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#that thinks that maybe if i stayed in that miserable place that maybe i wouldn't have any of the problems i have now
wrecking · 8 months
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edit: i ended up just ranting abt like the current vibe™ in the tags... sorry abt that but like also whatever i don't care anymore
#d#my food therapist really said the most real thing on planet earth when she said i'm meeting me at the same time everyone else is#i feel like a cringey overzealous emotionally dumb teenager who's a total embarrassment to everyone around me while i'm trying 2 say fuck i#cuz like this is the first time in my entire life i feel like i get to actually explore my identity and do like normal young people things#and i feel just. so so exposed in the sense that everyone is watching me make a fool of myself without a single shred of self-awareness#and it makes me so fucking mad cuz like i'm finally happy with myself!! i'm finally starting to feel like a fully formed person#instead of a 2d projection or an object or something monstrous hiding in the shadows because that's how i've spent until now imo#and like. it's hard to emotionally make peace with the fact things in my social life are changing because like. there's some part of me#that thinks that maybe if i stayed in that miserable place that maybe i wouldn't have any of the problems i have now#and like my life is a lot better. and i know that and i wouldn't change a thing. but like emotionally i guess i'm just#processing it as a fault of mine to have changed bc it's changing my relationships to others#and this isn't about any one specific thing like i've been having lots of small growing pains with a lot of ppl in my life rn i just am lik#there's a lot happening to me rn emotionally so i feel like everything i do is a fuckup and i'm just bracing for more people to go ig#which might happen or it might not and tbh either is ok at this point. i need to do this in order to live i think#idk why i'm even rambling about this i just have a lot of thoughts and i want to share them i guess. not like it does anything but like#what else is this app for at this point lmfao i barely even want to talk on here anymore because i feel like everything i say on here is#just pointless. i'm thankful i have a strong support system rn cuz genuinely i don't know what i'd do if i didn't like#i feel like everything is so much more emotionally Big to me on E and it's kind of hard trying to figure out how to manage it#like i'm basically finally getting to be me. for worse AND for better. and i just am like. insecure on some level i guess#not even over my appearance tbh i've kinda made peace with that. moreso my personality and what things i share with others#this whole post is so wholly unnecessary but i feel like i'm going to go insane if i don't get this out of my head#i've genuinely been avoiding talking about my emotions or my private life on here because i don't exactly feel safe on here anymore#which is like great. love it when my primary outlet for like. socially interacting with people casually gets compromised i love it#i literally softblocked like 30 ppl off of here so i could talk abt my weird sex stuff and my body and my deeper thoughts with ppl i trust#and then i still am too conscious about it! this always happens when i make a blog for myself to talk on#maybe i'm just not meant for talking abt things
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multi-fandom-imagine · 2 months
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tossing you another overlord husk request for the heck of it.
he meets a sad reader during a party at the casino and finds out a overlord that owns her soul is treating them bad, so he wins her soul and treats her with the respect she deserves.
A/n: Excellent
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It was going to be the most talked about party of the year, only the top of the top were invited. Husk let his gaze roam across the room until it finally landed on you.
'Breath taking'
That was the first thought that ran across his mind, he could see why so many people were flocking towards you....why did that piss him off so much?
Shaking his head, he made his way towards you but the closer he got to you, was that he could clearly see how miserable you looked. Running his tongue over his fangs, he glared at the people still around you.
"Scram!"
That made everyone bolt, your gaze slowly meeting his until you quickly looked to the ground as you took a deep breath in. "Can I help you with something,Sir."
Oh, he liked the way you called him Sir. What a sweet little voice you have. "Why are you all alone looking miserable baby?"
Before you could even answer, a golden collar appeared around your neck yanking you back into a solid chest.
"How about you stay the fuck away from my property"
Biting back a snarl, Husk could see the fear forming in your eyes. You didn't deserve that, you deserved to be treated like a Queen. "How about a little game, nothin too serious. A soul for a soul, you put your girl and i'll put up one of mine." Leaning forward, Husk gave the Overlord a large grin. "What do ya say? Do we have a deal?"
You could feel the weight of the collar, his collar slipping from your neck as the Overlord that owned your soul was dragged kicking and screaming from the casino but yet who's to say he wouldn't be worse?
Casting a weary glance at Overlord, you watched him light a cigar. "What now? What are you going to do to me?"
Blowing out a puff of smoke, Husk placed his claw gently under your chin as he made you look him in the eyes. "Baby, you're going to be treated like royalty."
You thought it would be a lie, that it was something he'd just say to make you fall in line but he kept his word. You had freedom, you felt like you could actually breathe. You weren't afraid anymore.
He treated you with respect. He set you free, you had your soul back.
Maybe that's why you fell in love with him, you know it was a silly notion to tell him but you felt like you had to after all he had done for you. It was easy since it was just 3 simple words.
"I love you."
You saw it in his eyes though, a moment of weakness. He was scared, like it wasn't real because why would someone like you ever fall for someone like him.
Though it did not take long for that smirk to come back on his face. His arm wrapping around your waist drawing you in close. He might have had that arrogant smirk on his face but it was his eyes that gave it way, gave his true feelings away.
"Isn't that a funny little thing. Looks like I love you too, I think you must realize it now, we gotta get married."
"How could I ever say no to the man that saved my life?"
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bhaalble · 5 months
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Back on my Wyll script doctor because I was talking about it with a friend. Specifically imagining a version of Wyll's big Character Choice that felt like it had some actual teeth.
Imagine a world where instead of a cartoon evil hot lady Mizora and Wyll's relationship actually had some complexity to it and like. some genuine push and pull which gives him temptation to stay. I just keep thinking about this 17 year old who his whole life wanted more than anything to be a hero, who got his chance to do something heroic and selfless and save the city from certain doom, and his reward is getting kicked out because he did it the "wrong way".
Imagine if instead of forcing his silence, Mizora instead comforted him. How unbelievably cruel of your father! Well...since you've nowhere else to go, why not stick with me? We make a pretty good team, as it turns out, and I can get you a whole list of monsters who need killing. Plenty of devils and demons loose in your world targetting all sorts of innocents. Our interests can keep aligning, and you get a place to sleep when you need it.
Wyll makes his peace with it, because he has nothing and no one. And Mizora's not GOOD maybe, not by Ulder Ravengard's definition. But she's fun. She delights in his growth. And she does certainly keep direct him at greater evils, devils who really do need killing. And if she spies on his every waking moment, well, she worries. If she sends him after the occasional innocent, well, she had people who she has to answer to as well. She's a devil, how much can he fault her for her nature? She's always seemed like she knew where the line was...
Karlach (and the player) express their doubts, of course, but for act one at least he's defensive. Yes, she punished him and he hates it and its miserable but....he was in breach of contract! She's NEVER gone outside its bounds, she's always stuck very closely to their agreement. Wyll, who wants so badly to trust others and believe everyone has the chance for good, can't find it in him to believe the worst even of a devil.
And Mizora is FOND of Wyll, loves him even in her way. As a cherished pet, as a trusted tool, as a best-laid plan. Never enough to choose his own well-being over her own agenda, never enough to see him as his own person. He's her little project, the long shot noble brat she gambled on when Tiamat decided to get too big for her britches. And it paid off! Wyll always pays off, currying her all the favor from Zariel she so desperately craves. And who are you, or anyone, to come between them? She's treated him well. As she's quick to remind him, she wanted him when no one else did, aided him while the rest of his city slept snug in their beds. And if Ulder Ravengard didn't want a son with a whiff of infernal, then do you REALLY think he'd want you with lovely horns and Avernus in your blood?
You discover his father's been taken. Beyond igniting a lot of old feelings, it brings up a question of succession. Of course, Florrick isnt giving up on him, but if not...there aren't currently any likely candidates to take over the Flaming Fists. Not trustworthy ones. Florrick will take the position, but everyone knows in the back of his mind Ulder never really stopped planning for it to be Wyll. With the city in chaos and a cult army on the rise, they may need an answer sooner rather than later. Wyll feels the call of the Gate, but knows just as well that Mizora wouldn't want him to return in such an official capacity.
For the first time ever the leash starts to chafe in a way he can't keep pushing through.
Act 2 rolls around. Mizora sends up the Warlock signal. After potentially some encouragement from the player, Wyll (NOT THE PLAYER. I DONT KNOW WHY ITS THE PLAYER IN THE GAME ITS WEIRD) hesitantly proposes that maybe, if he does this....they can do a renegotiation of his contract. Not break it, he assures her quickly! Just....reopen the terms, take a looks at the agreement. Maybe discuss an exit ramp? After all....I mean, neither of us truly thought I'd be doing this forever, did we?
Based on Mizora's reaction. Yeah she did.
But fine. She agrees. And Wyll's not mad that it turns out you're rescuing her, not a nameless "operative" for Zariel. He would've done that on his own had she asked. Its the fact that she apparently didn't feel like being honest, that she let him fret and worry about potentially handing Zariel back some runaway for basically no reason. Its the fact that she came here to check in on the cult that abducted his FATHER just to see if Zariel could make any use of them. And its the fact that she seems surprised and annoyed that ANY of this bothers him.
All this builds, of course, to the final confrontation. The basic elements are the same. Mizora outside the coronation (this time needling at Wyll, "I'll be at camp if you're not too high and mighty to consort with the likes of me anymore"), Ulder tadpoled and fighting it. Mizora makes her offer. I can end the contract now, and you're free to go running after daddy (who won't want you btw! not like I do!). You'll lose all your powers, all my aid, all those juicy quests to chase down the greatest monsters in the hells. Take on your father's job and settle in for a life of misery and compromise and only doing as much good as the nobles will let you. Or: pledge yourself to me, eternally. I'll give you a boatload of new powers and eternal life to boot, so long as you serve as my sword and shield.
From there I think three endings branch out, and with it three classes for Wyll. If he stays with Mizora, accepts a relationship where he will never be an equal or a free agent in exchange for the affirmation he wants so badly from his father, he remains a Warlock, with some juiced stats and extra spell slots, along with shiny new gear. If he pledges to follow in his father's footsteps, he instead becomes an Oath of Devotion paladin, pledging himself in service to Tyr, if with a sense of doomed finality. The Blade of Frontiers is officially retired, and along with it any identity he has outside of being his father's son. Or the third path, break the contract without taking his father's role. He will look for his father, yes, but whether or not you find him he's going back to his roots, travelling around to do some good in the world (as the Blade of Frontiers) or kicking ass in the Hells with Karlach (as the Blade of Avernus). In this timeline he becomes a fighter, with a default preference for Eldritch Knight.
What's important: if he breaks his contract then Mizora is NOT hanging around camp. She will leave in a fury, accidentally bound by her own word to withdraw her influence completely if he breaks his contract. She may still approach the player some night to sleep with the player, framed for high approval/romanced players and her trying to take something back from Wyll. But Wyll will have to learn how to define himself without her breathing down his neck, without keeping her happy dominating his every thought. Its nervewracking, and even lonesome at times...but its freedom. And, perhaps, that's worth a little bit of lonesomeness.
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eihoons · 11 months
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enhypen as your ex but they want you back ✮
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ex-bf!enhypen x reader , them wanting you back , fluff , angst (?) (note: not really sure abt this one but i just really love angst)
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❝ heeseung ❞
Misses you day and night
Could NOT sleep without you beside him (as if you were his source of warmth and love especially him being in your arms or vice versa)
Really did try his best to forget you
Would always try and stop himself from viewing your social media accounts, your old conversations, and your old pictures together.
But, unfortunately (or the other way around), he failed.
He couldn't take it anymore, he wanted to talk with you for the last time and so, he did.
Went to your house, and tried to talk it out as if it were a misunderstanding.
Would hold your hand and take a deep breath before talking about it.
"y/n, I know we already talked about it, but.. I'm sure this was just a misunderstanding. I have to admit, my life isn't it without you."
❝ jay ❞
Suddenly had a feeling he had to see you because he dreamt about you one night.
The dream about you was something he wouldn't dare forget because it somehow felt real to him.
Obviously knows where your daily activities are, so he attempted in meeting you one day at your nearby favorite cafe.
Would look all around the place for you.
As he spotted you, he did his best to calm down, waiting for you to approach him first.
Of course you saw him, but you, on the other hand, also waited for him to approach you first.
It definetly took quite a long time for Jay to wait, so he got up and walked towards you.
"Hi, y/n. Uh, I know we haven't really been talking to each other these days but I want to keep in touch. I do know you're trying to move on, but, as much as possible I still want to stay as your friend."
Would say he still wants to be your friend, but deep inside his heart he wanted to go and ask you out once again.
❝ jake ❞
You, Jake, and Layla have been under the same roof ever since you and Jake had been together.
But, of course, due to you and Jake's parting, you had to move out.
Jake noticed Layla looking down ever since she had noticed you were gone and didn't have any signs of you coming back.
If Layla was miserable, then so was him.
He loved Layla most, aside from you. So, he decided to meet up with you, bringing up Layla as an excuse.
As you both finally met again, awkwardness filled the air. On the other hand, Layla ran up to you, making you stumble a bit.
"I guess she misses you more than I do.. or maybe I do miss you more, y/n."
Would finally look into your eyes, although he is trying his best to prevent his tears from falling.
Would hold your hand and say,
"Please come back to us, y/n. You have no idea how much I miss your presence in our house. It feels so.. empty without you."
After thinking about it, he gave you such a tight yet comforting hug. This was something you surely missed.
❝ sunghoon ❞
Man cried the first whole week after you guys broke up
He knew he made a huge mistake thinking that he'd be better off without you.
Would be in his room for days, planning out how he would apologize or rather how he'd get you back in his arms.
An unexpected coincidence happened in your nearby convenience store. Your hands accidentally touching on the last stock of your favorite food.
He didn't really enjoy this type of food, but for you, he will. He would buy this often because some part of you still lives within him.
After meeting your eyes, he was lost in words. So, you started the conversation instead.
"Oh, Sunghoon, uhm.. hi?"
"H- Hey.. y/n."
"What brings you here buying.. this? I thought you didn't really like it."
"Ah, uhm, ah.. it reminded me of you. Your favorite food, right?"
Mentally slaps himself because this wasn't how things were supposed to go in his head.
After paying for the food at the counter, he finally composed himself and held your shoulder, making you face him, and said, "I miss you so much, y/n. I was such an idiot thinking I could live without you. It came up to the point where I couldn't even call my home my 'home' without you. I'm really sorry, y/n. Please come back."
❝ sunoo ❞
You and Sunoo had each other's back ever since. You were his best friend, his comfort person, and his human diary. He couldn't rant to anyone else but you.
Has always been reading your text conversations, but knew it wouldn't be the same since you have separated.
Was always so close to messaging you about his days, not until he accidentally sent you one.
"y/n i miss you so much that you dont have the slightest idea how i cry every night knowing you wouldnt be there to comfort me.. i just wish you were here wiping my tears and hugging me"
Knew he'd be doomed but didn't expect you to reply that fast.
You replied with, "sunoo, it's always been the same for me, if you're free lets meet up at the park tomorrow okay? i miss you too, see you"
Was in so much joy, jumping in his room and eventually thanked himself for sending that message.
As you two had met, he thought to himself that you were still as beautiful as ever.
"y/nnie—"
Got cut off once you ran to him, hugging his torso.
Would caress your head slowly, combing your hair with his fingers.
"I love you, y/n. I always will."
❝ jungwon ❞
Thought he wasn't a good boyfriend for you since he knew he didn't give you much time and love. But it wasn't like that for you, you completely understood him.
Realized that it was somehow a mistake of his to break up with you since he wasn't feeling himself ever since you were gone.
Tears up every time he thinks about you because he misses you so much :(
Eventually promised himself he'd be better to you, so he wanted to meet you once again.
Prepared a whole speech just to prove you that he would treat you better this time.
Brought you your favorite food along with a bouquet of your favorite flowers.
"y/n, I know you won't probably accept this but.. I really need you in my life. You've been my motivation and my reason to keep going on everyday. Without you i- it's just.. plain and empty. y/n, please forgive me and I'll treat you a hundred times better, I'm really sorry, y/n."
You saying yes meant the world to him, he was way more than happy.
And when he said he'd treat you a hundred times better, he really meant it.
❝ ni-ki ❞
Was a childhood friend of yours, so, your parents basically knew each other.
Then, you guys somehow started dating but ended up parting because of frequent arguments.
He had so much regrets with not treating you right because he thought it'd be easy finding someone else for him. But it wasn't, you were THE only one for him :)
A family dinner was held at their place after a long time of not seeing each other. (Their family inviting yours)
A perfect opportunity it was for Ni-ki since he missed playing his favorite games with you.
His heart flipped seeing you in such a beautiful dress— No, he thought, you always looked good in anything.
Ni-ki then invited you to his room after eating, but an awkward silence had only been formed.
You were caught off-guard when he suddenly pulled you into a hug, a very familiar one. This was your Ni-ki
So, you didn't have any choice but to hug back.
You then heard him sniffing, assuming he had been crying.
"You have no idea how much I've been longing for this, y/n. Can you please just come home to me? What else is the point of playing all these games without you?"
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© eihoons
m.list
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steddiewithachance · 7 months
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"Likewise"
(Steve shows up to Wayne and Eddie's house with all of his belongings on his back and it makes Eddie remember when he was in the same position)
Dedicated to my lovely and wonderful AND awesome friend, Birdie
Read on ao3 here
*
Eddie and Wayne have always been pretty inseparable, since Eddie was 11 and made a trek across Indiana to find him. But after all the Vecna shit happened, after the manhunt and the three week hospital visit, Wayne had been especially clingy. Wayne's version of being clingy is constantly asking Eddie to do mundane things with him, it's intense love and worry and near loss disguised as casual invitations.
Eddie is endeared by it even though he'll play his part: roll his eyes and act annoyed like it's a chore.
This afternoon Wayne had knocked on Eddie's door and asked "Hey Eds wanna come out'n watch the game with me?"
And Eddie flung open the door with a huge sarcastic grin. "Me? A sports ball match TV game? You know I wouldn't miss it for the world, Uncle Wayne!" Wayne scoffed and Eddie grabbed his acoustic guitar so that he could entertain himself while he kept Wayne company in the living room.
Which is where they are now. Eddie is spread across the couch. He's aimlessly moving his fingers around the fretboard until he finds a chord that sounds nice while a sports announcer drones on in the background. Sometimes Eddie will look up to find Wayne in his old recliner watching him instead of the game. Eddie doesn't say anything, just gives him a reassuring smile.
It's raining kind of hard today, which normally would be stressful. Eddie and Wayne would be running around the house with buckets trying to catch water from all the new places the rain was leaking in. But with their shiny new government gifted place, they could sit back and enjoy the weather.
Eddie violently startles when someone knocks on the door. He sets his guitar to the side and Wayne turns the TV volume down. "Who is it?" Eddie calls out while walking towards the door.
"Steve." He hears in response.
When Eddie opens the door he's confronted with a very distraught-looking boyfriend. He looks like he's been crying, he has two dufflebags and a backpack, and he's soaking wet from the rain. Eddie immediately steps back and lets him in.
"Sweetheart, what's going on?" Eddie asks closing the door behind them even though he has a pretty good idea what the bags mean. Steve sniffles and lets his stuff fall to the floor. He startles when he realizes Wayne is in the room too. He's quiet for a few moments, maybe composing himself, Eddie thinks. Always trying to be brave and strong even when he doesn't have to, this one.
"Can I sleep over tonight?" Steve asks like it's taking a lot of effort to do so, even if he's slept over a dozen times already. "My parents... I need a place to stay and Robin's out of town and I felt kinda weird letting any of the kids see me like this" Steve wipes his nose but his sleeve is just as wet and he looks miserable, so Eddie reaches out and wipes Steve's nose with his own sleeve.
"I'm gross, sorry" Steve apologizes.
"Of course you can stay here, Stevie, is that even a question? Let's get you something dry to wear-" Eddie tells him, when he's suddenly and overwhelmingly hit with the dreamy feeling of deja vu. He looks back at Wayne wondering if he's thinking the same thing. Wayne's meets his gaze and his mouth twitches into a half smile.
Eddie grabs Steve's stuff and pulls him into his bedroom. After he sets everything down, he gently runs his hands up under Steve's shirt, until it's all bunched up right under his chin. Eddie pulls the wet fabric over his shoulders and off his arms. Eddie leans forward and plants kisses on each of Steve's perfectly freckled shoulders.
Once Steve is all changed and sat on the foot of the bed, Eddie stands over him and wraps a blanket over his head and shoulders like a little burrito. He looks adorable like this, all cozy.
"You want to talk about what happened, or not yet?" Eddie whispers, to keep the energy in the room gentle and light. Steve shakes his head without thinking and looks up at him for reassurance. Eddie leans down to plant a soft kiss on his lips. "That's okay, Babylove. You know you gave me crazy deja vu walking through that door with your duffle bags in the rain?" Eddie places his hands on either side of Steve's blanketed head.
"When I came to live with Wayne it was raining too. I always thought rain was a bad omen, you know? But then in english class one year, we talked about how in literature, rain is like symbolic of change and new beginnings. And I thought, 'yeah actually that makes a lot of sense'." Eddie speaks quietly while Steve looks up at him, listening. "Do you want to hear the story of how I met Wayne?"
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1977
When Eddie steps out of the school building he sees that the cloudy sky has gotten darker since recess. That's a bad omen, he thinks to himself, but hears it in his dad's southern drawl.
He makes his way towards the front school gates, twisting his backpack strings together, a nervous habit. A swarm of children, mostly younger than him, begin to unlock their bikes from where they're chained and wheel them towards the street. Eddie pushes his way through the crowd to do the same.
He feels kind of sick grabbing the handlebars of a bike he knows full well shouldn't belong to him. He should have known that when he asked his dad for a bike it would have been stolen from some other poor kid. He feels terrible thinking about the night his dad brought it home and put a sticker over where another kid's name was carved into the paint. He shakes his head and rides over to the tree where he promised to meet his best friend, Daniel.
Daniel's already there waiting for him, talking loudly to some kid from the other sixth-grade class.
"See you Monday!" Daniel yells out as the kid hops on his bike and takes off down the street. Daniel has a smile on his face, always has been better at making friends than Eddie. He's a sweet kid, but kind of naïve.
"Hey," Eddie mutters propping his bike against the tree. Daniel turns towards him and his eyes immediately catch on Eddies forehead.
"I still can't get used to you without hair. It's weird." Daniel says petting Eddie's buzzed head. "I kinda think it looked better before."
"Yeah yeah, I already told you my dad made me." Eddie swats his hand away. "Did you ask your brother? About driving me to Hawkins?"
"Oh yeah... he said it's too far. Sorry." Daniel barely looks regretful. Eddie's heart drops.
"What?! But did you tell him I could give him money and weed?" Eddie's starting to panic. If Daniel's older brother Paul, who just got his license wouldn't drive him to Hawkins, he was gonna have to think of a new plan, and fast.
"Oh no I forgot that part, oops. Well he's picking me up in 10 minutes, just ask him yourself." Daniel complains, and Eddie doesn't blame him for not taking it seriously. Daniel doesn't understand the urgency of the situation, Eddie hasn't really told anyone why he needs to get to Hawkins so badly.
Eventually Paul pulls up in front of them, hitting the curb a little which just screams new driver and Eddie grimaces. Beggars can't be choosers, he supposes. He follows Daniel to the car. The kid gracelessly plops into the passenger seat and Eddie leans down to talk to his brother through the open door.
Paul has long blonde hair that makes Eddie miss his own hair desperately and a scar on his lip that he apparently got while skiing one winter. As always, he looks handsome, Eddie admits to himself and tries not to blush. He shakes the thought.
------------------
"Was he more handsome than me?" Steve interrupts Eddie recounting the story. He's pouting.
"Steve," Eddie exhales exasperatedly, "Not even close. Let me finish the story though."
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"Hi Paul."
"Hey kid."
Eddie's face twists up, doesn't want Paul to think of him like a kid.
"Look Paul, I really need your help. I need to see my uncle and I would really be grateful if you could drive me." And before Paul can object Eddie adds, "I have money and weed that I can give you in exchange."
Paul clearly considers this. "How much?"
"How much weed? Uh I dunno a baggie?" Eddie puts his fingers up to demonstrate how much weed he remembers there being in the bag.
"No no, how much money?" Paul chuckles fondly. Meanwhile Daniel is ping ponging his head back and forth between his brother and Eddie.
"I have like forty bucks. I know it's not a ton, and it's a far drive, but this is really important." Eddie pleads. Paul stares out the windshield for a few moments.
"And you wanted to go tonight?" He asks Eddie who nods fervently. "When would you need a ride back?"
And Eddie looks at Daniel who seems bored by the whole ordeal, who is picking at the netting on his backpack. Eddie knows that if this plan works out, he won't be coming back at all. But Daniel's been good to him and Eddie hates disappointing people, so he does what his father taught him to do: he lies.
"I'm sure my uncle will drive me back, s'all good." And Paul nods his head.
"Okay kid. Let me drop Daniel home and I'll come pick you up from your place." And Eddie's heart skyrockets. Okay shit, he's actually doing this.
"Thank you! Thank's Paul. That's cool of you. Thank you." Eddie smiles big, shows all his teeth even though he's still missing a few. Paul nods and Daniel reaches forward to close the door when Eddie realizes this might be the last time he sees his best friend.
"Wait!" Eddie interrupts and grabs the door.
Paul and Daniel look at him worriedly. "Can- can I have a hug before you go?" Eddie asks Daniel shakily. He feels his throat tighten and his eyes go a little blurry. Fuck! He's always so emotional, despite Al's best efforts to chastise the sensitivity out of him.
"I guess." Daniel says, weirded out by Eddie's sudden change of tone. He unbuckles his seat belt and holds his arms out. Eddie fiercely tugs him in and realizes that Daniel can probably feel him shaking now. "But I'll see you Monday right?"
Eddie takes a deep breath, tries to will his voice to come out strong. He pulls back giving Daniel a reassuring smile and a pat on the shoulder. "Yeah man, see you. And see you tonight Paul. Thanks again." And instead of looking Daniel in the eyes again he turns away and grabs "his" bike.
*
Eddie's waiting outside with his bags and a map with directions that he carefully planned out a few nights ago. He's praying to any and all gods that his dad doesn't make it home before Paul get's there. Every time he sees a car turn onto the street he panics and prepares to run.
Despite the bad weather, and Eddie's paranoia, Paul pulls up first and Eddie lets out a huge sigh of relief. Eddie smiles at him and puts his bags in the back seat. The teen looks at him with soft eyes, clearly not as gullible as his kid brother. Knows what's really happening.
"Do you have everything?" Paul asks when Eddie sits in the passenger seat and hands over two twenties and a little bag of weed he stole from his dad's dresser. Eddie nods. "Are you absolutely sure?"
Eddie thinks it would be nice to have a brother like Paul. Never got to know him too well, but he seems to care.
"Yeah man, double and triple checked." Eddie looks into the rear view mirror just in time to see his dad's black pickup truck round the corner. He sinks into the seat. "Shit man, go! Drive!"
Paul startles into action and hits the gas. It doesn't seem like Al notices because he pulls into the parking garage speeding recklessly like he always does. When they're a few streets down, Eddie sits up again and opens the map.
"Am I gonna get arrested for kidnapping you?" Paul worries, wide eyed, as he makes his way towards the highway.
"My dad's afraid of cops. I really doubt he'd call em." Eddie responds before briefing Paul on the directions (ironically) to Hawkins' police station, where hopefully someone will know where his uncle Wayne lives.
*
It's a quiet drive. Eddie finds that he's not sure what to talk to a 16 year old about and would rather pay attention to directions. He can tell Paul wants to ask what he's running from, but refrains, which Eddie's thankful for. When they're about ten minutes out from Hawkins, it starts raining.
Eddie feels guilty that Paul will probably have to drive two hours home in the rain. He voices this concern, but Paul, the saint he is, reassures him it's no big deal.
Eventually they pull up to the police station and Eddie hauls his bags out of the back seat before coming back around to the passenger side door. He leaves the map with Paul and the set of hand written directions on how to get home that Eddie made for him.
"Thanks again for everything, Paul. Drive safely."
"Eddie do you want me to wait to make sure you get where you're going?" He asks softly and Eddie doesn't remember a time where anyone spoke to him with such care. He wants to cry for some reason. Wants to take him up on the offer, but doesn't want to inconvenience the teenager more than he already has.
"I'm okay, but thank you." As soon as Eddie slams the car door shut and turns towards the station, he starts to cry. He hears the gravel crunching as Paul pulls out of the parking lot behind him. Maybe this was all a mistake. He takes a deep breath, wipes his eyes and steps through the glass door.
"Hello, can I help you?," the woman behind the front desk asks, pushing her glasses down to get a good look at Eddie who is dripping rainwater onto the linoleum floor.
"Yeah. I'm here hoping someone knows where Wayne Munson lives? He's my uncle."
The woman holds up a finger and makes her way to a desk in the back of the station. She clears her throat and starts talking to a man.
Eddie shifts his weight as he tries to make out their muffled conversation. He looks up when a tall man sticks his head out and examines Eddie from across the room. The cop nods at the receptionist and grabs keys from his desk.
"You're looking for Wayne Munson?" The man, "Hopper" his badge reads, says while walking over.
------------------
"That's when you first met Hopper?" Steve interrupts again with a small smile. Eddie rolls his eyes, fondly. He nods.
------------------
"Yes sir." He responds to the officer.
Eddie wonders if Al has started looking for him yet. Wonders if Al walked into his room and saw half his belongings gone. Probably not. And even if he did, he'd have no idea where Eddie went. Too uninvolved in Eddie's life to know the names of any of his friends.
"Alright, he lives in the trailer park. Forest Hills. Let me drive you over." Hopper waves his hand and steps into the rain. He opens the passenger seat of his car and ushers Eddie inside.
The thing about this whole situation is that Eddie knows next to nothing about his uncle. Only hears cutting remarks about him from his father once in a blue moon. But it's the kind of cutting remark that might actually mean Wayne's a good person, if it's coming from Al. Eddie only knows he lives in Hawkins, because Al mentioned it once, in passing. "Lives in a little shit hole town no one's ever heard of while I'm out here making it big in the city," he had bragged. But it's not like Al talks enough about Wayne to immediately suspect that this is where Eddie might have ran off to. He's trying to convince himself he's safe now.
*
Eddie is accompanied to Wayne's door by the officer. Hopper knocks aggressively before Eddie can even get it straight in his head what he's gonna say to Wayne. The rain is coming down hard now. He's hugging his canvas duffle bag to his chest, trying to protect his sketchbooks inside from the downpour.
"Wayne Munson? It's Jim Hopper with Hawkins PD. Open up." Hopper announces, knocking again.
And almost immediately after he knocks, the door opens a crack. Eddie sees a man with greying dark brown hair cut close to his head and a patchy beard. Wayne's eyes drop to Eddie almost instantly.
"Can I help you?" Wayne asks. His accent is stronger than Al's, Eddie notices.
"I have a kid here who claims to be your nephew?" Hopper says gruffly, scratching his mustache. Wayne opens the door wider, looking Eddie up and down with wide eyes.
"I'm uh... Al's kid?" Eddie adds quietly. And Wayne's face goes through a variety of emotions before nodding to the officer.
"Thanks Jim, I'll take it from here." Wayne mutters. Eddie watches as the officer tips his head and offers a "stay dry folks," before getting back into his car.
"Come on in, kid," Wayne says opening his door for Eddie to walk past him. Eddie takes in his surroundings. The place is... sad looking. There's hardly any furniture, just a TV and a recliner in front of a coffee table which is covered in empty beer bottles. In the corner of the room there are a handful of boxes, one of which is filled to the brim with different colored mugs. This confuses Eddie a little, but overall Eddie's not getting a good vibe. Probably still better than living with Al though.
He turns back to see Wayne watching him carefully. Eddie clears his throat.
"I'm really sorry to come unannounced like this. I know we don't really know each other, and you don't owe me anything! But I- I didn't know where else to go and I was wondering if maybe it would be okay if I stayed here for a little? I can sleep on the recliner or the floor I don't need much. I just can't- I can't go home." Eddie is shivering now, he's not sure if it's anxiety from the situation or if he's just cold and wet.
Wayne nods his head and reaches his hand out for one of Eddie's bags. "S'alright kid. Let's get you dry." He took Eddie's bags and set them against the wall. He disappears down the hallway leaving Eddie shaking by the door, before reappearing with a towel. Eddie wraps it around himself while Wayne stands and looks around the place, likely, realizing how uninviting it seems to Eddie.
Wayne walks towards the coffee table and starts grabbing empty beer bottles.
"You don't have to clean for me, I don't mind." Eddie says meekly, but Wayne continues on anyways.
"S'alright kid. Why don't you get changed into something dry. Ya have any dry clothes in those bags of yours?" Motioning towards Eddie's belongings with a hand full of bottles. Eddie kneels and unzips one of the bags feeling around for something dry which most of it is. Eddie pulls out a new pair of jeans and a sweatshirt.
"Bathroom?" Eddie asks quietly.
"Down the hall to your left."
*
When Eddie reemerges, the coffee table is clean. And Wayne looks up at him, puts on a smile which seems forced. He must be able to tell by Eddie's face that the smile isn't as reassuring as he was going for. He sighs and scratches the back of his head.
"Should I not have come here?" Eddie asks while stepping out of the hallway and towards the door. He's in desperate need of reassurance, just wants to know if he's safe here or not.
"No! You were right to. I mean Al, is he-" Wayne is searching Eddie's eyes for answers. "Is he hurtin' you?" Wayne crosses his arms but then quickly uncrosses them. Clearly uncomfortable, nervous. And it's making Eddie feel that way too.
"Yeah." Eddie admits into the quiet of the room softened only by the sound of rain pattering against the roof. Wayne exhales and rubs his face.
"Fuckin' bastard." Wayne mutters under his breath. "He's a piece of shit, I'm so sorry kid." Eddie just nods, agreeing. "It's uh... Edward right?" Wayne asks coyly. Eddie wonders when Wayne last talked to Al.
"I go by Eddie," he quickly amends.
"Eddie, alright. It's nice to finally meet you then, Eddie." Wayne roots around in his pocket and pulls out a pack of cigarettes before thinking better of it and tucking it back into his pocket.
"You can smoke around me, I'm used to it." Eddie shrugs and leans against the wall.
"Yeah well you shouldn't be." Wayne grumbles. He rubs his hands together and claps. "Okay so I only got one bed. I'm gonna wash the sheets and then you can take it tonight. I'll sleep on the recliner there until we figure out somethin' better. That sound okay by you?"
"No! I don't want to take your bed-"
"Just temporarily kid, s'alright. But first let's get you some food. You're as thin as store-bought thread." Wayne grabs a pair of keys off the kitchen counter and jingles them playfully.
"I don't have much around here, so lets go to the diner and then get some groceries on the way back, how's that?" He asks. Eddie nods in agreement.
------------------
"He took me to go get blueberry pancakes. It kinda became a tradition. To get blueberry pancakes any time I had a real bad day." Eddie shares while petting Steve's damp hair.
"What made you leave home that Friday? Before the school year was over?" Steve asks, seemingly distracted from his own problems which is what Eddie was aiming for.
"Al's girlfriend found out I was..." Eddie gestures between the two of them, "you know. She was constantly holding it over my head. Said she was gonna tell him. I didn't want to find out what would happen when she did."
"And he never came looking for you?" Steve furrows his brow. Eddie smooths it over with his thumb.
"I dunno. Maybe he talked to Wayne. But eventually we found out he was sent off to prison for grand theft. He's such a disaster, my god." Eddie sighs and tilts Steve's face up towards him. "Do you want to go get blueberry pancakes, Angel? It's been a day, huh?"
"I'm so sorry to say this, Eds, but I hate blueberry pancakes." Steve shrugs the blanket off his shoulders. Eddie gasps in horror.
"You dare speak ill of my comfort food, Steve Harrington?" Eddie dramatically responds, pushing his forehead against Steve's. Steve smiles and pushes him back.
"I like chocolate chip though." Steve tries to amend. And Eddie nods in understanding.
"Okay princess, let's go get you some chocolate chip pancakes. Can I invite Wayne?" Eddie starts tearing off his pajamas and scrambling around the room for outside clothes.
"Yeah, of course Wayne can come." Steve sighs and lays back on the bed looking much more like himself than he did when he got here.
"'Kay one sec," Eddie pulls on his favorite Judas Priest shirt while he stumbles back out into the living room. "Hey old man?"
Wayne looks up from the TV at Eddie. "Everything alright?" He lowers the volume again, even though it wasn't all that loud to begin with. Wayne always does this, it's like he can't think while something is playing in the background. It's impossible to add commentary when they're watching TV together because he'll either not process what Eddie said or not catch what the TV did.
"Yeah. We were thinking of going to the diner for pancakes, it's been a day. You coming?" Eddie combs his fingers through his hair realizing he probably still has bed head. Wayne looks up at him with shiny eyes.
"I'm proud of you, y'know?" Wayne whispers. This catches Eddie off guard.
"What? For what?" Eddie crosses his arm. Doesn't like when Wayne gets sappy.
"Being a decent kid. Taking care of people the way you do." Wayne gets up and reaches for his keys just like he did in '77. "Real glad you found me when ya did, son."
"Likewise, Uncle Wayne"
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thatfreshi · 7 months
Text
Soulmates Aren't Always Beautiful (Astarion x Reader)
Part 2 to "He's Not Sick, Is He?", the happy ending everyone (including me) wanted.
Recommended Song: Run - Taylor Swift Ft. Ed Sheeran
You fall asleep in the dark alleyway, finding some peace and quiet in the cold stone. Thinking back a couple of weeks ago, Astarion would've killed you for being so reckless, passing out somewhere in the city. When you wake to broad daylight, you wonder if he'd even care, if he'd notice how long you were gone for. You know he cares, deep down you truly do, but it doesn't feel like it. It's hard to seem like you care about anything when you can't even care about yourself.
Astarion has been awake since you left, wondering if maybe he pushed you away for good. Somewhere in his brain, he says that's probably for the best. He knows it's been miserable, that looking after him has been a fruitless endeavor. He goes in between reading a book he's already memorized and staring at the bottle of your blood on the table. It was true, he needed blood, he felt miserable, and yet there was comfort in that misery, as if this is how it was supposed to be. It reminds him of that year in the crypt, when there were no rats to be found, how he desperately wanted a drop of crimson, and yet there was nothing.
He wakes from the memory when his eyes meet the bottle again, knowing you sliced your arm open for him. Why were you so determined to try? Why did you want to be there so badly? Astarion thinks of the moments you laughed together, but he can't place the jokes. He remembers kissing you, finally becoming intimate again, but it's all a blur. The past week has felt like centuries. The vampire desperately wants to take the bottle, try to drink some of your blood, but everything is screaming at him to stay in bed, that his bones will be far too heavy if he even tries to stand up.
Hours pass, it's early in the morning now and you're not back. He thinks about the past week, how all of his friends left the inn and he didn't even say goodbye, how you kept making up excuses for him. Would he ever see them again? Would he ever see you again? Memories flood back of Cazador's palace, stabbing him to death, the sobs and screams. What would he think, if his old master could see him rotting in the sheets, unable to even feed himself. He eyes the bottle again, and slowly moves to sit up against the headboard. It's slow, creaking movement, that feels like trying to break through paralysis. When he's sat there long enough, he reaches out to the nightstand, grabbing the bottle you so kindly gave him. Eyeing the fluid, he almost wants to throw up, nauseous from how long it's been since he last drank. But then, he think of you, of your companions, of Cazador's death. It wouldn't mean anything if he wasted away here forever. He drinks. It's not nearly enough, but it's something, something to make up for days of starving. He begins to cry again, from how hard it was to simply drink your blood. Then, he hears the soft knock on the door, and just continues crying.
You hear him before you see him, and you're rushing in after you knock. It hits you: the bottle is empty. He's not lying down, wrapped up in fabric. Astarion's eyes lock with yours, but he says nothing, and continues wiping away at his tears. You come to the bed and hold him, and he unravels in your hands.
"Thank you my love, thank you for trying. I'm so proud, I hope you know that."
You choke out those words of encouragement, truly shocked that he managed to do anything. It's such a relief.
"I'm sorry."
He whispers to your chest.
"It's okay, it's okay Aster I promise. I've got you, always."
You comb through his hair with your hands, blood still crusted from days ago. The urge to grab an actual comb is strong, but you hold back, knowing he just needs you to be here right now.
"I should feel better. Why don't I feel better?"
"It takes time love, it'll come in time. This is just the beginning, I swear it."
Astarion doesn't often like promises, but he believes them when they come out of your mouth.
"Is... is your arm alright?"
"It'll be just fine."
It definitely wasn't fine now, and would most likely get infected despite your efforts to clean it, but you'd go see Shadowheart soon enough. After a few moments of silence, he shifts to look up at you.
"Could I, perhaps feed on you now?"
You smile.
"Of course."
He's still shaky, softly digging his teeth into your skin. The drinking starts slow, but speeds up once he realizes just how deep his hunger runs. At some point he releases his teeth, and lays back in your grasp.
"Better?"
"A little."
There a few moments where he simply relishes the feeling of being fed. He had forgotten for a moment just how much his stomach ached for blood.
"Are you up for a little more?"
You wonder if this has been enough care for him, if he needs some more rest.
"Could we just, lay here? And you can ask me again in a while?"
You run a spare hand across his back.
"I'd love nothing more."
It hits you in that moment, just how hard taking care of a lover is, how it rips your chest wide open at times. No one could ever make you feel as much anguish as Astarion could, and that was a curse as well as a gift. Soulmates aren't always beautiful. Sometimes they hurt, knowing you're forever attached at the hip to a miserable aching person. But those moments, when you can talk without saying a word, when all it takes is a look, it makes it all worth it. You think about all the times you battled together, how many times he killed in your stead, how many times you did the same. You remember the fear, the love, the pain. Your hands grip him tighter.
No, soulmates aren't this angelic concept. They're messy, affectionate but messy.
"I killed him..."
You're woken from the memories, looking down at the loving elf in your grasp.
"Mhm, you did. He's gone now, forever."
"I'm still scared though."
It tugs at your heartstrings a little, knowing how much this is to process, especially after being under his reign for far too long.
"We're always going to be a little scared, just of more normal things now. Like Lae'zel being angry or knowing Karlach could snap us in half."
He breathes out a little, almost forming a chuckle, lost somewhere in the air. Your eyes trail back to his hair again, and the bloody matted mess it has become.
"Could I try to clean some of this out my love?"
Your fingers glide through the hair closest to his scalp, getting stuck soon after. He makes a small noise of agreement. Trying your best not to make him move, you grab your comb from the other nightstand.
"Anything else you want to talk about?"
You ask, beginning to pick out the dried blood, knowing most of it is Cazador's. It makes your skin crawl a little.
"Do you think I'll be okay?"
The urge to joke with him is strong, like you normally would, but he's fragile right now. Saying 'You have your whole immortal life to be okay' probably isn't a good choice.
"I do. Might take some time, but we'll figure it out."
"It's just... so paralyzing."
"What is?"
"Freedom."
A thought you hadn't had before now. Spending your entire life with one goal, and now being met with infinite choices, that must be terrifying.
"Well, what do you want to do with your freedom?"
"Everything. And nothing. I, I just don't know what's next. I've always known what's next."
"How about we just focus on one thing at a time? Then, you don't have all these options to choose from, just something to do."
"What if I choose wrong?"
"That's the beauty of freedom my love. It's not so black and white. You live in the grey now, where you can't really choose wrong. You can just, choose."
"I almost chose wrong at Cazador's."
You feel a little sick, thinking about what would've happened after the ritual. How different your precious lover would've been, how you would've lost your dear Aster.
"But you didn't."
"Only because you convinced me."
"And I'll be here to help you with the rest, as long as you need my help."
"I think I'll need your help forever."
"Then I'll offer it up for eternity."
You plant a kiss on his forehead, almost done brushing through his curls now.
"But you won't have to make a choice as big as that again. At least not for a long, long time."
For the next couple of hours, you tiredly talk about everything and nothing, finally getting him a fresh change of clothes and a warm bath. There's a moment where you're wiping the blood and dirt off his face, and you pause, lost in his eyes.
"What?"
You smile.
"I just don't know how I got so lucky. That's all."
As you're getting ready to lie down, you remember that every day won't be as successful as this one. Two steps forward, one step back. But you're hopeful, like Gale said, that's all you can be. Astarion melts into your touch and you wrap yourselves up in the shitty inn blanket together, his back to your chest. Sometimes you can feel the scars through his shirt.
"I'm proud of you. For all of it, today, yesterday, everything you've ever done."
He doesn't say anything, but he loses a little tension in his shoulders, unclenches his jaw.
"Just promise me you'll get up and try again tomorrow. That's all I can ask of you, that you keep trying, every single day."
"I do, I promise."
The two of you drift off without saying much else, and it's the best sleep he's had in weeks. The realization sticks with him, that you love him regardless, unconditionally. A smile stretches across his face in his slumber, excited to make a small choice, to wake up again tomorrow and try.
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ladykailitha · 7 months
Text
Crossroads
So I started writing this last night thinking it would be a short little drabble. At over 2k words, it is NOT a drabble. It is a full on fic at this point.
Enjoy!
*
Steve was at a crossroads.
To his right was his mother, calling him sweetly to come back inside so they can talk. Work something out. To stay with her and his father.
On his left was Eddie. Dear sweet Eddie calling out from him to run away with him. To get in his van and chase the sun for as long as they could and maybe find a new place to rest their heads. For a moment or to throw roots.
He could see the two paths before him as easily as he could see them standing before him.
If he went with his mom, they would convince him to give up his friends, Eddie. Well, they'd let him keep the Wheeler siblings and Dustin. But everyone else would have to go. Byers, Max, and Eddie because they were poor. The Sinclairs because they were black. He doubted they would keep him from El, considering who her adopted father was, but it would be a near thing. Robin would have to go. She would be a little too queer for their liking.
He would be forced to work for his dad where the employees would hate him and the managers would resent him. He would marry some dull woman picked out by them and have as many kids as possible.
Pretty much the life he thought he would have with Nancy their junior year of high school. He would be comfortable, well taken care of and absolutely fucking miserable. For the rest of his life.
If he went with Eddie...there would no certainty at all. It would very likely be hard. They wouldn't have a lot of money (the government hush money could only take them so far after all). It would a life on the road as Eddie and his band traveled the country looking for fame and fortune. It would be rough. Five boys in cramped quarters.
It's possible the band wouldn't even survive two days let alone two years.
But Eddie would love him. He would be loved. Not just by Eddie, but Robin and the kids. Nancy and Jonathan and even funky little Argyle. As their friends spread out over the country, Steve and Eddie would visit them all. And maybe someday they'd find their place. Throw down roots maybe even grow a family of their own.
Steve took a deep breath and started walking.
*
Eddie wanted to call out to Steve, beg him to stay. To give him a chance to be something. Together.
He watched in horror and disappointment as Steve took one step and then another toward his mother. He couldn’t look away as Steve reached her.
Steve’s name caught in his throat. Would she at least let them say their goodbyes or would the last memory Eddie had of the love of his life would be his back as he walked back into the house with his mother?
Steve kissed his mother’s forehead and then suddenly he was running.
Eddie barely had time to open his arms before Steve had filled them.
Eddie opened his mouth to ask, but Steve kissed him fiercely. “Come on Eds, let’s go.”
He pulled back and looked Steve in the eye. “You coming with me, darlin’?”
Steve nodded. He looked back at his mother and then at Eddie. “It’s for the best, I think.”
Eddie knew he was right. Knew it was the best thing for everyone. But he still couldn’t believe it.
“All right, baby,” he finally said after a moment of taking it all in. “Let’s go find that horizon, shall we?”
Steve grinned. “Hell yeah!” He swung into the passenger side of Eddie’s van and Eddie hopped into the driver’s side.
They had sold the BMW for extra cash as the van would be better suited for traveling cross-country in. It had been put in his name a long time ago and it was the last connection to his parents.
Steve kissed Eddie on the cheek.
Eddie laughed. “What was that for, sweetheart?”
“For luck!”
“You my princess, baby?”
Steve laughed too. “The van is in much better shape then Millennium Falcon, sunshine.”
Eddie cackled as he pulled out of the driveway. He was going to start a life with the boy of his dreams. Life really couldn’t be sweeter.
*
When Maureen Harrington saw her Steven start walking towards her, she knew.
She had lost him. Maybe she never had him. He was determined in a way she had never seen before. He was resolved.
“I have to go,” he whispered as though the answer was pulled from him.
She nodded, tears forming on her lashes. “I understand.”
He dug in his pocket and pulled out a ring. She looked at it and her heart sank.
“No, Steven,” she murmured. “Your grandfather gave that to you.”
He pressed it into her hand. “I know, but think of it as my promise to come back. To see you. That I’m not giving up on you, I’m just choosing my own path instead of the one you and Dad wanted for me.”
Maureen clasped it tight her perfectly manicured hands to her chest. “I love you.”
He nodded and kissed her forehead goodbye.
She watched misty-eyed as he ran to his boyfriend, tears streaming down her face. She stood in that driveway until they were both out of sight.
She wiped her eyes and went back inside.
“Where’s that wastrel son of yours?” Clint growled.
“Saying goodbye,” she lied.
“Good.”
He turned on his heel and then said over his shoulder. “I want him in office the second he comes in, you hear me.”
She nodded knowing that he would be angry with her later. But she also knew that he would blame Edward Munson and not her for Steven not staying.
Maureen paused. She did feel a little guilty about that, but it was unavoidable. She slipped into the kitchen. The one room Clint would never enter willingly and sat down next to the phone.
She had work to do.
*
Wayne had just settled in for the night when his phone rang. He heaved a sigh and got wearily to his feet. The government had paid a hefty sum for the witch hunt of his nephew and an even tidier sum for keeping quiet about the monsters, which meant he wouldn’t have to work another day in his life.
But he still got a nice little job down at the local plant nursery watering the plants a couple times a week for something to do. He had just gotten home from that when the phone rang.
“Hello?” he greeted.
“Hello,” greeted the warm female voice. “I’m looking for an Edward Munson, is he there?”
Wayne sighed again. “May I ask what this is regarding?”
“Of course,” she said brightly. “He applied with us a couple weeks ago and I was just getting back with him.”
“Ya just missed him,” he said. “He went on a vacation and won’t be back for a few days.” Weeks, really. But he didn’t want to scare her off in case she actually had a job for him.
“That is unfortunate,” she said softly. “I will hold on to his application of course, but I can’t guarantee the job will be there when he returns.”
Wayne sighed a third time. He knew it had been too much to ask, but it had been worth a shot.
“I appreciate you thinking of him,” he said.
“Of course, you have a good day.”
He cursed his nephew’s luck again. Just as things were starting to look up for him, he missed getting a job by mere hours.
That was the last he thought about that conversation for a few days until a large manila envelope came for Eddie and Steve care of him. The damn thing even read: Steven Harrington and Edward Munson, C/O Wayne Munson.
The boys had gave him permission to open anything that might come from the government or the kids in case it was urgent, but he wasn’t sure about this.
Thankfully he was save from something like indecision when his phone rang.
“Uncle Wayne!” Eddie cried cheerfully. “You’ll never guess where we are!”
“Disneyland?” Wayne guessed with a huff of laughter.
“Aww...you guessed,” Eddie pouted.
“A letter came for you and Steve,” he said. “You two want me to open it?”
He heard whispering and then Eddie came back. “Steve says go ahead.”
Wayne opened the envelope and as he read the contents, he put his hand over his mouth as tears streamed down his face. It took a couple of tries, clearing his throat before he said, “It’s from your mom, Steve.”
“Oh.”
“It’s a bunch of paperwork transferring your joint bank account with your parents to one with Eddie,” Wayne explained. “As well as your information about your trust fund.”
“Oh.” Steve’s voice is breathless. “God. I assumed that they nixed that when I failed to get into college. That’s what it was supposed to be for after all.”
“Not according to the documents your mom sent over,” Wayne explained. “It was supposed to be given to you under one of three circumstances. Getting into college–”
Steve scoffed. “There went that one.”
“Getting married,” Wayne said.
Again Steve scoffed. “Would explain why they weren’t a big hurry for me to get hitched.”
Eddie and Wayne both chuckled in stereo causing Steve to laugh at how similar they were.
“Or when you turned twenty-one,” Wayne finished. “Which means next year the money is yours.”
“How much money could there be?” Eddie asked with a snort.
“By the time Steve gets it, at current interest rates?” Wayne said. “A little over a million dollars.”
“What?” Steve asked, his heart in his throat.
“Yup,” Wayne said. “And according to the bank statements of the new account she set up for the two of you, it has about three hundred thousand in it.”
“How?” Steve stammered.
“Well, according the statements of your previous account that she also sent along,” Wayne said ruffling through the pages, “there were deposits of five hundred dollars a month since you were born. As well as your checks from your jobs; the community center, the mall and of course Family Video.”
“Okay,” Steve muttered darkly, “but that only makes up for about a third of what you said was in there.”
“Apparently your first payment for stopping the apocalypse was put into this account when you were under the age of eighteen.”
Eddie swore. “And they didn’t fucking tell you?”
Wayne hummed. “Looks like there were some large withdrawals at first, but they were put back in only a couple months later.”
Steve scoffed. “Probably my dad and my mom making him put it back.”
“I agree,” Wayne said. “That makes the most sense. So if we add what you got from the government for your subsequent apocalypses, you boys will never have to work a day in your lives unless you wanted to.”
“Holy shit, baby,” Eddie cooed. “Did you hear that?”
“Yeah,” Steve said. “It’s all unbelievable.”
Wayne nodded even though they couldn’t see him. “She also lists a couple of good financial advisors. I’ll give them a call and find one that fits, but you boys are free to do whatever the hell you want now.”
“Thank you, Wayne,” Steve murmured.
“Thank your mom, Stevie,” he mumbled. “She’s the one that did everything.”
Steve let out a shuddering breath. “I will. I promise.”
*
Steve slid down in the cramped little phone booth in shock. They had only meant to tell Wayne that they had made it California and that they were having a good time. He sure as hell wasn’t expect to have his life completely upended.
It was a good kind of unending. There was no doubt about that. But when he made the choice to be with Eddie, he made in spite of money not for money.
Eddie held out his hand. “Come on, baby. Let’s go make some noise in the happiest place on earth.”
Steve laughed. “Yeah. I can’t wait!”
As they walked through park slurping on sodas and laughing, Steve knew he had made the right choice.
Because really, falling in love with Eddie was the easiest thing he’d ever done.
*
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lonelyharmonies · 5 months
Text
all is fair in love and war
when you meet a guy once and forget his name, the last thing you expect is meeting him again on your new job.
pairing: haechan x fem reader genre: fluff; college!au; (sort of)  coworkers! warnings: suggestive; cursing; and i think that’s it. word count: ~19k a/n.: another repost <3 i love this one very much
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"How's the job search?" your roommate asks while putting her earrings on.
Another week of failed attempts of looking for an internship, you think. Maybe you weren’t in your right mind when you decided to quit your job of 2 years at the campu’s café, but it was time for you to start looking for jobs related to your field of study. You want to become a journalist, you need real experience! Did you quit after impulsively screaming at your annoying boss because you were fed up with his rudeness? Yes, but you were unhappy and senior year is getting closer by the minute, you have no time to waste. At first, your parents and friends supported you, but after almost two months of unemployment, you were starting to question your own decision.
"Nothing yet." you mumble, playing a game on your phone.
"Have you thought about what Renjun said?" she turns her head to look at you expectantly. 
"We've already discussed this," you sigh and she turns her head back to the mirror in front of her. "If it was only for the money, I could just go back to 7Dream,” you stubbornly answer.
“And you think they’ll take you back?” your roommate raises an eyebrow at you “I know it’s not the best choice, but listen to Renjun this time. At least it would be something.”
Huang Renjun, your roommate’s boyfriend, is a fairly rich art major and, in your eyes, a very sophisticated person. At least one of the most sophisticated people you know. The only one, actually. But as he comes from such an influential family, you thought he would be able to find you a job at a good newspaper or a famous magazine. You had to ask him for a job recommendation because, hell, if you’re friends with a nepo baby, take advantage of them.
Needless to say you were not expecting to be offered a part-time position at a beaten-up theme park in the city. You obviously declined, being too stubborn to go from one underpaid job that made you miserable to another.
You did accept, however, the invitation to his friend's birthday party. Free food, free alcohol and some socializing, you couldn’t say no to that. That’s how you end up in an overcrowded apartment in the downtown area of the city to celebrate the birthday of Renjun’s friend that you have never seen before.
As soon as you got there, you were introduced to the birthday boy, Lee Jeno, before being ditched by your roommate and her boyfriend. Deciding that it was too awkward to just stand in the kitchen by yourself, you are left with no choice but to choose your drink: cheap vodka with cranberry juice or cheap canned beer? Hard choice.
Your eyes were scanning the alcoholic drinks shoved in the kitchen sink when you felt someone standing right next to you. You cursed silently, too tired to deal with drunk men flirting tonight. You decided to grab a beer and get out of the kitchen as fast as possible, when the person next to you spoke.
"These ones in the sink are always hotter than the ones in the fridge no matter how much ice they put in there," you turn your head to meet the person next to you, beer in your left hand. "If I were you, I wouldn't grab the drinks from there."
"So I should just stay thirsty?" you ask ironically, raising an eyebrow.
"No, you should grab a drink from the fridge," the brown haired boy smirks and goes straight to the kitchen's fridge.
He grabbed an expensive Japanese beer from inside and placed it on the counter between the both of you. Your eyebrow is raised and the boy still has a smirk on his lips. He motions his head towards the bottle, silently telling you to take it.
"How do I know you didn't spike this drink?"
"How do you know the one you just grabbed isn't spiked?" he challenges you, tilting his head to the side. 
"Isn't it a little impolite of you to just open someone's fridge? Especially to grab an expensive drink to give to a stranger?" The beer is long forgotten when you cross your arms and see the boy moving one step closer to you.
"If the stranger is cute it’s fine," he shrugs and you raise an eyebrow, clearly not falling for his attempts at flirting. "Plus, I bought these,” he points at the bottle he put on the counter “And the birthday boy is my best friend and roommate."
Oh, boy, he was bold and you didn’t even need to wonder why: if you looked that hot only in a pair of jeans and a simple Adidas shirt, you would be brazen too. 
"Hm, I believe you," you puckered your lips and looked around the kitchen as if uninterested.
"I'm serious, we've known each other since we were little, I’ve seen Jeno butt naked thousands of times," he blurted out and you stifled your laugh. 
"That's…" you can't really find the words to answer whatever that information meant. “I…I have no words.”
"What? We barely talked and I'm already leaving you speechless?" he got one step closer and you had resist the urge to move away. "Damn, I didn't know I was this good."
"You think you're smooth, but you were just spilling nonsense," you uncrossed your arms and moved to hold the cold bottle of beer he got for you.
"And yet you're still here listening," he moved one step closer, and this time you could even see the small moles spread across his face and neck. 
"I find you really, really annoying," the smile on your face contrasted with the words leaving your lips. 
"I get that a lot." He chuckled and you moved a little bit closer and felt him holding his breath.
"Yeah. We need to do something to shut your mouth for a bit, don’t we?" you were looking straight at his lips and he didn't waste much time, kissing you right after. 
You find yourself in a very complicated situation the following day when the alcohol wears off of your system and it seems like you remember every little detail of that party, except the name of the boy who kissed you all night long.
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You don’t really have much time to dwell on the boy’s name because you find yourself getting more desperate thanks to your financial situation, so all Renjun had to do was mention the job one more time.
“The Lee family is very influential in the entertainment business, you know? I’m sure they will transform that place in no time.” He said one night.
“I bet,” you answered uninterested, eating the soup your roommate had made you. 
“It’s a way of having some income while looking for internships,” he reasoned “you can always quit when you find something better.”
“Okay, you’re right,” you sigh defeated “What number should I call?”
Fast forward to three months later: you are working in the job you’ve sworn you wouldn’t take.
That’s the story of how you became a ride operator at Sunny’s Funfair Park and Recreation  last April. It is a very big name for a park that small, though, you have to admit. The Funfair is just as nonsensical as the name, but it’s not the most unpleasant workplace. Plus, you found out it’s a very traditional theme park in the area, the neighbors say it has been around since the 70s (considering how old everything looks, you don’t doubt it). It is like the city’s Disneyland, just dirtier. And smaller. And uglier. And unsafer. But it’s just like the city’s Disneyland. I mean, there’s even a mascot: the brown bear named Sunny who seemed to be fairly popular among children.
"How do these kids seem to like Sunny so much? He’s creepy,” you think out loud chewing the jelly Jisung just gave you.
“He’s like our Mickey Mouse,” Jisung turns his head to look at the bear as well.
“But Mickey is not that creepy.”
“Have you seen him in the 50’s? Girl…”
"Who are you talking about?" Yuta, one of the managers, creeps behind you and your friend.
"Hyung, that’s not cool!” Jisung jumps as he gets startled by Yuta’s sudden presence and you can’t help smiling at how much of a scaredy-cat he is.
“Mickey Mouse” you say, stealing another Jelly from Jisung. “Who do you think is creepier, Mickey or Sunny?” 
In the beginning you were still very reluctant to accept that it was a good idea to take up Renjun’s offer (and your only choice). But the thing is that you need the money and the job is so much easier than working at the café, considering the Funfair is slow basically every single day. So, you adapted to the Funfair in no time and, slowly, started to see how fun it can be to work in a place like that. You have to admit that the job in itself is usually boring, but the people here are the highlight of it all. 
“Sunny’s not that creepy,” Jisung says, making you scoff.
“No, it’s just an old ass costume of an ugly bear wearing a blue overall. Why do kids like it?” You say looking at the semicircle of children cornering the bear near the merry-go-round.
“Who’s Mickey Mouse, though?” Yuta asks you and Jisung.
“Are you kidding me? The Disney rat, hyung,” Jisung looks mildly offended at Yuta’s question.
“He’s not a rat, he’s a mouse. It’s literally his name,” you say, faking interest just to steal one more jelly from Jisung’s bag of candy.
“Never heard of this Mickey guy,” Yuta says with a poker face and you snicker. 
"You don't know… Mickey Mouse?" You think Jisung’s face is priceless. Oh, the ever so sweet and gullible Park Jisung.
"Where is he from?'' he asks again, leaving Jisung even more confused.
“Hm… Hollywood? I don’t know where he’s from,” Jisung fishes for his phone and you are sure he is about to google ‘where is mickey mouse from’. 
“Oh, I’m from Osaka. That’s probably why we never met.” Yuta finishes talking and walks away, leaving a bewildered Jisung behind.
“I don’t know what to do with this information,” you start feeling bad for him, the boy just looks utterly confused. “He’s joking right? They do have Mickey Mouse in Japan, right?” 
“Yes, Jisung he is joking,” you pat his shoulder, but he seems hesitant. “He’s messing with you because you're literally the only one that still believes in any absurdity that comes out of Yuta’s mouth.” 
“It makes me kinda relieved, I'm not gonna lie,” he sighs and you just chuckle. Why are your coworkers so dramatic? “I mean, it’s Mickey Mouse. Everybody likes Mickey Mouse."
“I don’t know about that…” your eyes go back to the weird bear as he starts moving around, now having Taeyong as a bodyguard to protect him from the kids jumping at him. "Wait, I think this is the first time I see someone actually dressing up as Sunny. Is it a new thing now?”
"I don't know, it's my first time seeing it too," Jisung frowns "Should I ask Mina?" you shrug. It didn't really matter, it's just that, working in such an uneventful workplace, anything could be something.
"I think you should start running if you don't want Doyoung beating your ass up," you say leaning on the railing of the bumper cars. 
Jisung turns to look at his back and sees an angry Doyoung coming for him. "Shit."
"PARK JISUNG, DON'T EVEN TRY TO RUN." 
"Serves you right for purposely shutting down the merry-go-round." 
"If you had to stay there, you would understand the stress I go through," he says, handing you his bag of candy and running away from Doyoung.
So much for an uneventful workplace.
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After you started working at the theme park, you had less time for parties and pubs and even dates. It was hard to fit in any social interaction in your now tight schedule: your shifts were usually 4 to 10 p.m on weekdays and 6 to 12 a.m on weekends. You never had time to go out to drink with your friends, unless they agreed to go clubbing on Monday. Damn, you didn’t want to go to a club on Monday, you had morning classes.
Juggling your job, your degree and your social life was not easy, and you started realizing that you couldn’t catch up with some of your friends and, eventually, they just stopped inviting you to hang out. Inevitably, you have to start hanging out with your coworkers and that leads you to Jisung’s dorm, a round of cheap beer, spicy snacks and a game of truth or dare in the crack of dawn on a Saturday. You, Jisung, Chenle, Yeri and Mina were all sitting in a circle looking at the bottle that was about to stop. 
Bottom asks, top answers.
“Truth or dare, Mina?” Chenle asks mischievously and she whines. 
“I don’t want Chenle!!! Please, someone else ask me” 
“He got the bottom of the bottle, though,” Jisung smiles apologetically. 
“Okay, truth.”
“Is it true that in middle school you had a crush on Jis-”
“DARE!!!! I WANT DARE!” she stands up on her knees, profusely shaking her arms so Chenle would stop talking.
Funfair might not be too amusing for the customers, but the whole workplace drama is absolutely entertaining to you. Yeri’s family owns the property where the theme park is located, so she (forcefully) works there to help her cousin Taeyong run the place (though she rarely does any actual work). There is an ongoing rumor that, since last year, she was in a love triangle with Taeyong’s accountant, Suh Johnny, and a mysterious guy named Lee. No one knows exactly who the Lee guy is and what happened between them. Chenle says he’s not brave enough to ask, but he thinks “Lee” is the last name of the guy, which also makes it weird because it could be another one of Taeyong’s relatives.
Taeyong is the sweet boss in charge of all of us, including the managers Yuta and Doyoung, although there has always been a suspicion that the latter is his (boy)friend.
Chenle, Jisung and Mina are freshmen that have been friends since elementary school and decided to work together at Funfair because it was their go-to spot to skip classes ever since they were little. You’re sure they chose the park, though, because they wouldn't be allowed to work together in any other environment, they are all just a bunch of kids. Chenle is that outgoing and kind person yet a menace, especially when it comes to Mina, Jisung and their painfully obvious crush on each other. 
After some hair pulling (Mina got really angry after Chenle tried to make her confess to Jisung) and the last rounds of truth or dare, everyone starts to get sleepy. 
“Alright, guys, I think it’s time to go home…” you stand up, but Mina holds your arm to stop you.
“Wait, before we all go, did you guys know about the new part-timer that got hired?” Chenle perks up and Jisung lifts his body from where is laying on the ground to look at Mina.
“What guy?”
“Another part-timer? I thought Taeyong was on a budget considering how slow the business has been since… forever,” you say truthfully and Chenle’s eyes widen .
“Do you think the Funfair is some sort of money laundering scheme?” 
“I don’t think Taeyong would be driving that old ass car if he had a choice,” Jisung says, and you gasp.
“That’s mean, he’s always giving you rides!”
“What are you guys talking about?” Yeri asks, coming back from the bathroom “New part-timer? Oh, you’re talking about Donghyuck.”
You frown, feeling that you know that name, and yet can’t give a face to that name. Do you know anyone named Donghyuck?
“Do you know him?!” Mina exclaims a little too excited for Jisung’s liking, who scoffs.
“Yeah, I asked Taeyong if we could hire him,” she says sheepishly and you and Chenle exchange confused looks “What about him, though?”
“I was just curious,” Mina answers. “I saw this cute boy two days ago near the breakroom and he said ‘hi, I’m the new guy Donghyuck’ and then, never again.” 
“Why are you so curious? Do you wanna see him that bad?” Jisung asks, clearly bothered and the three of you roll your eyes at the sight of a blushing Mina.
“It’s not like that…” she scratches her head “It’s just that I never saw him again. Where is he even working?”
“I think Taeyong put him in the ticket booth or something,” Yeri brushes the girl’s concern off and just grabs her bag.
“No way, I was in the popcorn stall near the entrance today and I haven’t seen him at all,” Mina affirms with wide eyes.
Yeri, tired of all of you and the workplace gossip, just brushes it off by shrugging and wishing everybody a goodnight before leaving Jisung’s dorm.
"What do you guys think of Sunny?" you suddenly ask and your friends make a confused face. "Sunny, the bear, guys."
"Creepy" Chenle says without second thoughts
"Not you again with the mascot rivalry. Be proud of our Mickey," Jisung points at you, making you roll your eyes.
"It's weird looking, but it's a very fun mascot," Mina says, drinking the remaining soju in Jisung's bottle.
"Not like that, guys." You apologize, starting to feel drowsy. "I should've worded it better."
"Are you already drunk?" Chenle scoffs and Mina motions to kick his legs.
"I meant,” you say louder, glaring at Chenle. “What if the new guy is Sunny?" 
"It's plausible considering Mina hasn’t seen him again. Or any of us, really."
"Bear or not, I think he's Yeri's boyfriend." Jisung says as a matter of factly.
"His name is not Lee, though." Mina points out. "Plus, I'm team Johnny."
"You're all so nosy," you make a judging face at them, but giggle right after "I like it."
The four of you there stay there in Jisung's dorm for a couple more hours, conspiring about who was the new part-timer, what he was doing there and creating what had the potential to be the new hot gossip of Sunny's Funfair.
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"I can't believe you're here again," you roll your eyes when you see Jisung standing next to the control panel for the bumper cars. 
"Change places with me one day, that's all I ask!" he pleads and you turn away to pay attention to the cars that had just started to move around. 
"Go to work, Jisung. I don't know why Taeyong hasn't fired you yet." 
"Because he knows I'm a valuable addition to the team.” He fights back, making you scoff.
"Nah, it's probably because he has noticed that the high school girls keep coming back to flirt with you." You glare at him when you see him blushing. “Stop with this act, we all know you love it because it makes Mina jealous.”
“What’s with you today, woman?” he raises his hand defensively “I’m just keeping you company.”
“You should be at the merry-go-around. Working.”
“That’s why I always go to Mina,” he complains. “She always talks to me.”
“It’s because she doesn’t like working either,” you say harshly.
It’s Sunday and the park is fairly busier than usual, you think. Not enough to make children line up on the bumper cars, but busy enough to keep running it every three minutes. Suddenly, a stereotypical carnival music starts playing, startling both you and Jisung, who never really noticed there were speakers spread throughout the park. Then, you see Sunny happily walking around greeting small children and their parents. 
“What the fuck is this?” you spit out and look at Jisung who has the same dumbfounded expression as you.
“Our Mickey Mouse is here,” Jisung laughs and you keep staring at the scene in front of you.
“I swear to god if they put this song in a loop I’ll k-”
“Where’s Mickey?” a little girl wearing a Disney t-shirt smiles at the both of you. “I like Mickey Mouse!"
“If you like Mickey so much, where is he from?” Jisung asks and you roll your eyes, going back to the control panel to see how much longer until this round is up.
“Well, I don’t know…” her smile falters and Jisung holds a finger up in the air while saying.
“Well, you can only ride the bumper cars if you know where Mickey Mouse is from-”
“But… I…” you see the girl’s eyes watering and you punch Jisung’s arm 
“No, you don’t,” you say, giving him the stink eye. “But you do need to be old enough to ride it by yourself. How old are you?
“I just turned eight,” she smiles confidently with both hands on her hips.
“Sorry, sweetie, if you are under 12 you need adult supervision,” she deflates so fast that you almost feel bad for her. 
“Can’t he go with me?” she points at Jisung and you scoff.
“He can barely supervise himself,” you smile at her. “Plus, there is no one else to ride the bumper cars, you would be all alone.”
The little girl tries to persuade you to let her go but you can’t. You could bend the rules a little and supervise her in the car, letting Jisung in the control panel, but you didn’t trust Jisung that much. Plus it wasn’t worth it getting in trouble because of a cute little girl. Eventually, you convince her to go talk to the creepy bear, saying he was friends with Mickey Mouse, and she runs to where he is standing.
“By the way, Mickey Mouse is from Mouseton in Calisota,” Jisung says looking at his phone and you groan.
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After months working in the same place, with the same people, you are bound to get into a routine. Yours consisted of arriving at the Funfair around 3:50 pm, going to the break room, filling your water bottle, putting your backpack in locker 606 and putting your lunch box with some packed dinner in the fridge. 
Any minor change in this calculated routine could mean something big.
That’s why you are surprised to arrive one day and see a black insulated lunch bag inside the fridge. You were used to see Mina’s green tupperware, Chenle’s half-eaten subway and Yuta’s energy drinks inside the fridge. You were not used to see an insulated lunch bag inside the fridge. You brushed it off as someone changing habits and bringing healthier food to work. It could even be Taeyong packing food for him and Doyoung. 
You should have taken that more seriously, though, because the second change in your routine was much bigger and much more inconvenient than the lunch bag. 
The next day, the lunch bag disappeared, but now, there was a backpack in your locker. It wasn’t that the locker is specifically yours per se, but there is a silent agreement of which locker belongs to whom. There are 9 lockers in total, Jisung and Mina’s are 607 and 604, the top left one and the one right under it. Chenle takes 608 and Yeri takes the one next to yours, 605. The only available lockers, then, are the 609, top one on the right, and the 3 lockers at the bottom, that are rarely used. 606 is an unavailable locker and yet, one day you get there, slightly late, and you see it occupied by a backpack that’s not yours — and locked. 
Differently from the lunch box, the locker issue does not go away. In fact, no matter how early you get there, every other day there is a black backpack locked inside the 606. You aren't tall enough to reach 609, forcing you to use one of the lockers at the bottom. Everytime you try to crouch down to get something from your bag, you curse at the person who’s using your locker.
The last change to the quiet routine you led at Funfair was Sunny, the bear. In three months working there, last week was the first time you started to actually see it walking around. Of course, during your training, Taeyong made sure to give you a very detailed explanation of the origins of Sunny and even let you see the bear costume. Seeing someone wearing it, though, was something completely different. Considering the near-bankrupt financial situation Funfair has been suffering for a while, it is normal that the park is understaffed (and not a real problem because there aren’t many customers, anyways). But, with some many improvements to be done, why did Taeyong decide to hire someone to give life to that creepy looking bear? No one besides Taeyong seemed to care about Sunny’s presence, why is it around now?
You are too focused on your own thoughts to pay attention to Mina and Jisung entering the breakroom. They seem excited about something and trying to speak at the same time.
“Shut up, Jisung, I will tell everybody!” she squeals and Jisung mumbles something along the line ‘I barely breathed’. “Where’s Chenle? I have bombastic news.”
“He texted the group chat saying he will be late,” you answer unamused.
“Girl, cheer up, I have hot gossip.” You hum, more interested in your sandwich than the gossip. 
“We saw the new guy enter Yeri’s car yesterday after work.” Jisung blurts out and Mina slaps his shoulder. “What? Someone can appear in the breakroom any minute.”
“We already know she knows him. Taeyong hired him because of her, remember?” You bite your sandwich and see Jisung deflates, agreeing that it wasn’t the big deal he was thinking.
“Well, she didn’t say that his last name was Lee,” she whispers the last word, making you and Jisung snap your heads to her direction.
“You didn’t tell me-”
“Doyoung told Yuta who told me that the name of the guy is Lee Donghyuck and he works part-time here every other day. That’s why we don’t see him that much.”she says, pulling a chair for Jisung to sit on.
“Do you think he is the Lee in the love triangle?” Jisung whispers, fishing for his phone. “Oh, Chenle’s gonna love this.”
“Have you guys seen this Donghyuck in the breakroom, yet?” you ask, looking at the lockers. “Or coming to work, at least?”
“Nope.”
“Do you think he is the one using my locker?” They look at you confused. “I usually see it locked with a black backpack inside.”
“Well, he works every other day,” Mina starts “I don’t think it’s him, you’re here everyday.”
“Who would do that, though? The managers use Taeyong’s office. I’m sure it’s him. I don’t like him.”
“You don’t even know him,” Jisung reasons, making you glare at him.
“He stole my locker!” you fight back making them shake their heads at you.
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Two whole weeks have passed and everybody but you have met the locker thief. It's not that you are obsessed with knowing who the hell this Lee Donghyuck is, especially not after Mina tells you in secret that he is very funny and very hot (and begged you not to tell Jisung that). You are curious to meet the one who is behind the creepy bear that makes children laugh and forces all of you to listen to circus music (Taeyong said it is a new tactic so people can associate the song to Sunny and they will know when he is around. You don’t care, you just hate both the bear and the song).
It is on a Friday evening that you understand why people say “curiosity killed the cat”. You are sent to help Mina in the food stalls because Jisung, being the annoying brat he is, ended up breaking the merry-go-round thanks to his habit of shutting it off to avoid the children. When one of the rides breaks down, it means sending someone to help with the food stalls, but Taeyong knew that between sending Jisung or a lamppost to work with Mina, the lamppost would be more useful. That’s why Jisung is at the bumper cars right now and you are stuck in the food stall, with your hair and clothes smelling like butter and old popcorn. 
"Hey, what's broken today?" she asks, leaning her arms on the counter and bending her body forward.
"The merry-go-round," you roll your eyes. "I bet it's Jisung’s fault for shutting it down on purpose at least three times per shift to avoid the little children."
“I thought they would send you to the haunted house to give Doyoung a break, though.” She hands you wet wipes so you can help her clean the counter.
“Nah, Doyoung has too much fun scaring away the horny teenangers trying to have sex and use drugs in there.”
"Aw, at least you're here with me today!" she smiles and you give her an unamused smile.  "I'll be nice, I know you hate the smell, so I’ll stay here and you can do the stocking tonight!"
Your problem is being a little naive around your friends. Sure, the popcorn smell was bad, but you didn't know that stocking the stalls would mean walking around, back and forth, carrying paper bags, corn bags, cans of soda and even organizing the pantry's shelves. You also didn’t know the stockroom is basically all the way across the park.
"Who knew we sold that much soda here." You murmur after your 5th trip to the pantry to restock soda.
"It's not that we sell a lot, it's just that this mini fridge is too small."
"Yeah, I noticed," you narrow your eyes at your friend who just laughs and talks to a new customer.
After a couple of hours, things start to get slower at the stall, so you have time to organize and store everything in their right place. You were definitely not used to this kind of job, just staying behind the scenes, not dealing with annoying adults and small children, but you seem to enjoy it. You pull out your phone and plug your earphones to listen to some music to pass time. The stockroom was a container that stayed behind the ferris wheel and the walls of the park didn’t allow people to see it.
The songs coming from your headphones distract you so much that you don't notice someone hiding behind the open door of the container. They opened from outside, so they blocked the view of who was behind it, but the lights from the ferris wheel allowed you to see a weirdly shaped shadow. You get closer and jump at the sight of the Sunny, the bear too close to your face.
"What the fuck?" you hear him say and you get so startled that you end up pushing it, almost making it fall on the ground.
"I should be the one saying that, dude," you answer, holding the stack of popcorn bags close to you. "What are you doing here?”
"Hiding," you can faintly hear the person's voice through the gigantic head of the costume.
"What?" 
"I'm hiding from the kids," the bear points to your left, the direction of the park. "There is a little kid today that is just obsessed with kicking my ankle."
You laugh at that and go back inside the stockroom to put the popcorn bags in their place. The bear stays outside and you wonder if this is your chance of finally seeing the mysterious not-so-new guy that has been the hot topic for a while.
"Hey," you lean on the door's frame, calling the bear's attention to you "How long have you been working here?"
"Since the 90's, or something like the story Taeyong told me." you laugh at that, hearing the bear chuckle as well. "I started some weeks ago. Why?"
"I was just wondering, because I’m seeing Sunny around too often," you shrug. "You’re the new guy Donghyuck, right?"
"You have a lot of questions, I see," you hear the teasing tone and just roll your eyes. “Flirty, much? Can’t resist the bear’s charm?”
"I hope you can't see shit with this big ass head in this terrible lighting, and end up falling."
"HEY! I was just kidding, don't be mean," he moves a little bit closer to you. 
“You are very good at being vague and changing the topic, mister Sunny, the bear.”
“What can I say, I like being mysterious,” with the silence between both of you, you can hear Taeyong cursing, which is very unusual of him. "Shit, I think I hear Taeyong." 
"Are you afraid of getting fired?"
"No, I'm afraid he's gonna make me work," he answers and you can't help but laugh, calling Taeyong's attention to you and the bear.
Ever since that shift, you started getting somewhat closer to Sunny, who you are sure is the Lee Donghyuck, even though he didn’t confirm it. You still haven't got the chance to see him without the costume and your interactions are always short, but there is something so familiar about him… 
It is also very fun to see Sunny interacting with the staff. Sometimes, he walks past the food stall and shakes Mina's hand, or hi-five Chenle when he passes by the spinning cups. But your favorite thing is when he stays next to the merry-go-around, right across the bumper cars, and throws flying kisses in your direction. It feels like Donghyuck is showing a little bit of his personality through Sunny and you have to admit that the guy is pretty nice to be around. And just like that, what was once a very creepy looking bear that you avoided at all costs, becomes a very creepy looking bear that you expect to see during your shifts. 
Today, Donghyuck decided to walk past the bumper cars and make a “call me” sign, right after sending you hearts and dancing with little kids. You try not to pay much attention to him, but it’s cute how he never forgets to interact with everybody around him and doesn’t leave until he makes his coworkers smile at least for a few seconds.
There is a particular child giving him a hard time, though. You see the little boy, probably ten, trying to take the bear's head at all costs. It tried climbing on Donghyuck, pulled his arms and even kicked his ankle once. There was usually someone to keep him company to avoid annoying kids like those. Where is Taeyong? 
"Hey," you see a girl getting out of the bumper cars all by herself. "You, pigtail." The girl seems tall and strong enough to win a fight, you think . "I'll give you five bucks if you push that boy over there."
"Make it ten and I'll pull his hair too," she opens her hands, motioning you to give her money.
Eventually, Taeyong ends up putting you in trash duty for three days after finding out that you "incited" a fight in a family friendly environment, even though you will deny it forever. You don't mind it too much, because it allows you to walk around the park and talk to everybody, and whenever Sunny is around, you can get a little bit closer while he sends you flying kisses. 
You don't know why, but having that huge weird-looking bear around has definitely made working here better.
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"Well, I have some news," Taeyong says, calling everyone's attention. "We will be shutting down the haunted house, the merry-go-round and the spinning cup."
You shouldn’t be surprised, really. Although you were all expecting that summer break would be a game changer for the business, only a miracle could save the Funfair. To be fair, Taeyong had managed to improve a couple of things here and there: he repainted the front of the park, fixed the broken trash cans and even hired Renjun to make a nice mural at the front (which was really nice for marketing, because teenagers love to take pictures there). There was a general feeling that the business was changing and the summer was a breath of fresh air to everybody, but the summer break wasn’t as miraculous as your hopeful and young minds thought.
"Why the spinning cups? They were fine though," Chenle pouts and Taeyong just shakes his head. 
"I know you like it there, Lele, but a third of the cups aren't spinning properly and there are just so many vomits I can clean up in a day," he sighs and you feel the tense atmosphere in the air. 
“We should have shut down the haunted house a long time ago, in my opinion,” Yeri says, eating a lollipop. “I don’t know how Doyoung endured horny teenangers trying to have sex in there for so long.”
“It was nice staying inside to scare them away,” he shrugged.
“I bet the merry-go-round is Jisung’s fault though,” you say, provoking Jisung, who sticks his tongue out.
“Actually, the engine is heating up so, if anything, Jisung shutting it off every now and then actually helped.” Yuta says besides Taeyong, leaning on the lockers.
“Okay, let’s stop,” he says, visibly stressed. “This is a report, it’s not open for comments, everyone.”
“But, I have ques-”
“Shut up.”
"I know you are all wondering what's going to happen, but don't worry, we got this!” Taeyong starts speaking again, expecting us to be silent. “I have reorganized everybody’s positions: Jisung will take the bumper cars. Y/N and Chenle can decide who will take the ferris wheel and the roller coaster, I just can’t have Jisung on neither because I don’t trust him with the safety procedures. No offense, Jisung." 
“None taken, hyung,” he says, eating a lollipop.
“We don’t have experience in those rides, it was usually the more experienced staff who took care of it,” you raise your hand, worried.
“It’s okay, we’ll train you.”
“What about Doyoung hyung and Yuta hyung?” Chenle asks worriedly.
“Kids, don’t worry about anything else, alright?” Taeyong smiles reassuringly, ending the meeting and sending everybody home. 
A week after the sudden change of positions, everything was running smoothly. Doyoung and Yuta helped you and Chenle and for the first three days, teaching you how to control the rides and slowly letting you do it by yourselves. Despite everything looking almost the same as usual, you couldn’t shake the weird feeling out of your chest. Why did Taeyong suddenly shut down part of the park? It’s not as if there is much of it left anyways. He didn't say much about Yuta and Doyoung after they stopped training us. Did they get fired? You haven’t seen Sunny in a while. Did Taeyong fire Donghyuck too? Will you be next?
The prospect of getting fired makes you realize you haven't really worried about looking for a good internship in a while. You can’t really blame yourself for getting tired of it after the countless no’s. And, honestly, you were comfortable working for Taeyong. Sure, the pay wasn’t great, but the job isn’t demanding and your boss is not pressuring you to do anything more than come to work, press a few buttons, make sure no one gets into an accident, and go home. But your parents had already started to worry about your career, thinking your job at the theme park wasn’t as temporary as they thought it would be. You think it’s time for you to start worrying about it too, so you decide that as soon as the summer break is over, you must find somewhere else to work. 
Even though you know you need to find another job, a tiny little part of your heart hurts at the thought of leaving everyone behind. Would you be able to find such nice and welcoming people anywhere else? You realize your mind has wandered for too long when you see brown paws shaking in front of your face. 
"A penny for your thoughts?" you hear Donghyuck’s voice and smile.
"Sunny does not use human language to communicate. Taeyong will get angry at you," you cross your arms and lean on the railing behind you.
"It's not like there's a lot of people around anyways. The only kid is you" he stands next to you, just looking at the empty park. You slap his arm and he chuckles. "It's almost closing time, I don't know why I'm still wearing this."
"You get more breaks than we do, work for once, please," you joke and hear his sweet laugh muffled by the costume.
"Try walking around with this gigantic stinky head to see if you wouldn't need a break every 30 minutes too." You smile and make your way to the control cabin when you take a look at the time. 
“Time to turn off the lights and go home,” you say, pressing a few buttons on the panel.
“I didn’t know they changed your position,” you hear the boy speaking loudly so you can hear him from the cabin. "I found out the hard way.”
“And what is the hard way?” you scream back, starting to get out of the cabin and heading to the stairs. 
“I can’t really see from afar with this mask on, you know…” He sighs and you frown at him. “Yeri told me today I had spent the past week sending flying kisses to Jisung and not you.” 
You cackle with laughter from the sudden confession. Now it makes sense why you have spent the entire week without seeing a sign of him. You just thought Sunny was one of the things Taeyong was slowly getting rid of.
"You must be completely blind with this head on," you say, walking down the steps and being face to face with the bear. "Can you even see anything now with the lights off?"
"I can figure it out."
You extend your arm, offering it. "C'mon, I'll lead the way."
“The ferris wheel is very far from the breakroom, you know. That’s why I never come here,” he says, locking arms with you.
“Yeah, I know. On the weekend I always have to run if I don’t wanna miss the last bus.”
“Will I have to keep walking all the way down the ferris wheel to see you?”
“Yes,” you laugh wholeheartedly as he groans. You start walking, your arms linked together, and your curiosity perks up. "I have a question," you hear some humming and decide to keep going. "Why have I never seen you, Donghyuck?" 
"It’s because I’m not Donghyuck, I’m Sunny, silly!” you scoff and listen to his cheeky laugh.
"You are a little frustrating, you know that? I like it better when you can't speak." you huff, but keep walking towards the exit of the park. "Should I wait for you outside the bathroom to know who you are?"
"Don't be a creep,” he teases, and you slap his arm covered by the costume.
"I just think it’s unfair how you know who I am and I only know your name because Mina loves gossiping around,” you pout and feel a pet in your head.
"You really have no idea who I am?” he scoffs, sounding disappointed and you get confused. “Yeah, didn’t think you would remember me.”
“What are you talking about?” you frown and he just shrugs it off. “Am I supposed to know you?”
“I don’t know, are you?” 
“Stop it!” you say, slightly frustrated. 
“Okay, okay," you hear him chuckling. "I think our schedules are just incompatible.”
“I think you are just ugly and are embarrassed,” you tease and you hear him gasp. 
“Holy shit, you’re mean,” he pretends to be offended as you laugh. “But, wait, have you been thinking about me and what I look like?”
You can’t see his face, but the smugness you hear in his voice is enough to annoy you (and make you blush, because… yes, you have.)
“If you don’t stop with the nonsense I’ll leave you to walk alone in the dark,” you warn him, passing by the merry-go-round, reaching the middle of the park.
“I think you are the one who doesn’t want to be alone, honey,” he teases you again, and you motion to unlink your arms but he immediately apologizes. “No, no, sorry, sorry. I’ll shut up.”
You keep walking in a comfortable silence until you decide to speak again “Do you think we’re getting fired?”
“Why do you think that?”
“It’s just…” you sigh and Donghyuck starts to slow down your pace. “I mean, we know this business is not flourishing, but I can’t lie, I thought summer break would help. Now with Taeyong shutting down part of the park, summer break is almost over, I don’t know…”
“I think you shouldn’t worry too much about that,” he says sincerely and you scoff.
“Yeah, sure,” you keep silent for a little while, but Donghyuck feels you still have some things to get off your chest. “If I get fired before getting an internship I don’t know what I’ll do. I’ve already disappointed my parents so many times, and I’m so frustrated with myself. I.. Should I even keep trying to become a journalist? I think I should just ask Renjun to set me up with some rich dude. I don’t think he would, though, He was the one that found me this job when his parents are filthy rich and know basically every businessman in the city.”
“Renjun’s parents are not that rich, they just know a lot of people,” he adds, making you sigh again.
“I wish I knew a lot of people. Actually, I wish I knew the right people. I wouldn’t be here struggling to find an internship if I did.”
“Well, I think you shouldn’t worry too much about this.”
“Yeah, easier said than done. I have been trying to get an internship for, what, six months? I must be really bad because I didn’t even get a single interview.”
“I think you shouldn’t worry too much because what is supposed to happen, will happen.” He turns his head to you and tilts it to the right. “Maybe, you won’t find the perfect job you’re looking for right now, but there will be some other opportunities that might help you achieve your goal. Have you ever watched Monsters University?”
“Oh, you are not about to give me advice based on a Pixar movie,” you chuckle and Donghyuck gets defensive.
“Well, if you haven’t seen it yet, you should, because you’re being very Mike Wazowski right now,” you laugh at his comparison, promising him you would see the movie as soon as you got home. 
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Even after the heartfelt conversation, you haven’t met Donghyuck as himself yet. You don’t know if your schedules really didn’t align or if he was actively avoiding you after you just spilled your worries out of nowhere. You don’t think it was a reasonable option considering he would still go out of his way to greet you at the ferris wheel, even if it meant cutting his break 5 minutes because it took him longer to get to the breakroom.
But you can’t help but feel weird when you hear Yeri and Mina casually talking about Donghyuck's opinion on the drama they are watching together. How did they even get that close? I mean, there was still the theory that he was Yeri’s boyfriend so you guess that made sense, but why wouldn’t he talk to you about the drama too? You could start watching it. Even Chenle seemed to socialize more with Donghyuck outside work than you, as he constantly mentions how they meet up sometime to go to a cybercafe to play games. Why are you the only one that has short interactions with him dressed up as the fucking creepy bear? Plus, there is the constant feeling of familiarity when you’re around him, but you can’t remember from where you might know each other. It was all driving you really, really mad. 
“Why are you frowning?” Doyoung asks as you’re sitting down in Taeyong's office, waiting for him.
“I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. Your face looks like a raisin.”
“Don’t call me raisin!” You raise your voice, getting angrier by the minute. “Do you know Donghyuck?” 
Doyoung seems startled by your sudden change of subject. “Of course I do, he works here.”
“Have you met him outside work? Like, in normal clothes, not in a bear costume.” 
“Obviously, he’s Jeno’s childhood friend,” he says matter-of-factly. Jeno? You know that name… “Why are you being so-”
“Wait, Jeno? Lee Jeno? As in Huang Renjun’s friend?”
“I don’t know any Huang Renjun, but, yeah, Lee Jeno, he’s like a brother-”
“HOLY SHIT,” you gasp and cover your mouth. “Shit, what the fuck, this is not real.”
“I know you’re off the clock, but it’s sorta rude to curse like that.”
“Doyoung, I know Donghyuck,” you ignore him, standing up and holding his arms with pleading eyes. “I know who Donghyuck is.
“Considering you have been working together for a month or so, that’s… great?” He says cautiously.
“Tell Taeyong I’ll talk to him tomorrow, I have to make a phone call,” You say, grabbing your backpack and bolting out of the room. 
As soon as Doyoung mentioned Jeno, everything clicked together.
You remembered the night at the party, when you met that cute guy and you just decided to kiss all night long, chat about the most random things while you get drunk on the expensive Japanese beer he said he bought, but you find out later that it was Jeno’s. You remember talking about your favorite seasons and him telling you you might be meant to be because you love summer and his gaming nickname meant fullsun. You should have recognized him as soon as you heard him tease you for the first time. Damn, he even mentioned Renjun’s parents as if he knew them personally and you didn’t bat an eye. How could you be so stupid? 
The first problem is not recognizing him. The second problem is how are you going to face him after taking so long to recognize him. Now you understand why he probably didn’t want you to see him without the costume, imagine how embarrassing it will be for you. 
Donghyuck never works two days in a row, so hopefully he won’t be here today, right? Wait, was he here yesterday? You don’t remember. If you don’t remember, he probably wasn’t, so, does that mean you will have to see him today? But maybe it’s just your bad memory. You needed advice about this situation, what would you do from now? You are sprinting to the breakroom, ready to put your things away and call your roommate.
When you get there, you immediately couch down to put your things on the locker, not bothering to look if the 606 locker is available. It hasn’t been ever since Donghyuck started here anyways. As you are having trouble shoving the backpack inside the small locker, you see someone standing behind you, silently opening one of the lockers too.
“Your phone’s on the floor.”
He points out to the bright screen of your phone that has fallen from your hands and is sitting right beside you. You take a glance at the lock screen, seeing Doyoung’s threatening message, and scoff.
[doyoung manager (dangerous)]: If you canceled this meeting to gossip with the other kids, I’ll make Taeyong put you in trash duty for a whole month. 
“Honestly, I’m here having a crisis and Doyoung thinks I’m gossiping,” you grumble while still trying to shove the backpack inside “What’s wrong with this locker tod-”
“Do you need help?” 
You feel like someone has knocked the air out of your lungs when you see Donghyuck crouched down beside you, wearing a cheeky smile. You fall on your butt and he immediately holds your arms to help you stand back to your original position. 
“Do you need help?” he repeats, his head motioning to the lockers and you simply nod. “It can be tricky to fit the whole bag inside these lockers.”
You just nod again, and stand up, letting him put it inside the tiny metal box and close it. “Password?” you look at him confused. “Are you not locking it?”
“No, we never lock it,” you shake your head and gasp. You move a little to the side to see the 606 locker taken, and look back at him angrily. “So it was you this whole time. You stole my locker!”
“I didn’t steal anything, it was there and I took it.”
“It was my perfect little locker, perfect height., perfect size,” you mourn half-jokingly.
“Why don’t you take the other ones?”
He stands up, meeting you face to face and you have to admit that it is a whole new thing to see him in good lighting without his bear costume. He is hotter than you remembered. His hair is also longer and wavy, different from when you first met. Damn you and your thing for boys with long hair.
“They're all taken and I can’t reach the one above yours,” you shrug, avoiding his eyes. “I didn’t know you had work today, Haechan.” You use the nickname he told you back at the party and that makes him smile.
“Oh, so now you remember me?” The smugness of his voice makes you shy and he notices it by the way you smile and starts to move away from him.
“Yeah, about that, I should apologize,” you say, sitting down in one of the chairs. “I should have connected the dots as soon as you told me about Renjun’s parents.”
“Oh,” the smug expression on his face dies as he lets out what seemed to be a disappointed sigh. 
“What?” you ask with wide eyes. “Am I being stupid again?”
“Oh, no,” he chuckles humorlessly as he leans on the lockers and puts his hands inside the pockets of the leather jacket. Be damned the leather jackets, you think. “I thought you were going to apologize for not calling.”
“What?” you let out an airy laugh.
“That night at the party, you said you would call me.”
“I don’t have your number though, how would I call you?” You remember the kissing, and his hands, and his hoarse voice whispering sweet nothings in your ears, but you definitely don’t remember having his number.
Donghyuck takes his hand out of his pocket and stretches it out in front of you, asking for your phone. You give it to him, open it on the keypad, and he gives a few taps before handing it back to you. He didn’t even need to finish typing the whole thing because it was there, on the top of the screen: “Lee Donghyuck” written in bold, with his number right beside it. 
You start to think you don’t remember as much from that night as you thought you did. You grunt and he just chuckles.
“At least now I know I wasn’t rejected, you just forgot” he jokes and sits in front of you, who was hiding your face in your hands. “I just don’t know if that’s better or not.”
“I don’t know what happened, I wasn’t that drunk to forget your name and your number.”
“You forgot my name too?” he says half-offended, now understanding why you didn’t recognize him before. “Damn, were you that cock drunk?”
“Now, don’t cross a line, Lee Donghyuck,” you immediately sit up straight, sending him a glare. “We didn’t go that far.”
“Sorry, bad joke,” He lowers his head, avoiding your eyes, “We could’ve.”
“We could have what?”
“If you had called,” he says, leaning his body on the table as he doesn't break eye contact. “We could’ve gone as far as you wanted.”
“WHAT’S UP!” Chenle says loudly as he opens the door abruptly. “What are you guys talking about?”
You use that as your cue to compose yourself from Donghyuck’s very suggestive words, and point at your own ears, giving Chenle a sign that he needs to lower the volume of his earpods.
“Oh, sorry, was I screaming?” he puts his stuff in his locker and sits between you and Donghyuck, painfully unaware of the tension in the air. “What were you guys- Oh, Y/N, you finally met him!”
Donghyuck snaps his head in Chenle’s direction and you start praying he will not say anything that could embarrass you. “You were so jealous that you were the only one that hadn't met him properly yet.”
“I wasn’t jealous,” you say distressed, stressing your distaste for his choice of words. “It was just weird how-”
“Oh, you so were,” both boys giggled and you rolled your eyes, standing up hastily, making the chair screech. “Please, you got all pouty the day I mentioned we play together.”
“Honey, if you wanted my attention you could’ve just asked.” Donghyuck is clearly having the time of his life with Chenle’s information.
You groan as you leave the breakroom and they keep teasing you. You definitely need better friends.
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"Who would have thought that all you had to do to start dating was confessing, right?” Chenle says sarcastically while all of you are hanging out in the breakroom. 
“Wait, so you weren’t dating before?” Taeyong asks the couple sitting in front of him.
“No, they were just very much in love and just as oblivious,” you say, munching on the chocolate chip cookie Taeyong baked for the staff today.
"Well, it’s not like that, I was already planning on confessing…" Jisung scratches the back of his head and Chenle scoffs.
"Yeah, since freshman year… of HIGH SCHOOL," and you see Mina blushing when Jisung giggles and kisses her cheek, giving her a silent confirmation that Chenle's statement was nothing but the truth.
"Oh my god, she still blushes at everything he does!" Yeri exclaims and Chenle gags, muttering 'disgusting'.
Apparently, the past weekend has been full of surprises. Taeyong had a “pressing family matter” to attend to, so he decided to close the park and give everybody the Saturday and Sunday off. Probably not the smartest move for a failing business but who are you to complain? 
With two days off on the weekend, everybody had their own thing: Yeri went to the beach with her boyfriend (Mina is still Team Johnny, but Jisung and I think he is too tall compared to the silhouette photos Yeri showed us). Chenle went to a basketball game and adopted a dog, out of nowhere. He only shut up about the game to show us Daegal’s pictures which we very much appreciated. Jisung had invited Mina on a picnic date, but she accidentally heard him practicing his confession, which led them to, finally, become boyfriend and girlfriend. 
You, well, you had a date with Donghyuck. It was a friendly date, he just asked you out to get some coffee. And have lunch. And you eventually ended up going with him to his friend’s photography exhibition. In your defense, he was very pleasant to be around and it’s always good to be in contact with the arts.
You woke up that Saturday ready to do something fun, but your roommate and her boyfriend already had plans, just like everybody else from work. At first you decided to stay at home and just enjoy your day alone, but then you remembered how long it had been the last time you had a free weekend. Like, the whole weekend. After the whole ordeal with Donghyuck, you became good friends so you thought it wouldn’t hurt if you messaged him to see if he wanted to do something, right? As friends, of course!.
[you - 10:30 a.m]: hey how’s your day off?
[donghyuckie - 10:30 a.m]: damn honey
[donghyuckie  - 10:30 a.m]: not even a whole day 
[donghyuckie  - 10:30 a.m]: miss me already? 
[you - 10:30 a.m]: oh fuck off
[you - 10:31 a.m]: i just wanted to know if you had plans
[you - 10:31 a.m]: because i don’t and i’m bored
[donghyuckie  - 10:32 a.m]: i can be free
[donghyuckie  - 10:32 a.m]: why?
[you  - 10:33 a.m]: wanna get some coffee?
[you  - 10:33 a.m]: u pay
[donghyuckie  - 10:35 a.m]: 🙄
[donghyuckie  - 10:35 a.m]: meet me at 7dream in 10 min
[you  - 10:35 a.m]: i need 30 to get ready tho
[donghyuckie  - 10:35 a.m]: be there in 10 or you pay
You did your best to look as presentable as possible in record time, only for Donghyuck to arrive at the café twenty minutes later, saying he didn’t think you would take him seriously and would just take your time getting ready. He did apologize for being late and after eating breakfast, he waited as you went back home to look more presentable during lunch.
You see, spending time with Donghyuck was very confusing for you because he always made flirty comments and dirt jokes around you, but never really tried to initiate anything. He was pretty hard to read, in your personal opinion, but it was so fun to have him around and he was always so thoughtful and nice, that you never let useless thoughts fill your mind. And what if you made out once in a party months ago? You didn’t remember his name, you never called and you only met again by chance. You could totally be friends, all the “tension” that you once had, if you ever had it, was water under the bridge!
At least that’s what you thought.
"Are you gaslighting me into thinking I don't like you?" Donghyuck asked with a raised eyebrow. 
"I am simply stating the fact that you are most likely only having fun flirting with me," you explained, sipping your drink. "It's like a sport to some people."
It was late, really late. The workers at the diner were probably cursing both of you for getting there as it was about to close, so you just decided to keep drinking your milkshake so you both could leave as fast as possible.
"Well, not to me," he scoffed, leaning back on the couch feeling frustrated at your words.
“Earth to Y/N,” Mina shakes her hand in front of your face, taking you out of your thoughts.
“OH, sorry, what’s up?” 
“What did you do on the weekend?” Yeri asks, and you suddenly feel shy when everybody’s attention is on you. “Wait, are you blushing?”
“No way!” Jisung exclaims and you start to feel your face hotter by the second.
“And just know she was so distracted…” Mina smirks and your eyes widen, shaking your head.
“Y/N’S GOT A BOYFRIEND, Y/N’S GOT A BOYFRIEND,” Chenle sing-songs like a nine year-old and the other ones join him. 
“It’s not-” you try to speak but they just sing louder, making you sigh in frustration.
“Stop, children,” Taeyong calls their attention and you sigh in relief, thinking he is going to scold them. Your peace doesn’t last long, though. “We don’t know if it’s a boyfriend or a girlfriend!”
They all look at each other before Chenle starts singing again:
“Y/N WENT ON A DATE, Y/N WENT ON A DATE.”
“You are all absolutely insufferable,” you say, standing up and pretending you don’t hear how they keep teasing you about your “date”.
Donghyuck opens the break room door right when you are ready to leave. You stop yourself before your bodies collide and he simply smiles. “What’s going on?”
“Noth-”
“Y/N WENT ON A DATE, Y/N WHEN ON A DATE.” Chenle chants again and you turn your body to face him from across the room.
“Shut up, Chenle! Nobody said it’s true.” You don’t have time to lay a guilt trip on Chenle because Donghyuck beats you to it, giving the crowd exactly what they wanted.
“It’s true, though, you went on a date with me,” Donghyuck says seriously and everybody gasps. He walks towards the lockers and smiles when he sees that you took locker 606 before him today. “We spent the whole Saturday together.”
You see Jisung flabbergasted as he lets out “Oh my god, you’re dating Yeri’s boyfriend?”
“Shut up, Jisung,” Mina elbows him at the same time that Yeri, Taeyong and Donghyuck scream a “What???”
“It was a friendly date, I’M NOT DATING ANYBODY!” You scream the last part, storming off the break room and pretending you don’t hear Donghyuck quietly say ‘yet”.
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“So you’re telling me you have a boyfriend and his name is Mark?” Mina confirms the information, still not sounding quite sure of it yet.
“Don’t mind her, she was team Johnny.” Chenle tells Yeri, making her look more confused.
“Team who?” Taeyong just stands there, trying to understand the whole situation. “I have so many questions…”
“And you,” Jisung says, turning to Donghyuck. “Met Y/N months ago at Yeri's boyfriend party, fell in love, but she forgot about you, so you had to get this job as Sunny, the bear to make her fall for you again and remember you?” He finishes, leaving Donghyuck absolutely stunned at the boy’s lack of ability to hold a single information in his brain.
“This is not what I said at all, you literally made up 90% of this story.”
After you stormed out, you went outside some of the opening tasks for today and you were hoping someone would come to help you out soon, but twenty minutes later, only Doyoung appeared, asking where the others were. After not having any answer from you, he calls Taeyong who just says ‘wait 10 more minutes and we’ll have so much to talk about’. He decides to go to the breakroom and see for himself what on earth is going on in the park today, only to find the boss, one of the managers and all the other workers sitting around the table, gossiping.
“She does seem a little silly, I have to admit,” Yuta says nonchalantly.
“She’s worse than Mina and Jisung together, honestly,” Chenle shakes his head, “Dumb as a door.”
“What are you guys talking about?” Doyoung says in a serious tone, startling everybody.
“I told you to wait 10 minutes, Hyuck is about to finish his story,” Taeyong shakes his head, shooing Doyoung away. “Someone needs to be in charge. Go, go, I’ll tell you later.”
“YOU are the one in charge.” Doyoung scoffs, but goes anyway, someone should be helping you. 
Donghyuck retells the whole story of how you met and how disappointed he was when you didn’t call. He told everyone about how he got this job because his friend’s girlfriend, who is Yeri, knew he needed a part-time job. He got to the Funfair having no idea what he was going to do, much less knowing that you worked here too. He told them how happy he got the first time he saw you helping Mina at the food stalls, and how he recognized you by your voice, because he couldn’t really see much when he was wearing the costume. 
He told them all about how he tried getting your attention as Sunny when you didn’t seem to recognize him, but it backfired because you couldn’t remember him and he was starting to get sad. He told them that he actively avoided you when he wasn’t wearing his costume to avoid the embarrassment of you not knowing who he was. Then, he said how you accidentally found out who he was, how he got closer to you each day and how it all backfired when he confessed last Saturday and you rejected him. 
"Are you gaslighting me into thinking I don't like you?" Donghyuck asked with a raised eyebrow. 
"I am simply stating the fact that you are most likely only having fun flirting with me," you explained, sipping your drink. "It's like a sport to some people."
"Well, not to me," he scoffed, leaning back on the couch feeling frustrated at your words.
"Either way, it's probably not real feelings. At least not towards me." you said, not looking in his eyes.
"You are unbelievably stubborn, blind and borderline rude," he spitted out, feeling the anger building up. How dare you have a say on what he feels about you? 
"See? Why would you like someone with a nasty personality like that?" your arms moved around excitingly, as if you were proving your point. "You like the chase, not me!" 
And then, Donghyuck confessed how he was ready to look you in the eyes and fight back, but the words died on his throat when he saw the huge smile on your face. He paid attention to the way your palms were open in front of you, arms stretched towards him, the way that wrinkles were all around your eyes from how much you were smiling and how excited you looked. He admitted that it dawned upon him that he likes you to the extent that he could let you keep thinking, for a moment, that he's not absolutely in falling for you if it meant that you would keep smiling like that. 
Donghyuck understands that he can't always win. So, he gave you that one, letting you think you were right. He let you go back to your milkshake and your pancakes tasting of syrup and the satisfaction of being on the winning end of an argument. 
He let you win that battle so he could win the war. Eventually.
“How will you win her over, then?” Mina looks at him curiously.
“I don’t have a plan,” Donghyuck sees the disapproving look on their faces and quickly adds. “Yet.” They all look at him suspiciously, and he can see Taeyong’s amused face. “Can’t you guys help me? You’re all her friends.”
"Oh, no," Chenle clicks his tongue while excessively shaking his index finger "No, no."
"We're here to judge not to meddle," Jisung says and all of them start moving around, getting ready to go to work.
"Yeah, take Jisung and Mina as an example, they got together by themselves. We never helped, only judged.” Yeri complements, making Jisung agree with a sad ‘yeah’.
"That's so messed up," Donghyuck shakes his head in disbelief. "You are all insane."
"Well, I can call her a coward if it helps you," Chenle. "It's what I did to Mina all these years."
"That's mean, Chenle,” Taeyong says disapprovingly. 
"Frankly, it worked eventually," Mina replies as she stands up from the seat and stretches. 
She kisses Jisung cheek and heads out, and, slowly, everybody goes to their normal, uneventful job at Sunny’s Funfair Park and Recreation.
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After the eventful Saturday when Donghyuck confessed, you never touched the “feelings” subject anymore. He is still Lee Donghyuck, your friend and coworker whom, sometimes, you go out with. Nothing more, nothing less. And on days like today, when it has been raining non stop since 10 a.m, it was amazing having an energetic friend like him. 
You don’t know how he did it, really. The rain caught you all by surprise, so Donghyuck, who works outside, had to stay in the breakroom until the rain stopped, and that only happened around 9 p.m. There were no customers at all, the park was empty and even though you were supposed to stay open until midnight today, Taeyong decided to let you all go home early. 
Chenle was complaining how the last hangout had been the one at Jisung’s house before Mina and him were even dating, and just like that, all of you end up in Donghyuck’s apartment drinking hot chocolate and playing card games.
It’s time for all of you to show your cards and you hear Chenle groan as Donghyuck smirks and gets all the tokens from the table.
“It’s rigged, he got a full house twice and then royal flush right after,” Chenle scoffs and Donghyuck just laughs.
“Damn, he really won three times in a row?” Mina says and you and Jisung just exchange confused looks, having no idea what had happened.
“Poker is a very confusing game,” you think out loud and Donghyuck smiles sweetly at you.
“Lucky at cards, unlucky in love,” he mumbles, shuffling the cards. “Do you wanna play again or will you keep crying?”
You look at the empty popcorn bowls and mugs beside you and look at Jisung who is just as confused as you. Tired of playing a game you can barely understand, you just shake your head. “You can keep playing, I’ll wash the dishes.”
Before you can even get all of the mugs around you, Donghyuck is standing up, holding the popcorn bowls and a few mugs. You don’t have time to tell him to keep playing because he just goes straight to the kitchen, making you follow him. When you get there, he already has the gloves and the sponge on his hand. 
“I thought I said I’d do it,” you angrily put your hands on your hips, scolding him with your eyes.
“I’m sorry it’s against the house rules to have a beautiful lady washing the dishes,” he bumps his hips with yours, making you scoff as you try to hide your smile.
“Where’s Jeno, by the way?” you say, leaning your back on the kitchen sink, right next to him. “You invited us over before telling him, didn’t you?”
“Nah, it’s cool.” He shrugs. “He told me he wasn't going to spend the night here today anyways.” 
“Girlfriend?” You raise an eyebrow, leaning a little to his side, almost brushing your shoulders together.
“Why are you so curious? Do I have to compete with Jeno?” He asks playfully and you just push his shoulder.
“I was just asking.” You mumble, moving back to your original position. “By the way, Doyoung told me the other day that Jeno is like his brother? And Yeri gave you this job? Your relationships are so confusing.”
He laughs looking at you fondly. “What do you wanna know? Ask away.”
“Hm, how do you know Doyoung? And Yeri? And Jeno?” 
“Do you want to know my family tree too?” He jokes and you show him your tongue. “Jeno, Mark and I are childhood friends, Doyoung hyung’s family is really close to Jeno’s, so we all just know each other from birthday parties and stuff. We are not that close though.”
“Oh.” You mumble nodding. “Yeri told us she got you the job though?”
“Yeah, she's been dating Mark for like a year?” He says, shrugging. “Either way, that was a coincidence, I didn’t know she knew Doyoung hyung. Actually, I thought he was working at his father’s law firm? I don’t know what happened, his family is weird.”
“Damn, I was here waiting for the tea and you don’t know anything!” You huff, faking annoyance. “You’re really bad at gossiping.” You notice he is starting to rinse the dishes in the sink, so you grab the towel that’s on the counter. 
“And you’re really bad at poker.” He fights back, giving you some mugs to dry and put away. “Why did you say you liked playing cards if you’re bad at it?”
“It’s because I don’t know how to play poker,” you answer, lining up the dry mugs on the counter. “I like to play rummy, not poker.”
“You should have said so.” He gently places the two big popcorn bowls and closes the faucet. “We could have played that instead.”
“It’s okay, I just wanted to hang out with you.” You confess, hoping he understands you weren’t using the plural form of the pronoun. “I didn’t know you were that good at poker, though, I thought you only played League of Legends or whatever.”
“I’m not good, it was rigged,” He leans to whisper in your ears and you feel your pulse hammering on your neck. He chuckles at your startled expression, thinking you’re reacting to his confession, not to his proximity. “I’m joking, don’t be that shocked. Jeno and I just play a lot.”
“What about your other friend?” you ask, not really minding his proximity.
“Mark?” He scoffs when you nod. “He can’t bluff to save his life.”
“You smell nice,” you blurt out and his eyes go wide at your sudden confession. “I- I meant your house.” You use this moment as an opportunity to slide away from him. “Your house smells nice, do you use scented candles?” He chuckles, ready to tease you, but lets it slide. 
In the living room, Jisung is sleeping like a rock on Mina’s lap, who is starting to doze off as well. Chenle pokes his friends' arms, saying he has to go because his mom is already worried about his whereabouts. Slowly, they all start to collect their belongings and when you and Donghyuck are back from the kitchen, they are all ready to go. The two of you are taken aback as they bid their goodbyes and thank Donghyuck for being the host for the night.
You decide to stay a little longer to help the owner of the apartment to put everything back in place, when he suddenly asks you to stay the night.
“It’s late, I’ll worry if you go back now,” he pouts. “Don’t roll your eyes at me, I’m serious.”
“I go home late everyday, it’s fine.”
“You have 2 choices,” he raises his index and middle finger in front of you. “Either I take you home or you stay the night.”
“Why didn’t you suggest taking the others home too?” you cross your arms in front of him, clearly challenging Donghyuck. Oh, he is so ready for another battle, but this time he won’t bend.
“Because Jeno has the car.”
“Then how are you taking me home?” you tilt your head playfully. 
“I’ll get an uber,” he shrugs, making you laugh. 
“I was already gonna do that, silly,” you fish your phone out of your pocket to open the app, but Donghycuk steals the phone from your hands. “Donghyuck!”
“I’ll get an uber,” he says, locking your phone and putting it in the front pocket of his sweatpants. “And go with you to drop you off.”
You laugh, clearly amused at his absurd suggestion. “There is no way I’ll let you do that.”
“There is no way I’ll let you get inside a stranger's cars by yourself at 1 a.m.” The firm tone of his voice was enough to let you know he was not dropping this argument like he did last time.
“And how will you get back to your apartment?” 
“It doesn’t matter, it’s none of your-” you get too close to him and he feels the words dying in his throat at the thought of you hugging him. Donghyuck quickly reacts, though, when he feels you putting your hands inside the left pocket of his sweatpants, making him hold your arms to keep you in place. “HEY. Bad girl.”
“Don’t say that, I’m not a dog.” You grunt, trying to break free from his hold. “Give me my phone, back Hyuck.” 
Your whines don’t affect him too much, as he keeps his strong hold on you. You start to take a few steps around the living room, shaking your arms as you try to make him let go. Picturing this scene in your head, you start laughing at how ridiculous the whole thing must look. 
“Good girls don’t fight with daddy!” He forces a mocking sexy voice, making you laugh even harder. “Damn, I love you laugh.”
You are still giggling when you turn to look at his face. Donghyuck is already staring at you with utmost adoration and slightly curved lips. Your heart skips a few beats when your eyes lock and he bites his lips to hold his ever growing smile. 
“I really love the sound of your laugh.”
His face is closer to yours than you remember, and it’s when he loosens the hold on your arms, only to slide his hands to hold yours, that you realize you have been holding your breath.
“If you don’t want me to go with you, then, stay.” He whispers, using your interlocked hands to pull you closer to him. “I just want to make sure you’re safe.”
“You suggested riding the uber with me,” you smile shyly, slightly moving your head to the side, giving him the space he wanted to pull you closer and nuzzle up against your neck. “Aren’t you being overprotective?”
“Is it a crime, now?” you get goosebumps when you feel him mumbling against your neck.
“It’s toxic,” you joke, taking your hands out of his grasp and raising your arms to place them around his neck. “You smell really good,” you whisper again and feel him taking a deep breath, before wrapping his arms around your waist.
“Stay, please.”
Donghyuck may have not convinced you the first time he confessed because he had been too straightforward, too casual about it. He should have known better than that. Casual flirting and occasional dates weren’t enough to win you over. That’s why he lost the first battle. But when he wakes up in the middle of the night to turn his AC on because even though you’re both sweating, you don’t let him get out of your arms, he knows he’s one step closer to winning the war. 
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The first thing you do when you open your eyes the following morning is wonder what time it is. You palm the side of the bed to look for your phone, only to feel a human arm. You open your eyes, recognizing Donghyuck’s room. He has one of his arms under your neck, the other one is lazily around your waist and his head nuzzled against your nape. You smile, dreading the moment he wakes up and starts teasing you for staying the night and sleeping on his bed holding him.
You consider calling out today, because you are almost sure that by the time you get there, everybody will be aware that you and Donghyuck cuddled all night long.
Carefully, you get out of bed and go straight to the kitchen to get a cup of water. You shouldn’t feel as comfortable at somebody else’s house as you are right now. When you were about to head back to Donghyuck’s room, Jeno entered the kitchen, with damp hair and wearing only gym shorts. The boy stops on his tracks and you two stare at each other, frozen.
“Hello?” The boy greets you with a frown and closed fists, and you give him an apologetic smile.
“Hey. Hi. Good morning.” You answer avoiding eye contact, completely mortified of the encounter. “I-I just- Hyuck told me-”
“Oh, you're with Hyuck?” he acknowledges, smiling at you. “I thought somebody had broken in.”
“Yeah, sorry. I thought he had let you know I was staying the night.” You apologize again, and suddenly feel self-aware of your outfit consisting of Donghyuck clothes. “I’ll go back-”
You hear a door opening and steps heading towards the kitchen, and, suddenly, Donghyuck appears. Swollen face, bed hair and shirtless… you feel like melting right there. 
“It’s not even 11 yet, why did you-” He looks at Jeno with his squint eyes and then back at you, only to gasp and slap his friend’s chest. “JENO? BE DECENT, GO PUT ON A SHIRT.”
“OUCH, THAT HURTS, ASSHAT!” The boy soothes the place where he was slapped, looking angrily at his friend. “You’re shirtless too!”
“I JUST WOKE UP!” He slaps his friend again, now getting in front of him to block your view. “HONEY, DON’T LOOK!”
“AND I WAS JOGGING?” Jenos slaps Donghyuck Back and you just laugh at how childish they look. “Oh, wait, honey?” He moves to the side to look at you again, but Donghyuck stays in his way. “Dude?”
“Stop moving around, she doesn’t need to see how ripped you are.” Donghyuck bites back and you chuckle. 
Jeno shoves Donghyuck to the side and waves at you. “Sorry, he’s very impolite and didn’t think about introducing us. I’m Jeno.” 
“SHIRT, JENO. SHIRT.” Donghyuck shouts, as he pushes his friend towards the hallway.
You stay there in the kitchen, holding your laugh, because of course you couldn’t have a nice and calm morning with Lee Donghyuck. 
“Hey. Hi. How are you?” Donghyuck comes back a few seconds later, panting. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yeah.” You nod, biting your lips to hold your laugh while Donghyuck just walks towards you very, very flustered. “Why are you shirtless? I clearly remember you going to sleep fully clothed.”
“Well, if only someone wasn’t holding me so damn tight the whole night…” He grabs you by the waist, making you yelp in surprise. “When did you wake up?” 
“Not long ago.” You answer as he nuzzles your neck and hums.
“What about Jeno?” He asks again, pressing you closer to him, making you involuntarily put your hands on his shoulder to keep your balance. “Did you stare at his ripped abs and toned arms for a long time or did he just get here?”
“You’re so annoying.” You cackle at his question, which only makes him hug you tighter. “Why? Are you jealous?” He tightens his hold on you even more, making you let out chuckles and whines “OUCH, you’re hurting me.”
“I’m holding you.” He answers, walking with you further down the kitchen. “I know the competition is strong, but, come on, I’m hot too, right?” He creates some space between you, just enough to look at you, pouting.
“Donghyuck,” you start and he hums, telling you to keep going. “Do you think you could set me up with Jeno?” You say mischievously, making him squint his eyes angrily at you. 
He pokes his cheek with his tongue and rolls his eyes at you. Before you can see it coming, he presses you against the kitchen counter and starts tickling your sides, making you squirm and beg him to stop, but having fun nonetheless. 
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You can’t say you didn’t see it coming. After that night in Donghyuck’s house, it was getting harder and harder to ignore the butterflies in your stomach each time he did something for you. 
You really try to restrain yourself as much as possible, but there is so much a human being can resist when Lee Donghyuck comes out of nowhere and slides his hands from your nape down to your lower back and kisses your cheeks right after. Or when you’re sitting next to each other in the break room and he plays with your fingers under the table. Or when you’re eating out and he makes sure to keep your hair out of the way for you. Or when he takes Jeno’s car and picks you up late at night from your shifts, even when it’s his day off. Or when-
“Hey, pay attention,” Mina nudges you as Taeyong enters the room, followed by Doyoung, Yuta and a panting Donghyuck, who’s late.
“Sorry, I’m late, I had-”
“Just sit down, Hyuck.” You have never heard such a serious grave tone coming out of Taeyong's mouth before. “Please.”
You all look at each other worried about what is about to happen. When the words leave Taeyong’s mouth, you shouldn’t be as surprised as you all are, though. It’s still shocking, though. From the moment you started, you knew this job wouldn’t last. 
“You’re closing forever?” Jisung asks cautiously, making Yuta look at him fondly.
“Yeah, buddy. My parents decided to sell it.” Taeyong smiles apologetically at the three best friends. Chenle is frozen, staring at the managers with his mouth agape. “I know how Sunny’s Funfair is special for the three of you, I’m sorry, Lele, Ji, and Min. I wish I had something else to say, but I can only apologize for this news.”
“Don’t make a speech or else Jisung’s gonna cry.” Chenle tries to joke to lighten up the mood, but his friend only reacts by giving him a light tap on the shoulder.
“In the meantime, we will keep working.” Doyoung moves around the break room and hands us a sheet of paper. “Opening tasks, everybody! Let’s do our best during the time that’s left.”
You take a glance at Donghyuck who looks at you worriedly. You offer him a sad smile and shrug, which he mimics, making you smile wider. 
“Hey, you two, did you hear Doyoung?” Yuta points at you and Donghyuck. “Stop flirting, go back to work!” 
The gloomy vibes don’t go away for at least four days, when Taeyong appears with a cake and a box full of old pictures. The park was closed, but he asked us to stay, telling us it would be worth it and promising to give us a ride home. 
We are all seated around the table, eating cake, with taeyong in the middle seat showing us old pictures of the park. There were pictures of families, of former employees, and even of Taeyong and his family. You could see from the first day at the job how much he liked being Sunny’s Funfair Parks and Recreation. It was more than an old park that he had to manage because it’s what his parents told him to do. He actually believed that this small, beaten up amusement park could serve as a way of bringing happiness to the community and help families build cheerful memories together. But there is only so much one can do. You could see that this moment of bringing together the staff and encouraging us to share our best memories of the park is a way of giving Taeyong some comfort. 
You sigh, looking sadly at your boss as he rummages through the box of pictures and feel Donghyuck’s arm resting on your shoulder, slightly bringing you closer to his side.
“A penny for your thoughts?” He whispers in your ear and you just turn your head to look at him. Oh, you owed Sunny’s Funfair so much.
“Just thinking.” You lower your head to look at the piece of cake in front of you. “Taeyong did a great job.”
“Hey, you two lovebirds, stop flirting,” Taeyong says, quickly standing up. 
“When did I become the butt end of your teasing and not Jisung and Mina?” You ask no one in particular, but Chenle replies.
“Ever since you and Donghyuck started dating.”
“We are not-”
“I have THE ultimate picture here in my hands.” Taeyong interrupts you, as he holds one picture close to his chest, with the back facing us. There is something written behind it and you squint to try to read it, but he is too far from you. “This one here is our most prized possession as a team. We have to cherish this picture.”
“Show us this damn picture.” Chenle’s impatient demeanor falters when Taeyong turns the picture and we see three little children holding hands at the entrance of the park. “What the-”
“How did you get that picture?” Mina tries to take it from Taeyong, but fails.
“Is that us?” Jisung asks dumbfounded.
“There’s a note too.” Taeyong flips the picture and reads the note. “ ‘Today is the day where our Chenle is celebrating his sixth birthday. Thank you so much for the fun memories, Sunny!’ and it’s signed by Mrs. Zhong.” 
After their initial shock, you start analyzing the picture, looking at the details: the birthday hat on Chenle’s chubby face, Jisung’s missing teeth and Mina’s ice lolly that was melting in her hands as they were taking the pictures. Then, you see dozens of other pictures, all sent by Chenle’s mom with a note, thanking the staff for the happy memories they created with the children. Taeyong says that his mom was one of the people who used to send messages and pictures to the administration, back when the park was a little more lively. 
When you get home, almost ready to go to bed, you reflect on how that place has meant so much for some people, how it is full of memories and how it holds stories from the entire neighborhood. You think about how that was supposed to be only a job, and yet, it is the place that has brought amazing people to your life. You know Funfair’s closing is inevitable, but you finally understood what Taeyong was trying to do that night: closure. He doesn’t want to shut it down and just let everyone move on with their lives as if it didn’t matter, because, for many people, like Chenle, Jisung and Mina, it mattered. 
Sunny’s Funfair Parks and Recreation holds stories and you might not be able to save it, but you are ready to tell them.
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“Shouldn’t you be looking for another job?” Donghyuck asks as he enters the parking lot. “I mean, I think it’s a nice idea, I really do. But…”
“I am looking, I just haven’t found anything yet.” You say, taking the parking ticket from his fingers and putting it inside your bag.
“I know you’re lying because you've been saying this for three weeks.” He parks the car and turns off the engine, but doesn’t open the doors. “Have you at least applied to anything?”
“Look,” you sigh and hold his face in your hands. “You don’t need to worry about me, I’ll figure it out.”
He sighs as he sees you unbuckling your belt and unlocking the door. “I hope you know you can’t be my trophy wife yet, I don’t have enough money to pay both of our bills.”
“To be your trophy wife, first and foremost, I need to be married to you.” You turn around to see him leaning on the car with the door open. “We’re not even dating yet.” 
“Because you rejected me when I asked you out.” He closes the car’s door and reaches for your hand.
“Ask me again, then.” You say raising an eyebrow at him.
“Will the answer be different?
“I don’t know. Ask me out again.” you shrug and interrupt him when you see Donghyuck opening his mouth. “Properly.”
“Damn.” He sighs and you chuckle at him. “Why me? The world is female, you can ask too, you know?”
You enter the building, telling Donghyuck to wait while you talk to the receptionist. A few minutes later, a very stressed Renjun appears to talk to you. From afar, Donghyuck can see that the boy seemed frustrated at whatever you were arguing, glaring at you and sighing a lot. He knows Renjun was forced by his parents to drop out of art school and start business so he could work in his family company, so the least he needed right now was a very stubborn you adding to his stress. 
At some point, he sees Renjun grabbing his phone from the inside pocket of his blazer and making a phone call. Donghyuck starts to think that it was better if you went to a more private place, but you seemed adamant about cornering Renjun in public. Not even two minutes later, he finishes the phone call and tells you something that makes you hug him and Donghyuck sees how his angry demeanor falters. You bid him goodbye and wave at Donghyuck so you can both go.
“What was that?” He asks as you hand him the parking ticket.
“I just needed one last favor from him.” You simply say, reaching for his hands.
“And that is…”
“You’ll see.”
It’s when you intertwine your fingers with Donghyuck and beams at him, that he knows he’s ready to confess again. 
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You did promise that he would see. Well, not only Donghyuck but the whole student body as well. A week after that weird interaction with Renjun, there is an article about you in the school’s official website, first page. It was also mentioned on the school’s newsletter and official social media pages. It was not only an article about you, but about Chenle, Jisung, Mina, Taeyong… All of you at the Funfair. 
Donghyuck had to admit that when you told him your idea at first, he didn’t think you would go through with that. You wanted to tell the others the stories that the Funfair had seen throughout the years throughout an article and later, compile them in a book of memories, with pictures, messages, notes, stories about the place. He really didn’t think you would go through with that considering how much time and planning something like that takes, but, somehow, you did it.
It’s your last day. You spent the past month talking to people, curating pictures, writing, organizing schedules… you were tired, but it was all worth it. You wanted to let this old beaten up park tell the stories it held, even if it was gone. That’s why now, when the lights are already off and Taeyong is only waiting for you to come outside and lock the side door for one last time, you hand him a book with a small bow on top. You see, a little far from where you stand, your friends looking at each other confused, Yeri particularly impatient to go home.
“I want you to have this.” Taeyong looks at you confused. “It was a lot of work to get this done, especially because I’m not very artsy, but I think I owe you this one.”
He opens the book only to find, in a very neat handwriting, the words “Sunny’s memories” written. He looks between you and the book, slightly confused about what it is about, but when he flips the next page, he smiles. He finds a picture of him, Doyoung and Yuta taken many years ago. There were a few arrows connecting their faces to the words “boss”, “manager #1”, “manager #2”.
On the side, there was a small text about each one of them, how they ended up working there, what were their thoughts about the job and their favorite memory there. Every piece of information you gathered in these months working at the park was there, even some of the stories your boss has told you. Taeyong keeps flipping the pages, only to find more pictures of each one of you working there, your names, your thoughts, your memories, all written as if it was from Sunny’s perspective. He looks at you with watery eyes and pulls you to a hug.
“What it’s all this?” He sniffs.
“That day, when you showed us the pictures, I realized places hold stories and this one had many to tell.” You smile and he pats your head. “I know you didn’t want to close the park and let everybody move on as if it never mattered to anyone because it did. To some of us, at least. You did a great job, boss.”
“Oh, kid.” He sniffs and once again hugs you. “It’s perfect!” Taeyong said happily, taking you and his present towards the others. “Everybody, you need to see this!”
Now, after Sunny closed down, you are back to square one.
It’s a Friday night and you were invited to a party, but you managed to convince Donghyuck to stay at his apartment with you. You certainly needed a distraction after another week of failed attempts at getting a job and you know Donghyuck is much more entertaining than any party.
Your relationship status is still pretty much complicated. Even though it was already clear that you both liked each other, Donghyuck still hasn’t asked you the question, waiting for the right moment. It was really hard for him not to cross the friendship line, though, especially when, more often than not, he has make out sessions with you on his couch.
The worst for Donghyuck is how your friends have been keeping their promise of not meddling, but making sure of judging the both of you each time you deny you’re dating while Donghyuck’s hands are intertwined with yours. Tonight, with Jeno away at a party, you have his apartment all to yourselves and Donghyuck decides to make the most out of it. He needs to confess today. 
“Hi.” You smile, showing him the take out bag you’re carrying when he opens the door. Your smile falters when you see him frown. “Am I too early? I can-”
“I thought I was supposed to pick you up.” He pouts, moving to the side to let you go inside. “And you shouldn’t have brought take out, I told you I could cook for us.”
“Oh my god, I barely got here and you’re complaining already?” You put the take out on the kitchen counter and go wash your hands. 
“It’s just that you’re ruining my plans.” Donghyuck says while peeking inside the bag. “Is this…”
“Yeah, your favorite, kimchi-jjigae.” You turn around to look at him when you hear his groan. “What, now?”
“I had the whole thing planned, you just-” 
“Well, maybe you should have told me then!” You scoff. “I just wanted to make something nice for you because I know your new job at the office is killing you, but I’m sorry I guess?”
You start to feel frustrated at his reaction. You were expecting tight hugs, warm smiles and maybe some cuddles, but all Donghyuck has done in the past few minutes is complain and blame you for ruining something you didn’t even know that existed. He senses your frustration and sadness and just quietly holds your hand.
“I’m sorry.” He mumbles, not really looking at you. “It’s just that I really wanted to do something nice for you too.”
“You always do nice things for me. You’re too nice to me.” You say, turning around to grab bowls to pour the food in. “I got this one.”
Despite Donghyuck’s plan of picking you up, bringing you to his apartment, cooking your favorite food and confessing the words that he has been dying to say failed, he still needs to do it tonight. Well, after months of pining, it was now or never. If you reject him again, he needs to be ready to move on. 
“How’s the job?” You ask before taking a bite of your food.
“Hell.” He answers, groaning. “I don’t know why I thought it would be a good idea to study business. I hate that job.”
“Do you really hate the job or do you just hate the boss?” You raise an eyebrow, knowing fully well that Donghyuck doesn’t really hate what he does, he just can’t stand the presumptuous guys in his office, treating him like garbage just because he’s an intern.
“What about you?” He frowns when he sees you pouting at your food. “I don’t like this face.”
“Yeah, me neither.” You laugh humorlessly. 
“I told you, give me five years and you can be my trophy wife.” He jokes, knowing how much you hate the idea.
“Wow, five? That much?”
“I can compromise and make it three if you don’t want kids in the future.” You laugh at his words and try to kick his leg from under the table, but he traps you.
You keep moving between topics because it was just that easy to talk to him. You mentioned how you had seen Mina and Jisung at the campus the other day and Donghyuck points out how he thinks they’re going to get married before graduation. You disagree, Jisung is still a kid. Then, he mentions how he had often seen Chenle around his office, only to find out later that the company he worked at was his grandfather’s. After the Funfair closed, he started working at the family’s company, but Donghyuck says that they are in different departments. You asked about his family that you haven’t met yet, but always heard stories about, and he tells you everything about his younger brother’s record card and his middle sister’s new boyfriend. He doesn’t forget to mention Jeno’s friends with benefits situation, and that he only found out after finding lingerie lost in the washing machine. 
After dinner, Donghyuck suggests teaching you poker for the tenth time, which makes you slightly annoyed because, at this point, you just hate the game. You are both sitting on the floor and he is leaning his back on the couch while you are seated between his legs. He says the proximity is for “pedagogical purposes”.  
“No, honey,” He stops your movement by putting his arm around your body and pulling you closer to him. “Look at my cards! I’m showing you my cards!”
“I don’t know what your cards mean!” You groan as you throw your cards on the pile in front of you and lean your head on his shoulder. “I wanna play rummy.”
“It's a children's game.”
“Well, it’s the only one I know how to play!” you exclaim, easily convincing him with a kiss on his cheek. 
You realize playing games is not working very well because you shouldn’t see each other's cards, but that’s a very hard feature to achieve when you don’t want to move away from each other. Eventually, you also get tired of Donghyuck constantly cheating and just suggest that you watch a movie instead.
“Should we watch Monsters University?” you ask, leaning your head on his shoulder and he nods.
“Let’s go, Mike Wazowski!” 
You move to the couch, complaining about being too uncomfortable for your butt, and at the end of the movie, you are both sprawled on his couch, with a blanket over you and your legs tangled. You see his eyes closed and smile at how tired he must be, but still chose to spend the night with you. He is close enough for you to nuzzle against his neck, making him stir at the sudden contact. You don’t smell his cologne, but the faint smell of your favorite lavender soap is there, making you smile against his neck. 
“A penny for your thoughts?” He asks, running his hands from your nape down your spine. 
“You owe me so many pennies.” You joke and he smiles. “I’m just thinking that I’m happy.”
Things didn’t happen the way you wanted from the beginning. You still feel like your life is a mess and sometimes you really think it will be the end soon. But you don't need to think that you’re alone anymore. Not when you have your friends. Not when you have him. 
“I’m happy too.” He hums and a comfortable silence rests between you, the only sound is the music from the movie credits on the TV. 
You think you are about to drift off to sleep, when Donghyuck stops his hands on the middle of your back and, because you're still nuzzled around his neck, you feel his pulse quickening. You hear him gulp a feel times before he has the courage to speak.
“There’s something that would make me happier.” He cautiously changes your positions, so he can face you when whispering the question he has been dying to ask and you have been dying to hear. “Do you wanna date me?”
“Do you know how impossible it is to say ‘no’ to you?” You kiss his cheek and he closes his eyes, feeling relieved already. “It’s especially unfair when you keep me so close like this.” 
When you close the gap between you, holding his face tenderly and giving him the sweetest kiss he has ever tasted, he knows he has won. He definitely has. He moves, making you lie down under him, and as he kisses your neck, he says: 
“All is fair in love and war, honey.”
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Donghyuck has always tried to communicate with Jeno not only because they are childhood friends and roommates but because they also need privacy. Everybody does. So when Donghyuck tells his friend that he will be away for two days because of a conference, Jeno understands that he will have the apartment all to himself. 
What Donghyuck doesn’t expect is to get an email as soon as he arrives at the airport telling him that the conference was canceled and he should head back to the office. He gets so mad that nothing would make him more happy than just killing his boss. He shouldn’t though, because he had promised to make you his trophy wife in five years, so he needs to get a promotion soon. He smiles, thinking of you, and decides to pick you up today.
Even after months of dating, he was still pretty much elated to say that he could pick up his girlfriend at work. His girlfriend. As soon as he pulls up in front of the office’s building, you send him a message.
[mike wasowski - 5:35 p.m] are you here already?
[donghyuck - 5:35 p.m] just got here babe.
[donghyuck - 5:35 p.m] ready?
[mike wasowski - 5:36 p.m] can you give me 15 more minutes?
[donghyuck - 5:36 p.m] i’ll be in the parking lot.
He smiles as he sees you exiting the building wearing a scowl. Oh, he was so ready for your work gossip. Your scrunched up face doesn’t last long, because you can’t help but smile when you see him waving at you. You run to him, hugging him tightly and kissing his lips tenderly, which is his favorite part.
“Hi, girlfriend.” He steals one more kiss from you, making you smile. 
“Hi, boyfriend.” You smile, pushing him away from you and opening the car’s door. “Let’s go, I need to tell you what that bitch made me do today.”
That's how you spend the whole drive to his apartment, complaining about one of the managers that keeps making redo things, only to say that you’re slacking off and never get things done. ‘I could get things done if she didn’t keep asking me to solve problems that don’t even exist’, you would always say. He let you vent your pent up anger, so he would do the same about his coworkers.
You had finally found a job at a publishing house, a small one, and it wasn’t exactly the experience as a journalist that you wanted to have, but learning about publishing and editing is surely something positive and way more useful than working at a café like you used to. When life closes a door, it opens a window. 
And your boyfriend is very proud of you not only for taking his advice and applying for your current job, but also for admitting that he is very smart. Donghyuck is smart in a lot of areas, it’s just that when it comes to you, he gets a little stupid. That’s why you get to his apartment and see something both of you shouldn’t. You really, really shouldn’t.
“WHAT THE FUCK, JENO?” Donghyuck screams and you run to the kitchen, thinking something bad happened. “NO BABE, DON’T COME, CLOSE YOUR EYES!” He puts his hands on your face before you can even understand what’s going on.
“WHAT THE FUCK, DONGHYUCK? YOU TOLD ME YOU’D BE AWAY FOR TWO DAYS.” Jeno screams back, hurriedly looking for his shirt to cover himself. 
“I DIDN’T KNOW YOU WOULD BE BALLS DEEP INSIDE SOMEONE ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER!” You fight him, trying to take his hands off your face, but Donghyuck is faster than you. “Don’t try to look, what are you trying to look at?” 
“Jeno, I-” The girl sitting on the counter looks mortified.
“I’m not trying to see anything, I’m trying to set free because you’re crushing my skull.” You keep moving, trying to fight him while Jeno and the girl are putting their clothes on.
“I know you’re tryna see Jeno naked. I’m your boyfriend, the only dick you’re allowed to see is mine.”  He keeps his hand pressed against your eyes making you whine even more.
“Stop being a freak! You’re just pressing my eyes too aggressively.” You reach forward, trying to find his face. “And what about you? Uh? Are you trying to see Jeno’s girlfriend naked? I’m the only one you’re allowed to see naked.”
“He’s not my boyfriend.” “She’s not my girlfriend.” Both of them say at the same time, looking at each other sheepishly, while you and Donghyuck keep bickering at the kitchen's door.
“IF I CAN'T SEE JENO’S DICK, YOU CAN’T SEE HIS GIRLFRIENDS BOOBS!” You say, accidentally slapping his face as you try to cover his eyes as well.
“Are you SLAPPING me because I won’t let you see JENO’S DICK?” Donghyuck complains.
“I SLAPPED YOU BECAUSE I CAN’T SEE SHIT, YOU MOTHERFUC-” 
He cuts you off by kissing your lips and pushing you to the hallway, warning the ones left behind: “JUST CLEAN EVERYTHING WHEN YOU’RE DONE!”
Donghyuck thinks that the first step before turning you into his trophy wife is buying his own place.
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sim0nril3y · 8 months
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First Date
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Pairing: Simon 'Ghost' Riley x Civilian!Reader Scenario: It's no denying that their first date is a little rocky to begin with, but as things settle Simon wondered if he is in too deep. Warnings: No mask Simon (It's my personal headcanon in his regular life he probably wouldn't wear it), mentions of alcohol, suggestive conversation, slight mention of smut, canon-typical swearing (I mean, it's Ghost for fuck sake!).
Bloody fucking hell. It was still beyond him why Simon had actually agreed to this mess. Why had he done this to himself? Maybe he’d had too much to drink. Maybe a pretty face made him completely lose his mind… or whatever was left of it. Whatever the reason was he was here now. Waiting in an Italian restaurant with a cold lager half-finished beside him and the chair opposite him empty. Maybe you’d thought better of it. Maybe that was for the best. Fuck, it still fucking hurt though…
A sudden flutter of commotion came from behind him. Looking over his shoulder to watching as you rushed across the room, removing your coat to reveal a beautiful silky dress that contoured to your frame seamlessly, his eyes had lingered on your body for so long he almost missed the guilty smile you shared with him. “Bloody taxi driver got the wrong restaurant.” You announced before allowing your tense shoulders to fall. “I’m not typically this flustered – I promise.”
“I believe you.” Simon then rose and stepped around the table, taking your chair in hand and pulling it out for you to sit in before tucking it in. There was a lot you could say about Simon Riley, but he was a gentleman to the people that deserved it the most. After giving you a few moments to settle Simon finally asked. “You want a drink?” Taking a swig of his own beer and quirking his brow at you. “God, yes. I’d literally murder for a white wine.” Your dramatics made him laugh, like genuinely, he wasn’t really sure the last time someone had made him do that… Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mine Simon flagged down the waiter and ordering you one.
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“What s’it you do for work?” Simon asked then, forgetting for a moment that it might be very possible for you not to be established into the working world yet, especially with how long young people seemed to stay at university now. “I’m a barmaid down at the Golden Lion.” Oh, he knew that place. It wasn’t so fancy up-and-coming gastropub. No, it was a rundown old pub owned by a miserable git. He knew the type of tossers that went in there too. “It’s not what I want to do forever, but it works right now.” There was an easy shrug to your shoulders before you admitted. “I’m an artist.” The words had drifted from your mouth with such ease. An artist. That wasn’t a real job, Simon thought. “You got any backup plans, kid?”
You blinked at him blankly before a grin spread across your features. “You sound like my parents.” Brushing away the question with another carefree shrug. That second Simon hated your optimism. It was that same optimism all kids your age had. That same sense that the world owed them their dreams. There was this malicious part of Simon that wanted to burst your bubble, deflate your self-entitled ego and remind you that the real world didn’t care about your dreams or your wants. Your voice cut through the silence again. “Who knows, it probably won’t work out, but I want to try just for a few more years.”
“Yeah…” Jesus, he felt like such a prick. He had just assumed that you was just some dumb kid that felt like the world owed them something, but… but you were just a hopeful girl that was chasing a very tricky and far away dream. Who was he to judge? You’d found a way to sustain yourself whilst also trying to navigate into a very select profession. “You any good?” His cheeks suddenly set aflame at how the question sounded on his tongue. “Your art, I mean. Is it good?”
A delicate giggle bubbled in your throat as you finished your wine with a quick swig. “I like to think I’m pretty good…” Lifting your sultry and inviting gaze to find his own. “Maybe I could show you sometime…” Simon couldn’t believe it when he felt his heart fucking stutter in his chest. Fucking hell. It was that moment that he realised was in deep here. Clearing his throat Simon adjusted himself discreetly in his seat. It was going to be a hard end to this dinner – no pun intended.
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Leading her across the carpark Simon stood beside the waiting cab, hand on the open door as you spoke softly to the driver through the window. A moment later you gazed up into his eyes and offered quietly. “I had a really nice time tonight…” The sweetness of your tone was enough to warm him even in this bitter night air. “Yeah…” He grunted out. “Me too…” Adding swiftly a moment later causing you to breathe out a subtle sigh of relief. “Are you gonna put me out of my misery and take me out again, or gonna make me beg for it?” Jesus, the idea of you begging was something that made his heart race. Knelt. Eyes pleading. Every inch of you- Stop. He can’t do that right now.
Placing a firm finger under your chin Simon jutted her head back forcing you to meet his intense gaze. “Get the feeling you don’t beg all that often, kid.” That same little smirk found your lips, watching as your eyes darkened at his comment. “M’sure it’s a sweet fuckin’ sound…” He was fighting internally with himself. Part of him screamed to just give you exactly what you wanted. Bend your tight body over that bonnet and fuck you stupid. Another part of him told himself to allow himself some form of happiness, take you out again and see what might happen. The final part scoffed and scowled at that optimism. It warned him that being with him was practically a death sentence. No, he needed to let you go, let you move on and find a boring man to turn into a husband and pop out a couple ankle-biters with.  “Are you free next week?” Your question came interrupting his cruel inner monologue. No. Say no. End this. “Yes.” A wild grin tore across your features, you had certainly won this round.
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Masterlist | Ask | 30-08-2023
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iamasaddie · 9 months
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and even though I can't forgive you, I really want you
paring: dark-ish!bfd!Joel x f!Reader
rating: explicit (18+ minors DNI)
word count: 6k~
summary: You heard him sending the video as clearly as you heard him muttering those foul, filthy words about stretching your ass next time…
a/n: you know, I was just sitting without internet in my countryside house and this happened. Not proofread because that is just the way I am. Dedicated to all my birdies who love it up the ass 🍑
warnings: PWP-ish; no-outbreak; infidelity; explicit sexual content; oral sex (f receiving); anal sex; degradation/ praise; face slapping; pussy slapping (barely); dirty talk; pain kink; Daddy kink; no use of y/n MY MASTERLIST
part one
THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION. I DO NOT CONDONE THE SITUATIONS DESCRIBED IN THIS WORK IRL. PLEASE, DON'T FORGET THAT WRITING AND READING FICTION IS A WAY OF HEALING AND PROCESSING TRAUMA FOR SOME PEOPLE, AND YOU CANNOT DICTATE OR POLICE HOW THEY DO IT AND WHAT TYPE OF WORKS THEY CHOOSE TO CREATE AND CONSUME. STAY SAFE, PRACTICE CONSENSUAL SEX AND SPREAD LOVE.
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Nothing changed between you and Jason. You dreaded coming back to your shared apartment that night, unsure of what was waiting you on the other side of the door you'd slammed mere hours - which now felt like centuries - ago. You were ready for screaming, for disgusting insults, you were even ready to come inside the place you called home and see all the traces of your boyfriend - was he still your boyfriend? - gone. What you weren't ready was for Jason to be pacing around your tiny kitchen, two plates of freshly cooked pasta in both his hands, an unopened bottle of red in the middle with two empty glasses on each side of the table waiting to be filled. You stopped in your tracks and looked at your boyfriend, recognizing that miserable impression on his face he usually had after the two of you had a fight.
"Baby?" His voice shaky, eyes looking for hints on your face. Your skin felt tight after you scrubbed it with soap and water in the toilet of that god forsaken bar. You felt wetness on your cheeks, and then Jason was on you, hugging your pliant body tight to his and whispering constant 'sorry's and 'we'll fix it's in your ear.
You didn't think you could. Even if you put all of you into saving your relationship, it wouldn't be enough. Not when you felt freedom more than fear when you heard that 'whoosh' of a sent message.
And when he placed his hands on your hips that night you knew his palms were too small to fill in the bruises on your skin.
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The morning after, you waited for it all to be some kind of a sick joke, maybe Jason was cruel enough to pretend nothing was wrong until you went mad and in the end he'd just laugh. But when nothing in your routine had changed, when he still rubbed your feet the next day as you watched some silly rom-com; when he still kissed the tip of your nose gently before murmuring 'g'night, bumblebee' and passed out in a blink, you realized he knew nothing. Clueless. Never got that message. But you heard… You heard him sending the video as clearly as you heard him muttering those foul, filthy words about stretching your ass next time… As a matter of fact, there wasn't a moment yet when that phrase hadn't echoed through your brain, transforming into an embarrassing pool in your panties. You were ready to commit yourself into a mental home for experiments, because the way shame and guilt sent arousal through your veins and ended up in wetness slicking your still sensitive folds until you had to take the matters into your own hands, clearly showed that you were clinically insane.
You tried to remember if there was something you were missing. Something that'd prove that the way everything played out was as logical as the Sun rising in the East.
When Jason suggested you to rent an apartment in a place where he grew up so you could spend the first summer after graduating there, you agreed without hesitation, as long as you actually had your own place and wouldn't be crashing at his dad's. Jason laughed at your joke that you'd give his old man an early heart attack with your after-dark activities but agreed, choosing a small apartment on the other side of the town just to be sure. 'So my man doesn't barge in on us having our daytime fun,' he giggled and pinched your ass.
That was two years ago. Summer turned into autumn, and then Jason got offered a job and you stayed, because apparently 'Texas was as good of a state as any, and why would we give up a place where we’ve already settled'. You couldn't imagine Mr. Miller - a handsome 50-something year-old father of your boyfriend had anything to do with it. You didn't know exactly what buttons Mr. Miller had to push for his son to get a too-good-to-be-true job offer out of the blue. You didn't notice that every time you visited for holidays or Sunday dinners - choosing Jason's small family over your larger but more estranged one - that the man's eyes lingered on you for longer than it'd be considered appropriate. That he'd buy a bottle too many of the wine you had once mentioned to like for the sole purpose of pouring you an extra glass, because after the alcohol took a claim on your body and brain, you'd let yourself stay longer in his embrace when you said goodbye. Would let your hands squeeze his back in a fake attempt at a bear hug, laughing in his broad chest, and his hands that crept lower than your lower back would go unnoticed. And when he was daring enough to squeeze your soft buttocks in his large palms you were drunk enough to pass it as a joke, forgetting all about it the next morning.
But you hadn't payed enough attention to those little things back then, and you couldn’t remember them now. And as you slammed the door of Jason's car, you didn't know how the time spent on the road to his father’s house flew by so quickly, and you were already standing on his porch, goosebumps rippling your skin, nipples hard, in only a white sleeping tank top that failed to protect you from the cold wind of the night. You cursed yourself and clenched your fists in the pockets of your light grey oversized sweatpants, thank god you at least put the pants on, fucking moron. You had half a though to bring your hands to hide your pebbled buds as the door swung open in front of you.
When the light from the inside shone on you, you were taken aback by the way how homey Joel looked. Barefoot, gray sweatpants a shade darker but matching yours in style, and a dishrag thrown over his left shoulder, clad in a worn-out dark grey t-shirt that you supposed had been black once upon a time. For a second there you could swear he was surprised to see you, but he scolded his face, plastering a crooked smile on his lips.
“You haven’t sent the video.” You pointed your finger at him, the accusatory gesture looked ridiculous considering the situation. Joel raised his eyebrows.
“Hello to you, too, sweetheart. Come on in.”
He stepped away from the door to let you in, and as you slid into his hall, he stuck his head out and looked around the already sleeping neighborhood to see if your loud appearance disturbed anyone.
“Why haven’t you sent the video? I heard the - th - the whoosh!”
“The whoosh?” The wrinkles on his forehead became more prominent as his eyebrows shot further up.
“Yes, the whoosh, the whoosh that you hear when you send a message.” You were babbling, cringing at the sound of your voice more pathetic than anything, but you couldn’t stop yourself, it was something you did when you were nervous, forced by your own hands out of your comfort zone.
Joel chuckled in amusement and shook his head. “Figured it’d be as bad for me as for you. Maybe even worse, since Jason's my fucking son.” He took the dishrag off his shoulder and went back to the open kitchen - as if pulled by a magnet you sauntered after him - and threw it on the wooden table.
He flexed his shoulders before turning around and didn’t look at all surprised that like a puppeteer you followed your master’s hand. “What are you doing here?”
The question took you off guard. What were you doing at your boyfriend's dad's place at midnight with Jason nowhere to be seen? What were you doing in the company of a man who blackmailed you into fucking, threatened you to tear your life apart, to tear everything you knew about yourself apart and then didn't follow through with it?
“I… What do you mean? I came to ask about the video.”
You barely had time to inhale lungs full of air when he was on you. Joel’s big hand engulfed your chin and he squeezed your cheeks with his fingers, forcing you to purse your lips.
“Don’t fucking lie to me, baby girl.” His tone was calm, as calm as the sky before being split open with lightning and thunder. “One more time, why are you here?”
Your thoughts were all over the place, the loudest screamed at you for subconsciously thinking with your pussy instead of your brain when you pressed your hands into his bruises before tugging on the closest pair of sweatpants and leaving Jason clueless and asleep, a condition he came to spending a lot of his life in. There was no getting out of it. The words came out muffled as the man’s hand was still squeezing you. “Last time you said…”
Joel barked a laugh in your face, interrupting you with genuine amusement.
“I cannot fucking believe it. You came here to ask me to fuck your ass?” The condescending tone of his voice brought wetness to your eyes. ‘Stupid, stupid, so fucking stupid.’
“No, I - -“
This time you were interrupted by a burning slap that landed across your face and Joel’s annoyed face as he pointed a thick index finger at you. “I said no lyin’.”
The words stuck in your throat, scraping the sensitive skin there like cats that wanted to sharpen their claws. You nodded.
“Goddamn,” Joel put his left hand on his stomach as if he was about to go into a fit of laughter. “You really are a fucking slut. How long have you been doing it, hm?”
“What?” You shot your eyes up to meet his after studying the gaps in his flooring for a couple of minutes.
“Cucking my son.”
It felt like a slap, but it burned more.
“No, I’ve never… you’re the only.. I - - ” You didn’t understand where the need for excuses came from. For some reason, you wanted him to know that you were an exemplary girlfriend, and he was the one who ruined you.
“Poor baby, my cock fucked you up real good.” He cradled your face in his warm palms, thumbs caressing your cheekbones. His movements contradicted the words pouring out of his mouth. “Fucked you so good, that you crawl back to me, and not even three days have passed.”
His right hand let go of your face, sliding down your body in a bold, possessive movement, and ending on the level with your pussy. Your breath hitched as his massive hand enveloped your begging core, pressing roughly. He leaned into you, hot breath burning the skin of your neck and ear.
“Tell me, baby, what is it that turns you on so much?” His whisper thundered in your ears, pumping blood creating a banging background music for his depravity. “Is it the fact, that you are getting fucked by a man more than twice your age?” His palm pushed harder into the seam of your sweatpants that was now pressing directly into your pulsing clit.
“Does cuckolding my dear son make you wet?” Joel’s middle and ring finger found where your hole clenched under the confines of your pants. “Or is it because you are doing it all with his daddy?”
You wanted to cry, but you didn’t know why. Your body was visibly shaking caged in his arms. He bit and licked your jaw - an animalistic move that made you whimper - on his way to whisper into your parted lips.
“You’re mighty silent when it’s not needed, baby, and too talkative when you need to shut up.” He leaned back, and the only contact you still maintained was his hand cupping your sex as if it was glued there. “Got it all twisted in that dumb head of yours.”
For the tenth time this evening, you cast your eyes down, but he didn’t let you avert the pitch black of his eyes for long, grabbing your chin between his index finger and a thumb and lifting your head.
“Answer me, baby.” No matter how gentle his pet names were, Joel’s voice was commanding, and you couldn’t stay silent like a soldier answering to their superior.
“All of it,” your whisper felt louder than a scream to you, but he furrowed his brows in dissatisfaction with your quietness. He wanted you to break, to accept the perverse desires that inflamed your insides like a deadly virus.
“Hm?”
You gulped, slowly accepting yourself and raising your voice. Something different glinted in the depths of your eyes. “All of it, Daddy.”
Joel smiled, actually smiled to you. The genuine gesture showed off his dimple and you grasped for air that suddenly was lacking from your lungs. A feeling close to pride bloomed in his chest as he nodded.
“Correct answer, baby girl.”
He brought his hand to your cheek, large palm bracketing half of your face as his thumb caressed your cheekbone. Rough fingertips trailed lower and lower until his hand was a necklace around your throat. You caught your breath as you felt him squeeze a little, not looking at your face but rather watching the fingers that had your life at their points. Joel's smile was wicked, as if he was wondering what else would you let him do now that you came willingly. He relaxed his grip and grabbed you by the back of your neck pulling closer, and you all but fell into his chest.
"Let's go, baby," he whispered into your hair when you didn't raise your eyes at him. "My bed'll be more comfortable for ruining that tiny hole of yours."
Arousal clouded your brain like a sticky wet fog, you could barely figure how you passed through the hallway and into his dark bedroom, danger being a hypnosis of its own. You only came to yourself when he pushed you on the neatly done king bed covered in dark sheets, you couldn't tell the color until he turned on the bedside lamp revealing blue tones that interlaced throughout his room.
It was spacious enough, a classic guitar in the corner, an old fan turned off on an even older dresser, a table with some paper thrown around - you figured it was something to do with his work, maybe new mockups - and some posters on the dark blue walls that you'd spend more time studying if only Joel's broad frame as he came to stand between your spread legs didn't block the view.
"If you don't wanna undress then at least turn over," his voice got muffled as he tugged his t-shirt over his head with one swift movement. "It'd be hard to fuck that ass when you lay on it."
He laughed, either at his joke or at the way you started involuntarily drooling at the sight of his broad chest. You couldn't stop yourself from licking your lips, finding them dry under your tongue. After that time at the club you couldn't argue that you finally saw him as something more than Jason's dad. He was a man, a handsome one at that, he was broad and thick in all the right places. Joel's stomach was softer with age but there was undeniable power hidden underneath that skin. There was a predator that could tear you apart, and you just came right to him, offering yourself as a meal. His words finally settled in your brain and you tried to turn over, climbing on the bed on all fours and trying to get rid of your sneakers at the same time. As soon as you settled, thinking what you should do next the bed dipped and his hands settled on your hips, trying to yank the sweatpants off.
"Wait," you felt the lace keeping the oversized item on your hips dig into your skin.
Joel stopped, but never took his hands away. "What, you came to your senses finally?" He huffed.
You shook your head, not even feeling the embarrassment anymore, "no, I need to unknot this first, you won't take them off like that." You explained, and his laughter accompanied your frantic movements.
"Fucking hell, girl."
You got rid of the damn item, throwing it somewhere on the floor and turning your head to see Joel's face. He noticed you watching and nodded to your top, "take that off as well while you're at it."
The top flew in a different direction and Joel whistled as he saw your bare form. "No bra, huh? You really live up to your status, little slut."
"I - ", you stuttered, bringing your hands to cover your breasts, "I was in a rush."
"In a rush to get your ass fucked? Now this is just getting better and better."
You wondered why his words didn't hurt, why they sent excitement chills down your back, as if creating a trail to where you wanted him tonight.
He leaned over you, grabbing your hands and yanking them away so you couldn't hide. When his palms enveloped both of your breasts you couldn't suppress the moan that ripped out of you. You hands found his shoulders, short fingernails digging into and breaking his skin that has been kissed by summer sun for at least the last half of century. Joel just hummed in appreciation, kneading your soft flesh with expertise, thumbs caressing the undersides as his fingernails scratched the hardened buds of your nipples. He was still staring at his hands touching you like this for the first time when his low whisper broke the silence.
"All fours now, baby."
You were too lost in pleasure to understand what he was saying, allowed to see him bare now, to touch his weathered skin, you couldn't seem to stop, tracing your hands from his shoulders to his chest, now swiping your thumbs over his tiny nipples that turned out to be more sensitive than you expected when he hissed and swatted your ass with a painful force. "I said all fucking fours, little slut." He growled, adding another slap on top of the previous one for good measure, "don't make me repeat myself."
It was awkward to turn around while his hands were still bracketing your body, but you managed to do as told, forcing yourself on all fours and founding your back pressed into the softness of his belly. You stood like this for a brief moment, you on your hands and knees, him in the same position but on top of you. A quick thought that you must look like fucking dogs in heat passed your brain. Animals, that was exactly what you were. All morals thrown aside to satiate the need of flesh. You couldn't mistake the hard outline of his cock pressed into your soaked panties with anything. A tiny whimper left your lips as you rocked your hips into his, desperate to feel more pressure, and you bit into your soft flesh until you felt a tang of blood on your tongue.
"My eager little whore." Joel's whisper was followed by a sharp bite of his teeth sinking into your shoulder. Anticipation and pain and pleasure all getting you drunker than the most expensive bottle of tequila. "Don't be so quiet, baby, I want e'ryone to know what a desperate fucking slut I got bouncing on my cock tonight."
"Please," you knew what your were begging for, just didn't want to say it out loud. Didn't want your lips to curve in the right shapes to form the filthy words. Didn't want your voice to give life to the filthy plea.
"Please what?" Another chuckle, another thrust of his clothed cock into your crying pussy, another bite to your flesh. "Say it, or you don't get it."
"Please," you begged once more, this time for him not to make you say it. To leave at least some innocence in you, at least some hope to pretend you still got some light inside you. Joel was having none of it, his smile glinting with cruelty when his eyes found yours as you turned your head.
"Say it, right now, or get up and get the fuck out of here." His words hissed into your skin were as gentle as a venomous snake's deadly bite. A tear rolled down your cheek because you knew there was nothing that would make you leave his bed right now. Not even the hope of your life getting back to normal would make you give up the promise of pleasure that laid in his hands.
"Please, Daddy, fuck my ass."
Joel's growl was animalistic, bordering on terrifying as he stopped caging you in favor to yank your panties off. A little fumbling and there was the last garment keeping the dignity (which you left behind as soon as you crossed his doorstep) intact. The fact that he was still half-clothed while you were stark naked and desperate under his demanding fingers was both intimidating and thrilling. The power he held upon you in more that one way turned your whole being in one of an obedient toy. His mouth was once again pressed into your ear, "I can feel you trembling, just can't wait to be ruined." This time there was no mocking in his voice, just pure carnal need to break you in half and put you together. Like it was his God given right to claim you in all the ways he deemed desirable. The sharp edge on his nose travelled town your backbone until his teeth sank into the flesh of your butt and you couldn't hold back a painful moan that deserved you another one, even harder, just underneath the first one.
Joel's hands spread your asscheeks and you felt his nose swiping lower, shuddering when it bumped into the tight ring of muscle that was abandoned in terms of pleasure as long as you lived.
"That pretty pussy dripping all over my sheets, baby. What a shame leaving her depraved today." He mumbled into the sleek lips of your cunt, his words vibrating into your flesh, making you scoot back and practically bump into his mouth. You expected another rude comment, a slap to you ass or even to your pussy, but Joel rendered you speechless again when you felt a broad swipe of his tongue from your clit and to your sopping entrance. The man continued humming inside you as he held your cheeks further apart, letting his tongue slide in an out of you deeper than anyone had ever tried to be before. The wet tense muscle caressed your folds with deliberate strokes, nipping at your swollen folds with his lips, as if he was kissing your mouth. You dug your nails into your palms, feeling the telltale sings of your orgasm approaching, the string in your belly pulling taught two, three strokes of his tongue away from snapping.
The obscene noises of Joel slurping your arousal made you blush, but you wished nothing more than for him to continue playing with your body like it only brought pleasure to him. Like eating your out, drinking you down was his reward. Like he wanted nothing more than to suffocate in your pussy.
"Joel, I'm - -"
His name slipped from your lips and at that exact moment his tongue left your burning flesh. This time the tears that drew rivers on your cheeks were from being denied, denied something that was just there. As if you were a kid, squeezing their favorite candy all the way up to cashier when your dad told you you can't have it. You wanted to scream, beg, cry, anything that would make him give you the damn candy. But Joel wasn't the one who'd be affected by a temper tantrum.
"Sorry, baby, almost forgot what you're here for." The cheer in his voice gave out exactly how he felt about it. He didn't forget for a second. He might've lost himself in the way your taste claimed his tastebuds, but he was never going to give you that orgasm. And when he didn't stop little chuckle escaping his lips you realized that he wanted you to know that. Wanted you delirious from the lack of it, feral and mad. And that was exactly how he had you right now.
"Please," you hiccuped, "please, Daddy, please."
"My little slut, you beg so pretty." He squeezed your asscheeks together painfully, before bringing them apart again. "How can I ever say no to you?"
With this he brought the tip of his index finger to your tense entrance and circled the sensitive skin of it. Instead of pushing into, he plunged two of his fingers into your pussy and you gasped at the unexpected fullness. "Now, baby," he spoke as his fingers meticulously pumped in and out of your wet cunt in almost absentminded movements. "You better relax that tiny ass of yours or it will be painful. Mind you, I will still tear it apart," you shivered at how mundane his tone was, "but I though you might want to help yourself to enjoy that. So, relax for me, little slut."
His degrading pet names felt like kisses on your skin, and the next time he brought his now sleek fingers to your asshole you felt your muscles relax even without giving them a conscious command.
"Theeere we go," his thick index pushed inside and oxygen left your lungs. The sensation was new, raw, something you'd never thought you'd experience. He just settled one of his fingers inside you but you already couldn't wait for more, unknowingly tensing your muscles around his finger.
"Fuck, baby, what a tight fucking ass. Can't wait to ruin it with my cock."
The words were too quiet so you though that he could've been speaking to himself until he addressed you. "How many cocks did this pretty ass take, hm?"
You shook your head, the thickness of his finger making you feel fuller than you thought it would. Getting your whimpers as response he sighed as he added a second finger next time his finger slid into your slowly opening hole.
"When," in "I," out "fucking," in, "ask" out, "you" in, "fucking" out, "answer" in, two digits spreading wide inside you, making your hole open up more than it had ever before. You could feel his gaze stick to your entrance that instinctively tried to close but was forced open. And then you heard the unmistakable sound and felt wetness trickling inside you. He fucking spit into your open asshole, and it was something that ripped words right from your chest.
"No one, ever. No one ever fucked my ass, Daddy, just you."
He continued pumping his fingers in and out of your abused hole, skin around it becoming puffy and glistening with all types of bodily fluids.
"Never had your ass fucked and came to me? Fuck, little slut, you should've been smarter. You know my cock ain't for the first timers."
He took his fingers out of you and settled back on his knees, for a second admiring the way your hole was gaping just a little, inviting him back in. For the longest second you thought that after he learned about your virgin ass, he'd just send you on your merry way, but relief overtook your fear when you heard him popping open a bottle of something. Lube, you figured.
"But there's no turning back now," his voice was interlacing with lewd sounds of him pumping his cock, and you couldn't stop yourself from turning your head to admire the heavy, dark flesh accessorized by veins and a bead of precum glistening on its tip like a jewel in the low light. His dick looked massive even embraced in his large hand, and before you could think the question, he answered it with a cocky smirk, "we'll make all of it fit, baby. I want you to feel my balls slapping your cunt as I ruin your ass."
Your pussy clenched around nothing, another glob of your arousal running past your sleeked lips, leaving an evidence of your desire in a from of glistening trail on your legs. You didn't care about anything at this point, not the embarrassingly loud moans and pleas sticking to your lips, nor the shameful need coursing through your body as the wrong, wrong man leaned over to claim the last part of you left untouched by him. You didn't even care about the pain as he pushed just the tip of his burning flesh inside of you. You only cared about feeling him so deep inside you that he'd leave bruises on the inside of your perverted body.
"Fuck, baby," his groan was almost pained, "c'mon, be a good slut, relax for me some more."
Joel's hand snaked around your waist and found it's place on your pussy, slapping it a couple of times, as he growled in your ear, "I said fucking relax that ass for me, precious."
You squeezed your eyes tight, white flakes of pain and desire dancing behind your closed eyelids as you felt him push deeper, deeper and deeper still. When he said he'd tear you apart on his cock, you were more excited than terrified, but now it felt like he was trying to fuck you with a baseball bat, still not bottoming out when you already felt him in your throat. You remembered he was big, but he didn't feel that big when he was claiming your pussy. Bigger and thicker than you ever had, for sure, but now he just felt inhumanly massive and the pain started to slowly become unbearable as you pushed one of your hands back and pressed in into the tense muscles of his stomach.
"I can't, I'm sorry, I can't," you started to cry, not sure if it was from pain or from disappointment in yourself. It was too much, there was no way you could take all of him, he was right when he joked about not being for the 'first timers'. Just when you thought he'd make some snide remark, forcing himself into you still, suffocating your cries with intricate insults, he stopped. One of his hands pressed into your tailbone, massaging the spot and forcing you to relax a little, and the other gently covered your trembling stomach.
He pressed his lips to your shoulder blade, kissing it gently as his whisper cut through the fog in your brain.
"You can, baby. Y'know why?" You shook your head, answering him or telling him he was wrong, you didn't know, fat salty tears fell on the pillow, creating black constellations on the dark material. "You can, because you're perfect. I know that, and you should know that, too." He pressed harder on your stomach, his hand splaying on it and engulfing almost all of your soft flesh. "You can, because I want to feel myself here, and you want that, too. Don't you, baby?"
To answer his question you pushed your hips back, taking another inch of his cock into your warm heat, and he rewarded you with his expert fingers playing with the swollen bud of your clit. "Good girl, such a good girl for Daddy, taking me all the way inside. You ass is so tight, won't ever be able to stop fucking it. Want to fuck it so many times that you take me with no resistance at all, baby."
Your moan deafened you both as you felt his balls do exactly what he promised, a heavy swing on them slapping against your pussy.
"Fuck, that's it, that's it, baby." Once again he stilled, now all the way inside you, feeling your tight hole choking him in the most delicious way. "Tell me who you are?"
"A good girl," you choked on the sensation rippling through your body. His hands never left your clit, playing with it like he created you for himself with his own hands.
"That's right. You're Daddy's good girl."
"I'm Daddy's good girl," you echoed his words like you were in a trance.
"And now Daddy's gonna ruin you, baby."
Whatever wanted to leave your mouth caught in your throat as Joel slid almost all the way out and pushed back in a painfully long stroke. After he had opened you up there was no stopping him. You whines and moans only added to his ferocity, his hipbones bruising your ass with every push. He cock was cutting into you easily, like a knife into a brick of soft butter that was forgotten on the table.
Your body was on fire, but your mind was underwater. The contradicting feelings confused you, but brought your pleasure to the new level. Your head was empty of every thought but 'more', your soul having no emotion but greed. You felt full, full, full, but pushed your body to meet his as if you wanted to swallow him whole, and it still wouldn't be enough.
Joel smacked your ass, seeing you actively jumping on his cock, your tight ring of muscle stretched to the limit around his girthy shaft. "Such'a good fucking slut. All mine. All fucking mine."
Every word was accentuated by a slap of his balls against your sensitive cunt, each harder than the other. His left hand pressed in your tummy and you cried like a woman possessed feeling exactly how deep he was, the thought of it combined with the fingers of his right hand that never stopped playing with your clit overwhelmed you. Your throat was raw, but nothing compared to your ass as Joel's massive cock continued pounding into you.
"I'm right here, baby, feel me?"
You just continued to cry and moan and whimper non-stop, your mouth dry and your jaw hurting from being spread open in an attempt to get those feelings out of you.
"I'm gonna cum so deep inside of you. Your hole is so stretched you won't be able to keep none of it inside."
It was filthy, the images he painted with his words made you feel dirty and you reveled in it. You felt disgusting, it was divine.
His steady movements started to falter and he grew rigid inside you, "come on, little slut, cum for Daddy, I know you want to."
He was right. It was fucked up how he knew you better than you knew yourself. You were on the edge for the longest time, pain just another source of your pleasure. Your head felt heavy and you dropped it, catching an upside-down glimpse of his hand on your belly and something - fuck, that was his dick rearranging you guts - moving inside you. The sight was the final straw that held you together, your hands gave out as you fell face first into his pillow, body convulsing in a soul-crashing orgasm. You were just a rag-doll, pulsing around him as he pumped you full of his cum. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," his vocabulary fucked down to the most basic expletives as he shuddered on top of you.
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"You should go now."
When the words cut the silence of the room you weren't exactly surprised. His cum was still trickling out of your painfully sore ass while you laid on your stomach, him on his back beside you staring at the ceiling. It's not like you were waiting for him to kiss you goodnight as you pressed your still sweaty bodies together in a perfect puzzle piece and drift off to sleep. It was still unpleasant, though. You swallowed down the toxic taste his words left in your mouth and got up, nakedness of your body suddenly too shameful and not in an erotic way, as you scraped for clothing thrown all over his bedroom floor.
His eyes were watching you intently, and as you picked up the last item - your panties - he sighed.
"Leave these."
When you thought that man couldn't surprise you more he'd say some shit that would make your eyebrows disappear in your hairline. You searched for answers on his face, for the reason he'd ask for it, but found none.
"I'm no good for anythin' else, baby."
You didn't know what you nodded to, wether you were agreeing with him or your head was just too tired to keep up straight. The hand clutching your panties relaxed, letting them drop back to the floor as you left his room.
412 notes · View notes
iouinotes · 4 months
Text
Show-off | Mike Ross
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pairing: Mike Ross x female!reader
show: Suits
genre: smut word count: 2,9k
summary: you and your co-worker Mike dont get along very well. But when you have something that he needs, suddenly everything is different.
a/n: Just watched the first two episodes of "Suits" and something about Mike is really attractive-
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Working in a well-known office as a lawyer has it's advantages. Such as being respected by business people or being able to afford a lot of things, you spend all your evenings analyzing documents rather than meeting actual people.
Nevertheless, sometimes there are also negative factors. For example, my co-worker Mike, who really believes, that he is with his ridiculously skinny tie and sarcastic humor better than the others. Or right now, better than me.
"God, I cant believe you. Can you behave for once?" I use my fingers to push my hair back in frustration, noticing how my head starts to hurt. Its 10 pm and I'm currently trying to stay calm, though because of one man in particular, my nerves seem to be getting thinner within seconds. Valuable time is wasted that I could spend somewhere else instead of with him.
"Now it's my fault, that you don't have the documents with you? Sorry, I can't help you being organized in your own workplace." His voice irritates me. Everything about him is so frustrating.
"I told you, I didnt get the message! How am I supposed to know, that you need something, when you don't tell me anything about it? Maybe you should stop being so childish and ask me in the first place, instead of running to Rachel!" If our job had nothing to do with justice and we werent literally standing in a law company right now, I would kill him. And then I wouldn't hesitate to go to court and say it was self-defense, because I didnt want to hear any of his miserable excuses anymore.
"So what do you think, I should do? I need these documents for tomorrow. Please, I know you don't like me, but it is really urgent." Why does he has such blue eyes? The look he is going me is even more irritating than his voice.
I sign, exhibit my laptop and try to put the pens back, that are laying all over my desk.
"Okay, fine. As I said, the documents are at home, so-" I don´t even get to finish my sentence.
"Great, so I'll meet you there. And I wont even tell anyone, if your place is a mess." His eyes wander over my messy desk, and even If I don´t like to admit it, it's a bad habit of mine. But, he shouldn't make any assumptions about the neatness in my apartment.
"I hope you loose the documents on your way home." At my words, he grins smugly.
"Well, then I could lie and say you didnt found them anymore and I hadnt had the chance to go through them." He leans towards me.
"I'll run you over with my car." He raises his eyebrows at my threat.
"You sure should do something that makes you smile more often. Is that even something you know how to do?" I show him my middle finger and turn to left my office. When I close the door, I hear the laughter in his voice.
"The next storm should be named after you as quickly as you left the room." He follows after me.
"Can you shut up for once? Oh, I forgot. You don´t last one second being silent. Thats a shame, the world could finally heal." His hand rests on his heart, his features fake a hurt expression.
"Ouch. You really don´t like me that much, huh?" His eyes try to search mine.
"You get on my nerves on purpose every fucking day. Should I thank you for that?" I turn my head to look at him.
"Yes, you should. Your life would be so boring without me." He grins at me again from the side, that typical grimace that is always adorn on his face.
"You wish." When I tell him my address, he raises his eyebrows, but before he can make an unfavorable comment, I get into my car.
Darkness surrounds me and when I see him going away, I lower my head to the steering wheel. He really is the best at confusing my emotions.
~~~~~
I turn off the lights of my car and get out of it, so I can finally make my way to my flat. Its not something special, I mean I have a living room, which is quite big and connected to the kitchen, a bedroom and a bath. But I am very lucky, because I have a small balcony, from which I can watch the stars at night. But I usually only do that when I can't sleep.
So, when I enter my apartment, I let my eyes wander over the manageable mess, I put some clothes back in the closet and the dishes in the washing machine. The place almost looks decent, when I hear the doorbell.
As I open the door, I'm nervous for some reason. I let him in and turn to my office drawers, looking for the document.
"Nice place. You live here alone?" His fingers trace my bookshelf, I see him reading the titles.
"No, my wife is still at work." When I look at him dead serious, I see him laugh in surprise.
"So, you do have humor. I thought, you were one of those exceptions that wouldn't be able to do that." He means it as a joke, but something in my chest hurts.
When I reply with a monotonous voice, I see his eyebrows pull together. "I live here alone. That's what you wanted to hear?" I'm getting more frustrated again with every second he's around me.
"No- I didnt mean it that way. I'm sorry. My intentions were good, I promise." When I look at him for a moment, I see his honest expression.
It would be so easier for me to hate him, if I didnt know, he was a good human. Well, most of the time.
We are silent for a moment, but when I hear his footsteps, I tense up.
"What are you doing?" He's now standing right next to me.
"Helping you. You seem a little, tense?" I glare at him for a moment and he raises his hands in defense.
"Just pointed out the obvious. But dont worry. You still look lovely." I stop in my movements at his words.
"Thats such shock for you?" His voice shows surprise and a certain curiosity.
"Only that you say it." I look into his eyes.
"Well, you may think I'm dumb, but I'm not blind."
He just called me beautiful, sort of. It´s confusing me.
When I finally find the documents, I hold my hand out to him.
"I don´t think you are dumb. I think you're annoying. And a show-off. I don´t like that." His eyes follow me.
"What do you like then?" His question surprises me. He slowly takes the documents out of my hand, his finger gently brushing mine.
"I don´t think that is any of your business." I try to clear my voice. His touch makes me shiver.
"Come on, tell me. Would that be so bad?" His whole presence is making me nervous and I feel my hands start to shake.
At work, I can always hide behind a mask, pretend that nothing he does affects me. I can act like I truly hate him, even though I catch myself looking at him, from time to time. Especially when he shows off his intelligence without realizing it, impresses his clients and -I would never admit it- me too. It's a certain charm about him, the way he always knows how to answer, while being mischievous and clever about it.
But now, that he's in my apartment and so close to me, it's suddenly different. And I don't know how to react to him being nice.
"I look for someone who isnt afraid of commitment. Someone who is honest and kind, but who also challenges me. I want to feel safe, so I can put my trust not only in myself."
He nods and is quiet for a moment, I begin to feel stupid for telling him all of that, when he responds.
"I get that. Someone whose shoulder you can lean on when things get too much. Someone who meets your needs, who wants to be in your life. For longer than a one-night stand." He smiles at me and I see for the first time, why I possibly could like him.
"Also, statistics show higher rates of being robbed or kidnapped, when you have one-night stands." This remark almost makes me laugh, even though it's frightening.
"Well, who would even notice, if I would disappear? Probably only my clients, because they need me." I lower my head, being completely honest with him for the first time.
"I would notice."
When I look at him, he takes a step towards me. His fingers gently slide over my shoulder and brush my hair aside, the touch makes a warm feeling bloom in my chest.
"I couldn't annoy you anymore. My life would be pretty boring without you. And it's not so bad to be able to look at such a pretty face every day, even if it always looks at me annoyed, like all the time." I quietly laugh at that, feeling surprisingly good because of his compliment.
We look at each other, now being really close. My eyes travel to his lips and I don´t even know how it happens, but suddenly he is all over me. His lips on mine, his hands on my waist, lifting me up to sit me on the desk. I moan softly when his hands tangle in my hair and he pushes himself closer to me, so that he's standing between my legs. One of his hands gently wraps around my neck and I feel my loud pulse.
My hands move too, stroking his back and holding him closer to me by his tie. As he pulls his lips away from me, he lifts my chin with his finger. Now, looking down at me with widen pupils. I hold his eye contact, forgetting all about my issues with him, when he speaks to me with a deep voice (which I suddenly don´t think sounds irritating anymore).
"Be angry at me tomorrow and mine for tonight. I bet, all your frustration from work and your thin nerves can catch a break, what do you say?"
Not much. Because I pull him towards me by his tie and kiss him again. I don't want to stop at all anymore. He returns the kiss with the same enthusiasm and his hands find their way to my waist again to lift me up again. When he crosses the living room with quick steps and lays me down on the sofa, I already feel out of breath and clearly turned on.
His kisses become more intense, his lips move from my mouth to my neck, leaving marks there. But it feels too good to make him stop.
"I will gladly hear your excuses, when someone asks you about your hickeys tomorrow. Because you will be all flustered, when you think again about this moment. Where you are ready to be fucked by your colleague, who you despise so much." I whimper as he pushes up my dress and his hands pull my tights down to my knees. The cold air hits my skin, but I don't really notice it, because his lips are on my neck again and his fingers connect first with my stomach and then further down. I hold my breath as his lips touch my ear and his fingers stroke my folds.
"So wet for me. Didnt think, I would turn you on this much." I kiss him to shut him up.
"You are-" I moan, when he finally puts a finger in me. "-so annoying." He laughs at me.
"Am I? But you seem to like it." I feel myself getting wetter, his fingers feel so good as they move gently but firmly inside me. One of his hands moves to push my dress further up and somehow, he manages to pull it over my head. Now, I'm lying in front of him in just a bra, his hands slowly find their way over my body and to my back, which I lift slightly so that he can open the clasp.
When I lie naked in front of him and he massages my breasts, his lips touch mine and his fingers stimulate me, I feel like I'm in heaven.
He breaks apart, so he can look at me and I draw my eyebrows together, when his fingers increase in speed. My mouth opens and the sounds that escape me echo in the apartment.
"I'm- god, I think I am going to come-" at that he starts to tease me, going slower but a lot deeper. My eyes almost roll back as he hits a certain spot inside me.
"That feels good? What do you say, when you want something?" You stupid idiot.
"You stupid-" I begin to say as his lips graze my nipple and his finger scissor and stretch me out further.
"One word, darling. Say it." And because I feel this knot inside me (and maybe this side of him turns me on, like a lot), I finally open my mouth to please him.
"Please, Mike. I-I need to-" My sentence is cut off as his fingers speed up and I moan loudly.
"Thats a good girl, you can be so good to me, if I make you." His lips search mine as I finally come. My breathing is heavy and when I come down from my high and look at his face, I see the satisfied expression.
"You are done-" I can't maintain my strict facial expression and suddenly have to start smiling. His eyes widen in surprise and I raise my eyebrows, still smiling softly.
"What?" I quietly laugh at his expression.
"Nothing, its just- I have never seen you smiling so happy." I roll my eyes gently. As I look at him closer now, I see the bulge in his pants and the loosened tie. As I lean forward, his eyes shift to my body.
"You still are fully clothed. A bit unfair, don't you think?" I watch him swallow and my hands move to his chest to slowly unbutton his shirt. As I also remove the tie and slip the shirt from his shoulders, I sit myself on his lap. Rocking my hips forward and seeing his eyes close. His hands move to my hips and begin to control the movements, my eyes close too and my head leans into the crook of his neck as the movements become faster.
Sighs and heavy breaths leave his lips and once again, one of his hands moves to grab my breasts, lightly grazing the nipples.
I look at him, noticing his swollen lips and his flushed cheeks. His hair is a mess and his forehead is furrowed, but he tries his best to pull himself together.
I groan as I look at him and suddenly think back to todays afternoon, when he was on a phone call and I heard how he listed one reciting fact after another, without any difficulty.
"What are you thinking about?" His voice pulls me out of my thoughts.
"N-nothing" I'm definitely too embarrassed to admit how much his intelligence and the way he seems to know everything, turns me on.
One of his hands moves to my entrance and teases me by just circling around it. When I try to push myself down, he pulls his fingers away.
"You tell me, whats going on in that pretty head of yours and you'll get me." My body feels so hot, I can't think properly anymore.
"You where on a phone call today and you just- you listed without any effort every single point that will help you win the case. You just said it like- it's nothing."
When his fingers dig into me again, I bite my lips. I try to control my moans and not pay attention to the fact, that I just gave him every opportunity to make him be more complacent than his usual self.
His fingers pump into me and I feel slightly overstimulated. But I wouldnt want to stop now.
"You get off by the thought of me, saying memorized facts? Who would have thought that my intelligence would turn you on so much." God, his ego probably doesn't fit in this apartment anymore.
"Don't think too highly of yourself, you still annoy me." Now I'm really just trying to get myself out of the situation. I lean towards him, so he can't say anything anymore and pull on his blonde hair to distract him.
Moans escape my lips and when I notice that his noises are also getting louder, I pull away from him. He looks at me confused.
"I want you inside me." Thats all I say, but he quickly complies with my request. I slide off his lap and wait for him to take off his pants and boxers until he's finally on top of me again. His fingers find my bottom lip and while maintaining eye contact, I open my mouth so he can insert a finger. My tongue brushes against his and after a few moments of him pressing on my tongue, he lets his fingers move back to the spot that needs him the most.
He stretches me for a few minutes until he finally guides his cock to my hole and slowly penetrates me. My eyes close and I hear his breath in my ear as he pushes further.
"You are so tight- good thing finally someone fucks you." I nod without thinking and hear his laughter in my ear.
"You think so too, huh. Would you let anyone fuck you then?" My stomach tenses, I feel the pleasure growing again and every movement of him. This feels so good-
I try to shake my head, but I'm too lost in the sensations to pay much attention to his words.
"No? But I thought, you hate me. Why would you let me fuck you, if you don´t even like me?" His thrusts become faster and more uncontrolled, I feel him getting closer to his own high.
"I-" I try to stutter "d-don´t hate you." I feel myself getting closer and reach into his hair, pulling at the roots and feeling his lips on my shoulder. His thrusts become more powerful and as he moves his hand and massages my clitoris, suddenly everything goes white in front of my eyes and I come.
I feel every inch inside of me, feel his fingers brush over the visible bulge in my stomach and think to myself: god I feel so full
When he comes too, I moan so loudly that it's impossible that my neighbors didn't hear me. His hand finds its way around my chin, he slides a finger into my mouth and I feel my vagina tighten because of it.
He hisses and his thrusts slow down until he finally pulls out of me, trying not to fall on top of me. As I give him some space next to me, he falls halfway on me, but pulls me on top of him in the next second and I can hear his strong heartbeat. With his outstretched hand he pulls the blanket over me, that had fallen to the floor.
We both try to catch our breath and as the minutes pass, only the wind outside is heard. He is the first to break the silence.
"So, you don't hate me?" I lift my head from his naked chest to look at him.
"Only sometimes." He shakes his head and smiles, gently stroking my back.
The evening went by quickly, we ordered a pizza and ate it (clothed) on the terrace. We were going over his documents for tomorrow, I blushed at the thought that this was the real reason he came here, but he just hugged me from behind after we finished and continued watching the stars.
It's not really clear what this evening means for us, but I don´t want to get into that, not yet. Because I'm not sure what it means anyway.
Because now, I have to get used to the fact that his voice no longer irritates me, that his jokes no longer annoy me and that he as a person, is actually not as bad as I imagined.
"Who thought, I was the one to get you relax."
But he is still a show-off.
148 notes · View notes
ourserendipity · 21 days
Text
samsara of shattered dreams: past
(aventurine x gn!reader x dr. ratio) just some heads up, this happened before the whole penacony arc in the story. No Beta read 😎😎 (That's all I think lol. Anyways I'll be leaving for a while cuz I'll be busy and shiz 🥲🥲. hope y'all enjoyy✿) Part 1/3
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Memories. Like glass, they glisten the beauty reflected by the light giving its vivid colors, and yet they are oh so frail; like the fleeting flow of life, sudden yet steady at the same time.
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Looking back, you wouldn't have thought that you would see yourself in this situation; not that you already foresaw your fate in the first place. Still, there's the feeling of regret lingering at the back of your mind; one that is not directed towards you but rather to the things that you've done. If only, if only you had the power to change the course of fate maybe this wouldn't have been necessary, if only one could stop the other's heart breaking perhaps goodbyes weren't needed to be said. But alas, destiny has its own ways and so now you are trapped, here in a samsara of endless possibilities, all from the past up to the future; all that is only but a dream yet to spur along with the branches of life.
You dance, you circle around the twinkling stars swimming along azure waters that reflect the night sky, following the roots of time ever so slowly growing, a future waiting to be born, its memories captured in the garden of recollection. Spin after spin, countless lightcones spawn in the vicinity of your eyes; an attempt to draw you unto them, delving into the memories of both the future and past once more. They all glimmer in your eyes, symbolizing its high importance to those who gaze at it, but truth be told, you didn't want to look at them anymore, not when you know you'll only hurt yourself in the process. Even then, you caress them over your palms ever so gently, cherishing the moments silently; actions do speak louder than words after all.
And now you wonder, will everything be alright? Now that the stars have finally collided, and so shall your encounter with death had arrived.
"Y/n... Y/N..."
"Aventurine-"
"They're... they're gone. They really are not here anymore, huh?" He whispers, tightly holding your cold, desolate body.
Despair was imminent in the thick air that engulfs the room as he desperately tries to hold back himself from tearing on the spot. He'd hate for the two of you to see him cry and be vulnerable; after all, didn't he tell you that he doesn't bet on the losing end?
And yet here he is: lo and behold, the winner of it all, stripping him of his own tears, his own freedom to be frail and weak, all just to keep himself at bay, and yet failing so miserably.
"......."
Only silence was heard across the room, rather, it was the only answer the genius could give him. Though not fitting his character, he believes that even he could not give the response the man wanted; needed even.
"There's no time left to mourn what's already gone, we should make haste." It was the only thing he could reply. He knew he had to give him an answer somehow, else the man's insanity would escalate even further.
".....leave.."
"what?"
"leave me alone, I... I'll follow you after a while, just please let me be," he pleads achingly, as if he is almost breaking into the point of oblivion.
Utter brokenness was the only thing he heard upon Aventurine's response. And that alone already tells him that
You wished it wouldn't have been sooner, that you could stay just a little bit longer. And so you fought, no, you ran, you ran along with them in the dark in hopes of outrunning time but to no avail. In the end, you still had to go, regret trailing alongside your eyes brimming with tears.
"Hey no fair! that's my share Aventurine!"
"Not when you say please~"
"Such prudence... Will you two stop the act already?"
"Ooh so scary, Mr. Alabaster head~" you tease, obviously trying to mock him and his antics.
"Indeed. I wonder, where is that handsome bust of yours? You don't seem to wear it as much anymore~" Aventurine coos, whilst holding the bag of candies on his right hand, with you struggling on the other hand, trying to reach the said bag from him.
He scoffs upon hearing the blonde's remarks, though what he was saying is true. If he were to be honest, he doesn't see the two of you as an idiot, but he wouldn't openly admit it to both of you, not with his pride and ego of course. Sighing, he knocks the blonde's head lightly, making the guy dramatically wince in pain.
"ow, that hurts y'know?" he cries all the while you were there, stifling a laughter trying not to laugh at his obvious acting.
It was just a simple day for the three of you in the IPC and yet at that moment, everything felt light; it felt as if the three of you were simply living in your own world, rightfully so. It felt so comforting, like a dream you wish that will never end. But then...
All those years of endless banter, the fondness of even the simplest of times; both good and bad, and them, the two of which you truly had loved with all of your heart, the stars you thought you would never reach; but you did, ever so effortlessly. To think that fate had allowed for the three of you to meet is a miracle from the aeons themselves. And despite their clashing personalities, the pointless arguments they dare not speak of, the past one does not wish to return to, you made it work somehow, like fixing the broken pieces of a broken glass only to be shattered again, all because of that stupid, cruel thing called fate. But somehow, you found yourself here in the samsara, reborn from the memories that you hold, now with a new purpose; to collect and to preserve new memories once more, in hopes of retaining what's for the future to hold on to when the time comes. And now that you have regained life in a different form, perhaps you could go back to the real world, to raise a bud anew, in that beautifully miserable place. And perhaps you could meet them again, not letting go of any opportunity given to you, to build a new bridge, to finally reconnect the three of you once more, all for a better future.
"May the cosmos guide you to the path of the unknown, my beloved stars. "
to be continued......
xx/xx/xxxx
xx:xx
From: ■■■■■■■
To: ■■■■■■■■■■, ■■■■■■■■■■
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To Aventurine
"To my dearest gambler, blessed upon the gaze of Gaiathra. I simply bestow to you my full adoration and longing. The unknown may hold us captive in our own, but we shall be the winners who'll decide the results; and it seems like it in your side, to which I could only pray for its continuous flow. I am truly humbled by your guts and wits, my dear. But despite it all, I could feel the lingering despair each time you gamble your life away. So to you I offer this humble gift; a gift of life and new comings. Never forget, you are Kakavasha, born from the bright yellow star, blessed by abundant luck and fortune. May you walk upon this newly lit path of destiny, along with him and what's left of us. "
To Ratio
"To my favorite scholar, truly a genius amongst geniuses. I could only stare in awe upon all of the achievements you have gotten. I may not be as potent as your vast amounts of knowledge nor do I reach the same standards as you do, but please be reminded that there are things that even the smartest revolutionists simply could not have a grasp of. And even if it seems that one's passing is but a swift gust of wind in your eyes, I could tell: the moment my drifting eyes meet yours, those eyes of yours are telling otherwise. So please, be a little bit nicer to them next time. You may never know; that in the future, he will be in your saving grace, hoping that you'll spare him the sympathy that he truly needs. "
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93 notes · View notes
myfandomprompts · 4 months
Note
Hey, I saw you did what Ewan's characters would be like with a girl daughter. And I admit that my curiosity was: What would each of Ewan's characters react to an unexpected pregnancy? Or announcement of a pregnancy
Or, opening new horizons, what would each person's relationship be like with their wife/girlfriend when they were pregnant? (if you want to use the reader for this part)
(I'm sorry if you're not accepting requests or something)
Hi! Thank you for the ask and it's truly okay and wonderful!
Headcanons: How would EwanVerse characters react to unexpected pregnancy?
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Abraham
He hadn't even planned to stay with you, his only focus was on earning his place among the gypsies. Yes, he lied to himself about liking you, about being obsessed even, but at least he had managed to keep his emotions at bay. Until now. When he learns of your pregnancy, he gets mad, takes time for himself to think. Then he sees how miserable he had made you and his turmoil quickly turns into guilt. He can't stay away from you for long, let alone hurt you. You could be together after all, happy, and hell, that baby is his. What other beautiful manner to make his claim on you is there?
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Aemond
War was raging, and he took you as his companion because he could, because as Prince Regent, no one will dare say a word against it. He had needs, impulses both of sinful nature and quiet affection, and you were meeting each of them perfectly. But when you don't bleed for two moons, he finally realises why he chose you, why he didn't 't care about being careful: he wanted you for himself, and having you round with his child would be the ultimate prize. You and the baby would be untouchable.
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Billy Taylor
He feared it was going to happen. He had heard the stories so many times : people around with too much passion which caused unexpected things to happen ruined their lives, even reputations. It had scared him as much as elated him when he got to be with you, to touch you everywhere. And now, with the news of you pregnancy and amidst thinking of a way to tell his mother, he finds out that he would do it all again, thousand times over if life allowed it. He would be so very happy with your child.
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Billy Washington
He wasn't supposed to have met with you again, or even to hook up. You, the ex he had a hard time forgetting about. But he guesses that once you harbour feelings for someone, it never really goes away. When you tell him, he is awestruck, not believing it, even asking you if it's his. It takes weeks for him to wrap his head around it, thinking what the hell he's going to do then he decides. Decides that he was delusional thinking he could live without you for a while, and that he won't let you go again. He never stopped loving you, and that baby will make everything right.
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Ettore
You're just his neighbour, the only one who gets him, who sees him for what he is. He actually doesn't care about what people think of him, or what you think about him. Or maybe just a little. But he likes how you let him do things to you others wouldn't. When you tell him, he stays silent for a while, expressionless. "So?" he tells you, and when you slam the door in his face, he tries to convinced himself that he doesn't care. But in truth he can't stop thinking about it. About what it would feel like to have something as... precious with someone. How foreign it seems to him.
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Genyen
He doesn't understand: you said you were fine with him being "just a friend", that you didn't want more, and it suited him fine. So why were you telling him that now? He can't do anything for you, he has nothing, even if he would like to. He would, truly, he finds himself thinking, provide for you if he could, for the baby. But it's the way you look at him with those shiny eyes and a hand on your belly that make him abandon any idea of disappearing on you. He'll stay, whatever you say he is to you.
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Michael Gavey
He is euphoric. You're the girl of his dreams, and it seems surreal. He can give you everything you want, provide for you like you've never been cared for before, you don't need to be anxious about it all. He reassures you at once, already scheduling how you'll manage to graduate and have a beautiful baby at the same time, your baby. He won't ever let you go, and is already planning for the second one.
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Osferth
You're the lady he can't believe he has, and when you announce that you're carrying his child, he can't help but feel guilty. He has promised himself never to sire a child, a bastard's bastard, and now he had brought shame on you. You would have been better without him, really, better with someone worthy of you. If only he had been more careful. What if you died in labour? What if the baby died? It's with those dark thoughts that he snaps out of it and decides that he will look after you until then. He will pray for you and the baby, be there for the both of you until life takes him.
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Tom Bennett
He isn't even surprised, you're his girl after all. It's not like he had planned it, but it was bound to happen at some point. Deep down, Tom is a family man, always taking care of his folks, a fact he is finally brutally made aware of when you tell him the news and a warm feeling fills his chest. Now he just have to find a way to get you a ring. Maybe he'll have to steal it?
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Will
It wasn't supposed to happen. You were supposed to get sick of him like everybody eventually did, and he was supposed to remain detached. But then here you are, saying you want to keep it and he allows himself to hope. Hope that maybe you truly love him, that maybe he'll finally have something of his own, something to share with you. Maybe he'll be able to let his guard down, like he always longed to. With this news, he felt like he wouldn't be hurt anymore.
I excluded Hoodie, Jack, Jason & Poacher.
146 notes · View notes
valleyofroses · 1 year
Text
Tell it to my heart
╔═══°∴,*⋅✲══〖✰〗══✲⋅*,∴°═══╗
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╚═══°∴,*⋅✲══〖✰〗══✲⋅*,∴°═══╝
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Summery : Rest dearest, for today you did your best.
Chracters : Dromleaders
Content warnings : hurt/comfort, overthinking, mentions of war and death, Neglect, depression, feeling of being lost, grief
a/n : oh dear I took my sweet time writing this.
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𝑅𝑖𝑑𝑑𝑙𝑒 𝑅𝑜𝑠𝑒ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡
Riddle knows better than anyone. He knows how hard it is to be so exhausted, yet have no one to talk to about it. He can never forget the pain he had to go through, the tears he shed in silence in fear of his mother. And when he sees that look on your face, he knows what's happening. Riddle doesn't want you to go through that. It was such a horrible experience for him, and you don't deserve that. You need a well deserved rest and Riddle is going to make sure you get it.
Yet there is this tiny problem. Riddle doesn't know how to do it. What do you like to do? Do you like talking a walk through the maze? Or do you need some alone time? Riddle just keeps thinking and thinking until Trey tells him to take it easy, maybe he could invite you to an unbirthday party? He wonders, if a cake and some tea would help you feel better. After giving it alot of thought he decides that it's better than nothing. Even if it makes you feel a little bit better, that's enough for him.
He takes care of everything. He even bakes the cake himself, with a little help from Trey. After everything, he takes a look at the sky, it looks so pretty to him. He also sends everyone away so you wouldn't feel uncomfortable.
When it's finally time Riddle sees the way your expression ease, and it truly cheers him up. The rest of the day is such a great experience. The sweet smell of the tea, the delicious piece of cake on a beautiful plate, the weather and mostly your eyes, makes him lose his mind. Whenever he takes a look at you he could see his own reflection in you eyes and he gets lost in them. Riddle is truly happy when he watches you smile and he wishes this moment could last forever.
𝐿𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑎 𝐾𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟
Leona, tried so hard to be a king, only to fail miserably. He knows how it feels. He knows how it feels to try so hard and fail every time, and it awakes a horrible feeling inside him when he sees that look on your face. Defeated. Crushed. Hopeless. His heart start beating so fast that he'd feel as if it's about to burst out of his chest.
One night, when he realizes that you're not going to stop pushing yourself, Leona takes you to an abandoned place so you two can be alone. It's almost like a dream, the fluffy clouds that look like cotton candy, the blue color of sky, the feeling of wind between your hair, the trees that look a thousand year old with their roots scattered all over the garden, the colorful flowers and fresh plants. When you settle down, Leona takes your hands into his and looks at the water, he was never good at comforting anyone, he just hopes that whatever's going to happen, won't make it worse, the last thing he wants is to add another burden.
At the last minute Leona changes his mind and decides to just hug you tight. His hug is welcoming, it's loving and warm, just like home. When your tears start to fall he hugs you even tighter. He knows how strong you are, that you eventually get through these days, and he'll be there to accompany you. And he'll always stay by your side.
𝐴𝑧𝑢𝑙 𝐴𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑜
It's weird isn't it? Is it pain? Is it fear? You just can't get it right. The feeling that follows you like a shadow after every decision you make, it grabs your shoulder and whispers in your ear how irrational and pathetic you words a choices were. You can't escape it, you can mever escape this feeling. You can only pull yourself back together, be more wary of things you say and actions you take.
Azul can sense it, something is wrong but he can't quite pinpoint what. You've changed, the way you force yourself to laugh, the way you spend less time with those you held dear to your heart. On the outside you seem...fine, it even looks like you've found more friends! But that is on the outside, but behind the curtains, Azul can clearly see how you're slowly falling apart, pulling away so you won't get hurt again.
At first Azul can't help but wonder why, but after a few fays he begins to understand that the answer to that question wouldn't be of any help to you. But the question is what will? Should he talk about it? Whould he give you some advice on the matter?
Azul decides that the best option is to take a day off so you two can go visit the town together. It's almost like fairy tales. The sight of the colorful flowers, the magical taste of the cakes and sweets,the memories and dreams shared between the two lover and the color of the sky just before sunset.
At the end of the day, it's not the same as it was, but for once you feel like you can lean on someone, you feel like you don't have to do it on your own. For once it feels like Love.
𝐾𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑚 𝐴𝑙 𝐴𝑠𝑖𝑚
Whenever Kalim looks at you, he feels like he is looking at stars. Shinning bright amongst the darkest of nights, full of life, showing the way to those who lost their way. But there has been a change in the night sky these days, it seems as if the light of the shining star is being taken away by the darkness, as if dark clouds are surrounding the light that shows the path of life.
Kalim knows that the dark clouds won't go away easily, but that doesn't stop him from trying. He makes you take off a whole week and takes you out to show you the bakeries and sweets of every city. Going out with Kalim means shopping from the moment the sun rises until sunset. Trying on different clothes, tasting different sweets, drinking a bit of every smoothie that is out there. The movie marathons, every kind of game.
Kalim loves seeing the smile that brightens his world. He loves to see you so carefree like it's just the two of you in the world, like nothing could seperate you two.
At the end of the week Kalim gets a scolding from Jamil. Yet it was worth it. Oh it was so worth seeing his beloved smile so brightly. Kalim never regrets his time with you, the feeling of loving and being loved was so worth it.
𝑉𝑖𝑙 𝑆𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑒𝑛ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑡
It's scary. The way that life works is scary. Every decision you make, every choice, every single move, every single word, people watch everything, their eyes will fllow you everywhere and no matter how hard you try, how hard you work, eventually when you make the smallest mistake, the world will come crashing down. Yet despite all this, Vil found love in your arms. He learned that it's okay to make a mistake, it's okay to not be perfect all the time, it's okay to slip up sometimes, he learns that it's okay to be a human.
So why? Why are you torturing yourself now? Why do you blame yourself for such insignificant things? Are you different from him? Why is he allowed to make mistakes but you're not? Wake up, eat breakfast, get ready for classes, get good grades, go home, study,eat, sleep. It hurts Vil to see a precious soul, his precious soul, do that to themselves. Vil can't help but think if he caused all of this. If he caused you to think you’re not enough, that you’re not perfect, that you’re not good, that you need to be better. It hurts him so deeply, all he wants is for those he love is to shine like they deserve to.
One day after classes, Vil invites you to his room and he doesn't take no for an answer not matter how much you remind him of his busy schedule. When your lover finally get the chance to be alone with you, he hugs you from behind and holds you close to himself. His hugs feels like home, feels like it's okay even if it's for a second. His hugs keep you broken pieces together. As soon as the hug ends Vil gets his skincare products. He just hopes that it can make you feel better. Vil loses himself in the progress, he just can't help but caress your cheeks and stare into those beautiful eyes.
After you're done with the skincare, you two lay in bed hugging eachother tight. Vil knows how sensitive this can be for some people, so he tries to take it slow. He encourages you to talk about yourself , how your day went. And when you talk to him about your day, about how hard today was, about how you barely managed to get through, he finally breaks down. When you see tears roll down his beautiful face, you lose control too. You hold eachother tight, mumbling promises to eachother, and you know that from now on you'll be fine. Because You two have eachother.
𝐼𝑑𝑖𝑎 𝑆ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑑
It's not that you are feeling tired, it's just that you don't feel anything. Is what you're doing alot? You run around all day, to the headmage office, to attend the classes on time, run back to your dorm as soon as the classes are over, sit behind your desk and complete you work. Isn't that how life is?
Idia always wonders how you manage to do that. Don't you get tired? Don't you feel like a robot? Completing the same tasks day after day? You can see his gaze lingering on you for a little longer than usual.
It's unusual seeing Idia outside his room, but there he is standing next to infront of ramshackle with Ortho by his side. Ortho hugs you without a warning and the next thing you know is that you all are in Idia's room. You try explaining that you have to go back to ramshackle in order to complete your tasks but none of them listen. All they offer you is that they need another player so they can complete their game.
Idia's room is so cozy. It's has a nice vibe, it feels like you could get lost in it. As you take the controller in your hand, hoping to finish the game soon to go back to your dorm. But this game is just... so colorful? Everything is so bright and pretty. It wouldn't hurt to play a little right? After some time you realize that it's amazing. The story makes you feel so alive it makes you feel like you have a choice, a choice to be happy. It continues to make you feel mixed emotions, bringing out that smile and excitement that Idia has longed to see for so long.
It awakes a foreign feeling in his chest. It's like watching spring bring life to the world. Seeing you and Ortho together, happy, smiling, makes him truly happy. Maybe he could invite you for another game session.
𝑀𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑢𝑠 𝐷𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑎
Malleus is familiar with this feeling, the feeling that constantly tells you that you don't belong here, you're not meant to be here,you're not wanted nor needed here. Malleus can see that in your face, your bright eyes full of stars staring at the pictures carrying many memories, the way your hand caresses things that you hold dear to your heart so gently. Yet he can't imagine the storm that is inside you mind.
What is it telling you? How is it torturing you? It is telling you that you don't belong here? That you don't belong anywhere? That you'll always be a pitiful one looking for a place to love and be loved? How can the world be so cruel? So cruel to those with the purest hearts? To people whom longed for nothing but a little bit of love?
Malleus had been a watcher for such a long time. He's seen many wars, many people who has suffered in silence, many who died in hopes of peace, many who died without the chance of being loved, many who grieved their lost ones and regretted their actions. But this time Malleus realizes something, he doesn't want to watch as these things happen to him, he doesn't want to watch as these things happen to you. He wants to do something, he wants to prevent that cursed fate that everyone suffers from.
It's feels refreshing and almost cute how Malleus comes to you with sparkly eyes and a proud smile on his face, and without a word he takes your hand and teleports both of you to... a ruin? It's shocking but refreshing. Malleus doesn't let go of your hand as he guides you through the abandoned castle. The castle looks so old yet somehow it looks so lively. As you pass halls and rooms Malleus explains about the history of the castle, how a traveler fell from the sky, how he scared he was, how he pushed through all the hardships, how he lost many thing and how he found friends along the way, how he made memories and earned himself a place in the foreign land. It's amazing...your heart is racing, you're feeling alive after such a long time. You look at Malleus who's busy telling you other stories with a light in his eyes. And in that moment you truly feel happy like nothing can hurt you, like no matter what you'll be fine. As you squeeze Malleus' hand you think to yourself, you finally found home. Malleus doesn't let it show, but he is excited as well. He too has found himself a home.
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vilevenom · 12 days
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Hello @90svn!! Thank you for your request and sweet comment ❤️
I took this request as a personal challenge, because Trollex has a whole 5 minutes of screentime in World Tour, and only maybe eight voice lines. Very hard to get a good read on a character with such a short appearance, but I did my best!
Hope you enjoy!~
To say that Clay felt overwhelmed was putting it mildly. Reuniting with his brothers had been one thing. Heck, even reintegrating the putt putt trolls with pop village had been a drain on his mental and social batteries, but he'd muddled through. However, following Viva along to royal meet and greets and council meetings was just too much. He felt out of his depths in so many ways. Sure, he'd helped co-run the golf course, and a lot of the rules and regulations that kept the place stable had been his doing, but there was just so much more to all of the other kingdoms. Not to mention the fact that he didn't really feel like the other leaders necessarily took him and Viva seriously. He was an ex-boyband member with no political background, and Viva had been unintentionally usurped as queen by her younger sister. They didn't exactly fit the standard leader stereotypes.
This latest meeting, to discuss territory laws and transportation between kingdoms had initially intrigued Clay, and when Viva all but begged him to go with her so she wouldn't be bored, he'd happily agreed. Now he sort of wished he'd stayed home. As much as he had thoughts on what was going on, absolutely no one in the room paid he or Viva much, if any, mind. They were treated more like Poppy's entourage than leaders of a subdivision of Pop trolls. Even Branch was getting asked more questions than either of them.
He was about to suggest to Viva that they leave, since no one seemed to really care what they had to say, when the door to the meeting room burst open, and the king of the techno trolls floated in, grin on his face.
"Sorry I'm late," Trollex laughed as he moved across the room to take his seat, "Last nights rave went on a bit longer than I had anticipated."
Clay rolled his eyes, sinking down further into his seat. He'd seen the techno king from afar a few times before, but he never struck Clay as the type to take anything seriously. He was always talking about the parties the techno trolls threw, never seeming to have a serious thought in his head. He figured, from here, the meeting could only go further downhill.
He, of course, hadn't been paying attention to what was being said due to his miserable ruminating, so hadn't caught that he'd been directly addressed. Not until Viva elbowed him squarely in the rub cage, anyway. He grunted, sitting himself up with a quick frown shot to his best friend, who simply grinned back at him. "Sorry, what was that?"
"I said," Trollex waved his hand at Clay to get his attention, his previous grin and chipper attitude seemingly gone, "What do you think about the implication of having trolls of multiple genres potentially staying all in one place? Since regional customs and attitudes are so wildly different, it opens up a massive amount of safety concerns. Viva said you were the best troll to talk to, outside maybe Branch, about what sort of measures could be kept in place to make sure everyone stays happy and healthy."
Clay perked up as Trollex spoke, not having expected the king to ask such an insightful question, especially not to him. Perhaps his first impression of the king had been all wrong. "Well, there are a lot of different things we'd have to keep in mind for such an undertaking…"
~
Trollex, it turned out, was an incredibly insightful king. Throughout the entire meeting he lobbed questions to several of the kingdom rulers, and directed most, if not all, concerns in regards to safety to Clay. All in all, he felt pretty good when the meeting came to a close, as they had several rough documents drafted up for new inter-kingdom laws.
So, it threw Clay off a little when Trollex floated past him, wide grin on his face and headphones over his ears, flipping a glowstick between his fingers, like he hadn't just been discussing transgenre rights barely five minutes prior. He froze when the kings eyes landed on him, his shoulders unconsciously hiking up to his ears as he was approached.
"Hey, hey! Clay, my man," Trollex crowed, only lowering his volume once he pulled his headphones away from his ears, "Nice work today, yo. Usually Branch is the only one who can figure out all that nuance-y regulatory stuff."
"Yeah, well. Boring legal stuff is my jam," he said with a little laugh while throwing up a peace sign and sticking his tongue out without even realizing what he was doing. He quickly straightened up, a flush forming on his cheeks as a grin slowly spread across Trollex's face.
"Yeah, bro! Nice," Trollex laughed, reaching over to shake Clay's shoulder gently in a friendly gesture, "Live your best life, yo. Speaking of, you should come on by Techno Reef sometime soon! We've got some bangin' raves comin' up. Would love to see how you unwind."
"Haha, yeah," Clay forced a smile onto his face, giving the king a little nod.
"Sweet! I'll send word to Pop Village with dates for the next big one! It's gonna be LIT," Trollex called out, earning whoops from some of the trolls milling near the meeting hall. He laughed as he put his headphones back on, tossing Clay a glow stick as he began to bob his head in time with his music, shooting him finger guns before floating away.
Clay didn't even register when Viva appeared next to him. "Ooooh, does Mr.Clay have a date?"
"Cupcakes!" Clay dropped the glowstick in favor of slapping a hand to his chest, "Viva! Ugh…we seriously need to get you a bell, girl."
Viva simply cackled at him, poking him in the side until he couldn't hold back his laughter and swatted her away. "Well?" she prompted as she took a step back to let Clay catch his breath.
Clay sighed and bent to pick up the fallen glowstick, shrugging a bit. "Pretty sure it was a general party invitation, Viv. Not a date request."
"Well, you gotta start somewhere," Viva chirped, wrapping both of her arms around one of Clays. "What do you think about him, anyway? He totally seems right up your alley."
"What?! How?" Clay asked with a laugh, arching an eyebrow at Viva curiously.
"Oh, well, you know," Viva hummed, resting her head on Clay's shoulder, "He's a party guy, sure, but you saw him in the meeting. He seems like he really takes his responsibilities seriously. I figured you'd admire him for that."
Clay gingerly twirled the glowstick between his fingers. "Yeah. I guess that's true…"
~
"Hey! The party has arrived!"
Clay couldn't help but cringe at Trollex's shout, offering an awkward wave as the king swam over to greet the small group of pop trolls that had travelled down to Techno Reef. Clay had been the one to officially receive the invitation, surprisingly, but it had said that anyone from Pop village was welcome, so he'd asked Poppy to spread word that any troll who wanted to could go. In the end, Clay, Viva, Poppy, Branch, and a smattering of villagers had all decided to go.
"Welcome to Techno Reef! We've got glow sticks for days, and the party's always poppin'," Trollex called with a laugh, tossing a handful of glowsticks out, which gently floated down into the waiting pop trolls hands. "If ya'll would follow Leguna, she'll show you to the accommodations we've prepared for your stay."
A purple techno troll swam forward and gestured for everyone to follow her, which Clay was about to do when he was stopped by a hand on his wrist. He paused and turned in surprise to find Trollex with a large grin on his face.
"I'm really glad you accepted my invitation," the king hummed, releasing Clay's arm and floating backwards slightly.
"Uh," Clay said smartly, glancing around quickly to find Viva shooting his a thumbs up while giggling with her sister, "Thanks, man. Me too. I'm real curious about your culture and it's really cool to finally get to see some of the other kingdoms."
Trollex chuckled, nodding a little as he pulled a glow bracelet off from around his own wrist, swimming forward to secure it around Clay's. "Well, if you've got any questions, you know who to come find," he said with a little wink. Clay was endlessly glad for the darkness of the water around them as his cheeks flushed, just before Trollex swam away.
"I think he likes you."
"VIVA! A BELL! Damn."
~
Raves were, apparently, not Clay's cup of tea. Perhaps when he was younger, before, well, everything, he would've loved a good rave. But older, serious boy Clay was not having the best of times. Branch wasn't, either, but Poppy had dragged him and Viva off almost the moment they had reached the large area that the party was taking place in (He had a feeling the sisters were conspiring against him, somehow). Which left Clay, alone, at the edge of the dance floor, awkwardly watching and wishing he could covers his ears from the loud bass. Unfortunately, the helmets the visiting pop trolls had to wear in order to even be down in the reef impeded his ability to do so.
He was debating on heading back to the rooms the techno trolls had prepared for them, when Trollex appeared out of the crowd, swimming over once he spotted Clay.
"Heyyy, Live Wire!" Trollex shouted over the music with a grin, "There you are!"
"Live Wire?" Clay echoed, arching an eyebrow at Trollex, who grinned wider, his cheeks glowing slightly.
"Yeah, man! Your rave name! Everyone's gotta have a rave name, and you've got the best hair. So, Live Wire," the king explained, swimming forward to tap at the side of Clay's helmet, where his hair was bunched up against the glass.
"I assume you're making fun of me, 'cause my hair stands up like I got electrocuted?" Clay snarked, folding his arms over his chest, not looking the least amount amused.
"What? No? Why would I make fun of you?" Trollex tilted his head like a confused cuddle pup. This gave Clay pause, dropping his arms to his sides.
"I, uhm…I guess I don't know," Clay admitted, shrugging a little. He chewed on his lip a little as Trollex gave him a contemplative look.
"Let's get out of here," the king said, just loud enough for Clay to hear, before he reached out and grabbed both of Clay's hands. With a smile he began to swim backwards, pulling Clay up along through the water after him.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Clay yelped, kicking his feet to try and keep himself from dropping back down through the water and onto the dancefloor. This pulled a delighted laugh from Trollex, who shook his head.
"Just relax. I've got you," Trollex hummed, sliding his hands down Clay's arms until he had a hold on the green trolls elbows, while shifting his position so he was half swimming beneath Clay. "You'll be okay, Live Wire. I won't let you sink."
~
Trollex let Clay's feet hit solid ground again once they'd reached what Clay could only describe as a palace; a huge building near the center of the reef, standing prominently above all the other structures of the town, with twisting spires and glowing accents that lit up the surrounding area.
"Wow," Clay murmured, admiring the architecture, while also noting that they were far enough away from the rave that he could speak at a normal volume.
"Yeah. It's pretty lucky Barb only targeted the DJ booth when she attacked. I'm not sure how well we could've reconstructed this," Trollex said, floating next to Clay with an easy smile.
"Wait…she attacked you? Like, actually?" Clay turned his head sharply towards Trollex with a frown. He'd heard plenty about Barb's world tour, but the finer details hadn't really been openly shared. He supposed it would make sense that Barb would have to attack trolls to gain what she wanted, but knowing it was enough that the techno trolls had to reconstruct buildings was a lot. Barb had been at their meeting, and no one had treated her like she'd terrorized them.
"Yeah. But it's all good. Things worked out," Trollex said with a little shrug.
"But, what if they hadn't? You would've lost all this," Clay declared, gesturing widely at te palace and surrounding buildings.
"True. But we didn't," Trollex swam in front of Clay, taking his hands in his own with a light laugh, "You can't dwell on the 'maybes' in life, bro. You just gotta focus on the here, and now, and what you can do in the moment." Clay felt his anger dissipate at Trollex's words, though he still frowned.
"'Maybes' are what keep people safe," Clay insisted, unconsciously squeezing Trollex's hands.
"Future 'maybes', totally. But past 'maybes' can't be changed. You gotta go with the flow, bro," Trollex chuckled, tugging Clay forward a bit, "But enough of that. C'mon, I'll show you around."
Clay sighed heavily and followed after Trollex, taking note of the fact that the king had only let go of one of his hands.
~
"This is all really impressive," Clay praised with an easy smile while pulling his helmet off. The last stop on the tour of the palace was a series of rooms dedicated to visiting dignitaries from other kingdoms. Much like the rooms arranged for the visiting pop trolls, these rooms had been made air tight and drained of water to allow for other genres to visit without the need for helmets.
"Thanks, man," Trollex said, taking the helmet from the green troll to set aside on a table. "We've only had a few trolls come to visit so far, so it's nice to know our efforts aren't in vain."
"I thought the whole world tour thing was a while ago?"
"Oh, yeah, it was," Trollex shrugged, floating over to a couch and patting the spot net to him in invitation to Clay, "But, we're a bit harder to get to, being underwater, an' all. Plus, as much as I'd love to extend more open invitations to other kingdoms, we haven't finished hammering out all the necessary laws to make sure everyone stays safe."
"Man," Clay said with a little laugh, flopping himself onto the seat next to the king, "How do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Just…so easily flip between being dead serious and being a party guy? How do you make sure people still take you seriously?"
Trollex watched Clay for a moment, before letting out a little breath and curling his fins beneath himself. "You're talking about the whole 'fun boy' thing, aren't you?"
Clay startled, leaning away from Trollex with wide eyes. "How'd you know about that?"
"Queen Poppy gave us a bunch of pop records when the kingdoms first started talking to each other again. There was a BroZone record in there. Which, by the way, makes for some killer mixes and spinbacks! But, uh…yeah. Not hard to put two and two together when Branch was talking about his brothers, meeting before last. Poppy also might have mentioned that I shouldn't call you 'fun' before we met," Trollex said with a light laugh.
Clay groaned, dropping his face into his hands. "Is that what this is, then?" he asked, slightly muffled, "Some sort of weird intervention to show me that I can be fun and serious, not just one or the other?"
"What? No. Man, you sure do jump to a lot of conclusions," Trollex chuckled, gently taking Clay's hands away from his face. "You just genuinely seemed like a cool troll. Is it so hard to believe I might wanna get to know you better, without any ulterior motives?"
"Yes."
That startled a burst of laughter out of Trollex, making the techno king reel back and wave his hands through the air. "Oh! Oh, man. Clay," he snorted, wiping at his eyes, "Bro. Trust me, it shouldn't be hard to believe. You really made an impression on the council with your ideas at the last meeting, and Viva told me about everything you did at the golf course. You're a really impressive troll, Live Wire."
"Oh. Well…thanks," Clay chuckled awkwardly, his cheeks flushing.
"It helps that you're real cute, too," Trollex added cheekily, shooting Clay a grin.
"I-What?!" It was Clay's turn to reel back, his back hitting the arm rest of the couch as his cheeks practically caught fire.
Trollex simply laughed, leaning his arm on the back of the couch so he was a bit more in Clay's space. "Okay, so maybe I had one ulterior motive," the king admitted, "I thought, maybe, you and Viva were a thing, but I overheard her teasing you about me."
"You had headphones on!" Clay squawked, shaking his head slightly.
"Yeah. I didn't have any music playing. Sometimes it's nice to be left alone because people think you can't hear them. Plus, I get to hear things that people might not want me to know," the king confessed with a little shrug. "But, y'know, if I'm reading you all wrong, just tell me to back off. I won't take offense."
"I…okay?"
"That was definitely a question, and not enthusiastic consent," Trollex chuckled, reaching out to gently take one of Clay's hands in his own. "You gotta say the magic word."
"Please?"
Trollex snorted. "I was looking for 'yes', or something to that effect, but I suppose that works, too." With that he leaned forward and cupped Clay's jaw in his hand, his smile turning soft. "You just do what you gotta do if this doesn't feel right, okay?"
Clay gave a little nod and let his eyes slip shut as Trollex pressed their lips together. He genuinely couldn't remember the last time he'd been kissed. Was it all the way back when he'd been in BroZone? Probably. He'd always been too busy at the golf course to ever entertain the idea of getting involved with anyone. And, as much as he and Viva were teased for being in each others back pockets all the time, there really wasn't anything more than close sibling feelings between the two of them. So, as the kiss broke and Trollex shifted back, he had no real idea if it felt right or not. He did, at least, know it didn't feel wrong. He opened his eyes to find Trollex watching him intently, a nervous little smile on his face.
"Well?"
"Repeat experiments must be run in order to ensure the results are valid and consistent," Clay muttered, pulling his hand free of Trollex's in order to take the kings face in both hands and draw him in again. He smiled into the kiss at Trollex's surprised little grunt, pleased as he felt the techno king all but melt into him.
When they pulled apart the second time, Clay took note of the dumbstruck expression on Trollex's face, feeling a little curl of satisfaction in the pit of his stomach for putting the look on the kings face.
"One more? To, uh, make sure the results are consistent?" Trollex asked, his cheeks glowing a faint pink as he leaned in again.
"Just to make sure," Clay easily agreed, tugging Trollex closer so the techno king was half in his lap as their lips met again.
~
Clay smirked as he fixed his hair and adjusted his romper as he glanced back at Trollex, who looked like a ragdoll on the couch, one arm over his face and one fin flopped onto the floor.
"Live Wire is a perfect nickname for you," Trollex sighed, sitting up as Clay picked up his helmet. Slowly he rose from his seat and floated over to the green troll, resting a hand on the top of the helmet. "I hope…I really hope this wasn't a one time thing?"
Clay blinked, a bit taken aback by the question. "It isn't?"
"I mean," Trollex floated backwards, twisting his fingers together in front of himself nervously, "If you wanted it to be, that…that's cool. I just…I know we don't know each other super well yet or anything, but I really like you, Clay. And I'd really like to get to know you better. I know you've got all your responsibility with the pop trolls and Viva and stuff, but…I'd like to see you again. I'd like to see you more."
"Oh," Clay breathed, oddly somewhat startled that anyone would want to see him again, let along a King. "You mean that?"
"I wouldn't say it if I didn't."
"Okay. Okay! Yeah," Clay nodded, shifting the helmet in his hands to rest on his hip so he could reach out and take Trollex's hand. "Next time, you come to ours. You can stay with me."
Trollex's face lit up in a giddy grin, his cheeks flushing bright pink at Clay's words. "Already looking forward to it."
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mixiury · 8 months
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Unspoken words — Wanderer x GN! Reader
Summary: Trying to finish your commission as fast as possible you get sick, walking to the place of the closest person you know.
A/N: Forever thankful with my friend who offered to proofread this for me <3. This was in my drafts since a long time ago and I decided to post it after getting Kabukimono cat plushie. Please enjoy!! ^^
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Wanderer takes the wet towel from your forehead with his hands, submerging it into the basin of cold water next to his bed to then wring the excess water and placing it back in its original place.
He has been doing the same thing over and over for the last few hours, or maybe days? Your mind is too clouded by the fever to know how long you have been in this miserable situation, envying the people you hear through the window walking on the streets of Sumeru and going on with their day by day, ignorant of the suffering you are enduring.
His movements are monotonous but precise, almost delicate. It is as if he had done this multiple times in the past, something you wouldn't expect from someone like him. And maybe it's that silence and acceptance on his part that brings so much uneasiness to your thoughts, slowly consuming you until they simply become impossible to ignore.
"Come on, you can say it." The words fall weakly from your mouth, worsening the burning pain in your hoarse throat that feels like your vocal cords are being torn apart one by one. Still, you try your best to hide it from him, failing miserably. It would be almost impossible not to notice it when the simple act of breathing hurts so much, responding you instantly.
"Stop talking. You will make it worse." You don't know if it's because you've been too focused on your own misery to pay him any attention during all your stance, yet this is the first time you've heard him speak since you got sick, the words barely making sense in the moment that reach your ears. Yet, although for any other person in your situation the pain would be enough to listen to his words, his response does not completely satisfy you, ignoring them just as he was expecting.
"I know what you are thinking. Just say it." He sighs, already knowing where this conversation is going. "What would the point of scolding you now?" "I don't know, you are an expert on it."
Wanderer finally stops his movements and looks back to you. It's something so insignificant and small but it's enough to let you know that he is at least listening to you. However, the silence between you two after it is so loud, spreading throughout the room as you two stare at each other. You've seen that look in his eyes before, like he's analyzing every little aspect and movement of you. From your shallow breaths to the way your body keeps sending shivers from the ferver.
"It was your choice to stay late on the rain to finish your commission, not mine. I'm not responsable for your own well being."
"Then why are you taking care of me?"
"Nahida would have scolded me if I had just left you outside in the rain, but now I'm starting to wonder if letting you be on your own was the best choice."
Despite the pain, you can't contain the laughter that forms in the back of your throat, which quickly turns into a dry cough in response to your lungs desperately seeking oxygen to keep themselves functioning. This seems to bother him even more, averting his gaze again and pouring water into a glass cup. It's hard to know exactly what's going on in the deepness of his mind, this whole situation bringing up memories from the past that he had buried long ago.
"Drink this." He hands you the glass of water, helping you lean on the bed so you don't end up choking on it. It's rare to see Wanderer worried about anyone, much less caring about them. It feels wrong to depend on him this much, but you still can't help but feel the warmth of the moment spreading through your chest, selfishly basking in the attention he gives you.
While you drink the water, your eyes follow his gaze, observing the last rays of sun softly entering through the window and the wind running through the curtains. Despite everything, the world continue without waiting for anyone, everyone walking to their houses to finally end the day. All pain is temporary and it is possible that in a few weeks you will end up forgetting about this moment, so you try to get the best out of it, enjoying Wanderer's company in silence.
And when you were finally going to lie down in bed again and try to sleep your pain away, he whispers something one last time. "Just rest. You'll be fine."
It feels like the words are more for himself than for you. You still can't tell what is going through his thoughts, but you know that even if you ask him he will probably brush it off. So instead, you take a different approach to the issue, reaching his hands and holding them with your own. Your hands are still shaky and sweaty from the ferver, but when you talk the words come out strangely soft, trying to reassure him in some way.
"I will."
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