#stuff you see when you’re 12 that stays with u forever. this is like. one of the main things

[kagoutiss]

study of my favorite scene from twilight princess

#tloz #twilight princess #zelda #link #ganondorf #study #maybe my favorite scene in anything ever actually like it undoes me completely #stuff you see when you’re 12 that stays with u forever. this is like. one of the main things

[blue-jisungs]

5k followers event !

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?? BC I CANR 😍 we hit 5k!!!! thank you all so so much from the bottom of my heart, i cannot fully express how thankful i am 🥹 it doesn’t matter if you’re new here or been there since the begging (well technically it does, you’re an OG!!! love u<;3), as someone once said: it doesnt matter whom you have known the longest, it’s about who came and stayed till the end (or something like that lol)

so to celebrate i decided to make a lil poll and txt won the voting! combining my first ever band that waltzed into my heart and stayed there (5sos) with one of the latest ones (txt) seemed like a fun idea! now, if i could i’d write it in a completely different way but my attention span isn’t the greatest + i have a couple of different projects going on (such as the july jam session which was inspired by it btw lol), so here’s how it looks: each member has a piece written (~1k words each) connected to a certain song from an album! i know, i know there’s no sgfg but i couldn’t match anything <\3 and i was having such a hard time bc i am biased, okay? i love youngblood and 5sos5 and it was SO HARD TO PICK A ONE SONG?!

okay i need to stop talking so much. anyways, here’s the masterlist that will be updated! (did u see what i did here? i put them in the order of release just like the way i’ll post my fics–)

good girls ,, huening kai — 2/07

the only reason ,, yeonjun — 4/07

better man ,, beomgyu — 7/07

best years ,, soobin — 10/07

HAZE ,, taehyun — 12/07

again. thank you so so much! i wouldn’t be here if not you!! :( i’d like to thank my moots, my beloved friends i’ve made on here. now bare w me bc why does it feel like i’m leaving or something 💔 i just love n appreciate you so much but, here we go:

thank you ola, my mother ☝️ (@l3visbby) for correcting my works even when i didn’t ask you to :( you’re always there to hear my rambling (literally) and you’re the grammar police muahaha also a big big inspo, i’m genuinely grateful that you’re here, bearing n somehow managing my bullshit

ZANNA! @slytherinshua, my loveliest friend, an angel, felix in disguise, biggest joshua and dk stan e v e r!!! what id do without you…? probably die (not to be dramatic 🙄). you’re such a inspiration and good person to be around, i love your reblogs and conversations with you! you never fail to me make me smile and it’s always a fun time screaming abt taehyun together <3 you’ve been with me since… what, like… forever!! (almosr a year actually i still can’t believe it) and i’m so happy that we met <3

KIMCHI!!! 김치 LIKE THE KOREAN DISH!!! KIMCHI LIKE NY BELOVED FRIEND @planetkiimchi!!!!!! you’re so sweet. like, always. thank you for introducing me to nct LMAO but in general, i love texting with you :( you’re so funny and always being such a positive vibe!!! not to mention your writing, it’s genuinely so amazing?? i still remeber the chan piece you sent to me before posting, it made me so emotional AND IF THAT DOESNT SPEAK VOLIMES THEN I DUNNO⁉️ thank you for popping in my inbox n making me smile so much <3

speaking of inbox @lipedaisy i’m looking at you 🫵 debs, you’re so so lovely :( i uh, tend to forget about things, ahaha! so when you pop in n say simple stuff like drink water i feel like… well, you’re a life saver lol! you’re always so kind and bring positive energy, i love chit chatting with you (even if i forget to reply💔).

i hope you won’t be mad i mention you in one paragraph but it’s only because it applies to you all!!! @fairyhaos ,, @mirxzii ,, @rubywonu ,, @etherealyoungk ,, @delcakoo ,, @crxzs and @enluv you inspire me so so much!!! not only you’re the loveliest and funniest people i’ve met but i love your writing!! i know i don’t reblog that much but i write more than i read <\3 but you have amazing talent, your works are always beautifully written. nia, roxie, skye, yena, ema, angie, coco you deserve all the happiness in the world and i’m so grateful we’re friends (even though i’m a dry n late replier sometimes <3)

and to my other moots — @yeonscity-main ,, @sieunsgf ,, @malarign ,, @ddeonudepressions ,, @pnkvernon ,, @wqnwoos ,, @wheeboo ,, @ylliris-hanniehae ,, @icyminghao : thank you for being here!! even if we met only a couple days ago… you make me so happy, i love interacting with you n talking abt goofy stuff, you understand me so well and we get along so smoothly it’s making a lil heart really happy :( you make tumblr feel more like home <3

and to readers (if you made it to the end, wow. like, seriously. i personally wouldn’t 🏃‍♀️💨 so, thank you <3), my babies precious gems angels cuties patooties!! thank you so so much for supporting me and my work! i know i complain abt empty reblogs but it’s only bc they motivate me more lol!! i am truly grateful n blessed to have you, even ghost readers (i see you🫵)! without you, rhis blog wouldn’t exist today >_<

#why am i emotional #i sound like a broken record but again #thank you so much. i mean it. #txt fic #a is for axe’s rambles!!

[amaesama]

Hii!!

I just wanted to tell u that ur lovely and how i love ur hcs

If its not troubling you,may I request general head canons for BEN,like any hcs,his relationship with other or just some weirdly specific hcs like not liking candies or smth lmao

Have a nice day! ^_^

Ahh that’s so sweet, thank you so much! BEN was like my favourite creepypasta when I was younger so I have a very strong connection with him and I have so much to say, thank you for the request!

BEN Drowned headcanons

He is an absolute menace.

Like this kid has one goal in life and that is to be as irritating and annoying as he can possibly be. In my own au he stayed as a 12-13 year old after he died and idk if you’ve met 12-13 year old boys but they are so fucking annoying.

BEN’s annoying in an endearing way though.

He’s kinda upset that he doesn’t age. It doesn’t bother him all the time, but sometimes when he’s watching some of the older people he’s around like Liu and Helen (istg I’m always making up an excuse to mention Helen I’m so sorry y’all) he just gets reminded that he’s never gonna get the chance to grow up.

He’s very smart, god knows he needs to be to work out all the puzzles in LoZ Jesus Christ and he’s basically the Slendermans centre of intelligence. He’s grateful that the slenderman gave him a purpose, he feels like he’s forever in its debt. He’s not the type to flex his big brain but sometimes people can get a bit pissy when he starts talking smart. Again he doesn’t do this intentionally, he just thinks stuff is cool and will go on rants.

Idk if this is a stereotypical take for BEN but I don’t really care; he’s a massive gamer nerd. Like he can see a single frame and be able to identify the game it’s from, he has every cheat code memorised and has all the sims expansions.

Touch of the ‘tism.

He bares a resemblance to Majoras Mask Link (surprise surprise), but he just has the face he has before he died. When he ‘spawned’ reanimated?? Man idk he managed to get his hands on new clothes but keeps his lil Link cosplay in his room.

Unironically wears the triforce and cargo shorts outfit

He doesn’t really have a ‘bedroom,’ he just kinda lives in the CCTV room where he has a few consoles, a beanbag and a mini fridge. He doesn’t really need to eat or sleep, but he can do if he gets bored.

Mainly just eats snacks and junk food, it’s not like he needs to keep shape or worry about his health since he’s already dead. In particular he likes East Asian snacks, the ones you can only get by paying a fortune to get them imported.

He kinda glows?? Like a flickering glow, and if you’re close to him you’ll notice an electric humming sound coming from him, it’s very faint but noticeable. He also totally gives people electric shocks for shits and giggles lmao.

I feel like not many people who live in the mansion are a big fan of him, they don’t exactly HATE him but he’s just been known to piss people off and get on their nerves sometimes.

Works closely with Tim, Brian, Kate and Toby so they’ve just kinda learnt to put up with him. Out of all of them Toby’s probably the one who can handle him the longest.

They might even chat and hangout sometimes idk.

I feel like he would be great friends with Nina and Dina, I mentioned in my mansion hc’s that they would be two of the nicest and welcoming residents and I feel like although BEN isn’t as social as either of them he would still make occasional conversation with others.

He’s particularly close with Sally and it’s absolutely adorable, he always goes the extra mile to make sure she’s happy and makes an effort to play with her. I kinda link this to his frustrations with not aging, taking on a sort of ‘older brother’ role

Since Dina and Helen are close he SOMETIMES gets the chance to see him sometimes (mandatory Helen mention since you all know how much I love him), but since Helen keeps to himself a lot and is very quiet BEN just thinks he’s boring.

Surprisingly he gets along with Puppeteer pretty well, which is probably because they’re both ghostly beings. However he knows how manipulative Johnathan can be so he still stays on guard around him.

Has a kind of love-hate relationship with Jeff, like they despise each other and take the piss out of each other, but they’ll always team up to do some wacky hijinxs together.

All in all he’s a gremlin.

But he’s my gremlin :)

#creepypasta #ben drowned #Ben drowned hcs #ben drowned headcanons #he’s very special to me #11 year old me was obsessed #I put him in a school PowerPoint once

[moonlit-imagines]

Headcanons for being Tony Stark’s stepkid

Tony Stark x Potts!child!reader

warnings: alcohol mention

a/n: i rushed these so bad i just wanted to post dhhshsnsna

prompt: y/n is pepper’s kiddo!

it was just you and your mom for a long time

pepper and y/n potts

she couldn’t keep up with you sometimes, too busy dealing with the manchild that was mister anthony edward stark

speaking of—

“uh, who’s this?” -tony, pointing at you

“mr. stark, i am so sorry, the school closed because some kid set fire to the science lab and i didn’t have time to find a sitter—”

“no, it’s fine, no need to apologize. hey, kid, you wanna sit in the boss’s chair? i’ll let you run the company for the day!” *cue you nodding* “sweet, would you mind that, ms. potts?”

“oh? no, not at all” *mouthing* “thank you”

“so, uh, what’s your name? no, don’t tell me: ketchup.”

*giggling* “y/n”

“no way! that was my second guess!”

tony wasn’t used to being around kids

he had no idea that he was actually kind of good around them

despite a few minor hiccups

“you sit in my chair and im gonna spin you around, sound like fun?”

he spun you around WAY too fast and you were diiiiizzy, also you fell off the chair

“don’t tell your mom that we did that. she may be my assistant, but she scares the shit out of me. also, don’t say ‘shit’”

dude he just thought you were a cool kid!!!

“hey, you know, ms. potts, you dont really need to hire a babysitter anymore. y/n’s doing just fine hanging out here”

“how am i not surprised you befriended an actual child?”

she still took him up on his offer, you seemed pretty happy

when your mom worked late, you passed out in tonys office

tony and you had your own little secrets (like falling off the spinning chair), tony showed you around stark tower, and you practically lived there

“i got you a happy meal from mcdonalds!” -tony every day after your school

in all honesty, you weren’t the “popular” kid at school...not even close

but tony made up for it

“y/n! i found this old racecar toy in a box of old stuff, you wanna hold onto it for me?”

you kind of grew up in stark tower tbh? it was pretty cool

and as you grew up, you started to notice more

“mr. tony, do you have a crush on my mom?”

“do i what? no, no, i do—who the hell am i kidding? you caught me”

“called it!”

after that you did everything to try and get them together

when your mom was talking to tony, you would stand behind her and wiggle your eyebrows and just taunt tony endlessly

no! tony cannot remember your mom’s birthday for the life of him! you are his calendar now

“dude, why dont you just ask JARVIS to remind you?”

“i may be a genius, but that doesn’t mean i have common sense”

“wise words, sir” -JARVIS

when tony disappeared for 3 months you were so sad???? like you were not okay at all

no

and when he came back, he literally exited the plane saying “WHERE’S ‘T-POTT??’”

(your wonderful nickname. ‘t’ for ‘tony jr.’ and ‘pott’ for ‘potts’)

“my mom missed you”

“oh, i bet she did”

“you turned my child into you, tony. i will never forgive you for this”

“well, at least y/n was here to fill in for me, huh?”

tony wanted to show you the arc reactor but he was actually afraid of scarring you lmfaoooo

but he did let you in on the iron man secret (he knew you wouldn’t snitch)

and just to make sure:

“if you dont tell anyone, i’ll buy you a car when you turn 16”

“man, that’s like, forever away”

“good, maybe you’ll forget by then”

ur mom kinda maybe sorta found out abt iron man :/ she told you that tony was a bad influence

“mom! no, tony’s cool! he’s like a superhero”

“no, sweetie, he’s a rich guy with issues. we’re leaving”

that didn’t last long

not long at all

and soon they FINALLY got together

“jeez, i thought you two would never stop pining after each other”

“couldnt have done it without my wingman” -tony *fistbump*

“as thanks can i have my own iron man suit?”

“yes.” *pepper glaring at him* “no.”

sooner or later your mom and you moved into tony’s house and you got a really big room!!!!

it was completely decked out

king sized bed, flatscreen tv, mini-fridge, microwave, computer, your own bathroom with a smaller tv, a poster of tony??? (you vandalized it and put it in his workshop), and more!!!

okay you were spoiled

“do you like it here? are you sure i made the right choice?” -pepper

“are you kidding, mom? this is awesome! plus, you’re happy, i’m happy, tony’s happy, i think JARVIS is even happy!”

“i am, mx. potts. simply ecstatic” -JARVIS

pepper was really happy!! it was a pretty cool family

you started giving your school tony’s number if you ever got in trouble, you knew he’d cover for you

“mr. potts, is it?”

“sure”

“your child, y/n, punched another student in the face today. we’re very disappointed in their behavior”

“why’d they punch the kid?”

“well, the other student punched y/n first”

“HAH! thank you for wasting my time. send y/n back to class and call me back if something important comes up”

he literally gave you a high five when you got home

“i gave him a black eye!”

“i couldn’t be more proud. i mean, i dont condone violence, but self defense is a whole other story”

a little help in the workshop, tony asks you to hold the flashlight

“why don’t you get one of your robots to hold this for you?”

“are you kidding me, you’re complaining? we’re having stepdad/stepkid bonding time! and dum-e can’t do anything right, i dont trust him”

youve had a few theme park trips as a family ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

also tony has 100% told you to wait in the car and then left you alone for 2+ hours

“i’m not like a regular dad, im a step-dad. want some beer? you can have a little sip. i’d rather you do it in the house”

your mother actually does love how he actually cares about you!

“y/n is 12% my responsibility” -tony

“tony, you are impossible” -pepper

no avengering for you! pepper said no!!!!!!

disappointed but not surprised

iron man 3: y/n potts is put through the wringer

Text Message to Mr. Tony: bro you better come get your girl, me and happy are watching this other guy flirting with her. he’s showing her pics of his ‘big brain’

Mr. Tony: HE WHAT

Text Message to Mr. Tony: Tony he looks creepy i don’t want him to be my new stepdad do something!!!

anyways ur house kinda blew up and ur mom and you kinda got kidnapped and u were right abt that guy being creepy and thankfully no experiments were done on you but like your mom kinda almost died and her and tony were fine!!! all good in the end

you met mr. col. james rhodes that day

“aw, you’re the kid ive heard so much about” -rhodey

“you mean the coolest kid in the world?check.”

“you cant tell me you aren’t tony’s biological child, good god”

you got to meet the avengers later on too! (you’d already met natasha tho, only briefly)

“i know it can be a little overwhelming, right? meeting all these heros, legends even—” -rhodey

“oh, my god, is that thor? thor!!” -you, leaving rhodey in the dust

literally why does pepper trust you around tony something always goes wrong there were literally robots attacking, you were only at avengers tower bc your mom was busy with the company and she thought you’d be safe with the avengers. the AVENGERS.

“please dont tell your mom that i created a bad robot that tried to kill us. the robot will be the least of our problems” -tony

he made happy pick you up and you had to miss out on FUN and it sucked a lot

“it’s okay, y/n! i’m fun, too!” -happy

then your mom and tony took a break and your life got mega-boring for a while, but they weren’t separated for that long. you try not to think about it. it was brutal

Mr. Tony: Does she miss me?

New Message to Mr. Tony: I think so. Either that or she’s crying and drinking wine in the dark for no reason.

Mr. Tony: Damn it, now I feel bad. I miss her a lot. Oh, also, the Avengers say ‘hi,’ I’m in Germany with some bad news, I’ll explain later if you don’t see it on TV first, and I found you the perfect friend! His name is Peter and I think you’d like the school he goes to, it’s in Midtown. Smart kid school.

New Message to Mr. Tony: I’ll look into it, thanks. Also, I don’t like how those all connect. Please update me asap

watching the news to see several avengers arrested, cap on the run, and more!

“maybe it was good i didn’t fall in with the avengers”

tony and pepper finally got back together and you actually transferred to midtown high! peter and his friend group accepted you quickly, it was great. you and flash unfortunately had the most in common

you’d literally text happy right next to peter and he’d immediately reply to you. it hurt peter’s feelings

Momma: Sweetie! I’m working in the office late, leftovers are in the fridge, hope you have a wonderful day at school! 💕

👉👈the vulture tried to kill you for being tony’s stepkid, tony made peter promise to protect you

“y/n, you gotta stay out of harm’s way. mr. stark gave me an actual mission and it’s terrifying, i have to make sure you stay safe”

legit why the fuck was this old man tryna kill you bro grow up

anyyyywayssss your mom and tony got engaged!!

“wow, i thought the day would never come!!” -you

ppl told you tony isnt your stepdad bc ur mom and him werent married but who tf asked

why is the earth always in fucking danger

you and peter were just vibing on the field trip bus and all the sudden: space donut

“go! i’ll cover for you...FRIDAY, call tony”

“...hi there, little one”

“what the fuck”

“oh, so you see the aliens, too? well, at least im not crazy”

tony stark has left the atmosphere

you and your mom were kinda......not chillin tho

she and you didn’t sleep for a few nights, then ppl just straight up disappeared

plot twist: you survived the snap and your family was lucky to be alive, you even got a little sister who became a big handful!

only bad thing was all your friends dusted and you were pretty lonely

but watching morgan grow up kept you busy

“ahhh, shes so big!”

happy times in bad times

bad times!!!!! bc after five years thanos came back as thanos from like ten years ago. outdated thanos. obsolete thanos.

but you made your first and only appearance in the suit tony actually designed for you many years ago

you should have just stayed home tho bc that fight didnt pass the vibe check

“please dont tell me he...no, no, no, no, no”

you and your mom latched onto each other in tears, tony was one of the best people in your life, he made you and your mom two of the happiest people on earth

best stepdad a kid could ever ask for

taglist: @alwaysananglophile // @rorybutnotgilmore // @locke-writes // @sweetheartliz07 // @queen-destenie // @natasha-danvers // @lokihiddles // @frostedgiantfavs // @emygirl // @lotsoffandomrecs // @johnmurphyisbisexual // @teenwaywardasgardian // @pappydaddy // @captainshazamerica // @freya-xo // @ravenmoore14 // @purpleskiesstorm // @ofthedewthesunlight //

#tony stark x child!reader #tony stark x son!reader #tony stark x daughter!reader #tony stark imagine #tony stark #iron man #iron man x reader #iron man imagine #dad!tony #stark!son #stark!reader #stark!daughter #stepdad!tony #marvel #marvel x reader #marvel imagine #avengers #avengers x reader #avengers imagine #pepper potts #pepper potts x reader #pepper potts imagine #potts!reader

[pascalpanic]

Blood, Sweat, and Tears (Javier Peña x f!Reader)- Chapter Six

Summary: Javier is in trouble.

W/C: 2.2k

Warnings: language, blood, graphic injuries and descriptions of them, discussions of bombings, so much angst, oh god so much angst, mentions of death

A/N: Well, things can’t go right forever. This was so hard to write but so interesting at the same time! I hope you guys like it, even though it’s not exactly happy. Big thanks to my boo @remmysbounty as always for being my brainstorming helper/idea generator/Colombian culture expert! I wanna say enjoy but that feels mean also uhhh hi I don’t know shit about medical stuff. I try to keep it as vague as possible to avoid inaccuracies but there might be some unrealistic stuff in there.

also!!! I have over 300 followers now??!?!?! thank you all for following me I love u guys so much I wanna give each of you a kith on the forehead post covid!!

previous chapter | next chapter

A week or two passed. You didn’t see Javier. It wasn’t surprising, you were both busy people.

One morning, something happened. The entire building shook a little. Not much, just enough to rattle the medical tools on the tray, to make a little splash of the water on the patient’s bedside table. There was a noise, though, through the open window. A giant crash.

A few minutes later, the hospital’s fleet of ambulances was deployed, sirens blaring. The hospital erupts in chaos around you as you leave your patient’s room, nurses running and readying beds. You find Connie at the nurses’ station and she looks just as frantic as everyone else. “What’s going on?” You ask, her panicked face making your heart rate rise.

She shakes her head, aggressively pushing buttons on the desk phone. “There was some kind of explosion. I don’t know what or where but you heard and felt that, right?” She asks, shoving the phone between her ear and shoulder. “I’ve tried calling Steve five times and Javier three and neither of them have responded. I’m just praying they’re safe,” she murmurs, and your heart stops. You hadn’t even considered that Javier could be involved in this yet. 

Lorena rushes past the two of you, wheeling an empty bed. “Connie, Ana, let’s go. Our medics are saying they have 12 filled ambulances coming our way,” she calls out to you two.

“I’m trying to reach Steve,” she shouts back. “I’ll be there once he picks up.”

Lorena looks mad, already filled with adrenaline and frustration, but she can’t deny her that. “Better hurry,” she groans and keeps rushing down the hallway. “Lucia said it’s all hands on deck to the ER. That includes us!” She calls behind her. “Bring any empty beds you can get.”

Neither you nor Connie is processing correctly, but you bite your lip. “I’m sure it’ll be okay. Hurry down when you’re done,” you tell her and follow Lorena’s lead, grabbing an empty bed and speed-walking it to the nearest elevator. 

The ambulances begin arriving and the ER is filled with nurses and patients, people in varying states of injury. People were even beginning to enter through the front now, those who could make it to the hospital in a car or on foot. 

It’s chaos, people flooding in faster than you can count or bring back. Some nurses start ordering people by severity of injuries, making sure that those in ambulances receive beds first and that the worst injuries are treated fastest. You’re going to start running out soon, you think to yourself, but you silently hope that you’ll have enough.  Both you and Lorena get people into rooms, frantically rushing back to bring people to rooms once your current patient is properly settled.

All of a sudden, your world freezes and your blood runs ice cold. As you walk past the unloading ambulances, you see a man with a large piece of shrapnel protruding from his abdomen. It looks god awful, and you rush to help, only to see Steve Murphy emerge from the ambulance. There’s a terrified look on his face as he looks down at the man and oh no, oh fuck, you’re not sure if you say that aloud but you might as you realize that the man on the stretcher is Javier. Your Javi. From your throat comes a strangled cry, and it takes all of the conscious energy you have not to drop to your knees.

Steve’s eyes meet yours and you’re filled with an adrenaline rush, taking the stretcher from the EMTs and thanking them, flying into action. A nurse comes to take him and you immediately get him moving, past her. “I’m overseeing this one personally. Take the blonde to Connie and take her patient from her,” you shout at her, nodding towards Steve. Connie’s already behind you, and you hear her shout her husband’s name and run into his arms. 

Javier’s eyes are fluttering, and you’re unsure if he can hear you, but you try. As you rush along with the stretcher, you can’t help but wince at the massive piece of some material buried deep in his abdomen, the way his face is drained of color. He’s covered in blood, the wound creating a dark red stain on his shirt. It’s bleeding uncontrollably. This is probably the worst injury you’ve seen, you think to yourself. The wound is bigger, but it reminds you of the woman you lost from Escobar’s hit, the one you couldn’t save, who reached out to you when she was dying. You couldn’t save her, and that night is a heavy and anxious presence in your mind- the night you met the man you’re currently very close to losing. You can’t help yourself: you start crying, murmuring reassurances to Javier as you wheel him through the winding halls of the hospital.

At this point, you need to get upstairs. You push the cot into the elevator, frantically pressing the button for the right floor and then the close button. As the doors slide shut, you take one of Javier’s hands and stand over him. Teardrops fall from your face to his as you finally let yourself stop for a moment and sob, pressing his knuckles to your lips. He must be somewhat conscious, you realize, as he grips your fingers back.

To your surprise, his ash-covered and bleeding lips part and begin to move. “Está lloviendo,” Javier murmurs, his eyes darting about beneath their lids.

“No, Javi, it’s me. It’s not raining, it’s just me, you’re safe now,” you murmur into his hand, clutching it even tighter. His lips find a soft smile and he squeezes your hand tight.

“Ah,” he croaks as he hears your voice, seeming content. “Mi hermosa. Te quiero, ¿lo sabes?” he asks, making you cry even harder. He can’t possibly mean it- he’s lost a lot of blood and his body is most definitely in shock, but those words wrench your heart even harder. 

The elevator opens and you drag the gurney out, into a room that’s unoccupied. Javier’s losing quite a bit of blood from the massive impalement in his torso, and you have to admit that you’re absolutely terrified. The terror is evident in your voice when you pick up your walkie-talkie, holding down the button. “Room 639. Please send Lorena or Connie, please, it’s Ana and I need you,”  you sob into the little machine. “It’s Javi, oh God,” you manage out before another sob overtakes you, and you toss the device onto the counter. 

You need to make a decision and it has to be quick. The shrapnel will have to stay in until you can get him into the operating room- you grab the machine again. “Is the OR taken?” you ask.

“No, we’re clear. You got a patient who needs it?”

“Yeah, I’ll wheel him down. Massive shard of some kind of metal in his abdomen. Might’ve impacted an organ. There’s a lot of blood,” you say into the thing, already pulling Javier’s cart along and breaking into a jog. “Headed down now.”

The people lining the halls make way as you rush through them, tears streaming down your face. Javier babbles incoherent thoughts, reaching a hand up for you. “No, Javier,” you tell him softly and push it down, pushing his hair from his face instead and resting your hand on his cheek. It’s all too familiar, just like the way the girl reached out to you just before she died. “Don’t move too much. I’m right here, I’ve got you,” you tell him, trying to be reassuring but your voice cracking. You push through the swinging doors to the OR and find a team ready for you, including Lorena, which makes you sigh in relief. The doctor takes over, and she and several nurses get Javier onto the operating table. They strap a mask around his face for the anesthesia, and you rush to his side, holding his hand tight and standing over him.

His hand squeezes yours back, his eyes still shut. They flutter open at the sensation of the mask being strapped around his mouth, but you squeeze his fingers and kiss the tips softly. “It’s okay Javi, they’re going to put you under so it doesn’t hurt as bad. Okay?” you ask, brushing the ash and blood from his face.

He nods a little, then grunts at the effort it took. As he opens his eyes once more, the operating light makes a halo above your head. The air starts to smell different, he thinks, but it’s not what’s most important to him right now. You are, standing there and looking like the epitome of his saving grace. “Mi ángel,” he murmurs, a smile beneath that plastic mask. “Te quiero, mi ángel,” he murmurs before his grip on your hand goes slack, the anesthesia putting him under.

-

Down the hall, Steve sits on a hospital bed, looking annoyed. “Con, I told you I’m fine,” he shakes his head. “You already bandaged up the scratch,” he says, gesturing to the gash that required stitches but is now neatly taped on his forehead. “Discharge me already.”

Connie shakes her head, sliding the curtains closed to the room. She sits on the side of the bed and takes Steve’s face in her hands, kissing him deeply and passionately. “You idiot!” she exclaims as she breaks away. “The one day you and Javier get off your asses is the day there’s a fucking bombing!” Connie kisses him again, just as deep and lovingly. “I was so scared,” she admits, her voice cracking and her blue eyes welling with tears. “I called your desk seven times, and Javi’s five.” “Speaking of-”

“He’s in the operating room, I just heard it over the radios. Doctor’s worried. He’s lost a ton of blood and it looks like it’s a really nasty wound,” she admits, still holding Steve’s face in her hands. “I’m scared,” she says honestly, the tears starting to fall from her eyes. “But you’re okay,” she says with a small smile, caressing the side of his face. “Don’t ever do that to me again,” she says, voice watery as her emotions switch from relief to anger. “You’ve been kidnapped, you’ve been shot at, and now we might lose Javi. No more,” she begs, clutching at his arms now. 

Steve sighs and shakes his head. “I can’t promise that, Connie. Escobar’s still out there.” “Then the second you idiots get him, I’m booking us a one-way ticket to Miami and I’m never turning back. With or without you, do you hear me?” She tells him forcefully, though they both know it’s an empty threat, and if Steve says yes, it’ll be an empty promise. 

He simply nods and Connie kisses him again, deeply, putting all of her love for him into it. “I’ll go sign the discharge papers. Will you go get some stuff from our place and Javier’s?” She asks after she breaks away. Steve nods and she kisses him quickly, one last time.

“Go check in on the operation,” he tells her and kisses her forehead. “I love you,” he tells her honestly, squeezing her hand before she stands.

Connie gives a small smile in return. “I love you too, Steve,” she says before leaving the room.

-

The second Javier succumbs to the medicine, your lip quivers as you hold back tears, setting down his hand. The doctor gets to work, ordering the other nurses around. “Lori. Ana. Out.”

“No, let her stay,” Lorena says quickly. “This is her boyfriend. She’s a qualified professional. She won’t operate but she has to stay.”

The doctor sighs but nods. She has a point. “Fine. Out of the way then,” she says and gestures to the corner. Lorena takes your arm and drags you over, your body complying despite your mind reeling and still hovering over Javier. 

You’re shaking, you realize, as Lorena wraps you in her arms and squeezes you tight. You hug her back, her stable body making you shake even harder. You finally let out a sob into her shoulder, wailing as loud as you need to, now that you know Javi can’t hear it. Lorena just holds you, letting you sob into her and squeeze her as tight as you need to. Your body wracks with the sobs, your agony and fear being let out into her body. 

As the tears slow, you give one last shuddering sob and just rest in your best friend’s arms. Your breathing is shaky but comes back to normal. “He told me he loves me,” you whimper into her chest, breaking away and wiping the tears from your face. “He hasn’t done that yet, but he just told me it twice.”

You turn back to look at the operating table, wincing as you see the amount of blood on the hands of the nurses and surgeon. It’s a godawful sight, the man you love in this situation. A shiver runs down your body and you pull Lorena into another hug. “I love him too. I didn’t tell him that but I do. I’m so scared, Lori. He needs to hear it, he needs to pull through this so I can tell him that I love him too.” You look up from her shoulder to the table, and whisper your plea. “Please, Javi.”

-

Translations:

Está lloviendo- it’s raining

Mi hermosa- my beautiful (girl, partner, etc.)

¿Lo sabes?- do you know that?

Mi ángel- my angel

Te quiero- I love you

-

taglist:

@diogodxlot @wonderlandgabby @yooforia @blo0dangel @sara-alonso @dodgerandevans @pedrosmustache

#javier peña x reader #javier peña #javi peña #javi peña x reader #pedro pascal #pedro pascal x reader #jose pedro balmaceda pascal #pedro pascal fanfiction #blood sweat and tears #pascalpanic

[min-youngis]

Boom - p.jm

monkey brain said make a banner on your own u hussy

~ Pairing : Park Jimin x Reader (entrepreneur x software company intern, dance partners au)

ft. Best Friend/Roommate! Jungkook and Brother! Yoongi

~ Genre : Fluff, Humour, a very very very tiny smidgen of Angst

~ Rating : R (some suggestive descriptions, a fair amount of swearing and scary adult themes like money)

~ Summary : When Jimin leaves your little trio at the age of ten when his family moves away, you and Jungkook think that's the end of it, and you're never going to see your best friend again. But cut to twelve years later and suddenly your dance class is home to the prettiest man you've ever seen (again), who happens to be your friend's business partner and also...your new dance partner? Your friends think you're dumb, but you can confirm you're dumber.

Childhood Friends to Strangers to Lovers

~ Wordcount : 29.3k (🤡)

~ Warnings : swearing, some suggestive descriptions, mild alcohol consumption, excruciatingly slow burn, inaccurate depictions of internships and company establishment, emotional constipation, badly dealt with feelings, i-like-attention-but-i-don’t-like-people y/n, people who say please and thank you and excuse me and sorry are really fucking attractive, dissociation as a coping mechanism, overthinking as an instinct

~ A/N : no a/n this time ladies i'm all out of words. this has been two months in the making. muchos gracias to @ghostiemakingposties​ and @thedorkyfork​ for helping me figure out the timelines/logistics and making the plot make a semblance of sense :D thank you, that is all, i am ti r e d.

i'd love to hear feedback, spread the love!

masterlist in my description.

~~~

2008

“My mom says we’re moving.”

He says it with all the innocence of somebody who’s completely clueless about how permanent a shift like that is, blissfully ignorant in his ten-year-old self. Over the buzzing of a bee somewhere nearby, you can hear a door shut as Jungkook runs into the house, screaming for food.

Squinting against the sunlight that filters in through the rustling canopy overhead, hitting your eyes abruptly every time that one particular leaf moves in the summer breeze, you ask, “Where are we going?”

There’s a quizzical tone in his voice when he replies slowly. “I don’t think you’re coming. Mom didn’t say anything about you coming.”

You turn your head towards him, facing his body that’s mirroring your own, laid out on the grass that smells like summer, hands and legs spread languidly because time is forever and you have nothing to do but breathe and laugh and live. Your messy pigtail pushes into the side of your head painfully, but you ignore the uncomfortable sensation, eyes widening as you fix him with a stare.

“What do you mean, I’m not coming?”

Chewing his lip worriedly, he says, “I think she means we’re moving moving.”

“It’s a scam.”

“It’s a what?”

“A scam,” you repeat decisively, turning back to face the sky, closing your eyes again and feeling powerful as you explain your new found knowledge to an eager crowd of one. “Yoongi taught me. He said that when dad tells him he won’t get dinner unless he washes up after basketball, he’s being scammed and that adults tell lies sometimes to make us do what they want us to do. He said it’s progapanda.” You, Jimin and Jungkook know that your four-years-older-than-you brother knows everything.

“Panda?” Jimin asks doubtfully.

Sagely, you nod. “Yeah. We’re being raised to be brainless machines and slaves to the catapultists.”

“What are catapultists?”

Shrugging, you reply, “No idea. But Yoongi says they’re really bad. Anyway, your mom is probably scamming you. You’re not really moving.”

“No?” he asks, hopeful tilt in his voice.

“Nope,” you blithely respond.

You hear the grass underneath his head faintly rustle as he nods in relieved affirmation, and he goes back to closing his eyes towards the bright sky.

Jimin moving. It’s laughable. Adults, you think ruefully, shifting so you can feel the warm sun on your face. Some things are permanent. Like Mr. Kibum, your dance teacher who’s taught you your entire life, and the flowers that your mom keeps in the vase on top of the shoe rack that look shockingly real for plastic. Like Yoongi's basketball that he got when he was selected for the school team and is too big for you to hold, but with which he taught you how to dribble anyway, and like the large tree in Jungkook’s backyard that you’re lying underneath right now, waiting for him to come back from the house with lemonade.

And like Jimin, who’s just always there. Even when you don’t particularly want him to be, like that one time he had come over when you were crying four years ago because Yoongi was going to middle school and you both wouldn’t be in the same bus anymore. You had been so embarrassed because Yoongi was just standing there and laughing at you, but Jimin had said that he wouldn’t tell anybody and you had believed him, because it’s Jimin.

“And anyway, Kook and I won't let you leave.”

He snickers next to you. “How are you going to stop my mom?”

“We'll cry,” you reply simply, shrugging as much as you can in your laid down position. “I do it all the time to get stuff at home. Yoongi hates it, he calls it my younger sibling privilege, whatever that means.”

He doesn’t sound very convinced when he asks, “Will it work?”

Behind you, you hear the repeated thud of Jungkook running and his mother shouting, “Slow down! You’ll end up spilling it all and I’m not going to make another bottle.”

With a grin at Jimin, you say, “Watch,” as you sit up and turn towards an excitedly jogging Jungkook and as he approaches the tree.

“I have lemonade!” he shouts loudly, lifting the glass bottle up.

But you’re more focused on Mrs. Jeon and the platter full of mini sandwiches she’s holding. The yellow, sunflower shaped digital watch on your wrist reads 12:37 PM, roughly the time at which your mother usually calls whichever house you’ve spent the morning in and asks you to come home for lunch. The plan forms in your brain. Time to show Jimin the power of tears.

“Y/N, dear, your mother just called. She wants you back home after eating this, alright?”

Remembering Mr. Kibum's pre-performance advice (‘Deep breaths. You can’t put on a good show if your head isn’t fastened on tight.’), you summon all your strength and screw up your face, shutting your eyes and squeezing as hard as you can.

“What is she doing with her face?” you hear Jungkook ask. But it doesn’t distract you. You’ve just felt water behind your eyelids.

Opening your eyes wide again, you let your lower lip wobble with practiced precision, chin trembling.

“Oh, Mrs. Jeon, is there no way I could stay for a bit longer? Just ten extra minutes, I promise.”

To your delight, she immediately looks unsure, eyes slightly widening in surprise and concern.

“Oh! – oh, but of course you can. I’ll call your mother right now and let her know. And why don’t you take some of those sandwiches for the road too? There’s no need to cry, sweetheart, you can spend as long as you want here.”

You continue with your act until she’s back in the house and the door swings shut behind her, after which you immediately right your expression, grinning smugly. Grabbing a sandwich, you sit back down and look at a bemused Jungkook and an awed Jimin.

“And that’s how you do it,” you say, satisfied with their reactions and tuning them out as Jimin fills Jungkook in.

For people who have money, adults really are terribly stupid. Jimin moving, you think again, taking a big gulp of lemonade. The thought almost makes you laugh. As if.

2020

“Y/N, could you debug my code real quick?”

“Y/N, I need ten copies of this immediately.”

“Y/N, you’ll need to stay back for a bit today to finish the patch testing.”

You rush from cubicle to cubicle, sharing harried smiles with the other interns that you meet in the hallway, running around like you with equally stressed expressions on their faces. They may have been here a few weeks longer than you, but you doubt they’re having it any easier.

You’re about to slip back into your desk after submitting the copies to Hoseok so you can get started on debugging the code you’ve just been sent, when a ringing voice calls out from the room you’re jogging past.

“Y/N! Come in here for a second, please.”

Immediately, everybody around you freezes. Slowly, they inch away from the door that you’re standing outside. Wide eyed, you meet Hyejin's gaze worriedly from across the room. She looks just about ready to drop the tray of paper coffee cups she’s holding, but tries for an encouraging smile. It comes out more as a grimace. You see pitying stares around you and foolishly wait for a few seconds for some sort of divine intervention, for somebody else who shares your name to get up and enter the room instead.

“Y/N, I don’t have all day!”

From the cubicle on your left, Namjoon hisses, “Go! Before she gets mad.”

Pulling yourself together and squaring your shoulders, you turn and look at the half open door in front of you. A plaque on the wood reads ‘Kim Jennie – Head of Product Development'.

You place your fingers on the handle and hear a fervently muttered prayer from an intern standing behind you. With a deep breath, you plaster a polite smile on your face and push the door open.

“You had called for me?”

“Repeatedly.”

Off to a lovely start, then. You walk over to her desk, stopping when you’re a couple of feet from it. She doesn’t immediately look up from her laptop, choosing to let you stew, no doubt.

You’ve just started subconsciously picking at your nails when she deigns to look at you, slowly removing her glasses and placing them on the desk.

Twice before you’ve been called to her office. The first time was because you were subbing for her sick assistant and had messed up her coffee order. The second was when they needed an intern to sit in at a high profile meeting to shorthand the minutes and you were the nearest one they could find. Both times you had received an earful – the former got you a stern admonishment and the latter an equally strict warning to ‘make it legible, at the very least, if you can manage that’.

You wonder what you’ve done wrong this time. Wracking your brains, you come up empty. You’ve been much too busy with the subjects to fuck up for the queen.

“How has your time here been so far?”

“I'm sorry?” you ask in befuddlement, certain that you’ve misheard her.

There’s a flash of a tiny smile before her mask comes back on.

“I may be firm, but I’m not heartless. Being an intern at this company isn’t easy. I just want to know how you’ve been settling in for the last month.”

Realising that you’re gaping, you hurriedly shut your mouth before clearing your throat and replying, “I’ve been learning a lot and I’m glad to have the exposure.”

“Okay, now give me the non-textbook answer.”

“I’m sorry?” you ask again, simultaneously feeling thrown off and like a damn fool.

“This isn’t college anymore, Y/N. I’m not your professor. I’m your boss, and maybe, some day, your colleague. You’re our newest intern and I know it can get a little intense, so I just want to make sure that you’re comfortable.”

You look at her suspiciously. Is this some kind of sick, twisted test? But you take in her serious but kind eyes and decide that she’s being honest enough. Now or never.

“Can you allow interns to use the fancier copiers? They’re quicker than the ones on the second floor that we use now.”

You get a raised eyebrow and for one, terrifying second, you think she’s going to throw you out of her room, out of the building, out of the company and write an email to all the other software companies in the world telling them not to hire you.

“There is no rule stating that interns can’t use the copiers here. Have you been climbing floors every time you need to copy something?”

Before you can stop yourself, you ask, feeling like a broken record, “I’m sorry?”

She rolls her eyes and you feel like a chastised child. That’ll teach you a lesson about listening to your brother’s best friend.

“Will that be all? Any other...legitimate grievances?”

“Oh no, that’s all. I’ll be – er, going then.”

You get a lazily waving hand in response and consider yourself dismissed as Jennie puts her glasses back on and turns her attention to her laptop screen. About to pull open the door, you stop short as you hear from behind you, “Maybe actually read the company policy instead of talking to Hoseok, yes? Ask my assistant for a pamphlet. I dare say Yeonjun should be able to give you more reliable information.” You can swear you detect an amused smile in her voice.

A few hours later sees you as the centre of attention in a crowd around the coffee machine in the break room, regaling the interns around you with the latest.

“She did that for me too,” Hyejin says once you’ve finished your story, taking another sip of her coffee. “She does it for all the interns but it’s usually batch wise. You probably had to go it alone since you joined late.”

Shrugging, you reply, “Either way, it was terrifying.”

Soobin gives you a soothing pat on your shoulder. “At least that’s done with. Now you’ll only have to talk to her again if you fuck up spectacularly or if you’re really, really good.”

You nod mindlessly, biting off a piece of the canteen sandwich and chewing thoughtfully.

“Hey, Y/N! Managed to get fired before even getting hired?”

You spin around and see Hoseok and Namjoon cackling like a bunch of stupid hyenas along with some other employees. Pushing past a giggling Hyejin, you storm over, seeing red.

“Jung Hoseok. How dare you make me run around the damn building just to get some copies whenI didn’t even have to?”

You’re glaring at him now, looking up at his gleeful face.

“Oh my god, did you ask her about it? What did she say? Fuck, I wish I was there.”

Huffing, you reply with your arms crossed, embarrassed. “She told me to ask Yeonjun for the company policy pamphlet.”

He howls in delight, slapping a grinning Namjoon's back. “Ah, I can’t wait to tell Yoongi about this. He’s gonna have a field day.”

Unamused, you continue glowering at him. To your increasing annoyance, he looks completely unaffected, bringing a hand up to ruffle your hair, giving you flashbacks to when he used to come over to your house to hang out with Yoongi all those years ago. You have to admit, he was a great deal nicer then than he is now, snickering at your fuming expression. You aren’t ten years old anymore.

Narrowing your eyes one last time, you turn around on your heel and begin to walk away.

“Meet at the entrance at six today?”

You don’t verbally reply, still walking and flipping him off over your shoulder.

“I’ll take that as a yes, then?”

“Yes,” you mutter, just loud enough for him to hear before you leave the room in the crowd of interns you had entered with. Lunch breaks are only so short and those codes aren’t going to debug themselves.

“You alright?”

“Peachy,” you sigh, rubbing a finger on your temple as you let your head rest on the window next to you.

“It’s intense, isn’t it?” Hoseok asks, eyes focused on the road in front of the car.

“Yeah. I didn’t expect it to be this heavy.”

Attempting for a cheery tone, he replies, “But, hey! A month! That’s great! Most interns usually burn out by then, but you’ve managed to stick around.”

It’s a small consolation and you tell him as much, mindlessly watching the darkening sky as you get closer to home and to dinner and to bed.

“You’re doing well,” he says comfortingly. “Just give it some time. If you got through college, you can get through this.”

“When did you get so wise?” you chuckle, turning your head to see his lips quirk up in a teasing smile.

“When you were off gallivanting on the other side of the country and I was a lowly intern, just like you are now.”

Sputtering, you reply, offended, “I was in college.”

“Yes, that’s what they all say,��� he sighs in a mock-patronising tone. “What’s up with your friend, though, Hyejin? She seems cool.”

“She isn’t into you, don’t bother,” you reply shortly, knowing exactly what Hoseok is asking.

“Not what I meant.”

“Hmm, I’m sure. Purest of intentions, yeah?”

Pulling up next to the curb outside your apartment, he crosses his index finger over his heart and replies haughtily, “Now that I know I don’t have a chance, yes, actually.”

You snort, unbuckling your seat belt and twisting around so you can get your bag from the back seat.

“Thanks for the ride,” you say, pushing the door open.

He smiles kindly in return as he waves off your gratitude and says instead, “Don’t do any work this weekend. Product rolling week starts on Monday and you’re gonna need all your energy.”

“Is it more intense than usual?”

“Unfortunately so,” he replies through the open door to your standing frame with a grimace. “It's fun work, though. Just tiring.”

Nodding with a sigh, you shut the passenger seat and give Hoseok a wave as he smiles at you and drives away.

You trudge up the stairs, thanking all the higher powers for Jungkook and the fact that he had reached home earlier than you. You don’t think you can handle cooking right now.

“Kook! I’m home!”

You hear an unintelligible, muffled grunt from somewhere inside the house in response as you kick your flats off in the foyer and shut the front door behind you.

Moving inside, you drop your bag on the table and make your way to the utility room from where you had heard Jungkook's voice. You’re greeted by the sight of his sweatpants-clad butt as he ruffles around the open washing machine in front of him, dumping clothes into it from a basket in his arms.

“Is it laundry day already?”

You get an impatient huff in response and a muffled sound emerges. “Every day should be laundry day.”

Snorting, you reply to his face once he’s stood up and cracked his back with a grimace. “We get like three outfits a day at most. What are you going to put in there, your Halloween shrimp costume?”

“I thought we agreed to not mention that!”

He deposits the empty clothes hamper in your tired but accepting arms, gesturing you to place them on the counter behind and you do so, as you laugh, “Now why would I agree to something so stupid?”

“Because you’re stupid.”

“And you’re 22, but you still can’t figure out something more devastating than a middle school comeback, stupid.”

You watch, satisfied, as he sputters for a bit before glaring at you and turning on his heel, walking out of the room.

Grinning, you follow, feeling loads lighter after that interaction. Nothing like winning some good old-fashioned verbal sparring to get the sinews stiffened again.

He leads the way to the kitchen, grumbling under his breath as you walk behind him, your stomach rumbling something awful.

“Oh, bless your soul, it’s food!” you moan, rushing towards the box full of rice sitting on the counter.

“Lovely, so now my soul is blessed, but any other time, I’m stupid. You might want to heat – alright, then.”

You don’t pause as you rapidly continue shuffling the contents into your mouth like you haven’t eaten in days. Climbing up onto the counter, you chew and swallow, only pausing for a second in the middle to ask, “How was work?”

He brings down two tea bags from the overhead shelf. “Fine, I guess. Managed to get assigned a good story, so that’s something.”

Swallowing, you say, “That’s great! And the novel?”

With a shrug as he pours boiling water into the cups, he replies, “Haven’t made any headway. I’m still stuck at the same place.”

“Well, you have the weekend to focus on it. That’s bound to help, yeah?”

You set aside your empty box, feeling satiated, and accept the mug from Jungkook with a smile, nursing the warmth in between your palms and letting it steep as he takes a sip of his own tea while nodding.

“Hopefully. And class tomorrow should be fun, might get something there.”

You hum in response, pleased. The thought of your weekly dance class perks you up a bit as you feel your eyelids drooping at the soothing smell and steam of chamomile under your nostrils.

When you and Jungkook had found out that you’d both be coming back to your hometown for work after spending four years at different colleges, the first thing you two had done after finding an apartment to share had been re-enrolling at your old dance studio. Now Saturday mornings are exclusively reserved for listening to Taemin, Mr. Kibum's protégé, shout at you and roughly ten other young adults to ‘Dance, you lazy fools,’ like he’s an old man who’s angry at teenagers about stepping on his lawn instead of the 25 year old, recent fine arts graduate that he is. Most of the class, including Taemin, are people you’ve grown up with in the city, gone to school with, performed at recitals with when you all were teenagers.

Sliding off the counter, you take Jungkook’s cup from him and wash it along with your own. Now that you’ve been fed, you want nothing more than to go to bed so you can wake up in time in the morning. Once, you and Jungkook had made the mistake of being five minutes late, and now Taemin’s put a black asterisk next to both your names in the database, like he’s running a bloody pre school.

“Oh, and I almost forgot, Tae finally found a business partner!”

Stacking the cups on the side of the sink, you dry your hands as you reply, “I always knew he would. Is it somebody you know, from college?”

“No, he said they went to high school together and met again at a reunion party. “

You’re having trouble keeping up with the conversation at this point, feeling your eyelids becoming more insistent in their bid to shut, so you just pat an amused Jungkook on the shoulder in acknowledgement before you manage to say through a yawn, “I’m excited to meet him. ‘Night.”

“Remind me again why I didn’t dance more in college,” you groan from your sprawled out position on the wooden floor of the room.

Taemin walks up and down the three rows of tired, panting dancers, looking infuriatingly fresh and straight off the ramp despite having just run through a terrifyingly complex and intense routine. Your only consolation is the fact that he seems to be the only one.

“Because you’re a nerd,” comes the reply to your rhetoric.

You try to move your leg hard enough to connect with Jungkook's, but all you can manage is a pitifully weak love tap on his shin. He lets out a wheezy sort of laugh from his straight legged, sat down position on your right, body tiredly leaning on his palms behind him. On your other side, Hyejin is faring marginally better than the both of you. She looks a little tired, but eager to, god forbid, go another round. She always was more active in college. It used to annoy you, when she used to wake up at the ass crack of dawn to go do something awful, like exercise, but now you wish you had joined her occasionally, if for nothing else but to have a stamina greater than a sedentary brick.

“On your way out, make sure you check the notice board in the reception for information about the competition.”

“Boom? It still happens?”

Taemin fixes you with a dry look as you slowly sit up and copy Jungkook’s position. “Shockingly enough, this institute runs perfectly normally even without you around, Y/N.”

Mr. Kibum taught him a bit too much, you think, as chuckles erupt around you.

Rolling your eyes, you reply, “Oh, please, we both know I’m only asking because a maximum of four teams used to participate when we were in school. Third place just meant second last.”

“We made it a solo and duet competition three years ago. More teams, easier to coordinate for participants. We’re doing much better than we used to.”

It makes sense. BigHit, as a studio, used to have a small but dedicated group of patrons. Everybody knew everybody, and there were only two rooms. But looking at how much bigger this new building is, and the number of students in this contemporary batch that you’re a part of, not to mention the multiple rooms that you pass by every weekend filled with screaming children learning how to pirouette and b-boy, it’s clear that there’s been an increase in customers.

The lot of you trudge outside the room, making your way to the entrance in a babble of ‘Goodbye!’s and ‘See you next week!’s. You can feel the familiar soreness setting into your legs and back, but it seems less intense than it used to be. You’re rifling through your bag for your water bottle as Jungkook reads the poster on the notice board.

“See you at work!” Hyejin calls out as she walks towards the doors, letting you give a distracted wave to her retreating back.

“Ah, shit, I think I left my bottle inside. Give me five minutes?”

Jungkook nods, not really paying attention to what you’re saying, too engrossed in the pamphlet.

With an internal groan, you turn around and walk back the way you just came until you reach the room you’re looking for. Pushing the door open, you stop to a sudden halt, feeling like the SpongeBob with headphones meme.

The sight you’re met with leaves you gaping. The man dancing inside is gliding through the music, elegance pouring out of every fingertip. His back is facing you, and you can make out the strength and control he has over his movements, shoulders fluidly firm and back flexing with each lift of his arms, slow twist of his hips through his plain white t-shirt. It seems, for a single, permanently ephemeral moment like the music is radiating from his very being, and not from the speakers on the side. You hardly realise that you’re still standing, that you’re still breathing, but watching his limbs flow with such commanding grace somehow makes you feel so, so alive.

Abruptly, the music stops, and you feel like you’ve been woken up from a year-long slumber, suddenly conscious of your body, of your existence. He still hasn’t noticed you, frozen as you are at the doorway, and he walks towards the speakers away from the door. You don’t look away, slightly out of breath, and with a start, you notice your blue water bottle on the floor next to his shoes on the side.

Gingerly, you step into the room and softly clear your throat, feeling like you’ve just desecrated someplace holy. The man turns around, speaker in one hand and phone in the other, slightly panting, and the moment comes to a standstill yet again, suspended with wild surmise.

“Y/N?”

The floppy brown hair, those twinkling eyes and pouty lips. Suddenly, you’re ten years old again, sitting with your best friend under a tree and discussing excuses to get out of doing homework.

“Jimin?”

You’re meeting each other in the middle of the room now in a tight hug, and you step away with a million questions running through your brain.

What’s Jimin doing back in this city? Why is he practicing in the studio alone? Is he staying? When did he get so pretty?

The last thought hits you like a bullet train and you impatiently shoo it away. It’s been twelve years, of course he looks different.

“You look great!” he says, eyes crinkling as he smiles, tiny dimple popping, in the I haven’t seen you in a really long time and this is how the script for such situations reads voice.

“So do you! How come you’re here?” you enthuse, referring to the same play, still reeling.

“I moved back a week ago! Do you still live here?”

“Moved out for college, came back for work-"

“Hey, Y/N, what’s taking you so lo – Jimin?”

“Kook! You’re here too?”

You watch Jungkook’s face morph through shock, surprise, confusion before mirroring your own expression of bemused joy as he meets Jimin in the middle for a hug. Seeing them like this makes your heart ache with the memory of the last time the three of you were together, that final evening under Jungkook’s tree, as the sun was setting on the horizon and you were all promising each other that you would write thrice a week. Even you and Jungkook, despite the fact that you both weren’t moving anywhere. Of course, not a single email was sent. Not unless you count that one week in college where you were avoiding your texts like the plague and used exclusively email to contact a very exasperated Jungkook (“Y/N, you literally do not even have to reply to my messages, but every time I get an email notification, I keep thinking it’s from the university and I don’t know if I should be relieved or worried when I see that it isn’t.”).

Before you know what’s happening, leave alone protest, Jungkook’s pulling you into the hug so your head is smushed into his chest, face a hair's breadth away from the side of Jimin's. He’s still giggling with Jungkook as the latter says, “Hey, this is so great! The three of us, just like old times, yeah?”

You take in the crinkles around Jimin’s eyes as he smiles, the sweet, high pitched, deliciously familiar sound of his laugh, his playful voice as he says, “It’s wild that you used to be the shortest of us,” to a faux offended Jungkook, and with the memory of him dancing like that still etched in your mind, you know that this is nothing like old times.

You push yourself out of the hug and plaster on a smile to cover how unsettled you feel on the inside. You’ve never been good with change, and this is a huge fucking change.

Laughing along for a bit, you let out an internal sigh of relief as Jimin winces and says, “Taemin and I are gonna be dancing together at the competition and he'll be here any minute, so I really should get back to practicing. He channels Mr. Kibum’s spirit even more when he has a vested interest in the outcome, and he really wants to win.”

“Oh, yeah, sure! No worries, we'll let you get back to it, then,” you utter, perhaps a tad too enthusiastic. Jimin doesn’t seem to notice anything, just giving you one of his wide smiles before the three of you exchange numbers.

Jungkook finishes entering his contact on Jimin’s phone and hands it over to him. “We should totally catch up sometime, though!”

Jimin agrees enthusiastically with a swift grin and says, “Yeah, definitely! We'll make plans soon,” and the next thing you know, and not nearly quick enough, you’re out on the pavement, absentmindedly counting the tiles as you and Jungkook walk back home.

“Are you overthinking this?”

You’re pulled out of your thoughts by his question. He’s got an infuriatingly knowing look on his face that you want to smack right off.

“What’s there to overthink?”

“It really isn’t a big deal, you know. I mean, yeah, it’s been a million years since we saw him and it kinda sucks that we couldn’t keep in touch and obviously, puberty hit him like a glorious, gorgeous truck, but he’s still Jimin.”

Side eyeing him, you wonder if it’s a good thing that it sounds like he’s just read your mind.

Sighing, you reply, kicking at a pebble in front of you in half-hearted annoyance, “He’s just so...grown up. And old.”

“You're three months older than him, if I remember correct.”

Debating on whether you should direct your next kick at him instead and deciding to spare him, you say, “You know what I mean. I know he’s still Jimin, but I feel like I don’t know him at all. You should have seen him dancing, Kook, it was beautiful. So poised and graceful and wonderful and skilled. I’ve never seen anybody dance like that apart from Mr. Kibum, maybe. Who is he?”

“There, there,” Jungkook replies after your sudden, passionate outburst, patronisingly patting your head as you huff and shake off his hand. “We literally just spoke to him for the first time in twelve years. I feel weird about it too, but I’m sure we'll be more comfortable once we spend more time together. We’ve grown as well, yeah?”

First Hoseok, now Jungkook. The amount of wisdom that’s been shoved on you from unexpected quarters recently is quite astonishing.

You tell him as much, swerving his swatting hand and narrowly missing bumping into an annoyed couple walking next to you. Giggling as you simultaneously apologise and teeter precariously on your heel, trying to regain your balance, Jungkook lets you suffer for a while until he finally takes pity and grabs your hand just in the nick of time, standing you upright.

“Tae wants us to meet his partner tonight over dinner,” he says, ignoring your scowl of annoyance as you hoist your bag higher on your shoulder from its displaced position.

“I’m meeting Yoongi for dinner today, though.”

“Tell Tae that. He’s annoyed you aren’t replying to his messages anyway.”

In a mumble, you reply, “He shouldn’t take it personally.”

Jungkook just hums in response as you both climb up the stairs to the apartment, more than used to your delayed replies. “Can you get Yoongi to bake that chocolate cake again? I’ve been craving it.”

Pushing the door open, you say, already dreaming about dessert tonight and Yoongi’s cooking skills, “Me and you both, my dude, me and you both.”

Yoongi : How long will you take to reach?

Depends. How long will the cake take to get ready?

Yoongi : If you aren’t here in fifteen minutes, I’m eating it and only leaving enough for Jungkook.

Open the door.

“Took you long enough,” Yoongi huffs as you close the door behind you and step into the foyer, slipping off your shoes in the doorway.

“Hey, I was only listening to what Hoseok said. I am to, and I quote, completely relax this weekend because next week's gonna be hell apparently.”

He flicks you on the forehead, easily dodging your half-hearted counter attack before leading you into the house. The smell of food wafts out of the kitchen, nearly making you salivate. If there’s one good thing that’s come out of moving back to this city, it’s that Yoongi never moved out and where Yoongi lives, good cooking thrives. He always did pay more attention to your mother’s lessons.

You’re preoccupied with trying to guess what the smells are, eyes closed and nose sticking up, when you suddenly bump into your brother’s back.

“Move over, then. What are we waiting for? It doesn’t taste as good reheated,” you say, eagerly trying to move past his frame so you can enter the kitchen slash dining room.

But something in his manner seems shifty. Slowly, you bring the balls of your feet back to the floor and stop fidgeting as you take in his evasive expression.

Sighing, you ask, casting one last doleful expression to the doorway that’s so close yet so far, “What did you do?”

“Who says I did anything?”

At your unimpressed look, he huffs before taking a deep breath, as if to summon up some courage.

“Y/N,” he starts, his uncharacteristically sweet tone making you wary.

“Yes?” you slowly ask, simultaneously suspicious and curious.

He places his palms on your shoulders and your younger sibling instincts kick in, ready to punch him in the stomach if he tries to flip you. But there’s no trace of mischief in his unsure, slightly scared eyes. Pleased as you are that Yoongi feels the need to be cautiously terrified around you, you wonder what you’re about to hear that’s making him anticipate a negative reaction.

In a soothing voice, he says, tilting his head like how he used to talk to you when you were seven, “You know that you’re my favourite sister, don’t you?”

Okay, that’s it. With an impatient click of your tongue, you wrench his hands off and swiftly sidestep him to the kitchen doorway as you mutter, “I’m your only sister, fool.”

But the insult never leaves your mouth, stuck as it is on the tip of your tongue. You’re left halted at the doorway, gaping like a fish at the figure sat on the table, Yoongi’s voice urgently, uselessly hissing, “No, wait, don’t go in yet!” behind you and trailing off like a deflating balloon.

“Hello, Y/N,” Kim fucking Jennie says, pleasantly smiling up at you, looking completely unfazed.

“Hi- Hel- Hey, Jennie.”

Your embarrassing stutter ends in a growl as Yoongi behind you chuckles, his laughter morphing into a deeply satisfying grunt of pain as you elbow him in the stomach as discreetly as possible.

Jennie's slightly widening grin shows that maybe the motion wasn’t as discreet as you had hoped. Oh, well. As long as it hurt like a bitch.

For a moment, you just stand there, looking at her with your mind blank. Twice in the same day, you’ve been left at a loss for words, feeling awkward and uncomfortable. She doesn’t seem to be too affected, sitting calmly and steadily looking at you through her black, full-rimmed, cat-eye glasses, like a drastically younger and more female version of an Asian Dumbledore. In fact, if anything else, she seems like she’s having quite a good time. Her smile doesn’t waver, and you’re still thrown by how young and non-terrifying she looks when you aren’t in front of her in a boss-intern capacity, but all that will come later. For now, you need answers.

Thankfully, at that moment, from behind you, in a voice that sounds disgustingly like a male turtle dove cooing to his romantic counterpart, Yoongi breaks the deafening silence. “Could you give us a moment, Jennie?” he asks, and with an amicable nod from your boss, he guides you back out to the living room with his hands on your shoulders.

The moment you’re out of earshot, you whip around to face him, mustering as much anger and irritation into your gaze as you can. “What the fuck?” you hiss, distantly glad to see him a great deal more scared than he had been when he laughed at you back in the kitchen.

Not giving him a chance to reply, you rapidly continue, “What is my boss doing in your bloody kitchen?”

He holds up his palms in a placating gesture as he says, “Now, I know this is a bit of a shock-"

“Figured that out all on your own, did you?”

“-but Jennie and I are...seeing each other.”

“Oh my god. Oh god. Holy fuck. I need to sit down.”

You drop onto the couch behind you, Yoongi tentatively following your lead, gingerly perching himself out of punching range.

As you try to wrap your head around this lovely surprise, he continues, “I know she’s your mentor and stuff, but it isn’t going to be any different at work or anything. You weren’t even technically supposed to meet her today. Her car's gone for servicing and her Uber’s running a little late.”

“Okay, wait, wait. How do you even know her?”

Looking slightly less wary, now that he can tell that you aren’t going to attack him, he says, “I met her at one of those company parties last year, when Hobi made me go as his plus one.”

You straighten up so fast, it’s a wonder your spine doesn’t crack. “Last year? You guys have been dating for an entire year?”

Trying to subtly shift slightly away once again, realising that the jury’s still out on physical violence, he slowly replies, “No, no, we’ve only been together for, like, two months, promise.”

You slump again, but shoot a venomous glare at Yoongi so he won’t lower his guard. “How old is she, even? And also, does Hoseok know about this?”

“28, and yes.”

“No fucking way,” you say, now in awe for a completely different reason. “She’s a division head before thirty?”

You regret it immediately, though, as Yoongi’s visage takes on a moony eyed expression. “Yeah, she’s really smart. Did her internship and online classes at the same time and skipped a grade in school.”

“Oh, ew, ew, okay fine, I understand. Stop doing that with your face, please,” you rattle off, completely disgusted by this ghastly display.

He’s about to say something, probably flattering because that always serves to soften you right up, when you hear the soft clearing of a throat. Both of you whip your heads in the direction of the sound comically fast to see Jennie at the end of the room near the foyer, phone in one hand and bag in the other. Immediately, the two of you stand up, although for different reasons.

It looks like she’s trying not to laugh as she says, “My ride's here, so I’ll let you guys get to dinner, yeah?”

“I’ll walk you out,” Yoongi immediately replies, taking on that tone that you’re quickly getting incredibly tired of.

Jennie nods with a wide smile, eyes crinkling on the sides as Yoongi gently places a hand on the small of her back once he reaches her. You try your best not to gag. You might be 22 years old with some reasonable amount of experience in the romantic field, but there are some things that you just do not need to see.

“See you at work, Y/N!” Jennie says. All you can manage is a half nod half bow, and ridiculously, you have to actively fight the urge to salute. You narrow your eyes as Yoongi lets out a snort at your actions that he quickly and not very convincingly tries to cover up with a cough, quickly ushering an amused Jennie towards the door.

An amused Jennie, you think, hardly daring to believe it, as you make your way back to the kitchen, determined to hold the chocolate cake ransom until he tells you more about Jennie. Only Jennie, mind you. Not Jennie and Yoongi. You wouldn’t want to touch that with a five-foot pole, not anytime soon, at least. But your mentor slash potential future boss alone, on the other hand, seems really fucking cool right about now.

“I’m telling you nothing. If I have to wait for a week to get a reply, you can wait a couple more minutes to see him for yourself.”

You scowl at Tae, holding your tongue from reminding him that replying to a stupid cat video ranks much lower on the urgency scale than being armed with some semblance of information about his new business partner that you and Jungkook are going to be meeting in five minutes.

Next to you, Jungkook snickers and says in a sing-song voice, “I told you so.”

Tae continues fixing you with that obstinate glare, lips wrapped around the bright, red straw jutting out of his plastic cup filled with something that’s probably too edgy and expensive to taste good. Like everything else on this menu.

When he had sent the address to the two of you, you had exchanged one of those looks, one of those only half-joking Can he pay our rent? looks and immediately started planning lunch at home before going for lunch at this...cafe? Restaurant? Bistro? Either way, the hard, wooden table in front of you looks more comfortable than the tall stool you’re sat on and the drink you’re nursing that was advertised as coffee tastes more like mud water mixed with cheap fertiliser.

The stool opposite you, next to Tae, remains empty as you all wait for this dude that you have absolutely zero information about. It'd be nice to be prepared, is all.

“While we’re waiting,” Jungkook starts, voice pleased at the stand off that’s happening in front of him. Always a slut for drama, that one. “Did Y/N tell you that Yoongi’s dating her boss?”

Tae's eyebrow lifts higher as he lets the straw go with a pop before saying, “No, she didn’t. But I’m not surprised.”

“About her not telling you or about Yoongi dating her boss?”

“Both,” Tae replies to Jungkook’s question, fixing you with a stern glare.

Before you can defend yourself, and it'd be a mighty solid defence seeing as how you yourself found out less than twenty-four hours ago, Tae continues, “Yoongi's always had a thing for powerful women.”

Sputtering, eyes wide, you say, “But you don’t even know my brother!”

Next to you, Jungkook roars in laughter, coughing as he swallows his weird, green concoction. You don’t bother helping him. Let him choke.

“Jungkook’s told me enough about him. He seems cool. I don’t know how you’re both from the same family.”

As you huff and flip him off, Jungkook, who’s just managed to calm himself down, sets off again. You’re about to chide him for laughing at your misery when the bell atop the door you’re facing gives a happy little trill, admitting the fifth patron in as many minutes, and decidedly the most unexpected, terrifying and beautiful entrant so far.

You can’t explain what you do next. You can’t even say that Jungkook has the whole apartment brain cell because he’s hiccupping into his drink and looking incredibly stupid while doing it. But your first instinct when you see Jimin enter is to hiss, “Oh, fuck no,” under your breath, panic in your gaze as Tae looks at you in concern, before slipping off the stool and ducking under the table, hitting your head in the process.

Pain blooms across your temple, but you have no time to attend to it, as the next thing you know, you’re belatedly realising that Jimin knows Jungkook too, and however well concealed you are, the other man is doing nothing to seem inconspicuous. Summoning all your strength, you’re about to give a good, strong tug to Jungkook’s pant leg, hoping that that should be enough to get him down here too, when from above you, you hear Tae loudly saying, “Jimin! Over here!” and Jungkook giving a tiny ‘Hey, it’s Jimin!’

What the fuck?

From your vantage point, you can see a pair of white shoed feet turning and walking closer, the tall table giving you a lovely view right up to Jimin's black jean clad thighs. Your mind is running a mile a minute, wondering whether you can manage to crawl out towards the door without anybody noticing and maybe sneak back in once Jimin’s left.

Before you can make up your mind, eyes glued onto Jimin’s approaching feet, Jungkook’s head pops down next to yours, floppy hair blocking your line of sight. “You good down there? Comfy?”

With a sinking feeling, you realise there’s no escape now, Tae’s voice already giving a small whoop of welcome. You shove Jungkook’s head a bit, nudging at him to straighten so you have enough space to clamber out, plastering a smile on your face.

You pop up just as Jimin reaches the table fully, he and Tae with wide grins on their faces as they both turn towards you and Jungkook after their ‘Hey!’s.

He looks even prettier than he had yesterday at the badly lit studio, floppy hair being held back by a pair of shades perched atop his head and eyes crinkled in what you now think is a permanent smile. You feel your fake grin morphing into something softer, more genuine as he tells Tae, “You didn’t tell me your friends were Y/N and Kook!”

Tae's befuddled expression is a sight to behold as you, Jungkook and Jimin continue beaming at each other in pleasant surprise. Vaguely, you think this should worry you more, your sudden, absolute lack of panic obviously a sign of insanity. But, honestly, you think you’re fine. Apart from the whole first reaction is to hide under the table thing.

Your heart might be beating a little faster than its resting rate, and your palms may be a bit clammy, but emotionally, it suddenly feels quite easy to be around him once you’ve seen how comfortingly familiar his dimples are.

“So, you’re Tae's business partner?”

“Yup,” Jimin nods as he pushes his stool closer to the table to get comfortable. “Small world, huh?”

Jungkook nods, knee bouncing excitedly next to yours as he takes a sip of his drink, grimacing after. “Definitely,” he replies through a wince.

Your own coffee sits in front of you, untouched after that first sip. Your gaze moves a little forward and gets momentarily caught on the silver bracelet on Jimin’s wrist.

“Where are you staying?” you ask, more to prove to yourself that you can say something without embarrassing yourself, because you know that Jimin saw your little escapade and he’s just too nice to bring it up, but Jungkook and Tae won’t be quite so forgiving when they interrogate you later.

“I’ve rented a studio apartment for now,” he replies, scanning the drinks menu in front of him. You wish him luck finding something good.

“How’s Yoongi? Still plays basketball?” Jimin asks, once he’s wisely decided to not order anything.

“He's dating Y/N's boss,” Jungkook says before you can respond, still, for some unfathomable reason, drinking his sludge-in-a-cup.

“Is that...is that a problem?”

“No, Y/N's just really scared of her. Like super wimpy when she’s around.”

Your whiny protest is halted by Jimin replying thoughtfully, “I’m kinda not surprised. I vaguely remember Yoongi dating that really intense emo girl once all those years ago. I see his type hasn’t changed.”

Huffing as Jungkook snickers and Jimin gives you a teasing grin that makes your stomach give a weak flop (which will be analysed later), you decisively say, “Yoongi’s fine. He lives here too and runs a tattoo place with Jin, the super tall dude who used to be over at my house all the time. And I’m not that scared of my boss.”

“Oh! Jennie, let me get that for you. Oh, of course, Jennie, I’ll do anything you ask, I’m so far up your ass – Ouch!”

Your foot makes contact with Jungkook’s shin, effectively stopping his disgustingly high pitched, incredibly inaccurate imitation of you, but does nothing to prevent your breath from slightly catching as Jimin giggles at his antics.

The perfectly pleasant, three-way tête-à-tête is interrupted by the loud sound of palms hitting the wooden table as Tae, whom you’re amused to say you had forgotten about, whips his head between all three of you, looking completely bewildered.

“Why are you all talking like you know each other?”

“I don’t know if I feel like telling you,” you reply, feeling vindictive at his betrayed expression. Now he knows.

Jungkook’s tight lipped next to you, sulking like the child he is and periodically bending down to rub his leg entirely too times to be warranted.

Jimin, on the other hand, looks curious as well as he asks, “I actually wanted to find out, too. How do you guys know Tae?”

Of course, you’ll answer him.

“He and Kook went to the same college. I, unfortunately, know him by association. How do you know Tae?”

“High school. We ran in the same circles.”

On noticing his business partner's annoyed expression next to him, Jimin continues with a faux-curious voice, bending forward on the table, leaning on his elbows so he can pretend to be interested, “How do you know Kook?”

You ignore the shiver that runs down your spine at the intensity of his eye contact, however playful it may be, in favour of aiding and abetting this mission of How Annoyed Can We Make Taehyung Today by replying, “Oh, twelve years of schooling together. What about you, how do you know Kook?”

Thoughtfully humming, he’s about to respond, but he’s interrupted by Tae saying in an annoyed voice, “Jungkook, if you answer my question, I’ll pay for your lunch.”

The response comes almost too quickly, but you can hardly blame him. Shit's expensive. “We all used to be best friends here until Jimin moved away right before middle school.”

“Oh, that’s wild,” Tae says thoughtfully, shooting you a smug look at having procured the information that you were withholding.

You all order food and conversation pauses as you, Jungkook and Jimin poke around in your meals, looking for something that appears edible, contrary to Tae, who seems perfectly content chewing mouthful after mouthful of bland celery and olives.

“Do you guys have a location for the store yet?” you ask, trying to spear a half-cooked pasta piece on your fork.

“We settled on a building yesterday! It’s pretty, lots of light and air, some good backroom space too.”

“And our first shipment's arriving in a few weeks,” Jimin adds, eyeing his plate suspiciously, as if the burger's going to eat him.

“We just need models now,” Tae nods, satisfied and leaning back on his chair, squeaky clean plate in front of him.

Jungkook seems to be trying very, very hard to not look at his salad as he eats it, and after what appears to be a very painful swallow, he asks, “Aren't you guys doing the modelling?”

And suddenly, the thought of Jimin smouldering in front of a camera rushes into your mind. You really wish this place had some normal fucking water instead of the herbed shit that’s there in the glass bottle at the centre of the table, because you really could do with some cooling down.

Once Tae's clarified that yes, they will be modelling their products but they also need a female model for that clientele, you clear your throat and ask, nonchalantly enough, toying with your fork, “Have – uh, do you have modelling experience, Jimin? Did you do some stuff in college, like Tae?”

“Oh, nothing big or official. Just a couple of shoots for a few showcases and helping out a friend who majored in photography.”

“He’s being modest,” Tae grins, all Cheshire like. “I’ve seen his photos, they’re really fucking good. If our products weren’t already so great, he would’ve been able to save them.”

Half of you wants so, so bad to see these pictures, to see him looking into the camera like he’s staring into your soul, but you think you’re maybe better off watching his blushing face and crinkling eyes, covering his flush with two hands, peeking through the gaps between short fingers.

You don’t realise you’re staring until you feel Jungkook giving you a tiny pinch on your arm, unseen by the others. Hurriedly busying yourself with the food in front of you once again, edibleness be damned, you push those thoughts away, grounding yourself with the solemn reminder that you have work the next day, Hoseok's warning glaring in your mind.

The rest of the afternoon goes smoothly enough, Jungkook letting out a crow of victory on seeing how expensive his dish was (because this is one of those places that’s too edgy for prices on the menu) and that he wouldn’t have to pay for it. There’s a momentary panic that sets in when you’re leaving, as Jimin goes in for a hug when your hand is still up in a wave, but you get out of it unscathed enough, only slightly embarrassed.

Tae : please?

No.

Tae : i'll pay for your petrol

As much as I love your money, no. Now stop bothering me, I’m almost at work.

Tae : ugh fine. but is there anybody you know instead? that girl who came for yours and kook's housewarming? hyerin something

...Hyejin.

Tae : yes her! could you ask her, please please please?

Will you pay for my meal the next time we go out?

Tae : only if you don’t pull a kook on me and order the most expensive thing on the menu

I can work with that. I’ll talk to her today.

Tae : okay thanks lylyly, let me know by the end of the day!

Snorting, you switch off your phone just as Hoseok pulls into the car park. Surreptitiously, you look around, searching for a familiar sleek black sedan.

“She won't be here yet. Always a little late on Mondays.”

You ignore his knowing look in favour of twisting around to get your bag as you huff and reply, “You don’t even know what I’m looking for.”

“Oh, Yoongi told me everything. I don’t know why I keep missing all these moments between you and Jennie, they sound like such fun.”

Feeling partly relieved that you won’t have be having a super awkward interaction with your boss slash brother’s girlfriend first thing in the morning and partly resentful that Hoseok was able to read you so easily, you half heartedly scowl up at him as the two of you walk towards the glass doors.

“How was your weekend?” he asks, pushing the elevator buttons. The lobby is mostly empty right now, nobody else waiting with you for the lift that’s currently on the topmost floor.

Dryly, you reply, “Oh, has Yoongi not told you everything about it yet?”

At his exasperated look, you respond again. “It was whatever. Dance class, dinner with Yoongi, the shocking, life altering revelation that he's dating my boss, the usual. Oh, and you remember Jimin?”

“The kid you used to hang out with all the time in elementary school?”

“Yup. He’s moved back. Opening that clothing store with Tae.”

He hums in distracted interest as the both of you watch the elevator come closer to the ground floor, stepping on as it dings.

The doors are about to shut close when you hear a hassled ‘Just a moment, please!’ from outside, and on instinct, you press the button to keep the elevator open. Not a moment later, Kim Jennie slips into view, and enters the lift with a polite ‘Thank you,’ the very picture of professionalism.

The universe has started its meddling early today.

You and Hoseok shuffle backwards, making space for her as you catch his gleeful eyes. As the doors shut and she presses the button to the seventh floor, you can feel the familiar stifling awkwardness that always seems to appear when she’s around, only now it’s ten times worse.

You’re certain the lift has never moved this slowly before, but Jennie makes no sign of saying anything to you and you sure as hell aren’t going to bring shit up. But the same can’t be said of Hoseok, apparently.

He clears his throat, absently looking at the numbers moving on the display on the top of the elevator doors, and you shoot him a suspicious glance, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Conversationally, he asks, “How’s your brother doing, Y/N?”

You could murder him, you really could.

Eyes darting between Jennie's straight back and Hoseok's slightly shaking shoulders, you shortly grit out, “Fine.”

And then, just when the door finally opens and you’re determining whether he’s an important enough employee to be missed very terribly, you catch sight of a tiny, amused smile of Jennie's face as she walks out of the lift first.

It throws you off enough to let Hoseok go without any lasting damage, only breaking out of your shock when you notice Hyejin walking towards you, annoyed look on her face. In a flash, you remember your promise to Tae. Hyejin must be kept happy and agreeable and susceptible. If not, you’re doomed to be the newest face of the VMin Experience (because it isn’t something as basic as a store). Tae just has to offer to pay for a couple more things and you’re a goner.

“Four fucking emails. The office isn’t even fully open yet and I have four codes to debug before lunch already. Fuck product rolling week.”

This is for Tae. This is so I don’t make a fool of myself on camera.

With as sweet a grin as you can muster, you reply, “Why don’t you send me half of them? I can finish it up for you.”

It doesn’t have quite the effect that you’re hoping for. Instead of simpering and agreeing and giving you one of her trademark million-watt smiles, full of gratitude and good cheer, all she does is narrow her eyes suspiciously.

“Why do I feel like you have some ulterior motive to this?”

“No! No ulterior motive, I promise. Just wanted to make things a bit simpler for you. Can I not want my closest friend to be relaxed?”

She regards you for a moment, beady eyed. Apparently deciding that you sound legitimate enough, she slowly takes out her phone and forwards two emails to you.

“Fine, but only because I’ve just been sent on a coffee run and Namjoon’s drink always takes too long to make.”

“Of course,” you reply, nodding genially as you hear a ping from your pocket. And then for good measure, you summon the lift for her, holding the door open as she steps in, smile plastered on until the doors shut on her sceptical eyes.

Tae : have u asked her yet

It’s been two minutes since we made this agreement.

Tae : so that’s a yes?

It’s an I’m-working-on-it. If you keep asking me every two minutes, I’m blocking you.

Tae : hope you aren’t planning on convincing hyejin with that sunny attitude

Fuck off.

You thank your cab driver as you exit the vehicle, watching with slight regret as he drives away. Might have been useful to have a getaway car.

Product rolling week is not, in fact, an entire week. It apparently runs only until Friday morning, after which all of you get a let-off, leading to a fake, watered down excuse of a three-day weekend.

And if it were up to you, right now on said Friday evening, you’d be curled up under covers after an early dinner (like 6 PM early), with a cup of tea and a good book, doing your damnedest to forget the just completed week from hell and mentally preparing for two, glorious, work-free days.

But no. You have no book with you. No blankets and pillows and no warm tea. All you have is Uber surge pricing and the building that you’re standing in front of that reads The VMin Experience on a small, wooden, obviously work-in-progress board.

You opt to watch from the outside for a bit, looking into the store through the glass. They’ve got two mannequins up already, one dressed in street fashion with a backwards snapback and the other in a whole ball gown, pearl string necklace included. It’s an experience, alright. Squinting, you can make out a wall that still has plastic wrap up and a ladder with a few stools, paint cartons on the floor. The store seems empty, but the message from Hyejin on your phone reads ‘COME TO THE BACK ROOM!!!’.

Casting one last, rueful look at the street, you sigh and push the door open, immediately hit by the smell of turpentine and varnish and general construction work. There are golden track lights fixed on beams from the ceiling illuminating a few naked mannequins on the floor and you pick your way through the newspapers to reach the door behind the payment counter.

The first thing you see is Jungkook speaking into his phone held in one hand and holding up an umbrella stand with the other. Then you notice Tae crouching, camera held up to his eyes, shutter clicking as he focuses away from you. You observe as Hyejin does her smoulder-smile-pout routine that fills her Instagram feed and shoot a quick thank you to the universe that she had agreed so easily to doing this shoot. There’s no way you could have done what she’s doing now without spontaneously combusting.

In the corner of the room, there’s a clothes rack pushed right up to the wall, filled with hangers and sample clothing that they’re modelling right now. You see it jiggle a bit and realise with a start that there’s somebody changing on the other side. And it doesn’t take a genius to realise who the somebody is.

At the sound of your shoes scuffing the floor, there’s a temporary halt in the proceedings as Tae turns around and says, “Oh, finally. Move that light a bit closer. This is a bitch to do alone and Jimin’s taking too long to change.”

You'd linger a bit longer on the offense that you’re feeling at being ordered about like this, but Jimin’s head pops up from behind the stands at that moment as he replies with a grunt, “This outfit has too many fucking layers, I’m stuck,” and suddenly, as you’re assaulted by a hint of his clavicle, the annoyed pout on his face and the disgruntlement in his eyes that morphs into happiness as he notices you, any and all displeasure you feel at Tae's tone flies right out the window.

You wave shakily in response, watching with a tinge of sadness as he disappears back down, only for Tae to huff and say, “Okay, Y/N, new plan. Go help Jimin with that outfit. I’m finished, Hyejin’s almost done. Just Jimin’s last shot and we can wrap up.”

You wonder what kind of expression you’re sporting at Tae's demand. Something between shock, fear and a weird, perverted, refusing-to-be-tamped-down sense of glee. Either way, you have no choice as he just goes back to photographing Hyejin, who slips right back in to model mode after giving you a big, cheery wave. Jungkook only fixes you with an apologetic sort of look as he continues to talk into his phone and move the umbrella the way he’s asked to.

He’s recently taken to dictating his novel instead of typing it out, and it’s led to you waking up at ungodly hours in the middle of the night on hearing Jungkook curse after stubbing his toe while pacing, talking into either his phone or his laptop. As a software professional, you’re glad. As somebody who quite enjoys sleeping, not so much.

When you hear another grunt from behind the clothes hanger, you’re forced into action, dropping your bag next to Jungkook’s work sling on the floor before calming your nerves with a deep breath and making your way towards the corner.

You stop right in front of the rack, gaze firmly fixed on an invisible point on the recently painted, smooth, grey wall, a few inches above your eye level. Teetering on the balls of your feet, you slowly ask, “Uh, Jimin? Do you need any help?”

Please say no, please say no, please say no. Don’t do this to me.

“Ugh, yes, please. That’d be great. You’ll have to come in through the clothes though, just move some hangers around.”

Thanks a fucking lot.

With another deep breath, you hesitantly pluck at the hanger right in front of you that’s holding a black, sequined jumpsuit that you’d probably think of buying if you hadn’t known that The VMin Experience has luxury brand pricing. Maybe if you take long enough, Jimin will be able to figure it out himself.

“Uh, Y/N? I can’t move my hands.”

No point in holding out for a hope then.

Internally sighing in acceptance of your fate, you push the hanger to the side so you can step in through the ensuing gap.

You’re greeted by the sight of your ex-best friend's naked, taut back, his arms stuck upright in a weird angle above his head, pale blue shirt stretched across his elbows and multiple white silk straps trailing out from it towards the floor.

You can’t look away from it, from the back of his neck to his shoulders, eyes trailing down until they reach the small of his back, centre of his tapering waist, and the moment you notice that he’s wearing tight, black, leather pants, you suddenly feel very warm. It’s a cramped space, and you’re covered on all sides by two walls and a tall, diagonally placed clothes rack, and the awareness that you’re so close to him, and that he’s hardly decently clothed, and that he has the prettiest fucking neck hits you like a truck loaded with arrow wielding baby cupids.

“Were you able to get in? I can’t tell, I’m afraid I’ll fall if I try turning around.”

His voice echoes in the closed space, making the privacy and proximity even more prominent, and it’s an effort to keep your voice from shaking with nerves and breathlessness as you reply, “Uh, yeah. Yeah, I’m here. How do you want me to help?”

“Let me just turn around, give me a second. I think a thread's caught on my finger, if you could just – Oh, fuck.”

It’s instinctive, how your arms shoot out in alarm as he nearly topples over in his attempt to shuffle around, your hands landing on his waist as you straighten him, helping him regain his balance. The moment he seems stable and not a second later, you tug your burning limbs back, memory of his soft, warm skin seemingly permanently embedded in your fingertips.

He can’t see you, a random flap on the front of the shirt hanging over his eyes, and it’s probably for the best given your wide eyed, terrified expression. There’s a flush beginning at the base of your neck and rapidly climbing up, and it distantly annoys you. It’s not like you’re the one who’s half-nude and momentarily blinded.

“Okay, so if you could just untangle that strap near my finger, I think it should be fine. I just need to be able to move my elbows.”

You stop staring at the tiny litter of moles on the right side of his waist with a start, rushing into action, belatedly and furiously realising that your mouth is open and likely has been ever since you entered this holy sanctum of inadvertent porn.

Taking a tiny step closer to his frame, you lightly stand on the balls of your feet so you can begin extracting him from the fabric. He stands silently, but this close, you can feel his steady breath on the side of your head as you deliberately concentrate on getting the shirt across his elbows. You try your hardest to not touch his skin, but it’s difficult when the cloth is this tangled, and at one point, your pinkie finger ends up twisted around his, and in a flash, you’re transported to a decade ago, when the two of you had linked fingers in his backyard and solemnly promised each other that neither of you would ever, ever kiss somebody, because kissing is disgusting and gives disease.

You feel a squeeze around your finger and you flinch. From behind his makeshift veil, you hear Jimin chuckle before softly saying, “I remember it too.”

Trembling, you give a tiny quirk of your lips that is, in theory, a grin, but probably more of a grimace in execution, before you hurriedly move on. You ignore his small hands, the bracelets on his wrist, his breathy giggle as your fingers accidentally brush against the inside of his elbow, the bumpy patch of mosquito bites on his shoulder as you undo the messy loops that the straps have managed to wind themselves into.

Before you can step away, the fabric falls, revealing his face and a relieved grin, teasingly, nerve-wrackingly close to your own.

You clear your throat, rapidly stepping away, looking anywhere but at him.

“Thanks, Y/N!” he says cheerily, tying the straps at the wrist together, as you obstinately refuse to drink in the perfect way the problematic outfit fits his body that you’ve seen entirely too much of.

“No problem,” you mumble, and you’re surprised yourself at how steady your voice comes out. “Anything else I can do for you here?”

A cheeky grin followed by, “Nothing, unless you want to watch me take my pants off.”

You chuckle along with him, blocking out any and all images that your mind is conjuring as you hurriedly step away from him, ducking out from under the hangers and reappearing on the much cooler, much larger and much more oxygen-rich other side.

As you move the light around the way Tae asks you to, absently looking at Hyejin finishing up and Jungkook closing his phone with a satisfied expression, you force yourself to relax, to slow your breathing, to ignore the rustle behind you as Jimin comes through and steps in front of the camera.

You can hardly hold a decent conversation with Jungkook and Hyejin as the three of you eat dinner together at a café nearby once the shoot is over, only supplying miscellaneous hmm's and haw's as they discuss the dance competition at BigHit. It’s a small, saving grace that ensures that Jimin and Tae stayed behind to do some decorating instead of joining you. You can’t imagine just how much more you can take of these annoying, bodily reactions every time Jimin even breathes in your general direction, and you refuse to analyse them now.

“Are you alright? You’ve been sort of quiet today,” Jungkook softly asks later as the two are walking home, streetlamps casting shadows in front of you.

“Fine,” you reply, waving away his concern. “Tired, that’s all.”

He doesn’t let up. “Hyejin said you were a bit jaded while leaving the office today morning. You’re sure you’re okay?”

You run with it. It’s easier than explaining that you haven’t been able to stop thinking about the half-naked form of the third best friend of your little group from elementary school. “Yeah, I had a bit of a headache. Long week.”

“Well, it’s over now!” he says cheerily, ever the optimist. “And there's dance class tomorrow, that should be fun.”

Not if it goes anything like last week’s class, when you met Jimin for the first time in more than a decade.

You manage a small smile and he takes it, probably thinking you’re still exhausted from work, turning back to face the pavement.

“Y/N.”

“Kook.”

“Y/N.”

With an annoyed huff, you let yourself fall onto the couch behind you as Jungkook promptly does the same. His phone is open in his hands, email from BigHit open on his screen. You hadn’t bothered to read the body after seeing the subject, but apparently, Jungkook wasn’t so dismissive.

“Come on, there’s prize money. Prize money. How is this not enticing you further?”

“I haven’t danced properly in four years, Kook. And that money’s only if you win.”

“So we'll practice! Remember how well we used to dance together in those high school showcases? And how much fun you used to have? Do you remember, Y/N? Do you remember what fun is?”

He gets a little intense by the end of it and you respond with a flick to his forehead, the most you can manage in your still sleepy, exhausted haze. Both of you are tired, him from class and you from the long, sleepless night you had spent tossing and turning and willing away flashing images of bare backs and white straps and stupid giggles and tiny fingers.

And Jungkook thinks he can convince you to participate in Boom along with him when you’re in this condition.

“Why can’t you ask Hyejin?”

Absently rubbing the tender spot on his forehead that your finger had satisfyingly connected with, he doesn’t let up, only fixing you with a pleading look that you’d be more susceptible to if you haven’t been on the receiving end of it a million times before.

“Hyejin’s going solo.”

“Oh, so I’m a last resort?”

He sputters and you watch, satisfied, thinking he'll give up now, but he’s nothing if not stubborn, only scrambling momentarily before he shoves his phone insistently in your face.

“How are you so sure we'll lose?” he demands. “And even if we do – don’t look at me like that, – it isn’t that big of a deal! It’ll be fun, please? Now that you have some free time and I’ve at least got a vague sense of where I want my book to go? The competition’s three weeks away, that’s a lot of time.”

You know you have no choice but to agree once he’s given his little speech. You’re teetering at the edge of a decision when he opens his mouth again, excited look on his face.

“And we'd probably end up bumping into Jimin more!”

Shields up, defensively, you ask, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Confused, he replies, “We haven’t spoken to him properly yet, yeah? And we’re all so busy during the week that we haven’t had a chance to catch up since we found out he’s back.”

Relaxing a bit, you say, “Oh! Oh, yeah. Yeah, okay. I’ll do it.”

But Jungkook doesn’t seem entirely convinced. A shrewd look overtakes his face, eyes narrowing in a suspicious expression that you’re not entirely fond of. Slowly, he asks, “Why? What did you think I meant?”

“Nothing! Anyway, I’m gonna go shower. We can start practice tomorrow and all my evenings are free next week!”

You ramble it all out in a rush, some unknown energy appearing as you jump off the couch and leave the room rapidly. Behind you, you can hear Jungkook mumbling in confusion, but pleased nonetheless as he registers both your names for the competition.

You wonder if you’ll be able to get through a single conversation ever about Jimin without your stomach erupting in dread and awkwardness and terrifying fear. And more importantly, you wonder how long you’ll be able to avoid it and how long you’ll be able to hide it from your shockingly perceptive roommate. When his head isn’t stuck inside the washing machine or under restaurant tables.

“Oh, it’s been too long since we did this last,” Hyejin says as she tops up your glass with some dollar store wine, setting the bottle on the centre table before she leans back on the couch, her own glass held precariously as she folds her pyjama clad legs under her, head propped up by an arm resting on the back as she faces you eagerly.

You respond with an agreeing nod as you take a sip of your second glass, cross-legged on the other end of her sofa.

“Now,” she begins, all business-like, and it immediately puts you on edge. “Are you going to tell me why you didn’t come for class today morning?”

Shrugging as nonchalantly as you can, you reply, “I over slept. Recovering from the week, I think.”

And from Jimin, a traitorous voice in your head adds. You impatiently shoo it away. You aren’t going to tell her that you woke up with your alarm, came as far as taking a shower and wearing your leggings, even began to pack your bag, before being faced by the possibility of meeting Jimin today. You can’t tell her that you chickened out at the last minute and when Jungkook knocked on your door, asking if you were ready to leave, you had faked a headache and decided to stay in. You can’t tell her that you’re avoiding your childhood best friend because he’s too fucking pretty and too fucking sweet and invokes too many bloody emotions in you that you prefer to circumvent, still not having registered them yourself.

She nods shortly, but her voice remains uncertain as she asks, “Are you sure? You did seem a bit shaken yesterday after the shoot yesterday.”

You wave away her questions dismissively. “Yes, yes, I’m fine, promise.”

She drops it, taking another slow sip. “Okay, if you’re sure.”

The two of you drink in silence for a bit, only sounds being the occasional slurp and the knocking of glass against teeth.

“Are you participating in Boom?”

Scowling, you reply, “I have been strong armed into doing so, yes.”

She grins at you over her glass as she takes a sip, “Jungkook asked me if I wanted to be his partner today. When I told him to just ask you, he got kinda squinty eyed. I think he knew you were going to put up a fight.”

Flattered about your reputation, you give a short, satisfied nod before you ask, “Is BigHit letting participants use their rooms for practice?”

“Oh, Taemin told us about all that today. All rooms are full on weekday evenings and weekend mornings. Every other time is free.”

You feel your stomach sink. You’ll be the first to admit that this wasn’t your preferred choice of activity for the next three relatively easy, work wise, weeks, but now that you’ve committed, you want to win, godammit.

She gives you a sympathetic grin, patting your knee. “I know, those are the only free slots we’ve got. But what're you gonna do?” she shrugs.

“We'll have to find a place. Maybe we'll just move around some furniture in the living room.”

Again, you both relapse into silence, thinking about how to make it work. Slowly, a tiny frown appears on Hyejin's face, the kind that she gets when she’s just thought of a possible way to get rid of an error in a code but isn’t sure if it'll work without fucking up some other section of the program.

“You could ask Tae and Jimin if you can use their shop,” she slowly says, looking at you unsurely.

Even as your heartbeat picks up, you fight to keep your face placid as she continues, “Like, I know it’s new and shit, and it’s their baby and all that, but it’s roomy enough. It isn’t like you’re both gonna go wreck the room by dancing. And that back room that we used last night for the shoot, that could work!”

She looks at you, waiting for an answer. You buy some time, contorting your expression in one of contemplation as you lean forward to refill your glass, but inside, you feel like you’re warring with yourself.

It’s a pretty good idea!

But Jimin.

They aren’t opening the shop for two more weeks!

But Jimin.

It’s not like they’re gonna say no!

But Jimin.

“I’ll talk to Jungkook about it,” you say, keeping your voice level, settling for the most diplomatic and inconspicuously evasive answer you can manage.

She nods, content with your reply as she leans back. You mindlessly make your way through your glass, once again, annoyingly, caught up with thoughts that don’t bear thinking about, when her downturned phone on the coffee table in front of the couch pings with an alert.

It’s always shocked you that you know somebody who doesn’t permanently keep their phone on silent or vibrate, but you can’t dwell on it for too long.

“Taehyung just sent me the photos from yesterday!”

Fuck.

Her excitement is infectious, though, as she clambers closer to you, grinning eagerly, phone tilted so you can see the screen loading. You place your glass on the table before leaning back comfortably, cushion on your lap and heart in your mouth. Best not to be holding delicate items when you see this.

Distantly, you wonder whether you can make a quick getaway, or come up with a believable excuse in such short notice. You had sort of envisioned yourself being alone when you saw Jimin's pictures. Last night, after the...emotional debacle, you had studiously not looked at him for the remainder of the shoot, only moving around the light when you were asked to, gaze stuck on the ground or trading funny expressions with Jungkook across the room. Your goodbye had been perfunctorily cordial, steps consciously measured as you walked out, skin burning at the memory of the hug he had left you with.

Are you excited to see Hyejin’s and Tae's photos? Yes.

Can the same be said of Jimin’s? Not out loud.

You shoot a quick prayer up, although you’re beginning to quickly lose whatever meagre amount of faith you once had, just as the screen finishes loading, tiny thumbnails appearing.

You squeeze your hand in a fist, preparing for the worst as Hyejin opens the top image. Irrational as it is, you curse Tae for putting Jimin’s photos first as you’re assaulted (blessed?) by the dancer looking somewhere to the left of the camera, body languidly, precisely positioned with all the elegance and strength that comes when he’s on stage, deliberately supercilious pout playing on his lips, eyebrow cocked in a challenge to whoever’s in the background.

Nothing big or official, my ass.

Photo after photo flashes in front of you as you take in his smug smirk in one, his hip jutting out sideways in another, his fingers partway through running them through his hair, him in the middle of a giggle that you can hear, eyes shining, dimple popping. Distantly, as you greedily drink in the white straps dripping from his outfit as he smoulders, looking like an ethereal dream, you realise that you don’t want the pictures to stop.

You don’t pay attention to how obvious you’re being until you feel a gentle tap on your shoulder, pulling you out of the map you’re tracing with your eyes along Jimin’s neck, and with a start, you notice that you’ve been looking at the same image for nearly half a minute.

You shut your mouth abruptly at the expression on Hyejin’s face as she looks at you, head tilted. The silence is heavy, pregnant as you try to find some way to get out of this mess.

“Y/N,” she slowly starts, caution in her voice as she lowers the phone before you can say anything.

Not meeting her eyes, you squeak out, “Yes?”

She doesn’t say anything at first, only surveying you with that same, scrutinising, unsettling expression as you carefully retrieve your half-full glass, everything on edge.

“Something you’d like to say?”

“No, not really.”

She just hums in response, bringing the phone back up to go to the next lot of photos, these of Tae. She drops the conversation there, but you’re under no allusions as to what she’s figured out and what she hasn’t. The faint blush on your cheeks should be indication enough, if your blatant ogling wasn’t. All she does is give you a gleeful, knowing look, one that’s full of significance and that reads ‘I know what this is about, but I won’t make you talk about it now because you look like you’re about to shit a brick,’ before she clears her throat and continues scrolling through the photos.

You’re apprehensive as you do the same, leaning back to your previous position and casting a dubious sideways glance at her, but all she does is roll her eyes and say, “You think too much.”

Real genius, that one.

Either way, you’re grateful she doesn’t bring it up then. Or later, when you’re both eating ramen out of the pot as Seinfeld plays on the television. Or even in the dark, when you’re both about to fall asleep, because the older you’ve gotten, the more you’ve begun to truly appreciate the sleep part of sleepovers. The next morning, as she’s waving you away at the door, the only indication she gives that she even remembers the conversation is a wink and a ‘Don’t worry.’

She should become a therapist, what with all her golden wisdom.

“Come again?”

Exasperated, you sigh before you obediently repeat, kicking your feet up on the counter and leaning back languidly on the rolling chair, “Jungkook’s late.”

Yoongi looks at you suspiciously as he repeatedly pokes your shin to get you to remove your shoes from his precious work station. “But Jungkook’s never late. That’s your thing.”

Scowling, you impatiently swat his hand away as you reply, “Yes, I know. But he got held up at work.”

He gives up, resigning himself to moving the needles away to keep them safe from your pivoting feet. “I keep telling him he should quit. What kind of company makes their employees stay this late on a Friday evening?”

“Luxury magazines for affluent readers,” you respond, your fingers up in air quotes. “Either way, if his novel does well, he’s out.”

Infuriatingly predictably, you had chickened out of asking Tae and Jimin about using their store for practice. And Jungkook hadn’t even thought about it, which was great. In fact, you hadn’t spoken to Jimin the entire week. You wouldn’t go so far as to say you had been avoiding him, but twice, when Jungkook had tried getting the three of you together ‘like the old times', you had lied about having office work, despite the fact that this had been the most relaxing week in your intern life so far.

The past four weeknights were spent in your new practice studio: the backroom in Yoongi’s tattoo parlour. You wouldn’t say it's the most ideal of spots for multiple reasons.

One of them being that every time you’re late (read: every evening so far), Jungkook and Yoongi have a jolly good time talking shit about you. You’d think your roommate and your brother would hold some amount of love and respect, but when you had entered the room on Monday evening at 7:15 PM, they were compiling a lovely list of Top Ten Times Y/N Has Embarrassed Herself In Public. And they didn’t even have the gall to seem sheepish. Jungkook had just looked at your scowl with an amused grin and Yoongi had said, “If you’re late tomorrow, we're going to make one for the number of times you’ve whined about something stupid.”

And then on Tuesday evening, when you had dawdled for too long around the corner, trying to decide between having dinner before or after practice (and eventually settling on skipping the meal entirely), you had entered the shop at 7:21 PM, only to see Jennie and Jungkook engaged in a wonderful conversation about God knows what, all smiles and ‘Nice to meet you!’s. You were stuttering through your customary, “Oh! Hel – hi!” with Jungkook snickering in the background when Yoongi came out from the back, tossed you the keys and told you to lock up, and then swept a very bemused Jennie out the front door.

Wednesday was fun, in that Yoongi was busy with a late appointment and you and Jungkook made some headway, but on Thursday, Hobi decided to sit in, so it ended up being two hours of ‘What are you doing with your hands?’ and ‘Make it look natural, guys,’ as he and Yoongi traded sips from the emergency whiskey flask that your brother keeps in the shop.

And now, 7:30 PM, Friday evening. Two weeks left for the competition and you and Jungkook have been getting on fairly well, better than you had anticipated. If only he'd show up.

You send him a message, deciding to call him if he doesn’t reply in the next ten minutes, when you hear a polite knock on the door. Confused, you look at Yoongi with a tilt of your head. Jin’s out of town, Hobi doesn’t knock and Jungkook sure as hell doesn’t knock. He looks just as bewildered as you, letting go of the tattoo pen he was in the process of arranging and slowly walking towards the door. A louder, more urgent knock comes and you let your feet fall on the floor with a thud as Yoongi hastens to open it.

You hear the voice before you see the owner, nearly falling off your chair as you make a clear path to the sofa at the end of the room as Jimin and Yoongi carry a clearly unconscious Jungkook to it, laying him down as you rush behind them, worriedly asking the newcomer, feelings be damned, “What happened?”

“I was passing by when I saw him walk into a pole and fall down,” Jimin replies.

You don’t want to laugh, you really don’t, but as Yoongi sprinkles some water on your dance partner’s face and he slowly begins to stir, you can’t stop a simultaneously relieved and disbelieving giggle from erupting.

“He what?” you ask, calming down enough to kneel down on the floor, next to Yoongi, and look in awe at your roommate, marveling at his stupidity.

Jimin shrugs as he explains, “He was looking at his phone and just sort of walked into the pole. I didn’t know where to take him, but I remembered you saying something about your brother having a tattoo parlour somewhere here and figured I’d try my luck.”

“He weighs a ton. How did you carry him?” Yoongi asks as he adjusts Jungkook so he isn’t in danger of falling off.

“It wasn’t easy,” he replies. “What does he eat?”

“Protein mostly,” you respond, as Jungkook finally opens his eyes. You imagine it must be quite an experience for somebody to come back to consciousness and see three half-amused half-concerned faces swimming above them, but Jungkook handles it admirably.

“Wazza?” he blearily asks, drool slipping out the side of his mouth as he struggles to sit up.

The three of you back away, Yoongi handing him a bottle of water.

“You’re in my place. You fell outside. Jimin got you here.”

Jungkook gulps some water as he tenderly presses at the faintly purpling bruise right at the centre of his forehead. “Oh, thanks. Did I look cool?”

Jimin winces before replying. “You walked into a metal pole, so I’d say no.”

If your roommate were a normal, sane man, he’d be upset on receiving this news. At least slightly embarrassed. Not that his line of questioning had indicated anything even remotely resembling intelligence, but you’d think that at this point, he’d make up. But on the contrary, his glazed eyes clear up and a gleeful look overtakes his face.

“Do you think he has a concussion,” you mutter out of the side of your mouth to Jimin, as Jungkook opens his mouth to say something.

The giggle you get in response should not make you feel like prancing around in a field of roses and calling all humans your best friends.

“I remember why I was distracted! I got it!”

“Got what, a disease?”

For somebody who was recently unconscious, he’s capable of a great stink eye. You’re vaguely impressed.

“I got the next scene. Where’s my phone?”

Jimin moves towards the couch, pulling Jungkook’s mobile out of his back pocket and handing it to him. “Maybe don’t type while walking on the road next time,” he grins as he takes a seat next to him.

You hadn’t noticed Yoongi leaving the room, but he walks back in now with a bottle of fruit juice, speaking as he makes his way to the couch that the three of you are now sitting on, Jungkook feverishly going through a word document in the middle.

“This reminds me of when you all would come over and sit for hours on the couch in front of the television at home. Mom would give you all the snacks and then send me to do a grocery run at that corner shop the moment you left,” he says, fond smile on his lips as he gives Jungkook the bottle.

In a trice, that’s where you are, ten years old, Jungkook sitting wide eyed as you quickly got bored and kept changing channels because ‘This is my house, so I get to decide what we’re watching,’ and Jimin giggling ever so often at the miscellaneous cartoons you skimmed through.

“Shit, that couch was the best,” present Jimin sighs as he leans back on the seat, you and Jungkook nodding in agreement.

It’s easier to think of him that way. As your best friend of eight years that you shared all the drama and excitement and blown-out-of-proportion, self obsessed sadness that came with infancy, adolescence and preteen years, who left right before middle school, cutting your trio down to two. Maybe if he had left later, it wouldn’t be so hard to navigate him now, but you were all too young to keep in touch, and school and extra curriculars took over and now, seeing him after all these years, he’s just lying in that sweet spot between achingly familiar and unsettlingly different.

You don’t realise you’ve zoned out until Yoongi asks, “Do you guys still need the place for practice tonight or can I lock up?”

“Oh, I saw that you two were paired together in the sign-up form! Is this where you’re practicing?”

“Yup,” Jungkook replies, making sure his juice bottle is out of your reach. He’s probably noticed you eyeing it like a cat about to pounce for the last few seconds. “Where are you and Taemin practicing? Do you get extra BigHit room privileges?”

Jimin sighs a little, disappointed frown on his face that you realise, with a start, you want to kiss away. And then, belatedly, you wonder why you’re even surprised any more. “We had to drop out. Taemin got too busy with organising the competition and by the time he told me, it was too late to sign up as a solo performer.”

You can tell he’s upset, but he does an admirable job covering it up, pouted lips morphing in a wide smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes as he continues, “But I’m super excited to watch you guys on stage, though!”

All intentions of grabbing Jungkook’s bottle when he’s distracted fly out the window at the sympathy you feel. If that day, when you saw him dance in that practice room, is any indication, it can’t be easy for him to sit back and watch others on a stage participating in a competition he can win with his eyes closed.

“Oh, that sucks, man,” Jungkook says as you wrack your brain for something that sounds a little less hollow and a little more comforting. You come up empty and offer a sympathetic grimace, but somehow, you think he understands what you’re trying to convey. Like that secret code the three of you had, where vowels were consonants and consonants were vowels and everything had to be written upside down except every fifth letter, italics optional but preferred. You had a lot of time on your hands.

“You can watch us practice, though, maybe. And help out? You used to be the best at choreography,” Jungkook says with a grin, blindsiding you with his request.

“I’d love that!” Jimin responds, and you feel a thrill at how he doesn’t fake modesty, at the hint of cockiness that comes through in his voice.

Perhaps it’s the fact that Jungkook's just woken and the bruise on his forehead is only slightly lessening, or maybe that Yoongi’s right there, still waiting to find out if he should close up shop now or not and that he’s always been perceptive, but you force yourself to calm down. So what if Jimin watches you dance? You both went for class together for years. No biggie. Not worth giving your roommate another bruise.

“Can you dance now? Or do you want to just go home and continue tomorrow?” you ask, clutching at straws.

“I think I can dance, I feel fine. Fruit juice was great,” Jungkook says, making to get up.

“Yeah, Jennie got it from one of those organic stores she shops in,” Yoongi replies, nasty turtle dove making a reappearance.

You’re about to gag, or very pointedly look away, but before you can so much as decide on your method of conveying disgust, Jungkook, in the process of standing up, folds in on himself, knees buckling as he lets out a pained grunt. You, Jimin and Yoongi act on impulse, arms jerking out and catching him before he can fall, eyes wide with surprise and concern.

He settles back in his previous position and gingerly bends down, experimentally twisting his right ankle and hissing out a pained ‘Fuck.’

“I think it’s a sprain,” he winces, slowly moving it forward until another distressed flinch casts a shadow over his face.

Jimin bites his lip worriedly on Jungkook’s other side and you watch Yoongi help him slowly take off his shoes with a grimace.

“Y/N, there’s an ice pack in the mini fridge in my office.”

You don’t let him continue, only nodding as you swiftly rise after casting another anxious look at Jungkook, who’s looking everywhere but at his leg.

On your return, you see him lying face down on the couch, right foot propped over one arm rest as Yoongi says, “He must have fallen at a weird angle. It only seems like a sprain, but I don’t think he should dance.”

Jimin looks impressed as he watches Yoongi expertly place the ice pack in position and Jungkook huffs in simultaneous relief and disappointment.

“A million basketball injuries will do that to you,” you reply in answer to Jimin’s unasked question.

“What about the competition?” Jungkook whines.

You’re surprised to find the tinge of disappointment when you shrug and say, “We'll have to drop out. I’ll let Taemin know in class tomorrow and tell him to take us off the list.”

“But the choreography!”

Jimin steadies him as Jungkook slowly sits up, adjusting so he’s holding the ice pack, scandalised expression on his face as he looks at your drooped shoulders.

“Nothing we can do about it. Maybe we’ll try again next year.”

And then he gets that look. That expression that indicates that he’s thinking of an idea that’s good for him but sucky for you. Slowly, he swivels his head towards a confused Jimin sitting next to him before moving towards you, eyebrows scrunched, deep in thought. You can practically see the gears shifting in his head.

Warily, you ask, “Kook?”

His eyes are still narrowed and moving, but the frown slowly morphs into a small smile as he distractedly, instinctively replies to your question. “Yeah, what’s up?”

“Is there...is there something on my face?” Jimin enquires, slowly backing away on the couch.

Only the cutest fucking pout I’ve ever seen in my life, your brain unhelpfully supplies.

Jungkook doesn’t directly answer, but finally begins to explain why he looks like an automated form of The Thinker, his grin slowly growing. “You guys could do it together.”

“Do what?” Jimin asks.

It, your permanently horny inner voice replies.

Out loud, you ask, “Kook, what are you talking about?”

“You guys can go for the competition together! Jimin can be your partner instead of me.”

“Absolutely not.”

“I don’t mind.”

You turn your determined, closed off face to Jimin’s calmly curious expression in astonishment.

“What?” you demand.

“I don’t mind,” he repeats, shrugging but cautious at your unexpected vehemence. “If you still want to perform and need a partner, I’d love to step in.”

Jungkook claps in glee as you continue staring, mouth opening and closing like a fish, but no sound coming out.

“Then it's settled!” he says before a shrewd expression overtakes his face, single eyebrow cocked as he looks at you with challenge in his eyes. “Unless...Y/N has objections?”

You’re caught facing the barrel of a loaded gun, Yoongi behind you, obviously already intrigued by your uncharacteristically passionate reaction, Jimin on the couch, pleasant smile playing on his face, eager with the thought of being given a chance to perform but not wanting to guilt you into anything and Jungkook, big brain Jungkook, disaster child Jungkook, waiting for you to make your decision. As soon as you see the small glint in his eyes, a niggling doubt emerges in your head about whether he’s managed to figure out your feelings before you’ve even accepted them yourself.

With an internal sigh, you plaster on a smile and reply, “Nope. No objections.”

Jungkook’s face clears, a brief flash of victory in his eyes before he beckons you closer, holding his right arm out for you to sling over your shoulder as he stands up.

Jimin gives you a satisfied grin, chuckling and taking your stupid roommate’s other arm as you nearly buckle under the weight.

“Thanks for taking care of me, Yoongi! How you and Y/N share the same blood, I’ll never know.”

Yoongi snickers, “You and me both, dude. Try not to put too much weight on your foot!”

And if you give a small pinch to the side of Jungkook’s waist where your hand is resting, that’s your business (and your satisfaction when you feel him flinch).

“Do you need any help getting him home?” Jimin asks as the three of you wait outside the building under the dark sky waiting for the cab to arrive.

You’re still reeling from the developments of the last few minutes, head terrified but heart perversely gleeful, and you don’t look directly at him when you reply, opting instead to direct your gaze at the little black dot on the map on your phone that indicates where the car is. “No, I can manage, thank you.”

Once Jungkook’s safely inside the car, Jimin doesn’t let you immediately follow suit, stopping you with a smile outside your roommate’s closed door before you can round the vehicle.

His body isn’t too close, but in your head, you run through the choreography that the two of you will be doing, and you know that that’s going to be far from true over the next two weeks.

“Hey, are you alright? You don’t have to dance with me if you don’t want to. You seemed a bit uncomfortable back there, when Kook suggested it.” He looks sheepish almost, but understanding, palm coming up to rub nervously at the back of his neck and other hand inside the pocket of his black jeans.

As he slightly rocks forward and back, you want to grab his face, bring them down to your level, look him the eye and tell him, equally stern and emotional, that he has occupied so much of your mind for the last week and that if there’s anybody here who should be unsure about this, it’s him.

You clear your throat under his light gaze before you reply, confidently as you can, “I was just thrown by the change of plans. I’d love to dance with you, honestly. I still think about that day we first met- well, met again- when you were practicing and how I’ve never seen anybody dance like that before.”

You’re as surprised by he is at the confession, immediately wanting to backtrack, but you don’t have the opportunity. A faint blush emerges on his cheeks as he looks away from your gaze, eyes crinkling in an embarrassed grin.

“Ah, Y/N,” he honest to God whines before taking a few deep calming breaths. You watch in fascination as all this unravels, drinking in this new Jimin. Fondly, before you can intercept it, the thought enters- you want to see just how many sides he has, want to experience them and revel in them.

“Thank you,” he mumbles with a small smile.

You can’t help but smile back, and the two of you are left grinning softly like a pair of fools at each other until a smart rap sounds on the window right next to you, making you startle into awareness.

Both of you turn to the car and see Jungkook peering through the glass with an expectant look on his face. ‘Are you coming?’ he mouths.

Flustered, you nod and give Jimin a small wave before going around him and entering the vehicle from the other side.

You’re too preoccupied to notice Jungkook staring at you, same shrewd look as last Saturday on his face, but when he lets out a soft ‘Ahem,’ you turn your head to look at him.

His expression is closed, and hardly clear as his face only gets illuminated passingly by the occasional streetlight, but his tone leaves no room for doubt when he says, lips quirking upwards in a small, teasing grin, “If you keep smiling like that when you’re talking to him, somebody could get the wrong idea.”

Maybe it’s the fact that it’s the end of the week and you’re too tired for confrontation, or that your roommate has a sprained ankle and you don’t want to cause him any more grief, or that you’ve finally accepted the state of affairs, but you don’t resort to your knee-jerk reaction of denial.

With a small sigh, you softly reply, not making much sense when taken in context of the conversation but conveying everything that needs to be conveyed either way, “Yeah.”

He looks surprised at your response, probably expecting a huff and an ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ but says nothing, just smiling at you kindly as you let your head fall on his shoulder.

“We can go to the doctor tomorrow morning and get your ankle checked, skip dance class,” you mumble as you watch the street ahead of you sideways, fingers absently fiddling with the strap of Jungkook’s bag in your lap.

He hums in reply, and you appreciate the silence, grateful that he knows you well enough to not bombard you right now.

Jimin (Do Not Interact) : Hey, this is Jimin! Park Jimin. Uhhh Chimmy Jimin. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that the shipments to the shop are a little delayed so we can practice in the backroom. It’ll be a bigger space than Yoongi's studio. I’m always here so let me know when we can start :D

You read and reread the message that was sent an hour ago, absently chewing your thumb nail.

“You do that a lot.”

“Do what?” you mumble, running through all the possibilities in your head.

Chuckling, Hoseok replies while shifting gears, “Look at your phone all worried. You’ve started a bit early today, though. And it’s still Monday. Bad weekend?”

Sighing, you reply, “Not particularly. Just...worried.”

“Anything I can help with?” he asks, patiently curious.

You flash back to ten years ago when Hoseok used to give you snacks whenever you accidentally (read: not) entered whichever room your brother and his friends were holed up in, kind, cheerful smile on his face as you shyly took whatever sweet treat you were being given that day before sprinting out of the room.

Taking a deep breath, already in awe at what you’re about to do, you tilt your phone towards him as he slows down at a signal.

He peers at the screen, looks up at you with a confused expression, and reads the message again.

“Is there something I’m missing?” he asks, as the light turns green and he starts the car again.

“First of all, why is he texting sense at 8 o' clock in the morning?”

“Y/N, have you ever considered the existence of people who enjoy waking up early?”

“Bet you’re one of them,” you huff.

He snorts before waving his hand in ‘Go on' gesture.

“Why is he sending smileys? What’s he so happy about?”

“Jesus Christ, he's just being nice, dude. How are you overthinking an emoticon? It isn’t even an emoji – are you blushing?”

“No, I’m not,” you say loudly, fighting through the unplanned flush on your face. Stupid smiley.

Your companion laughs as he sputters, “Okay, but I have a few questions myself.”

At your haughty nod after you’ve taken a few calming breaths, he continues, “Did he really think you wouldn’t remember him when you, very obviously, have a big, fat crush on him? Chimmy Jimin?”

“Stop,” you whine. In an undertone, you add, “That’s what I used to call him when we were kids. And it isn’t a crush.”

You’ve never been happier to see the office park.

“Are you going to reply?” Hobi asks, pulling into the mostly empty car park. “You know, because you’ve saved his name with ‘Do Not Interact'?”

You roll your eyes even as you know that your thumbs have been hovering over the keypad for the greater part of the last hour. “I will. Soon.”

“You literally just have to say yes or no. I’ll dictate it for you if you want. Yes Chimmy, I love you so much or No Chimmy, I love you so much.”

“Shut up,” you say, glaring at him as he laughs, thoroughly amused by himself. You both get your bags from the back, making your way into the building, text still open in your hand.

You’ve been staring at it for so long, that at first, you think you’ve imagined the green dot next to his name.

“Fuck, he's online,” you mutter in front of the lifts as Hobi giggles at your worried expression.

“Dude, just say yes or no, it isn’t a big deal.”

With a deep breath, trying to calm yourself, you slowly begin to type.

Sure, that’s a great idea! How does 6 PM today evening work for you?

“Perfect,” Hobi says, holding up three fingers in an OK sign when you tilt your screen towards him for approval.

“Smiley face?” you tentatively ask.

“It'd be accurate, you’re definitely happy."

You settle for a :) so it’s low-key before hitting send and immediately shoving your phone into your pocket, shaking your head to clear it for work.

“At the rate you’re going, you’ll have no nail left.”

“I am not entirely opposed to the idea.”

From the back of the car, Jungkook lets out a disgusted ‘Ew' even as he continues scrolling through his phone, absently biting his own index nail.

“Are you excited?”

“To get this over with? Yeah.”

Jungkook scoffs from the back. “There’s that charming Y/N optimism.”

“Don’t fight, children,” Hyejin says pacifyingly from her place behind the wheel. “We can tease her when she’s being a mess around Jimin.”

You scowl but have no comeback, because you can’t find the lie. In the backseat, Jungkook rubs his hands together like an evil fly.

“If I didn’t know that you’re perfectly capable of doing something as stupid as walking into a pole, I would’ve thought you set this up on purpose.”

He looks wounded at your comment, holding up a dramatic hand to place over his heart.

“We're here!” Hyejin calls out before any more confrontation happens, pulling up next to the curb.

“Thanks for coming along,” you sigh as you unbuckle your seatbelt, opting to leave your office bag in the car and only carrying your phone and water bottle.

Before Hyejin can reply, because obviously, the gratitude was aimed at her, Jungkook says, “No problem!”

You’re sure to gently jostle him a little as you loop his arm over your shoulder, helping him out of the car as you deadpan, “I was talking about Hyejin, fool. You practically begged to come along.”

He clicks his tongue in admonishment. “Is that any way to treat your injured best friend? After everything I’ve done for you?”

The eye roll is instinctive, but the banter serves to loosen you up a bit, weirdly calming down the butterflies in your stomach. Jungkook staying at home the entire day and not being allowed to work out means a lot of unspent energy, and you have no doubt that he’s going to be in full exuberance for the rest of the evening, at least until the painkillers kick in. You? You’d rather be anywhere but here, waiting for Hyejin to lock the car outside The VMin Experience at 5:55 PM, straight from work for dance practice with your...friend.

And if you’d prefer to spend your utopian free time scrolling through said friend's Instagram feed, that’s between you and God and your phone battery percentage.

“No thanks needed, I’m very excited to observe your reactions now that I have some background information,” Hyejin says gaily, sharing a beaming grin with Jungkook.

She pushes open the door as you let out a long, drawn out sigh and resist the urge to drop your roommate’s ass then and there when he theatrically whispers, “Happy face, Y/N. Happy face.”

                           ________________________________

“You good?” Jimin asks, only faintly panting, a single drop of sweat running down the side of his neck as he watches you, your hands clutching at the slowly forming stitch on your hip.

“Pe- Peachy,” you reply with a weak smile, gulping for air. Your legs feel like they’re gonna give out at any moment and even with the central cooling in the room, you could really go for an ice bath.

You bend at the waist, bracing your palms on your slightly bent knees. A bottle of water appears in your line of vision and you look up to see a kindly grinning Jimin.

“Let’s take a break, yeah? Five minutes,” he says, giving you a short, and what is probably meant to be comforting, pat on your back, but only serves to drag out the ongoing process of your heart calming down.

You’d think, after nearly an hour and a half of having his hands on your waist, fingers tracing your neck, palms closing around yours and the both of you moving together, you wouldn’t continue having all these physical reactions to a mere skim of skin over your clothed spine, but when has your body ever had a logical response to Jimin’s presence in the last few weeks?

Your breath slows down as you walk slowly around the room, looking at Jimin perfecting a step out of the corner of your eye. In the corner, Hyejin's subconsciously mirroring the dance as she shoots you a grin and a thumbs up. Your eyes sluggishly move to Jungkook, who looks like his painkillers have just kicked in, his eyes fighting to stay open even as he has an amused smile on his face.

The first thirty minutes had consisted of Jungkook teaching Jimin his steps with you as a prop, which basically meant you were passed back and forth as Jungkook explained as well as he could on one leg and Jimin caught on incredibly fast. It had been shockingly simple to dance with him, to let your body move with his and dip and soar step after step as he flawlessly executed the movements after watching Jungkook just once or twice.

You had nearly gotten caught staring at the furrow in his eyebrow as he concentrated, a similar pout on your lips as you yearned to lean up and smooth it out, but Jungkook had been too preoccupied to comment and you gave yourself a good, strong pep talk to focus.

And now it’s nearing 8 PM and you’ve just completed the first proper run-through, your body burning and your nerves hyper aware but so satisfied at the completion of a smooth rehearsal. In some weird, twisted way, it’s easy to not pay attention to the nervous, frazzled, constantly overthinking voices about Jimin in your head when you’re dancing with him.

Feeling a little calmer, you turn back around while gulping some water and see Jimin gathering his hair off his forehead and tying it up in a small ponytail, shorter strands falling out and hanging as wisps.

“Ready?” he asks with a grin, hand held out in your direction when he sees that you’re looking at him.

You swallow with difficulty and try not to be too transparent about the effect this new hairstyle is having on you as you muster a smile and nod, placing your palm in his, fingers only twitching slightly.

Hyejin stifles a short giggle, morphing it into a cough as you shoot her a sharp look before she restarts the track on the phone.

The piano intro begins, build up in the song already evident as Jimin pulls you close for the start position. You let the music wash over you, anchoring yourself in the sound and running through the steps in your head. Steeling your nerves, you meet Jimin’s eyes as you straighten your back, finding them twinkling in anticipation and unwavering concentration, gaze boring deep into yours as you both begin the routine again.

The rain is starting to come down heavier as you huddle close to the wall of the security cabin, trying to fit as much of your body as you can under the awning. Your laptop bag is secure in your arms as you use it to cover your chest, trying to receive some kind of warmth against the wind that’s picking up pace.

With a sigh, you unlock your phone for the fifth time in two minutes, checking if Tae’s given you his ETA. On seeing no new messages or missed calls, you close it again and let out a low groan.

A particularly strong gust of wind makes you shiver as you idly curse at your own stupidity for not checking the time while debugging the latest code you had been assigned and ending up leaving this late. If Hobi had come to the office today, he would have made sure you left on time, probably annoyed you into it as he played his stupid, TikTok songs playlist next to your desk until you agreed.

But he’s sick and you had spent twenty minutes sitting through awfully cheery morning radio in your Uber in the morning, too scared to request the driver to change it. And now, you’re standing outside the office building in the dark, waiting for Tae to come pick you up because no cabs are available.

The last message on your phone from him reads leaving in five! and that was sent fifteen minutes ago. You’re too caught up in trying to calculate what that means, time and math-wise, that you only realise that your boss’s car has drawn to a stop in front of you when the passenger seat window is rolled down and her concerned face appears, leaning over from behind the wheel.

You immediately straighten up from the wall, absently shivering against the droplets that hit your face and arms as you politely smile. Apparently, you weren’t the last one to leave.

“Get in!” she shouts to be heard over the sound of the rain, and at this point, you’re too cold and miserable to disobey. You transfer your bag and phone to one hand, pulling the door open and sliding in as gracefully as you can when your eyes are shut and your head is ducked to avoid the rain you’re momentarily exposed to. Which isn’t very graceful at all.

You nearly moan at the warmth inside the car, immediately feeling yourself getting less cranky.

“How come you’re leaving so late?” Jennie asks, moving the car so she can stop it against the curb before turning up the heat a little more when she notices you slightly shivering still.

“I was debugging something and lost track of time,” you say with a wince.

She nods in understanding, the light of the streetlamp casting a shine on her long, straight black hair as she pushes her glasses up.

“You have a ride back home? I noticed that you and Hoseok carpool but he didn’t come in to work today.”

“Yeah, my friend’s coming to pick me up. He should be here…sometime soon, hopefully.”

“I’ll wait with you,” she says. “I don’t want you falling sick, too.”

You accept with a grateful nod, more than willing to spend the next few minutes inside here rather than out in the rain.

Maybe it’s the fact that it’s a Thursday evening (night) and you’re going through the crushing, midweek existential crisis you’re prey to; or that the rain outside is getting heavier, small flashes of lightning indicating a larger incoming storm and you’re glad to have some kind of shelter; or maybe even that there’s a satisfying sort of soreness to your limbs from the now regular dancing, not painful but just present enough for you to feel content that you’ve done something, but the regular awkwardness seems practically non-existent.

Jennie doesn’t say anything, just quietly observes the rain from her seat, placid smile on her face like she’s been sheltering cold, helpless interns since she was four years old, and you feel no inclination to break the comforting silence, preferring to rub your palms in front of the heater vents, letting them warm up.

Until your phone begins to vibrate on your lap, caller ID reading Tae.

Eagerly, you accept the call, putting the phone to your ear. As fun as hiding out in your boss's car is, nothing sounds better than your bed and some pillows and a warm blanket.

“Talk to me,” you say immediately, anticipating good news.

There’s static for a while and you hear some talking in the background, something about boxes and back rooms before Tae's voice comes clear.

“There’s been a change of plans,” he starts, and you note with slight concern that there’s no sound of a running engine or rain on his end.

Warily, you ask, “What do you mean?”

A door closes in the background and now you can hear him easier, like he’s gone to a quiet place.

“A shipment got delivered early and since it was in my name, I couldn’t leave the shop.”

You feel your heart sink at his words, knowing from prior experience that it could take up to an hour for him to make it. In the suddenly deafening quiet of the car, his tinny voice through your phone rings clearly and you have no doubt Jennie heard. To her credit, she pretends to have not been paying attention, only continuing to look out of the window.

“Can you still make it?” you ask, cursing the day you and Jungkook decided to buy that washing machine that ate into your savings so much that you haven’t been able to purchase your own car.

He makes a soothing hum before replying, slowly and then all at once, “No, but Jimin is coming to get you and he should be there in five minutes tops.”

And now, in a rush, you’re seized up, unable to say anything except a tiny ‘Okay,’ in a voice that suggests that it isn’t really okay at all, if Tae's low chuckle is anything to go by.

It’s all fun and games having that rose-tinted feeling of liking somebody and being able to spend time with them and really embracing those giddy butterflies in your stomach every time you’re both in the same room, but when push comes to shove and you have to spend an extended period of time alone together without the buffer of music and the purpose of dance, you can think of few things more intimidating.

At your small tone, Tae replies, putting you more on edge, “Don’t worry, you don’t have to engage, he's pretty tired too.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? I don’t mind engaging with him,” you respond, probably too defensive to seem convincing and too rushed to mask your knee-jerk panicked reaction.

He doesn’t give you a straight answer, and even though you can’t see him, you know his palm is held up in a pacifying gesture. “I’m just saying, when you like somebody, you tend to avoid one-on-one interaction with them which isn’t exactly conducive for fostering romance.”

“Fucking hell, does everybody know?” you groan as your head hits the back of the seat with a dull thud, momentarily forgetting about where you are and whom you’re with.

“Everybody except Jimin!” Tae replies cheerfully. In the background, you hear somebody asking for him.

You have no valid reply, only uttering a soft ‘Okay, bye,’ when Tae signs off by saying, “Okay, I have to go now. He’s coming in my car and should be there soon. Text me when you get home!”

Hanging up, you sigh, turning around to face Jennie who’s looking at you with a concerned expression.

“All good?”

Resisting the urge to bite your fingernails as you’re wont to do in high pressure, nervously anticipatory situations like this, you muster a weak smile and reply, “Yeah, everything’s fine. He should be here in a bit.”

She nods, accepting your half-baked response without question.

At that moment, through the sheets of rain, you see a familiar silver sedan pulling up on the opposite side of the road. Squinting, you read the number plate, and once you’ve deduced that it is, in fact, Tae's, you turn to Jennie and say, “That’s him. Thank you for waiting with me.”

She waves away your gratitude with a small smile, but stops you when you’re about to push open the door with a clearing of her throat.

Gentle but insistently, she slowly says, “From one woman to another, if you want something, you should go for it. Don’t hang around being scared or waiting for something to happen.”

So she did hear after all.

You don’t know what to make of it, don’t have any reply to her statement that won’t sound silly, can’t figure out a way to convey that yes, you agree with her one hundred percent, but this situation is different.

Your phone vibrates and you see the caller ID.

Jimin (Interact Only For Practice)

The headlights in the car opposite are blinking on and off, probably to signal to you that he’s arrived in case you don’t pick up your phone and you’re saved the bother of a reply by Jennie smiling kindly at your half-pleading half-flabbergasted expression and saying, “He's waiting for you."

With a gulp, you can do nothing but nod and stutter out another ‘Th-Thanks,’ before you push the door open and jog to the other side of the road towards your ride.

                                   _____________________________

“Here, I thought you might need this.”

There’s a sweatshirt placed on your lap, something soft, warm and as far as you can make out in the dim lighting of the car, black.

He does look tired, faint bags under his eyes that are missing their regular sparkle. He gives you a small smile, though, as he jerks his head in the direction of the fabric he’s set down on your thighs.

“You look cold. Do you want me to turn up the heat?” he asks, slightly husky voice, all kindness. You might not be particularly fond of water at the moment, given that it’s dripping from your hair and making your clothes stick uncomfortably to your skin, but given the chance, you’d drown in his voice right now.

“No, it’s perfect. Thanks for coming,” you reply, looking away under the pretense of tugging the hoodie over your head, unable to stare at him without needing to combust any longer.

It isn’t too big for you, just hanging a little bit off of your frame, but it engulfs you perfectly, immediately making you feel cozy and warm.

He starts the car, the bracelets on his arm jiggling lightly as he pushes it into gear. “No problem, really. I don’t mind helping out. Especially if it means you don’t end up staying in the rain and catching a cold.”

An easy smile accompanies his words, and you can only mumble something unintelligible in response, simultaneously flattered, shy and annoyed that you’re feeling.

A comfortable silence settles for an indeterminate period of time. It can’t be more than five minutes, but it feels like much longer before you muster up enough courage to ask, “How are things going at the shop? Everything running on schedule?”

“Yeah, more or less. Hectic, though. Nobody told us it would be this much work.”

There’s no bite in his words, just a mix of passive regret and satisfaction at taking up such a large project and seeing it go through.

“I can tell,” you reply, trying to be supportive. “Tae doesn’t send me as many cat videos as he used to anymore.”

The laugh that you get in response puts angels to shame, and you’re not sure you quite manage to keep the sappy fondness out of your expression when you take in the more relaxed droop in his shoulders and the smoothening of his face, at least a fraction of his regular happiness making a return.

“I actually wanted to talk to you about that,” he starts, the atmosphere in the car a little lighter and easier now, thanks to your stellar comedic timing.

“About Tae's cat videos?”

He shoots you a grin as he replies teasingly, “Maybe later. I was talking about the store opening.”

“Has there been a change of date? Last I checked, it was scheduled for Friday, the 17th.”

“It still is. But Boom is on the 18th, so any last minute run-throughs we'll have to get done in the next six days.”

You nod, thoughtfully. “I think we can make that work. We’re in a pretty good position.”

“We work well together,” he says, agreeing, probably not realising that his statement has just sent every nerve ending you have on high alert, shocking you out of that false sense of security you’ve been cocooned in for most of the conversation so far.

You mumble a slow ‘Yeah,’ as he absentmindedly pulls into your road, slowing down as he reaches the apartment.

Whatever ease you were feeling earlier has flown out the window, and now you want nothing more than to leave.

“Thanks for the ride! Oh, let me give you your hoodie bac-"

“Keep it.”

You look up from his hand atop yours, stilling your fingers in their momentarily abandoned mission at the side of your hip, his palm settling atop your fisted knuckles that have fabric twisted in them.

It’s like time’s paused as you see his kind smile, feel the warmth of his hand and the chill of the tips of his fingers that are almost cupping yours.

Swallowing when he makes no attempt to move them, just looking at you half-warning and half-gentle, like he’s daring you to return his sweatshirt when you’re still cold and wet and obviously need it for the walk up to the front door, you softly ask, partly whispering, though you’re not sure why, “Are you sure?”

He doesn’t break eye contact, just gently giving your hand a reassuring squeeze before releasing it, fingers curling around the wheel once more as he replies, “Yeah, you can return it at our next practice session.”

“Okay,” you mumble, nodding unconsciously and lifting your bag from the floor of the car as if in a dream, waving goodbye hazily until you’re taking the stairs up to your floor.

You unlock the door, and the moment it shuts behind you, you’re turning around and letting your body sag against it, slumped with your bag in one hand and the keys limp in the other.

You distantly hear Jungkook calling out from the living room, his voice getting louder as he limps towards you.

“Y/N, is that you?”

You don’t have it in you to reply, only grunting as you face his approaching form absently.

“Whose jacket is that?”

Fuck.

“Wow.”

You nod, mouth open as you stop next to a similarly gaping Jungkook, frozen in front of the newly unveiled storefront.

The sound of your cab driving away goes unnoticed as you both take in the transformation from the last time you had been here, nearly a week ago.

Since the shop had finally gotten too crowded with items and display pieces, and the storeroom actually had things to be stored, you and Jimin had moved your practices back to your living room with all the furniture (a grand total of one couch and a coffee table) pushed right up to the wall. Consequentially, you haven’t seen the shop in little more than a week.

The cheap plastic board that had been there earlier is now a sleek black and silver plaque with The VMin Experience written on it in that clean, classy, elongated font. From the outside, the freshly wiped glass windows give a direct view into lit up display mannequins clothed in designs. Even at ten in the morning, everything looks sophisticated and chic. There’s a small signboard hanging from the door handle that reads ‘OPENING TODAY!’ right above the PULL sticker.

“Do you think Tae will give us a discount?” you ask, as you take in the pastel pink blazer that the mannequin on the right is wearing.

You aren’t even remotely surprised when your roommate slash the devil incarnate nudges you in the ribs with his elbow and says, grin evident in his voice even if you aren’t looking at him, “I think you’ll have better luck with Jimin.”

After Jimin had dropped you off that night and you had stumbled up to the apartment all in a tizzy, Jungkook had questioned you extensively and didn’t even have the gall to hide his amusement at your retelling. Since then, he’s taken to dropping some very unsubtle hints like leaving post-its around the house with winky faces, which is very unsettling, and always making his SIMS characters kiss whenever you happen to be around.

Mercifully, he hadn’t been too unsufferable whenever Jimin came over for practice, probably realising that it was in his best interests to not antagonise you that much.

And you? You’ve been avoiding everything that even vaguely resembles romantic emotion as staunchly and stubbornly as a mule. God and your phone battery and your browser history (that includes but is not limited to Google searches like crush songs and how to stop thinking, and multiple BuzzFeed articles about zodiac compatibility and quizzes along the general lines of Tell Us Your Favourite Disney Movies And We’ll Tell You If Your Crush Likes You Back, combined with excessive usage of your notes app) might disagree, but that’s nobody’s business.

Especially not Jungkook’s, even if he did hear you singing bubble pop in the shower once.

“After you,” he says, completely ignoring your eye roll and letting you go in front of him, more to avoid the barrage of instructions that you’re both going to be on the receiving end of the moment you step into the store, than any real goodness of his heart.

You flick him half-heartedly on the arm before pulling the door open, immediately assaulted by the smell of fresh items and air conditioning. And something like lavender?

“Oh, good, you’re both here. Could you move that rack a bit to the left?”

You and Jungkook just exchange a short, amused look before obediently moving to opposite sides of the indicated shelf with hangers of clothes and moving it, as directed, a bit to the left.

Taehyung looks uncharacteristically nervous, his usually impeccably trim nails bitten at the edges and a frazzled look on his regularly smooth, bored face, and when the two of you turn to him, ready to receive more directions, he’s in the middle of trying to shift a stand that’s very clearly bolted to the floor.

“Uh, Tae? All good there, buddy?”

You know Jungkook’s talking in that corny voice, calling his friend the superior term of platonic endearment to get him to crack a grin, and it’s worked in the past, but all Tae does now is grunt as he tries harder to push the stubborn stand.

He’s dressed casually in a loose, black and gold button-up shirt tucked into tight, black pants, looking for all he’s worth like a rich patron of a modern art museum or a front row invitee to a global fashion week, but under the lights and with the fancy clothes all around and the sheer aura of expensiveness radiating from every surface of the shop, he fits right in. Apart from the annoyed curl of his lips as he continues his attempt to move a non-budging, nailed down shelf.

An irresistible force against an immovable object, if you will.

Slowly, you and Jungkook approach him, like you’re about to pacify a tantrum throwing toddler.

Hesitantly, you place a palm on his tense shoulder, right as he realises that the stand is attached and lets out an anguished groan.

“Is something wrong?” you ask slowly, when he makes no move to shake your hand off.

He exhales harshly, jaw clenched as he gathers himself before taking a deep breath in.

The verbal reply to your question comes from behind all of you, as Jimin enters the main shop floor from the back room, partway through rolling up the full-length sleeves of his shirt. Your throat goes dry as you take in his formal pants, distantly aware that Taehyung is wearing literally the same thing but had hardly evoked more than a vague sense of appreciation from you.

“He’s been like this all morning,” Jimin says, continuing to make his way closer, looking up for just a second to shoot an amused smile before he goes back to concentrating on rolling his sleeve neatly with one hand.

You don’t know what possesses you to do it, but as you’re looking at his arms twist in his struggle to make it look artfully messy, you blurt out, “Do you need help?”

He gratefully nods, giving up and extending his right arm out to you as he continues, “He wants, and I quote, everything to be so perfect that it puts Hallmark films to shame.”

Behind you, you hear Jungkook snort and reply, “There’s nothing perfect about Hallmark films.”

The sounds of Tae and Kook arguing behind you fade into background noise as you focus on undoing what Jimin’s done so far. You’ve just about finished, tugging out a flap from the fold so it doesn’t look quite so formal and pulling away, when your wrist is caught in a gentle grip.

As studiously as you’ve avoided looking at him directly so far, you can’t stop your gaze from shooting up to his in surprise, breath catching as he smiles at you, a curious mixture of nervousness and anticipation in his eyes.

Dancing together is different from...whatever this is, intense and charged as neither of you look away. The other two have moved towards the back of the shop to prematurely open a champagne bottle for Tae's nerves, but you’re not sure you would have noticed them even if they were still bickering in the vicinity.

He loosens his grip on your hand but doesn’t let go, slightly bending as he says, “Thank you.”

You nod, not trusting your voice and just giving a smile before you gently detach yourself from him, immediately moving towards Jungkook who’s holding out a champagne glass toward you, beckoning you both to participate in the entrepreneurially sanctioned daytime drinking.

As you’re lifting your glass, letting it clink against the others and resolutely not making eye contact with Jimin who’s standing directly opposite you, his cheerful voice joining in the chorus of ‘To paying off student loans!’, your heart and head race a mile a minute.

What does it all mean?

                                   _____________________________

“So he thanked you.”

Huffing, you impatiently repeat to Hyejin's simultaneously confused and unimpressed face, “No, he thanked me.”

“Yes, that’s what I said.”

You groan in frustration, letting your arms flop against your sides in abandon as you lean against the side of the closed back room that the two of you have been conversing in for the last ten minutes, ever since you caught sight of her entering the shop and dragged her back right after she congratulated the new business owners.

She had whined a bit about not getting the fancy champagne flute, but once the word ‘Jimin’ had left your mouth, she became mighty compliant.

“I think I’m missing something here. You’re losing your mind in the store room on the opening day of your friends’ shop at 12 PM because...” she trails off, looking at you expectantly with an arched eyebrow.

Something breaks inside you and the next thing you know, you’re venting out in a single breath, nearly tripping over your words, “Because I like Jimin and I think he likes me too, but I’m too scared to say anything or bring it up in case I’m wrong and also, I sort of really want it to be true but I don’t know and I’m scared and I would very much like everything to go back to when this stupid dance competition didn’t exist, because now I keep thinking about ways to spend time with him after tomorrow and I’m embarrassed and feelings suck.”

You’re gasping by the end of it, like you’ve just run a marathon with a cash prize for first place. If you weren’t somehow feeling simultaneously lighter and more exposed, you’d be amused at Hyejin’s expression, but all you can muster is a weak sort of shrug to mask any awkwardness you might be feeling.

She looks like she’s just been slapped across the face with a wet fish, eyes wide and mouth open, but before she can say anything, the door to the left opens and Jungkook walks in, a half-full champagne glass in his hand.

He takes in Hyejin’s expression and your defensive stance that’s combined with the worried furrow of your eyebrows before he slowly says, “I just came here to escape from Yoongi who keeps asking me where his Tupperware is and I’m too scared to tell him I lost it, but there’s a really weird energy in here right now.”

“Jimin thanked Y/N,” Hyejin unhelpfully supplies, looking like she’s slowly regaining her bearings after your emotional outburst.

Jungkook's eyes narrow in confusion as his head tilts, lips pursed. “I feel like there’s more to that story, but I’m not gonna hear any of it.”

You sigh, weight of everything crashing into you as you sit down on the floor cross-legged, staring unseeing at the opposite wall.

At your actions, Jungkook’s eyebrows crease in concern, but his confusion is abundantly evident when he says, “I’m, uh, sure you can tell Jimin not to thank you again if it makes you this sad. Will some champagne make you feel better?”

“Yes, please,” you say, nodding despondently as you accept the glass from him, after which he sits down next to you, twiddling his thumbs, probably wondering why he offered.

For about a minute, the two of you sit there, you completely zoned out, dissociating to cope with the reality of the situation as you take little sips and Jungkook humming something vague, his legs now stretched out in front of him.

You nearly forget that Hyejin’s even in the room until your glass is snatched from your affronted grip and you’re looking up accusingly at her exasperated face.

“Up,” she says shortly, taking one of your hands in hers and pulling you. You have no choice but to follow through, landing shakily and ruefully watching her finish off what’s left of the champagne before she hands the glass to an entertained Jungkook and places both her palms firmly on your shoulders.

Oh no.

“I’m going to tell you something, and you might not like it, but you have to hear it anyway, okay?”

You resist the urge to salute, nodding as you agree. Not that you have an option. You’ve seen Hyejin in intervention mode before, and resisting is like trying to stop a fire from burning.

“You. Are. Incredibly. Stupid.”

Your mouth drops in offense, and you make to defend yourself, but before you can say anything, from the floor, Jungkook cheers, “I knew there was something I missed. What happened?”

Not taking her eyes off of you, Hyejin replies, “Y/N likes Jimin and she thinks he likes her and she’s having a crisis.”

You have hope for a moment, when your trusty roommate scoffs behind you, and you vow to get him something good for his birthday this year, but just as you’re grinning all satisfied at Hyejin, he says, “Of course he likes her. Pfft. That was never the question.”

Coal. He’s getting coal and it won’t even be gift wrapped.

At your shocked expression, he slowly stands up, looking confused as he asks, “Did you...did you not realise?”

Near-hysterical, you reply, turning to face him fully, “No? How was I supposed to realise?”

Jungkook’s looking at you like you’ve grown a third head, like you’re the one who’s just said something completely bizarre, which is absolutely untrue.

“Wait, what did you think her crisis was about?” Hyejin asks, infuriatingly calm at this revelation and completely ignoring the fact that your roommate is spouting enough shit to fill a truck.

“Feelings? In general? I thought she knew about Jimin liking her. I thought you knew about Jimin liking you!”

You throw your arms up in a gesture of annoyance as you hiss, half-frustrated and half-panicking, “How was I supposed to know? Nobody tells me these things!”

“Dude, he's been flirting with you for weeks.”

“No, he has not. You’re wrong. Hyejin, tell him he’s wrong.”

But to your great betrayal, Hyejin doesn’t immediately contest the sheer stupidity of the statement. She gets that look you’re constantly wary of. A ‘hmm, you might have a point there,’ look.

“Actually,” she slowly begins. “Now I think about it, he might be right.”

You groan in frustration as Jungkook continues in the same voice, like he’s still bewildered that you haven’t picked up on any flirty, non-existent signs.

“He gave you his jacket and let you keep it for, like, a week? And he wouldn’t stop looking at you during the photoshoot? And he agreed to dance with you immediately, no questions asked. And don’t even get me started on that evening with the super intense eye contact outside Yoongi's studio. And he agreed to come pick you up in the rain at ass o' clock even when his shop was opening in a week and he was neck deep in work with no complaint, from what I heard. What part of this isn’t registering as ‘I want to hold your hand non-platonically' to you?”

You open and close your mouth, speechless. More out of formality, to put up a fight because weary fear and wary hope makes one do and say stupid things, you softly mutter, “He was just being nice,” but you’ll be the first to admit that there’s more than a tinge of doubt in your voice now.

Hyejin sighs, looking at you kindly as she says, all too knowingly, “I know you’re going to overthink this. But it really, really isn’t a big deal.”

“But what do I do?” you ask, desperation thinly veiled in your voice.

“Nothing, if that’s what you want. Or you could ask him out. Or you could wait for him to ask you out.”

Jungkook nods insistently next to her. “It’s all good, dude.”

Stellar contributor, that one.

Taking a deep breath in and letting it out with a whoosh, you look back at their expectant faces, trepidation in your eyes.

“First, I’d like a glass of champagne.”

The light that enters through the crack in your curtains annoys you, but not enough to make you get up and block it. Your phone is on silent, and for once, you don’t feel the constant, compulsive need to check it.

You don’t feel the need to do anything, really. Here, starfished on your bed, staring blank at the white ceiling is a good place to be. Optimum zoning out position. You’ve gotten so tuned to the sound of the clock on the wall, that you’re certain your heart is now beating in the same rhythm, and the numbness in your foot has been there for so long, you don’t remember who you were before it.

After the...talk in the storeroom yesterday, you wish you could say that your first order of business (after some liquid courage) was to walk right up to Jimin and give it to him straight, but nothing could be farther from the truth.

You had avoided him like the plague, preferring to catch up with Yoongi and hide out in the dressing room armed with clothes you can only afford in your dreams. To top it all, you also had to deal with all this new information and suddenly, you were noticing a lot of interesting things. You’d catch Jimin looking at you at odd moments, and he’d look away after shooting you a small smile that you physically couldn’t not return. He had come over all the way from the other end of the shop to ask you if you wanted another glass of champagne (you had declined), and there were fingers brushing against your shoulder, winks thrown across the room whenever eye contact was made and all of a sudden, you were consumed by this overwhelming feeling of stupidity, all of Jungkook’s points becoming more and more valid with every passing moment.

So, you did what any sane person would do. After congratulating them, and having an incredibly brief conversation with him about the final plan for the competition, you had left (after counting and comparing the amount of time he spent on his hugs with different people, and coming to the conclusion that you got two seconds extra).

You had refused to speak to Jungkook about anything even in the vicinity of the ballpark of whatever you were thinking about on the cab ride back, shovelled in an early dinner, gone straight up to your room and begun to create a definitive flowchart about possible outcomes.

It had been of no help whatsoever, and had only led to you thinking even more until you finally gave up on the project, paper landing on your bed with a comically sad finality, probably still there, lying crumpled under all the pillows.

You had flopped onto your bed, stared at the ceiling until your eyes could stay open no longer, only to wake up to your alarm at 7 AM with the same train of thought in your head continuing where it had left off.

Cut to now, two hours later. You can see your packed bag near the closed door. Jungkook’s knocked twice already, asking if you want breakfast before your big show and you’ve declined both times. You’re already showered and dressed, and both activities were a sort of background noise to the insofar ceaseless thinking in your head.

But now, you’re all thought out. You’re tired godammit, and you know that you’ve spiralled enough for a thousand exam seasons for there to still be some hope that rationality will prevail and a conclusion based on facts can be hit upon. No, you’re done thinking.

It’s time to listen to Kim Jennie, 28, Head of Product Development. No time for being scared. And maybe some advice that’s less daunting and closer to the kind of thing you can vibe without wanting to puke at the thought of, Hyejin’s ‘It isn’t such a big deal.’

Despite the sudden clarity and at least half-way confidence in your constitution, your body’s still playing catch up, and your movements are sluggish as you sit up, coming face to face with your reflection in the mirror. There’s that trepidation that you’re all too aware of in your eyes, but you brush it aside. You’ve got the power of your boss and your friend on your side. And once you tell Jungkook your plan, the moment you figure it out yourself, you’ll have anime too.

You give your reflection one final, determined nod before standing up and collecting your phone and bag. You decide to hold off on opening the curtains just yet. No need to get ahead of yourself. Maybe when you get back. After your fate’s been decided.

Your notifications range from well wishes (Yoongi: Don’t trip like you did during that performance in fifth grade.) to a compilation of cat videos (Tae: to make up for the lack over the last few weeks :D), but the message that your eyes are drawn to is from the man himself.

Jimin (Maybe Interact Sometimes): I’m excited! Let’s kill it!

Unbidden, a smile grows on your face, small at first before slowly growing until you’re beaming at your phone. The familiar pre-performance anticipation settles deep in your bones, and combined with your recently acquired confidence and the butterflies that have taken up permanent residence in your stomach over the last month or so, it’s a deadly mix.

Feeling heady, you reply with some exclamation points and lock your phone, toning down the grin on your face so your roommate doesn’t think you’ve finally crossed the bend before pushing the door open.

Jungkook’s in the kitchen, sitting over a bowl of cereal, eyes skimming through the newspaper that he’s holding up with one hand. It’s a common enough occurrence, one you see nearly every morning, but it feels different today. You’ve got the enterprise of mission in you.

He notices you entering and opens his mouth to say something, but stops short. You catch sight of your reflection in the glass window behind him, and see that the grin, if not entirely blinding, is still a drastic change from your usual morning grumpiness that Jungkook has the pleasure of poking at every day.

Tentatively, he asks, rather than says, “Good morning?”

Dropping your bag, you make your way to the fridge to get some milk to fix up your own cereal as you reply, cheeriness coming through in your voice even as you try to keep it neutral, “Morning!”

You can feel his quizzical gaze on your back, and he makes no pretense of hiding it when you sit down opposite him, bowl set in front of you.

“Are you done with the newspaper?” you ask, pretending to not notice his staring, absently tapping your spoon against the side of the table as you swallow a mouthful.

He looks confused as he replies, “Am I done with – uh, yeah, here.”

You accept it with a smile and a ‘Thank you!’ before spreading it out on the table in front of you, bowl in one hand, spoon in the other as you hunch over to read.

It only takes a few seconds for Jungkook to break the silence. “Are you alright?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, peachy. Excited about the competition!”

You look up at the fag end of your sentence, just in time to catch his deeply mistrusting gaze.

“Nervous?” he asks, like a detective looking for a lead.

You direct your gaze back to the editorial page as you shake your head and respond simply, “Nope.”

That’s a blatant lie, and you’re sure that as soon as ten minutes from now, you’re going to start realising the gravity of the situation (prize money is a powerful incentive), but that bridge hasn’t even been built yet, leave alone reached.

There’s silence for a while, you reading the paper while eating your cereal and Jungkook looking at you shrewdly, like he’s trying to read your mind and figure out how you’ve made a complete 180 from yesterday.

When you deem the time right, you say matter-of-factly, “Might ask Jimin out today.”

It’s quite unfortunate that you aren’t looking up when you utter those words. Jungkook’s in the middle of a sip of coffee, and it takes a minute for him to stop choking and sputtering.

“You what?”

“Might ask Jimin out today,” you repeat with a shrug, folding the paper after finishing the comics section and directing your gaze at his startled face.

He narrows his eyes, scepticism in his voice as he asks, “What do you mean you might ask Jimin out today?”

“For somebody who’s a journalist and about to be a published author, you’re having an awfully hard time comprehending words, aren’t you?”

He groans in annoyance as you smile pleasantly, enjoying the overall effect of this conversation.

Gathering himself, he slowly enquires, “So you just woke up today morning and decided that you’re going to do this?”

“Yep,” you reply, popping the p.

He scrutinises you carefully, looking for traces of bullshit. Finding none, he slowly begins to smile. And then you’re smiling. And then he’s smiling wider, and now you’re both grinning at each other like a pair of fools. If anybody were to walk into the kitchen now, they’d take one look before turning around and marching right back out.

Jungkook lets out a small giggle, partly in residual disbelief and partly in excitement, and your nervousness and anticipation manifests in the same way.

“When are you going to do it?” he asks, eyes twinkling as he stifles his laughter.

“No idea,” you reply, standing up with your bowl and making your way to the sink with him in tow.

“You mean you haven’t thought this to death and made a timeline down to the millisecond about how your plan’s going to unfold? I’m shocked.”

There’s no bite in his words, though, and you merely bump him on the side as you wash your bowl, him drying his next to you. “I’m tired of thinking. Time to get shit done.”

A pause as Jungkook whoops in support, and then you’re asking, “Is this a terrible idea? Should I not do this today? What if I screw up while dancing?”

You don’t know where the sudden uncertainty is coming from. Maybe everything’s finally catching up to you, but abruptly, you need some reassurance that you aren’t in over your head, that you aren’t going to fuck up.

“None of that now,” Jungkook says bossily, drying his hands and placing his palms on your shoulders, turning you so you’re facing him. “You’ve got a cash prize to win and a crush to ask out. No time for being scared and mopey. You know why? ‘Cause you’re a lean, mean singing machine.”

“I’m not lean.”

“Mean singing machine.”

“I’m actually quite nice, I think.”

“Singing machine.”

“This is a dance competition.”

He huffs in annoyance, but there’s a glint of relief in his eyes at your return to admittedly uncharacteristic optimism.

“Phineas and Ferb quotes shouldn’t be adapted,” he staunchly says, nose teasingly up in the air as he lets you go so you can pick up your bag.

“Not by you, they shouldn’t.”

“Okay, why don’t you book the cab, yeah?” he says, marching your giggling frame out the door.

The large board next to the main, high school auditorium entrance reads ‘PARTICIPANTS HERE' followed by a red arrow pointing to a small door that presumably leads to the green room.

You and Jungkook stop a few paces away, moving closer to the wall so you aren’t blocking the hallway that’s teeming with audience members trying to enter. Some of them take in your outfit and wish you luck, to which you reply with a grateful nod.

The confidence you were feeling earlier has been replaced by the shaky excitement that accompanies a performance. You wonder what you were thinking, deciding to launch your amoratic venture on the same day as the competition. Like you don’t have enough to be nervous about. But a plan is a plan, and you’re sure you’ll chicken out and/or rip all your hair out in frustration if you go another day without dealing with it.

But prize money first. Boys after.

“Y/N.”

“Yes,” you reply, trying to mimic Jungkook’s firm voice, even as your eyes take in the large crowd of people who are going to be watching.

“Let's get this bread,” he says.

You nod, taking strength in the knowledge that Mr. Kibum is judging, that you’re dancing with your childhood best friend, that Hyejin’s going to be in the green room as well, that Jungkook, Yoongi and Tae are all going to be cheering you on from the crowd, that this is dance.

The wink he offers you leaves no doubt of the fact that he means other breads as well and not just the show, but you ignore it. Focus is key.

“Break a leg!” he cheers, ironically enough seeing as how his ankle is still in a cast, despite the fact that he can walk now with a barely noticeable limp.

You shakily smile in response before waving and ducking into the room you’re supposed to go into.

Immediately, the loud noise and chatter from the corridor becomes muffled as you’re wrapped in a quiet air of anticipation and nerves that hangs heavy. A few people look up when you enter, the ones you know offer you a weak smile that you return. In the corner of the room, you spot Hyejin and Jimin doing their stretches, much like majority of the other participants strewn around.

Maybe it’s the fact that you’ve effectively temporarily suppressed your feelings in favour of focusing on the competition, or maybe that you’ve finally accepted them and decided to do something about them, but all you feel is a sort of calm glow when you see him. Your stomach does give a weak, little flop, but you don’t experience that urge to escape as a first instinct, like you’ve become so accustomed to recently.

You scuttle over, taking care not to hit anybody with the swinging bag dangling from your side.

“Hey,” you mumble, easily accepting Jimin’s hug as he smiles at you and grinning at a mid-split Hyejin.

You begin jogging in place to warm up to stretch as Taemin enters the room, fedora full of chits in his hand.

“It’s time to decide the order of performing! Everybody gather around.”

Hyejin smoothly gets up with her freakish core strength as you and Jimin look at each other. There’s a dash of glitter on his eyelashes, subtly sparkling in the light, and you can swear, at that moment, that he’s easily the most beautiful person in this room. Hell, in this building.

“You wanna pick?” he asks, quirking his head to the side.

Ordinarily, you’d decline. But with the clouds you’re walking on, maybe you should try your luck.

“Sure,” you reply, making your way to the slowly gathering crowd that’s surrounding a hassled looking Taemin.

You huff in preparation before sticking you forearm into the hat blindly and snatching the first chit your fingers close around. Somebody’s nails scratch you, but you’re too distracted, fighting your way out of the group of people, eager to reach Jimin on the outskirts so you can open the tightly clutched paper in your hand and see your fate.

“Ready?” you ask, once you’re standing in front of him.

He nods eagerly. There’s a flush on his cheeks, a light in his eyes you’ve never seen before, and the memory of watching him dance in that practice room for the first time all those weeks ago, with all that love and passion and elegant control enters your head unbidden. You feel a little sickened by the amount your heart warms when you think of Jimin getting this opportunity to do what he loves on stage.

You slowly open the paper, only for your heart to veritably pause for a second when you read what’s written.

No fucking way.

You look up, unable to keep the apologetic grimace from your face as you see him half-amused, half-disbelieving.

From the other end of the room, Taemin calls out “Team number 1!”

You and Jimin look at each other briefly before making your way towards him. Around you, you can hear small whoops. You think the muted laughter is from Hyejin.

“Pendrive?” he asks all business-like, hand stuck out, palm up, giving no indication that he knows the two of you, that he sees you every Saturday, that he was going to be Jimin’s partner first.

But the small ‘Good luck,’ and smile he gives as you’re both making to go away after handing over your music more than makes up for it.

Jimin leads the way to the corner of the room as the other teams go up in order and give their tracks. There’s silence for a second as you survey each other, trying to figure out just how surreal of a possibility this is.

You break it by mumbling, “Oops.”

All it takes is that stellar wit and ill-placed asinine humour for the tension in his shoulders to drop just a tad and his lips to quirk up, as he nods and says, amused, “Couldn’t have put it better myself.”

“We were going to go up anyway,” you reason, trying to make light of the universe screwing you over.

Agreeing, he replies, “Yeah, and now we can watch the other performers without being too distracted.”

You nod, humming, taking courage in these sad attempts at positivity.

You’re running through the choreography in your head, when you notice Jimin moving next to you, turning to face your body from his previous arms out, wrists rotating position.

“Hey,” he starts softly to get your attention, like you aren’t hyper aware of his presence and that the plan to act on your...romantic feelings is still very much present, even if it isn’t at the forefront of your brain.

You hum in reply, signalling him to continue.

“Regardless of what happens, I’m really glad I got to do this with you.”

You don’t know why you’re caught off guard, but you hide it best as you can when you reply with a smile, the most genuine one you have, “Same here.”

If anybody were to look at you, they’d see that :D emoticon that Tae's so fond of.

You think he’s going to stop there, but even as he turns back and continues stretching, feet shoulder width apart and hands on his hips, he says, “It was a lot of fun and I like dancing with you.”

You feel a warm glow at the comment, a soft shiver running down your spine as you take in the slightly reddish hue of the side of his neck and everything it indicates.

He likes likes you.

You’re not sure what possesses you to say it then, what stupid prank-pulling higher power decides that now would be a good time to do this, less than ten minutes before dancing together so you can’t even escape if things go sideways, but the next thing you know, the words are spilling out from your mouth of their own accord, tumbling over one other in a mad rush of adrenaline and bashfulness and nerves.

“Doyouwannagooutwithmesometime?”

You’re as startled as he is, maybe even more at this betrayal by your own lips, and you wish you could take it back the moment you say it, because now is not the time.

But thankfully, it doesn’t seem like he understood your stupid babble, and at the confused tilt of his head and his soft ‘Excuse me?’, you just shake your head and slowly say, avoiding his eyes, stuttering as your brain works in overtime, “I just said that...we both had a good time. Doing this, I mean. The, er – dancing.”

He accepts the explanation easily, bless his soul, but it’s still a relief when Taemin calls out that the competition is about to start and the two of you are up.

With one last nod and smile, as you force your head and heart to refocus, and manage to do so admirably well considering how close to fucking up you were, you and Jimin exit the room from the side door that leads to the auditorium, softly padding onto the dark stage behind the closed curtains and getting into the start position.

You meet his gaze as they announce your names, and the fabric of his t-shirt feels comfortably warm against your palm as they slowly open the curtains, and hundreds of eyes land on you.

The surrounding lights are bright and the attention nearly deafening, but nothing is quite as blinding and arresting as the look in his eyes as they bore into yours. The subtle pressure of his arm around your waist feels thrillingly familiar, but as you’re both waiting for the cheers to die down and the track to start, he goes off script.

Bending his head slightly, he begins to whisper, so subtly that nobody in the audience can notice unless they’re focusing very intently on his lips. Which...you wouldn’t blame them.

“You have horrible timing, but yes.”

And just like that, before you can even think about pulling away to look at him in shock, the demand for a less cryptic sentence, despite there being absolutely no doubt as to what he’s referring to, hot on your lips accompanied by the tingling certainty you feel when you look at his twinkling eyes that are partly mischievous but more noticeably excited, performance adrenaline taking strong hold, the music begins. With a small squeeze on your waist, he reverts to serious dancer mode from his previous Little Shit setting, taking a deep breath and twirling you away with a wink as you let the relief and joy and excitement flow through your body as you begin the routine.

“What’s this?”

“What’s wha – oh, fuck.”

You practically vault across the bed to get to the other side of your room so you can wrench the paper out of Jimin’s grip. He lets it go easily enough, a little startled at your sudden vehemence but amused nonetheless.

As you furiously rip it apart, not meeting his eyes, he teasingly says, “I’m pretty sure I read my name. Have you been making lists about me?”

“I have not,” you reply hotly, dropping the pieces of paper into your dustbin and gathering yourself so you can face him defiantly.

“It was a...to-do list.”

His eyebrow arches, eyes twinkling as he remarks, “At least take me out first.”

You huff, cheeks burning. “Not like that.”

He takes his shoes off, grin firm on his face as he sits cross-legged on the bed, facing your still shut laptop at the foot. “Well, you’ve got me in your room now, so I’ll let you have your way with me.”

You roll your eyes as you pick up the pizza box and place it on the centre of the bed, getting comfortable next to it.

“Second place isn’t so bad,” Jimin says thoughtfully a few minutes later, as you’re both watching the video buffer as you chew on dinner.

Nodding, feeling a warm glow at the current state of affairs and probably the most calm you’ve been in the last three weeks, not to mention an immeasurable sense of relief at not having to overthink yourself to sleep, you reply, unable to keep the shy smile off of your face, “Yeah, this is nice.”

Not that you've spoken about what this is. After the show, there had been a celebratory hug, which may have been just a tad tighter and a smidge longer than previous hugs, before the two of you were whisked away by the organisers for photos and caught up in a flurry of congratulations. As you had both stood at the back of the auditorium, blending into the shadows like the other participants that came to join you after their shows, watching the dancers on stage, there had been a kind of tension that comes with unresolved conversation. But for once, you were perfectly content just existing. There’s only so much emotional upheaval that you can manage in a day.

There had been brushing hands and awkward eye contact that was diffused by timid giggling and grins, but not much talking. Turns out, you’re both wimps.

And after you two had received second place and, along with Jungkook and Tae, eaten lunch at a nearby restaurant, right before everybody had parted ways, you had given yourself a pep talk, practiced in front of the bathroom mirror around ten times, and then gently tugged Jimin to the side and said, voice carefully controlled and tone slightly less rushed than the last time you had done this, “Hey, do you wanna come over for pizza tonight? And maybe a movie, or something?”

The smile accompanying the ‘Sure, that sounds great!’ you received was blinding, and a little relieved. Jungkook’s reaction when you told him on the way back, after letting him stew in silence for a bit, just for the fun of it, had been offensively surprised, like he hadn’t believed you’d go through with it.

(“I don’t know what you’re talking about, I had utmost faith in your plan.”

“Liar.”)

And now Jimin’s in your room (Jungkook’s probably right outside, ear pressed to the door), food in hand, The Office playing on the laptop screen (you had both agreed that a movie would require an unavailable amount of attention after such a long day), his knee comfortably resting against yours like a constant reminder that he’s there, as if you can forget.

And it’s easy.

Like an upgraded version of the old days, that comes with blushing and giggling and a nosy roommate who's given up trying to be subtle.

~

#bts #ficswithluv #ultkpop #btswritingcafe #kwritersworldnet #btsbookclub #btsguild #thekpopnetwork #park jimin #kpop #fluff #kpop imagine #bts imagine #jimin imagine #jimin fluff #kpop fanfic #bts fanfic #jimin fanfic #yoongi #taehyung #hyejin #hoseok #namjoon #jin #bangtan #kpop fluff #bts fluff #jennie #taemin #key

[tiramisiyu]

【恋与制作人】 MLQC: Chapter 34 “Night Curtain” Summary

Translation Masterlist

Summarized Chapters: [to be updated]

Spoiler alert: Please note that all content in this post is content that has not yet been released in the global server.

34-2

Despite it being afternoon, it’s dark and thundering outside

In Shaw’s call, he also had MC bring her father’s notebook when she goes to the orphanage

Before heading out, MC hears a sound, goes onto her balcony, and sees Lucien on his balcony

They talk about the dark, gloomy weather; MC says it feels like an apocalyptic movie and asks if Lucien knows what’s behind it. Unfortunately, he doesn’t, though he says that maybe her power can light up this night

MC suddenly receives messages from Shaw, noticing key phrases “Leto”, “orphanage”, “copying Evol”, “Ares”, the last of which makes MC look at Lucien

Suddenly, the clouds split and the moonlight shines through, lighting half of Lucien’s face

MC asks about Lucien’s Evol

Lucien: After the ball ended, someone broke into Ultima Bioresearch Centre and took something away.

MC: Your Evol?!

Lucien: That was something I discarded, to begin with. As a half-finished product, it’s currently finishing its last mission.

MC: But Leto used your Evol to kidnap the children in the orphanage!

MC then apologizes for getting too agitated

Lucien: Nothing bad will happen. Aren’t you going to the orphanage now? So, nothing bad will happen. I believe in you, and you should also believe in your own power.

MC begins to head off

Lucien: It’s about to rain. I hope that when we meet again, you won’t be too drenched.

 34-4

As MC tries to catch a cab on the empty, rainy streets, Gavin calls – and MC notices he’s standing at the end of the road, so she runs to him

They talk about the orphanage matter

MC: I heard that Leto kidnapped the orphanage and installed a bomb, and he threatened the STF, requiring to see the Queen.

Gavin: Will you really go see him?

MC: Yes, I can’t leave the kids to be frightened the whole time. Plus… You called me because you knew I was planning to do so, right? No matter what Leto wants to see me for, I won’t be scared. Plus, with you here, nothing will happen.

Gavin: Don’t worry. I will protect you well.

They then drive off in Gavin’s car

MC expresses her surprise at Gavin’s new role as STF commander

Gavin: It’s not sudden. Some things are things I need to personally change.

MC notes that public view of STF has been changing a lot under Gavin’s new leadership

Gavin says that Leto must not have much time, as his copy Evol’s appearing is strange and he’s rushing to see MC – possibly because he can’t control or maintain the evol

An STF member calls in on walkie-talkie, saying that there’s a car accident in front; Gavin says to call an ambulance, leave two STF people on the bridge, and for the rest to head to the orphanage on another path

MC notes the change in him, from a sharp blade of the STF to the mature commander

Gavin asks a motorcyclist if he can exchange the car for the motorcycle, and the guy very readily agrees

(I must ask, MC why did you go out in only that dress when it’s raining…)

As they head off on the motorcycle, Gavin uses his Evol to block off the rain, and MC is reminded of when on another rainy day when he tugged her into the rain, dispelling her worries (don’t remember what this refers to)

“Right now, I was no longer weak, no longer crying, no longer needing his comfort to go forward. I could become… someone who could give him power and walk with him.”

34-5

STF people meet up with Gavin at the orphanage, confirming that their assault preparations are set and positions of controlled STF people are confirmed

MC is shocked, remembering that Leto’s request was for the Queen to come in alone; Gavin says that it’s Leto’s request, but he doesn’t agree with it

MC convinces Gavin to let her go in alone since they don’t know Leto’s intentions and he has the children

Gavin relays the change in plans to the team, saying for one portion of the team to cover MC, and another portion to prioritize saving the kids

MC enters the building – with Leto not showing himself, she can only holler that she’s here

--

Lighting flashes as the rain batters nonstop

After some violin music, someone called “Zero” tells Victor that it’s almost time; Victor says he knows

34-7

MC is surprised when Shaw appears. He complains about her slowness and tells her to give him the notebook after everything is over

When MC asks about why he’s here:

Shaw: Right now, there isn’t a single person who can stay out of this. If I don’t intervene, this world is done for.

(To which MC says he’s exaggerating)

MC explains the STF’s role when Shaw asks if they’re using her to draw fire

Shaw confirms that he knows where the children are, and regarding the bomb, there are others who are more concerned about keeping this building together

Shaw hands MC a flashlight when they hear something, and MC sees STF people standing at the end of the light beam, their eyes mindless

Shaw tells MC how to get to the children and to not mind the other stuff – for Leto, wait until he (Shaw) gets her first

--

MC sees two identical rooms at the place Shaw indicated, and heads for the one where whimpering sounds are coming from

--

Ares walks into a room where Helios is, triggering discussion all around

Hephaistos looks at Helios, then says, “Ares, welcome back.”

Ares: How is it?

Helios: It’s almost done.

Helios then heads off to “deal with a small issue”

 34-9

MC finds a boy curled in fear in the corner and convinces him to go with her

The boy says that if they head out, they’ll run into the “uniformed people”. MC thinks it should be fine since Shaw’s there

The boy points out a second door in the room and says to go out from there, as the other kids are enclosed over there

MC notes that there has been no communication from Gavin on the microcommunicator he gave her, and is a little worried

The boy says that he thinks that all Evolvers are bad people because their powers can make them arrogant and selfish, to MC’s surprise

MC explains that aside from their powers, Evolvers are no different from normal people. The boy lets go of MC’s hand, then mutters about why Evolvers killed his family if this is the case

The boy’s body starts changing as he sinks into a crawling position, turning into Leto

Leto: Don’t bother with your fake mercy. Hand your Evol to me… I will tell you exactly how horrifying this power is.

 34-10

Leto says he called MC here to kill her and get her Evol; MC says it’s impossible to get an Evol from that way

Leto says that with the black box, he can get anyone’s power – MC wonders if he’s talking about the “pyramid black box” that she saw with Helios at STF, then at the evolution acceleration cabin

MC suddenly finds that she can’t move, and everything is quiet – Leto has stopped time

Leto then aims a sharp wind with ice at MC’s eyes when a white ripple spreads and stops Leto’s attack – MC’s power

Leto’s right eye becomes black, and attempts to command MC, and MC shuts her eyes in response as he continues his wind attack

A crack appears on MC’s barrier

Leto commands MC to hand her Evol to him as her barrier breaks, and MC feels like her power is draining away (and is shook by the powers that once protected her, being turned against her)

Leto prepares one more ice attack, when MC is able to get out one more attack that appears as a white wave, reducing the ice to powder

Leto is knocked out and MC gradually falls unconscious, the notebook falling to the floor

 34-12

MC has a dream about when her father was alive, where he hopes for her to meet someone she loves

--

Shaw: … A space Evol? He really is willing to steal anything.

Shaw finds the children and has them go with him

--

Gavin walks into the building and gives the command to look for the hostages’ positions, then says he will go find MC

--

Helios taps away on the keyboard, dismantling the last of four bombs

He looks on the wall where a green light flashes faster, then becomes red, then is extinguished

--

Goldman takes a stack of documents from Victor

When Goldman asks about MC, Victor says he (Goldman) doesn’t need to worry about that

--

Lucien regards a line that has already calmed down on a sensor

Lucien: This night truly does seem to be very long… Wake up soon.

 34-13

MC dreams of a long night with a rainstorm, freezing wind, and earthquakes, then wakes up

Leto picks up the notebook and reads it. Seeing MC wake, he expresses surprise that she’s not dead, then tosses the notebook and walks to her

Leto suddenly collapses, looking agonized and convulsing, and MC remembers Gavin’s words from before – that Leto got MC here because he couldn’t use the Evol that didn’t belong to him

MC says that what he’s done to Evolvers has no difference from Evolvers of back then (presumably those that killed his family), and even if he kills all Evolvers, he won’t get back what he lost

A black barrier forms over Leto’s body, blocking MC’s attacks, and he attacks with black wind

Leto: The Queen’s power will only wasted by you, so you’re better off handing it to me. I will use it to stand at the top of this world.

MC: Use? My power is born from love and becomes strong due to love. Love is a better method of resistance than hate, and it can attain a level of resistance that hate cannot. It’s useless even if you get the Queen’s power. Because your narrow-mindedness cannot bear this strength, just like how you can’t bear this copy Evol! Evols aren’t tools for you to gain power. You, who only aims for power, will forever only be ignorant and lamentable.

Leto continues with the ice attack

MC remembers when her father said that humans are weak, but love will make one strong and that this might be the greatest power of humans, and thinks of Kiro, Victor, Gavin, Lucien

MC dthat she won’t let the power born from love be used by him, and a white light wraps her up and attacks Leto

The black box tumbles to the floor, and the sky lightens

34-14

MC gets up; the black box has shattered; Leto is on the ground, his looks becoming old and wrinkled

Leto grasp at the box, going from surprise, to confusion, to relief, then laughing madly, seeing like he understood something

Black Queen MC and Anole appear; Anole gives the notebook to Black Queen

Black Queen mocks Leto for trying to get the Queen’s power; MC prepares to attack her, but Black Queen says that she’ll only hurt herself

Black Queen then attacks Leto with a black light ball, shocking MC, and Leto is gone, leaving just the black box

Black Queen: Why so agitated? I didn’t kill him. He will just exist forever in this world in an unliving form. In some ways, that could also be considered immortality, right?

Black Queen forms the black ball again, saying that it is the endpoint of degeneration, asking if she wants to try it

MC says Black Queen won’t kill her, since they’re one person

Black Queen: Do your best in struggling, for our futures. Soon, you will understand that I am the person who will save this world.

MC: The one who needs to struggle is you. This world doesn’t need people like you to save it!

Black Queen walks off indifferently, and MC collapses in exhaustion, seeing a rainbow outside. As she falls unconscious, she hears footsteps approach

 34-15

Two days since the events above

As MC cleans up her balcony, she glances towards Lucien’s balcony while children cheer about seeing seagulls

MC wonders why there are seagulls in the middle of the city

Victor calls, saying that he’ll go find MC; MC asks to meet at the café downstairs instead. Victor agrees succinctly, making MC feel like he’s a bit off today

 --

MC arrives at the café in advance, taking out the copy of her dad’s notebook she’d made before and wondering about its secrets. She notes that Shaw had told her before to give him the notebook after the events of that day, but in the end, he himself vanished. Plus, Black Queen wanted it too

MC wonders about how the STF didn’t seal up that old building after Gavin took the kids to other orphanages

MC flips through the notebook, finds nothing of note, and decides to take a nap

Victor looks at MC through the window of the café, not wanting to disturb her rest

Violin suddenly sounds, and Zero says “it’s time to set out”

Victor asks the staff to hand the paper bag he has to MC

Zero: You won’t say farewell to her?

Victor: No need for farewells. I will return very soon.

--

MC wakes up and opens the paper bag, finding pudding and realizing it’s from Victor. She looks around but (obviously) doesn’t see him

#mlqc #mr love queen's choice #mlqc gavin #mlqc lucien #mlqc shaw #mlqc victor #mlqc kiro #mlqc translation

[mingishoe]

Secret Santa

Summary: Secret santa but yall got each other even though you two don’t like each other

Pairing: Reader x Yunho (ft. Seonghwa and San)

Word count- 11.8K unedited… oops

Smut with too much plot (Subs: reader and Yunho, Doms: Seonghwa, San, and reader to Yunho) *Yunho is a sub and no one can change my mind*

Smut Warning: exhibitionism, oral sex- M receiving, degration, dirty talk, car sex?, use of pet names, soft cute sex, sex that’ll make someone feel sore for days, unprotected sex (don’t be silly, wrap your willy) Marking, cream pie, and more that I can’t remember… 

25 days of christmas: Day 6 

12-27-19 pretend it didn’t take me 20 days to write this ah ha ha 

________________________________

Christmas time in your office was probably the best time of the year. Everyone was in the Christmas mood and there were decorations hanging everywhere. 

In your office floor, everyone was pretty much friends so you all had secret Santa and drew names out of a bowl. 

Your friend Mingi called everyone around the desk that had all the names in it. Mingi lowkey had a secret plan for you to get a certain person.

 It was known around the office that you and Yunho just didn’t get along for whatever reason. No one else besides you and Yunho knew why you didn’t like each other. 

If you were being honest with yourself, it was silly. You knew it was silly and even Yunho probably knew it was silly.

Basically you and Yunho used to be really close friends a long long time ago in elementary through highschool until you got a boyfriend. 

It was in your freshman year in Highschool and you got your first “real” boyfriend. During the time you and Yunho were best friends and sure, he was happy you had a boyfriend and you were happy. It was a good happy time for all three of yall. 

After awhile you assume Yunho just got jealous and he brought up the “Your boyfriend is toxic and doesn’t love you” talk and at the time it was a H U G E deal to both of you. 

So fast forward Yunho started to ghost you and you ended up breaking up with your boyfriend at the end of your sophmore year around your year and a half mark, and you and Yunho had started to fix your friendship but neither of you were able to stay 5 minutes without arguing. 

Fast forward even more you and Yunho practically hated each other for the rest of highschool and once you got into college you had just started to think you got away from him.

But guess what? With your shit luck, once you got your office job the next day- Yunho was in the space next to you.

At that point you honestly thought the world was just against you. 

Like sure you weren’t really mad at Yunho anymore, it was just kinda annoying. 

That leads to where you’re at now, standing next to your friend Wooyoung as Mingi is making his way around the room letting people draw.

 Mingi doesn’t have either your name or Yunhos name in the bag just so you two would get each other. You’re the last person to draw, besides Yunho since he’s in a meeting, and you grab one of the last papers already overcome with a sinking feeling in your stomach.

You have the paper in your hand eyeing Mingi suspiciously. 

You slowly unfold the paper and as soon as you see the “Y” your heart drops, “Mingi- you son of a bitch! Wooyoung, wanna trade? please?” Wooyoung and Mingi exchanged a look before Wooyoung simply said no and walked away. 

“Mingi, why are you such a pain in the ass,” you rested your head in your hands. “Look, maybe it’s just your shitty luck because I did nothing,” you’re about to say something but you get cut off as you see Yunho wrapped his arm around Mingi’s shoulder. 

You looked away awkwardly as Mingi hands him the bag to pick the last name out of the bag. He snaps his head up looking at you and you stare at him with wide eyes, “W-What?” he turns his head to mingi while responding, “none of your business,” you scoff while rolling your eyes as you turn to go back to your work space.

You sat down with a huff, you were pretty sure he got you and that’s why he made such a big deal. It wasn’t that it was hard to get him something, yall are together everyday and even after work since you both have the same friends. It was just the whole secret Santa process. When you give your gift you have to spend the whole day doing stuff and at the end you give your gift and reveal you’re their secret Santa (it was honestly a long process that was kinda burdensome for anyone involved) and with Yunho it would be way too awkward. 

*

It was after work and you usually walk back to your place with Seonghwa since you both lived on the same floor(Yunho and San both lived in the same building as well).

It was a bit awkward for you both when you found out. For the first month, you both thought that the other was following the other. And you both happened to confront each other at the same time and had a good awkward laugh after. After that you two waited for each other after work but never talked as you walked next to each other. It literally took months for you and Seonghwa to start a conversation, a simple “Hi, how are you?” Small talk, eventually you two became really close friends. 

“Hwa, I’m being serious,” he was looking at you completely unamused, already tired of your whining. “I need you to trade with me,” “Look, Y/N, I know that whatever feud you have with Yunho is a big deal or whatever but either way unless he trades with someone, which no one is going to, you’re gonna he stuck with him all day anyways.” You know he’s right, but you’re really not having it. “Sweetheart, you’re just gonna have to be a big girl and suck it up,” Seonghwa wrapped his arm around you as he pulled you into him and kissed your cheek.

You and Seonghwa didn’t date, which surprised everyone who asked, you two were just overly flirty but had no real interest in each other. 

You both walked hand in hand and side by side going into the building and of course(with your shit luck) Yunho was there with San talking near the entrance. 

“Oh! Y/N! Seonghwa!” You sighed loudly and rolled your eyes which caused Seonghwa to squeeze your hand tighter warning you to stop. He steered you towards their direction, and by steered I mean dragged. 

“Yunho. San.” Seonghwa addressed them awkwardly. 

“San…” you smiled at him gently. 

San looked between you and Seonghwa awkwardly as you two were still holding hands and you were practically leaning on him. You let go of Seonghwa’s hand but still kept your position next to him. 

You glanced to Yunho and saw him looking away with his jaw clenched, 

“How about we go get dinner together?” 

“Ummm… you know… I’m not really hungry…” you were honestly really hungry but you didn’t want to go eat with Yunho. “No come on! I’ll buy?” He hit your weak spot and he knew it.

“Fine… but I want ice cream after.” San rolled his eyes but agreed and made everyone pile into his car. 

You sat in the back with Seonghwa while you drove to San’s favourite restaurant that conveniently was on the other side of town during traffic hour. You were getting bored since your phone died at work earlier in the day.

After about 10 minutes of staring out the back window at the traffic Seonghwa gave you one of his earbuds so you could listen to music with him. You leaned against his shoulder and closed your eyes since it felt like you were gonna be stuck in traffic for forever. 

Eventually you got to the restaurant since Seonghwa woke you up saying we have to hurry before San orders without us. San was long gone and it was only you, Seonghwa, and Yunho in the car. You blinked at him confused, “cute” he winked at you and pecked your lips. You jumped as you heard the car door slam shut as Yunho walked into the restaurant.

 Seonghwa chuckled and opened the door to go in the restaurant. You sat there for a second completely confused, Seonghwa has never kissed you in front of other people before so that really messed your mind up. 

No one other than you, san, and Seonghwa knew about you two. You were best friends but sometimes there would be a few hookups here and there. It wasn’t really that serious between you two, and there was no romantic feelings between you and Seonghwa. It’s just… sometimes when he spends the night… it’ll be a little more than sleeping… but that's no ones business… except San… because he’s joined before… 

After you got over your little moment you got out the car yourself and caught up with Seonghwa. 

You were honestly confused about what was happening and why everyone was acting funny but you decided to just push it to the back of your mind and just enjoy the dinner. 

It was a cute diner that’s been here forever, and you and San usually come alone but since everyone is deciding to be an ass the whole world had to join as well. You got your usual, a waffle (even though it was dinner time) and Yunho got what he always used to get when you came in high school, a bacon cheeseburger with curly fries. San and Seonghwa both got a whole pizza. 

Everyone was talking besides you, it honestly wasn’t because you were uncomfortable, it was it just because you missed being able to do this. You missed going out with your friends and not having to worry about Yunho picking on you every 5 seconds. 

You found yourself staring at Yunho. This was the first time you both came back here after fighting and declaring you both hated each other. 

Even though it was on the opposite side of town, Yunho had a license and always drove you two to get burgers and share a milkshake. 

You’re probably being over emotional but you start to tear up and Yunho isn’t completely oblivious to you so he notices and stares at your teary eyes not knowing what to do. 

You pull yourself together once you get your food, “Y/N- you’re such a loser, why do you always get breakfast?” San eyes your waffle suspiciously. “Is there Crack in it or something?” You fling some of your tea at him, “No you idiot, I just like waffles…” he rolls his eyes and shrugs as Seonghwa asks for you to feed him a bite of your waffle. 

You stare down at your plate contemplating if you really want to share your waffle but in the end you agree and cut him a piece and feed him the waffle. 

“Mhmm, it almost tastes as good as you…” you snap your eyes to Seonghwa as he winks at you. You hear someone suck in their breath and you’re literally so confused on what is wrong with everyone. You decide to ignore Seonghwas comment and go back to eating your waffle silently while Seonghwa and San talk with Yunho occasionally adding his input.

You were honestly eyeing Yunho’s curly fries the whole time since you literally haven’t eaten them since high school. You’re looking down at your waffle and you see Yunho grab a handful of his curly fries and place them onto your plate. You look up at him and you send him an appreciative smile and he could see back when y'all were 16. 

*

If you were to ask Yunho what happened to your friendship, you’d get a completely different answer. 

Back in 9th grade when you got a boyfriend, he was honestly truly happy for you. Sure he was jealous that he didn’t have you to himself but it was to be expected. 

One night someone came to his house really late. It was Felix, your boyfriend. As soon as he opened the door, a fist came in contact with his nose. Long story short Felix told him to stay away from “his girlfriend” because you are “his” and he can’t afford losing you to “someone like him.” 

After that he didn’t go to school for the next few days because of the bruising, avoided your calls and texts, then after awhile completely pretended you didn’t exist.

He knew how much it hurt you. 9 years of friendship, down the drain. Just because of some stupid boy who doesn’t even know how to treat you. Yunho loved you. He had been in love with you since he could remember. You obviously didn’t like him because you two were best friends, but to Yunho it was okay. He was okay with just being friends because he didn’t want to lose you. 

After you broke up with Felix, you tried fixing the relationship between you and Yunho, but he had built his walls back up and started arguing with you as a defense mechanism. It wasn’t the healthiest of all things to do since it caused the both of you to completely stop talking until you both somehow got the same job. 

It leads to now, where he’s giving you all his fries because he knows they’re your favourite. It doesn’t matter how much you two argue, he always gives you what you want, even though you don’t know it. 

*

Everyone is done with their food and you excuse yourself to go outside. While you were coming in you saw this store that sold different paintings and posters. There is customised art you can make with an audio and they will paint the auto waves. 

You sent the artist a voice message that you still have with Yunho. It was you apologising after one of the first fights you had. The whole voice memo was basically you telling Yunho how much you love him and you’ll be his friend forever while sobbing. 

This was basically going to be your “Look I don’t know what happened, but let’s start over because I still love you so much” gift. 

You quickly placed your order and went back to the restaurant and saw San paying. You wrap your arms around Sans shoulders, “Thank you San-a. You’re the best.” He turns around and brings you into a hug, “So… how about the icecream now?” 

You quickly pull away, “Okay! Let’s now!” San and Seonghwa both laughed as Yunho rolled his eyes in the back while hiding a smile. Everyone knew ice cream was your favourite, chocolate chip cookie dough, that’s the one you always got. 

The 4 of you walked to the ice cream parlour on the next block. San and Seonghwa were immersed in a conversation walking ahead of you and Yunho. 

You and Yunho were walking side by side completely quiet, the tension was so thick you could physically feel it. 

“So, who’d you get for secret Santa?” Yunho slowed down a little bit for the both of you to talk. “Oh, umm it’s called secret Santa for a reason, it's a secret” you look up at Yunho with a small smile. “Mhm… that’s fair I guess” he says with a small laugh.

“So… what about you? Who’d you get?” He laughs loudly at your question, “What?! I thought it was a secret? You’re not gonna tell me yours but you want me to tell you mine? What a cheat!” You elbow him in the side and roll your eyes.

“How about… we both give hints?” At this point you were both aware you got each other, and you were both just picking for fun. 

He Yunho pretended to think for a few seconds, “okay, fine… so… the person I got… SHE is someone I care about. Like a lot. And I don’t think she knows it anymore but maybe after I get the gift she’ll remember all the good things that happened with us…” you both had stopped waking. You could feel your heart beating faster and you could feel yourself breathing harder. 

You nodded, “y-yeah. Mine. Umm… is also to a person I care a lot about… and I hope after I give him the present it’ll clear things up… you know? And it might not be a lot, but it was really fucking expensive so he better appreciate it.” You told Yunho before winking at him. 

You were walking off to catch up with Seonghwa and San who didn’t even notice you two were gone. 

“Wait!” You turn around to see Yunho jogging after you. “What?” You stop and turn around. “You already got your present? We just got our people today,” you smiled at him, “No, I placed the order already. It should be ready to get picked up in a few days.” Yunho blinks at you confused but nods anyway.

You and Yunho are still walking side by side as you both enter the ice cream shop, “You want the usual?” You agree without even thinking about how Yunho knows what ice cream you get.

You go to sit with Seonghwa at the booth at the back of the parlour. 

Seonghwa sits staring at you for a good 30 seconds before you break, “What are you doing? Why are you eye fucking me? You and San have both been acting weird all day.” Seonghwa looks behind you quickly before leaning in to the point where your noses were touching. You involuntarily look down to his lips and you can feel your cheeks start to get red, “I really don’t know what you mean Y/N. Can I not just appreciate my best friend?”

He licks his lips as he tilts his head. Your lips were brushing and you could feel his smirk against your lips, “I mean, when you’re practically making out with me… isn’t that a bit more than appreciating?” 

“Here’s your ice cream Hwa,” San came rushing to the table practically throwing Seonghwa’s cup to him. 

You pulled away from Seonghwa and turned your body the opposite direction to calm yourself down. You rested your cool hands on your burning cheeks as you saw Yunho wasn’t far behind San. 

You’re not really sure what Seonghwa is doing but it’s most definitely supposed to make someone jealous, you’re not completely oblivious to what’s happening. You’re just not sure who… Either San or Yunho, and you don’t understand why he would ever try to make San jealous, so it had to be Yunho. 

You were really confused but decided to play along with whatever game San and (mostly) Seonghwa were playing. All you had to do was flirt shamelessly, right? It couldn’t be that hard, you just had to pay attention to Yunho’s reactions at the same time. 

Yunho handed you your waffle cone and you took it with a smile. You exchanged a look with San that told him you knew what they were doing. He looked at Seonghwa, who was looking at you, and elbowed him in the side. Seonghwa smirked at you and looked back down at his ice cream. You looked back at San and kicked him on his shin as a warning. 

The whole time Yunho was looking between the three of you trying to figure out what was happening. Yunho decided to ignore whatever was happening but made a note to ask San about it later. 

Yunho wasn’t particularly fond of Seonghwa. But Seonghwa was your best friend and he had no control over it. There wasn’t any need for him to be that flirty with you. I mean yeah, all best friends are like that but you don’t go kissing your best friend for no reason. Right? Yunho could tell you were kinda confused on what was happening as well but he also saw you went along with it. So it obviously wasn’t unwanted… Yunho was just really confused. He was jealous too. He knew he had no right to be jealous because he wasn’t dating you, you couldn’t even really call each other friends anymore. 

You looked around a little to see if anyone was paying attention to you. San and Yunho were in a conversation about their upcoming project for work, and Seonghwa was sitting on his phone. 

You move move your foot to start rubbing on Seonghwa’s lower leg. He looks up at you then to Yunho, who’s not paying attention, then back to his phone.

You continue to eat your ice cream pretending that you don’t know what your doing, you have to be really careful. San probably won’t notice, but Yunho is sitting right next to you and has a clear view of under the table. 

You stop, but leave your foot where it is. You finish the rest of your ice cream, and decide to keep messing with Seonghwa. 

Your legs are a lot shorter than you originally think, so you scoot forward causing Seonghwa to put his phone down and look at you. You look at him as innocently as possible as he shakes his head in a warning. 

You slide your foot up to rest on his thigh. Seonghwa looks at you with a smile before bouncing his leg causing you to bang your knee on the underneath of the table, “ow fuck!” Yunho and Sans attention turns to you, and Yunho looks under the table to see your foot on Seonghwa’s thigh. He looks between you and Seonghwa, “you good?” He asks you awkwardly, “She’s fine.” Yunho looks to you and you nod in reassurance. 

Yunho looks at you a little bit longer then turns to continue his conversation with San. Seonghwa is laughing to himself as you get a surge of confidence and place your foot on his crotch. He groans loudly with wide eyes and once again, all the attention is on you two. 

You quickly move your foot back to his thigh, and you look at Seonghwa with wide eyes. San and Yunho both snap their heads to Seonghwa and you look around pretending you didn’t hear anything. 

San looked at you with wide eyes. You shake your head knowing what he’s asking. He raises his eyebrows at you and you bite your lip while looking down. San snorts as he’s looking at Yunho’s confused expression, “So, Seonghwa… how's your project going?” San winks at you as you move your foot to go back to his crotch. Seonghwa looks between you and San and if looks could kill, you’d both be dead. 

“Umm… you know, we’re almost done. And I-It’ll be d-done probably by F-Friday.” You’re putting more pressure on his length with your foot and you start to move it slowly. 

You can see Seonghwa’s face start to get red. His fist is clenched on top of the table and you can see his knuckles turning white. 

“Are you okay… Seonghwa?” Seonghwa lifts his face from his hands and shoots Yunho a look, “I’m fine.” Yunho nods and gets on his phone awkwardly.

Seonghwa nods his head towards the restroom with raised eyebrows. You shake your head not wanting San to know what’s going to happen and leave Yunho confused. You contemplate if you should actually get up or not, but in the end you decide to go to the restroom, “Hey, I’ll be right back, I’m going to the restroom.” Yunho nods while San is looking at you with a knowing look. 

You get up and go to the single-stalled family restroom to wait for Seonghwa. You take a second to look at yourself in the mirror and you can see your flushed cheeks and your dark eyes looking back at you. You see the door open behind you and before you can even turn around the door is locked and there’s a hand around your throat. 

“You’re such a fucking slut, you’re really trying to get me off when there are people next to us? Huh? What if Yunho saw? What if San tells him what a fucking whore you are?” Your breathing becomes heavier as Seonghwa speaks in your ear. 

“See, look at yourself in the mirror. Don’t you look like a whore letting me touch you in the restroom?” Seonghwa’s hands are moving lower down to your chest. “Answer me, Kitten.” You whine softly as you feel his mouth on your neck. 

“Y-Yes. Yes, I’m being a whore for letting you t-touch me in the restroom.” Seonghwa starts leaving small marks on your neck. 

“Mhmm… right, my whore.” He turns your body to where you’re facing him. 

“I’m gonna tell you what’s gonna happen okay?” you nod as you move to attach your lips to Seonghwa’s neck. “You’re gonna suck me off, then we’re gonna go back and pretend this didn’t happen, yeah? Then when we get back to the apartment, I’ll take care of you. Deal?” you start to argue but stop since you know it’s not gonna get you anything so you agree and continue to mark Seonghwa’s neck with your pretty pink marks.

Seonghwa runs his hands down your hair, he grabs a chunk of it and pulls you back, “You better hurry kitten before Yunho notices we’ve been gone for too long. 

You sink down to your knees and unbutton Seonghwa’s pants. He’s already hard so you can see the strain left on both his jeans and boxers. You look up at him once more for conformation, and once he nods his head you reach to grab his length from in his boxers. You stare for a second before tightening your grip and moving your hand slowly. 

You hear Seonghwa groan from above you and it only gives you the confidence to bring yourself closer and place the head on your tongue. You smile as you can feel the weight of him on your tongue and you look up at him with the most innocent look you can give. 

You close your mouth around the tip and he moves to hold your face in one of his hands. “Fuck, you’re so pretty kitten.” You smile softly while taking more of his length in your mouth. 

You feel him grab the back of your hair and take that as a cue to move your hands to his thighs. “Tap my thighs if you need me to stop, okay?” You close your eyes and he takes it as an okay to continue. 

He strokes your hair softly for a few seconds before starting to slowly move his hips. He’s holding your head with both of his hands and started to go deeper and faster. You could feel your eyes start to water already and you quickly thank yourself for not wearing any makeup today.

Seonghwa was getting desperate. His precum coming out more frequently, he was snapping his hips harshly as wet, gagging sounds filled the air around you. He pushes your head all the way down his cock until your nose was touching his pubic bone. You gripped his thigh tighter as you focused on breathing through your nose. 

You opened your eyes for a second, catching Seonghwa’s eyes as he was looking down at you. He throws his head back as he moans your name loudly. He was so close, you could feel him twitching in your mouth as he held your head still. 

You tapped on his thigh a few times and he immediately pulls out of your mouth. You take in a big breath as you see a string of saliva connecting from the tip of his dick to your lips. 

He was looking down at your fucked out face. Your checks were tinted a rose colour, your eyelashes were wet with tears, and your swollen lips wet with saliva. 

He moves his hand from your head and holds your face gently in his hands, wiping your tears from your face. 

You move to take his cock in your hand once again and this time your both a lot more gentle. He watches you softly as you slowly kiss down his length before carefully placing the head back in your mouth. 

You suck softly on the head and you’re starting to find it hard not to touch yourself. You whine as your taking more of his length into your mouth, “I know kitten, we’ll go back soon. I’ll take good care of you kitten, just wait okay?” You nod softly as you grip the rest of his length. 

“Gonna let me cum in your mouth? Gonna swallow it all like a good kitten?” You look up at Seonghwa and whine loudly. You pull off his cock with a popping sound as you look up and open your mouth for him. 

He looks down at you with your eyes on his face and your mouth open ready to catch all his cum in your mouth like a good kitten. 

He grips his cock and continued to get himself off in front of your face. “S-such a good kitten, good girl. Fuck, let-letting me cum on your face in the restroom. S-so good… sucking my cock like a little whore in the restroom, t-then going out and talking to o-our friends. I-It's okay right? B-because you’re my whore right?” You felt like you could cum untouched at this point. 

You moaned loudly and that was all it took for him to cum. You were able to catch most of his cum in your mouth and some sprinkled your cheeks and chin. 

You waited until he gave you the okay then you closed your mouth to swallow. You opened your mouth to show you swallowed and Seonghwa strokes your hair, whispering praises. 

He tucks himself back in his pants and gives you a hand to help you up. He looks around for a second before getting a paper towel and wetting it so he can carefully wipe the cum off your face.

“Turn around kitten,” you turn around and you get a good look at yourself in the mirror. Your eyes widen as you see how you look. “S-Seonghwa… it looks like I just got fucked in the restroom,” he laughs as he’s trying his best to fix your hair. “You’re not wrong,” you turn around and snack his chest. 

You look back in the mirror and you see the hickey’s covering your neck and jaw. You start whining about the marks but then see you see the marks you left on Seonghwa’s neck so you stop. 

“I tried my best kitten, you go first,” he kisses you gently and he brings his hand down to cup your crotch, “I’ll take care of you in a minute, just be a good girl.” You let out a quiet moan and move so you can unlock the door and walk out. 

Seonghwa looks at you with a smirk as you pause to look out the door to make sure no one is there. You look back at Seonghwa and he nods at you to go. You look at the clock on the wall 8:58, you’ve been in the restroom for around 25 minutes. You walk back to the table thinking of excuses to tell if they ask, even though San was well aware of what you were doing. 

You sat back down next to Yunho awkwardly trying your best to cover the right side of your face with your hair. 

“Why were you in the restroom so long?” You snapped your head up in San’s direction. “What?” He’s such a little shit, “you heard me,” you looked towards Yunho and he was scanning your face expectantly. “Umm… you know… girl problems…” he pretended to nod in understanding. Yunho looked back down at his phone with cheeks red with embarrassment. 

After a couple more minutes Seonghwa comes back to the table, “So, are we ready to go?” You look down with a smile. “Where were you?” You roll your eyes and look up at San. You turn and see Yunho scanning Seonghwa, his eyes widen and he looks over at you with the same expression. 

You’re completely aware they can both see all of Seonghwa’s hickeys and if you’re not careful, they’re both going to be able to see yours too. 

Seonghwa completely ignores the question and gets up, “Alrighty, I don’t know about yall but I’m tired so we should get going.” You nod and get up to join Seonghwa. When you get up you shuffle uncomfortably, your underwear is sticking to your core and you can feel how uncomfortable it is. 

San and Yunho are both blinking up at you two and Yunho shrugs and stands up as well. Seonghwa starts to walk out of the shop and he puts his hand out for you to take it. You grab his hand and walk quickly to catch up with him. 

Neither of you are really paying attention to if Yunho and San are behind you. You’re both walking really fast towards the restaurant that’s down the street so you can go to sans car. 

~

“Are they dating?” Sans head turns to Yunho. “Sorry, what?” San looks ahead to see you and Seonghwa walking hand in hand. “Umm… no… They’re just really close. Best friends.” If he was being honest, he has no idea if yall were dating. He thought it was just hookups occasionally, but sometimes you two look like a couple. 

“Are you sure they’re not more than friends? Like… you know… you saw his neck.” San had no idea what to tell him. Yunho had told San about what had happened between the two of you, and he told San that he really likes you. 

San sighed heavily, “Yunho, you shouldn’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to.” Yunho looked at San, “Really? Is that what they were doing in the restroom?” Fuck. “You know, Yunho, I’m not sure. Maybe. But look, they’re best friends. They’ve been best friends for over 5 years now. They’re closer than anyone else. Yunho they’re probably closer than you two were. But I can tell you right now, yeah they might hookup every once in a while, but there isn’t any romantic attraction.” Yunho is staring at the two of you like he just saw a ghost.

“How, how are you sure about that?” San rolls his eyes, “You really need to stop asking questions. This thing between them has been going on for maybe 3 out of the 5 years they’ve been friends. They’ve both dated since they’ve been friends, it stops. When y/n got a boyfriend last year, they stopped hooking up. If there were romantic feelings, they wouldn’t have dated or they would be dating each other.” Yunho nods but he really doesn’t look so sure. He feels a pang of jealousy as he sees Seonghwa lean down to whisper something in your ear. 

“How do you know so much?” San ignored Yunho’s question and kept walking. “No san, I’m serious. Do you… do it too… with Seonghwa?” San still didn’t answer his question, “Yunho, what did I just tell you? I just told you to stop asking questions you don’t want the answer to,” Yunho sighed heavily, “Why?” San looked at him like he was crazy, “what do you mean why?” Yunho rolled his eyes, “you know exactly what I’m asking San. Is it the same as Seonghwa? Just to hookup?” San nodded, “look, I don’t like her as more than a friend. None of us do, just you. And if you choose to pursue your feelings, then go for it.”  

~

“Seonghwa shut up they’re gonna hear you,” the whole time yall were walking Seonghwa was saying what he wants to do to you out loud. Seonghwa smirks as he sees the car in the parking lot. He turns around and sees Yunho and San are a significant distance behind you two. As you both approach the car he grabs your hips and pushes you against the car. 

“Hwa, they're gonna see us…” you moan loudly as he sticks his knee between your legs. He presses his knee against your core as he leans forward brings you into a kiss. Seonghwa is softly rubbing at your side as he brushes his tongue against your bottom lip. 

You always forget how good of a kisser Seonghwa is, his lips are soft and it always makes you feel like you’re in heaven. 

You whine as he takes his knee from between your legs. “Hwa please, I cant… fuck,” you needed to be touched so bad. “Kitten, do you want San and Yunho to see? Maybe you do huh? Are me and San not enough? Do you want Yunho too? Do you want Yunho to see what a little whore you are? Want him to fuck you too?” You shake your head, “N-no I just, I just need you to touch me” he rolled his eyes looking down at you. “If you don’t stop being a brat I’m not-“ he got cut off as you heard the car door unlock.

Seonghwa cupped your core again, “you’re gonna sit with your legs open, okay kitten? So everyone will be able to smell how sweet you are.”  

You opened the door and scooted to the end. Seonghwa came in after you and sat in the middle. He pulled your leg to go over his and he rested his hand on your inner thigh. You looked towards him as he laughed, “I can smell how wet you are,” you looked at Seonghwa before you stuck your hand in your pants. Seonghwa immediately grabbed your wrist and tried to take your hand out of your jeans, “what the fuck are you doing? You groaned, “touching myself since you’re not touching me.” 

When you heard the door open you took your hand out of your pants, “oh my god, you’re such a fucking brat” Seonghwa said while Yunho was getting in the car. Seonghwa left his hand on your thigh, part of his hand resting on your core. 

San got in the car shortly after Yunho, “What’re y'all in such a rush for?” San turns to see if any cars are coming and he sees Seonghwa’s hand practically on your crotch. He snickers and goes back to pulling out of the parking, “Umm… no reason in particular, we’re just tired.” San hums in understanding, “I’m pretty tired too, how about all four of us go take a nap together?” San winks at you in the rearview mirror. Seonghwa laughs next to you as your cheeks turn red. 

“Answer him.” You turn to Seonghwa and you shake your head. San looks at you in the mirror again with that stupid smirk, “Umm… you can join if you want…” Yunho looks to San with a clenched jaw now that he knows what they’re talking about. 

“I will if Yunho joins,” you whine softly as Seonghwa rubs up and down your clothed core. You reach a red light and San turns to watch what Seonghwa is doing. 

You can sense that Yunho is probably uncomfortable so you try your best to ignore what’s happening. You close your eyes and bring your hands up to your face, “Y-Yunho probably doesn’t want to.” San bites his lip and turns to Yunho, “Do you want to?” 

You’re fully expecting Yunho to say no since he probably already knows what’s happening. Seonghwa places pressure straight on your clit and starts to make small circles. You’re still parked at the light even though it’s now green. It’s past 9 and there are no cars out on a Wednesday night. 

“Y-Yes I’ll Umm… I’ll join…” you whine loudly and close your legs as you were so close to cumming. “S-Seonghwa, I’m- I can’t, please,” he strokes your thigh softly, “I know kitten it’s okay, go ahead.” You see San look towards Yunho. Yunho is still looking forward, probably out of embarrassment. “Wait, Seonghwa, scoot over so Yunho can see Y/N,” 

Seonghwa moves to the other seat so you can move and be in the middle. “Yunho, why don’t you look and see how pretty my kitten is?” Seonghwa tells Yunho to look in your direction. Seonghwa unbuttons your pants and sticks his hand into your underwear. 

Seonghwa runs his fingers down your slit, collecting all of your juices on his fingers. He pulls his hand out of your pants to show his wet fingers. 

Yunho looks back in time for Seonghwa to offer his wet fingers to San who’s now palming himself. You watch San suck on Seonghwa’s fingers with a whine. “You wanna touch her?” Seonghwa asks San as he pulls his fingers out of his mouth. “I can wait, wanna touch her properly,” Seonghwa looks to Yunho and as expected he shakes his head.

Seonghwa shrugs as he sticks his hands back in your pants, this time inserting a finger into you. You start to whine and moan loudly, “Fuck, Seonghwa please. I need to cum. I’ll be good now, I promise.” You can feel all 3 pairs of eyes on you. Seonghwa and San are both staring at you with zero hesitation and Yunho is taking glances at you every few seconds, “Kitten, your such a whore,” Yunho’s eyebrows shoot up as he hears Seonghwa calling you names. Seonghwa adds another finger and starts to move them as fast as he can with your pants constricting his hand. “Fuck, San, look at our whore, how she’s begging to cum like a little bitch. So desperate kitten. You like the attention don’t you? Me and San just weren’t enough to please you huh?” You’re moaning uncontrollably now as Seonghwa looks up to Yunho, “Now you need Yunho too huh? You need Yunho to help us fuck you right?” 

Yunho is looking at you and Seonghwa with wide eyes then turns to look at San who has a smirk on his face. San looks down at Yunho’s bulge. San grabs one of Yunho’s fists that’s resting on his leg and moves it to press on his bulge. 

The pressure that San adds to Yunho’s hand makes him whimper. San freezes and looks at Yunho with a shocked expression, “Did- did you…” Yunho flushes red as he continues to palm himself. 

Your eyes shoot up to Yunho when you hear the noise he made, “fuck fuck fuck,” Seonghwa himself is shocked but he’s more focused on you right now, “You didn’t answer my question kitten, You weren’t satisfied with the two of us huh? You want yunho to join so he can help us fuck you. Since two cocks isn’t enough for you.” You nod vigorously, “Fuck, yes. I need Y-Yunho’s cock too. I need 3 cocks t-to make me S-satisfied cause I’m a wh-whore.” 

Hearing you say that made Yunho start to moan loudly, “F-Fuck, Yunho” you’re staring at his face. He looks so pretty with his cheeks flushed and his mouth open to let out his pretty moans. “You S-sound, fuck, you sound so pretty,” he bites his lip to keep his smile from showing. 

Yunho lets out more of his pretty moans and you can’t hold it anymore. Your legs start to shake as you cum, hard. You’re letting out pornagraphic moans and you can’t stop. 

Seonghwa kisses your forehead and San strokes your calf. You eventually open your eyes and see Yunho biting his lip with a pained expression on his face, “Y-Yunho?” You started carefully “I wish you could see how pretty you look… You look so pretty right now, you’re doing so well.” Everyone’s eyes are on Yunho but he doesn’t even notice. 

Seonghwa carefully buttons your pants back up and you sit up with a grimace. You scoot up the seat and you take Yunho’s face in your hand. Yunho starts to breathe louder and his whimpers become louder, filling the car. You look to both San and Seonghwa who are both looking at you and Yunho intently, you hesitate before you say “puppy… can you be good and cum for me?” You hear Seonghwa take in a breath behind you but you’re focused on how pretty Yunho is. Yunho lets out a choked moan as he cums in his pants. You whisper praises to him while playing with his hair. 

He opens his eyes and you kiss him softly on his forehead, “you okay?” He gives you the softest smile and nods. You move back in your seat and you look at San, “did you…” he knows what you mean and chuckles, “yeah, like 5 minutes before you did,” you roll your eyes and laugh, “should’ve known, you’re always first.” Laughter fills the car clearing away any awkwardness left. You turn to Seonghwa and ask the same question, “nope, I’d rather cum in you” he tells you with a wink. You turn away without saying anything to look out the window with your flushed cheeks. 

San finally continues driving after 30 minutes of sitting at the light, “So… Yunho…” he turns to give Yunho a knowing look. Seonghwa laughs next to you knowing what San is gonna say. “You’re a sub huh? And a bottom?” You bite your lip to contain your smile as you continue looking out the window. 

Yunho clears his throat, “I- I don’t know what you’re talking about…” San and Seonghwa both snort loudly as you try your best to control your laughter. “Yeah, right… puppy…” he groans loudly and covers his face in his hands. You giggle softly, “Leave my puppy alone San, you’re just jealous I don’t call you anything cute.” Seonghwa rolls his eyes at the both of you, “y'all are idiots, stop the car, I'd rather walk back.” San jokingly pulls over and stops the car, “okay, bye.” You watch as Seonghwa stares at San with wide eyes. “W-wait… I was just kidding, I love you both” you start laughing and hitting Seonghwa. 

Yall continue driving in a comfortable silence. Everyone’s heart is beating a little faster as you get closer to the apartment. The car is starting to fill with a sexual tension you could practically taste. You were all shifting uncomfortably since you all, besides Seonghwa, came in your underwear at some point. 

San pulls into his parking spot faster than he’s ever had. All four of you practically jump out of the car and run to the elevator. The four of you all have rooms on different floors of the apartment. Yunho was about to ask who’s room but when Seonghwa immediately presses the floor to your place he looks at you confused, “I have the biggest bed, it usually fits us three but I’m sure it’ll be fine with you.” Yunho nods in understanding. “Yeah, she really splurged on her bed! It’ll fit all four of us just fine.” San has always loved your bed. He always came over for sleepovers and movie nights just so he can lay on your bed. 

The elevator opens and you all just stand there waiting for the first person to walk out. You roll your eyes and walk out first taking the key from your bag and going to the end of the hall to go to your place. 

Everyone follows behind you as you walk inside your apartment. San and Seonghwa practically live here with you, but Yunho has never been here before so you try and give him a quick tour. “Umm, so Yunho, let me just give you a quick tour. This is the kitchen here to the left. Then this is the living room.” You gestured to the area around you. You walked further into the room and lead Yunho into the hall where all the rooms are. “The first door to the left is the guest restroom. And the door at the end, on the left is the guest room and the one on the right is the master bedroom, my room, with the master bathroom.” 

Yunho looks around trying to take in the information, “I don’t know about you two, but we’re gonna go fuck now.” Seonghwa takes your hand and leads you to your bedroom. He leaves the door open as he picks you up and places you in the middle of your bed. 

You wrap your legs around his waist as he starts to kiss down your neck to your chest. “Seonghwa! Why are you so impatient? I haven’t touched her all day.” San came into the room complaining. You opened your eyes to look at San. You smile as you signal him to come towards you. 

You look back once again and see Yunho standing by the door, not sure what to do. If you were being honest, you didn’t really know what to do either. It was always just Seonghwa and San, and now that Yunho’s here too you feel the need to pay extra attention to him. 

Seonghwa is already lifting your shirt to kiss your stomach. “I- Yu- fuck… Seonghwa-” he lifted your shirt completely off and started to suck on your chest through your bra. 

“W-wait Seonghwa…” he stops and looks up at you, “G-get off for a second…” he complains but gets off anyway. He moves to lay where San is sitting as you sit up.

You look up and see Yunho staring at your chest. You smile, “Yun- Puppy, come here please.” He looks between you and the two boys next to you. “It’s alright, they won’t say anything…” he nods and walks towards you and sits right in front of you. “Are you, Are you okay? You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.” He looks at you and nods while looking at your lips. “I need you to use your words puppy.” He whines quietly, “I-It’s okay. I want to stay.” 

You nod and push him back softly so he’s laying down on his back, “Tell me if you want me to stop, okay puppy?” You hold his face gently in your hands. You’re straddling his waist and you take a minute to look at him. You missed Yunho so much. You were staring so intently and lovingly into his eyes, and you knew he knew what you were trying to tell him. 

If you didn’t do something, anything, you were going to start crying and no one wants a shirtless crying girl to be sitting on them. You lean down to take him into a kiss. 

Seonghwa and San are both giving each other a look knowing this could most likely be the last time this is going to happen, unless Yunho is into that… 

You take Yunho's bottom lip into your mouth and you suck on it gently. Yunho starts to breathe heavier as he opens his mouth to allow access to your tongue. You and Yunho both know why you’re being so gentle, you’re trying your best to make up for everything that’s happened. 

Yunho whimpers quietly as you pull away. He chases your lips and you peck his lips softly. He has his fists clenched beside him as his eyes move down to your chest and stomach. “You can touch me,” he slowly places his hands on your waist, “Y-You’re so pretty.” Your heart felt like it could burst. You were looking at Yunho with the biggest heart eyes, “Not prettier than you puppy,” his cheeks tinted with a pink as he looks away from you. 

You look towards Seonghwa and San for the first time. They both pulled their length out of their pants and were watching You and Yunho while jerking themselves off. 

You smile to yourself again while watching as Yunho’s breathing becomes more labored. You scoot yourself lower and feel Yunho’s bulge on your crotch. 

You reach to pull Yunho’s shirt off and as your taking it off you can see all of his pretty flushed skin. He covers his face with his hands, “Don’t cover your face puppy, you’re so pretty. Look at how pretty you look right now, you look so fucked out and I haven’t even touched you properly.” You move to kiss down his neck and to his chest and stomach. As you make your way down to his stomach you leave marks all the way down to the top of his jeans. 

“You okay puppy?” He moans loudly as you take your tongue and lick between his nipples. “Mhm, I’m okay.” You could feel his hips struggling not to move against your core. “Do you want me to touch you?” Yunho have you a small nod in response, “I need you to use your big boy voice puppy.” He looks at you with pleading eyes, “I- Uhh… I want you to t-touch me p-please.” 

You look back over to where the two boys are, “you think I should touch him as he pleases?” San pretends to think, “you know… I wouldn’t… I’d make him wait…” Seonghwa shrugs, “I dunno, but I wanna touch you, so that’s what I’m gonna do.” You squeal as Seonghwa pulls you off of Yunho and pushes you down harshly on the bed. 

You roll your eyes at Seonghwa, “You're so impatient, you can’t even wait 20 minutes.” You gasp as Seonghwa pulls down both your pants and your panties at the same time. “F-fuck. Come here Yunho,” San told Yunho to join the three of you. Seonghwa had completely pulled off the clothing on the bottom half of your body, and he was now holding your legs open. San moves to the top part of your body and reached down to undo your bra. 

Seonghwa is holding your legs open so Yunho could see the juices soaking your core. “You can touch her, you know. I promise she’ll like it.” Yunho looks at me for conformation, “It’s okay. You can touch me puppy.” 

San was looking at you with an amazed expression. He’s never seen this side of you, your Dom side. They never really gave you a chance but he’s never really seen you as someone who could Dom because you look so soft. 

San never took Yunho as a Sub either. But when he was laying underneath you and even now when he’s asking you for permission, it fits him. Yunho usually has this strong boy persona when he’s with you and it’s his first time seeing him so… desperate.

Yunho carefully takes two of his fingers and runs then up your core. You moan loudly and try to close your legs but Seonghwa is holding them. San and Seonghwa are both staring at Yunho as he’s staring at your core like it’s not real. 

Yunho slowly inserts two of his fingers into you and you arch your back softly starting to grip San’s thigh. “Is- is it okay?” Yunho whispers as he starts to move his fingers slowly. “S-So good puppy. You’re doing so good.” You’re moaning quietly as you’re looking down to his chest and stomach. 

“puppy, can you take off your pants for me?” You look to Seonghwa and he has a smirk on his face, “it’s okay puppy, I just wanna see how pretty you are.” Yunho looks to San and he nods to give Yunho some reassurance. 

“Kitten, I’m gonna tell you what you’re going to do okay?” Seonghwa speaks up as Yunho starts to take his pants off. “You’re going fuck Yunho, then you’re gonna let me and San fuck you like the whore you are. And you’re going to let all 3 of us cum inside you.” You nod mindlessly as you’re watching Yunho slide his pants off. “And you’re going to cum for each of us.” Your head turns to San, “w-what? No, I won’t be able to…” San grabs your face in his hand, “yes you can, and you will.” 

You turn back to Yunho and you keep your eyes trained on his bulge. You look back at his face when you hear a whimper come from his pretty lips. You sit up and you run your hands down to the waist of his boxers. “Can I?” You ask Yunho. “P-please.”

You smile softly at him and bring down his boxers to expose his length the the three of you. Your mouth drops slightly and you lick your lips. “Puppy, you’re so big…” he covers his face again as you softly graze his length with a finger. “Don’t cover your face or else I’m not gonna touch you, okay puppy?” He whines but takes his hands off his face and looks back at you. 

Yunho was bigger than both San and Seonghwa. You grab him carefully and your fingers don’t even touch. Your heart is beating hard against your ribs and look look over to San who’s looking between Yunho and his length. 

“Y/n?” You looked up at him ��yes puppy?” He hesitates for a second before he finally says, “C-Can- Can I please you?” You let a huge smile come over your face, “come here puppy” you lay down on your back and bring him to lay on top of you. 

You try to mentally prepare yourself, but you find yourself unable to contain the loud moan you release when you feel the head of his cock prob at your clit. 

Yunho looks at you with his length in his hand, “C-Can I?” You nod as he grabs one of your hands in his. 

Yunho readjusts himself above you, he lines up his erection with your entrance and you hold your breath. You feel the stretch of your walls and it’s something you haven’t felt this strongly in years. You squeeze your eyes shut and you squeeze Yunho’s hand tighter. 

Yunho whines loudly as he first enters you but stops as he feels you tense up. “A-are you okay?” You nod, “y-yeah, fuck. Y-you can k-keep going.” Yunho slowly pushes himself all the way in and stops so you and adjust to him. 

Yunho is whimpering above you and your rubbing his side softly, “y-you can move p-puppy.” 

Yunho is moving slowly trying to let you get used to the feeling, “d-does it h-hurt?” You shake your head to get him to continue. 

Yunho finally finds a comfortable pace and he held your hand and was staring at your face with the most loving look. You’re looking up at Yunho and he looks like he’s biting his lip so hard it’s going to draw blood, “P-Puppy, don’t- don’t hold your pretty noises in. I wanna hear you.” 

He finally starts to let his noises out. His soft whines and moans were making your core throb as he was moving at a faster pace. 

The room was being filled with moans and whimpers coming from you and Yunho, and groans coming from San and Seonghwa who were watching the two of you from the other side of the bed. 

His thrusts become quick and sloppy, and the sound of skin slapping can be heard throughout your whole place. Everyone can tell your close, Yunho can feel you clenching around him and your moans become louder and more frequent. 

Yunho brings himself down so he can go to kissing and sucking on your neck, and that’s it for you. You see stars behind your closed eyes as you feel waves of euphoria come over your whole body. His name comes out of your mouth like it’s the only word you know. 

You can hear Yunho moaning above you as he stilled inside you. “F-fuck, puppy, you’re doing so well for me.” He slowly starts to move again and you wrap your legs around his waist trying to ignore the overstimulation. 

You can hear his quiet moans in your ear and it urges you to want to make him cum, “You’re such a good boy, you’re doing so good for me. You sound so pretty. I wish I could hear your pretty moans all day.” You clench around him, Urging him to cum. “C-Can I c-cum please?” You smile and rub his back in a comforting manner, “yes puppy, cum for me please.” As soon as you gave him permission you felt his seed release inside of you. 

His strength gave out as he let all his body weight go on top of you. His heavy breathing was all that could be heard as he places his head in the crook of your neck. 

You bring one hand to rub his back and another hand to play with his hair, “You’re okay puppy. You did so well for you. Did such a good job for me.” You tilted your head so you can place kisses on the top of his head and on his forehead. 

He carefully takes his head out of your neck and looks at you for a minute. You smile at him and place a kiss on his nose then down to his lips. 

He pulls out of you with a grimace and you subconsciously clench to keep his cum inside you. Yunho moves to the side and San quickly replaces Yunho’s spot. 

San reaches down to collect the cum that was coming out of your entrance and shoves two fingers into your core to put it back, “Hope that was nice, now I’m gonna fuck you like the whore you are.” San immediately puts his whole length into your entrance and starts moving right away. 

He pulls out to see a mix of yours and Yunho’s cum on his cock. San flips you over so your laying on your stomach “gonna fuck you so hard you’re not gonna be able to walk tomorrow.” Your clenching around him impossibly hard as you can already feel the coil start to build in your stomach. 

San grabs a chunk of your hair and pulls you up so you’re now in doggy style. Your arms are barely able to keep you up, “you like it don’t you? You like us fucking you like the whore you are. You like for us to treat you like the whore you are. I can tell your close, you gonna cum for me?” 

Your arms gave out and the only thing holding you up is sans grip on your hips, your letting out muffled moans into the pillow. “You’re gonna cum whenever I tell you to okay? I want you to wait until I cum.” You try your best to nod your head. 

You’re so close to cumming. You start to bring your hips back to meet Sans thrusts, “San, please… can’t, I- I need… fuck” your blabbering incoherently as San moves his hand down to rub your clit. “F-Fuck okay baby, c-cum- cum for me” you let your orgasm take over your body. When San let’s go of your hips you immediately sink into the bed. You feel San kiss down your back telling you praises. 

Seonghwa flips you over carefully, “can you cum one more time for me kitten?” Your eyes are starting to become heavy but you nod anyways. “Use your words Kitten.” You whine from overstimulation as Seonghwa is rubbing his cock up and down your slit watching it get covered in the mixture of cum. “Y-yes. I can take it.” Seonghwa nods as he slowly sinks his cock into you with a groan. “If you need me to stop kitten, what’s the safe word?” You grip Seonghwa’s shoulders, “p-purple” Seonghwa kisses you gently “Good kitten.”

Seonghwa was being gentle. If you noticed it so would San, and probably even Yunho if he was paying attention earlier. He started off with a slow pace making sure to kiss every part of your face. Your heart was beating so hard in your chest that Seonghwa could probably hear it. 

Your core was throbbing as Seonghwa was reaching deeper inside of you causing your orgasm to build up again. 

“Fuck kitten, I’ve been waiting all day for this. How are you still so tight after being fucked so much?” Seonghwa was struggling to keep his Dom persona up. Seonghwa was breathing hard and his thrusts were begging to get sloppy. 

The room was filled with Seonghwa’s heavy breathing and your moans, along with the wet squelching noises coming from your bottom half. 

“S-Seonghwa, I’m gonna-” he nodded and kissed you softly. “It’s okay kitten. So am I.” You pull him into a kiss. You clenched around him as you came for the 4th time that night. His lips were muffling the moans that were spilling from your lips. It wasn’t long after you that he came, his lips still on yours. 

Seonghwa pulled out of you carefully as he grabbed a tissue that was on your bedside table to wipe the mess of of his length. You heard both San and Seonghwa get off the bed and Yunho sat beside you playing with your hair. 

You heard the water running and some doors open and close as Seonghwa came back with a wet towel to clean you off. He brought the towel in between your legs to clean all the cum from off your thighs and your core. 

San came back with some fresh sheets and Yunho picked you up bridal style so San and Seonghwa could take the soiled sheets off your bed and place them in your laundry. San and Seonghwa quickly replaced the sheets on your bed and Yunho placed you back in the middle, “Kitten you need to go use the restroom,” you shake your head, not wanting to get up and go to the restroom. “Kitten, you really have to go. You know that.” You complained but got up and walked the best you could to the restroom. 

Seonghwa and San both put their boxers back on and laid down on the bed, “Are you gonna lay down too or are you just gonna stand there?” San asked Yunho while rolling over to cuddle Seonghwa. “Umm… yeah I guess…” yunho already had put his boxers on so he walked to the other side of the bed and laid down a significant distance away from both San and Seonghwa. 

You walked out of the restroom and grabbed someone’s shirt from the floor and put it on. You crawled onto the bed and laid down in between Yunho and Seonghwa. Seonghwa grabbed his phone from the bedside table and started scrolling through his social media.  

“Hwa what time is it?” You asked with a yawn. Yunho had rolled and rested his head on your chest. You started playing with his hair as you were falling asleep, “11:42” Seonghwa replied.

“Oh shit, I gotta go, I promised my roommate I’d be there my midnight to watch a movie with him.” Everyone nodded and he said he’d lock the door on his way out. It was just you, Seonghwa, and Yunho laying down on the bed. You and Yunho were both half asleep and Seonghwa was on his phone.

After about 5 minutes Seonghwa said he was gonna head out too. He kissed you on the forehead and said bye to Yunho. 

“Should I Umm.. should I go too?” Yunho whispered to you when Seonghwa had finally walked out of your place. “No it’s okay. U-unless you want to leave…” you felt him shake his head, “No. I’ll stay.” Your heart was beating against your ribs and you were certain Yunho could hear it since he was laying on your chest. 

Yunho started to hold you and you rubbed his back and played with his hair. “Y-Yunho?” you whispered quietly. “Hmm?” You weren’t sure if this was the best time to bring this up, when you were both half naked, “I… I missed you. Like a lot. And I just wanna say I’m sorry for anything I ever did… And I know it probably doesn’t mean much to you… but I still love you so much and I’m so sorry I let anything get in between us.” You were tearing up and yunho pulled away from you to take your face in his hands. 

“No no no. It wasn’t your fault.” You sat up and you just let the tears fall from your eyes, “No, it is Yunho. If… If I didn’t like you the way I did, I wouldn’t have said yes to Felix when he asked me out.” You looked down and played with a loose thread on the shirt you were wearing. 

“It- it still isn’t your fault y/n. Look at me please.” You looked up to see Yunho looking down at you. “The only reason I stopped talking to you… I just gave up… Felix… Felix knew I liked you as more than a friend.” You looked at Yunho confused. “One day, he came to my house and when I opened the door… he punched me. He punched me and told me to stay away from you because “someone like me” doesn’t deserve “Someone Like You”” you blinked up at Yunho. “And after that I just gave up… I knew you were never going to like me because Felix was popular and smart and funny… and I was just me, your best friend.” 

You hold Yunho’s face in your hands, “Yunho I liked you so much… I loved you… and I was just too embarrassed to tell you because I didn’t think you liked me…” Yunho scanned your face for any sense of you lying to him, but when he saw your teary eyes he knew you were telling the truth. 

“And… Yunho… oh my god I feel like I’m in middle school again… I still like you a lot and I just… I don’t know. Never mind I’m being stupid.” Yunho shook his head and he pulled you into a kiss. Your heart felt like it was going to explode. 

“Look, we can talk about it tomorrow okay? When we’re both dressed.” He pulls you back down so you can lay down. 

You both lay in a comfortable silence, “Yunho, on Friday night, do you wanna go get dinner?” You feel him smile against your collarbone, “are you asking me on a date?” He asks while poking your side. “Mhm… then since I’m your secret Santa… we can go get your gift.” He laughs softly, “I would love to go on a date with you… and get a gift the same day? That sounds like a perfect day to me.” 

You smile against the top of his head. You’re happy everything is back to normal, even after 6 years of “hating” each other, everything finally feels back in place now that you have Yunho by your side again.

#ateez #ateez scenarios #ateez fluff #ateez reactions #ateez smut #ateez crack #ateez angst #kim hongjoong #hongjoong #park seonghwa #seongwha #jeon yunho #yunho #yunho smut #yunho imagines #kang yeosang #yeosang #choi san #san #san smut #song mingi #mingi #jung wooyoung #wooyoung #choi jongho #jongho #seonghwa smut #fluff #crack #Smut

[getreadytosmash]

1. how long have you known you’re asexual? || 2. what ace-spec microlabels, if any, do you identify as? || 4. are you out as asexual irl? || 6. are you transgender or on the nonbinary spectrum? || 7. what’s your favorite asexual stereotype? || 9. cake or garlic bread? || 10. what made you realize that you were asexual? || 11. what’s your favorite part about being asexual? || 12. what’s your least favorite part about being asexual? || 18. what fictional characters do you headcanon as asexual?

@blind-mutant

ONE

Pretty early on luckily! I KNEW from age 10 that I just...find want sex, didn't want to have kids in anyway, but it wasn't until I was around 12-13 that I found a deviantart post about sexualities and different kinds of flags that it Clicked. This wasn't just me being any sort of late bloomer, this was a whole thing that other people felt too. The aromantism took a little longer to accept due to teenage angst but I'm glad I found the label I needed when I did.

TWO

I'd probably say...Grey ace?? Like, I DO get short crushes admittedly and I occasionally experience stuff, but I don't ever really wanna indulge in it or go on a date. I like simply being able to enjoy certain feelings rather then acting out on them and running a possible friendship. Also crushes are WHACK how the fuck do people deal with normal attraction so much, I felt like a Victorian man seeing an ankle for the first time and we had been friends for years.

FOUR

Kinda...?? Admittedly its...hard to be out as ace? Not a lot of people know what it even is and when you try to tell them about it, it turns into disgust as you talk about not wanting to have sex or jokes about being a virgin forever. Usually I say I'm "not looking for anyone" and I'm more open about it online. If more people knew about aspec stuff and didn't make weird jokes about "waiting for the one" or staying innocent forever, I definitely would be more open about it.

SIX

Mm,,,not,,,really? At MOST I'd say a demigirl because I'm not THAT inclined about my gender or percievemnt. I'm fine with they/he being used with me and I usually present myself with "masculine" styles of dress every day. My body is a temple and boy is it run down and filled with rats.

SEVEN

Space. I've never really seen the associated things other sexualties have but I KNOW for a fact that aces have the best and coolest stuff. Space? Dragons? Cake? Garlic bread? Cards? Love that shit so much, I'd be ace just for the associations in another universe lmao.

NINE

Garlic breeeaaad! I WILL eat an entire loaf of it, don't test me. Snsnsn I mean I LIKE chocolate cake but finding an entirely JUST chocolate cake is hard to do, especially when I only like chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream. I'm a picky eater and it infuriates me and everyone who knows me.

TEN

Well, like I said in four, sitting in the sexual education program at school (which, was Not Good btw) and just seeing all that...Stuff, made me release that I just...wasn't into it??? Like, not at all. I just found the whole thing to feel...rather gross, and it was a thing I quickly realised not everyone else felt the same way about.

ELEVEN

Just...the community tbh. Its knowing that someone feels the same way as you do to a degree or knowing that the flash of purple in their flag means the same as it does for you and the fact that it's so varied is nice. No aspec person is the EXACT same - in spectrum or reasoning - and I find that so refreshing in how so many people can still have such a good community.

TWELVE

The jokes. I'm just,,,so sick of people being all Haha Always Gonna Stay Pure! Because??? What does that mean??? If I murder a dozen kids but refrain from having sex I'm still pure?? They're not as funny as you think they are. Also the general gatekeeping of "aces not being queer" as if being queer is something we can inherently dictate and manage, but u know.

EIGHTEEN

Skaar! Also Clint Barton, I HC Natasha and Tony as aro and aroace, I also see Toph from ATLA as ace aaand Steven from su! I probably have others but they're the top of my head rn

#ask #blind-mutant #the queen of smash (mun) #watch me answer this #eons after being asked

[eterni-ki-moved]

i got tagged by @pyroklutz thanks for the tag firey :D

1. why did you choose your url?

ngl it just randomly popped into my mind when i was helping @gyuville come up with a url. and then i made a carrd that fit the mari-kigold url so i used it!

2. any side blogs? if you have them name them and why you have them.

i have 7. how i can handle them all, i dunno

@inaccurate-enhypen for incorrect enhypen (its dead af)

@into-the-incorrect-iland for incorrect i-land (this one’s prolly deader)

@yang-cinnamowon for enhypen/i-land moodboards and edits and stuff (atm the only sideblog i’m regularly active on)

@drunk-dawn for enhypen theories (i haven’t made any in a while but shh-)

@euijewels for i-land members + justb (i’m gonna change my layout to either geonu or jimin because the ej one is pissing me off slightly)

i have a blog for vents (won’t put the tag) and a blog for my seon brainrots (it’s a mess there, you don’t wanna see it)

3. how long have you been on tumblr?

for 10 months (love, love)! i have something planned for my 1 year anniversary hehe

4. do you have a queue tag?

i have four

q: cinnamonwon spam for when i rb from my sideblog, q: artzy is a lil shit for when i was being a lil bitch (proud) and making sure everyone on the dash saw joy’s fever!hee set, q: u underestimated my reblogging power for if someone underestimates the power of my reblogging and q: spam for my frens if my friends need recognition for their content!

5. why did you start your blog in the first place?

i started it for i-land because i felt more comfortable joining tumblr as opposed to twitter or smth

6. why did you choose your icon/pfp?

it’s nishimura riki how could i not?

7. why did you choose your header?

i don’t have a header

8. what's your post with the most notes?

my post about fever and flicker rarely getting any recognition (its outdated now lmao)  and also my enhypen friend group post (i’m still not over how EVERYONE agreed that it was accurate)

9. how many mutuals do you have?

over 200--

10. how many followers do you have?

413. why-

11. how many people do you follow?

606 people

12. have you ever made a shitpost?

the REAL question is, when have i not?

13. how often do you use tumblr each day?

too often, i’m on it way too much

14. did you have a fight/argument with another blog once? who won?

i try to stay away from discourse because 1) stressful and 2) i’ll probably lose

15. how do you feel about ‘you need to reblog this’ posts?

i dislike them, and i’m gonna be reblogging them less like the ones that say “if you don’t reblog this you’re a terrible person” and the superstitious ones like “reblog this or else you’ll be cursed with bad luck forever.” some of those posts can make users anxious, and if i do reblog a superstitious post, i’ll tag it “superstitious rb” (i keep mispelling it im sorry)

16. do you like tag games?

yes!

17. do you like ask games?

yes ofc, i love to answer them! i kinda wish i got more of them but what to do lmao

18. which of your mutuals do you think is tumblr famous?

@pyroklutz @dads-back-from-the-store @ ALL the kpop gif/gfx creators

19. do you have a crush on a mutual?

yes but shhhhhhh

20. tags?

uhm... @arsonist-twink @many-gay-magpies @just-a-demi-bean @midnightswordsdance @gyuville @gyukai @little-cold-hands @yrsun and anyone that wants to do this!

#long post #tag game

[takoyakitenchou]

masquerade ch.8

7? idk but this one isn’t on ff or ao3 yet i think

12:58 PM Nakiri Erina: Hi, it’s been a while. Are you free the day after tomorrow?

1:03 PM Yukihira Souma: how’d u get this #?

1:04 PM Nakiri Erina: Alice gave it to me. 

1:04 PM Yukihira Souma: sup

1:05 PM Nakiri Erina: I’m opening Kiralyno Haza. It’s not like I want you to show up or anything.

message opened

1:37 PM Nakiri Erina: Hello?

2:40 PM Yukihira Souma: hey sorry i just got on break. congrats nakiri!

2:41 PM Nakiri Erina: It was expected.

2:41 PM Yukihira Souma: surprised it took you so long to open. hurry up and get your 3 stars bubs then we’ll really see who’s the better chef

2:41 PM Yukihira Souma: and did you get tired of shinomiya or did he get tired of you?

2:42 PM Nakiri Erina: I got tired of him. Duh. Are you not coming?

2:42 PM Yukihira Souma: save 4 seats for me. i’ll be a balloon by the time im done w your food also i hope you have enough ingredients for a shokugeki after

“Ugh. You’re as shit at texting as ever,” Erina groaned, throwing down her phone, but then she picked it up again to stare at those four particular characters. Bubs. God, it had been so long since she’d seen that in her messages.

(under the cut to see souma and erina start to get their shit together lol)

To think that she had been the one to break the radio silence between them — good lord, that was fucking annoying. It was weird to think about. There had been plenty of opportunities for them to talk again, and yet they’d somehow managed to evade each other since they’d run into each other at Nakiri Mansion. Whether this was coincidence she had no idea, but Souma hadn’t been at the official Totsuki-sponsored 92nd gen alumni reunion, and Shinomiya had dragged Erina to some culinary conference that made her miss the freshman training camp where Souma threatened the living shits out of the poor first years but ended up not cutting anybody from the roster.

Erina had done her best not to linger on the fact that she had had to ask Alice for Souma’s new number, but goddamn would that remain at the forefront of her mind for the week following Kiralyno Haza’s debut until she got frustrated enough to the point where she damn near chucked her own phone out the window.

It was thanks to Alice that her condo was still in one piece.

The COO of the Nakiri-Totsuki Group was sitting next to her at a bar in Budapest, helping herself to her third shot of tequila, a few empty glasses and a growing tab between them. “Yukihira’s coming?”

Erina nodded, smiling despite herself. “Yeah. I guess he is.”

Taking sudden interest in her drink, Alice remained silent for a thoughtful moment before she said, “I haven’t seen you this happy since you two broke up.”

With a half-hearted huff, Erina scoffed, “Yeah, right.”

Alice gave her a long look. “I’m not kidding, Erina. Who was that other guy you were seeing? Darren?”

“Aaron. Darren was before him.”

“Doesn’t he have a 3000-seater concert hall named after him?”

“I couldn’t care less.” Erina said, and Alice knew it was 593% true. 

Whenever tolerating a guy got tedious, Erina had extinguished whatever spark he thought he had ignited, pretended to be hung up on it, and started over, systematically breaking hearts left and right, all the while building titanium defenses around her own.

And then, a year and half ago, she’d seen Yukihira Souma at Nakiri Mansion, and everything had changed. 

So. Much. Pining. Alice was more than a few years past sick of how long those two idiots were dragging their shit out.

Erina picked up her belongings. “We should probably stop day-drinking.”

“Sure,” Alice said, paying the tab before Erina could get her wallet out.

“I’ll pay you back for that,” Erina promised as they left the bar.

Alice put a hand on Erina’s shoulder. “You can pay me back by not fucking up your confession again.”

At this, Erina frowned. A withering counter should’ve been second nature, but she found herself incapable. She wanted to believe that whatever piece of her heart that had clung to the hope that Yukihira Souma would come back to her was nothing more than a memory. More than anything, she wished the voice at the back of her head telling her to move on and forget him and their past would finally win out, because there were people in her present waiting for her, and it would be a sin to ignore that.

But she couldn’t say the words; her heart belonged to Yukihira Souma — would always belong to him — and all broken promises and relationships notwithstanding, that was something she could not deny.

-

Although Souma technically hadn’t been invited to the kitchen for shift drinks when the front doors closed, he had taken the liberty of bringing a bottle of cab sauv that he and Erina finished in like ten seconds flat, to hell with sharing with staff, family, and friends.

The second she felt the words wanna come over? slip out of her atmosphere-drunk mouth, she knew it was going to take more self-control than she had not to demand he stay with her forever. 

“So, Yukihira,” she said like they hadn’t been catching up for the last two hours when they were sitting on the couch in her living room with pinot noir. “How’ve you been?”

The corners of Souma’s lips twitched. “Not bad,” he replied. “Mostly cooking. A few interviews and shit. I’ve been keeping up with all your stuff, by the way. Three tastings in twelve hours next Monday seems like too much, Nakiri.”

Erina frowned. “Even if you were as talented a stalker as Mimasaka Subaru, how the fuck would you know that?”

He held up his phone. “You were signed into my calendar app when I last downloaded a backup copy four years ago. So every time I get a new phone, I transfer all the old data.”

Erina stared at him, horrified. “Holy shit. You’ve seen everything?”

Shrugging, Souma said, “Not everything. Just… your dates with Darren. And Aaron. Also, I knew about Kiralyno opening before you texted me so I’d already cleared out my schedule by then.”

Erina had stopped listening halfway through. “Wait, Yukihira…”

“It’s okay, Nakiri.” Souma waved it off. “You’re here with me now. All that matters. Let’s not look too far into our past, yeah?”

“Don’t look into my future either, idiot! Sign out of my Google calendar right now!”

Souma shook his head seriously. “Sorry, Nakiri, I don’t think that’s possible.”

“Why the fuck not?”

He gazed at her intently and rested his chin on his fist. “I need to make sure I’ll still be in it.”

Erina rolled her eyes. “Don’t say sappy shit like that. It doesn’t suit you.”

“What if I just stayed?” he asked.

She sighed. “I think the question is, would I even let you? I thought we’re putting the past behind us? Don’t you want this back?” She pointed at the white cloth she was wearing on her wrist. His white cloth.

Souma ignored the second question and pulled Erina to him by her waist, close enough that she could feel his warm breath as he spoke, forehead brushing hers. “Another thing we both know is that you and I could never be just friends.”

“Take your hands off me or I swear I’m either going to spill my wine or kiss you, and I seriously do not care which.”

He leaned back with a sad smile. “You wouldn’t let me stay, would you, Nakiri?”

“I couldn’t,” she said helplessly. “We don’t even know where our lines are.”

“Do we need lines?” Souma asked, finishing his glass and balancing it on his knee. “You and I are beyond this dimension.”

Erina stared at him, memorizing every last square centimeter of his features — the way his hair seemed to get shorter every time they met until he somewhat resembled someone of his culinary pedigree; the way the creases formed on his sleeves along the contours of his toned arms.

“You know, Nakiri, if you let me stay, you wouldn’t have to stare so much.”

She tore her gaze from his collarbone, her whole face turning red. In all her twenty-one years, that had to be the most embarrassing moment of her life. “Shut up! I’m not staring!”

He was watching her with wistful eyes. “I wouldn’t mind if you were…” 

And they both heard it.

I wouldn’t mind if you were mine.

#shokugeki no soma #shokugeki no souma #sorina #soueri #yukihira soma #yukihira souma #nakiri erina #CANT BELIEVE THEYRE FINALLY GETTING THEIR SHIT TOGETHER #oh wait #im the one writing this

[hephaestiions]

thank you @stavromulabetaaa for tagging me in this wonderful game!! it’s so much fun and such a lovely way to get to know the people behind the blogs that make the fandom experience better <33 

1. why did you choose your url?

why did i choose this url? i saved the url way before i made the blog, and the reasoning is a bit foggy but i do remember wanting to be very clear on it being a drarry blog (makes the anon who sent me the ‘why do u rb so much drarry’ ask that much more hilarious) and added the ‘oh’ because it expresses a certain sentiment that most drarry shippers are intimately familiar with 😂

2. sideblogs?

this blog is itself a sideblog, my main is @yesperfahey . that said, i am going to be embarrassingly exposed, but:  @kitchenism (aesthetic sideblog where i rb reference photos, aesthetic images, web weaving posts, etc.), @geetstudies (studyblr), @yusufalkasayni (for films/tv shows, it was supposed to inspire me to watch more stuff but it’s languishing inactive mostly), @doriangray (dark academia, classics, pretty edits + moodboards + occasional fashion inspiration, etc.), @psykhes (mythology), @andrewminyyard (for aftg and trc) and @stevenroguers (for marvel and stucky). i have a few others but they aren’t particularly relevant or active and i don’t want this to go on forever. 

3. how long have you been on tumblr?

i think about 5/6 years. 

4. do you have a queue tag?

yes!!! it’s potteresqueue !! i have a separate queue tag for every single one of the blogs you’ve seen up top but this one is one of my favourites. 

5. why did you start your blog?

i started my main because tumblr was the fandom hub and i was neck deep in drarry as a teenager, but this specific sideblog happened when i started segregating my interests into separate blogs and wanted to be more active specifically in the drarry fandom. 

6. why did you choose your icon?

it’s a picrew of me from my favourite picrew!! it’s too slytherin from back when i thought i was a slytherin and i might change the colours a little to fit the ravenclaw vibe better, but the slightly grumpy lesbian is here to stay <33 

7. why did you choose your header?

i searched up drarry headers and this was one of the first ones i found. i think i’m going to change it, because while it does fit the aesthetic of my blog, i’m all about desi!harry. much as i love dan radcliffe, he’s stopped being the harry i imagine in my head. 

8. post with most notes?

this one which is surprising, because i posted it,,,, two days ago, i think? people seem to enjoy me writing fluff, who would’ve thought. i’m not a big blog and i don’t create a ton of original content on tumblr, so it’s not objectively a ‘big post’ but it makes me happy either way to know a bunch of people chose to spend their time reading what i had to say <33 

9. how many mutuals do you have?

tumblr’s system for checking this is... very basic and full of holes so i have no idea but i get very excited whenever an url i recognise likes/reblogs/comments/tags me in anything, so if you’re a mutual, then please know i cherish you deeply and you make my day whenever i see you in my notifs <33 

10. how many followers do you have?

tumblr hides this for a reason, i choose to not share this <3 

11. how many people do you follow?

520. i used to follow upwards of 900, but i purged many inactive blogs a few months ago so we’re at 520. 

12. ever made a shitpost? not with that specific intention, i don’t think, but the #geets.txt tag on this blog and others feels plenty shitpost-y to me. 

13. how often do you use Tumblr each day?

😬  i’m... very online. tumblr is my safe space on the internet and i spend a great deal of time on here with little regret. 

14. did you ever have a fight/argument with another blog?

i don’t think so? i’ve got a couple rude anons, but those don’t count, right? there was a whole Situation on my main once upon a time, but i stay pretty chill on this one and i hope it stays that way. 

15. how do you feel about “you need to reblog this” posts?

i choose to ignore that line if it’s there. if i agree with the message and think it’s an important one to have on my blog, then i reblog, but if it’s a post that’s either fishing or guilt-tripping or being threatening, then i scroll past. i understand where the sentiment comes from but there’s a better way to phrase these things. 

16. do you like tag games?

i love them, they’re so much fun. 

17. do you like ask games?

yes!! ‘someone thought of me?? someone remembered me? someone went into my askbox to say this???? i am a puddle of love’ 

18. which of your tumblr friends/mutuals do you think is famous?

fame on tumblr is a myth, honestly 

19. do you have a crush on a mutual? so many tumblr crushes. So. Many. everybody is so lovely, so welcoming, so full of excitement and appreciation for art and creativity, how could i not? 

tagging @shealwaysreads @tackytigerfic @dragontamerdame @onbeinganangel @the-starryknight @orange-peony @drarrymybeloved @amortentiaboys @hogwartsfirebolt if they want to do it/haven’t already done it. this was quite a bit of fun so if you want to do it and i haven’t tagged you, then this is an open tag for you too <3 

#geets.txt #tagged

[starswayv]

forever (jung jaehyun)

forever (jung jaehyun)

pairing jung jaehyun x reader

themes soft angst (depression), fluff end, drabble

word count 1.496, does it still count as a drabble?

author’s note I’ve been dealing with depression for years now, so I tried to stay truly to what I experience and feel, knowing that depression hits differently for everyone. read only if you’re comfortable, I tried to make it as soft and fluff as I could, so it has a happy ending! also, I wrote this listening to this song by jeremy zucker, so if you want, listen while reading. enjoy <3

You were used to this kind of feeling. It comes and goes every couple of months, sometimes during whole weeks of you feeling useless, down and without energy to do the things you love the most. It sucks, but you were used to it.

Eventually the feeling goes by, and you go back to the happy version of yourself. It was all normal again, you were the good student, worker, friend and girlfriend you loved to be.

Everything was fine, but the bad part always made a comeback. And here you were again.

12:04 pm and you’re still in bed, scrolling down your social media, hoping to find something to distract yourself from the aching heart inside your chest. When you had one of this days, you’d almost never text or call your friends and loved ones, wanting to be left alone, and with Jaehyun, your boyfriend, busy with recording the whole week, you weren’t worried about someone wanting to talk or meet with you, so the plan was really to stay the entire day in bed.

It was ok. It was the very best you could do that moment, and every single feeling about it were still and always valid.

You lock your phone, looking for the TV remote with your eyes to turn the TV on, when you phone buzzed and the scream turned back on.

hey princess, just met with the producer and found out I’m done for the day.

coming over to see if u want to do something today. love u ;)

Your heart dropped a little. Of course you were happy you were going to see him, but he sounded so sweet in the text and you didn’t feel like meeting him in the feeling right now.

You get up to brush you hair and teeth, jumping back to bed the second your done. You know you don’t have to lie to him, get dressed and pretend the entire day you’re ok... He knows you like the back of his hand, and you trust him completely. He knows every bit of you, the pretty and the ugly. And he loved you entirely.

The sound of keys on the door echoes through the apartment, and you sit in bed waiting for him to come inside. Your heart races in your chest, missing him already, even tho he was right there coming for you.

The weather was warm outside, so Jaehyun comes in, wearing shorts and t-shirt, the big smile on his face brightening up the entire dark room. He leans in to you, taking your face in his hands and slowly kissing you hello.

“Hi, princess. How are you?”

He takes a sit in front of you in bed, waiting for your response and intertwining his fingers on yours.

“I’m good”, you lie a little.

“So, what do you want to do today?”, he asks, calmly. “The sky is so pretty and clear, maybe we could go to a park, play with some dogs…”

You look down, not wanting to see his face at the moment. It wasn’t fair to him you not wanting to do anything today, but It was worse to lie to him, and even more worse to lie yourself.

“I’m really sorry, Jae. I really don’t feel like going outside today.”

One look at you in the right moment, when the mask fails to do it’s job and hide what you’re truly felling, and he know. No words needed, his eyes meet yours, and he know what’s all about. You’re having one of those days.

He looks to you, face filled with understanding, and nods almost unnoticeably.

Jaehyun proceeds to take the place in bed next to you. You avoid eye contact, knowing that you’d feel guilty for tuning down all the pretty things you were sure he had planned for your day, but you just wasn’t feeling it, and you both had finally entered that place in your relationship were the fake outs and play pretends weren’t needed anymore. You were true to each other, in the beautiful parts and in the dark ones.

Jaehyun take his shirt off and sits with his back facing the wall, indicating for you to sit between his legs and be hugged, him being ready to cuddle you in bed for as longs as you needed him to.

“Do you want me to get you something? Some water, food, maybe a movie?”

You move to be in front of him, his arms instantly wrapping your waist and bringing you close, his warmness spreading to you whole body like a warm fire pit. You take his hands in yours, thumbs caressing the back of his hands, and calm and peace of mind slowly beings to fulfill your mind. If only he knew the soothing effect he has on you. Even in the baddest days, when the troubles and worryings and the anxiety seems to never quiet down, or like today, when even getting out of bed it’s too much, Jaehyun was always there and he always knew what to do to make you feel a little better. Even when you are apart, he never fails to let you know you are not alone in this. Not now, nor ever.

“I’m good. I’m gonna be good. Just stay here with me for a while.” you say, so quietly it comes out as a whistle.

His grip around you gets tighter, his face coming closer to yous to leave a soft and long kiss on the cheek, eyes closing with the feeling of his lips against your skin.

“I’m right here, I’m not going anywhere. Not now, nor ever. I’ll stay here, holding you forever.”

You smile a little, your mood lifting up piece by piece.

“But what if we have to eat?” you ask, and he hums behind you.

“We order in and give a bigger tip for the inconvenience of bringing the food to us in bed.”

“And what if we have to work and stuff?”

“Video calls exist for a reason, princess.”

You laugh out loud, and Jaehyun smiles big at the sound he loved so much. No music in the word, no orchestra, singer or string quartet compares to the sound of his loved one laughing, genuinely happy, even more knowing he had a share of the happiness, he being the reason to it.

An idea popped up in your head, and you wiggle in enthusiasm of the answer he was going to made up for this one.

“And what if we had to pee?”

He dramatically freezes behind you, fingers widening in the air, leaving yours alone in your lap, and you keep laughing.

“Okay princess, I’m sorry but I’m leaving you for that. Pee is important.” you nod, and his right hand meets you cheek, turning your face to meet his, noses almost touching with the approximation. “But I promise it’s just to do that. Nothing else is going to keep me apart from you.”

You smile a little, not having time to think his words for he brings you closer to a kiss. His lips meets your vaguely, trying to not be too harsh or intense, just a brush of lips to show calm and endearment, but long enough so you feel how much you were being loved in that moment. Because he loved you a lot, he really did.

Lips parts, but he keep both foreheads connected, eyes far lost into yours, unable to break the moment.

“I love you so much.” you whisper, so low and so to yourself, the kind of ‘I love you’ you’re not even expecting anything in return. Just pure realization, when you’re hit by the new feeling you never knew.

Only you know you love him for years now, but it never gets old. Every ‘I love you’ it’s just as exciting and new as the first one.

You said it in the lowest voice, but he still hears and smile. His nose brush against yours in a butterfly kiss, and his lips meet yours again, this time putting in every passion and intimacy you share together, deep and long.

Every kiss too was as exciting and amazing as the first one. The butterflies, the rush, your hands wondering and tucking his hair, him traveling all the way from the end of your back to your neck, lips always together. His tongue meets yours, moving so slowly if feels like caressing it. So light and so intense at the same time, erupting all the love he have for you inside of him and bringing pure adoration to the surface.

You slow down the kiss, needing a bit of air and close your eyes, wanting to record everything about this moment in your head, wanting every touch to stay forever marked in your skin. For you to remember in those kind of days, that you’re okay. You’re fine. You love and you are loved. And you don’t need nothing else than this is the world.

“I love you more. Forever.”

#jaehyun imagine #jaehyun fluff #jaehyun fanfic #nct fanfic #nct imagine #nct fluff #nct jaehyun #nct 127 #nct dream #nct u #wayv #wayv fanfic #wayv imagine #wayv fluff #nct #jung jaehyun #kpop fanfic #kpop imagine #kpop fluff #angst #jaehyun angst #nct angst

[terresdebrume]

The Witcher - Favorite Reads Masterpost

So, the previous one was getting really super long and Tumblr refused to save the latest update three times, which I’m taking to mean I’ve reached some kind of length limit. In view of that, and with a poke to @nyliekeo​ who asked to be tagged, here’s the second volume of my Witcher fic-reading adventures!

(Pretty much all Geraskier, because I’m only a multishipper in the sense that I have many ships across many fandoms.)

Volume 1

Last updated: April 10th, 2020.

Non geraskier fic

Her Current Is Pulling You Closer - TheMarvellousMadMadamMim

Specs: 1 900 words - Teen & Up Audiences - Eist/Calanthe - Swimming, shameless flirting

Summary: After nearly three years of marriage, Eist Tuirseach realizes there are still things to learn about his wife.

Becoming Water - Orockthro

Specs: 3 456 words - Mature - Trans woman!Geralt, curses, happy ending

Summary:  When Geralt was a child his mother kissed his forehead, wove flowers in his hair, and let him dance around the campsite they shared with the other druids. He loved dancing, the way his body moved and flowed; he was like water.

And then she left him in the road, spilled water on his feet, and a faint trail of dust where she and the cart were no longer. And a man came and took Geralt and made him into something new.

“Were you short? Waifish? Did those witcher mutagens turn you into, you know, the hulking sexy man that you are? At least they gave you such male perfection, what with the stubble and the jaw and the--”

“Shut up, Jaskier.”

(Or, Geralt is cursed with a female body during their travels. Only it's not so much a curse as a gift she didn't know she so desperately desired until now.)

of cockroaches and men - Potrix

Specs: 1 442 words - Teen & Up Audiences - Yennefer & Jaskier, Getting to know each other, BAMF Jaskier

Summary: As if being stuck waiting for her supplier in this sorry excuse for a town full of narrow-minded, superstitious simpletons isn't already frustrating enough, the first familiar face Yennefer spots when she walks into the grubby tavern is that of her least favourite bard.

Or, alternatively; sometimes you misjudge people, but there's nothing some badassery and booze won't fix.

all cooped up - alittlebitmaybe

Specs: 4 205 words - Mature - Polyamory, Pandemic 2020, Non-explicit sex, instigator Yen

Summary: Geralt's old university roommate, Jaskier, needs a place to ride out the pandemic. Geralt and Yennefer conveniently have a couch and Geralt, inconveniently, has a crush.

Cover it over and write it out - TheArcheologist

Specs: 3 214 words - Mature - Dyslexia, implied child abuse, Dandelion is a noble

Summary: There is something Geralt has noticed, after traveling so long with Jaskier. It is nothing major, nothing world ending or even warranting bringing up, but it is there, nonetheless, a funny little habit he can’t unsee.

“You’re better at this stuff than me, Geralt, you read it.”

Geraskier fics

pride - Besully (Briar_Elwood)

Specs: 737 words - Teen & Up - Trans Jaskier

Summary: Geraskier Week Dealer's Choice

He only manages to get the shirt untucked from the bard’s trousers when Jaskier’s smile disappears, and he scrambles backwards, holding the edges of his shirt down.

Do It Again - thisgirlsays22

Specs: 6 771 words - Explicit - Time Loop

Summary: By the twentieth time Geralt has gone through the loop, he decides to just throw himself off the cliff’s edge after Borch.

He wakes up to his twenty-first attempt.

“Fuck.”

Interlude; The End of All Things - TabbyCat33098

Specs: 3 496 words - General Audiences - Growing Old Together

Summary: Geralt realizes Jaskier is growing old and tries his best to return the rest of Jaskier's life to him. If only Jaskier would cooperate and take it.

//

How much longer will Jaskier be content with weathering the elements and contending with the uncertainty of mercenary work? How long until Jaskier realizes that in devoting himself to crafting a legacy for Geralt, he has forgotten to create a legacy of his own?

After all, he does not have a wife or children, for their nomadic lifestyle is conducive to neither. He has no home to return to between stints with Geralt, whether a sprawling mansion vaunting his wealth or a comfortable cottage replete with souvenirs from his varied exploits. How many experiences has Jaskier sacrificed because some contract or irate nobleman drew them elsewhere? How many untouched fields of snow has Jaskier never seen; how many harvests at Novigrad has he yearned to celebrate from halfway across the Continent—

“You’re staring,” Jaskier points out.

“You wanted to go to the Kovirian coast,” Geralt responds. 

a tapestry of scars - splendidlyimperfect

Specs: 7 688 words - Mature - Modern AU, Birpolar disorder, self harm, references to previous suicide attempt and car accident.

Summary: Jaskier comes into Geralt's life on a sunny afternoon in May - wide smiles and baby blue eyes; breathtaking stories and half-written song lyrics. He's mesmerizing and full of life, and Geralt can't look away. But sunshine doesn't last forever, and when Jaskier disappears, Geralt learns that beautiful things have dark and broken pieces, and even damaged people can help fix them.

Summer Mornings - The UnamazingTrashKing

Specs: 3 241 words - Mature - Fluff

Summary: Geralt and Jaskier are sort of a couple. They definitely wake up together and talk about spending the rest of their lives together.

An Incomplete Happiness - BlossomsintheMist

Specs: 22 497 words - Mature - Serious injuries, injuries recovery, unresolved sexual tension, unresolved romantic tension

Summary: Jaskier is traveling with Geralt when a hunt goes badly wrong and Geralt ends up injured.  Geralt soon realizes that the bard can take care of Geralt better than he'd realized, in his own way.

Hide Behind The Mound of Dead Bards - Bones (Doctorbones)

Specs: 17 296 words - Explicit - Temporary character death, Graphic depiction of violence

Summary: Jaskier is really bad at two things: shutting up and staying dead. Luckily, he can do both at the same time...for a while.

faith in transience - unconscious

Specs: 12 532 words - Explicit - Monster of the week, Service top Jaskier, attempted mind control.

Summary:  “I learn stuff about you to enrich my songs, thanks very much.”  Geralt starts.

“Like what?”

Jaskier strums a chord. “Plenty of things. You always ask the contractor if they want the head or not instead of just showing up with it, because you don’t want to shock people. You eat normal amounts of food when eating in public, instead of your usual awe-inducing giant amount. You sleep more when you’re hurt, but that’s the only way I’d ever know. You’re a bit weird about your potions and you count them a lot.” He glances up and grins. “Shall I continue?”

A handful of contracts go sideways. Recovering is easier with Jaskier there.

when midnight breaks their sleep - SummerFrost

Specs: 16 736 words - Mature - Modern setting, polyamory, polyamory negociation

Summary:   The first Snapchat that anyone ever sends Geralt is a picture of his own irritated face.

shrike_princess: can u believe this dumbass finally got a snapchat bc a cute boy asked him nicely

"It wasn't even that nicely," Geralt says flatly.

AKA: The one where Geralt is a bartender and Jaskier sings karaoke.

he, who i love - kinneyb

Specs: 1 279 words - Teen & Up Audiences - Established relationship

Summary: Jaskier looked forward to these nights the most; he was playing in a rundown tavern in a small town near the coast, coins gathered at his feet, knowing that at any moment Geralt would come bursting through the door.

He spun on his heels, strumming his lute with nimble fingers, the mark of a practiced player.

Jaskier had thought he’d reached his peak when he was younger. He had been proven wrong, of course, practice truly did make perfect. He was getting more attention than ever, and only half of it probably had to do with his new songs, all depicting the Witcher’s love story with a bard of the human variety.

He never directly mentioned himself, but the people had made the connection fairly easily, anyway.

Near the Coast - IantoPace

Specs: 2 164 words - Teen & Up Audiences - Dresses

Summary: Geralt finds out some of the feminine things Jaskier likes. This is inspired by the images of Joey Batey & Madeleine Hyland in the woods wearing each other's clothes.

Shoot First, Ask Questions Later - Ladivviniatravestia

Specs: 3 427 words - Teen & Up Audiences - Defining the relationship

Summary: Geralt and Jaskier fuck, then try to define their relationship.  Too bad Geralt has no idea what he really wants and Jaskier has been hiding something.

parry, riposte - plutoandpersephone

Specs: 5 230 words - Explicit - Established relationship, competence kink, power dynamics

Summary: "How about it?"

Geralt looks at Jaskier like he’s just started to speak in some long lost, foreign tongue.

"You want to take me on in the sword ring?"

-

Jaskier challenges Geralt to a bout in the fencing ring. They both get more than they bargained for.

The Coast - NinjaSniperKitty

Specs: 1 856 words - General Audiences - Established relationship, overly protective boyfriend!Geralt

Summary: Geralt takes Jaskier up on his offer to get away and go to the coast for a while. While Geralt sees danger hiding everywhere along the coast, Jaskier hasn't been to the sea in years and only sees a good time!

Sweet, Silky, Soft, and Shiny - Girl_in_Red_Crossing

Specs: 3 251 words - Mature - Inappropriate use of candy

Summary: Just a couple of bros, sucking on sweet things... sharing silky things... lying in soft beds together... (kissing)...

The Witcher Wolf 2: Geralt’s POV - im_fairly_witty.

Specs: 15 338 words - Teen & Up Audiences - Animal transformation

Summary: It's been two weeks since Geralt drove Jaskier away from him on that mountain top and Geralt's been doing his best not to think about it by accepting every contract he comes across. But when a job goes badly he find himself cursed into the form of an injured wolf and is then saved by none other than Jaskier himself, who has no idea that the animal he's taken under his wing is his own witcher. Geralt must now try to alert Jaskier to his real situation and adjust to his new life traveling with the bard, learning several hard but very much needed lessons along the way.

Shadowplay - sospes

Specs: 26 539 words - Mature - BAMF!Jaskier, Espionnage

Summary: Geralt returns to Oxenfurt on a bright May morning to find flowers laid outside Jaskier's rooms and a fresh grave in the cemetery.

Except, as Geralt is about to learn, in Jaskier's world things are never quite what they seem.

An Old Man’s Tale - NotebooksandLaptops

Specs: 1 448 words - General Audiences - External POV, Old age

Summary: At the edge of the village, in a house surrounded by wild-flowers and weeds - re-built from its former crumbling foundations – there lived the Old Man. He’d earnt the rights for the capital O, capital M off of the rest of the villagers barely a week after he’d moved into their humble world. For he had not grown up here, like everyone else did. Yet he settled and settled as if he had always been there. He wandered the cliffsides, the beaches, the streets. He strung shells together and gifted them to the ladies of the village with a wink that betrayed the charming young man he once must have been. He bought the little ceramic pots Alicja sold on the market, and he filled them with weeds as if the weeds were flowers worth showcasing. And – most importantly – he sang.

-///-

Or, Jaskier settles in a costal village towards the end of his life.

For The Joy Of It - vvitchering (Witchering)

Specs: 848 words - Teen & Up Audiences - self esteem issues, body image

Summary: After spending years on The Path together, Jaskier and Geralt finally settle down. Jaskier notices one day that his new sedentary lifestyle has changed him in ways he fears Geralt won't accept.

The Silence Between Heartbeats - anarchycox

Specs: 7 969 words - Teen & Up Audiences - Jskier knows Geralt better than anyone

Summary: Geralt faced off with a sorceress, only instead of her magic killing him, it stole his voice. But this should be an easy fix, he knew many women who could heal this. But that would mean anyone noticing something wrong. He knew he was quiet, but seriously, did no one wonder why he wasn't saying a single thing? Months he traveled silent, no one noticing and it was driving him mad.

Until he runs into Jaskier, who notices immediately that something is wrong.Because of course it is Jaskier.

Who else in the end would it be, who properly saw the White Wolf?

tailored - jeannie_tangerine

Specs: 4 874 words - Explicit - Geralt has a kink and Jaskier is absolutely into it.

Summary: in which Jaskier finds out that Geralt has a kink and is more than glad to indulge it.

oh darling please be mine - kickassfu

Specs: 749 words - General Audiences - Introspective, fluff

Summary: Geralt’s head turns to him just as he’s jumping into his arms. Obviously, he catches Jaskier, in his very strong, very big arms. Still probably processing what’s happening, Geralt’s body is tense, unmoving. Jaskier doesn’t care.

New Monsters Stories - Kathkin

Specs: 20 209 words - Explicit - Urban fantasy, mutual pining

Summary:  “So do you have a name?”

“Yeah.” The man who had saved his life less than an hour ago – the white-haired, absurdly buff, weirdly sexy man Jaskier might have called taciturn if he was feeling charitable and surly if he was feeling less so – dug into his second burger.

Jaskier waited. “Are… you going to tell me what it is?”

The man paused mid-bite, and looked at him reproachfully as if to say how dare you. How dare you interrupt me. Can’t you see I’m enjoying my cheeseburger. Can’t you see this cheeseburger is the most important thing in my life right at the moment. He swallowed, and said, “Geralt.”

It turns out almost getting eaten by a werewolf can make your whole life go careening off in a new, terrifying, wondrous, artistically flourishing direction. Who knew?

Professor Pankratz - martistarfighter

Specs: 1 147 words - Teen & Up Audiences - Established relationship

Sumary:  “Come teach my class with me tomorrow.” He whispers in the witcher’s ear. He’s sporting a neatly trimmed beard these days, and it tickles Geralt’s neck in the most tempting way.

Geralt chuckles dryly, but the lack of an immediate quip tells him that Jaskier is serious. It’s a little scary how often they can read their minds by now.

“Don’t think so. You’re the teacher, Jask. I’ve got nothing to tell them.”

“But you’re the reason I’m still alive and teaching in the first place. Besides, you can just sit there, look pretty and answer some questions. My students have heard a lot about you, they’ll adore you.”

As someone pointed out, there's too much 'witcher watching out for his idiot' and not enough 'the witcher is a himbo who loves his college educated bard husband, who is qualified to teach' content out there. So I'm fixing it with a self-indulgent ficlet!

and i plan to be forgotten when i’m gone (yes, i’ll be leaving in the fall) - Stockholm_Syndrome

Specs: 18 083 words - Mature - Discussion of assisted suicide, discussion of suicide, depression, curse, no MCD

Summary: “That was more emotional than I expected.” He finally said “I didn’t think I’d have time to share this with you, and I.” Jaskier interrupted himself, as if unsure if he should continue. “I suppose I didn’t think it would upset you so.”

“Jaskier” Geralt growled, not able to express how ludicrous that idea was.

“Yes, I suppose I was wrong there.” Jaskier replied with a helpless shrug.

---- Or, Jaskier is cursed to turn into a monster. He doesn't think this is important information to mention.

Chopsticks - thisgirlsays22

Specs: 12 175 words - Explicit - Piano teacher!Jaskier, friends to lovers, modern setting

Summary: “Yennefer sent me a check for eight lessons for you,” Jaskier said the following weekend, wearing a beige button-down with--

“Does your shirt have owls on it?” Geralt asked, caught somewhere between amusement and horror.

Jaskier looked down and tugged on the front of his shirt as if he had to remind himself what was on it. He beamed at Geralt. “Yeah! Do you like it?”

“Not particularly.”

The smile swiftly disappeared.

“It’s not terrible,” he amended, stepping back to let Jaskier inside the apartment. Then Jaskier’s initial words sank in. “Wait. Yen did what?”

Hanging up on Yennefer was always a mistake.

what’s in a (pet) name? - janie_tangerine

Specs: 1 415 words - Teen & Up Audiences - Fluff, pet names

Summary:  "So," he clears his throat one evening, having just rinsed Geralt's now clean, soft white hair, and damn how he wishes the man would just take care of it somewhat decently, "I was wondering."

"What?" Geralt says after he doesn't go on for a bit. It didn't sound particularly annoyed. Right on.

"This is a very broad question, but I was just curious, no need to answer if you don't want to -" Jaskier starts, having learned that giving the man a way out is always a good bet.

"Just get on with it, won't you?"

Jaskier clears his throat, leans down, puts his elbows on the rim of the tub. "How do you feel about pet names?"

Or: in which Jaskier has a question for Geralt. It doesn't get answered the way he had assumed.

As Long As You Were Mine For A Little While - whisperedstories

Specs: 12 815 words - Explicit - Friends with benefits, mutual pining

Summary: It starts with Jaskier offering a helping hand when Geralt needs to let off some steam. The thing is, Jaskier likes taking care of Geralt—however he can—and Geralt lets him, so he just keeps doing it.

And as long as they never talk about how he's in love with Geralt, they're both happy with the arrangement, right? Right.

Of Debt and Debtors - sp_oops

Specs: 5 136 words - Explicit - Semi-public sex

Summary: Two bros, chillin' in a ta-vern, five feet apart ‘cause they—fuck, they really missed each other, not that Geralt will ever admit it—and anyway, in a minute here, they're gonna have to get closer than they ever thought possible. (Or, sometime after Episode 6, they meet again, Jaskier’s in trouble again, and Geralt saves them. Again.)

This One I Shall Choose - DorkMagician

Specs: 3 751 words - Teen & Up Audiences - Quiet pining, the exact moment Geralt falls in love

Summary: Geralt falls in the river fishing for a djinn and winds up soaked. Jaskier sees the opportunity to do as his mother told him a long time ago and takes the first step when he offers Geralt his handkerchief.

Skin Deep - Sospes

Specs: 8 935 words- Teen & Up Audiences - Fluff, getting together, non consensual tattooing, implied/referenced rape, implied/referenced childhood abuse

Summary: “What’s that?” Geralt asks.

Jaskier blinks. “It’s a tattoo,” he says. “Have you never seen a tattoo before, Geralt?”

Geralt fights the urge to roll his eyes. “I know it’s a tattoo,” he says. “What’s it a tattoo of?”

They say there are 5 ways to show your love (and I don’t know any of them) - Mayathelittlebee

Specs: 5 989 words - Teen & Up Audiences - Fluff, humor

Summary: May be if Geralt stopped being so dramatic for a moment he'd finally realize that loving Jaskier is not as hard as he thinks.

I don’t mind if I’m with you - janie_tangerine

Specs: 11 152 words - Explicit - In which Jaskier has to quelle his murder instincts concerning how much Geralt’s life sucks

Summary: or: five times plus one in which Jaskier finds out that Geralt is missing on good life experiences and promptly sees to fix it.

Fill Me Up - Mysticmajestic

Specs: 402 words - Teen & Up Audiences - Romance

Summary: Geralt only knows how to give, and give, until he's empty. What is he to do with Jaskier, who only wants to give back to him?

Little Things - QueenForADay

Specs: 3 315 words - General Audiences - Domestic fluff, Ciri ships it

Summary: In the first few months of knowing the Witcher, he experienced first-hand how shut-off Geralt could be with the world around him and those within it.

At some point, and he can’t pinpoint where, that shroud started to slip away. He saw how much Geralt could, and does, actually care. It’s as fierce as the way he fights.

They spend a great deal of time watching each other; when they finally fell into a bed together, they spent most of their nights learning what the other liked, mapping the plains of skin and muscle underneath the other.

But it’s the other things, the little things, that Jaskier thinks about the most.

O, Empathy - almostnectarine

Specs: 32 624 words - Mature - Body swap, friends to lovers, questfic

Summary: “How did you manage,” asked Geralt, with infinite patience and only a desire to know the facts, and not at all a little meanhearted glee, “to insult a sorcerer while his tongue was down your throat?”

“Don’t make me recount the entire sordid affair, Geralt,” said Jaskier, with a surprising note of desperation breaking through his gruff monotone. “I’m already having a rather shit day and all I’ve done so far is wake up.”

“In my body,” said Geralt.

“Yes,” said Jaskier, with the insolent cadence that was unmistakably Jaskier’s, but in Geralt’s voice, emerging from Geralt’s face and frame.

“And I’ve got yours,” said Geralt, from Jaskier’s.

and for that love to be with men - sebviathan

Specs: 6 734 words -Mature - Emotional constipation, self discovery, self acceptance, geralt is a whole ass gay man who doesn’t know what being gay is

Summary: Something's not right about what I'm doing but I'm still doing it—living in the worst parts, ruining myself. My inner life is a sheet of black glass. If I fell through the floor I would keep falling.

The enormity of Geralt's desire disgusts him.

at last, at last, at last, oh I thought you’d never ask - elegantwings

Specs: 15 040 words - Explicit - Arranged marriage, slow burn, trans!Jaskier, in this house we love Yennefer of Vengerberg

Summary: Geralt is given firm instructions from Vesemir: He is to get married to a Redanian noblewoman in the hopes of improving relations between witchers and the rest of the world. Once the ceremony is over, he plans to drop his new spouse off at their new home and carry on with his life as he always has. Little does he know, his future wife is not a woman, and not so easily left behind. He's not really sure he'd like to get rid of Jaskier, either. Over the next several years, they learn to navigate their new relationship, first while Jaskier completes his degree, and then when Jaskier insists on accompanying him on the road. And no matter what anyone else has to say about it, Geralt is absolutely not in love with his husband.

it’s what my heart just yearns to say - chasing_the_sterek

Specs: 1 071 words - Teen & Up - Slice of life, Jaskier: what if I found a way to make Geralt admit when he needs things

Summary: "If you could have one blessing," Jaskier says, eyes lit green by the fire between them, "What would it be?"

Geralt looks at him. The whetstone is smooth and friction-warm in his palm, edges rounded from use. It's been with him for a long time: almost four years.

Jaskier has been with him for even longer, but he's never done this. Geralt squints at him, but only thing different to this morning is the yellow firelight changing the colour his eyes appear.

"What," he says.

not a goodbye, a thank you - Potrix

Specs: 2 915 words - Mature - Graphic depiction of illness, near death experience, talk about death, found family

Summary: Somewhere further in the courtyard, Lambert yells out a colourful curse while Ciri cackles maniacally. Eskel is taunting the former through his laughter, and Vesemir’s voice joins in with barked commands and corrections once the clang of steel against steel continues. Somewhere above them, on one of the balconies overlooking the yard, Geralt can hear the scratch of quill against parchment as Yennefer works on her correspondence, interrupted every now and again by the tapping of nails against an inkpot.

He realises what’s wrong an instant before everyone else grows suddenly, eerily still; Jaskier is quiet.

After Summers of Fasting (I Feel Hunger At Last) - Artemis_Unbound

Specs: 3 793 words - Teen & Up Audiences - A six pack you can see is not a good thing, Jaskier tricks Geralt into Not Being Starving anymore, Love confessions

Summary: Defined six-pack abs are a sign that someone has been starving and dehydrating themselves, not a sign of incredible strength. It's just not healthy.

Jaskier sees Geralt shirtless for the first time, sees all that defined musculature, and is Horrified. He's slept with enough warriors and soldiers to know what that means. And he decides, this stops now.

Tunes Without Words - foxy_mulder

Specs: 22 021 words - Mature - Self-esteem issues, past abuse, miscommunications, misunderstandings

Summary: The plan is this:

He will note all the things that annoy Geralt, and he will stop doing them, and then Geralt will want him around. It will work.

It has to work, because Jaskier cannot be left behind.

The Path Not Taken - sospes

Specs: 40 149 words - Mature - Extraordinarily bad misunderstanding, Idiots in love, Explicit sexual content

Summary: Jaskier comes across an injured witcher in a backwoods town, months after the events of the dragon hunt. It all just sort of escalates from there.

.

#The Witcher #Geraskier #Geralt of Rivia #Jaskier #My Posts #Witcher Fic #Fic Rec #Masterpost #100n #150n #200n

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@sophiaswiftiee13 : “ t i love u so so so much. thank you for inspiring me everyday ♡ “

@taysdead :“hey taylor i just want to say thank you SO much for everything you’ve done! you’ve made me so much happier since 2008, and i can’t wait to keep to see you again live, i love you💕”

@jaylinlovestay : Hey Taylor!! Thank you so so much for being such an amazing role model! I love you!! xo Jaylin

@livel0vetaylor : Taylor, I am so proud of everything you accomplished and I can’t wait to see what’s ahead. Thank you so much for everything you have done for me I could never thank you enough!

@frustratedswift : "i love you all the way from the Philippines🇵🇭, 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮, 𝐀𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐬𝐚"

@ellaswift13 : “she is my best friend and biggest role model”

@iwillholdontoyoutay : Hi taylor, I’m Rana!! i just wanted to say that your heart is the kindest and like.. we don’t deserve you. Thank you so so much for being so kind and thoughtful. I’m sending you the biggggest hugs & i love you so so much🥺💗💗

@hearthandsswift : Hii! I’m Marisa and Taylor has helped me so much. I’ve been a Swiftie for 10 years and throughout the years Tay has inspired me to be brave and to be kind. She has been so inspirational and strong and always talks about stuff that’s important to her. She has helped me through some very dark times and means the absolute world to me. Love you so much Tay 💞💞💞💞💞

@deathbyathousandcutsx :"Taylor please come to Mexico, many people love you in this country" 🇲🇽

@zoelovestay13 : Taylor, I just want to say that you changed my life and inspired me in so many ways! Your music is inspiring and I don’t know what I would do if I never discovered you and your music. Thank you💗💗 Zoë🌹

@sparklesswift13 : My message: Taylor has changed my life forever and who I am today ❤️

@tswiftnme : I am very proud of her and I love her so much

@tswiftenchnated13 : Thank you Taylor for being such an amazing songwriter and having the sweetest heart ❤️

@jaslovestaylor13 : Taylor swift helped me be ME! Taylor is the best, i love her Soo much!

@foreverandalwayswithtaylor : you're my happiness ❤️

@enchanteddreamsswiftie : Thank u so much Taylor for always helping me when I most needed someone to understand and help me, I love you so much💕💕💕

@brisalovestaylor : I love you so much Taylor you are my world ❤️

@swiftcutiepiee : I love you Taylor stay safe!

@alicelovestaylorsblog : Taylor you are amazing people in the world. I love your music and your voice. You are the most beautiful girl in the world and you very kind to everyone. You are the one of my favourite women in the world and no one can be like you because you are so special to us. I love you so much Taylor 🥺❤️. - Alice

Ceren: Taylor i love you so much, you are one of the most perfect people in the world 💛

@cuttyswift : Hii taylor, How are you? you have been my inspiration.. lots of love and support to you 😘

WE LOVE YOU AND WE WILL ALWAYS SUPPORT YOU! 💗💗💗

LOVE, SWIFTIES 💌

@taylorswift

[resonanteye]

via https://resonanteye.net/horror-movie-reviews-day-one-the-horror-of-everyday-life/

horror movie reviews: day one, the horror of everyday life

a series of reviews, two each day, of horror movies.

day one, movie one: # alive.

1: half the people are crazed and trying to kill the other half of the people, panic and mass casualties, violent infection, etc – yes, it’s 2020-2021 thank you, continue

2: infected people trying to get in and infect people who are quarantined, aggressive mental illness -yes, yes

3: your neighbors are all worse than you ever knew -yes. yes

4: cops eating each other -please do go on

5: oh no several days how will you ever survive with only ramen

two whole days of lockdown

6: so you’re warned to have plenty of food and water, yet you don’t immediately fill up the bathtub at least, or the sinks. and you don’t go into the zombie neighbor’s abandoned apartment to see if there’s food

7: too much tech, not enough walkie talkies. I doubt.

8: I get it, people expect the end of the world to be like, a switch flipped, but no. this shit draaaags forever

9: the golf club is reminiscent of funny games. maybe an intentional nod to his change in mental state

10: slapstick!

11: finally, foraging.

12: the Mormons are at the door

13: we have skipped two weeks, without water or food?

14: and finally the lights out- wouldn’t that go before the running water?

15: oh the melodrama. don’t be a moron, but this magical dude has been alive a month without water

16: Kim Yu-bin is keeping track of her shit. I bet he gets her killed. nice waterworld callback with watering the plant.

17: of course he’s that stupid, he’s the protagonist and you’re a competent woman in a movie. how else would it justify you endangering yourself for him?

18: oh, wait. he HAS water? from where?

19: finally the tech is worth a damn. and she’s feeding him, which is ok because yes helping each other matters but

20: ok yes the tech is nice, good point, this is a scene from hackers vs zombies. slapstick is fine. zombie big mad. give me back my hand you bastards

21: Jun-u. I had been ignoring his name the entire movie. This is a bad habit of mine with zombie stuff.

22: finally some decent fuckin plot movement. there’s kids, in a good movie he’d have to kill one. instead, a treasure trove of all the survival gear. it’s handy when someone else did the preparation FOR you. I mean damn

23: oooh she’s only alive to help HIM. what a fucking surprise

24: reminds me of the pandemic “share a window” website crossed with a gentle, normal mukbang (not a weird fetish feeder one)

25: the zombies are going hooome. the zombies are going hooooooome

26: ok yes sounds scary, looked scary but it seems like there’s only five of them at her door

27: she’s skilled. of course. melee fighter. I like that this isn’t the dumb-ass slow zombies, nor the superhuman ones. just regular people.

28: another pile up!

29: don’t drink koolaid from strangers, but spam? NO NOT THAT EITHER. of course there will be cannibals in this that aren’t sick, that’s another nice callback (the road) (dead alive). I’m still holding out hope a kid zombie gets killed, although it’s unlikely at this point.

30: holy fuckin generational-divide-monologue for the ages

31: oh damn a gunshot in South Korea.

32: look, Kim, I wasn’t given any backstory for you, but I really want you to outlive “regular dumb guy”. the suicide subplot is going nowhere and we both know it

33: it’s never a good look to be fighting zombie hordes on the stairs. I don’t know why, it just isn’t good. just stay in the damn apartment. please.

34: regular Joe, you are doing the right thing by staying behind, keep that up.

35: FUCK THIS SHITTY APARTMENT

36: finally, machine guns. sorry, I’m American. I’ve been waiting for an hour and a half for logic to set in

37: where are they even going? she’s cooler than him, why isn’t she getting messages? so I guess his Instagram saved her? is that a subversiveon of what I’ve been complaining about? I think it is.

7/10 excellent slapstick, callbacks, just enough humor without ruining the narrative. subversive ending in that he’s only in the movie for the sake of saving her life, and neither died. points deducted for lack of depth to the woman in the film, too much depth for the guy, and for showing us a lack of water then changing that enough to keep someone alive for 20 days. (also, he didn’t even fill up the sink, the hell)

number two, day one: condemned

this movie is about squatting, a lifestyle I’m too familiar with. let’s see how close to the mark it gets. oh, and zombie infection stuff. that too.

1: the supe is always the strangest thing in any building in NYC. always. this isn’t a narrator. this is realism.

2: when will rich kids learn that poverty isn’t an aesthetic? when will something that poor people authentically live through, be safe from commodification and the thievery of the privileged? where does class/cultural appropriation end? why are people using their yacht money on a tiny fuckin house? find out on the next episode of generation x, when we discuss the occup- wait no- this is just a zombie flick. sorry about that

3: I know she’s saying other shit on the phone but all I hear is “the rain was such a blessing”

4: montage is always good with good music over it. going anywhere in the city is basically a montage in reality

5: cigarettes cost 14 bucks in New York holy fuckin shit I’m old

6: ominous: “what could be worse than where you are now”, teens having sex, neon lighting, drainpipe footage, “what difference is a day gonna make”, “I won’t make the same mistake like I did in Vladivostok”

7: this bondage shit on the third floor is giving me a real, serious flashback to a job I did briefly which paid incredibly well. every time these characters show up I have a flashback, every time I watch this.

8: every character in this movie is someone I’ve met. every fuckin one. even cookie. I hate that and love it at the same time. I don’t know if you’ve ever lived in bad beat city but this is accuracy.

9: the glitch hallucination is wonderful. don’t show me people’s bad dreams, though. it’s a waste of film. especially someone’s dream who doesn’t know that squats don’t get the garbage picked up. at least he was gentle about her tourist status. (yes, that was fucking gentle. she’s visiting, but they LIVE there. he’ll show you the life of the mind)

10: the colors in this movie reminds me of Mermaid in a Manhole, an amazing movie itself- this is a compliment

11: yes punk means you puke and say “did you SEE that” yes it does

12: the way sickness spreads in close, unmaintained quarters is accurate too. these old buildings were originally tenements and were notorious for being built in a way that contributed to outbreaks of diseases. ny poverty history

13: the glitch used as stand-in for visual mirage is again amazing and continues to be throughout

14: that walk up all the stairs after a day at work to complain about the horror of everyday life, with a back crack and sore feet.

15: the cops are also accurate

16: the plot takes a nice strong left turn here, and it’s perfection. since the development of the plot cookie was leading us to doesn’t matter to the people in this building, it’s better to truncate it. and then we can get to business.

17: yes. if you die in a squat, you’re getting rolled in a carpet and left blocks away. you’ve got to. nobody’s gonna kill you but nobody’s going to be on the street over your ass either.

18: guitar axe skyline lightning. that may be a summary of the whole movie.

19: absolutely pitch perfect “you ruined new york city” rant for the ages

I used to live there

20: if the building wasn’t shit, this would be a nice Shining callback

21: FAWKKING

22: this movie just will not let you have any expected outcome. it’s brilliant.

23: I’ve lived in a brownstone that had a cellar which connected to every building on the block and beyond. that was in Philly, but the construction of this landscape is perfect.

full disclosure- I own this DVD and have watched it a lot. it’s one of my favorite movies, structurally and visually, and I think it’s one of the best horror movies made this decade.

#true stories