#miss culinary sounds so cute I’ll search it up

[r0zez-in-bl00m]

~ 𝓒𝓻𝓾𝓮𝓵 𝓽𝓸 𝓫𝓮 𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓭 ~

Chaotic parents

🦇Lilia Vanrouge x fem!reader, WORD COUNT : : 2K

Description- Lilia's wife comes for a visit but leaves a trail of destruction behind.

Placed under the cut for length!

It was yet another quiet day at the dormitory founded on the elegance of the fairy of thorns. The morning was greeted by Sebek and Silver’s bickering about whose training routine was better while Silver occasionally dozed off leaving Sebek to jerk him awake every single time with his thunderous voice. The dorm leader of Diasomania, Malleus, stared out of the window in the common room, finding the outside world much more interesting than the leather stiff book he had read a countless number of times or the ongoing talk across the room.

Yes, it was indeed another normal, boring day for the residents of Diasomania. Well, far too normal.

The one-sided quarrel between Sebek and Silver ended abruptly when the sound of an explosion came from the kitchens (did they even have that?), breaking the second-year’s slumber instantly as he looked around quizzically. “WHAT WAS THAT?!?!” Sebek thundered, the obvious surprise plastered on his face as he faced Silver. The second-year shrugged his shoulders as a response as he removed Sebek’s hand on his dorm uniform. “Maybe the old man is in the kitchen again,” Silver said, staring at the hallway to the kitchen worryingly.

Silver knew how experimental his father was in the field of culinary arts. The variety of weird, foul-smelling dishes he had tasted (and dreaded) as a little child was a prime example of it. As the knight had feared, not soon after, Lilia stepped into the common room, his clothes a little burnt, face covered in soot, with a burnt dish in his hands. “Oh my, this stew took longer than I had anticipated!” He said as he dried the non-existent sweat off his brow. Sebek retracted the moment the blasted dish’s smell reached his nose. That dish could barely be categorized as food, let alone be eaten under normal circumstances. Was the dressing covered in slime and worms?

“I-I see . . . it’s an excellent looking dish, Lord Lilia!” Sebek complimented, but his reaction betrayed his words greatly. “May I ask which stew is it?”

‘Better not ask if you don’t want to be the first victim Sebek,’ Silver thought but refrained from speaking it out loud. Sebek was always too fond of his seniors. The old fae, on the other hand, seemed giddy and unusually excited to tell Sebek about his extra special dish. “Well, it’s my specialty dish which I only make on the rarest of occasions, and mind you it’s really hard to persuade me to make this dish even if you ask a million times,” Lilia giggled while continuously shoving the otherworldly stew at Poor Sebek’s face.

Who would be in their right mind to actually persuade Lilia Vanrouge, the most horrible cook humanity has ever seen?

Lilia’s body shivered from giggling as Sebek guessed various stew names he had known. In defeat, Lilia finally disclosed the name, “It’s my legendary ‘slimy beef casserole’!!”

Silver almost choked at the name of the dish alone when he thought he was about to doze off again, finding it hard to breathe as he stared at Lilia as if he had grown another head.

Malleus, from his window, had his ears perked up as well at the unusual excitement. “Beef-Tomato stew?” Malleus questioned, “Don’t you usually make it for-”

POOF!

Before he could finish a puff of green smoke encircled the room completely. Silver’s dread turned horrendous as his aurora eyes traveled up to see the person coming out of the clearing green fog.

Those (e/c) eyes, that hair tied in a ponytail, and the familiar scent of raspberries. Hauling the heavy travel bag in her hand, the apparently young-looking girl smiled brightly and exclaimed brightly, “Family reunion!!” tackling Lilia to the ground, eliciting a chuckle from the latter. All the while Silver pinched the bridge of his nose in worry.

Indeed, it was going to be a long day.

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

“All I had heard that it was a famous school for kids with magic, but I didn’t know that its campus was this big!!!” His mother chirped happily, skirting around here and there like a newborn baby bird. It had taken everything for Silver to not sink and die. To actually think that his own mother would show up at the school where he and his father were studying, and in summer clothes on top of that. That tank top concealed under a modest button-up shirt wasn’t doing her any favor. He had to persuade his stubborn mother to wear something modest enough to not get any weird glances.

Aside from Silver’s anxiety and protectiveness towards his mother, Lilia was extremely ecstatic.

“My sweet, you hadn’t mentioned that you had taken a trip to the southern islands in your recent letters,” Lilia said, strolling side by side with his beloved, arms linked and fingers intertwined. “Judging by your complexion you sure had a great time!”

(Name) giggled, “Of course, unlike you who would turn into a mummy just after an hour under the sun, I am always up for a swim on a hot summer beach and getting a tan!” She rolled up her sleeves and showed her changed skin color with pride, a smirk adorning her adorable visage.

Silver sheepishly scratched his head, “So, what made you come for a visit mom?” It’s not like he wasn’t happy, of course, no child could ever be sad to see their mother after a long time, but the question was- why now?

(Name) shuddered at the question, as if it was something too painful to talk about. Nonetheless, she shared her part of the story. “Staying in the Valley of thorns with nothing to do but tric⸺ I mean, play with neighbors was getting tooooo boring.” She said, twirling around in her summer dress, “That was when Sebek’s mum suggested me to go on a trip like old times! Gosh, I had missed the sights! But, traveling with my sugar daddy was much more fun, and I kind of started to miss⸺”

Silver’s eyes widened like two satellite dishes as he subconsciously cut of his mother, “Sugar what?”

He heard his father laugh heartily, smacking his arm slightly as if it was normal, “I told her to call me that, cool right?” Lilia asked, his lips occasionally curving upwards. Silver didn’t know what to do in this awkward situation. It was getting hard to keep a poker face when his cheeks were getting redder by the goddamn second. Unlike him, Malleus and Sebek were not even a little fazed by this.

“Nowadays people call their partners with such flowery nicknames,” (name) curiously reminiscence the one time she had heard someone calling their lovers in an odd fashion while at the beach. “Uh! Time flies by.”

Lilia chuckled at his beloved’s innocence, “Sweetheart, it’s good and all that you are learning new things and accepting the changing times, but” he gestured to Silver’s tomato face amusingly. “Other students will notice us, look, even our son is getting all embarrassed even after hearing our romantic exchanges a million times.”

Sebek, initially confused about what the great seven was happening, seeing his fellow guard show vulnerability, screamed at full-throttle, “SILVER!! Be ashamed of yourself!! It’s unbecoming of Young Master’s escort to show his blushing face in public!!!!”

Silver held the bridge of his nose for the umpteenth time. “No one hadn’t even noticed until you brought it up for everyone to hear.” He pointed out to the two first-year students who were curiously eyeing the Diasomania group, only to scramble away laughing when Silver had noticed them.

Pushing all the hue and cry away, the prince of thorns conversed with Mrs. Vanrouge, his eyes glimmering with child-like fondness. “How has everything been in the Valley of thorns, (name)? Well, I presume?” His questions were cute just like his expressions!

The female couldn’t help but smile giddily, “My Prince, it hasn’t been long since your last visit to the land. What more could change in a few months’ time?”

The old fae nudged the prince’s arm a little. “You know Malleus, sweet. Always insatiably curious, this young lad,” Lilia added, earning a glare from the dorm leader. Before he could retort and start one of his ‘I’m not a child’ monologues, (name) asked– “Where are Silver and Sebek?” The other two fairies looked behind them and found the two of them vanished from sight.

“They must have stopped because of their argument again, those two.”

“I’ll go look for them if you’d like,” Malleus offered, but the old man shook it off. “Knowing those two, it’s better if I come too, just in case Sebek takes it to arms and marches on to war,” Lilia said. “(name), could you please wait a minute over here?”

As if she was a child who needed parental consent, (name) pouted at the irritating behavior of her husband only to earn a million mandol smile in return. The promise of getting back in less than a minute had triggered a few options in the female’s mind, none of them were in goodwill. Would she actually be Mrs. Vanrouge if not as much of a trickster as her husband?

A devilish smirk appeared as soon as the duo’s backs disappeared from her sight. Cracking the knuckles of her hands, she gazed around the vacant vicinity.

“Sooooooooo, what to do next?”

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

The half-silent walk towards the rendezvous point was broken when Lilia had opened up his mouth to speak- “It’s good that the two of you didn’t wander off too much, it would’ve been far too much troubling to search the entire school.”

“I DEEPLY APOLOGISE LORD LILIA!!” Sebek pleaded, or more like screamed for mercy, “If Silver hadn’t fallen asleep, we would’ve come back sooner.”

“And we wouldn’t have become lost,” Silver added apologetically. “It’s alright, it was all in goodwill and we found you in time before dinner,” Malleus reassured. Sebek seemed to calm down at his lord’s words but nonetheless continued to rant and reprimand himself for being an incompetent vassal and what not.

But it stopped the moment all of them found (name) to be missing. “Didn’t we leave (name) here?” Malleus asked, confused as to where she could’ve gone. “My little honey drop likes to play hide and seek a lot, surely she mustn’t have gone too far!” Lilia reasoned but internally dreaded inside. Something of a horrible memory was coming back to him but he couldn’t place his finger on it . . . .

“Father,” Silvers said, serious, “We need to find Mom before she gets herself into trouble.”

“Yes, Silver is absolutely correct, or have you forgotten what happened during the Queen’s birthday?” Lilia’s mouth formed an ‘O’ shaped as the realization dawned over him. “Right! How could I forget?” (name) had planted a party bomb inside the cake that it exploded and its contents spilled everywhere. It wasn’t that big of a prank but the look the Queen had thrown afterward spoke volumes.

“In that case, the sooner we find her, the better it will be.” At that, the group again moves out to search, the expectancy to loads of trouble ahead humming in their minds.

On the other side, many weird occurrences happened at NRC that day. Students found the cafeteria benches levitating in the air with Rosehearts screaming ‘OFF WITH YOUR HEAD’ at the anonymous person who had hanged him from the ceiling. The Lion of Savannah was in a sour mood all day after it took him 2 hours to remove all the girlish accessories which had magically adorned his hair and chased Ruggie to have the evidence removed from existence. The ever-charismatic Vil Schoenheit seemed to have wanted to pop a blood vessel in his body after finding that someone had let Heartslaybul’s Flamingos loose in the dormitory. The clean-up in itself was a big task, the aftermath even more terrible.

All the while (Name) treated herself to some roasted marshmallows (courtesy of the cafeteria ghosts who mistook her for a child). The female never quite understood why her husband detested such a delectable snack. At the thought of Lilia, she wondered if he was looking for her while she was creating chaos in the school. She giggled at the illustration of his panicked face came to her mind.

Leaving the train of thoughts, she turned her focus back on chomping down the white snack. “Oh, a child has wandered into the campus?” a suspicious voice came from behind her, a shadow looming over her and blocking the sunlight. (Name) immediately turned to see a man with a bird mask glowering from above. The female wanted to scoff at the impudence of the idiot in front of her. Child? She was even older than the ancestry line of the top hat he was wearing. But, still feeling a little devilish, she decided to go with the flow. The headmaster crouched down in front of her, “Are you lost?”

“KIDNAPPER!!!!!!!!” The scream was so hard that it had rendered his hearing senses, which was a first for him given that he had already heard a different variety of screams. “My, dear child you have a loud voice!” Crowley held his head, still trying to shake off the effect, “and I’m not a kidnapper. I may appear suspicious but I’m a very generous person and the headmaster of this school!”

Even more, fun to trick you then.

“Oh really! Then prove it, Mister Crow!” she said faux excitedly.

Crowley cleared his throat, finding the nickname to be cute, “Alright, Alright! How about some ice cream and a little tour of the school?” The female’s mouth immediately watered at the word ‘ice cream’. She nodded vigorously in approval. Suddenly, she felt glad that she came to visit. Having a delicious treat on top of that a good laugh was like icing on a cake. Maybe she could demand a cake too.

“Headmaster Crowley!! Right on time!”

Oh damn.

She dreaded what was about to come next. The sight of her beloved husband with a teasing smile on his face poured water all over her future plans! Goodbye ice-cream.

“Everything has been upside down today . . . . oh, who’s this?” curse his impeccable question ‘who’s this?’

“This is a child I found roaming the gardens,” Crowley explained. “And by what do you specifically mean by ‘upside down’, Vanrouge?”

“You’re requested in the cafeteria, there you might get what you need, for the time being, I can look over after the child,” The damned fae knew what he was doing and was enjoying every bit of it! He smiled, showing more teeth than required, his magenta orbs glowing, “We will have lots of fun, won’t we little one?” It sent shivers down her spine and marked as the queue that she had overstayed her visit and best be off now.

With a puff of smoke, she vanished into sight, leaving the headmaster confused as the green air cleared. “What just happened Vanrouge?”

Lilia smiled peacefully, exhaling a sigh of relief, and said, “Nothing, absolutely nothing.”

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

“Father, you’re going to mail the stew?”

“Yes! She came for a visit but forgot her favorite dish. I hope that the Thorn delivery service can handle the stew, the worms bite a lot.”

#twst imagines #cruel to be kind #lilia vanrouge #disney #malleus draconia #sebek zigvolt #twisted wonderland #silver #diasomania #twst lilia

[starjeno]

destined | l.mh | 3

genre: fluff | soulmate!au, genderswap!au pairing: student!mark x female!reader warnings: bad words? word count: 1973 summary: it’s a fact of life that soulmates swap bodies. when mark wakes up in a bed that isn’t his, he’s delighted. you, on the other hand, absolutely despise it. a/n: filler chapter, sorry! and i know it’s been a while since i’ve posted. also, i gave the roommate a name finally. 

the sunset filtering through your curtains fills the room with hazy light. it’s soft and golden and comforting, but it does little to placate your roommate. her arms remain crossed over her chest as you pace by the mini-fridge nervously, waiting for this interrogation to end.

“okay, but what did yuta say?” she’s already somehow familiarized herself with the names of the people involved, and while it took some time for her to get used to your new appearance, she currently seems to have grown accustomed to it. you groan, “i told you, yuta likes this whole thing. he just ignored me and then said that i should take mark into consideration.”

“why can’t mark take you into consideration instead?” she retorts. you huff, “i told you this too! mark also thinks i like this whole thing!”

“well? do you?”

you can’t help the hesitation that bubbles up in your throat when you think about the events of earlier. the rapid beating of your heart and the heat in the tips of your ears and the strange familiarity that accompanied each of mark’s words — he felt like a missing puzzle piece, like someone you loved in a past life, and you didn’t like how you unconsciously gravitated towards him as he spoke. 

then again, you only saw him for a few hours, so maybe you’re overexaggerating. you shake your head firmly, “i don’t! you know that! i don’t want any of this!”

she gives you an unplaceable look, her eyes filled with contemplation, before groaning and sitting up, “let’s go out to eat. you’ve had a rough day.”

“you’ll pay?”

“yeah,” she sighs, running a hand through her hair, “i don’t want you to confuse the cashier with your credit card info. let’s get out of here.”

it’s a blessing that your roommate has kun. she’s accumulated enough of his clothing that your new body has a decent selection to choose from. though the clothes all fit loosely, you figure tucking your dress shirt into your pants and looping a belt tightly through should make sure your outfit is secure. she stands in the doorway as she watches you change, blushing feverishly when she associates your initial meeting with yuta with the boxers that now hug you snugly. 

“where do you feel like eating?” 

you hum in thought as you grab a cap, “honestly? kun’s place. he makes such good food.”

she rolls her eyes before dialing her boyfriend’s number on the phone. it rings for a few seconds until the line clicks and you hear a deep voice fill the speaker, “what’s up? you only call at this time when you’re hungry. or horny. or both. please don’t be both.”

“uh, just hungry. also, ____ and i have something we should tell you,” she mumbles, “i’ll be over in five.”

she hangs up before looking over to me and sighing, "i'll do your hair."

as you sit down in front of a mirror and watch your roommate squeeze out a frightening amount of gel onto her palm, you can't help but think about mark again. it's hard not to since his face is the reflection and it shines with a bright optimism that you currently lack. you attempt a half-hearted smile to make his features seem pleasant; it feels wrong when his face frowns.

meanwhile, the girl behind the chair slicks your hair in a neat quiff, sparing a few strands to fall onto your forehead casually. you look handsome, and you're somewhat pleased that kun's first impression of your soulmate will be great on terms of looks.

not that you cared particularly. you don't. you aren't even sure you know what a mark is, much less feel as if others should approve of him.

"there, let's go," she hums, wiping her hands off with a towel and spritzing some floral scent on the two of you before walking out. you follow reluctantly.

kun's apartment is cute and filled with small plants that are groomed to perfection. little canvases with a dramatic ink strokes line the walls above the television and couches, and pens are littered in the corners of every room. there's even a pen tucked into the pocket of the man himself, who is still in the ironed dress shirt he went to work in.

his smile radiates as the two of you walk into the hall, but you can sense the air tension rise, “mina and . . . a friend?”

“ha ha, very funny, kun. you won’t believe who this is,” your roommate grins as you two sit down. kun pauses for a bit before backing into his kitchen, grabbing a spare pan to add on top of the stove, thinking, “uh, a cousin? your long-lost brother? i thought ____ was coming over.”

“exactly,” she huffs before motioning over to you, “meet mark, or better known as ____ in mark’s body.”

kun gasps and points the pan at you accusingly, laughter lacing his voice, “oh my god, you fucking swapped?”

you grin and place a hand to drag the pot down, “i know, it’s crazy.”

“at least he’s cute,” the dimpled boy chuckles, sighing in disbelief. he definitely knew you well.

“agreed,” you smile a bit and your roommate shoots you a short-lived glare before looking at kun, “so we came here to destress from such a horrific event by eating your food.”

“that sounds like a plan . . . ,” he muses, a small smile growing on his face as he takes out cooking oil, “you guys can just chill, and i’ll have something cooked up in ten.”

as soon as you pull your phone out, a notification slides onto a screen. you bite your lip as the social messaging app displays the message of a new follower, and when you hold down for more details, you instantly recognize the handle.

mark. he must've searched you up, and if he's managed to follow you on here, he's probably found all your socials by now. as if on cue, you see three more notifs slide gracefully on your phone, beaming with a new friend request. you aren’t sure if you’re happy or annoyed, or a bit of both, but you hold down and open the app to find a new direct message awaiting your approval.

mark1ee (online): hi! sorry if this is creepy but i figured we’re friends now, so...

good lord. you bite your lips to keep from laughing at his shyness, finding it adorable, and avert your eyes from your phone. mina glares at you quizzically, raising a brow as if to ask what you’re amused at, but you simply shake your head emphatically and begin to type back.

you: how’d you know my last name? there’s probably more than one ____ out there. mark1ee is typing . . .

"here, some cheesy ass lasagna. i put, like, five different kinds of cheese in there, or just whatever was in my fridge.” kun slides two plates to you and your roommate and grabs the nearest chair to sit. he looks at you as you tentatively poke at the stuffing, “i didn’t poison it, you know.”

“shut up, i’m critiquing it!” you laugh as you place a food-filled fork in your mouth, smiling at the instant flavor, “whoa, i forgot how good you are at this.”

he lowers his brows as he smiles, “you mean you forgot my job is in the culinary arts?” 

you face downwards as kun strikes up a conversation with your roommate and glance at the notification on your phone. it doesn’t take a moment of hesitation for you to swipe and check mark’s message.

mark1ee (online): i checked the profile pictures. it would be a lot easier to make sure i’m contacting the right person if i had your number ;) you: how smooth. how do i know this is the mark i met earlier today? mark1ee (online): already asking for pics? damn. mark1ee sent a photo mark1ee (online): i forgot that it’s basically just a pic of you lmao :/ now pls send #

you snort and look up to find your roommate and kun staring at you intently. you wave your hand dismissively, "funny meme, sorry."

they give you a strange look before resuming the conversation, and you hide your phone under your leg before digging into the meal before you.

"so, what's going on?"

at the question, yuta sighs as mark walks in, his hand rubbing a towel through his wet hair, "winwin is coming back early. a week early."

"are you not excited?" mark quips. the older male tiredly grins, "i'm excited, believe me. but i'm worried that i won't pay enough attention to your switch."

mark frowns, the wrinkles ruining the feminine face, "i'll be fine. she just sent me her number!"

he takes a seat by yuta and faces the flatscreen in front, his glossy eyes reflecting the bright lights of the video game. yuta glances at his long lashes and soft brows for a moment before resuming the screen, "damn, good job. maybe you have enough game to survive without me."

"wha- fuck you! and you'll still be here!" mark laughs, picking up the other controller.

"i'm running away with winwin, by the way," yuta jokes. he lets mark join the round before pressing the buttons again, "now that you have her number, what are you going to do? ask her on a date?"

mark freezes. he hadn't even thought of what to do, and right now, yuta feels like a personal certified love guru. what a great fucking idea! before he could spend more time admiring yuta's genius, mark drops the controller and sends a new text to you, hoping for a stroke of luck.

he didn't really need luck though. he had literally found his soulmate that morning.

you: wanna go on a date? nctzn (online): how would i get clothes, doof? i'm wearing my roomie's bf's shit now :/ you: well, keep wearing them and i'll buy myself a dress? i don't care what you wear though, i'm not a great dresser.

mark is lying to his new form. he had always considered himself as someone with a good eye for outfits and color coordination. he sighs as the green dot by your profile that signifies your online presence fades away, and he figures he should probably find another way to pass the time while you’re offline. yuta waits expectantly, “well?”

“clothing’s an issue. and i don’t even know where i should take her,” mark grins, “it’s going to feel so weird, like going on a date with myself? trippy.”

“you’ll survive, it’s not like you’re ugly,” yuta sighs as he rolls his eyes with exasperation. mark doesn’t respond. he’s too preoccupied with the idea of you to even process yuta’s words. he’s never felt so giddy about a girl before — even his middle school crushes never got him feeling this jittery. conversation with you flowed so smoothly, and even mark knew how strange it was to feel this way after one conversation. 

he’s glad you reciprocate his feelings. everything’s he heard about soulmates seems to be true: you fit him well. mark knows he should be a little more hesitant, but this is finally a dream come true. you’re a dream come true. 

you: let’s go on a date tmrw then? nctzn (online): ok why not

mark glances up at the bright orange sky. the sun has only just started to set and the evening barely grazes the warm colors. are you just as happy as he is now? is your head filled with thoughts of him, the same way he can’t stop thinking about you?

mark’s pauses, not sure if he should dare to think his next question, but the idea floats in his head anyway and he turns pink with embarrassment.

yuta turns away, silent.

prev | masterlist | next

#neowritingsnet #cznnet #neocaratnet #ncitynetwork #mark lee #lee minhyung #nct mark #nct #nct 127 #nct dream #nct u #mark x reader #sexswap au #genderswap au #destined #starjeno

[myforeverforlife]

familiar stranger (part three).

Jongdae had come around to your side of the car, an arm offered out to you. He raised an eyebrow, waiting with a smile.

You took it with a smile of your own, letting your hand curl around the crook of his arm. Walking together like this, it was easy to forget about everything that had happened to you, all of your worries that had been plaguing you for weeks.

To pretend that you were a woman, out with her husband.

Word Count: 6,108

Masterlist

Series masterlist: ( 1 )  ( 2 )  ( 3 )  ( Final )

In almost no time, you were just as comfortable around Kyungsoo and Baekhyun as you were with Jongdae. They were also helpful in filling in the blanks, restoring what had been lost in your mind.

“And when we got to the beach, we found out that we left all of our food back at the apartment!” Baekhyun exclaimed, recounting a summer trip your group of friends had taken a few years ago.

“No!” you gasped out, just as engrossed in the story as he was. 

“Yep, all of our barbecue stuff, the smores, everything. We thought someone had taken the food stuff and put it in one of our cars, but it was all still packed up and sitting in our kitchen.” 

“And that’s why we always triple check before we go on trips,” Kyungsoo added with a wry smile.

“Or make sure that there’s a good restaurant in the area,” Jongdae piped in. He picked up a forkful of toast laden with whipped cream and bananas, popping it into his mouth before sighing in content.

You were just as satisfied with your own food, thick slices of toast topped with strawberries and melted chocolate. When you had ordered, the other three men exchanged a look, something you questioned them about after the waitress left.

“You are starting to remember,” Jongdae said, eyes wide and full of hope.

“What? What do you mean?” 

Jongdae grew confused, tiny wrinkle lines appearing on his forehead. “It’s your usual order. Either that, or the toasted BLT.” 

“Oh. I just picked it because it sounded good,” you mumbled, unable to meet Jongdae’s gaze. You felt bad for raising his hopes for nothing.

Kyungsoo and Baekhyun watched as Jongdae’s face softened, one of his hands coming to rest over your own. “I’m sure you’ll love it. And even if you don’t, I’ll share my food with you.” 

Jongdae wanted to fawn over how cute you were as your face pinked, both touched and shy at the same time. Sure enough, when the food arrived, you loved it just as much as you did before — if not more. Jongdae still offered to share his food with you, but you declined. “I don’t want to take your food,” you explained.

“It’s not taking if I’m sharing it with you.” 

You hesitated before leaning closer, letting Jongdae feed you the forkful he had been holding out to you. “This one’s really good too,” you said, amazed by how delicious everything at the cafe was.

“I’m glad you like it.” Jongdae watched fondly as you continued to enjoy your food. The way your lips curled in delight with each bite, the crinkling of your eyes as you smiled at something the others said — it all felt like another normal day out to Jongdae. He flinched upon hearing Baekhyun calling out to him, an impish smile on his face.

“Like what you see?” Baekhyun asked, winking in your direction. 

Jongdae immediately struck out with his foot, bumping into Baekhyun’s underneath the table. Much to your confusion, the two men were soon caught in a staring contest, Jongdae’s eyebrows drawn low while Baekhyun continued to giggle to himself. 

Kyungsoo sighed, ignoring his other friends as he turned to you. “Have you thought of coming by April & Flower? Not to work,” he added quickly upon seeing your worried expression. “Just to see your workspace. I’m sure you’re gonna love it.” 

You chewed on your bottom lip, weighing the pros and cons in your mind. Yes, you were nervous about meeting your coworkers and your boss for the first time all over again, but at the same time, you had been itching to jump back into a restaurant kitchen and to feel at home in your element. Plus, you had heard nothing but good things about your job.

“Okay,” you agreed, courage rising when Jongdae nodded at you reassuringly. “To be honest, part of me has missed being at work too.” 

“She’s still been cooking,” Jongdae added, eyes shining with pride. “Her food’s just as good as before, if not better.”

You shook your head, embarrassed by the sudden praise and yet still thankful for Jongdae’s sweet words. “You’re exaggerating.”

Jongdae captured your gaze in a fixed stare, eyes brimming with a sudden warmth. “It’s true,” he said enthusiastically, his hand coming up to rest on top of yours. It only lingered long enough to squeeze your hand before slipping away, much to your disappointment. 

“Feel free to drop by whenever you can,” Kyungsoo spoke up, startling you out of your stupor. You had been so caught up in Jongdae that you had completely forgotten where you were. “I’m sure everyone will be happy to see you there.” 

Your smile mirrored that of your friend’s, although nowhere near as heart-shaped as his. “Thanks. I’ll definitely be there.” 

The rest of your meal was filled with cheer and endless jokes, easily making your table the brightest spot in the cafe. By the end of it, your sides were sore from laughing so much. 

You wore a grin on your face even as you got into Jongdae’s car, waving to Kyungsoo and Baekhyun as they headed towards their cars. “If every outing with them is like this, I might end up losing my voice,” you told Jongdae.

He chuckled as he got his seatbelt on, waiting for you to do the same before he started driving. “Keeping up with Baekhyun does take some getting used to. That kid can talk for hours on end.” 

“It was fun though. I hope we have time to do this more often.” 

Jongdae spared you a quick glance, corners of his lips lifting as he continued to drive. “Of course. I’m sure they’ll be glad to hear that too.” 

You stared out the window, relieved to find that you could recognize some buildings and street names. Driving around with Minseok during the past week had helped you to familiarize yourself with the city, although there were still many areas that you couldn’t remember. “Where are we going?” you asked Jongdae, squinting to get a better look at the street sign up ahead.

“Home. Did you still want to pick up your cookbook?”

In all of the excitement in the past hour, you had forgotten about going back to “your” place. Home, Jongdae had called it.

“Yeah,” you answered. Your fingers lay restlessly in your lap, tapping against the fabric of your jeans while Jongdae drove. It was only now that you realized that you would be going back not just to Jongdae’s place, but to the place that both of you had stayed in together. In the past, you had also called it home. 

But what was it to you now? 

You waited, unsure of what to do while you stood in the living room. Jongdae had gone to search for the cookbook, an adorable pout on his lips after he failed to find it in the kitchen. “That’s weird. Maybe it’s in the office?” He disappeared down the hallway, leaving you alone. 

You wondered if you should follow him or not. This was your equally your house, after all. But at the same time, you felt like a guest in your own home. You drank everything in, studying everything that you could see from the CDs in the shelf beside the TV, to the framed photos on the wall. A tall, wooden bookshelf was almost completely filled with books and other knickknacks. You shuffled over in your cat-print adorned house slippers, hand reaching up to run over the spines of some of the titles. It reassured you to see that you could recognize almost all of the books that you saw there. Many of them were longtime favorites, the spines well broken in. 

Further search ended up with no sign of the cookbook anywhere, although you did find a good handful of other cookbooks that you remembered flipping through. The sound of Jongdae shouting in excitement startled you, moving you from where you had been sitting on the floor to study the bottom shelf. 

“I found it!” Jongdae exclaimed, holding it up high in one hand as he came back into the living room. He placed his free hand on his chest, slightly out of breath from searching so fervently. “God, I was starting to worry. It was under a pile of notebook paper,” he told you, holding the book out. 

Your eyes raked over its appearance, more of a journal than a cookbook. For a second, you could only stare at the leather cover of the journal. Your hand came up slowly, fingers trembling until it touched the spine of the book. Taking it from Jongdae’s hand, you opened it up to the first page. 

A comprehensive table of contents greeted you, numbered and even color-coded. It was honestly funny to see that you still had tendencies to go all out when it came to organizing, much like Minseok. 

A quick turn of the page brought you to recipe number one: “Minnie’s Coffee Crumble Cake”. Underneath the recipe was a picture of Minseok, posing with a plate of cake in his hands as he grinned. A corner of your lips lifted involuntarily at this, your brother’s cheerful expression instantly brightening your own mood. 

You flipped through the rest of the pages, finding recipes that you remembered making even from your early days in culinary school. There was one you had learned from Kyungsoo, something you named “Soo’s Spicy Spaghetti”. The picture for this recipe got a small giggle out of you, your smile growing wider. Kyungsoo and Chanyeol, another friend from culinary school, sat side by side at a table. Kyungsoo eyed Chanyeol warily while the other held a glass of water to his mouth, pain visible in the curve of his eyebrows, eyes screwed closed. Even the recipe for the green tea cheesecake that Jongdae had mentioned was there, inciting curiosity and an urge to try it out when you had time. 

The next page caught you off guard, titled “Jongdae’s Favorite”. Your eyes skipped over the picture, focusing on the list of steps instead. Skimming through them, you discovered that this was a recipe for a type of kimchi stew that you had no recollection of making. You had made other variations of this before, but this particular recipe failed to ring any bells. You let out a small gasp once you took a closer look at the picture on this page, fingers running over the surface of the photograph. In it, you and Jongdae sat side by side at the dining table. Jongdae was kissing you on the cheek, a smile on his lips as his eyes twinkled with mischief. You had a spoon halfway to your mouth, even as you appeared to be laughing. Both of you looked so happy, like neither one of you had a single care in the world. 

Why did everything have to change? “Are you okay?” 

You looked up, so lost in the contents of the cookbook that you had forgotten Jongdae was only a few feet away. He watched you worriedly, hand instinctively coming up to your cheek before he paused, painfully pulling it back. 

“You’re crying,” he whispered in horror. 

One of your hands shot up to your face, only to find a couple of tears beginning to trail down the surface. Your eyes widened in disbelief — when did you start crying? 

“Let me grab some tissues.” Before you could protest, Jongdae was gone once more. You hastily wiped your tears away, furiously trying to blink away any remnants left lingering in your eyes. 

Jongdae came back, trusty box in hand as he pulled a few tissues out. You took them with a small mumble of thanks, wiping the last traces of tears away and rubbing your nose. 

"Sorry," you mumbled, sniffing as you dabbed at your face. "I don't even know why I'm crying." You laughed, the sound dry and self-deprecating.

Jongdae pried the used tissues from your hands, exchanging them for a couple of fresh ones from the tissue box. You were taken aback when he got up, briefly disappearing into the kitchen to dispose of your tissues. He came back to find you sitting on the couch, knees brought up to your chest while your cookbook lay open on the cushion beside you. Jongdae hesitated, unsure of where to sit. 

You looked up, feeling his eyes on you. With a wobbly smile, you patted the free spot on your other side. "Come sit. I don't bite." 

Smiling with relief, Jongdae was more than happy to comply. If you were still able to crack a joke after crying, Jongdae knew that you were feeling better. He sat down gingerly, licking at his lips as he struggled to find words sufficient enough to sooth you. Thankfully, you were the one to break the silence. 

"Are there more of these?" you asked, a hand running down the open page of your cookbook.

Jongdae shook his head. "This is the only one that I've seen." 

You lifted the cookbook, resting against your knees as you stared down at the pages. It was still open to the picture of you and Jongdae, a blissful memory preserved forever in the confines of a small photo. "Do you cook too?" you asked, eyes drinking in the photo one last time before glancing up to look at Jongdae.

"A little. Mom always says I add too much salt, though." Jongdae fiddled with his ear in embarrassment, a soft rumbling of laughter masking it. 

The sounds of your giggles interwove with his, a familiar melody to your ear. You took so much delight in this, warmth blossoming in your chest and soothing the turbulent waves of anxiety. 

Both of you went through the rest of the book, Jongdae pointing out little details here and there. None of the pictures took you off guard like the one of you and Jongdae had, but there you still felt a pang of guilt and sorrow when you came across something that you couldn't remember. 

A picture of Baekhyun with whipped cream on his nose smiled up at you on the page for strawberry shortcake, another of Minseok blowing on a spoonful of seafood stew. 

"Thank you for this," you told Jongdae once you reached the last page, shutting the notebook.

Jongdae shook his head, unwilling to take all of the credit for this. "You have yourself to thank too. This wouldn't exist if you hadn't started writing in it in the first place." 

Your eyes dropped down to the cover, fingers running along the notebook's spine as you shrugged bashfully. "Still, I appreciate it. I really had fun today. A couple of times, I even forgot about everything that's going on." 

It was easy to notice how your face fell, the glow of your face dimming as you felt the full weight of your troubles again. Jongdae couldn't help himself — moving closer and wrapping his arms around you before he could help it. 

He could feel you freeze against him, and was about to pull back when you returned the hug just as tightly. Your hair tickled the side of his neck, and while Jongdae would have played around and pretended to be annoyed in the past, he simply closed his eyes, savoring the moment. 

He really missed this — not just having you in his arms, but having you, the real you around. It was almost a month since the accident, and while Jongdae had grown more acquainted with living in a home by himself, he still missed you. He missed the light you radiated, no matter what you were doing. He longed to hear your voice fill up the empty space in the apartment, to roll over in bed in the middle of the night and fall back asleep to the sound of your steady breathing. 

"Jongdae?" you said, voice muffled from where you spoke against his shirt.

"Yeah?" One of his hands came up to stroke the back of your head, a content smile appearing on his face at the familiarity of it all.

"If... if my memories don't came back, would you be disappointed?"

Jongdae paused, pulling back slightly so that he could look at you. He still held onto you, hand cradling the back of your head lovingly. "Not in you. I could never be disappointed in you. I can't lie and say that I wouldn't be sad, but I wouldn't want it to get in between us. We can't make those same memories again, but we can make new ones. You're still the same Y/N."

Throughout all of this, Jongdae stared at you so tenderly, gaze full of trust in you and what the two of you had that you knew if you stared at him for too long, you'd only end up in tears again. You buried your face into the crook of his neck again, not missing how Jongdae gasped in surprise. 

You only squeezed him tighter, arms latched around his waist as Jongdae picked up where he had left off on stroking your hair. 

It didn't matter that you couldn't remember anything about the place you had once called home, about the a good chunk of the things that made up your life. Here, in this moment, in the arms of the person you had once loved, it was as if nothing had changed at all.

You hesitated, staring through the restaurant windows at the scene within. Although you had decided to come near the end of the day, there were still a substantial amount of people eating inside April & Flower. 

Your old workplace. 

Irene, the restaurant manager and your boss, had been calm yet friendly when you called her. She encouraged you to come and drop by, "whenever you were free", in her own words. You didn't want to inconvenience the staff by showing up during the busiest time, so you held off on arriving until an hour before closing time. 

Further inspection showed a few faces going back and forth throughout the restaurant, a couple of young men that you didn't recognize. Kyungsoo was hidden away in the kitchen, the only person you knew. 

Maybe it would be better to just come back at the end of the shift, you thought to yourself. Just as you were about to walk away, one of the men inside spotted you, a grin breaking out on his face as he waved in your direction. Tentatively, you waved back, watching as he dashed off. 

Taking in a deep breath, you forced yourself to walk to the entrance, hand lingering over the door handle before it swung open. Lucky for you, the door swung inside, revealing a petite woman and the man you saw earlier.

"Y/N!" she greeted you. You relaxed upon recognizing the voice from your phone call.

"Hi, Irene, right?" 

"Yes! I'm glad Mark spotted you."

Mark, the man beside her, only smiled wider. Upon closer look, he appeared more like a boy than a man. "You could've come in instead of watching us through the window," he said frankly.

You blushed, feeling the heat warm up your face while Irene reached up to tweak Mark's ear lightly. "Don't embarrass her on your first day back." Turning back to you, her smile was more gentle. "Come inside." You let her take you by the hand, pulling you into the noise and bustle that made up April & Flower.

Irene began to lead you on a tour of the restaurant, introducing you to the rest of the staff there. You met Junmyeon, the assistant manager, as well as Lucas, a busboy like Mark who looked just as young. The waiters for that day, Jaehyun, Johnny and Ten were too busy to do much but say hi and tell you how glad they were to see you again before they got back to their tables. 

"And now for the part I'm sure you've been waiting for," Irene said as she led you to the kitchen. She pushed the door open, an assault of fragrances and sounds attacking your senses. 

It was easy to spot Kyungsoo, cheeks pink from standing over the stove for extended periods of time. He glanced over his shoulder when he heard the door open, nodding to you with a smile before turning his attention back to the food. 

Irene introduced you to the other line chefs, Taeyong and Mingyu before pulling the head chef over. The man beamed down at you, hands coming up to rest on your shoulders as you stared back at him in surprise.

"Y/N, we missed you! God, this place has been crazy without you." He pulled you close for a short hug, patting your back briefly before letting go.

"Kibum, you need to introduce yourself to her, remember?" Irene watched both of you with an amused smile, noticing how you were left at a loss for words at this warm greeting.

"Oh, right. Don't listen to her, the only people that call me Kibum are my parents, although I guess I'll make an exception for you, Boss." He winked at Irene before fixing his gaze on you. "You can call me Key." He wiped his hand on his apron before offering it out to you. 

You didn't know anything about Key, but from what you had gleamed in the past couple of minutes, you liked him already. "Nice to meet you again, Key," you said, shaking his hand with a grin. 

"Likewise." He pointed to the bustling area behind him, one eyebrow jumping up. "You wanna come try it out?"

It was tempting, but you also didn't want to mess up any orders. "I'm not ready, I don't know anything about this menu," you replied, although you couldn't look away from the preparations.

"She's right," Irene spoke up. "But if you want to, you can shadow them for today." When you didn't respond, she patted your shoulder lightly, a knowing smile on her face. "Go ahead." 

Key found a spare apron for you, and immediately jumped back into work. You watched from a distance, keeping an eye on the other men more than Kyungsoo. Having known him for a while, there wasn't much that surprised you when it came to his technique. The other men, however, were complete strangers. It was mesmerizing to see how skillful they were, knives easily cutting through meat and vegetable, quick fingers adding finishing touches to the plates before they were sent off. 

Taeyong smiled to himself when be noticed how your eyes couldn't leave the plate of braised beef he just handed off to Ten. "Do you want to try some?" he offered.

"Are you sure?" Just at that moment, to your mortification, your stomach grumbled.

With a chuckle, Taeyong waved you over to the pan he had been using, scooping up a spoonful of the sauce and offering it to you. 

You took the spoon gratefully, eyes squeezing shut in joy as you let the rich flavor wash over you. "This is so good," you gushed, eyes opening to see how proud Taeyong looked.

"Thanks. But hey, you've learned how to do this too. With some time and practice, you'll have these recipes down like the back of your hand."

"He's right," Mingyu chimed in from where he stood cubing a slab of beef. "It's still with you, in your head. Your brain just has to retrace those pathways again.” He paused to point to his head with a gloved hand, winking in your direction.

"Hey, who do you think you are, Einstein?" Taeyong asked, laughing as he pretended to shove Mingyu. "Where did you even hear about that?" 

"Lots of documentaries," the other man replied breezily.  

The rest of the dinner hour passed by smoothly, only a few minor hiccups here and there. You got to see how Irene and Junmyeon managed the restaurant, constantly in awe at how much trust they placed in their employees — including you. 

It was nearing the end of the restaurant's hours, and you were preparing to go home. They wouldn't let you go without feeding you, and all for free, no matter how much you protested. Much to your delight, Taeyong set a plate of braised beef on the counter before you, the same dish he had seen you staring at earlier. Kyungsoo had sneakily slid a small bowl of mashed potatoes beside it, beaming proudly when you gushed over how buttery they were. 

Irene came over while the rest of the staff started to close up, chin resting on her hand as she watched you eat. "How are you doing? Jongdae doesn't tell us much, and Kyungsoo says even less when we ask him. But you seem like you're doing okay." Her voice trailed off, waiting for you to refute or back up her statements.

You swallowed the bite of sauteed vegetables in your mouth, nodding in response. "I'm doing better everyday. Coming here helped a lot too. I feel antsy just waiting at Minseok's house all day, looking through old photos and trying to remember everything. Even though I didn't do anything here, just being around everyone while they worked made me feel like I was a part of it."

A sudden yell from beyond the kitchen doors startled both of you, Irene sitting up and peering out the window in the door until turning back to face you. "You know you're always welcome here, whether you're working or not." 

"I want to work," you said enthusiastically. "I just don't want to slow anyone down." 

"Trust me, I think you'd get the hang of things pretty quickly." She reached out to pat your hand before standing up. "Just keep it in mind."

You nodded, watching as she pushed open the kitchen door and headed out onto the restaurant floor. Little glimpses of your past like this, like your outings with Jongdae or Minseok helped to ease you back into this lifestyle, like getting back on a bicycle after so many years. 

Although you couldn't remember these little details, everything that you did just felt right, like pulling on a well-loved sweater that had been hidden in the back of your closet, or falling into bed at the end of a long, long day. 

Like coming home. 

Over the next couple of weeks, on the days that you weren't shadowing and learning from your co-workers, you met up with Jongdae. In this past week, you had spent a day at the movies with him and Minseok, another afternoon with him checking out a tapas place that Kyungsoo had recommended. One night, he had even fallen asleep on Minseok's couch while both of you were watching a movie. He slumped down in his spot, head leaning against the couch back as his mouth fell open, a thin trail of drool threatening to slide down onto his shirt. You tried to stifle your giggles, cooing over how slumber made him look five years younger. Minseok found you still staring at Jongdae when he came out of the kitchen from washing dishes. 

"What are you doing?" he whispered. Both of you froze as Jongdae snored lightly, but still remained still. 

"Nothing," you whispered back. "He just looks so... so peaceful like this."

"Want me to wake him up?"

You glared at your brother over your shoulder, eyes narrowing as he grinned devilishly. "Don't even dare."

"Alright. I'm just saying, he's gonna hurt his neck sleeping like this." 

Minseok did have a point there. But you hated to wake Jongdae up when he looked so adorable in this state. Sighing in defeat, you shook Jongdae's shoulder gently. "Jongdae?" you said, voice hushed. "Wake up, you're going to hurt yourself like that."

With a reluctant groan, Jongdae stretched his arms out and straightened up. He rubbed the trail of spit on his face away with the back of his hand, ears turning pink when he realized that he had been caught sleeping and drooling in front of you. "Oh god, how long have I been asleep?" He fumbled over his words, still groggy and out of sorts.

"Not too long." You smiled sympathetically, already attuned to how embarrassment looked on Jongdae's face. "You can stay the night if you want to."

Jongdae's face lit up briefly before a worried furrow found its way between his eyebrows. "I wish I could, but I can't. I have to head in early to work tomorrow." 

"It's fine, don't worry. Will you be okay driving?"

"Yeah." Jongdae let out a long yawn, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He looked much more awake after this, although his shoulders were still hunched over with fatigue. You eyed him skeptically.

"Are you sure?" you asked.

"She's right. I can drive you home, Dae," Minseok offered.

"I'll be fine you guys, really." Jongdae stood up, wincing at the exertion on his legs after sitting for so long. He met your eye, sending you a reassuring smile. 

Still worried, you insisted on walking him out to his car, even when he protested. "It's too cold outside," he argued.

You rolled your eyes, slipping your shoes on as Jongdae finished tying up his laces. "I'll be fine, I'm not that fragile." 

Jongdae smiled to himself at your words, watching fondly as you rummaged through the closet for a spare jacket. "You're right," he said to himself.

The hallways of Minseok's apartment complex were empty, save for a couple walking their dog. Jongdae had managed to snag a spot on the street right in front of the building — usually coveted by visitors. He turned towards you, hands in his pockets and nose beginning to turn pink from the frosty air. "I'll be okay, Y/N. I don't want you to catch a cold." 

"It's gonna take a lot more than that for me to get sick." You giggled softly, soft puffs appearing in the air before you. "Drive safely, okay?" 

Jongdae nodded, unlocking the car and slipping into the driver's seat. He glanced over when you knocked on the passenger side window, rolling it down and leaning over. 

"Sweet dreams, Dae."

He was stunned, both by the soft request and the unexpected use of his nickname. Ever since you had awoken in the hospital, you had stuck to calling him by his first name. He didn't mind, but it was much more touching to hear the well-loved nickname falling from your lips after so long.

"Good night, darling," he replied, eyes sparkling with an emotion you couldn't place. 

You thought back to the home videos you had watched, of hearing that same word in your voice whenever Jongdae's face came into the camera's view. Shellshocked, you could do nothing but nod dumbly before stepping back, watching as Jongdae gave you a final wave before driving away. 

Darling. Such a simple, old-fashioned word. And yet, it held so much meaning for both of you. 

Minseok watched this small exchange with a knowing smile on his lips from his window, arms crossed over his chest as if he were observing a baseball game. He couldn't hear anything, but he had his guesses about what happened.

"They're still the same as ever," he chuckled to himself, leaving his perch as you began the trek back upstairs to the apartment. 

Neither you nor Jongdae spoke about that moment afterwards, but it was clear that something had shifted between the two of you. Dr. Suh was quick to point it out during your sessions, gleaming a subtle change in your relationship from the way you talked. You were more vivacious, more animated when talking about Jongdae. Your praise for him came easily, adoration for his sweet manners and bubbly demeanor always bringing a glow to your face. 

There was no doubt now that these outings you two shared were dates, especially when Jongdae spent more time in front of the mirror trying to fix his hair while across the city, you searched for the perfect outfit. 

The first time that you held his hand, you were positive that there couldn't be any other person whose hand fit so perfectly with yours. Jongdae had been surprised when you reached out for him after a walk home from a shopping trip, eyes going repeatedly from your face to your joined hands as if he worried that this was an accident. You merely squeezed it lightly, swinging your joined hands back and forth until he was giggling that infectious laugh of his. 

Both of you were waiting for the next milestone, the next big change in your relationship. Jongdae was cautious about being too forward, and you never seemed to have good timing on your side. 

You flipped through the pages of the hardcover in your hand, closing the book with a satisfying thump and returning it to its spot on the shelf. Today, you and Jongdae were browsing through the small shops on the street not too far from Dr. Suh's office. Jongdae had offered to pick you up after your session, and seeing as it was an unusually bright winter day, both of you wanted to spend as much time out of the apartment as possible. 

One of the bad things about losing six years worth of memories meant that you forgot about all of the new books you had read during that time. But on the plus side, it also meant that you got to experience them for the first time all over again. You had a list on your phone compiled of recommendations from friends, family and of course, the internet. 

Jongdae wasn't as much of an avid reader as you, but he enjoyed the occasional paperback every once in a while. He sat on the floor, back against a shelf with a pile of some of your books stacked up beside him. With his phone in hand, he would giggle to himself occasionally while reading a webtoon. Every so often, you would look over to see his eyes crinkled up and lips pressed shut to try and keep the laughter at bay. 

Giving up on your search for now, you found your way back to Jongdae's side, resting your head on his shoulder and peeking at his phone. Immediately, he shifted it so that you had a better view of the screen. Soon both of you were trying to keep your laughter down, scrolling through the rest of the webtoon's latest installation.  

"My reading list is gonna take forever to complete," you mused when you caught sight of your forgotten pile of books. Jongdae handed them over to you when you asked, whistling at the sheer height to your pile. 

"Then it's a good thing we've got plenty of time." Jongdae smiled at you before looking over the titles printed on your books. You never got tired of watching Jongdae's expressive face, enamored with the way that smiles just managed to easily find their way there, only adding to the radiance there. As of late, you found it more and more difficult to part ways at night, and to go back to your bed alone. Your heart tightened at this realization, unaware of how you had been longing for this for a while.

"Dae?"

"Hmm?" His head perked up, waiting curiously. 

"I want to come back. I want to come home, with you." 

Jongdae's mouth fell open, eyes staring at you blankly before he surged forward, almost knocking the books from your lap as his lips found their place against yours. The sudden kiss awakened something deep inside you, and soon you were scrambling to hold him as close to you as physically possible. Jongdae seemed to favor small nibbles at your lower lip, grinning when you gasped in surprise at the sudden sensation. One skimmed down your back before coming back up to your face, thumb caressing the soft skin there as you continued to kiss him. It felt like too soon when you were forced to pull away, cheeks flushed and chest heaving.

"You mean it?" Jongdae asked, just as out of breath as you were.

Nodding, you reached up to cup his face with your hands. "It doesn't feel like home when you're not with me." 

Jongdae's eyelids fluttered shut, the weight of your words touching the depths of his heart. "You’ll always have me, no matter what. Home hasn't been the same without you." His eyes opened, brown pools of color full of adoration as he stared back at you.

Everything was falling back into place.

Series masterlist: ( 1 )  ( 2 )  ( 3 )  ( Final )

A/N: one of the hardest things was trying to figure out who the hell works at april & flower LOL like somehow in the back of my mind I always knew that I wanted some of the nct kids there, but it took a bit of rearranging to see who seemed to fit where. i just love the idea of irene being in charge of the place 😎 

also, god I love old fashioned terms of endearments and it just grew even bigger after jongdae’s “dear my dear” release. you know, like sweetheart, darling, my love, etc. 

there’s only one more chapter left to update in this series! thank you to everyone who’s been reading so far! ❤️ also happy holidays!! 

Tag list: @khelmatic​ (I know it’s been a while since I updated, so thank you for waiting!)

#exo #jongdae #jongdae scenario #chen scenario #jongdae fanfic #chen fanfic #exo scenario #exo fanfic #writings

[marvelousworldgeek-blog]

Texting Strangers

Author: Kennedy

Characters: Fem!Reader and…?

Story: Y/N, who’s going through a rough patch, texts a random number in search of a friend.

Rated PG-13 for language, mention of drinking

Warnings: Reader is going through a rough patch, but I tried to keep it on the lighter side. Also, use of language.  

“Are you lonesome tonight? Do you miss me tonight? Are you sorry we drifted apart?”

The lilting voice of The King floated in through the open window as Y/N sat at her desk, staring at the blank screen in front of her. There was plenty of work to be done, sure. But what was the point now. She hated her job, her coworkers, the tiny cubicles, the sound the water cooler made every time an air bubble floated up. And here she was on a Saturday working from home to try and finish whatever dry, boring project her boss had saddled her with, knowing that Y/N was the only person who would actually get it done. Nevermind that Marc had ten years of experience on her two, or that it was actually Kayla’s department that was in charge of this particular project. Or the fact that Y/N was still technically an intern.

“Do the chairs in your parlor seem empty and bare? Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there?”

And to throw a cherry on top of this hate-my-life sundae, today marked the official six month anniversary of Jeremy moving out. Break ups were always tough, of course. But things could have certainly been easier if he hadn’t literally picked up and left in the middle of the night. It seemed as though the past year had been one big non-stop “fuck you”. Work? Terrible. Relationship? Long-dead. Family? Radio silence. Friends? Moved away. Apartment? Actually starting to feel like a cave.

Y/N glanced around the room at the stack of empty takeout boxes, the pile of paperwork, the week-old laundry. Motivating oneself to clean up seemed an immense task when the overwhelming feeling in life was ‘why bother?’

“Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?”

The sad song was just too ironic to handle at that moment. Her neighbor across the courtyard was a huge Elvis fan, and listened to old records nearly every night. For the most part it was nice to have the soft music as a background when she was home, but tonight it was a glib reminder of how lonely she actually was.

“This is bullshit,” Y/N muttered to herself and closed the laptop.

It was saturday night and she wasn’t about to stay at home and mope her way through another weekend. No sir. And so with all the energy and false confidence she could muster, Y/N grabbed an outfit out of the closet, threw on some makeup, and headed out on the town.

…

Okay, so maybe the nightclub scene wasn’t what she was after. Thirty minutes to get in, twenty waiting for a drink, then a whole lot of sitting around on garrish plush furniture waiting for someone to walk over and strike up a conversation. The closest she came was two drunk girls telling her they liked her shoes before stumbling off into the sweaty fray. And now this overpriced, watered-down drink was going straight to her bladder.

Y/N set the now empty cup on a table and headed off for the line to the bathrooms. Surprisingly, she only had to wait for two people before she got in and locked herself into a stall. The walls were as high as the ceiling and provided a satisfying amount of privacy. Behind the safety of four walls, Y/N finally had a chance to breathe. And once again the stress of the past months settled in, despite the cheap liquor pumping through her bloodstream. She leaned her head against the wall next to her and sighed, tracing the faded graffiti.

“Satisfaction guaranteed. Call now!” and a number scrawled below, along with a doodle of a stick figure with a ‘censored’ bar over its lower half. Giggling to herself, Y/N snapped a picture and tucked her phone back into her purse. With a defeated groan she clicked back out to the sinks.

“Oh my GOD, couch girl!”

The shrill voice cut through the bathroom, and Y/N (along with everyone else) turned to glance at its owner.

“Come here, come here,” the blonde girl from earlier gripped Y/N’s hand and dragged her out into the club again, “Come dance!”

And then the evening descended into a blur.

…

Y/N woke to the bright morning sun pouring through the window of her own bedroom. Her head was pounding, her feet ached, and her stomach felt sour. Last night had turned into a long, drawn out drunken dance fest with her two new friends (whose names and numbers she had never managed to get), and in the cold light of day Y/N vowed to never try and drink her woes away again.

After much groaning, she managed to shuffle to the kitchen and set the hot water on, all the while cursing her past self. Reaching into her pocket, she grabbed her phone and checked the screen. One unread text.

“Dammit,” she groaned.

Work never stops. Reluctantly, she opened the message.

“If you ever need someone to talk to, feel free to drop me a line again.”

An unknown number, great. Y/N scrolled back up through the rest of the conversation. And was surprised to find several hours worth of back-and-forth with the mystery person. Somehow, in her intoxicated state, she had poured out her heart to a complete stranger, telling them all about the stress and sadness and heartache over her life. In turn, they had offered support and humor, and if she hadn’t known better she would have assumed this was a conversation between close friends.

“What the-”

Y/N recalled the number from the wall of the club bathroom. In a panic, she checked the photos on her phone. But the number didn’t match the one she had texted. At least not exactly. Somewhere during her night out she had attempted to text this mystery man but instead had hit up some poor clueless stranger and had a long drawn-out conversation over the course of the evening.

With an exasperated sigh, Y/N tossed her phone on the counter and retired to the couch in defeat.

…

“You look really tired,” Kayla’s brunette locks appeared above the edge of Y/N’s cubicle.

Y/N nodded; “It was a long weekend.”

“Did you finish the projection project?”

“I put it on his desk this morning.”

“Ah man,” Kayla sighed. “I was hoping I could hand it in to him. I have some, um, stuff I had to go over.”

“Like taking all the credit?” Y/N thought to herself.

“Oh well, I’ll get the next one. Thanks!”

Then she bounced away, heels clicking loudly against the floor.

Y/N leaned her forehead against the desk and groaned.

“Fuuuck…”

Her phone buzzed and Y/N sat up, rubbing her temple, and pressed the notification.

“Hope they aren’t giving you too much crap today.”

Y/N frowned; it was the stranger from the night before.

“I’m sorry, who is this?”

It was only a moment before they replied; “You mentioned you might say that!”

“Ha ha sounds about right. But that doesn’t answer my question.”

“A friend.”

“Okay,” Y/N whispered to herself, frowning. “Is this being cute? Or shady…”

“A friend with a name?”

“I thought you said we weren’t doing names?”

“Of course drunk me would say that,” Y/N thought.

“Okay friend. Tell me a little about yourself.”

“I’m a member of a secret organization who kept me in a lab for the first part of my life in order to mold me into a super weapon. Now I spend my free time saving the world.”

“You’re funny.”

“You don’t believe me?”

Y/N smiled to herself; “Okay ‘friend’ I’ll leave it be for now. You’re a superhero.”

“Really just a run-of-the-mill hero.”

“Mm-hm, I’ll take your word for it.”

“If you didn’t have to do your job, what would you want to be?”

The question caught Y/N off guard; she hadn’t thought about it in so long. She had been fully focused on getting through school, then getting a job that could get her out of her parents  house and on her own. She hadn’t thought about what she actually wanted to be.

“Um, idk”

“That’s not good.”

“I have a job. That’s what really matters,” she paused, then added, “Do you like your job?”

“I love it.”

“You’re lucky.”

“What do you like to do?”

Y/N sat for a few minutes and considered this.

Another text came through: “???”

Finally she typed, “I love to cook. I actually took a bunch of cooking and culinary arts classes in school. But I would hate being a chef. The hours are outrageous and it gets stuffy in the kitchen.”

“What about a food truck? You could make your own hours, drive to different places every day, you could even travel.”

Y/N actually laughed aloud to herself. She had never considered cooking for a living. She had worked as a waitress when she was in highschool and the kitchen staff were always miserable and overworked. Not to mention kind of mean. She had written off cooking for a living right then and there.

“I’d never thought of that.”

“What is your favorite thing to cook?”

“Breakfast food and baked goods, mostly.”

“That is perfect food truck food!”

“I suppose it is…”

“You should check this out,” they replied, then sent a link to an article titled ‘Considering Opening a Food Truck? Read these fifteen true stories from other chefs who did the exact same thing!’

“I’ll check it out, thanks!” Y/N name typed back, still smiling to herself.

“Hey friend, can I text you tomorrow? I have to go save some kids from a bus on fire.”

“Of course. Be safe, Superman!”

“Hm, nah. Call me ‘Batman’.”

“Okay, be safe Batman.”

“Read that article; I’ll ask you about it tomorrow!”

Y/N chuckled as she pressed save contact and typed ‘Batman’ into the name.

To be continued... 

#Admin Kennedy #oneshot #Marvel Movies #marvel stories #marvel one shot #avengers oneshot #x-men oneshot

[restlessmaknae]

flavour to my fantasy

Kim Seokjin is an aspiring food vlogger, loved by thousands on all social media platforms. While he marvels around Seoul one day, he enters a burger place where he meets Jang Nara and a whole new culinary experience begins.

♦ Pairing: food vlogger!Jin x vegan restaurant owner!OC (Jang Nara)

♦ Genre: fluff, comedy, romance

♦ Words: 5k

Kim Seokjin was wandering around the downtown area of Seoul, searching for a hidden place that hadn’t yet caught his eyes. He was constantly looking for new places with new foods and new drinks to try. Considering that his job required him to always evolve, to always come up with new ideas and new recipes, he liked getting inspiration from random visits at Seoul’s food places, let them be popular ones or hidden gems.

This was also a district he wasn’t familiar with, and he decided to go with his gut feeling, and chose a random, cosy-looking place called ‘Burger & Land’ and stepped inside. He was immediately welcomed by the scent of mediterranean herbs and freshly cut veggies, lovely little plants all over the place from the ones on the tables to the ones on the counter and by the windows, the variety ranging from cactuses to tulips in all colours of the rainbow.

The place was rather small, only a few tables with wooden chairs, but considering that it wasn’t a franchise, it couldn’t have been any larger. There was tranquil music being played in the background, not too quiet to go unnoticed, not too loud to disturb any customer. The atmosphere was friendly and homey, not like the nosy burger place he had expected but he was genuinely surprised in a good way, he had to admit.

As he sat down at an unoccupied table, he was immediately welcomed by a pretty waitress with the widest smile he had ever seen who handed her a menu. The options were both in Korean and English, and the range of burgers, side dishes, sauces and other meals such as seasonal soups and cream soups and desserts made his mouth water. He hadn’t expected such a variety, especially after seeing that everything was fresh and made on the spot. He had indeed come to the right place, there was only one thing he didn’t catch sight of.

“Good afternoon! What can I get for you?” The pretty waitress came back with that trademark smile of hers after leaving a few minutes for him to decide on his order, making Seokjin smile in return. He didn’t want to sound rude or inappropriate, so he flashed his best charming smile as he leaned forward, almost as if he had wanted to know a secret.

“Perhaps, do you have something with meat? As I can see, you only have tofu, seitan, mushroom and veggie-based burgers,” he inquired curiously, putting his elbows down on the table.

Something akin to amusement flashed across the woman’s face, but she didn’t show any signs of confusion, she answered patiently.

“It’s because we are a vegan place. You can also see on the menu that our burgers are 100% plant-based.” She pointed at the little line on the bottom of the menu.

“Oh really?” Seokjin chuckled a bit nervously, ashamed that he had made such an amateur mistake. Though when the meaning of her words actually kicked in, he shrieked as if he had seen a ghost. “OH REALLY?” he repeated, totally bewildered, and his sudden loud exclaim made the girl jump a bit.

“Well, yes.”

There was a moment of silence before Seokjin could pull himself back together, and start anew. He couldn’t believe that vegan food had never crossed his mind even though he was very well aware that it was a rising trend on the food market, and it had become common that vloggers like him were eating plant-based meals. How could he not think about it before?

He cleared his throat, averting his eyes from the menu to the girl, starting his explanation with a wide smile.

“You may not know me but I’m Kim Seokjin, I’m a food vlogger and I’ve been looking for inspiration for new recipes but I couldn’t find anything that piqued my curiosity,” he shared with her his latest mishap. Being a food vlogger, it was usually fun and challenging, he had a lot of ideas, he was brave enough to try all kinds of foods, plus he was so enthusiastic that he didn’t seem to run out of meals he had wanted to make. However, after almost two years of uploading videos twice a week, countless recipe tastings and restaurant visits,  he felt like he got a bit stuck lately.

“But why have I never thought about vegan food before? I think I found my call!” He continued joyfully, almost ready to bolt up from the table to celebrate his victory, but he decided to stay still in the end. He didn’t want to make a fool out of himself, there were some people at the nearby tables, so he didn’t want to embarrass neither himself, nor the pretty waitress.

“That’s great! I’m really happy to hear that,” she cheered him on equally beamingly, and there was just something about her zealous behaviour that made his smile grow even wider. With her little buns atop of her head (those were the so-called space buns, right?), that broccoli-patterned apron on her and her petite figure, she looked like a fairy, a fairy who was sent by mother nature. She was indeed cute.

“Do you think you could show me how you make your burgers? Or suggest some vegan recipes?” Jin asked immediately, his enthusiastic reaction making her giggle.

“I’d love to, actually, but maybe you should taste our burgers first. You know, there’s always a slim chance that you wouldn’t like it,” she remarked almost playfully, yet he wasn’t one to get mad hearing her words. 

In fact, it was such a nice start to a whole new culinary experience, and the waitress was right, it could also happen that he didn’t like vegan food. Not that he usually didn’t new foods, but he was rather interested this time.

“Yeah, sure, you’re right.” He agreed with a slightly aggraveted laughter and looked down at the menu yet again. He was such a fool really, but he tried his best not to show what kind of emotions were going through him, because that would have made the situation even more awkward. “I’ll take the Broccoli Dream burger then with sweet potato fries and guacamole on the side and as for drinks… one medium strawberry lemonade,” he decided a minute later, and so the pretty waitress disappeared with his order jotted down in her notebook and a smile that lasted until she came back again.

The burger arrived a bit more than half an hour later but it was understandable since the meals were made on the spot with fresh ingredients, thus they couldn’t just put it in front of him like they did at burger franchise places.

However, based on the smell of the freshly made burgers, the fries and even the guacamole, he knew that he was up for a good feast and the nice exterior probably hid a delicious interior.

“I can film here, right?” he asked just in case before he could have dug into his food and record the whole thing.

“Yes, sure,” the waitress responded with a pretty smile and walked back to her usual place behind the counter.

Seokjin turned back to his burger, brought out his camera from his bag, adjusted the angles and the lightning, made a few pictures to test out the waters and then he could finally start the recording.

“Hello, everyone!” He greeted the imaginary viewers on the other side of the camera with a wave of his hands and a wide smile. “I’m Jin, you’re watching Eat Jin, and today I stumbled upon this lovely place called Burger & Land. This is a vegan place, and it’s also my first time trying vegan food, let alone a vegan burger, but I’m curious. Let’s dig into it, shall we?” he introduced the video’s theme enthusiastically, and spoke a bit about the ingredients of the burger he had chosen before showing his order to the camera. He made sure to zoom on the colourful veggies and sauces well, so that the viewers could have the best point of view.

Then, he put down his camera again and took the first bite into the burger, humming satisfyingly when the flavours kicked in.

“Oh my gosh, this is so good! The flavours are so intense, and this sauce resembles mayonnaise so much that it’s almost scary!” He commented zealously between two huge bites of the burger, then reached for the fries as well and digged them into the guacamole sauce. He enjoyed having all sorts of foods at the same time, thus it was no surprise that he decided to eat the burger, the fries and the sauce all at once. “The veggies are really fresh and crispy, they complement each other so well. I especially love the bean sprouts because we don’t use them often but they always give an extra flavour to a meal,” he mused out loud after digging in more, and the more he ate, the more content he was.

He continued his mukbang, talking about the different flavours and how they mingled in so well; that he had never thought a broccoli-based patty could be this good and also the fact that he was genuinely surprised that he didn’t miss the taste of meat. For once, that was for sure, because he couldn’t have assumed the rest. Yet, one thing was for sure, he really enjoyed his feast and didn’t even leave a single fry behind, he ate everything.

Tummy full and content, camera turned off, he wasn’t ready to leave, not yet. After telling the pretty waitress just how much he had enjoyed the meal and asking if he could come by next time and learn a few recipes, it turned out the waitress was actually the owner of the place, the one who had came up with the recipe herself, and she also liked to help out in the kitchen when she wasn’t helping customers.

“I would be really glad if you could show me some basic vegan meals I could make, they don’t have to be burgers. Of course, we can also talk about sponsorship as well,” Jin cut to the chaste after he had been enlightened about the person behind the whole concept of Burger & Land.

She smiled that wide smile of hers that seemed so endearing, almost like the sunshine peeking out from behind the clouds on a rainy day. He couldn’t help but smile back at her, the reaction seeming so natural and easy. No matter how pumped up, confused or overly excited he was, she could handle it well for the time being. He hoped that it would stay the same.

“Yes, sure. Let’s decide on the time then,” she suggested beamingly, and a few minutes later, Jin left the place with a full stomach, a sweet aftertaste in his mouth and a (strictly business-related) encounter for Friday after working hours.

No matter how many places Jin had already visited and no matter how many chefs he had already met, he was always looking forward to another encounter. This time was no different, he was definitely looking forward to meeting Jang Nara again, the petite, fairy-like waitress and the owner of Burger & Land with the widest smile he had ever seen. There was something enchanting about her, her whole persona was radiating warmth and kindness, so how could he not be excited for Friday?

When he arrived at the place at 9pm, it was closed as expected, but she had told him beforehand that he should come by from the backdoor, and so he did, gently knocking on the door before he would have come off as a sudden intruder.

When he opened the door and stepped inside, the girl was already in the middle of rushing to the door but stopped halfway when she caught sight of him and bowed politely.

“Hey!” Nara waved a bit, her smile stretching from one ear to the other. “I still need to do a bit of cleaning, but it won’t take longer than five minutes, so make yourself comfortable in the kitchen,” she suggested zealously and disappeared (probably) into the restaurant part of the place, leaving the boy alone.

He did as he was told, getting rid of his coat, pulling his fluffy, beige sweater’s sleeves up to his elbows and fishing out his little recipe notebook that he always had on himself in case he needed to jot down some recipes or ideas while he was commuting. Then, he looked around a bit in the cozy kitchen with neat, organized cutleries and kitchen essentials on multiple shelves. Cute little cactus pots occupied some empty places, painting the otherwise white and black scenery with a little bit of green. The aroma of some kind of scented candle (maybe vanilla and cinnamon?) lingered in the air, soothing the boy’s nerves with its sweet and warm fragrance.

He didn’t even have a lot of time to look around before Nara came back and put a cactus-patterned apron around her waist. She was so quick that Jin didn’t even have the time to suggest helping her, she was already finished by the time he could have opened his mouth.

“I’ve thought that we could make pad thai with crispy tofu and my favourite peanut butter-based sauce,” she suggested with a wide smile as she started putting the ingredients onto the counter. She was so organized and focused, he was already baffled by her professionalism even before she could actually show him anything.

“Sounds really good,” Jin exclaimed with an impressed whistle. “Can I help you with something?”

“I’m going to bring together all of the ingredients, so I don’t think you can help with it, but maybe you can put on an apron,” she explained and pointed at some aprons on a hanger by the door between the kitchen and the restaurant part of the place. “Though I’m not sure they will be to your liking because they are all for girls,” she added cheekily, and it was so fun to see this side of her.

Though Jin wasn’t one to be intimidated by pink aprons with hearts painted all over the material. In fact, he was actually pretty glad to wear something like that.

“Don’t worry for a second. Pink is my second name,” he joked around and flashed a confident grin. She immediately burst into laughter.

“Alright, Pink Jin. I’ll keep that in mind.” She winked at him before turning to a random cupboard and reaching for a chopping board.

Jin walked to the hanger with a smile plastered into his face, not quite believing what he had just witnessed. He wasn’t sure that she would be so free around him, especially not after his slightly awkward first question that should have probably not been asked at a vegan restaurant. Plus, somehow he always imagined owners of such places to be serious and no fun, he had actually met quite a few of them, but Jung Nara wasn’t one of them. Maybe it was because she seemed fairly young and she had such an authentic, homey place with not too much hype around it that she could let herself loose while still taking everything seriously. Or maybe she was always like this, he couldn’t tell for the time being.

“Are you ready?” Nara clapped her hands when Jin walked back to her and the ingredients were all placed on the counter.

“Yes, I’m ready.” He nodded and clapped his hands just like she did, earning a little giggle from her.

“Okay, so we are going to start by making the tofu because we are going to put them in the oven and bake them for around 30 minutes or until golden-brown,” she introduced zealously, bringing the chopping board, the tofu on a plate and a knife closer to them.

“I’ve never thought about baking tofu in the oven,” he admitted with a little laugh. He already liked this girl, it seemed that she liked extraordinary methods.

“Spicing them and then baking them will make the texture crispier,” Nara explained patiently, exchanging a glance with Jin before letting him chop up the tofu into bite-sized pieces while she was working on the tofu’s coating.

They worked together so well, and Jin really enjoyed that he also had something to do, she didn’t want to make everything on her own. It was much more fun this way. She was also a patient and enthusiastic chef with clear instructions and such hacks that he had never even encountered before. He was in awe more than he would have liked to admit, not just because of the cooking process and the recipe itself but also because of Nara’s personality that was like a ray of sunshine through the cloudy sky. 

She was like a delicate flower growing in a blossoming field but she had her own thorns as well, the responsibility of someone who owned such a place after her grandmother had died. Her mother was never interested in cooking, thus she would have abandoned the tteokbokki place, yet cooking was Nara’s everything and it was because of her grandmother that she had learned how to make her own dishes, so she couldn’t let it just go to waste. Even though no one in her family had their own business apart from her grandmother, she tried her best to make things work, and she learned from her own mistakes during the years. 

It wasn’t always easy, her vegan place was not even the most popular one in Seoul, but she was glad to have motivated and joyful employees and even the regular customers from nearby work places who had lunch at hers almost every day. She even told Jin that the name of the place was one of her friends’ idea: burger standing for the fact that she sold burgers and land for the other plant-based dishes she offered.

After finishing with the meal, they enjoyed a warm and delicious dinner by the scented candle’s light, sharing with each other the hardships of constantly evolving businesses and coming up with new recipes. Nara told him that it was difficult to have a daily lunch offer because she didn’t want to be too repetitive but at the same time it was sometimes bothersome to get every ingredient she wanted for certain dishes, so she had to be very clever with her choices. Plus, local and seasonal ingredients were a must, and she changed most of the burger options seasonally as well which was also challenging. 

He shared with her how many times he usually made something before he would call it a recipe and how he had to give his leftovers to his friends and relatives because wasting food was a big no-no, yet there were days when he made dishes all day and ended up with 16 servings of food all to himself. Plus, sponsors and financing were a tricky thing when he was his own boss and his content wasn’t something that people could directly pay for, so he had to find ways to earn money for his work, but he seemed to be balancing it out well.

Through their hardships and angst stories, they could actually get to know each other a lot better, and by the time they finished with their dinner, they had already agreed on cooking together next Tuesday as well. They even walked to the nearby metro station together after Nara had closed the shop, but they went different ways from there.

“See you on Tuesday then,” Nara bid her goodbye with one of her trademark smiles, waving in the man’s direction.

“If anything comes up, you know my number.” Jin winked playfully and waved back, watching as she hopped on the metro, looked out of its window with an equally wide smile he looked back at her.

There was just something about her than made him feel like he was enchanted, but oh how much he enjoyed it!

The more time they spent together, the more Jin liked spending time with Nara, and no matter what they cooked, what they talked about or how long of a silence fell upon the two of them, everything seemed so right. 

Those nights spent cooking together were always fun despite him sometimes being too weary and cranky after shooting videos for long hours or not being able to come up with the perfect recipe. If she could, she liked to help him out, thus the idea of shooting an actual cooking video with her came to his mind. 

At first, she objected fervently, saying that being on camera was really not her cup of tea, but after some little nudges and the ultimatum that if she didn’t like the final outcome, Jin wouldn’t upload the video, she gave in.

That’s how they found themselves in the Burger & Land kitchen, fully equipped and ready to kick off the shooting.

However, Jin noticed that the petite female played with the hem of her apron as if she had been a bit overwhelmed, so he asked playfully:

“Are you nervous?” he inquired with one of his trademark smiles, hoping that his attitude could melt the girl’s anxiety away.

“Yes.” She nodded almost immediately and let out a bit of a laughter. He had never really seen her in such a state and it surprised him. Though he really tended to forget that some people were not as used to cameras as he was, and that he didn’t feel intimidated anymore while shooting, but a lot of people had never really been filmed like this.

“But why?” he inquired further while busying himself looking around, making sure that they really had everything they needed on hand.

Nara giggled a bit hearing his question. She looked particularly fairy-like that day with her messy bun atop of her head and her long, colourful, heart-shaped earrings framing her beautiful face. Even if she would have been frustrated, she would have looked adorable, and one couldn’t change Jin’s mind about that.

“Because you are filming, obviously.” She huffed almost comically but he had the perfect response.

“Not because I’m too handsome?” He wiggled his eyebrows seductively, earning a whole-hearted, genuine laughter from the girl.

“Might as well be because of that,” she joked, her little giggle reminding him of the heartwarming twingles of Christmas bells. Gosh, when did he become so weak for her? He couldn’t quite pinpoint the exact moment, maybe it was already during their first encounter, maybe not. No matter what, one thing was for sure and that was the fact that her whole persona was charming and he couldn’t get enough of it.

“Are you ready?” Jin threw the same question at her as she had done when they first met, and he saw the realization flashing across her face. She flashed a little smile as she recalled the memory of their very first encounter.

“I’m ready.” She nodded confidently, letting out a long sigh before looking up at him again. He couldn’t help but smile seeing her nervousness, it was rather cute, but at the same time he felt a bit guilty for putting her in such a situation.

That’s why he didn’t even think when he put his hands on her shoulders and patted them.

“You’re going to be amazing! I know it!” He said as he gave her a thumbs-up. She smiled that sweet smile of hers, tucking a loose strand behind her ear.

He didn’t know if she believed her but she had done great nevertheless, talking casually and naturally finding a way to look between the camera and Jin’s face. They had made the same pad thai recipe she had showed him during their first encounter but as the food vlogger he was, he needed to add some extra ingredients like lemon zest into the sauce and sesame seeds and kale as additional toppings.

They worked together just as well as they always did, and even when they said something that was slightly embarrassing or unprofessional, they merely laughed it off and moved on. He had a feeling that Nara even forgot about the camera by the end because she stayed the same even when they had finished and he turned off the camera.

“How did you enjoy the recording?” Jin grinned at her, hoping for the best possible answer.

“It was actually pretty fun. At least more fun than I would have expected,” she admitted beamingly, getting rid of her apron and folding it in two, then putting it back onto the rack by the door.

Then, just as she walked back to the counter and stopped beside Seokjin, the food vlogger turned to face her and seriously spoke up.

“You did really well,” he whispered gently and smoothly leaned closer to her, pressing a chaste, soft kiss on her left cheek that turned into scarlet red the moment he backed away. The roses that were painted on her pale skin by his simple action were even more beautiful, almost mesmerizing. He didn’t regret his little kiss in the least, not when a blushful smile stretched across her lips, not when she looked away so coyly.

She didn’t reject him and she didn’t oppose, that’s what mattered the most.

Weeks passed by and after Jin had uploaded the edited video and it had received a massive amount of positive feedback, he decided to make the cooking session with Nara into a series - of course with her own consent. 

They had tried to make a lot of different dishes, not just main meals but desserts and snacks as well with easily accessible, seasonal ingredients, they had even made a video about student dorm-friendly, budget-friendly lunches. With time and practice, Nara got less and less nervous in front of the camera, and Jin’s chest swelled with pride whenever he looked at her while shooting a video together. Her features were much more relaxed and her smile was much more genuine and radiant on-camera than before, and he wanted to believe that he had also contributed to that outcome.

Of course Jin knew very well that he couldn’t make only vegan videos forever because his focus wasn’t just plant-based foods and also because Nara was busier than ever with Christmas getting closer and closer. So they decided to put an end to their collaboration for the time being, but it didn’t mean that he didn’t come back anymore. 

In fact, he had tried to come up with some plant-based recipes on his own and he loved when he could surprise her with his creations after an exhausting work day. Sometimes she finished by the time he arrived, but sometimes he decided to help her with the cleaning or washing the dishes because she could definitely use a helping hand, and he didn’t mind assisting her a bit.

It was after another time when he was helping her out and after Nara calling it a day with a clap of her hands, Jin let out a long sigh and turned to the girl.

“So I was thinking, would you like to go on a date with me?” he inquired out of the blue, the previous topic of favourite scented candles’ fragrances long forgotten.

Nara was apparently taken aback by his question, her eyebrows were delicately elevated after hearing his words. She blinked a few more times, her lips slowly yet surely being lifted up into a smile. The silence was seriously dancing on his nerves, but at the same time he was already weak for her, and he could have just looked at her for hours without getting mad or bored.

“Yes, I would love that,” she admitted with a wide, childish smile and took off her apron to put it on the reck. “Are we going to a restaurant?” she asked as she turned back to him, curiosity filling her beautiful, star-filled eyes.

“No.” He shook his head confidently and took a step closer to her. “I’m cooking for you. In my territory. All vegan, don’t worry,” he concluded his plan with a wide smile that grew even wider when she let out an airy giggle.

“I’d love that.” She nodded zealously, taking a step closer to the young man. 

Then, she looked up at him, the smile never leaving her lips, not even when he planted a kiss onto her rubin-coloured ones, their first kiss as sweet as the aftertaste of the vegan bounty cake they had previously shared.

#bangtanbuds #kwritersworldnet #kpopwritingnet #kreativewritersnet #bts scenarios #bts imagines #bts fluff #jin scenarios #jin imagines #jin fluff #bts comedy #jin comedy #bts #jin #my story #restlessmaknae #restless_maknae

[chanluster]

I'm back just to say that Miss Culinary isn't angsty, I was just devasted SUHAHUSAUHSAU I'm watching the epi 5 right now, and it's been all fine lol

LMFOAAOOAAOAOOA LOVING THE UPDATE 💀💀💀

#asks #missskzbiased asks #miss culinary sounds so cute I’ll search it up #so many shows to watch I can’t keep up 😰😰😰

[ryukoishida]

QZGS Rarepair Week 2018 | Day 4: Cooking | In which HST and ZZK are popular food vloggers.

QZGS Rarepair Week 2018 | Day 4: cooking / thunderstorm / battlefield

@qzgsrarepairweek

Title: Of Dumplings and Secret Admirers Fandom: The King’s Avatar / Quan Zhi Gao Shou Character(s)/Pairing(s): Zhou Zekai/Huang Shaotian (featuring Jiang Botao) Summary: In which the two food vloggers bond over their love of dumplings. Rating: PG A/N: Just a quick note – because there are so many types of “dumplings” in China, I will be using the Chinese names/pinyin to differentiate them! I’m craving xiao long bao now, btw. Damn.

Writing Commission | Editing & Translation Services

---

“Speaking of dumplings, does anyone know the origin of this tasty, tasty food? No? Well, let me tell you this heart-warming story!” the young man in the video was talking with such enthusiasm that it was emanating from the brightness of his eyes and his excited hand gestures.

The video then shifted to a short animation of stilled drawings as he continued with the story.

“According to legend, during the end of Eastern Han dynasty, many people were sick and dying of epidemics, but there was a brilliant doctor named Zhang Zhongjing, who not only had excellent medical skills but also treated both the poor and the rich. So anyway, after he retired and returned to his hometown, he saw that many of the townsfolks were suffering from starvation and the cold, even their ears had become frozen and infected. That sounds absolutely nasty, doesn’t it? In order to treat them, he had his assistants cook a big pot of soup made with lamb meat, chili peppers, and medicinal herbs that helped deter cold. The cooked ingredients were then chopped up, wrapped with dough shaping them like ears, called “jiao er” — or “delicate ear”, and were cooked once more. After people ate them, their bodies quickly heated up, their blood circulation became more efficient, and their ears instantly felt warmer. And after eating these “jiao er” for a while, their infected ears were healed! Isn’t that amazing?”

The camera focused on the young man again, who now had a plate of what seemed to be boiled jiao zi in one of his hands. He carefully used a pair of chopsticks to pick up a dumpling, cooked to perfection with its delicate, ivory outer layer, and dipped it into red vinegar before taking a bite.

Some of the juices ran down the corner of his mouth, which he quickly wiped clean with the pad of his thumb while trying not to laugh.

“Mmn, that is a damn good dumpling,” he nodded appreciatively after eating the rest of that dumpling and continued with a sunny smile, “so for the next… hmm… few weeks, I’ll be making a series of videos completely focused on the best variations of dumplings that are popular in different parts of China, including several recipes and restaurant recommendations! I hope you’ll all be able to join me on this soulful dumpling-searching adventure! And remember: The Q&A live stream will take place tomorrow at 8 p.m., so have your questions all ready to go, and I’ll try to answer them as best as I can. Bye for now!”  

Just as he did every time he finished watching Troubling Rain’s videos, Zhou Zekai clicked the ‘Like’ button at the bottom of the screen the moment the video ended and leaned back against his chair with a soft sigh.

“Xiao Zhou, you’re watching Troubling Rain’s channel again?” Jiang Botao asked from behind and leaned in a little to see the content of Zhou Zekai’s screen.

“Mn,” Zhou Zekai nodded once, probably not realizing that there was a hint of a smile hidden in the curved corner of his lips on his usually impassive face.

Though Jiang Botao saw the subtle expression, he knew better than to bring it up. After all, he and Zhou Zekai had been childhood friends since elementary school; now they attended the same university — though in different faculties — and rented an apartment complex together.

The smile, however, quickly disappeared as Zhou Zekai suddenly remembered something, and he turned his panic-stricken gaze towards his friend to speak with a soft but urgent tone, “Jiang, his Q&A tomorrow.”

“Ah, you said you have a group project tomorrow evening, right? Is the Q&A session happening around the same time?” Jiang Botao immediately comprehended Zhou Zekai’s concern despite the minimal number of words the dark-haired young man had spoken.

Ever since they were young, the adults had called Jiang Botao’s ability to understand Zhou Zekai’s intentions when others around him could barely grasp what the quiet-spoken boy meant “mindreading” when really, Jiang Botao just happened to be a person who paid special attention to other’s facial expressions and body language.

And perhaps there was something to be said for growing up together, but Jiang Botao never had any issues getting along with Zhou Zekai, who, to someone who’d never interacted with the boy, might appeared to be unfriendly, stuck-up, or even downright hostile just because of his placid nature and sparse explicit display of emotions.

When Zhou Zekai nodded in the affirmative, Jiang Botao basically knew what his friend wanted to ask of him, and so he continued with a knowing smile, “want me to record it for you?”

“Please,” Zhou Zekai’s gaze could only be described as grateful.

“As long as I get to keep the leftovers of whatever you’re making for your next video. It’s matcha green tea cookies, right?”

Zhou Zekai nodded again.

“Do you still need help with filming your next video, then? I have some time now, but I need to head out in two hours and won’t be back ‘til late tonight.” Other than best friend, schoolmate, and roommate, Jiang Botao was also Zhou Zekai’s voluntary cameraman for his vlogs.

Speaking of his vlogs and channel, one might think it strange that a quiet man like Zhou Zekai — though having been voted the handsomest male student in their university’s campus for three years straight — would want to be in front of the camera and be the focus of attention. It all started with Jiang Botao’s casual request that one time: one of his female friends wanted to learn how to make the strawberry cupcakes that Jiang Botao brought to school, so he asked his friend to make a video tutorial. What Zhou Zekai didn’t realize was that Jiang Botao had uploaded the tutorial onto the school’s online forum, and from there, the popularity of the “cute college boy baking cupcakes” video just spread like an uncontrollable wildfire.

There were tons of cooking videos on the Internet, but what made Zhou Zekai’s stood out, at least according to Jiang Botao, was the fact that he never spoke in his video — not even once; instead, he filled the silence with grainy, lighthearted jazz music in the background, which made the entire mood of the tutorial somewhat more… aesthetically-pleasing and intimate.

Zhou Zekai wasn’t sure what his best friend meant by that when he tried to explain to him the amazing reactions he was starting since the video was posted; he was just glad to help out. Baking and making sweets had always been Zhou Zekai’s favorite way to relax, and since he started learning by watching and helping his mother in the kitchen at a young age, his interest in the culinary arts had been carried on to his adulthood. Making professional-quality videos, however, was mostly Jiang Botao’s idea; Zhou Zekai just sort of followed along.

Besides, having Jiang Botao, one of the top students in their school’s multimedia design department, filming and editing his videos was the icing on the already very appetizing cake.

Zhou Zekai nodded again in response to Jiang Botao’s question, and the two men started to get to work. Soon, their shared apartment was filled with the gentle sweet scent of baked sweets.

-

It’d been about fifteen minutes into the Q&A live stream, and Huang Shaotian was having the time of his life answering his viewers’ questions, which ranged from actual queries about culinary skills and methods (“Best way to make the silkiest steamed egg custard? Oh man let me tell you how Mama Huang make hers. Usually you’d just mix water or broth with eggs and beat them and then pour the mixture directly into the utensil, right? Wrong! The most important step to achieving that silky smoothness of the custard is to use a fine mesh strainer while you’re pouring the mixture through — the smaller the holes are, the better! And then! Let it settle for a few minutes so any bubbles will rise to the surface, and then you can skim them off with a spoon. Voila — egg custard as smooth as a baby’s butt!”) to inquiries about his personal life and interests (“Do I have a girlfriend? Come on! I expect more creative questions from you guys! Anyway, I could have a boyfriend, couldn’t I? By asking that question, you have offended all the potential boys who could have been interested in me. Shame on you!” he said, and laughed at all the exclamation marks and colorful emoticons that followed his answer.).

One of the questions flashed by in the lively chat and Huang Shaotian caught it right away, his eyes flashing in excitement for a moment. “Oooh! Someone just asked whether or not I’d be interested in working with other vloggers again. Yes, I would as long as that person is not goddamn Lord Grim, who — if you missed the video that bastard had posted on his channel a while ago — almost murdered my taste buds. Just because I’m from Guangzhou doesn’t mean that he should take advantage of my intolerance of spice! So rude, so rude! Never again, nuh-uh!”

The viewers on the chat who knew what Huang Shaotian was referring to expressed their amusement of the hilarious aforementioned video, in which Lord Grim — real name Ye Xiu –who was a good friend of Huang Shaotian’s in real life, challenged the popular (both for the variety of his content and the cheerful chattiness of the vlogger himself) foodie to the notorious Fire Noodle Challenge.

Huang Shaotian had initially ignored him because he knew his stomach was sensitive to spicy foods in general, but him being him, he could never backdown from a challenge, especially when Ye Xiu was practically verbally rousing him up in all the right ways. In the end, Huang Shaotian realized belatedly that this — eating this insanely hot and spicy Korean ramen that had numbed his entire mouth and lips, the spiciness having exploded exponentially after Ye Xiu “helpfully” gave him a glass of water — was a mistake. Needless to say, he’d completely embarrassed himself in front of his audience in that video. At least most of them found it hysterical, and the rating and number of viewings had only increased.

“Other than that asshole friend of mine, who else would you like to see me collaborate with?”

The chat flooded with usernames; some he didn’t recognized while others he knew and were mutual followers of each other’s’ channels. One name did stand out amongst others: Cloud Piercer. Unbeknownst to his followers, Huang Shaotian was a bit of a fanboy of Cloud Piercer and his calming cooking videos and had started following his channel with his personal account some time ago. The vlogger rarely showed his face on his videos, and even when he did, it was mostly blurry so all that could be seen was his dark hair and the vague shape of his face, but just watching those elegant hands meticulously measuring ingredients and kneading dough was enough to make Huang Shaotian’s imagination wander at times.

“You guys want me to collaborate with Cloud Piercer?”

Lots of ‘!!!’s and variations of ‘yes’s’ flurried past the chat, which made Huang Shaotian grin because he’d finally found the perfect opportunity to approach the vlogger he’d been admiring from afar for far too long.

“I’ll try to contact them and go from there!”

-

And this was how two weeks later, Huang Shaotian travelled over 1,100 miles on the high-speed train and ended up in the city of Shanghai.

Their first meeting, which took place at the busy Hongqiao Railway Station, was an awkward one. Through the exchange of their emails in order to arrange this meet-up, Huang Shaotian would have never guessed that Cloud Piercer — or Zhou Zekai, as he soon found out the vlogger’s real name — was such a reserved individual. After a quick introduction, which involved a brief greeting and exchanging their real names, Zhou Zekai decidedly started walking in the front to let Jiang Botao do all the necessary talking. What Huang Shaotian missed — and Jiang Botao definitely caught from the corner of his eye — was the hint of blush that tainted Zhou Zekai’s cheeks right after they’d shaken hands.

Still, after that initial greeting, Zhou Zekai didn’t say anything more as they winded and dodged their way in between locals and tourists. Not that he was rude or cold or anything like that, Huang Shaotian observed while he allowed Zhou Zekai and Jiang Botao to lead him out of the station to get on the public transit, but when he tried to initiate a conversation, all he received from the dark-haired man was prolonged “……”, nodding, or shaking of his head, with the occasional nervous smiles that vanished whenever Huang Shaotian looked at him with genuine curiosity.

He glanced over to Jiang Botao, who was comparatively easier to communicate with and seemed like an amiable person overall, with silent plead in his eyes, as if he was asking, “what am I doing wrong? Why is your friend ignoring me? Why is this happening??? How do I talk to him???”

To that, Jiang Botao only chuckled in response and patted Huang Shaotian’s shoulder in consolation, “Xiao Zhou takes a longer time to get used to people he’s not familiar with. Don’t take it too personally. In fact…”

He paused and quickly checked to see if Zhou Zekai was looking at their direction before he leaned closer to Huang Shaotian and whispered covertly, “…he’s a huge fan of yours, actually.”

“No way! He is?” Huang Shaotian frowned in confusion, once more fixing his attention onto the man walking a few steps ahead of them. His frame was lean and tapered from the well-fitting jeans and black leather jacket he was donning, and at his full height, he was at least a few centimeters taller than him, which made the man slightly intimidating, even if he had the most dazzling ash-grey eyes and cheekbones sharp enough to shred paper-thin slices of prosciutto, but that had never stopped Huang Shaotian before.

“Sure is. So, imagine how surprised he was when he saw your email,” Jiang Botao continued, returning to walk beside his new acquaintance, “he could barely talk — he was that excited.”

“Huh,” Huang Shaotian made a non-committal sound and stared at the back of Zhou Zekai’s head. He wanted to say something like “you mean the guy’s capable of talking even less than this?” but he didn’t because that would be incredibly rude and he wanted to be on his best behavior during this short trip in Shanghai. It wasn’t as if he was trying to impress a certain someone… Oh, who the fuck was he trying to fool?

“Anyway, we were thinking that we’d let you rest during the afternoon, get something to eat together, and then start filming the first section tonight. We already have all the ingredients that you’ve requested prepared at our place. What do you think?”

“Sounds good!” Huang Shaotian’s grin returned, vibrant and infectious, and Jiang Botao could understand a bit what his best friend saw in Huang Shaotian despite his chattiness and almost too-cheerful persona that he presented in front of his audience in his vlogs.

-

“Hello everyone, this is Troubling Rain of the Blue Rain Eatery channel! Guess where I’m currently at? This is Cloud Piercer’s apartment! Can you believe it? Yeah, me neither. But as promised, the two of us are collaborating for the next two videos. This first one will be posted on my channel, where, with the assistance of the wonderful and beautiful Cloud Piercer, I’ll be making a Cantonese style-fried dumpling — gok jai. In the second video, Cloud Piercer, who’s born and raised in Shanghai, will take me to his favourite restaurant to try one of the city’s most well-known delicacies: xiao long bao. So, without further ado, let’s welcome our special guest: Cloud Piercer!”

Huang Shaotian clapped with as much enthusiasm as a child being told that he could run free within a candy store.  

The camera panned out to reveal Zhou Zekai, wearing a simple black long-sleeved t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a light grey, yellow-trimmed apron, standing adjacent to Huang Shaotian. He gave a slight wave and a small but sweet smile, and introduced himself with a soft voice, “Hello, I’m Cloud Piercer.”

“You Cloud Piercer fans should thank me,” Huang Shaotian faced the camera and said with mock seriousness, “apparently this is the first time the man is willing to show his face properly in front of the camera. Oh my, I think I could hear your fangirls and fanboys screaming in the distance, Cloud Piercer.” He grinned slyly, aiming the teasing expression at the dark-haired man who only scratched his cheek bashfully, grey eyes darting to the side with a helpless but adorable smile.

“That’s…not nice,” Zhou Zekai managed three words — an actual complete sentence, even if it was a rather short one — but it was more than Huang Shaotian could ever hope for.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! It was meant to be a compliment, I swear!” Huang Shaotian burst out laughing when he saw Zhou Zekai’s expression.

“All right! Let’s get started! Since Cloud Piercer here is too shy to speak, he’ll be doing all the hard work while I do the talking. First, let me just say that we’ll be making the sweet version of this tasty dumpling, which, granted, is usually only served during the New Year, but what the heck, I heard this man likes his desserts so that’s what we’ll be making. Also, the original recipe calls for deep-frying, but I know all you ladies out there are probably weeping about the oil and cholesterol. Don’t worry! We’ll be baking ours instead! So, have as many of these as you want!”

“But too much…” Zhou Zekai, to Huang Shaotian’s pleasant surprise, spoke up again, and if he weren’t wearing a lapel microphone on his apron, his voice would definitely have been lost, “…unhealthy.”

“True,” Huang Shaotian nodded in agreement, and began to list out the ingredients and the required amounts of each. While he talked about each step with a flurry of hand gestures and animated, rising and falling tenor, Zhou Zekai followed along silently in graceful and efficient movements beside him, adding dry and wet ingredients into a glass mixing bowl, combining them thoroughly with a wooden spoon, and then kneading the dough — already a nice, golden shade from the egg yolks — until it transformed into a smooth, glistening sphere.

All this time, Huang Shaotian made sure that he wasn’t talking too fast, as he sometimes had the tendency to do when he got too excited, but he realized that he’d been worrying over nothing because as little as Zhou Zekai seemed to speak in words, the man carried himself in the kitchen as if he owned the place, and the ingredients and pieces of equipment were under his perfect control and manipulation.  

It wasn’t the first time Huang Shaotian watch Zhou Zekai cook (let’s face it, he’d watched some of the videos more than once… fine, more than five times) but seeing him on screen and being there with him were two entirely different experiences. While Zhou Zekai’s videos were mostly peaceful, calming, and almost therapeutic, standing beside him while he was preparing the ingredients and gradually assembling them was strangely intense and entrancing; in fact, Jiang Botao had to wave at him vigorously to get Huang Shaotian’s attention because the blond had been staring at Zhou Zekai rolling a small piece of dough into an almost-perfect circle without the use of a cookie-cutter, quickly placing a spoonful of peanut and coconut filling in the middle, and folding the edges together into an elegant border of flourished twists.

Zhou Zekai’s fingers, slender and pale with nails trimmed neatly, were precise in measuring out ingredients and kneading the dough for only as long as necessary, like a gunner flawlessly hitting his intended targets, yet laced within that precision was a kind of grace found only in an artist’s bones.

“Uh, yes, um, so keep repeating these steps,” Huang Shaotian blinked and forced himself to turn away from those attractive hands before continuing in a more steady tone, “don’t worry too much if your first few don’t look as perfect as the ones Cloud Piercer’s making right now because hell, I don’t think I can make them that pretty myself, and put them in the oven, preheated to 180 degrees Celsius, for 18 to 20 minutes or until the surface looks golden-yellow.”

By the time the baked gok jai had been cooled down enough, Huang Shaotian picked up one of the golden dumplings, baked to a crisp and warm to the touch, with his thumb and index finger, and offered it to Zhou Zekai.

“Taste test time! Go on then, Cloud Piercer, take a bite!”

Zhou Zekai’s gaze strayed from the dumpling dangled between Huang Shaotian’s fingers to Huang Shaotian himself, who was giving him an encouraging smile almost too bright for Zhou Zekai to handle; his gaze landed back onto the dumpling, which was held only an inch away from his mouth that had sudden gone very, very dry.

“……”

“Come on, man, don’t be shy now,” Huang Shaotian misinterpreted Zhou Zekai’s hesitation, though he wasn’t really that far off.

“…you first,” Zhou Zekai finally spoke, his voice so small even his microphone was having a hard time capturing what he’d said.

“Oh nonono, I insist you should take the first bite,” Huang Shaotian shook his head vigorously, his fluffy blond hair flying every which way so that it reminded Zhou Zekai of a golden retriever shaking himself dry. The image almost pulled a smile from his lips, but he somehow managed to control himself. “You did all the hard work, so you deserve to have the first one. Now be a good boy and open your mouth — say ‘ah’.”

His face remained impeccably neutral, as if he wasn’t about to be hand-fed by someone whom he might consider to be his online crush, but the red tinted at the tip of his ears, thankfully concealed by his dark hair, betrayed his troubled thoughts. All too aware of the camera’s lens focusing on him, Zhou Zekai just wanted to get this over with as soon as possible; he swiftly lowered his head and bit a small mouthful before pulling himself straight, one hand politely covering his mouth while he chewed.

The crispy texture was utterly mesmerizing, but when combined with the chewiness of the wrapping and the crunchy sweetness of the filling, Zhou Zekai’s taste buds were very blissful indeed.

“How is it? How is it?”

Since Zhou Zekai was still chewing, and he honestly didn’t trust his voice at this point, the best he could do was to give a thumbs-up at the camera to show how much he enjoyed the taste.

Without even thinking about it, Huang Shaotian popped the remaining of the gok jai into his own mouth, and Zhou Zekai could only stare at him as the blond mumbled with his mouth full of the dumpling. Meanwhile, Zhou Zekai’s brain was running wild with the colourful comments from the viewers, especially those very zealous fangirls, this video was about to be consumed by.

-

“It’s too bad Xiao Jiang can’t join us for dinner,” Huang Shaotian commented as he placed his phone down on the table after watching the video they’d filmed and edited two days ago. He grabbed the menu to inspect it even though they’d already placed their order about fifteen minutes ago, but he couldn’t let Zhou Zekai see the blush spreading on his cheeks.

What the hell had he been thinking? Huang Shaotian’s mind was running a marathon — a marathon of a never-ending circle. Hand-feeding Zhou Zekai like that as if… as if they were anything more than acquaintances! He hadn’t been thinking — that was the problem. He’d been so distracted by Zhou Zekai’s presence that he thought nothing of the gesture until after Jiang Botao shouted “cut!” to end their filming session and the man sent him an amused but knowing grin.

He tried to redirect his attention to elsewhere: the reaction had been even better than both vloggers had expected, and that gave them the motivation to film the next video as soon as possible, which was how they ended up in a hole-in-the-wall diner in one of the back alleys in the city near Zhou Zekai’s apartment.

“God I haven’t had xiao long bao in ages. You have no idea how long it’s been! Like, you’d think Guangzhou would have some good restaurants that serve half-way decent xiao long bao, but they’re either way too expensive or way too overrated,” Huang Shaotian rambled on until he felt like he was about to be suffocated by the way Zhou Zekai was staring at him with those ash-grey eyes and slight curve of his lips. “So, anyway, uh, I just wanted to thank you again for accepting my invitation to do this collaboration! It’s been really fun, and I can’t wait to try the food here. Here’s to another successful video from us both!”

Huang Shaotian raised his tall glass filled with beer and clinked it against Zhou Zekai’s, the foam overflowing the rim and sliding down the glass in rivulets of white.

“Mn.”

Zhou Zekai sipped his liquor in a slow and steady pace but Huang Shaotian seemed either very thirsty or very nervous, for he gulped down three-quarters of his beer in one breath.

Since they’d settled into their seats, Zhou Zekai hadn’t really spoken other than placing their orders. It wasn’t like he was ignoring Huang Shaotian though, because the blond could tell that the other man was listening to him attentively and gave the appropriate responses like nodding in agreement, or tilting his head to the side in puzzlement, or even occasionally giving one-syllable replies.

Before he allowed the silence to get any more insufferable, however, Huang Shaotian began to fiddle with his camera and tripod. Since their voluntary cameraman was not available today, Huang Shaotian had taken on the responsibility to record their session tonight.

When the dishes they ordered finally arrived, Huang Shaotian released a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. With another one of his signature sunny smiles, he turned to Zhou Zekai and asked him if he was ready to start.

Sitting inside the bamboo steaming basket was the star of the video, the piping hot xiao long bao — the soup dumplings with their pale-yellow skin, glistening with moisture, the crown cascading with spiraled ripples, and their bodies plump with meat and stock inside just waiting to be bitten into. Huang Shaotian positioned the basket between himself and Zhou Zekai while moving the other dishes out of the way; they’d have to enjoy those a bit later, unfortunately.

“Welcome to the second installment of Cloud Piercer and myself Troubling Rain’s collaborative video about one of China’s most delectable and versatile food — dumplings! Today, Shanghai local Cloud Piercer takes me to his favourite restaurant in town that serves excellent xiao long bao, ta-dah!” Huang Shaotian tilted the basket to display the jewels towards the camera and continued, “And of course, when we’re eating these delicious little things, there are some courtesies that must be followed so that you can enjoy the dumplings with maximum level of scrumptiousness and minimum level of danger, i.e. accidentally letting that hot soup burn your tongue!”

As they’d discussed beforehand, Zhou Zekai took the cue and carefully picked up a xiao long bao with his chopsticks, placing the dainty dumpling into his soup spoon, which had already been filled with a dash of black vinegar.

“First, if you don’t dip your xiao long bao in some black vinegar, that should be a food crime and you should be put into food jail! Shame on you! The sourness of the vinegar and — yeah, don’t skip out on those ginger either!” Huang Shaotian added as Zhou Zekai delicately topped the dumpling with some finely-chopped ginger slivers, “the sourness of the vinegar and the mildness of the ginger will balance the slight saltiness and oiliness of the pork filling, so remember—”

What they hadn’t discussed, but what Zhou Zekai was currently doing, was the dark-haired man holding the dumpling a few inches away from Huang Shaotian’s lips, his eyes expectant and the corner of his lips slightly tilted upwards in what seemed to be a teasing smile. Maybe.

The scene was all too familiar.

“Uh, hmm? Cloud Piercer, what’s up?” Huang Shaotian didn’t dare back away but he was raising one of his brows in bewilderment.

“…”

The spoon with the plump xiao long bao sitting snugly in it was moving a degree closer, Zhou Zekai’s intention clear as day.

“F-for me?” Huang Shaotian wanted to be sure anyway, because what if he misinterpreted the whole thing and made a fool of himself in front of this gorgeous man? …Again?

Zhou Zekai nodded with a faint smile, and Huang Shaotian gulped noisily.  

And since, as previously mentioned and demonstrated, Huang Shaotian was an infatuated fool who was too easily distracted, all his attention was focused on how pretty Zhou Zekai looked with a smile on his face, how sincere he seemed in offering him the first dumpling, and how insanely long his eyelashes were, a perfect frame for his ash-grey eyes that were also smiling warmly at him. His attention was so askew that he forgot about the one taboo any experienced xiao long bao-consumer would never commit: he took the entire freshly-steamed dumpling into his mouth and sank his teeth into it.

He regretted it instantly.

“Huang Shao!” Zhou Zekai yelped in forewarning, the loudest Huang Shaotian had ever heard from him. His eyes were widened almost comically, but it was too late.

Scalding, fragrant soup filled Huang Shaotian’s mouth, the heat of the stock burning its way around the tender flesh of his oral cavity and the back of his throat as he tried to swallow as quickly as he could without choking himself in the process. He coughed in the most unbecoming manner, soup dripping down his chin messily, his eyes turning red and watering from the heat, “Fuaaaah! Shit, shit, owwwww…”  

Armed with several napkins, Zhou Zekai leaned in to dab Huang Shaotian’s chin and cheeks dry, his movements nothing but gentle, all the while his brows frowning with obvious worry, “…hurt? Need ice water?”

His face was only a few centimeters away from Huang Shaotian’s, and he was too preoccupied by his task of cleaning the blond up to realize that said blond was staring unabashedly at him.

‘Too close,’ Huang Shaotian thought to himself, blinking slowly and appreciating the flawless cheekbones and rosy pink of the other man’s lips in such close proximity. ‘Oh god.’ He had a feeling he was about to do something he was going to regret again.

“Water would be nice, but…” Huang Shaotian finally located his voice, slightly raw and hoarse from hot soup sliding down his throat just minutes before, and he glanced up to maintain steady eye contact with Zhou Zekai, his topaz irises blazing with a sudden burst of daring, before the words rolled out of his mouth, “a kiss from you might be better though.”

“…….”

At Zhou Zekai’s pause, though his hand remained on Huang Shaotian’s chin with a clean napkin, Huang Shaotian’s cheeks began to grow warm and he wished the ground would swallow him up already because hadn’t he embarrass himself enough in front of this guy today?!

“I-I mean— mmf?!”

His lips were warm, was Zhou Zekai’s first thought as his eyes fluttered close when their lips touched tenderly for the first time, warmer than expected, and so, so soft, like the fluffy chiffon cakes he liked to bake. On the other end, Huang Shaotian’s lips felt oversensitive due to the burning soup from the xiao long bao, but the slight tingling verging on numbing sensation was addictive, and he found himself leaning in closer, his arms hanging loosely on Zhou Zekai’s shoulders to keep him in place, their breaths gradually becoming more and more unsteady until Zhou Zekai pulled himself away and opened his eyes.

They were dark but glimmering with the kind of desire not unlike wanting to swallow his favourite dessert whole.

Huang Shaotian’s breath stuttered at the sight, but he still managed to grumble convincingly with an accusative tone, “Zhou Zekai, you realize we’ll have to film this from the beginning again, right?”

“Worth it.”

#qzgs #quan zhi gao shou #tka #the king's avatar #huang shaotian #zhou zekai #bowie's crappy writing #I think this is my fave so far #and I'd totally write this ship again because omg the cuteness potential is so there

[revwinchester]

Loki and Sigyn

Summary: Sam and Gabriel get into an argument about cats vs. dogs and things spiral out of control.

Pairing: Sam x Gabriel

Warnings: couple of curse words, panic attack (ish), John Winchester’s A+ parenting, unhealthy coping mechanisms, angst with a happy ending

Word Count: 1954

A/N: This was supposed to be a drabble request from a list I was taking ideas from about a week ago (requests are now closed) and it turned into something more.  When I set out, I was aiming for 400-500 words of fluff but then Sam had his own ideas.  This got way longer and much more angsty than I anticipated but it all comes back around with a happy ending.  Special thanks to my beta for helping me avoid an even angstier fic and keeping me from going down rabbit holes I was not prepared to deal with.

@idabbleincrazy here’s your not a drabble!

I also used the dialogue prompt for this month’s @gabriel-monthly-challenge and let one of the aesthetic prompts vaguely inform some of Gabriel’s backstory.

Loki & Sigyn -

“Mr. Winchester, Mr. Shurley, congratulations.  You are now homeowners.”

Sam and Gabriel had just finished signing the paperwork to buy their first home.  They were really doing it, really starting their lives together.  The pair had started dating in college and, after supporting each other through law school, culinary school, and living in a series of shitty apartments to do it, they were both finally working in their chosen fields and ready to upgrade their living arrangements.  

Their new three bedroom home was perfect.  Sam could turn one of the bedrooms into his home office and they’d still have a spare room for when one of their siblings visited.  Gabriel’s happy place was going to be the large, updated kitchen.

A few hours later, Sam and Gabriel were standing outside as their movers brought the last of their major furniture pieces into the house.  They didn’t have a lot, considering they had come from a one bedroom apartment, but it would do for now.  To save a little money, their boxes were all loaded up into a U-Haul.  Each carrying a box, they stepped into their new home, both inhaling deeply as they took in what was theirs.  

“Gotta love that new house smell,” Gabriel smirked at the same time Sam breathed “I want a dog.”

“What?” Gabriel asked, sure he had heard the man wrong.

“I want a dog,” Sam repeated, louder this time.

“I want a cat…” Gabriel said in response.  How had they never talked about this before, he wondered.  Sure, none of their landlords had allowed pets in their apartments but something as simple as cats vs. dogs should have come up.  

Sam laughed at Gabriel’s reply, clearly not taking him seriously.  “No way, you’re obviously a dog person,” he laughed and Gabriel bristled at the notion.  

“Dogs are needy; cats are self sufficient.  Give them food, clean their litter, and they’re generally happy to be ignored,” Gabriel said, dismissing Sam’s surprise.  “I don’t need some goofy slobber monster running around the house and sticking his nose in my work trying to steal a bite.  I’ve already got you for that.”

Gabriel looked up at Sam, expecting to see him at least looking a little scandalized at his words but his boyfriend’s face was completely blank.  Gabriel could see that his jaw was clenched and the far away look in his eyes had him a little worried.  “Look, Sam, I didn’t mean…”

Sam shook himself out of whatever was happening in his head.  “You don’t have to explain yourself,” he replied with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.  “I’m gonna go unpack our bedroom.  You should probably get to work setting up the kitchen how you want it.”  Sam leaned down, gave Gabriel a quick, chaste kiss, and disappeared up the stairs.

“Well, that got heavy,” Gabriel muttered under his breath.  He moved a couple of boxes into the kitchen and then pulled out his phone.  

“Hey, Dean,” Gabriel said in reply when the man on the other end picked up.  “I just had a really weird conversation with Sam and things didn’t end well.  Care to shed some light on this?”  Gabriel paused while Dean, as expected, threatened to hurt him if he had hurt his brother.  “No, dumbass.  He’s fine, we’ll be fine.  He just… kind of shut down when I told him I didn’t want a dog.”  

After a few minutes of listening to Dean, Gabriel had the gist of what had caused Sam to close himself off.  “Ah, shit.  I didn’t know any of that… I knew your dad was kind of a nut job but that’s… yeah, that’s something else.  Thanks Dean-o, I owe you one.”  Gabriel hung up the phone and let out a long, slow breath.  Now that he knew what was at the root of all this, he just had to figure out the best way to fix it.

---

Sam set his box down and sat on it with his head in his hands.  In the back of his mind, he knew he was overreacting, but he couldn’t help it.  Gabriel’s dismissal had dragged up a host of memories that he had tried so hard to repress.  

“You want that dog, now, don’t you son?”  His father’s voice rang out in Sam’s mind.  

“You want that dog, now, don’t you son?”

Sam had been asking for a dog for as long as he could remember, always hoping that his dad would say “yes” and, while dad had never said “no,” this was the closest to a positive answer that Sam had ever received and his eyes lit up.  

“Yes, sir!”

“Well, then, buck up and get the hell out there.”

Sam scampered off into the woods with nothing but the map, compass, and the hunting knife he had gotten for his birthday last year.  His ninth birthday was only a week away, maybe when he found his way back home, he would have finally done enough to earn a dog.  

---

Sam pushed that memory and the others like it out of his mind as best as he could.  “Survivalist Training” his father had called it.  Sam huffed out a humorless laugh at that as he robotically stood and unpacked the box, making the bed with near military precision using the sheets he found at the bottom of the box, before he gave up and went off in search of Gabriel.  

The kitchen was empty and everything was still in boxes so Sam paused for a minute, listening for where in the house Gabriel might have gotten to.  Everything in the house was still and quiet, though, two words Sam would never use to describe his boyfriend.  Thinking he may have gone to their U-Haul for another box, Sam went outside and his heart dropped into his stomach.  

Sam’s car was gone.  Gabriel’s SUV was still hooked up to the U-Haul they had rented but Sam’s car was no longer in the street in front of their house.  Gabriel had left.

Sam rushed back into the house and grabbed his phone.  He didn’t have any messages or missed calls so he called Gabriel.  The phone rang three times before going to voicemail. Gabriel had ignored his call.  Sam frantically sent Gabe a text message, hoping he would read it.

I’m sorry.  Please come home so we can talk about this.

Sam waited 5 minutes, then 10 and got no reply.  He put his phone back into his pocket  and went into the kitchen to unpack until he found a bottle opener.  After three boxes and no luck, Sam decided that he wanted more than beer, anyway, and filled the first cup that he found - one of Gabriel’s mugs from a restaurant they’d tried on one of their random road trips - with whiskey.  

He had never been good enough for a dog.  How had he managed to convince himself he could be good enough for Gabriel?

He pulled his phone back out and started to research.  Maybe he could convince Gabriel to stay; delay the inevitable for a while.  So, half way through his third mug of whiskey, he made a phone call with his credit card in hand.  It wasn’t a cheap call but Sam could make up the difference in a week or two at work, he figured, and it would be worth it if it made Gabriel happy.  At the very least, it would be something he could remember him by.  

Sam was pouring his fourth mug when he heard the front door open.  

“Sam?” Gabriel’s voice rang out and Sam instantly perked up.

“Gabriel?” he shouted back as he unsuccessfully scrambled to get up off of the kitchen floor.  Before Sam could try again, Gabriel was in the kitchen.  “You’re back!”  Sam tried to get up again and Gabriel helped him, trying his best to not slosh the contents of the mug all over the floor.  

“And you’re drunk,” Gabriel replied once Sam was mostly steady on his feet.  He looked at the kitchen floor around Sam, which was littered with pots, pans, and cooking utensils that would need to be washed.  “What happened in here?  I thought you were unpacking upstairs.”

“I came down to talk and you were gone… Then you didn’t answer your phone and I thought… I thought that maybe…” Sam mumbled and Gabriel knew immediately what Sam had thought.  

“I’m right here, Sam, forever and always,” Gabriel assured his boyfriend, grabbing both of Sam’s hands and starting to lead him towards the stairs.  “Let’s get you up into bed for a nap, sound good?”

“Mmmm,” Sam agreed.  “You too.  Nap together.”

Gabriel smiled down at Sam from two steps up.  “For sure, Samsquatch.  I’ll stay until you’re asleep but then I’ll need to come and put things away down here.”  He helped Sam up to their room, grateful that Sam had at least gotten sheets on the bed and that he was drunk enough to not have noticed Gabriel’s surprise waiting in their front hallway.  

----

Sam woke up feeling plenty warm.  He kicked off the blanket Gabriel must have placed over him but rolled over toward the heat that was in the bed with him.  He nuzzled into the hair he found but paused when it didn’t feel or smell like Gabriel’s.  Sam’s eyes flew open when something rough and wet ran across his forehead.

“Gabriel?” Sam called out, his voice thick with sleep as he took in his furry bedmate.

“Sam-a-lam, you’re awake!” Gabriel replied from the doorway.

“So, exactly how long have you been standing there?  Were you just watching me sleep?” Sam yawned, momentarily forgetting the extra body in their bed.

“What can I say, you’re cute when you sleep.  I hope she didn’t wake you?” Gabriel asked as he entered the room and gestured at the corgi that was cuddled up to Sam.

“She?” Sam asked before adding a more important question.  “Who does she belong to and why is she here?”

Gabriel smiled sheepishly.  “She’s ours.  I took a trip out to the shelter.”  He climbed into bed beside Sam, sandwiching the corgi between them.  “Look, about earlier.  I’m sorry.  I didn’t think about how you might hear what I was saying.  I love you, Sam Winchester.”

Sam ran a hand through Gabriel’s hair.  “I’m sorry, too.  I just… I’m sorry.”  There was a pause between the two of them but it was a comfortable silence.  “Does she have a name?”

“She was new enough to the shelter that they hadn’t given her one, yet,” Gabriel told him, “so we can call her whatever you want.”

Sam looked up at Gabriel from under his lashes and bit his lip.  “So, uh, next month we’re going to pick up Loki.  I did some research while you were out and I was…”

“Getting drunk off your ass?” Gabriel supplied.

Sam rolled his eyes but continued.  “Anyhow, I put a deposit down on a cat from a nearby breeder… a savannah cat.  I know you love Norse mythology so, I told the breeder we were going to call him Loki.  So, maybe she,” Sam gestured to the adorable ball of fur between them, “could be Sigyn.”

The dog snuggled into Sam’s chest and her tail beat against the bed, smacking Gabriel in the face with each wag.

“I think the little hellhound likes that name,” Gabriel said in reply as he tried to bat the dog’s tail away with a laugh.  Once her tail settled down, he quietly asked “You really put a deposit down on a cat?”

Sam blushed.  “Yeah, I guess I did,” he laughed as he shifted Sigyn between them so that he could lean in and kiss Gabriel.

So, this is what I imagine Sigyn looks like.  She will quickly win Gabriel over.

image credit

And this is Loki.  Savannah cats are a tall, highly intelligent, hybrid breed that can be leash trained.

image credit

If you would like to be added to (or removed from) one of my tag lists send an ask and let me know!

ALL THE TAGS! (forevers): @deathtonormalcy56 @supernaturalyobsessed @roxy-davenport @gallifreyansass @hexparker @thinkwritexpress-official @atc74 @thewhiterabbit42 @nobodys-baby-now @mouselovesmusic @nanika67 @smdzone @doctor-zyre @proserpinadante @lonely-potatolookingforbooks

Sabriel: @warlockwriter @digi-doubles @dgirl36 @donttouchmyfrenchtoast

Sabriel/Domestic tags from @mrswhozeewhatsis​: @mrswhozeewhatsis @thinkwritexpress-official @SinceriouslyAmellPadalecki @ferferelli @chrisatplay @faith-in-dean @mamaimpala @winchesters-princess @deansleather @dr-dean @saving-things-hunting-family @lucibae-is-dancing-in-hell @justanothersaltandburn @mysaintsasinner @brothersonahotelbed @bohowitch 

GMC Mods: @archangelgabriellives @archangel-with-a-shotgun @archangelsanonymous @warlockwriter @ttttrickster

#supernatural fanfiction #spn fanfic #sabriel #spn sabriel #Sam Winchester x Gabriel #gabriel monthly challenge #angst #fluff #flangst #angst with a happy ending #tw: panic attack #tw: ptsd #john winchester's a+ parenting #fics by Rev

[darkhymns-fic]

A Little Too Sweet

Lloyd gets a bit obsessive when making Colette's favorite meals.

Genis never wants to see another piece of strawberry ever again.

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters: Lloyd Irving, Colette Brunel, Genis Sage, and the rest Rating: G Mirror Links: AO3 Notes: It was Tales of Symphonia's anniversary on August 29th! (Which I forgot about!) I had nothing for it except this short fic from a while ago that makes no sense. Have fun.

Getting through Latheon Gorge was both frustrating and confusing (especially when the weird wind gusts from the vibrating flowers that dotted the landscape just didn’t seem to work) but after a long trek, the whole party decided to settle down for both rest and sustenance.

Unfortunately, almost (and key word, almost) no one was looking forward to it.

“Hey!” Lloyd shouted from the side of the glade they all sat in, his face beaming. “Just got lunch ready!”

Genis, seated by the grass, gave a deep sigh. “Is it fruit salad agai-”

“It’s fruit salad! Everyone dig in!”

The boy in red had a huge platter held in his hands. It was stacked with rows of neatly cut slices of pineapple, strawberries, apples, lemons and oranges, and was sprinkled with a wide assortment of blackberries here and there, with occasional almonds to add in some more texture to the softness of the meal. Some of the group gave weak smiles, some looked to the ground tiredly, but only one had her eyes lit up at the sight.

“That looks so good, Lloyd!” Colette sat neatly on the ground, just before the dining cloth. “Oh! You even made part of the salad into a cute little doggy face!”

“Heh, yep!” Lloyd set down, admiring his own handiwork in the culinary arts. “That’s what the blackberries were for! To make the nose and eyes!”

“…Is this why you sent me out into the woods to search for those?” Zelos asked incredulously. His clothing looked a little frayed. Even his hair sported the occasional twig. “That took me like two hours!”

“Yeah, but it was important!”

“Lloyd…” Genis started, looking at his bowl that Lloyd was happily dumping some of the fruit into. “Do you think you can like… I don’t know… let me cook next time?”

“I don’t mind making stuff for you guys!” Lloyd proclaimed.

Sheena had to intervene. “Yeah, but, we’ve only had fruit for the past three weeks.”

“Fruit is very healthy for you,” Presea commented. She dumped some kind of sauce onto her bowl that no one really knew what it consisted of.

“And also very sweet!” Colette smiled with happiness after each bite. “Oh! Maybe we can make fruit sandwiches next time?”

Lloyd gave her a thumbs up. “Yeah, no problem!”

“That is not a thing.” Genis glared at both of his friends. “That is not a thing that you make. I don’t care.”

“Presea is right however.” Regal had his bowl very close to his face, courtesy of his shackled hands just making everything difficult for him. “Fruit is healthy. It provides your daily value of fiber.”

“We’ve had plenty of fiber!” Genis tried his best not to shout, but that was the result of being force-fed all assortments of fruits for an extended period of time. “Too much fiber! Sis! Say something!”

Raine was munching pleasantly on her share. “There are lemon wedges. I suppose it’s satisfactory enough.” She gave her little brother a frown. “Even if Lloyd stops making us food, it’s not like I would ever have a chance to experiment with meals of my own, according to everyone’s complaints.”

For Genis, it was either food boredom or actual death. He wasn’t sure what was worse.

“Well, I’m not complaining. My bud is a master at this stuff! And-” Zelos squinted at his bowl, mussing it around with his fork. “Um, no uh, no melons?”

A familiar groan from a familiar ninja. “Of course you miss your damn melons.”

“Oh! I forgot about that, Zelos! Don’t worry. I made you your own dish!”

Zelos was close to having tears in his eyes. To think that his friend would do that for him. The venture out into the woods to collect ingredients for Colette’s doggy portrait was completely forgotten. “Aw, Lloyd!”

“Here you go!” Lloyd plopped the prepared dish in front of Zelos. “Eat up!”

It was fried octopus. A really big one. A really big, fleshy looking, eye bulging octopus.

The dish also had with it some tuna and red snappers to the side, but… the tentacles of the octopus were… touching them…

“Oh, that looks pretty good.” Sheena pointed at the plate, her mouth full. “Got your own seafood platter there.”

Zelos sat there in dejection. “…Yeah.”

Genis saw how it was. He could always see through his best friend, and these past three weeks had made it all the more obvious. But this didn’t mean that Lloyd should subject the others to constant fruity meals just to impress a girl that didn’t even need impressing!

He scuttled close to Lloyd, trying to drag him away from his conversation with Colette with all the force his little arms could muster.

Lloyd turned to him with confusion. “Genis? What is it?”

“Lloyd, you need to stop,” the child stated. “The fruit cocktails were pretty cool at first, until you kept making them four nights in a row. That fruit sculpture was honestly neat, but it took you like half the day to make it and you didn’t even sleep because of it! Also, you can’t make sandwiches, Lloyd. We all know this. Don’t try to make fruit sandwiches. I don’t care what the Wonder Chef told you, he’s completely wrong. Don’t you miss eating beef, Lloyd? Like actual protein? We can’t live off fruit for the rest of this journey!”

Lloyd blinked. He gave a brief glance to Colette, who looked to be in heaven with her meal, then he turned back to Genis. “But I gotta.”

“No. No, you don’t.”

“Colette likes it.”

“She can handle some beef stew once in a while! If this is about making up for not getting her birthday present on time-!”

“Hey, Zelos!” Lloyd shouted suddenly, looking past Genis’ head. “How do you like that dish?”

There was the distant sound of Zelos sobbing.

“Great!”

“Lloyd,” Genis pleaded. “Please listen to reason. I don’t think my digestion can take it anymore. I don’t know how the heck you and Colette can.”

Lloyd looked back down at his own fruit share, already half-eaten. To the side of it, some lemon wedges and apple slices were pushed to the side, looking like someone’s face and long hair. Oh no.

“But I gotta,” Lloyd said, more to himself than to Genis.

Genis put his face in his hands. “I want to die.”

A week later and they were finally back at Altessa’s after some important events happened, but honestly, Genis was past both caring and remembering what they were. He had been pushing through fatigue the entire time, having had no iron intake in the slightest.

Even his sister was looking paler than usual, leaning on her staff as they all stumbled into the house carved into the mountain. “I’m going to take a long nap,” she muttered.

Tabatha greeted them at the door, her robotic motions having long gotten used to by everyone. “Hello. I was. Just making dinner. Roast. Beef. With potatoes. And garnish. Would you like-”

“Please,” Sheena uttered, falling to the floor in a heap. The malnutrition was finally catching up to people. Even Regal and Presea could barely hold their taciturn composures, their eyes lighting up on the thought of actual cooked food on their plates. Zelos was not technically starving, but he was suffering plenty, choking on his octopus-fruit cocktail that Lloyd had insisted on him eating on the way back for some reason.

Of course, Lloyd and Colette were perfectly fine! Just peachy! They were both eating actual peaches at this very moment that Genis was so tempted on burning up with his fire magic. “I’m full now, but thanks Tabatha!” Lloyd told her.

Colette nodded. “Me too! Oh!” She stood up straight after thinking up a… oh no. “Lloyd, do you know how to make peach cobbler?”

“Do I?” Lloyd said to her eagerly. After a moment, he emphasized his answer when she still waited for it. “Yeah, I do.”

“What if we make some for everybody for dessert?”

Lloyd pumped a fist in the air. “That sounds great!”

Usually such a treat would be enough to make any mouth salivate. But all Genis wanted to do was hurl. No more fruit… please…

When Genis failed to convince Lloyd to stop with the meals, he just fell to fate. After everything Lloyd did to save Colette, it made sense that he would try to make up for lost time, to make Colette feel happy, despite the hardships of the journey. When one thought about it, it was rather sweet and romantic. Making her favorite dishes whenever he had the chance to, and as luck would have it, Colette never getting sick of it once! Not! Once!

Genis kinda hated Lloyd a little right now.

Watching his two dearest friends make their way to the kitchen with Tabatha, a dark thought burrowed in his mind.

Once this journey is over, Lloyd, I’ll make some fruit dishes for you all right. It’s your favorite thing now, isn’t it? I’ll sneak in some grape tomatoes for you. Colette likes those, but you’re going to hate it. And you can’t hate it because it’s a fruit. You’ll have to gulp it down for Colette’s sake! Then you’ll be sorry!

But even Genis knew he would never follow through on his revenge plan. In the end, he was just tired. Besides, if he was getting a real meal today, he supposed more fruit in his already fruit-saturated diet wouldn’t be too bad.

He could just send a fireball Lloyd’s way in their next battle anyway. Say it was a mistake. Maybe singe Lloyd’s hair a little. That was good enough revenge for Genis, and he would take it gladly.

#tales of symphonia #lloyd irving #colette brunel #genis sage #tales of #implied colloyd #fanfiction #one shot

[80srockher]

Yuri on Ice Re-Watch and Live Commentary, Episode 9: Yuri vs. Yuri The Horror!! Rostelecom Cup, Free Skate

School: in session

Work: tedious

Coworkers: petty

Supervisors: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

Homework: ugh

Yuri on Ice: On deck!

Victor’s sexual preference: a man he can wrap his arms around three times.

Godspeed, Victor.  Have them muzzle the dog until the season’s over.

Really, Yakov?  If you only planned to do a half-assed job as a substitute then why’d you agree to begin with?

“’Hello’, he lied.”

Because he and Victor have a relationship that pre-dates your very existence, Yurio.  Gosh.

I love how Gramps always has food on him.

I’ve never had a pirozkhi of such size and variety!  I reiterate, Gramps and I need to be better friends.

Don’t question his culinary genius!

I can respect an athlete who admits to home-ice advantage.

Why does this sound so timely?

Cut to new family drama.

Cord, meet scissors.

Seriously!  Sarah, will you co-author a book with me on this very topic?

Ha!  Sarah’s you-disappoint-me-face is gold.

Ha!  Mickey thinks Yuri is moody.  Sir Kettle, don’t judge Mr. Pot.

How’re gonna stereotype your own kind, Mickey?

A certified therapist is just a phone call away, boo.

Is that so, Georgi? By the way, let’s kiki about mascara brands, k?

Playing devil’s advocate: it might help if you found another seat aside from Mickey’s lap, Sarah.

She just doesn’t want to sit with you in the kiss-and-cry.  And she wants to text boys.  That’s literally it.  Calm down, Mickey.

Just had to slide in this cap of Seung-Gil’s Michael Jackson-esque gloves.

Anyway, Mickey performs flawlessly, to which Sarah observes…

Ha.  Mickey.

Also, I love to love ya Sarah, but follow the signs.  Seung Gil is not into you.

Yurio decides to switch up his jump composition to earn more points.  Methinks Gramps’ presence is a motivator.  Still…Yuri’s a formidable competitor after all, huh?  LOL.

Seung-Gil doesn’t make it to the GPF. :( :( :( I’ll miss those MJ gloves, Seung-Gil!

Seriously, I respect how the writers don’t shy away from performance anxiety and the fact that even the most confident actors can suffer from it.

Look at Plushenko and his Russian mullet.  Lol.

Love this music and this program.  Though he doesn’t care for it, Yurio is capable of capitalizing on that Prima Ballerina archetype.

I’m just noticing the black blades.  Those really appeal to me, actually.

Yurio’s Achilles heel – to no one’s surprise – is his bullheaded-ness.  I have a theory about this I’ll try to remember to expound upon in a later commentary.

This cap is prob my fav of Ep. 9, lol.

So, Yurio’s in first after his free skate.  Yuri performs right after.   Victor is countries away.  Oh, Yuri’s sub-coach won’t talk to him. 

All that is enough to give someone performance anxiety, methinks.

My thoughts, exactly.

Yuri’s internal monologue here is very revealing.  To regroup after some rough patches in his program, he (of course) thinks of Victor, realizing that he couldn’t admit to himself that he wanted to win gold before Victor came into his life.  He even admits how he wanted to win gold at the previous GPF.  Much like JJ, he was aiming to surpass Victor.

So, JJ catches Yurio supporting Yuri from the sidelines.  For everyone’s sake, try supporting this newfound maturity of his, JJ.

OMG, Yuri can only be this spicy in his own head.  I love it!

Another zinger.  Keep ‘em coming, sweetie.

I mean, you must be doing the most if Yakov is impressed.

Man, poor Vitya. Well, I guess all that fussing did garner results.

The spectre of Victor is still strong within these competitors.  Y’all.  HE’S. NOT.  COMPETING.

This is in regards to Victor.  JJ sought to break Victor’s winning streak.  But… doesn’t he already have 5 championships?  Am I missing something?

So, if this pose didn’t already give it away, JJ wins Rostelecom cup, Yurio’s second, and Mickey, bless his heart, grabs bronze (pays to listen to your sibling, doesn’t it, Mickey?) However, Yuri squeaks into the final because he medal-ed at a previous event.  You have my utmost respect, Yuri.

Mickey is literally foaming at the mouth from a hug.  Get those un-sisterly germs away from him, Yuri.

But seriously, I’m head-canoning Yuri as feeling incredibly grateful, yet undeserving of his GPF spot. Thus, the comedic hug-sequence.  Cuz he really, really needs a few.

Also, I can’t imagine hugging Yakov being all that satisfying.

Observe: Yuri yet again feeling unworthy of someone’s time and attention.  That anxiety thing is a rank bitch.

Sigh.  No one can have a quiet moment as long as Yurio is around.

Yurio’s all, “hell yeah, that’s what it is!” 

I am quite touched at Yurio searching for Yuri in the snow with his bag of gourmet pork cutlet pirozkhis to share. 

He’s alive!!!

The dog, I meant. Poor Victor looks about half-dead.

Run to him, Victor! Let Yuri’s embrace rejuvenate you.

A hug that says, “Ayeeee, the shit I been through, bro!”

Yaaas, that’s what I like to see!  You are worth his time, Yuri.  Don’t forget it.

Eeee, I just noticed that little smile.  So cute!

Victor, you sweet-talker. Ugh, these two!

Yay!  I mean, we know how it ends, but Ganbatte Yuri!

I think I’ve capped more for the ep. than any other before it.  Worth it, though.  Thanks for reading!

#Yuri on ice #Yuri!!! on Ice #YOI #yuri katsuki #victor nikiforov #Yuri Plisetsky #michele crispino #sarah crispino #jj leroy #seung gil lee #emil nekola #yakov feltsman #makkachin #georgi popovich #mila babicheva #spoilers #yoi rewatch

[seriouslyhooked]

Souvenirs (A CS AU) Part 6/14

A Modern CS AU where Emma has grown up in Maine her whole life and runs a store with Ruby and MM. Killian Jones is the new guy in town, who just bought the local bar. Only Emma and Killian have met before and now she can’t help but wonder if their past has influenced his plans for the future. Includes tons of fluff and a happily ever after. Rated M.

Part One Here, Part Two Here, Part Three Here, Part Four Here, Part Five Here

A/N: Today’s installment of ‘Souvenirs’ brings the final reveal of why it took so long for Emma and Killian to reconnect. It’s prompted when an unexpected call comes in the middle of a date. Queue a bit of an emotional confession, cute CS support of each other, Smut Smut Smut and then you know, more fluff. Hope you all enjoy and as always, thanks for reading!

“Explain to me, Emma, how a man can go through life running in culinary circles and never ever have had something that tastes quite this delicious.”

Emma rolled her eyes but couldn’t help a smile appearing on her face at Killian’s excessive praise. He did certainly seem to like the four-blend mac and cheese pizza she’d just made. It was her ultimate comfort food, filled with cheesy goodness, an ungodly amount of calories, and enough cholesterol to put down a horse. So of course, Killian had eaten near six slices.

“I think your friends are in a world that is a little higher brow than me when it comes to cooking tastes. On this side of the pond, we embrace the butter and regret our choices later.”

Killian’s laugh filled her with that same sense of warmth as always. His hand covered hers and she looked up to him, feeling really happy and knowing he felt just the same. Life with Killian back was good, really good. Actually it was better than she could ever have imagined.

Before Emma could put that thought into words and share it with him, the ringing of Killian’s phone broke the moment and Emma noted that the tone of it was different, as if set to a specific caller. She wasn’t nosey, she didn’t glance at the screen as he flashed it, and though in the past she may have been wary, she had no real problem with Killian taking the call. What bothered her was the worry that seemed to cling to him as he did so.

“I’m sorry love, just give me a moment.” Emma nodded as Killian moved to the living room.

As he spoke with whoever it was, Emma worked to clear the table, moving to the kitchen, trying to give him the space he needed. Something about Killian’s demeanor told her that this would take a while, and Emma allowed herself to get lost in thoughts as she cleaned each dish she’d used. Unbeknownst to her, she’d started humming and the lighthearted tune was an honest portrayal of how she felt. Whatever the subject of that call, she knew that Killian cared for her and that was enough.

Emma was so caught up in the cleaning that she didn’t hear Killian approach, didn’t note that he was there until his arms had wrapped around her and he’d placed a kiss to her cheek. It brought a smile to her lips immediately and she felt the same flutter of those happy butterflies swirling around inside her. Only Killian could ever incite that, and Emma hoped that these responses would never go away.

“Everything okay?” She asked as she spun around in his arms. She ran a hand over the worry lines that were still etched on his face, watched as his eyes searched hers as if trying to understand before he spoke.

“My brother, Liam. He’s the reason I didn’t follow you five years ago.” Emma waited for him to go on, because honestly, she had guessed as much. After a deep breath he filled in what she didn’t know.

“My brother was married to his childhood sweetheart, a girl from where we grew up. Her name was Stella, and she was good and kind and made Liam very happy. The day you left there was an accident. Stella’s car was hit by a wayward truck as she was driving the little ones to their playgroup.”

Emma’s heart clutched painfully. This sounded like a nightmare, a real living nightmare made real. It was heartbreaking and senseless, and she could tell already where the story was heading even before he uttered the confirming words. Her hands came to rest on Killian’s chest, one lovingly placed above his heart, feeling the uneven beats that told of his own personal sadness.

“She was killed on impact.” Emma felt tears stinging at her eyes.

“And the kids?” Killian sighed, and she heard the relief there.

“Both shaken, but alive. My brother, on the other hand… I watched the man who’d essentially raised me stumble into an understandable darkness. I don’t know what he would have done if it wasn’t for his sons, Emma.” Emma ran her hand lightly across his cheek.

“And you.” Killian nodded.

“Aye, and me love. I moved in and immediately did everything I could to help. It took time, but we found a rhythm, one that kept us moving forward and the boys knowing they were loved and safe.” Emma felt a tear slip down her cheek, but she continued to look at Killian.

“What changed?” Finally Killian smiled and he ran a thumb over Emma’s cheek drying the tears that had fallen.

“Sometimes we get a second chance. Liam met someone, my future sister-in-law, Elsa. That’s who called. See, Liam’s work involves some travel, and this was the first time Elsa had been watching the boys herself. Young William was giving her the run around on one of his favorite blankets, and I had to talk her through the ritual the little lad needs.”  Emma nodded.

“I like second chances.”

Emma shifted to pull Killian into a hug as she silently tried to convey that she meant second chances for more than just his brother and his nephews. As she did she soaked in the warmth of him, knowing that she was lucky to have some claim on this amazing man’s heart. He had dropped everything for his brother and his nephews because he was truly honorable, and a man with more character than most people could ever dream of possessing. Killian’s goodness was undeniable, and now she was just happy that he was here.

“I loved you even then, Swan. All it took was one night, but they needed me. I couldn’t turn from my responsibilities.” His voice was breaking and Emma pulled back, forcing him to look at her.

“Hey, no regrets, Killian, I mean it. You did exactly the right thing, and look, we’re here now, and we’re happy. You make me happy.”

With that, the sadness in his blue eyes shifted, and he pulled her to him for a kiss. Emma felt that Killian needed a physical reminder that they were okay and together, and she happily gave him that, accepting it readily when the kiss turned passionate and demanding. She pulled back, panting from the fierceness of it and wanting so much more than kisses.

“You should know, Emma, I’ll only ever need this one second chance. I solemnly vow to stand by your side as long as you’ll have me.”

Could he possibly know what those words meant to her? That his saying this made her dream of forever with the devilishly handsome bar owner with the piercing blue eyes? Emma needed a slight reprieve from all of this. Lovely as it was, this was coming straight after a lot of really tough emotions. She craved the easygoing lightness that they shared to come back.

“Oh yeah? Any reasons in particular I should keep you?” Her teasing voice pulled a grunt from him that she nearly laughed at as she stepped back so she was resting against the counter. Then, Emma watched as the slight frustration in his eyes turned playful and she knew she was in trouble.

“I make a mean dessert.” Emma gulped at that. The claim sounded so charged with raw sexual tension, and the timbre in his voice made her crave him instead of chocolate.

“You don’t say.”

The words tumbled past her lips far faster than normal conversation would have dictated and Killian grinned at how flustered he had her. He aimed to keep her off balance as he stepped closer, so they were only a breath apart. His hands were at her sides, boxing her into the kitchen counter, and Emma felt a shiver course through her, wanting his touch but loving this standoff and the anticipation it built even more.

“Aye love. I’m only missing one thing… a proper canvas.”

Unconsciously, she arched her hips to him, making contact and that was the signal he needed. He reached into the fridge so quick Emma barely felt him step away and pulled out a bowl with exactly what Emma had wanted – chocolate, in the form of frosting.

“You made frosting from scratch?” Her eyes grew bigger and looked at his face, where she saw a faint flush cross his cheeks.

“I did, and though this wasn’t its original intent, I’ve come up with a bit of improvisation that I think will leave us more than satisfied. Do you trust me?” The words clung to her. It was the question of a lifetime for Emma Swan: who could she trust? Killian. She could trust Killian.

“Yes. I trust you.”

She watched the happy smile on his face reach his eyes, but she used the slight hesitation on his part to push him away. With more coordination than the adrenaline coursing through her veins should have allowed, she unzipped the off-white dress she’d been wearing and stepped out of it, now standing before him in only her bra and panties. His gaze moved across her body as he took everything in, and Emma felt her confidence surge.

“I really like this dress, and I’d be sad to see our enthusiasm for dessert be its downfall.”

Killian nodded at that, clearly still trying to get a hold of the situation again, but Emma loved seeing him this way, crazily turned on and just a half a step behind her. She reached a finger into the bowl of frosting and snuck a taste, taking care to suck the chocolate from the tip of her finger with a bit more panache than was strictly necessary.

“Fuck, Emma.” She switched tactics, her hands roaming to the button of his jeans.

“I think this will be a lot more fun if you’re a lot more naked.”

“Happy to oblige, love.”

And he did, but it came at a cost because now Emma was slightly distracted and Killian had time to catch up. Without warning he began covering her in a trail of the chocolate, which was cold to the touch and sent goose bumps across her skin. No matter, because the thought that his mouth and his tongue would be everywhere that the frosting was had her body nearly on fire.

Killian by no means disappointed her expectations. His expert mastery of her body by now made the dessert all too enjoyable, and Emma nearly lost her mind in wanting him before having to turn the tables with a little culinary experimentation of her own. The two of them were meticulous, starting slow, aimed at teasing before giving over to the pleasure of it. It was dizzying, and hot and exactly what was needed after everything today had brought.

“You know what goes really good right after a chocolate indulgence?” Emma asked as Killian held her against the counter again, panting slightly.

“What?” She nipped at his bottom lip lightly and then pulled back to whisper.

“Shower sex.” Emma could have sworn she heard him say that she would be the death of him as he whisked her away to indulge her fancy yet again.

…………………………….

Killian had a thought pulling at him as he watched Emma drying her hair after what could only be called a fantastically executed shower seduction. In that moment, he realized there would never be any reprieve from these feelings. The pang in his gut and the flutter in his heart when he looked at Emma Swan would follow him always. She was fast becoming everything to him and with each passing moment in her presence the claim she had on his heart grew stronger. He loved her fully, undoubtedly, in a forever kind of way.

He’d let that slip tonight, when he’d told her the truth of what his life had been over the past five years. He’d told her he loved her all this time and he’d watched the light in her eyes that had come hard and fast at the words. She hadn’t said it back, but he knew that she felt it. Killian didn’t need the words when he had Emma’s trust.

“What?”

Emma’s questioning of his staring pulled him from the thoughts and he shook his head, not wishing to overwhelm her with his internal reverie. Instead he covered his sincerity with the same mirthful flirtation that they shared so often, letting his grin grow wider.

“Just marveling at my luck as I do so often these days. You truly are stunning, Swan.”

“Ah, so you’re into me for my body. Good to know.”

“If ever you are in doubt that I desire you for everything you are Swan, know that you are wrong. There is nothing, and I mean nothing, that I would change about the person you are inside and out.”

Emma smiled, her face holding the innocence of someone who’d never been hurt before. Killian knew that wasn’t true, but to know that she saw him as someone safe to be that way with was a heady thing. She made her way to the bed and nestled in beside him, letting free a small yawn.

“Tired?” She nodded into his chest.

“My boyfriend’s a menace. Constantly pleasing me and treating me so well.” His arms around her tightened as he dropped a kiss to her temple.

“You seem like the kind of lass who deserves it.”

“I bet you say that to all the girls.” She was quickly falling into sleep, Killian could tell as her breathing was evening out.

“What other girls? There will never be anyone who compares to you, Emma.”

She stretched against him, not realizing that the touch of her skin would send those same desirous thoughts coursing through him. He wouldn’t trade it for the world though. He’d gone far too long without having her, and Killian would never regret a single second where he had Emma’s touch in any way she’d grant it.

“I know. Love you.”

The last part was mumbled so low Killian barely heard it. His heart pounded in his ears, he felt this sort of euphoric joy he’d never known before. Forget what he’d just been thinking, knowing for certain that she loved him was so much better than leaving things unspoken. The world was so impossibly perfect in this moment there was simply no way to deny it.

“Emma?” he asked, but she didn’t respond, and Killian knew now that his Swan was sleeping.

He ran a hand through her damp hair, grounding himself in the facts. Emma was here, she was happy, and her heart was his just as his belonged fully to her. Though sleep was far off for him, Killian lay there completely content to hold her, to keep her warm and safe from the outside world.

He’d done the same their first night all those years ago, denying himself the rest he likely needed for the chance to take everything in. Killian had never known emotion so fierce or feeling so strong as when he held this woman in his arms. Everything in his mind and body told him never to let go, that being with her was the dream. Now though, his mind went further than dreaming of a reunion. It looked to build a future with her, since Killian didn’t dare to contemplate life without her ever again.

Visions of her moving in here with him, into the house he’d found for them, danced across his mind. Sure, he’d styled it to his tastes, but he would change anything to make her happy with the place, to make her feel at home. To have a home with Emma, that was the first dream and it was one he could hardly wait for.

Then he’d ask her to allow him the privilege of being her husband, to spend the rest of their days together, as a team and as a unit together. He imagined a wedding with Emma walking towards him in a white gown, her big green eyes looking at him with the most sincere happiness. Liam and Elsa and the boys would be there with the friends he’d made here and back in London. Emma’s friends, as her chosen family, would be there too all in the name of the two of them and their life together.  

And kids. Killian really wanted a family, a big family, and from his understanding of the woman in his arms, that was something they shared. She’d told him all those years ago what it had meant to live without siblings and how lonely it had been going through life alone. Killian wanted to make sure Emma was never lonely again. He was beyond certain that she would be the best mother in the world as she was loving and kind and patient. Any child of Emma’s would speak their mind and follow the truth. They would choose to see the good in people even if they took their time to trust and Killian would love them all because they were a part of their mother.

Emma shifted in her sleep, and Killian stilled his hand that had been absent-mindedly trailing across her back. But when her eyes fluttered open and locked on his he couldn’t help but smile. She ran a hand across his chest and as she came to actual consciousness, her expression took on a look of teasing.

“Are you going to marvel at your luck all night, or were you planning to sleep?” Killian couldn’t help a laugh from bubbling up in his chest.

“My apologies, love. A bit lost in my thoughts I fear.”

He looked past her head to the clock to find that a few hours had elapsed since she’d fallen asleep. Surely time wasn’t slipping by so quickly. The thought unnerved him, because now there would never be enough time. He wanted Emma forever and to make the most of every precious moment they had, no matter how small.

“If you weren’t exhausted enough from the shower to go to sleep then clearly I’m slipping in my girlfriend duties.” Her hands trailed down to grip his cock and he reveled in the feel of it. She was so sure and so damn tempting. It drove him just a little mad.

“There’s no need to worry about your many talents, love.” Emma smiled as she climbed astride him and dropped a kiss to his lips.

“So the problem is that you’re insatiable then?” He nodded.

“With you, yes.”

“Challenge accepted.” And lord did she ever rise to it, setting a rhythm that had Killian unable to maintain much control. They chased their release and though he now felt the last bit of restlessness wafting away, Emma looked at him, eyes wide and assessing.

“Will you sleep now? Please.” He nodded and meant it.

“Aye, love, anything for you.”

Killian smiled as Emma kept herself purposefully awake to make sure he did. She cared about him and that was the greatest gift, one Killian would never take for granted. Emma ran a hand through the strands of his hair that fell at his forehead and the motion was so soothing, Killian had no chance of fighting the fatigue that had been lurking underneath all the daydreaming. Then, when Emma was certain that he was asleep, she followed, and to no surprise, they dreamed of each other.

Post-Note: So this chapter got a lot of major things done. One – now you all have the backstory of why Killian didn’t go after Emma right away. Two – I got to use smutty frosting encounters again (wow do I miss my ‘Steady’ AU right about now). And Three – an entire segment of Killian POV that’s based on his dreams for him and Emma, all of which will be coming true, In other words it was fluff galore. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed and thanks so much for reading!

#captain swan #captain swan au #captain swan fic #captain swan ff #cs #cs fic #cs ff #cs fluff #cs smut #cs au #emma swan #killian jones #liam jones #ouat au #souvenirs #souvenirs cs au #souvenirs 6

[midnightmauder-blog]

Love (T.W. Death)

(T.W.// death.)

Love.

It’s a very rare thing to feel and something as a 19-year-old will still never in my life will know. It’s like Magic Johnson and his AIDS, you always wonder how/why he got it and how is a man like him still living. Never mind about basketball, Love for me is something so sacred and such an absolute fragile thing. I never had a girlfriend, never had one. It’s crazy to think about like “what!? You never dated anyone? HA Look at this piece of shit virgin.” But the fact of the matter is, love is something so sacred. I only loved 5-7 people throughout my life. I can tell you and count them in each hand. And guess what? Rejection is more relevant than ever. I don’t mind that I get rejected it’s just… I hate not knowing what love from someone else feels like. It leaves me vulnerable and awkwardly speechless. When I talk to a girl, I constantly message them (that’s if they reply.) I don’t do it to be annoying I do it because I’m afraid of losing someone that I might care for in the future. I’ll be talking about two of them today because why not.

  It was my sophomore year in high school and I had culinary class (hit me up if you need a five-star chef because I can cook you whatever the fuck you want) and I sat in front of this guy… fucking annoying but in front of him there was this girl named jenny/Jennifer. I always wanted to cook with her but, she was never there. She was in my lunch period and I slowly, surely and most awkwardly went up to her on a cold ass December to be her friend. It was so nice to just get to acknowledge and see someone be so damn cute and vicious and teasing me with dark humor. It was just so damn excellent. She was just a funny person, she made you laugh and she’ll be so deep about her and stuff. I like that. Well one day I remember walking into the lunch room and just felt like telling her how I feel. So, I went and sat but, she never showed up. Okay, well the next day came and she never was there. It was just alarming me a bit so of course I scrolled through her Facebook and what I saw next was just so…so hard. I saw all her friends say “R.I.P. you were so beautiful and loving.” On and on… as of now it’s so hard writing this because it hurts. I’m 19 and it still hurts that I couldn’t tell her how I felt at the time. If she sees this, Jenny just know your death impact everyone at school, you were and still missed. Rest in peace.

  Now steering away from death, let me tell you someone who is close to me. This girl by the name of Rebecca is such a beautiful person. How I met her was through twitter, we liked the same youtubers and eventually we followed each other. I still think about her. Well, out of everyone I written her a lot in a 2015/2016 journal I had in the past. Of course, there was times where I missed talking to her and wished she understood why I always snapped/talk to them (now you know I hope) ((if you don’t I’m just afraid to lose you as a friend)) in the beginning it was simple, me and her would snap selfies to each other for like 70 days straight. Within that 70-day period back in 2015, I found how attractive she was. If she ever said “nooo” I would always tell her “Yes you’re fucking like everything.” I’ve told her this from heart, not from mind or mischievous anything, everything I tell her was from heart. We had a break and I did miss her, like it felt like you took away drugs from an addict. They miss it and over lapse. Well, I missed her and overlapped and tried to find her all over in 2016. At one point, I told myself, “give up, she’s probably not wanting you.” But something in my heart and brain wanted to talk to her again and share myself to her. It wasn’t till thanksgiving that it hit me. I went through, searching for her and guess what? I FOUND HER. When I found her, my heart started pumping, I was sweating (probably from eating too much turkey) but I asked her for forgiveness. I never harm anyone; I hate people being harmed and I’m just open and loving. I asked her if we can talk again after that long hiatus and she answered me and when she did I went to the bathroom to shed a tear. It was a relief and happy cry because she is so beautiful. If anything, I missed her during the long hiatus and honestly I was thinking about her a lot more than myself sometimes. I don’t want to sound selfish or to me or anything but when you don’t talk to a person that much, it hits a toll. It hit me a lot because I can say that I love her. I still try to talk to her when she can and now I’m trying to share whatever is in my journal to her because I fear that one day I can’t. Honestly I don’t ever want to leave, even if we are friends I still love her like a lot. Rebecca, if you’re reading this I hope you know that I love you, I know there might be a lot of differences between me and you, I know that you probably might read this and say “why me?” but look, I do care for you. I wish I can visit you because we aren’t that far from each other but I do love you and if you read this message me. :-D

  Love;

It can be plain and simple for one person or it can be complex and different for someone else. We as humans’ express emotions that only one another can tell. I can tell whether you’re happy or sad; mad or happy, I enjoy seeing reactions to things and love is the biggest reaction anyone/everyone can get. My love for people is hard because I’m too fragile but I try to not show it. I show it anyway because I’m afraid of losing someone. If there’s any advice I can give to people who want to find love just go and tell them how you feel. What you’re thinking can change someone’s day/life… go ahead and do it

 -V

#Love #death #text #document #feelings #relationships #trigger #trigger warning