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#stories about her childhood and funny moments in college. and that one time she got drunk and thought her nose fell off.
cloveswifey · 1 year
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Roots
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Request: Hi! I had some kind of idea of something to write but it's kinda messy but here it is : female/reader being bullied throughout middle school but defended by JJ who was her only friend. She moves out of the island and comes back years later and they cross paths. Maybe something fluffy? Him discovering she had been dealing with some serious stuff (anxiety/depression) but that now she's ok (kinda) and he's very happy to see her again and very much want to be part of her life again.
Parings: JJ Maybank x Fem!Reader
Warning: Bullying, loss of dad, broken nose, anxiety, depression, struggling in school.
Type: Angst to fluff
Words: 920
Throughout middle school, Y/n found it difficult to feel like she belonged. Her father's untimely passing unsettled her, and unfortunately, she was subjected to being bullied at school because of it. Nevertheless, she found solace in her relationship with JJ, who remained a constant companion and protector.
After discovering JJ beaten up at the beach, Y/n immediately offered her assistance. Ever since that day, JJ has held a special place in her heart, and in turn, he returned the favor by being fiercely protective of her. Y/n later learned that JJ had his own struggles- issues with his father's abuse.
Despite the hardships they both faced, they found a bond in their shared pain and helped one another through the hardships.
As Michael and his repugnant pals approached, he greeted Y/n with a taunting "Hey freak."
For as long as they'd known each other, Michael and his lunatic crew had always found ways to torment Y/n.
Y/n sighed in anticipation of another insult as she asked, "What now Michael?"
In response, Jason cackled behind Michael and added, "Yeah, what's it like having no dad?"
Y/n snarled and retorted, "Shut up!"
One of Michael's friends sneered, "Aw, you gonna cry to daddy? Oh wait, you can't."
"Cry little baby-" Michael began, but was interrupted when he was slammed into the lockers.
"What were you saying?" JJ's voice thundered through the hallway as he held Michael against the locker.
"You got a bodyguard or something now, y/n?" Michael taunted.
"Sorry, what was that?" JJ asked, pushing Michael harder into the locker. "Apologize," he demanded.
Instead of apologizing, Michael scoffed and said nothing.
"Say you're sorry!" JJ punched Michael in the nose so hard that it elicited a loud crack.
"Shit! I'm sorry," Michael blurted, holding his now-bleeding nose as JJ released him. "Fuck," he groaned in pain.
"Maybank!" the principal bellowed from down the hall, his voice echoing throughout the corridors. "My office now."
“Later princess.” JJ laughed as he made his way down the hallway towards the office.
Y/n knew he would be suspended or worse, proving how much she valued their friendship.
Y/n's family made the big decision to leave the sunny shores of Outer Banks behind and move to London, the birthplace of her father.
During her time in London, Y/n had the opportunity to meet and connect with her grandparents who shared funny, happy, and even embarrassing stories about her father's childhood. They even gifted her a photo book filled with cherished memories.
After turning 18, Y/n came to a life-changing decision to return to Charleston to attend college and study English literature with the aspiration of becoming a writer. Her time at college was filled with late nights studying, fueled by her passion for writing and storytelling.
Whilst on a walk one day, Y/n unexpectedly crossed paths with her old friend JJ, bringing back a flood of memories of the times when he had stood up for her against bullies. The two caught up, sharing stories of their current lives and the ups and downs they encountered since last seeing each other.
As they reminisced about their past, Y/n couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia for the times she and JJ had spent together. She never forgot the moments when he had been there for her and supported her through thick and thin.
“Hey did you wanna go out some time?” JJ asks, a hopeful smile plastered onto his face.
“Yeah sure,” Y/n agrees, feeling nervous but excited at the same time.
“Great! How about we go to that new sushi place downtown this weekend?” JJ suggests.
Y/n nods, “That sounds perfect.”
JJ’s smile grows wider, “Awesome, I’ll pick you up at 7.”
Y/n can feel her heart racing as she watches JJ walk away, wondering if this could be the start of something special.
As they meet up for their first date, they reminisce more about the past and JJ opens up about his feelings towards Y/n, confessing that he had always harbored a crush on her. Y/n is taken aback, but admits that she had secretly felt the same. The two spend the rest of the evening laughing, talking and enjoying each other's company.
As their relationship blossoms, Y/n finds herself becoming more and more inspired in her studies, utilizing her newfound happiness and memories as creative fuel for her writing. JJ continues to support her every step of the way, encouraging her to pursue her dreams wholeheartedly.
Eventually, Y/n graduates college with top honors, leaving her feeling grateful for the support of her family and friends, especially JJ. As they stand outside the graduation hall, JJ pulls Y/n in for a kiss, and the two of them realize that they had found true love in each other, and that their love story was just beginning.
As they walk towards their future hand in hand, Y/n realizes that the move to London had been the catalyst for all this - the opportunity to connect with her father's roots, and in turn, finding her own. She knew that wherever life took them, they would always have the memories of those stories and that photo book that will always bring them back to where it all began.
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veeranger · 10 months
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Vee’s Steam Summer Sale 2023 Recommendations
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as always these are just personal opinions etc etc please look up some real reviews before buying a game if you aren’t sure and remember that steam will give you a full refund if you have less than 2 hours played in under 2 weeks.
im going to try to recc stuff i havent shilled every 6 months for the last 5 years but the VNs are going to be the same as always honestly
Fighting Games
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Guilty Gear -Strive- Ultimate Edition 2022 ($55.99)
yes im specifically saying buy ultimate edition because it has all the dlc as of this writing. buy the base version if you want but i hate playing fighting games with incomplete rosters.
anyway this is my favorite fighting game, bar none. this is the game that after years of screwing around on a bunch of other games finally got me to really want to get better and actually play against other people. there’s a super active playerbase and at least another year of support from arcsys on the way. the best time to start playing strive was a year ago but the second best time is right now.
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Idol Showdown (Free)
yes im shilling a free game here. idol showdown is a good fighting game and the result of like three years of hard work from a small team. try it out and give them some love
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Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroines Infinite Duel ($4.99)
this is not a good game but it is a funny game. saber is in it.
Narrative Games
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AI: The Somnium Files - $7.99
one of the finest mystery games you can play imo. maybe uchikoshi’s best work. a perfect blend of mystery, character, and style. every character and conversation is compelling in its own way and every little thing builds up to the huge moments which makes them all feel totally earned. as always uchikoshi is a genius in the way he blends his signature branching timeline style with the themes and core concepts of the game. the twists and turns this game goes down are so crazy that weeks later you’ll still be realizing how all the little things you thought were just quirks were actually foreshadowing. cannot recc this enough tbh.
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Zero Escape: The Nonary Games - $11.99
another uchikoshi joint, also extremely good. ive only finished 999, the first game in this collection, but i can recc it just based on the strength of that alone. whereas somnium is a murder mystery, 999 is a visual novel about being trapped in a murder game interspliced with escape room segments. whatever you think you know you dont, 999 will take you down so many twists and turns you’ll be fucking dizzy when you’re done with it. big recc.
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VA-11 HALL-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action - $10.04
i could probably talk about this game for as long as the others, even though its way way less complex. va-11 hall-a doesnt have a huge sweeping story with insane twists and massive reveals, but what it does have is an extremely personal narrative about loss, healing, and just living your life the best way you can in a horrible dystopian world. the cast of characters feel utterly real and you learn about the world they inhabit through interactions with them, rather than being infodumped by exposition. everyone has their own story and everyone is just trying to get by, including you. one of the best small scale personal narrative games ive ever played.
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Night In The Woods - $9.99
another vn i would consider “small scale” but equally as impactful. nitw is a story about a disillusioned and struggling college drop out returning to her economically declining home town. nobody is secure, nobody is happy, everyone is suffering through their daily lives. you follow mae as she struggled to readjust to her childhood home and the people she left behind. until something happens that changes her priorities radically. all ill say. despite how i just made it sound, nitw is not all depressing. theres lighthearted moments and wacky days to cut through the bleak fog, as well as genuinely heartfelt moments that feel very earned. nitw is a game i think that everyone struggling through their 20s should play.
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Grim Fandango Remastered ($3.79)
i know this is an old school adventure game and you might yell at me for sort of grouping it in with the VNs but i dont care. its a classic, its a beautiful game, everyone should play it. its old, it controls like shit, the puzzles are obtuse, but the experience is wonderful and memorable. its cheap as hell just go for it.
Action
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Assault Spy ($4.99)
this goofy ass game is fun as hell. its a very dmc style character action with upgrades and moves to buy, and it actually has a pretty goddamn good mechanical system in place. the gameplay loop rules. only warning is this is not well optimized so watch your computer doesnt explode.
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Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered ($40.19)
i shouldn’t even have to shill. a must play for any spider-man fan. one the best spider-man stories ever hands down. such an incredible experience seriously. i cant even say enough here, if you haven’t played this yet you should do it asap.
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Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales ($33.49)
everything i just said for the first game goes here too. a MUST play for miles morales fans. the combat is even better than the first too. you won’t regret playing this trust me.
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Marvel’s Avengers - The Definitive Edition ($5.99)
no i’m not joking. ok well i kind of am but this game is getting delisted in september. it is an unforgivably mid piece of shit but if you have an interest in game preservation or playing something so bad they’re killing it forever, well here it is. they made all the microtransactions free btw.
Others
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Tinykin ($13.75)
its like pikmin but its legally distinct! i like this game a lot, it has a very cute art style and its got easy to enjoy gameplay. i find it very relaxing. there’s a demo.
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System Shock 2 ($2.49)
i will never stop shilling this game. fucking play it. its a cornerstone of video games. one of the most influential pieces ever put to pixel. you owe it to yourself to experience this if you feel any interest in it. maybe read a guide though its unforgiving if you screw around with your build.
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Dead Space [2023] ($41.99)
exceptionally good. i dont have to shill the old shitty pc port of the original anymore. an A+ remake, i think it improves on the original in every conceivable way.
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Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night ($11.99)
such a goddamn good metroidvania. its almost like the platonic ideal of a castlevania game. a true spiritual successor to SOTN. this isnt your dime a dozen soulslike vania, this is a true vania game in the best original style made by basically one of the core founders of the genre.
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STAR WARS™ Knights of the Old Republic™ II - The Sith Lords™ ($3.49)
its a fuckin classic rpg. one of the best of the era. get it on pc so you can get that extended content mod they promised to import to the console version and then cancelled.
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Save Room - Organization Puzzle ($2.09)
this is just a cute puzzle game. i like it.
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writerof-thewoods · 10 months
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Dark Regressor!Rich Goranski Headcanons
(These are also from my Ao3 account StarLite_StarBrite. They're under "My Darker Regression Headcanons" if you wanna check them out there! I just wanted to post them here because I feel like it fits better :3. This ties in with the Jeremy headcanons because I have a little story for the two of them that I'm working on. I ship these two heavily at the moment, so that's why they go together in this scenario.)
TW: for parental abuse/neglect, parent death, child abuse, and slurs (it's minor, but it's still there.)
Personally, I see him as a flip, mainly because I also hc Jeremy as a regressor & kind of put both of them together.
Being the youngest of two kids, he ate up whatever attention he got from his parents (mainly his mom) when he got the chance. 
His mom tried her best, but his brother mainly raised him until he left for college/got away from the family. She was barely an adult herself when she had both of them and since she and their dad were two kids in love, they got married at 18. 
His mother used to be an artist. She did pottery, painting, sculpting, but she mainly did still-lifes. She taught him most of the techniques she knew when he took an interest in drawing, showing him the right ways to shade and use precise motions. 
His dad wasn’t as heavy of a drinker then, but he didn’t appreciate how much time Rich spent on art. He pushed him to do more traditionally “manly” things because “he wasn’t raising some hippie fag.”
His mother grew more and more distant. Sometimes days would go by and she wouldn’t get out of bed. Things took a turn for the worst however, when she started having suicidal thoughts. She was in a loveless marriage, no one in her family talked to her anymore after she got pregnant as a teenager, and her husband started to spend less and less time at home. Usually off getting high or drunk with his friends from work. 
One day, she left. And Rich woke up with a note and a painting of the two of them on his dresser. When he got downstairs, the story of a mother of two who drove off of a cliff was all he needed to know. 
He was barely 14 when that happened. Going into freshman year, his dad started to drink more and more until he was coming into school almost every day with bruises and black eyes. 
The Squip provided a way out. An escape. And soon, he wasn’t the nerdy art-kid loser people saw him as, but an unsettling, douchey, almost-unstable bully. Or a “chill guy” as the Squip told him. 
Despite all of that though, so many nights were spent curled under his childhood blanket trying to recreate every memory of his mom until his heart hurt. 
After he leaves the hospital and makes amends with everyone, he feels so…lost. He feels lighter, his lisp is back, but his mind is elsewhere. What also weird him out about this was that he was getting closer with Jeremy. “Poor kid.” He thought. “I can’t even live with myself knowing I made him get that fucking Squip.”. He’d gotten him into this whole mess, but Jeremy surprisingly didn’t resent him for it.  “Hey, it was my decision to take it.” Jeremy shrugged before smiling. “Besides, who else am I gonna talk to about it? It’s not like the others would understand.” 
Rich smiled so wide that day. 
Those funny feelings haven’t gone away however, and he realizes through Jeremy that what he’s experiencing is just him regressing. The thing he had been punished for so many times by the robot-parasite that occupied his mind for the better half of high school. 
He honestly has no idea how to feel or what to do about it. He doesn’t know how it works, why it happens, when it happens, and so on. So, he tries to not think about it as much as he can. 
One day though, he’s sleeping over at the other boy’s house when he has a nightmare. Thoughts of his dad bursting into the room and dragging him back to the house he used to call home and his mother’s voice pleading with him “Rich? Honey, where are you? I can’t find you..where…where’d you go….” 
He’s woken up by the sound of his own cries and Jeremy kneeling down at his side. Soft whispers of “Shh, it’s okay.” and “I’ve got you” help subside his sobs. Hours pass, and the next morning he wakes up next to the slightly taller boy draping an arm around him. Not wanting to wake him up he settles into the touch and for the first time in months, he feels at peace with the war of his regression going on in his mind.
Since that day, he’s accepted that it’s a part of him and that’s okay. There’s no Squip there to condemn him, no dad to beat him out of rage and disappointment, no mom to haunt his dreams and echo in his brain (as much, but it still happens occasionally.), just Jeremy. Somehow it was the kid he used to bully stayed with him and embraced the side of him. Jeremy, someone who grew to be his best friend. Rich only hoped he didn’t break him when it was Jeremy’s moment to regress. 
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self-made-cages · 2 years
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so I’ve been thinking about Midnights...
...and all of the things that Taylor could cover in 13 tracks written in the dark of the night. For my own general amusement, I compiled a track list of what it would be if I were Taylor. Disclaimer: I am not Taylor, and I don’t know any more about her or her life than the average really-big-fan. Therefore, this list is based solely on publicly available facts and details from old music that I want to dig into more. The list is sorted based on hypothetical topic for reference. 
*For legal purposes, this should be considered strictly bullshit.*
Without further ado: Midnights (morgan’s version)
The Joe tracks:
1. The 2016 Pining Track: It’s a staple in the T/J love song repertoire. I don’t care if it’s what happens after Dive Bar Night or the 28th Night of September or sexting over Words with Friends at midnight in Australia (time zone plot twist!), I want more details from the beginning and I want them now.  2. The Super Sexy Song: It’s Dress and ITHK and KOMH but with half a decade of additional practice. At the time of this writing, Mr. Alwyn has been in our girl’s life for exactly 6 years’ worth of midnights. This is gonna be good. 3. The Moment of Doubt: It’s when things got tough, maybe in the early, still-catching-feelings stage or in summer 2018 when miss ma’am is on tour and learning that long distance with your soulmate is tough. Tell us, what really happened when you left Cornelia Street, before he even knew you were gone? 4. The Together Forever One: If they’re married by Oct 21, it’s the proposal story (he did it at midnight, of course. New Year’s proposal?). If they’re still secretly engaged, it’s musing on how she’ll give him a child and give him her wild. Either way, it makes little lover look downright youthful. I’m swooning already.
Career:
5. The Golden Birdcage: Critical evaluation on the metaphor that has (almost) appeared on every album since Speak Now. It’s crippling self-doubt and evaluation of exit strategy. I can’t be sassy about this one because it’s heartbreaking. A likely candidate for Track 5.
6. The Fuck the Patriarchy Zinger: Shame on all the men who have tried to push her down. If Taylor Nation has any leftover stock of the keychains, they can reissue! I regret not buying one last year.
7. The Re-Records Retrospective: Is it a retrospective if you’re only 1/3 of the way through? When Taylor dodged the question from Seth Meyers about how re-recording Red felt, the details of her most emotionally intense project to-date were left secret. Those details belong here.
Family/Childhood:
8. The College Degree: “I sometimes feel like my college degree is in acting like I’m ok when I’m not.” It’s a what-if scenario mixed with Mirrorball and Nothing New. It’s the one that makes you want to hold her and softly tell her she’s done a good job (while also crying your eyes out).
9. The Teenage Throwback: Midnights for debut-era Taylor probably involved worrying about curfew. It’s a cross between fifteen and 22; I’d call it Edge of 17 if that wasn’t already taken (maybe that’s where the Stevie Nicks rumors came from).
10. The Parent Track: The easy answer is despair over illness, but I don’t think that story could be told any better than Soon You’ll Get Better (and I don’t know that I can handle the tears if I’m wrong here). I vote for a grown-up take on “careless man’s careful daughter.” Even the best parents fuck us up sometimes.
Life. And other Concerns.
11. The Halloween Fright: It’s not actually about Halloween, but the demons and lanterns she’s chasing them away with aren’t funny at all unless you frame it up this way. I’m afraid of nightmares; sometimes I’m too scared to go to sleep. This song will say that in a way that makes Taylor Swift the greatest poet of our age and me an anxious little girl on tumblr. Runner up for Track 5.
12. The Cinderella Story: The clock strikes 12 and the coach turns back into a pumpkin. Being America’s Princess means wearing a lot of glass slippers. Today was a fairytale, but tonight was worrying about happily never after.
13. The Drinking Song: “I’ve been thinking a lot about addiction.” It’s not an IBYTAM-style bop, it’s This is Me Trying... and trying... and trying. She asked the traffic lights if it’d be alright; they didn’t know, so she went home and started asking the walls. This is definitely a song for people with feelings, but it’s not Track 5.
~~
P.S. Remember what Taylor once said about throwing away fear-based check-listing? Her music ascended to a whole new level once she did that; I can’t wait to see what she does with this record, far and away from the silly checklist above.
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pyroclastic727 · 3 years
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Notes from the Amphibia panel!
• Matt Braly got into animation when a Pixar guy came to his school to inspire him. Then he took figure drawing classes, went to CalArts for 4 years, worked at Dreamworks storyboarding, and started pitching shows.
• Jessica Chandra went from live action to applying for the Nickelodeon animation internship. Then she worked on Tangled before Amphibia
• Roxanne Cole did character design at first and then switched to storyboards--then Matt reached out to them
• Joe Johnston followed Matt's path, even being college roommates--but before that, he and Matt went to California Summer School for the Arts (now Interspark)--along with Alex Hirsch and others. He got Matt to work on part of SU.
• They start with a clip! It's an animatic for the Marcy Theme Song Takeover, and Haley Tju sings
• IT ENDS WITH HER SINGING "HOPE NOTHING BAD EVER HAPPENS TO ME"
• What are challenges in balancing the show's tone, after the s2 finale?
Joe: The tone kinda marches along with you as you go, esp with s1 and s2, and it's been pretty easy.
Roxanne: I came on for season 3, so my experience is watching the tone evolve from the beginning to the end, which is a lot of fun. Stuff about when are we getting into plot, into fun episodic moments (there's plenty of both). The characters are complex and flawed, albeit fun and goofy.
Jess: We had to bolster our design team and add to our schedule to make Matt's vision come true.
• Favorite episode you've directed, and more specifically, favorite scene?
Roxann: it would be from season 3...
Joe: From season 2, is Bessie and Microangelo, since it's funny and lighthearted
• How does Amphibia explore Loss?
Matt: Loss is one of the many feelings that is part of this cocktail called life. It will be something that everybody deals with. These intense things that the characters go through create realistic scenarios. The running theme of Amphibia is that the price is paid and every dream costs something. It will get heavy. Kids love to see these things explored. You want the full spectrum of the human experience in the show.
Jess: I agree. Watching this, I was like but why, Matt, why? It is part of life, and I think it's gonna be interesting to see how this is gonna affect all the characters and how they deal with it.
Joe: being 13 is tumultuous, and it's all about change and loss.
Roxann: I'm trying to be real careful because I know more about s3...Anne from s1 to s2 has become a completely different character and they [characters] are gonna change more in s3
• What do you love most about your role on the show?
Matt: It's less about what I can do and more about inspiring others... it's good to see people do their best work because they're motivated and have a rapport.
[Jess, Roxann, and Joe agreed, that the people are important.]
Roxann's first directory experience was on season 3.
• How do you decide what needs more budget? How do you balance action and comedy?
Joe: You can plan ahead a little, and roll with the punches. Jenn Strickland storyboarded everyone when they fought the robots.
[It got boring and I zoned out. They discussed distributing episodes to boarders.]
• What inspired some of the episode
Matt: Studio Ghibli, Legend of Zelda
Jess: Movies that came out recently, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, magical world genre
Matt compartmentalizes. Which is why Anne does that as well.
[They discussed their hobbies outside work. Matt has none.]
A season takes about a year to produce. They are produced stacked so that you don't have year-long gaps between airing. Episodes are done in production order usually.
Holiday episodes are out of order because of when they need to air. (Christmas special might be out of order).
• Out of all the roles, which goes underappreciated or doesn't get enough attention?
Roxann: Production gets glossed over. Artists have terrible time management and production keeps them on track
Matt: Revisionists, who "spackle" everything and go unrecognized. Basically, they clean the boards and get underpaid for it.
Jessica: The Checker! At the end of the production line, they catch ALL the errors. They're also called continuity editors. Often people will forget the right number of props, such as swords.
• What is it like, balancing episodic comedy and story art? Both dealing with heavy topics and making them approachable.
Matt: it's designed to be an episodic show, one that you can watch out of order if needed--although jumping in can make you a little lost later on. He wants self-contained AND long-form stories. (This is probably why we have lore-bomb episodes matched with plot arc episodes). He was inspired by Steven Universe's pacing, especially with the buildup "to a fever pitch"--and he hopes they can do the same.
• Is there a story you haven't told yet, that you have always wanted to tell?
Matt: Had wanted to tell a story about someone stuck in the hospital, since he was stuck in the hospital once. (Might be the inspiration behind Marcy in the tube, implying she won't get out quickly).
Jessica: Mrs. Boonchuy's childhood--coming to America, raising a child...
• What are your feelings about pitching boards?
Matt: I personally really like it. The energy in the room when you're pitching a new board.
Roxann: It's not my favorite thing. I was more involved in the animatic process, and recording scratch was the only pitching I did. (She pretended to be Hop Pop and took psychic damage at her recorded voice).
Joe: I really enjoy pitching (he's great at it, does voices and plays music)--especially when you have time to prepare.
In the chat, the top questions were about LGBTQ+ representation. All were ignored in favor of the
• They showed the s3 trailer rough, with music written by JAKE NEUTRON
It's really quiet and sad
"Making friends and enemies" showed Marcy and Sasha respectively
Lots of reused clips
MARCY HAS A CRUTCH AND IS MOVING
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taechaos · 3 years
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Blackmail
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pairing: bully!Jungkook x nerdy!fem!Reader
genre: drabble, smut, college au
synopsis: Jimin offers you information on Jungkook, but your friendship is misconstrued by Jungkook who ends it singlehandedly with one video of you professing your love to him between moans.
warnings: dubcon, fingering, degredation, mild squirting, manipulation
word count: 2.8k
a/n: jealous kook doesn't realize he's jealous. this part is a bit extreme, so beware ><
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One doesn't come across someone like Jungkook every day. It's fate that you met him in your first year of college, extending to your second where he grows closer to you; fair, it's clear that he only intends to use you for his academic success, but you've deluded yourself into thinking you're in love with each other. Growing up, you only had your dysfunctional family to teach you about how to love, how to think. As long as Jungkook needs you, he will love you, and you’re willing to do anything to be with him, only him. You need him to live.
Birds sing in the background as you lay on your stomach on the grass of the yard across the campus. It’s sunny and breezy, the perfect spring day as you work on Jungkook’s research paper due next month. You compiled multiple credible sources in a separate file to create an outline for his essay the moment he forwarded the assignment to you. You want him to praise you, pet your hair, kiss your cheek for starting so early so he can turn it in before anyone else. He would be proud, flashing you his pearly whites and adoring eyes. The reward motivates you to work harder and you’re relentlessly skimming through articles while counting down the minutes of Jungkook's lecture. He'll be outside with his friends in 7 minutes.
With a bad childhood, you don’t care to befriend many people. You only have a few friends to keep you company and you’re socially awkward outside of that group. You’re content, so you steer clear of boys who try to sabotage your relationship with Jungkook. Jimin, however, doesn’t get the memo.
Typing away on your laptop, a shadow looms over you to give you a break from the sunlight. You glance up and stop swinging your legs absentmindedly when you recognize the shadow; it’s a boy with frames and a tight collar adorning his neck.
Park Jimin is a typical nerd whereas you’re more of a closeted nerd. When you’re in love, you usually put more effort into your appearance to impress the one on your mind, but that doesn’t work with Jungkook. It’s always other men giving you their attention through second glances, and that includes Jimin.
“What do you want?” you rudely greet. Jimin is ruthless with his attempts at pursuing you; he’s the perfect gentleman, and often volunteers to do group tasks with you. He is never mean to anyone, and has a squeaky clean reputation, but his only flaw is that he can’t take a hint. You don't bother being friendly to him because you don't want friends.
"I want to know why you look so happy," he bends over to curiously glance at your screen, "while doing homework?"
You slam the monitor closed to stop his ogling. "You wouldn't get it. And stop watching me," you sternly say.
"What's your secret?" he grins and sits down on the grass next to you with crossed legs. His upper body serves as a shade and you stop squinting.
"There is no secret, I was just in a good mood until you came along." You're not upset, but you don't want to lead Jimin on and he won't leave unless you blow him off.
"Thinking of Jungkook?" he teases with a mischievous smile.
"Are you stalking me?"
"No, you're just too obvious," he chuckles, but the sound is strained. You don't notice his melancholy as he continues, "You were doing his homework again?"
You shift on your propped elbows a little uncomfortably. Jimin doesn't need to know what you do in your free time. "Yes," you answer anyway.
"You know he has daddy issues?"
Your eyes round as your discomfort dissipates instantly; he's piqued your interest. "Really?"
"Yeah, he has a tough exterior but he's actually a real softie."
An involuntary smile carves on your face before it falters as you ask, "How do you know this?"
"We went to high school together. I can tell you some stories if you want," he boasts when he realizes he has your attention. The context makes his heart sink, but when he imagines your lovesick grin is directed at him, it fills him with joy.
"Tell me, tell me! Please."
"Weeell," he draws with a lopsided grin, "don't tell him I told you this, but he used to hate girls. I don't know if he still does, but back then he couldn't even stand talking to a girl."
"Why?" your eyes are wide with interest as you whisper.
He shrugs, "No idea, but he hit a girl once when she wouldn't stop clinging onto him. Not like drop-kick her," he laughs, "he just shoved her on the ground. Be careful with him, okay? He can be very aggres-"
"You guys forming a nerd club now?"
You gasp when you hear Jungkook's voice. When you look up at him, he's almost glaring as his eyes flicker from you to Jimin. You're gleeful at his approach, because he never comes to you unless it's about a new assignment. It flutters your heart to see him without any papers in his hand.
You don't take his subtle insult to heart as you immediately respond, "No, we were just talking. H-Hi."
"Pull down your skirt, you look like a whore. I can see your panties all the way from the gates," he seethes in distaste. You instantly sit up with a blush and tug your skirt down to your knees. He looks back at Jimin who's glaring at him under his lashes, "The fuck's your deal?"
"Nothing," Jimin grits. Although he hates Jungkook's guts, he's too smart to fight a lost cause. He has his own set of muscles, but it isn't enough. It's best to accept defeat now.
"Did you start on the paper?" Jungkook asks you.
"Yes, I-"
"Good," he cuts you off and crouches to peck your lips by pulling the back of your neck. You're stunned when he pulls away and nonchalantly walks off to his friends.
Jimin follows him with his eyes and mutters under his breath, "douche."
Your heart is racing and you clamp a hand over your chest as a lovestruck smile spreads across your face. You know this is your end of the bargain, but it never fails to shrivel you up in delight.
"Are you two dating?" he mumbles as he pulls on the grass with a pout.
"Something like that," you exhale as you caress your lips.
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It’s become routine to link up with Jimin where he reminisces his high school memories and you don’t doubt a single word he says unless it sheds a bad light on Jungkook. You’ve learned so much about him in the past few days, and you’re eager to know more. He likes energy drinks to this day, he was athletic in school and often got into fights. He began interacting with girls when he entered college, as Jimin says, “only for a quick fuck.”
Though it hurts Jimin that you only talk to him for information on Jungkook, he can’t bring himself to care when you hang onto every word he says with a glint in your eyes like you’re doing now.
You're sitting in the bustling cafeteria across from Jimin, sipping on a homemade strawberry lemonade from your thermos, and you don't notice Jungkook glancing at your table every now and then. It is the first time he doesn't feel your heavy gaze on him. Jimin does notice however, because he is facing him every time he receives a threatening ferile look.
"He could become a lawyer with how much he blackmailed the teachers to give him a good grade," Jimin tells you as he glances back and forth between you and Jungkook. "He's quite dangerous, you know. He's manipulative, a liar and has no empathy-"
"He's clever," you counter defensively, "he knows how to get around the system."
He makes a disgruntled noise from the back of his throat with a grimace. "I don't think the judge would listen to that."
You laugh at his comparison of the conversation to a court hearing. Jimin can be funny sometimes, and you have to admit that he's not that bad of a friend either. You've come to enjoy his company without the topic of Jungkook the past few days, but talking about him is always appreciated.
"Are you the judge then?" you cheekily ask.
"I might as well be, since I'm not biased like a certain someone," he teases with a grin.
"A lawyer has to see the bright side of things, but if I was the prosecutor, I wouldn't tell you that your lecture is in five minutes."
His smile falters as his eyes widen; you remember his schedule? He ran late for a lecture yesterday, but he’s in disbelief that you reminded him today. "Th-Thanks," he breathes as he packs up his belongings before giving you a curt, shy nod. His heart pounds when he walks away, and he resists the urge to look back at you.
It's a good idea, because that's when Jungkook settles down on his former seat.
"I'm thinking you might be forgetting who you belong to," he starts as he gets comfortable on the stiff chair. You instantly smile at his appearance.
"No, I'm very well aware of it." Your tone is high-pitched in excitement.
"It wasn't a question."
"Oh..."
“You talk more than you work,” he observes with a quirk of his brow. “One would think another nerd would be a better influence on you.”
“I work at night,” you defend worriedly, “I promise I’m not slacking off. Can I get a kiss please?”
You’re so adorable when you’re needy. He hides a smirk with a bite of his lip; he thrives from your loyalty to him, but he knows Jimin is a threat to it. He wants you to stop talking to that freak, and he justifies it as a concern for his grades. “I’ll kiss you when you’re not procrastinating. Do you think you deserve even a pat on the head?”
“I do! I’m halfway done with the research paper, please Jungkook,” you beg pathetically, “I-I’ll show it to you, I have it with me right now.” You start unzipping the case of your laptop until he holds up a hand for you to stop.
“You’re going to read it to me, but not here.”
When he stands up, so do you in a haste. He leaves the cafeteria with you hot on his tail, almost jogging when his strides are much bigger compared to yours. You resemble a clueless lamb following a lion, desperate to hold his claws with your hooves. You don’t know where he’s leading you as you walk down the halls until you stop in front of a door. You’re about to freak out when he swings open the door, but you realize the lecture room is empty.
“You want me to read here?” you inquire meekly. It’s a little intimidating to do it in complete silence, because you have a tendency to stutter when reading out loud and you don’t want to embarrass yourself in front of Jungkook where no one can talk over you. 
“Yup.” He snatches your laptop case from your hand with the handle, and roughly opens it before placing the device on the front row wooden desk. It’s a large hall, and the desks stretch out to the half of the room. You’re feeling stage fright for no particular reason; it feels like reverse claustrophobia. “Open the document and give me your phone.”
You don’t question him and hand in your phone before going through your files on the laptop. Jungkook is looking through your contacts and grins when he finds himself saved as: the love of my life ♡. Jimin is saved by his name, and he finds his WhatsApp through his information below. Once he opens your empty chat with him, he switches to your camera and pushes your back so you’re bent over the desk. You sharply inhale and ask, “Kook?” 
“Don’t get distracted now,” he lightly scolds and starts pulling down your pants. You stopped wearing skirts after the incident a week ago to appease him. You stammer with your back arched, and your ass is on full display for him. It’s humiliating. “Start reading.”
“H-Humans are- Jungkook?” you warily look back at Jungkook when he slides the slit of your panties to the side.
“Are you slacking off?” he condescends. 
You bite your lip anxiously and continue reading, “Humans are social animals that n-need social interaction,” Jungkook spits in his hand, “the extent of our social relationships is the most important predictor of h-happiness.” You squeal when you feel wet fingers graze your folds, but you know better than to stop and ask what he’s doing.
“Continue,” he coaxes softly as he brushes his fingertips over your pussy lips. 
“Um, o-one of the main reasons our brains have developed the way they have is so that we can be social,” you speak between shaky breaths. Your cheeks are tinted crimson with embarrassment from his touches; why is he pleasuring you when he specifically told you, you didn’t deserve any? “Being happy a-all of the time is neither possible nor desirable.”
“Is it now?” He slips a finger in your cunt and you involuntarily let out a cry as you push your body forward. You don’t notice him holding up your phone behind you while slowly sliding his finger in and out of you. His saliva is mixing with your arousal as you answer in a gasp, “Yes.”
“Tell me why.”
“B-Because negative feelings are natural. When it comes to negative feelings, the most important thing to remember is to learn,” you pause to exhale with quivering lips, “to control certain potentially harmful thoughts.” You whine his name when another finger is added to your heat. You’re moving your hips back and forth until he slaps your wet folds as a warning. “Sorry,” you peep and continue in a breath, “Happiness all of the time entails epistemic irrationality.”
It’s difficult to keep your eyes open when you just want to indulge in his thrusts, but you’re encouraged to stop reading when he doesn’t comment on your moans. His pace is quickening and you chase his fingers with your hips, cum dripping down his wrist as you mewl.  
“You enjoying yourself, whore?”
You nod and whimper, “So much.” You’re clutching the edge of the desk as he fingers you with fervor.
“And you're my girl?” 
“Yes, all yours, I love you so much,” you pant, not stopping for a moment to question his words. He has a full view of your sopping wet cunt on the camera, and he lightly blows on you, making you shiver. He’s recording you confess your love for him while getting fingered.
“Only me?” he presses.
“Only you, Jungkook, I love you more than anything,” you slur as you start to feel a knot in your stomach.
“Then pee.”
“Wh-What?”
“Touch your clit and pee.” He removes his fingers from your clenching hole and takes a step back. “Prove your love to me.”
You mourn the loss of his hand while staring wide-eyed at the floor. You’re contemplating his demand as your hand slowly reaches down to your clit. Is he asking you to squirt? Your breathing is shallow as you near your climax, and you still don’t know if you’ll go through with his requirement.
It drips out in tiny drops as you come undone, moaning as clear liquid spills out of you for only a few seconds. 
“Good girl, my good little girl,” Jungkook whispers as he intently watches you humiliate yourself in the name of love. You’re twitching and trembling in shame when he stops recording you and sends it to Jimin without a second’s waste. “Are you okay, baby?”
You hum with a pout as you collect yourself by standing up straight, a sway in your posture. 
“Give me your panties, you’ve made a mess on the floor,” he chastises as he holds out a hand. You slip and step out of them before giving it to him. In return, he passes your phone before feigning a gasp, “Shit, I think I sent Jimin a video of you when I was trying to forward it to my phone.”
Your mouth falls open as heat consumes your entire being. “H-Huh?” Tears brim in your eyes almost instantly; your heart is pounding from anxiety.
“How will you ever look at him now,” he empathizes with a fake frown. “He must think of you as such a slut now.”
“Let me delete it,” you panic as you open your phone. “Wh-Where is it?”
He motions you to give him the phone and opens WhatsApp after. “He’s already seen it.” There are two blue ticks under the message.
“No, no, no,” you pull your hair in agony with a whimper. You quickly put your pants back on and cry as you do so.
“I guess that’s the end of your friendship,” he raises his eyebrows to himself without a hint of sympathy.
“What do I do?!” you wail and fling your hands in stress.
“Avoid him. I’ll make sure he won’t leak it.”
He steps forward to lean in your face intimidatingly. “And don’t talk to him ever again.”
You don’t exactly have a choice now, do you? 
656 notes · View notes
secretbangtnn · 3 years
Text
Love Lies | kth I
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➤ summary : You never had it easy. From the first day of your life it seemed like fate was a big joke, making every effort to make you feel miserable. Shortly after taking the first step into adulthood, you are convinced that childhood doom follows you like a shadow. On the verge of being broke without any help, you take your friends advice and try your hand in industry you have no idea about.
➤ genre : CEO! au, prostitution but not really au, strangers to enemies to lovers, Smut, fluff, angst
➤ pairing : Taehyung x reader ft. Jimin (This chapter Jimin x reader)
➤ ratings : 18+ NSFW
➤words : 10k
➤ warnings : swearing, prostitution, sex for money, mentions of mental health, toxic household, mentions of violence, explicit sexual content, mxm, fxm, family problems, dishearitance, toxic relationship, Taehyung is bad at feelings, reader is lost, soft boy jimin, sexy hot taehyung (couse that will need a warning) - more to be added
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notes ~
I finally did it! I'm so sorry for the wait and how the chapter came out - it's a little more messy than I predicted but i wanted to give you something before the big story. I promise the next chapter is going to start with the big action and main plot and finally with Taehyung. I really hope for some feedback, I worked hard for it to be done before the next week and even though it may seem boring i really hope it’s okay.
taglist:
@jinssexytoe @danyxthirstae01 @alwaysasadaesthetic @luvmingyu @chimincubus @minshookie29
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Underneath the sunrise
Show me where your love lies
Relationships that are based on lies never last long and everyone who found themselves in artificial feelings, knows of the truth of those words. Although that sweet sinful lie sometimes replaces that thing we could have never got.
You never thought about yourself as someone low, at least not that low to kneel to beg of something so materialistic like money.
You respected yourself at the same time being sure that you would fight everything alone. Just like a good fighter - you didn't need a good sword in a big war. Even once in your whole life you wouldn't have thought of stepping that low to actually work as a cleaner in old school or supermarket lady, that couldn't even use the calculator right.
How ironic, we love when inevitable doom falls on people that did not deserve it.
You were taught from the beginning, how to live, what to do, how to look, and the most important who to listen to. It's so weird when we find a character that's not extremely bad or good, not the shy mouse of the school, also not the hot rebellious cool girl with too big ego, and mouth so unbelievable that you actually start to think if you have ever met someone without such basic manners.
Fact is that you are bland, your life never yours to live, as someone recorded it with a script in their hands, and a plan for an ending and second part. It was frustrating knowing how many people never cared about you, however you could not say that you indeed did too.
Lessons were taught, those made you somehow resistant to disappointments in life. First happening in early stage, not even first year of your high school, people started to know - know about this and that, about family of yours and how privileged they would be if they had you on their side.
But you did not have a problem with it, mindset so set that you liked to think about money as a guarantee of friendship. And with this thought you let the first people use you, not minding their motive of only getting part of your prosperity.
So you believed to those days that your childhood indeed was normal.
You never tried to run from your life, you never saw yourself as a hormonal teenager in need of attention.
In the end only those who were born in respecting families, where work and pride is placed higher than blood ties, knows how upringbing really looks in such a household. Your standart always high, doing that to not need to put it higher again.
Parents instilling you dreams that were not yours, making you believe in something they always wanted. Like it was written, your whole life does not belong to you, and realization over it came in the moment when it was a little too late. Happy smiles never real, friends you swore would not leave you, disappeared within a night.
However let’s not impose that your parents were monsters, killing you on the inside with their cold demeanor or making your life miserable.
The first problem began when you had enough, when a virus in your mind told you about your own desires.
You remember this day like it was yesterday. Invisible mark on your check is still pulsating, with a wound much deeper inside screaming at you that it is still not healed.
“I want to study medicine.” Those were the exact words you first told your mother, freezing her in place and scarring inside with the power and destruction they held. She did not hold back with ignoring you, acting like the sentence was a mere passing wind, just fluffing hair in a not nice type of way. You expected that, nothing new from a shell of a person your mother has become, money and power empowering her mind, probably killing the young woman you are now, in her.
So the first step of actually making a point of how you processed to cut your family ties, were with your mother, kind of preparing you for what has to come.
Dark room, with marble accents and a woody smell that came straight to your nostrils. Mahogany desk, big enough to contain tons of papers scattered over it like some kind of nto important rubbish. You however knew better, and those innocent stock of inked pages held more value than maybe you yourself.
It was so hard to breathe in this tiny space, now feeling ever more closed up, dark and not welcoming. You tried to believe that the reason for it was not really a man sitting just before you, not minding your presence in a slighlets, but a stress and emotions on your back, you were trying to bear by yourself.
“I’m busy.” Short answer, not even directed to you - not that the man ever looked at you with those dark eyes. Predictable, exactly like you guessed. Cold feeling with a hot flush over your cheek, not knowing where the previous patience had gone.
Maybe you finally had enough. You were too tired to try to understand.
“Dad, please listen to me.” Ice cold bucket over your head, a void eyes now on you, not really expecting them to stay on you for so long, or even look up. Pupils a little blow out, stirring the dark color pallet of his eyes, similar to the tone of the bags under them. What a wrack of a man he really was, lanky hands under the suit, scribbling over something not even a minute ago, now lying lifelessly on a brownish desk.
“You really couldn't find better time for your whining? Go on, I still have a lot of work to do before I need to actually go.” Unconcern, you could even feel the unitresment oozing from him, hitting you with those eyes. They were looking at you, but at the same time it felt like they never were there. Black holes, no feelings found, gaze scary for those who never met someone so indifferent.
“I dropped out.”
“What?” Words came after some silence, piercing straight your beating heart. Hands in fist, just beside your thighs, so white that it could even be a little concerning for those looking from the side. You were nervous, even after you told yourself that this conversation was not going to be easy. Smooth information that it should be, your own life choices never discussed so openly.
“I dropped out of college”
Not a breath was heard, a heavy hand landed on the desk with a smack, knocking in the process some of the scattered pens.
“You did what?” Too calm, his voice was too calm for such information. Nerve wracking feeling once again welcomed you inside, making you take one step back. Soft material of the shirt creased under your hard grip. “It’s not the time for such a jokes Y/n”
“I’m not joking dad, I took the papers yesterday. I'm tired of wasting my time on something I never wanted.”
“Oh? But are you really? What are you going to do then? I'm getting really curious” Tone momocking you in every kind of way. You clench your teeth, an annoyed expression came over your face, just to disappear within one glance of the man.
Questions were rhetorical, laughing at your whole being in the cruelest manner. He knew about your every vulnerability, molding your persona from the beginning. So it must have been funny for him, seeing a little girl, someone he treated not entirely equally, however putting some kind of hope and dreams he himself could not reach, standing before him like a scared puppy asking for a treat.
“You yourself know the best how important those studies are for you. You prepared your whole life to go there and take my place one time, so don’t joke about it like it’s some kind of dish you are bored of eating.”
“You forced me to do it! I never wanted to take your place, study the stupid law.”
“And you decided that this is the time to suddenly realize that? Y/n from the beginning, we always gave you what you wanted, fulfilling your every wish, buying everything you wanted, and even after that you can’t be grateful. We only asked you for one thing, one thing Y/n, there is not such a thing like your dreams, there is only our family.” You wanted to laugh, those stupid exucess, only making you annoyed and wroked up. Manipulating you into believing you were selfish, that you are the problem, and you owe them right to living.
“Don’t be ridiculous father, you are not in the place to talk about family or do I need to remind you of Na-”
You heard it before you felt it. Burning feeling right in your left cheek, head on the side from the harash contact it made with the ringed hand. It was not the first time you saw or experienced such an act. Father being the man that loved to lose his temper rather fastly, hiding on the outside behind the calm demeanor and innocent smile.
Blood on your tongue, the metallic taste in your mouth like a forbidden flower you just tasted.
“You really want me to get mad today hm? “ You really wanted to nod, looking straight at him from your hair that fell after the slap. Hand on the cheek, trying to stop the pulsating ache to echo so much, however you know the best that the hot feeling is only building up and it's the only matter of time till the beautiful tones of purple show on your soft skin.
His own hands now begin viped over the handkerchief, a little blood over the white fabric, likely from the little scratches the rings were able to make.
His back to you as he went back behind the dark desk, sitting on his chair like nothing happened. And you knew, secretly that it was the end, that the conversation was done and nothing else could be said.
You closed your eyes, not even noticing you did it, realizing it after the first salty tear fell to your mouth, giving you a taste of sorrow. Head down, not in shame but in anger, with a pulsating cheek not letting you forget about the consequences your every word bears, you turned around going to the door that before somehow gave you so much hope.
“Oh and Y/n, there is no you without this family, but there is family without you. It won’t be the first time when I lose a child.”
Those exact words hunted you till this day. Rather heavy feeling, three years not long enough to make you forget, or let you accept a new life.
Loud noise of passing cars just outside the dirty window with a pounding of heart echoing in your ears. It was one of those bad days - you liked to say, those however started happening a lot of more. Breaking was never something you wanted to do, working so many jobs you could not count on your fingers, living in shitty apartments for no longer than two months just to end up on someone's couch.
That is the life you chose, the life you barely lived, everyday wishing for a miracle.
Harsh paper under your fingers, weighting your hand weirdly down - maybe it was the words that made the letter so heavy, maybe the truth you needed to face. Fact is that you do not know what to do, trying for the last months to make a living for yourself, get better pay and settle down for a longer time.
Words of your father echoing once again, making your eyes squish with the feeling. It was so hard to accept a defeat, something that you worked so hard for and for so long. You could not beg, you could not go on your knees again, and even if it was an option, imagines and memories of life in such a household keep you in the place you are now.
Head resting under your arms, shielding bright rays of sun from your eyes, long locks falling down in waves just over your pale face. You pulled them with a strength you did not know you possessed at the moment, as if it was because of them you needed to deal with all of this.
“Think Y/n, think” Mutters fell from your mouth like a mantra, supposed to make you cheer up a little. Void in your head, not ending emptiness that scares you as much as the strings of unpaid numbers on this goddamn paper.
An late hour struck on the side clock, hanging on one of the grey walls of the run down apartment you lived in. Sight itself is depressing, leaving you in wonder if maybe it is not one of the reasons for your current mood.
Who you wanted to trick.
A little knock once again echoed in the quietness of your home, reminding you of the late hour. Looking from your thick locks of hair, you sighed seeing how little time you actually got to get there. With one move, you left the scrap of paper on the side, and stood up from the ugly green couch, taking in the process bag of the crookedly hanged hook.
Fast footstep as you nearly run over one of the olders ladies living in the same flat, trying to messily wrap an apron over your waist, which is not as easy as it seemed to be earlier. Bluish fabric holding on to you with all the power, hanging a little on the too long strings, that untied themselves with each step.
You tried not to think about all those stares, looking at you as you run past them, not minding where your feets go, or if you accidentally push someone on the side. Let people think what they want, it's not like your opinion matters, and being a disgrace to your whole family disappears.
Familiar neon letters came to your sight forming the greenish title of caffe you soon found yourself in. A little bell rang as the door opened informing everyone about your presence. Calm atmosphere, everyone was busy in their own word, you loved this, a quiet place which you often found yourself admiring.
You wished that working there was not such an obligation, the only thing that let you stay in your current apartament. Rosy cheeks, and cheeky smiles as people got their morning coffee, thanking you quietly for the drink with such a pure impression, that you could not hold back the smile you gave each one of them.
“I’m so sorry for being late, I hope you didn’t need to run too much.” You said between heavy breaths, still trying to catch remaining puffs of air, head tilted to the side, hands on knees as you looked at the little blonde behind the counter.
Said boy only laughed a little, shaking his head from the embarrassment after the statement. Ringed hands cleaning some cups, quiet melody living his plump lips.
“Am I suppose to feel offended? I’m not an old man you know.” He asks, knowing that the answer will never be given. Voice on the lighter side, something you would expect from such a soft looking boy, warm and sweet to listen, and you indeed do, always keeping quiet when the boy talked about his own day to fill the quietness of your workplace.
You knew the boy was one of the things that made you feel normal, with his bright persona and angelic personality, you liked to believe he was one. He did not ask, knowing some things should stay in the dark, and you repaid him the same, being fully aware of the boy's secrets.
“Not at all. Beside we all know that it's not about you, but about who will get in trouble from your whining - and yes, it would be me. “ You say, patting his back on the way to the other side. Confused gaze now on you, as you smirk at the questioning boy waiting for some kind of elaboration, only getting from you another cup to wipe.
“Should i remind you of a certain person, which came to me with a complaint of how his favorite boy was tired - what was his name? Oh yeah Yo-”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
You laughed at the squeaky voice that came in a form of fast spoken answer, a little too fast to understand every word completely. Pretty blush came over his round cheek, soon appearing on tips of his lears, hidden by mop of blonde hair.
Not a piece of judgment in your gaze, but rather sweet caring look over the embarrassed boy next to you, trying so hard not to look bothered by your everyday teasing, that he was slowly getting accustomed to, liking how your voice gets a little lighter, your eyes light up and a pure giggle leaves your mouth.
Yeah he definitely could live with it if it means he can see the sparkle pops out in the dark of your pupils.
Cup in his hands a little heavy with the next thought that came over him. Melody coming with the pleasant wind of the early monday morning, his eyes however discreetly gazing over your figure. He knew when the times were worse, when your collarbones stood out more, welcoming i'm from the collar of an old shirt, you probably needed to wash by hands, and he hated that even if he tried to explain it, not care so much, he simply could not stop the worry seeking of him.
You were a sweetheart, never judging him, understanding his reason even after he told you about the second job he needed to take. You simply smiled, wishing him all good, and getting excited about dreams that were not your own, laughing with him and talking about his future plans as if you had place in them.
Thanks were never enough to pay off all the hardship you helped with. He respected you, admired so many things about you, how you don’t need a reason to give an arm to cry on, always taking a piece of burden on your own shoulders, whispering promises and talking about a better future that comes with hardships.
“Don’t be so embarrassed~ “ You sing to his ear when you pass him, going over to the coffee machine, big bag of beans in your hands. “I dare to say I got a little jealous when I saw him for the first time.”
“Gosh I hate you sometimes.” He whines, throwing his head back, closing his eyes to remain calm. Smile now on your lips, little giggles leaving your busy persona, trying not to be too loud in such an early hour.
An enjoyable silence came over once again, only sounds of working machines and knocks of cups, that were cleaned and wiped, mind automatically getting fuzzy from the fresh brew of coffees and autumn wind. Not a person in a shop, being still a little too early to welcome customers or get a morning drink, subtle music playing a little louder at those times filling little breaks of silence.
So how surprising it was, when those little giggles tickled your own ears suddenly and strong arms, clothed in white shirt, sneaked around your waist, making you lose the focus on filling the cup with beans. Blonde hair over your cheek, stroking the soft skin with a funny feeling, only pushing you to squirt more.
“You know if you liked him so much, you could have just said. I would think of something.” He whispers mockingly, smacking his lips in the end. Shiver comes with his next move, hands on your hips, keeping them from stirring so much, hot and on the smaller side however still noticeably bigger than your own. “Sadly I do not share my clients.”
With those words, he quickly detaches himself, hitting your bum with a cheeky smile that you soon could see right before you as the boy grabs one of the fresh croissants, putting the whole thing into his mouth.
“It must be big for you to say that.” You laugh, looking at the choking boy with the same expression he was giving you not even a minute ago.
“That was totally inappropriate.” Says blonde, chugging a glass of water you gave him out of pity.
“Now, don’t play an innocent Jimin, I see how you look at that one girl that comes here every friday. Didn’t you even memorize her order - gosh i heard you repeating it so many times that I know it myself.”
“Okay, okay maybe you are right, but it doesn’t mean you can judge me.”
“Would I ever?” A dramatic sight from the boy's accusations leaves your lips, you touch your heart looking at him with the most hurt eyes you could manage to do, a little tear spins in your eye. Mouth full of baked goodie, he laughs showing a little of non eaten food, with a proud expression to it. Your own smile now noticeable on face, happy feeling over your whole being, loving how this short amount of time with the bubbly boy let you forget about some problems. You take one of the left rags of the counter and throw it at his face, hoping to get him to work. “Stop eating! We are opening soon and I don't want to listen to how the coffee machines should be ready before the first client, because someone didn’t want to move his ass.”
“Just say you don’t want to deal with that old raisin.”
Nobody did, but Jimin had some superpower you sadly did not possess, and could at least shut the old businessman that somehow always comes first. Coming back to an earlier job, you pour black beans in the measuring cup, trying not to let the weight of the bag swoop you.
Place once again in a nice atmosphere, Jimin singing somewhere in the back, probably preparing syrups and goodies, sorting eveyrything on the displae plate. You two fell in a pleasant rhythm, doing your jobs like robots, knowing where things should go, and how not to disturb each other in the middle of action.
And it was something you really enjoyed, that piece and order, making you feel secure at least in such a place. Like you had power over your own life, your hands did what you wanted, your mind clear with tasks to be done.
Peace.
You both knew that this place was a mere act in the theatre of lies, you played in. Cafe such like that one, a happy place for two broke students, that tried everything in their power to make a living, pursue dreams so far away, still hoping that they are not going to disappear with all the hardships.
You could just drown in this lie of beauty picture you painted yourself, pretending your lifes do not look as bad, and even though you did not know the boy so well, you could tell from his eyes that he indeed is a player in the same game as you.
The truth being you did not know each other, you were not close. You knew about his job, about his own problems - some of them left unsaid, but who could you judge when you acted exactly the same.
Understanding from each other was enough.
However the boy tried to help you, offering sum of money or better paid jobs in times when you were too tired to hide it, those although - he learned after some time, never were an option for you.
And so with the next passing wind, the first client came welcoming you with kind of a grumpy smile, wishing for you to just make him the coffee. It was as always, a busy morning on the first day of the week, that always seems a little more crowded than any other, with business men and middle aged women trying to get over their morning sickness as fast as possible.
You saw the girl you talked about some minutes ago, looking from her covering eyes bangs, squashed from pink beanie on her head, nevertheless still laid perfectly. A little wave, hand hid under the panda mittens she liked to wear every other day the temperature goes down.
You smiled at the interaction, the excited smile on Jimin's face he tried so hard to hide, not doing a good job with his nearly nonexistent eyes that disappeared just because of it. She was pretty, a student in a university you both go to, however you were not sure what exactly she was majoring in.
Her funky style makes you take a shot at something related to fashion, but that might be completely wrong and the girl could just like wearing such bright clothes.
“Love the mittens, they look nearly as cute as you.” You heard, looking back from your busy hands, to gaze at the flustered pair. Adorable giggle soon leaves her mouth, covering lips with the said gloves as her own eyes disappear from weirdly similar eyesmile.
Jimin was a sweetheart, someone who deserved a happy future. And so you did everything to make that happen, wishing him the best and trying to help him even if it means your own happiness goes on a second plan.
“I'm sorry but could I order.” Coming back to your own job, you look up immediately, catching the gaze of one of the clients you did not recognize.
“Oh yes of course, I'm sorry for the wait. What can I get you?”
----
A loud noise of a closing locker echoes in a quiet room in the back of the coffee shops. Night air chilling from the open window you opened some minutes ago, to get rid of a smell so many people.
The calm of the room soothing your buzzing nerves and shaking hands, that always seems to do it after a hard day of work. Your attention now somewhere else as you try to take off the blue apron, laying it somewhere on the lonely bench next to you.
It was a busy day, helping you forget about what waits for you at home, and what person will probably visit you in the meantime. You didn’t like those times, the quiet after such hard working hours, leaving you with anxious thoughts rotating around the same problems you tried so hard to run away from.
So you tried once again, silence your mind with your hands, taking every job you could, now wiping lockers that never needed to be wiped before. The same rug from before in your hands, sliding over an uneven surface.
“Y/n?” You jumped from the sudden voice, swearing that Jimin was in the other room just a second ago. Turning around, you try to look unbothered, clenching the old rug in your hands with such interest. A little noise comes from your mouth, hum to let him know you are aware of his presence.
“Everything alright?” He asks a little unsure of the question, looking at you from the other side of the room, close to the door connected to the main room.
“Yeah, why would there not be?
“You were cleaning the lockers like not even a minute ago.” He says without thinking. Voice somehow suspicious, full of hidden concern as his suspicions from before seem to be true. You were not alright, and Jimin knows exactly what it may be. “If you need hel-”
“I'm alright! I'm really alright there is no need to worry, I'm just stressed because med major is harder than I thought.” The sigh is enough to let you know that he is not buying it.
Hard steps as he comes closer, opening his own locker situated right next to you, eyes glazing back at you from his clothes is started to put back. Tight lipped smiles is the only thing you are capable of answering with, catching his dark stare for a second.
“Im worried, and I know what you want to say, but I can’t help it. You are always the one that takes my burden so why can I not do the same?” He closes the locker with too much strength, making you jump again from the loud noise.
“It’s different.”
“How is it different? You help me with everything, you let me cry, you let me crash at your apartment when my parents try to make a mess again, so what’s the problem with me?! You don’t even want to tell me what's wrong dammit.” His eyes glassy from all the emotions, hands in a fist as if he tried to hold himself back. He turned completely to you, cornering you to the lockers behind, not letting you leave this time.
“Is it because of my work? Are you ashamed to take dirty money from someone who can’t earn normally and needs to sell themself. Is it this?! Tell me Y/n, I’m tired of seeing you in such a state, you are my friend.”
“You know it’s not that.” You tried to argue catching his watery eyes.
“So tell me, tell what is going on.”
Your own mouth in agape, words lost somewhere in the back of your head. So many years going alone, keeping everything to yourself shows itself with such a hestation of saying easy words that could let you breathe easier at night.
But would they really?
Giving someone your own burden was something you were taught as a shame. Problems should stay in family, and even there your father always told you to fight them alone.
“I - “ Eyes hopeful, looking at you with new found desperation. Big and different from the ones he was giving the sweet girl with panda mittens, and that alone made you sick knowing that the sparkle left because of you. “I’m sorry Jimin I just can’t.”
And you broke. With the remaining energy you mustered, you fell onto Jimin, him nearly not catching you on time. First tears fell, with such a power, rolling down your cheeks, wetting the soft fabric of Jimin’s shirt. You did not know why, why now you decided to just let go, sobbing so much, hoping the boy will understand that you only need someone to hold you.
And he did, wrapping his arms so securely around, letting you hide the red face in a crock of his neck. Fresh smell of flowers and perfume he always wore with a noticeable hint of coffee, you probably possesed yourself. Quiet whispers of comfort, tickling your scalp a little, hands patting your hair with care, brushing them with such a delicacy, like he secretly knew how breakable you are now.
“It’s going to be okay.” Void promise, his lips close to you kissing your forehead, with shaky hands trying so hard to gather every tear that fell down. With a little move he sat on a bench, an apron which you earlier left there dropped on the floor, a quiet thud ran in the small room, you on his lap, trying so hard to become smaller nearly molding in the bigger body of Jimin’s.
Sorry’s fly through your mouth, realizing it after Jimin's starts to rock your body. He peels your face from the safe space of his neck, wiping your running tears with both of his thumbs and trying to smile a little.
“I know it’s hard, but sometimes we need to let someone in, let them help put broken pieces together.” Eyes shining in the dim light of the room, your mouth ready to disagree quickly however quieten by his own speech. ”I know what you want to say Y/n” He starts again taking a big breath. “Being helpless doesn’t mean being weak, asking for help is not something to be ashamed of. Being strong however - is letting someone in, taking they hand and standing up with them - you have to have courage to do it, and I know you do to - but whoever put such a toxic mindset in you, keeps you from it and you need to realize that there is no longer people who will judge you for falling down a litte.”
Eyes falling down, sore from all the crying that has no plans to stop. You wipe the snot with your sleeve as well as wet cheeks, laughing a little after it, sniffles in the room as you try to calm yourself a little.
Jimins gaze still at you, now softer still brushing your hair in a calming manner with the second hand drawing circles on the side of your waist. It was shameful, hearing such words, knowing deep down they were true, but too prideful to agree with them.
“Gosh If I knew you cry like that, I would take a bucket with me. I wouldn’t need to pay water bills for like two months with it. “ He laughs as you smack him with your hand. Smile on your face, you tilt your head leaning on his arm with all the weight, a small sigh leaves your mouth. Smell of coffee now is more prominent with his own perfume, which he wears everyday, pushing your mind into own fuzzy feeling. “You know that I will always be there for you, right?”
A silent nod is enough, not too much to say after such an outbreak from your side still buzzing inside you. You know it was true, with how much you both came through together, it would be stupid to leave someone who become somehow a safe heaven.
“What are you going to do now? You won’t take any money, I guess you either are not going to be too willing to crash in my apartment.” Your head immediately shots up, eyes searching those of Jimin. A look of confusion cross your face for a second, with the words repeating in your mind once again. His face however is still serious, not leaving your surprised gaze.
“W-what how do you kno -”
“Your landlord called, I didn’t want to disturb you on your break - by the way I saw you sleeping you are not as sneaky as you think.” He interrupts you in the middle of talking, brushing his hair.
You frown, looking in disbelief at the boy, a little upset from the news. Touching your phone was okay, but taking a call and not saying anything, it just fell wrong.
“So why were you trying so hard to force me to talk?” The questions came a little more aggressive than intended, but who could you blame when your private life was exposed so easily. Truth being that you felt not as angry as embarrassed, never sharing such information before leaving them in the dark.
“I know you would be angry when I tell you about the phone - which I was right about.” He pouts looking somewhere in shame, like a child that was caught with sneaking sweets.
“But it doesn’t matter, what are you going to do without help? It’s not like our boss will gave you a rise from nothing, and do not even think about starting another job - we have studies, it would be plain stupid unless you ask your family for help, you never mentioned them but they would understand right?.”
“They sure would.” You sneer, standing up from the comfort of his lap. Your smile turned down on the mention of those people, it's not like you want to have something going on with them, it would be asking satan for help and that always comes with a price. “Thanks for everything Jimin, but I will be alright.” You add walking back to the hatstand where your hoodie hangs, grabbing it with your free hand, second one carrying the bag. Jimin's eyes follow you, surprised by the sudden movement and innocently big, like he waited for some better explanations - which he won’t get.
“B-but wait! Where are you going, don’t leave me like that!” You heard the shouts, desperate movements in the previous room meaning the boy tried to catch up, however you were long ago outside the cute coffee shop, starting the journey to your quiet apartment. Maybe it was mean, and maybe Jimin was too good to be treated like this, but your own mood was now too fragile to stay in the same room as the insistent boy.
Autumn wind welcoming you once again, cold weather sneaking inside your clothes, the light hoodie not doing any justice with such temperature - still it was the only thing you owned with better quality. Head full of thoughts a little overcrowded with a starting headache, not letting you walk in a peace you somehow needed just now.
Walk to your house - at least the recent one, was not one of the long one, rather passing as a nice stroll. And even though your shifts ended in night hours, the quiet and calm way never made you feel scared of any sudden dangers awaiting you on Seoul's streets. It was a nice neighborhood, one where families that were a little lower than middle class tried to make a living, keeping their kids in a safe environment. Happy smiles and laughs welcoming you sometimes in the morning, kids rushing to their own school, greeting you even after those months you stayed there, only making you nostalgic at the thought of leaving such a safe haven.
So it was more than surprising when a quick footstep rang in your ears, soon nearing you even faster. Your beating heart now rapidly knocks in your chest, as your eyes try to search for the reason for those sounds.
You didn’t need to search for loong, soon hearing the screech of a voice not so far from you. “Y/n! Wait for me!” It was even worse when the little man started to dramatically draw his hands to touch, however your concern only lay in the thought of waking up the whole neighborhood. Eyes slitted, an annoyed expression crossing your face at the sight of the panting boy, soon stopping before you, not without tripping and nearly taking you with him. “You… really want to kill me.”
Heavy breath hitting your face, his voice strained and tired from the miles he needed to run to catch up to you. You however were more than a little shocked - yes Jimin is stubborn, and yes he is the person to run after someone just because the said person lost a penny, but his appearance here was different. It was crossing the invisible line you both draw, accepting each other's bubble of comfort.
So the question still stayed, your face hard with a thundering gaze waiting for the boy to calm a bit.
“Why did you suddenly leave?” Seriousness leaked out from his tone, however the way his eyes scrunched only meant that he indeed felt a little hurt from your previous action. And you don’t even wonder why, knowing how your choices could wound the innocent boy. “Is it about your family? If its a soft topic we can never talk about it ag-”
“You want me to walk away again?” His eyes got bigger at your cold tone, his foot taking a step back. Your family, the topic you did not want to bring up today, explaining the harsh demeanor you suddenly took. Eyes however softened as fast as they met the boy’s hurted ones, a gulp of remorse sliding down your throat. “Look - I appreciate your help but I don’t need a person to be helpless with.” You took a step forward placing your hands on the boy's arm, squeezing it in reassurement. Looking him straight into eyes a sight left your mouth soon forming in a little awkward smile - the only one you could force yourself into. “You helped me enough, there is nothing else you can do, It’s not your battle to fight you have your own problems and asking you to take mine would be cruel.”
And how awful it was to turn back leaving him again, you did just that, giving him the last pat with a smile. His own mouth opening and closing, agape from the schock you probably left him. And you were sure that this time he will let it go, your words full of coldness not leaving room for arguments.
“But what if I do?” His voice stopped you in the middle of the step, freezing your form with a new squeeze in stomach. You did want to hope for nothing, feeling how your eyes got bigger in surprise, being so close to turning back to face the blonde boy. “What if I can do something?”
“Jimin we are over it - I won’t take any of your mo-”
“I didn’t mean that. I’m not that stupid to not understand first hundret times you made it clear.”” You turn at his clear voice, full of seriousness and unsaid promises. New thoughts fell over your messy mind, Jimin’s voice still ringing in your ears as well as the hot gaze he kept on you, fixated on your weirdly sluggish posture. You were more than confused, his help however not new for you, the sudden change of demeanor was like a bucket of cold water maybe pushing you into admitting that the boy indeed had some kind of solution. “Please try to listen to me first and please try to be open minded.” He adds taking a big breath making him close his eyes for a second, only to stare at you even more firmly, nearly hiding his shaky hands. A silent nod from you lighted once again the enduring fire of his eyes.
Now you were even more curious.
“What if I get you a client?” Innocent question, firstly confusing you even more with the weird words, the realization came with your mouth opening a look of disbelief crossing your eyes for a second even if you tried to remind yourself that you situation it's not the one to be judgy.
“You do-”
“Let me finish, please?” And you could not find the power in yourself to not give in. Looking straight into his gaze you closed your mouth, still hanging from the previous schock you experienced. “I was in the same place as you some years ago, a broke student without any help or hope - and I know what you want to say, but it's not as bad as it seems. You don’t even know how much I wish that at that time I had better option, but there was none and probably won’t be if I still want to chase my dreams The job is really not that bad, people don’t know, they do not need to know - even if they wanted the community of them would not allow it cause they want only that - discretion.”
You winced, the cold brushing your cheeks even more from the chill night, moon being your only source of light shining at boy’s figure like in some kind of movie. And to be completely honest, you indeed feel like in some kind of drama, emotions oozing from both of you in waves crashing in the middle with a tension to it. You didn’t want to seem rude, your face trying to stay some kind of neutral, however you knew that Jimin saw the first pull you unconsciously did, decided to let it slip instead looking at you with even more solemnity.
Yeah you knew about his past, history he one time told you in the middle of breakdown, then seemingly crazy and full of hardship, now you started to see yourself in the boy, his place now taken by you in the most awful way.
“It’s really not that bad Y/n” He whispers, voice full of softness you were thankful about. You felt breakable, the thought of actually doing it scaring you with how probable it really is. “I’m so sorry I can't do more, but it’s the only way I can help.”
You didn’t even realize when he came so close, touching your arm with his little bigger hands clenching it. Your eyes squeezed as your hands fell to your sides lifelessly, emotions now once again leaving you a little too suddenly, the grip you always had on your life slipping from your grasp with a gasp. It was hard, facing something you worked so long for only to ruin it because of such a thing as money. It was so funny, your own younger self laughing at you probably, telling you how your choices led you to that state.
“It’s really the end huh?” You didn’t need to look to know about the sad gaze he momentarily gave you. Arm sneaking around your shoulders, your posture seemingly smaller than normally, bringing you to the warm body of the blonde boy. Not a word said, only the silence being louder than aggressive shouting.
There was no need for a better explanation, your mind was already processing the idea of selling yourself to someone, and how shocking it could be that it never crossed your mind before. You can’t say the job disgusted you, you can't say it did not leave you with a sour taste on your tongue, like something is wrong with the image of you in such an environment again.
Again.
Well that was something that did not sit right with you, running away your whole life from it, now going back to the cave of a tiger - conscious suicade.
Face plastered on the surface of the brown coat, fluffy fabric brushing your face with every breath he took. The gesture leaves you with a heavy heart, not understanding why Jimin wanted to help you so much. Was it an obligation? Did he feel like he owed you something?
You just couldn't grasp the idea why, why was he so insistent, it’s only you in the end, a friend from the same coffee shop he worked in, someone who is not important in his life, someone who he will leave when the time comes. So why?
And maybe with the next gust of wind, a quiet whisper in your ear you realized deep down, that he was the first person in your life which genuinely cared for you. However the musky scent and heavy thoughts still repeated the same question, but you knew somewhere in your mind that it’s only a matter of time when the quiet suggestion will be proven.
“It’s getting late. You should go home.” A silent nod, your head still leaning on his shoulders, too tired to move. His hands petting your hair, a quiet hum leaving his mouth while he did it, melody not familiar, dancing in the silence of the night. You sighted taking one step back, immediately feeling a cold breeze hitting you, the source of heat now gone, making you shiver in the lighter clothes. Little smile screeching on your lips after you saw his worried gaze, sitting on your figure not planning to move.
“You too.” Sticking your hands into the big pocket of your hoodie, you turned your head in the way he came nodding. None of you moved, gaze met in the middle as you tried to not show how cold you really wera, body shaking in unnatural ways wanting to move for some kind of warm up.
He did not smile, even after your own stretched into a larger one, you decided not to pry and just turn around with a silent wave, head ahead of you eyes looking in the dark depths of the street where you lived. He knew you were not alright, gaze piercing you through every layer you tried to put in a situation like this, a copy mechanism you were not that proud of. And so with the head lowered you took the first step away not minding the still lingering stare on your shoulders.
The main worry now being the cold weather and little clothes that shielded you from it, the idea of the whole conversation put somewhere on the side.
However, he and you were pretty well aware of what is going to happen the next day.
In the end it's you who soon is not even going to possess own body.
----
Sleepless nights were not new, the feeling of tiredness you could not just wipe with the piece of the fabric a familiar one, the eyes trying to stay focused on things even though they were so hard to close themself for some sweet time, just to be forcefully open. Two words were enough for you to not hide the utter ache, you so perfectly masked in the middle of the coldest night.
And so maybe it was the cold keeping you awake in the dark, the blanket not enough to warm up your lifeless limbs, or maybe the lingering touches of the blonde boy that stayed even after so many afters after the whole conversation.
You felt weak, blinking in the grey room watching the wall like it would show something incredible, the scratches on it similar to the one you did when the stress was too much, decorating pieces of your skin like an art. The night was a big blur, hours now looking at the nonexisting stuff passed with a blink of an eye only to put you in another of the memories.
Blonde hair somewhere there scrolled in the side of your mind. Oh yeah, the said boy came the next day, look on his face too hard to forget as the next wall you built was just ruined.
He looked at you from behind his eyelashes with eyes dimmed with a sort of fog. Silence being the only comfort in the moment - early morning helping with it. He knew that this time the situation did not have many options, not any without any loss.
However he came, with a mind to let you help with thinking of any other ideas to help you, the conversation from the other night forgotten after he stepped in the gloomy apartament. And it doesn’t surprise you, the look you probably carried spoke for himself.
In his hands soon layed inconspicuously looking scrap of paper, tempting with his appearance like the most loucioust sin. He read it with squinted eyes, not needing a lot of time to find out what exactly the letter applied to.
What surprised him after such information is, how really the girl hid behind such an innocent facade, the new wave of respect crashed on him with the thought how strong you really are to not ask for help. The human thing was to linger, searching for attention so long to have someone finally do everything for us.
He had money, he had it so much that he could easily help her for next month, but he knew how every proposition like that would end up.
In the end they were really similar.
“Maybe there is another way.” He cut the silence, after a while regretting the action. Eyes met somewhere in the middle and both of their gaze was meaningful enough to answer his void of hope. “Have you tried to talk with the flat owner?”
Grimace on your face once again was enough, you shook your head remembering not the best meeting with the older man. “Many times. The guy is purely business oriented, he doesn’t care about your private life but if you pay everything - which as you can see I have a problem with.”
“I know that it’s a hard topic, but what about your family. There needs to be at least one person.” You looked down, carpet under your feets still fluffy and soft under your feet, the silence embracing you both. Jimin awkwardly scratched his arm, biting his lips in the process, the topic one again making your mood even worse. “Im sorr-”
“There is no need, it doesn’t matter anyway. My family is off limits when it comes to those types of things.” You cut him off, looking from the side at the little embarrassed boy. A sigh leaves your mouth as you lean on to your old couch, ruffling your hair after. “Jimin there is really no other way. Your option is the only thing I can do, even if the idea scares me.”
He looked at you with a small smile, the memories from his past coming back to him, when it was him who was sitting at your place, maybe with a different situation, but the fear in the eyes remained the same. He sat next to you, hand catching yours latching fingers with yours, as if that small gesture was supposed to pass everything.
And maybe it was like that, however how sweet and calming the motion wouldn’t be, nothing has been solved, and your decision it's going to change your life completely.
“You start to accept it with time.” He whispers tightening the grip on your head, the sentence seemingly had a bit more to the story. You guessed he tried not only to convince you both himself too.
Idea still fresh in your mind, hard to process it actually is going to happen, eyes meeting once again with the dark ones of the boy, millions of heistations flowing in the circle of your pupils.
“What If I don’t want to accept it? Jimin, I'm going to sell myself like some kind of animal.” You started, soon seeing how every word pierced the boy, a hurt crossing his face for a while. However he himself knew how his job was not something to brag about, something that should be kept to yourself.
“First - you are not going to be a prostitute, it’s their job. Second - you are not selling yourself, your body maybe, your time - yes. This whole messed up business, which no one truly understands, it's not only based on pleasure and successful bargain. The people you are going to provide services will require more, however you too will be able to demand - and that’s the difference.” He instinctively stood up, turning his back to you to hide his face for you.
You decided not to question that, the topic probably being equally hard for him. Following his figure, you listened to every word which could calm your buzzing nerves.
“Mone-” You started trying to guess about the demand he was talking about. The cash suggests itself in your mind. The boy quickly turned back, dark eyes catching your breath in the middle.
“Respect.” He finished, taking an earlier abandoned cup of tea to his hand. You were confused, your gaze spoke for himself, the utter questions building with every quiet minute he left you with. “Do you know why so few people are able to survive in such a business, or why so few people know about it?” He asked knowing fully he won't get any answer from you. He sighted brushing his blonde hair back, a little oliy from the last day of work, he came to the other side of the room sitting on one of the smaller tables just before you.
“You will need to play a role, you will become an actress in real life without the power to question your own character. People that are directors in fact are going to be your clients, giving you the script you will need to act on. In the beginning it’s going to be hard, but with time you will understand that you can either love it or you are someone who is not suitable for such a job.”
So many questions, which only bundled up with the said words. A weird twinge in your heart, forcing you to stop thinking about it like a sweet temptation, however the beautiful words he wrapped everything with stronger. The idea seems so easy, so free and so good, too good to be true.
You looked at him, the tiredness hitting you suddenly but so many not arranged issues kept you on your toes, so with the remaining power you sighed rubbing your eyes. You decided, your last way out.
“How i'm even going to start?” The question filled him with a relife, not understanding exactly why, the thought of having someone close in the same job loaded him with unanswered happiness. He gazed back, the look making you sit more comfortable forcing your attention directly at him.
“The clients are mostly the people you least expect to. Although they are not people which can afford a whore - lame millionaires or self-proclaimed gangsters. Don’t get me wrong but if they were them they could have just bought the random first person that is willing to do everything they want, for them however the most important is discretion and loyalty.” He started, stopping for a while to take out his phone and quickly search something on it.
With one move he showed you a picture of a man, you strangely knew. Black hair, similar to the blackness of the sky so different from the boy sitting just before you and a beautiful porcelain looking skin. He looked proud, even as a imagine the frozen photo oozing of confidence and power.
You knew those people pretty well, a little too well. Too proud for their own good and too proud to admit their wrongs, making money in such a way to not get attention if they are dirty or not. Familiar contempt towards others. You tried so hard to run away just from people like that, you hoped the clients Jimin was talking about are just the little CEO’s, not that important or dangerous.
And how ironic it was that you yourself are going to willingly put yourself in such a toxic environment again, people that are more influential than politicians and authorities. Next question popping on the side, how the blonde boy survived there without any knowledge.
“I see you can guess about who i’m talking about, and It’s not your first contact with them, right?” He started, brushing his hair once again, a habit you noticed. He needed to admit that your expression put him in uneasiness, look on your face nearly scared like a child that watched horror for the first time. He didn’t want to annoy the topic, leaving it in the air with the restless tension, instead he closed his phone hiding it back into his pocket.
His eyes still on you, your mind somewhere else as the quietness of the room started to spin around. The unanswered question lingered on your tongue, kept in the end of your mouth like some kind of secret. And as you thought it’s the end, the little ping came from the pocket he put his phone into.
“Well, I don’t know If you are interested but there is someone who is willing meet.”
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Hello hello my lovely fellow Portal fans. Its story time. This is a true story, and the more I thought about it and remembered all the peices, the more ironically awesome I thought it was. So here it is.
Enjoy this story of a real Chell and real Wheatley, during school days.
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As you may recall, the woman Chell is based off of is a lovely woman named Alicia Glidewell. Well, I met her at a wedding for a family member, aaaaand... turns out she's my cousin. And I only found out AFTER I fell in love with portal and it's lore. So, I look quite a bit like Chell, and I'm related to the real Chell. On top of that, I've always had a natural talent for solving abstract brain puzzles. During middleschool, I wore my dark brown hair in a ponytail everyday too!
Now, there was this nerdy blonde guy from Bristol, England, who went to the same middleschool as me. He came across the water to attend my school in America, during the same time I was there. We both became friends and got along well, and I don't know about his thoughts on it, but we always had this lowkey passive-agressive competition going, with who was the more intelligent one.
He talked a lot, sounded like a know-it-all, and I teased him playfully for it. He would say I'm square, and I would say that he was an octagon, if I were a square. He would always be like "aCTUALLY, the *rambles on*-" in his English accent and correct me every time I would discuss something by him, and it was always annoying because I felt like I didn't know as much as he did. In reality, he put me in awe at how much he seemed to know. I felt like he really did know more than me... but, I really enjoyed talking to him regardless.
Looking back, he was what everyone expects Wheatley to look like if he were human. Blonde hair, blue eyes, glasses, a quirky complexion, slender tall lanky frame, dorky smile, and a Bristol english accent. And the funny thing is, he's from the same region in England that Stephen Merchant was from (the voice actor of Wheatley), so he had the same vocal inflections as the character.
So, here we have two real kids, barely teens, that are friends. Constantly showing one another up in knowledge and useless facts on what's what. One, a relative of real Chell with a simmilar resemblance, who has a knack for puzzles and mind games. The other, an ideal image of Wheatley in human form, who happens to have the same type of accent, and talkative "I'm a genius" personality. The girl would listen to his ramblings in silence, and the boy would take a little too much pleasure in sounding like the clever one. Adorably awkward, he was. Just like Chell and Wheatley.
And the ironic punchline, is that I got an award at the end of the year, for recieving the highest grade point average in the entire prestigious school's history. When I found out the news, I mentally went "HA! TAKE THAT, *his name*! Wow... I can't believe I was the smarter one... all this time he was showing me up and making me feel stupid in our little contests, only for him to not get the award (that I didn't even know was a thing until they made it for me), and me to get it?" I remember telling my mother that I was suprised he didn't get the award, and I did. And, I wondered why. He ended up congradulating me... and turns out he got average grades this whole time. My mom said: "Well, its clear that he wasn't as smart as he sounded." (And if THAT'S not the most Wheatley explaining statement ever...) Just like Chell outsmarted Wheatley, I had always been the smarter one.
After that, we went separate ways and carried on. We both graduated from different schools, and he went back to college in England. Last night, I remembered him and looked him up, and turns out he currently has a bachelors in engineering and mathematics. HE DESIGNS AND CODES MACHINES. Ironic, isn't it? And me? I'm pursuing a career as a published author, while studying psychology and deception. I'm 20, he's 21.
I always had a crush on Wheatley as a character... I adored his personality. But the real kicker is, it took me growing up to realize that I had the real Wheatley already... and, I was his real Chell. This moment in my life is like a Portal Chelley AU, during school days. I think its really cool that it actually happened.
I recently tried to reach back out to him, because I couldn't stop thinking about him and our little childhood rivalry/friendship. Maybe we can recconect and keep challenging eachother, maybe we can become closer than before. Who knows... maybe we can become more.
We'll see what he says.
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blackacre13 · 2 years
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Hi- I love everything you write and so here is my prompt idea🥰Could you do one where Debbie’s aunt, Ida, comes to visit and tries to convince the gang to be apart of her first ever heist. She also approves of Lou, and proceeds to tell Lou embarrassing stories about Debbie’s childhood (plus some stories about how college Debbie couldn’t stop pining over Lou etc)
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“Hey, baby?” Debbie called, pushing the door to the loft open as she strode inside, brushing the snow off of her coat as she slipped off her shoes. “I know we swore up and down to Tam that we’d cook for the girls, but the weather threw me off schedule and I think it would be easier to…”
“Baby?” Aunt Ida smirked, turning around in her chair to face the brunette. “Well, it’s about damn time.”
“Ida,” Debbie stammered, her eyes growing wide before flickering to the blonde who sat across from her and then back. “How did you find me?”
The older woman rolled her eyes playfully as she snickered. “I have my ways, Deborah,” she grinned. “Now come over here and give me one of those world famous hugs. Actually, I’ll let you kiss your lady first, but then, definitely a hug for your favorite aunt.”
“Hi honey,” the blonde winked, coming over to wrap Debbie into a tight hug as she whispered into her ear. “Apparently, Ida’s tired of playing homemaker. She wants in.”
“She wants wh—“ Debbie started, only to be cut off by the Australian’s lips pressing softly against hers. “Go give your lovely aunt a hug,” Lou spoke loudly, purely for Ida’s benefit. “And no need to order. I already took care of it.”
“You cooked?” Debbie breathed, clinging to her for a moment.
“And it looks delicious,” Ida chirped, butting in as she peered into the kitchen. “You should really wife her up while you can, Deborah.”
“You gonna tell her or should I?” Lou chuckled, kissing Debbie’s ring finger lightly before turning and pushing her gently towards her aunt.
“Funny you should mention that,” Debbie laughed awkwardly, crossing the room to give Ida a hug as Lou sauntered into the kitchen, the sound of rattling dishes and cutlery starting to ring out even more than usual, and Debbie knew it was Lou’s attempt at giving her and her aunt some privacy.
“I already knew,” Ida whispered, releasing Debbie from the hug as she pulled back and examined Debbie’s. “Not like that rock on Lou’s finger is subtle even with the eighty other rings. You did good, kid.”
“With the ring or my wife?” Debbie smirked.
Ida smacked Debbie’s head as the brunette let out a cry, huffing as she sank into Lou’s abandoned chair, Ida settling back into her own.
“I get hit in the head twice as much since Danny disappeared,” the brunette grumbled.
“If he ever resurfaces, I’ll knock the living daylight out of him,” Ida promised.
“Not if I get there first,” Debbie grinned. “So, what brings you here? Besides grilling my wife for secrets.”
“She didn’t tell me anything,” Ida lied.
“Bullshit.”
“Well, I may have told her some of your secrets,” Ida smiled, accepting the mug of tea Lou was now sliding into her hand.
“Oh?” Debbie asked, glaring at the blonde. “What? Did she tell you all about practicing my Debbie Miller signature?”
“Among other things,” the blonde winked.
“Louise,” Debbie warned.
“Oh, leave her alone,” Ida laughed. “She’s not stupid. And besides, you’re married. Not like you’re harboring some crush from her.”
“I’m not stupid, no,” Lou smirked. “But I’ve never given myself a wrist hickey as practice and lied to my aunt that the vacuum got stuck to it.”
“Ida!” Debbie shrieked.
“For a genius, you’d think she’d have a bit more common sense,” Lou teased, moving back towards the kitchen to fidget around with the oven.
“Enough joking around,” Ida smiled, taking a sip from her mug. “I came to ask you something serious.”
“Yeah, really sounds like you and Lou were all business before I got here,” Debbie snorted.
“She can’t help answer what I want to ask,” Ida shrugged. “It would be your decision. And I know she’d agree.”
“She mentioned,” Debbie mumbled, looking down sourly at the table.
“The cancer’s back, Deborah,” Ida whispered, smiling sadly as she reached for her niece’s hand. Debbie swallowed thickly as she nodded, trying to stop the tears from coming to her eyes as they stung.
“Fuck, Ida, I didn’t—“
“Just found out,” Ida smiled, squeezing her hand. “And as much as I appreciated you being my chemo buddy last round, I can’t do it again.”
“Don’t say that,” Debbie whispered, feeling Lou come up behind her, squeezing her shoulders as she kissed her cheek. “We can fight this. We can. I’ll help you. Lou too. Anything you need. And money isn’t an issue. We can find you the best team. Different hospital. Hell, we’ll fly you anywhere you want.”
“Deborah,” she sighed. “I don’t want to fly anywhere or do whatever we can. I’m sick of fighting it. I’m sick of being sick.”
“But Ida,” Debbie hissed, almost defiant, refusing to accept her aunt’s stubbornness.
“Deb, honey,” Lou murmured. “It’s her decision. Even if it’s not what you would decide for her.”
“See?” Ida smiled genuinely. “She’s smart. I’m glad you’ve got someone to look after you when I’m not around. We both know your mother wasn’t much of a mother. At least you’ve got a fine partner.”
“Ida,” Debbie sniffed, squeezing her hand as she reached for Lou’s. “Isn’t there anything we can do to help?”
“I just want a bit of fun before I go,” Ida breathed. “Be one of the girls, you know? And if you have an idea, and need an old lady who’s practically disposable, I’m your gal.”
“Ida, you can’t be serious,” Debbie shook her head. “I’m not putting your life at risk with a job.”
“I’m at risk 24/7, sweetheart,” she whispered. “Don’t I at least get to feel the rush for once? That high?”
“Deb, it’d be easy enough to find a role for her,” Lou murmured. “I think it could be fun!”
“Maybe we could do something smaller scale like—“
“Deborah, I swear to god if you say Bingo…”
“Fine,” Debbie growled. “Okay. But my rules, alright? I don’t want you pushing or hurting yourself. And you’re not ending up in a jail cell or anything.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Ida grinned, her eyes twinkling.
“But Ida,” Debbie warned. “You’re gonna have to tell the girls. And they’re not easy to win over.”
“Fine,” Ida smirked. “Two down. Six to go. Already bested the two of you and you’re the ring leaders. How hard could it be?”
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gureishi · 3 years
Text
gold rush
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✧ — Summary: A chance encounter at the bar where you work. But is anything ever really a coincidence?
✧ — Pairing: Saeyoung x Reader
✧ — Rating: T (light cursing, bar setting)
✧ — A/N: This is probably as close as I’ll get to writing an AU. The way the characters are meeting is a little bit different, but we all know where they’re going to end up. This fic is set two weeks before the start of Deep Story.
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chapter one
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It was the beginning of a summer sunset—all reds and pinks and white hot light streaming through the windows and making you dizzy—when you saw him.
You didn’t believe in love at first sight or even fortuitous encounters. You thought coincidences were nothing more than accidents and miracles were just funny little bursts of brain chemicals.
And you weren’t interested in meeting anyone new. Your feet ached and your eyes felt heavy; you wanted an ice cold beer or a hot shower or maybe just a nap. But time twisted that day: worlds collided and the sun shone extra bright and your weary mind lit up in a way you’d never be able to explain.
You were standing by the bar when it happened. You had a faded blue rag in your hand, with which you were halfheartedly polishing a wine glass. The bartender (a friend, sort of) was telling you a story and you were gazing longingly at the door. A few more hours, you thought, until you’d leave—till you’d walk down the street with its overflowing trash cans and broken sidewalk, around the corner with its group of old men blaring music through their speakers, and home.
And as you stared at the door, it swung open—almost as if you’d compelled it with your yearning. You sighed and looked down at the wine glass in your hand, because it was slow today and on slow days, customers always wanted to talk.
You didn’t want to talk to anyone. You had no patience for conversation about the heat or somebody’s kids or their upcoming vacation. You wanted to lie on the floor of your bedroom in your underwear and stare at the ceiling fan till you stopped thinking about anything at all.
“Hey,” the bartender said (and her voice was a little too loud, like always, but you put on your best listening face for her). “Look at him.”
You didn’t roll your eyes, though you wanted to. She was younger than you and still found everything interesting—and ultimately you appreciated that about her. Instead, you tilted your head and peered through your lashes at the man by the door.
Ah, you thought (wildly, without knowing why). There he is.
He looked like the sort of person who never quite belonged.
He stood a little bit stiffly, his hands in his pockets—and then he waved at one of your coworkers and smiled, and all at once he seemed to fit in, after all. You didn’t know what to make of it.
“Cute,” the bartender whispered (standing on tiptoe to lean over the bar). “Don’t you think?”
“Oh,” you said, keeping your voice level. “Is he?”
You were a terrible liar. Your skin was screaming and your heart was racing; you felt as though you’d had the wind knocked out of you. The man strode casually across the bar and slid into a chair at one of the high-top tables, and you studied him. The bartender had called him cute, and your unsteady heart seemed to agree—but you weren’t even sure if it was true.
He wasn’t necessarily traditionally attractive. He was neither tall nor well-dressed: he wore jeans and a t-shirt that were both several sizes too big for him, and he had oversized headphones dangling around his neck. 
But his hair was a striking shade of red that you’d never seen before—it made you think fleetingly of childhood days playing under a sizzling sun and the sweet taste of lemonade. He wore glasses that suited his soft features, and behind them his eyes were startlingly gold. He looked up and your thoughts scrambled; you felt, for a moment, like you were swimming through thick liquid.
The bartender sighed, stirring your strange vortex of feelings.
“He sat at a table,” she said. “So he’s yours, not mine.”
Yours, huh? You felt vaguely nauseous.
Without a word, you grabbed a big bottle of water from the bin by the bar. Something seemed to have shifted inside you: it was the feeling of seeing the bus pull up when you’ve waited forever—the feeling of an eternity of biding your time coming to an end.
You had no idea why you felt that way.
You paused to check on a couple sitting in a booth as you made your way across the bar, but they didn’t spare you so much as a glance; they were staring silently into each other’s eyes, hands clasped on top of the table. And the man in the corner wasn’t looking at you—he was typing something on his phone, fingers moving so fast you swore they were blurry.
“Hey,” you said when you reached him. His fingers didn’t stop moving when he looked up at you—but your eyes met, and he smiled.
“Hi,” he replied (still typing). His voice was not at all what you’d expected: much brighter and more musical. He cocked his head to the side as though he were drinking you in, and you had the eerie sensation that he was reading your mind.
“Been here before?” you asked (knowing he hadn’t). He set his phone down and drummed his fingers against the table like he couldn’t quite sit still.
“Yeah,” he said. “You don’t remember me?” 
Liar, you thought. You took in his earnest expression: trust me eyes and a proud sort of smile. He wanted you to play along.
“Right,” you said, hands on your hips. “Didn’t I kick you out of here before?”
His eyes widened: a remarkable imitation of innocence.
“Me?” he trilled, sounding only mildly curious. “Impossible.” 
A lock of his hair fell over his forehead and you felt a fleeting urge to brush it away.
“I could do it again,” you said instead, raising your eyebrows. He looked you up and down (the back of your neck burned), and then he grinned.
“You win!” he exclaimed, bouncing in his seat. It was weird, you thought, that he was so excited not to have fooled you—but there was something about his almost childlike exuberance that made you feel pleasantly squirmy.
“Obviously,” you said. “I wouldn’t have forgotten you.”
You hadn’t meant to be so honest, but the words slipped out on their own—and you watched, horrified and delighted, as he flushed a funny shade of fuchsia.
“Really?” he asked, giggling (actually giggling). “Me, specifically?”
It would have been easy to say something biting, but you found that you didn’t want to.
“You, specifically,” you said.
And for an instant, his boldness seemed to slip away: his eyes softened and his hands stilled, and you saw another person entirely. It was someone somber and small—someone who’d been waiting to be told you, specifically for a very long time.
Your heart contracted.
Oh, you thought. Me too.
But the moment had already passed. He was grinning again, his eyes glittering. He winked roguishly, leaning forward.
“Whatever you say, babe.”
Oh, what was happening to you?
You glanced around the room: two other tables seemed to have materialized while you were talking to him. In a voice you hoped was level, you asked him what he wanted (just a soda), and then you slipped away to greet the new groups of people. In your peripheral vision, you saw him pulling a laptop out of his bag.
The sun had mostly set by the time you made it back to the bar. You could hear him in the corner, typing away.
The bartender caught your eye and beamed.
“What was that?”
You tried to avoid her gaze. 
“What was what?” You put the drinks on a tray.
She rolled her eyes dramatically as though she thought you were being incredibly difficult (and perhaps you were).
“You,” she said, laughing away your attempted ignorance. “Leaning all over the table and making puppy dog eyes.”
“I didn’t do that.” Did you?
“I felt like a real voyeur, watching you just now,” she said. She tossed her hair and you knew that she was teasing, but you still felt a little bit anxious. There was clearly something wrong with you.
“I hope you enjoyed it,” you told her drily. She waved you away; the ice was already melting in the drinks—and her laughter mingled with the sound of muted pop music drumming over the speakers as you strode back into the bustle of the bar.
You dropped drinks at your new tables first, and then you checked in on the couple in the booth (they were making out now, her legs in his lap). You knew that you were stalling.
But you didn’t trust yourself to go back to his table: you didn’t know what you’d do or say. It had been a long, hot summer—a long, dreary year. These days, nothing made you nervous—but the redhead typing furiously in the corner knocked you off balance.
When there was truly nothing left to do but return to him, you made your way across the room (too fast; too slow). You arrived at his side and your heart fluttered. His eyes were trained on his screen.
“I’m back,” you said, and your voice came out perky and loud. He looked up, then, his eyes taking a moment to refocus. Whatever he was doing, it seemed to require a lot of concentration.
Curious, you tried to peek at his screen, but he’d angled it so you couldn’t see. You wondered if he’d done that on purpose.
“Thank god,” he said, grinning crookedly. “I was lost without you.”
You set the glass, which was wet with condensation, on the slightly sticky wooden table. You should’ve brought a napkin or something.
“Are you sure you don’t want something stronger?” you asked, arching your eyebrows. You didn’t say the next part—why come to a bar just to drink Dr. Pepper?—but his smile widened, and for the second time you got the sense that he knew just what you were thinking.
“I don’t drink alcohol,” he said, flicking the wrapper off the straw and taking a sip. He drank soda, you thought, the way college kids drank liquor: hungrily. “You wanna know why I’m here,” he added. His eyes were piercing.
You gestured at his laptop (wondering what sort of program he could possibly be running to make it hum like that).
“I could take a wild guess and say that you’re working.”
He laughed.
“You get me.”
“What are you working on?” Again, you tried to peek at his computer; this time he shut it with a firm snap. Then he leaned in conspiratorially, his eyes twinkling.
“If I told you,” he whispered in a voice that dripped with provocation, “then I’d have to kill you.”
God. You should have expected no less. You rolled your eyes and crossed your arms; the Bond act did nothing for you.
“Sure,” you muttered. “That’s what they all say.” 
He paused, taking in your defensive posture—and then he burst out laughing. You'd gone from charmed to annoyed in a heartbeat—and now the ringing sound of his laugher was melting the tension from your shoulders. You weren’t sure what to make of it.
“Do you, uh…” he stammered breathlessly, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “Do you get that a lot?”
“It’s a vibe,” you told him. “Guys who think they’re cooler and more interesting than they really are.” Oh, you didn’t mean to antagonize him—but something about the way he was looking at you egged you on. He rested his chin on his hand and you couldn’t help noticing the thin white scars that dappled his fingers. Huh.
“So you think I think I think I’m interesting?” He was looking in your eyes again. Your knees felt weak.
“I think I…have other tables,” you said. And it was true: it was fully dark out now, and people were trickling in, looking around expectantly for someone to pay attention to them. You needed a break from him or you’d drown (oh, but there was a part of you that wanted to pull up a chair and stare at him till he looked away).
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said. You couldn’t put your finger on why, but it sounded like a challenge.
You smiled because you didn’t know what to say. Talking to him was like skating on the surface of a pond that had just iced over: thrilling and precarious. You darted away (and by the time you’d made it to the other side of the bar, his eyes were back on his screen). It was louder in here now; you couldn’t hear him typing anymore.
You quickly checked on the couple in the corner (still ignoring you) and then greeted two large groups of people around your own age. One was friendly and probably already drunk (they ordered a round of shots); the other was stiff and rude. You suppressed a sigh as all eight of them ordered drinks that weren’t on the menu; as soon as they’d sent you away, they called you back to make several changes (because people like that always did).
Martini with a twist, not a gin fizz, you chanted in your mind as you shimmied through the crowd of people who’d gathered around the bar. Your mind was tired and hazy (and the man in the corner wasn’t helping; all your nerves seemed to be firing randomly, making your skin feel too tight).
You typed the order into the POS, trying to ignore the redhead in your peripheral vision; his table was just an arm’s length away. The bar was getting noisier now, and the familiar cacophony of music and voices soothed you and made you sleepy.
And then, in the midst of the sea of sounds: “Hey.”
You felt his eyes on you at the same time you heard his voice. You turned to see him watching you, your heart doing a little dance behind your ribs.
“What’s up?”
He smiled lazily and rested his chin on his hands.
“Don’t forget the martini,” he said.
For a moment, you stared at him—and then it dawned on you. Martini with a twist, not a gin fizz. You’d definitely just put the order in wrong.
“How’d you know that?” you asked, eyeing him suspiciously. His face gave nothing away.
“How’d I know the order, or how’d I know you’d forget it?”
“Either,” you said (giving in, leaning on his table). “Both.”
“I’m a good listener.” His grin was too big (almost wicked): he was enjoying this. “I’m a good watcher, too.”
And that did seem to be the case. His penetrating eyes seemed to take in everything: a whisper of someone’s hair against their skin; a brush of fingertips beneath a table. You wondered what exactly he saw when he looked at you; you wondered what he’d say if you asked.
“Thanks,” you said. “Can you just hang out here all night and do my thinking for me?”
“I wish,” he muttered, sounding a little bit awkward. You got the sense that he meant it. You were starting to form a response when the bartender caught your eye—and you sighed, remembering that you needed to intercept her before she made the wrong drink.
“I’ve gotta—”
“Go,” he said.
You slipped from his side back into the crowd, but your thoughts seemed to have gotten stuck. You heard his voice in your mind as you spoke to the bartender; you imagined he was watching you as you ran some drinks (but you checked, and his eyes were glued to his screen).
The friendly drunk girls called you over and convinced you to do a shot with them (which wasn’t really allowed, but nobody followed that particular rule). The rude table complained that the music was too loud and the AC was too high. The couple in the booth finally asked for their bill.
Time—too much time—passed before you found yourself free again. You paid out the clingy couple and turned to face the dimly lit room, and your heart skipped a beat.
Your redhead was standing, tapping his fingers idly against the table.
“You’re leaving?” You darted to his side, relieved you’d caught him—anxious that he’d almost left without saying goodbye. “You gonna disappear into the night and never return or something?”
He grinned, but his cheeks were pink. He picked up on your sincerity whether you wanted him to or not.
“I’m going to the other side of the universe,” he said. He was slinging his bag over his shoulder, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. He’d left a wad of cash on the table (it looked like way too much). “If I don’t get lost in space, I’ll be back for you.”
The bottoms of your feet tingled. It felt strangely intimate to be standing face-to-face like this.
“What’s your name?” you asked. “So I don’t forget you this time.” You winked, because you wanted him to think you meant it lightly—but something dark passed across his expression anyway. That scared him, you thought. He’s afraid of being—
But he was already smiling wider; the moment of solemnity was gone before you could acknowledge it.
“If I told you,” he said, “I’d have to—”
“I’m leaving!” you declared, turning away from him with as much flair as you could muster. He cackled, and then his hand shot out and closed around your wrist.
Time had been moving in strange swirls and eddies all night; now, it stopped altogether.
“Oh,” he said. “Uh.”
His hand fell as you turned to face him. He hadn’t meant to touch you, you thought: he’d done it impulsively, instinctively—and something had snapped. A line had been crossed. His face was very red.
“Seven,” he said, his voice sounding hoarse and weak, like he’d just been burned. “You can call me Seven.”
“Like the number?”
“Yeah,” he muttered. “That way every time you count you’ll remember who I am.”
You would’ve rolled your eyes if anyone else had said something like that to you—but he stood so awkwardly and spoke so earnestly that you thought he might actually have meant it.
“I count a lot,” you told him. “I hope you’re prepared to be on my mind at least once an hour.”
He smiled and leaned forward and for a single, wild moment you thought he was going to kiss you.
Instead, he whispered in your ear. His breath gave you goosebumps.
“You’re the one who should be prepared,” he said. “Once I’m in your mind, you won’t be able to get rid of me.”
Before you could respond, he’d pulled back; he was retreating, lifting a hand and giving you an energetic wave.
“Bye, then,” he trilled. And then he said your name.
You were quite sure you’d never mentioned it.
“Oh—” you started to say—but the door chimed, and he was gone. 
It was over.
Rocking back on your heels, you looked wearily around the bar. Everything was normal: the chattering of people and the beat of a song that had already played three times that night. It was almost as if nothing had happened.
But you couldn’t forget.
You went through the motions, because you had to: you spoke to people and brought drinks and cleared tables and thought about bright golden eyes. More people gathered around the bar, but the tables cleared out quickly—and you dutifully wiped them down and blew out all the little candles and imagined you were anywhere but there. You counted money with stiff fingers and collected your cash tips and bid goodbye to the bartender and wondered if it was still hot out.
It turned out that it was.
You nudged open the door with your hip and the heat hit you like the big, dangerous ocean waves you’d only ever seen in pictures. It was late (early, even) and the street was nearly empty; another bar across the street buzzed vaguely and the air shimmered with late night summer wetness. Wishing you were already home, you ran a sticky hand through your hair and turned the corner onto a street that you knew was always empty.
Except it wasn’t. 
Someone was there.
Oh, you thought (frantically, irrationally). It’s him. 
You could barely make out the figure in the darkness, but he was the same general shape as your mysterious redhead. He was the right height, and his hair was wild, and—
Your heart raced. Had he waited for you after all?
But then the figure stepped forward and the streetlight shone in his eyes. They were the color of a clear sea after a storm.
You cursed yourself for hoping; you felt as though you’d been sucked dry. The stranger looked just enough like your redhead, but also altogether different: his hair was bright white and he stood perfectly still, like a predator lurking in the shadows.
And for no good reason, you had the sense that you were meant to be the prey.
The man smiled—almost a smile, one corner of his lips quirking upward. You wanted to say something (what?), but he was already turning away. He walked slowly, like he wasn’t in any hurry—but two steps were enough: he disappeared into the darkness on the other side of the streetlamp.
You were left alone with the tingling in your toes and the feeling that you had been caught.
A coincidence, you told yourself firmly (but you retraced your steps, deciding it would be safest to take another route home). Or maybe just my imagination.
You turned onto your block and unlocked the front door to your building and squinted against the fluorescent lighting. The people around you, you thought, believed in fate and miracles because these things made them feel better about their otherwise ordinary lives. But you didn’t agree: time marched endlessly forward, and there was nothing to be done about it.
Oh, and yet—
You pushed open the door to your apartment (dark and hot as always), kicking off your shoes and fumbling for the light. You knew better than to believe in the things that made your friends pretend that life was softer and sparklier than it really was. You did.
But the air tasted different now. You knew it—irrevocably, inexplicably—whether you wanted to believe it or not. 
Tonight, around sunset, everything had changed.
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On Livewire
You know Leslie is probably the most popular and well known female Superman Rogue mainly because they use her so heavily in outside media.
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Which makes sense given her debut in Superman: The Animated Series, but it still kind of fascinates me. They didn't bring her into comics continuity until 2006 apparently, with Gail Simone and John Byrne (Byrne of all the creators!) being the ones to finally fold her in. Even after they brought her in, they still have never given her that much attention or focus which is a disappointment for me frankly, because Livewire is honestly fantastic in Scott McCloud and later Mark Millar's Superman Adventures runs, and I would say with complete sincerity that those two are probably her best writers. "Millar writing a female character well?" you scoff at in disbelief. I know, I was shocked too! But she's funny, clever, and a huge pain in the ass for Supes. Reading how she was used there, and rewatching her STAS incarnation recently, really made a big realization for the character hit me like a lightning bolt (couldn't resist):
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She's basically an evil superpowered Lois Lane! I know I can't have been the first one to realize that, although I haven't seen anyone else actually outright state it anywhere, but c'mon it's so obvious! She's a reporter of a sorts as well thanks to being a disc jockey, her debut in STAS even has her interviewing Lois and Clark! She's got strong opinions on Superman that conflict with the general opinion about him (Lois being pro-Superman when everyone else is more hostile towards him at first, Livewire being anti-Superman when everyone else has embraced him as their hero). She's rude and abrasive, and doesn't care if her opinions offend people, which sure does remind me of Lois at her meanest.
Livewire to me is an examination of what Lois would be like if she abandoned her morals or never really had them in the first place. Leslie doesn't care about the "truth" which is the big difference between her and Lois. Lois can be headstrong, willful, and outright rude, but it's all in service of her pursuit of higher ideals. Livewire doesn't care about that, she carries about getting people to pay attention to her, and getting the recognition and wealth she believes she's owed.
What I'd Do With Livewire
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It wasn't until I had that big realization about Leslie that I figured out what role she should play with regards to Clark: She should be Clark's old college ex who was the one who got him into journalism in the first place.
Clark's college years are unexplored territory narratively, typically we jump from his childhood in Smallville right into his debut in Metropolis. Now I know Clark dated Lori that mermaid back in Pre-Crisis during his college years, and while that's a fun bit of trivia, it doesn't really add anything meaningful in the same way that I think Leslie and Clark dating could. So I'd rather go with Leslie because I think she makes for a better foil for Clark and because the two of them would benefit from having a deeper connection established, plus Leslie could get fleshed out as a character more.
I like the explanation that Clark chose journalism in part because it challenges him in ways his powers can't, but in the comics they've rarely bothered to explain how he chose that field in the first place. I would have meeting Leslie at college be that big moment where he starts to figure himself out. She's assertive and confident, and Clark is attracted to that for similar reasons he's attracted to Lois. Leslie would start out as an optimist and idealist in the same way Clark is, and the two would bond and go into journalism together, with Leslie being the one who really believes in the field initially. They'd both be big believers in the duty of the press to inform and the presses ability to shape public opinion, with Clark attracted to investigative journalism and Leslie attracted more to broadcast and digital journalism. They start to date and for a moment, Clark seriously wonders if this is the one.
The big break between them comes when Clark and Leslie go on a trip around the world during their senior year of college. That trip would be where both of them learn how crappy the world is. Clark always had some idea of how bad things were because of his powers, but the trip is where he really starts to realize that there is a real need for someone of his powers to step up, and that there are hard limits to just how much he can accomplish as a member of the press. That same realization is what shatters Leslie's idealism and optimism. She loses faith in the ability to make a difference, to punch through the wall of public indifference, and as a result she gives up that dream. Instead she decides that if you can't beat them, join them: she switches instead to telling the masses what the powers that be want them to hear in exchange for money, to saying whatever the masses will give her attention and prestige for, embracing tabloid journalism that prioritizes clicks and engagement over information. Ultimately it destroys the relationship between Leslie and Clark with her viewing him as a sap and him viewing her as a sellout.
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I think that origin really would help flesh out her worldview and motivation a lot more. She's a former idealist who has been broken by the world in a similar way to Poison Ivy. Leslie thus acts as a foil to Clark and Lois in that she's someone who let the world rob her of her idealism and sold out on the truth in exchange for material success. She's what Clark or Lois could've been if they took Lex's offer to work for him, and they should recognize that to some degree. Clark should have conflicting feelings for her, not romantically that relationship is dead, but in terms of sometimes he wonders if he's just wasting his life trying to fight for truth and justice. So few people seem to care about those principles, why hold on so tight to them? Why not just look out for his own self-interest the way everyone else seems to? It's the refusal to give up even when it looks pointless that makes the two of them different, and makes Clark a hero and Livewire a villain.
How I'd Like Livewire To Operate
There's a lack of imagination in how Livewire is used on the comic side as I see it.
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Like most Superman Rogues the typical Superman writer doesn't seem to have a clue what to do with her beyond generic "villain" stuff, but that does a disservice to what Livewire brings to the table. Livewire does want to fry Superman to a crisp, but that's not what her daily goal is to accomplish. More importantly, she wants respect and she wants money, and the way she gets both is not by trying to rob banks, it's by leaning into her background as a media personality combined with her new powers. Unleashing electric bolts is honestly the least impressive part of her powerset in terms of her ability to manipulate anything and everything technology.
The Internet? Livewire can crash the entire thing with ease, or restrict access to portions of it. She can do the reverse and smash through firewalls and encryption like it's made of paper. Imagine Livewire shutting off the power grid or causing it to explode, secretly using your "smart" tech to record your every move, uploading ransomware to every piece of technology in Metropolis, emptying the bank accounts of anyone who annoys her, or bringing Metropolis to it's knees thanks to the "City of Tomorrow" being a test ground for the Internet of Things, so everything is connected and thus easily manipulated. Smart cars crash into each other, elevators randomly drop, trains are unable to stop and simply accelerate onward unceasingly, plans attempting to land find their instruments on the fritz, anything and everything is Livewire's to control. But terrorism, while entertaining and occasionally profitable, isn't Livewire's main focus either.
One of my favorite Superman Adventures stories with her had Livewire manipulating TV broadcast signals so that any time there was a male news reporter on screen, the signal wouldn't come through. Stuff like that, where Livewire is making life hell for people in a way that isn't immediately life-threatening is what I envision as her day to day operations, but her bread and butter is fake news. What Livewire is REALLY good at doing is manipulating the public due to her journalism background plus her powers. She can make fake videos that look totally authentic, fake articles that seem to come from credible sources, fake voice recordings, she can make anyone appear to do or say anything through the Internet, and then she can upload that to the devices of every single person in Metropolis.
You can get stories about the mayor being framed for taking bribes, local activists cast as grifters, and supposed upstanding citizens such as Lois Lane and Clark Kent appearing to take orders from criminals like Intergang on what stories to run. Basically you lean into the journalism aspect for Livewire stories where Clark and Lois have to investigate to see whether what Livewire is putting out there is fake or legit, with peoples lives and reputations at stake (including frequently their own).
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And when Superman and Livewire actually do clash physically? I don't care how it gets justified, Livewire simply being that powerful, her lightning being "special", she has the ability to manipulate Superman's bioelectric field, whatever: she can hurt him. When she hits Supes with lightning, it burns. It's painful as all hell. Livewire needs to be a threat and I'd like her to be treated as a powerhouse since I don't see a reason why that shouldn't be the case. Livewire is a really cool Rogue, there's a reason she's managed to keep getting used long after the DCAU ended. I hope the comics creators start utilizing her to her full potential.
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redgillan · 4 years
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Under Pastel Skies - 10
Sugar daddy!Bucky Barnes x Reader
Summary: Modern!AU Bucky doesn’t need anyone, especially not a sugar baby. He isn’t that desperate… but she smiles so sweetly and she’s endearingly awkward, and he’s so lonely. She’s an artist, a painter, the type of person who always puts others before herself. Throwing caution to the wind Bucky offers her a place to live, a place where she can finally paint whatever her heart desires. He doesn’t need much in return; a friend, a muse.
Word Count: 6,179
Warnings: nothing new
A/N: Hey it’s me, daddy! ...well apparently. I really gotta take a chill pill... these chapters are getting way too long. But anyway, I hope you enjoy it, my babies are soft and sensitive :’) Thank you for reading, I truly appreciate it!
Wannabe sugar daddies don’t interact, idc if you have money, eat it and leave me be.
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You looked around the bar while you sipped your drink, a 12 dollar grapefruit juice and club soda cocktail. There weren’t many people at one in the afternoon, mostly suits and wealthy tourists, though you half expected to find Natasha hiding in the back with a hat, a large pair of sunglasses and an unfolded newspaper.
From the rug to the chairs and armchairs, everything was either black or white. You ran your index finger over the intricate calligraphy on the back of your chair. It was a number: 5.
Turning back around, you glanced at the clock and mentally cursed yourself for always being so early. You hated being late, and arriving less than ten minutes early counted as late in your book. You were nervous to see Wanda after all this time.
You hadn’t been expecting her to stay at a hotel on the Upper East Side. You wondered how she could afford it, but decided it was none of your business.
“I had a feeling you’d be here already.” That familiar voice brought back fond childhood memories and other not so pleasant memories. “You’re always early.”
You didn’t move a muscle as Wanda took a seat next to you, number 6. She signalled the bartender and ordered a latte. Meanwhile you played with your straw, trying to subtly steal a glance at her.
“What did you do to your hair?” you asked with a grimace, turning your body toward her.
Without looking at you, she raised her brows in mild exasperation. “I dyed it.”
“It’s orange.”
“Okay,” she sighed. “I get it. You’re angry with me.”
“Oh,” you drawled out. “I’m well past angry. I was angry four years ago, now I just don’t care anymore.”
“You don’t care about me anymore?”
“No, and it’s not like you cared about me, or Scott, or Okoye.” You paused. “Or mom.”
Wanda had a shocked look on her face as she finally met your eyes. “That’s low. You have no idea-”
“No, you have no idea what it was like to live in that house after you all left. You have absolutely no idea,” you said, enunciating each word between your teeth, “because you weren’t there, because you left us –you left me. Six years, Wanda.”
She looked away and you saw her bottom lip quiver. She clenched her jaw and took a small sip of her latte. You instantly felt bad for snapping at her. You didn’t like confrontation. Hated arguing. You internalized. It was difficult for you to acknowledge that you had a right to express your feelings.
“I, uh,” Wanda said, then cleared her throat. “I knew you weren’t going to welcome me with open arms, and I know what I did was wrong, but I’d like us to be a family again. If it’s not too late.”
“It’s not too late,” you said with a small sigh. “But I’m not going to instantly forgive you just because you’re back.”
“I know.”
“What made you come back?”
She fiddled with her fingers in her lap and you noticed the ring on her fourth finger. It was a beautiful vintage-inspired ring made of black rhodium with an ornate cadenza halo in the centre.
A terrible thought occurred to you, making your stomach twist painfully. You didn’t know her at all. Not anymore. You had missed so much of your sister’s life. Or more accurately; she had cut you out of her life, and it was painful.
“I went to London,” Wanda said, unaware of your inner turmoil. “I saw Uncle Michael. He asked me if I was here to see mom, and I said, ‘No, mom’s in New York.’ And then he told me-” she tilted her head to look at you “-he told me mom was sick, that you and Okoye put her in a nursing home not far from his apartment. I didn’t believe him, so he took me to mom and she-” She paused, staring straight ahead as if she was caught in the memory
“She looked at you like she didn’t know you,” you said, knowing exactly where the story was going because it had happened to you too.
“Yeah,” Wanda breathed out, tears in her eyes. “I never felt so alone. They told her I was her daughter, but she didn’t recognize me. She kept asking Uncle Michael who I was, then she got mad because she was adamant she never had children.”
“I know,” you said sympathetically.
“I wanted to see you and apologize for not being the sister you deserve. For not being here when you needed me most.”
“Where were you all this time?” you asked, practically begged for an answer.
Her shoulders tensed and she straightened up in her seat. “Just travelling.”
“I know, I got your postcards.” You nodded toward the engagement ring on her finger. “I guess I should say congratulations.”
“Mhh,” she said running the pad of her thumb over the diamond. “It’s funny I never thought I’d fall in love and get married. I don’t need a man in my life to make me feel whole. Mom raised us alone, we’re independent and strong.” A small smile graced her lips. “But I found someone sweet and charming, someone who makes me feel safe and calm.”
“Are you writing your vows?”
“Har har,” she deadpanned, rolling her eyes, a faint smile on her lips. You’d missed her, missed your banter. “You haven’t changed.”
“If you say so,” you said in a sombre voice. You looked at the clock above the bar. “Listen, I have to go but I’m happy you found someone. I’d like to meet him one day. I bet he doesn’t know about your Baby Spice phase.”
You jumped off the bar stool and picked up your jacket. Wanda turned in her seat, catching your wrist as you looped your purse over your shoulder.
“Can you stay a little longer?” she asked, looking at you with pleading eyes. “Just a minute.”
“Okay.”
She let go of your wrist. “Scott’s been released last month. I talked to him on the phone and asked him to fly to New York. He should be here tomorrow. I also talked to Okoye, I asked her to come here. We have things to discuss. I know things will never be the same, not after Pietro, not after mom, but we can try. We’re still a family.”
“Great,” you replied. Your word came out with more force than you had intended, but you didn’t apologize. They were all coming back for Wanda but when your mother needed help, you were all alone.
“Yeah,” Wanda whispered, her eyes cast down. “I was thinking we could all meet up for dinner. Okoye’s bringing her boyfriend so if you... if you have a partner-”
“I’m single.”
“Oh, uh, you can bring Natasha if you want.”
“No, thanks.” You reached into your purse and pulled out one of your business cards. “Text me, okay? I really gotta go.”
She smiled as she read your card. “You’re an artist? Splotchy, I’m so proud of you!”
That damn nickname... “I still haven't found a gallery. Not many people want to represent an unknown artist but I’m not giving up.”
“You never give up,” Wanda said with a gentle smile. “That’s why I love you.”
You took a cab to Natasha’s apartment. It had been three weeks since Sam moved to D.C., and Nat was having a hard time finding a job in her field.
She didn’t want to find another sugar daddy. It seemed ridiculous since she was still carrying a massive torch for Sam. She had saved enough money to live on until she could find a job and a new place to live.
“I’m officially done,” she grumbled in lieu of a greeting. “Job hunting sucks. New York sucks. Life sucks.”
“Pretty bold statement.”
You entered the apartment and plopped down next to her on the sofa. With a groan, she wrestled out of her blouse and threw it on the floor, leaving her in a simple white spaghetti-strap shirt and a pair of black trousers.
“I hate wearing a suit.”
“You look good in them.”
“I know,” she cried out. “I hate wearing suits when it’s all for nothing. I’m not the boss, I’m no one. Just another doofus with a college degree standing here like-” she cupped her hands together, as if she was holding a bowl, and looked at you with a pout. “Please, sir, I want some more.”
“I don’t understand why you didn’t get the job,” you said, biting back a laugh. “I would hire you for that spot on Oliver Twist impression.”
She laughed. “I think I lost my fire. People used to be scared of me. Remember? I miss that.”
“You’re a psycho,” you snorted, using her shoulder as a pillow. “If it’s any consolation, Bucky’s terrified of you.”
“Good.”
“Hey!”
She pressed her cheek against the top of your head and sighed. You stayed in that position for a few more seconds before you told Natasha what had happened with Wanda. She offered to go with you to your family gathering but you insisted you wanted to go alone.
“I gotta go,” you said. “Bucky’s taking me to dinner.”
“Oh,” she cooed, “is he finally going to propose?”
“That’s very funny,” you deadpanned. “I was starting to feel cooped up in our apartment so we decided to go out. Have fun, y’know.”
“Our apartment,” Natasha repeated with a lopsided smirk before she burst into a fit of giggles.
“Whatever,” you grumbled, embarrassed.
“That’s cute.” She pinched your cheek and you batted her hand away. “You should talk to him.”
“Don’t start.”
“What? I’m just saying-”
“Natasha,” you cut her off. “Stop asking me to talk to him. It’s not going to happen, and it’s giving me so much anxiety. You couldn’t talk to Sam, what makes you think I can talk to Bucky?”
She looked at you for a long moment. “I know you love him.”
You pressed your lips into a thin line, considering. You had never really been in love before but falling in love with Bucky had been so easy. And it was particularly scary because you had never been in a relationship, only flings.
“I do,” you admitted quietly. Saying it out loud was both freeing and terrifying.
“Don’t lose him.”
You knew Natasha missed Sam, she’d told you about it, but she wasn’t the kind of woman who let others see her pain. She confided in you and her friend, Clint, but other than that she rarely shared her problems with others.
Her bony shoulder was digging uncomfortably into your cheek so you shifted and let your head rest against her chest. She started playing with your hair. “Have you heard from Sam?”
“Not since he left,” she replied, then glanced down at you. “Have you?”
She tried to sound casual so you played along and acted like you couldn’t hear her heart jackhammering in her chest. “He called the landline the other day. Bucky wasn’t home so I answered.”
“The landline?” Natasha repeated with a scoff. “Your husband is old.”
“He asked if you were okay,” you said, choosing to ignore her comment. “You should call him.”
She stayed quiet for so long, you began to worry. You tilted your head to look at her, she had a faraway look in her eyes. You didn’t want to break her trance but she was starting to scare you.
You booped her chin and almost immediately a soft smile touched her lips. She cleared her throat, then checked her watch.
“You should go, you’re going to be late.”
“It’s okay,” you said. You couldn’t leave, not when she looked so sad. You knew Bucky would understand. “We can order some pizza, binge watch something on Netflix and go out for ice cream later. Like we used to.”
She laughed softly. “That sounds amazing. I kinda want to be alone tonight though, and Bucky’s waiting for you. I’m fine, I promise.” She looked down at you with a kind smile. “Rain check?”    
“Absolutely.”
With a heavy heart, you left Natasha and started walking to the restaurant. The clouds above you were low and dark, masking the setting sun. You smiled, remembering the day you and Bucky went to the park.
You had wanted to go paint outside but you got caught in a rainstorm on the way home. As rain poured down on the both of you, you caught Bucky’s hand and tried to run to the nearest subway entrance but he didn’t budge.
He stayed in the middle of the street, still holding your hand, and grinned at you while people rushed around you. His hair was plastered to his head, little rivulets of water running down his nose. He smiled at you, bright and playful, and you almost melted on the spot.
What’s the rush, sweet angel?
When you got home, you both changed into dry clothes and sat in front of the fireplace with a bowl of soup. He looked adorable with his slightly damp hair, a few big curls flopping down onto his forehead. When you started sneezing, he adjusted the blanket around you.
The next day, you felt a little feverish and Bucky took care of you. He pressed his lips to your forehead, checking your temperature. Your mother used to do that too. You doubted the accuracy of that little test but you couldn’t care less. It felt incredibly comforting. They should teach it in med school.
Bucky was waiting for you in front of the restaurant. The weather was warmer now, and you were pleased to see that his maroon bomber jacket was back. It was a rerun of the night you had met him.
“Hey you,” he said, dropping a quick kiss on your cheek. “How did it go with Wanda?”
“Good, I guess. It could have been way worse.” You paused to look at him. “You okay? You look a little nervous. We don’t have to-”
“I’m okay,” he chuckled, smoothing his hand down his jacket, lightly patting his pocket. “Shall we?”
You cocked an eyebrow at him. “Promise me you’re not over-exerting yourself again.”
He stood in front of you, smiling kindly. “I promise.”
It had been a while since he had a panic attack, but they were always impressive and you couldn’t stand the thought of him trapped in his own mind, battling his demons alone.
You must have been silent too long because Bucky cupped the side of your face and said, “Thank you for taking care of me, angel. But I promise you, I’m fine. So what do you say? Wanna have dinner with me?”
You playfully rolled your eyes at him as he flashed you a cocky grin.
The restaurant was a quaint little place in Midtown with curved black leather booths lining the walls and simple cutlery. There were books everywhere, arranged neatly on the shelves along the walls. The place was well-lit, yet still cosy and calm.
Despite the hour, the restaurant wasn’t crowded. There was a couple, probably in their sixties, enjoying their meals together. Several people were eating alone, a book opened next to their plate, and a few others were browsing the shelves looking for something to read.
While you ate, you filled Bucky in on your conversation with Wanda. He didn’t interrupt you, he listened to you ramble on about how much you didn’t want to go to her reunion dinner.
“You can invite them over for dinner,” he said. You almost choked on your food. “Call me crazy but I think you’d feel more at ease if you were in a familiar environment.”
He had a point. You had no idea what that night had in store for you, and you definitely didn’t want to cause a scene in a restaurant. You weren’t one for airing your dirty laundry in public.
“I know that our... um, friendship is a little unconventional but I’d like to meet them.”
“Really? Wait,” you said, spotting a bit of tomato sauce on his chin. “You have something on your chin.” You reached over and used your napkin to wipe it away. “You eat like a wolf.”
“Mhh thanks.” He swallowed his mouthful of pasta and washed it down with a gulp of water. “To be honest with you, I’m a sucker for family reunions. I love watching people’s faces when they see someone they haven’t seen in a very long time.”
“I’m not sure it’ll be a happy one.”
“Well, then you could probably use some moral support,” he said. “And I’m curious if they ever gave you a silly nickname. Or maybe they’ll share some funny anecdotes.”
You stopped mid-bite and swallowed quickly, your eyes widening in fear. You couldn’t let that happen, Scott and Okoye would jump at the chance to tease you. “Oh, no, no, no! You are never meeting them.”
He laughed. “I bet you were a cute kid. I imagine you in some paint-stained overalls, hula hooping through the 90s, listening to the Spice Girls and watching Saturday morning cartoons with a bowl of cereal or a plate of pancakes.”
“You’re not too far off.” You grinned.
“You don’t have to make a decision right now,” he said in a more serious tone. “But think about it, okay?”
Inviting your siblings and their partners over for dinner was a bad idea. You could already picture their faces upon seeing Bucky. It would turn into an interrogation, and it would be absolutely unbearable.
But then again, you didn’t think you could endure the reunion without him.
The waiter came over to collect your dirty plates and asked if there would be anything else. He recited the dessert specialties and you ordered something that sounded both extravagant and mouth-watering.
“I have something for you,” Bucky broke the silence between you.
You responded with a curious yet playful frown and a tilt of your head. He glanced down at the table for a second as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a slim jewellery box.
He placed it on the table next to his glass and let his fingertips linger on the lid, caressing it slowly as he hesitated. Then with a smooth flick of his wrist, he slid the box across the table. Your eyes flickered between the box and Bucky’s worried expression.
Inside the box, nestled in cream velvet, was a gold artist’s palette pendant with a delicate chain. The pendant had two paint brushes sticking out of the palette and four tiny stones representing the colours waiting to be mixed; ruby, sapphire, emerald and topaz.
It was incredibly tiny, about the length of two staples, but it made the details even more impressive. You could tell it was an old piece. There were light signs of wear and the design reminded you of the 1930s. It looked full of stories from previous owners. A testimony of love, passion and devotion.
“Oh,” you gasped as if all the air had been punched out of you. Bucky straightened up and jerked forward in his seat, his eyes round with anticipation. “Oh,” you repeated dumbly, at a loss for words.
“I saw it in the window of an antique shop on the way here,” he said.
That was a lie.
He had spent weeks searching for the perfect charm. He had a very specific idea of what he wanted to buy. Until one day, he found it. It reminded him of you; delicate, discreet, irreplaceable.
“Bucky,” you sighed, spellbound. “It’s... it’s beautiful.”
“It reminded me of you.” He met your eyes, smiled, and extended his hand in your direction. “Can I?”
Without hesitation you removed the necklace from its box and gave it to Bucky. After living with him for about six months, you knew there was nothing he couldn’t do. Even fasten your necklace with one hand.
He stood up and rounded the table, sitting next to you on the booth. You turned, giving him your back as he slipped the necklace around your neck. You held the pendant in the little dip between your collarbones at the base of your throat and let the ends of the chain dangle down your back.
“I noticed you haven’t been painting a lot since-” Bucky trailed off. Since you had a meltdown in your studio, since you realized your art was not good enough. Since you realized your dreams were too big to accomplish.
You looked over your shoulder and watched him fumble with the spring ring clasp. You couldn’t see what he was doing but he seemed entirely focused on the task at hand.
“Inspiration is a fickle thing, it comes and goes,” he continued. “I worry about you. You put too much pressure on yourself visiting galleries and trying to match their vision. I want you to remember who you are. You’re an artist. Never doubt yourself or your skills.”
He secured the chain around your neck and adjusted the necklace so that the little palette fell nicely above the neckline of your sweater. You stared at him wide eyed and amazed, and he smiled tenderly at you.
“Thank you,” you said quietly. “I’ll never take it off.”
“My pleasure, angel.”
“I really love it but it’s too much,” you said as he returned to his seat. “I don’t want you to think I’m after your money. I’m so grateful for your help, you do so much for me already.”
“I know you’re not after my money, but it’s mine and I’ll spend it as I please. I know you like gifts with meaning. And all I want is to make you happy.”
“You want to make me happy?” you asked, dumbfounded.
“Of course, I do.”
It was a foreign concept to you, you could hardly comprehend it. He wasn’t your childhood best friend, he wasn’t your brother or your mother’s brother, and yet he wanted to be the one who put a smile on your face.
You weren’t used to random acts of kindness. You spent most of your life taking care of others, making sure they had everything they needed, you forgot what it was like to feel loved.
And it all became so much clearer.
You knew in your heart that your feelings for Bucky weren’t one sided. Not when he looked at you like that. Not when he touched you like you were the most precious thing in the world.
There was a mutual, yet silent, understanding between you. This is good. Let’s not make things complicated. Even though we both want to.  And you abided by that unspoken rule, not wanting to make things more complicated.
Your eyes were overflowing with tears. When a tear escaped, you felt it bounce on your cheekbone before it landed near your pendant. You rolled your eyes at yourself and smiled.
“Why am I always crying?” you said, laughing a little. “I’m not sad, I swear. These are happy tears.” Bucky’s smile was calm and sure. “Wait, I’m just gonna-” you trailed off, wiping the back of your hand under your nose with an embarrassed laugh.
“You’re beautiful.”
You lay in bed that night, replaying those three words in your head until you fell asleep.
It took you a couple of days to come to term with the realization that your feelings weren’t one sided. A little voice in your head tried to protect your heart, it said: Don’t get your hopes up. Remember what happened last time.
But that voice was quiet, almost too quiet to hear.
Against your better judgement, you agreed to invite your siblings over for dinner. All you had to do was call Wanda’s hotel and ask the hotel staff to pass along a message. Easy-peasy.
Well, in theory, because it turned out to be stressed depressed lemon zest.
There were things Bucky didn’t know about you and your family, things that you had intentionally kept from him. One of these things was your brother’s criminal record.
Bucky had asked you a few times what Scott did for a living and you always gave him the same rehearsed answer. “Scott has a master’s degree in electrical engineering but he’s between jobs at the moment.” It wasn’t a total lie but it wasn’t the whole truth either.
You finally decided to tell him everything.
Scott was a thief. Before Cassie was born, and thanks to his computer skills, he used to steal from criminals and give back to those they had stolen from. He promised his wife, Maggie, that he would stop after Cassie’s birth.
He took up a job at VistaCorp but noticed that the company was overcharging their customers. Thinking that it was a coding error, he fixed it before his boss, Geoff Zorick, ordered him to change it back. It made him realize that the company was intentionally overcharging their customers.
He was fired soon after. Maggie begged him not to get involved, she begged him to think of his family but Scott didn’t listen. He broke into the company’s headquarters, hacked their system and redistributed the stolen money. Then he broke into Zorick’s house, stole a bunch of stuff and drove Zorick’s car into the pool.
He got five years.
Bucky was a little shocked but he took these new revelations well.
“People make mistakes,” he said. “He paid for his mistake, and not seeing his little girl for five years is punishment enough.” He bumped his shoulder against yours and grinned. “He sounds like a chaotic Robin Hood. I can’t wait to meet him.”
You chuckled. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Nope.”
“So... you’re not going to hide your valuables in a closet somewhere?”
“I would but I’m not sure you’d like to be stuck in the closet all night.” You rolled your eyes and huffed, thinking he wasn’t taking you seriously. He laughed quietly. “The only valuable thing I own is the bookmark my niece made for me, everything else is meaningless. And I don’t judge people on their worst mistakes.”
“You sound like Natasha,” you chuckled lowly. “But I’m glad you think that way.”
“That being said, they have a lot of apologizing and making up to do. They left you all alone. It isn’t right.”
You squirmed in your seat. “Argh, I don’t know. It’s in the past now, I don’t want to dwell on it. We were all miserable back then, and I’m not exactly blameless here.”
Bucky gave you a puzzled look. “You took care of your mom when she was sick, you sold your childhood home. You found your mom a nursing home where she gets the best treatment possible. You put your dreams on hold to pay her hospital bills. You did everything you could.”
“No, that’s not true,” you replied, biting your bottom lip.
You tried to find the courage to say it out loud. It was something that ate away at your soul. Your biggest mistake.
“I should have known something was wrong with her,” you said, rushing the words out. “At first she started misplacing things like her car keys, her glasses or the remote. She always had a good excuse, like was tired or stressed, but I should have known.”
“I misplace my keys all the time, angel. Sometimes it doesn’t mean anything. You can’t blame yourself for that.”
“She’s my mom, I’ve known her all my life. I should have noticed something was wrong. If I had, maybe she’d still be with us, living in our old house.”
“C’mere,” he said, extending his arm toward you. You didn’t hesitate, you abandoned your seat on the sofa and wrapped your arms around him, your face buried in his chest. “I understand why you feel that way,” he said, stroking your hair. “But you did everything you could. You didn’t fail her. Alzheimer is... well it’s a sneaky disease. There are a lot of things we don’t understand. It’s unfair to blame yourself for something completely out of your control.”
“Maybe,” you mumbled, your voice muffled against his shirt. “But it still hurts.”
“I know,” he cooed, his fingernails grazing your scalp. “I know, my angel.”
You stayed like that for some time, your cheek pressed against his shirt. You focused on the calm rhythm of his breathing and tried to match it. He gently ran his fingers up and down your back, calming you almost instantly.
You were terrified to see your siblings again. Despite Bucky’s reassuring words, a part of you still believed that you could have done more to help your mom, and you were afraid your siblings would feel the same.
“It’s going to be okay,” Bucky said, seemingly reading your thoughts. “I won’t let them belittle your efforts.”
The next day, you called Wanda’s hotel and left a message with the receptionist. Wanda called you back a few hours later, saying that she would love to have dinner at your place instead of going out.
She sounded surprised, and you could tell she had a lot of questions, but she knew she wasn’t in your good graces yet so she simply told you that she couldn’t wait to see your apartment and spend the evening with you.
Meanwhile Bucky was having some sort of nervous breakdown.
A few days before the party, he started to obsessively clean his apartment. Every single room had that distinctive lemony scent, his homemade disinfectant, except your room. It was still a line he refused to cross no matter how strong the urge might be.
He often had those spells but they usually didn’t last more than a few hours. You could see the tears in his eyes and the disgust on his face; grimaces that had been triggered by the realization that he still couldn’t control his need to constantly clean and tidy. His OCD had been dormant, not gone.
You knew it was hard for him to meet new people. He had offered to invite your siblings because he knew it would make you feel more at ease. He didn’t care about his own needs. This man was willing to endure anything for you. How could you not fall in love with him?
You let him clean. You knew from past experience that it wasn’t something he could control and getting involved usually did more harm than good. You made sure he knew you were there and that you were not judging him in any way.
He felt so physically and emotionally drained afterwards that you simply held him in your arms until he fell asleep.
On the day of the party, you were chopping dried apricots in the kitchen while Bucky was making sure the chicken pieces weren’t sticking to the bottom of the pan.
You had wanted to order dinner from the restaurant down the street, and Bucky wanted to cook. You told him that cooking a meal for seven people was pretty stressful but he simply shrugged.
“I can do it, angel.”
“I know but you don’t have to do it.”
“Yeah, I do,” he replied with a sad smile.
You remembered him telling you that his ex-girlfriend often babied him in front of her friends and that it always made him feel weak and pathetic. He wanted to prove himself. He wanted to prove that, even with only one arm, he was able to cook a meal for an entire family.
“Okay, fine,” you reluctantly agreed. “But you’re not doing this alone.” He opened his mouth to protest but you raised your hand and touched a finger to his lips. “You can’t change my mind. I’ll be your sous-chef, and that’s final.”
So you ended up cutting vegetables for him. He made two tagines, one with meat and one with vegetables, in case anyone had any allergies or dietary restrictions.
Once the kitchen was spotless, you both went to your rooms to get ready for the night. It didn’t take you long so you checked on the tagines and waited for Bucky. The smell of harissa and coriander wrapped around you like a comforting hug.
You stole a dinner roll and checked the time on your phone. Nearly seven. A wave of anxiety rolled through the pit of your stomach. You took a deep, calming breath and decided to go check on Bucky.
As you reached the top of the stairs, you heard a deep, frustrated groan followed by a whine. Stifling a giggle, you tiptoed down the hallway towards his bathroom.
“C’mon, stay put or I’ll cut you!”
“Do you often threaten your hair?” you asked, leaning against the door frame. He gasped and jerked away from the sink. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. Is everything okay?”
“I can’t do anything with my hair,” he complained. “I’m this close to shave the whole damn thing.”
You pushed yourself off the door frame and moved toward him. “Mhh, why not. A buzz-cut would make you look super dangerous.”
“You think so?” he frowned.
“Yeah,” you replied enthusiastically as you perched yourself on the counter by the sink. “A buzz-cut and a beard. Now that’s a look.”
He ran his hand over the dark stubble on his cheeks. “I already have the beard.”
“You’re halfway there.” You watched him consider what you were offering. “You know what, never mind. Your hair is too pretty to cut.”
“I should cut it though. It’s getting too long, I can’t style it.”
“Oh, poor you with your thick, fluffy hair,” you teased.
“It’s a gift, and also a curse,” he sighed with a whimsical grimace.
You laughed. “Come here, I’ll help you tame the monster on your head.”
He chuckled as he stepped between your parted legs. You took the hair dryer and a comb from the counter and started working on his hair. Despite its messy appearance, the comb ran smoothly through the strands.
“I think we need a safe word tonight,” you said while you worked.
“A safe word?” he repeated, confused. “Why would we need one?”
“Just in case,” you replied with a shrug. “I love my siblings but they can be quite a handful. So if you’re tired or if you feel overwhelmed, you just say the word and I’ll politely ask them to leave.”
“All right. Same goes for you.” He made a face. “What’s the safe word?”
“I don’t know,” you said, your eyes focused on his hair. “Flamingo?” You pulled back to look at him. “I saw an amazing documentary about baby flamingos the other day. See? It works.”
“Okay, okay,” he said, laughing. “Flamingo it is.”
You picked up his hair gel and applied some to his hair.
“There you go,” you said, smoothing the hair over his temples before sliding your fingers down the sculpted curve of his cheekbones. “Ready to break some hearts.”
It was a joke, but your voice came out breathy and small. Bucky didn’t say a word. He pressed himself closer to you, and you resisted the urge to wrap your legs around him.
He rested his hand on your thigh, then slid it from your thigh to your waist and lingered there for a few seconds. He gazed into your eyes for a moment; careful, cautious. You cupped his face between your hands, feeling the bristle on his cheeks against your palms. It was rough against your sensitive skin.
He slid his hand up your side, fingers passing over your ribs, and you let out a gasping sigh as he rested his hand over your heart.
“Did I break your heart, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice low.
“Just cracked.”
He cupped the back of your neck and massaged lightly while he looked at you longingly. He continued to stare at you as you moved your hands to his chest, feeling the strong thud of his heart beneath your palm.
“I-uh,” he started, then licked his lips. “Angel, I-”
The intercom buzzed loudly, awakening the two of you from your trance. Bucky took a step back and closed his eyes. You were glad you were sitting, because your legs felt unusually weak.
“You ready?” he asked, breathless.
You didn’t trust yourself to speak, so you nodded.
You followed Bucky to the kitchen and answered the intercom, giving Wanda the apartment number. Bucky busied himself setting the table, unable to look you in the eye. You didn’t know what to say.
Finally, he stopped moving around and faced you.
“Who am I tonight? Who do you want me to be?”
You had anticipated his question. After all it was a legitimate question to ask giving the nature of your relationship.
“Just you,” you told him. You were tired of lies and half-truths.
A knock at the door startled you.
You opened the door, your hands shaking uncontrollably. You couldn’t help but gasp at the sight of Wanda, Okoye and Scott standing in front of you, each with a bottle of wine. There were two men behind them, both looking extremely uncomfortable.
“Hey Splotchy, long time no see, right?”
Part 11
1K notes · View notes
healpeony · 3 years
Text
Heather
Armin Arlert x reader ft Annie L.
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Gif not mine. I felt bad for Annie :'), I listened to Heather by Conan Gray in repeat while writing this.
Request; Hello~ May I request A modern Au with Armin x fem reader x Annie with prompt 30 & 68 where it’s like Armin and Annie are dating and lately Armin has been getting distant lately and spending a lot of time with the new transfer student (their in college) reader and she doesn’t know he’s dating anyone at the moment so she asks him out and he says yes and they start to gain heavy feelings for each other and next thing you know Annie finds out and she’s hurt because she also found out reader is pregnant with Armins baby and he want to start a family together with reader even after the confrontation Annie is left hurt and heartbroken and reader and armin end up having a happy little family :3.
Warnings; angst, fluff, references to sex (not really described).
Taglist; @whogonprayformee
Prompts #30 “I want you to be happy, even if it is with her” and #68 “I'm pregnant”
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Y/n was beautiful, hell Annie wasn't going to lie. The girl was completely perfect in her eyes, and she was sure others thought the same too, specially Armin.
Annie isn't blind, she had notice the longing looks Armin cast the h/c way, and the lingering touches when they worked together in class work and projects.
Of course she never mentioned, she didn't want to lose Armin, but it was too late it seem like each passing day he was falling more and more for that girl.
“Annie, hey!” Armin came up running towards her a big smile on his face
“Hey Armin..”
They didn't even act like a couple anymore, it wasn't like she was into pda so much, but she had put an effort into it when Armin and her started dating. Now it seem like Armin didn't even want to hold her hand in public or do anything with her when Y/n was around.
“I was wondering if you wanted to go to the coffee shop?” he asked smiling at her
“Sure, after class?” she answered
The blonde nodded before kissing her cheek “See you”
Annie, I'm sorry I can't make it to our date, I have to study.
Armin walked up to her after classes were done telling her that, just to find him in the coffee shop with Y/n when she went to buy some cookies for her father.
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“Your grandfather sounds like a really thoughtful and generous person”
Y/n smile at Armin after he finished telling her about his grandfather who he lived with. She asked Armin to go out on a date with her when they saw each other in their last class.
“Yeah he is.” Armin responded smiling fondly at her
Y/n noticed a beautiful blonde haired women staring at them from the door, and she smiled softly at the women who had a frown on her face while looking at her in the eye.
“...which one you want?” y/n didn't even realized Armin was speaking to her, she quickly turn her head to him
She realized he was holding a little menu, with the waitress standing there ready to write down on the small (what seem to be a) notebook on her hand and assumed that he meant what she wants to order.
“I want the chocolate chip cookies, with coffee” y/n ordered while looking at the women indicating that the was all she wanted
“How many sugars?” the kind waitress asked looking at her
“Two sugars please, and thank you”
When the waitress left, Y/n looked at the door once again, but the women wasn't there.
“So tell me more about yourself” Armin looked at her with a soft smile
“well...”
Y/n proceeded to tell him, how she lived by herself in a small apartment and some stories from her childhood that she found funny, and apparently Armin did too since he laughed a couple of times.
They had been speaking for a while when the waitress came with a tray, what they ordered being there. They started eating while speaking after each bite or drink they took from what they ordered.
“It was nice to spend time with you”
Y/n smiled at Armin when they finally reached where she lived.
“Yeah, we should do it again sometime” Armin suggested, and the girl nodded
“See you!” she got off the car walking towards the inside of her apartment
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And the dates did continue, they have gone to a lot of places together. Y/n felt like she was falling more and more for the blonde with each passing date.
“You know, we have been going out for some time”
Armin mentioned while they were getting out of the cinema after watching a horror movie. Y/n nodded at his words encouraging him to continue.
“And I was wondering if you'll like to you know.. be my girlfriend?” the boy asked scratching the back of neck
Y/n couldn't hold her excitement nodding at him with a big smile on her face “Of course!”
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Y/n and Armin had been dating for months before they finally took their relationship to the next level.
Lustful kisses were shared between the two, naked bodies pressed together with passion and love, the bed and themselves being the witness of their love for each other.
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“I'm pregnant”
Y/n looked shocked to the pregnancy test on her hand. And turn to Armin who was just as shocked as her.
“Armin I swear, I was on the pill” she said with watering eyes afraid that the blonde wouldn't believe her
“Hey.. it's ok, sometimes they don't work”
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After calming Y/n, Armin stood  outside in the balcony of her small apartment nervously, it wasn't like he didn't wanted the kid, he was just in a state of shock.
He hasn't broken things off with Annie. It made him feel so guilty, but he didn't want to break Annie's heart, he knew how much she struggled to express her feelings to others and how she trusted him, and he was afraid of her distancing herself more from others when he finally have the courage to tell her.
He took out his phone sending a message to the girl he once loved.
We have to talk
“I already knew, well except that part where she was pregnant”
Armin looked up shockingly staring at Annie, who had her head lowered down.
“I noticed the way you looked at her Armin, that's how you used to look at me, hell I think that your love for her it's way bigger than the one you had for me. You obviously are better off with her than me, she makes you smile, something I can't even do” Annie gave a emotionless laugh when she stopped talking before continuing “I want you to be happy even if is with her” Annie smile finally looking up at him
Armin felt the guilt consume him “I'm sorry Annie”
“It's okay, now don't get emotional with me” she said dismissively “You better make me maid of honor if you guys get marry”
Armin smiled at her “I will”
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“Annie! Come on help me put my dress on, put him in the crib”
Y/n threw a shoe at Annie who was carrying her and Armin's son in her arms.
“This is the first baby I find adorable” Annie said ignoring Y/n once again “Sasha you help her, I don't want to put him down”
“Ok, just wait I need to clean my hands”
Sasha went to clean the ketchup in her hands from the burger she just eated.
Annie continued playing with the baby making funny faces, and he was giggling in her arms.
“Your first words better be my name, young man” Annie told him
Y/n watched them with a bright smile, Annie seem to love her son, just like she was sure her son loved her back so much. She knew about Annie's and Armin's past relationship since they told her, and since then she and Annie became good friends.
Today was her wedding day, and Annie was the maid of honor.
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Annie didn't regret letting Armin be happy with Y/n, now she was the godmother of a beautiful 5 months old baby, a little boy who she would do anything for, just for him to be happy.
Hello! Thanks for reading!, You can support by liking or hitting reblog! Also just a little side note, on your first date don't tell a person if you live alone just in case they're creeps! I just realized something, Sasha eating burger reminded me of something written by @ctrlvr (sorry for tagging you, I can remove it if you want).
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broadwayandnetflix · 3 years
Note
OMG- BO FIC REQUEST
a fluffy fic where he takes you out to a fancy dinner. picks you up at your house & meets your parents, driving to the place, all that pizazz- and more if you decide to write! Im a big fucking sucker for the romantics as you can see LMFAO.
Meet The Parents - Bo Burnham x Reader
Warnings: Language
Theme: Fluff! Slight bit of Angst.
Word Count: 2.6k
A/N: picture this as like his what tour cause it fits up with the college timeline hoes. also, I hope you like that I added an airport, cause rom-com shit amirite? I’ll stop. wooooooo this is so long. I hope y’all like essays cause fuck.
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It had been too long since you had last seen your boyfriend, Bo. The two of you had met in college at NYU briefly before he dropped out to pursue his comedy career.
Of course, you have been supportive. Why wouldn’t you be? You just really missed him, especially when he went on long tours, you in school, and him touring the world.
The two of you kept in touch. Bo often taking the time to call you before or after a show to hear your voice and call himself down. You knew what they did to his anxiety, and not being able to hold each other was difficult for the both of you.
He’d do the same for you, without a shadow of a doubt. Especially when school was stressing you out, and exams and essays were becoming a pain in the ass to handle. Even if it was just little funny texts or messages, he helped you.
It’s what you did for each other. You were a team, even if it was states away from each other. Except, luckily for you, his tour was ending soon. Or it should be, judging by the tiny calendar of dates that he gave you.
It was nearing Thanksgiving Break, and it just didn’t seem applicable that you’d be able to meet up in time. Given the short week window and Bo riding down from nearly a year of touring.
So you didn’t say much, as you packed your bags for the week and left for your home state.
The airplane ride wasn’t that bad. You wished that you had Bo beside you, cracking jokes to calm the inevitable way that your heart would jolt when you went up in the air. Unlike Bo, you absolutely hated flying.
Earbuds in, you strolled into the airport a tad bit jet-lagged and went to grab a bite from a small coffee shop. Slipping the cashier a twenty, you walked the airport in search of your luggage.
Through a sea of people, you trudged, already feeling fatigued and just wanting a nap. You didn’t even realize that you were gonna run smack dab into someone. That is until their hand shot up and held you steady.
You laughed pathetically and cringed quickly, going to apologize, hoping that the person who caught you would just keep moving on. Except, they still stood in front of you, silent as ever.
“Hey man look I’m so sorry, I’m just so tired I didn’t even see where I was going.” you mumbled before realizing just who you were speaking to.
Bo.
You froze, staring at the man in pure confusion. How was he here when he was supposed to still be on tour? You rubbed your eyes, wondering if he’d still be there when you reopened them.
News flash, Bo was still there. Fuck.
“Holy shit,” you murmured, realizing your hands were still full with your bag, phone, and lunch.
God, you were gonna cry; this wasn’t happening. He looked so fucking good, the glasses, the hair.
He watched you quietly, a soft smile resting upon his lips. While you clumsily pull on his arm to get out of the ongoing traffic of people around you, preferably a spot with a place to put your stuff.
Your tall boyfriend lumbering after you unbeknownst to you, trying to compose himself. It had practically been months since he had seen you last, and you had never looked more beautiful.
Once you set them down gently, you practically ran into the man’s arms. His bags gently fall to the floor as his arms are securely wrapped around you. Nearly lifting you off the ground.
The two of you rocked gently in the embrace, completely lost in each other. Bo resting his head on top of yours, pressing soft kisses upon your head. Tears softly pour down your cheeks and onto his shirt. Giving him enough time to wipe them away and plant a soft kiss against your lips.
“Bo, what are you doing here? I thought you were still on tour.” you sniffled, still wrapped up in his arms.
“Managed to make things work, I wanted to see you. Or I was gonna try and surprise you at the gate, but you kinda…ran into me.” Bo smirked, looking down at you.
“Well you definitely surprised me, man I really missed you.” you said quietly.
“Honey, you don’t understand how long I’ve waited for this moment. I swear my agents are probably sick and tired of me talking about you.” he exclaimed, causing you to smile.
This long-distance was really starting to get to the two of you; of course, his tour was gonna be over soon. Except, especially two different states away from each other, it made your heart hurt.
Moments like these, you wanted to just pause the time and exist in them forever. It seemed like between the two of you, you were running out of time. Just how much time exactly?
It was almost as if he could sense the hesitation as he swept up his bags and yours in the process.
“Just realized, we’ve got places to be.” he chirped, and you eyed him curiously.
“Like where?” you said, grabbing your coffee and bag from the coffee shop.
“Patience is a virtue my dear.” he tuts and slips his hand between yours. “Now, where’s your luggage terminal?”
-
It was roughly a forty-minute drive from the airport to your place. Bo had rented a car for the next couple of days, so it was smooth sailing from that point on.
Bo behind the wheel, and you are sitting in the passenger trying to figure out what music to play.
It didn’t help that you were in the car with a comedian, as whatever song you picked, Bo would pretend to critique it. Only sending you into a fit of hysterics.
“Oh okay, well you pick the music then!” you cried, pretending to stare daggers at him.
“I’ve got something for you, it’s this brand new artist I found while on tour.” he grinned, looking over at you briefly before focusing back on the road.
“His name is….Bo Burnham I think? I could be wrong? He was good-“ he said nonchalantly before earning a quick swipe to his arm from you.
“God, you look cute when you’re angry. You’re missing out on that Bo Burnham guy, he’s got potential.” he said.
“I hate you.” you giggle before finding a more comfortable position in the car.
“Oh shit you know what I just realized?” Bo yelped, causing you to slightly jolt in your seat.
“What?”
“Isn’t this the first time I’m meeting your parents?” he asked, causing you to slightly stiffen in your seat.
Technically, yes. It wasn’t like your parents didn’t know, it’s more so that there was never really a good time for them to meet. You wondered what they’d think, dating someone who dropped out of college to pursue comedy.
Not that your parents were judgmental. They wanted you to be happy, as any parents would. You just were worried if they wouldn’t respect and love Bo as much as you did. It had been close to two years at this point; what else did you have to lose?
“You are right, oh dear god. I wonder how that’s gonna go, hopefully well, right?” you ask, more so to yourself than Bo.
“Oh please, I’m great with people’s parents. Plus, they raised you, I’m sure they are great people. Babe, you’ve got nothing to worry about.” he reassured before continuing on the route.
-
It wasn’t long before he pulled into your family driveway, pulling the car into park, quickly placing a comforting hand on your shoulder.
“You ready?” he says quietly, looking at you sweetly.
You eyed the front door before looking back and meeting his eyes, nodding, as he leaned in to give you a quick kiss.
God, you missed those.
“Here goes nothing.” you smirk before slipping out of the passenger side and gather your bags.
Bo now follows suit as you knock on the door, his taller frame towering over you. One hand pressed on the small of your back, holding you steady.
The front door opens with a swing, with your mother greeting you at the door. A firm grin upon her lips as she rushes out to hug you, your father appearing behind her.
“Oh I’m so glad you were able to come home! We missed you so much!” she exclaims, squeezing you tighter.
Before giving you a slight nudge and knowing look towards Bo, who had remained oblivious, while he shook hands with your father.
All of you gather inside your house, Bo taking control of the conversation when acceptable.
Sitting down at the kitchen table, your parents are engulfed in his stories and laughing at his jokes. All the while getting to know the man that you loved so much.
Bo was pretty much a natural when it came to impressing others, and you knew it wasn’t gonna be an issue with your parents.
The two of you answering almost any questions, Bo excitingly telling the story of how the two of you met.
-
“Oh I almost forgot, I need you to do me a favor.” Bo murmured when the two of you had a moment to be alone.
You looked up at him in confusion before he mentioned something about dressing up nice. A knowing look upon his lips before giving you a slight wink and walking off towards the guest room.
There you stood, gaping like a fish in wonderment at what he possibly could be planning. Slowly walking into your childhood bedroom, looking for anything that would meet his description of nice.
You settled for something that you wore to a formal gathering that still managed to fit you. Giving yourself a quick look in the mirror, you left your bedroom to find Bo standing there.
You had to hold back a gasp; the man looked rather handsome in a dress shirt and pants. His hair was nicely done, and his hand gestured out for you to take.
“Bo what is all this for?” you exclaim, as he only smirks and leads you towards the front door.
“Shut up, I’ve been wanting to take you out for months.” he says as he opens it and leads you towards his car.
The man practically doing the whole nine yards, all the while you looking at him in pure wonderment. Of course, the two of you had been on dates prior, but never like this.
You had to practically stop yourself from grinning as he suavely got into the driver’s side of the car., Giving a quick glance over at you unbeknownst to you, trying not to melt at how gorgeous you looked.
“Where are we going?” you ask as he starts the car slowly pulling out of the driveway.
“You ask a lot of questions my dear.” he says, keeping his eyes focused on the road.
“Oh shit is this my execution?” you smirk as he dramatically nods.
“Babe, how the hell did you find out? Who told you? Was it my manager? I knew she’d rat me out!” he exclaims.
“You know I had to be certain, you did make me dress up all nice and all.” you play along, grinning ear to ear.
“Oh well, I can’t give away the entire surprise so zip it with the questions sweetie.” he quips as he continues the drive.
-
It’s not long before he pulls into a fancy Italian restaurant, way out of your usual pay range. You could feel your stomach do somersaults, giving the man an incredulous look.
Bo simply grins as he gets out of the car, rushing over to open yours for you. Eyes wide, still staring at him like he was fucking insane. He shakes his head and carefully pulls you out of the car.
“Now no complaints. Or whatever you plan to do. I’m paying, I’ve been wanting to treat you like this for over a year now. I’m doing it, and I’m gonna enjoy doing it.” Bo huffs, all dignified.
You simply nod in disbelief before he slips his hand within yours. While he enters the restaurant, he mentions his reservations to the hostess, and they seat you at a table.
Once the butterflies subsided in your stomach, you took the attention of the man in front of you. Never had anyone done something like this for you. You were trying to not look like a genuine fool with the smile you wanted to express.
You knew he was the one for you, but the way that he had looked at you. The pure adoration in his eyes and how he had planned everything, you were practically melting.
“I love you.” you whisper, wondering if he could hear it.
He did.
Bo looked up from his menu, a blush now practically kissing his cheeks. He dimples, rising at the declaration before reaching across the table since he was large enough to kiss you gently.
He was quick enough as the waitress came over to take your order. That goofy lovesick grin still plastered across his face as he straightened up in his seat.
The two of you ordering whatever looked best on the menu, clinking glasses when they arrived and looking dreamily into each other’s eyes.
“Man, I missed you. Like I know I say it a lot, but I mean I did. Going on tour is….well it’s lonely. I know you’re still in school, but sweetie. When I’m done, you’ll be sick of me. I promise.” Bo said insistently.
“No I won’t, I’m sure it’s gonna be the other way around. I don’t know if I say it enough, but I really am proud of you. I am so proud to call you my boyfriend, to call you mine. I don’t mind waiting.” you say quietly.
“How did I get so lucky?” he paused, eyeing the plates of food that were coming your way.
“Thank NYU, they did all the work.” you joke, thanking the waitress before digging into the meals.
The food was excellent; it was incredibly worth the price. Even if it was steep, the dinner was lovely. Bo is cracking jokes and telling you his favorite fan encounters that have occurred since his tour began.
It was hard to believe that the man who was often so quiet and shy could be so loud and brave enough to yell at hecklers. Except you could believe it, you had obviously been to one of his shows.
It made your heart begin to flutter at the fact that he wasn’t afraid to be himself around you; it made you feel secure.
The way his stage presence dominated the scene, it was practically impossible to keep your eyes off of him. No matter the situation.
Even now, his eyes glimmer while he tells you whatever story he had dug up. This was his passion, and you reveled in it all.
The night went well as the two of you caught up, knowing it would be quite some time before he’d meet up with you again. As he too had Thanksgiving to celebrate with his family in Massachusetts.
You shared a nice dessert, and he left a rather hefty tip simply because he could. Bo never made it necessary to note that he had money, but you knew he was excited to spend it.
All the while, you spent the night in a dizzying smile. Not giving a shit whether anyone knew it or not, even in the parking lot. The two of you waltzing messily towards the car, giggling and sputtering like a bunch of fools.
He was your fool, and you were his, who knew how long you’d have with him for now. You were destined to make the most of it.
Even as the ride home dwindled and you knew he’d have to catch a flight soon. You weren’t surprised or shocked even; days with him tended to be like this.
As the two of you reached your front door, Bo carefully leaned down to a comfortable position and kissed you softly. Not desperately, just tenderly. As if by the time he’d kiss you again, you’d simply wouldn’t be there.
His lips grazing yours, hands pressed carefully against your cheeks. You reciprocating all the while leaning into him in a warm embrace.
When you finally pulled away to catch your breath, he gave you a look that you knew all too well.
“I’m not saying goodbye.” you whisper into his arms.
“I’ll be back soon don’t worry.” he murmurs into your embrace.
With one last kiss on the forehead, you watch as he walks back to his car. Judging by the way his schedule worked, you knew he’d be back sooner than he would in the past.
Yet, with the soft ‘I love you’ said between the two of you couldn’t help but shed a tear and just hope that the next time would last longer.
120 notes · View notes
lunabonita · 3 years
Text
My Webtoon Recommendations
These are webtoons that are all 10/10 for me. Of course it doesn’t have to be a 10/10 for you, so just a reminder, do not attack me for liking a webtoon that you do not. These are my opinions and we are not going to have the exact same taste. Please be respectful.
Your Throne
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Genre: Fantasy
Chapters: 75
Status: Ongoing
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“Tensions are brewing under the seemingly calm surface of the Vasilios Empire, a kingdom ruled by the Imperial Family and the Temple. Lady Medea Solon has lost her place next to Crown Prince Eros, but resolves to win back whats rightfully hers. Will she reclaim her throne?”
You know whats amazing about this webtoon? The summary leads you to think that what shes winning back is the prince. Wrong. Shes trying to win back the throne. I love how this webtoon doesn’t try to make it a girl focusing her goals on a man, but on power. Medea is such a strong and well written character that you can’t help but love her.
The second protagonist Pschye, who of which is the person who took Medeas place as Crown Princess, is the complete opposite of Medea. At the beginning you hate her, but as the webtoon goes on and Medea and her get a better understanding of eachother due to them switching bodies as a wish from God, you begin to root for them as they team up to take over the throne from the Crown Prince.
The art is so beautiful and I constantly found myself at awe from the amount of detail put into it.
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The Makeup Remover
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Genre: Romace
Chapters: 78
Status: Ongoing
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“After years of being told to focus on studying, Yeseul feels lost when she starts college and is suddenly expected to pay attention to makeup. When a chance encounter with brilliant makeup artist Yuseong leads to her taking part in a televised makeup competition, Yeseul begins to question the role that makeup and appearance play in society.”
This was created by one of my favorite webtoon creators Lee Yone. Their art is just so amazing and their stories always include such good topics.
For instance, The Makeup Remover’s theme is loving yourself for who you are. It shows how people treat you based on your looks and as someone whos struggled with that kind of thing for a while, this webtoon really touched me. The main character Yeseul is such a relatable character, even when trying to reject beauty standards, she still came subject to the pressures of living up to the people around her. She struggles with trying to love her own appearance and I really like that this webtoon didn’t try to be like, ‘fuck the beauty standard im better than that screw pretty people!!!’ it actually showed realistically how people struggle with self-image. I also love the main love interest because oh my god, we need more men like him please. He doesn’t care about Yeseul’s appearance and genuinely loves her for her personality.
Also, art is amazing. The author is so talented and you should support them by reading and liking the chapters.
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Surviving Romance
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Genre: Horror
Chapters: 14
Status: Ongoing
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“When Chaerin Eun becomes the protagonist of the romance novel she is reading, she expects a fairytale ending with the novel’s love interest, Jeha. But when a bizarre twist makes her realize the story is not playing out as it does in the book, she’ll need the help of an unlikely character from her class to defy the new storyline and find her happy ending - if only she can figure out who this ‘Unknown Extra’ is first!”
Hands down one of my favorite webtoons by a long shot. You ever see a webtoon and think, ‘oh yeah, thats going to be a good webtoon’? Thats how this webtoon was for me. It was so good that I spent hours searching for other chapters that hadn’t been uploaded to webtoon yet on other manhua websites. I discovered it because it was also by the author of ‘The Makeup Remover’.
If there is one thing you need to know about me, its that I am a huge horror fan. So when I saw that my favorite author on webtoon had a horror themed webtoon out? You bet your behind that I binged it. Let me tell you, best choice ever.
Think of it as if ‘Ino’s Law’ and ‘Quarantine’ were combined with amazing art and a badass MC.
The Remarried Empress
I love how it is set up to the point where she cannot ‘quit’ until she completes the novel. Creating scenarios where she must survive while meeting the standards in the book. It is such an amazingly written webtoon and I cannot wait for more chapters to be released.
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Genre: Fantasy
Chapters: 82
Status: Ongoing
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“Navier Ellie Trovi was an empress perfect in every way - intelligent, courageous, and socially adept. She was kind to her subjects and devoted to her husband. Navier was perfectly content to live the rest of her days as the wise empress of the Eastern Empire. That is, until her husband brought hone a mistress and demanded a divorce. ‘I accept this divorce… And i request an approval of my remarriage.’ In a shoking twist Navier remaarries another emperor and retains her title and childhood dream as empress. But just how did everything unfold? “
Am I in love with Navier? Yes.
I absolutely adore how this story was set up. The first chapter begins with the big divorce scene, followed by Navier saying that she was going to be remarrying someone else since he wants to divorce her. This sets up a picture that gets completely shattered as you read the chapters. How everything falls into place with the reason behind the divorce and the remarriage is just so well written. The art is so good and and everything is just so insanely well done.
I absolutely love Naviers character, from her regalness and devoted loyalty to her role as empress, all the way to her petty moments and times of sadness. She is truly a character that you want the best for, and I cannot image anyone not liking her. Also the story is just so capable of making you feel emotions. I’ve laughed, cried, and got angry during the course of reading this webtoon. I love how betrayed I felt when the emperor brought home his mistress. It felt like I was in Navier’s shoes!
This is such a well done webtoon and I'm so excited for Navier to get all of the good things she deserves in her new Kingdom and with her new husband.
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Witch Creek Road
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Genre: Horror
Chapters: 74
Status: Ongoing
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“A survival horror about love, acceptance, death, and revenge. And sexy flesh-eating demons. Yeah, it has those, too.”
This series seriously mind fucked me. The way that this story is set up, you don’t see the full picture until the later chapters. Season two literally blew my mind. It is also very gorey so keep that in mind if you don’t like that kind of stuff, but for me that makes it all the better. It is just so wild and crass that you can feel your heart pumping in anticipation.
They even have their own website that goes further into the lore because it’s just so wild. Also the art style is just so amazing, because it complements the story and horror theme so much. You hate most of the characters because they suck, and it is so satisfying when they are killed. Also it has it’s sad moments but I think it is a nice break from the horror so it isn’t so overwhelmingly scary.
I binged this series and I recommend reading only a few chapters a day so you don’t overload your brain.
Other then that, an amazing webtoon. Seriously, go read it, support the author, so much work goes into the story and art that it’s insane.
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Dating With A Tail
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Genre: Romance
Chapters: 36
Status: Ongoing
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“On the dawn of her 29th birthday, unlucky-in-love Yunha discovers a shocking family secret: she’s started growing a fox tail, the mark of an ancestral curse. She must find her fated love before her 30th birthday or she is destined to become a fox forever! Even with her new-found enchanting power to attract men using her scent, will one year be enough to break the curse before it’s too late?”
Oh my gosh this is just such a good webtoon. It has amazing art, story telling, and characters. The true love interest was there the whole time, the villain isn’t who you’d expect it to be, and the spirit who cursed her is just! Im not going to spoil it but go read this webtoon!! It is so good and deserves more love.
Also Yunha is just so relatable?? Like she put off finding the woodcutter (her fated love) for 29 years and waited last minute to find him. Homegirl is me trying to do a project for school. Also to get rid of the scent that makes men attracted to her, she just starts eating a ton of garlic and that is just so funny to me.
Also I would go to church for the priest anytime if you know what i mean ;)
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Omniscient Reader
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Genre: Action
Chapters: 53
Status: Ongoing
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“Dokja was an average office worker whose sole interest was reading his favorite web novel ‘Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse.’ But when the novel suddenly becomes reality, he is the only person who knows how the world will end. Armed with this realization, Dokja uses his understanding to change the course of the story, and the world, as he knows it.”
I cannot get over how high quality this story is. The world building is phenomenal, the art is fantastic, and the characters are very fleshed out. This deserved all the hype it has gotten so far and more.
I love the ‘mc thrown into a different reality’ trope so much. Just like with surviving romance, Dokja’s world became the story he was reading. Also a very cool aspect of the story is the level up and the fact that its like a game. Earth has turned into this show for god like creatures to watch and it follows Dokja trying to survive. I also really like that TWSA has a protagonist, but Omniscient Reader’s protagonist is not the protagonist that was in TWSA. There is just so much lore and I’ll say it again, the world building is just phenomenal.
The Ddokkaebi’s and Dokja’s interactions are also just some of my favorite moments from the story so far. And oh my goodness I would die for Lee Gilyoung. Thats it, thats the tweet. That little boy could probably kill me with his giant praying mantis and I would let him if it would make him happy.
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Not So Shoujo Love Story
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Genre: Comedy
Chapters: 45
Status: Ongoing
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“Romance super-fan Rei Chan is ready for her first boyfriend and she knows just who it’ll be: the most handsome boy in school, Hansum Ochinchin. But her plans for the perfect story are derailed when the most popular girl in class declares herself a rival… for Rei’s heart?! This is the year her not so shoujo love story begins!”
This is just such a cute webtoon. The style is very appealing and while the humor can be childish and weird sometimes, it still has made me laugh a lot. I know the humors not for everyone but just keep in mind that it does get better as the story progresses and gets more serious.
Also its a gl! I’m really unable to find good gls these days that don’t fetishize wlw relationships. Rei being painted as a mean trouble maker whos just misunderstood and Hana being the ‘perfect girl’ who only wants Rei’s attention is such a cute dynamic. They balance each other out and better each other. Also stan Rei for constantly sticking up for Hana even if she doesn’t necessarily like her in the beginning, she has very good morals and sticks to them.
Also the defying stereotypes in this webtoon? Just god-tier. Really makes you think twice when you judge someone just on first impressions alone.
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Odd Girl Out
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Genre: Drama
Chapters: 264
Status: Ongoing
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“After a successful winter break makeover, Nari is finally ready for her high school debut. But somehow, she ends up friends with the three prettiest girls in school! Follow Nari as she tries to navigate her brand new high school life surrounded by beauties.”
This story has made me cry multiple times. A lot, even. It is just such a beautiful tale of friendship and finding support in people who are unlike those around theme. It also tells a great story about how anybody can be the ‘odd girl out’. Be it the fat girl, the beautiful girl, the rich girl, or the laid back girl.
It goes so deep into its characters that you even feel bad for the minor antagonists. It really makes you feel for the characters and the reasons behind their actions. Also I know its long, believe me I binged all 260 chapters in the span of three days, but oh my god it is worth it. Also I know the art is kind of off-putting, in fact that’s kind of why I put off reading the story, but I’ve honestly grown to love it and the writing is so good that the art could be literal stick figures and it wouldn’t matter.
The story is amazing and also I just love Nari. She’s just the best.
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Gremoryland
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Genre: Horror
Chapters: 67
Status: Completed
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“Six old school friends are invited to be the first visitors of GremoryLand, a new horror theme park that promises an experience as unique as it is spooky. But once this experience starts there is no turning back, and they find themselves tested beyond what they imagines, facing their most desperate fears in order to survive.”
This is definitely one of those stories were you kind of need to turn of your brain and choose to ignore ‘plot holes’ while reading the early chapters because this story definitely gets crazy if you don’t know the ending. Believe me if you stick with it it will all make sense and the satisfaction you get from finding the ending is just so worth it.
The story is so good, and who Gremory is you would literally never suspect. When it was revealed who Gremory was and how he was able to create Gremoryland is so fucking mind boggling that you would never guess. I had to do a double take. It wasn’t like one of those random characters with a vendetta type of twists, but like one you can pick out from clues throughout the story.
Its so good and twisted and just so worth at least giving it a chance.
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These were some of my favorite webtoons on the app! Of course it’s not all of them because unfortunately there is a 10 image limit. I also made this because I’ve run out of new webtoons to read and would love if you guys commented some of your own recs. I can also do a part two with other ones I liked if y’all want more recommendations. You guys can even request specific categories like Drama or Sci-Fi and I can tell you my favorite ones from that genre.
Also a reminder - if you disagree with any of my praise of these webtoons be respectful about it. At the end of the day it’s my opinion and you don’t need to be rude when disagreeing with that opinion.
136 notes · View notes
20moonchild21 · 3 years
Text
𝗦𝗲𝗵𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵𝘁 [𝗯𝘁𝘀]
⇉ 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 3
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[Pairing]
Jungkook x female!oc, bunny!JK x human!oc
[Warnings]
mentiones of abuse, abuse, traumatized JK, humiliating, breakdowns, past sexual harassment, mentiones of violence, violence
[Words]
4.6k
[author]
Here is the next chapter. I really hope you like it. It is so fun writing new chapters and creating a new story.
Check out my recommendation below this chapter! My personal favorite is Inferiority Complex by @starlightauroras-writes. It‘s well written and so exciting to read. Make sure to leave her a lot of likes and comments! She deserves it so much!
Also, leave a like or comment, if you like this story. This makes me happy!
Stay safe and healthy!
Mꨄ
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[chapter 2 ||| chapter 4]
It had been six days, since the girl had found him inside the dark alley way. Six days since she had taken him in with her, and six days since his world had been turned upside down.
Everything he had ever learned in his life, from which he thought they were right and normal, suddenly seemed to be so wrong and cruel. He wasn’t stupid. Of course, in his past he also had wondered if there was a life for him, in which could just be him.
Bred in a laboratory near Seoul, the capital of South Korea, he was soon adopted by a rich couple from New York who were looking for a rare bunny Hybrid. His younger him was so excited to finally be adopted and have a family, instead of some scary people in white coats.
God, had he been wrong.
He was nothing more than a pet for their pleasure. In every way.
A shiver ran down his spine, when he thought about the times the man had run his hands over his sensitive ears, pressing and twisting them. Or when his hands had gone down over his back and into his pants, so he could pull the soft fur of the boy’s fluffy tail. Sometimes, his hands had gone even further down, pinching or slapping his butt cheeks.
The boy felt his cheeks redden at this memory.
At first, he had thought it was an accident. He had made sure to leave some space between the man and him, or wriggle himself out of the man’s grip. Little had he known that he had made things worse by that.
He had gotten many punishments. Some of them were okay for him. They would made him clean the house or the laundry, and sometimes they had would lock him up in the small chamber next to kitchen without some food or drinks for several hours.
This had been some of the harmless punishments.
If he had been really bad, they would made him take of all his clothes, serving either them or their friends as they were over. Other days, they would punched him with this heavy belt or with a bat.
His eyes swelled with tears at this memories. He had always thought that he deserved all of this. He thought it was normal for Hybrids to be subordinated to human. He thought that every time he got a punishment, it had been his fault because he was such a bad Hybrid.
How could he had been so wrong?
Since the girl had taken him in with her, there had been no point where he had felt the urged to hide himself from her. Not even when he accidently dropped the whole package of flour over himself and the floor, while trying to put it up into the top shelf.
The kitchen had stayed silence for a few seconds, before she broke out into the most beautiful laugher he had ever heard. It was not played or evil or meant to hurt him. It was a real, clear laugher, about a funny situation.
He felt himself warming more and more up with every day, getting more and more comfortable while being around the human girl. He also loved the apartment she lived in.
It definitely wasn’t as big as the former house he had lived in. The apartment was small, but he loved anything about it. He loved the soft sofa that was placed in the middle of the living room that was so soft and warms with all its cushions and blankets to wrap oneself in.
He loved the small kitchen that would send out the mouth-watering smell of food every evening.
He loved the white hallway with the photo framed wall that he loved to look at when he was bored, because every time he discovered a new detail of them. Like two day ago, when he looked at the picture of Hope and the older women and suddenly realized that they actually have exactly the same smile.
He loved his own room with the big, soft bed in the middle, on which he loved to lay and read a book when Hope was busy. He had often wondered when she knocked on the door, but she had told him that this room was his private territory, and no one was allowed to enter if he didn’t want to.
Together, him and Hope even had created some kind of a daily routine.
In the mornings after he would wake up around 7.30 am. he would wait for Hope to be done showering. When she was done, she would leave the bathroom for him to go his routine, while starting to prepare the breakfast.
In the bathroom, he would take a quick shower, brush his teeth and hair and change into some new clothes.
Then, he and Hope had some breakfast together, before they both made the dished and he helped her to clean the table. After the dishes were done, Hope would sit down on the same kitchen table, writing something into her laptop, which she said was very important for her university graduation.
He often was a little bit sad that they couldn’t talk to each other while she was working on her essay, but he still tried to be as quiet as possible.
He then would either try to read one of the books standing in her bookshelf, try to sleep or he would watch some TV with the minimum of volume. But yesterday, he had found something more interesting to occupy himself with.
In the corner of the living room, he had spotted Hope’s old guitar. He was so curious that he had carefully asked her about it, and she immediately showed him how to use it. She said that she hadn’t played it in years, because she was too busy with university. But when she had pulled some strings of the wooden instrument, she created such a beautiful melody and Jungkook thought that it sounded absolutely amazing.
She even said, that him practicing the guitar, would not be bothering her while she wrote her terms. So, he tried to play the instrument while she worked. She had showed him how to google for tutorials on YouTube. At first, he was sceptical when the human in the TV screen began to talk to him, but soon, he had realized that he wasn’t actually talking to him, but for everyone who clicked on the video.
Sometimes, he would catch himself how he watched the girl working at the table. He would just stare at how she cringed her nose while her fingers slide over the keyboard, how she chewed on her lips as she read through the thick book, or how her tongue would stick out of her mouth when she was concentration really hard.
Beside the wife of his owner, he had never seen a human girl before. He only had seen some visitors of his owner, with all their make-up, pushed up breasts, heavy perfume and fake laughers. He never had thought at one of them to be beautiful, but Hope was.
He found out that she actually was a year younger than him, but her personality seemed to be much older than his. She never wore too revealing clothes or heavy make-up, nor did she ever covered her scent with perfume.
When he noticed how creepy he would stare at her, deeply absorbed in his thoughts, he would turn his attention back to whatever he had been doing before spacing out.
Once she would be done, usually around noon, they would both go into the kitchen and bake a cake together, that would be eaten in the afternoon. While waiting for the cake to be done in the oven, they would sit on the soft couch and talk about random things.
Jungkook had to admit that talking to the girl was one of his favourite things to do each day. Not only because she was a really funny person, or because her voice was so smooth and soft, but also because she actually talked and listened to him.
In the beginning, he sometimes had hesitated, not wanting to speak too much. But by now, he wasn’t afraid of talking too much and being punished for it. He just could talk as much as he wanted without being stopped.
Hope had told him some stories from her childhood and live. He listened to every detail carefully, wanting to give her the same attention she giving him all the time. She would tell him stories about different items in the house, and she even explained him the photos on the wall next to his room when he had asked about them.
Now he knew that the older women was her mom, who had sadly died a few year ago during a car accident. He felt sorry for her when he saw a tear leaving her eye and for a short moment, he had thought about hugging her. But only for a second. The pain and fear were still bounded too deep onto his bones.
The younger people next to her were her best friend from High School. He didn’t miss the sad tone, as she told him that they hadn’t had talked recently, because every one of them was busy with university and their own lives.
She had also told him about her college life. From what she told him, he assumed that she must be really smart.
But he was even more amazed when she told him about her future plans. Hope wanted to be a lawyer for Hybrid rights, because she thought that they deserve more rights than they have now. She thought that they should be equal to human and that she wanted to give them a voice by standing up for their rights.
He couldn’t believe that she actually was fighting for Hybrids to have all the same rights than human have.
He imagined himself and how he would leave the house to go to work every morning, like every human did each day. He imagines himself and how he would go shopping all by himself, or how he would just walk around the park whenever he wanted to. It must be great to fell that free.
When they would be done eating their cake in the afternoon, Hope would always clean up the apartment a little bit. She said that she didn’t want the house to be sterile, but she wanted it to be tidy. She would use the vacuum to clean up the floor in every room, while Jungkook cleaned up the kitchen from when they had baked.
In the evenings, they would both prepare their diner, before eating it together, making the dishes and watch some more TV, until they both were tired. They would brush their teeth again, before changing into a pair of pyjamas and then go to sleep.
“Jungkoooook! Can you come here for a second, pleeeaaaasee!”
The Hybrid’s ears shot up high in the ear when he heard the girl’s voice coming from the living room. He quickly closed the book he was reading on his bed and laid it onto his nightstand. Slowly and a little bit scared that he had done something wrong, he walked out of his room. He carefully peeked his head around the corner, looking into the living room.
“Hey Jungkook.” The girl waved at him when she saw him standing in the hallway.
The boy gulped. Hope didn’t look mad or angry, so he assumed that he didn’t do anything wrong. Rather than mad, she looked really excited and happy as she made her way over to the couch where the boy suddenly spotted something big.
He curiously made a step further into the living room, slowly making his way up towards her. His mind was filled with questions when he saw the girl walking up to the big, brown box next to the sofa. It was much higher than the small girl, almost his hight, and printed with many different signs and…warnings?
Don’t shake. Caution, heavy package! Lift with care.
“Don’t look so scared, Jungkook.” The girl smiled at him when she saw how he hesitated to come near her. “I have a surprise for you.”
He watched as she pulled a small pocket knife out of the pocket of her jeans. She stepped closer to the package and quickly slide the sharp blade of the knife over the plastic strings that were wrapped around the big box.
“A Surprise?” He whispered in disbelieve. “For me?”
“Yes, for you, silly.” She smiled again, as she cut the last string, leaving only the tape wrapped around the box. “Now come over here. I need your help with this.”
He made two big steps until he had reached the girl and the package. Hope was already pulling at the tape trying to rip it off. He lifted his arms up to the top of the box, pulling the tape that was placed there.
His mind was still filled with questions. Never in his life had someone bought him a present, not even on his birthday. He wondered why she had decided to buy him something this big and heavy, after all, she already shared her apartment with him, and this was more than he could ever ask for. He wondered what was hiding inside the brown cardboard, but he knew that whatever it was, he would love it.
He ripped the last piece of tape off, throwing it onto the pile on the ground. The girl was already holding her knife, slicing open the brown cardboard of the box. When she was done, she laid the piece of metal onto the dining table, before turning around. Her eyes were flickering between the Hybrid and the still closed package.
“Come on. It’s for you.” She said after a few seconds of silence. “Open it.”
He was still looking at the girl with wide eyes, before he snapped out of his trance, and just pulled the brown cardboard away carefully.
He gasped and took a step back. Now standing in the middle of the living room, was a big, red sack. It was round and about his height, with a big metal chain on the top, along with some red, big gloves. He didn’t know what this was supposed to be. Never in his life had he seen something strange like this.
“Do you like it?” The girl squeaked excitedly while jumping up and down.
Did he like it? He didn’t even know what this things was used for. What was he supposed to answer? She looked so excited and happy, and the last things he wanted was to hurt her feelings.
“I – ehm…” He hesitated for a moment. “I like it?”
His answer sounded more like a question, and the girl didn’t miss that.
“You don’t know what this is, do you?” She pulled her left eyebrow up, while she watched in amusement as the boy struggled to find an answer. He was too adorable. “It’s okay, Jungkook. I will show you.”
She walked up to the red sack, standing onto her tippy-toes to reach the red gloves from the top. She pushed them into his arms and gestured for the boy to pull them over his hands.
“This is a punching bag.” She said as she walked behind the so called punching bag. “You can punch and kick it to get stronger, or when you are angry. I just thought – you once said that you think of yourself being too thin, and since you can’t go out, I thought that you would like something like that. We can hang it up in your room if you, but if you don’t want it it’s okay, then I will send it back. Come on, punch it.”
The boy stared at the red gloved that were now covering his hands, before looking up at the girl, checking whether she was serious or not. When their eyes met, she smiled and nodded at him to go on.
He carefully lifted his left hand in the air and pushed it forward. His punch was weakly, as if he was scared to hurt the bag.
The girl encouraged him to hit the bag harder this time. Insuring him that he was not hurting someone.
Jungkook lifted both of his hands this time, like he was actually preparing to fight someone. He threw another punch at the bag, which was much harder this time. Then he threw another one with the other hand.
Something inside him had just been woken up, and he was surprises by the power behind his punches. Before he had come to Hope, he was thin and weak, almost too weak to hold himself on his own legs.
Though he had gained some more weight over the last 7 days, he still was not happy with is body statue. He didn’t want to seem weak anymore. He wanted to be strong and powerful, so he could protect himself so he would never had to fear some human ever again in his life.
Being roommate with the small girl, he had recently developed the primal urge to also want to protect the female from all intruders and dangers coming from outside. So this punching bag could be a good chance to actually gain some muscles.
Over and over again, he punched the bag harder and harder, until the girl, who was still steadying the heavy sack, stooped him.
“Okay, okay!” She laughed, and immediately, Jungkook stopped. “I think it is better to hang it up in your room, or else you will punch me around the room. Come on, help me carrying it.”
Together, they carried the bag into the Hybrid’s room. The girl also brought a hammer and a hook for hanging up the punching bag onto the ceiling. The boy watched in amazement, as she climbed up onto a chair and bringing the hook into the ceiling all by herself.
When she was done, he helped her to lift up the bag and hang it up onto the hook. Proudly, she stepped off of the chair and rubbed her hands.
“Do you like it?” She asked again, this time more referring to the position they had hung up the red bag.
“Yes. I like it very much.” He just whispered, not knowing how to thank her appropriated. “Thank you…Hope. Thank you so much.”
They looked for another seconds at each other, before she said that she had to do some more work. She was about to leave, when she suddenly turned back.
“I forgot something.” She spoke more to herself, as she ran out of the room, leaving the confused boy behind. She came back a few minutes later, holding something black in her hands. “I actually have another surprise for you. Well…it’s not actually a surprise but more like a recommendation from me to you.”
She walked back inside the room, making her way up towards his bed. She asked him if she could sat down and he nodded, taking a seat next to her. Jungkook could sense her racing heartbeat and her nervousness. She lifted the black object and placed it on his lap carefully.
“This is a notebook. I – I know that you have been through some tough times, and it’s okay that you don’t want to talk about it with me. But if you ever feel like you need to get something off of you mind, you can just write it in here. Believe me, it helps very much to organized one’s mind into a notebook. I used one for myself when I was younger and didn’t want to talk to someone. So – here.”
Carefully, she lifted her hand and laid it on his for a moment. She knew that he was still afraid when it came to physical affection, but she just needed him to know that she cared.
Jungkook just stared at the notebook and then at her hand that was covering his. His cheeks blushed slightly when he realized that they were actually touching. But somehow, he didn’t feel the urge to pull away.
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“The Simpsons, again?” The girl groaned and threw her head backwards, closing her eyes. “Don’t you ever get tired of it?”
When she opened her eyes again, she immediately was confronted with those big, brown orbs staring into hers. How could she say no? She sighed loudly, while pressing the right button onto the remote.
“Your play wasn’t fair.” She muttered, as she bent over and snatched the bowl of popcorn out of the Hybrid’s hands.
This day had been more then exhausting for the girl, but also a day of many happy occasion. First of all, she had finally finished the majority of her paper terms. It wasn’t perfect yet, but being done so early she had plenty of time for working on the details.
Jungkook wasn’t so pleased when she had worked twice as long for finishing her terms, meaning that he had to bridge twice as much time alone. He had tried a few times to convince her stop working for today, but when he realized that she wouldn’t go after his demand, he just pouted and went to his own room.
Hope had noticed the process Jungkook had made over the past two weeks which made her extremely proud.
Not only mentally, he became much more confident, but also physically. Since the day she bought him his punching back, he had been practicing almost every day. She would hear the dull tones of his gloves hitting the bag, while she would sit in front of her laptop in the dining room.
His skin and body looked much healthier, now. With his cheeks red and more plump, and with his shoulder and arms that seemed to get much and much broader every day, there was nothing left from the shy, injured boy from two weeks ago.
She had also noticed, that he actually wasn’t too averse to physical affection as she had thought. She thought that she had crossed a border when she touched his hands without his permission a few day before, but since then, he only seemed to trust her more.
He wouldn’t pull his hands away anymore, when their hands accidently touched. He also wouldn’t sit on the couch as far away from her as possible, instead, he even agreed to share the same blanket two nights ago.
He also had taken in her recommendation when she had given him the notebook. She sometimes watched him as he was bent over the small book, writing something in with fast and hectic movements. Sometimes, she wondered if he was actually writing, or if he was just sketching some pictures or signs. But then, he could read, so she assumed that he had learned how to write, too.
When he was done, he would just lay his pen aside, and stare at the book for several minutes, completely spaced out. She wanted to ask him what he was thinking about, but decided to not go for it. He should always have the chance to organize his thoughts without her bothering him.
The second exciting thing that had happened this day, was Jungkook accompanying her towards the grocery store. It wasn’t planned at all, but lately he had asked her more often if there was a chance that he could leave the apartment. At least one time.
Lucky for him, he had a short fluffy tail that was normal hidden by his shorts, and his ears could be easily covered by a beanie. He had looked like a normal, healthy and happy young man, when he had strolled behind her through the hallways of shelves.
It made her even more sat that he indeed was a normal boy. He had never asked to be bred in a laboratory. He had never asked to be threatened like a slave in his own home, and he especially deserved nothing mor than to feel normal. One day – One day he would get the chance to feel normal. She would to anything in her power to give him that chance.
“We can also watch something else if – if you want.” Jungkook ripped her out of her thoughts.
He had curled up under the blanket beside her, nudging his head into the soft pillow behind him. His ears were sprawled out to one side and all over the soft cushion, as well as his deep brown hair. The day in the supermarket had really worked him out.
The boy was so focused on the TV playing his favourite cartoon, that he didn’t notice how the girl took a quick picture of his being curled up on the couch. She looked at the taken picture for a few seconds, before closing her phone and throwing into onto the couch.
A sudden idea came into her head. The boy’s birthday was coming up soon, and she was still thinking of a nice surprise for. She knew he loved all of the photos that were placed all around the apartment. He loved to look at them every morning while she worked, and he loved even more when she told him the story behind every single photo, even if she had told them to him for several times.
What if he would wake up on his birthday, leaving his room and seeing a photo of him framed and hung up onto the wall? She actually like that idea.
She snapped out of her thoughts and looked for her phone. Why did she had to throw it away so far from her? She groaned. If she wanted to memo her idea, she needed to move now. She pushed the blanket away and bent over to reach her phone.
While doing so, she accidentally pushed her hand onto the remote, that laid next to her. The TV screen went black for a moment, before popping up with a new picture.
In the middle of the screen was now a news reporter talking. Hope didn’t pay him any attention. She was still occupied with her phone, when suddenly the Hybrid next to her shot up from his lying position.
He sat straight up, his mouth slightly open and his ears high up in the ear. Like paralyzed, his wide open eyes were fixed on the screen where the report was still talking about something the girl hadn’t caught yet.
“Jungkook?” She asked quietly, but he didn’t’ move an inch. “Jungkook, are you –“
“Shhhhh!” He didn’t even looked at her, as he shushed her shut, pointing his finger wildly onto the TV screen.
“…Unfortunately, the police had not been arriving in time. Witnessers though spotted some of the rarest breeds under the illegal participant Hybrids. Among them were Asiatic lions, some Azawakh dog and even an Amur Leopard. All of these Hybrids belong to the rarest breeds of the world. Dealing or participating them in illegal fighting clubs is highly is highly punished…”
Bullshit. None of those people will ever be arrested, and this guy in the TV knew it. If illegal dealers or ZCM’s, so called ‘Zoo Club Members’ or owners who send their Hybrids to illegal fighting clubs, were caught, there was neither someone who wanted to defend the Hybrids in front of the judge, nor no one even cared to actually bring the case in front of a judge.
She turned her head over to the hybrid sitting on her couch, but she wasn’t prepared for what she saw. When he had jumped up from the couch, she thought that he got scared because of the sudden change of the TV channel, but what she saw broke her heart.
The bunny Hybrid had laid his ears flat against his head, while big tears were spilling out of his eyes. Between short sobs and gasps he whispered two words all over again.
“Jin Hyung.”
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[inspirations | recommendations] ⇉ 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀!
@wishesunderthestars
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@ditttiii
@angelicyoongie
@starlightauroras-writes
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