match that old fart's face or not"

Jungkook humming a response continued on giving the clematis it's final touch. Finishing the tattoo he removes the gun making the silver haired man sit up straight and fix his shirt.

"You know what to do right?"

Jungkook asks referring to putting on Vaseline ointment on the tattoo and stuffs. The older guy nods while fetching his coat. "I'll get going then. Thanks for the tattoo kook"

Jungkook simply nods his mind stuck in a different topic. Putting the equipments away and tidying up the towels as the older guy leaves the shop and disappears into the darkness of the night in the empty alleyway, Jungkook couldn't help but think about what you were up to. His mind stitching up different negative thoughts together.

"If Mr. Choi is really going to that club then he must have seen Y/N always talking to us..... What if he does something to her? " Jungkook asks to himself and the next thing he does is take his bag, turn off the lights, lock the doors and run off to meet you.

• -

"I'll be off then"

Bowing politely you take hold of the two big disposable bags and huff out a breathe when you realize how heavy both of them were. Kicking the back staff door with your leg open the first thing you see is Jeon Jungkook leaning on the wall infront. His hair tied up in a small ponytail, a bag hung around his shoulder and inked hands resting inside his jeans pockets. His eyes falls on your hands holding the disposable garbage bags, sighing he walks up to you.

"I thought your job was to serve and take orders not bring out garbages" You looked down at the bags in your hands while saying, "I was coming out anyways it's no biggie"

You flashed him a small smile but his eyes looked worried and his face tensed. You wondered what happened but didn't dare to ask thinking that he will only answer with 'none of your business' . Yes Jeon Jungkook unknowingly says harsh things without thinking when he's tensed. Jungkook takes the garbage bags from your hands and put it beside the door when his eyes lands on your right hand which was bandaged. His eyes widen and he quickly took your right hand examining it while asking

"How did this happen? Are you okay? "

Embarrassed you put your hand away from his warm ones and answer while smiling, not making eye contact

"It's okay I'm fine these kind of injuries are meant to happen if you work in a bar." Jungkook not convinced took your hand again now keeping it infront of him not letting you pull it back. His eyebrows knitted . "You were totally fine this evening tell me what happened". Chewing on your bottom lip you look down, fiddling with the hem of your shirt.

"Y/N tell me what happened.." Jungkook says once again this time his voice laced with concern as his hands caressed your hair. You were actually a bit taken aback at how the always dominant voice of Jungkook is making its way to you in a concerned and soft way.

"A drunk guy harshly pulled my hand wanting me to sit beside him but I fought back and he suddenly let go of me making me loose my balance at hit the edge of the glass table behind and that's how I got this"

You say while looking at your bandaged hand which was now resting in jungkook's warm palm. He softly held your injured hand and lower down a bit to meet your height. Looking at your eyes he said

"Tell me who did this. Tell me who did this to you I'm gonna fucking kill him"

In a calm soft voice but the last part obviously didn't come out in a soft way. You laughed and pushed him a bit away from you. "It's okay am fine don't overreact he was drunk" But Jungkook not buying the answer walked closer to you and again with a serious tone asked you . "Tell me how he looked like"

Knowing that he won't let go of the topic unless you give him a proper answer you sigh, rolling your eyes while describing the drunk man you happened to meet inside the club. "He had small eyes , a sharp nose and dark stubble on his face and.." You trailed off thinking what else did the man have but Jungkook interrupted asking in a quick manner

"Did he have any sort of tattoo on his wrist? " Replaying the moment inside your head you widen your eyes a bit and nod your head, "Yea he did.. Was that a crown? A crown maybe"

Exactly knowing who that drunk man you encountered was Jungkook's chest sank at the thought that the old man touched you with his dirty hands. Gulping down the saliva that formed in his mouth he without thinking pulled you to his chest engulfing you in a hug. He wasn't sure why he felt like protecting you but he wanted to . He wasn't supposed to feel this way now that he set his mind on the plan his brain made up on the way here but..he did. He wanted to make sure you were safe.

Widening your eyes at how Jungkook suddenly hugged you, your mind went blank. There's no doubt in how fast your heart was beating. To be honest to yourself you were actually frightened when that man tried touching you in an ill manner but now being in Jungkook's arms you felt safe. You felt safe when he was around. Jungkook's arms around you got tighter as he nuzzled his face in the crook of your neck.

So this is how you gonna play it Mr. Choi

He thinks.

•-

Flashback 5 weeks back

Stretching your arms you give out a small yawn before grabbing the books from the table and making your way out of the auditorium. Walking while looking at your surroundings you didn't notice the tall man standing infront of you. Too immersed in the same old paintings hanging on the walls you hit something hard making the copies and books in your hands fall down. Without looking up at the person you bumped into you quickly said 'sorry' while kneeling down to pick up your supplies. The tall gentleman kneeled down too helping you with picking up your stationerys. You got up, the man following you soon. This time facing the guy properly as both of you made eye contact you were about to say thank you when your voice abruptly decided to not come out.

The man had soft long black hair .The kind of hair you would want to play with all day. His baby doe eyes staring at you, his lips parted. The oversized hoodie he was wearing made him the grizzly huggable bear image more.

As your eyes scanned him from head to toe, your lips a bit parted, the guy not being able to control his laughter at how cute you looked when your eyes went big as if you saw something really interesting and you'd like to study that thing more, he gave out small giggles making you quickly close your mouth and look at him. Noticing how every students in tha hall were staring at both of you, you shifted your weight from one leg to another leg uncomfortably. But the guy's Adorable bunny smile didn't go out of your notice. His eyes wrinkled as he tilted his face and asked you softly

"You okay? "

Blinking couple of times you nodded your head making him shyly scratch his nape and mumble 'thank god'. Your lips automatically curved up when your eyes landed on the ID card hung around his neck

"Jeon Jungkook"

Once realization hit you that you were now standing infront of your college's hearthrob while looking like a whole mess which you didn't care about that much until you bumped into him, your cheeks got tinted in a light blush. Pulling your lips in you tilted your head a bit to the side making your baby hairs fall over your face.

"Hey kook!"

A loud deep voice entered the ears of the people standing in the hall making them turn their heads to the two seniors waving their hands at Jungkook's direction, a big wide smile plastered know their face. Jungkook takes out his bracelet covered wrist from his pocket and waves at them. Jimin running towards us and wrapping his arm around the tall guy's shoulders he notices me and flashes me a smile

"Hey Y/N"

Waving your sweater paw at him as a hey you smiled. You met Jimin and Taehyung a couple of times before in some group works with seniors. You not really interested in gossips of the college noticed just a few days ago that Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jungkook are the well known hot trio of this college.

"Y/N.."

Jungkook repeats your name to himself before looking at you once again , smiling while saying

"Sweet name"

His sweet honey voice saying your name was enough to melt you. If it was any other guy right now you would have simply said thank you for helping you pick up the books and walk away without saying anything but surprisingly Jeon Jungkook made you stop. "I'm hungry didn't have breakfast this morning" Taehyung whines while holding his tummy earning a slap on his head from Jimin. "we are going for lunch wanna join us? "

Jungkook asks you making you widen your eyes at the sudden invitation and Jungkook earning some smirks from the seniors beside him, Jimin elbowing his arm while wiggling his eyebrows. Jungkook simply rolled his eyes at his hyungs before looking at you for a reply. You glancing at your silver wrist watch said "I would love to but I should get going. I have some stuffs to do"

Jungkook quietly nods his head before flashing you a smile.

Is he always smiling?

You thought noticing that he had been smiling since the moment both of you met. "Y/N's always studying hard"

Taehyung says earning a nod from Jimin making you shyly scratch your nape.

The Brunnete haired approached you giving you a pat on your shoulder before saying "Study well but don't forget to have lunch okay? "

You flashed him a smile while nodding. Jungkook waving his hands at you as a 'bye' walked past you with the two boys. You looked back at three of them noticing that two of them were wearing hoodies and one of them were wearing full sleeved tees.

It's so hot these days why are they wearing hoodies on top of tees?

Shaking your head you quickened your pace and quickly got out of the college grounds. Walking to the bus stand while looking around at the cozy coffee shops on the streets you keep glancing at your watch from time to time to make sure that you're going on time or not.

Now here's a secret about you that no one knows

You're a student at an art college but you are also a student at a law school. Your father runs the family business of electronics. Yes the electronics company ranking the second best in the country out of all the other electronic companies, which he wants to hand over to your big brother after he retires. Your mother always wanted a child of her to be a sculptor. Borning late in the family with the talent of art you were forced to study this subject whereas you were interested in prosecution, catching criminals and stuffs. What you were most interested in were being a mafia or an assassin but you gave up on those dreams and decided to study law. Your parents only giving their all attention and care to their first born, didn't care about you that much. The only thing they wanted from you was becoming a great sculptor and bringing praise to your family.

After nights of confusion and judgement you decided to study in the law school that you got admitted, secretly with the money your grandparents left you. Your grandparents left some money for you and your brother before passing away and thankfully they were enough to pay for your study books expenses. But maintaining time for your law school as well as the art school was hard but you managed to make time after dropping off from some extra courses of the art college without telling your parents. But it was hectic. Your college hours starts from 7 am. And you have classes till 9am then a break at 9:15 am to 10:30 due to dropping off from some extra class. Your law classes starts from 9:30 so during the break you quickly leave the grounds and head off to the law classes. Then you return to the art college at 10:20 when it's a break at your law school. Then once again when it's a lunch break at the art school you head off to the law school while munching on some snacks, obviously not getting time to have proper lunch. And when it comes to events you had to make up excuses at the law school for not attending as your parents would obviously not skip their daughter's presentations.

It would be more hectic from today cuz you just applied to a job at a night club. There's a course for learning shooting at the law school but you don't have enough money to pay for that so it's time to earn some money.

•••

Stretching your arms while getting up from the seat you had been sitting on straight for 2 hours, you give a yawn before taking out a scrunchie and putting your hair up. All the classes for the day are done. Putting the back pack around your shoulder you bow at the teacher before leaving the school premises. Walking inside the bus and sitting on one of the seat you take out your phone and start typing to your mother , 'Mom I'll be late tonight as I got some extra lessons. Don't worry for me and you don't have to send car I'll come by bus'

"No one's gonna worry about me though"

You say to yourself while letting out a small laugh and looking out at the window. Everything vanishing from your sight at a fast pace as the vehicle picks up its speed upon seeing the empty road. Some of the street lights flickering due to not being fixed for several days now. You take out the 'guideline' paper of the bar you're gonna work in from backpack, going through the structure of the building in your mind and remembering all the rules explained to you yesterday when you went to apply for the job. This night club only seemed to be safe for you to work in now. By safe means you would have no worries of the common students who spends time in bars and clubs to see you. If anyone recognizes you then it's game over. Plus the pay is high too.

The phone screen lighting up as a notification popped up you unlocked the phone before seeing from whom the text is from.

Bro: heard you're coming late at night should I pick you up from the way while coming home?

"Geez already told him?"

You say to yourself once realizing that your mom told your brother to pick up but your brother being nice asked if you want to be picked up first or not. Smiling at his text before typing your reply It's ok you don't have to come. The office is far away from my college anyways. Get home safely.

Waiting for a few minutes to see his reply which you didn't get you turned off your phone and put it inside your bag. Looking out from the window thinking why he didn't reply when he saw your text whereas usually he would try to come pick you up, being the 'protective' brother. You got down from the bus as soon as the bus came to its stop. You walked for a few more minutes from the bus stop till arriving at your destination.

Hell's night club

•••

It's been only five minutes of you serving drinks but you're already tired. How can a human body and mind work for 13 hours straight without any rest. You did mess up some tables a couple of times for which you were now getting a scolding from the manager. You looking down bowing slightly while your hands in front of you.

"Miss Lee Y/N did you properly see the table numbers today? "

The old man asks to which you nod. "Then why are you messing up? " He asks in a raised voice making you flinch and quickly mumble a sorry. You lift your head up a bit to see the old man sighing while pinching his forehead, clearly visible that he's angry. "I'm letting you go as this is your first time don't make mistakes anymore"

He says making you bow and say

"Thank you"

He looked around trying to see if any waitresses are free. Sighing at how there's no one free without counting you he gave you a look before handing you a tray of various kinds of drinks. "Take this to table no. 14. And do not make any mistakes. They are regulars here I don't want them gone" Nodding at him you set off to find this table no. 14 . Noticing how your skirt got up a bit you tried pulling the skirt a bit down with one hand as the other one was holding the tray, you quickly withdraw your hand without fixing the skirt upon seeing the tray tremble in one hand. Quickly holding the tray in place and scanning if any drinks were spilled, you sigh in relief. You looked back to only lock eyes with the manager . He staring straight at you with his cold eyes. You gave a small awkward smile and walked towards table 14.

The table no. 14 seemed to be surrounded by many big men. All had some sort of tattoos on them. A familiar man sitting in the middle holding a pen and scribbling something on a notebook. His inked arms full on display as the silver earrings were still being able to shine despite the dullness in the scene. His long bangs falling before his eyes not letting anyone see the face beneath it.

You quietly approached the table and when you raised your eyes from the ground to the man sitting in the middle, your legs automatic came to a halt and your breath hitched.

Jeon Jungkook right there was sitting. The table in front occupied with various weapons and him sitting like a whole five course meal, fingers playing with the dangly earrings

This is totally not what I expected

#jungkook tattoo #jungkook ff #mafia jungkook #tattoo artist jungkook #jjk imagines #bts imagines #bts namjoon #bts yoongi #BTS jimin #bts hoseok #bts seokjin #bts taehyung #wow i'm posting

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dixie12 · 2 years

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so i’m a little obsessed with this post of @tarcanza's. (i think somnophilia is super hot) and then it got even better, as an appropriate punishment was discussed, and now i can’t stop thinking about it.

so pat is obviously going to punish jonny, because it’s not like he wasn’t into it, once he knew what was going on, but jonny just took, without permission, and pat’s gonna make sure he thinks twice before doing that again.

he let jonny think he’d gotten away with it at first. jonny was so embarrassed, could barely even make eye contact with pat during the next few practices, and they almost lost a game to the coyotes for fuck’s sake, all due to jonny refusing to talk to him. pat finally followed him home one night, boxed him in against the wall of his foyer. he leaned in, whispering in jonny’s ear about how hot it was that jonny couldn’t resist him. “just saw my cock there and had to get your mouth on it, didn’t you, taze?” he asked, as jonny moaned in response, nodding his head frantically, hips jerking against pat as he was being pinned, trapped between pat and the wall behind him.

it became a thing, after that. pat taunting jonny, mocking him sweetly about how desperate he was, how he just needed pat’s cock so badly he couldn’t even wait for him to wake up, couldn’t fight the temptation, just needed to get himself filled, no regard for pat at all.

“i should have figured it out way earlier, jonny,” pat murmured one night. “you were always so sweet and relaxed in the morning, after. like all you needed was to take my load to start your day off right,” and the blush on jonny’s face rivaled the color he got during games, two goals down and double-shifting in the third period.

it was a few months later that pat finally organized jonny’s punishment. it had taken a little bit of planning and a little bit of convincing the guys that yes, he was serious, and yes, jonny would be into it. once he had it set up, he had to put the plan in motion pretty much immediately, though, because the guys kept glancing at jonny and practically giggling before looking away, and jonny might be single-minded at practice, but even he would start to notice that his teammates were acting like morons at some point.

it was a random tuesday, with two days off before their next game, when pat told jonny he’d invited the core over for a movie night. jonny agreed, barely paying attention as he put together a salad to go with their dinner, and pat smiled to himself. he’d be paying attention soon enough.

pat was a little distracted during their meal, but managed to get through it without giving anything away. jonny cleared the dishes while pat grabbed some popcorn and other snacks and met him in the media room. he pushed jonny around a little, tugging him towards him before pushing him down on the couch, and the weight of patrick on top of him had jonny going hard in his sweats, just like pat expected. “fuck, pat, the guys…” jonny groaned out, but he had his hands groping pat’s ass, not exactly trying to push him away as he rocked his hips up. he was so fucking easy for it; pat loved it.

“yea babe, i know,” pat said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a cock ring. before jonny had time to figure out what was going on, pat had slipped his hand into jonny’s sweats, stroked him a few times, and then slid the ring on, testing it for snugness.

jonny stared up at him, pupils wide, breath coming heavy, and pat couldn’t help the wave of fondness that went through him. before jonny could complain, the doorbell rang and the guys started pouring into the condo. jonny stayed frozen on the couch, a few beads of sweat rolling down his forehead as he visibly struggled to figure out what pat was playing at.

pat welcomed the guys in, got them settled on the couches and chairs and then passed out a round of shots, followed quickly by another. jonny was still just staring, eyes darting between pat and the guys, and pat couldn’t help the smug smile from breaking out.

“alright, gentlemen,” he said, clapping his hands once. “i think it’s time we let jonny in on the plan.” jonny started at that, and patrick walked over to him, fitting one hand on jonny’s neck to tug him close. “you remember how just seeing my cock made you so desperate that you started sucking me off while i was asleep?” he asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

jonny went absolutely scarlet, eyes wild as he looked around the room, but the guys were just sipping their drinks, no one reacting to the information. “it’s ok, baby,” he said, voice warm and sweet. “you don’t have to hide it, these are your boys; you can trust them,” and pat felt jonny’s heartbeat slow down under his hand. “but here’s the thing, babe. you took without asking, and that’s not ok. you know anyone would say yes to you- to your pretty pink mouth, or your gorgeous ass, but you still have to ask. so,” pat continued, “i’m going to turn on this movie that netflix assures me has an excellent…” pat paused, letting himself leer just a little, “plot. and whenever any of the guys looks like he’s appreciating that plot, you’re going to ask, very nicely, if you can get your mouth on him.”

jonny’s mouth had been dropping while pat spoke, and pat watched him run his tongue over lips, apparently unconsciously, nodding while pat finished giving the instructions. pat let out a deep breath. he’d been almost totally sure that jonny would be super into this, but it was nice to have his assumption confirmed before they got things started.

pat tucked himself in next to jonny, running a light hand over his chest, playing with his hair, whispering in his ear about whose dick jonny was going to take first. “i don’t think any of them are going to last very long, babe,” pat said, smirking at the guys. “i mean, who wouldn’t want to put you on your knees. i told them how good you are, how you love getting your face fucked, how nothing gets you hotter than a big cock halfway down your throat,” and pat had to cut off as jonny whined, turning his head into pat’s shoulder and panting.

“i think we have your first taker, baby,” pat said, shaking jonny’s shoulder and pointing at seabs. sure enough, seabs was visibly hard in his sweats, one hand dragging low over his abs, just above his waist band. “seabs has always been so good to you, huh jonny,” pat said. “so why don’t you go make him feel good, too,” and jonny slid off the couch onto the carpeted floor.

he looked gorgeous, crawling on all fours over to where brent was sitting. brent was breathing hard, staring down at jonny in wonder as jonny got closer. “are.. are you sure, jon?” brent asked, and pat loved him for that.

“yea brent. fuck, i wanna. wanna make it good for you,” and jonny leaned down to fit his mouth over seabs, through his sweats, before pat interrupted him. “uh-uh, jonny. what do you say?” jonny moaned, letting his head fall forward before picking it up and looking seabs in the eye. “brent, can i suck you? please, i want it, want your cock in my mouth. let me get you off.” his words were slurred as he begged brent, looking so pretty on the floor in front of him, and there was no way brent would ever say no to that.

“fuck, of course you can, jonny. you can have whatever you want.” jonny took that as blanket permission, getting his hands under the waistband of brent’s sweatpants and pulling them down, exposing brent’s dick. he was already leaking precome, and jonny lapped it up, little kitten licks at the crown, closing his eyes as he savored the taste of it. jonny didn’t have any patience, though, and he moved from gentle licks to working brent’s cock down deeper.

he took one of brent’s hands and put it on his head. brent froze, but pat spoke up. “you can hold him down. he likes it.” jonny moaned louder at that, and brent started snapping his hips up, meeting jonny’s mouth with his thrusts. it wasn’t long before he gave a loud groan, emptying himself in jonny’s mouth. jonny’s eyes were already glazed, half-lidded in pleasure as he pulled off. pat dragged jonny towards him, kissing the taste of brent out of his mouth. “we’re just getting started, sweetheart.”

#1988 #o captain my captain #smutty little ficlet #blackhawks fic #jonny looks good on his knees #teamwork makes the dream work

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glacecakes · 3 years

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Wild Hunt

Eugene isn't exactly well liked by his men, but when they want to induct him into their ranks, he's not going to complain! All he has to do is hunt down a beast that they prepared for this event specifically-

It's Varian. Eugene is accidentally hunting down Varian. Now the two have to survive the night together, while one of them is injured, against a squadron of Corona's best men.

Uh oh.

IM BACK! Kinda. Finals are due Tuesday and I wrote this instead of doing them but WHATEVER WHO CARES

This was mostly written on the Varian Hivemind server, with some lovely inputs from the folks on there, and I edited it and finished it before throwing it up here. So uh. Yea. Team Awesome my beloved

Life and Times and VVO will also be updated soon!!! I hope to have at least one if not both chapters done by the end of the month

ANYWAY HERES 8K OF TEAM AWESOME ANGST

Being Captain of the Guards sure had its perks.

For one, he got to attend meetings with Rapunzel, finally. You'd think being the princess's future husband (probably) and Prince of the Dark Kingdom got him some recognition, but noblemen are jerks and elitists, so what can you do. Granted, the meetings were boring as all hell, but still, it felt like he was actually being respected and taken seriously. Something Rapunzel had been pushing for since the start. Personally, he wasn't all that sure he deserved it, but if she was happy, so was he.

Another was that the guards no longer gave him shit. That's not to say they did before... well, they did. Stan and Pete didn't, but every other guard called him Flynn Rider at least once or twice before begrudgingly accepting him as their teacher and now commander. He no longer had to worry about someone breathing down his back, waiting for him to slip up or commit a crime, eager to throw him back in prison.

Speaking of which...

He turned the corner to see a few guards, couldn't remember their names off the top of his head, forming a small circle around a corner. Their predatory grins barred down on whatever their target was, whichever poor soul had angered them. One of them had his hands on someone much shorter, so short he couldn't make them out beyond the red coats and gleaming gold... which could only mean it was one person.

"Don't get comfy, brat," the one hissed, pushing Varian up against the wall with an audible crack as a skull hit stone, no doubt hoisted up by a shirt collar. "One of these days the princess is gonna get sick of you, and when she does, we'll toss you back into your old cell... and we'll restart our favorite game. Ain't that a swell idea?" Varian hissed, a soft thunk of his boots scrambling for purchase against the wall.

"Hey!" Eugene snapped, having heard more than enough. "Put him down now ." His words were like fire, causing the other two to jump back and reveal the battered and bruised alchemist. His lip was split, a large scuff of dirt on his white shirt.

One of the guards snapped his head around, whacking the leader's shoulder to get his attention. The guard frowned. "Oh yea? Or what?"

Before his new position, he would've leapt into the fray, hackles raised, punching the lights out of these jerks, but now, he had a much better stance. "Or you're fired." He crossed his arms, the perfect picture of a guy in charge who knew how to keep his men in line.

Someone who was clearly not him.

The guard hummed. "You don't have the nerve." To emphasize his point, he shook Varian a little harder, the kid's toes barely scraping the floor and his hands gripping the soldier's wrists. Leather gloves creaked with how tight the pressure was.

But Eugene's glare didn't waver, hand itching for the sword at his hip, his anger radiating in waves. It was enough to get the other two to back off.

"Cmon, Aaron," one whispered. "It's not worth it."

"Yeah, it's not." Eugene agreed. "Put him down now, and I'll lighten your sentence to a week in the stables instead of a month."

Aaron's face turned sheet white, then bright red. With a huff, he dropped Varian to the ground, readjusting his gloves while Varian cried out on the floor.

"You got lucky this time, brat," he hissed.

Oh, he knew that type of speech. The Baron used it all the time. Anyone who got told that never lasted to the next month. "And all other times," he said. "Because if I see you go anywhere near him I'm taking you to the princess."

Aaron rolled his eyes, clearly uncaring, and stormed off with a huff, his buddies trailing after. No doubt they didn't like a criminal ordering them around. Or, ex-criminal. He'd have to keep an eye on them.

A sniffle broke Eugene's musings, the fog of satisfaction and annoyance quickly replaced by concern for his younger friend. Varian sat up, wincing as he did so. He rubbed his neck, feeling for any injuries and finding none except for his ruined collar. "Aw man," he mumbled.

Dad had fixed his collar for him that day, a proud smile on his face. "You need to look sharp for your first day on the job," he'd said, ruffling Varian's hair. They'd grown so much closer in the past few months, the man always seeing his son off. Today was the first day back after his kidnapping, after all; he'd spent a month recovering from a broken rib.

"It's not my first day, I've been working there for weeks," Varian had grumbled, but let him do it with a cheeky grin.

"First day of the week," Quirin rectified, placing a kiss to his baby's forehead.

A forehead now covered in dust and a bruise.

"Hey kid," Eugene offered a hand that Varian gladly took, stumbling a little as he was helped upright. "You ok? Nothing knocked outta place?"

"Just my pride," Varian joked, smile quickly fading. "I'm ok though, really. I'm used to it." He shrugged, hugging himself for comfort. Maybe he could pretend dad was here, hugging him... he always had the best hugs. Even when Varian was little, before they drifted apart. Back when he was just the weird magic kid. Back when his biggest worries were some older kids picking on him... Dad would always scoop him up into a big hug with flowery words and a book of Flynn Rider.

A warm hand wrapped around him, pulling him into a red chest. Eugene took his other hand to ruffle Varian's hair, earning a squawk of complaint.

"Just because you're used to it doesn't mean it's ok, you know that, right?" Silence followed. Gosh, this kid... say what you want about being an orphan, at least everyone around you was on the same boat. No place for bullies, nothing to bully about, when everyone was doing just as badly. "If they ever give you more trouble, you come to me, yeah?"

"Huh?" Confused blue eyes met warm brown.

Eugene smirked. "You say the words and I boot them out of the castle, goggles. Team Awesome looks out for each other."

"Oh," Varian mumbled, dazed. He'd never had a protector, never had anyone looking out for him. Cold sneers and flowery words, manipulation and secrets and ulterior motives, sure. His chest fluttered, a laugh escaping.

But then... the anxiety returned full force, maybe even stronger.

If those guys got fired because of him, good god, he could only imagine the fallout. Well, that's not true. He absolutely could. One time in prison a guard got fired for beating a cellmate within an inch of his life, and though the guy lived, the second he was out of prison he got jumped, or so the story goes. In all honesty it was probably an embellished truth, stretched out to frighten prisoners into silence, but god damn if it didn't work. No one ever complained about their beatings. A peep was all that was needed to spend a night in the infirmary for even worse injuries.

"No, no, it's fine," Varian flicked his wrist. The dial on his hand spun with each flick, the ticking grating. "Besides, we have work to do!"

"Oh, yea!" Eugene gasped. Right! The whole reason he came out to this part of the castle was to look for Varian specifically, after all.

"So, right, maintenance stuff." Varian waved his hand, motioning for Eugene to follow. "Here's what I had in mind..."

It was a week later, late at night, when Aaron approached him. The moon lay low in the sky, just bright enough to allow for vision without torchlight, but not bright enough that anything beyond shapes were clear. True to his word, the guard had been stationed on stable duty for the past several days, coming back to the barracks covered in dirt and angry every time.

So maybe Eugene had whispered to Max about him. Big deal.

Anyway, the captain was knee-deep in paperwork when Aaron knocked on his office door. "Sir," he said. "Finished up for the day, and I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh?" Eugene put his quill down hesitantly. Aaron was his first big show of power, the first punishment he'd dished. Everything else had been a variation of "keep doing what you're doing" as he settled into his new role. Who knew being in a position of power was so stressful?

(Everyone. Literally everyone.)

"I wanted to apologize for testing you, sir." The man shifted, eyes never meeting. His face was unreadable. "I wasn't sure you were going to be as..... sharp, as our previous captain. And I'm sorry for that."

"....Ok," Eugene said. "Thanks? I think?"

"So, I uh... wanted to do something for you." The man continues. "Me and a few others. It's sorta a ritual for guards. We didn’t do it before cuz of, yknow, Cassandra and stuff. And you're one of us now, so...?" He raised an eyebrow, a quiet invitation.

Oh boy.

Knowing these guys, it was probably something really stupid. Most of the guards were pretty nice, maybe a bit airheaded, but a lot of meatheads mostly. Big fans of machismo and showing their strength, boosting their ego, stuff like that. It's why none of them were fans of being run by a criminal. And no doubt Eugene would have to clean up their mess anyway, so he sighed deeply and rose from his seat. "Alright, what did you do now?"

Aaron placed a hand to his chest. "Why, sir, we did this out of the goodness of our heart! We're just welcoming you to the team!" He laughed a bit at that last part. He pointed out the door, leading his superior down the suspiciously empty barracks, and out into the courtyard.

About a dozen or so guards were outside, waiting. One of them was holding a horse's reins, and a crossbow.

"He's in!" Aaron called, and the guards all broke into cheers and raucous laughter.

"Yea, nice to see you guys too, uh. What am I... in?" Eugene asked, shifting awkwardly.

Aaron's smile widened. "It's just a fun little game, sir."

"The game is simple, really," Aaron slung an arm around Eugene's shoulder, pulling him close, not unlike how Lance does. But unlike his larger friend, this man is wiry, more of a weaselly kind of build, with stick thin arms that hide his muscle. "See, when someone new joins the guard, we test their skill by having them hunt down a beast in the nearby forest. Once they catch it, we all celebrate together! And welcome him into the ranks!" The guards all cheered, no doubt thrilled at the prospect.

"....right...." Eugene smiled uncomfortably, cheeks pulling and stretching, a puppet controlling the strings attached to his face. His stomach swirled, bouncing all over as he was passed around.

"But see, you're not just any guard, you're the Captain," Aaron's smile took an equally unpleasant demeanour. "So we figured we'd give you some extra... challenge." Outside of their little circle, no sounds could be heard. Not a peep from a cricket, or a cry from a bird, just dead silence in the surrounding glen. Just the crackle of torches, and the rustling of men.

"The beast for this occasion is small, smart, and fast. The goal is to catch it before it reaches the wall at Old Corona. All you gotta do is," he makes a noise with his mouth to emulate the crossbow. "Hit the target, and the rest of us will finish the job."

"Finish?" Eugene echoed.

The guards around him smiled with all of their teeth. "Well yea, we're not just gonna waste a perfectly good beast, are we?"

Eugene narrowed his eyes. If Rapunzel heard about this, no doubt she'd flip. "How will I know what I'm looking for? And why should I even approve of this?"

"Relax, sir," Aaron shook him, patting his chest with a heavy fist. "We're not just killing an innocent creature. It's always something that's been marked for slaughter, or is causing problems. And trust me," his voice deepened. "You'll know."

No horse was as good as Max, but that was probably for the best, what with his gut screaming about how this all felt so goddamn sketchy. "This isn't some trap where it turns out I'm the one being hunted, right? Cuz I don't want to shoot any of you with this," he joked, brandishing the crossbow.

"No, sir, not at all! In fact we'll be supporting you! No one makes the first shot until you do." He promised, patting the horse's flank. "Rest assured, no tricks here. Just a beast already marked for capture. Or recapture, in this case. We picked this one special for you."

"That sounds like it's supposed to be flattering but it really isn't."

Aaron shrugged. "Not my problem. Good luck!" With a smack to the horse, she cried out, spurring Eugene forward.

They rode through the Capital, out into Corona proper, lush with trees. At this time of night, no one would be about, not even thieves, laden in their straw beds and cots. The only things out right now are animals, or a beast, in this case. How is he supposed to know what he's looking for? What, is it going to be some giant thing with red eyes? No, Aaron said it was small, how the hell is he going to...

Then he hears it.

It's faint, almost like a windchime, but sure enough, the clanking of chains, and a small whimper. Somewhere through the trees there's a rustling, something moving. He can't make it out, the guards didn't give him a torch, but a blob of something rushes forward, the only thing he can make out the distinctive shine of metal, a chain reflecting in the moonlight.

Ah.

Eugene smirked, the rush of adrenaline from a chase beginning to pump through his veins. It'd been a while since an adventure without any stakes, without any daring challenges or risking death. The last time must've been... gosh, probably the Herz de Sonne misadventure? And even then he and Lance had just goofed off for the majority of it. Maybe the Spire? That one was much riskier but he and Rapunzel had been so outrageously drunk during that whole endeavor that it felt more like a fun jaunt.

He shook himself out of his reverie. Focus, Eugene! Fun or no, you're proving yourself to the guards! Show them that you're a worthy Captain beyond just barking orders and supporting the princess!

He spurred the horse forward, hooves thundering against the undergrowth and disturbing the leaves below. The beast let out a shriek, shrill and shaking, rushing forward. It weaved between trees, trying to throw Eugene off. Man, Aaron wasn't kidding about how fast it was. Even on horseback he couldn't keep up very well. The chains wrapped around the beast's legs screamed in complaint, clanking and clattering with each huff of its breath.

Eugene lowered the crossbow, sticking his tongue out. Steady... steady.... he fired.

The bolt whizzed through the air, lodging into a tree just a few feet away from its target. The beast flinched but didn't slow, scampering through the undergrowth, leaping over a fallen tree towards the river.

"Hyah!" He yelled, leading his horse over the log and splashing down into frigid waters. Water rushed past his horse's hooves, dulling the sound of chains, and when he looked around, the beast was gone.

Drat.

Eugene grumbled, reloading the crossbow before urging his horse onward. If this beast got away he'd never hear the end of it! They'd be all "Yes sir, Captain! We'll catch that criminal! As soon as you catch that beast!" And then they'd laugh and he'd moan and he'd have to go catch the criminal himself which is honestly not too far off from how it is already-

Anyway.

It took a few minutes to find it again, the beast trying to muffle it's movements by shuffling, but the metal song was too alluring to ignore. There was no time to waste. With the horse at a fast trot, quieter and steadier, he fired the bolt, this time getting much closer, barely whizzing past the silhouette and lodging into a tree trunk with a chunk of hair.

The creature cried out again, beginning to run and renew this dance of cat and mouse, but Eugene wouldn't have it. Dexterous fingers clasped a new bolt and quickly reloaded, giving barely a few seconds for the creature to try and run before firing again.

He didn't miss.

It was almost silent, the bolt's descent. Its tip gleamed in the moonlight alongside the chains keeping his prey in place, the one thing that slowed it and gave Eugene the upper hand. Whatever this beast was was quick, too quick, and if he lost it again, no doubt he'd never find it again. So when he aimed, he aimed down, and sure enough, the bolt embedded itself into the beast's calf, sending into stumbling.

It shrieked, screamed and sobbed in agony, noises bordering on almost human-like as it thrashed on the floor. The arrow stuck straight up, bright color on the end almost a beacon for the beast's location. Poor thing. He really should've just aimed for the head and put it out of its mercy, but this was the only way to ensure a clean shot.

Eugene slid off his horse, crouching low to the ground as he readied the final blow. But as he got nearer, as the moon hung lower in the sky, providing light through the filtering trees. He hesitated.

The beast was crawling, still trying to run, front legs pawing at the forest floor and clenching the leaves beneath with hands.

Hands...?

Eugene's stomach sank, lower and lower with each passing step, heart climbing higher and higher in his throat, the closer he got, the more ill he felt.

He saw the chains first. No, not chains like that on a cattle’s neck. Prison shackles, the kind wrapped around a prisoner's legs. And they were wrapped around legs, keeping strides from being too large.

And their torso.... clothed torso..... The beast heaved, each breath causing it to rise and fall with rapid panic.

The Captain's hands brushed against the tree with his other bolt embedded in it, eyes trailing onto it, and he froze.

Blue hair, stabbed by the bolt.

"No," he breathed. "No no no no no..." His boots picked up the pace, speed walking over to his catch, to his victim. Please, for the love of god, let him be wrong. Let this be a cruel prank, just a bear or deer dressed up to fool him... don't let it be...!

The creature heard him approach and sobbed, flipping itself over on shaking hands to get a better look at its assailant.

There, lightened by the moonlight, chest heaving, tears streaming down his face and blood oozing from his leg, was Varian.

"Varian....?" Eugene whispered, tears of his own budding when his friend whimpered, scooting back and away. With each step forward Varian scrambled back until his back hit a tree, at which point he curled into a ball. Like a frightened animal. Like a cornered beast.

Oh god... this whole time, he thought it was just one of the farm animals marked for slaughter, or a meddlesome woodland critter... he thought it was an animal destined for someone's table, so why not the guards'? Why on Earth did he agree to this? Was he so desperate for approval from his peers that he would simply shrug off the ringing alarm bells, put aside his gut instinct, and dive in blindly?

Yes, his mind whispered. You would, and you did.

"Hey, buddy," He leaned down, inching closer. "Varian, goggles, it's me. It's Team Awesome." His hand shook as he reached forward, but Varian flinched violently, causing his leg to spasm. The boy hiccuped, a hand clamping over his mouth to stifle his sobs. A small mercy came from the shadows of the night, with it too dark for details, Varian wouldn't see the blood rapidly soaking his pants.

The crossbow glinted, a sharp refraction bouncing off frightened blue eyes and causing him to wince. Eugene tossed the weapon away like it burned him.

"It's me, it's Eugene," he reassured, scooting closer bit by bit. "I'm here to help. I'm not gonna hurt you."

"You did," Varian gasped, whole form shaking. "You did."

And that really was the crux of it, wasn't it? At the center of Eugene's self loathing was the spiral of guilt that you shot him, you shot the kid. He trusted you, and you shot him.

"I know," he rasped, trying to keep his voice level. "I did. I'm so sorry. Fuck, I'm so sorry." Varian sobbed, unfurling slightly if only to reach out for comfort. Even if this was the man who hurt him, who hunted him on horse and acted as the boogeyman straight out of nightmares, he was also Eugene, his friend, the one who stood up for him against Cass and Aaron, held his hand and promised he'd be there if Varian ever needed it. And god did he need him now.

Shaking, gloved hands connected in the middle, Eugene's grip gentle but grounding, a careful smile on his face. "That's it, bud. You're safe."

“Aw, ain’t that cute?”

Faster than a bullet, the smaller hand retracted, Varian’s eyes wide and horror-struck. In his attempt to comfort the boy, Eugene had let his guard down. He’d forgotten the final rule of the game.

No one moves until you make the first shot.

They were surrounded.

Aaron swaggered up to the duo with a grin, torch in hand. It flickered and sputtered, illuminating his blinding white grin amidst the darkness. The other guards formed a circle around them. Every other man carried a torch, while the rest had a weapon or tool or rope.

“The Captain has captured the beast! And in remarkable time, too.” Aaron simpered, waltzing up and gripping Varian’s cheeks in his hand. The boy snarled, teeth grit as he stared up at his bully.

From behind them came Aaron’s two buddies, the guards from before, each one wrapping an arm around Eugene’s shoulder, hauling him up and away.

For a moment, Eugene's insides were pure ice, frozen in time, unable to react despite the screaming in his mind as the puzzle pieces failed to connect. They jumbled and sloshed in his mind, the picture only half complete and the rest of the pieces strewn atop, obscuring the image from his view.

"Eugene...?" Varian whispered, thawing him.

"What have you done!?" He bellowed, anger hardening his voice. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" He strained against the guards.

"Just as we told you, sir!" Aaron mocked, forcing Varian to meet the Captain's gaze. "We captured a beast for you to hunt down! And now that you have," The grin was razor sharp, shark's fangs practically drenched in blood. "We'll dispose of it properly."

A guard from the circle threw a rope, the ends tied into a loop. Like a ring toss, the aim was true, ensnaring Varian's wrist and tightening when he pulled. Another guard followed suit, yanking the boy back and forth till his arms were spread eagle and unable to move.

Varian turned a stark white, paler than the moon that neared the horizon. He cried out, straining to try and escape, but another spasm from his leg paralyzed him. “N-no, please not again…!” He sobbed. “Let me go-!”

"Again!? Varian, what do you mean? VARIAN!" Eugene yelled. "VARIAN!"

The boy screwed his eyes shut, praying for the nightmare to end.

"LET HIM GO!" Eugene strained against the guards, lamenting once again, his own stupidity. He should've brought Max, or an actual weapon, like his sword, or something! He'd gone in totally blind, expecting that the guards were decent people and that this wouldn't be anything out of the ordinary. Honestly, he should've known better! After everything he's seen and done, never leave the house without a concealed weapon! You were almost executed by half these assholes!

When he gets back, he's firing everyone except Stan and Pete.

A third rope flashed through the air, this time with a loop larger than the others. It latched itself onto Varian's neck, wrapping tight and close. His eyes snapped open in pure terror, mouth opening in shock. But before the boy could protest or scream, the rope was pulled taut, and his face turned an awful shade of purple. He coughed, thrashing in place with tears of fear and hypoxia trailing his cheeks.

"Aw, the beast is scared! Doesn't he know how all animals are slaughtered?" Aaron cooed, faux sympathy marring his features. "You know, don't you? You were raised on a farm, after all." His question went unanswered, Varian too busy rasping for breath to respond.

The man with the rope pulled harder, forcing Varian's face down into the dirt where his muffled cries barely caused the leaves beneath to move. A steel boot stomped onto his head, and the cries went still.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM!?" Eugene bellowed, the protective instincts in his mind going haywire, overheating and exploding with pure rage and an intense need to save him, free him. He let this happen, if he had been smarter, stronger, if he hadn't shot him, hadn't let his guard down, hadn't shrugged and taken the guards' words at face value… “Oh relax, it'll be painless!” Aaron hummed, producing a knife from his belt. “The beast didn’t answer the question, but, I’m sure you can figure out how animals are killed after falling unconscious.” He jokingly slashed the dagger in the air above his throat, and Eugene saw red.

"YOU ARE SO FIRED!" He screeched at Aaron. "WHEN RAPUNZEL FINDS OUT-"

"Oh?" Aaron mocked, turning around and placing a hand to his chest daintily. "When the princess finds out? You're making her do all the heavy lifting?" He sauntered up to Eugene, hips swaying with each step till they were nose to nose. "This is your job, sir. You are in charge of keeping us in line, keeping the prisoners in their place."

"Varian is NOT a prisoner," Eugene hissed, meeting his gaze with pure fury. "He is a friend, my friend, my brother."

"Perhaps to Eugene Fitzherbert, but not a Captain of the Guard." Aaron shrugged.

Eugene lowered his head. For a brief moment, Aaron grinned victoriously. Now he's getting it.

"Too bad for you, I'm both."

Aaron's face fell, the cheerful facade falling into a brutal glower. "What does that mea-"

He was cut off when Eugene slammed his face into Aaron's, hitting the bastard's nose with a CRUNCH. He staggered back, and his buddies loosened their grip on Eugene to see if he's ok. It's all the advantage Eugene needed, quickly pushing them both off him and charging Aaron. His shoulder bowled into Aaron, sending him sprawling, and Eugene only stopped to grab the dagger he dropped before sprinting for Varian's crumpled form.

"Oh sun, please be ok, come on kid," Eugene chanted, slashing the rope around his neck. It leaves a brutal ring of red around his neck, as do the ones around his wrist when they're dispatched. There was no time to remove the chains, what with the remaining guards quickly regaining their senses and gearing up for a fight.

He lifted Varian up into his arms as if he were made of glass. Dark black hair lolled against the Captain's chest as he stood to his full height, glaring down at his employees, the hazers, the conspirators.

There was no hope of taking them all on, that much was clear. Charging into battle with hands full and armed only with a knife was stupid. He'd have to outrun them, play the game, and make it to Old Corona where Quirin could protect his son and he could get actual backup from loyal men.

Perhaps this was the true game, the true test of his worthiness.

Aaron snarled, staggering up while clutching his nose. "GET HIM!"

Eugene crouched, letting the first guard try and charge him before jumping out of the way at the last second. This he was used to, dodging men who wanted nothing more than to hurt and destroy what he held dear, making a run for it to the relative safety of the familiar. He fell into the old routine without too much difficulty, leaping over heads and ducking under blows. It helped that Varian barely weighed more than a few grapes, still a stick from his year in prison. He and the others had been hard at work trying to help him gain at the very least some muscle, though Varian was a big fan of skipping meals for science.

According to Quirin he's had that habit for a while, and right now it was a minor blessing.

Huh, he thought to himself as he dodged a crossbow bolt, taking off into the trees. Captain of the Guard isn't all that off from my usual life, just with some added benefits. Another arrow nearly took off his ear. Yea, same old stuff.

His feet pounded against the forest floor, dredging up leaves and dirt alike as he ran. There was no time to cover his tracks or be discreet, there was a whole battalion after him, so it wouldn't do much good anyway. But as his steps quickened, as Varian bounced up and down in his arms, the chains still rattling, the boy stirred, groaning in pain with each motion.

"Gene...?" He mumbled, muffled through the man’s coat.

"Hey kid," Eugene grinned down, not slowing for a second. "Glad to see you're ok. How's your throat?"

"On fire..." a weak hand pawed at his throat, rubbing the soreness away.

"Sorry about that, you're gonna be just fine, ok? It's all gonna be ok."

Varian hummed, eyes glossy and not fully there. His head fell back onto Eugene's chest, a soft smile full of love that he didn't deserve. "K. I trust you."

Varian fell back into an uneasy sleep after that, his breaths wheezing against Eugene, lips stained blue and face clammy. Anytime exhaustion tried to creep into his bones, tried to sneak into his soul and drain him to surrender, he looked down at Varian and his spirit would renew.

At some point, they were hiding behind a tree, keeping to the intense darkness. A few guards could be heard not too far off, their annoyed mutterings like an alarm bell, a siren's song of false security. Just as they passed, Varian coughed, clutching at the fabric for comfort. It was an ugly sound, weak and ragged, as if there was something coming up.

When he looked down, those blue lips were now stained red.

He picked up the pace after that.

But even he couldn't run forever, no matter how light Varian was or how determined he was. Inevitably he had to stop for water, hiding Varian behind a fallen tree and drinking from a stream whose sounds hid them from view.

He just finished his own drink when Varian stirred, and the Captain was quick to help Varian get some water of his own.

They sat by the stream for a bit, catching their breaths, Eugene from exertion, and Varian from strangulation.

It was here that Varian recounted his side of the story, tears dripping and mixing with the stream below him. "I was so scared..." he whispered, voice hoarse.

"I bet," Eugene soothed, running a thumb over Varian's palm. "What happened?"

"....I got jumped," his eyes turned downcast, shame coloring his features. "T-they grabbed me when I was gonna head home. Said that they wanted to make it up to me, to... to give me "a job befitting my talents"...." He sighed. "You can probably guess what that was, huh."

Eugene's ears burned. A flame simmered in his gut, nausea falling away as his free hand clenched at the leaves below him. "Yea. I can." He bit out.

For a moment, neither spoke, unsure of what to say. What could they say? The situation was insane, it was cruel, it was... it was…

Varian hacked, more blood than before coming up and splattering on the shackles that remained.

"Oh, let me get those," Eugene hissed. "I'm sorry, shit," He fumbled for his pockets, procuring a lock pick and making quick work of the shackles. "We gotta move. We can't let them find us." His hands hovered over the bolt, unsure. "Can I... I mean, you can't run with..."

Varian turned a shade of green, barely visible. “It’s stopping the blood from coming out.”

"Yea, good point, sorry." He coughed awkwardly, the stream bubbling and gurgling a simple melody.

"Why do... why do you keep apologizing?" Varian asked, not meeting Eugene's eye for a second.

"Wh- seriously?" He let out a bark of laughter, fading when Varian's face didn't change. "Kid, it's my fault you're in this mess! Sun above, I shot you. I said I'd keep you safe and I shot you." Anger swelled in his words, but Varian didn't flinch. He knew it wasn't directed at him. "Some Captain I am, I'm being chased by my own guys."

Varian bit his lip. "Did..." he hesitated to ask. If the answer wasn't what he was hoping for, he'd never recover. "Did you know it was me?"

"No!" Eugene's eyes widened. "No, I never would've agreed if I knew it was a person, let alone you!" He ran a hand through frazzled hair.

"So..." Varian hummed. "You shot me on accident, and then saved me. Again. Even when your men tried to convince you otherwise." Each sentence was slow, filled with Varian needed to take in a breath, but he met his friend's eyes this time. "I think that's a pretty good Captain."

Eugene blinked, then smiled. "Thanks, kid."

Dark voices shouted across the clearing, words incomprehensible. Varian jolted, hands flying up before doubling over hacking. Each cough shook his body so hard you’d think the boy was trembling with fright.

“Woah, easy,” Eugene’s hand rubbed over his back. “Deep breaths. Come on goggles. You got this.”

“You would think,” Varian rasped. “But I do not.”

Finally, with one final hack, his coughs ceased. Each gulp of air felt like heaven, or at least it did for the first few seconds. Then it was replaced by a searing hell, leaving him scrambling again.

God, what is the culprit?

As his breathing quieted, as the burn turned to a small simmer, Varian’s eyes trailed to the forest floor beneath him.

Stained with blood.

Varian’s eyes widened, his pupils shrunk to pinpricks as his entire world focused in on the blood. The dark blues of night left it hard to see, more a black shine than the vicious red, but there was no denying what it was.

“What-oooh,” Eugene hissed, grabbing Varian’s shoulders for support. Shit, this was bad. He made a mental list of symptoms for the inevitable doctor visit: raspy voice, struggling to breathe, coughing up blood... all signs pointed to the noose as the culprit. Whichever guard had tried to strangle Varian was getting fired and arrested.

No, screw it, all of them were.

“Focus on me, hair stripe,” he warned, shaking his brother slightly. “Are you ok to move?” All he got was a weedy moan. “I’m taking that as a maybe.” With no preamble, he scooped his arms under Varian’s knees and back, pulling him into his arms as he stood in one fluid motion. “I’m gonna try and make a run for it, ok? We’re almost to your dad. I just need you to stay with me.”

Silence, and then a faint nod moving against his coat.

Each step sent vibrations up Eugene’s spine, tingling and thrumming in his veins and pounding in time with his heart. The sun would be rising soon, it had to be, with the dew that is forming at his feet.

At some point Varian readjusted, shifting so that he could see over their shoulders. He couldn’t run, couldn’t fight, but at least he could keep an eye out.

And it’s a good thing he did, when he beats wildly at Eugene’s chest in a signal. The captain was about to duck behind a bush, but the forest’s edge is within sight! Maybe if they made a break for it...?

An arrow grazed his side.

The pain looped through his system, joining the adrenaline for a joyride through his mind and it sent him sprawling. Varian rolled out of his arms, collapsing at the forest’s edge.

Eugene groaned, raising his face with the sun to see Aaron’s smug grin glowing in the upcoming dawn.

“Well, look what I caught! A daddy beast and a baby beast!” He said.

Eugene gaped. “Could you be any creepier? Really, gotta go for the weirdest shit to say, don’t you?”

“Eh,” Aaron shrugged, crossbow in hand. He stepped past his boss (Er, ex boss), boots crunching on leaves and leaving nothing but dust in their wake. “I’m a weird guy, I guess.”

“Yea, a real weirdo. Kidnaps a teenager and has the captain hunt him for sport. A nice quirk, ain’t it!” Each word is angrier than before until he is spitting acid.

Aaron doesn’t even argue; he’s too caught up in his victory. Varian shook as he struggled to sit up, arms quivering with effort. Just as he raised his head his eyes met the gleaming tip of an arrow, aimed right between the eyes. “Say goodnight, kid. Don’t worry. I’ll make a fine trophy out of you. Hang your goggles over my mantle.”

“Would you knock it the fuck off!?” Eugene wheezed, scrambling up. His feet gave out near instantly, but he leapt forward, colliding with the guard and driving his aim up. The arrow whizzed overhead, harmlessly lodging into a tree.

“Varian, run!” Eugene yelled, still on top of the other.

“I CAN’T! What part of arrow in my leg don’t you get!?” Varian yelled, immediately followed by coughing.

Eugene went to answer, only for the butt of the crossbow to whack him in the face.

Aaron laughed, loud and manic, the sound like nails on a chalkboard. It was quickly stopped by a punch to his stomach from the furious man above him. If the others found them, it’d be game over. Literally.

Whether or not Eugene would be killed was unclear. While he didn’t always need Rapunzel to save him, her good graces granted him immunity from most local threats. But they’d definitely kill Varian, and that was the bigger concern to him.

Unfazed, Aaron slammed his skull into Eugene’s, sending him tearing back. The guard quickly flipped them, crossbow still in between.

“Face it,” Aaron snarled. “You’ll never be a true captain. You can’t control your men, can’t protect a kid, can’t even protect yourself. You just got the job because you saved the lost princess.”

“In my defense,” Eugene wheezed. “Your previous guard couldn’t do that either.” That only angered him more, digging the crossbow into Eugene’s Adam’s apple.

The two men wrestled briefly, Eugene finally getting a good grip on the crossbow, and kicking Aaron off of him. He scrambled to Varian, fully prepared to scoop him up and begin the dance again, just for a little longer, but Aaron just yelled out in anger, drawing a sword from his belt. As strong as Eugene was, he couldn’t outrun him with Varian in his arms. He would know, he trained his men to match him in speed and strength.

Varian moaned in pain. He had to do something, he couldn’t just sit here! Eugene had spent the whole night running around, working his ass off to keep him safe after the initial mistake, he couldn’t let him down...

But the arrow scraped against his bone, pain sending stars across his vision any time he stood…

The captain’s hands clenched down on wood, eyes calculating. He looked into Varian’s eyes, then down at his leg. Then up again. And down again. He hissed between teeth, kneeled down, and clenched his fist around the arrow. It sent a pulse of pain through Varian’s leg, the boy wincing, but understanding.

“Do it,” he hissed.

And yanked.

The pain was so sharp, so intense, that for a moment Varian was certain he was dead. There was no way anyone could survive with this much pain, he must surely be dead or dying. White hot agony stabbed into his leg, and he bit so hard on his lip he broke skin. It took everything in him not to scream.

Aaron laughed again, shadow blanketing them. Eugene turned to see him looming over them, sword above his head. “Say goodnight, Sir!” he shrieked.

Fwip!

Thunk!

The man’s grin vanished in an instant, replaced by sheer shock at the arrow sticking straight into his throat. Blood trickled down the wound, looking more like an impulse tracheotomy. Suddenly, he pitched forward, face hitting the forest floor with a sickening shick as the arrow went the rest of the way through his throat. There wasn’t even a struggle, no death rattles or cry of pain, just the sounds of a morning dove in the coming dawn.

Eugene’s shoulders slumped, and Varian leaned back into the cool grass.

“You doing alright there, Goggles?” Eugene called.

“My lungs are on fire, I can’t feel my legs and I’m sweating in places I didn’t even know I could sweat. I’d say I’m in the mood to die, but I literally just spent the whole night trying to prevent that.”

“...fair enough.”

The weeks that followed were, for lack of a better term, a total fucking nightmare.

After pulling themselves together, the brothers managed to hobble to Varian’s house in Old Corona, just in time to greet Quirin at the door. Imagine the poor man’s shock when he was headed out to work only to be greeted by his son’s blood and the captain’s exhaustion. Suffice to say, they got a proper tongue lashing the whole cart ride to Corona proper, the father fussing over them both while he rushed them to the infirmary. And then they had to get chewed out by Rapunzel, and Lance, and pretty much everyone else, despite their repeated insistence that it wasn’t their fault this time.

“What did you expect us to do? We were being hunted!” Eugene whined at Rapunzel while a nurse cleaned up a cut.

“Uh, I was being hunted. You were hunting me .” Varian hoarsely piped up from his own bed, leg propped up in a cast. He paused at the frantic stop motion Eugene was making, and the paling faces of his father and princess. “Oh. Was I. Not supposed to say that.”

“You’re not supposed to be talking,” Rapunzel chided lightly, though that was clearly not the problem. The doctor had been pretty quick to explain Varian’s breathing issues were just from the throat trauma, and would heal with time and supervision.

“I didn’t know! In my defense,” Eugene held up his hands as if to shield from Quirin’s murderous face, but if looks could kill he’d be a pile of bones. “I didn’t know.”

“How do you…” Quirin pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m going to remind myself that you saved my son’s life and ignore the part where you endangered it in the first place.”

“Yes, please do,” He said, shifting under the glare.

And then came the paperwork.

Trying to figure out who among the guards was part of the hunt was hard enough, seeing as outside of Aaron and his cronies, no one was going to say a word. All they had to go off of were the men who saw Eugene off, and the ones who initially captured Varian. And since they hadn’t run into anyone else directly, no one could be properly accused and charged. But Eugene wasn’t going to take any chances, and therefore anyone who he saw at least once was fired, and if they wanted to dispute it they could come to him and explain why they were willing to throw his little brother to the wolves.

Suffice to say, no one did. Which left Eugene with only two thirds his original squadron. He spent a good while of his recovery vetting new recruits and creating incentives for others to try out, and while he was able to replenish his ranks, they weren’t nearly the same elite task force they’d started with. And considering the threats they faced on the regular, that was a serious problem.

It was after a long day of training and interviews that Eugene finally stumbled into the castle library, ready to destress with a nice long binge read of Flynn Rider. He grabbed a few books off the shelves as he walked, headed for his favorite couch and the cozy fireplace at its side, only to stop dead in his tracks.

Varian lay spread across the couch, foot propped up on the armrest as he glossed over some scientific text that Eugene had no hope of understanding. His eyes flitted up and down the page, clearly not actually reading and more just staring at the words.

“Hey,” Eugene called, and Varian barely reacted. “Oi, kid, that’s my spot. Scooch it.” “I got here first,” Varian said, not looking up for a second.

“Older brother gets first dibs.”

“Little brother gets his way.”

Oh he was gonna play it like that was he? Eugene smirked, plopping his books down at the floor before collapsing directly on top of Varian, making care to not crush the injured leg. Varian squawked in protest, limbs flailing.

“Get off! You’re heavy!” he yelled, trying to push him off. When that failed, he resorted to whacking at him.

“Never!” Eugene laughed. “Your little punches feel like flowers!”

“I have an iron deficiency!” Varian responded, cheeks red but smiling slightly. The captain finally stopped suffocating him, but didn’t get off, instead wiggling in close so they could share. “Mean,” Varian whined, a pout on his lips, but didn’t complain.

“Oh hush,” Eugene chided, grabbing a book from the floor. “You know you love me.”

Varian simply hummed, buck teeth peeking through a tiny grin. “So, what did you grab for today?”

“Ah, glad you asked!” Eugene held up the cover, which Varian oohed in appreciation. “One of the older ones, came out when I was your age.” He wrapped an arm around Varian, pulling his brother close, the warmth of his side and the fire combining to create a heavenly cocoon. “You want to read, or should I?”

“Your turn,” Varian responded, stifling a yawn.

The book creaked in protest, Eugene gazing down at his little brother with a smile. He leaned his cheek on the boy’s hair, deep voice dripping with fondness as he started to read.

Being Captain was fun, but being a brother was even better.

#tangled the series #varian #tts #tangled #team awesome #tts eugene #eugene fitzherbert #tts varian #rta #rapunzel's tangled adventure

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wonnoy · 3 years

Text

study buddy

this is another tsukishima thing going on and it’s just fluff so no worries - this one can be read in public lol

you are failing a math class and start to beg the smartest kids in class to help you so you can actually pass and we all know tsukishima is one of them :)

warnings: not really any, just a bunch of fluff and a kiss at the very end - kei being a little cinnamon roll

word count: 1827

You had your head down in shame, covering the bad grade on the math quiz you were just handed back. Another failing grade in this class and you were done for, you’d be forced to take extra classes during your breaks and off days. You don’t know if you could actually handle that. You lifted your head off the desk and scanned the room. There was a mixture of different facial expressions that either read happy, sad and surprise. But, you looked over at the tall blonde guy in your class, he always had a face of nothing whenever he got his grades back.

If you could remember, you think his name was Kishima Nei. Being honest, you never really paid much attention to him as he didn’t pay attention to you. After classes were over he’d sit in his seat with the headphones over his ears - only occasionally taking them off to talk to Yamaguchi. You knew him well because of the many team projects you were together for, he was sweet to talk to.

You slumped your head back down on the desk. Maybe he had good grades and wasn’t surprised at his score or he didn’t care. What were you gonna do when you got home? Your parents were threatening to take away your phone if you didn’t pass this math class.

You felt a tap on your shoulder and you rose your head. Yamaguchi was looking down at you with a smile. You tried to grin back but it turned out to be a wobbly smirk.

“What’s wrong?” he sat down in the empty seat in front of you and settled his arms on your desk.

You shoved your quiz towards him and jabbed your finger at the quiz grade, “I got another failing grade, I’m not going to be able to pass this class.” You folded your arms underneath your head. Yamaguchi made a hiss at viewing your grade.

“Yea, that is bad,” you gave him a sharp look and he raised his hands in defense, “but you can ask some students in our class to help you. I would offer, but I’m not really the smartest in here,” he laughed a little before listening to the students coming back in from their break. He gave you wave before heading back to his own seat.

___

You were running out of people to ask and all you had on your list now was the blonde kid from before. You really weren’t sure on what his name was, so you made sure to ask Yamaguchi what it was (he had an absolute fit when you said ‘Kishima Nei’). His name was Tsukishima Kei.

Right as the last class of the day ended, he packed up his things rather quickly. You had to leave your desk full of your stuff in order to catch him.

You tugged on his sweater to keep him from leaving the classroom too quickly.

“Hey Tsukishima?” he turned his head and took off his headphones. He really was tall...

“Yes? You are?” he really cut straight to the point it kind of put you off your guard.

“I heard you’re really good at math and.. and I really need some help,” you lowered your hand to your side. He was your last hope. The side of Tsukishima’s mouth went up in a small snarl.

“Why would I do that?” oh god no. He began to turn his back to you and head out the door. So you did the only thing you could think of. You bent over, bowing lowly to the ground. And boy did it stop him in his tracks. You peered up at him and you could see he was embarrassed with your sudden bowing. Red crept up his pale neck.

“What are you doing, stop that!” people walking past the classroom were pointing and staring. Tsukishima didn’t know how much longer of this he could take.

“Please tutor me Tsukishima!” and you bowed even lower to the ground.

Tsukishima was getting redder by the minute, he just knew you weren’t going to loosen up about this.

“Okay! Fine!” he gripped his headphones and turned away from you. You stood up from your bow, a little embarrassed yourself, “our next quiz is in four days, I can help you only during the night because I have volleyball practice right after,” he began to walk out of the classroom.

Relieved to now finally be standing up straight, you let out a huge sigh of relief. Yamaguchi came up from behind you and clamped a hand down on your shoulder.

“Well wasn’t that surprising! I didn’t think he would have actually agreed to you!” you whirled on his ass.

“You didn’t say anything about him rejecting me!” and you began beating him down with your fists.

___

It was Thursday night now, around 9 PM. The last night before your next math quiz. You were crisscrossed on the hardwood floor of your room, with a piece of scratch paper in your hands. The other a bic pen scribbling down the notes you were taking from Tsukishima as he lectured you.

You guys met up at your house every night since the day you had asked him to help tutor you. Without fail, he would show up to your doorstep around 7:30 PM at night each time, dressed in his Karasuno volleyball team tracksuit and his bookbag full to the brim with his textbooks.

The first day, Monday in the night, you wore your school uniform when he showed, you were nervous to wear your casual wear in front of boy in your home. But then he made fun of you for it so you stopped that immediately. On Tuesday you guys were working in your kitchen but then your parents came home and wouldn’t stop teasing you. Extremely embarrassing for you. Wednesday was the only night that was extremely productive, for Tsukishima anyway. You spent the majority of your time looking at him.

At the expense of you studying.

There’s no doubt that he was attractive. His hair style looked like it was cut too short, but that didn’t make him any less cute. On Wednesday he came to the study time wearing his little goggles and you just couldn’t keep your eyes off of his face. His eyebrows would narrow at answers you got wrong and slightly raised when you got them right.

There was a time where he came up behind you to look at something you were working on and you had to hold the incentive to shiver as the front of his chest rubbed against your back. In the most innocent way though.

“What are you doing?” Tsukishima’s voice was sharp as he addressed you. You were daydreaming and had stopped working for quite a bit of time. He obviously took notice.

“I was doing .. uhm I was doing nothing,” you ducked your head back into the nose of your papers. Tsukishima scoffed at you and continued to read his textbook on your bed. He was in a tracksuit, every once in a while checking in on you. He’ll be honest, when he first started tutoring you, he absolutely wanted to die. He barely had enough time already and now he had to tutor someone like you?

He looked at you one more time, but now it didn’t seem to be all that bad. The only subject you were really struggling with was math - you were quite intelligent. You had these weird quirks about yourself that you did while you studied. Chewing on the pencil, counting your fingers for obvious answers so that you wouldn’t mess up, humming songs, and just occasionally making weird noises while you worked.

Originally, something like this would annoy the hell out of him. Much preferring to snap at the person and tell them to quiet down. But with you it was different, he liked hearing you do things of this nature and really liked it that you were this comfortable with him around. You seemed so frigid the first day, even wearing your uniform late into the evening. He couldn’t help but make fun of you.

“Tsukishima, come here and look at this,” the first thing he saw was your hand flying as if calling for a teacher. He smiled at the sight before swinging his legs over the side of your bed. He came up behind you and looked over your work. He definitely noticed that your breath sounded more shallow with the closer you were to him.

“You did it,” he smiled behind you. He could hear you let go a sigh of relief and you slumped. Your back hit his chest and he froze from the contact. You turned your head beaming at him and his heart skipped a mini beat. It was difficult to keep a blush from climbing up his neck and giving himself away.

“I just might make it tomorrow!” you grinned even more and your arms made movements to bring him into a hug - but you stopped short. Would it be wrong of you to hug him? What if you made him uncomfortable, you brought your arms back down to your sides and made an attempt to back away from him.

Tsukishima was confused, so he bit the bullet, “why’d you stop?” startling you, he picked up your limp arms and used them to wrap himself in them. Then he draped his arms around you. Your face was coddled into his chest and you could smell granny smith apple’s and slight sweat.

“You smell a little bad,” you mumbled into his chest.

“What do you expect I had practice and then had to come over and help you study,” he pulled your face out of his chest. Even though the two of you were sitting on the same floor, his torso was much longer than yours. You had to look up at him as peered at you through his glasses.

“You did... decent,” you scoffed at his half-attempt of a compliment.

“If you can’t give me a real compliment, at least give me a reward,” frustrated, you swished your head away from him. Your head wasn’t turned away from him for long as he pushed your face to look at him.

“So be it then,” before he leaned down and took your first kiss. You weren’t sure what to do and it really didn’t seem like he knew what do no better. Your hands were now in your lap, but he snuck a hand down to hold both of them. He didn’t kiss you deeply, but he kissed you softly until he parted from you. The feelings you had were deep and rooted within your gut making all logical thinking go out the window.

“Can I have another for good luck?” and he laughed at you.

P.S - you managed to ace that quiz - maybe his kiss was good luck. Hopefully he’ll give you one before every quiz.

___ i’ve been kinda working on this one all day on an off i wanna try my best to get as much content on my blog as possible before i can slow down lol.

hope you liked it and im always open for requests - but pls read the rules first !

#tsukishima kei #tsukishima x reader #reader insert #fluff #haikyuu!!#haikyu x reader

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deafwestnewsies · 3 years

Text

be my first last kiss

You can plan on a change in the weather or time, but you'd never planned on him changing his mind.

jack kelly x davey jacobs

read it on my ao3!

Earnest to goodness, Jack Kelly was going to murder Racetrack Higgins.

No, Anthony Higgins, this was the sort of thing that makes you pull out the tarnished christian name of a friend (or so you thought) you’ve known since he was toppling over on baby-fattened legs. Anthony Higgins would die by the sword of Jack Kelly.

He just had to get this godforsaken Youtube video filmed first.

You’re doing this for the cash, Jack grumbled to himself as he passed through the metal doors of a nondescript building on the Lower East Side- it was the kind of place being slowly taken over by hip and fun corporations promising Asian-fusion bars and eco-friendly thrift stores while edging out the relic businesses built on the backs of immigrant dreams. Jack couldn’t stand areas like this, the air thick with wasted luxury, so he rarely left the barrio. Why would he? Spot Conlon slept in the bedroom next to his. Katherine Plumber and Sarah Jacobs ran the bookstore that bought his baked goods and sold them for decent money. Medda lived down the street with her plethora of children, and Racetrack still beat the known path, doing tricks on the street corner for spare change and internet views. Davey- David. David Jacobs wasn’t there. It was right where Jack wanted to be.

Much unlike the dim studio where he now shuffled his feet, waiting for the perky young PA with bright red streaks in her hair to come back with further information about the video he would be shooting. Jack wasn’t a stranger to this small production company; He participated in a few Youtube videos back before they had millions of subscribers, he played truth or dare with lots of liquor and a complete stranger, he confessed about the first time he fell in love so it could be put to pathetic music.

Cash where you could get it, right?

“Kelly, right?” Cherry Streaks was back with a vengeance.

“Jack, actually,” he corrected.

“So you’re going to stand over there where the little blue X marks the spot and wait until the producer, Adam, starts asking you a few questions. The first one might be a test for our boom guy. Answer honestly, we can pretty much tell when you’re making up a story by this point. After that, the main part of the video will begin. Got it?” She was pointing wildly with a Number 2 pencil that had previously been stuck through her ponytail, and she smelled faintly of jasmine. Jack felt dizzy.

“Wait, I thought this was one of those ‘Choose who’s the best kisser out of ten strangers’ type of deal?” I mean, that’s what Race told me- oh God. Oh Santa Maria. Oh Saint Francis.

The young woman smiled like she was keeping an excellent secret. “Have fun, Jack Kelly.”

Walking off at her ominous dismissal, Jack stood where he was directed. The fluorescent lighting made him sweat under the knowledge that he had virtually no idea what he was doing there, Race had lied to him so that he would participate in some sort of sick, horrible scheme, and for all he knew, behind door number three could be his third grade teacher with a baseball bat and a basic multiplication grudge.

“Jack! It’s nice to see you again.”

Romeo was walking towards him with that easy gait Jack had memorized so long ago- Romeo had shot the original videos on an Amazon tripod and the unfounded hope of human connection, and now he owned the entire shebang. Jack dropped his tense shoulders to give him a warm smile. “Romeo. Boy, am I glad to see a friendly face.” Jack lowered his voice to a stage whisper. “You’ve got a production assistant who actually does work, so I’m assuming we’ve died and you earned a really nice deal in Heaven?”

Romeo barked out a laugh. “If I’ve died, do not resuscitate. I’ll never be able to look at another bodega meatball sub after cooking food bought in a real grocery store.”

“Rub it in, why don’tcha?” Jack punched the shorter man on the shoulder. “Listen, Romeo, you gotta tell me what I’m in for, a buddy totally sold me out for the cash and I have no clue what this project is gonna be like.”

Before Romeo could respond, a tall, lofty man behind the camera cleared his throat. “Darling? We’re ready to begin when you are.”

“Jack, meet Specs. Or Adam, but we all know how well nicknames stick. Specs, this is the old friend I was telling you about.” Romeo ended right above Specs’ elbow, and it was all Jack could do not to laugh.

The man fixed his thoughtful gaze on him. “It’s nice to meet you, Jack. You’ve got a real presence on the camera. Have you ever considered acting?”

“I’m afraid I’m, uh,” Jack flexed a paint-stained hand. “Strictly canvas, as they say.”

Nodding as if that was a phrase people commonly used and not something Jack invented on the fly, Specs then clapped his hands together. “Folks, let’s film this sonofabitch.”

---

“I’m Jack, and I’m a twenty-four year old artist living in New York City.”

“Have you ever been in a relationship?” Specs questioned from behind the camera.

Jack blinked in surprise. “Sure. One throughout high school, another in college and a little bit beyond. I wouldn’t call myself a heartbreaker or anything.”

“Do you stay friends with your exes?”

“One of ‘em, yea. It was more of an amicable thing, you know. She ended up being a lesbian. And I am… not.” His clumsy fingers tugged at a constricting collar.

“And the other?”

“Just because I’m not a heartbreaker doesn’t mean I can’t be a real asshole sometimes,” Jack nervously chuckled. (Davey had laid out rose petals, for God’s sake. Rose petals.)

“Was this girl the high school girlfriend, or the college one?”

“Boy,” Jack quickly corrected. “Man. I guess. He was in college- four and a half years.” (It took him four days to clear away the rotting flowers, the bleeding color slowly seeping into his carpet. Katherine found him delirious with whiskey on the bathroom floor; Sarah couldn’t bear to walk through his front door.)

“How’d you meet him?”

(He twisted in his high-backed blue chair. “It’s habláis in el presente.”) “Freshman year of high school actually. Spanish class. Funny story, actually, that other girl I dated? His sister. Broke her heart for his. He was so mad at me that we didn’t talk for like, months after.”

“It was six and a half months, actually.”

Of things Jack was expecting to see today, Spiderman was more likely than David. A flash mob singing death metal, maybe. Pigs flying through the polluted air.

“I was told to come in. I now see why.” David’s eyes narrowed behind his thin wire frames, different from the heavy Ray-Bans that he had dedicated himself to sophomore year of high school. Jack hated that he looked older, wiser, and all around… better.

Specs cleared his throat before the bewildered set of men (one more angry than the other, both desperately avoiding eye contact) could demand what sort of sick joke this was. “Can you introduce yourself?”

They broke up on a Tuesday, an insignificant, momentary Tuesday. Fourteen months ago. (Yes, fourteen months, like their terrible split was a baby that Jack was nurturing bit by bit. He refused to round down- fourteen months ago, he left David Jacobs.) So when David ran his thumb across his jawline, a nervous tick older than his younger brother, Jack couldn’t fathom why he felt so relieved. Some things never did change. “David. Jacobs.” David’s jaw flexed as he looked into the camera. “I dated Jack for almost five years.”

“Tell us about your other relationships.”

“Unfortunately, I spent the better part of high school and college pining after a total cocksock. Not a whole lot of time for casual dating in between.”

A deep silence permeated the studio as two boom mic operators swapped awkward glances. Jack didn’t attempt to defend himself- he was sort of a cocksock. David Jacobs had asked him to uproot what little life he had in New York and move to Santa Fe for a prestigious, so-accolated-you-could-cry medical school, and Jack Kelly broke up with him over containers of kung pao chicken and scattered rose petals. He was a cocksock, a dickhead, and complete asshole. An ex-boyfriend of mass proportions.

“Okay, so.” Specs was wiping at his glasses with the tail of his shirt. Jack wanted to snap them in half. “Today’s video is entitled ‘Exes kiss for the first time since their breakup’. If you need more explanation…”

“I think we’ve got it.” David snapped, clenching his fists rapidly.

Jack stepped half an inch closer to David and began murmuring under his breath. “Davey, if you don’t want-”

“Don’t call me Davey.” His eyes were alight with flame- Jack’s chest caught fire.

Of all the things that felt domestic when dating Davey Jacobs, kissing him never managed to become routine. Davey kissed like he earnestly meant it. The gears in his brilliant mind would grind to a halt so he could dedicate himself to the lilting curve of Jack’s mouth, a gentle sweep of warmth when the artist’s mouth was otherwise preoccupied with his needless words, and the world would spin on a delicate axis. (Jack’s shoulders rose to meet Davey, the physical ache of being someone’s other half drawing him forward. Davey had avoided him for so long, Jack living on a diet of lingering stares and a brief touch of the hand, that kissing him felt like a dying man knelt at a replenished well. How did they exist for so long without this innate knowledge of the universe? Could he stand to go on a single second longer without the praise of Davey Jacob’s lips?) Of all the things Jack missed about spending his life with Davey Jacobs, kissing him was certainly one of them.

There was a moment where the pads of Jack’s fingertips brushed the nape of David’s neck, a habit borne from the small noise it would draw from the back of his throat, and the steely corporate floor felt more like the worn carpet in the old thirty-second street apartment. Jack could feel his thready pulse with the gentle press of a thumb.

Davey was a fan of the dramatics- he would pull away from a passionate kiss in the middle of a busy New York street to stare into Jack’s eyes, foreheads gently touching and cheeks furiously blushing. Now, he simply drew back. Took a step away. Swiped at his lips with the back of his hand.

Jack felt like he was falling. (“If you ever break up with me,” Jack began. He laughed at Davey’s unexpected shudder, the honest and visceral kind. “Make it quick.”

“What about when you break up with me?” Davey peered over his glasses.

Crinkling his nose, Jack quickly answered before the other boy could detail any breakup preferences. “I’m not an idiot, Dave. ‘M not going anywhere.”)

---

He stared at the limp fifty dollars in his hand. Romeo had apologized, explaining that the people who had organized this got half the cut, and handed them both an envelope- Jack, one with “Tony Higgins” that he planned to run through his shredder, and David, one with “Sarah Jacobs,” which made Jack gawk in disbelief.

Jack didn’t want to walk away; David’s feet were shuffling against the worn pavement.

“It’s funny,” David started. “I listened to a lot of Taylor Swift to get over you.”

He winced. “Sorry?”

“Please. I know she’s been your top artist since 2013.”

(Katherine walked through a worryingly unlocked apartment door. “Is that... Begin Again? Jack, what the fuck are you doing?” She had seconds to worry about the cluster of wilted flower petals her heel had put a hole through before Sarah pointed at the pair of legs sticking out of the bathroom’s entrance.) “Yeah, okay. Fair. But… funny? Did I miss a joke?”

David closed his eyes to roll them, as he so often did when he was trying to be polite, and it hurt to be on the receiving end. “We just had our last kiss. You know, like-”

“I’m Joe Jonas?” Jack interrupted, bewildered. The semi-glare he received in return was all he needed to know- “Right. Dickhead. Listen, Dave- David, why didn’t you tell me you were back in town?”

There was a brief moment where something unrecognizable flashed over David’s face- pity? Regret? Dejection? It was quickly replaced by a soft smile tugging at the edge of his lips, his eyes glazed over with a practiced professionalism. “I’ll see you around, Jack. Have a good day.”

David turned and walked down the street, and Jack just missed the passing moment he chose to look back.

---

Comment on EXES KISS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THEIR BREAKUP by IncredibleKinsey: those two dudes are all mad and then just make out like that????? yeah okay call me when the wedding happens

#newsies #newsies on tour #newsies on broadway #newsies live #newsies 1992 #javid #javid fanfiction #javid newsies #jack kelly #davey jacobs #katherine plumber #sarah jacobs #newsbians #newsies fanfiction #javid au #my writing

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ashesonthefloor · 3 years

Text

oh, captain, let's make a deal (where we both say the things that we both really feel)

summary: Ashton strikes a bet with Michael to get him to ask Calum out. It doesn't go according to plan. ao3 found here

prompt: "Person A bets that they can get Person B to go out on a date with them via Person C or a group of people etc, but what the 3rd party doesn't know is that persons A and B are already dating" from @thenervousduckwrites except, as expected, I didn't stick to that

content rating: PG-13 (cursing, probably, one allusion to sex, alcohol)

word count: 1422 words (short baby <3)

A/N: look at me! this is the first time I've posted something I've written since November! look at me go! but anyway, yes. if anyone has any other cute short prompts, I will happily take them. I make no promises about whether I'll get to them or how quickly, though. and as always, I happily take validation <3

“Alright, Christ, that’s the fourth time you’ve brought Calum up in the last thirty minutes,” Ashton interrupted Michael mid-rant. Michael frowned and sipped his soda, leaning back (harder than necessary, to prove a point) into Ashton’s stupidly comfortable couch.

“And?” Michael asked, raising an eyebrow. “What’s wrong with me talking about Calum so much? Who else am I supposed to be talking about him to?”

Ashton shrugged one shoulder. “My point is maybe you should be talking about him less and talking to him more. Why don’t you just ask him out already?”

Michael hummed, nice and noncommittal, and just sipped his drink. “Dunno.” He slumped down a little against the couch, messing up the back of his hair. “I just haven’t.”

Ashton sighed and Michael had to hold in his pleased smile at frustrating him so easily. And all it had taken was several weeks of talking nonstop about Calum almost every time they hung out to wear him down. Ha. Take that, Ashton. “I’m sure he likes you. Didn’t he compliment your eyes last week?” Michael nodded his affirmative. “And didn’t he literally spend the night with you the week before that?” Michael nodded again. “So he obviously likes you, Mike. What’s it gonna take you to actually ask him out?”

Now it was Michael’s turn to sigh, and he made it as loud and dramatic as possible. Just to make sure Ashton was fully and properly annoyed. That was mostly how their friendship worked. Michael loved him, so he annoyed him as much as humanly possible. And Ashton put up with it because he loved him back. It was absolutely perfect.

“Look, I bet you your next pizza he’ll say yes.” Ashton wasn’t the smartest person if he thought that would get Michael to stop talking about Calum. If they went out, Michael would only start talking about him more. The bet really only benefited Michael. But, being the opportunistic person he was, he decided against pointing it out. Ashton wasn’t an idiot - not usually, at least - so it was better to avoid patronizing him by letting him know, anyway. Or that was what Michael told himself, trying to pretend his reasons for accepting the bet were because he didn’t want to insult Ashton by turning it down and thus sullying his integrity. Or something like that.

Michael tilted his head, pretending to consider it. “What if he says no?”

Ashton huffed slightly. He didn’t need to say anything; Michael spoke Ashton (a side effect of being friends with him for so long), and that was as good as him saying it wasn’t going to happen. “Then you apologize to me for talking so much about a guy that doesn’t care about you.”

“And you apologize for being wrong. And I get bragging rights about it,” Michael added, quick to sweeten the bargain. Would Calum say no? Probably not, but he was going to make sure he was covered just in case. He didn’t want to have to deal with a broken heart and not get to blame Ashton at least slightly.

“Yeah, sure.” Ashton shook his head and sipped his soda again. That meant that he didn’t believe he’d say no, but he’d given up on arguing with Michael. Michael almost missed not having Ashton in his head.

“You’re on, then. It’s a bet.” Michael held a hand out expectantly, waiting for Ashton to shake it.

Ashton held his gaze for a moment, not reaching for his hand. “Ah ah ah. You’ve got two weeks to ask him out.”

“Fine,” Michael agreed. Only then did Ashton reach out and shake his hand. God, he drove a hard bargain. “Now you’re on.”

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

Michael’s phone vibrated on the table exactly two weeks later, while he was busy getting his hair played with, head on Calum’s thigh. He let out a dramatic huff and gave Calum his best puppy dog eyes. Like with Ashton, he and Calum had made their own silent language, communicating with nothing but subtle head tilts and eye contact. It was just better with Calum because, well, it was Calum. So he didn’t have to ask for anything before Calum let out a soft laugh and wordlessly passed him his phone, scratching at Michael’s scalp a little, before turning his attention back to whatever shitty movie was playing on the TV.

Ashton: It’s been two weeks. You ask him yet?

Michael: yea, got a date 4 tmr

Ashton: Nice! I knew he’d say yes

Ashton: I’m out with Luke tomorrow

Fucker probably knew Michael would want to gossip about the date after it happened and was preemptively saying no.

Ashton: You and Calum could grab drinks or something with us afterward? If you don’t think it’s too soon

Michael: nah tht sounds pretty good. c u then?

Ashton: 👍

Michael tipped his head back slightly to look at Calum properly. He was gorgeous from this angle, too. Which was honestly just more proof that he was some sort of otherworldly deity or something, because no one at all should look so good from below like this. “Hey, do you wanna grab drinks with my friends tomorrow?”

Calum pulled his attention away from the movie to look down at Michael with that stupidly fond smile Michael was starting to get used to. “Yeah, sure, that sounds fun.” He scratched at his scalp again. “Like a double date thing or like a me meeting your friends thing?”

Michael paused. “Uh, both? It’s Ashton and Luke, so...maybe a bit of both.”

Calum hummed, gaze shifting back to the TV. It didn’t stop Michael from feeling exposed, still, suddenly vulnerable under the weight of his feelings. “That sounds fun.”

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

The evening had gone splendidly. Michael hadn’t really expected any less; Calum was such a sweet, caring person, and spending time with him was so easy and effortless. Dating him was just the same, only better, because now he got to hold his hand, and Calum didn’t hold back his fond or adoring looks anymore. Suffice to say, it was pretty perfect.

Calum got along just as well with Ashton and Luke, Michael was pleased to learn. He bantered back and forth with Ashton just as well as Michael did - maybe better, but Michael wasn’t about to admit that - and he was sweet with Luke.

Everything went well until Calum was coming back from the bathroom and heard Ashton make some stupid joke about Michael asking him out properly.

“What’ll it take you to ask him to be your boyfriend?” Ashton teased. “Will I have to bet you a week’s worth of pizza for you to get your courage?”

“What do you mean ask me?” Calum asked, confused. “I asked Michael to be my boyfriend earlier this week.”

Ashton’s eyebrows raised immediately. Uh oh. “You’re boyfriends?”

Michael flushed and gave Ashton a sheepish smile. “Uh...yeah?”

“Since when?”

“Since Tuesday…?”

“It’s Saturday. How did you not tell me-”

“I’ve been distracted,” Michael said helplessly, looking at Calum and doing his best pleading look to get some backup. Luke had gone to get their next round of drinks, and Calum liked him, so surely he wouldn’t mind.

Calum nodded. “It’s true, he’s been distracted. He’s spent every night since then at my place.” Michael nodded along with him before flushing darker at the implications and tipping his head back against the sticky back of the booth immediately, prepared to die right then and there of embarrassment.

Ashton shook his head slightly. “He’s been talking about you for weeks, I’m surprised he didn’t mention that you asked him out when it happened.”

Calum grinned. “For weeks, huh?”

Ashton gave him a returning grin. The same grin that meant nothing but trouble, that he was about to stir up shit in Michael’s life. “Yep. For weeks. I’ve heard about how pretty your eyes are at least thirty-seven times now.”

Ashton continued, and Michael resigned himself to being mortified for the rest of the evening, if not the rest of his life. Maybe introducing the two of them had been a horrible idea. Deep down, though, he was sort of giddy at the fact that they were getting along so well, even if they were teaming up to make Michael’s life a living hell. Finding Calum had been like the last puzzle piece slotting into place, rounding out his life into something whole and balanced and perfect. And he wouldn’t change it for the world, even if he had to endure a little mortification.

#malum #5 seconds of summer #michael clifford #calum hood #5sos #5sos fanfic #5sos fanfiction #my writing #5 seconds of summer fanfic #malum fanfic #lashton #luke hemmings #ashton irwin

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rosyrosethings · 4 years

Text

Harry and Y/n take a road trip.

Y/N IS A DARK SKINNED BLACK WOMEN. If you have a problem don't read it then. This has smut and Y/n is top energy (dominate over Harry.)

Y/n and her friends had been planning this road road trip all year! They were planning on going from Michigan to Florida to Texas to California. Everyone was excited to be going on this trip with their friends considering that they have seen each other recently since school, but it was Summer break and they always spent their summers together and this summer they were going on a road trip together

Y/n walked outside of her house seeing her boyfriend Kevin putting stuff in the trunk. Luke in the backseats of the car with Neik. Luke and neik weren’t dating but you could tell they were in love with one another. Harry and Lauren making out on the front of his car. She scrunched her nose at the eighth of them stuffing there tongues down each other’s throats.

“Ya know when I introduced you to my neighbor Harry. I didn’t think you were gonna treat him like a pudding cup.” Y/n said to her friend Lauren. Lauren pulled away from Harry’s mouth.

“Well, when you became my best friend. I didn’t plan on you fucking my brother every Tuesday but yet you do. So we are even.” Lauren responded. Y/n laughed

“You’re right. But Harry if you ever need help because you can’t breathe because all of her tongues being shoved down her throat. I’m right next door just throw a rock at my window I’d save you.” She said as she placed his shoulder. He laughed

“Okay everyone let’s get on the road!!

They were all driving. Harry behind Kevin. Harry was having a hard time keeping up with Kevin. So we pulled over. Because Lauren was probably distracting Harry because they both act like they can’t keep their hands off each other for one second. So there they all were on the side of the road debating who’s gonna switch with Lauren.

“Okay. So Neik can you switch with Lauren?”

“No me and Luke have been watching movies and I rather not leave because well Luke has the movies and this car has WiFi.” She said as she got back into the backseat of the car.

“I’m with Neik,” Luke said following her into the car.

“Okay how about I’d switch with Lauren. And you Lauren can sit up here with her brother.” Y/n said, referring to Kevin. Lauren and Kevin are twins brother and sister.

“But Baby I will miss you,” Kevin said as he kissed her cheek. She smiled

“It’s fine babe. I can make sure Harry doesn’t get lost and you can keep your sister from distracting Harry and besides Harry's mouth needs a break. So c’mon harry!” She said as she grabbed Harry’s hand. Leading him back to the car.

“Be kind to my Harry!” Lauren yelled.

Y/n and Harry’ drove quietly. Y/n Looked over at him.

“Harry tell me how’s life?” As she turned over and looked at him.

“Ya know, just living life.

“Do you still draw pictures?”

“Of course I do, Lauren hates it tho. She says I spend too much time drawing and not with her.” He said with a sigh.

“I understand, Kevin never lets me do anything if he doesn’t know where I am he goes crazy. Because his last girlfriend cheated.” She said,

“But your art is way too beautiful to stop. When I use to come over before you started dating Lauren. I love seeing all your art around.” He quickly glanced at her with a smile.

“I have my sketchbook maybe you can look at it later if you want.”

“I’d love too.” She responded.

They enjoyed each other’s company. Y/n asking stupid pointless questions. Him laughing at all of her stupid questions.

“Would you rather kick the feet of a barefoot homeless man orrr ...” she paused as she thought about the next thing she was gonna say.

“Or kiss Kevin.”

“I rather kiss my girlfriend's brother.”

“Hmm, good choice Kevin is a pretty decent kisser.”

“Pretty decent ?” he questioned

“Idk he does this thing where his tongue stabs mine. It’s weird.” Harry burst into laughter.

“And it is better if we didn’t have to sneak around all the time.”

“Sneak?”

“His parents don’t know we are dating and we’ve dating each for 3 years.” She said as she looked out the window. Kevin still stayed with his parents so whenever Y/n went over she had to say she was over to see Lauren.

“Why is that?”

“Well because I’m black and he’s white.” She said sadly. “I don’t know sometimes it feels like he’s ashamed of me..” She whispered quietly but since no music was playing Harry heard her clearly. Harry's face scrunched up. His hand tightens on the wheel.

“What does he do?”

“He says stuff..like you should straighten your hair..or that you should stay out the sun you don’t wanna get too black.. it just always little things.” Now Harry was pissed.. how could he say those things to someone like Y/n. He thought she was amazing. Her skin tone was even more amazing.

“Y/n you really don’t deserve that asshole as a boyfriend. I never really was a big fan of his in the first place. He’s always so protective of you but to know that he’s saying those things to you. Just makes me want to punch him in the face.” Harry said, Y/n kinda smiled. It felt nice since Harry cared. Y/n and Harry use to be a lot closer before he started dating Lauren. Since Harry was her neighbor. They use to talk all the time especially since their bedroom windows were right across from each other. Harry used to have a huge crush on her. He still kinda does. But then Y/n sat him up with Lauren about 6months ago and him Lauren has been sat for about 4 months.

Y/n reached over and kissed his cheek.

“You’ve always been so sweet to me Harry.” Harry’s face immediately lit up red. She giggled “you’re so cute.”

They continued to enjoy each other’s company. Y/n ended up dosing off while Harry continued to drive. He didn’t use GPS he thought he’d follow Kevin. But he’s been following the wrong car the entire time. They’ve been driving for hours. He realized that they were supposed to stop in Georgia and he saw a sign that said, West Virginia. So he was lost.

Y/n woke up and looked over at Harry. It was now dark outside.. so she thought they were arriving at their first destination. She could tell by Harry’s facial expression that something was wrong. But her phone started to ring.

“Hey, guys where are you? We are in Georgia and we realized you guys were not behind us.” Kevin asked, y/n bit her lip.

“Yea me and Harry are lost,” she said, Kevin was about to lose it.

“How tf did you guys get lost?”

“I don’t know maybe all my talking.” She shrugged. She did really stress it too much. Kevin kept going on about how we need to use the GPS to drove to Georgia right now. Y/n sighed and looked at a tired driving Harry. “Look Harry’s been driving and he’s tired and I’m too scared to drive at night soo we are gonna find a rest stop to sleep and continue driving tomorrow.” She said firmly. Kevin wanted to drive to her but he didn’t know where they were. He didn’t like her solution but there is no way to change her mind.

“Fine. Just be safe baby. I love you.”

“Love you too bye.” She said as she hung up the phone.

“I’m sorry I got us lost,” he said as he took an exit for a rest stop or gas station.

“It’s fine I don’t mind. And I brought blankets and snacks in my backpack. So we could sleep in the back seat of your car.” Harry’s face got red immediately. Sleep in the back seat with Y/n? The thought was making him blush like crazy.

“You’re blushing? You don’t have to sleep in the back with me if you don’t wanna..”

“No! No!! I want to.” He said eagerly. She laughed. They pulled up to the rest station. Y/n climbed into the back seat of Harry’s truck and Harry got out the car and went into the back.

“I only have one blanket. Hope you don’t mind sharing.” She said as she opens her book bag pulling out the blanket she got closer to Harry as she put the blanket over them.

“No, I don’t mind.” Harry looked over at her skin as out the blanket over them. He noticed that she was wearing a bra. He saw her collar bone. He wanted to kiss it so badly. He had a thing for collar bone and her brown skin.

“You’re skin is so beautiful.” He blurted out. Shit. He didn’t mean to say that.

“Thank you, Harry. You’re very beautiful.” He blushed and mumbled a thank you. They continued to talk and She pulled out a few snacks and a bag of chips and a bottle of liquor.

“I brought this to celebrate our first stop but now it’s just me and you. So I’m gonna drink some. Do you want some?” Harry shrugged and she opens the bottle with pop and took a swig right out the bottle handing it to Harry. He did the same. They drunk it until half of the bottle was gone. Harry didn’t really feel much of the liquor but Y/n on the other hand who was a major lightweight she was definitely feeling it. She laughing at everything Harry said.

“Have you had too much to drink?” He asked as he laughed at her. Y/n laid her back against the car door and laid her legs across Harry’s lap. Her longs legs were laying across him. Harry grabbed her feet with his hand. Not bothering to answer his questions.

“Wow, you made yourself comfortable. What if I hated feet?” He said as he swung her feet back and forth. She giggled.

“Well if you do hate feet. You’re the one who grabbed it with your hand. Soo you must have some kind of feet fetish.” She laughed and he rolled his eyes.

“Well, I guess you gave pretty nice feet.”

“Okay, Harry lets play 20 questions!” She said cheerfully as she sat up in her knees. Her faces close to Harry’s. Harry bit his lip and nodded.wheneve he thought about this game. It always leads to sexual things. But Y/n knew what she doing. Harry just always looked so good. In his tank tops and all his tattoos showing. She saw him staring at her. She knew Harry wanted her and her also. She shouldn’t because well she had a boy and He has a girlfriend. But no one ever treated her how Harry did and she wanted him so bad. She’s wanted him for years.

“Favorite tv show?” He asked

“That’s hard I watch a lot of tv. Probably the office.”

“What’s your favorite movie?” She asked,

“Probably.. die hard.” Y/n laughed at his response.

“Diehard? So you're a tough guy.”

He gave her a side smile. “I try to be.”

“What about you? What’s your favorite movie?” He asked

“If I tell you. You’re gonna laugh at me.”

“I’m not I promise.”

“It’s 50 shades of grey.” She said, looking at him right in the eye. Harry face lit up red again.

“I actually never saw that movie... but I know what happens.” He says, he looked down at his hands. Y/n always knew Harry was shy. But he was so cute it was fun to embarrass him.

“Yea it’s a lot of fucking in that movie. But I enjoy it.” He didn’t respond. He didn’t know what to say. He was a little nervous. ‘What is this girl doing to me?’ He thought time himself.

“Do you like sex, Harry?”

“Y-yes.” He answered a bit nervous. She pouted out her bottom lip. Harry didn’t even look up at her. She placed her hand under his chin and turned his face towards her.

“Am I making you nervous?” She asked. If Harry's face got any redder it was going to explode. “If you wanna stop playing this game. We could.”

“No, not at all. We could keep going.”

“Well, aren’t you gonna ask me a question?” She said as her face got closer to his. Harry had to take control he wanted to do this. He wants her so badly for so long.

“What turns you on?” He asked,

“Tattoos.” She whispered. Knowing he had tattoos all over him. Kevin didn’t have any. So she had to be talking about him.

“I have tattoos.” He said, she smiled and looked down at his arm. Her finger started to trace the tattoos on his arms. His other arms have the most tattoos. She crawled over his lap. Now straddling him. Harry's breath hitched he didn’t know what to do or what to say. Her fingers tracing up his other are to his collar bone.

“You turn me on.” He said. She smiled in response.

“Do I?” She said as she kissed his cheek. And his other cheek. Harry was getting hard. He knew she could feel it.

“If you want me to stop. Say stop.” She whispered. But he didn’t want her to stop he’s dreamt of this moment since he met her. She continued to kiss the corner of his mouth followed by the other corner. She kissed his lips as soon as her lips touched his. He took his hands and placed them on her hips. His lips moving against hers eagerly wanting to put his tongue in her mouth. She parted her lips slightly for his tongue and Harry didn’t waste any time sliding his tongue in her mouth. She started to grind her hips on his dick. He let out a little moan. She couldn’t help but smile at how excited he was.

“I’ve wanted you since the day I met you.” She moved to the side of him. She took off her tank top and her and her shorts and her panties. Harry followed suit. Taking off his joggers and his take top. Y/n got on her knees with her ass in the air. Her head down by Harry’s lap she hooked her fingers around the band of her briefs pulling them down till his cock popped out smacking against his stomach. Harry was in disbelief about how she looked. She placed her hand on his dick stroking it softly and she kissed the tip of his dick. Harry thought he was gonna cum any moment but he held it back as he watched her intensely. She looked at him through the corner of her eye as she started to stroke him faster. He threw his head back in pleasure. She slid his tip in her mouth and swirled her tongue all around it.

“Fuckk Y/n. Please stop being a tease.” She didn’t respond she just decided to deep throat him instead. She shoved all of his big cock down her throat. Harry continued to moan her name. As she started bobbing her head up and down and using her hand to jack him off. The sloppy noises and the moans she let out we’re getting him closer and closer.

“Fuck Y/n. I’m gonna cum. I’m gonna cum.” He moaned out. She didn’t stop though. She kept sucking and shoving all of his dick deep inside of her mouth. She pulled away from his dick and continued to jack him off.

“Come for me, baby. Cum right In my mouth.” She said and she licked up the shaft of his dick and putting the tip of his big juicing cock right back in her mouth. Harry couldn’t take it he tried to hold back he felt as if he was cumming to quickly but she so good at this. He ejected into her mouth and she swallowed every bit of him. She pulled away still jacking him off. She looked over at Harry who head was against the seat he looked exhausted. The pleasure of cumming and her still rubbing his cock was too much. He couldn’t even talk. She leaned up against his ear.

“We aren’t done yet, baby. I want you deep inside of this pussy baby.” She said and kissed his ear lobe. Then she straddled his lap and position his dick at the right at her entrance and she slowly let herself down. Both of the moaning loudly. Harry was exhausted but yet he was still hard and she felt so good around him. He placed his hand on her hips. She bounced up and down on his cock. He got so so good inside her. Kevin wasn’t nearly as big as Harry was and Kevin never gave her an orgasm (Kevin was the only guy she’s been with.) this was a whole new world for her.

“Do you like me bouncing up and down on your dick baby?” She asked Harry was too focused on her boobs bouncing up and down in front of him and the contrast of her dark skin bouncing on his white cock.

“I asked you a question.” She said, she grabbed his chin making him look her in the eye. The bossy ness was turning him on more and more. He loved her dominance. He loved to see her take control. He nodded his “yes, I love it.”

“Good boy.” She said and she started to bounce faster and faster. He lost it when she said that he had to cum again.

“I’m gonna cum.” He mumbled. Y/n was on the pill so she had nothing to worry about.

“Cum baby. I’m close too.” She said she bounced faster. Feeling close to her climax. She let out a loud moan as she road Harry as she slowed down at the height of her climax. Harry came inside of her. He laid there unable to move. Y/n got his lap back to sitting at her side. Her tired too. But the orgasm feeling was amazing.

“Did you like that?” She asked Harry could barely keep his eyes open. He looked at her. That was the first time he ever came back to back.

“You’re so fucking amazing.” He said well more of a mumble.

“So are you.” Maybe she should tell him. He gave her his first orgasm but she didn’t. She helped Harry pulled up Harry’s briefs and took a deep breath laying her head on his shoulder. They both laid their weeks until both of them fell asleep.

Y/n woke up dressed in her clothes. With the blanket over her. Laying in the back seat of Harry’s truck. Harry in the driver seat. Driving. She sat up. Immediately regretting it. She was hungover. She closed her eyes. Realizing it was too bright outside. She placed her hand on her head. Followed by a groan.

“Rise and shine sleepyhead,” Harry said, the thought of last night still gracing his memory. His dick still limp and tired from last night.

“Ugh, Harry. How much did I drink last night?”

“Well, considering you were lightweight. You drank probably 1/4 of the bottle and you were drunk off your ass.” He said with a laugh. She tried to think of last night. Memories of her and Harry. She sucked his dick and rode him. Her eyes grew wide she made eye contact with Harry through his rearview mirror. They both know what she was thinking.

“I had my first orgasm last night.” She said lowly. Harry's eyes grew wide. “We had sex... I’m sorry. I’m soo sorry. I get really horny when I drink. We were both drunk-.”

“I wasn’t drunk. I was basically sober.”

“Harry we can't tell anyone. This is our secret. We can’t tell anyone.”

“Y/n can we just talk about it first?”

“No Harry there isn’t anything to talk about nothing happened.”

“Y/n.”

“No.”

They sat the rest of the ride in silence. Awkward silence. Both of them having the best sex they did ever. Harry who crush on Y/n seems to go bigger and Y/n wanted Harry way more. It was her first orgasm and she wanted him against and again. But Y/n refused to talk to him. Once they arrived at the gas station the other guys were at. Y/n quickly got out of the car and was greeted quickly by Kevin with his mouth. She didn’t kiss back she just kissed him slightly. Harry watched as he got out of the car. His jaw tensing up. But he could tell that she wasn’t really interested in kissing him. But his thought was interrupted by Lauren jumping on him kissing him deeply.

“Aww, baby I missed you soo much. “ She said as she kissed all over and around his face. He had to figure out how to talk to Y/n alone.

Y/n looked over at him while Lauren was kissing all over him. She rolled her eyes and looked back at Kevin who was lecturing her about getting lost. She sighed. Why didn’t she feel bad for cheating on him? Why does she want to do it again? She feels worse for Lauren than she does him. But her body was craving Harry and Harry was craving her.

“Okay Lovers!! Enough kissing. We need to get going so we could go camping in Miami!” Luke yelled. Everyone got in there cars this time Lauren, Y/n, and Niek in one car and all the boys in another car. Harry and Y/n both thinking about each other for the rest of the ride. Neither of them knowing what to do.

#harry styles #harry styles imagine #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fluff #harry styles smut #harry styles fanfic #hstylesedit #watermelon sugar

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everyhowlmarksthedead · 4 years

Text

“THE SHORTEST RIDE”.

Michael “Riz” Ariza x Reader

Anon asked: is okay for to write an imagine with riz in which you’re younger than him, like 23?

Word count: 1.2k

Thanks to my lovely beta reader @chibsytelford 💖

Author comments: I hope you all enjoy. English isn’t my first language, I’m sorry if I have some mistakes with grammar. The gif isn't mine.

Tag list: @starrynite7114 @chibsytelford @dazzledamazon @mara-mpou @sammskellington 💥 (if you wanna be tagged, send me a message!)

Tuesday is usually the worst and most boring day of the week. You work in a pub in Santo Padre to earn some money and pay the bills you're father don't afford. You're studying at San Diego's university, but you found a cheap flat in the town. It only take you twenty minutes driving your car.

The bar is almost empty. Just five men playing pool, drinking beer and smoking, even when you told them before that cigars are not allowed inside. But, well, you're only the pretty and young bartender whom nobody takes seriously. You have your Economy book between your hands, with your waist supported against the fridge, when the front door opens. An inevitable smile appears on your face, leaving the book in the background. The four men walk towards you, having a sit on the stools.

Pushing yourself onto the bar with your hands, you give them one kiss to each other. “It's been a week since you came the last time. Have you been out of town?”

“Yea', we went to north Cali”. Bishop says, supporting his arms against the bar.

“Chucky told us you went to the clubhouse. Is everythin' ok?” Tranq holds one of your hands, playing with your fingers and moving your wrist a little. You nod with energy. Then, he moves his head slightly referring to the others clients behind them. You shake your head shrugging to not give it an importance that it doesn't have.

“Eh! Wake up, old man!” You laugh loudly, palming the wood of the bar at Riz's position, when you see that he is yawning.

“Oh, god!” He chuckles yawning again. “Shit, I'm fuckin' tired, princesa”.

You roll your eyes, pulling away Hank's hand, before turning around to serve the coldest beers to your favourite guys. Removing sheet metal with the opener pending on your neck, you make a slightly jump to sit on your own stool. Holding your bottle of water to have a sip, you have to turn your eyes to the book that Taza is pointing with a finger. “Were you studying?”

“Uh…? Oh! Yes. I have an exam tomorrow”. You answer, offering it to the oldest to have a look. “I'll close the bar in thirty minutes, so on my way back home I'll continue with a last review”.

“Walking home at two am? No way, sweetheart. Riz is gonna take you to”. Tranq palms Michael's back using some strength to make him feel more awake.

“Me? Ah, yea' for sure. Why not?” He doesn't sound convinced, while you're biting your lip for a second. Then you shake your head declining it.

“Don't worry, it's ok. I can walk”.

“No, no. We'll wait for you, and I'll take you home”. Riz insists taking his beer to drink it, cleaning his mouth after that with the back of his hand. Good god, your legs shake. Luckily, you're sitting and no one notices it.

━━━━━━ ﹅ ━━━━━━

The oldest makes sure that the helmet is well fastened under your chin. That makes you smile softly, seeing how much he is concentrating with the simple task. Mayans have taken care of you since you arrived to the town two years ago, but Riz is the one who tries to hide that he actually cares a lot about you.

You know he is driving more slowly than usual, enjoying the way you wrap your arms around his waist, supporting your left cheek against his back covered by leather. You're pretty sure that your sweater is gonna smell like him after the ride, and this gives you some nerves in your stomach.

But the ride isn't forever and you finally arrive to your neighborhood. Stopping the engine in front of your building, you get up of the motorbike walking to the sidewalk. You give him the helmet with an embarrassing smile in your lips.

“Thank you, Riz…” You say, taking a step towards him to put an arm on his shoulders and leave a kiss on his cheek. You two stay close, while he holds you against his body in a hug. You missed him and you can feel he did it too.

When you're so comfortable, thinking you could be stay there forever, the motorbike starts to fall to the left. The man has to pulls you away quickly to hold the handlebar, before it hits you. “Jesus…” You sigh with a hand on your chest, feeling how your heartbeat increases.

“Sorry”. He laughs leaving behind the vehicle to walk next to you and wraps you again against his chest. Drowning his nose in your neck, your hands travel to his nape giving him some soft caresses. “Too many days without seeing you, princesa”.

“Did you miss me?” You laugh pulling him away some inches, with your hands sliding over the shoulders down to the chest. It's not the same listening it that see how he says. It's more real.

He clicks his tongue, rolling his eyes. You know what he is going to say.

“(Y/N), I'm older than you… This isn't well see”.

“Fuck what people thinks!” You frown crossing your arms with anger.

He can't resists. He hate how much he thinks about you when he's out of town. Maybe he's not the best man to you, but you like him and that's everything that really matters. Even if you have your lips pursed, he presses his against yours. Softly. Moving slowly with his hands holding your cheek. It's more romantic than you could think, keeping your eyes closed being focused in every touch he does on your skin and the feelings he provokes in you. Your noses almost rub when you lick his lips with your tongue sensually, just to let him understand that he can't avoid the fact that there's a connection between both.

Riz gasps walking one more step, making any distance disappear. The kiss become passionate, needy, biting your inner lip and tasting you. “Shit, you're gonna ruin me”. He sighs with his forehead against yours, once that you needing catch his breath.

“Let me show you I'll not”. You beg after giving him a short kiss.

“Go home, baby. You have to rest for tomorrow's exam”.

“But Riz…” You mutter in a groan.

“I'll pick you up when you finish the exam, alrig'?” He finally give you the chance you've been asking for, since three months ago when he decided to dance with you in one of the famous parties the Mayans make. It was a funny night for you two. “Good luck tomorro', even if you don' need it 'cause you're pretty smart ass”.

“Such a romantic”. You tease him pulling him closer. Lifting up on your tiptoes, you give him a last kiss with a sigh in your throat. He hugs you harder wrapping you in his strong arms, letting your clothes being imprinted a little more with his smell. You're sure you're gonna sleep with the sweater you're wearing. “Good night…”

“Good night, princesa”.

#mayans mc #mayans mc imagine #mayans mc x reader #mayans x reader #riz ariza #michael riz ariza #riz ariza x reader

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jeogiyall · 4 years

Text

To The Beat; P.SH

Word count; 12.1k (i have absolutely no self control)

Genre; Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Angst, Seonghwa x Reader, Marching Band! AU

Additional; Featured Ateez, Entirely Self Indulgent, Flute Player! Reader

Warnings; Mentioned Sex, Swearing, Suggestive

A/N; so this is one of the more embarrassing things i’ve written,,, we’re just not gonna talk about the fact that i’m both a band kid and a kpop stan!! i’d also like to say that it is based entirely off of my experience with band! yes, we are poor, yes the kids are actually this mean, and yes they are this horny! the bus incident actually happened at my school y’all! band kids r a mess bye- also if u want to know more about marching band please ask me! i love to talk about it!

There were few things that you wanted more than this. Maybe a boyfriend in middle school, or first chair, but looking back even those pale in comparison. The want of those is pathetic compared to how badly you wanted to be woodwind captain your senior year. After being section leader for the flutes you were sure that it would end up how it was meant to, but sometimes even things that aren’t supposed to happen do. Like freshman year when the pit captain got his mallets stuck in the bell of a tuba, or when your newly appointed drum major (Kim Hongjoong, best friend since freshman year and previous woodwind captain/saxophone section leader,) cried on the field after stepping on a moth. Some things just end up wrong.

But here you are, sitting in the cafeteria of your school surrounded by the people you decided to spend all of high school with and feeling as full as ever. Your director's voice boomed, “(Y/n) (L/n,) woodwind captain,’ and you thought that no four words had ever sounded so perfect together. You stood quickly, legs carrying you to the front of the crowded space. People were clapping, as they do every year, but this time it was for you. For your hard work, and dedication, and everything that you’ve put into this program for the past three years. You cast a smile to your band director, heart soaring incredibly high that you don’t think it’ll ever come down.

“Congratulations.” She whispers while giving you a firm handshake. You murmur thank you before taking your place beside Hongjoong.

“We made it.” He slings an arm around your shoulder, using his free hand to pinch your bicep. You smile even wider, something that probably shouldn’t be possible, and open your mouth to respond.

“Park Seonghwa, brass captain.” The words coming from your band directors mouth erases any thoughts from your head. He stands from his seat in the back of the cafeteria, face taking on a smug smile. You want to kick him. Instead you stand taller, spine pulled so straight that it could crack.

People clap still, but instead of responding gratefully he smirks (Seonghwa is always smirking or grimacing. You’re not sure which you hate more.) Hongjoong turns to you wearing an expression of annoyance. Normally, you would comfort the boy and tell him that it’s whatever. Tell him ‘Who cares about Seonghwa? We’re going to be so good at our jobs that he won’t even exist.’ But he will exist. He will exist, and you care.

“Looking forward you working with you.” He says lowly while extending a hand to you. If it weren’t for your band director watching you would’ve spit on him.

“Likewise.” You respond coldly, taking his hand into yours. The skin is obnoxiously soft, no doubt from his habit of never doing anything.

After a long winded speech from your director, you and Hongjoong return to the table where your friends are. Everyone wears a grimace.

“Does he have to be brass captain?” San complains before pouting his lower lip. If he weren’t obnoxiously drumming his fingers on the table you’d find it cute.

“Why does it matter to you? You're the drumline captain, you don't have to interact with him!” He pouts even more, shoulders shrugging into his ears.

“I’m just like... Sorry for you and Hongjoong.” You sigh at the words while relaxing against your chair. It’s easier said than done, seeing as the chair is far too small and made of cheap plastic.

“Me too, but I’m trying to not count him out. No one succeeds when everyone thinks that they’ll fail, even self righteous assholes.” San snorts, then returns to exchanging banter with Yeosang. You, however, are not as lucky.

Brass and woodwind captains are the people in band who have to work together the most, everyone knows that. Everyone also knows that you and Seonghwa do not get along, a fact that was solidified when he made you take four props to the field by yourself during a competition. He dropped your flute on the way to the field, and caused you to arrive on the field almost two minutes late by refusing to help. You earned a nice time penalty and got yelled at by the director, ever since you and the boy have fought like it was a war.

But maybe this season would be okay. He said he was looking forward to working with you, and he’s not a liar. He might be rude, arrogant, and full of himself. But he’s not a liar, if Seonghwa says something he means it. And sticks to it.

So maybe this won’t be so terrible.

Being wrong was hands down your least favorite thing. It was something so rare that you didn’t really have to worry about, but this marching band season seemed to be all about being wrong. Well all about being wrong, and Seonghwa.

The first day of band camp he scolded Jongho, your only flute freshman, for not bringing water. The poor boy looked like he was about to pass out and all Seonghwa could do was tell him to bring some tomorrow. You took him out during lunch break and apologized for your fellow leaders tone deaf behavior.

But the second week of band camp was when he really started to get under your skin. It was the groups first time marching while playing, and fifth time running a lap for the night. As everyone settled back into place and brought up their instruments Seonghwa mumbled under his breath ‘Maybe if the woodwinds knew their damn music,’ then cut you a painfully pointed glare. No matter how much your brain tried to write the comment off as tired frustration, there was no denying that you wanted to punch him in the jaw. It would probably break him, you’re not sure that you cared..

And of course, there’s now. Band camp is over, and now you’re two weeks out from the first competition. Around this time last year was when Hongjoong started up woodwinds sectionals, so you figured you’d do the same. Why try to fix something that isn’t broken and all of that. Unfortunately Seonghwa had the same idea, seeing as he’s standing in front of you and clapping his hands harshly while the block messily executes a visual from your opener.

“Reset,” He barks, hands wiping sweat away from his forehead, “that was messy. We don’t do messy. Let’s go again.” It’s almost scary how regimented he is. Like for a minute you forget that he’s Park Seonghwa of your graduating class, and instead he’s the person that decides whether or not you’re allowed to breathe.

“Seonghwa!” You chirp, trying desperately to keep annoyance from seeping into the lines of your voice, “When will you guys be done? Just wondering, it’ our first sectional today so-”

“First? This is our fourth.” His voice is painstakingly polite, but there’s a smirk spreading across his face and you want to hit him until it hurts. Your teeth bite on the inside of your cheek, which is still pushed up into a smile.

“Yea, first. I just wanted to gauge everyone’s skill set-” you don’t owe him an explanation, you don’t owe him an explanation, “When will you be done?” One of his perfectly shaped brows raises, pink tongue darting to the corner of his mouth. His eyes quickly flick to his block, who are standing still as statues, then back to you.

“We’re staying until rehearsal tonight, you guys can have the gym.” The tone of his voice is back to normal, more commonly known as cold and infuriating. Hatred boils in your gut as you uphold a smile.

“But the gym doesn’t have yard lines. We need yard lines to practice marching, and since you guys seem to be just doing visuals you don’t really need them. I’m sure it would make everyone else happy too.” If looks could kill you’d be dead. Or whatever’s worse than dead, because he’s looking at you as though you’ve spent the last ten minutes trying to strangle him.

“Let me get one thing clear, I do not fucking care what would make everyone else happy. I care about doing my job properly, as you should. If you wanted the field then you should’ve started sectionals earlier, so go to the gym or cancel your sectional. I don’t care, just get off.” You’re left fuming and ready to burst at the seams as he returns the block of brass.

Later that day you talk to your band director about implementing a sectionals schedule. Something that would be made at the beginning of every week by captains and section leaders then posted in the instrument room. Something that would prevent today from ever happening again, but of course you don’t tell her that.

“That’s a wonderful idea, (y/n!) No one has ever suggested something like that before, nice job!” She smiles approvingly over her desk, hands typing fervently on her keyboard. You thank her, then duck out of the room. It feels wrong to accept her praise when the only reason for it is to piss off Seonghwa.

He’s here. It’s your scheduled time to have the field, 3:00 pm on Tuesday, and Seonghwa is here. Seonghwa is here, standing on the front sideline and looking at your group as though you interrupted him.

“What are you doing?” You demand while stomping up to where he’s leading stretches, “You know I scheduled my sectional for today, you’re in the group chat.” He pulls his right arm across his chest, definitely flexing on purpose.

“We’ve been having sectionals at this time for three weeks now, I’m not planning on changing it.” If it weren’t for four years of constant arguing you’d think he’s being polite. Everything from the relaxed facial features to his calm voice, but you know that this is always how it starts. A polite tone, quickly turned into sneers and words that taste like poison.

“Well plan on it.” You spit, stepping closer to the boy. He’s surprised by your boldness, so much so that he drops the stretch, “You’re not above the rules, adhere to the schedule and stop being an ass.” His shocked eyes morph into slants, like a tiger about to pounce on its prey.

“I may not be above the rules, but that doesn’t mean that you are the rules.” And there it is, the devilish quirk of his lips. It’s so blood boiling that you think he could be struck down by lightning and you would celebrate

“Oh you piece of-”

“Hey!” He shouts towards the bleachers, where the entire winds section is gathered. The two of you were so caught up in each other that you didn’t even notice them leaving, “Did I say that you could leave block?” A bead of sweat rolls down the hollow of his throat, which is definitely not what you focus on as the brass scramble back into place.

“Seonghwa, I’m using the entire field. I’m the person scheduled, so you either have to stay on the front sideline or you have to leave.” He chuckles lowly, then turns to face you. His tongue smooths over the corner of his mouth again, you want to scream.

“I don’t take orders from you-”

“How about we just do the sectional together?” The low brass section leader, Mingi, offers quietly from his corner spot at the back of the block. He’s leaning one elbow on his contra, which is on the ground bell first, and trying desperately to hide his face behind his own hand. All that he manages to hide is his right eye, but it’s certainly an a for effort.

“No.” Seonghwa answers as soon as you sigh, ‘fine.’ His eyes shoot up to meet yours, finally filled with something other than anger or disgust, “Really?” An eyebrow quirks up so hard that it might as well grow into his hairline.

“Well if you’re not going to leave! I have things to get done and you’ve now cut into my sectionals time twice! So if sharing the field is what I have to do to get shit done then fine.” He stares at you in a way that makes you feel small, then shrugs.

“Fine, get into a block on the back hash.” You’re about to tell the woodwinds to stretch, but when you face the dented bleachers they’re all sitting in a circle with outstretched legs, exchanging laughter and smiles. Whatever Seonghwa took hold of in your stomach releases as your heart swells with pride.

“Woodies!” You call, smile spreading as everyone's eyes shoot up to meet yours, “Join the block!”

They shout back, “Yes mam!” Which makes you feel painfully old, and painfully happy.

The sectional went fine. Well, as fine as it could seeing as two people who nearly killed each other twenty minutes prior lead it.

“You were bad ass, (y/n!)” Resident bari sax, Yeosang laughs, “I really thought that fire was about to shoot out of your eyes.”

“I thought fire was about to shoot out of his eyes!” Yunho, the clarinet section leader, adds, “And you just stood there like ‘yea asshole, set me on fire! I can take it!’ No guys, I’m being serious-” All of the previous laughter from your boys halts as Seonghwa enters the room, steely eyes settling on your cluster of woodwinds. His eyes stay there, though you can’t blame him. If two sweaty teenage boys were staring at you like they’d been caught doing something wrong, you would stare back too.

“What?” He asks, the word so sharp that it could cut. Yeosang shakes his head while Yunho finishes putting his instrument away. The latter mumbles something about waiting for you in his car, to which you nod curtly.

“Okay, well... I’m gonna go.” Yeosang drawls, leaving the instrument room with the bari sax around his neck. You laugh to yourself at the sight of him waddling away, then return to what you’re supposed to be doing.

“You know, whoever holds a sectional is supposed to sweep the instrument room afterwards.” You exhale while moving to retrieve the broom from it’s corner.

“Oh, like you were just now?” He quips, hands moving deftly against his metal padlock. He doesn’t even need a padlock, the band director locks the instrument room door after everyone leaves. It’s just something else that he has to be annoying.

“Maybe it would go faster if you would help me, seeing as you held a sectional too.” They’re normal words, but your throat physically chokes on each syllable. The boy drops his lock, eyes narrowing as they come in contact with you.

“How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t take orders from you?” He takes a step closer, until his crossed arms are brushing against your knuckles. His skin is soft, almost like he waxes. It makes your head pound.

“I guess until I stop asking you to do your job, and not just the part of it that gets you praised.” You continue sweeping, trying desperately to get away from the boy. But of course he picks up on it and follows you.

“I do my job perfectly fine, thank you very much.” You scoff loudly, chin tilting up so that you’re eye to eye with the boy. He smirks.

“Clearly, you don’t.” The tip of his nose brushes yours, then his lips are crashing into you. His lips are crashing into you, and you kind of like it.

It’s an aggressive motion, filled with him gripping onto the collar of your workout shirt and you dropping the broom. The part of you with a brain thinks that you shouldn’t kiss him back, seeing as you hate him and what not, but then he bites your bottom lip and there’s no hope. Anyone would melt at that sensation.

And melt you do, body going limp as he pushes you against the closest wall. You bring up a hand to trace the hollow of his throat, copying the trail of his sweat from earlier. His moan vibrates against your palm and it’s all that you can do to not die right then and there. Pressed against the instrument room wall, in the arms of the boy that you hate.

“What were you saying?” He growls into your ear while pulling you in by the waist. If you were anyone else you’d moan something incoherent and let him keep kissing you with lips that feel like pillows. But you are not anyone else, you are (Y/n.) (Y/n) who is stubborn to a fault.

“That you’re an asshole, who sucks at your job.” He smiles down at you, eyes filled with a certain kind of thunder. A hand wraps around the back of your neck, then slams your mouth onto his. Hot breath hits your cheek as kisses you senseless. As you let him kiss you senseless. He tastes like coconut lip balm.

“Wrong answer.” The boy exhales before attaching his lips to your jaw. You’re about to argue with him, because you just don’t know what’s good for you, but then your phone starts ringing. Probably Yunho telling you that he needs to get home. You need to as well, but it’s impossible to think about that when Seonghwa is devouring every part of you as if he’s been paid to do so.

“Seonghwa,” You start, but it sounds far too much like a moan so you have to clear your throat before continuing, “Seonghwa! I have to go.” He doesn’t let up, tongue running against the spot where your jaw pokes out.

“I’ll take you home.” His voice comes out rough, like if your hands ran over it they’d come back scraped. It’s almost enough to make you stay, but then there’s the idea of having to tell Yunho that Park Seonghwa is taking you home. That you were making out with Park Seonghwa, and it was so good that you didn’t want to leave so he offered to take you home. The thought of your friends reaction is enough to turn you off.

“No, Seonghwa, I have to go.” You pull his head off of your neck, running one hand through the soft hair at the nape of his neck. It’s sweaty, but doesn’t smell bad which is just infuriating, “Um... Do this again?” He smiles, but this time is a little different. His lips are still in a wicked curve, but his dark eyes have sparkles now. You almost think that he’s going to say something nice.

“You wish.” You want to tell him that he’s right, you do wish. Instead you sigh, push his body away, collect your bag, and leave with his gaze hot on your trail.

Seonghwa is still the thought that keeps you up at night with boiling blood. Everything from his evil smirk to the way his eyes always look unbelievably disapproving of everything. He’s infuriating in a way that evades words.

But there’s also other things to keep you up. Like the thought of his soft honey skin touching yours, or the way his throat feels vibrating against your palm. There’s him pushing you against the instrument room wall, but there’s also him yelling at you in front of the entire winds section. The line is slowly starting to blur and you’re not sure whether or not you like it. You are sure of two things, though. You’re sure that when you fall asleep all you can dream about is Seonghwas coconut flavored lips on your skin, softly whispering affirmations of hatred.

And that sometimes, things that aren’t supposed to happen do.

Before this season there were few things that you loved more than marching band. Maybe cookie dough ice cream, or speeding through downtown in the passenger seat of Yunhos mom van while Hongjoong and San yelled song lyrics from the backseat. Those were both good things, and the only things that even came close.

But then there’s now. There’s you and Seonghwa getting drunk off of each other while crammed into your school's equipment closet. There’s his soft hands pushing you onto the counter, his sweet lips growling crude words into your ear. There’s him kissing you, and then there’s something else that comes close to marching band.

Ever since freshman year your favorite feeling has been the one that you get after rehearsal. The feeling when your instrument comes off your face and pride swells all the way up to your cheeks. When San breaks from his final set next to you and offers up a childish grin, always accompanied by a high five and the words ‘Nice run, captain.’

Tonight doesn’t feel like that, tonight feels like your stomach is in the throat. Like the world is tilting and there’s nothing you can do about it.

“Nice run captain!” San shouts, yet the words sound so far away. You nod slowly, high-fiving his outstretched hand while your free hand wraps around your own waist, “(Y/n?) Are you okay.” It’s all you can do to flash a thumbs up before falling to the pavement. Everything goes black for three minutes, but when yours eyes slowly open you can hear San curse. That, and also the entire band crowding around you.

You can still hear snippets of what they’re saying, but the thought of responding or comprehending is so exhausting that it could make you pass out all over again. Someone yells to give you space, a small part of you hopes that it’s Seonghwa.

For the record, it is Seonghwa. Seonghwa with furrowed eyebrows and frowning lips. His next words are to San, “Why didn’t you catch her?”

“I have a drum strapped to my body!” The taller boy shakes his head, setting down his freshly polished instrument and crouching next to your limp body. If you were more coherent you would’ve moved away. Or loved it. You would’ve moved away or loved it.

“(Y/n,) can you hear-”

“Hongjoong, (Y/n) died!” Wooyoung shrieks from across the field, causing actually everyone to flock to you.

“She didn’t die idiot, just passed out.” Yeosang responds while rushing to help Hongjoong off of his podium. The boy tries to jump the last three steps, which ends just as well as one could imagine. Everyone’s too busy staring at you to even notice.

“I told her that she should’ve eaten lunch!” Your drum major chides, “(Y/n!) (Y/n,) can you hear me?” He’s kneeling down next to you, sandy blonde hair tickling the tip of Seonghwas nose. You don’t even know why Seonghwa is still here, but a small part of you likes that he is. Almost like you two are more than boiling hatred and stolen kisses.

You hold a thumbs up to your friend, it takes every single ounce of your strength. Of all the reactions that you get, Seonghwa sighing in relief is the most satisfying.

“Told you she’s not dead.” Yeosang mutters from where he’s standing over you. Wooyoung sticks his tongue out to the boy, you almost want to laugh at their antics.

“Okay, Yunho is taking care of your field mics and prop. Do you think that you can walk by yourself?” You frown while turning your thumbs up into a hard thumbs down, eliciting a chuckle from your sweet friend. Seonghwa doesn’t laugh though, eyebrows still harshly furrowed while he stares down at your frail body.

“I’ll help her down to the band room.” He offers, causing Honjoongs eyes to go as wide as quarters. Along with Yeosangs, Wooyoungs, Junghos- pretty much anyone who knows anything about either of you, “I-I just don’t have a field job, and I can get Mingi to take my stuff down for me. She needs to get off the field soon, it’s slowing down the clean up.” Hongjoongs eyebrows clench slightly, but he eventually shrugs. You don't know whether to be grateful or to fight him.

But none of those thoughts are in your head as the tall boy scoops you up in his arms bridal style. His usually soft skin is tacky with sweat, yet he smells like fresh pine and spices. You think that it’s not fair that he smells good after a three hour rehearsal.

The last thing that you hear before dozing off against his chest is “You’re an idiot.” It’s whispered into your ear in a tone that almost makes you think that he’s being sweet.

The next time that your eyes open Seonghwa is propping your body up on the counter in the equipment closet. Something in your chest burns bright red at the memory of what the two of you were doing here after last rehearsal. It consisted of your hair in between his fingers, and bright purple hickeys blossoming on his neck. Now he’s forcing a huge water bottle into your face while trying desperately to hold you up by your shoulder. Considerably less sexy, to say the least.

“Drink.” He says curtly while handing the see through bottle to you. You accept with a shaky nod, then drink the water like you’ve been in the desert for the past fifteen years. It takes a minute before he manages to pry it away, “Hey! Not too fast you’ll get sick, and stop chewing on my straw!” A dry laugh escapes your lips, head tilting back ever so slightly. You don’t see the way that Seonghwas eyes trail on the hollow of your throat with a gaze so intense that it threatens to burn.

“Why’d you offer to bring me up?” You croak while reaching for his water bottle once again. He relents with a sigh, eyes rolling to the back of his head.

“No reason, just didn’t want you blocking up the clean up. Everyone was so focused on you that nothing was getting done.” His voice is flat, holding no traces of emotion, but you know that there’s something more. There was a reason that he was the first person to fall to his knees next to you. A reason that he scolded San for not catching you, “Don’t overthink things, (Y/n.) And stop chewing on my straw!” He snatched the water bottle away from you once again, causing both of you to laugh softly.

“Sorry.” You sigh, body relaxing as his soft hand comes to rest against your jaw. It’s a gentle touch, something so foreign in this relationship that you’ve created with your fellow captain, “About your straw, not the overthinking. Not that I was overthinking.” He exhales a short laugh at your witty remark, a signature smirk tugging gently at his lips, “Come on Hwa, just admit that you like me.” He leans in closely to you, hot breath fanning against the place where your neck and jaw meet.

“Okay,” He exhales, mouth dangerously wet and sweet, “I like you.” The words ricochet against the shell of your ear, teeth tugging against the skin where they’ve imprinted. It feels so good that you could collapse. He pulls away slightly and presses a tender kiss to your temple. You think that while you like when he throws you against a wall and kisses your lips numb, he’s good like this too, “But that doesn’t mean that I don’t still hate you.”

And then he leaves you in the musty equipment closet, with nothing except for his water bottle and your burning hot cheeks for company.

It happens like this; forty minutes after everyone’s finished clearing off the field. You were putting your flute away into your assigned locker when Seonghwa barged in grumbling about something that you couldn’t understand, then pushed you harshly against the lockers.

“Hwa, wait! I still have my flute, I can’t drop it!” He bounced back at your exclamation, head hanging cutely as he let you finish.

“My bad.” He muttered while reaching into his pants pocket to apply coconut chapstick. The part of you that hated him wanted to gag, but the part of you that kind-of-sort-of-maybe liked him was excited to kiss the taste off. You shut the locker door with a loud slam, then turned on your heel once again to face the tall boy, “Okay?” He questioned with a quirked eyebrow. You nodded eagerly, hands screwing into the collar of his cotton t-shirt.

“Okay.” Then his lips were crashing harshly into yours, hands touching your body with a fever that can’t be measured. You all but collapsed beneath the sensations, “Your diagonal at the end is shit.” He whispers against your needy lips. Instead of responding, you tightly pull on his hair. It’s as if to say ‘Fuck you just follow the form.’ His low groan is a simple answer, ‘Absolutely not.’

He’s just starting to do that thing that you really like, the thing where he pulls you as close as humanly possible by your waist and the nape of your neck, when a high pitched scream erupts from the instrument room door. Even though it sounds like one of the freshman girls, you both know that it’s Wooyoung without even having to look.

“Shit!” Seonghwa curses, hands detaching from you so fast that your back collides with the lockers, “Oh gosh, (Y/n) are you-”

“Can’t talk, gotta run see you tomorrow!” You rush in one breath, dashing out of the door and into the band room. Wooyoung is about to walk out of the exit and into the parking lot, the parking lot where Yunho and Yeosang are waiting for you, “Woo, wait up!” You pant, stopping him right at the exit ramp.

“Do you guys do that after every rehearsal?” He questions, eyes blown wide as saucers, “Oh no, is that why we all leave so late? Ew, gosh, gross, gross, gross! That was so gross, like actually the grossest making out I’ve ever seen! It was so weird and hateful, a-and... And weird! I would’ve rather walked in on you guys fucking- nope take that back, I would not have liked to walk in on that. Wait, have you guys-”

“No!” You shout, hands coming to clamp on the frantic boys shoulders. Your eyes check the room while you lower your voice before continuing, “We’ve never done that, it’s just kissing. Weird, hateful, kissing.” He nods, face still twisted up in disgust.

“Why would you do that to yourself? Like, he’s kind of a dick to you.” You sigh heavily and bring up a hand to wipe the lines off of your forehead.

“Yea, but he’s also sweet sometimes. Not to mention like, really good at kissing-” Wooyoung gags dramatically at your answer, you think that if you weren’t so panicked that it would be funny, “Look, just please don’t tell anyone. Especially not my friends, I think that this is supposed to be like... A secret thing? I just want it to stay a thing, and I just know that they’d lose their shit...” You trail off, words turning into nothing but indecipherable noises and flailing hands.

“Why does he want to keep it secret?” Wooyoung asks with an uncharacteristically soft voice. It’s a question that’s been nagging in the back of your mind since last week in the equipment closet, when he softly whispered the affirmation against your sweaty skin, “You’re obviously into each other, so why?” You don’t answer, opting instead to bite the inside of your cheek so hard that you think it might start to bleed, “Maybe ask him about that before you worry about your friends.”

It’s late after your thursday rehearsal. You’re pressed flush against the door to the equipment closet, Seonghwas plush lips hot on your throat, when silent tears start to fall down your cheeks. For a moment they remain silent, mixing in perfectly with the whimpers you were letting out just moments ago. But then it hurts too bad to hold in, and you let out a loud sob.

“Jeez, it can’t feel that good.” The boy teases, face falling harshly when he sees tears mixing with your post-rehearsal sweat, “Oh no, oh gosh, was I too mean? I didn’t mean it, you’re really good at marching! Like-” You wave him away, not wanting to be doted on. While you and Seonghwa have definitely gotten... Closer over the past two weeks, this is certainly overstepping. More than that, it’s like barreling past the line and leaving everything around it crushed.

“It’s not that,” You respond, hands releasing from the fabric of his shirt (a black tank top that perfectly highlights his toned arms.) He wants to tell you that they could stay there, that they could stay wherever you want. So long as it makes you stop crying, “It’s... I don’t know what it is.” The words are flat, clearly a lie. You don’t want to tell him why you’re actually crying, that you think some part of you has actually started to like him. But not just like him as a friend, as someone that you wouldn’t mind spending a day with. More like, someone that you fall asleep to. Someone that could kiss you for days and it would never bore you.

“I, uh, I don’t know-” He doesn’t know what to do, which is painfully clear. You don’t particularly mind that he doesn’t know, just that he’s here. Here for you to hold if you need to. Until he also starts crying, that is, “why are you-”

“Shut up. I just, I cry whenever other people cry!” You cast him a questioning gaze, mind jumping to all the cases where he did not do that.

“That’s so not true, Mingi literally cried two days ago and you laughed at him!” You wipe at your cheeks fervently, hoping that he wouldn’t say anything about the red that was definitely painting your face.

“He cried over DCI! That doesn’t count, I cry for things that matter...” You want to ask what he’s about to say, to tell him that there’s no real reason for you to be crying either. But you don’t, because he’s crying. Sad, crystal tears that paint his sun kissed cheeks, and his arms are open for you, “Can I hug you? I feel weird not doing anything.”

You don’t say anything, just fall into the open space and inhale sharply. He smells sweet, and feels warm. Not the gross kind of warm that touches every part of you, but the comforting kind. The kind that feels like wearing fuzzy socks and sipping on hot chocolate.

“Don’t feel weird.” You mumble, lips moving softly against the fabric of his tank top, “I-I have to go soon.” He shushes you, hands softly rubbing the line of your shoulder blade.

“Just five more minutes.” It’s almost like a plea, like he needs it too, “You can’t go out crying, they’re gonna think that I did something.” He didn’t... But in a way he did. In a way, he made you fall for him by having lips that taste painfully like coconut. He made you fall for him by kissing like he’s made of fire. He made you fall for him by always smelling like a fall candle.

“You didn’t do anything.” You whisper, but it’s a lie. Because he did do something, something that he doesn’t even know about.

He made you fall for him, which is something that definitely wasn’t supposed to happen.

In your freshman year there was an... Incident on the bus (one that consisted of a girl, her boyfriend, and very loud sex) which unfortunately resulted in separate boy-girl buses. Which meant no more sitting with Yunho, no more sharing snacks back and forth with Yeosang, no more geeking out over music with Hongjoong and San, and no more ignoring Seonghwa for hours at a time (a task that you found very satisfying as a meek little freshman. It was clearly before you learned how to argue.)

But then Junior year rolled around, and there were too many girls and not enough boys. Your director said that it would be fine for some girls to switch over, which equated to being back with your friends. The first time that you climbed onto the bus all of your friends cheered, to which you responded with bowing down jokingly.

Seonghwa rolled his eyes harshly, then muttered something that you couldn’t hear. What you could hear, however, was Wooyoung laughing and telling his friend to lighten up. He’d always been so sweet, up until two weeks ago you didn’t understand why he’d be friends with someone like Park Seonghwa. You’re starting to get it now.

“(Y/n!)” San cheers from the back, eyes crinkling into an excited smile. Someone starts clapping, the same way that they always do, and you laugh. Seonghwa claps as well, to which Yeosang shoots him a look that reads ‘what the fuck.’

“I’m sorry, the only seat left is next to-” Seonghwa. The only seat left is the aisle chair next to Seonghwa. Yunho’s eyes look apologetic as he tells you, but then there’s Mingi curled up next to him with hot cheetos and a gallon jug of water and you can’t even be mad at him. Even if you still despised Seonghwa, you wouldn’t be mad.

“It’s fine.” You respond quickly, one hand coming up to pinch the boys cheek. He smiles brightly, “Since when have you been friends with Mingi?”

“I guess as long as you’ve been friends with Seonghwa.” The comment is quick, painless. Almost like you could tell him everything and he wouldn’t mind.

“Fair.” You slide down comfortably into the seat with Seonghwa, pulling a pack of dried apple slices and sour gummy worms from the stuffed book bag around your shoulders, “Hey.” The word is tiny, almost a whisper.

“Hi, love the snack selection...” He opens up the bag of apple slices, popping one into his mouth before offering them back to you, “Good to see you.” It feels like there’s more that he wants to say, but instead of pushing you giggle and accept an apple.

“You saw me two days ago, dummy!” He smiles softly, heart going limp at the (now friendly) teasing. You turn away before he can keep talking, jumping immediately into banter with your friends, “Hey, Wooyoung! Can you call Jongho back?” The boy in question glances at the empty seat beside him then moves things for a second before cupping his mouth to shout to the front.

“Jongho!” Your freshman looks up with wide eyes, “Sit with me!” He grins widely, throwing back a thumbs up before gathering all of his things. You mouth ‘thank you’ to Wooyoung before turning back to Seonghwa.

“Do you know who has the speaker?” Seonghwas eyebrows furrow, making it painfully clear that he was not paying attention when the boys decided this.

“Yeosang, I think. Him or Hongjoong, somewhere in that seat.” You know immediately that it’s Joong, Yeosang never takes his speaker out of the house, “You better not play that shitty playlist-”

“My playlist is fire, thank you very much!” You slap his bicep with one hand while the other clutches your chest.

“No it is not, half of it is Hannah Montana!” His laugh is sweet, with a slight edge seeping through. Like there’s a dash of liquor in your coffee, “Joong, I have the playlist!” Your friend smiles affectionately and cheers, accepting your phone with a radiant smile.

“Everyone say thank you, (Y/n)” He teases, which unfortunately results in the entire back half of the bus chorusing back ‘Thank you, (Y/n.)’ You giggle softly, a sound that ricochets through Seonghwas head.

“Thank you, (Y/n.)” He whispers into your ear. If you two were alone in the instrument room he would’ve nipped at the skin there, the loss of that touch makes your body shudder. Seonghwa smiles at the way you roll your neck back, knowing exactly what he’s doing.

“You’re welcome!” You respond to everyone else. Right as you turn back to Seonghwa, Britney Spears floods the entire bus, “You’re welcome, Seonghwa.” He smiles, you almost think that he’s going to kiss you.

But then the bus starts moving, and everyone is cheering ‘First comp! First comp!’ You join in with a smile, Seonghwa rolling his eyes at everyones antics. Like he’s much too cool to have fun. Two weeks ago it would’ve been obnoxious, but now you think that it’s painfully endearing.

That seems to be the nature of things with Seonghwa. Everything that used to be the worst part of your day now brightens up any situation. You think that you hate it. Yet it’s also painfully okay.

Right as the band is done warming up for the competition your band director tells everyone to find a buddy to zip their jackets. You’ve always been able to do it by yourself, but before you can maneuver your hands to the space in between your shoulders Seonghwa is there.

“You’re gonna rip the jacket,” He grumbles, fingers making quick work of the zipper (there are definitely not sparks flying down your spine as his fingertips brush against your show shirt.) He pats it once after finishing, “good luck out there.” You turn around, hands dusting off the orange and black jacket. It hasn’t been worn in months, yet it’s like putting on your favorite dress. Comforting, empowering... Almost normal, yet if you were to wear this to a school or a grocery store you’d feel entirely insane.

“Let me get your-” He waves the question away right as you notice that Wooyoung is already taking care of it while chattering excitedly, “Oh... Good luck to you too!” Something about the lights of the warm up lot on his tan skin mixed with his uniform that elongates his legs and broadens his shoulders makes your stomach fill with butterflies, “You look good.” He grins in a way that’s shy.

“Thanks, you too.” In that moment you know that he must like you, because there’s sweat on your brow and a light slump to your shoulders. Every ounce of hair is plopped to the top of your head so it’ll fit in the shako, but Seonghwa said that you look good. He said that you look good, and he never lies. Not even to you.

“Mingi!” Wooyoung screeches, barreling towards the taller boy (who’s conversing excitedly with the drumline captain,) “Can I have an Oreo pleaseeee-” Mingi’s face twists a little bit, but eventually shifts with a wide smile.

“I don’t know, they’re Yunho’s so-” The boy in question shifts ever so slightly in his spot next to you. He flashes an apologetic smile to you before running up to take his boat of fried Oreos. He pinches one between his fingers and drops it into Wooyoungs mouth, who catches of the air like an excited puppy, and then offers one to Mingi, “Okay I guess it’s fine.” The contra player answers through a full smile.

“They’re so cute.” Yeosang coos while slinging his arm around your shoulders, taking Yunho’s spot. You smile and grab onto the boy's hand where it hangs down, “Before you ask, Joong is getting food with Jongho. Now, how was your run?”

“Fine, good. Always room to improve, y’know?” You both nod, knowing the exact feeling that you’re talking about, “But it was good.”

“And Seonghwa?” The question comes out so calmly that you almost miss it, but when the words finally settle in you’re left sputtering and confused.

“W-what?!” He looks confused, but you feel panicked. Down to the core of your body, you are panicked.

“Well you guys are friends, right? Like you seem to be friends now and... It’s okay to be friends with him. You don’t have to pretend like he’s not your friend, and it seems good too. For him, he’s nicer lately.” Warmth blossoms in your chest, rising all the way up into your ears as your eyes involuntarily move over to where the boy sits on the bleachers. Where he sits alone, “Go ask him to join us.”

“Really?” Yeosang nods, hand releasing from yours as hope rises along with your blush. A small giggle slips past your lips, “Okay. Yea, okay! I-I’ll be back, um... Yea.”

When you settle down next to Seonghwa he greets you with nothing more than a curt nod. It’s strange, to say the least, but you brush it off. He’s probably just pissed about something, because he’s Seonghwa and always pissed.

“Hey,” You exhale, “h-how was your run?” He shrugs, shoulders tensing violently.

“It was good.” He’s supposed to ask how you did, and you’re supposed to say what you always do. But he doesn’t ask, so you don’t answer.

“U-um... So I was just wondering if... L-like if you wanted to have- not have, if you wanted to-” He looks you square in the face with a glare that could cut, “I was wondering if you wanted to come sit with us.” One of his perfectly sculpted eyebrows quirks, tongue darting to the inside of his cheek.

“If you want to make out you can just say so.” Something clenches around your vocal chords, throat closing up so hard that you think you could choke, “You don’t have to make up some bullshit excuse about wanting to be friends.” It’s not quite clear what tips you over the edge, maybe the biting tone of what he says. The hatred in his eyes that you were so sure you had moved past. The flicker of excitement that dies in your chest, but prickly tears start to gather in your eyes.

“What?” You squeak, swallowing hard, “I-I just wanted to-”

“To make out like we always do.” Those are certainly the words that come out, but they can’t be right. He can’t be actually saying that, because it’s not what you always do. Just two days ago this boy held you so tenderly that you could’ve broken, and now he’s looking at you like he doesn’t even know your name.

“Oh, um...” There’s a part of you that could cry. But then there’s also the part that could bite back, the same way that you would at the start of this season, “Just, fuck off.”

You barrel out of the stadium like a train that’s on fire, mind focused on nothing other than sinking down into your seat and crying. Or screaming. Or doing anything to get something out of your body. You’re halfway there too, weaving in and out of the rival schools buses with ease, until somebody's hand grips your wrist tightly.

“(Y/n) stop!” Seonghwa. His pink lips are parted and panting. You pull your hand away and cradle it into your chest, fire forming on the tip of your tongue.

“Do not touch me.” The words are spat out like venom, causing him to physically recoil. It’s strange honestly, how less than a month ago this was your normal form of communication and now it’s something that hurts, “Don’t touch me, or talk to me, or even fucking look at me.” His eyebrows crinkle, the soft skin there folding ever so softly.

“I-I just thought that-”

“Thought what? That you could make out with me, and comfort me while I’m crying, and fucking carry me to the band room, and that I wouldn’t care about you? That’s what you thought?!” Earlier this season, back at the second woodwind sectional, Yeosang said that he thought fire was going to shoot out of your eyes. You didn’t get at the time, but now you do. Now, with anger pulsing through every last vein in your body, you understand. Because you want to slap that stupid confused expression off of his face, you want to make him cry the way that you’re going to cry, “Fucking answer me, Seonghwa!”

“I... I definitely didn’t think that you would care about me?” He knows it’s the absolute wrong thing to say as soon as your jaw solidifies into a harsh line. It’s one of your tell tale signs, along with steely eyes that pierce straight through his chest. It seems that pissing you off for three years had some benefits, “Nope, no. Definitely not that, I-”

“Fuck off.” You bite harshly before turning on your heels and storming off towards the bus. He’s about to follow you, but something about your clenched fists and shoulders that are raised so high that they could mold into your ears tells him to stay behind. You’re not sure whether to be grateful or pissed. Maybe both.

When your back finally slides against the cheap leather of your seat, it’s clear. Definitely both. Grateful because there are fat, snotty tears falling down your cheeks with reckless abandon. Because your sobs are so loud that the people on the next bus can probably hear you. Because you’re crying in a way that you never have before.

But pissed, because no one has ever held you as tightly Seonghwa did just two days ago. Pissed, because the person who you were supposed to hate more than anything just broke your heart. Pissed because something that wasn’t supposed to happen did.

After hours (or minutes. Maybe seconds, you don’t really know) of crying you sit up and assume the natural post competitions pose. Knees hugged to your chest, fingers touching knuckle to knuckle, and head resting softly on the sweating window pane. When your eyes close Seonghwa is the first thing that you see, followed by dark sleep.

An hour later all of the boys crowd onto the bus, filling the space immediately with loud dialogue and banter. Hongjoong leads the group, holding a trophy nearly as tall as his torso and wearing a smile brighter than the sun. You quickly scan down the line for Seonghwa but he’s nowhere to be seen.

“Hey! Where were you, we got fir-” Hongjoong halts at the sight of your tear stained cheeks, jaw falling slack at the sight of your wrecked appearance, “What happened?” Seonghwa ducks onto the crowded bus just as your mouth opens. You don’t know whether you should let it all out or pretend like everything is fine and go back to sleep.

“It’s nothing, just tired.” You don’t believe yourself, and the drum major's tight lipped smile let’s you know that he doesn’t either. With an exhale and a soft ruffle of your hair, he moves back to his shared seat with Yeosang. Making just enough room for Seonghwa to slide in next to you.

“(Y/n,) I-” You twist to the seat behind you and drop the half eaten bag of gummy worms into the drumline captains lap. San looks up with a thank you already on his lips.

“Wake me up when we’re twenty minutes from the school?” He nods with a smile, hands already ripping into the bag of candy as if he’s starving. You poke the tip of his nose softly before falling back into the seat, where Seonghwas legs are touching nearly every part of you (really only your thighs, but it feels like he could sit farther away. Like he should sit farther away,) “I’m going to sleep, San’s going to wake me up so don’t bother with it.” His eyes look sad in a way that makes you want to scream.

“(Y/n-)”

“Goodnight, Seonghwa.” You manage through the fresh lump forming in your throat.

Though your head hits the glass immediately, you can’t fall asleep for almost twenty minutes. Chattering boys and Mingis terrible playlist isn’t exactly the best backdrop for sweet dreams. But they settle down, cheers turning into yawns and a bluetooth speaker into Mingi and Yunho sharing earbuds. You do fall asleep eventually, but it’s not the booming bass of Mingis meme rap.

When you fall asleep, it’s to the beat of a rattling windowpane that won’t fully close and Park Seonghwa breathing deeply next to you.

There’s always a trend of depleting motivation after the first win of marching band season. Like freshman year after the regional competition, the following rehearsal was absolute torture. Color guard flags colliding with brow bones, entire passages of music forgotten, and too many dropped drumsticks to count. Then there was junior year (which painfully mirrored the season prior,) in which everyone was sentenced to laps until the sun went down. Each year you’d huff dramatically while complaining about the lazy members, to which Hongjoong would listen with a heaving chest.

Needless to say, that’s changed for the worst (just like everything else this season.) You spent the first lunchtime rehearsal moping drastically while refusing to make eye contact with Seonghwa. All of your friends asked you what was wrong, to which you made up a lie about having an empty stomach. Yeosang saw right through the lie, seeing as he watched you wolf down a chicken biscuit, but he didn’t say anything. In all honesty he probably knew what was wrong but was too conscious to bring it up, an act of kindness that you couldn’t thank him enough for.

Then there’s now, Tuesday after school. Four hours before rehearsal, more commonly known as sectional time. Even more commonly known as designated argue with Seonghwa time, which you don’t want to do today. A small part of you wants to make Yeosang fight him, but the other part knows that it has to be you. It’s not as though you have any other way to get out your anger with Seonghwa (there’s messy makeouts in the instrument room, of course, but you’d rather cut off your own lips than kiss him. Or you’d give the world to kiss him again. Somewhere in between the two.)

You take the final step onto your practice field, fully prepared to see a block of brass being run ragged by Park Seonghwa. But he’s not there. No one is except for your group and Wooyoung, who’s at the front of the field busying himself with tangled field mic cables. You glance around wildly before bringing up a hand to pinch the bridge of your nose. It’s genuinely infuriating how upset you are that Seonghwa isn't here, but there’s no time to think about that now.

“Um... Yunho and Yeosang, can you guys lead stretches over by the trailer?” The trailer which is parked on the exact opposite side of the field from where Wooyoung is, “Jongho too, just... Go through the basics, please.” They nod dutifully before leading the group away, Jongho doing so with an earth shattering smile. You wait until they’re all seated and chattering before moving over to Wooyoung, who’s adorning sad eyes and hair that’s too long tied back into a ponytail.

“Hey, (y/n.)” He greets quietly while placing the mic cable into its case. Your stomach churns tightly at the conversation that’s about to happen.

“Hey... Where’s Seonghwa?” The words feel like slow acting poison, the kind that’s threatening to eat you from the inside out and leave you for dead.

“He’s having sectional in the gym, said that you’d probably need the field.” That’s when it kicks in, burning a gaping hole into the center of your chest. You want to scream, or cry, or for Seonghwa to hold you so tightly that it hurts. Instead you stare blankly at the space next to Wooyoungs head, eyes glazing over and body going numb.

“... Oh, h-he was right.” Wooyoung nods before moving on to the next mic cable. It’s so silent and awkward that you almost think that you should leave, even with poison burning in your chest. Even with sadness eating at your skin.

“He told me what happened, and like... The stuff that he said. He doesn’t want to miss you.” Your band director always says that silence is the most impactful thing in music. You never got it until now, because there’s Wooyoung saying these things. Saying all of the right things that you want to hear, a call that waits for your response. Then there’s your response, that leaves a gaping hole in the score of this conversation, “He seems sorry.” You mull it over, words ringing sweet in your skull like an isolated harmony.

With a soft nod you respond, “Me too” before rushing away to where the woodwinds are assembled already in a block. The poison leaves you as sectional bleeds into rehearsal, but for a brief moment your eyes meet Seonghwas and you’re made painfully aware of the hole that it’s left where your heart should be.

The last moments in the warm up lot are spent with you trying to zip up your own jacket, and then Seonghwa swooping in to do it for you. His fingers brush the space between your shoulder blades, sending a shock through the core of your being. Goosebumps raise on your neck as his warm breath hits the skin there.

“You’re gonna rip it.” The words come out so much softer than the last time he said them, completely void of any teasing. If anything there’s tenderness, akin to the night that he had to carry you into the equipment room. Caring, gentle, loving. Everything that you’ve learned about Seonghwa in the past two weeks shining through in four words.

“Yea.” You swallow harshly, gloved hands moving to adjust the front of your jacket. It’s already pristine, but you need to do something with your hands or else your body will explode, “Good luck.”

The director calls everyone into show lines before he gets a chance to say “You too.”

It’s always a struggle to get dressed on the bus after a performance. For starters, your band has to get the cheapest buses possible so there are a grand total of three lights which flicker in and out of commission. You’re also one of the only girls, which just makes things weird, but your seatmates are usually pretty good at helping you hide..

Like now, with San holding up your oversized cardigan while you rumble through your book bag in search for clothes. The space is filled with rambunctious chatter, including Mingi, Yunho, and Wooyoung arguing over who’s going to buy the fried oreos (Yunho suggests three way rock paper scissors, which ends just as poorly as anticipated.) For a brief moment Seonghwa is speaking too, laughing with Jongho about a field judge that they accidentally knocked over, which is the only thing that your brain hears for the next five minutes.

“(Y/n,) are you almost done? My arms are getting tired.” Even without seeing the drumline captain you just know that he’s pouting. It’s basically laced into his voice, causing guilt to pang in your chest.

“Yea,” You exhale while pulling out the more comfortable clothing (a dark green crew neck sweatshirt with fuzzy black sweatpants. You’ve been dreaming of the moment that you get to change since waking up,) “I just can’t see!” The boy chuckles with a nod that shakes the cardigan barrier.

“Hongjoong and Yeosang want me to tell you that they’re leaving and they hate you-”

“San that’s not what I said!”

“Hongjoong is saying to never speak to him or his family ever again.” The drum major sighs dramatically before slapping the side of Sans head, causing the boy to cry out like a child. A laugh bubbles out of your throat as the sweatpants come to a halt on the curve of your waist.

“I’ll text you where we’re sitting!” Yeosang calls from the front of the bus, which is now entirely void of people, “Joong I’m leaving you!”

“They’re a mess.” You grumble while pulling the sweatshirt over your head, “You can go San, I have to repack my bag and stuff.” He drapes the sweater over your head and tosses a packet of fruit snacks into your bag.

“Alright, I’ll probably be with the three amigos.” He’s already halfway out of the bus before you fully process the words, resulting in a giggle.

“Is that what we’re calling Mingi, Yunho, and Wooyoung?” He smiles the smile that makes his eyes crinkle and flashes a thumbs up before ducking out of the bus, leaving you to hum quietly to yourself. There’s something special about seeing an empty space when it was bursting with energy less than two minutes ago. Clothes are thrown around everywhere, uniforms hanging from cracked windows that let in an autumn breeze, bags thrown haphazardly into seats. Like a mist of peace has been pumped into this broken down bus, and you’re the only person lucky enough to see.

The only person until Seonghwa walks onto the bus, that is. You scramble to hide underneath your seat, praying to every being above that you managed to remain unseen. That you wouldn’t have to endure the painfully awkward conversation that’s about to come.

“(Y/n?)” He calls. While it sounds sweet, he’s biting back a laugh from the loud ‘thud’ that you made by rolling out of your seat, “Can you get off of the floor?” There’s a small bite in his tone. Where it should make you angry, it just makes you want to cry.

“No.” You answer, body curling in on itself. A small part of you is genuinely considering staying on the floor, but there’s something sticky about two feet from your hand Seonghwa moving back to where you sit. While the thought of facing him is embarrassing, the thought of him seeing you sitting on this disgusting floor is much worse, “You don’t get to talk to me like that anymore.” His nose is almost touching yours when you stand up, sparking a flame in your stomach (you so badly want it to be anger. Red, hot anger. But he’s looking down at you with furrowed eyebrows, warm light flickering against the plane of his face, and you want to kiss him more than you want to breathe.)

“I’m sorry.” He swallows heavily, pink tongue smoothing over puffy lips. You try to shove past him, but you’re halted by a hand on your shoulder, “Can we just talk? Please?” Sparkles form in his eyes, twinkling at you like stars. It hurts your stomach.

“No.” The word is hoarse, definite as you harshly push past the boy and storm towards the front of the bus. He’s trailing behind, hands still trying to grab at your own.

“(Y/n!)” The boy pleads, which does nothing to help your growing frustration. If anything it makes the tight coil of anger in your stomach snap, covering your body in nothing but fire.

“Seonghwa!” You bite harshly, turning around so quickly that your foreheads nearly bump together, “Leave. Me. Alone! It’s insanely rude to make someone like you, to kiss someone like the world is ending, to convince them that you care all for some weird sense of validations and then demand that they hear you out. I don’t owe that to you, so stop acting like I do!” Despite the firm words, your feet stay planted in place. As if leaving means that this is over forever.

“I know you don’t owe me that, I just... I want to explain myself, please just let me do that.” The light starts to flicker again, allowing you to see the sharp lines that compose his face. You’re supposed to say no, to leave and sit down in between your favorite people and make fun of other bands horn angles. Every part of you is screaming to go do that.

“You have ten minutes.” Clearly, you aren’t doing what you’re supposed to.

“Okay, well um... I’m a dick? Like, just a huge dick and it’s just now setting in that I can change. S-some part of you showed me that.” When the light flashes across your bodies you can see that his eyes are brimming with tears. They’re different tears from last time; more timid and less silly. You want to dab at the one that spills down his soft cheek, “And I’m sorry. For tripping you in rehearsal freshman year, when your elbow got scraped?” You nod, knowing exactly what he’s talking about. There’s still scar tissue travelling up your shoulder from that night, “And for telling you that your solo at regional auditions sounded bad. It actually sounded really really good, which you probably already knew... Oh, a-and um for blaming the woodwinds for not knowing their parts, because honestly we didn’t either I was just being... A dick.” You inhale deeply, trying to push down the hope bubbling in your chest. While the words are promising, you know all too well that apologies are meaningless without action.

“Why?” The hope is quickly replaced with tension that’s definitely trying to make you cry.

“Why am I sorry, or why am I a dick?” In any other context it would sound funny, but now it’s just a question. A genuine, innocent question that Seonghwa is asking you with a face twisted into sweet confusion. You shrug with a deep exhale, trying desperately to stall your erratic breathing.

“Either... Both. I just want to know why.” Seonghwa sucks in a breath, then runs his hands through his ink black hair before releasing the air. It’s embarrassing how you follow his movements as if they’re the tip of a conductor's baton.

“Um... Well, I think I was a dick because I thought that having people didn’t matter if you were good. That if I worked hard enough that it wouldn’t even matter that I was lonely, but you have both. Good and loved, not to mention kind. Always so kind.” The light has stopped flickering, leaving the two of you in complete darkness. It doesn’t matter, because his voice wavers slightly at unspoken memories and you know that he’s smiling, “Which is why I’m sorry too, I guess. Because you never did anything to me other than show me that I didn’t have to be like... This.” The next words are so quiet that you barely hear them, “And for making you think that I don’t care about you.”

“Don’t say things if you don’t mean them.” Your eyes find his through the darkness, locking together like it’s the only thing happening in all of the world.

“I mean it.” It’s a deceleration scribbled into the space between his body and yours, signed by the weight of his hands cupping your jaw, “I care about you.” Goosebumps rise on your forearms as they wrap around the boys slim waist.

“Seonghwa-” There’s probably a right way to do this. A right way to fall for the bane of your existence turned friend. It’s out there somewhere, written up in perfect cookie cutter steps that are easier to follow than words on a page. They definitely don’t include him whispering the affirmation, ‘I care about you,’ against the skin beneath your ear while covering the space in wet kisses.

The boy wraps a hand around the back of your neck before pulling back. You can see him clearer now, all pleading eyes and taunting lips, “Can I kiss you?” It sounds like the climax point of a piece, the part where a chord rings out as the tempo slows just enough to make it itch. You nod while snaking a hand around his jaw.

Seonghwa moves in as if you’ve never kissed before, noses bumping softly. There’s a soft giggle, the rattling of uniform hangers against window panes, and then Seonghwas lips touching yours as if you’re going to break. So much is the same, like how his lips taste like coconut or the spicy scent that floods your nostrils, but it’s different too. Different in the way that he moves against you, in the way that his teeth don’t bite at your lower lip, in the way that his hands cradle every part of you that they touch. He feels like a caricature and more like a person, like a person who’s kissing you softer than you’ve ever been kissed.

“I like you a lot.” He whispers while moving to kiss the corner of your mouth. Old Seonghwa would tease you for the whine growing in the base of your throat while trying desperately to hide the way that you’re affecting him, “Cute.” He exhales, becoming putty in your hands.

“Please stop talking and kiss me.” It’s clear that he tries to smirk, but the moment is too soft for it. Too gentle for the fire that his quirked lips elicits in you; instead he gives off a perfectly soft smile. Gentle and caring, more beautiful than anything you’ve ever seen.

“Okay,” His thumb runs across your cheekbone, then to the crease of your nose, and finally all the way down to the set of your jaw. It feels like he’s setting you on fire, “Okay.” His lips brush yours softly with the movement, followed by him leaning in so terribly slowly. You think to yourself that you’re going to love him.

In the moment before his lips touch yours there are two things; two hearts beating faster than is safe, and his phone ringing loudly. Your eyes shoot open right as the boy mouths ‘fuck!’ with a dramatic eye roll. You offer him a quiet laugh along with a quick kiss to the tip of his nose, “It’s okay, answer it.”

“No, I don’t need to. Just Wooyoung telling me to bring him his wallet.” You nod silently, nearly crying at the way that his hands untangle from you, “I’m really sorry, I wish i could stay but-” You silence him with a quick peck to the lips, he thinks that he’s going to love you back.

“It’s okay.” You whisper, “We can pick this up later.” He really does smirk now, the familiar look tempting you to stay and kiss him until your lips fall off, “Go get his stuff, I want to see the bands!”

After ten minutes of Seonghwa fumbling through Wooyoung's bag in the dark, the two of you finally leave hand in hand. It feels strange, yet at the same time like what’s meant to be.

“Seonghwa, wait!” you call as your boyfriend pulls you into the shared bus seat by your book bag straps. He was only trying to be sweet, but unfortunately failed to think about how pulling you would probably result in falling. There’s a yelp, and you tumbling into him, then of course a loud groan as your palm collides with his collarbone.

“Oh my, oh gosh, I’m an idiot. Ow.” Mingi is laughing at you two, and it’s only a matter of seconds before your so called friends start throwing things, “Let me help you up, also did I mention ow?!” You laugh brightly and press a kiss to his temple before pushing yourself up into a sitting position.

“I think so.” You swat his hand away from your arms and pull out a box of tissues (packed in preparation for the last competition tears that were almost a guarantee,) “I need to check on Joong, okay?” He smiles gently with a nod.

Hongjoong is in the very back seat laughing his ass off while crying violently. It would be weird if he hadn’t done it three times before, each time at the last competition of the season. Sophomore year you asked why he was crying, to which he responded that it makes the crying less awkward. And that it makes everyone else laugh.

“Has anyone told him a joke yet?” You ask while ducking into the huddle of your friends. San is sitting next to the drum major and passing him candy, Yeosang dabbing at his cheeks with tissues that are quickly depleting. He accepts your fresh box with a silent nod.

“Not yet.” Yunho answers while throwing a sealed water bottle to Mingi, who also has tears rolling down his face.

“Okay um... What do you call a cow with no legs?” The boy looks at you with wide puppy dog eyes and a gummy worm hanging from his mouth, “Pork chop! Oh no, that’s not right wait-” The boy starts to laugh even harder as you shout ‘Ground beef! Stop laughing I meant ground beef please-’

“Did she just say pork chop?” Wooyoung asks through a screeching laugh while breaking his way into the circle. You nod as your sides clench, stinging tears burning in the corners of your eyes. Seonghwa eventually comes back too with Jongho, taking purchase in the seat across from the slowly dispersing huddle. Somehow you fall to the floor of the aisle and settle between your boyfriends legs. He plays with your hair in a manner so relaxing that Mingi’s meme rap is barely audible (still audible though, sadly.)

Similarly to the first competition, you fall asleep. Only this time it’s to the drum of your friends shouting excitedly and Seonghwas heart beating in perfect time with yours.

#ateez seonghwa #seonghwa x reader #ateez #seonghwa ff #writekpop #admin reid #if u enjoy pls like or leave something nice!#sorry if it's hard to understand

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certifiedlovergirlsstuff · 4 years

Text

Welcome to the 99!

Jake Peralta X Reader (eventually)

Monday, 9:15am

The crime scene was set up, the tape was out causing access only to those who have a badge. Difference fields on people were everyone on the scene. The store owner was making a statement while Detective Santiago was writing down the details on the suspect into her mini note pad. Detective Peralta was late as usual to the scene leaving Amy to do most of the interviews to herself.

“Looks like the purp up and dusted.” Said a male voice behind Amy.

Amy turned around and saw Jake in his NYPD jacket taking off a pair of sunglasses, stupidly grinning to himself with his one liner.

“What? That term is something from the 1800s.”

“So?” Jake replied with his usual amount of annoyance mixed with sass.

Amy just rolled her eyes and told Jake what she knew from the interviews, which he was late too.

“Ha, okay Amy I get it I was 10 minutes late, but Sarge had to pull me aside saying that I would have a new partner since you would be Lieutenant now. He wants me to “behave myself” whatever that's supposed to mean.” Jake scoffed and smiled.

“Well whoever is gonna have you as a partner I feel sorry already.” Amy retorted back with a tight lipped grin.

Tuesday, 10am

Jake walked into the bullpen with everything happening as normal, Sarge was talking with Rosa about a case she is working on, Charles was doing paperwork that he had to turn into Captain Holt before he leaves work, and Hitchcock and Scully were fast asleep with food on their shirts; so nothing new. Except Amy's desk is clear of her belongings and now has a cardboard box on top with a bunch of new items, along with someone inside of Captain Holt’s office talking with him who Jake hasn’t seen before. Jake walks over to Sarge and Rosa with a curious look on his face and a question on his lips.

“That’s your new partner Peralta.” Sarge said just as Jake stopped in front of him and Rosa.

“What? How'd you know that was my question? What if I just came over to talk with you both?” Jake retorted with a look on his face.

“Because you stopped in the middle of the bullpen for about 10 seconds looking at how everything was normal, then noted Amy’s desk and looked into Holt’s office. Also you haven't put your bag away yet, it’s still on your shoulder.” Rosa responded calmly, as usual.

“Well, great detective work Rosa your mind is still sharp.” Jake replied.

10:30am

“Every staff meeting in five mintues, Holt wants to talk with us.” Sarge called out to everyone causing motion to stop for a few seconds before resuming.

10:35am

“Everyone I would like to introduce you to (Y/n) (L/n), she is from the 54th precinct. Please welcome her kindly and respectfully, I’m looking to you Peralta.” Captain Holt said cooly.

“What? I’m nothing if not kind and respectful. Right?” Jake cried out to everyone at the meeting.

No one really replied back with a full sentence.

“Well you guys are making me sound bad in front of the newcomer.” Jake pouted.

1:15pm

“Hi, we haven't gotten to properly meet yet, I’m (Y/n).” You stuck your hand out to Jake for a hand shake.

You were kinda in the same outfit attire that Amy would wear in the office before the uniform. Just a simple colored button down blouse and some pants suit pants with a black belt, a suit jacket thrown over your chair and your hair was just let down freely.

“Hi, I’m Jake Peralta. I'm gonna be your partner now. Don’t let what happened during the meeting set a lasting impression on me.”

“Yea, I’ll just have to see for myself then. As long as we can work together thats all the matters.” You smiled at him then walked to your desk that was in front of him and started to place items here and there to make yourself at home now.

This was gonna be your new home and you were excited.

#jake peralta #jake peralta x reader #jake peralta imagine #jake peralta x you #brooklyn99 #nine nine #amy santiago #charles boyle #terry jeffords #rosa diaz #raymond holt #fan fiction #please ignore my shitty writing #im gonna try and continue this #i love jake

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perseusjackson-jasongrace · 4 years

Text

Empires on the Horizon V

Jason is a CEO: Part V

Here’s my masterlist for the next part and my other stuff

But the most beautiful things in life are just not things.

They’re people and places, memories and pictures.

They’re feeling and moments and smiles and laughter.

-unknown

“Charles Beckendorf,” Jason answered the phone with a smile, “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Hello Grace, how are you?”

“Absolutely wonderful,” And he was, he hadn’t felt so calm in a long time. “What can I do for you my friend?”

“I need your help with the wedding. I’m planning an outdoor structure with video screenings of all our favourite memories and you have two things that’ll make my dreams come true.”

“Anything for you Charlie.”

“The gorgeous meadow on the far side of town, you own that right?”

“Yep, you want to set up shop there?”

“Yes please,” His eagerness carried through the phone, “And can you send me any pictures or videos you have of us so I can add it to the slideshow.”

“Of course, is that all?”

He could hear the excitement in his friend’s voice, “That’s it, unless you know anyone who’s willing to look after the shop while we’re on honeymoon?”

“I can’t say I do but I can ask Hazel to hire a temp if you want?”

“I’ll suggest it to the ladies and tell them to get back to you.”

“Sounds great, and good-luck with the project. I’m excited for the wedding.”

“Me too man, me too. It’s still surreal to me that I’m getting married to my best friends.”

“You deserve the world Charlie.”

“No way, I am crazy emotional these days.” He sniffled.

Jason laughed, “You’re always emotional Beckendorf.”

“Screw you,” He snorted, “See you soon, and thank you again.”

“Bye man, have a good one.”

He ended the call with a smile. It was unbelievable to think he would be going to his friends’ wedding in a couple months. Just the other day he was sitting in a lecture hall laughing at Beckendorf’s impersonation of their business lecturer. Just the other day he was helping Silena and Drew paint the walls of their boutique. It was strange to face the reality that they were all grown up now– moving on with their lives, living them.

“Ready to go Boss?” Hazel’s head popped around the door.

“Yep, you have the files?”

“All in the room already, anything else we need?”

“Maybe some coffee and a miracle?”

“Unfortunately I can only provide one of those things, and it’s not the helpful one.” She gave him an apologetic look.

“Well I guess wish me luck then,”

“You don’t need it Boss, you’re gonna kill it today.”

“What would I do without you Miss Levesque?” He sighed gratefully, walking to the elevator.

“Forget which day of the week it is, and which shoe goes on which foot,” She grinned.

“Hey, the shoe thing was one time.”

“That only works if you’re a toddler, not a grown man.”

“No excuse for the elderly then?”

She shook her head solemnly, “None I’m afraid.”

The elevator doors slid open.

“Meeting Room A5.”

“Let’s do this.” He took a deep breath and pushed the glass door.

“Hello Jason Grace,”

“Hello Octavian.”

Jason always felt some level of life seep out the room when he me with the head of Titan Industries. The man felt…synthetic; chalk white hair gelled down flat and calculating pale blue eyes that missed nothing. Gods even his skin looked unnatural, pasty and veined.

He reached out a small, bony hand in greeting.

“You look as incredible as ever Miss Levesque,” He lifted her hand to his mouth.

She gave him a tight-lipped smile, “Octavian.”

He didn’t seem to notice, or care for her discomfort and simply turned to Jason.

“So,” They sat down, “Have we come to some agreement?”

“With all due respect Octavian I don’t feel this contract is justified.” He glanced between the man and the folder.

There was silence, as if he were waiting for Jason to continue but two could play at this game. He was not willing to be taken for a fool, fumbling over himself to bow to this man’s whims. So he met those cunning eyes, a smile playing at his lips. The only sound was the scratch of Hazel’s pencil as she set up her notes for the meeting.

Moments passed, frozen in time, and then a sigh, “What can I do to ease your concerns?”

He struggled to reel in a smug expression. “Let’s start with the supply times.”

And they went back and forth, pulling and pushing, cunning and stead-fast, a fox and a wolf. Two hours later the contract had been amended to both their liking and they were once again shaking hands.

“I will ask my assistant to send over the revised contract, once my lawyer has looked over it.”

“I will do the same. Thanks for the meeting.” He guided the door open and waited for his guest to move through it.

“Until then, Grace.”

Without waiting for a reply Octavian snapped at his bodyguard and they disappeared down the passage.

“How do you feel about this?”

“There’s something not quite right Hazel, I just can’t figure out his angle.”

“Fully agree,” She shuddered, “He gives me the creeps.”

“Have you managed to find anyone else that could potentially take over this project?”

“Not yet Boss but you will be the first to know when I do.”

“Thanks Levesque, you truly are my saviour.” He gave her a grateful smile.

“Better put that on my gravestone,” She raised a brow.

“Done,” He laughed, “Any other requests?”

“Let’s get subs for lunch. I could do with some bread.”

He shook his head in amusement, “You drive a hard bargain but I’m willing to sacrifice for you.”

“Oh what was your plan Mr big-shot?” She pushed open the door to their offices.

“Today is burrito-bowl day and you know it.”

“I did forget,” She scrunched her nose, “But I’m extra grateful now.”

He snorted at her, ready to give a snarky remark before he was cut off by the shrill ring of his cell phone.

“Talk to me.”

“What’s up Grace, how’s your lunch hour looking?” Leo Valdez greeted.

“Levesque and I are going to get subs at Garden Girl, want to join?”

“I’ll meet you there.” And then he was gone.

“Ever the efficient caller isn’t he,” Hazel chuckled.

“Most days, which is weird since he’s a rambler face-to-face.”

They got to the contemporary restaurant on eighty-fifth avenue, spotting Leo outside.

“Hello,” His smile was wide as he hugged them.

“Who decided to give you a break? Don’t you have lectures right now?”

“Nah,” He grinned, “Guest lecturer teaching my slot this week, so I got two hours free.”

“The beauty of teaching postgrad, I assume?” Hazel asked.

“You know it Levesque!”

“What are we getting?”

“Don’t know about you but I’m getting the ‘Jazz It Up’ sub, got to stick to my New Orleans heritage.”

“Good afternoon my favourite customers? Where’s the rest of the crew?”

Jason smiled brightly, “Hello Katie.”

“Annabeth is at work, she has some big contract finally closing up,” Leo said by way of greeting.

“Frank is doing the security rounds at the office,” Hazel offered.

“Thalia isn’t even in the country right now.” He shrugged

“There’s still someone missing,” She frowned, scanning their faces, “Piper! Where’s the pretty lady?”

“Oh,” Leo winced, “Yea that is a touchy subject.”

Katie gave them a sympathetic look, “Well what can I help you with today? The usual for you Haze?”

They all rattled off their orders and chatted with the owner of Garden Girl while they waited. Jason had met Katie when he was doing business courses for his urban and regional planning degree. Her forest green eyes and bright smile struck him stupid the first time he saw her in their Entrepreneurship and Business Management lecture. He never had the guts to make a move, but it didn’t matter because she had just entered a relationship with Travis Stoll. Now they’re married and expecting a child, as is the latest update.

“How’s Project Hestia going Grace?” Leo asked, pulling out a chair.

“Ugh I’m having a hard time with the outdoor center. I’m not gelling with the contractor, and I don’t know what to do,” He scrubbed a hand down his face.

“I know I can’t ask what exactly is wrong because of legal reasons but what do you need done?”

He motioned to Hazel to explain as he bit into his sub.

“Basically we want to create an outdoor recreation center for the community which includes a gym area, a kids’ area, movies, a park and picnic area, rock climbing, you know the usual.”

“Right that shouldn’t be too hard to draft up,” Dark eyebrows scrunched, “But this guy is what? Trying to fuck you over?”

“Essentially,” Jason nodded, “The problem is we don’t know how?”

“Okay give me the weekend and let me call up some people. I think I know someone who can help.”

His eyes widened, “You are literally the best friend in the entire world. We’ve been looking for weeks, and we haven’t found anyone else who specialises in this.”

Leo squeezed his hand, “I’m not letting you get screwed over, and my buddy would be more than happy to do it.”

“What’s his name?” Hazel had her phone out, the notes app open.

“Harley, he’s was the youngest kid in our engineering course. I think he graduated with his masters when he was like twenty,”

Jason choked, “What?”

“The kid is incredible. He beat us regularly in our weekly electrotech competitions.”

“Well tell him to give us a call and I’ll set up a meeting with Jason next week. We have until next Friday before we sign contracts with Titan.”

“Sounds good,” Leo plucked a pen he kept behind his ear and scribbled something on his hand, “So Jase,” His grin was trouble.

The blonde narrowed his eyes, preparing himself for trouble.

“What happened with you and Percy? Last I heard you were going on a date on Tuesday and then getting married.”

It was Hazel’s turn to choke, and after she recovered smacked her boss on the shoulder, glaring as if to say what the hell did you not tell me?

He rolled his eyes at his best friend, “I didn’t even get his number because I left so abruptly. And anyway I hear he’s dating Reyna now.”

Leo’s hickory eyes widened, “He’s what?”

“Yea I went by the school about a month ago and Nico told me they were dating.”

“How do they even know each other?”

“They met at the school. She was visiting Nico and he was wanted to become a sponsor cause he used to go there.”

“Yea sounds about right, he’s crazy nice.” Leo nodded

“How have I never met him before the dinner?”

“He moves around a lot,” Leo shrugged, “I’ve only met him a handful of times because whenever he’s here he makes a point to visit Annabeth.”

“Well he sounds like an angel,” His assistant mused.

“Looks like one too,” He muttered, “It’s okay anyway cause I uh–“ He scratched the back of his neck.

“Oh my gods,” Hazel’s earthy eyes glittered, “You met someone!”

Leo clapped his hands, a smile as bright as the sun on his face, “Who are they?”

“We’ve been on one date so no making a big deal about it.” He gave them a pointed look, “But Thalia set us up and she’s… wow.”

“Oh you are real caught up, aren’t you?” They raised twin brows at him.

“She’s just indescribable. She’s gorgeous and that’s the least impressive thing about her.”

“Well tell us everything.” Hazel prodded.

“Okay she’s a vet. She has four sisters, but she doesn’t talk to them much. She believes in order, oh it’s glorious. Everything in its space and a plan for everything.” He looked at Leo then, to which his friend flipped him off and then motioned for him to continue.

“She eventually wants to open her own animal clinic. And most importantly she gets along with Thalia.”

“She sounds like a dream Jase,” Hazel squeezed his shoulder, “I’m really happy for you.”

Leo nodded, eyes bright with love, “You deserve some happiness bud.”

“Thank you guys,” He found it hard to breathe as the overwhelming gratitude he felt for his friends swept through his body.

“Valdez, you’re going to the lake cabins in a couple weeks, right?”

“Oh yep,” Leo wiggled his eyebrows, “And guess what?”

“You are not!” He yelled, and then lowered his voice, “You are lying to me right now.”

“Oh gods,” Hazel caught on, “Are you ready? No wait of course you’re ready! When, how, what?”

“I bought the ring a couple weeks ago. We’ve been talking about it for a few months and this just feels like the right time.”

Jason whistled, “My best friends are finally getting married.”

“Oh gods I hope she says yes,” Leo looked a little sick all of a sudden.

“Of course she’s going to say yes. You guys have been inseparable since that first maths lecture when we all went to the wrong class.”

“There’s no way she turns you down, I’ve seen the way you look at each other.” Hazel agreed.

“The way we look at each other?” Leo frowned at her, confusion evident in his face.

“Like you’re the only ones in the room. Like she is the match and you are the striker.”

Jason nodded, “The moment you two locked eyes at the bonfire it was like the universe threaded two strands through the same needle.”

“Well now I’m emotional and feeling much more confident about it.”

They laughed then, getting up to hug each other. Jason felt the world settle, still, slow. The wind whispered softly, and beams of sun caught between them. If nothing else he had this, and he would hold onto it until his bones were dust and his soul was a star once more.

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

So many weddings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tags (if you want to be added to/ taken off the tag list just let me know, all my channels of communication are open): @lesbian-peanuts

@leydiangelo

@queen-of-demons-and-hell

@msdrpreist

@sparkythunderstorm

@nishlicious-01

@lucyisblue

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