#sorry guys for disappearing for 9 million years
Text
Gilded Family
Rating: Teen and Up, Gen
Ch 21/?: Storytime
Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 6 , Ch 7, Ch 8, Ch 9, Ch 10, Ch 11, Ch 12, Ch 13, Ch 14, Ch 15, Ch 16, Ch 17, Ch 18, Ch 19, Ch 20, Ch 21
In which none of the previous golden guards or wittebro died, actually, they're all fine and living happily together as one big dysfunctional family
Ao3
“Where’s King?!”
Phoenix swept one hand out. “Where you’ll never see him again! Unless…”
The Collector’s eyes narrowed. “Unless what?”
“I might give him back. If you do something for me.”
Oh, excellent, Odalia’s voice echoed in his head, Make him promise something as part of the game? What should our demands be?
“I’d never help you!” Collector shouted, “Never ever in a million years! Eda, now!”
Phoenix braced himself, but nothing happened.
“Eda?” Collector asked, “Hello?”
An older woman shuffled out of the trees, hobbling towards Phoenix. “Ah—you’re surrounded? Golden Guard?”
Collector heaved a sigh. “Awwww, you were supposed to drop out of the sky on him!!!”
The old woman shook like a leaf. “I’m s-sorry, I just c-can’t…”
Phoenix held out an arm for her to balance on. “Hey—maybe a break? Time out? Not everyone can—”
Collector sighed again, this time even bigger and more exaggerated. “Okay, I guess she doesn’t have to be Eda. Since she’s too old.”
The old woman’s spine stiffened. “No, please I can—”
Phoenix pushed her slightly behind him. “You don’t need to make her into a puppet—I’m sure she’d be happy to play another role, one that’s not so… active.”
“Nahhhhhh, being a puppet means her joints won’t be all hurting anymore. We can oil them, and they won’t be creaky and bad! It’ll be good! Boop!” The Collector snapped his fingers, and a moon shot out, zooming around Phoenix and hitting the old woman on her forehead. She stiffened, then fell into a relaxed position, her clothes dotted with stars. The Collector clapped his hands, and she disappeared. Phoenix’s stomach roiled.
Another loss.
“Where did you put King, Phoenix? This isn’t very fun now that we don’t have an Eda. I know! We can do one where you’re a good guy next!”
Phoenix squared his shoulders and turned to the blue tree next to him, holding up his hands. “King?”
King jumped out of the tree and into Phoenix’ arms. “Hey.”
“Aw, man, he was just in the tree?! Boy, you two are bad at hide and seek.”
“Why don’t we practice, then?” Phoenix suggested, setting King down,“We’ll hide, you seek.”
“Yeah,” King piped up, “Give us uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh five hundred seconds?”
“Better do a thousand. Just to be safe.”
“Hmmmm. Okay.” The Collector snapped his fingers, and about ten of his star spies appeared around him, blinking their red eyes in unison. “They’ll count, too!” He tugged his hat over his eyes. “One… two…”
Phoenix scooped King up and ran off into the trees. He took the necklace from Odalia off, hurling it into the trees. “Test run, alright? Look for good places to hide in the area. Where will his spies have trouble seeing us, where he’ll have trouble seeing us—any hiding spot is good, but try to find some that will be big enough for all of us. If we split up, we’ll cover more ground.”
“Have you figured a way out of the archive house yet?”
“Working on it. Any chance Eda could fly us out?”
“Maybe? We need to turn her back first, though. The Owl Beast is unpredictable.”
“Which we need Lilith for,” Phoenix finished, “Right. Alright, see you in a bit.”
He set King down and ran in the direction he’d thrown the necklace, shaking the dirt off of it and dropping it back over his head.
What happened?!
“Dropped it,” Phoenix lied, “You know how it is.”
Mmm. What was that?
“What was what?”
Trying to protect that puppet?!
“She wasn’t a puppet yet.” Phoenix looked up, drawing a mental line from the archive house to his position. “The more allies we have the better.”
Yes, some help she’ll be. Don’t pretend you’re just ever so on board with my plans, you were outright refusing them two days ago. What’s your plan?
“Right now, my plan is to play hide and seek. And you’re noisy.”
Don’t you dare—
Phoenix lifted the necklace back over his head, tucking it in his pocket. Trees loomed on every side of him, but none of them offered much cover. Phoenix dipped his hand in a sparkling stream. Cold water. Definitely the Collector’s. Phoenix followed the stream through the trees. If they needed to stay in the Collector’s domain for long, they’d need a water source—and, at least, it was a feature that wouldn’t change.
The stream widened, turning to a rushing, roaring river that tumbled over a cliff in a waterfall. Phoenix squinted, shading his eyes. The river stretched onwards, snaking all the way out of the blue trees and into the red.
“We can follow it out,” Phoenix mused out loud. Not that the world outside of the Collector’s territory was much safer, but it was a start.
“ONE THOUSAND,” Collector’s voice called, and Phoenix ducked back into the trees, scrambling into their branches.
He did not count to one thousand.
One of the Collector’s spies whirred through the air, sweeping the area. Its eyes fixed on Phoenix, blinking red.
And then it moved on.
Phoenix let out a deep breath. So. It’s eyesight is—
“Boo!”
Phoenix yelped, falling backwards. He locked his knees around the tree branch he was on, swinging upside-down. The Collector floated next to him, also upside down.
“Wow, you aren’t super great at hiding, my sentry spotted you in like. Four seconds.”
Phoenix reached up and grabbed the tree branch with his hands, letting go with his legs and flipping the right way up. He released the branch, dropping to the ground.
Never mind, then. Trees—not a good place to hide.
“Did you find King?”
“Mmmm not yet. He’s smaller, so I bet he found a better place to hide than you.”
“We should split up to find him,” Phoenix suggested, “Cover more ground.”
That way, I can keep mapping the area and looking for a way out of here.
“Oh, yeah, good plan! But how will we let each other know if we find him… Oh, I know!”
Collector snapped his fingers, and a bracelet appeared around Phoenix’s wrist, with a little pull string. “Pull it if you find him. It’ll let me know where you are! And I’ll send up a huge beam of light if I find him, you’ll definitely be able to see it. Okay, off we go! I’ll goooooo this way, and you go that way!”
Collector floated off into the trees, and Phoenix heaved a sigh of relief, pushing in the opposite direction. He looked up at the archive house again, judging the distance from the house to the tip of the titan’s horn. If he could find where the two were closest from inside the house, there would probably be a window. Maybe they could jump to the horn?
Risky. But if we can’t get Eda in flying shape, it might be our best bet.
Phoenix pressed onwards, trying to stick close to the stream.
I could run. Right now, I could run.
The thought hit him like a thunderbolt. The Collector was more occupied with King right now—he could follow this stream out to the regular isles and make his way back home from there before the Collector even noticed he was gone.
I bet King’s done it—I bet he’s already gone, he bolted for it while the Collector was looking for me.
Phoenix shook his head to clear it. “No,” he said out loud, “King wouldn’t leave without Eda and Lilith.”
Nothing’s stopping you, though…
“No,” Phoenix said more firmly, “I promised. I’m not leaving without—”
The bushes rustled ever so slightly, and Phoenix’s ears pricked up, moving up and down to pinpoint the noise.
Where… did…
A slitherbeast leapt out of the bushes, and Phoenix hit the dirt, rolling out of the way. He sprang back up to his feet, keeping his stance low.
“You’re far from home.”
Without the element of surprise, the beast paced in a circle, looking for an opening. Saliva dripped from its jaws, and it sniffed the air delicately.
Phoenix scooped up a thick stick, turning slowly to keep the slitherbeast in his line of sight. “You’re hungry,” he guessed, “The Collector’s been… well, collecting… all your possible prey. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have ventured out of the mountains, and you definitely wouldn’t have attacked an unfamiliar creature without provocation.”
It paced closer, and Phoenix swung, bringing the stick into its jaw. “I’m not dinner. Hunt something else.”
The slitherbeast yelped, scrambling away, but continued to pace a circle around Phoenix, panting. Phoenix glanced at the bracelet on his wrist. Would Collector actually come if he pulled it?
No. I can handle this.
The slitherbeast leapt again, this time turning its body midleap so that Phoenix’s retaliation swing glanced off of its side. A wall of fur slammed into him, sending him sprawling backwards. The slitherbeast pounced, and Phoenix had barely seconds to bring his feet up into its chest before it landed, pushing it up and over him. He scrambled back to his feet, looking for his stick and jamming it into the creature’s mouth before it could bite. Its jaws cracked straight through the wood, but its teeth scraped and screeched against the bracelet around Phoenix’s wrist, preventing it from biting his hand off.
Phoenix yanked his arm out of its mouth, but the pull tab snagged on the beast’s tooth, triggering the bracelet.
Fireworks shot out, one of them right into the slitherbeast’s mouth, and the others into the air. The slitherbeast shrieked, pawing at its mouth and whimpering. Smoke billowed out, but it still eyed Phoenix with that same dogged determination.
I’m the first living thing it’s seen in the last couple of days, Phoenix realized, It’s not going to give up, it’s too desperate.
Phoenix swung up into a tree, scrambling into the branches. It was too big to follow, hopefully it would—
The slitherbeast rammed its head into the tree, making the whole thing shake.
“Are you kidding me?! Fine! Knock yourself out, you—”
The trunk cracked up the middle at its next blow.
Great. Excellent, even.
Phoenix waited for it to ram into the tree again, and leapt out just as it did, landing squarely on its back. He wrapped his hands in its fur, yanking it to the side. “Just—” wham into a tree “—pass—” wham “—out!”
The slitherbeast dropped to its side, rolling onto its back. Phoenix let out a strangled yelp as all the air rushed out of his lungs with a whoosh. He clung to the beast tighter as it rolled over, shaking itself to dislodge him, then flopped on its back again. This time, Phoenix let go, wheezing for air. He scrambled backwards, hands clawing at the ground for something, anything to use as a weapon as the slitherbeast stalked towards him.
“HEY!” a familiar voice called, and a blue star landed between Phoenix and the beast. Collector crossed his arms. “Bad dog!”
“Get—away!” King yelled. A soundwave blasted out of his mouth, slamming into the slitherbeast and knocking it through the nearest tree. Collector held out his palm, and a crescent moon floated above it.
“Bye-bye!”
The moon shot out, slamming into the slitherbeast’s face. It dropped to the ground, a lifeless stuffed animal.
“WHOO! Got it!” Collector spun the star, kicking his feet over the edge. “Yeah!”
King hopped off of the star, rushing to Phoenix’s side. “Are you okay?”
“Just bruised,” Phoenix wheezed, “Thanks.” He glanced at the Collector. “Both of you.”
Collector put one foot out, stopping the star. “Yeah, I saved you! Again! You are very good at getting in danger. You know, King, you’re right, it kind of IS fun to save mortals who get in trouble. Anyway, should we play another round of hide and seek? This time I should hide.”
“Maybe—maybe we should go back to the archive house?” King suggested.
“Awwwwwwwwwwww, why?”
“Because we just had… a bit of an adventure.”
“But we go on adventures all the time!”
“We go on pretend adventures. Phoenix was actually in danger and could have gotten really hurt! After real adventures, we have to take a break. Right, Phoenix?”
Phoenix nodded. “ After serious missions, I always took a nap, or at least didn’t go back out in the field for a bit.”
“Wow. Being mortal sounds tiring. Okay, okay, we’ll go back.” The Collector’s star expanded. “Everyone on.”
Phoenix shuddered as the star rose into the air, pushing through the treetops. “This thing needs a harness.”
“Haha, are you afraid of heights?”
Phoenix gripped the edge of the star. “A little,” he squeaked.
The star tilted, then rushed forward with a whoosh, streaking towards the archive house and coming to a stop in front of the staircase and Odalia. Phoenix wobbled off the star, leaning against the stairs to balance himself.
“Hey, Mamadalia.”
Her lip curled. “Aren’t you a little old to be calling me ‘Mama’?”
“You’re saying that you’re not old enough to be my mother?”
King grabbed Phoenix’s hand while Odalia spluttered, leading him up the stairs. “Okay, that’s enough.”
Collector floated after them. “Whatcha doing? Where are we going?”
King tugged Phoenix back to the room with the tiny planet, pulling box of Band-Aids out from under his bed, and gingerly plastering them on all of the tiny scrapes from Phoenix’s fight. “Wow, you really got banged up.”
“Ehhhhhhhhhhh, I’ve had worse.”
King pulled up Phoenix’s sleeve to get at a scratch under a rip. “Hey, what happened to your arms? Have they been like this the whole time?”
“Oh.” Phoenix fidgeted with the bandage. “Belos. It’s… it’s fine, they’re healing on their own.”
King started to unwrap the cloth, and Phoenix batted his hand away. “Uh-uh, not a Band-Aid wound. Too messy. Here, look, right here.” He moved his hair out of his face, showing another little scratch on his forehead. “There’s one.”
King stood on his tiptoes to reach, plastering another Band-Aid on the wound. He tapped his own skull where bandages did their best to cover up a crack. “There. Now we’re boo-boo buddies.”
“Heh. Thanks.”
“Boo-boo buddies!” Collector exclaimed, “I want to be a boo-boo buddy! I want to do one!” He scooped up one of the bandages, removing the paper and pasting it on another scratch on Phoenix’s knee. He thrust another Band-Aid into Phoenix’s hands. “Okay, okay, now I get one!”
“Um…”
“You don’t… have a boo-boo?” King reminded him.
“Hrngh. I! Want! To Be! A boo-boo! Buddy!” Collector squinted at his arm, glaring viciously, and slowly, a scratch appeared, leaking inky blue blood that swirled with purple and glittered with starlight. “Ow!” His eyes bubbled up with tears. “Ow, ow, that’s… ow, I don’t like it, ow—”
Phoenix tore open the bandaid, carefully pasting it over the wound. “There. There, all better.”
“Now you’re a boo-boo buddy! Welcome to the club.”
Collector scrubbed at his eyes. “It hurts,” he whined, “It feels bad.”
“Uh-huh,” King agreed, “Doesn’t feel very nice.”
Collector squished Phoenix’s cheeks in his hands. “How are you not dead?!” he yelled, “You got like, a BILLION boo-boos, and you’re all soft and squishy and mortal!”
Phoenix shrugged. “You get used to it.”
Collector flopped backwards onto his bed. “I don’t want to get used to it,” he grumbled, “It feels horrible, and I hate it.” He rolled onto his stomach, kicking his feet. “Hey, Phoenix? Do you know any good stories?”
“Um… I know a lot of stories about… the golden guard before me and Belos and how they destroyed… you know what, come to think of it, those are not kids’ stories.”
“I don’t want a story about Phillip.”
“Yeah, me neither. Uhhh, let’s see… there was this one… I don’t know, legend? Fairy story? That they used to tell us before bed.”
“Us?” King echoed, “They?”
“Mmm.”
“Story,” Collector urged.
“Yeah. Right, story. Let’s see, how did it go… Once upon a time, there were two brothers, who loved each other to the sun and back. They did everything together, all their chores, their play, their walks... Then one day, the younger couldn’t find his older brother anywhere. He searched high and low. He asked the birds, ‘where has my brother gone?’ but the birds did not reply except to sing their song. He asked the boiling waters ‘where has my brother gone?’ but the sea only bubbled and hissed in reply.”
Collector snuggled into his blankets, watching Phoenix.
“Finally,” Phoenix continued, “the younger brother asked the isles themselves, ‘where has my brother gone?’ and the bones responded, ‘far in the forest, a witch with evil design has her in his grasp.’ The younger brother traveled to the witch’s home, but try as he might, he could never get past her traps. He cried out in frustration, and his tears attracted the attention of the stars. And the stars felt bad for him and gave him a single seed. ‘Plant this seed,’ the stars told him, ‘and surely, you will find your brother again. But do not speak to what grows a single word, or else your brother shall be lost to you forever.’ So the younger brother planted the seed, and out of the ground sprang a knight, clad in black armor and carrying a great sword.”
“Like the sky without stars?” Collector piped up.
“Like a sky without stars,” Phoenix agreed, “The brother didn’t say a word, only turned to go back to the witch’s home. Her first trap was a raging river that the brother couldn’t cross, but the knight in black armor dove in, walking through the river to the other side and lowering a bridge to the brother. And when the brother crossed the bridge, he saw that the river had washed away the black from the armor as if it had been soot, revealing armor of bronze. But the brother said nothing, not even a word of thanks, just as the stars had instructed.”
“Then what?”
“Well, then there was a thicket full of brambles surrounding the witch’s home. The brother couldn’t go into them without being scratched to death, but the knight waded through them, ignoring how they got into chinks in his armor and made him bleed, and he cut a path through for the brother. And when the brother got to the other side, he saw that the knight’s armor had been scrubbed of rust by the thicket, and was now silver. But he didn’t say a word to the knight, didn’t ask if he was hurt from the thicket, or even comment on the silver of his armor, just as the stars had instructed. Finally, they came close to the witch’s hut, when a ferocious dragon sprang out at them. The knight and the dragon fought for hours—”
“Hours?!” Collector interrupted.
“Yeah. Hours.”
“What did the brother do that whole time?!”
“He sat on a rock and watched, I guess.”
“That’s too long to fight a dragon!”
“Alright, alright, fine, the battle raged for fifteen minutes before the knight slew the dragon, is that better?”
“Yeah, that’s okay.”
“Glad you approve. Anyway, the brother saw that the fire of the dragon had molded into the armor, and the knight was clad in gleaming gold. Still, the brother said nothing to him, did not ask if he was burned, or say how beautiful his armor had become, just as the stars had instructed. The brother and his knight rushed into the witch’s home, and the knight quickly sliced the witch in two. The brother ran all over the house, but he could not find any sign of his brother, dead or alive. Enraged, he picked up the knight’s sword, and cut off the head of his faithful servant.”
“WHOA!” King protested, “What?!”
“Give me a second! Anyway, the knight fell to the ground, and from his armor, his brother sprang. ‘Finally,’ his brother said, ‘I am free.’”
“WHAT?!” Collector yelled.
“Do you want this story or not?”
“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh. Keep going.”
“‘The witch cursed me into a seed, a curse that could only be broken if I slew her, and if you proved your devotion to getting me back, even if it meant staying silent and letting your actions speak for you.’ And so, the brothers returned home, and they lived happily ever after. The end.”
“Why did slicing his head off turn him back?!” Collector demanded, “That’s stupid! Why did he cut the knight’s head off, even though he did everything for him?! Why did being mean get him his brother back?! I think he should have never gotten to see his brother again after he sliced the knight’s head off!”
“It’s part of the story! He had to kill him!”
“Why couldn’t he talk to him?!”
“He had to prove—it’s just part of it, the brother had to go through trials, and the younger brother couldn’t say anything, and at the end, the witch and the knight… had… to…die…”
You have got to be kidding me.
Phoenix buried his face in a pillow. “Oh.”
“Phoenix?” King asked, “Buddy?”
“Ohhhhhhhh, my titan,” Phoenix groaned, “It’s a Phillip story. That’s a Phillip—urgh—the brothers—the witch is Evelyn, or maybe just magic—the golden knight—the golden guards—he kills the knight to get his brother back, the knight—it was all a—"
“Maybe you’re reading into it a little too much?” King suggested, “I mean, a seed from the stars?”
“Oh, no, that part’s totally real,” Collector piped up, “I’m the stars. I helped Phillip with the grimwalker recipe. You’re welcome.”
“What?!”
“He said he was going to make more players. And he did! And then he destroyed them. Which does not make very good playmates, you are much more fun alive.”
Phoenix got up, bouncing to the window. “Okay. Alright. Okay. I… need a moment.”
Odalia stood outside the door. “Well, wasn’t that an interesting little story.”
“I am not in the mood,” Phoenix snapped. He shoved her necklace back at her. “Take that, I don’t need you in my head right now.”
He stalked through the hallways, checking each window.
It was always him. Every second, it was always him, getting in my head.
There. The horn. It was a substantial drop, but not a deadly one. Phoenix leaned against the windowsill with a sigh.
Just don’t look down, and you’ll be fine.
“Phoenix?” King tapped his claws together, sitting on a star with Collector. “You okay?”
“Not really.”
“Where’d you hear that story, anyway?”
Phoenix twisted his hands around each other. “Some of the older kids. They heard it from the adults. Who I guess got it from some standard-issue imperial propaganda storybook.”
“What, older kids in… the coven?”
“No. In the orphanage where I grew up.”
“Oh. I… didn’t know.”
Phoenix shrugged. “A lot of people died in Belos’ crusade against wild magic. From both sides. There was… an imperial orphanage for kids whose parents died in the war. Turns out, I didn’t have parents at all, but I didn’t know that at the time.” He chuckled dully. “Now I’m wondering if the whole thing was made up just so Belos could keep me in one place and feed me stories about being a good little soldier who didn’t complain. Is that conceited?”
Collector hugged his knees to his chest. “What happened to the orphanage?”
“It burned down just before I joined the coven.”
King’s eyes widened. “Oh. That’s… I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Phoenix moved away from the window. “When I was there, I was just a powerless kid that no one else wanted. Even they didn’t want me, but they had to keep me. I was glad to leave it behind.”
Collector jumped off the star, wrapping his arms around Phoenix’s neck and his legs around his waist in a piggyback hug. “That’s stupid. They were stupid. I want to keep you, even if you don’t have powers like me and King. We’re going to be friends forever and ever until the sun collapses into a black hole and swallows us all.”
Phoenix’s sore muscles and ribs protested at the weight, but he just walked back towards the bedroom, clasping his hands behind his back to support the Collector. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome! Your story was. Okay. I didn’t like the ending, though.”
“I’m thinking I don’t like it so much, either.” Phoenix let him down. “I’m taking a walk.”
“Don’t stay up too late. We have lots more adventures planned for tomorrow.”
“Right. Good night.”
King stopped just before he followed the Collector to bed. “Phoenix? What happened to everyone else? At your orphanage?”
“I… don’t know. Once I joined the coven, they told me not to look back. And I didn’t.”
“Huh. Okay. Good night.”
“Night, boo-boo buddy.”
Phoenix trotted back down the stairs, leaning against the wall with a sigh.
I want to keep you.
Phoenix patted his face. “No,” he said firmly, “You are not feeling bad about running from the crazy kid who is keeping you hostage and turning people into puppets. Not allowed. Besides, we need to check in on the others. And let them know we’re alright. And where Jason is, they are probably frantic about him right now. You cannot start feeling bad about leaving. He’s unpredictable and every day here is a risk you get turned into a puppet. Or worse.”
He destroyed Belos in an instant without any remorse.
What will he do to you if he finds out what you’re planning?
“We’re getting out of here,” Phoenix said out loud.
No matter what.
#toh#the owl house#toh fanfiction#the previous ggs#golden guard oc#the golden guard#gilded family au#my writing#the collector#king clawthorne#odalia blight
23 notes
·
View notes
Text
Soooooo ummm. Hi everyone!
Not exactly sure how I should start this post?? I know, I know, I've been gone for a million years like 9 months and I am so sorry! I feel like I owe you guys an explanation but you're not getting one. Jk jk. Basically, my life kinda went to hell after Christmas, had some family drama, had to move house (unrelated to the family drama don't worry but was still a pain in the ass) and basically just the usual depression stuff. I was feeling super burnt out, not for drawing, but just posting my art and interacting online. Idk how to describe it, but I've been drawing a lot just not posting cos the thought of it made me really tired and sad :/. I'm not sure why, but it did and thats why I've been silent for months. I know I don't really have that many followers so this isn't exactly some epic comeback, but for those who do follow me, thank you guys so much for sticking around and I just wanted to let yous all know that I will be posting again!!! Yay!!! I've got a lot of art to scan and upload so hopefully I can give you guys a lot of content to make up for my disappearance lol. I like to think that my art has improved over the past few months, so hopefully you guys will like it! Once again thank you guys all so much, I missed yous and I'm hoping that I can start to enjoy posting here again now that I'm back!! Love you all ❤️
#yeaaahhh idk what else to say except im sorry!!#i was just. so tired idk#anyways I'll try to give you guys a lot of art to make up for it#personal#rose rambles
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
when the camellia blooms | pjm
park jimin x kim! reader | 1 | 2
sypnosis: diagnosed with the hanahaki disease, you had only two options - accept a deathly fate, or never love again.
genre: au, angst, fluff, humor, friends to lovers? maybe.
warnings: many talks of death and dying, minor character death, pain, unrequited love, swearing, talks of past sexual experience while intoxicated, pining, longing, really sad reader, and lots of angst.
word count: 7.2 k
"you would die for her, for him."
"You're dying."
The two words escape past his lips steadily and breathily as your widening eyes linger on the way his hands fiddle with one another out of habit. He sighs deeply and resists the urge to avoid screaming at you and maintain eye contact out of professionalism, pushing back his slipping glasses.
"At this rate, you won't have any more than a month. Had you told me this sooner, y/n, the results wouldn't have been as scarce. But because you waited after almost a year of this, I'm afraid there's not much to do." He pushes his desk lightly to pull away from it, creating a mere distance between himself and the papers which finalized your future's passing. Reaching his collar, he tugs on his tie to loosen it before unbuttoning the first stitch as he looks at you with seemingly stray and angered eyes mixed with sympathy.
Suddenly, his sight wanders the room as he shakes his head repeatedly, scoffing in disbelief. He then smiles, dimples prominent, lip tightened, eyebrows furrowed, and eyes broken, piercing straight at its target - that being you.
Standing up, he takes off his glasses and slams his fist onto the chair's arm rest before running a hand across his hair, softly hissing.
The professionalism is now out of the drain, "You're an idiot, y/n."
"Fucking stupid. How could you not- I mean- how could you not tell me? I'm your brother! We're family. Blood. We're supposed to- we're supposed to tell each other these things and you just fucking- you kept it to yourself all these months! Ten months! And now I'm sitting here being the one to tell you that you're dying? That you're leaving me? I would've done something. I would've helped you, I- I would've killed whoever this person you're in love with is. y/n, please- I just-"
You don't know why, but you felt exhausted.
The ringing in your ears is deafening. Truthfully, you hadn't heard a single thing the minute you received news that you'll be, well, passing away. Not to mention, within 30 days time.
It's not as if you didn't already know about your condition, of course you did. Coughing soft pink camellia flowers every time you see the man that's brought you here is not exactly something that just simply passes a blind eye. You sense it, you feel it, and it hurts.
It really, really hurts.
You also felt awful for your brother. You hadn't meant for it to go this far. You didn't mean to not tell him. You didn't want your assigned doctor to suddenly call in sick and have your brother temporarily take his place. You didn't mean for him to find out this way - such a twisted, horrible fucking way, but here you are.
"I'm sorry, Joon. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to go this far. I just-"
"Were you ever even going to tell me?" He cuts you off, voice low and steady, almost afraid of your coming response.
Your eyes locate his across the cramped room, and one could clearly tell that it's striving its hardest to fight against desperate tears.
"I- yes, Joon. I was. Of course I was. I was gonna do it after this check in actually, but I guess God wanted you to find out sooner than I intended, though He could've just waited a little while longer and it would've been fine." You joke whisperingly, the heavy weight of your heart lightening just a small bit when you notice the corners of his lips twitch and his eyes faintly soften.
Regrettably, that was a lie. You didn’t plan on telling him, not today at least. Maybe not even ever.
The softening air lasts for only a second as his following question makes you hold back the urge to cough up another camellia flower slowly blooming its way to your throat.
"Who is it?"
Genuine, concerned, curious. These were all that he was.
But noticing the way your body went entirely rigid at his words and the way your hand clutched your clothed chest in attempt to shut down what you know will happen next, Namjoon's brotherly instincts causes him to naturally make his way towards you softly, taking small and careful strides towards your fragile state.
And once he's finally reached you, he gets on his knees gently in order for him to be of nearing same height level as you're sitting down, his hands rubbing the back of your hand in a comforting manner.
He does this all before pulling the trigger.
"Who are you in love with, y/n?"
two years back
"Jimin!"
You call out your brother's best friend loudly, who is currently in the midst of doing a one-man stage play in front of the mirror, "Joon's saying you guys need to get going now. Says he has a patient in two hours and wants to go over all sorts of documents before treating her."
Turning around, you scan the living room and dining room for the keys of your friend's car as your brother also asked you to hand them to him since the two always end up on forgetting it until they've already reached the car parked across your apartment's block.
You hear Jimin shuffle behind you, "Really? He wants to go over documents at- 9 AM in the morning?"
Smiling at his attempts of complaint, you nod your head softly in order to play along and answer his rhetorical question, "He really needs to learn how to drive doesn't he? Since he's dragging you along everywhere he goes."
Jimin laughs at your statement, which being an opinion, your brother would argue, 'driving isn't a necessary aspect of life.' But who really thinks like that? Oh right, non-drivers.
“I guess he’s getting too caught up in learning medicine that he forgot to learn how to officially become an adult.” Reaching above the kitchen top, you finally found sight of Jimin's car keys.
How did it even get up there? You think to yourself. It's really high up, so Namjoon must've been the one to leave it as to where it is.
You groan slightly, "Joon, can you get over here! I found Chim's keys but it's too far up high so I can't reach it. Hell I don't even think he can reach this-"
You are cut off when you feel a hand sneak around your waist, making you flinch and suddenly spin cautiously.
Eyes widened. Lips parted. Breath hitched. You let out an inaudible gasp as you come to the realization that Jimin is now in front of you, head tilted with an amused smile on his face, "Excuse you? I can very much reach this." He says, all the while reaching up behind you, inchly leaning forward. At this point, your body is being pressed up against the kitchen counter and his oh-so-very toned front.
This small action is enough to instigate a flaming abyss inside of you as you very much attempt to calm your alarmed heart.
You can feel the cuts and lines of his abs against your chest as he is now standing on his tippy toes, desperately trying to reach the keys on the kitchen top. Anyone that could see his posture would call him adorable, but your body is currently being sandwiched and by all that is high and mighty your mind can't even really process a single thing. Wait, what were you thinking just now?
"See? Got it." Jimin falls back in place as he jiggles his car keys in front of your stone-cold face, smile wide as he giggles softly, "Piece of cake, y/n."
He then proceeds to move on with his life like he didn't just do what the fuck he just did.
Clearing your throat, you blink about a million times in order to gather your thoughts. Your heartbeat is racing faster than the speed of light and your lips have become as dry as a desert. If you had gone standing on your tippy toes just as he did, you would've been a baby hair away from lips touching. The thought is enough to make you grow weak.
Yet as if something inside of you is suddenly turned on, no pun intended, you remind yourself that these thoughts are wrong. You can't be having these apprehensions, they aren't right. Because not only is he your brother's best friend, he also has a-
"y/n?" Jimin's soft voice calls out your name.
Breaking out of your trance, you turn to see him sitting down on the dining table, head tilted downwards with a small smile on his face. The sun escapes your pastel curtains as it slips past the window sill, reasoning with the current ray of golden yellow that has found its home on Jimin’s plump cheek, shining on the left side of his luminous face.
It's absolutely senseless how he can look as beautiful as he does simply by existing, and it makes perfect sense that your finding yourself to liking him more and more.
Just look at him.
You are broken out of your enchanted daze once more as dreaded words leave his smiling lips, "I'm gonna ask her to marry me."
Only then were you brought back to your inadequate reality.
“W- what?” You attempt to speak, but you notice the way your voice has suddenly become noticeably hoarse.
Jimin looks up at you with a smile, the kind that has his eyes almost disappearing.
“Sung. I’m gonna ask her to marry me tonight.”
silence.
silence.
and more silence.
Like a coward, that was all what you could muster to respond with.
And only then did you notice the velvet box on his hands, upon which he is tenderly caressing. Only then did you recognize the questionable romantic script of his one-man stage just moments earlier. Only then did you realize that the reason behind his growing smile are because of her, not you. Not because of what had just taken place.
Only then did you remember that no, you can't be having these apprehensions - they aren't right.
Because not only is he your brother's best friend,
he also has a, now upcoming, fiancé.
present time
"I already loved him then, Joon."
By this time, your brother has stood up and begun pacing back and forth the modest office, murmurs of curses towards his friend escaping past his lips, "-that small son of a bitch."
Smiling softly, you look down in reminiscence of the moments you have spent falling for Jimin. "I guess I've always been infatuated with him ever since our first meeting, but my God Joonie," you pause, inhaling a short breath in attempt to stop tears threatening to spill. "-ever since that day, when he told me that he was going to propose to her, I finally realized that like was the wrong term to use. I realized that I loved him and I just- I lost sight of everything." You cry, small sobs coming from you as you blinkingly look up to try to contain the waters forming in your eyes.
It was true. That day, when he told you about his plans to ask her to marry him, you've never felt more indignant.
Of course you faked it at first, congratulated him and consoled him into truthfully believing that she will undoubtedly say yes. But the minute he and Namjoon left your apartment, you collapsed on your carpeted floors, sobbing loudly and hitting your chest repetitively all the while cursing yourself in your head for ever even considering the tiniest of possibilities that you and Jimin could ever happen.
You also went out that night, got drunk, found a guy, slept with him, and never looked back.
Sure, this may seem like a regular night out for many, but not being the type to kiss and sleep, sex meant a lot to you.
Nothing wrong with one night stands, that just wasn't your particular chosen lifestyle. But you were wasted. You were intoxicated. You didn't know what you were doing. Had you been sober, you wouldn't have done what you did, especially with the person you did it with. So when you woke up in the middle of the night naked in bed next to a familiar face and realized what you've done, you rushingly stood up, got dressed, and left, ignoring the calls of the man you had just been with.
You went straight home and washed yourself for hours, feeling dirty and sloppy and disgusting. You can easily recollect sitting down in the showers, head tucked underneath and in between your legs, sobbing and crying loudly as the steam surrounding you from the warm water kept on worsening.
You hated what you did, and you most definitely despised the reason for what you did, - to simply get over someone else. You felt guilty. You felt ashamed. What would Jimin think? You thought to yourself. And though that truly didn't really matter, the ache in your heart kept on making you believe otherwise.
You didn't notice how your tears have fallen and stained your newly-bought jeans until Namjoon's hands holding a napkin comes within your perception.
Mumbling a small 'sorry Joonie,' you accept his offer and wipe the tears still continuously streaming down your now reddened, warm, and puffy face. As you do this, you furthermore catch sight of your brother's shadow rubbing his face in frustration, matching the groans that you also hear release from him in the background. And without meaning so, you deflate in insecurity.
Hearing the sound of air being released from a pulling force, you look up to see that Namjoon has sat back down, his elbows resting on the desk while his chin rest on his hands. "Does he know about this, y/n?"
You sigh, "No."
"Are you going to tell him?" You hear him ask once more.
Closing your eyes and sniffing lightly, you inhale a steady breath as you answer him for the second time, "I don't know, Joon."
Namjoon looks at you, eyes full of worry and concern. You don't know?
You're his sister, and he loves you. He would do anything for you. If he could shower you with all the love that you lack from Jimin, he would. And he would do it in a heartbeat. But you're dying. You're leaving him. And he doesn't know what to think. He doesn't know what to do. So how could you not know? How could you sit here, in front of him, after keeping this shit for ten months to yourself, tell him that you just don't know?
He feels frustrated. Frustrated over the clearing fact that if you don't know the answer to that simple yes or no question, then how more could you know the answer to when he asks you to make the choice?
The choice - to love or to die.
A very careful, unprecedented surgery that has been performed by professionals only a few times, yet each one has been successful. This seems easy, yeah. A surgery to save your life? Of course you'll do it! But there's a reason as to why this has been done only by a certain small count.
To perform the surgery and live, the price is not the expense, but rather the loneliness that shall come as you spend the rest of your life void of emotions. The surgery doesn't get rid of love on its own, it gets rid of everything that comes with it - happiness, sadness, trust, pain, pretty much everything that one can possibly feel. The only emotion left is indifference, yet even indifference lacks its self-sustainability.
Who would want to live like that?
Who would want to live a life where you just simply exist and nothing more?
He knows that the day will come eventually - when he offers you the choice, the chance to save your life, and he knows it will come soon. But right now, he has chosen to prioritize being a brother over a doctor. Right now, the only thing in his mind is comforting you.
"Okay." Your brother nods, making your eyes widen slightly in shock.
Okay? No scolding? No 'how could you not know?!' older brother reprimands? But then you remember, oh yeah. You're dying. And who could possibly scold their dying little sister?
"I'm sorry Joonie-" You try to apologize once more before he cuts you off again.
"No, don't apologize, y/n. It's not like you could've possibly wanted for any of this to happen, yeah?" He offers you a smile, but you could easily see past its fabricated purpose, "But instead let me ask you this. And I need you, in our deceased parent's name, to be completely honest with me."
You only nod, completely submissive and understanding of his seriousness the moment that he mentioned your passed parents.
"What you just told me, when you first fell in love with him, that was two years ago." He starts, making you nod again in agreement.
"But you were diagnosed only ten months ago."
Your heart drops, and you don't nod again.
"The Hanahaki Disease is not something that gradually begins and comes to existence over the course of time. It is an illness that is triggered. It could be by a sudden forthcoming realization or proclamation of love, or by an event that triggers the heart to completely shut down in overwhelmth. Either way, basing on the timing of what you've said, you should've been diagnosed with the Hanahaki two years ago. But you weren't."
Namjoon eyes you questioningly, but not too much to the extent that you feel uncomfortable, only just enough to remind you of the importance of this conversation, "You were only diagnosed ten months ago, y/n. Why?"
You sit still, not wanting to move, as if your stone figure would somehow make him think that you're not real or that you're a simple figment of his messed up imagination.
"y/n, what happened ten months ago?"
He finishes his question and you swallow harshly only to realize that you're parched, your throat completely dry. You then tilt your head to steal a gaze at your brother, making you catch the way his eyes suddenly widened as if he just realized something of high importance. As if he had just realized the answer to his own question. And that didn't work with you.
Clearing your throat, you are about to answer him in order to cut off his thoughts until the door swings open and you feel your throat compact, - the coughs of a camellia flower slipping its way to visibility -because there he is,
the man of the hour.
"y/n." He noticeably breathes a sigh of relief before making his way to you, engulfing you in a giant embrace. "I was so worried about you. Why didn't you tell me you had the Hanahaki? How could you not let me know? How long have you had it? Who is it? I swear I'm going to murder whoever this piece of shit is that he dared ever making yo-"
"Jimin this is a professional space between a doctor and his patient." The two of you pull away almost exactly the same time as soon as Namjoon speaks up, Jimin's eyebrows furrowing, "Get out."
"What?" Jimin barely gather the voice to ask him as he is completely caught off guard of his friend's erupting vulgar attitude.
"I said-" Namjoon speaks before getting caught off again.
"No trust me, I heard what you said. But what?" Jimin repeats himself, "So you're telling me you're not prioritizing being y/n's brother right now? You're still caught up in this Doctor Kim bullshit? Like you're a real one?"
"Jimin-" You attempt to budge in, sensing that a certain trouble may suddenly come knocking.
"No, y/n. Listen hyung-"
"No, YOU listen. You small piece of shit." Your brother raises his voice, "-don't come barging in here like you own the place or like you have any authority over her. She is MY sister and this is a family matter. So it's best you stay out of it and keep in your lane."
At this point, Namjoon is in front of Jimin, a short distance separating the two of them, "And don't you ever dare speak to me in that tone again. I know you're my friend, but remember to treat me with respect. Not only am I your superior, but I'm also your hyung." He finishes with a serious voice, tone low, and message deep. His earnest eyes piercing through his friend's pained ones.
Jimin, mouth slightly agape being at loss for words and clearly confused at his close friend's unreasonable anger, storms out of the room.
But not before he drags you along with him.
Namjoon is quick to act as he tries to reach for you, but you turn back and look at him pleadingly, signaling him that it's okay and to not worry. And him being the understanding brother that he is, pulls back and holds himself steady.
You can handle him. You’re a Kim. You’re strong.
Strong enough to survive through this.
You’ll be okay.
And as he watches the two of you leave, the door closing shut right in front of him, only then does reality hit Namjoon as his legs tremble abruptly, feeling lightheaded all of a sudden.
Falling down the floor, he reaches onto the desk for assistance as he slides his back down the wooden wall, hands painfully fisted and finding its way to cover his mouth in order to muffle the choked-in sobs perilously escaping him. He proceeds to blink away the tears and bite harshly on his lips, trying to diminish the flourishing grievance in his heart.
His sister is dying, and he doesn't know what to do.
“Doctor Kim? The next patient is ready to see you.” A knocking nurse distracts him and calls out from behind the door, “-shall I send them in?”
Namjoon sniffs heavily and sighs deeply, rushingly grabbing his glasses and adjusting his emotionally wrecked state, “One moment!”
He lets out a soft, shaky breath and reminds himself once more that you’re a Kim.
You’re strong.
You can beat this.
It'll be alright.
You'll be okay.
"IM NOT OKAY JIMIN-SHI!" You voicely whine out to your friend who is currently dragging you along the halls of the hospital and out the technologically advanced glass doors, "What is wrong with you?!" You pull your arm aggressively from his grasp as you bend down, hands resting on your knees while you hastily try to catch your breath. The camellia flower stuck just along the chords of your throat making it very difficult.
Jimin stares at you worryingly, having forgotten of your illness, "O- oh no. y/n, I'm sorry I forgot I- are you okay? Should we go back?" He stutters in concern before you hold up one finger, signaling him to shut the hell up. "-sorry."
Looking at you like this, tired and exhausted from having to put up with all his bullshit, Jimin feels a sudden urge to reach out and embrace you tightly, almost forgetting of his previous encounter with your brother.
And so that's exactly what he does.
You are caught off guard the moment you feel a hand grab your shoulder by means of pulling you closer all the while another rests just at your crook of spine, and although this first makes you stumble in a not-so-very prettily way, your destination is found to be in your friend's embrace, his fragile yet protective arms wrapped around you securely.
Not letting this moment simply pass by, you let yourself melt in his arms as you find the comfort meant to be found in his comforting hug, wrapping your arms around his neck as you slightly stand on your tippy toes. Somehow, your simple action makes him pull you even closer, one hand creeping behind your neck all the while his other is completely wrapped around your waist although this time is tighter than before.
As the two of you stay like this in the middle of the sliding glass doors of the hospital, crowds of unfamiliar voices passing by you and ambulances ringing endlessly against your ear, you let yourself submerge within the passion of your heart.
Amidst the chaos and cries of your nearingly counted days, you find consolation in the arms of the same man that has put you in front of death's door, and quite frankly, you wouldn't really want it any other way. You'll take what is given by the heavens above when it comes to Jimin, because well- you love him.
Unfortunately, that quick and simple thought is enough to make you lose control of your reminded disease.
"y-y/n what's- are you okay?" Jimin pulls away from you abruptly as you break into coughing fits, pastel pink camellia blossoms escaping your trembling lips.
The sight has caught the attention of many civilians, but both you and Jimin remain to be indifferent about them as you or more or less are occupied with your illness all the while Jimin specifically aims his attention on you alone.
"Alright that's it, screw your brother alright?" Jimin exclaims a bit louder than what you're comfortable with as this obviously did not benefit with the proceedingly growing public focus on the two of you, "-we're going back, y/n, it's my fault for bringing you outside so suddenly-"
"No chim, please-" You roughly attempt to speak out, your throat painfully extracting the feeling of abrasiveness, "Please just- let's just go."
"y/n.."
“Please chim,” you cut him off for what seemed to be the fiftieth time, coughing, “-please. I don’t want to be here any longer.”
Hesistant yet concerned, Jimin nods slowly as he assists your side, his hands finding its home around your waist and lower back while you both take short and careful strides. You destination is still unknown, but you didn’t mind. A journey a day with someone you love has never turned out for the worse.
At least that's what you think.
"Really?" You roll your eyes as you notice the familiar lane that Jimin's car just entered, "I asked you to get me out of the hospital area, I didn't ask for a sleepover, Jimin." You jokingly accuse him, but you can't help the smile that makes its way on your puffed-up face as you notice him smoothly take a side-glance at you with a knowing smirk.
"Well I thought that with all that bad hospital air, you might've wanted to breathe in a familiar scent," Jimin responds as the car comes to a stop.
You turn slightly to open the door and step out before you here a meek, "Jankkanman!" and perceive a 5'9 in height blondie come running around the bonnet in order to open the car door for you as a gentleman would. It is such a sweet and casual pantomime, yet an ill-patient diagnosed with an illness of the heart can never bring you any wins. Consequently, his actions only causes your throat to feel strained and compacted for the endless time.
God, how much did you love this man that such a simple gesture makes you want to cough out countless of fully bloomed flowers?
You thank the heavens above for your past endless experiences that allowed you to now be better in terms of hiding your pain as you attempt to smile genuinely, mumbling a small "thank you" in the process before making your way inside his home.
"So," Jimin starts as the two of you plop down his couch, his eyes seeking for yours as he tilts his head ever so lightly, "what should we do today... now that you're out of that hell hole?"
"Chim!" You scold him lightly, "my brother and your best friend just happens to be working in that hell hole, just in case you forgot, and- hey! You work there too, you ass." You accusingly point at him all the while hitting his arm playfully.
Jimin is was a nurse in that hospital. Your brother is a doctor.
He laughs and smiles widely, "Nope. I don't work there anymore, remember? But I did for a while, which is why I can most definitely testify that that place is indeed, a hell hole. And by the way, I'm kind of offended that you pretty much forgot my lost profession just then, y/n, like what the fuck?" He jokes endingly.
Your eyes soften slightly as he mentions his lack of job, yet you still stubbornly choose to ignore his last remark. "Well I sure hope that's not the case since I'll be most likely spending my last days there."
Oops.
The silence that ensues goes inevitably noticed by the two of you the moment those words escaped past your lips, but you paid no mind. That was the reason that you asked him to take you away anyways. You weren't hoping for some cliche romantic bullshit where the two of you simply elope and forget your real worries in your life, no. Instead you were here with the main purpose of facing it.
Besides, even if you did want to leave with him, you couldn't. Remember?
Jimin is the first to break the excessive blockade, "Don't say that y/n."
You sigh, "But it's true, chim."
"I don't give a shit if it's true or not."
"Chim.." You are slightly startled with his sudden outburst, caught off guard in the way his voice slightly raised as his attention and body language are now completely directed at you, "Wha- why are you getting mad?"
Jimin scoffs, almost irritated at your oblivious question, "Why? Because you're talking of dying like it's not a big deal, y/n!" His voice getting louder and louder by every word he spits out, "God, you know you can be so fucking insensitive sometimes. What, did you already forget the shit I suffered when I lost someone? Did you already forget all the fucking shit I suffered when death took her from me?"
At the mention of her, you pause. Speechless. Guilty. Hurt.
Of course you remember. How could you not? You remember the darkest of days as like it was just yesterday.
You remember getting that call in the middle of the night from the contact name of your brother as you slightly answered it in an irritated voice, "Joon I swear to God if you're asking me to drive you to work in the middle of the fucking night I will personally drag your ass right now to get a driver's liscenc-"
"y/n?"
You remember immediately stopping as you recognize the voice that most certainly did not belong to your brother, "Chim?"
"y- y/n."
You remember the outbreak of his sobs as you call out to him, his sniffles and cries becoming more and more prominent as you stumble on your feet, struggling with keeping your phone against and in between your ear and your shoulder as you hurryingly take off to grab a jacket and your keys, "Chim what's wrong, where the hell are you? W- where's Joon?"
You remember the way your heart dropped as your worst fear came to mind, the thought of losing your brother itself being enough to make you wobble in your feet, your heart clenching. He had your brother's phone, and he was crying.
"N-no, he- he's fine, y/n. It's not him, hyung's... hyung's fine."
You remember the way he struggled to find the right words; the way he sniffled and stuttered through forming such a simple sentence all the while you on the other side of the line breathe out a sigh of relief at the information of your brother's wellness, yet feeling slightly guilty that your emotions are in contrast with your friend's.
"It's Sung."
You remember Jimin's worst.
"It's Sung, y/n. Sh- she got in an accident on the way here to visit me during my off hours and- fuck! Some fucking demon pulled a hit and run on her. She was walking, y/n. She walked an hour here and got ran over by someone and.. they're doing an operation on her- hyung's assisting and he just- it's bad. It was really bad and she was bleeding all fucking over and- hyung, he- he left his phone and I didn't know what to do so I just called you- I didn't, they pushed me out of the room, y/n. I need you here. Please, please. Please come here because I'm losing my fucking mind and I need you here."
You remember driving to the hospital as careful as you can with the fear of the possibility of an accident occurring still in the midst of the back of your mind.
You remember reaching the doors of the emergency room and being greeted with a pair of reddened and exhausted eyes that looked up the moment you walked in, "Jin."
He stands up to greet you politely but you stop him, obviously seeing that his reaction upon seeing you is no more than a forced delight, "Let's not do this under these circumstances, okay? You're allowed to feel unwelcoming. It's okay, Jin."
He does no more than mumble a small 'thank you' before going back to his previous spot with you trudging along beside him.
You remember feeling the sorrow of the man beside you as you watch him lean his head back against the wall, fragile streaks of tears rolling down his flushed cheeks. You couldn't imagine his pain, the pain of such a situation where your sister's life is at stake. You wanted to comfort him, to softly rub his back and whisper sweet encouragements against his ear, little white lies that his sister is guaranteed to make it without a doubt. But you couldn't. You weren't here for him, regardless of your history. Regardless of the way you left him the morning after your supposed mistake.
"Uhm, have you seen Jimin?"
You remember the way his void eyes find yours and the way his lips lightly upturn as he gives you a forced smirk, trying to keep up with his image of being Kim Seokjin, Kim Sungkyung's handsome and cocky older brother, "And here I was thinking fate brought you here to me, y/n." He trails off, "-considering how you fucked me then dipped."
You gasp slightly and playfully hit his arm at the blunt mention of your regretted one night stand as you give him a small yet genuine smile, partly glad yet at the same time worried that he can make such remarks during a situation like this.
It was strange really, how everything in your life seemed to be connected. How on the day you felt your heart tore apart the time Jimin first mentioned his planned proposal, you went out and accidentally slept with the soon-to-be-bride's older brother.
Letting out a small sigh, Jin nods his head in the direction of a different waiting room, "He left when I came. Guess he was embarrassed of how fucked up he was but hey- I'm not doing any fucking better am I?" He tells you, subtly pointing at the very visible streaks of tears still falling down his now puffy face.
You get on your feet and turn to leave but not before giving one last glance at the man next to you, a hand softly reaching to rub his shoulder, "I'm so sorry, Jin. I wish I could stay, but-"
"It's okay, y/n. Go." Jin encourages you with a small yet noticeably forced smile, "He needs you."
And so you do, bidding him a soft goodbye before taking off, your eyes beginning to water out of the guilt of leaving a friend in that state.
You then remember being suffocated. Suffocated from the embrace that greeted you the moment Jimin entered your peripheral vision. You remember landing on your behind with a harsh thud from the struggle of Jimin's weight as he continues to seek your embrace for means of comfort, the two of you falling down the floor. You remember getting drenched from Jimin's tears as you cradle him as would a wailing child, rocking him back and forth all the while softly rubbing his back, whispering every bit of amenity that could make him feel better.
You remember feeling your heart physically ache as you fail to notice the tears that have fallen down your own eyes, blurring your sight.
To see Jimin in this state, so broken and hurt and scared, it tore you apart. You wanted him happy. You wanted him smiling. You wanted him. You loved him. And God forbid that you're admitting this in your own mind while his fiance is battling for her own life, but fuck.
You wanted nothing more than to lay down your own life for Sung so that she could continue in existence for him.
If you could, you would take here place.
You would die for her, for him.
You remember pushing back your thoughts as you put focusing on Jimin your first priority. You remember keeping him in a neverending tight embrace as he neverendingly sobs against your chest, his lips leaving prayers you could barely yet still tried to understand;
please don't let her die
don't take her away from me
i love her too much
i still have to marry her.
You then remember hearing a wail of anguish, putting a pause to both Jimin's silent pleas and your eavesdropping as the both of your heads turn to pinpoint from whom the noise came from.
You remember the way Jimin stilled.
"No."
You remember his whisper of such a small, two-lettered word, yet somehow it caused your heart to crumble.
"No no no no-"
You remember having to tackle Jimin slightly as he causes a mess of himself, punching the seats and harshly tugging on his hair all the while screaming wails of pain and suffering, "Jimin please-"
"No- get the fuck off of me! Sung?!"
You remember how Jimin lost sight of reality as he pushes you off of him, your body making in contact with the cold tiled ground.
"SUNG? SUNG! LET ME INSIDE-"
You remember seeing nurses and other staff pull the man you love back as he causes a scene, starting to become physical and violent with the people surrounding him, "PLEASE! Please- I just- I NEED TO SEE HER! SHES MY FIANCE-"
You remember seeing a man dressed in blue make his way near Jimin, a needle in his hand.
"H-hey, no!" You remember trying to catch up to the nurse, attempting to prevent them from giving whatever the shot was to Jimin, "Stop! Please-"
"y/n. D-don't."
You remember feeling a hand on your shoulder which makes you turn around instantly, only to find the culprit behind the anguished scream just moments prior Jimin's outburst.
"Jin." You start, "-they're going to sedate him. That- that's not okay."
"They have to, y/n." Another voice calls out from behind Jin, "I know how it seems and I don't like it either, b-but he's becoming violent. They have to sedate him."
"Joon." You whisper softly.
What a sick and twisted game that life is playing on you, that your brother, Jimin's best friend, Jimin's best man at the wedding being planned, is the one to give news of the bride's passing.
"Sung, is she really.." You trail off, not having the heart to finish your sentence.
It seems neither does he, as he responds with nothing but a simple avoidance of eye contact.
"HYUNG!"
You remember Jimin's faint and tired yet still firm voice as he calls out your brother, "Hyung, you saved her didn't you? You- you were part of the surgery. You saved her didn't you? Didn't you!?" Jimin is weak as he trails off his words as the effect of the syringe takes its course, but that doesn't stop him from reaching out to the three of you, "H-hyung. Tell me you saved her. P-please tell me you saved h-her."
Namjoon doesn't stop the tear that rolls down his hardened face as he only shakes his head, "I'm sorry, Jimin. We did our best. We really, really did. I'm so sorry-"
You remember the way Namjoon's voice trails off your hearing as your throat suddenly feels contracted. You remember the itching pain just within your chest as you find the struggle to breath, your hand clutching it harshly. You remember stumbling back just a little bit as you feel lightheaded, thinking that these were only from the overwhelming happenings in that moment.
But then you cough.
And you cough
and you cough
and you cough.
But no one notices you.
Not even yourself.
Your attention remains still at Jimin, who has now dropped completely to the floor, tears still continuously spilling out of his drowsy eyes. Short breaths are released from his trembling lips as he mumbles words that none of you can understand. He then begins to seemingly reach out for something, someone.
"P-please," He whispers.
And as you bend down almost immediately to attend to his calls, you cough.
And you cough
and you cough.
And still no one notices.
No one except him.
You cough as your eyes find his, barely open yet staring right at you from the lows of the floor.
You remember having to excuse yourself and run to the nearest restroom you can find, legs trembling and stumbling on your way there as you push against the winds of the almost empty halls, still coughing with every step you take. And just as you reach the doors of the restroom, you turn back slightly, just enough to catch Jimin's last sight while his body is being carried away to where you guess is a vacant patient's room, all this before his eyes ultimately close.
Eyes you found lastly staring at you.
You remember finally shutting the door and locking it, thanking God silently that you're in a family restroom hence there is no one else inside. You cough desperately, your throat beginning to feel exclusively sore and your lungs beginning to tighten from all the air being released as you cough and cough and cough again.
You reach out to the sink, gripping tightly onto the white metals as you cough and cough and cough again.
You then brushingly turn to the toilet, your eyes watering and lips numbing as you cough and you cough and you cough once more.
You practically clean the whole restroom, as disgusting as that sounds, from all the moving you made as you coughed anywhere and everywhere. You felt awful for the next person to come inside, now that your bacterium were practically in its every corner, side, and space. You cough again, this time harder, the worst one out of the previous.
You remember sensing a certain feeling rise up, something soft yet itchy, something light yet heavy.
And so you cough, and you cough, and you cough, and you cough,
and you bleed.
And amongst the red is a pink.
A single, individual pink petal from what you would soon find out is a camellia flower - the flower that is soon to be the latter symbolization of death chasing you, growing closer, inching nearer, just about to knock on your door.
So of course you remember Jimin's distraught. Of course you remember Sung's - his fiance's death.
Because her death was too, the ultimate beginning of yours.
taglist for part 2?
#jimin#jimin angst#bts fic#angst bts#bts#bts x reader#jimin x reader#park jimin x reader#jimin fluff#jimin fanfic#bts angst#bts unrequited love#unrequited love#hanahaki#park jimin#bts fanfction#bts one shot#jimin fantasy#bts sad#bts jimin#bts fluff#bts x reader angst#jimin x reader angst#namjoon#fanfiction#jin#seokjin#kim seokjin#hanahaki disease#park jimin angst
312 notes
·
View notes
Text
Miss Mafia | jhs (m)
pairing: Hoseok x reader, Taehyung x reader (He's just a childhood friend, no love interest)
rating: 18+
word count: 15.5k sorry not sorry :)
genre: mafia au, strangers to lovers, secret agent, you are a mafia boss
summary: It's not easy to be the boss of one of the biggest mafias in South-Korea. And surely not as a woman. When a secret agent got discovered by one of your people and brought to you, you would've never dared to guess he would turn your world upside down in multiple ways.
warnings: praising, big d*ck Hoseok, oral (m receiving), hard sex, dom Hoseok, sub reader, v penetration, no protection (reader has an implant so she can't get pregnant. Make always sure you use protection guys!), also a bit of fluff at the end
music recommendations:
- Lacrimosa - Mozart
- Symphony no 9 - Beethoven
- Moonlight Sonata - Beethoven
- more songs on this playlist (youtube)
- https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1yXNkU806Y7EZruvrbl4g9?si=76931ed2ebae4c2c (spotify)
a/n: Again back with a story! I'm sorry for any grammar errors. It is such a big one shot. I'll probably proof read it later so I'm again sorry for any grammar mistakes in this ff! Just ignore it please :')
I was originally thinking of making this a jungkook ff but I eventually ended up making it a J-Hope ff instead. I think he would do a great job as main character here ;) Give it a lot of support and
enjoy reading!
masterlist
Lacrimosa from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Such a pleasant song to listen to with a good glass of wine. You take a sip of the dark red liquid as you softly move your head to the music playing through your boxes. This is how you liked to spend your time alone. A good glass of wine in one hand and the remote of your boxes in your other hand putting on some of your favourite classical music. Like Lacrimosa from Mozart or Beethoven's 9th symphony. All great composers with excellent music. You smiled as you felt your body relax after the long stressful day you had today. Your placed your red tinted lips on the glass for another sip of your wine you would never get to taste.
"Miss!"
You let out a deep sigh as you turned around in your chair towards the front of your desk. One of the maids walked inside and bowing at you. You gave her an unpleasant look. "Didn't I told the staff clearly not to come into my study for the rest of the day?" You asked the woman in front of you who kept looking down, probably not daring to look you in the eyes right now. Everyone knew you could be a real furry when you got angry or irritated. You can ask the last butler you had, after dropping a glass of whine on you by accident. It costed him a finger because you accidentally dropped a knife on his hand.
You softened the volume of the music before speaking again. "Tell me what's going on. It better be good if you don't wanna lose your job." You said coldly, don't sparing her a glance as you emptied the bottle into your glass. "I-It's about the issue from last week mam." She said. A bit of fear could be heard in her voice.
"Go on" You said. "They caught him miss." She said. You looked at the girl in front of you and suddenly began to laugh. The girl looked up for the first time, confusion all written over her little face. You turned towards the painting of your father on the right wall of the study and smiled, raising your glass. "See dad? The company is in great hands. I told you I would get him." You turned back towards the girl, that smile/smirk still on your face.
"Tell them to bring him to la grande salle. I'll be there in a minute." You told her. The maid bowed and then left the room closing the door on her way out. " You chuckled as you licked your lips. "Turns out this day is gonna be better than I expected..." You said, turning up the volume of the boxes and taking another sip of your glass of wine.
A few minutes later and your men walked in dragging a guy with them. His hands and feet tied together, his clothes covered in bloodstains and his hair a complete mess. You leaned forward in you chair as they dropped the man right at your feed. You were currently in your grand salle, how you like to call it, where you handled business of all kinds. From having meetings, recruiting new members till having a talk with bastards like the guy in front of you right now.
"Well, well, well... What do we have here." You said, letting out a small laugh. "Jung Hoseok, isn't it? Secret agent at the National Intelligence Service. They say you're one of the best in your profession. Sad that reputation will end today." You said, leaning back in your chair, snapping your fingers as a sign for the maids to leave the room. Leaving only you, Hoseok and two of your bodyguards. You threw the papers that were in your hand onto the table next to you, the pages falling open on some pictures of Hoseok and his meetings with the NIS.
"I must admit Mister Jung, I'm quite impressed. You have been undercover in my companies for five years. My father always knew there was a spy between us but he never had the chance to catch you." You looked away, staring into the distance as you said your next sentence. "Caught a bullet right through the head. Very tragic." You looked back at the man in front of you. He was still looking down, not saying a word or sparing you a small glance. Was he even still alive? Anyways, you still went on with your little speech. "But times change. After my father's death I took over and look! It's been less than a year and I already caught you."
Suddenly Hoseok started to laugh. You looked at him confused as he slowly tilted his head so you could look at his face for the first time today. His cheeks and upper lip were bruised and a dried stream of blood could be seen under his nose. He looked you right in the eyes. "Took you long enough to figure out it was me." He said. "But congrats. I'm happy you can finally make daddy proud." He mocked, spitting some blood on the white marble floor. His words and actions made your head boil. How dare he speak so lowly about your father. The bodyguards stood read to walk over and beat the shit out of him but you raised your hand stopping them.
You took a deep breath, trying to keep your cool. "Listen here," You said, getting off of your chair, slowly walking around the men on the ground before making a halt behind him and squatting down. You pulled out a blade out of your pocket and held it against his neck as you pulled his head backwards. He let out a painful groan making you smirk. You leaned in closer towards his ear before saying the following words, "You can say anything you want Mister Jung but know the more shit comes out of your mouth the less pleasant your stay at my villa will be before I release your soul from your body, understood?" You said, your mouth dangerously close to his ear.
The man didn't seemed intimidated as he scoffed. "Bring it on Missy. Good luck with keeping me locked here." He said.
You stood back up, a bit overwhelmed by his bold words. You walked towards his front, wanting to see his face. "You got a big mouth for a guy who just has been beaten the hell out of." You said. "Maybe I should just kill you here right now. Makes it a lot easier for the both of us." You said as one of the bodyguards handed you a gun. You loaded it and pointed it towards his head.
He looked you right in the eye as you held the trigger ready to shoot. What surprised you the most was that he was smiling. Why was he smiling? This guy made you so confused. "Not the brag princess but-"
"Don't call me that!" You yelled at him with gritted teeth.
"Ok my lady." He said teasingly. "What I wanted to say is you can't kill me." He looked quite relaxed when he said that.
You scoffed. "What are you talking about? I can kill you wherever I want, whenever I want! Just watch me."
He shook his head. "Sorry to burst that bubble of yours but you can't. You see... I've been undercover for 5 whole years. I know a lot about your company and you." He said, smirking, never looking away from your eyes. "I have been in every building, every city and every warehouse of yours."
"And what's your point?" You asked, getting annoyed of his talking. "To make it short, I have placed bombs and dynamite all over the place. If you kill me you'll never get to know the password and won't be able to deactivate them. So say good bye to your drugs, weapons and men... my lady. Bye, bye money." He said before laughing again.
"And why should I believe you?" You asked. "Busan, the warehouse at Ilgon street, number 45 (a/n: I made the street name up. For people who are wondering.). Look under the floor in the janitor's closet." He said.
You heart raised and your breathing became more rapid as you looked at one of the guards. "Go check if it's true what he's saying." You told him. This couldn't be true. If that bomb was really there then he probably said the truth and there would be more. That would also mean the end of your little mafia life and your source of income. That could never happen, not in a million years. Your family has worked so had for all this and now you're finally almost at the top, yes almost, he would barge in and ruin everything. You couldn't let that happen.
You looked at the guard as he finished the call. "They just found two boxes full of dynamite in the basement under the janitor's closet." The guard confirmed what Hoseok just said. "They say there are timers placed on them. They can only be removed by password, cutting a wire would mean the end." He said.
You brought your hand to your mouth and started to bite at your nails as you paced back and forth. "How much time do we have?" You asked. "7 days, mam." The guard answered.
7 days... You had 7 days to figure out that damn password and get rid of these bombs. But would you really be able to dismantle them on time? "Get Taehyung and put him to work." You told the guard before he disappeared to go get your hacker to fix the job. "You," You said, pointing towards the other guard. Lock Mister Jung up in the basement and make sure he doesn't escape." You said. "You can just call me Hoseok my lady. No need for the formalities." He said, giving you a wink. "Oh, shut up you. You're in no position to talk right now."
He laughed. "Right now I'm in a much better position than you would think love." The man came over to Hoseok and picked him up brutally from the ground. "Good luck with finding the password!" He said, before the doors closed, leaving you all alone in the room. You hoped Taehyung would be able to find it because you weren't in the mood of talking to that asshole again.
"Have you already found something?"
It had been 3 days since your encounter with Hoseok and him telling you about the bombs. 3 days of your hacker Taehyung trying to find a possible password to deactivate them. "I'm sorry y/n. Still nothing." Taehyung was one of the few people that could call you by your real name. You practically grew up with the boy so of course you got some kind of bound with each other.
Taehyung was typing all sorts of things on his computer while something was loading. "Whoever placed these bombs knows damn well how to use them. I can't crack into the system, nor can I track them or dismantle them without the password." He said. "Who did your father mess with?" He asked, his eyes never leaving the screen. "The secret agents agency of South-Korea." You said softly while biting on your nails again. It was a bad habit you did whenever you got stress.
Taehyung pulled at your hand so you couldn't bite on them anymore. "You should really learn how to stop doing that." He told you, looking at you for the first time after you entered the room.
You sighed. Taehyung was not successful in finding the password, the troops you sent hadn't found a single bomb yet except for the one Hoseok told you about and tracing was also out of the question. You were really losing hope. "Just keep looking." You told Taehyung before leaving him behind in his little room.
You were getting tired of all of this and decided to distract your mind a bit. And what is better then visiting your favourite casino when you are bored and stressed? So you went to your room and dressed up for a night out.
Little did you knew a surprise was waiting for you the other day...
"Mam! Mam!"
The door of your bedroom opened, a maid running inside out of breath as she stood at your bed, bowing first before waiting for your permission for her to speak again.
You groaned as you heard the woman storming in your room. Your head pounding because of the amount you drank the evening before at the casino. You slowly opened your eyes, hand on your head, holding it because of the pain. You gave the woman an angry look. "Speak" You snapped at her.
"M-Mam, T-The prisoner! He- He-"
"He what?!" You yelled, tired of the stuttering and hesitation in her speech.
She swallowed before talking again. "He escaped..." She said softly but clear enough for you to hear.
"WHAT??!!"
You made your way down the halls of your mansion while you wrapped your bathrobe around your body. While you made your way downstairs a few of your men were running upstairs but halted once they saw you. They stared at you with wide eyes while you stood there furious looking down on them. "I'll ask you once..." You said as you slowly walked down until you were face to face with the head of the guards. "What happened?"
"We were guarding him like you asked and suddenly someone of the kitchen came to bring us food. They said it was a treat for our hard work. After we ate it... We blacked out. When we woke up again the door was open and he was gone." The man said, looking down.
You clenched your teeth and slapped him right in the face. "YOU IDIOTS! How could you let him escape! I asked one thing of you and you couldn't even do that!!" You yelled at all of them. They all looked down like puppies that were being scolded at. "You're all useless!" You said as you made your way further down the stairs. They all bowed at you one by one as you made your way down.
You took a few corners before ending up in front of Taehyung's bedroom. You knocked, not waiting for an answer, and walked in. "Taehyung I need you to check the CCTV footage of last night. That fucking agent escaped." You said pacing around in Taehyung's room while the boy sat up, sleepily rubbing his eyes. "How late is it?" He asked groggily as he looked at you with puffed cheeks, bad hair and small eyes. "It's 8 am." You told him.
He sighed. "Give me a few minutes to wake up and then I'll go check ok?" You nodded. "Ok, I'll give you 15 min. Not more." You said and you walked out.
Like promised, in 15 minutes Taehyung was already sitting behind his desk returning back to the footage of yesterday evening. You saw the images of you walking out of the house, ready to go to the casino. "You can skip past that." You told him. He skipped a bit forward until you told him to stop. "Stop! right there." You said pointing at the screen. A man with a hood and a mask on walked in the shadows towards the back of the house. Taehyung checked one of the camera's at the back and you saw the men slipping in through the back door where the kitchen is. "He must be the one who drugged the food of the guards."
"They were drugged?" He asked and you nodded. "These morons thought they got food because of their hard work." You answered him. "Now go to the footage of the basement." Taehyung did as you said and showed the images of the sleeping men and the hooded man breaking the chain, letting Hoseok out. "He must have informed someone somehow where he was." Taehyung said.
You sighed. "I need that password. I can't dismantle these bombs without him. I don't like to admit it but... I need him. I need Hoseok." Taehyung turned towards you in his seat. So what are you going to do now?
You thought for a second. Indeed, what were you going to do? You knew everyone would fall for Hoseok's tricks all over again. Except for you. You would never fall for his charms, right? "I'll go after him." You then suddenly decided. Taehyung looked at you in shock. "Are you sure?" He asked. "You got men to do the dirty work for you." He stated.
You nodded. "I know but I can't trust them anymore. Those idiots already let him escape once, I can't let them do it a second time." You told him. "Check the CCTV's of the streets and every nearby city. I need to know where he is."
"Sure will." Taehyung said before going to work again.
While Taehyung worked on tracing Hoseok's location you went towards the dining room to grab some breakfast. Because of all this drama this morning you haven't even had the time to get some food into your system. Your stomach was already growling as you sat down at the filled table, set for two. Two? You may ask. Yes two. Today was the day your second hand would come back from his yearly vacation. He was one of the most trusted men into your house.
His name was Marcus and besides being your second hand he was also your dad's best friend. He has always been by his side and helped him in any way possible. After he died Marcus swore loyal to you and said he would do anything in his might to protect you. So the least you could do for him was to treat him as one of your own show him your gratitude.
While you were peacefully enjoying your meal the doors suddenly opened, revealing a man in suit. You smiled at the man immediately recognising him. "Marcus! Welcome back." You welcomed the man as he walked over towards you. He bowed at you before sitting down at the table where you were already seated. "It feels good to be back mam." He said, smiling before taking a look at the breakfast in front of him. "Well this is sure a great come back." He told you Smith amused eyes. "Please, enjoy yourself." You said. "Take whatever you want." You told him. "I'll sure will." He answered before digging in.
"So how was your trip?" You asked him. "Pretty good. Got some time to relax." He said. "How were things going here while I was gone?" He asked you.
You sighed. "It has been an entire rollercoaster. Oh Marcus," You said dramatically. "How happy I am you're back. I have so much to tell you." After you told him everything Marcus looked at you in shock. "You finally caught him?!" He asked surprised and you nodded. "Kind of, but he escaped yesterday evening while I was gone. These idiots can't do anything right around here anymore..."
"Only if I had been here to stop all this, huh?" He said teasingly and you nodded. "You know you're the best." You told him.
You ate and talked for a good hour before Marcus decided to go see his colleges and try to lessen the damage that had already been caused by Hoseok's escape. You really hoped he could do something about all this.
That evening you also went to go see Taehyung again to check on the situation. "You already found his whereabouts?" You asked the man in front of you. He turned his chair around and smiled at you. "Even better." He said licking his lips and clicking on one single button on his keyboard a whole screen popping up full of information. "I know which city he is in, which district and even in which building!" He told you, all proud of himself.
You walked over and stared at the screen with big eyes. "Really?! You are the best Tae!" You said, wrapping your arms around him in a big hug. The man laughed. "Alright, alright! You're welcome Y/n-ie" He said as you let go again.
"God, I could kiss you right now! You bring me so good news right now!" You yelled at him and he laughed. "You're welcome and about the kiss... no thanks." He said, showing off his boxy smile afterwards. "Go find me a plain ticket for the first flight tomorrow and tell Marcus he has the leadership until I'm back. This girl is going to Busan for some business..."
"Yes mam!"
And so the next day you flew all from Seoul to Busan. You took a taxi from the airport to your hotel while checking the info about Hoseok's whereabouts on your tablet. You mailed Taehyung, telling him you had a safe flight and to thank him again for his good work. He would definitely get a raise once you got back. You smiled as you closed your tablet and looked outside as you drove past the chore. "How long until we reach the hotel sir?" You asked the driver. "We're almost there miss! Just a few more minutes." He said. "Good" You answered, opening your window a bit and closing your eyes, enjoying the fresh sea air filling the car.
After a few more minutes you finally arrived at your destination. A five star hotel Taehyung booked for you. You got out of the taxi, payed the driver and walked inside the building as some staff took your bags out of the cab. You walked towards the counter and asked for your room. Of course it was the penthouse. You knew you could trust Taehyung. He always knew what you wanted. Once you got the key you went towards the elevator and went upstairs. You already felt completely drained from the trip towards where you were now.
As you arrived you walked towards the end off the hall and opened the door with your key card. A big smile as you entered the room. "Finally some rest." You said as you stretched your neck and walked towards the bed. But as soon as you walked through the door two men grabbed you by the arms. You tried to scream and break free from their grasp but it was no use. One of them held a cloth against your mouth and nose with some chloroform on it making you stop struggling after a while and falling into a deep slumber.
While you were unconscious the men dragged you outside the room, making sure no one saw you. They took you inside the elevator where someone was already waiting for your arrival. It was the lady from the counter that gave you your room earlier. "Let's move fast. Once you get out of the elevator go immediately towards the right. Go through the last door and that should lead you towards the back of the hotel. The van is waiting there." She said. Once they got you in the van they drove off to who knows where.
A few hours later you woke up with an incredible headache, as a side effect of the chloroform. You groaned as you opened your eyes, white light shining all around you. Once your eyes got adjusted to the light that came from big windows all around you you could also make out some silhouettes. "Our little princess is finally awake." You heard a voice. The voice sounded awfully familiar. But you couldn't put a name on it just yet.
You tried to move your hands but quickly figured out they were bounded behind your back. Same went for your legs. Tied against the legs of a chair. You looked back in front of you and the silhouette stood up from his place and walked closer until it was close enough. It squatted down in front of you and now you were able to identify the person clearly. "Hoseok..?" You said with unbelief.
He smirked at you. "Good morning princess." He said smiling. "Hope you slept well." Then you noticed the pain in your neck, shoulders and lower back. How long had you been tied to this chair for? You asked yourself. "You've been out for a pretty long time." Hoseok answered before you could even ask. "I hope my men weren't too rough on you." He said letting out a chuckle and standing back up to walk back towards his chair. He picked up an envelope from next to him and gave it to the man on his left. "Here, split it between you and the other guy. You did a great job." He told the man before he left the room, leaving only you and Hoseok.
"W-Where am I?" You asked. Your voice still a bit husk. "Is this xxx street? Your hide out here in Busan after you escaped?" You asked making Hoseok only laugh.
"Oh you wish sweetheart. Busan was just a distraction to get that tech guy of yours and your men off of my tail. We're in Ulsan right now." He told you. "I must admit... Your men are good at finding me but remember, I'm always a step ahead." He said. You looked at him and scoffed. "Asshole..." You muttered under your breath. "I heard that." Hoseok answered.
"Good, glad you know." You told him. He sighed and shoved his chair a bit closer before leaning forward, his arms resting on his thighs. "Tss, even bounded to a chair you still are a furry." He said. "Do you know why I brought you here Miss y/n?" You stayed quiet, clenching your teeth. "I brought you here because I got a proposition for you."
You scoffed. "And what may that be? You're gonna turn yourself in to me and let me torture you?" You asked nonchalantly.
He shook his head and hissed. "Aish, such a beautiful face but such a dirty mouth." He said, leaning back again. "You know the Choi clan right?" He asked. You scoffed. "Of course I know the Choi clan. Who doesn't? They're the biggest mafia out here in South-Korea. My father's mafia's greatest enemy."
Hoseok nodded. "Indeed. We've been already trying for years to stop them but without success."
"And what does all this got to do with me?" You asked him, not impressed by his little talk about the Choi's.
"I need your help." He said, a serious gaze on his face. "I need you to tell us everything you know about the Choi clan and help us arrest them. There is no better view over a mafia as the view of a mafia boss itself." You looked aside, out of the window. Now only noticing you were at a house right next to some low cliffs ending at the sea. You laughed. "And what's in that for me? I can help you but you're probably gonna arrest me afterwards anyways. So why should I bother?" You looked back at him.
He nodded, following your path of thinking. "I knew you would say that. Here's the deal. You help us destroy the Choi clan and I guarantee you won't go to prison. It's that simple." He said, standing up and walking around your chair. You wanted to say something but Hoseok was first. "And I know you're gonna refuse but think for a second... You have no where to run y/n." He stood now right behind you. He leaned in closer towards your right ear. "I got bombs all over your places." Then he switched to your left ear. "And I got you, tied to chair here right now. So either you're going to help or I turn you in right now and then you can say bye bye to your little mafia life." He said.
You scoffed. You wanted to protest but you knew he was right. He had you completely in the palm of his hand. There was no escape from him. "I give you three days starting today to decide whether you're in our out. In that time," He said, cutting the rope that was holding your hands together. "You are free to stand and walk wherever you want but," He said, turing towards your front and also cutting through the ropes at your feet. "You don't go off this domain. You'll stay at the house or at least in its presence. I have guards all over this place so don't you dare escape. Cuz things won't end well if you do" He spoke lowly, standing up while you pulled your hands to your chest, rubbing your sour wrists. The skin a deep red colour from where the rope had been a while ago.
You watched as he walked towards the door at the back of the room. "I'll stay here too. Come see me whenever you made your decision. I hope you enjoy your stay here." He turned his head towards you one last time, giving you a big grin before turning back around and walking out of the room leaving you all alone.
Already one day and one night had past and you still hadn't made your decision. You know going in on Hoseok's decision was your only option so far but you couldn't stop thinking if there maybe was another way. If your men maybe could get you out of here without Hoseok's deal involving. Should you go accept Hoseok's deal? Maybe. Where you stubborn? ... Hell yes. You don't like to lose and give in to others. So this time you also didn't want to just give into him. You couldn't. You were the boss of a big mafia! You shouldn't bow for just anyone.
That day you didn't talk to Hoseok at all. You did see each other sometimes and ate meals together but that would always be in complete silence. You expected Hoseok to annoy you but surprisingly he didn't. After lunch Hoseok left the house for the first time since you were here leaving you all alone. (The bodyguards are still there so dw, you can't escape that easy ;)).
That night when Hoseok came back he was so frustrated. You could see it at his behaviour as you were both eating dinner together at a rather late hour, you must admit. "What's wrong?" You asked. If you had to stay here for a few days you could at least make it a bit less awkward between the two of you.
Hoseok looked up at you. Surprised that you actually started a conversation with him after ignoring his existence in this house for at least 24 hours. "So you haven't lost your voice yet? That's a relief." He joked.
You sighed. "I'm serious Hoseok. What's wrong?" You tried again, trying to be as friendly as possible es hard as it was. He looked at you confused as for why you would care for him. "It's nothing you should concern about." He stated before starting to eat again.
You sighed. "Look, I know we're enemies and We both know we can't stand each other for one bit but... If I need to stay here for the few days ahead I want to make it at least a bit more comfortable for both of us. So..." You swallowed your proud and stubbornness as you said the following lines. "So, if something is wrong then please don't hesitate to come talk to me. I'm here for you ok?" You cringed at stating your own words but this was something you needed to do. Not only to make it more comfortable but also to earn Hoseok's trust. Maybe it could come in handy later on. You never know.
Hoseok nodded at your request. "I will princess." You wanted to snap at him giving you that nickname again but you quickly figured out you better shouldn't. Hoseok knew you were holding yourself in for not going all furry on him and he loved it. He loved making you all worked up and angry. Besides that fact that you were a dangerous mafia boss you were also a very pretty woman. No denying that. And seeing you all worked up and going all furry on him made him feel some kind of things.
"I'm a bit tired." Hoseok stated after a while. "I'll go get some sleep. You should do the same." He said, shoving his chair backwards and getting up from his seat. "And don't forget to think about my proposition Y/n. It's a very good and reasonable deal if you think about it throughly. I hope you can state me your decision tomorrow. But for now, goodnight." He said and then left towards his room.
After you were done eating you also left towards your room to get some good night rest. You sat onto your bed after putting on some sleep wear. You sighed as you thought about your situation. You really felt stuck. You couldn't contact anyone since you didn't have your phone. Hoseok must have hidden it when you were unconscious. your men also haven't been looking for you yet either... Did they even knew in what kind of situation you were right now? Did Tae knew? Would he be worried right now since you haven't texted him yet in these 2 days you've already gone missing?
You let out a deep sigh as questions kept filling your mind. It made you crazy! But suddenly all worries were blown away, out of your mind, as you felt two arms wrap around your frame from behind and two lips placing a delicate kiss onto your neck. Your eyes widened in shock. You quickly looked at your side only to lock eyes with someone you didn't expect.
Hoseok.
He softly smiled at you. "Hey princess." He said, smiling softly. "W-What are you doing here?!" You asked while getting out of the man's grip and standing up from the bed. Why was he here? Why did he touched you like that? Why did he acted so... sweet?
Hoseok tilted his head to the side and looked you up and down, smirking and biting his lip. "Couldn't sleep." He said.
You looked confused at him. He couldn't sleep? So why did he came here then? Out of all places why here? In your room? "So?" You said.
He let out a small chuckle and stood up from the bed, making slow steps forwards, closer to you, making you taking steps backwards until your body hit the wall. No where to run now.
Hoseok placed his hands at both sides of your head, against the wall. "Listen up my lady, I can't sleep and it seems like you can't sleep either, so what do you say about having some fun together hm?" He asked, his eyes scanning your face for some kind of reaction before resting on your perfect shaped lips. God, it drove him wild. Those delicious luscious lips...
You looked at him in shock. Was he really asking what you thought he was asking?! Was he referring to sex? "You tried to slap him in the face but he caught your hand on time and pinned it against the wall making you gasp. You must admit it was kinda hot, seeing his fast reflexes.
He pushed closer against you, one of his legs pushed between yours, his knee against your princess parts, his chest pressed against yours. You swallowed as you looked into his deep brown eyes. You could see they were filled with lust. Completely the opposite of how you both would look at each other a day ago.
God, it made you feel things... That lust filled gaze of him. And his knee, pressed against your core didn't made it any easier. "What will it be love? I don't have all night. I know we're supposed to be enemies but I remember a certain person saying we should get more comfortable around each other and that I was always welcome. Do you still remember that princess?" He asked you and you nodded. You didn't knew what was wrong with you but Hoseok's sudden dominant behaviour got the best of you.
He leaned even more closer towards you, your noses brushing against each other, his lips so close to yours and yet they didn't touch. "What do you want princess? Tell me..." He said, and with those final last words you lost it.
"You" You answered him almost immediately. Without hesitation Hoseok started to kiss you and you surrendered completely to him. You kissed him back and Hoseok let go of your hand that was still pinned against the wall. Your arms fell onto his shoulders. You pulled him closer, deepening the kiss some more, your fingers playing with the locks at the back of his hair. Hoseok bite and sucked at your bottom lip until you finally opened your mouth allowing him inside. Hoseok slipped his tongue inside and started to play with yours. You both moaned into the kiss as it got really steamy and messy. "Fuck Y/n- I didn't knew you could kiss that well." Hoseok stated, breathing heavily between kisses. You smirked. "Had lots of practise in the past i guess." You answered before he guided your leg around his hips, his mouth smashing against yours again in a hot kiss. He slapped your thigh two times, asking you to jump which you gladly did. You wrapped both of your legs around Hoseok's waist, not breaking the kiss as he takes you with him towards the bed.
When he hit the bed frame with his feet he slowly sat down, making you sit on top of his lap. You grinned against him, never breaking the kiss. Soft moans and groans coming out of both of your mouths. Hoseok let go of your lips only to wrap them around your jaw and throat. You moaned, grinding harder against him as he found your sweet spot. "Fuck Hobi-" Without you realising a cute nickname slipped out for the man under you. Hoseok stopped kissing for a while looking up at you. "What- What did you just say?" He asked, already half out of breath from your make-out session.
You blushed as you bite your lip, looking away in embarrassment. Hoseok took a hold of your chin and made you look at him again. "Hey, Look at me while I'm talking. Now answer me princess." He said. "What did you just call me." It sounded more like an order now then a question.
"H-Hobi..." You said quietly. It was quiet for a second. Hoseok just stared at you as he took in your words. Then he suddenly grinned, a soft chuckle leaving his lips. "Cute..." You could hear him whisper under his breath before he pecked your lips. Then he went down again, kissing and napping at your sweet spot. You were sure it was going to leave a bruise later on but right now you didn't mind. Your brain was a haze, your body felt hot and you were so wet down there.
His hands kept roaming your body. From caressing your back to gripping your hips, to grind you more and harder against him, grouping your ass and so on. His hands found their way under you shirt and he pushed it up to get it off of you. You helped him getting it off making him stare at your red laced bra afterwards holding onto your breasts.
He grouped them into his hands, squeezing them softly while you just watched. You knew you shouldn't love all this right now and you knew you surely shouldn't do it with him but you couldn't resist it. And besides, it had been so long since you've had dick. And from what you could feel in his pants right now he got one on the larger size.
You bite your lip as you looked at him getting one breast out of your bra, his thumb caressing over the little but making you whimper. He looked at you, giving you a lazy smirk before he attached his mouth to your breast. He let his tongue roll over your nipple, now and then sucking on it, making them go even harder. His other hand still working on your other breast before he switched sides. Now your left nipple in his mouth and his fingers playing and pinching the other one. While he was busy sucking your tits he unbuckled your bra, making it fall onto your lap. You slept your arms out of the straps and threw it aside.
When you turned your head back towards him his lips met yours again in a quick but deep kiss. "Now love... It has been so long since I've had a woman so close to me. So what would you say of making me feel your mouth, huh? Would you do that for me princess?" He said, his thumb tracing over your bottom lip before slipping onto your mouth. You wrapped your lips around it and started to suck on his finger. It may look strange but it kinda comforted you, making you feel smaller and wanting to submit more to him. Letting him take full control.
You nodded as an answer and smiled, getting his thumb out of your mouth. "Now," he said. "Get on your knees love."
He pulled down his pants and boxers as you sat down on the floor, his dick springing free standing tall and red. He was so ready for you. You licked your lips before kissing his length. Starting at the bottom and making your way towards his already leaking top. When you got at the top you started to take him inside of you, making him groan as you suck on his tip, your tongue rolling over the little slit. "Fuck-, that feels so good princess. Keep going." He said, closing his eyes and putting his hand behind him leaning on his strong arms as he felt his body melt under your touch. After teasing the tip for a while you tried to slowly bob your head up and down, every time when you're going down taking an inch more into your mouth until you couldn't anymore. The part that didn't fit into your mouth you stimulated with your hand, moving it up and down in a steady motion with your head.
Hoseok grasped onto your hair out of pleasure, pulling it softly and getting it out of your face. He wanted to see your face while you pleasured him so well. You were such a good girl for him. So good... He never expected for you to go in on his proposal of having a one night stand for tonight but he loved how turned on you got from him and how submissive you got after you acted like such a brat earlier. He liked to get you worked up and make you go all furry to him but having you now submit to him did something to him. He had been watching you for already so long and now he had you for him alone he couldn't drop the chance and just rushed to your room.
Hoseok felt himself getting close as you went bit faster, your droll already rolling over his dick and towards his balls, your eyes getting teary but you didn't cry. "I'm close baby." He told you. "I'ma cum in your warm little mouth and you're gonna swallow it all. You're my good girl after all, isn't it?" He asked and you nodded.
You loved to be a brat but for some reason hearing Hoseok call you a good girl made you want to please him in all kind of ways. You wanted to be his good girl and his only. You loved his small praises, the cute nicknames he gave you and that irresistible smirk of him whenever you did something he loved or when he had a little plan up in that head of his. In other words he made you go crazy for him.
A few more thrusts and he finally came, tinting the walls of your mouth white. And just like he asked you, you swallowed it all, showing him afterwards. "Good girl. Did so well princess." He praised you again and you smiled up at him as he held your chin, pulling you back up.
He sat you back on his lap and kissed your lips, tasting himself before flipping you over onto your back, on top of the soft mattress. You gasp as he does so.
He grins and hovers over you, ghosting his lips over yours for a while making you hungry for more until he finally kissed you again. He kissed over your jaw and behind your ear. "Princess, I want you to turn around for me." He whispered before biting your ear playfully and getting up so you could turn around for him. You did as he said and turned around now laying on your stomach. He slowly looked you up and down, his hand gliding over your half naked body until he stops at your ass. He helps you out of your pants and panties, throwing them aside. After that he also gets off his remaining clothes before hovering over you again, leaving soft kisses on your shoulders. You whimpered as you felt his hard dick poking your asscheeks. You had been so wet this whole time. Your pussy was craving for some attention.
Hoseok chuckled deeply as he felt you grind against him. "Such a slut for me princess. Your body is just begging me to get touched." He said making you whimper a second time.
But luckily you didn't have to wait long or his full length was already inside you. You moaned as he filled you up so well. "Fuck-" Hoseok breathed out. Because you were already so wet for him he slipped right in and he didn't expected that. But it wasn't like you were to loose. You still felt so tight. It was like your little cunt was just made for him.
He pulled it out before pushing it back in, making you both moan simultaneously this time. You both felt so good. No words to describe it.
When Hoseok started to move for real this time he didn't hold back. He didn't really wait for you to adjust to him (not that you needed to) and started to thrust at an already rapid pace. Moans and groans filled the room as Hoseok was ramming into your pussy like crazy. Right now you felt like you were on cloud nine and on Hoseok's side it was just the same. You both had no thoughts at that moment, the only thing on your minds is how good the other's body felt against your own.
After a short while you felt that familiar knot in your stomach. Meaning you were close. Hoseok could feel it at how tight your pussy became. Sometimes pulsating, driving him crazy. "I-I'm c-close-" You said to him between moans and heavy breaths.
As you told him that he suddenly seemed to stop making your groan and whimper. "Hoseooookkkk-" You were whining, not liking his warm flesh leaving you wet and aching hole. But before anything else he flipped you around and pushed back in. You moaned.
"Want to see your face." He said. "Wanna see how good I make you feel." He stated before slowly starting to trust again, his eyes never leaving your face, taking in every detail, every new expression that took place on that oh so beautiful face. He speed up a bit, seeing your expression change again and hearing your moans getting louder. Like before you ached around him, getting tighter and tighter as that wave of pleasure came back, bringing you close to pure ecstasy. "Cum for me sweetheart." Hoseok said as he felt himself getting close as well.
As like his words were the magic spell your body was waiting to hear you both came undone, Hoseok's mouth devouring yours again, muffling your moans as you came. You both stayed in that position for a while, your lips still attached against each other as Hoseok spilled his load inside of you until his dick softened down again and slipped out. You whimpered at the loss.
Hoseok gave you a last peck on the lips before getting off of you and laying on his back beside you, staring up at the ceiling. "That... Was amazing." He said out of breath. You laughed and nodded. "That was indeed." You answered him. "It has been so long since I had such good sex." You admitted. "Me too, princess. Me too..."
"You're on the pill, right?" Hoseok suddenly asked, turning his head towards you. "Why you asking?" "Well, we didn't use a condom. I hope you don't mind." Hoseok said, blushing a bit and rubbing the back of his neck nervously. How was this the man the one that ever took control over you a while ago?
"I don't take the pill but I got a spiral implanted. So no need to worry about getting me pregnant." You told him. He nodded and then stared back at the ceiling. He suddenly laughed. "What?" You asked turning towards him. He shook his head. "Was just thinking of something.." "Tell me." He played on his side and looked at you. "You know what they say about keep your friends close and your enemies closer?" He asked, a playful smile on his face. "Well I think this way we're definitely keeping our enemies closer." He winked at you and you scoffed, a little smile creeping through.
And that's how you both ended up talked a bit that night until you felt your body getting tired and just fell asleep.
Opening your eyes the next morning it seems you were the first one awake. You tossed around and laid on your other side facing the still fast asleep man next to you. You smiled as he looked so soft while sleeping. So... harmless. You smiled as you looked at him, admiring his cute, puffy face he made while sleeping. How could anyone want to hurt this man?
You shook your head. Did- Did I just think that?! You asked yourself. Get him out of your head Y/n! He's supposed to be your enemy! You told yourself. But yesterday night was just so... You bite your lip as you thought back about yesterday night. Maybe... Just maybe you could trust this man for once. Maybe it was ok to let go for just a little while.
You thought back about his proposition. You didn't knew if yesterday night was one of his plans to get you to follow him into his idea or not but this morning you finally made your decision. You were gonna take Hoseok's offer. It's not like you had any other plans, right?
Before you knew it the men next to you woke up and when he saw you were awake he smiled, closing his eyes and yawning, stretching his muscular arms. "Morning.." He said softly in his deep morning voice. God, you were such a simp for that voice from now on. "Morning." You answered him. You got a bit shocked as the boy leaned in and softly pecked your lips.
Hoseok looked at your shocked face and let out a small giggle before turning onto his back and looking up at the ceiling taking a deep breath. "Last night was... amazing." He said. You nodded but of course he couldn't see it so you answered him afterwards. "Yeah.." You said softly. "Hoseok?" You asked and he turned his face sideways so he could see you, a soft smile plastered onto his face. "Please call me Hobi." He said. You blushed as you remembered you accidentally calling him that last night.
You gave him a small awkward smile and a soft nod. "H-Hobi?" You tried again. "What is it angel?" He asked. Angel... Well that was a new nickname to add to the list. He hadn't called you angel before. You kinda liked it... Stop it! Stop thinking about it Y/n! You internally sighed. Why did he made you feel like this??
"Y/n?" Hoseok called out your name as he saw you were caught in thoughts all of a sudden. "Huh?" You said as you heard his voice. "Oh.." You looked at him and bite your lip before deciding to be bold and sit a bit up. One hand holding you up and one softly wrapped around Hoseok's naked chest under the blanket. You softly let your fingers glide over the warm skin. "I just wanna say... I'm in." You told him, not really wanna admit it but your heart said it was the only right thing to do and your brain said it was the only option to do.
Hoseok looked at you a bit confused before understanding it. "You're for real?" He asked shocked and you nodded. "I will help you catch the Choi's. I already kinda know how too I think..." You said. You looked up at him and Hoseok was smiling at you. He softly started to pet your head. "You made the right decision. I'm glad you decided to cooperate." You don't know why but hearing Hoseok saying you did well made you feel all giddily and good around him. And on top of that the pats he was giving you... You felt like you were in heaven. You may look and sometimes act like a real bitch, well- actually most of the time-, but somewhere inside there you were just a soft girl.
Hoseok let out a deep breath getting you both out of your silent trance you both seemed to be in. "We should go get some clothes on and then we can discuss further details." He said and you nodded, unwrapping your arm from around him and laying back down so he could get up.
Once you both showered and were fully dressed again you sat together at the table to discuss your plan. "So, you said you had something in mind right?" Hoseok asked and you nodded. "Tell me."
"Well," You started off. "You probably already know Mr Choi has two daughters" Hoseok nodded. "but did you knew he also had a son?" You asked and Hoseok looked at you confused. "We've been through those files multiple times. He had a son. He died 10 years ago." Hoseok said, grabbing the file and showing you.
You smirked and shook your head. "That's the part he made you guys see. The rumour goes that he's still alive." You said and Hoseok looked at you in shock. "How is that possible?"
You grinned. "I don't know either but apparently he is. About this... there is good and bad news. What you wanna hear first?" You asked Hoseok. "Good first." He answered.
"Very well then. The good news is, they guy should be in Korea. Multiple people keep saying he's still here and have seen him. It has also been confirmed with pictures. Now the bad news... We have no idea how he looks like. We have witnesses but no descriptions or clear pics of his face."
"So he could be anyone..." Hoseok said and you nodded. "Exactly." "And what has this son to do with getting the Choi's?" Hoseok suddenly asked.
"Well, get the son and you get to the father! People say they still see each other once a year. You said you couldn't get your hands onto Mr Choi? Well he's your chance." You said.
Hoseok seemed lost in thoughts as he looked at the documents in front of him. "But how are we going to find him?" He asked. "There live thousands of people here in Korea." He stated.
You smirked. "I got the perfect solution for that."
A few hours of convincing Hoseok and taking a plain back to Seoul and you were standing again at your own house. More specifically, Taehyung's workspace. "So you are sure this guy can find Choi's son?" Hoseok asked you for the already umpteenth time. You sighed. "For the last time Hope, Taehyung is the best. This guy here gets everything done." You said earning a grin from Taehyung himself who was seated at his usual place, behind his computers. "Well, thanks for the compliment Y/n." He said. "And Hoseok, don't worry. I'll find this guy. It's not because you failed that I will." He gave Hoseok a quick wink making him scoff.
How does he even has the audacity. Hoseok thought. "Good luck man." Hoseok said before walking out of the room with you, leaving Taehyung alone to do his job.
"So what do we do in the meanwhile?" Hoseok asked you. "We just relax a bit. There's not much we can do anyways." You told him. And before you knew it you had let him to your bedroom. (Not for what you think you pervs out there.😏 It's not always about sex.)
You sat down on your bed as Hoseok admired your room, standing still at some pictures. "Is that you?" He asked, holding up one in particular. You smiled and nodded, thinking back about old good memories. "That's me and my mom." You said as you thought back about her. Her soft hands, her warm smile. You missed her a lot. "What happened to her?" Hoseok asked; like he could read you expression. "Cancer..." You answered. "Dad was so broken after she died." You looked up from the picture at Hoseok again, giving him a sad smile. "It's not because we are feared mafia's that we don't know what true love is. What mom and dad had... Was something special. They really loved each other." You said.
Hoseok put the picture back down and walked over to you, sitting down next to you and holding your fragile frame. "I wish she was still here. She was a wonderful woman." You said as Hoseok softly caressed your head. "She told me I should always follow my heart."
Hoseok pulled back from the embrace and gave you a small reassuring smile. You don't know why but your body seemed to react on it and you started to smile back at him. You didn't knew how you became from being enemies only a few days ago to feeling so close to him now but it felt good and you kinda didn't want to let go of that feeling.
Hoseok put a strand of hair behind your face before speaking. "Y/n, what would you think of getting out of this... mafia live of yours? Just start a new life, a better one. Maybe even go start a family." He said.
You laughed ad shook your head. "I can't do that... I maybe had a choice as a kid but after my father died and I took over... I can't just leave like that. And besides... Some people here are like family to me. I can't just leave them." You told him.
"What if you could?"
Before you could answer him, the door to your bedroom opened. "Boss! I didn't knew you were already back and oh- You found him?! Do I need to get the guards?" Marcus asked after storming in.
You smiled and turned towards Marcus. "No need Marcus. It's alright. I made a deal with Mr Jung here so from now on he won't be our prisoner anymore. He will be our guest. And besides, I already told you to just call me by your name. You're not just anyone Marcus. You were my father's friend. So please be comfortable and just see me as a friend too." You said, earning a smile back from him. "Sure Y/n. Do you guys need anything?" He asked and you shook your head. "Not really but thank you Marcus. I'll see you later downstairs." You told him and with that he left your room again.
"Marcus?" Hoseok asked and you turned back to him. You nodded. "My father saved him a few years ago when I was still a kid. Since then he had been my father's most trusted man and also his friend. After he died he swore to protect his family no matter what. So that's how he became my wing man now." You told him and Hoseok nodded. "I see.."
You sighed and stood up. "Well... I should go downstairs now. Marcus is probably waiting for me. You can stay here until I come back our just room around a bit in the house. Whatever you like." You told him and he nodded. "see you later Hobi!" You said with a smile as you walked towards the door. Hoseok smiled back, even happier as he heard you used the little nickname again. "See you later." He said before you finally walked out of the door.
"Ok... explain to me Y/n why that guy is just randomly relaxing in your room?" Marcus asked you once you were both sitting downstairs on the sofa. "Well Marcus, Like I told you, I made a deal with Mr. Jung." "Are you crazy?!" Marcus yelled. "That's like making a deal with the devil!"
"Calm down!" You yelled back at him, making him shut his mouth and sit back down. "Now let me explain." You d-said, fixing your hair. "When I was in Busan I bumped into Hoseok like planned. We... had a little encounter afterwards." You said, thinking back about how he kidnapped you but afterwards how he could pleasure you so well. You swallowed, stopping your thoughts and licking your dry lips. "Then Hoseok came with a proposition. His agency is after the Choi's. Even more then after us. He promised if we helped he would leave us alone afterwards." You explained to the man in front of you.
"And what makes you think he's speaking the truth?" Marcus asked you. You stared into the distance, a small smile forming onto your mouth. "I believe Hobi." You said.
Marcus looked at you with questionable eyes. "H-hobi?" He asked. You swallowed, eyes in shock. Did you just said that out loud?! You looked at Marcus. "I-" How were you going to explain this? "What happened back in Busan?" Marcus asked. "Nothing just-... I was tired of him giving me those little nicknames so I gave him one to annoy him too! Yeah! That's it." You said, a nervous giggle afterwards. You hoped he didn't suspected anything.
Marcus nodded. "Alright then.." He said, dropping the topic. "And besides, Imagine. For so long the Choi's have been at the top of Korea's mafia. Once they're down we're the new number one. We'll finally stand at the top Marcus! How wonderful is that!" You told him enthusiastic. Marcus nodded. "That's... Indeed great!" You frowned your eyebrows. You expected Marcus to be the most enthusiastic out of the two of you. "Is everything alright?" You asked him.
He cleared his throat. "Huh? Oh, yeah, sure. I was just worried about you. What if something happens to you. I still can't trust that Hoseok guy." He said. You gave him a soft smile, placing your hand on top of his. "Don't worry Marcus. I got this." And with that you stood up and walked out. "By the way Marcus," You said, turning around one last time. "Can you go check how Taehyung's work is going and give me an update on it? It's quite important and I only trust you with it." You told him. He nodded. "Of course. I'll go check right away boss!"
When you came back to your room you were surprised that Hoseok was still there. It was like he never left. "I thought you would've already went off to go explore the place." You said as you walked in. Hoseok looked up at you. "Neah, not really. I rather stay here. It's quiet here." He said, laying back onto the bed.
You went to sit at the edge of the bed and looked outside the big window in your room. Suddenly you felt Hoseok's hand grabbing yours and to Hoseok's surprise you laced your fingers with his. He smiled, looking at your face as it looked beautiful to him with the current lighting coming from your windows. You hair already got a bit messy from walking around all over the place all day. You may have been a target for him at first but right now, the only thing he could think about calling you was his angel. That's how you looked in Hoseok's eyes like an angel still trapped into the claws of the devil... The mafia. If he only could get you out of this life and give you a better one. "Leave this place with me tonight."
You turned your head towards Hoseok as these words came out of his mouth. "What?" "You heard me." Hoseok said, sitting back up and sitting a bit closer towards you. "Leave this place with me. Y/n, I can see this is no life for you... I promise I can give you a better one." Hoseok said, looking deep into your eyes. You suddenly felt all naked, like Hoseok could look right through you and into your soul. It's not like you loved the mafia but it also wasn't like you hated it.
"How...?" You quietly asked. "I already told you it's not that easy..." You said, looking down at your still intertwined hands. "Let's just leave this place tonight. No one will know. And we'll see what happens afterwards." Hoseok pushed your chin back up with his free hand. "Look at me Y/n. Do you trust me?" Hoseok asked.
You thought for a second, nervously chewing on your lip. Eventually you nodded your head. You knew you couldn't deny anymore what was happening between you and Hoseok. You knew it all went quick but there was just this sparkle between you and from today on you couldn't unseen it anymore.
Hoseok smiled at your response. "Good. So please Y/n, please come with me." He said, leaning in closer and delicately kissing your lips. You nodded. "A-alright. Let's get out of here tonight. But... I can't leave Taehyung here behind. I need him to go with us. He's my best friend Hope... We grew up together."
Hoseok looked you into the eyes while playing with your hand. "You're sure you can trust him enough to let him come with us?" He asked and you nodded. "I'm a hundred percent sure of it." Hoseok nodded. "Ok then. Go tell him. We'll leave at 3am. Everyone should be asleep by then."
And so as planned you went to speak to Taehyung. You told him the plan and of course he supported you in your decision. He was glad you asked him to go with you. He joked around saying' if Hoseok didn't take you away from here I would'. You laughed at him but then he started to question you about Hoseok and then the blushing and stuttering came. Of course, as the good friends you are, you told him about how you felt something towards the boy but wasn't quiet sure jet but it just felt right. As last you also talked about who the son of the Choi's could be but Taehyung only said it was difficult and he didn't knew yet.
After your little chat with Taehyung and bumping into Marcus inside the hall you were finally back in your room, making everything ready together with Hoseok. "Go get some rest Y/n." Hoseok said, packing the last of your things. You didn't intended to take much with you but no matter what Hoseok insisted he would help you pack. With the small bag finally packed you lay down onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. You heard Hoseok close the zipper of the back before feeling the mantras getting heavy next to you. "I am surprised I'm doing this... A few days ago I wouldn't even have thought of escaping this life. I was so focused on making my parents proud..." You said before scooping a bit closer towards Hoseok, resting your head on his shoulder while he wrapped his arms around you. "No matter what you do, I think your parents will always be proud of you Y/n. Now go sleep. You got a few hours." He said, kissing the top of your head.
"Goodnight Hope."
"Goodnight Y/n."
While you slept Hoseok didn't close an eye. He stayed awake all night, staring at you and also keeping the guard. He knew it may be foolish of him but there was someone in this house Hoseok didn't trust. And that was Marcus. Marcus had always been a strange figure in Hoseok's eyes and today it only got worse.
Hoseok lied to you when you asked him if he stayed in your room the whole time you were gone. In fact, Hoseok went to look for Taehyung. He had something in mind and the only one that could confirm it was him.
"Taehyung, can you look into someone for me?" Hoseok asked as he walked into Taehyung's office. "Who do you need me to look for?" The guy asked, looking at him from behind his desk. "I want you to get some research done on that Marcus guy."
Taehyung looked at him in shock. "Marcus? Why?" He asked, genuinely confused. "I don't trust him at all and I need to confirm something..." Hoseok said, standing behind Taehyung, looking at the screens.
"Marcus has been friends with Y/n's father for so long. Why wouldn't you trust him?" Taehyung said. "You don't think that-" Taehyung broke his own sentence into a silence as he finally understood what Hoseok was looking for. Hoseok nodded. "I think he's our man."
And just like he had thought Taehyung confirmed it that evening. Marcus was indeed the person you guys had been looking for. He was the son of the one and only Mr. Choi. But what would the son of a filthy rich mafia boss do in their enemies house? Hoseok could only think of one thing...
Then a bullet shot through the window and got caught by the opposite wall. Hoseok shook you awake. "Y/n wake up! Plans have changed, we need to go now!" You immediately woke up and you both stood up from the bed, only to hear another two gunshots. You both quickly laid flat on the ground. "W-what is that?" You asked, still halve asleep and confused. "They're here to kill you Y/n."
"What?!" You asked confused. "Who would possibly want to kill me?!" Again shots and Hoseok pulled you with him inside your closet. No windows there so the shutters don't know where to shoot anymore. Then a door opened giving you the answer to your question. "Well, hello hello!"
You looked at Hoseok in shock recognising the voice. Was that Marcus?! Hoseok put his finger in front of his lips telling you to not make any noise.
"Where are you little princess? I know you're somewhere in here~" Marcus said as you heard him walk around the room. "I know your lover boy is with you too." He said.
"You know... I wished things would've gone other ways but you just leave me no choice Y/n. You're just like your father." He said before shooting at the ceiling, making you jump a bit.
But what did he mean, just like your father? "You know the day your father died... It was my doing. He tried to escape too and just like you now, he left me no choice but to kill him right there and then."
You placed your hand over your mouth in shock. Your body was trembling while tears were threatening to leave your eyes. Marcus killed your father? But why would he ever do that? They were like best friends. Hoseok took your trembling body in his arms, shushing you quietly while he was eagerly looking for a way out of here.
Marcus started to speak again. "I know you're probably wondering... 'Oh why did you kill my daddy Marcus? Weren't you like best friends?' " Marcus said, trying to imitate your voice. "Well dear, It may look like we were friends but I am his worst nightmare. Your worst nightmare!" You heard him push a closet on the ground, making a hella loud noice. "You know who I am Y/n? Why doesn't Hoseok tell you, huh?" You looked at Hoseok confused. What would he know you didn't? "I am Marcus Choi. The son of the biggest, most feared mafia boss." Then a maniac laughter could be heard from him. "Wasn't it a great idea from me to infiltrate your little mafia and bring it down? After the accident happened everyone thought I died but I didn't, what caused me to be in the most ideal position. I thought when your father died I finally made an end to the Lee's but then you showed up from your house in the US and took over!" This time a vase could be heard shattering onto the ground. "Of course daddy's little girl had to take over business! Now where are you Y/n! Cut the crab and come out already!" Marcus yelled.
Hoseok slammed the door open as on clue and run with you towards the door as Marcus tried to shoot at the both of you. Luckly no bullet caught you. Or so you thought... "Hoseok! Your shoulder!" You said while you were running through the halls. "I'm alright. We need to get to Taehyung first to warn him and then get the hell out of here." He said. You looked at his shoulder and let go of his hand. "You'll need your hand to put pressure on that wound." You said.
"WHERE ARE YOU, YOU BITCH!!"
You quickly opened the door and ran into Taehyung's room as you heard Marcus yell from upstairs. "Taehyung!" You yelled as you run towards him and hugged him. He hugged you back. "I heard gunshots, what's happening?" He asked, letting go of you. Then he looked at Hoseok and his arm that was covered in blood. "Fuck that looks bad..." He said. "Is it Marcus?!" He asked and Hoseok nodded. "He somehow must have heard us talking about escaping. We need to go now."
"COME OUT COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE!"
Marcus voice could be heard closer and closer. "He's getting near." You said. The panic could be seen in your eyes as you looked at the two boys. "You two need to get out of here as fast as possible." Taehyung said. "And what about you?!" You asked and he gave you a soft smile. "We can't escape with all of us. Marcus knows this place too well. He'll catch onto us in no time. You go and I'll distract him."
"But what if he hurts you like he did to Hoseok?!" You asked concerned. "Don't worry about me Y/n. I'll be alright. I always am in the end. Just trust me ok?" Leave the house and I'll make sure you escape safely." He said.
"He's right Y/n. We got to go now." Hoseok said as he pulled at your arm. You gave Taehyung one last glance. He smiled and nodded, like he was saying 'it's alright. It's all gonna be fine.' And so you trusted him on that and left with Hoseok through the front door.
"THERE YOU ARE!" Marcus yelled from the top of the stairs aiming his gun towards you but shot into the door because Hoseok could close it on time. A tear left your eye as you thought of Taehyung being inside there with that maniac. You were so scared of what Marcus could do to Taehyung. Then you saw the house go into lockdown. You knew this was Taehyung's doing and it was also a sign for you and Hoseok to leave.
"Where are your cars Y/n?" Hoseok asked. "Right there, behind that corner." you told him as you both ran towards the garages. You opened one and got inside the car as fast as possible, Hoseok behind the steering wheel. "Buckle up!" He said and then started the engine. But before you could ride away a shot was heard. You both looked at the side, it was Marcus. Somehow he managed to escape the house and he just shot one of your tiers. This was no good. "You both looked at him in shock as he aimed the gun towards you two again. Fear in both of your eyes this time as you had no where to run to now. You were so scared knowing this could be your last moment.
You still had so many things you wanted to do. You want to stop this mafia shit, make more times to spend with friends and family and most important of all, start a new better life with the one you loved... Hoseok. As you were so concentrated you didn't saw Taehyung stumble out of the house all beaten up by the hooligan in front of you.
You closed your eyes in fear of what would come and then it finally came. Two gunshots could be heard.
...But strangely they never reached you nor Hoseok. You opened your eyes again and saw Marcus coughing up blood before falling down onto the floor. Someone had shot him. Then from everywhere around the building and bushes men with guns appeared. Hoseok rushed out of the car and towards the men. You looked at your saviours in shock as Hoseok talked to them about something. Two persons went to check on the corps while Hoseok looked back and forth between you and then one he was taking to.
You decided to get out of the car as well and with small steps you walked towards Hoseok. He gave you a soft smile and then took you into a tight hug. "It's alright. It's all over now." He shushed you while caressing your hair as you cried into his chest from the chock and all the stress you had been going through tonight.
"Who is this Seok?" The man that was standing with Hoseok earlier asked. "This is Y/n. She was one of the people captured here by Marcus." Hoseok said. "I see... Can you both come testify one by one in a while?" The man asked. "Sheff, can we do it together? I don't think she's in a state to handle this on her own now." Hoseok stated and the guy nodded. "I give you 15min to calm down a bit. Come inside afterwards.
Once the guy left Hoseok let go off you and took a step back to look at you. "It's alright. Just take some deep breaths." You did as Hoseok said and it calmed you down a bit. "Now, I want you to let me speak when we get inside for the interrogation. If they know you're the boss of this whole mafia you hang." "They will put me in prison?!" You asked in shock and Hoseok shock his head. "No, no, no. I won't let that ever happen princess. Just let me do the talking and everything will be alright, ok?" He said and you nodded. "Ok.." "Good."
"Now... How did all these men come here?" You asked, confused on how Hoseok's men suddenly found your house. "I called them in. When you were talking to Marcus I went to Taehyung to search a bit more information about the man."
"You already knew... You didn't trusted him from the start." You said and Hoseok nodded. "I didn't trusted him indeed but I didn't knew. Well... I wasn't sure yet. So that's why I needed proof. Thanks to Taehyung's help I got it. I contacted my boss afterwards. I told them my location and everything they needed to know. My plan was to get you out first so they could storm in and clear this mess without you having to worry about it. I didn't knew he would come and try to kill you first..." Hoseok said, looking down. "I wanted to capture him to get to the Choi's as originally planned but then the shots and he tried to murder you and-"
"ssh," You said, placing your hands on both of Hoseok's cheeks. He looked up at you and you placed your forehead carefully against his. He calmed down a bit, taking a deep breath. "I'm here Hope. I'm right here. I'm still alive thanks to you. You did good by calling your troops here. Thank you for saving me." You said, smiling at him and he smiled back.
You took a deep breath yourself before both going inside for your interrogation. Like you discussed earlier outside Hoseok did the talking. He had to lie a bit for that but it was necessary to not get you in prison. He told them Marcus killed your dad and captured you afterwards. He told them Marcus took over and then caught him too. When you tried to escape today Marcus tried to kill you both and then the troops came in. That's the story Hoseok told the police. "Can you confirm this Ms. Lee?" The agent interrogating you asked. You nodded. "Yes it is. I have been captured by that battered for years until Hoseok finally came and saved me." You said, Hoseok squeezing your hand under the table as if wanting to tell you 'good job'.
After all that happened that day you still had to find a good story for Taehyung. After that was all done and Taehyung was completely healed again you and Hoseok decided to live together. Taehyung was so happy for the both of you. The only thing he ever wanted was to see his best friend happy and now he knew you finally were.
"Guess who?"
You laughed as you knew who these hands and voice belonged too. "Hoseok, we're the only one in the house right now. Of course it's you." You said giggling. It had been a year since what happened with Marcus and right now you were living happily with Hoseok in a villa at the beautiful coast of Italy.
Hoseok took his hands from around your eyes and went to sit next to your legs onto the sunbed you were currently on. You put off your sunglasses and looked at the man in front of you as he leaned in closer for a kiss. For the ones asking, yes you and Hoseok were a pair. A month after everything that happened and after recovering from the chock for a while Hoseok finally asked you to be his and without hesitating you said yes. And so you now both lived happily in each other's presence.
"I got a surprise for you." Hoseok said, pulling back from the kiss and smiling at you. He then pulled an envelope from behind his back. "What is that?" You asked. "Open it." He said, giving you the envelope. You opened it and pulled out two tickets for... "The opera? Is this real?!" Hoseok smiled and nodded. You wrapped your arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you so so so muchhhh!!" You said while hugging him happily. In that year of living together Hoseok slowly dithered out your love for opera and classical music so one day when he sat behind his computer he decided to get you a little present. "See it as an early birthday gift." Hoseok said as you let go of him and kissed him full on the lips. He laughed as he kissed you back, loving to see you so happy.
"It's tonight so I suggest you go pick a nice dress to wear because I know if I don't tell you now you'll take ages." You playfully hit his chest while he laughed. "It's true tho! Now go get ready, we leave at 6." He said. You stood up and got a smack onto your ass. "Yah-" You turned around and looked at him. He smiled and just put on his sunglasses laying down onto the sunned you payed on earlier, smirk on his face. "Go get ready! The longer you take the later it will get."
Once you and Hoseok were ready it was indeed almost time. "Told you, you always take a long time in the bathroom." Hoseok said, kissing your naked shoulder as he wrapped his arms around your waist. He checked you out through the mirror in front of you. "You look beautiful in that red off shoulder dress." He said and you smiled at him, kissing his cheek. "Thanks love. You don't look that bad yourself in that black suit with red tie." You turned around and playfully pulled on his tie, pulling him closer so you could kiss his lips. He kissed back, pushing you a bit backwards against the sink of your bathroom. "We should stop now or we won't even make it to the opera." Hoseok said, pulling away from you.
He did a step backwards and reached his arm towards you. "My lady," He said playfully. You laughed and wrapped your arm around his as you both walked out of the house and towards the car.
Once in the opera house Hoseok saw that sparkle in your eyes and it filled him with love and admiration for you. You looked so happy and it made him happy too. "Look how beautiful and classy it looks here! Wah." You said as you walked towards the giant stairs. "Did you knew that 'common people' always needed to sit at the low levels and that the rich sat at their private balcony? Until now it are still the most expansive places in the house." You told him, already walking towards the door that lead you towards the lower levels assuming your seats were there.
"Where do you think you're going?" Hoseok asked, pulling you back. "I'm going towards our seats?" You said questionable. "What else?"
Hoseok pulled you with him and onto the stairs. "Hoseok-" You said, looking at him in disbelieve while he pulled you with him up the stairs. "My princess only deserves the best." He said, kissing the top of your head before walking further through the hall on the second floor.
He opened a door with Hoseok's name written on and just like in every opera house there was your private balcony. "You really paid for all of this?!" You asked surprised while walking onto the small balcony, looking down at the podium a bit further. Hoseok went to stand behind you and held you as he admired the opera house with you.
You really were surprised at how he managed to pay for this. After leaving the mafia you of course also had to leave all the money behind. Mafia wasn't really legal so the money went towards the government who would do it's thing with it. You were already shocked at him Hoseok managed to buy the villa in Italy you were currently living in and now these expensive opera tickets?
"My job pays quite well Y/n. I think you sometimes underestimate my job as a secret agent love." He said, kissing your nape before letting go of you and sitting down in one of the chairs. "Come sit with me love." You went to sit down and as if on clue the lights dimmed and the show started.
"This was so good Hoseok! I loved it so much!" You said enthusiastically. The whole car it back home you couldn't stop talking about everything that evening. From the beautiful building to the lovely voice of the sopranos. He felt like he just took a little girl towards Disneyland, mesmerised by the many fairytales around her. That's how it felt with you right now. "Cute..." He mumbled as he opened the door for you.
Once you walked inside you saw something you didn't expected. The floor was covered with rose petals and on every closet or chair were cadges lighting the way towards the living room. You turned around towards Hoseok in shock. "Did- Did you do all this?" You asked him and he gave you a bright smile nodding. "I hope you like it." He said and you nodded. "Are you kidding?! I love it! Hope... You're so sweet." You said, a tear leaving your eyes.
Hoseok wrapped you in your arms letting out a soft chuckle. "Oh baby, don't cry now." He wipes the tear away that fell out of your eye. "This is supposed to be a happy day." He told you. You smiled through your tears. "It's just that- You're just so sweet Hobi, you're amazing and so kind and caring towards me. I can't help it." You said.
Hoseok softly kissed your lips. "It's alright love. I like doing cute and sweet stuff for you. Seeing you happy makes me happy. You know that. The only thing I want is for you to feel loved." He said. He turned you around, holding your hand. "Now go walk a bit further. I got another surprise for you." You gave him a questionable look before walking further.
"T-Taehyung?!" You run towards him and unfolded him into a tight hug. "You're here. You're really here!" When you left Korea Taehyung didn't. He decided to stay, going back to his family and live there for a while, while he would try finding a new job. You thought you would never see him again and here he was, right in your arms.
"Did you set this all up?!" You asked, pulling away from your arms. The boy laughed and nodded. "How did you manage to do all this?" You asked, looking around the room. There were red, pink and white balloons hanging at the ceiling, small red paper hearts were covering the curtains and of course the many candles and rose petals all over the place. "Thank you so much for this. Both of you. This is so cute." You said, your hands on your chest as you looked at the two boys and the work they pulled off.
"Oh, where are my manners." You said, fanning your head. "Sit down Tae! It's been so long. I wanna talk and know everything that happen with you while I was gone. You want something to drink?"
Taehyung laughed and stopped you. "It's alright Y/n. You don't need to do all this." He gave you a sweet smile. "Besides, this evening is supposed to be only you and Hoseok. I stay here for two weeks so enough time to talk later. You go and enjoy your night with your manz." Taehyung said, raising his eyebrows and taking his jacket off of the couch. "I'll leave you alone now. Have a great night guys!" He said, winking and smirking at you as he passed by. "See you tomorrow!"
You laughed as he left the place. "Aish that little-" You said as you watched him leave. Hoseok stood behind you again to hug you. He loved giving back hug's a lot lately. Even while you were sleeping he would always spoon you. "Baby?" Hoseok called out your name while he placed his head on your shoulder. "Let's do what Taehyung said and make this night ours." Hoseok said. "And how are you planning to do that Mister Jung?" You asked your boyfriend teasingly.
He took a deep breath. "I don't know yet Misses Jung." You turned around and looked at him in shock. In the past year he had never used his last name to address you until now. "Misses Jung?" He nodded and smiled taking a step backwards and suddenly going down on one knee. Your hands went to cover your mouth in chock. Was this real? Was he really just... proposing to you?
Hoseok pulled a small box out of his pocket and opened it. "Y/n Lee, what would you think of becoming Misses Jung? Will you marry me?" He asked sweetly. He was smiling but you knew inside he was very nervous. So you didn't made him wait long and started nodding your head. "Yes, a thousand times yes. I would love to become your wife Hope." You said and Hoseok's smile widened even more as he stood up again and held you close, his lips meeting yours into a soft but passionate kiss. "You have no idea how happy you make me right now." He said, kissing you over and over again.
You were expected to get the ring around your finger but Hoseok just tossed the box onto the couch and picked you up bridle style. You gasped as he swept you from your feet quite literally. "Let's go celebrate this upstairs, shell we?" He asked and you giggled, caressing his cheek and nodding, kissing his lips as he carried you both upstairs towards your room.
"I love you Hope."
"I love you too, Y/n. My miss mafia."
#bts smut#hoseok smut#hoseok fanfic#bts one shot#bts mafia#mafia au#hoseok au#smut#j hope bts#jhope#jhope x reader#hoseok x reader#y/n#kpop smut#bts senarios#kpop scenarios#bangtan#bangtan smut club#bangtan smut#bts imagines#hoseok imagine
162 notes
·
View notes
Note
Hiii!! I really love your tumblr posts and I'm pretty new to the Batfam (meaning I have only read fics and textposts about them, no comics) and I wanted to ask about the year Bruce/Batman gets "lost in time". I know general things of what the kids have been doing–Dick became batman and fired Tim from robin, giving it to Damian, everyone thinking Tim was crazy for believing Bruce was alive, (don't really know what Jason was up to though, was he still murderous towards Tim? Does the pit still affect him? Also I have no idea about Cass and Duke, were they introduced at this point??) Anyways, my real question was why was Bruce lost in time, what villain put him there? And how did he get out? And how long was he "dead"? Was Bruce in another reality or like just asleep the whole time? Oh! And how soon did this happen after Damian got introduced to the family–a couple months?
I'm so sorry this is so long, but I hope you answer and thank you!!
(I’m going to try and cover all my bases here by going into how exactly Bruce “died,” what went down during the Battle For the Cowl, what the Batkids did while Bruce was gone, and how Bruce came back. Hopefully it all makes sense?? We’ll see how it goes lmao.)
Part 1 - What Happened to Bruce:
So there was this event called Final Crisis (which I won’t go completely into since it would make this post a million times longer than it already is), but the bottom line is that Darkseid wants to overthrow reality and release his Anti-Life Equation, which would overthrow the whole planet and turn everyone into slaves. (If you’re interested in knowing more about the storyline, here’s a Reddit thread that explains it WAY better than I could.)
What I CAN tell you is that during his final confrontation with Darkseid, Bruce is hit by an Omega Beam and turned into a burnt chicken nugget killed. Poor guy.
Final Crisis #6
Clark and Diana bring the body back to the Batcave and break the news to the Batfamily. Batman #687 covers a good portion of the aftermath such as Bruce’s funeral, the Batfamily grieving, and Dick coming to terms with his new responsibility of becoming Batman.
Batman #687
Part 2 - Battle For the Cowl:
Musical chairs time, fellas! After word gets out that Batman is gone, Gotham erupts into chaos. Dick doesn’t want to take over the mantle, Tim needs Dick to take over the mantle, and Jason says “fuck it” and takes over the mantle himself because somebody around here has to. He becomes this murderous psychopathic Batman and starts taking out criminals with deadly force because someone’s gotta do the job, so it might as well be him.
Batman: Battle For the Cowl #1
(Okay honestly, this series had some pretty bad characterization overall, which sucks since it’s such an important storyline. Jason is portrayed as this violent psychopath, which...okay, he was kind of insane after the Pit and all, but not to this degree. Personally, I choose to owe the bad characterization to Bruce’s death because as much as Jason resents Bruce for all he’s done, he does still love him and losing him would be devastating, which would exacerbate his already fragile mental health. As for Damian, this happens roughly three years after his first appearance, so we can assume it’s been a few months since he first joined the family. He’s still relatively new at this point, so nobody knows how to write him yet. He ends up being depicted as if his main two personality traits are Bratty and Assassin-Child and that’s it. It’s all just a mess.)
Anyway, Tim tells Dick to become Batman and stop Jason’s reign of terror. Dick says no, so Tim follows Jason’s lead by saying “fuck it” and putting on the cowl himself. He goes to confront Jason, which ends in Jason beating the crap out of him (again) and leaving him for dead after Tim declines his offer to become Jason’s Robin. Dick goes to save Tim and ends up fighting Jason.
Battle For the Cowl #3
Dick wins, Jason disappears, Tim is fine, and Dick finally gets his head out of his ass and becomes Batman.
Part 3 - What Happens to Each Batkid While Bruce is “Dead”?:
Dick:
As I said, Dick becomes the new Batman a month after Bruce’s death. He’s got big shoes to fill, and it takes some time for him to get used to his new role. He and Damian end up flipping around the classic Batman and Robin dynamic, with Batman now as the fun counterpart to Robin’s edginess. Dick, Damian, and Alfred relocate to the penthouse above the Wayne Foundation building, operating out of a secret Bat-Bunker in the basement.
Batman #688
Jason:
After Battle For the Cowl, Jason is still batshit insane and determined to make Dick’s already stressful life even harder by becoming a supervillain with an ugly costume and an even uglier hairstyle. (I know it’s just because the artist sucked, but still. Jason is horrifying to look at during this time.) He mostly just gets on Dick’s nerves by running around Gotham with his new sidekick Scarlet and killing criminals as Batman and Robin wannabes. Eventually, Dick has Jason committed to Arkham Asylum and he hangs out there until Bruce returns.
Batman and Robin (2009) #5
Tim:
Tim...doesn’t do great after Bruce’s death, mentally. Dick makes Damian Robin, his reasoning being that Robin is more of a sidekick and he sees Tim as his equal. By making Damian Robin, Dick hopes that it will give him the stability he needs to keep him from straying back toward the “bad” side. (It’s the right move ultimately, although his execution was pretty messed up since he didn’t discuss it with Tim beforehand, but he’s allowed to make mistakes. Dick’s father just died and now he’s in charge of picking up the pieces of their broken family. It’s a lot to handle.)
Long story short, Tim has a breakdown, realizes that Bruce is alive, dons the Red Robin identity, and cuts ties with his family to travel the world in search of proof. It’s a rough time.
Red Robin #1
Damian:
Our little guy becomes Robin! So proud of him! As I explained earlier, Dick makes Damian his Robin with the assumption that it will keep him out of trouble, and he’s right on that account. He mentors Damian, teaching him how to channel his violent instincts into something productive, and it works! Slowly but surely, Damian makes the transition from bratty assassin to actual hero!
Batman and Robin (2009) #22
Cass:
Duke sadly was not introduced at this point in time, so he missed out on all the pandemonium. Cass, however, has been Batgirl for years by now, but she got kind of pushed aside by the writers after Bruce’s death. Bruce disappears shortly after adopting Cass, but once he was “dead,” the writers sort of moved Cass around for a while, not quite knowing what to do with her. First she was with the Outsiders. Then they got disbanded and Cass tried forming a new network of heroes to take over for Batman if needed. Then she helped out in said network during Battle for the Cowl, taking care of a newly ravaged Gotham. Then Cass gave the Batgirl mantle to Stephanie Brown after she became disillusioned with the role, thanks to the loss of her father and mentor. Then Cass picked up and moved to Hong Kong to “follow Bruce’s plans” by continuing whatever work he had set up for her there. It was all very vague and confusing, and Cass more or less got swept under the rug during this time. Thanks, writers.
Batgirl (2009) #1
Part 4 - How Bruce Came Back:
When the Blackest Night storyline happens, the Justice League realizes that the corpse buried under Bruce’s grave is apparently not the real one and that he’s actually alive out there somewhere! How wild is that! This is further proven by Dick after he places Bruce’s body in a Lazarus Pit to revive, which has the same result because it’s very clearly Not Bruce and they should have listened to Tim from the start.
Batman and Robin (2009) #9
Anyway, what actually happened is that the Omega Beams that Darkseid shot at Bruce didn’t kill him, but rather blasted him back through time to the prehistoric era with his memories wiped. The Omega Energy inside of Bruce ends up catapulting him through various time periods, which is all part of Darkseid’s plan. With each time-hop, Bruce builds up more Omega Energy in his body which, when he gets back to his original time period, will be unleashed and destroy everything.
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #5
It’s been a little under two years since Final Crisis, though in-universe it’s uncertain exactly how long Bruce has been “dead.” We can assume it’s been a year, give or take. The way he comes back is too scientific and complicated for me to understand, so uhhhh the bottom line is that Tim and a few Leaguers save Bruce at the Vanishing Point and the day is saved! Hooray!
Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #6
(If you want to read about how it actually goes down, then I seriously recommend reading Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne. It’s only six issues, so it’s a quick read and it explains the situation far better than I ever could.)
Bruce eventually reunites with his family after spying on them for a period of time as Insider to see what has changed in his absence:
Bruce Wayne: The Road Home
After that, things quickly settle back into their new normal. Dick and Damian stay on as Batman and Robin. Bruce goes back to being Batman as well, with him handling Batman Incorporated business and Dick continuing as Gotham’s defender. Tim keeps the Red Robin outfit, Steph stays on as Batgirl, and Cass becomes Black Bat. Jason stays in Arkham for a while before filing an appeal to be moved to a regular prison. He kills 82 inmates in less than a week and gets transferred back to Arkham, which he promptly escapes from. It’s a ride, I tell ya.
Aaaaand that’s about it! I hope this answered all of your questions!
#lay it on me papa bob#batman#bruce wayne#batfamily#batfam#dick grayson#nightwing#damian wayne#robin#jason todd#red hood#tim drake#red robin#idiot duckboy#cassandra cain#black bat#batgirl#stephanie brown#alfred pennyworth#darkseid#final crisis#battle for the cowl#dc comics#batman and robin#soho reads comics#get your comic references kids
200 notes
·
View notes
Text
‘Tis the Damn Season- Chapter 7
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Author’s Note- anybody still with me? If not, totally understand. This one is self edited- sorry I’m advance. Reblogs are still and always love!
“Are you sure I can't convince you to come home this Christmas?" Her mother's voice had just a tinge of loneliness, but Emma was set and certain.
"I think I would really like to have a Scandi Christmas this year mum! And I think the best present you could give me is to come and do it with me!"
They'd had this conversation eleventy million times. Emma knew her mum was doing so much better, and that her being in Holmes Chapel, even alone, would be ok, she'd be ok. Emma just knew they'd have so much fun in her newly reclaimed life abroad fusing old traditions with the ones they would make. Her mum was just resistant, she loved her home, was a certified home body, and now that it didn't hurt quite so bad, she loved the reminders of all the Christmases before. She was bathing in nostalgia with a smile on her face and a sweet ache inside.
Emma didn't feel the same. She'd had a fair few wonderful holidays in Holmes Chapel, but to many revolved around Harry Styles, and well, Emma's life did not revolve around Harry. Had never and didn't even have the axis centered around December 26 for a once a year moment any more.
She'd just really gotten back into her own life. Well, Emma patted herself on the back, she'd been living her way for 8 months now, that was almost as long as the 9 months she'd stayed in Holmes Chapel.
When her mother had assured her she was well enough that Emma could go to Iceland, the thought of ice capped fjords in summer thrilled her as though she was climbing them, not just studying them.
So she did.
She felt so much better, and her mother was better and she'd climbed to the top of her trail back to her own life, the one she'd made out of choice and ambition and only been sorry for in brief, lonely morning afters.
Emma wanted to share her life with her mother more than anything, certainly more than she wanted to spend a holiday in a place she now almost entirely associated with hurt. Heartache takes many forms, deep and abiding grief, the kind like she imagines phantom limbs give amputees years on. It also can hurt like a quick sharp mishap, a slip of the knife, full of crimson pain and stitches.
She'd had both together and then his deep cut on top of the other last Christmas. The wound was too fresh to go back at the moment. The good memories were still colored crimson. She needed to wait until her lover's memory flashed with true colors instead of red or blue. Her father's memory was cozier and longer, it was wrapped around the warm pink of her mother, but even it was still too tender.
She needed time.
Emma also had no idea where Harry was these days. She'd cut off all methods of inquiry. She wasn't staying up late googling even, ever, not anything. Not his naked or Camille's. They'd be going on well into their second trip round the sun by now. Probably more deeply in love than he openly confessed to her. Emma didn't need evidence of it. It just opened the stitches she'd sewn herself.
So, no Holmes Chapel, no Google alerts or text messages. She'd blocked his number.
"Well, I suppose if you insist, we can try Amsterdam for Christmas." Her mother covered the sigh at the end of that sentence and Emma appreciated it. She suppressed a wry smile. Her mother could also still hear it in her reply she was sure.
"Oh mum! You won't regret it. It will be so lovely! I can't wait. I'll meet you at the airport, then we will go to my favorite cafe and take a snow walk. It will be picturesque. You'll fall in love, you'll see."
"Alright, darling. I'll give it a chance. I just hate to miss Anne's party two years in a row." Emma cringed and was happy this was not a video chat. She almost gasped and blew her cover when her mum said. "Won't you miss Anne's party? You're close with Gemma, and" she breathed while her mother hesitated, "and Harry?"
God, did everyone know?
"It'll be fine mum. I'll call Gemma. She'll understand."
She would, after they'd had that conversation the last time they'd spoken.
Gem had not really cornered her so much as insisted they get out of the house as often as possible from the day after Boxing Day until she'd left to head back to London.
She, the lovely friend that she was, didn't actually bring it up until she was back for Mother's Day. And she waited until Emma told her she was headed back to her program in the fall with a twinkle in her eyes even Emma knew had been long gone for too long.
Ever the blunt one, Gemma didn't even cozy up to the subject, "so did you break his heart or did he break yours?" She took a big sip of her cider and leveled her state over the rim at Emma.
Emma could feel her face blanching or heating or giving some indication who's heart was broken. Her elegant side step to that mine field was, "huh?" Then a moment later. "Who are you talking about?" To Gemma's patient silence.
"Alright, if that's how you want to be." Gemma playfully rolled her eyes. "You and my brother are not stealth, at all. You would make eyes at each other all night at my mum's and then disappear for the same amount of time. Remember I live with him."
"Do not." Emma didn't bother to deny it.
"I suppose not really, but as much as any one "lives"with him, I do over Christmas, and did for most of my life. I know when he's smitten with someone, and when he's got them around his little finger too." Gemma snorted and ate a chip. "His stupid walk even changes, all of a sudden he swaggers and walks hip first. It's gross!" Her face screwed up.
Emma tried to remember if she had ever seen this hip walk. She supposed she had when he'd walk towards her at the Boar's Head. Or occasionally when he'd corner her by the mistletoe.
"It's not gross." Slipped out.
"That right there," Gemma pointed. "Is gross. Your face all soft and flushed for my little brother. Bleach!" She sighed mixed with a bit of good humor. "But I suppose that means he broke your heart. I can't believe he just turned up with another lady. Did you at least know? I feel like I always know way to much about my brother's sex life."
"Huh?" Emma laughed.
"I just feel like I know way too much about his sex life, due to blind items and pap shots. Thought you might feel the same."
"It's not so simple as that, really. I knew because of that, about his girlfriend." Still couldn't say her name. "But I think he felt like I'd broken his heart, if I'm honest. And That's why he turned up with her. To hurt me back, in case I hadn't seen."
"Did you."
"Certainly not on purpose. My heart and head and life were in shambles, still are, and he made an assumption, and never let me explain."
"Why don't you explain to me."
So she did, haltingly, Emma talked about it all, tears on her cheeks about her dad and then her mum, and even Harry. The sad footnote of loss in a story of grief.
"Why didn't you just tell him?" Gemma asked the question Emma asked herself a lot.
"I guess, I couldn't say it and I couldn't text it. And it confirmed to me that he really only knew me so little, that he could think I'd take advantage of him."
"Did you ever think that was more to do with how other people have treated him than you? he's had to learn to expect the worst of people he wants to trust?"
"Don't make me feel bad for him. Remember? He broke my heart and found someone new. Had the audacity to move on before me!" Emma tried to joke.
"I think, I think you guys got into a mess and never bothered to clean it up until it was so unkempt you couldn't find the good parts." Gemma said after a quiet, mirthless moment.
"Oh no!" Emma tapped her head. "I kept all the good parts."
"Firstly, blech, I wish I could bleach that smile from my head, but 2nd-Is that enough?" Gemma asked.
"It'll have to be, I suppose." She swallowed the moisture in her eyes, "he told me he loves her. Straight to my broken face. Then piled on how he never got the time to love me."
Gem looked curious, then cautious, "I think he does. But it's cuz he wants to. Wants that desperately, to be in love. It may be some leftovers from you."
"Yeah?" Her eyes really pooled then and she bat her cheek to stop more from swarming. "Well I'll have to take that as cold comfort then, that she gets the seed of love he wanted to grow with me."
"I'm sorry. Sure he is too." Gemma sighed. "I'm so sorry for all of it."
"Yeah, yeah." Emma leaned on her friend, her only real one right then. "Me too."
And they left it at that. Emma's eyes were swimming and Gemma blinked a few times too rapidly. They hoisted their glasses. "To almosts!" Emma said.
"To dad's!" Gemma said. Then they both did cry. Talked about Robin's diagnoses. Then it was Emma's turn to be the shoulder, to bolster.
Life went on, the way it always seems to do. Emma and her mom laughed more and then her mum even laughed on her own. By that summer, they both stood on their own two feet, without leaning on each other, except when they wanted to.
By June, there was no reason to stay.
"So, are your roommates excited to have you back?"
Her mum was making tea and packing her sandwiches.
"Mum, I actually had to find mew roommates. The others had to fill the room I was in." She could see the down turn of her mum's lips from the side. Guilt was heavy. "It's not a big deal. The people I'm rooming with are other grad students, I know them. And it's works for the budget. Mum, you know I'm not riding the bus to camp right? I don't need a sandwich. There will be food at the airport and on the plane?"
"Won't be home cooked." Was all she said.
This wasn't for her then. It was some sort of amends, or a thank you. Like the tea she had taken to bringing to her to her room when she woke up, and before bed.
"That's true." Emma kissed her cheek, "I'm gonna go finish packing." She ate the sandwich on the plane later.
Counting bags, she frowned. She'd acquired a lot. She sincerely hoped the bag wasn't as heavy as her heart.
Emma was going to miss Holmes Chapel.
She did, surprisingly as much as she missed school the first 6 months she was home. Maybe, those feelings were tangled up in other events, the other missing pieces of her former puzzle.
I'm any case, she found herself better at keeping in touch
"So, any cute boys in Amsterdam?" Gemma chuckled over the phone one mid December afternoon.
"Don't you have a boyfriend?" Was Emma's laughing response.
"I do, I really do." And Gemma, the blunt tongued, fierce hearted girl sounded suspiciously like a woman in love. Then she pretended to complain, because she was Gemma, about how They were both a little spoon, pretending to be annoyed about it.
"I'm really happy for you." Emma interrupted, meant it, even though she still didn't know if there were any cute boys in Amsterdam because she was still hung up on the cute boy who spent Christmas in Holmes Chapel.
Gemma must have picked up the stain of blue in her voice, "Hey, Emma, I think maybe I should tell you something-"
The buzz from her hallway door went then, and Gemma didn't get to finish.
"Hey Gem, my flat mate lost her key. I'll have to ring you back. Tell me then?"
And then it was Christmas, well Christmas Eve and she was at Schipol with a giant sign that said, "Katherine the great( est mum)!"
"Oh, bless you! Could you have made a bigger sign?"
"I'm sure I could have tried. Maybe found some glitter. Think a flat mate has the body sort somewhere." Her mum narrowed her eyes and pinched her cheek.
"Well, if you've finished embarrassing me, show me this dreadful country that's not England and all it has in terms of festive cheer."
"Let's go get some nuts then!" Emma laughed.
"I beg your pardon?" Her mum put on the prude and Emma laughed at her over the top expression as they made their way to the train to the city center.
Her famous Danish bakery was the first stop. "I thought we would have a taste test. We can rate them."
"Do you already have a favorite?" Her mum asked.
"Yeah." Emma thought about the trifle Harry's mum made and that he'd sneak to the boar's head to feed her in bed. It had only taken him watching her eat it once for him to recognize her glee. It was his favorite too. "But, I want to know what yours is!" Emma brought her memory and watering mouth to the present moment.
They ate their way through Christmas Eve And decorated her Kerstbomen. "Sorry the tree is already up. They were starting to disappear for purchase, but reappear in everyone else's windows! I had to grab one."
"Oh, no dear, it's alright. And actually, I brought a gift from Anne. I saw her the other day and had been complaining about you making me come all the way over here-"
"It's an hour flight!"
"Well, I suppose it will do, but it's not home."
Thank god.
"Anywho, she came by the day after and brought a present for your tree." Her smile was so expectant, Emma was expecting the worst. "It's so important to have good friends." Her smile was cryptic. What friends- Anne to her mum or Gemma to her? Who was the present actually from.
The box was festive. And wrapped beautifully just like Anne's house was always decorated so well. Emma set it aside, "I'll open it tomorrow mum, On christmas, at the proper time."
"Oh no! You must open it now. Gemma told her mom it was for your tree." Ah, mystery solved. Gemma was great at wrapping. When Emma opened it, her heart stopped a full beat.
At first she thought it was the frog, the one she'd gotten for him. That he was giving it back to her like a seal on their relationship that never was. But when she picked it up, she realized it was a proper ornament, not just ornamental. It was a frog, holding a heart.
What Did that mean, whose heart was it?
His for her? Or hers back where he decided it belonged.
"Where will you put it?" Her mother interrupted her train of thought.
"Um, dunno," she moved around the tree to an inconspicuous place. "I guess here." She shrugged.
"Oh no, dear. It's by far the cutest one we have." Her hand scanned over the other ornaments, a hodge podge of beloved ones and ones from Christmas markets. "It goes here." Her Mum stood and took the ornament from its hidden place, placed it front and center. "Let's get the rest up and take a picture."
She'd gotten her mother an aura frame for Mother's Day and she was now obsessed with adding to the Revolving cue of photos.
"Course, ok." Emma ripped her eyes from the frog, but they kept drifting back to it.
It was an hour of a little too much wine and her mother's cheer. It lightened her spirit and got her mind off it's wandery at Harry's intentions, until after silly smiley photos and teary eyed huggy ones, her mum said, "now let's take one for Anne and Gemma. Show them how nice it looks.
Emma thought she'd done a good job at the photo, at arranging her face the way it was supposed to look.
She must have been wrong.
Later, a number she knew by heart but had no current contact for came through. "Your smiles fake. Do you not like it at all?"
She didn't answer it on Boxing Day, or the day after, it wasn't until New Year's Day that she realized she'd blown her resolutions to Smithereens before they could even uphold their name.
All she'd texted back to his cold question was, "how come you're the only person who can always tell."
She may have never noticed she'd done it, with the way her group chats were going off, except he replied before her hangover even subsided.
#harry styles#Harry styles fanfiction#Harry styles fanfic#tis the damn season#song fic#ttds#chapter 7#christmas (baby please come home)
20 notes
·
View notes
Text
I was in my oc feelings this morning, and this happened!
1.2k words of unadulterated Kvyat Fogwyn Feelings :D I wrote like he was writing in a journal over the course of leaving to find Rikka, re-meeting Jason, finding Rikka, and returning to Larkridge to clear her name.
For Shards of Light peeps: My version of this story is a bit different from the campaign’s storyline, for reference.
cw for depressive/suicidal thoughts, injury mention, and Kvyat’s swear-filled internal monologue :P
9/26
The name’s Kvyat Fogwyn. I’m not great at talking about my feelings and shit, so uh...bear with me I guess.
This stupid journal is honestly a last resort. There’s no one left here for me. That’s probably unfair to my parents, but it’s not like they ever really cared. Once they figured out I had a few screws loose they just kinda tolerated me.
I’m getting the hell outta here as soon as I can. I don’t have any plans, but I figure if I just start walking, maybe I’ll eventually find Ri. If she even wants to talk to me. The least I can do is explain what happened, and if I’m lucky she might understand. If not, maybe I’ll just let her slit my throat. It’s what I deserve at this point.
Even after three years of following Britta around I still couldn’t figure out what the hell was going on with her. Guess this is why I stick to bringing people in instead of all the investigation shit.
It’s almost the anniversary of when Ri had to leave. I’ll never forget that fuckin’ day. I’ll never forget how intense her gaze felt. I’m glad I never looked up to see it, but I can still feel the hairs stand up on the back of my neck when I think about it. We...we were supposed to have each other’s backs no matter what, and I ruined it. The one thing I promised her and I fuckin’-
Sorry. This is still too hard to talk about. Dunno why I’m apologizing to a book. Every time I start to think about that day, these intense feelings bubble up from my stomach and it makes me wanna jump out of the tallest tree I can find. I hate it. I hate everything I’ve done, everything I wasn’t strong enough to do...I’m worthless.
Going out to find Ri...this is the last thing I’ll do. If I can’t find her, well...sorry to whoever finds this. Take my shit and go buy yourself somethin’ nice. Just leave me for the wolves.
*
9/30
Something really fuckin’ stupid happened yesterday.
I went to the market to get a few things for my trip, and sell off anything I wouldn’t be needing anymore. All but cleaned out my old room. Less for my parents to deal with later.
So I accidentally kicked a stupid rabbit that was crossing the road. It was crowded and I didn’t see it until it was too late, but I felt bad. So I took the thing back to our shed and let it stay there to rest up.
This morning I go out there, and there’s no rabbit. Just that fuckin’ Grunwick dude. I haven’t seen him in years, and there he was sitting in the hay with a gash across his eye. Heard he fucked off to the woods, and he was better off out there. Dunno when or why he came back, but it took a moment to figure out he was the rabbit. Fucker’s a weird shapeshifter or somethin’. I don’t get it, but it doesn’t matter because I kicked him out.
I plan on leavin’ in about a week. Haven’t told my folks, but they’re used me leavin’ all the time for work. It’ll be fine.
*
10/10
I left three days ago, and we just made it to the city.
Yeah. I wrote we. The fuckin’ Grunwick followed me. Caught me right before I left and said I’d never make it out there by myself. I’ve been through the woods alone before and yeah, it’s not always the best when you gotta sleep and there’s no one to keep watch, but...whatever. Guess it wouldn’t mean much if I bit it before I even get the chance to find Ri.
So I let him come with. At least he knows his way around the forest, and he doesn’t talk much. Oh, yeah. And he’s got healing magic. That unfortunately already came in handy. Wasn’t my fault I got attacked by a damn angry boar. This never leaves this book but...I’m kinda glad Jason’s here. I probably would’ve bled out in the woods without him.
We gotta go find somewhere to stay for the night. I’m tired of sleepin’ on the ground, and my hair’s startin’ to get gross. We’ll stay here for a day or so to regroup and restock, and maybe I can find some intel on where Ri might be. This is probably just a weird gut feeling, but it feels like she’s not too far away.
*
10/28
We found Ri. And she’s coming back with us. My tracking skills aren’t total garbage, I guess.
We ended up going through two more towns, but I picked up her trail and it wasn’t too hard to find her after that. Now all we gotta do is get back to Larkridge, and prove her innocence. Between the three of us, I think we got this.
Spending all this time with Jason on the road’s been...fine. He’s not a bad traveling companion even though he likes to sleep in, and eats more sugar than any one person ever should. There are worse things, I guess. Ri called him my boyfriend which. No. No! Not in a million years. I mean, I don’t hate the guy but. I don’t know.
Shut up you stupid book.
*
11/7
Ri left again today, but this time on her own terms. She’s still got an evil queen to take down with her new friends.
Reading back to my first entry in this stupid thing kinda hurts now. I know it’s only been a little over a month, but a lot’s changed. For the first time in a while I...don’t want to disappear.
I know it’s only been a little more than a week since I wrote last, and uh. Well. Things happened. It’s been a long week, okay?!
So, we found Britta. She was possessed. She had been since before Rikka left. We found out she fucked around with some planar shit, opened herself up to a demon, and the rest is history. Between Ri’s new friends and Jason, we managed to save her. She’s resting up at home with Ri’s parents. She doesn’t know what happened over the last three years. She doesn’t know she killed Jason’s mom. We’ve gotta figure out how to tell her, but that’ll be a problem for future Ri, probably.
I’m resting up too, because Brit managed to get me good with her knife before we took her down. Just a hole in the chest, nothing too major. Jason didn’t take it well. Turns out...goddess this is sappy as shit but-
Turns out Jason never forgot about when we met at that festival all those years ago. I never forgot either, it just…
I didn’t think it would ever work. I was wrong. I’m so glad I was wrong.
Maybe Ri’s boyfriend accusation is more realistic now.
Shut up, you stupid book. Gonna throw this in the damn fire so no one can ever find it and make fun of me.
I gotta get some rest. Fogwyn, signing off.
13 notes
·
View notes
Text
A Feline’s Family - MariChat May 2019
Hi guys, sorry for the lateness of all this. It's been like 18 months since MariChat May 2019, but as you all know I was struggling a lot last year and of course, everyone knows that 2020 has been ~A YEAR~
I've just been more overwhelmed and anti-social than ever and it's taking everything to keep me going to work and eating throughout everything.
Buy Me A Coffee?
AO3
Chapters (If there’s no link, it’s not written yet)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Day 21 - Cold Night
“Feeling any better now, Kitty?” Marinette called as a blond head appeared through her trapdoor. The answer became intuitively obvious as the rest of Adrien rose up into view, a thick blanket covering his shoulders and obscuring the pyjamas he was wearing underneath. As he shuddered with a sudden chill that he was sure only he could feel, he sucked air between his teeth, refusing to let them chatter, lest he worry her.
“Still cold,” he said, fighting the stutter that threatened to surface. “I used up all the hot water,” he continued with a guilty glance up at her, “and got frozen again when the cold came through. So, that was fun.”
She couldn’t help but giggle as his grumpy cat face returned, his lower lip sticking out. She quickly tamed it as another shudder wracked his body and this time the chattering sound made itself known as well.
“Oh! Here!”
He was only beginning to register her words with his last chill-slowed braincell when she flung her arms around him, her gentle hands rubbing up and down his back to share her warmth. He remained stunned – frozen (ha!) in place – even as Tikki and Plagg appeared in his eye line.
“You should ask Plagg to transform you,” Tikki told him, “the suit might not be able to heat you up exactly, but it helps hold onto whatever heat you already have or gain as the night goes on.”
“Yeah great, Sugarcube, just volunteer me and all my energy instead of letting me sleep tonight.”
“Oh shusht, you. It’s a-” -she glanced at Marinette briefly as the girl pressed her face against Adrien’s chest- “-comfort thing. So enough complaining.”
Despite his misery, Adrien chuckled –partly at the exchange in front of him, partly from his giddiness at his proximity to his Lady– until a small sneeze reverberated through him, another threatening to follow. He quickly pulled away from Marinette even though internally he was protesting the idea, already craving another hug. But since he wasn’t sure yet if he was just feeling cold or had caught a cold, he didn’t want to risk infecting her.
“I, um, don’t think it’s a great idea for you to sleep downstairs tonight,” Marinette said when his sneezing had passed, her teeth worrying her lower lip, “The window guy didn’t finish the job today like he promised. There’s probably a horrible draft in there.”
“Yeah. Guess it’s a good thing your dad was suspicious and put off moving my bed earlier.”
It was true. The plan had been to move some of the bare basics into his finished room as the window fitting was completed. He could sleep there at night while they speed-decorated it during the day and hopefully his case worker would be appeased. They all really wanted to avoid any further issues she had with the two teens sharing a room.
But instead Tom had approached Adrien this morning and said he thought he should give him an extra night or two “just in case.” Adrien had frowned as he supposed Tom must have been wary of the contractors promised timescale, though he had thought that was odd at the time. The guy had seemed like a total professional and as far as he knew, had only been held up today by an abnormality in the wall which made sealing the facing more difficult than expected.
“Oh,” Marinette said flatly, “That’s…good.” She chewed her lip harder and he winced a little in sympathy even as he fought back another sneeze.
“Kid, I just checked your bed, and it is freezing over there,” Plagg said, dashing between them, “The window must have been open earlier or something. You do not want to sleep over there tonight.”
“You just don’t want to have to work to keep me warm,” he grumbled, sniffing back another sneeze as he spoke, “So tell me Plagg, where am I supposed to sleep?”
“Duh. All the heat in this place rises, so-”
“Oh!” gasped Tikki, suddenly catching on, “Marinette’s skylight is practically airtight. No heat escapes unless she opens the vent to let it. So, her bed is the warmest of all!”
“Tikki!” Adrien shouted, scandalised. He looked back to the girl standing in front of him and immediately noticed how she refused to meet his eye, instead glancing at a random spot on the floor. With her feet turned inwards slightly, and her arm reaching behind her to grip the opposite elbow, timidity radiated from her with every breath.
“Actually,” she started, turning her head a little towards him, but still not quite meeting his eyeline, “I was thinking the same thing.”
Adrien’s pupils shrunk to tiny specs, even as the rest of his eyes seemed to enlarge to fill up the remaining space on his face. He watched as she shuffled in place a little, enchantingly nervous but eager for his response.
“Are you…asking me to…take your bed?” He watched, fascinated, as the pink hue across her cheeks darkened and spread out further.
“It’s the warmest place in the whole apartment,” she said to his shoulder as she continued with her miniscule attempts towards eye contact, “and it’s where I sleep. So, I can always help keep you warm too.”
He blinked rapidly and a wonderfully cosy blush spread across his cheeks briefly before the heat was absorbed by the chill of his skin. “I am trying so hard not to make the kind of comment that usually gets me throw off buildings,” he admitted bluntly.
She choked on an adorable little snort-laugh and her eyes finally inched up the last of the remaining distance as he joined in, their rising giggles harmonising together beautifully. A tickle in his nose gave him a brief moment of warning and he turned his head away in time to prevent himself from sneezing all over the laughter-flushed girl in front of him.
“Aw, poor kitty,” she cooed, running her hands through his damp hair, even as her face bloomed with heat, “Tell you what. I’m gonna go make a hot water bottle for you. Head on up to bed and get bundled up. Plagg, take care of him while I’m gone, will you?”
“Can do, Spots,” the little black creature answered and the two of them watched as their other halves disappeared through the trapdoor together. Plagg turned back to his charge with a satisfied smirk, “You heard the lady, up the stairs to bed!”
“Oh my God,” the teen said in sudden awkward terror, “I’m really gonna share a bed with her tonight.”
Plagg rolled his eyes at the squeak of his voice and gave a long-suffering dramatic sigh, but his fond smile gave away the true affection he felt for the boy. “Yup,” he said as he started to gently push Adrien towards the ladder, only stopping when the stunned boy began to climb upwards on autopilot.
He managed to crawl across the mattress, and it was with a little assistance from the kwami that he got under the pink covers, blanket still wrapped around him beneath them. His mind was running a million miles a minute and he hated the foggy way his thoughts were forming because of how cold he was. He knew Marinette considered the two of them best friends on a completely different level than either of them saw Alya or Nino, but this was pushing those friend boundaries more than usual. The two girls could share a bed, or the two guys and it was fine, but this? A boy and a girl sharing a room was considered odd enough. His case worker had insisted he get his own room, or he would be removed from the Dupain-Cheng’s care, so for him to sleep on the same mattress as Marinette? Under the same duvet?
“Doesn’t she realise just how this is gonna…I mean, Plagg, isn’t she freaked out? She knows I like her. Does this mean-” he coughed awkwardly to break off his thoughts before he voiced them, “Isn’t she worried about sending me mixed signals or something?”
“Oh, my Me,” Plagg groaned, a phrase he had taking a liking to after it had made Adrien laugh once during a conversation about Plagg technically being a god. The small creature facepalmed with a sigh, “Kid, please tell me you’re joking. If you can’t see that Spots has it bad for you by now, then I don’t know how to convince you.”
The warm blush that swam across his face once more was a pleasant change to his frozen state. He smiled softly as Plagg’s words sunk into his heart deeper and deeper, drowning in the gooey affection they caused there.
“I was worried I was just imaging it,” he mumbled softly, “I still think I might be.”
“Uh huh. And I’m that pleasant white fluffball pooch from down the street.” His tiny paws came up to rest on non-existent hips. “She’s crazy about you. Tikki thinks she’s just scared to tell you in case you suddenly change your mind. I think she’s just awkward as heck and has no idea how to bring it up.”
“So, you think that I should-”
The trapdoor opened and Adrien clamped his mouth shut as Marinette reappeared, pyjama clad and looked delectable with her hair splayed loose across her shoulders. She took a moment to turn out the lights before she ascended the ladder rungs and joined him.
A blossoming of warmth spread out across his chest as she shyly pressed a hot water bottle into his arms. He smiled as he took in the calico design on the cover, and the nervous way the girl tried to adjust herself to get comfortable, clearly very aware of his presence so close beside her.
“This is nice,” he said with a short sniff.
“Yeah,” she whispered with a shy smile, eyes pinned to the pillow beneath her.
“Rest of me still feels cold though.” He smiled as she finally glanced at him properly. “Could I get a hug to warm up?”
She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she considered it. “Will you transform first so you stay warm?” she asked.
“Plagg, claws out.”
The light from his transformation hadn’t even faded fully when she snuggled into him, her face tucked into the crook of his neck and the cosy calico pressed into his chest tightly by her own. He wound his arms around her as hers in turn settled against him. He considered tucking a leg around her own but stopped himself before he took that step, fearing it might have been one too far.
“Did Plagg take care of you while I was gone?” she asked and the feel of her breath against his neck made him shudder in a way completely unrelated to his temperature.
“Yeah. Yeah, he was great really. He talked with me for a change instead of driving me crazy, so I guess that counts as exceptional care.” Her giggle reverberated through him and he decided he should get sick more often.
“I’m glad,” she said, her calf unexpectedly sliding against his and tucking under it loosely, as his heart stopped briefly, “I was w-worried he might make fun of you over this.”
“This?” he squeaked, clearing his throat quietly before he continued, “Nah. He was actually…really helpful. Cheered me up a bit as well.”
“Rea-” -She gave a loud yawn- “-lly?”
“Yeah. He said something to me, you know?”
“Mm hmm.”
“He told me that I’m not imaging some of the things I’ve been wondering about lately.”
“Hmm.”
“He said that you…Marinette? You know I like you, right? Uh, love you, actually.”
There. It was the first time since their identity reveals that he had said it out loud. He exhaled heavily. She didn’t respond.
“So, I need to know, do you like me? The same way that I like you?”
Silence.
“Marinette?”
He pulled back enough to glance down at the girl snuggled against him. Her brow furrowed adorably at the loss of contact and her arms loosely pulled him back in towards her. She had fallen asleep at the moment of his emotional vulnerability and all he could think was that she was the most gorgeous creature alive. The view warmed his heart even as he shuddered at another sudden chill.
“Hmm. Purrs,” she mumbled sleepily, and he realised she was right. The sight of her and the feel of her arms around him had elicited a deep rumble in his chest.
Giving into the happiness he felt in the moment, despite the lack of an answer to his own internal dilemma, Chat replaced his head on the pillow and allowed the sleeping girl to cuddle into him tighter. He sniffed away the discomfort in his nose and gave into the soothing rumble and their mingled breathing as he fell asleep.
Buy Me A Coffee?
Hope you enjoyed!
Shouldn't be too long for another chapter. Next one's already written. Bit of editing...next weekend, I think. Gives me more time to write some more for other chapters too
35 notes
·
View notes
Text
‘one day...’
Hey y’all! This chapter was supposed to be posted last Monday but last week was so busy for me and I forgot. So finally, here is chapter 7! Chapter 8 was supposed to be posted next week, but I’m going to continue with my typical two week schedule so I don’t forget again! Hope you enjoy!
A Sander Sides high school AU
Pairing: Prinxiety and some background Logicality
Summary: Virgil is used to being alone. He only has one friend, Logan. But when Logan makes a new friend, things begin to change as two more join their group. Roman, a boisterous theater kid, seems determined to destroy Virgil’s lonely, average life. How much will Virgil’s life change?
Warnings: swearing; brief mention of a panic attack; eating; if you notice anything else, let me know!
Word Count: 2557 words
-------------------------------------------------------
CHAPTER SEVEN
Virgil exits the auditorium with Patton and Logan, grinning.
“He did so good!” Patton exclaims. Before either of the others have a chance to respond, Patton continues, “It was like he was a completely different person! Here, let’s go congratulate him!” Virgil and Logan follow Patton down a few crowded hallways, weaving in and out of people talking to other members of the cast.
“Roman!” Patton yells, waving his arms. Virgil catches sight of Roman, stepping out of a set of heavy doors. Behind him, it’s dark, but Virgil can make out a folding table and the edges of black curtains. Backstage. Then, a group of people walk in front of them, and Virgil loses sight of Roman.
Without hesitation, Patton grabs Logan’s hand and begins to shove people aside, muttering a few cheerful ‘Excuse me’s and ‘Sorry’s. Before Virgil has a chance to get a hold of Logan, they’re lost in the crowd.
Well, what the heck do I do now? Virgil wonders, chuckling softly. A hand brushes his arm at the same time a voice says, “Hey. Where are the others?”
After seeing who it is, Virgil laughs and answers, “They went to look for you.” Roman slaps his forehead with his palm, uttering a sound that’s half-sigh, half-laugh. He rises up to his toes, straining to look over people’s heads.
“This same goddamn thing happens every year. You would think we’d learn by now.” Roman looks back down at Virgil, and at the very second he does, Virgil sees Patton pop up above the rest of the crowd. Pointing so Roman will see, Virgil waves his other hand to catch Patton’s attention. It works, and Roman grabs Virgil’s hand, causing his heart to skip a beat.
After a lot of pushing and shoving, the two of them reach Patton and Logan, standing pressed up against the wall next to a chair. So that’s how Patton got so tall all of a sudden. The second Patton sees them, he starts to gush about the performance.
“That was so good, Roman!” Patton exclaims clapping his hands in glee. He bounces on the balls of his feet, a wide smile spread across his face. “We all loved it and we’re so proud of you and it sounded so good and I think Virgil might’ve even been crying—” Virgil blushes when Roman looks at him with a shocked expression—“I’m not sure I couldn’t see through my own tears. But for real it was so good, like, I can’t even believe it was put on by high schoolers—” Logan places a hand on Patton’s shoulder. The action confirms to Virgil that Logan definitely has some sort of crush on Patton; Logan never really touches anyone in any way, with the occasional exception of Virgil.
“Sorry,” Patton says, grinning sheepishly. Roman chuckles and looks at Patton, appreciation covering his face.
“It’s okay. I’m glad you came. All of you.” Roman’s smile at him, although no more than a few seconds, makes butterflies erupt in Virgil’s stomach. He smiles back hesitantly, an intense debate going on in his head.
C’mon, tell him how much you liked it! one side says.
No! He won’t think it’s sincere. He’ll just figure you’re copying Patton, the other says back.
Maybe he will take it seriously! Maybe then you’ll have a better chance with him!
Better chance? You don’t actually like him, do you?
Of course he does! The butterflies, dreams, that’s the only logical conclusion!
Shut up, Virgil interrupts. I’ll tell him good job, but as a friend. Because I don’t like him. He’s still Roman Princeford. Have you all forgotten what happened freshman year? That ends the argument in its tracks. He gathers his courage, a rolling knot of apprehension twisting in his stomach.
“Yeah, it was really good, Roman,” Virgil compliments. “Although, Patton, you didn’t need to freaking snitch on me and how I was crying.” Patton shrugs, like ‘What can you do?’ Virgil chuckles, shaking his head.
“Wait, you were actually crying?” Roman asks. When Virgil turns back to look at Roman, he bursts out laughing at his face. It’s filled with complete and utter shock, eyes wide, mouth in a small, disbelieving ‘o’ shape. It seems so much like a face a cartoon character would make that Virgil can’t control his laughter. “What?”
“Your—Your face—” Virgil manages between wheezes. Roman punches Virgil in the arm.
“Stop. That’s not nice.” His words sound angry, but he’s smiling and his tone — and punch — are light.
“Sorry, sorry,” Virgil says, taking deep breaths to hold the laughter in. “It was just so comically shocked. But yes. I did actually cry. And don’t seem so surprised this time.”
“Honestly, your laugh was more surprising. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you laugh like that. It’s a nice sound,” Roman admits, his face filled with something that seems awfully close to adoration. But then he blinks, and his smile is just an ordinary, million-dollar, Roman Princeford smile. It wouldn’t matter if he said it with contempt, because the compliment would’ve still sent a flood of warmth through Virgil. His heart is racing, but this time, not out of panic.
Tearing his eyes away from Roman and trying to inconspicuously grit his teeth, which is no easy feat, Virgil thinks, What is going on? It’s just a compliment. It’s not like you have a crush on him or anything.
“Anyway,” Roman starts, addressing the whole group, “I better go find my parents so they can fawn over me like I’m next Lin-Manuel Miranda or Leslie Odom Jr.” Upon seeing everyone’s blank looks, his eyes widen and he says, “Hamilton stars? Only some of the best singers to ever step foot on Broadway? Voices like goddamn angels who can, for some reason, also rap?” When everyone shakes their head, he sighs. “I swear, you guys must be living under a rock. But anyway, Imma head out. We’ll meet by door 10 at, say, 9:00, for the sleepover?”
Patton and Logan nod their heads and immediately start talking to each other, Patton’s hands moving animatedly.
“Sleepover?” Virgil asks.
“Yeah, Patton and I have a tradition where after every show or any big event with one of our activities, we have a sleepover. Even if it went terribly. He didn’t tell you?” Virgil shakes his head. Roman smiles and continues, “Well, you won’t want to miss it. Door 10 at 9, got it?” Once Virgil gives him confirmation, Roman turns and disappears into the crowd.
Virgil stares after him, a strange feeling welling up inside him. And this time, when the possibility of a crush comes up in his thoughts, he doesn’t dismiss it immediately.
------------------
Virgil sits against Roman’s wall, an excessive amount of pillows behind his back, wrapped in a blanket like a burrito, a comparison that Patton has already, unfortunately, made.
“I still cannot comprehend how you possibly require this immense amount of pillows,” Logan persists. He can’t stop marveling over how many pillows Roman has on his bed. It’s about the 4th time he’s mentioned it.
“Logan, dude, just let it go,” Virgil chuckles, throwing the stuffed bear next to him. It hits Logan, who’s sitting on the floor, square in the side of his head. He opens his mouth to protest, but Roman interrupts him.
“Hey, don’t throw King Snuffles. He doesn’t deserve this abuse.” Roman leans over to pick the bear off the floor. Cradling it in his arms, he glares at Virgil.
“You named your bear King Snuffles?” Virgil questions, not all that surprised. Roman gasps and fakes being offended.
“Yes,” he replies, his voice scandalized. “And what the hell of it?” Virgil puts his hands up in surrender.
“Woah. Nothing, I guess, if you’re going to get so defensive about it.” He pulls the blanket, which fell down when he put up his hands, back around him. There’s too much on his head, so it falls in front of his face. Before he can reach up to push it up, a hand does it for him. Roman smiles at him, patting his head after setting the blanket there. Virgil rolls his eyes.
He hopes the yellow-orange LED lights and the shadows from the blanket hide the blush creeping across his cheeks.
“I’m hungry so I’m gonna head and get snacks,” Roman announces, turning and sling his legs over the edge of the bed to stand. Patton bolts to his feet.
“No, no, I’ll do it,” he says, clearly up to something. “And Logan will come with me.”
“Well, actually—” Logan begins. Patton elbows him, and he changes course. “I guess I’m going with.” On their way out, Patton gives Roman an exaggerated wink. Roman, in lieu of a response, gives him an exasperated, I’m-so-done kind of look. Virgil can’t say for sure, but when Roman looks back at him, he thinks Roman’s blushing.
“So…” Roman starts, biting his lip and fidgeting with his fingers. Virgil’s never seen him look this unsure. He’s used to a confident, brash, slightly egotistical Roman. To his surprise, he almost prefers this side of Roman.
Virgil must lose his mind for a little, because he’s definitely not acting like himself when he suggests, “Pillow fight?” and right after, grabs a pillow and flings it at Roman, whacking him in the face.
A borderline-evil smile appears on Romans face as he says, “Oh, you’re on.” Virgil’s senses pick that exact moment to come back, but he can’t take it back now. So he does the only thing he can do: slings the pillow again. Chaos erupts, and a Virgil verse Roman pillow fight begins.
As he throws and gets hit by pillows, Virgil laughs and yells, heart pounding, breathing in quick bursts, but this feels better than panic attacks. Happiness. It’s something Virgil doesn’t feel a whole lot since he spends most of his life stuck in a state of anxiety. It’s nice to be happy again.
He’s so lost in his thoughts, he doesn’t notice the pillow coming towards him until it slaps him in the face. Virgil falls backwards, head landing, conveniently, on a pillow. He sits up and hits Roman with it, and they’re at it again.
When Roman starts to fall off the bed, Virgil starts to laugh. But then he realizes that somehow, they’d gotten tangled in a blanket, and if Roman is going down, Virgil will too. Shrieking in surprise, Virgil instinctively closes his eyes as he’s yanked off the bed. A pillow hits the back of his head once he’s landed. He laughs and opens his eyes to see Roman directly under him. There’s no doubt about it now; Roman is definitely blushing. For that matter, so is Virgil.
There’s also no way Virgil can deny his crush anymore. But that doesn’t mean he has to deal with it, right? ...Right...
Desperate to put an end to the awkwardness, Virgil stands and offers his hand to Roman. He takes it and pulls himself to his feet. They make eye contact for a second before Virgil looks down at his hands. I wonder what would’ve happened if I’d kissed him.
Nope, nope, nope. Not gonna think about that. Don’t have to deal with that, remember?
“I, uh, wonder what’s taking Patton and Logan so long with the snacks,” Roman finally says, breaking the tense silence. Virgil wants to sigh in relief.
Instead, he simply responds, “I’m not sure. Let’s go see.” They walk to the landing of the stairs. Strangely, there isn’t any sound coming from the kitchen. After walking down the first few steps, Virgil can see into the room. What he sees should come as a surprise, but it really doesn’t.
Apparently, trying to set up Roman and Virgil wasn’t the only reason why Patton wanted Logan to come with. Logan is pressed up against the counter, hand wrapped around Patton’s waist as they kiss. Patton’s palms hold Logan’s face, tilting it down to account for the inches Logan has on him.
Roman, standing right behind Virgil, mutters, “Okay. Okay then.” Virgil starts to laugh but forces himself to stop so Logan or Patton don’t hear. Carefully, they creep back to the bedroom, letting them have their moment.
“So how long do you think that’s been going on for?” Roman asks once they’re back sitting on his bed, Virgil back to being wrapped up in his blanket cocoon again.
“Honestly, I have no idea,” Virgil admits. “I kinda figured Logan had a crush on Patton, but I didn’t think they would actually get together, at least not this soon.”
“Yeah ever since their chemistry project, Patton's been crushing on Logan hard. He doesn’t shut up about it. Apparently,” Roman says, leaning in conspiratorially, “they’ve been talking a lot. Patton’s been so tired lately cuz they’re up til, like, 1 AM, video chatting.”
“That is news to me.” Virgil pauses, staring at the door. The two of them sit in silence for a while — comfortable silence — just waiting for Patton and Logan to reappear with the snacks they were supposed to be bringing. After about 10 more minutes, Virgil turns to Roman and asks, “Do you think I should call them up? They’ve been down there for an awful long time.”
“Yeah. The last thing I want is for them to have sex on my kitchen counter.” Virgil winces at the image that appears in his head at the words.
After Roman yells down to Logan and Patton, Virgil says, “Oh, god. Please never say anything like that again. I do not need that image in my head.” Roman laughs.
“An image of what?” Patton asks, walking in the room with Logan not far behind. Thankfully, they had the decency to pretend like they weren’t just making out. But Patton didn’t have so much decency to pretend like he hadn’t been eavesdropping on their conversation. They drop a few Halloween-size, assorted candy bulk bags and two big bowls of popcorn on the bed.
“Nothing,” Virgil answers, grabbing a handful of popcorn and shoving it in his mouth. “Ooh, Sour Patch Kids.” He grabs four individual bags of them and drops them in his lap.
“Jeez, hungry much?” Roman teases. Virgil flips him off and takes another handful of popcorn. Roman tries to sneakily grab a handful of mini bars from the bag of chocolate-based candy, but Virgil notices.
“Jeez, hypocritical much?” he quips, smirking.
“Oh, fuck off,” Roman responds, sticking his tongue out like a little kid. Virgil sticks his out right back. Patton, who, unsurprisingly, hates swearing, quickly attempts to change the subject.
“Hey, I have an idea! Let’s play Two Truths, One Lie! Then we can get to know each other better!” he suggests. The rest of them agree, and Patton goes first. They take turns, occasionally sharing stories and facts about themselves. And when they get bored of Two Truths, One Lie, they switch to Truth or Dare, and Virgil has to eat a spoonful of mayo.
Patton’s the first to fall asleep. Not long after, around 2 AM, Roman and Logan follow. Virgil sits wrapped in his blanket cocoon in the darkened bedroom. He stares out the window at the dim stars, thinking about how lucky he is. He has three great friends who he can make memories and laugh with.
He turns to look at Roman, asleep on the bed beside him.
“Thank you,” he whispers, “for surprising me.”
#virgil sanders#roman sanders#logan sanders#patton sanders#thomas sanders#prinxiety#logicality#sanders sides#high school au#fanfiction#fanfic#one day...
15 notes
·
View notes
Text
rafe cameron blurb #1
a/n: i love rafe cameron he did nothing wrong and i will continue writing about him until i die. this is very nsfw...you have been warned (NOT MY GIF)
summary: y/n and rafe end up at a party together and y/n notices something is off with our favorite coke whore rafe cameron <3
You didn’t really love the morals that came with the Kook lifestyle, but you knew it was pretty much as close to your college party habits that you were capable of getting to at your parent’s OBX house
If there was one thing that made coming home for vacations worth it, it was Rafe Cameron’s legendary parties
You weren’t from around OBX even before college, but your parents have always brought you down to the beach house for at least a month during summer vacations, for as long as you could remember. All of the Figure Eight adults were friendly in a weird passive aggressive way, which usually meant the kids were too. Rafe was your age so you guys naturally gravitated towards each other. You didn’t have much in common, but he thought you were funny and didn’t let any of his friends hit on you which you appreciated. You just thought he was plain sexy.
It was really hard watching him slowly descend into this empty version of Rafe that you saw at the first party of the summer because he was so different than the Rafe you grew up with
He was always a little intense, but it was always because of how he needed things to go right. From sand castles at age 9 to boat races at age 16 to shotgunning PBR after PBR at age 18, he always had to be the best. You had heard his dad probably had a lot to do with it, but he would never in a million years admit it.
At age 20, though, his new thing was cocain, which you didn’t love
After only two weeks back in the outer banks, you were able to draw a direct correlation between how much coke Rafe had in his system and how intolerable he acted towards the pogues. The one thing you always hated about Rafe and his friends, and the whole island to be honest, was the unnecessary class war. It made you sick.
But when illicit drugs weren’t involved, you saw that Rafe was still just Rafe which made you even more sad. Why would he want to be anyone else?
You were currently pressed against the wall of the Cameron basement, convinced that the red led lights were going to damage your corneas permanently, as some music you only liked when you were under the influence blared from the speakers. But none of that mattered because you could not stop staring at Rafe.
He was doing his normal host rounds, making sure everyone was drinking and that all of the girls were personally greeted by him, but he seemed way further away. Something more than alcohol.
This went on for about three hours, you pretending to be interested in conversations and his other cronies trying to get a piece of you, and you saw him disappear into the bathroom two separate times. Each time he came out he was wiping his nose. It didn’t take a rocket scientist.
As you saw him make a beeline for round three, you swallowed down the rest of whatever fruity thing you had in your cup and followed him before anyone else could. You barely got through the bathroom door before he slammed it in your face.
“Rafe, it’s just me” You say as you caught the door, sliding yourself through the gap in the door frame, closing it and locking it behind you.
“Shit, Y/N, you can’t sneak up on me like that…” he trailed off while he gave you a once over, “Damn you look good tonight.”
You exhale, looking down and laughing sarcastically, “Sure it’s not the coke talking?”
He looks back at you incredulously until he finally decide to scoff, “C’mon Y/N relax it’s nothing”
“No! I’m not going to relax! This is your third trip tonight-”
“Damn Y/N I didn’t realize you were keeping tabs on me. Does someone have a crush?”
“-Your third trip tonight,” you talk over him, rolling your eyes and ignoring what he said, “That’s not nothing.”
“It’s a fucking party what is your problem?” You could tell he was about to blow. Another side effect of this new habit of his was his shortened fuse on a circuit that was already pretty short.
He seemed to forget, however, that he wasn’t the only one with a temper. “Oh I’m sorry you’re right. It’s a party. I’m just being unreasonable. Tell me this though, if this is just a party, then what was that on the boat yesterday? Did you really think I wasn’t going to notice you snorting up a whole fucking line in broad daylight on a 12x12 speed boat?”
He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and turned to face the mirror, his fists slamming on the kitchen sink, his eyes clenched shut.
“What the fuck do you want me to say, Y/N? Want me to offer you some next time?” He looks back at you through the mirror, his lips pursed in a tight line against his face, jaw clenched. “Sorry I’m not the same little bitch you used to build sand castles with or whatever the fuck. People grow up and they change. This is who I am,” he paused, “No one is making you be around me so if that’s not good enough for you, you know where the fucking door is.” He looked back down at the sink before quickly moving his hand down to his pants pocket, fishing a tiny little ziploc bag out of his god awful khaki shorts.
Before he could get any further, you closed the gap between your bodies and smacked the bag out of his hand, making the contents spill all over the floor.
Hardly believing what you had just done, you looked up at him with your mouth agape and your eyes wide. To be honest, you were a little afraid of what he was going to do or say.
“WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FUCKING FOR Y/N?” He didn’t get in your face like he does with everyone else, but he was definitely pissed.
“I- I just… I just hate seeing you like this,” your voice was smaller than you had hoped for, and you were barely able to look up at him through your eyelashes.
He huffed and rolled his eyes, running his hands through his hair again, “Well, I can’t really think of a better alternative for you so maybe you should just stop hanging around me. I already told you, Y/N, this is me now! I’m the guy people call when they need something. Sure it’s blow but at least they’re fucking calling.”
“Is that who you really want to be though, Rafe? Like actually? Those people don’t care about you. They’re too busy being off their shits to care about you. You’re seriously unhinged if you think that this is the best that life can get.”
“If they don’t care about me then who the fuck does, Y/N?! Huh! You don’t get it. You-you you’re perfect. People fucking love you, no strings attached. They always have.”
He looked just like the boy you once knew in that moment. With his hands running through his hair and his breath uneven, you recognized this side of Rafe. The lost little boy trying to sneak into your bedroom window after the weekly fight with Ward. Your heart was practically ripping through your skeleton, your skin, your bikini top to get to him.
“Rafe…” you reached for him but he just pulled his arm away, shaking his head.
“Save the pity party Y/N and get back to the party. I heard Kelce was planning on finally making his move on you tonight,” he laughed in spite of himself.
Now it was time to shake your head,“I don’t want to go back to the party. I want to be here, with you.” He looked at you with that same lost boy look and you rest your hand on one of his cheeks and if this wasn’t the big, bad Rafe you were talking about, you might have thought that you felt him lean into your touch.
“People do love you, by the way. People do care.” Your voice was barely above a whisper as you tested the waters of his temper, a thumb lightly tracing the laugh lines on his face.
He put a hand on top of yours and held on tight, “You don’t count.”
“And why is that? I feel like I might be the only one that actually knows you. I think my opinion counts greatly.”
He scoffs and rolls his eyes, pushing your hand off his face again.
Annoyed at his stubborn attitude, you decided to be more direct in your approach.
You wrapped your arms around the back of your neck and stood up on your tiptoes to whisper in his ear, “And my opinion is that you were already pretty fucking amazing before.” You paused, letting your hot breath linger on his neck, loving the way his breath hitched. “Let me prove it to you.”
He immediately wrapped his arms and hands under your ass, lifting you onto the counter in front of him. Your arms were still wrapped around his neck, you both paused for a second once you were seated in front of him, legs spread so he could stand between them. Then he was kissing you and it was the most amazing feeling you had ever felt.
His hands fell to your thighs as he pressed into you. Both of you being stubborn, there was a power struggle between your mouths as he tried to claim you. You weren’t going to let him off that easy, however, and you started pulling at his hair and nipping your way down his neck as he kneaded your ass with this big hands. Amazing how strong they were considered he had never done a day of work in his life.
Moving back to his lips he interrupted the hottest makeout session of your life and looked down at you, eyes dark with want. “Get on your fucking knees.”
Without a word you did what you were told, not breaking eye contact the whole way down to the ground. You waited for further instructions.
“You wanted to prove it to me, huh?”
You nod sweetly.
“Go on then, baby. Show me what you’ve got.”
You unzip his shorts and tease him with your hand and mouth through his boxers, loving the sounds he made as you did so. He was trying so hard to keep it underwraps how undone he already was, but that just made him sound all the more desperate for you.
His hand was in your hair from the get go, ready to show you exactly how he wanted it, so the rest came pretty easy. The grip on your hair never once lightened as he switched from guiding your head up and down at a leisurely pace to holding it in place as he took control with a much more punishing one. He made sure not to go too rough though, never once making you gag - a very impressive feat for someone of his size.
The whole time he was muttering little praises that you weren’t even sure he was aware he was saying: “God, fuck, baby you take it so good”, “Look so pretty like that”, “Good girl”.
You never thought that being on your hands in knees on top of scattered cocaine residue with your childhood best friend’s cock in your mouth would be such a turn on, but you couldn’t take much more. Soon enough your resolve was crumbling as you fumbled with the button and zipper on your shorts, desperately trying to push them down enough so you could get a hand down there to release some of the pressure that had been building since you locked the bathroom door.
Just when you were about to start bringing yourself off, he stopped suddenly, pulling yourself off of him and up to your feet. “What do you think you’re doing?”
All you could do was stutter nervously, sure that you had never been redder in the face in your entire life.
Before you could come up with something to say, you were spun around with your stomach pressed against the counter top, Rafe still hot and hard against your back. He had put his hands back in your hair and he was looking at you through the mirror.
“Fuck that, Y/N. You said you wanted to prove how much you liked me. Cared about me,” his hand started travelling down the front of your body as he whispered in your ear, “I’m going to be the only one making you cum, do you understand me?”
Suddenly forgetting how to speak, you nod furiously. He chuckles deeply into your ear as he pushes your shorts and underwear down in one swoop, replacing the cotton material of your panties with his hand.
He had barely touched you and you were already reaching around you, threading your fingers in his hair as he held on tightly to yours. Your eyes screwed shut and your mouth flew open as he started with a harsh rhythm that wouldn’t have worked for anyone other than him. You were already so ready for anything he was going to throw at you.
Between the way he was finger fucking you and the constant praises in your ear, it didn’t take long for you to release all over his hand, making him growl.
He gave you almost no time to recover before he grabbed you around the neck, not choking, just holding you there, and forced you to make eye contact with him again.
“I’m going to fuck you now and you’re going to watch how I’m making you feel in that mirror. I want you to watch me make you cum again. I want you to remember that no one else is this good for you. Do you understand?”
You whimper, nod, and tug on his hair once more, not even caring how desperate you seemed.
Without another warning, he pushed himself as far inside as he could, bottoming out and making you both moan. Your eyes already were rolling back but then he tugged on your hair again, making sure you were looking directly towards the mirror.
“That’s it, Y/N take that dick just like that. Look how pretty you look bent over this sink for me with all of our friends on the other side of the door. Are you going to scream for them? So they know exactly who makes you feel like this?”
You had no idea how he was able to form coherent sentences when he was a) probably still high as fuck and b) fucking you that good, because all you were able to do in response was let out the most pathetic whine as he created a whole new angle by moving one of your knees to rest on the counter. It was almost too much.
It was hands down the best sex of your life and you couldn’t tell it was because of how many years you had spent wanting him, the alcohol in your system, or if it was really because he was just that good, but you were willing to place some serious money on the latter.
Just when you were about to start crying from how good it felt, he started going even harder, losing the rhythm he had set. His dirty talk got less and less coherent as he slowly descended into orgasmic bliss, making sure to take you with him. Just as you had promised, you looked into his eyes through the mirror as you fell over that edge. Your entire body was trembling by the time he finished, placing kisses on the back of your neck and shoulders.
He dropped the leg of yours that he had been holding up and you almost fell over without his strength holding you up. He had really done a number on you.
You were trying to come back to your body still when you felt him nudge the side of your arm. Startled, you looked down and he had your shorts and underwear.
“Um..here, I’ll turn around if you want,” he said as he turned around after setting the clothes on the counter in front of you. You wondered how long you had been standing there post-orgasm because he was already re-dressed.
“Oh, uh, thanks.” You quickly got redressed and laughed at him facing the opposite wall, “I’m decent.”
He turned back around and looked at you brightly, the most sober he had looked all summer, actually.
You both looked at each other nervously and laughed, not knowing where to go from here.
“That was, uh, that was really fucking fantastic,” he said through a laugh, a hand coming up to rub the back of his neck, “I’m not really sure what happened but I’m glad it did. I’ve been trying to make a move on you for years.”
“To be fair, I think I’m technically the one that made the move.”
He closed the gap between your bodies again and put his hands on either side of the counter behind you, “Details, details.”
You looked from his eyes to his lips and back again, remembering what had brought that on in the first place. “I really do care about you, you know.” It was barely a whisper.
He brought a hand up to brush some hair out of your face as he sighed, “I know you do.”
“Next time you want to do something reckless like that again just call me. We can get through this.”
“I mean between that and drugs I will pick that any day.” You could tell he was trying to make a joke but it just made you sad.
You cup his face in your hands once more, “I’m serious. You don’t have to be that guy. I’ve liked the other one for a very long time and I don’t appreciate this new one barging in and scaring me.”
Smiling softly, he grabs one of our hands again and kisses the pads of your finger tips, “I think you might be the only one the other guy was good enough for, Y/N.”
“I thought I just proved that my opinion was the only one that counted.”
“Is that what that was all about? I thought it had more to do with my raw animal magnetism,” he laughed and shook his head at you.
“Hmmmm that was definitely a part of it.” You couldn’t help it, you started leaning towards him again.
He was merely an inch away, a smile bright on his face and “I fucking knew it” falling off his tongue when there came a bang on the door.
A deep voice you didn’t recognize followed: “THERE’S A FUCKING LINE ASSHOLES.”
You looked at each other and laughed one more time, both of your necks and cheeks growing rosie with embarrassment. But embarrassment be damned, you had a happy Rafe back at last.
#rafe cameron#rafe x reader#rafe cameron x reader#rafe cameron smut#rafe cameron fanfiction#outerbanks fanfiction#outer banks#obx#obx fanfiction#rafemaybank wrote this
137 notes
·
View notes
Note
sorry you know me I like to ask a million questions so here it goes- Tinsel:5,18,20,27,31,39,40 / Nila:13,28/Roman:11,6,7/Benji:4,19/Saoirse: 20,25,27 /Fionn: 6,7,10,33/ Scone:21,23 - sorry can’t remember the other siblings off the top of my head and these are the major ones anyway right haha? and this is a lot of questions anyway soooo
Ooo we're getting into the selkies tonight
Tinsel
5. What was their childhood fear?
Being alone or left behind. It was definitely a threat when they were a kid like "if you aren't on the caravan before we leave at noon, we're leaving you behind". I don't think their parents would have actually left them behind when they were small but it was enough of a threat that they and their siblings listened for the most part. Its not so much a childhood fear as it is a regular adult fear now.
18. If they could live or visit anywhere, where would they go?
Tinsel really likes where they live but they do have dreams about living on a sunny coast with their partners when they all settle down. Idk if there's anywhere specific they want to visit? They just go where the adventure leads them. I think they would like to visit somewhere to meet up with their family, tho.
20. What did they dream of "growing up" to be?
Oh man, Tinsel wanted to be an A List celebrity actor. They wanted to be lead role in blockbusters. It was a big goal for them but they were sure they could do it.
27. Have they achieved any of their childhood dreams? Are they still trying? Have those dreams changed?
They've gotten some of their childhood dreams! They moved to Holly Bay and made tons of friends. They got to act in live theater. They were almost in a movie! They got some notoriety from adventuring and were on TV for it. They got to kiss their childhood crush. They didn't quite make it to the A List after getting blacklisted but they're def still trying.
In regards to how they changed: I don't think they changed too much but they did see how hard it was to achieve them. Plus, they started dreaming about having a family when they were with Bast so that's definitely something they want now.
31. Who are they when they aren't with the party?
When they're not with the party, Tinsel is way less open about themself. They're a master of either talking around a question or lying by omission and they use it when they don't feel comfortable sharing. Pre-adventure, they didn't really even tell their closest friends the entire truth about their backstory (which is honestly buckwild and hard to believe anyway) or their relationship with Bast or really anything about their love/sex life.
I think it's bc they don't think Kira and Zona will judge them.
39. If someone could tell them anything about the future they asked, would they want to know? Would they ask?
I think they have actually, they asked if they were going to get married. I don't think they would want to ask something super serious because they aren't going to listen to a no.
40. What sets them free?
A good support system. Tinsel's very talented and driven but they need the power of friendship to keep them from burning out.
Nila
13. How do they like to spend afternoons free?
Nila likes to paint. She dipped her toe into art forgery for a little bit but decided it was more fun to steal the real thing and do her own work on the side. She has one of those cute little travel watercolors she uses to paint landscapes when she gets some time alone. Absolutely no one knows she has this hobby.
28. If they could change their class(es), would they? To what?
I dont think she'd change her class from rogue but she would def take some wizard skills.
Roman
11. What were their teenage years like?
He was a horrible teenage boy, mostly bc he wanted attention. He started off with red hair but occasionally made it redder when he got teased about it. He activated the Cain instinct in a lot of his siblings but I think Tinsel tried to kicked his ass the most purely due to how close their ages are. He shot them with an arrow by accident once and never lived it down.
His mom taught him archery at around 14-15 and he got very good at it to try and impress her. He left home around 18/19, picked up some odd jobs/repaired archery equipment professionally for a few years until Nila called him up like "hey bro miss you let's do this heist together".
6. Did they grow up with siblings? What were those relationships like?
Yes lmao my boy has 9 siblings. I sort of talked about this in the last question but yeah he liked to stir the pot for attention. Even though they tried to kick his ass, his siblings still love him. Him and Saoirse always got along really well and I'm p sure she stopped him from actually getting murdered as a kid lol. He really doesn't have a bad relationship with any of them, though, besides still owing Scone a bunch of money. Rome's a lot of fun and he's the kind of guy who will give or share anything with you. He is just A Lot.
7. How were their relationships with their parents/guardians growing up?
He def knew he wasn't the favorite child lol. I think once Knox realized why his kid was acting up, he made sure to spend some extra time with him every once and a while. And once he showed promise in archery, his relationship with Fulki got better too. I think he has an okay relationship with his parents right now but he definitely would never live with them again.
Benji
4. Who was their childhood hero?
Their dad! They're very similar people and he looks up to him a lot.
19. How does the high noon sun make them feel?
Sleepy... It's too darn hot. He's 100% not interested in going out at high noon so he's either taking a nap or hanging out somewhere shady with Folsom.
Saoirse
20. What did they dream of "growing up" to be?
I don't know if Saoirse had one specific dream. What she did know is that she didn't want to get married and she didn't want to have kids. I think she went through a bunch of phases on what she wanted to be when she grew up until she landed on being a wizard. When that stuck, she just leaned hard into it.
25. What is their comfort item/habit?
She's definitely one of those "make a hot beverage when I'm stressed" kind of people. She's also a stress baker... Which used to be a "make potions and light stuff on fire" habit but she realized she gets muffins if she bakes instead.
She also has a bunch of stuffed animals in her room, purely because she's an adult wizard and no one can tell her not to have stuffies.
27. Have they achieved any of their childhood dreams? Are they still trying? Have those dreams changed?
Oh, she totally achieved the wizard thing and now she's a real Howl Pendragon figure. She got bored being by herself so she applied to get some apprentices, but due to a clerical error, she wound up with a couple of brothers (Max and Arseny) who were way too young to be apprentices. She's basically raising them as her kids (they call her mama and the Townes all consider them grandkids/nephews lol) but Saoirse insists they're still her apprentices in public.
Fionn
6. Did they grow up with siblings? What were those relationships like?
Fionn was the golden oldest brother! He and Saoirse were basically 3rd/4th parents so the rest of the siblings came to love/respect him. He was really good at keeping the peace. Dude would have made a fantastic diplomat. The siblings especially liked when he told them stories about life before their family left the Muirs or stories about knights/heroes. It was a rough day when he disappeared and the siblings that remember him really miss him.
7. How were their relationships with their parents/guardians growing up?
Very strained. Like, he was def the favorite child, but Fionn really had some childhood trauma from The Fall that they couldn't help him with bc they also had it. He sort of resents that he got put into the auxiliary parent role on top of it. I think ultimately they expected way too much out of him so it was only natural he'd disappear and be feral.
10. When did their childhood end?
I don't think it was a definite ending, more of a gradual thing around his early teens when he realized he had a lot of responsibilities.
Scone
21. How did they become an adventurer?
Scone's best friend Latte (a Yuke who's good with magic) sent her a letter that suggested they'd make a good caravanning team. She was itching to leave the family caravan (she was tired of bailing her siblings out and knew that adventuring was good money) so she agreed!
23. What is their role in the party? Not just their class on a meta level, but among the individuals who make up the party?
Imagine a buff accountant and you have Scone lol.
Like Tinsel, Scone is the tank in combat. However, unlike Tinsel, Scone is weirdly responsible. She makes sure all the supplies are stocked and in order, makes sure everyone takes care of themselves and she keeps track of their earnings. She can be outgoing but she prefers to let her team do the social leg work.
#This is a big one omg but I loved it#Thank u Marlo#Gwen asks#Tinsel T Townes#Nila Townes#Roman Townes#Benji Townes#Saoirse Townes#Fionn Townes
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
The One (George Weasley x Reader Oneshot)
George is surprised to see an old friend at Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, but if he’s being honest, he never expected that he’d see her again.
George Weasley x Reader, and some Neville Longbottom x Reader!
Warnings: Angst, post-war, grief, mention of alcohol.
Loosely inspired by The 1 by Taylor Swift.
This is my first time posting my writing on tumblr, please feel free to give me advice as I have no idea what I’m doing, truly. :)
The story begins under the cut!
"Alright, love." Neville said, "I'm to stop by Gringotts before we head home. Why don't you take the boys for ice cream while I'm there?" You looked down at your sons, who's eyes were now wide with excitement. "ICE CREAM! ICE CREAM! ICE CREAM!" they shouted. You shot a sideways glare at Neville and groaned a sarcastic "Thanks for that idea, dear..." He laughed before leaning in and giving you a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll try to be quick, I promise!" he said, "Best of luck, dearest." He walked towards Gringotts and you turned to begin your journey to the ice cream shop, your two sons following closely behind you like little ducklings.
Of course, you knew that you'd have to walk past the joke shop on your way to get ice cream, and your stomach was in knots. You laughed at yourself for being nervous about walking past a building. You weren't even going inside. Even then, it was just George. Sure, you hadn't spoken in almost 9 years, but seeing an old friend surely wouldn't be a bad way to end the day.
But, I suppose that was the problem. He was certainly more than an old friend, and if you were being honest your stomach was in knots because it's immensely difficult to fall out of love.Of course, that's not to say that you weren't in love with Neville. He was incredibly kind and loving, and he was a wonderful father to Alex and Ben. You put each other back together after the war. He made you feel whole. You could not wait to marry him. Neville was your last love.
Yet there are many different kinds of love, you see, and some loves never end. So here, stopped in front of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, your heart was beating out of your chest because you knew that your first love was likely right behind that door.
You felt Alex tug on your sleeve, which snapped you out of your little daydream. "Yes, little guy?" you smiled down at him. He pointed towards the red door only feet away, "Mummy, Ben went inside the joke store. Are we still getting ice cream?" Your heart sank. You couldn't run from George any longer.
Entering the shop, your eyes darted around excitedly. Despite being overwhelmed by a million emotions, you still could not resist feeling like a "kid in a candy store". You wanted nothing more than to grab a basket and fill it to the brim with fun gadgets, but Ben was still missing.
You wander the store a bit, and eventually find your son sitting on the floor with his legs crossed. Also sitting on the floor was George, excitedly chatting with Ben about Peruvian Darkness Powder. "Can you show me, Mr. Weasley?" You smile, and approach them from behind. You gently interrupt, "Pardon me Mr. Weasley, I believe you have something of mine." Still facing your son, he says "Do I?" You laugh and say "Yes, one of my children."
George chuckles as he stands up, dusting off his suit. When he turns to face you his eyes grow wide. He says your name in a whisper. "Georgie." You reply with a smile. You want to run into his arms, but you extend your hand instead. He shakes your hand firmly, his touch lingering a bit longer than friendly handshakes do. In his eyes, never leaving yours, you can't be sure if you see joy or sadness. Perhaps, you think, its nostalgia.
"Ben, go take a look around." You say as you hand your son 5 Galleons. He smiles brightly at you and then darts down the aisle, shouting "Thanks mum!" as he goes. "Alex, stay with your brother and don't let him buy something that will damage anything, house nor human." Your younger son nods and follows after his brother. "Where's the fun in that?" George snickers. You playfully nudge him with your elbow, laughing with him. He smiles, yet he watches you intently, as if he's concerned that you'll disappear if he takes his eyes off of you."
I see the shop is doing well." You say, looking around at the walls of jokes and candies. He nods, "I'm quite proud of it, honestly. Mum refers to it as "her grandbaby" seeing as it's the only thing I talk about." You let out a laugh, and he grins at you. A short silence fell between the two of you, so you look over at your sons. They were running from a Time To Go (a shouting alarm clock on wheels) which they'd set loose on the floor of the shop, their contagious giggles filling the air. You smile, your heart feeling warm as you watch your little boys play. However, you feel George's eyes on you."
You're a mum." George said. You nodded simply and smiles flashed across both of your faces. "Alex is five years old," you said, "and Ben is eight." You looked into George's eyes and it was obvious that his mind was processing, though he remained completely still as he gazed at you. "They look like very fun little ones." He noted. He took a few steps towards a bench and motioned towards it, offering you a seat. You sat down, still facing the boys, and he joined you. The conversation was pleasant, but you had a million burning questions that you knew you shouldn't ask. As it turns out, he was facing the same dilemma.
The tension was palpable, and just as you were about to speak George spat out "How is their father?" You smiled and quietly said, "He's really well. We're really well. It's Neville, actually. I'm not quite sure whether or not word got around about us." You looked down, uncomfortably shifting around on the bench. "Yeh, I'd heard rumors about you two." George said, "I didn't believe them though." You looked at him and tilted your head curiously before asking "Why wouldn't you?" George let out a humorless laugh as he ran a hand through his ginger hair. "I just found it hard to believe," he sighed. It was obvious that there was more that he wanted to say."
George, please." You said, your eyebrows knit together in frustration. "Tell my why you found it so hard to believe." He shifted to face you, taking your hand in his. Your heart was pounding, but you locked eyes with him. "Do you remember the last time that we saw one another?" he asked. The memories flooded your mind, but you were unsurprised, as they frequently came to you in waves over the years. This time though, your hand was in his, and a tear rolled down your cheek as you nodded at him. "Why then," he said, "would I find it easy to believe that you would run away with Neville and not speak to me for nine years?"
You swallowed nervously. You couldn't be sure if the nerves were due to having to confront your past, or if they were due to his hand still wrapped around yours, his thumb gently rubbing circles on yours and making you feel like a teenager. Either way, he was waiting on you to speak. You looked down at your feet again. "Everyone copes with their trauma differently, George." you said, "After the Battle of Hogwarts some people cried, some people screamed, some people threw things, some people shut down emotionally completely. After seeing Tonks' body in the Great Hall, I started screaming. I didn't think I'd ever be able to stop. When I finally did stop, I just... collapsed."
You wiped away the tears that had creeped their way down your cheeks. George was no longer looking at you, his gaze was on the ground as well. "Neville saw me hit the floor." You said, "He picked me up, sat against the wall, and let me sleep there with my head in his lap. When I woke up, he asked me if I had anywhere to go. I hardly knew the man, honestly, so I was surprised that he asked. He offered to let me stay with him and his Nan, but I told him that I'd stay at a hotel for a few days. I asked him if he would stay there with me... and we haven't spent a single night apart since. I wanted to send you an owl, but I didn't know what I was supposed to say. Not after leaving things with you the way that I did. Then, only 5 weeks after the battle, I found out that I was pregnant. Neville and I were strangers, then lovers, then parents. That's when I knew that my life would be very clearly divided in two: my life before the war, and my life after the war. I had to try to leave you in the before because I didn't want to complicate the after that seemed to be falling into place. I'm so sorry, George."
George sighed heavily, which led into a long silence. There was only the sound of your sons playing idly across the shop. Sitting shoulder-to-shoulder next to him, he was so close to you but he'd never felt so far away. You were waiting for him to say something, anything really. Finally, he turned his head, looking into your eyes intently, and said "I'm sorry too. The memories of that night have played over and over again in my mind for the last nine years, and I always wondered how you could have possibly chosen to leave the whole thing open-ended. It was selfish of me not to consider that you had legitimate reasons." You looped your arm through his and leaned your head on his shoulder, which took him by surprise. "It was quite a night, wasn't it Georgie?" you said with a sigh. Silently, the two of you remembered the night before everything changed.
Nine Years Ago-----The sunset had long ago faded into inky blue darkness, and as you and George walked the empty cobblestone streets of a nameless muggle city, you were thankful for a moment of calm before the impending storm. You walked arm in arm, passing a flask of firewhiskey back and forth. George took a sip, and as he handed it back to you he asked, "So, my dearest, what do you plan to do after this is all over?" You smiled and took a sip, thinking before telling him "This, I suppose!" He laughed and asked you, "What do you mean this?" You stopped walking, handing the flask back to him. "I mean bothering you." you smiled, "Going anywhere you go. Having my nose in your business. Making each other better people. Best friend shit." He nodded his head. "Best friend shit." he repeats, smirking at you. You were a sucker for that smirk, just as you had been since you were children.
He took a final sip of firewhiskey and tucked the flask into his pocket. "Do you believe in magic?" he asked. You laughed loudly and said, "Well love I'd say I do. I would hope you do too. If you don't, I've got some wild news for you about that stick you've been carrying around since you were twelve." He pushed you away playfully, ruffling your hair. "Not that kind of magic, you doorknob." he says, "What I mean to say is, we should go make a wish." He raised his arm and pointed in the direction of the a beautiful fountain just a short walk away. "Race you there, babes." you said, and with a wink you were already running.
George arrived at the fountain a few seconds before you did, so you punched him in the arm. "You only won because your legs are practically longer than my entire body." George smiled brightly, but his smile dropped when his eyes met yours. "Okay, so it's obvious that we believe in magic." he said, "What about soulmates?" You carefully considered your answer. "I don't believe in soulmates," you said, "but I do believe in the one." George looked at you quizzically, your answer not being the one that he expected. "What does that mean?" he asked. You smiled and said, "I believe that every person that you fall in love with is your soulmate. It's meant to happen, and it's significant in it's own way. Then, one day you fall in love with a person that... they're the last person you'll ever love, you know? That's what makes them the one."
George nodded and with a subtly shaky voice he said, "That's fair." He looked down quickly and grabbed your hand, pressing a single knut into your palm. You smiled up at him and said, "So, we just throw it in and make a wish, right? I'm gonna wish fo-" You were cut off by George's urgent "SHHH SHHH SHHH!" You laughed, but he didn't laugh along with you. Instead he said, "Face away from the fountain, close your eyes, make your wish silently, and then toss the knut over your shoulder and into the fountain." You nodded in understanding. "Really," he said, "the wish has to stay secret, or else it won't come true." You laughed at his seriousness, "I promise, I won't tell you what I'm wishing for."
You leaned the back of your knees against the fountain, and closed your eyes tightly. You thought hard about your wish, repeating the words over and over again in your head. You tossed the coin over your shoulder. When you opened your eyes, George was standing in front of you. As he locked eyes with you, it was clear that he had more to talk about than tossing knuts in fountains. He leaned in close to you, pushing your hair back as he whispered in your ear, "I don't think this is 'best friend shit'. I don't think it has been for a long time, love." His lips tickled your ear and you felt a shiver go down your spine. He was right, of course. You'd been in love with him for longer than you could remember. You did not, however, have any idea that felt the same way about you.
Perhaps it was the firewhiskey, or perhaps it was the feeling of his breath on your skin, but you felt bold. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled his body closer to yours. He wrapped his arms around your waist and his eyes locked with yours. This moment was the culmination of 12 years of friendship, misadventures, pranks, fights, stolen glances, and hidden desires; your skin tingled everywhere that it touched his. He leaned in, and his lips gently brushed yours. It wasn't enough for you, as you pulled him even closer and deepened the kiss. He pulled away, and you both paused for a moment, staring at one another at very close range. Your hearts were beating so loud that any passerby would've sworn they heard distant drums. "I'll see you in a few days, love." he whispered. With a loud crack, he apparated away.
The next evening began the Battle of Hogwarts, and he would not see you for nine long years.
Present Day ------- Your head was still resting on his shoulder, both of your silently recalling your last moment together before the world fell apart. "We were something, don't you think so?" you asked. George laughed. "Something indeed." he said, "I'm truly embarrassed that it look me that long to kiss you." You blushed at the comment and replied sarcastically, "You're embarrassed?? I was so embarrassed that I avoided you for nine years." He smirked again, that smirk that made you feel like your heart was going to fall out of your feet.
The door to the shop opened, snapping you out of your nostalgic little trance. You heard Alex shout, "Dad! Dad, can I please buy this one?" You saw Neville walk in, and the joy on his face as he approached your sons made you melt. "One second little man," he said as he walked past the boys, "Hey love, Nan just called me and says that dinner is ready earlier than expected. She also wants to talk to us about flowers for the wedding, although I tried to remind her that plants are kind of my thing." He laughed as you stood up to greet him with a kiss. When you separated, he noticed who you were sitting with. His eyes widened and he said, "George! I'm so happy to see you. I would love to catch up with you sometime. I'm a little jealous that the missus beat me to it!" George smiled weakly and said, "That would be lovely, mate."
"Well my sweet," you said, "We shouldn't keep Nan waiting. Go ahead and take the kids and I'll meet you there, I'm going to say goodbye to Mr. Weasley, here." Neville replied, "Of course! Everyone say goodbye to Mr. Weasley!" Ben and Alex followed him out of the store as they waved and shouted "Goodbye!" to George.
Once they left, the shop was silent. George broke the silence and said to you, "I think that I figured it out." You raised an eyebrow. He nodded and said, "We were soulmates." You nodded in agreement. "Have a good evening George." you said, "I'm glad we could catch up." He smirked that god awful smirk and said, "I'm glad we could too." Hesitantly, you approached him for a hug goodbye. Without hesitation he wrapped his arms around you tightly, whispering "Farewell." before releasing you.
You made your way to the door, and as you put your hand on the doorknob you heard George across the room say, "Hey! What did you wish for?" You turned to look at him and he repeated, "What did you wish for? That night, at the fountain." You smiled at him and replied, "You're right, of course, that we were soulmates. But that night at the fountain, I wished that you would be the one."
With that, she turned and walked out of the door to go and be with the one, her last love, her forever. George, once again, watched the one walk away.
#harry potter#george weasley#george weasley fanfiction#george weasley x reader#george weasley x oc#angst#neville longbottom#neville longbottom fanfiction#neville longbottom x oc#neville longbottom x reader#after the battle of hogwarts
25 notes
·
View notes
Text
Part 28 - Past 2
youtube
Your POV...
I walked down one Hallway, in the castle of Asgard, in my armor.
"Destiny ! Wait !", someone yelled after me.
I turned around and saw a young man, he was dressed in royal clothes. I smiled and bowed my head.
"Prince Odin. How may I help you ?", I asked.
"I wanted to give you something, what I hold dearly in my room and heart. You could need it, as long as you will be in war with the Dark Elves."
"Your Highness...I can't accept something, what you hold close to you dearly. Please keep it."
"I want you to have it, while you are in war. I wish that you take it and keep it as dearly, as I do, to you.", Odin said.
I sighed and nodded.
"Close your eyes and stretch your right arm out.", he said.
I did as I got told and I felt something put in my hand. It felt small.
"Open them.", he said.
I did again as I got told. I looked at my hand and gasped. It was a picture. In front, left was Jackson, next to him (left to right) was me, next to me was Odin and next to him was a young woman. And in the background was King Bor. I looked up at Odin, he smiled just like me. I hugged him. He hugged back, tighter.
"Be careful out there, okay ? I don't want to lose you, you are my best friend. Frigga is worried too.", he whispered.
"I will try to not get killed. Frigga shouldn't worry about me, she should more worry when you marry. Thank you for the picture, it is amazing and I will always keep it close to me. I will watch over it and always think about you and Frigga.", I whispered back.
He pulled away and looked at me shocked.
"H-how did you know that I am planning on asking her to marry me ?"
I chuckled and shook my head.
"I saw how you look at her every time when you thought nobody would see. I always have my eyes on you and your father. I may cause mischief, but I never leave you unwatched. Also you are courting her now almost 2 years. I saw you preparing to propose, correcting some lines, internalize your speech and asking your reflection in the mirror. I can tell you some things, if you want good tips from me, Odin.", I told.
"What ? I could need some little advise and help."
"You need to make the day, you want to ask her on, absolutely perfect. It must be romantic and incredibly wonderful. You need to spend the whole day with her. Plan a romantic picnic in the gardens on her favorite place, talk with her about something which is interesting, have with her a romantic meal, show her wonderful things, take her to some places on Asgard she doesn't know about, plan a romantic dance with some music, ride with her on a cliff where you can see clearly the sunset and when it is almost halfway over...then ask her, if she wants to marry you. It always is a 'yes' then. If you do it all right and don't mess up...you have her. Don't fear it."
"Can you tell me how you would put the schedule ? What first and what last ? Please ? I am horrible in planning..."
I sighed, but smiled at him.
"Okay. When I am back, I will help you. I swear."
He smiled at me, hugged me and then ran off.
"Good luck my knight in shining armor !", he yelled, before he disappeared.
I laughed and turned around, I ran outside.
Next memory...
Every guard of Asgard stood outside with weapons in their hands. Bor sat on his horse and looked at them all, like me. I stood next to his horse. I saw Odin and Frigga looking out and down to us on a balcony. They looked worried and they even cried. I frowned, but knew, we need to stop the Dark Elves and kill Malekith.
"My warriors ! The Dark Elves broke our truce 3 days ago ! They will think we didn't know and won't guess, that we will attack ! Let us show them that we know of their betrayal and finish them this time ! We won't back down this time ! We won't show mercy ! We keep fighting until we have the Aether ! For the nine realms and... FOR ASGARD !", he yelled.
"FOR THE NINE REALMS ! FOR ASGARD !", they all yelled and with that we went to the Bifrost.
Another memory...
"I still can't believe it ! You are still alive and pranked us all ! You are truly the worst !", I heard Odin yell.
I was with him in the gardens. We laid in the grass and looked up. I chuckled.
"You know me. Mischief is in my nature, Odin. You can hate me for it, but I can't change it. I tried once and almost went insane."
"I know that. I am sorry..."
"You don't need to apologize. You are right, but still...I can't help it."
"......Can we plan about me and proposing to my beloved Frigga ? I wish to do it in 2 days..."
"2 days already ? Wow. You want to be quick...", I said surprised.
"W-well... I will go with her to Vannaheim tomorrow.... and I thought that I should ask her the next day after tomorrow then..."
"Wow... So...We have today and a little bit of tomorrow then ?"
He nodded. I huffed.
"Sometimes you are stressful Odin... well...Let me think about it..."
We laid there in complete silence for about 5 minutes, then I broke the silence.
"The first thing I would do, as a guy who wants a girl, is...I would bring her to breakfast to the gardens to her favorite place/spot, because it should only be your day. Just you and Frigga, nobody else should be there the whole day and interrupt you. Then I would tell her that I have planned the whole day spending with her, nonstop. But I wouldn't tell her what, not even one step. It needs to be a surprise. I probably would even let make her a stunning, beautiful dress for her to wear the whole day. Then when you are finished I would take her to places in Asgard, she never saw much or even ever in her life. After that I would go back to Asgard and to a restaurant, if it is time for lunch, having a romantic or at least beautiful lunch. While you have to wait for your food you could talk about some stuff she is interested in, to show her that you are interested in her. Then I would go to the one big building, where a big blank hall is in. I could put a spell on some instruments and then you could have a romantic dance. After that it should be almost time to ride to the cliff on the east of the forest. I would take her, after dancing, to the stalls and ride with her there. When you arrive there it will be soon time and you just need to wait until the sunset is half over. She will surely say that it's beautiful. Your text need to be a very sweet and charming one. Then you stand up and offer you her hand, to help her up. You won't let her hand go and when she stands, you get on one knee and propose.", I told him.
He stared.
"Can I somehow note that ? I need to note that somewhere...", he said.
I pulled out a pen and some paper. I gave it to him.
"Okay so....Step 1....Smuggling a stunning, beautiful dress into her room with a note to wear that and to come to my room.... Step 2...Taking her for breakfast as picnic in the gardens on her favorite spot....Step 3....Tell her that we will spend the whole day together, but everything keeping as surprise....Step 4.... Take her to places in Asgard she never or barely saw....Step 5....Bring her to a restaurant for a beautiful lunch and talk with her about her interests....Step 6.... Take her to the big, empty building for a romantic dance....Step 7.....Go to the stalls and ride with her to the cliff on the east of the forest, to watch a beautiful sunset...Step 8....Watch the sunset with her until the half of it is over.... Step 9....Propose to her."
The next memory flashed to us.
Odin did everything they planned. We saw just some pictures, but he did it, it all went like they planned and then it came...
He watched with Frigga the sunset. It was half over.
"It is so beautiful, Odin dear.", Frigga told him amazed and happily.
"Not as beautiful as you, Frigga darling.", he said smiling at her.
They looked at each other. Odin stood up now and held his hand out to Frigga. She took it and stood up. Odin took a deep breath and knelt down. Frigga stared at him surprised. Odin still held Frigga’s hand and started...:
"Frigga, my dear, my darling... Since the first time I saw you, I knew that you are something special and that you will play a role in my life. I just did not know how big it would be. Until I finally realized that I fell in love with you. I wanted to get to know you more and therefore we became friends too. Until I had the courage to ask you if you would start a relationship with me. I was happy when you said that we could try because you felt the same to me as I did to you. It was also a wonderful time. You are my light in the dark. You make the days better, although they were awful only 5 seconds ago. You make me happy every day... I would be the happiest man if I never had you out of my sight. And now we come to my big question...Frigga...would you do me the honor and....."
Odin pulled out a velvet little box and opened it. In it was a ring.
"....marry me ?"
Frigga was crying from his speech. She nodded.
"Yes... A million times yes, Odin my love. I will.", she said happily, but shaky.
He smiled and stood up. He put the ring on her finger and....
The picture changed another time...
We all stood in the throne room and saw Odin becoming king. We all clapped.
Next...
I stood in the throne room and talked to Odin.
"King Odin....Bor....he...he is dead....", I told him.
"He...what ?", he asked in shock.
"We found him dead in his bed. He wasn't murdered, it was a natural death. His heart must have stopped at night."
He stared in shock. He took a few moments until he spoke up again.
"Prepare a boat and tell everyone that tonight is the funeral of my father Bor."
I nodded and walked out.
Part 29
Masterlist with all Chapters of this Story click here !
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
Forgotten
Reader x Dad!Tony Stark
Reader x Avengers
Warnings: idk, sad?? Then fluff
Alright well this probably sucks, but here goes: it’s Y/N’s sweet 16 and almost no one remembers, that’s about it as far as the plot goes.
F/B = favorite band, F/F = favorite fandom, F/C = favorite color, Y/B/D = your birth date
Y/N was on cloud 9. She hadn’t known it was possible to feel this great so early in the morning, but it was. It was her birthday, her second favorite day of the year, (Christmas came first) and she couldn’t be more excited.
She had already received several presents this morning, courtesy of Peter, who had delivered presents from several of her friends in his neighborhood while he was patrolling.
Thus far she had received the most adorable stuffed bear she had ever seen from Ned, (and of course the bear was dressed in a little Star Wars t-shirt, because, Ned) MJ had gotten her a book she’d been wanting, and texted her to remind her she was even closer to dying (MJ had a weird view on birthdays), and Peter himself had gotten her a collection of t-shirts: one from F/B, one from F/F, and—Peter has found this one rather amusing—a Spider-Man t-shirt. He made her promise to flaunt it in front of her father, too, saying maybe if she did that he’d get jealous and buy her an Iron Man t-shirt, so it was a win-win all around.
Y/N couldn’t wait to find out what her father had planned for her. Being the daughter of Tony Stark meant that birthdays would be filled with way too many presents and the biggest party of the year. Part of her—ok, most of her—wished that her birthdays could be a bit more simple, but she loved watching how happy her father was when he got to spoil her, and she loved that every year on her birthday he made sure to spend the entire day with her, no matter what.
Y/N quickly got dressed in one of her favorite outfits, jean shorts and a F/F t-shirt (her other favorite was a F/C dress, but she didn’t feel like getting too dressed up today, she wanted to be comfortable), and practically skipped over to the elevator. She knew the first event on the birthday schedule would be pancakes, compliments of her father, which was very special. Tony Stark never, ever cooked, except that one day a year when he rolled up his sleeves and made birthday breakfast pancakes. They were always oddly shaped, with weird lumps in them, but Y/N loved the tradition anyway.
Y/N was confused when she arrived in the kitchen and saw it completely vacant. Wasn’t her dad awake yet? He always got up a little earlier on her birthday to make sure they had plenty of time together, so where was he?
Barely had the thought crossed her mind when she heard her father’s voice in the living room
“...are you sure? Alright, I’ll call you back later then.”
Y/N rushed to the living room just as Tony Stark got off the phone.
“Hey babygirl,” he greeted and kissed her forehead “you’re up early. What are your plans for today.”
Y/N felt her heart drop like a stone. He...he didn’t remember?
She struggled to keep her voice steady as she replied.
“Not-not much, you?” Maybe he was just messing with her, just joking as usual. He wouldn’t forget.
“I have a meeting in Paris with some execs at Stark Industries, really boring stuff but Pep says I have to go. I’ll be back tomorrow night though.”
Y/N fought hard against the tears that had begun to gather behind her eyes. He really had forgotten, and he would be gone all day.
She probably should remind him, that would fix everything, he’d drop absolutely everything and apologize a million times and the day would go back to normal. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
She didn’t know why, but she felt too embarrassed to bring the subject up. She hated being the center of attention, and she hated making her father feel bad, and reminding him that he had forgotten his daughter’s sixteenth birthday would make both of those things happen. Besides, she didn’t want him to drop all of his important business just for her. It was just a stupid day.
Before she could stop it, a tear slipped down her cheek and dripped off her chin. Her father hadn’t seen it, however, because he had turned and stepped into the elevator. He had his important meeting to get to after all.
With one last smile and wave, Tony Stark disappeared.
A few more tears slid down Y/N’s face, but she quickly wiped them away when she heard approaching footsteps.
“Morning kiddo,” Bruce greeted with a grin. “Where’s your dad?”
“He—um...he went out,” she muttered. “He’ll be back tomorrow.”
“Alright,” Bruce nodded and walked into the kitchen, and Y/N felt her heart sink even further. Bruce had forgotten too.
She didn’t want to mope, not on her birthday, but she was also pretty bad at cheering herself up. She’d just need some help.
She saw her first opportunity when Steve walked sleepily into the living room. Steve was both the best cuddler and the best tickler on the team, the perfect way to cheer her up. But if she wanted to be tickled she’d have to annoy him a bit, that always got him to tickle her.
“Hey Stevie,” she greeted with a grin, stepping up onto the couch and using it as a stepping stool to jump onto his back. He grunted at the impact, and turned his head to glare at her.
“Y/N, go annoy someone else, I’m not in the mood,” he snapped, and she pushed back the hurt at learning that yet another teammate had forgotten her birthday.
“Ignore Captain Mcgrumpypants, he got back from a mission at four a.m,” Clint announced as he walked into the room. Had no one remembered her birthday?
“Stevie I’m bored,” Y/N whined, jumping off his back and poking him in the chest.
He moved away from her, scowling. “Then go find someone else to bug.”
“But you’re the most fun to bug!” She insisted, poking him again.
He shoved her hand away. “Y/N, I swear, touch me one more time and I-“
Y/N grinned, mistaking his grumpy tone for the usual joking threat. She was so close to getting tickled. She poked him yet again, hard in the center of his chest.
Steve shoved her back harshly, and it was then she realized that he hadn’t been kidding around, he really was angry with her.
“Y/N, I mean it! Grow the heck up and leave me ALONE!” He was standing in front of her now, using his height as an advantage to tower over her. She had never felt quite this small before.
“Steve I just-“
“I’ve had ENOUGH of your childish antics, you’re too old to be running around and acting like a two-year old, now stop it!”
Y/N couldn’t hold back the whimper that bubbled up in her throat as tears streamed down her face.
Upon seeing her reaction, the anger almost immediately faded from Steve’s eyes, but it was too late.
“Y/N-“ he began, but she had already disappeared up the stairs.
“Oh nice going Steve,” Clint scoffed.
...
Y/N threw herself down on her bed and began to cry into her pillow, hugging it tightly. She hadn’t meant to upset Steve, she just wanted to have a little fun.
She didn’t understand. Why didn’t anyone remember her birthday? Why had Steve gotten so mad at her? What had she done wrong to make today go so horribly?
One thing was for sure. This was the worst birthday ever.
...
“JARVIS, what time is it?” Tony Stark asked as he went over his notes for the upcoming meeting.
“It is 3:27, Saturday, Y/B/D, sir,” the AI responded.
Tony froze. Had he heard that right?
“You...you said it was Y/B/D?”
“Yes, Mr. Stark.”
Tony moaned. It was Y/N’s birthday! How had he not known?!
“Clint spilled coffee all over your calendar three weeks ago, that’s how,” Tony muttered to himself. He hadn’t looked at the date in forever, and he’d forgotten to set a reminder on his phone.
Tony groaned. That was such a lame excuse. He shouldn’t always need a reminder or a calendar to remember his kid’s birthday. He should’ve kept track!
“JARVIS, cancel my meeting and turn this bird around,” he demanded, doing calculations in his head. He had left at 9 a.m, meaning he should get home a little before 10. He would still be there for a little bit of his little girl’s birthday.
“JARVIS, call all of Y/N’s friends and-“
“Mr. Stark, I believe Y/N would be much happier if she was just able to spend time with you,” his AI responded.
Tony stopped. Maybe JARVIS was onto something.
...
“Hey, where’s the birthday girl?” Everyone in the living room froze when they heard Bucky’s question.
“The what?” Steve asked, but he already knew.
“Oh don’t tell me you guys forgot,” Bucky groaned. “It’s Y/N’s birthday! So where is she?”
All eyes slowly turned to Steve, and the guilt already torturing him doubled. Why has he been such a jerk to her?
“Upstairs in her room,” Steve muttered.
“Alright, I’ll go get-“
“No,” Steve interrupted. “I have to get her.”
...
Y/N had finally stopped the flood of tears when she heard a gentle knock on the door.
“Y/N?” Steve. Of course.
“Go away!” Her voice came out quiet and muffled because of the pillow still pressed against her face.
“I’m coming in,” he announced, and Y/N was surprised when the door opened. She lifted her head from the pillow.
“JARVIS!” She whined. “You were supposed to keep him out!”
“I’m sorry miss, but it seemed like it would be better if you listened to what Captain Rogers has to say.”
“Traitor,” she mumbled, dropping her head back onto her pillow.
“Hey,” Steve said gently, sitting down next to Y/N. She ignored him.
He sighed. He wasn’t that good with awkward silence.
Slowly, he began to sing happy birthday.
“Stop it,” she interrupted, her voice thick. He sighed
“Y/N I’m sorry.”
“Who told you it was my birthday?”
“Bucky. I’m sorry I forgot.”
Y/N sniffled. “It’s fine. You’re not the only one.”
Steve froze, realizing he hadn’t seen Tony all day. “Your dad too?”
“Yeah,” Steve could tell she had started to cry again. He pulled her gently away from her pillow and into his lap, and she cried softly against his chest.
“I’m sorry I annoyed you,” she whispered.
“Don’t apologize. I should never have yelled at you.”
“It’s ok.”
“Captain Rogers, you’re wanted downstairs,” JARVIS announced.
“I’ll be right back,” Steve promised, kissing her forehead.
Steve was surprised when he reached the bottom of the stairs and was greeted by none other than Tony Stark.
“How is she?” Tony asked.
“Sad. But she’ll get over it, especially if you get up there,” Steve assured.
“Great,” Tony started up the stairs, but Steve stopped him.
“Please, no huge parties. I don’t think she would want that right now.”
Tony merely grinned. “Don’t worry, I’ve got it all worked out. Go to the living room and you’ll see,” and with that Tony disappeared up the stairs.
...
“JARVIS, please don’t let anyone else in,” Y/N muttered. She didn’t feel much like being happy anymore. The only thing that could make her feel better was-
“Babygirl open the door.”
Y/N froze. No way. He was back?!
“JARVIS let him in!”
“But miss you-“
“JARVIS!”
Instead of a response, the door clicked and Tony entered.
“Hey kiddo,” he said quietly.
“Dad,” she didn’t even care anymore that he forgot her birthday, she was just glad to see him.
“Commere babygirl,” Tony hugged her tightly, and she smiled. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s ok. Everyone else forgot too.”
“But I shouldn’t have. C’mon, let’s go downstairs,” Tony stood, pulling Y/N along.
“Dad, there’s not a big party down there is there?”
Tony laughed softly. “Just come down.”
...
Y/N grinned when she reached the bottom of the stairs.
“You like it?” Tony asked.
“Are you kidding? This is great!” Y/N ran over to the huge table in the back of the living room, filled with about a dozen different kinds of ice cream and way too much candy. She turned and saw a pile of presents in the corner, and next to it a stack of dvds.
“Tonight we’re gonna open presents, eat ice cream, and binge watch every Star Wars movie,” Tony promised with a grin.
“Every one?” Steve whispered, and Nat elbowed him.
Y/N hugged Tony. “Thank you!”
He grinned. “You’re welcome baby girl.”
“But there’s one thing we have to do first,” she announced, wandering over to the couch.
“And what’s that?” Bucky questioned.
Y/N grinned and snatched up a pillow, swinging it hard at Bucky’s face, “pillow fight!”
Best. Birthday. Ever.
The End
#tony stark#peter parker#the avengers#marvel#birthday#avengers x reader#bucky barns fanfiction#fanfic#steve rogers#dad tony stark
20 notes
·
View notes
Text
Otome Gay [Nielan] - Chapter 7
word count: 2785
other chapters: INTRO - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 [AO3]
Mingjue woke up around noon for the first time in years. He was still exhausted, having laid awake most of the night. His head still felt like it was going to burst, his chest heavy with emotions he couldn’t quite place yet.
He went through his morning routine first, before checking if he had any messages. Even as he was busying himself, his mind kept going back to the evening before, to how everything was perfect and then it wasn’t, to Meng Yao’s words. He got himself comfortable on the couch, before even daring to unlock his phone.
There were several messages, none from Xichen, though. His heart sank. Still, maybe Xichen just hadn’t gotten to replying yet, he shouldn’t worry about it. The other messages were from Huaisang and Zonghui. The latter just asking how the evening was and if he’d gotten laid, Mingjue decided to ignore it for now, not feeling like going over the entire evening with him at the moment. He clicked on Huaisang’s messages.
From: Huaisang
nO wrories, dage!! 😘
Call me tomororow, is improtant!
To: Huaisang
Let me know when you’re awake
He knew he’d had to tell Huaisang everything then, but at least he knew the people it was about better than Zonghui, maybe he could help Mingjue figure this all out. He knew that Huaisang wouldn’t be up any time soon, though. He was probably up until morning and would sleep all day.
He didn’t know what to do until then. He had taken the day off, so Zonghui probably wouldn’t even let him into the gym, even if it was just to work out. Going there also meant having to talk to Zonghui about everything that happened, that’s for another time. So he decided to go for a run, that always cleared his mind a bit, he jogged to the park where he did most of his daily workout, got baozi on his way back. Once back and showered, it was only two in the afternoon, still hours to go before he could talk to Huaisang. He hadn’t received a message from Xichen either yet, which only added to his nerves.
He stress cleaned the apartment, which was done way too fast as Huaisang usually was the one to mess up the place. Still no message from Xichen or Huaisang.
With a sigh he plopped down on the couch, going through every movie and drama both iQiyi and Tencent had to offer in the hope to find something to watch, but not even his favourite movie seemed interesting right now. Eventually he decided to give the otome game another try, at least there he could still talk to Xichen. He played for hours, carefully picking his actions, immersing himself in the story completely. He would get his happy ending with Xichen in this stupid game somehow, if he couldn’t get it in real life, then he’d get it in the game no matter what. As he was getting close to the end of the storyline, his phone buzzed, snapping him out of it.
A message from Xichen. His heart started racing, he almost didn’t dare to look, especially when his phone buzzed again with another message from him.
From: Xichen
Wangji is okay.
Why did you do it?
Mingjue’s stomach twisted. Do what? He didn’t do anything, did he?
To: Xichen
I’m glad he’s okay, I was so worried
Why did I do what?
He saw the speech bubble pop up. Xichen typed for a long time, speech bubble popping up and disappearing again every now and then. It was clear he was trying to choose his words carefully, constantly deleting what he was typing. It seemed like an eternity before he finally sent his reply.
From: Xichen
You know what you did, Mingjue
To: Xichen
I really don’t
Xichen please tell me what I did so we can fix this
From: Xichen
I can’t believe you… I thought you were different
I should’ve known better
Mingjue’s heart dropped, tears already welling up in his eyes. This couldn’t be it. He couldn’t mean this. He didn’t even know what to reply, it was clear he did something wrong but he really had no idea what. He took a few breaths to calm himself down before replying.
To: Xichen
Xichen, please
I really wish I knew what I did so I could explain it to you
Please tell me
No reply. He looked at his screen for a long time after sending, but Xichen didn’t even start to type a reply. In frustration he threw his phone to the side, slamming his hand down, hitting his laptop. What happened next didn’t help with what he was feeling… He got the negative ending for Xichen’s storyline once again by accidentally clicking something. He slammed his laptop closed, pushing it aside and curling into himself. He couldn’t stop the tears anymore. He tried so hard every time but he just kept screwing up. He always screwed up the good things in his life.
He didn’t know how long he sat there exactly, sobbing, hands clawing at his body angrily, chest heaving as he sucked in breaths between sobs. His mind was racing, that evil voice in his head taking over, telling him I told you so. What did he expect, he’d never been able to find anyone really interested in him, and then he’d think Xichen would be? Xichen who is so far out of his league, who is loved by everyone and could get whoever he wants. He can’t even get him interested in him in a stupid game after a million tries, why would real life be different.
His phone was buzzing next to him, it had been for a while but he hadn’t dare to look at the caller ID. Eventually he did, and he saw the foolish picture Huaisang had once set as his own caller ID. Mingjue would’ve laughed at it had he not been feeling so miserable. He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down a bit before he answered.
“Dage, are you okay?” Huaisang insisted immediately, he knew it wasn’t normal for his brother to take so long to answer his phone.
“No”, Mingjue replied honestly, he couldn’t keep anything from Huaisang anyway so why bother lying. “Why can’t I just be with Xichen”, he whined, trying to hold back his sobs the best he could.
Huaisang sighed. “Because we made it impossible in the game, dage. I thought you’d figured it out by now.” Both of them were quiet for a while. Mingjue trying to process what he said. Any other time he would’ve been mad at Huaisang for making him waste his time like this, but now he was almost relieved. “You didn’t mean in the game, did you? Did something happen?”
“It’s over, I messed up”
Huaisang’s breath hitched on the other side. “What happened? Everything seemed to be going so well yesterday”
“I don’t know”, Mingjue admitted, “He’s mad at me, very mad, and disappointed and I don’t know why” He heard his brother sniffle softly on the other side.
After a moment of silence, Huaisang gasped loudly. “It’s all my fault”
“What do you mean?”
“When I heard someone spiked Wangji’s drink and he got into a fight, I immediately came to look for him, but Xichen had already taken him home”, Huaisang explained, “I heard what Meng Yao told you and…” He hesitated for a moment. “When you walked away I was so angry, he seemed so proud of himself, telling everyone what a pathetic crybaby you were and that you didn’t deserve Xichen… I punched him, the way you taught me” Ouch… Mingjue had tried to teach Huaisang self defense when people started picking on him in high school, but he never really needed it, tongue sharp enough to fend off any bullies. Still, he knew Huaisang could pack a punch. “I probably broke his nose, Zixuan had to take him to the hospital, my hand still hurts from it” Mingjue couldn’t help but feel proud of his brother for standing up for him. He wasn’t a fan of starting a fight or punching people just like that, but to be honest Meng Yao had deserved it. It took him a while to realise what Huaisang was trying to say though.
“You think he said I punched him”, Mingjue mumbled, of course he did. It was perfect… Meng Yao could play the victim and the more Mingjue claimed he did nothing or that it wasn’t him, the worse it’d be, because of course Xichen would believe his lifelong friend over some guy he just met.
Huaisang sniffled again. “I’m so sorry, dage. I shouldn’t have done that, I’ll fix it I promise, I’ll tell Xichen it was me”
“He deserved it”, Mingjue said, “I’m proud of you for standing up for me, A-Sang, it’s not your fault.” Huaisang just started crying harder, which made Mingjue angrier than he already was at Meng Yao. “I’m not sure Xichen will believe you if you say it was you”
“Then what can we do, we have to fix this”, Huaisang hiccupped, “You and Xichen need to be together”
Mingjue sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose trying to push aside all the negative thoughts and come up with something. “The only way is if Meng Yao exposes himself as the rat he is, which he won’t”
“Please don’t give up, dage”, Huaisang whispered, “you can’t let him win, Xichen is worth fighting for I promise”
“I know he is, Huaisang. I won’t give up” Mingjue promised, and then decided it was enough about that. “Come home somewhere this week? Bring your boyfriend, I’ll cook your favourite dinner”
Huaisang promised to come home Wednesday evening and stay until Sunday evening as it was a long weekend. It made Mingjue feel a bit better, at least now he had something to look forward to.
He didn’t hear from Xichen anymore. He had texted him a few times, asking if they could talk. Not that he knew what to say to him if he’d agree to meet, he couldn’t say anything. He wasn’t the person to apologize for something he didn’t do, it wouldn’t help anyway, as apologizing meant admitting guilt. Explaining what happened would also put him in a bad light, as it would just sound as excuses. The only thing he could hope for was that some way, somehow, Meng Yao would slip up. It sucked, though, knowing Xichen was mad at him and he couldn’t do anything about it.
The week suddenly seemed so much longer, even with super busy work days, the few days counting up to Wednesday felt like an eternity. He spent most of his free time sulking, trying to think of a way to make Xichen believe him. But as far as he knew only Huaisang had heard what Meng Yao had told him, and Huaisang said nobody had seen him punch Meng Yao either, at least nobody that wasn’t completely wasted at that moment and could still remember it.
At least tonight, for a few hours, maybe he could keep his mind off it. Hopefully Huaisang being home would help Mingjue to stop sulking. Actually, he had no doubt having his little brother around would help tremendously, the little Nie always had a way to make things better.
From the moment he burst into the apartment with his boyfriend in tow, Mingjue felt better. The entire place was immediately filled with chaotic energy that could only be described as Nie Huaisang. Shoes carelessly thrown off in the hallway, jackets and bags threw on the couch, loud chatter filled the otherwise quiet home. Finally it fully felt like home again.
Huaisang greeted his brother with a hug, complaining about being hungry immediately after. Jiang Cheng stood around awkwardly, greeting Mingjue politely before being forced to sit down by Huaisang.
The mood as they ate was comfortable and warm. Jiang Cheng seemed like a good guy, defensive and forward, but it was clear he held deep affection for Huaisang and was amused by his annoying antics. It was also very obvious how whipped his little brother was for this boy, how comfortable he felt around him. The last time Huaisang took someone home, he wasn’t himself, held himself back so much that it hurt Mingjue’s heart to see that his brother not seemed to be allowed to fully be his wonderful self around the person he loved. Luckily this time, nothing seemed to hold Huaisang back and Mingjue couldn’t be happier for him.
Before, this dinner would’ve been perfect, yet now he couldn’t help but think something was missing. Someone. He got a lump in his throat when he thought about how wonderful it would’ve been had Xichen only been here. He had never expected to be so affected by someone he’d known for only a few weeks. He was able to quickly get his thought back in order, though. Focusing on the ridiculous story Huaisang was telling, on how happy his brother was right now.
Things suddenly got tense when Huaisang disappeared to the bathroom for a moment. Mingjue stared at Jiang Cheng intensely for a moment, the boy clearly intimidated by his gaze but he tried his best not to show it. Mingjue admired that. However, the boy was clearly expecting some kind of shovel talk at the moment, so why not give it to him.
“Treat him well, hm”, Mingjue said.
Jiang Cheng nodded enthusiastically. “I will, I promise Mingjue-ge”
“Hm”, Mingjue pointed at him with his chopsticks. “If you hurt him, Huaisang will kill you”
This seemed to confuse Jiang Cheng, he clearly didn’t know his boyfriend as well as he seemed to think, not that Mingjue could blame him, Huaisang’s dangerous side only came out when he felt wronged. Jiang Cheng not knowing about this side was a good thing. “Don’t you mean you’ll kill me?” He stuttered.
“No, I don’t”, Mingjue said, taking a sip from his drink.
“Dage will help me get rid of the body”, Huaisang said casually as he walked back in, pressing a kiss to Jiang Cheng’s cheek as he sat down. The Jiang boy seemed distressed, but still grabbed Huaisang’s hand with an almost confident smile. “You saw what I did to Meng Yao”, Huaisang mumbled carefully, keeping an eye on his brother’s reaction as he referred to the evening of his birthday.
The lump was back immediately, the words ringing in his ears again, his mind back to making him believe that they were true. He wanted to say something, but all words suddenly lost.
“Have you heard anything?” Huaisang asked.
Mingjue shook his head. “I asked him to talk a few times, but I never got a reply”
“I’m sorry, dage”, Huaisang sighed. “I’ll try to talk to him during my next art class, I promise.”
After that they avoided the topic for the next few days, Huaisang trying his best to keep his brother’s mind occupied. On Thursday and Friday, Huaisang came to help out at the gym, taking on his pre-college job of secretary again as one of the employees had fallen ill, annoying both Zonghui and Mingjue in between calls and helping visitors with signing up and making appointments for personal training. Saturday they went to the art store together, Huaisang probably buying way more than he should, but his brother didn’t seem to mind. On Sunday morning Huaisang even woke up before his brother did, probably for the first time since he’d been a child, and went to fetch them breakfast.
He had hoped to make it quick and be back before Mingjue returned from his morning run, but as soon as he saw how busy the restaurant was he’d chosen for take-out, he knew that wasn’t going to happen. It took forever until it was his turn, getting more and more annoyed with the people around him with every passing second. He’d almost forgotten that he wasn’t really a morning person… Thankfully the people in this restaurant, complaining every single second of their time waiting or just plainly trying to skip the line, kindly reminded him of it.
When he finally received his order, an hour and a half had passed and Mingjue had already called him once asking him where he was. He hurried back, accidentally bumping into someone as he walked out. Annoyance spiking once again as he saw the bruised face in front of him, fist already itching to collide with it again.
“Meng Yao”, he hissed, “I was hoping to bump into you again, we have a lot to talk about”
#otome gay#nielan#nie mingjue#lan xichen#mirf writes#the untamed#mo dao zu shi#cql#next one SHOULD be the last... we'll see
18 notes
·
View notes
Text
Red Dwarf fanfic - Comatose 10/16
part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 | part 6 | part 7 | part 8 | part 9
“Look at this place, Lister,” Rimmer said appreciatively, as he jogged into their quarters in sportswear, and glanced at the hologramatic watch strapped to his wrists as though he was checking his time. He tapped it a few times, then nodded in apparent satisfaction.
Somehow, Lister doubted he had actually run very far. From the top bunk where he had been laying, Lister glanced around the room. Nothing seemed particularly unusual. He frowned. “What?”
“It’s never been tidier,” Rimmer told him. “Holly, a clean uniform please.”
The jogging bottoms and t-shirt disappeared to reveal Rimmer’s usual uniform. He glanced in the mirror to check his appearance, then sat down on the bottom bunk.
“I mean, look at it,” he continued, addressing Lister again. “Your dirty laundry basket is completely empty, your clean clothes put away neatly, not hanging out of the tops of your drawers like they’re trying to escape. The ashtrays are empty and clean, there are no half-empty lager cans laying around the place, no remnants of last night’s dinner. I almost feel like I live with an adult.”
Lister rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well don’t get used to it. It’s only like this because I can’t do any of those things. Soon as I get my body back, I’m sure I’ll be back to driving you crazy in no time.”
From the bunk below him, Rimmer made a sound that Lister couldn’t quite identify, somewhere between a laugh and a sigh.
Lister frowned again. “What?”
“Nothing,” Rimmer told him.
It hadn’t been nothing. Lister rolled over onto his side and peered over the side of the bunk to look at Rimmer. “What?”
Rimmer shook his head. “You won’t appreciate it,” he said.
“Try me.”
Rimmer sighed. He got to his feet, walked a few paces, turned around, and then walked back again. “Fine. You sound like me,” he said. “Like I used to. Obsessed with getting my body back, convinced that it was going to happen…”
“It is going to happen,” Lister told him. “My body’s still alive in the medical unit, yours got turned into radioactive dust three million years ago. Not the same thing.” It had better happen, anyway. The only thing that was keeping him from going crazy was the thought that there would, eventually, be a resolution to the situation, that he could be downloaded back into his waiting body and resume life as normal.
Rimmer nodded. “I hope you’re right,” he said.
I am right,” Lister told him. “The results of the more detailed scan came back, and whatever caused it, it’s not done any more damage at least.”
“Whatever caused it?” asked Rimmer. “So you don’t know, then?”
Lister shook his head. That was the worrying thing, apparently it just sometimes happened, and when it did, sometimes it happened again. “It’s totally normal,” he said, “Nothing to worry about. In fact, Kryten reckons I’m doing better than the medicomp predicted.”
“That’s the way it goes sometimes though, Lister,” Rimmer told him. He paced the room again. “One brief push toward life, like they put all their strength into getting better, and for a moment it works, until it doesn’t. One day the doctor’s telling you things are improving, and you’re convinced Great Uncle Ernest is going to pull through, the next you’re making an appointment at the funeral home and trying to decide what music to play as he disappears behind the big curtain.”
Lister lay back down. “Great, thanks a lot.”
Rimmer nodded. “Just trying to prepare you for the possibility,” he said. “I wouldn’t want you to be disappointed if you wake up dead tomorrow.”
Lister folded his arms. He couldn’t work Rimmer out sometimes. One minute he almost seemed like he was trying to be nice, the next, he came out with something like this. Lister ignored him.
“It’s not all bad though,” Rimmer added. “Like I said, the place has never been tidier.”
One of two things was happening here. Either Rimmer was trying to upset him -- possible but somehow it didn’t feel likely, or Rimmer was genuinely trying to help, but in such a Rimmer way that it felt as though he was trying to upset him.
“And you know, holograms can theoretically continue forever, they don't die. Not to mention being intangible makes you de facto indestructible.”
“Oh yeah?” Lister asked. “So that’s why you’re the first one to go charging headfirst into danger, is it?”
“Of course I don’t endanger myself unnecessarily,” Rimmer told him. “I’m the highest ranking crew member on this ship. You’d be lost without me.”
Lister rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right. Absolutely.”
“But you, Lister. Think about it. No more getting whacked on the head by psychotic droids, no more worrying about what might happen to you when we encounter the next horrible thing. In fact, maybe you should just opt to stay as you are regardless of what happens to your body.”
“I don’t think so,” Lister told him. “Why are you bringing this up, anyway?”
Rimmer shrugged. “No reason. Just making conversation. I thought you might be bored, so I decided to come up with something to occupy your mind.”
“You thought I might want to occupy my mind with the thought of dying and being a hologram for the rest of eternity?”
Rimmer shrugged again. “Everybody dies, Lister. Wouldn’t it be better that it happened now, while you’re prepared for it? And while you’re already in a hologram body; while you’re actually yourself rather than the most recent backup of your personality and memories?”
Lister thought about it. “No,” he said. “Smeg off.”
And you’d get to attend your own funeral,” Rimmer added. That’s always been a dream of mine, you know. Right from being a boy. I always thought that if I died -- or rather if I faked my own death -- I could attend my own funeral in disguise and hear what people said about me. Talk about an ego boost! And I bet Frank would have cried too, the big sissy.”
Lister shook his head. “You’re a very strange guy, Rimmer. You’d really have wanted to put your family through that?”
“Yes. Absolutely.” Rimmer didn’t even hesitate before he responded. He sat down on the bottom bunk and sighed. “I bet I never even had a funeral,” he said. “I mean, circumstances being what they were. It’s not like they had a body to bury, so they probably just shrugged their shoulders and got on with their lives.”
Lister sighed. Laying on his bunk, he stared upward at the space above his head. “I’m sure they didn’t,” he said. “I’m sure they were really broken up.”
“Doubtful,” Rimmer told him. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they had a party. A ‘Hurray! Thank smeg we don’t have to think about that embarrassment Arnold anymore’ party.”
Lister shook his head.
“I bet they had party hats. And those noise-maker things that you blow through. And party poppers too.”
“Rimmer, come on, stop it. What’s the point in torturing yourself like this?”
A pause from the bunk below him, and then, “Well, excuse me. You’ve seemed a bit down the past couple of days, even before the whole seizure thing. I’m sorry for trying to cheer you up.”
“By talking about your funeral?”
“No, by talking about yours… Oh. Yes, I see your point.”
Sometimes Lister wondered how Rimmer had managed to function on a ship surrounded by normal people. And then he remembered, he hadn’t. “I don’t need cheering up, anyway, What I need is something to do.” It was strange, Lister had always thought that he was good at doing nothing. Being lazy was one of his best talents. If he really set his mind to it, he would have no problem laying in bed for a week, as long as he had a steady supply of television and curry. He supposed maybe the fact that he couldn’t eat might be getting in his way.
“Do something, then,” Rimmer suggested.
He would, only he couldn’t think of anything. “Great. Helpful. Any suggestions?”
“Not really,” Rimmer told him. “Why would I have any suggestions?”
Lister sighed. “Doesn’t matter. Forget it.”
“Oh,” said Rimmer. “Because everything you like to do is off limits right now. I see. Well…” He made an exaggerated ‘thinking about it’ face. “The scanner needs recalibrating. The one that didn’t detect the droid when we went over to the ship where you got whacked on the head. You never know when you’re going to need to scan something, and as you’ve proven, it’s better if the results are accurate.”
“What?” Lister got down from his bunk and sat at the table. Where his still unfinished jigsaw taunted him. “You mean you haven’t done it yet? It’s been nearly eight months.”
“It’s been on my list for a while now,” Rimmer told him. “I was going to get to it.”
Lister shook his head. “We’ve been using that,” he said. “Remember last week we passed that moon with the breathable atmosphere and we decided to leave it because it was infested with shapeshifting GELFs? Well what if they weren’t GELFs? What if in reality it was a planet filled with beautiful women just desperate for some company?”
Rimmer shrugged. “Well, I hate to break it to you, Listy, but you’re about as much use to a woman right now as a vibrator with the batteries missing. Less, actually.”
“Oh, great, thanks a lot!”
“Sorry. It’s true though.”
Rimmer wasn’t wrong, actually. Lister sighed slowly through pursed lips and drummed his fingers thoughtfully on one leg. “I could find a nice hologram girl,” he said.
Rimmer shook his head. “Two problems with that, Lister. Firstly, Holly can barely support the two of us. We’ve had to shut down life support to most of the ship just to keep you up and running, so the chances of us being able to support another one are slim to none. Secondly, if we did meet a female hologram, I’ve got dibs.”
“Dibs?” Lister eyed him scornfully. “You can’t call dibs, Rimmer. We’re talking about a person with thoughts and feelings of her own. It’s not up to you who she falls in love with.”
Rimmer shook his head. “And you think that given a choice between the two of us, she’d pick you?”
“Maybe. More likely than her picking you anyway,” Lister told him. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter, does it? She doesn’t exist, we made her up.”
“Yes, well if she’s made up, that means I can imagine her wanting to go out with me, doesn’t it?”
Lister folded his arms defensively. “No, it doesn’t. I made her up.”
“Yes, but you said yourself, you can’t call dibs, therefore you can’t do anything to stop me imagining myself charming her into leaving you, and the two of us living happily ever after. Anyway, if she did end up with you, what would happen to your so-called ‘relationship’ when you moved back into your body? That’d throw an ice cold bucket of water over your passions, wouldn’t it?”
Lister sighed. “What are we doing?” he said. “We’re arguing over nothing. Literally.”
“Well, that might be what you’re doing, Lister, but what I’m doing is giving you something to do. You said you were bored, didn’t you?”
Rimmer gave a smug smile. Lister glared at him. “I can hit you now, you know that, right?”
“Okay, okay,” Rimmer said. He raised his hands in mock surrender. “So you don’t want to recalibrate the sensor, probably for the best; you’d need help from the skutters, and honestly they seem to listen to you even less than me, if that’s possible.”
“Yeah,” said Lister, “what’s with that anyway? I’ve always been tight with the skutters. While you were yelling at them for spending two hours cleaning the cinema while a movie was on, I was covering for them, and they knew it.”
“It’s about respect,” Rimmer told him. “They respect me, they don’t respect you. Besides, they know I’d make good on my threat to eject them out of the nearest airlock if they didn’t do what I asked.”
No he wouldn’t. Rimmer needed the skutters. Lister didn’t bother to point that out; Rimmer was already aware.
“What would you be doing right now if you weren’t a hologram?” Rimmer asked. “If we’d never gone to explore that ship, you hadn’t been whacked over the head by a psychotic simulant and none of this had happened, how would you be wasting your time this afternoon?”
Lister thought about it. Honestly, he didn’t know. If he’d been able to touch it, the jigsaw puzzle would have been finished months earlier, and he wasn’t going to put himself through working on it right now.
He had been trying knitting again. Nothing fancy. Nothing with any shape to it at all, actually. A cobbled together mismatch of different colours and types of wool that he had managed to find around the ship, left behind by various members of the crew. He wasn’t very good at it, but he thought he’d been doing okay. Especially considering all he had to go on was a single, half remembered lesson from his grandmother one rainy Sunday afternoon when he hadn’t been able to play out.
Like the jigsaw though, he hadn’t been doing that because he wanted to do it, he had been doing it because there wasn’t a lot to do three million years into deep space when you were the only human in a vast, lonely universe. It definitely wasn’t something he was interested in trying to teach the skutters to do for him.
“So, nothing?” Rimmer said. He looked at him scornfully. “You can’t think of a single thing you would be doing?”
Lister shrugged. “Can you?”
The look on Rimmer’s face told him that no, he couldn’t. Rimmer got to his feet, walked across the room and back, then looked at Lister, triumphant. “Why don’t you educate yourself?” he said.
Lister scowled. “Hey! I’m educated.”
“Debatable, but that’s not what I meant. Holly had every book ever written on any subject ever. They’re all just stored in the database. Why don’t you crack one open and learn something new?”
Lister raised his hands and wiggled his fingers. “I can’t turn the pages.”
Rimmer rolled his eyes. “It wouldn’t be a physical book, you gimboid. It would be on a computer screen. Instead of pressing a button to turn the page, you just ask Holly to do it for you. It’s easy.”
“Oh.” Lister shook his head. “Well, maybe later. I’m not really in the mood for reading right now.”
He was rarely in the mood for reading, if he was honest. And Rimmer knew it.
“Okay,” said Rimmer. “Okay…” He paced the room a couple more times before he sat back down on the bed. “Forget what you would normally be doing. If you could be doing anything right now, what would it be?”
“Does it matter?” Lister asked. After all, if it was something he couldn’t have, what would be the point in torturing himself by thinking about it?
Rimmer didn’t reply. He simply let the question hang in the air.
Lister sighed. He was tempted to go for the flippant answer. He would be laying in bed in his house on Fiji with Kochanski by his side. The two of them would be basking in post-coital afterglow, staring into each other’s eyes, their legs still entwined under the thin, cotton sheet that covered them, while a gentle breeze floated in through the open window. From the next room, he would be able to hear the sound of Jim and Bexley beginning to wake up.
But realistically, because although he wasn’t willing to give up on that particular dream just yet, he had to concede that it wasn’t exactly plausible for the time being, he supposed there was only one thing he really wanted to be doing.
“Eating a curry,” he said.
“That’s it?” Rimmer sounded disappointed.
“No,” Lister assured him. “That’s not ‘it’. Not just any old curry. We’re talking a really good curry. The kind that’s so hot it burns the skin off the roof of your mouth and blunts your taste buds so much you can’t taste anything else for a week, you know? A vindaloo, or maybe even a phall. Oh, and I’d have poppadoms for a starter, huge ones, just the right amount of crunch, piled high with lime pickle, chutney, and a bit of raita. And I’d wash the whole thing down with an ice cold lager or seven.”
“Holly can simulate food,” Rimmer told him. “After a fashion.”
Lister shook his head. “Rimmer, Holly can’t simulate food that she can’t project into your hand or straight down your gob. Call me crazy, but I don’t much fancy being force-fed an entire chicken vindaloo with all the sides.”
“Well, you can still have the lager.” Rimmer tried.
Lister shook his head. “But I don’t want to.”
“I’m just saying, you could, if you wanted to.”
“Have you tasted those hologramatic drinks, Rimmer? They’re so thin and flavourless they might as well be American beer.” Honestly, it was probably a good thing Holly couldn’t recreate a curry; he was sure it would have been a big disappointment. It would have been like one of the microwave meals you got in the freezer aisle at the supermarket. The kind advertised as ‘healthy’, filled with peas and green beans, and all kinds of other things that didn’t belong in a curry. It would maybe have one or two pieces of meat suspended in the most flavourless curry sauce it had ever been his misfortune to try.
“Fine,” Rimmer told him. “You just carry on moping. You just get back on your bunk and stare at the ceiling and look forward to your body healing so you can get transferred back into it and tuck into that curry. Just remember, some of us don’t have that luxury. Some of us died three million years ago and don’t have a body to move back into. So maybe think about that the next time you want to complain.”
“I wasn’t complaining,” Lister told him. “I didn’t say a word ‘til you came in here and started trying to cheer me up. I mean, I was a bit bored, but I was reasonably happy.”
He hadn’t been. Not really. But then, Rimmer hadn’t known that.
“Fine,” Rimmer told him. “I was just trying help, but I’ll just smeg off then, shall I?” He got to his feet and headed for the door.
Lister sighed. “Rimmer, wait.”
The hologram stopped, but didn’t turn around.
“I’m sorry. You’re right, I was moping. But come on, man. You've got to let me mope. I mean, you did enough of it back when Holly first switched you on...”
“With good reason,” Rimmer interjected.
“Well, yeah. Maybe. Look, it’s scary, okay? My body’s down there hooked up to all those machines, being looked after, and there’s still a chance I’m not going to make it, and I can’t… I don’t want to…” he stopped, giving up. He didn’t want to be a hologram forever, but he couldn’t say that. Not to Rimmer. There was nothing wrong with being a hologram, he firmly believed that; always had. That didn’t mean it was easy. Some people just couldn’t hack it, and he was beginning to suspect that he might be one of them.
Rimmer turned. His expression had softened. “Okay,” he said. “So the lager’s not great. Why not try something else. It’s Saturday night, why don’t we go to the bar and get a hologramatic one of those weird cocktails you used to have sometimes?”
Lister thought about it. “I’m not really in the mood,” he said.
“But, it’s Saturday night. That used to be important to you, as I remember. As I’m physically incapable of forgetting, actually. Thanks to the learning drugs I’d taken, that conversation is still rattling around in the back of my mind.”
“Used to be, yeah,” Lister agreed. “What difference does it make now though? If it’s Saturday, or Friday, or some random Tuesday the first week of January? When’s the last time we bothered about it being the weekend?”
Rimmer shrugged. “Well, okay. So it’s a random night. It happens to be a Saturday, but that’s not relevant. Let’s go for a drink.”
Lister closed his eyes and took a deep breath in and out. The guy was really trying. It didn’t seem fair to give him nothing in return. “Fine,” he said. “Let’s get drunk.”
He got up and walked through the door, leaving Rimmer staring after him. “Er… I never said ‘drunk’ he called. “I said ‘drink’ singular. Lister? Lis… fine. Wait for me.”
(next)
(Thanks to @norwegianpornfaerie for beta-ing)
24 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
dildar09
Dildar Singh
phantomsmooch
doad
peterthomson1
Commercial Linen UK
voyeur-vorare
VOYEUR VORARE
olahsolhudinlove-blog
Untitled